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CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER : 11th MAY 2023
Current Affairs
11th May 2023
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1) Telangana Govt Launches India’s 1st State Robotics Framework
On May 9, 2023, the Telangana
government (Govt) launched Telangana State Robotics Framework,
a first-of-its-kind policy in India, to provide a roadmap for the state to
create a sustainable robotic ecosystem and be a leading state in the field of
robotics.
·
Telangana State Robotics
Framework was launched by Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao(KTR), Minister for
Information Technology(IT) and Industries, the Government of Telangana at T-Hub
Events Room, Hyderabad, Telangana.
·
The framework was developed by
the Emerging Technologies Wing of the ITE&C (Information Technology,
Electronics and Communications) Department of Telangana in collaboration with
the All India Robotics Association.
Focus Area: The framework focuses on
leveraging robotics technology for the growth and development of four key
domains such as agriculture, healthcare, consumer robotics, and industrial
automation.
The state govt plans to set up a Telangana Robotics Innovation Centre (TRIC) to
implement the framework.
About Telangana:
Chief Minister – Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao
Governor – Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan
Tiger Reserve – Amrabad Tiger Reserve
2) Punjab Becomes 1st State to Enforce ‘right to walk’
Punjab has become the first Indian State
to implement the “Right to walk” by making it mandatory for all
road-owning agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),
to provide footpaths and cycle tracks in all future expansion of roads and
construction of new ones.
·
This is a part of the efforts
of Punjab to control the number of accidents and deaths of pedestrians and
cyclists.
·
These directions were issued
by the Government of Punjab following 2 court orders after Public Interest
Litigations (PILs) filed at the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme
Court of India.
Key Points:
i.According to the government, the number of pedestrians killed in road
crashes has increased from 25,858 in 2019 to 29,124 in 2021, which indicates
that the road infrastructure does not provide safety to pedestrians.
ii.In 2022, the Supreme Court of India notified the states to ensure the
safety of the pedestrians and cyclists by provided dedicated, seamless and safe
pedestrian lanes and cycle tracks.
About Punjab:
Chief Minister– Bhagwant Mann
Governor– Banwarilal Purohit
Wildlife sanctuary– Bir Mehas Wildlife Sanctuary;
Bir Gurdialpura Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport– Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport; Bathinda
Airport
3) MoHFW launches a Learning Management Information System-“SAKSHAM”
Union Minister Rajesh Bhushan,
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), has launched SAKSHAM (Stimulating
Advanced Knowledge for Sustainable Health Management), a learning management
information system (LMIS) of MoHFW.
·
SAKSHAM was developed by the
National Institute of Health & Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi, Delhi.
Key People:
i. Gopalakrishnan, Special Secretary (Health), Dr Dheeraj Shah, Director
NIHFW, Nidhi Kesarwani, Deputy Director NIHFW, Dr V K Tiwari, Dean NIHFW, along
with senior officials of the Health Ministry and NIHFW were present on the
occasion.
Key Highlights:
i. SAKSHAM is a dedicated and unified platform that offers medical
education and training online to all health professionals in India.
ii. It will ensure inclusive capacity building of health professionals
from primary health centres located in rural and remote areas all the way up to
tertiary care and corporate hospitals in metropolitan cities.
iii. Currently, SAKSHAM: LMIS hosts more than 200 public health and 100
clinical courses online.
iv. After undergoing the necessary training and qualifying for the
required assessment criteria, health professionals can register for the
clinical courses on the portal https://lmis.nihfw.ac.in/ and receive certification.
4) MyGov, in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, launches “YUVA PRATIBHA – Singing Talent Hunt”
On 10th May 2023, MyGov in
collaboration with Ministry of Culture launched a “YUVA PRATIBHA – Singing Talent Hunt” with an aim to promote
Indian music at the grassroots level on a national scale by identifying and
recognising the new and young talent in various singing genres such as Folk,
Patriotic, and Contemporary.
·
The initial submission for the
competition will be open for a period of one and a half months.
·
It is a unique opportunity for
citizens across India to display their singing talent and skills and to gain
national recognition.
· The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winners will be rewarded with Rs 1,50,000, Rs 1,00,000, and Rs 50,000, respectively, along with a Trophy and Certificate. The top 3 winners will be mentored for a period of 1 month with a mentorship stipend.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
5) ‘Born Too Soon: Decade of Action on Preterm Birth’: India among Top 5 Countries of Higher Pre-term Births
According to the report ‘Born
Too Soon: Decade of Action on Preterm Birth’, published on May 10,
2023, almost half of all pre-term births (babies born before the 37th week of
pregnancy) in 2020 happened in five countries of India, Pakistan,
Nigeria, China and Ethiopia.
·
The report alarms ‘silent
emergency’, as for every 10 babies born, 1 is preterm, and every 40 seconds, 1
of those babies dies.
·
The report was created by the
World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
together with PMNCH, the world’s largest alliance for women, children, and adolescents,
Key Findings of the Report:
i.An estimated 13.4 million babies were born pre-term in 2020 with
nearly one million dying from complications. This is equivalent to around one
in 10 babies.
ii.In 2020, Bangladesh had the highest estimated pre-term birth rate
(16.2%), followed by Malawi (14.5%) and Pakistan (14.4%). India and South
Africa, at an estimated 13% each.
iii.India tops the list of pre-term birth numbers with 30.16 lakh
births, Pakistan is at 9.14 lakh, Nigeria at 7.74 lakh and China at 7.52 lakh.
6) FICCI, BCC organised a Roundtable to connect business leaders
On May 9 2023, The FICCI
(Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, a non-government,
not-for-profit organisation) and the BCC (Business Council of Canada) announced
a new partnership to connect business leaders from both countries, promote
bilateral economic ties, and enhance cooperation as partners in the
Indo-Pacific region.
·
The announcement was made at
the CEOs Roundtable organised by FICCI and BCC in Toronto, Canada.
·
India’s bilateral relationship
with Canada holds great potential especially in areas like energy, science,
biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure development.
Key People:
India’s Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal; Canada’s Minister of
International Trade, Export, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng;
FICCI President Subhrakant Panda; Secretary General Shailesh Pathak and BCC
President & CEO Goldy Hyder.
Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA):
On May 10 2023, the two organisations co-chaired the sixth Canada-India
ministerial dialogue on trade and investment and discussed an Early Progress
Trade Agreement (EPTA, an interim step towards the Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement) with the goal of successfully concluding negotiations by
the end of the year.
Note: Seventh round of negotiations between Indian and Canadian
officials for EPTA was held in Ottawa, Canada in April 2023.
Trade between two nations:
i. The total bilateral trade between India and Canada amounted to US$
6.8 billion for FY(Financial Year) 2021-22.
ii. Canada exported US$ 3.1 billion worth of products to India and
imported US$ 3.7 billion worth of products from India.
iii. Canadian portfolio and institutional investment into India is
currently valued at CA$ (Canadian Dollar) 70 billion (US$51.7 billion).
A trade agreement would not only increase the trade and investment businesses
in both countries but would also mark an important milestone in Canada’s
recently released Indo-Pacific Strategy.
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI):
The largest and oldest apex business organisation in India.
Established in– 1927
President– Shubhrakant panda
Secretary General– Shailesh K Pathak
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
About Business Council of Canada (BCC):
A non-partisan advocacy organisation formerly known as the Canadian Council of
Chief Executives (CCCE).
Established in– 1976
President and CEO– Goldy Hyder
Headquarters– Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
BANKING & FINANCE
7) Yes Bank Launched Solar Financing Scheme ‘YES KIRAN’ for MSMEs
On May 8, 2023, Yes Bank
Limited announced the launch of a solar financing scheme named ‘YES
KIRAN’ to offer financial assistance to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSME) manufacturers who wish to install solar panels at their premises.
·
Objective: The scheme was launched by the bank to support MSMEs to
adopt sustainable energy practices and bring in cost efficiency by reducing the
expenses towards power and fuel.
Key Points:
i.The bank has partnered with solar panel manufacturers like Tata Power
Solar Systems, Goldi Solar and Loom Solar, and Panasonic Solar Power System to
facilitate MSME businesses for their transition to renewable energy solutions.
ii.Benefits provided under the scheme include flexible loan tenure at
competitive interest rates, reduced operational cost, end-to-end support from
the YES BANK team through the entire cycle of planning to implementation, and a
broad range of tie-ups with leading solar panel manufacturers and installers.
iii.The scheme also supports to fulfil India’s G20 vision of achieving a
target of over 50% energy production from renewable sources by 2030.
About YES Bank Ltd.
Establishment – 2004
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD&CEO – Prashant Kumar
Tagline – Experience Our Expertise
8) Federal Bank Launches e-Bank Guarantees in Partnership with NeSL
Federal Bank Limited partners with
National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) to launch an electronic Bank
Guarantee (e-BG) facility for its customers, enabling them to obtain a Bank
Guarantee digitally, replacing the traditional paper-based process.
Key Points:
i.Under the e-BG facility, which is issued through NeSL’s e-BG platform,
all the processes such as issuance, invocation, amendment, and cancellation of
Bank Guarantees will be made digitally and overcomes the need for physical
printing of any document or request.
ii.The platform is safe, secure, and fast, making trade and business
activities convenient.
iii.Customers who are eligible to avail of the service include
individuals, sole proprietors, companies, partnership firms, government
agencies, and associations of people.
iv.Currently, the service is made available only in states where
e-stamping is available.
v.The e-BG enables faster communication, reduces opportunities for
fraud, reduces time, ensures correct payment of stamp duty, and lowers the cost
of storage and retrieval.
About Federal Bank Ltd.
Establishment – April 23, 1931
Headquarters – Aluva, Kerala
MD&CEO – Shyam Srinivasan
Tagline – Your Perfect Banking Partner
9) Rukart partners with SBI for Easy loan to buy Subjee cooler
Kalyan(Maharashtra)-based
Agritech firm Rukart, which sells “Subjee Cooler” to enhance the shelf life of
fruits and vegetables, has partnered with the State Bank of India (SBI),
India’s largest public sector bank, to help potential customers in getting easy
loan options to buy the cold storage system ‘Subjee cooler’.
·
Rukart manufactures Subjee
Cooler, a cold chain storage system that requires only 20 litres of water a day
to function.
·
The cost of the product is Rs
50,000 each and one Subjee Cooler has a storage capacity of 100 kg.
·
The aim of the tie-up is to
mitigate distress sales among marginal/small farmers and retailers.
Note: Rukart is mentored by the Powering Livelihoods program, jointly run by Council On Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and Villgro Innovations Foundation.
10) Axis Bank enables UPI for RuPay Credit Cards
On 9th May 2023, Axis Bank
Limited (formerly known as UTI Bank), India’s third largest private sector
bank, enabled RuPay Credit Card support on the Unified Payments Interface
(UPI).
·
Customers can now scan UPI QR
codes or use the merchant’s UPI checkout page to make a purchase using their
RuPay credit card.
· This feature will currently work in UPI apps which are supporting the RuPay Credit Card feature and the customers have RuPay Credit Card with Axis Bank.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
11) CCI clears Edelweiss, ESOF III Investment Fund and Biocon Biologics deal
Competition Commission of
India (CCI), a Fair-trade regulator, has cleared the proposal of Edelweiss
Alternative Asset Advisors (EAAA) and ESOF III Investment Fund to subscribe to
certain compulsorily convertible debentures issued by Biocon Biologics Ltd
(BBL).
·
The Proposed Combination is
notified under Section 5(a) of the Competition Act, 2002.
Acquirers- Edelweiss Alternative Asset
Advisors Limited and ESOF III Investment Fund.
Target- Biocon Biologics Limited.
Highlights:
i. EAAA is a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-registered
alternative asset advisor.
ii. ESOF III Investment Fund is a SEBI-registered Category II
Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).
iii. BBL is a global biosimilar firm, engaged in the manufacturing and
commercialisation of pharmaceutical formulations.
Key Points:
i. The activities of the Parties do not exhibit any horizontal,
vertical, or complementary overlaps in any of the plausible relevant markets in
India.
ii. The Proposed Combination is being notified under the green channel
route in terms of Regulation 5A and Schedule III of the CCI (Procedure in
regard to the transaction of business relating to combinations) Regulations,
2011 (as amended).
About the Competition Commission of India (CCI);
Acting Chairperson- Sangeeta Verma
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment- 14th October 2003 (Operational from 2009)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
12) IBM and NASA collaborate to convert satellite data into high resolution maps using AI
IBM (International Business Machines) in collaboration
with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) disclosed a
new geospatial foundation model, designed to convert satellite data into
high-resolution maps of floods, fires, and other landscape changes to reveal
the planet’s past and hint at its future.
·
The model watsonx.ai
geospatial offering is an artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by
IBM.
·
The goal of the NASA and IBM
collaboration is to provide an easier way for researchers to analyse and draw
insights from large NASA datasets related to Earth processes.
·
This collaboration is part of
NASA’s Open-Source Science Initiative (OSSI), a commitment to building an
inclusive, transparent, and collaborative open science community over the next
decade.
About IBM geospatial
foundation model:
i. As part of a Space Act Agreement with NASA, IBM set out to build the
first-ever foundation model for analysing geospatial data in just four months.
ii. The new geospatial foundation model is designed to enable first
steps by converting NASA’s satellite observations into customised maps of
natural disasters and other environmental changes.
iii. These foundation models (types of AI models trained on a broad set
of unlabeled data) make deploying AI significantly more scalable, affordable,
flexible and efficient.
iv. As part of the NASA/IBM collaboration, the geospatial intelligence
foundation models will be applied to NASA’sHarmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS)
dataset.
v. The part of IBM’s watsonx.ai model, a nextgen enterprise studio is
planned to be available in preview for AI builders through (EIS) IBM
Environmental Intelligence Suite in July 2023 to train, test, tune, and deploy
both traditional machine learning and new generation AI capabilities.
Note: IBM watsonx, is a new AI and data platform to be released that
will enable enterprises to scale and accelerate the impact of the most advanced
AI with trusted data.
Potential applications:
The potential applications of this platform would include:
·
Helping to estimate
climate-related risks to crops, buildings, and other infrastructure;
·
Valuing and monitoring forests
for carbon-offset programmes;
·
Developing predictive models
to help enterprises create strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
IBM is working with NASA’s
Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) on this effort.
Note: IMPACT is a component of NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS)
Program and is charged with expanding the use of NASA Earth observing data
through innovation, partnerships, and technology at NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, United States of America (USA).
Another collaboration:
IBM & NASA plan to develop another project and is expected to be a large
language model based on Earth science literature.
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
Administrator– Bill Nelson
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States (US)
About International Business Machines (IBM):
Chairman and CEO– Arvind Krishna
Headquarters– Armonk, New York, United States (US)
13) IIT Madras partners with DRDO to Develop Sensor Technology for Underwater Communications
Researchers from the Indian
Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M), located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu,
partnered with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
scientists to develop cutting-edge Piezoelectric MEMS (Micro Electro
Mechanical System) technology sensor for underwater communications, which
will be advantageous to defence applications, especially in the Navy.
·
This sensor will be used by
the Indian Navy’s Next Generation SONAR initiative by DRDO to support both
innovative and modern technological advances.
Key Highlights:
i. Piezoelectric MEMS technology sensor allows India to fabricate the
devices at a lower cost than the foundries that are available internationally,
where production costs are high and the availability of foundries is
restricted.
ii. With the development of Piezo MEMS technology, India is able to
expand beyond the limits of defence capabilities and undertake strategic
operations for key applications.
iii. “Piezoelectric MEMS technology” is required to produce high-performance
thin films and turn “piezo thin film” into sophisticated, futuristic naval
sensors and apparatus for underwater applications.
·
The piezo thin films are one
of the essential parts of piezo MEMS devices and are considered for acoustics
and vibration-sensing applications.
iv. IIT Madras researchers and DRDO scientists
collaborated with many partners to develop a piezo MEMS process technology to
make “Thin film membrane based Piezo MEMS Acoustic sensors.”
v. The fabricated PZT thin film-based acoustic sensor outperforms the
traditional PVDF-based acoustic sensor in terms of functionality.
·
Lead-Zirconium-Titanium oxide
(PZT) is a piezoelectric ceramic with high piezoelectric constants often used
as sensors and actuators.
Research:
The research was led by IIT Madras Prof. Amitava Das Gupta and Prof. Boby
George, along with Dr E. Varadarajan, Scientist, and Dr V. Natarajan, Senior
Scientist of DRDO at the DRDO Industry Academia – Ramanujan Centre of
Excellence (DIA-RCoE).
·
The researchers worked with
multiple partners for the development of Piezoelectric MEMS technology.
About the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO):
DRDO is the Research and Development (R&D) wing of the Ministry of Defence,
Govt of India.
Chairman- Dr Samir V Kamat
Formed in- 1958
OBITUARY
14) Padma Bhushan Awardee and Indian-American development economist Padma Desai passed away
On April 29 2023, an
Indian-American development economist and Padma Bhushan award winner, Padma Desai
passed away at the age of 92 in New York, the United States of
America (USA). She was born in Surat, British India (now in Gujarat) in
1931.
·
She was the Gladys and Roland
Harriman Professor of Comparative Economic Systems and Director of Center for Transition
Economies in 1992 at Columbia University in New York, USA.
·
She is well known for her
scholarship on Soviet and Indian industrial policy.
About Padma Desai:
i. Padma Desai started her career at the Department of Economics,
Harvard in USA from 1957–1959.
ii. From 1959 to 1968 she was associate professor of economics at Delhi
School of Economics at University of Delhi in New Delhi, Delhi.
iii. In 1980 she joined the Columbia University as a professor of
economics and in 1992 she became the Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of
Comparative Economic Systems and later become the director of the Center for
Transition Economies at the University
iv. In 1995 she served as the US Treasury Advisor to the Ministry of
Finance of the Russian Federation.
v. She served as the President of the Association of Comparative
Economic Studies in 2001.
vi. The Harriman Institute at Columbia University established the Padma
Desai Summer Fellowship with gifts from Padma Desai and her husband,
JagdishBhagwati.
Books:
i. In 1968 she co-authored a book titled “India: Planning for
Industrialization” with JagdishBhagwati.
ii. Other noted books authored by Padma Desai include, The Soviet
Economy: Problems and Prospects (1987); Perestroika in Perspective: The Design
and Dilemmas of Soviet Reform(1989); Work Without Wages: Russia’s Nonpayment
Crisis.
iii. In 2013 her memoirs titled “Breaking Out: An Indian Woman’s
American Journey” was published in the USA.
Awards:
In 2009, the Government of India honoured her with Padma Bhushan.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
15) K.K. Shailaja Authored a New Book “My Life as a Comrade”
Former Health Minister of
Kerala K. K. Shailaja, a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from
the Mattanur constituency, authored a new book (autobiography) titled “My
Life as a Comrade: The Story of an Extraordinary Politician and the World That
Shaped Her”. The book was co-authored by Manju Sara Rajan, former
CEO of the Kochi Biennale Foundation and journalist, and published by
Juggernaut Books.
·
The book details the course of
her life which started in a small settlement in Malabar and eventually led her
to a Cabinet position in the Kerala government.
·
K. K. Shailaja, popularly
known as ‘Shailaja Teacher’, is a member of the Communist Party of India
(Marxist).
· She has also served as the minister for Social Justice, Women and Child Development in Kerala. She has authored several books on gender, communism and public health in Malayalam.
IMPORTANT DAYS
16) International Day of Argania 2023 – 10th May
The United Nations(UN)’s International
Day of Argania is annually observed across the world on 10th May to create
awareness about the major role of the Argan Tree (Argania spinosa), the
native species of Morocco, in achieving the 3 dimensions of sustainable
development (economic, social and environmental) at the local level.
·
10th May 2023 Marks the observance of the 3rd edition of International
Day of Argania.
The theme of
International Day of Argania 2023 is “Socio-economic development &
sustainability of the Argan ecosystem”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution
A/RES/75/262 on 3rd March 2021 and proclaimed the 10th May of every year as the
International Day of Argania.
ii.The first-ever International Day of Argania was observed on 10th
May 2021.
STATE NEWS
17) Uttarakhand approved CM’s Skill Upgradation and Global Employment Scheme
On May 3 2023, Pushkar Singh
Dhami, the Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand approved ‘Chief Minister’s
Skill Upgradation and Global Employment Scheme‘ (“Mukhya Mantri
Kaushal Unnayan aur Vaishavik Rozgar Yojana”) to help
youths of the Uttarakhand to pursue careers in foreign nations.
·
The scheme will also help
aspiring youth in the procedures related to tickets, visas of the selected
candidates apart from grooming and upskilling.
Process of the scheme:
i. An application has been developed on the ‘Apuni Sarkar Portal’ to
create a database related to youth seeking jobs abroad.
ii. Proposals are being invited from organisations working in the field
of foreign employment and the Uttarakhand government has received the proposals
of many organisations.
iii. In the first phase, work will be done to connect the selected
candidates of Uttarakhand with the employment opportunities available abroad in
the fields of hospitality and nursing sectors.
Training:
Skill upgradation training as well as training about the language, culture and
work ethics of the concerned country is necessary to communicate the youth for
foreign employment in the domain area.
On May 9 2023, a workshop was held in Uttarakhand, where interested candidates
were screened and after the selection process the candidates have been trained
for jobs available in the elderly care sector in Japan
About Uttarakhand:
Capital– Dehradun (Winter capital) and Bhararisain (Summer Capital)
Chief Minister– Pushkar Singh Dhami
Governor– Gurmit Singh
Bird Sanctuary– Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary, Kilbury and Pangot and
Bird Sanctuary
18) PTC India inks MoU with Brookfield for 100 MW solar power in Rajasthan
On 9th May 2023, PTC India
Limited (formerly Power Trading Corporation of India Limited), a Power Trading
Solutions (PTS) provider, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Brookfield Renewable, for the procurement of 100 MW solar power on a long-term
basis.
·
Brookfield Renewables is
developing a 400 MW solar power project at the Bikaner solar park in Rajasthan.
·
The MoU includes an option to
increase the power capacity to 200 MW at the time of project commissioning
based on mutual confirmation by the two parties.
·
PTC India will market the
power to various utilities and commercial and industrial consumers.
· Under this arrangement, PTC India will provide Brookfield Renewables with an assured tariff and payment security.
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