Current Affairs

16th May 2023

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

1) MoD approves 4th Positive Indigenisation List to promote Aatmanirbharta in Defence

On May 14, 2023, the Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved 4th Positive Indigenization List (PIL) of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units (LRUs)/Sub-systems/Spares & Components including high-end materials & spares.

·         The import substitution value of this list is worth Rs 715 crore.

·         Details of these items are available on SRIJAN Portal.

·         These will only be procured from the Indian Industry after the timelines indicated in the list.

Reason behind PIL in Defence:
To promote Aatmanirbharta in defence
To minimize imports by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs)
Key Points:
i.This fourth list is a follow up to the previous three PILs involving LRUs/Sub-systems/Assemblies/Sub-assemblies/Spares & Components which were notified by the Department of Defence Promotion(DDP)/MoD in December 2021, March 2022 and August 2022 respectively.
ii.These lists contain 2,500 items which are already indigenized and 1,238 (351+107+780) items which will be indigenized within the given timelines.

·         Of 1,238, 310 items (1st PIL – 262, 2nd PIL – 11, 3rd PIL – 37) have been indigenized, so far.

iii.The DPSUs will indigenize items via various routes under ‘Make’ category & in-house development using MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises), private Indian industry which will promote economic growth, defense investment, reduce import dependence, and enhance domestic defense industry’s design capabilities.

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2) SCO adopted India’s Proposal to Adopt Digital Public Infrastructure

On May 13, 2023, the members of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) unanimously adopted India’s proposal to support the development and adoption of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) like Aadhaar, United Payments Interface (UPI) and DigiLocker.

·         The proposal was adopted during the meeting between the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministers of SCO member states chaired by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.

Note: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), blocks or platforms built either by private or government agencies with government support, are meant to deliver essential services in the digital space.

Key Points:
i.The DPI aims to deploy digital technology among SCO member states and ensure digitally inclusive growth.
ii.The SCO recognizes the need for interoperability and setting common standards for digital systems.
iii.India is also planning to invest $3 billion to take mobile connectivity to villages in remote areas and $5 billion to bring broadband connectivity to all 250,000 Gram Panchayats.
iv.India will also chair the Annual Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) summit in December.
The SCO consists of eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), four Observer States (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia) aiming for full membership, and six Dialogue Partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey).

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3) Union Minister Jitendra Singh graced the Valedictory Ceremony of National Technology Week 2023 at Delhi

On 14th May 2023, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(MoS) (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, graced the valedictory ceremony of the 4-day long event “National Technology Week 2023” (11th to 14th May 2023) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi.

·         During the valedictory ceremony Technology Development Board (TDB) conferred the  National Technology Awards 2023 upon Industries, Entrepreneurs & Scientists  who contributed to bringing innovation to the market and support in contributing to the vision of “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.”

·         The National Technology Awards 2023 was conferred to 11 winners following the two-tier evaluation process.

National Technology Week 2023 – 11th to 14th May: 
The National Technology Week 2023 took place from 11th to 14th May 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi under the theme “School to Startup – igniting young minds to innovate”.

·         The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on the occasion of “National Technology Day 2023 – 11th May”.

The National Technology Week 2023 was organised by the TBD along with 12 Ministries or Departments.

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4) REMC Ltd launches National Energy Management Centre for Indian Railways

Railway Energy Management Company (REMC) Limited, a subsidiary of RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) Limited, has set up a National Energy Management Centre (NEMC) that has been established at its office in Delhi.
The state-of-the-art NEMC was inaugurated by Naveen Gulati, Member Traction & Rolling Stock, Railway Board, in the presence of Rahul Mithal, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) RITES & Chairman REMC Ltd, and Additional Member, Traction, Railway Board.

·         The aim of the NEMC is to oversee and handle the Procurement of energy for the Railways on a national scale.

·         The NEMC will be pivotal for energy data collection from the 17 State Energy Management Centres (SEMCs) operating across the Railways.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

5) Samudra Shakti 23: 4th India-Indonesia Bilateral Naval Exercise at Batam, Indonesia

Samudra Shakti-23, the 4th edition of India-Indonesia Bilateral Naval Exercise between the Indian Navy (IN) and Indonesian Navy (IDN) is being held at Batam, Indonesia from May 14-19, 2023.

Aim:
To enhance interoperability, jointness and mutual cooperation between both the navies.

Representors:
IN–  INS (Indian Naval Ship) Kavaratti, an indigenously designed & built ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Corvette; Dornier Maritime Patrol aircraft, and Chetak helicopter
IDN– KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda, CN 235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and AS565 Panther Helicopter

·          KRI stands for Kapal Perang Republik Indonesia, or Naval Vessel of the Republic of Indonesia.

Note: The 3rd edition of the Bilateral Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ was held in September 2021 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Key Points:
i.The exercise consists of Harbour phase and sea phase.

·         While the harbour phase will see Cross deck visits, professional Interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, and sports fixtures; the sea phase will have planned weapon firing, Helicopter Operations, Anti-submarine warfare & air defence exercises and boarding operations.

ii.The exercise will showcase the high level of interoperability between the two navies and their shared commitment towards peace and stability in the region.

·         Samudra Shakti was commenced in 2018 between IN and IDN.

About Indonesia:
President– Joko Widodo
Capital–
Currency– Indonesian Rupiah

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6) WHO launches framework to help reduce anaemia in women of reproductive age

The World Health Organisation (WHO) launches its first-ever comprehensive framework on reducing anaemia,  Accelerating anaemia reduction: a comprehensive framework for action, calling on countries to accelerate action to reduce the prevalence of anaemia in women of reproductive age by 2025.

·         The United Nations Health Agency launched a comprehensive framework on reducing anaemia during the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) 2023 held from May 8-11 2023, in Cape Town, South Africa.

·         This framework proposes strategic, effective and implementable actions which, by leading to the reduction of anaemia, will improve health and accelerate progress toward national and global targets.

·         Anaemia is a serious global public health problem, affecting 571 million women and 269 million young children worldwide.

Framework:

i. The new Framework has set out ways to address the following fundamental drivers of Anaemia:

·         The direct causes

·         Risk factors

·         Broad social inequities

ii. The framework also proposes actions that other societal stakeholders can take, including Governments, civil society, academia, researchers, funding agencies, international organisations and media.

Global Target:
i. Reduction of anaemia is one of the World Health Assembly’s (the decision-making body of WHO) Global Nutrition Targets for 2025, which is accorded as a 50% reduction of anaemia in women of reproductive age.
ii. Though some progress in reducing anaemia has been achieved, global progress on reducing anaemia is not on track for reaching the 2025 target accorded by the World Health Assembly.
Analysis:
In 2019, anaemia affected:

·         40% of children between 6 months and 5 years of age;

·         37% of pregnant women;

·         30% of women of 15–49 years of age.

The scenario is most prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Anaemia increases the risk of infections and death, damages cognitive performance, and causes extreme fatigue, poor pregnancy outcomes, etc. Simply, it is a strong indicator of overall health.

Problems for Pregnant women with Anaemia:
i.Iron Deficiency: The major work on addressing anaemia has been focused on the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency. Consumption of at least 90 iron-containing supplements during pregnancy can reduce maternal anaemia by up to 70%.
ii.Pregnant women with anaemia (iron deficiency) are at increased risk for adverse birth outcomes including preterm delivery, delivering a low-birth-weight baby, preeclampsia, caesarean delivery, maternal death, and perinatal death.
iii.Children born to mothers who are anaemic are likely to suffer from the blood disorder which may continue during the life course.

About World Health Organisation (WHO):
Director General– Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland.

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BANKING & FINANCE

7) RBI asks banks to Ensure Complete Transition away from LIBOR from July 1, 2023

On May 12, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an advisory to banks and other RBI-regulated entities to ensure a complete transition from the international benchmark reference rate US$ London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or the Mumbai Interbank Forward Outright Rate (MIFOR) from July 1, 2023.

·         After June 30, 2023, Financial Benchmarks India Pvt. Ltd. (FBIL) will cease to publish Mumbai Interbank Forward Outright Rate (MIFOR).

Note: LIBOR has been a globally accepted key benchmark interest rate that indicates borrowing costs between banks.

Key Points:
i.Banks / Financial Institutions (FIs) have been advised to ensure that no new transactions undertaken by them or their customers rely on or are priced using the US$ LIBOR (including transactions that reference MIFOR).
ii.In this regard, banks/FIs will develop systems and processes to manage the complete transition away from LIBOR. RBI will continue to monitor for ensuring a smooth transition from LIBOR.
Background:
i.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), United Kingdom (UK) on March 05, 2021 had announced that all LIBOR settings will either cease to be provided by any administrator or no longer be representative.
ii.On July 2021, RBI issued an advisory on ’Roadmap for LIBOR Transition’ to banks and other RBI-regulated entities to prepare for the transition from LIBOR, to any other widely accepted Alternate Reference Rates (ARR). Click here to know more
Additional info: RBI has been proactively taking steps to deal with the issues around LIBOR transition.

About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
i.The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935, in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
ii.Though originally privately owned, since nationalization in 1949, the Reserve Bank is fully owned by the Government of India.
iii.Thus, 2023 marks the 75th year of public ownership of the Reserve Bank and its emergence as a national institution.
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor– Shaktikanta Das

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8) ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Launches New Debt Fund ‘ICICI Pru Constant Maturity Fund’ 

On May 15, 2023, the ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited launched a new debt fund ‘ICICI Pru Constant Maturity Fund’ which will be available for investments with the Company’s flagship Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIP) offerings like ICICI Pru Signature, ICICI Pru Smart Life and ICICI Pru LifeTime Classic.

·         ICICI Pru Constant Maturity Fund is the first-of-its-kind debt fund in the fixed-income ULIP space in India’s life insurance market.

·         The fund is available for subscription from May 15, 2023.

·         Objective: To enable its customers to lock-in their investments at high current interest rates, build, long-term wealth, and achieve financial goals.

Key Points:
i.ULIPs provide customers with a unique proposition of life cover, financial security to the family and facilitate building wealth over the long-term.
ii.ULIPs provide customers with a unique proposition of life cover, financial security to the family and long-term wealth building.
iii.Tax benefits: If annual investments made are up to Rs 2.5 lakh and with a life cover of 10 times the annual premium, maturity proceeds are tax-free for customers.
iv.Wealth Creation: As theinvestment in the fund is locked up for a minimum of 5 years with the flexibility to switch between fund options, it would enable investors to build wealth.
v.The ICICI Pru Constant Maturity Fund is provided with linked savings products.
About  ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited
It is promoted by ICICI Bank Limited and Prudential Corporation Holdings Limited.
Managing Director & CEO – N. S. Kannan
Establishment – 2001
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

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9) IDRAI forms 5-Member Committee under Chairmanship of Pratima Murthy to Advice on Mental Health Cover

On May 15, 2023, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) constituted a 5-member expert committee comprising medical experts and insurers under the chairmanship of Pratima Murthy, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), to provide advice and inputs to IRDAI on matters related to mental health and insurance.
Key Points:
i.Objective: To make a complete examination of the various aspects such as types of conditions, and types of treatments from an insurance perspective to deal with products designed to cover mental illnesses and other related aspects.
ii.The committee which has a 2-year tenure was directed to advise IRDAI on coverages offered/to be offered under insurance products, for mental illnesses.
iii.The committee will also guide on the terminology and concept from a medical domain perspective, and aspects pertaining to mental illnesses from an insurance perspective.
-Insurance cover under Surrogacy and ART Act
Separately, IRDAI has directed all insurers to comply with the provisions of the two Acts, Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act, 2021, pertaining to insurance covers for the surrogate mother and oocyte donor.
i.Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021:

·         Under this act, the intending woman or couple should purchase 3-year health insurance for the surrogate mother.

·         The cover should be for an amount sufficient to cover all expenses for all complications arising out of pregnancy and also cover post-partum delivery complications.

ii.ART Act, 2021: This article has stipulated insurance coverage for 12 months in favour of the oocyte donor by the commissioning couple or woman, for an amount sufficient to cover all expenses for complications arising due to oocyte retrieval.
About Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
Chairperson – Debasish Panda
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
Establishment -2000

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ECONOMY & BUSINESS

10) Netherlands becomes India’s 3rd Largest Export Destination in FY23 after US, UAE

As per the data of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Netherlands emerged as the 3rd largest export destination for India in Financial Year 2023-23 (FY23) after the United States (US) and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
India – Netherland Trade Progress FY23:
i.India’s trade surplus with the Netherlands has increased from USD 8 billion in FY22 to USD 13 billion in FY23.
ii.India’s exports to the Netherlands increased by about 48% to USD 18.52 billion in FY23 as against USD 12.5 billion in FY22.
iii.India’s exports to the Netherlands increased to USD 18.1 billion in 2022 from USD 5.5 billion in 2017.
iv.The Netherlands has taken over major destinations such as the UK, Hong Kong, Bangladesh and Germany.
v.The outbound shipments to the European country in FY22 and FY21 stood at USD 12.55 billion and USD 6.5 billion, respectively.
About Netherlands:
Prime Minister – Mark Rutte
Capital – Amsterdam
Currency – Euro (EUR)

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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

11) Pakistani-Canadian Author Musharraf Ali Farooqi wins the Inaugural Armory Square Prize for Translation

On 8th May 2023, Pakistani-Canadian author, translator, and storyteller, Musharraf Ali Farooqi, who translated Siddique Alam’s short story collection “The Kettledrum and Other Stories” from Urdu to English, won the inaugural edition of the Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation.

·         As part of the prize, the Kettledrum and Other Stories will be published by Open Letter Books in 2024.

About the Armory Square Prize:
i. The Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation is an annual effort launched in July 2022.
ii. The Prize is given to address the stark disparities in literary translation worldwide and support compelling storytellers from the Indian Subcontinent by raising their visibility in the United States of America (USA).
iii. It is sponsored by New York (USA)- based venture capital firm, Armory Square Ventures.

About Musharraf Ali Farooqi:
i. Literary translator Musharraf Ali Farooqi was born on 26 July 1968 in Hyderabad, Pakistan. He has over 2 decades of experience as an author, novelist, translator, and storyteller.
ii. His translations from classical and contemporary works include “The Adventures of Amir Hamza”, “Fabulous Machinery for the Curious (Qissa anthology)”, “Hoshruba”, Syed Muhammad Ashraf’s “The Beast”, and Afzal Ahmed Syed’s “Rococo and Other Worlds”.
iii. He founded the publishing house KITAB (2012), launched the online index Urdu Thesaurus (2016), and designed the interactive storytelling and reading initiative STORYKIT Program (2016).

·         These 3 initiatives have been combined with an activity-based learning program for children.

iv. His novel “Between Clay and Dust” was a finalist for the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize, and his novel “The Story of a Widow” was a finalist for the 2013 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.
About “The Kettledrum”:
The book “The Kettledrum” tells the story of an Adivasi matriarch living with the ghost of her deceased husband, weaving in legends that animate tribal communities and their rapidly receding traditions.        

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APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

12) Karnataka DGP Praveen Sood Appointed as CBI Director for 2 years

On May 14 2023, according to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) order, Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood was appointed as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after his name was finalized by a three-member high-powered selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

·         Approval of the Competent Authority conveyed the appointment of Praveen Sood, as Director, CBI for a period of two years, extendable for up to five years.

·         The outgoing CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal’s two-year tenure will end on May 25 2023. He is a 1985-batch IPS (Indian Police Service) officer from the Maharashtra cadre, who is going to complete his tenure, and took over as CBI director on May 26 2021.

·         Through the appointment, Praveen Sood will be in charge of the affairs of the premier investigating agency during the 2024 general elections.

Selection Panel:
i. A high-powered 3-member panel comprising:
Narendra Modi- Prime Minister of India;
DY Chandrachud- Chief Justice of India and
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury- Leader of the Opposition (Congress Party) in the Lok Sabha.
ii. Three shortlisted names were sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and apart from Praveen Sood, the other two names in the list were:
Sudhir Kumar Saxena- DGP, Madhya Pradesh
Taj Hassan- Director General FSCD (Fire Service, Civil Defence) and Home Guards under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
iii. Praveen Sood was scheduled to retire in 2024, now he will have a fixed two-year tenure as a CBI director.
Career of Praveen Sood:
i. In 1989, Praveen Sood, a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre started his career as assistant Superintendent of Police (SP) of Mysore, Karnataka.
ii. He later served as Superintendent of Police, in Bellary and Raichur districts of Karnataka and from 2004 to 2007, he served as a Commissioner of Police of Mysore City, Karnataka.
iii. Till 2011, he worked as an additional police commissioner in Bengaluru’s (Karnataka) traffic police.
iv. He has also served as a police advisor in a deputation to the government of Mauritius.
v. In January 2020 he was appointed as the DGP of Karnataka.
Honours:
i. Praveen Sood was awarded with the Chief Minister’s Gold Medal for excellence in service in 1996.
ii. He also won the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2002 and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2011.
iii. In 2011, he earned the National E-Governance Gold Award for “Most innovative use of technology for traffic management.
About Karnataka:
Chief Minister– Basavaraj Bommai
Governor– Thawar Chand Gehlot
Tiger Reserve– Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Bhadra Tiger Reserve

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

13) Indian Navy Successfully Test-fired BrahMos Missile from INS Mormugao

On May 14, 2023, a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from the Indian Navy’s frontline guided missile destroyer INS (Indian Naval Ship) Mormugao.

·         The indigenous ship (INS Mormugao) and weapon (BrahMos supersonic cruise missile), mark the symbol of ‘AatmaNirbharta’ and the Indian Navy’s firepower at sea.

About BrahMos Missile:
i.It is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
ii.The missiles fly at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.
iii.BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniyan, produces supersonic cruise missiles.
iv.India is also exporting BrahMos missiles:

·         The Philippines was the first country to buy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system.

·         In January 2022, the Philippines signed the ‘notice of award’ for supplying the missile system for the Philippine Navy. India signed a US$375 million deal with the Philippines for supplying three batteries for the missile.

INS Mormugao: It is the second ship of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy built at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). It was launched on 17 September 2016 and commissioned on 18 December 2022.
Note – Indian Navy has already successfully conducted a test from another indigenous stealth missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam.
About Indian Navy
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral R Hari Kumar
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment – 26 January 1950

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14) Bhupender Yadav launched Meri LiFE App, track the progress made on Mission LiFE

On May 15 2023, Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change launched a mobile application named Meri LiFE (My life) in New Delhi, Delhi to activate the youth action for climate change.

·         This app is inspired by the concept of LiFE, envisioned by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at COP (Conference of the Parties) 26, which emphasises mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless and wasteful consumption.

Note: On 20 October 2022, Mission LiFE was launched by PM Narendra Modi at Kevadia, Gujarat, which is a global mass movement to encourage individual and community action to protect the environment.
Objective:
i. The Meri LiFE app will showcase the power of citizens, especially young people in saving the environment.
ii. This app will help in creating a structured way to track the progress being made on Mission LiFE.
Key People involved:
The Meri LiFE App was launched in the presence of:
Leena Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change; C.P. Goyal, Director General of Forest and Special Secretary; Dhuwarakha Sriram, Chief of GenU (Generation Unlimited), Youth Development, and Partnerships, UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) India.
Central Ministry:
i. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal ministry for national-level coordination and implementation of Mission LiFE.
ii. The Ministry has mobilised Central Ministries, State Governments, Institutions and private organisations to align their activities with LiFE and spread awareness about the reasonable actions that individuals can undertake, as part of its implementation efforts.
Portal for LiFE:
The Environment Ministry has developed two dedicated portals for LiFE, in order to create a structured reporting format that can track the progress being made on LiFE and they are:
i. The Mission LiFE Portal (missionlife-moefcc.nic.in)- open access and can be used to download more than 100 creatives, videos, and knowledge materials that have been developed by the ministry for LiFE.
ii. The Meri LiFE Portal (merilife.org)- has been developed for ministries and institutions to upload event reports and capture the progress of the mass mobilisation drive.
Meri LiFE App:
The app is available in Google PlayStore, and once signed in the users will be guided to participate in a series of LiFE related tasks under the following 5 themes:

·         Save Energy;

·         Save Water;

·         Reduce Single Use Plastic;

·         Adopt Sustainable Food Systems;

·         Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle.

World Environment Day 2023
On June 5 2023, this mass mobilisation campaign will build up on the occasion of World Environment Day 2023. The theme for World Environment Day 2023 is Solutions to Plastic Pollution.
Note: The above theme is a topic which aligns with one of the 7 themes of Mission LiFE: “Reducing the use of single-use plastic items”.

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15) Bus-sized Asteroid 2023 JL1 Passes Earth on 15th May 2023

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), an American space agency, has issued an alert that the 39-foot bus-sized Asteroid 2023 JL1 will pass by Earth at a distance of 2,490,000 km on 15th May 2023.  It is travelling at a speed of 26,316 kilometres per hour (km/hr). The asteroid 2023 JL1 is classified as an Earth Close Approach.

·         The scientists of NASA have also alerted about 2 other big-size asteroids named 2023 JO1 and 2023 JD2, which are also expected to make their closest approach to Earth soon.

·         2023 JO1- 46-foot house-sized asteroid, which will pass Earth at a distance of 2,990,000 km on 16th May 2023.

·         2023 JD2- 200-foot aeroplane-sized asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of 5,630,000 km on 16th May 2023.

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SPORTS

16) ISSF World Cup Baku 2023: India ends campaign with four medals

Indian rifle and pistol shooters finished the International Shooting Sport Federation(ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2023 held in Baku, Azerbaijan with 4 medals (1 Gold; 2 Silver and 1 Bronze).

·         India finished 2nd in the overall medal tally with 4 medals. China topped the medal tally with 7 medals (4 Gold; 1 Silver and 2 Bronze) while the Islamic Republic of Iran finished 3rd with 2 medals (1 Gold and 1 Silver).

About World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2023 Baku: 
The World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2023 Baku was the penultimate stage of the ISSF World Cup for rifle and pistol shooters.
The final stage will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before the ISSF World Championships which will be held in November 2023 in Doha, Qatar.
Key Points:
i.Sarabjot Singh and Divya TS won the Gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team

·         This marks the 2nd ISSF World Cup gold for Sarabjot, who had previously won the gold medal in men’s 10m air pistol at ISSF World Cup Bhopal in March 2023. This also marks Divya’s 1st senior ISSF medal at this level.

ii.21-year-old Hriday Hazarika and 19-year-old Nancy Mandhotra won the Silver medal in men’s 10m air rifle and women’s 10m air rifle respectively.

·         This marks the first ISSF World Cup medal for both Hriday Hazarika and Nancy Mandotra.

iii.19-year-old Rhythm Sangwan won the bronze in women’s 10m air pistol. This marks her first senior ISSF World Cup medal.

·         She scored 595 in the qualification round of the women’s 25m pistol event and broke the 29-year-old world record of 594 points in the women’s 25m pistol event, set by Bulgarian shooter Diana Iorgova in 1994.

·         She also broke the junior women’s 25m pistol qualification record of 593 set by Russia’s Nino Salukvadze in 1989.

·         Rhythm Sangwan topped the qualification round but finished 8th in the finals.

Indian Winners of ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2023 : 

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17) Telangana’s Vuppala Prraneeth becomes India’s 82nd Grandmaster

On May 13 2023, 16-year-old Vuppala Prraneeth from Telangana, has become India’s 82nd GrandMaster (GM) by defeating GM Hans Niemann from United States of America (USA) in the penultimate round of the Baku Open 2023, which took place from May 4-12, in Baku Crystal Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan.

·         With this win Vuppala Prraneeth crossed the required 2500 FIDE’s (International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation) Elo live ratings, to achieve the GM title.

·         He is the sixth Grandmaster from the Telangana State.

Note:

·         Indian GM Leon Luke Mendonca won the Baku Open 2023 title defeating Vuppala Prraneeth in the final round of Baku Open 2023.

·         Baku Open 2023 is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, who served as the President of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003.

Vuppala Prraneeth GM norms:
i. VuppalaPrraneeth obtained his first GM-norm and the title of International Master (IM) at the First Saturday Chess tournament in March 2022 at in Budapest, Hungary.
ii. In July 2022, he earned his second GM norm at Master Tournament (MTO) Biel International Chess Festival 2022, in Switzerland.
iii. In 2023, he earned his third IM-norm at the 2nd Chessable Sunway Formentera Open 2023, in Spain.
Additional Info:
i. VuppalaPrraneeth hails from Ilagadapa village, in Nalgonda district of Telangana.
ii. He started playing chess at the age of just 5 and also holds the distinction of being a former world number 1 in the under-11 age group category.
iii.Till 2021, Vuppala Prraneeth was trained by N.V.S. Ramaraju, and now he is being trained by GM Victor Mekhalevski from Israel.
iv. He will next participate in the Asian Continental Chess Championship 2023, which is going to be held from June 3-12, in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

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BOOKS & AUTHORS

18) Ruskin Bond Authored a New Book Titled “The Golden Years”

Ruskin Bond, an Indian author, authored a new book titled “The Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good Long Life”, published by HarperCollins India, which is scheduled to be released on 19th May 2023 (on the occasion of his 89th Birthday). The book is about the last 20 to 30 years of his life (60s, 70s and 80s).

·         Ruskin Bond was born on 19th May 1934  in Kasauli, Punjab States Agency, British India.

·         He wrote his 1st book “The Room on the Roof” at the age of 17. It was a semi-autobiographical story with Rusty being the protagonist.

·         Ruskin Bond was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for “Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra”.

·         He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014 for Literature and Education.

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IMPORTANT DAYS

19) International Day of Families 2023 – May 15

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Families is annually observed across the globe on May 15 to celebrate the importance of families and highlight their role in society.

·         The day aims to raise awareness about the social, economic, and demographic changes that impact families worldwide.

International Day of Families 2023 was observed on 15th May 2023 under the theme “Demographic Trends and Families”.
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution 44/82 in 1989 and proclaimed the year 1994 as the “International Year of the Family”.
ii. In 1993, UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/47/237 titled “International Year of the Family” and declared May 15 of every year as the International Day of Families.
iii. The 1st ever International Day of Families was observed on 15th May 1994.
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General- António Guterres
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1945

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STATE NEWS

20) MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Flags off 406 Veterinary Ambulances

On 12th May 2023, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister (CM) of Madhya Pradesh (MP) inaugurated a Gau-Raksha Sankalp Sammelan (Cow-Protection Resolution Conference) at Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal, MP, and flagged off 406 veterinary ambulances under the “Pashu Chikitsa Ambulance” (animal ambulance) scheme. The ambulance, mainly meant for the treatment of cows, will operate in urban areas and all development blocks of MP.

·         Shivraj Singh Chouhan also launched a toll-free number “1962” for the treatment of animals in an emergency.

·         The CM also announced Rs 900 per month to farmers for rearing cows, the first instalment of which will be released to 22,000 farmers in May 2023. People from the tribal communities will be provided with a 90% subsidy for buying cows.

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