We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 19 May 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Tribal Affairs Ministry signs MoU with Microsoft for Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools
- Under the agreement, Microsoft will make the Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum available to tribal students in English and Hindi at all EMRS schools. This is to ensure inclusion and access.
- During the 1st phase of the program, 250 EMRS schools will be adopted by Microsoft for the purpose.
- The main aim of the agreement is to build an inclusive, skills based economy.
Key Points
i.The initiative will also enable professional development of teachers, to enable them to use technology in classrooms.
ii.Under the partnership, students from schools under the Tribal Ministry will be mentored on projects which involve AI applications for societal good and UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA)
Union Minister – Arjun Munda (Lok Sabha – Khunti, Jharkhand)
Minister of State – Renuka Singh Saruta (Lok Sabha – Surguja, Chhattisgarh)
About Microsoft
CEO – Satya Nadella
Headquarters – Redmond, Washington, USA
>>Read Full News
Startup ‘Jupitice’ develops World’s 1st Private Digital Court for Dispute Resolution
‘Jupitice Justice Technologies’, an Chandigarh-based startup has developed World’s 1st Private Digital Court (powered by Blockchain & Artificial Intelligence) to resolve disputes under the Private Justice System through Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (ADR).
- The platform is designed for private justice system arbitration, conciliation, mediation & negotiation.
- It allows parties involved in disputes to conduct arbitration, conciliation or mediation without the help of an administering body.
ADR
- The process by which disputes between the parties are settled or brought to an amicable result without the intervention of Judicial Institution and without any trial is known as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
- Acts which deal with ADR in India – The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 , Conciliation Act was enacted in 1996.
- Government of India passed the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to establish an independent body called Arbitration Council of India (ACI) for promotion of arbitration, mediation, conciliation and other ADR mechanisms.
About Jupitice Justice Technologies
CEO & Founder – Raman Aggarwal
Location – Chandigarh
>>Read Full News
Indian Navy hosts GMS-21 Virtually;13 Indian Ocean Littoral Countries Participated
Indian Navy hosted ‘GOA MARITIME SYMPOSIUM(GMS)-21’ virtually for 2 days, from 11th & 12th May 2021, it was for the 1st time GMS-21 held virtually. The theme for GMS-21 was focused on “Maritime Security and Emerging Non-Traditional Threats: A Case for Proactive Role for IOR Navies”.
- 13 Indian Ocean Littoral countries (India, Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand) participated in the GMS-21.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
More than 70% of Snow Leopard habitat under-researched: WWF Report
- It states that just 4 hotspots of snow leopard research (sites with continued multi-year research) have emerged since 1970.
- The proportion of area within each country covered by research was highest in Nepal (74%), followed by India (40%), Uzbekistan (39%) and China and Russia (25%).
- The report is based on analysis of peer-reviewed published papers on Snow Leopard and its habitat.
- Rishi Kumar Sharma, WWF Global Snow Leopard Lead is one of the lead authors of the report.
Key Points
i.The 12 Asian Countries which have snow leopard populations are China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia.
- The habitat of the snow leopard is expected to decline by 8-23% by 2070 due to climate impacts.
- Snow Leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
About World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
President & CEO – Carter Roberts
Headquarters – Gland, Switzerland
>>Read Full News
BANKING & FINANCE
SEBI Proposed Framework for Regulated Gold Exchange in India – Electronic Gold Receipt
- The Gold Exchange instruments are termed as “Electronic Gold Receipt” (EGR)
- With annual gold demand of ~800-900 tonne, India is the 2nd largest consumer of gold globally. (First – China)
- Objective: Gold exchange(EGR) is intended to ‘one nation one price’ of gold
Key points:
i.Gold Exchange includes the entire ecosystem of trading and physical delivery of gold, and it would lead to transparent domestic spot price discovery, assurance in the quality of gold, and increase gold recycling in India.
ii.SEBI constituted two working groups (involving stakeholders) to implement the gold exchange framework.
Recommendations of the Working group:
i.The entire transaction in the Gold Exchange is divided into 3 tranches as follows:
- First Tranche: Conversion from Physical Gold to EGR
- Second Tranche: Trading of EGR in stock exchange/s
- Third Tranche: Conversion from EGR to Physical Gold
Note – Like shares, EGRs will be held in Demat form and can be converted into physical gold when needed.
ii.Product denomination for trading and conversion of EGR into physical gold:
- EGR of 1 kg, 100 grams and 50 grams denomination may be available with the stock exchange/s.
- Trading: The EGRs of 1 kilogram, 100 grams and 50 grams denomination should be available for trading of EGR and conversion of EGR into physical gold and smaller denominations(SD) such as 10 grams and 5 grams may also be allowed for trading.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Establishment – On April 12, 1992, in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992.
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman – Ajay Tyagi
>>Read Full News
PayPoint India tie-up with Digit General Insurance for Health Insurance to Rural Areas
Premium and Benefits of the Health Insurance:
i.Post 24-hour ICU or HDU hospitalization, the COVID-19 hospitalization insurance policy offers a minimum of Rs. 1 lakh at a premium rate starting as low as Rs 487.
ii.The policy offers options of choosing a sum insured of Rs 1 lakh or Rs 2 lakh for individuals up to 65 years of age. It is available at PayPoint stores across India.
iii.The policyholder could avail of the Cashless claims by displaying the e-health card at the network hospitals.
About Digit General Insurance:
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
Chairman – Kamesh Goyal
CEO & Principal Officer – Vijay Kumar
>>Read Full News
Edelweiss General Insurance Launched Digital Partner Onboarding Solution – IPOS
- Objective: To digitise a partner’s journey with more efficiency.
Features of IPOS:
i.IPOS is an onboarding solution for all its existing and prospective partners including Agents, Brokers and Web Aggregators.
ii.This unified, fully automated portal is dedicated to all partner-related onboarding requirements and it has multiple features like easy visualisation capabilities, a built-in learning system where partners can take up practice tests.
About Edelweiss General Insurance:
It is a member of the Edelweiss Group
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Executive Director & CEO – Shanai Ghosh
>>Read Full News
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
India’s WPI Inflation Jumps to 11-year High in April 2021-10.49%
Note – April 2021’s WPI inflation is the first double digits WPI in almost a decade.
Key points:
i.India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) based retail inflation eased to a three-month low of 4.29 percent in April 2021.
ii.Core inflation (excluding food and fuel prices) also increased to 8.4 percent in April 2021.
WPI Inflation rate comparison:
| Commodities | YoY inflation rate April 2021 |
YoY inflation rate March 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| All commodities | 10.49 percent | 7.39 percent |
| Primary products inflation | 10.16 percent | 6.40 percent |
| Food inflation | 4.92 percent | 3.24 percent |
| Fuel & Power inflation | 20.94 percent | 10.25 percent |
| Manufacturing Products inflation | 9.01 percent | 7.34 percent |
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry:
Union Minister– Piyush Vedprakash Goyal (Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS)– Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh), Som Parkash (Lok Sabha – Hoshiarpur, Punjab)
Indian Airline-‘GoAir’ Rebranded As ‘Go First’
Wadia Group owned, Indian Airline, ‘GoAir’ was rebranded itself as ‘Go First’ after completing its 15 years of service as GoAir. The Go First as ULCC (ultra-low-cost carrier) would operate single aircraft type across its fleet, which currently has both Airbus A320 and A320Neos (new engine option) planes in operation.It will be the 3rd operational scheduled carrier after SpiceJet and IndiGo once the shares get listed.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Baljeet Kaur and Gunbala Sharma Become the 1st Indian Women to Summit Mount Pumori.
Key Points:
- The two women are also the first ones to scale a mountain that is a part of the Everest Massif.
- Everest Massif is formed by four peaks- Mount Pumori(7,161m), Mount Nuptse(7,862 m), Mount Lhotse(8,516m) and Mount Everest(8,848.86m) together.
- It has to be noted that on May 10,2021, two Indian male mountaineers Hem Raj and Stanzin Norboo had submitted the same mountain, along with four sherpas.
About Nepal:
Nepal has the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest as well as 1,310 peaks over 6,000 m height.
President: Bidya Devi Bhandari
Capital:Kathmandu
Currency:Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
>>Read Full News
APPOINTMENTS & RESINGNATIONS
Vandita Kaul Appointed as Nominee Director on Board of Bank of India
The Government of India has appointed Vandita Kaul as government nominee director on the board of directors of Bank of India.
i.Vandita Kaul has been working as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services.
ii.Bank of India has a total of eight members on its board including,
- MD and CEO
- Four executive directors
- One nominee director from the government
- One nominee director from the RBI and
- One from the shareholder directors.
About Bank of India:
Establishment:7th September, 1906
Headquarters:Mumbai,Maharashtra.
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Director(CEO):Atanu Kumar Das
Tagline:Relationship Beyond Banking
Abhay Tewari Appointed as MD&CEO of SUD Life 
About Abhay Tewari:
He joined SUD LIFE in 2014 as Appointed Actuary and he was holding the position of Joint President – Corporate & Chief Actuary (overseeing Operations, Actuarial, Risk and Corporate Governance functions), until his appointment as MD& CEO of the company.
About Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd (SUD LIFE):
SUD LIFE is a joint venture of Bank of India, Union Bank of India and Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Limited, Japan.
Establishment – 2009
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Non-Executive Chairman – Rajkiran Rai G.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Reliance Jio constructing Largest International Submarine Cable System with India as Center
i.The submarine cable system will consist of 2 subsea cable systems – India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) connecting India to Singapore, and India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) connecting India to the Middle East and Europe.
ii.The subsea system will provide more than 200 TBPS (TeraBytes Per Second) of capacity spanning over 16, 000 Kilometres.
iii.The subsea cable systems are being constructed to support the growing data consumption needs in India.
iv.Reliance Jio will partner with SubCom, an world-class submarine cable supplier and other global firms for constructing the cables.
About Reliance Industries Ltd
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (Jio) is an subsidiary of Reliance Industries
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman and MD – Mukesh Ambani
>>Read Full News
Europe’s Jupiter Spacecraft ‘JUICE’ enters Testing Phase
- The Jupiter bound Spacecraft has been assembled by Airbus Friedrichshafen, Germany.
- It is set to be launched in 2022 on an Ariane 5 Rocket & is expected to reach Jupiter in 2029.
- The mission will study 3 of Jupiter’s Galilean moons – Europa, Callisto & Ganymede. It will investigate the conditions necessary for habitability.
European Space Agency (ESA)
Director General – Josef Aschbacher
Headquarters – Paris, France
Member states – 22
Rajnath Singh releases 1st batch of Anti-COVID-19 drug ‘2-DG’ developed by DRDO
- It has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad, Telangana.
- In May 2021, Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) had approved emergency use of 2-DG as adjunct therapy (supplement therapy) in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.
- It is an oral drug. The clinical trials of the drug showed that it fastens the recovery process and reduces oxygen dependency by around 40%.
About Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS):
It is an lab of DRDO
Director – Anil Kumar Mishra
Location – Delhi
About Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
Chairman – Satish Reddy
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
>>Read Full News
Supreme Court Launches App for Journalists to Access Virtual Hearings
Due to Covid-19, the Supreme Court came up with a mobile app to enable journalists to report virtual proceedings without having to visit court premises.In May 2021, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana launched the app virtually and the event was attended by Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, Hemant Gupta, and Supreme Court secretary-general Sanjeev S Kalgaonkar.
- The CJI also launched a new feature in the Supreme Court’s official website called ‘Indicative Notes’, aimed at providing concise summaries of landmark judgments in an easy-to-understand format.
ENVIRONMENT
Subdoluseps nilgiriensis: New Species of Asian Gracile Skink Discovered from Nilgiri Hills
The discovery of the new species was published in the journal Zootaxa.
Skinks:
Skinks are a non-venomous species that closely resembles snakes due to inconspicuous limbs.
About Subdoluseps nilgiriensis:
This new species is related to Subdoluseps pruthi found in the parts of Eastern Ghats.
Subdoluseps nilgiriensis is found in the dry deciduous area
The discovery of the new species raises two novel scenarios:
- It changes the genus Subdoluseps evolutionarily polyphyletic with respect to the Indian species included in this genus.
- It proves that Subdoluseps pruthi group skinks are not restricted to the Eastern Ghats.
Characteristics:
i.The new species has a slender, small-sized body of about 7 cm.
ii.The species is sandy brown in colour.
iii.These species feed on insects like termites, cricket and small spiders.
iv.The species is currently considered a vulnerable species due to the threats like forest fires, construction and brick kiln industries
SPORTS
India retain top spot in ICC Test Team rankings after annual update
India remained the number one Test side after the annual update of the ICC team rankings followed by New Zealand & England, Ravichandran Ashwin Remains In Second Position in ICC Test Player Rankings for Bowling, he is the only Indian bowler to feature in the top ten ICC rankings, Australian Bowler Pat Cummins who tops the list.
Arjan Singh Bhullar become first Indian-origin fighter to win MMA world champion
Indo-Canadian Mixed Martial Artist (MMA) Arjan Singh Bhullar defeated Brandon Vera to become the heavyweight world champion at the Singapore-based One Championship and became the first Indian-origin fighter to win an MMA world champion title.
- A former freestyle wrestler, Bhullar had won the 2010 Commonwealth games gold medal in New Delhi representing Canada.
OBITUARY
Former IMA President and Padma Shri Awardee Dr.KK Aggarwal Passed Away
About Dr.KK Aggarwal:
i.In 2010, the Government of India honoured Dr.KK Aggarwal with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to the field of medicine.
ii.He was a renowned cardiologist and has been working as the Head of the Heart Care Foundation of India.
iii.He was awarded the Dr. BC Roy Award, the highest Indian award in the medical category in 2005.
iv.He introduced the technique of Colour Doppler Echocardiography in India.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World AIDS Vaccine Day 2021 – May 18
- The day aims to educate the general public about AIDS, encourage the researchers and ensure the participation of the general public in the vaccination drive.
- The observance is led by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Background:
i.The idea of the HIV Vaccine Awareness Day originated from the commencement speech of the former US President Bill Clinton at the Morgan State University on 18th May 1997.
ii.The first World AIDS Vaccine Day was observed across the globe on 18th May 1998.
About National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases traces its origins to a small laboratory established in 1887
Director– Anthony S. Fauci
Headquarters– Maryland, United States
>>Read Full News
International Museum Day 2021 – May 18
The day is annually organised by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Advisory Committee.
- The day represents a unique moment for the international museum community.
- The theme of the International Museum Day 2021 is “The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine”.
Background:
i.The International Council of Museums (ICOM) created International Museum Day in 1977 to highlight the role of museums in the development of society on an international level.
ii.The annual theme of the International Museum Day is chosen by the ICOM.
About International Council of Museums (ICOM):
International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organisation
Created in 1946
President– Alberto Garlandini (Italy)
Headquarters– Paris, France
>>Read Full News
STATE NEWS
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Launched HIT Covid App to Monitor COVID-19 Patients
The app was developed by the Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (BELTRON) under the guidance of the Department of Health and the Department of Information Technology(DIT).
Note:
The app was used on a pilot basis in five district of Bihar – Supaul, Aurangabad, Bhagalpur, Gopalganj and Nalanda
Aim:
To provide better facilities and monitoring of the home isolated patients across Bihar.
Features:
i.The app will support the health care workers to monitor the patients in home isolation.
ii.The data on the patient’s temperature and oxygen level will be fed into the app on a daily basis by the health workers who visit the patient.
iii.The patients with oxygen levels below 94 will be shifted to the dedicated COVID-19 health centre for treatment.
About Bihar:
Airport- Gaya International Airport, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Darbhanga Airport, Jogbani Airport
Birds Sanctuary- Kusheshwar Asthan Bird Sanctuary, Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary, Nakti Dam Bird Sanctuary
Tripura CM, Biplab Kumar Deb Launched App “Jagrut Tripura” to Avail Central & State Government Schemes
The project was developed by EasyGov, a Jio Group company, and it will be available to all the residents of Tripura.
Benefits:
i.The ‘Jagrut Tripura’ will empower citizens of Tripura.
ii.In this App,
- Eligibility for a particular scheme can be checked.
- Also a message will be sent regarding eligibility after necessary registration.
Key points:
i.The portal for registration is http://jagrut.tripura.gov.in.
ii.There are also plans to make this platform in direct beneficiary transfer mode.
iii.At least 102 schemes of various departments of both governments are available on the platform.
iv.The digital platform is one of the many proactive initiatives undertaken by the state government to spur a technology-led innovation ecosystem to make ‘Atma Nirbhar’ (self-reliant) Tripura.
About Tripura:
Chief Minister:Biplab Kumar Deb
Capital:Agartala
Governor:Ramesh Bais
‘Vaidya Aapke Dwar’ Scheme Launched in MP
Through this scheme free medical consultation is given at home through live video call by AYUSH medical specialists.
About Vaidya Aapke Dwar scheme:
i.The scheme was virtually launched by the Madhya Pradesh State Minister for AYUSH, Shri Ramkishore Kaware on May 7,2021.
ii.This scheme is made available through the telemedicine app named “AyushQure”, so that it is accessible to the common people even at home.
iii.“Ayush Qure” is an app based on Android. It can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
iv.Appointments can be made by choosing a doctor and time according to the medical system Ayurveda, Homeopathy or Unani.
About AYUSH Ministry:
Minister of State (Independent charge): Shripad Yesso Naik(Constituency:North Goa)
About Madhya Pradesh:
Capital:Bhopal
Governor:Anandiben Patel
Chief Minister:Shivaraj Singh Chouhan
AYUSH Dept Launched “AYUSH Ghar Dwar” for Wellness Programme for COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh
The Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy(AYUSH) launched the “AYUSH Ghar Dwar” a statewide wellness programme for COVID-19 patients in Himachal Pradesh. Dr Rajiv Saizal, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government o Himachal Pradesh launched the program from Sloan District, Himachal Pradesh.
- The AYUSH Ghar Dwar was launched by AYUSH Vibhag Himachal Pradesh in collaboration with the Art of Living Organization.
- The program aims to reduce the burden of a pandemic by enhancing recovery rate, improved quality of life, Equitable healthcare facility and ensuring rehabilitation post COVID-19 infection.
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Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2021
Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)
| S.No. | Current Affairs 16 & 17 May 2021 |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tribal Ministry signs MoU with Microsoft for Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools |
| 2 | Startup ‘Jupitice’ develops India’s 1st Private Digital Platform for Online Dispute Resolution |
| 3 | Indian Navy hosts GMS-21 Virtually;13 Indian Ocean Littoral Countries Participated |
| 4 | More than 70% of Snow Leopard habitat under-researched: WWF Report |
| 5 | SEBI Proposed Framework for Regulated Gold Exchange in India – Electronic Gold Receipt |
| 6 | PayPoint tie-up with Digit General Insurance for Health Insurance to Rural Areas |
| 7 | Edelweiss General Insurance Launched Digital Partner Onboarding Solution – IPOS |
| 8 | India’s WPI Inflation Jumps to 11-year High in April 2021 10.49% |
| 9 | Indian Airline-‘GoAir’ Rebranded As ‘Go First’ |
| 10 | Baljeet Kaur and Gunbala Sharma Become the 1st Indian Women to Summit Mount Pumori. |
| 11 | Vandita Kaul Appointed as Nominee Director on Board of Bank of India |
| 12 | Abhay Tewari Appointed as MD&CEO of SUD Life |
| 13 | Reliance Jio constructing Largest International Submarine Cable System with India as Center |
| 14 | Europe’s Jupiter Spacecraft ‘JUICE’ enters Testing Phase |
| 15 | Rajnath Singh releases 1st batch of Anti-COVID-19 drug ‘2-DG’ developed by DRDO |
| 16 | Supreme Court Launches App for Journalists to Access Virtual Hearings |
| 17 | Subdoluseps nilgiriensis: New Species of Asian Gracile Skink Discovered from Nilgiri Hills |
| 18 | India retain top spot in ICC Test Team rankings after annual update |
| 19 | Arjan Singh Bhullar become first Indian-origin fighter to win MMA world champion |
| 20 | Former IMA President and Padma Shri Awardee Dr.KK Aggarwal Passed Away |
| 21 | World AIDS Vaccine Day 2021 – May 18 |
| 22 | International Museum Day 2021 – May 18 |
| 23 | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Launched HIT Covid App to Monitor COVID-19 Patients |
| 24 | Tripura CM, Biplab Kumar Deb Launched App “Jagrut Tripura” to Avail Central & State Government Schemes |
| 25 | ‘Vaidya Aapke Dwar’ Scheme Launched in MP |
| 26 | AYUSH Dept Launched “AYUSH Ghar Dwar” for Wellness Programme for COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh |
