Daily Current Affairs 8th May, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 8 May 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Haryana Police comes up with “COVID-19 Hospital Transport Service” for free transportation of needy infected patients
The Haryana Police has come up  with  “COVID-19 Hospital Transport Service” (COV-HOTS) for free transportation of needy infected patients from their homes to hospitals or nursing homes and back. The service is free and exclusively meant for COVID patients.

• A total of 440 vehicles are being provided for this service and every police district would get 20 SUVs for this purpose.
• These vehicles are being provided after the instances of either shortage of ambulances or overcharging by private ambulance service providers came to the notice of the police.

Rupsi Airport in Assam starts operating
Commercial operations in Rupsi airport, northeast India’s 15th airport and Assam’s 7th, would has been started.

• A trial flight was conducted on the Guwahati-Rupsi-Guwahati route by private Flybig airlines.
• The airport in Assam’s Kokrajhar district has been developed at a cost of Rs 69 crore under the Regional Connectivity Scheme-Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (RCS-UDAN) scheme.

Around 581 PSA medical oxygen plants to be set up in states: Gadkari
Around 581 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen plants will be installed in various states and NHAI will be the nodal agency for executing civil and electrical work for these facilities, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said.

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, will be the nodal agency for executing civil and electrical work for these plants and will complete them on war footing.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Nepal inaugurates Hydro Power Plant rebuilt with Indian Assistance
The newly rehabilitated small hydro power plant at Chandannath Municipality in Nepal’s Jumla district was virtually inaugurated, said the Indian embassy in Kathmandu.

• The small hydro power plant was built with Indian financial assistance of Nepali Rs 26.39 million. It was built with Government of India’s financial assistance of NRs 26.39 million. 

BANKING & FINANCE

Kotak Mahindra Bank selected as digital payments partner by eNAM
Kotak Mahindra Bank announced that it has been selected as a digital payments partner by the National Agriculture Market (eNAM).

• Kotak Mahindra Bank will enable and facilitate online transactions for all stakeholders on the eNam platform, including farmers, traders and farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
• As part of this initiative, the bank will provide payment, clearing and settlement services on the eNAM platform to facilitate trade between a buyer and seller of an agri produce.

RBI sets up advisory group to assist regulatory review authority
The Reserve Bank said an advisory group has been constituted to assist the second Regulatory Review Authority (RRA 2.0) which was constituted by the central bank earlier this month to streamline regulations and reduce the compliance burden of regulated entities.

• Headed by SBI Managing Director S Janakiraman, the advisory group will assist the RRA by identifying regulations, guidelines, and returns that can be rationalised.
• Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao was appointed as the Regulations Review Authority.Other members of the advisory group are T T Srinivasaraghavan (Former Managing Director and Non-Executive Director, Sundaram Finance), Gautam Thakur (Chairman,Saraswat Co-operative Bank), Subir Saha (Group Chief Compliance Officer, ICICI Bank), Ravi Duvvuru (President and CCO, Jana Small Finance Bank), and Abadaan Viccaji (Chief Compliance Officer, HSBC India).

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Fitch sees 9.5% GDP growth during FY22
The sudden and steep surge in the number of coronavirus cases – the highest-ever 4,12,262 new infections and a record 3,980 daily death toll in a day – has swamped the health system, which seemed to have collapsed.

• It forecasted real GDP to grow 9.5 per cent in 2021-22 (April 2021 to March 2022).
• Risks to this forecast are to the downside, as the surge in new daily Covid-19 caseloads will most likely see an extension and expansion of lockdowns, it said adding that the resurgence of Covid-19 cases exposed cracks in the Indian healthcare system.

IIT Kanpur launches Mission Bharat O2 to combat oxygen crisis
The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) of IIT Kanpur has launched Mission Bharat O2, a 45-day open challenge for manufacturing high-quality indigenous, rapidly scalable oxygen generation units to help combat the emergency.

• The manufacturing challenge task force will be led by Prof. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Professor In-charge, Innovation & Incubation, IIT Kanpur, Srikant Sastri, President, TiE Delhi-NCR, and Rahul Patel, Head of Strategic Initiatives, SIIC, IIT Kanpur.
• All eligible Indian SME manufacturers can apply online and the initiative will help ease the pressure on hospitals and save lives.

NDDB inks MoU with EESL to offer energy efficient solutions to dairy industry
National Dairy Development Board has signed an agreement with Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) to promote efficient renewable technologies in the dairy industry.

• EESL will conceptualise, propose and design technically sound alternate energy generation solutions for plants in the dairy cooperative sector across the country.
• It will also arrange necessary technical and funding support for the design, development and operation of the non-conventional energy generation models.

Revenue Deficit Grant of Rs 9,871 cr released to 17 states: Finance Ministry
The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance released the second monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of Rs 9,871 crore for the year 2021-22 to 17 States.

• A total amount of Rs 19,742 crore has been released in the first two months of the current financial year as Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant to the states.

Income tax rules eased, now you can pay Rs 2 lakh+ in cash for Covid treatment
The government allowed hospitals, dispensaries and COVID-19 care centres to accept cash payments in excess of Rs 2 lakh from patients or their kin till May 31.

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued a notification saying such entities would be required to obtain PAN or Aadhaar of the patient and the payee and also the relationship between them.
• The notification is applicable for all cash payments made on/ after 1st April 2021 till 31st May 2021.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan flags off 1st supply of UCO based Biodiesel blended Diesel
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remotely flagged off the first supply of UCO, Used Cooking Oil based Biodiesel blended Diesel from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, Delhi.

• Centre had initiated Expressions of Interest for “Procurement of Bio-diesel produced from Used Cooking Oil” on the occasion of World Biofuel Day on 10th August 2019.Such “Expressions of Interest” are being periodically released by Oil Marketing Companies.
• This initiative will garner substantial economic benefits for the nation by shoring up indigenous Biodiesel supply, reducing import dependence, and generating rural employment.

AWARDS

Justice Gita Mittal conferred Arline Pacht Global Vision Award
In a first for an Indian jurist, Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, has been conferred with the prestigious Arline Pacht Global Vision Award for 2021 by the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ).

• The Award will be presented at IAWJ’s Biennial Conference during the virtual opening ceremony. She shares the honour with Justice Margarita Luna Ramos of Mexico. 
• The Arline Pacht Global Vision Award was constituted in 2016 and is presented to a sitting or retired woman judge to recognize her long-term contribution to the IAWJ.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

CBSE launches new mobile application for psycho social wellness of students, parent
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a new mobile application for psycho social wellness of students and parents.

• The new app namely CBSE Dost for Life has been designed for students of classes 9 to 12 and it can be used for counselling sessions from 10th May.
• Through this app, live counselling sessions will be conducted free of cost on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the trained counsellors.The app will also provide students information on suggestive course guides after ten plus two, tips on mental health and well-being, a corona guide and rap songs.

HAL’s Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv Mk III MR demonstrates deck-operations capabilities
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Mk III MR has successfully demonstrated its deck-operations capabilities such as landing on deck, folding of blades and storing the helicopter inside the onboard hangar.

• The ship-borne trials off Chennai coast in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard concluded recently. It covered maintenance activities inside the hangar and on the deck and hot refuelling with engines running on the deck.
• Dhruv Mk III MR is equipped with the most advanced surveillance radar that can detect and identify ships and boats up to a range of 120 nautical miles to help the Indian Coast Guard in its duty to protect the nation from threats.

OBITUARIES

Renowned Sitar Player Prateek Chaudhuri passes away
Renowned sitar player Prateek Chaudhuri has died due to COVID-related complications, almost a week after his father, music maestro Pandit Devbrata Chaudhuri, succumbed to the virus. He was 49.

• Prateek Chaudhuri, who belonged to the Senia Gharana of music, was also a professor at the Department of Music, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi.

NGT Registrar General Ashu Garg passes away
Registrar General of the Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, Ashu Garg has passed away from COVID-19.

• Garg joined as Registrar General of the Principal Bench, NGT on January 14, 2020.Before that, he was a judicial officer in Delhi.
• He joined the Delhi Judicial Service in 2007 and was promoted to Delhi Higher Judicial Service in November, 2019.

Senior journalist Shesh Narain Singh passes away 
Senior journalist Shesh Narain Singh passed away due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Noida.

• A columnist, political commentator and an expert on foreign policy, Shesh Narain Singh had a career spanning over two decades.

Swadhin Bangla Betar artist Anup Bhattacharya passes away
Freedom fighter and Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra musician Anup Bhattacharya passed away in Dhaka. He was 77.

• Anup Bhattacharya was recognised as an exceptional Tagore singer. He also composed Baul songs and modern Bangla songs.
• During the liberation war of Bangladesh he worked as the composer and music director at Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. Some of his patriotic songs like Teer Hara Ei Dheu-er Sagor, Rokto Diye Naam Likhhechhi, Purbo Digonte and Nongor Tolo Tolo inspired the liberation war fighters during 1971.

Veteran Music Composer Vanraj Bhatia passes away at 93
Veteran music composer Vanraj Bhatia died in Mumbai after a brief illness. He was 93.

• He had scored music in several films such as Shyam Benegal’s ‘Ankur’ and Naseeruddin Shah starrer ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’.
• Bhatia is best known for his work in Indian New Wave cinema. He is also one of the leading composers of Western classical music in India. He is a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the television film Tamas (1988), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) and India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri (2012).

Veteran Urdu Critic, Professor Shamim Hanfi passes away at 82
Veteran Urdu Critic, writer and poet, Professor Shamim Hanfi passed away in New Delhi after battling coronavirus-related complications. He was 82.

• Professor Hanafi was associated with Jamia Millia Islamia as Professor Emeritus.
• A proponent of the modernist movement in Urdu literature, Professor Hanafi authored several books on literary criticism, plays and books for children. He also translated Abul Kalam Azad’s book ‘India Wins Freedom’.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Migratory Bird Day
World Migratory Bird Day is officially celebrated on the second Saturday of May to raise awareness of migratory birds and the importance of international cooperation to conserve them. This year it is fell on May 8,2021.

• This year’s World Migratory Bird Day theme is “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!”. 

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
World  Red Cross Day is also known as Red Crescent Day is celebrated on May 8 every year. This date marks the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who is the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

• The theme of World Red Cross Day 2021 is ‘Together we are unstoppable’.

World Thalassemia Day
May 8 is observed as World Thalassemia Day every year. The day commemorates the struggles of the patients suffering from this genetic disorder and raise awareness about the disease and its symptoms.

• This year’s theme of World Thalassemia Day is “Addressing Health Inequalities Across the Global Thalassemia Community”.

World Athletics Day
World Athletics Day is being celebrated on May 7 to promote participation in sports among the youngsters.

• The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), formerly the International Amateur Athletic Federation, founded this day as a social responsibility project ‘Athletics for a Better World’.

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