NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. 4th
edition of state-level Shirui Lily Festival 2022 begins in Manipur: In Manipur, the 4th Edition of State-Level Shirui Lily Festival 2022
has begun. This annual festival is organised by the Department of Tourism,
Government of Manipur with an aim to create and raise awareness of the Shirui
Lily flower which is also the State Flower of Manipur. The four-day-long
festival has inaugurated by the Governor of Manipur La. Ganesan and the Chief
Minister N. Biren Singh tomorrow at Shirui Village Ground in Ukhrul district.
About the
festival: The festival is held around April and May as it is
the blooming season of Shirui Lily. The flower is found in the Ukhrul district
of Manipur only and cannot be replanted anywhere in the world. This year, some
of the international rock bands will perform in the festival. Every year,
tourists both domestic and international attend the function. Different events
including traditional dances, songs and music, trekking, beauty contests,
indigenous games and sports will be organised at different sites in the Ukhrul
district.
Note: Manipur
Chief Minister: N Biren Singh; Capital of Manipur: Imphal; Manipur Governor:
La. Ganesan.
2. Indian Railways and IIT Madras
Partner to Develop India’s First Indigenous Hyperloop: The Ministry of
Railways has announced that it’s going to collaborate with IIT Madras for the
development of a made-in-India Hyperloop system. It has also announced that
it’ll be setting up a Centre for Excellence for Hyperloop technologies at the
aforementioned institution. India has shown interest in Hyperloop tech since
2017, by then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. In fact, the ministry also held
talks with US-based Hyperloop One, but nothing quite materialised.
About Hyperloop:
a)
Hyperloop
is a concept of high-speed transportation where pressurised vehicles (or pods)
travel through a low-pressure tunnel allowing for movement through the
atmosphere at almost no resistance, similar to air travel.
b)
Imagine,
an aircraft like speed on land, travelling through low-pressure tunnels from
one terminal to another. The pods would move via mag-lev technology that would
enable the frictionless ride.
c)
Apart
from being extremely quick, it’s also eco-friendly as it consumes less power
than an electric train and doesn’t really have any emissions unlike an aircraft
or a diesel locomotive.
3.
International Day of Yoga to be observed in Karnataka on June 21: The Union Ministry
of Ayush has confirmed the observance of the 8th International Day of Yoga
(IDY) at Mysuru city, which is known as the cultural capital and major historic
destination of Karnataka state on June 21. The Ministry of Ayush has written to
the Chief Secretary of Karnataka P. Ravikumar regarding the matter and directed
him to issue necessary directions to all the concerned to make arrangements for
the successful organisation of the main event of IDY-2022.
The preparations for IDY-2022 are already
underway. As the upcoming 8th IDY is falling in the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’
year, this Ministry plans to observe IDY at 75 iconic sites across the country.
This year, the IDY will be focused on Branding India on the global stage. Every
year, the main event of IDY observation happens in a particular city where
thousands of people participate in Mass Yoga Demonstration by following the
Common Yoga Protocol. The main event of IDY observation is led by the Prime
Minister himself. The main event of this IYD observation will be held in
Mysuru, Karnataka.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Belgium becomes first country to
make quarantine compulsory for monkeypox patients: Belgium has become
the first country to make a 21-day quarantine compulsory for monkeypox patients
after four cases of the disease were reported. The Belgian health authorities
took this decision, Saudi Gazette reported citing Belgian media. The Belgian
Institute of Tropical Medicine has said that the risk of a larger outbreak in
the country is low.
Monkeypox Virus: The World Health
Organization reported that there were a total of 92 confirmed monkeypox cases
in 12 different countries, with 28 suspected cases under investigation. Cases
of monkeypox have been confirmed in the UK, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain,
France, Belgium, Germany, the US, Canada and Australia, as reported by Saudi
Gazette.
Monkeypox is a disease in the same family
as smallpox and symptoms include a distinct bumpy rash, a fever, sore muscles,
and a headache. Monkeypox is less deadly than smallpox, with a mortality rate
below four per cent, but experts are worried about the unusual spread of the
disease beyond Africa where it usually circulates.
Note: Belgium Capital: Brussels; Belgium
Currency: Euro; Prime Minister of Belgium: Alexander De Croo.
2. Jose Ramos-Horta sworn in as
president of East Timor: Former independence fighter and Nobel Peace Prize
laureate, Jose Ramos-Horta has been sworn in as president of East Timor
(Timor-Leste) ahead of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of
independence for Asia’s youngest country. He defeated incumbent Francisco “Lu
Olo” Guterres, his fellow independence fighter, in the election. Ramos-Horta
was prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and president from 2007 to 2012. East
Timor is marking the 20th anniversary of independence for Asia’s youngest
country.
Note: East Timor Capital: Dili; East Timor
Currency: United States Dollar.
3. World
Thyroid Awareness Day: 25th May: World Thyroid
Day is observed on May 25 to promote awareness and understanding of thyroid
diseases, their symptoms, prevention, and treatments. There’s no separate theme
for World Thyroid Day this year. However, for Thyroid Awareness Week observed
between May 22 and 28, Thyroid Federation international has announced the
theme, “It’s not you. It’s your thyroid.” The theme focused on making sure that
people understand the most common symptoms of thyroid disorders and take the
necessary steps to cure it.
World
Thyroid Awareness Day History: May 25 was
officially adopted as World Thyroid Day during the Annual General Meeting prior
to the European Thyroid Association (ETA) congress in September 2007. The date
of May 25 also marks the anniversary of ETA’s foundation in 1965. Hence, it was
chosen to be as a day dedicated to creating awareness about thyroid disorders.
4.
International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing
Territories: 25th to 31st May: United Nations
is observing “International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of
Non-Self-Governing Territories” from May 25 to 31. Non-Self-Governing Territory
is defined as a Territory “whose people have not yet attained a full measure of
self-government.” To take effective measures to protect and guarantee the
inalienable rights of the people of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to their
natural resources, including land. To establish and maintain control over the
future development of those resources and request the administering powers to take
measures to protect the property rights of the peoples in these Territories.
History
of International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing
Territories: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted
the resolution A/RES/54/91 on 6th December 1999 and decided the annually
observe the International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of
Non-Self-Governing Territories starting from May 25. The week was first
observed in 2000.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Manchester City won 2021-22 Premier
League Football championship: Manchester City has won 2021/22 Premier
League champions their fourth title success. Manchester City won over Aston
Villa in the final game of the season. In Manchester City’s 38 league matches
this season, they have won 29, drawn six, and lost three, scoring 99 goals in
the process.
Manchester City has now won four Premier
League titles and eight major trophies under Pep Guardiola since his arrival in
the summer of 2016. Manchester City clinched a sixth Premier League title in 11
seasons on Sunday by scoring three times in five minutes to come from behind to
beat Aston Villa 3-2 in the finale to avoid being toppled by challenger
Liverpool.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. SBI
launched Real Time Xpress Credit on YONO platform: State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the introduction of Real-Time
Xpress Credit on its Yono platform, allowing eligible customers to get personal
loans of up to Rs 35 lakh. The bank said its flagship personal loan product for
salaried customers “Xpress Credit” now has a digital avatar and customers can
now avail of it through Yono. Under Real-Time Xpress Credit:
a) Real-Time Xpress Credit, central, state government and defence salaried
customers of SBI will no longer be required to visit the branch for availing of
a personal loan. It would be a 100% paperless and digital experience and an
end-to-end eight-step journey.
b) The Xpress Credit product will enable our customers to experience a
digital, hassle-free, and paperless loan process. SBI constantly endeavour to
offer technology-led enhanced digital banking experience to the customers in
order to simplify banking.”
Note: State Bank
of India Founded: 1 July 1955; State Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai; State
Bank of India Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. Jet Airways Gets DGCA approval To
Start Commercial Flights: The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has
granted air operator’s permit to Jet Airways. This will allow the airline to
restart commercial flight operations after remaining grounded for more than
three years. The approval comes after the airline conducted proving flights for
the safety regulator between May 15 and May 17. The airline aims to start
operations in the second quarter, i.e. between July and September. It will be a
full-service carrier with business and economy classes.
With the grant of the permit, Jet Airways
has fulfilled all the pre-conditions laid down by the National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT) as part of the insolvency process for the transfer of the
ownership of the airline to the successful resolution applicant- the consortium
of UAE-based NRI Murari Lal Jalan and U.K.-based Kalrock Capital Management in
London.
Note: Jet Airways CEO: Sanjiv Kapoor (4 Apr
2022–); Jet Airways Founder: Naresh Goyal; Jet Airways Founded: 1 April 1992,
Mumbai; Jet Airways Headquarters: Mumbai.
2. ONGC First Indian Exploration and
Production Firm To Trade Domestic Gas: The state-owned Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) has become the first gas producer to sell domestic gas on
the Indian Gas Exchange, exchanging unidentified amounts from the KG-DWN-98/2
block off the coast of India. ONGC stated in a statement that it will gradually
raise output. ONGC has made history by becoming India’s first exploration and
production (E&P) company to trade domestic gas on the Indian Gas
Exchange.
ONGC Director (Onshore) & In-charge
Marketing Anurag Sharma made the first online trade on India’s first automated
national level Gas Exchange, IGX. The gas exchanged came from the ONGC Krishna
Godavari 98/2 block, but did not identify the quantity sold. ONGC has geared
itself to reap the benefits of the liberalization of the gas price ecosystem in
2000-21.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. WHO DG’s Global Health Leaders
Awards: India’s ASHA Workers Among 6 Winners: India’s one million all-women
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers, were honoured with the World
Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award 2022
for their “crucial role” in providing direct access to healthcare facilities in
rural areas and their indefatigable efforts to rein in the coronavirus pandemic
in the country. The award recognises the outstanding contributions to advancing
global health, demonstrated leadership and commitment to regional health
issues.
Other Recipients of the Award:
a)
Dr
Paul Farmer was Chair of the Department of Global Health and social medicine at
Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Partners in Health.
b)
Dr
Ahmed Hankir, a British-Lebanese psychiatrist is a Senior Research fellow at
the Centre for Mental Health Research in association with Cambridge University
andAcademic Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry at King’s College London in the
UnitedKingdom.
c)
Ludmila
Sofia Oliveira Varela for her work to facilitate access to sports for all
providers a healthy alternative to risky behaviours among young people, and
tackles the growing threat of non-communicable diseases.
d)
Polio
workers in Afghanistan include Mohamamd Zubair Khalazai, NajibullahKosha,
Shadab Yosufi, Shareefullah Hemati, Haseeba Omari, Khadija Attaee,
MuniraHakimi, Robina Yosufi and Shadab.
e)
Yōhei
Sasakawa is the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, and Japan’s
Ambassador for the Human Rights of People Affected by leprosy.
DEFENCE
1. India launching Project WARDEC
AI-powered wargame centre: The Army Training Command and Gandhinagar-based
Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
establish a Wargame Research and Development Centre in New Delhi. The project,
dubbed ‘WARDEC’ as a prototype, will be India’s first simulation-based training
centre, which will use artificial intelligence (AI) to create virtual reality
wargames.
Wargame Centre Purpose:
a)
The
wargame simulations will be used to train for conflicts, counter-terrorist
operations, and counter-insurgency operations.
b)
In
the next three to four months, the RRU will collaborate with Tech Mahindra to
develop the centre.
c)
Soldiers
will put their talents to the test in the metaverse, which will combine virtual
reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to imitate their surroundings.
d)
The
Army will give data to form the backdrop of the game, according to RRU
officials, so that participants have a genuine experience.
e)
The
BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB, in addition to the armed forces, might benefit
from metaverse-enabled simulation exercises for enhanced training.
f) AI can deliver a completely immersive training experience by simulating a battlefield as closely as possible and mapping multiple scenarios in the unlikely case of a war.
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