Current Affairs in English – May 18 2023

May 18, 2023

National Events:

Portfolios:

• Arjun Ram Meghwal has been appointed the new Law Minister, while Kiren Rijiju has been handed the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Meghwal has been assigned the Law Ministry in addition to his existing portfolios. Kiren Rijiju has been assigned the portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences. Meghwal is the current Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Culture.

Siddaramaiah:

• Siddaramaiah has been appointed the CM of Karnataka, days after Congress won the state polls with 135 seats. Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar has been appointed the Deputy Chief Minister.
• The oath taking ceremony will take place in Bengaluru Kanteerava stadium on Saturday in the presence of Congress leadership.

Essence (attar):

• The 31-acre first phase of the international perfume park project in Kannauj, which is known for manufacture of the essence (attar) used in perfumes is completed.
• This park was proposed by Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. In 2014, he had announced a common facility fragrance park to boost the fragrance industry of Kannauj.

Amazon Web Services:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced plans to invest 12.7 billion dollars in cloud infrastructure in India by 2030.
• The cloud platform offers more than 200 services, including storage, robotics, and artificial intelligence. It will support an estimated average of 1 lakh 31 thousand 700 full-time equivalent jobs in Indian businesses each year.

TIE Rajasthan:

• TIE Rajasthan has signed an MOU with the state Police. With a purpose of strengthening the ‘Technical Core Croup (TCC)’ of Rajasthan Police and simultaneously creating fresh opportunities for startups in the cyber-security and cyber-crime redressal space the MoU was signed.
• This MoU brings great opportunities for startups working in cyber-security & cybercrime space.

Pharmaceutical research and innovation institute:

• CM Yogi Adityanath announced to set up a pharmaceutical research and innovation institute in Lucknow. It will promote research and manufacturing in the pharma sector.
• UP is the sixth-largest state in the nation in terms of the number of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

Yogi Adityanath government:

• The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is planning to develop the Nath Corridor in Bareilly.
• The corridor will be built by connecting Alakhnath Temple, Madhinath, Tapeshwar Nath, Dhopeshwar Nath, Pashupatinath, Vankhandi Nath Temple the seven mythological Nath temples in Bareilly city.
• This will be the first religious destination dedicated to the Nath sect in the state.

Captain Pratima Bhullar Maldonado:

• Indian-origin Captain Pratima Bhullar Maldonado has become the highest-ranking South Asian woman in the New York Police Department (NYPD). She was promoted to the rank of Captain last month.
• Maldonado, 45, was born in Punjab, India, and moved to the United States with her family when she was 9 years old. She joined the NYPD in 1999 and has served in a variety of roles, including patrol officer, detective, and sergeant.

A K Jain:

• The chairman position of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has finally been filled.
• A K Jain, the former Coal Secretary, has been appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet to take on this role for a period of five years. The position has been vacant since December 2020.

Union Cabinet:

• In a significant development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet has given its approval to the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the IT hardware segment, with a substantial budget allocation of Rs 17,000 crore. This PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware aims to leverage the achievements of the PLI scheme implemented for mobile phones, which played a pivotal role in establishing India as the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. Notably, the exports of mobile phones have also surpassed a significant milestone of $11 billion (equivalent to around Rs 90 thousand crores) this year.

 ‘Jal Rahat’:

• The Gajraj Corps of the Indian Army recently conducted a joint flood relief exercise called ‘Jal Rahat’ at Hagrama Bridge on Manas River in Assam.
• The purpose of the exercise was to validate joint drills and enhance coordination among multiple agencies involved in flood relief operations.
• The event witnessed the participation of various organizations, including the Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and police representatives. The exercise focused on coordinating preparedness and conducting rescue missions in flood-affected areas.

Knight Frank India:

• Mumbai has moved up to the sixth rank among 46 global cities in terms of annual price growth of high-end residential properties, with an appreciation of 5.5%, according to a report by real estate consultant Knight Frank India.
• The report, titled ‘Prime Global Cities Index Q1 2023‘, notes that Bengaluru and New Delhi have also registered an increase in average annual prices in the first quarter of 2023.

Jallikattu:

• The Supreme Court upheld the Tamil Nadu law allowing the 2,000-year-old traditional bull-taming sport Jallikattu in the state.
• The apex court’s decision came on a batch of pleas challenging state laws of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra on Jallikattu.
• It said the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2021, substantially minimises pain and suffering to animals.

World Economic Situation and Prospects report:

• The World Economic Situation and Prospects report released by the United Nations has announced that India is expected to grow by 5.8 percent in 2023 and 6.7 percent in 2024.
• The report said the world economy is projected to grow by 2.3 percent in 2023 and 2.5 percent in 2024. The report also states that inflation in India is expected to decelerate to 5.5 percent in 2023.

DHR & WHO:

• The Union Government has approved the signing of the Project Collaboration Agreement between the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Assistive Technology on 17 May 2023.
• The collaboration aims at providing access to assistive technology, fostering research and innovation, and developing and disseminating appropriate training programs.

Kharif season:

• The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 1.08 lakh crore fertiliser subsidy for the 2023-24 Kharif season. The subsidy includes Rs 38,000 crore for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilisers.
• This also includes Rs 70,000 crore of urea subsidy earmarked in the Budget for the Kharif season 2023-24. The MRP (Maximum Retail Price) of fertilisers will remain unchanged at Rs 276 per bag.

International Events:

Trachoma:

• Benin, Mali in Africa eliminates eye infection trachoma. Trachoma has been eliminated as a public health problem in Benin and Mali, as validated by the World Health Organization.
• They join a growing list of countries to have banished the disease, following Ghana in 2018, The Gambia in 2021, and Malawi in 2022. Trachoma spreads through the direct or indirect transfer of eye and nose discharges, primarily from infected individuals.

World AIDS Vaccine Day: 18 May

• Worlds AIDS Vaccine Day or HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is observed every year on 18 May. The day raises awareness about the ongoing global efforts to develop an effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS.
• It was 1st observed on 18 May 1998, to commemorate the anniversary of the first international AIDS vaccine trial, which took place in 1997. The trial, known as RV144, was conducted in Thailand.

UHNWI:

• A recent report by Knight Frank indicates a significant rise in India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) and billionaire population over the next five years.
• The study highlights a projected 58.4% increase in UHNWI individuals, with a net worth exceeding $30 million, from 12,069 in 2022 to 19,119 in 2027.
• Furthermore, India’s billionaire population is expected to grow from 161 individuals in 2022 to 195 individuals in 2027.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day:

• The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) will be celebrating the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on 18th May 2023, with the vision to build an inclusive society in which equal opportunities are provided for the growth and development of Persons with Disabilities so that they can lead productive, safe and dignified lives.
• DEPwD, under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India is the nodal body to look after all the development agenda of Persons with Disabilities of the country.

United Nations General Assembly:

• The United Nations General Assembly took a significant step towards promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation by adopting a resolution to designate November 26 as World Sustainable Transport Day.
• This global initiative aims to raise awareness, educate the public, and foster international cooperation in addressing pressing issues related to transport sustainability.
• The resolution encourages member states, UN organizations, international and regional entities, and civil society to commemorate this day through educational activities and events focused on enhancing knowledge about sustainable transport.

International Museum Day:

• International Museum Day, observed on Thursday, May 18, 2023, serves the purpose of increasing recognition for the vital role that museums play in fostering cultural exchange, enhancing diverse cultures, and fostering mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace among different communities.
• This day, as stated by the International Council of Museums, aims to raise awareness about the significance of museums as valuable platforms for promoting global harmony and development.

N Chandrasekaran:

• Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran has been given France’s highest civilian award Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur for his contributions to strengthen the trade relationship between India and France.
• French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna gave the award to Chandrasekaran on behalf of the French President.

Quad:

• A summit of the Quad countries scheduled to be held in Sydney next week will be postponed after US President Joe Biden pulled out because of debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.
• The Quad meeting, which includes leaders from Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, was scheduled to take place in Sydney.

Sports Events:

Jyothi Yarraji:

• Athlete Jyothi Yarraji won a gold medal in the women’s 100 m hurdles at the Federation Cup athletics event at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi. Jyothi topped the podium with a meet-record time of 12.89 seconds.
• She also crossed the Asian Championships qualifying standard of 13.63 seconds set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), as per Olympics.com. She hails from Andhra Pradesh.