Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (May 01st to 07th May 2021)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of 01st to 07th May 2021. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2021 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS 

• Labour Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.
• May 1 comes as the establishment day for the state of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It was on this day in the year 1960 that the former state of Bombay was segregated on a linguistic basis and two states were formed Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• World Tuna Dayis observed on May 2 every year to raise awareness about the Tuna fish and its importance to humans and earth and also to promote more sustainable fishing practices.
• World Laughter Day was established in 1998 and the first celebration was on July 28, 2008, in Mumbai, India, arranged by Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement.
• The United Nations General Assemblydeclared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day or just World Press Day, observed to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press.
• “The theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, “Information as a Public Good”, underlines the indisputable importance of verified and reliable information.
• International Firefighters’ Day is observed on May 4. It was instituted after a proposal was emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999 due to the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a bushfire in Australia.
• World Asthma Day (WAD) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA) (ginasthma.org), a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.  This year’s World Asthma Day theme is “Uncovering Asthma Misconceptions”.
• Every year, Coal Miners Day is observed on May 4 for the toughest professionals and the miners working in coal fields. 
• Each year, May 5is marked as the International Midwife Day in order to recognize the contribution of midwives.
• Every year, the World Hand Hygiene Day is observed on May 5.
• Every year, International No Diet Day is observed on May 6. Its symbol is a light blue ribbon. International No Diet Day (INDD) is an annual celebration of body acceptance, including fat acceptance and body shape diversity.
• World Athletics Day 2021is being celebrated on May 7. The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) started celebrating World Athletics Day to promote participation in sports among the youngsters.
• May 7 is the birth anniversary of India’s first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. His birth anniversary falls on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh and is popularly called “Pachishe Boishakh”.
• Border Roads Organization, BRO is celebrating its 61st Raising Day. BRO is a leading road construction agency under the Ministry of Defence with a primary role of providing road connectivity in the border areas.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• As a special dispensation, the Centre has released in advance over 8873 crore rupees for State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to all the States.
• On the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) has published a rich treasure of audio recordings in the public domain.
• In homage to the legendary filmmaker, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will organize year-long centenary celebrations of late Satyajit Ray across India and abroad.
• The Finance Ministry has decided to provide an additional amount of upto 15 thousand crore rupees to States as interest free 50 year loan for spending on capital projects.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a four-day visit to London beginning to participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of G7 countries.
• Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government has set a target of road construction of worth 15 lakh crore rupees in next two years.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a virtual Summit with his British counterpart Boris Johnson.
• Government has issued guidelines for ‘Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI). 
• Government has said that a vial for Remdesivir injection by the name ‘COVIPRI’ which is in circulation is fake.
• Government has said that about 65 per cent more wheat has been procured during the current Rabi Marketing Season in comparison to the corresponding period last year. 
• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell have reaffirmed commitment to support Afghanistan in its path towards peace, security, self-reliance and prosperity.
• India has scaled another peak in its effort to contain the COVID-19 virus with the administration of more than 16 Crore four lakh vaccine doses so far to its citizens.
• Government said that 28 States and Union Territories have started lifting food grains from Food Corporation of India depots for free distribution of food grains to the poor under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, who is on a four day visit to the UK, held a meeting with Home Secretary Priti Patel in London.
• 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.
• The Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports have tapped into the spirit of International Day of Yoga to encourage the public to pursue Yoga as a daily routine for good health and well-being.
• Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020 has been notified by the Ministry of Labour & Employment covering applicability of Aadhar.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System {UAS) Rules, 2021 to 20 entities to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) experimental flights of drones.
• Indian Railways has delivered 2511 MT of liquid medical oxygen in 161 tankers to various states across the country so far.
• The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for allocation of additional food grains to all beneficiaries of National Food Security Act for two additional months of May and June this year.
• Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya has said that INS Talwar, with 40 tonne Liquid Medical Oxygen has reached New Mangalore Port in Karnataka.
• The Finance Ministry released the second monthly installment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant of Rs 9,871 crore for 2021-22 to 17 States.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the meeting of the European Council as a special invitee. The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting is being hosted by Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• China launched the core module of its space station, kicking off a series of key launch missions that aim to complete the construction of the station by the end of next year.
• Australian Government has pledged 7 billion Australian dollars in childcare subsidies to boost female participation in the workplace.
• The US government has approved a major solar energy project in the California desert that will be capable of powering nearly 90,000 homes.
• The European Union Commission has recommended easing restrictions on non-essential travel from overseas for those who received the last dose of an EU-approved vaccine.
• The world’s largest plane ‘Stratolaunch Roc’ successfully completed test flight for a second time. The Stratolaunch Roc completed a successful test flight over the Southern California desert .
• As public concerns mount over holding the Tokyo Olympics Games amidst COVID-19 pandemic, an online campaign called “Stop Tokyo Olympics” has gathered almost 200,000 signatures.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• Madhya Pradesh government transferred Rs 61 crore into the accounts of more than 6 lakh 10 thousand street vendors of the state through Direct Benefit Transfer.
• In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has launched the Corona Warriors Scheme. The government will take the responsibility of family members of health workers who have passed away while on Corona duty.
• In Kerala, Left Democratic Front (LDA) has retained power for the second consecutive term. Pinarayi Vijayan government has become the first government to get the second successive term in four decades.
• In Assam, BJP-led NDA has retained power for the second consecutive term. The NDA has secured 75 seats in the 126-member assembly.
• In West Bengal, ruling Trinamool Congress has retained power for the third term in a row but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her own Nandigram seat.
• In the Union Territory of Puducherry, So far the results of 20 constituencies have been announced officially. The National Democratic Alliance captured 11 seats and Secular Democratic Alliance won in 5 seats.
• The DMK won a convincing victory over arch-rival AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and the ruling party managed to emerge as a formidable opposition, overcoming the burden of ten year anti-incumbency to an extent. 
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Srinagar has launched a 24×7 dedicated Helpline at Covid-19 War Control Room to provide real time Covid-19 related facilities to the people.
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in pursuance of the Lieutenant Governor’s directions regarding augmentation of Oxygen facilities in the hospitals, a 1200 litre per minute, LPM Oxygen Generation Plant has been commissioned at the old block of Hospital, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
• Himachal Pradesh has planned to provide over two lakh tap water connections across the State.
• In Kerala, the CPM led LDF is all set to form the new government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan handed over his resignation letter to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
• In Madhya Pradesh, 379 crore rupees have been transferred into the accounts of 16 thousand 844 beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Jan-Kalyan Sambal scheme.
• TMC leader Mamata Banerjee will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the third time.
• The Nation’s first ‘Drive in Vaccination Center’ was inaugurated by MP Rahul Shewale in Mumbai.
• The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that all ration card holders in the National Capital will be given free ration for the next 2 months.
• The Tamil Nadu cabinet led by Chief Minister MK Stalin. The state Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Stalin and his 33 other cabinet colleagues at a function held in the Raj Bhavan lawns in Chennai.
• The Madhya Pradesh government is launching a new scheme to provide free treatment to poor COVID patients.
• Haryana Government has launched Ayurvedic telemedicine facility for Corona patients. Health Minister Anil Vij said that any patient can consult the Ayurvedic Doctors on phone by dialling 1075.
• NR Congress Chief N Rengasamy will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry in a simple function arranged  at  Raj Nivas.
• Gujarat Unit of Ayurveda Vyaspeeth has launched an “Ayurvedic Doctors on Call” service to serve the Covid patients in the state.  Under this service, 170 Ayurvedic doctors will give free Ayurvedic consultations to the Covid patients on phone calls.
• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched dedicated COVID-19 Helpline ‘Mukhyamantri Sewa Sanklap Helpline 1100’ for facilitating the people regarding COVID related issues in Shimla.
• Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo de Luca switched on an oxygen plant at ITBP Referral Hospital at Greater Noida. The plant will supply oxygen to more than 100 beds at a time to the Covid19 patients admitted at the centre.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) has launched two quick-delivery schemes to fund businesses in the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) segment that are helping combat the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of 3 crore on ICICI Bank for non-compliance with its directions in the matter of shifting of securities from one category to another.
• IDBI Bank is considering picking up a stake in the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) which is being set up jointly by banks to clean up their books.
• Airtel Payments Bank announced that customers with savings account deposits of over Rs 1 lakh will get an increased interest rate of 6 per cent per annum.
• On May 05, 2021, S&P Global Ratings slashed India’s GDP growth forecast for the current financial year to 8% for the financial year 2021-2021 (FY22).
• On May 05, 2021, The Reserve Bank of India will provide a term-liquidity facility of ₹ 50,000 crore to ease access of funds for emergency medical services.
• On May 05, 2021, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for strategic divestment and transfer of management control in IDBI Bank Ltd.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the target of foodgrains production for 2021-22 is 307 million tonnes. 
• The Tata group’s foray into the India’s growing e-grocery market has been sealed with the Competition Commission of India giving its nod to its $1 billion acquisition of
• Uber unveiled a Rs 18.5 crore (USD 2.5 million) initiative to get 150,000 drivers on its platform vaccinated over the next six months.
• Facebook said it is partnering with the Indian government to roll out a vaccine finder tool on its mobile app in India, which will help people identify places nearby to get inoculated.
• Serum Institute of India (SII) endorsed the government statement that 100 per cent advance of Rs 1,732.50 crore has been released to the company on April 28 for 11 crore doses of the Covishield vaccine for May, June and July.
• Foreign and development ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrial nations will be meeting in London this week in their first face-to-face discussions in two years, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holding talks with British host Dominic Raab.
• PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, said it has partnered with not-for-profit organisation, Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) to launch a community COVID-19 vaccination drive and set up COVID care centres.
• Government has given permissions to Telecom Service Providers for conducting trials for use and applications of 5G technology.
• Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said it will soon deliver 22 oxygen generators to various hospitals across India to address the severe crunch of oxygen for COVID-19 patients in the country “L&T will soon start delivering 22 oxygen generators to various hospitals in India, where the scarcity is most acute.
• RBI said the second purchase of government securities worth Rs 35,000 crore under the G-sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 1.0) will be done on May 20 for an orderly evolution of the yield curve as a fresh COVID-19 wave threatens to hit the economy.
• Global IT and professional services company Accenture said it has pledged USD 25 million (about Rs 185 crore) for pandemic relief efforts in the country.
• Drug firm Bajaj Healthcare announced the launch of its antiviral Favipiravir tablets under the brand name ‘Favijaj’ used for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 infections in the country.
• Tech giant Samsung said it has pledged USD 5 million (Rs 37 crore), while Paytm Foundation intends to set up oxygen plants in 12-13 cities as part of efforts to support India”s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Serum Institute of India is set to invest in facilities in Britain and could even manufacture inoculations in the UK in future, Prime Minister Boris Johnson
• Fintech major Paytm launched ‘COVID-19 Vaccine Finder’ – a platform to help citizens check the availability of vaccination slots – on its Mini App store.
• Bajaj Finance is all set to join the likes of Paytm and Amazon in the prepaid payment segment with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approving the non-bank lender’s foray with perpetual validity.
• China suspended an economic dialogue with Australia, stepping up a pressure campaign that began over Australian support for a probe of the corona virus and has disrupted exports to the country’s biggest foreign market.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

• Mahesh Balasubramanian will be the Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Life Insuranceand Suresh Agarwal will be the Managing Director and CEO of Kotak General Insurance.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) veteran Samir Seksaria took over as Chief Financial Officer of the country’s largest IT services firm.
• Subir Chakraborty has taken over as MD and CEOof the storage battery major Exide Industries.
• The government has appointed RBI Executive Director T Rabi Sankar as the fourth deputy governor of the central bank.
• Senior IAS officer Tripurari Sharan has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Bihar. 
• The BanksBoard Bureau (BBB) has recommended Harsha Bangari to the position of Managing Director in Export-Import Bank of India.
• Ola Electric announced the appointment of Wayne Burgess as Head of Vehicle Design for its entire product range, including scooters, bikes, cars and more.
• Raman MeenakshiSundaram has been appointed as Director of Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), an arm of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
• On May 05, 2021, Mamata Banerjee, was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term.
• UTI Mutual Fundhas appointed Peshotan Dastoor as Group President and Head of Sales.  Dastoor will be developing UTI’s sales strategy, providing leadership to the sales team and exploring new opportunities for distribution and growth.
• Ola Electric, which is gearing up to build the world’s largest scooter factory in Tamil Nadu, has hired N Balachandaras chief human resources officer (CHRO).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• On April 26, 2021, The US-Army led multinational, joint exercise ‘DEFENDER-Europe 21’ was kicked off in Albania. It will be conducted in more than 30 training areas in 12 countries during April, May and June, including Western Balkan countries.
• Indian Navy has launched Operation Samudra Setu-II to augment the ongoing national mission for meeting the Oxygen requirements.
• India’s armed forces have launched a special operation called ‘CO-JEET against COVID-19. The three services have been pressed into service to help restore oxygen supply chains, set up COVID beds and provide help to the civilian administration.
• Indian Army has clarified that the Defence Ministry has approved a total of 50 Armed Force Medical Services, AFMS hospitals including 42 Army, five Air Force and three Navy designated as Dedicated and Mixed COVID Hospitals. 
• On April 30, 2021, Indian Army has recently inaugurated the first green solar energy plant in Sikkim. The facility, which uses vanadium-based battery technology. It was built at an altitude of 16000 ft. in the northern part of the state and has a capacity of 56 KVA.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

• Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad represented India at the G-7 Digital and Technology Ministerial Meeting. 
• On May 04, 201, The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson held a virtual Summit meeting.
• On May 04, 2021, The first-ever India-France-Australia Trilateral Foreign Ministerial Dialogue held in London, UK.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• On April 27, 2021, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the country’s first 3D printed house at IIT, Madras.
• Indian Scientists have developed a high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean MACS 1407. It is suitable for cultivation in the states of Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and North-Eastern states.
• Scientists have discovered the smallest-known black hole in the Milky Way galaxy and the closest to our solar system. It was nicknamed ‘the Unicorn.
• The world’s largest aeroplane, designed to transport hypersonic vehicles and facilitate easy access to space, soared into clear skies over California’s Mojave Desert.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING & INDEX

• State-owned insurance giant Life Insurance Corporation has emerged as the strongest and the tenth most valuable insurance brand globally in Brand Finance Insurance 100 report for 2021.
• Bengaluru has slipped four positions to rank 40th globally in annual price appreciation of luxury residential properties, according to real estate consultant Knight Frank.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

• JSW Renew Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSWFuture Energy, has signed agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India to sell 540 MW of the overall awarded capacity of 810 MW.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson have adopted an ambitious ‘Roadmap 2030’ to elevate bilateral ties to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’.
• The National Dairy Development Board said it has signed an agreement with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to promote efficient renewable technologies in the dairy industry.
• Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Oil and Gas PSUs, Indian Oil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL and Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership between India and the UK.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ARTS & CULTURE

• The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an Assam-based trust the opportunity to focus on a near-forgotten form of string puppetry called Putola Nach.
• On April 24, 2021, The Ministry of Tourism’s Dekho Apna Desh Webinar series held its 86th webinar titled Mountains to Mangroves: A Journey of 1000 Kilometers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Singer Pink will be honoured with the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs).
• Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced ‘Manoj Das International Literary Award’ in memory of the great litterateur who passed away at a hospital in Puducherry on April 27.
• Investigative journalist and media executive Maria Ressa of the Philippines has been named as the 2021 laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
• Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has bagged five top awards under various campaigns held for enrollment of Atal Pension Yojana (APY) from Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• The Husky Investment Tournament hosted by the College of Business at Michigan Technological University this spring drew high school business students from across the country and world to compete for a cash prize and scholarships toward a Michigan Tech education.
• Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has won the Sportsman of the Year award at the 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards that were unveiled at a digital awards ceremony from Seville, Spain. The Sportswoman of the Year award went to Naomi Osaka.
• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres honored Indian UN Peacekeeping officer Yuvraj Singh, who died in line of duty in 2020, during the UN annual Memorial Service 2021.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• DCB Bank announced that it has acquired equity stake in two companies based at Gift City IFSC at Gandhinagar.
• On May 03, 2021, Motilal Oswal Private Equity picked up a minority stake in Fincare Small Finance Bank through a secondary acquisition worth around Rs 185 crore (USD 25 million).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT

• Researchers have collaborated to discover two damselfly species from Satara district in Maharashtra, which forms part of northern Western Ghats.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• World No 1 Ash Barty won two titles and a brand new sports car at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2021. It took place at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, from 19 to 25 April 2021.
• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) won the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix. It was held on 2 May 2021 at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal.
• On May 03, 2021, Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera announced his retirement from international cricket.
• In Snooker, Mark Selby became the World Champion for the fourth time.
• On April 28, 2021, The former Sri Lanka cricketer and coach Nuwan Zoysa was banned from all cricket for six years by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
• On May 04, 2021, The All India Chess Federation launched the ”Checkmate Covid Initiative” to help the chess community affected by the pandemic.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• On April 30, 2021, Well-known TV journalist and anchor Rohit Sardana Passed away.
• On April 30, 2021, Former Attorney General of India and renowned jurist Soli Sorabjee Passed away.
• On April 30, 2021, Communist Party of India’s veteran leader Dr Joginder Dayal passed away.
• On May 01, 2021, Sitar maestro Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri Passed away,
• On April 30, 2021, Actor Bikramjeet Kanwarpal Passed away.
• On April 30, 2021, ‘Shooter Dadi’ Chandro Tomar passed away.
• On May 03, 2021, The Indian aeronautical scientist, Manas Bihari Verma Passed away.
• On May 04, 2021, Former Union Minister and Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan passed away in New Delhi.
• On May 06, 2021, former Union minister and chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Chaudhary Ajit Singh, Passed away.
• On May 04, 2021, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi’s former personal secretary V Kalyanam Passed away.

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