Weekly Current Affairs Highlights – 17th to 22nd May.

On this page, you can read all the major news/Current Affairs of the week.

On a daily basis, we are covering all relevant Current Affairs under our various initiatives. For further reading, you can refer to our following initiatives:

1. 9 PM: Daily Current Affairs Summaries For UPSC 
2. Daily Editorials: Daily Current Affairs Editorials For UPSC 
3. Factly: Daily Current Affairs For Prelims

Updates in History

This week the update in history includes the inclusion of Six sites into UNESCO’s tentative list, Basava Jayanthi, etc. The important articles in this regard are,

• Ministry of Culture is reprinting “Mongolian Kanjur” manuscripts
• PM pays homage to “Lord Basaveshwara” on occasion of Basava Jayanthi
• Six sites added to the “tentative list of UNESCO” world heritage sites
• National Archives of India
• Climate Change impact on Cave Arts of Sulawesi Island of Indonesia

Updates in Polity and Governance        

Creation of new districts in India

Recently Punjab Chief Minister has declared Malerkotla as the 23rd district of Punjab. The important articles in this regard are,

• What is the Process to Create New District in India?
• Creation of New Districts in India: Pros and Cons – Explained, Pointwise

Other updates

There are few updates received in the Polity and governance topics from the newspapers. The important updates are,

• RTI reveals details of “Electoral bonds” sale during the recent elections
• How “Legislative Councils” are Set-up in States?
• Need of Constituting National Tribunal Commission in India
• Government Must Ensure ‘Right to Life’ for Economic Recovery
• Misuse of Sedition law in India
• Collaborative Governance Should be the future of Governance
• Maratha Reservation Case Judgment and Federalism
• Significance of Citizen-led Fact-Finding Missions

Update on Social Issues

This week health took the spotlight with the new Covid-19 guidelines, Black and white fungal infections, etc. The important articles in this regard are,

Articles on Health

• Centre releases “Covid-19 guidelines for rural areas”
• “SAMVEDNA Helpline”- Tele Counselling of Children Impacted by Covid-19
• “Black Fungus” or Mucormycosis Declared an Epidemic by Rajasthan
• Government Advisory on Aerosol and Droplet Transmission of Covid-19
• Brain drain in the health sector – Explained, Pointwise
• Kerala Model to tackle the Covid-19 Pandemic in India
• Method to Estimate Covid Deaths in India
• Measures to Prevent Future Waves of Pandemic Disaster
• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
• What is “White Fungus” and How Dangerous is it?

Articles on Education

Others

• Government launches “CBID Program” on Rehabilitation of Divyangjan
• Analysing the Social security code 2020 for Informal Workforce
• Union Minister launches “NMMS app” and “Area officer monitoring App”

Updates on International Relations

This week the important updates in International relations include the Goa maritime symposium, the setting up of DD International, etc. The important articles covered by us include

• Indian Navy hosts “Goa Maritime Symposium-2021”
• What is “Diplomatic Immunity”?
• Sri Lanka’s “Colombo Port City Project” clears all hurdles
• Centre to set up “DD International”- A BBC-like channel to push Indian views
• China completes Tibet highway
• India’s policy on Israel and Palestine – Explained, Pointwise
• China-India Relations and India’s Weakening Geo-Political Position
• India’s Palestine policy
• Significance of India’s Diaspora
• India loses “Farzad B gas field” project as Iran decides to develop it domestically

Updates in Economy

This week the economic topics in the news include articles on Govt decisions on granting infrastructure status for convention centres, updates on Central Vista Project, etc. The important articles on Economy are,

• Unemployment Rate in India Shoots up to 8% in April: CMIE
• RBI to transfer Surplus Profit to Central Government
• Government Notifies Rules for 74% FDI in Insurance Sector
• WHO-ILO Study on the Impact of Long Working Hours
• Finance Ministry grants “infrastructure status for convention centres”
• “SWAMIH Fund” Completes First Residential Project
• Central Vista Project – Demolition of National Institutions
• Concerns Associated with demolition of National Archives of India’s Building
• Systemic Issues affecting Women’s Participation in labour Market

Updates in Agriculture

This week there were certain important updates on Agriculture like export of GI tagged Gholvad Sapota, government decision on Fertilizer subsidy etc. The important articles that covered these topics are,

• India begins export of GI certified “Gholvad Sapota”
• Issue of fertilizer subsidy in India – Explained, Pointwise

Science and Technology

This week there were few important updates in the field of science and technology such as a new naming system for Virus, Protein Antibody Conjugates(PAC) for treatment, etc. The important articles covered in this regard are,

• “Protein–Antibody Conjugates (PACs)” – A combination of biologics and Antibody-Drug Conjugates
• “Winchcombe Meteorite” – To be Displayed in the UK
• New Naming System for Virus Variants
• India starts importing “zeolite” for medical oxygen plants.
• IIT-M team develops “Blocktrack app” for healthcare information system
• Antarctica gives birth to “A-76 Iceberg”(world’s largest iceberg)
• USSR-era “INS Rajput” decommissioned

Important updates on Environment

This week there were certain important updates on the Environment like the WWF report on Snow Leopards, New Asian gracile skink, etc. The important articles that covered these topics are,

• New species of “Asian gracile skink” found from Western Ghats
• Understanding the feeding behaviour of “Northern Elephant seals”
• WWF Report on Snow Leopards
• Biomedical Waste Management during pandemic – Explained, Pointwise

Updates on Disaster Management

This week there were certain important updates on disaster management like updates on Cyclone Tauktae, Lightning Flash killed 18 Elephants in Assam, etc. The important articles covered in this regard are,

• “Cyclone Tauktae” expected to hit Gujarat
• Can a Single Lightning Flash kill 18 Elephants?
• Why Arabian Sea is transforming into a New Cyclonic Hotbed? – Explained, Pointwise
• Rising Cyclone Intensity and Frequency due to Micro-Climatic Changes
• Steps and Suggestions to Handle Cyclone related Disasters

Miscellaneous articles for Prelims this week

• What is causing ‘Mice Rain’ in Eastern Australia?
• VIP Security Cover to West Bengal MLAs – Associated Issues