Important Daily Current Affairs of 27th May 2021

National

1. The government plans to launch a national mission to promote the use of biomass in coal-fired power facilities.

• The Ministry of Power has agreed to establish a National Mission on Biomass Use in Coal-based Thermal Power Plants.
• Its goal is to lower the carbon footprint of thermal power generation while also addressing the issue of air pollution caused by farm stubble burning. It will also promote the country’s energy transition and its goals of moving to cleaner energy sources.
• To raise the share of carbon-neutral electricity generation from thermal power plants, the Mission will expand co-firing from the current 5% to greater levels.

2. For J&K, three common incubation facility centers have been approved.

• The Government of India has approved the development of three Common Incubation Facility Centres worth Rs. 7.81 crore in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. They would be located in Anantnag, Baramulla, and Jammu.
• These three Incubation Facility Centers will be finished in a year and will aid in the processing and marketing of agricultural, horticulture, dairy, and fish goods in Jammu and Kashmir.

3. ICoAl and ICSI have signed MoUs with foreign countries, which the Cabinet has approved.

• The Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) entered into by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India with various foreign countries and organizations have received ex-post facto approval from the Union Cabinet.
• The Institute of Public Accountants in Australia, the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment in the United Kingdom, the Institute of Certified Management Accountants in Sri Lanka, and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in the United Kingdom have all signed MoUs with the two Institutes.

4. The government plans to launch a national mission to promote the use of biomass in coal-fired power facilities.

• The Ministry of Power has agreed to establish a National Mission on Biomass Use in Coal-based Thermal Power Plants.
• Its goal is to lower the carbon footprint of thermal power generation while also addressing the issue of air pollution caused by farm stubble burning. It will also promote the country’s energy transition and its goals of moving to cleaner energy sources.
• To raise the share of carbon-neutral electricity generation from thermal power plants, the Mission will expand co-firing from the current 5% to greater levels.

5. The Ayush Ministry is hosting a five-part webinar series called “Be With Yoga, Be At Home.”

• In the run-up to the International Day of Yoga in 2021, the Ministry of Ayush is organizing a variety of activities. One of these is a series of five webinars that the Ministry is hosting in conjunction with five famous organizations across the country, each of which will offer one webinar on a different topic under the broad theme of “Be with Yoga, Be at Home.”
• The Art of Living, The Yoga Institute, ArhamDhyanYog, and other well-known organizations are only a few examples.
• This series of five informative webinars aim to remind the general public about concerns that have become increasingly significant in the context of Covid-19.

International

6. India will establish the ‘UNITE AWARE’ mobile technology platform for UN personnel.

• India will launch ‘UNITE AWARE,’ a mobile technology platform for UN peacekeepers that will increase their safety and security while on the job.
• It will be launched in August 2021, when India assumes the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) (Presidency of the UNSC Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month).
• By delivering terrain-related information, UNITED AWARE will improve the peacekeepers’ situational awareness.
• India has invested USD 1.64 million in the initiative, which is being developed in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Operational Support.
• During his virtual speech to the UNSC Open Debate on “Peacekeeping Operations: Improving the Safety and Security of Peacekeepers,” India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu, gave information on the platform.

7. Ecuador’s Lasso has been sworn in as the country’s first right-wing president in 14 years.

• Guillermo Lasso, a conservative, was elected president of Ecuador, becoming the country’s first right-wing leader in 14 years.
• Last month, the 65-year-old former banker defeated left-wing economist Andres Arauz in a second-round run-off, succeeding the polarising Lenin Moreno.
• Guillermo Alberto is an Ecuadorian banker, businessman, writer, and politician who was recently elected as the country’s 47th president. He is the first president from the center-right in two decades.

Banking & Finance 

8. PayCore and NPCI have teamed up to assist shops to accept contactless payments.

• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced the addition of PayCore, a global payment solutions firm based in Turkey, as one of RuPay SoftPOS’ approved partners to help push cashless payments across the country.
• RuPay SoftPOS allows merchants to securely accept payments from contactless cards, mobile wallets, and wearables using only their phones.
• Through RuPay SoftPOS, millions of merchants can now turn their near field communication (NFC) smartphones into POS machines to accept contactless payments.

9. Equitas Small Finance Bank allows you to open an NRI account online.

• Equitas Small Finance Bank has become the first Small Finance Bank to offer online account opening to its NRI customers.
• In the Small Finance Bank industry, the organization will also be the first one with Virtual Relationship Managers based on time zones. NRIs can open accounts online using a smartphone or a computer that is linked to the Internet.

10. PFRDA’s AUM has surpassed Rs 6 lakh crore.

• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority’s (PFRDA) Assets Under Management (AUM) has surpassed Rs. 6 lakh crore.
• After 13 years, subscribers’ contributions to the National Pension Scheme and the Atal Pension Yojana have amassed pension assets of six lakh crore rupees.
• In just seven months, the Assets Under Management (AUM) increased by one trillion rupees.

Business & Economy 

11. After receiving money from SoftBank, Zeta has become the 14th Indian unicorn this year.

• Zeta, a banking technology firm, has raised $250 million from SoftBank, valuing the company at $1.45 billion. In 2021, Zeta will become the 14th Indian startup to reach a $1 billion valuation.
• The money came from SoftBank’s Vision Fund II. As a result of SoftBank’s investment, the company’s worth has surged by more than triple.
• North America, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia are all served by the company.
• Zeta now works with ten banks and 25 startups across eight countries, including HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Sodexo RBL Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, and SBM Bank India.
• Financial institutions can use Zeta to increase speed to market, agility, the cost to income ratio, and user experience by leveraging a modern, cloud-native platform.

12. Graduates of IIM-A and BITS Launch a One-Million-Dollar Fund to Support and Invest in Student Startups

• Abhishek Sethi and Prateek Behera, both IIM-A and BITS Pilani grads, have formed a one-million-dollar fund to support and invest in college-based enterprises.
• GradCapital, their initiative, has announced that it will invest USD 25,000 in each of the 20 start-ups it chooses over the following year.
• GradCapital, which is also funded by IIM Ahmedabad’s’CIIE.CO – The Innovation Continuum,’ would conduct an eight-week intensive program for enterprises developed and maintained by college students.

13. MGM, the company that owns James Bond, has been purchased by Amazon for $8.45 billion.

• Amazon.com Inc has announced that it is purchasing MGM, the storied American film studio that is home to the James Bond franchise, for $8.45 billion.
• Amazon will gain access to a massive library of films and television episodes as part of the transaction, putting pressure on streaming rivals Netflix and Disney.

Appointments

14. Following military arrests, Mali’s President and Prime Minister resign.

• Two days after being detained by the military, Mali’s interim President and Prime Minister resigned.
• After a cabinet reshuffle in which the two officers lost their seats, soldiers commanded by interim Vice President Assimi Goita arrested President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and took them to a military base.
• The resignations came during a visit by a group from ECOWAS, the Economic Community of the West African States, which is pushing for a resolution to the impasse.

Awards

15. Dr. Nageshwar Reddy is the first Indian to be awarded the Rudolf V Schindler Prize.

• The Rudolf V Schindler Award was given by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy to Padma Bhushan awardee and famous gastroenterologist Dr. D Nageshwar Reddy, who is also the head of AIG Hospitals (ASGE).
• The Rudolf V Schindler Award is the highest honor bestowed by the prestigious Crystal Awards and is named after Dr. Rudolf V Schindler, known as “the father of gastroscopy.”
• Dr. Reddy is the first Indian medical practitioner to receive this honor. Dr. Reddy was one of the first to promote endoscopy in India, and he has been instrumental in training a large number of endoscopists around the world.

16. Amartya Sen, a Nobel Laureate, has been awarded Spain’s highest honor in the social sciences.

• Amartya Kumar Sen, an Indian economist, and Nobel Laureate have been awarded Spain’s highest Princess of Asturias Award in the social sciences category, according to the Spanish prize foundation.
• Sen, 87, was chosen from 41 candidates representing 20 nationalities for the Princess of Asturias Foundation’s Social Sciences Award.
• A Joan Miro sculpture portraying and symbolizing the Award, a diploma, an emblem, and a monetary prize of 50,000 Euros are all included in the award.

17. VK Pandian, IAS, will receive the FIH President’s Award.

• The International Hockey Federation presented V Karthikeyan Pandian, an IAS officer, and private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, with the President’s award at the 47th FIH Congress. He was recognized for his role in organizing the event and promoting hockey in Odisha.
• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced Pandian would receive the award for his contribution and services to hockey in Odisha on the final day of the 47th FIH Congress, which was held digitally.
• Pandian is also the Secretary of the 5T Initiative of the State Government (Technology, Transparency, Teamwork and Time Leading to Transformation).

Science & Technology

18. Yediyurappa launches ‘Akanksha,’ a comprehensive internet site on CSR efforts in Karnataka.

• Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa launched a webpage in Bengaluru that gives full information on all of Karnataka’s CSR operations.
• The portal, dubbed Akanksha, would assist the corporate sector, government, and donors in utilising CSR funding for government programs.
• The platform will bring greater transparency to the use of CSR monies. To combat the pandemic, CM Yediyurappa announced that 175 crore rupees in CSR money are being used in the state for the health sector.

19. The Earth System Observatory will be developed in collaboration with NASA and ISRO.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States is building a new system called the Earth System Observatory to aid with climate change and catastrophe prevention efforts.
• NASA has also teamed up with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to develop a NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar system (NISAR).
• During one of the observatory’s first pathfinder trips, NISAR will carry two radar devices to measure changes in the Earth’s surface.

20. West Bengal and Odisha have been affected by Cyclone Yaas.

• Cyclone ‘Yaas’ slammed into the country’s eastern shores, pouring torrential rain, damaging homes, and farmlands, and killing at least four people – three in Odisha and one in West Bengal, according to officials.
• As the storm made landfall near Dhamra port in Odisha, thick sheets of rain distorted the entire coastline, with rising seas swamping mud-and-thatch buildings in low-lying districts, where a large evacuation drive has been conducted to relocate more than 20 lakh people to safety.

21. IIT Ropar creates the ‘FakeBuster,’ a one-of-a-kind detector.

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar and Monash University in Australia have created a detector called ‘FakeBuster’ that can detect imposters who are participating in a virtual conference without anyone’s awareness. It can also detect faces that have been modified on social media to slander or mock someone.
• During a video-conference meeting, the ‘FakeBuster’ is a deep learning-based system that can determine if a video has been modified or spoofed.
• It has been tested on popular web conferencing programs such as Skype and Zoom, as well as detecting deepfakes, in which people’s faces are modified on social media to promote misinformation or libel them.
• ‘FakeBuster’ is a programme that may be used both online and offline. For predicting video segment-wise fakeness ratings, it employs a 3D convolutional neural network.
• Deeperforensics, DFDC, VoxCeleb, and deepfake movies made utilising locally acquired (for video conferencing scenarios) images have all been used to train ‘Deepfake.’

22. Israel is set to provide India four Heron long-range drones.

• In the coming months, India is scheduled to lease four Heron long-range drones from Israel to bolster its surveillance capabilities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
• The Indian Army is buying three medium-altitude Heron drones over the next three years, with the first two slated to arrive in August.

Sports

23. Phil Mickelson will win the PGA Championship in 2021.

• Phil Mickelson, an American professional golfer, has made history by winning the 2021 PGA Championship at the age of 50. Mickelson became the oldest player in PGA Tour history to win a major title with this victory.
• This is his sixth significant accomplishment. At the age of 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days, Mickelson has broken the record for becoming the oldest major championship winner in history.
• The previous record was held by American Julius Boros, who won the 1968 PGA Championship at the age of 48 years, 4 months, and 18 days.

Books & Authors

23. Neena Gupta has announced the release of her autobiography, “Sach Kahun Toh.”

• Neena Gupta, a Bollywood actress, is slated to release her autobiography “Sach Kahun Toh,” published by Penguin Random House India. During the shutdown in 2020, she wrote the book.
• The book covers topics such as the casting couch, film business politics, and what it takes for a new actor to succeed without a godfather or mentor.
• The book will tell Gupta’s life narrative in the most “unapologetically honest” way possible, from her time at the National School of Drama (NSD) to her move to Bombay (Mumbai) in the 1980s and her single parenthood.
• “She talks about her life’s major turning points, including her unusual pregnancy, single parenthood, and a successful second act in Bollywood.

24. Shivshankar Menon’s book “India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present”

• Shivshankar Menon has written a book titled “India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present.”
• In his new book, he explores these periods in their historical context to tell the tale of how India weathered the great geopolitical storms of the past. He was the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser and Foreign Secretary.

25. Avtar Singh Bhasin’s book “Nehru, Tibet, and China”

• Avtar Singh Bhasin has written a book named “Nehru, Tibet, and China.”
• This interesting study, based on years of diligent archival research, examines events from 1949 until the Indo-China war in 1962 and its aftermath to provide answers to these pressing concerns.

Obituary News

26. Col Panjab Singh, a hero of the 1971 war, has died.

• Colonel Panjab Singh, a hero of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War’s Battle of Poonch, was cremated with full military honors after passing away due to epidemic regulations.
• The retired officer died of post-Covid problems after receiving the Vir Chakra, the third highest wartime heroism honor.
• Panjab Singh was born on February 15, 1942, and commissioned into the Sikh Regiment’s 6th Battalion on December 16, 1967. From 12 October 1986 to 29 July 1990, he was the commanding officer of the famous battalion.

27. HS Doreswamy, a freedom fighter, has died.

• H S Doreswamy, a freedom warrior who had recently recovered from Covid-19, died. Harohalli Srinivasaiah Doreswamy, who was born in Bengaluru on April 10, 1918, is most known for his involvement in the Quit India campaign and Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan movement.
• He was also a well-known personality in Karnataka’s civil society movements, having worked to revitalize Bengaluru’s lakes.

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