Current Affairs 15th May 2024
Welcome to your one-stop shop for staying informed on the latest happenings! In this edition of Current Affairs for May 15th, 2024, we’ll delve into the key news shaping our world today.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1) 7th India-France Joint Military “Ex-SHAKTI” 2024 Commences in Meghalaya
The seventh India-France joint military exercise “Exercise SHAKTI 2024” began on May 13, 2024, in Umroi, a fully constructed and advanced Foreign Training Node in Meghalaya.
Ex-SHAKTI is a biannual training exercise performed alternately between India and France.
The 14-day joint exercise is slated to take place from May 13 to May 26, 2024.
The combined exercise will center on activities in semi-urban and mountainous areas.
Key Participants:
- The Indian contingent is primarily represented by a battalion of the RAJPUT Regiment, which comprises of 90 troops. Observers from the Indian Air Force and Navy will also take part in the drill.
- The French contingent will be mostly represented by members of the 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE). It is likewise made up of 90 people.
Key Highlights:
- The exercise intends to increase both nations’ joint military capabilities to conduct multi-domain operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the UN mandate.
- The combined exercise will involve tactical drills like as responding to a terrorist attack including the capture of a designated region, establishing a combined Command Post, and establishing an Intelligence and Surveillance Centre, among other things.
Significance: This joint EX-SHAKTI will allow both nations to share best practices in joint operation tactics, techniques, and procedures. It will enable the development of interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces.
Note: The sixth edition of Ex-SHAKTI took place in November 2021 at the Military School of Draguignan in France.
Additional Information:
India conduct 3 biennial training exercises with France namely,
- GARUDA– between Air Forces of India and France
- VARUNA– between Navies of India and France
- SHAKTI- is a joint military exercise between India and France
About Indian Army:
- Chief of Army Staff: Manoj Pande
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
- Established – April 01, 1895
About France:
- President: Emmanuel Macron
- Capital: Paris
- Currency: Euro
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
2) Highlights of 19th United Nations Forum on Forests held in New York
The United Nations Forum on Forests’ 19th session (UNFF19) took place from May 6 to May 10, 2024, at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, United States (US). The UNFF Secretariat arranged the forum. It was presided over by Zéphyrin Maniratanga of Burundi.
The forum conducted a midterm evaluation of the International Arrangement on Forests.
The session’s main outputs were a High-Level Segment declaration and an omnibus resolution including the results of the midterm review as well as the Forum’s new Quadrennial Programme of Work for 2025-2028.
The Indian delegation was led by Jitendra Kumar, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
About United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF):
It is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with global membership.
The Forum has established several milestones, including the first UN Forest Instrument in 2007, the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN) in 2015, and the approval of the first UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 and its six Global Forest Goals in 2017.
- Establishment– 2000
- Headquarters– New York, US
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3) India & Iran Signed a Long Term Contract to Operate Chabahar Port in Iran
On May 13, 2024, India and Iran inked a 10-year deal to run the Shahid Beheshti Port Terminal at Chabahar Port, Iran. This will improve regional connectivity and trade relationships.
The deal was signed between India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), and the Iranian Port and Maritime Organisation (PMO).
Key People: The contract was signed in the presence of Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Government of India (GoI), and Mehrdad Bazrpash, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development.
Key Points:
- According to the deal, IPGL will invest around USD 120 million to equip the port.
- India has also given a USD 250 million credit facility for mutually agreed-upon projects aimed at improving Chabahar’s infrastructure.
Background:
- In May 2015, India signed an inter-governmental memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build the Chabahar port.
- The contract was signed in May 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Iran.
- In May 2016, India began development of the Shahid Beheshti terminal as part of a tripartite agreement (Chahbahar Agreement) inked with Iran and Afghanistan.
- Note that Afghanistan is no longer a part of the agreements after the Taliban took over the nation in 2021.
About Chabahar Port Project:
- Chabahar Port is a deep-water port in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, South Eastern Iran. It comprises of two significant ports: Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti.
- It is India and Iran’s flagship project, with the goal of serving as an important transit port for commerce with Afghanistan and Central Asian landlocked countries.
- Chabahar Port is significant for India because it provides a quicker and more practical path via which India can easily circumvent Pakistan and trade with Central Asian countries.
- Chabahar Port is an important hub for the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project.
- INSTC is a 72,00 km multi-mode freight transportation project connecting India, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe.
About Iran:
- President- Ebrahim Raisi
- Currency- Iranian Rial
- Capital- Tehran
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4) India’s Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayāloka –Locana Included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MOW) Register
UNESCO’s “Memory of the World (MOW) Asia-Pacific Regional Register” includes the Ramcharitmanas (Rāmacaritamānasa), Panchatantra (Pañcatantra Fables), and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana.
The inclusion of these literary works occurred at the 10th conference of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) in Ulaanbatar, Mongolia.
During the 2024 cycle, the Asia-Pacific Member States added 20 new items from various nations (three of which were from India).
Key Points:
- The Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana were written by Goswami Tulsidas, Pt. Vishnu Sharma, and Acharya Anandvardhan respectively.
- The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) was instrumental in achieving the inclusion of these historical literary works in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.
- Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Dean (Administration) and Head of Department (HOD), Kala Nidhi Division at IGNCA in New Delhi, successfully represented India’s three submissions.
- The gathering was attended by 38 delegates from member nations, as well as 40 observers and nominees.
Note: This is the first time IGNCA has submitted nominations to the Regional Register since its creation in 2008.
About Memory of the World Committee for Asia and Pacific (MOWCAP):
- It is a regional forum for UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme (MOW), which began in 1992.
- It also maintains an Asia-Pacific registry of MOW documentary heritage. Inscriptions to the Asia-Pacific Register are made every two years.
- MOWCAP was formally created in 1998, at the first MOWCAP General Meeting in Beijing, China.
- It intends to help preserve universal access to the Asia-Pacific region’s documentary legacy while also raising awareness of its presence and value.
- It includes 43 nations from the Asia-Pacific area.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO):
- Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Established: 1945
Click here to read from source
5) Illegal trafficking of Wildlife Remains Prevalent: UNODC 3rd World Wildlife Crime Report
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has issued the third edition of its World Wildlife Crime Report, titled ‘World Wildlife Crime Report 2024: Trafficking in Protected Species’, which emphasizes the ongoing problem of unlawful trafficking in plant and animal wildlife.
Report Summary:
The UNODC’s Research and Trend Analysis Branch created the study, which examines current trends in the unlawful trafficking of protected species and provides a detailed evaluation of the causes and worldwide repercussions of wildlife crime.
The report, which is published every four years, examines data from 2020-2021 to determine the scale of illegal wildlife trading.
The first and second versions of the report were released in 2016 and 2020, respectively.
Highlights:
Seizures in 2020 and 2021 were roughly half of prior years, most likely owing to COVID-19 interruptions rather than a significant decrease in trafficking.
From 2015 to 2021, 13 million items were confiscated, suggesting an illicit trade of around 4,000 species across 162 nations and territories.
The CITES Appendices include around 3,250 of these species.
The most trafficked species were corals (16%), crocodiles (9%), and elephants (6%).
For the first time, an indicator of progress toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 15.7 was included, which aims to eradicate trafficking in protected species of flora and animals.
On the plus side, trafficking in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn elephant has decreased.
The research advocates for enhanced legislative enforcement and execution, including anti-corruption measures, because wildlife crime, such as the trafficking of rare flora and animals, has led to local or global extinctions.
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BANKING & FINANCE
6) SBI Becomes the 1st Bank as Trading-cum-Clearing Member (TCM) of IIBX (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
On May 13, 2024, India’s largest public sector bank (PSB), State Bank of India (SBI), announced that it has become the first bank in India to act as a Trading-cum-Clearing Member (TCM) at the India International Bullion Exchange IFSC Limited (IIBX), India’s first international bullion exchange in GIFT City, Gandhinagar (Gujarat).
This permits the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Banking Unit (IBU) of SBI to trade on the IIBX platform.
Background:
At February 2024, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved Indian bank branches at GIFT-IFSC (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City-International Financial Services Centre) to function as Trading Members (TM)/ Trading and Clearing Members (TCM) of IIBX.
It empowered approved Indian banks to serve as Special Category Clients (SCCs) and import gold or silver through IIBX.
About India International Bullion Exchange IFSC Limited(IIBX):
On June 29, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the IIBX at the GIFT-IFSC in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) regulates IIBX.
The following entities are eligible to join IIBX: registered partnership firms, private limited companies, public limited companies, and IBU branches in GIFT City, among others.
Trading and Clearing Member(TCM):
This type of membership allows a member to conduct transactions on their own account as well as simply on behalf of their customers, as well as clear and settle deals done by themselves and other trading members who wish to use the members’ clearing services.
About State Bank of India(SBI):
- Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Tag line: The Banker to Every Indian
- Founded in: 1955
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7) Bajaj Finserv Launches India’s 1st Multi Asset Allocation Fund with Dividend Yield Strategy (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
Bajaj Finserv Asset Management Limited has established the Bajaj Finserv Multi Asset Allocation Fund, an open-ended investment plan that provides investors with a unique opportunity to get exposure to numerous asset classes through a single investment.
It is India’s first multi-asset fund with a dividend yield strategy aimed at providing stability and growth through asset class diversification.
The New Fund Offer (NFO) will commence on May 13, 2024 and end on May 27, 2024. It will be accessible for subscription until or before 6th June 2024.
The minimum application amount during the NFO is Rs. 500 in multiples of Rs. 1.
About the Fund:
Investment Goals: To generate income from fixed income instruments and capital appreciation for investors by investing in equity and equity-related securities, including derivatives, Gold and Silver Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), exchange traded commodity derivatives, and units of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs);
However, there is no promise that the investing aim of the program will be met.
Key Features:
- Benchmark: Against 65% Nifty 50 Total Returns Index (TRI), 25% NIFTY Short Duration Debt Index, and 10% domestic gold prices.
- Fund managers include Nimesh Chandan and Sorbh Gupta for equities investments, Nimesh Chandan and Siddharth Chaudhary for debt investments, and Vinay Bafna for commodities investments.
Investment Strategy:
- Concentrate on high dividend-yielding firms to compound growth through dividend reinvestment.
- Asset allocation varies from 35% to 80% in equities, 10% to 55% in fixed-income instruments, 10% to 55% in commodities, and 0% to 10% in REITs/InvITs, reflecting a multi-theme, multi-sector, and multi-cap orientation.
- Prioritizes quality portfolios and a safety-first strategy.
- Modifies fixed-income allocations depending on macroeconomic conditions, valuation indicators, and investor behavior.
Exit Load Structure:
- The exit load for each acquisition of units via Lumpsum, switch-in, Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), and Systematic Transfer Plan (STP) will be as follows:
- Within one year: No exit load on up to 30% of units redeemed/switched; 1% of Net Asset Value (NAV) for redemption/switching out of units more than 30%.
- After One Year: There is no exit burden on units redeemed or moved from another scheme after One Year.
About Bajaj Finserv Asset Management Ltd:
Bajaj Finserv Asset Management Limited is the fully owned subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv Limited.
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Ganesh Mohan
- Incorporated in– 2021
- Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
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ECONOMY & BUSINESS
8) Hyderabad-based Greenko Zeroc Signed Green Ammonia Supply Pact with Norway’s Yara (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
Greenko Zeroc, located in Hyderabad, has inked an agreement with Norway’s Yara Clean Ammonia, the world’s largest ammonia trader and distributor, to sell renewable ammonia to the Norwegian firm.
Key Points:
According to this term sheet and the accompanying off-take agreement, Greenko Zeroc, the production arm of renewable energy firm AM Green, would deliver up to 50% green ammonia to Yara from Phase 1 of its ammonia production plant in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh (A.P.).
- Yara will use the ammonia to make low-emission fertilizers, as well as to reduce carbon emissions in industries like as shipping and power.
Note: The ammonia project in Kakinada will begin with an initial production capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and progressively rise to 5 MTPA by 2030.
The project is planned to manufacture and export renewable ammonia by 2027.
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APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
9) IIFL Securities Limited Appointed Nemkumar as its New Managing Director (MD) (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
IIFL Securities Limited (previously India Infoline Limited), a renowned financial services business, has selected Nemkumar H as its next Managing Director (MD) for a 5-year term beginning May 15, 2024.
He is currently serving as a full-time director on the company’s board.
He replaced R. Venkataraman, the company’s Chairman and MD. His time as the company’s MD terminated on May 14, 2024.
Narendra Jain has also been selected as Whole-Time Director for another five years.
About Nemkumar H:
He is a professional Chartered Accountant (CA) who has been an Equity Analyst at CLSA Limited (previously Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia) for over a decade. During his time at CLSA, he also served as head of research and country head.
- He began his career with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and spent 8 years in the corporate treasury and pricing divisions.
- He joined IIFL in 2007 and was a founding member of the firm’s Institutional Equities business.
Click here to read from source
Click here to read: Current Affairs 14th May 2024
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
10) Hinduja Group Firm IIHL Receives Approval From IRDAI For Reliance Capital Acquisition (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
The Hinduja Group’s IndusInd International Holdings Limited (IIHL) has got clearance from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to acquire Reliance Capital.
IIHL will acquire both Reliance General Insurance and Reliance Nippon Life Insurance.
The permission is contingent on certain’regulatory, legislative, and judicial’ clearances/compliances. IIHL expects to close the Reliance Capital (RCap) transaction by the National Company Law Tribunal’s (NCLT) deadline of May 27, 2024.
On February 27, 2024, the NCLT accepted Hinduja Group business IndusInd International Holdings Limited’s Rs 9,650 crore resolution plan for Reliance Capital.
The Hinduja Group is yet to gain approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for the transaction to close.
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SPORTS
11) Magnus Carlsen Wins the 2024 Superbet Poland Rapid & Blitz; Praggnanandhaa Finishes Fourth (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
Magnus Carlsen, the five-time World Champion and World No. 1, won the 2024 Superbet Poland Rapid & Blitz, a World Chess Tour event held in Warsaw, Poland, from May 7th to 12th, 2024.
The Norwegian chess player won the title with a total of 26 points after winning ten consecutive games.
Note: The prize pool for each of the two events will be USD 350,000 and USD 175,000, respectively, for quick and blitz. Additionally, a supplementary prize money of USD 275,000 will be granted.
Magnus got a reward of USD 40,000.
Key Highlights:
- Wei Yi of China took second place with 25.5 points.
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland finished third with 19.5 points, while Praggnanandhaa placed fourth with 19 points.
- Erigaisi Arjun finished fifth, with Dommaraju Gukesh finishing in tenth place.
Results:
|
Rank |
Winner |
|
1 |
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) |
|
2 |
Wei Yi (China) |
|
3 |
Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) |
| 4 |
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (India) |
| 5 |
Arjun Erigaisi (India) |
| 10 |
Dommaraju Gukesh (India) |
About Magnus Carlsen:
- In addition to winning the 2024 Superbet Poland Rapid & Blitz, Magnus Carlsen recently won the GRENKE Chess Classic 2024 (Karlsruhe, Germany) in March and April for the third time, having previously won it in 2015 and 2019.
- He has also won the 2024 Champions Chess Tour Chessable Masters title in February 2024.
About Grand Chess Tour 2024:
- The Grand Chess Tour is a multi-level chess competition that takes place throughout the year and across many formats, pitting the world’s best players against one another.
- The event began in 2015 as a three-legged competition, with Magnus Carlsen emerging victorious.
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12) Indian Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second at the Doha Diamond League 2024 (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
The Olympic and World Champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second in the Doha Diamond League 2024, which took place on May 10, 2024, at the Qatar Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.
Jakub Vadlejch, a three-time Olympian from the Czech Republic, won first place with an 88.38-meter throw, while Neeraj Chopra lost out by only 2 cm (88.36 meters).
Key Highlights:
- The former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada finished third with an 86.62m throw.
- Meanwhile, India’s Kishore Jena, who won silver at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in China in 2023, finished eighth in his Diamond League debut.
- The next men’s javelin Diamond League meeting will take place in Paris on July 7, 2024.
About Neeraj Chopra:
- Neeraj Chopra has won the 2023 Doha Diamond League.
- He won a gold medal at the 19th Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China.
- He also won a gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
- He also won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (Japan).
About the Diamond League:
The Diamond League is a high-level multi-tier set of track and field meetings organized by World Athletics (previously known as IAAF or International Association of Athletics Federations).
- The 2024 Diamond League is the fifteenth season of the annual outdoor track and field competitions.
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OBITUARY
13) Padma Shri Awardee Birubala Rabha, Anti-witch Hunting Crusader, Passed Away (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
Padma Shri Awardee Dr. Birubala Rabha, a well-known anti-witch hunting activist, died at the age of 75 in the State Cancer Institute (SCI) at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Guwahati, Assam. She was born in 1954 in Thakurvila village, Goalpara, Assam.
About Birubala Rabha
Birubala Rabha founded ‘Mission Birubala’ in 2012 to raise awareness about societal evil and superstitious beliefs, which saved the lives of 55 victims in Majuli, Kokrajhar, Goalpara, and Tinsukia districts.
She was influential in the passage of the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention, and Protection) Act, 2015, which set fines of up to Rs 5 lakh and 7 years in prison for identifying and naming someone a witch.
Awards & Honours:
- Rabha was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 for her efforts to preserve lives in rural India.
- In 2005, The Swiss Peace, Switzerland nominated her for the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the ‘1000 Women’ project.
- In 2015, she obtained an honorary doctorate from Gauhati University.
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IMPORTANT DAYS
14) International Day of Plant Health 2024 – May 12 (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
The United Nations (UN) designates May 12th every year as International Day of Plant Health (IDPH). This day aims to raise global awareness about the critical role of plant health. Specifically, IDPH highlights how healthy plants contribute to eradicating hunger and poverty, safeguarding biodiversity and the environment, and ultimately boosting economic growth.
However, there seems to be a discrepancy here. The text mentions the observance of the third International Day of Peace on the same date, May 12, 2024. It’s important to note that both observances cannot occur on the same day.
The topic for IDPH 2024 is “Plant Health, Safe Trade, and Digital Technology”.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) coordinates the annual IDPH commemoration in partnership with the International Plant Protection Convention.
Background:
On March 29, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approved a resolution (A/RES/76/256) designating May 12 as the International Day of Plant Health.
The resolution highlighted that plant health is critical to the sustainable growth of agriculture in order to feed the world’s expanding population by 2050.
We commemorated the very first International Day of Plant Health on May 12, 2022.
About Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO):
- Director-General– Dr. Qu Dongyu
- Headquarters– Rome, Italy
- Established in– 1945
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15) International Nurses Day 2024 – May 12 (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
Every year, on May 12th, the world comes together to celebrate International Nurses Day (IND) in recognition of nurses’ immense contributions to society and their vital role within the overall healthcare system.
The International Nursing Day (IND) celebrates the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, an English nurse, social reformer, and statistician.
The theme for International Nurses Day 2024 is “Our Nurses”. Our future. “The Economic Power of Care.”
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) organizes the annual International Nurses Day (IND).
Background:
In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland, an official in the United States (US) Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, recommended that Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States of America (USA), designate “Nurses Day”.
- The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated International Nurses Day since 1965.
- In January 1974, ICN declared the 12th of May each year as International Nurse Day.
In recognition of Florence Nightingale’s birth anniversary, May 12th was specifically chosen as the day to commemorate her life and legacy.
About International Council of Nurses (ICN):
ICN is the world’s first and most comprehensive international organisation for healthcare professionals.
- President– Dr Pamela Cipriano
- Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
- Founded in– 1899
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16) International Sun Day 2024 – May 3 (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
Each year on May 3rd, the world unites to celebrate International Sun Day (also known as World Sun Day). This day actively promotes awareness about the tremendous benefits of solar energy. Sun Day was created to illuminate the potential of solar energy and empower the public to understand its advantages in cultivating a greener, healthier planet and supporting environmentally friendly energy solutions.
2024 Events in India:
- On May 3, 2024, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India (GoI), organized the ‘Run for Sun’ Marathon at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
- During International Sun Day, six cities in India sponsored Solar Stops, interactive kiosks that demonstrated the value of solar energy.
Click here to read from source
STATE NEWS
17) IAF Conducted ‘Bambi Bucket’ Operation To Combat Forest Fires in Uttarakhand (Current Affairs 15th May 2024)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out Bambi Bucket operations in coordination with the Uttarakhand government, using the Mi-17 V5 helicopter to suppress forest fires in Nainital.
The IAF launched 23 missions totaling 11 and a half hours and used 44,600 liters of water to tackle the raging flames in the highlands.
About Bambi Bucket
It was debuted in 1983 and designed by Canadian Don Arney. It revolutionized aerial firefighting by allowing helicopters to transfer massive amounts of water beneath the aircraft, providing a quick and effective way to extinguish wildfires from the air.
The Uttarakhand government launched the ‘Pirul Lao-Paise Pao’ campaign.
The Uttarakhand government has initiated a program called “Pirul Lao-Paisa Pao” to curb forest fires and damage.
About Pirul Lao-Paise Pao campaign
- On May 8, 2024, Uttarakhand Chief Minister (CM) Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the campaign in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand.
- The Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board has been tasked with overseeing the ‘Pirul Lao-Paise Pao’ Campaign.
- For this initiative, villagers and youth will gather dried pirul (pine tree leaves) from the forest and deliver it to specified collecting points.
- They would receive a prize of Rs 50 per kilogram (kg) put immediately into their bank accounts.
- It decreases the fire risk provided by Pirul in pine woods and converts them into profitable uses such as energy generating.
About Pirul
In Uttarakhand, the term “Pirul” (or “Chaita” as it’s also called) actively describes pine tree leaves. These leaves are traditionally employed for a multitude of purposes: firstly, as comfortable bedding for domestic animals; secondly, when mixed with cow dung, they transform into a potent fertilizer; and lastly, they serve as a practical and natural way to pack fruits for storage and transport.
Because of their strong burning power, they pose a significant fire hazard in pine forests; thus, collecting these leaves from the woodland zone can reduce the risk of fires.
The Uttarakhand government has constructed a 25-kilowatt (KW) power plant in Uttarkashi district’s Chakori Dhanari village, which generates energy from Pirul as a raw material.
About Uttarakhand
- Chief Minister (CM) –Pushkar Singh Dhami
- Governor – Gurmit Singh
- Capital – Dehradun
- Wildlife Sanctuary – Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Benog Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Festival – Kangdali Festival, Uttarayani Mela or Uttarayani Fair.
Click here to read from source
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