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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
5th Session of Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs held virtually
- India is the host and Spices Board of India (under Ministry of Commerce & Industry) is the Secretariat of CCSCH.
- CCSCH is the 1st Codex Commodity Committee to hold a virtual session, around 300 experts from 50 countries took part in it.
- CCSCH has finalised and recommended quality standards for four spices; cloves, oregano, basil, and ginger. The committee forwarded these four new standards to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) for adoption as full -fledged Codex standards.
CCSCH
- CCSCH was established in 2013 under Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), an Inter-governmental body.
- It develops and expands worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs.
- India is the host country of CCSCH & Spice Board of India is responsible for organising sessions of the committee.
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
- An Intergovernmental body set up in 1963 by FAO & WHO for protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in food trade.
About Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
Chairperson – Guilherme da Costa
Headquarters – Rome, Italy
Members – 189
About Spice Board of India
Chairman & Secretary – D Sathiyan
Headquarters – Kochi, Kerala
>>Read Full News
TRIFED signs MoU with The LINK Fund for Empowerment of Tribals
- The MoU was signed by Pravir Krishna, Managing Director of TRIFED & Tony Kalm, CEO & Co-founder of The LINK Fund.
- The agreement has been signed for a project titled ‘Sustainable Livelihoods for Tribal Households in India’.
Key Points
i.It aims to empower tribals by providing support to them for increasing value addition in their produce and products.
ii.Technology interventions of The LINK Fund will help in achieving efficiency in value addition for Minor Forest Produces (MFP), produce and crafts diversification, skill training and enhancement of value additions in MFPs.
iii.They will also work to create women-centered infrastructure and innovation and entrepreneurship.
iv.An Important aspect of the partnership will be the development of markets for NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Products).
About Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)
It comes under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Managing Director – Pravir Krishna
Head Office – New Delhi
About The LINK Fund
CEO & Co-Founder – Tony Kalm
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
>>Read Full News
Govt Amended the EDLI Scheme; Increased the Maximum Sum Assured to Rs.7 lakhs from Rs.6 lakhs
Scheme(EDLI),1976 & named it as Employees’ Deposit-Linked Insurance
(Amendment) Scheme, 2021. In line with the Amendment, the maximum sum, assured payable under the EDLI Scheme was increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh.
- It was amended, in exercise of the powers conferred by section, 6C read with sub-section (1) of section 7 of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (19 of 1952).
Amendments over the EDLI scheme:
Under the Scales of assurance benefit and the minimum average balance to be maintained
by an employee:
| Existing Provisions | Amendments |
| For availing the fund, one should be in the employment of the same establishment for a continuous period of one year preceding his death. | Changed as employment (removed the same establishment) |
| The claim amount under EDLI is 30 times the average monthly salary in the past 12 months | Changed to 35 times |
| The fund is subjected to a ceiling of 1 lakh 50 thousand rupees | Increased to 1lakh and75 thousand rupees |
| Minimum assurance benefit of not less than Rs 2.5 lakh payable to family members of deceased employees who die while in service. | It is continued to effect from February 15, 2020 |
|
The maximum sum assured payable under the EDLI Scheme was 6 lakh |
Hiked to 7 lakh |
| Under punishment for failure to submit returns: The fine amount was Rs 4000 | Increased to Rs 25000 |
Note – These amendments were subjected to be in force for a period of 3 years.
About EDLI:
i.The EDLI scheme was launched in 1976 to provide insurance benefits to members
of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
ii.Its objective was to ensure the family of members get financial assistance in case of
the death of the member.
iii.This scheme is applicable to all organisations registered under the Employees
Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
About Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO):
Establishment – 1952
Headquarters – New Delhi
Works under – Ministry of Labour & Employment
Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC)– Sunil Barthwal
About Ministry of Labour & Employment:
Minister of State (Independent charge)– Santosh Kumar Gangwar (constituency – Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh)
Govt Extends Vivad Se Vishwas Deadline for Payments to June 30
The Government of India has extended the deadline for making payments under the Direct Tax Vivaad Se Vishwas dispute resolution scheme to another 2 months till 30th June 2021 and also extended the deadlines for various compliance under Income Tax Act due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other deadline extensions:
- The deadline for availing of the tax dispute settlement scheme had already been extended five times till March 31.
- Deadline for reopening of assessment on income which escaped the assessment under the section 148, till 30th June.
- Other tax compliance deadlines by 2 months from 30th April.
India’s Crude Oil Production Fell by 5%; Natural Gas Production Fell by 8% in FY21: MoPNG
According to the data of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas(MoPNG), the crude oil production of India fell by 5% to 30.5 million tonnes in FY21 from 32.17 million tonnes in 2019-2020. The data also shows that Natural Gas production has also fallen by 8% to 28.67 billion cubic metres(BCM) in FY21 from around 31BCM in FY20.
The production of petroleum products fell by 11.2% at 233.4 million tonnes.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Electric Vehicles to make up 30% of Indian Auto Sales by 2030 : IEA Report
- It states that through electrification of two/three wheelers in India, the sales share of EVs can reach almost 50%.
- In 2020 the global car sales fell by 16% in 2020 due to COVID-19, but the Global EV sales increased by 41% to around 3 Million vehicles in 2020.
- In 2020, Europe emerged as the World’s Largest EV market for the 1st time, overtaking China. Electric car registrations in Europe doubled to 1.4 Millions, while in China it increased by 9% to 1.2 Million.
- The report discusses developments in electric mobility across the globe in 2020.
About International Energy Agency (IEA)
Executive Director – Dr Fatih Birol
Headquarters – Paris, France
>>Read Full News
COVID-19 has increased Challenges for Countries to Manage Forests : UN Report
- The most vulnerable segments of society, especially the rural poor and indigenous people have turned towards forests to meet their essential livelihood needs due to the economic hardships caused by COVID-19. This has caused stress on the Forest Ecosystem.
- The Global Forests Goals Report 2021 is an inaugural report.
- It presents an overview of progress achieved by Countries on 6 Global Forest Goals under the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030.
United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-30
- It aims to promote sustainable forest management & enhancing the contribution of forests & trees to the 2030 Sustainable Development goals.
- It has set a goal to increase forest area by 3% by 2030 in the world.
- Under the plan,India has committed to add 200, 00 Hectares of Forests and Tree Cover per year.
UNESCO Public Survey Report
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has released ‘The World in 2030 – Public Survey Report’. The Global survey was carried out by UNESCO during May-September, 2020.
- It garnered responses of more than 15, 000 people, in which 57% of them were under 35 years of age & 35% under 25.
- Around 67% of the people chose Climate change and loss of biodiversity as the biggest challenges facing earth.
About United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
Under-Secretary-General (USG) – Liu Zhenmin
Headquarters – New York, USA
>>Read Full News
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad represents India at G-7 Digital & Technology Ministerial Meeting
- The meeting was chaired by Oliver Downden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, UK.
- Theme of the meeting – ‘Building Back Better’.
- The G-7 countries signed a Joint Ministerial Declaration at the end of the summit. It highlighted the agenda of member countries for digital and technology and includes online safety, developing collaborative regulatory approach, and promoting free flow of data across borders.
- Ravi Shankar Prasad highlighted steps taken by India to bring digital inclusion and empower ordinary citizens under the Digital India Programme.
- The 47th G7 Leaders’ Summit (Annual Summit) 2021 will be hosted by the UK from June 11-13 in Carbis Bay, UK. India has been invited to the meeting by UK PM Boris Johnson.
Group of Seven
- It is an intergovernmental organisation formed in 1975.
- It acts as an informal forum for discussing pressing world issues.
- G-7 countries consist of the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan. European Union (EU) also attends the meetings.
About G7 (Group of Seven)
Members – 7, Founded in 1975
2021 Presidency – United Kingdom
>>Read Full News
BANKING & FINANCE
RBI Became a member of Network for Greening the Financial System
Important points about NGFS:
- It was launched at the Paris One Planet Summit on December 12, 2017 and RBI became a member of it in April 23,2021.
- NGFS consists of a group of central banks and supervisors willing, on a voluntary basis, they will share best practices and experiences for the development of environment and climate risk management in the financial sector
- The central Banks will organize the finance to support the transition towards a sustainable economy. RBI also will contribute to global efforts on green finance and climate change
About Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS):
Establishment – December 2017
Headquarters – Paris, France
Members – 90 members and 13 observers.
Chair – Frank Elderson (Dutch central banker)
>>Read Full News
ICICI Bank tie-up with Decentro to offer customized business banking APIs
- ICICI Bank’s seven business banking APIs from different categories, like deposits, payments, and collections were integrated by Decentro to provide a powerful kit to the end users.
- This initiative enables the ICICI Bank customers to have a quick and stable access to all business banking APIs.
About API in Banking:
- It is traditionally a tech interface between software programs and it is a set of protocols that facilitates a third-party application to synchronise and connect to a bank’s tools and services and makes a bank’s services available to other third-party.
About ICICI Bank:
Establishment – 1995(Incorporated in 1994)
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD& CEO – Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline – Hum haina, Khayal Apka
>>Read Full News
Airtel Payments Bank become the first payments bank to enable ₹2 lakh of day-end balance account limit
As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) guidelines, Airtel Payments Bank has increased the day-end account balance limit for customers from ₹ 1 lakh to ₹ 2 lakh and become the first payments bank in the country to do so.Click here to Know more
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
IFC to invest $40 million in Upgrad; $150 million loan to Bajaj Finance for 5 years 
About investment in Upgrad:
- Upgrad was founded by Ronnie Screwvala, Phalgun Kompalli, Mayank Kumar and Ravijot Chugh(Promoters) in 2015 by investing over Rs 170 crore.
- Now, the promoters’ holding in the firm came to 75 per cent after the investments of USD 160 million in April 2021 (USD 40 million from IFC and a USD 120 million funding from Singaporean investor Temasek Holdings). The two external investors IFC and Temasek hold the remaining 25 per cent.
About the Loan proposal to Bajaj Finance:
- IFC has proposed a senior loan of up to $150 million to Bajaj Finance Ltd. for up to five years to enable the company to expand its lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and women owned MSMEs.
- After obtaining the loan, Bajaj Finance plans to increase its lending to MSME segment to about $600 million.
About International Finance Corporation (IFC):
IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.
Establishment – 1956
MD, Executive Vice President – Makhtar Diop
Headquarters – Washington D.C., USA
>>Read Full News
Oxford Economics Revised down India’s GDP Growth Forecast for 2021 from 11.8% to 10.2% 
Different Growth rate projections for India:
- IMF – 12.5 per cent in 2021
- S&P Global Ratings – 11 per cent in FY22
- RBI – 10.5 per cent for FY22
- The Economic Survey FY21- 11 per cent growth in FY22
- India’s statistics office – projected contraction of 8 per cent (-8%) in FY21
Goldman Sachs, a Wall Street brokerage also decreased India’s GDP growth forecast for 2021 to 10.5 per cent from 10.9 per cent.
About Oxford Economics:
Establishment – 1981
Headquarters – Oxford, United Kingdom
CEO – Adrian Cooper
About Goldman Sachs:
Establishment – 1869
Headquarters – New York, United States
Chairman & CEO – David M. Solomon
Apple Launched $200 million Restore Fund to Reduce Carbon
Apple in partnership with Conservation International and Goldman Sachs launched a first-of-its-kind carbon removal initiative called the Restore Fund of $200 million, to make investments in timber-producing forest properties to remove carbon from the atmosphere and in turn generating a financial return for investors.
The fund aims to remove one million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, which is equivalent to the amount emitted by more than 200,000 passenger vehicles. A goal was set by Apple in 2020, to neutralize its own carbon emissions and those of its suppliers by 2030.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Niraj Bajaj Named The Chairman Of Bajaj Auto; Rahul Bajaj To Be Named Chairman Emeritus
The company has also named Rahul Bajaj as Chairman Emeritus for a period of 5 years with effect from 1st May 2021.
About Niraj Bajaj:
Career:
i.Niraj Bajaj joined the board of Bajaj Auto Limited on 9th September 2006.
ii.He is one of the promoter directors of Bajaj Group.
iii.He is a member of the board of Directors of Bajaj Allianz Life and General Insurance Co Ltd.
iv.He has served as the President of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber, Alloy Steel Producers Association and Indian Stainless Steel Development Association.
Sports:
i.Niraj Bajaj represented Nation Table Tennis between 1970 to 1977.
ii.He was thrice named as the ‘All India Table Tennis Champion’ and ‘ranked India No 1 four times.
Awards:
- Arjuna Award
- Shiv Chhatrapati Award
- Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar.
About Rahul Bajaj:
i.Rahul Bajaj took over Bajaj Auto in 1972.
ii.At the age of 82 he retired as the Non-Executive Chairman and Chairman of Bajaj Auto with effect from 30th April 2021.
Indian American Vanita Gupta appointed as Associate Attorney General of USA
Indian-American Vanita Gupta has been appointed Associate Attorney General of United States.With this she became the first Indian-American to serve in this role.
- Prior to this she has been the President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
- She has also headed civil rights division in the Department of Justice in the Obama Administration.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
High-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean developed by Indian Scientists
- The new variety MACS 1407 gives 39 quintals per hectare
Developers:
This variety of Soya bean has been developed by Scientists from MACS (Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science Research Institute)-Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR), New Delhi.
Areas of Cultivation:
It is suitable for rain-fed conditions of north- east India and hence suitable for cultivation in the states of
- Assam
- West Bengal
- Jharkhand
- Chhattisgarh
- North-Eastern states.
Note:
In the last few years production of soya bean in the country is in the range of 100-146 lakh tone. For the 2020-21 crop year (July-June), production is pegged at 137.11 lakh tonne,
About Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR):
It is the apex body for coordinating,guiding and managing research and education in agriculture for the entire country under the aegis of Department of Agricultural Research and Education,Ministry of Agriclture and Farmers Welfare.
Headquarters: New Delhi
President of the ICAR Society: Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriclture and Farmers Welfare.
>>Read Full News
NASA ‘Perseverance’ Mars Mission – Oxygen Produced from Mars for the 1st Time
- It is the 1st time that Oxygen is being produced on another planet.
- MOXIE produced 5 grams of Oxygen from Carbon dioxide which is enough for an astronaut to breathe for 10 minutes on Mars.
- It works through Electrolysis using extreme heat to separate oxygen atoms from molecules of carbon dioxide.
- The atmosphere on Mars is about 95% carbon dioxide.
- The production of Oxygen is critical to human exploration of Mars, both as a source of air for astronauts and as an essential ingredient for rocket fuel to fly astronauts back home.
Developed by
MOXIE is sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.
- It is a joint venture between NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), MIT Haystack Observatory, and MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Administrator – Steve Jurczyk
Headquarters – Washington D.C., USA
SPORTS
Srihari Nataraj creates national record in 50m backstroke swimming
Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj won his second Gold in 50m backstroke swimming and made a national record in Uzbekistan Open Championship. This was Srihari’s third national record in the last two days as he had made a new record twice in 100m backstroke. Indian swimmers got a total of 29 medals, which comprise 18 Gold, seven Silver and two Bronze in the event.
OBITUARY
Apollo 11 pilot, Astronaut Michael Collins passed away at 90
About Michael Collins:
i.Micheal Collins flew the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in 1969 along with his crewmates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who made the first crewed landing on the Moon surface.
ii.He was also a test pilot and major general in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
iii. He is also known as the ‘forgotten’ astronaut of Apollo 11,as Michael Collins never set foot on the lunar surface like his crewmates Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.
iv.He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011.
Ex-attorney general & Padma Vibhushan Awardee, Soli Sorabjee passed away at 91
About Soli Sorabjee:
i.Soli Sorabjee was designated Senior Advocate of the Bombay High Court in 1971. He served as Solicitor-General of India from 1977 to 1980.
ii.Then he was appointed as Attorney-General for India in 9 December 1989 up to 2 December 1990, and then again on 7 April 1998 to 2004.
iii.He then became the chairman of the UN Sub Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights from 1998 to 2004.
iv.He was honored with the Padma Vibhushan award,the second-highest civilian award in India in 2002 for his defence of freedom of speech and the protection of human rights.
Music composer Shravan Rathod passed away at 66
Famous Music composer Shravan Rathod, of Nadeem-Shravan duo passed away at the age of 66 due to covid-19 in Mumbai,Maharashtra. Shravan Rathod was born on 13 November 1954, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Nadeem Shravan was well known for their composition in Aashiqui (1990).
- Some of their other works are Saajan, Sadak ,Phool Aur Kaante,Deewana, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Raja, Agni Sakshi, Jeet, Pardes and Raja Hindustani.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Climate Change Activist Aakash Ranison authored an e-book titled “Climate Change Explained – For One And All”
The book is focused on topics like climate change and its effect on the lives of individuals.
About the book:
i.The book features a collection of data and information about climate change.
ii.The book also includes topics like the Greenhouse effect, global warming, Carbon Footprint and its effect on the future.
iii.The book will provide a better understanding of the relationship between nature and humans.
iv.The book is available on https://climateaction.aakashranison.com/.
Note:
India ranks fifth in the Global Climate Risk Index 2020.
About Aakash Ranison:
Aakash Ranison, a climate change activist, has collaborated with “Spiti Ecosphere”. a social enterprise focused on creating sustainable livelihood through observation and development of economics.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Jazz Day 2021 – April 30 
- The year 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of International Jazz Day.
- The International Jazz Day is celebrated by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also with its official partners the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
About Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz:
Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is a nonprofit educational organization.
President– Thomas R. Carter
Location- Los Angeles & Washington, DC
>>Read Full News
Ayushman Bharat Diwas 2021 – 30th April 
The day aims to promote health and wellness and provide the benefits of insurance to the poor.
Ayushman Bharat Yojana:
i.Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of the Government which was launched as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, with an aim to achieve Universal Health Coverage(UHC).
ii.The Ayushman Bharat comprises 2 interrelated components
- Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)
International Dance Day 2021 – 29th April
The day aims to celebrate dance and its universality which unites the people across different political, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
- The International Dance Day was founded by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1982.
- Friedemann Vogel, the German ballet dancer, was chosen as the Message author of the International Dance Day 2021.
About International Theatre Institute (ITI):
ITI was created by the initiative of Sir Julian Huxley, the first Director-General of UNESCO and JB Priestly, playwright and novelist.
Founded in– 1948
President– Mohamed Saif Al-Afkham
Director-General– Tobias Biancone
Headquarters– Shanghai, China
>>Read Full News
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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
| S.no | Current Affairs 1 May 2021 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5th Session of Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs held virtually |
| 2 | TRIFED signs MoU with The LINK Fund for Empowerment of Tribals |
| 3 | Maximum Sum Assured under EDLI Scheme – Hiked from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh |
| 4 | Govt Extends Vivad Se Vishwas Deadline for Payments to June 30 |
| 5 | India’s Crude Oil Production Fell by 5%; Natural Gas Production Fell by 8% in FY21: MoPNG |
| 6 | Electric Vehicles to make up 30% of Indian Auto Sales by 2030 : IEA Report |
| 7 | COVID-19 has increased Challenges for Countries to Manage Forests : UN Report |
| 8 | Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad represents India at G-7 Digital & Technology Ministerial Meeting |
| 9 | RBI Became a member of Network for Greening the Financial System |
| 10 | ICICI Bank tie-up with Decentro to offer customized business banking APIs |
| 11 | Airtel Payments Bank become the first payments bank to enable ₹2 lakh of day-end balance account limit |
| 12 | IFC to invest $40 million in Upgrad; $150 million loan to Bajaj Finance for 5 years |
| 13 | Oxford Economics Revised down India’s GDP Growth Forecast for 2021 from 11.8% to 10.2% |
| 14 | Apple Launched $200 million Restore Fund to Reduce Carbon |
| 15 | Niraj Bajaj Named The Chairman Of Bajaj Auto; Rahul Bajaj To Be Named Chairman Emeritus |
| 16 | Indian American Vanita Gupta appointed as Associate Attorney General of USA |
| 17 | High-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean developed by Indian Scientists |
| 18 | NASA ‘Perseverance’ Mars Mission – Oxygen Produced from Mars for the 1st Time |
| 19 | Srihari Nataraj creates national record in 50m backstroke swimming |
| 20 | Apollo 11 pilot, Astronaut Michael Collins passed away at 90 |
| 21 | Ex-attorney general Soli Sorabjee passed away at 91 |
| 22 | Music composer Shravan Rathod passed away at 66. |
| 23 | Climate Change Activist Aakash Ranison authored an e-book titled “Climate Change Explained – For One And All” |
| 24 | International Jazz Day 2021 – April 30 |
| 25 | Ayushman Bharat Diwas 2021 – 30th April |
| 26 | International Dance Day 2021 – 29th April |
