Veteran Music Director Laxman of the duo composers “Raam-Laxman” passes away
Renowned music director “Laxman” of the famous duo composers “Raam-Laxman”, has passed away due to a heart attack. His real name was Vijay Patil, but was better known as Raamlaxman and was most famous for his work with Rajshri Productions of Hindi films.
Laxman composed music for several of their hit films like Agent Vinod (1977), Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999). Raamlaxman has worked in almost 75 films in Hindi, Marathi and Bhojpuri.
Narinder Batra re-elected as FIH President
Narinder Batra has been re-elected as the President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for the second consecutive term. He was elected during the virtual 47th Congress of FIH, where he beat Marc Coudron, Chief of Belgium Hockey Federation, by just two votes. He will hold the office until 2024 because the FIH has reduced the term from four to three years.
The veteran Indian sports administrator is the only Asian to be appointed to the top post in the world body’s 92-year-old history. He is also the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- International Hockey Federation (FIH) Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland;
- International Hockey Federation CEO: Thierry Weil;
- International Hockey Federation Founded: 7 January 1924.
World Turtle Day celebrated on 23 May
The World Turtle Day is observed on May 23 every year by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization. The day is celebrated to raise awareness among people to protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world. The day is being celebrated since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle. The theme of 2021 World Turtle Day is “Turtles Rock!”.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Founders of American Tortoise Rescue: Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson.
- American Tortoise Rescue is located in Malibu, California.
- American Tortoise Rescue was founded in 1990.
Himanta Biswa Sarma elected to BWF Council
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) President Himanta Biswa Sarma has been elected as a Member of the c for the period 2021-25. Sarma was elected among 31 contestants to the 20-member BWF Council on May 22, 2021, at the virtual AGM and Council election of BWF, where he got 236 votes in favour. He is also the Vice President of Badminton Asia and the Chief Minister of Assam.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Badminton World Federation Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;
- Badminton World Federation President: Paul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.
Former Atomic Energy Commission of India Chief Srikumar Banerjee Passes Away
The former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India, Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, has passed away. He retired as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy in 2012. He had also served as the Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for six years till 2010.
Dr Banerjee received the Padma Shri in 2005 and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 1989 for his exceptional service in the field of science, especially in the areas of atomic energy and metallurgy.
Forbes Highest paid Athletes list 2021 released
Forbes has unveiled its annual list of the 10 highest-paid athletes of the year. UFC star Conor McGregor has topped the Forbes list by earning $180 million in the past year beating soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to become the highest-paid athlete in the world. The factors used by Forbes’ for calculation include all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between May 1, 2020, and May 1, 2021.
Ranking Index
| Rank | Name | Sports | Earning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conor McGregor (Ireland) | MMA | $180 million |
| 2 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | Soccer | $130 million |
| 3 |
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | Soccer | $120 million |
| 4 | Dak Prescott (United States) | Football | $107.5 million |
| 5 | Lebron James (United States) | Basketball | $96.5 million |
| 6 | Neymar (Brazil) | Soccer | $95 million |
| 7 | Roger Federer (Switzerland) | Tennis | $90 million |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom) | Formula 1 | $82 million |
| 9 | Tom Brady (United States) | Football | $76 million |
| 10 |
Kevin Durant (United States) | Basketball | $75 million |
Italy hosts the Global G20 Summit
The Global G20 Health Summit was co-hosted by European Commission along with Italy as part of its G20 presidency amid the surge and spread of coronavirus cases. The summit adopted the agenda to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. It also decided to develop and endorse a Rome Declaration of principles.
Summit noted the risk of more transmissible variants has increased with nine people losing their lives to Covid-19 per minute. As per WHO officials, the future of the pandemic is in hands of G20 leaders. G20 has also contributed to the launch of ACT-Accelerator as it was launched after G20 called for a global mechanism to accelerate the development of tests, treatments and vaccines.
What is ACT-Accelerator?
ACT-Accelerator is used for “Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator”. It is also called Global Collaboration to Accelerate Development, Production and Equitable Access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. This initiative was announced and started by the G20 grouping in April 2020. ACT Accelerator acts as a cross-discipline support structure that enables the partners to share resources and knowledge.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Italy Capital: Rome;
- Italy Currency: Euro;
- Italy President: Sergio Mattarella.
Naturalist Jane Goodall wins 2021 Templeton prize for life’s work
The naturalist Jane Goodall has been announced as the 2021 winner of the Templeton Prize in recognition of her life’s work on animal intelligence and humanity. Goodall built her global reputation on her groundbreaking studies of chimpanzees in Tanzania in the 1960s.
The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, “whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton’s philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it.”
About Templeton Prize
- Instituted: 1973;
- Presented by: John Templeton Foundation;
- Reward(s): £1.1 million;
- Currently held by: Francis Collins;
- Awarded for: Outstanding contributions in affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.
FIFA U-17 women’s World Cup to be held in India in October 2022
The U-17 women’s World Cup will be held in India from October 11 to 30 next year, Fifa Council said on 21st May. India was earlier scheduled to host the 2020 U-17 World Cup but it was postponed to 2021 before being cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The FIFA Council approved key dates for the international match calendars, including the dates of the 2022 U-17 World Cup in India.
The Council also approved dates for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022 (11-30 October 2022), FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 (10-28 August 2022), as well as a 14-team playoff for the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, taking place between 19 and 25 June this year and Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 from July 20 to August 20, 2023.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Founded: 21 May 1904.
- Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.
Atletico Madrid clinch La Liga title
Atletico Madrid pipped city rivals Real Madrid to the La Liga title on 22nd May Luis Suarez fired them to a 2-1 comeback win at Real Valladolid. Atletico finished top of the standings on 86 points while Real, who snatched a late 2-1 win over Villarreal, came second on 84. Valladolid finished 19th and was relegated to Spain’s second division.
Asia’s richest and second richest persons are now Indians
Billionaire Gautam Adani has edged past Chinese tycoon Zhong Shanshan to become the second-richest Asian, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. China’s Zhong was the richest Asian till February when he lost the crown to Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest person and chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd.
However, while Ambani lost $175.5 million this year, Adani’s wealth surged by $32.7 billion to touch $66.5 billion, against Zhong’s $63.6 billion. Ambani’s total wealth now stands at $76.5 billion, making him the 13th richest in the world, followed by Adani at 14th.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index on May 21, 2021:
| Rank | Name | Net Worth | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Bezos | $189B | US |
| 2 | Elon Musk | $163B | US |
| 3 | Bernard Arnault | $162B | France |
| 4 | Bill Gates | $142B | US |
| 5 | Mark Zuckerberg | $119B | US |
| 6 | Warren Buffet | $108B | US |
| 7 | Larry Page | $106B | US |
| 8 | Sergey Brin | $102B | US |
| 9 | Larry Ellison | $91.2B | US |
| 10 | Steve Ballmer | $89.2B | US |
| 11 | Francoise Bettercourt Meyers | $87.2B | France |
| 12 | Amancio Ortega | $82.4B | Spain |
| 13 | Mukesh Ambani | $76.3B | India |
| 14 | Gautam Adani | $67.6B | India |
| 15 | Zhong Shanshan | $65.6B | China |
About Bloomberg Billionaires Index
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index comprises a daily ranking of the world’s richest people, based on their net worth. The figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.
Rajesh Bansal appointed as CEO of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub
The Board of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) has appointed Rajesh Bansal as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the RBIH with effect from May 17, 2021, the RBIH said in a statement. The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub would develop internal infrastructure to promote fintech research and facilitate engagement with innovators and start-ups.
About Rajesh Bansal:
- Bansal has over twenty-five years of experience in designing technology-led population-scale payment products, electronic cash transfers, digital financial services and digital IDs to enable inclusive development in India and multiple Asian and African markets.
- He has earlier served at the RBI in various capacities in the areas of technology, financial inclusion and payment systems.
- He was a member of the founding team of Aadhaar where he played a key role in designing India’s Direct Benefits Transfer system and electronic KYC (eKYC). He has been a member of various committees of the RBI and the Government of India, the statement added.
Indian boxing’s first Dronacharya awardee coach O P Bhardwaj passes away
Indian boxing’s first Dronacharya awardee coach, O P Bhardwaj has passed away. He has bestowed the highest national honour in coaching jointly with Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat (wrestling) & O M Nambiar (athletics) when it was introduced in 1985.
Bhardwaj was India’s national boxing coach from 1968 to 1989 & also served as a national selector. He was the first chief instructor for the sport at the National Institute of Sports India in Patiala.
Hockey India wins Etienne Glichitch Award
Hockey India has won the prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its contribution to the growth and development of the sport in the country. The awards were announced by the game’s governing body FIH during the HockeyInvites virtual conference. It was part of its 47th FIH Congress which concluded with the FIH Honorary Awards.
Other Awards presented as a part of the 47th FIH Congress:
| S.no | Award | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pablo Negre Award | Uzbekistan Hockey Federation |
| 2 | Theo Ikema Award | Polish Hockey Association |
| 3 | HRH Sultan Azlan Shah Award | Sharon Williamson of New Zealand |
| 4 | Guust Lathouwers Memorial Trophy | Ivona Makar |
Kotak Mahindra Bank issues India’s first FPI licence to GIFT AIF
Kotak Mahindra Bank has issued the first-ever foreign portfolio investor (FPI) licence to the GIFT IFSC alternative investment fund (AIF) of True Beacon Global. This is the first FPI licence issued to an AIF incorporated in GIFT IFSC by any custodian bank or designated depository participant (DDP) in the country.
AIF is an important business vertical at GIFT IFSC and offers huge benefits and a competitive edge for setting up a fund in IFSC at GIFT City. In partnership with Kotak Mahindra Bank, True Beacon launched its first AIF in GIFT-City with PricewaterhouseCoopers(PWC) as consultants.
Definitions:
- Foreign Portfolio Investor: It means the investments made by investors in financial assets, such as stocks and bonds of entities located in another country.
- Designated Depository Participant: It means a person who has been approved by the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) under FPI Regulations, 2014, to buy, sell or otherwise deal in securities as a foreign portfolio investor.
- Alternative Investment Fund: It is a privately pooled investment vehicle that collects funds from sophisticated investors, whether Indian or foreign, for investing it by a defined investment policy for the benefit of its investors. There are 3 Categories in AIFs (Category I AIFs, Category II AIFs, and Category III AIFs).
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Kotak Mahindra Bank is India’s first non-banking finance company which is converted into a bank;
- Kotak Mahindra Bank Establishment: 2003 (Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd. was established in 1985, converted to Kotak Mahindra Bank in 2003);
- Kotak Mahindra Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
- Kotak Mahindra Bank MD & CEO: Uday Kotak;
- Kotak Mahindra Bank Tagline: Let’s Make Money Simple.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins Monaco Grand Prix 2021
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has won the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time to take the Formula One championship lead from Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. finished second, while McLaren, L. Norris came in a disappointing third place.
Verstappen’s second win this season and 12th of his career moved the Red Bull driver four points ahead of Hamilton overall. The seven-time world champion finished seventh on a bad day for the usually ultra-reliable Mercedes team.
A book title “Nehru, Tibet and China” authored by Avtar Singh Bhasin
A book has titled “Nehru, Tibet and China” authored by Avtar Singh Bhasin. The book based on years of meticulous archival research, this book in fascinating detail, analyses the events from 1949 to the Indo-China war in 1962 and its aftermath to explore the answers to these burning questions.
History of India, Tibet and China:
On 1 October 1949, the People’s Republic of China came into being and changed forever the course of Asian history. Power moved from the hands of the nationalist Kuomintang government to the Communist Party of China headed by Mao Tse Tung. All of a sudden, it was not only an assertive China that India had to deal with but also an increasingly complex situation in Tibet which was reeling under pressure from China.
Clearly, newly independent India, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at its helm, was navigating very choppy waters. Its relations with China progressively deteriorated, eventually leading to the Indo-China war in 1962. Today, more than six decades after the war, we are still plagued by border disputes with China that seem to routinely grab the headlines. It leads one to question what exactly went on during those initial years of the emergence of a new China.
‘India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present’ is authored by Shivshankar Menon
A book has titled ‘India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present’ is authored by Shivshankar Menon. He was the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser and Foreign Secretary, is exploring these phases in their historical context to tell the story of how India weathered the many geopolitical storms of the past in his latest book.
Menon has taken a different approach to history. He underscores the seriousness of China taking Tibet in 1950, which, according to him, was a pivotal moment in India-China relations, but challenges the argument that India failed to stop the Chinese invasion.
Cyclone Yaas to hit West Bengal, Odisha
A category 5 cyclonic storm has been forecasted to make its landfall along the coastline of West Bengal and Odisha between May 26-27. Once formed, the cyclone will be named ‘Yaas’. Yaas will be as deadly as Amphan which was also formed in the Bay of Bengal in May last year. Yaas, named by Oman as such, refers to a Jasmine-like tree that has a good fragrance.
A rotational list of the names of cyclones is maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), with the names specific for each tropical zone. If a cyclone is especially deadly then its name is never used and is replaced by another name. The list has a total of 169 names at present which will be used on a rotational basis.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- World Meteorological Organisation Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland;
- World Meteorological Organisation Founded: 23 March 1950;
- World Meteorological Organisation President: David Grimes.
