Daily Current Affairs and GK | 14 and 15 May 2021

Topic: New Developments

1. IIT Ropar developed portable eco-friendly mobile cremation system.

• IIT Ropar has developed a portable eco-friendly electric cremation system.
• It is one of its kind of technology that produces no smoke despite using wood for cremation. It is based on wick-stove technology.
• The cart-shaped mobile cremation system has stainless steel insulation on both sides of the cart for reducing heat loss and wood consumption.
• It takes less time to dispose of the body entirely as compared to normal wood-based cremation.
• It uses half wood than normal wood-based cremation, so it is an eco-friendly technology.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. Eighth Installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi will be released on 14 May.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the eighth Installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi on 14 May. It will be the first installment for the financial year 2021-22.
• Under this scheme, more than ₹19,000 crores will be disbursed to 9.5 crores farmer families.
• The money will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The cost of the scheme is ₹75,000 crore per annum.
• Under this scheme, Samman Rashi of over one lakh 15 thousand crore has been already transferred to farmer families.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN):
  • It was launched on 24 February 2019.
  • It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme. It was announced during the interim budget of 2019.
  • Under this scheme, Rs 6,000 per year is transferred by the Central Government in three equal installments of Rs 2000.
  • It is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  • The main objective of this scheme is to increase the income of small and marginal farmers.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Geography

3. NDRF deploys 24 teams in five different states for handling Cyclone Tauktae.

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deploys 24 teams in five different states as Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ may hit Karnataka and Kerala coasts by 16 May.
• It can affect Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Director-General of NDRF, SN Pradhan, said that 29 teams are on standby.
• As per the forecast issued by India Meteorological Department, low-pressure areas may form over the South-East Arabian Sea.
• Low pressure area may intensify into a cyclonic storm called ‘Tauktae’ over the East-Central Arabian Sea by May 16 to 21.
• Cyclone:
  • A cyclone is a low-pressure system with very high winds swirling around it.
  • Conditions favourable for the formation of tropical cyclones are —
    • Sufficiently warm sea surface
    • Atmospheric instability
    • High humidity in low to medium levels of the troposphere
    • Sufficient Coriolis force to maintain a low pressure center, etc
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):
  • It was established in the year 2006 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
  • It works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • SN Pradhan is the current Director-General of NDRF.

Topic: Sports

4. 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships will take place from October in Belgrade.

• 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships will take place from 26 October to 6 November in Belgrade in Serbia.
• President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, is the Head of the Local Organising Committee (LOC). He will supervise the delivery of the event.
• Russia hosted the previous edition of the AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships.
• International Boxing Association (AIBA) is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. Umar Kremlev is the President of AIBA. It was formed in 1946.

Topic: State News/ Punjab

5. Malerkotla becomes 23^rd district of Punjab.

• Punjab Government has approved a long pending demand to form Malerkotla as a district. It will be the 23^rd district of Punjab.
• The chief minister of Punjab also announced Rs 500 crore financial assistance for medical college, a women’s college, a new bus stand, and a women police station in Malerkotla.
• Malerkotla is a Muslim majority town. It is a historically very important town of Punjab.
• Malerkotla city, Amargarh, and Ahmedgarh will come under the Malerkotla district.
• Punjab:
  • It is a state in the northwest region of India.
  • Its capital is Chandigarh.
  • Governor of Punjab: V. P. Singh Badnore
  • Chief Minister of Punjab: Captain Amarinder Singh

Topic: Indian and its Neighbourhood

6. KP Sharma Oli takes oath as Nepal Prime Minister for third time.

• K P Sharma Oli has sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister for the third time. He is the 43^rd Prime Minister of Nepal.
• President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office to KP Sharma Oli.
• Recently, K P Sharma Oli had lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives, but Opposition parties couldn’t form a new government.
• KP Sharma Oli is the leader of the Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) party.
• Previously, he had served as Prime Minister of Nepal from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016 and again from February 15, 2018 to May 13, 2021.
• In January, K P Sharma Oli was expelled from the primary membership of the Nepal Communist Party for his decision to dissolve the Parliament.
• Nepal:
  • It shares a border with Indian states, namely Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, and Bihar.
  • Its capital is Kathmandu and the currency is Nepalese Rupees.
  • Prime Minister holds the position of the Head of the executive in Nepal. He is appointed by the President of Nepal. Prime Minister has a tenure of 5years.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

7. International Day of Families: 15 May

• Every year International Day of Families is observed on 15 May.
• It is celebrated to highlight the importance of families by the International community.
• It provides an opportunity to promote issues related to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic processes affecting families.
• The theme of International Day of Families 2021 is ‘Families and new technologies’.
• This day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

8. Mucormycosis Fungus complication found in COVID-19 Patients.

• Mucormycosis or black fungus complication has been found in COVID-19 Patients. It is caused by a fungal infection.
• It is caused by micro-organisms known as mucormycetes. It starts as a skin infection, and then it spreads to the eyes, lungs, and brain.
• Discoloration over the nose, Vision loss, Chest Pain, breathing difficulties, and coughing of blood are some of the symptoms of this disease.
• It mainly affects those patients whose immune system is not functioning properly.
• The micro-organisms mucormycetes is generally found in soil and decaying organic matter like leaves, and compost.

Topic: Personality in News

9. Times Group chairperson Indu Jain passed away.

• Times Group chairperson Indu Jain died at the age of 84.
• After the death of her husband, Ashok Jain, she became the chairman of the Times Group in 1999.
• She was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2016 for the Trade and Industry.
• She will be remembered for her remarkable contribution to media, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
• Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited is known as The Times Group. It is one of the famous media houses of India. It was founded on 4^th November 1838.
• The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times are some famous newspapers of the Times Group. 

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic:  Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. Ministry of Jal Shakti organized Webinar with the Sector Partners selected for National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM).

• Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti has organized a webinar with the Sector Partners selected for National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM).
• The government has selected about 175 organizations as Sector Partners for the implementation of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM).
• More than 4.17 Crore rural households have been provided with new tap water connections since the launch of the mission.
• Jal Jeevan Mission:
  • It was announced by Prime Minister on 15^th August 2019.
  • The main objective of the mission is to provide piped water supply to all rural households by 2024.
  • “Building Partnership and Changing Lives” is the motto of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
  • Ministry of Jal Shakti is the nodal agency for this mission.

Topic: Important Days

11. International Astronomy Day 2021: 15 May

• In 2021, International Astronomy Day has been celebrated on 15 May.
• It was started by Doug Berger in 1973, the then President of the Astronomical Union of Northern California.
• This day is celebrated twice a year.
• It is celebrated to spread awareness about Astronomy among people.
• Astronomy: It is a science that studies celestial objects and space-related phenomenon.