Current affairs of May 15,16 and 17

 

Ramesh Powar appointed Head Coach of Indian Women’s Cricket team

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the appointment of Ramesh Powar as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Women). The three-member Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sulakshana Naik, Madan Lal and Rudra Pratap Singh interviewed the applicants and unanimously agreed on Powar’s candidature. A former international, Powar played 2 Tests and 31 ODIs for India.

Secretary of BCCI: Jay Shah.

President of BCCI: Sourav Ganguly.

Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Founded: December 1928.

International Day of Families 15 May

The International Day of Families is observed every year on 15 May to reflect the importance that the international community attaches to families. This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. The theme of 2021 is “Families and New Technologies”.

History of the day:

In 1993, the UN General Assembly decided in a resolution that 15 May of every year should be observed as The International Day of Families.

KP Sharma Oli Re-appointed as Prime Minister of Nepal

In Nepal, KP Sharma Oli was re-appointed as the Prime Minister of the country by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari. Oli was administered the oath of office by the President on May 14, 2021. Now, he must prove that he has majority support in the House within 30 days. This will be his third stint as Prime Minister. He was first appointed as PM from 12 October 2015 to 4 August 2016, and then again from 15 February 2018 to 13 May 2021.

Key highlights:

The decision to re-appoint Oli was taken after none of the opposition party could secure majority seats in the House to form a new government or apply for it in the provided time frame (by 9 pm on 13 May 2021).

As a result, Oli, who is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML), the largest party in the House of Representatives, was appointed for Prime Minister, as per the provision of 76(3) of the Constitution of Nepal.

It must be noted that, on 10 May 2021, Oli failed to obtain a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives, gaining only 93 of the total 232 votes cast, which was 43 votes short of reaching the 136-vote majority required to win the confidence vote.

As a result, Oli was automatically relieved from his post.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Tops Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders 2021

New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has topped the ‘World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ list for 2021, released by Fortune Magazine. The ‘World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ list for 2021 is the eighth edition of the annual list which celebrates leaders, some well-known and others who aren’t so familiar, who made a difference amid the “truly unprecedented times” of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From India, Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Serum Institute of India (SII) is the only Indian among the top 10 names. He is placed in the 10th spot.

List of Top 10 Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders 2021

Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand

mRNA Pioneers

Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal

Dr John Nkengasong, director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Adam Silver; Michele Roberts; Chris Paul, NBA Rescuers

Jessica Tan, founder of Ping An Group

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury for the Church of England/Anglican Church

Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight

Reshorna Fitzpatrick, pastor for Proceeding Word Church, Chicago

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Declares Malerkotla as 23rd District

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has declared Malerkotla as the 23rd district of the state on May 14, 2021, on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Malerkotla is a Muslim-dominated area and has been carved out of the Sangrur district of the state. The government had promised that Malerkotla will be declared a district soon in 2017.

Punjab CM: Captain Amarinder Singh.

Punjab Governor: V.P.Singh Badnore.

Airtel Payments Bank launches Digigold

Airtel Payments Bank has launched “DigiGold”, a digital platform for customers to make investments in gold. This has been rolled out in partnership with SafeGold, a provider of digital gold. With DigiGold, Airtel Payments Bank’s saving account customers can invest in 24K gold using the Airtel Thanks app. Customers can also gift DigiGold to their family and friends, who have a savings account with Airtel Payments Bank.

The gold purchased by customers is stored securely by SafeGold at no additional cost and can be sold through the Airtel Thanks app at any time in a matter of few clicks. There is no minimum investment value requirement and customers can start with as low as one rupee. Airtel Payments Bank recently increased its savings deposit limit to ₹2 lakh in line with RBI guidelines. It now offers an increased interest rate of 6% on deposits between ₹1-2 lakh.

Airtel Payments Bank’s MD and CEO: Nubrata Biswas.

Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters: New Delhi.

Airtel Payments Bank Founded: January 2017.

China becomes the world’s first country to ban synthetic cannabinoids

China will become the world’s first country to ban all synthetic cannabinoid substances. The ban is likely to come into effect on July 1. The move comes as China tries to curb the manufacturing & trafficking of the drug. The synthetic cannabinoids are highly camouflaged, as some are found in e-cigarette oil, and some are found in cut tobacco made from various flower petals, or plant stems and leaves. In Xinjiang, it has a commonly known nickname of “Natasha.”

About the Synthetic cannabinoids:

Synthetic cannabinoids are highly camouflaged, as some are found in e-cigarette oil & some are found in cut tobacco made from leaves, flower petals, etc.

The synthetic cannabinoid has become one of the most-abused new psychoactive substances.

Cannabinoid substances pose a severe threat to society, where the abuse of such substances gives rise to incidents such as intentional injuries and impaired driving.

China Capital: Beijing.

China Currency: Renminbi.

China President: Xi Jinping.

Uttarakhand Police Launches ‘Mission Hausla’

The Uttarakhand Police has launched a drive called “Mission Hausla” to help people get oxygen, beds, ventilators, and plasma for Covid-19 patients. Besides these, police will also help the public to get medicines meant for Covid-19 management as part of the mission and rations.

Delivering medicines, oxygen and ration at the doorsteps of families battling the coronavirus and coordinating between plasma donors and those in need of it will also be some of the activities to be taken up by the police as part of the mission. Police stations will serve as nodal centres for managing crowds in market areas and ensuring COVID- appropriate behaviour by people like wearing masks and social distancing in public places, he said. Stern action will be taken against those who violate the norms.

Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Tirath Singh Rawat;

Governor of Uttarakhand: Baby Rani Maurya.

WHO classified Indian coronavirus variant as a “global variant of concern”

The World Health Organization has classified a coronavirus variant found in India as a global “variant of concern”. This variant has been named B.1.617. According to World Health Organization, this variant is already spread to more than 30 countries. It is more transmissible than other variants. This variant is also called the “double mutant variant”. It was 1st identified by the United Kingdom health authorities.

About the B.1.617 variant:

The B.1.617 variant is the fourth variant of coronavirus classified by the WHO. It has two mutations referred to as E484Q and L452R.

Viruses create one or more variants by mutating themselves. Viruses mutate themselves so that they can cohabitate with humans.

Scientists across the world are still studying the Vaccine effectiveness against the B.1.617 variant.

WHO was established on 7 April 1948.

WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.

WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

WHO current President is Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Andrea Meza crowned 69th Miss Universe 2020

Miss Mexico Andrea Meza has been crowned as the 69th Miss Universe 2020. On the other hand, Miss India's Adline Quadros Castelino made it to the Top 4. Brazil's Julia Gama is the first runner-up, Peru's Janick Maceta is the second runner-up while India's Adline Castelino and Dominican Republic's Kimberly Perez are third runner-up and fourth runner-up, respectively.

This year, the pageant is being held in Miami, Florida's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood. Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa crowns her successor in the event.

National Dengue Day 16 May

In India, the National Dengue Day is observed every year on 16 May. The day is an initiative by the Ministry of Healthy and Family Welfare, to raise awareness about dengue and its preventive measures, and preparedness for control of the vector-borne disease before the transmission season begins.

About the Dengue:

Dengue is spread through the bite of the female mosquito (Aedes aegypti).

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is caused by the dengue virus of four distinct serotypes -- DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4.

Dengue, which is spread by the Aedes albopictus species of mosquitos, can lead to flu-like illness such as severe muscle pain and nausea and can lead to death if not cured properly.

China’s First Mars Rover ‘ZhuRong’ Successfully Lands on Mars

China successfully achieved the feat of landing its first Mars Rover ‘Zhu Rong’ on the red planet, on May 15, 2021, becoming the only second nation to do so. Till date, only the United States has successfully landed its rover on Mars. All other countries that have tried have either crashed or lost contact soon after reaching the surface.

The vehicle used a combination of a protective capsule, a parachute & a rocket platform to make the descent. Zhurong, which means God of Fire, was carried to Mars on the Tianwen-1 orbiter. China's Mars rover, called Zhurong after an ancient fire god in Chinese mythology, will part ways with the lander by driving down a foldable ramp. Once it has deployed, the rover is expected to spend at least 90 Mars days. 

China National Space Administration Founded: 22 April 1993;

China National Space Administration Administrator: Zhang Kejian;

China National Space Administration Headquarters: Haidian District, Beijing, China.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 17 May

The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is observed every year on 17 May since 1969, to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The theme of 2021 is “Accelerating Digital Transformation in challenging times​”​

History of the day

The ITU was founded on 17 May 1865, when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in Paris. The main objective of the day is to raise global awareness of the changes brought about by the Internet and new technologies in societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

International Telecommunication Union Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland;

International Telecommunication Union Founded: 17 May 1865;

International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General: Houlin Zhao.

Cyclone Taukate hits many state

Cyclone Taukate has obtained its maximum intensity in the wee hours of Sunday and has now become a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (wind speed of 118 to 166 km/hr). The latest cyclone alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that this storm would reach close to Gujarat coast, Maharashtra, Goa. Light to moderate intensity rainfall is expected to continue over coastal Karnataka and Kerala till Monday.

India Meteorological Department Headquarters: Mausam Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

India Meteorological Department Founded: 1875.

World Hypertension Day 17 May

World Hypertension Day (WHD) is celebrated on 17 May worldwide to promote public awareness of increasing high blood pressure (BP) and to encourage citizens of all countries to prevent and control this silent killer. The day was held for the first time in May 2005.

World Hypertension Day (WHD) is an initiative of the World Hypertension League (WHL), an affiliated section of the International Society of Hypertension. The theme for World Hypertension Day 2021 is Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.