NATIONAL NEWS
U'khand Police launches 'Mission Hausla' to help COVID-19 patientsThe Uttarakhand Police has launched a drive called "Mission Hausla" to help people get oxygen, beds and plasma for COVID-19 patients.
- Besides this, the police are also helping the public in getting ration, ambulance, cremation of bodies as part of the mission.
Facing an anti-Covid vaccine “shortage", the Punjab government decided to join the global COVAX alliance for sourcing the immunisation shots at the best price.
- By doing so, Punjab will become the first state in the country to take the initiative of addressing the vaccine shortage amid the deadly second wave of the pandemic.
- Abbreviated as COVAX, the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access is a worldwide initiative aimed at providing equitable access to anti-Covid vaccines. COVAX is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner UNICEF.
To further promote and for holistic growth of the horticulture sector in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has provided an enhanced allocation of Rs. 2250 Crore for the year 2021-22 for 'Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture' (MIDH), a centrally sponsored scheme.
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing MIDH with effect from 2014-15.MIDH is implemented under Green Revolution - Krishonnati Yojana.
- Under MIDH, Government of India (GoI) contributes 60% of total outlay for developmental programmes in all the states except states in North East and Himalayas, 40% share is contributed by State Governments.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman handed over possession to 640 homebuyers of the first stalled project completed with funding by SWAMIH Fund managed by SBICap Ventures Ltd and said that the Fund will benefit 1.16 lakh buyers whose projects had been stalled due to last mile funding issues.
- Rivali Park Wintergreens is the first investment by the Fund and is also the first project to get completed. It is a large project spread over 7 acres consisting of 708 units of various configurations.
- The project is Rivali Park Wintergreen is developed by CCI Projects Pvt Ltd (CCIPPL), an associate company of Cable Corporation of India Ltd.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
China becomes the world's first country to ban synthetic cannabinoidsChina will become the world's first country to ban all synthetic cannabinoid substances. The ban is likely to come into effect on July 1.
- The move comes as China tries to curb the manufacturing and trafficking of the drug.
The World Health Organization has classified a coronavirus variant found in India as a global “variant of concern”. This variant has been named B.1.617.
- According to World Health Organization, this variant is already spread to more than 30 countries.
- It is more transmissible than other variants. This variant is also called the “double mutant variant”. It was 1st identified by the United Kingdom health authorities.
BANKING & FINANCE
RBI excludes Lakshmi Vilas Bank from second schedule of RBI ActThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it has excluded Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) from the Second Schedule of the RBI Act with effect from November 27, 2020.
- The move was taken after the crisis-ridden Lakshmi Vilas Bank was merged with DBS Bank India Ltd (DBIL) on 27 November 2020.
Shareholders of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) have given their approval for issuance of 246,54,23,932 equity shares to the government of India on a preferential basis for the capital infusion of Rs 4,100 crore. The EGM was conducted through virtual mode.
- Accordingly, the shareholding of the government of India will increase from 95.84 percent to 96.38 percent.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Groww to acquire Indiabulls’ mutual fund business for Rs 175 croreOnline investment platform Groww, backed by funds such as Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global, has signed an agreement with Indiabulls Housing Finance to acquire its asset management company for Rs 175 crore, paving the way for the Bengaluru-based fintech startup to enter the mutual fund business.
- The sale of Indiabulls Mutual Fund will be limited to its mutual fund business while its other verticals—such as the Alternate Investment Fund (AIF) and Portfolio Management Services (PMS)—will be demerged and continue under Indiabulls Housing Finance.
SPORTS
Leicester beat Chelsea to clinch maiden FA Cup titleLeicester won the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s 137-year history last night as Youri Tielemans’s sensational strike beat Chelsea 1-0 in front of 22,000 fans at Wembley.
- The largest crowd for a sports event in England since the coronavirus pandemic hit 14 months ago were treated to a goal worthy to win any trophy as the Belgian midfielder blasted into the top corner on 63 minutes.
World Rugby has announced that New Zealand will now host the postponed 2021 Rugby World Cup (RWC) more than one year after it was initially scheduled, following confirmation of a new masterplan for the women’s tournament.
- In March, World Rugby announced it would postpone the 2021 RWC until next year due to ongoing concerns over the “uncertain and challenging” global COVID-19 situation.
- The rugby union showpiece was due to be held from September 18 to October 16, but has now been granted a fresh position in the calendar of October 8 to November 12, 2022.
APPOINTMENTS
Britannia’s Gunjan Shah Set to Join Bata India as its New CEOLeading footwear major Bata India said it has appointed Gunjan Shah, the former chief commercial officer of Britannia Industries, as its new chief executive officer.
- He will take over from Sandeep Kataria, who was elevated as the Global CEO of Bata Brands in November last year.
- Shah will join Bata in June 2021. Based out of Gurugram, he will be at the helm of the brand’s operations in India.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CovAid portal set up for real-time monitoring of reliefAll Covid-19 related foreign aid received by the government can be tracked online end-to-end till distribution by the donors. The NITI Aayog has set up a dedicated portal – CovAid – for tracking all aid coming via missions or by individual organisations.
- CovAid will help individuals and organisations to do end-to-end tracking till the ultimate beneficiary.A detailed SOP has been laid out to ensure that the states with high active cases receive supplies on a priority basis.
NASA and Texas-based company Axiom Space have agreed on terms for the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, which will launch as soon as January 2022. The agreement, which was announced includes only a portion of the assorted exchanges required to make a flight like this a reality, but it will result in a net payment from NASA to Axiom of $1.69 million.
- The agreement will allow Axiom to send a retired NASA astronaut and three passengers to the orbiting laboratory aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for a journey of about a week in the first crewed space station mission for exclusively private interests.
OBITUARIES
Six-time MP from Amritsar Raghunandan Lal Bhatia Passes Away at 100Senior Congress leader and six-time MP from Amritsar, Raghunandan Lal Bhatia passed away after a brief illness. He was 100.
- Raghunandan Bhatia was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1972 from the Amritsar parliamentary constituency, and again re-elected from the same seat in the 1980, 1985, 1992, 1996 and 1999 elections as a member of the Indian National Congress.
- Bhatia had also served as the governor of Kerala from 2004 to 2008 and the governor of Bihar from 2008 to 2009. He had also served as the minister of state for external affairs in 1992.
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