Today’s Current Affairs – May 29, 2021

Current Affairs At A Glance

India supports renewed global calls for a comprehensive investigation by the WHO into the origins of COVID-19

Centre to transfer Mid-Day Meal (MDM) cooking cost directly to students’ accounts

Actor Randeep Hooda removed as ambassador of Convention for the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), United Nation’s environmental treaty

Mobile training app version 2.0 launched to assist in online training of NCC (National Cadet Corps) cadets

RBI imposes Rs 10 crore penalty on HDFC Bank for irregularities in auto loan book

Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the apex body of broadcasters, to cover streaming platforms

DGCA extends suspension of scheduled international passenger flights till 30th June in view of COVID pandemic

Tamil filmmaker Thamizh’s debut film ‘Seththumaan’ win Grand Jury Award for Best Feature film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA)

Raytheon hands over 4 oxygen refilling trucks to Indian Red Cross Society for further distribution

WORLD

Delegates approve 16% increase to WHO budget for the next two years, setting it at about $6.1 billion.

UNHRC (UN Human Rights Council) votes to investigate violence in recent conflict between Israel & Hamas; India among 14 countries that abstained from voting

NATO organising Steadfast Defender 21 war games in Europe

International Day of UN Peacekeepers observed on May 27

Germany acknowledges it committed genocide during its colonial-era occupation of Namibia in the early 20th century

 UN honours 124 fallen peacekeepers from 44 nations with the ‘Dag Hammarskjold Medal’

Bashar Al-Assad to continue to serve as President of Syria after winning election for 4th time

Amnesty International Day observed on May 28; Amnesty International founded in London by lawyer Peter Benenson on May 28, 1961

Prime Minister’s Scheme YUVA for mentoring young authors

YUVA – Prime Minister’s Scheme for mentoring young authors 

 YUVA- Prime Minister’s Scheme launched by Ministry of Education for Mentoring Young Authors. YUVA is an Author Mentorship programme which will train young authors aged below 30 years for promote reading, writing and book culture in India. It will also describe India and Indian writings culture worldwide. 

Know About YUVA
YUVA means “Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors”. This scheme is in line with PM’s vision of encouraging young writers to write about India’s freedom struggle. Call on young generation to write about freedom fighters was taken in PM’s Mann ki Baat in January 2021. YUVA is a part of India@75 Project which seeks to bring perspectives of young generation of writers on themes including Freedom Fighter, Unknown and Forgotten Places , Unsung Heroes etc.

Implement the scheme
“National Book Trust of India” Will developed the Scheme under Ministry of Education. Books written under this scheme will be published by National Book Trust. Books will be translated into different languages to exchange culture and literature.

Numbers of Authors
Under the YUVA scheme total 75 authors will be selected by an All-India Contest. Winners will be announced on August 15, 2021. Young winning authors will be trained by eminent authors to prepare manuscripts. Published books will be launched on in January 2022 on the occasion of National Youth Day.

Quiz Question Zone - Unified Health Interface (UHI) launch

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led an undeniable level gathering and looked into the advancement of National Digital Health Mission (NDHM). It was featured, a Unified Health Interface (UHI) will be moved soon.

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi reported the dispatch of NDHM on 74th Independence Day. Mission is a piece of three advanced declarations including another network safety strategy and optical fiber availability to six lakh towns in India.

  Info About NDHM  
NDHM [National Digital Health Mission ] is a complete digital health ecosystem having four key features — health ID, Digi Doctor, personal health records and health facility registry. Later it will also include e-pharmacy & telemedicine services. It will be implemented National Health Authority (NHA) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. App version as well as website version of NDHM platform will be available.

  What Is Digi Doctor  
Digi Doctor will allow doctors to enrol and their details, as per their consent, will be made available. Doctors will also be assigned a digital signature for free for writing prescriptions.

  What Is Unique Health ID  
Unique Health ID will be a repository of all health-related information of citizens. Various healthcare providers including hospitals, laboratories, online pharmacies, telemedicine firms etc will participate in health ID system. Patient who wants their health records available digitally will require to create unique Health ID using their basic details, mobile or Aadhaar card.

Quiz Question Zone - COVID-19, New DNA vaccine effective in mice, hamsters

Taiwan Research team developed a vaccine by using DNA of corona virus spike protein and tested its efficancy on Mice and Hamsters. This technique is so much different from mRNA vaccines.
DNA vaccines are normally hard to deliver into cells. But, National Health Research Institutes researchers of Taiwan coupled electroporation while delivering DNA vaccination.
According to research, mice and hamsters immunised with new DNA vaccine developed long-lasting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Antibodies peaked at eight weeks after immunisation but levels were relatively high at week 20.

COVID-19,  New DNA vaccine  effective in mice, hamsters

  Know About DNA Vaccine?  
DNA vaccine is thermally stable and no cold chain-needed. DNA vaccine can induce high levels of long-lasting neutralising antibody against SARS-CoV-2. DNA vaccine can be produced quickly at lower cost. Several clinical trials have indicated the efficacy of DNA vaccines in treating infections like Ebola and influenza viruses, Zika, HIV-1.

  Know About mRNA-based vaccines?  
Recently Available Covid-19 vaccines is based on mRNA strands. Such vaccines increase human immune system to recognize SARS-CoV-2 virus.

  Similarity between both vaccines  
All Type mRNA-based and DNA based vaccines use genetic material encoding part of virus to draw out an immune response.

Quiz Question Zone - Tsang Yin-hung a Hong Kong Woman mountaineer breaks record for fastest ascent of Everest

Woman mountaineer Tsang Yin-hung,from Hong Kong recorded “world’s fastest ascent of Everest by a woman” in just 26 hours.

 Tsang climbed 8,848.86-metre mountain in a record time of 25 hours and 50 minutes in her third attempt.Earlier in 2017.

Tsang Yin-hung became first Hong Kong woman to climbed the top. Tsang Yin-hung broke the earlier record of Nepali women Phunjo Jhangmu Lama completed the climb in 39 hours 6 minutes.

Tsang Yin-hung a Hong Kong Woman  mountaineer  breaks record for fastest ascent of Everest

  Info About Mount Everest  
Everest is the highest mountain above sea level in world, Everest located in Mahalangur Himal sub-range of Himalayas. China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its snow height is of 8,848.86 m recorded recently in 2020 by Nepali and Chinese authorities.

  Mount Everest Climbing  
Experienced mountaineers attracts by Mount Everest It is a very famous climbing spot . It has two main climbing routes. One is from north in Tibet. while other is from southeast in Nepal called as “standard route”Mountain presents dangers including weather, winds, altitude sickness and significant hazards from avalanches and Khumbu Icefall. More About 290 people have died on Everest, as of 2019, many of whose bodies remain on mountain.

  Know About Mahalangur Himal  
Mahalangur Himal is a subsection of Himalayas on northeast Nepal and south-central Tibet of China. Mahalangur Himal extends from Nangpa La pass between Rolwaling Himal and Cho Oyu. It includes Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu which are four among six highest peaks on Earth.

Quiz Question Zone - Smart Kitchen Scheme Launched in Kerala

Pinarayi Vijayan chif Minister Of Kerela announced a secretary level committee will formulate guidelines and recommendations on implementation of smart kitchen scheme in kerala to fulfill commitments of LDF

Smart Kitchen Scheme Launched in Kerala

  Know About the scheme  
1] Smart Kitchen Scheme will be launched by July 10, 2021. 2] Under the scheme, women of state will be given loan to refurbish their kitchen. 3] Loan will be provided with a low-interest rate in instalment schemes. 4] Scheme seeks to reduce workload of women’s domestic labour.

  LDF [ Left Democratic Front ]  
LDF is an alliance of left-wing political parties of Kerala which has again come power after winning elections in 2021. The party is in power since 2016. It is major political alliances in Kerala along with Congress-led UDF. LDF has been in power in State Legislature of Kerala under E. K. Nayanar, who is the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala and has served for 11 years during 1980-1981, 1987-1991, 1996-2001.

  Assembly election 2021  
LDF led by Pinarayi Vijayan returned to power in 2016 Assembly Election in which it won 91 out of 140 seats. This number again increased to 99 seats in 2021 Assembly Election. Pinarayi Vijayan has become the first Chief minister of Kerala who was re-elected after a full term five years in office in 2021 election. This election was historic because, incumbent government won again for first time in 40 years.