May 2021 TNPSC Monthly Current Affairs Online Test in English

Explanation

• The Census Bureau of the United States announced that the population of the US is 331,449,281. This is a 7.4% increase over the last decade. The population figures will be used by state legislatures or independent commissions to redraw the country’s political maps.

Explanation

• Workers’ Memorial Day, takes place annually around the world on April 28, an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured, or made unwell by their work. This year (2021) theme for the day is, “Health and Safety is a fundamental workers’ right”.

Explanation

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to conduct a customer satisfaction survey to find out the impact of the recent mergers of public sector banks. The ‘Bank Customers’ Satisfaction Survey’ will cover a total of 20,000 respondents from 21 states.
• As many as 22 questions would be asked to assess if the merger was positive from the point of customer services.

Explanation

• Sumatran rhinos are the smallest of the living rhinoceroses. They are the only Asian rhinoceros with two horns. They are characterised by their long hair and hence are known as the hairy rhinoceros. With just less than 100 individuals remaining, the Sumatran rhinoceros is one of the world’s most endangered mammal species.
• Recently, a study found that the remaining populations of the Sumatran rhinoceros display very low levels of inbreeding, which is a good sign for conservation.

Explanation

• The country’s apex financial regulator the Reserve Bank of India has recently released the ‘State of the Economy’ report. In the report, RBI has stated that of COVID infections are not brought under immediate control, it would severely affect the supply chain and hence lead to inflationary pressures.

Explanation

• Project DANTAK was established on April 24, 1961 under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. It is one of the oldest projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which was tasked to construct motorable roads in Bhutan.
• Recently, the Diamond Jubilee of the Project was commemorated in Bhutan, at the DANTAK Memorial.

Explanation

• Indo–German project ‘Pyrasol’ was launched to transform urban organic waste into biochar and energy in smart cities. It was awarded to CSIR–CLRI by the Indo–German Science & Technology Centre.
• It aims for joint processing of Fibrous Organic Waste and Sewage Sludge of Indian smart cities into Biochar. The foundation stone of the Integrated Solar Dryer and Pyrolysis pilot was recently laid at CSIR–CLRI, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Explanation

• The Central Institute of Brackish Aquaculture located in Chennai has developed an indigenous vaccine for Viral Nervous Necrosis. The name of the vaccine is Nodavac–R.
• The disease is caused by the Betanodavirus. It mostly affects teleost fish. More than forty species are affected by this virus and most of them are marine species. This virus transmits through passive diffusion and contact. The disease mostly occurs in juveniles. However, it also affects the adults.

Explanation

• The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021 has come into force in the national capital. According to the amended legislation, the “government” in Delhi means the ” Lieutenant Governor “.
• The elected representatives of the UT will have to seek the opinion of the Lieutenant Governor before taking any executive decision.

Explanation

• Yanbu is a port city on the Red Sea coast of western part of the Saudi Arabia. Recently, a remotely piloted boat packed with explosives has been found by the kingdom near the port of Yanbu in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia claimed to have intercepted and destroyed the attack boat, which caused a blast.

Explanation

• ‘World Tuna Day’ is observed on May 3, 2020 across the world. Tuna belongs to the species of fish, which is rich in Omega–3. As the fish contains high nutritional values including minerals, proteins and vitamin B12, it is threatened by an overwhelming demand. In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly voted to officially observe the World Tuna Day on May 3, 2020.

Explanation

• The Global Forest Goals Report 2021 was prepared by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations. The report provides an overview of progress towards achieving the six Global Forest Goals and their 26 associated targets as mentioned in the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. The first Global Forest Goal provides for increasing forest area by three per cent by 2030.

Explanation

• The Indian Navy has launched the Operation Samudra Setu–II, under which Indian Naval warships would ship liquid oxygen filled cryogenic containers from foreign nations. As a part of the operation, two naval ships INS Kolkata and INS Talwar have been deployed to bring oxygen from Bahrain to Mumbai.

Explanation

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 states “Ensure healthy lives and promote well–being for all at all ages”. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yoajna is a key component of Ayushman Bharat Yojna and was launched in 2018.
• Being the largest health scheme in the world, it aims to provide a health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year to over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families. April 30 is celebrated as Ayushman Bharat Diwas.

Explanation

• The state government of Andhra Pradesh is set to launch CLAP (Clean Andhra Pradesh) Jagananna Swachha Sankalpam programme. The scheme is expected to be launched in the month of July. 100 days sanitation drive to keep the villages clean will start from May 1.
• The state has also planning for better sewage water treatment and solid waste management.

Explanation

• Elon Musk–owned SpaceX recently launched a new batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit onboard its Falcon 9 rocket. Marking the company’s 10th launch of the year, the flagship Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It successfully landed at sea, for the seventh time.

Explanation

• A seabed mining robot, which was being tested on the Pacific Ocean floor at a depth of more than 4 km has become detached. Patania II is a 25–tonne mining robot prototype, which was being tested by Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR), the deep–sea exploratory division of the famous dredging company DEME Group. The robot was meant to collect the nodules rich in cobalt and other battery metals found on the seabed.

Explanation

• TRIFED is the nodal agency working for the empowerment of tribal people, under the aegis of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. TRIFED has entered into a collaborative project titled “Sustainable Livelihoods for Tribal Households in India”. The LINK Fund, a foundation which aims to eradicate poverty and mitigate the effects of climate change, is also joining hands with TRIFED for this project.

Explanation

• The Litani River is an important water resource located in Lebanon. It rises Beqaa Valley and gets into the Mediterranean Sea. Recently, tonnes of dead fish have washed up on the banks of the Qaraoun lake on Lebanon’s Litani river.
• Environmental Activists have been warning of water pollution caused by sewage and waste, near the lake for several years.

Explanation

• Scientists of Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune in collaboration with Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) have developed a new high–yielding and pest–resistant variety of soybean named MACS 1407. This seed is suited for cultivation in North Eastern states and in states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Explanation

• The Rushikulya river mouth, located in the state of Odisha is considered as the second–biggest rookery of Olive Ridley Turtles in India after Gahirmatha. This year, the annual mass nesting of millions of Olive Ridley sea turtles near the Rushikulya river mouth is likely to be missed, as the time for nesting process is set to be over. In March 2020, over 3 lakh turtles nested in the same place.

Explanation

• The Government of India has brought down the IGST for import of Oxygen Concentrators for personal use from the present 28% slab to 12%. This would be applicable till 30th June 2021. This rare reduction comes in the wake of a sudden surge in the demand for oxygen, used for COVID infected patients.

Explanation

• The Article 164 of the Indian constitution deals with the Provisions of the Minister of a state.
• It stated that the Chief Minister of a state shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers of the state shall be appointed by the Governor in consultation with the Chief Minister. It also states that a Minister, who is not an MLA for six consecutive months, ceases to be a Minster, after the expiry of 6 months.

Explanation

• Padma river is main distributary of the Ganges, which forms the western boundary between India and Bangladesh before it enters Bangladesh. Recently, a ferryboat with over 30 passengers overturned after hitting a sand–laden cargo vessel in the Padma River. At least 26 people dead in the accident occurred at the old Kanthalbari ferry terminal of Bangladesh.

Explanation

• Significant Economic Presence (SEP) principle was introduced in the Finance Bill 2018–19. It widened the scope of ‘business connection’ to include download of data or software, if aggregate payments from such transactions exceed a prescribed amount, or a prescribed number of users. India recently notified a revenue threshold of Rs 2 crore and a limit of 300,000 users for non–resident technology firms such as Google, Facebook, to pay tax in India.

Explanation

• The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co–operation and Development) has reported that FDI globally has plunged to a 15 year low in the year 2020 and has dropped by 38% compared to previous years. Among the nations, China has emerged as the leading FDI destination in 2020 and has overtaken the USA in this regard.

Explanation

• As a part of the Operation Samudra Setu II, INS Kolkata arrived Port Shuwaikh, Kuwait and will bring Liquid Medical Oxygen and medical supplies from Kuwait. Earlier the ship had boarded 200 bottles of oxygen and 43 oxygen concentrators from Doha, Qatar. Indian Navy has deployed seven Indian Naval ships for shipment of liquid medical oxygen from friendly countries.

Explanation

• ‘Mayflower 400’ is the world’s first Artificial intelligent ship. This ship is covered in solar panels and will study marine pollution and analyse plastic present in water and track aquatic mammals. Hundreds of individuals from different countries such as India, United States and Switzerland, were involved in the making of this ship.

Explanation

• Eight Asiatic lions at Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park have tested positive for Covid–19. This is the first case of lions or any other animals testing positive for the coronavirus infection in an Indian zoo.
• The samples were tested by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and the RT–PCR tests turned out to be positive for COVID–19. However, there is no factual evidence that animals can transmit the disease to humans.

Explanation

• World Asthma Day (WAD) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA). It is a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.
• Every year World Asthma Day is organised on May 5, every year, to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide. This year’s World Asthma Day theme is “Uncovering Asthma Misconceptions”. WHO estimates that over 339 million people had Asthma globally.

Explanation

• The International No Diet Day is observed every year on May 6 to promote a healthy life style and to raise awareness of the potential dangers of dieting and the unlikelihood of success. Its symbol is a light blue ribbon.

Explanation

• The “Estimates of Global E Commerce Report 2019” has been released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland. The report has noted that, due to COVID restrictions, there was a dramatic rise in in e–commerce and online retail sales.
• The report further stated that The United States, followed by Japan and China, continues to dominate the overall e–commerce market in the globe.

Explanation

• The Climate Action Tracker analysis said that the world will warm by 2.4C by the year 2100. This is only 0.2C less than the temperature without global action. But the estimate is much higher than the 1.5C goal agreed under the Paris Agreement on climate change, signed in 2016. Its report also suggested that the 1.5C target is still possible, but it requires action from major nations.

Explanation

• A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is an attempt to make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources. A massive DDoS attack affected the websites of over 200 organisations across Belgium, including government, parliament, universities and research institutes.
• The DDoS attack started on 4 May and targeted Belnet, the government–funded ISP provider for the country’s educational institutions and government services.

Explanation

• Manas Bihari Verma – a reputed aeronautical scientist and Padma Shri Awardee died recently of suffering a massive heart attack. He was 78 years old. He has been the man behind the country’s first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’ and has closely worked with former president Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam.

Explanation

West Bengal provided work to 11.8 million people through MGNREGA in FY21, which is the highest in the country. It utilised around Rs 10,403.13 crore for implementing the scheme and stands third in spending the funds after only to Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Around 27.3 million households demanded work under MGNREGA in April 2021.

Explanation

• Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, located between France and the UK, 22 kilometres from the coast of Normandy, France. They include two Crown dependencies: The Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
• They recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state and the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands. Recently, 60 French fishing boats made a blockade in the Jersey islands, which followed a deployment of two Royal Navy vessels from the UK.

Explanation

• The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is a rebel group which operates in African countries including northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Recently in a landmark judgment, the international criminal court has sentenced a former militia leader from Uganda and commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), to 25 years in prison after he was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Explanation

• May 11 is celebrated as National Technology Day in India every year, to mark the day on which India conducted its nuclear tests at Pokhran, Rajasthan in the year 1998. India conducted its 1st nuclear test, code named “Smiling Buddha” in 1974. In 1998, under the code name Operation Shakti, the next nuclear mission was carried out.
• Dr APJ Abdul Kalam led the scientific team which carried out the nuclear weapon tests on May 11. At present, India is among eight countries in the world that own a nuclear weapons program.

Explanation

• IBM announced that it has created a 2–nanometer chip, which is the smallest and most powerful microchip ever developed. At present, most of the computer chips powering devices use 10–nanometer or 7–nanometer process technology.
• Some companies have introduced 5–nanometer chips. The lower the number, more advanced is the processor.

Explanation

• The Reserve Bank is to conduct the first auction for special long–term repo operations (SLTRO) of Rs 10,000 crore for Small Finance Banks (SFBs), at the repo rate, one auction each month. This will provide fresh lending of up to Rs 10 lakh per borrower and will support small business units, micro and small industries, and other unorganised sector entities. The facility will be available till October 31, 2021.

Explanation

• The California condor is a vulture species belonging to ‘New World’ vulture species. It is the largest North American land bird. The bird is said to have become extinct in the wild in 1987. Recently, a flock of over 15 endangered California condors has reportedly descended on a house in the city of Tehachapi in California.

Explanation

• Interpol has launched a mobile app named “ID–Art app”. This app would help identify stolen cultural property, reduce illicit trafficking, and increase the chances of recovering stolen works and artefacts. This has been designed to be used by law enforcement agencies across the globe to get access to the Interpol’s database of stolen works of art. It can also be accessed by the general public.

Explanation

• “XcodeGhost” is a malware, which is claimed for injecting malware into several iPhone and iPad apps that were subsequently uploaded to the App Store. It was originally found in 2015.
• Recently, more than 128 million iOS users were allegedly affected by the “XcodeGhost” malware. 55% of the affected users are in China while 18 million of them are in the U.S.

Explanation

• The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has recently launched a new application for psycho–social wellness of students. The new app will help the class 9–12 students and parents from CBSE–affiliated schools. Live counselling sessions will be conducted free of cost, thrice a week by trained counsellors. Earlier, there was a practice of counselling through toll–free number.

Explanation

• German Tennis player Alexander Zverev defeated Italian Matteo Berrettini to claim his fourth Masters 1000 crown and second Madrid Open title. The player has been in the top 10 since July 2017 and he was also the US Open runner–up last year. Aryna Sabalenka, Belarusian tennis player has won her 10th career title at the Mutua Madrid Open. She defeated the World No.1 Ashleigh Barty.

Explanation

• India’s only aircraft carrier is INS Vikramaditya, a modified Kiev–class 44,500–tonne aircraft carrier and the flagship of the Indian Navy. The aircraft recently reported a minor fire at its home port, Karwar in Karnataka. India bought the aircraft carrier from Russia and it joined the naval fleet seven years ago. The Indian Navy operates MiG–29K maritime fighters from the deck of this aircraft carrier.

Explanation

• The International Nurses Day is observed on May 12 every year. On the same day in 1820, the famous social reformer and nurse Florence Nightingale was born. She was an English statistician and a social reformer who founded the key pillars of modern nursing.
• The ICN (International Council of Nurses) observes the International Nurses Day. International Council of Nurses is a federation of more than 130 national nurses’ associations.

Explanation

• In 2004, the UN General Assembly declared 8–9 May as a time of remembrance and reconciliation for those who lost their lives during the Second World War. UNGA conducts solemn meeting with its member countries, to pay tribute to all victims of the war. US describes the war as “one of the most epic struggles for freedom and liberation in history,” with 40 million civilians and 20 million soldiers dead.

Explanation

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched an Asia Pacific Tax Hub. This will create an open platform to improve knowledge sharing, and strengthen coordination on tax policy among ADB, its members, and development partners.
• The hub will mobilise regional and international resources to strengthen domestic resource mobilization and international tax cooperation in ADB’s developing member countries.

Explanation

• The Central government has relaxed income tax norms for the Covid hospitals, nursing home and Covid care centres for receiving cash of ₹2 lakh or above from the patients. The Ministry of Finance issued notification announcing relaxation in Section 269ST of the Income Tax Act. The exemption for cash payment receipt is for the period of 1st April 2021 to 31st May 2021.

Explanation

• Padmakumar M Nair of State Bank of India (SBI) will be the Chief executive officer of National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL). NARCL, also called as the ‘bad’ bank, is expected to be operational in June 2021. It is a proposed entity for taking over bad loans of lenders, predominantly public sector banks.

Explanation

• The World Athletics Day is observed every year on May 7 to popularize sports among the youth, to promote athletics as the primary sport in schools and institutions and to encourage and introduce new talent and youngsters in the field of athletics.

Explanation

• The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is observed across the globe every year on May 17 to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other Information and Communication Technologies can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.
• The 2021 theme is “Accelerating Digital Transformation in challenging times”. The day also marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union.

Explanation

• NASA’s Perseverance rover has recently started to study the floor structure of the ancient crater– Jezero Crater. The rover has started focusing its science instruments on rocks laying on the floor of the crater. A camera named ‘WATSON’ at the end of the rover’s robotic arm has taken detailed shots of the rocks. The rover is also documenting the historic flights of the rotorcraft of Ingenuity.

Explanation

• The Al–Aqsa Mosque, located in the city of Jerusalem, Israel, is the third holiest site in Islam. The mosque is said to be built on top of the Temple Mount. Over 300 Palestinians were injured when Israeli armed forces stormed Al–Aqsa Mosque.
• In retaliation, Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, fired rockets. Israelis then launched an airstrike on Gaza, killing at least 21 Palestinians. 

Explanation

• Under its ‘Mission Oxygen’, also coined as Swayampurna Maharashtra, the state aims to increase daily production of Oxygen up to 3,000 metric tonnes. The state also has a short–term goal of 2300 MT to be achieved in the next six months. It aims to encourage the private sector to generate liquid medical oxygen.

Explanation

• The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Palakkad of Kerala state, had for the first time introduced Hydrogel capsules, a year ago. This is made out of biodegradable starch gel, which holds water up to 400 times its weight. The gel releases water in the soil and helps to retain soil moisture. The capsule, developed by ICAR, has become very popular now in the state and the KVK has registered a sale of around 3–4 lakh capsules.

Explanation

• Human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), are the leading cause of childhood respiratory infections. They are responsible for 30% to 40% of illnesses like pneumonia. They also affect the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
• Recently, researchers engineered a short chunk of protein, or peptide, that can prevent the attachment of human parainfluenza viruses to cells.

Explanation

• ‘Heartbeat bill’ is a controversial legislation in the United States which makes abortions illegal as soon as the fetal heartbeat can be detected.
• Under the proposed Texas Heartbeat Act, abortions would be prohibited once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into pregnancy. It allows anyone to sue providers and others who violate the guidelines.

Explanation

• As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a low–pressure area which was formed in the Arabian Sea, would evolve into a cyclonic storm and has been given the name “Tauktae”. This name has been coined by Myanmar. This cyclone in Arabia Sea is likely to bring heavy rains in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and south Konkan region.

Explanation

• Business risk analysts Verisk Maplecroft has recently released a report on the cities which are most vulnerable to environmental hazards. As per the report, among the top 100 vulnerable cities, 99 are located in Asia. Jakarta has topped the list and Delhi has been ranked at No.2. More than 400 large cities across the globe with a total population of 1.5 billion are at “high” or “extreme” risk, as per the report.

Explanation

• Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced Malerkotla as the state’s new district. After a long–pending demand of the people, Malerkotla is named as the 23rd district of the state. Malerkotla is a Muslim majority town and it was a part of Sangrur district. At the time of the country’s Independence Punjab had 13 districts.

Explanation

• The Maharashtra cabinet approved an Agro–tourism policy aimed at empowering farmers, in September 2020. It aims to provide market for agriculture produce, encourage agriculture allied business, and provide employment opportunities to women and youth in rural areas. Every year World Agri–Tourism Day is celebrated on May 16. This year, Government of Maharashtra, Agri–Tourism Development Corporation is to organise International Conference on Agri–Tourism.

Explanation

• Pablo Picasso’s famous “Woman Sitting Near a Window (Marie–Therese)” painting was sold for USD 103.4 million at Christie’s in New York. This is the first time in two years that a work has broken the USD 100 million mark. The painting, completed in 1932, was originally estimated to be sold USD 55 million. Five works by Picasso have now crossed the threshold of USD 100 million.

Explanation

• Nilofar is a very severe and intensified cyclone, which was formed in the year 2014 in Arabian Sea. Winds reached a maximum speed of close to 250 kmph, during the formation of the cyclone. Recently, Cyclone Tauktae has formed in the Arabian sea, which is expected to become a very severe storm and is expected to cross the coast of Gujarat.

Explanation

• The International Day of Light is celebrated on 16 May each year, the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. The message of the International Day of Light 2021 is “Trust Science”. The Day is a global initiative to provide a platform for the appreciation of light and the role it plays in diverse fields.

Explanation

• Spanish Tennis veteran Rafael Nadal beat ace player Novak Djokovic to clinch the Italian Open title, for a record 10th time. In the women’s final, reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek defeated Karolina Pliskova 6–0 6–0, to clinch the title.

Explanation

• With the commissioning of Wi–Fi at Hazaribagh Town, Jharkhand in Dhanbad Division of East Central Railway, Indian Railways commissioned Wi–Fi at 6,000 Railway stations, as on May 15. Indian Railways extended Wi–Fi facility for the first time in Mumbai Railway station in January 2016. Thereafter, it reached 5,000th Railway station, at Midanpore, West Bengal and reached.

Explanation

• The photograph of Lake Van located in Turkey won the Tournament Earth 2021 challenge of NASA. It is the largest soda or alkaline lake on Earth. The photograph was shot by astronaut Kate Rubins in September 2016, showing a part of one of the largest alkaline lakes in the world, with a pH of 10 and high salinity levels.

Explanation

• The 26–year–old Miss Mexico Andrea Meza was crowned Miss Universe in Florida. The event returned to television this year, after it was cancelled in 2020 for the first time, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Andrea Meza finished first ahead of the Brazilian and Peruvian finalists. Another contestant Miss Myanmar used the stage time to draw attention to the military coup in her country.

Explanation

• The Uttarakhand Police has launched a drive called “Mission Hausla” to help people get oxygen, beds and plasma for COVID–19 patients. The Police department also informed about two toll–free numbers in all the districts for emergency contact. The Police personnel also engage in providing ration, medicines and getting ambulances to the needy and the elderly.

Explanation

• The state Government of Assam has enacted “The Assam Microfinance Institutions (Regulation of Moneylending) Act, 2020”, through which it proposes to control microfinance and related institutions. Under this act, micro finance institutions require separate registrations for working in a selected village or city. In this regard, the Reserve Bank of India has expressed firm reservations and has stated that implementation of the Act would lead to dual regulation of the microfinance market.

Explanation

• The Government of Punjab has targeted to bring one million hectares of farm land under Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique, during this cropping year. Under this method, seeds are directly drilled into the field by a tractor–powered machine. This target has been envisioned, in anticipation of a huge shortfall in migrant labour due to COVID 19 second wave pandemic in the nation.

Explanation

• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has extended financial assistance to the Government of Assam to the tune of Rs 1,236 crore in order to boost its rural connectivity. These funds have been lent by NABARD to the state out of its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) during the financial year 2020–21.

Explanation

• The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (MCCIA) has partnered with NABARD to launch India’s first Agriculture export facilitation centre (AEFC) in Pune. It aims to boost agricultural exports from the region and adhere to global standards. It will also serve as the capacity–building platform for agri–food exports.

Explanation

• The U.S administration has announced that Indian–American Neera Tanden is set to join the White House as a senior adviser to President Joe Biden. She had withdrawn her nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) amid bipartisan criticism. Tanden serves as president and CEO of CAP and has served as the CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Explanation

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has been providing Tele Counselling to children through the SAMVEDNA service, through a network of qualified medical professionals / Doctors. SAMVEDNA stands for “Sensitizing Action on Mental Health Vulnerability through Emotional Development and Necessary Acceptance”. It is a tele counselling service for psychological support to children to address their stress and fear regarding COVID.

Explanation

• In order to address the problems of elders in the context of the ongoingCOVID pandemic, the Ministry of Social Justice has started state wise call centres in major states under the ELDERLINE project. 
• The facility is already made operational in 5 major States of UP, MP, Rajasthan, TN and Karnataka.In Telangana, this facility has been working for more than a year. These call centres can be reached by toll free number 14567. All elders may be advised to use this facility. The ELDERLINE is a facility operationalised with the assistance of Tata Trusts and NSE foundation.

Explanation

• Tripura recently launched Vande Tripura, a 24×7 dedicated educational channel to offer lessons on the school syllabus.
• The channel initially has started with recorded lessons. It would shift to live classes, discussions on different academic topics, various information relating to the education department from June 1.

Explanation

• Convalescent plasma therapy has been dropped from the list of COVID–19 treatments by the Government of India. This decision has been made by the national Covid task force, since the experiments with the treatment have been found to be ineffective in treating COVID infection.

Explanation

• The Union Finance Ministry, on the recommendation of the Panchayati Raj Ministry, released Rs 8,923.8 crore to 25 states for providing grant to rural local bodies. The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance released the first installment of the Basic (Untied) Grants. It may be utilized among other things for various prevention and mitigation measures needed to combat the Covid pandemic

Explanation

• Darwin’s Arch is a rock formation south–east of Darwin Island in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador. The structure has recently collapsed due to natural erosion. At present, only two rocky pillars are left at the northernmost island of the Pacific Ocean archipelago. Darwin’s Arch is made of natural stone that would have been part of Darwin Island. This site is considered one of the best places to dive and observe sharks and other aquatic species.

Explanation

• French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the Paris summit for African, European and financial leaders. They agreed on a plan to help Africa overcome the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, called the ‘New Deal for Africa and by Africa’. French president calls for waiving of COVID vaccine patents so that Africa could begin to produce its own vaccines. The leaders have also urged WHO, WTP and Medicines Patent Pool to remove all constraints in terms of intellectual property.

Explanation

• Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren recently launched the ‘Amrit Vahini’ App and a ‘Chatboat’ App. Though ‘Amrit Vahini’ App or website one can get all information about the availability of hospital beds and book bed online. Through Chatboat, one may get all information related to coronavirus, like the medicines prescribed for it, recommended diet, or free consultation with doctors.

Explanation

• Haryana became the first state in the country to reimburse Goods and services tax (GST) paid on Covid–related donations made to the state and state–run organisations. Haryana will reimburse GST already paid on such Covid–19 related items, subject to conditions. 
• This move, which will be applicable till June 30, is aimed at encouraging efforts by corporations, NGOs and individuals and facilitate donations of oxygen concentrators, Covid–19 vaccines, Remdesivir injections, etc.

Explanation

• The Archaeological Survey of India have submitted six Indian sites to the tentative list of UNESCO’s world heritage sites, as per the recent announcement of Culture Ministry. The six sites are namely Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Iconic riverfront of the historic city of Varanasi, Megalithic site of Hire Benkal in Karnataka, Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra, Bhedaghat–Lametaghat in Narmada Valley– Jabalpur, and temples of Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu).

Explanation

• French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the Paris summit for African, European and financial leaders. They agreed on a plan to help The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved the self–use Rapid Antigen Test for Covid–19 developed by Mylab Discovery Solutions. The test has been developed in India and is named as CoviSelf. Symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of confirmed cases can use this self–use, as per ICMR guidelines. ICMR also warned that those who are symptomatic and test negative by RAT should get tested by RTPCR.

Explanation

• The Central government has approved setting up 22 new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) so far under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
• The Union Health Ministry announced that under the 22 institutes so far, six AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh are already fully functional and in another seven AIIMS, OPD facility and MBBS classes have started.

Explanation

• Odisha state leads in production of sweet potatoes across the country. Recently a group of farmers has successfully grown purple sweet potatoes in summer, which is a winter crop harvested in September and March. According to the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), purple sweet potatoes have a high anthocyanin content of 90 milligrams per hundred grams.

Explanation

• The 2021 G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting scheduled to be held at Oxford University on June 3 and 4. It aims to bring the world leaders on a common platform to agree on life–saving actions. Issues like global health security, clinical trials of vaccines etc are expected to be discussed in this forum. India has been invited as a guest, to join virtually in the event.

Explanation

• India has reported cases of White Fungus infections, which is caused due to low immunity or if people come in contact with bodies containing these fungi. Affected patients are diagnosed Covid negative, but the fungal infection can be detected only by a CT scan. The fungus affects lungs, nails, skin, stomach, kidney etc.

Explanation

• The Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partner organisation YuWaah, as well their partners, has launched a pan–India campaign called #YoungWarrior. It aims to engage young people across the country to address the ongoing COVID–19 crisis. The campaign includes training in tools to detect misinformation; encourage registration for vaccination and mental health support etc.

Explanation

• The International Day for Biological Diversity is observed every year on 22nd May to increase under standing and awareness about biodiversity issues on a global scale. The 2021 theme for International Day for Biological Diversity is “We’re part of the solution”.

Explanation

• The 1st Observance of the International Tea Day under the theme “Harnessing benefits for all from field to cup” was held on 21 May 2020. The Day brings together the countries where tea cultivation is an important source of jobs and incomes.
• Last year, the United Nations General Assembly has designated May 21 as International Tea Day on the basis of the proposal moved by India at the FAO Intergovernmental Group.

Explanation

• The Global Health Summit was co–hosted by the European Commission and Italy as part of its G20 presidency. The Rome Declaration was released at the end of the Summit, which reaffirmed leaders’ support for the Access to COVID–19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

Explanation

• “Clyde’s Spot” was discovered on Jupiter in 2020 by an amateur astronomer. It appeared as an oval–shaped feature near the planet’s famous “Great Red Spot.” NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which is orbiting the Jupiter has revealed a photo of the spot in April 2021. In the recent photo taken during the craft’s 33rd close pass over Jupiter’s clouds, that oval structure looks more like a swirling, chaotic blob.

Explanation

• Shaji NM, also called as ‘Tuber Man’ of Kerala has been presented with the India Biodiversity Award 2021, in the individual category of ‘Conservation of Domesticated Species’. He has collected as many as 200 tuber crops by travelling to tribal areas and forests and conserves them in his farms. He has received State awards seven times for his outstanding efforts and he also received the Plant Genome Savior Reward 2015.

Explanation

• Yuan Longping, the Chinese agricultural scientist, regarded as the “father of hybrid rice”, has recently passed away at the age of 91. He was known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s. In 2004, he was honoured with the World Food Prize for his achievement in developing the genetic materials and technologies essential for breeding high–yielding hybrid rice varieties.

Explanation

• The first named Atlantic storm of the season, Ana is expected to drift northeast over the Atlantic Ocean after bringing rain to Bermuda. As per the National Hurricane Center in Miami says Subtropical Storm Ana was located about 435 kilometers northeast of Bermuda.