National
Toll-Free Helpline, 'SAMVEDNA' for Tele-Counselling of Children
⇒ National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is providing Tele-Counselling to children through ‘SAMVEDNA’ (Sensitizing Action on Mental Health Vulnerability through Emotional Development and Necessary Acceptance). NCPCR is a statutory body and works under the aegis of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India.
SAMVEDNA is a Toll-Free Helpline launched to provide psycho-social mental support for Children affected during COVID 19 Pandemic.
Objective:
The objective of ‘SAMVEDNA’ tele-counselling service is to providing psychological first-aid & psychological support to children to address their stress, anxiety, fear and other issues during the Pandemic.
This service is available on a toll-free No: 1800-121-2830. This service is exclusively for children who are willing to talk and are in need of counseling.
Tele counselling is provided to the children under three categories:
- Children who are in Quarantine/isolation/COVID Care centers
- Children who have COVID positive parents or family members and near ones
- Children who have lost their parents due to Covid-19 Pandemic
This Toll-free Tele-Counselling, launched in September 2020, caters to the children from all over India in various regional languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali etc.
MoU between Ministry of Tribal Affairs & Microsoft
⇒ The Ministry of Tribal Affairs on 17 May 2021 inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft to support the digital transformation of schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Ashram Schools, among others under the Ministry at an online event ‘Empowering Youth for Success’. This MoU has been inked with a vision to build an inclusive, skills-based economy.
Under this program in the first phase, 250 EMRS schools have been adopted by Microsoft out of which 50 EMRS schools will be given intensive training and 500 master trainers would be trained in the first phase.
Teachers across states in India will be trained in a phased manner for using productivity technologies like Office 365 and AI applications in teaching. This will help them to deliver blended or remote learning experiences to students in a more personalized, productive and secure manner.
GoAir has rebranded itself
⇒ Wadia Group-controlled airline GoAir has rebranded itself as Go First. It was announced on 13 May 2021 by the company.
The purpose of rebranding the 15-year-old airline is “to fully embrace the ultra-low-cost airline model”. The carrier is aiming at young travelers with the rebrand.
Oxygen concentrator banks in Delhi
⇒ Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal announced on 15 May 2021 that Oxygen concentrator banks have been set up in every district in Delhi to give a boost to the fight against coronavirus.
Coronavirus patients in home isolation can ask for home delivery of these oxygen concentrators at their doorstep.
International
Appointment of Senior Adviser to US President Joe Biden
⇒ Indian-American Neera Tanden has been appointed senior adviser to US President Joe Biden.
Tanden is currently the president and CEO of a progressive think-tank, Center for American Progress (CAP). Previously, she also served as a senior adviser for health reforms at the US Department of Health and Human Services.
43rd Prime Minister of Nepal
⇒ After the lost a crucial vote of confidence in Parliament, again, KP Sharma Oli was sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal on 14 May 2021.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Oli as the 43rd Prime Minister of Nepal at a ceremony at Shital Niwas, the presidential palace.
This is the third time oli sworn as the PM of Nepal, earlier, Oli served as prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016 and again from February 15, 2018 to May 13, 2021.
Expat Insider 2021 Survey Report
⇒ Expat Insider 2021—The Year of Uncertainty, has been published by ‘InterNations’, the largest global expat network with 4.1 million members in 420 countries. Expat Insider survey was launched in 2014.
Aim:
The Expat Insider 2021 survey report aims to shed some light on what living and working abroad has been like during a global health emergency.
Expat in India:
According to Expat Insider 2021 survey report, Expats in India are happy with their personal finances and the local cost of living. It’s also easy to find friends, but the quality of life is extremely poor.
Important key findings are:
- India ranked 51 out of 59 countries.
- India ranks among the bottom 10 of the Expat Insider 2021 survey.
- 82 percent of expats in India are satisfied with their financial situation (vs. 64% globally).
- But 51 percent find it difficult to settle down in India (vs. 22% globally).
- Four times the global average are dissatisfied with the natural environment in the country (32% vs. 8% globally).
Death
Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Revenue and Flood Control, Vijay Kashyap
⇒ BJP leader & Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Revenue and Flood Control, Vijay Kashyap died on 18 May 2021 in Gurgaon. He was 56.
He was an MLA from Muzaffarnagar’s Charthawal Assembly seat.
Former Union Minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta
⇒ Veteran BJP leader & former union minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta died on 18 May 2021. He was 87.
Prof Gupta had an illustrious political career spanning over five decades. He became a member of the J&K legislative assembly for the first time in 1972.
Prof Gupta was Union minister of state, ministry of civil aviation, between October 13, 1999 and September 1, 2001, MoS (independent charge), ministry of food processing industries (September 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002) and MoS for defence (July 1, 2002 to 2004).