NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Third G20 tourism meet to be held in Srinagar: The 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group meeting will be held
in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir from May 22 to 24. More than 100 delegates,
including at least 70 representing G20 member-states, are expected to
participate. During the working sessions, G20 delegates will discuss a
potential roadmap that would link Tourism-sector with the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. The G20 working group meeting in Jammu and Kashmir is
a great opportunity for all of us to showcase and promote the Union Territory
and its abundant tourism potential to the world. The event will be based on 5
areas eg. Green Tourism, Digitalisation, Skills, Tourism MSMEs, and Destination
Management.
2. Lucknow to get new Pharmaceutical Research and
Innovation Institute: Uttar Pradesh government will set up a pharmaceutical research
and innovation institute in The institute will promote research and manufacturing
in the pharma sector. UP is the sixth-largest state in the nation in terms of
the number of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. UP’s contribution to
pharma manufacturing in the country is currently 2%, which needs to be
increased to 10-12%.
3. Online education program ‘Pahal’ for rural children
inaugurated: Uttar Pradesh Chief
Secretary, Durga Shankar Mishra has inaugurated an online
rural education program ‘Pahal’ at Government UP Sainik Inter
College, Sarojini Nagar. This programme has been prepared by the Department of
secondary education in collaboration with IIT Kanpur. The initiative aims to
provide educational opportunities to rural children who have limited access to
quality education. ‘Pahal’ is designed to bridge the education gap between
rural and urban areas. Under this program, in the initial phase, free online
education will be provided in 10 government secondary schools of the state. Through
these classes, students of rural areas will be able to get the latest
information related to science and mathematics.
4. Arjun Ram Meghwal appointed as the new Law and Justice
Minister: Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal has been assigned
the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of
Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios. Meghwal replaced
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. Rijiju who was serving as Law and Justice
Minister will now hold the portfolio of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. President
Droupadi Murmu allocated the portfolios to these Ministers on the advice of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. S.P. Singh Baghel has been assigned as Minister
of State in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry. Baghel was serving as
Minister of State in the Law and Justice Ministry.
5. PM
Narendra Modi left on a three-nation tour: PM
Narendra Modi embarked on tour to Japan, Papua New Guinea, and
Australia on May 19, 2023. At first, he will attend G7 Summit in
Japan at an inivitation of Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. G7 Summit
preferences: Nuclear disarmament, economic resilience and security, food
and health and development Later, he will visit Papua New
Guinea to host the third Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific
Islands Cooperation with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James
Marape.
6. CJI
to administer oath to two new judges: CJI
DY Chandrachud has administered the oath of
office to Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and senior advocate Kalpathy
Venkataraman Viswanathan as judges of the Supreme Court. Current
sanctioned strength: 34 Justice KM Joseph, Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice V
Ramasubramanian will retire in June 2023. Currently, Justice PK
Mishra is serving the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
KV Viswanathan is a senior advocate and a former Additional Solicitor
General.
7. Centre
to launch an ‘Integrative Health policy’:
Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the National Ayush
Mission Conclave in presence of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya (Minister of
Health). Minister of Health informed that the Government will launch an
‘Integrative Health Policy’ for the health and wellness of public at large. It
would be a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of
Ayush. Two ICT initiatives of Ministry of Ayush i.e. E-Learning Management
System and AHMIS were launched.
8. National
Endangered Species Day 2023: 19 May: National Endangered Species
Day is observed annually on the third Friday in May each year to
raise awareness about endangered species and the need for their conservation. In
2023, this day is celebrated on May 19. 2023 theme: Celebrating
the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act In 1973, the Endangered
Species Act was passed, which is designed to protect endangered and threatened
species in the USA. In India, the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, was enacted.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India launches ‘Operation Karuna’ to assist
cyclone-hit Myanmar: India has launched ‘Operation
Karuna’ to assist Myanmar which has been devastated by Cyclone Mocha.
Three Indian Navy ships carrying relief material reached Yangon. The ships are
carrying emergency food items, tents, essential medicines, water pumps,
portable generators, clothes, sanitary and hygiene items, etc,”. More than 40
tonnes of HADR materials brought by INS Shivalik, INS Kamorta and INS Savitri
included emergency food items, tents, portable generators, clothes, water
pumps, medicines, tarpaulins, hygiene and sanitary items, wheelchair, face
masks, etc. The fourth ship INS Gharial will bring more HADR materials,
including emergency medicines and medical kits.
2. UNEP suggests measures to reduce 80% of world’s
plastic pollution by 2040: According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s “Turning
Off The Tap” report, Plastic pollution across the world can see
a reduction of up to 80 percent by 2040 if companies and countries
make policy and market shifts using existing technologies. The report
highlights the magnitude and nature of changes required to end plastic
pollution and to create a circular economy to replace the widespread use of
single-use plastics and their inappropriate disposal. Plastic pollution
undermines marine ecosystems and contaminates oceans. The presence of
microplastics – tiny fragments resulting from the disposal and breakdown of
consumer products and industrial waste – are increasingly found in the human
food chain. According to the report, one million plastic bottles are purchased
every minute while up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every
year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed for single-use
purposes, the UNEP confirms. About 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are
generated every year. To reduce the problem of unnecessary plastics, the report
suggests tackling the problem with the approach of ‘reuse, recycle and reorient
and diversify products.’
3. 18 May – International Museum Day: International Museum Day is observed
annually on May 18 in order to recognize the vital role that museums
play in fostering cultural exchange. Theme 2023 – Museums, Sustainability,
and Well-being International Museum Day was established in 1977 during the ICOM
General Assembly in Moscow, Russia. The resolution aimed to create an annual
event that would unite museums and raise global awareness about their
activities. It conveyed the message that museums are essential for cultural
exchange, mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace among people.
4. 18 May – World AIDS Vaccine Day: Worlds AIDS Vaccine Day or HIV Vaccine
Awareness Day is observed every year on 18 May. Objective – To create
awareness about the importance of HIV vaccination in preventing HIV infection
and AIDS. World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Knowledge Day, was
observed for the first time on May 18th, 1998 in order to celebrate the
anniversary of the first international AIDS Vaccine trial which took place in
1997. The trial was conducted in Thailand and it involved more than 16,000
volunteers. The trial was named RV144. It was the first-ever trial against HIV
that showed a combination of two vaccines reduced the risk of HIV infection by
31%.
5. 18 May 2023 – Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Global Accessibility Awareness Day is
celebrated every year on the third Thursday of May. This year falls
on 18 May. The purpose of Global Accessibility Awareness Day is to get everyone
talking, thinking and learning about digital, web, software, mobile among
others, and help ensure access to these technologies for people with
disabilities. This day brings focus to designing contents and technologies
especially for persons with disabilities. The effort of the government is
clearly inspired by the vision to build an inclusive society in which equal
opportunities are provided for the growth and development of Persons with
Disabilities so that they can also lead productive, safe and dignified lives.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Annu Rani clinched gold medal in Federation Cup 2023: Olympian Annu Rani bagged the gold medal in the javelin
throwing Federation Cup 2023 athletics event at the Birsa Munda Stadium in
Ranchi. With the victory, Annu Rani also breached the Asian Games 2023
qualifying standards set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The
30-year-old javelin thrower made the cut with an effort of 59.24m, well above
the AFI’s mark of 56.46m. She also qualified for the Asian Athletics
Championships, scheduled for July in Bangkok, Thailand.
2. India bags 16 gold medals at the South Asian Youth
Table Tennis Championship 2023: The three-day international event South Asian Youth Table Tennis
Championship 2023 concluded in Itanagar. In this event, more than 100 athletes
from six countries Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal
participated. The hosts India won all the gold medals on offer on the last day
at the Dorjee Khandu Indoor Stadium. Besides, the Indians also bagged four
silver medals in the singles. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives were also
among the medals, while Bhutan, who participated only in the singles events,
drew a blank. On the second day of the championships, the Indians won three
gold medals in the U-15 Boys, U-19 Girls and U15 Girls, while Nepal claimed the
U-19 Boys gold. In the Under-19 Boys singles, Ankur Bhattacharjee defeated
Payas Jain 4-2 to claim the gold.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. HDFC
Mutual Fund launches India's first defence fund: HDFC
AMC Ltd has launched India's first mutual fund focussed on the defence
sector. Aim: To provide investors with an opportunity to participate in the
growth potential of this space The new fund offering (NFO) of HDFC Defence Fund
is an open-ended equity scheme, that opened on May 19 and close on
June 2, 2023. The fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in
defence and allied sector companies including stocks forming part of
aerospace and defence.
2. Irdai
forms task force to facilitate ease of doing KYC using Aadhaar: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) has formed a task force to facilitate ease of doing
KYC and allied matters using Aadhaar. At present, the UIDAI framework
allows insurance companies to identify the customer by using his/her
Aadhaar with consent management. Besides the simplicity of customer onboarding
and avoiding potential fraud, there are problems with providing the
services and making claims.
3. Aditya
Birla Capital launches Udyog Plus: Aditya Birla
Capital has launched an MSME-focused portal, Udyog
Plus to provide capital and other business solutions to small
businesses, including investments and utility services. It offers online
loans up to Rs 10 lakhs to MSMEs through various product offerings such as
supply chain finance. Loans up to Rs 2 lakhs are provided without
collateral or documentation. For loans above Rs 2 lakhs, MSMEs
are required to submit financial statements, ITR, and GST returns.
4. Credit
card spend in forex to come under RBI’s remittance scheme: As per a Finance Ministry notification, the spending in foreign
exchange through international credit cards (ICCs) will be covered
under the RBI’s liberalized remittance scheme (LRS). Under this scheme,
a resident can remit money abroad up to a maximum of USD 2.50 lakh per
annum without the authorization of the Reserve Bank. Earlier, the usage of ICCs
for making payments for fulfilling expenses during travel outside India
was not included in the LRS limit.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Tata Chairman N Chandrasekaran honored with France’s
highest civilian award: Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan
Chandrasekaran was honoured with the prestigious “Chevalier de la
Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Minister for
Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna. He was awarded for his role in
developing and fostering commercial links between India and France. Natarajan
Chandrasekaran, popularly known as Chandra in corporate circles, was appointed
as the Chairman of Tata Sons in 2017. Last year, he received a five-year
extension in his role. Chandra began his journey with Tata Consultancy Services
(TCS) in 1987 as a graduate trainee after graduating from Trichy’s Regional
Engineering College. Over the course of his more than two-decade-long tenure at
TCS, he steadily climbed the ranks and became the CEO in 2009.
2. Harrison
Ford receives the Palme D’Or Award at Cannes Film Festival 2023: Actor Harrison Ford was honored with the prestigious Palme
D'Or award for lifetime achievement at the 76th Cannes Film
Festival 2023. He received the award before the premiere of his film 'Indiana
Jones and the Dial of Destiny'. 76th annual Cannes Film Festival: It is
an annual film festival, held in Cannes France from 16 to 27 May 2023.
The festival opened with Jeanne du Barry (directed by Maïwenn). The
festival will close with Elemental directed by Peter Sohn
3. WHO
Director-General announces Global Health Leaders Awards 2023: WHO DG, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will present two-lifetime
achievement awards to Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum and Peter
Piot at the 76th World Health Assembly held in Geneva on May 21.
Professor Muyembe-Tamfum from Congo is being recognized for his innovation
and contributions to the management and treatment of diseases such
as Ebola virus disease. Professor Piot from Belgium is being
recognized for his leadership in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
OBITUARIES
1. Hinduja Group chairman SP Hinduja passes away: Srichand Parmanand Hinduja, chairman of the Hinduja Group, passed away in London at the age of 87. He was a British billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist. As of August 2022, together with his brother Gopichand, he was the UK's richest man. In 1952, he joined his father PD Hinduja (founder of Hinduja Group) in the family business. Subsidiaries of Hinduja Group: Ashok Leyland, IndusInd Bank, Gulf Oil International Ltd, Quaker-Houghton, etc.
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