Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 May 2021

Topic: Appointments

1. T Rabi Sankar named as Deputy Governor of RBI.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of T. Rabi Sankar as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• He has worked as in-charge of the payments system, fintech, information technology, and risk management at the RBI.
• He will be the fourth deputy governor of the RBI. Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Patra, and Rajeshwar Rao are the others deputy governor of the RBI.
• He will take the place of B.P. Kanungo, who had retired on 2 April.
  Previously, he had worked on various posts. He also worked in the Ministry of Finance from 2008-14.
• He had also worked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on bond market development for the government of India and the central bank of Bangladesh.
• RBI can have a maximum of four deputy governors. Out of the four deputy governors, two are usually chosen from executive directors of RBI. One is nominated from among the Chairpersons of PSBs. One is an economist.

Topic: Sports

2. Lewis Hamilton wins Portuguese Grand Prix.

• Lewis Hamilton has won the Portuguese Grand Prix. It was his 97^th career victory.
• He has defeated Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas.
• He wins the race by a margin of 29.148 seconds.
• This is the second Victory for Lewis Hamilton in this season. This win has put him eight points ahead of Verstappen in the title standings.
• Portuguese Grand Prix:
  • It is a motorsports tournament.
  • It was started in 1951.
  • It is part of the Formula One World Championship.

Topic: Important Days

3. World Press Freedom Day: 3^rd May

• World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on 3^rd May.
• It recognizes the contribution of media personnel in upholding the values of fair journalism.
• It marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press. In 1991, a UNESCO conference was held in Windhoek, Namibia.
• It also aims to create awareness regarding the importance of freedom of the press, which is part of the Right to freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.
• Theme for World Press Freedom Day 2021 is ‘Information as a Public Good’.

Topic: National News

4. 86^th webinar of the Ministry of Tourism’s Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series held on 24 April 2021.

• 86^th webinar of the Ministry of Tourism’s Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series was held on 24^th April 2021.
• The webinar was titled “Mountains to Mangroves – A Journey of 1000 Kilometers”.
• In this webinar, the journey of 1000 kilometers from mountains to mangroves was focused on West Bengal and Sikkim.
• To visit Sikkim foreigners must obtain a Restricted Area Permit (RAP). It was previously known as InnerLine Permit.
• Famous tourist destinations in Sikkim: Gangtok, Pelling, Lachung, Lachen, Yumthang, Nathula Pass, Gurudongmar Lake. 
• Famous sites in West Bengal: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Kalimpong, Dooars, Jaldapara, Malda, Bishnupur, Santiniketan, Kolkata- the City of Joy, Sundarbans (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Digha Beach.
• The Ministry of Tourism is organizing a series of Webinars under the overall theme of Dekho Apna Desh.
• The Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series is presented in technical partnership with National e-Governance Department, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.   

Topic: National News

5. Armed forces launch Operation CO-JEET to fight COVID-19 in India.

• Armed forces have launched Operation CO-JEET to fight COVID-19 in India.
• Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Medical) Lieutenant General Dr. Madhuri Kanitkar is working to strategize and monitor steps to fight COVID-19.
• She is the third woman to become a three-star general in the armed forces. She is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).
• Under Operation CO-JEET, personnel of the Army, the Indian Air Force and the Navy are working to help restore oxygen supply chains, set up COVID beds and help civilian administration.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

6. Indian Bank and BSNL sign an MoU.

• Indian Bank and BSNL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• Under the MoU, BSNL will provide telecom services to Indian Bank at competitive rates.
• Indian Bank is already using the services of BSNL and its subsidiary MTNL for its Wide Area Network.
• Indian Bank was founded in 1907. Its headquarters are in Chennai. Ms. Padmaja Chunduru is its MD & CEO. From 1 April 2020, Allahabad Bank was merged with Indian Bank.
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL):
  • It was founded in 2000. It is a Public Sector Undertaking wholly owned by Government of India.
  • Pravin Kumar Purwar is its chairman & MD. It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • It provides telecom services all over India except Delhi and Mumbai.

Topic: Personality in News

7. Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan passes away.

• Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan passed away recently.
• He was a civil servant. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Goa.
• He was Union Minister for Communications, Urban Development, Tourism and Culture in Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet.
• He was honoured with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Ministry of Food Processing issues guidelines for ‘Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industry’.

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has issued guidelines for the ‘Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry’ (PLISFPI). It has also launched an online portal for this scheme.
• Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) has been launched as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
• The government will implement this scheme over six years till 2026-27. It will be implemented through a Project Management Agency (PMA).
• The main objective of this scheme is to support food manufacturing Industries. It will incentivize food product Industries and Organic products Industries. It will help in the branding and marketing of Indian products.
• The online portal will enable the enterprise to participate in the scheme in the online medium. The applicant for the scheme will be selected on the basis of their sales, exports, committed investment.
• The applicant will be selected for the organic products based on the proposal, uniqueness of the product and the level of product development, etc.
• Production Linked Incentive Scheme has been launched for enhancing the Manufacturing Capabilities and Enhancing Exports in India.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. India and United Kingdom will hold a virtual Summit.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a virtual summit with his British counterpart Boris Johnson.
• During this summit, both leaders will launch ‘Comprehensive Roadmap 2030’ for strengthening bilateral relations.
• Comprehensive Roadmap 2030 will help in enhancing the cooperation in the field of people-to-people relationships, trade and prosperity, defense and security, climate action, and healthcare.
• Both leaders will also discuss many issues, including cooperation on Covid-19 and the global efforts to fight the pandemic.
• India and the United Kingdom are Strategic partners since 2004.
• Recently, UK National Health Service has established a clinical advisory group to support India’s Covid-19 response.
• United Kingdom:
  • It is a group of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland nations.
  • It is located in northwestern Europe.
  • Its capital is London and the currency is Pound sterling.
  • Boris Johnson is the current Prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Topic: Sports

10. Thisara Perera announced retirement from International Cricket.

• Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera has announced retirement from international cricket.
• He played 166 ODIs and 84 T20Is international matches. He had also scored 2338 runs in the 133 ODI innings.
• He had made his international debut in 2009. He took 135 wickets in ODI cricket and 51 wickets in T20I.
• He also led the team of Sri Lanka in shorter formats of the game in 2017.
• He was part of Sri Lanka’s 2014 T20 World Cup-winning team.

Topic: Appointments

11. Justice P C Pant appointed as acting chairperson of NHRC.

• Justice P C Pant has been appointed as the acting chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
• He assumed the charge on April 25.
• Earlier, he was the Judge of the Supreme Court from 2014 to 2017.
• National Human Rights Commission:
  • It is a statutory body that was established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. It is the watchdog of human rights in the country.
  • It consists of a chairperson and five members.
  • The chairperson should be retired chief justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court.
  • President appoints the chairperson and members of NHRC on the recommendations of a six-member committee.
  • The chairperson and members hold office for a term of three years or until they attain the age of 70 years.