21st May 2020 Current affairs

1. International Tea Day is observed annually on May 21. The day aims to raise awareness of the long history and the deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world.

2. The US Senate passed legislation on May 20, 2020 that seeks to delist Chinese firms from US securities exchanges unless they follow US standards of audits and regulations. 

3. The Oil India Limited (OIL) has received environmental clearance from MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) for its major exploration project beneath the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of Assam. The company has received permission to extend drilling and testing of hydrocarbons in the area. The park is the only region in India that supports feral horses.

4. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 29th death anniversary was observed on May 21, 2020. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. He had become India’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40.

5. Andaman’s rare palm called Pinanga andamanensis, which is a critically endangered species, has been replanted at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) in Kerala to prevent its extinction. There are only 600 specimens of the species at present. The plant is tiny and generally grows in evergreen forests.

6. The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) for three more years beyond March 31, 2020 till March 31, 2023. The move is aimed at ensuring old age income security for Senior Citizens.

7. Ministry of Defence has approved the procurement of 26 defence items from local suppliers under ‘Make in India’ initiative. Some of the defence items include electronic motor, cable assemblies, dual switch amplifier, sealing ring, weldox and hardox plate and modulator. 

8. The Union Cabinet has approved additional funding up to Rs 3 lakh crore to eligible MSMEs and interested MUDRA borrowers through the introduction of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS).