Daily Current Affairs 29th April , 2021

Daily Current Affairs 29 April 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Aditya-L1 Support Cell provides all data on board India’s first dedicated solar space mission
A community service centre has been set up to bring all data on board India’s first dedicated solar space mission to a single web-based interface.The service centre is called Aditya-L1 Support Cell.

• It is a joint effort of Indian Space Research Organisation and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences.
• It will allow every interested individual to perform scientific analysis of the data.

Maharashtra to appoint oxygen nurses to curb wastage of oxygen at hospitals
Maharashtra Health Minister Dr. Rajesh Tope has said that the state needs to appoint oxygen Nurses to curb wastage of oxygen and to maintain data of oxygen storage at hospitals.

• He gave the example of Nandurbar district which adopted the good practice of appointing oxygen nurses in the year 2020.
• The primary job of an oxygen nurse is to monitor the requirement of oxygen every 2-4 hours round the clock, its use among patients and to ensure minimum wastage.
• Instruction has been issued to all government medical colleges and hospitals to set up a dedicated team of nurses.

Cabinet approves signing and ratification of Agreement between India, UK on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the signing and ratification of an Agreement between India and the United Kingdom on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters.

• The agreement would provide a legal framework for sharing information and intelligence between the Customs authorities of the two countries.
•  It would help in proper application of Customs laws, prevention and investigation of Customs offences and the facilitation of legitimate trade.

Karnal District Administration starts ‘Oxygen on Wheels’ initiative to ensure incessant supply of Medical Oxygen to hospitals
Karnal District Administration in Haryana has started a unique ‘Oxygen on Wheels’ initiative to ensure incessant supply of Medical Oxygen to both Government & Private Hospitals.

• Under this initiative a carrier vehicle called as Mobile oxygen bank loaded with 100 Oxygen Cylinders reaches out to any district hospital which requisitions its urgent supply.
• This Round the clock service has been able to cater to the demands of various hospitals in the area.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India ranks 49th in Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) 2021
India has been ranked 49th in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), which classifies 104 countries in terms of government capabilities and outcomes.

• The Chandler Good Government Index shows the importance of measuring and investing in governance capabilities that matter.
• Finland has topped the CGGI list, in which each country is measured across over 50 open data points and Venezuela is the last ranked country at 104.The second place was secured by Switzerland, Singapore, Netherlands and Demark.

India third-largest military spender after the US and China
India was the third largest military spender in the world in 2020, behind only the US and China.

• According to the latest military expenditure database published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks military expenditure and arms trade globally, the US accounted for 39 per cent of the money spent on military globally, China accounted for 13 per cent, and India accounted for 3.7 per cent of the globe’s share.
• The US spent a total of $778 billion in 2020, China spent $252 billion and India’s military expenditure was $72.9 billion.

BANKING & FINANCE

Govt leaves GPF, other non-government PF interest rate unchanged at 7.1%
Government has left GPF and other non-government PF interest rate unchanged at 7.1 percent.

• Department of Economic Affairs said that GPF and other Special Deposit Scheme interest rate of 7.1 percent will be applicable for April to June quarter of the current financial year.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

IHS Markit predicts India’s FY22 GDP growth at 9.6%
London-based financial services company IHS Markit has projected the GDP growth rate of the Indian economy to grow at 9.6 per cent in FY22 (2021-22).

• The revision is based on factors like ongoing lockdown and mobility curbs coupled with fears of an extension, time-wise and across more Indian cities.

APPOINTMENTS

Justice Vimla Singh Kapoor appointed as Chhattisgarh High Court judge
The President has appointed Justice Vimla Singh Kapoor, Additional Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, to be a Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court.

• It will be with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office.

Secretary, DoE in Finance Ministry T V Somanathan designated as new Finance Secretary
IAS Officer T V Somanathan who is serving as Secretary, Department of Expenditure in the Finance Ministry has been designated as the Finance Secretary.

• He is a 1987 batch IAS Officer of Tamil Nadu Cadre.

PESB appoints Amit Banerjee for the post of CMD of BEML
Amit Banerjee has been appointed as the new Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of BEML Limited, a Miniratna Defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence.

• He succeeds former BEML CMD DK Hota, who superannuated on January 31, 2021.
• Currently, Banerjee is serving as Director (Rail & Metro Business) in BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited) Limited.
• Following his superannuation, MV Rajasekhar, the Director (Mining & Construction) at BEML Limited has been holding the additional charge of the CMD’s post.

AWARDS

Dr Vajrala won Mana Telugu Tejam Award
As part of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s centenary celebrations, Mana Telugu Tejam National Awards were presented to people from various fields at the Birla Auditorium in Hyderabad.

• Dr Vajrala VL Narasimha Rao is now law officer of APCPDCL and APSPDCL. He is also a former member of District Consumer Forum, Ranga Reddy and Visakhapatnam. The advocate was awarded Mana Telugu Tejam National Legendary Award in Legal Service.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China launches robot prototype capable of catching space debris with net
A Chinese space mining start-up launched into low Earth orbit a robot prototype that can scoop up debris left behind by other spacecraft with a big net.

• The NEO-01, which will also peer into deep space to observe small celestial bodies, was launched on the government’s Long March 6 rocket along with a handful of satellites, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
• The 30kg robot developed by Shenzhen-based Origin Space will pave the way for future technologies capable of mining on asteroids.

OBITUARIES

Odia and English author Manoj Das passes away 
Manoj Das, a prolific Indian author who wrote in Odia and English language passed away at the age of 87 due to age-related ailments.

• Manoj Das, a bilingual writer, and a columnist were conferred with Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2020 for his contributions in the field of education and philosophy.

IIS Sanjay Kumar Srivastava passes away
A senior officer of the Indian Information Service Sanjay Kumar Srivastava passed away following COVID-19 infection. He was 56

• Mr Srivastava served in different departments of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting including the Press Information Bureau. In his tenure, he also worked in the Media Wing of the Vice President’s office.

100 yr old freedom fighter Ashatai Pathre passes away
Ashatai Pathre, a freedom fighter from Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra passed away. She was one hundred years old.

• She had participated in the Leave India movement started by Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 at Sangli and Pune.

Noted Gujarati poet and folk singer Dadudan Gadhvi passes away
Veteran Gujarati poet and folk singer Dadudan Pratapdan Gadhvi has passed away.He was 80 years old.Gadhvi was also known as Kavi Dad.

• He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 for his contribution in literature and education.Besides, he had written songs for 15 Gujarati films.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Jhumpa Lahiri comes up with a new book ‘Whereabouts’
Renowned American author Jhumpa Lahiri has launched her new novel titled “Whereabouts”.

• The book is an English translation of the Italian novel ‘Ias Dove Mi Trovo’ which was written by the author Jhumpa Lahiri itself and published in 2018.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Dance Day
April 29 is celebrated as International Dance Day to raise awareness about the benefits of dance. 

• It is a day to celebrate the spirit of dance and to appreciate this wonderful art form. International Dance Day was founded by the Dance Committee of ITI, a partner for the performing arts of UNESCO.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed on April 28 annually. The day has been observed worldwide since 2003.

• It was an initiative by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to highlight the prevention of accidents and diseases at work and raise awareness of occupational safety and health.
• The theme of this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work is ‘Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises and invest now in resilient OHS systems’. 

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