Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 May 2021

Topic: Indian Economy

1. Barclays cuts India’s FY22 GDP growth forecast to 10%.

• Barclays cuts down India’s GDP forecast for FY22 from 11% to 10%. It has cut down India’s GDP growth due to the ongoing lockdown in India.
• The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Indian economy badly.
• As per the estimate, if the lockdown continues till June, it could lead to economic losses of USD 38.4 billion.
• According to Barclays, the GDP growth can fall up to 8.8% if the restriction continues till August.
• Barclays has forecasted GDP growth of 7.6% for the 2021 financial year.
• Barclays:
  • It is a multinational investment bank and financial services company.
  • Its headquarters is located in London.

Topic: State News/ Odisha

2. Odisha announces Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana.

• Odisha government has announced Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana for journalists.
• Odisha has declared the journalists as frontline Covid warriors. It will benefit more than 6500 journalists of the state.
• Under the Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana, a health insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to each Journalist.
• Under the scheme, financial assistance of Rs 15 lakh will be provided to the families of journalists who died from COVID-19 while performing duty.
• Odisha:
  • It is a state on the Bay of Bengal in the east of India.
  • It is the eighth largest state by area and the eleventh largest by population.
  • Chief Minister is Naveen Patnaik and Governor is Ganeshi Lal.
  • It has the third largest tribal population in India.
  • Odia is one of the classical languages in India.

Topic: Important Days

3. World Asthma Day: 5 May 2021

• The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) organizes World Asthma Day (May 5, 2021).
• It is held in May to increase awareness about Asthma. The theme for World Asthma Day 2021 is “Uncovering Asthma Misconceptions”.
• This year World Asthma Day is being held on 05 May. From 2022 onwards, it will be held on the first Tuesday in May. First World Asthma Day was held in 1998.
• One common misconception about Asthma is that it is a childhood disease. This is not true. Asthma can occur at any age.
• Another misconception is that Asthma is infectious. This not true. The truth is that Asthma is not infectious.
• Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) is a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

4. First supply of Used Cooking Oil based Biodiesel from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal flagged off.

• First supply of Used Cooking Oil based Biodiesel from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, Delhi flagged off by Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan.
• Chairman IndianOil Shri S M Vaidya was also present on occasion. He said that IndianOil has started constructing eight Biodiesel plants across Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
• Government had initiated Expressions of Interest for “Procurement of Bio-diesel produced from Used Cooking Oil” on the occasion of World Biofuel Day on 10th August 2019.
• Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) periodically release such “Expressions of Interest”. Under this initiative, OMCs offer periodically incremental price guarantees for five years and extend off-take guarantees for ten years to prospective entrepreneurs.

Topic: Miscellaneous

5. Facebook launches vaccine finder tool for India.

• Facebook has partnered with the Indian government to launch a vaccine finder tool on its mobile app in India.
• It will help people in finding the location of a nearby vaccination center. It will also provide information about their working hours of operation.
• It will also display walk-in options for 45 years and above people and also provide a link to register on the Cowin portal. It will be available in 17 languages.
• Facebook has also joined hands with many NGOs to provide oxygen concentrators and other life-saving equipment to COVID patients.
• Facebook:
  • It is an American online social media and Social networking company.
  • It was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004.
  • Its headquarters is located in California, United States.

Topic: Miscellaneous

6. 100 million years old Dinosaur’s bones found in Meghalaya.

• Researchers have found fossil bones of sauropod dinosaurs in Meghalaya. It is around 100 million years old.
• It is the first evidence of the sauropod dinosaur’s origin in this region. Sauropods have very long necks, long tails, small heads, and four pillar-like legs.
• Meghalaya is the fifth state after Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, where bones of sauropod dinosaurs were found in India.
• The bones were found during fieldwork in 2019-2020 and 2020-21. The largest bone preserved is 55 centimeters (cm) long.

Topic: Government Scheme and Initiatives

7. Government released new framework for the implementation of SVAMITVA Scheme.

• The government has released the new framework for implementation of the SVAMITVA Scheme and Coffee Table Book. With this new framework, SVAMITVA Scheme has been implemented across the country.
• The SVAMITVA Framework has been developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It provides detail about the objectives, coverage, year-wise funding pattern, and other information about the scheme.
• Coffee Table Book on SVAMITVA Scheme is an effort that gives a glimpse of the various challenges and success stories and provides a way forward.
• The scheme will provide property cards to people of rural India. These cards can be used for taking loans and the creation of accurate land records for rural planning.
• SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme:
  • It was launched as a Central Sector Scheme on 24^th April 2020.
  • Its main objective is to create a socio-economically empowered and self-reliant rural India.
  • It will cover 6.62 Lakh villages of the country from 2021-2025.
  • It will enable people of rural India to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Personality in News

8. CRRID founder Rashpal Malhotra passed away.

• Rashpal Malhotra, the founder of the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), died at the age of 84.
• He will be remembered for his role in bringing socio-economic development to the northern region.
• He founded the CRRID in 1979. He played a vital role in the rural and industrial development of Punjab.
• He was also the Senate Member of Punjabi University in Patiala and Punjab University in Chandigarh.
• Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID):
  • It is an autonomous research institute.
  • It was established as a scientific and educational charitable society under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860.

Topic: Appointments

9. Mamata Banerjee takes oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal

• Mamata Banerjee takes oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term.
• In the recently conducted election, Trinamool Congress has won 213 seats while BJP has won 77 seats.
• However, Mamata Banerjee was defeated by Suvendu Adhikari by a narrow margin in Nandigram.
• Mamata Banerjee is the 8^th Chief Minister of Bengal.
• Article 164 states that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other ministers shall be appointed on the advice of the Chief Minister.
• Functions of Chief Minister:
  • Advises the Governor regarding the appointment of other Ministers and decides the portfolios for them.
  • Presides over the cabinet meetings.
  • All the decisions taken by the government are shared with Governor and provides information regarding decisions of other ministers as and when asked by the Governor.
  • Advises the Governor for dissolution of the Legislative Assembly.

(Source: News on AIR)

>Topic: Space and IT

10. Parker Solar Probe detected a natural radio signal from Venus.

• The Parker Solar Probe has detected a natural radio signal from the atmosphere of Venus. The FIELDS instrument of the Parker Solar Probe has detected this low-frequency radio signal.
• The Parker Solar Probe was launched as a solar mission in 2018. It was launched to study the Sun’s atmosphere.
• During its travel to Sun, it has taken amazing images of Venus and also gathered information about Venus.
• NASA had launched Pioneer Venus Orbiter in 1978 to explore the surface of Venus.
• Venus and Earth are commonly referred as twins. Both planets have an ionosphere, which helps in the transmission of the radio signal.