Current Affairs in English – May 14, 15 2023

May 14-15, 2023

National Events:

Dr. Jitendra Singh:

• Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology stated that the “Blue Economy” would be a significant contributor to India’s overall economy in the future, and the Deep Ocean Mission, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would be its core component.
• The Minister chaired the first-ever high-level Steering Committee Meeting of the Deep Ocean Mission at Prithvi Bhawan in New Delhi.
• The Committee includes Union Ministers of State for Environment, External Affairs, Defence, and Finance, as well as the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.

SCO:

• India’s proposition to promote the expansion and adoption of its digital public infrastructure (DPI), comprising of Aadhaar, United Payments Interface (UPI), and DigiLocker, was accepted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during a gathering of ICT development ministers chaired by India.
• Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister for electronics, IT, communications, and railways, encouraged other SCO member countries to assess and implement India Stack while stressing the significance of interoperability and increased digital inclusion.

Prof Jayant V. Narlikar:

• Renowned astronomer and founder director of IUCAA, Prof Jayant V. Narlikar, received the inaugural Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement Award from the Astronomical Society of India (ASI).
• Narlikar is a past president of ASI and was the founding director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA).
• He is known for his work on cosmology and gravitation, and has made significant contributions to the understanding of the evolution of the universe.

Praveen Sood:

• Praveen Sood, the Director General of Police in Karnataka, has been appointed as the next director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The 59-year-old will take on the position for two years after Subodh Kumar Jaiswal’s term ends on May 25.
• Karnataka DGP Praveen Sood appointment was cleared in a meeting of a high-powered committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Tungnath:

• Tungnath, located in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, is not only one of the highest Shiva temples in the world but also the highest among the five Panch Kedar temples. Recently, it has been designated as a national monument.
• The Central Government declared Tungnath a monument of national importance in a notification dated March 27.
• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), led by Devraj Singh Rautela, confirmed that they had been working towards this recognition for a significant period. During the process, ASI actively sought public opinions and objections regarding the declaration of Tungnath as a national heritage.

Congress party:

• The recent Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections saw the Congress party emerge victorious, securing 135 seats out of 224, surpassing the required majority of 113.
• Analysts attribute the party’s victory to their focus on local leadership and issues, with veteran state leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar leading the campaign instead of national figures like Rahul Gandhi.
• The party opted not to project a Chief Ministerial candidate and addressed any signs of conflict with displays of unity from the two leaders during campaigning.
• Mallikarjun Kharge, the party president, has suggested a rotation system where each leader would hold the position for two and a half years out of the five-year term.

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways:

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has achieved an outstanding accomplishment in securing the second position among 66 ministries in the highly influential Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) assessment for 2022-2023 Q3.
• The Ministry has been awarded an impressive score of 4.7 out of 5, which highlights the ministry’s unwavering commitment to achieving excellence in data governance.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs:

• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has established the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) to streamline the process of removing companies from the MCA Register.
• The purpose of C-PACE is to reduce the burden on the registry and provide a convenient process for stakeholders to remove their company’s name from the register.

Bulls eye:

• INS Mormugao, the Indian Navy’s latest guided-missile destroyer, successfully hit “bulls eye” during her maiden BrahMos supersonic cruise missile firing.
• The ship and her potent weapon, both indigenous, mark another shining symbol of Aatmanirbharta’ and Indian Navy’s firepower at sea. INS Mormugao was commissioned on December 18, 2022.

www.sancharsaathi.gov.in:

• The government is going to launch a new portal, www.sancharsaathi.gov.in on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. This new portal will help people track and find their lost mobile phones.
• The portal will be available throughout the country and cater to lost or stolen mobile phones connected to all telecom circles.

Meri LiFE (My life):

• Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav launched a mobile application, called Meri LiFE (My life) in New Delhi.
• This app is inspired by the concept of LIFE, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP 26. It emphasizes mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless and wasteful consumption.

NCB:

• The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Indian Navy, in a joint operation off the Kerala coast, have seized approximately 2,500 kg of methamphetamine valued at about 15,000 crore and originating from Pakistan.
• The seizure is a part of Operation Samudragupt, which seeks to rid the Indian Ocean region of drugs by targeting drug trafficking on ships.

‘Alligator Gar’:

• The Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) have discovered a rare ‘Alligator Gar’ fish for the first time in Dal Lake.
• The ‘Alligator Gar’ fish is native to North America. In 2016, a Grass Carp fish was found, while another was found in Manasbal Lake.

University of Kashmir:

• The University of Kashmir in Srinagar successfully hosted the Y20 meet under India’s presidency of G20. In which a delegation from Turkey also represented the nation.
• The change in stance comes after the recent election in Turkey and India’s defense relations and cooperation with Cyprus. Turkey was planning to make Northern Cyprus on the captured region of Cyprus.

Culture Working Group meeting:

• The four-day-long Culture Working Group meeting under India’s G20 Presidency kicked off at Bhubaneshwar in Odisha.
• The meeting will emphasise ‘Culture Unites All’ in a campaign mode to highlight India’s unwavering belief in multilateralism based on peaceful coexistence among diverse cultures and communities.

‘Model Prisons Act, 2023’:

• Centre finalizes comprehensive ‘Model Prisons Act, 2023’ to focus on skill development of prisoners. It may serve as a guiding document for the States, and for adoption in their jurisdiction.
• Grievance redressal, prison development board, attitudinal change towards prisoners, provision of separate accommodation for women prisoners, and transgender are some features of the act.

CBIC:

• The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has rolled out the Automated Return Scrutiny Module for GST returns.
• This module will enable the officers to carry out scrutiny of GST returns of Centre Administered Taxpayers selected on the basis of data analytics and risks identified by the system.

“Ladakh Monlam Chenmo”:

• The annual five-day-long Great Prayer Festival, “Ladakh Monlam Chenmo,” a mass prayer camp by Buddhist monks and nuns for world peace and happiness started in Leh, Ladakh.
• Monlam Chenmo is a major annual prayer of the Sangha Community of Ladakh gathered at one platform. The event is being organised by the All Ladakh Gonpa Association.

International Events:

First death:

• Afghanistan reported its first death due to poliovirus in 2023 in Nangarhar. The Ministry of Public Health reported two cases of polio in Nangarhar.
• Polio is a severely contagious and disabling disease typically spread through contaminated water or food. The infection can induce complete paralysis within hours after invading the nervous system.

Mediterranean monk seal:

• A rare seal, Mediterranean monk seal was spotted on an Israeli beach, the first time the endangered mammal has made land in Israel. Mediterranean monk seal is one of the world’s 12 rarest mammals.
• Around 700 are believed to exist, the majority of which live on the coasts of Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Others live off the coast of Western Sahara and Mauritania.

India-Indonesia:

• The 4th edition of India-Indonesia Bilateral exercise Samudra Shakti-23 will take place in Batam, Indonesia. INS Kavaratti, Dornier Maritime Patrol aircraft and Chetak helicopter are participating into the event.
• Exercise Samudra Shakti is aimed at enhancing interoperability, jointness and mutual cooperation between both the navies.

Pa Dawa:

• Pasang Dawa Sherpa, also known as Pa Dawa, successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 26th time, equaling the record set by another Nepalese guide. Accompanied by a Hungarian climber, the 46-year-old achieved this feat.
• According to the Himalayan Database, which documents mountaineering achievements in Nepal’s Himalayas, Pa Dawa had previously climbed Everest 25 times, including two ascents in 2022. Since his initial successful climb in 1998, Dawa has consistently made the journey nearly every year.

Mother’s Day:

• Mother’s Day 2023 is a special day that honours and celebrates mothers worldwide. We will commemorate Mother’s Day 2023 on May 14th May.
• The day holds a significant place in our hearts because it gives us a chance to express our gratitude, love, and appreciation for our mothers.

UN Global Road Safety Week: May 15-21, 2023:

• UN Global Road Safety Week is an annual event held in May to raise awareness about road safety and the importance of taking steps to prevent accidents.
• The week is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN regional commissions, and it is supported by a wide range of partners, including governments, NGOs, businesses, and individuals.
• The week was first marked in 2007. It was no longer observed until 2013, and it had been recorded every two years since then until 2019.
• It is a special global road safety campaign hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) that aims to raise awareness about road safety and accident prevention.

International Day of Families:

• International Day of Families is celebrated on May 15 to raise awareness of the importance of families and their role in society. The day focuses on the important role that families play in our society while also highlighting the issues faced by them.
• The International Day of Families is a global observance that is celebrated by countries around the world.
• In the United States, the day is celebrated by a variety of organizations, including the National Council on Family Relations, the Family Resource Coalition of America, and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.

Sports Events:

V.Prraneeth:

• Prraneeth, a 15-year-old chess player from Telangana, achieved the title of Grandmaster, becoming the sixth from the state and the 82nd in India.
• He secured this milestone by defeating GM Hans Niemann from the US during the penultimate round of the Baku Open 2023.