Important Daily Current Affairs of 23rd May 2021
National
1. Six more Indian sites have been added to the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites, bringing the number to 48.
- Six Indian sites have been added to the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites, according to the Ministry of Culture.
- The total number of Indian sites on the Tentative Lists of UNESCO World Heritage Sites has risen to 48 with the inclusion of these six sites.
2. DIPCOVAN is an indigenous Covid-19 antibody detection kit developed by the DRDO.
- DIPCOVAN is a COVID-19 antibody detection kit developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- The testing kit will cost Rs 75 per test and will provide results in just 75 minutes without any cross-reactivity with other diseases.
3. The Bihar government has launched the ‘HIT COVID’ app to monitor patients who are isolated at home.
- The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has introduced an innovative mobile application named COVID Home Isolation Tracking (HIT) to keep track of COVID-19 patients recovering at home.
- The HIT Covid App will ensure that COVID-19 patients in home isolation across the state are monitored and tracked on a regular basis.
International
4.China has successfully launched the Haiyang-2D ocean observation satellite.
- On May 19, 2021, China successfully launched a new ocean-monitoring satellite, Haiyang-2D (HY-2D), into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, using a Long March-4B rocket.
- The HY-2D will join the HY-2B and HY-2C satellites in a constellation to create a high-frequency, medium- and large-scale complex ocean environment monitoring system that will provide early warning on marine disasters.
Banking & Finance
5. During the COVID-19 economic recovery, the State Bank of India and Hyperverge are ramping up technology for online customer onboarding.
- To better serve customers in the new standard, State Bank of India has launched a full-featured YONO Savings Account that can be opened in four easy steps with Video KYC.
- In this context, HyperVerge announced a collaboration with SBI, India’s largest bank, for one of its flagship products, the Video KYC solution (https://hyperverge.co/solutions/video kyc), which aims to achieve a 10x improvement over the standard video KYC checks conducted per day per agent.
6. IDBI Bank has launched a digital loan management system for borrowers in the MSME and agriculture sectors.
- IDBI Bank has launched its completely digitized loan processing system, which includes over 50 items for the MSME and agriculture sectors.
- The LPS for MSME and agri products integrates seamlessly with data fintech, bureau validations, record storage, account management, and customer alerts, among other things.
7. From FY23, the RBI will need mobile wallet interoperability.
- Interoperability is required by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs). Banks and businesses have been instructed by the central bank to allow interoperability by March 31, 2022. That means mobile wallet interoperability will be in place as of the start of the fiscal year FY23.
- Interoperability must also be a requirement on the acceptance side. Furthermore, PPIs for Mass Transit Systems (PPI-MTS) will be excluded from interoperability, though Gift PPI issuers will have the option to give it.
8. Aditya Birla is a businessman and philanthropist Sun Life Insurance is now available. Vision LifeIncome Plus is a supplement to Vision LifeIncome.
- The life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), has announced the launch of a hyper-flexible savings scheme.
- The new ABSLI Vision LifeIncome Plus Plan would provide policyholders with guaranteed daily income as well as flexible incentive payouts.
9. Kotak Mahindra Bank is a bank based in India. GIFT AIF is India’s first FPI license.
- True Beacon Global’s GIFT IFSC alternative investment fund (AIF) has received the first-ever foreign portfolio investor (FPI) license from Kotak Mahindra Bank.
- This is the first FPI license granted by any custodian bank or designated depository participant (DDP) in the country to an AIF incorporated in the GIFT IFSC.
Business & Economy
10. Policybazaar is fined Rs 24 lakh by the IRDAI for violating the advertising rules.
- Policy aggregator Policybazaar has been fined Rs 24 lakh by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for breaching advertising norms in relation to SMSs sent to customers last year regarding increases in term insurance premiums.
- Policybazaar sent SMS to its customers without specifying its full registered name between March 15, 2020, and April 7, 2020, according to the complaint.
11. Dun & Bradstreet India and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to help small businesses expand.
- Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India, a global provider of B2B data, insights, and AI-driven platforms has signed an MoU with the BSE to develop an ecosystem for promoting, aiding, and fostering the growth of SMEs in the country.
- The collaboration will assist Indian SMEs in increasing their exposure, expanding their access to global markets, locating potential clients, identifying new suppliers and channel partners, managing risk, and identifying growth opportunities.
12. India’s nominal growth forecast has been lowered to 13-14 percent by Credit Suisse.
- Credit Suisse has lowered its nominal GDP growth forecast by 150-300 basis points to 13-14 percent, citing the effect of the second wave of the pandemic on the economy and consumer sentiment, but expects a stronger recovery in the second half as the lockdowns have limited impact on tax collections.
- The Swiss agency added that the recovery would be aided by pent-up demand, though at a lower level than in the first wave, and the rub-off effect of global growth, as the developed market could see stronger growth aided by vaccination campaigns.
Sports
13. President of the FIH, Narinder Batra, has been re-elected.
- For the second time, Narinder Batra has been re-elected as President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
- Batra was elected at the FIH’s virtual 47th Congress, where he narrowly defeated Marc Coudron, the President of the Belgian Hockey Federation, by two votes.
14. Boyd Rankin, an Irish seamer, has retired from international cricket.
- Boyd Rankin, the only cricketer to have represented both England and Ireland in all three formats, has declared his retirement from international cricket.
- Rankin first represented Ireland in 2003 and last did so in a T20 match against Afghanistan in Greater Noida in 2020.
15. Barbora Strycova, a former world number one doubles player, has announced her retirement at the age of 35.
- Barbora Strycova, a former world number one doubles player and a semifinalist in the Wimbledon singles, has announced her retirement.
- The 35-year-old Czech has two WTA singles titles and 31 WTA doubles titles to her credit. She was at her best at Wimbledon in 2019, where she dominated the women’s doubles to become No.1 and advanced to the singles semifinals, falling to Serena Williams. Her singles career-high was No. 16.
16. In October 2022, India will host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
- According to FIFA, the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup will be held in India from October 11 to October 30, 2022.
- The 2021 u-17 Women’s World Cup was supposed to be held in India, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awards & Honours
17. Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes for 2021 is headed by Conor McGregor.
- According to the annual Forbes list, Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor was the world’s highest-paid athlete last year, surpassing footballers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
- According to Forbes, McGregor received $180 million in the 12-month period ending May 1, 2021, including $158 million in endorsements and the recent sale of the majority stake in his whiskey brand.
18. Dr. Jane Goodall has been awarded the Templeton Prize for the year 2021.
- Jane Goodall, a world-renowned ethologist, and conservationist whose pioneering findings have transformed humanity’s view of its place in the natural world have been awarded the Templeton Prize for 2021 by the John Templeton Foundation.
- She is the first ethologist and the fourth woman to receive the honour.
Books & Authors News
19. Sunita Dwivedi’s novel “Buddha in Gandhara”
- Sunita Dwivedi, a Silk Road traveler, photographer, and independent writer have published “Buddha in Gandhara,” her latest book.
- The book tells the tales of cities that once dotted the ancient trade route that connected India to Central Asia and China. It follows the network of Asian trade routes that supplied goods, people, and ideas to these cities.
Obituary
20. Laxman, the veteran music director of the duo composer “Raam-Laxman,” has died at the age of 78.
- Due to a heart attack, renowned music director Raamlaxman, or the “Laxman” of the famous duo composers “Raam-Laxman,” died. He was 78 years old at the time.
- His real name was Vijay Patil, but he was better known as Raamlaxman, and he was best known for his work with Hindi film producer Rajshri Productions.
Important Days
21. The 23rd of May is the International Day to End Obstetric Fistulas.
- Since 2013, the United Nations (UN) has commemorated the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula on the 23rd of May to encourage action toward treating and preventing obstetric fistula, a disorder that affects many girls and women in developing countries during childbirth.
- “Women’s rights are human rights!” is the theme for 2021. Now is the time to put an end to the fistula!”
Connect with us on Social Media | |
 | Facebook Page |
 | Facebook Group |
 | |
 | Youtube Channel |
 | Telegram Channel |
Bidyasagar Classes Address
Plot No-N-6-325, Biju Patnaik College Road, Infront of SBI, Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar
Website: www.bidyasagar.com
Opening and closing hours: Monday to Sunday :7AM-9PM
e-Mail : bidyasagar.classes@gmail.com
Contact No. : 8917265768; 9337421183, 8093021183
