DAILY GK: 23, 24 MAY 2021
1.
BRICS ASTRONOMY WORKING GROUP (BAWG)
• India
virtually hosted the 7th meeting of BRICS Astronomy Working Group (BAWG)
meeting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa in online mode at
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune
(Maharashtra).
• The
participants recommended the networking of existing Telescopes in BRICS
countries and creating a regional Data Network.
2.
FDI IN INSURANCE SECTOR INCREASED TO 74%
• The
Ministry of Finance notified the Indian Insurance Companies (Foreign
Investment) Amendment Rules, 2021 which increases the Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) limit in the Insurance sector to 74% from the existing 49%.
• Indian
Insurance Companies (Foreign Investment) Amendment Rules, 2021 has amended the
Indian Insurance Companies (Foreign Investment) Rules, 2015.
• Insurance
penetration in India stands at 3.7% of the GDP compared to the Global average
of 6.31%.
3.
IMF PROPOSES PLAN TO VACCINATE EVERYONE BY 2022
• The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has put forth an USD 50 Billion proposal to
end the COVID-19 Pandemic, it has set a target of vaccinating at least 40% of
the world’s population by end of 2021 & remaining 60% by first half of
2022.
• The
proposal was drafted by IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath and Staff Economist
Ruchir Agarwal.
• It states
that vaccinating the entire global population would inject the equivalent of
USD 9 trillion into the global economy by 2025 due to fast resumption of
economic activity.
• The
proposal was elaborated by the IMF during the Global Health Summit 2021 hosted
by Italy (G20 2021 Presidency).
4.
RBI TRANSFER OF RS 99,122 CRORE AS SURPLUS TO GOVT
• RBI
approved the transfer of Rs 99,122 crore as surplus to the Central government
for the accounting period of 9 months from July 2020 to March 2021 under the
589th virtual meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the RBI.
• The current
surplus fund transfer is 50 percent higher than Rs 57,128 crore, the transfer
approved in the accounting year 2019-2020.
• The meeting
was held under the chairmanship of Shaktikanta Das, RBI governor.
5.
LIC HIKED ITS STAKE IN UNION BANK TO OVER 5%
• The Life
Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) acquired around a 2 percent stake in the
state-run Union Bank of India(UBI) and hiked its stake hold in UBI to 5.06
percent.
• Earlier,
the LIC held a 09 percent stake in UBI, representing 19,79,23,251 equity shares
of the bank, now it was increased to 5.06 percent (34,57,64,764 shares).
6.
‘INS RAJPUT’ DECOMMISSIONED
• Indian
Navy’s 1st destroyer INS Rajput was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard,
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh after 41 years of service (commissioned on May 4,
1980).
• It was the
1st Indian Navy ship to be associated with an Indian Army Regiment – ‘Rajput
regiment’, and the 1st ship to be fitted with anti-ship supersonic cruise
missile ‘Brahmos’ in 2005.
7.
FIRST DRONACHARYA AWARDEE COACH PASSED AWAY
• India’s
first Dronacharya awardee coach in boxing, Om Prakash Bhardwaj(O P Bhardwaj)
passed away after battling prolonged illness and age-related ailments in New
Delhi.
• In 1985, O
P Bhardwaj was awarded the Dronacharya Award, India’s highest award in the
field of coaching of sports and athletics.
• He was the
founder of the Boxing Coaching Department at the National Institute of Sports,
Patiala and served as chief coach from 1975 to 1988.
8.
ANTI TERRORISM DAY 2021
• Anti
Terrorism Day is annually observed across India on 21st May to wean away youth
from Terrorism and to highlight the suffering of the common Public and its
effect on the National Interest.
• The day
also marks the Death Anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• 21st May
2021 marks the 30th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.
9.
FIRST STATE TO REIMBURSE GST ON COVID-RELATED DONATIONS
• Haryana
became the first state in the Country to reimburse Goods and Services Tax (GST)
paid on Covid-related donations made to the state and state-run
organisations.
• This will
be applicable till June 30.
• To
encourage efforts by corporations, NGOs and individuals in facilitating
donations of Oxygen Concentrators, Covid-19 Vaccines, Remdesivir Injections,
etc.
• The 15
items eligible for reimbursement include Oxygen Concentrator, Oxygen filling
systems, Oxygen storage tanks, Oxygen Generators, Vaccine, Remdesivir, Ventilators,
etc.