Important Daily Current Affairs of 31st May 2021

National

1. COVID has launched India’s first city-wide environmental surveillance platform.

With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing across the country in the second wave of the pandemic, the Government of Karnataka is launching a city-wide sewage surveillance system in Bangalore, India’s first city-wide initiative, to help officials track the virus at an early stage, even among asymptomatic people.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the COVIDactionCollab, which is financed by the Skoll Foundation, are assisting in this endeavour (CAC)

2. The state of Andhra Pradesh has changed its liquor policy from prohibition to restriction.

Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, declared a fundamental shift in his government’s liquor policy, moving away from prohibition (nishedham) and toward limitation (niyantrana). To shield families from the evil, the state will enforce booze prohibitions in stages.
The government had taken over the state’s liquor sector to “curb booze sales” because profit was not the goal. It claimed that in the last two years, the number of retail liquor stores has decreased from 4,380 to 2,934.

3. PM-CARES for Children scheme: The government has announced a Rs 10 lakh fund to provide free education to children who have been orphaned as a result of COVID.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a special “PM-CARES for Children” initiative for all orphaned children as a result of COVID-19, which will contain a fund of Rs. 10 lakh for each child till they reach the age of 18.
The programme will assist children who have lost both parents, their lone surviving parent, their legal guardian, or their adoptive parent as a result of COVID-19.

4. A panel has been constituted to define speech and expression offences.

A panel set up by the Union Home Ministry to recommend modifications to the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) is expected to propose a distinct Section on “offences connected to speech and expression.”
Because the IPC lacks a clear definition of what constitutes “hate speech,” the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws is attempting to define it for the first time.

5. National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval commissions the Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel Sajag

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Sajag was digitally dedicated to the country on May 29, 2021 by National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval.
M/s Goa Shipyard Limited’s Sajag is the third of a series of five offshore patrol vessels designed and built in-house.

International

6. Massive war games are held by NATO.

Thousands of NATO troops, several vessels, and dozens of planes are participating in military exercises reaching across the Atlantic, through Europe, and into the Black Sea region as tensions with Russia rise.
Steadfast Defender 21 is a series of war exercises aimed at simulating the 30-nation military organization’s response to an attack on any of its members.

Banking & Finance

7. Exchange of cryptocurrencies ZebPay introduces a new financing platform.

ZebPay has created a lending facility where investors can lend their coins to the cryptocurrency exchange and receive interest based on the token and the loan length. There will be two types of loans available: open term and fixed term.
The facility was launched with bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), tether (USDT), and dai (DAI).

Business & Economy

8. In the wake of the second wave of COVID-19, the Centre has broadened the scope of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme to help MSME businesses.

In response to the economic disruption caused by the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Centre has enlarged the scope of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to help the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
According to the government, under ‘ECLGS 4.0,’ 100% guarantee coverage will be extended to loans of up to two crores issued to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and medical institutions for the establishment of on-site oxygen generation units.

Appointments

9. Assimi Goita is named interim president of Mali by a Mali court.

Mali’s constitutional court in Bamako announced that interim Vice President and leader of a military coup, colonel Assimi Goita, will be the country’s next interim President.
After Ndaw and Ouane had to resign during their arrest, Goita, 38, will be the ‘President of the Transition, Head of State.’

Sports

10. Tejaswini Sawant wins the MQS segment of the 50-meter rifle prone event at the European Shooting Championships.

Tejaswini Sawant, a former world champion, won the Minimum Qualification Score segment of the 50-meter rifle prone event at the European Shooting Championship in Croatia.
Tejaswini, 40, finished ahead of three other Indians and six Iranians with a score of 622.7. She will compete for India in the 50-meter rifle three positions event at the Olympic Games in July-August, which will be her first Olympics.

11. The remainder of the IPL 2021 competition will be held in September and October in the United Arab Emirates.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the remaining IPL 2021 matches will be held in the United Arab Emirates in September and October of this year.
The IPL schedule is yet to be released. In this year’s IPL, there are 31 matches left.

12. Novak Djokovic has won the Belgrade Open.

Novak Djokovic, the world number one in tennis, won the Belgrade Open after defeating Slovakia’s Alex Molcan in Serbia. Djokovic, a Serbian master, defeated Molcan, a first-time ATP Tour finalist, 6-4, 6-3, in 88 minutes.
With this victory, Djokovic has now won three titles in his home country, giving him a total of 83 singles trophies in his career.

13. The Champions League will be won by Chelsea in 2021.

Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in almost a decade after defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the final in Porto.
Chelsea has won the UEFA Champions League for the second time, and it is Tuchel’s first title as a manager.

Awards & Honours

14. Sanjay Dutt has been granted a golden visa by the UAE.

Sanjay Dutt, a Bollywood star, has acquired a golden visa for the United Arab Emirates.
The Golden Visa programme essentially grants those with exceptional abilities long-term residency.
In 2019, the UAE introduced a new long-term residency visa system that allows foreigners to live, work, and study in the country without the need for a national sponsor and with full ownership of their firm.

Books & Authors

15. Salman Rushdie’s book “Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020”

Salman Rushdie’s book “Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020” has been published.
Rushdie undertakes a defensive casting manoeuvre in this novel.

16. Hockey India receives the Etienne Glichitch Award, while Odisha CMs Secretary VK Pandian receives the VK Pandian Award. Presidents Award from the FIH

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) presented Hockey India the FIH Honorary Awards at its 47th Congress for its remarkable contributions to the sport of hockey.
Hockey India received the Etienne Glichitch Award for its outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the sport.

Obituary

17. Poul Schlueter, the former Danish Prime Minister, has died at the age of 92.

Poul Schlueter, Denmark’s previous Prime Minister, died recently. He was 92 years old at the time.
Schlueter was the country’s prime minister from 1982 to 1993.

Important Days

18. World No Tobacco Day: 31st May

Every year on May 31, World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is held around the world to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form.
The theme for the WNTD in 2021 is “Commit to Quit.”

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