The Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis published a study according to which India has increased its potential for renewable energy in solar power in the country. The Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan is the largest solar park in the world.
India target to install 175 GW of renewable energy by FY2021-22.
India has provided medical supplies to over 120 countries to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, out of which 43 countries received it as a grant, Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said at the 2nd G20 Virtual Trade & Investment Ministers Meeting.
Current chair of G20 grouping, Saudi Arabia hosted the meet.
Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, visited the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi, and dedicated the COBAS 6800 COVID-19 testing machine to the nation. It performs RT-PCR tests for COVID-19.
COBAS requires a minimum BSL2+ containment level for testing.
40 gharials were released in the Ghaghara river by Uttar Pradesh forest division, amid the nationwide lockdown due to the novel coronavirus disease. They are critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Species.
A major chunk of gharials is found in the Chambal river.
University of Hyderabad (UoH) and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology have tied up with Vins Bioproducts Ltd to develop antibody fragment-based immunotherapy for treatment for Covid-19 pandemic. They plan to use the F(ab’)2 platform technology.
F(ab’)2 has been providing neutralising antibodies from horses.
Researchers from Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation, Australian Institute of Marine Science & the University of Melbourne has successfully developed a potential agent that could help coral reefs increase their heat tolerance.
CSIRO Headquarters- Canberra, Australia.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation have joined Action Covid-19 Team (ACT) Grants as donors and will extend the outreach of the initiative. ACT is an Indian not-for-profit grant.
ACT was set up by venture capital investors & start-up founders.
Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are home to the highest number of street vendors, collectively accounting for over one-fourth of India’s tally, economists at SBI said. Government had announced a Rs 5,000-crore special credit facility for street vendors.
They will be given a loan of ₹10,000 each to restart businesses.
With the Government’s Rs 20 lakh Cr stimulus package, the country’s fiscal deficit is likely to be more than double to 7.9 per cent in the current financial year, according to an SBI research report. The earlier estimate for the FY21 was 3.5% of the GDP.
Govt debt as a % of GDP has been on a rising trend since FY11.
DISCOMs will be offered ₹90,000 crore liquidity support under the ‘Aatmanirbhar package’ announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Under the package, Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation will infuse liquidity.
Minister for Power & New and Renewable Energy- R K Singh.
In a bid to strengthen availability of its snack brands at a time when the country is grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, PepsiCo India has entered into a distribution partnership with Swiggy to launch Lay’s and Kurkure e-stores on the app.
CEO of PepsiCo India- Ramon Laguarta.
The Union Territory Jammu & Kashmir and the state Government of Haryana have planned to provide tap connection to supply water to all rural families by December 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The national target has been set for the year 2024-25.
Minister of Jal Shakti- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
UN marks the International Day of Light as an annual initiative held globally to raise awareness on the critical role played by light-based technologies in everyday life on May 16. It marks the anniversary of the successful operation of the laser in 1960.
The laser was first operated by physicist Theodore Maiman.
In 2017, the United Nations declared this Day to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding, and solidarity across the world. It was officially recognized by the General Assembly of the UN and was celebrated for the first time in 2018.
President of UNGA: Tijjani Muhammad – Bande of Nigeria.
16th May is observed as the National Dengue Day in India. It marks the need for awareness and preparedness before the transmission season of dengue begins in the country and is observed with the recommendation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
It is caused by dengue virus, transmitted by Aedes mosquitos.