Recently the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 was announced. The award is presented in a formal ceremony in Manila, the capital of the Philippines on 31st August each year. Important points: The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 and is considered Asia’s premier prize and highest honour. It is named after Ramon Magsaysay, the third president of the …

Amid criticism of the renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial, some people raise questions over the statue of Shaheed Udham Singh installed at the Bagh. Important points: Born in Sunam in Punjab’s Sangrur district in 1899, also referred to as Shaheed-i-Azam Sardar Udham Singh which means ‘Great Martyr’. He is regarded as one of the foremost revolutionaries of the Indian …

Recently, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has released a report, which stated that weather disasters killed 2 million in the last 50 years. WMO has published ‘Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes, from 1970 to 2019’. WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Important points: The …

Recently, Ladakh has adopted Snow Leopard and Black-Necked Crane, as State animal and State bird, two years after it was carved out as a separate Union Territory (UT) from the erstwhile State of J&K (Jammu and Kashmir). Important points: Snow Leopard: Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) act as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in …

Recently, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) launched the State of the World’s Trees Report. The report warns that almost a third of the world’s tree species are at risk of extinction, while hundreds are on the brink of being wiped out. BGCI is a membership organisation, representing botanic gardens in more than 100 countries around the world. …

Recently, the Ministry of Finance has released an amount of Rs. 13,385.70 crore to 25 States for providing grants to the Rural Local Bodies. This Grant-in-aid is the 1st installment of Tied grants of the year 2021-22. The grants have been released as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission. Important points: The Union Budget provides funds to local bodies, state disaster …

Recently, State Bank of India (SBI) has raised Rs. 4,000 crore of the Basel compliant Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds at coupon rate of 7.72%. This is the first AT1 Bond issuance in the domestic market post the new SEBI regulations. This is also the lowest pricing ever offered on such debt issued by any Indian bank since the implementation of Basel …

Recently, the Chief Minister of Manipur virtually launched the e-ILP platform for effective regulation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state. The ILP system came into effect in Manipur on 1st January 2020. In Manipur, four types of permits are issued – temporary, regular, special and labour permits. Important points: Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation …

Recently, the Ministry for Women and Child Development inaugurated Poshan 2.0 and urged all Aspirational Districts to establish a Poshan Vatika (nutrition garden) during the Nutrition Month (Poshan Mah) from 1st September. A month-long celebration of the POSHAN Abhiyan mission places special attention on Severe Acute Malnourished (SAM) children. Important points: It is an umbrella scheme covering the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (Anganwadi Services, Poshan …

Recently, the Indian and Algerian navies participated in a maiden naval exercise off the Algerian coast in a bid to increase maritime cooperation. The naval exercise with Algeria is crucial for India as it is strategically located in the Maghreb region (region of North Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea and is the largest country of …