Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 May 2021

Topic: International News

1. External Affairs Minister started his five-day visit to the US.

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar begins his five-day trip to the United States. He will also meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
• He will hold a discussion with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
• He will discuss economic and Covid-related cooperation issues with business forums. He will also talk to Covid vaccines producing companies of the United States.
• The procurement of Vaccines will be the main agenda of discussion between the External Affairs Minister and US government representatives.
• Recently, United States has supported India’s proposal of waiving certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement for Vaccine. It will help in increasing vaccine production. 

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

2. NHA signed an MoU with Telangana Govt for implementing Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana.

• The National Health Authority (NHA) and Telangana government have signed an MoU for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
• Ayushman Bharat scheme has been integrated with the ‘Aarogyasri’ scheme of the Telangana. This merged scheme is being called Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Aarogyasri.
• Telangana is the 33^rd States and Union Territories to join the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme.
• The National Health Authority and the State Health Agency will implement this scheme in the state.
• Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana:
  • It was launched in 2018 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • It will provide free healthcare coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year.
  • The implementation cost of the scheme will be shared between the centre and state government.
  • The beneficiary households are identified based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

3. First phase of data analytics driven MCA21 Version 3.0 launched by Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur.

• First phase of data analytics driven MCA21 Version 3.0 was launched by Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur.
• MCA21 Version 3.0 has additional modules for e-Adjudication, e-Consultation and Compliance Management.
• In addition to the launch of version 3.0, the government has also introduced a revamped website, e-Book, e-consultation module and new email services.
• MCA Version 3.0 will be implemented in two phases. The second and final phase will be launched from October 2021.
• MCA21 V3.0 was part of this year’s Budget announcement.
• MCA21:
  • It was India’s first mission mode e-governance project.
  • It is the online portal of the Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA).
  • It was launched in 2006.

Topic: State News/Haryana

4. Anti-Covid “Sanjeevani Pariyojana” launched by Haryana government.

• Anti-Covid “Sanjeevani Pariyojana” has been launched by Haryana government on 24 May 2021.
• Sanjeevani Pariyojana will provide supervised and quick medical care for people with mild to moderate symptoms of Covid-19 in rural areas.
• Under the initiative, an Integrated Command and Control Centre will manage critical resources such as availability of hospital beds, oxygen supply, ambulance tracking and door-to-door awareness campaign.
• The initiative will enable the administration to keep an eye on entire healthcare system of district.
• Under the initiative, 200 final year and pre-final year medical students and interns will be mobilized and connected to consultants and experts.

Topic: International News

5. India and Israel signed a three-year work program for cooperation in agriculture.

• India and Israel have signed a three-year joint work program to enhance cooperation in the field of agriculture.
• Under this three-year work program, Centres of Excellence (CoEs) will be set up to train farmers about Israeli farm and water technologies.
• Centres of Excellence (CoEs) will set up in 75 villages and Villages of Excellence (VoE) - a model ecosystem in agriculture will be created across eight states.
• It is the 5^th Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP). India and Israel are cooperating in agriculture sector since 1993.
• Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP) will also help in the growth of the horticulture sector. It will also focus on the development of the modern Agriculture infrastructure, Capacity Building, and Market linkage.
• The exchange of technology will help in increasing farmer’s income and productivity.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

6. Union Health Minister chaired 74th World Health Assembly.

• Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan chaired the 74th World Health Assembly.
• The main agenda of the 74th World Health Assembly is to discuss the fair and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility.
• WHO Executive Board recommended that the 74th World Health Assembly should adopt a resolution for the implementation of a road map for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
• It also requested member countries to adopt diabetes as a public health problem and to draft a strategy for tackling the oral disease.
• It endorsed a comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan for the period of 2013 to 2030. Director-General of the World Health Organisation Dr. Tedros has also addressed the World Health Assembly.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by the World Health Assembly (WHA).

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

7. FDI inflow increased by 10% during 2020-21.

• India witnessed a 10% rise in the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows during the 2020-21 financial year. India attracted the highest ever total FDI inflow of US$ 81.72 billion.
• FDI equity inflow has increased by 19 percent during FY21 compared to the last financial year.
• In the financial year 2020-21, Singapore is the highest FDI investor. It is followed by the USA and Mauritius. 
• Computer Software & Hardware sector received the 44% of the total FDI, it is followed by Construction (Infrastructure) Activities (13%) and Services Sector (8%) respectively.
• Gujarat received the highest FDI. Maharashtra and Karnataka are on the second and third positions.
• Foreign direct investment (FDI) means an investment made by a firm or individual in one country into a business located in another country.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

8. Breathe Applied Sciences was awarded TDB National Award 2021.

• A Bangalore-based startup, Breathe Applied Sciences, has received the TDB National Award 2021.
• Breathe Applied Sciences has developed a method for converting CO₂ to methanol and other chemicals.
• It has developed a method to increase the production of chemicals and fuels from anthropogenic CO₂ generated from the steel industry, cement industry, and coal and natural gas power generation plants.
• The startup has also signed an agreement with JNCASR for converting CO₂ to methanol and other useful chemicals and fuels.
• The current capacity of conversion is around 300 kg per day. It will be increased to 100 tons on the industrial level.
• TDB National Award:
  • It is given to the technology start-ups for developing new technology.
  • It carries a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh and a trophy.
  • It is given by Technology Development Board.

 (Source: PIB)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. Shaji N M bags India Biodiversity Award 2021.

• Shaji N M, a farmer from Kerala, has won the India Biodiversity Award 2021 in the individual category of ‘Conservation of domesticated species’.
• He has been awarded this prize on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) 2021.
• He is also known as the ‘Tuber Man’ of Kerala. He is famous for cultivating more than 200 species of the tuber.
• He also grows 40 varieties of turmeric and 30 varieties of ginger. He is conserving many varieties of Paddy.
• He had also received the Plant Genome Savior Reward in 2015.
• India Biodiversity Award:
  • It was founded by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change and UNDP-India in 2012.
  • It carries a ₹2 lakh cash prize and citation.

Topic: Sports

10. Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship.

• Phil Mickelson has won the PGA Championship at the age of 50.
• He became the oldest golfer to win a major championship. Earlier, the oldest golfer to win a major championship was Julius Boros.
• Phil Mickelson is a famous golf player of America. He has won total 45 events on the PGA Tour.
• The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament. It is one of the major championships of professional golf.

Topic: Important Days

11. World Thyroid Day 2021: May 25

• World Thyroid Day is observed every year on 25 May in India.
• The main aim of this day is to spread awareness and reduce the prevalence of thyroid-related disorders.
• Thyroid disease is caused due to dysfunctionality in the thyroid gland.
• World Thyroid Day was first observed in 2008 by the American Thyroid Association (ATA) and the European Thyroid Association (ETA).
• “Mother-Baby-Iodine: The Importance of Iodine on the Woman and her Baby” is the theme of World Thyroid Day (WTD) 2021.
• Thyroid gland:
  • The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ located at the base of the neck.
  • It secretes Triiodothyronine (T3) hormone, peptide hormone, and the Thyroxine hormone (T4) in the body.
  • Thyroid problems arise when the thyroid gland produces more or less hormones.