NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. The
National Manufacturing Innovation Survey 2021-22 released: According to a National Manufacturing Innovation Survey (NMIS)
2021-22, conducted by the Department of Science and Technology and
UNIDO, Karnataka has topped the ranking of the most innovative state
in manufacturing, followed by Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and
Haryana. The survey also highlighted that Karnataka has
the highest number of companies in manufacturing that carry out
innovations. Bottom: Northeastern states (excluding Assam), followed by
Bihar.
2. India
to launch its own heat index next year:
India will launch its own heat index in 2024 to quantify
the impact of heat on its population and generate impact-based
heatwave alerts for specific locations. IMD started issuing an experimental
heat index for different parts of the country. It includes
various parameters like wind, temperature, humidity, duration of exposure,
etc. Impact of Heat waves: It has an immense impact on human health,
causing cramps, exhaustion, stress, and heat stroke.
3. Govt
sets foodgrain production target of 332 MT for 2023-24: Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated
National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2023-24. During the
conference, he announced that the Ministry of Agriculture has set a target
of a record 3,320 lakh tonnes (332 million tonnes) production of
foodgrains for the year 2023-24. In 2022-23, 3,235 lakh tonnes were produced. The
target for the production of Pulses is fixed at 292.5 lakh and for
oilseeds at 440 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.
4. UGC launches ‘CU-Chayan’ portal for faculty
recruitment: The University Grants Commission has
launched a unified recruitment portal, CU-Chayan, for the recruitment
of faculty in central universities. The portal will provide a single platform
for candidates seeking jobs in central universities. They will register
themselves on the portal and create a personalized dashboard for themselves.
They will be able to track their applications in real-time, also can keep
updating their application and transfer that to any CU which has advertised
faculty positions. Registered applicants will also get an auto email informing
them about the new vacancies advertised by any CU. The platform also enables
universities to track applications in real time. The portal will also provide
real-time analysis and insights into the application process. The screening
committee of the university concerned can view details of the applicants, and
check the uploaded document against each entry. It is a completely
user-friendly portal and caters to the needs of all the stakeholders in the
recruitment process. UGC Chairman – M Jagadesh Kumar
5. 5 May 2023 – Buddha Purnima: Buddha Purnima, also known as Buddha Jayanti,
is being celebrated on 5 May 2023. The day marks the birth anniversary of
Lord Gautam Buddha, revered as the founding figure of Buddhism. The day is
celebrated in a grand manner by Buddhists around the world, who organise
charitable activities, and processions and visit temples on the occasion. Buddha
Purnima is marked on a full moon day in the month of Vaisakh. This year, it
falls on May 5. The date coincides with Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. While the precise
dates of Buddha’s birth and death are unknown, historians typically estimate
his lifespan to be between 563-483 BC. This year marks the 2585th birth
anniversary of Gautam Buddha. Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal. He
attained Nirvana at the age of 35.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. UAE
govt launches ‘Machines Can See 2023’ Summit:
The UAE government has launched the ‘Machines Can See 2023’
Summit, taking place at the Museum of the Future in Dubai. It is one
of the international conferences in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in
the whole region. It is organized in partnership between Artificial
Intelligence, Digital Economy, Remote Work Applications Office and the
‘Machines Can See’ company. Aim: To bring together experts from around the
world to discuss the future of AI and its potential
2. USFDA
approves world's first RSV vaccine for older adults: The United States Food and Drug Administration
(USFDA) has approved the world's first Respiratory Syncytial Virus
(RSV) vaccine for older adults. However, this vaccine still needs approval
from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before its launch in
Public. The vaccine was approved for people aged 60 and older. RSV is a
common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It can
be serious, especially for infants and older adults.
3. India,
Israel sign MoU to further collaboration in high technology areas: India and Israel have signed an MoU on Industrial Research
and Development Cooperation. Aim: To collaborate in high technology areas
such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum, and semiconductors, synthetic
biology, etc., The MoU was signed between CSIR and the DDR&D, Ministry
of Defense of Israel. It enables cooperation in the industrial R&D programs
in mutually agreeable industrial technology fields through the implementation
of specific projects.
4. Microsoft Launches Two New Initiatives to Support
Indian SMBs: Microsoft India has introduced two
new initiatives namely an SMB-focused website and a dedicated helpline.
The SMB-focused website – Microsoft for Small and Medium Businesses, aims at
bringing together business owners and entrepreneurs in India to network with
peers, enhance their skills and achieve holistic growth. While the Digital
Transformation helpline offers dedicated support to help SMBs navigate their
technological adoption and deployment journey.
5. 5 May – World Portuguese Language Day: World Portuguese Language Day is
celebrated every year on May 5. It is dedicated to highlighting the Portuguese
language. It plays a role in bringing the Portuguese people together and in
preserving their culture and identity Portuguese is one of the most widespread
languages in the world. It has more than 265 million speakers across the globe
and is the most widely spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere. This makes
the Portuguese language the sixth most spoken language in the world. The
language evolved over time, and around the 14th century, Portuguese emerged as
its descendant. People who speak Portuguese are referred to as Lusophones. The
preponderance of Lusophones currently resides in Brazil.
6. 5 May – World Hand Hygiene Day: World Hand Hygiene Day is observed on
the 5th of May every year. Objective – To promote the importance of hand
hygiene in preventing the spread of infection and promoting good health. Theme
2023 – Together, we can accelerate action to prevent infections and
antimicrobial resistance in health care and build a culture of safety and
quality in which hand hygiene improvement is given high priority. The focus
this year is to cultivate actions towards hygiene that will further reduce risk
of infections, etc. The history of World Hand Hygiene Day can be traced back to
the year 2009 when the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the first
Global Patient Safety Challenge, which called for a worldwide commitment to
improving the safety of healthcare workers and patients.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Dubai
to host the inaugural edition of the Global Chess League: Dubai (UAE) will host the inaugural edition of the
Global Chess League (GCL) from June 21 to July 2, 2023. The chess league
will be held in association with Dubai Sports Council, the hosting
partner of the league. It will feature six teams with six players
each, including a minimum of two female players and one icon player per team. The
six teams will compete in a round-robin format where each team will
play 10 matches. GCL is a joint venture of FIDE and Tech Mahindra
2. Anurag Thakur launches logo, mascot of Khelo India
University Games 2022: Union Minister of Youth Affairs and
Sports Anurag Thakur has launched the Logo, jersey, mascot,
torch, and anthem of the Khelo India University Games 2022 (KIUG
2022) in Lucknow, UP. The 3rd edition of the Khelo India University Games will
take place from May 23 to June 3. The opening ceremony is scheduled for May 25
at the Babu Banarasi Das University in Lucknow. The upcoming edition of the
KIUG is expected to have participation of more than 4700 athletes from more
than 200 universities across the country, with total participation reaching to
over 7000.
3. Luca Brecel wins World Snooker Championship: Belgium’s Luca Brecel became
the first player from continental Europe to win World Snooker
Championship. He beat four-time champion Mark Selby 18-15. The 28-year-old, who
had never won a match at the World Championship before this year’s edition. The
World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious
tournament in professional snooker. First held in 1927, it is now one of the
three tournaments that make up snooker’s Triple Crown Series.
4. South Africa fast bowler Shabnim Ismail announced her
retirement: South African fast bowler
Shabnim Ismail has announced her retirement from international
cricket. Ismail, the quickest bowler in the women’s game, played a total of 241
international matches and took 317 wickets across all formats. Ismail (34)
claimed 191 wickets in ODIs which is second only to India’s Jhulan Goswami
(255) on the all-time list. Ismail played in 241 international matches across
one-day Internationals, Twenty20s and tests, and last appeared in February’s
World Cup final loss to Australia at Newlands.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI,
BIS launch global technology competition ‘G20 TechSprint’: RBI and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) have jointly
launched the fourth edition of the G20 TechSprint, a global
technology competition. Focus: On developing innovative technology
solutions for cross-border payments Shortlisted teams will be invited
to develop their solutions over a six-week period and each team will
be eligible for a stipend of eight lakh rupees. The winners for each problem
statement will receive an award of forty lakh rupees.
2. RBI
updates KYC instructions on wire transfers for banks, institutions: RBI has updated instructions in the Master Direction on KYC
related to wire transfers and aligned the same with the
relevant recommendation of the FATF. The Banks and other financial
institutions ensure cross-border as well as domestic wire transfers
contain complete information about the originator and beneficiary. Wire
Transfer: It is an electronic transfer of funds via a network that is
administered by banks and transfer service agencies around the world
3. RBI
announces 6.97% interest rate on Floating Rate Bond 2024: RBI has announced the interest rate of 6.97% on the Floating
Rate Bond 2024, for the half year from May 7 to November 6, 2023. Floating
Rate Bonds are securities that do not have a fixed coupon rate. They have
a variable coupon rate which is re-set at preannounced intervals The
FRB bonds carry a coupon with a base rate equivalent to a weighted
average yield of the last three auctions of 182-day Treasury Bills (T-Bill)
plus a fixed spread decided by way of auction
4. Axis
Bank, India Shelter Finance partner for co-lending small loans: Axis Bank and India Shelter Finance Corporation Ltd
(IndiaShelter) have signed a strategic partnership under the
co-lending model to offer secured MSME loans to middle and low-income borrowers
in semi-urban areas
Axis
Bank will bring deep financial expertise, while IndiaShelter will provide loan
processing technology to assess borrowers' credit profiles This partnership
will strengthen the mortgage segment and help the bank augment its priority
sector lending portfolio
OBITUARIES
1. Three-time
Olympic medalist Tori Bowie passed away:
Former 100m world champion sprinter from the United States of America, Tori
Bowie passed away at 32 in Orlando, Florida. She was crowned world champion
in 2017 and won three Olympic medals at the Rio Games in 2016. She
won the Olympic Gold with the USA relay team at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She
was born and raised in Mississippi. She played basketball before her talent on
the track became apparent.
2. Tamil actor Manobala passes away: Popular Tamil actor, comedian, director, and producer Manobala passed away at the age of 69. Starting his career working under legendary filmmaker Bharathirajaa, Manobala had eventually made his directorial debut with Agaya Gangai in 1982. Over the years he would go on to make movies with top stars including Rajinikanth, Vijayakanth and Sathyaraj. He had also played supporting roles in a slew of Tamil-language films.
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