Test: May 2021 Weekly Current Affair - 4 - UPSC MCQ

Markets regulator Sebi doubled the overseas investment limit of alternative investment funds and venture capital funds to USD 1,500 million.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Swiss Confederation will launch the first facility to share rapidly virus and pathogen samples between laboratories worldwide, as the WHO BioHub Facility was approved through a Memorandum of Understanding.

Indian economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Kumar Sen has been conferred with Spain’s top Princess of Asturias Award in the social sciences category, the Spanish prize foundation announced.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has permitted existing Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) account holders, including NGOs and associations, to open their “FCRA Account” in the New Delhi Main Branch (NDMB) of the State Bank of India up to June 30, 2021.

Indian Commonwealth Day is 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.

Hockey India won the prestigious Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its contribution to the growth and development of the sport in the country.

TRIFED will now be partnering with NITI Aayog to implement the Van Dhan Yojana in the districts that have been identified as aspirational by NITI Aayog.

The Reserve Bank of India has appointed Rajesh Bansal, an expert in electronic cash transfers and digital financial services, as the Chief Executive Officer of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub with effect from May 17.

International Missing Children’s Day is observed globally on 25th May every year.

A portal that provides comprehensive details on all the CSR activities in Karnataka was launched by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in Bengaluru.

Barcelona put on a brilliant display to beat Chelsea 4-0 to win the Women’s Champions League final for the first time in the club’s history.

IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal took charge as director of the CBI, officials said.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced its first mobile robot to the moon in late 2023. The rover will search for ice as well as other resources on and below the lunar surface.

The Union Government has decided to provide monetary assistance to students through Direct Benefit Transfer under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

The National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI) announced it has onboarded Turkey’s global payment solutions company PayCore as one of the certified partners for RuPay SoftPOS to drive cashless payments across the country.

The Centre further expanded the scope of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme(ECLGS) amid the economic disruption caused by the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic to aid Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially increased informality in employment, leading to a decline in earnings for the majority of workers, and consequent increase in poverty in the country, according to ‘State of Working India 2021: One Year of Covid-19’, a report brought out annually by Azim Premji University’s Centre for Sustainable Employment, Bengaluru.

The International Financial Services Centres Authority, IFSCA has constituted an expert committee on Investment Funds.

The Finance Ministry formally notified the amendment to the Indian Insurance Companies (Foreign Investment) Rules, 2015 and clarified on the final rules for increasing the foreign direct investment limit in the insurance sector to 74% from the existing 49%,which came into effect on May 19, 2021.

With an objective of providing psychological first-aid and emotional support to children affected during the pandemic, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is providing tele-counselling to children through SAMVEDNA (Sensitising Action on Mental Health Vulnerability through Emotional Development and Necessary Acceptance) – a toll-free helpline.

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.

Max Mosley, the former head of Formula 1’s governing body who went on to become a high-profile privacy campaigner, has died aged 81 from cancer.

The book titled “The Spiritual CEO”, penned by secretary of Heartfulness Institute, S Prakashhas been released. The book was published by Westland Publication.

Jagjit Pavadia, the former Narcotics Commissioner of India, has been elected as the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

ZebPay launched a lending platform where investors can lend their coins to the cryptocurrency exchange and earn returns depending on the token and the time period it is loaned for. Lending facility will be available in two options — open term and fixed term.