NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. SN
Subrahmanyan appointed as Chairman and MD of L&T: Larsen & Toubro board has appointed S N
Subrahmanyan as Chairman and MD, with effect from October
1, 2023. He will succeed A M Naik, who steps down as Non-Executive
Chairman of the L&T Group at the end of his tenure on 30 September 2023. Currently, S
N Subrahmanyan is serving as the CEO and MD of L&T. He has also worked
as Deputy MD & President leading L&T’s infrastructure business to its
position as the country’s largest construction organization.
2. ‘Harit
Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines 2023 launched:
Minister of Ports, Sarbananda Sonowal has launched ‘Harit Sagar’ the
Green Port Guidelines 2023. Aim: To promote environment-friendly practices
across all our Ports It provides a comprehensive action plan for
achieving targeted outcomes in terms of quantified reduction in carbon emission
over defined timelines and achieving SDG. It also aims to minimize waste
through reducing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling to attain zero
waste discharge from port operations.
3. Indian
Navy and Royal Thai Navy conduct 35th Indo-Thai coordinated patrol: The 35th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai
CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy was
concluded in the Andaman Sea on May 10, 2023. Aim: To reinforce maritime
linkages between the two countries and ensure the safety and security of the
international trade route in the Indian Ocean INS Kesari, an indigenously built
LST (L), and HTMS Saiburi, a Chao Phraya Class Frigate participated in the
exercise.
4. Smriti
Irani launches “Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi” campaign: Union
Ministry of WCD has launched a campaign named “Poshan Bhi Padhai
Bhi” for strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). This
unique initiative is aimed at ensuring that India has a high-quality
preschool network. ECCE is a significant component of Mission Saksham
Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and is envisaged under the NEP. The work will be
taken by Anganwadis across the country for providing nutrition as well as
better education to children.
5. National
Technology Day 2023: May 11: National Technology Day is observed
every year on May 11 across the nation to commemorate India's
nuclear test success that was conducted on May 11th, 1998, at Pokhran,
Rajasthan. 2023 theme: School to Startups-Igniting Young Minds to Innovate
This term was coined by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to recognize
the contributions of Indian scientists. On May 11, 1998, India
successfully fired the Shakti-I nuclear missile at an Army test range
in Rajasthan's Pokhran.
6. Punjab
becomes first state to enforce 'right to walk':
Punjab has become the first state in India to implement the
'right to walk' by making it mandatory for all road-owning
agencies to provide footpaths and cycle tracks in all future expansions of
roads and construction. Reason: Every month more than 10 pedestrians/
bicycle riders are killed in road accidents due to encroachment on pedestrian
footpaths Road-owning agencies include NHAI, the public works department,
local bodies, and urban development departments.
7. India
Post launches Bharat eMart portal: India Post, Confederation
of All India Traders (CAIT), and Tripta Technologies signed an
MoU for the Bharat eMart portal. This portal will provide
the facility of pick-up of consignments from the premises of traders
and ensure delivery at the doorsteps of the consignees across the country.
In the recent past, India Post has entered into similar agreements with GeM,
Regional Centers of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of
India Limited (TRIFED).
8. GST:
Government lowers threshold for e-invoicing to Rs 5 crore: The Union government has lowered the threshold limit of
e-invoicing from Rs 10 crore to Rs 5 crore. It will be mandatory for smaller
businesses to carry out business transactions via e-invoices from August
1, 2023. In the exercise of the powers of the Central Goods and Services Tax
Rules, 2017, the government has made the amendment in the notification on the
recommendations of the Council. The threshold was lowered to Rs 10 crore
on October 1, 2022.
9. Health Ministry launches SAKSHAM Learning Management
Information System: Union Health Ministry has launched
a learning management information system SAKSHAM (Stimulating
Advanced Knowledge for Sustainable Health Management). SAKSHAM is a platform
for providing online training and medical education to all health professionals
in the country. SAKSHAM was launched by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan. This
digital learning platform will ensure inclusive capacity building of health
professionals. Presently, the platform is hosting more than two hundred public
health and 100 clinical courses through online mode. Health professionals can
register for these courses through lmis.nihfw.ac.in and get certification after
undergoing requisite training and qualifying the required assessment criteria. The
platform has been developed by the National Institute of Health & Family
Welfare, New Delhi
10. Telangana govt introduces a Robotics Framework: The Telangana Government has
introduced a Robotics Framework, for providing a roadmap to promote a
robotic ecosystem in the State. This is the first-of-its-kind policy in the
country. Under the initiative, the Government will set up a Telangana Robotics
Innovation Centre (TRIC) to implement the framework which will focus on the key
pillars of infrastructure access, business enablement, fostering research and
innovation, development of a skilled workforce, and responsible deployment. The
framework will promote an innovation ecosystem that will help the State
manufacture robots not only for the country but for the world. The State
government signed Memoranda of Understanding with IIT-Hyderabad, AgHub of State
Agriculture University, and a few others to enhance the robotics ecosystem in
the state and promote innovation, research, and growth in the field.
11. IIT Madras, DRDO develop sensor technology for
underwater communications: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT
Madras) have partnered with Defence Research and Development
Organization (DRDO) scientists to develop cutting-edge sensor
technology for underwater communications. Which will be advantageous to defence
applications, especially in the Indian Navy. The indigenous development of this
technology enables the nation to fabricate the devices at a relatively lower
cost than the internationally-available foundries where the cost of fabrication
is high and the number of foundries is also limited. The ‘Piezoelectric MEMS
technology’ is required to develop high-performance thin films and convert
‘piezo thin film’ into state-of-the-art futuristic naval sensors and devices
for underwater applications. The Piezo Thin Films are one of the vital
components of piezo MEMS devices and are considered for acoustics and
vibration-sensing applications.
12. MyGov and Ministry of Culture launches ‘YUVA
PRATIBHA’: MyGov in collaboration with
the Ministry of Culture has launched a YUVA PRATIBHA Singing Talent
Hunt. The initial submission for the competition will be open for a period of
one and half month. Singing Talent Hunt is a unique opportunity for citizens
across India to display their singing talent and skills and to gain national
recognition. If one wishes to be New India’s emerging artist singer, or
musician, then he/she can participate in the YUVA PRATIBHA – Singing Talent
Hunt and lend the melodic voice in the various genres:
13. 11 May – National Technology Day : National Technology Day is observed annually on May 11 in
India. Objective – To commemorate the significant achievements and
contributions made by Indian scientists, engineers, and technologists towards
nation-building. Theme 2023 – Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for
a Sustainable Future This day holds immense historical and cultural
significance, highlighting the country’s commitment to innovation and its
pursuit of technological advancements. May 11 was declared as National
Technology Day by the Government of India to commemorate the first of the five
nuclear tests under the Pokhran-II program which were conducted on May 11,
1998. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee christened the day. On the
same date, a test flight of the ‘HANSA-3,’ the first indigenous aircraft was
conducted at Bengaluru.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. IBM
partners NASA to convert satellite data into high resolution maps: International Business Machines (IBM) has collaborated with
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to launch a new
geospatial foundation model. It is designed to convert satellite data into
high-resolution maps of floods, fires, and other landscape changes to
reveal the planet’s past and hint at its future. It is expected to be available
for preview in the second half of 2023. This model would be part of IBM’s
watsonx.ai, a next-gen enterprise studio.
2. India
among top 5 countries where babies are born pre-term: UN Report: According to a report, released by the UN, an estimated
13.4 million babies were born pre-term in 2020, with 45% of them
being born in just five countries, including India, Pakistan, Nigeria,
China, and Ethiopia. Report title: Born Too Soon: Decade of Action on
Pre-term Birth It is jointly produced by the WHO, UNICEF, and Partnership
for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH). The global pre-term birth
rate increased to 9.9% in 2020, compared to 9.8% in 2010.
3. 10 May – World Lupus Day : World Lupus Day is a global healthcare event
commemorated every year on May 10. Objective – To raise awareness about
this critical condition; that calls for an in-depth understanding and support
for each individual who has been impacted in addition to increase the funds for
more research. On this day, many local and international organizations,
communities, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals gather together
for a day of action to promote understanding about the disease so that people
throughout the world can learn more about this crippling condition and fight
against it.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Badminton Asia appoints Umar Rashid as chairman of the
Technical Officials Committee: Badminton
Asia appointed Umar Rasheed, joint secretary of the Badminton
Association of India (BAI), as the chairman of the Technical Officials
Committee. Rasheed will oversee the development and implementation of rules and
regulations to elevate officiating standards in badminton tournaments across
the country. Rashid also serves as the General Secretary of the Assam Badminton
Association, contributing significantly to the development of badminton in
Assam and the Northeast region of India.
2. Mastercard replaces BharatPe as global sponsor of ICC : The American multinational financial services
corporation, Mastercard has replaced BharatPe as the global
sponsor of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The sponsorship
pact between ICC & Mastercard is a multi-year arrangement and will cover
the upcoming 4 years. For the past year, Mastercard has been aiming to bag some
lucrative sponsorship deals as it also secured title sponsorship rights of the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) international and domestic home
fixtures from Paytm. ICC primarily helms a three-year sponsorship and its
partnership with BharatPe was kicked off on June 2021.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Sebi
allows DMA facility to registered FPIs for participating in ETCDs: The Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) has allowed stock exchanges to extend direct market
access (DMA) to registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) with immediate
effect. Reason: To promote institutional participation in Exchange Traded Commodity
Derivatives (ETCDs) DMA facilitates the clients of a broker to
directly access the exchange trading system through the broker's
infrastructure to place orders without manual intervention by the broker.
2. YES
BANK launches solar financing program to aid MSMEs: Yes
Bank has launched YES KIRAN for offering financial
assistance to MSMEs manufacturers, who wish to install solar
panels at their premises Aim: To support the adoption of sustainable
energy practices by small and midsized enterprises MSMEs will get various
benefits such as reduced operational cost, a flexible loan tenure at
competitive interest rates, and a broad range of tie-ups with leading solar
panel manufacturers and installers to help MSMEs
3. Settle
fee, charges on forex prepaid cards in rupee: RBI:
RBI has stated that fees and charges payable in India on forex
prepaid cards, store value cards, and travel cards must be denominated and
settled in local currency. The use of such cards is limited to permissible
current account transactions. It is subject to the prescribed
limits under the Foreign Exchange Management Rules. The RBI had previously
stated that no prior permission from the bank is needed for such cards.
4. AU Small Finance Bank launches RuPay credit card for
self-employed customers: AU Small Finance
Bank has partnered with RuPay to introduce the Business
Cashback RuPay credit card, a solution tailored to meet the financial
requirements of self-employed customers. This is aimed at providing a diverse
range of benefits to small businesses. AU Small Finance Bank’s Business
Cashback RuPay Credit Card simplifies financial operations for businesses with
benefits like upto 2 percent cashback, 48 days interest-free credit, and
instant loans. It also offers fire insurance, burglary, and housebreaking
coverage, making it a one-stop solution for businesses. MD & CEO of AU
Small Finance Bank – Sanjay Agarwal
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. President Droupadi Murmu confers 37 Gallantry awards: President Droupadi Murmu has conferred 37 Gallantry
awards to the personnel of the Armed Forces, CAPF, and State or Union
Territory Police during the Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) in New
Delhi. The Gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying
conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty. Murmu
conferred 8 Kirti Chakras, including 5 posthumous, and 29 Shaurya Chakras,
including 5 posthumous, upon the personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed
Police Forces and State or Union Territory Police during Defence Investiture
Ceremony (Phase-1) in New Delhi.
2. Argentina’s Lionel Messi wins Laureus Sportsman of the
Year 2023: Argentina
footballer, Lionel Messi has been named the Sportsman of the
Year at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards. Messi also became the first
athlete to scoop both the World Sportsman of the Year Award and the World Team
of the Year Award in the same year. He was awarded for his remarkable
achievements on the pitch in the past year, which included leading Argentina to
victory in the FIFA World Cup.
· World Breakthrough of the Year Award – Carlos Alcaraz
· World Comeback of the Year Award – Christian Eriksen
· World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award – Catherine
Debrunner
· World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award – Eileen Gu
· Laureus Sport for Good Award -TeamUp
· World Sportsman of the Year Award – Lionel Messi
· World Sportswoman of the Year Award – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
· World Team of the Year Award – Argentina Men’s Football Team
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