1. GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

The 43rd GST Council met under the Chairmanship of Union Finance Minister.

The GST Council has made the following recommendations:

• As a COVID-19 relief measure, a number of specified COVID-19 related goods such as medical oxygen, oxygen concentrators and other oxygen storage and transportation equipment, certain diagnostic markers test kits and COVID-19 vaccines, etc., have been recommended for full exemption from IGST.
• In view of rising Black Fungus cases, the above exemption from IGST has been extended to Amphotericin B.
• To support the LympahticFilarisis (an endemic) elimination programme being conducted in collaboration with WHO, the GST rate on Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) tablets has been recommended for reduction to 5% (from 12%).
• GST on MRO services in respect of ships/vessels shall be reduced to 5% (from 18%).
• The Finance Minister also announced an amnesty scheme for small GST taxpayers, allowing filing of returns with reduced late fees.
• the GST Council will hold a special session to discuss extending paying compensation to states beyond 2022.
• Annual return filing has also been simplified. The Council has recommended amending the CGST Act to allow for self-certification of reconciliation statements, instead of getting it certified by Chartered Accountants. 

Source : The Hindu

2. SRINAGAR LEH TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

Ministry of Power, Government of India has transferred the prestigious 220 kV Srinagar-Drass-Kargil-Khaltsi-Leh Transmission System to Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna CPSU of Government of India.

About:

• The transmission system was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister in February 2019, and it connects the Ladakh region to the national grid, ensuring quality and reliable power supply.
• Built at a height of around 3000-4000 meters, this 335-km long transmission line traverses snow-bound difficult hilly terrain. It comprises of four new state-of-the-art 220/66 kV Gas Insulated Sub-stations and 66 kV interconnection systems at Drass, Kargil, Khaltsi and Leh.
• The project was executed by POWERGRID on consultancy basis under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) Scheme.
• Subsequent to reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) into UTs of J&K and Ladakh, the 220 kV Srinagar-Leh Transmission System has been re-designated as Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) and transferred to POWERGRID with effect from 31.10.2019, the date of formation of the two UTs of J&K and Ladakh. 

Source : The Hindu

3. JAYANTI

Jayanti has become the twelfth subgenus, or species, of cricket identified under the genus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897.

About:

• Found in the Kurra caves of Chhattisgarh in April 2021, the new subgenus was named Jayanti after Professor Jayant Biswas, one of the leading cave explorers in the country.
• Arachnomimus is the genus name given by Swiss Entomologist Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure in 1878 to crickets that resembled spiders. This is apt because crickets of this group are commonly called spider crickets because of their smaller body size and long legs.
• The newly discovered subgenus, Indimimus, is different from the two subgenera, Arachnomimus and Euarachnomimus, because of the male genitalia structure. 

Why is the discovery significant?

• Crickets are noticeable for their loud calls, especially at night. Male crickets produce this sound by rubbing their wings against each other to attract females. The females listen to these calls using ears located on their legs and approach the males for mating and reproduction.
• Interestingly, males of the new Jayanti subgenus cannot produce sound and their females don’t have ears. The crickets were found on the walls of the Kurra caves which don’t have light inside. They may be communicating by beating their abdomen or any other body part on the cave walls.

Source : Indian Express

4. TRANSPLANTATION OF TREES

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) wants to transplant over 1,800 trees which are inside what used to be the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) complex, as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project.

How is a tree transplanted?

• A tree cannot be transplanted by simply uprooting it and placing it in a pit dug elsewhere. The process involves multiple steps and requires significant expertise.
• First, the soil around the tree is dug up to isolate the roots. The big branches are lopped off, leaving only small shoots for regeneration. This is done to make transportation of the tree to the new location easier.
• The root system is covered with wet gunny bags to protect the roots and to keep the tree hydrated. The tree has to be first sent to a nursery to acclimatise to a new kind of soil, and to regenerate.
• Once new shoots start sprouting, the tree is lowered into a pit created in its new spot. 

What factors determine the success of a transplant?

• Even after all steps are meticulously followed, a lot depends on luck.
• The survival rate of a transplanted tree is about 50%. If it survives, the tree may take up to 10 years to grow a full canopy similar to what it originally had.
• Not all trees can be transplanted. While peepal, ficus, semal and sheesham are tolerant to transplantation, trees such as dak, palash, arjun, shahtoot and jhilmil are not.
• Any tree that has a tap root system cannot be transplanted, as the root goes deep into the soil, and it is not possible to isolate it without damage.
• Transplanting any tree with a trunk girth of more than 80-90 cm is not advisable as the tree cannot bear the shock, and will eventually die. 

Source : Indian Express

5. MID-DAY-MEAL (MDM) SCHEME

The Union Minister for Education has approved the proposal to provide monetary assistance to 11.8 Crore students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of the cooking cost component of the Mid-Day-Meal Scheme, to all eligible children, as a special welfare measure.

About:

• This will give a fillip to the Midday Meal programme. This is in addition to the Government of India’s announcement of distribution of free-of-cost food grains @ 5 Kg per person per month to nearly 80 Crore beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY).
• With a view to enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in 1995. In 2001 MDMS became a cooked Mid Day Meal Scheme.
• The Mid-Day Meal Scheme covers children of classes I-VIII studying in government, government-aided schools, special training centres (STC) and madarsas/ maqtabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). It is the largest school feeding programme in the world.
• The Midday Meal Scheme is covered by the National Food Security Act, 2013. 

Source : PIB

6. VEER SAVARKAR

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to pioneering Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary.

About:

• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883 – 1966), popularly called Veer Savarkar was born near Nasik in Maharashtra.
• Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter . He called 1857 revolt as the first war of independence.
• He founded the following Organizations: Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society.
• He was also a member of India House. He was not the founder of Hindu Mahasabha, but he did served as its president.
• He opposed the Quit India struggle in 1942, calling it a "Quit India but keep your army" movement.
• Savarkar endorsed the ideal of India as a Hindu Rashtra and is credited with developing the Hindu nationalist political ideology Hindutva.

Publications:

• He wrote the book ”Joseph Mazzini- Biography and Politics.”
• He published “The Indian War of Independence” about the Indian rebellion of 1857
• The airport at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar's capital has been named Veer Savarkar International Airport. 

Source : Business Standard

7. NATIONAL AI PORTAL (INDIAai)

The ‘National AI Portal (https://indiaai.gov.in)’, celebrated its first anniversary on May 28, 2021.

About:

• The National AI Portal is a joint initiative by Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and NASSCOM and serves as a central hub for AI related news, learning, articles, events and activities etc., in India and beyond.
• The portal was launched by the Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Law and Justice and Communications, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad on May 30, 2020.
• The event also witnessed the monthly ‘AI Pe Charcha’ based on the theme ‘Implementing Trustworthy AI Solutions’.
• The AI based operational excellence framework and Live Enterprise Application Platform (LEAP) and several implemented use cases were also demonstrated, especially the use of AI in GST Network for fraud detection. 

Source : PIB

8. MV X-PRESS PEARL

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships ‘Vaibhav’ and ‘Vajra’ continue to battle the fire onboard container ship MV X-Press Pearl off Colombo, Sri Lanka.

About:

• The distressed vessel MV X-Press Pearl was carrying 1,486 containers with nitric acid and other hazardous IMDG code chemicals.
• The extreme fire, damage to containers and prevailing inclement weather has caused the vessel to tilt to one side resulting in falling of containers overboard.

Source : PIB

9. NEAR ISOTHERMAL FORGING TECHNOLOGY

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established the near isothermal forging technology to produce all the five stages of high-pressure compressors (HPC) discs out of difficult-to-deform titanium alloy using its unique 2000 MT isothermal forge press.

About:

• The technology has been developed by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), a premier metallurgical laboratory of DRDO at Hyderabad.
• This is a crucial technology for establishing self-reliance in aeroengine technology. With this development, India has joined the league of limited global engine developers to have the manufacturing capabilities of such critical aero engine components.
• To meet the bulk production requirements, DMRL technology was transferred to M/s MIDHANI through a licensing agreement for technology transfer (LAToT).

Source : PIB

10. NATIONAL CADET CORPS (NCC)

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar launched Directorate General National Cadet Corps (NCC) Mobile Training App Version 2.0 in New Delhi on May 28, 2021.

About:

• The app will assist in conducting countrywide online training to NCC cadets during the COVID-19 pandemic conditions. It is aimed at providing NCC-related basic information and entire training material (Syllabus, Précis, Training Videos, Frequently Asked Questions) on one platform.
• National Cadet Corps (NCC) is a Tri-Services Organization, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force, engaged in grooming the youth into disciplined and patriotic citizens.

Working:

• It is a voluntary organization which recruits cadets from high schools, colleges and universities all over India.
• The Cadets are given basic military training in small arms and parades. They are given preference in military service over normal candidates during selections.
• Background: It came into existence in 1948 under the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948.
• Related Ministries: Defence Ministry deals with NCC at the National level. Education Ministry deals with NCC in all States.
• Directorate General NCC: It is the national level HQ located at New Delhi. It is headed by the Director General (DG), an Army Officer of the rank of Lieutenant General.

Source : DD News