Daily Current Affairs and GK | 7 May 2021

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

1. Oil and Gas PSUs signed MoU for the Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham.

• IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL, and Shri BadrinathUtthan Charitable Trust have signed the MoU for the Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.
• According to MoU, Oil & Gas PSUs will provide financial assistance of 99.60 crores for the development activities of the town. The redevelopment work will be completed in three years.
• Government has a vision of developing the Badrinath shrine as a mini smart and spiritual city. Tourism plays a vital role in the development of Badrinath.
• Badrinath is one of the most sacred places for Hindus in India. It was re-established as a major pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the 8^th century.
• Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri are part of Char Dham in Uttarakhand.

Topic: Personality in News

2. Former Union Minister Ajit Singh passes away.

• Rashtriya Lok Dal chief and former union minister Ajit Singh passed away at the age of 82.
• He had worked as Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Agriculture, and Food Processing Industries in different governments.
• Ajit Singh is the Son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
• He was the Member of Parliament from Baghpat. He will be remembered for his notable contributions to the welfare of farmers and agriculture.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

3. MP Rahul Shewale inaugurated India’s first ‘Drive in Vaccination Center’ in Mumbai.

• MP Rahul Shewale inaugurated India’s first ‘Drive in Vaccination Center’ in Mumbai.
• It has been established in the parking lot of Kohinoor Square Tower at Dadar.
• First ‘Drive in Vaccination Center’ facility has been set up at a time when disabled people are facing difficulties in reaching the vaccination center. The facility is available for all sections of society.
• First ‘Drive in Vaccination Center’ also provides transportation facilities to citizens who do not have their own vehicles.
• Maharashtra:
  • In terms of area, Maharashtra is India’s third largest state. In terms of population, it is second most populous state.
  • Its boundary is covered by 6 states. Karnataka and Goa are located to its south. Telangana is located to its southeast. Chhattisgarh is located to its east. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are located to its north.
  • Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackery, Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Topic: State News/ Tamil Nadu

4. DMK leader M.K. Stalin takes oath as CM of Tamil Nadu today.

• DMK leader M.K. Stalin (Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin) has taken oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu today.
• Tamil Nadu’s Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered him the oath of Chief Minister.
• Governor also administered oath to the 33 cabinet ministers.
• DMK has recently won 16^th Assembly election. It has formed government in Tamil Nadu for the 6^th time.
• Tamil Nadu:
  • The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu is famous for its Dravidian-style Hindu temples.
  • Its capital is Chennai.
  • Tamil Nadu shares its border with Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Puducherry and Karnataka.
  • Kabbadi is the state sport of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Sadugudu.

Topic: Appointments

5. N Rangasamy becomes Chief Minister of Puducherry.

• AINRC chief N Rangasamy has taken the oath of Chief Minister of Puducherry. He became the Chief Minister for the fourth time.
• Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan administered the oath of N Rangasamy.
• In the recently conducted election, AINRC bagged 10 seats while BJP has won six seats.
• The total strength of the Puducherry Assembly is 30. BJP and AINRC will form the coalition government in Puducherry.
• Union Territory Delhi, Jammu Kashmir, and Puducherry have an elected Legislative Assembly.
• Qualifications for Chief Minister:
  • He/She should be a Citizen of India.
  • He/She should be of 25 years of age or more.
  • He/She should be a member of either house of the State Legislature.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

6. Government granted exemption to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights of drones.

• Ministry of Civil Aviation has exempted 20 entities from Unmanned Aircraft System {UAS) Rules, 2021 to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights of drones.
• The main objective of exemption is to develop a framework of UAV rules related to Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations.
• BVLOS trials will help in creating a framework for future drone deliveries and other major applications of drones.
• The government has set up a BVLOS Experiment Assessment and Monitoring (BEAM) Committee for inviting Expression of Interest (EOI) to undertake BVLOS experimental flights of drones.
• The exemption will be given for a period of one year or until further orders.

Topic: Important Days

7. International No Diet Day: 6 May

• International No Diet Day is observed every year on 6 May.
• The main objective of this day is to raise awareness about the potential dangers of dieting.
• It is also dedicated for promoting a healthy lifestyle. The day is also observed to tackle the issues related to diet and body awareness.
• The first International No Diet Day was celebrated in the UK in 1992. It was started by Evans Young.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

8. New targets of developed countries will reduce the mean global heating by 0.2 degree Celsius.

• The new targets of the US and other countries have reduced the projected mean global heating by the end of the century by 0.2 °C.
• According to the Climate Action Tracker group, the world is on track to achieving 2.4 °C global average temperature by the end of the century.
• The new forecast is still higher than the Paris climate agreement target of limiting the global average temperature to below 2°C by the end of this century.
• China is the world’s largest Greenhouse gas emitter and it is followed by the USA. India, EU, Russia, and Japan are the major emitter of Greenhouse gases in the world.
• Many countries like South Africa, United Kingdom, and Argentina have set a new target to cut their emission.
• According to the Climate Action Tracker group, the policies of many countries are lagging well behind their targets. It is found that if the current policies continue, then the world could warm by 2.9°C by the end of the century.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that the emission should be halved in the next decade to avoid temperature rises above 1.5°C.

Topic: Space and IT

9. SpaceX Starship rocket prototype achieved first safe landing.

• SpaceX has conducted a test launch of its starship prototype rocket from Texas on 5 May 2021. The rocket successfully landed after the test flight.
• It is the first successful landing of SpaceX’s Starship rocket prototype. It is the most remarkable achievement in the development of the reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle.
• The reusable rocket will be used to carry astronauts and large cargo payloads to the moon and Mars.
• The rocket has been launched on the 60^th anniversary of the first spaceflight of America.
• SpaceX has been developing the next-generation Starship rocket for going to Mars.
• SpaceX: It is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company founded by Elon Musk in 2002.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. Narendra Modi will participate in the European Council’s meet

• On 08 May, Narendra Modi will participate in the meeting of the European Council. He has been invited as a special guest to this meeting.
• The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting will be hosted by the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa.
• All EU members’ countries will participate in this meeting. It is only the second time that the EU has invited any guest to their meeting.
• The participating countries will discuss various issues including COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare cooperation, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth, strengthening the India-EU economic partnership and regional, and global issues of mutual interest.
• It will help in strengthening the cooperation between India and European Union. It is a significant step in the India-EU relationship after the 15^th India-EU Summit.
• European Union:
  • It is a political and economic union of 27 member states which are mainly located in Europe.
  • It was founded on 1 November 1993.
  • It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.