World’s largest iceberg breaks off from Antarctica
European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed using satellite images that the world’s largest iceberg has broken off Antarctica. Named as A-76, the iceberg was 4320 square kilometres in size, which is half the size of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The finger-shaped iceberg broke off from the Ronne Ice shelf, a massive ice shelf that encompasses an area of more than 400,000 sq. km.
The images were captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1. The Copernicus Sentinel spacecraft is the first ESA Earth Observation spacecraft to implement communications security on the command link.
International Missing Children’s Day: 25 May
International Missing Children’s Day is observed globally on 25th May every year. This day is observed for missing children who have found their way home, remember those that are victims of crime, and continue efforts to seek out those that are still missing. 25 May is now widely referred to as Missing Children’s Day, with the forget-me-not flower as its emblem.
About International Missing Children’s Day:
The day was proclaimed in 1983, by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. In 2001, 25 May was the first formally recognized as International Missing Children’s Day (IMCD), to a joint effort on the part of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), Missing Children Europe and therefore the European Commission.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- ICMEC Headquarters: Alexandria, Virginia, US; Chairman of ICMEC: Dr Franz B. Humer.
UK launches plan for ‘Global Pandemic Radar’
The United Kingdom will develop an advanced international pathogen surveillance network to identify Covid-19 variants and emerging diseases. This Global Pandemic Radar will ensure the early detection of new variants and emerging pathogens, so vaccines and treatments needed to stop them can be rapidly developed. Prime minister Boris Johnson announced the plans, ahead of the Global Health Summit hosted by Italy and the European Union (EU).
About the radar:
- The radar is expected to be fully up and running with a network of surveillance hubs before the end of 2021, with the aim of significantly improving global health security going into next year.
- WHO will lead an implementation group, supported by global health charity the Wellcome Trust, to launch the new international partnership to identify, track and share data on new coronavirus variants and monitor vaccine resistance in populations.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- UK Prime Minister:- Boris Johnson;
- UK Capital: London.
China’s ‘father of hybrid rice’ Yuan Longping passes away
Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, renowned for developing a hybrid rice strain that vastly improved the grain output in the country, passed away at the age of 91. Yuan succeeded in cultivating a high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973, which was later grown on a large scale in China and other countries to substantially raise output.
Haryana govt launches ‘Sanjeevani Pariyojana’ to treat COVID patients at home
Haryana government has launched an anti-Covid “Sanjeevani Pariyojana”, which will provide supervised and quick medical care at home for people, with mild to moderate symptoms of Covid-19, residing in rural areas. This Pariyojana has been launched to extend medical care in rural areas where awareness regarding the second wave of Covid-19 and related treatment remains low. It is an important step of bringing medical care for the people who need it most and when they need it most.
Under the initiative:
- The scope of medical advice will be expanded beyond qualified doctors as it will mobilize 200 final year and pre-final year medical students and interns by connecting them to consultants and experts.
- The initiative comprises an Integrated Command and Control Centre to manage critical resources such as ambulance tracking, oxygen supply, hospital beds availability, besides, door-to-door awareness campaign.
- Thus, it will help the district administration in keeping a bird’s eye view of the entire healthcare system.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Haryana Capital: Chandigarh.
- Haryana Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya.
- Haryana Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar.
Maharashtra govt launches “Mission Oxygen Self-Reliance”
Maharashtra government has launched the “Mission Oxygen Self-Reliance” scheme to meet the state’s oxygen needs. Special incentives will be given to oxygen-producing industries under this scheme. At present, the state’s oxygen generation capacity is 1300 MT per day. Units set up in Vidarbha, Marathwada, Dhule, Nandurbar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg regions will be eligible for incentives up to 150 per cent of their eligible fixed capital investments and units set up in the rest of Maharashtra will be eligible for up to 100 per cent general incentives.
The government will also give a refund on gross SGST, stamp duty, electricity duty and unit subsidy of power cost for five years and interest subsidy for MSME units with a fixed capital investment of up to Rs 50 crore. Only those applying before June 30 will get the benefits of this policy. With these incentives, Maharashtra’s healthcare system is expected to be strengthened by increasing manufacturing and storage for becoming an oxygen self-reliant state soon.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
- Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai.
- Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.
Indian Commonwealth Day: 24th May
Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in the month of March every year. However, in India, another Commonwealth Day is also celebrated on May 24. Also known as Empire Day, Commonwealth Day commemorates the formation of the British Empire in India and other colonies of Britain.
This year the theme for Commonwealth Day is: Delivering a Common Future. The aim of this theme is to highlight how the 54 Commonwealth countries are innovating, connecting and transforming to help achieve essential goals like tackling climate change, promoting good governance, achieving gender equality.
History of the day:
It was not until after the death of Queen Victoria, who passed away on January 22, 1901, that Empire Day was first celebrated. The first Empire Day was celebrated on May 24, 1902, which was the Queen’s birthday. Many schools across the British Empire were celebrating it even before it was officially recognised as an annual event.
Uttarakhand CM declared Vatsalya Yojana for children orphaned due to Corona
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has announced Chief Minister Vatsalya Yojana for orphaned children who have lost their parents due to Covid-19. Under the scheme, the State Government will make arrangements for their maintenance, education and training for employment up to the age of 21 years. The Chief Minister said that such orphaned children of the state will be given a maintenance allowance of 3000 rupees per month.
The state government will make laws for the paternal property of these orphans in which no one will have the right to sell their paternal property until they are adults. This responsibility will be with the District Magistrate of the concerned district. The Chief Minister also said that the children whose parents have died due to Covid-19 will be given 5 per cent horizontal reservation in government jobs of the state government.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Tirath Singh Rawat;
- Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.
Indian-Origin Anvee Bhutani Elected as Oxford Student Union President
An Indian-origin Human Sciences student from Magdalen College at the University of Oxford has been declared the winner at the end of a Student Union (SU) byelection. Anvee Bhutani, Co-Chair Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality (CRAE) at Oxford SU and President of the Oxford India Society, was in the fray for the by-election for the 2021-22 academic years, which attracted a record turnout.
IMF proposes $50 billion global vaccination plan
The International Monetary Fund has proposed a $50 billion global vaccination plan that would cover at least 40 per cent of the global population by the end of 2021 and at least 60 per cent by the first half of 2022. The vaccination target requires additional upfront grants to Covax, donating surplus doses and free cross-border flows of raw materials and finished vaccines.
With strong and coordinated action now and with little in terms of financing relative to the outsized benefits the world can durably exit this unprecedented health and economic crisis, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in her address to the G20 Health Summit.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- IMF Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S.
- IMF Managing Director and Chairman: Kristalina Georgieva.
- IMF Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath.
NASA to send its first mobile robot to search for water on the moon
The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration is planning to search for water and other resources on the moon in 2023. The US agency, as part of its Artemis program, is planning to send its first mobile robot to the Moon in late 2023 in search of ice and other resources on and below the lunar surface. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER will collect data that would help NASA map resources at the lunar South Pole that could one day be harvested for long-term human exploration at the Moon.
About the VIPER:
- The data received from VIPER has the potential to aid our scientists in determining precise locations and concentrations of ice on the Moon and will help us evaluate the environment and potential resources at the lunar south pole in preparation for Artemis astronauts.
- VIPER runs on solar power. It will be required to quickly manoeuvre around the extreme swings in light and dark at the lunar South Pole.
- NASA has awarded a task order to Astrobotic for VIPER’s launch, transit and delivery to the lunar surface as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- 14th NASA administrator: Bill Nelson;
- Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States;
- NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.
