Current Affairs in English – May 19 2023

May 19, 2023

National Events:

Supreme Court judges:

• Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and senior advocate KV Viswanathan will be sworn in as Supreme Court judges, after the Central government cleared the appointment of the advocates.
• Their names were recommended to the Centre by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud.

Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare:

• The Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have jointly announced their commitment to prioritize “Integrative Health” for the well-being of the public.
• This announcement was made at the National Ayush Mission Conclave, a two-day event inaugurated by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Cabinet Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping & Waterways.
• The conclave was attended by esteemed guests, including Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare.

Sagar Parikrama Yatra:

• Shri Parshottam Rupala, the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, initiated the fifth phase of the Sagar Parikrama Yatra in Karanja, Raigad, Maharashtra.
• The upcoming leg of the Sagar Parikrama Yatra Phase-V will encompass various coastal areas such as Gateway of India, Karanja (Raigad District), Mirkarwada (Ratnagiri District), Devgad (Sindhudurg District), Malvan, Vasco, Mormugaon, and Canacona (South Goa).

Jyotiraditya Scindia:

• The Government of India is placing special emphasis on creating capacity for the country’s rapidly growing aviation market, according to the Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia.
• In an address during the curtain raiser event for Wing India 2024 in New Delhi, Minister Scindia highlighted the government’s efforts to simplify processes and procedures while eliminating bottlenecks in the aviation industry.
• With the goal of surpassing 200 airports, heliports, and waterdromes within the next three to four years, India aims to bolster its domestic and international connectivity.

Bhopal:

• Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, has become the first city in India to measure its progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The city has adopted a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) process, which is a tool that helps cities to assess their progress on the SDGs and identify areas where they need to improve.

Vaghsheer:

• The Indian Navy’s sixth and final Kalvari class submarine, Vaghsheer, has begun its sea trials. Vaghsheer is scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in early 2024.
• The submarine was launched on 20th April 2022 from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). “Submarine commissioning strengthens Indian Navy amid rising Chinese presence in Indian Ocean”.

Country’s first commercial passenger flight:

• Country’s first commercial passenger flight using an indigenously produced Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend was successfully flown from Pune to Delhi.
• Air Asia flight flew from Pune to Delhi powered by SAF blended aviation turbine fuel supplied by Indian Oil Corporation Limited. It a significant milestone in the country’s efforts towards Net Zero emissions by 2070.

Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel:

• S.P. Singh Baghel has been assigned as Minister of State in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry. Prof. Baghel was serving as Minister of State in the Law and Justice Ministry.
• Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal was assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Famous organic Queen Pineapple:

• The famous organic Queen Pineapple produced in Tripura was launched by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in a program held in Delhi.Tripura’s Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratanlal Nath was also present in this program.
• Tomar said in the last nine years, Prime Minister Modi has visited the north-eastern region 52 times.

Supreme Court:

• The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the “scientific survey”, including carbon dating, of the “Shivling” said to have been found at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.
• The High Court on May 12 set aside the Varanasi District judge’s order which had rejected the application for a scientific survey and carbon dating of the “Shivling” on October 14, 2022.

‘Operation Karuna’:

• India launched ‘Operation Karuna’ to assist Myanmar which has been devastated by Cyclone Mocha. Three Indian Navy ships carrying relief material reached Yangon on 18 May 2023.
• The first batch of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) materials brought by INS Shivalik, INS Kamorta, and INS Savitri included emergency food items, tents, etc.

 FPO:

• The Cooperation Ministry, on 18 May 2023, announced to set up of 1,100 new farmer-producer organizations (FPOs) in the cooperative sector.
• Under the FPO Scheme, financial assistance of 33 lakh rupees is provided to each FPO. Further, financial assistance of 25 lakh rupees per FPO is provided to the Cluster-Based Business Organizations.

 Indian Navy:

• The Indian Navy deployed its P81 aircraft to assist in the search for a capsized Chinese fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean.
• The vessel, Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028, sank on May 17 with 39 crew members on board, including Chinese, Indonesian, and Philippine nationals.
• The Indian Navy’s Search and Rescue Operations (SAR) equipment was deployed upon a request from the Chinese Navy.

TCS:

• The central government, on 18 May 2023, amended a rule that will attract 20% tax collection at source (TCS) on credit card usage outside India.
• As per the new rule, credit card spending in a foreign currency will now be part of the liberalized remittance scheme (LRS) and subject to Tax Collection at Source (TCS). It will also include international credit card payments under the LRS from July 1.

National Endangered Species Day: 19 May

• Every year on the third Friday in May National Endangered Species Day is celebrated annually. In 2023 it is being observed on 19 May to raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation.
• Endangered Species Act 1973, focuses on the protection of wildlife and threatened species in India. The 2023 year’s theme is, “Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the endangered species act”.

International Events:

ORAN:

• On the occasion of World Telecom Day, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan today launched Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) test bed project for conformance, certification and interoperability testing of O-RAN based solutions at a function in New Delhi.
• It will facilitate testing of ORAN elements and will facilitate development of fully indigenous 5G radio network in India.

Pakistan & Iran:

• Pakistan, Iran inaugurate border market in their first meeting in 10yr. Officials say the top leaders of Pakistan and Iran have inaugurated the first border market as relations warm between the two countries.
• The marketplace is the first of six to be constructed along the Pakistan-Iran border under a 2012 agreement signed by the two sides. Iran-Pakistani relations have been contentious because of cross-border attacks.

G7:

• Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida welcomed the G7 leaders in Hiroshima where G7 leaders laid wreaths at the Peace Memorial Park.
• They also planted saplings at Memorial Park. The G7 leaders are currently in Japan to attend the G7 Summit scheduled to be held in Hiroshima from May 19-21. Japan assumed the G7 Presidency in 2023.

Syria’s President:

• Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is to attend an Arab League summit for the first time since it was suspended from the regional body 12 years ago.
• Syria was readmitted this month after states which had backed the opposition accepted his grip on power was secure. They include summit hosts in Saudi Arabia.

Montana Governor:

• Montana Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation to ban Chinese-owned TikTok. Montana will make it unlawful for Google and Apple’s app stores to offer TikTok within the state, but will not impose any penalties on individuals using the app.
• The ban is to take effect Jan. 1, 2024, and is almost certain to face legal challenges. TikTok is owned by Chinese tech company Byte Dance.

5,000-year-old tree:

• A 5,000-year-old tree in Chile has been officially recognized as the world’s oldest. The tree, a Patagonian cypress, is located in the Alerce Costero National Park and is nicknamed “Great Grandfather”.
• It is estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,500 years old, making it the oldest living organism on Earth.
• The Great Grandfather tree is a massive specimen, measuring 28 meters tall and 4 meters (13 Feet) in diameter.
• It is believed to have survived several major climate changes over the centuries, including the Little Ice Age. The tree is also a popular tourist destination, with thousands of visitors coming to see it each year.

Sports Events:

FIFA World Cup 2026:

• The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy, which is widely regarded as the most prestigious and recognized sporting symbol worldwide, has been revealed as a prominent feature of the official brand for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
• In a groundbreaking move, the brand incorporates an image of the actual trophy along with the specific year of the tournament, resulting in an innovative design concept that forms the foundation of the FIFA World Cup™ emblem for the 2026 edition and future events.
• This combination of the trophy and the hosting year allows for customization to showcase the distinctiveness of each host country while establishing a consistent and recognizable brand structure for the years ahead.

South Asian Youth Table Tennis Championship 2023:

• The South Asian Youth Table Tennis Championship 2023, a three-day international event, came to a close on May 17 in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
• Over 100 athletes from six countries, including Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, participated in the championship.
• General KT Parnaik (Retd.), the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, graced the closing ceremony as the Chief Guest at the Dorjee Khandu Indoor Stadium in Itanagar.
• On the final day, the host nation India achieved a remarkable feat by winning all the available gold medals at the tournament.