NATIONAL NEWS
One-stop centres to provide legal, medical support for Indian women to be set up across 9 countriesThe Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of India announced, that WCD in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will set up 10 ‘One-Stop Centres’ across nine countries to support Indian women affected by violence in public or private spaces.
- Ram Mohan Mishra, Secretary, WCD informed that the nine countries to have ‘One-Stop Centres’ are: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Each country, except Saudi Arabia, will have one center. Two centres will be set up in Saudi Arabia.
- One-Stop Centre is a scheme under the National Mission for Empowerment of Women that offers an integrated support system to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces.
The Punjab government on the occasion of International Menstrual Hygiene Day launched a scheme to provide free sanitary napkins to needy girls and women across the state.
- An amount of Rs 40.55 crore per annum will be incurred on the scheme called 'Udaan'. Under this scheme, maximum of nine pads would be given to each beneficiary per month.
- The new scheme would cover school drop-outs, out-of-school girls, young women not attending college, women from BPL families, homeless women, residents of slum areas, and those who are not availing free or subsidised sanitary pads under any scheme of other departments.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the formation of a secretary-level committee to develop guidelines and recommendations for the implementation of the “Smart Kitchen Scheme” in the state in order to meet LDF commitments.
- The Smart Kitchen Scheme will be launched on July 10, 2021.As part of the scheme, women of state will be given a loan to renovate their kitchens.
- Loans with low-interest rates will be made available in instalment plans. The scheme aims to reduce the workload of women's domestic labour.
In a big move towards solar energy’s adoption in the State of Goa, Chief Minister (CM) Pramod Sawant has launched a solar-based rural electrification drive for rural households.
- The programme has been launched to take electricity to the areas in Goa where grid connectivity is not feasible.
- The project will be carried out by Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) and Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL).
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
HPC and ICT discussed at BRICS Working Group Meeting hosted by South AfricaThe fifth BRICS working group meeting discussed High-Performance Computing(HPC) and Information Communication Technology(ICT).
- Under the Science, Technology, and Innovation track, the Fifth BRICS Working Group meeting on High Performance Computing (HPC) and Information Communication Technologies (ICT) was hosted and organized in online mode by South Africa.
- All five countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa participated. More than 50 participants including researchers, academicians, and government officials were present at the meeting.
BANKING & FINANCE
RBI announces FPI investment limits in G-secs, SDLsThe Reserve Bank of India said the limits for foreign portfolio investors (FPI) investment during the current fiscal in government securities (G-secs) and State Development Loans (SDLs) will remain unchanged at 6 per cent and 2 per cent respectively, of outstanding stocks of securities for 2021-22.
- In a circular, the RBI said the allocation of incremental changes in the G-sec limit (in absolute terms) over the two sub-categories – 'General' and 'Long-term' – will be retained at 50:50 for FY 2021-22.
- The FPI limit in G-Sec General, G-Sec Long Term, SDL General, SDL Long Term, and Corporate Bonds, was Rs 9,54,280 crore as on March 31, 2021.
- The revised limit (in absolute terms) for April 2021-September 2021 period is Rs 10,14,957 crore, including Rs 2,43,914 crore for G-sec General and Rs 5,74,263 crore for Corporate Bonds.
- The FPI investment limit in the debt instruments for October 2021 - March 2022 period is ₹10,75,637 crore.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Byju's, Google Team up to Offer 'Learning Solution' for SchoolsEducation technology firm Byju’s announced a partnership with tech giant Google to offer a learning solution’ for schools.
- With this, the simplicity, flexibility and security of Google Workspace for Education and Byju’s content pedagogy come together on the ‘Vidyartha’ platform to aid effective learning at school.
- This integration of Google Workspace for Education with Byju’s would offer a collaborative and personalised digital platform for classroom organisation, available for free to participating educational institutions.
Amid coronavirus pandemic, India's gross domestic product (GDP) grew at 1.6 per cent in the January-March quarter of fiscal year 2020-21, but witnessed a contraction of 7.3 per cent for the entire fiscal year, showed government data.
- This is the first full-year contraction in the Indian economy in the last four decades since 1979-80, when GDP had shrunk by 5.2 per cent. This is also the second straight quarter of expansion since India exited a rare recession.
- India’s GDP figures showed the growth at 3 per cent in Q4 of FY20, while growth for FY20 came at 4 per cent, an 11-year low.
SPORTS
Pooja Rani wins her 2nd Asian Boxing Championships gold in 75kg finalIndian pugilist Pooja Rani repeated her gold-medal winning performance at the Asian Elite Boxing Championships as she beat Mavluda Movlonova in the women's 75kg final in Dubai.
- Pooja, who has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, made light work of her opponent from Uzbekistan and won by unanimous 5-0 decision to secure the first gold medal for India in this edition of the Asian Championship. She was given a walkover in the semi-finals.
APPOINTMENTS
India's Nagraj Adiga elected in IAU Council as Asian representativeIndia's Nagraj Adiga has been elected as the Asia-Oceania Representative at the recently concluded 2021 International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) Congress at which the IAU council elections were held.
- Adiga, who was nominated for elections by the Athletics Federation of India, got elected by a margin of 7-3 against South Korea’s Gilsoo Park.
- Adiga works closely with AFI and with various Government bodies to promote health, fitness, and encourage budding sportspersons.
Magma Fincorp Ltd announced a series of leadership changes, including appointment of Adar Poonawalla as the chairman of the company.
- The non-banking finance company's (NBFC's) board also appointed Abhay Bhutada as its managing director.
- The new appointments come following Poonawalla-led Rising Sun Holdings' acquisition of controlling stake in Magma Fincorp through an equity infusion of Rs 3,456 crore earlier this month.
AWARDS
Indian-Origin Teenager Among Winners of Apple WWDC21 Swift Student ChallengeAbinaya Dinesh, a 15-year-old Indian-origin girl, is among three winners of the annual WWDC21 Swift Student Challenge, a platform for the young brains willing to demonstrate their coding and problem-solving skills, tech giant Apple said.
- Passionate about the intersection of medicine and technology, something that became personal for her last year, Dinesh created an app called Gastro at Home, which she plans to launch on the App Store this summer.
- Apple has selected 350 Swift Student Challenge winners from 35 different countries and regions, as it opens all-virtual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2021′ from June 7-11. Along with Dinesh, 16-year-old Gianna Yan of Hawaii and 17-year-old Damilola Awofisayo of Virginia were also declared as the winners.
Notion Press authors Nitin Rakesh and Jerry Wind have won the prestigious International Business Book of the Year Award for 2021 for their recently launched book Transformation in Times of Crisis, published by Notion Press.
- The Business Book Awards is one of the biggest and most prestigious events in the calendar for business book writers all over the world.
- Author Nitin Rakesh, a winner of the ‘Gold Stevie Award’ for Tech Innovator of the Year, is a distinguished leader in the Technology and Financial services industries and is the CEO and Executive Director of IT major Mphasis, since 2017. His Co-author Jerry Wind, is an internationally renowned academician and is currently Lauder Professor Emeritus and Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CoviSelf, country’s first self-use kit for testing at homeThe Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved the country’s first Covid-19 self-testing kit for home use. That essentially means anyone can collect their own nasal sample and test it for SARS-CoV-2.
- Called CoviSelf, it has been developed by MyLab Discovery Solutions, a Pune-based molecular company. It uses a rapid antigen test, in which a nasal swab sample is tested for the virus and gives results within 15 minutes. Taking the test takes hardly two minutes.
- This testing kit cost Rs 250, while RT-PCR test costs between Rs 400 to Rs 1,500 and a rapid antigen test in laboratory costs Rs 300-900 in different states.
Bharti Airtel owned satellite communications company OneWeb, confirmed the launch of 36 new Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The launch is part of OneWeb’s ‘five to 50’ programme, which is meant to bring satellite-based broadband Internet to countries like the UK, Alaska, US, Northern Europe, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic seas, and Canada. The company has said that its services will start from 2022.
- The launch was carried out by European satellite launch company, Arianespace, from the Russian spaceport, Vostochny Cosmodrome. OneWeb had launched a previous wave of 36 satellites from the same spaceport in March.
- With this launch brings OneWeb’s total LEO satellite count to 218. The company plans to launch a fleet of 648 LEO satellites as part of its services.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched Online Tracking Portal ‘Bal Swaraj (COVID-Care Link) for child in need of care and protection.
- This portal of the Commission has been created with a purpose for online tracking and digital real time monitoring mechanism of children who are in need of care and protection.
ENVIRONMENT
Jayanti, a new spider cricket discovered from ChhattisgarhRecently, a new species of Cricket named 'Indimimus jayanti' was found in the Kurra caves of Chhattisgarh. The new species was named after Professor Jayant Biswas, one of the leading cave explorers in the country.
- The cricket is the twelfth subgenus identified under the genus Arachnomimus Saussur. Researchers from Panjab University made this discovery.
OBITUARIES
T.M. Kaliannan, last surviving member of Constituent Assembly, passes awayM. Kalliannan Gounder, the last surviving former member of the Indian Constituent Assembly, died at the age of 101 at Thiruchengode in western Tamil Nadu.
- He joined the Indian National Congress at the age of 19 and participated in the Quit India movement. He was elected to the Indian Constituent Assembly while he was 28-years-old. He was reportedly the youngest member in the Constituent Assembly then and also a member of India’s first provisional parliament.
- Mr. Gounder served as a Member of Legislative Council in Tamil Nadu and also as and MLA thrice, between 1952 and 1967.
Eric Carle, the beloved children's author and illustrator whose classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other works gave millions of kids some of their earliest and most cherished literary memories, has died at age 91.
- Carle wrote and illustrated more than 70 books for young children, including "The Grouchy Ladybug," "The Very Busy Spider" and "The Very Lonely Firefly."
BOOKS & AUTHORS
"All You Need is Josh: Inspiring Stories of Courage and Conviction in 21st Century India" book by Supriya PaulThe book titled "All You Need is Josh: Inspiring Stories of Courage and Conviction in 21st Century India" written by Supriya Paul has been released recently.
- "All You Need Is Josh: Stories of Courage and Conviction in 21st-century India" is a collection of 30 awe-inspiring real life stories of people bracing odds and obstacles and achieving their dreams.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Health Assembly adopts decision to recognize 30 January as World NTD Day74th World Health Assembly endorsed a decision recognizing 30 January as World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (‘World NTD Day’).
- World NTD Day commemorates the simultaneous launch of the first NTD road map and the London Declaration on NTDs on 30 January 2012.
- For countries where neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are prevalent and for the global community of partners, this is a new dawn.
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