Daily Current Affairs and GK | 2 and 3 May 2021

Topic: Personality in News

1. 400^th Birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur celebrated across the country.

• Guru Tegh Bahadur 400^th Birth anniversary has been celebrated across the country on 1 May.
• He was the 9^th Guru of the 10 Gurus of the Sikh religion.
• He was killed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1675.
• To mark the 400^th anniversary, Sri Akhand Path inaugurated Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal at the birthplace of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur:
  • He was born on 1^st April 1621 at Amritsar in Punjab.
  • He was also known as ‘Hind di Chaadar’, which means the ‘Shield of India’.
  • He built the city of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
  • He had resisted the forced conversions of non-Muslims to Islam by the Aurangzeb.
  • Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi is the site of the cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Topic: Agriculture

2. Indian Scientists discovered a high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean.

• Indian Scientist has discovered a new high-yielding and pest-resistant variety named ‘MACS 1407’ of soybean.
• It will be suitable for the cultivation of soybean in the states of Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and North-Eastern states.
• Scientists of MACS- Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed this variety.
• It is a high-yielding variety, which can give 39 quintals per hectare. It is also resistive against pests like girdle beetle, leaf miner, leaf roller, stem fly, etc.
• It takes 104 days to become mature after sowing. It needs less amount of water and fertilizers for growth.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Appointments

3. First woman officer for a road project along border with China appointed by BRO.

• First woman officer for a road project along the border with China has been appointed by BRO.
• Vaishali S Hiwase is the name of the officer. She comes from Wardha in Maharashtra.
• She will command a Road Construction Company (RCC), which is tasked to provide connectivity in a high-altitude area along the India-China border.
• Border Roads Organisation (BRO):
  • It develops and maintains a road network in India’s border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • It was founded in May 1960 by Jawaharlal Nehru.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. SIDBI launches two new quick credit delivery schemes, SHWAS and AROG.

• SIDBI has launched two new quick credit delivery schemes- SHWAS and AROG.
• These schemes will help MSMEs in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Their names are given below:
  • SHWAS (SIDBI assistance to Healthcare sector in War Against the Second wave of Covid-19)
  • AROG (SIDBI Assistance to MSMEs for Recovery & Organic Growth during a pandemic)
• SWAS and AROG schemes envisage 100 % funding up to an amount of ₹2 crore to an MSME unit.
• They have been launched to provide funding for production and services related to the supply of oxygen cylinders and essential drugs.
• SIDBI Assistance to Facilitate Emergency response against corona virus (SAFE) scheme was launched by SIDBI last month.

Topic: Miscellaneous

5. World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opened in Portugal.

• The world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opened in Portugal on 29^th April. It has been opened in Arouca in northern Portugal.
• It is a 516-meter-long bridge over the Paiva River. It is located in UNESCO-recognised Arouca Geopark.
• It will encourage people to live in this region.
• Portugal:
  • It is located in south-western Europe.
  • It is the westernmost country of Europe.
  • It is the oldest country in Europe.
  • António Costa is the current Prime Minister of Portugal.
  • Lisbon is the Capital of Portugal and Euro is the currency of Portugal.

Topic: International News

6. EAM S Jaishankar will participate in G-7 Foreign Ministers’ meet.

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will begin a four-day visit to London to participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of G7 countries.
• The UK is hosting the G7 foreign ministers meeting in London from May 3 to 5.
• In this G-7 Foreign Ministers’ meet, India, Australia, South Korea, South Africa, and the chair and secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been invited as guests.
• The main agenda of this meeting is to discuss climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the geopolitical situation in the world.
• India has also been invited as a guest to the 47^th G7 summit. It is scheduled to be organized in the United Kingdom from 11^th to 13^th June.
• Group of Seven (G7):
  • G7 is an international intergovernmental economic organization of the world’s seven advanced economies.
  • Members- Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom
  • Its first meeting was held in 1975 in France.
  • Its headquarters is located in Taormina, Italy.

Topic: Reports and Indices

7. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs released Global Forest Goals Report 2021.

• The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) has released the Global Forest Goals Report 2021.
• It has been released during the meetings of the UN Forum on Forests. It is the first evaluation of the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030.
• According to this report, many countries of Asia, Europe, and Oceania are on the track of increasing the forest area by three percent till 2030.
• However, many factors, including land degradation, pests, invasive species, fires, storms, and droughts, have degraded the forest of the world.
• As per the report, people have moved towards the forest for their subsistence needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can lead to more deforestation of the forest.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the challenge for countries in managing forests. Pandemic has reduced income of the forest-dependent populations and diminished the market access of their products.

Topic: Important Days

8. World Laughter Day 2021: 2 May

• World Laughter Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of May. In the year 2021, it was celebrated on 2 May.
• The main objective of this day is to spread awareness about laughter and its healing benefits.
• This day celebration was started by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1998. Madan Kataria is the founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement.
• The health benefits of laughing are:
  • It relaxes the whole body relieving physical tension and stress.
  • It enhances the immune system by decreasing stress hormones.
  • It improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow in our body.
  • If one laughs for 10 to 15 minutes a day, around 40 calories can be burnt.

Topic: Defence

9. United States approved sale of six P-8I patrol aircraft to India.

• The US administration has approved the sale of six more P-8I patrol aircraft to India. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has cleared this deal.
• India had procured eight P-8I patrol aircraft in 2009 and it had given an order of four more P-8I patrol aircraft in 2016.
• It will help Indian Navy in expanding its maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) capability.
• P-8I patrol aircraft is manufactured by Boeing. It has been designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
• It is equipped with the Multifunctional Information Distribution System- Joint Tactical Radio Systems 5, Missile Warning Sensors, and Global Positioning Systems.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

10. A snake has been named after Herpetologist Deepak Veerappan.

• A tiny size snake has been found in the Western Ghats. It has been named after Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan.
• Named Xylophis deepaki is just 20 cm in length.
• Deepak Veerappan is known for finding a new subfamily of Xylophiinae and for accommodating wooden snakes.
• Wood snakes are found in farms beneath the logs in Western Ghat forests. They eat earthworms and other invertebrates.
• Captain’s wood snake is found in the Western Ghats forest in Kerala.
• This discovery has increased the number of wooden snake species to five.