Weekly Current Affairs 9th May-15th May 2021

FINANCE AND BANKING

• RBI cancels licence of West Bengal-based United Cooperative Bank
  • Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the licence of United Co-operative Bank Ltd, Bagnan, West Bengal, as it does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.

• Baja Finance Gets authorization for Semi-closed PPI
  • Bajaj Finance got authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the issuance and operation of semi-closed Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) with perpetual validity.

• Private Banks allowed to undertake agency jobs: RBI
  • Private Banks, which worked as agency banks for government businesses prior to 2012, are allowed to undertake such agency jobs for central and state governments without any fresh approval, Reserve Bank of India clarified recently.

ECONOMY

• Nomura cuts FY22 growth estimate to 10.8% due to lockdowns
  • Nomura recently cut its GDP growth estimate for the current 2021-22 fiscal to 10.8 per cent from the earlier 12.6 per cent, blaming the impact of the second wave-induced lockdowns.

• EIB commits 2nd tranche of €150 m for Pune Metro
  • The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Indian government recently signed a contract for second tranche of Euro 150 million for Pune Metro Rail project.

• ADB annual funding to India hits record high
  • The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) total annual funding to India stood at $4.27 billion last year spurred by Covid-19 support.

NATIONAL

• PM releases 8th installment of PM-Kisan Scheme
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 8th installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.

• Section 142 of the Social Security Code - 2020 Notified
  • The Ministry of Labour & Employment has been mandated to seek the 12-digit unique identification number Aadhaar from people like employees and unorganised sector workers seeking registration, benefits, availing services or receiving any payment under various schemes under Section 142 of the Social Security Code 2020.

• Army establishes COVID management cell to coordinate assistance to civil authority
  • The Indian army has established a COVID management cell to coordinate assistance to civil authority.

INTERNATIONAL

• Israel - Palestine Conflict
  • There is a long and unresolved conflict between Israel and Palestine. For more than a century, Jews (Israel) and Arabs (Palestine) have disagreed over who should own the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea.
  • This conflict has flared up yet again and the violent confrontations have escalated into rocket-firing, air strikes, casualties and deaths on both sides. Hamas (active in Gaza Strip) has been firing hundreds of rockets into Israeli territory and Israel has been responding with airstrikes.

• China becomes the world's first country to ban synthetic cannabinoids
  • China will become the world's first country to ban all synthetic cannabinoid substances. The ban is likely to come into effect on July 1.

• United States announced Intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines
  • The United States announced support for waiving intellectual property protection for COVID-19 vaccines.
  • The US will pursue text-based negotiations on the waiver at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

STATES

• Himanta Biswa Sarma became Assam’s new Chief Minister
  • Himanta Biswa Sarma was named the next Chief Minister of Assam. He will be the 15th Chief Minister of Assam.
  • He will replace incumbent Sarbananda Sonowal.

• Auro Scholarship Programme launched in Tripura
  • Education Minister of Tripura Ratan Lal Nath launched ‘Auro Scholarship Programme’ of Sri Aurobindo Society for all the scholars of the state.

• Punjab CM announces creation of new district of Malerkotla
  • Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced Malerkotla as the state's new district.
  • Malerkotla will be the 23rd district of the state.

REPORTS AND INDEXES

• The State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2021
  • The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Novametrics have developed and published The State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2021 (SoWMy) to coincide with International Day of the Midwife (5 May).

• Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat
  • NITI Aayog and MasterCard released a report titled ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’.
  • The report identifies challenges in accelerating digital financial inclusion in India and provides recommendations for making digital services accessible to its 1.3 billion citizens.

• Prime Global Cities Index Q1 2021
  • Knight Frank released its 'Prime Global Cities Index Q1 2021' report.
  • Top Ranked Cities: Globally, Shenzhen (China) ranked 1st.
  • Rank of Indian Cities: New Delhi have ranked at 32nd position.
  • Bottom ranked City: New York was the weakest-performing global city.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• ISRO develops 3 cost-effective ventilators, oxygen concentrator
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) has developed three different types of ventilators and an oxygen concentrator.
  • They were named as, Prana, VaU and Svasta.

• SpaceX will launch DOGE-1 Satellite to the Moon in 2022
  • SpaceX will launch a satellite, dubbed DOGE-1, to the Moon in 2022 funded entirely with the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.
  • The satellite will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the first quarter of 2022.

• Mayflower 400: World’s First Unmanned Vessel to Navigate across Atlantic
  • A team of researchers from the marine research organisation ProMare with IBM acting as technology partner recently built the world’s first intelligent ship known as the Mayflower 400.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• Agri Ministry formulates Special Kharif Strategy to Achieve Self Sufficiency in Pulses
  • The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) formulated a special Kharif strategy for implementation in the ensuing Kharif 2021 season.

DEFENCE

• Indian and Indonesian navies carry out 'Passage Exercise’
  • The navies of India and Indonesia carried out military drill the 'Passage Exercise’ in the Southern Arabian Sea with a focus on further improving their interoperability.

EVENTS

• India, EU hold virtual summit to boost overall ties
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with the heads of state or government of all 27 European Union member states with a focus on expanding overall cooperation in areas of trade, investment and connectivity.

• 1st India-France-Australia Trilateral Foreign Dialogue
  • External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held discussions with his French and Australian counterparts Jean-Yves Le Drian and Marise Payne, respectively at the first India-France-Australia Trilateral Ministerial Dialogue.

• 1st BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting
  • Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Labour and Employment chaired the 1st BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting held in Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi in virtual format.
  • India has assumed BRICS Presidency this year.

AWARDS AND REWARDS

• World Food Award 2021
  • The World Food Award 2021 award goes to Dr. Shakuntala Hark Singh Thilstead, a global nutritionist of Indian origin.
  • She has won the award for her unprecedented research in developing a holistic, nutrition-sensitive approach to aquaculture and food systems.

• World's 50 Greatest Leaders 2021: Fortune
  • Fortune released its list of World's 50 Greatest Leaders 2021.
  • The eighth annual list celebrates leaders who made a difference amid the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Green Urja Award
  • Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. IREDA has been conferred with “Green Urja Award” for being the Leading Public Institution in Financing Institution for Renewable Energy this year by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
  • IREDA gets the award for the pivotal and developmental role it plays in Green Energy Financing.

SPORTS

• Seema Bisla becomes fourth Indian female wrestler to qualify for Tokyo Olympics
  • Seema Bisla became the fourth Indian woman wrestler to qualify for the Tokyo Games by reaching the final of the 50kg competition.

• Spanish Grand Prix 2021
  • The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race which took place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain.
  • Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won his fifth consecutive Spanish Grand Prix.

• ICC Player of the Month for April 2021
  • Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Player of the Month Award for April 2021.
  • Australia's wicketkeeper/batter Alyssa Healy was named the ICC Women's Player of the Month for April 2021.