Current Affairs in English – May 10, 11 2023

May 10-11, 2023

National Events:

SAKSHAM:

• The Learning Management Information System (LMIS) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) called SAKSHAM (Stimulating Advanced Knowledge for Sustainable Health Management) was launched by the Union Health Secretary.
• The digital platform was created by the National Institute of Health & Family Welfare (NIHFW) in New Delhi.

 “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” – 2023:

• The workshop was organized by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR), Ministry of Jal Shakti at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi.
• The workshop aimed to provide orientation to Central Nodal Officers (CNO) and Technical Officers (TO) who will visit 150 water-stressed districts across the country.
• These officials will ensure effective implementation of the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” – 2023 (JSA: CTR) campaign, which runs from 4th March, 2023 to 30th November, 2023.
• A Central Team, comprising CNO and TO, will visit the assigned districts twice, before and after monsoon season.
• The workshop aimed to provide a mission and vision to the visiting officials and highlight their roles and responsibilities. The theme for the campaign is “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water”, and it will be implemented in all districts, including rural and urban areas.

Bharat Ratna Dr. Ambedkar Award:

• Former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Bharat Ratna Dr. Ambedkar Award to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his efforts in creating a fear-free Uttar Pradesh.
• The award ceremony took place at the Shri Shanmukhananda Auditorium in Mumbai, where Dr. Lalji Prasad Nirmal, a member of the UP legislative council, received the award on behalf of the Chief Minister.
• The event was organized by the Buddhanjali Research Foundation and was attended by Ramnath Kovind as the chief guest. This was the 13th edition of the award ceremony.

BAI:

• Badminton Asia has appointed Omar Rashid, the Joint Secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), as the Chair of the Technical Officials Committee.
• Rashid’s vast experience in his previous role with BAI makes him a valuable addition to the committee, ensuring further advancement of badminton in India.

Parminder Chopra:

• Parminder Chopra has been recommended by the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) to become the next Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Power Finance Corporation (PFC), India’s largest Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) by net worth.
• If appointed, she will be the first woman to hold the position.

Telangana government:

• The Telangana government introduced a new policy known as the State Robotics Framework. It is designed to establish a self-sustaining robotics ecosystem and to position the state as a leader in robotics in India.
• The policy aims to provide support for research and development, encourage collaboration between academia and industry, and promote the adoption of robotics technology across various sectors.

 “School Health Program”:

• According to a recent statement by the State government of Uttar Pradesh, the Urban Development Department and Lucknow Smart City have collaborated to launch a pilot project called the “School Health Program” in Lucknow.
• The program aims to improve the health of students and has been implemented in three schools as a part of the pilot project.

National Technology Day:

• Every year on May 11th, India observes National Technology Day to recognize and honor the remarkable accomplishments and contributions of its scientists, engineers, and technologists in the development of the country.
• This day holds great cultural and historical importance, underscoring India’s dedication to innovation and its quest for technological progress. This year’s theme is ‘School to Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.

The Sittwe Port:

• The Sittwe Port in Myanmar has been put into operation by India, with the first shipment departing from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata.
• The project is a part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport initiative. The inaugural shipment, carrying 20,000 bags of cement weighing 1,000 metric tonnes, is expected to arrive at the Sittwe Port.

Face mask equipped with a sensor:

• Researchers at BITS Pilani Hyderabad have designed a face mask equipped with a sensor to detect illness.
• The team designed and developed a ‘Kirigami’ based stretchable, flexible Laser induced Graphene (LIG) a 3-D carbon nanomaterial, for real-time attachments with surgical masks. The innovative face mask aims to provide real-time monitoring of vital health parameters.

CISCO:

• CISCO would start manufacturing operations in India as it seeks to create a “more diverse and resilient global supply chain and support India’s vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub”.
• India houses Cisco’s second-largest R&D centre, with the biggest being in the U.S. Cisco’s manufacturing in India will be through contract manufacturers and partners.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal:

• Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Launches Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines to Achieve Zero Carbon Emission Goal. The guidelines were launched to meet the larger vision of achieving Zero Carbon Emission Goal set by the Ministry.
• It envisages ecosystem dynamics in port development, operation, and maintenance while aligning with the ‘Working with Nature’ concept.

ICMR:

• ICMR successfully conducts trial run of blood bag delivery under i-Drone initiative.
• The inaugural trial flight carried ten units of blood samples from Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida and Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi. The trial run has been undertaken for the 1st time in the country.

Sea Harrier Museum:

• Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to inaugurated Sea Harrier Museum. Sea Harrier (SH 606) fighter jet will be suspended from the roof of what used to be the Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan in Vishakhapatnam.
• The museum space will feature two Pegasus engines, a flight simulator, and other artefacts alongside the Sea Harrier. All the exhibits have been brought from Goa.

Diana Mickeviciene:

• Lithuanian Ambassador to India Diana Mickeviciene welcomed the opening of a new mission in Lithuania. She made the remarks as the Lithuanian Embassy launched a book named ‘First Lithuanian Travelers in India’.
• She said that the book is about some historical characters who travelled from Lithuania to India.

Tamil Nadu Events:

Keezhadi:

• In the 9th phase of excavation recently conducted at Keezhadi, more than a thousand “pot shells” have been found in a single pit.
• Thus, it is considered that there may have been a pottery production hall here.
• It is reported that in the places where the pits were dug, there were all potsherds and there were only potsherds without any writings or pictures on them.

Excavation work:

• The 2nd phase of excavation work is currently being carried out in Vilankadu area of Tulkarpatti near Valliyur in Tirunelveli district.
• During this excavation, more than 450 artifacts were found, including flint chess pieces, iron rings, flint earrings, spearheads, pots, mosses, bones, and evidence of ancient thatched roofs. It is worth noting that in the preliminary excavation work, more than 1,000 artifacts of various types such as shells, vases, vases and beads have been found.

International Events:

Europe Day:

• Europe Day is celebrated on 09 May to celebrate peace and unity across Europe.
• Europe Day is observed on 9 May 1950 following the signing of the ‘Schuman Declaration’ by the countries. The theme of this year’s Europe Day is ‘My Vision for Peace and Prosperity’.

World Lupus Day:

• World Lupus Day is a global “health event” commemorated on May 10 every year to raise awareness of the dangerous condition of lupus.
• Lupus is an inflammatory disease that occurs when the immune system attacks its own tissues. This year’s theme is “Make Lupus Visible”.

Bal Krishna Khand:

• Police arrested former home minister of Nepal and Nepali Congress leader Bal Krishna Khand in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam.
• A team of Kathmandu Police Circle arrested Khand from his residence in Mainjubahal for his alleged involvement in the scam where many Nepalis were swindled out of millions of rupees in return for sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees.

Sharjah Police:

• The Sharjah Police launched a traffic campaign, “stay in your lane” in May to curb road lane violations.
• The aim is to improve traffic culture among drivers and other road users, educate them on the significance of adhering to traffic regulations and instructions, and inform them of the risks involved in the event of non-compliance with them.

COP28 President:

• COP28 President-Designate Calls for Action to Transform, Decarbonize, and Future-Proof Economies at UAE Climate Tech Conference.
• The aim is to accelerate the development and deployment of technological solutions to decarbonize economies and reduce emissions by at least forty-3 % by 2030 in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

Arab League:

• The Arab League readmitted Syria after more than a decade of suspension, consolidating a regional push to normalise ties with President Bashar al-Assad.
• The decision said Syria could resume its participation in Arab League meetings, while calling for a resolution of the crisis resulting from Syria’s civil war, including the flight of refugees to neighbouring countries and drug smuggling.

AI chatbot Bard:

• Google has announced that it will be rolling out its generative AI chatbot Bard in over 180 countries, including India.
• Bard is a large language model (LLM) that can generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way. It is still under development, but it has learned to perform many kinds of tasks.

4.5 million deaths:

• A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has highlighted the challenges faced in reducing maternal deaths, stillbirths, and newborn deaths globally.
• The report shows that, in 2020-2021, there were a combined 4.5 million deaths of this kind, with India leading a list of 10 countries that account for 60% of the total. India’s high number of live births is believed to be a factor in its large number of maternal, stillbirth, and neonatal deaths, with the country accounting for 17% of global live births.
• Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and China also feature on the list of countries with the highest rates of maternal, stillbirth, and neonatal deaths.

International Day of Argania:

• Every year on May 10, the International Day of Argania or International Day of the Argan Tree is observed to promote awareness and understanding of the argan tree’s environmental importance worldwide.
• This holiday was established by UNESCO in 2021.The argan tree, which is native to the sub-Saharan region of Morocco, specifically the southwest, grows in arid and semiarid areas and is known for its resilience to a harsh environment marked by water scarcity, erosion risk, and poor soils.

CORPAT:

• The Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy conducted the 35th edition of the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) from May 3 to May 10, 2023.
• The exercise was aimed at reinforcing maritime linkages between the two countries and ensuring the safety and security of the Indian Ocean.

Sports Events:

Lionel Messi:

• Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup as their captain, was honored with the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award at a ceremony held in Paris.
• In addition to that, Messi accepted the World Team of the Year award on behalf of the Argentina men’s football team, who won the championship in Qatar.
• Messi also became the first athlete to scoop both the World Sportsman of the Year Award and the World Team of the Year Award in the same year.

TOPS:

• Atanu Das, an Olympic Archer and World Championship Silver Medallist, has been re-admitted to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS).
• This decision was made due to his outstanding performances in the Archery World Cup in Antalya and the domestic circuit.
• After a break of one and a half years, Atanu returned to international outdoor competition and secured the fourth spot in the Men’s Recurve individual rankings with a score of 673 points.