NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Govt
appoints Justice TS Sivagnanam as Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court: The government of India has cleared the appointment of Justice T.
S. Sivagnana (Senior Most judge of the Calcutta HC) as the Chief
Justice of the High Court. Presently, he is serving as the Acting Chief
Justice of the Calcutta High Court. On 25 October 2021, he took oath as a Judge
of Calcutta High Court. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of
Madras High Court and later he was appointed Permanent
Judge on 29 March 2011.
2. India's
unemployment rate at a four-month high in April 2023: According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE),
the unemployment rate of India has surged to a four-month high
of 8.11% in April, compared to 7.14% in March 2023. The rise in the
unemployment rate came on the back of higher labor participation, which
has risen to 41.9% from 39.7% in March. Rural India: 20.3
million people entered the workforce and 95% of them got jobs Urban
India: 5.2 million people entered the workforce, but only half of them got
jobs
3. Manipur
CM launches facial recognition system for Inner Line Permits: Manipur CM N Biren Singh launched the Facial Recognition
System (FRS) for Inner Line Permit (ILP) system and flagged off two
camera-mounted mobile FRS vehicles. It will help in the effective checking
of ILP holders whose validity has expired and in better management of
the system. The system has been implemented on a trial basis. In
addition, two mobile vehicles will be stationed at different
locations in Imphal East and West districts to identify ILP defaulters
4. Devendra Fadnavis unveiled Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
statue in Mauritius: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis has unveiled a statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj in Mauritius. The sculpture was created in India by a
Delhi-based artist and sent to Mauritius in a container ship. Fadnavis also
announced a grant of 44 million Mauritius rupees for building a multi-purpose
hall and a scholarship for 10 students. Also, an MoU was signed between the
Economic Development Board of Mauritius and the Maharashtra Industrial
Development Corporation to establish a platform for investment between the
Western State and the island nation.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Bharti
Airtel to merge Sri Lanka operations with Dialog Axiata: Sri Lanka’s mobile telecommunication firm, Dialog Axiata,
and India’s Bharti Airtel have signed a binding term sheet for
the merger of their Sri Lankan subsidiaries. With this merger, Bharti Airtel
will get access to a large customer base in Sri Lanka. Bharti
Airtel started its operations in 2009 in Sri Lanka and has a customer
base of 1 million in the country. Dialog Axiata is a subsidiary of Malaysian
Axiata. Dialog accounts for 57% of the mobile market in Sri Lanka.
2. World
Press Freedom Day 2023: 3rd May: World Press Freedom Day is
observed annually on May 3 to raise awareness about the importance of
freedom of the press. This year marks the 30th anniversary of World
Press Freedom Day. Theme 2023: Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of
Expression as a Driver for all other human rights This day was first
proclaimed by UNESCO in 1991 in response to the increasing number of
attacks on journalists around the world. In 1993, UNGA declared May 3 as World
Press Freedom Day.
3. India
slips in World Press Freedom Index, ranks 161 out of 180 countries: According to the latest report released by global media
watchdog Reporters Without Borders, India’s ranking in the 2023 World
Press Freedom Index has slipped to 161 out of 180 countries. In 2022, India was
ranked at 150. Norway is ranked first for the seventh consecutive
year, followed by Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland Last
three: North Korea (180th), China, and Vietnam It is based on five
indicators-Political, Economic, Legal Framework, Sociocultural, and Safety
4. Indian
job market to witness 22% churn In 5 Years: WEF:
According to the WEF's latest Future of Jobs report, the Indian
job market is estimated to witness 22% churn over the next five years, with top
emerging roles coming from AI, machine learning, and data segments. Globally,
the job market churn is estimated at 23%, with 69 million new jobs expected to
be created and 83 million eliminated by 2027. Almost a quarter of jobs are
expected to change in the next five years through a growth of 10.2% and a
decline of 12.3%
5. Vanessa Hudson appoints as CEO of Qantas: Australia’s flagship carrier, Qantas has named its finance
chief Vanessa Hudson as its new chief executive officer, making
her the first woman to lead the airline. Hudson will succeed Alan Joyce, who
will retire in November 2023. Hudson, who joined Qantas 28 years ago, had held
several senior roles there, including chief customer officer and senior vice
president for the Americas and New Zealand.
6. Maiden ASEAN-India Maritime exercise starts in
Singapore: India has participated
in the inaugural edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise with
its two frontline warships- INS Satpura and INS Delhi. The harbor
phase of the exercise is scheduled to be held at the Changi Naval
Base (Singapore) from May 2-4, while the sea phase will
be conducted from May 7-8 in the South China Sea. The ASEAN-India Maritime
Exercise (AIME-2023) will provide an opportunity to the Indian Navy and ASEAN
navies to work closely with each other and conduct seamless operations in the
maritime domain. INS Delhi is India’s first indigenously-built guided missile
destroyer and INS Satpura, is also indigenously built guided missile stealth
frigate and are fitted with state-of-the art weapons and sensors.
7. 2 May 2023 – World Asthma Day: World Asthma Day is observed every year on first
Tuesday of May. This year, World Asthma Day celebrated on May 2. Global
Initiative for Asthma (GINA) observed the first World Asthma Day in 1998 to
raise awareness about the disease. Theme 2023 – Asthma care for all. May
is chosen as the month to celebrate this day as it coincides with the spring
and the fall season – the time of the year when asthma symptoms worsen. Asthma
is a chronic respiratory condition which is usually caused by the airways
becoming inflamed, narrow or swollen. This makes the airways produce extra
mucus, making it difficult for breathing. The most common symptoms of asthma
are difficulty breathing, chest pain, cough and wheezing. In some cases, asthma
can have minor difficulties in daily activities, while in other cases, it can
be a life-threatening disease.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. India
surpasses Australia to become No.1 Test team in the ICC rankings: Indian Men's team has surpassed Australia to become
the number one Test team in the latest rankings released by ICC on
May 2, 2023. Currently, India has topped the ranking with 121
points, while Australia ranked second with 116 points. Earlier this
year, India posted a 2-1 series win against Australia to retain the
Border-Gavaskar trophy for the fourth consecutive time. England, South Africa,
and New Zealand placed third, fourth, and fifth spots respectively.
2. Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Ganemat Sekhon win gold for
India: Shooters Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Ganemat
Sekhon have won India its first medal in
the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation
(ISSF) Shotgun World Cup in Cairo, Egypt. They won the gold medal by
defeating Mexicans Luis Raul Gallardo Oliveros and Gabriela Rodriguez 6-0 in
the skeet mixed team event.
The
Indian mixed doubles pair defeated Luis Raul Gallardo Oliveros and Gabriela
Rodriguez 6-0 in the final of the Skeet Mixed Team event. Italy took bronze
through their crack pair of two-time world championship silver medallist Simona
Scocchetti and Rio Olympic champion Gabrielle Rossetti.
3. Nepal wins ACC Men’s Premier Cup: Nepal have qualified for the Asia
Cup 2023 after winning the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. The team, led by Rohit Paudel
defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by seven wickets in the final that was
played across two days at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground
in Kirtipur. Nepal, therefore, joined India and Pakistan in Group A of the Asia
Cup to be played in September. Nepal, UAE and Oman will also take part in the
ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in July where they will face ‘A’ teams of five
full-member teams.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. World
Bank to provide 2.25 billion dollars to Bangladesh : The World
Bank will provide financial aid of 2.25 billion dollars to Bangladesh
for five projects Accelerating
transport and trade connectivity in Eastern South Asia worth $753.45
million USD 500 million for Resilient
Infrastructure Building Project USD 500 million First Bangladesh Green and Climate Resilient
Development USD 250 million Sustainable
Microenterprise and Resilient Transformation USD 250 million Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and
Transformation
2. Airtel
Payments Bank rolls out face authentication for AePS: Airtel Payments Bank has collaborated with the National
Payments Corporation of India to roll out Face Authentication for
Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS). AePS allows customers to carry out
financial and non-financial transactions at any banking point using their
Aadhaar number/ virtual ID to access their Aadhaar-linked bank account. This
facility will enable customers to validate the transaction by undertaking
face authentication along with the Aadhaar number.
3. Asia-Pacific
to grow 4.6% in 2023: IMF: According to the IMF report, the growth
of the Asia-Pacific region is expected to increase to 4.6% in 2023 from
3.8% in 2022. The two largest emerging market economies (India &
China) of the region are expected to contribute around half of global
growth in 2023. 2023 will be challenging for the global economy, with global
growth decelerating as the effects of monetary policy tightening and Russia's
war in Ukraine continue to weigh on economic activity.
4. Nirmala Sitharama attends 56th Annual General Meeting
of Board of Directors of ADB: Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attends the 56th Annual General Meeting
of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in South Korea. The
meetings are attended by official delegations of ADB members, observers,
non-governmental and civil society organizations, financial institutions and
banks, and other private sector companies. During the four-day visit,
Sitharaman will also participate in annual meeting focal events like the
Governors’ Business, and also as a panelist in the ADB Governors’ Seminar on
Policies to Support Asia’s Rebound.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. British
actress-author Meera Sayal receives BAFTA Fellowship : UK-based
Indian-origin actor-writer Meera Syal has been conferred a BAFTA
Fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed by the British Academy of
Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Recognition: For an outstanding and
exceptional contribution to film/television She was honored with an MBE and
then a CBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to drama and
literature. She is best known for television shows such as 'Goodness Gracious
Me' and 'The Kumars at No. 42'.
2. Meera Syal to receive a BAFTA fellowship in London: Popular UK-based Indian-origin actor-writer Meera Syal has
been conferred a BAFTA Fellowship, the highest accolade
bestowed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
(BAFTA) upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and
exceptional contribution to film and television. The 61-year-old, who was born
to Punjabi parents and grew up in the West Midlands region of England, was
honoured with an MBE and then a CBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II for her
contribution to drama and literature.
Best known for television shows such as ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ and ‘The Kumars at No. 42’, Syal has made her mark as an award-winning actor, screenwriter and novelist over the years. The fellowship will be presented to her during the BAFTA Television Awards ceremony as part of a special commemoration of her work to-date at the Royal Festival Hall in London on May 14.
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