Daily GK Update- 8th May, 2022

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India's first Air Force Heritage Centre inaugurated in Chandigarh: Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated India's first Indian Air Force Heritage Centre in Chandigarh. It will highlight the IAF’s role in various wars. It also houses the first IAF-made patent aircraft Air Force ‘Kanpur-1 Vintage Prototype Aircraft’, a single-engine indigenous flying machine designed and built by the late Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh in 1958. In June 2022, an MoU on the heritage centre was signed between the Chandigarh administration and IAF.

 

2. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy inaugurates PM Jan Aushadhi Kendra: Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy inaugurated a PM Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Warasiguda in Secunderabad. Aim: To provide affordable healthcare and generate self-employment opportunities for youth

It was launched to make quality generic medicines available to the common man at a low cost.

PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana: Launched by: Department of Pharmaceuticals,  Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers Initially launched in 2008 The scheme was rechristened in 2015

 

3. Minister Piyush Goyal to attend 6th India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, and Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Canada have co-chaired the discussions for the sixth India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) in Ottawa. MDTI is a bilateral mechanism that provides an institutional mechanism to discuss a broad spectrum of trade and investment-related issues and cooperation areas. The Ministers have also reviewed India-Canada CEPA negotiations.

 

4. New Lithium deposits discovered in Rajasthan after J-K: After Jammu and Kashmir, lithium reserves have been traced in the Degana district of Rajasthan. According to officials, the lithium reserves are higher than the ones recently found in Jammu and Kashmir. Officials have also informed, that the quantity of lithium here can meet around 80% of India's demand. For the first time, lithium reserves were found in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi in February 2023. Lithium is a key component of batteries used in electric vehicles.

 

5. MoS Nityanand Rai inaugurates Dawki land port in Meghalaya: Union Minister Nityanand Rai has inaugurated the Dawki Land Port in West Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya. Aim: To promote trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh The corresponding Land Port in Bangladesh is Tamabil, located in the Sylhet district. The Dawki Land port will facilitate the movement of goods, people, and vehicles across the border. It will also facilitate passenger movement across the border.

 

6. Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR): The total length of the corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is 508 km, of which 348 km falls in Gujarat and 156 km in Maharashtra. The remaining four kilometers will fall in Dadra Nagar Haveli. A total of 12 stations will be set up in the journey between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, of which eight stations will be in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra.

 

7. First Pharma Park to be built in Uttar Pradesh: The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the establishment of the state’s first Pharma Park in Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand. The project will require the transfer of 1500 hectares of land from the Animal Husbandry Department to the Industrial Development Department.The state government will spend Rs 1560 crore for development works and providing necessary facilities to the investors in Lalitpur Pharma Park. Entrepreneurs setting up units in Pharma Park will be given 100% exemption in stamp duty on land purchase, capital subsidy, construction of houses for laborers, employment generation etc. by the government. Apart from the Pharma Park, the Uttar Pradesh government is also setting up a Medical Device Park on 350 acres of land at the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YIDA) in Gautam Buddha Nagar. The park is located in Sector 28 of YIDA, where plots have been allotted to 50 entrepreneurs so far.

 

8. INS Magar decommissioned after 36 years service to the country : INS Magar, the oldest landing ship of the Indian Navy has decommissioned after a prestigious service to the country for 36 years. The ship, commanded by Cdr Hemant V Salunkhe, has decommissioned at a sunset ceremony held at the Naval Base here. INS Magar was launched on November 16, 1984 by Meera Tahiliani and commissioned on July 18, 1987 at Garden Reach Shipyard and Engineers Limited, Kolkata by late Admiral R H Tahiliani. During her service, she participated in numerous operations, amphibious exercises and humanitarian missions and operations including Samudra Setu wherein more than 4,000 Indian nationals were repatriated from various corners of the world, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship was also instrumental in evacuation of over 1,300 survivors post Tsunami in 2004 and had been part of several joint military exercises with the Indian Army. In 2018, the vessel was converted into a training ship and joined the First Training Squadron at Kochi.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Rocket Lab launches NASA satellites to study tropical storms and hurricanes: Rocket Lab has launched NASA's two satellites to study tropical storms and hurricanes. The two CubeSats, the founding members of the agency's TROPICS network, launched atop a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, which was lifted off from New Zealand. Aim: To improve forecasting and provide new insights into how tropical storms evolve and intensify The TROPICS constellation will consist of four CubeSats in low Earth orbit.

 

2. World Red Cross Day 2023: May 8: World Red Cross Day is celebrated on May 8 every year to honor the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who founded the Red Cross. World Red Cross Day is also known as Red Crescent Day. The theme of World Red Cross Day 2023 is ‘Everything we do comes #fromtheheart’. This day recognizes the significant contributions of the International Red Cross toward providing humanitarian services to individuals regardless of their race, religion, or political beliefs.

 

3. World Thalassaemia Day 2023: 8 May: World Thalassaemia Day is celebrated every year on May 8 to create awareness about the disorder and explore treatment options. 2023 theme: Be aware. Share. Care: Strengthening Education to Bridge the Thalassaemia Care Gap This day was created by Panos Englezos (President and Founder of the Thalassemia International Federation) in 1994. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that is inherited by children from their parents.

 

4. Joe Biden appoints Indian-American Neera Tanden as Domestic Policy Advisor: United States President, Joe Biden named Indian-American Neera Tanden as his Domestic Policy Advisor to help him craft and implement his domestic policy agenda. She has replaced Susan Rice as Biden's Domestic Policy Advisor. She served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, as well as presidential campaigns and think tanks. Tanden previously served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

5. Japan to train 1000 Indian engineers for bullet train project: Japan has decided to provide specialized training to 1,000 Indian engineers ahead of starting work on the high-speed rail track system for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR). The bullet train being built between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will use the ballast-less Slab Track system (popularly known as J Slab track system) as used in Japanese Shinkansen high speed railways. For this purpose, 20 Japanese experts will provide intensive training to Indian engineers, supervisors and technicians and certify their skills. The Japanese track system is one of the best in the world and its construction requires a very high level of skill from all the technicians. According to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) in this regard, the track is the most important part of the HSR system and needs to be laid with a very high degree of precision.

 

6. India operationalizes Sittwe Port in Myanmar: India has operationalized the Sittwe Port in Myanmar with the departure of the inaugural shipment, the MV-ITT LION (V-273), from Syall Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata. The initiative is part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project. The port, built under a grant assistance from the Indian government, has been developed under a framework agreement between India and Myanmar for the construction and operation of a multimodal transit transport facility on Kaladan river. The port will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine state and further enhance trade and commerce between the two countries and the wider region.

 

7. 7 May 2023 – 64th Raising Day of Border Roads Organization (BRO): Border Roads Organization (BRO) celebrated its 64th Raising Day on 7 May 2023 at all its detachments across the country. The main function ‘Chief Engineers and Equipment Management Conference’ was organized at BRO School & Centre in Pune. To mark the day, the Raksha Rajya Mantri inaugurated the BRO Technical Training Complex and an Automated Driving Track at the premises. These facilities will enhance the training standards of the BRO personnel and help them to be better prepared for various challenges. The BRO, in more than six decades, has constructed over 61,000 kms of roads, over 900 Bridges, four Tunnels and 19 airfields under challenging conditions along India’s borders and in friendly foreign countries, including Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. In 2022-23, the BRO completed 103 infrastructure projects, the most by the organisation in a single year. These include construction of Shyok Bridge in Eastern Ladakh and Steel Arch Siyom Bridge of Load Class 70 in Arunachal Pradesh on Along-Yinkiong Road.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Spain's Carlos Alcaraz wins Madrid Open 2023: Spanish tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz has successfully defended his title at Madrid Open 2023 and won his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the year and his tenth overall. In the final, he defeated Jan-Lennard Struff (German) 6-4 3-6 6-3. While Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus has clinched the Women's singles title at Madrid Open 2023.

Other winners:

·       Men's doubles: Karen Khachanov /  Andrey Rublev

·       Women's doubles: Victoria Azarenka / Beatriz Haddad Maia

 

2. India claims 14 Medals in Asia Cup Stage 2 Archery: India has bagged 14 medals at the Asia Cup Stage 2 World Ranking Tournament to top the event in Tashkent. In 14 medals seven were gold, five were silver and two bronze. India won gold medals in all the categories except women’s individual recurve and mixed recurve and won silver medals in these two categories. The Indian trio of Mrinal Chauhan, Partha Salunkhe and Juyel Sarkar defeated Bangladesh 5-1 in the final of the men’s recurve team event to win the gold medal. The women’s recurve team of Avni, Bhajan Kaur and Lakshmi Hembrom beat Bangladesh 5-4 in the gold medal decider in their final match.

 

3. Max Verstappen wins Miami F1 Grand Prix: Max Verstappen has won the Miami Formula One Grand Prix title. Verstappen defeated Sergio Perez to win the Miami GP. Fernando Alonso claims third-place while George Russell was fourth place. Red Bull have now won all five races of the 2023 season.

 

 

 

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Visa launches CVV-free payments for tokenized credit in India : Visa has launched a new feature CVV-free payments in India that allows users to make online payments without the need for a CVV number. This facility is applicable on tokenized credit and debit cards and is available only for domestic transactions in India. The card is tokenized by securing it with a unique code and transactions are completed using a two-factor authentication process that does not require the 16-digit card number or any other card details. The new authentication method protects users from cyber fraud as the token cannot be used on another platform. CVV stands for card verification value. It’s a three- or four-digit number found on most debit and credit cards.