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Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed doing away with the concept of promoters and moving to ‘person in control.’ It has also suggested reducing the minimum lock-in periods post a public issue for promoters and pre-Initial Public Offering (IPO) shareholders. SEBI is a statutory body established in April, 1992 in accordance with …

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has designed an ‘oxygen park’ within its premises at Coimbatore with Beema Bamboo. Important points: Beema or Bheema Bamboo is a superior clone, selected from Bambusa balcooa, a higher biomass yielding bamboo species. This bamboo clone has been developed by the conventional breeding method. This species is considered to be one of …

The 4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue was held virtually through video conferencing. Important points: Talks for collaboration on various aspects including investments, International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), FinTech, sustainable finance and cross border financial services. The matters relating to G20, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy were discussed …

Recently, Rajasthan Government has approved a proposal to provide Rs. 3 crore each from the MLA Local Area Development (LAD) Fund to mobilise resources for Covid-19 Vaccination of the people in the age group of 18 to 44 years. For meeting the expenses, the fund for each legislator has been increased from Rs. 2.25 crore to Rs. 5 crore a year. …

Recently, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft departed from asteroid Bennu, and started its two-year long journey back to Earth. OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey its surface and collect a sample from it. Important points: It is the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission, aiming to collect and carry a pristine, …

Recently, thirteen states have started distributing foodgrains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY). The scheme has been rolled out again for two months (May and June 2021) as the country’s healthcare infrastructure has reached its capacity and several states have taken steps like complete lockdown, night curfew to contain the spread …

National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) is in the process of creating a verified and accurate database of companies (Public Interest Entities) and auditors that come under the regulatory ambit of it. In this regard, the NFRA has been engaging with the Corporate Data Management (CDM) division of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and three …

The Union Territory of Puducherry has become the fourth State/UT after Goa, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Further, the State of Punjab and the UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have also crossed the milestone of covering 75% of rural homes with assured tap water supply. Important points: JJM envisages …

Two people were arrested under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 for possessing uranium without licence and selling it illegally. On testing, the sample was confirmed as natural uranium by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Important points: Uranium occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water. It is a hard, dense, malleable, ductile, silver-white, …

The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his Jayanti. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a great social reformer and educationist who provided exemplary leadership to India’s freedom movement. Important points: Birth: 9th May, 1866 in Kotluk village in present-day Maharashtra (then part of the Bombay Presidency). Gokhale worked …

Recently, there has been an across-the-board rise in global commodity prices that is being billed as a new commodity super cycle. A commodity is a basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other goods of the same type. Commodities are most often used as inputs in the production of other goods or services. Important points: A …

There was a decrease in the number of vaccine doses administered in the week starting 1st May 2021, after the government “opened up” vaccination beyond priority groups, to its lowest level in eight weeks. Covid-19 vaccines are being developed at a pace faster than for any other disease, yet there are shortages. Important points: …

The NITI Aayog and Mastercard have released a report titled ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’. The report identifies challenges in accelerating Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) in India and provides recommendations for making digital services accessible to its 1.3 billion citizens. Digital Financial Inclusion “Digital financial inclusion (DFI)” can be defined broadly as digital …

A number of Covid-19 patients are developing a serious fungal infection known as Mucormycosis also called black fungus. Important points: Mucormycosis: It is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes, which is abundant in the environment. It mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness. The types of …

The Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Maharana Pratap on his Jayanti. Important points: Rana Pratap Singh also known as Maharana Pratap was born on 9th May 1540 in Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan. He was the 13th King of Mewar and was the eldest son of Udai Singh II Maharana Udai Singh II ruled the kingdom of Mewar, with his capital at …

The Prime Minister paid tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on 160th Jayanti on 7th May, 2021. Important points: He was born in Calcutta on 7th May 1861. He was also referred to as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’, and ‘Biswakabi’ He is regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern India and hailed by W.B Yeats, Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, novelist, and painter, who …

Recently, the Environment Appraisal Committee which flagged concerns over the project has now ‘recommended’ it ‘for grant of terms of reference’ for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies. In August, 2020 the Prime Minister had declared that the Andaman and Nicobar islands will be developed as a “maritime and startup hub”. Important points: The proposal includes …

There are cases of clearance of forest land, digging and construction activities on at least three animal corridors within the eco-sensitive zone of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. The Supreme Court of India in its 2019 order had said that “No new construction shall be permitted on private lands which form part of the …

Recently, India participated in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM) and shared plans for research and long-term cooperation in the Arctic Region. The first two meetings—ASM1 and ASM2—were held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, respectively. Arctic Region The Arctic region comprises the Arctic Ocean and parts of countries such as Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Russia, USA (Alaska), …

The Ministry of Finance has released the second monthly instalment of Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of Rs. 9,871 crore for the year 2021-22 to 17 States. Important points: The Centre provides the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant to the States under Article 275 of the Constitution. The grants are released as per the recommendations of …