Gktoday May 2021 Part - 1 (1-15)

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Current Affairs [PDF] - May 1-15, 2021
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Current Affairs [PDF] - May 1-15, 2021
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Contents
......................... ........ .... ........ ...... ......... ...........................................
News Headlines ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
May 1, 2021 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
May 2, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
May 3, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
May 4, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
May 5, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
May 6, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
May 7, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
May 8, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
May 9, 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
May 10, 2021 ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
May 11, 2021 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
May 12, 2021 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
May 13, 2021 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
May 14, 2021 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
May 15, 2021 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
May 1, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
India-Russia 2+2 Dialogue .................................................................................................................................................................. 13
TRIFED's new project for Tribal Households ................................................................................................................................ 13
New Soybean Variety: MACS 1407 ................................................................................................................................................. 14
UK to cut its aid to UN Family Planning Programme .................................................................................................................. 14
Who are Karen Rebels? ....................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Maharashtra Day: May 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15
May Day: May 1 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Scheme of Financial Assistance to States for Capex ..................................................................................................................... 17
Russia produces COVID-19 vaccines for animals .......................................................................................................................... 17
Global Forest Goals Report, 2021 ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
Germany to return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria ................................................................................................................................ 19
400th Prakash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur commemorated ................................................................................................ 19
Stratolaunch test flies World Largest Airplane .............................................................................................................................. 20
First Instalment of SDRF released ..................................................................................................................................................... 21
First-known pregnant mummy discovered by Researchers ........................................................................................................ 21
Road construction worth Rs.15 lakh crore targeted in next two years .................................................................................... 22
40 Tonnes of Fish die in Lebanon ................................................................................................................................................... 22
May 3, 2021 ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
What is Lag B’Omer? .......................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Special 301 Report: US puts India on Priority Watch list ............................................................................................................ 23
State of Siege in Congo ...................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Earth Axis Shift increases .................................................................................................................................................................... 25
WHO lists Moderna’s mRNA vaccine for emergency use .......................................................................................................... 25
Public Building and Fire Safety Rules in India ............................................................................................................................... 26
Tigray Crisis: Ethiopia adds TPLF, OLF Shene to terror list ...................................................................................................... 26
Olive Ridley Turtles stay away from Rushikulya river ................................................................................................................. 27
Operation Samudra Setu II ................................................................................................................................................................ 27
Who was Dadasaheb Phalke? ............................................................................................................................................................ 28
P8I Patrol Aircraft: US clears sale to India ..................................................................................................................................... 28
NASA: Ingenuity begins a new phase ............................................................................................................................................. 29
Import of Oxygen concentrators for personal use permitted .................................................................................................... 30
State Assembly Election Results ........................................................................................................................................................ 30
What is Article 164? ............................................................................................................................................................................. 31
T Rabi Sankar named RBI deputy governor .................................................................................................................................. 32
May 4, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
IGST on Import of Oxygen Concentrators reduced .................................................................................................................... 32
Uranium-214- Lightest form of Uranium ....................................................................................................................................... 33
Congo declares the end of Ebola outbreak .................................................................................................................................... 34
UK-India $1.4 billion investment deal .............................................................................................................................................. 34
© 2021 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 2
What is Significant Economic Presence (SEP) principle? ............................................................................................................ 35
Odisha's Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana ......................................................................................................... 36
Indian Army's First Green Solar Energy harnessing plant in Sikkim ....................................................................................... 36
Putola Nach- Puppetry Art-form of Assam ................................................................................................................................... 37
Guidelines issued for PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry .............................................................................................. 37
Crimson Solar Project: US approves 550 million USD ............................................................................................................... 38
Mark Selby- World Champion for 4th time in Snooker ............................................................................................................ 39
Crocidura narcondamica: New Shrew species found at A&N ................................................................................................... 39
BCCI suspends IPL 2021 indefinitely ............................................................................................................................................... 40
First Blow Away Galaxy discovered ................................................................................................................................................ 40
First supply of Used Cooking Oil-based Biodiesel ........................................................................................................................ 41
May 5, 2021 ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Telecom Department permits 5G Technology and Spectrum Trials ....................................................................................... 41
N protein of Coronavirus and its role in transmission ................................................................................................................ 42
0% IGST on Import of Covid-related relief material .................................................................................................................. 42
Meghalaya: 100 million-year-old bones of Sauropods discovered ........................................................................................... 43
SAIL enters 100 most-valued Indian firms list .............................................................................................................................. 43
Asiatic lions test COVID positive ...................................................................................................................................................... 44
Parker Solar Probe: Detected radio signal from Venus .............................................................................................................. 44
What is Cicadas? .................................................................................................................................................................................. 45
Mayflower 400: First Artificial Intelligence Ship .......................................................................................................................... 45
What is Oktoberfest? .......................................................................................................................................................................... 46
India-UK Roadmap 2030 and Enhanced Trade Partnership ..................................................................................................... 46
Millisecond Pulsars Discovered ......................................................................................................................................................... 47
What are the flaws in SUTRA model? ............................................................................................................................................ 48
INS Kolkata reaches Kuwait to bring liquid medical oxygen (LMO) ...................................................................................... 49
SC strikes down Maratha reservation ............................................................................................................................................. 49
May 6, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 50
What is COVID Loan Book? ............................................................................................................................................................. 50
What is Section 142 of Social Security Code? ............................................................................................................................... 50
What is Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights of drones? .............................................................................................. 51
Strategic disinvestment and transfer of management control in IDBI ..................................................................................... 52
RBI's second purchase under G-SAP 1.0 ........................................................................................................................................ 52
S&P cuts India's GDP growth forecast to 9.8% for FY22 .......................................................................................................... 53
Hoolock Gibbon: India has only one species ................................................................................................................................. 53
Yamatosaurus izanagii: New species of duck-billed dinosaur .................................................................................................... 54
Oldest Human burial in Africa discovered at Panga ya Saidi cave ........................................................................................... 54
First Genetically Modified Mosquitos .............................................................................................................................................. 55
Special Kharif strategy for 2021 season .......................................................................................................................................... 55
What is UDID Project? ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56
GNAFC's Global report on food crises ........................................................................................................................................... 57
Lineament: Cause of Assam Earthquakes ....................................................................................................................................... 58
Climate Action Tracker: Global warming by 2100 to be at 2.4°C .......................................................................................... 58
May 7, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 59
Denmark laws to screen Foreign Investment ................................................................................................................................ 59
RBI measures to boost economy ...................................................................................................................................................... 59
Supreme Court: Only Centre can identify SEBC .......................................................................................................................... 60
SpaceX successfully lands its Starship rocket ................................................................................................................................ 60
PESCO: EU approves US participation for the first time ............................................................................................................. 61
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month ......................................................................................................................... 62
What is DDoS Attack? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 62
Osteocytes mapped for the first time .............................................................................................................................................. 63
Scientists model Saturn's interior structure .................................................................................................................................... 63
PM Modi to participate in European Council meeting ................................................................................................................ 63
What is Stop Tokyo Olympics? ........................................................................................................................................................ 64
Intellectual Property Waiver for COVID Vaccines ........................................................................................................................ 65
Endangered seals found dead on Russia’s Caspian coast ............................................................................................................ 65
Food price index highest since 2014 ............................................................................................................................................... 66

Telangana Govt bans Glyphosate .................................................................................................................................................... 66
May 8, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 67
US Colonial Pipeline Attack ............................................................................................................................................................... 67
World Thalassemia Day: May 8 ....................................................................................................................................................... 68
Global Methane Assessment launched by UNEP and CCAC .................................................................................................... 69
Area around Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary notified as ESZ .............................................................................................. 69
RBI sets up Committee to assist RRA 2.0 ...................................................................................................................................... 70
What is COVID Variant of Concern? ............................................................................................................................................... 71
World Migratory Bird Day: May 8 ................................................................................................................................................... 71
NFRA creates Database of companies and auditors .................................................................................................................... 72
RBI to conduct first SLTRO for small finance banks .................................................................................................................. 73
NASA Rover Records Ingenuity Flight in Mars ............................................................................................................................ 73
May 9, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 74
What is Sputnik Light Single Dose? ................................................................................................................................................ 74
Chinese Rocket falls into Indian Ocean .......................................................................................................................................... 74
May 10, 2021 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 75
Co-WIN introduces 4-digit security code ...................................................................................................................................... 75
Mucormycosis-Black Fungus Infection in COVID Patients ........................................................................................................ 75
China discussed weaponizing COVID ............................................................................................................................................. 76
Victory Day: May 9 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 77
Sinopharm Vaccine approved by WHO .......................................................................................................................................... 77
Area of summer crops expands by 21.58% from last year ........................................................................................................ 78
Ayush 64 to be distributed freely .................................................................................................................................................... 78
Laureus World Sports Awards, 2021 .............................................................................................................................................. 79
Himanta Biswa Sarma: 15th Assam CM ......................................................................................................................................... 79
Space Debris Guidelines of United Nations ................................................................................................................................... 80
How will GST Exemption lead to Price rise? ................................................................................................................................ 80
IUCN Report: Conflict and Conservation ........................................................................................................................................ 81
SpaceX: "DOGE-1 Mission to the Moon" ....................................................................................................................................... 82
What is Asperger's Syndrome? ......................................................................................................................................................... 82
May 11, 2021 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 83
National Technology Day: May 11 ................................................................................................................................................... 83
EAC allows Great Nicobar Plan to advance ................................................................................................................................... 83
India participates in the third Arctic Science Ministerial ............................................................................................................. 85
Japan proposes alternatives to Suez Canal ..................................................................................................................................... 86
Assam-UNICEF Online Flood Reporting System ......................................................................................................................... 87
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture .................................................................................................................. 87
China population grew at 0.53% ..................................................................................................................................................... 88
OSIRIS-REx: NASA Spacecraft starts journey to Earth .............................................................................................................. 88
Kerala Iron Lady in Politics K R Gouri passed away ................................................................................................................... 89
WHO warns against use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19 .......................................................................................................... 89
High & upper middle countries received 83% vaccines: WHO ................................................................................................. 90
IEA: Renewable Energy Market Update .......................................................................................................................................... 91
What is Five Deeps Expedition? ......................................................................................................................................................... 91
May 12, 2021 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 92
What is Commodity Super Cycle? ................................................................................................................................................... 92
International Nurses Day: May 12 .................................................................................................................................................... 93
Nepal Prime Minister loses Vote of confidence ............................................................................................................................ 94
NASA-Axiom: First Private Astronaut Mission to Space Station .............................................................................................. 94
Cabinet approves PLI Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage ......................................................... 95
What is happening in Gaza? .............................................................................................................................................................. 96
Haryana undertakes Monkey Census as a part of Wildlife Census .......................................................................................... 96
PayPal introduces digital Foreign Inward Remittance Advice (FIRA) ..................................................................................... 97
Perseverance rover begins to study ancient crater's floor .......................................................................................................... 98
Padmakumar M Nair named CEO of proposed bad bank ........................................................................................................ 98
May 13, 2021 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 99
Iron Dome of Israel ............................................................................................................................................................................. 99
What is Article 311? ............................................................................................................................................................................. 99

HPIV Human Para Influenza Viruses ............................................................................................................................................. 100
Pacific football fish .............................................................................................................................................................................. 101
Vineyard Wind Project ....................................................................................................................................................................... 101
UK Action Plan for Animal Welfare ............................................................................................................................................... 102
Maharashtra Mission Oxygen .......................................................................................................................................................... 103
Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem ......................................................................................................................................................... 103
China launches classified Yaogan satellites into orbit ................................................................................................................. 104
RBI announces Second Tranche of purchase under G-SAP 1.0 ............................................................................................. 104
World Bank: Recent data on Global Remittance ......................................................................................................................... 105
1st BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting ....................................................................................................... 106
Report: 99 of 100 cities with environmental risk are in Asia .................................................................................................. 106
COVISHIELD: Gap between doses increased .............................................................................................................................. 107
May 14, 2021 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 107
What is Shavuot? ................................................................................................................................................................................ 107
Whitley Awards, 2021 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 108
Tauktae Cyclone forms in Arabian Sea ........................................................................................................................................ 109
What is Nok Culture? ....................................................................................................................................................................... 109
Voyager 1 detects persistent hum .................................................................................................................................................... 110
What is the Heartbeat Bill? ............................................................................................................................................................... 110
Punjab Prison Rules, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................................. 111
What is Ocean Rewilding? ................................................................................................................................................................. 111
National Bamboo Mission: MIS Module launched ...................................................................................................................... 112
African Swine Fever in the North East ........................................................................................................................................... 113
What is a Blood Moon? ..................................................................................................................................................................... 113
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi: Eighth Instalment released ............................................................................................................... 114
Sputnik V: First Dose administered at Rs 995 ............................................................................................................................. 114
K P Sharma Oli sworn in as Nepal Prime Minister ..................................................................................................................... 115
May 15, 2021 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 115
Maratha Quota Issue: Centre file Case in SC ............................................................................................................................... 115
Tianwen-1: Chinese Rover lands on Mars ..................................................................................................................................... 116
Mice Rain in Australia ........................................................................................................................................................................ 116
Mixing Covid-19 vaccines increase Vaccine Reactogenicity ...................................................................................................... 117
Punjab to join COVAX facility .......................................................................................................................................................... 118
World Agri-Tourism Day .................................................................................................................................................................. 118
What are Notified Diseases? ............................................................................................................................................................. 119
International Day of Families: May 15 ............................................................................................................................................ 119
Assam Elephants Death-Report indicates Lighting ..................................................................................................................... 120
PM orders Audit of Ventilators provided by the Centre ............................................................................................................ 121
120 Multiple Choice Questions ................................................................................................................................................................ 121
Notice ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 149

News Headlines
May 1, 2021
Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for May 1, 2021:
India
Indian Navy launches Op Samudra Setu-II for shipment of oxygen-filled containers to India
Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI releases home care tips for managing mild symptoms of COVID19
Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney General for India, dies of Covid-19 at age 91; awarded Padma
Vibhushan in 2002
Rohit Sardana, news anchor at Aaj Tak channel of the India Today Group, dies at 41
Bihar Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Singh passes away due to Coronavirus
Communist Party of India’s veteran leader Dr Joginder Dayal dies at 90 in Chandigarh
Economy & corporate
Government sets food grain output target at record 307.31 million tonnes for the crop year 2021-22
(1.3% more than 2020-21)
Core sector output contracts 7% in 2020-21: Govt
Government allows MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) funds to
setup oxygen manufacturing plants in govt hospitals
Govt permits import of oxygen concentrators for personal use till July 31
Suspension of scheduled international passenger flights extended till May 31
World
Indian-American NGO Sewa International dispatches first batch of 2,184 oxygen concentrators to
India
Global FDI hit 15-year low of $846 billion in 2020, China overtook US: OECD data
World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens in Portugal; 516-metre-long bridge hangs 175
meters above River Paiva in the town of Arouca
Israel: 44 people killed in stampede at Mount Meron; a pilgrimage site
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan seek to ease cross-border tensions after 39 killed in clashes
International Jazz Day observed by UNESCO on April 30
Sports
Octogenarian shooter Chandro Tomar dies at 89 in Meerut from Covid-19
Norway’s Magnus Carlsen to face Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in next World Chess Championship
title match
Ashleigh Barty wins women’s singles title at Porsche Tennis Grand Prix; also wins doubles with
Jennifer Brady
May 2, 2021
India
Indian coast guard rescues missing tamil nadu fishing boat ‘mercedes’ 370 kms from lakshadweep
islands
Covid-19 vaccination drive for age of 18 years and above begins
Actor bikramjeet kanwarpal dies at 52 from covid-19; had retired from army as major before acting
debut in 2000
Sent 3,000 oxygen concentrators to help india: unicef
Covid-19: india gets first consignment of sputnik v vaccine from russia

Economy & corporate
30 existing nitrogen plants to be converted into oxygen manufacturing plants
US. state department approves sale of six p-8i maritime surveillance aircraft to india; manufactured
by boeing
World
US: pentagon cancels parts of former us president donald trump’s border wall with mexico that were
being built using military funds
International labour day, also known as may day, observed on may 1
Covid-19: who approves us manufacturer Moderna’s vaccine for emergency use
Eli broad, entrepreneur turned philanthropist, dies in us at 87
May 3, 2021
Assembly elections
West Bengal: Ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) wins two-thirds majority; CM Mamata Banerjee loses
to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram
Tamil Nadu: Opposition DMK secures convincing victory over ruling AIADMK
Assam: Ruling BJP-led “Mitrajot” defeats Congress-led “Mahajot” by a huge margin
Kerala: Ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) wins comfortably
Puducherry: N.R. Congress-BJP alliance wins simple majority
Lok sabha byelections
Karnataka: BJP’s Mangala Angadi wins from Belgaum
Andhra Pradesh: Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party’s M. Gurumoorthy wins from Tirupati
Kerala: Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) M.P. Abdussamad Samadani wins from Malappuram
Tamil Nadu: Vijayakumar of Congress wins from Kanniyakumari
India
Covid-19: India receives assistance from Taiwan, including oxygen concentrators and cylinders
Renowned sitar player Debu Chaudhuri dies in New Delhi
Economy & corporate
Vehicle ownership transfer: owner can put the name of the nominee at the time of registration of the
vehicles
World
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to embark on 4-day visit UK from May 4 to attend meeting of
foreign ministers of G7 countries
World Tuna Day observed on May 2
SpaceX safely returns four astronauts from the International Space Station in its Dragon capsule
spacecraft
Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis dies at 89 in US
Sports
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix at Algarve circuit
Football: Ajax Amsterdam wins 35th Eredivisie crown in Netherlands
Football: Inter Milan clinches Serie A title in Italy
1982 Asian Games Equestrian gold medallist Colonel Gulam Mohammad Khan (retired) dies at 74
Veteran football administrator and Hindustan FC owner Dilip Kumar Bose dies
Kishan Rungta, former BCCI chief selector, dies of Covid-19 in Jaipur at 88

May 4, 2021
Covid human resources
Seeking to augment human resources deployed in fighting COVID-19, PM approves a number of
measures
NEET-PG postponed for at least 4 months to make a large number of qualified doctors available for
pandemic duty
Medical interns to be pressed into service
Services of final year MBBS students can be utilised for providing services like tele-consultation and
monitoring of mild COVID cases
Sc. or GNM qualified nurses may be utilised in full-time COVID nursing duties
Those providing services in COVID management will be given priority in forthcoming regular
government recruitments after they complete a minimum of 100 days of duty
India
SC directs Centre to revisit its COVID-19 vaccine pricing policy, says it creates disparity
Karnataka: 24 dead in Chamarajanagar district hospital due to oxygen shortage
Media cannot be stopped from reporting oral remarks made by judges during a court hearing: SC tells
EC
SC directs Centre to prepare buffer stock of oxygen for use in emergencies
PM Modi and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, discuss Covid-19 efforts
over phone
Tanzanian diplomat dies of COVID-19 at Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment
Op CO-JEET launched by armed forces to fight COVID-19 in India: Lt. Gen. Madhuri Kanitkar
Justice (retired) Prafulla Chandra Pant appointed as the acting chairperson of the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC)
Economy & corporate
Rabi Sankar takes over as RBI deputy governor, has a tenure of 3 years
Over 7.5 million people lose jobs in April as lockdowns bite: CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy)
World
World Press Freedom Day celebrated on May 3, theme: “Information as a Public Good”
Bangladesh: 26 die as speed boat overturns in the Padma River
Democratic Republic of Congo declares end of Ebola outbreak that killed six
May 5, 2021
India
Supreme Court strikes down West Bengal law on real estate meant to protect home buyers
Delhi HC asks Centre why it should not face contempt for failing to supply oxygen to Delhi as ordered
ICMR issues fresh advisory on Covid testing, removes need for RT-PCR test for domestic travel if
individual healthy
Vehicle location tracking (VLT) device made compulsory for oxygen tankers
Former civil servant and ex-J&K Governor Jagmohan Malhotra dies at 94; honoured with Padma Shri
in 1971, Padma Bhushan in 1977 and Padma Vibhushan in 2016
Rashpal Malhotra, founder of the Center for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID),
dies in Mohali at 84

INDIA-UK
PM Modi and UK’s PM Boris Johnson hold virtual summit
India, U.K. unveil 10-year roadmap; to elevate bilateral ties to ‘Strategic Comprehensive Partnership’
EAM Dr S. Jaishankar holds meeting with UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel in London
Economy & corporate
RBI approves applications of telecom service providers for 5G trials; Chinese vendors kept out
RBI imposes a Rs 3-cr penalty on ICICI Bank for violating prudential norms
India notifies revenue threshold of Rs 2 crore and 300,000 users for foreign firms to pay digital tax in
India
World
German philosopher Juergen Habermas turns down UAE’s Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Mexico: 20 killed as railway overpass collapses onto busy road in Mexico City
Sports
BCCI suspends IPL 2021 indefinitely after four players test positive for COVID-19
Mark Selby wins World Snooker Championship in Sheffield (UK)
May 6, 2021
India
Supreme Court strikes down Maharashtra law on grant of quota to Marathas; says no exceptional
circumstances or the case was made out to breach the 50% cap on reservation.
Mamata Banerjee sworn-in as CM of West Bengal for 3rd consecutive term by Governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar
Cabinet approves MoU between India and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on
Migration and Mobility Partnership
Former head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom dies at 103 in
Kerala; awarded Padma Bhushan in 2018
Economy & corporate
RBI announces Covid-19 healthcare loan package of Rs 50,000 crore for vaccine makers, medical
equipment suppliers, hospitals and patients in need of funds
RBI eases compliance norms for customer KYC verifications, advising banks against physical
presence of customers
RBI extends scope of video KYC known as V-CIP (video-based customer identification process) for
new categories of customers
Cabinet approves strategic disinvestment and transfer of management control in IDBI Bank Limited;
Centre and LIC together own 94% equity of IDBI Bank
Cabinet approves allocation of additional foodgrain to NFSA beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri
Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (Phase III) for another period of two months – May and June, 2021
Labour and Employment Ministry authorised to collect Aadhaar details of beneficiaries for social
security schemes
Citibank announces additional Rs 200 cr aid for COVID relief efforts in India
S&P Global Ratings slashes India’s GDP growth forecast for 2021-22 to 9.8% from 11% earlier
British Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal sign U.K.-India Enhanced
Trade Partnership (ETP) agreement
20 entities granted permission to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights
of drones

World
ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa outlines 5-point agenda for lasting recovery in Asia-Pacific region
UNESCO celebrates May 5 as “World Portuguese Language Day”
Oversight Board upholds Donald Trump’s suspension from Facebook and Instagram
Nepal: PM K. P. Sharma Oli’s govt. loses majority support after Maoist Center party withdraws
support
May 7, 2021
India
Oxygen saturation of 92 or 93 should not be considered critical: AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria
Centre issues guidelines for setting up of vaccination camps at airports for aviation personnel
Supreme Court asks govt. to finalise a formula for allocation, supply and distribution of oxygen in a
“scientific manner”
SC refuses to expunge critical remarks of Madras High Court against EC
All disability certificates would be issued online from June 1, a requirement under the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
Cabinet approves India-UK MoU on migration and mobility partnership aimed at curbing illegal
immigration
Oil & gas PSUs sign MoU for redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand as a Spiritual
Smart hill Town
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar holds bilateral meeting with British counterpart Dominic
Raab
Rajasthan: Name of Miyon ka Bara railway station in Jodhpur changed to Mahesh Nagar
Former Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh dies at 82 in Gurgaon, served as
Civil Aviation Minister in PM Manmohan Singh’s cabinet
Former Union Minister Matang Sinh dies at 58, served as minister in PM P.V. Narasimha Rao’s govt.
Veteran Telugu playback singer G. Anand dies at 67 in Vijayawada (AP)
Economy & corporate
Centre retains 12% GST on oxygen concentrators imported for personal use
Labour and Employment Ministry to collect Aadhaar details of informal workers for social security
schemes
NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) signs MoU with EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Ltd) to
promote efficient renewable technologies in the dairy industry
World
155 million people faced severe hunger last year: UN’s Global Report on Food Crises
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai supports intellectual property waiver for COVID-19
vaccines
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres honours Indian peacekeeper Yuvraj Singh, who died in line of
duty in 2020
Meeting of Foreign Ministers Group of 7 countries concludes in London with pledge to work for a
more affordable COVID-19 vaccine
EU unveils plan to cut its dependency on Chinese suppliers in strategic areas like raw materials and
pharmaceutical ingredients
China suspends China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue

May 8, 2021
India
DMK president M. K. Stalin sworn in as CM of Tamil Nadu by Governor Banwarilal Purohit
AINRC (All India N.R. Congress) leader N. Rangasamy sworn in as CM of Puducherry by Lt Governor
Tamilisai Soundararajan
4-digit security code in CoWIN from May 8 to minimise data entry error about vaccination
WhatsApp scraps May 15 deadline for accepting privacy policy terms
Election Commission’s counsel in the Supreme Court, Mohit D. Ram, resigns
Delhi govt announces free Covid-19 vaccination drive for all media houses –electronic, digital and
print–in the national capital
Music composer Vanraj Bhatia dies at 94; won National Film Award for Best Music Direction for TV
series Tamas (1988), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1989) and Padma Shri (2012)
Renowned sitar player Prateek Chaudhuri dies due to Covid-19 at the age of 49
Journalist Shesh Narayan Singh dies at 70
Economy & corporate
RBI sets up an advisory group headed by SBI MD S. Janakiraman to assist 2nd Regulatory Review Authority
(RRA 2.0)
India’s foreign exchange reserves rise by USD 3.913 billion to reach USD 588.02 billion in the week ended
April 30
SBI, EIB (European Investment Bank) to invest up to €100 mn in Indian SMEs focused on climate change
Government of India and European Investment Bank sign finance contract for second tranche of Euro 150
million for Pune Metro Rail project
TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver to scale up manufacturing and timely
availability of affordable COVID-19 vaccines: India
World
Interpol launches ‘ID-Art’ app to help identify stolen cultural property around the world
3 Indian-American CEOs Sunder Pichai from Google, Punit Renjen from Deloitte and Shantanu
Narayen from Adobe join steering committee of the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response to help
India fight COVID-19
Swadhin Bangla Betar artist Anup Bhattacharya passes away in Dhaka at 77
Mumbai-born Dr. Tahera Qutbuddin wins Sheikh Zayed Book Award for her book ‘Arabic Oration: Art
and Function’
May 9, 2021
India
SC sets up 12-member national task force to streamline oxygen allocation across country
Covid positive report not mandatory for hospitalisation: Health Ministry
Centre provides conditional exemption for experimental drone flights for COVID vaccine delivery to
Telangana govt.
First-ever batch of 83 women jawans inducted into the Corps of Military Police (CMP) in the 13-lakh
strong Indian Army
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
Govt allows cash payment of over Rs 2 lakh for Covid treatment at hospitals
DCGI gives emergency approval to anti-Covid oral drug developed by DRDO; ‘2-

deoxy-D-glucose’ comes in powder form in sachet, which needs to be taken orally by dissolving it in
water
Ayush Ministry launches nationwide campaign to distribute AYUSH 64 & Kabasura Kudineer useful for
out of hospital Covid-19 patients
Toll fee exempted for tankers carrying Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) across National Highways
World
India-EU leaders’ meeting held virtually hosted by PM of Portugal Antonio Costa
Portugal currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
India, EU announce Connectivity Partnership in Africa, Central Asia and the Indo-Pacific that will
provide an alternative to China’s mega Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan participates in 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial
(ASM3) online
ASM3 is the global platform for discussing research and cooperation in the Arctic region
World Thalassemia Day observed on May 8; a blood disorder characterized by abnormal formation of
haemoglobin
World Migratory Bird Day celebrated on May 8; theme: “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!”
UN observes Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the
Second World War on May 8-9
World Health Organisation approves emergency use of China’s Sinopharm vaccine for Covid-19
Sports
Wrestler Seema Bisla wins gold in women’s 50kg at World Olympic Qualifier at Sofia in Bulgaria
Former hockey players Ravinder Pal Singh, M. K. Kaushik die from Covid-19, were in Indian team that
won gold at 1980 Moscow Olympics
Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa creates new record, climbs Mt Everest for the 25th time
May 10, 2021
India
Raghunath Mohapatra, nominated Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha and eminent sculptor, dies at the age
of 77 in Bhubaneswar
Raghunath Mohapatra awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2013, Padma Shri in 1975, Padma Bhushan
in2001
Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal tenders his resignation to Governor Jagadish Mukhi
Economy & corporate
Defence Ministry orders AFMS (Armed Forces Medical Services) to recruit 400 retired medical
officers of AMC (Army Medical Corps), SSC (Short Service Commission)
World
Debris of China’s disintegrating Long March 5B rocket fall into Indian Ocean
US Navy seizes illicit weapons cache in North Arabian Sea
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir dissolves Parliament as part of 2018 peace accord
Scotland: Pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) wins fourth straight parliamentary election
Sports
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins Formula One Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-
Catalunya
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus wins women’s singles title at Madrid Open tennis
Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez wins world super middleweight boxing title

Badminton players P.V. Sindhu, Canada’s Michelle Li nominated as athlete ambassadors for IOC’s
‘Believe in Sport’ campaign aimed at preventing competition manipulation
Laureus sports awards
2021 Laureus World Sports Awards announced
Sportswoman of the Year: Naomi Osaka (tennis, Japan)
Sportsman of the Year: Rafael Nadal (tennis, Spain)
Lifetime Achievement: Billie Jean King (tennis, USA)
Team of the Year: FC Bayern (football, Germany)
Breakthrough of the Year: Patrick Mahomes (American Football, USA)
World Comeback of the Year: Max Parrot (Snowboarding, Canada)
Sport for Good: Kickformore by Kickfair (football, German)
Sporting Inspiration Award: Mo Salah (football, Liverpool & Egypt)
Athlete Advocate of the Year: Lewis Hamilton (Formula One, Mercedes & UK)
May 11, 2021
India
No judicial interference needed in Covid-19 vaccine policy: Centre tells SC
Puducherry becomes ‘Har Ghar Jal’ UT after every rural home provided tap connection; 4th State/UT
after Goa, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands
BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma sworn in as new Chief Minister of Assam by Governor Jagdish Mukhi
Economy & corporate
Private banks allowed to undertake agency jobs for central and state govts without any fresh
approval: RBI
Portal launched for filing complaints for alleged violation of public procurement order
NITI Aayog and Mastercard release report titled ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a
Digitally Inclusive Bharat’
PESB selects Arun Kumar Singh for the post of next CMD at BPCL
World
Nepal: PM K. P. Sharma Oli loses vote of confidence in House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha)
International Day of Argania observed by UN on May 10; Argania tree grows in sub-Saharan region of
Morocco
Prominent German architect Helmut Jahn dies in Chicago (US) at 81 in an accident; designed Illinois
State government building
Amazon blocked 10 billion listings in counterfeit crackdown
Sports
Fortunato Franco, member of India’s last Asian Games football gold medal winning team in 1962, dies
at 84
May 12, 2021
India
World Health Organization declares Indian coronavirus variant, known as B1617, as a “variant of
global concern”; earlier deemed a ‘variant of interest’
PM Modi speaks with Lotay Tshering; thanks Bhutan for support in wake of COVID pandemic
National Technology Day celebrated on May 11, marks Pokhran nuclear tests on May 11, 1998
15 organisations win awards given by Technology Development Board (TDB) for innovation and

entrepreneurship under 3 categories — National Awards, MSME awards and Startup awards
IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd) wins “Green Urja Award” from Indian
Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Covid-19: Haryana Government to provide Rs 5,000 to the families below the poverty line (BPL) in the
state
Veteran Communist leader K.R. Gowri dies in Thiruvananthapuram at 102, was MLA till 2006
Maharashtra govt. appoints committee headed by former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court
Dilip Bhosale to study Maratha quota judgement
1971 war veteran Squadron Leader Anil Bhalla (Retd) dies at 74
Rathnasree, Director of Nehru Planetarium, New Delhi, passes away
Economy & corporate
UN raises India’s growth forecast to 7.5% for calendar year 2021 in its World Economic Situation and
Prospects report
Moody’s cuts India’s FY22 GDP forecast to 9.3% from 13.7% earlier; rules out rating upgrade
SBI’s Padmakumar Nair to take charge as first CEO of National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd
(NARCL)
₹76.67 cr. attached by Enforcement Directorate in Chinese loan Apps case
World
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith
Explorer) spacecraft begins 2-year trip home with samples from asteroid Bennu
Israeli police storm al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, hundreds of Palestinians hurt
May 13, 2021
India
Noted Assamese litterateur and journalist Homen Borgohain dies at 88 in Guwahati, won Sahitya
Akademi Award in 1978
Indian Army Chief speaks to U.S. Army Chief Gen. James C. McConville on phone
Cabinet approves transfer of land of ITBP to Government of Uttrakhand for development of Aerial
Passenger Ropeway System between Dehradun and Mussoorie
Economy & corporate
India will be world’s fastest growing major economy in 2022: UN says in its World Economic Situation
and Prospects (WESP) report
Govt approves Rs 18,100 cr PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme for promoting ACC (Advanced
Chemistry Cell) battery manufacturing
Procurement of DRDO Oxygen supply system for ₹322.5 cr. approved under PM CARES (Prime
Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) Fund
Cabinet approves MoU between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Qatar Financial
Centre Authority
Retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), declines to 4.29% in April
Factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), grows 22.4% in March
World
Conflict between Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military escalates; Death toll rises to
over 50
German regulators tell Facebook to stop processing user data from WhatsApp
International Nurses Day observed on May 12, is birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale

UN revises its global economic growth forecast upward to 5.4% for 2021 from 4.7% made in January
in its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report
Sports
Manchester City crowned English Premier League champions for 3rd time in four seasons
Arjuna award-winning former India table tennis player V. Chandrasekhar dies at 64 in Chennai; was a
three-time national champion
May 14, 2021
India
EC to set up Core Committee to identify learnings, shortcomings from recent state polls
NEGVAC (National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19) recommends increasing gap
between two Covishield doses to 12-16 weeks
MP Govt to give Rs 5000 per month, free education and ration to kids orphaned due to COVID-19
Assam: Lightning kills herd of 18 elephants in Nagaon district
First BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting amongst BRICS Countries held
Economy & corporate
India received $83 billion in remittances in 2020 (0.2% decline): World Bank’s Migration and
Development Brief report
Wadia Group-owned GoAir rebrands as Go First after 15 years of flying
World
Of world’s 100 cities at greatest environmental risk, India has 43: Verisk Maplecroft report
Veteran British diplomat Martin Griffiths appointed UN humanitarian chief
Elisabetta Belloni named as first woman to head Italy’s secret service – Department of Information
Security (DIS)
Hong Kong legislature approves allowing the government to sack public office holders and bar
election candidates from standing if they are deemed “disloyal” to local authorities or China
May 15, 2021
India
Cyclone Tauktae warning: NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) deploys 24 teams in Kerala,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat & Maharashtra
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh announces Malerkotla as the state’s new district (23rd)
Times Group chairperson Indu Jain dies in New Delhi at 84, awarded Padma Bhushan in 2016
Economy & corporate
State-run Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) raises Rs 2,736.02 crore through sale of 27.41
crore units in the PowerGrid Infrastructure Investment Trust (PGInvIT) offer for sale (OFS)
exempts procurement of supplies to contain Covid-19 from mandatory local content requirements
Foreign exchange reserves rise by USD 1.444 billion to USD 589.465 billion in the week ended May 7
PM-KISAN scheme: PM Modi releases 8th instalment of Rs 19,000 cr to 9.5 crore farmers
Under the PM-KISAN scheme, govt. giving Rs 6,000 in three equal installments to 10 crore farmers
annually
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) rolls out Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V at Rs 995 per dose
World
KP Sharma Oli re-appointed PM of Nepal as opposition parties failed to muster majority to form new
govt

Pablo Picasso’s “Woman Sitting Near a Window” (1932) painting sold for USD 103.4 million at
Christie’s in New York
May 1, 2021
India-Russia 2+2 Dialogue
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin recently agreed to establish
“2+2 Ministerial Dialogue”. The “2+2 Ministerial” dialogue is held between the defence ministers and foreign
ministers.
About 2+2 Dialogue
India holds similar dialogues with US, Australia and Japan.
Russia is the first non-QUAD member with which India is to hold the dialogue.
In 2021, President Vladimir Putin is to visit India to hold the India-Russia bilateral summit. The
summit is alternatively held in India and Russia.
India-Russia
Currently, Russia is the largest Defence Supplier of India. Also, the key defence systems of India such
as S-400 are bought from Russia.
Both the countries are members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS.
Russia supports India for its permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council.
The countries had earlier set a trade target of reaching 30 billion USD of trade by 2025. The dialogue
will help them achieve the target. Previously, the countries agreed to establish the International
North-South Transport Corridor, cooperation at the Eurasian Economic Union and Chennai-
Vladivostok Maritime Corridor.
The Astronauts shortlisted for the Human Space Flight Programme of India were trained by Russia.
The Nuclear Power Plant that is being built in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is built with Russian
Cooperation.
India recently approved Russia’s Sputnik V. It is the third vaccine to be approved in the country after
COVAXIN and COVISHIELD.
What agreements govern India-Russia relations?
In 1971, India and Russia signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship. This agreement was the manifestation
of shared goals between the countries. After the dissolution of Soviet Union in 1991, India and Russia
signed the Military-Technical Cooperation Agreement.
TRIFED's new project for Tribal Households
The TRIFED recently signed an agreement with The LINK Fund to work together towards tribal development.
TRIFED is Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
About the Agreement
Under the agreement, they will work towards tribal employment generation and development. This is
to be achieved by providing support to the tribal in increasing value addition to their produce.
They will also create a women-centres that will promote innovation, infrastructure and
entrepreneurship among tribal women.
Under the agreement TRIFED and LINK will work towards improving the skill training and crafts
diversification.
LINK Fund
LINK Fund is a philanthropic organisation that aims to end extreme poverty and mitigate the effects
of Climate Change. It provides funds to meet the basic needs of the poorest population in the world.
Their focus is mainly on India, US, Mali, Indonesia, Mali, Nigeria, Nepal, Mauritania and Senegal.
The fund addresses basic human needs such as education, food and nutrition, large scale
infrastructure and women economic empowerment.
Recent developments
In April 2021, TRIFED launched the SANKLAP SE SIDHI. It is a hundred-day drive to activate the Van
Dhan Vikas Kendras.
In April 2021, TRIFED launched the Tribes India contest.
In March, 2021, TRIFED announced that the Floriculture mission is to be implemented in twenty-one
states.
It is building TRIFOOD parks. TRIFOOD Parks is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
and Ministry of Food Processing. These parks procure raw materials from the tribal people, process
them and help tribal farmers sell for better prices. TRIFED is providing training to the tribal farmer
about processing their produce. This will help to increase their income by bringing better prices for
their produce.
New Soybean Variety: MACS 1407
The Indian scientists recently developed a new Soy Bean variety called the “MACS 1407”. The new variety
was developed by the Agharkar Research Institute of Pune along with the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research.
About MACS 1407
It is a high yielding variety that gives 39 quintals per hectare.
The new variety takes 104 days to mature and 43 days for 50% flowering.
The new variety has yellow seeds, white coloured flowers and black hilum.
The seeds have 41% protein and 19.81% oil content.
The stem of the new Soybean variety is thick. This provides higher pod insertion, which is, till seven
centimetres.
It has good resistance for pod shaking. This makes it highly suitable for mechanical harvesting.
Their germinability is high.
The variety is best suited for the rain fed regions of North East India.
It is resistant to pests such as leaf miner, leaf roller, girdle beetle, stem fly, white fly, aphids and
defoliators.
It is resistant to vagaries of monsoon. Vagaries of monsoon are the abnormal activities that affect
the seasonal pattern of rainfall. It is caused due to the late or early arrival of monsoon. It tends to
ruin the crops.
What is the plan?
The MACS 1407 Soybean variety is to be made available to farmers in 2022 Kharif season.
Soybean production in India
In 2019, India produced 90 million tonnes of soybean.
Seasons in India
There are three main agricultural seasons in India. They are Kharif, Rabi and Zaid. During the Kharif season,
the crops are sown in June and July. They are then harvested in September, October. In Rabi season, the
crops are sown in October to November. They are harvested in April, June.
UK to cut its aid to UN Family Planning Programme
The United Kingdom is to cut its fund to the United Nations Global Family Planning Programme. According
to the UN Population Fund, the UK had pledged 154 million Euros. However, now UK is to provide only 23
million Euros.
About the Fund Cuts
In 2020, the UK Government announced that it will reduce its UK aid spending from 0.7% of its National

income to 0.5% of its national income. These cuts amount to reduction in more than 4 billion Euros.
The UK fund to the family planning programme of the United Nations include maternal health care for
millions of women in the poorest countries and provisions of contraceptives.
Consequences of UK Withdrawal
Around 217 million women want to avoid pregnancies. But they do not have access to modern
contraceptives. The fund cut will have serious impacts on them.
The UK funds would have helped to protect 250,000 maternal deaths and child deaths. It would have
avoided 14.6 million unintended pregnancies and 4.3 million unsafe abortions. Now these are going to
increase.
UK Aid
In 2020, UK spent 14.5 billion Euros in providing international aid. Today, UK is the third biggest donor in the
world.
UN Population Fund
It was established in 1967. It is not associated with the UN regular budget. According to UN Population
Fund, India will become the most populous country in 2028.
Population in India
India’s population is 1.36 billion. The life expectancy in India is 72 years. This is lower than the world life
expectancy of 69 years. The Maternal Mortality Rate in India is 174 per one lakh live births as of 2015. The
fertility rate of India is 2.3 births per woman. This is less as compared to the fertility rate of the world which
is 2.5.
Who are Karen Rebels?
The Karen Rebels recently seized a military post in Myanmar. The post is located close to the border of
north western Thailand.
Who are Karen Rebels?
They are the oldest rebel group in Myanmar. They have formed the Karen National Union (KNU). They
have been fighting against the Myanmar government since 1949. They are fighting for an independent
state called “Kawthoolei”. It is one of the longest running civil wars in the world.
The Karen Community is an ethnic minority.
In due course of the conflict, more than two hundred thousand have fled to Thailand, the neighbouring
country. They have been confined to refugee camps in Thailand.
The Karen people are one of the largest ethnic minorities in Myanmar. They constitute a population of
five to seven million. There are more than twenty different dialects spoken by Karen (Dialect is a
language which is peculiar to a specific group). Pwo and Sgaw are the most widely spoken.
Current Scenario in Myanmar
In February 2021, the Myanmar military took control of the country through a military coup. This ousted the
ruling National League for Democracy Party and also the State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi. The current de
facto leader of Myanmar is General Min Aung Hlaing.
ASEAN leaders recently held a summit to call an end for the violence in Myanmar. They have come up with a
five -point consensus along with the military leader. India has welcomed ASEAN initiative on Myanmar.
Maharashtra Day: May 1
Every year, Maharashtra Day is celebrated on May 1. It commemorates the formation of the state of
Maharashtra. It was formed on May 1, 1960.
About Maharashtra Day
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 redefined the boundaries of Indian states based on the languages.
Maharashtra was formed on the basis of this act. Different languages were spoken in the state of Bombay

namely Gujarati, Konkani, Marathi and Kutchi.
The Bombay state was divided into Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960. Gujarat was formed where people
spoke Gujarati and Kutchhi. The other region was named Maharashtra where people spoke Konkani and
Marathi.
The Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was at the forefront in the movement to divide Bombay state into two
states namely Maharashtra and Gujarat.
About Bombay State
The Bombay state was created at the time of India’s independence. Before independence it was called
Bombay Presidency that roughly pertained to the current Maharashtra.
After independence, Bombay state was formed including Vidarbha, current Maharashtra and other princely
states such as Baroda.
Samyukta Maharashtra Movement
It is commonly known as Samiti. It was founded in 1956 demanding separate Marathi speaking state
between 1956 and 1960.
Formation of Indian States after independence
Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 the following states have been bifurcated:
1960: Bombay state was split into Gujarat and Maharashtra
1963: Nagaland was created from Assam
1966: Himachal Pradesh and Haryana were formed from the State of Punjab
1972: Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya were formed.
1975: Sikkim joined the Indian Union
1987: Arunachal Pradesh and Goa became states
2000: Jharkhand was carved out from Bihar, Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh and Uttaranchal or
Uttarakhand from UP.
2014: Telangana was created from Andhra Pradesh
May Day: May 1
May Day is also called International Workers’ Day or Labour Day. The date, May 1, was chosen to
commemorate the Haymarket affair. It occurred in Chicago on 4 May 1886.
First Labour Day in India
The first Labour Day in India was hosted by the Labour Kisan Party in Madras in 1923. It was initiated from
the Labour Union Movement.
Labour Union Movement
The Labour Union Movement began in response to the attacks of industrial capitalism. In Euorpe, the
Labour Union Movement began during the industrial revolution.
How did Labour Movement begin in India?
In 1920, the Indian National Trade Union Congress was established. With the establishment of the
Union, the Labour Union Movement got a major fillip.
The first Industries Act was passed in 1881.
After Industries Act, Lokhande summoned a summit in Bombay Presidency. The major demands of
the summit were to provide weekly holiday, half-an hour of rest every day, accidental compensations
to the workers, etc. This is the first time the demands of the labours in British India were agreed by
some of the industrialists.
After the Partition of Bengal in 1905, strong social reformers emerged in different parts of the
country. They were highly agitated when Tilak was arrested in 1908. It was during this period that the
working class awakened and got organised in India. In 1905, the workers of printing press organised

themselves into a trade union. In 1907, postal workers formed a trade union and in 1910 the Labour
Welfare Association was established.
Labour Day in US
Some countries such as Canada and US celebrate Labour Day on the first Monday of September.
May 1 is celebrated as Law Day in the US.
Scheme of Financial Assistance to States for Capex
The Ministry of Finance recently announced that it is to provide Rs 15,000 crores to the states for their
Capital Expenditure for 2021-22. This is being provided as interest free fifty-year loan to spend on capital
projects. Fresh guidelines have been announced in this regard called the “Scheme of Financial Assistance
to States for Capital Expenditure”.
About the Scheme
In 2020-21, Rs 12,000 crores was allocated for the scheme and Rs 11,830.29 crores was released to the
states.
Part I of the Scheme
The Part I of the scheme is to be implemented in the North Eastern States and Hilly states of India. Around
Rs 2,600 crores has been allocated for this part of the scheme. Of this Himachal Pradesh, Assam and
Uttarakhand are to get Rs 400 crores each.
Part II of the scheme
Al the other states are included under this part of the scheme. Rs 7,400 crores has been allocated to these
states. This fund is to be allocated in proportion to their share of central taxes as prescribed by the fifteenth
commission of 2021-22.
Part III of the scheme
Under this part of the scheme, incentives are to be provided to the states for disinvestment of state public
sector enterprises and for recycling or monetisation of infrastructure assets. In order to achieve this, Rs
5,000 crores have been allocated.
Benefits
The scheme will help to speed up the National Infrastructure Pipeline projects. It will help the states to
settle the pending bills in the ongoing capital projects. Also, the funds provided under the scheme shall be
used for new capital projects.
Russia produces COVID-19 vaccines for animals
Russia recently produced the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines for animals. The name of the vaccine is
Carnivac-Cov. The World Health Organisation recently confirmed the possibility for transmission of virus
between humans and virus.
Evidences
In 2020, Denmark killed more than 17 million minks after the country concluded that the virus has passed
from humans to minks. In Denmark, the virus transferred to mink from humans. It then transferred back to
humans as mutated strains.
About Carnivac-Cov
It was produced by Rosselkhoznadzor, a federal service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance
in Russia.
The Russian scientists believe that the use of the vaccine will help to prevent virus mutations.
The results of the vaccine trials say that it has good immunogenic effect.
Response to the COVID-19 animal vaccine
According to Russia, countries such as Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Poland, Greece, Germany, Austria, Iran,
Argentina, South Korea have expressed interest in purchasing the vaccine.

Transmission of COVID-19
COVID-19 mainly spreads through human-to-human transmission. However, there is evidence of human to
animal transmission. This is possible mainly because it is a zoonotic virus.
Zoonosis
It is an infection caused by pathogens such as virus, bacteria. Zoonotic infection are mainly those
infections that jumped from animals to humans.
Apart from COVID-19, the other zoonotic diseases are Ebola virus disease and salmonellosis. Earlier
HIV was a zoonotic disease. However, it has now mutated into a human only disease.
Other zoonoses such as swine flu and bird flu occasionally recombine with human strains to create
pandemic such as 2009 Swine flu and 1918 Spanish flu.
Global Forest Goals Report, 2021
The United Nations recently released the Global Forest Goals Report, 2021. According to the report, the
COVID-19 has increased the challenges faced by countries in managing their forests.
Key Findings of the report
During COVID-19 the forest dependent population faced reduced income, job losses, diminished access to
markets and information. Most of the forest dependent population faced difficulty in accessing healthcare
and basic services.
Reliance on forests
According to the report,
Around 1.6 billion people rely on forests. This is 25% of global population.
Of the rural areas in the world, more than 40% live in Savannah and forests. This is 20% of the global
population.
Key goals as identified by the report
Australia: To plant 20 million trees by 2020. This is to be increased to billion plantations by 2030
Brazil: To increase the planted areas to two million hectares
India: To add 200,000 hectares of tree and forest cover per year
Kenya: To increase tree cover by 10%
Myanmar: To increase forest cover to 30%
Japan: To maintain the 25 million hectares of forest area
New Zealand: To plant 1 billion trees by 2028
Thailand: To increase forest cover to 55%
Sri Lanka: To increase forest cover to 32%
Nigeria: To increase forest cover from 6% to 25% by 2030
Background
The report provides an overview of the six Global Forest Goals out of the twenty-six targets of National
Strategic Plan for Forests. The six goals are as follows:
Reverse Forest Cover Loss
Improve Forest Benefits and Livelihoods
Protect Forests and use sustainable forest products
Mobilise resources
Promote inclusive forest governance
Cooperate and work across the sectors
The United Nations Strategic Plan for forests was created to promote sustainable forest management. It
was to be implemented between 2017 and 2030. The main objective of the plan is to increase the forest
area in the world by 3% by 2030. That is, to bring 120 million hectares of land under forest cover.

Germany to return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
The Government of Germany recently announced that it is to return the artefacts called the “Benin Bronzes”
to Nigeria. The “Benin Bronzes” are currently held in the museum of Germany.
What are Benin Bronzes?
They are a group of thousand metal sculptures. These sculptures once decorated the royal palace of
Kingdom of Benin, the current Nigeria. Some of these sculptures were looted by the British during the
Benin Expedition of 1897.
Though they are named as bronzes, they are mostly made of brass. They are also made of mixtures
of brass and bronze. Some of them are even made of ivory, wood or ceramic.
The golden ages of the sculptures occurred during the reigns of Esigie and Eresoyen.
How are Benin Bronzes made?
They are made using lost-wax casting process. It is a process of making copies from a model. The method
had been used in Indus Valley Civilisation as well.
Benin Expedition of 1897
It was a punitive expedition of British force under Sir Harry Rawson. The troops captured Benin city and put
an end the Kingdom of Benin. It was then absorbed into colonial Nigeria.
Other countries on Benin Bronzes
The University of Aberdeen in Scotland was the first institute to agree to return the Benin Bronzes.
The National Museum of Ireland has agreed to return the artefacts as well.
Similarly, the Church of England also signalled that it will repatriate the sculptures.
Indian Sculptures in other foreign countries
Kohinoor Diamond in UK
Jagadamba, the Sword of Shivaji Maharaj

Shivaji had three swords. They were Jagdamba, Bhawani and Tulja. The sword Jagdamba was presented by
the Prince of Wales, Edward VII when he visited India. The sword is now in Buckingham palace.
Tipu’s Tiger
It is a wooden toy created by Tipu Sultan in the 18 th century. It depicts a tiger injuring a European man
brutally. When the handle in the side of the toy is turned the tiger makes a roaring sound and the man wails
lifting his arms up and down. It in now in Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Ambika Statute
It is a marble statue of Goddess Ambika. It was discovered in the late 19th century. It is now in Britain. There
has been huge demand to bring back the statue to the Saraswati temple in Madhya Pradesh.
Royal Jade Wine Cup of Shah Jahan
The cup dates back to 1657. The bottom of the cup features acanthus leaves and a lotus flower. It was one
of the elegant treasures of Mughal dynasty. It is now in the possession of Victoria and Albert Museum,
London.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh throne
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the leader of the Sikhs. The throne is made of wood and covered with sheets of
gold. It was taken by the British after the Second Anglo Sikh war. It is now in Victoria and Albert Museum,
London
Sultanganj Buddha
It is a sculpture of Gauthama Buddha. It dates back to 7th century. It is now in Britain.
400th Prakash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur commemorated
On May 1, 2021, India is celebrating four hundredth Prakash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur. He was the ninth

Sikh Guru.
Guru Tegh Bahadur
He was born in Amritsar, Punjab in 1621. He was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib.
He wrote 115 hymns that were included in Guru Granth Sahib.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the orders of Aurangazeb. The Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib marks
the execution place of Guru Tegh Bahadur and the Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib marks the cremation
place of Guru tegh Bahadur.
Shaheedi Divas
His martyrdom ( the suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause ) is commemorated as Shaheedi
Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur. It is commemorated on 24th November every year.
Guru Granth Sahib
It is the religious scripture of Sikhism. According to the Sikhs, it is the final, sovereign and eternal
guru.
The first rendition of Guru Granth Sahib is called the Adi Granth. It was compiled by the fifth guru
Arjan Dev. He completed the Adi Granth in 1604 and installed it inside the Golden temple in Amritsar.
Later Guru Har Gobind Singh added Ramkali Ki Vaar. Finally, Guru Gobind Singh added the hymns
composed by Guru Tegh Bahadyr. Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth guru of the Sikhs.
Golden Temple and Operation Blue Star
There were insurgencies in Punjab for a separate Sikh homeland called Khalistan.
In 1973, Akali Dal passed Anandpur Resolution demanding for more autonomy to the states. Akali Dal
was a political party in Punjab.
In 1982, Akali Dal and Bhindranwale joined hands to implement the Anandpur Resolution.
In 1983, Bhindranwale fortified the Golden Temple complex. He started hiding there to avoid arrest.
In 1984, the then Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi sent the Indian Army to the Golden temple to
capture Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The Indian Army launched “Operation Blue Star” to capture
Bhindranwale.
Stratolaunch test flies World Largest Airplane
The World largest airplane built by Stratolaunch recently completed its second test flight from Mojave Air
and Space Port in California.
About the test flight
The flight reached an altitude of 4,267 metres during its test flight.
It reached a top speed of 320 kilometre per hour.
The plane can carry more than 220 tonnes of payload.
The wingspan of the aircraft is 117 metres. This is greater than an American football field.
It has been named “Roc”. Roc is an enormous bird usually addressed in the mythological stories of
the Middle East. It is quite popular from “Sinbad, the Sailor”.
It carries a twin-fuselage configuration. Fuselage is the main body section of the aircraft. It holds the
cargo, crew and the passengers. A twin-fuselage design has two fuselages.
The fuselages are supported by twelve main landing gear wheels and two nose gear wheels.
The left fuselage cockpit is unmanned. It only houses support equipment. Both the fuselage cockpits
are pressurised and separated from the unpressurised vehicle.
Background
Stratolaunch was established by Paul Allen in 2011. He was a co-founder of Microsoft.
Other popular projects of Stratolaunch
Stratolaunch is also developing a reusable hypersonic flight vehicle that shall be used to launch satellites.

Science behind Airplanes
The air wings of the planes are shaped to make the air move faster over the top of the wings. As the air is
moving faster, its pressure decreases. This drop in pressure occurs on the top of the wing. This in turn
creates a pressure difference between the top and bottom of the wings of the airplane. This difference in
pressure creates a force that lifts the wing into the air.
First Instalment of SDRF released
The Ministry of Finance recently released the first instalment of State Disaster Relief Fund. According to the
Finance Ministry, the funds have been released early. The ministry released 50% of the amount, which is Rs
4,436.8 crores. According to the recommendation made by the Finance Commission, the funds were to be
released by June 2021. The total amount of SDRF to be released for 2021-22 is Rs 8,873 crores.
State Disaster Response Funds
They were constituted under Disaster Management Act, 2005.
In 2020, the Home ministry issued an order to include COVID-19 as a “notified disaster”. This was
done to provide temporary accommodation, clothing, food, medical care to the homeless people
including the stranded migrant labourers.
The SDRF is the major fund available with the State Government to respond to disasters.
The Central Government contributes 75% of the SDRF allocation for general category states. Around
90% is contributed to the Special Category States and Union Territories.
The State Disaster Response Funds are supplemented by the National Disaster Response Funds.
National Disaster Response Funds
The National Calamity Contingency Funds were renamed as the National Disaster Response Fund.
These funds are placed under the “Public Account”. It does not bear any interests.
The expenditure from these funds does not require the approval of the Parliament.
The National Disaster Response Funds are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
The fund is also used for relief activities for the calamities such as pest attacks, drought, frost, cold
wave, that is, basically those calamities associated with farmers. Such funding are monitored by the
Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. It operates under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer
Welfare.
First-known pregnant mummy discovered by Researchers
The researchers of Poland recently discovered the first embalmed pregnant woman. This is the first time in
the history scientists have found a foetus in a mummy. Initially the researchers thought the Mummy was a
male priest.
About the Mummy
The Mummy was first brought to Warsaw in 1826.
It was believed to be the mummy of a male priest due to the inscription on the coffin. However, recent
scans have revealed that there is a foetus in the mummy.
The identification was made under the “Warsaw Mummy Project” by the anthropologists and
archaeologists at the National Museum in Warsaw.
This Mummy was found at the Royal Tombs in Thebes. Thebes is an ancient Egyptian city along the
Nile river.
The Mummy was dubbed as the “Mysterious Lady of the National Museum in Warsaw”. She is
believed to be 20 to 30 years old.
The scientists confirmed that the embalmed woman was pregnant when they saw the little foot and
little hand. Usually, the mummification process includes removing the organs from the abdomen and
chest. They are still wondering why wasn’t the foetus removed. One possibility is that it was difficult

to remove the foetus from the womb without causing serious damage.
Warsaw Mummy Project
It was initiated by a group of archaeologists from the University of Warsaw in 2015. It aims to examine the
animal and human mummies at the National Museum in Warsaw.
Under the project, the scientists are using X-ray, CT-scan, podoscopy and dactyloscopy to analyse the
mummification methods and the state of tissue preservation. These advanced techniques helped in
discovering the first pregnant mummy though she was unearthed a century ago.
Note: Podoscopy is footprint examination and Dactyloscopy is fingerprint examination
Road construction worth Rs.15 lakh crore targeted in next two years
The Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari recently announced that the Government of
India has set a target of road construction of worth Rs 15 lakh crores in next two years.
What are the plans?
In order to achieve the above target, the Government of India aims to construct forty kilometres of
road per day in 2021-22.
The GoI is permitting 100% Foreign Direct Investment in the road sector.
Background
This will help to boost the National Infrastructure Pipeline. Under the National Infrastructure Pipeline, the
Union Government aims to provide world-class infrastructure to the citizens and thereby improve their
quality of lives. There are 7,300 projects to be implemented under the NIP. The total cost of the project has
been estimated as Rs 111 lakh crores.
Recent Developments
The GoI recently approved Rs 1,229.38 crores for the state of Punjab under the Bharatmala Pariyojana
Phase I. Under this project, a six-lane greenfield is to be built between Amritsar and Bathinda.
Bharatmala Pariyojana
It was launched to improve the road network in India. It aims to achieve the following:
9,000 kilometres of Economic corridors
5,000 kilometres of roads to improve connectivity
2,000 kilometres of roads that fall under Border Road Organisation or roads under international
connectivity
2,000 kilometres of port connectivity roads
Construction and maintenance of 10,000 new roads
It will mainly focus creating Green Field Expressways for better management of freight and traffic.
As of August 2020, 12,413 kilometres of roads have been constructed. The Phase I of the project aims to
construct 34, 800 kilometres of National Highways in five years. The timeline of the phase is between 2017
and 2022. The project was approved at an estimated cost of Rs 5,35,00 crores.
40 Tonnes of Fish die in Lebanon
River Litani is the longest river in Lebanon. It has an artificial lake called the Qaraoun lake created by the
Litani river dam. Around forty tonnes of fish were recently washed on the banks of the lake due to excessive
pollution. The pollution was mainly due to sewage dumping. This has gained an international spotlight.
Such a huge disaster is happening for the first time in the region.
Actions
A fishing ban in the reservoir was imposed in 2018. However, the actions were inadequate to stop the
pollution.
Litani river
The river is an important water source for the southern part of Lebanon.

The Litani dam was constructed in 1959 for irrigation and hydropower projects.
It rises in the Beqaa valley and empties in Mediterranean sea.
The rivers originates and flows entirely inside Lebanon, that is, it is not a transboundary river.
Recent environmental disasters in Lebanon
In April 2021, the volunteers removed sticky tar from the beaches in Lebanon coast after an oil spill.
In August 2020, a huge explosion occurred in Beirut port that devastated the country. It even led to the
country’s Prime Minister resigning his office. Here are the Beirut Explosion details:
A Massive Explosion occurs at the Lebanese capital, Beirut
The Prime Minister of Lebanon Hassan Diab announces his resignation
India sends humanitarian aid to Lebanon
UNESCO launches new initiative to revamp the heritage buildings in the country
United Nations launches 3RF plan to revitalise Beirut
Battle of Litani River
It was fought on June 9, 1941. It was a battle of second world war. It was fought to advance Beirut. During
the war, the Australian troops crossed the Litani river and fought with the Vichy French troops. This was a
part of the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, which is British invasion of Vichy French, Lebanon and Syria. Vichy
French was an independent ally of Germany.
May 3, 2021
What is Lag B’Omer?
Lag B’Omer is an annual Jewish festival. It is celebrated in the Hebrew month of Iyar. The festival is
celebrated on the thirtieth day of the Omer.
Recently, more than forty-four people died here due to a stampede (in Meron of Israel). They were gathered
at the reputed tomb of Shimon Bar Yochai for Lag B’Omer.
Lag B’Omer
Omer is the forty-nine days of time period between Passover and Shauvot. The Lag B’Omer day is special for
the Jews because, in the forty-nine period of Omer, celebrations are allowed only on Lag B’Omer. The Jews
schedule weddings on Lag B’Omer. The young boys who have reached the age of three are brought here (to
Meron) for their first haircut.
The Lag B’Omer celebrations are associated with bonfires.
What are the two events commemorated by Lag B’Omer?
Lag B’Omer commemorates two historic events of the Jewish history. They are the death of Rabbi Shimon
Bar Yochai and also the death anniversary of 24,000 students of Akiva Ben Yosef. The students died of
plague. Akiva Ben Yosef is another Rabbi who lived in the same period as that of Shimon Bar. It was Yochai
who instructed to commemorate the death anniversary of 24,000 students of Yosef during Lag B’omer.
Rabbi
Rabbi is a Jewish teacher or scholar. He mainly teaches Jewish law. They are generally referred to Mishnaic
sage.
Mishnah
Mishnah is the written collection of Jewish oral traditions. It is also called Oral Torah. Mishnah was one of
the earliest works of Jewish. It was written in third century.
Special 301 Report: US puts India on Priority Watch list
The United States Trade Representative recently released the Special Report 301. According to the report,
India has been put on the “Priority Watch List” along with eight other countries. Another twenty-three
countries were also put on “Watch List”.

About 301 Report
The report is released annually by the United States Trade Representative. It is published under Section 301
of Trade Act of 1974 and hence the name. It is being published since 1989. The report basically lists the
countries that do not provide sufficient IP rights to American companies.
What does the report say about India?
According to the report, India has been inconsistent in the progress of IP protection. Though the
enforcement of IP has gradually improved, India lacks in providing benefits for innovators.
The patent issues are of great concern in India. The Indian Patent Law lacks patent validity and holds
narrow patentability criteria. This burdens companies in different sectors. It leads to patent revocations.
Revocation is official cancellation.
Patent applicants are facing issues with time consuming pre and post grant procedures. They face
difficulties of long waiting periods to receive patent approval.
Stakeholders of India continue to express concerns over vagueness in the interpretation of Indian Patents
Act.
Report about China
The US monitors China under the US-China Economic and Trade Agreement
According to the 301 report, China has made several IP-related regulatory measures in 2020.
It has amended the Patent laws, criminal laws related to IP and also copyright laws.
However, the amendments remain short of full range fundamental changes required to improve the
overall IP landscape.
State of Siege in Congo
The President of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi declared a “State of Siege” due to the increasing violence in the
eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. The violence killed more than hundred people and displaced more
than 1.5 million.
What is the issue?
A Ugandan Insurgent faction called Allied Democratic Forces is active in Congo since 1990s.These forces
are being held responsible for the recent violence.
About Allied Democratic Forces
It is a rebel group operating in Congo and Uganda. It was established in 1995. It is one of the least
understood extremist group in Congo. Their ideological inclination ranges from ethno-nationalism, Islamic
extremism, secular nationalism and secessionism.
According to the United Nations, these forces have killed more than 850 people in 2020 since the army
began operations against them.
The violence has displaced 1.6 million population and more than 2.8 million people are in need of
emergency assistance.
State of Siege
It a situation where a Government puts restrictions on movement of people into or out of the country. Under
this, the police could arrest suspects without warrants or charges.
Democratic Republic of Congo resources
The country is the wealthiest country in the world. The untapped resource wealth of Congo has been
estimated as 24 trillion USD. It includes the world largest reserves of Coltan. Coltan is a mineral that is
composed of tantalite and columbite. Coltan is refined to get Tantalum.
Rwanda is the biggest Tantalum producer. The other top producers of Tantalum are Nigeria, Brazil and
China.

MONUSCO
MONUSCO is the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. India was the
single largest contributor to the force in 2010. However, in 2011, India announced that it is withdrawing its
forces.
Earth Axis Shift increases
A recent study conducted by the American Geophysical Union has found that the melting glaciers have been
increasing the shift of earth axis.
What is Earth Axis Shift?
The rotational axis of the earth is the axis around which it rotates as it revolves around the sun. The axis
virtually is a line connecting the north and south poles of the earth. The location of these poles is not fixed
as they tend to shift based on several factors. In the last 20 million years, the patterns of the pole has
changed (or reversed) in every 200,000 years to 300,000 years.
The pole shifting has resulted in the migration of north pole towards Russia. This is also referred to as
“Polar Wander”.
Movement of the Magnetic poles
The magnetic pole was in the Canadian Arctic in the end of twentieth century. It then moved ten degrees
moving towards the true north pole. In 2001, the movement began to accelerate. In 2019, it had crossed the
International Date Line. This is the fastest movement of the poles in human history.
Explanation by the New Study
NASA says that the spin axis drifted about ten centimetres per year.
According to the new study, climate change has increased the glacial melting and this in turn has
caused the earth’s poles to move in new directions.
The shift of the north pole towards the east is mainly because of the changes in the hydrosphere.
That is, it is mainly due to the way in which water is stored in the earth.
The study says that between 1995 and 2020, the average speed of drift was 17 times faster as
compared to that happened between 1985 and 2020.
The calculation of the shift in poles was done based on the data from GRACE mission.
WHO lists Moderna’s mRNA vaccine for emergency use
The World Health Organisation recently listed mRNA vaccine of Moderna for Emergency Use. This makes it
the fifth vaccine to receive emergency use validation from WHO.
Why is Emergency Use Approval important?
The Emergency Use Listing of vaccines of the WHO assesses the safety, quality and efficacy of vaccines. It
is a prerequisite for COVAX facility vaccine supply.
The vaccines that are provided with Emergency Use Approval are reviewed by SAGE. SAGE is Strategic
Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation. The Moderna vaccine was recommended by SAGE in January
2021. The USFDA (United State Food and Drug Administration) cleared the vaccine for Emergency Use in
December 2020. The European Medicines Agencies granted marketing authorisation for the vaccine
throughout European Union in January 2021. Japan is to approve the Emergency use of the vaccine in May
2021.
Current Scenario in India
The Government of India recently (on April 13, 2021) issued an order according to which the COVID-19
vaccines approved elsewhere in the world will be fast tracked in India. This is applicable mainly to those
approved by USFDA, Japan’s Medical and Devices Agency and UK Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency.
The first hundred recipients of the fast tracked COVID-19 vaccines will be monitored for side effects for

seven days before they are opened up for public.
Moderna Vaccine
mRNA-1273 is the technical name for the Moderna vaccine.
The mRNA-1273 induced antibody responses against COVID-19 in Non-Human Primates. The
psychological and physiological similarities between humans and non-human primates are similar.
Primates are animals that adapted to living in trees of tropical forests 85 million years ago.
Public Building and Fire Safety Rules in India
There have been deadly fires in the hospital buildings of India. This includes hospitals treating COVID-19 as
well. The recent fires in hospital buildings of Virar region of Mumbai, Bharuch in Gujarat and in Mumbra near
Thane has brought the spotlight to the Public Building and Fire Safety rules.
Root Cause of the problems
The public building and fire safety rules are not abided during the construction of buildings. According to
National Crime Records Bureau more than 330 people died in commercial fires in 2019.
Electrical faults have been identified as the main reason behind recent fires in the hospitals. The State
Governments fail to implement building safety laws that make installation of modern technologies
mandatory.
National Building Code of India
It is the main standard fire safety compliance in public buildings. It provides the technical
requirements for special buildings. Part 4 of the code deals with Fire and Line Safety.
They recommend the location of buildings. They ensure that industrial and hazardous structures do
not coexist with residential and business buildings.
It provides specifications for use of certified fire-resistant materials and guidelines to design
buildings. The code makes it mandatory to set up automatic fire detection system, dry riser pipelines,
automatic sprinklers, fireman’s lift escape routes, etc. The dry riser pipelines are used by the fire
fighters to douse (pour a liquid) upper floors.
Recent measures
In September 2020, the Health Ministry circulated strict guidelines demanding for a third-party
accreditation for fire safety.
The Supreme Court in December 2020 directed all the states to carry out fire safety audits.
The National Disaster Management Authority recently stipulated requirements for fire safety in
hospitals and other public buildings.
Tigray Crisis: Ethiopia adds TPLF, OLF Shene to terror list
The Ethiopian Government has recently added the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and OLF-Shene to
its terror list. In 2020, Ethiopia launched a mass military operation against Tigray People Liberation Front.
Tigray People’s Liberation Front
It is a political party. It was founded in 1975 in Ethiopia. Also, TLPF is an armed ethnic nationalist insurgent
group. This conflict between the State Government of Tigray and the Ethiopian Government is going on for
thirty years now. These conflicts have huge impact on Horn of Africa.
What is the Tigray Crisis?
Ethiopia has had federal system since 1994. Under this system, different ethnic groups control the ten
different regions in the country. Accordingly, TPLF controls Tigray.
In 1991, the military regime was ousted from power. Following this, a four-party coalition began to govern
Ethiopia. This coalition is called “The Prosperity Party”.
Abiy Ahmed Ali was appointed as Prime Minister of Ethiopia under the coalition party Government. The
liberalisation of politics eventually removed several key leader in Tigrayan Government accusing them of

corruption. Abiy also ended the long-standing territory dispute with Eritrea. This earned him Nobel Peace
Prize in 2019.
According to the Tigrayan leaders, these reforms were seen as an attempt to centralise power. According to
them, this will eventually destroy the federal system in the country.
In 2020, the feud bursted out in the open air as the Tigray leaders disagreed to abide by the Central
Government order to postpone the regional elections due to COVID-19. They conducted the elections as per
the due date instead of postponing it. Following this, the Central Government stopped its funds to the
Tigrayan administration. In response, the Tigrayan Administration labelled it as “Declaration of war”.
Olive Ridley Turtles stay away from Rushikulya river
The Olive Ridley Turtles in 2021 are staying away from the Rushikulya river. Millions of Olive Ridley turtle
nest near the mouth of Rushikulya river. The nesting time of Olive Ridley turtles is between January and
May. This year, they are yet to begin their nesting. In 2020, they began nesting in March.
The turtle is known for its unique mass nesting sites called the Arribadas. During Arribadas, thousands of
females come together to lay eggs on the same beach.
What is the issue?
Though some of the scientists say that this delay of nesting is normal, the conservationists are worried.
This is because, the atmospheric temperature is to reach its peak in May and the sand becomes very hot. It
is likely that mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles might skip this year.
The nesting of the turtles has been skipped earlier in 2002, 2007, 2016 and 2019.
Olive Ridley Nests in India
In the Indian Ocean, majority of these turtles nest near the Gahirmatha of Odisha. The coast of Odisha is
one of the largest mass nesting sites of the turtles. The Gahirmatha beach is now part of the Bhitarkanika
Wildlife sanctuary.
Other Nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtles
The other nesting sites of the turtles are coasts of Mexico, Costa Rica, Pacific Panama.
Protection
They have been categorised as “Vulnerable” under the IUCN Red List. The CITES has included them under
Appendix I. The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 has included them under Schedule I.
Migration
These turtles migrate thousands of kilometres between feeding and mating period.
Rushikulya River
It is one of the major rivers of Odisha. It originates from Eastern Ghats and drains into Bay of Bengal.
Operation Samudra Setu II
The Indian Navy recently launched Operation Samudra Setu II. The operation will aid in fulfilling oxygen
requirements of the country.
About the operation
Under the operation, warships have been deployed to carry liquid oxygen filled cryogenic containers.
Two ships INS Talwar and INS Kolkata have been diverted for this operation.
INS Talwar will transport 40 million tonnes of oxygen from Manama to Mumbai.
INS Kolkata is to proceed to Doha to get medical supplies and then to Kuwait to get liquid oxygen
tanks.
INS Airavat is to enter Singapore to embark liquid oxygen tanks.
INS Jalashwa will also be diverted to the mission.
The other ships deployed in Trikand, Kochi and Tabar will also be diverted to join the national effort.
The INS Shardul from the Southern Naval Command has been readied to join the operation.

This operation will augment the Oxygen Express mission that is already operating under Indian
Railways.
These seven ships that are currently deployed in Operation Samudra Setu II are said to be combat ready.
Operation Samudra Setu I
Operation Samudra Setu I was launched in May 2020. It was launched to repatriate Indian citizens from
abroad during COVID-19. It successfully brought back 3,992 Indians to home safely.
Similar Evacuation programmes were undertaken by the Indian Navy in 2006 and 2015. In 2016, Operation
Sukoon was launched to bring back Indians from Beirut. In 2015, Operation Rahat was launched to bring
back Indians from Yemen.
Background
India has enough supplies of oxygen. The only challenge India is currently facing is transport of oxygen.
Who was Dadasaheb Phalke?
The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards was recently presented. They are also referred to
as “Dadasaheb Phalke Awards”. These awards were introduced by Government of India in 1969.
2021 Awards
Best Actor (Female): Deepika Padukone
Best Actor (Male): Akshay Kumar
Best International Feature Film: Parasite
Best Director: Anurag Basu
Best Film: Tanhaji
The late actor Sushant Singh Rajput won the “Critics Best Actor”. Actor Rajni Kanth is also being conferred
with the award this year. He had already received Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He has spent
more than forty five years in the film industry.
Dadasaheb Phalke
Dadasaheb Phalke is the Father of Indian Cinema.
The first film made by Phalke was Raja Harishchandra and this movie was the first full-length feature
film of India.
He has made twenty-seven short films and 95 feature length films during his career.
In 2021, his 151st birth anniversary is being celebrated.
The Government of India confers the “Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards” every
year in his honour.
Dadasaheb Awards
It was presented for the first time in 1969. The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani. It
carries a prize money of ten lakh rupees and a Golden Lotus.
The award is often confused with other awards presented in his name such as Dadasaheb Phalke Film
Foundation awards, Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards. However, the Dadasaheb Phalke International
Film Festival Awards are the only awards presented by the Indian Government to the achievers in the film
industry. These awards are presented by the Directorate of Film Festivals that operates under Information
and Broadcasting Ministry. The Directorate should make sufficient rules to avoid the use of the legend’s
name to prevent replications.
P8I Patrol Aircraft: US clears sale to India
The United States Department recently approved the sale of P-81 Patrol aircraft to India.
About P-8I
It is a long range patrol aircraft.
It was manufactured by Boeing for Indian Navy.

It is a variant of P-8A Poseidon. The Poseidon is operated by the US Navy.
The P-8I is capable of conducting maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance missions
and surveillance.
India-US Defence Deals
India and US have signed five major defence deals. They are as follows:
GSOMIA
GSOMIA is General Security of Military Information Agreement. It was signed in 2002. The agreement was
signed to facilitate sharing military intelligence between India and the US.
LEMOA
LEMOA is Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement. It was signed in 2016. According to the
agreement, the countries can use each other’s military bases mainly to carry out repairs and resupplies.
COMCASA
COMCASA is Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement. Under the agreement, the countries
share information during training exercise and operations.
BECA
BECA is Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement. It was signed in 2020. According to the agreement,
the countries can share geospatial information.
123 Agreement
Out of all the defence agreements signed between the countries, this agreement is considered as the most
important. The agreement is also called 123 Agreement. Under the agreement, India agreed to place all its
civilian nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
India-US Militay Exercises
Yudh Abhyas: Started in 2002
Tiger Triump
It is the major military exercise carried out by India with the US. All the three forces namely Indian Air Force,
Indian Army and Indian Navy participate in the exercise.
Vajra Prahar
It is an exercise held between the Special Forces of US and India.
NASA: Ingenuity begins a new phase
The Ingenuity Helicopter of Mars 2020 project of NASA recently performed its fourth of its five planned
flights successfully. With this, it has completed its month-long technology demonstration. Now, it is to
begin its new phase. This new phase is called operation demonstration phase. So far it was in its
technology demonstration phase.
What is the New Mission of Ingenuity?
Under this new phase, the Ingenuity helicopter is to explore how aerial scouting will benefit future
explorations of Mars. Aerial Scouting is gathering information. This is to begin after two flights of the
helicopter.
NASA had initially planned to conduct only five flights. This operation demonstration phase was planned
after Ingenuity completed its flights successfully.
Under this phase, Ingenuity will support the Perseverance rover as it begins its flight. It will make aerial
observations and help Perseverance rover in its mobility on the Martian surface.
Implications
Ingenuity Helicopter is to make greater use of its aerial observation capabilities.
It is to face more risks flying in a low atmospheric condition.

About the fourth Flight
The fourth flight of Ingenuity helicopter was postponed to April 30, 2021 due to a software glitch. It was
earlier planned to the be held on April 25, 2021. However, the fourth flight has now been completed
successfully. In its fourth flight Ingenuity climbed five metres and crossed 84 metres of distance. During its
flight, Ingenuity captured more images than its previous flights. The issue was around the watchdog timer.
Watchdog timers are used to detect and recover from computer malfunctions.
Recent Developments of Ingenuity Mission
NASA Prepares to Launch the Mars Rover Perseverance
Ingenuity Helicopter dropped to the surface
Ingenuity helicopter makes its first flight attempt
Ingenuity Helicopter makes historic flight
MOXIE Converts Carbon Dioxide into oxygen successfully
NASA helicopter makes third flight on Mars
Import of Oxygen concentrators for personal use permitted
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade recently notified that the import of oxygen concentrators shall be
allowed for personal use. The Government of India has revised the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020 to
permit the import.
About Oxygen Import
The new revision says that the imports of goods as “gifts’ is allowed through post or courier where customs
clearance is sought except for medicines, oxygen concentrators and lifesaving drugs.
Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20
The Foreign Trade Policy aims to double the overseas sales to 900 billion USD by 2020.
It also aims to integrate foreign trade with Digital India and Make in India initiatives.
The MEIS and SEIS were launched. MEIS is Merchandise Exports from India Scheme and was
launched merging five schemes into a single scheme. The SEIS is Service Exports from India Scheme.
E-Commerce Exports till Rs 25,000 are entitled for rewards under MEIS.
Transferable Duty Scrips are provided to the exporters.
Duty Free Scrip: It is a paper authorisation that allows the holder to import inputs that are used to
manufacture products exported. A Duty Free Scrip of Rs 1 lakh allows the holder to import goods
without paying duty up to Rs 1 lakh.
Two institutional mechanisms were put in place namely Council for Trade Development and
promotion and the Board of Trade.
The policy states that the GoI will provide incentives to the E-Commerce companies that are exporting
products from sectors creating jobs.
It was extended till 2021.
MEIS
The five schemes that were merged to form MEIS were Market Linked Focus Product Scheme, Focus
Product Scheme, Focus Market Scheme, Agriculture Infrastructure Incentive Scrip and VKGUY.
State Assembly Election Results
On May 2, 2021, the votes of the recently held State Assembly Elections for Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and
West Bengal were counted. The Election Commission of India is yet to announce the results.
Election results
The following results were the outcomes of the counting:
Assam
The BJP managed to beat the Assembly elections in spite of the Citizenship Amendment Act

protests.
The Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal won from Majuli constitution.
The star campaigner of BJP, Finance and Health Minister of Assam won from Jalukbari.
The anti-CAA activists Akhil Gogoi won from Sibsagar.
BJP won 60 seats, Congress won 29, AIUDF won 16, 9 by AGP and 4 by BPF. The other parties won
eight seats. BPF is Bodoland Peoples Front.
The BJP led alliance in the state was called the “Mitrajot” (Alliance of friends) and the Congress led alliance
is called “Mahajot” (Grand Alliance).
The Mitrajot was formed by BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and
Gana Suraksha Party (GSP).
The Mahajot was formed by Congress, Muslim backed AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front), BTC
(Bodoland Territorial Council), Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
Tamil Nadu
This was the first election in the state without the major leaders J Jayalalitha and M Karunanidhi.
The DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and its allies are leading.
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has 234 seats.
The DMK has won 126, 64 by AIADMK, 18 by Congress, 4 by BJP and 5 by PMK (Patali Makkal
Katchi).
The DMK-Congress coalition is likely to form the Government under Stalin (son of Late CM
Karunanidhi).
West Bengal
The state has 294 seats in its Legislative Assembly.
Of these seats, the Trinamool Congress led by Mamta Banerjee won 212 seats.
BJP has won 77 seats.
Kerala
The Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is leading. It has won 99 seats. The
Chief Minster is likely to form the Government in state for the second time.
CPI (M) has won 62 seats, Congress has won 21 seats, 17 by CPI, IUML won 15 seats.
BJP failed to open an account.
What is Article 164?
The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost in Nandigram. She lost the seat to her former
protégé-turned-BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of 1956 votes. Protégé is a person supported by a
more experienced person. However, she can still take over as the Chief Minister of the State. This is
permitted under Article 164 (4).
Article 164
The Article 164 lists the following:
Article 164 (1): The Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor of the state.
Article 164 (2): The Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the
state.
Article 164 (3): The Governor administers the oaths of the minister.
Article 164 (4): A Minister who is a not a member of the Legislative Assembly shall cease to be a minister
at the end of six months.
Article 75
As that of the provisions provided for the State Legislature under Article 164, Article 75 provides the
provisions for the Central Legislature.

Article 75 (1): PM and other ministers shall be appointed by the President.
Article 75 (2): Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President.
Article 75 (3): The Ministers are collectively responsible to Lok Sabha
Article 75 (4): The President administers oaths to the ministers
Article 75 (5): A member who is not a member of both the houses for six months will cease to be a member
of either of the house.
Chief Minister and Prime Minister
According to Article 164 (4) and Article 75 (5), the CM and PM shall hold their offices even if they are not
members of their respective houses. By this law, Mamta is to be appointed as the Chief Minister of West
Bengal even if she has lost the election. However, she has to become the member of the West Bengal State
Legislature within six months.
T Rabi Sankar named RBI deputy governor
The Government of India recently appointed T Rabi Shankar as the fourth Deputy Governor.
About T Rabi Shankar
T Rabi Shankar is in charge of fintech, payment system, risk management and information technology
at the Apex Bank. He has succeeded B P Kanungo.
Rabi Shankar has an M Phil in Economics degree.
He was appointed as the International Monetary Fund consultant to the Central Bank of Bangladesh
and the Government of Bangladesh.
He worked with the Ministry of Finance between 2008 and 2014.
He was appointed as the Chairman of RBI subsidiary Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services
(IFTAS).
Structure
The Reserve Bank of India is governed by the Central Board of Directors. The directors are appointed
by the Government of India under Reserve Bank of India Act.
The Central Board consists of Governor, four Deputy Governors, two finance ministry representatives
and four directors to represent local boards. These local boards are headquartered in Kolkata,
Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi.
Logo of RBI
The official emblem of RBI has a palm tree and a tiger. It was derived from the original seal of East India
Company. The seal of the East India company had a lion and a palm tree.
Monetary Policy Committee
The Monetary Policy Committee was constituted by Reserve Bank of India. It is led by the Governor of
RBI.
The Committee usually meets six times a year.
The committee has six members. Of these six members, the Government of India appoints three
persons. No Government official is nominated to the Monetary Policy Committee.
May 4, 2021
IGST on Import of Oxygen Concentrators reduced
The Ministry of Finance recently cut the IGST on import of oxygen concentrators for personal use to 12%.
Earlier it was 28%. IGST is Integrated Goods and Services Tax. The decision was announced by the Central
Board of Indirect taxes and Customs.
The changes are being made in accordance to the IGST Act, 2017.
Constitutional Provisions

Article 286
Under the article, no states are allowed to impose tax on the purchase or sale of goods in the following:
Import of Export of Goods
Every sale or purchase that is happening outside the state
Article 269
The following taxes shall be collected by the Central Government by assigning it to the State Government:
Taxes on Properties other than agricultural land
Taxes on Railway fares and freights
Tax on goods or passengers carried by sea, air or railways
Taxes on stamp duties on transaction in stock exchanges
Estate duty on property other than agricultural land
Taxes on consignment of goods
Taxes on sale or purchase of goods other than newspapers
Background
As the second wave of COVID-19 in increasing in the country, The Government of India recently allowed
import of oxygen concentrators for personal use. This shall be done through E-Commerce portals or gift
category. In order to achieve this Oxygen Concentrators were included in gift category.
Legal provisions
The Import of Oxygen Concentrators for personal use was allowed by amending Foreign Trade Policy
(2015-20). In 2020, GoI extended the Foreign Trade Policy till 2021.
Recent measures by GoI to increase Oxygen supply in the country
PM CARES Fund: Oxygen Plant for 100 new hospitals
Pressure Swing Adsorption Plants to increase oxygen
DRDO develops Supplemental Oxygen Delivery System
Indian Railways runs Oxygen Express
Basic customs duty and health cess on medical oxygen, equipment launched
Import of 10,000 Oxygen Cylinders
WHO to provide 4,000 oxygen concentrators to India
PM CARES Fund: 1 Lakh Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Import of Oxygen concentrators for personal use permitted
Operation Samudra Setu II launched
Uranium-214- Lightest form of Uranium
The scientists have recently created lightest form of Uranium. It is called the Uranium-214. The discovery
reveals more information about an alpha particle. The alpha particle are those particles that gets ejected
from radioactive elements as they decay.
About Uranium-214
This isotope of Uranium has a greater number of neutrons than protons. The neutrons have mass. However,
Uranium-214 found recently is much lighter than the other common Uranium isotopes. This includes
Uranium-235 as well. Uranium-235 is the most commonly used isotope. It has 51 extra neutrons.
Uranium-214 was created at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou, China.
It had a half-life of just half a milli-second. The half life of a radioactive sample is the time taken for half of
the radioactive sample to decay. The half life of Uranium-238 is 4.5 billion years. This is the almost equal to
the age of the earth.
Alpha Decay in Uranium-214
The new isotope found also showed unique behaviours during its decay. This new finding will help

scientists understand radioactive process called Alpha decay.
In alpha decay, the atomic nucleus loses two protons and two neutrons. They are collectively called alpha
particle. Scientists are yet to find the answers on how these alpha particles are ejected.
How was Uranium-214 created?
A beam of Argon was projected on Tungsten inside Gas-filled recoil separator. The researchers then added
protons and neutrons to the material through a LASER beam to create Uranium-214.
Nuclear force in Uranium-214
The scientists found that protons and neutrons of Uranium-214 interacted much more strongly than in
isotopes with similar number of neutrons and protons. In other words, nuclear force in Uranium-214 was
greater than the nuclear force in other isotopes.
Congo declares the end of Ebola outbreak
The Democratic Republic of Congo recently declared the end of the twelfth outbreak of Ebola. It had killed
six people in the eastern province of North Kivu.
About Ebola Outbreak
The current Ebola outbreak was genetically linked to that of the outbreak that occured in 2018-20.
Currently, Guinea is also fighting against Ebola epidemic.
The Ebola virus was discovered in 1976. The 2014-16 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is the largest
Ebola outbreak since its discovery.
In June 2019, the World Health Organisation declared outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo
as Global Health Emergency.
Global Health Emergency
The Global Health Emergency is declared when a disease outbreak is risk to other countries. It requires a
coordinated international response.
Ebola virus
The Ebola virus transmits from wild animals to people. It spreads among human population through
human-to-human population.
The natural hosts of Ebola virus are the fruit bats.
The methods used to diagnose Ebola are ELISA, Serum neutralization test, electron microscopy, virus
isolation by cell culture, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), antigen capture
detection tests.
The fatality rate of Ebola is 50%.
In 2019, WHO declared Ebola as one of the top ten threats to Global Health in 2019. The other threats were
non-communicable diseases, air pollution, climate change, global influenza pandemic, anti-microbial
resistance, weak primary health care, vaccine hesitancy, HIV, and fragile and vulnerable settings.
Ebola Vaccines
rVSV-ZEBOV was an Ebola vaccine used in Guinea in 2015.
It was also used during 2018-19 Ebola outbreak in Congo.
The vaccine is administered to pregnant women and breastfeeding women under the same condition
as that of the general population.
UK-India $1.4 billion investment deal
The Government of India and British Government recently finalised a one billion pound of trade and
investment with India. This is expected to create 6,500 jobs in the UK. The deal has been finalised ahead of
the virtual summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The leaders will sign the deal formally during the summit. The summit is to be held on May 4, 2021.

About the new investment deal
The deal is a part of Enhanced Trade Partnership. The Enhanced Trade Partnership is to be signed
between leaders during the summit.
The Enhanced Trade Partnership will lift restrictions to enable fruit producers across UK to export
pears, British Apples and quince to India for the first time.
The partnership will also include acceptance of UK certificatication of Free sale in India. This will
remove the additional accreditation of UK medical devices in exporting to Indian market.
Under the partnership, the countries will commit to deepen cooperation in educational services. With
this the student flows and skill transfer between the countries will increase.
It will set an ambitious target of doubling the trade between UK and India by 2030.
It has also declared a shared intent to start the base work towards comprehensive Free Trade
Agreement.
It also covers export deals of more than 446 million Great British Pounds. This is to create more than
400 British jobs.
The trade between India and UK is 23 billion Great British Pounds a year. This is supporting more than half a
million jobs a year.
Trade and Investment package of UK
The British Government recently unveiled 533 million Great Britain Pounds of Indian investment into the
United Kingdom. This covers areas such as technology and health care. It also includes the 240 million
Great Britain Pounds of investment to be made by the Serum Institute of India in the UK. The Serum Institute
is to further expand its business to 1 billion USD in Britain.
Way Forward
India and UK will sign a trade deal in the future that will remove current tariffs on whiskey up to 150% and
on automotive up to 125% in India.
What is Significant Economic Presence (SEP) principle?
India recently notified Digital Tax threshold of two crore rupees and 300,00 users under the Significant
Economic Presence principle. This threshold was notified for non-resident technology firms such as Netflix,
Facebook, Google, to pay tax in India. The principle was first introduced in the Finance Bill 2018-19.
It was adopted to address the challenges of tax profits made by the digital companies.
What is Significant Economic Presence?
It means that a transaction in goods or services or property carried out by a Non-Resident in India. This
includes download of software or data. In June 2019, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called on the
G-20 countries to adopt the “Significance Economic Presence”.
Background
The Significant Economic Presence concept was introduced in 2018 under Income Tax Act, 1961. It was
basically introduced to tax the income of non-residents. These incomes are those related to goods and
services or property in India.
Inception of Significant Economic Presence
In 2015, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued fifteen Base Erosion
and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plans (AP). The BEPS-AP 1, that is, the first report of BEPS-AP is about tax
challenges in the digital economy. It stated that it is important to examine enterprises that earn profit in the
digital economy.
Apart from Significant Economic Presence, the BEPS-AP also analysed several other challenges. This
includes Equalisation Levy that was implemented in 2016 in India.

What is Equalisation Levy?
It was introduced to tax business to business transactions that happen digitally. This mainly targeted at
taxing the income accruing to foreign E-Commerce companies from India. Accruing is someone receiving
money at increasing rate over time.
Odisha's Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana
The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik recently declared working journalists of the State of Odisha as
the frontline COVID-19 warriors. This announcement was made under the Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya
Bima Yojana. With these more than 6,500 journalists are to be benefitted in the state.
Gopandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana
It is a health insurance scheme that was introduced for the journalists by the Odisha state
government. The scheme provides two lakh rupees of health insurance cover to all the working
journalists of the state.
It was launched in 2018.
The scheme includes cashless treatment in government and private hospitals.
It also covers illness and injuries faced by journalists while performing their duties.
Gopalbandhu Das
The scheme has been named after Gopalbandhu Das. He was a popular reformer, social worker,
journalist, political activist, essayist and a poet in Odisha.
His contributions to the field of culture, art and society earned him the “Epithet of Utkalmani”. It
means the Jewel of Odisha.
He launched a magazine called “Satyabadi”. His contributions to journalism were short but
remarkable.
Other states
Several other states also declared journalists as frontline workers. This includes Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,
Punjab, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh.
Significance
The significance of declaring journalists as frontline workers is that they will be vaccinated in Phase I of
COVID-19 vaccination programme of India. The beneficiaries of phase I of COVID-19 vaccination
programme are health care workers, frontline workers and those in the population greater than fifty years.
The current frontline workers are home guards, armed forces, prison staff, municipal workers, civil defence
volunteers including disaster management volunteers.
Indian Army's First Green Solar Energy harnessing plant in Sikkim
The Indian Army recently launched the first Green Solar Energy harnessing plant in Sikkim. It was launched
to benefit the troops of the Indian army.
About the plant
The plant uses Vanadium based battery technology.
It was built at an altitude of 16,000 feet.
The capacity of the plant is 56 KVA.
It was completed in collaboration with IIT Mumbai.
Other green initiatives of Indian Army
The Indian Army recently (April, 2021) launched a solar power plant at Jalandhar Cantonment. It was
launched on the World Earth Day. Also, it was launched as a part of the “Go Green” initiative.
The plant was constructed at a cost of Rs 5.16 crores.
It was dedicated to the military hospital in the cantonment.
The plant was set up in five acres of land.

The project has installed 3,176 solar panels of Indian origin to produce 1MW of solar energy.
It is expected that the project will produce 15 lakh units of solar power annually and will help save Rs
1 crore per year.
Vanadium
In January 2021, Vanadium was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh. This was the first discovery of
Vanadium in India.
India consumes 4% of global vanadium production in the world.
It is found in sixty different minerals and ores that includes carnotite, vanadate, roscoelite, patronite.
Vanadium is used in making steel alloys, space vehicles, nuclear reactors, etc. It is also used in
making girders, piston rods. Vanadium redox batteries are used in superconducting magnets. They
are also used to create reliable renewable sources of energy.
The colour of Vanadium is silver. It is a transitional metal, that is, a good conductor of heat and
electricity.
Putola Nach- Puppetry Art-form of Assam
A trust based in Assam recently made videos using the traditional art called “Putola Nach”. The art form
was used to take the messages related to COVID-19 to the public through social media.
The videos were produced in collaboration with the UNICEF. The names of the videos were COVID Shatru
(enemy), COVID Bibharat (confusion). These two were released in Assamese. Mama ro Mina ko COVID
Katha (COVID Tale of Mama and Mina) was released in Nepali language.
Putola Nach
It is a traditional string puppet theatre from Assam in North East India.
The other forms of puppetry and shadow theatre have disappeared.
The Putala nach is also called putala bhaona.
Usually, Putola Nach is used to perform scenes from the epics such as Ramayana or Mahabharatha.
These dolls are 1.5 metres tall and are made of hollow wood or bamboo. Their heads are made of
terracotta.
Musical Instruments used in performing the art are dhol, harmonium, kansi, double reed wind
instrument and a bell metal plate beaten with a stick.
There were three different styles of string puppetry in Assam. They were Kalaigaon in Northern
Assam, Barpeta-Nalbari in western Assam and Majuli “island” in eastern Assam.
Tholpavakoothu
It is a shadow leather puppet play.
In February 2021, it was animated by a robot.
It is a fine example of integration of Dravidian and Aryan cultures.
It is also called Olakoothu and Nizhalkoothu.
The Musical instruments used in the art are Chenda, Ezhupara and Maddalam.
The Chief puppeteer of the art is known as “Pulavan”.
Guidelines issued for PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry
The Government of India recently issued guidelines for the “Production Linked Scheme” of Food Processing
Industry. The GoI had earlier approved the PLI Scheme for Food Processing under the “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”
with an outlay of 10,900 crores of rupees. The scheme is to be implemented between 2021-22 and 2026-27.
Categories in the Guidelines
The Guidelines has divided the applicants of the scheme into the following categories:
Category 1: These applicants are large entities who apply for Incentive based on Sales and Investment
criteria. These applicants shall undertake branding and marketing activities abroad. They shall also apply

for grant.
Category 2: These applicants belong to Small and Medium enterprises. They manufacture innovative
products. They apply for the grant under the scheme based on their sales
Category 3: These are applicants who apply for grant to undertake branding and marketing activities
abroad.
Guidelines
The sale-based incentive under the PLI scheme shall be paid for six years between 2021-22 and
2026-27.
The base year to calculate incremental sales will be 2019-20 and the base year for the fifth and sixth
year is to be 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively.
The grant provided on branding and marketing shall be extended to 50% of the expenditure. The
maximum grant allowed is 3% of sales on food products or 50 crores of rupees per year (whichever is
less).
Selection of applications
The following guidelines have been provided for selecting the applicants:
The Category I applicants are selected based on their sales, committed investment and exports.
There are four product segments that are to be incentivised under the scheme. They are ready to
cook or ready to eat including millet-based foods, marine products, processed fruits and vegetables
and mozzarella cheese.
The applicants under Category II are selected based on their innovative proposal, uniqueness of the
product, etc.
The applicants under Category III are selected based on the level of recognition of their brand, plan
for production, strategy, sales, export markets, etc.
Crimson Solar Project: US approves 550 million USD
The United States recently approved 550 million USD for the Crimson Solar Project. The project will provide
electricity to 87,500 homes.
About Crimson Solar Project
The project is to be set up on 2,000 acres of land in the Desert of California.
The project site is 13 miles west of Blythe.
The project will be owned by Sonoran West Solar Holdings LLC.
The construction of the project is to provide 650 temporary jobs. Also, it will provide forty temporary
jobs and ten permanent jobs.
It features 350 MW of solar photovoltaic facility and 350 MW of energy storage system.
It is a part of Biden’s plan to accelerate development of renewable energy on public land and water.
Solar Energy in the US
As of 2020, the United States had 97,275 MW of installed concentrated and photovoltaic solar power. This
is 1.66% of the total electricity consumed by the country.
Biden’s Plan
The US President Joe Biden signed a 2 million USD of infrastructure proposal to curb the Greenhouse gas
emissions in the US. The plan also proposed 100 billion USD to update the electric grid system in the
country and make it more resilient to climate disasters.
During the Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by the US, the President announced that US will achieve net-
zero emissions by 2050.
California Desert
There are three main deserts in California. They are the Colorado Desert, Mojave Desert and the Great Basin

Desert. The Colorado Desert lies in the north west of the Californian Desert. The Great Basin Desert is the
only cold desert located in the country.
The Mojave Desert includes San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges. These mountains are
outlined by the two largest faults in California called the Garlock Fault and San Andreas Fault.
Mark Selby- World Champion for 4th time in Snooker
The English professional snooker player Mark Selby has won the World Championship for the fourth time.
This time he won the title defeating Shaun Murphy.
Mark Selby
Mark Selby has won the World Championship in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021.
He was ranked world number one between 2015 and 2019.
World Snooker Championship
It is being held since 1927 annually. It is played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The World
Professional Billiards and Snooker Association organises the championship.
About Snooker
It is a cue sport. Cue Sport is also called Billiard sports. They are wide variety of games that are played with
a cue stick. It played on a table with four pockets or six pockets. It is played using snooker balls and a cue.
The objective of the snooker game is to hit the white cue ball with the cue so that it strikes the other balls
and in turn they fall into the pockets. The player who scores more points in the game wins. The balls are of
different colours and each colour has different point.
Fouls in Snooker Game
The following are the fouls in snooker game:
Failing to hit any ball
Potting the cue ball
Touching other balls with anything other than cue ball
Making a ball fall off the table
Push Shot: It is a shot where the object ball in direct contact with the cue ball moves when the cue
ball is hit
Jump Shot: It is a shot where the cue ball jumps over a ball before hitting another ball
Playing the shot both feet off the ground. The player might lean over the table. However, at least his
one leg should be on the ground.
Crocidura narcondamica: New Shrew species found at A&N
A team from the Zoological Survey of India has discovered a new insect eating mammal species. The
animal has been named Crocidura Norcondamica.
About Crocidura Norcondamica
It is almost the size of the house mouse. It lives in the forest floor and feed on insects. They help to control
the insect population in the dense Narcondam forest.
It belongs to Shrews family. Shrews are not rodents.
Insect Eating Mammal
A new insect eating mammal species has been discovered in India after four years. The last insect eating
mammal to be discovered in India was Jenkin’s Andaman shrew. It was discovered in 1978 on South
Andaman Island.
The recently found Crocidura Norcondamica has been named after the Norcondam Island of the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands. It was found in Norcondam Island.
Till date, around 422 mammal species have been reported in India.

Norcondam Island
It is a small volcanic island located in the northern Andaman sea. It is formed of Andesite. It is 124 kilo
metres away from the main body of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island was classified as a
dormant volcano by the Geological Survey of India.
Burma claimed the sovereignty of the island till 1986. It gave up the claim after reaching an agreement with
India on delimitation of the maritime boundary. According to the agreement, the countries drew their
maritime boundary in the Coco channel, Andaman sea and Bay of Bengal.
The Narcondam hornbill is endemic to the island and is endangered.
The Narcondam Wildlife Sanctuary has been listed on the tentative List of World Heritage sites of UNESCO.
The island was notified as Wildlife sanctuary mainly to protect the hornbill.
BCCI suspends IPL 2021 indefinitely
The Board of Control of Cricket (BCCI) has suspended the Indian Premiere League (IPL) indefinitely due to
COVID-19. The decision came in after Balaji tested positive for COVID-19. Balaji is the bowling coach of
CSK.
So far twenty-nine games has been conducted. Also, the T20 World Cup is to be moved from India to UAE.
This is mainly because if held in India none of the participants will be comfortable to come to India due to
the third wave in the country.
BCCI
It is the governing body for cricket in India. Grant Govan was its first president. The total annual income of
BCCI in 2020 was 535 million USD. This includes 345 million USD from IPL, 139 million USD from bilateral
cricket with other nations and 405 million USD from India’s share of ICC revenue.
BCCI-Richest Board
In 2021, BCCI became the richest cricket board in the world. The revenue of BCCI increased exponentially
after BCCI began the sale of media rights of the Indian team for ODIs, bilateral tests and T20 matches that
are played inside the country.
The Star Network paid Rs 43.20 crore per international home match. In 2018-19, there were 22 test
matches, Five T20s and ten ODIs. This added up to Rs 950.40 crores.
Another major source of income for the BCCI is the sponsors for the national team.
Revenue system
In 2014, a new contribution-based revenue distribution was adopted. This system was adopted by BCCI
along with England and Wales Cricket Board. However, the system was dismantled by ICC (International
Cricket Council) which eventually reduced the revenue of BCCI.
First Blow Away Galaxy discovered
The astrophysicists from the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics have discovered the first blow away
galaxy using the “Gemini Telescope”. The galaxy has been named as Pox 186.
Puzzles solved by the discovery
The Universe was in an ionised state when it was formed after the Big Bang. In this state, the electrons and
protons moved freely and combined to form atoms and the water vapor condensed into clouds.
The scientists have observed that the Universe is back in its ionised state. Till now, the scientists were
unable to find out how this happened. The discovery of blow away galaxy has solved this.
About Blow Away Galaxy
According to the scientists, the energy for reionisation must come from the galaxies themselves.
However, it is hard for the light energy to escape a galaxy as the hydrogen clouds absorb the light.
This is almost similar to that of the earth atmosphere absorbing sunlight.
The Blow away state means that the hydrogen clouds have been removed. This allows light to

escape.
The Blow away state may be was caused by dying stars, super novas.
Blow Away Galaxy in simple Terms
The star formation is similar to that of blowing a balloon. If the star formation was intense, then there will
be a rupture or hole made in the surface of the balloon. This happens to let out some energy. However, in
case of Blow Away Galaxy, the star formation was so powerful that the balloon was torn into pieces.
Gemini Telescope
It is an astronomical observatory that consists of two telescopes namely Gemini North and Gemini South.
They are located in Hawaii and Chile respectively.
These telescopes are the largest and most advanced optical telescopes available to the astronomers.
First supply of Used Cooking Oil-based Biodiesel
On May 4, 2021, the Union Minister of Petroleum Shri Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off the first supply of
used cooking oil-based biodiesel. It was launched under the Expression of Interests Scheme.
Expression of Interest Scheme
It was launched in 2019.
It was launched for the procurement of bio diesel produced from used cooking oil.
It mainly aims to create a system for collection and conversion of Used Cooking Oil into biodiesel.
Between August 2019 and November 2020, that is, during the first phase of the scheme, eleven
Expression of Interests were received.
What is the plan?
To begin with 7% biodiesel extracted from the Used Cooking Oil is to be doped in diesel.
Why Bio-diesel?
Biodiesel is an alternate to “fossil fuels”. Bio diesel can be produced from animal fats, vegetable oil, waste
cooking oil. Also, the main advantage of using bio-diesel is its carbon-neutrality. Also, it is completely non-
toxic, biodegradable.
Current Scenario
So far, the Indian Oil has issued 23 Letter Of Interests for Biodiesel plants with total capacity of 22.95
crores of litres.
Currently, India produces 23 million tonnes of edible oil annually. Of this, three million tonnes of oil is
discarded after use. This is addressed to as the Used Cooking Oil. India has potential to generate 222 crore
litres of Used Cooking Oil. Unfortunately, India lags a structure to collect this waste cooking oil.
Way Forward
The feedstock availability in biodiesel is a challenge. Thus, using Used Cooking Oil will help India achieve its
target of 5% Biodiesel blending at the earliest.
May 5, 2021
Telecom Department permits 5G Technology and Spectrum Trials
The Department of Telecommunications recently allowed mobile operators to conduct 5G trials. The
Chinese companies, however, have been kept out of the trials.
About the Spectrum Trials
The Telecom Department has allowed Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and MTNL to conduct
trials using 5G technology. These service providers have tied up with original equipment
manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung.
The Reliance Jio is to conduct trials using its own technology.
The trials include model tuning, testing indigenous technology, evaluating chosen equipment and
vendors, testing applications such as tele-education, tele-medicine, drone based agricultural
monitoring.
About the Permit
The operators will be allowed to use their existing spectrum of 2500 MHz, 1800 MHz, 900 MHz and
800 MHz to conduct the trials. The trials are to be held for six months. Of this, the procuring and
setting up of the equipment will take two months.
It is compulsory for the telecom operators to conduct trials in rural and semi-urban areas.
The trials are to be conducted on non-commercial basis.
Background
The 5G technology is expected to deliver improved user experience in terms of data download rates. The
data download rates are to be five times faster than the 4G.
5G and Chinese concerns
The issue around Chinese vendors entering 5G technology is that they may contain backdoors that might
enable surveillance of Chinese Government.
The US, Vietnam and Australia have banned the Chinese companies from providing 5G network services.
The Five Eyes International Intelligence Alliance of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and US have declared
that the use of Huwaei telecommunications equipment especially in 5G networks carries high security risks.
N protein of Coronavirus and its role in transmission
The researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research recently showed that apart
from spike proteins, the other proteins in the COVID-19 virus such as the Nucleocaspid protein or the N
protein also play significant role in transmission (or infectivity) of the virus. Thus, it is not enough to
develop antibodies, therapeutic drugs and entry inhibitors based on spike protein alone.
Findings
The COVID-19 has an RNA genome that is surrounded by a sphere-shaped structure. This structure
comprises of various types of proteins. One amongst them is the spike protein. The spike proteins give the
crown like look to the virus.
About the N-Protein
According to the researchers, the N protein or the Nucleocapsid protein has higher infectivity than the
other proteins.
The researchers have also found that the antibodies that neutralise spike pseudo type was less
effective against the N proteins.
Other proteins in COVID-19
COVID-19 is the largest genome among all the RNA viruses. It is packed in a helical capsid. This capsid is
made of Nucleocaspid protein. Further it is surrounded by an envelope. There are three proteins associated
with the envelope. They are membrane protein, envelope protein and spike protein. The membrane protein
and envelope protein are involved in virus assembly. The spike protein mediates the virus into the host
cells.
Spike of COVID-19
The spike protein of COVID-19 has three segments called ectodomain, single pass transmembrane anchor
and an intracellular tail. The ectodomain has a receptor binding subunit and a membrane fusion subunit.
0% IGST on Import of Covid-related relief material
The Government of India recently waived the Integrated GST till June 30, 2021. This included Remdesivir,
Beta cyclodextrin, medical grade oxygen, oxygen concentrators, cryogenic transport tanks, etc.
Conditions
The Government of India has provided exemptions under the following conditions:
A Nodal Authority should be appointed by the State Government in accordance with the Central

Goods and Services Act, 2017.
This Nodal Authority will authorize for free distribution of COVID-19 relief material. These goods shall
be imported free of cost by the State Government.
What is IGST?
It is one of the three components of Goods and Services Tax. IGST is Integrated Goods and Services Tax. It
is levied on inter-state transfer of goods and services. According to the GST rules, IGST is shared between
the centre and the state in the ratio of 50:50.
Under Article 279A of the Constitution, President forms the GST council to administer and govern GST. The
chairman of GST council is Union Finance Minister of India. The council is planned in such a way that the
states will have two-third voting power and the centre will have one-third voting power.
GST eligibility in India
In India, every business with turnover more than forty lakh rupees is required to pay GST. The limit is more
than ten lakh rupees for the North East and hilly states.
Inception of GST in India
In India, the history of GST dates back to 2000. It was suggested by the Vajpayee Government. The then
State Finance Ministers formed an Empowered Committee to create a structure of GST.
Meghalaya: 100 million-year-old bones of Sauropods discovered
The researchers in the Geological Survey of India recently found fossil bone fragments of Sauropod
dinosaurs. They were 100 million years old. These dinosaur bones were found in West Khasi hills in the
district of Meghalaya. This is the first record of the Sauropods discovered in the region.
Sauropods
They had very long necks, small heads, long tails and four pillar like legs.
The findings of Sauropods in Meghalaya make it the fifth state after Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Also, Meghalaya is the only state in the North-East to report Sauropod
bones.
The first dinosaur bone was discovered at the Bara Simla Hill in Jabalpur Cantonment.
Dinosaurs in India
Dinosaurs in India existed from the late Triassic period till the Cretaceous period.
The Rajasaurus dinosaur originated in India.
Of all the dinosaurs found in India, Barapasaurus was the biggest in India. It was four metres tall and
24 metres in length. The fiercest was the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Why did dinosaurs become extinct on the earth?
A big meteorite crashed into the earth changing its climatic conditions. The dinosaurs couldn’t survive
under these climatic conditions. Ash and gas suffocated them and diseases wiped out the populations.
Also the food chain imbalances created due to the meteorite impact led to the starvation of dinosaurs. The
meteorite impact killed several animals and burnt most of the forest.
The Dinosaurs became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates after Triassic-Jurassic extinction event, that is,
201.3 million years ago. Their dominance continued throughout the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods.
SAIL enters 100 most-valued Indian firms list
The stock of SAIL increased to a nine year high of Rs 135.60 on the BSE. In the last six weeks, the stocks of
SAIL has increased by 85%. It has entered the hundred most valued Indian firms list.
SAIL
SAIL is Steel Authority of Indian Limited. It operates under Ministry of Steel. The annual turn over of SAIL is
around 10 billion USD.

It has five large integrated steel plants. They are Rourkela steel plant, Bhillai Steel plant, Durgapur steel
plant, IISCO and Bokaro Steel plant. These plants are spread in four states namely Odisha, Chattisgarh,
West Bengal and Jharkhand. Also, it has three special steel plants namely Visvesvarya iron and steel plant,
Salem Steel plant, Alloy steel plant and Ferri Alloy plant at Chandrapur.
National Steel Policy
It was approved by the union cabinet in 2017. Under the policy, the GoI aims to attain steel production of
300 million tonnes by 2030. The following are the main objectives of National Steel Policy. They are as
follows:
To increase per capita steel consumption to 160 kg by 2030-31. Currently it is at 69 kg.
To become a net exporter of steel by 2025-26
To increase domestic availability of coking coal. This is being done to reduce the import of coking
coal to 50% by 2030.
Background
China is the world largest steel producer of crude steel. More than 51% of the world steel production is from
China. India became the second largest steel producer in the world overtaking Japan in 2019. The other top
producers of steel are Russia, USA, South Korea, Brazil and Germany.
Asiatic lions test COVID positive
Around eight Asiatic lions have tested positive for COVID-19 at Hyderabad Nehru Zoological Park. This is
the first time that transmission of virus to animal has been detected in India.
Asiatic Lions
Asiatic Lions are one of the five Pantherine cats that are native to India. The other four are Indian
Snow Leopard, Bengal Tiger, Clouded Leopard and Indian Leopard.
The range of a male Asiatic lions varies between 144 kilometres and 230 kilometres.
Gir National Park is the only known habitat for the Asiatic lions in the world.
The major threat of Asiatic lions is its vulnerability to natural disaster and unpredictable events such
as plague. However, the population of these lions have been constantly increasing from 2010.
Census of Asiatic Lions
In June 2020, the Gujarat Forest Department announced that the population of Asiatic lions in the Gir
forest region increased to 674 from 523 in 2015. In 2015, several lions died due to an outbreak of
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). Several other lions died in 2018 due to babesiosis. Babesiosis
outbreak was reported in 2020 as well.
The first census of the Asiatic lions was conducted by the Nawab of Junagadh in 1936.
The regular Asiatic Lion census is conducted once in five years. The last census was conducted in
2015. The next census was due in 2020, but was postponed due to COVID-19.
Protection Status of Asiatic lions
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1971: Schedule I
CITES: Appendix I
IUCN: Endangered
Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project
It was undertaken to protect the surviving population. The project was proposed to reintroduce the Asiatic
lions in Palpur-Kuno Wildlife sanctuary. However, it has currently been put on hold.
Parker Solar Probe: Detected radio signal from Venus
The NASA Spacecraft Parker Solar Probe has discovered a natural radio signal from Venus. These signals
were detected when the space probe flew over the upper atmosphere of Venus.

What did Parker Solar Probe find?
The Parker Solar probe has measured the Venusian atmosphere. This is the first direct measurement of the
planet’s atmosphere in thirty years. According to the findings of Parker Solar Probe, just like the earth,
planet Venus also has an electrically charged layer of gas in its upper atmosphere called the ionosphere.
The radio signal was picked up by the probe from a sea of charged particles in this layer.
Also, the space probe has confirmed that the upper Venus atmosphere undergoes changes over a solar
cycle.
Venus and Earth
Both the Earth and Venus are of similar size and structure and are called twin planets. However, unlike the
Earth, Venus lacks magnetic field and its surface is hot enough to melt lead.
Parker Solar Probe
It was launched in 2018 to study about the outer corona of the sun. It is to reach to 9.86 solar radii, that is,
6.9 million kilometres from the centre of the sun by 2025. The three main objectives of Parker Solar Probe
are as follows:
To trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar wind and solar corona
To determine the structure of magnetic field and plasma at the sources of solar winds
To explore about the mechanisms that accelerate energetic particles
Solar Cycle
The sun is a huge ball of electrically charged hot gas. This gas moves generating powerful magnetic field.
The magnetic field of the sun undergoes changes every eleven years. This is called solar cycle. Every eleven
years, the magnetic field of the sun flips. That is, the north and south poles of the sun switch places.
What is Cicadas?
Cicadas are the world longest living insects. They are winged, red eyed insects that live underground
feeding on the roots. They emerge from the underground once in 12-17 years. Recently, it has been
predicted that a group of Cicadas called the “Brood X Cicadas” are to emerge across the mid-Atlantic for
the first time since 2004.
History of Cicadas
In 1634, pilgrims in Massachusetts witnessed the insects springing from the earth. They called them to
“locusts” as they emerged in swarms. However, they are not harmful like that of locusts. This is because
they mainly feed on tree leaves. This was the first written record of Cicadas. Around seven species of
Cicadas emerge every 13 to 17 years in the East coast and mid west of the US.
Brood X
Brood X are the biggest of the fifteen known Cicadas. They are now to emerge in Ohio, Indiana, Maryland,
Washington DC, Indiana. Cicadas molt as they emerge from underground. Molt is to shed skin or hair or
feathers paving way for the new growth. The molts add up nutrients to he soil. The total biomass of cicadas
is greater then the biomass of cattle the area can support if it were to turned into pastures.
There are more than three thousand Cicadas on the earth. However, only seven are periodical. Some believe
that the long underground periods are to avoid predators.
Cicadas
As they emerge from the underground, they live in trees feeding on leaves. The desert Cicadas regulate their
body temperatures by evaporative cooling. Evaporative coiling is similar to sweating.
Mayflower 400: First Artificial Intelligence Ship
Mayflower 400 is the world’s first Artificial Intelligence ship.
About Mayflower 400
It is 15 metres long and weighs nine tonnes. It is basically a trimaran.

It navigates with complete autonomy.
The ship is to study marine pollution and analyze plastics in water. The voyage is important because
more than 80% of the underwater world remains unexplored.
It has been taught on how to avoid collisions. Thus, the ship can correct itself. It has been trained
with hundred hours of audio data. The training will help the ship to detect the presence of marine
animals and thereby provide information about the population distribution of these animals in the
ocean.
Sophisticated cameras and radars will act as the eyes and ears of the ship. There are six cameras in
the ship.
Till now, the ship is capable of handling waves that are fifty metres high.
The team is to monitor the ship twenty-four hours from England.
It is capable of self-activating a hydrophone that can listen to whales.
The ship is covered with solar panels.
The data gathered by the ship is to be available for free.
After the launch, Mayflower will become the first unmanned vehicle to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Benefits
One of the main advantages of launching Mayflower 400 is that it helps to overcome the major challenge in
studying the underwater world, which is rough seas. Sailors get sick at sea or a storm might strike them
down. The exploration area by a ship can be increased three-fold if it takes a voyage without people.
What is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest is an annual festival celebrated in the month of October for two weeks in Munich, Germany.
Recently, the German Government announced that the celebrations of Oktoberfest have been cancelled due
to COVID-19. This is the second consecutive year the celebrations are being cancelled in Germany.
What is Oktoberfest
It is a 16-to-18-day festival that is celebrated in the month of September-October.
More than six million people from all over the world participate in the celebrations.
It is called d’Wiesen locally.
The festival is a part of the Bavarian culture.
It is being celebrated in the country since 1810.
During the festival, large quantities of Beer are consumed. In 2013, more than 7.7 million litres were
served.
It was originally celebrated for a duration of sixteen days. After 1994, that is, after German unification
this was changed. The festival ends on the first Sunday of October usually. However, after unification
of Germany, this was extended to October 3 if the first Sunday falls on October first or October
second. October 3 is celebrated as German Unity Day.
The official ground where the festival is called Theresienwiese. It is an open space of 420,000 square
metres. It is named after the Princess Therese.
History of Oktoberfest
The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the celebrations of King Ludwig I wedding with Princess
Therese on October 12, 1810. King Ludwig later became King Louis I. He stayed in power till the March
revolution or the 1848 revolutions. During the wedding, a parade took place and it has become an annual
event sine then.
India-UK Roadmap 2030 and Enhanced Trade Partnership
The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a virtual bilateral
summit. During the summit, the leaders adopted an ambitious “Roadmap 2030”. This will help to elevate the

bilateral ties between the countries.
Also, the leaders launched the Enhanced Trade Partnership which is to be implemented through the 1.4
billion investment deal.
Roadmap 2030
India and UK agreed to work closely in the development of India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft
Mark 2.
They will work together to ensure ambitious outcome at the COP26.
The roadmap will expand India-UK health partnership. It includes vaccines, supply chains, other
medical products.
The leaders agreed to remove the trade barriers between the countries and begin the negotiations of
Free Trade Agreement. It is to be noted that India and European Union had been trying to sign the
Free Trade Agreement for a long time. They are yet to finalise the negotiations. Now after Brexit, UK
is free to sign the agreement with India.
They agreed on a new cooperation on Maritime Domain Awareness. This includes new agreements on
maritime information sharing, invitation to the UK to join the Information Fusion Centre of India in
Gurgaon.
The countries are working on Logistics Memorandum of Understanding.
They highlighted their commitments on the Indo-Pacific.
The leaders agreed to build Government-to-Government collaboration on future combat air engine
requirement of India.
They agreed to strengthen cooperation in United Nations Security Council, G20, UNFCCC, WTO, IMF,
World Bank, etc.
They agreed to promote Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues between the think tanks of the countries.
To enhance the engagement in Indian Ocean Rim Association framework
To explore Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative
To implement the Comprehensive migration and mobility partnership by 2022. UK has adopted a new
skill based immigration policy.
To launch UK-India Young Entrepreneurship forum
Implement “India-UK Together” (SAATH-SAATH). It is a joint cultural exchange programme.
Increase collaboration to accelerate development of GIFT city
Background
The 2030 vision was based on the re-energising trade, investment and technological collaboration between
the countries.
Millisecond Pulsars Discovered
A group of astronomers have discovered 8 milli second Pulsars. These pulsars are located within the dense
clusters of stars called the “Globular Clusters”. The Pulsars were discovered using the MeerKAT telescope
located in South Africa.
What are Milli second Pulsars?
The Milli second pulsars are the most compact stars known to mankind. They pin up to 700 times per
second. They are much rarer than the slower spinning pulsars. The Milli second pulsars are those
pulsars whose rotational period is less than ten milli seconds.
The Milli second pulsars are made of neutrons.
They are the most extreme objects in the universe with a diameter of about 24 kilometres.
Their mass is hundreds of thousands of times the mass of the earth.
They emit beams of radio waves.

This Pulsar discovery is the first using MeerKAT telescope.
The Pulsar discovery comes from two international collaborations TRAPUM and MeerTIME.
The discovery will help the Globular Cluster Pulsar Survey of TRAPUM.
How were the milli second pulsars discovered?
The astronomers directed the telescope towards nine globular clusters and they discovered new pulsars in
six of them. Of these, six of them orbit around another star.
Pulsars
Pulsar is a neutron star. It is packed with the mass of at least 1.4 times the mass of the sun. They are
formed from the explosive deaths of their parent star. Due to their strong magnetic fields the Pulsar emits
radio waves at each pole.
MeerKAT Telescope
It is a Karoo Array telescope with sixty-four antennas. Also, it is a radio telescope. It is located in the
Northern Cape of South Africa. It is soon to be expanded to MeerKAT+ by installing twenty more antennas.
What are the flaws in SUTRA model?
SUTRA is Susceptible, Undetected, Tested (positive) and Removed Approach. SUTRA is used to chart the
trajectory of COVID-19. It is used to predict the future of COVID-19 infections, susceptibility, undetected and
positive persons in the country.
This SUTRA Model is backed by GoI and was developed by professors from IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad.
What is the issue?
The SUTRA model predicted in March 2021, that the second wave of COVID-19 is to peak in the third week
of April. Also, it is likely to add one lakh cases per day. There are reports claiming that attention was not
paid to this. According to Ministry of Science and Technology, these predictions were incorrect. The
scientists who developed the model have come forward to explain that these claims are incorrect for the
following reasons:
The model can predict the future only if the virus dynamics and its transmissibility do not change. In
case of COVID-19, the nature of the virus has been changing continuously.
Similarly, the model lags in several other things a well.
What are the flaws in the SUTRA Model?
The model was incapable to predict the future under different scenarios. However, its predictions till
February 2021 fitted in perfectly.
Unlike other models that extrapolated (to predict by projecting the past experiences) cases based on
behaviour of the virus, existing number of cases, and the manner of spread, SUTRA chose “Data
Centric Approach”.
The calibrations made were not correct. The calibrations of the model relied on the Serosurvey
conducted by ICMR in May 2021. According to the survey, 0.73% of the Indian population were
infected with Corona Virus, which is not correct.
The equation that gave out the estimates of number of future infections and when a peak may occur
needed constants. These constants relied on number of infections being reported at various
intervals. The equations couldn’t say when the constants changed. Bottom line, the model failed to
report rapid acceleration of cases in advance.
The SUTRA Model was problematic as it relied on too many parameters. Too many parameters put
the model into the danger of “overfitting”.
It did not include the fact that some people were the bigger transmitters of the virus such as barbers
or receptionists.

INS Kolkata reaches Kuwait to bring liquid medical oxygen (LMO)
As a part of Operation Samudra Setu II, INS Kolkata has reached Kuwait to collect Liquid Medical Oxygen
from the country. Earlier it embarked 43 oxygen concentrators and two hundred bottles of oxygen from
Qatar.
INS Kolkata
It is a stealth guided missile destroyer. In 2015, BrahMos missile and Barak 8 missiles were test fired from
INS Kolkata.
Foreign Aid to India
Several countries have come forward to help India. Their aid is as follows:
UK: 215 Oxygen concentrators, 140 ventilators
Mauritius: 200 Oxygen Concentrators
Singapore: 256 Oxygen cylinders
Russia: 150 bedside monitors, 20 large scale oxygen concentrators, two lakh packs of Favipiravir.
UAE: 480 BiPAPs, 157 ventilators, Goggles and Masks.
USA: 423 oxygen cylinders, 210 pulse oximeters, 184,000 Rapid Diagnostic test kits, 17 H-size Oxygen
cylinders and seven lakh Abbott Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits
The other countries that sent relief supplies were Germany, Thailand, Uzbekistan, France, Belgium, Romania,
Ireland, UAE.
How are the foreign aid being dispatched?
The Government of India has set an inter-ministerial group to clear the global relief material as early as
possible and make sure if the aid reaches the concerned department on time.
Steps to fast track the clearance
Goods of high priority are cleared by the Customs system for processing over the other goods.
The Nodal officers get alerts on email about clearance and monitoring
Other steps
Basic Customs duty and health cess have been waived off
IGST has been waived
IGST on imported Oxygen Concentrators have been reduced
SC strikes down Maratha reservation
The Supreme Court of India recently struck down Maratha reservation in the state as it breaches 50% ceiling
of reservation. This was done by striking down the Maharashtra law that guaranteed reservation for the
Maratha community their quota in employment and public education.
Inception
In 2016, several Marathas came together under the “Maratha Kranti Morcha”. They joined hands to protest
the rape and killing of a fifteen-year-old girl in Kopardi village, Ahmednagar. Though Kopardi incident was a
trigger, it was later centred on reservation for the Maratha community in educational institutions and
government jobs. In 2017, silent, massive rallies were held that consolidated more and more Marathas
towards this cause. They also demanded for loan waiver to farmers, justice for the Kopardi girl.
In 2018, street protests turned violent. Some even committed suicides. “Ek Maratha Lakh Maratha” was
their slogan.
M G Gaikwad Commission
The then CM Fadnavis (BJP) set a eleven member commission under retired justice N G Gaikwad. The
commission recommended that the Marathas should be given reservation as it was a Socially and
Educationally Backward Class (SEBC). The commission did not specify quota percentage. It was left to the
State Government to decide upon.

Reservation provided
In 2018, the State Government of Maharashtra provided reservation to the Marathas under the Maharashtra
Socially and Educationally Backward Act. The act was approved in both the assembly and the council.
Reservation challenged in High Court
A Public Interest Litigation challenged the reservation under SEBC in Bombay High Court. The High Court
upheld the reservation and pronounced that the reservation should be 12% in education and 13% in jobs
instead of 16%.
Impact on Socio-Political Order
Marathas constitute 32% of population of Maharashtra. They are a major political force in Maharashtra. The
SC’s order is to deepen the divide between OBCs and Marathas that was created by reservation politics.
May 6, 2021
What is COVID Loan Book?
The Reserve Bank of India recently opened an on-tap liquidity window of Rs 50,000 crores.
Note: On-tap means ready to. On-tap liquidity window is funds that are to be provided immediately. Liquidity
is cash.
What is the plan?
Under this step, the banks can provide lending support to vaccine manufacturers, importers of vaccines,
pathology labs, hospitals and dispensaries, suppliers of vaccines, logistics firms, etc.
COVID Loan Book
The COVID Loan book is an account of loans provided by the banks under this new window.
Technical Explanation: The banks can open COVID loan book. They can park their surplus liquidity to the
size of COVID Loan Book with the RBI. This is to be done at reverse repo rate.
In Simple Terms:
Parking the funds means depositing the money in the bank. Under the new step, the banks can deposit the
surplus money in RBI.
How will COVID Loan Book help in economic recovery?
RBI pays interest to these banks for the money deposited by them. In May 2020, the Indian Bank made 3.1
billion USD only by parking the funds with the RBI.
Lenders are comfortable keeping their funds in safe places even the earning from such means are meagre.
This is the main reason for the banks to park their funds with RBI.
However, the banks parking funds with RBI has been increasing lately. It recently hit record high of seven
lakh crores of rupees per day.
At this point of time, when economy is under recession, the banks should lend more to help in economic
recovery. On the contrary, the banks are depositing the funds with RBI. Are the banks at fault? NO. The
situation due to COVID-19 crisis and lock down is such that the banks are earning more by parking funds
than by lending money to the people. This so called earning more is “meagre”. Still, it is higher than that
earned by lending money.
Now, RBI has to push banks to lend more money. That is why the condition of “Can Park funds till COVID
Loan Book” has been brought in. This will compel the banks to lend more money to the market. In turn will
boost the economic growth.
What is Section 142 of Social Security Code?
The Ministry of Labour and Employment recently notified Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020. The
Section covers applicability of the Aadhhar.
Why was Section 142 notified?
The notification will enable the Ministry of Labour and Employment to collect Aadhaar details from the
beneficiaries of various social security schemes. This includes migrant workers as well.
Why are Aadhaar details collected?
The National Informatics Centre is creating a National Database for unorganised workers. The portal aims
to collect data of migrant workers as well. This data will be used by various schemes of the Government. An
inter-state migrant worker can register himself in the portal by submitting Aadhaar alone.
Section 142
It says that Aadhaar details are compulsory for an employee or unorganised person or any other person to
get benefits of government schemes. The benefits can be in kind of cash for medical sickness, availing
services of career centre, maternity benefits, receiving payment as insured person, etc.
Social Security Code
The Social Security Code was introduced in 2019. The main objectives of the code was to club the existing
laws. It introduced universal social security for unorganised workers and also health and insurance benefits
for gig workers.
It merged eights existing laws. This included Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, Employment Provident Funds and
Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, Compensation Act, 1923.
It also established a social security fund and also tapped the corporate social responsibility fund to offer
medical, disability and pension benefits to the unorganised sector workers.
What is Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights of drones?
The Ministry of Aviation (Government of India) recently allowed twenty entities to conduct Beyond Visual
Line of Sight (BLVOS) flights of drones.
What is Beyond Visual Line of Sight?
It is the distances where the drones and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) operate outside the normal
visible range. It is the second stage in the testing of drones. In the first phase of testing, the drones are
operated within the visual line of sight.
What is the plan?
If two stages of testing is complete, the permitted entities will seek permission for further clearance to
explore the possibility of vaccine delivery using drones.
Recent Developments
Telangana Government recently got permission to use drones to deliver vaccines.
The Indian Council of Medical Research and IIT Kanpur were recently permitted by GoI to study
COVID-19 vaccine delivery using drones.
About BLVOS
BVLOS is cost effective and has numerous applications.
It allows drones to collect more data in fewer deployments.
The cost of deploying a drone is less than the traditional methods such a manned helicopters and
airplanes.
The BLVOS drones are controlled by data provided by on-board instruments. Here, the information is
transmitted to the operator through telemetry link. The information includes altitude, speed, position
and direction of flight.
Delivering COVID-19 vaccine through drones
The Indian Armed Forces have been using drone to deliver payloads since 2000. The major challenge in
transporting COVID-19 vaccines through drones is maintaining low temperature during the transportation of
vaccines.
Way Forward
India has the potential to use up to five UAVs or drones per district. There are 718 districts in India and thus

3,600 drones can be deployed to distribute the vaccines.
Strategic disinvestment and transfer of management control in IDBI
The Union Cabinet recently approved the Strategic Disinvestment and transfer of management control in
IDBI bank.
Current Scenario
The Government of India recently holds 45.48% stake in IDBI bank, LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) owns
49.24%. In 2019, LIC infused 21,624 crores of rupees into bank. It is the current promoter of IDBI and GoI is
the co-promoter.
Background
During the Union Budget 2020-21, the Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman announced a target of 2.1
lakh crores of rupees from privatisation and sale of minority stakes in state-owned companies.
What is the plan?
The strategic buyer will infuse funds, best management practices for optimal development, best
management practices to generate more businesses without the dependence in Government of India and
LIC.
Annual Disinvestment targets missed
As of January 2021, only Rs 14,000 crores were raised through disinvestment as against the target of Rs 2.1
lakh crores.
Why is Disinvestment needed?
There is a pressure to raise sources that will support in economic recovery and will also help meet the
expectations in health care. It will eliminate the need for the involvement of Government of India in non-
strategic areas.
DIPAM
DIPAM is Department of Investment and Pubic Asset Management. It is the nodal department for strategic
sale in the Public Sector Undertakings. Earlier, the Public Sector Undertakings were identified by NITI
Aayog.
The Department of Disinvestment was renamed as DIPAM in 2016.
Disinvestment and Strategic Disinvestment
Disinvestment is dilution of Government’s stake in public enterprises. Strategic disinvestment is
transferring the end control to some other entity.
RBI's second purchase under G-SAP 1.0
The Governor of Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das recently announced that the apex bank will make
the second purchase of Government securities under the G-Sec Acquisition Programme 1.0 on May 20,
2021.
The first purchase was made in April 2021. The RBI purchased Rs 25,000 crores of Government Securities
during the first purchase.
What is the plan?
The RBI is to purchase Rs 35,000 crores of Government Securities in the second purchase. Earlier, the RBI
had announced a target of one lakh cores rupees for the GSAP-1.0.
Government Securities
It is a tradeable instrument issued by the Reserve Bank of India to the state government or central
government. It can be short term or long term. Short Term Government Securities are the treasury bills with
original maturities of less than one year. Long term are bonds with original maturity more than one year.
The Central Government issues both bonds (dated securities) and treasury bills. On the other hand, the
State Governments issue only bonds or dated securities.

Factors that affect prices of Government Securities
Demand and Supply of G-Secs
Liquidity, Inflation and changes in interest rates
Changes in foreign exchange, money, credit and capital markets
Development in international bond markets
Policy actions of RBI such as cash reserve ratio, repo rate and open market operations.
Recent Developments
The Finance Minister allowed five states to raise financial resources through Open Market
Borrowings.
RBI conducted Open Market Operations of Rs 20,000 crores
RBI Monetary Policy Review
State of Economy Report for the month of April, 2021 released by RBI
S&P cuts India's GDP growth forecast to 9.8% for FY22
The US based rating Agency S and P recently cut the growth forecast of India to 9.8% for 2021-22. In March
2021, the agency expected 11% GDP growth in the country. According to the agency, the second wave might
derail the recovery. According the S and P ratings, the fiscal position of the Government of India is already
stretched.
Recent RBI measures towards Economic Recovery
RBI has provided the banks with the freedom to borrow Rs 50,000 crores at a repo rate of 4%. These
loans are to be classified as COVID loans. The credit risks of these loans are to be borne by the
banks.
The Small Finance Banks have been given an option of borrowing Rs 10,000 crores at repo rate. This
is mainly done to help the informal sector that comprises of daily wage labours and vendors.
RBI introduced Resolution Framework 2.0 to help the small businesses and self-employed individuals.
Under this framework, people who did not avail the benefit of restructuring earlier are now eligible.
Recently, the second rounds of G-SAP 1.0 were announced.
Impacts of Second Wave
The middle class of the country were already hit by lock-down induced job losses and salary cuts. The
second wave is to deepen these losses.
Restaurant and hospitality businesses in major cities were hit badly. The travel and tourism are the largest
employers in India. They contribute to 9% of the country’s GDP. The lockdown restriction and travel
restrictions due to the second wave during the recovery phase might increase bankruptcy.
Hoolock Gibbon: India has only one species
Hoolock Gibbons are lesser apes. They are the second largest of the Gibbons after Siamang. Earlier it was
said that India (North East India) is home to two species namely Eastern Hoolock Gibbon and Western
Hoolock Gibbon.
However, a recent study by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology has found that only western Hoolock
Gibbon is found in India.
The Western and Eastern Hoolock Gibbons were kept separately in zoos and were not allowed to breed.
Now they can be put together in the same cage and allowed to breed.
Key Findings of the study
The divergence of the Hoolock gibbons from a common ancestor occurred 8.38 million years ago. The split
of the western Hoolock Gibbon and the eastern Hoolock Gibbon occurred 1.49 million years ago.
Earlier Misconceptions
An American Naturalist R Harlan described the Hoolock Gibbons for the first time in 1834. The eastern

Hoolock Gibbons and Western Hoolock Gibbons were considered as the sub species till 2005. In 2006, the
first distribution of Eastern Hoolock Gibbons was published.
The Western Hoolock Gibbons are distributed all over Northeast India, east and south Brahmaputra river and
also along Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Eastern Hoolock Gibbons are distributed between Lohit and
Dibang rivers in Arunachal Pradesh.
IUCN on Gibbons
According to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the presence of Eastern Hoolock
Gibbons in India is uncertain.
The IUCN has put the different species of Hoolock Gibbons under the following categories:
Western Hoolock Gibbon: Endangered
Eastern Hoolock Gibbon: Vulnerable
Skywalker Gibbons: Threatened
Hoolock Gibbons
There are three Hoolock Gibbon speocies. They are Western Hoolock Gibbon, Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon
and Eastern Hoolock Gibbon.
Yamatosaurus izanagii: New species of duck-billed dinosaur
An international team of Palaeontologists (who studies fossils) has identified a new genus and species of
hadrosaur. Hadrosaur is also called duck-billed dinosaur. The species has been named as Yamatosaurus
izanagii.
About the discovery
The new fossil discovery has provided information about the hadrosaur migration. According to the
discovery, they migrated from Asia to North America and vice versa.
The discovery also states that these giant creatures evolved from walking upright to walking on four legs.
Hadrosaurs
The Hadrosaurs are the most commonly found species of all dinosaurs. They are plant eating dinosaur.
They lived in the late Cretaceous period, that is, 65 million years ago.
The fossil remains of Hadrosaurs have been found in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.
The Hadrosaurs are uniquely adopted to chewing. They have hundreds of teeth closely spaced in their
cheek. Their ability to chew vegetation was the major factor that led to its diversity.
How is Yamatosaurus different from Hadrosaurs?
In Hadrosaurs, new teeth grew in the dental battery as their teeth wore out or fell out. These new teeth grew
next to the older teeth. However, the dental structure of Yamatosaurus was different from that of
Hadrosaurs. The Yamatosaurus had one functional tooth in several battery positions and no branched
ridges. This shows that they evolved to devour (eat hungrily) different type of vegetation.
Dental Batteries
The Dental Batteries of dinosaurs have three hundred to four hundred teeth. They are formed by the teeth
stacking in rows to process foods.
Oldest Human burial in Africa discovered at Panga ya Saidi cave
The scientists have found the oldest human burial in Africa. The site is 78,000 years old. The cave site was
discovered near Kenyan coast. The site is called “Panga ya Saidi”. The remains of a child whose age was
two to three years led to the discovery of the cave. The child was put to rest with a pillow.
About the Child
The scientists have nick named the child as “Mtoto”.
The child was buried in a residential site.
The gender of the child is still unclear.

The child was placed in a flexed position. That is, the child was lying to its right side with the knees
drawn towards the chest.
The pillow used to rest the child was made of perishable material.
About the site
The community that lived near the site belonged to hunter-gatherer culture. This is because remains of
different types of antelope species and other prey were found at Panga ya Saidi. These people used stone
tools to scrap and bore holes.
Significance of the site
Both ancient Homo sapiens and Neanderthal practised funerals.
Neanderthal Burial Site
The oldest Neanderthal burial site was discovered in Israel. It is 120,000 years old. It was discovered in the
Kebara Cave. It is situated on the western escarpment (steep slope) of the Carmel Range. Kebara is a
limestone cave.
In 1982, Kebara 2 was discovered. It is the most complete postcranial Neanderthal skeleton found till date.
The Neanderthal (skeleton) was nick named Moshe.
First Genetically Modified Mosquitos
A Biotech firm in the United States, Oxitech, recently launched the most controversial field test of
Genetically Modified mosquitos in Florida.
What are these Genetically Modified Mosquitos?
The Aedes aegypti mosquitos make up only 4% of total mosquito population in Florida. However, they are
responsible for all diseases transmitted by mosquitos such as zika, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.
Naturally, the male Aedes aegypti mosquitos do not bite. Only the females bite and spread diseases. The
researchers have now bioengineered the male Aedes aegypti mosquitos. The bioengineered male Aedes
aegypti carries a gene that passes to their offsprings and kills the female progeny alone in early larval
stages. The male offspring will not die and will become the carriers of the gene and will pass on to the
future generations. As more and more female offspring dies, the population should dwindle.
What is the plan?
The researchers of Oxitech had placed the boxes containing the bioengineered mosquito eggs at six
locations in April 2021. The first males are expected to hatch in May 2021. In the next twelve weeks, more
than 12,000 males are to exit from these boxes every week. In the second phase, 20 million bioengineered
mosquitos are to emerge over a period of sixteen weeks.
The Genetically modified mosquitos carry a gene that makes them glow when exposed to a particular type
of light. This will help in identifying the Genetically Modified mosquitos.
Way Forward
The residents of Florida were fighting against this field test over a decade now. And therefore, Oxitech
launched the test trials of the mosquitos in Panama, Brazil, Malaysia, and Cayman Islands.
The Environment Protection Agency has recently approved to conduct the trials in Florida. Based on the
success of the trials, it is to be extended to the entire US.
Special Kharif strategy for 2021 season
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare recently formulated a special Kharif Strategy. This strategy
is to be implemented in the Kharif season 2021.
About the strategy
A detailed plan to expand the area of cultivation and eventually increase the productivity of Moong,
Tur, and Urad has been formulated.
The strategy will use high-yielding variety of seeds that are available with Central Seed Agencies.

Under the strategy, the GoI has proposed to distribute 20, 27, 318 seed mini kits in 2021-22. This is
ten times more than that distributed in 2020-21. It is estimated that the total cost of these kits will be
Rs 82.01 crores. The entire cost is to be borne by the Central Government.
The area under intercropping is to be increased.
The strategy is to cover 4.05 lakh hectares of land.
Intercropping
The tur intercropping is to be covered in eleven states. They are Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil
Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and
Andhra Pradesh.
Moong intercropping is to be covered in nine states. They are Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana,
Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana.
The Urad intercropping is to be covered in six states. They are Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Implementation of the Strategy
A massive outreach programme with the concerned districts where the programme is launched is to
be held through webinars.
The District Agriculture Offices will organise district level training programmes during crop season
The Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes are to be
roped in for effective implementation of the programme.
Background
According to the Second Advance Estimates, the pulses production in the country has increased from
14.76 million tonnes in 2007-08 to 24.42 million tonnes in 2020-21. This is 65% increase.
Though several measures were taken to increase the agricultural production, the most significant
input to increase production has been the focus on providing high quality seeds to the farmers.
What is UDID Project?
The UDID project is under implementation since 2016. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities recently made it mandatory for all states and Union Territories to issue a certificate of disability
only using UDID portal. This is to come into force from June 1, 2021.
UDID is Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities Project. The project aims to provide a Universal ID And
disability certificates for persons with disabilities.
About UDID Project
The Project aims to create a National Database for the Persons with Disabilities. Also, it aims to issue a
UDID, that is, Unique Disability Identity Card to each person with disabilities.
Key Features of the Project
The project aims to achieve the following:
A centralised web application for online availability of data of person with disabilities across the
country.
Online filling and submission of application form for disability certificate
Fast tracking the process of calculating the percentage of disability by the hospitals
Online updating and renewal of information about the persons with disabilities
Disabilities included in the project
The persons with disabilities included in the project are based on Disabilities Act, 1995. The following
disabilities are included in the project:
Cerebral Palsy
Blindness

Low Vision
Locomotor Disability
Leprosy-cured
Mental retardation
Mental Illness
Hearing Impairment
Data Collected
The Government of India collects only the following details from the person to create the UDID for him:
Personal details including his or her address
Employment details
Identity Details
Disability Details
Benefits of UDID project
The project will remove the need to make multiple copies of documents. The UDID card will capture
all the required details.
It will be the single document of verification and identification required to avail various benefits in the
future.
It will help to track financial progress of beneficiaries at all levels starting from village, block, district,
state and national level.
GNAFC's Global report on food crises
The Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) recently released the “2021 Global Report on Food
Crises”. The GNAFC is an international alliance formed by the European Union, United Nations and other
governmental and non-governmental agencies.
The report says that economic crisis was the major reason to push 40 million people towards hunger in
2020. This has increased by 24 million as compared to that of 2019.
The conflicts, extreme weather and economic shocks related to COVID-19 are pushing millions of
people into food insecurity.
According to the report, more than 155 million people experienced acute food insecurity in 2020. This
has increased by 20 million as compared to that of 2019. Of this, 133,000 people are under the most
severe phase of food insecurity. They are mostly from Burkina Faso, Yemen and South Sudan.
More than 28 million people faced emergency level food insecurity in 2020. Emergency level means
they were one step away from starvation. Urgent actions prevented famine spreading.
Between 2016 and 2020, the population affected by food insecurity had increased from 94million to
147 million.
Around 75 million children were stunted globally and 15 million were wasted.
Two out of three people facing food insecurity were from African continent.
Africa
Africa is the most affected continent due to food shortages. More than 63% of global food shortage
cases are from Africa.
Zimbabwe and Haiti were hit by climate issues that affected food security of 15 million people.
Way Forward
With the global population reaching 8.5 billion by 2030, it is important to make food distribution more
equitable.

Lineament: Cause of Assam Earthquakes
An unfamiliar lineament is the major factor behind frequent earthquakes in the Sonitpur area of Assam.
According to Geological Survey of India (GSI), the earthquakes in the region are frequent due to the
following reasons:
East-West Trending Atherkhet Fault
Nrthwest-Southeast Trending Kopili Fault
North-south trending Lineament
The GSI has said that the Lineament is the main reason for the recent earthquake in Assam.
What is Lineament?
It is linear feature in a landscape (like a visible line or a long crack or a long visible dent). It is
basically an expression of an underlying fault. Even ridges, troughs represent lineaments. A ridge is a
long narrow elevated strip. Trough is a flat valley.
Lineaments are found in other planets and their moons as well.
Mineral resources are usually concentrated in areas of high-density lineaments. The Ranchi Mega
Lineament is one such resource rich area.
Occurrence of Lineament
They might occur as a fault-aligned valley, a straight coast line, or as a series of fault or fold aligned
hills or a combination of all these features.
The igneous intrusions, shear zones and fracture zones are also expressed as geomorphic
lineaments.
The occurrence of lineament can be captured in a satellite photograph.
Local Scale Lineament and Global Scale Lineament
The Local Scale Lineament are associated with impacts that create large craters. On the other hand, Global
Scale Lineament are associated with seismic waves. They are formed during large impacts that broke the
stressed environment from their parent bodies.
What is Mega lineament?
The Mega Lineament is the term used to describe lineament on continental scale. San Andreas fault, Trans
Brazilian Lineament are the mega lineament on the earth. They extend to thousands of kilometres.
Ranchi Mega Lineament
The data from IRS-1A and Landsat 5 were used to analyse the Chotanagapur plateau. It says that the Ranchi
Mega Lineament is a potential site for base metal mineralisation. Also, it acts as good ground water
conduit. However, Ranchi Mega Lineament is in Zone II in the Seismic Zone map of India. It means that it is
in a low-risk zone.
Though it is a mega lineament, it is put in low-risk zone as compared to that of Assam, a very High-Risk
Zone (Zone V). This is because, the fractures of Ranchi Mega Lineament are at great depths.
Climate Action Tracker: Global warming by 2100 to be at 2.4°C
The Climate Action Tracker recently released a report calculating the impacts of the recent US Climate
Summit. According to the report, even after implementing the ambitious climate goals of the summit, global
temperature will increase by 2.4°C by 2100 as compared to that of pre-industrial levels.
About the report
The report tracked the policies of thirty-six countries and also their climate pledges. These thirty-six
countries along with the European Union together accounted for 80% of the world carbon emissions.
The Climate Action Tracker prior to the summit had predicted that the global temperatures are to increase
by 2.6°C.

Analysis of the report
According to the report, most of the countries are lagging behind their stated climate targets. At this pace,
the global temperature will increase by 2.9°C by 2100. Thus, the countries should increase their voluntary
emission targets under the Paris Agreement before Glasgow summit. The Glasgow Summit, COP26 is to be
held in November 2021.
Criticality of the Issue
According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world will face
severe impacts if the global temperature increases beyond 1.5°C. If this happens, all Himalayan glaciers will
vanish, global water stress will double, all coral reefs will die, widespread habitat destruction, extreme
summer heatwaves. Above all more than ten million people will be affected by global sea level rise.
Climate Action Tracker
It is an independent scientific analysis that tracks climate actions of governments. It then measures it
against the Paris Agreement. It is a collaboration of two organisations, New Climate Institute and Climate
Analytics.
May 7, 2021
Denmark laws to screen Foreign Investment
Denmark has passed a law to allow the screening of foreign investments so that they do not pose any
threats to the National Security.
Why the new law?
The new law has been legislated to protect the country against Huawei of China and its objectives to build
5G network in the country. However, the law does not mention China.
About the law
Under the law, the foreign investors will be assessed on their potential link to foreign governments and
armed forces. They will also be assessed for connection to criminal activities.
The law is not applicable to Greenland and Faroe Islands. They are sovereign territories under the Kingdom
of Denmark.
Why is Huawei a threat to National Security?
Several countries in the world are making new legislation and other key measures to protect their National
security against Huawei. This includes US, Australia as well. The UK has ordered to strip Huawei technology
from UK by 2027. India and Germany too have raised concerns against Huawei.
Huawei manufactures kits such as gateways, network switches and bridges. They are core infrastructure
devices that touch everything traversing the internet. They are critical for proper functioning of the system.
This means that the Governments should take extra care in protecting their data.
Huawei was founded in 1987 in China by Ren Zhengfei. He was a former engineer in the People’s Liberation
Army. He has strong connections with the Communist Party of China and also to the military. This is being
cited as a security concern. Countries fear that the Chinese Government might use Huawei as a backdoor to
breach into the national security system.
RBI measures to boost economy
The Reserve Bank of India recently launched a host of measures to protect individual borrowers and the
small and medium enterprises in the country.
What are the measures announced?
RBI has opened on-tap liquidity window of Rs 50,000 crores at repo rate of 4%. This will boost
provisions of immediate liquidity. The banks shall provide fresh lending support to the health sectors
and others under this. The loans provided under this window will be classified under “Priority sector”
till repayment.
The banks will have to create COVID Loan Book. The banks providing more loans under the scheme
shall park their surplus liquidity with RBI up to the size of the COVID Loan Book.
The Apex bank is to conduct special long term repo operations called the SLRTO. It is to be
conducted for three years. The SLRTO is to be conducted at repo rate for Small Finance Banks. It will
be conducted for Rs 10,000 crores. The Small Finance Banks will use these funds for fresh lending.
The Small Finance Banks are now permitted to lend to Micro Finance Institution of size up to Rs 500
crores.
The maximum number of days of overdraft has been increased from 36 to 50. Also, the number of
consecutive days of Overdraft has been increased from 14 to 21. This will help the State
Governments to manage their fiscal situation especially in market borrowings and cash flows.
Who are eligible?
The enterprises that have an aggregate exposure till Rs 25 crores and had not availed restructuring
framework are eligible for restructuring under this framework.
Supreme Court: Only Centre can identify SEBC
The Supreme Court recently pronounced that only President can take decisions in declaring the Socially and
Economically Backward Community. The judgement was pronounced upholding the 102nd constitutional
amendments.
About the Judgement
The Apex court said that the 102 nd constitutional amendment has taken away the powers of state
governments to designate Socially and Economically Backward Classes.
What is the issue?
The State Governments have been expanding the list of Socially and Economically Backward Classes to
entitle the recipient communities with quota benefits.
Indra Sawhney Case
The State Government has full powers to identify a backward class. The Sawhney Case verdict directed the
appointment of National Backward Classes Commission and State Backward Classes Commission. Thus,
102nd constitutional amendment was brought in and the commissions were established.
102nd Constitutional Amendments
The 102nd Constitutional Amendment inserted Articles 338 B and Article 342 A, The Article 338 B deals with
the structure, powers and duties of National Commission for Backward Classes and the Article 342 A deals
with the power of the president to notify a particular caste as Socially and Economically Backward.
Article 366 and Article 342 says that only President shall identify SECC.
Why did the issue pop up?
The Maharashtra State Government declared the Maratha Community as the Socially and Economically
Backward Class. The Supreme court has struck down the Maratha reservation provided by the State
Government under SEBC act, 2018..
The Bombay High Court recently upheld the Maharashtra Socially and Economically Backward Classes Act,
2018. This was challenged in Supreme Court by various petitions.
SpaceX successfully lands its Starship rocket
The SpaceX of Elon Musk recently launched SN15. Earlier the initial attempts made to launch the rocket
ended in explosions in mid air.
Why are SpaceX rockets exploding?
There have been several situations of SpaceX rocket explosions in the past. This is mainly due to the
methane-based propellant used by SpaceX.

The first two prototypes of Starship rockets that were launched in December 2020 and February 2021 failed
to land properly and exploded.
The SN8 rocket of SpaceX that was launched in December, 2020 exploded as the engines failed to slow the
rocket after it flipped and started descending towards the earth. The pressure in the fuel header tank was
low that increased the touch down velocity and exploded the rocket.
The SN9 that took off in February 2021, failed to correct its angle and speed and exploded upon landing.
Latest Test
The latest test that launched SN15 has overcome all the earlier hurdles. This is the first test flight of
SpaceX in SN series that did not explode. The pervious prototypes in SN series achieved multiple
objectives. However, they all exploded after landing.
The SN15 flew till ten kilometres and then flipped and descended.
What is the issue?
The Raptor engine of SpaceX uses liquid methane and subcooled liquid oxygen as propellants. The engine
is designed to use deep cryogenic propellants, that is, the propellants cooled near to their freezing point.
Such propellants increase engine performance, propellant density and also allows to store more propellant
in vehicle tanks. However, the issue is that at such low temperatures, the pressure is too low. To the
contrary the pressure outside is extremely high where the rocket is burning the fuel to create a forward
thrust against the gravity. The scientists believe that the pressure differences probably causes the
explosion.
PESCO: EU approves US participation for the first time
The European Union recently approved the requests of Norway, Canada and United States to participate in
Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defence initiative. This is the first time; the European bloc has
allowed a third state to participate in the PESCO project. The countries will now participate in the Military
Mobility Project in Europe.
What is PESCO?
It is a part of the European Union security and defence policy. It was introduced based on the Treaty of
European Union introduced by Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.
PESCO and NATO
Around four-fifths of the PESCO members are also NATO members. NATO is North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation.
US And PESCO
The United States has raised concerns against PESCO several times. According to analysts, it is the sign
that US fears loss of influence in Europe. The US sells 1 billion Euros of weapons to the European Union
countries every year.
Military Mobility Project
It is to aid the free movement of military units in the European Union through improvement of infrastructure
and removal of bureaucratic barriers. It mainly revolves around two areas namely bureaucratic barriers (like
passport checks) and requirement of advance notice. During NATO emergency, the troops can move freely
and fastly. However, during peacetime, advance notice is required.
Background
In November 2020, the European Union allowed non-EU members to participate in PESCO. Following this,
Canada, US and Norway had requested to participate in PESCO.
Neutral States in PESCO
Four of the states in European Union declare themselves as neutral. They are Austria, Ireland, Finland and
Sweden.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander
Heritage Month.
About Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month
The month is celebrated to honour the contributions made by the Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans to
the culture, history and achievements of United States.
The Month of May was chosen to celebrate as it was the first time when the Japanese immigrants arrived to
the US. In 2021, NASA has organised several events to celebrate the month in the following theme:
Theme: Advancing Leaders Through Purpose-Drive Services
Legislation
The hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders had been increasing in the US lately. The US
Senate in April 2021, passed a bill to combat the rise of hate crimes against the Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders. The bill supports the local law enforcements in controlling the hate crimes. The hate
crimes are the highest in California. Of all the states in the US, California has the highest Asian population.
Who is Pacific Islander?
The Pacific Islanders, also called Pasefika, Pasifika, Pacificer are people belonging to the Pacific Islands. It
is a geographic term used to describe inhabitants of the three main sub regions namely Micronesia,
Melanesia and Polynesia. Micronesia is in the Northern hemisphere. Melanesia is located between the
Equator and Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere.
New Zealand has the largest population of Pacific Islanders in the world.
Asian Americans
They are naturalised Americans who immigrated from Asia. Naturalisation is a legal act by which a non-
citizen of a country can acquire citizenship.
What is DDoS Attack?
The Belgian Government sites were recently knocked offline due to DDoS attack. Several government sites
and Internet Service Providers of the public sector of the country were hit hard by DDoS.
What is DDoS?
DDoS is Distributed Denial of Service. It is a cyber threat that seeks to disrupt the normal traffic of a
targeted server. This is done by controlling a network of malware infected devices.
This is like an unexpected traffic jam arriving at a destination.
What happened in Belgium?
Malware was sent into the Belnet Network. This network hosts the government websites, police services
and government universities and research institutes. After the network was infected with the Malware virus,
the entire network was remotely controlled.
Working of DDoS
The attack is carried out with a network of Internet connected devices. Malware is first sent to infect a
network of computers and other devices. These infected devices and computers are called bots. A group of
such bots in the DDoS are called Botnet.
First a Botnet is established in DDoS attack. Now the attacker is able to send direct instructions to each bot
in the Botnet. The Bots will then send requests to the targeted IP address. The server eventually becomes
overwhelmed and results in denial of service to the normal traffic.
How to identify DDoS attack?
When a DDoS attack occurs, the following shall be noticed:
Suspicious amounts of traffic originating from a single IP address
Unexplained surge in requests to a single page

Odd traffic patterns; For instance, traffic spikes in odd hours of the day.
Osteocytes mapped for the first time
The researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have mapped the Osteocytes for the first
time.
Osteocytes
They are oblate shaped bone cells. They are found in bone tissues. They live as long as the organism lives.
There are more than 42 billion Osteocytes in human body. The Osteocytes do not divide. Their average half
life is twenty-five years.
The skeleton of the humans keeps changing structurally throughout his life. Osteocytes are the most
abundant cell present in bones. These osteocytes form a network similar to the neurons in the brain. There
are more than 23 trillion connections between 42 billion osteocytes. This network is responsible for
monitoring bone health. It responds to ageing. Also, they send signals to other cells in the bone to build or
break down an old bone. The diseases such as osteoporosis is caused due to imbalance in these
processes.
Key Findings of the study
The researchers have outlined the genes that are switched on and off in osteocytes. This will help in
diagnosing bone diseases that have genetic component.
For the first time, the researchers have pictured the whole landscape of osteocytes. They have found that
majority of the genes that are active within osteocytes had no role in bones. This means that they only give
commands. This discovery will help to understand what controls the skeleton actually.
Development of Bones
During Bone formation osteoblast is left behind. Osteoblasts are cells that synthesize bones. The process
of bone formation is still not known completely.
Scientists model Saturn's interior structure
The scientists at the John Hopkins University have simulated the interior of the Saturn. The simulations say
that a thick layer of Helium rain influence the magnetic field of the planet.
Background
Saturn stands out in the Solar system as its magnetic field is almost perfectly symmetrical around its
rotational axis. The Cassini Mission of NASA helped scientists to understand the deep interior of the planet
where the magnetic field is generated.
About the Simulations
The scientists have created two powerful computer simulations of the magnetic field of NASA based on the
data from the Cassini mission. The simulations will help the scientists measure the rate at which Saturn
rotates. This has been one of the several problems that vexed (difficult) scientists for decades.
Interior of the Saturn
The center of Saturn is a dense core of metals such as iron and nickel. This dense core is surrounded by
rocky materials. Further it is enveloped by liquid metallic hydrogen inside a layer of liquid hydrogen. Its core
is almost similar to the core of the Jupiter but considerably smaller.
Cassini
Cassini is a joint space mission of European Space Agency, NASA and Italian Space Agency. It was called
Cassini-Huygens mission. The Cassini space probe entered the orbit of Saturn and the Huygens of the
European Space Agency landed on the Titan (the largest moon of Saturn). Cassini was the first space probe
to enter the orbit of the Saturn and the fourth space probe to visit Saturn.
PM Modi to participate in European Council meeting
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to take part in the European Council (to be held on May 8, 2021) meet.

This year, in 2021, the India-European Union Leaders’ Meeting is to be hosted by Portugal. Portugal currently
holds the chair of the grouping.
About the meet
The PM Modi is to participate in the meet along with other Government heads of the members of the
European Union. The leaders are to exchange views on COVID-19 and also will foster sustainable and
inclusive growth.
The fifteenth India-EU Summit was held in July 2020.
Key discussions
India and European Union is expected to discuss the free trade deal. They will discuss about agreements
regarding Geographical Indications and also investment protection agreement. The Investment protection
agreement is to “Europeanise” the agreements India has had so far with the individual member states.
European Union Council
The Council meets at least twice in six months. All the twenty seven heads of the member states participate
in the meet. The high representatives of the foreign countries also take part in the meet when the foreign
affairs are discussed.
TRIPS
During the meet, the European Union is to discuss about the TRIPS waiver on COVID1-9 vaccine. TRIPS is
Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. The US has agreed and the European Union is yet to
make a decision on this.
Treaty on Pandemics
Around twenty-five members of the European Union have been wanting to sign the “Treaty on Pandemics”
along with WHO. It will focus on bringing vaccines to global community as quickly as possible. This treaty is
to be discussed during the meet.
What is Stop Tokyo Olympics?
The Stop Tokyo Olympics is an online campaign that is wanting to stop the Tokyo Olympics Games. It has
gathered more than 200,000 signatures within two days of its launch. However, the organisers of the
Olympic Games are to go ahead in conducting the games. The Pfizer agreed to donate their vaccine to help
inoculate sportsperson participating in the games.
Background
Japan is currently battling against the fourth wave of COVID-19 with a sluggish vaccination campaign.
Majority of the public are also opposing the Olympics games that is to be held in Japan in July, 2021.
2020 Summer Olympics
The 2020 Summer Olympics was originally planned to be held in July 2020. But was postponed due to
COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second time Japan is hosting the Olympics. Earlier Japan hosted Olympics
in 1964. Also, 2020 Olympics is the second of the three consecutive Olympics in Asia. The first was held in
South Korea in 2018, second to be held in Japan in 2021 and third has been planned to be held in China in
2022.
The new games to be introduced in 2020 Olympics are BMX, three by three basketball and madison cycling.
Biosecurity Protocols
The International Olympics Committee released biosecurity protocols for officials, athletes, press and other
staff in February 2021.
The participants will be asked to use the Exposure Notification.
Exposure Notification
It is originally known as the Preserving Contact Tracing Project. It is a protocol specification developed by
Google and Apple. It provides digital contact tracing during COVID-19 pandemic. Digital Contact Tracing is a

method of contact tracing based on mobile application. It is used to determine the contact between the
infected person and a user.
Intellectual Property Waiver for COVID Vaccines
India and South Africa proposed for IP waiver at the World Trade Organisation in 2020. This has now been
backed by the United States. The US will further negotiate at the World Trade Organisation to waive
Intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines. This will help in large scale production of COVID-19 vaccines in
middle income countries.
What is Intellectual Property Waiver for COVID-19 vaccines?
IP right is a monopoly granted by a government to an inventor. It means that the others cannot copy their
invention. It can be a process patent or a product patent.
The developing countries are arguing that the intellectual property is an obstacle in increasing the
production of vaccines.
The production of COVID-19 vaccines in the middle-income countries has been happening through the
licensing or technology transfer agreements. Thus, in order to ramp up the production of COVID-19 vaccine
production, it is essential to waive off (remove) the Intellectual Property Rights for COVID-19 vaccine.
In simple terms, IPR waiver means that when a company has produced a vaccine, the others can
immediately copy its composition, produce their own. By this the vaccine production will increase and also
the vaccine cost will come down.
Deterrents
The pharma companies such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer have opposed the IP waiver. According to them,
this might undermine public confidence in vaccine safety and might create a barrier to information sharing.
The other barriers in COVID-19 vaccine production are trade barriers, scarcity of raw materials,
unwillingness of rich countries to share doses with poorer countries.
Current Scenario
100 countries of the 164 members are in favour of waiving the IP. Recently Australia and New Zealand also
agreed on the waiver.
Endangered seals found dead on Russia’s Caspian coast
More than one hundred and seventy seals were washed up dead over the shores of Caspian Sea in Russia.
Experts believe that the seals might have died due to industrial pollution or might have got caught in the
nets.
Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea is the largest inland water body in the world. It is bounded by five countries namely
Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
Seals in Caspian Sea
The seals in the Caspian Sea have suffered from industrial pollution and overhunting.
The number of seals in the Caspian Sea have reduced from one million in twentieth century to 70,000.
In December 2020, more than 300 endangered seals died on the Dagestan’s region of Caspian sea.
Apart from industrial pollution, extraction of oil and natural gas pose serious threats to many species
in the Caspian. In fact, the sea itself is at risk.
Shrinking of Caspian Sea
The sea is shrinking in measures of centimetres.
The increased evaporation of the sea and loss of ice in winter is to accelerate the losses. Dead Zones
are emerging in the sea in deeper parts.
The shrinking of Caspian Sea will affect the ecosystems in the region. The Shipping routes will be
greatly affected. Famous wetlands will disappear, fishing grounds will be lost, international tensions

in sharing he waters for fishing might increase, the winter ice might completely vanish.
Caspian Sea Pollution
The United Nations Environment Programme says that the Caspian Sea is suffering from huge pollution.
This includes the following:
Offshore Oil fields
Radioactive waste from Nuclear power plants
Industrial Waste introduced by Volga rover
Volga River
Volga is the longest river in Europe. It is located in Russia.
Tehran Convention
The Tehran Convention entered into force in 2006. It was signed by all the five Caspian bordering countries
such as Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan. It was the first legally binding instrument
signed by the Caspian states. It lays down requirements and for environmental protection in the Caspian
Sea.
Caspian Summit
The Caspian Summit, 2018 was held in Aktau. The Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea was
signed at the summit. It was signed by all the five Caspian countries. The summit provides jurisdiction over
24 km of territorial waters to each country. Additionally, an exclusive fishing rights on the surface was also
granted. The rest is international waters.
Food price index highest since 2014
The United Nations recently announced that the world food prices increased for the eleventh consecutive
month in April 2021. It reached the highest level since May 2014. This announcement was made based on
the Food Price Index released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Food Price Index
The Food Price Index measures monthly changes of a basket of food grains such as oil seeds, cereals, dairy
products, sugar and meat. In April 2021, the Food Price Index was 120.9. It was 118.9 in March 2021. This
basket of grains are subjected to changes and are not constant.
Key findings
The Food and Agriculture Organisation also announced that the cereal price index increased by 1.2%
in April 2021 as compared to March 2021. It increased by 26% as compared to the previous year.
The maize prices increased by 5.7% due to poor crop conditions in Brazil, Argentina and United
States.
The wheat prices were steady.
The vegetable oil prices increased by 1.8%.
Diary Prices increased by 1.2%. The demand for milk products such as milk powder, butter, cheese
was mainly from Asia.
The meat index increased by 1.7%
Sugar prices increased by 60% as compared to the previous year. This price increase was mainly due
to slow harvest in Brazil and also due to large frost damage in France.
Forecasts
In 2021-22, the Food and Agriculture Organisation predicted that wheat production is to increase by 0.5% as
compared to that of 2020-21. The forecast is mainly based on the fact that the countries such as China,
Brazil, US and Ukraine have increased their planted areas.
Telangana Govt bans Glyphosate
The Telangana Government recently imposed a total ban on Glyphosate.

About Glyphosate
The Glyphosate is a controversial herbicide usually use to kill weeds in cotton farms.
The usage of Glyphosate is banned because it is carcinogenic. Also, it is being banned to control the
illegal cultivation of HTBt cotton.
Glyphosate is absorbed through foliage (plant leaves). It is minimally absorbed by roots.
In 2015, World Health Organisation classified Glyphosate under Category 2A, that is, a “Probably
Carcinogenic in Humans”.
Why do farmers prefer HTBt cotton?
The cost of HTBt seeds is Rs 1,500 per 450 gram pack. This is higher than the Bollgard Cotton II which
costs Rs 740 per 450 gram pack. Still farmers prefer HTBt cotton for its overall low cost of production.
A normal cotton grower spends Rs 15,400 in rainfed land and Rs 23,500 per acre in irrigation to grow GM
(Genetically Modified) cotton. Of this around 20% to 25% is spent in removing weeds. On the other hand,
HTBt cotton farmers can save this expenditure on weed management. They can simply spray Glyphosate as
it won’t affect HTBt. This is because, the normal cotton cannot withstand Glyphosate, while HTBt cotton
can.
What is the issue?
Around eight to ten lakh acres of land in Telangana are under herbicide tolerant HTBt cotton. These
cultivations have not received proper permission for commercial use. The Genetic Appraisal Engineering
Committee (GEAC) has not yet approved HTBt cotton.
The Glyphosate leaches into food and water and causes chronic kidney diseases in humans.
The Glyphosate is also used as Crop Desiccant. A crop desiccant is applied to the crops just before harvest.
The crop desiccants kill out leaves/plants allowing the plants to dry quickly and evenly from environmental
conditions.
Steps by Telangana Government
In 2018, the Telangana Government had put restrictions on the sale of Glyphosate. This was done to curb
the illegal use of herbicide-tolerant BT cotton. In spite of the restrictions, the usage did not stop. Again in
2019, the Telangana Government increased the restrictions on usage of Glyphosate. With no outcomes to
restrictions being imposed, the State Government has now completely banned the herbicide.
Other States
In 2020-21, around 35% of area under cotton cultivation in Maharashtra were illegal.
A significant number of farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat have cultivated HTBt cotton in 2020-21.
The illegal cultivation began in 2019. Today more than 50% of the total area of cotton under
cultivation in India is HTBt.
Kerala has also imposed ban on Glyphosate.
The Glyphosate is allowed to be used in tea plantations and in non-crop areas.
Other countries
Sri Lanka banned Glyphosate in 2014. However, the ban was lifted in 2018 when the tea plantation
owners complained of economic losses.
Argentina tried to ban it in 2017. In 2018, it was found out that in the areas where Glyphosate-tolerant
GM Soy was cultivated birth defects increased twice and miscarriages increased thrice.
May 8, 2021
US Colonial Pipeline Attack
The Colonial Pipeline company transports about 45% of petrol and diesel in the east coast of US. It was
forced to shut down after a cyber attack by a group called “Darkside”. The pipeline originates in the Texas
and carries gasoline to the South eastern states of the US.

Following the attack, the US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency.
What happened?
On May 7, 2021, a hacker group called the “Darkside” targeted the pipeline. The hackers did not take control
of the pipeline. However, the Colonial shut it down to prevent malware from spreading to the control
systems of its industries. The company had paid 5 million USD in cryptocurrency for a software decryption
key.
Darkside
The Darkside is a group that rents out ransomware to partners to perform the actual attacks.
According to the US President and several other US officials, the attackers lived in Russia.
The Darkside group had earlier cracked four other companies including Toshiba.
The group claimed that it is apolitical.
The cybersecurity firms in the US believe that the Darkside group has a code of conduct. According to
the code, they do not conduct attacks against schools, hospitals, universities, organisations and
government agencies.
Sunburst Cyber Attack
In 2020, a largescale cyber attack called “Sunburst” attacked the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The NNSA is responsible for holding US nuclear weapons.
Oil Prices
After the attack, the oil prices increased to 69 USD per barrel.
Colonial Pipeline
It is the largest pipeline for refined oil products in the US. It consists of two tubes carrying three
million barrels of fuels per day.
It is operated by the Colonial Pipeline company.
The pipeline had seven spills in four years.
In 2020, it faced one of the largest gasoline spills in a nature preserve in North Carolina.
In 1978, the Colonial became the first company to use Geodesic Domes. A Geodesic dome is a
structure with triangular elements built to withstand heavy loads.
World Thalassemia Day: May 8
Every year the World Thalassemia Day is celebrated on May 8. The day is celebrated to encourage the
patients suffering from Thalassemia. This year, the World Thalassemia Day is celebrated under the
following theme:
Theme: Addressing Health Inequalities Across the Global Thalassemia Community
Thalassemia Disease
The disease is an inherited blood disorder that is passed from parents to children. When a person gets
infected with the disease, his or her body loses the ability to produce haemoglobin. Eventually the red blood
cells count reduces. Red Blood Cells are the carriers of oxygen.
The disease is most common in South Asian, African and Mediterranean countries.
Thalassemia Vaccine
Beginning at the age of two months a seven valent Conjugate Pneumococcal Vaccine should be given. At
the age of twenty-four months, a 23-valent Conjugate Pneumococcal Vaccine booster should be given.
Later, Pnuemovax booster should be considered every five to ten years.
Thalassemia in India
Every year around 10,000 children are born with Thalassemia. The Thalassemia gene varies from 3% to 15%
in northern India, 1% to 3% in southern India. Certain communities such as Lingayat in Karnataka, Koli’s and
Agri’s in Maharashtra, Punjabis and Sindhis have higher carrier rate.

Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana
The second phase of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare in October 2020. It aims to provide one-time cure opportunity for Sickle cell disease and
Thalassemia.
The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation programme was launched in 2017. It is funded by Coal India
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).
Global Methane Assessment launched by UNEP and CCAC
The United Nations recently launched the Global Methane Assessment. It was released by Climate and
Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the United Nations Environment Programme. The Climate Clean Air Coalition
is a global partnership of governments and non-state partners.
The report says that human caused methane emissions can be reduced by 45% in 2020-30. These
reductions will help to avoid 0.3 degrees Celsius of global warming by 2045.
Key Findings
Methane is responsible for 30% of warming since the pre-industrial era.
The human-caused methane emissions come from oil and gas processing, fossil fuels, landfills and
waste and agriculture.
In spite of economic slow down caused by COVID-19 pandemic, data from the United States National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show that the amount of methane in the
atmosphere reached record levels in 2020.
Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for centuries. Unlike Carbon Dioxide, methane breaks down
quickly. Meaning, very few actions can rapidly reduce the rate of global warming caused by methane.
Methane accounts to one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Major Methane Emitters
The majority of methane emissions comes from the three major sectors as follows:
Fossil fuels: 35%
Landfills and waste: 20%
Agriculture: 40%
Solutions
The Global Methane Assessment identifies solutions that is capable of reducing methane emissions by 30%
by 2030. These solutions mainly target the fossil fuel sector. They are as follows:
The potential to reduce methane levels are the highest in waste sector in India and Europe.
In China, the potential is in livestock and coal production.
In Africa it is in livestock and oil and gas.
Apart from these targeted measures, additional measures such as renewable energy, reduction in food loss
and waste, increasing residential and commercial energy efficiency will help to reduce methane emissions
Methane
Methane is a short-lived climate pollutant. It contributes to the formation of ground level ozone.
Outcome
The assessment says that every million tonnes of methane reduced will help in achieving the following:
Prevent 1,430 premature deaths
Prevent losses of 145,000 tonnes of soybeans, wheat, rice and maize
Avoid annual loss of 400 million hours of work.
To achieve Sustainable Development Goals SDG 13 and SDG 2. SDG 2 is Zero Hunger.
Area around Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary notified as ESZ
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently notified 48.32 square kilo metres around

Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary as the Eco Sensitive Zone. Eco Sensitive Zones act as a buffer zone for
protected areas. They reduce development pressures around national park or wildlife sanctuary.
Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
It is home to twelve mangrove species, 167 species of birds such as Flamingos, 45 fish, 67 insect and
mammals like jackals and 59 species of butterflies.
The Mangrove forest in the region has been declared as reserve forest under the Indian Forest Act. Also,
these mangrove forests are included under Coastal Regulation zone.
Future Plans
Under the notification, highly polluting mining activities and industries are prohibited in the region. However,
regulated eco-tourism, construction of hotels and resorts are allowed. Organic Farming, agro-forestry and
use of eco-friendly transport is to be promoted.
Eco-Sensitive Zones
They are economically fragile areas in a radius of ten kilometres around the national parks, protected areas
and wildlife sanctuaries.
They are notified under Environment Protection Act, 1986. However, the act does not mention the word Eco-
Sensitive Zones.
Coastal Regulation zone
They are those areas that are influenced by tides. According to Coastal Regulation Zone rules, 1991, 500
metres of land between high tide line and low tide line is declared as Coastal Regulation Zone.
Reserve Forest
The Reserve Forest are restricted forest that are constituted by the State Government. The local people are
prohibited in the reserved forest.
The other types are protected forests and village forests.
RBI sets up Committee to assist RRA 2.0
The Reserve Bank of India recently constituted a Committee under the Managing Director S Janaki Raman.
The committee is to assist the second Regulatory Review Authority.
About the Committee
The committee will assist the authority to identify areas, guidelines, regulations and returns. It will submit
reports periodically to RRA that will provide suggestions and recommendations.
Regulatory Review Authority
In 1999, RBI set up the Regulatory Review Authority to review circulars, regulations, and reporting systems.
The authority reviews these parameters based on feedback from banks, public and financial institutions.
The RRA 2.0 was established to streamline regulations and reduce compliance burden of regulated entities.
RRA 2.0
RRA 2.0 was established in April 2021. The authority is to function for a period of one year. It will review the
regulatory prescription internally. Also, it will examine and suggest changes required in the dissemination
process of RBI instructions and circulars.
It will focus on reducing compliance burden. This is to be achieved by simplifying procedures and reducing
reporting requirements wherever possible.
It will make regulatory instruction more effective.
Also, it will aid in streamlining reporting mechanism, obviating paper-based submission of returns wherever
possible and revoking necessary instructions.
Section 58 of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
This section empowers the Central Board of RBI to form committees. The act also empowers them to
provide powers and functions to these committees within the jurisdiction of the Reserve Bank of India Act,

1934.
The RBI is governed by the Central Board of directors. The board is appointed by the Government of India.
The board is formed of governor, deputy governors, ten directors nominated by the GoI,
What is COVID Variant of Concern?
The UK scientists recently declared the new COVID-19 strains found in India as the “Variant of Concern”.
What are the criteria to name a virus as “Variant of Concern”?
Various national and international organisations such as CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention),
COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium and Canadian COVID Genomics Network use the following criteria:
Increase in transmissibility
Increase in mortality
Increase in morbidity
Increased risk of LONG COVID
The ability of the mutant to evade diagnostic test
Decrease in susceptibility to antiviral drugs
Ability to evade natural immunity
Ability to infect vaccinated individuals
Increased affinity towards a particular demographic group
When one or all these criteria are met, then the variant is named as “Variant of Interest” or “Variant under
Investigation”.
After validation or verification, it is named as “Variant of Concern”.
Why is Indian Variant named Variant of Concern?
According to the scientists in the UK, of all the COVID-19 variants, the Indian variant spreads more quickly
than its original version. The COVID-19 variant, B.1.617.2, which is also informally called the double mutant
variety was first found in India.
UK has reported five hundred cases infected with this variant recently. This grew so rapidly from meagre
202 in a single week.
Current Scenario
The double mutant has spread to more than dozen countries that is forcing them to restrict movements
from India.
Concerns
India is the biggest vaccine producer in the world. Currently, India is struggling to produce and
distribute enough doses.
Recently, the inoculation rates in India have fallen sharply. India had set a target of administering four
million vaccines per day. However, it is down to 2.5 million per day due to vaccine shortages.
Hospitals in the country are running out of bed and medical oxygen.
Morgues and Crematorium are not able to handle the increasing number of dead.
Variants of Interest
The COVID-19 variants such as B.1.617.3, B.1.617.2, B.1.617.1, B.1.617, that are circulating in the US were
classified as “Variants of Interest”
World Migratory Bird Day: May 8
Every year, the World Migratory Day is celebrated on second Saturday of May and October. This year, it is
celebrated on May 8th. The previous World Migratory Bird Day was celebrated on October 10th.
The main objective of celebrating the World Migratory Day is to increase awareness of migratory birds and
their importance in international cooperation to conserve them. It also creates awareness for conserving
the habitats of the migratory birds, especially the wetlands.

This year, the World Migratory Bird Day (that falls in the month of May) is celebrated under the following
theme:
Theme: Sing, fly, Soar – Like a Bird
World Migratory Bird Day
The World Migratory Bird Day is organised by the Convention on Migratory Species, environment for the
Americas, Colorado-based Non-Profit Organisation and the African – Eurasian Migratory Waterbird
Agreement.
It is also celebrated by the United Nations Environment Programme.
United Nations
The United Nations established the World Migratory Bird Day in 2006. The event was founded under the
United Nations Agreement on Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.
The World Migratory Bird Day is organised by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), Environment for
the Americas and the African – Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). The CMS and the AEWA are the two
international wildlife treaties administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the National Action Plan for Conservation
of Migratory Birds on October 10, 2020. That is on the other World Migratory Day.
NFRA creates Database of companies and auditors
The National Financial Reporting Authority is creating a database of companies and auditors.
What is the plan?
As a first step of establishing the database, NFRA is to identify and verify the primary data sources. This is
essential because certain data such as Company Identification Number is different from different sources.
NFRA is to collect data from the Corporate Data Management division that operates under the Ministry of
Corporate Affairs and also from other three stock exchanges in India.
NFRA has so far compiled data of 6,500 companies. This includes 5,300 listed companies and 1,000
unlisted companies.
Legal Provisions
The National Financial Reporting Authority is a regulatory body set up under Section 132 of Companies Act.
According to the act, the authority should have a chairperson and maximum of fifteen members. They are
appointed by the Central Government.
National Financial Reporting Authority
It was constituted in 2018.
The NFRA recommends auditing and accounting policies and standards to be adopted by companies
for approval from the Union Government.
It monitors compliance with auditing standards and accounting standards.
The NFRA has powers to investigate misconduct committed by the members of ICAI. ICAI is Institute
of Charted Accountants of India.
Why was NFRA established?
The NFRA was established to control the accounting scams increasing in the country. It was essential to
create an independent regulator to enforce auditing standards. There was a need to increase investor and
public confidence in financial disclosure of companies.
Inception
After the Satyam Scandal that occurred in 2009, the NFRA was recommended by the Standing Committee on
Finance for the first time in its 21st report.

RBI to conduct first SLTRO for small finance banks
The Reserve Bank of India recently announced that it is to conduct the first Special Long Term Repo
Operation (SLTRO) of Rs 10,000 crores for Small Finance Banks.
What is the plan?
The RBI will conduct the SLTRO for each month starting from May 2021. This is to continue till October
2021. The SLTRO will be valid for three years. All the Small Finance Banks shall participate in the SLTRO.
However, these banks should make sure that the amount borrowed from RBI should be lent only to specified
segments such as unorganised sectors and small business units.
Background
The Reserve Bank of India recently announced a slew of measures to boost the economy. This included
opening of on-tap liquidity window of Rs 50,000 crores at repo rate 4%, asking banks to create COVID Loan
Book, etc. Conducting SLTRO for Small Finance Banks is one such measure.
What is Special Long Term Repo Operations?
It is generally called the Long-Term Repo Operations. The Special Long Term Repo Operations is a tool
under which RBI provides money to the banks at repo rate. It accepts the government securities as
collateral. It is usually provided for a period of one year to three years.
Significance of SLTRO
This is highly beneficial for the banks as they get long term funds at lower rates. This will make the banks to
reduce the interest banks for borrowers. Thus, Special Long Term Repo Operations will help Reserve Bank
of India to ensure that the banks reduce their lending rates without reducing the policy rates.
NASA Rover Records Ingenuity Flight in Mars
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently released a new video shot by the
Perseverance rover. The six wheeled robot has shot the fourth flight of Ingenuity helicopter successfully.
About the video
The duration of the video was three minutes. It showed winds blowing across Jezero Crater. The
Perseverance landed from the Mars 2020 on the Jezero crater.
The sounds of the blades of the helicopter were heard softly.
Why was the sound of Ingenuity mild in the video?
In spite of the fact that the blades were rotating at 2,400 rpm, at a distance of eighty metres from the
Perseverance rover, its sound was mildly heard. This was mainly because the Martian atmosphere has 1%
the density of the earth. This makes everything much quieter in Mars.
The speed of sound on Planet Mars is 240 metres per second. It is slower because of cold temperatures in
Mars. The temperature of Mars is around -63 degree Celsius.
Also, the Martian atmosphere is made of 96% of carbon dioxide. It tends to absorb high pitched sounds.
Super Cam
The Super Cam is an instrument on Perseverance. It destroys rocks from a distance. The spectrometer
attached to the camera will then study the vapour emerging from the rocks. This reveals the chemical
composition of rocks.

Ingenuity changes from technology demonstration phase to operation demonstration phase
May 9, 2021
What is Sputnik Light Single Dose?
Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia is a two-dose vaccine. The unique feature of the vaccine is that the
first and second dose are different from each other. In Sputnik Light a single dose is sufficient.
Sputnik V
Sputnik V is also known as Gam-COVID-Vac. It uses heterogenous recombinant adenovirus approach.
Meaning, Sputnik V is a two-vector vaccine. It uses Adeno Virus 26 in the first dose and Adeno Virus 5 in the
second dose. These Adeno Viruses are the carriers.
Conjugate Vaccine
A Conjugate Vaccine is a vaccine that uses a weak antigen with a strong antigen as a carrier. It is informally
called a carrier vaccine. Sputnik V is a Conjugate Vaccine.
Why a double dose earlier?
Adenoviruses are common. They are ubiquitous (commonly found everywhere) in the environment that is
contaminated by human faeces or sewage. They cause common cold and fever. This means that Adeno
virus is commonly found in the humans. This is one of the main reasons why adeno virus based COVID-19
vaccines are single dose vaccines. However, Sputnik V was a double dose vaccine. This was done to
booster the immune response compared to use the same vector twice.
Why a single dose now?
Sputnik V vaccine was sold at 10 USD in other markets. In India it is facing difficulties to compete with
AstraZeneca Vaccine, also called COVISHIELD, which is sold at 2 USD per dose. The price of COVISHIELD is
low in India as it is manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India. On the other hand, Sputnik V is
imported. It is marketed by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. Now, to compete with COVISHILED and capture the
market, the price has to be reduced, which is, highly impossible as the vaccine is being imported. Thus, a
single dose vaccine is being launched. India is planning to launch this single dose vaccine.
Chinese Rocket falls into Indian Ocean
The remains of Chinese rocket have crashed into the Indian Ocean. It is said to have been hurtling towards
the earth. Hurtling is moving in a high speed, especially in a wildly uncontrolled manner.
What happened?
On April 28, 2021, China launched the Long March 5B rocket. The rocket carried the Tianhe core module of
China space station. The Tianhe core module weighed 22.5 tonnes, one of the heaviest space modules. It
used its own propulsion to enter in to the orbit. However, the first stage began to decay due to atmospheric
drag.
The rocket fell in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives.
Is Tianhe a success or failure?
Failure. There were huge controversies over Tianhe module as China was silent after the launch. No
comments were made if the rocket is being controlled. It was even unclear if the project was a success or
failure as there were widespread news that only a part of the space module is falling in to the earth. Lack of
transparency in such international issues was not welcomed by several countries.
Concerns
The core module launched provided living space for the astronauts. And thus, it was unusually large and
heavy. After the failure of the module, it entered into an uncontrolled orbit. As it was heavy, the chances of
burning away of the entire module was minimal. A part of heavy chunks were to hit the earth’s surface.
However, the Chinese were silent on where the rocket is to hit the earth and when. The tracking of the re-
entry was not shared. However, the US and the Europeans predicted that the rocket could hit between 41.5
degrees north and 41.5 degrees south.
Previous massive re-entries
The Salyut 7 space station of the Soviet Union was yet another massive re-entry that occurred in
1991.
In 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia made a re-entry in the populated areas of US. The Indian born
Astronaut Kalpana Chawla died in this disaster. Recently, NASA launched a spacecraft named after
Kalpana Chawla.
In 1979, the Skylab of US made a re-entry.
May 10, 2021
Co-WIN introduces 4-digit security code
The Ministry of Health recently announced that a new security feature is being added to the Co-WIN
software. Co-WIN is COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network.
What is the new security feature?
The Health Ministry has recently added a four-digit security code to the CO-WIN software.
When a person books vaccination slots on Co-WIN platform, he or she will get a four-digit security
code.
The code should be produced at the vaccination centre.
The code will also be mentioned on the digital certificate.
The new security feature is only for those who have done an online booking for vaccination.
The code is also printed on the appointed acknowledgement slip. It shall be saved and shown from
mobile.
Background
The Health Ministry recently agreed that there has been data entry error in marking people who have booked
vaccination slots as “Vaccinated”. Several users complained that they received notification of vaccination
dose administered to them even when they missed their appointments made in Co-WIN.
About Co-WIN
The Co-WIN platform handles the COVID-19 immunisation of the country. This includes registering
beneficiaries, sending them text messages, allocating vaccination centres and also live monitoring of
vials in cold storage.
This platform was earlier used for conducting Pulse Polio Programme.
It is owned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Also, it is supported by the National
Informatics Centre.
The Co-WIN application helps in monitoring and tracking the inoculation drive.
The app also helps in tracking the listed beneficiaries on a real time basis.
Mucormycosis-Black Fungus Infection in COVID Patients
Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus infection is increasing among the COVID patients. The National
COVID Task Force recently issued an advisory against Mucormycosis.
Mucormycosis
The disease mainly affects the skin, lungs and brain.
It is rare. But has been increasing among COVID patients in Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
It is caused by a group of molds called Mucoromycetes.
It mainly affects people who are on medication.
The lungs or sinuses of the recovering COVID patients get affected after they inhale fungal spores
from the air.
It is not a major threat to those with a healthy immune system.
Symptoms
It causes redness around the eyes, nose.
Also, the person suffers from headache, fever, bloody vomits, shortness of breath, altered mental
status.
Mucormycosis is suspected when a person suffers from sinusitis, local pain on cheek bone, blackish
discoloration over bridge of nose, chest pain, thrombosis, plural effusion, necrosis, blurred vision, etc.
Treatment
Mucormycosis might lead to loss of eyes or upper jaws. Such patients might require a surgery! The
treatment of Mucormycosis includes infusion of saline, Amphotericin and other anti-fungal therapies.
What did the Task Force say?
The COVID Task Force has recommended to control hyperglycemia after discharge. Their blood glucose
level should be monitored after discharge.
Why are COVID patients susceptible to Mucormycosis?
The immunity level of a person recovering from COVID-19 is very low. The Mucoromycetes easily affects
persons with very low immunity levels. It is especially common among COVID patients who are treated with
steroids to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a condition where a part of the body is swollen, reddened
and is often painful due to an infection or reaction to injury.
China discussed weaponizing COVID
A Chinese document written in 2015 states that SARS virus shall be used as a “New Era of Genetic
Weapons”. The virus can be artificially manipulated into a human virus disease, then weaponized and
unleashed (released from restraint). This was first brought out in Australia.
The title of the Chinese document was “The Unnatural Origin of SARS and New species of Man-Made Virus
as Bioweapons”.
What does the paper say?
The paper reveals that the Chinese Military scientists were discussing weaponization of SARS virus five
years before COVID-19 pandemic. The paper also says that the world war three shall be fought with
biological weapons.
Authenticity of the documents
The document was authored by PLA researchers and scientists. The genesis of the document was located
in the Chinese internet. The document has also been revealed in an upcoming book called “What really
happened in Wuhan”.
International response
Countries such as Brazil, US, Australia have made strong statements against actions after the release of the
report. The countries are furious that Chinese actions on COVID was merely based on economic benefits.
Origin of the Virus
China is being questioned over the handling of COVID-19 since it originated in Wuhan in 2019. Some believe
that it originated in a market where wild animals are traded. Others believe that the virus leaked in a lab in
Wuhan.
Lack of Transparency
China was not ready to allow the World Health Organisation to conduct investigations about the origin of
COVID-19 virus. Only after international pressure did China allow WHO to make investigations to find out the
origin.
Even after the outbreak of the disease in Wuhan in 2019, China was silent. It did not inform the WHO about
disease. China also was not able to contain the disease.
China was also silent about the recent failure of Tianhe core module and its rocket Long March 5B falling in

to the Indian Ocean. Though the mission failed, the details of the returning rocket and how and where will it
fall was not disclosed.
Victory Day: May 9
Victory Day is celebrated in Russia to mark the surrender of Germans in the second world war.
Moscow Victory Day Parade
On May 9, 2021, Russia marked the 76th anniversary of victory in World War II. A military parade was held at
the Red Square of Moscow. This parade is being held every year on May 9 since 1995. The parade is called
“Moscow Victory Day Parade”.
The Victory Day Parade became an annual event only after the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991.
Red Square is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990.
Moscow Victory Day Parade
In 1945, the Soviet Armed Forces held a military parade in Red Square after defeating the Nazi Army. This
was the longest and largest military parade held in Red Square. More than 40,000 soldiers and 1,850
military vehicles participated in the parade.
The parade was held in June 24, 1945. It was held a month after the Germans surrendered to the Soviet
Commanders. The Germans surrendered on May 9, 1945.
German Instrument of Surrender
The German Instrument of Surrender was signed in Reims on May 7, 1945 by the Chief of Staff of the
Germans, Alfred Jodi. Another Instrument of Surrender was signed in May 9, 1945 in the outskirts of Berlin.
Both the instrument of surrender stipulated that the German forces will cease active operations.
While the second Instrument of Surrender was signed, it was late night in Germany. It was the next morning
in Soviet Union. Thus, Russia celebrates Moscow Victory Day on May 9th and East Germany observed it on
May 8th as the Liberation Day.
Sinopharm Vaccine approved by WHO
The World Health Organisation recently approved the Emergency Use of Sinpharm vaccine. Recently, the
WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines developed by AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BioNTech, Johnson and Johnson as
well. The other popular Chinese Vaccine is sinovac.
Sinopharm Vaccine
Sinopharm vaccine was developed by China. This is the first time the WHO has given approval to a Chinese
vaccine. It is also a sign that Sinopharm vaccine might be allowed to be included in COVAX programme.
According to WHO, the efficacy of Sinopharm vaccine is 79%.
Working of Sinopharm
The Sinopharm Vaccine is an inactivated vaccine just like the COVAXIN. The inactivated vaccines are
creating by killing the disease carrying virus (COVID-19) using heat, radiation or chemicals. These vaccines
take longer time to make. Also, they require two to three doses.
The other vaccines that use this approach is the polio vaccine and flu.
Out of several vaccines in the world, only Sinovac, Sinopharm and COVAXIN use inactivated virus. Other
vaccines such as Moderna, AstraZeneca (COVISHILED), sputnik, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson use a viral
vector.
Current Scenario
Though the Chinese vaccine is just receiving WHO approval, it is already being administered in several
countries. Also, the other Chinese vaccine called the Sinovac is yet to get WHO approval. Countries such as
Pakistan and Egypt are planning to administer Sinovac. One million Sinovac vaccines were recently
transported to Pakistan. Egypt has agreed to produce 60 million Sinovac doses in June 2021.
Countries like Brazil, Bahrain had raised concerns over the efficacy of the Chinese vaccines.

Area of summer crops expands by 21.58% from last year
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare recently announced that the area of summer crops has
sharply increased by 21.58% as compared to 2020. The increase has almost doubled. Summer crops are
also called Zaid crops. They are grown between March and June.
Expansion of area of Summer Crops
The area under summer crops has increased to 12.75 hectares in 2021. It was 6.45 hectares in 2020.
The increase has been mainly reported in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha,
Karnataka, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Gujarat.
The Government of India has been promoting the summer crops mainly to increase the pulse
production in the country.
Which crops have increased?
The area under rice cultivation has increased by 15.59%. In 2020, it was 33.82 hectares. Now it has
increased in 39.10 hectares. The area under pulses has increased by 97.58%. It was 6.45 hectares in 2020
and has now increased to 12.74 hectares in 2021.
Oil seeds has increased by 15.66%. Area under coarse grains have increased by 0.93%.
Water Storage
The Ministry also announced that the water storage in more than 130 key reservoirs has increased by 20%
as compared to that of the average storage in the last ten years. Due to this more areas have come under
cultivation in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Karnataka. This is one of the main
reasons for the increase in areas under summer cultivation.
Oil Seeds
GoI is also focusing to increase the production of oil seeds in the country apart from pulses. Currently, India
imports 75% of edible oil to meet its domestic requirements. The import bill has crossed Rs 70,000 crores.
Recent Developments
GoI targets 17 million tonnes of Mustard Production
New Soybean Variety: MACS 1407
GoI increases Minimum Support Price of Rabi Crops
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund crosses Rs. 8,000 crores mark
Ayush 64 to be distributed freely
The Ministry of AYUSH recently announced that Ayush-64 will be available free of cost for mild, moderate
asymptomatic patients in Delhi. The representatives or patients can visit these centres with Aadhar card
and a soft or hard copy of RT-PCR positive report to get the free AYUSH-64 tablets.
Where is Ayush 64 available in Delhi?
The AYUSH 64 tablets will be available in seven centres in Delhi. They are:
All India Institute of Ayurveda
Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga
Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine
Unani Medical Centre at Safdarjung hospital
Unani Specialty Clinic
Central Ayurveda Research Institute in Punjabi Bagh
Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy
About Ayush 64
It is a poly herbal formulation. Ayush 64 was recommended by National Clinical Management
Protocol based on Ayurveda and Yoga. It was repurposed as an add on to standard care for COVID-19
patients.

Ayush 64 was developed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS).
It was first used in management of Malaria.
It was originally developed in 1980.
A study has proved that around thirty five of the thirty-six Phyto constituents of Ayush 64 have high
binding affinity against the COVID-19 virus.
How to take Ayush-64?
The patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 cases showing body ache, fever, nasal congestion, headache,
nasal discharge, cough can start taking Ayush 64 within seven days of COVID-19 diagnosis.
Also, it can be taken as a standalone treatment in mild cases under the supervision of an Ayurvedic
physician.
Laureus World Sports Awards, 2021
The Laureus World Sports Awards, 2021 was held in Seville. The awards are presented to honour individuals
and teams who have achieved in sports throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by the Laureus
Sport for Good Foundation. It is supported by Mitsubishi, Mercedes Benz. The first Laureus World Sports
Awards was presented in 2000.
About the awards
As of 2020, the awards are presented in eight categories. Roger Federer, a Swiss Tennis player holds
the record for the most of the awards. He has won six “Sportsman of the Year” award and one
comeback of the year award.
The winners are presented with a statue of Laureus. It is created by the Cartier. The Cartier is the
French Luxury Goods manufacturer. It manufactures watches, jewelry. It was founded in 1847.
Laureus means “Laurel”. Laurel is a greek word.
In 2020, Sachin Tendulkar won Laureus World Sports Award for Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020.
Laureus World Sports Awards 2021
In 2021, the following Laureus World Sports Awards were presented:
Naomi Osaka (tennis, Japan) won the Sportswoman of the Year
Rafael Nadal (tennis, Spain) won the Sportsman of the Year
Billie Jean King (tennis, USA) won the Lifetime Achievement
FC Bayern (football, Germany) won the Team of the Year
Patrick Mahomes (American Football, USA) won the Breakthrough of the Year
Max Parrot (Snowboarding, Canada) won the World Comeback of the Year
Kickformore by Kickfair (football, German) won the Sport for Good
Mo Salah (football, Liverpool & Egypt) won the Sporting Inspiration Award
Lewis Hamilton (Formula One, Mercedes & UK) won the Athlete Advocate of the Year
This year the Laureus World sports Award for Action Sports person of the year was not awarded.
Himanta Biswa Sarma: 15th Assam CM
Himanta Biswa Sarma is to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam on May 10, 2021. He is to replace
Sarbananda Sonowal. Both the candidates are from BJP. Sarbananda recently resigned.
Chief Minister of the state
The Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor. It is to be noted that only Members of the Legislative
Assembly or Members of the Parliament are elected by the people. The Chief Minister and the Prime
Minister are appointed by the Governor and President respectively.
After the election, the party that secures majority in the house elects its leader. The leader’s name is then
communicated to the Governor. The Governor appoints the CM and then asks the CM to appoint his council
of ministers. The Governor can ask the single largest party to form the government when no party gets

majority in the state.
The State Assembly shall remove him from power by passing Vote of No Confidence against him. Also, the
Governor shall dismiss him if he loses his majority support.
A person not belonging to the Legislative Assembly or to the Legislative Council shall also be appointed as
the Chief Minister. However, he or she should be elected to either of the houses within six months of his or
her tenure. Like Mamta Banerjee was sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She was sworn in as
the CM of West Bengal even though she lost in the Assembly elections to Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of
1956 votes.
Article 163: The Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers advise the Governor
Article 164: Governor appoints the Chief Minister. The Governor then appoints the ministers based on
the recommendation of the Chief Minister.
Article 166: Conduct of Business of the State Government
Article 167: Duties of Chief Minister
The Chief Minister and Prime Minster provisions are not mentioned in the constitution.
Space Debris Guidelines of United Nations
The Chinese rocket Long March 5B recently fell into the Indian Ocean near Maldives. The track of the falling
rocket couldn’t be predicted for days. However, the European Space Agency announced that the rocket
might fall anywhere between 41.5 degree north and 41.5 degrees south latitude. This put several highly
populated cities at risk.
The Chinese Aircraft was the size of a ten-storey building. It was the core module for its space station.
What is NASA saying?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of US recently lambasted (attacked) China the
space craft did not abide the International standards on Space Debris and also on safety.
United Nations on Space Debris
In 2007, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space endorsed a resolution on “Space
Debris Mitigation Guidelines”
Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines
To limit debris released during the orbital or spacecraft stages
To minimise the breakups during operational phases
To reduce the probability of accidental collisions in the orbit
To prevent international distraction and other harmful activities
To minimise the potential for post mission breakups caused due to stored energy
To reduce long term presence of launch vehicles, orbital stages and space crafts in the low earth
orbit
What is the issue? Why is NASA criticising Chinese Actions?
The rockets carry their payload into the space. After the payload is dropped in its orbit, the booster stages
of the rocket that reach the orbit fire the engine to drop the rockets back to the earth. This will prevent the
rocket from remaining in the orbit and thereby reduce space debris. And also prevent them from causing
potential threats to hit other rockets.
However, China chose not to do this for its Long March rocket. This led to the crashing of its rocket. Thus,
NASA is criticising Chinese actions for not abiding by the international safety standards.
Also, space stations make sure such parts fall in the middle of the ocean or in uninhabited areas.
How will GST Exemption lead to Price rise?
The West Bengal Chief Minister recently requested the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exempt COVID

medicines and oxygen tanks from taxes. Several other states such as Odisha were also asking for tax
exemption on key medicines.
The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said that full exemption of Goods and Services Tax (GST)
on Vaccines will lead to increase in their prices. She replied back to the Bengal CM letter in Twitter.
Current Scenario
The GST rates for COVID-19 vaccines, drugs, oxygen concentrators are between 5% and 12%. It is applicable
to the domestic supplies.
How will GST Exemption lead to price rise?
If full exemption of GST is given to the vaccines, then the manufacturers will not be able to offset (balance
the effect) their input taxes. They will in turn pass them to the end consumers.
In Simple Terms: Let us assume that a vaccine is made of five components or raw materials. Now, these
raw materials are subjected to GST. The manufacturer pays taxes in buying these raw materials. Now, if
GST is exempted on the sale of vaccines, then the manufacturer will increase the price to maintain his
profits. This price rise will be added to the price paid by the end consumer.
Government measures
The Finance Minister also highlighted the current COVID-19 vaccine benefits being offered. They were as
follows:
COVID-19 vaccines are provided free of cost to the people who are 45 years of age and also to all
frontline workers. Here the GST is paid by the Central Government.
Full exemption from basic customs duty and health cess has been provided to these items, that is, to
oxygen containers, concentrators, vaccines, etc.
The Minister also explained that the if Rs 100 is collected as IGST (Integrated Goods and Services
Tax), then Rs 70.50 is the share of the state. How? Of the Rs 100 IGST, Rs 50 accrues to the Centre
and State each as CGST And SGT. Of the 50% of the Centre’s share, 41% is devolved to the states.
Thus Rs 70.50 is in the hands of the states.
IUCN Report: Conflict and Conservation
The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently released a report called the “Nature in a
Globalised World: Conflict and Conservation”. The report focuses on complex relationships between nature
and armed conflict. The main objective of the report was to bring nature conservation into the mainstream
of economic and political decision making.
The report has analysed how armed conflicts in the past thirty years are related to productivity and
availability of arable land, percentage of rural population in the country, prevalence of drought.
The major threats posed by conflicts in the world are disruption of conservation efforts, direct killing
of wildlife, degradation of ecosystems.
The armed conflicts are prevalent in major biodiverse regions in the world. For instance, India-
Pakistan and India-China border conflicts are being fought in the Himalayan Biodiversity hotspots.
Military Exercises and Civil unrest pose a risk to two hundred threatened species. This includes the
iconic species such as the Critically Endangered Eastern Gorilla.
Countries are more prone to wars if less land is available for agriculture or if the agricultural
productivity of the land was low. The wars were also frequent when increased number of droughts
occur.
Recommendations
The following recommendations were made the report:
The Natural resource governance should be strengthened through improved transparency and

accountability, inclusive decision making, and by recognising the rights of indigenous people and
women.
The conservationists, protected area staff and environmental defenders should be provided with
explicit protections against those committing environmental crimes.
SpaceX: "DOGE-1 Mission to the Moon"
SpaceX is to launch DOGE-1, a satellite that is completely funded with crypto currency. Days earlier Musk
did mention about DOGE crypto currencies in a TV show he was hosting. He also admitted in the show that
he had Asperger’s Syndrome.
About DOGE-1
It is the first ever commercial payload to be paid with Dogecoin.
The satellite weighs 40 kilograms.
The satellite is to be launched in 2022.
The DOGE-1 is a payload of Geometric Energy corporation. The company is to obtain lunar spatial
intelligence from cameras and sensors with integrated computational and communication systems.
DOGE-1 is to be launched in Falcon 9.
Falcon 9
SpaceX recently launched a batch of Star Link satellites in Falcon 9. According to SpaceX, the Falcon
9 boosters are capable of hundred more flights before they retire.
Falcon 9 is a partially reusable two-stage launch vehicle. It uses liquid oxygen and rocket grade
kerosene as propellants.
Dogecoin
Dogecoin has jumped by 800% over April 2021. It is now the fourth largest digital currency in the
world.
It is basically a crypto currency.
It was released in 2013.
It was created by IBM engineers.
Recent Developments in SpaceX
SpaceX has been struggling since a long time to make successful landing of its Star ship rocket. This
was recently succeeded by the company in its SN15 that landed on May 7, 2021.
In April 2021, SpaceX launched sixty Star Link satellites
NASA and SpaceX together transported four astronauts to the International Space Station in Crew
Dragon Spacecraft. It was called the Crew 2 mission.
SN10 of SpaceX exploded after successful landing
In November 2020, SpaceX launched four astronauts to space in its Crew 1 mission.
What is Asperger's Syndrome?
The SpaceX Billionaire Elon Musk recently announced that he had Asperger’s Syndrome. The announcement
was made in a TV show Musk was hosting. Musk also mentioned about the Dogecoin cryptocurrency in the
show.
Recently, an announcement was made that SpaceX is to launch DOGE-1 Mission to moon. The Geometric
Energy corporation that is sending DOGE-1 in Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX is to pay in Doge Cryptocurrency.
What is Asperger’s Syndrome?
It is a disorder where people have trouble in social relationships. The Asperger Syndrome is named
after the German doctor Hans Asperger who first described about the disorder in 1944.
It is a kind of autism disorder. It severely inhibits the mental and social development of a person.

Autism Spectrum Disorder
The Asperger’s Syndrome falls into the category of Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, Asperger’s
Syndrome is different from other Autism Spectrum Disorders. These persons only face difficulties in
social interaction. The causes of Asperger’s syndrome is unknown. It is inherited from parents.
The Asperger’s syndrome remains in the International Classification of Diseases as of 2019.
International Classification of Diseases
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is maintained by the World Health Organisation. It
is widely used world wide for morbidity and mortality statistics.
It is revised periodically.
The eleventh version of ICD was done in 2019 and is to come into effect on January 2022.
Basically, it is a global standard for health information and causes of death. It consists of tens of
thousands of entities. An entity in the ICD may be anything relevant to health care.
May 11, 2021
National Technology Day: May 11
Every year, India celebrates National Technology Day on May 11. This year, the National Technology Day is
being celebrated under the theme:
Theme: Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future
The Ministry of Science and Technology organises several events across the country to celebrate the day.
Why is National Technology Day celebrated in India?
The National Technology Day is celebrated in India for two reasons namely:
To mark the anniversary of Pokhran Nuclear tests that were conducted in 1998
To highlight the importance of technological advancements for the country
What is Pokhran Nuclear Tests?
The Pokhran Nuclear tests were a series of nuclear bomb test explosions that were held in the Pokhran Test
Range of Indian Army. This was the second nuclear test conducted by India. The first one was called
Smiling Buddha and was conducted in 1974.
The five nuclear tests conducted were as follows:
First test was a Fusion Bomb
The rest four were fission bombs
These testes were held under the code named Operation Shakti. The tests resulted in several sanctions
against India from all over the world including Japan and USA.
The tests made India the sixth country in the world to join Nuclear Club of nations.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
It was under the initiative of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the tests were conducted. Dr APJ
Abdul Kalam played a major role as a Chief Scientist conducting these tests.
The first National Technology Day was celebrated in 1999. Vajpayee announced that May 11 will be
celebrated as National Technology Day.
EAC allows Great Nicobar Plan to advance
The Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) operating under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change recently recommended for grant of “Terms of Reference for Environmental Impact
Assessment” studies. Earlier the committee had raised serious concerns against the project.
What is the meaning of Terms of Reference for Environmental Impact Assessment?
It is a document produced by the authority that is conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment. It is
the most important document as it sets the guidelines for the study. It provides the following details:
Description about the project
Description about the existing environmental conditions in the site
About stakeholders benefitted or harmed during the project
Impacts the project will have on environmental and social aspects
Description of the species endemic to the area
Possible alternatives for the project
Recommends mitigation strategies
Budget of the study
Thus, the Terms of Reference document is highly important to make sure that the study is carried out
effectively to ward off the environmental damages.
Now a three months of baseline studies will be conducted.
What is the issue?
In January 2021, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife allowed the construction of the
port in Galathea Bay and the Expert Committee of Environment Ministry approved “Zero Extent” Ecologically
Sensitive Zone. This was done to allow the use of the land. Concerns were raised in allowing development
in a fragile area.
What is “Zero Extent” Ecologically Sensitive Zone?
The ESZ acts as shock absorbers of protected areas. The extent of Eco Sensitive Zones range from 0 to 10
kilometres. When the extent ranges to 0 km then it is called Zero Extent Ecologically Sensitive Zone. In
simple words, the ESZ does not exist in that place.
Why was Zero Extent ESZ tag approved? – Justification
The major geographical areas of the Great Nicobar Island is covered under protected areas network
and tribal reserves. There is hardly any area left for holistic development.
The Zero Extent ESZ was proposed for the northern and western sides as it merges with Bay of
Bengal.
The Zero Extent ESZ for the coastal sides were proposed as they are protected under Coastal
Regulation rules.
The eastern side of the region is protected under the Forest Act as it is a tribal area.
In this scenario, it is impossible to allocate land for developmental activities. Minimum sustainable
development is required in the region.
What is the Great Nicobar Plan?
The plan includes international container transhipment terminal, township complex, power plant
spread over 166 square kilo metre.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 75,000 crores.
The plan was proposed by NITI Aayog.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation is to act as the Nodal
Agency.
What are the concerns raised by the EAC?
According to the committee, several information were missing. The missing information were as follows:
Seismic and Tsunami Hazards
Freshwater requirement details
Details of the Impact on Giant Leatherback Turtle
There were no details about the trees to be felled
Impact on Giant Leatherback Turtles
The turtles are the largest Marine turtles in the world.
The Galathea bay is the nesting site of these turtles. Under the Great Nicobar Plan, the port is to be

built in Galathea bay.
According to EAC, the site selection for the port has been done based on financial and technical
criteria alone.
The Leatherback turtles are known for their shells.
They are migratory in nature crossing both Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Conservation Status of Leatherback Turtles
IUCN: Vulnerable
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
CITES: Appendix I
According to IUCN, there is no sufficient data about the turtle population in the region.
Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
It was declared a Wildlife sanctuary in 1997.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The National Marine Turtle Action Plan has listed Galathea Bay as one of the “Important Marine Turlt
Habitats” and also “Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas”.
It is included in “Coastal Regulation Zone I”, which means it gets the highest protection.
Concerns raised by conservationists
The project will clear 18% of pristine forest.
The Galathea National Park is home to 330 species of fauna and 648 species of flora. It is home to
rare and endemic species such as Great Nicobar crested serpent eagle, Nicobar wild pig, Nicobar
Megapode and Nicobar Paradise Flycatcher.
It is home to the indigenous Shompen community. The project poses threat to the community.
The project proposal did not address the geological vulnerabilities. The island is vulnerable to
Tsunami and is a geologically active ring of fire region. There are evidences of land subsidence post
Tsunami.
Shompen policy of 2015
According to the Anthropological Survey of India, there are two hundred to three hundred Shompen
tribes in the region.
Pandanus (a fruit resembling pineapple) is the staple food of the tribes.
The policy states that understanding and knowledge of the Shompen tribal is scanty. More scientific
research is required.
India participates in the third Arctic Science Ministerial
The Ministry of Earth Science recently announced that India participated in the Arctic Science Ministerial
meeting. The Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan represented India at the meeting.
Outcomes
India shared plans for research and long-term cooperation in the Arctic during the meet.
India promised to continue its contributions to the Sustained Arctic Observational Network.
India also announced that it will deploy open ocean mooring in the Arctic for long term monitoring of
upper ocean variables and marine meteorological parameters. Mooring is collection of devices
connected to a wire and anchored to the sea floor.
India proposed to host the next or future Arctic Science Ministerial meet.
The theme of 2021 Arctic Ministerial Meeting was:
Theme: Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic
Arctic Science Ministerial
The first two Arctic Science Ministerial meeting were held in USA in 2016 and in Germany in 2018.

This meeting that was held in 2021 was organised by Japan and Iceland and is the first meeting to be
held in Asia.
It aims provide opportunities to various stakeholders such as governments, academia, policy makers
to enhance collective understanding of Arctic region.
India in the Arctic Science Ministerial
India is an “Observer” in the Arctic Council since 2013.
Svalbard Treaty
India’s engagement in the Arctic region started with the signing of Svalbard Treaty of Paris in 1920.
India constructed a permanent research station in the Arctic region in 2008. It is called Himadri.
Himadri is located at NyAlesund, Norway.
In 2014, India deployed a multi sensor observer called IndARC in Kongfjiorden fjord in 2014.
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa coordinates and conducts the research in the
Arctic region.
NISER
NISER is NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite mission. It aims to conduct global measurements of
land surface changes using radar imaging. It is an ongoing project.
India’s Arctic Policy
The recently released draft Arctic Policy document outlines five pillars of India’s policy. They are as follows:
Development of Human Resource capabilities
Global governance and international cooperation
Economics and Human development
Scientific research
Connectivity
Japan proposes alternatives to Suez Canal
In April 2021, a container ship called “Ever Given” blocked the Suez Canal. This stopped more than 400
ships from transiting the canal. This caused a global trade loss of 9 billion USD. It was popularly called the
Suez Canal Blockade.
Background
The Ever Given Cargo ship was owned by Shoei Kisen Kaisha. It was built by Imabari Ship Building. Both
were Japanese companies. They are still locked in negotiations with the Egyptian Government.
The Blockade highlighted the vulnerabilities of Suez route for the Japanese.
Thus, Japan is moving towards the potential alternatives.
Alternatives to Suez Canal
The two potential alternatives for Japan are reliant on Russia. One is the Trans-Siberian Railway and
the other is the Northern Sea Route.
These goals were in fact promoted by Russia. In May 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed
the “Executive Order on National Goals and Strategic Objectives of the Russian Federation”.
The melting of Arctic ice is making the Northern sea route a viable option.
Between June and December these routes require ice breakers. In spite of this, Japan is increasing its
ships through this region. In 2020 more than 133 Japanese ships traversed through this route. It was
only 87 in 2019.
Apart from the sea routes, Japan is trying to use the Trans Siberian Railways
Trans Siberian Railway
It is a network of Railways connecting western Russia to the Russian far east. It starts from Moscow and
ends at Vladivostok. Vladivostok is close to North Korea-Russia border.

Assam-UNICEF Online Flood Reporting System
The Assam State Disaster Management Agency and the UNICEF has jointly developed an Online Flood
Reporting System. With this, Assam becomes the first state to adopt digital reporting system to find out
impact indicators during floods.
About the System
The new system will report flood levels in Assam on a daily basis. Earlier, the flood managing system
in the state involved multiple stake holders, was time consuming and required manual verification.
The new system is completely digital.
The new system is driven by web-cum-mobile application technology.
System Deliveries
It will facilitate tracking of damages to crops, loss of livestock and will also help to provide financial
assistance during restoration.
It will enable information feeding at the source.
Also, the system will provide immediate alert-based verification at defined levels.
Background
In Assam, it is mandatory to report about daily flood levels between May 15 and October 15 every year.
Assam floods
Floods are very common in Assam. This is mainly because of Brahmaputra. The river is unstable and
braided in its entire course in Assam. The main reason for this is steep slopes and high
sedimentation.
The reasons behind Assam flooding are both man-made and natural. Unregulated release of water
from the dams in the region also cause flooding.
The shape of Guwahati is like a bowl that makes the region susceptible to water logging.
How are floods controlled in Assam?
The state builds embankments to control the floods. However, these embankments are breached by the
floods every year.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare has recently approved Rs 2,250 crores for the Mission for
Integrated Development of Horticulture for the year 2021-22.
About the Mission
It aims at developing the horticultural sector in India.
It covers fruits, vegetables, tuber crops, roots, flowers, bamboo, cocoa, coconut, spices, aromatic
plants and cashews.
Under the mission, technical support is to be provided to the State Horticultural Mission, National
Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, Saffron Mission and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
The National Horticulture Board is implementing several schemes under Mission for Integrated
Development of Horticulture.
The Mission is currently focusing on promotion of Farmer Producer Organisation, credit push through
Agriculture Infrastructure fund and cluster development programmes. In August 2020, PM Narendra
Modi established Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs 1 lakh Crores. Recently, the Agriculture
Infrastructure crossed Rs 8,000 crores.
Achievements of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture
The area of cultivation of the components of the mission was increased by 9% between 2014-15 and
2019-20.
The production of these components were increased by 14% during the same time period.

Challenges of the Mission
High gaps and losses in post-harvest management. Also, there are very little Supply Chain Infrastructure.
Horticulture in India
The Horticultural production in India has almost doubled between 2001 (146 million tonnes) and 2019
(314 million tonnes).
The productivity of horticultural crops increased from 8.8 tonnes per hectare in 2001 to 12.3 tonnes
per hectare in 2019.
The share of horticultural crops to the agricultural crops increased from 39% in 2011 to 42% in 2019.
Around Rs 63,700 crores of horticultural crops are exported from India as of 2019-20.
China population grew at 0.53%
The annual population of China has slowed during the decade. This has put the demographic dividend of the
country at risk.
Outcomes of the Census
The annual population growth of China was at 0.53% in 2020 census. It was 0.57% in 2010 census.
The rate of population increase was the slowest since the first census. The first Census of the
country was conducted in 1953.
The fastest growth rate of the country was reported in 1982. The growth rate was 2.09%.
The number of births that occurred in China in 2020 was 12 million. This has decreased by 20% as
compared to the previous year.
It is to be noted that China scrapped its “One-Child Policy” in 2016. The policy was introduced in
1979. Now the limit has been increased to two children per couple.
The population in the age of 60 years and above grew at 18.27% in 2020 Census. It grew at 13.26% in
2010 census.
The average age of China is 38.8 years. Chinese are rich and strong as compared to that of the US
citizens. The average age of US population is 38 years.
The life expectancy of China has been increasing. Recently, the Government of China increased the
retired age of women to 55 years and that of men to 60 years.
The urban population in China has increased from 49.68% to 63.89%.
Working Age Population
The working age population in China has decreased from 70.14% to 63.35%. The concern of declining
working population in the country has been raised by several experts. In April 2021, the Central Bank of
China released a report on Demographics. It said that the demographic dividend in China is fading. And on
the other hand, the demographic dividend of India is increasing. This wider force will help India grow at
faster rate.
India
According to the United Nations, India will overtake China to become the most populous country in the
world by 2025.
OSIRIS-REx: NASA Spacecraft starts journey to Earth
The NASA Spacecraft called the “Osiris-Rex” has started a two year long journey back to the earth. The
spacecraft reached asteroid Bennu in 2018. It then spent two years flying around it and collected rubbles.
Rubbles are rough fragments of brick, stones.
About the OSIRIS-Rex
The mission was launched to study asteroid Bennu. The mission spent 2.5 years mapping the surface
of Bennu.
In 2020, the scientists directed Osiris Rex to drop down and collect sixty kilo grams of regolith (top

soil). They also found that the asteroid has lots of accessible water.
The mission will help to understand the origin and evolution of solar system.
Why Bennu?
It is the most hazardous asteroids currently known to the earth. Meaning it has one in 2,700 chances
of hitting the earth in the late 22nd century.
It makes its closest approach to the earth once in six years.
Also, the size of Bennu makes it approachable. Most of the asteroids, spin very fast. This rapid
spinning makes it difficult for the spacecrafts to collect samples.
Was Bennu the first Mission to land on an Asteroid?
Japan had sent Hayabusa and the European Space Agency had sent Rosetta Mission. Thus, Bennu was not
the first mission to land on an asteroid.
Hayabusa Mission
It was launched in 2014 to collect samples from Ryugu. It reached Ryugu in 2018. It spent 18 months there
and returned to the earth in December 2020.
Rosetta Mission
The Rosetta Mission was launched by the European Space Agency to explore comet Churyumov-
Gerasimenko in 2004.
It was the first mission to orbit a comet. Also, it was the first mission to land a probe on its surface.
Kerala Iron Lady in Politics K R Gouri passed away
A former minister and an old-time communist leader K R Gouri Amma passed away in Thiruvananthapuram.
About Gouri Amma
She was born on July 14, 1919 in Alappuzha district. She studied law. Later she became a member of
Communist Party of India. She played a leading role in fighting for the rights of unprivileged sections and
labourers.
Gouri Amma fought against the Travancore Divan Ramaswamy Aiyar in Punnapra Vayalar struggle.
She was subjected to physical torturing by police for a number of times.
Elections
In 1948, she contested against Thiru-Kochi from Thuravur constituency. Unfortunately, she lost the
elections. However, she won in the elections held in 1952 and 1954.
In 1957, when the first election to Kerala Assembly was conducted, Gouri Amma successfully contested and
became the first revenue minister of the state.
She had contested 17 elections in her life. And had won 13 of them.
She held ministerial posts in six governments.
She played a major role in several reformative legislations passed. It includes the Lands reforms act. The
act was enacted against the expulsion of landless from government land.
Communist party split
When the communist party split, Gouri Amma stood with the reformists. On the other hand, her husband
chose not to leave the CPI.
Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi
In 1994, Gouri Amma was ousted from the CPM due the difference of opinion in leadership. She thus
formed her own party called the Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi. She then aligned with the Congress
led United Democratic Front and became a minister.
In 2016, due to difference of opinion in leadership, she left UDF.
WHO warns against use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19
The Health Minister of Goa recently recommended the use of “Ivermectin” to all people above the age of

eighteen years. However, the World Health Organisation has warned against its use now.
What did the Goa Government say?
The Government of Goa recently cleared a new COVID-19 Treatment Protocol. Under the protocol, the
Government had recommended the use of “Ivermectin” drug. It was prescribed to prevent viral fever that
accompanies COVID-19 infection.
The Government also announced that the Ivermectin drug will be available in all health centres in the state.
Also, it was recommended that it shall be taken by all the residents irrespective of whether they have
COVID-19 symptoms or not.
What is WHO saying?
A peer-reviewed research claims that continuous use of Ivermectin ends COVID-19. Also, it reduces the risk
of contracting the deadly respiratory disease if used regularly. The review was done by three senior
scientists working for the US Government.
To this, the World Health Organisation Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan has said that WHO
recommends against the use of Ivermectin.
What is the issue?
Apart from WHO, the German health care has also warned against the use of Ivermectin for COVID-19
treatment. These organisations are warning against the drug as there is no sufficient data or meaningful
evidences for its clinical efficacy in patients.
The Goa Government also said that there has been large significant statistical proof for reduction in
mortality in COVID patients treated with the drug. This has created the controversy.
Conclusion
The Government of India had recommended that the drugs that have been approved or recommended by
USFDA and European Medical Agency shall be used in India. In April 2021, USFDA recommended against the
use of Ivermectin in treating COVID patients.
This order of using drugs approved by key agencies was passed on April 13, 2021.
High & upper middle countries received 83% vaccines: WHO
The World Health Organisation recently announced that the high and upper middle-income countries have
received 83% of world vaccines. These countries represent 53% of world population.
On the other hand, the low and middle income countries have received only 17% of the word vaccines and
they account to 47% of world population.
Variant of Concern
Along with the above announcement, the World Health Organisation has also said that the COVID variant
B.1.617, the double mutant Corona Virus variant is being classified as “Variant of Concern” at a Global level.
This is the fourth variant to be designated as “Variant of Global Concern”. The other three were the UK
variant or the Kent variant (B.1.1.7), Brazil variant (P.1) and the South Africa variant (B.1.351)
Recently, the UK scientists declared the COVID-19 strains found in India as “Variant of Concern”.
COVID-19 mutations
The viruses make copies of themselves to survive and spread. They tend to change while making copies.
These changes are insignificant. Some may even harm virus. However, there are certain changes that may
increase the infectivity of the diseases.
The more a virus spreads, the more are its chances to mutate. Some mutations lead to new variants.
What is so bad about mutants declared as “Variant of Concern”?
All the four mutants of COVID-19 that were declared as “Variant of Concern” by the World Health
Organisation have undergone changes in their spike protein. That is, they have undergone changes in that
part that attaches to human cells. This increases their infection. Also, it means that they can spread more

rapidly paving way for more mutants to arise.
IEA: Renewable Energy Market Update
The International Energy Agency recently released the “2021 Renewable Energy Market Update”. The Agency
has increased its forecast for the global growth of solar energy and wind energy by 25%.
The report reveals that 280 GW of the renewable energy was installed in 2020. This is 45% increase as
compared to that of 2019.
Key findings of the Report
The 45% increase that occurred in 2020 is the highest in last three decades.
The wind power increased by 90% and the solar power (Photo Voltaic) increased by 50%
The Biofuel demand in 2020 decreased. The year-on-year decrease in production by volume was 8%.
Predictions of the report
The IEA predicts that the growth in wind power is to slow down in 2021. However, it will remain higher
as compared to that of 2017-19.
The growth of Photo Voltaic is to continue to increase as China and US have come forward to update
their climate targets.
The demand of biofuels is to rebound in 2021 to the levels of 2019. And will further grow by 7% in
2022.
Report on China
The report says that the renewable energy in China is to grow by 45%. It is to grow from 150 GW to 230 GW.
However, this new forecast is lower than that predicted in 2020.
Report on USA
The forecasts for renewable energy in the US was increased by 20%. However, this did not include Biden’s
new emission targets.
Report on India
The solar auction volumes in India increased. However, the ongoing COVID-19 surge in the country has
created a short-term uncertainty.
Record Breaking renewable energy levels in India and China
India and China have made record-breaking competitive auctions. On an average, the countries secured 55
GW of new renewable power. The average price of wind energy was 60 USD per Mega Watt Hour and that of
solar energy was 47 USD per Mega Watt Hour.
On an average, the corporate companies in India and China have signed “Power Purchase Agreements” for
25 GW in 2020. This is 25% increase as compared to that of the previous year.
What is Five Deeps Expedition?
The Five Deeps Expedition has provided data on the deepest points of five oceans in the world. They are the
Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and the Southern Oceans.
What did “Five Deeps Expedition” find?
Java Trench is the deepest point in Indian Ocean. There were competing claims for the deepest point
in Indian Ocean. This was between Java Trench off coast of Indonesia and Fracture Zone to the
Southwest of Australia. Java Trench turned out to be the winner!
Factorian Trench is the deepest point in Southern Ocean. Southern Ocean is also called the Antarctic
Ocean.
Puerto Rico Trench is the deepest in Atlantic Ocean.
Molloy Hole is the deepest point in Arctic Ocean.
The second deepest trench in the world is the Horizon Deep in the Tonga Trench. This is after the
Challenger Deep located in Mariana Trench.

The expedition has found that some major animals can survive in great depths. Jelly fish at 10,000
metres; Squid at 6,500 metres; Octopus at 2,000 metres
Though some of the above findings were already made, the expedition confirmed them, found new lives,
corrected erratic data and also updated some.
Mariana Trench
Though Mariana Trench, the deepest point on the earth, located in the Western Pacific has been surveyed
several times, the Five Deeps Expedition removed several uncertainties. According to the expedition, there
is surprising amount of life in Mariana Trench.
About the Expedition
It is the brainchild of Explorer Victor Vescovo. He has completed the “Explorers Grand Slam”.
The Five Deeps Expedition was organised by a company called Caladan Oceanic LLC. It was founded by
Victor himself. The company aims to support expeditions that increase ocean understanding.
Significance of Five Deeps Expedition
Such projects are important as 80% of world oceans are still unexplored. And countries are aggressively
competing with each other to take hold of unexplored resources. China is one amongst them who is
aggressively exploring South China Sea defying International Sea laws.
In 2019, Victor became the first person to reach the bottom of all oceans and top of all world continents.
What is Explorer’s Grand Slam?
It requires the climbing of highest peaks in all seven continents and also skiing at least 100 kilometres in
both north pole and south pole.
Way forward
The data collected from the expedition is to be handed over to the “Seabed 2030 Project” of Nippon
Foundation-GEBCO. The project is compiling data from various sources to create a complete Ocean Depth
map by the end of the decade.
May 12, 2021
What is Commodity Super Cycle?
The prices of commodities from corn to crude oil to rubber, rhodium, copper, soy bean has been increasing
since the beginning of 2021. This is referred to as Commodity Super Cycle.
Commodity Super cycle
Since the beginning of nineteenth century there has been four Commodity Super Cycle.
The first Commodity Super cycle started in the late 1890s as the United States entered into rapid
industrialisation and urbanisation.
The second Commodity Super Cycle started when the weapon demand due to first world war
increased exponentially. It peaked in 1917.
The third commodity Super Cycle started as Europe and its allies got involved in the Second World
War completely. The resources required for the war were huge. Th cycle peaked in 1951. As it took
time for the post-war growth, the cycle lasted a while and peaked in 1951.
The third cycle started in early 1970s. As economic growth has been constantly increasing post world
war II, the demand increased. However, supply was disrupted as countries nationalised extraction
industries.
The recent Commodity Super cycle started when China joined the World Trade Organisation in 2000.
The rapid industrialisation in China forced mass migration of workers to the cities. As China started
to spend more and more on infrastructure, it started to become the top consumer of most of the
commodities. This fourth cycle was interrupted by the 2008 Financial Crisis. After this, the prices
again started increasing. Now, COVID crisis is accelerating this.

Current Scenario
The steel prices have increased by 265% in 2020-21 as compared to that of 2019-20.
The prices of copper have hit an all-time high since 2011.
Also, the prices of palm oil, coffee, soy bean oil has been increasing.
Impact on India: India currently has taken up huge infrastructural plan. The sharp rise in prices of
steel and cement at this point of time will affect plans of India. Apart from this, as India is marching
towards self-sufficiency, the rest of the price rise will not affect India. However, oil price rise will of
course be of huge concern!
What is causing the current Commodity super Cycle?
Recovery in global demand
Supply side constraints
Loose Monetary policy of global central banks
What will be the effect of Commodity Super Cycle?
It will increase input cost pressures.
What is the effect of US Dollar on the current Commodity Super Cycle?
The US Dollar has been steadily depreciating and aiding to the Commodity Super Cycle. The USD has been
on depreciating path since 2001. It touched to the lowest levels in 2008 when the oil prices hit all-time high.
Why is depreciating USD increasing Commodity Super Cycle?
Or why is a depreciating USD increasing commodity prices. The raw materials are usually priced in USD.
Thus, a depreciating USD means a producer has to adjust prices upwards to balance the higher production
cost in local currency.
Concept In Simple Terms
Let us assume that a person is importing crude oil from US and refining it here in India. He will then sell
petrol, diesel, etc in India.
Note: Cost of 1 barrel of oil is 65 USD now (approximately). 1 Barrel of oil is 159 litres or 42 US Gallons.
Assume that he pays 60 USD for 1 barrel of oil. Now USD depreciates. This means that he has to pay 70
USD for 1 barrel of oil. This means that the cost of his raw material has increased. So his production cost
will increase and eventually the price of end product increases.
International Nurses Day: May 12
Every year, the International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12. The birth anniversary of Florence
Nightingale is celebrated as the International Nurses Day. The day is celebrated to mark the contributions
made by the nurses to the society.
This year, in 2021, the International Nurses Day is celebrated under the following theme:
Theme: Nursing the World to Health
About International Nurses Day
The International Nurses Day has been celebrated by the International Council of Nurses since 1965. Every
year, on International Nurses Day, the International Council of Nurses distributes educational and public
information materials to be used by nurses everywhere.
Florence Nightingale
She was an English social reformer and also was the founder of modern nursing. She trained and managed
nurses during the Crimean War. She took care of wounded soldiers at Constantinople. Also, reputation for
nurses in the Victorian culture began to increase because of her.
She was called as “The Lady with the Lamp”. This is the because she used to carry a lamp while making
rounds of wounded soldiers at night.
She was the first person to lay foundation of professional nursing. She established Nursing school at St

Thomas hospital in London. It was the first nursing school in the world. It is now a part of the King’s college
of London.
The Florence Nightingale Medal is the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve. It is awarded by
the International Committee of the Red Cross.
What is Victorian Culture?
It is the period of reign of Queen Victoria, that is, between 1837 and 1901. This era was preceded by
Edwardian period and was succeeded by the Gregorian period.
Nepal Prime Minister loses Vote of confidence
The President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari recently prorogued the Parliament after the Prime Minister Oli
lost vote of confidence. Proroguing is to discontinue a session of parliament or legislative assembly.
What happened?
A vote of Confidence was placed at the Nepali Parliament. The parliament has 271 members. Oli secured 93
votes in favour and 124 against.
Recently, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) withdrew its support to the Government of Nepal.
According to the party, Oli breached the constitution and is a threat to democracy in Nepal.
What is in it for India?
The bilateral relations between India and Nepal weakened under Oli’s leadership. Under his leadership, in
May 2020, Nepal released a new political map that claimed Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh of
Uttarakhand as a part of Nepal territory.
India-Nepal
India and Nepal have had strong ties since the signing of 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship. More than
80 lakh Nepalese live in India. India is one of the largest foreign remittance sources for Nepal.
Nepali Gorkhas are the most important regiment of Indian Army.
A custom prevails between India and Nepal under which, Indian Army chief is ceremonially conferred the
title of honorary General of the Nepal Army.
Indian nationals do not need Visa to reach Nepal. Indian registered vehicles can stay in Nepal for thirty
days. Indian rupees is widely accepted in Nepal.
Irritants
Nepalese always complain that India shows “Big Brother” attitude towards Nepal. Also, Nepal has accused
India for its interventions in Nepal domestic politics. The earlier monarchs of Nepal such as King Gyanendra
and King Mahendra tilted towards China to balance out India.
India raised concerns against omission of Madhesi in new constitution of Nepal. After the new constitution,
Madhesi launched a six-month long blockade in India-Nepal border. This crippled Nepal economy. Nepal is
highly dependent on India for its goods, especially oil. Being a land locked country, it is highly relies on
Kolkata port and Vizag ports for its shipment. Thus, closing its Indian border created heavy economic
losses.
Important India-Nepal ties and irritants:
The Kalapani issue
Surya Kiran Military Exercise
Sale of Darjeeling Tea affects illegal Nepal tea
Madhesi and Terai Rights Movement
Madhesi Crisis in Nepal
NASA-Axiom: First Private Astronaut Mission to Space Station
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently signed an agreement with Axiom
Space.

What is the Agreement?
Under the agreement, Axiom is to send its astronauts to International Space Station. This is the first private
astronaut mission to the space station. The mission has been named as Ax-1.
What is the plan?
The Axiom astronauts will spend eight days in the space station. They will conduct activities to coordinate
with the space station on the ground. This is like a testing or learning project. Also, Axiom will purchase
crew supplies, orbit resources, cargo delivery to space and storage from NASA.
Background
The International Space Station is to retire by 2024 or 2028. Russia had already announced that it is moving
out of International Space Station after the agreement ends in 2024. Russia is currently building its own
space station.
With the ISS retiring, NASA is to open it up for commercial activities.
India’s Own Space Station
India is planning to launch its own space station in 2020. With this India will join the elite countries US,
China and Russia. The Indian Space Station will be smaller, that is, of 20 tonnes. It will be used for
performing microgravity experiments and not for space tourism.
The Indian Space Station is to beset up at a height of 400 km.
This project will be an extension of the Gaganyaan Mission.
Space Stations are important to collect meaningful scientific data. They are used to study about the effects
of long term space flight on human body.
Cabinet approves PLI Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage
The Union Cabinet recently approved the Production Linked Incentive scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell
Battery Storage. Around Rs 18,100 crores have been allocated to the scheme.
This has been done as a part of National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage.
About the scheme
The approved PLI scheme aims to achieve manufacturing capacity of 50 GW of Advanced Chemistry
Cell (ACC) and five Giga Watt Hour of Niche ACC.
The scheme has been introduced to reduce the import dependence. Also, it aims to increase
domestic production of battery storage.
What is ACC?
They are new generation storage devices that store energy in chemical or electrochemical form. They then
convert it back to electric energy when required.
National Programme on Advance Chemistry Cell Battery Storage
It was proposed by the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage that was launched
in 2019. Both were proposed by NITI Aayog. The main objective of the programme on ACC is to produce 50
Giga Watt hour of domestic ACC manufacturing.
Recent Developments in PLI Schemes
The following developments were those that occurred since November 2020 in the PLI Scheme:
Guidelines issued for PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry
PLI Scheme: Critical Bulk Drugs approved
Union Cabinet: PLI Scheme for Air Conditioners and LED Lights approved
PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry
GoI added ten sectors to PLI Scheme
Cabinet approves PLI Scheme for IT hardware & pharma sectors
Cabinet approved PLI scheme for Telecom Sector

‘Specialty Steel’ included under the PLI Scheme
What is happening in Gaza?
The tensions in the Gaza strip have been escalating since the Israeli police put a barricade at the Damascus
Gate. This was around the start of Ramzan, in mid-April, 2021.
Damascus Gate
It is one of the main gates to the old city of Jerusalem. It is located on the highway that connects
Damascus, the Syrian capital.
What caused the tensions?
The Israeli armed forces recently stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Israel. This was done ahead of a March by
the Zionist Nationalists.
The action of the Israeli armed forces injured more than 300 Palestinians.
In response to the attack the Hamas fired dozens of rockets. Hamas is an Islamist militant group that runs
the Gaza strip. To this the Israelis launched an air strike on Gaza. This killed more than 21 Palestinians
including nine children.
Reasons behind the current escalation
After the barricade incident the Palestinian families in the east Jerusalem were threatened to be evicted.
This led to clashes between the Israeli police and the Palestinian protestors. During the clashes a dozen of
Israeli police personnel and hundreds of Palestinians were injured.
Jerusalem March
The Israeli Government had permitted the Zionists to conduct Jerusalem Day March. It is traditionally held
by the Zionists. However, the Israeli armed forces attacked the Al-Aqsa Mosque claiming that the
Palestinians had camped in the mosque with stones and cocktails.
Jerusalem
It has been at the centre of conflict between Israel and Palestine for a long time. The United Nations
partition plan proposed Jerusalem to be an international city in 1947. However, the Israelis captured the
Western half of the city during the first Arab Israeli war in 1948. Jordan occupied the Eastern part.
Later in 1967 Israel captured the Eastern Jerusalem from Jordan. Israel later expanded the settlements in
Eastern Jerusalem. Today there are 220,000 Jews in Eastern Jerusalem.
What do they want?
Israel sees the entire Jerusalem city as its unified capital. This claim was even endorsed by the former US
President Donald Trump when he was in power. On the other hand, Palestine is not ready to accept any
compromise formula unless East Jerusalem is made as its capital.
Haryana undertakes Monkey Census as a part of Wildlife Census
The Wildlife Institute of India recently conducted a “Monkey Census” in the state of Haryana.
About the Census
The “Monkey Census” was a part of the “Wildlife Census of Haryana-2021”. This in turn is a part of
the Wildlife Census 2021.
The unique feature of the “Monkey Census” is that the Wildlife Institute of India invited the local
people to participate in the census.
Around 600 people spotted 6,000 monkeys in three days.
The Census for the first time was conducted using a mobile application called “Wildlife Census
Haryana”. The mobile app was designed by Wildlife Institute of India.
About the Mobile App
The app was available at the Play Store for free download. The participants, that is, the residents had to just
enter the count of the monkeys, their sizes and gender if possible, using the application.

Why Monkey Census in Haryana?
The Human-Monkey conflicts in the state of Haryana have increased. Thus, the census was conducted to
shed some light into the issue. The conflicts have mainly increased in the cities of Ambala, Gurgaon,
Bhiwani, Faridabad, Yamnua Nagar.
Rhesus Macques
This species of monkeys that are frequently indulged in Human-Monkey Conflict are protected under
Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act
There are totally six schedules under the act. The species listed under Schedule I and Schedule II get
protection against hunting and also attract maximum penalties.
National Board for Wildlife
It was constituted as a Statutory Body under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Wildlife Census 2021
It is to be conducted in two parts namely Line transects survey in and around the Protected Areas and also
through camera traps.
Wildlife Institute of India
The Wildlife Institute of India was paid Rs 42 lakhs to conduct the survey. It is an autonomous institute that
operates under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was established in1982.
PayPal introduces digital Foreign Inward Remittance Advice (FIRA)
The Digital Payment service provider PayPal recently introduced Foreign Inward Remittance Advice. It is an
automated process to obtain monthly foreign inward remittance advice.
What is FIRA?
It is a document that acts as a proof for all the payments and inward remittances from a foreign
country.
It is issued by banks in India.
The exporters of all sizes have to get this.
What has PayPal done?
Earlier, the Indian seller had to send manual requests for FIRA to the bank partners of PayPal. Also,
they had to pay a fee for such services offered by the banks. The bank partners will then issue a
physical statement on FIRA. It will even take ten days. Now this process has been made simple. It has
been digitised.
This step is a part of PayPal’s mission to reach net zero emissions by 2040.
The monthly digital FIRA solution of PayPal will allow merchants to directly download FIRA from their
PayPal account.
Benefits
The process is completely automated.
The PayPal merchants can now download their FIRA at zero-cost.
It completely removes the paperwork.
This has been introduced to empower the Indian MSME exporters. It will help them grow their
businesses internationally.
Current Scenario
Today small exporters in India are accessing more than 200 markets reaching out to 350 million consumers
through PayPal. This happened after COVID crisis. Around Rs 10,000 crores of exports transactions were
held through PayPal.
It is an American company operating online payments. It was established in 1998.

Perseverance rover begins to study ancient crater's floor
The Perseverance rover of Mars 2020 mission is to study the floor of an ancient crater of Mars. The crater
once held a lake.
About the Study
The Perseverance rover will use a camera called “WATSON” to capture detailed shots of the rocks. Also, it
will use zoomable cameras located on its head to survey the terrain.
Scientists are still wondering if the rocks in Mars are igneous or sedimentary. Igneous rocks are formed by
volcanic activity. Sedimentary rocks are formed in the presence of water from mineral fragments such as
clay, sand, etc.
Challenge faced by Perseverance
The rocks around Perseverance have been eroded by wind over time. And they were covered with young
sand and dust. On the earth, a Geologist would break the rock sample, open it to get a better insight about
its origin. The Perseverance rover on the other hand, only holds a LASER instrument called SuperCam. It will
burn the rocks on the Martian surface and then will study about the vapours coming out. The question here
is about accuracy. Also, with this will the scientists be able to conclude if the rocks on the Martian surface
are igneous or sedimentary.
Ingenuity changes from technology demonstration phase to operation demonstration phase
NASA Rover Records Ingenuity Flight in Mars
Padmakumar M Nair named CEO of proposed bad bank
Padmakumar Madhavan Nair of State Bank of India has been appointed as the CEO of Bad Bank. The Bad
Bank is a proposed entity of the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARC).
About Padmakumar Nair
Current Mr Nair is serving as the Chief General Manager in charge of Stressed Assets of SBI. He has been
holding the post since April 2020. Prior to this, he worked as the General Manager in SARG.
What is a Bad Bank?
It is a financial organisation that takes over bad assets of lenders and resolves them. The entities will
sell their non-performing assets to the bad banks at market price.
It was suggested by the Indian Banks Association.
The Confederation of Indian Industry had asked the Finance Ministry to establish “Multiple Bad
Banks”.
The bad banks free the financial organisations from the burden of Non-Performing Assets. This will
help them to focus more on new loans.
In February 2021, the Indian Banks Association had identified the bad loans that can be transferred to
the proposed bad bank of the Central Government.
Recent Developments
Recently the Reserve Bank of India set up a Committee called the Sudarshan Sen Committee to study about
the Asset Reconstruction Companies in the country.

Background
The Reserve Bank of India had warned in its Financial Stability Report that the Non-Performing Assets are
increasing. This will be the highest in 22 years.
Benefits of Bad Banks
Usually, large debtors have several creditors. In this case, Bad banks can help in solving coordination
problems.
May 13, 2021
Iron Dome of Israel
Recently, Israel and Palestine engaged in air strikes. It all began with Israeli Police installing a barricade at
the Damascus Gate. Later the tensions escalated due to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli
police.
To this, the Hamas group from Gaza retaliated with rockets. These rockets were intercepted by Israeli Iron
Dome. It was as if the rockets were hitting some invisible shield.
What is Iron Dome?
It is an air defence system.
It neutralises any missiles or rockets.
It is a short-range ground air-to-air defence system.
It is used to counter rockets, mortars, aircraft, helicopters, mortars artillery and unmanned vehicles.
Birth of Iron Dome
In 2006, during the Israeli-Lebanon war, Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets in to Israel. Following this,
Israel announced that the Rafael Advance System run by the Government of Israel will develop an air
defence system to protect its people and cities. Thus Iron Dome was developed by Israel.
About Iron Dome
It was deployed in 2011.
According to Rafael Advance Systems, the Iron Dome has so far made more than two thousand
interceptions. Its success rate is more than 90%.
It is capable of protecting forward operating bases, urban areas, deployed and manoeuvring forces.
It shall be used in all weather conditions. Also, it can be operated during the day and at night.
The cost of interceptor Tamir Missile is 80,000 USD. Its battery and full unit costs 50 million USD.
Working of Iron Dome
When the interceptor sensor of the iron dome senses an incoming rocket, it detonates its own rocket and
sends out fragments. If the timing is right, then the fragments of the detonated rocket will hit the rocket
warhead. However, the interceptor approaches the rocket is critical. It intercepts missiles in all directions.
That is, Front Approach, Rear Approach and Side Approach.
It has three main systems. All the three systems act together to provide a shied over a defined area. The
three systems are as follows:
Detection and Tracking radar to spot incoming threats
Battle Management and Weapon Control System
Missile Firing Unit
It establishes a working relationship between interceptor missile and radar.
Sachin Waze, a police officer was dismissed from service by the Mumbai Police Commissioner under Article
311 (2) (b).
Sachin Waze was then arrested by the National Investigation Agency. He was arrested in connection with
Mukesh Ambani Terror Scare case and also in relation to the murder of Mansukh Hiran.
What is Ambani Terror Scare case?
On February 25, 2021, twenty Gelatin sticks were found in a vehicle parked outside the residence of Mukesh
Ambani residence, Antilia. He was provided Z-plus security cover, the highest protection cover GoI provides
to individuals facing threats. Sachin Vaze was the first investigating officer in the Ambani Terror Scare
case.
About Sachin Waze
He is an encounter specialist. He is involved with deaths of 63 alleged criminals. He was suspended for 17
years after his arrest in the custodial death of Khwaja Yunus. He was later granted bail and was reinstated
in June 2020.
He led the police team in the arrest of Republic TV Chief Arnab Goswami.
It speaks about the removal or reduction in rank of person employed under Government of India in civil
capacities. It acts as a safeguard for civil servants. It gives them chances to respond to charges filed
against them.
Article 311 (1)
The article says that a person who is a member of civil service of the GoI (Union or state) shall only be
removed by the authority who appointed him or her.
Article 311 (2)
He or she should be informed about the charges filed against him. He should be given opportunity to
explain his or her side of argument.
When is inquiry prescribed under Article 311 (2) not required?
It is not applicable when
Article 311 (2) (a): The Accusation is under criminal charges
Article 311 (2) (b): If the authority empowered to dismiss him or her is satisfied to remove him
Article 311 (2) (c): If the President or Governor feels that it is not practical or convenient to hold an
inquiry in the interest of the security of the state.
HPIV Human Para Influenza Viruses
The scientists have recently found out a new way to block the attachment of HPIV (Human Para Influenza
Viruses).
HPIV
The HPIV is the leading cause of death in childhood respiratory infections. More than 30% to 40% of
children die due to respiratory illness.
The HPIV latches on to the cells and injects genetic materials into the cells. This is done so that the genetic
material injected starts making new viruses. The scientists have now found a way to block this entry. This
method is highly efficient in blocking HPIV-3.
How is HPIV blocked?
The virus uses a specialised fusion proteins that resembles three sided corkscrew to enter human cells.
Earlier cholesterol and beta amino acids were found to block the HPIV. However, they were not efficient.
The scientists have now created a new peptide combining the previously found cholesterol and beta amino
acids.
Gellman lab discovered that modified beta amino acids containing peptides can block the viruses.
Moscona Protto lab earlier hooked the peptide to a molecule of cholesterol. This created a greasy cell
membrane that blocked the virus.
When the above two methods were combined, the anti-viral efficacy tripled.

Peptides
Peptides are short chain of amino acids. They are connected with one another in a sequence of peptide
bonds. They are distinguished from proteins by shorter length. Peptides help human body to fight against
microbes.
About HPIV
It Is a single stranded RNA virus. The different strains of HPIV are as follows:
HPIV Type 1: Most common of Croup
HPIV Type 2: Causes croup and also lower and upper respiratory tract illnesses
HPIV Type 3: Associated with Pneumonia and Bronchiolitis
HPIV Type 4: Includes subtypes 4a and 4b
Croup is the swelling inside trachea. It interferes with normal breathing.
Pacific football fish
The Pacific Football Fish was recently washed ashore on a California coast. It is usually found in deep sea.
Black in colour, it is usually addressed to as “Monster looking fish”. It is very rare to find the fish near the
coast or washed away in coastal areas as they live in deep seas.
About Pacific Football Fish
The Pacific Football fish are 60 centimetres in length.
Only female Pacific Football fish has bioluminescent tips that are used to hunt prey in the darkness of
water that is 3,000 feet deep.
They have large teeth.
Their large mouth is capable of swallowing prey that is the size of their own body.
These fish are found at great depths of the seas. Recently, the Five Deeps Expedition found that
aquatic life is present even at 11,000 metres, in the Mariana Trench of Pacific Ocean. Mariana Trench
is the deepest point in the world. The Five Deeps Expedition explored deepest points in five oceans of
the world.
Bioluminescence
It is the production and emission of light by a living organism. It occurs in vertebrates, invertebrates,
bioluminescent bacteria and terrestrial anthropod.
Usually, this bioluminescence involves a light emitting molecule called luciferin and an enzyme called
luciferase. The Enzyme catalyses oxidation of luciferin.
IUCN
It is listed under Least Concern in IUCN list of threatened species.
Why is the fish called a monster?
Males latch onto the females with their teeth and become “sexual parasites”. Eventually they coalesce
(come together to form one mass or whole). This happens with the female till nothing is left of their form
except tested for reproduction.
Vineyard Wind Project
Vineyard Wind Project is the first major Offshore wind farm that is to power 400,000 homes. The project
aims to install 84 turbines in the Atlantic Ocean. It is to be set up 12 Nautical miles off the coast of Matha’s
Vineyard.
About the Project
The project is capable of producing 800 MW of electricity. It is a 2.8 billion USD project.
Currently there are two major wind farms in the US. They are located off the coasts of Rhode island
and Virginia. And are currently some of the largest wind energy producing farms in the US. The size of
Vineyard project is huge that it will make these two projects look small.

Apart from Vineyard project, there are a dozen of offshore wind projects planned along the East
Coast.
When all the projects are installed, it is estimated that more than 2,000 turbines will be churning the
wind energy along the coast between North Carolina and Massachusetts.
Future Target
The US Administration has pledged to build 30,000 MW off shore wind projects by 2030.
The White House is to allocate 12 billion USD of capital investments to achieve this.
These steps are to support 77,000 direct and indirect jobs.
What is the plan?
The Electricity generated by the Vineyard Project is to travel through cables buried six feet below the
ocean floor.
The electricity is to be taken to Cape Cod. A substation is to be set up in Cape Cod.
The project is to start delivering electricity by 2023.
Recent Developments
International Climate Finance Plan of the US
India-US 2030 Climate Partnership
China US Climate Change Cooperation
UK Action Plan for Animal Welfare
The United Kingdom recently unveiled an Action Plan for Animal Welfare.
Key Features of the Plan
An Expert Committee on Animal Sentience will report on Government decisions. Sentience is the
capacity to be aware of sensations and feelings.
The plan will make sure that the animal welfare standards in the country are not compromised.
It will increase animal welfare for farm animals. This is to be done by ending export of live animals.
It also focuses on puppy smuggling and crack down on pet theft. This is because, the plan recognises
the fact that how important the pets and sporting animals are to people’s lives.
The plan will increase protections for wild animals. This is to be achieved by keeping primates as
pets, enhance their conservation and improve standards in Zoos.
About the Plan
The plan is in line with the goals of Animal Welfare and Welfare Common Framework. The framework
is being developed by the UK Government.
Tougher penalties for animal cruelty are to come into force as the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill
has recently received Royal Assent.
An independent trading policy is to play an integral part. Under the plan, the UK Government is to ban
the import and export of detached shark fins.
The plan aims to make UK a global example on animal welfare. This will make sure the businesses
involving animals to promote tourism does not increase. For instance, Asian elephants are subjected
to cruel and brutal training practices to ensure obedience.
Ivory Act
The UK is to implement Ivory Act in 2021 to ban the trade on elephant ivory.
Other key features of the plan
A task force is to be set up to control pet theft.
Compulsory Cat microchipping is to be introduced to ensure that the lost or stolen cats can be
reunited with their owners.
The remote controlled electronic training collars are to be banned.

Bring in legislation to crack down illegal practice of horse coursing.
Restrict the use of glue traps.
Maharashtra Mission Oxygen
The State Government of Maharashtra has recently launched the “Maharashtra Mission Oxygen”. Under the
mission, the daily production of the state is to be increased to 3,000 tonnes. The State Government has
allocated Rs 200 crores to the mission. It will provide special incentives to the private players who are
willing to being oxygen generation units.
What is the plan?
A short-term goal of 2,300 metric tonnes per day is to be achieved in next six months. The cost of the
mission has been estimated as RS 1,100 crores.
The mission involves the participation of private companies as well.
Under the mission, at least one new plant is to be established in each division.
The mission will also waive the registration fee, stamp duty, electricity duty and GST.
Around 150% GST is to be waived in backward Vidarbha and Marathwada and 100% in rest of the
state.
The State Government will also establish more than 290 Pressure Swing Absorption plants and Liquid
Medical Oxygen plants with the help of private players.
Current Scenario
There are six major players in the state such as Inox Air Products, Linde India, Praxair, Air Liquid India
Holdings, JSW Steel and Taiyo Nippon Sanso India. They produce most of the current day oxygen
requirement which is 1,295 metric tonnes. The actual demand of oxygen in Maharashtra is 1,800 metric
tonnes per day. However, it is predicted that the demand is to increase to 2,300 metric tonnes as the
COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing in the state.
Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
The Israeli Armed forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque recently. The fight in the country has been increasing
since mid-April. The Hamas in the Gaza Strip attacked Israel for its actions. They were engaged in Air
strikes. During the air strikes, Israel used IRON DOMES to defend itself from the missiles launched from
Gaza. It was as if some kind of shield protecting the city from missiles. It was spoken about widely all over
the world.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
It is one of the holiest structures in the Muslim region.
The mosque is built over a 35-acres of land.
The mosque is called “Haram al-Sharif” by Muslims. That is, Noble Sanctuary
The Jews call it “Temple Mount”
The mosque is sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians.
The mosque can hold five thousand worshippers.
The construction of the Mosque is believed to have been completed in eighth century.
It faces the “Dome of the Rock”. It is a golden-domed Islamic shrine that is widely recognised as
Symbol of Jerusalem.
Jews
The Jews worship the Temple Mount because it was the site where two Ancient Temples stood. The first
ancient temple was built by King Solomon. It was destroyed by the Babylonians. The second temple was
constructed before 600 years and was destroyed by the Romans.
In Hebrew it is called Har Habayit.

UNESCO World Heritage Site
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has classified the mosque as the World
Heritage Site. This means that the mosque is of international importance and deserves special protection.
Control of the Mosque
The mosque is currently controlled by an Islamic trust called Waqf. The Waqf trust is currently funded and
controlled by Jordan. So, it is ultimately Jordan controlling the Mosque!
The Waqf also controls the Dome of the Rock.
Jews and Christians are not allowed to pray on the grounds. Only Muslims can pray on the ground. Jews
can pray just below the sacred plateau at the Western Wall. It is the remnants of the wall that once
surrounded Temple Mount.
China launches classified Yaogan satellites into orbit
China recently launched Changsei 2C rocket from the Xichang satellite launch centre. It is a Yaogan
satellite. This satellite has joined the previous seven groups in orbit that were launched after 2017. The
satellite is to be used for electromagnetic environmental surveys and other related technical tests.
About the launch
China launched three Yaogan-30 satellites and Tianqi-12 satellite in its Long March 2C. It was
launched from Jiuquan Launch Centre in Gobi desert.
Prior to the Yaogan-30 mission, Yaogan-34 satellite was launched.
China is planning to launch forty satellites in 2021.
In May 2021, Tianzhou-2 Cargo and refuelling spacecraft is to be launched. It is a part of Tiangong
Space Station.
Yaogan satellites
It is a series of Chinese Reconnaissance satellites. Reconnaissance satellite is a spy satellite deployed for
military or intelligence applications. However, Chinese claim that Yaogan satellites are launched for land
survey, crop yield assessment, scientific experiment and disaster monitoring.
Recent Developments
In April 2021, China launched Tianhe space station core module.
In May 2021, it fell into Indian Ocean
Several countries raised concerns against this as the track of the falling rocket was not tracked properly.
China was not transparent in informing the world about its falling rocket. The rocket fell in the Indian Ocean
near Maldives. It was one of the heaviest satellites lanunched in the world.
Tiangong Programme
It is a Chinese programme that aims to create modular space station. Tiangong-1 was the first space
laboratory launched by the Chinese in 2011. Later Tiangong-2 was launched in 2016.
RBI announces Second Tranche of purchase under G-SAP 1.0
The Reserve Bank of India recently announced that the second tranche of open market purchase of
Government Securities is to be held on May 20, 2021. This is to be held under G-Sec Acquisition
Programme. This second tranche is to be conducted for Rs 35,000 crores.
Background
In April 2021, the Reserve Bank of India launched the Government Security Acquisition Programme
1.0. It was held on April 15, 2021. RBI purchased Rs 25,000 crores of Government securities.
Earlier in May 2021, RBI announced that the second tranche is to be purchased under G-SAP 1.0.
A detailed announcement
Though RBI had announced about the second Tranche earlier, it has now said that it will purchase seven
Government Securities of different maturities. Also, the apex bank announced that there will be not security-

wise notified amount.
What is Security-wise Notified amount?
It includes details such as source securities, destination securities, amount of source securities and also
the maturing date. These details are usually published by RBI.
E-Kuber
The Government Securities are issued through auctions conducted by the apex bank. These auctions are
conducted on the electronic platform called E-Kuber.
Why should one invest in Government Securities?
This is because holding cash in hand does not give any returns. On the other hand, the investment in gold
and Government securities increases the returns over the period of time.
Different types of Auctions of Government Securities
Yield Based Auctions and Price based auctions
Yield Based Auctions are conducted when a new government security is issued.
Price Based Auctions are conducted when GoI re-issues securities that were already issued earlier.
World Bank: Recent data on Global Remittance
The World Bank recently released its “Migration and Development Brief”. The report said that the remittance
flows to the low-income and middle-income countries were 1.9% lower in 2020 as compared to that of 2019.
It was 540 billion USD in 2020 and 548 billion USD in 2019.
Key Findings
The reduction in remittance inflows were smaller than that of 2009 Global Financial Crisis.
However, the remittance inflows to China reduced by 30% in 2020.
The inflows to the Caribbean and Latin countries increased by 6.5%
Increased by 5.2% in south Asia
Increased by 2.3% in North Africa
In Pacific and East Asia, it fell by 7.9%
Fell by 2.3% in North Africa and Middle East
Fell by 9.7% in Central Asia and Europe
Fell by 12.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa
Apart from China, the remittance inflows declined greatly in Nigeria. It fell by 28%.
India and its Neighbourhood
In 2019, India received 83.3 billion USD remittances. This fell by 0.2% in 2020. This was maximum in
remittance from UAE. The remittance from UAE to India reduced by 17%.
In Pakistan, the remittances increased by 17%. The biggest growth in remittances to Pakistan came
from Saudi Arabia.
The remittances in Bangladesh increased by 18.4%
In Sri Lanka, it increased by 5.8%
In Nepal, it fell by 2%
What is Remittance?
It is a sum of money sent from one country to other country. It can be business payments or remittances
paid to a family member, friends.
How are remittances important?
They help the currency to hold its value against a foreign currency.
The World Bank says that the remittances are the second largest resource inflow for developing
countries after FDI.
As the flow of remittances increases, the currency value of receiving country increases and the value

of foreign currency depreciates.
1st BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting
The first BRICS Employment Working Group was held virtually. It was hosted by India. India assumed BRICS
Presidency in 2021.
Outcomes of the meet
The member countries discussed about promoting social security agreements among BRICS Nations,
participation of women in labour force, formalisation of labour markets.
The members that participated in the meeting were BRICS countries and also members from
International Labour Organisation and International Social Security Agency.
Social Security Agreement
The members agreed to conduct dialogues and discussions with each other to solve the issue of Social
Security Agreement. Upon reaching into conclusions, they will take it forward to signing agreements. The
ILO and the ISSA are to provide technical support.
The member countries also agreed to create a multilateral framework for the same.
Formalisation of Labour Market
The countries discussed on how COVID-19 has informalized the labour market.
Women in Labour Market
The counties agreed to promote women in productive and decent work. They also agreed to extend the
social security cover to women workers in informal sector. They also discussed on the participation of
women in labour force.
What is Social Security Agreement?
It is an agreement signed by a country to regulate the procedure of providing social security for its citizens
who are permanently or temporarily residing in another country.
India’s Social Security Agreements
India till date has Social Security Agreements with South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Norway,
Netherlands, Japan, Hungary, Germany, France, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Canada, Belgium,
Austria, Australia.
India signed Social Security Agreement with Brazil in 2018.
India has not yet signed SSA with US!
Report: 99 of 100 cities with environmental risk are in Asia
A private firm Verisk Maplecroft has found that the Asian cities face the greatest risk from environmental
issues. This includes natural disasters and air pollution.
Of the hundred most vulnerable cities, ninety-nine are located in Asia.
Of the 100, around thirty-seven are in China and forty three are in India. China and India are the first
and third largest greenhouse gas emitters in the world.
Around 1.5 billion people spread out in 414 cities of the world are living in high risks of water
shortage, pollution, natural hazards, extreme heat and other physical impacts of climate change.
India is home to thirteen of the top twenty riskiest cities. This was mainly due to air and water
pollution.
Jakarta topped the list and was the riskiest city in the world.
The flood prone cities of China namely Dongguan and Guangzhou topped the list of cities that are
facing threats from natural hazards. They were followed by Osaka and Tokyo of Japan. The Japanese
cities are vulnerable to typhoons and earthquakes.
Lima is the only city outside Asia to enter in top hundred riskiest cities in the world.

Glasgow was ranked as the safest city.
About the report
Around 576 cities in different parts of the world were scored based on the following factors:
Water Quality
Heat Stress
Vulnerability to Climate Change
Water Scarcity
Economies and infrastructure to natural hazards such as tsunamis, earthquakes and landslides
Why do Asian cities face more risks than the rest?
The report says that Asia is the most densely populated region in the world. This puts pressure on water
sources. Also the air in the region is polluted due to burning of coal and biomass fuels. There are large
number of natural hazards that are built into its Geography. This why the risks due to environmental issues
are the highest in these cities.
COVISHIELD: Gap between doses increased
The Government of India recently increased the gap between the two doses of the COVISHIELD Vaccine.
The gap was increased from six to eight weeks to twelve to sixteen weeks. This is the second time in three
months, the gaps between the doses of COVISHIELD have been widened. In March 2021, the Union
Territories and State Governments were asked to increase the gap from twenty-eight days to six to eight
weeks.
Why was the gap increased?
The COVID-19 Working Group recommended to increase the gap based on the real-life evidences from the
UK. The recommendations were agreed by NEGVAC (National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration).
Currently, the gap between the doses are four to six weeks.
The protection against the vaccines increased if the gap between the doses are increased. In Canada the
gap between the doses are three to four months.
A Lancet study says that the protection (efficacy) against COVID-19 increased from 55.1% to 81.3% if the
gap between the doses was increased from six to eight weeks to twelve to sixteen weeks.
Why two doses?
The immunity to COVID-19 plateaued after the first dose. Thus, the second dose is essential to boost the
immunity to higher levels. The COVID-19 recovered people should get booster dose after six months.
The time gap between doses of COVAXIN has not been altered. This is because COVAXIN was completely
developed in a different way. It is an inactivated vaccine that contains dead COVID-19 virus. It teaches the
immune system how to defend the body against the virus. On the other hand, the COVISHIELD was
developed using a vector called Adeno virus.
May 14, 2021
What is Shavuot?
Shavuot in Hebrew means Weeks. It took seven weeks of trekking through the desert to reach Mount Sinai.
It is called the “Feast of Weeks”. It is a Jewish holiday that occurs in the Hebrew month of Sivan, that is,
between May 15 and June 14.
About Shavuot
According to Bible, Shavuot marks the wheat harvest in the Land of Israel.
Also, it commemorates the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals of Judaism.
It is celebrated traditionally in Land of Israel.

Significance
At the Temple of Jerusalem, the Jewish farmers used to present their “Bikkurim” to the god. Bikkurim is the
first ripe fruit offered in thanks to God.
Temple of Jerusalem
It was a series of structures where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the rock stand. The Israeli
policemen recently stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Mount Sinai
It is the mountain where “Ten Commandments” were given to Moses by God. Moses is the most important
prophet of Judaism. He is also an important prophet in Islam and Christianity.
Three Pilgrimage festivals of Israel
Shavuot, Pesach and Sukkot are the three major pilgrimage festivals in Israel. In the ancient times, the
Israelites used to make pilgrimage to the Temple of Jerusalem during these three festivals. After the
destruction of the second temple, the pilgrimages are no longer obligatory upon Jews. However, today the
Jews living in and around Israel offer prayers at the western wall.
Whitley Awards, 2021
Whitley Awards are called “Green Oscar”. In 2021, the Whitley Award was won by Nuklu Phom of Nagaland.
He is the only Indian to receive the award.
Whitley Awards
Whitley Awards are presented annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature. It is presented to recognise
grass root level conservation leaders.
It involves process of reference, application and interview.
The Whitley Fund for Nature was established by Edward Whitley in 1994. It has so far given 16 million
pounds to support the work of two hundred environmental heroes.
Whitely Fund for Nature
It works to find out local conservationists in the regions of resource-poor, biodiversity rich countries.
It supports projects based on science and community involvement
It also works to boost the national and international winners who address challenges faced by
biodiversity worldwide.
The winners receive 40,000 pounds.
Nuklu Phom
Nuklu Phom is creating “Biodiversity Peace Corridors”. The main objective of the extend the
“Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Area”.
Apart from conservation of wildlife and environmental protection he also extends his works to health,
education and micro finance.
Lemasachenlok Society was founded by him. It has worked towards sensitising the locals about the
Amur Falcons. It has set up three reserves that helped to increase the number of roosting Falcons.
Nuklu Phom is populary known as the “Amur Falcon Man of Nagaland”.
Amur Falcon
Amur Falcon breeds in Northern China and Siberia. During winter, the Amur Falcon migrate to India
and then over the Arabian Sea to Southern Africa.
The increasing concern is that people have started hunting Amur Falcon. In India, more than 14,000
are hunted annually. The State Governments have declared ban on hunting Amur Falcons. In spite of
the ban, the hunting of Amur Falcon is increasing.
It is listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN.
Nagaland is called the “Falcon Capital of the World”.

Biodiversity Peace Corridors
It incorporates 16 villages spread across four districts. It adopts sustainable land use practices.
Tauktae Cyclone forms in Arabian Sea
Tauktae Cyclone is the first cyclone in 2021 in India. The Kerala Government has issued “Red Alert”.
How are Cyclones formed?
The warm and moist air in the ocean rises up. As more and more air rises up, it leaves less air. This
creates an area of low pressure. The pressure around this area is high. The air from the surrounding
areas pushes into the low-pressure area. Now this air gets warmed up and rises. The cycle continues.
As the warm air rises up it cools and condenses into clouds. The whole system of wind and clouds
spins and grows. This is aided by the ocean heat and evaporating water.
As the system rotates faster and faster, an eye is formed at the centre. The eye is clear and calm.
When the system rotates at 63 kilometre per hour, it is called “Tropical Storm”. When the wind speed
reaches 119 kilometre per hour it is called tropical cyclone or hurricane.
Conditions for Cyclone Formation
The following conditions favour cyclone formation:
The Surface Sea Temperature increases to 27° C and higher.
Presence of Coriolis force
Differences in Vertical wind speed
Upper divergence above the sea level system
Low pressure area
Favourable Madden Julian Oscillation
Ocean heat potential
Madden Julian Oscillation
It is an oceanic atmospheric phenomenon that affects the weather activities in the earth. It is a pulse of
clouds, winds, rainfall and pressure near the equator that occurs every thirty to sixty days. It is prominent
over Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
There are two phases of Madden-Julian Oscillation
Enhanced Rainfall Phase
Suppressed Rainfall Phase
What is Nok Culture?
The scientists from the University of Bristol and Goethe University have found traces of bee wax in the
potteries unearthed in Nigeria. These potteries belong to the Nok Culture.
Inference
From the unearthed pots, it has been concluded that bee and bee products were created before
40,000 years.
The practice of bee keeping dates back to 2600 BCE.
Nok Culture
The culture developed in Central Nigeria in 1500 BCE.
The culture vanished in 500 AD.
The people of Nok Culture belong to Iron Age.
Sculptures
The Nok Culture is known for its terracotta sculptures.
The Nok People used clay to make their sculptures. The clay used in all the sculptures were similar.
This showed that the clay came from the same source and was controlled by a central authority.
Their sculptures consisted only of heads that defined hairstyles in detail. Also, they are depicted with

abundant jewellery and varied postures.
Tools
Smelting and forging tools were used in Nok Culture. Smelting is the process of applying heat to the
ores to extract the metals from them. Forging is the process of shaping the metal.
They also used stone tools.
Their farming tools were made of iron.
Around thirteen iron smelting furnaces have been found by archaeologists. They were found using a
Proton Magnetometer
Proton Magnetometer
It measures the variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. This allows the ferrous objects on land and sea to
be detected.
They are also used to locate a wrecked ship.
Voyager 1 detects persistent hum
The Voyager 1 probe recently picked up humming sound. The scientists have named this as “Plasma Wave
Emission”. This humming sound has been interpreted as interstellar gas activity. Moving forward, the
Voyager 1 will help scientists to understand the interactions between solar winds and the interstellar
medium. The hum was of narrow frequency bandwidth.
About the discovery
The discovery of humming sound was made by the Plasma Wave System Instrument of Voyager 1. This
sound was heard after Voyager 1 exited the heliosphere and entered the interstellar space.
The first humming sound was heard after three months the Voyager 1 exited heliosphere. The second sound
was heard after six months the Voyager 1 exited the heliosphere. However, the second sound was louder.
With this, the scientists conclude that the interstellar medium is getting thicker at faster rate.
What is interstellar medium?
Interstellar medium is the radiation and matter that exist in the space between the star systems in a galaxy.
This medium consists of gas in molecular, atomic or ionic form.
Voyager 1
The Voyager 1 was the first spacecraft to enter the heliosphere of the sun in 2012.
The Voyager 1 was launched in 1977.
It was launched to study the outer solar system and planets such as Saturn and Jupiter on its way.
Voyager 2 is called the twin of Voyager 1.
After operating for 44 years, it is still communicating with the Deep Space Network of NASA. The
Deep Space Network of NASA is a worldwide space communication network located in the US, Spain
and Australia.
What is the Heartbeat Bill?
Texas recently passed the Heartbeat Bill. It is a controversial bill in the United States. The bill bans
abortions after the heartbeat of the embryo is detected. It is usually detected after 6 weeks of gestation.
Which states have passed Heartbeat Bill?
North Dakota became the first state in the USA to pass the Heartbeat Bill. However, the Supreme Court of
the US held the law unconstitutional.
Later several other states passed the law. This includes Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri,
Kentucky. However, the federal courts of the states have blocked the law temporarily. These states are in
the Bible Belt of US.
What is Bible Belt of US?
The southern region of the United States are socially conservative. In these states, the church attendance is

higher than the nation’s average.
Controversies
Many women are unaware of their pregnancies at six weeks. Most of them have an abortion only after
six weeks.
The Center for Reproductive Rights says that these laws are inconsistent. It is a global legal advocacy
organisation that aims to advance reproductive rights (such as abortion). The organisation works to
make reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right.
At the stage of six weeks, the embryo isn’t a foetus and doesn’t have a heart. The bill still bans
abortion at such early stages. An embryo becomes a foetus only in the eleventh week of pregnancy.
However, the heart beat of the foetus can be heard in early stages, that is around six weeks.
Punjab Prison Rules, 2021
The Punjab Cabinet recently approved Punjab Prison Rules, 2021. These rules were approved under the
Prison Act, 1894.
Background
The Punjab Jail Manual of 1996 has become archaic. There is a need to update it in the changed scenario of
modernisation.
Punjab Prison Rules, 2021
New security parameters such as effective surveillance and safe custody have been introduced in the new
rules. The other new rules introduced are as follows:
Prisons within Prisons
These are to be used for lodging high risk prisoners such as drug offenders, gangsters, radicals, terrorists.
Jail Employees
The Jail Employees are to get adequate provisions. This includes welfare funds, legal assistance, meal for
employees during their shift, financial assistance, etc.
After Care Assistance
An “After Care Assistance” has been incorporated in the Punjab Prison Rules to ensure successful
rehabilitation and social reintegration of released convict prisoners. This cover renting a house, assistance
in employment, medical treatment, etc.
Modern Technologies
The rules include use of modern security and surveillance gadgets. This includes Artificial Intelligence
enabled CCTVs, mobile jammers, motion sensors, alarm systems, siren, X-ray baggage scanner, body
scanner, touch screen kiosks, etc. On the software side, the provisions such as E-wallet, E-procurement,
Integrated Criminal Justice System are to be included.
Other Provisions
To ensure confinement of mentally ill prisoners under the Mental Health Care Act.
To provide better mental health care facilities such as psychotherapy.
To establish a Grievance Redressal System in every prison. Under this system, a compliant box will be
installed at different locations in the prison.
Video Conferencing provisions have been included so that the inmates can talk to their families and
friends and legal counsel face to face.
Prisoners Panchayat and Maha Panchayat to plan and execute daily recreational programmes.
What is Ocean Rewilding?
Ocean Rewilding is expected to come up in COP26. A network of 68 European organisations are working
together to find ways to reinvigorate the marine life of the earth.
Rewilding is restoring to its natural uncultivated state. This is done by introducing animal or plant species

that have been exterminated (destroyed completely) or driven out in a region. Ocean rewilding is introducing
plant and animal life in the oceans and allowing them to grow without human interferences.
Why is Ocean rewilding important?
Today the oceans have lost their capabilities to store blue carbon. Blue carbon is the term for carbon
captured by the coastal systems and oceans. It is higher than that captured by the land. The annual carbon
sequestration rate for mangrove forests is four times greater than that of a tropical forest!
Bio Restore Project
It is an Ocean Rewilding project that was started by France in 2012. It aims to restore the coastal fish
population. Under the programme, more than eighty five species of fishes have been reintroduced in the
French Mediterranean region.
Sea Grass Restoration Project
It was launched by the UK in 2020. It is also a Ocean Rewilding project. Under the project eight different sea
grasses are to be planted across the south coast of England.
Carbon Sequestration
It is an artificial process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and is held in liquid or
solid form.
COP26
The United Nations is to host the COP26 in Glasgow. It will bring together parties to accelerate goals of
Paris Agreement and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
National Bamboo Mission: MIS Module launched
The National Bamboo Mission recently launched the Management Information System to strengthen the
domestic Agarbatti industry.
About the MIS Module
It will collect data about Agarbatti production, availability of raw materials, location of stick making units,
production capacity, functioning of units, etc.
The system will act as an intermediary between the production units and the Agarbatti industry (as a
whole). This will help to fill the information gaps.
National Bamboo Mission
The National Bamboo Mission was launched in 2018-19.
It is currently implemented in twenty one states.
To boost the domestic Agarbatti units, the import duty on round sticks were increased to 25%. Also,
the raw batti imports were moved from free to restricted category.
Beema Bamboo
In May 2021, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University designed “Oxygen Park” in its premises in Coimbatore
with Beema Bamboo. Beema Bamboo is a clone selected from Bambusa balcooa. It is a higher biomass
yielding bamboo species. Also, it is one of the fastest growing plants. It grows to a height of one and a half
feet in day.
Also, the Beema Bamboo is the best carbon sink to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Importance of Beema Bamboo
They do not require replanting as it re-grows after every harvest cycle.
They are produced through tissue culture that facilitates it to adapt to different soil and climatic
conditions.
The calorific value of Bamboo is almost equal to coal. Thus, cement industries have started buying
this bamboo for their boilers.

Bamboo cluster
The GoI recently inaugurated bamboo clusters.
Recent Developments
Khadi Agarbatti Atma Nirbhar Bharat Mission was launched.
India celebrates World Bamboo Day on September 18
African Swine Fever in the North East
The African Swine Fever has stuck Meghalaya. Earlier, it had struck Mizoram.
Current Scenario
The African Swine Fever has killed 1,700 pigs in Mizoram in a month. It has now spread to Meghalaya and
has killed three hundred pigs here so far.
African Swine Fever in Philippines
The Philippines Government recently placed the country under a State of Calamity for a year to address the
impact of African Swine Fever. The first case of African Swine Fever was reported in 2019. It has killed
more than three million hogs (domesticated pigs) since its outbreak in 2019.
About African Swine Fever
It was first detected in Africa in 1920s.
There is no cure to the disease and thus the only way to stop the disease from spreading is by culling
the animals.
It is not a threat to human beings. This is because, the disease spreads from animal to animal.
The African Swine Fever virus is resistant to low temperatures. It dies only when the hogs are heated
to seventy to hundred degrees Celsius.
It is highly contagious and is a transboundary disease.
Between 2016 and 2019, there were 10,211 outbreaks in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Transmission
The disease is transmitted through direct contact.
The biological vectors that transmit the disease are ticks and fomites.
OIE
The African Swine Fever has been included in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
Terrestrial Animal Health Code. And should thus be reported to OIE.
According to OIE, 24% of its member countries have reported the disease.
What is a Blood Moon?
A Blood Moon occurs when the Moon of the Earth is on total lunar Eclipse. During this time, the moon looks
red or ruddy brown. Thus it is called Blood Moon. The next Blood Moon is to occur on May 26, 2021. The
last Blood Moon occurred on January 20-21, 2019.
Why does the colour of the moon changes during Blood Moon?
Lunar Eclipses happen only during a full moon. During this time, the moon is completely under the Earth’s
shadow. At this time, a little bit of the sunlight that reaches the earth during sunrise and sunset falls on the
moon. It can be noted that the sky is red in colour during sunrise and sunset. This means during this time
out of all the seven VIBGYOR colours in the white light, only red reaches the earth. This red colour light is
reflected on the moon and thus the moon turned into a Blood Moon.
Do all full moons have eclipses?
No. This is because, the plane in which the earth revolves around the sun and the plane in which the moon
revolves around the earth are different. Eclipses occur only when the planes coincide.
Why is the sky red during sunset and sunrise?
As the sun is at the horizon (imaginary line where the surface of the earth and the sky meets), the sunlight

has to travel a longer distance to reach the earth’s surface. It means that during this time of the day, the
light has to encounter more atmospheric particles. These particles scatter maximum amount of the light. Of
all the VIBGYOR colours in the sunlight, Red has the highest wavelength and thus can withstand scattering
and manage to reach the earth’s surface. Other colours get scattered away during their journey towards the
earth.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi: Eighth Instalment released
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently released the eighth instalment of Prime Minister Kisan Samman
Nidhi.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi
Under the Scheme, the Government of India transfers Rs 6,000 to the account of small and marginal
farmers. These funds are transferred in three instalments. The first instalment of Rs 2,000 is made between
April and June. Second Instalment is made between August and November. The third instalment is made
between December and March.
About the Scheme
The scheme was begun in 2018.
The scheme provides financial support to farmers who hold land ownership up to two hectares.
Since its inception, the GoI has provided Rs 75,000 crores.
It aims to cover 125 million farmers irrespective of their land size.
PM-Kisan Portal
The beneficiary of the scheme shall check his or her application status in the portal. They shall get the
details by entering mobile number or Aadhaar number or Account Number.
It will provide farmer’s name and amount sent to his bank account.
Detailed Analysis PM Kisan Samman Nidhi
Government recently initiated the process to identify illegal beneficiaries under the scheme
What were the achievements of the scheme when it completed two years in 2021?
What were the achievements of the scheme when it completed on year in 2020?
Why was PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi launched?
What are the shortcomings in PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi?
PM-KISAN Scheme: 17,793 crores released to 8.89 farmers
Only Aadhar authenticated bank accounts to get PM-Kisan payments
Kalia Scheme merges with PM-KISAN
Andhra Pradesh government launches YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan Yojana
Weavers Samman Yojana launched by Karnataka
Sputnik V: First Dose administered at Rs 995
On May 14, 2021, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories announced that it had launched Sputnik V in India. The vaccine is
imported from Russia. And is distributed by Dr Reddy’s laboratory. Currently, Sputnik V is the second most
expensive COVID1-19 vaccines in the country. The cost of one dose of Sputnik V is Rs 995.
The price of COVISHIELD vaccines was Rs 400 per dose. It recently reduced it to Rs 300 per dose. It is
manufactured locally by Serum Institute of India.
COVAXIN costs Rs 600 per dose for the state governments and Rs 1,200 for private hospitals.
Sputnik V
It was developed by Gamleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow.
It is a two-dose vaccine. However, recently a single dose vaccine of Sputnik V has been produced in
Russia. It is called Sputnik Light Single Dose. India is administering only the double dose Sputnik V.
While COVISHIELD is created from a weakened common cold adenovirus that affects Chimpanzees,

Sputnik V is created using different Human Adenoviruses.
The efficacy of the vaccine is 91%.
The first dose of Sputnik V was administered in Hyderabad.
Doses received
The Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has received 150,000 doses of Sputnik V from Russia. India (that is Dr Reddy’s)
signed an agreement with the Russia Direct Investment Fund to receive 250 million doses. This is sufficient
to inoculate 125 million people in the country.
RDIF of Russia is responsible for signing agreements for the supply of Sputnik V.
Cost of Sputnik V
The imported vaccine was priced at Rs 948 per dose. However, the price of the vaccine has been increased
to Rs 995.40 per dose including 5% GST. Recently, several State Governments were asking to waive off GST
on vaccines. To this, the Finance Minister had clearly explained that doing so will lead to price rise of the
vaccine.
K P Sharma Oli sworn in as Nepal Prime Minister
On May 14, 2021, K P Sharma Oli was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time. President
Bidya Devi Bhandari administered his oath of office. He was re-appointed as the Prime Minister as the
opposition couldn’t prove their majority.
What happened?
Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli recently lost vote of confidence in the Nepal Parliament. Now, he has to take
Vote of Confidence within thirty days. If he fails to do so, Article 76 of the Constitution will be initiated.
Article 76 of the Nepal Constitution
It says that the president of the country appoints the leader of the parliamentary party that gains majority in
the house as Prime Minister. The council of ministers are also appointed by the President under the Prime
Minister.
When no party has gained majority in the House of Representatives, The President can appoint any Member
of the House of Representatives as Prime Minister. He or she should be capable enough to command the
majority with the support of two or more parties in the House of Representatives.
The Prime Minister as appointed under the above procedure is given thirty days to prove his vote of
confidence. If the Prime Minister is not able to gain vote of confidence within thirty days, the President shall
appoint the leader of the party that gained the highest number of members in the House of Representatives.
Again he is given time to prove his majority.
If none of the above clauses are possible, then the President shall dissolve the parliament and launch fresh
elections.
May 15, 2021
Maratha Quota Issue: Centre file Case in SC
The Government of India recently filed a review petition in the Supreme Court over its judgement on Maratha
reservation in the State of Maharashtra. The Supreme Court had pronounced that the Maratha reservation
under the Maharashtra law breaches the 50% ceiling of reservation. Thus, the apex court struck down the
Maharashtra law.
What is the Central Government saying?
According to Government of India, only the Union Government has the power under the 102nd Constitutional
Amendment to identify and list the socially and economically backward classes.
What is the State Government saying?
The population of the backward classes in Maharashtra constitutes to 85% of the state’s population.
However, the reservation limit is only 50%. Thus, the socially and economically backward communities
should be provided reservation.
102nd Constitutional Amendment
The amendment inserted Article 338B and Article 342A in the Constitution.
Article 338B: The amendment provided constitutional status to the National Backward Classes
Commission.
Article 342A: It gives the President powers to notify backward classes.
Supreme Court Judgement
After the amendment was passed, several state governments filed cases in the Supreme Court. This was
because, the State Government had lost its power to identify the backward classes under the amendment.
To this the Supreme Court interpreted the amendment in its verdict as follows:
Only the president is empowered to identify the Socially and Economically Backward Classes.
The States can only make recommendations.
What is the issue?
The recent striking of Maharashtra law contradicts the SC verdict pronounced earlier.
Tianwen-1: Chinese Rover lands on Mars
On May 14, 2021, the Chinese Spacecraft Tianwen 1 landed on Mars successfully. It was launched in July
2020 on a Long March 5 rocket.
About the landing
Tianwen 1 has been orbiting Mars for three months now. The lander that carried the Zhurong rover
touched down the Martian surface successfully.
It landed in the Utopia Planitia region.
However, when the lander entered the Martian atmosphere, the spacecraft endured “Seven Minutes of
Terror” as that of the Mars Perseverance rover of NASA.
Utopia Planitia of Mars
It is a plain in the northern hemisphere of the planet. The region is mostly flat and smooth but has
craters. Also, the region has Aeolian ridges. Aeolian means wind sculpted.
Scientists have observed that the region is covered by mud flows. Some even believe that
groundwater may have existed long back.
What is the Seven Minutes Terror faced by the landers?
The EDL phase, called the Entry Descent Landing is called the “Seven Minutes Terror” phase. The phase
happens faster than the time taken by the radio signals to reach the Earth from Mars. This means that the
spacecraft is on its own during this phase and is thus called the “”seven minutes of terror. The phase
begins as the lander enters the Martian atmosphere and thus the name of the phase is prefixed with ‘Entry’.
The EDL phase ends when the rocket powered sky crane lowers the lander safely to the martian surface.
During this seven minutes several crucial things occur.
Zhurong rover
It is to investigate surface soil characteristics and potential water ice distribution.
Mice Rain in Australia
The mice population in Australia has increased exponentially. The mice are causing extensive damages to
the cultivated crop and stored food grains. This is being referred to as Mice Rain. Also, plague in the
country has increased.
Why is the situation called “Mice Rain”?
In some places, the mice are pouring out like a rain as the farmers are cleaning their silos. They are running
out every where. Recently, a video released in the social media showed mice pouring out of a machine while
cleaning. Thus, the name “Mice Rain” came into practice. This huge population increase of mice is causing

severe damages to the stored food grains.
What is happening?
The Australians are facing severe attack from millions of mice. The mice are destroying crops and
stored cereals. They have even made their way into rural hospitals and bit patients.
Above all, a mouse plague is spreading across New South Wales.
Tonnes of grains are becoming contaminated with mice droppings.
Reasons for Mice Rain
According to the scientists, the rodents are the most successful mammals in the planet after humans. A
pair of breeding mice can give birth to new litter every twenty days.
Is the Plague due to Mice Rain?
Plague is a life-threatening infectious disease caused by rod shaped bacteria called Yersinia pestis. It is
found in animals such as rodents. As their population is increasing, the spread of the disease is also
increasing. This means, Yes, the plague is increasing due to Mice rain.
In the 13th century, the disease killed millions of lives in the Europe and hence has got its name “Black
Death”.
It is mainly caused by sneezing, consumption of contaminated food and water, touching a surface
that is contaminated with Y Pestis. It also spreads through direct physical contact with the infected
person.
When did the plague begin?
It began in mid March in the eastern Australian states. The Government of New South Wales recently
extended a support package of 50 million USD to farmers to deal with the mouse plague affecting the
farmers, residents. The Government has also authorised the outlawed poison called Bromadiolone. All
these measures are being done to control the “Mice Rain” in the country.
Mixing Covid-19 vaccines increase Vaccine Reactogenicity
The researchers in the University of Oxford recently launched “Com-COV Study “. The study was launched to
investigate alternate doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine. The researchers
have concluded that mixing the administration of these doses in a more frequent mild to moderate
reactions will increase the reactogenicity of the vaccine.
What are the researchers saying?
If the doses of Pfizer-Biotech and Oxford-AstraZeneca are administered at a four-week interval, one after
the other, the reactogenicity of the vaccine increases.
What is Reactogenicity?
Reactogenicity of the vaccines refer to the property of the vaccine to produce expected adverse reactions.
This may be fever, redness or soreness or swelling at the site of the jab.
Inference from the study
Mixing doses might increase work absences the day after immunisation.
According to the study, at least 10% of the participants who got mixed doses reported severe fatigue
as compared to that of 3% of those who were inoculated with one dose.
Why did vaccine mixing come up?
As there were vaccine shortages all over the world and supply chain issues, the scientists explored
the idea of mixing and matching vaccines.
Also, the situations such as rare blood clots in Johnson and Johnson vaccines and Astra Zeneca
vaccines are forcing people to have second thoughts of taking their second doses. They are therefore
shifting to some other vaccine after taking the first dose of these.
The researchers believe that the mixing is done with the vaccines that share the same target. For

instance, Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca target spike protein.
Some researchers in the UK, believe that the efficiency of the vaccines increase when they are mixed
up. This is because, two different vaccines are created based on two different methods. For instance,
AstraZeneca uses Adeno virus found in Chimpanzees and on the other hand Pfizer mRNA vaccine
delivers genetic instructions human cells. It directs them to make spike proteins and then teaches the
human cells to kill them.
The mixed vaccine is called heterologous boost.
Punjab to join COVAX facility
The Punjab Government recently announced that it is to join COVAX facility in order to increase its
COVID-19 supplies.
Why is Punjab joining COVAX facility?
There is a huge vaccine shortage in India. This is slowing the vaccination efforts of the country. Thus the
State Government of Punjab is planning to join COVAX facility.
What is the issue in Punjab joining COVAX facility?
The COVAX facility has so far been operating only at the level of nations. The facility works to prevent
vaccine nationalism. It aims to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines reach both low-income level and high-
income level countries. It is not even clear if a State can join the facility.
The bigger view of the problem
Punjab is not eligible to get access to COVAX Facility. Above all, currently COVAX itself is struggling
to get vaccine supplies.
Why did the problem arise?
This has come up mainly because India is administering only three vaccines currently. Of this, the
administration of the Russian Sputnik V was recently begun. In this situation, there is a high shortage
of vaccine in the country.
This is because the rich economies such as USA, UK, and the others in the European Union have
made early bookings with vaccine developers. The US has spent 10 billion USD as advance payments
to six manufacturers. Such moves were not initiated in India. Neither the State Government nor the
Central Government made initiatives to make advance payments in buying vaccines.
Have any states received vaccines from COVAX?
So far, more than 59 million vaccine doses have been provided to 122 countries. However, there was no
sub-national entity so far.
World Agri-Tourism Day
Every year the World Agri-Tourism Day is celebrated on May 16. This year, on the fourteenth World Agri-
Tourism Day, Government of Maharashtra, Agri-Tourism Development Corporation is to organise
International Conference on Agri-Tourism. In 2021, the day is to be celebrated under the following theme
Theme: Rural Women Sustainable Entrepreneurship Opportunities through Agri Tourism
Agri Tourism Development Corporation
It was established in 2005.
It mainly implements the Agri Tourism Project. The project is implemented in a village near Pune in
about 28 acres.
What is Agri-Tourism?
In Agri-Tourism the urban tourists stay in farmers home. During their stay they engage in farming activities,
tractor ride, bullock cart ride. Also, they enjoy folk songs and dances. They buy fresh farm produce.
In return, the farmers greet the tourists, provide accommodation and entertain them during their stay. This
acts as an additional income for the farmers. Also, it employs the local youths as tourist guides. This way

the programme provides employment opportunities as well.
Survey
The Agriculture Tourism Development Corporation survey says that around 0.56 million tourists visited the
Agri-Tourism Centres. This increased to 0.61 million in 2019 and 0.78 million in 2020.
About the conference
This year, National and international stakeholders from South Africa, Scotland and Philippines are to
participate in the conference. They are to discuss on agri-tourism, sustainable opportunities for women, etc.
Background
Maharashtra is the pioneer state to develop and promote agri-tourism in the country.
In September 2020, Maharashtra passed Agro-Tourism policy. This aims to provide the tourists the
pleasure of farming and also help increase farmer income.
What are Notified Diseases?
The Black Fungus disease has been declared as notified disease in Haryana. This means that the
Government Authorities have to be informed about each case of Black Fungus Disease.
What happens when a disease is put under “Notified” Category?
The doctors have to report about the occurrence of disease in their patients to the Chief Medical
Officer of the district.
It will help authorities to collect information of the spread of the disease, monitor the disease and set
off early warnings.
What is a notified disease?
Notified diseases are also called Notifiable diseases. It is any disease whose occurrence has to be reported
to the Government by law.
WHO on Notifiable Diseases
The WHO International Health Regulations, 1969 has made disease reporting mandatory. This will help WHO
in its global surveillance and advisory role. Currently the list is limited only to three main disease namely
yellow fever, cholera and plague. And of course COVID-19.
OIE on Notified diseases
The OIE, World Organisation for Animal Health monitors diseases of animals at global level. It holds a list of
notifiable diseases.
Can Central Government declare notified disease?
No. As Health is a State subject, only the State Governments have powers to declare notified diseases.
However, the Central Government maintains a list of Notified diseases.
List of Notified Diseases in India
AIDS, Hepatitis B, Dengue Fever, Malaria, Whooping cough, Anaemia, Measles, Rabies, Vitamin A deficiency,
typhoid, scarlet fever, polio, cerebro spinal fever, leprosy, hepatitis, Cholera, Iodine deficiency, malnutrition,
tuberculosis, small pox, plague, measles, influenza, diphtheria, chicken pox.
International Day of Families: May 15
Every year, the International Family Day is celebrated on May 15. It is also called the World Family Day. This
year, the day is celebrated under the following theme
Theme: Families and New Technologies
History
The World Family Day was introduced in the United Nations in 1993. This was done to emphasis the role of
the families in shaping the individuals.
Significance
There is a need to explain about the importance of families to the global citizens in the current scenario.

The current scenario is as follows:
Family homelessness is increasing. In the European countries the total homeless population is more
than 20%.
Only 57% of married women in the world are able to make decisions about sexual relations,
reproductive health services and use of contraceptives.
These are issues related to families. The International Day of Families help to address these issues and
increase the knowledge of demographic, social and economic processes affecting families.
International Year of Families
The United Nations is to celebrate International Year of Families in 2024.
Family Homelessness
It is caused by the lack of affordable housing, decreasing government supports, changing demographics,
fractured social supports, domestic violence.
In the US, there are about 580 homeless people as of 2020.
Family Homelessness in India
There is a shortage of 18.78 million houses in India.
Around 78 millions live in slums. 17% of world slum dwellers are in India.
The main reason behind homelessness in India is migration from rural to urban. Other reasons are
disability, unemployment, lack of affordable housing.
Only 3% of the homeless people in India possessed an ID card.
Assam Elephants Death-Report indicates Lighting
Around eighteen Asian elephants died in Nagaon district of Assam recently. It is a proposed reserve forest.
Prior to this, such mass death of elephants occurred in 2001. Around 21 elephants were poisoned to death
in 2001 in the adjoining tiger reserves of Pakke and Nameri across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
What happened?
On the night of May 12, 2021, eighteen elephants died in the Kundoli proposed Reserve Forest located
in Bamuni hillock.
The elephants were buried in the same spot after post mortem.
The samples of the elephants were sent for microbiological and toxicological examination. This was
because there were claims that the elephants may have died due to poisoning of pesticides and
insecticides used in Tea gardens.
Conclusion
It has now been concluded that the elephants died of lightning. A burnt tree was found split down in the
middle indicating that the region was stuck by lightning. The elephants had charred bellies, burnt ears and
burn marks on the scapular region.
How many elephants died?
Around ten females and eight females died in the incident. They were all found on the hilltop within a radius
of hundred to 150 metres.
Why did this happen?
The Barmuni hill, where the lightning stuck and killed the elephants do not have thick vegetation. It is
barren. There is no single tall tree to take the lightning.
How did the lightning kill the elephants?
The lightning strikes in different ways. Apart from direct strike, there are other ways by which the lightning
strikes the ground. It can be through a side flash, ground current. In this case, the lightning current passed
through the ground surface and killed even those who were outside the area.
In a side flash, the current bounces off bigger object.

PM orders Audit of Ventilators provided by the Centre
On May 15, 2021, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered an audit of ventilators provided by the Central
Government to the State Government and the Union Territories.
Why the audit?
It has come to the notice of the PM that several ventilators issued to the States are lying in the storage
unutilized. Thus, an audit is being launched to check the installation and operation of the ventilators. The
Prime Minister has also suggested that proper training should be provided to the health workers in
operating the ventilators.
What is the issue?
The Punjab Government has been complaining that out of 320 ventilators received under the PM CARES
Fund, 237 are defective.
The Maharashtra Congress Spokesperson was claiming that there is a big scam in the ventilator provided
under PM-CARES Fund.
There have been several media reports that the ventilators have technical glitches.
There are accusations that the technical complaints after installation are not been resolved due to poor
after-sales support by the manufacturers.
There are reports that the bacteria fillers, flow sensors and HME filters are not being changed by the
hospital authorities as per the prescribed norms.
Lack of knowledge
The user manual, detailed instructions and guidelines have been issued along with the ventilator. However,
the hospital workers are not able to follow the usage instructions.
Help from Health Ministry
The Health Ministry had created state-wise WhatsApp groups with the concerned nodal officers. Through
this group the ministry is passing information about the usage and is answering the queries being raised.
Still the issue remains unsorted.
120 Multiple Choice Questions
The below MCQs are select 120 questions sourced from GKToday’s Current Affairs 2021 Daily 20 MCQ
Series in GKToday Academy Android Application.
1. PM Jan Arogya Yojana was launched in line with which Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)?
[A] SDG 1
[B] SDG 3
[C] SDG 5
[D] SDG 10
Answer: SDG 3
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 states “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all
ages”. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yoajna is a key component of Ayushman Bharat Yojna and was
launched in 2018. Being the largest health scheme in the world, it aims to provide a health cover of ₹ 5
lakh per family per year to over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families. April 30 is celebrated as
Ayushman Bharat Diwas.
2. Which institute has demonstrated the conversion of Nitrogen Generator into Oxygen Generator?
[A] IISC Bangalore
[B] IIT Bombay
[C] IIT Madras
[D] IIT Guwahati

Answer: IIT Bombay
Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), has set up a demonstration unit to convert nitrogen
generators, into oxygen generators by modifying the existing nitrogen plant set up. The oxygen
generated by this plant at IIT-B lab was tested and found to be 93-96% pure and at 3.5 atmospheric
pressure. Nitrogen plants work on Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology, where air from the
atmosphere is sucked in, filtered and nitrogen is extracted. Oxygen, a by-product, is released back into
the atmosphere.
3. Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute (CFMTTI) is located in which state?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Karnataka
Answer: Madhya Pradesh
The Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Budni is a premier institute under the
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Recently, the
first-ever electric tractor in the country has been tested at the institute. This new electric tractor will be
more environmentally friendly than other types of tractors.
4. Which country has launched the 'Tianhe' module to space?
[A] Russia
[B] Japan
[C] USA
[D] China
Answer: China
China has launched the Tianhe module, which is a key component of the new permanent space station
of the country. The launch was made using the country’s Long March-5B rocket. The component
launched to space consists of living quarters for crew members. China has proposed to make the space
station operational by the year 2022.
5. Which country has proposed to introduce self-driving cars by the end of 2021?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] UK
[D] Japan
Answer: UK
The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has proposed to permit operations of self-driving cars by
end of the year 2021. The automated lane-keeping systems (ALKS) to be operationalised in the UK would
be first in the world to be legalised. The ALKS technology controls the position of driver less cars in a
single lane and limits its speed to 60 kmph.
6. Which company has constructed India’s first 3D-printed house?
[A] L&T
[B] Tata Construction
[C] Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions
[D] GMR Infra
Answer: Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions
Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions which is a start-up firm formed by alumni of IIT Madras in 2016, has
constructed India’s first 3D-printed house. Concrete 3D Printing technology is an automated and
computerised manufacturing method, which creates real time 3D structures from a design file.
7. Which institution has proposed that India should provide additional incentives on purchase of EVs,
in addition to that provided FAME-II?
[A] Niti Aayog
[B] GST Council
[C] Finance Commission
[D] Society of Automobile Manufacturers
Answer: Niti Aayog
India’s premier Think Tank NITI AAYOG ha stated that the Government of India should provide additional
incentives for purchase of Electric Vehicles (EVs), over and above the incentives already provided by
under the existing scheme - Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV (FAME-II). Also, the
Niti Aayog has stated that the Government should include EVs and associated businesses under Priority
Sector Lending (PSL) norms.
8. Which body approves the appointment of Finance Secretary of India?
[A] Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
[B] Appointments committee of the Cabinet
[C] Banks Board Bureau
[D] Reserve Bank of India
Answer: Appointments committee of the Cabinet
The Appointments committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of present
Expenditure Secretary TV Somanathan as the Finance Secretary of Government of India. An order by the
Personnel Ministry has been issued in this regard. He is a 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre.
9. What is the name of the Odia and English writer and a Padma Bhushan awardee, who passed
away recently?
[A] Riyaz Ahamad
[B] Manoj Das
[C] Rajendrasingh Baghel
[D] Laxman Giluwa
Answer: Manoj Das
Manoj Das, a famous 20th century Odia and English writer has recently passed away recently. Many of
his short stories were translated into major Indian and foreign languages. He received several national
awards, including the Padma Bhushan award last year. He was also awarded with several other awards
including Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Award, Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award, Sarala Award and Sahitya
Bharati Award.
10. Which Indian state Government is to launch a Cleanliness Drive named ‘CLAP’?
[A] Kerala
[B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Karnataka
[D] Chhattisgarh
Answer: Andhra Pradesh
The state government of Andhra Pradesh is set to launch CLAP (Clean Andhra Pradesh) Jagananna
Swachha Sankalpam programme. The scheme is expected to be launched in the month of July. 100 days
sanitation drive to keep the villages clean will start from May 1. The state has also planning for better
sewage water treatment and solid waste management.

11. Chota Char Dham, a famous Hindu pilgrimage circuit, is located in which state?
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] Uttarakhand
[C] Bihar
[D] Odisha
Answer: Uttarakhand
The Chota Char Dham is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit located in the Indian Himalayas, in the
Garhwal region of the state of Uttarakhand. The circuit consists of four sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri,
Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The Uttarakhand government has suspended the Char Dham Yatra, which was
scheduled to begin in May. Only priests will perform the rituals inside the shrines.
12. Lag B’Omer is an annual religious holiday celebrated in which country?
[A] Italy
[B] Israel
[C] France
[D] Spain
Answer: Israel
Lag B’Omer, an annual religious holiday celebrated with all-night bonfires, prayer and dancing, at Mount
Meron, Northern Israel. Recently, around 40 people were killed and over 100 were injured in a stampede
that broke out during the religious gathering attended by tens of thousands of people. Mount Meron is
considered to be one of the holiest sites in the Jewish world.
13. Which institution has unveiled a collaborative project titled “Sustainable Livelihoods For Tribal
Households in India”?
[A] APEDA
[B] MPEDA
[C] TRIFED
[D] NABARD
Answer: TRIFED
TRIFED is the nodal agency working for the empowerment of tribal people, under the aegis of the
Ministry of Tribal Affairs. TRIFED has entered into a collaborative project titled “Sustainable Livelihoods
for Tribal Households in India”. The LINK Fund, a foundation which aims to eradicate poverty and
mitigate the effects of climate change, is also joining hands with TRIFED for this project.
14. Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays is an honour conferred by which country?
[A] China
[B] Japan
[C] Russia
[D] France
Answer: Japan
79-year-old Bengaluru Teacher Shyamala Ganesh, 79, who has been teaching Japanese language in
Karnataka for four decades, received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays of Japan. The
order is awarded to those who have made achievements in international relations, promotion of
Japanese culture, advancements in their field or preservation of the environment. This is the fifth class
in the Order of the Rising Sun.
15. Which Indian bureaucrat has been conferred with the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver
Star” honour of 2021?
[A] N K Singh

[B] Nripendra Mishra
[C] Atanu Chakraborty
[D] K Vijayaraghavan
Answer: Nripendra Mishra
“Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star” is the second class in the Japanese flagship order. The
government of Japan announced the recipients of the 2021 Spring Decorations. Former principal
secretary to the prime minister Nripendra Misra is among this year's awardees. The former IAS officer is
recognised for his contributions to strengthen the economic relationship between Japan and India.
16. What is the tenure of the loans provided by the Centre to the states under ‘Scheme of Financial
Assistance to States for CapEx’?
[A] 10 years
[B] 25 years
[C] 50 years
[D] 100 years
Answer: 50 years
The Department of Expenditure has issued fresh guidelines on the Scheme of Financial Assistance to
States for Capital Expenditure for the financial year 2021-22. Under the Scheme, financial assistance is
provided to the State Governments in the form of 50-year interest free loan. The Finance Ministry has
decided to provide an additional amount of up to Rs 15000 crore.
17. The Network for Greening the Financial system (NGFS) was launched at which conference?
[A] 1992 Rio Earth Summit
[B] 2014 UN Climate Summit
[C] 2017 Paris One Planet Summit
[D] 2018 Global Climate Action Summit
Answer: 2017 Paris One Planet Summit
The Network for Greening the Financial system (NGFS) was launched at the Paris One Planet Summit on
December 2017. It is a group of Central banks and supervisors willing to share the best practices and
contribute to the development of the environment and climate risk management in the financial sector.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently joined the NGFS Group as a Member.
18. Which organisation has released the ‘Global Forest Goals Report 2021’?
[A] World Bank
[B] FAO
[C] UN ECOSOC
[D] WWF
Answer: UN ECOSOC
The Global Forest Goals Report 2021 was prepared by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of
the United Nations. The report provides an overview of progress towards achieving the six Global Forest
Goals and their 26 associated targets as mentioned in the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests
2030. The first Global Forest Goal provides for increasing forest area by three per cent by 2030.
19. The SDRF contribution is released in two equal instalments to the states, as per the
recommendation of ……...?
[A] Planning Commission
[B] Finance Commission
[C] NITI Aayog
[D] Supreme Court of India

Answer: Finance Commission
The Finance Ministry has recently released in advance the first instalment worth Rs 8,873.6 crore of the
state disaster response fund (SDRF) for the current fiscal, to the states. SDRF contribution is released in
two equal instalments to the states, as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission. Normally,
the first instalment of SDRF is released in the month of June. Around half of the amount released, can
be used by the states for COVID-19 containment measures.
20. As per the recent SEBI Guidelines, ……….. % salary of top executives be paid in mutual fund
units?
[A] 10
[B] 20
[C] 25
[D] 50
Answer: 20
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has recently announced that 20% of the salary of top
executives must be paid in the form of units of mutual fund schemes they oversee. This decision has
been taken to align the interests of the key employees of the asset management companies (AMCs)
with the unitholders of the schemes.
21. Which policy/act has been revised to allow the import of oxygen concentrators for personal use
in India?
[A] Foreign Trade Policy
[B] New Industrial Policy
[C] Essential Commodities Act
[D] Disaster Management Act
Answer: Foreign Trade Policy
The Indian Government has revised the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020 and allowed the import of
oxygen concentrators for personal use, amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country. According to a
notification of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), oxygen concentrators have been added
to the list of exempted categories, where customs clearance is sought as ''gifts". They can be procured
through post, courier or e-commerce portals and the exemption is allowed till July 31, 2021.
22. Which space agency’s Mass mission is to explore ‘Aerial scouting’ for better exploration of Mars?
[A] China
[B] UAE
[C] USA
[D] Russia
Answer: USA
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter had demonstrated powered, controlled flight on the Red planet. Now,
the helicopter is to demonstrate a new activity. The Ingenuity experiment will function in a
demonstration phase, after the helicopter completes its next two flights. It will start exploring how aerial
scouting and other aerial functions could benefit future exploration of Mars and other regions.
23. What is the limit of FDI permitted in the Road and Highways Sector in India?
[A] 21 %
[B] 49 %
[C] 75 %
[D] 100 %
Answer: 100 %

In India, 100% FDI has been allowed for roads and highways sector allowed under the automatic route.
Recently, Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry has set a target of road construction worth Rs 15
lakh crores in next two years. The Ministry also aims to achieve the target of 40 kilometres per day of
highways construction, in the current year.
24. Which institution has launched two quick credit delivery schemes named ‘SHWAS and AROG’, to
help MSME augmentation?
[A] RBI
[B] SIDBI
[C] SEBI
[D] EXIM Bank
Answer: SIDBI
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched two new quick credit delivery schemes
to provide funding for production related to supply of oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, oximeters
and essential drugs. These new initiatives would help MSMEs quickly improve their facilities: SHWAS
(SIDBI assistance to Healthcare sector in War Against Second wave of COVID19) and AROG (SIDBI
Assistance to MSMEs for Recovery & Organic Growth during COVID19 pandemic).
25. ‘MPLADS’ programme is administered by which Ministry?
[A] MHA
[B] MoSPI
[C] MoRD
[D] MeitY
Answer: MoSPI
The MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund) is administered by the Union
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). In view of the ongoing COVID pandemic,
the Government of India has permitted the use of MPLADS funds for setting up oxygen manufacturing
units in government hospitals, for the FY 2021-22.
26. Who was Soli J Sorabjee, who passed away recently?
[A] Former Attorney General
[B] Former Chief Justice of Supreme Court
[C] Former Comptroller and Auditor General
[D] Former Chief Election Commissioner
Answer: Former Attorney General
Legal expert and Former Attorney General shri. Soli J Sorabjee died recently, at the age of 91 years. He
was tested COVID positive and died due to the infection. In the year 2002, he was awarded with the
second highest civilian award - Padma Vibhushan for his defence of the freedom of expression and the
protection of human rights.
27. Which is the first non-Quad country, with which India has announced to establish 2+2 dialogue
at the foreign and defence minister level?
[A] Russia
[B] Sri Lanka
[C] Brazil
[D] Australia
Answer: Russia
The Government of India has announced the establishment 2+2 dialogue at the foreign and defence
minister level between India and Russia. As of now, India has a mechanism of 2+2 partnership only with

the USA, Australia and Japan. Russia will now become the first non-Quad country to have this
mechanism with India.
28. ‘Putola Nach’, which was making news recently, is the traditional string puppetry art of which
state?
[A] Assam
[B] Arunachal Pradesh
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Odisha
Answer: Assam
‘Putola Nach’ is a traditional form of string puppetry, practised in the state of Assam. It has become a
near-forgotten art form. Recently, an Assam based trust ARMT has created three short videos using
string puppetry for creating mass awareness on COVID appropriate behaviour. This project was
undertaken in association with UNICEF- Assam.
29. ‘Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana’ is being implemented in which state?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Odisha
[C] West Bengal
[D] Jharkhand
Answer: Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared working journalists of the state as frontline Covid
warriors. Around 7000 working journalists of the state have been covered under the Gopabandhu
Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana. Under the scheme, the journalists are provided a health insurance
cover of Rs 2 lakh each. They would also get priority in the vaccination programme.
30. Special 301 Report, the flagship report released by the U.S, is associated with which sector?
[A] Defence
[B] Trade
[C] Migration
[D] Finance
Answer: Trade
Special 301 Report, released by the U.S, focusses on the effectiveness of the protection of US trading
partners and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR). The US Trade Representative in its recent
report placed India and eight other countries including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia on the Priority Watch
List for IP protection and enforcement.
31. Crimson Solar Project, is a mega solar energy project, is to be set up in which country?
[A] UAE
[B] Russia
[C] Germany
[D] USA
Answer: USA
The USA Government has approved a major solar energy project in the California desert that would be
capable of powering nearly 90,000 homes. The USD-550 million Crimson Solar Project will be set up on
2,000 acres of federal land at California. It is being developed by Canadian Solar unit Recurrent Energy.
This step aims to fight climate change, create jobs and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
32. The Democratic Republic of Congo has declared the end of outbreak of which disease?
[A] Small pox
[B] Ebola
[C] Malaria
[D] Encephalitis
Answer: Ebola
The Democratic Republic of Congo declared the end of Ebola outbreak, which infected 12 people in the
eastern province and killed six of them. The country contained the outbreak using Merck's (MRK.N)
Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients' contacts and contacts of contacts.
The virus can remain in certain body fluids, including semen, of a patient who has recovered from the
disease
33. Pranati Nayak is an Indian sportsperson qualified for Tokyo Olympics in which sports?
[A] Weight Lifting
[B] Gymnastics
[C] Race Walking
[D] Fencing
Answer: Gymnastics
Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak has been qualified to participate in the Tokyo Olympics after qualifying
through the continental quota. The 26-year-old from West Bengal had earlier claimed a bronze in vault at
the Asian Artistic Gymnastic Championships in 2019.
34. Turkey has brought which type of firms into the ambit of anti-money laundering and terrorism
financing regulation?
[A] Pharmaceutical Firms
[B] Money Exchange Firms
[C] Foreign Exchange Firms
[D] Cryptocurrency Trading Firms
Answer: Cryptocurrency Trading Firms
The Government of Turkey’s official gazette recently added the firms involved in Cryptocurrency Trading,
into the ambit of anti-money laundering and terrorism financing regulation. This amendment has come
into force with immediate effect. This regulation includes all crypto asset service providers operating
the country. German’s central bank has banned the use of cryptocurrency for payments and settlements.
35. When is the World Press Freedom Day observed every year?
[A] May 1
[B] May 3
[C] May 10
[D] May 20
Answer: May 3
Every year, 3rd May is observed as World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations. The United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) declared this day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the
press and to lay emphasis on the right to freedom of expression. A resolution in this regard was passed
by the UN in the year 1993.
36. What is “Dhruv Mk – III MR”?
[A] ICAR’s new rice variety
[B] Advanced Light Helicopter
[C] Surface to Surface Missile
[D] Pulse doppler Radar
Answer: Advanced Light Helicopter

Dhruv Mk – III MR is an Advanced Light Helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL), Bengaluru. The helicopter has been tested and it has successfully demonstrated deck
operations on board an Indian Coast Guard Ship, off the coast of Chennai. The helicopter has been
developed to be deployed by the Indian Coast Guard.
37. “Crew 1” is associated with which agency?
[A] Indian Army
[B] Space X
[C] ISRO
[D] NASA
Answer: Space X
The Crew 1 Dragon capsule belonging to Space X, has successfully returned from outer space, from the
International Space Station (ISS) to the Earth. The capsule returned NASA's Michael Hopkins, Victor
Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese Astronaut Soichi Noguchi back to the Earth from ISS. It made a
parachute landing into the Gulf of Mexico.
38. Xylophis deepaki, a new species of snake, is endemic to which state?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Kerala
Answer: Tamil Nadu
Xylophis deepaki, which is a 20 cm long tiny snake with iridescent scales is a species which is endemic
to the state of Tamil Nadu. It is also found in southern part of the Western Ghats. The species has been
named to honour Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan, for his contribution in erecting a new
subfamily Xylophiinae to accommodate wood snakes
39. What is the new rate of IGST applicable to Import of Oxygen Concentrators for personal use?
[A] 5%
[B] 10%
[C] 12%
[D] 18%
Answer: 12%
The Government of India has brought down the IGST for import of Oxygen Concentrators for personal
use from the present 28% slab to 12%. This would be applicable till 30th June 2021. This rare reduction
comes in the wake of a sudden surge in the demand for oxygen, used for Covid 19 infected patients.
40. T Rabi Sankar, who was seen in the news has been appointed as …………...?
[A] Chairman of SEBI
[B] CEO of NITI Aayog
[C] Deputy Governor of RBI
[D] Chief of Army Staff
Answer: Deputy Governor of RBI
T.Rabi Shankar has been appointed as the new Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He
succeeds B P Kanungo, whose term ended on 2nd April 2021. Presently, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael
Patra and Rajeshwar Rao are the three Dy. Governors and Rabi Shankar joined them as the fourth.
41. Article 164 of the Indian constitution deals with .......?
[A] President of India
[B] Provisions for Minister of state government
[C] Division of Powers between Centre and state
[D] Appointment of Chief Justice of Supreme Court
Answer: Provisions for Minister of state government
The Article 164 of the Indian constitution deals with the Provisions of the Minister of a state. It stated
that the Chief Minister of a state shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers of the state
shall be appointed by the Governor in consultation with the Chief Minister. It also states that a Minister,
who is not an MLA for six consecutive months, ceases to be a Minster, after the expiry of 6 months.
42. Who has been appointed as the Acting Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC)?
[A] S A Bobde
[B] A K Sikri
[C] P K Mishra
[D] P C Pant
Answer: P C Pant
Justice (retired) Prafulla Chandra Pant, who is a member of the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC), has been appointed its Acting Chairperson with effect from April 25 2021. Prior to his
appointment as NHRC member, he was a Judge of the Supreme Court from 2014 to 2017. He had also
held the position of Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya from 2013 to 2014.
43. Padma river, the main distributary of the Ganges, flows in which country?
[A] Nepal
[B] Bangladesh
[C] China
[D] Myanmar
Answer: Bangladesh
Padma river is main distributary of the Ganges, which forms the western boundary between India and
Bangladesh before it enters Bangladesh. Recently, a ferryboat with over 30 passengers overturned after
hitting a sand-laden cargo vessel in the Padma River. At least 26 people dead in the accident occurred at
the old Kanthalbari ferry terminal of Bangladesh.
44. ‘Significant Economic Presence (SEP) principle’, is a concept used to levy which category of tax?
[A] Income Tax
[B] GST
[C] Digital Tax
[D] Customs Duty
Answer: Digital Tax
Significant Economic Presence (SEP) principle was introduced in the Finance Bill 2018-19. It widened
the scope of ‘business connection’ to include download of data or software, if aggregate payments from
such transactions exceed a prescribed amount, or a prescribed number of users. India recently notified a
revenue threshold of Rs 2 crore and a limit of 300,000 users for non-resident technology firms such as
Google, Facebook, to pay tax in India.
45. India announced a USD 1.4 billion of private-sector trade and investment, with which country?
[A] USA
[B] UK
[C] Russia
[D] Brazil
Answer: UK

India and UK announced 1 billion pounds (USD1.4 billion) of private-sector trade and investment. It also
includes a 240 million pounds investment by the Serum Institute of India The Serum Institute, in
collaboration with Codagenix, has begun early-stage trials of a one-dose nasal vaccine against Covid-19.
Trade between the India and UK accounts for about 23 billion pounds annually.
46. A white-toothed shrew species has been discovered for the first time in a volcanic island-
Narcondam Island, located in which state/UT?
[A] Assam
[B] Himachal Pradesh
[C] Andaman &Nicobar Islands
[D] Goa
Answer: Andaman &Nicobar Islands
Scientists have discovered a new species of insectivorous mammal, a white-toothed shrew, from
Narcondam Island of the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands. Shrews are small and mouse-like
mammals with insects as the primary diet. This is the first discovery of a shrew from this volcanic island
(Narcondam Island) and it increases the number of White-toothed shrew species in India from 11to 12.
47. Mark Selby is the World Champion for fourth time, in which sport?
[A] Weight Lifting
[B] Snooker
[C] Swimming
[D] Fencing
Answer: Snooker
Mark Selby became the World Champion for the fourth time in the game of Snooker. The ace player won
the Championship defeating Shaun Murphy at Sheffield, England. Selby has also moved up to second
spot in world rankings, next only to Judd Trump. Mark Selby is an English professional snooker player,
who has won 20 ranking titles, and at seventh place on the all-time list of ranking tournament wins.
48. Which steel company has entered into the list of top 100 most valued companies in terms of
market capitalisation?
[A] Jindal Steel
[B] SAIL
[C] TISCO
[D] JSW
Answer: SAIL
Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) regained market capitalisation (m-cap) of Rs 50,000 crore. It also
entered into the league of top 100 most valued companies in terms of market capitalisation. The state-
owned steel major has 5 large integrated steel plants (Bhillai, Rourkela, Durgapur, Bokaro and IISCO)
spread across 4 states in eastern India. In addition, SAIL also has 3 special steel plants (Salem Steel
plant, Alloy Steel plant and Visvesvaraya iron and steel plant) and a Ferro Alloy plant at Chandrapur.
49. What is “VINCOV-19”?
[A] Mutated Corona Virus
[B] Covid Vaccine candidate
[C] Oxygen support mechanism
[D] Engineered Antibody product
Answer: Engineered Antibody product
‘VINCOV-19’ is an engineered therapeutic antibody which has been found to effectively neutralize SARS-
CoV-2. It has been engineered in a collaborative effort by University of Hyderabad (UoH), CSIR-Centre for

Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) and Vins Bioproducts Ltd. This has obtained the approval
from Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) for clinical trials.
50. When is the International Fire-Fighters Day observed every year?
[A] May 1
[B] May 4
[C] May 10
[D] May 15
Answer: May 4
Every year, the International Firefighters’ Day is observed each year on 4th May, to commemorate and
remember the firefighters who have died while serving various communities. It also aims to show
solidarity and support to all the present firefighters across the globe, who continue to render selfless
sacrifice and service. This day is depicted by a bi colored ribbon with red representing fire and blue
representing water.
51. GINA, a WHO collaborative organisation, is associated with which disease?
[A] Anaemia
[B] Asthma
[C] TB
[D] Cancer
Answer: Asthma
World Asthma Day (WAD) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA). It is a World Health
Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993. Every year World Asthma Day is organised on
May 5, every year, to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide. This year’s World Asthma Day theme is
“Uncovering Asthma Misconceptions”. WHO estimates that over 339 million people had Asthma
globally.
52. Raniganj coalfield, the first field where the East India Company began coal mining, is located in
which state?
[A] Jharkhand
[B] Bihar
[C] West Bengal
[D] Assam
Answer: West Bengal
The East India Company exploited the Raniganj coalfield along the western bank of Damodar River, West
Bengal, thereby starting the Coal mining in India in 1774. Every year, Coal Miners Day is observed on May
4 in solidarity with the miners working in coal fields. An international Co-operation with the advanced
coal-producing countries is also being considered.
53. Satyajit ray, the legendary film maker and author, was from which state?
[A] Odisha
[B] Assam
[C] West Bengal
[D] Maharashtra
Answer: West Bengal
Satyajit Ray was an Indian film maker, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator and music composer.
He belonged to West Bengal and was recipient of Padma Bhushan in 1965, Dadasaheb Phalke Award in
1985, and the Bharat Ratna. To commemorate his achievement, Union information and broadcasting
ministry has announced that it will organize year long centenary celebrations of the filmmaker in India

and abroad.
54. Who is the longest-serving female Chief Minister of any Indian state/UT, as of May 2021?
[A] J Jayalalitha
[B] Mamata Banerjee
[C] Mayavati
[D] Sheila Dikshit
Answer: Sheila Dikshit
Mamata Banerjee was sworn as Bengal Chief Minister for the third time. She has been the Chief Minister
of the state since 2011. Veteran leader Sheila Dikshit is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi, as
well as the longest-serving female chief minister of any Indian state. She served for a period of 15 years
since 1998.
55. What is the primary objective of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana?
[A] To expand MGNREGS
[B] To provide free food-grains
[C] To provide crop insurance
[D] To provide financial assistance to farmers
Answer: To provide free food-grains
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is a food security welfare scheme announced by the
Government of India in March 2020. Its primary objective is to provide free food grains to the eligible
beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act. The Union Cabinet recently approved the
allocation of additional food grain to NFSA beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna
Yojana (Phase III) for a period of two months -- May and June 2021.
56. As per the recent RBI Guidelines, lending by Small Finance Banks (SFBs) to which institutions
are considered as Priority Sector Lending?
[A] Regional Rural Banks
[B] Cooperative Banks
[C] Micro-Finance Institutions
[D] Payment Banks
Answer: Micro-Finance Institutions
The RBI Governor announced certain measures to address the liquidity challenges posed by the
pandemic. Small Finance Banks are now permitted to lend smaller Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs)
(with asset size of up to ₹500 crore) for on-lending to individual borrowers as Priority sector lending.
This facility will be available up to March 31, 2022. At present, this lending process is not considered as
PSL.
57. RBI is set to purchase Rs 35,000 crore in its second round of GSAP. What does ‘A’ in GSAP stand
for?
[A] Acquisition
[B] Adoption
[C] Appropriation
[D] Announcement
Answer: Acquisition
The Reserve Bank of India has proposed for second purchase of government securities worth Rs 35,000
crore, under the G-sec Acquisition Programme. This has been stated by the Governor Shaktikanta Das.
This has been announced as a part of a series of measures to tackle Covid 19 2.0. The first lot of
purchases was made by RBI in the month of April 2021 amounting to a value of Rs.25,000 crore.

58. At what rate, RBI would lend banks under the On-tap liquidity facility for health care needs?
[A] Bank Rate
[B] MCLR
[C] Repo Rate
[D] CRR Rate
Answer: Repo Rate
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced an “On-tap liquidity facility” for Bank Amounting
Rs.50,000 crore. RBI would lend banks at Repo rate and banks would use the proceeds to lend for health
care needs. The scheme would be available till March 31, 2022. The loan extended by Banks to health
care needs would be classified as Priority Sector Lending till its repayment.
59. “Road Map 2030”, which was in the news recently, has been adopted by India with which
country?
[A] China
[B] USA
[C] UK
[D] Japan
Answer: UK
India and UK have jointly adopted ‘Roadmap 2030’, during a virtual bilateral between Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and British counterpart Boris Johnson. The two leaders pledged to elevate this
road map into a comprehensive strategic partnership. An Enhanced Trade Partnership was also
announced by the two leaders along with an intent to form a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
(FTA).
60. What is S&P Global Ratings’ new GDP forecast for India in 2021-22?
[A] 16%
[B] 11%
[C] 10%
[D] 9.8%
Answer: 9.8%
India’s GDP forecast for the FY 2021-22 has been revised to 9.8% by S&P Global Ratings recently. The
rating has been downgraded from its earlier projections of 11%. This downgrade comes in the wake of
the second COVID wave in India. The agency stated that the second wave could weaken the economic
recovery.
61. Which organisation has released the State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) 2021, in
association with UNFPA and WHO?
[A] UNICEF
[B] UNHRC
[C] UNESCO
[D] International Confederation of Midwives
Answer: International Confederation of Midwives
The International Confederation of Midwives in association with UNFPA, WHO and Novametrics, has
recently released a report titled “The State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) 2021”. The report details
the Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health (SRMNAH) workforce from about
194 countries. It also identifies the barriers and challenges in future advancement.
62. Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020 is associated with which document?
[A] PAN Card

[B] MGNREGA Identity Card
[C] Aadhar Card
[D] NFSA Beneficiary Card
Answer: Aadhar Card
The Ministry of Labour & Employment, has notified Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020, which
covers the applicability of Aadhar. It has been mandated to seek the 12-digit unique identification
number from people like employees and unorganised sector workers who seek registration, avail
services or receive payment under various schemes under the Social Security Code 2020.
63. Tur/arhar (pigeon pea), urad (black matpe) and moong (green gram) are examples of which type
of major crop?
[A] Kharif
[B] Rabi
[C] Zaid
[D] None of the above
Answer: Kharif
The crops that are sown in the rainy season are called kharif crops in India. They are also known as the
summer or monsoon crop. Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains in July,
during the south-west monsoon season. Tur/arhar (pigeon pea), urad (black matpe) and moong (green
gram) are the major pulses in this season. The Ministry of Agriculture has recently formulated a special
Kharif strategy to attain self-sufficiency in the production of pulses.
64. As per the Climate Action Tracker analysis, what would be the rise in global temperature by
2100?
[A] 0.5%
[B] 1.5%
[C] 2.4%
[D] 3.0%
Answer: 2.4%
The Climate Action Tracker analysis said that the world will warm by 2.4C by the year 2100. This is only
0.2C less than the temperature without global action. But the estimate is much higher than the 1.5C goal
agreed under the Paris Agreement on climate change, signed in 2016. Its report also suggested that the
1.5C target is still possible, but it requires action from major nations.
65. Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, is associated with which Indian state?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Karnataka
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Maharashtra
The Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018 was enacted to grant reservation to
people of Maratha community in Maharashtra in jobs and admissions. Recently, the Supreme Court
passed an interim order staying the implementation of a law passed by the Maharashtra government in
2018. It also clarified that those who had already availed will not be affected while no further
admissions will be allowed till the final decision is made.
66. “Panga ya Saidi” caves are located in which country?
[A] Kenya
[B] Australia

[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Thailand
Answer: Kenya
Scientists have discovered the oldest known human burial in Africa, at a location named “Panga ya
Saidi”. It is an archaeological cave site located in South-Eastern Kenya. It is a burial of a child aged
2-1/2 or 3 years old, buried in a shallow grave with its head resting on a pillow. The burial is said to be
more than 78,000 old.
67. Genetically modified mosquitoes have been released in which country?
[A] China
[B] USA
[C] Japan
[D] China
Answer: USA
In a first of its kind, genetically modified mosquitoes have been released in the USA by a biotech firm
Oxitec. The mosquitoes have been released with an aim to suppress the disease-carrying mosquito
populations in the region. Previously, the company released its modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in
Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama, and Malaysia, it is reported that the local A. aegypti mosquito
populations fell by at least 90%.
68. What does U in UDID Project stand for?
[A] Unique
[B] Unnat
[C] Ujawala
[D] Ujala
Answer: Unique
UDID stands for “Unique ID” for Persons with Disabilities. It is a project being implemented by the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to create a national level database on disabled persons. It
aims for transparent, efficient and improved delivery of government benefits to PwDs and to create a
hierarchy of scheme implementation.
69. Giant wood moth, the heaviest moth in the world, are typically found in which country?
[A] Japan
[B] India
[C] Australia
[D] China
Answer: Australia
Giant wood moth is the heaviest moth in the world, with the wingspan of about 23 cm. Their scientific
name is ‘Endoxyla cinereus’ and they belong to the family of Cossidae. The moth is typically found in
Australia and New Zealand. A giant moth with a wingspan measuring up to 25cm has been recently
found at a Queensland school in Australia. They have an extremely short life cycle with only a few days.
They die after mating and laying eggs.
70. An endemic trap-jaw ant species named ‘Strumigenys ayersthey’, has been found in which
country?
[A] Ecuador
[B] China
[C] Italy
[D] France

Answer: Ecuador
A new and endemic trap-jaw ant species named ‘Strumigenys ayersthey’ has been discovered in
Ecuador. The ant species can be distinguished by its smooth and shining cuticle surface and long trap-
jaw mandibles. Ecuador is known for its highest animal and plant species diversity due to the three bio-
regions present: The Amazon basin, the Chocó-Darién bioregion and the Tumbesian drylands.
71. What is the name given to the condition of extreme amount of precipitation in a short period of
time, capable of creating flood condition?
[A] Snowsquall
[B] Cloudburst
[C] Tornado
[D] Mudflow
Answer: Cloudburst
A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation in a short period of time, which is capable of creating
flood condition. It is sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder. Several shops and houses are buried
under the debris after the cloud burst incident in Uttarakhand's Chamoli. State Disaster Response Fund
(SDRF) is undertaking relief work in the affected regions.
72. What is the theme of the ‘World Red Cross Day 2021’?
[A] Serve the Earth; Save the Earth
[B] Together we are unstoppable
[C] We can; We always can
[D] Red Cross tackles Covid
Answer: Together we are unstoppable
World Red Cross Day, also known as Red Crescent Day is celebrated on May 8 every year. This date
marks the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC). The day is celebrated by the Red Cross society across all the countries. The theme of
World Red Cross Day 2021 is 'Together we are unstoppable'!.
73. ‘Global Task Force on Pandemic Response’ is an initiative of which sector to address Covid-19
surge in India?
[A] Corporate Sector
[B] Defence Sector
[C] Media Sector
[D] UN Agencies
Answer: Corporate Sector
‘Global Task Force on Pandemic Response’ is a Corporate sector initiative and a public-private
partnership organised by the US Chamber of Commerce and supported by Business Roundtable.
Recently, three Indian-American CEOs Sunder Pichai from Google, Punit Renjen from Deloitte and
Shantanu Narayen from Adobe joined the steering committee of the Global Task Force. It is working with
the US-India Business Council and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
74. Which social media platform is testing a feature named ‘Tip Jar’, which enables users to send
money to favourite accounts?
[A] Facebook
[B] Twitter
[C] TikTok
[D] Signal
Answer: Twitter

Micro-blogging platform Twitter is testing a new Tip Jar feature globally where iOS and Android users
can send money directly to their favourite accounts. Initially, only a small group of people including non-
profits, journalists and creators around the world who use Twitter in English will be able to add Tip Jar to
their profile and receive tips.
75. China indefinitely suspended all activities under the Strategic Economic Dialogue with which
country?
[A] India
[B] Australia
[C] North Korea
[D] Russia
Answer: Australia
China has recently suspended the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, amidst the strained
relations between the two countries. Bilateral ties were strained in the year 2018 when Australia became
the first country to publicly ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network. Last year, Australia
called for an independent investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus, which prompted trade
retaliations from China.
76. Which technology company has created a 2-nanometer chip, the smallest and most powerful
microchip?
[A] Qualcomm
[B] IBM
[C] AMD
[D] Samsung
Answer: IBM
IBM announced that it has created a 2-nanometer chip, which is the smallest and most powerful
microchip ever developed. At present, most of the computer chips powering devices use 10-nanometer
or 7-nanometer process technology. Some companies have introduced 5-nanometer chips. The lower
the number, more advanced is the processor.
77. What is the name of the blood disorder, which involves lesser haemoglobin and red blood cells?
[A] Anaemia
[B] Thalassemia
[C] Leukaemia
[D] Haemophilia
Answer: Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterised by less oxygen-carrying protein- haemoglobin
and less red blood cells in the body than normal. May 8 is observed as World Thalassemia Day every
year. The day commemorates the struggles of the patients suffering from this genetic disorder.
78. Who is the head of the technical group on social stock exchanges (SSEs), set up by SEBI?
[A] Harsh Bhanwala
[B] S Janakiraman
[C] Usha Thorat
[D] Injeti Srinivas
Answer: Harsh Bhanwala
A technical group on social stock exchanges (SSEs) was constituted by the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (Sebi), under the chairmanship of Harsh Bhanwala, former chairman of NABARD in the
month of September. Recently, the group has recommended that political and religious organisations,

professional/trade organisations and infrastructure and housing companies (except affordable housing)
should not be allowed to raise funds through SSEs.
79. RBI is set to conduct a special long-term repo operation (SLTRO) of Rs 10,000 crore for which
type of banks?
[A] Cooperative Banks
[B] Regional Rural Banks
[C] Small Finance Banks
[D] Payment Banks
Answer: Small Finance Banks
The Reserve Bank is to conduct the first auction for special long-term repo operations (SLTRO) of Rs
10,000 crore for Small Finance Banks (SFBs), at the repo rate, one auction each month. This will provide
fresh lending of up to Rs 10 lakh per borrower and will support small business units, micro and small
industries, and other unorganised sector entities. The facility will be available till October 31, 2021.
80. WHO approves emergency use of Sinopharm vaccine, developed by which country?
[A] China
[B] Russia
[C] India
[D] Israel
Answer: China
The World Health Organisation (WHO) finally granted the conditional approval to Sinopharm Covid-19
vaccine for emergency use. The Sinopharm vaccine, developed by China, was already authorised by 45
countries. China has approved five of its vaccines for emergency use and it is using Sinopharm and
Sinovac vaccines for domestic use and export.
81. What is ‘California condor’, which was seen in the news recently?
[A] Museum
[B] Art Form
[C] Bird Species
[D] Cryptocurrency
Answer: Bird Species
The California condor is a vulture species belonging to ‘New World’ vulture species. It is the largest
North American land bird. The bird is said to have become extinct in the wild in 1987. Recently, a flock of
over 15 endangered California condors has reportedly descended on a house in the city of Tehachapi in
California. There are believed to be fewer than 500 such condors in the US, and as many as 160 are
recorded in California.
82. Lumpy skin disease (LSD), which causes prolonged morbidity in cattle and buffaloes, is a …………
disease.
[A] Bacterial
[B] Fungal
[C] Viral
[D] None of the above
Answer: Viral
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease that causes prolonged morbidity in cattle and buffaloes.
Recently, the Bihar government issued an advisory about the likely spread of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in
the state. The state’s animal and fishery department has alerted all districts about the likely spread of
LSD. The department has also issued a helpline number for cattle owners for obtaining information and

help. In August 2019, the first outbreak of LSD was reported from Odisha.
83. Who is the head of the advisory group for the second Regulatory Review Authority (RRA 2.0), set
up by the RBI?
[A] Arundhati Bhattacharya
[B] S Janakiraman
[C] Rajnish Kumar
[D] R Gandhi
Answer: S Janakiraman
The Reserve Bank of India has formed an advisory group for assisting the second Regulatory Review
Authority (RRA 2.0). The Regulatory Review Authority was constituted by the RBI to streamline
regulations and reduce the compliance burden of entities under its regulatory purview. The advisory
group is headed by S Janakiraman – Managing Director of the State Bank of India.
84. “Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary” is located in which state?
[A] Odisha
[B] Gujarat
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Karnataka
Answer: Maharashtra
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified 48.32 sq km
around the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) in Maharashtra as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). Eco-
Sensitive Zones are geographical areas within a radius of 10 kms around a protected area, a national
park or a wildlife sanctuary, and are declared by the ministry under the provisions of Environment
Protection Act 1986.
85. “ID-Art app” has been launched by which organisation?
[A] RBI
[B] CBDT
[C] CBIC
[D] Interpol
Answer: Interpol
Interpol has launched a mobile app named “ID-Art app”. This app would help identify stolen cultural
property, reduce illicit trafficking, and increase the chances of recovering stolen works and artefacts.
This has been designed to be used by law enforcement agencies across the globe to get access to the
Interpol’s database of stolen works of art. It can also be accessed by the general public.
86. ‘3rd Arctic Science Ministerial’ was jointly organised by which two countries?
[A] Germany and France
[B] Iceland and Japan
[C] Italy and France
[D] Japan and India
Answer: Iceland and Japan
India has recently participated in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3), the international platform for
discussing research and cooperation in the Arctic region. The first two meetings—ASM1 and ASM2,
were held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, respectively. ASM3, jointly organised by Iceland and
Japan, is the first Ministerial meeting being held in Asia. India enjoys ‘Observer’ status in the Arctic
Council with twelve other countries.
87. Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka are the winners of which Masters 100 tournament?
[A] Miami Open
[B] Madrid Open
[C] Italian Open
[D] Shanghai Masters
Answer: Madrid Open
German Tennis player Alexander Zverev defeated Italian Matteo Berrettini to claim his fourth Masters
1000 crown and second Madrid Open title. The player has been in the top 10 since July 2017 and he was
also the US Open runner-up last year. Aryna Sabalenka, Belarusian tennis player has won her 10th career
title at the Mutua Madrid Open. She defeated the World No.1 Ashleigh Barty.
88. The Dahla Dam, which is often seen in the news, is located in which country?
[A] Pakistan
[B] Afghanistan
[C] India
[D] Bangladesh
Answer: Afghanistan
The Dahla Dam also called as Arghandab Dam, is located in the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan. It
was built by the United States nearly 70 years ago to provide water for irrigation. Recently, the Taliban
have captured the Dahla Dam, Afghanistan's second-biggest dam, which provides water for irrigation
and drinking for the provincial capital. Taliban has captured the dam after several months of fierce
fighting.
89. Which is the only aircraft carrier being operated in India?
[A] INS Virat
[B] INS Vikramaditya
[C] INS Vikrant
[D] INS Vishal
Answer: INS Vikramaditya
India’s only aircraft carrier is INS Vikramaditya, a modified Kiev-class 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier and
the flagship of the Indian Navy. The aircraft recently reported a minor fire at its home port, Karwar in
Karnataka. India bought the aircraft carrier from Russia and it joined the naval fleet seven years ago.
The Indian Navy operates MiG-29K maritime fighters from the deck of this aircraft carrier.
90. Which bank launched ‘Eva’ chatbot on CSCs Digital Seva Portal to support the Village Level
Entrepreneurs (VLEs)?
[A] ICICI Bank
[B] HDFC Bank
[C] Axis Bank
[D] Yes Bank
Answer: HDFC Bank
HDFC Bank and Common Services Centres (CSCs) launched a chatbot ‘Eva’ on CSCs Digital Seva Portal
to support the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs). The chatbot will provide banking services in rural
areas. It is a 24x7 service that will allow VLEs to access information about various products, processes
and solve the queries about HDFC Bank’s services.
91. Which Racing Driver won the Spanish Grand Prix 2021 Tournament?
[A] Lewis Hamilton
[B] Max Verstappen
[C] Charles Leclerc

[D] Sebastien Vettel
Answer: Lewis Hamilton
British racing driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes defeated Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the Spanish
Grand Prix 2021 tournament. This is Lewis Hamilton's third win in four races this season, the 98th of his
career, after he set his 100th pole position. Max Verstappen finishes second with Valtteri Bottas in third
place.
92. Which institution has set up a 12-member National Task Force (NTF) to enhance public health
response to the pandemic?
[A] NITI Aayog
[B] Health Ministry
[C] Supreme Court of India
[D] RBI
Answer: Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India, has constituted a 12-member National Task Force (NTF), to facilitate a
public health response to the pandemic based on scientific and specialised domain knowledge. The task
force would include top experts and doctors from across the country. The Union Minister for Health and
Family welfare is an ex officio member of the then NTF.
93. What is “black fungus” medically called?
[A] Blue green Algae
[B] Mucormycosis
[C] Cutaneous candidiasis
[D] Onychomycosis
Answer: Mucormycosis
Mucormycosis which is colloquially called as “black fungus” is a serious fungal infection in human
beings. The infection has been reported in patents affected with COVID 19 disease, in some states of
India. This disease often manifests in the skin and also affects the lungs and the brain
94. What is the name of the autism spectrum disorder, linked to difficulty with social interactions?
[A] Down Syndrome
[B] Asperger’s syndrome
[C] Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
[D] Kanner's Syndrome
Answer: Asperger’s syndrome
Asperger’s syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder. It is linked to experiencing difficulty with social
interactions in spite of having strong verbal and cognitive skills. Hosting an episode of Saturday Night
Live, Tesla CEO- billionaire Elon Musk revealed that he has Asperger’s syndrome.
95. The Argan tree is a native species of which country?
[A] Canada
[B] Russia
[C] Morocco
[D] Japan
Answer: Morocco
The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a native species of the sub-Saharan region of Morocco. It is a North
African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The tree which grows in arid and
semiarid areas, produces Argan oil, one of the rarest oils in the world and is hailed as the "liquid gold" of
Morocco. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 10 May the International Day of Argania.

96. Which Indian city won the 32nd rank in the Global Prime Residential Index?
[A] Mumbai
[B] New Delhi
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Bengaluru
Answer: New Delhi
London-based property consultant Knight Frank released the Global Prime Residential Index. As per the
index, New Delhi and Mumbai are ranked in 32nd and 36th positions respectively. The Prime Global
Cities Index is a valuation-based index, which tracked the movement in prime residential prices in local
currency across more than 45 cities. Globally, Chinese city Shenzhen ranked first with 18.9% annual
change for the period Q1 2020 – Q1 2021.
97. Which country is set to create “a line of separation” at the Mt Everest summit to tackle Covid-19
infection?
[A] Nepal
[B] China
[C] India
[D] Bangladesh
Answer: China
China has recently announced that is set to create “a line of separation” at the Mt Everest summit. This
is expected to prevent climbers from the Chinese side from being infected by those climbing the summit
from Nepal. Earlier, a number of Covid-19 cases were diagnosed among those climbing the mountain
from Nepal. The peak climbing is usually undertaken by the climbers between April and early June
before the monsoon arrives.
98. Bucharest Nine (B9) is a group of nine countries from which international bloc?
[A] G 20
[B] European Union
[C] NATO
[D] Common wealth
Answer: NATO
Nine countries—Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and
Slovakia established a platform for political consultation and cooperation within NATO. Named as
Bucharest Nine, or B9, it is also regarded as the “voice of the Eastern Flank” in the NATO alliance.
Recently, in the B9 summit, US President Joseph R Biden addressed the countries in virtual format.
99. Which aerospace company has announced the "DOGE-1 Mission to the Moon"?
[A] SpaceX
[B] Blue Origin
[C] NASA
[D] JAXA
Answer: SpaceX
Billionaire Elon Musk’s commercial rocket company SpaceX has announced that it will launch "DOGE-1
Mission to the Moon" aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the first quarter of 2022, He also announced
that the entire mission will be paid for in Dogecoin. With this mission, Doge is to be made the first
cryptocurrency in space.
100. Which multilateral institution has launched an Asia Pacific Tax Hub, for better tax coordination
among its members?

[A] AIIB
[B] ADB
[C] World Bank
[D] IMF
Answer: ADB
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched an Asia Pacific Tax Hub. This will create an open
platform to improve knowledge sharing, and strengthen coordination on tax policy among ADB, its
members, and development partners. The hub will mobilise regional and international resources to
strengthen domestic resource mobilization (DRM) and international tax cooperation (ITC) in ADB’s
developing member countries.
101. The Mobile Payment Forum of India (MPFI) is a think tank set up by which institution?
[A] IIT Bombay
[B] IIT Delhi
[C] IIT Chennai
[D] IIM Ahmedabad
Answer: IIT Chennai
The Mobile Payment Forum of India (MPFI) is a think tank set up with the joint initiative of the Institute
for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), Hyderabad and Rural Technology
Business Incubator (RTBI), IIT Madras in 2006. It aims to enable mobile financial services for everyone
in India through secure, efficient and low cost transactions. IIT Madras researchers will collaborate with
members of MPFI to develop voice-based solutions in multiple local languages.
102. Which organisation has released the “Renewable Energy Market Update 2021”?
[A] Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited
[B] International Energy Agency
[C] National Thermal Power Corporation
[D] French Development Authority
Answer: International Energy Agency
The report titled “Renewable Energy Market Update 2021” has been recently released by the International
Energy Agency (IEA). The report gives a forecast on new global renewable power capacity additions for
2021 and 2022. The IEA is an intergovernmental organisation headquartered at Paris, France. It was
formed in 1974, under the framework of OECD.
103. Falcon 9 rocket is used by which space agency?
[A] NASA
[B] Space X
[C] ISRO
[D] ESA
Answer: Space X
The US-based private space agency SpaceX, has launched 60 Starlink internet satellites into the earth’s
orbit, using its Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 is the company’s flagship launch vehicle, which consists of
reusable boosters. This marks the 14th launch of SpaceX company for the year 2021.
104. NITI Aayog in association with which company has launched the report named “Connected
Commerce”?
[A] VISA
[B] Mastercard
[C] Clix

[D] India Bulls
Answer: Mastercard
The national think tank NITI Aayog, in partnership with payments leader MasterCard has launched a
report titled “Connected Commerce - Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat”. The report
identifies key challenges faced by India in accelerating digital financial inclusion in the country and
provides recommendations for the same.
105. Which Indian state is the first to launch the Online flood reporting system?
[A] Odisha
[B] Assam
[C] West Bengal
[D] Kerala
Answer: Assam
The Assam State Disaster Management Agency and UNICEF have jointly developed an online flood
reporting and information management system in Assam. The new system would replace the existing
mechanism which is manually operated and is time consuming one. The new system would be made
fully operational from May 15th 2021.
106. As per the Income Tax Act, what is the maximum limit to which money can be transferred in
cash?
[A] Rs 2 lakh
[B] Rs 5 lakh
[C] Rs 10 lakh
[D] Rs 50 lakh
Answer: Rs 2 lakh
The Central government has relaxed income tax norms for the Covid hospitals, nursing home and Covid
care centres for receiving cash of ₹2 lakh or above from the patients. The Ministry of Finance issued
notification announcing relaxation in Section 269ST of the Income Tax Act. The exemption for cash
payment receipt is for the period of 1st April 2021 to 31st May 2021.
107. Which state recently conducted Monkey Census using the mobile application designed by the
Wildlife Institute of India (WII)?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Haryana
[C] Rajasthan
[D] West Bengal
Answer: Haryana
Haryana conducted a three-day Monkey Census as a part of a larger Wildlife Census for Haryana-2021.
Over 600 people throughout Haryana participated in Monkey Census and documented approximately
6,000 monkeys on a mobile application by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) titled ‘Wildlife Census
Haryana’.
108. What is the name of the document issued by bank as a proof of payments received from abroad?
[A] FIRA
[B] FCNR
[C] Vostro
[D] Nostro
Answer: FIRA
FIRA is a document issued by banks to exporters as a proof of payments received from abroad. It is a

proof of receipt of export proceeds in foreign currency received from abroad. American Payment
company PayPal has introduced an automated process to obtain the monthly Foreign Inward Remittance
Advice (FIRA). It is a cost-free and easy process to download their monthly digital FIRA issued by the
bank. This initiative aims to empower Indian MSME exporters.
109. The Vineyard Wind project, which was seen in the news recently, is the first commercial
offshore wind farm of which country?
[A] China
[B] India
[C] USA
[D] UAE
Answer: USA
The Joe Biden Administration gave final approval to the construction of the country’s first commercial-
scale offshore wind farm. Named the Vineyard Wind project, the construction of the project is to begin
this summer. The project includes setting up of 84 turbines in the Atlantic Ocean about 12 nautical miles
off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. The plants could together generate about 800 megawatts of
electricity.
110. Which space probe has detected humming sound in interstellar space?
[A] Voyager 1
[B] InSight
[C] Ingenuity
[D] Reconnaissance Orbiter
Answer: Voyager 1
The Voyager 1 probe of NASA, has detected humming sound in space, which is said to be caused by gas
in interstellar space. The plasma wave system of the probe had made this observation. The Voyager 1
probe was launched by NASA in the year 1977, to study the outer Solar System.
111. What is the name of the condition, in which human does not realise the drop in oxygen level
and continue to perform normal activities?
[A] Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
[B] Happy Hypoxia
[C] Acute Flaccid Myelitis
[D] Acinetobacter Infection
Answer: Happy Hypoxia
The condition in which humans do not realize that their oxygen level is going low and continue to
perform their regular routine which leads to sudden drop in the oxygen levels is termed as “Happy
Hypoxia”. This condition mostly occurs to youngsters and would make the patients unstable. It
ultimately makes COVID progressive and may even be fatal to life.
112. Which country has authorized vaccinating children of ages 12 and above?
[A] India
[B] China
[C] Japan
[D] USA
Answer: USA
The Government of USA has authorised the Pfizer vaccine, for vaccination of children of ages 12 and
above in the country. This is a strong move to widen the vaccinated population in the USA and is aimed
to completely curtail the viral spread in the country. This is also expected to increase the chances for a

safe return to full-time school by the children.
113. Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, an expert of Indian descent, was recently conferred with
which prize?
[A] Global Teacher Award
[B] International Booker Prize
[C] World Food Prize
[D] Chern Medal
Answer: World Food Prize
Dr Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, a global nutrition expert of Indian descent has won the prestigious
2021 World Food Prize. The veteran’s research on small native fish species in Bangladesh led to the
development of nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquaculture and food systems.
114. The Union Health Ministry has increased the gap between the doses of which Covid vaccine to
12-16 weeks?
[A] Covaxin
[B] Covishield
[C] Sputnik
[D] Sinopharm
Answer: Covishield
Based on the recommendation of the seven-member Covid-19 Working Group, the Union Health Ministry
announced to increase the dosing interval to 12-16 weeks between two doses of Covishield vaccine. The
present gap between the two doses of Covishield vaccine is 6-8 weeks. Based on the available real-life
evidence, particularly from the UK, the Covid-19 Working Group agreed for the increase. No change in
interval of Covaxin vaccine doses was recommended.
115. Which country has coined the name “Tauktae” for the cyclone in Arabian Sea?
[A] India
[B] Sri Lanka
[C] Myanmar
[D] Pakistan
Answer: Myanmar
As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a low pressure area which was formed in the
Arabian Sea, would evolve into a cyclonic storm and has been given the name “Tauktae”. This name has
been coined by Myanmar. This cyclone in Arabia Sea is likely to bring heavy rains in Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Goa and south Konkan region.
116. As per the report on environmentally vulnerable cities by Verisk Maplecroft, how many cities
among the top 100 are located in Asia?
[A] 2
[B] 19
[C] 56
[D] 99
Answer: 99
Business risk analysts Verisk Maplecroft has recently released a report on the cities which are most
vulnerable to environmental hazards. As per the report, among the top 100 vulnerable cities, 99 are
located in Asia. Jakarta has topped the list and Delhi has been ranked at No.2. More than 400 large
cities across the globe with a total population of 1.5 billion are at "high" or "extreme" risk, as per the
report.

117. Which organisation has proposed to launch US dollar stable-coin?
[A] Orkut
[B] Amazon
[C] Diem Association
[D] World Bank
Answer: Diem Association
The Digital Currency Firm Diem Association has proposed to launch a US dollar stable-coin. Diem is the
digital currency project promoted by Facebook and was initially named as Libra. Stable coins are digital
currencies which are pegged to an underlying fiat currency. USA based Silvergate Bank has proposed to
issue the Diem USD stablecoin and manage the Diem USD reserve.
118. Which regulator has proposed to rationalise the definition of 'promoter group' and move to the
concept of 'person in control'?
[A] RBI
[B] NABARD
[C] SEBI
[D] IRDAI
Answer: SEBI
The Market regulator – Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has proposed rationalisation of
the definition of 'promoter group'. It has proposed to move towards the concept of 'person in control'.
This has been communicated in a consultative paper, and SEBI has sought for comments from the
public on this proposal, by June 10th 2021.
119. Two classified Yaogan satellites have been launched by which country?
[A] Japan
[B] USA
[C] China
[D] India
Answer: China
China has recently launched two classified Yaogan satellites from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in
South West China. These satellites were carried by Changsei 2C rocket. The satellites are said to be put
for use in electromagnetic environmental surveys and other related technical tests.
120. Which state cabinet has given approval for a new Prison Rule for its state, stating that the
existing legislation is outdated?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Haryana
[C] Odisha
[D] Punjab
Answer: Punjab
The Cabinet of Punjab Government has given an approval for the Punjab Prison Rules, 2021, under the
provisions of Prison Act 1894. This new set of regulations would replace the existing Prison Rules which
was last revised in the year 1996. The Punjab Government is of the view that the existing prison rules
are outdated and there is an immediate need to upgrade the regulations.
Notice
The above 120 questions are part of Daily Current Affairs 20 MCQs Series in GKToday’s Academy
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