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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
International Museum Day – Observed on May 18
- International Museum Day is an international day held annually on or around 18 May, coordinated by the International Council of Museums.
- The themefor IMD 2021 is ‘The Future of Museums – Recover and Reimagine’.
- ICOM has invited museum professionals and the community to offer innovative business models in order to overcome the economic, social and environmental changes which they are facing at the moment.
- The event highlights a specific theme which changes every year to reflect the basis of the international museum community’s preoccupations.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
MyGov launches Indian Language Learning App Innovation Challenge
- MyGovhas launched the Innovation Challenge to create an app that will enable individuals to learn simple sentences of any Indian language and acquire working knowledge of a language.
- The objective is to createan app that will promote regional language literacy, and create greater cultural understanding.
- MyGov, the citizen engagement platform of the Federal government has released an Innovation Obstacle for creating an Indian Language Understanding Application.
- This Innovation Problem has been released to get ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s eyesight of celebrating India’s cultural diversity through larger conversation.
- MyGov has released the Innovation Obstacle to build an app that will permit individuals to master basic sentences of any Indian language and receive working know-how of a language.
- The objective is to generate an application that will boost regional language literacy, and build larger cultural comprehending.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders list released
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden topped Fortune’s list of the world’s 50 greatest leaders and Adar Poonawalla too made it to the list.
- CEO of Serum Institute of India, Poonawalla is the only Indian among the top 10 names on the list.
- Ardern has been lauded for her efficiency in tackling and stopping the coronavirus surge in her country.
- Poonawalla, on the other hand, has also played a significant role in the manufacturing and supplying COVID-19 vaccines.
- Other names who made it to the list of top 10 of the top 50 leaders include mRNA pioneers; Paypal CEO Daniel H Schulman; NBA Rescuers; Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s John Nkengasong; Ping An’s Jessica Tan among others.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Bihar govt launches ‘HIT Covid App’
- Bihar government launched‘HIT Covid App’ to ensure regular monitoring and tracking of those Covid-19 patients, who are in home isolation across the state.
- HITstands for home isolation tracking. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the app will help the health workers in regular monitoring of home – isolated patients.
- Well being employees will go to the sufferers at dwelling daily and feed knowledge within the app after measuring their temperature and oxygen stage.
- This knowledge will probably be monitored on the district stage.
- If the oxygen stage is under 94, the affected person will probably be shifted to the close by devoted Covid wellbeing centres for correct therapy.
About Bihar:
- Governor: Phagu Chauhan
- Capital: Patna
- Chief minister: Nitish Kumar
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS
Abhay Tewari appointed as MD & CEO of Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company
- Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd (SUD LIFE) announced the appointment of Abhay Tewari as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company e.f 15th May 2021.
- Abhay Tewari joined the company in the year 2014 as Appointed Actuary.
- Prior to his appointment as Managing Director & CEO of the company, he was promoted as Joint President – Corporate & Chief Actuary, overseeing Operations, Actuarial, Risk and Corporate Governance functions.
Vodafone Idea appointed Reema Jain as Chief Digital Officer
- Jainwill lead digital strategy, execution and adoption across the company.
- Vodafone IdeaLtd (VIL) has appointed Reema Jain as its Chief Digital Officer. She joins the telecom operator from Unilever, where she was the head of IT.
- However, the company managed to attract senior talent including Jagbir Singh who joined as the new CTO.
- It also appointed Vivek Jain as the executive vice president of marketing and Mathan Babu Kasilingam as executive vice president of technology security.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Y Nuklu Phom bags prestigious Whitley Award 2021
- Nuklu Phom theonly person from India to win the prestigious #WhitleyAwards 2021 for his work;
- “Establishing a biodiversity peace corridor‘.
- The Whitley Award,also known as the “Green Oscar”, was given to a church worker from Nagaland for his efforts to establish a network of community-owned forests in the state and preserve the rare Amur falcon.
- The awardis one of the world’s leading prizes for grassroots conservation.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS
Tribal Affairs Ministry sign MOU with Microsoft
- Tribal Affairs Ministryand Microsoft have signed a MoU for digital transformation of Tribal Schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Ashram Schools.
- Under the program, 250 Eklavya Model Residential school, EMRS have been adopted by Microsoftout of which 50 EMRS schools will be given intensive training.
- This MOU will support the digital transformation of schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Ashram Schools, among others under the Ministry at an online event ‘Empowering Youth For Success’.
- Under affirmative action initiative, Microsoft will make AI curriculum available to tribal students in both English and Hindi at all EMRS schools under the Ministry to skill educators and students in next-generation technologies including Artificial Intelligence.
Eli Lilly sign ink pact with Natco Pharma
- Drug firm Eli Lillysaid it has signed a voluntary licensing agreement with Natco Pharma to further expedite the availability of baricitinib for COVID-19 patients in India.
- The company has issued an additional royalty-free, non-exclusive voluntary license to Natco Pharma and the Hyderabad-based company will be collaborating with Eli Lilly to further accelerate and expand the availability of baricitinib in India during this pandemic.
- Eli Lilly and Company has received permission for restricted emergency use by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), for baricitinib to be used in combination with remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized adults requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DRDO’s 2-DG drug Launched for treating Covid-19 patients
- On May 17, 2021, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the first batch of drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose drug to treat Covid-19 patients.
- It has been developed by DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
About 2-DG Drug :
- The 2-DG (2-deoxy-D-glucose) is an anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug.
- It received Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approval for emergency use after the medicine was found to be safe for treating COVID-19 patients in its phase 2 trials.
- It helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces oxygen dependence.
About INMAS :
- Director : K. Ramachandran
- Established : 1961
- Located at : Delhi
About DRDO :
- Founded: 1958
- Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
- Director General : Ajay Kumar Singh
- Chairman : G Satheesh Reddy
About Dr Reddy’s Laboratories :
- CEO: Erez Israeli
- Founder: Kallam Anji Reddy
- Founded: 1984
- Headquarters: Hyderabad
China lands Tianwen-1 spacecraft on the Red Planet
- On May 15, 2021, Chinese spacecraft successfully landed the first Mars rover Zhurong on the surface of Mars.
- China is the second country after the US to send a rover to the surface of the Red Planet.
- A China National Space Administration (CNSA) lander from the Tianwen-1, which has been in orbit, touched down on Utopia Planitia, a large plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars.
- The lander was carrying the Zhurong rover, named after an ancient Chinese god of fire, which will explore the surface near the landing site.
- The Zhurong Mars rover is hoped to ignite the spark of China’s interplanetary exploration and guide humanity deep into the vast yet unknown outer space.
About China :
- Currency: Renminbi
- Capital: Beijing
- President: Xi Jinping
About CNSA :
- Founded: 22 April 1993
- Administrator: Zhang Kejian
- Headquarters: Haidian, Beijing, China
CURRENT AFFAIRS : ARTS & CULTURE
NGMA virtual summer workshop Starts from May 17
- The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, would be starting it’s virtual summer workshops for children and adults from May 17.
- It will be held from 17th May to till June 13, 2021
- It includes workshops and other events to spark the participants’ imagination.
- The workshops would include painting, sculpting, printmaking, videography and puppeteering. The NGMA portal would also stream a curated film festival for participants.
About National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) :
- The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the premier art gallery under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
- Location: Jaipur House, Rajpath, New Delhi
- Established: 29 March 1954
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS
Italian Open title : Rafael Nadal wins, after beating Novak Djokovic
- On May 16, 2021,In tennis, Rafael Nadal beat world number one Novak Djokovic by 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 to win a 10th Italian Open title.
- Nadal also equalled Djokovic’s record of 36 ATP Masters 1000 titles in his 12th Rome final.
- The title also re-established Nadal as the overwhelming favorite for the French Open, where he will be aiming for an even harder-to-believe 14th title starting in two weeks.
Note :
- The Women’s Singles title has been won by Polish teenager Iga Swiatek.
- Men’s doubles : Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic
- Women’s Doubles title : Sharon Fichman and Giuliana Olmos
About Italian Open :
- Founded: 1930, Rome, Italy
- Venue: Foro Italico
- Headquarters: Rome, Italy
CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES
Nehru Planetarium director Dr Nandivada Rathnasree Passes away
- Notable astronomy communicator and director of the Nehru Planetarium, Nandivada Rathnasree Passed away.
About Dr Nandivada Rathnasree :
- Rathnasree, joined the planetarium in 1996 as a senior educator.
- She was also the first chairperson of the Astronomical Society of India’s public outreach and education committee (ASI-POEC) set up in 2014.
- She was recently involved in a project called, ‘Astro Adda’, a fortnightly online discussion with students.
- The eminent educator was appointed as the director of Nehru Planetarium and Science Museum in the year 1999.
Ex-BCCI match referee & Former Saurashtra cricketer Rajendrasinh Jadeja Passes away
- On May 16, 2021, Former Saurashtra pacer and BCCI match referee Rajendrasinh Jadeja Passed away.
- He was 66.
- Rajendrasinh was one of the finest right-arm medium pacers and a remarkable all-rounder.
- He played 50 first-class matches and 11 List A games, taking 134 and 14 wickets respectively.
- Rajendrasinh served as the BCCI’s official referee in 53 first-class matches, 18 List A games and 34 T20s.
- He also served as selector, coach and team manager of Saurashtra Cricket Association.
Daily CA On May 16 & 17 :
- The International Day of Lightis celebrated on 16 May each year, the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. The theme for International Day of Families 2021 is ‘Families and new technologies’
- India observes Nation Dengue Dayon May 16 as suggested by the Union Health Ministry to create awareness about the disease.
- World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is an international day proclaimed in November 2006 by the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, to be celebrated annually on 17 May. The themeof World Telecommunication Day 2021 is: Accelerating digital transformation in challenging times.
- World Hypertension Day is a day designated and initiated by The World Hypertension League, which is itself an umbrella to organizations of 85 national hypertension societies and leagues. The theme of World Hypertension Day 2021 is – “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer”.
- National Gallery of Modern Artwill start a month long online summer workshop– NAIMISHA 2021.
- The DRDO-developed ‘Oxycare’ system for soldiers, which is used in high altitude areas where oxygen levels drop, will now be used for Covid patients.
- The 45th State Day of Sikkim was observed in a brief function held here at Chintan Bhawan. The function was attended by Governor Ganga Prasad as the chief guest, while chief minister Prem Singh Tamang was present as the guest of honour.
- Railways commissions Wi–Fi at 6,000 Railway stations in five years. A railway has commissioned Wi–Fiat six thousand Railway stations in five years.
- Amazonhas launched a new video streaming service, called miniTV. The service offers users “professionally” created and curated content across web series, comedy shows, tech news, food, beauty, fashion and more.
- The Board of Directors IDBI Bankhas approved the appointment of P Sitaram, Executive Director (ED), as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Key Managerial Personnel with effect from June 1, 2021.
- IT services major Tech Mahindra appointed Meghna Hareendran as its ‘Wellness Officer’ with immediate effect.
- Homegrown utility vehicles and farm equipment major Mahindra & Mahindra announced the appointment of Toru Saito as the President & CEO of Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery Co Ltd, Japan (MAM).
- The International Invincible Gold Medal of this year has been conferred on Union Training Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
- The 11th Kalasagar awards for exemplary contribution in the field of traditional performing arts for the year have been announced. The awards will be presented on October 14 at Kunnamkulam Badhani School Palace on the occasion of the 28th death anniversary of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval, kathakali maestro and founder of Kalasagar.
- The first BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting was held on 11-12 May 2021 in Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi in virtual format. India has assumed the BRICS Presidency this year.
- On May 13, 2021, Airtel Payments Bank launched a digital platform DigiGold. DigiGold is launched in partnership with SafeGold, a provider of digital gold.
- In Tennis, Polish teenager Iga Swiatek ( 19 Years ) has won the Women’s Singles title of Italian Open.
- On May 16, 2021, Rajya Sabha MP and the senior Congress leader Rajeev Satav passed away.
- On May 16, 2021, Famous mathematician Professor MS Narasimhan passed away.
- On May 15, 2021, Veteran journalist Sunil Jain Passed away.
- On May 10, 2021, Activist Ranjana Nirula Passed away.
Daily CA On May 18 :
- International Museum Day is an international day held annually on or around 18 May, coordinated by the International Council of Museums. The theme for IMD 2021 is ‘The Future of Museums – Recover and Reimagine’.
- MyGovhas launched the Innovation Challenge to create an app that will enable individuals to learn simple sentences of any Indian language and acquire working knowledge of a language.
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden topped Fortune’s list of the world’s 50 greatest leaders and Adar Poonawalla too made it to the list. CEO of Serum Institute of India, Poonawalla is the only Indian among the top 10 names on the list.
- Bihar government launched‘HIT Covid App’ to ensure regular monitoring and tracking of those Civic-19 patients, who are in home isolation across the state.
- Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd (SUD LIFE) announced the appointment of Abhay Tewari as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company e.f 15th May 2021.
- Jainwill lead digital strategy, execution and adoption across the company. Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) has appointed Reema Jain as its Chief Digital Officer. She joins the telecom operator from Unilever, where she was the head of IT.
- Nuklu Phom theonly person from India to win the prestigious #WhitleyAwards 2021 for his work;
- Tribal Affairs Ministryand Microsoft have signed a MoU for digital transformation of Tribal Schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Ashram Schools.
- Drug firm Eli Lillysaid it has signed a voluntary licensing agreement with Natco Pharma to further expedite the availability of baricitinib for COVID-19 patients in India.
- On May 17, 2021, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the first batch of drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose drug to treat Covid-19 patients. It has been developed by DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
- On May 15, 2021, Chinese spacecraft successfully landed the first Mars rover Zhurong on the surface of Mars. China is the second country after the US to send a rover to the surface of the Red Planet.
- The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, would be starting it’s virtual summer workshops for children and adults from May 17. It will be held from 17th May to till June 13, 2021
- On May 16, 2021,In tennis, Rafael Nadal beat world number one Novak Djokovic by 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 to win a 10th Italian Open title.
- Notable astronomy communicator and director of the Nehru Planetarium, Nandivada Rathnasree Passed away.
- On May 16, 2021, Former Saurashtra pacer and BCCI match referee Rajendrasinh Jadeja Passed away.