Current Affairs in English – May 20, 21 2023

May 20-21, 2023

National Events:

Siddaramaiah:

• Siddaramaiah was sworn in for his second term as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, alongside Deputy CM D K Shivakumar and eight politicians as ministers.
• The ministers were inducted after the Congress party‘s sweeping Assembly poll victory in Karnataka. The ceremony took place at Bengaluru’s Kanteerava stadium and was attended by thousands of people.

National Water Awards-2022:

• Madhya Pradesh secured first place in the ‘Best State’ category in the 4th National Water Awards-2022, followed by Odisha in second place and Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in joint third place.
• Ganjam, Odisha, won the first prize in the ‘Best District’ category, followed by Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, and Adilabad, Telangana. The National Water Awards were launched by the Jal Shakti Ministry in 2018.

Yogi Adityanath:

• Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure timely assistance to beneficiaries of public welfare schemes during ‘Janata Darshan’ in Gorakhpur on 20 May 2023.
• CM Yogi instructed officials to take strict action against any deliberate delay in resolving public grievances. He also emphasized accountability in ensuring the effective implementation of public welfare schemes.

AAS:

• The Advance Authorization Scheme (AAS) or Advance License Scheme, introduced by the Government of India under the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020, has recently gained attention in the news.
• This scheme aims to promote the competitiveness of Indian products in the global market by providing duty exemptions on imported raw materials required for the manufacture of export products.
• By eliminating import duties on these materials, the cost of the final export products is reduced, making them more competitive in terms of pricing.

Union Health Ministry:

• The Union Health Ministry has launched a bold initiative to screen and provide standard care to 75 million individuals suffering from hypertension and diabetes by 2025.
• This significant announcement was made during the G20 co-branded event called “Accelerating the Prevention and Management of Hypertension and Diabetes,” which was organized by the Union Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Value of defence production:

• India has achieved a significant milestone in its defence sector as the value of defence production in the country crossed ₹1 lakh crore for the first time.
• This achievement is a result of key reforms implemented to boost growth in the sector and reduce reliance on military imports.
• The value of defence production has nearly doubled over the past five years, reflecting India’s efforts to strengthen its position as a weapons and systems exporter.

Eknath Shinde:

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on 19 May 2023, approved the first Good Governance Regulations of the country.
• It aims to make the State administration more accountable, accessible, dynamic, and transparent. These regulations will also include the formation of a separate cell to take action on the effects of climate change.

‘Mukhyamantri Sikho Kamao Yojana’:

• The Madhya Pradesh state cabinet has approved a new scheme called ‘Mukhyamantri Sikho Kamao Yojana’ (Chief Minister Learn and Earn Scheme) for unemployed youths in the state.
• The scheme is available for youths who have passed 12th grade, ITI, graduation, or post-graduation.
• The youths will be paid a stipend for learning the skills, ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month.

Coal production:

• In the last nine years, India’s overall coal production has gone up by 47 percent to 893.08 million tonnes (MT). This is the highest coal production in the country’s history. Coal supply has also gone up by 45.37% to reach 877.74 million tonnes.
• The government launched ‘Mission Coking Coal’ in August 2021 to suggest ways to increase domestic coking coal production and utilization by 2030.

ICAI & CA Maldives:

• The Union Cabinet, on 18 May 2023, approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and the Chartered Accountants of the Maldives (CA Maldives).
• The MoU aims to foster cooperation in accounting between India and the Maldives. The MoU will also facilitate the export of accounting services to the Maldives.

Reserve Bank of India:

• The Reserve Bank of India, on 19 May 2023, announced to withdraw the 2000 denomination banknotes from circulation while retaining their status as legal tender. The withdrawal of 2000 banknotes aligns with the RBI’s “Clean Note Policy”.
• Individuals can exchange their 2000 banknotes up to a limit of 20,000 until September 30, 2023, to exchange or deposit their 2000 banknotes.

 AirAsia India:

• AirAsia India successfully flew India’s first commercial passenger flight using the indigenous Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend on 18 May 2023.
• The flight departed from Pune to New Delhi and the SAF blend was supplied by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL). By 2025, India aims to blend 1% SAF in Jet fuel, requiring around 14 crore liters of SAF per annum.

Tamil Nadu Events:

Postal Department:

• In Tamil Nadu, a scheme to send temple Prasathams to devotees’ homes through the “postal department” has been launched on May 18.
• In the first phase of this scheme, the Tamil Nadu government has announced that Prasathams will be sent to homes in “48 first-class temples” through post.

India’s longest Skywalk:

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has inaugurated one of India’s longest Skywalk bridges, which spans 570 meters in length and 4.2 meters in width.
• The skywalk bridge connects the Mambalam railway station and T Nagar bus terminus, providing a crucial connection for commuters.
• The bridge was constructed by the Greater Chennai Corporation at a cost of Rs 28.45 crore from Smart City funds.

International Events:

G20:

• China has decided not to attend the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar from May 22 to May 24. India has countered China’s objection by saying it is free to hold meetings on its own territory.
• Pakistan has also opposed India’s decision to hold a G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir. Three countries, China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are likely to skip the meeting.

Apple:

• Apple has banned the use of ChatGPT and other generative Al chatbots by its employees due to concerns over privacy and data security.
• OpenAl in May 2023 announced the launch of the ChatGPT app for iOS. Companies like Amazon, Accenture, JPMorgan, Verizon, and several more have also barred their employees from using ChatGPT over similar data-related concerns.

India & South Korea:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 May 2023, held a bilateral meeting with South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol in Japan’s Hiroshima. India-South Korea is celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2023.
• Both countries agreed to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, IT hardware manufacturing and defence and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Chinese scientists:

• Chinese scientists have developed a swimming microrobot complete with claws and a coat that mimics the red blood cell membrane. The robot is 20 microns in diameter and has claws inspired by tardigrades, a kind of tiny invertebrate.
• The claws allow for better navigation through the veins and show promise for precision medicine. The researchers monitored the robot’s activity in a rabbit vein.

Japan:

• Japan is considering adopting India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment system to enhance cross-border transactions and payment mechanisms.
• The UPI could be used for cross-border payments once it is also adopted by countries like the UAE and Singapore.
• Japan will be sending a team to India to study the UPI platform and will eventually consider linking the network if Japan adopts UPI.

Report by the United Nations (UN):

• A recent report by the United Nations (UN) has unveiled that Indian government-owned companies and private firms in the country supplied arms, dual-use items, and raw materials worth ₹422 crore (approximately $51 million) to the military junta in Myanmar.
• The report, titled “The Billion Dollar Death Trade: International Arms Networks that Enable Human Rights Violations in Myanmar,” highlights the involvement of UN member states in facilitating this trade, which directly contributes to human rights violations in Myanmar.

World Bee Day:

• World Bee Day is an annual event held on May 20th to increase understanding and recognition of the vital role bees and other pollinators play in our ecosystem.
• This observance was established by the United Nations in 2017 with the purpose of emphasizing the importance of bees in sustaining both ecosystems and food production.
• The celebration of World Bee Day seeks to encourage efforts that safeguard bees and their habitats, while also emphasizing the significance of pollinators in preserving biodiversity and ensuring worldwide food security.

International Tea Day:

• International Tea Day is an annual observance on May 21st to celebrate the long history and cultural significance of tea around the world.
• The day also aims to raise awareness of the importance of tea in fighting hunger and poverty, as well as the sustainable production and consumption of tea.
• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 21st as International Tea Day in 2019. The day is an opportunity to celebrate the many benefits of tea, and to raise awareness of the challenges facing the tea industry.

Diversity Day:

• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, also known as Diversity Day, is an annual celebration held on May 21st.
• Its purpose is to recognize and value the cultural diversities that exist among countries, regions, and individuals worldwide.
• This day carries significant importance due to the fact that a considerable portion of the world’s major conflicts stem from cultural differences.
• It highlights the urgent need for the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to address these conflicts and work towards achieving their primary objective of promoting global peace.