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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
World Thyroid Day – Observed on May 25
- World Thyroid Daytakes place on 25th May each year.
- World Thyroid Day aims at increasing public awareness of thyroid diseases, namely the importance of their timely diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
- Thyroid disorders are very common worldwide; they affect people of all ages and have a large range of symptoms.
- The Department of Health (DOH) joins the rest of the world in observing the International Thyroid Awareness Week (ITAW) and World Thyroid Day (WTD) 2021, with the theme “Mother-Baby-Iodine: The Importance of Iodine on the Woman and her Baby”, which aims to raise awareness on Iodine Deficiency Disorders on women of reproductive age, especially pregnant and lactating mothers, and on children during their first 1000 days of life from conception.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
EAM Dr S Jaishankar interact with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York
- External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankarmet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York and discussed the COVID challenge, underlining the importance of finding urgent and effective global vaccine solutions.
- In his first face-to-face interaction with the UN chief since India entered the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member in January this year, Jaishankar also mentioned that the countering terrorism and radicalization remain priorities for the entire region.
- He highlighted India’s constructive role in UNSC and conveyed priorities of the country’s Presidency in August.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
UK introduces plan for ‘Global Pandemic Radar’
- The UK is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch ‘global pandemic radar’ to identify emerging COVID-19 variants and track new diseases around the world.
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the plans, ahead of the Global Health Summit hosted by Italy and the European Union (EU).
- The radar is expected to be fully up and running with a network of surveillance hubs before the end of 2021, with the aim of significantly improving global health security going into next year.
About UK:
- Capital: London
- Prime minister: Boris Johnson
- Currency: Pound sterling
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS
IFSCA initiate an expert committee on Investment Funds
- The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has been established as a unified regulator to develop and regulate financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Service Centers (IFSCs) in India.
- The Fund Industry has been playing an increasingly important role in intermediating between seekers of capital and investors.
- IFSC has been actively engaging with stakeholders to enhance the Global reach of GIFT-IFSC.
- The regulatory approach has been to benchmark with Global Standards and adopts a facilitative framework to provide ease of operations for seeker as well as provider of capital.
About IFSCA:
- IFSCA has been established as a unified regulator with a holistic vision in order to promote ease of doing business in IFSC and provide a world class regulatory environment.
- The main objective of the IFSCA is to develop a strong global connect and focus on the needs of the Indian economy as well as to serve as an international financial platform for the entire region and the global economy as a whole.
Social media firms seek time to obey with new digital rules
- Internet tech giants including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter could be in trouble as they are yet to fully comply with the new IT rules announced by the Government in February.
- Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IL Rules), prescribed by the Centre under Section 79 of the IT Act, social media companies and online entities, including OTT players like Netflix and Amazon Prime, where to put in place an oversight mechanism for digital media and online curated content.
- They were asked to appoint chief compliance officers, who would be responsible for taking down objectionable content/posts within 24 hours of receiving a complaint from competent authorities.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS
M B Rajesh take oath as new speaker of Kerala assembly
- CPM’s MB Rajesh was elected the Speaker of the 15th Kerala Assembly with support from 96 legislators in the 140-member Assembly.
- While Rajesh’s victory was a foregone conclusion due to the LDF’s brute majority in the Assembly, UDF had nominated Kundara MLA PC Vishnunath as its candidate.
- The UDF candidate got support of 40 legislators.
- The LDF and UDF have 99 and 41 legislators in the Assembly respectively.
About Kerala:
- Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
- Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
- Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
Subodh Kumar Jaiswal IPS appointed as CBI Director
- Senior IPS officer from Maharashtra Subodh Kumar Jaiswalwill be the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his name from a shortlist prepared by the high power panel, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice NV Ramana.
- “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has, based on the panel recommended by the Committee, approved the appointment of Shri Subodh Kumar Jaiswal as Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a period of two years”.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Hockey India honoured bags prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award
- Hockey India has won the prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its contribution to the growth and development of the sport in the country.
- The awards were announced by the game’s governing body FIH during the Hockey Invites virtual conference.
- It was part of its 47th FIH Congress which concluded with the FIH Honorary Awards.
- “Hockey India was announced as the winners of the Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its remarkable contribution to the growth and development of Hockey”.
- The award gives recognition to numerous individuals, teams and organizations for their outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey.
KITE bags Social Media for Empowerment Awards South Asia
- The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) under the Department of General Education has won the Social Media for Empowerment Awards South Asia ( SM4E) award for using social media for social empowerment to ensure digital education through the ‘First Bell; programme in the state.
- The award was in the category ‘Innovations @Covid19’.
- General Education Minister V Sivankutty congratulated the KITE for achieving the milestone.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS
Cabinet gives nod for MoUs entered into by ICoAl & ICSI with foreign countries
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has granted ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) entered into by Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICoAl) and Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) with various Foreign Countries/Organizations.
- The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICoAl) and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) have signed MoUs with foreign organizations namely Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), Australia, Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, UK (CISI), Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), UK, Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Sri Lanka and Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), UK.
- The signed MoUs would help in advancement of the goals on equity, public accountability and innovation among the beneficiaries’ countries.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
LIC Raises stake in UBI to over 5%
- On May 20, 2021, The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) raised its stake to 5.06% in state-run Union Bank of India with acquisition of nearly 2% additional stake in the bank.
- Earlier, the LIC held 3.09% stake in UBI, representing 19,79,23,251 equity shares of the bank.
- Now, It has increased to 5.06 percent (34,57,64,764 shares).
- Union Bank of India had closed its Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP), in which it raised a total of ₹1,447.17 crore.
About UBI :
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- CEO: Rajkiran Rai G.
- Founded: 11 November 1919
About LIC :
- Chairperson: M R Kumar
- Founded: 1 September 1956
- Headquarters: Mumbai
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft quits Internet Explorer in June 2022
- On May 19, 2021, Microsoft announced that the Internet Explorer 11 desktop browser will be retired on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.
- It will be replaced by Microsoft Edge with IE mode that will support older Legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications until 2029.
- Microsoft 365 will terminate support for Internet Explorer 11 in August 2021.
About Internet Explorer :
- Internet Explorer (IE), launched in 1995 by Microsoft, is a series of web browsers that operate on Windows.
About Microsoft Corporation :
- CEO: Satya Nadella
- Founded: 4 April 1975, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
- Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen
CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS
Neena Gupta announces autobiography ‘Sach Kahun Toh’ To be Released On June 14
- Bollywood actress & Television Director Neena Gupta’s Autobiography Titled ‘Sach Kahun Toh is set to be Released On June 14, 2021.
- The Autobiography Can be Published by Penguin Random House India.
- The Book was written by Neena Gupta in 2020 during the lockdown.
- The Book is available for pre-order now.
About the Book :
- The book will share Gupta’s life story in the most “unapologetically honest” manner.
- The book addresses issues like casting couch, film industry politics, and also talks about what it takes for a young actor to survive without a godfather or guide.
About the Author :
- She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a young widow in Woh Chokri (1994).
- She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT
New species of African violet Discovered in Mizoram : Didymocarpus vickifunkiae
- Researchers of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, have discovered a new endangered species Didymocarpus vickifunkiae of a plant belonging to the African Violets family in Mizoram and its adjacent areas in Myanmar.
- The discovery has been published in the reputed journal ‘Systematic Botany’a peer reviewed journal published by the American Society for Plant Taxonomists.
About Didymocarpus vickifunkiae :
- The newly-described species Didymocarpus vickifunkiae belongs to the family Gesneriaceae
- It is commonly known as ‘African Violets
- Its members are distributed across the Western Himalayas to Sumatra.
Note :
- Didymocarpus vickifunkiae Considered as the endangered species.
- There are 106 currently known species of this genus, of which 26 are present in the northeastern states of India,
- The species is named after a renowned botanist in honour of Dr Vicki Ann Funk who worked at the Smithsonian Institute, USA.
About Mizoram :
- Capital: Aizawl
- Governor: S. Sreedharan Pillai
- Chief minister: Zoramthanga
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS
Fast Bowler Boyd Rankin retires from international cricket
- England and Ireland pacer Boyd Rankin, has announced his retirement from international cricket.
About Boyd Rankin :
- He is the only cricketer to have played for two countries in all three formats.
- Rankin made his Ireland debut in 2003 and played last for the country in a T20 against Afghanistan in Greater Noida in 2020.
- He also played an Ashes Test for England on the 2013-14 tour besides seven ODIs and two T20s.
- He played two World Cups with Ireland and an Ashes Test with England, played 3 Tests, 75 ODIs and 50 T20Is, in a career that spanned 18 years.
- He Played 11-year stint at Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES
Yuan Longping China’s ‘father of hybrid rice’ passes away
- On May 22, 2021, Yuan Longping, a Chinese agriculture scientist, passed away.
- He was 91.
About Yuan Longping :
- Longping was highly accredited as the ‘Father of Hybrid Rice.
- Yuan Longping had developed the world’s first high-yield hybrid rice in 1973 that was named ‘Nan-you No. 2’
- Over the next four decades, he continued to research and upgrade hybrid rice, which has now reached its third generation.
Achievements :
- For his contribution to food security, Yuan Longping won the World Food Prize in 2004 , which is equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the field of agriculture.
- In 2019, Longping received the Medal of the Republic, China’s highest honour.
- He was developing varieties of saline-alkali tolerant rice with his team.
About China :
- Capital: Beijing
- President: Xi Jinping
- Currency: Renminbi
About China National Rice Research Institute :
- Headquarters: Hangzhou, China
- Founded : 1981
- Director- General : Hu Peisong
Daily CA On May 25 :
- National Missing Children’s Day has been commemorated in the United States on May 25, since 1983, when it was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan.
- Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chairs 74th World Health Assembly.
- Jharkhand has clinched the first position in the recent ranking released by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, based on the progress of the implementation of the Smart City Mission’s schemes running in different 100 cities of the Country’s 36 states and union territories.
- Tata Consultancy Services’ programming contest, TCS CodeVita, has won a Guinness World Records title for the world’s largest computer programming competition.
- The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has recommended the name of S L Jain for the post of managing director (MD) of state-owned Indian Bank.
- Guardiola’s awardcame just days after it was announced that City defender Ruben Dias had been voted the footballer of the year by England’s Football Writers Association.
- The Indian Council for Cultural Relations is likely to institute ‘Annapurna Award’ for Indian restaurants abroad that attract the highest footfall of local non-NRI people.
- Padma Bhushan awardee Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, who is also the chairmanof AIG Hospitals, has won the highest honour from the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) — the Rudolf V Schindler Award.
- The National Health Authority, NHA has signed an MoU with Telangana Government for implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) in the state with immediate effect.
- The 2021 Forbes‘ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and renowned mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor, has been ranked top position.
- A new book titled “India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present which has been authored by Indian diplomat Shivshankar Menon has been released. The book is published by Brookings Institution.
- A group of researchers has discovered a new species of racer snake named Platyceps josephi from Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu . The new species is named after late herpetologist Naveen Joseph. It is published in Vertebrate Zoology.
- On May 23, 2021, Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship by two shots over Brooks Koepka and South African Louis Oosthuizen.
- On May 22, 2021, Atletico Madrid won the 2020-21 La Liga title. Since 2013–14 It was their first title. This was their eleventh overall La Liga title.
- On May 21, 2021, India’s first Dronacharya awardee coach in boxing, O P Bhardwaj, Passed away.
Daily CA On May 26 :
- World Thyroid Daytakes place on 25th May each year. World Thyroid Day aims at increasing public awareness of thyroid diseases, namely the importance of their timely diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
- External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankarmet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York and discussed the COVID challenge, underlining the importance of finding urgent and effective global vaccine solutions.
- The UK is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch ‘global pandemic radar’ to identify emerging COVID-19 variants and track new diseases around the world.
- The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has been established as a unified regulator to develop and regulate financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Service Centers (IFSCs) in India.
- Internet tech giants including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter could be in trouble as they are yet to fully comply with the new IT rules announced by the Government in February.
- CPM’s MB Rajesh was elected the Speaker of the 15th Kerala Assembly with support from 96 legislators in the 140-member Assembly.
- Senior IPS officer from Maharashtra Subodh Kumar Jaiswalwill be the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
- Hockey India has won the prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its contribution to the growth and development of the sport in the country. The awards were announced by the game’s governing body FIH during the Hockey Invites virtual conference. It was part of its 47th FIH Congress which concluded with the FIH Honorary Awards.
- The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) under the Department of General Education has won the Social Media for Empowerment Awards South Asia ( SM4E) award for using social media for social empowerment to ensure digital education through the ‘First Bell; programme in the state.
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has granted ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) entered into by Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICoAl) and Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) with various Foreign Countries/Organizations.
- On May 20, 2021, The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) raised its stake to 5.06% in state-run Union Bank of India with acquisition of nearly 2% additional stake in the bank.
- On May 19, 2021, Microsoft announced that the Internet Explorer 11 desktop browser will be retired on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.
- Bollywood actress & Television Director Neena Gupta’s Autobiography Titled ‘Sach Kahun Toh is set to be Released On June 14, 2021. The Autobiography Can be Published by Penguin Random House India.
- Researchers of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, have discovered a new endangered species Didymocarpus vickifunkiae of a plant belonging to the African Violets family in Mizoram and its adjacent areas in Myanmar.
- England and Ireland pacer Boyd Rankin, has announced his retirement from international cricket.
- On May 22, 2021, Yuan Longping, a Chinese agriculture scientist, passed away.