CONTENTS

VOL-17
ISSUE -05
2021 Pakistani Anti-
Editor 93rd Oscars Awards
French Protests
N.K. Jain
Advisors
Neeraj Chabra
K.C.Gupta
Registered Office
Mahendra Publication Pvt. Ltd. First human-monkey embryos Richest and poorest states
created by the scientists in India by GDP
103, Pragatideep Building,
Plot No. 08, Laxminagar,
District Centre, New Delhi - 110092
TIN-09350038898
w.e.f. 12-06-2014
Branch Office
SVAMITVA Scheme
Mahendra Publication Pvt. Ltd.
E-42,43,44, Sector-7, Noida (U.P.)

For queries regarding

promotion, distribution &
advertisement, contact:-
[email protected] Interview 5
Ph.: 09208037962 Current Affairs - One Liner 6-9
Spotlight 10
Owned, printed & published by The People 11-18
N.K. Jain
News Bites 19-53
103, Pragatideep Building,
Designation : Who's Who 54
Plot No. 08, Laxminagar,
Word of English - Etymology 55
District Centre, New Delhi - 110092
Please send your suggestions and 93rd Oscars Awards 56-57
grievances to:- 2021 Pakistani Anti-French Protests 58-59
Mahendra Publication Pvt. Ltd. First human-monkey embryos created by the scientists 60-61
CP-9, Vijayant Khand, Richest and poorest states in India by GDP 62-63
Gomti Nagar Lucknow - 226010 SVAMITVA Scheme 54-56 64-65
E-mail:[email protected] Quiz Time - General Awareness 66-80
© Copyright Reserved SSC CGL Pre - Model Paper 2020 81-93
## No part of this issue can be printed in NABARD Grade - A - Model Paper 2020 94-114
whole or in part without the written
permission of the publishers.
## All the disputes are subject to Delhi
jurisdiction only.

Mahendra Publication Pvt. Ltd.

Editorial “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
- Walt Disney

Dear Aspirants,
We feel delighted to present to you the "May 2021" edition of "Master in Current Affairs". MICA is a
comprehensive magazine focused on both the intellectual and competitive nature of learning. Apart from the competitive
edge, MICA is intended to provide you with a vision of self-enhancement. MICA includes highly acclaimed sections such
as, Newsletters, News Diary, One Liner, World of English, which are directly related to your preparation for competitive
examinations. Chalte - Chalte is one of the most steering elements of MICA on the go, which is mentioned below every
page. This edition creates a forum where all candidates and guidance personnel can meet the important issues of this
month which may play a vital role in the forthcoming examination. The important topics covered in this edition are:
2021 Pakistani Anti-French Protests- Strong anti-French sentiments have been simmering in Pakistan for months ever
since French President Emmanuel Macron in October last year defended the publication of caricatures of Prophet
Muhammad and pledged to fight “Islamist separatism”. TLP supporters took to the streets to launch a violent protest with
an aim to force the Imran Khan-led government to expel the French ambassador and ban French products in the country.
Richest and poorest states in India by GDP- India is the 6th largest economy in the world. While it has been knocked off
course somewhat through the impact of the pandemic, Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) forecast
that the Indian economy would expand by 9% in 2021 and by 7% in 2022. Maharashtra has the highest GSDP among 33
Indian States and Union Territories.
SVAMITVA Scheme- Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas or
SVAMITVA scheme is a Central Government initiative to enable an integrated property validation solution
for rural India. It was launched on April 24, 2020, which is also the National Panchayat Day. The Nodal
Ministry for this scheme will be the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
93rd Oscars Awards - The 93rd Oscars Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2020 and early 2021. It took place in Los Angeles
at both Union Station and the Dolby Theatre, on April 25, 2021
First Human-Monkey Embryos -Scientists have created the world’s first monkey embryos containing
human cells in an attempt to investigate how the two types of cell develop alongside each other.
In this edition as a wish for your bright and prosperous future we are providing “NABARD
GRADE A MODEL PAPER 2020” and “SSC CGL PRE MODEL PAPER 2020” for your
self-assessment. You can also test your Current Affairs by visiting the Quiz Time section
for self-assessment, which includes all possible multiple-choice questions from the
current affairs of this month. To serve you better we will diligently serve you our level
best with various new topics and news that is important from the examination point
of view.

Best of luck for your exams.

Your suggestions will be highly valuable and welcomed.

With Best Wishes

Editor : N.K. Jain “Your Success is Our Success”
 Kanchan INTERVIEW
MICA : What is the role of “Time
PERSONAL DETAILS Management” in one’s
Kanchan Singh success?
Father’s Name : Mr. Rajendra Singh Kanchan : Time management is the key
to success we must follow
Mother’s Name : Mrs. Pushpa Singh proper time schedule in study
Hobbies : Teaching, Drawing and Singing for selection in any exam.
Prior Selection : SBI Clerk Pre and IBPS Pre MICA : How did you prepare for
Name of the Exam : Bank of India (Clerk) the Interview?
Roll No. of Qualified Exam : 2921002055 Kanchan : I am reading the basic banking
concepts and give mock
Roll No. of Mahendra Institute : MRT0641760504 interview of Mahendra's.
English Language MICA : Tell us about the Interview
Board and the questions
Learning my basics and Reading The
asked?
Hindu everyday and giving more than two
ST every week and analyze the questions. Kanchan : Interview panel consisted
of 4 male and 1 female.
Reasoning Ability The questions asked were:
Practicing as much questions as
possible and working on regularly. I. Tell me about yourself.
II. How will you encourage your
Numerical Ability
team members?
Working mainly on basics in order to
solve as many questions as possible. III. Difference between team leader
MICA : Mahendra's family and a member.
expresses its heartfelt General Awareness
congratulations on your IV. How does bank make profit?
Reading enews, online learning from Types of bank accounts?
success. different websites and reading MICA
Kanchan : Thank You! for complete revision V. What is Payments bank? Types
of payment bank?
MICA : To whom do you want Computer Knowledge
to give the credit of your MICA : From whom did you
Regular studying about the basics of get information of your
selection?
Computer. selection and what was
Kanchan : Mahendra's of course.
MICA : What would you say your reaction?
There will be no other
about “Master in Current Kanchan : I saw my result on the official
person or an Organisation
Affairs” Magazine website and honestly, I had
that can help this much.
(MICA) and Mahendra mixed reaction about that
MICA : After how many attempts Guru Website? I was happy but a little
did you succeed in this Kanchan : It is a very good way to worried also.
examination? boost up your knowledge MICA : What message do you want
Kanchan : It was my second attempt. and expand your mind to convey to other aspirants?
MICA : What is the role of towards general awareness.
Kanchan : Give Speed Tests everyday
Mahendra's institute in MICA : What is the best thing about and read Master In Current
your selection? our coaching institute, Affairs (MICA).
according to you?
Kanchan : I had just worked and studied MICA : Congratulations! once
under Mahendra's only. Kanchan : The motivation, the again on your success.
guidance and positive Your success is our
MICA : How did you prepare for focus towards the student's
the examination? success.
selection. Every faculty is
Kanchan : Thank You!
Kanchan : equally helpful.
Public sector Cochin Shipyard is expected to operationalise a Rs 170 crore modern shipbuilding
facility that it is building in West Bengal by June 2021.
MAY 2021 MICA 5
CURRENT AFFAIRS One Liner

ONE Liner
PERSONS IN NEWS
## Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Baber Sidhu took charge
as the _____ chief of the Pakistan Air Force.
AWARDS
## Koneru Humpy, the reigning world chess champion in the
rapid format, was won the ____BBC Indian Sportswoman
- 23rd of the Year award. - 2nd
## Who has been elected president of the Federation of ## Who has recently been honored with the prestigious
Indian Export Organisations (FIEO)? SERB Women's Excellence Award?
- A. Sakthivel - Dr. Sonu Gandhi
## Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir ## Amitabh Bachchan was bestowed with the ______
Singh took charge as the ________ of Maharashtra Award for his dedication and contribution to the
home guard. - Director General preservation of the world’s film heritage by the
## Mohammed Muthu Meeran Maraickayar has passed away International Federation of Film Archives.
recently. He was the elder brother of which of the following - FIAF
former president? - Dr APJ Abdul Kalam ## In the 78th Golden Globe Awards which film has been
## Who has been appointed as the President of the Table given the Best Picture - Drama award?
Tennis Federation of India? - Dushyant Chautala - Nomadland
## Who is the Chairman of the Indian Red Cross ## Who has won the 2021 Grammy Award for Song of the
Society? - Harsh Vardhan year for her single “I Can’t Breathe"?
- Singer H.E.R.
## Which political adviser to Bangladeshi Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, died? - HT Arman ## Which Filmmaker won the top prize at the Directors
Guild of America Awards for her feature film
## Who has taken over as Principal Director General, Press
Nomadland? - Chloe Zhao
Information Bureau? - Jaideep Bhatnagar
## Antonio Guterres, the head of the United Nations, has SCHEMES AND LAUNCHES
appointed ________, a veteran French diplomat, as his
personal envoy to Afghanistan and regional issues. ## Prime Minister Narendra Modi released how many
- Jeanne Arnault volumes of manuscript with commentaries by 21
## Dattatreya Hosabale was elected as the "Sarkaryavah" scholars on shlokas of Srimad Bhagavadgita at his
of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Dattatreya residence? - 10
Hosabale is related to which state? ## Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
- Karnataka underlined the state government's commitment
## Who has been appointed as Assistant Secretary- of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas as he inaugurated
General and Head of the New York Office of the development projects worth Rs _____ in all 22 districts
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)? in the state. - 1,411 Crore Rs
- Ligia Noronh ## Russian telecom operator MTS has announced that it has
## Former MLA and wrestler Sambhaji Pawar has passed successfully launched the country's first ____ network for
away recently in Sangli. Sangli is a famous city of trial use in Moscow. - 5G network
which state? - Maharashtra
## Which state/ UT of the Sikh Gurudwara Management
## Who has appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Committee launched India's biggest kidney dialysis
important subcommittee of Parliament in America? facility at the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib complex?
- Pramila Jaipal - Delhi

Adani Enterprises has won an Rs 1,169.10 crore highway project in Odisha from the National
6 MICA MAY 2021
Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
 One Liner
## Who has inaugurated the latest technology Integrated ## Which state government has decided to set up three
Bamboo Treatment Plant near Guwahati? Eklavya model residential schools for tribal students?
- Dr. Jitendra Singh - Odisha
## Who has inaugurated new Cultural Centre of High ## PM Narendra Modi and which country's president has
Commission of India in Dhaka? agreed on regular bilateral contact?
- Dr. S. Jaishankar - Sri Lanka
## Who has inaugurated various facilities at Post Graduate ## Which institute has instituted eight new student grants
Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), for the autumn semester scheduled to begin in August
Chandigarh? - Harsh Vardhan this year as a group of alumni and their families have
## Recently Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ raised a corpus of over Rs 2 crore?
announced opening of two new Kendriya Vidyalayas in - IIT Kharagpur
which states? - Karnataka and Punjab ## The Indian Air Force is set to raise a second squadron
## Who has inaugurated the "Maritime India of the Rafale combat aircraft in mid-April, and it will
Summit-2021"? - Narendra Modi be based in Hasimara airbase in which of the following
state? - West Bengal
## Four schools reconstructed with Indian grant assistance
were inaugurated in which district of Nepal? ## Shahpur-Kandi dam project will become functional by
- Nuwakot November 2022 it is built on which river?
- Ravi River
NATIONAL & STATE ## Kalpataru Power Transmission arm JMC Projects has
won new orders worth Rs 1,262 crore. Where is the
## State-run Power Grid Corporation has signed a share Headquarters of Kalpataru Power Transmission?
purchase agreement with Jaiprakash Power Ventures to - Mumbai
acquire____ percent stake in Jaypee Powergrid Ltd (JPPGL)
for Rs 351.64 crore. - 74 ## Centre has prohibited exports of injection Remdesivir and
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients of Remdesivir till the
## In which year the Entire rail network in the country COVID situation in the country improves. Remdesivir
will be fully electrified? - 2023 was developed by: - Gilead Science
## Which state government has dedicated 2021 as the ## Who has addressed the Association of Indian
"Year of Education" with a well-planned investment Universities' 95th Annual Meet and National Seminar
of 1,000 crore rupees? - Arunachal Pradesh of Vice-Chancellors through video conferencing?
## Which state/ UT government has approved the - Narendra Modi
formation of a separate school board for nearly 2,700
## NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and
schools in the city? - Delhi
which country's embassy in India signed an agreement
## Which state/ UT government presented the Rs to jointly work towards promoting innovation and
69,000-crore budget themed on "patriotism" for the entrepreneurship among aspiring entrepreneurs?
financial year 2021-22? - Delhi - Denmark
## Which of the stands third on the list of states and Union ## Niti Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and
territories with most contaminated sites, according to All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
the Central Pollution Control Board data? announced their strategic collaboration to empower
- Delhi ATL established at schools across the country. What is
## The Government has decided to form Centre of Excellence the full form of ATL? - Atal Tinkering Lab
in gaming and other related areas in collaboration with ## The Union Agriculture Ministry has signed a
which IIT? - IIT Bombay memorandum of understanding with which of the
## Army chief General M M Naravane dedicated a following company to run a pilot program for 100
memorial to Captain Manoj Pandey in which district villages in six states to help farmers in reducing input
of Uttar Pradesh. - Sitapur costs and boost income? - Microsoft
## Which host has sported an "I stand with farmers" ## The government's e-governance services arm CSC
mask at the red carpet of 2021 Grammy Awards to announced a collaboration with ____ to set up solar-
reiterate her support to the ongoing farmer’s agitation powered microgrids and water pumps in rural areas
in India? - Lily Singh across the country. - Tata Power

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has acquired 25 per cent stake of Vishwa Samudra
Holdings in Krishnapatnam Port for Rs 2,800 crore.
MAY 2021 MICA 7
CURRENT AFFAIRS One Liner
INTERNATIONAL ## US President Joe Biden has signed the _____ dollar
coronavirus rescue package into law.
## How many country has been participated in Exercise - 1.9 trillion-dollar
"Desert Flag"? - 10
## Which country has emerged as the fifth most attractive
## India has been ranked ______ out of 149 countries in the growth destination according to a global survey of
list of UN World Happiness Report 2021 released which chief executive officers. - India
is topped by Finland. - 139
## The G20 Summit 2021 will be which edition of the FINANCIAL AWARENESS
annual event? - 16th
## As per Moody's, the GDP of India in FY22 is estimated
## The Senate has confirmed New Mexico Rep Deb at how much percent? - 13.70%
Haaland as interior secretary, making her the first
## Adani Green Energy has signed definitive agreements
Native ______ to lead a Cabinet department, and
with the Toronto-headquartered Sky Power Global
the first to lead the federal agency that has wielded
to acquire _____ percent stake in a special purpose
influence over the nation's tribes for nearly two
vehicle (SPV). - 100
centuries. - American
## Around 25 million new jobs will be created by the
## Facebook and News Corp announced new pay deals for
Indian retail sector by which year, as per Retail 4.0
news in which country? - Australia
Report released by Nasscom in partnership with
## India, Pakistan, China and other members of the Technopak. - 2030
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will hold
## The government has decided to sell what percent of
a joint anti-terrorism exercise this year. Where is the
its stake in Tata Communications Limited through an
headquarters of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?
Offer for Sale? - 16.12 percent
- Beijing, China
## Which port has emerged as 'connecting point' during ## How much amount India will invested in port projects
COVID pandemic? - Chabahar Port by 2035? - 82 billion dollars
## In the new memorial being built in England's port ## Inox Wind has signed a binding agreement with
city of Southampton to commemorate all the Indians Integrum Energy Infrastructure for ______of wind
who fought in the World Wars, the design of a ______ power projects. - 92 Megawatt
statue of an early 20th-century fighter plane has been ## Which Defense PSU signed a contract worth Rs 1,188
approved. - Hardit Singh Malik crore, including GST, with the Ministry of Defence to
## Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit which of the manufacture and supply MILAN 2T anti-tank guided
following country at the end of April on his first major missiles. - Bharat Dynamics
international tour following the UK’s exit from the Limited
European Union? - India ## Which country has signed a deal with Indian
## Which countries has signed the International pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech for the
Solar Alliance under the revised ISA Framework purchase of 20 million doses of the Covaxin vaccine?
Agreement? - Italy - Brazil
## China will operate bullet trains in which of the following ## Which country has hosted a meeting of BRICS Finance
place, close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh and Central Bank Deputies virtually?
before July this year? - Tibet - India
## Which country's Foreign Ministry said it has formally ## Who has been appointed as the first vice president and
opened its embassy to Israel in the disputed city of chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of
Jerusalem? - Kosovo New York? - Naureen Hassan
## Which country has imposed anti-dumping duty ## Low-cost carrier GoAir operated the first night flight
on the Chinese antibacterial drug Ciprofloxacin from Srinagar to _____, thus becoming the first airline
Hydrochloride? - India in the history of Indian aviation to achieve this feat.
- New Delhi
## The presidents of Turkey and Russia remotely
inaugurated the construction of _______ nuclear ## Which bank has asked banks to implement the image-
reactor at the Akkuyu power plant in southern based Cheque Truncation System in all branches by
Turkey? - Third September 30 this year? - Reserve Bank of India

Airline major IndiGo has partnered with on demand platform CarterPorter to provide door to door
8 MICA MAY 2021
baggage delivery service.
 One Liner
SPORTS ## Which space agency has completed the development
of a Synthetic Aperture Radar capable of producing
## Where was ISSF World Cup 2021 held? extremely high-resolution images for a joint earth
- Cairo observation satellite mission with the US space agency
## India Legends defeated Sri Lanka Legends by 14 runs NASA? - ISRO
in the final of the Road Safety World Series to clinch ## Transformers and Rectifiers (India) have bagged
the title at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International an order worth Rs _______ from the Power Grid
Stadium. Narayan Singh International Stadium is Corporation of India. - 108 crore
located in which state? - Chhattisgarh
## Indian player R. Vinay Kumar has announced his
MISCELLANEOUS
retirement from which of the following sports? ## How many Indian University in top 100 in QS World
- Cricket University Rankings 2021? - 12
## Who was named the Italian Football League Serie a ## How many courses of Indian knowledge tradition has
player of the year for the second successive time? prepared by NIOS? - 15
- Cristiano Ronaldo
## UN General Assembly has been declared as
## Clara Tauson defeated Viktorija Golubic to win the "International Year of Millets" which year?
Lyon Open recently. Clara Tauson is related to which - 2023
country? - Denmark
## Which day is observed as the National Protein Day in
## Richard Gasquet defeated Marco Cecchinato 6-4, India? - 27-Feb
6-2 in the first round of which Championships for his
## In India, the National Science Day is observed every
550th career victory? - Dubai
year on which date? - 28-Feb
## Which Indian shooter has won her maiden senior ISSF
## On which date did the Indian Naval Air Squadron
World Cup medal? - Ganemat Sekhon
(INAS) 310 and the Cobras maritime reconnaissance
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY squadron of the Indian Navy based at Goa celebrated
its Diamond Jubilee? - 21-Mar
## Engineering firm JMC Projects (India) has bagged a ## According to 'Ease of Living Index' which city of India
construction order worth Rs ____ from the Maldives Fahi is 'most liveable' city? - Bengaluru
Dhiriulhun Corporation. - 1,000 crore Rs ## The First Asian Games was held in which country?
## Battle Ready for Twenty-First Century was released - India
by CDS General Bipin Rawat and former Army Chief ## When is Rare Disease Day celebrated in India?
General Deepak Kapoor at the Center for Land Warfare - Last day of February
Studies (CLAUS). Who has written this book?
## Simlipal Tiger Reserve is located which State?
- Admiral Arun Prakash
- Odisha
## The scientists have discovered a new species of alpine
## 12 Indian Institutions on securing a position in the top
plant in which state? - Arunachal Pradesh
100 in the Quacquarelli Symonds Subject Rankings
## Adani Green Energy has commissioned a 100-megawatt for the year 2021. Quacquarelli Symonds belongs to
wind power plant located in which state? which country? - United Kingdom
- Gujarat ## Who started the foot march from Sabarmati Ashram to
## ________ is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second Dandi village in Navsari district of Gujarat, recently?
flight to the International Space Station on April 22. - Narendra Modi
- NASA ## Revered seer Mahamandaleshwar Bharti Bapu who
## In which city organised Symposium on “Sustainable died at Bharti Ashram was related to which state?
Development of Dams and River Basins”? - Gujarat
- New Delhi ## ______ Indian scholars have been selected among
## Which satellite has been developed by the DRDO to 74 worldwide candidates for the prestigious "Gates
monitor the activities of military and merchant navy Cambridge Class of 2021", the University of
ships in the Indian Ocean Region? Cambridge’s leading international postgraduate
- Sindhu Netra scholarship program. - Nine

An Indo U.S. Cricket eSports Competition was conducted to celebrate the growing trade ties between the two
countries.
MAY 2021 MICA 9
SPOTLIGHT ALL THAT MATTERS
ABBREVIATIONS IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
OLTAS : Online Tax Accounting System 1-May International Labour Day
DCCB : District Central Co-operative Bank 3-May Press Freedom Day
8-May World Red Cross Day
ECGC : Export Credit and Guarantee Corporation
9-May Victory day
CVC : Central Vigilance Commission 11-May National Technology Day
ADB : Asian Development Bank 12-May International Nurses day
IFSC : Indian Financial System Code 14-May World Migratory day
KVIC : Khadi and Village Industries Corporation 15-May International Day of the Family
17-May World Telecommunication Day
NSSF : National Small Savings Fund
31-May Anti-Tobacco Day
ECONOMIC GLOSSARY BOOKS & AUTHORS

Market
Stories I Must Tell: The
A market is defined as the sum total of
all the buyers and sellers in the area
01 Emotional Life of an
Actor

or region under consideration. The :- Kabir Bedi

area may be the earth, or countries,
regions, states, or cities.
The value, cost and price of items
traded are as per forces of supply and
How India Votes: And
What It Means 02
demand in a market. The market may
:- Pradeep Gupta
be a physical entity, or may be virtual.
It may be local or global, perfect and
imperfect.
Market refers to a group of buyers 03 Sand and Sea : CHILD
OF TWO WORLDS
and sellers dealing in a particular
commodity (e.g., gold market, oil :- Ann D'Silva
market, car market, fruit market,
etc.).
Market, in economics, may thus be Aliens: Infiltrator
04
defined as any process of exchange
between buyers and sellers. :- Weston Ochse
Thus, a market is an arrangement or
an institution that enables buyers and
05
The Fountain of
sellers to get information and to do Youth: Stories from
the Free City, Book 1
business or arrange exchange of goods
with each other. :- Nathaniel Warner
Apple has introduced the updated Find My app, allowing third party products to use the private and
10 MICA MAY 2021
secure finding capabilities of Apple's Find My network.
 APPOINTMENTS THE PEOPLE
Mallika Srinivasan of India. He specialized on Constitutional, Civil, Labour,

M
and Service and Election matters. He has also practiced
allika Srinivasan,
before Inter-State River Tribunals.
Chairman and Managing
Director of Tractors and Farm During his practice years, he was a Panel Counsel for various
Equipment (TAFE) Ltd, has been Government Organizations and as Additional Standing
named chairperson of the Public Counsel for Railways in the Central Administrative
Enterprises Selection Board Tribunal at Hyderabad before rendering services as
(PESB), according to an order Additional Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh.
issued by the Personnel Ministry. Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana served as puisne
It is gathered that this is for the Judge of the Supreme Court of India from 17.02.2014.
first time a private sector specialist He served as Chairman, Supreme Court Legal Services
has been appointed the head of Committee from March 7, 2019 to November 26, 2019.
the PESB, which is responsible for making appointments He has also served as the Executive Chairman of National
to top posts in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). Legal Services Authority (NALSA) since 27.11.2019.
Mallika Srinivasan will hold office for three years from the Initially he was appointed as a Permanent Judge of Andhra
date of assumption of charge or until she turns 65, whichever Pradesh High Court on 27.06.2000. He also functioned
is earlier, said the Ministry note. Mallika Srinivasan is as Acting Chief Justice of his parent High Court from
recognised for entrepreneurship and her contribution to the 10.3.2013 to 20.5.2013.
agriculture sector. She has built TAFE into the third largest Osmani-Sadriu
tractor manufacturer in the world and No 2 in India by
volumes, with an annual sales of over 150,000 units.
She is on the Board of AGCO Corporation – USA, Tata
L awmakers in Kosovo elected
and swore in a new president
for a five-year term, the Balkan
Steel and Tata Global Beverages Limited. She is also a
nation's second female leader in
member of the Governing and Executive Boards of the
the post-war period. The 120-
Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
seat parliament, which convened
The Public Enterprises Selection Board is a high powered in an extraordinary session for
body constituted by Government of India Resolution dated two days, gave 71 votes for
3.3.1987 which was subsequently amended from time-to- Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, the former
time, the latest being on 11.11.2008. The P.E.S.B has been parliament speaker, in the third
set up with the objective of evolving a sound managerial round of voting, while 11 votes
policy for the Central Public Sector Enterprises and, in were invalid.
particular, to advise Government on appointments to their
top management posts. In November, the 38-year-old Osmani-Sadriu temporarily
replaced former President Hashim Thaci, a guerrilla leader
Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana during Kosovo's war for independence from Serbia in

J ustice Nuthalapati Venkata the late 1990s, who resigned after facing charges for war
Ramana, took over as the Chief crimes and crimes against humanity at a special court based
Justice of the Supreme Court of in The Hague.
India on 24th April, 2021. He is As president, she will have largely a ceremonial post as the
the 48th Chief Justice of India. head of state. But she also has a leading position in foreign
He is first-generation lawyer, policy and is the commander of the armed forces.
having agricultural background, Resuming normalisation talks with former war foe Serbia is
and hails from Ponnavaram a priority in her list, even though the government of Prime
Village, Krishna District in Minister Albin Kurti has said it's not high in its key goals.
Andhra Pradesh. He is an avid
Kosovo became independent in 2008 after NATO
reader and literature enthusiast.
intervened in 1999 to stop then-Serbian strongman
He is passionate about Carnatic music.
Slobodan Milosevic's bloody crackdown on Albanian
He was called on to the Bar on 10.02.1983. He practiced independence fighters' insurrection. It is recognized by
in High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Central and Andhra more than 100 countries but not by Serbia or Serbian allies
Pradesh Administrative Tribunals, and the Supreme Court like Russia and China.
Billionaire Anil Agarwal led Vedanta Ltd plans to set up a coastal copper smelter plant in India for Rs
10,000 crore.
MAY 2021 MICA 11
THE PEOPLE APPOINTMENTS
Mukhmeet S. Bhatia During his over two year tenure as an Election

M
Commissioner, Chandra supervised assembly elections
ukhmeet S. Bhatia, IAS
of more than 10 states and worked towards making the
took over the charge of
entire nomination process online. The online process
Director General of Employees’
allowed candidates to file e-nomination directly, making
State Insurance Corporation
the system faster. It also allowed the error-free feeding
(ESIC) under Ministry of Labour
of the candidate's information and uploading of affidavits
& Employment, Govt. of India at
in the system. The candidate-related information is also
its Headquarters in New Delhi.
made available in the public domain through the Affidavit
Bhatia is an IAS Officer of Portal and Voter Helpline App on the same day when the
1990 batch of Jharkhand cadre. nomination is filed.
Earlier, he has worked as the
The Election Commission of India is a constitutional
Additional Secretary in the Dept.
authority under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Law and
of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Government
Justice, Government of India is responsible for the conduct
of India. He has got vast experience of governance and
of elections at the national level, state level and local
management of District & State level Organisations. He
level (municipality, panchayat etc.). The body administers
has also served as the Principal Secretary in the Dept. of
elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative
Labour & Employment and Women & Child Development
Assemblies, State Legislative Councils and the offices of the
in the Government of Jharkhand.
President and Vice President of the country. The Election
Bhatia, holds an M.Phil in Defence & Strategic Studies Commission operates under the authority of Constitution
from the Madras University, Master’s degree in Business per Article 324, and subsequently enacted Representation
Administration from Faculty of Mgmt. Studies, University of the People Act.
of Delhi and a Masters in International Development from
Harvard University, Cambridge, USA. He is a graduate in Alessandra Galloni

I
Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, talian journalist Alessandra
Chandigarh. He has various research papers on Governance Galloni made history when she
and Social Protection to his credit. was named Reuters’ new editor-
Employees' State Insurance (abbreviated as ESI) is in-chief: she’s the first woman in
a self-financing social security and health insurance the news organization’s 170 year
scheme for Indian workers. The fund is managed by history to take this role.
the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Galloni will officially assume the
according to rules and regulations stipulated in the role on April 19, and she brings
ESI Act 1948. ESIC is a Statutory and an Autonomous decades of experience covering
Body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, global business and political news
Government of India. at Reuters and the Wall Street
Sushil Chandra Journal. She was most recently Reuters’ global managing
editor, a role that put her in charge of journalists in 200

E lection Commissioner Sushil

Chandra was appointed
as the new Chief Election
places over the world.
Reuters News is a wire service and division of Thomson
Reuters, a media corporation with business segments that
Commissioner. He replaces Sunil
focus on selling data, software and services to law firms,
Arora who has retired.
accounting firms and other corporations. Galloni faces the
President Ram Nath Kovind ever-challenging task of promoting Reuters, which has
appointed Chandra as 24th the unique challenge of serving a broad reader base, while
CEC. Chandra was appointed as keeping her newsroom independent.
an Election Commissioner on
Galloni’s promotion to the top editorial spot at Reuters is
February 14, 2019, ahead of the
part of a broader trend of women taking lead roles in news
Lok Sabha elections and worked
organizations across the country: most recently, Dawn
for the successful conduct of the general elections. He is
Davis replaced Adam Rapoport at Bon Appetit and Mary
set to demit office on May 14, 2022, and will oversee the
Margaret became Entertainment Weekly’s first female
conduct of assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa,
editor in chief in March. Echoes of this trend have even
Uttarakhand, and Manipur as the CEC.
Delhi lifted the team championship with 195 points in the TATA Motors Junior & Sub Junior (Cadet)
12 MICA MAY 2021
Freestyle National Wrestling Championships.
 APPOINTMENTS
made its way to college newspapers: namely, the Princeton Headquarters: New York, United States
University’s paper, The Daily Princetonian, reported that Founded: 16 December 1966, United States
all eight Ivy League student papers had women as their
highest editorial leaders in 2020. Krishna Prasad
Richard Verma T he Hindu Group Publishing
Pvt. Ltd. publisher of The

F ormer US Ambassador to
India Richard Verma has been
appointed as General Counsel
Hindu, The Hindu BusinessLine,
Frontline and Sportstar has
appointed Krishna Prasad as
and Head of Global Public Policy Group Editorial Officer effective
of Mastercard, according to an April 16, 2021. He will lead and
announcement by the American enable greater synergies across
multinational financial services the different print publications
corporation. The announcement and digital offerings, by
from Mastercard came as it coordinating content efforts
appointed Tim Murphy, the across all publications of The Hindu Group.
company’s general counsel, to the
Mr. Prasad is former Editor-in-Chief of Outlook magazine,
newly created position of chief administrative officer.
and former Editor of Vijay Times from The Times of India
According to Mastercard Verma is currently executive group. In a 35-year career, he has taught journalism on
vice president for Global Public Policy and Regulatory three continents; been a member of the Press Council of
Affairs, has been promoted to General Counsel and Head India; and was one of the earliest mainstream journalists to
of Global Public Policy. He will now lead the company’s embrace the digital life.
core legal and regulatory functions, as well as its global
and regional public policy teams. Verma will also join the On joining the group, Mr. Prasad said, “For 143 years,
Mastercard’s Management Committee. Verma, 52, served The Hindu has been India’s most trusted newspaper,
as US Ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017. The first respected the world over for its independence, credibility
and only Indian American to serve in this position so far, and authority. It is a real honour to be tasked with shaping
Verma joined Mastercard in October 2020, bringing more its direction for the digital age, while keeping journalism
than 25 years of international experience across senior front and centre. I look forward to working closely with
levels of business, law, diplomacy and the military. the group’s editors and journalists, business and technical
teams, to future-proof the institution’s awesome legacy.
Mastercard Incorporated is an American multinational
financial services corporation headquartered in the The Hindu Group is a publishing company located in
Mastercard International Global Headquarters in Purchase, Chennai. The initial publication of The Hindu Group was
New York, United States. The Hindu, a daily newspaper that began in 1878 as a
CEO: Michael Miebach weekly, before converting in 1889.

AWARDS
51st Dadasaheb Phalke award "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of

T
Indian cinema". The recipient is selected by a committee of
he 51st Dadasaheb
famous personalities from the Indian film industry. The jury
Phalke Award will
members this year were -- singer Asha Bhosle, filmmaker
be conferred upon
Subhash Ghai, actor Mohanlal, singer-composer Shankar
actor Rajinikanth,
Mahadevan and veteran actor Biswajeet Chatterjee.
Union Minister Prakash
Javadekar announced. Widely regarded as one of the most popular cinematic
The Dadasaheb Phalke icons in India, Rajinikanth has also been honoured with the
Award is highest award Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016
in the Indian cinema by the Government of India. The Tamil superstar, who
industry. It is presented annually at the National Film enjoys a demigod status, made his debut in Tamil cinema
Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, with "Apoorva Raagangal". Among his numerous hits are
an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information films like "Baashha", "Sivaji" and "Enthiran". He is known
and Broadcasting. The recipient is honoured for their as Thalaivar or leader by his fans. Rajinikanth was last seen

Digital fare meters along with printer, GPS and panic button will soon be fitted on all taxis in Goa. MAY 2021 MICA 13
THE PEOPLE AWARDS
in AR Murugadoss's Darbar and is looking forward to the independence, the birth centenary of 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh
release of Annaatthe. Mujibur Rahman and hold talks with his counterpart
Rajinikanth will be the 12th South Indian superstar to be Hasina.
honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The most recent The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted
recipient of the award is actor Amitabh Bachchan who was by the government of India since 1995, the 125th birth
honoured at the 66th National Film Awards ceremony. anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi.
Earlier, PM Modi said Bangabandhu was a champion of
Directors Guild of America Awards human rights and freedom, and a hero to Indians as well.

N omadland director
Chloe Zhao won the
top prize at the Directors
The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation,
plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/ handloom
item. Mujibur Rahman was imprisoned in Pakistan when
Guild of America (DGA) Bangladesh was born. Pakistan was forced to set him free
Awards for the Frances on January 8, 1972. He returned to Dhaka on January 10,
M c D o r m a n d - s t a r r e r. 1972.
With the DGA win, Zhao He later took over as Prime Minister of Bangladesh but was
became the first Asian assassinated by some military officers during a coup d’état
woman to win the trophy on August 15, 1975. His wife, brother, sons and daughters-
for best feature directing at the 73rd edition of the awards. in-law were also assassinated along with him. Hasina and
She is also the second woman to earn the top DGA Award her sister Sheikh Rehana survived as they were in Europe.
after Kathryn Bigelow’s win for The Hurt Locker (2009).
Nomadland features Academy Award winner McDormand International Booker Prize
as a woman who leaves home to travel around the American
West after losing her job. In her acceptance speech, Zhao
also gave a shout out to her fellow nominees (David
C
author
hinese writer Can
Xue and Kenyan
Ngugi wa
Fincher-Mank, Aaron Sorkin-The Trial of the Chicago 7, Thiong’o, both long-
Lee Isaac Chung-Minari and Emerald Fennell-Promising favoured contenders
Young Woman). for the Nobel Prize for
Sound of Metal director Darius Marder won the first-time literature, are among
feature film directing award. In the television segment, nominees for the
Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit) won the directing award International Booker
for TV movie and limited series. Prize for fiction.
While Susanna Fogel won the best directorial achievement Can Xue’s I Live in the Slums and Ngugi’s The Perfect
for a comedy series for The Flight Attendant, Lesli Linka Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi are among 13 books
Glatter took the drama series award for Homeland. Michael on the long list for the 50,000 pound ($69,000) prize.
Dweck, Gregory Kershaw won in the best documentary The list announced features works from four continents,
directing category for Sony Pictures Classics’s’ The Truffle including The War of the Poor by France’s Eric Vuillard, In
Hunters. Memory of Memory by Russian writer Maria Stepanova,
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Argentina’s Mariana
Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 Enriquez and Minor Detail by Palestinian author Adania

P rime
Narendra
Minister
Modi
handed over the Gandhi
Shibli.
Writer Lucy Hughes-Hallett, who heads the judging panel,
said a theme of many of the books was “migration — the
Peace Prize 2020, being pain of it, but also the fruitful interconnectedness of the
conferred by India upon modern world.”
Bangladesh's 'Father
The six finalists are set to be revealed on 22 April and the
of the Nation' Sheikh
winner on 2 June.
Mujibur Rahman, to his
daughter Sheikh Rehana The International Booker Prize is awarded every year to a
and the younger sister of Premier Sheikh Hasina. PM book of fiction in any language that is translated into English
Modi arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day visit to attend and published in the UK or Ireland. It is run alongside the
the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the country's Booker Prize for English-language fiction.

Diversified conglomerate GMR Group has launched a new business vertical GMR Innovex to
14 MICA MAY 2021
support StartUps as well as innovations in aviation and other fields.
 AWARDS
The prize money is split between the book’s author and its edition of the "National Innovative and Sustainable Supply
translator. Ngugi translated his own novel from his mother Chain Awards” by UN Global Compact Network India, a
tongue, Kikuyu. statement said.
Knight of the Order of Arts and The company's case study solved the challenge of mounting
textile waste which is either incinerated or landfilled due to
Letters lack of recycling technologies, and lack of transparency/

P roducer
Monga,
Guneet
known
for backing films like
traceability in the scattered, complex and long fashion
supply chains, the statement said.
"These efforts are aligned to our prioritized UN SDG goals
“The Lunchbox” and and dedicated to building circular business models which
“Masaan”, has been are based on partnerships that add value to stakeholders,
awarded with the second people and planet," Grasim Industries' managing director
highest civilian French Dilip Gaur said.
honour. Monga was
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global
given the honour of
Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals
Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the Embassy
designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more
of France here by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le
sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set in 2015 by
Dria. She has been recognised for her contribution to the
the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to
world cinema through her Indo-French productions and
be achieved by the year 2030. They are included in a UN
“her relentless work towards women empowerment,” a
Resolution called the 2030 Agenda or what is colloquially
statement read.
known as Agenda 2030.
The 37-year-old filmmaker said she has constantly strived
Founder- United Nations
to champion women empowerment through her work. She
dedicated the honour to “every girl with a dream.” Monga- Established- 2015
backed “The Lunchbox” won Critics Week Viewer’s Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2021
Choice Award at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Her other
film productions were also screened and honoured at the
prestigious festival, including Vasan Bala’s “Peddlers”, E ngland's Ben Stokes
has been chosen
as Wisden’s leading
filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s “Gangs of Wasseypur”,
“Monsoon Shootout” and “Masaan”. cricketer in the world for
the second consecutive
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France rewards contributors
year. Among others
across the globe under three categories- Commandeur,
India's Kapil Dev, Sachin
Officier and Chevalier. Earlier, prominent names like
Tendulkar and Virat
Hollywood star Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce
Kohli featured in the list
Willis have been felicitated with the Commandeur title
of greatest ODI player. In the 158th Edition of Wisden
while superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai
Cricketers’ Almanack 2021, the five cricketers of the year
Bachchan have won the Officier title. Pop star Shakira,
were chosen as Zak Crawley, Jason Holder, Mohammad
South star Kamal Hassan and actor-filmmaker Nandita Das
Rizwan, Dominic Sibley and Darren Stevens.
are the previous awardees of Chevalier title.
On the occasion to mark the 50 years of ODIs, Wisden
UN for innovative and sustainable named its greatest player for each decade. In the list West
supply chain Indies' Viv Richards was named greatest player from
1970's, while India's Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar were
B irla Cellulose, a part
of the Aditya Birla
Group, said it has won an
named greatest players for 1980s and 1990s respectively.
Among other details, Booth said that Darren Stevens
award from the United has been named as cricketer of the year at 44, while
Nations for innovative Australia's Steve Waugh wins the cricket photograph of
and sustainable supply the year award. West Indies' Kieron Pollard was named
chain. The cellulose leading Twenty20 cricketer in the world while Australia's
fibre producer emerged Beth Mooney became the leading woman cricketer in the
as a winner in the first world.

Ed tech firm WhiteHat Jr announced a collaborative partnership with satellite company EnduroSat, a
move that will facilitate applied science opportunities for students.
MAY 2021 MICA 15
THE PEOPLE AWARDS
Booth also mentioned the hurdles in cricket due to the awarded the Red path Cup for first-class batting, after he
COVID-19 in 2020. "Cricket has never been less important amassed 639 runs in just four innings at an average of 159.
than in 2020 – and never more. As coronavirus spread, it In the women's category, Kerr won the Super Smash and
seemed frivolous to wonder when the season might start, the International T20 awards. The leg spinning all-rounder
or whether anyone would be there to watch; months later, played a key role in the White Ferns' wins over Australia
with the UK’s death toll into six figures, even writing about in Brisbane last December and in Napier last month. She
runs and wickets felt wrong," he added. averaged 51 with the bat, striking at 134 in the Super Smash
Sir Richard Hadlee Medal T20s. She also took 14 wickets, including a hat-trick for
Wellington Blaze in the final.
N ew Zealand captain
Kane Williamson
has been awarded the Sir
Conway, meanwhile, was named the men's player of the
year in both ODIs as well as T20Is.
Richard Hadlee medal Finn Allen, was named the Super Smash Player of the Year
for the fourth time in six in the men's category after scoring 512 runs at an average
years, while women's of 56 and a strike-rate of 193.
all-rounder Amelia Kerr Kyle Jamieson, was given the Windsor Cup for first-
and rising star Devon class bowling, his first NZC award. Stand-in captain Amy
Conway also claimed top Satterthwaite was named the women's ODI Player of the
honours at the New Zealand Cricket Awards for the 2020- Year, courtesy 304 runs in six matches on her comeback
21 season. trail.
Williamson, the highest ranked Test batsman, was also Former batsman Jeff Crowe was honoured with the Bert
named the International Test Player of the Year and Sutcliffe Medal for outstanding services to cricket.
OBITUARY
WAG Pinto Mariamma Varkey

L ieutenant General Walter

Anthony Gustavo 'WAG'
Pinto, a military hero who led an
M ariamma Varkey, a Kerala
teacher who was the
inspiration behind the annual
infantry division to a legendary Global Teacher Prize, has died
victory in the 1971 India-Pakistan aged 89.
War died in Pune at the age of 97. Mariamma Varkey is credited
Lieutenant General Walter as a pioneer in teaching who,
Anthony Gustavo 'WAG' Pinto, along with husband K S Varkey
PVSM was a General Officer transformed the education system
in the Indian Army. He last in the UAE upon their migration
served as the 8th General Officer from Kerala. They taught English
Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command. As a to local Arab children and even counted royal family
major general, he led the 54th Infantry Division on the members of Dubai among their former students.
western front in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, for which Responding to the increased demand for an English-
he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. language education for the children of Indian expatriates,
The Battle of Basantar was among the most vital battles in the Varkey family founded “Our Own English High School”
the war. It was one of the greatest tank battles fought by the in Dubai in 1968 to teach children of all nationalities and
Indian Army. Pinto had the 47 Infantry Brigade, 91 Infantry religions.
Brigade and the 74 Infantry Brigade, Poona Horse and one The school set up by the Varkeys was the seed that grew
squadron of Hodson's Horse. The date for the Basantar into the GEMS Education network, founded in 1980,
crossing was fixed for night 14/15 December, but was now operating and managing over 250 schools globally.
postponed by 24 hours by Pinto. The Battle of Basantar The most recent winner of the Global Teacher Prize is
was a decisive Indian victory. In what is an Indian Army Indian village teacher Ranjitsinh Disale, who has helped
record, Pinto's 54 Infantry Division won as many as 196 to transform girls' education in his school in Maharashtra.
gallantry medals in just 14 days of fierce fighting. These He was selected from over 12,000 nominations and
include 2 Param Vir Chakras and 9 Mahavir Chakras. applications from over 140 countries around the world.
Former Gujarat DGP Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala has taken over from Ajit Singh as
16 MICA MAY 2021
the head of the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit.
 OBITUARY
The Varkeys had moved to the UAE in 1959, at a time principles of Sanatana Dharma. Hanuman Prasad Poddar
when the discovery of oil in Dubai began a significant better known as "Bhaiji" was the founding and the lifetime
influx of foreign workers, including many from the Indian editor of its noted magazine who also wrote articles with
subcontinent. his pen name "SHIV", Kalyan. It started publishing in
1927, with a circulation of 1,600 copies and at present its
Prince Philip print order had reached 250,000 (in 2012). The Gita Press

P rince Philip, Queen Elizabeth

II's husband and the longest-
serving consort of any British
archives contain over 3,500 manuscripts including over
100 interpretations of the Bhagwad Gita.
Seth Jaya Dayal Goyanka, Shri Hanuman Prasad
monarch, has died at age 99. Poddar and Shri Ghanshyam Das Jalan, Gita preachers
His death was met with a flood set up the Gita Press on 29 April 1923, as a unit of
of tributes from across Britain Gobind Bhawan Karyalaya registered under the
and the world. In accordance Societies Registration Act, 1860 (presently governed
with tradition, a framed notice by the West Bengal Societies Act, 1960). Five months
containing the news was also later it acquired its first printing machine for Rs 600.
placed on the railings outside Since its establishment, the Gita Press has published
Buckingham Palace. approximately 410 million copies of the Gita (in
Philip spent 65 years supporting the queen, retiring from different editions) and 70.0 million copies of the
his public role in 2017 and staying largely out of the view Ramcharitamanas, at subsidized prices.
since. In his active years, he helped set a new course for
the monarchy, championing Britain itself, as well as Sanjay Chakravarti
environmental causes, science and technology.
Philip helped bring the royals to life on television rather S anjay Chakravarti, the iconic
shooting coach who gave
some of India’s best shooters,
than through radio reports. He was the first member of the
royal family to do a televised interview and he presented a including Olympic medalist
show on a royal tour of the Commonwealth. He is also said Gagan Narang and Anjali
to have had a hand in televising the queen’s coronation in Bhagwat, has died in Mumbai.
1953 and in organizing a ground-breaking 1969 television The Dronacharya Award-winning
documentary about the family. Emperor helped many budding
shooters in his four-decade
Born June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu, he was
career, who later brought awards
the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, and
to the nation. The National Rifle
Princess Alice of Battenberg. Greece's king, Philip's uncle,
Association of India has condoled his death.
was forced to abdicate when Philip was a baby, and the
family fled to Paris, with Philip famously carried to safety The shooting community was plunged in grief on hearing
in a crib made from an orange box. the news, especially the Dronacharya awardee's pupils,
who took to the social media to pay homage.
Radheshyam Khemka Though Chakravarty represented the country in quite a

R adheshyam Khemka, the

president of Gita Press in
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, and
few international events, coaching was his true calling. It
was very late in his life that he received the Dronacharya
award and that too when he had turned 76 after his students
the editor of Kalyan, the famous collectively nominated him for the country's highest
magazine of Sanatan Dharma, coaching award.
has passed away. He was 87 years The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was
old. Radheshyam Khemka died founded in 1951 with a view to promote and popularize the
at his residence at Kedar Ghat in shooting sports in India. The first speaker of Lok Sabha,
Varanasi. He had been running ill G.V. Mavlankar was the founder and the first president of
for the past few days. NRAI followed by Sh. Govind Vallabh Pant, Lal Bahadur
Gita Press is the world's largest Shastri, Y. B. Chauhan, G.S. Dhillon, Joginder Singh,
publisher of religious texts. It is located in Gorakhpur city and so on and so forth. Presently the president of NRAI
of Uttar Pradesh. It was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal is Raninder Singh, a very keen and skilled shooter from
Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the Patiala Royal Family.

In Cricket, India beat England by seven runs in the third and final ODI in Pune to clinch the three
match series 2-1.
MAY 2021 MICA 17
THE PEOPLE OBITUARY
NRAI is affiliated to Indian Olympic Association and all hospital and got him tested, where it turned out that he was
International Shooting Federations/Confederations. COVID-19 positive," Satya Devi told PTI.
Fatima Rafiq Zakaria The actor worked in over 300 Punjabi and Hindi films
including "Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha", "Aunty No 1" and
F atima Rafiq Zakaria, a
Padmashree awardee,
renowned journalist, academician
the TV show "Vikram Aur Betaal". Kaul moved to Punjab
from Mumbai and started an acting school around 2011,
which wasn't a success.
and chairman of Maulana Azad
He fractured his hip bone in 2015 and remained bedridden
Educational Trust and Khairul
for two and a half years. He later checked-in to an old age
Islam Trust Mumbai, passed
home, where he stayed till 2019, before moving in to a
away at the Bajaj Hospital in
rented house.
Aurangabad due to age-related
illness noon. She was 85 when she Kaul had expressed his wish to buy a house of his own in
breathed her last in the hospital. the city and had hoped to act more.
Besides being affiliated to the Vivek

T
Maulana Azad Educational Trust and Maulana Azad
amil film actor Vivek died in
Education Society, Zakaria was also executive vice-
a Chennai hospital, he was
chairman of the Board of Governors of the Trust's Institute
59. The 59-year-old actor was
of Hotel Management which is run in collaboration with
brought to the emergency room
the Taj Group of Hotels. She was also honoured with the
of the hospital in an unconscious
Sarojini Naidu Integration Award for Journalism in 1983
condition by his wife and
and had played an eminent role in the field of education.
daughter after he complained of
She was awarded the Padma Shri in recognition of her
discomfort.
work in education in 2006.
Born in Kovilpatti in Tuticorin
Maulana Azad Education Foundation is established to
district in south Tamil Nadu,
promote education amongst educationally backward
Vivek started his film career
sections of the muslin community of India. It is fully
as an assistant director cum script writer with veteran
funded by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India.
director K Balachandar in the 1980s. Impressed by his
The Minister of Minority Affairs is Ex-Officio President
timing sense and comedy, Balachandar offered Vivek a
of the Foundation. The Foundation was established on the
small role in the Tamil film “Manathil Urudhi Vendum”
occasion of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's birth centenary
in 1987.
celebrations in 1989.
He was known for his sharp tongue, timing sense and ability
Satish Kaul to mimic others. Leading heroes, including Rajinikanth,

V eteran Punjabi actor Satish offered Vivek enough screen space to shine. His roles in
Kaul, who featured in films like “Run,” “Perazhagan,” “Dhool,” “Anniyan” and
several Hindi films and shows “Sivaji” became very popular among the hundreds of roles
including Mahabharat, died he played over three decades. He was even cast as a hero in
due to COVID-19 related the Tamil film “Solli Adippen,” but the film never saw the
complications. He was 74. light of the day.
According to Kaul's sister Satya Vivek was popularly called “Chinna Kalaivanar” for his
Devi, the actor, popular for penchant on social reforms in his dialogues -- something
playing the role of Lord Indra in that yesteryear star and comedian N S Krishnan, who was
BR Chopra's Mahabharat, was known as Kalaivanar, did in the late 40s and 50s.
admitted to a city hospital after Vivek was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009 by the central
he developed fever six days ago. government. Vivek had also developed a close bonding to
He died morning due to COVID-19 at the hospital. He the principles of A P J Abdul Kalam and highlighted them
had fever and wasn't keeping well. We admitted him to the through his roles.

In order to further the people to people ties between the two countries, India provides scholarship for
18 MICA MAY 2021
the descendants of the Liberation War fighters of Bangladesh.
 NATIONAL NEWS BITES
Burning Topics of the Month
Inauguration of Tika Utsav Agriculture Ministry signs
Rs 3 lakh crore Emergency
across the country for MoU with Microsoft for a
Credit Line Guarantee
prevention of growing Covid pilot project raise farmer’s
Scheme.
infection. income.

& Many More...

Centre releases Rs 4,608 crore to Centre will soon roll out "Unique
States for providing grant-in-aid to Land Parcel Identification Number
local bodies 01 Apr' 21 system" in country 02 Apr' 21

T C
he Finance Ministry has released an amount of 4 entre will soon roll out a Unique Land Parcel
thousand 608 crore rupees to the States for providing Identification Number System in the country
grant-in-aid to the local bodies. The grants are both for allotting distinct IDs for each land parcel. The
the Rural Local Bodies and Urban Local Bodies. The grants system has already been successfully carried out in a
have been released as per the recommendations of the 15th number of states on pilot basis. In the Unique Land Parcel
Finance Commission. In the last financial year, the Centre Identification Number System, there will be a unique ID
released a sum of 87 thousand 460 crore rupees to 28 States for each land parcel. The unique ID will be of 14 digits. It
as local body grants. Out of the total amount 60 thousand would be based on the Geo reference coordinate of vertices
750 crore rupees have been released for Rural Local Bodies of the parcel.
while the remaining 26 thousand 710 crore rupees have been This would be of international standard and in compliance
released for Urban Local Bodies. The grants to the rural local with the Electronic Commerce Code Management
bodies will be partly utilized for sanitation and maintenance Association Standard, and Open Geospatial Consortium
of open-defecation free status and supply of drinking water, Standards. It will provide compatibility so that all states
rainwater harvesting and water recycling. In the Urban can adopt it easily. It will enable in keeping the land records
areas, the fund will also cater to the needs of improvement always up-to-date. The system would ensure delivery of
in air quality, solid waste management and sanitation. citizen services of land records through a single window.
Local bodies are institutions of the local self-governance, It would also ensure sharing of land records data across
which look after the administration of an area or small departments, financial institutions, and all stakeholders.
community such as villages, towns, or cities. The Local Proper land statistics, and land accounting through this
bodies in India are broadly classified into two categories. system will also help develop land banks, and lead towards
The local bodies constituted for local planning, development Integrated Land Information Management System.
and administration in the rural areas are referred as Rural
Local Bodies (Panchayats) and the local bodies, which Government of India, in 2008-09, had launched Digital
are constituted for local planning, development and India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP)
administration in the urban areas are referred as Urban Local - erstwhile National Land Records Modernization
Bodies (Municipalities). Local Government is a State subject Programme to digitize and modernize land records and
figuring as item 5 in List II of the Seventh Schedule to the develop a transparent and Integrated Land Information
Constitution of India. Management System (ILIMS) in the country.
The Ministry of Finance is a ministry within the Government Substantial progress has been made under the Programme in
of India concerned with the economy of India, serving as the basic requirements of Computerization of Land Records
the Indian Treasury Department. i.e. Record of Rights (RoR) completed more than 90% in
24 States/UTs (5,98,290 villages out of total 6,58,160 in
Founded: 29 October, 1946 the country); Cadastral Maps digitized more than 90% in
Headquarters: New Delhi
In Tennis, 26th seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland won the biggest title of his career beating 19 year old
Jannik Sinner of Italy in the Miami Open final.
MAY 2021 MICA 19
NEWS BITES NATIONAL
22 States/UTs (1,09,10,525 maps out of total 1,60,69,413
CBSE not to reduce syllabus for
maps); Computerization of Registration completed more
than 90% in 27 States/UTs (4,784 Sub-Registrar Offices students of classes 9 to 12 for
out of total 5,211 SROs) and Integration of SROs with academic year 2021-22 04 Apr' 21

T
Land Records completed more than 90% in 19 States/UTs
(3,844 SROs out of total 5,211 SROs). It is the vision of the he Central
Department to complete computerization/digitization of Board of
land records in entire country by the Financial Year 2023- Secondary
24. Education (CBSE)
has decided not to
India achieved a historic milestone reduce the syllabus
for the students of
by constructing most highways in the classes 9 to 12 for
last financial year 03 Apr' 21 academic year 2021-

U
22. The board has released the new syllabus in which the
nion Road
chapters and topics that were removed in the last academic
Transport
year have been restored for the upcoming academic session
a n d
2021-22. Official sources said the reduction in the syllabus
Highways Minister
was a one-time measure only for the 2021 board exams.
Nitin Gadkari has
said that in the Last year, CBSE had rationalized the syllabus by up to 30
last financial year, per cent for classes 9 to 12 for the year 2020-21 to reduce
India has achieved the course load of students in view of COVID-19 pandemic.
a historic milestone The students who studied the reduced syllabus will appear
by constructing more highways than any other country. He in exams in May-June this year.
said that 37 kilometers of roads were constructed daily in The Central Board of Secondary Education is a national
the year 2020-21. level board of education in India for public and private
Gadkari said that more than 13 thousand kilometers of schools, controlled and managed by Union Government of
roads were constructed in the last financial year. He said India. There are approximately 21,271 schools in India and
that this feat was achieved despite the challenges posed 220 schools in 28 foreign countries affiliated to the CBSE.
by the Covid epidemic. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Road From 309 schools in year 1962, as on year 2019, CBSE has
Transport and Highways said that the length of national 21,271 schools and 228 schools in 25 foreign countries. All
highways has increased by 50 percent in the last seven schools affiliated to CBSE follow the NCERT curriculum.
years. During this period, the length of highways has CBSE affiliates all Kendriya Vidyalayas, all Jawahar
increased from 91 thousand kilometers to more than one Navodaya Vidyalayas, private schools, and most of the
lakh 37 thousand kilometers. schools approved by central government of India. There are
1,138 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 3,011 Government Schools,
Nitin Jairam Gadkari is an Indian politician and
16,741 Independent School, 595 Jawahar Novodaya
businessman from Maharashtra who is the current Minister
Vidyalaya and 14 Central Tibetan School.
for Road Transport & Highways and the Minister of Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises in the Government of India. Formation- 3 November 1962
Gadkari earlier served as the President of the Bharatiya Headquarters- New Delhi, India
Janata Party from 2009 to 2013. Chairperson- Manoj Ahuja
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is a
ministry of the Government of India that is the apex body India's biggest floating solar power
for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations plant to be set up at Ramagundam in
and laws relating to road transport, transport research and
in also to increase the mobility and efficiency of the road
Telangana 05 Apr' 21

I
transport system in India. Through its officers of Central ndia's biggest floating solar power plant with a capacity
Engineering Services (Roads) cadre it is responsible for of 100 MW will be set up at Ramagundam in Telangana.
the development of National Highways of the country. The project expected to be opened in May, is being set
Road transport is a critical infrastructure for economic up at Ramagundam thermal power plant reservoir. The
development of the country. solar project is commissioned by the National Thermal
India and Bahrain agreed to deepen cooperation in key areas such as the oil and gas sector, health and
20 MICA MAY 2021
defence, while also vowing to step up bilateral trade and investment.
 NATIONAL
Power Corporation remembered for his countless efforts for the uplift of the
(NTPC). The project, socially backward and downtrodden.
which is estimated to Babu Jagjivan Ram was one of India's greatest icons
cost around 423 crore who dedicated his life to the betterment of the poor and
rupees, will have 4.5 downtrodden. He was born on 5th April 1908 at Chandwa
lakh photovoltaic near Arrah in Bihar. In 1946, he became the youngest
panels. minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's interim government, the first
The solar panels will cabinet of India as a Labour Minister, and also a member
cover 450-acre area of the Constituent Assembly of India. He went on to serve
of the reservoir and can be expanded in the future. NTPC's as a minister with various portfolios for more than forty
efforts to set up floating solar power projects is aimed years. Most importantly, he was the Defence Minister of
at reducing its carbon footprints and accelerate its green India during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, which resulted in
energy production to 30 per cent of its capacity. the creation of Bangladesh. He left Congress in 1977 and
The world's largest solar power plant with 600 MW capacity joined the Janata Party alliance, along with his Congress for
has set up on Omkareshwar Dam on Narmada River in Democracy. He later served as the Deputy Prime Minister
Madhya Pradesh. The project costing 3,000 crore rupees is of India from 1977 to 79.
expected to start power generation only by 2022-23.
The Ministry of Tourism will organize
A solar power plant is any type of facility that converts
sunlight either directly, like photovoltaics, or indirectly, a three-day comprehensive tourism
like solar thermal plants, into electricity. Source: Heliogen. program in Srinagar 09 Apr' 21

T
They come in a variety of types, with each using discretely
different techniques to harness the power of the sun. he Ministry
of Tourism
Telangana is a state in southern India. In the city of
will organize
Warangal, the centuries-old Warangal Fort features carved
a mega tourism
stone towers and gateways.
promotion event in
Capital: Hyderabad Srinagar “Tapping
Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan the Potential of
Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao Kashmir: Another
Day in Paradise”
PM Modi pay tribute to Babu Jagjivan from 11th -13th April, 2021. Lt. Governor of the Union
Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha and Union
Ram on his Jayanti 06 Apr' 21
Minister of State for Tourism & Culture Prahlad Singh

P
rime Minister Patel will address the delegates at the inauguration of the
Narendra event. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Modi has in association with the Tourism Department of Jammu
paid tribute to Babu Kashmir, Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce &
Jagjivan Ram on his Industries (FICCI) and the Indian Golf Tourism Association
Jayanti. In a tweet, (IGTA) is organizing this event from 11th-13th April, 2021.
Modi said freedom The objective of this event is to develop the state of
fighter Babu Jagjivan Jammu and Kashmir by showcasing the countless tourism
Ram was an ardent possibilities. Several interesting programmes, discussion
advocate of social justice. He said Babu Jagjivan Ram Ji's sessions, technical tours, exhibitions, interactions will
efforts for the upliftment of socially oppressed and deprived form the part of the event including a Technical Visit to
sections will always be a source of inspiration for all. Vice the Tulip Gardens for the delegates and a B2B Session
President M Venkaiah Naidu has also paid tributes to Babu wherein leading tour operators from other parts of India are
Jagjivan Ram. Mr. Naidu said Babu Jagjivan Ram was a great expected to participate and interact with their counterparts
freedom fighter, social reformer, and astute administrator. in Jammu & Kashmir. There will be presentations on
Naidu said Babu Jagjivan Ram was a visionary leader who Tourism Potential of Jammu & Kashmir, address by senior
served the nation with distinction in various capacities. The government dignitaries including Arvind Singh, Secretary
Vice President said that Babu Jagjivan Ram will always be (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and Sarmad

India captain Virat Kohli's foundation will set up two 'animal shelters' on the outskirts of Mumbai as
a part of its animal welfare project.
MAY 2021 MICA 21
NEWS BITES NATIONAL
Hafeez, Secretary – Tourism, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir. proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching
The Department of Tourism, Government of Jammu & a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth.
Kashmir will also organize a Laser Show at the famous Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that 4 lakh people
Dal Lake followed by a Cultural Programme .A Golf will be vaccinated in the inaugural Teeka Utsav. Kumar
Tournament is also being organized at the picturesque appealed to people to come forward for vaccination for
Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar for important invitees prevention of Covid epidemic. Chief Minister Nitish
including Diplomats from Kenya, Vietnam and Georgia Kumar said that there is no shortage of vaccines in the state.
and other leading Golfers in the country. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh - Yogi Adityanath
FICCI - Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Chief Minister of Bihar - Nitish Kumar
Industries
IGTA - Indian Golf Tourism Association Center prohibits the export of
Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir - Manoj Sinha Remdesivir injection and its medicinal
Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture - components till the situation of Covid
Prahlad Singh Patel epidemic improves in the country
Inauguration of Tika Utsav across the 11 Apr' 21

T
country for prevention of growing he Center
Covid infection 10 Apr' 21 has banned

P
the export of
rime Minister Remdesivir Injection,
Narendra Modi and the medicinal
has called for components used
a comprehensive to make it till the
mass vaccination situation of the
program from April Covid epidemic in
11 to April 14 and the country improves. The Union Health Ministry has said
to celebrate it as a that there has been a sudden spurt in cases of the Covid
celebration. April 11 epidemic in India, and currently there are more than 11 lakh
is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and on active patients across the country. Due to this, the demand
April 14, Babasaheb Ambedkar. During the meeting, the for injection Remdesivir which is used in the treatment of
Prime Minister called on the state and union territories to Covid patients has also increased rapidly. The ministry has
celebrate the Teeka festival from 11 April to 14 April. So that said that its demand may increase further in the coming
a large number of eligible people can be vaccinated during days.
this period. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi The Ministry has stated that all domestic manufacturers
Adityanath has appealed to the people to participate in the of Remdesivir have been advised to provide details of
vaccination campaign- Teeka Utsav which is being started stockists, and distributors of this medicine on their website
in the state and strictly follow the Covid guidelines. The so that it can be easily obtained. The ministry has said that
state government is preparing for the Teeka Utsav, which the drug inspector and other officials have been instructed
will start at 600 vaccination centers. In this three-day to verify the stock. They have also been asked to keep a
campaign, the Chief Minister will participate in a webinar watch on rigging, and misconduct and take effective action
on immunization with the Governor. against hoarders and black marketers. The health secretaries
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease of states and union territories will review the situation with
caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people drug inspectors.
who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to The Ministry has stated that the Department of
moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment. Pharmaceuticals is in touch with domestic manufacturers,
The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted and is making efforts to increase the production of
through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, Remdesivir. The Central Government has also advised
sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang the States that in consultation with experts, the current
in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces. You can be National Clinical Management Protocol relating to
infected by breathing in the virus if you are within close Covid-19 has been developed and patients are being

22 MICA MAY 2021 India hosted a Meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors virtually.
 NATIONAL
treated accordingly. In this protocol, Remdesivir has
Rs 3 lakh crore Emergency Credit
been recorded as a drug used in clinical medicine and
it is necessary to make a shared decision. States and Line Guarantee Scheme 17 Apr' 21

T
UTs have been advised that information about these
steps should be re-communicated to all government and he finance
private hospitals and their implementation should be ministry
ensured. Seven companies in India produce Remdesivir expanded
injections. Their monthly production capacity is 48 lakh the scope of the
80 thousand units. Rs 3 lakh crore
Emergency Credit
Govt decided to simplify the process Line Guarantee
Scheme (ECLGS)
for re-issue of OCI cards 15 Apr' 21
which will now

T
cover borrowers from the healthcare segment, apart from
he govt. has
the 26 sectors identified by the Kamath Committee. Last
decided to
month, the government had extended the scheme by
simplify the
three months till June 30 and expanded its scope to cover
process for re-issue
enterprises in hospitality, travel and tourism, leisure and
of Overseas Citizen
sporting sectors.
of India (OCI)
cards. Currently, the 'SMA-1 borrowers in the healthcare sector and 26 other
OCI card is required high stress sectors (as identified by the Kamath Committee)
to be re-issued each are now eligible under ECLGS 2.0,' the finance ministry
time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and said in a tweet. Special Mention Accounts (SMAs) are
once after completing 50 years of age. Now, it has been those which are witnessing stress and can become NPAs/
decided to dispense with this requirement. A person stressed assets.
who has got registration as an OCI cardholder prior to 'In recognition of the continuing adverse impact of
attaining the age of 20 years will have to get the OCI COVID-19 pandemic on certain service sectors, the
card re-issued only once when a new passport is issued government has now extended the scope of ECLGS through
after completing 20 years of age. If a person has obtained introduction of ECLGS 3.0 to cover business enterprises in
registration as an OCI cardholder after attaining the age Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Leisure & Sporting sectors
of 20 years, there will be no requirement of re-issue of which had, as on February 29, 2020, total credit outstanding
an OCI card. not exceeding Rs 500 crore and overdue, if any, were for 60
With a view to updating the data regarding new passports days or less, on that date,' the statement issued last month
obtained by the OCI cardholder, it has been decided that had said.
they will upload a copy of the new passport containing their ECLGS 3.0 would involve extending credit of up to
photo and also the latest photo on the online OCI portal, 40 per cent of total credit outstanding across all lending
each time a new passport is issued up to 20 years of age and institutions as on February 29, 2020. The tenor of loans
once after completing 50 years of age. granted under ECLGS 3.0 would be six years, including a
However, in the case of those who have been registered moratorium period of two years.
as OCI cardholders as of the spouse of foreign origin Till February-end, Rs 2.46 lakh crore of Rs 3 lakh crore
of a citizen of India or an OCI cardholder, the person were sanctioned under the scheme by commercial banks
concerned will be required to upload a copy of the new and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).
passport.
The scheme was valid till October 2020 and it was
The decision is expected to significantly ease the process extended to November-end. The scheme was again
for the re-issue of OCI cards. The OCI Card has proved extended in November as part of the Aatmanirbhar
to be very popular amongst foreigners of Indian Origin Bharat 3.0 package till March 31, 2021 by including the
and spouses of foreign origin of Indian citizens or OCI 26 stressed sectors identified by the RBI-constituted K V
cardholders, as it helps them in hassle-free entry and Kamath committee. The revised operational guidelines
unlimited stay in India. were issued by National Credit Guarantee Trustee
OCI - Overseas Citizen of India Company Ltd.

India participated in a multilateral air exercise United Arab Emirates (UAE) alongside several other
key players, including the US and France.
MAY 2021 MICA 23
NEWS BITES NATIONAL
will enhance their
CSC to set up solar-powered micro income. This will
grids and water pumps in rural areas also reduce the input
across the country 18 Apr' 21 costs for farmers

T
and make farming
he govt's easy. These states
e-governance are Uttar Pradesh,
services arm Madhya Pradesh,
CSC announced a Gujarat, Haryana,
collaboration with Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Microsoft will develop
Tata Power to set up farmer interface for smart and well-organized agriculture,
solar-powered micro including post-harvest management and distribution.
grids and water
Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture Minister Narendra
pumps in rural areas
Singh Tomar said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea
across the country. To begin with, Tata Power has proposed
of digital agriculture is now taking shape. He said, since
to set up 10,000 micro grids to support rural consumers
taking over as the Prime Minister in 2014, Modi has laid
through Common Service Centers (CSCs).
great emphasis on the use of modern technologies in
CSC e-Governance Services India Managing Director farming sector to enhance farmers income. He said, the
Dinesh Tyagi said the collaboration will amplify the agricultural economy is the backbone of the country and
government's ongoing campaign to provide clean and any loss to agriculture is a loss for the country.
sustainable energy to households and businesses in rural
Mr Tomar said, the agriculture sector has contributed
areas.
positively to the country's economy even in adverse
Under the partnership, over 3.75 lakh CSCs will be conditions like Corona epidemic.
involved in supplying solar water pumps to farmers and
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (formerly
help in setting up micro grids in residential and commercial
Ministry of Agriculture), a branch of the Government of
establishments in rural areas.
India, is the apex body for formulation and administration
The partnership is initially expected to create employment of the rules and regulations and laws related to agriculture
to a minimum two persons in each panchayat where in India. The three broad areas of scope for the Ministry
micro grid are proposed to be installed, thereby leading to are agriculture, food processing and co-operation. The
generation of 20,000 jobs for rural youth. agriculture ministry is headed by Minister of Agriculture
The micro grids will be supported by CSC VLEs at the Narendra Singh Tomar. Abhishek Singh Chauhan, Krishna
ground level. VLEs will help in providing connection Raj and Parsottambhai Rupala are the Ministers of State.
to rural citizens, including MSME units for commercial Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational
purposes. The power available through these units technology company with headquarters in Redmond,
would be affordable, qualitatively better, decentralized Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports,
and serviced by a local entrepreneur, as per the and sells computer software, consumer electronics,
statement. personal computers, and related services.
CSC has also approached Tata Power with a request to CEO: Satya Nadella
support a rental model for solar water pumps that can be
Founded: 4 April 1975
provided to 6,000 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs),
which CSC is setting up to support farmers across the Headquarters: Washington, United States
country. Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen

Agriculture Ministry signs MoU with India’s Organic food products exports
Microsoft for a pilot project raise rises by more than 50% in terms of
farmer’s income 20 Apr' 21 value in 2020-21 27 Apr' 21

U I
nion Agriculture Ministry has signed a MoU with ndia’s export of Organic food products rose by 51% in
Microsoft for a pilot project in 100 villages of six terms of value (USD Million), to USD 1040 million (Rs
states. This project will carry out various tasks for 7078 crores) during financial year 2020-21 compared
the betterment of farmers in the selected villages, which to the previous fiscal (2019-20).
India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri interacted with representatives of Indian industry in
24 MICA MAY 2021
Shanghai.
 NATIONAL
In terms of quantity,
Indian Scientists develop high-
the exports of
organic food yielding and pest-resistant variety of
products grew by soybean 29 Apr' 21

I
39% to 888,179
metric tonne (MT) ndian Scientists have developed a high-yielding and
during FY 2020- pest-resistant variety of soybean. This newly developed
21 compared to variety called MACS 1407 is suitable for cultivation in
638,998 MT shipped the states of Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh
in 2019-20. The growth in organic products has been and North-Eastern states and its seeds will be made
achieved despite logistical and operational challenges available to farmers for sowing during the 2022 Kharif
posed by the COVID19 pandemic. season.
Oil cake meal has been a major commodity of the organic In 2019, India produced around 90 million tons of soybean,
product exports from the country followed by oil seeds, fruit widely cultivated as oil seeds as well as a cheap source
pulps and purees, cereals & millets, spices & condiments, of protein for animal feed and many packaged meals and
tea, medicinal plant products, dry fruits, sugar, pulses, is striving to be among the world’s major producers of
coffee, essential Oil etc. soybean. High-yielding, disease resistant varieties of the
legume can help achieve this target.
India’s organic products have been exported to 58 countries
including USA, European Union, Canada, Great Britain, Accepting this challenge, scientists from MACS-
Australia, Switzerland, Israel, South Korea . Dr M Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous
Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, stated that Indian organic institute of the Department of Science & Technology,
products, nutraceuticals and health food are gaining more Government of India in collaboration with Indian
demand in overseas market. Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi
have developed higher yielding varieties and improved
Organic products are currently exported from India only if
practices for the cultivation of soybean. Its thick stem,
they are produced, processed, packed and labelled as per
higher pod insertion (7 cm) from ground, and resistance
the requirements of the National Programme for Organic
to pod shattering make it suitable even for mechanical
Production (NPOP). The NPOP has been implemented by
harvesting. It is suitable for rain-fed conditions of north-
APEDA since its inception in 2001 as notified under the
east India.
Foreign Trade (Development and Regulations) Act, 1992.
MACS 1407 require an average 43 days for 50 % flowering
In order to facilitate the trade between major importing
and take 104 days to mature from the date of sowing. It has
countries, negotiations are underway with Taiwan, Korea,
white coloured flowers, yellow seeds and black hilum. Its
Japan, Australia, UAE, and New Zealand for achieving
seeds have 19.81 % oil content, 41 % protein content and
Mutual Recognition Agreements for exports of Organic
show good germinability.
products from India.

Indian Army will participate in Multinational Military Exercise namely SHANTIR OGROSHENA
2021 in Bangladesh.
MAY 2021 MICA 25
NEWS BITES STATE
Burning Topics of the Month
Eight oxygen generation Rajasthan Government's big
Rajasthan plans to provide 30
plants being set up in decision, health insurance of
lakh Tap water connections
Delhi with support of PM 5 lakhs to all families of the
by March 2022.
CARES fund. state.

& Many More...

Utkal or Odisha Day is celebrated on said, the free travel

scheme, will benefit
1 April 01 Apr' 21 over 1.31 crore

U
tkal or Odisha Day is observed every year on 1 females across the
April to commemorate the formation of the state state, irrespective
of Odisha. Under British rule, Odisha was part of of their financial
the Bengal Presidency, which included present-day Bihar, status. The free travel
West Bengal and Odisha. The state was originally called facility will be given
Orissa but the Lok Sabha passed the Orissa Bill and the in all intra state non-
Constitution Bill (113th Constitution Amendment) in AC buses, intra-state, just by showing Aadhar or Voter card
March 2011 to change its name to Odisha. or some other valid identity card.
113th Constitutional Amendment - “Odia” language in Chief Minister said that while everyone talks about women
place of the “Oriya” language in the Eighth Schedule. empowerment, his government had taken several concrete
measures to achieve the same. He said that in fact, while
Importance of Odisha Day for Odisha residents - This region
the promise of his government was to reduce ticket price
became part of Kalinga after the conquest of Magadha
for women by 50%, it had gone ahead to make it totally
King Ashoka in 261 BCE for the expansion of Mauryan
free CM also urged private bus operators to also understand
rule. After the Mauryan rule, the rule of King Kharavela
their social responsibility and reduce fare for women.
began in Odisha. King Kharavela managed to avenge the
Mauryan invasion by defeating Magadha. Historians have Expressing concern over crimes against women, the Chief
credited Kharavela for laying the foundation for Odisha's Minister said his government was committed to their safety,
fame as a land of art, architecture and sculpture. Kharavel and the Transport Department is installing GPS systems in
also succeeded in establishing a powerful political state. all government and private buses, to enable easy tracking
of the vehicle, in addition to panic button for emergency
Gajapati Mukundadeva was the last Hindu king of Odisha.
use. On this occasion, Captain Amarinder also announced
Odisha finally came into existence on 1 April 1936.
25 more bus stations to be built in the state to improve road
Formation of Odisha State - 1st April, 1936 connectivity.
Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik
Punjab, is the heart of India’s Sikh community. The city
Governor of Odisha: Ganeshi Lal of Amritsar, founded in the 1570s by Sikh Guru Ram
Capital of Odisha: Bhubaneswar Das, is the site of Harmandir Sahib, the holiest gurdwara.
Known in English as the Golden Temple, and surrounded
Punjab CM launches free travel by the Pool of Nectar, it's a major pilgrimage site. Also in
facility for women in government Amritsar is Durgiana Temple, a Hindu shrine famed for its
engraved silver doors.
buses 03 Apr' 21

P
Capital: Chandigarh
unjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh
Governor: V. P. Singh Badnore
virtually launched free travel facility for women
in government buses running within the state. CM Chief Minister: Captain Amarinder Singh

26 MICA MAY 2021 Indian Railways completed the Arch closure of the iconic Chenab Bridge.
 STATE
in Rajasthan on April 1. The government has decided to
Govt approves Rs 780 crore project
provide health insurance of 5 lakhs to every family of the
for upgradation of Kargil Zanskar state under this scheme. He said that Rajasthan has also
road 07 Apr' 21 become the first state in the country to provide health

U
insurance to all families. He informed that soon after
nion Government has approved a 780 Crore rupees the launch of this scheme, the registration for cashless
project for upgradation of Kargil Zanskar road. The treatment of the government has also started on April 1.
2 lane Kargil Zanskar NH 301 road is sanctioned
On the other hand, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said
under EPC mode.
that registrations have started for the Chief Minister
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Chiranjeevi Health Scheme. He told that from May 1, the
Gadkari approved the upgradation of the 780 Crore project. public will also start getting its benefits. He said that with
Zanskar- Kargil road was declared National Highway in the introduction of this scheme, every family will be able
2017 by the Centre. This road from Zanskar valley, also to get free treatment up to five lakhs every year, which will
connects Suru valley, Sankoo valley of Kargil Ladakh be a big relief for that family. The Health Minister said
with the Highway. The road will be a key for economic that 1576 packages have been included for the treatment
development of the remote region of Ladakh. of many diseases in it. Ashok Gehlot announced this plan
MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyail said, Modi government during this year's budget.
is fulfilling the major assurances given to Ladakh. After Governor: Kalraj Mishra
becoming Union Teritory the pace of progress has been
Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
multiplied by initiation of various projects like Zojjila
Tunnel Construction, Improved Air Connectivity and Health Minister: Raghu Sharma
increase in the total road length by sanctioning various Capital: Jaipur
projects under CRF, PMGSY and other schemes.
Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation's
territory. Until 2019, Ladakh was a region of the Indian- green bond listed on BSE 12 Apr' 21

G
administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019,
the Parliament of India passed an act by which Ladakh haziabad
became a union territory on 31 October 2019. Municipal
Corporation
The largest town in Ladakh is Leh, followed by Kargil, in Uttar Pradesh
each of which headquarters a district. The Leh district raised Rs 150 crore
contains the Indus, Shyok and Nubra river valleys. The by issuing green
Kargil district contains the Suru, Dras and Zanskar river bonds. The amount
valleys. Ladakh is the largest and the second least populous will be used in
union territory of India. the tertiary water
purification plant for reuse of water so that the industries
Rajasthan Government's big decision, of the district can benefit from it. The corporation also got
health insurance of 5 lakhs to all an incentive of Rs 19.5 crore from the central government
families of the state 10 Apr' 21 to raise money through municipal bonds. According to the

D
Municipal Corporation, bids for Rs 401 crore were received
uring the against the sale offer for the bonds.
C o r o n a
On the occasion of the listing of the bond, BSE Managing
p e r i o d ,
Director and CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan said that Rs
the Ashok Gehlot
18.53 lakh crore was raised through bonds and equity even
government in
during the corona virus. He said that the market in India is
Rajasthan has given
becoming very large and the stock market will help other
a big gift to the
corporations in the country to raise and list capital in this
public. The state
way.
government has
decided to provide health insurance to all the families of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister VK Singh
the state. Giving information, the CM said that the "Chief said that the functioning of the municipal corporations by
Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme" has started raising money from the market through bonds will change

India's Vijayveer Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh and Adarsh Singh won the silver medal in the men's 25m
rapid fire pistol team event at the ISSF shooting World Cup.
MAY 2021 MICA 27
NEWS BITES STATE
their functioning. Overall, this will bring about a complete
Union Home Secretary reviews
change in the operating system. The funds raised through
bonds will be used in contaminated water treatment plants. COVID-19 situation in Chhattisgarh,
These plants are estimated to cost Rs 239.93 crore. UP 18 Apr' 21

U
BSE Managing Director & CEO - Ashish Kumar Chauhan
nion Home
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways - VK Secretary
Singh Ajay Kumar
Ghaziabad MP - Mahendra Singh Tawar Bhalla chaired high-
level meeting and
100 Hospitals in the country will have reviewed the status
their own Oxygen plants under PM- of COVID19 in
CARES fund 16 Apr' 21 Chhattisgarh and

U
Uttar Pradesh. Both
nion Health the states are reporting very high number of daily new
Ministry COVID19 cases and high deaths. Chhattisgarh and Uttar
has said that Pradesh along with Maharashtra are the only three States
100 Hospitals in the in the country which have more than one lakh active cases.
country will have Chhattisgarh has reported nearly 6.2 percent increase in
their own Oxygen weekly new COVID cases.
plants under Prime Uttar Pradesh has reported a growth rate of 19.25 percent in
Minister’s Citizen daily new cases. 46 districts in Uttar Pradesh have crossed
Assistance and Relief their reported highest cases in the last 30 days. Lucknow,
in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund. The decision Kanpur, Varanasi and Prayagraj are the most affected
was taken at a meeting of Empowered Group 2 (EG2) districts.
which was held to review the availability of essential
medical equipment and oxygen during COVID. The reported shortage of hospital infrastructure such as ICU
and oxygen supported hospitals beds resulting in difficulty
The Ministry said, Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA)
to the public in easily accessing critical healthcare services
plants manufacture oxygen and help hospitals become self-
were discussed during the meeting. The States were
sufficient in medical oxygen. The Empowered Group 2 has
advised to increase the number of isolation beds, oxygen
directed the Health Ministry to identify 100 hospitals in far-
beds, ventilators, ICU beds and ambulance fleet. The states
flung locations for consideration of sanction for installation
have been asked to focus on mortality reduction by early
of PSA plants.
identification of positive cases and adherence to national
The Health Ministry in a statement said that Medical treatment protocol.
oxygen is a critical component in the treatment of COVID
patients. There has been increasing demand for medical The Union Health Secretary informed that the States’
oxygen, especially from states like Maharashtra, Madhya demand for oxygen cylinders and demand for additional
Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, ventilators will be met very soon. The Union Government
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, and has mapped the manufacturing sources of Oxygen with
Rajasthan. In view of the increasing demand for medical the 12 States reporting the highest number of daily new
oxygen, the Empowered Group has also decided to float cases. States have been advised to increase dedicated
a tender for the import of 50 thousand Metric Tonnes of COVID19 beds and use the available buildings in the
medical oxygen. The Health Ministry has been directed Hospital campus for creation of additional COVID19
to finalize the tender. It has also been asked to explore dedicated wards.
possible sources for import identified by the missions of the Both the states have been asked to increase testing in all
Ministry of External Affairs. The Empowered Group 2 is districts with a minimum of 70 per cent RT-PCR tests and
monitoring the situation of demand and supply of medical use of Rapid Antigen Tests as screening tests in densely
oxygen continuously to ensure that all necessary steps populated areas. They have been asked to ramp up effective
are taken to support the uninterrupted supply of medical and timely tracing, containment and surveillance activities
oxygen. to curb the chain of transmission.
PSA - Pressure Swing Adsorption Union Home Secretary - Ajay Kumar Bhalla

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat has approved Rs. 465 crore as Performance Incentive
28 MICA MAY 2021
fund for seven states under Jal Jeevan Mission.
 STATE
conference. In the
Manoj Sinha has taken a
previous financial
comprehensive review of the various year two thousand
CVPPPL projects in J&K 20 Apr' 21 522 crore rupees

T
Central fund were
he upcoming allocated to the State
p o w e r under the mission.
projects in The Ministry said, in
Jammu & Kashmir the current financial
will generate 3094 year, Rajasthan is likely to get five thousand 500 Crore rupees
MW at the estimated as Central fund. Jal Jeevan Mission is a flagship programme
cost of 23000 crore of the central government, which aims to provide piped tap
rupees. Jammu and water in every rural household by 2024.
Kashmir, Lieutenant
Governor Manoj Sinha was informed of this while taking Eight oxygen generation plants being
a comprehensive review of the status of various projects of
Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd, CVPPPL in Jammu.
set up in Delhi with support of PM
Manoj Sinha while taking stock of local employment
CARES fund 26 Apr' 21

I
being generated in these power projects, asked the project n Delhi, eight
executing agencies to ensure maximum local employment Pressure Swing
while implementing the projects, and undertaking short- Adsorption
term skill enhancement initiatives for the local youth. oxygen generation
He issued on-spot directions to concerned officers for plants are being
removing any bottlenecks hampering the completion of installed with the
ongoing projects, and called for better synergy between support of PM
agencies for making J & K a power surplus region in the CARES Funds to
country. increase medical
Manoj Sinha directed the completion of all projects within oxygen capacity. Government sources said these plants will
the set timelines. He also asked the CVPPPL functionaries enhance capacity of medical oxygen by 14.4 Metric Tonnes.
and executive agencies to ensure the employment of locals Of the eight PSA Plants to be installed in Delhi, one Plant
in the projects. Manoj Sinha enquired about the CSR works in Burari Hospital, Kaushik Enclave has already been
being carried out by the executing agencies in the field of installed. Four plants, one each at Deen Dayal Upadhyay
Healthcare, Education, Swachh Bharat, and Vocational Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, Baba Saheb Ambedkar
Training, and called for amplifying such socio-economic Hospital Rohini and Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital Ashok
initiatives under CSR to benefit the people of the region, Vihar, are expected to be completed by 30th of this month.
and making positive changes in their lives.
The site readiness of these hospitals was delayed by the
CVPPPL - Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd Delhi Government despite weekly reviews since November
Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir - Manoj Sinha last year. For Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, Dakshinpuri, the
site has been readied as late as only 19th April by the State
Rajasthan plans to provide 30 lakh Government. Site readiness certificate of Satyawadi Raja
Tap water connections by March Harishchandra Hospital, Narela has not yet been submitted
by the Delhi government yet. Delhi officially the National
2022 24 Apr' 21
Capital Territory of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of

R
ajasthan has planned to provide 30 lakh Tap water India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Delhi ranks
connections by March next year under Jal Jeevan fifth among the Indian states and union territories in human
Mission. The state has more than one crore rural development index. Delhi has the second-highest GDP per
households, out of which over 19 per cent are getting tap capita in India. Delhi is one of the oldest cities in the world,
water supply. In 2020-21, about six lakh 77 thousand new and has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century
tap connections were provided in the rural areas. BCE. Delhi is also the centre of the National Capital Region,
which is a unique 'interstate regional planning' area created
Jal Shakti Ministry said that Rajasthan government presented
by the National Capital Region Planning Board Act of 1985.
their Jal Jeevan Mission Annual Action Plan through video
Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee qualified for the Tokyo Olympics just two years after she was
diagnosed with leukemia.
MAY 2021 MICA 29
NEWS BITES INTERNATIONAL
Burning Topics of the Month

BIMSTEC finalized Third India-Bahrain High US keeps 11 countries

Connectivity master plan Joint Commission meeting in currency practices
for Bay of Bengal region. held in New Delhi. monitoring list.

& Many More...

Bangladesh President - Md. Abdul Hamid

2000 Bangladeshi students will be
Foreign Minister of Bangladesh - Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen
given Muktijoddha Scholarships
01 Apr' 21 Ambassador Vikram Misri interacts

T
he govt. of with representatives of Indian
India has industry in Shanghai 02 Apr' 21

I
announced
scholarships to ndia’s Ambassador
2000 descendants to China Vikram
of the Liberation Misri interacted
Warfighters of with representatives
Bangladesh under of Indian industry in
its new Muktijoddha Shanghai. He has also
Scholarship scheme. The scheme was launched in 2017 launched India@75
during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to celebrations in
India. Under this scheme, 1000 students each from the Shanghai. The event
Higher Secondary and Undergraduate categories have was attended by more than 30 representatives representing 8
started receiving the amount of scholarship for this year sectors such as textiles, pharma, electronics, manufacturing,
directly in their account since. The new scheme was chemicals, IT, banking etc. Ambassador Misri discussed the
aimed to benefit 10,000 students from Bangladesh over a issues related to business risk in the fluid current geopolitical
period of five years. The scholarship carries an amount of scenario. He also discussed the problems of Indian employees
20,000 Taka for students of Higher Secondary and 50,000 facing problems such as flights and visas who want to come
Taka to Undergraduate category students, who are direct back from China.
descendants of Muktijoddhas or Liberation Warfighters of Amid the border tensions in Ladakh, India had tightened
Bangladesh. The Govt of India has sanctioned an amount regulatory requirements last year for investments from China,
of 35 crores Taka for both schemes combined together. As and banned more than 200 Chinese apps which were considered
of now, 17,082 students have benefited under this scheme, "prejudicial to sovereignty, security of state and public order".
and an amount of close to 38 crore Taka has been utilized Also, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global trade flows have
for this purpose. been slowed, although there has still been strong demand for
The "Muktijoddha scholarship scheme" was started in the medical equipment and supplies which has largely contributed
year 2006 for the descendents of Muktijoddhas. Originally, to China becoming India’s top trade partner in 2020.
Scholarships were awarded to Higher Secondary and Vikram Misri a career diplomat from the 1989 batch of the
Undergraduate level students. Undergraduate students Indian Foreign Service has served in various capacities at
were awarded 24,000 Taka per year for four years and the Headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs. And
higher secondary students were awarded 10,000 Taka per he also has served in the Prime Minister’s Office in New
year for two years. Delhi and in various Indian Missions abroad in Europe,
Prime Minister - Sheikh Hasina Africa, Asia and North America.

Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd (KPTL) has secured new orders worth Rs 625 crore in domestic
30 MICA MAY 2021
and overseas markets.
 INTERNATIONAL
by his predecessor
BIMSTEC finalized Connectivity
Trump in this regard
master plan for Bay of Bengal region expired. The move is
03 Apr' 21 expected to benefit

T
thousands of Indian
he virtual IT professionals in
meeting of the US. Indeed, US
the Foreign President Joe Biden
Ministers of has not issued a new
BIMSTEC grouping declaration to continue the ban on H-1B visas after March
finalized a major 31, 2021.
Connectivity master
H-1B Visa - H-1B Visa is a non-immigrant visa. It allows
plan for the Bay of
United States companies to employ foreign workers in
Bengal region. The
specialized occupations requiring technical or theoretical
seven-member regional grouping namely India, Bangladesh,
expertise. Tech companies, especially in the US, depend on
Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar will take
this visa facility to hire thousands of employees every year
up the Master plan for transport connectivity for adoption
from countries such as China or India.
in the next summit of the Organisation to be hosted by Sri
Lanka in a few months from now. Following the end of the proclamation issued by Donald
Trump, US diplomatic missions abroad will now be able to
The meeting also endorsed three MoUs/agreements relating
issue H-1B visas. This will facilitate American companies
to convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal
to hire talented technology professionals in their country.
matters, cooperation between diplomatic and training
No new announcement regarding this ban was issued by
academies and establishment of BIMSTEC Technology
the US President until midnight of March 31, 2021. As
Transfer Facility in Colombo. External Affairs Minister
a result, the ban on issuing new H-1B visas to eligible
Dr. S. Jaishankar expressed India’s commitment to take
applicants is now completely abolished. A Republican
the BIMSTEC to new heights. The connectivity master
senator from Missouri requested President Biden to make
plan is the outcome of more than a decade of consultations
a fresh announcement to continue the ban on H-1B visas.
among the member states. The study conducted by the
Asian Development Bank in 2007 and 2014, identified 166 The former president of the United States, Donald Trump,
connectivity project at an estimated cost of USD 50 billion banned foreign workers' visas, arguing that these visas
out of which 65 projects were identified as priority projects. present a risk to the US labor market amid economic
recovery. On December 31, 2020, Donald Trump extended
BIMSTEC, whose full form is the Bay of Bengal Initiative
this order and implemented it until March 31, 2021, and
for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation,
then noted that this visa ban was urgent because the Corona
is an international economic cooperation organization
virus epidemic was disrupting American life.
from the Gulf of Bengal onshore or similar countries. In
November 2016, Bangladesh, India, Burma, Sri Lanka,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal had members.
The aim of this organization is to promote rapid economic
Lavrov arrives in New Delhi on 2-
growth, social progress and to create a positive environment day visit to India 05 Apr' 21

R
among member states to coordinate on issues of common
u s s i a n
interest. This regional organization was established in 1997
F o r e i g n
under the Bangkok Declaration.
Minister
Establishment - 6 June 1997 Sergey Lavrov
arrived in New Delhi
US President ends H-1B visa ban, on a two-day visit to
Indian IT professionals will get India. He will hold
benefits 04 Apr' 21 talks with External

O
Affairs Minister Dr S
n April 01, 2021, the President of the United States Jaishankar. The two leaders will discuss issues of bilateral
of America ended the ban on foreign workers' visas, relations with an emphasis on implementation of outcomes
especially H-1B visas, while the notification issued of the Russian-Indian summit held in September 2019 in

Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar took charge as General Officer Commanding of the
Mathura based Strike 1 Corps. MAY 2021 MICA 31
NEWS BITES INTERNATIONAL
Vladivostok. They will also exchange views on important External Affairs Minister of India - Dr. S. Jaishankar
issues of international and regional interest, including External Affairs Minister of Bahrain - Abdullatif bin
interaction in the United Nations, the SCO and BRICS, as Rashid Al Zayani
well as RIC.
Russia has been a longstanding and time-tested partner PM Modi & Seychelles President
of India. India-Russia ties have acquired a qualitatively jointly inaugurated several Indian
new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in
almost all areas including political, security, defence, trade
projects in Seychelles 08 Apr' 21

P
and economy. Under the strategic partnership, several rime Minister
institutionalized dialogue mechanisms operate at both Narendra Modi
political and official levels to ensure regular interaction and has said that
follow up on cooperation activities. The visit of the Russian India and Seychelles
Foreign Minister will be a unique opportunity to discuss share a strong and
important aspects of bilateral ties, and review preparations vital partnership in
for the next India Russia annual summit. the Indian Ocean
Russia is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern neighborhood. He
Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the said, Seychelles is
world. Moscow, the capital and largest city of Russia, is the focused on India’s vision of "SAGAR" - "Security and
largest city in Europe, while St. Petersburg is the second Growth for All in the Region".
largest city and cultural center of the country. Inaugurating a range of Indian projects with President
Foreign Minister of Russia - Sergey Lavrov of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan at a high level virtual
Foreign Minister of India - S. Jaishankar event, Modi said, during times of need, India was able to
supply essential medicines, and he sent 50 thousand doses
Third India-Bahrain High Joint of Made in India vaccines to Seychelles.
Commission meeting held in New He said, Seychelles was the first African country to
receive the Made in India COVID-19 vaccines. The Prime
Delhi 07 Apr' 21 Minister said, India is happy to have contributed towards

T
he third the construction of the new Magistrates’ Court Building in
India-Bahrain Seychelles.
High Joint
Commission meeting Army Chief General M M Naravane
was held in New arrives in Dhaka on 5-day visit to
Delhi. It was co- Bangladesh 09 Apr' 21

A
chaired by External
Affairs Minister Dr. rmy Chief
S. Jaishankar and his General
Bahrain counterpart Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. M a n o j
Dr Jaishankar said in a tweet that they agreed to expand Mukund Naravane
cooperation in energy, infrastructure, health, defence and has arrived in Dhaka
digital sectors.They also exchanged assessments on the on a five-day visit
regional situation. Both leaders reaffirmed close and long- to Bangladesh.
standing partnership of India and Bahrain. The Army Chief is
Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani is a Bahraini engineer scheduled to call on
and retired lieutenant general. He is the current Bahraini the Army, Navy and acting Air Force Chiefs of Bangladesh
Minister for Foreign Affairs, having formerly been the and to meet with other senior officers of the Bangladesh
secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Army. The High Commission of India in Dhaka said, he
from 1 April 2011 to February 2020. He was the fifth GCC will also be visiting various military stations.
secretary-general, and the first with military background General Naravane will pay tribute to members of the
since the GCC established. In January 2020, he was named Bangladesh Armed Forces who made the supreme sacrifice
as Bahrain's foreign minister, replacing Khalid bin Ahmed during Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971 by laying a
Al Khalifa. wreath at the altar of Shikha Anirban in Dhaka Cantonment.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Achieves Record breaking Milestone of Constructing 37
32 MICA MAY 2021
kilometres per day of Highways in FY 2020-21.
 INTERNATIONAL
The Army Chief will also take part in a seminar on United also celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate 75
Nations Peace Support Operations where he will share years of independence which was the prevailing theme of
his views. He will also attend the culmination exercise, the entire event.
hardware display and closing ceremony of the multinational ICCR - Indian Council for Cultural Relations
joint military Exercise Shantir Ogroshena.
The joint military exercise "Shantir Ogroshena" is currently Tropical cyclone Seroja rips across
being held in Dhaka from 4 April with the participation of 1000 kilometers stretch of Western
Indian Army, Bangladesh Army, Royal Bhutan Army and
Sri Lankan Army to pay tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh
Australia 12 Apr' 21

T
Mujibur Rahman on his birth centenary and to celebrate r o p i c a l
the 50 years of the liberation of Bangladesh. The High c y c l o n e
Commission of India in Dhaka said, Visit of the Army Chief Seroja has
will further strengthen the close and fraternal ties existing ripped across a one
between the Armed Forces of India and Bangladesh. thousand kilometers
Prime Minister - Sheikh Hasina stretch of Western
Bangladesh President - Md. Abdul Hamid Australia, leaving a
trail of damage. The
Foreign Minister of Bangladesh - Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen
category three storm
made landfall near the town of Kalbarri with gusts of up to
ICCR Foundation Day celebrated at 170 kilometers per hour. The storm was later downgraded
Indian Embassy in Beijing, “Little to a tropical low, though strong winds continue to move
Guru” app launched 10 Apr' 21 south-east. Residents reported smashed houses, fallen trees,

I
and downed power lines. Weather authorities said Cyclone
ndian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) celebrated Seroja had sustained "uncommon" pace and strength
its 71st Foundation Day on 10 April in Swami overnight, as it moved from Kalbarri, and Geraldton on the
Vivekanand Cultural Centre at Indian Embassy in coast, and inland across the state's Wheat Belt.
Beijing celebrated ICCR Foundation Day. On the occasion,
The Bureau of Meteorology said while the storm had
the ICCR has unveiled the "Little Guru" app, the world’s
weakened, damaging gusts were still expected, with peak
first gamified Sanskrit learning App which has jointly
winds of 110 kilometers per hour. Several towns in the
launched in Beijing by Ambassador Vikram Misri and
state's southeast remain under "red," meaning authorities
renowned Chinese scholar on Sanskrit and India Studies,
advise residents to take shelter. Emergency services
Professor Wang Bangwei.
agencies said it remained too early to assess the extent of
Prof. Wang said, Sanskrit is a basic language of Indian the damage.
culture and heritage and a way to introduce Indian culture
The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of
to people adding that India and Chinese scholars can
the Australian Government responsible for providing
collaborate in this field to deepen understanding between
weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was
the two peoples.
established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act.
In keeping pace with changing technology in both access
Founded: 1 January 1908
as well as teaching methods, ICCR has tied up with Gam
app Sportswizz Tech Pvt Ltd to launch "LITTLE GURU", Jurisdiction: Australia
a specialized app for learning Sanskrit. Little Guru will be
a gamified app based on an interactive platform which will United States and China agreed to
make Sanskrit learning easy, entertaining, and fun. This cooperate to curb climate change
app will help people who are already learning Sanskrit or 18 Apr' 21

T
those who are desirous to learn Sanskrit to do so in an easy
manner based on games, competition, rewards, peer to peer he United States and China, the world's two biggest
interactions, etc. carbon polluters, agreed to cooperate to curb climate
This year, ICCR has also announced two new fellowships change with urgency, just days before President Joe
dedicated to music – Bhimsen Joshi fellowship for music, Biden hosts a virtual summit of world leaders to discuss
and Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Fellowship for Music to the issue. The agreement was reached by U.S. special
encourage research in the field of Indian music. India is envoy for climate John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart

Mortgage lender HDFC Ltd will acquire 9.90 per cent stake in Kerala based infrastructure fund
management company KIFML.
MAY 2021 MICA 33
NEWS BITES INTERNATIONAL
Xie Zhenhua during amongst the aspiring entrepreneurs. The partnership would
two days of talks in be executed through Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK)
Shanghai last week, under the aegis of Embassy of Denmark.
according to a joint Freddy Svane, Denmark’s ambassador to India in his
statement. address said that water is a substance that cannot be replaced
China is the world's and we need to use all kinds of innovative thinking to make
biggest carbon use of it so that the future generations do not face a lot
emitter, followed by of water challenges as compared to current scenario. The
the United States. ambassador stressed on three key and crucial points Water,
The two countries pump out nearly half of the fossil fuel Women, and the World.
fumes that are warming the planet's atmosphere. Their Meanwhile, as part of the SoI, The Collaboration between
cooperation is key to a success of global efforts to curb AIM and Embassy of Denmark in India will help Indian
climate change, but frayed ties over human rights, trade innovators access Danish technical expertise and allow
and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and the South Danish Innovators to work on India specific solutions.
China Sea have been threatening to undermine such efforts.
Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Chinese Israel declares itself 'corona-free'
President Xi Jinping, to the April 22-23 summit. The 22 Apr' 21

O
U.S. and other countries are expected to announce more
ambitious national targets for cutting carbon emissions n one hand,
ahead of or at the meeting, along with pledging financial the whole
help for climate efforts by less wealthy nations. It's unclear world is
how much Kerry's China visit would promote U.S.-China struggling badly with
cooperation on climate issues. the Corona epidemic,
Major emitters of greenhouse gases are preparing for the on the other hand,
next U.N. climate summit taking place in Glasgow, U.K., Israel has become
in November. The summit aims to relaunch global efforts the first country to
to keep rising global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees declare itself Corona
Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) as agreed in the Paris free. Israel has also relaxed the coronavirus restrictions
accord. after its mass vaccination campaign and the schools have
been reopened.
India and Denmark to jointly work All primary and secondary schools have been started in
towards promoting innovation and Israel and children have returned to classrooms. Health
officials have also removed the obligation to wear masks
entrepreneurship 20 Apr' 21 in public places. However, masks are necessary for

A
large gatherings. Israel has played an important role in
s part of Indo-Danish bilateral Green strategic
the worldwide vaccination campaign and has rapidly
partnership, India is all set to take a giant leap
vaccinated people in their country. This is the reason why
towards building a world class innovation
many Corona restrictions have been lifted there. Israel
ecosystem as Atal Innovation Mission of India’s premier
announced last week that from May, foreign tourists will
policy think tank NITI Aayog and Embassy of Denmark to
also be given entry into the country and they will also be
India announced their collaboration.
vaccinated.
Under this ambitious partnership, Innovation Center
According to the Ministry of Health, since the onset of
Denmark in India will collaborate with AIM to support
the epidemic last year, 836,000 cases of coronavirus were
various current and future initiatives of AIM, NITI Aayog
reported in Israel and 6,331 people died due to the epidemic.
and its beneficiaries in India as well as develop global
Out of 9.3 million citizens in Israel, 53 percent have been
innovation Green economy partnerships addressing SDG
given two doses of the Pfizer / Biotech vaccine. Since
goals.
Israel began its vaccination campaign in December, serious
A Statement of Intent was signed between AIM, NITI cases and deaths have declined and the economy has been
Aayog and Embassy of Denmark to India here at NITI allowed to reopen completely. However, the immunization
Aayog premises. The purpose of SoI is to jointly work campaign in the Israeli-controlled West Bank and Gaza is
towards promoting innovation and entrepreneurship sluggish, for which the government has been criticized.

Nethra Kumanan became the first Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Olympics after she was
34 MICA MAY 2021
assured of a top place finish in the laser radial event of the Asian Qualifiers in Oman.
 INTERNATIONAL
Israel is a country in Western Asia, located on the
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the
northern shore of the Red Sea. It has land borders with represents India at G-7 Digital and
Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the Technology Ministerial Meeting
east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the 29 Apr' 21

U
Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively, and Egypt to
the southwest. n i o n
Capital- Jerusalem Minister
R a v i
President- Reuven Rivlin
Shankar Prasad
Prime Minister- Benjamin Netanyahu represented India
Currency- New shekel at the G-7 Digital
and Technology
US keeps 11 countries in currency Ministerial Meeting.
practices monitoring list 24 Apr' 21 He spoke about

T
India's efforts to bring digital inclusion and empower
he United ordinary citizens through the use of technology under the
States placed Digital India programme.
11 countries,
The Minister also shared India's views on ensuring trust
including India,
in the digital ecosystem, securing data privacy of users
China, Japan, South
and creating a safe cyber space with the G-7 Digital
Korea, Germany
Ministers.
and Italy in the
currency practices The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental
monitoring list. organization consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Other countries named by the Department of Treasury in Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The
its quarterly report to Congress, the first under the Biden heads of government of the member states, as well as the
administration, are Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand representatives of the European Union, meet at the annual
and Mexico. All except Ireland and Mexico were covered G7 Summit.
in the December 2020 report, which was under the previous As of 2018, the G7 represents 58% of the global net wealth
Trump administration. As directed by Congress, Treasury ($317 trillion), more than 46% of the global gross domestic
has established a monitoring list of major trading partners product (GDP) based on nominal values, and more than
that merit close attention to their currency practices and 32% of the global GDP based on purchasing power parity.
macroeconomic policies. The seven countries involved are also the largest IMF-
An economy meeting two of the three criteria in the 2015 advanced economies in the world.
Act is placed on the Monitoring List. These are a persistent, The Digital and Technology Track, led by the Department
one-sided intervention in the foreign exchange market that for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, seek to demonstrate
occur when net purchases of foreign currency are conducted the G7’s ambition to place the needs of open, democratic
repeatedly, in at least six out of 12 months, and these net societies at the heart of the technology debate. It also strive
purchases total at least two per cent of an economy’s Gross for a trusted, values-driven digital ecosystem that can
Domestic Product (GDP) over a 12-month period. enhance prosperity in a way that is both sustainable and
Three of these economies -- Vietnam, Switzerland, and inclusive.
Taiwan -- exceeded the two other thresholds established by The Track focused on six policy priorities:
Treasury to identify potentially unfair currency practices ## internet safety
or excessive external imbalances, which could impede the
## telecoms diversification
US growth or harm US workers and firms, the report said.
According to the report, the Chinese economic growth ## data free flow with trust
in 2020 exceeded that of other large economies but has ## digital facilitation of trade
been driven by the early resumption of manufacturing and
## digital technical standards
increased external demand, especially for medical supplies,
personal protection equipment and electronics. ## digital competition

Non-banking finance companies face renewed asset quality and liquidity risks amid a second wave of
COVID 19, Fitch Ratings said.
MAY 2021 MICA 35
NEWS BITES ECONOMY
Burning Topics of the Month
The World Bank provided
Bangladesh with one Britannia appoints former
Pradhan Mantri Mudra
billion dollars in financial RBI governor Urjit Patel as
Yojana completes six years.
assistance to combat the additional director.
Covid epidemic.
& Many More...

Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva

Britannia appoints former RBI
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
governor Urjit Patel as additional
Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath
director 02 Apr' 21

B
Formation: 27 December 1945
ritannia
Industries Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
announced completes six years 08 Apr' 21

P
that its board
of directors has radhan Mantri
approved the M U D R A
appointment of Dr. Yojana has
Urjit Patel as an completed six years.
additional director It is a scheme under
of the company. His appointment to the Non-Executive which loans of up to
and Independent Director category will be effective from 10 Lakh rupees are
March 31, 2021. The company said that he would hold the provided to the non-
post till March 30, 2026. The company has said that it will corporate, non-farm,
now seek approval from its shareholders for this as well. small, and micro-enterprises.
Patel was the RBI Governor from September 2016 to Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana was launched on 8th April
December 2018, and was succeeded by Shaktikanta Das. 2015. In these years, More than 28 crores 68 lakh loans
He was appointed as the central bank's Deputy Governor have been sanctioned. The amount of these loans is around
in January 2013 for a three-year term, which was extended 15 lakh crore rupees with about 52,000 rupees being the
by another three years in January 2019. He is currently the average ticket size of the loans.
chairman of the governing body of the National Institute of Finance Ministry has said that under this scheme almost
Public Finance and Policy. Patel is also on the Investment 24 percent of loans have been given to new entrepreneurs
Advisory Committee of the Army Group Insurance. Before about 68 percent of loans have been given to women
joining public service, Patel worked in the private sector entrepreneurs, and about 51percent of loans have been
for 15 years. He began his professional career at the given to SC, ST, and OBC borrowers.
International Monetary Fund (IMF). Ministry of Labour, and Employment has said that this
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international Yojana has helped in the generation of 1 crore 12 lakh
financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., additional employment from 2015 to 2018. Women have
consisting of 190 countries working to foster global accounted for 62 percent of this increase in employment.
monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana - Micro Units Development
international trade, to promote high employment and & Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) is a new institution set
sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty around the up by the Government of India to provide funding to the non-
world while periodically depending on the World Bank for corporate, non-farm sector income generating activities of micro
its resources. Formed in 1944, started in 27 November 1945. and small enterprises whose credit needs are below `10 Lakh.
Over Rs 250 crore sanctioned by Development of North Eastern Region Ministry for healthcare
36 MICA MAY 2021
facilities to fight COVID 19 in North Eastern States effectively.
 ECONOMY
Under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana Formed: 1 January 2015
(PMMY), MUDRA has created three products i.e. Headquarters: New Delhi
"Shishu", "Kishore" and "Tarun" as per the stage of growth
Chairperson: Narendra Modi
and funding needs of the beneficiary micro unit. These
schemes cover loan amounts as below- The World Bank provided Bangladesh
Shishu: covering loans up to 50,000 Rs.
with one billion dollars in financial
Kishore: covering loans above 50,000 Rs and up to
5,00,000 Rs.
assistance to combat the Covid
Tarun: covering loans above 5,00,000 Rs and up to
epidemic 13 Apr' 21

T
10,00,000 Rs. he World Bank
Ghaziabad MP - Mahendra Singh Tawar has given
Bangladesh
Atal Innovation Mission and NITI one billion dollars in
Aayog sign agreement with Dassault financial assistance
to deal with the
Systemes Foundation 12 Apr' 21 Covid epidemic and

A
t a l the future crisis and
Innovation Covid-19 vaccination.
Mission and Bangladesh has
NITI Aayog signed received fifty crores of dollars to prepare for Covid
an agreement with emergency action and to deal with the epidemic, which will
Dassault Systemes allow five million four million people to be vaccinated.
Foundation to This will help the government to increase the procurement
jointly work towards and storage facilities of vaccines and distribution of
providing a digitally vaccines. Another installment of $ 500 million has been
rich ecosystem of Innovation among aspiring young minds given to Bangladesh for private investment and digital
across the country. The Atal Tinkering Labs has played a entrepreneurship project. This will help Bangladesh attract
pivotal role in fostering creativity and imagination amongst two billion dollars of direct private investment and promote
school children. social and environmental norms.
Dassault Systemes Fondation is dedicated to transform The World Bank is an important source of financial and
the future of education and research in India with 3D technical assistance to developing countries worldwide. Its
technologies. The fondation will contribute to the Atal mission is to achieve sustainable results by fighting poverty
Tinkering Labs program in three broad areas - project with full vigor and professional capacity and to help people
based, self-paced learning content, hackathons and to help themselves and their environment. The World Bank
challenges and inter-country academia collaborations. provides resources, information, capacity building and
Under this agreement, Dassault Systems Fondation will public and private sector partnerships for this. The World
design and organise innovative challenges, hackathons for Bank is actually a confluence of two unique development
Atal Tinkering Labs, promoting problem solving skills and institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and
innovation culture amongst students and teachers. Development (IBRD) and the International Development
Association (IDA). Both these institutions are owned by 188
The Atal Innovation Mission is a major initiative by NITI
member countries. The International Finance Corporation
Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across
(IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
the length and breadth of the country, on a detailed study
(MIGA) and the International Center for the Settlement
and deliberation on India's innovation, and entrepreneurial
of Investment Disputes (ICFD) play a complementary
needs in the coming years is based.
role in the work of both. All these institutions together
The NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government provide low interest loans, interest free borrowings and
of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable grants to developing countries for a variety of purposes.
development goals with cooperative federalism by These include investment in education, health, public
fostering the involvement of State Governments of India administration, infrastructure sector, finance and private
in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up sector development, agriculture and environment and
approach. natural resource management.
Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi lead a delegation to the 'Heart of Asia' conference
at Tajikistan capital Dushanbe.
MAY 2021 MICA 37
NEWS BITES ECONOMY
Location: New Delhi, India
Housing & Urban Affairs Minister
Areas of focus: inclusive growth, clean growth, global
integration
launches EatSmart Cities Challenge
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Finance, Department of
and Transport 4 All Challenge
Economic Affairs 20 Apr' 21

H
Companies collected more funds o u s i n g
and Urban
from public issues and rights issues A ff a i r s
in the year 2020-21 than in the Minister Hardeep
previous year 17 Apr' 21 Singh Puri launched

I
the EatSmart
n spite of Cities Challenge
widespread and Transport 4
uncertainty in All Challenge
2020–21 due to the through video conferencing. EatSmart Cities Challenge
Kovid-19 epidemic, is an opportunity for India to play a pioneering role in
companies raised developing the concept of integrating food systems into
more funds from city planning and development. Speaking on the occasion,
public issues and Puri said, this movement will nudge the urban populace
rights issues than in to make the right food choices and help build a healthier
the year before. and happier nation.
According to the press release of the Ministry of Finance, The EatSmart Cities Challenge is envisioned as a
in the year 2020-21, 46 thousand 30 crore rupees were competition among cities to recognize their efforts in
collected through public issues, which is 115 percent more adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right
than the year before. On the other hand, Rs 64 thousand India. The challenge is open to all Smart Cities, capital
59 crores was obtained with a 15 percent increase in rights cities of States and Union Territories, and cities with a
issues. population of more than five lakh.
According to the release, the number of issues in the The Transport 4 All Challenge aims to bring together
corporate bond market increased by 10 percent in 2021- cities, citizen groups, and start-ups to develop solutions
21. According to the Ministry, during the year 2003 that improve public transport to better serve the needs
corporate bond issue of Rs. Seven lakh 82 thousand four of all citizens. Puri said, that COVID-19 has brought
hundred twenty-seven crores were issued. the entire world to a halt with transport being one of the
Similarly, the number of investors investing in mutual worst-hit sectors. He added that the Transport 4 All Digital
fund schemes increased ten percent in 2020-21. The Innovation Challenge will support cities to recover from
release said that the assets under the management of the this mobility crisis.
mutual fund industry grew by 41 percent to Rs 31 lakh Hardeep Singh Puri is an Indian politician, a former
43 crores as on 31 March 2021. diplomat who is the current Civil Aviation Minister of India
Mutual Fund - A mutual fund is a collective pool of funds and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs in India. He
given by investors to purchase securities. Here investments is a 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service officer who served
are made in various securities such as stocks, bonds, money as the Permanent Representative of India to the United
market instruments, precious metals, commodities, mutual Nations from 2009 to 2013.
funds are managed by professional fund managers who Housing and Urban Affairs Minister - Hardeep Singh Puri
decide how to invest money by keeping a close watch on Party: Bharatiya Janata Party
market movements.
Let's do. Mutual funds in India are regulated by the HDFC Bank to raise up Rs 50,000
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). All crore issuing bonds 24 Apr' 21

H
mutual fund guidelines, rules and regulations, policies
are prescribed by SEBI. To meet the diverse needs of DFC Bank is planning to raise up Rs 50,000
investors, 36 mutual fund schemes have been launched crore during the next 12 months through issuing
by SEBI. bonds. The bank's board of directors will take up
Postponed multiple times due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the men’s Asian Champions Trophy
38 MICA MAY 2021
hockey will now be held from October 1 to 9 in Dhaka.
 ECONOMY
the proposal at its
Sale of Electric cars rise by 140 per
meeting on April 17,
it said in a regulatory cent in first quarter of 2021
filing. 30 Apr' 21

T
The bank proposes
he sale of
to raise funds by
Electric
issuing perpetual
cars rose
debt instruments
by 140 per cent in
(part of additional
the first quarter of
tier-I capital), tier-II capital bonds and long-term bonds
2021, breaking last
(financing of infrastructure and affordable housing) up to a
year’s record of 41
total amount of Rs 50,000 crore over the period of the next
per cent surge on
12 months through the private placement mode.
EV registrations
Perpetual bonds, also known as perps or consol bonds, are despite pandemic hitting the economies badly. In 2020,
bonds with no maturity date. Although perpetual bonds consumer spending on EVs touched 120 billion dollars
are not redeemable, they pay a steady stream of interest in while car registrations rose by 41 per cent. International
forever. Because of the nature of these bonds, they are often Energy Agency, IAE says, last year electric cars made
viewed as a type of equity and not a debt. up 4.6 per cent of overall car sales. People spent 50
HDFC Bank Limited is a subsidiary of Housing per cent more than the previous year to buy a record
Development Finance Corporation headquartered in three million electric cars. In 2020 the global average
Mumbai, Maharashtra. It has a base of 1,16,971 permanent Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) price was around
employees as of 21st March 2020. 40,000 dollars and for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle it
HDFC Bank is India’s largest private sector bank by assets. was 50,000 dollars.
It is the largest bank in India by market capitalisation as of For this year, IAE said in its Global EV Outlook report that
April 2021.It has a market capitalisation of `8trillion.It is China emerged as the biggest spender. Around 500,000
the third largest company by market capitalisation on the electric vehicles were sold in China, the largest market for
Indian stock exchange. automobiles globally, followed by 450,000 across Europe.
HDFC Bank merged with Times Bank in February 2000. Sales in the US also doubled compared to the same three-
In March 2020, HDFC (parent company of HDFC BANK) month period last year. However, the IAE said, the increase
made an investment of `1,000 crores in Yes bank. In 2021, was from a relatively lower base.
the bank acquired a 9.99% stake in FERBINE, an entity The International Energy Agency thinks that the EV
promoted by Tata Group, to operate a Pan-India umbrella industry is on track for a decade of strong expansion. But
entity for retail payment systems, similar to National IEA executive director, Fatih Birol says, electric vehicles
Payments Corporation of India. have an indispensable role to play in reaching net-zero
Founded- August 1994 emissions worldwide. He said current sales trends are very
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra encouraging, but our shared climate and energy goals calls
for even faster market uptake.
CEO- Sashidhar Jagdishan

President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi
(Amendment) Act, 2021.
MAY 2021 MICA 39
NEWS BITES SPORTS
Burning Topics of the Month
Pramod Bhagat won two
Poland's Hubert Hurkacz F.I.H. Argentina defeated
gold medals at the Dubai
wins Miami Open Tennis by India in Hockey Pro
Para Badminton
Title. League match.
Championships.

& Many More...

Pramod Bhagat won two gold Poland's Hubert Hurkacz wins Miami
medals at the Dubai Para Badminton Open Tennis Title 05 Apr' 21

P
Championships 04 Apr' 21 oland's Hubert

P
ramod Bhagat Hurkacz won
has won two the Miami
gold medals Open tennis title
at the third Sheikh by defeating Jannik
Hamdan bin Al Sinner of Italy. 26th
Maktoum Dubai seed Poland's Hubert
Para Badminton Hurkacz has won the
Championships. Miami Open tennis
Krishna Nagar and competition by defeating 19-year-old Jannik Sinner of
Prem Kumar also won two gold medals in the combined Italy.
and mixed doubles. India topped the championship by The 24-year-old Hurkacz recorded his 10th win of the
winning twenty medals. India won four gold, six silver and year in the final. He defeated two of the 10 top seeded
ten bronze medals. France finished second with a total of players for the first time in this match. Hurkacz reached
eight medals, including four gold, while Malaysia finished the finals for the first time in the highest-level ATP series,
third with a total of seven medals, including three gold. while Sinner was playing the finals for the third time.
Pramod Bhagat is an Indian professional Para-Badminton Hurkacz became the first player from Poland to win this
player from Odisha. He had been ranked world number one match.
in Para-Badminton Men's Singles SL3. Hubert reached the quarter-finals at the 2021 Great Ocean
Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country occupying parts of Road Open. It was held in Melbourne, Australia. At the
the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. It's known 2020 French Open, he was ranked no. 29.
for its beaches, rainforests and mix of Malay, Chinese, In 2019, he won his first ATP title in Winston-Salem. In
Indian and European cultural influences. The capital, Kuala 2018, Hubert qualified for the Next General ATP Finals
Lumpur, is famous for its colonial buildings. Sky scrapers, held in Milan.
is a 451 m-tall Petronas Twin Towers situated in Malaysia.
The Miami Open is also known as the Miami Masters.
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
The tournament was held at Hard Rock Stadium in
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit Miami, Florida. The tournament has been held since
Dubai is a city in the United Arab Emirates known for 1987.
luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a vibrant The ATP Masters is a series of nine tennis tournaments
nightlife scene. The Burj Khalifa is filled with 830 meter consisting of top ranked players. Novak Djokovic holds
tall towers and other similar skyscrapers. the record for winning most titles in this series. He is
Established: 9 June 1833 the only tennis player to complete a career Golden
Founder: Al Maktoum Masters.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Defence Minister of Republic of Kazakhstan
40 MICA MAY 2021
Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev in New Delhi.
 SPORTS
‘History written’: Four sailors from Dutee Chand to receive Chhattisgarh
India qualify for Tokyo Olympics Veerni Award 09 Apr' 21

D
08 Apr' 21 utee Chand,

F
our sailors the Jakarta
created history Asian Games
from India silver-medalist in 100
by qualifying for and 200 metres, will
this year’s Tokyo receive Chhattisgarh
Olympics. Vishnu Veerni Award. Due
Saravanan and the to the ongoing
pair of Ganapathy Covid-19 pandemic,
Chengappa and the inaugural edition of the awards ceremony will be held
Varun Thakkar made the cut during the ongoing Asian virtually on April 14.
Qualifiers in Oman. This was after Nethra Kumanan, a day The award, instituted by the Chhattisgarh state government,
before in another Asian Olympic qualifier, became the first recognises contribution of Indian women in different fields,
Indian woman sailor to qualify in the laser radial event in including sports. In 2019, the Odisha sprinter became
the Mussanah Open Championship. the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the World
2019 Commonwealth Championship gold medallist in the University Games held in Italy. Dutee, who holds the
64-kg category, Rakhi Halder, failed an out-of-competition national record of 11.22 secs in 100m, is aiming to achieve
dope test just ahead of the Olympic qualifying event next Tokyo Olympics qualification time of 11.15 secs in the
week. coming months.
She now stands provisionally suspended. Commonwealth Dutee Chand is an Indian professional sprinter and current
Games gold medalist weightlifter Rakhi Halder, and national champion in the women's 100 metres event. She is
India's former national team kabaddi captain Ajay the first Indian to win a gold medal in 100m race in a global
Thakur have been suspended by the National Anti- competition. She is the third Indian woman to ever qualify for
Doping Agency (NADA). Rakhi Haldar belongs to the Women's 100 metres event at the Summer Olympic Games.
Bengal. The Summer Olympics Games are also known as the
The National Anti-Doping Agency is the national Games of the Olympiad, are a major international multi-
organisation responsible for promoting, coordinating, and sport event normally held once every four years. This
monitoring the doping control program in sports in all its Game was firstly held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and was
forms in India. held in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Headquarters: New Delhi Next edition of Summer Olympic Games will be held on 23
July, 2021 to 8 Aug, 2021.
CEO: Navin Agarwal
Chhattisgarh is a heavily forested state in central India
Founded: 24 November 2005
known for its temples and waterfalls. Near the capital
Motto: Play Fair Raipur, the town of Sirpur on the Mahanadi River is home
Formation: 24 November 2005 to the red-brick Lakshmana Temple.
NADA - National Anti-Doping Agency Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
Oman - Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel
a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian
Peninsula in Western Asia, and the oldest independent ICC has rescheduled the schedule for
state in the Arab world. Oman is a member of the United the remaining two series of the Men's
Nations, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council,
the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organisation
Cricket World Cup Challenge League
of Islamic Cooperation. Oman also has sizeable oil a matches 10 Apr' 21

T
reserves.
he International Cricket Council (ICC) has
Capital: Muscat rescheduled the schedule for the remaining two
Currency: Omani Rial series of the Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge

Realtors’ apex body Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI)
announced that Harsh Vardhan Patodia will be its new national president.
MAY 2021 MICA 41
NEWS BITES SPORTS
League A matches. guidelines related to Covid-19. For the first time, this
Under this league, edition of IPL is taking place about six months after its
the way to qualify for previous version.
the 2023 ICC Men's Indian Premier League is one of the most popular sporting
Cricket World Cup in events in the world. The first season of IPL started in 2008.
India will be clear. 8 teams take part in it. Mumbai Indians have won the most
Canada, Denmark, 5 cross IPL titles. The highest runs in IPL are Virat Kohli
Malaysia, Qatar, of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Lasith Malinga has taken
Singapore, and the most wickets in the IPL.
Vanuatu were scheduled to play for the second series in The Royal Challengers Bangalore are a franchise cricket
Canada from August 15 to 28. The third series was to be team based in Bangalore, Karnataka that plays in the
held in Malaysia in 2022. Indian Premier League. It was founded in 2008 by United
The Malaysian chain has been postponed, which will Spirits and named after the company's liquor brand Royal
now take place in November - December this year. The Challenge.
Canadian series will take place during July August next Captain: Virat Kohli
year. The schedule of these two series has been rescheduled
The Mumbai Indians are a franchise cricket team based in
in view of Covid's position.
Mumbai, Maharashtra that competes in the Indian Premier
The International Cricket Council is the world governing League. It was founded in in 2008, the team is owned by
body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket India's biggest conglomerate, Reliance Industries, through
Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, its 100% subsidiary India Win Sports.
England and South Africa. It was renamed as the
Captain: Rohit Sharma
International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its
name International Cricket Council in 1989. F.I.H. Argentina defeated by India in
Chairperson: Greg Barclay
Hockey Pro League match 13 Apr' 21

F
Deputy Chairman: Imran Khwaja
CEO: Manu Sawhney IH in Buenos
Aires in
Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates hockey. India
Founded: 15 June 1909 defeated defending
champions Argentina
The 14th edition of the IPL-Twenty- 3–2 in a Hockey Pro
Twenty Cricket tournament begins at League match. In
Chepak Stadium, Chennai 11 Apr' 21 this exciting match,

T
Harmanpreet scored
he 14th a penalty corner for India early in the second quarter to
edition of give the team a one-zero lead but soon after Argentina's
the IPL- Martin Ferrerio scored two goals and gave his team a 2-1
Tw e n t y - Tw e n t y lead. Granted. Harmanpreet Singh scored another goal with
Cricket tournament just six minutes left in the match and brought the match on
is starting at Chepak par. After this, thanks to a tight goalkeeping by PR Sreejesh
Stadium, Chennai. in the penalty shoot-out, India managed to score another
In the first match, goal to win 3-2.
defending champion With this victory, India became F.I.H. Argentina has moved
Mumbai Indians will face Royal Challengers Bangalore. up to fifth place in the Hockey Pro League rankings. India
The matches of this edition of the IPL will take place in have scored twelve points from seven matches. Argentina
Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, New Delhi, finished sixth with eleven points from eleven matches.
and Kolkata. The final match will be played on 30 May at There will be a competition between the two teams.
the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The Fédération Internationale de Hockey, commonly
Last year, IPL teams went to the United Arab Emirates in known by the acronym FIH, is the International governing
view of the Covid epidemic. This year IPL matches will body of field hockey and indoor field hockey.
be played at the domestic stadium following the safety
Russian Olympic champions Andrei Silnov and Natalya Antyukh have each been banned for four
42 MICA MAY 2021 years for doping offenses.
 SPORTS
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
India's Mirabai Chanu creates a
President: Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra
new Clean and Jerk world record in
CEO: Thierry Weil
Tashkent 18 Apr' 21

I
Founder: Paul Léautey
Founded: 7 January 1924 ndia's Mirabai
Chanu set a new
Motto: FairPlay Friendship Forever
World Record in
Buenos Aires is Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital city. Its the women's 49kg
center is the Plaza de Mayo, lined with stately 19th-century Clean and Jerk with an
buildings including Casa Rosada, the iconic, balconied impressive 119 kg lift
presidential palace. Other major attractions include Teatro at Asian Weightlifting
Colón, and the modern MALBA museum, displaying Latin Championships
American art. in Tashkent. The
26-year-old lifted 86kg in snatch and a world record of
BCCI agrees to issue visas to Pakistan 119kg in clean and jerk for a total of 205kg which also won
cricket team for T20 World Cup her the bronze medal at the event.
17 Apr' 21 The gold medal went to Hou Zhihui of China who

T
created a new world record in snatch and total weight
he Board of with an effort of 213kg while her compatriot Jiang
Control for Huihua clinched the silver, lifting 207kg in the gold
Cricket in level Olympic qualifier.
India (BCCI) has
got the approval for The Asian Weightlifting Championships is a weightlifting
visas for the Pakistan championship organized by the Asian Weightlifting
cricket team as well Federation for competitors from the Asian countries. It
as the touring media has been held since 1969 for men and 1988 for women. In
for the upcoming T20 2008 the championships provided the official qualification
World Cup that is scheduled to begin in India in October this for Asian competitors in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The
year. It was announced at BCCI's Apex Council meeting. weightlifting tournaments held during Asian Games are
counted as Asian Weightlifting Championships of the
The BCCI has informed the apex council that the Indian corresponding year.
government has agreed to issue visas to the Pakistan
cricketers and the touring media for the T20 World Cup. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter. A regular
presence in international events since 2014 in the 48 kg
While the details are still being worked out, the apex council category, Chanu has won the World Championships and
members were informed that the Board has received a nod multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was
from the government over the visas, even though a call awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for
on the fans will be taken by the ministry in due course. her contributions to the sport.
However, this wouldn't yet break the deadlock between the
Indian and Pakistan cricket boards. Chanu had won the silver medal in the women's 48 kg
weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow;
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani she went on to break the games record en route to the gold
had earlier said that they are looking for visas for not just medal at the 2018 edition of the event held in Gold Coast.
the players and the media but also for their fans. A failure Her biggest achievement came in 2017, when she won the
on that count from the Indian board will push them into gold medal at World Weightlifting Championships held in
asking the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host the Anaheim, United States.
tournament in UAE.
India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket for close Indian women boxers create history
to a decade now due to diplomatic tensions between the two with seven gold medals 23 Apr' 21

I
countries. Pakistan has been demanding assurances from the
ICC that visas will be granted to its players for the 16-team ndia’s Sachin won the men’s 56kg gold medal at the
extravaganza. With rising Covid-19 cases in India, it is unlikely 2021 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships to
a decision on fans will be taken any time soon by the ministry. take India’s total medal haul at the event to 11.

Sapan Gupta, the general counsel of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India and vice president,
ArcelorMittal has been elevated as the global legal head of ArcelorMittal.
MAY 2021 MICA 43
NEWS BITES SPORTS
Sachin’s gold was the quarterfinals. The Stuttgart Open, is a women's tennis
India’s eighth and tournament held in Stuttgart, Germany. Held since 1978,
capped a brilliant the tournament is the oldest women's indoor tournament in
seven top podium Europe. The singles champion receives prize money and a
finishes registered Porsche sports car. Until 2008 the tournament was played on
by the women hardcourt in autumn. Since 2009 it is played on clay court in
pugilists at Kielce, spring, as a warm-up tournament to the French Open, making
Poland. Bishwamitra it the first indoor clay court event on the women's tour.
Chongthom (men’s Ashleigh Barty is an Australian professional tennis player
49kg), Ankit Narwal (men’s 64kg) and Vishal Gupta (men’s and former cricketer. She is ranked No. 1 in the world in
91kg) won a bronze medal each. singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and
This is the best ever tally recorded by the Indian boxers is the second Australian WTA singles No. 1 after fellow
at the event, surpassing the 10 medal-haul from the 2018 Indigenous Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley. She is
edition. Sachin, who hails from Bhiwani, Haryana, made a also a top 20 player in doubles, having achieved a career-
cautious start against Kazakhstan boxer Yerbolat Sabyr in high ranking of No. 5 in the world.
the final. The Indian’s swift footwork coupled with quick
fierce punches put pressure on his opponent. Archery couple Deepika Kumari and
The contest was evenly poised at the end of two rounds with Atanu Das shoots triple gold
Sabyr providing equal resistance. However, Sachin took 28 Apr' 21

I
charge in the final round and completed a commanding 4-1
win. Indian women’s team scripted history and secured the ndian archery’s
highest medal haul at the prestigious event. Gitika (48kg), star couple
Naorem Babyrojisana Chanu (51kg), Poonam (57kg), Vinka Deepika Kumari
(60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (69kg), T Sanamacha Chanu and Atanu Das led
(75kg) and Alfiya Pathan (+81kg) clinched gold medals as the show with two
India finished at the No. 1 position in the women’s section individual gold
with seven gold medals. medals as the country
They bettered their previous best of five gold achieved capped its best
during the 2017 edition held in Guwahati. India had sent ever performance
a 20-member team to Poland for the tournament. The in a World Cup, claiming three golds and a bronze in the
10-day biennial event saw 414 boxers from 52 countries tournament's first stage.
participating. Former world number one Deepika claimed her career’s
third individual World Cup gold to add to the team's
Barty wins Stuttgart title 27 Apr' 21 triumph, while her husband Das grabbed his first ever World

T
Cup individual medal in style winning the men's recurve
op-ranked individual final. The two are now automatically qualified
Ash Barty for this season's most-coveted Archery World Cup Final.
beat Aryna
Sabalenka 3-6 6-0 6-3 Also, this was India's best ever individual recurve men's result
to win the Porsche since Jayanta Talukdar triumphed in Croatia way back in
Grand Prix, her first 2009. India started with the women's trio of Deepika, Ankita
title on clay since the Bhakat and Komalika Bari winning the first team gold after
2019 French Open. seven years. They scripted a stunning turnaround to down
The Australian player fancied Mexico 5-4 (27-26) in an intriguing shoot-off.
clicked into gear for the final’s second set, which she won Former world number one Deepika, who was seeded third,
in just 20 minutes, with Sabalenka taking a medical timeout stayed calm in an intense shoot-off to edge out USA's eighth
ahead of the third. Sabalenka emerged with a bandage around seed Mackenzie Brown 6-5 (9-9) by hitting closer to the centre.
her right thigh and couldn’t prevent Barty from going on to In the semi-final she had defeated her Mexican rival Alejandra
claim her 11th career title. It was the third straight come- Valencia 7-3. This was Deepika's third career stage win and first
from-behind win for Barty, who celebrated her 25th birthday since Salt Lake City 2018. World number six Deepika was 3-1
by playing three sets against Elina Svitolina in semifinals. up after two sets but saw that lead vanish after Brown evened
Barty also won in three sets against Karolina Pliskova in the match with a 29 in the third and a 28 in the fourth.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced the appointment of Gayle Smith, a former veteran
44 MICA MAY 2021
diplomat, as the US coordinator for Global COVID Response.
 SCIENCE NEWS BITES
Burning Topics of the Month
Ministry of Health and Japan's government to
NASA's Mars Odyssey
Family Welfare Approves release treated radioactive
spacecraft marks 20 years
"National Policy for Rare water into the Pacific
of mapping red planet.
Diseases, 2021". Ocean.

& Many More...

The integrated health

Ancient Crater Lake Discovered on
information platform
Mars 01 Apr' 21 will be operated

R
esearchers under the Integrated
h a v e Disease Surveillance
discovered a Program. The
previously unknown Integrated Disease
type of ancient Crater Surveillance Program
Lake on Mars that operates under the
could reveal clues Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The platform aims
about the planet’s to strengthen disease surveillance in the country. This has
early climate. In a to be achieved by establishing a decentralized state-based
study published in surveillance system for epidemic-prone diseases. The key
Planetary Science Journal, a team led by researchers from features of this platform are real-time data reporting, geo-
Brown University in the US describe an as-yet-unnamed tagging of health facilities, etc. through the use of mobile
crater with some puzzling characteristics. The crater’s floor applications. The platform aims to provide better care and
has unmistakable geologic evidence of ancient stream beds maintain confidential health data. This platform will keep
and ponds, yet there’s no evidence of inlet channels where information about the spread of the disease in different
water could have entered the crater from outside, and no districts of the country. This information will be collected
evidence of groundwater activity where it could have through ASHA workers and ANM.
bubbled up from below. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) was
The researchers conclude that the system was likely fed launched in 2004.The program is supported by the World
by runoff from a long-lost Martian glacier. Water flowed Bank. The main objective of this program is to quickly
into the crater atop the glacier, which meant it did not leave detect and respond to disease outbreaks.
behind a valley as it would have had it flowed directly on IDSP - Integrated Disease Surveillance Program
the ground. The water eventually emptied into the low-
lying crater floor, where it left its geological mark on the Ministry of Health and Family
bare Martian soil. Welfare Approves "National Policy for
Rare Diseases, 2021" 06 Apr' 21
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh

T
Vardhan launched Integrated Health he Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has
approved the "National Policy for Rare Diseases,
Information Forum 05 Apr' 21
2021". This policy focuses on the early screening

U
nion Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched and prevention of rare diseases. This will be done through
the Integrated Health Information Forum. health, and welfare centers. This screening will be
According to the Ministry of Health, India is the supported by diagnostic centers set up by the Department of
first country to adopt such an advanced surveillance system. Biotechnology. About 8 health facilities will be designated

Star studded Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) scored a comfortable 43-33 win over Jalandhar to
win the men's trophy in the Punjab State Basketball Championships.
MAY 2021 MICA 45
NEWS BITES SCIENCE
as excellent centers for rare diseases. They will focus on feasibility of humans traveling to Mars was also the focus
the prevention and treatment of rare diseases. These centers of an instrument aboard Odyssey that measured how much
will be provided one-time financial assistance of Rs 5 space radiation astronauts would have to contend with
crore. The Government of India has announced financial before it stopped working in 2003.
assistance of Rs 20 lakh under the National Health Fund for The most complete global maps of Mars were made using
the treatment of rare diseases. The National Health Fund is Odyssey's infrared camera, called the Thermal Emission
allocated only to those below the poverty line. However, Imaging System, or THEMIS.
this time it is being extended.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is
National Policy for Rare Diseases, Solution to the an independent agency of the U.S. federal government
Challenges of 2021 - Research and Development for most responsible for the civilian space program, as well as
rare diseases are scant because there is little information aeronautics and space research. NASA was established in
about the pathophysiology of these diseases. The cost of 1958.
treatment of rare diseases is highly expensive due to the lack
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
of availability and access to medicines for rare diseases.
Founder: Dwight D Eisenhower
Rare Disease - According to the World Health Organization,
rare diseases are diseases that occur at 1 or less per thousand Established: 1 October 1958, United States
population. However, many other countries use their own
definitions. Rare diseases recorded in India are primary Kishan Reddy has said that both
immunodeficiency disorder, cystic fibrosis, Pompe disease, Covishield and Covaxin vaccines are
Gaucher disease, Fabri disease, etc. effective against COVID 10 Apr' 21

U
February 28 is celebrated every year as a rare disease day.
n i o n
A national registry for rare diseases will be established at Minister of
the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research). A digital State for
platform will be created to bring the notified centers of Home G. Kishan
excellence together. The Finance Ministry will be requested Reddy has urged
to reduce the customs duty on import medicines related to eligible people of
rare diseases. State governments will be requested to create 45 years and above
a medical genetics department in at least one medical to take whatever
college in the state. AIIMS, Delhi will act as the head in vaccine was available
coordination with all other centers of excellence to be set Covishield of Serum Institute or Covaxin of Bharat Biotech
up under this policy. without any hesitation, instead of demanding either of them,
as both have been cleared by the regulatory authorities as
NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft being safe and effective against COVID.
marks 20 years of mapping red The Minister disclosed that he had been given Covishield
planet 09 Apr' 21 whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been given

N
Covaxin. “Both vaccines are giving excellent results, so
ASA's Mars
there should not be any doubts in the minds of people.
Odyssey
Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech too, have been ramping
spacecraft
up production to vaccinate all the people of the country on
launched 20 years
a priority,” he told after visiting the vaccination ward at
ago on April 7, has
Gandhi Hospital.
made it the oldest
spacecraft still Modi has permitted export of the vaccines to just 58
working at the Red countries. Reddy appealed for cooperation and participation
Planet. The orbiter, from citizens to tide over the second wave of COVID. He
which takes its name from Arthur C. Clarke's classic sci- cautioned people to wear safety regulations such as wearing
fi novel "2001: A Space Odyssey", was sent to map the masks, personal hygiene, frequent hand washing and social
composition of the Martian surface in 2021. distinctions because governments alone cannot win the
battle against coronaviruses until the general public will
Project Scientist Jeffrey Plaut of NASA's Jet Propulsion
join hands, from the current worsening situation. It will be
Laboratory in Southern California said that before Odyssey,
very difficult to recover.
we didn't know where water was stored on the planet. The
State run engineering firm BHEL has bagged an order worth Rs 400 crore for setting up a sulphur
46 MICA MAY 2021
recovery unit at Indian Oil’s Paradip Refinery in Odisha.
 SCIENCE
G. Kishan Reddy is an Indian politician and currently
Dr Reddy's Laboratories received
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Government of
India. He is a Lok Sabha MP from Secunderabad. He is a approval for restricted emergency
politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party. use of Sputnik 15 Apr' 21

D
Constituency - Secunderabad
rug major
Nationality - Indian Dr Reddy's
Political Party - Bharatiya Janata Party
Laboratories said
Japan's government to release it has received
treated radioactive water into the approval from the
Indian drug regulator
Pacific Ocean 13 Apr' 21
for restricted

J
apan's govt. emergency use of
decided to COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik in the country. The company
start releasing has received permission from the Drug Controller
massive amounts of General of India (DCGI) to import the Sputnik vaccine
treated radioactive into India for restricted use in emergencies as per the
water from the provisions of the New Drug and Clinical Trials rules,
wrecked Fukushima 2019 under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Dr Reddy's
nuclear plant into said in a regulatory filing.
the Pacific Ocean in In September 2020, Dr Reddy's had partnered with the
two years — an option fiercely opposed by local fishermen Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct the
and residents. The decision, long speculated but delayed clinical trials of Sputnik V and distribute the vaccine in
for years due to safety concerns and protests, came at a India. In addition to the trials conducted in Russia by RDIF,
meeting of Cabinet ministers who endorsed the ocean phase II/III clinical trials of the vaccine were carried out by
release as the best option. Dr Reddy's in India.
TEPCO and government officials say tritium, which is not Dr Reddy's Laboratories Co-chairman and managing
harmful in small amounts, cannot be removed from the director GV Prasad said: "With the rising cases
water, but all other selected radionuclides can be reduced in India, vaccination is the most effective tool in
to levels allowed for release. Some scientists say the long- our battle against COVID-19. This will enable us
term impact on marine life from low-dose exposure to such to contribute to our nation's effort of vaccinating a
large volumes of water is unknown. significant proportion of our population.” Dr Reddy's
Under the basic plan adopted by the ministers, TEPCO said Sputnik V is now approved for use in 60 countries
will start releasing the water in about two years after around the world.
building a facility under the regulatory authority's safety It ranks second among coronavirus vaccines globally in
requirements. It said the disposal of the water cannot terms of the number of approvals issued by government
be postponed further and is necessary to improve the regulators. Sputnik V uses two different vectors for the two
environment surrounding the plant so residents can live shots in a course of vaccination. The efficacy of Sputnik
there safely. V was determined to be 91.6 per cent as per a published
To make up for the loss, more water has been pumped into article in the Lancet, one of the world's oldest and most
the reactors to continue to cool the melted fuel. Water is respected medical journals.
also pumped out and treated, part of which is recycled as
cooling water, and the remainder stored in 1,020 tanks now NASA made the second flight of the
holding 1.25 million tons of radioactive water. SpaceX crew Dragon to the International
About 70 per cent of the water in the tanks exceeds allowable Space Station 24 Apr' 21

S
discharge limits for contamination but will be filtered again
and diluted with seawater before it is released, the report paceX Crew-2 is the second crewed operational flight
says. According to a preliminary estimate, gradual releases of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and its third overall
of water will take about 30 years but will be completed crewed orbital flight. The mission was launched
before the plant is fully decommissioned. on 23 April 2021 at 09:49:02 UTC. The Crew-2 mission

Sterling and Wilson Solar said that its US arm has bagged Rs 890 cr order in the pacific north-west
region of the US.
MAY 2021 MICA 47
NEWS BITES SCIENCE
transported four
China successfully launches first
members of the crew
to the International module of planned space station
Space Station. 30 Apr' 21

F
Crew-2 also used
the same capsule as or more than two decades, the International
Demo-2 (Endeavour) Space Station has orbited 227 nautical miles
and used the same above Earth with more than 200 astronauts
booster as Crew-1. from 19 different countries. But its role as the sole
Endeavour docked with the International Space Station on venue for a continuous human presence in space,
24 April 2021 at 09:08 UTC. scientific research and a testing ground for future space
exploration is coming to a close.
On 28 July 2020, JAXA, ESA and NASA confirmed
their astronaut assignments aboard this mission. German China, whose astronauts have long been excluded from the
astronaut Matthias Maurer was the backup for Pesquet, ISS, successfully launched the first module of its planned
while Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa trained as space station from the Wenchang launch site in the southern
backup to Hoshide. island of Hainan, according to the China National Space
Administration.
SpaceX Crew-2 arrived at the ISS on 24 April 2021, well
ahead of the launch and docking of the Nauka module The core module, currently the largest spacecraft developed
launching on a Proton-M launch vehicle on 15 July 2021 by China, was launched into low earth orbit by a Long
that will carry a portion of the European Robotic Arm March-5B rocket, marking the first step of China's efforts
(ERA). Expedition 65 crew members will oversee the to build its own station in two years.
installation of Nauka and the ERA on the ISS. China's space station won't launch all at once; it will be
The second SpaceX operational mission in the Commercial assembled from several modules launching at different
Crew Program launched on 23 April 2021. The Crew times. Chinese state media reports that the country's space
Dragon Endeavour, will dock to the International Docking station will be fully operational by the end of 2022.
Adapter on the Harmony module. This mission is the first The core module has a total length of 16.6 meters (55 feet),
with astronauts onboard with a previously used booster a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a living space of 50
rocket. cubic meters, according to China Aerospace Science and
All crew are veteran astronauts, though this is Megan Technology Corporation (CASC).
McArthur's first visit to the ISS. Akihiko Hoshide will It's expected to operate for 10 years -- which could be
serve as the second Japanese ISS commander during his extended to 15. Eleven launches including four crewed
stay. It is the second mission by Thomas Pesquet to the missions and four cargo missions are scheduled in the
International Space Station and will be called Alpha, after next two years. The first crewed mission is expected to be
Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to Earth, following launched in June of this year -- sending three astronauts to
the French tradition to name space missions after stars or orbit for about three months, during which the life support
constellations. system and maintenance will be tested.

The 2023 men’s boxing World Championships will be held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent, the
48 MICA MAY 2021
International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced.
 MISCELLANEOUS NEWS BITES
Burning Topics of the Month
Law Minister Ravi Shankar The government has
Prasad launches Online launched a campaign named 19th India-France naval
Grievance Management Portal Aahar Kranti to spread exercise ‘VARUNA-2021’
of National Commission for public awareness about concluded.
Scheduled Castes. nutrition.
& Many More...

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh

Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated Tomar launched Madhukranti Portal
Tulip Festival 03 Apr' 21 07 Apr' 21

L T
ieutenant h e
Governor Madhukranti
Manoj Sinha portal has been
inaugurated the Tulip created for online
Festival in Kashmir registration to obtain
Valley Srinagar. traceability sources
More than 1.5 million of honey as well as
flowers of more than other bee products on
64 varieties have the digital platform.
fully blossomed in the foothills of the Zabarwan Mountains. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched
The five-day Tulip Festival is held in Asia's largest Madhukranti Portal and NAFED's Honey Corner to
tulip garden at the foothills of the Zabarwan Hills on promote the honey mission in the country on 7 April 2021.
the banks of the world-famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. According to an official statement, this Madhukranti portal
This time around 15 lakh tulips of 62 species have is an initiative of the National Bee Board under the National
been planted in Tulip Garden situated on about 35 Beekeeping and Honey Mission. While Honey Corner of
hectares. the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
(NAFED) holds a special place for the sale of honey.
The Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammad Khan was
present at the inauguration ceremony of the Tulip Festival The Madhukranti Portal has been created for online
along with Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj registration to obtain traceability sources of honey as
Sinha. Hundreds of tourists, along with locals, reached the well as other bee products on the digital platform. It will
Tulip Garden on the first day of the festival and enjoyed the also help in testing the quality of honey and the source of
beauty here. adulteration. Necessary functionalities are being developed
on the Madhukranti portal to create a database of all
The Tulip Garden was opened to tourists and the general
stakeholders who are involved in honey as well as other
public on 25 March. Last year, Tulip Festival could not
bee production, marketing chains, and sales.
be held due to the unprecedented status of COVID-19.
However, this time the Tulip Festival is being organized On 7 April, the online registration of beekeepers was also
on a large scale to attract more and more tourists. Kashmiri started in this first phase. The National Beekeeping and
folk music will be performed in addition to a painting Honey Mission Scheme is a central sector scheme that has
competition at the Tulip Festival to be held from 3 to 7 been allocated Rs 500 crore under the Self-Reliant India
April. initiative by the government. Along with the importance
of beekeeping, the scheme has been launched to achieve
Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir - Manoj Sinha
the overall development and promotion of scientific
Governor of Kerala - Arif Mohammad Khan beekeeping and the "sweet revolution".
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it has approved a USD 300 million loan to
finance the construction of a 300 megawatt hydropower plant in north-western Pakistan.
MAY 2021 MICA 49
NEWS BITES MISCELLANEOUS
Agriculture Minister - Narendra Singh Tomar particular diet related
NAFED - National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing problem, especially
Federation malnutrition related
to food despite the
Lost gold city of Luxor discovered in well-being. This
problem is being felt
Egypt 09 Apr' 21
all over the world

A
rchaeologists including India.
in Egypt have Studies show that
discovered India produces twice as much agricultural produce as it
the lost gold city needs in terms of calories. Despite this, the problem of
of Luxor. The malnutrition in the country still persists.
3,400-year-old In spite of prosperity, this peculiar poor problem of
royal city was built starvation is due to lack of awareness about nutrition
by Amenhotep among the people. Keeping this in mind, the Aahar Kranti
III, abandoned by Campaign has been started. The motto of this campaign
his heretical son, Akhenaten, and contains astonishingly is - Best diet, Best idea. Inaugurating the Diet Revolution
preserved relics. According to the famous Egyptian legend Campaign, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that
Jahi Havas, the city is as old as the Golden period of Old when the country is facing the outbreak of Covid-19
Egypt and was present during the reigns of Amenhotep III epidemic, balanced diet has a special role in reducing its side
and Tutankhamen. They have said that this city existed about effects. He emphasized that it has become more important
3400 years ago. than ever to create awareness about the importance of a
Egyptian archaeologist Betsy Bryan called the discovery "the balanced diet.
second most significant discovery since Tutankhamun's tomb". Under the Aahar Kranti campaign, people will be told
Akhenaten, who left the "Golden City" for a new capital at about nutrition in traditional food of India, medicinal
Amarna, encouraged a different kind of style of Egyptian art. properties of local fruits and vegetables and the importance
Here he is shown with his wife, Nefertiti, and three daughters. of a balanced diet. And has been initiated in collaboration
Luxor is a city on the east bank of the Nile River in southern with scientific contact.
Egypt. It is surrounded by 2 huge ancient monuments graceful Health Minister - Dr. Harsh Vardhan
Luxor Temple, and Karnak Temple. The royal tombs of the
Valley of the Kings, and the Valley of the Queens are on the Government has canceled the
river’s west bank. The ancient Luxor temple is located in the
Luxor province of Egypt. It is a World Heritage Site which is
examination of the CBSE and the
an important Egyptian site in the area of tourism. examination of the 12th is also
Egypt is a country, linking northeast Africa with the Middle postponed the examination of 12th
East. The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks 13 Apr' 21

T
like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, a
trove of antiquities. he Central
President: Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi Government
has approved
Currency: Pound the Central Board of
Capital: Cairo Secondary Education-
CBSE 12th class
The government has launched a examinations have
campaign named Aahar Kranti to been postponed
spread public awareness about while the 10th
class examinations have been canceled. Prime Minister
nutrition 12 Apr' 21 Narendra Modi held a meeting with the Union Minister of

T
o spread public awareness about nutrition, the Education and other senior officials in New Delhi and the
government has launched a campaign called the C.B.S.E. Reviewed the conduct of board examinations.
Aahar Kranti. It has been introduced to tackle this These examinations were to be held next month. The Prime

50 MICA MAY 2021 The country's first green bonds, issued by Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, were listed on BSE.
 MISCELLANEOUS
Minister emphasized that the safety of students is the top handle the complaints in online mode from the victim. The
priority for the government. He also said that the Central National Commission for Scheduled Castes is an Indian
Government will take full care of the interests of the students constitutional body established with a view to provide
and ensure that there is no harm to their health as well as safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes.
academic interests. Speaking on the occasion, Prasad said, this launching
Keeping in view the current state of Covid epidemic, of Online Grievance Management Portal is especially
closure of schools and safety and well-being of students, important as 14 April the nation is observing the birth
class XII examinations have been postponed. Now they anniversary of one of India’s great luminaries Dr. B.R.
will be organized on June 1 this year after reviewing the Ambedkar. Prasad said, Dr. Ambedkar worked for
situation. The Ministry of Education has informed that the upliftment of the marginalised and downtrodden
at least 15 days before the conduct of the examinations, sections of the society. The Minister opined that digital
the students will be informed of the new dates of the India needs to be a mass movement in the country.
examination. Addressing the gathering, Minister of State for Social
Justice and Empowerment, Rattan Lal Kataria said that
The meeting also decided to cancel the Class X board
the portal will make it easier for the Scheduled Castes
exams. Children's test results will be based on objective
population to register their complaint from any part of
criteria set by the board. The Ministry has said that any
the country. He said, the portal will enable them to file
candidate who is not satisfied with the marks given as per
their application and other atrocity and services related
these criteria will be given an opportunity to appear in the
grievances online and to get them addressed in a time
examination after the situation is normal.
bound manner.
Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that
Dr. Bhim Rao Ramji Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb
CBSE will set different criteria for the evaluation of
Ambedkar, was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and
class X students, which will be based on their internal
social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement
assessment, practical examinations and other modalities.
and campaigned against social discrimination against the
The Education Minister also said that the roadmap for
untouchables.
future action regarding the twelfth examination will be
decided in the meeting to be held on June 1. He said Union Law Minister - Ravi Shankar Prasad
that the educational calendar and other dates of higher Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment
education institutions will be decided keeping in mind the - Ratanlal Kataria
new conditions.
CBSE - Central Board of Secondary Education Defence Minister asks IAF to draw up
Education Minister - Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank long term strategies to counter future
threats 15 Apr' 21

D
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
e f e n c e
launches Online Grievance Minister
Management Portal of National Rajnath
Commission for Scheduled Castes Singh has asked
14 Apr' 21 Indian Air Force to
draw up long term

L
aw Minister plans and strategies
Ravi Shankar for capability
P r a s a d enhancement to
launched the counter future threats. Singh congratulated Indian Air
Online Grievance Force for ensuring a timely and befitting response to the
Management Portal sudden developments in Eastern Ladakh. Addressing the
of the National biannual IAF Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi, he
Commission for appreciated the critical focus of IAF towards reorienting for
Scheduled Castes. the future. Referring to changing international geopolitics,
Presently the complaints of victims, who are members the Minister observed that the perceptible shift of focus from
of Scheduled Caste are processed manually in the Trans-Atlantic to Trans-Pacific has become more obvious
commission. The new mechanism has been introduced to in the recent past. He added that changing dimensions of

The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India has partnered with Karnataka Bank to offer vehicle
financing options for potential car buyers. MAY 2021 MICA 51
NEWS BITES MISCELLANEOUS
war will now include advanced technologies, asymmetric MANAS was endorsed as a national program by the Prime
capabilities and info-dominance, and it is very important Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory
that the IAF’s preparations for the future must include these Council (PM-STIAC).
aspects. PM-STIAC is an overarching Council that facilitates the
He also stressed on the need to promote Atmanirbharta in Principal Scientific Adviser’s Office to assess the status
defence infrastructure. The Minister added that the IAF’s in specific science and technology domains, comprehend
order for Light Combat Aircraft will result in a substantial the challenges at hand, formulate specific interventions,
boost to the domestic defence industry. He urged the develop a futuristic roadmap, and advises the Prime
commanders to continue their efforts for achieving Minister accordingly.
even greater results in the field of indigenous defence Dr. Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan FRS is an emeritus
production and aircraft maintenance. The Defence professor and former director of the National Centre
Minister also assured the IAF Commanders of the for Biological Sciences. On 26 March 2018, the
wholehearted support from the government in achieving Government of India appointed him as the principal
the goal of being a potent Strategic Aerospace Force. scientific adviser. He was elected as a foreign associate
Singh expressed confidence that important decisions of the US National Academy of Sciences. He was
taken during the conference would enhance the combat conferred the Padma Shri on 26 January 2013 and is
potential of the IAF. also a recipient of the Infosys Prize in the life sciences
Defence Minister - Rajnath Singh category in 2009.
LCA - Light Combat Aircraft Principal Scientific Adviser - Prof. K Vijay Raghavan
MANAS - Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation
Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt, System
Prof. K Vijay Raghavan launches
MANAS App to promote wellbeing Indian Army initiates Ladakh Ignited
across age groups 16 Apr' 21 Minds project 26 Apr' 21

P T
r i n c i p a l o provide
Scientific b e t t e r
Adviser to the educational
Government, Prof. opportunities for
K Vijay Raghavan Ladakhi students,
has launched the the Indian Army has
MANAS App to initiated the project
promote wellbeing Ladakh Ignited
across age groups. Minds. A Centre of
MANAS which stands for Mental Health and Normalcy Excellence and Wellness.
Augmentation System was endorsed as a national program On behalf of Indian Army, Fire and Fury Corps has signed
by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and a couple of MoUs with partner Hindustan Petroleum
Innovation Advisory Council. Corporation Limited (HPCL) and executing agency, a
MANAS is a comprehensive, scalable, and national digital Kanpur based NGO, National Integrity and Educational
wellbeing platform and an app developed to augment Development Organization (NIEDO), in Leh. Our
mental well-being of Indian citizens. The application correspondent reports that the project is aimed at providing
integrates the health and wellness efforts of various better training facilities to disadvantaged Ladakhi students
government ministries, scientifically validated indigenous to give them opportunity to study in niche educational
tools with gamified interfaces developed by various institutes.
national bodies and research institutions. Speaking on the In its continuous efforts to maintain cordial Civil and
occasion, Prof. Raghavan said the app must be integrated Defence relations and better future for Ladakhi youth,
with the public health schemes like National Health the Indian Army began a project called, Ladakh Ignited
Mission, Poshan Abhiyan and e-Sanjeevani so that it is Minds: A Centre of Excellence and Wellness, in Ladakh.
used widely. He also said the application must be made Fire and Fury Corps of Indian Army with the support of
multi-lingual. HPCL and execution agency NIEDO will provide a holistic

The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has released an amount of Rs. 11,830 crore to
52 MICA MAY 2021
States under the scheme “Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure”.
 MISCELLANEOUS
training for Ladakhi youth. In the first batch, comprising
19th India-France naval exercise
20 girls, 45 students from Leh and Kargil districts, would
get training for JEE and NEET entrance examinations. Fire ‘VARUNA-2021’ concluded
and Fury signed MoUs with HPCL’s J&K Chief Regional 28 Apr' 21

T
Manager Mr. Prince Singh and NIEDO’s CEO Dr. Rohit
Srivastav in the presence of the 14 Corps GoC Lt.Gen PGK he 19th edition of the Indian and French Navy
Menon, Member of Parliament Jamyang Tsering Namgyal bilateral exercise ‘VARUNA-2021’ concluded on
and Advisor to Ladakh UT, Umang Narula. 27th April 2021. Conducted from 25-27 Apr 2021
in the Arabian Sea, the exercise witnessed high tempo-
Arun Raste named new MD & CEO of naval operations at sea, including advanced air defence and
NCDEX 26 Apr' 21 anti-submarine exercises, intense fixed and rotary-wing

T
flying operations including cross deck helicopter landings,
he National tactical manoeuvres, surface and anti-air weapon firings,
Commodity underway replenishment and other maritime security
a n d operations.
Derivatives
Exercise VARUNA has been a key enabler in building
Exchange (NCDEX)
interoperability and strengthening the coordination
said Arun Raste will
between the two navies. This exercise has matured over the
be its next managing
years with increase in scope, complexity of operations and
director and CEO for
level of participation.
a period of five years.
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India Units of both navies honed and enhanced their war-fighting
(SEBI) has given approval to the appointment of Arun skills to demonstrate their ability as an integrated force
Raste as MD and CEO of NCDEX for a period of 5 years, to promote peace, security and stability in the maritime
the agri commodity exchange said in a statement. domain.
Raste will join NCDEX in due course of time, the NCDEX The common understanding of the two navies in executing
added. Raste is currently associated with the National Dairy maritime operations was evident right from the start of
Development Board (NDDB) as an Executive Director and the exercise wherein the entire planning was carried out
prior to NDDB, he has worked with organisations like through virtual meeting and the exercises were conducted
IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NABARD, ACC completely in the non-contact format.
Cement, and a non-profit NGO IRFT.
The seamless coordination, precise execution of
He had also served as a Director on the Board of Indian
manoeuvres, and accuracy in complex exercises
Immunological and Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable.
characterized the conduct of Varuna-2021 and has helped
Earlier this month, NCDEX in a statement had said that Vijay
further strengthen mutual confidence, inter-operability and
Kumar had bid adieu to the exchange following completion
sharing of best practices between both Navies.
of his extended term as the Managing Director and CEO.
After his completion of the stipulated three years tenure, Indian Navy’s guided missile frigate Tarkash will continue
SEBI had given Kumar an extension of three months in to exercise with the French Navy’s Carrier Strike Group
January this year, it added. NCDEX had also stated that the (CSG) from 28th April to 1st May 2021 participating
appointment of the new MD and CEO was underway as per in advanced surface, anti-submarine and air-defence
the regulatory guidelines. operations.

The first convocation of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Srinagar was held at Sher-
i-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar.
MAY 2021 MICA 53
WHO'S WHO DESIGNATION
WHO’S WHO
S.No. DESIGNATION NAME
1. Chairman, Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu
2. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
3. Chairman of Niti Ayog Narendra D. Modi
4. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge
5. Leader of House in Lok Sabha Narendra D. Modi
6. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha -
7. Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra
8. Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
9. Director General, ITBP S S Deshwal
10. Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari
11. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla
12. Comptroller & Auditor General of India G. C. Murmu
13. Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre S. Somanath
14. Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Dr. P. D. Vaghela
15. CBI Director Praveen Sinha
16. Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Harsh Chauhan
17. Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi
18. Chairman, UPSC Pradeep Kumar Joshi
19. Director General, National Investigation Agency Y.C. Modi
20. Chairman, Space Commission and ISRO K. Sivan
21. Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Sec. Deptt. of Atomic Energy K. N. Vyas
22. Chairman, SSC Braj Raj Sharma
23. Chairman,National Human Rights Commission Justice H.L. Dattu
24. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Vivek Joshi
25. Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes Pramod Chandra Mody
26. Chairman, Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India Subash Chandra Khuntia
27. Chairman, Securities & Exchange Board of India Ajay Tyagi
28. Chairperson, State Bank of India Dinesh Kumar Khara
29. India’s permanent representative in UNO T S Tirumurti
30. Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla
31. Chairperson of National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma
32. Chairman, 15th Finance Commission N. K. Singh
33. Chairman, Competition Commission of India Ashok Kumar Gupta
34. Chairperson,Central Board of Film Certification Prasoon Joshi
35. President, ASSOCHAM Vineet Agarwal
36. Chairman, NASSCOM UB Pravin Rao
37. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat
38. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria
39. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh
40. Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane
41. Chief, RAW Samant Goel
42. Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre A.K. Mohanty
43. National Commission for Scheduled Castes Vijay Sampla
44. President, FICCI Uday Shankar
45. Chairman of 21st Law Commission Dr. Justice BS Chauhan
46. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval
47. Chairperson, Prasar Bharati Dr. A. Surya Prakash
48. DG of National Testing Agency Vineet Joshi
49. Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey
50. Chairman, Indian Banks Association Rajkiran Rai G
Data as on 11th May, 2021
The foundation stone was laid for a de-addiction centre for youths at the New Shillong Township by
54 MICA MAY 2021
state Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla.
 ETYMOLOGY WORD OF ENGLISH
Emollient Antonyms:
Pronunciation: ## annoyance

Noun ## Irritation
## aggravating
A preparation that softens the skin.
EXAMPLE:
Example: " We should always moisturize exposed
skin with an effective emollient" 1. Use an emollient for dry skin.

Adjective 2. Almond oil is renowned for its soothing, emollient

properties.
1: having the quality of softening or soothing the
3. An emollient reply was drafted for me to send back.
skin.
4. Patients were allowed to use topical steroids and
"I have bought a rich emollient shampoo" emollients as required.
2: attempting to avoid confrontation or anger; 5. The northerners' initial response has been emollient.
calming or conciliatory.
6. Emollient and humectant ingredients are included as
"The president's emollient approach to differences" well as vitamins and a mineral for improving skin
barrier function.
Etymology
7. Dimethicone – An excellent emollient , dimethicone
"softening, making soft or supple," 1640s,
allows for superior spreadability while softening and
from French émollient (16c.), from Latin
soothing baby's delicate bottom.
emollientem (nominative emolliens), present participle
of emollire "to make soft, soften," from assimilated form 8. Famous for its legendary natural emollient and
of ex "out" (see ex-) + mollire "soften," from mollis "soft," moisturizing a great addition to your shower or bath.
from PIE root *mel- (1) "soft." The noun, "a therapeutic 9. Its tooth sharp benefit is emollient andtorn to pieces an
agent or process which softens and relaxes living tissues," alimental function in the mastication.
is recorded from 1650s.
10. The mist contains sunflower oil, a natural emollient
SIMILAR WORDS (in form of Noun): that sinks into your skin and conditioned.
� moisturizer � cream 11. The central character is a deceptively emollient senior
� oil � ointment figure in a Conservative Government.
� rub � lotion 12. Sunday schools too were booming and every week
� salve � unguent little people were taught to give voice to such emollient
verses as these.
� balsam � humectant
13. This easy to apply combination of pure Cocoa Butter
� pomade
and Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B5) in a soothing,
SIMILAR WORDS (in form of Adjective): emollient base helps relieve sore, cracked nipples
associated with breastfeeding.
� conciliatory � conciliating
14. National sovereignty although to world environment
� appeasing � soothing of depravation negative have a responsibility, the
� calming � pacifying sovereign state also is a global environment emollient
conservator in the meantime.
� assuaging � placating
15. The data scooped out the technical emergence and
� mollifying � relaxing developments to provide the emollient support for this.

The government extended the deadline for linking PAN with biometric Aadhaar for three months, until
June 30.
MAY 2021 MICA 55
The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Winners
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS),
At 83 years old, Anthony Hopkins became the oldest
honored the best films of 2020 and early 2021. It took
winner in an acting category. Frances McDormand
place in Los Angeles at both Union Station and the
became the seventh person to win a third acting Oscar
Dolby Theatre, on April 25, 2021 – two months later than
with her Best Actress win for Nomadland and the second
planned, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
to win Best Actress three times. The film also won Best
on cinema. Nominations had been announced on March
Director; Chloé Zhao, who is Chinese, became the first
15, 2021.
woman of color to be awarded Best Director and only the
Nomadland won three awards, the most of the night, second woman after Kathryn Bigelow (who won in 2010
including Best Picture. The Father, Judas and the Black for The Hurt Locker) to be given the award. Zhao's Oscar
Messiah, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Mank, Soul and win was censored in China and blocked on Chinese social
Sound of Metal won two awards each. Another Round, media platforms.
Colette, If Anything Happens I Love You, Minari, My
Octopus Teacher, Promising Young Woman, Tenet, and Awards
Two Distant Strangers won one award each.
Best Picture Nomadland – Mollye
The ceremony marked the first time since the 78th Academy Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances
Awards in 2006 that no film won more than three awards McDormand, Peter Spears
and the first time since the 44th Academy Awards in 1972 and Chloé Zhao
– when the show ended with an Academy Honorary Award Best Director Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
to Charlie Chaplin – that the ceremony did not end with
Best Actor Anthony Hopkins – The
the award for Best Picture (it ended with Best Actress and
Father as Anthony
Actor).
Best Actress Frances McDormand –
According to Nielsen estimates (which began in 1974), this Nomadland as Fern
ceremony was the least-viewed Academy Awards telecast Best Supporting Actor Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and
on record in the United States, with 10.4 million viewers. the Black Messiah as Fred
Background Hampton
Best Supporting Actress Youn Yuh-jung – Minari as
The Academy announced in June 2020 that it was
Soon-ja
postponing the ceremony to April 25, 2021, from its
originally scheduled date of February 28, 2021 due Best Original Screenplay Promising Young Woman –
to the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby extending the Emerald Fennell
eligibility period for feature films to February 28. The Best Adapted Screenplay The Father – Christopher
eligibility criteria had already been modified to account Hampton and Florian Zeller,
for films originally intended to have a theatrical release based on the play by Zeller
but released directly to streaming services instead. It Best Animated Feature Soul – Pete Docter and Dana
marked the fourth time that the Academy Awards have Film Murray
been postponed, and the first time since the 6th Academy Best International Feature Another Round (Denmark)
Awards in 1934 that films released in two different Film in Danish – directed by
calendar years were eligible for awards consideration in Thomas Vinterberg
the same ceremony.

The Indian men's hockey team skipper Manpreet Singh returned to the side for the FIH Pro League
56 MICA MAY 2021
games against Olympic champions Argentina.
Best Documentary My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Best Visual Effects Tenet – Scott R. Fisher,
Feature Ehrlich, Craig Foster and Andrew Jackson, David Lee
James Reed and Andrew Lockley
Best Documentary Short Colette – Alice Doyard and
Subject Anthony Giacchino
Governors Awards
Best Live Action Short Two Distant Strangers – The Academy cancelled its annual Governors Awards
Film Travon Free and Martin ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic and instead
Desmond Roe incorporated the winners into the Oscar ceremony, as
had been the practice prior to the 82nd Academy Awards.
Best Animated Short Film If Anything Happens I Love
This was the first year of the Governors Awards in which
You – Michael Govier and
there have not been any official winners of the Academy
Will McCormack
Honorary Award.
Best Original Score Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus
Ross and Jon Batiste Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Best Original Song "Fight for You" from Judas There were two recipients of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian
and the Black Messiah – Award:
Music by D'Mile and H.E.R.;
Tyler Perry – for his active engagement with philanthropy
lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara
and charitable endeavours in recent years, including efforts
Thomas
to address homelessness and economic difficulties faced by
Best Sound Sound of Metal – Jaime members of the African-American community.
Baksht, Nicolas Becker,
Philip Bladh, Carlos Cortés Motion Picture & Television Fund – being honored for the
and Michelle Couttolenc emotional and financial relief services it offers to members
of the entertainment industry.
Best Production Design Mank – Production Design:
Donald Graham Burt; Set The ceremony was subject to various forms of censorship
Decoration: Jan Pascale in China and its territories.
Best Cinematography Mank – Erik Messerschmidt The ceremony telecast and all online discussion of it was
Best Makeup and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom censored in the mainland due to scrutiny over Nomadland
Hairstyling – Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia director, Chinese-American Chloe Zhao, who reportedly
Neal and Jamika Wilson made comments critical of China in a 2013 interview with
Best Costume Design Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – Filmmaker magazine. The ceremony was pulled by its
Ann Roth Chinese rights holders, and all discussions of the ceremony
were largely censored from Chinese social media and news
Best Film Editing Sound of Metal – Mikkel E.
outlets.
G. Nielsen

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded its growth projection for India to 12.5 per cent
for the Financial Year 2021-22. MAY 2021 MICA 57
 2021 Pakistani
Anti-French
Protests
Strong anti-French sentiments have been simmering in After the Cold war, France's foreign policy has been noted
Pakistan for months ever since French President Emmanuel for decades for its special Gaullist flavour, which was
Macron in October last year defended the publication of not much altered under the long Presidency of socialist
caricatures of Prophet Muhammad and pledged to fight François Mitterrand (1981-1995). French Presidents
“Islamist separatism”. Earlier this week, TLP supporters visited India more often than Pakistan, and Paris has never
took to the streets to launch a violent protest with an aim to met the expectations of Islamabad regarding the U.N.
force the Imran Khan-led government to expel the French resolutions on Kashmir. The relations again suffered many
ambassador and ban French products in the country. set back in 1998-99 when Paris saw the Kargil episode
as a dangerous Pakistan initiative, considering the new
Why TLP is protesting nuclearized regional context. Though, France has always
This is not the first time that the TLP is protesting in Pakistan. been to encourage dialogue between India and Pakistan,
In November last year, the party led similar violent protests without offering mediation in such an intricate issue. There
across Pakistan which brought the government on its knees. was some impatience in Paris decision-makers circles
The protest was then led by Saad’s father, Khadim Hussain when the Line of Control was crossed above Kargil in an
Rizvi, an Islamist cleric, who passed away on November obviously well prepared operation.
20. TLP at the time ended its protest after an agreement In 2020, thousands of anti-France's protection of "freedom
was reached with the government that promised to decide of speech" protesters held rallies in cities across Pakistan,
the matter in three months. As that deadline came near in against the re-publishing of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of
February 2021, the government had “expressed its inability Prophet Muhammad, including publishing the controversial
to implement the agreement”. The TLP had agreed to delay images. They called on the Pakistani government to cut
its protest by two and a half months and issued a new diplomatic and trade ties with France, which was quickly
deadline of April 20. reported on by TRT World. The protesters burnt the French
France–Pakistan relations flag and said they were willing to avenge what they
considered as blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad
The Pakistan–France relations refers to the bilateral, in a peaceful way.
cultural, and international relations between Pakistan and
In April 2021, the French government advised French
France. The relationships are based on military, defence,
nationals and French companies to temporarily leave
cultural, educational cooperation and economic ties.
Pakistan amid violent anti-French protests and meanwhile
Trade between the two countries is generally increasing
Government of Pakistan clearly told the protesters that
with time. However, relations are currently strained with
Pakistan will not tell the French ambassador to leave the
Pakistan taking part in the Boycott of French Products over
country and Government will protect the French friendship
the Charlie Hebdo cartoon incidents.
at any cost.
The foreign relations between Pakistan and France were
first established on 31 July 1951 when both countries 2021 Pakistani protests
agreed to open embassy services in each countries. France The 2021 Pakistani protests was a series of protests and
was one of the first non-Muslim state to recognize Pakistan, strikes in Pakistan from 11–20 April 2021. Mass protests
Iran was the first, opening its embassy about 2 months first erupted after a series of calls for nationwide rallies
after Pakistani independence In August 1960, a farewell and picketing against the government of Prime Minister
trade treaty was signed; followed by import-export treaty Imran Khan and his cabinet, orchestrated by far-right
that was concluded October 1966. During the Cold war, party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan The primary motive was
France considered Pakistan as "state deserving attention", against France's view on freedom of speech and radical
and had been a major foreign supplier of Pakistan Armed Islam, concerning a blasphemous caricature published
Forces. there and the events surrounding the murder of Samuel
The Maharashtra government has approved a sum of Rs 231 crore for disbursal to tribal families in
58 MICA MAY 2021 the state under its 'Khavti' grant scheme.
Paty, a French middle school teacher. The demonstrators that two cops were killed by the protesters who used clubs,
demanded a boycott of French goods and the expulsion of bricks and firearms to attack them. Paramilitary forces
the French ambassador. were brought in to assist the local police across various
The protests intensified across Pakistan after the party's cities including Lahore, Gujranwala, Dina, Rawalpindi and
leader Saad Hussain Rizvi was arrested on 12 April 2021. Bahawalpur.
It ended on 20 April 2021 after Rizvi was discharged The Pakistan government banned the TLP on 15th
and when the expulsion of the French envoy was being April, accusing them of terrorism as their protestors
discussed in the parliament. had engaged in street violence and attacked public
law enforcers. However, the ban does not enable the
Background Pakistani government to entirely dissolve the political
In October 2020, a teacher was beheaded by an Islamist party, for which it needs a mandate for the Pakistani
terrorist near Paris reportedly for displaying a cartoon Supreme Court. Pakistan temporarily banned social
of Muhammad. French President Emmanuel Macron media for four hours on April 16th in an attempt to
defended freedom of expression and the rights to publish curb the protests, as the TLP has wide social media
such cartoons, after which widespread protests took place penetration. Later, it banned coverage of the TLP by
in Pakistan, with calls to boycott French products and local media. On the same day, the Pakistani government
sever diplomatic ties with France. In November 2020, released an alleged statement by Saad Rizvi, asking
activists of the far-right Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labaik protestors to stand down and peacefully disperse. But
Pakistan blocked an entrance to Islamabad and demanded several demonstrators expressed their disbelief in the
the expulsion of French ambassador from Pakistan. The statement, insisting on seeing or hearing it coming from
protests were called off on 16 November 2020 after the Rizvi himself. TLP activists in Britain staged a protest
Government of Pakistan reached an agreement with TLP near the Pakistan High Commission in London on 16th
by seeking more time to discuss the matter in parliament. April, but were later dispersed by the local police.
Events On 18 April, the Pakistani police claimed that the TLP had
taken six security personnel hostage in Lahore, including
After French President Emmanuel Macron took a hardened a senior police officer and two paramilitary soldiers. Later
stance against radical Islamists, the founder of the TLP, that day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that
Khadim Hussain Rizvi called on Pakistan to cut diplomatic 11 policemen who were taken hostage by TLP had been
relations with France, He asked his followers to protest in released after negotiations between Government of Punjab
the streets of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. A few days later, and TLP.
he died due to COVID-19, and the protests became more
militant under the aegis of his son, Saad Hussain Rizvi. Aftermath and Reactions
On 11 April 2021, Saad Rizvi released a video message France advised its citizens and French companies to
asking TLP activists to launch protests across Pakistan temporarily leave Pakistan due to the violent protests'
if the government did not expel the French ambassador strong Francophobic nature. However, several French
from the country by 20 April. On 12 April, after Rizvi was nationals refused to leave the country, stating that the
arrested in Lahore charged under Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism threats were from TLP radicals, but not from ordinary
Act, 1997 (ATA), which further angered protesters, causing citizens. An anonymous Pakistani diplomat speaking to
widespread unrest. Protests broke out across the country, the French newspaper, Le Figaro, said that their country's
with TLP activists blocking transport routes and cutting off Pakistan's international reputation was deteriorating due
cities including Lahore, Dina, Islamabad, Peshawar and the actions of the TLP. Pakistani Taliban came out in
Gujranwala from each other. The protests turned violent support of TLP protesters and stated, "We will make the
with reports of stone pelting; at least two people were killed government accountable for every drop of the martyrs'
in the riots on 12 April. In addition, TLP claimed that two blood."
protesters were shot dead in Faisalabad and Karachi. Later, The Government has reportedly reached an agreement
a TLP spokesperson said that at least four people were with TLP to end the protests and the government has
killed, hundreds were injured and thousands were arrested agreed to table a resolution regarding the expulsion of
by the police. the French ambassador in the national assembly. As part
On 13 April, one police officer was beaten to death by the of the agreement, TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi had been
rioting mob in Lahore, while 40 others were injured. TLP released on the 20th of April, 2021. TLP member Shafiq
spokesperson Tayyab Rizvi claimed that the number of TLP Amini requested all demonstrators to disperse and keep the
workers "martyred" in the protests by the second day had peace. However, the government refused to lift the ban on
increased to 12. A spokesperson of Punjab Police confirmed the organisation.

The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, released `45,000 crore as additional devolution to
States in FY 2020-21.
MAY 2021 MICA 59
 First human-monkey
embryos created by
the scientists
Scientists have created the world’s first monkey A mixture of monkey and human
embryos containing human cells in an attempt to
investigate how the two types of cell develop alongside
cells:
each other. The embryos, which were derived from a Monkeys are evolutionarily closer to us, so there’s
macaque and then injected with human stem cells in a greater chance that cells will interact effectively
the lab, were allowed to grow for 20 days before being with each other. The stated goal of the human-
destroyed. monkey experiments is to understand and perfect the
We have a term for this type of life form: a chimera, named development of chimeras in primates before transferring
after the fire-breathing monster of Greek mythology that the technology to pigs.
was part lion, part goat and part snake. It’s hoped that As we intensively farm and eat pigs, there are thought to be
part-human chimeras – essentially animal bodies with fewer ethical concerns with harvesting organs from pigs.
some human organs or other characteristics – might one Hence, primate research is a stepping stone, not a goal
day offer clues to help us treat human diseases, as well itself.
as providing organs to transplant to humans. But for
these purposes, part-human chimeras will first have to be Whether part-pig or part-primate, living chimeras
born, and this research takes us one step closer to that that feature human cells are certainly possible in the
eventuality. future. How such animals would look and function
would depend, in part, on the numbers of nonhuman
That’s ethically controversial, because these creatures
and human cells. Previous experiments, for instance,
could possess an ambiguous moral status: somewhere
have produced a goat-sheep entity that had both woolly
between that of humans, which we don’t tend to
and coarse hair.
experiment upon, and animals, which we do. How we
end up treating part-human chimeras will depend upon This research clearly has the “yuk factor”, meaning it’s
the moral status we assign them – a task that these latest likely to provoke moral revulsion. If pigs or monkeys are
embryonic experiments only makes more pressing. eventually developed with humanised features, it could
In Greek mythology, the Chimera was said to be part lion, cause major public opprobrium, perhaps setting back
part goat and part snake. public acceptance of science significantly.

There are several rationales for pursuing this line of However, this must be balanced against the severe
research. Human-monkey chimeras could be created to shortage of organs for transplantation. In the US, for
study parts of the brain, for instance, so we can better example, more that 100,000 people are currently waiting
understand Alzheimer’s Disease. Another goal is to for an organ.
grow human organs for transplantation by “deleting” the Researchers previously created a four-week-old pig embryo
relevant organ from the animal’s genetic instructions, and containing human cells. Sipa US/Alamy
replacing it with human stem cells to fill the developmental
niche. We tend to get over the yuk factor when lives are at stake.
Previously, the same researchers explored this avenue in The production of the AstraZeneca vaccine, for instance,
pigs – seen as ideal because their organs are about the uses cell lines that originated from foetal cells. But behind
same size as ours. However, not enough human cells the chimera yuk factor lies a thorny ethical problem: the
“took” to create a functional chimera, and the research issue of the moral status of monkeys or pigs that could have
failed. a brain closer to that of a human.

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi released the Hindi translation of the book ‘Odisha Itihaas’
60 MICA MAY 2021
written by ‘Utkal Keshari’ Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab.
Moral status is the concept of treating life forms according could genetically edit human stem cells so they do not
to their interests and capacities. For example, humans are become brain cells – but this may not be possible or even
generally thought to have higher moral status than monkeys, desirable, in the case of building models for human brain
who have higher moral status than pigs, who have higher disease.
moral status than worms. Moral status is linked to mental Alternatively, scientists could allow such chimeras to
capacities such as consciousness, self-consciousness, moral be born so that we can determine their moral status by
capacities and rationality. studying them. This would raise other ethical issues, as
In the future, some human-nonhuman chimeras could it would require the newborn to be subjected to novel
develop mental capacities between ordinary animals and behavioural tests of cognition, communication and other
humans. That presents a huge challenge for those of us who mental capacities.
work to determine the moral status of living creatures, and Further into the future, chimera discoveries could give
the rights and obligations that follow that status. humans capacities found elsewhere in the animal kingdom,
Moral status is already one of the most contested like a bat’s sonar. If we accept moral status based on a
areas of practical ethics. Recent work on “speciesism” creature’s capacities, such enhanced humans could one day
makes a compelling case that we have wrongly be regarded as superior to us.
assigned animals a lower moral status. Despite this, The issue of moral status is a philosophical and ethical
human-nonhuman chimeras will probably be regarded question. Science might help us in detecting it – with
as “lesser” than humans, though by how much it is information about the extent of a non-human animal’s
difficult to determine. capacities, for instance – but it cannot tell us what it is.
There are two ways to tackle ethical concerns over This new research shows it’s a concept in urgent need of
the moral status of part-human chimeras. Scientists attention.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep key lending rates unchanged for the fifth
consecutive time in its April policy review meeting.
MAY 2021 MICA 61
 Richest and poorest
states in India by
GDP

India is the 6th largest economy in the world. While rupees. No data is available for the union territories of
it has been knocked off course somewhat through the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh and
impact of the pandemic, Centre for Economics and Lakshadweep.
Business Research (CEBR) forecast that the Indian Here's a detailed look at the richest to the poorest states in
economy would expand by 9% in 2021 and by 7% in India as of 2019-20-21.
2022.
Rank State/Union Nominal GDP ` lakh crore =
Maharashtra has the highest GSDP among 33 Indian Territory INR trillions
States and Union Territories. As of the FY 2018-19,
`28.18 lakh crore (US$400
Maharashtra contributes 13.88% of India's GDP at 1 Maharashtra
billion) 2019-20
current prices, followed by Tamil Nadu (8.59%) and
the most populous state Uttar Pradesh (8.35%). Other `19.43 lakh crore (US$270
2 Tamil Nadu
states in top 5 are Gujarat (7.92%) and Karnataka billion) 2020–21
(7.87%). `17.05 lakh crore (US$240
3 Uttar Pradesh
India's largest state Rajasthan is at number 7, behind West billion) 2020–21
Bengal, poorest state Bihar is at number 14, and capital `16.65 lakh crore (US$230
4 Karnataka
Delhi is at number 12. The top 5 states share 46.6% of billion) 2020–21
India's total economy. Five states of South India together `16.49 lakh crore (US$230
account for close to 30%. Eight states of North-East India 5 Gujarat
billion) 2019–20
share 2.8%.
`12.54 lakh crore (US$180
6 West Bengal
Andaman & Nicobar Islands has the lowest GSDP in the billion) 2019–20
list of 33 states/UTs. Followed by Mizoram, Arunachal `9.78 lakh crore (US$140
Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur. 7 Telangana
billion) 2020–21
These are lists of Indian states and union territories by their `9.71 lakh crore (US$140
8 Andhra Pradesh
nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP).GSDP is the billion) 2019–20
sum of all value added by industries within each state or `9.58 lakh crore (US$130
union territory and serves as a counterpart to the national 9 Rajasthan
billion) 2020–21
gross domestic product (GDP).
`9.17 lakh crore (US$130
10 Madhya Pradesh
In India, the Government accounts for around billion) 2020–21
21% of the GDP, agriculture accounts for 21%, the `8.54 lakh crore (US$120
corporate sector accounts for 12% and the balance 11 Kerala
billion) 2019–20
48% of the GDP is sourced from small proprietorship
`7.98 lakh crore (US$110
and partnership companies, unorganized sector and 12 Delhi
billion) 2020–21
households.
`7.65 lakh crore (US$110
The following list gives the latest available gross state 13 Haryana
billion) 2020–21
domestic product (GSDP) figures for all Indian States and
Union Territories at current prices in crores (units of 10 `6.12 lakh crore (US$86
14 Bihar
million) or lakh crores (units of 1 trillion) of the Indian billion) 2019–20

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the timeline by six months to comply with its guidelines
62 MICA MAY 2021 related to recurring online transactions with Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA).
 `5.41 lakh crore (US$76 `0.325 lakh crore (US$4.6
15 Punjab 28 Sikkim
billion) 2020–21 billion) 2019–20
`5.09 lakh crore (US$71 `0.319 lakh crore (US$4.5
16 Odisha 29 Nagaland
billion) 2020–21 billion) 2019–20
`3.51 lakh crore (US$49 `0.318 lakh crore (US$4.5
17 Assam 30 Manipur
billion) 2019–20 billion) 2019–20
`3.50 lakh crore (US$49 Arunachal `0.273 lakh crore (US$3.8
18 Chhattisgarh 31
billion) 2020–21 Pradesh billion) 2019–20
`3.29 lakh crore (US$46 `0.265 lakh crore (US$3.7
19 Jharkhand 32 Mizoram
billion) 2019–20 billion) 2019–20
`2.53 lakh crore (US$35 Andaman and `0.088 lakh crore (US$1.2
20 Uttarakhand 33
billion) 2019–20 Nicobar Islands billion) 2018–19
Jammu and `1.76 lakh crore (US$25 Gross domestic product (GDP)
21
Kashmir billion) 2020–21
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure
Himachal `1.56 lakh crore (US$22
22 of the market value of all the final goods and services
Pradesh billion) 2020–21
produced in a specific time period. GDP (nominal) per
`0.815 lakh crore (US$11 capita does not, however, reflect differences in the cost of
23 Goa
billion) 2020–21 living and the inflation rates of the countries; therefore,
`0.597 lakh crore (US$8.4 using a basis of GDP per capita at purchasing power parity
24 Tripura
billion) 2020–21 (PPP) is arguably more useful when comparing living
`0.421 lakh crore (US$5.9 standards between nations, while nominal GDP is more
25 Chandigarh useful comparing national economies on the international
billion) 2018–19
market. Total GDP can also be broken down into the
`0.380 lakh crore (US$5.3 contribution of each industry or sector of the economy.
26 Puducherry
billion) 2019–20
The ratio of GDP to the total population of the region is
`0.348 lakh crore (US$4.9 the per capita GDP and the same is called Mean Standard
27 Meghalaya
billion) 2020–21 of Living.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised the limit for online rupee transfer through payment bank
to two lakh rupees.
MAY 2021 MICA 63
Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technol- Drone Surveying technology and Continuously Operating
ogy in village areas or SVAMITVA scheme is a Central Reference Station (CORS) will be used for demarcation of
Government initiative to enable an integrated property vali- rural abadi areas.
dation solution for rural India.
This will help owners possess their houses in the inhabited
It was launched on April 24, 2020, which is also the Na- areas and use them as an asset for loans or other financial
tional Panchayat Day. The Nodal Ministry for this scheme requirements.
will be the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
The mapping of areas using drones will done gradually is
SVAMITVA Scheme is a Central Sector scheme launched all the villages for a period of 4 years, starting from 2020,
by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on National Panchayat and ending in 2024.
Day i.e 24th April 2020. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Presently, the scheme is only applicable for 6 states:
(MoPR) is the Nodal Ministry for implementation of the
Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar
scheme.
Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
In the States, the Revenue Department / Land Records De-
The scheme is funded by the Central Government of the
partment will be the Nodal Department and shall carry out
country and Rs 79.65 crores have been allotted for the pilot
the scheme with support of State Panchayati Raj Depart-
phase of the project.
ment. Survey of India shall work as the technology partner
for implementation. What is the SVAMITVA card?
The scheme aims to provide an integrated property valida- Under the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised
tion solution for rural India. The demarcation of rural abadi Technology in Village Areas scheme, SVAMITVA property
areas would be done using Drone Surveying technology. cards will be generated for each landowner.
This would provide the ‘record of rights’ to village house-
hold owners possessing houses in inhabited rural areas This will help them present an official document to the
in villages which, in turn, would enable them to use their financial institutions in case of using their land/property as
property as a financial asset for taking loans and other fi- an asset in the future.
nancial benefits from Bank. Candidates willing to know more about the Panchayati Raj
System in India can visit the linked article.
About the SVAMITVA Scheme
The full form of SVAMITVA is Survey of Villages and
Objectives of SVAMITVA Scheme
Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas. Given below are the main objectives of the SVAMITVA
Yojana:
In each state, the Revenue Department / Land Records
Department, along with the State Panchayati Raj This will bring about financial stability among the
Department and the Nodal Ministry will work to carry out people living in rural areas as the land/property can
the objectives of the scheme. be used as an asset to get a loan or enjoy any other
financial benefit.
The main aim of the scheme is to provide an integrated
property validation solution for rural India. Because of lack of knowledge, the land division and records
are not well maintained and noted. Through this scheme,
SVAMITVA Property cards will be provided to the
the Government intends to create accurate land records for
landowners by the Government authorities, under this
rural planning.
scheme.

64 MICA MAY 2021 The Reserve Bank said it expects retail inflation at 5.2 per cent in the first half of the current fiscal.
It will help in the determination of property tax, which No illegal attempt to grab someone else’s property in the
would accrue to the GPs directly in States where it is village will be practised once stricter rules and documents
devolved or else, add to the State exchequer are provided
For the use of various Government departments, proper The SVAMITVA Property card can also be used as a
survey infrastructure and GIS maps shall be leveraged temporary identity for the land-owners
This will also improve and support the Gram Panchayat Coverage
Development Plan (GPDP) by making use of GIS maps
There are about 6.62 lakh villages in the country which will
A lot of legal and property-related disputes are still pending be eventually covered in this scheme. The entire work is
in the rural areas. This project will also help resolve these likely to be spread over a period of four years.
issues
Presently, the pilot phase is being approved for the
Need for the SVAMITVA Scheme year 2020-21. Pilot Phase will extend to six pilot States
The Government is constantly working for the (Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar
development of the rural Indian population and the Survey Pradesh and Uttarakhand) covering approx. 1 lakh villages
of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in and CORS network establishment is planned for two States
Village Areas (SVAMITVA) yojana is also an initiative (Punjab And Rajasthan).
for the same. *For the States, which have already done Abadi surveys,
Once the pilot project is a success, over 6 lakhs rural people the scope and the process of the survey will be decided in
will be able to benefit through this scheme Phase II (post Pilot Phase), in consultation with the States.

The ‘record of rights’ would be provided through the land/ The following stakeholders would be involved in
property registrations done through this scheme carrying out the scheme:

This would facilitate monetisation of rural residential assets Nodal Ministry (Ministry of Panchayati Raj), Govt of India.
for credit and other financial services Survey of India (Technology Implementation Agency)
Benefits of SVAMITVA Scheme State Revenue department
Official documents for the property will be provided to State Panchayati Raj Department
the rural people so that they can use it for further financial Local district authorities.
purposes
Property owner
Through regular inspections, and survey via drones will
Gram Panchayat (GP).
give the Government and the authorities a clearer idea of
the land/property distribution National Informatics Centre (NIC) – GIS Division
A clarity on property rights will be attained through this Other line departments having assets in Rural inhabited
project areas (if any) for preparing comprehensive database.

The senior most deputy governor BP Kanungo retired from the Reserve Bank of India on completion
of his one year extension.
MAY 2021 MICA 65
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ
Q.1. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited has (3) Prahlad Singh Patel (4) Nitin Gadkari
set up an oxygen plant with ____ cubic meters per (5) Piyush Goyal
hour capacity in its Gujarat's Kalol unit.
Q.9. Railways have converted how many train coaches
(1) 200 (2) 400 (3) 600 as a COVID-19 care-cum-isolation facility to assist
(4) 300 (5) 500 state governments facing a shortage of beds in their
states?
Q.2. The FACT rebel group was seen in the news
recently, is associated with which country? (1) 4,004 (2) 4,002 (3) 4,000
(1) Pakistan (2) England (3) Chad (4) 4,006 (5) 4,009
(4) China (5) New Zealand Q.10. Which of the following bank has become the first
payment bank in the country, which has increased
Q.3. Anupama Punchimanda has passed away in the balance limit of one day from 1 lakh to 2 lakh
Bengaluru. She was a famous_______. rupees?
(1) Cricket umpire (2) Hockey umpire (1) Airtel Payments Bank
(3) Hockey player (4) Cricket player (2) State Bank of India
(5) Actress (3) Central Bank of India
Q.4. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of (4) Bank of Baroda
the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission
(UPPSC)? (5) Punjab National Bank

(1) Ross Barker (2) Sanjay Srinet Q.11. The “Tika Utsav”, has a vaccination campaign
celebrated between which of the date?
(3) J.P. Gupta (4) Mata Prasad
(1) April 11 and 14, 2021
(5) J.M. Qureshi
(2) April 10 and 15, 2021
Q.5. Bhumidhar Barman has passed away recently in
(3) April 12 and 16, 2021
Guwahati. He was a famous _____.
(4) April 5 and 9, 2021
(1) Player (2) Politician (3) Musician
(5) April 16 and 20, 2021
(4) Actor (5) Scientist
Q.12. Which of the following State become the first State
Q.6. Stefanos Tsitsipas won the ________ without to start "Monthly Micro Scholarship Program" for
dropping a set, beating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-3 for students?
his first title this year and sixth overall.
(1) Goa (2) Sikkim (3) Odisha
(1) Australian Open (2) French Open
(4) Kerala (5) Manipur
(3) Wimbledon (4) Monte Carlo Masters
Q.13. The campaign “each one, vaccinate one”, “each
(5) US Open one, treat one” and “each one, save one” related to
Q.7. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, PMGKP which?
Insurance Policy claims of COVID Warriors will (1) TB (2) Polio Vaccine
continue to be settled till _____ this year.
(3) Rabies vaccine (4) Rubella vaccine
(1) 24th April (2) 26th April (3) 25th April
(5) COVID-19
(4) 29th April (5) 28th April
Q.14. How much amount will be invested by Dutch
Q.8. Who has inaugurated the first-ever online exhibition Development Bank FMO in Green Growth Equity
on Ramayana? Fund?
(1) Narendra Modi (2) Rajnath Singh (1) $120 million (2) $137 million

The sixth edition of the exercise 'Desert Flag VI' was conducted from March 4 to 27 at Al Dhafra air
66 MICA MAY 2021
base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
 CURRENT AFFAIRS
(3) $155 million (4) $150 million Q.23. Recently who among the following has appointed
was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner
(5) $140 million
(CEC)?
Q.15. Manoj Sinha inaugurated the Tulip festival at Asia's
(1) Sushil Chandra (2) Sunil Arora
Largest Tulip garden in which city?
(3) Ashok Lavasa (4) Dinesh Kumar Khara
(1) Baramula (2) Anantnag (3) Jammu
(5) Sukumar Sen
(4) Srinagar (5) Pahalgam
Q.24. Recently who among the following has appointed
Q.16. Who has been appointed the mission director of
the new Deputy Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh?
Atal Innovation Mission?
(1) Sanjay Mishra
(1) Soma Mondal (2) Somnath Banerjee
(2) N.K. Mehrotra
(3) N. V. Ramana (4) Harsh Chauhan
(3) Sudhir Chandra Verma
(5) Chintan Vaishnav
(4) Surendra Kumar Yadav
Q.17. Who among the following is the United Arab
Emirates first female astronaut for space program? (5) Rajeshwar Singh

(1) Malala Yousafzai (2) Noura al-Matroushi Q.25. Which of the following bank has developed the
"Sand Money Abroad" mobile app for sending 100
(3) Maryam Nawaz (4) Greta Thunberg currency abroad?
(5) None of the above (1) Yes Bank (2) Axis Bank
Q.18. Recently which country has banned export of (3) ICICI Bank (4) Bank of Baroda
the anti-viral drug "Remdesivir" amid a surge in
COVID-19 cases in the country? (5) Punjab National Bank
Q.26. Recently I A Rehman human rights activist and
(1) Pakistan (2) Nepal
Magsaysay Award winner, died he belong to which
(3) Bangladesh (4) USA country?
(5) India (1) Pakistani (2) India
Q.19. Which bank has recently became co-promoter of (3) Bangladesh (4) England
Max Life Insurance Company?
(5) South Arabia
(1) ICICI Bank (2) Yes Bank
Q.27. Which of the following E-commerce company has
(3) HDFC Bank (4) IDBI Bank announced that it would bear the cost of vaccination
(5) Axis Bank of all Indian employees of its and its subsidiaries?
(1) Amazon (2) Filpkart (3) Snapdeal
Q.20. Ram Karan Verma has been appointed as the
Ambassador of India to which country? (4) IndiaMart (5) Myntra
(1) Egypt (2) Canada (3) Malta Q.28. Which of the following film has been topped in the
74th British Academy Film and Television Awards
(4) Gabon (5) Pakistan
(BAFTA)?
Q.21. Which of the following country has open the
(1) Nomadland (2) Anthony Hopkins
world's highest altitude manned radar station?
(3) Minari (4) Joshua James Richards
(1) China (2) France (3) Japan
(5) None of the above
(4) USA (5) Russia
Q.29. The "SUPACE" is an AI-based portal launched for
Q.22. In how much amount the technology company which organization?
Microsoft acquired computer software company
"Nuance"? (1) NABARD (2) SBI
(1) $ 50 billion (2) $ 30 billion (3) $ 25 billion (3) RBI (4) Indian Railways
(4) $ 16 billion (5) $ 20 billion (5) Supreme Court of India

The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan virtually launched the Integrated
Health Information Platform (IHIP).
MAY 2021 MICA 67
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
Q.30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a virtual (1) Amit Shah (2) Piyush Goel
summit with which nation's Prime Minister "to
(3) Rajnath Singh (4) Rajeev Kumar
exchange views on regional and global issues"?
(5) Amitabh Kant
(1) France (2) Netherlands (3) Denmark
Q.38. Recently which edition of "Raisina Dialogue" to be
(4) Egypt (5) Finland
inaugurated by PM Modi?
Q.31. Which Indian woman has been appointed as the
(1) 6th (2) 5th (3) 7th
Associate Administrator of UNDP?
(4) 8th (5) 10th
(1) Soma Mandal (2) Monica Pandey
Q.39. Who has taken over the charge as the Chairman of
(3) Adesh Goyal (4) Bhavya Lal
Airport Authority of India?
(5) Usha Rao Monari
(1) Ajay Kumar (2) Ajay Seth
Q.32. Which state/UT has launched the Lab on Wheels
(3) Vineet Sinha (4) P D Bhaghela
program for poor students?
(5) Sanjeev Kumar
(1) Puducherry (2) Delhi (3) Ladakh
Q.40. Who has been awarded Devishankar Awasthi
(4) Odisha (5) Goa
Award 2020?
Q.33. Who represented India at the 103rd Meeting of the
(1) K. Sivan
Development Committee of World Bank-IMF, held
on virtual mode? (2) Sunil Arora
(1) Amit Shah (2) Piyush Goyal (3) Dinesh Kumar Khara
(3) Harsh Vardhan (4) Nirmala Sitharaman (4) Rohit Thakur
(5) S. Jaishankar (5) Ashutosh Bhardwaj
Q.34. Which of the following State the central Q.41. Public sector Cochin Shipyard is expected to
government has approved 14 road projects worth operationalise the Rs 170 crore modern shipbuilding
Rs. 670 crores? facility that it is building in West Bengal by June
____.
(1) Odisha (2) Kerala (3) Goa
(1) 2023 (2) 2022 (3) 2021
(4) Bihar (5) Jharkhand
(4) 2025 (5) 2024
Q.35. How much amount the National Cooperative
Development Corporation has secured loan from Q.42. A private multi-speciality hospital has inaugurated
Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest bank, for in Ahmedabad by whom?
onward lending to cooperatives in the country? (1) Narendra Modi (2) Amit Shah
(1) Rs 100 cr (2) Rs 400 cr (3) Rs 600 cr (3) Ram Nath Kovind (4) M Venkaiah Naidu
(4) Rs 700 cr (5) Rs 500 cr (5) Prakash Javdekar
Q.36. Which of the following organisation launched Q.43. India participated in a multilateral air exercise
"Poshan Gyan", a digital repository on health, United Arab Emirates alongside several other
nutrition? key players, including the US and which of the
(1) NITI Aayog following country?
(2) Medical Council of India (1) Germany (2) Nepal (3) Thailand
(3) Dental Council of India (4) France (5) Pakistan
(4) Central Bureau of Health Intelligence Q.44. The Indian trio of Shreyasi Singh, Rajeshwari
Kumari and Manisha Keer claimed the _____
(5) Food Safety India
medal in the women's trap team final after blanking
Q.37. Who inaugurated "e-SANTA", an electronic Kazakhstan 6-0 on the last competition day of the
marketplace for aqua farmers? ISSF shooting World Cup.

The United Arab Emirates named the next two astronauts in its space program, including the
68 MICA MAY 2021
country's first female astronaut.
 CURRENT AFFAIRS
(1) Silver (2) Copper (3) Gold (1) Gorakhpur (2) Lucknow (3) Mirzapur
(4) Gold & Silver (5) Gold & Copper (4) Ayodhya (5) Varanasi
Q.45. India's Vijayveer Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh and Adarsh Q.52. Dr Venkata Subbaiah was passed away recently. He
Singh won the silver medal in the men's ______ was related to which of the following profession?
rapid fire pistol team event at the ISSF shooting
(1) Acting (2) Painting (3) Writing
World Cup.
(4) Politics (5) Medical
(1) 25 meter (2) 50 meter (3) 10 meter
(4) 100 meter (5) 75 meter Q.53. Digital fare meters along with printer, GPS, and
panic button will soon be fitted in all taxis in which
Q.46. Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart of the following state?
______ jointly unveiled the foundation stone for
the first memorial exclusively honouring Indian (1) Gujarat (2) Goa
martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War in this country. (3) Maharashtra (4) Bihar
(1) Mohammad Nasim (2) Usman (5) Bengaluru
(3) Sheikh Hasina (4) Abdul Hamid Q.54. Lieutenant General, "WAG" Pinto (Retd), a military
(5) Karmul Islam hero who led an infantry division in the ______
India-Pakistan War has passed away recently.
Q.47. Which edition of the exercise "Desert Flag" was
conducted from March 4 to 27 at Al Dhafra air base (1) 1971 (2) 1975 (3) 1974
in the United Arab Emirates? (4) 1976 (5) 1978
(1) First (2) Sixth (3) Second Q.55. Shah Mahmood Qureshi led a delegation to the
(4) Fifth (5) Third "Heart of Asia" conference at Tajikistan. Which
city is the capital of Tajikistan?
Q.48. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat has
approved Rs. 465 crore as Performance Incentive (1) Muscat (2) Dushanbe (3) Panj
fund for how many states under Jal Jeevan Mission? (4) Buenos Aires (5) Kabul
(1) 7 (2) 5 (3) 9
Q.56. Who among the following has been appointed as
(4) 8 (5) 6 assistant coach of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals?
Q.49. Five MoUs were signed between India and (1) Janardan Navale (2) Dinesh Karthik
Bangladesh in the presence of Narendra Modi and
(3) Robin Uthappa (4) Ajay Ratra
Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. Who is present President
of Bangladesh? (5) Mahendra Singh Dhoni
(1) Zillur Rahman Q.57. Zimbabwe has chosen _______ as the venue for its
(2) Badruddoza Chowdhury first international cricket games since the pandemic
began with Pakistan in April-May.
(3) Shahabuddin Ahmed
(1) Muscat (2) Dushanbe (3) Harare
(4) Abdul Hamid
(4) Buenos Aires (5) Kabul
(5) Lajuddin Ahmed
Q.58. In cricket, India defeated which of the following
Q.50. A new passenger train connecting ______ and
country by seven runs in the third and final ODI, to
New Jalpaiguri on the Indian side was inaugurated
win the three-match series 2-1?
jointly by Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina.
(1) England (2) New Zealand (3) Pakistan
(1) Darjeeling (2) Dhaka (3) Barsoi
(4) France (5) Germany
(4) Gangtok (5) Kishanganj
Q.59. Who has given his assent to the Government of
Q.51. Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone for
National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment)
the extension of the Gorakhpur airport's terminal
Act, 2021?
building. Which of the following city is the capital
of Uttar Pradesh? (1) Narendra Modi (2) Amit Shah

The upcoming 11th junior women's hockey nationals has been postponed until further notice due to a
surge in COVID 19 cases.
MAY 2021 MICA 69
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
(3) Ram Nath Kovind (4) M Venkaiah Naidu (1) Bharat Chetri (2) Ramandeep Singh
(5) Deepa Venkat (3) Manpreet Singh (4) Arjun Halappa
Q.60. Narendra Modi handed over the Gandhi Peace (5) P. R. Sreejesh
Prize 2020 to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s younger
Q.67. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India appointed Sapan
daughter. Rahman was the first President of which
Gupta as global law chief. Who is the Chairman and
country?
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ArcelorMittal?
(1) India (2) Bangladesh (3) Bhutan
(1) Lakshmi Mittal (2) Aditya Mittal
(4) Nepal (5) Pakistan
(3) Christopher Cornier (4) Sudhir Maheshwari
Q.61. CREDAI has appointed as its new national
(5) Davinder Chugh
president to whom?
Q.68. Which country's veteran communist leader Bishnu
(1) Satish Magar
Bahadur Manandhar died at the age of 91?
(2) Boman Irani
(1) Sri Lanka (2) Bangladesh (3) Nepal
(3) Harsh Vardhan Patodia
(4) Pakistan (5) India
(4) Pankaj Goel
Q.69. Ed-tech firm WhiteHat Jr announced a collaborative
(5) Deepak Goradia partnership with satellite company EnduroSat, a
move that will facilitate _______ opportunities for
Q.62. According to the report released by the United
students.
Nations Economic and Social Commission, India's
economic growth rate is estimated to be what (1) Applied Science (2) Innovation
percent in 2021-22?
(3) Science (4) Science & Technology
(1) 7.3 (2) 7 (3) 8
(5) Science & Innovation
(4) 7.7 (5) 7.5
Q.70. Former Speaker of which state Assembly Surendra
Q.63. BHEL has bagged an order worth Rs 400 crore for Sirsat has passed away recently?
setting up a “sulphur recovery” unit at Indian Oil's
(1) Maharashtra (2) Goa (3) Jharkhand
Paradip Refinery in which of the following state/
UT? (4) Odisha (5) West Bengal
(1) New Delhi (2) Maharashtra (3) Jharkhand Q.71. Which country's president recently announced a $
2,000 billion investment plan?
(4) Odisha (5) West Bengal
(1) Hong Kong (2) Australia (3) America
Q.64. Torrent Gas has signed an agreement to take over
Sanwariya Gas which has a license to retail CNG (4) Singapore (5) New Zealand
to automobiles and piped gas to households for Q.72. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be the
cooking purposes in which city of Uttar Pradesh? chief guest at the function to mark the conclusion
(1) Lucknow (2) Mathura (3) Varanasi of the how many days long Dandi yatra in
Gujarat?
(4) Kanpur (5) Ayodhya
(1) 20 days (2) 21 days (3) 15 days
Q.65. Former US President Barack Obama's ____ step-
grandmother, Sarah Obama, has passed away aged (4) 25 days (5) 10 days
99 years old. Q.73. Actor Rajinikanth will be conferred with the _____
(1) Kenyan (2) American (3) Australian Dadasaheb Phalke award.
(4) African (5) Indian (1) 31st (2) 51st (3) 41st
Q.66. The Indian men's hockey team skipper ______ (4) 61st (5) 71st
returned to the side for the FIH (International Q.74. The World Trade Organization has projected
Hockey Federation) Pro League games against growth by what percent in world trade this
Olympic champions Argentina. year?

The World University Games that were due to open in China in just over four months have been
70 MICA MAY 2021
postponed until next year.
 CURRENT AFFAIRS
(1) 8.8 percent (2) 8.5 percent (3) 7.5 percent Q.80. Markets regulator SEBI reduced the timelines for
refund of investors' money to four how many days?
(4) 8 percent (5) 7.8 percent
(1) 4 (2) 6 (3) 8
Q.75. In consultation with the Government of India, that
the limits for Ways and Means Advances for the (4) 5 (5) 7
first half of the financial year 2021-22 will be Rs Q.81. G S Krishnan has taken charge as the new
_____ crore,' the central bank said in a statement. President of India's leading biotechnology industry
(1) 1,30,000 (2) 1,40,000 (3) 1,20,000 organisation "ABLE". What is the Fullform of
ABLE?
(4) 1,50,000 (5) 1,60,000
(1) Association of Business-Led Enterprises
Q.76. Billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limited
plans to set up a coastal copper smelter plant in (2) Association of Biotechnology-Led Enterprises
India for Rs______. (3) Association of Biotechnology-Led Expert
(1) 10,000 crore (2) 20,000 crore (4) Association of Business-Led Expert
(3) 30,000 crore (4) 40,000 crore (5) Association of Biotechnology-Leader
(5) 50,000 crore Enterprises
Q.77. Which of the following bank has extended Q.82. Who has been appointed as the chairperson of the
the timeline by six months to comply with its Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB)?
guidelines related to recurring online transactions (1) Mallika Srinivasan (2) Deepak Kumar
with “Additional Factor of Authentication” (AFA).
(3) Ramesh Abhishek (4) Rajeev Kumar
(1) State Bank of India
(5) MK Shukla
(2) Punjab National Bank
Q.83. Who has taken over the charge of Director General
(3) Canera Bank of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
(4) Reserve Bank of India under the Ministry of Labour & Employment?
(1) Mallika Srinivasan (2) Deepak Kumar
(5) World Bank
(3) Ramesh Abhishek (4) Mukhmeet S. Bhatia
Q.78. Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar flagged
off the field work of All India Survey on Migrant (5) Rajeev Kumar
Workers and AQEES. What is the full form of Q.84. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Achieves
AQEES? Record-breaking Milestone of Constructing how
(1) All-India Quarterly Establishment-based many kilometers per day of Highways in FY 2020-
Employment Survey 21?
(2) All-India Quarterly Establishment-based (1) 38 (2) 36 (3) 37
Employee System (4) 39 (5) 35
(3) All-India Query Establishment-based Q.85. India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri
Employment Survey interacted with representatives of the Indian
(4) All-India Query Enhancement-based Employee industry in which city of China?
System (1) Shanghai (2) Fuyang (3) Longyan
(5) All-India Quarterly Enhancement-based (4) Nanping (5) Fujian
Employment Survey
Q.86. Recently, India, has provided scholarship for the
Q.79. The government extended the deadline for linking descendants of the Liberation War fighters of
PAN with biometric Aadhaar for three months, which country?
until _____,2021.
(1) Bhutan (2) Pakistan
(1) 15 June (2) 30 July (3) 30 June
(3) Bangladesh (4) China
(4) 30 August (5) 15 August
(5) Pakistan

Union home minister Amit Shah inaugurated a private multi-speciality hospital in Ahmedabad. MAY 2021 MICA 71
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
Q.87. Indian Army will participate in Multinational Q.93. Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh and Yogi
Military Exercise “SHANTIR OGROSHENA Adityanath jointly inaugurated a flyover in which
-2021” in which of the following country? city?
(1) Bhutan (2) Pakistan (3) China (1) Prayagraj (2) Lucknow (3) Kanpur
(4) Bangladesh (5) Pakistan (4) Agra (5) Mathura
Q.88. Defence Research and Development Organisation Q.94. The World Bank and Asian Infrastructure
lab Defence Materials and Stores Research and Investment Bank have approved loan for ________
Development Establishment (DMSRDE), _______ canal-based drinking water projects in Punjab.
has developed light weight Bullet Proof Jacket
(1) USD 100 million (2) USD 200 million
(BPJ) weighing 9.0 kilogrammes, meeting the
qualitative requirements of Indian Army. (3) USD 300 million (4) USD 400 million
(1) Ahmedabad (2) Kanpur (5) USD 500 million
(3) Bhubaneshwar (4) Lucknow Q.95. The senior-most deputy governor BP Kanungo
retired from which of the following bank on
(5) Prayagraj completion of his one-year extension?
Q.89. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat (1) Reserve Bank of India
operationalised and dedicated to the Services
3rd Joint Logistics Node (JLN) in which city of (2) State Bank of India
Maharashtra through video conferencing from (3) Central Bank of India
New Delhi?
(4) Bank of Baroda
(1) Nagpur (2) Thane (3) Nashik
(5) Punjab National Bank
(4) Mumbai (5) Solapur
Q.96. Adani Enterprises has won the Rs 1,169.10 crore
Q.90. The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of highway project in which of the following state
Finance has released an amount of how many crore from the National Highways Authority of India
Rs to States under the scheme “Special Assistance (NHAI)?
to States for Capital Expenditure”?
(1) West Bengal (2) Jharkhand
(1) 10,830 (2) 12,830 (3) 11,830
(3) Chhattisgarh (4) Odisha
(4) 13,830 (5) 15,830
(5) Andhra Pradesh
Q.91. Which of the following university has secured
Q.97. The men’s boxing World Championships 2023 will
first place among Indian universities and third
be held in which country?
position among top higher educational institutions
in the country in the Academic Ranking of World (1) Kyrgyzstan (2) Germany
Universities 2020? (3) Switzerland (4) Uzbekistan
(1) Delhi University (5) Pakistan
(2) Calcutta University Q.98. The teacher of _____, Mariamma Varkey, who was
(3) Lucknow University the inspiration for the Global Teacher Award, died
at the age of 89.
(4) Aligarh University
(1) Kerala (2) Bihar (3) Jharkhand
(5) Kanpur University
(4) Odisha (5) West Bengal
Q.92. Who has appointed as director of the Indian
Institute of Technology, Ropar? Q.99. How many months after the World University
Games were to be held in China, they have been
(1) Rajeev Ahuja (2) Raman Ahuja postponed till next year?
(3) P K Raina (4) Sanjeev Ahuja (1) 5 (2) 4 (3) 7
(5) Mahesh Ahuja (4) 3 (5) 8

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 103rd
72 MICA MAY 2021
Meeting of the Development Committee Plenary via video conferencing.
 CURRENT AFFAIRS
Q.100. Airline major _____ has partnered with on-demand (1) 22nd (2) 32nd (3) 42nd
platform CarterPorter to provide door-to-door
(4) 12th (5) 52nd
baggage delivery service.
Q.108. Star-studded LBA scored a comfortable 43-33
(1) KieTek International
win over Jalandhar to win the men's trophy in the
(2) IndiGo Punjab State Basketball Championships. What is
the Fullform of LBA?
(3) Siemens Corp
(1) London Basketball Academy
(4) Victor GSE
(2) Ludhiana Bollyball Academy
(5) Omega Aviation Services
(3) Ludhiana Basketball Academy
Q.101. Shashikala has passed away recently. She was
related to which field? (4) London Bollyball Academy
(1) Actress (2) Politician (3) Teacher (5) Ludhiana Badminton Academy
(4) Doctor (5) Engineer Q.109. Which of the following state government has
approved a sum of Rs 231 crore for disbursal to
Q.102. Bhagwati Singh passed away at the age of 88 in
tribal families in the state under its "Khavti" grant
Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. He was related to which
scheme?
field?
(1) Arunachal Pradesh (2) Maharashtra
(1) Actor (2) Politician (3) Teacher
(3) Madhya Pradesh (4) Andhra Pradesh
(4) Doctor (5) Engineer
(5) Bihar
Q.103. Rikako Ikee qualified for the Tokyo Olympics just
two years after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Q.110. Who has approved the "National Policy for Rare
He is related from which of the following country? Diseases 2021"?
(1) Japan (2) Iran (3) England (1) Amit Shah (2) Rajnath Singh
(4) Pakistan (5) India (3) Harsh Vardhan (4) Narendra Modi
Q.104. Radheshyam Khemka, the president of Gita Press, (5) Kishan Reddy
and the editor of Kalyan, the famous magazine
Q.111. Who is the head of the Anti-Corruption Unit of
of Sanatan Dharma, has passed away. Gita Press
BCCI?
situated in which of the following state?
(1) SHS Khandwawala (2) Ajit Singh
(1) Arunachal Pradesh (2) Uttar Pradesh
(3) Pawan Khera (4) Manoj Pandey
(3) Madhya Pradesh (4) Andhra Pradesh
(5) Brijbhan Kishor
(5) Bihar
Q.112. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ)
Q.105. Suhas Kulkarni has passed away at the age of 68 in
has acquired how much stake of Vishwa Samudra
Thane. He was related to which sports?
Holdings in Krishnapatnam Port for Rs 2,800
(1) Table Tennis (2) Cricket (3) Badminton crore?
(4) Bollyball (5) Chess (1) 75 per cent (2) 15 per cent
Q.106. Recently Shridhar Deshpande died in Maharashtra's (3) 100 per cent (4) 25 per cent
Nashik city. He was related to which of the
(5) 50 per cent
following field?
Q.113. Who is the president of Kosovo?
(1) Actor (2) Politician (3) Teacher
(1) Vjosa Osmani (2) Albin Kurti
(4) Doctor (5) Engineer
(3) Glauk Konjufca (4) Atifete Jahjaga
Q.107. The Australian women’s cricket team won its ____
consecutive One-Day International. (5) Hashim Thaci

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone for the extension of the
Gorakhpur airport’s terminal building.
MAY 2021 MICA 73
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
Q.114. Under which scheme banks have sanctioned Rs countries. This competition was live-streamed on
25,586 crore to about 1,14,322 beneficiaries in which day?
the last five years for promoting entrepreneurship
(1) 18-Apr (2) 08-Apr (3) 12-Apr
among women and SC & STs?
(4) 15-Apr (5) 14-Apr
(1) Start Up India (2) Stand Up India
Q.122. Director Jeo Baby's Malayalam film "The Great
(3) Mudra Scheme (4) MGNREGA
Indian Kitchen" has been selected for the _______
(5) PMJDY International Film Festival 2021.
Q.115. Who was included in a 15-member Indian shooting (1) Jaipur (2) Shanghai (3) Istanbul
contingent for the Tokyo Olympics at the expense
(4) Goa (5) Dhaka
of a quota winner?
Q.123. NITI Aayog in association with Agami and Omidyar
(1) Anjum Moudgil (2) Apurvi Chandela
Network India and with the support of ICICI
(3) Elavenil Valarivan (4) Chinki Yadav Bank, Ashoka Innovators for the Public, Trilegal,
Dalberg, Dvara, NIPFP launched the _____of its
(5) Manu Bhaker
kind Online Dispute Resolution handbook in India.
Q.116. GMR Group has launched a new business vertical -
(1) Fifth (2) Third (3) First
GMR Innovex - to support which of the following?
(4) Second (5) Fourth
(1) StartUps (2) Blue Chip Company
Q.124. Who among the following has released the Hindi
(3) Bank (4) School
translation of the book ‘Odisha Itihaas’ written by
(5) Jal Jeevan Mission ‘Utkal Keshari’ Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab?
Q.117. Which team has lifted the team championship (1) Ramnath Kovind (2) Narendra Modi
with 195 points in the TATA Motors Junior &
(3) Naveen Patnayak (4) Ganeshi Lal
Sub-Junior (Cadet) Freestyle National Wrestling
Championships? (5) Rajnath Singh
(1) Bihar (2) Delhi Q.125. Recently "Poyla Boishak” was in news, this is
celebrated in which State?
(3) Uttar Pradesh (4) Rajasthan
(1) Odisha (2) Punjab (3) Kerala
(5) Manipur
(4) West Bengal (5) Goa
Q.118. Which of the following renowned rifle shooting
coach passed away recently? Q.126. Agriculture Ministry signed MoU with which
Company for a pilot project in 100 villages of six
(1) Sanjay Chakravarty (2) Gagan Narang
states to raise farmer’s income?
(3) Joydeep Karmakar (4) Suma Shirur
(1) Google (2) Facebook (3) Microsoft
(5) Anjali Bhagwat
(4) Jio (5) Tata Group
Q.119. Who won the Miami Open final 2021?
Q.127. The Indias 1st Electric Vehicle Lithium Battery
(1) Rafael Nadal (2) Dominic Thiem Plant will be set up in which of the following State?
(3) Daniil Medvedev (4) Hubert Hurkacz (1) Uttar Pradesh (2) Karnataka (3) Kerala
(5) Jannik Sinner (4) Odisha (5) Manipur
Q.120. Wankaner Digvijaysinh Zala passed away recently. Q.128. Who among the following has participated in the
He was a- 103rd Meeting of the Development Committee
(1) Politician (2) Actor (3) Writer Plenary via video conferencing?

(4) Singer (5) Environmentalist (1) Nirmala Sitharaman

Q.121. In view of the growing trade relations between (2) Amit Shah
India and the United States, a cricket eSports (3) Narendra Modi
competition was organized between the two
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be the chief guest at the function to mark the conclusion of the
74 MICA MAY 2021
25 day long Dandi yatra in Gujarat on April 6.
 CURRENT AFFAIRS
(4) Shaktikant Das (4) Tenet
(5) Rajeev Kumar (5) Judas and the Black Messiah
Q.129. The Central Government has released an amount Q.135. Which Filmmaker won the top prize at the
of Rupees 39 Crore 86 Lakh only as Central Directors Guild of America Awards for her feature
Assistance to the which State Government under film Nomadland?
the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Post–Matric (1) Chloe Zhao (2) Michael Apted
Scholarship for OBC Student?
(3) Taylor Hackford (4) Paris Barclay
(1) Uttar Pradesh (2) Goa (3) Odisha
(5) Thomas Schlamme
(4) Kerala (5) Madhya Pradesh
Q.136. Shahpur-Kandi dam project will become functional
Q.130. The central government has approved Rs 726 crore by November 2022 it is built on which river?
highway projects for which of the following State? (1) Beas River (2) Saraswati River
(1) Assam (2) Karnataka (3) Jhelum River (4) Ravi River
(3) Kerala (4) Madhya Pradesh (5) Chenab River
(5) Goa Q.137. Which country has named the next two astronauts
Q.131. Which company has announced the launch of its in its space program, including the country's first
''Mentor Connect'' programme? female astronaut?

(1) Amazon India (2) Amway India (1) India (2) China (3) UAE
(4) USA (5) Russia
(3) Walmart India (4) Johnson India
Q.138. Union Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs Kiren
(5) Steel India
Rijiju inaugurated Khelo India State Centre of
Q.132. The Indian Olympic Association will conduct the Excellence for rowing discipline in which of the
national selection trials in taekwondo for the Asian following city?
Olympic qualifiers. Who is the chairman of the (1) Srinagar (2) Dehradun (3) Nainital
Indian Olympic Association?
(4) Bhopal (5) Shimla
(1) Vijay Kumar Malhotra
Q.139. Madhav Rao has died recently. He was a-
(2) Abhay Singh Chautala
(1) Producer (2) Actor (3) Politician
(3) N. Ramachandran
(4) Writer (5) Singer
(4) Narinder Dhruv Batra Q.140. Satish Kaul who died recently was a-
(5) Suresh Kalmadi (1) Producer (2) Actor (3) Politician
Q.133. Revered seer Mahamandaleshwar Bharti Bapu (4) Writer (5) Singer
who died at Bharti Ashram was related to which
state? Q.141. Flipkart has entered into a commercial partnership
with which of the following Group to strengthen its
(1) West Bengal (2) Tamil Nadu logistics and data centre capabilities?
(3) Gujarat (4) Madhya Pradesh (1) Reliance Group (2) Adani Group
(5) Uttar Pradesh (3) Tata Group (4) Birla Group
Q.134. Which of the following took two awards in the (5) Wipro
technical categories in 74th British Academy of Q.142. Which company has acquired online jewellery
Film and Television Arts Awards? brand Pipa Bella?
(1) Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1) Tanishq (2) Blue Heaven
(2) Nomadland (3) Nykaa Fashion (4) Lakme Fashion
(3) Promising Young Woman (5) Himalaya Group

World number one Elavenil Valarivan was included in a 15 member Indian shooting contingent for
the Tokyo Olympics at the expense of quota winner Chinki Yadav.
MAY 2021 MICA 75
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
Q.143. Kalpataru Power Transmission arm JMC Projects Q.149. With which of the following country has the
has won new orders worth Rs 1,262 crore. Ministry of Civil Aviation finalized an air bubble
Where is the Headquarters of Kalpataru Power agreement?
Transmission?
(1) Bangladesh (2) New Zealand (3) Sri Lanka
(1) New Delhi (2) Mumbai (3) Kolkata
(4) Australia (5) France
(4) Lucknow (5) Chennai
Q.150. Where will the postponed matches of the sixth
Q.144. Which is the winner of best film category at the edition of the Pakistan Super League be held (as on
74th British Academy for Film and Television Arts 1 April)?
awards?
(1) Lahore (2) Dubai (3) Mohali
(1) Nomadland
(4) Karachi (5) Sharjah
(2) Promising Young Woman
Q.151. Who has addressed the Association of Indian
(3) Tenet Universities' 95th Annual Meet and National
(4) The Father Seminar of Vice-Chancellors through video
conferencing?
(5) Judas and the Black Messiah
(1) Ajay Kumar Bhalla (2) V K Singh
Q.145. Who won the Chhattisgarh Veerni Award?
(3) Narendra Modi (4) Dr. Harsh Vardhan
(1) Dutee Chand (2) Mary Kom
(5) Ajay Prakash Sawhney
(3) Mithali Raj (4) Sakshi Malik
Q.152. Which of the following country's government
(5) Deepika Kumari
has decided to start releasing massive amounts
Q.146. Centre has prohibited exports of injection of treated radioactive water from the wrecked
Remdesivir and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in
of Remdesivir till the COVID situation in the two years.
country improves. Remdesivir was developed by
(1) Iran (2) Japan (3) Pakistan
which of the following?
(1) Zydus Cadila (2) Serum Institute (4) China (5) India

(3) Bharat Biotech (4) Gilead Science Q.153. Drug major Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has received
approval from the Indian drug regulator for
(5) Mynvax restricted emergency use of Covid-19 vaccine
Q.147. Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal _____ in the country.
'Nishank' presented the AICTE Lilavati Awards (1) Covishield (2) Covaxin
2020 on women empowerment to the winners in
New Delhi. When was AICTE established? (3) AstraZeneca (4) Sputnik

(1) 1945 (2) 1956 (3) 1967 (5) Novavax

(4) 1978 (5) 1989 Q.154. Markets regulator SEBI imposed a penalty of Rs
25 crore on which bank in the matter of misselling
Q.148. A Sanskrit learning app launched in Bangladesh the lender's AT-1 bonds a few years ago?
by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre of the High
Commission of India. Who is the Indian High (1) Axis Bank (2) HDFC Bank
Commissioner to Bangladesh? (3) Yes Bank (4) State Bank of India
(1) Rajit Mitra (5) Central Bank of India
(2) Vikram Kumar Doraiswami Q.155. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
(3) Pankaj Saran and which country's embassy in India signed an
agreement to jointly work towards promoting
(4) Harsh Vardhan Shringla
innovation and entrepreneurship among aspiring
(5) Riva Ganguly Das entrepreneurs?

Zimbabwe has chosen Harare as the venue for its first international cricket games since the pandemic
76 MICA MAY 2021
began with Pakistan in April-May.
 CURRENT AFFAIRS
(1) Japan (2) Denmark (3) France (1) 46th (2) 49th (3) 47th
(4) Germany (5) Iran (4) 45th (5) 44th
Q.156. Which of the following country has signed an Q.163. The White House has nominated Tommy Budero,
agreement with the state-run China Development an officer in the Obama administration, to be
Bank for a loan of $ 500 million? ______ of the Interior Department.
(1) Bhutan (2) Bangladesh (3) Sri Lanka (1) Chief Minister (2) Deputy Minister
(4) Nepal (5) Pakistan (3) Prime Minister (4) President
Q.157. A Skill India pavilion was inaugurated virtually at (5) Finance Minister
the Kumbh Mela in which city to guide the youth
Q.164. Israel honored the chief executive of international
on various opportunities available to them?
pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. during its
(1) Haridwar (2) Dehradun (3) Roorkee Independence Day program. Who is the CEO of
Pfizer Inc. company?
(4) Kashipur (5) Rishikesh
(1) Glenn Saldanha (2) Josef Jimenez
Q.158. The President appointed _______ the senior-most
Election Commissioner, as the Chief Election (3) Vasant Narasimhan (4) Albert Bourla
Commissioner in the Election Commission of
(5) Dilip Shanghvi
India.
Q.165. ______ Indian scholars have been selected among
(1) Om Prakash Rawat (2) Manoj Kumar
74 worldwide candidates for the prestigious "Gates
(3) Sushil Chandra (4) Sunil Arora Cambridge Class of 2021", the University of
Cambridge’s leading international postgraduate
(5) Ashok Lavasa
scholarship program.
Q.159. Who has launched DGFT "Trade Facilitation"
(1) Nine (2) Five (3) Ten
Mobile App, for promoting ease of doing business
and providing quick access to information to (4) Seven (5) Eight
importers/exporters?
Q.166. Niti Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
(1) Piyush Goyal (2) Ajay Kumar Bhalla and All India Council for Technical Education
(AICTE) announced their strategic collaboration
(3) V K Singh (4) Narendra Modi
to empower ATL established at schools across the
(5) Dr. Harsh Vardhan country. What is the full form of ATL?
Q.160. A team of scientists of which of the following (1) Atal Tunnel Lab (2) Altos Tunnel Lab
institute has been awarded for Excellence in
(3) Atal Tinkering Lab (4) Atal Twinkle Lab
Dissemination of agricultural practices and
technologies from Lab to Farm by "Agriculture (5) Altos Tinkering Lab
Today", a National Agriculture Magazine?
Q.167. GE Power India's board approved the acquisition
(1) ISRO (2) DRDO (3) NASA of ____ percent stake in NTPC GE Power Services
Pvt Ltd for Rs 7.2 crore.
(4) ICAR (5) JAXA
(1) 60 (2) 65 (3) 50
Q.161. Viswanathan Anand's father K. Viswanathan passed
away recently. How many times has Viswanathan (4) 55 (5) 70
Anand been a world chess champion?
Q.168. Private sector HDFC Bank plans to raise how many
(1) Six (2) Five (3) Seven crore rupees by issuing bonds during the next 12
months?
(4) Nine (5) Two
(1) 60,000 (2) 50,000 (3) 70,000
Q.162. US President Joe Biden announced his intent
to nominate a top attorney, and an executive (4) 80,000 (5) 40,000
Officer, both Indian-American women, to key
Q.169. Public sector hydropower company NHPC will
administration positions. Joe Biden is the ____
form a joint venture company with JKSPDCL for
president of the United States.
Private sector lender HDFC Bank said the Reserve Bank has approved appointment of former
Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty as the part-time chairman of the bank. MAY 2021 MICA 77
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
implementation of how many MW of hydel power (1) NTPC (2) NHPC (3) Tata Power
project in Chenab river basin?
(4) TCS (5) CIL
(1) 950 MW (2) 850 MW (3) 750 MW
Q.177. Which of the following country has formally
(4) 650 MW (5) 800 MW banned radical Islamist party TLP under the
Q.170. The Union Agriculture Ministry has signed a Terrorism Act?
memorandum of understanding with which of the (1) Oman (2) Pakistan
following company to run a pilot program for 100
(3) Turkmenistan (4) Afghanistan
villages in six states to help farmers in reducing
input costs and boost income? (5) Uzbekistan
(1) Google (2) TCS (3) Infosys Q.178. Undeterred by the raging COVID-19 wave in the
(4) Microsoft (5) Larsen and Toubro country, the Labour Bureau has set a deadline
of ___ this year to release the first report of the
Q.171. Former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Quarterly Employment Survey (QES).
director Ranjit Sinha passed away in Delhi. The
headquarters of CBI is located in which city? (1) June (2) August (3) July

(1) New Delhi (2) Lucknow (3) Bengaluru (4) September (5) November

(4) Mumbai (5) Chennai Q.179. American banking major Citibank announced that
it will exit from the consumer banking business in
Q.172. ________ is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon which of the following country as part of a global
second flight to the International Space Station on strategy?
April 22.
(1) Germany (2) Pakistan (3) France
(1) CNSA (2) ESA (3) ISRO
(4) India (5) Uzbekistan
(4) NASA (5) DRDO
Q.180. The star trio of India captain Virat Kohli, his white-
Q.173. Business services provider Quess Corp will acquire ball deputy Rohit Sharma and pace spearhead
the remaining how many percent equity stakes in Jasprit Bumrah retained their top category BCCI
Conneqt Business Solutions Ltd from Tata Sons for contracts, worth Rs ____ crore each.
Rs 208 crore?
(1) 7 (2) 5 (3) 6
(1) 40 (2) 50 (3) 30
(4) 8 (5) 9
(4) 60 (5) 70
Q.181. ______ Actor Helen McCrory, best known to fans
Q.174. Former US Ambassador to India _____ has been
for her roles in popular "Harry Potter" franchise
appointed as General Counsel and Head of Global
and TV show "Peaky Blinders", has died at the age
Public Policy of Mastercard.
of 52.
(1) Richard Verma (2) Kenneth I. Juster
(1) American (2) British (3) Indian
(3) Nancy J. Powell (4) John R Hubbard
(4) Pakistani (5) Omani
(5) Kenneth B. Keating
Q.182. The United States placed how many countries,
Q.175. Birla Cellulose has emerged as a winner in the including India, China, Japan, South Korea,
_____ edition of the "National Innovative and Germany and Italy in the currency practices
Sustainable Supply Chain Awards" by UN Global monitoring list?
Compact Network.
(1) 15 (2) 12 (3) 14
(1) Second (2) Third (3) First
(4) 11 (5) 13
(4) Sixth (5) Fifth
Q.183. Recently, popular "Tamil" actor Vivek has passed
Q.176. The government's e-governance services arm CSC away in Chennai. Who is the present Governor of
announced a collaboration with ____ to set up Tamilnadu?
solar-powered microgrids and water pumps in rural
areas across the country. (1) Anandiben Patel (2) Baby Rani Maurya

The Himachal Pradesh government said it will provide COVID vaccine free of cost to people
78 MICA MAY 2021
between 18 and 44 years from May 1.
 CURRENT AFFAIRS
(3) Banwarilal Purohit (4) Ramesh Bais Q.191. The United States and ____, the world's largest
carbon pollutants, have agreed to cooperate with
(5) Jagdeep Dhankhar
other countries to combat climate change.
Q.184. Which of the following country's cricket players
(1) Pakistan (2) England (3) Brazil
will get visas to compete in the T20 World Cup in
India this October? (4) China (5) New Zealand
(1) New Zealand (2) Pakistan (3) Japan Q.192. With the resurgence of COVID-19 cases posing
risks to economic recovery, leading brokerages
(4) Viet Nam (5) Yemen
have downgraded India's GDP growth projections
Q.185. The Finance Ministry has expanded the scope of the for the current fiscal year to as low as how many
Rs 3 lakh crore ECLGS to include the healthcare percent on local lockdowns threatening fragile
sector in it, as well as how many sectors identified recovery?
by the Kamath Committee in the scheme? (1) 8 (2) 9 (3) 10
(1) 27 (2) 28 (3) 25 (4) 6 (5) 12
(4) 26 (5) 29 Q.193. Regulator IRDAI has imposed a penalty of Rs 51
Q.186. The BCCI Apex Council has decided, in principle, lakh on how many insurers, including SBI General
to field both the men's and the women's teams at Insurance Company, for violation of certain norms
the _____ Los Angeles Olympics if the game is related to motor insurance?
included in the roster. (1) 3 (2) 4 (3) 5
(1) 2025 (2) 2023 (3) 2028 (4) 7 (5) 6
(4) 2026 (5) 2022 Q.194. Non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) have
Q.187. Who has been appointed by The Hindu Group requested to which bank to extend the one-time
Publishing Private Limited as its Group Editorial restructuring scheme of MSME advances till
Officer? March 31, 2022?
(1) Suresh Nambath (2) N. Ravi (1) State Bank of India

(3) Krishna Prasad (4) G. Subramania Iyer (2) Central Bank of India

(5) N. Murali (3) Reserve Bank of India

Q.188. The Government of Ghana will acquire _____ (4) Punjab National Bank
percent shares of "AirtelTigo" along with all (5) Bank of Baroda
customers, assets and liabilities.
Q.195. Ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj created
(1) 80 (2) 100 (3) 90 a national record in ____ backstroke while
(4) 70 (5) 60 winning his second gold of the Uzbekistan Open
Championship.
Q.189. Mumbai swimmer Kenisha Gupta won the gold
medal in the women's ____ meter freestyle event at (1) 100 meters (2) 50 meters (3) 30 meters
the Uzbekistan Open Championship. (4) 25 meters (5) 75 meters
(1) 50 (2) 100 (3) 25 Q.196. The value of software exports by units registered
under Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
(4) 75 (5) 30
is estimated to have risen over 7 per cent to cross
Q.190. The Ministry of Tourism has signed a memorandum how many crore rupees during 2020-21?
of understanding (MoU) with Cleartrip and which
(1) 5 lakh (2) 6 lakh (3) 7 lakh
of the following company?
(4) 9 lakh (5) 8 lakh
(1) Yatra (2) Expedia
Q.197. India's Jhilli Dalabehera clinched the gold medal
(3) Ease My Trip (4) Make My Trip
in the 45kg category at the Asian Weightlifting
(5) Goibibo Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Jhilli

Torrent Power Ltd said it will set up a 300 MW capacity solar power plant in Gujarat at an estimated
cost of Rs 1,250 crore.
MAY 2021 MICA 79
QUIZ TIME CURRENT AFFAIRS
Dalabehera is related from which of the following Q.199. Narendra Kohli has passed away recently. He was
state? a famous____.
(1) Andhra Pradesh (2) Odisha (1) Actor (2) Director (3) Writer
(4) Doctor (5) Scientist
(3) Gujarat (4) Haryana
Q.200. Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar inaugurated a new
(5) Kerala block at the naval station in a tribute to fallen brave
Q.198. Charles “Chuck” Geschke, the co-founder of the heart Lieutenant_______.
software manufacturer company _____ and the (1) Devender Kumar Joshi
developer of the "Portable Document Format" (2) Suresh Mehta
(PDF) technology, died at the age of 81.
(3) Dharambir Singh Sihag
(1) Adobe (2) Infosys (3) Uni Point (4) Bipin Rawat
(4) IQMS (5) TCS (5) Madhvendra Singh
ANSWER KEY
Q.1.(1) Q.2.(3) Q.3.(2) Q.4.(2) Q.5.(2) Q.6.(4) Q.7.(1) Q.8.(3) Q.9.(2) Q.10.(1)

Q.11.(1) Q.12.(2) Q.13.(5) Q.14.(2) Q.15.(4) Q.16.(5) Q.17.(2) Q.18.(5) Q.19.(5) Q.20.(4)

Q.21.(1) Q.22.(4) Q.23.(1) Q.24.(4) Q.25.(2) Q.26.(1) Q.27.(1) Q.28.(1) Q.29.(5) Q.30.(2)

Q.31.(5) Q.32.(2) Q.33.(4) Q.34.(5) Q.35.(3) Q.36.(1) Q.37.(2) Q.38.(1) Q.39.(5) Q.40.(5)

Q.41.(3) Q.42.(2) Q.43.(4) Q.44.(3) Q.45.(1) Q.46.(3) Q.47.(2) Q.48.(1) Q.49.(4) Q.50.(2)

Q.51.(2) Q.52.(4) Q.53.(2) Q.54.(1) Q.55.(2) Q.56.(4) Q.57.(3) Q.58.(1) Q.59.(3) Q.60.(2)

Q.61.(3) Q.62.(2) Q.63.(4) Q.64.(2) Q.65.(1) Q.66.(3) Q.67.(1) Q.68.(3) Q.69.(1) Q.70.(2)

Q.71.(3) Q.72.(4) Q.73.(2) Q.74.(4) Q.75.(3) Q.76.(1) Q.77.(4) Q.78.(1) Q.79.(3) Q.80.(1)

Q.81.(2) Q.82.(1) Q.83.(4) Q.84.(3) Q.85.(1) Q.86.(3) Q.87.(4) Q.88.(2) Q.89.(4) Q.90.(3)

Q.91.(2) Q.92.(1) Q.93.(2) Q.94.(3) Q.95.(1) Q.96.(4) Q.97.(4) Q.98.(1) Q.99.(2) Q.100.(2)

Q.101.(1) Q.102.(2) Q.103.(1) Q.104.(2) Q.105.(1) Q.106.(2) Q.107.(1) Q.108.(3) Q.109.(2) Q.110.(3)

Q.111.(2) Q.112.(4) Q.113.(1) Q.114.(2) Q.115.(3) Q.116.(1) Q.117.(2) Q.118.(1) Q.119.(4) Q.120.(1)

Q.121.(2) Q.122.(2) Q.123.(3) Q.124.(2) Q.125.(4) Q.126.(3) Q.127.(2) Q.128.(1) Q.129.(5) Q.130.(4)

Q.131.(1) Q.132.(4) Q.133.(3) Q.134.(1) Q.135.(1) Q.136.(4) Q.137.(3) Q.138.(1) Q.139.(3) Q.140.(2)

Q.141.(2) Q.142.(3) Q.143.(2) Q.144.(1) Q.145.(1) Q.146.(4) Q.147.(1) Q.148.(2) Q.149.(3) Q.150.(4)

Q.151.(3) Q.152.(2) Q.153.(4) Q.154.(3) Q.155.(2) Q.156.(3) Q.157.(1) Q.158.(3) Q.159.(1) Q.160.(4)

Q.161.(2) Q.162.(1) Q.163.(2) Q.164.(4) Q.165.(1) Q.166.(3) Q.167.(3) Q.168.(2) Q.169.(2) Q.170.(4)

Q.171.(1) Q.172.(4) Q.173.(3) Q.174.(1) Q.175.(3) Q.176.(3) Q.177.(2) Q.178.(3) Q.179.(4) Q.180.(1)

Q.181.(2) Q.182.(4) Q.183.(3) Q.184.(2) Q.185.(4) Q.186.(3) Q.187.(3) Q.188.(2) Q.189.(1) Q.190.(3)

Q.191.(4) Q.192.(3) Q.193.(2) Q.194.(3) Q.195.(2) Q.196.(1) Q.197.(2) Q.198.(1) Q.199.(1) Q.200.(3)

Vaccinating all citizens above the age of 18 years against COVID-19 will cost Rs 67,193 crore, of
80 MICA MAY 2021
which states together will incur Rs 46,323 crore, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said.
SSC CGL PRE MODEL PAPER 2020
SSC CGL PRE
Q.1. Select the figure that can replace the question (D) P is the paternal uncle of R.
mark (?) in the following series. Q.6. Select the number that can replace the question
mark (?) in the following series.
45, 47, 53, 65, 85, ?
(A) 105 (B) 115 (C) 130 (D) 145
Q.7. Three different positions of the same dice are
shown, the six faces of which are numbered
(A) (B) from 1 to 6. Select the number that will be on
the face opposite to the one showing '6'.

(C) (D)

Q.2. In a certain code language, 'FASTER' is written

as 'CDVQHO'. How will "VIOLIN' be written as (A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 5 (D) 3
in that language?
Q.8. How many triangles are there in the given
(A) SLRILK (B) SLIRLM figure?
(C) RLTILK (D) SKIRKO
Q.3. Study the given pattern carefully and select the
number that can replace the question mark (?)
in it.

(A) 27 (B) 24 (C) 25 (D) 26

Q.9. 'Criticize' is related to 'Condemn' in the same way
as 'Solidarity' is related to ________.
(A) Prosperity (B) Atrocious
(C) Guilty (D) Unity
(A) 55 (B) 45 (C) 50 (D) 40
Q.10. Which two signs and two numbers should
Q.4. Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which be interchanged to make the given equation
three are alike in some manner and one is different. correct?
Select the odd letter-cluster.
(A) ORUX (B) JMPS
(C) PSVX (D) ZCFI (A) × and -: 32 and 34
Q.5. Study the following information carefully and (B) + and -; 28 and 32
answer the question given below. (C) × and -: 8 and 2
A+B means 'A is the mother of B'; (D) + and - ; 32 and 34
A-B means 'A is the brother of B'; Q.11. Read the given statements and conclusions
A×B means 'A is the father of B'; carefully. Assuming that the information given
A÷B means 'A is the daughter of B'. in the statements is true, even if it appears to
If, P - K × Y-J ÷ S + R, then which of the be at variance with commonly known facts,
following statements is NOT correct? decide which of the given conclusions logically
follow(s) from the statements.
(A) K is the husband of S.
Statements:
(B) Y is the son of S.
(C) J is the daughter of P. No bottle is a pen.

Rating agency Fitch Ratings has affirmed India’s long-term foreign-currency Issuer Default Rating
(IDR) at ‘BBB-’ with a negative outlook.
MAY 2021 MICA 81
SSC CGL PRE
All jugs are bottles.
Conclusions:
I. Some jugs are pens.
II. No jug is pen.
III. Some bottles are jugs.
(A) All conclusions I, II and III follow.
(B) Either conclusion I or II follows. (A) (B)
(C) Only conclusions II and III follow.
(D) Conclusion III and either conclusion I or II
follow.
Q.12. Select the option in which the words share the (C) (D)
same relationship as that shared by the given
pair of words.
Player : Team Q.18. Select the option in which the numbers are
related in the same way as are the numbers in
(A) Flower: Bouquet (B) Purpose : Crowd
the given set.
(C) Ant : Bee (D) Student : Teacher
(8, 7, 407)
Q.13. In a class of 100 students, every student has passed
(A) (12, 8, 555) (B) (10, 8, 576)
in one or more of the three subjects, i.e. History,
Economics and English. Among all the students, (C) (11, 12, 450) (D) (9, 6, 297)
24 students have passed in English only, 14 Q.19. The sequence of folding a piece of paper and the
students have passed in History only, 11 students manner in which the folded paper has been cut
have passed in both English and Economics only, is shown in the following figures. How would
and 12 students have passed in both English and this paper look when unfolded?
History only. A total of 50 students have passed in
History. If only 5 students have passed in all three
subjects, then how many students have passed in
Economics only?
(A) 18 (B) 10 (C) 20 (D) 15
Q.14. In a certain code language, AUSTERE' is coded as
'13102595'. How will 'SETTING' be coded as in (A) (B)
that language?
(A) 11522867 (B) 10522957
(C) 11544957 (D) 10522948
(C) (D)
Q.15. Select the letter that can replace the question
mark (?) in the following series.
A, T, E, U, I, V, O, W, ?, X Q.20. Select the option in which the given figure X is
(A) R (B) U (C) M (D) Z embedded (rotation is not allowed).
Q.16. Four words have been given, out of which three
are alike in some manner and one is different.
Select the odd word.
(A) Pancreas (B) Kidney
(C) Renin (D) Liver
Q.17. Select the correct mirror image of the given
figure when a vertical mirror is placed on the
right side of the figure. (A) (B)

Indian boxers Gitika (48kg) and Babyrojisana Chanu (51kg) clinched gold medals in the youth world
82 MICA MAY 2021
championships in Kielce, Poland, notching up dominating victories in the finals.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Code -
(A) a3, b1, c4, d2 (B) a3, b4, c1, d2
(C) (D)
(C) a2, b1, c4, d3 (D) a4, b1, c3, d2
Q.27. What was the original name of Tansen?
Q.21. Four number-pairs have been given, out of which (A) Makaranda Pande (B) Baz Bahadur
three are alike in some manner and one is different. (C) Lal Kalwant (D) Ramtanu Pande
Select the number-pair that is different from the
Q.28. In which of the following years was the Dutch East
rest.
India Company formed?
(A) 4209:15 (B) 7456:22
(A) 1599 (B) 1600 (C) 1602 (D) 1607
(C) 5121:12 (D) 8101:10
Q.29. Who amongst the following Viceroys ruled for the
Q.22. Select the option that is related to the third longest period?
number in the same way as the second number
(A) Lord Curzon (B) Lord Harding
is related to the first number.
(C) Lord Willingdon (D) Lord Linlithgow
13 : 109 :: 24 : ?
Q.30. Chauri-Chaura is situated in the district of -
(A) 194 (B) 201 (C) 216 (D) 197
(A) Deoria (B) Gorakhpur
Q.23. Which of the following Venn diagrams best
represents the relationship between the (C) Maharajganj (D) Kushinagar
following classes? Q.31. Read the following events -
Cricketers, Players, Human beings 1. Lucknow pact
2. Champaran Satyagraha
(A) (B) 3. Khilafat Movement
4. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
(C) (D) Find the correct Chronological order of the events
from the code given below.
Q.24. Select the letter-cluster that can replace the Codes -
question mark (?) in the following series. (A) 1, 2, 4, 3 (B) 1, 2, 3, 4
TULG, WRPC, ZOTY, CLXU, ? (C) 4, 3, 2, 1 (D) 1, 3, 2, 4
(A) FIBQ (B) FICR (C) FICQ (D) GIAQ Q.32. 'Optical Fibers' work is based on ?
Q.25. Arrange the following words in a logical and (A) Refraction of light
meaningful order. (B) Reflection of light
1. Colonel 2. Field Marshal (C) Total Internal Reflection
3. Brigadier 4. Lieutenant (D) Scattering of light
5. General Q.33. Pituitary gland is divided into ?
(A) 1, 2, 3, 5, 4 (B) 2, 5, 3, 1, 4 (A) Two parts (B) Three parts
(C) 2, 5, 1, 4, 3 (D) 3, 5, 2, 4, 1 (C) One part (D) Four Parts
Q.26. Match the books with their authors- Q.34. Genetic Material of HIV virus is -
Books Authors (A) DNA and RNA (B) DNA
a. Tarikh-i-Firozshahi 1. Firoz Shah Tughlaq (C) RNA (D) None of these
Q.35. Number of spinal nerve in man is -
b. Futuhat-i-Firoz Shahi 2. Yahya-bin-Ahmad
Sirhindi (A) 10 pairs (B) 12 pairs
(C) 21 pairs (D) 31 pairs
c. Tarikh-i-Alai 3. Zia-ud-din-Barni
Q.36. 'Oxytocin' hormone is actually secreted by -
d. Tarikh-i-Mubarak 4. Khusrau
(A) Anterior lobe of pituitary gland
Shahi

The United States Senate to confirm Indian-American Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general,
making her the first person of colour to occupy the third highest position at the Department of Justice.
MAY 2021 MICA 83
SSC CGL PRE
(B) Middle lobe of pituitary gland (A) ICICI Bank (B) IDBI Bank
(C) Posterior lobe of pituitary gland (C) SBI Bank (D) HDFC Bank
(D) Thyroid gland Q.49. Who gave the call for 'Evergreen Revolution'?
Q.37. What is 'Angina Pictorials'? (A) Dr. Manmohan Singh
(A) Bone's name (B) Dr. M.S. Swaminathan
(B) A place (C) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(C) Pain during heart disease (D) None of the above
(D) Muscle's name Q.50. Tendulkar Committee is related to which one of
Q.38. 'VIDAL' test done in which types of disease? the following?
(A) Malaria (B) HIV (A) Public Finance
(C) Typhoid (D) Dengue (B) Goods and Services Tax
Q.39. Scientist 'Adver Jenner' is related with - (C) Poverty
(A) Genetic Code (B) Polio Vaccine (D) None of the above
(C) Cholera Vaccine (D) Chicken Pox Vaccine Q.51. If p : q = r : s = t : u = 2 : 3 then (mp + nr + ot) : (mq
+ ns + ou) is equal to -
Q.40. Fat Soluble vitamin is -
(A) 1 : 3 (B) 1 : 2 (C) 2 : 3 (D) 3 : 2
(A) Vitamin B1 (B) Vitamin C
Q.52. LCM of x -1 and (x-1) is ?
3 2
(C) Vitamin E (D) Vitamin B12
(A) (x-1)2 (x3-1) (B) (x-1) (x3+1)
Q.41. Virus of Birds flu is -
(C) (x-1) (x3-1) (D) (x+1) (x3+1)
(A) H1N1 (B) H3N2 (C) H5N1 (D) H1N5
Q.53. If A = sin θ+ cos θ, then what is the minimum
2 4
Q.42. Operation polo' is connected with-
value of A for real value of θ?
(A) Quit India Movement
(B) Civil Disobedience movement (A) (B) (C) 1 (D) 3
(C) Military operation in to the state of Junagarh
Q.54. The price of sugar per kg increased from Rs 16 to
(D) Military operation in to the state of Hyderabad 20. The percentage reduction in the use of sugar so
Q.43. Word Alzheimer Day is celebrated on ? that the expenditure does not increase, should be -
(A) 25 September (B) 21 September (A) 40% (B) 25% (C) 20% (D) 15%
(C) 12 November (D) 26 November Q.55. x +4 is equal to.
4

Q.44. Where is Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is (A) (x2+2)(x2-2)

situated ? (B) (x2+2x+2) (x2-2x+2)
(A) Mumbai (B) Delhi (C) (x-1) (x+1) (x-2)(x+2)
(C) Jaipur (D) Hyderabad (D) (x2+2)2
Q.45. The Bokaro Steel plant has been set up with the
assistance of - Q.56. If x = cot θ +cosecθ, what is the value of
(A) U.K. (B) U.S.A.
(C) Germany (D) Russia (A) x2 (B) (C) x (D)
Q.46. The largest source of National Income in India is -
Q.57. The average of the even numbers from 1 to 30 is.
(A) Service Sector (B) Agriculture Sector
(A) 15 (B) 19 (C) 17 (D) 16
(C) Industrial Sector (D) Trade Sector
Q.58. Successive discount of 20% and 25% are
Q.47. During which Five Year Plan was the Emergency
equivalent to a single discount of-
Clamped and the Janata Party was elected ?
(A) third (B) fourth (C) fifth (D) sixth (A) 45% (B) 35% (C) 40% (D) 38%
Q.48. Which Indian Commercial Bank became the first Q.59. In a ΔABC the medians AD, BE and CF meet at G,
in providing mobile ATM services? then which of the following is true?

India's Comptroller and Auditor General GC Murmu has been chosen as the external auditor by a
84 MICA MAY 2021
prestigious intergovernmental organisation working for the elimination of chemical weapons.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
(A) AD + BE + CF
(B) (AD + BE + CF) > (AB + BC + AC)
(C) (AD + BE + CF) > 4 (AB + BC + AC)
(D) (AD + BE + CF) > 3 (AB + BC + AC) (A) (B)
Q.60. Pipe A can fill a tank in 20 hours while pipe B
alone can fill it in 10 hours and pipe C can empty (C) (D)
the full tank in 30 hours.If all the pipes are opened
together ,how much time will be needed to make Q.69. If = 2, then the value of θ? is -
the tank full?
(A) 900 (B) 600 (C) 450 (D) 300
(A) 7 h. (B) h. (C) h. (D) 11 h.
Q.70. The value of .... is
Q.61. If x = a sec θ + b tan θ and y = a tan θ + b sec θ then
x2 – y2 = ? (A) 1.12 (B) 1.21 (C) (D)
(A) a2-b2 (B) 2a2 (C) 2b2 (D) a2+b2 Q.71. In a triangle PQR.The sides PQ and PR are
produced to S and T respectively. Bisectors of
Q.62. What fraction must be subtracted from the sum of
∠SQR and ∠QRT meet at the point O. If ∠P=660,
and to have an average of of all the two then what is the value of the ∠QOR?
fractions? (A) 570 (B) 470 (C) 670 (D) 500
(A) 1/6 (B) 1/3 (C) 1/4 (D) 1/2
Q.63. In C is a point on minor arc AB of a circle with Q.72. The irrational number when rationalized
center O and ∠AOB = 1000, then ∠ACB equals becomes . What is the value of n?
to - (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 1 (D) 4
(A) 1250 (B) 1300 (C) 800 (D) 900
Q.73. If tan2θ + cot2θ = x, what is the value of
Q.64. In ΔABC, if AB = 9 cm. AC = 11 cm. BD = 5 cm.
and AD is the bisector of ∠BAC then what is the (A) x2 (B) x (C) (D)
length of BC?
Q.74. If PQRS is a trapezium such that PQ >RS, and
(A) 13 cm. (B) 7 cm. L,M are the mid points of the diagonals PR and
(C) 9.8 cm. (D) 11.11 cm. QS, respectively, then what is LM equal to?
Q.65. If a certain sum of money amounts to Rs 800 for 2
(A) (B)
years and Rs 880 for 3 years then how much will it
amount to in 4 years?
(C) (D)
(A) Rs. 920 (B) Rs. 960
(C) Rs. 898 (D) Rs.1000 Q.75. If m and n are whole numbers such that mn = 121
Q.66. A book seller sells a book at gain of 10%. If he had then (m - 1)n+1 = ?
bought it at 4% less and sold it for Rs. 6 more he (A) 10 (B) 102 (C) 103 (D) 104
would have gained 18 %. The cost price of the Q.76. Select the most appropriate synonym of the
book is - given word.
(A) Rs.130 (B) Rs.140 DEVOUT
(C) Rs. 150 (D) Rs.160 (A) pious (B) revered
Q.67. The ratio between the annual incomes of A and B (C) loyal (D) Respectable
is 4 : 3 and between their annual expenditures is Q.77. Given below are four jumbled sentences. Select
3:2.If at the end of a year both save Rs 600 each, the option that gives their correct order.
find the difference in the income.
A. So, I had thoughts of setting up an Indian
(A) Rs. 450 (B) Rs. 500 restaurant there with my wife's support.
(C) Rs. 600 (D) Rs. 750 B. It took us two months to redesign the place to
Q.68. suit our needs.

Nine Bangladeshis feature in the Forbes 30 under 30 list of innovators in 10 industries for Asia. MAY 2021 MICA 85
SSC CGL PRE
C. One of the things I really missed when I set tried to create a style that was both modern and
up home in Maryland, was a restaurant that served traditional.
authentic Indian food. (A) one of the first artist
D. I decided to pursue this idea seriously and (B) to create a style that was
bought an old building in the downtown.
(C) Raja Ravi Varma was
(A) CADB (B) BCDA (C) CBAD (D) DACB
(D) both modern and traditional.
Q.78. Given below are four jumbled sentences. Select
Q.83. Select the most appropriate meaning of the
the option that gives their correct order.
underlined idiom in the given sentence.
A. Lyrics help in creating a distinctive narrative,
The man heaved a sigh of relief when he was sure
some conventions of which have been carried over
he was out of the woods.
from the talkies era.
(A) out of danger
B. Thus, songs have outlived films in people's
memories. (B) out of the forest
C. However, songs seem to have acquired a (C) discharged from hospital
musical grammar of their own, establishing an (D) released from prison
emotional chord with the listeners. Q.84. Select the most appropriate meaning of the
D. In popular Indian cinema, lyrics are to music underlined idiom in the given sentence.
what the heart is to the body. Many people join politics to feather their own nest.
(A) ABCD (B) DCBA (C) DACB (D) ADBC (A) serve their country
Q.79. Select the correct passive form of the given (B) utilize black money
sentence.
(C) promote their own interest
Credit cards are replacing cash transactions.
(D) make others' life comfortable
(A) Cash transactions are being replaced by credit
Q.85. Select the most appropriate synonym of the
cards.
given word.
(B) Cash transactions have been replaced by credit
RENOWN
cards.
(A) conceit (B) wisdom
(C) Cash transactions are replaced by credit cards.
(C) obscurity (D) fame
(D) Cash transactions had been replaced by credit
cards. Q.86. In the sentence identify the segment which
contains the grammatical error.
Q.80. Select the most appropriate antonym of the
given word. Not complying by any of the laws can land you
into serious trouble.
FOREIGN
(A) into serious trouble
(A) native (B) rural (C) Indian (D) rustic
(B) any of the laws
Q.81. Select the most appropriate option to substitute
the underlined segment in the given sentence. (C) can land you
If no substitution is required, select No (D) Not complying by
improvement. Q.87. Select the word which means the same as the
Ishwarchand Vidyasagar use the ancient text to group of words given.
suggestion that widows could remarry. One who walks in sleep.
(A) used the ancient texts to suggest (A) somnambulist (B) philanthropist
(B) No improvement (C) omnipotent (D) pedestrian
(C) use the ancient texts for suggestion Q.88. Select the most appropriate option to fill in the
(D) used the ancient texts suggests blank.
Q.82. In the sentence identify the segment which I sat _____ my life as nothing seemed to be
contains the grammatical error. working for me.
Raja Ravi Varma was one of the first artist who (A) blessing (B) cursing

State owned Jammu & Kashmir Bank said non-executive non-independent director Rigzian Sam-
86 MICA MAY 2021
pheal has resigned from its board.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
(C) invoking (D) tormenting (A) They have given us very little time to prepare
Q.89. Select the correctly spelt word. the presentation.
(A) proportion (B) propotion (B) They give us very little time to prepare the
presentation.
(C) preportion (D) Proporsion
(C) They will give us very little time to prepare the
Q.90. Select the word which means the same as the
presentation.
group of words given.
(D) They gave us very little time to prepare the
A state of perfect balance.
presentation.
(A) equilibrium (B) equilateral
Q.96-100. In the following passage some words have
(C) equivalent (D) equinox been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help
Q.91. Select the most appropriate option to fill in the of the alternatives given. Select the most
blank. appropriate option for each blank.
The roads at 15000 feet are not easily navigable English is not a language that (A) _____ in India.
and the air is ------ and freezing. But it is used extensively in (B) _____country.
(A) elevated (B) rarefied India comes second on the list of countries (C)
_____most English speakers, albeit not as the
(C) exalted (D) Intensified
first language. English is more (D) ______than
Q.92. Select the correctly spelt word. any single Indian language! It has managed to (E)
(A) exhilerate (B) exilarate ______the entire world.
(C) exilerate (D) exhilarate Q.96. Select the most appropriate option to fill in
Q.93. Select the most appropriate option to substitute blank A.
the underlined segment in the given sentence. (A) created (B) developed
If no substitution is required, select No (C) derived (D) Originated
improvement.
Q.97. Select the most appropriate option to fill in
I have not saw him since I last leave the town. blank B.
(A) seen him since I last left (A) the (B) an (C) a (D) One
(B) No improvement Q.98. Select the most appropriate option to fill in
(C) see him since I last left blank C.
(D) seen him for I last left (A) from (B) among (C) by (D) with
Q.94. Select the most appropriate antonym of the Q.99. Select the most appropriate option to fill in
given word. blank D
ASCENT (A) prevalent (B) frequented
(A) descent (B) depression (C) comprehensive (D) extended
(C) distant (D) decent Q.100. Select the most appropriate option to fill in
Q.95. Select the correct active form of the given blank E.
sentence. (A) pervade (B) persuade
We were given very little time to prepare the (C) invade (D) saturate
presentation.

Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (IBH) has entered into a strategic co-lending partnership with
housing finance major HDFC Ltd to offer housing loans to homebuyers at competitive rates. MAY 2021 MICA 87
SSC CGL PRE
EXPLANATION/SSC CGL PRE
Q.1.(D) Q.8.(C)

Q.2.(A) F-3=C
A+3=D
S+3=V
T-3=Q
Q.9.(D) ‘Criticize’ is related to ‘Condemn’ in the same
E+3=H ways ‘Solidarity’ is related to 'unity'.
R-3=O Q.10.(D) 28 - 32 ÷ 2 × 8 + 34 = 132
Similarly, 28 + 34 ÷ 2 × 8 - 32 = 132
V-3=S 28 + 17 × 8 - 32 = 132
I + 3= L 136 - 4 = 132
O+3=R 132 = 132
L-3=I Q.11.(C)
I+3=L
N - 3= K
'VIOLIN' is written as 'SLRILK'.
Q.3.(B)
(252×3) ÷ 18 = 756/18 = 42
(296×3) ÷ 24 = 888/24 = 37
(540×3) ÷ 36 = 1620/36 = 45 Q.12.(A) A group of players is called a team. Similarly, a
Q.4.(C) Except option C, remaining all words have a group of flowers is called a bouquet.
difference of 2 letters between each letter in the Q.13.(B) Students have passed in English only = 24
word. The correct answer is option C. Students have passed in History only = 14
Q.5.(C) Students have passed in both English and
Economics only = 11
Students have passed in both English and
History only = 12
Students have passed in History = 50
Q.6.(B) 45 + 2 = 47
Students have passed in all three subjects = 5
47 + (2 + 4 = 6) = 53
Students have passed in Economics only = 100 -
53 + (6 + 6 = 12) = 65
students have passed in History - students have
65 + (12 + 8 = 20) = 85 passed in English only - students have passed in
85 + (20 + 10 = 30) = 115 both English and Economics only = 100 -50 -
Q.7.(D) 24 - 11 = 15
Q.14.(B)

Q.15.(B) There are 2 series,

The Tata Group will be importing 24 cryogenic containers to transport liquid oxygen and help ease
88 MICA MAY 2021
oxygen shortage amid a staggering surge in COVID-19 cases across the country.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
A, E, I, O, ?
And T, U, V, W, X
The first series has a group of vowels.
So, the next letter is U.
Q.16.(C) Except 'renin' remaining all are parts of the
human body. Renin = an enzyme secreted by Q.24.(A) (T+3)(U-3)(L+4)(G-4)=WRPC
and stored in the kidneys which promote the
(W+3)(R-3)(P+4)(C-4)=ZOTY
production of the protein angiotensin.
(Z+3)(O-3)(T+4)(Y-4)=CLXU
Q.17.(B)
(C+3)(L-3)(X+4)(U-4)=FIBQ
Q.25.(B) Arrangement of the post according to the rank,
Field Marshal, General, Brigadier, Colonel,
Lieutenant
Q.26.(A) A - III
Q.18.(D) (8, 7, 407),   B-I
8 × 72 + 8 + 7 = 8 × 49 + 15 C - IV
= 392 + 15 = 407 D - II
Similarly, Q.27.(D) Original name of Tansen is Ramtanu Pande.
(9, 6, 297), Q.28.(C) The Dutch East India Company Established in
9 × 62 + 9 + 6 = 8 × 36 + 15 India on (1602 A.D.)
= 288 + 15 = 303 Q.29.(D) Lord Curzon - 1899-05 A.D.
Q.19.(B) Lord Hardinge - 1844-48 A.D.
Lord Willingdon - 1931-1936 A.D.
Lord Linlithgow - 1936-1944 A.D.
Q.30.(B) Chauri-Chaura place situated in Gorakhpur
district, which is famous during Non-Co-
operation Movement. (1922)
Q.31.(A) Lucknow Pact - 1916
Q.20.(C)
Champaran Satyagrapha - 1917
Khilafat Movement - 1920
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre - 1919
Q.32.(C) Optical fibres work based on total
Internal Reflection of light, which used in
Q.21.(C) 4209 : 15 communication.
4+2+0+9 = 15 Q.33.(B) Pituitary gland divided in to Three part such as
Anterior, middle and posterior lobe.
5121 : 12
Q.34.(C) Genetic material of HIV virus is (R.N.A.)
5+1+2+1 = 9
Q.35.(D) Total number of spinal nerve is human is (31
8101 : 10
pairs).
8+1+0+1 = 10
Q.36.(C) Pitutary gland divided in to three lobe Anterior,
7456 : 22 posterior and middle lobe oxytocin secreat from
7+4+5+6 = 22 posterior lobe.
Q.22.(D) 13×8+5=104+5=109 Q.37.(C) Angina Pectoralis is a pain during heart disease
24×8+5=192+5=197 left sided chest pain.
Q.23.(B) Q.38.(C) VIDAL Test done during typhoid fever.

The Union Cabinet approved signing of a fresh memorandum of understanding between the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).
MAY 2021 MICA 89
SSC CGL PRE
Q.39.(D) Chicken pox vaccine discovered by Adver Q.54.(C)
Jenner.
Q.40.(C) Fat soluble Vitamin are A, D, E, K than Vitamin
E is fat soluble.
Q.41.(C) Virus of bird flu is (H5N1) which caused (SARS)
disease in birds group.
Q.42.(D) Operation polo is connected with Hyderabad Q.55.(B)
state, this operation between Indian military
and Hyderabad Riyasat.
Q.43.(B) World Alzeimer Day celebrated on every year
21 September.
Q.44.(A) Tata Institute of Fundamental Resource situated Q.56.(A)
at Mumbai.
Q.45.(D) Bokaro steel plant has been set up by Russia in
1961 A.D.
Q.46.(A) Service sector the largest source of National
Income in India, seconds Industrial Sector and
3rd agriculture.
Q.47.(C) Five year plane (5th 1974-79) Janta Party
Elected in 1978 A.D.
1+( X2-1/X2+1)/1-( X2-1/X2+1) = X2
Q.48.(A) First bank in India ICICI bank which provid
Q.57.(D)
ATM Services.
Q.49.(B) Indian Scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (Call Q.58.(C) -20-25+ = -45 + 5= -40%
for Evergreen Revolution)
Q.50.(C) Tendulkar Committee is related to 'Poverty'. Q.59.(A)
Q.51.(C)
Q.60.(B)

Q.52.(C)
Q.61.(A)

Q.53.(B)
Q.62.(C)

Microblogging platform Twitter announced the appointment of former Uber executive, Apurva Dalal
90 MICA MAY 2021
as Director of Engineering.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.63.(B)

Q.67.(C) Let annual income of A and B are 4k and 3k.

4K - 3L = 600 ------- (I)
3K - 2L = 600 -------- (II)
Q.64.(D) From (I) and (II)
K = 600, L = 600
Difference of their income = 600
Q.68.(A)

Q.65.(B)
Q.69.(C)

Q.66.(C) Q.70.(D)

Sebi restrained Equicom Financial Research Pvt Ltd and two individuals from accessing the securities
market for inducing gullible investors by promising them huge returns on their investment products.
MAY 2021 MICA 91
SSC CGL PRE
Q.71.(A) Q.76.(A) Pious (adj.) – religious; devout.
For other options
Revere (v) – feel deep respect or admiration for
(something).
Q.77.(A) The correct sequence of the passage is ‘CADB’.
Q.78.(C) The correct sequence of the passage is ‘DACB’.
In ?PQR Q.79.(A) Cash transactions are being replaced by credit
cards.
Kindly refer to the rules of voice.
Q.80.(A) Native (n) – a person born in a specified place
or associated with a place by birth, whether
subsequently resident there or not.
For other options
Rustic (n) – relating to the countryside; rural.
Q.81.(A) used (past form of verb to depict that incident
took place in past) the ancient texts to suggest
(V1 is used after ‘to’).
Q.82.(A) ‘artists’ will be correct as plural noun is required
Q.72.(C) after ‘Each of…’ ‘One of….’ etc.
Q.83.(A) ‘A sigh of relief’ means ‘feel happy that
something unpleasant has not happened or is no
longer happening’.
Q.84.(C) ‘To feather one’s own nest’ means ‘to make
money for oneself in an opportunistic or selfish
Q.73.(D) way’.
Q.85.(D) Renown (n) – the condition of being known or
talked about by many people; fame.
For other options
Conceit (n) – excessive pride in oneself.
Obscurity (n) – the state of being unknown,
inconspicuous, or unimportant.
Q.86.(D) ‘With’ is used with ‘Comply’.
Q.74.(D) Q.87.(A) For other options:
Philanthropist (n) – a person who seeks to
promote the welfare of others.
Omnipotent (adj.) – (of a deity) having
unlimited power.
In PQR and in QSR Pedestrian (n) – a person walking rather than
travelling in a vehicle.
LN ||PQ MN||SR
Q.88.(B) Curse (v) – use an offensive word or phrase
used to express anger or annoyance.
For other options
Q.75.(C) mn = 121 = 112
Invoke (v) – give rise to.
m = 11, n = 2
Torment (v) – cause to experience severe mental
(m - 1)n+1 = (11-1)2+1 or physical suffering.
= 103
IT major Tech Mahindra has acquired DigitalOnUS, a hybrid cloud and DevOps services provider,
92 MICA MAY 2021
for USD 120 million (about Rs 898 crore).
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.89.(A) The correct spelling is ‘proportion’. Kindly refer to the rules of voice.
Q.90.(A) For other options: Q.96.(D) Originate (v) – have a specified beginning.
Equilateral (adj.) – having all its sides of the For other options:
same length.
Derive (v) – obtain something from (a specified
Equivalent (adj.) – equal in value, amount, source).
function, meaning, etc.
Q.97.(A) Definite article ‘the’ has been used before
Equinox (adj.) – the time or date (twice each country as it has been mentioned before also.
year) at which the sun crosses the celestial
equator. Q.98.(D) In order to make the sentence meaningful,
‘with’ will be used.
Q.91.(B) Rarefy (v) – make or become less dense or
solid. Q.99.(A) Prevalent (adj.) – widespread in a particular
area or at a particular time.
For other options
Exalt (v) – think or speak very highly of For other options:
(someone or something). Frequented (adj.) – (of a place) visited often or
Intensify (v) – become or make more intense. habitually.
Elevate (v) – raise or lift (something) to a higher Comprehensive (adj.) – including or dealing
position. with all or nearly all elements or aspects of
something.
Q.92.(D) The wrongly spelt word is ‘exhilarate’.
Q.93.(A) Seen (V3 is needed after ‘have’) him since I last Extended (adj.) – made larger
left (V2 will be used due to the past action). Q.100.(A) Pervade (v) – spread through and be perceived
Q.94.(A) Ascent (n) – a climb or walk to the summit of a in every part of.
mountain or hill. For other options:
Descent (n) – an act of moving downwards, Persuade (v) – induce (someone) to do
dropping, or falling. something through reasoning or argument.
For other options: Invade (v) – enter (a place, situation, or sphere
Distant (adj.) – far away in space or time. of activity) in large number.
Decent (n) – of an acceptable standard; satisfactory. Saturate (v) – cause (something) to become
Q.95.(D) They gave us very little time to prepare the thoroughly soaked with water or other liquid so
presentation. that no more can be absorbed.

The government-run DRDO has developed a SpO2-based supplemental oxygen delivery system for
soldiers serving in extremely high altitude areas and COVID-19 patients.
MAY 2021 MICA 93
NABARD GRADE-A
NABARD GRADE-A/MATHS
Q.1. The population of a village is 10500. The number (I) The diameter of the circle is 30 cm.
of children is twice the number of females and (II) The breadth of the rectangle is 24 cm.
number of males is 40% of total population. What
is the number of children in the village ? (1) If statement I alone is sufficient but statement II
alone is not sufficient.
(1) 2100 (2) 4200 (3) 4500
(2) If statement II alone is sufficient but statement I
(4) 2500 (5) None of these
alone is not sufficient.
Q.2. The questions given below contain two statements
(3) If each statement alone (either I or II) is
giving certain data. You have to decide whether
sufficient.
the data given in the statements are sufficient for
answering the question ? (4) If statement I and II together are not sufficient.
What is the valueof x? (5) If both statements together are sufficient, but
(I) If 10 is added to x,the result is 34. neither statement alone is sufficient.
(II) If x is multiplied by y,the result is 38. Q.5. What approximate value will come in place of
question mark (?) in the questions given below ?
(1) If statement I alone is sufficient but statement II
alone is not sufficient. 32.11×25.92–26.81×24.99=?
(2) If statement II alone is sufficient but statement I (1) 160 (2) 150 (3) 250
alone is not sufficient. (4) 165 (5) 110
(3) If each statement alone (either I or II) is Q.6. What approximate value will come in place of
sufficient. question mark (?) in the questions given below ?
(4) If statement I and II together are not sufficient.
(5) If both statements together are sufficient, but
neither statement alone is sufficient. (1) 40 (2) 48 (3) 52
Q.3. The questions given below contain two statements (4) 58 (5) 36
giving certain data. You have to decide whether Q.7. What approximate value will come in place of
the data given in the statements are sufficient for question mark (?) in the questions given below ?
answering the question ?
of 7777 + 12% of 1203 = ?
What is the Cost of each 10 cm long pen?
(I) The cost of one pen is Rs. 2 more than the cost (1) 1250 (2) 1400 (3) 1950
of one pencil. (4) 1800 (5) 1700
(II) Each pen costs 5 paise per cm. Q.8. Sujata invests 7%, means Rs 2170, of her monthly
(1) If statement I alone is sufficient but statement II income in mutual funds.Later she invests 18% of
alone is not sufficient. her monthly income in recurring deposits. Also,she
invests 6% of her income on NSC's.What is the
(2) If statement II alone is sufficient but statement I
total annual amount invest by Sujata?
alone is not sufficient.
(3) If each statement alone (either I or II) is (1) Rs 1,25,320 (2) Rs 1,13,520
sufficient. (3) Rs 1,35,120 (4) Rs 1,15,320
(4) If statement I and II together are not sufficient. (5) None of these
(5) If both statements together are sufficient, but Q.9. The radius of a circle is twice the side of a square,
neither statement alone is sufficient. whose area is 196 square m. The length of rectangle
Q.4. The questions given below contain two statements is twice the diameter of circle. What is the perimeter
giving certain data. You have to decide whether of a rectangle if its breadth is half the length ?
the data given in the statements are sufficient for (1) 244 m. (2) 168 m.
answering the question ?
(3) 336 m. (4) Can't be determined
The area of a rectangle is equal to the area of a
(5) None of these
circle.What is the length of the rectangle ?
IT services major HCL Technologies has signed a multi-million dollar digital transformation and
94 MICA MAY 2021 hybrid cloud contract with Japanese commercial vehicle solutions provider UD Trucks.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.10. The sum of five numbers is 555.The average of the
first two numbers is 75 and the third number is 115.
What is the average of the last two numbers?
(1) 145 (2) 290 (3) 265
(4) 150 (5) None of these
Q.11. A 140 m. long train is moving at the speed of 70
km./hr. In what time the train will cross a person
moving in the same direction at the speed of 4 km./
Q.15. What is the ratio of production by conventional
hr. ? (approx)
method in Pakistan to that of scientific method in
(1) 8 second (2) 16 second (3) 20 second Japan?
(4) 24 second (5) 10 second
(1) (2) (3)
Q.12. What will come in place of the question mark (?) in
the following number series?
(4) (5)
14 43.5 264 ? 76188 3657048
(1) 3168 (2) 3176 (3) 1587 Q.16. What is the difference between the production
by scientific method and conventional method in
(4) 1590 (5) None of these Indonesia?
Q.13. What will come in place of the question mark (?) in (1) 2.3 lakh tonnes (2) 2.5 lakh tonnes
the following number series? (3) 2.8 lakh tonnes (4) 3 lakh tonnes
4 6 12 ? 90 315 1260 (5) None of these
(1) 42 (2) 36 (3) 24 Q.17. The production by scientific method in China
(4) 30 (5) None of these is approximately what percent greater than the
production by conventional method in Bangladesh?
Q.14. What will come in place of the question mark (?) in
the following number series? (1) 130% (2) 135% (3) 150%
(4) 140% (5) 145%
4 18 48 100 180 294 ?
Q.18. The production of wheat in Srilanka by
(1) 448 (2) 424 (3) 436
conventional method is approximately how many
(4) 460 (5) 412 times the production in India by scientific method?
Q.15-18. Study the given graph and answer the following (1) 1.2 (2) 0.9 (3) 1.5
questions. (4) 1 (5) 1.75
Production of wheat in different countries. Q.19. Sarita started a business investing Rs 50,000.After
Total Production = 50 lakh tonnes six months Abhishek joined her with Rs 75,000.
After another six months Nisha also joined them
with Rs 1.25 lakh. Profit earned at the end of 2
years from when Sarika started the business should
be distributed among Sarita, Abhishek and Nisha in
what respective ratio?
(1) 4 : 5 : 6 (2) 8 : 9 : 10 (3) 8 : 9 : 12
(4) 4 : 5 : 8 (5) None of these
Q.20. In a class of 80 students,each student got sweets
that are 15% of the total number of students.How
many sweets were there?
(1) 1200 (2) 850
(3) 900 (4) Can not be determined
(5) None of these

The India Open Super 500 tournament, one of the last three qualifying events for the Tokyo
Olympics, was postponed due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
MAY 2021 MICA 95
NABARD GRADE-A
NABARD GRADE-A/REASONING
Q.21-25. In these questions relationship between (3) If either conclusion I or II is true.
different elements is shown in the statements. (4) If neither conclusion I nor II is true.
These statements are followed by two
(5) If both conclusions I and II are true.
conclusions I and II.
Q.26-30. Read the following information carefully and
Q.21. Statements:- J > Q, N > P, C > R, C < Q, P = R
answer the questions given below:
Conclusions: I. J > P
Eight members P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W are sitting
II. N > C in a circle in which three of them facing outside
(1) If only conclusion I is true. the center. They all like different subjects English,
(2) If only conclusion II is true. Hindi, History, Geography, Maths, Science,
Account and Commerce, but not necessarily in the
(3) If either conclusion I or II is true.
same order.
(4) If neither conclusion I nor II is true.
1. U sits third to the right of W and likes Commerce.
(5) If both conclusions I and II are true.
2. S sits third to the right of P and second to the left
Q.22. Statements:- δ > ß, % > ?, δ > ÷, α > ß, ÷ > % of Q, in which P is facing outside and Q is facing
Conclusions:- I. α > ? inside.
II. δ > % 3. U is not neighbour of P and S.
(1) If only conclusion I is true. 4. V sits third to the left of R and likes Account.
(2) If only conclusion II is true. 5. The person facing outside are not sitting together.
(3) If either conclusion I or II is true. 6. U is sitting immediate left of T who likes Hindi.
(4) If neither conclusion I nor II is true. 7. One of the neighbour of W likes English and
(5) If both conclusions I and II are true. another neighbour of W likes History.
Q.23. Statements:- A > C, L < I, M < C, M > I 8. The person facing outside likes Hindi, Geography
and Maths.
Conclusions:- I. A > B
9. The person who likes geography is not second to
II. B > A
the right of R.
(1) If only conclusion I is true.
10. The person who likes history is not second to
(2) If only conclusion II is true. the left of S.
(3) If either conclusion I or II is true. Q.26. Which of the following member like English ?
(4) If neither conclusion I nor II is true. (1) S (2) R (3) U
(5) If both conclusions I and II are true. (4) Q (5) Either S or Q
Q.24. Statements:- I = S, N > G, A > G, I > N, R > A Q.27. Find the odd one out ?
Conclusions:- I. R = S (1) R (2) T (3) U
II. R > S (4) V (5) Q
(1) If only conclusion I is true. Q.28. Who among the following is seated to the third
(2) If only conclusion II is true. right of P ?
(3) If either conclusion I or II is true. (1) S (2) R (3) U
(4) If neither conclusion I nor II is true. (4) T (5) V
(5) If both conclusions I and II are true. Q.29. Which of the following members likes Maths ?
Q.25. Statements:- P > R, L > A, S < A, G > L, S = R (1) P (2) W (3) S
Conclusions:- I. G > R (4) R (5) Either P or W
II. L > R Q.30. Who is seated opposite to V ?
(1) If only conclusion I is true. (1) S (2) R (3) U
(2) If only conclusion II is true. (4) W (5) V

NASA's experimental Mars helicopter rose from the dusty red surface into the thin air, achieving the
96 MICA MAY 2021
first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.31-35. Study the following information to answer the There are 11 floors in a building number 1 to 11 in
given questions: which 3 of them were unoccupied. Eight members
Twelve members are seated in two rows containing P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W lives on different-2 floor
six members in each row members of the first row but not in same order.
facing the person of second row. Members of the 1. Q sits one of the even number floor above S.
first row facing north and second row facing south.
2. There are three foors between U and V. V lives
1. 1 sits third to the right of 2. below U.
2. 3 is facing north and sits fourth to the right of 4. 3. There are three members between W and S in
3. 5 is not neighbour of 2 and 1 whereas 4 is which W lives above S.
neighbour of 6 and 7.
4. Floor number 8 is unoccupied and R lives in
4. The person facing 7 is not at corner. floor number 7.
5. 8 and 9 are neighbour of 2.
5. W lives below to V .
6. 10 is fourth to the right of 11.
6. T lives above to P and there are four persons
7. 12 is neighbour of 5 and facing 9. between T and U.
Q.31. Who is seated opposite to 3 ?
Q.36. Who lives on first floor ?
(1) 9 (2) 11 (3) 5
(1) P (2) Q (3) T
(4) 2 (5) 12
(4) S (5) U
Q.32. Find the odd one out ?
(1) 10 (2) 7 (3) 2 Q.37. How many persons are sitting between S and U ?
(4) 5 (5) 6 (1) 8 (2) 5 (3) 6
Q.33. Who is seated second to the left of 2 ? (4) 3 (5) 7
(1) 1 (2) 9 (3) 12 Q.38. Who lives on fifth floor ?
(4) 11 (5) 10 (1) Q (2) W (3) V
Q.34. Who is seated third to the right of 7 ? (4) R (5) U
(1) 5 (2) 12 (3) 3 Q.39. Which of the following floor is unoccupied ?
(4) 4 (5) 6
(1) 10 (2) 11 (3) 5
Q.35. Find the odd one out ?
(4) 6 (5) 3
(1) 10 (2) 1 (3) 6
Q.40. How many floors between W and U ?
(4) 3 (5) 11
Q.36-40. Study the following information to answer the (1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 4
given questions. (4) 5 (5) 6
NABARD GRADE-A/ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Q.41-50. In the following passage there are blanks each of Technology Bombay. The event is being
of which has been numbered as well as filled with held as a part of the institute’s annual Tech Fest.
a word which may be appropriate in context of The institute has been in context(C) with Hanson
the passage or maybe not. If the word highlighted Robotics Limited, the Hong Kong-based company
is incorrect and needs improvement then choose that maturated(D) Sophia and activated it. Sophia
any one option suggested given below. But if the will fly down to Mumbai and will be conducted(E)
given word is correct and requires no change then by a technician of Hanson Robotics Limited.
mark (5) i.e. no change required as your answer. The manager (media and marketing), Techfest, IIT
Bombay, said “On January 5, 2014, we decided
Sophia, the world’s first robot citizen, is all set to invite BINA48 [Breakthrough Intelligence
down(A) visit the city for the first time. The social Via Neutral Architecture 48] the most advanced
humanoid robot, who was granted(B) citizenship fallible(F) at that time for the fest. This time
of Saudi Arabia, will take part in a 45-minute also we considered Artificial Intelligence as the
question-answer session in front of 2,500 people most important size(G) of technology and invited
at the convention centre of the Indian Institute the world’s most advanced humanoid robot.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas won the Monte Carlo Masters without dropping a set, beating Andrey Rublev 6-3,
6-3 for his first title this year and sixth overall.
MAY 2021 MICA 97
NABARD GRADE-A
Four days ago, the Techfest team initiated a district to take prompt measures if symptoms of
hashtag(H) campaign #AskSophia on Twitter and the disease manifest in the samba paddy crop.
Facebook and has been receiving an surprising(I) Given the experience over the past few years,
response. The exhibitions manager, Techfest, when the blast disease adversely affected yield,
said, “The number of questions is yet to be the department advised farmers to opt for disease-
integrated(J). Since we have just 45 minutes with resistant varieties and avoid cultivation of highly
Sophia, questions will be asked till the time is up.” susceptible varieties such as improved white
Q.41. Choose the correct option for (A) Ponni and BPT-5204 (Andhra Ponni). However,
a large number of farmers have raised Andhra
(1) set in (2) set out (3) set to
Ponni as the variety is in good demand among
(4) set up (5) No change required traders and fetches a better price than others.
Q.42. Choose the correct option for (B) “Rice blast is a common but important fungal
(1) allocated (2) donated (3) awarded disease of rice. The disease is caused by the
(4) presented (5) No change required fungus, pyricularia oryzae, which attacks the rice
Q.43. Choose the correct option for (C) crop at all stages. The symptoms can be seen on
leaves, nodes, neck of panicle, and on grains,” said
(1) contact (2) withheld (3) touch
the Joint Director of Agriculture, in an advisory.
(4) feel (5) No change required On the leaves, the lesions start as small water-
Q.44. Choose the correct option for (D) soaked bluish green flecks and soon enlarge and
(1) discovered (2) developed (3) started form characteristic spindle-shaped or eye-shaped
(4) evolved (5) No change required spots with grey centre and dark brown margin (leaf
blast). The elongated spots join together as the
Q.45. Choose the correct option for (E)
disease progresses, and large areas of the leaves
(1) accomplished (2) obtained dry up and wither. Similar spots also form on the
(3) accompanied (4) squared sheath. Severely infected nursery and field present
(5) No change required a burnt appearance. Subsequently, node blast
Q.46. Choose the correct option for (F) and neck (panicle) blast occur. The disease causes
(1) mortal (2) humanoid (3) creatural heavy economical loss to rice farmers and the
symptoms normally occur during the winter months
(4) anthropoid (5) No change required
of December and January. Blast-infected grains
Q.47. Choose the correct option for (G) become poorly filled and chaffy. Dark spots may
(1) space (2) expanse (3) field be formed on the grains also and reduce the quality
(4) area (5) No change required of the grain, said the joint director of Agriculture.
Q.48. Choose the correct option for (H) Application of excessive doses of nitrogenous
(1) marking (2) tag (3) badge fertilizers, intermittent drizzle, cloudy weather,
high relative humidity, long dew periods and low
(4) chip (5) No change required night temperature make situation conducive for the
Q.49. Choose the correct option for (I) disease. Spraying pseudomonas fluorescens (5 gm/
(1) overwhelming (2) shattering litre three times from 45 days at an interval of 10 days)
(3) crushing (4) shocking will control the disease. Chemical control involves
(5) No change required spraying of Tricyclazole (200 grams an acre), or a
combination of Tricyclazole and Mancozeb (400
Q.50. Choose the correct option for (J)
grams an acre), or Azoxystrobin (200 ml and acre). The
(1) completed (2) finished (3) undocked fungicides should be sprayed before 11 a.m. or after
(4) finalised (5) No change required 3 p.m. in the afternoon, said the department advisory.
Q.51-60. Read the following passage carefully and answer The joint director, however, said the advisory
the questions given below it. Certain words have had been issued as a precautionary measure so
been printed in bold to help you locate them while that farmers could initiate the control measures
answering some questions. immediately when symptoms appear on their field.
With the prevailing weather likely to cause an Otherwise, the disease can spread quickly. So far,
outbreak of rice blast disease, the Agriculture there has been no report of the disease outbreak in
Department has issued advisory to farmers in the the district.

Railways has converted 4,002 train coaches as a COVID-19 care-cum-isolation facility to assist state
98 MICA MAY 2021
governments facing shortage of beds in their states.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.51. On the leaves, the lesions ________and form Q.55. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according
characteristic spindle-shaped or eye-shaped spots to the passage?
with grey centre and dark brown margin. (A) Rise blast disease is caused by the chaffy,
(A) decrease as small water-soaked bluish green pyricularia oryzae.
flecks and then enlarge. (B) Pyricularia oryzae attacks the rice crop at all stages.
(B) ends as big water-soaked bluish green flecks (C) The symptoms can be seen on leaves, nodes,
and soon enlarge. neck of panicle, and on grains.
(C) begins as small water-soaked bluish green (1) Only A (2) Both A and C (3) Only B
flecks and soon enlarge. (4) Both B and C (5) All A, B and C
(1) Only A (2) Only B Q.56. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according
(3) Only C (4) All A, B and C to the passage?
(5) None of them (A) The elongated spots disperse together as the
Q.52. As per the department advisory, what time is disease progresses, and large areas of the leaves
suitable for the spray of the fungicides? dry up and wither
(1) The fungicides should be sprayed before 11 (B) Severely infected nursery and field present a
p.m. or after 3 a.m. in the afternoon burnt appearance
(2) The fungicides should be sprayed after 11 a.m. (C) Fresh grains become poorly filled and chaffy
or after 3 a.m. in the afternoon (1) Only A (2) Both A and C (3) Only B
(3) The fungicides should be sprayed before 11 (4) Both B and C (5) All A, B and C
p.m. or after 3 p.m. in the afternoon Q.57. Choose the word most OPPOSITE in meaning to
(4) The fungicides should be sprayed before 11 the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
a.m. or after 3 p.m. in the afternoon CONDUCIVE
(5) The fungicides should be sprayed after 11 a.m. (1) Contributive (2) Promotive (3) Accessory
or after 3 p.m. in the afternoon
(4) Hindering (5) None of them
Q.53. Which of the following is TRUE according to the Q.58. Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to
passage? the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
(A) With the prevailing weather likely to cause PREVAILING
an outbreak of rice blast disease, the Agriculture
(1) Individual (2) Peculiar (3) Customary
Department has issued advisory to farmers.
(4) Limited (5) None of them
(B) if symptoms of the disease manifest in the
samba paddy crop, the breeding department will Q.59. Choose the word most OPPOSITE in meaning to
issue advisory to farmers. the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
(C) when the blast disease adversely affected yield, OUTBREAK
the department advised farmers to opt for disease- (1) Obedience (2) Commencement
resistant varieties. (3) Epidemic (4) Tumult
(1) Only A (2) Both A and C (3) Only B (5) None of them
(4) Both B and C (5) All A, B and C Q.60. Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to
Q.54. Which of the following is TRUE according to the the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
passage? SUBSEQUENTLY
(A) a large number of farmers have raised Andhra (1) Earlier (2) former (3) latterly
Ponni as the variety (4) prior (5) None of them
(B) the variety is in good demand among traders Q.61-65. Rearrange the following sentences (A), (B), (C),
and fetches a better price than others. (D), (E) and (F) in the proper sequence to form a
(C) Rice blast is a common but important fungal meaningful paragraph, then answer the questions
disease of rice given below them.
(1) Only A (2) Both A and C (3) Only B (A) For many years, this recurring outbreak, which
killed over 100 children last year, was thought to be
(4) Both B and C (5) All A, B and C
due to the Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus

In line with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) guidelines, Airtel Payments Bank announced that it
has become the first payments bank in the country to enable Rs 2 lakh day-end balance account limit. MAY 2021 MICA 99
NABARD GRADE-A
(B) Like several natural toxins, the anthraquinones Q.67. A new review by the United Nations agency
in the bean don’t harm healthy people, but cause monitoring Iran’s compliance with a treaty that
fatal dysfunction of the liver ______ its nuclear activities has not ______ any
(C) In Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, where violations by Tehran.
too a recurrent encephalitis outbreak was traced to (1) Restricts, identified (2) decreases, analysed
this bean (3) Restrain, named (4) Other than these
(D) Now researchers say it was likely due to the (5) No words required
consumption of a wild bean, called Bada Chakunda, Q.68. In 1817 a Roman Catholic theological faculty
which grows freely in the region was ______, with a seminary called the Konvikt,
(E) A paper in the Indian journal Current Science and there are now also _____ of law, medicine,
suggests an unexpected cause for the inflammatory philosophy, political economy and natural science.
brain disease — encephalitis — found in Malkangiri (1) Expelled, florist (2) Admitted, students
district of Odisha
(3) Added, faculties (4) Submit, anarchy
(F) Heart and brain in underfed children. This
(5) Absented, epicure
finding draws on the researchers’ previous work
Q.69. Delhi’s air quality ______ in the emergency
Q.61. Which of the following would be the FIRST
category for the second straight day on Monday,
sentence after rearrangement?
but monitoring agencies have forecast a ______
(1) D (2) B (3) F clean-up from Tuesday.
(4) C (5) None of them (1) Remained, gradual (2) Remained, irregular
Q.62. Which of the following would be the THIRD (3) gradual, irregular (4) Other than these
sentence after rearrangement? (5) No words required
(1) C (2) E (3) A Q.70. In Mumbai, we tend to ______ towards the malls,
(4) D (5) None of them restaurants and cinemas. But in the process, we end
Q.63. Which of the following would be the LAST up ______ little about the place we live in or its
sentence after rearrangement? people.
(1) F (2) C (3) B (1) Gravitate, learning (2) Retreat, getting
(4) D (5) None of them (3) Running, ignoring (4) Other than these
Q.64. Which of the following would be the SECOND (5) No words required
sentence after rearrangement? Q.71-80. Which of the Phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4)
(1) C (2) F (3) A given below each sentence should replace the
phrases printed in bold in the sentence to make it
(4) D (5) None of them
grammatically correct. If the sentence is correct as
Q.65. Which of the following would be the FOURTH it is given and no correction is required, mark (5)
sentence after rearrangement? as the answer.
(1) E (2) B (3) F Q.71. Fresh buying by investors in blue-chip stocks
(4) C (5) None of them between foreign capital inflows kept the
Q.66-70. In each of the following sentences there are two momentum going and the leads from Wall street
blank spaces. Below each five pairs of words have were positive, but Asian shares were little changed
been denoted by numbers (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5). after an oil rally.
Find out which pair of words can be filled in the (1) amid foreign capital inflows keeps the
blanks in order to make a meaningful sentence. momentum going
Q.66. The market regulator said banks needed clarity on (2) amid foreign capital inflows kept the momentum go
the types of ______ that would require ______ , (3) amid foreign capital inflows kept the momentum
depending on the kind of loan availed by companies. going
(1) Lapses, discovery (2) Errors, tips (4) amidst foreign capital inflows kept the
(3) Defaults, disclosure (4) Other than these momentum going
(5) No words required (5) No correction required

The United States and China, the world''s two biggest carbon polluters, agreed to cooperate to curb
100 MICA MAY 2021
climate change with urgency.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.72. The prime minister advocated the use of public Q.77. The agency has granted the country consular
transport to save on fuel and costs associated access for the death row prisoner by allowing the
by the import of petroleum, saying travelling on a presence of an agent diplomat during the meeting
metro train should be a prestige issue. with his family.
(1) to save on fuel and costs associated with (1) access to the death rowing prisoner by allowing
(2) to save on fuel and costs associated to (2) access to the death row prisoner with allowing
(3) to save on fuel and costs associated on (3) access to the death row prisoner by allowing
(4) to save for fuel and costs associated with (4) assesse to the death row prisoner by allowing
(5) No correction required (5) No correction required
Q.73. The government and the opposition are keen over Q.78. Firming crude oil prices in the global market is
ending the current impasse in the Rajya Sabha, likely to cast its shadow on retail inflation, which
which saw a washout of proceedings in the first has begun to move northwards after hitting a
week of the Winter Session, and the House may low of 1.46 per cent in the last month, and may
resume normal functioning this week. prompt the RBI to hold interest rates at least for
(1) keen at ending the current impasse in some time in the next month.
(2) keen for ending the current impasse in (1) which has began to move northwards after
(3) keen in ending the current impasse in hitting a low of 1.46 per cent
(4) keen on ending the current impasse in (2) which has begun to moved northwards after
hitting a low of 1.46 per cent
(5) No correction required
(3) which has begun to move northwards before
Q.74. The government has urged countries to act up
hitting a low of 1.46 per cent
restraint and work to ease tensions after the north
part of the country called the latest UN sanctions (4) which has begun to move northwards after
to target the country an act of war that violates its hitting low of 1.46 per cent
sovereignty. (5) No correction required
(1) act on restraint and work to ease tensions Q.79. The primary market activity in the corporate bond
(2) act with restraint and work to ease tensions markets is like to remain stable in the near future
but growth in the segment may take time to pick up
(3) act for restraint and work to ease tensions
due to weak capex plans by industries.
(4) act by restraint and work to ease tensions
(1) are likely to remain stable in the near future but
(5) No correction required
(2) is likely to remain stable in the near future but
Q.75. A passenger bus collided with a van carrying
(3) is likely to be remained stable in the near future
pilgrims to Christmas Mass at a church in the
but
northern area of the city, leaving 20 people dead
and more than two dozen injured. (4) is likely to remain stabilized in the near future
but
(1) Was collided with a van carrying pilgrims to
(5) No correction required
(2) collided along a van carrying pilgrims to
Q.80. Markets regulator SEBI is considering to revisit its
(3) were collided with a van carrying pilgrims to
directive on loan defaulters disclosure, which will
(4) collided across a van carrying pilgrims to make it mandatory for listed companies to inform stock
(5) No correction required exchanges about such issues as soon as they occur.
Q.76. The president’s recent decision to declare Jerusalem (1) considering to revisit their directive on loan
as Israel's capital has given joy out of the festival default disclosure
for the people in the holy land who witnessed a (2) considering to revisit its directed on loan default
low key celebration that day. disclosure
(1) taken joy out of the festival for the people (3) considering to revisit its directive over loan
(2) taken joy up of the festival for the people default disclosure
(3) given joy up of the festival for the people (4) considering to revisit its directive on loan
(4) taken joy in of the festival for the people default disclosure
(5) No correction required (5) No correction required
Regulator Irdai has imposed a penalty of Rs 51 lakh on four insurers, including SBI General Insurance
Company, for violation of certain norms related to motor insurance.
MAY 2021 MICA 101
NABARD GRADE-A
NABARD GRADE-A/COMPUTER LANGUAGE
Q.81. Smart Card is _________ (4) Memory (5) Unit
(1) Special purpose Cards Q.90. Use ______, When you want to make all letters
(2) Micro Processor Card capital without having to use the shift key for each
character.
(3) Processing unit contains memory for storing data
(1) shifter (2) upper case
(4) Processing unit for software handling
(3) caps lock key (4) icon
(5) Identification Proof
(5) alt key
Q.82. Programs such as Mozilla Firefox that serve
as navigable windows into the Web are called Q.91. A screen element of MS Word that is usually
_____________ located below the title bar that provides categorized
options is ________.
(1) Hypertext (2) Networks (3) Internet
(1) Menu mar (2) Tool Bar (3) Status Bar
(4) Web browsers (5) Web server
(4) Formula Bar (5) Ruler Bar
Q.83. The design of the network is called the network
----------. Q.92. A computer can’t “boot” if it does not have the
________
(1) architecture (2) server
(1) Compiler (2) Loader
(3) transmission (4) type
(3) Operating System (4) MS office
(5) design
(5) Keyboard
Q.84. Which of these is not a means of personal
communication on the Internet? Q.93. Documents, Movies, Images and Photographs etc
are stored at a _____.
(1) Chat (2) Instant messaging
(1) Application Sever (2) Web Sever
(3) Insta notes (4) Electronic mail
(3) Print Server (4) File Server
(5) Newsgroups
(5) All
Q.85. Which of the following is not found as an icon on
the Desktop? Q.94. To verify that the note text is positioned correctly
on the page, switch to _____ view or display the
(1) My Documents (2) Recycle Bin
document in print preview.
(3) Internet Explorer (4) Network
(1) normal (2) print layout
(5) Microsoft XP
(3) page layout (4) page edit
Q.86. You can detect spelling and grammar errors by
(5) Page Orientation
________.
Q.95. Tiger is a code name of a version of what operating
(1) Press Shift + F7 (2) Press Ctrl + F7
system?
(3) Press Alt+ F7 (4) Press F7
(1) Mac OS (2) Windows (3) Android
(5) Press F8
(4) iOS (5) Linux
Q.87. _____ formatting is the process of changing the
Q.96. Original digital content is automatically protected
way letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and
by a legal means called what?
symbols appear on the screen and in print.
(1) Copy-protection
(1) Document (2) Character (3) Paragraph
(2) Digital rights management
(4) Object (5) Page
(3) Personal property rights
Q.88. What was processor speed measured in before
gigahertz? (4) Copyright
(1) Kilohertz (2) Megahertz (3) Terahertz (5) Digital Proof
(4) Petahertz (5) Hertz Q.97. What is another name for a custom interface for a
software program?
Q.89. A program in execution is called ____
(1) Cover (2) Mask (3) Skin
(1) process (2) function (3) CPU
(4) Surface (5) Clone
Ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj created a national record in 50m backstroke while winning his
102 MICA MAY 2021
second gold of the Uzbekistan Open Championship.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.98. Which is the part of a computer that one can touch (1) EFTS (2) MPG (3) MIPS
and feel? (4) CFPS (5) MICS
(1) Hardware (2) Software (3) Programs Q.100. Which of the following devices is not an optical
(4) Output (5) Instructions drive?
Q.99. A term associated with the comparison of (1) Hard drive (2) Blu-ray drive
processing speeds of different computer system is (3) DVD drive (4) CD drive
______.
(5) CD-RW

NABARD GRADE-A/GENERAL AWARENESS

Q.101. Who has addressed the Association of Indian (1) Bhutan (2) Bangladesh (3) Sri Lanka
Universities' 95th Annual Meet and National (4) Nepal (5) Pakistan
Seminar of Vice-Chancellors through video
Q.107. A Skill India pavilion was inaugurated virtually at
conferencing?
the Kumbh Mela in which city to guide the youth
(1) Ajay Kumar Bhalla (2) V K Singh on various opportunities available to them?
(3) Narendra Modi (4) Dr. Harsh Vardhan (1) Haridwar (2) Dehradun (3) Roorkee
(5) Ajay Prakash Sawhney (4) Kashipur (5) Rishikesh
Q.102. Which of the following country's government Q.108. The President appointed _______ the senior-most
has decided to start releasing massive amounts Election Commissioner, as the Chief Election
of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Commissioner in the Election Commission of
Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in India.
two years.
(1) Om Prakash Rawat (2) Manoj Kumar
(1) Iran (2) Japan (3) Pakistan
(3) Sushil Chandra (4) Sunil Arora
(4) China (5) India
(5) Ashok Lavasa
Q.103. Drug major Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has received
Q.109. Who has launched DGFT "Trade Facilitation"
approval from the Indian drug regulator for
Mobile App, for promoting ease of doing business
restricted emergency use of Covid-19 vaccine
and providing quick access to information to
_____ in the country.
importers/exporters?
(1) Covishield (2) Covaxin
(1) Piyush Goyal (2) Ajay Kumar Bhalla
(3) AstraZeneca (4) Sputnik
(3) V K Singh (4) Narendra Modi
(5) Novavax
(5) Dr. Harsh Vardhan
Q.104. Markets regulator SEBI imposed a penalty of Rs
Q.110. A team of scientists of which of the following
25 crore on which bank in the matter of misselling
institute has been awarded for Excellence in
the lender's AT-1 bonds a few years ago?
Dissemination of agricultural practices and
(1) Axis Bank (2) HDFC Bank technologies from Lab to Farm by "Agriculture
(3) Yes Bank (4) State Bank of India Today", a National Agriculture Magazine?
(5) Central Bank of India (1) ISRO (2) DRDO (3) NASA
Q.105. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) (4) ICAR (5) JAXA
and which country's embassy in India signed an Q.111. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited has
agreement to jointly work towards promoting set up an oxygen plant with ____ cubic meters per
innovation and entrepreneurship among aspiring hour capacity in its Gujarat's Kalol unit.
entrepreneurs?
(1) 200 (2) 400 (3) 600
(1) Japan (2) Denmark (3) France
(4) 300 (5) 500
(4) Germany (5) Iran
Q.112. The FACT rebel group was seen in the news
Q.106. Which of the following country has signed an recently, is associated with which country?
agreement with the state-run China Development
(1) Pakistan (2) England (3) Chad
Bank for a loan of $ 500 million?

Non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) have requested the Reserve Bank to extend the one-time restructuring
scheme of MSME advances till March 31, 2022, as these players are unable to revive their businesses.
MAY 2021 MICA 103
NABARD GRADE-A
(4) China (5) New Zealand continue to be settled till _____ this year.
Q.113. Anupama Punchimanda has passed away in (1) 24th April (2) 26th April (3) 25th April
Bengaluru. She was a famous_______. (4) 29th April (5) 28th April
(1) Cricket umpire (2) Hockey umpire
Q.118. Who has inaugurated the first-ever online exhibition
(3) Hockey player (4) Cricket player on Ramayana?
(5) Actress (1) Narendra Modi (2) Rajnath Singh
Q.114. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of (3) Prahlad Singh Patel (4) Nitin Gadkari
the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission
(UPPSC)? (5) Piyush Goyal
(1) Ross Barker (2) Sanjay Srinet Q.119. Railways have converted how many train coaches
as a COVID-19 care-cum-isolation facility to assist
(3) J.P. Gupta (4) Mata Prasad
state governments facing a shortage of beds in their
(5) J.M. Qureshi states?
Q.115. Bhumidhar Barman has passed away recently in (1) 4,004 (2) 4,002 (3) 4,000
Guwahati. He was a famous _____.
(4) 4,006 (5) 4,009
(1) Player (2) Politician (3) Musician
Q.120. Which of the following bank has become the first
(4) Actor (5) Scientist payment bank in the country, which has increased
Q.116. Stefanos Tsitsipas won the ________ without the balance limit of one day from 1 lakh to 2 lakh
dropping a set, beating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-3 for rupees?
his first title this year and sixth overall.
(1) Airtel Payments Bank
(1) Australian Open (2) French Open
(2) State Bank of India
(3) Wimbledon (4) Monte Carlo Masters
(3) Central Bank of India
(5) US Open
(4) Bank of Baroda
Q.117. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, PMGKP
Insurance Policy claims of COVID Warriors will (5) Punjab National Bank

NABARD GRADE-A/GENERAL STUDIES

Q.121. Which of the following is not a Scheduled Q.125. Which of the following oils is gaining popularity as
Commercial Bank? a cooking option in India?
(1) IDBI Bank (2) Axis Bank (1) Olive (2) Coconut (3) Pongamia
(3) HDFC Bank (4) SIDBI (4) Peanut (5) None of these
(5) None of these Q.126. The Second Plan gave priority to -
Q.122. 'Standard of living' refers to (1) Agriculture (2) Services
(1) Increase in income (3) Heavy Industries (4) Foreign Trade
(2) Increase in comforts and luxuries (5) None of these
(3) Combination of necessaries, comforts and luxuries Q.127. Which one among the following statements about
(4) Change in an individuals outlook industries in colonial India is not correct?
(5) None of these (1) The jute industry was almost entirely owned by
Europeans
Q.123. Alfred Marshall belongs to-
(2) The cotton textile industry was almost wholly
(1) Classical period (2) Neo-classical period
owned by Indians
(3) Modern period (4) Growth period
(3) The cotton textile industry was almost wholly
(5) None of these owned by Indians
Q.124. According to Census 2011, Literacy rate of India is- (4) The growth of cotton industry was the result of
(1) 75.01% (2) 73.04% (3) 74.04% government support
(4) 76% (5) None of these (5) None of these

The value of software exports by units registered under Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
104 MICA MAY 2021
is estimated to have risen over 7 per cent to cross Rs 5 lakh crore during 2020-21.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.128. Which of the following is not a direct tax? (1) Gross Domestic Private Investments
(1) Corporate Tax (2) Wealth Tax (2) Net Foreign Investments
(3) Income Tax (4) Excise Tax (3) Depreciation Expenditures
(5) None of these (4) Private Consumption Expenditure
Q.129. Income tax is collected by (5) None of these
(1) the State Government Q.137. Which one of the following subjects is not available
on the Union List?
(2) the Corporation
(1) Census (2) Banking
(3) the Municipality
(3) Trade Union (4) Foreign Loans
(4) the Central Government
(5) None of these
(5) None of these
Q.138. The number of firms in monopoly is ..............
Q.130. Blue and White Revolutions are related to:
(1) Three (2) Four (3) One
(1) Fisheries and Edible oil
(4) Two (5) None of these
(2) Poultry and Dairying
Q.139. The employment guarantee scheme was first
(3) Fisheries and Dairying introduced in-
(4) Fisheries and Agriculture (1) Madhya Pradesh (2) Gujarat
(5) None of these (3) Tamil Nadu (4) Maharashtra
Q.131. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana was launched in- (5) None of these
(1) 1993 (2) 1995 (3) 1999 Q.140. Sachar committee is associated with-
(4) 2000 (5) None of these (1) Socio-economic and educational conditions of
Q.132. Which one among the following sectors in India muslims in India.
has the highest share of employment? (2) Bombay communal Riots, 1992
(1) Agriculture and allied activities (3) Anti-Sikh Riots, 1984
(2) Manufacturing (4) Linguistic and religions minorities in India
(3) Construction (5) None of these
(4) Tertiary sector Q.141. 'Gold' is mainly related to -
(5) None of these (1) International Market
Q.133. Which one of the following goods has only (2) National Market
exchange value? (3) Regional Market
(1) Diamond (2) Television (3) Computer (4) Local Market
(4) Rice (5) None of these (5) None of these
Q.134. The major impact of globalisation on Indian Q.142. Which of the following is not a factors of production?
agriculture is the development of (1) Land (2) Labour (3) Enterprise
(1) Pesticide technology (4) Exchange (5) None of these
(2) Machine technology Q.143. National Income is the -
(3) Biotechnology (1) Net Domestic Product at Factor Cost
(4) Fertilizer technology (2) Net Domestic Product at Market Price
(5) None of these (3) Net National Product at Factor Cost
Q.135. In India, the most important source of energy is (4) Net National Product at Market Price
(1) Nuclear power (2) Hydroelectric power (5) None of these
(3) Petroleum (4) Coal Q.144. When saving exceeds investment, the income flow
(5) None of these (1) remains same (2) becomes negative
Q.136. GNP calculation through Expenditure Method does (3) rises (4) declines
not include ? (5) None of these
India's Jhilli Dalabehera clinched the gold medal in the 45kg category at the Asian Weightlifting
Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
MAY 2021 MICA 105
NABARD GRADE-A
Q.145. The fourteen major banks in India were nationalized Q.153. What is the full form of SEBI?
in the year- (1) Science and Engineering Board of India
(1) 1967 (2) 1968 (3) 1969 (2) Social Equity Bureau of India
(4) 1971 (5) None of these (3) Securities and Exchange Board of India
Q.146. What is the full form of C.T.B.T? (4) Science and Educational Board of India
(1) Comprehensive Task Ban Treaty (5) None of these
(2) Comprehensive Time Ban Treaty Q.154. Which statement is/are correct about Bharat
(3) Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Nirman Yojana ?
(4) Comprehensive Technic Ban Treaty (1) The union governament launched a new scheme
(5) None of these Bharat Nirman Yojana in 2005
Q.147. The first major boost to modern industry in India (2) This scheme aims at developing rural infrastructure
happened in the 1860s. Which of the following was (1) only 1 (2) only 2 (3) 1 and 2
the direct result of it?
(4) All are false (5) None of these
(1) the demand created in America because of the
Q.155. Inequalities in the distribution of income is
Civil War
measured by -
(2) the demand created in Europe because of the
(1) Ogive curve (2) Phillips curve
Civil War in America
(3) Lorenz curve (4) SI curve
(3) the decline in competition from the cotton mills
of Lancashire and Manchester (5) None of these
(4) the support of government to industries in India Q.156. Wage fund theory was propounded by -
(5) None of these (1) J.M. Keynes (2) J.S. Mill (3) J.B. Sey
Q.148. Which of the following is not a member of G-20? (4) J.R. Hicks (5) None of these
(1) European Central Bank Q.157. ''Elasticity of Demand is the capacity of demand
(2) Bangladesh to change with the least change in price'' Whose
statement is this?
(3) India
(1) Pro. Marshall (2) Benham (3) J.K. Mehta
(4) Saudi Arabia
(4) Meyers (5) None of these
(5) None of these
Q.158. Which ministry launched NOWCAST service?
Q.149. NABARD establishment is based on the
recommendation of which committee? (1) Ministry of Information Technology
(1) Narasimhan Committee (2) Ministry of Agriculture
(2) Shivraman Committee (3) Ministry of Women & Child Development
(3) Raman Committee (4) Ministry of Finance
(4) All of these (5) None of these
(5) None of these Q.159. What is the meant by devaluation?
Q.150. NABARD was established in which year ? (1) Lowering the official value of the local
(1) 1981 (2) 1983 (3) 1982 money in terms of foreign currency.
(4) 1984 (5) None of these (2) Increasing the official value of the local
Q.151. The highest share in Domestic Savings in India is money in terms of foreign currency.
contributed by - (3) No change in the official value of the local
(1) Private Sector (2) Public Sector money in terms of foreign currency.
(3) Business Sector (4) Household Sector (4) All of these
(5) None of these (5) None of these
Q.152. India switched over to the decimal currency system in - Q.160. In India the first Census was held in the year-
(1) 1955 (2) 1956 (3) 1957 (1) 1871 (2) 1872 (3) 1880
(4) 1958 (5) None of these (4) 1882 (5) None of these

Charles “Chuck” Geschke — the co-founder of the major software company Adobe Inc. who helped
106 MICA MAY 2021
develop Portable Document Format technology, or PDFs — died at age 81.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
NABARD GRADE-A/AGRICULTURE
Q.161. Indian Institute of Horticulatural Research for (2) Trimethyl amine
northern plains in situated at : (3) Diallyl propyl sulphide
(1) Hessargatha, Bangalore (4) Allyl propyl disulphide
(2) Patna (5) Diethyl amine
(3) Lucknow Q.169. Tikka' disease is associated with:
(4) Calcutta (1) Wheat crop (2) Tobacco crop
(5) None of these (3) Groundnut crop (4) Sugarcane crop
Q.162. Apple can successfully be grown at the following (5) Rice crop
elevation :
Q.170. A virus infecting a bacterium is:
(1) 500 meter above sea level
(1) Plasmid (2) Bacteriophage
(2) 1000 meter above sea level
(3) Bacterial DNA (4) Bactovir
(3) 2000 meter above sea level
(5) Virobact
(4) 200 meter above sea level
Q.171. Leaf curl of tobacco is caused by:
(5) None of these
(1) Nicotina virus Ca-1 (2) Nicotina virus-10
Q.163. How many elements have so far been found esential
(3) MLO's (4) Viriod
for plant growth?
(5) PPLO
(1) 20 (2) 30 (3) 16
Q.172. Who proposed a classification of fungi which is
(4) 18 (5) None of these
now widely accepted:
Q.164. The objective of preparation of calender of
(1) Whittaker (1969)
operations is:
(2) Walker (1957)
(1) To prepare a cropping scheme
(3) Stakman and Harrar (1957)
(2) To calculate the cost of production
(4) Ainsworth (1973)
(3) To assess the need of human and bullock power
(5) Fritsch (1935)
(4) To adjust farm enterprises
Q.173. Tilletia causes the disease:
(5) None of these
(1) Rust (2) Bunt (3) Smut
Q.165. "Bhat" soils of Uttar Pradesh posses soft lime (as
free CaCO3%) in subsoil's to an extent of. (4) Karnal Bunt (5) Blight
(1) 1-5% (2) 15-20% (3) 30-40% Q.174. 'Black heart' is a physiological disorder of:
(4) 60-70% (5) 20-35% (1) Tomato (2) Chilli (3) Cabbage
Q.166. Which of the following disease was responsible for (4) Potato (5) Chestnut
the Irish famine of 1845? Q.175. Nematodes come under the category of :
(1) Black rust of wheat (1) Symbiotic nitrogetn fixtures
(2) Early blight of potato (2) Blue green algae
(3) White rust of mustard (3) Plant parasities
(4) Late blight of potato (4) Insects pests
(5) Common corn rust (5) None of these
Q.167. Khaira disease of rice is due to the deficiency of: Q.176. Out of the total cropped area of India, forest occupy
(1) Zinc (2) Molybdenum (3) Copper only :
(4) Iron (5) Potash (1) 26% (2) 35% (3) 33%
Q.168. Karnal bunt of wheat gives foul smell in the field (4) 19.5% (5) None of these
due to presence of volatile compound: Q.177. The first Director General of Indian Council of
(1) Tetramethyl amine Agricultural Research was :

Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar inaugurated a new block at the naval station in a tribute to fallen
braveheart Lieutenant Dharambir Singh Sihag.
MAY 2021 MICA 107
NABARD GRADE-A
(1) Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (1) Vitamin A (2) Vitamin E (3) Vitamin D
(2) Dr. N.S. Randhawa (4) Vitamin C (5) None of these
(3) Dr. G.S. Randhawa Q.186. Extension workers should be well versed with
(4) Dr. B.P. Pal economic principles:
(5) None of these (1) Never
Q.178. The successful sub-tropical variety of peach is : (2) Partially
(1) Alexandex (2) Florda sun (3) Alberta (3) Without is they cannot give effective advice
from business point of view
(4) Florida sun (5) None of these
(4) This is not necessary
Q.179. Which of the following statements is correct?
(5) None of these
(1) Kufri Badshah is late blight resistant vasriety of
potato Q.187. The functions of leaves are :
(2) Pant Bahar is a variety of brinjal (1) To synthesize food in presence of sunlight
(3) Pant C, is a variety of tomato (2) Intake of oxygen and release of carbondioxide
of respiration
(4) Pusa Sawan is a veriety of onion
(3) Both of the above
(5) None of these
(4) Leaves protect moisture
Q.180. The farm plan would be based on the availability of
efficiency of various factors of production: (5) Leaves play no role in a plant
(1) True (2) Partially true Q.188. Sugar baby is the variety of :
(3) False (4) Incomplete statement (1) Muskmelon (2) Pumpkin
(5) None of these (3) Watermelon (4) Bittergourd
Q.181. The fertilizer containing nitrogen in amide form is (5) None of these
: Q.189. Azatobactor is unseful in flxing of nitrogen from
(1) Urea air in:
(2) C.A.N. (1) Non-leguminous crops like rice and wheat
(3) Ammonium Sulphate (2) Leguminous crops
(4) Ammonium Phosphate (3) None of the above
(5) None of these (4) Soyabean
Q.182. Which of the following Agricultural Universities (5) All of these
was started in 1960? Q.190. Subsistence farming is characterized by:
(1) C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Tech, (1) Enough surplus for sale
Kanpur (2) Distress sale
(2) Punjab Agicultural University, Ludhiana (3) Can hire large number of labours
(3) UP Agricultural University. Pant-nagar (4) The resource structure is rich
(4) Rajendra Agri. University. Pusa, Bihar (5) None of these
(5) None of these Q.191. The cultivated muskmelons are mostly:
Q.183. Farm budget is a tool of farm management analysis: (1) Monoecious (2) Androecious
(1) True (2) Never includes cost (3) Gynaecious (4) Androemonoecious
(3) False (4) It is a futile exercise (5) None of these
(5) None of these Q.192. Mixed farming is when:
Q.184. Near the canal banks soils become : (1) Crop production is combined with livestock
(1) Alkaline (2) Acidic (3) Neutral enterprise and 50%-50% income is from both
(4) Well drained (5) None of these (2) Entire farm land is sown under mixed crops
Q.185. Papaya fruits are rich in the folowing: (3) Only milk cattle are raised on the farm

British actor Helen McCrory, best known to fans for her roles in popular "Harry Potter" franchise and
108 MICA MAY 2021
TV show "Peaky Blinders", has died at the age of 52.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
(4) Income from milk animal is 95% Q.196. U.P. 319 is a variety of :
(5) None of these (1) Paddy (2) Jowar (3) Wheat
Q.193. The cost of the production of the crop can be (4) Bajra (5) None of these
minimized by using economic priciple: Q.197. The agro-climate zones is which India is divided
(1) Law of diminishing return are:
(2) Law of opportunity cost (1) Ten (2) Twelve (3) Fifteen
(3) Cost of principle (4) Six (5) None of these
(4) Principle of least cost combination Q.198. Which variety of the following relates of oilseeds ?
(5) None of these (1) CSH-4 (2) Ganga-5 (3) Janak
Q.194. The intensity of following one year crop rotation (4) Varuna (5) None of these
'maize-potato onion' is : Q.199. Most of the plants obtain nitrogen from the soil in
(1) 100% (2) 200% (3) 150% the form of :
(4) 300% (5) None of these (1) Nitrite (2) Free nitrogen gas
Q.195. Which of the following statement is correct? (3) Nitrate (4) Nitric acid
(1) Rose, apple, peach, loquat belong to the family (5) None of these
Rosaceae. Q.200. Principle of equi-marginal returns is applied when:
(2) Mango, guava and papaya belong to family (1) The resources are unlimited
Anacardiaceae
(2) The resource prices are high
(3) Potato, tomato, brinjal and peas belong to
(3) The prices of resources are varying
family Solanaceae
(4) The resources are limited
(4) Peach belongs to family Leguminousae
(5) None of these
(5) None of these

The United States placed 11 countries, including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and
Italy in the currency practices monitoring list.
MAY 2021 MICA 109
NABARD GRADE-A
EXPLANATION/MATHS
Q.1.(2) Number of males. Q.13.(4)
= = 4200
men + women + children = 10500
4200+women + 2 women = 10500
women = 2100
Number of children = 4200
?=30
Q.2.(1)
Q.14.(1)
Q.3.(2)
Q.4.(5) From statement I : area of the circle

= = area of the rectangle

Statement II Provides breadth of the rectangle
Hence from Statement I and II we can find the
answer.
Q.5.(1) ? ˜ 32×26–27×25, = 832–675=157
= 160 (approx)
Q.6.(2) ? ˜ 59–11 = 48 (approx) ? = 448
Q.7.(5) ?˜ 1555+144=1699 = 1700 (approx) Q.15.(2) Required ratio =
Q.8.(4) 7% of Sujata's monthly income = Rs 2170
Q.16.(1) Required difference
(7 +18 + 6)% of Sujata's monthly income =
= 50 × = 2.3 lakh tonnes
= Rs 9610
Q.17.(4)
Thus total annual amount invested by Sujata =
9610 × 12 = Rs 1,15,320
Q.9.(3) side of square = 14 m.
r = 28 m., l = 112 m, b = 56 m.
perimeter of rectangle = 2(112+56)= 336 m.
Q.10.(1) Sum of last two numbers
= 555 - (75 × 2) -115 = 290
Q.18.(2) Required Times = ˜0.9
Thus required average = = 145 Q.19.(2) Sarita : Abhishek : Nisha
Q.11.(1) Relative speed = (70–4)× m./se., = 50000 × 24 :75,000 × 18 : 1,25,000 ×12
x = 8 second (approx) = 2 × 24 : 3 × 18 : 5 × 12
Q.12.(5) 14 × 3 + 1.5 = 43.5, 43.5 × 6 + 3 = 264 = 2 × 4 : 3 × 3 : 5 × 2 = 8 : 9 : 10
264 × 12 + 6 = 3174, 3174 × 24 + 12= 76188 Q.20.(5) Total no. of sweets

76188×48+24=3657048 = (15% of 80) × 80 = = 960

EXPLANATION/REASONING
Q.21.(1) Statement:- J > Q > C > R = P < N Q.22.(2) Statement:- α > β < δ > ÷ > % > ?
Conclusions:- Conclusions:-
I. J > P .. True I. α > ? .. False
II. N > C .. False II. δ > % .. True

The BCCI Apex Council has decided, in principle, to field both the men's and the women's teams at
110 MICA MAY 2021
the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if the game is included in the roster.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.23.(3) Statement:- L < I < M < C < A Q.30.(1)
Conclusions:- Q.31.(2)
I. A > B ..
II. B > A
Either I or II
Q.24.(4) Statenent:- R > A > G < N < I = S
Conclusions:- Q.32.(5)
I. R = S .. False Q.33.(4)
II. R > S .. False
Q.34.(3)
Q.25.(1) Statement:- G > L > A > S = R < P
Q.35.(1)
Conclusions:-
Q.36.(4)
I. G > R .. True
II. L > R .. False
Q.26.(5)

Q.37.(3)
Q.27.(2) Q.38.(2)
Q.28.(1) Q.39.(2)
Q.29.(2) Q.40.(3)

EXPLANATION/ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Q.41.(4) Q.42.(5) Q.43.(3) Q.63.(2)
Q.44.(2) Q.45.(3) Q.46.(2) Q.64.(3) Correct sequence : EADBFC
Q.47.(4) Q.48.(1) Q.49.(1) Q.65.(2) Correct sequence : EADBFC
Q.50.(4) Q.51.(3) Q.52.(4) Q.66.(3) Q.67.(1) Q.68.(3)
Q.53.(2) Q.54.(5) Q.55.(1) Q.69.(1) Q.70.(1) Q.71.(3)
Q.56.(2) Q.57.(4) Q.58.(3) Q.72.(1) Q.73.(4) Q.74.(2)
Q.59.(1) Q.60.(3) Q.75.(5) Q.76.(1) Q.77.(3)
Q.61.(5) Correct sequence : EADBFC Q.78.(5) Q.79.(2) Q.80.(4)
Q.62.(4) Correct sequence : EADBFC
EXPLANATION/COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE
Q.81.(3) Smart Card is processing unit contains memory communication on the Internet.
for storing data. Q.85.(5) Microsoft XP is not found as an icon on the
Q.82.(4) Programs such as Mozilla Firefox that serve as Desktop.
navigable windows into the Web are called web Q.86.(4) You can detect spelling and grammar errors by
server. pressing F7.
Q.83.(1) The design of the network is called the network Q.87.(2) Character formatting is the process of changing
architecture. the way letters, numbers, punctuation marks,
Q.84.(3) Insta notes is not a means of personal and symbols appear on the screen and in print.
The Hindu Group Publishing Pvt.Ltd. (THGPPL) announced the appointment of Krishna Prasad as
its Group Editorial Officer. MAY 2021 MICA 111
NABARD GRADE-A
Q.88.(2) One megahertz (abbreviated: MHz) is equal to view or display the document in print preview
1,000 kilohertz, or 1,000,000 hertz. Q.95.(1) Tiger is the code name for Mac OS X 10.4,
Q.89.(1) A program in execution is called process. released April 29, 2005.
Q.90.(3) Use caps lock key, When you want to make all Q.96.(4) Copyright is a legal means of protecting an
letters capital without having to use the shift author's work.
key for each character. Q.97.(3) By changing the skin of a program, you can
Q.91.(1) A screen element of MS Word that is usually make the interface look completely different,
located below the title bar that provides but usually still have all the same functions.
categorized options is menu bar. Q.98.(1) Hardware is the part of a computer that one can
Q.92.(3) A computer can’t “boot” if it does not have the touch and feel.
operating system. Q.99.(3) A term associated with the comparison of
Q.93.(4) File Server processing speeds of different computer system
Q.94.(2) To verify that the note text is positioned is MIPS.
correctly on the page, switch to Print Layout Q.100.(1) Hard Drive is not an optical drive.

EXPLANATION/GENERAL AWARENESS
Q.101.(3) Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the App, for promoting ease of doing business
Association of Indian Universities' 95th Annual and providing quick access to information to
Meet and National Seminar of Vice-Chancellors importers/exporters.
through video conferencing. Q.110.(4) A team of scientists of Indian Council of
Q.102.(2) Japan's government decided to start releasing Agricultural Research (ICMR) has been
massive amounts of treated radioactive water awarded for Excellence in Dissemination of
from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into agricultural practices and technologies from
the Pacific Ocean in two years. Lab to Farm by "Agriculture Today", a National
Q.103.(4) Drug major Dr Reddy's Laboratories has Agriculture Magazine.
received approval from Indian drug regulator Q.111.(1) Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited
for restricted emergency use of Covid-19 has set up an oxygen plant with 200 cubic meters
vaccine Sputnik in the country. per hour capacity in its Gujarat's Kalol unit.
Q.104.(3) Markets regulator SEBI imposed a penalty of Rs Q.112.(3) The FACT rebel group was seen in the news
25 crore on Yes Bank in the matter of misselling recently, is associated with Chad country.
the lender's AT-1 bonds a few years ago. "Fighters of the Front for Change and Concord
Q.105.(2) NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) in Chad (FACT)" rebel group was formed in
and Embassy of Denmark in India signed an 2016.
agreement to jointly work towards promoting Q.113.(2) Former international hockey umpire Anupama
innovation and entrepreneurship among Punchimanda passed away in Bengaluru. She
aspiring entrepreneurs. was 40.
Q.106.(3) Sri Lanka signed an agreement with the state- Q.114.(2) Sanjay Srinet has been appointed as the new
run China Development Bank for a loan of $ chairman of Uttar Pradesh Public Service
500 million. Commission (UPPSC).
Q.107.(1) A Skill India pavilion was inaugurated virtually Q.115.(2) Former Assam Chief Minister Bhumidhar
at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar to guide the Barman has passed away recently in Guwahati.
youth on various opportunities available to them. He was 89.
Q.108.(3) The President appointed Sushil Chandra the Q.116.(4) Stefanos Tsitsipas won the Monte Carlo
senior-most Election Commissioner, as the Masters
Chief Election Commissioner in the Election Q.117.(1) Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, PMGKP
Commission of India. Insurance Policy claims of COVID Warriors
Q.109.(1) Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will continue to be settled till 24th April this
launched DGFT ‘Trade Facilitation’ Mobile year.
US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International
112 MICA MAY 2021
Space Station on April 22.
 MODEL PAPER 2020
Q.118.(3) Prahlad Singh Patel has inaugurated the first- Q.120.(1) As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
ever online exhibition on Ramayana. guidelines, Airtel Payments Bank has become
Q.119.(2) Railways has converted 4,002 train coaches as a the first payment bank in the country, which has
COVID-19 care - cum - isolation facility to assist state increased the balance limit of one day from 1
governments facing shortage of beds in their states. lakh to 2 lakh rupees.

EXPLANATION/GENERAL STUDIES
Q.121.(4) SIDBI is not Scheduled Commercial Bank. Q.141.(1) 'Gold' is mainly related to International market.
Q.122.(2) 'Standard of living' refers to Increase in comforts Q.142.(4) Importance of factor of production-Land,
and luxuries. Labour, Capital, Organisation Enterprise
Q.123.(2) Alfred Marshall was one of the most influential Q.143.(3) National Income is the net national product at
economists of his time. His book, Principles of factor cost.
Economics (1890), was the dominant economic Q.144.(3)
textbook in England for many years. Alfred Q.145.(3) The fourteen major banks in India were
Marshall belongs to Neo-classical period. nationalized in the year 1969.
Q.124.(3) The literacy rate for India in Census 2011, Q.146.(3) C.T.B.T. - Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
works out the 74.04% Q.147.(3) The first major boost to modern industry in India
Q.125.(2) happened in the 1880. It was a direct result of
Q.126.(3) The Second Plan gave priority to Heavy Industries. the decline in compotition from the cotton mills
Q.127.(2) The growth of cotton industry was not the result of Lancashire and Manchester.
of Government support. Q.148.(2) Bangladesh is not member of G-20, The
Q.128.(4) Excise tax is a Indirect taxes. members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia,
Q.129.(4) Income tax is collected by the Central Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India,
Government. Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea,
Q.130.(3) Fisheries and Dairying Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Q.131.(4) Under the Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and
launched in 2000 additional central assistance the European Union.
is given to states for basic services such as Q.149.(2) NABARD establishment is based on the
primary health, primary education, rural shelter, recommendation of Shivraman Committee.
rural drinking water and rural electrification. Q.150.(3)
Q.132.(1) India has the highest share of employment in Q.151.(4) The highest share in Domestic savings in India
Agriculture and allied activities. is contributed by household sector.
Q.133.(4) Rice goods has only exchange value in the following. Q.152.(3) India switched over to the decimal currency
Q.134.(3) system in 1957.
Q.135.(4) In India, the most important source of Energy is coal Q.153.(3) Securities and exchange board of India.
(Coal > Hydrodectricity> Petroleum> Nuclear Power) Q.154.(3)
Q.136.(3) GNP Calculation through Expenditure method Q.155.(3) Inequalities in the distribution of income
does not includes depreciation expenditures. measured by Lorenz Curve.
Q.137.(3) Census, Banking, Foreign Loans are subjects Q.156.(2) The wage fund theory was propounded by J.S.
of Union List and Trade Union Industrial and Mill
labour disputes are subjects of concurrent List Q.157.(3) J.K. Mehta- "Elasticity of Demand is the
of Indian Constitution. capacity of demand to change with the least
Q.138.(3) Monopoly is a market structure with complete change in price"
market control as the only seller in the market. Q.158.(2) Ministry of Agriculture
Q.139.(4) The employment guarantee scheme (1972-73) Q.159.(1) Devaluation means lowering the official value of the
was first introduced in Maharashtra. local money in terms of foreign currency or gold.
Q.140.(1) Sachar Committee is associated with socio- Q.160.(2) In India the first census was held in the year
economic and educational conditions of 1872. The first complete census, however was
muslims in India. taken in the year 1881.
Business services provider Quess Corp will acquire the remaining 30 per cent equity stake in
Conneqt Business Solutions Ltd from Tata Sons for Rs 208 crore.
MAY 2021 MICA 113
NABARD GRADE-A
EXPLANATION/AGRICULTURE
Q.161.(3) lucknow Q.177.(4)
Q.162.(3) Q.178.(4)
Q.163.(2) Q.179.(1)
Q.164.(3) Q.180.(4)
Q.165.(3) 30-40% Q.181.(1)
Q.166.(4) Late blight of potato Q.182.(3)
Q.167.(1) Khaira disease of rice is mainly caused by Zinc Q.183.(1)
deficiency , which shows symptoms in the Q.184.(1)
leaf base at both sides of midrib in the form of
Q.185.(1)
yellow patches.
Q.186.(3)
Q.168.(2) Trimethyl amine
Q.187.(3)
Q.169.(3) Groundnut crop
Q.188.(2)
Q.170.(2) Bacteriophage
Q.189.(1)
Q.171.(2) Nicotina Virus 10
Q.190.(2)
Q.172.(4) Ainsworth (1973)
Q.191.(4)
Q.173.(3) Smut
Q.192.(1)
Q.174.(4) Potato
Q.193.(4)
Q.175.(3) They are such parasites of plants that cause
severe damage to crops. These are called the Q.194.(4)
thread class eel worm and round worm. Ear Q.195.(1)
cockle disease of wheat and root gland disease Q.196.(2)
are the main diseases spread by it.
Q.197.(3)
Q.176.(3) The total crop area in India in 1993-94 was
Q.198.(4)
approximately 186.42 million hectares.
Therefore, the percentage of forests in the Q.199.(3)
entire crop area will be approximately 36.7 Q.200.(4)
percent. While the percentage of forests in total
geographical area of India was 19.5 percent.

Former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma has been appointed as General Counsel and Head of
114 MICA MAY 2021
Global Public Policy of Mastercard.