current affairs capsule (may 2021)

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CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE (MAY 2021)

India first country to report 4 lakh cases in single day India registered 4,01,993 coronavirus cases on May 1, pushing the overall count of infections to 1,91,64,969 since the pandemic first broke out in India in January 2020. This is the highest ever single-day rise in cases reported by any country so far.

Pfizer begins to export U.S. made COVID19 vaccine shots Pharma Giant Pfizer has now begun to export COVID-19 vaccine shots made in its US facilities. Earlier it was only exporting vaccine shots made in its Belgium production plant.

44 people killed in stampede at religious gathering in Israel In Israel, 44 people were killed in a stampede that occurred at a religious gathering at Mount Meron. The tragedy struck when a large number of Jewish pilgrims had gathered at the site of the reputed tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a second-century Talmudic sage.

WHO approves Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use The WHOhas given the go-ahead for emergency use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.The mRNA vaccine from the U.S. manufacturer joins vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson in receiving the WHO’s emergency use listing.

Somali president reopens election talks in bid to ease tensions Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has relaunched talks over the holding of fresh elections, in a move welcomed by the opposition following the country's worst political crisis in years.

Afghanistan: Final phase of pull-out by US formally begins The final phase of ending America’s war in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began with the withdrawal of the last US and NATO troops by the end of summer. President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces.

Congo declares end of Ebola outbreak that killed six The Democratic Republic of Congo declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that infected 12 people in the eastern province of North Kivu and killed six of them. The outbreak was contained using Merck's Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients' contacts and contacts of contacts.

COVAX to buy 500 mn doses from Moderna The COVAX global programme, which has relied heavily on AstraZeneca vaccines, said it has struck a deal to buy 500 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 jabs. The doses will broaden the portfolio of vaccines under COVAX, which seeks to ensure poor countries have equitable access to vaccines to combat the pandemic.

US Backs Covid Vaccine Patent Waiver Plan Proposed By India, South Africa US President Joe Biden's administration has announced support for a global waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines, offering hope to poor nations that have struggled to access the life-saving doses.

Israel opposition head Lapid tapped to form government Opposition leader Yair Lapid was handed a mandate to form an Israeli government, after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition following a fourth inconclusive vote in less than two years.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev to hold snap parliamentary election on 11th July Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has announced that a snap parliamentary election will be held on 11th of July 2021.

EU backs US proposal to discuss waiving patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines The European Union has backed the US proposal to discuss waiving patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that EU was ready to discuss the US-backed proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines.

Russia approves one-dose ‘Sputnik Light’ Russia has authorised Sputnik Light, a single dose vaccine against COVID-19, for use. The move will pave way for immunisation of a larger number of people in a shorter timeframe. Sputnik Light demonstrated 79.4% efficacy. The efficacy of Sputnik V was 92%.

Meeting of Group of 7 countries concludes in London with pledge to work for more affordable COVID-19 vaccine The meeting of the Group of Seven countries concluded in London with the pledge to work for more affordable COVID-19 vaccine. Foreign Ministers from hosts Britain, plus the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan met for the first time in person in two years.

China halts economic dialogue with Australia China cut off a channel for diplomatic and trade talks with Australia in a largely symbolic act of fury, following clashes over a wide range of issues, including human rights, espionage and the origins of COVID-19.

South Sudan President dissolves Parliament as part of peace accord South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved Parliament, opening the way for lawmakers from opposing sides of the country’s civil war to be appointed under a 2018 peace accord.

Scotland leader to push ahead with another independence referendum After Nicola Sturgeon’s party gained a strong showing in the Scottish Parliament elections, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon promised to push ahead with another independence referendum, setting up a potential clash with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Hamas launches new attack on Israel after Jerusalem clashes The Hamas militant group launched a rare rocket strike on Jerusalem after hundreds of Palestinians were hurt in clashes with Israeli police at an iconic mosque, as tensions in the holy city pushed the region closer to full-fledged war.

WHO Says Indian Covid-19 Variant Found in 44 Countries The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, first found in India in October, had been detected in more than 4,500 samples uploaded to an open-access database from 44 countries in all six WHO regions.


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US approves Corona vaccine for children between 12 and 15 years US has approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for people between 12 and 15 years of age, making it the first for children.

As conflict intensifies, Israel pounds Gaza Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes following a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave, intensifying a conflict that has claimed more than 120 lives.

US to share 80 million doses of Corona vaccine with world US President Joe Biden has announced that the United States will share 80 million vaccine doses globally over the next six weeks, five times more than any other country has shared to date which represents 13 percent of vaccines produced in the country by June end.

EU to reopen borders to fully vaccinated travellers EU member states agreed to reopen the bloc’s borders to travellers who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

China offers $3 bn assistance, jabs for developing countries China has pledged an additional $3 billion in aid for developing countries to assist their COVID-19 responses and suggested setting up a global forum on vaccines to ensure equitable distribution.

Israel-Hamas reach truce after 11 days of fighting An Egyptian-mediated truce between Israel and Hamas began, but Hamas warned it still had its "hands on the trigger" and demanded Israel end the violence in Jerusalem and address the damages in Gaza Strip after the worst fighting in years.

India, South Africa and 60 other countries moot 3 year IPR waiver for COVID-19 related medical products at WTO India, South Africa and 60 other countries have sought a 3 year waiver on Intellectual Property Rights for Covid-19 medical products at the World Trade Organization.

UN announces release of 22.5 M US Dollars for rising humanitarian needs in Gaza The UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock announced the release of 22.5 million US Dollars towards the response to rising humanitarian needs in Gaza.

Joe Biden pledges to help organize efforts to rebuild Gaza, insists on two State solution US President Joe Biden has pledged to help organize efforts to rebuild Gaza and said creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel is the only answer to the conflict.

U.K. to unveil plans for ‘digital border’ Britain is to announce plans for a “fully digital border”, including the introduction of U.S.-style electronic travel authorisation to pre-check travellers to the U.K., Interior Minister Priti Patel said.

Myanmar suspends 1.25 lakh teachers for supporting protests The government of Myanmar has suspended over 1,25,000 teachers for joining the Civil Disobedience movement opposing the military take over on February 1.

Japan kicks off mass vaccination programme in Tokyo and Osaka, as COVID crisis worsens Japan kicks off a mass vaccination programme in Tokyo and Osaka, as the COVID crisis worsens. The military has set up centres offering thousands of shots each day. They are prioritising the elderly.

Virus killed 1,15,000 health workers: WHO At least 115,000 health and care workers have died from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, the WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

EU leaders agree to donate 100 mn doses of vaccines EU leaders agreed to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poorer nations by the end of the year as supplies steadily rise across Europe.

Biden Orders Intelligence Inquiry Into Origins of Virus President Joe Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, indicating that his administration takes seriously the possibility that the deadly virus was accidentally leaked from a lab, in addition to the prevailing theory that it was transmitted by an animal to humans outside a lab.

Mali’s President, PM resign after arrests by military Mali's interim President and Prime Minister resigned, two days after they were arrested by the military. Soldiers led by interim Vice President Assimi Goita, had arrested President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and taken them to a military base

French Prez Macron recognises French responsibility in Rwanda genocide French President Emmanuel Macron, in a visit to Rwanda, said that France recognises its responsibility in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

India becomes second country after U.S. to administer over 20 cr COVID vaccine doses India has administered around 20 crore 27 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the country so far.The Ministry said, after the USA, India is the second country to achieve the 20 crore Vaccination doses landmark.

Germany officially acknowledges, it committed genocide during its colonial-era occupation of Namibia Germany has officially acknowledged that it committed genocide during its colonial-era occupation of Namibia. The Country also announced a financial support gesture.

EU clears Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for use in children as young as 12 The European Commission authorized Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12.

Brazilians stage more protests against Bolsonaro Tens of thousands of people in Brazil staged another day of protest against President Jair Bolsonaro, in particular for his chaotic handling of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 461,000 lives.

Armed forces get powers for relief work In a bid to bolster the fight against COVID-19, Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh had invoked special provisions and granted Emergency Financial Powers to the Armed Forces.

French firm Alstom delivers 100th electric locomotive to Indian Railways Alstom has successfully manufactured and delivered the 100th electric locomotive to the Indian Railways. Earlier Ministry of Railways and Alstom signed a contract worth 350 crore euros (₹25,000 crore) in 2015 and created a joint venture.

Indian Navy deploys seven ships to bring oxygen & medical equipment from various countries As part of operation 'Samudra Setu 2’, seven Indian Naval ships including Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat have been deployed for shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries.


Ownership transfer: Road ministry notifies changes in motor vehicle rules The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified certain changes in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to facilitate the owner of a vehicle for nominating a person in the registration certificate, which would help the motor vehicle to be registered or transferred in the name of the nominee, in case of death of the owner.

Left Front storms back to power for a second term in Kerala The ruling CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) created history as it retained power for a rare second term in Kerala, the first outgoing coalition government in 40 years to achieve the feat.

TMC registers landslide win The ruling Trinamool Congress scored an emphatic victory in West Bengal in the face of stiff challenge posed by BJP with the chief minister Mamata Banerjee leading the party to its third successive victory in assembly polls.

DMK makes comeback in Tamil Nadu after 10 years In Tamil Nadu, DMK led by MK Stalin returned to power after a gap of 10 years. The DMK alliance has won 136 seats and leading at 22 seats.

BJP, allies retained power in Assam The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its regional allies have retained power in Assam, overcoming the challenge of a combined opposition led by Congress.

Education Ministry asks all centrally funded institutions to postpone offline examinations scheduled in May Union Education Ministry has written to all centrally funded institutions to postpone their offline examinations scheduled in the month of May this year in view of COVID surge.

ICMR to get royalty from sale of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin The intellectual property governing the use of Covaxin, jointly developed by Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research, was “shared” and the ICMR would receive royalty payments.

Centre waives off IGST on import of Corona related medical supplies In a major relief, Centre has waived off IGST on the import of COVID related medical supplies including Remdesivir Injection/API, Medical Oxygen, O2 Concentrators, Cryogenic tanks & COVID Vaccines among others.

Justice Pant named acting chief of NHRC Justice Prafulla Chandra Pant, a former Supreme Court judge, has been appointed the Acting Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with effect from April 25.

India, UK adopt ‘Roadmap 2030’ to elevate bilateral ties to ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson have adopted an ambitious ‘Roadmap 2030’ to elevate bilateral ties to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’.

Supply oxygen or face contempt, Delhi HC tells Centre Resentful over shortage of oxygen in the Capital, the Delhi High Court asked the Centre to explain why contempt proceedings shouldn’t be initiated against it for failing to comply with the order to supply 700 MT oxygen daily to hospitals for treating Covid-19 patients

CSIR- CCMB develops possibly 1st specific drug for COVID-19 treatment The CSIR- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology has developed, possibly the first specific drug for COVID-19

treatment, which contain therapeutic antibodies. The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) has given its approval for human trials, Phase-I and Phase-II for the VINCOV-19.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan flags off 1st supply of UCO based Biodiesel blended Diesel Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has remotely flagged off the first supply of UCO, Used Cooking Oil based Biodiesel blended Diesel from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, Delhi.

Govt gives permissions to Telecos for conducting trials for use & applications of 5G technology The Union Government has given permissions to Telecom Service Providers for conducting trials for use and applications of 5G technology. The applicant include Bharti Airtel Limited, Reliance JioInfocomm Limited, Vodafone Idea Limited and MTNL.

Maratha quota unconstitutional: SC A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court has struck down the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018 which extended reservation to the Maratha community in public education and employment in excess of the ceiling limit of 50% fixed by the Supreme Court earlier.

Mamata takes oath as CM of W.Bengal Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee took oath as West Bengal chief minister for the third straight term after she led her party to a remarkable victory in the assembly polls.

Govt to extend payment of provisional pension up to a period of 1 year from date of retirement in view of pandemic situation Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government has decided to extend the payment of provisional pension up to a period of one year from the date of retirement in view of the pandemic situation.

Supreme Court terms Madras HC's observations against EC as harsh and inappropriate The Supreme Court has termed Madras High Court's observations against the Election Commission as harsh and inappropriate. The Court said, there is a need for judges of superior courts to exercise restraint and not make off the cuff remarks in court proceedings.

Centre makes it mandatory to issue online certificate of disability from next month The Centre has made it mandatory for all States and UTs to issue the certificate of disability through online mode from next month. The certificate will be issued only using Unique Disability ID portal.

MoUs signed between Oil and Gas PSUs and Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Oil and Gas PSUs, Indian Oil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL and Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.

AINRC leader N Rangasamy sworn in as Puducherry Chief Minister The All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder leader N Rangasamy has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry, for a record fourth time.

Ayush Ministry launches nationwide campaign to distribute AYUSH 64 & Kabasura Kudineer Ayush Ministry has launched a massive nationwide campaign to distribute its poly herbal ayurvedic drugs AYUSH 64 and Kabasura Kudineer to the majority of out of hospital Covid-19 patients.


SC sets up 12 member national task force to streamline oxygen allocation across country The Supreme Court constituted a 12-member task force to assess availability and distribution of medical oxygen - on scientific, rational and equitable basis - across the country. The task force will also suggest measures to ensure availability of medicines needed to treat COVID-19.

Himanta Biswa Sarma took Oath As 15th Assam Chief Minister, Elected Legislative Chief BJP's lead strategist in northeastern states and senior leader Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected as the leader of the newly-elected MLAs of the party, took charge as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam.

PM Modi’s G7 visit cancelled due to COVID-19 crisis Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the G7 Summit to be held in Cornwall in the UK in person External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, the decision was taken given the prevailing COVID situation.

4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue held virtually in New Delhi The 4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue was held virtually in New Delhi. Secretary, Economic Affairs, Ajay Seth led the Indian delegation.

Cabinet approves signing of MoU between ICAI and QFCA The Union Cabinet has approved signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, ICAI and Qatar Financial Centre Authority, QFCA. This MoU will enhance cooperation between the institutes to work together to strengthen the Accounting profession and entrepreneurship base in Qatar.

WHO has not termed B.1.617 Indian variant, Centre The World Health Organization (WHO) has not associated the term “Indian variant” with the B.1.617 mutant of the coronavirus in its 32-page document, according to the Union Health Ministry.

PM CARES Fund accords sanction for procurement of one lakh 50 thousand units of Oxycare system developed by DRDO The PM CARES Fund has accorded sanction for procurement of 1.50 lakh units of Oxycare system developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO at a cost of over ₹322 crore.

CJI launches an official mobile App for Journalists to cover proceedings of apex court Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana launched an official mobile application named called 'Indicative Notes' for Journalists to cover proceedings of the apex court. 'Indicative Notes' is aimed at providing concise summaries of landmark judgements in an easy-to-understand format.

NTAGI recommends to increase gap between two doses of Covishield vaccine to 12 to 16 weeks The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has recommended to increase the gap between two doses of Serum Institute of India's Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, to 12 to 16 weeks. Currently, the interval between two doses of Covishield is four to eight weeks.

Cyclone Tauktae warning: NDRF deployed 24 teams in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat & Maharashtra In view of Cyclone Tauktae warning, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 24 teams in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

8th instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi released to over 9.50 crore farmers Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 8th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme to over 9 crore 50 lakh farmers

in the country. Under the 8th instalment of this largest direct cash transfer scheme in the world over 20 thousand crore rupees have been transferred directly into the accounts of the beneficiary farmers.

DRDO develops an Oxycare system to regulate oxygen in patients body The Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO has developed an Oxycare system to regulate oxygen being administered to the patients based on the sensed values of oxygen saturation in the body.

Railways commissions Wi-Fi at 6,000 Railway stations in five years With the commissioning of Wi-Fi at Hazaribagh Railway station in Jharkhand , Indian Railways commissioned Wi-Fi at six thousand Railway stations in five years. This facility was provided with the help of RailTel, a Public Sector Undertakings under Ministry of Railways.

Centre has released over ₹5950 Crore to 15 States in current FY for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission Centre has released over ₹5950 Crore to 15 States in the current financial year for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has said that this is the first tranche of the four to be released in this financial year.

Plasma therapy dropped from India's corona treatment protocol Centre has dropped plasma therapy from Covid treatment protocol. Covid National Task Force has released new clinical guidelines for management of mild, moderate and severe Covid cases. Plasma therapy does not find a mention under the new guidelines.

ONGC to procure one lakh oxygen concentrators on behalf of Govt of India The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited has been given the responsibility to procure one lakh oxygen concentrators on behalf of the Government of India. This step has been taken to help the country tide over Oxygen shortage during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

First batch of DRDO's anti- COVID drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose released The first batch of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization, DRDO has been released for Covid patients.

MyGov launches Innovation Challenge for creating Indian Language Learning App MyGov, the citizen engagement platform of the Government has launched an Innovation Challenge for creating an Indian Language Learning App. The objective is to create an app that will promote regional language literacy, and create greater cultural understanding.

CoWIN platform to be available in Hindi and 14 regional languages by next week The CoWIN platform is being made available in Hindi and 14 regional languages by next week. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan informed this at the 26th meeting of the high-level Group of Ministers, GoM on COVID-19 in New Delhi.

98% of India still at risk, warns Health Ministry Over 98% of India’s population continues to be vulnerable or susceptible to COVID-19, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, adding that so far only 1.8% of the total population of the country had been affected.

Centre ramps up production of antifungal medicine Amphotericin-B to provide relief to patients suffering from Mucormycosis Amid the growing demand of antifungal medicine AmphotericinB to cure Mucormyscosis, the Central Government has ramped up the production of this drug


to provide relief to the patients. Mucormycosis known as Black Fungus affects mostly those people who are suffering from diabetes.

Tribal Affairs Ministry & Microsoft sign MoU for digital transformation of Tribal Schools Tribal Affairs Ministry and Microsoft have signed an MoU for digital transformation of Tribal Schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Ashram Schools. The collaboration seeks to skill educators and students in next-generation digital technologies including Artificial Intelligence.

6 UNESCO heritage sites added in India Six sites, including the Ganga ghats in Varanasi, temples of Kancheepuram and the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, have been added to India’s tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites. The recently-included proposals are the Maratha military architecture in Maharashtra, the Hire Bengal megalithic site in Karnataka and Bhedaghat-Lametaghat of Narmada Valley in Madhya Pradesh.

Govt to hike DAP subsidy by 140% to provide fertiliser to farmers at old rate despite international price rise The Union Government has decided to hike the DAP subsidy by 140 per cent to provide the fertiliser to farmers at old rate despite international price rise. The subsidy has been increased from 500 rupees per bag to 1200 rupees per bag. Now, despite the rise in international market prices, it will continue to available at the older price of 1200 rupees per bag.

Govt announces immediate subsistence assistance to Transgender in view of pandemic situation Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot has announced immediate subsistence assistance to Transgender in view of the current pandemic situation. The Social Justice Ministry would give transgender persons a one-time financial assistance of ₹1,500 at a time

DD International to present ‘India story’ State broadcaster Doordarshan is planning to set up a new channel DD International to “project India’s point of view” to the world. Doordarshan floated an Expression of Interest (EOI) seeking applications for consultancy service to provide a detailed project report for establishing the channel.

Defer vaccination for 3 months after recovery from Covid: Health Ministry Union Health Ministry has accepted the recommendations of National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19, NEGVAC regarding deferment of vaccination by three months after recovery from Covid -19.

Centre urges States and UTs to make Mucormycosis, a notifiable disease under Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has urged the States and Union Territories to make fungal infection Mucormycosis known as black fungus, a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.

India and Oman renews MoU on military cooperation India and Oman renewed the Memoranda of Understanding, MoUs on military cooperation along with its annexure as well as on maritime issues.

ICMR approves CoviSelf kit for purpose of home testing for symptomatic patients The Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR has approved CoviSelf kit for the purpose of home testing. It has issued an advisory for COVID-19 home testing where an individual will be able to test himself or herself.

INS Rajput to be decommissioned INS Rajput, the first destroyer of the Indian Navy will be decommissioned. INS Rajput, the lead ship of the Kashin-class destroyers built by the erstwhile USSR was commissioned on 04 May 1980 and has rendered service to the Indian Navy for over 41 years.

N.S Tomar launches National Mobile Monitoring Software app Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had launched National Mobile Monitoring Software, NMMS app and Area officer monitoring App through Video-Conferencing.

Centre to fund startups offering indigenous solutions to combat Pandemic To support indigenous solutions and innovative products to combat the pandemic, the Centre has come with a new initiative, NIDHI4COVID2.0.that will fund eligible startups & companies registered in India offering promising solutions in the thrust areas of oxygen innovation, portable solution, relevant medical accessories, diagnostic, informatics, or any other solution that addresses or mitigates various challenges being faced due to COVID-19.

DRDO develops antibody detection-based kit 'DIPCOVAN' DRDO has developed an antibody detection-based kit 'DIPCOVAN', the DIPAS-VDx COVID-19 IgG Antibody Microwell ELISA for sero-surveillance. The kit will be very useful for understanding COVID‐19 epidemiology and assessing an individual's previous SARS‐CoV‐2 exposure.

Southwest monsoon arrives over Andaman and Nicobar The southwest monsoon has arrived over the Andaman and Nicobar islands on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, indicating that it will soon reach the mainland.

SC's E-Committee releases manual for its free e-Courts Services Mobile App Supreme Court's E-Committee has released manual for its free e-Courts Services Mobile App in 14 languages. Law and Justice Ministry said, the app aimed to benefit Litigants, Citizens, Lawyers, Law firms, Police, Government Agencies and other institutional litigants.

Ministry of Ayush organising series of five webinars under theme "Be with Yoga, Be at Home" Ministry of Ayush is organising various activities in the run up to the International Day of Yoga, 2021. One among these is a series of five webinars that the Ministry is organising under the broad theme of “Be with Yoga, Be at Home’’.

India’s deep seas are home to 4,371 species of fauna: ZSI India is home to 4,371 species of deep-sea fauna, including 1,032 species under kingdom Protista and 3,339 species under kingdom Animalia, a recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has revealed.

India and Israel sign three-year work program for cooperation in agriculture India and Israel have signed a three-year work program for cooperation in agriculture. India and Israel are implementing the “INDO-ISRAEL Agricultural Project Centres of Excellence” and “INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence”.

RDIF and Panacea Biotec announce launch of production of Sputnik V in India The Russian Direct Investment Fund, RDIF and Indian Biotechnology company Panacea Biotec have announced the launch of production of the Russian COVID vaccine Sputnik V in India.

NITI Aayog to partner with TRIFED to implement Van Dhan Yojana in districts identified as aspirational TRIFED will now be partnering with NITI Aayog to implement the Van Dhan Yojana in the districts that have been identified as aspirational by NITI Aayog.


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Provide food, rations to stranded workers: SC The Supreme Court had ordered States across the country to distribute dry rations to stranded migrant workers without ration cards and run community kitchens for them.

Jaiswal is new CBI Director The Central government has appointed Maharashtra cadre IPS officer of 1985 batch, Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, currently Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force, as CBI Director for two years.

Bharat Biotech applies for WHO emergency use listing for Covaxin Bharat Biotech has submitted an application to the World Health Organization for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of Covaxin. The company has submitted 90 percent of the documents required for Emergency Use Listing by WHO.

Cabinet approves MoUs entered into by ICoAl & ICSI with foreign countries The Union Cabinet has granted ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) entered into by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India with various foreign countries and Organisations.

Govt to set up National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants The Power Ministry has decided to set up a National Mission on the use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants. It is intended to address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble-burning and to reduce the carbon footprints of thermal power generation.

Government releases ₹1605 crore to 8 North Eastern States under Jal Jeevan Mission The Union Government has released ₹1605 crore to eight North Eastern states under Jal Jeevan Mission to provide tap water supply to rural homes in the current financial year. Jal Shakti Ministry said, this is the first tranche of the four to be released in this financial year.

Centre asks Social Media firms to provide details of compliance with IT Rules 2021 Electronics and IT Ministry has asked social media intermediaries for compliance details over the new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The new rules were notified on 25th of February and came into effect recently.

Zydus Cadilla seeks DCGI’s approval to undertake clinical trials for monoclonal antibodies cocktail Pharmaceutical Company Zydus Cadilla has sought Drug Controller General of India’s(DCGI) approval to undertake clinical trials for monoclonal antibodies cocktail that can neutralise Covid infection.

Govt issues licenses to 5 more companies for production of Liposomal Amphotericin B injections to deal with Mucormycosis To augment Liposomal Amphotericin B injections production, the Union Government has given licenses to five more companies that can make this drug. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed officials to get this drug from anywhere it is available in the world.

IB and RAW chief get one year extension IB Director Arvinda Kumar’s tenure has been extended by one year till June 30 next year. Similarly, R&AW Secretary Samant Kumar Goel will also continue in office till June 30 next year. Both the officers had tenure till 30th June this year.

Subrahmanyam to be Commerce Secretary The Modi government has appointed B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, as the next Commerce Secretary, Government of India, upon superannuation of Anup Wadhawan on June 30.

Centre approves proposal to provide Rs 5 lakh each for families of 26 journalists who died due to Covid Central Government had approved a proposal to provide financial relief of five lakh rupees to each of the families of 26 journalists who died due to Covid-19.

Centre invites applications for citizenship from Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who have taken shelter in India Centre has invited Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.

Yaas: PM announces ₹1,000 cr. aid for 3 States Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a ₹1000 crore assistance for cyclone ‘Yaas’-hit Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

NSA Ajit Doval commissioned Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel Sajag National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval has commissioned Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel Sajag and dedicated it to the nation for safeguarding maritime interests. Sajag has been constructed by Goa Shipyard Limited.

Ministry of Education launches YUVA- Prime Minister’s Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors The Ministry of Education launched YUVA- Prime Minister’s Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors. It is an Author Mentorship programme to train young and budding authors belows 30 years.

Government to Provide Monetary Assistance through DBT under MDM Scheme The Union Minister for Education Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has approved the proposal to provide monetary assistance to 11.8 Crore students (118 Million Students) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of the cooking cost component of the Mid-Day-Meal Scheme, to all eligible children, as a special welfare measure.

Sale of Electric cars rise by 140 per cent in first quarter of 2021 The sale of Electric cars rose by 140 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, breaking last year’s record of 41 per cent surge on EV registrations despite pandemic hitting the economies badly. In 2020, consumer spending on EVs touched 120 billion dollars while car registrations rose by 41 per cent.

Yes Bank posts Q4 loss of ₹3,788 cr. Private sector lender YES Bank has reported a higher-than-expected loss of ₹3,787.75 crore for the quarter ended March 2021, dampened by elevated loan loss provisions and lower net interest income (NII).

Eight core industries' output up by 6.8% in March The combined output of the eight core industries rose by 6.8 per cent in March , a 32-month high as compared to a year ago. In the previous month of February, the output had contracted 3.8 per cent.

Govt to provide ₹15,000 crore to states for capital expenditure The Centre has decided to provide an additional amount of up to ₹15,000 crore to states as interest-free 50-year loan for spending on capital projects. The Department of Expenditure has issued fresh guidelines in this regard for financial year 2021-22.


SIDBI launches quick credit delivery schemes to support Covid-19 preparedness Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched two new quick credit delivery schemes SHWAS and AROG to provide funding for production and services related to supply of oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, oximeters and essential drugs.

T Rabi Sankar appointed RBI Deputy Governor The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of T Rabi Sankar, Executive Director, RBI, as Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of three years.

Merchandise exports touch $30.21 billion India’s merchandise exports in April 2021 were $30.21 billion, 197% higher than a year ago, when exports had collapsed to $10.17 billion in the middle of the national lockdown.

Serum Institute of India set to invest £240 million in U.K. Ahead of the U.K.-India bilateral summit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced £1 billion investment deals by Indian companies that will create 6,500 jobs in the U.K. The biggest in the investment deals is by the Serum Institute of India (SII) amounting to £240 million.

IDBI Bank back in black in FY21 after five years LIC-controlled IDBI Bank turned profitable in the fiscal ended March after five years, posting a net profit of ₹1,359 crore for the year.

Profit at Kotak Mahindra Bank jumps 35% Kotak Mahindra Bank on reported a 35% jump in its consolidated net profit for the January-March quarter to ₹2,589.3 crore on core income growth.

Yahoo and AOL sold, again, for $5B AOL and Yahoo are being sold again, this time to a private equity firm. Verizon will sell Verizon Media, which consists of the pioneering tech platforms, to Apollo Global Management in a $5 billion deal.

Small businesses, MSMEs to get relief The Reserve Bank of India announced measures to protect small and medium businesses and individual borrowers from the adverse impact of the intense second wave of COVID-19 buffeting the country. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das unveiled a Resolution Framework 2.0 for COVID-related stressed assets of individuals, small businesses and MSMEs.

CCEA gives in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment & transfer of management control of IDBI Bank The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control in IDBI Bank Limited. LIC is currently the promoter of IDBI Bank with Management Control and Government of India is the co-promoter.The Government of India owns 45.48 per cent and LIC 49.24 per cent.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and UK on Migration & Mobility Partnership The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership between India and the UK. It is aimed at liberalising issuance of visas promoting mobility of students, researchers and skilled professionals and strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking between the two sides.

Govt. releases ₹9,871 cr. grant to 17 States The Finance Ministry released the second monthly instalment of revenue deficit grant of ₹9,871 crore to 17 States. With this a total amount of ₹19,742 crore has

been released in the first two months of the current financial year as Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant to the States.

SEBI notifies relaxed rules for listing start-ups With an aim to boost listing of start-ups, markets regulator SEBI has notified a slew of relaxations to norms, including reducing holding period for pre-issue capital and allowing discretionary allotment to eligible investors. Other relaxations include easing delisting requirements and relaxation in guidelines for migrating to main board.

Carlyle Group sells 4% stake in SBI Life for ₹3,900 crore Private equity firm Carlyle Group divested 4 per cent stake in SBI Life Insurance for over ₹3,900 crore through an open market transaction.

RBI sets up advisory group to assist Regulatory Review Authority The Reserve Bank of India’s Regulations Review Authority (RRA 2.0) has constituted a six-member Advisory Group headed by S Janakiraman, Managing Director, State Bank of India, to support it in reviewing the central bank’s regulations and compliance procedures with a view to streamlining/ rationalising them to make them more effective.

India, EIB sign finance contract for second tranche of 150 mn Euro for Pune Metro Rail The Government of India and European Investment Bank (EIB) signed the finance contract for second tranche of 150 million Euro for Pune Metro Rail project through a virtual signing ceremony.

Finance Ministry releases ₹8,923.8 crore to Panchayats The Finance Ministry has released an amount of over ₹8900 crore as grants to panchayats a month in advance. This will be distributed among 25 States. The grants of ₹8923.8 crore are meant for all the three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions – village, block and district.

Fincare SFB files DRHP for IPO of up to ₹1,330 cr Fincare Small Finance Bank will be making an initial public offer (IPO) aggregating up to ₹1,330 crore, comprising fresh issue aggregating up to ₹330 crore and an offer-for-sale aggregating up to ₹1,000 crore by the promoter selling shareholder .

Kattoor is RBI Executive Director The Reserve Bank of India has appointed Jose J. Kattoor as Executive Director (ED). He will look after human resource management, corporate strategy and the budget and Rajbhasha departments.

SEBI pitches for ‘person in control’ over ‘promoter’ Markets regulator SEBI proposed to rationalise the definition of ‘promoter group’ and move to the concept of ‘person in control’ as well as lower the minimum lock-in periods for promoters and other shareholders after an IPO.

‘Dividend plan a must for top 1,000 firms’: SEBI To strengthen corporate governance practices and disclosure requirements, SEBI has notified new rules, including that top 1,000 listed firms will have to formulate a dividend distribution policy.

Groww to buy Indiabulls MF for ₹175 crore Investment platform Groww said it will acquire Indiabulls Mutual Fund (MF) for ₹175 crore. Under the deal, Groww would acquire Indiabulls AMC and trustee company of Indiabulls Mutual Fund.

PESB picks Arun Kumar Singh as next CMD of BPCL The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), the government’s head-hunter, has picked Arun Kumar Singh as the chairman and managing director of state-run oil refining and marketing firm Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).


IIT Madras, MPFI collaborate to boost digital money transactions in India IIT Madras researchers said that they will collaborate with members of the Mobile Payment Forum of India (MPFI) to develop voice-based solutions in multiple vernacular languages to enable larger adoption of digital money transactions in the country.

UN says India will be world's fastest growing major economy in 2022 United Nations has said that India will be the world's fastest growing major economy in 2022. In its mid-year update of the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP), United Nations projected that the Indian economy will grow at 10.1 per cent in the calendar year 2022.

Central government in consultation with Reserve Bank of India, decides to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds The Central Government in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from this month to September 2021.

Inflation eases to 4.29%; base lifts IIP India’s retail inflation slowed to a three-month low of 4.29% in April, from 5.52% in March, helped by softer food prices as well as a base effect. The country’s factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), witnessed a 22.4 per cent growth in March on low base effect.

Union Cabinet approves Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage The Union Cabinet has approved the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for the Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage with an outlay of 18 thousand 100 crore rupees. The move aims to achieve a manufacturing capacity of 50 GigaWatt Hour of ACC and five Giga Watt Hour of Niche ACC with an outlay of 18 thousand 100 crore rupees.

Eroute receives RBI nod to offer prepaid instruments The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has authorised fintech firm Eroute Technologies Pvt. Ltd. to start operations of semi-closed, pre-paid instruments in the country.

SWAMIH Fund for stalled housing projects to benefit 1.16 lakh home buyers: FM Sitharaman Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Fund will benefit 1.16 lakh home loan borrowers whose housing projects were stalled due to last mile funding issues.

Airtel Payments Bank launches DigiGold for digital gold investment Airtel Payments Bank launched a digital platform -- DigiGold -- for customers to make investments in gold, in partnership with digital gold provider SafeGold.

RBI cancels license of United Cooperative Bank in West Bengal The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license of the United Co-operative Bank Ltd, Bagnan in West Bengal. The bank did not have adequate capital and lacked earning prospects, cited the apex bank regulator as reason behind the cancellation of the license.

OneWeb partners SoftBank to roll out satellite communication services SoftBank Corp and Sunil Mittal-backed OneWeb, announced an agreement for mutual cooperation to promote OneWeb's satellite communication services in the global and Japan markets.

IOB gets shareholders’ nod for ₹4,100 cr infusion by Centre The state-owned Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has received shareholders’ approval for issuance of 246,54,23,932 equity

shares to the government of India (GoI) on preferential basis for a capital infusion of ₹4,100 crore.

India’s overall exports in last month estimated to be USD 51.79 billion, positive growth of 93.21 per cent India’s overall exports including merchandise and services in the last month are estimated to be USD 51.79 billion exhibiting a positive growth of 93.21 per cent over the same period last year.Overall imports in last month are estimated to be USD 58.72 billion exhibiting a growth of over 122 per cent over the same period last year.

LEAF to support farmers with credit Lawrencedale Agro Processing India Pvt. Ltd. (LEAF), an integrated agriculture services provider, is organising financial support for marginalised farmers by tying up with non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

Shriram City Union invests ₹200 cr. in arm Shriram City Union Finance has invested ₹200 crore in its housing finance subsidiary Shriram Housing Finance Ltd. (SHFL) taking its holding in the mortgage lender to 81.16% from the existing 77.25%.

Saint-Gobain to proceed with ₹2,500-cr. investment in India French multinational company Saint-Gobain said it will continue its planned investment of more than ₹2,500 crore in greenfield and brownfield expansion in India in two years.

Go Airlines files DRHP to raise ₹3,600 crore Go Airlines (India) Ltd. (GoAir) has filed a Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to raise up to ₹3,600 crore through fresh issue of shares.

ADB Commits Record USD 3.92 Billion Loan To India In 2020 The Asian Development Bank has committed a record USD 3.92 billion in sovereign loans for 13 projects to India in 2020, including USD 1.8 billion in COVID-19 related projects to support the government's pandemic response.

NABARD Provided ₹1,236 crore from RIDF for Assam in FY21 NABARD has provided an all-time excessive quantity of ₹1,236 crore from its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) through the monetary 12 months 2020-21 with Rural Connectivity Projects (Roads & Bridges) as the main target space in the state of Assam.

IDRBT building National Digital Financial Infrastructure (NADI) The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) is building next-generation Digital Financial Infrastructure named National Digital Financial Infrastructure (NADI). NADI would provide a roadmap and framework for future digital financial services

Piramal receives nod from CCI for DHFL acquisition Piramal Capital and Housing Finance (PCHF), a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises (PE), received approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to acquire Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL).

PNB raises ₹ 1,800 crore via QIP offering Punjab National Bank (PNB), has raised ₹1,799.99 crore through its latest Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) offering that saw the bank issue 53.33 crore shares at ₹33.75 per share.

SBI to sell three NPA accounts next month for recovery of over ₹235 cr The State Bank of India (SBI) will sell three bad accounts to asset reconstruction companies or other financial institutions next month to recover dues of over ₹235 crore.


India's wholesale price inflation rises to 10.49 per cent in April compared to 7.39 per cent in March India's wholesale price inflation, or WPI, rose to 10.49 per cent in April compared to 7.39 per cent in March on account of sharp surge in oil price and global commodity prices.

Adar Poonawalla exits Panacea Biotec; sells entire stake for ₹118 cr Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla had offloaded his entire stake in Panacea Biotec amounting to 5.15% shareholding of the firm for ₹118 crore, through an open market transaction.

Google rolls out News Showcase in India Google has announced the roll-out of News Showcase in India with 30 news publishers, including national, regional and local news organisations. The News Showcase allows partnering publishers to curate content which is displayed as story panels on Google’s News and Discover platforms.

Govt brings changes in Customs Rules, IGCR 2017 to boost trade facilitation The Union Government has brought changes in the existing Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Rules, IGCR 2017 to boost trade facilitation. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has introduced changes through the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Amendment Rules, 2021.

FinMin grants ‘infrastructure’ status for convention centres The Finance Ministry has granted ‘Infrastructure’ status for exhibition and convention centres, a move that is expected to ease bank financing for such projects.

Kotak Mahindra Bk arm buys 74% stake in HKR Roadways for 715 cr Kotak Special Situations Fund (KSSF) had acquired a 74% stake in HKR Roadways, a non-performing asset, for ₹715 crore. The consideration paid for HKR, an SPV owned by a consortium led by the Gayatri Group, includes one-time settlement for funding debt with all the lenders.

Adani Green to acquire SB Energy in $3.5 bn deal Adani Green Energy Ltd. (AGEL) has agreed to acquire 100% interest in SB Energy India from SoftBank Group (80%) and Bharti Group (20%) at an enterprise valuation of $3.5 billion for the renewables firm. SB Energy India has a total renewable portfolio of 4,954 MW spread across four States in India.

RBI imposes penalty on City Union Bank, 3 other lenders The RBI has imposed monetary penalty on City Union Bank, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank and two other lenders for contravention of certain directions issued by it. penalties were imposed based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance.

Govt raises ₹4,000 crore from Axis Bank stake sale The government has raised ₹4,000 crore through the sale of about 1.95% stake held in Axis Bank through the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI).

Govt extends due date of furnishing of I-T Return for Assessment Year 2021-22 to 30th September, 2021 The Union government has extended the due date of furnishing of Income Tax Return for the Assessment Year 2021-22, for individuals by two months from 31st July to 30th September, 2021.

RBI to transfer ₹99,122 cr as surplus to Central govt The meeting of the Central Board of Directors of RBI under the Chairmanship of Governor Shaktikanta Das approved the transfer of 99,122 crore rupees as surplus to the Central Government for the accounting period of

nine months ended March 31, 2021 and decided to maintain the Contingency Risk Buffer at 5.50 per cent.

SBI Q4 net rises 80% to ₹6,451 cr. State Bank of India’s (SBI) reported fourth-quarter net profit surged 80% over the year-earlier-period to ₹6,451 crore on account of an improvement in all parameters, Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara said. For FY21, net profit rose 41% to ₹20,410 crore.

RBI fixes gold bond issue price at ₹4,842 per gram; subscription opens on May 24 The issue price for the second tranche of the sovereign gold bond issue has been fixed at ₹4,842 per gram. The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021-22 - Series II or the second tranche will be open for subscription from May 24 to 28.

Sebi doubles overseas investment limit of AIF, VCF to USD 1,500 mn Markets regulator SEBI doubled the overseas investment limit of alternative investment funds and venture capital funds to $1,500 million. The decision was taken in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), SEBI said in a circular.

LIC Hiked its Stake in Union Bank to over 5% The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has hiked its stake to 5.06% in state-run Union Bank of India with acquisition of nearly 2% additional stake in the bank.

India’s Foreign exchange reserves crosses USD 590 billion mark India’s Foreign exchange reserves crossed the USD 590 billion mark on the week ended 14th March. In terms of rupee, it is 43,24,574 crores. In last week it rose by USD 563 million.

India attracts highest ever total FDI inflow of USD 81.72 billion during last financial year India has attracted the highest ever total foreign direct investment, FDI inflow of USD 81.72 billion during the last financial year which is 10 per cent higher as compared to 2019-20. In terms of top investor countries, Singapore is at the apex with 29 per cent, followed by the U.S.A 23 per cent.

Computer software and hardware has emerged as the top sector during last financial year with around 44 per cent share of the total FDI equity inflow.

Gujarat is the top recipient state with 37 per cent share of the total FDI Equity inflows followed by Maharashtra 27 per cent.

Zeta raises $250 million from SoftBank Banking tech startup Zeta has become the latest unicorn in India after raising $250 million from SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 at a valuation of $1.25 billion. This is the first investment from an institutional investor for the firm, founded by serial entrepreneur Bhavin Turakhia and Ramki Gaddipati.

IFSCA constitutes an expert committee on Investment Funds The International Financial Services Centres Authority, IFSCA has constituted an expert committee on Investment Funds. The Committee under the Chairmanship of Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd, will recommend the road map for the funds industry in the International Financial Service Centres,IFSCs.

Record 305.44 million tonnes of foodgrain production estimated in year 2020-21 India is estimated to register record foodgrain production this year. A record 305.44 million tonnes of foodgrain


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SEBI to appoint forensic auditors for listed firms Markets regulator SEBI is looking to appoint auditors for conducting forensic audits of financial statements of listed companies as part of efforts to curb frauds.

Amazon buys James Bond owner MGM for 8.45 billion dollars Amazon.com Inc said that it is buying MGM, the fabled US movie studio home to the James Bond franchise, for 8.45 billion US Dollars.

UCO Bank gets board nod for ₹3,000-cr equity capital raise in FY22 Public sector lender UCO Bank’s board had approved raising ₹3,000 crore equity capital for the current fiscal year. The bank also reported a multifold jump in March quarter net profit at ₹80 crore.

RBI balance sheet grew 7% in 9 months to March The size of the Reserve Bank’s balance sheet, which is reflective of activities carried out by it in pursuance of currency issue function as well as monetary policy and reserve management, has increased by 6.99% to ₹57,07,669.13 crore during the nine-month period ended March 31.

France, Germany push for ‘historic agreement’ on global corporate tax rate France and Germany pushed for a ‘historic’ agreement among major economies on a minimum tax rate for multinational corporations, hoping to shore up support after sceptical European countries expressed opposition to the plan.

Working closely with Jio to build affordable smartphone: Google CEO Pichai Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company continues to engage closely with partner Jio on the initiative of building an affordable smartphone and that work is underway.

RBI fines HDFC Bank for violating auto-loan norms The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹10 crore on private lender HDFC Bank Ltd. for contravention of provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Karur Vysya Bank Q4 net jumps 25% Private sector lender Karur Vysya Bank Ltd. reported a 24.69% increase in standalone net profit for the fourth quarter ended March to ₹104.37 crore. Total income contracted to ₹1,566 crore from ₹1,803 crore.

CUB turns ₹111.2 cr. net as provisions fall City Union Bank (CUB) reported standalone net profit stood at ₹111.18 crore for the fourth quarter ended March, against a net loss of ₹95.29 crore in the year-earlier period on account of lower provisioning.

Indian Bank back in black in fourth quarter Indian Bank reported a standalone net profit of ₹1,709 crore for the fourth quarter of FY21 against a net loss of ₹1,641 crore in the year-earlier period on higher profit, controlled asset quality and strong capital adequacy.

Sundaram Finance Q4 net rises 60%, NPAs decline Sundaram Finance Ltd. reported a 60% rise in standalone net profit for the quarter ended March 31 (Q4) to ₹209 crore. For FY21, the company saw net profit grow to ₹809 crore, from ₹724 crore in the previous year.

Tata Digital buys majority stake in BigBasket Tata Digital Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of Tata Sons, has acquired a majority stake in Supermarket Grocery Supplies

Private Ltd. (BigBasket) — a leading e-commerce player in the food and grocery segment for an unspecified amount.

Canara Bank announces 3 loan schemes amid fight against coronavirus State-run Canara Bank announced three loan schemes as part of the fight against the pandemic under which it will offer healthcare credit, business and personal loan to individuals.

UCO Bank allots over 203 crore preferential shares to govt for ₹2,600 crore capital infusion UCO Bank has allotted over 203 crore preferential shares to the government in lieu of ₹2,600 crore capital infusion for 2020-21.

Dhanlaxmi Bank posts ₹5.28 crore net profit in Q4 The Thrissur- based Dhanlaxmi Bank has recorded a net profit of ₹5.28 crore in Q4 of FY21 against the figure of ₹2.60 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. The net profit for the whole financial year ended March 31, 2021 was ₹37.19 crore.

PNB to exit Canara HSBC Oriental Bank Life Punjab National Bank (PNB), the country’s second largest public sector bank, intends to divest its shareholding in Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance Co Ltd, a life insurer that started its journey in 2008.

Public sector banks to lend up to ₹5 lakh to individuals for COVID-19 treatment Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have announced to provide unsecured loans of upto ₹5 lakh to individuals to meet their and family members’ COVID-19 treatment cost. The PSBs have also offered to provide upto ₹2 crore as healthcare business loan to existing hospitals, nursing homes for setting up oxygen plants along with power back up system under the ECGLS.

2021 Laureus Sports Award Winners Laureus Sportsman of the Year: Rafael Nadal, Tennis Laureus Sportswoman of the Year: Naomi Osaka, Tennis Laureus World Team of the Year Award: Bayern Munich, Football Laureus Sporting Inspiration Award: Mohamed Salah, Football Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year award: Lewis Hamilton, Motorsports Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Patrick Mahomes, American football quarterback Laureus Lifetime Achievement award: Billie Jean King, Tennis Laureus Sporting Moment award public vote: Chris Nikic, Iron man Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Max Parrot, Snowboarder

Babar, Healy voted ICC players of the month Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and Australia women's wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy were declared the ICC players of the month for their stellar performances during the month of April.

Prof CNR Rao receives Eni Award 2020 for renewable energy research Professor C.N.R. Rao has received the International Eni Award 2020 for research into renewable energy sources and energy storage. It is also called the Energy Frontier award.

Nagaland’s Y.Nuklu Phom wins prestigious Whitley Award 2021 for his ‘biodiversity peace corridor’ Y.Nuklu Phom, a church worker from Nagaland has won the Whitley Award, also known as the ‘Green Oscar’, for


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his efforts to create a network of community-owned forests in the state and protect the rare Amur falcon.

Union Education Minister Receives 'International Invincible Gold Medal' The "International Invincible Gold Medal" of this year has been conferred on Union Education Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Nishank has been recognised for his extraordinary commitment and outstanding service to humanity through his writings, social and illustrious public life.

British Indian chemist in Millennium Tech Prize winning team for revolutionary DNA tech Cambridge University chemists Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman were declared the winners of the 2020 Millennium Technology Prize for their development of revolutionary sequencing techniques which means DNA can now be read in super-fast times.

Jane Goodall wins 2021 Templeton prize Naturalist Jane Goodall has been announced as the 2021 winner of the Templeton prize in recognition of her life’s work on animal intelligence and humanity.Goodall built her global reputation on her groundbreaking studies of chimpanzees in Tanzania in the 1960s.

Hockey India Wins Prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award Hockey India won the prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its contribution to the growth and development of the sport in the country.The award was announced by the game's governing body FIH

Soli Sorabjee Former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, one of India's finest legal minds, died of Covid-19. A senior lawyer and Padma Vibhushan recipient, Soli Sorabjee became Attorney General first in 1989 and then from 1998 to 2004.

Chandro Tomar Octogenarian shooter Chandro Tomar, who became the oldest woman sharp shooter in the world after taking up the sport in her 60s, died after battling COVID-19.

Devabrata Chaudhuri Sitar maestro Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri died of COVID-19 related complications. Pandit Debu Chaudhuri had been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1992 for his contribution to arts.

Bill and Melinda Gates Bill and Melinda Gates said that they are divorcing but would keep working together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world.

Juergen Habermas Prominent German philosopher Juergen Habermas had turned down the UAE prize. He announced that he would not accept the Sheikh Zayed Book Award over its ties with the existing political system in the UAE, a hereditarily ruled country long criticised for its suppression of dissent.

Jagmohan Former Union Minister and Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan passed away. A civil servant, Jagmohan also served as Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Goa.

Manas Bihari Verma Aeronautical scientist Manas Bihari Verma died of heart attack. Mr Verma played a vital role in the development of the Light Combat Aircraft - Tejas.

V. Kalyanam V. Kalyanam, who was the last personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi, passed away in Chennai due to age-related ailments.He was the only surviving member of Mahatma Gandhi’s secretariat.

Ajit Singh Former Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal Chief Ajit Singh passed away after battling with corona virus. He was a seven-time MP and Union Minister in the governments of VP Singh, PV Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

Dinar Gupte Well-known cricket statistician Dinar Gupte passed away after battling COVID-19.He was the official statistician of BCCI for more than 15 years and also had rendered his valued services as official scorer since 1970 to BCCI.

Maharaj Krishan Kaushik Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, member of the 1980 Moscow Olympics hockey gold medal-winning side lost battle to Covid-19 at a hospital in Delhi. Kaushik, a goal scorer in India’s 1980 Games final against Spain.

Ravinder Pal Singh Ravinder Pal Singh, a hockey player of the 1980 Moscow Olympics-winning side died after battling Covid-19 for nearly two weeks.

Vanraj Bhatia Veteran music composer Vanraj Bhatia passed away. The 93-year-old Padma Shri awardee scored the music for Shyam Benegal classics like ‘Ankur’ and ‘Bhumika’ and TV series ‘Yatra’ and ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’.

Anup Bhattacharya Freedom fighter and Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra musician Anup Bhattacharya passed away in Dhaka. He was considered a prominent voice of the modern Bangladeshi music genre. Anup Bhattacharya was recognised as an exceptional Tagore singer.

Shamim Hanfi Professor Hanafi was associated with Jamia Millia Islamia as Professor Emeritus. A proponent of the modernist movement in Urdu literature, Professor Hanafi authored several books on literary criticism, plays and books for children.

Lalti Ram Freedom fighter and veteran of the erstwhile Indian National Army (INA) Lalti Ram died. He was 100. He was admitted in the INA in 1941 and fought in many countries.

Raghunath Mohapatra Rajya Sabha MP and Padma Vibhushan awardee Raghunath Mohapatra, who was also an eminent sculptor, diedat AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.

Sadiq Khan Sadiq Khan was re-elected as London Mayor, providing some joy to the opposition Labour Party which has suffered a series of disappointing results in other local elections.

Rahothaman Former Director of Central Bureau of Investigation Rahothaman passed away at Chennai. He had played an important role on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He has handled several significant cases of high profile politicians during his tenure.

Homen Borgohain Noted Assamese litterateur and journalist Homen Borgohain,passed away. His body of work includes 11 novels and four non-fictions. He won the Sahitya Akademi in 1978 for his novel Pita Putra.


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Chandrasekar Three-time National table tennis champion and former International paddler V. Chandrasekar passed away due to COVID-related complications.

Mingma Tenji Sherpa, Mingma Tenji Sherpa, a 43-year-old Nepali mountain guide, has created a world record by scaling Mount Everest twice in the shortest span of time within a season.

K P Sharma Oli K P Sharma Oli was again appointed Nepal’s Prime Minister by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari after opposition parties were unable to put together a coalition government by the 9 pm deadline.

Elisabetta Belloni A former ambassador Elisabetta Belloni has been named as the first woman to lead Italy's secret services.

Indu Jain Pioneering philanthropist and Times Group Chairperson, Indu Jain has passed away due to Covid-related complications.

M S Narasimhan Distinguished mathematician Padma Bhushan Prof. M S Narasimhan FRS passed away.Famous for Narasimhan-Seshadri theorem, he made pioneering contributions to differential & algebraic geometry.

Balachandran Nair Former India badminton coach S. Balachandran Nair (69) passed away due to COVID-19. In a coaching career spanning more than three decades, Balachandran trained prominent players like U. Vimal Kumar, Sanave Thomas, V. Diju, Thomas Kurien, Fatima Nazreen, and Ayyappan Krishnan.

Rajeev Satav Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Satav died.He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in March last year. He served as a Lok Sabha member from 2014 to 2019 from the Hingoli Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.

Jagannath Pahadia Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Bihar and Haryana governor, Jagannath Pahadia, passed away due to Covid-19.Pahadia was the chief minister of Rajasthan for about eleven months from June 6, 1980 to July 13, 1981.

Sunderlal Bahuguna Environmental activist Sundarlal Bahuguna, a pioneer of the Chipko Movement against deforestation in the 1970s, died in Uttarakhand. He was 94 years old.

Tarun Tejpal Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal was acquitted in the 2013 sexual harassment and rape case by the Mapusa District and Sessions Court in Goa.

Bharadwaj Legendary boxing coach Om Prakash Bharadwaj, the first from the discipline to be honoured with the Dronacharya award in 1985, passed away following prolonged illness and old-age issues. He was 82.

Ibrahim Attahiru Nigeria's army chief, Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, has been killed in a plane crash. Gen Attahiru, 54, only took up his post in January in an overhaul of the military's top brass.

Sushil Kumar Delhi Police arrested Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in connection with the murder of a 23-year-old former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankhar.

Srikumar Banerjee Srikumar Banerjee, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, died due to a heart attack. Banerjee also served as the director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for six years till 2010.

Col. Panjab Singh Col Panjab Singh, Vir Chakra awardee and a decorated veteran of the 1971 war passed away due to post-COVID complications. Col. Singh was awarded the third highest wartime gallantry award, the Vir Chakra, on December 24, 1971.

Arun Venkataraman Indian American Arun Venkataraman has nominated for the Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service and the Assistant Secretary for Global Markets in the Department of Commerce.

Jimmy Lai Hong Kong media tycoon and outspoken pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was sentenced to more jail time on Friday over his role in an anti-government protest in 2019. Mr. Lai was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Bashar Al-Assad Bashar Al-Assad will continue to serve as the President of Syria after winning the election for the fourth time. Assad has been president since 2000.

T.M. Kalliannan T.M. Kalliannan Gounder, the last surviving member of the Indian Constituent Assembly, died at the age of 101 at Thiruchengode in western Tamil Nadu.

Assimi Goita, Mali's constitutional court declared Assimi Goita, the colonel who led a military coup this week while serving as vice president, to be the new interim president.

Poul Schlueter Poul Schlueter, Denmark's Prime Minister for over a decade who negotiated exemptions for his country to a key European Union treaty after Danes rejected the initial text in a referendum, has died. He was 92.

Gymnast Pranati Nayak to get continental quota to compete in Tokyo Olympic Games Gymnast Pranati Nayak, the Asian bronze medallist in vault, will get the continental quota to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Hamilton notches up 97th win Seven-time World champion Lewis Hamilton had won the Portuguese Grand Prix for Mercedes.

Football: Ajax clinch their 35th Dutch league title with 4-0 win over Emmen Ajax claimed their 35th Dutch league title with a 4-0 victory over Emmen that gave the Amsterdam giants the Eredivisie crown with three games to spare.

Magnus Carlsen takes the honours Magnus Carlsen bounced back to thwart Hikaru Nakamura’s bid to force a tie-breaker and win the New in Chess Classic rapid online title.

Former Sri Lanka ODI, T20 skipper Thisara Perera announces retirement Former Sri Lanka ODI and T20 skipper Thisara Perera announced his retirement from international cricket. Perera played 166 ODIs and 84 T20Is besides competing in the Indian Premier League.


ICC rankings: New Zealand replace England as top-ranked ODI team In the cricket rankings, New Zealand have replaced reigning world champions England as the No. 1-ranked side in the One-day International rankings.

Sri Lanka clinch test series: beat Bangladesh by 209 runs Sri Lankan left-arm spin prodigy Praveen Jayawickrama again grabbed a five-wicket haul to help his team crush Bangladesh by 209 runs on the final day of the second Test at Kandy. The first match of the two-Test series had ended in a draw.

BCCI suspends IPL 2021 after several players test positive for Corona The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has been postponed as the country battles the second wave of COVID-19. The decision was reached immediately after Sun Risers Hyderabad wicket-keeper batsman Wriddiman Saha and Delhi Capital leg-spinner Amit Mishra tested positive.

Aryna Sabalenka beat Ashleigh Barty to win Women's Madrid Open title Aryna Sabalenka stunned world number one Ashleigh Barty to win the Madrid Open for the first time. In the women's singles final, the world number seven Belarus's Sabalenka beat Australian player 6-0, 3-6, 6-4.

Hamilton beats Verstappen to secure 100th career pole position at Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to secure his 100th career pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Hamilton has long held the record after beating Michael Schumacher’s 68 career pole positions,

Formula One: Lewis Hamilton secures victory at Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes secured victory at the Spanish Grand Prix after an intense pitstop strategy battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Tennis: Zverev rallies to regain title Alexander Zverev recovered from a set down to defeat Matteo Berrettini 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 6-3 and win the Madrid Open for a second time as he clinched a fourth Masters 1000 title.

Pak wins series against Zimbabwe Pakistan quickly took the one wicket it needed for another innings victory over struggling Zimbabwe in the second Test and a 2-0 series sweep. Pakistan won by an innings and 147 runs at the Harare Sports Club

Manchester City Win 2020-21 Premier League Title Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions for the third time in four seasons after Manchester United crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Leicester.

Singapore Open Cancelled Due to Surge in COVID-19 Cases Tournament organisers Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) and Badminton World Federation (BWF) agreed to cancel the Singapore Open 2021 scheduled for June 1-6, 2021.

Turkish GP called off The Turkish Grand Prix scheduled for next month was called off because of coronavirus travel restrictions and will be replaced by a second Formula One race in Austria.

Italian Open: Iga Swiatek wins Women's Singles title In Tennis, Polish teenager Iga Swiatek has won the Women's Singles title of Italian Open. 15th seed Swiatek defeated ninth seed Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 that lasted just 46 minutes.

Leicester beat Chelsea to clinch maiden FA Cup title Leicester won the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s 137-year history as Youri Tielemans’s sensational strike beat Chelsea 1-0 in front of 22,000 fans at Wembley.

Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to win Italian Open title Rafael Nadal beat world number one Novak Djokovic to win a 10th Italian Open title. Nadal won through 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 against the defending champion. Nadal also equalled Djokovic’s record of 36 ATP Masters 1000 titles in his 12th Rome final.

Tejaswini Shankar bags men's high jump titles in Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships India's Tejaswini Shankar has bagged men's high jump titles in the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Manhattan, USA. He cleared the bar at 2.28 meter to win high jump gold.

British Masters Golf: Bland wins title England’s Richard Bland won the title, returning a six under 66 on the final day for an aggregate of 13 under par on the 72-hole course.

Juventus beats Atalanta 2-1 to win Italian Cup final Gianluigi Buffon lifted the last trophy of his glittering Juventus career after his team beat Atalanta 2-1 in the Italian Cup. It was a record-extending 14th Italian Cup title for Juventus.

Football: Women’s U-17 WC in India The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India will be held from October 11 to 30, 2022, FIFA Council announces.

SAI to extend medical & accident insurance cover to more than 13,000 athletes, coaches, support staff In the wake of pandemic, Sports Authority of India has decided to extend medical and accident insurance cover to more than 13,000 athletes, coaches and support staff. As per the plan, an “insurance cover of ₹5 lakh each will be provided to all national campers.

Ashok to officiate in Tokyo Ashok Kumar will be the only referee from India to officiate in wrestling matches of the Tokyo Olympics. He was named in the officials’ list released by United World Wrestling.

Narinder Batra re-elected as FIH President for a second term Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra has been re-elected as president of the International Hockey Federation in a virtual presidential election.

Phil Mickelson wins PGA Championship; becomes oldest major winner in history In Golf, Phil Mickelson(50) won the PGA Championship by two shots over Brooks Koepka and South African Louis Oosthuizen to become the oldest major winner in history.

Asian Cricket Council decides to postpone Asia Cup 2021 The Asian Cricket Council, ACC decided to postpone the Asia Cup 2021, as no practical window is available to hold the tournament this year, amid Conona pandemic.

Tennis: Tsitsipas wins with ease Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed his seventh ATP title after beating Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-3 in the final of the Lyon Open.

Monaco Grand Prix: Max Verstappen wins Formula One race In Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Formula One race to take the championship lead from Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton, who finished seventh despite recording the fastest lap of the race.


MISCELLANEOUS Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by 103 runs under D/L method in 2nd ODI Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by 103 runs under D/L method in the second One-day International to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series to record their maiden ODI series win against the Island nation.

Sports Ministry gives approval to open 143 Khelo India Centres across 7 states in country The Sports Ministry has given its approval to open 143 Khelo India Centres across seven states in the country with a total budget estimate of ₹14.30 crore. The states include Maharashtra, Mizoram, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

Achinta Sheuli bags silver medal (73 kg) at Junior World Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent Indian weightlifter Achinta Sheuli ended with the silver medal in the men’s 73 kilogram category at the Junior World Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Villarreal defeats Manchester United in dramatic penalty shootout to win Europa League Villarreal won its first major European trophy after defeating Manchester United in a marathon penalty shootout in the UEFA Europa League final.

Rijiju launches education programme for coaches Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju formally launched a High Performance Coach Education Programme at the National Centre for Sports Coaching under the aegis of NSNIS Patial. The course, spread over six months, will have seven modules.

AIFF extends Igor Stimac’s tenure as India head coach till Sept this year All India Football Federation has extended the contract of head coach Igor Stimac’s until September.

India, New Zealand to be joint winners in case of draw or tie in WTC final, says ICC The International Cricket Council has announced that India and New Zealand will end as joint winners in case of a draw or a tie in World Test Championship final, which will also have a reserve day to make up for any lost time during regular days of the final.

UAE to host remainder IPL 2021 tournament in September-October The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the remaining matches of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 will be played in the United Arab Emirates in September-October this year.

Novak Djokovic clinches Belgrade Open title World number one Novak Djokovic clinched the Belgrade Open title after defeating Slovakia's Alex Molcan in Serbia.

Chelsea won the Champions League Chelsea won the Champions League for the second time, beating Manchester City 1-after Kai Havertz grabbed a first-half goal to secure a 1-0 win.

Fouaad Mirza seals Tokyo berth Equestrian Fouaad Mirza sealed his spot in the Tokyo Olympics with a fine show at an event in Poland.

Pooja Rani punches her way to glory Pooja Rani Bohra collected her second continental title to bring cheers to the Indian camp after Mary Kom and Lalbuatsaihi lost their respective summit clashes at the Asian boxing championships.

U.S. clears sale of six P-8I patrol aircraft to India The U.S. State Department approved the proposed sale of six P-8I patrol aircraft and related equipment, a deal estimated to cost $2.42 billion.

Egypt buys 30 Rafale fighter aircraft from France Egypt’s military has confirmed that it ordered 30 Rafale jets from French defence firm Dassault Aviation to shore up national security.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres honors Indian UN Peacekeeping officer Yuvraj Singh, who died in line of duty in 2020 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres honored the Indian UN Peacekeeping officer Yuvraj Singh, who died in line of duty in 2020, during the UN annual Memorial Service 2021.

US to join New Zealand-led global campaign to stamp out violent extremism online The United States will join a New Zealand-led global campaign to stamp out violent extremism online, making a policy change two years after the administration of former president Donald Trump declined to participate.

INTERPOL launches app to better protect cultural heritage International Crime Police Organization (INTERPOL) has launched a Mobile Application (app) ‘ID-Art’ which will help to identify the stolen cultural property, reduce smuggling and increase the possibility of recovering stolen works and artefacts.

China rocket debris falls in Indian Ocean near Maldives Debris from the last stage of China’s Long March rocket that had last month carried a key component of its under-construction space station fell into the waters of the Indian Ocean west of the Maldives.

China’s population growth slows to lowest rate in decades China’s once-in-a-decade population census has recorded a slowing population growth rate that will likely see China’s population peak and be overtaken by India’s population by as early as 2025. The seventh census, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) noted 12 million babies were born last year, the lowest number since 1961. China’s population was 1.41 billion in 2020, according to the census.

Saudi aid worth $123 mn announced for Pakistan Saudi Arabia has announced 118 humanitarian projects worth over $123 million for cash-strapped Pakistan in food security, health, education and water during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s two-day visit.

China successfully lands its rover Zhu Rong on Mars China has successfully landed its rover Zhu Rong on Mars. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said its rover had successfully landed in the pre-selected landing area in the Utopia Plain in southern part of Mars.

Google partners with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide Starlink internet service Google has partnered with SpaceX to provide cloud services to help deliver internet through the latter's Starlink satellites.

Miss Universe 2021: Mexico's Andrea Meza Wins the Crown Miss Mexico Andrea Meza has been crowned the 69th Miss Universe during a three-hour televised competition held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino


Hollywood in Florida. Miss India Adline Castelino was declared the third runer-up.

Iran to develop Farzad B gas field domestically, dumps India Iran gave the Farzad B gas field to Petropars, a domestic gas producer. This is a setback for India’s energy ties with Iran as ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) had discovered the gas field in 2000 and has been part of the ongoing cooperation on that front.

Sri Lanka Parliament passes Bill on China-backed Port City The Sri Lankan Parliament passed a controversial Bill on laws governing the China-backed Colombo Port City. The $1.4-billion Colombo Port City was launched in 2014 during the previous term of the Rajapaksa government, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the island nation.

World’s largest iceberg breaks off from Antarctica, says ESA A huge ice block has broken off from western Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg in the world and earning the name A-76. The iceberg, measuring around 170 km long and 25 km wide, with an area of 4,320 sq km is now floating in the Weddell Sea.

China completes Tibet highway China has completed the construction of a strategically significant highway through the world’s deepest canyon in Tibet along the Brahmaputra river, enabling greater access to remote areas along the disputed border with Arunachal Pradesh in India.

DR Congo orders Goma evacuation after volcano erupts The government in the Democratic Republic of Congo has launched an evacuation plan for the eastern city of Goma after a large volcano erupted. Nyiragongo had last erupted in 2002,. It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and is considered among the most dangerous.

Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs 74th World Health Assembly Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan chaired the 74th World Health Assembly. He noted that the Board called for further efforts to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility.

Over a million people die in China due to smoking-related diseases every year: NHC-WHO report More than a million people in China are killed by smoking-related diseases every year, and the number will double by 2030 if the current smoking trend continues, a report warned. China is the home for the world’s largest number of smokers.

Dutch court orders Shell to deepen carbon cuts in landmark case In a ruling that could pave the way for legal action against energy firms around the world, a court in the city of Hague, Netherlands, has ordered Royal Dutch Shell to significantly deepen its planned greenhouse gas emission cuts.

Bellatrix Aerospace successfully tests India’s first privately developed hall-effect thruster Space technology startup Bellatrix Aerospace has successfully tested India’s first privately developed hall-effect thruster, an electric propulsion engine for micro satellites weighing 50-500 kg.

Sri Lanka to sue Singapore vessel owners over pollution Sri Lankan authorities will sue the owners of a Singapore-registered cargo carrier MV X-Press Pearl which has burned for 11 straight days off the island’s west coast and caused some of its worst-ever marine

pollution. A criminal investigation was also launched into the blaze aboard the vessel which was carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid and plastic raw materials.

May Day being observed across the globe on May 1 May 1st is observed as International Labour Day. This day is celebrated to honour the contribution of workers across the world. It is also known as May Day.

World Laughter Day 2021: 02 May World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. World Laughter Day was first celebrated on May 10, 1998, in Mumbai upon the initiation of Dr Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement.

World Migratory Bird Day: 08 May World Migratory Bird Day 2021 is observed globally on 8 May. The aim of this day is to raise awareness of migratory birds and the importance of international cooperation to conserve them. “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day.

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day: 8 May The World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is observed every year on 8 May. Theme 2021 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day:'Together we are unstoppable'!.

International Nurses Day 2021 observed on May 12 International Nurses Day is observed around the world on 12 May of each year, to mark the contributions that nurses make to society. The theme for 2021 is Nurses: A Voice to Lead - A vision for future healthcare

International Day of Families 2021: 15 May The International Day of Families is observed across the globe on 15th May each year. The theme of International Day of Families 2021 is: “Families and New Technologies”.

National Dengue Day: 16 May National Dengue Day is observed every year on 16 May. The day is an initiative by the Ministry of Healthy and Family Welfare, to raise awareness about dengue and its preventive measures, and preparedness for control of the vector-borne disease before the transmission season begins.

International Day for Biological Diversity 2021: May 22 International Day for Biological Diversity is annually observed across the globe on 22nd May.The theme for this year is “We’re part of the solution”.

World Turtle Day: 23 May The World Turtle Day is observed on May 23 every year by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization. The theme of 2021 World Turtle Day is “Turtles Rock!”.

Amnesty International Day being observed on May 28th

May 28th is Amnesty International Day. Amnesty International was founded in London in 1961, following the publication of the article "The Forgotten Prisoners" in The Observer 28th of May 1961

International Everest Day 2021: May 29 International Everest Day 2021 is being celebrated on 29th May. This day is observed in the memory of the first summit of Mount Everest by New Zealand’s Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepal's Tenzing Norgay Sherpa that took place on 29th of May 1953.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2021: May 29 The United Nations has designated 29 May as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The theme of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2021 is “The road to a lasting peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security.”

current affairs capsule (may 2021)

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