Current Affairs 07th May 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Athletics Day – Observed on May 07

• World Athletics Day 2021is being celebrated on May 7.
• The InternationalAmateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) started celebrating World Athletics Day to promote participation in sports among the youngsters.
• The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) started the World Athletics Day in order to boost participation in athletics among youngsters, creating awareness about the importance of fitness.
• World Athletics Day falls under IAAF’s social responsibility project ‘Athletics for a Better World’.
• The World Athletics Day is observed to make people aware on the importance of physical fitness.

Rabindranath Tagore birth Anniversary – Observed on May 07

• May 7 is the birth anniversary of India’s first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
• His birth anniversary falls on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh and is popularly called “Pachishe Boishakh”.
• A poet, philosopher, patriot, and a social thinker put in one, Tagore is one of the greatest revolutionaries India has produced.
• His contribution to Bengali and English literature is unmatchable and he is known as the Bard of Bengal.

BRO celebrates 61st Raising Day on May 07

• Border Roads Organization, BRO is celebrating its 61st Raising Day.
• BRO is a leading road construction agency under the Ministry of Defence with a primary role of providing road connectivity in the border areas.
• It executes road construction and maintenance works along the Northern and Western frontiers primarily to meet the strategic requirements of the Army and is responsible for over 60 thousand Kilometers roads.
• The BRO has also constructed roads in friendly foreign countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, and Afghanistan thus contributing towards our strategic objectives in the region.
• Director General, BRO, Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhary conveys his greetings to all Veterans and BRO Personnel and calls upon all ranks of the Organization to continue on the path of excellence with renewed vigour and dedication.
• He said, BRO is playing a significant role in the collective vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Lieutenant General Chaudhary said this year 75 infrastructure projects which include 12 important strategic roads and 63 major bridges will be dedicated soon to the nation in the vision of Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Railways bring over 2,500 MT of liquid medical oxygen to various states across country

• Indian Railways has delivered 2511 MT of liquid medical oxygen in 161 tankers to various states across the country so far.
• Forty Oxygen Expresses have already completed their journey.
• It is Indian Railways Endeavour to deliver as much liquid medical oxygen as possible in the shortest time to the requesting states.
• Till date, 174 MT has offloaded in Maharashtra, 689 MT in UP, 190 MT in Madhya Pradesh, 259 MT in Haryana, 123 MT in Telangana and 1053 MT in Delhi.
• Presently 22 tankers are on the run with more than 400 tonnes of LMO which are expected to arrive in MP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Cabinet approves allocation of additional foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries 

• The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for allocation of additional food grains to all beneficiaries of National Food Security Act for two additional months of May and June this year.
• The announcement towards allocation of additional foodgrain under the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for another period of 2 months was made by the Centre last month.
• The Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to this decision under which 5 kilograms of rice or wheat per person per month will be given to about 80 crore beneficiaries in the country.
• The relief measure announced by the Centre to ensure proper nutrition and food to every person will cost nearly 26 thousand crore to it in terms of food subsidy.

INS Talwar, with 40 tonne Liquid Medical Oxygen stick out New Mangalore Port in Karnataka

• Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya has said that INS Talwar, with 40 tonne Liquid Medical Oxygen has reached New Mangalore Port in Karnataka.
• The 40 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen filled in cryogenic containers was donated by Bahrain.
• Mr Mandaviya said, New Mangalore Port is handling the Oxygen cargo on priority basis.
• To support nation’s fight against COVID-19 and as a part of operation ‘Samudra Setu II’, seven Indian Naval ships including Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat have been deployed for shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries.
• Operation Samudra Setu-II has bolstered India’s oxygen availability.
• INS Talwar, the first among the ships deployed in the operation, arrived in Mangalore from Bahrain.
• Two Liquid Oxygen Cryogenic containers of 20 Metric Tonnes each on board.
• MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi deeply appreciated the support from Bahrain.
• It is taking forward the close bilateral ties deep-rooted in shared history and cultural affinities.

Center brings out 2nd monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant of RS 9,871 crore to 17 states

• The Finance Ministry released the second monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant of Rs 9,871 crore for 2021-22 to 17 States.
• With this, a total amount of Rs 19,742 crore has been released in the first two months of the current financial year as Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant to the states.
• The grants are released as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission in monthly installments to meet the gap in Revenue Accounts of the States post devolution.
• The 15th Finance Commission has recommended Post Devolution Release Deficit grants to 17 States.
• These states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab and Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

PM Modi to take part in European Council meeting 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the meeting of the European Council as a special invitee. 
• The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting is being hosted by Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa.
• Portugal currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
• Mr Modi will participate in the meeting along with the Heads of State or Government, of all the 27 EU Member States. 
• The leaders will exchange views on the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare cooperation, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth, strengthening the India-EU economic partnership as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.
• The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting is an unprecedented opportunity for discussion with all the leaders of the EU Member States.
• It is a significant political milestone and will further build on the momentum witnessed in the relationship since the 15th India-EU Summit in July last year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Online campaign “Stop Tokyo Olympics” gathers almost 200,000 signatures 

• As public concerns mount over holding the Tokyo Olympics Games amidst COVID-19 pandemic, an online campaign called “Stop Tokyo Olympics” has gathered almost 200,000 signatures.
• The Games which are due to open on July 23 have already been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus.
• Kenji Utsunomiya, the online petition organizer, wrote on his website that they strongly call for the prevention of spread of coronavirus and protection of lives and livelihood by using available resources to stop the Olympics.
• Opinion polls in Japan have also found a majority of the public is opposed to the Games.
• But, organizers have repeatedly said the Games will go ahead, unveiling detailed Covid-19 protocols for athletes and officials.
• Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE said that they had agreed to donate their vaccine to help inoculate those participating in the Games.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin sworn in as Chief Minister of the state

• The Tamil Nadu cabinet led by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
• The state Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Stalin and his 33 other cabinet colleagues at a function held in the Raj Bhavan lawns in Chennai.
• The function was attended by the leaders of the ruling DMK’s alliance parties, opposition AIADMK coordinator O.Panneerselvam, the state BJP senior leader L.Ganesan, PMK president GK Mani and the Makkal Neethi Maiyyam leader Kamal Haasan.Mr Stalin later took the blessings of his mother, and paid homage to the party founder CN Annadurai, Dravidian Movement leader EVR Periyar, his father and former chief minister M.Karunanidhi and other senior leaders of his party.

Madhya Pradesh govt launches New scheme to provide free treatment to poor COVID patients in the state

• The Madhya Pradesh government is launching a new scheme to provide free treatment to poor COVID patients.
• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that under the scheme, the poor and common people of the state, including even the middle class, will be able to get free treatment for COVID-19 in the contracted private hospitals.
• The government will empanel private hospitals for treatment of COVID.
• Tests like CT scan, medicines, injections, oxygen etc. shall be made available free of cost.
• So far, 2 crore 42 lakh cards have been made under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the state, under which 88 percent of the population has been covered.
• All of them will be able to get free treatment for corona in government-contracted hospitals.
• District collectors have been empowered to temporarily empanel private hospitals of their district under Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
• The government has increased the rates of Ayushman Bharat package by 40 percent.
• The state government will give Rs 5000 as diagnostic advance to every person who is receiving treatment under the scheme.

Ayurvedic tele-medicine facility for Corona patients launches in Haryana

• Haryana Government has launched Ayurvedic telemedicine facility for Corona patients.
• Health Minister Anil Vij said that any patient can consult the Ayurvedic Doctors on phone by dialling 1075.
• Mr Vij said, the facility has been launched after verifying the response of Ayurvedic medicines used on Corona patients.
• He said, a call centre has been set up to run it and teams of senior Ayurvedic Doctors have been appointed for consultation, which will provide service from 8 am to 10 pm.
• The Minister said the tele consultation would be helpful for patients in isolation.

Puducherry: NR Congress Chief N Rengasamy to be sworn in as CM of UT

• NR Congress Chief N Rengasamy will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry in a simple function arranged  at  Raj Nivas.
• Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Rengasamy.
• The three time chief minister Rangasamy returns to power for the 4th time to lead the NDA government.
• The BJP will be a part of the coalition government, and this is the first time that BJP will take part in the government.

Gujarat Unit of Ayurveda Vyaspeeth unveiled “Ayurvedic Doctors on Call” service to serve Covid patients

• Gujarat Unit of Ayurveda Vyaspeeth has launched an “Ayurvedic Doctors on Call” service to serve the Covid patients in the state.
• Under this service, 170 Ayurvedic doctors will give free Ayurvedic consultations to the Covid patients on phone calls.
• The President of Gujarat Unit- Ayurvedacharya Dr. Hitesh Jani said that the aim of this service is to provide proper guidance to the patients, so that the burden on the hospitals can be eased.
• Jani said that similar services will be launched in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad very soon.
• The President of Ayurveda Vyaspeeth Vaidhya Dr. Hitesh Jani said that 170 Ayurvedic doctors of Gujarat will provide free consultation on phone calls to the Covid patients.
• This will help to recover the Covid patients from their Home.
• Jani said that expert advice is very much necessary in Ayurvedic medicines.
• So that patients get good results.
• Jani said that Ayurvedic doctors of Gujarat are available for the entire country over the phone calls. However, we will launch similar services in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad also.

Himachal Pradesh CM launches ‘Mukhyamantri Sewa Sanklap Helpline 1100’ in Shimla

• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched dedicated COVID-19 Helpline ‘Mukhyamantri Sewa Sanklap Helpline 1100’ for facilitating the people regarding COVID related issues in Shimla.
• The Chief Minister said, this helpline is unique in itself by ensuring effective use of technology in facilitating the people.
• The callers can call on toll free number 1100  from 7 am to 10 pm for seeking help regarding COVID related issues.
• The call executive would register the complaint and contact concerned authorities for providing necessary help to the person regarding various issues such as test, vaccination, home quarantine, medicines, ambulance and Oxygen.

Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo de Luca installed oxygen plant at ITBP Referral Hospital at Greater Noida

• Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo de Luca switched on an oxygen plant at ITBP Referral Hospital at Greater Noida.
• The plant will supply oxygen to more than 100 beds at a time to the Covid19 patients admitted at the centre.
• ADG ITBP Manoj Singh Rawat thanked the Italian ambassador for installing the plant.
• The plant has been installed at the hospital in just 48 hours
• The Ambassador while speaking on the occasion remembered the assistance by ITBP when 17 Italian Covid-19 positive tourists were taken care of by the Force at its Chhawla facility last year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Paytm unveiled COVID-19 vaccine finder tool

• Fintech major Paytm launched ‘COVID-19 Vaccine Finder’ – a platform to help citizens check the availability of vaccination slots – on its Mini App store.
• The platform will help citizens to check the availability of vaccination slots for a specific date by individually entering different pin codes or district details along with age group (18+ or 45+), a statement
• In case the slots are saturated for the near future, users can select the option for real-time alerts from Paytm once any slot is free, it added.
• “The automated process reduces the hassle and ordeal of refreshing the platform for new slots repeatedly.
• The data is sourced on a real-time basis from the CoWIN API where a slot can be booked to take the vaccination,” it said.
• A Paytm spokesperson said the new feature will help users find COVID vaccine slots in their locality and set for alerts when new slots open up.
• “We believe that with the combined efforts of Government, organizations, and citizens, we are on the right track to recovery.
• Our priority is to build collective resistance to the deadly virus as a nation, thus catalyzing the process of herd immunity,” the spokesperson added.

Bajaj Finance gets RBI approval for prepaid payment business

• Bajaj Finance is all set to join the likes of Paytm and Amazon in the prepaid payment segment with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approving the non-bank lender’s foray with perpetual validity.
• The move is part of Bajaj Finance’s broader strategy to expand its digital offerings.
• “We wish to inform that the RBI vide its letter dated 4 May 2021, has granted an authorization to the Company for issuance and operation of semi-closed Prepaid Payment Instruments with perpetual validity,” the company said.
• A semi-closed PPI is effectively a digital wallet but one through which transactions can flow to merchants and establishments other than the one offering the wallet services.
• The wallet will become a part of Bajaj Pay, which is the company’s bid to provide an integrated platform for all payments solutions.
• Semi-closed System PPIs allow you to make payments to multiple merchants through the platform.
• Cash withdrawal services, however, still remain prohibited.

China put up economic dialogue with Australia

• China suspended an economic dialogue with Australia, stepping up a pressure campaign that began over Australian support for a probe of the corona virus and has disrupted exports to the country’s biggest foreign market.
• Relations have plunged to a multi-decade low since Beijing blocked imports of Australian coal, wheat and other goods over the past year.
• But it has failed to force Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government to offer concessions.
• The suspension follows Australia’s decision last month, citing “national interest,” to cancel two deals signed by the state of Victoria with China’s multibillion-dollar “Belt and Road” construction initiative.
• Beijing warned then it might respond.
• The step “signals a deterioration” in official ties but is largely symbolic, said Caitlin Byrne, a specialist on Australia’s diplomatic relations in the Asia-Pacific region.
• She said officials haven’t met under the dialogue since 2017.
• “It’s certainly an important and symbolic move, but in terms of substance, the impact here is limited,” said Byrne, director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Australia’s Griffith University.
• Beijing will “indefinitely suspend all activities” under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, said a statement by the Cabinet’s planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

UTI AMC appointed Dastoor as sales head

• UTI Mutual Fundhas appointed Peshotan Dastoor as Group President and Head of Sales.
• Dastoorwill be developing UTI’s sales strategy, providing leadership to the sales team and exploring new opportunities for distribution and growth.
• Before joining UTI AMChe led the sales at Franklin Templeton Asset Management India.

Ola Electric appointed N Balachandar as CHRO

• Ola Electric, which is gearing up to build the world’s largest scooter factory in Tamil Nadu, has hired N Balachandaras chief human resources officer (CHRO).
• In his new role, Balachandarwill accelerate Ola Electric journey to become a world-class talent organisation, with a focus on people and culture globally.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

KVG Bank won 5 top PFRDA awards

• Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has bagged five top awards under various campaigns held for enrollment of Atal Pension Yojana (APY) from Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Chairman, Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank, P. Gopi Krishna, who received the five awards (Lead to Leap, APY Makers of Excellence, Game Changers, Leadership Capital and Amazing Achievers), has in a press release said that during the last financial year 2020-2021, the bank had enrolled 78,129 policies under PMJJBY, 94,658 policies under PMSBY and 68,961 accounts under APY.
• Since the introduction of these schemes, the bank has enrolled (cumulative) 51, 41,524 policies under PMJJBY, 11, 89,321 policies under PMSBY and 2, 06,214 accounts under APY, he added.
• The bank has so far settled 3,809 claims (Rs.76.18 crore) under PMJJBY and 706 claims under PMSBY (Rs.13 crore) and this has helped poor families to lead life in the event of loss of their caretaker, Gopi Krishna said.

3 Indian kids bags Husky Investment Tournament

• The Husky Investment Tournamenthosted by the College of Business at Michigan Technological University this spring drew high school business students from across the country and world to compete for a cash prize and scholarships toward a Michigan Tech education.
• Students Prabnoor Singh Kohli, Tijil Gupta, and Amol Singh Cheema of Amity International School in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, came in first place at the conclusion of trading on April 16.
• “The tournament really helped us to get real-world trading experience while competing with other people,” the team, who worked together remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said.
• Their teacher, Virendra Verma, taught the eleventh-graders the basics of stock market investing and reached out to the College of Business for a platform to complement their existing high school curriculum and help further develop their investment skills.

Rafael Nadal named Sportsman of the Year, Naomi Osaka takes home Sportswoman title at Laureus Awards 2021

• Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has won the Sportsman of the Year award at the 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards that were unveiled at a digital awards ceremony from Seville, Spain.
• The Sportswoman of the Year award went to Naomi Osaka.
• The World Team of the Year award was picked by the Bayern Munich football team.
• The Athlete Advocate of the Year was won by Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton for his continuous efforts to raise social awareness and Liverpool footballer Mo Salah received the Sporting Inspiration Award.
• The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Billie Jean King.
• Nadal had a total of 8 nominations and won 4.
• His first win in the Sportsman of the Year category came in 2011 while he won the Breakthrough of the Year award in 2006 and the Comeback of the Year award in 2014.
• Interestingly, he was also nominated for the Sportsman of the Year award in 2014.
• For Sportswoman of the Year Naomi, this was her third nomination in the awards and she has now bagged two in three.
• While she won the Breakthrough of the Year award in 2019, she was a nominee for the Sportswoman of the Year award in 2020.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres honors Indian UN Peacekeeping officer Yuvraj Singh

• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres honored Indian UN Peacekeeping officer Yuvraj Singh, who died in line of duty in 2020, during the UN annual Memorial Service 2021.
• Permanent Representative of India to UN, T S Tirumurti saluted Singh’s valour and contribution, and conveyed condolences to the family.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

NDDB sign MoU with EESL to offer energy efficient solutions to dairy industry

• The National Dairy Development Board said it has signed an agreement with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to promote efficient renewable technologies in the dairy industry.
• The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on May 5 at Ananda, Gujarat by NDDB Executive Director Meenesh Shah and EESL Director (Projects) Venkatesh Dwivedi in the presence of senior officials, it said in a statement.
• As per the agreement, EESL will conceptualize, propose and design technically sound alternate energy generation solutions for plants in the dairy cooperative sector across the country.
• It will also arrange necessary technical and funding support for the design, development and operation of the non-conventional energy generation models.
• Whereas National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) will extend its expertise in dairy business/dairy plant management/other related activities to facilitate /support conceptualising, development and implementation of the alternate energy generation models.

Oil and Gas PSUs and Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust signed MoU

• Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Oil and Gas PSUs, Indian Oil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL and Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.
• The MoUs were signed in the presence of Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Tirath Singh Rawat, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand Satpal Maharaj, Petroleum Secretary Tarun Kapoor, Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Om Prakash, and senior officers of the Petroleum Ministry, Uttarakhand Government and Oil and Gas PSUs.

Cabinet nods MoU between India and UK on Migration & Mobility Partnership

• The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership between India and the UK.
• It is aimed at liberalizing issuance of visas promoting mobility of students, researchers and skilled professionals and strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking between the two sides.
• The MoU will benefit Indian students, academics, and researchers, migrants for professional and economic reasons and those willing to contribute through various projects to the economic development of both countries.
• It can support the innovation ecosystem in both countries by facilitating free flow of talent.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Army clarifies, Defence Ministry has nod to total of 50 Armed Force Medical Services

• Indian Army has clarified that the Defence Ministry has approved a total of 50 Armed Force Medical Services, AFMS hospitals including 42 Army, five Air Force and three Navy designated as Dedicated and Mixed COVID Hospitals. 
• Besides the entitled clientele of the AFMS, serving personnel, dependents, veterans, and their dependents, civilians may also be admitted subject to referral by the local health authority after ascertaining bed availability at these facilities.
• Indian Army Informed, has come to its notice that there is a full list of AFMS Hospitals being circulated in SocialMedia claiming that all these hospitals are open for admitting COVID positive civilian patients.

About Indian Army :

• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 1 April 1895

Indian Army Launches First Solar Plant in North Sikkim

• On April 30, 2021, Indian Army has recently inaugurated the first green solar energy plant in Sikkim.
• The facility, which uses vanadium-based battery technology.
• It was built at an altitude of 16000 ft. in the northern part of the state and has a capacity of 56 KVA.
• Col P. Khongsai, Public Relation Officer (Defence) Guwahati, informed that the project was commissioned in collaboration with IIT Mumbai.
• The plant will not only be environment friendly but also ensure the well-being of the army personnel   who work in forward areas under challenging climate.
• The plant is expected to produce at least 15 lakh units of electricity annually or about 1.25 lakh units per month.

About Vanadium :

• Vanadium, in India, was first found in January 2021 in Arunachal Pradesh.
• India currently consumes 4 percent of Vanadium in the world.
• China is the largest producer of Vanadium.
• Vanadium, a transitional metal and a good conductor of heat and electricity, is used to strengthen steel, make nuclear reactors, space vehicles, steel alloys, and create renewable sources of energy.

About Sikkim :

• Capital: Gangtok
• Governor: Ganga Prasad

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

India, France, Australian Holds First-ever Trilateral Foreign Ministerial Dialogue in London

• On May 04, 2021, The first-ever India-France-Australia Trilateral Foreign Ministerial Dialogue held in London, UK.
• It was attended by External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar from India, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian and Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Marise Payne.
• The G7 meeting is the first in-person interaction of foreign ministers of the grouping amid the pandemic.
• The last such meet was in France in 2019.
• G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• For the G7 FMs meet this year, the UK as the host had invited India, Australia, South Korea, South Africa and the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• The France-India-Australia trilateral was launched in September 2020 at foreign secretaries’ level with three joint priorities: maritime security, environment, and multilateralism.
• The focus of the three countries is  expectedly also on Indo-Pacific as well.
• Both France and Australia are part of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)  announced by India in 2019.

About France :

• President: Emmanuel Macron
• Capital: Paris

About Australia :

• Capital: Canberra 
• PM : Scott Morrison

About India :

• President: Ram Nath Kovind
• Capital: New Delhi
• Prime minister: Narendra Modi

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

Knight Frank’s global prime property index for Q1 of 2021 Globally Bengaluru slips to 40th spot      

• Bengaluru has slipped four positions to rank 40th globally in annual price appreciation of luxury residential properties, according to real estate consultant Knight Frank.
• Bengaluru witnessed a fall of 2.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in prime residential prices during January-March
• In its ‘Prime Global Cities Index Q1 2021’ report, Knight Frank mentioned that New Delhi and Mumbai, too, slipped one spot each to rank at 32nd and 36th, respectively.
• Shenzhen ranked 1st with 18.9 percent annual change for the period Q1 2020 Q1 2021.
• New York was the weakest performing market and ranked 46th with a fall of 5.8 per cent in prices annually.
• Prime residential property is defined as the most desirable and most expensive property in a given location, generally defined as the top 5 percent of each market by value.
• The Prime Global Cities Index is a valuation-based index tracking the movement in prime residential prices in local currency across 45+ cities worldwide.
• In the last report, Delhi was at 31st position, while Mumbai ranked 35th and Bengaluru 36th.

About Knight Frank :

• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Founded: 1896
• Founders: Howard Frank, John Knight, William Rutley

 CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Mahatma Gandhi’s former personal secretary V Kalyanam Passes Away        

• On May 04, 2021, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi’s former personal secretary V Kalyanam Passed away.
• He was 99.
• Kalyanam joined the freedom struggle during the Quit India Movement in 1942.
• He was Gandhi’s personal secretary from 1943 to 1948, when the Mahatma was assassinated.
• Kalyanam later worked as Edwina Mountbatten’s secretary in London.
• He returned a few years later and then worked for C. Rajagopalachari and Jayaprakash Narayan.
• He joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2014.
• He was against the Congress and the BJP, but not against Narendra Modi, because he believed “Modi’s governance is good.”

Daily CA On May 06 :

• Every year, International No Diet Day is observed on May 6. Its symbol is a light blue ribbon. International No Diet Day (INDD) is an annual celebration of body acceptance, including fat acceptance and body shape diversity.
• Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020 has been notified by the Ministry of Labour & Employment covering applicability of Aadhar.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System {UAS) Rules, 2021 to 20 entities to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights of drones.

• The world’s largest plane ‘Stratolaunch Roc’ successfully completed test flight for a second time. The Stratolaunch Roc completed a successful test flight over the Southern California desert .
• On May 05, 2021, S&P Global Ratings slashed India’s GDP growth forecast for the current financial year to 8% for the financial year 2021-2021 (FY22).
• On May 05, 2021, The Reserve Bank of India will provide a term-liquidity facility of ₹ 50,000 crore to ease access of funds for emergency medical services.
• On May 05, 2021, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for strategic divestment and transfer of management control in IDBI Bank Ltd.
• On May 05, 2021, Mamata Banerjee, was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term.
• Investigative journalist and media executive Maria Ressa of the Philippines has been named as the 2021 laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
• India’s armed forces have launched a special operation called ‘CO-JEET against COVID-19. The three services have been pressed into service to help restore oxygen supply chains, set up COVID beds and provide help to the civilian administration.
• On May 04, 201, The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson held a virtual Summit meeting.
• On April 28, 2021, The former Sri Lanka cricketer and coach Nuwan Zoysa was banned from all cricket for six years by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
• On May 04, 2021, The All India Chess Federation launched the ”Checkmate Covid Initiative” to help the chess community affected by the pandemic.
• On May 06, 2021, former Union minister and chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Chaudhary Ajit Singh, Passed away.

Daily CA On May 07 :

• World Athletics Day 2021is being celebrated on May 7. The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) started celebrating World Athletics Day to promote participation in sports among the youngsters.
• May 7 is the birth anniversary of India’s first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. His birth anniversary falls on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh and is popularly called “Pachishe Boishakh”.
• Border Roads Organization, BRO is celebrating its 61st Raising Day. BRO is a leading road construction agency under the Ministry of Defence with a primary role of providing road connectivity in the border areas.
• Indian Railways has delivered 2511 MT of liquid medical oxygen in 161 tankers to various states across the country so far.
• The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for allocation of additional food grains to all beneficiaries of National Food Security Act for two additional months of May and June this year.
• Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya has said that INS Talwar, with 40 tonne Liquid Medical Oxygen has reached New Mangalore Port in Karnataka.
• The Finance Ministry released the second monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant of Rs 9,871 crore for 2021-22 to 17 States.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the meeting of the European Council as a special invitee. The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting is being hosted by Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa.
• As public concerns mount over holding the Tokyo Olympics Games amidst COVID-19 pandemic, an online campaign called “Stop Tokyo Olympics” has gathered almost 200,000 signatures.
• The Tamil Nadu cabinet led by Chief Minister MK Stalin. The state Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Stalin and his 33 other cabinet colleagues at a function held in the Raj Bhavan lawns in Chennai.
• The Madhya Pradesh government is launching a new scheme to provide free treatment to poor COVID patients.
• Haryana Government has launched Ayurvedic telemedicine facility for Corona patients. Health Minister Anil Vij said that any patient can consult the Ayurvedic Doctors on phone by dialling 1075.
• NR Congress Chief N Rengasamy will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry in a simple function arranged  at  Raj Nivas.
• Gujarat Unit of Ayurveda Vyaspeeth has launched an “Ayurvedic Doctors on Call” service to serve the Covid patients in the state.  Under this service, 170 Ayurvedic doctors will give free Ayurvedic consultations to the Covid patients on phone calls.
• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched dedicated COVID-19 Helpline ‘Mukhyamantri Sewa Sanklap Helpline 1100’ for facilitating the people regarding COVID related issues in Shimla.
• Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo de Luca switched on an oxygen plant at ITBP Referral Hospital at Greater Noida. The plant will supply oxygen to more than 100 beds at a time to the Covid19 patients admitted at the centre.
• Fintech major Paytm launched ‘COVID-19 Vaccine Finder’ – a platform to help citizens check the availability of vaccination slots – on its Mini App store.
• Bajaj Finance is all set to join the likes of Paytm and Amazon in the prepaid payment segment with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approving the non-bank lender’s foray with perpetual validity.
• China suspended an economic dialogue with Australia, stepping up a pressure campaign that began over Australian support for a probe of the corona virus and has disrupted exports to the country’s biggest foreign market.
• UTI Mutual Fundhas appointed Peshotan Dastoor as Group President and Head of Sales.  Dastoor will be developing UTI’s sales strategy, providing leadership to the sales team and exploring new opportunities for distribution and growth.
• Ola Electric, which is gearing up to build the world’s largest scooter factory in Tamil Nadu, has hired N Balachandaras chief human resources officer (CHRO).
• Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has bagged five top awards under various campaigns held for enrollment of Atal Pension Yojana (APY) from Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• The Husky Investment Tournamenthosted by the College of Business at Michigan Technological University this spring drew high school business students from across the country and world to compete for a cash prize and scholarships toward a Michigan Tech education.
• Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has won the Sportsman of the Year award at the 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards that were unveiled at a digital awards ceremony from Seville, Spain. The Sportswoman of the Year award went to Naomi Osaka.
• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres honored Indian UN Peacekeeping officer Yuvraj Singh, who died in line of duty in 2020, during the UN annual Memorial Service 2021.
• The National Dairy Development Board said it has signed an agreement with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to promote efficient renewable technologies in the dairy industry.
• Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Oil and Gas PSUs, Indian Oil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL and Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership between India and the UK.
• Indian Army has clarified that the Defence Ministry has approved a total of 50 Armed Force Medical Services, AFMS hospitals including 42 Army, five Air Force and three Navy designated as Dedicated and Mixed COVID Hospitals. 
• On April 30, 2021, Indian Army has recently inaugurated the first green solar energy plant in Sikkim. The facility, which uses vanadium-based battery technology. It was built at an altitude of 16000 ft. in the northern part of the state and has a capacity of 56 KVA.
• On May 04, 2021, The first-ever India-France-Australia Trilateral Foreign Ministerial Dialogue held in London, UK.
• Bengaluru has slipped four positions to rank 40th globally in annual price appreciation of luxury residential properties, according to real estate consultant Knight Frank.
• On May 04, 2021, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi’s former personal secretary V Kalyanam Passed away.