Important Current Affairs 9th May 2021

NATIONAL

Prahlad Singh Patel Participated in G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting

• Union Minister of State for Tourism & Culture, Prahlad Singh Patel participated in G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting held in Italy on 4th May 2021. This dialogue aimed to collaborate in protecting tourism businesses, jobs and taking initiatives to frame policy guidelines to support the sustainable and resilient recovery of travel and tourism.

• He also conveyed India’s support for the Principles for the transition to a green travel and tourism economy submitted by UNWTO as a further contribution to the policy area “Green Transformation” to embrace sustainability in tourism.

SPORTS

Japan’s Naomi Osaka wins 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards

• World number two tennis player Naomi Osaka of Japan has been named “Sportswoman of the Year” at the 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards. This is Osaka’s second Laureus Sports Awards. In 2019, she won the “Breakthrough of the Year” award.

• In the men’s category, World number two Rafael Nadal of Spain won the 2021 “Laureus Sportsman of the Year” title. This is the second title for Nadal, who also claimed the prestigious award in 2011.

Lewis Hamilton won the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) won the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, held on 09 May 2021. This win is the fifth successive Spanish Grand Prix title of Lewis Hamilton and the third win of this season.

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing-Netherlands) came second followed by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) at third position. The race was the fourth round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.

OBITUARY

Veteran Composer of Western classical music in India Vanraj Bhatia Passed Away

• The veteran Music Composer Vanraj Bhatia, who was the best-known composer of Western classical music in India, has passed away after a brief illness. His work ranged from composing music for advertisement films, feature films, mainstream films, television shows, documentaries etc.

• Bhatia Also won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the television film Tamas (1988), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) and India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri (2012).

Renowned Sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra Passed Away Due to C-19

• Eminent sculptor, architect, and Rajya Sabha member, Raghunath Mohapatra has passed away while undergoing treatment for C-19.

• Hailing from Odisha, Mohapatra was awarded Padma Shri in 1975, Padma Bhushan in 2001 and Padma Vibhushan in 2013 for his pioneering contributions to the world of art, architecture and culture.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Himanta Biswa Sarma is the new chief minister of Assam

• Himanta Biswa Sarma has been named as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam on May 08, 2021. He will replace incumbent Sarbananda Sonowal. He will take the charge of the office with effect from May 10, 2021.

• The BJP party won a second straight term in the 2021 assembly polls in the state. The party won 60 seats in the 126-member Assam assembly. Mr Sarma joined the BJP six years ago in 2015, after quitting the Congress.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Actress Kalki Koechlin Debut Book Titled ‘Elephant In The Womb’

• Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin is making her debut as an author, with her first book titled “Elephant In The Womb”.

• The book, which is yet to be released, is an illustrated non-fiction book on motherhood. It is illustrated by Valeriya Polyanychko and published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI). The book narrates about pregnancy and parenting for mothers, expectant mothers, and “anyone even thinking about motherhood”.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI constituted an advisory group to assist RRA 2.0

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an advisory group to assist the second Regulatory Review Authority (RRA 2.0), which was set by the central bank on May 01, 2021 to streamline regulations and reduce the compliance burden of regulated entities.

• The Advisory Group will be headed by SBI Managing Director S Janakiraman.

RBI excludes Lakshmi Vilas Bank from second schedule of RBI Act after the merger

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has excluded Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) from the Second Schedule of the RBI Act after it was merged with DBS Bank India Ltd (DBIL) last year. A bank mentioned in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act is known as ‘Scheduled Commercial Bank’.

• Last year in November, the government had approved the merger of crisis-ridden Lakshmi Vilas Bank with DBS Bank India. The RBI had also superseded the board of the LVB and appointed T N Manoharan, former non-executive chairman of Canara Bank, as the administrator of the bank for 30 days.