Current Affairs of 19th May 2021
National
1. All MLAs in Gujarat must set aside Rs 50 lakh for health infrastructure
- All MLAs in Gujarat will be required to set aside a minimum of 50 lakh rupees from their local area development fund to upgrade hospital facilities. The decision was made by the Gujarat government at a meeting of the Core Committee for Covid Control.
- This would aid in the modernization of medical facilities in civil hospitals, district hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres, and civic hospitals.
2. The Indian Navy establishes a COVID Care Center in Bheemunipatnam
- A 60-bed COVID Care Centre has been established at INS Kalinga, Bheemunipatnam, as part of the Indian Navy’s efforts to assist the general population of Bheemunipatnam in coping with the second COVID wave.
- Patients with mild to severe symptoms will be treated at the center’s medical facilities. Fourteen of the 60 beds have oxygen support in the form of cylinders and oxygen concentrators. In order to provide round-the-clock facilities to patients, suitable accommodation for doctors and nursing staff has been built near the centre.
3. Haryana provides for GST reimbursement on donations of Covid products.
- The Haryana government has agreed to reimburse businesses, non-governmental organisations, and individuals for goods and services tax paid on the purchase of 15 products, including Covid vaccines, remdesivir vaccinations, ventilators, and oxygen cylinders, which they have donated to the state government or state-run hospitals.
- Haryana is the first state to grant this relief.
International
4. India has 43 of the world’s 100 most environmentally vulnerable cities, according to a study.
- According to a study by research firm Verisk Maplecroft, Asian cities are the most vulnerable to environmental problems such as air pollution and natural disasters.
- According to the survey, Asia has 99 of the top 100 most vulnerable cities. China and India, the world’s first and third-largest emitters of greenhouse gases, respectively, have 37 and 43 of them. 1.5 billion people live in 414 cities around the world that are highly vulnerable to pollution, water scarcity, extreme heat, natural disasters, and the physical effects of climate change.
Banking & Finance
5. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bank of Baroda has launched a microsite to assist employees.
- During the second wave of COVID-19, the state-owned Bank of Baroda announced the launch of a micro-website that will act as an emergency networking portal for all employees.
- The microsite can provide important information, such as a network of plasma donors for workers in need. Employees who have been rehabilitated may also voluntarily register as donors.
6. SBI and the European Investment Bank will invest up to €100 million in Indian SMEs working on climate change and sustainability.
- The European Investment Bank and SBI, India’s largest lender, have agreed to pool their funds to invest Euro 100 million in small businesses focusing on climate change and sustainability.
- On the sidelines of the European Union-India leaders’ meeting in Portugal, an agreement was signed in which both financial institutions agreed to support the initiative.
7. Bajaj Finserv has started a programme to support the families of its deceased workers.
- Bajaj Finserv, the Bajaj Group’s holding company for financial services, has launched a new comprehensive family assistance initiative to provide care and financial assistance to families of workers who have died as a result of the COVID pandemic.
- The ‘Together as One’ initiative seeks to support their children’s education before graduation, as well as offer financial aid and expanded medical insurance coverage to such families.
8. IDRBT is developing the digital financial infrastructure of the future.
- The Reserve Bank of India’s Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) is developing next-generation digital financial infrastructure.
- The National Digital Financial Infrastructure (NADI) will serve as a blueprint and platform for the country’s potential digital financial services expansion.
Business & Economy
9. India receives USD 1 million in COVID medical assistance from Credit Suisse.
- Credit Suisse has given two non-profits USD 1 million (Rs 7.5 crore) to purchase emergency drugs and other medical equipment in major cities to aid India’s battle against COVID-19, which has killed nearly 2.75 lakh people and infected nearly 2.5 crores.
- In Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, and Bengaluru, the funds will be used to purchase essential medical supplies, oxygen concentrators, and ICU equipment.
10. Anil Agarwal of Vedanta has pledged Rs 150 crore to help India deal with the COVID-19 crisis, while Accenture has pledged USD 25 million.
- Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta, India’s largest metals and oil & gas producer, has pledged Rs. 150 crore to aid the country in its battle against COVID-19’s second wave, which is rapidly spreading. This is in addition to the Rs. 201 crores that the Vedanta party invested last year.
- Meanwhile, as part of the Vedanta Cares project, Hindustan Zinc, ESL, and Sesa Goa iron ore businesses have stepped in to supplement oxygen supplies to COVID patients.
11. According to TRAI, Reliance Jio is the fastest 4G download provider, while Vodafone is the fastest 4G upload, provider.
- According to the latest data from telecom regulator Trai, Reliance Jio topped the 4G speed chart with a data download rate of 20.1 megabits per second, while Vodafone led the pack in upload speed with 6.7 megabits per second.
- As compared to its nearest rival, Vodafone, Jio offers nearly three times the download speed.
12. In April, the WPI reached an 11-year high of 10.49 percent.
- On the back of a sharp rise in prices of basic metals, fuel, and electricity, India’s wholesale price inflation hardened to an almost 11-year high in April, suggesting that retail inflation may firm with a lag in response to this cost-push pressure.
- Inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) was 10.49 per cent last month, up from 7.39 per cent in March, according to data released by the commerce ministry.
Appointment
13. TCS Names Samir Seksaria as Chief Financial Officer Tata Consultancy Services has appointed Samir Seksaria as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, effective May 1, 2021.
- V Ramakrishnan, who will be retiring from the business, will be replaced by him.
Sports
14. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is won by Ashleigh Barty.
- The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2021 was won by Ashleigh Barty. In the final, the world number one defeated Aryna Sabalenka 3: 6, 6: 0 and 6: 3.
- It was Barty’s second title on clay (after the French Open 2019) and his third consecutive comeback win in Stuttgart.
15. The AIBA World Boxing Championships for Men will be held in Belgrade in October and November.
- The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has announced that the men’s world championship will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, from October 26 to November 6.
- The event was initially scheduled to take place in India, but the country was stripped of its hosting rights after failing to pay the hosting fee last year. The competition was then awarded to Serbia by an enraged AIBA.
Awards & Honours
16. Basavashree awards will be given to classical musician Pandit Rajeev Taranath and scientist Dr. K Kasturirangan.
- The prestigious Basavashri Award, given by Chitradurga’s Murugha Mutt, has been selected for Sarod Maestro Pandit Rajeev Taranath of Mysuru and renowned Space Scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan for the years 2019 and 2020, respectively. The competition includes a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh as well as a citation.
- Pt. Taranath is a well-known Sarod Maestro who has made a name for himself in Hindustani music. For more than nine years, Dr. Kasturirangan led India’s premier space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and he also worked on the Planning Commission.
17. The British Academy Awards will be held in 2021.
- The Brit Awards 2021 were recently held, with the aim of honouring the best in British and foreign music. It’s the first major indoor live music festival in the UK in over a year.
- Dua Lipa won the prestigious British Album of the Year award and was also named the best female solo artist at the glamorous festival, with Taylor Swift becoming the first woman and first non-British celebrity to accept the Global Icon Award.
Science & Technology
18. The Chief Minister of Manipur has launched a vegetable market called ‘MOMA Market.’
- In the midst of the COVID pandemic, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched a smartphone application called ‘MOMA Market’ for home delivery of fresh vegetables for daily consumption.
- The app is now available for download at www.momamarket.com and will soon be available on the Google Play Store.
Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA), Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation, Manipur, has launched the application.
Obituary
19. Satoshi Uchida has been appointed as the new CEO of Suzuki Motorcycle India.
- Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. (SMIPL), Suzuki Motor Corporation’s (SMC) two-wheeler subsidiary, has announced the appointment of Satoshi Uchida as its new CEO.
- The decision is part of the SMC’s overall rebranding plan. With impact from May 1, 2021, Satoshi Uchida will succeed Koichiro Hirao.
20. Chaman Lal Gupta, a former union minister and BJP leader, has died.
- Chaman Lal Gupta, a veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister, died at his Gandhi Nagar home after a long illness, just days after receiving good COVID-19 treatment in a hospital. He was 87 years old when he died.
- After being elected to the J&K Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1972, the deceased leader had a distinguished political career that spanned more than five decades. Between 2008 and 2014, he was a member of the J&K Legislative Assembly once more.
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