PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure to release the monthly edition of the PRAVAHINI - Monthly e-Compendium & Weekly e-Periodicals of Current Affairs. The magazine’s members have shown considerable cooperation as well as devotion. We at successmantra.in work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a great sense of gratitude.
The PRAVAHINI May-2021 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of May. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM, CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, Banking, MBA and various other competitive examinations.
Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It holds the power of making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates should cover the Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI May-2021 eBook is divided into different sections keeping in mind the need of various exams. The sections covered namely International, National, Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science & Technology, Legal Affairs, Sports, States News Makers and few others.
We would also be pleased to receive any suggestion that could assist us with the upcoming editions.
Success Mantra (GTB Nagar, Delhi)
Website: www.successmantra.in
Mail Id: [email protected]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. National Affairs
2. International Affairs
3. Economic Affairs
4. Appointments
5. Awards And Honors
6. Sports
7. Important Dates
8. Reports And Indexes
9. Science & Technology
10. Miscellaneous
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
PUDUCHERRY BECOMES 'HAR GHAR JAL' UT
Puducherry has achieved the target of 100% piped water connection in rural areas under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Earlier, Goa, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have provided tap water supply to every rural home under Jal Jeevan Mission.
So, Puducherry is the fourth State/UT to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home under Jal Jeevan Mission.
Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented in partnership with States/ UTs to provide safe tap water to every rural home by 2024. The State of Punjab and the UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have covered over 75% of rural homes with assured tap water supply.
INDIA & INDONESIAN NAVIES CONDUCTED NAVAL EXERCISE
The Indian and Indonesian Navies conducted Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in the southern Arabian Sea with a focus on further improving their interoperability.
The exercise was aimed at improving interoperability and understanding between both the friendly navies.
From the Indian Navy, INS Sharda, an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) with a Chetak helicopter participated in the exercise. From the Indonesian Navy, KRI Sultan Hasanudin, a 90m Corvette took part in the exercise.
About the PASSEX: PASSEXes are regularly conducted by IN with units of Friendly Foreign Countries. The last PASSEX between IN and the Indonesian Navy was conducted on 13 Mar 21 between INS Kalpeni, IN Dornier and KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda.
CYCLONE TAUKATE HITS MANY STATES OF INDIA
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.
HP GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED AYUSH GHAR-DWAR INITIATIVE
Himachal Government has launched the ‘Ayush Ghar-Dwar’ program to keep the home isolated Covid-19 positive patients healthy by practising Yoga.
This program has been started by the Department of AYUSH in collaboration with the Art of Living organisation. Yoga Bharti’s instructors would provide their services in the program.
During the launch, about 80 home isolated Covid positive patients from all over the state were also connected virtually.
Under the program, approximately 1000 virtual groups on social media platforms like zoom, WhatsApp and Google meet will be formed to connect with COVID positive patients in home isolation.
The initiative intends to provide a holistic healthcare approach through AYUSH to ensure not only physical but also mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
HOSTILITIES ESCALATED B/W ISRAEL & HAMAS
The Israeli military has bombarded rockets in different areas in Gaza. It is the most intense airstrikes in Gaza since 2014.
Hamas had red hundreds of rockets towards Israel on Monday. After that, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza.
The Gaza-based Palestinian group, Hamas, had red rockets towards Israel in protest of the clash between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in Jerusalem. It is the third holiest place for Muslims.
About the Hamas:
It was founded in 1987.
It is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organization.
It is active in the West Bank and Gaza Strip region of the Palestine.
It opposes the secular approach of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Israel Capital is Jerusalem and the currency is the Israeli shekel.
• Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of Israel.
NEPAL PM KP OLI LOST VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives. K P Sharma Oli got 93 votes in his favour while 124 voted against him.
In the 275-member House of Representatives, he required at least 136 Votes to win the trust vote in the lower of the House of Representatives.
After the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) withdrew its support from the government, PM Oli faced a vote of confidence. In January, K P Sharma Oli was expelled from the primary membership of the Nepal Communist Party for his decision to dissolve the Parliament.
• Nepal capital is Kathmandu and the currency is Nepalese Rupees.
• President of Nepal: Bidya Devi Bhandari
KP SHARMA OLI RE-APPOINTED AS PM 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.
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.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
UNITED NATIONS PROJECTED INDIA'S GDP GROWTH
The United Nations has projected that the Indian economy would grow at 10.1 per cent in the calendar year 2022, nearly double the 5.9 per cent growth forecast for the country in the January report.
But cautioned that the growth outlook of 2021 was “highly fragile” as the country was the “new hotbed of the pandemic.”
The mid-year update said that India will register a 7.5-per cent growth rate in the calendar year 2021, after an estimated contraction of 6.8 per cent in 2020.
• United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.
• Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
INDIA LOST FARZAD-B GAS FIELD OF IRAN
India lost the ONGC Videsh Ltd-discovered Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf after Iran awarded a contract for developing the giant gas field to a local company.
The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has signed a contract worth USD 1.78 billion with Petropars Group for the development of Farzad B Gas Field in the Persian Gulf.
The field holds 23 trillion cubic feet of in-place gas reserves, of which about 60 per cent is recoverable. It also holds gas condensates of about 5,000 barrels per billion cubic feet of gas.
ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), had in 2008 discovered a giant gas field in the Farsi offshore exploration block.
APPOINTMENTS
BILL NELSON SWORN IN AS 14TH NASA ADMINISTRATOR
Former Senator Bill Nelson was sworn in as the 14th NASA administrator tasked with carrying out the Biden-Harris administration’s vision for the agency.
Nelson served in the U.S. Senate for 18 years from Florida and as a payload specialist on space shuttle mission 61-C in 1986.
Nelson has served in public office over four decades, first in the state legislature and U.S. Congress, then as State Treasurer. He was elected three times to the United States Senate, representing Florida for 18 years.
His committees included the breadth of government policy from defence, intelligence and foreign policy to finance commerce, and health care.
• Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
• NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.
MARTIN GRIFFITHS APPOINTED UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF
Veteran British diplomat Martin Griffiths has been appointed as the new Chief at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), for a period of five years.
Griffiths will replace Mark Lowcock as the new Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) of OCHA. He is currently serving as the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) aims to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disasters.
RBI APPOINTED JOSE J KATTOOR AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Reserve Bank of India has appointed Jose J Kattoor as Executive Director (ED). Prior to being promoted as ED, Mr Kattoor was heading Bengaluru Regional Office of the Reserve Bank as Regional Director for Karnataka.
He will look after Human Resource Management Department, Corporate Strategy and Budget Department and Rajbhasha Department.
Mr Kattoor has, over a span of three decades, served in communication, human resource management, financial inclusion, supervision, currency management and other areas in the Reserve Bank.
He holds a post-graduate qualification from Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Bachelor of Law from Gujarat University, and Advanced Management Program (AMP) from Wharton School of Business, Pennsylvania, besides having earned professional qualifications, including Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (CAIIB).
UJJWALA SINGHANIA AS NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF FICCI FLO
Ujjwala Singhania has been appointed as the National President of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), the oldest women-led & women-centric business chamber of Southeast Asia.
As the 38th National President of FLO Singhania will focus on empowering women by facilitating an enabling environment that promotes entrepreneurship, industry participation and economic development of women.
Under her leadership, FLO will carry out many interventions towards fostering larger contributions of women in India’s Industrial and economic growth story.
NEERA TANDEN APPOINTED AS SENIOR ADVISOR TO BIDEN
Indian-American Neera Tanden has been appointed senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden. She is currently the president and CEO of a progressive think-tank, Center for American Progress (CAP).
She withdrew her nomination as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget due to stiff opposition from Republican senators.
Ms Tanden previously served as a senior adviser for health reforms at the US Department of Health and Human Services.
AWARDS & HONOURS
1ST INDIAN TO WIN ARAB WORLD NOBEL PRIZE
Mumbai born, Dr Tahera Qutbuddin, a professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Chicago, recently became the first person of Indian-origin to win the 15th Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
The award is considered to be the Nobel Prize of the Arab world. She won the award for her latest book, “Arabic Oration – Art and Function” published by Brill Academic Publishers of Leiden in 2019.
In the book, she puts forth a comprehensive theory of Arabic literature in its foundational oral period dating the seventh and eighth centuries AD. She discusses its influence on modern-day sermons and lectures as well.
SANKAR GHOSH ELECTED TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
Sankar Ghosh, an award-winning Indian-origin immunologist, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. He was among the 120 newly elected members announced by the Academy.
Sankar Ghosh is the Silverstein and Hutt Family Professor of Microbiology and Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.
He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has a deep interest in deciphering the complexities of transcriptional regulation — the ways by which a cell regulates the conversion of DNA to RNA to better understand the mechanisms of the immune system and the pathological changes that occur to its pathways in many diseases.
IREDA CONFERRED 'GREEN URJA AWARD'
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) has been conferred with the “Green Urja Award” for being the Leading Public Institution in the Financing Institution for Renewable Energy this year by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
IREDA gets the award for the pivotal and developmental role it plays in Green Energy Financing.
Despite the pandemic time, IREDA has ended the year 2020-21 ended on a strong note and disbursed the second-highest (from the date of inception) amount of loan amounting to Rs. 8827 crore, which indicates that IREDA has the ability to translate this problem into an opportunity.
The award recognises our immense contribution to the development of the Renewable Energy Sector in line with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• IREDA Headquarters location: New Delhi
• IREDA Founded: 11 March 1987.
NAGALAND'S NUKLU PHOM WON WHITLEY AWARDS 2021
An environmentalist from Nagaland’s remote Longleng district, Nuku Phom has won this year’s Whitley Awards 2021, also known as the Green Oscar.
Nuku Phom’s name, along with that of five others, was announced recently in a virtual award ceremony organized by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). Nuku and his team want to offer alternatives that engage communities in conservation using the Amur falcon as a flagship.
The award recognises Phom’s efforts at establishing a new biodiversity peace corridor changing the fate of Amur Falcons, which come to roost in Nagaland each year, from being hunted by locals.
Worth £40,000, the award is for creating a new network of community-owned forests to protect Amur Falcons and increase biodiversity in Nagaland.
SPORTS
BABAR AZAM NAMED AS ICC MEN'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Pakistani skipper Babar Azam has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for April 2021 for his consistent and stellar performances across all formats in the recently concluded series against South Africa.
The ICC Player of the Month Awards recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year.
Along with Babar, Australian women’s team wicketkeeper-batsman Alyssa Healy also bagged the ICC Women’s Player of The Month accolade for her incredible performances during the month of April.
Healy’s consistency with the bat has played a significant role in Australia’s dominance. Healy has shown her class in all conditions and against all types of bowling in the recent series against New Zealand.
MANCHESTER CITY CROWNED PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Manchester City has crowned Premier League champions for the third time in four seasons after Manchester United crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Leicester.
United started the century dominating English football, now City is the force with five titles in 10 seasons and the biggest spenders on transfers and salaries.
City has now won three Premier League titles and eight major trophies under Guardiola, who last year signed a new two-year contract to remain at the club until 2023.
RAFAEL NADAL WINS 10TH ITALIAN OPEN
Rafael Nadal beat world number one Novak Djokovic to win a 10th Italian Open title. Second seed Nadal won through 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 in 2hr 49min against the defending champion in the 57th career showdown between the pair.
The victory also earned Nadal a 36th ATP Masters 1000 crown, equalling Djokovic’s record since the series was established in 1990.
In the women’s category, Polish teenager Iga Swiatek crushed Czech ninth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 to win the Italian Open title. Swiatek, ranked 15, claimed her third WTA title.
ASIA CUP T20 TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN SRI LANKA
The Asia Cup T20 tournament, which was scheduled to be held in June in Sri Lanka, has been postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tournament which was originally scheduled to be held in September 2020 in Sri Lanka was moved to June 2021 due to COVID-19.
With all the teams planning for their Future Tour Programs (FTPs) for the next two years, the tournament is likely to happen only after the 2023 ICC 50-over World Cup.
A formal statement from the Asian Cricket Council is, however, yet to come. Initially, Pakistan was supposed to host it. However, due to tensions between India and Pakistan, the tournament was moved to the island nation.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY OBSERVED ON MAY 12TH
International Nurse Day is observed globally on 12 May every year. This day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
She was also known as Lady with the Lamp. She was the founder of modern nursing and was a British social reformer and statistician.
The theme of 2021 International Nurses Day is ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for future healthcare’.
Florence Nightingale was put in charge of nursing British and allied soldiers in Turkey during the Crimean War.
She is renowned for setting up the Nightingale School of Nursing, at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London (opened 1860) in order to formalize nursing education. She was the first woman awarded the Order of Merit (1907).
• International Council of Nurse’s headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• International Council of Nurses founded: 1899.
• International Council of Nurses President: Annette Kennedy.
NATIONAL DENGUE DAY OBSERVED ON MAY 16TH
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.
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.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LIVING TOGETHER IN PEACE
The International Day of Living Together in Peace is held on 16th May every year since 2018.
The UN General Assembly, declared 16 May the International Day of Living Together in Peace, as a means of regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity.
The Day aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony.
The United Nations General Assembly decided to celebrate 16th May as the International Day of Living Together in Peace on 8th December 2017.
WORLD'S AIDS VACCINE DAY: MAY 18TH
World AIDS Vaccine Day, (also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day), is observed annually on May 18 to promote the continued urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS.
The first World AIDS Vaccine Day was thus observed on May 18, 1998, to commemorate the anniversary of Clinton’s speech.
The concept of World AIDS Vaccine Day was proposed on May 18, 1997, during a commencement speech at Morgan State University made by then-President Bill Clinton, which underlined the need for a vaccine to curb the spread of HIV.
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY 2021
The International Museum Day is celebrated on 18 May, since 1977, to raise awareness about the fact that “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples”.
The theme of International Museum Day 2021: “The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine”. It is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
• President of International Council Of Museums: Suay Aksoy
• International Council Of Museums Headquarters: Paris, France.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
GLOBAL PRIME RESIDENTIAL INDEX BY KNIGHT FRANK
London-based property consultant Knight Frank has ranked New Delhi and Mumbai in 32nd and 36th positions respectively in the Global Prime Residential Index.
While Bengaluru moved down by four places in Q1 2021 and is ranked 40; Delhi and Mumbai dipped one place each in the same period.
Three Chinese cities – Shenzhen, Shanghai and Guangzhou lead the index this quarter. Shenzhen recorded the strongest performing world region with a growth of 18.9%, while New York was the weakest performing market with negative 5.8% growth.
Some of the world’s top metropolises, New York, Dubai, London, Paris and Hong Kong are seeing prices soften. New York was the weakest-performing global city during the period.
INDIA LARGEST RECIPIENT OF REMITTANCE IN 2020
India was the largest recipient of remittances in 2020, as per the report, “Migration and Development brief “released by the World Bank. India has been the largest recipient of remittances since 2008.
However, the remittance received by India in 2020 was over USD 83 billion, which is a drop of 0.2 per cent from 2019 (USD 83.3 billion). Globally, the remittance flow was USD 540 billion in 2020, which is 1.9% lower as compared to that of 2019, when it was USD 548 billion.
Top Five Countries: The top five remittance recipient countries in 2020, in current US dollar terms, were India, China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt.
The top five recipients in 2020, as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), were, by contrast, smaller economies: Tonga, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and El Salvador.
The largest remittance-sending country in 2020 was United States (USD68 billion). It was followed by the UAE (USD43 billion), Saudi Arabia (USD34.5 billion), Switzerland (USD27.9 billion), Germany (USD22 billion), and China (USD18 billion).
From India, the Remittances outflow in 2020 was USD 7 billion, against USD 7.5 billion in 2019.
• World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States.
• World Bank Formation: July 1944.
• World Bank President: David Malpass.
WORLD'S 50 GREATEST LEADER'S LIST
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.
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
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ISRO DEVELOPS VENTILATORS & OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), has developed three different types of ventilators and an oxygen concentrator at a time when a shortage of this critical medical equipment resulted in the deaths of many Covid-19 patients across the country.
Based on designs, features and specifications, we have named them, Prana, VaU and Svasta. All three are user-friendly, fully automated and with touch-screen specifications, meeting all safety standards. Technology transfer will be done for the commercial production of these three ventilators and the one oxygen concentrator by this month itself.
About the Prana, VaU, Svasta and Shwaas: Prana is meant to deliver respiratory gas to the patient by automated compression of an Ambu bag, Svasta is designed to work without electric power, and the VaU is a low-cost ventilator equivalent to commercially available high-end ventilators.
CHINA'S ROVER 'ZHURONG' SUCCESSFULLY LANDED 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.
MISCELLANEOUS
CBSE LAUNCHED MOBILE APP 'DOST FOR LIFE'
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a new mobile app for students and parents.
The new app ‘Dost for Life’ is an exclusive psychological counselling app for students and parents of CBSE-affiliated schools. The new App will simultaneously cater to students and parents from CBSE-affiliated schools in different geographies across the world.
The app will also provide students with other resource material such as suggestive course guides for after senior secondary education, tips on mental health and well being, and a ‘corona guide’ with information on daily safety protocol, learning from home and self-care.
WORLD'S FIRST UNMANNED VESSEL 'MAYFLOWER 400'
World’s First Unmanned Vessel named “Mayflower 400” is set to Navigate Across the Atlantic. It has been built by the marine research organization ProMare in collaboration with IBM.
It will begin its transatlantic voyage on May 15, 2021, to track aquatic mammals, analyze plastic in the water, and study marine pollution.
About the Mayflower 400: Mayflower 400 is a completely autonomous ship. It is a 15-m-long trimaran that weighs 9 tons. It is powered by Artificial Intelligence and the Sun’s energy via solar panels.
ProMare invested $1 million along with global contributions in the form of technology from India, the United States, and Switzerland to build the ship.
The ship, equipped with a smart captain, six high-tech cameras and radars, has been trained with audio data to avoid collisions, correct its course, detect marine animals, and gather information of the population of the aquatic animals.
The ship can also listen to whales with a self-activating hydrophone. Currently, the ship is trained to handle 50 meters high waves. Mayflower 400 autonomous ship provides an edge to the scientists in exploring the rough seas as the ship will be unmanned.
• IBM Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Arvind Krishna.
• IBM Headquarters: Armonk, USA.
