May'23 CA Consolidated - A4

Current Affairs January 2023 www.parchamclasses.
in
Contents
Important Days ............................................................ 1 Defence ...................................................................... 38
Books And Authors....................................................... 4 National News............................................................ 42
Appointments .............................................................. 6 Banking & Finance ..................................................... 60
Awards ....................................................................... 14 International News .................................................... 65
Obituaries................................................................... 21 Sports ......................................................................... 77
State News ................................................................. 22 Ranking & Index News ............................................... 84
Science Tech ............................................................... 33
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Current Affairs May 2023 www.parchamclasses.in
Important Days
Date Day Theme/Remark

1-May International Labour Also known as ‘Kamgar Divas’, ‘Kamgar Din’, and ‘Antrarashtriya Shramik Divas’.
Day In India, the first Labour Day or May Day was celebrated in Madras (now known
as Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923.
1-May Maharashtra Day, In the year 1960, Maharashtra and Gujarat were carved out of the state of
Gujarat Day (63rd) Bombay under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
2-May World Tuna Day Theme 2023 – The Global Tuna Industry: Trailblazing through Tough Times
In December 2017, this day was observed by the United Nations General
Assembly.
2-May World Asthma Day Theme 2023 – Asthma care for all.
(first Tuesday of
May)
3 - May International International Leopard Day is a new annual event that was officialized on May 3,
Leopard Day 2023 2023, by the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT).
India has the highest population of Leopard in Madhya Pradesh> Karnataka>
Maharashtra
3-May World Press Theme 2023: Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for
Freedom Day all other human rights
In 1993, UNGA declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day.
4-May Coal Miners Day First-ever coal mine was opened in 1575 in Scotland.
In India, the coal mining business began in 1774 from Raniganj coalfield in Asansol
and Durgapur
4-May International Fire -
Fighter’s Day
5-May World Hand Hygiene Theme 2023: Accelerate action together. SAVE LIVES – Clean Your Hands
Day
5-May World Portuguese In 2019, UNESCO’s General Conference decided to proclaim 5 May as “World
language day Portuguese Language Day”
7-May World Athletics Day Theme 2023 is “Athletics for All – A New Beginning,”
World Athletics Headquarters: Monaco
7-May BRO 64th Raising Day • Founded: 7 May 1960
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director-General: Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary
8-May World Thalassaemia 2023 theme: Be aware. Share. Care: Strengthening Education to Bridge the
Day Thalassaemia Care Gap
8-May World Red Cross The theme of World Red Cross Day 2023 is ‘Everything we do comes
Day #fromtheheart’.
Birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who founded the Red Cross.
11-May National Technology • Declared by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Day • National Technology Week May 11-14
• 2023 Theme: School to Startups-Igniting Young Minds to Innovate
• 11th May 1998 nuclear tests at Pokhran. Also, first indigenous aircraft
“Hansa-3” tested on this day, and India performed a successful test firing
of the Trishul missile.
12-May International Nurses • 2023 Theme: Our Nurses. Our Future.
Day • birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale - founder of Modern Nursing -
born on May 12, 1820, in Italy
12-May International Day of Theme 2023 – Plant Health for Environmental Protection
Plant Health Established in 2022 by the United Nations.
13-May World Migratory Theme/Slogan 2023: “Water: Sustaining Bird Life"
Bird Day
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(Second Saturday in
May and the second
Saturday in October)
15-May International Day of 2023 theme: Demographic Trends and Families
Families
15 -21 7th UN Global Road 2023 slogan: #RethinkMobility

May Safety Week The week is organized by the WHO and the UN regional commissions and
supported by governments, NGOs, and individuals.
16-May International Day of Anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and
Light engineer, Theodore Maiman.
16-May National Dengue Theme 2023 – Fight Dengue, Save Live
Day Dengue viruses spread through Aedes species mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti or Ae.
Albopictus) which also transmit yellow fever, Zika viruses, and chikungunya.
16-May Sikkim’s 48th On 15 May 1975, then-President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed signed a 36th
Statehood Day constitutional amendment and a day later, Sikkim became a complete Indian
state.
The rule of the Chogyal (last dynasty) was abolished.
17-May World Theme 2023 – Empowering the least developed countries through information
Telecommunication and communication technologies
and Information The first World Telecommunication Day was celebrated on May 17, 1969, to
Society Day mark the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph
Convention in 1865.
17-May World Hypertension 2023 theme: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer
Day
18-May International 2023 theme: Museums, Sustainability, and Well-being
Museum Day
17-May World Theme 2023 – Empowering the least developed countries through information
Telecommunication and communication technologies
and Information The first World Telecommunication Day was celebrated on May 17, 1969, to
Society Day mark the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph
Convention in 1865.
19-May National • 2023 theme: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered
Endangered Species Species Act
Day • In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was passed, which is designed to
(third Friday of May) protect endangered and threatened species in the USA.
20-May World Bee Day • Commemorates birth of Anton Jansa in 1734. She is considered the
pioneer of beekeeping.
• Theme 2023 is “Engaging in Pollinator-Friendly Agricultural Production.”
20-May World Metrology • Theme 2023 – Measurements supporting the global food system.
Day • Metrology is the study of measurement. Celebrated to highlight the need
for accurate measurement units and contribution of metrologists,
organisations and institutes.
21-May Anti-Terrorism Day • On May 21, 1991 Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE terrorists at
Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.
• Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest PM when he was sworn in at 40.
He took over as the sixth PM of the country after Indira Gandhi’s
assassination in 1984.
21-May International Tea The day was first observed in New Delhi in 2005. In 2015, Indian government
Day proposed to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to expand the
celebrations across the world. First-ever International Tea Day was on 21st May
2020
22-May International Day 2023 theme: From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity
for Biological
Diversity
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23-May World Turtle Day 2023 theme: I love Turtles
24-May Commonwealth Day • Commonwealth Day (formerly Empire Day) is commemorated on second
in India Monday of March.
• India and a few other countries celebrate it on 24th May.
• 2023 theme: Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future
25-May World Thyroid Both iodine deficiency and excess can result in hypothyroidism as well
Awareness Day as hyperthyroidism.
30-May Goa Statehood Day On this day in 1987 Goa ceased to be a UT and became the 25th state of India.
Goa, Daman and Diu Liberation Day is observed on December 19.
31-May World No Tobacco Theme 2023 - “Grow food, not tobacco”

Day
QUICK RECALL TEST
When was International Leopard Day 2023/अंतर्राष्ट्रीय तेंदआ

ु ददवस 2023?
a. May 12
b. May 5
c. May 20
d. May 3
Which day is observed on 16th May?

a. National Dengue Day/ र्रष्ट्रीय डें गू ददवस
b. International Nurses Day/ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय नसा ददवस
c. World Press Freedom Day/ ववश्व प्रेस स्वतंत्रतर ददवस
d. None of the above
When is National Technology Day?

a. May 21
b. May 11
c. May 8
d. May 31
When is International Museum Day?

a. May 22
b. May 17
c. May 18
d. May 25
What was the theme of World Athletics Day 2023?

a. Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future
b. Athletics for All – A New Beginning
c. Athletics for Peace and Development
d. None of the above
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Books And Authors

A book called ‘Collective Spirit, Concrete Action’ written by Shashi Shekhar Vempati
At the 100th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, a book called ‘Collective Spirit, Concrete
Action’ written by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO of Prasar Bharati (2017-2022)
was launched.
A book titled “MADE IN INDIA: 75 Years of Business and Enterprise” by Amitabh

Kant
Amitabh Kant - Retired IAS officer who served as CEO of the National Institution for
Transforming India (NITI Aayog) from 2016-2022
Published by the Rupa Publications India
“The Indian Metropolis: Deconstructing India’s Urban Spaces” book by Varun Gandhi
The book titled “The Indian Metropolis: Deconstructing India’s Urban Spaces” is
authored by Feroze Varun Gandhi.
The book examines the challenges facing India’s urban spaces, including poverty,
inequality, crime, and environmental degradation.
Gandhi argues that India’s cities need to be transformed in order to be more inclusive
and sustainable.
K.K. Shailaja comes with her new book ‘My Life as a Comrade’
It has been co-written with Manju Sara Rajan.
K. Shailaja is an Indian politician and former Health Minister of Kerala who hails from
Kannur district.
Shailaja currently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly representing
Mattanur constituency.
Hindi version of Uttarakhand DGP's book 'Cyber Encounters' released

This book was co-authored by state director general of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar and
former DRDO scientist OP Manocha.
Launched by Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
This book will help the readers in becoming aware of various cyber crimes
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Ruskin Bond wrote a new book titled 'The Golden Years’

Indian author Ruskin Bond wrote a book titled "The Golden
Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good Long Life".
Published by HarperCollins India and released on 19 May 2023,
Bond's 89th birthday.
"The Golden Years" focuses on Bond's experiences during the
60s, 70s and 80s.
His first book, "The Room on the Roof", was written when he was 17.
In 1992, Bond received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his work "Our Tree Still Grows in Dehra".
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014 for his contribution to literature
and education.
‘Supreme Court on Commercial Arbitration’ book By Dr. Manoj Kumar Released

The book titled ‘Supreme Court on Commercial Arbitration’ by Dr. Manoj Kumar
Fore word by Shri.R.Venkataramani (Attorney-General for India)
A compendium of three volumes
with Judgments spanning from the year 1988 till 2022
covering Arbitration Act 1940 and 1996,
Assam Governor releases book ‘Partitioned Freedom’

This book was written by Ram Madhav and published by Prabhat Prakashan Pvt. Ltd.
Assam Governor, Gulab Chand Kataria has released a book titled ‘Partitioned Freedom’ at
an event in Guwahati.
This book offers great insights into the events that unfolded during 1905 and the pre-
independence era.
Ram Madhav is an Indian Politician, Author, and thinker.
His other book: Uneasy Neighbours: India and China After 50 Years of the War
Dr Vijay Darda’s new book ‘RINGSIDE’ released by Shashi Tharoor

A book titled, “RINGSIDE – Up, Close and Personal on India and Beyond”
written by Dr Vijay Darda (Chairman of the Editorial Board of Lokmat Media
Group and former MP).
Released by renowned author Dr Shashi Tharoor on May 30, 2023.
It is a compilation of Darda’s weekly articles, which were published in the
Lokmat Media Group newspapers and other prominent national and
regional dailies of the country between 2011 and 2016
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Appointments
Alia Bhatt Becomes Gucci’s First Indian Global Ambassador
Alia Bhatt has been appointed as Gucci’s global ambassador.
She has become the first Indian to be the face of the Italian luxury fashion house.
Sourav Ganguly appointed brand ambassador of Tripura tourism

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has appointed former BCCI
President Sourav Ganguly as the brand ambassador of Tripura
tourism.
Capital of Tripura: Agartala
Maharashtra govt names Sachin Tendulkar as 'Smile Ambassador’

The Maharashtra govt has named cricket legend, Sachin Tendulkar as 'Smile
Ambassador' under the state medical education & drug department’s 'Swachh
Mukh Abhiyan.
Aim: To spread awareness about oral health and hygiene
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis signed an
MoU with Sachin Tendulkar.
Siddaramaiah took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka, D K Shivakumar

Deputy Chief Minister
Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah took the oath of office as
the 24th Chief Minister of Karnataka (he won from Varuna constituency)
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Comittee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar was
sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Arjun Ram Meghwal replaced Kiren Rijiju as Law Minister

• In a cabinet reshuffle, Arjun Ram Meghwal, a Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs, has been made Minister of State with independent
charge of the Law and Justice Ministry, in addition to his other
responsibilities
• He is a retired IAS officer, social worker, and farmer, who later turned
politician from Rajasthan.
• Kiren Rijiju will now handle the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Ajay Banga appointed as new President of World Bank

Indian-origin Ajay Banga has been officially elected as the new President of
the World Bank.
Ajay Banga will hold the position for a period of five years from June 2.
In 2016, he was awarded the fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri.
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About World Bank:

The World Bank provides loans and grants to low- and middle-income countries for capital projects.
It is made up of two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and
the International Development Association (IDA).
The World Bank was established in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference along with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
Its lending strategy is guided by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and environmental
and social safeguards.
President: David Malpass
Debadatta Chand appointed as new Chief of BoB

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment
of the following for three years:
• Debadatta Chand as MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda (BoB)
• Rajneesh Karnatak as MD & CEO of Bank of India (BoI)
Sanjiv Chadha, MD & CEO, BoB, will retire on June 30, 2023.
AK Das as MD & CEO of BoI retired in January 2023.
BOB Founded – 1908
Headquarters – Vadodara, Gujarat
BOI founded - 1906
Headquarter - Mumbai
Karnataka Bank appoints Srikrishnan Harihara Sarma as MD and CEO.

Private sector Karnataka Bank announced the appointment of
former Jio Payments Bank Head Srikrishnan Hari Hara Sarma as
Managing Director and CEO for three years.
Founded: 18 February 1924
Headquarters: Mangaluru
Jayakumar S. Pillai appointed as Deputy MD of IDBI Bank

For 3 years.
Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) Bank:
Founded – 1964
Headquarters – Mumbai
MD & CEO - Rakesh Sharma
RBI approved the reappointment of Vijay Shekhar as part-time Chairman

RBI has given its approval to Paytm Payments Bank for the re-appointment of
Paytm CEO, Vijay Shekhar Sharma as part-time Chairman for a year, effective
from May 23, 2023.
At present, One97 Communications owns a 49% stake in Paytm Payments
Bank and Vijay Shekhar Sharma holds the remaining stakes in the entity.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the promoter of Paytm Payments Bank
Paytm Payments Bank: It was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Noida
MD & CEO - Surinder Chawla
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Manoj Soni took oath as UPSC chairman

Manoj Soni has taken oath as the chairman of the Union Public
Service Commission (UPSC).
The Commission is headed by a chairman and it can have a
maximum of 10 members. Article 315: Constitution of Public
Service Commissions (PSC) for the Union and for the States of
India.
Appointment: The Chairman and other members of the UPSC
are appointed by the President.
Term of Office: Any member of the UPSC shall hold office for a term of six years or till the age of 65 years,
whichever is earlier.
Govt appoints Ravneet Kaur as CCI Chairperson

Ravneet Kaur has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Competition
Commission of India (CCI) for five years, or till the age of 65 years, whichever is
the earliest.
She has replaced CCI Member Sangeeta Verma, who has been serving as an
acting
Chairperson since October 2022.
There has been no full-time Chairperson for the competition regulator since
Ashok Kumar Gupta was demitted from office.
CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India. It is a statutory body within
the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and is responsible for enforcing the Competition Act 2002 to
promote competition and prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in
India.
Founded: 14 October 2003
R Dinesh Appointed as CII President for 2023-24

The National Council of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), elected R. Dinesh, Executive Vice Chairman,
TVS Supply Chain Solutions as the President of the industry body for 2023-24.
The key positions of leadership in CII are President, President Designate, Vice
President. For 2023-24.
Mr. Sanjiv Puri, Chairman & Managing Director, ITC Limited is the President
Designate, CII
Mr Rajiv Memani is the Vice President, CII.
Confederation of Indian Industry
Founded: 1895
Headquarters: New Delhi
Praveen Kumar Srivastava sworn in as Central Vigilance Commissioner

President of India Droupadi Murmu has administered the oath
PK Srivastava was already working in the capacity of acting CVC, after the
completion of the tenure of incumbent CVC Suresh N Patel in December 2022.
It was established in February 1964 to address governmental corruption on the basis of the
recommendations of the Anti-Corruption Committee constituted under the chairmanship of K.
Santhanam.In 2003, the Parliament enacted a law conferring statutory status on the CVC
CVC submits its report to the President of India.
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KV Viswanathan, Prashant Mishra took oath as Supreme Court judges

Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Senior Advocate KV Viswanathan took
oath as judges of the Supreme Court
The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY
Chandrachud.
With the appointment of two new judges, the Supreme Court's strength
rose to 34 which is its sanctioned strength.
Justice Mishra was the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court when he was recommended for
elevation to the top court.
Justice T.S. Sivagnanam appointed as Chief Justice
Calcutta High Court
He had earlier replaced Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava, who retired on March 30,
2023, as acting Chief Justice. Justice Sivagnanam's tenure as a judge runs till
September 2025.
Article 126 allows for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice in the event
of the Chief Justice of India being absent or unable to perform his duties.
Justice M S Ramachandra Rao sworn in as 28th CJ of Himachal High Court

The Central government has notified the appointment of Justice MS Ramachandra
Rao as the Chief Justice (CJ) of Himachal Pradesh HC.
He has succeeded CJ Amjad Sayed, who retired in January 2023.
Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala sworn-in as Chief Justice of Madras High Court

• Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath
• S.V. Gangapurwala previously served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay
High Court
• He succeeded the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court S. Vaidyanathan
• The last Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Munishwar Nath Bhandari
had retired on September 12, 2022
Government appoints BARC Director A K Mohanty as new Atomic Energy Commission Chairman &
Secretary of Dept of Atomic Energy
Renowned physicist Ajit Kumar Mohanty has been appointed as the Chairman of
the Atomic Energy Commission and the Secretary of the Department of Atomic
Energy.
Mohanty succeeds K N Vyas.
He has been appointed for a tenure up to the age of 66 years i.e. till October 10,
2025 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
He is the Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) since March 2019.
BARC was founded by Homi Jehangir Bhabha as the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay in January
1954
PM Prasad to be next Coal India chief

Polavarapu Mallikharjuna Prasad has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing
Director of Coal India Limited.
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Prasad will replace the serving CMD Pramod Agrawal, whose term ends on June 30, 2023.
Coal India Limited Headquarters: Kolkata
Founded: November 1975
Parminder Chopra to be the first woman CMD of Power Finance Corporation

The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) has recommended Parminder Chopra as
a new Chairman and Managing Director of Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
She will be the first woman to be appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of this Maharatna company.
Current CMD - Ravinder Singh Dhillon
Power Finance Corporation:
• India’s largest NBFC by net worth (all reserves).
• Incorporated on July 16th, 1986.
• Registered office: New Delhi
Govt appoints Anil Kumar Jain as new PNGRB Chairman

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by PM Modi, has
appointed Anil Kumar Jain (retired coal secretary) as the new Chairman of the
Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board.
He has been appointed for five years or attaining 65 years, or until further
orders, whichever is the earliest.
PNGRB was constituted under The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board
Act, 2006.
IPS Officer Praveen Sood appointed as next Director of CBI

Karnataka DGP, Praveen Sood was appointed as the new CBI director for a period of
two years.
He would replace current CBI Director Subodh Jaiswal, who will retire on May 25,
2023.
CBI traces its origin to Special Police Establishment set up in 1941- to
investigate cases of corruption in the procurement during the Second World War.
Later, the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption recommended
the establishment of the CBI.
Central Bureau of Investigation was established in 1963
Indian Army inducts five women officers into its Artillery Regiment
The women officers, including Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav, Lt
Pavitra Moudgil and Lt Akanksha, joined major artillery units of the Army after
completing their training at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.
The move is a significant step towards gender equality in the Indian Armed
Forces
The Regiment of Artillery is a combat/fighting arm of the Indian Army, which
provides massive firepower during all ground operations of the Indian Army.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over as Deputy Chief of Air Staff
He took over the office on 15 May 2023 from Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari.
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Rathendra Raman new Chairman of Kolkata Port

Rathendra Raman takes charge as Chairman of Syama Prasad
Mookerjee Port
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust, is the only riverine major
port of India, located in Kolkata
It is the oldest operating port in India and was constructed by the British East India Company.
Opened: 1870
SN Subrahmanyan appointed as Chairman and MD of L&T

Larsen & Toubro board has appointed S N Subrahmanyan as Chairman and MD,
with
effect from October 1, 2023.
He will succeed A M Naik, whose tenure ends on 30 September 2023.
Currently, S N Subrahmanyan is serving as the CEO and MD of L&T.
L&T Founded: 7 February 1946, Mumbai
India's premier infrastructure developer. A leading player in 'Public-Private-Partnership' projects
Accenture appoints Ajay Vij as India MD, Rekha Menon to retire

• Accenture, the leading global professional services company, has appointed
new leadership for India.
• Rekha M. Menon, Senior Managing Director and Chairperson for Accenture in
India for 20-years will retire as of June 30
• Accenture has appointed Ajay Vij as the Country Managing Director
The founder of start-up Dream11, Harsh Jain elected IAMAI

Chairperson
Harsh Jain, co-founder, and CEO of Dream Sports, has been elected
the Chairman of the Internet and Mobile Association of India
(IAMAI) for 2023-25.
He has replaced Sanjay Gupta, Vice President, and Country Manager
of Google India.
IAMAI Headquarters: Mumbai
Founded: 2004
CAG Girish Chandra Murmu re-elected External Auditor of WHO for four-year
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, Girish Chandra Murmu, has
been re-elected as the External Auditor of the World Health Organisation (WHO)
for a four-year term (2024-2027).
The CAG is already holding this position in the WHO for a four-year term (2019-2023).
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Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Advisory Committee of COP28

Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman, Mukesh Ambani has been named as a member of the International
Advisory Committee that will provide guidance and counsel to the Presidency of the 28th session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP28), to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) UAE.
He is among 31 international experts named on the panel.
The panel will inspire collaborative and transformative action across adaptation, mitigation, damage, food,
and nature-based solutions.
In January 2023, the UNFCCC Secretariat announced Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as the COP 28 President-
Designate. He is the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate
Change.
UAE has been chosen to host the COP 28 from November 30 to December 12, 2023, at Dubai Expo City.
Angshumali Rastogi India’s representative to ICAO

Senior bureaucrat Angshumali Rastogi appointed India's representative to
the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in
Montreal, Canada
Appointed in place of Shefali Juneja for three years
Sania Mirza appointed as the Tennis Ambassador for Sony Sports Network
Sania Mirza appointed as the Tennis Ambassador for Sony Sports Network
Having won six Grand Slam titles across Australian Open (2), US Open (2),
Roland Garros (1) & Wimbledon (1), including three women’s doubles titles
and three mixed doubles titles, she is one of the most successful tennis
players in Indian history.
R N Jayaprakash re-elected as President of Swimming Federation

Jayaprakash re-elected as President of the Swimming Federation of India (SFI).
About Swimming Federation of India (SFI)
Founded- 1948
Headquarters – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
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Shirgaonkar re-elected as India Taekwondo Chief

Namdev Shirgaonkar was re-elected as President, India Taekwondo in elections for the
executive committee.
Badminton Asia appoints Umar Rashid as chairman of the Technical Officials Committee
Badminton Asia appointed Umar Rasheed, joint secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), as
the Chairman of the Technical Officials Committee.
As Chairman of the Technical Officials’ Committee, Rasheed will oversee the development and
implementation of rules and regulations to elevate officiating standards in
badminton tournaments across the country.
Badminton Association of India (BAI):
• Establishment -1934
• Headquarters - New Delhi
• President - Himanta Biswa Sarma
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Awards
President Droupadi Murmu confers 37 Gallantry awards
President Droupadi Murmu has conferred 37 Gallantry awards to the personnel of
the Armed Forces, CAPF, and State or Union Territory Police during the Defence
Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) in New Delhi.
The 37 Gallantry awards include 8 Kirti Chakras (including five posthumous) and 29
Shaurya Chakras (including five posthumous).
The Gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying conspicuous
gallantry, indomitable courage, and extreme devotion to duty
The gallantry awards are announced twice in a year - on Republic Day and on Independence Day.
Order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the
Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.
Conferred by the President at the Defence Investiture Ceremony held every year at the Rashtrapati
Bhawan.
However, the Param Vir Chakra and the Ashoka Chakra are conferred by the President on Republic Day
Parade at the Rajpath.
Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar gets the first ASI Govind Swarup Lifetime
Achievement Award
An eminent astronomer, Prof Jayant V. Narlikar was awarded the first-ever
Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement Award by the Astronomical Society of India
(ASI).
ASI instituted the award in 2022 to recognize eminent Indian astronomers for
their contributions to the field of astronomy and astrophysics.
Prof Narlikar is known for his study of the Universe. He is also a founder director
of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune
The award is named in honour of Prof. Govind Swarup (1929-2020) - widely regarded to be the founder of
Indian radio astronomy.
Biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju, known as ‘the Frogman of India’, has been chosen for Harvard
University’s prestigious Radcliffe fellowship
He had recently won the Kerala Sree award instituted by the Kerala
government for his outstanding contributions in the field of science.
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Goa writer Damodar Mauzo conferred with 57th Jnanpith Award

Governor of Goa, P S Sreedharan Pillai has presented the 57th Jnanpith Award, the country's highest
literary honor, to Goa writer Damodar Mauzo.
25 books have been published in Konkani and one in English.
In 1983, he has conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel 'Karmelin’.
He is the second Goa to receive the Jnanpith Award, after Ravindra Kelekar, who received the award in
2008.
Jnanpith Awards:
• It is the oldest and highest Indian literary award presented annually by Bharatiya Jnanpith.
• It recognizes outstanding contributions to literature by Indian authors writing in English as well as in
the Indian languages listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
• The award was established in 1961 and is not given posthumously.
• The first award was given 1965 to G.K. Shankar Kurup was awarded.
• Ashapurna Devi became the first woman recipient in 1976 for her novel "Prothom Protishruti" (The
First Promise).
Que: Who has been awarded the prestigious Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding in 2023?
Ans: Maria Stepanova / मररर्यर स्टे परनोवर
Maria Stepanova, a powerful contemporary voice of Russian literature now living in
exile in Berlin, has been awarded the prestigious Leipzig Book Prize for European
Understanding in 2023.
For her volume of poetry - ‘Girls Without Clothes’. This collection of poetry sensitively
explores the often concealed violence against women.
The prize has been granted since 1994.
Prize money: 20,000 euros
Barbara Kingsolver and Hernan Diaz win Fiction Pulitzer Prize 2023
Barbara Kingsolver (American Novelist) and Hernan Diaz (Argentina
Writer) were awarded the Pulitzer Prize 2023 in the fiction category.
Barbara Kingsolver was awarded for her novel 'Demon Copperhead'
and Hernan Diaz won for his novel 'Trust’.
Other categories:
• Drama: English, by Sanaz Toossi
• Biography: G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the
American Century, by Beverly Gage (Viking)
• Memoir or Autobiography: Stay True, by Hua Hsu (Doubleday)
15
Pulitzer Award
The Pulitzer Award was established in 1917, named in honour of newspaper
publisher Joseph Pulitzer.
It is administered by Columbia University and is awarded for newspaper,
magazine and online journalism, photojournalism and literature annually
across 22 categories.
Each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash award. The winner
in the public service category is awarded a gold medal.
Gobind Behari Lal: First from India to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1937. He was the member of
the Ghadar Party in America
Musharraf Farooqi wins the inaugural Armory Square Prize for translation
Author and translator, Musharraf Ali Farooqi has won the inaugural edition of the
Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation.
Musharraf Ali Farooqi is a Pakistani-Canadian author, translator, and storyteller.
He translated Siddique Alam’s 'The Kettledrum and Other Stories' from Urdu to
English.
The book will be published by Open Letter Books in 2024.
The Armory Square Prize for translation was instituted by the American
venture capitalist firm Armory Square.
Georgi Gospodinov wins the International Booker Prize 2023 for Time Shelter
Georgi Gospodinov (Bulgarian writer) and Angela Rodel (translator) bagged the
2023 International Booker Prize for their book 'Time Shelter’.
It is the first book originally written in Bulgarian to be nominated for the award.
Time Shelter, a story of a magical clinic for Alzheimer’s patients
Prize money: 50,000 pounds shared equally between the author and translator
Three jailed Iranian women journalists win UN Press Freedom Prizes

Awarded “for their commitment to truth and accountability.”
Award winners include Niloufer Hamidi, Elaheh Mohammadi and Nargis
Mohammadi.
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was started in 1997.
The award is given to a person, organization or institution who, at the risk
of life, has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and, or
promotion of freedom of the press, anywhere in the world.
Presented by UNESCO on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on 3
May.
Socialist Pandit Ramkishan Becomes Man of the Century at 97

Recognising his efforts as a socialist leader, former Lok Sabha MP Pandit Ramkishan
was honoured with the title of Shatabdi Purush (Man of the Century) in New Delhi
Ramkishan had actively participated in the movements launched by socialist leaders
Jayaprakash Narayan and Lohia. He was elected once to the Lok Sabha and four times
to Rajasthan Assembly.
Ramkishan was arrested several times while fighting for tribals, Dalits and the poor.
16
King Charles III confers Britain's Honorary MBE on Dr. M.N. Nandakumar
King Charles III awarded an Honorary MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire)
to Dr MN Nandakumar, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and executive director of the
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Center in London, for his contribution to Indian classical arts in
Britain.
The Honorary MBE award is given to foreign nationals for their services in public life.
Dr. Nandakumar originally hails from Mattur village in Karnataka.
Tata Chairman N Chandrasekaran honored with France’s Highest Civilian Award

Tata Sons Chairman, N Chandrasekaran (59) was conferred with France's
highest civilian honor, 'Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur', by French Minister.
He was awarded for his role in developing and fostering commercial links
between India and France.
N Chandrasekaran was appointed the chairman of Tata Sons in 2017 and later,
was given a second term in the role for another five years.
Harrison Ford received the Palme D’Or Award at Cannes Film Festival 2023
Actor Harrison Ford was honoured with the prestigious Palme D'Or award for lifetime
achievement at the 76th Cannes Film Festival 2023.
76th annual Cannes Film Festival held in Cannes France from 16 to 27 May 2023.
Que: Which Hollywood actor received Honorary Palme d’Or Prize at Cannes Film Festival 2023
Ans: Michael Douglas
To pay tribute to the two-time Oscar winner Michael Douglas at the
76th Cannes Film Festival
Palme d’Or is the highest honourary award of the fest
The coveted Palme d’Or went to Justine Triet’s crime drama Anatomy of
a fall.
Osaka Tamil International Film Festival Awards: Vijay, Kangana Ranaut named best actors
The OTIFF awards celebrated outstanding performances in films released in 2021.
Best Film: Sarpatta Parambarai
Best Director: Pa Ranjith (Sarpatta Parambarai)
Vijay was awarded for his performance in 'Master’
Kangana Ranaut has bagged the Best Actress Award for her performance in Thalaivii.
Hrithik Roshan and Alia Bhatt win the award for best actor at IIFA 2023
Best Actor (Male):
Hrithik Roshan for Vikram Vedha.
Best Actor (Female):
Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi.
Best Film: Drishyam 2
Best Director:
R Madhavan (Rocketry: The Nambi Effect)
Supporting Role:
Best Actor (Female):
Mouni Roy (Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva)
17
Best Actor (Male):

Anil Kapoor (Jugg Jugg Jeeyo)
Kamal Haasan felicitated with Outstanding Achievement at IIFA 2023

23rd IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Awards) Awards 2023, held in Abu Dhabi,
UAE.
He was awarded various awards including Padma Shri (1990), Padma Bhushan (2014), and
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2016.
IIFA First awarded: 2000
Meera Syal Receives the BAFTA Fellowship

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is one of
the most prestigious award-giving bodies in the entertainment
industry.
One of their highest accolades is the BAFTA Fellowship, awarded to
individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to film
and/or television.
Meera Syal is a UK-based Indian-origin actor, screenwriter, and
novelist.
She has received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and a CBE (Commander of the Order
of the British Empire) for her work in these fields.
The BAFTA Fellowship was first awarded in 1971, and Alfred Hitchcock was the first recipient of the award.
South Asian Film Festival of Montreal honours ‘Gauri’ with ‘Best Long Documentary
Award’
“Gauri,” a documentary based on journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, directed by
Kavitha Lankesh, has won the “Best Long Documentary Award” at the South Asian Film
Festival of Montreal 2023.
The film is about journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was assassinated in 2017,
and the current political crisis in India.
18
TDB/DST conferred National Technology Awards 2023

National Technology Day is celebrated every year on 11th May
National Technology Week (11-14) Theme - ‘School to Startup- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.
Technology Development Board (TDB) conferred the National Technology Awards 2023 in five categories:
Main, MSME, Technology Start up, Translational Research, and Technology Business Incubator.
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD (Main):
• Given to an industrial concern which has successfully developed & commercialized an indigenous
technology.
• Winner - MyLab Discovery Solutions Private Limited, Maharashtra
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD- TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
Professor Govindaraju - developed a novel drug candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
National Water Award 2022: Chandigarh bags first rank in the best Urban Local Body
The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development, and
Ganga Rejuvenation declared the 4th National Water Award in 2022 (first National
Water Awards (2018).
Chandigarh has received first rank in the best Urban Local Body category of the
National Water Award 2022.
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) recognised as World’s No.1 Public Business

Incubator by UBI Global
UBI Global World Rankings 2021-2022 event held at the World Incubation Summit
in Belgium
Earlier, the UBI Global had recognised KSUM as world’s No. 1 public business
accelerator in 2019.
KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika
UBI Global is an innovation intelligence company and community. It was founded in 2013. It is based in
Sweden, Stockholm.
Shri Ramcharitmanas became the longest song in the world

Dr. Jagadish Pillai of Varanasi created a Guinness World Record by singing Shri Ramcharitmanas for 138
hours, 41 minutes and two seconds.
This achievement made Shri Ramcharitmanas the longest song in the world.
It is a 16th-century epic poem by the Indian poet Tulsidas in the Awadhi language.
Dr. Jagadish Pillai has been credited with five years of broadcast of Sri Ramcharitmanas recitals on more
than 100 official audio channels across the globe.
Dr. Jagdish Pillai has become the Guinness World Record holder for the maximum number of times i.e. 5
times from Uttar Pradesh.
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Three Indian peacekeepers honoured with Dag Hammarskjold Medal

The Dag Hammarskjold Medal is the highest award given to United Nations peacekeepers.
The medal is named after Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations.
India's Permanent Representative at UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj has
received the medal in honor of three Indian peacekeepers who lost their
lives in the line of duty in 2022
BSF Head Constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi have
served with the Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo
While Shaber Taher Ali served in a civilian capacity with UNAMI (United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq)
India holds the distinction of being the first country to send an all-women contingent to the UN
peacekeeping mission in Liberia in 2007.
FICCI presents award to Mumbai's ‘BEST’ for excellence in smart mobility
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has

conferred the award in the 'Smart Mobility' category to the
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST).
Reason: Pioneering efforts in adopting green and sustainable practices
The BEST has been working on its transformation for 2 years, such as
10,000 Electric Buses, Digital Tickets on NCMC and BEST Chalo App, First
and Last Mile Services, and Mobility-As-A-Service (MaaS).
Founder: Ghanshyam Das Birla
Founded: 1927
Headquarters: New Delhi
20
Obituaries
Noted historian Ranajit Guha passes away at 100
He was born at Barisal in present-day Bangladesh. His family later shifted to Kolkata,
where he started practising as an advocate in the Calcutta High Court.
Guha was the oldest living historian in the country.
One of his well-known books is 'Elementary Aspects of Peasant Insurgency in
Colonial India’.
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it.
Noted scientist and orator, Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan passes away at 68

He was the founder of the Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage (IISH) and former scientist
at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
His lectures on Indian philosophies and spirituality attracted audiences from
within and outside the country.
Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Tori Bowie passes away at 32

Former 100m world champion sprinter from the United States of America, Tori
Bowie passed away at 32 in Orlando, Florida.
She was crowned world champion in 2017 and won three Olympic medals
at the Rio Games in 2016.
Que: Legendary footballer Antonio Carbajal passed away recently, he

was a player of which country?
Ans: Mexico
Mexico's legendary former goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal - the first
footballer to feature at five World Cups
Renowned Bengali author Samaresh Majumdar passes away

He was best known for his political trilogy – Uttaradhikar, Kalbela, and Kalpurush.
He has conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award for ‘Kalbela’, which was set against the
backdrop of the Naxalite movement.
He was awarded ‘Banga Bibhushan ’ by the West Bengal government in 2018.
Hinduja Group Chairman SP Hinduja passes away

Srichand Parmanand Hinduja, popularly known as SP Hinduja, was the founder of
the Mumbai-based Hinduja Group and the eldest among his siblings.
The Hinduja Group operates in various sectors such as truck-making, banking,
chemicals, power, media, and healthcare etc.
Writer and literary critic G H Nayak passes away

Writer and literary critic Govindaray H Nayak, who was popularly known as G H
Nayak, passed away at 88 due to a heart attack in Mysuru.
He won the Sahitya Academy Award for his work ‘Uttaraardha’ in 2014.
He was also awarded the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award for ‘Nirapeksha’ and V M
Inamdhar Memorial Award for ‘Nijadani’.
He had also been the recipient of the prestigious Pampa Award.
21
State News
Ladakh annual festival 'Monlam Chenmo’ held
Ladakh celebrated annual five-day-long Great Prayer Festival, "Ladakh
Monlam Chenmo," in Leh (mass prayer camp by Buddhist monks and nuns for
world peace and happiness)
The event is organized by the All Ladakh Gonpa Association.
Smonlam Chenmo is a major annual prayer of the Sangha Community of
Ladakh gathered at one platform.
Que:Indira Gandhi Mahila Samman Nidhi was launched in which state/UT?

Ans: Himachal Pradesh
The Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to provide Rs.1,500 each month to all
women aged 18 to 60 years in Spiti valley as Indira Gandhi Mahila Samman Nidhi.
The eligible women include Buddhist nuns.
Himachal CM Sukhu launches 'Him Data Portal'
'Him Data Portal’ - a common digital platform to integrate data of all organizations
For the deliverance of welfare schemes and to better serve the public.
From July 2023, the HP government would start the Him Parivar project which would give a special digital
identity to the people of the State.
Information about essential facilities like ration cards, family registers, electricity, drinking water etc.
would be available online
HPCL to set up Rs 500 cr ethanol plant in Una
An ethanol plant would be set up in Una district by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) with
an outlay of Rs 500 crore.
The government will invest 50% equity in the project and would extend cooperation to the company for
setting up the plant
The plant would provide employment and self-employment opportunities to the local people and farmers
from Kangra, Hamirpur, and Bilaspur
HPCL CMD: Pushp Kumar Joshi
22
Tungnath Temple delared Monument of National Importance

• The central government recently issued a notification declaring the ancient
temple of Tungnath as a monument of national importance.
• Tungnath Temple is located in Rudraprayag District, Uttarakhand.
• It is the highest Shiva temple in the world nestled at an altitude of 3680
meters.
• It is one of the Panch Kedars and is believed to have belonged to an ancient
era almost 1000 years old.
• Panch Kedar is a group of five sacred shrines of Lord Shiva located in the
Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand.
• Panch Kedar - Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar or
Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar.
• It was built in the North Indian style of architecture and has a dozen shrines of
other Gods surrounding the temple.
Que:Which state launched the ‘Patch Reporting App’ to make the roads in state free of pot holes?
Ans: Uttarakhand
Patch Reporting App was launched recently by the Uttarakhand
Chief Minister to make the roads free of potholes in the state.
It was developed by the state’s Public Works Department.
This app allows any person to submit a detailed complaint by
capturing pictures of potholes on the nearby roads.
Punjab becomes first state to enforce 'right to walk'
Punjab has become the first state in India to implement the 'right to
walk' by making it mandatory for all road-owning agencies to provide
footpaths and cycle tracks in all future expansions of roads and
construction.
Reason: Every month more than 10 pedestrians/ bicycle riders are killed
in road accidents due to encroachment on pedestrian footpaths
Road-owning agencies include NHAI, the public works department, local
bodies, and urban development departments.
New Haryana excise policy: imposes ₹5 cow cess on each liquor bottle sold
The new excise policy was approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by
chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar
Under Haryana's new excise policy, buyers will be charged Rs 5 cow
cess per liquor bottle in order to generate funds for the welfare of
cows in the state.
“Currently, there are 650 cow shelters across the state, including 23 in
Gurugram that house around 5,00,000 stray cattle.
23
UP Government to Build First Pharma Park in Lalitpur: Boosting Medical Industry

The state government has given green signal to setting up state's first Pharma
Park in Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand.
The state government will spend Rs 1560 crore for development works and
providing necessary facilities to the investors in Lalitpur Pharma Park.
First Medical Device Park in Gautam Buddha Nagar
The Uttar Pradesh government is setting up a medical device park on 350
acres of land at the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority
(YIDA) in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Varanasi’s LBSI airport gets India’s first reading lounge

• The Lal Bahadur Shastri International (LBSI) Airport has become the first in
India to have a reading lounge
• Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's advisor Awanish Awasthi has
inaugurated the lounge.
• Apart from books on Kashi, the lounge's library has a collection of
literature and books in many international languages besides books of
youth authors published under Prime Minister Yuva Yojana.
• The lounge has been established with the assistance of National Book
Trust (NBT).
Uttar Pradesh becomes first state to make digital health cards for children
The Uttar Pradesh's Urban Development Department and Lucknow Smart
City launched a “School Health Program”.
As a pilot, this program is started in three schools in Lucknow.
A digital health report card for the overall physical and mental well-being
of 1765 municipal school students is also being prepared under the
project.
It is being prepared by doing desk-to-desk examinations of the child, based
on 130 parameters.
The benefit of health insurance worth Rs 25,000 is also being given to
these children.
Uttar Pradesh gets 3 more GI tags

Uttar Pradesh has received the Geographical Indications
(GI) tags for three more One District-One Product
(ODOP) crafts - Mainpuri tarkashi, Mahoba Gaura stone
craft, and Sambhal horn craft.
Uttar Pradesh has now 48 GI tags.
Among the 48 GI goods of UP, 36 products belong to the
handicraft category.
Tamil Nadu has a maximum of 55 GI-tagged goods while
UP and Karnataka have 48 and 46 GI products
respectively.
Tarkashi is a technique of inlaying brass, copper, or
silver wires in wood.
24
Lucknow to get new Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation Institute
Uttar Pradesh government will set up a pharmaceutical research and

innovation institute in Lucknow.
The institute 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.
UP’s contribution to pharma manufacturing in the country is currently
2%, which needs to be increased to 10-12%.
Capital – Lucknow
Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
Governor – Anandiben Patel
Uttar Pradesh surpasses Maharashtra in sugar production this season
Uttar Pradesh has overtaken Maharashtra in sugar production in the current season.
In 2022, Maharashtra had overtaken Uttar Pradesh to become India's top sugar producing state in sugar
production.
Total sugar produced by Uttar Pradesh in the sugar season 2022-2023 is 107.29 lakh tonnes, while in
Maharashtra it is 105.30 lakh tonnes.
The area under sugarcane cultivation in Uttar Pradesh is 28.53 lakh hectares (highest in India) as compared
to 14.87 lakh hectares in Maharashtra.
Mukhyamantri Sikho Kamao Yojana : Madhya Pradesh
The Madhya Pradesh state cabinet has given its approval to a new scheme called ‘Mukhyamantri Sikho
Kamao Yojana’ (Chief Minister Learn and Earn Scheme), aimed at providing opportunities for unemployed
youth in the state.
Under the scheme government plans to offer training in around 700 different types of works across
various sectors.
These sectors include engineering, hotel management, tourism, travel, hospital services, ITI, software
development, banking, insurance, accounting, chartered accountancy, financial services, industries, and
MSME industry.
Youth who have completed their 12th grade, ITI, graduation, or post-graduation are eligible to enroll in the
scheme.
Participants will receive a monthly stipend based on their educational qualifications.
25
Bhopal becomes 1st city to measure Sustainable Development Goals

progress
Bhopal becomes the first city in India to adopt the localisation of the
United Nations-mandated sustainable development goals (SDG).
President Murmu inaugurates new Jharkhand High Court building

President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the new building of the
Jharkhand High Court in Ranchi, built at a cost of about ₹ 550 crore.
The 165-acre compound of the new high court is one of the largest in the
country in terms of area. Its campus is many times bigger than the Supreme
Court campus (22 acres)
About Jharkhand
Capital – Ranchi
Chief Minister – Hemant Soren
Governor – P. Radhakrishnan
Odisha extends Indian Hockey team sponsorship till 2033

The Odisha government has decided to further extend its sponsorship for
both the Men and Women Indian Hockey Teams (senior and junior) for
another ten years from 2023 to 2033.
The decision in this regard was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by chief
minister Naveen Patnaik. As Odisha has been the official sponsor of both the
Men and Women National Hockey Teams since 2018.
Que:Which state/UT launched the ‘Adarsha Colony initiative’?

Ans: Odisha
As part of the Adarsha Colony initiative, the Odisha government has
sanctioned ₹22.5 crore for setting up India’s first resettlement colony for
people affected by coastal erosion and climate change.
The colony will be set up for the people of Satbhaya in Kendrapada
district.
The fund will be utilized for the construction of houses, drinking water,
electricity, roads and other facilities for the displaced people.
Naveen Patnaik launches 'Odisha for AI, and AI for Youth' initiative
Odisha for AI: A free 4-hour course on AI by Intel on its app/site

In the first phase, the initiative will be implemented in Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Cuttack.
AI for youth: It is for students (below 18) of 2000 5T schools of phase 1 and Odisha Adarsh Vidyalayas
Aim: To create an ecosystem fostering research, innovation, and application across sectors
26
Odisha government announces ‘Mo Ghara’ housing scheme

The Odisha government has decided to further extend its sponsorship for both the Men and Women Indian
Hockey Teams (senior and junior) for another ten years from 2023 to 2033.
The decision in this regard was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik. As
Odisha has been the official sponsor of both the Men and Women National Hockey Teams since 2018.
India’s First International Multimodal Logistics Park at Jogighopa, Assam
India’s first International Multi Modal Logistics park in Jogighopa, Assam is

likely to be completed within this year
The park is being developed under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana
by NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation
Limited).
The park is being developed in 317-acre land along the Brahmaputra &
will be connected to road, rail, air and waterways.
Under the aegis of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the ministry has
conceptualised the development of 35 such MMLPs across the country
The MMLP will have all the facilities like, warehouse, railway siding, cold
storage, custom clearance house, yard facility, workshops, petrol pumps,
truck parking, administrative building, boarding lodging, eating joints,
water treatment plant, etc.
th
Foundation stone: 20 Oct 2020
Assam CM launches Ayushman Assam Scheme
• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched the Ayushman
Assam Scheme under the Mukhya Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (MMJAY) in
Guwahati.
• A healthcare scheme, offering cashless medical treatment up to ₹5 lakh
per family a year.
• The scheme aims to promote accessible and affordable healthcare,
covering around 26 lakh families.
• 'Ayushman Asom' will cover 1,578 healthcare procedures in over 300
impanelled hospitals in the state
• Capital – Dispur
• Chief Minister –Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria
Que:Burachapori wildlife sanctuary is situated in which state/UT?

Ans: Assam
27
Burachapori wildlife sanctuary is a protected area situated in Assam, on the south

bank of the Brahmaputra River, in Sonitpur district.
The state government recently announced the plan to open the traditional path of
wild animals from the Kaziranga National Park to Orang National Park through this
wildlife sanctuary.
Background
The area was declared a Reserved forest in 1974, it became a sanctuary in 1995.
It is considered to be an ideal habitat for the Bengal florican. Also called the
Bengal bustard, is a bustard species native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia,
and Vietnam.
New species of flying gecko found in Mizoram, named as Gecko mizoramensis

Researchers of Mizoram University and Max Planck Institute for Biology ,
Tubingen, Germany have discovered a new species of flying gecko in Mizoram.
The new species has been named Gekko mizoramensis
Har Shikhar Tiranga (HST) Mission

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister flagged off Mission Har Shikhar Tiranga, from NIMAS (National Institute
of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports), Dirang.
A unique expedition to hoist the national flag on the highest point of every state of India for the first
time.
It is a campaign under the aegis of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to take the tricolour to all the states of the
country and hoist it on the summits to mark the 75th year of independence and to commemorate India’s
G20 presidentship.
It is the brainchild of Colonel Jamwal - the only Indian to have summited Mount Everest three times and
climbed the Seven Summits, touching the highest points of the seven continents.
The summit will begin from summiting Mt. Reo Purgyil in Himachal Pradesh and end at Mt Jongsong in
Sikkim.
Rajasthan Forest Dept. creates 3 new wildlife conservation reserves taking total number to 26
The Forest Department of Rajasthan has announced the creation of three new
conservation reserves in the state to protect the rare and endangered wildlife
of Rajasthan:
• Sorsan in Baran (great Indian bustard and blackbucks)
• Khichan in Jodhpur (demoiselle cranes/ Kurjan)
• Hamirgarh in Bhilwara
Kheechan will be the country's first conservation reserve for demoiselle
cranes
With the addition of these 3 new reserves, the total number of wildlife
conservation reserves in Rajasthan has gone up to 26.
28
What is a Conservation Reserve?

Protected areas which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between
established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests of India.
Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the
Government of India
After the forest areas become conservation reserves, it will be mandatory to get clearance under the
Forest Conservation Act, 1990, and approvals of State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) and of National Board for
Wildlife (NBWL) to carry out any development project within the area.
Conservation Reserve category was first introduced in the amendment in 2002.
Que: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for a variety
of development projects worth over ₹5,500 crores in which state?
Ans: Rajasthan
PM laid the foundation stone for:

• Road construction projects for upgradation to two-lane in Rajsamand and Udaipur.
• Redevelopment of Udaipur railway station, to provide enhanced amenities for the public.
• Gauge conversion project and for setting up a new line from Nathdwara to Nathdwara town in
Rajsamand.
Further, the Prime Minister dedicated three national highway projects to the nation.
Jaisamand Wildlife : Jungle Safari
Rajasthan Chief Minister recently inaugurated ‘Jungle Safari’ at

Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary.
Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Udaipur district of
Rajasthan surrounding Debar Lake (Jaisamand Lake).
It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1957.
The flora of this Sanctuary comprises of thickly wooded forests of
Que:
mainlyMaharashtra
Teak wood.Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has recently unveiled a statue of
Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in which country?
Debar Lake (Jaisamand Lake):
Ans: Mauritius
In 1685, Maharana Jai Singh built this lake
• The sculpture was created in India by a Delhi-based artist.

• Fadnavis also announced a grant of 44 million Mauritius rupees
for building a multi-purpose hall and a scholarship for 10
students.
• Also, an MoU was signed between the Economic Development
Board of Mauritius and the Maharashtra Industrial Development
Corporation to establish a platform for investment between the
Western State and the island nation.
• Capital – Port Louis
29
Coastal Road in Mumbai to be named after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj
Chief Minister - Eknath Shinde

Governor - Ramesh Bais
Official Animal -Indian giant squirrel
Official Dance- Lavani
Maharashtra becomes the first state in the country to approve Good Governance Regulations
The purpose of the rules is to enhance accountability, accessibility, dynamism and transparency in state
administration.
A separate cell will be set up to address the effects of climate change.
The rules also include expanding the scope of 'Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendra' for end-to-end online services
to citizens within the prescribed time limit.
Citizens' complaints will be redressed at a speedy pace.
161 department-wise indices have been prepared to evaluate the performance of good governance.
Bandra-Versova sea bridge will be named after Veer Savarkar
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced that Bandra -

Versova sea route in Mumbai will be named as Swatantrya Veer Savarkar
Samudra Setu (sea link).
He was speaking at an event on the 140th birth anniversary of Swatantra
Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in Mumbai.
Birth anniversary of Savarkar will now be celebrated as a Swatantrya Veer
Gaurav Divas
Savarkar wrote a book titled ‘The History of the War of Indian
Independence’ in which he wrote about the guerilla warfare tricks used in
1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
He also wrote the book ‘Hindutva: who is Hindu?’.
Maharashtra Government launched Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana
The Maharashtra government has approved a new financial scheme under which
Rs 6,000 will be paid annually to over one crore farmers in the state.
On May 30, the 'Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana' was approved in a cabinet
meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai.
The Central Government's PM Kisan Yojana already offers financial assistance of
Rs 6,000 annually to farmers across the country. With the introduction of the
state-level scheme, Maharashtra farmers will now receive a combined total of Rs
12,000 per year.
30
Goa Raj Bhavan launches first books under Governor’s scheme to boost local literary talent
Raj Bhavan’s scheme for new writers titled ‘Nayi Pahal’

A total five books in Konkani, Marathi and English languages were
unveiled by Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, in the presence of Jnanpith
Award winner Goan writer Damodar Mauzo
The Raj Bhavan plans to print and publish 100 books in the next one
year, while sponsoring books in all 22 scheduled languages, said the
Governor.
Telangana to introduce Rs 5 lakh insurance scheme for toddy tappers
The state government of Telangana, led by Chief Minister K

Chandrasekhar Rao has announced to introduce a new insurance
scheme for toddy tappers, under the name ‘Geetha Karmikula Bhima’.
As per the scheme, an insurance money of Rs 5 lakh would be deposited
directly in the bank account of the respective family members in case
any toddy tapper dies accidentally while collecting toddy from palm
trees in the fields.
The insurance amount would be disbursed within a week.
Telangana HM Mahmood Ali launches ‘Sahas’
Telangana Home Minister Mohamood Ali launched a SAHAS initiative

to make workplaces safer for women.
Under the initiative, the SAHAS Microsite, SAHAS Sathi Chatbot,
SAHAS Whatsapp Number, Forum, and online support facilities were
launched.
It is the first of its kind initiative in the country.
Andhra Pradesh CM launches Machilipatnam port project for economic growth
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy formally launched the Machilipatnam port works
worth Rs 5,156 crore recently.
The port, with an initial cargo capacity of 35 million tonnes, will be completed in two years.
The capacity will be increased to 116 million tonnes as cargo traffic gradually increases.
The port will help develop Machilipatnam on the lines of developed port cities like Mumbai and
Chennai as it will be connected by National Highway 216 and Gudivada-Machilipatnam railway line
soon.
This will increase the reach of the port and improve connectivity.
The project is being implemented by the Machilipatnam Port Development Corporation Limited
(MPDCL)..
31
Que: Indian National Congress has won a clear majority in Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023. How
many assembly seats are there in Karnataka?
Ans: 224
• Indian National Congress has won a clear majority in Karnataka Assembly
Elections.
• Formed- 1 November 1956
• Capital- Bangalore
• Governor- Thawar Chand Gehlot
• Total assembly seats- 224
• Rajya Sabha allotted Seats- 12
• Lok Sabha allotted Seats- 28
Que: Which state has become the first state in the country to have a drone surveillance system in all
police districts in the state?
Ans: Kerala
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan distributed the drones to all police districts and
the drone pilot licences to the specially trained drone pilots.
Short News
• Madhya Pradesh becomes first state to provide air travel for pilgrims under Mukhyamantri
Teerthdarshan Yojana.
• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah recently laid the foundation stone for the
permanent campus of the National Academy of Coastal Policing in Dwaraka, Gujarat.
• Kerala Becomes India’s First Fully E-Governed State, Achieving Total E-Governance
• The Odisha Govt’s Higher Education Department has signed an MoU with Infosys and Nasscom to
enhance the skills and employability of students in Higher Education Institutions.
• PM flags off Vande Bharat Express from Dehradun to Delhi. This semi-high-speed train is India's 18th
and Uttarakhand's first Vande Bharat train.
• The first ever Urban Climate Film Festival is going to be held in New Town, Kolkata from June 3 to 5
32
Science Tech
ISRO successfully commences testing of semi-cryogenic engine
ISRO has successfully commenced testing of its semi-cryogenic engines, that would power future launch
vehicles.
The very first integrated test on an intermediate configuration of the 2000 kN (Kilonewton) semi-
cryogenic engine was carried out at the newly-commissioned Semicryogenic Integrated Engine & Stage
Test facility at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
The test is a step towards developing a 2000 kN thrust engine, which works on Liquid Oxygen (LOX)-
Kerosene propellant combination.
Que: Which country has launch ‘NVS-01 Navigation Satellite’?

Ans: India
ISRO launched the navigation satellite 'NVS-01' onboard its

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) from Sriharikota in
Andhra Pradesh - GSLV-F12/NVS-01 mission.
About NVS-01:
• NVS-01 is the first in the series of five satellites.
• It is a second-generation navigation satellite built by ISRO's UR
Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
• Currently India uses its Navigation with Indian Constellation ISRO Chairman S Somnath
(NavIC) series of satellites for civilian and defence navigation. has announced that
• NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with Chandrayaan-3 will be
enhanced features. launched in July this year.
ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-3 in July this year
The announcement was made after the successful launch of

second generation navigation satellite NSV-01 from the Satish
Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to demonstrate India's
end-to-end capabilities in lunar exploration and its ability to safely
land on and orbit the Moon.
33
Space startup partners with SpaceX to launch commercial space station
Space startup, Vast is aiming to launch a school bus-sized space station

to orbit by late 2025 in association with Elon Musk’s rocket firm, SpaceX.
The cylindrical spacecraft dubbed Haven-1 is the latest platform planned
as a replacement for the International Space Station (ISS).
ISS is a two-decade-old orbital research laboratory run primarily by the
U.S., Russia and the European Space Agency.
The ISS is expected to retire in 2030.
Que: Which space agency had developed the ‘Aeolus Satellite’?

Ans: European Space Agency (ESA)
The Aeolus satellite is currently headed towards Earth.

• Launch Date: 22 August 2018
• Site: Kourou, French Guiana
• Rocket: Vega
Aeolus was the first satellite mission to acquire profiles of Earth’s wind on a global scale.
These observations are being used to improve weather forecasts and climate models.
Aeolus has outlived its planned three-year life in space by more than 18 months.
Saturn overpowers Jupiter in the "Games of Moon" with total of 145 moons
New research has revealed 62 new moons that orbit Saturn,

bringing the total number to 145
In contrast, Jupiter has 95 moons as confirmed by the
International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Nasa's upcoming Dragonfly mission, scheduled to launch in 2027,
has the potential to allow for close-up observations of at least one
of Saturn's smaller outer moons.
Himalayan Chandra Telescope
The Himalayan Chandra Telescope in Hanle recently joined hands with 10

other global observatories to observe the brightening of a blazar.
Blazer is a type of galaxy that is powered by a humongous black hole and
is among one of the brightest and most powerful objects in the universe.
They are known for emitting highly energetic particles and radiation,
including gamma rays, X-rays, and radio waves.
About Himalayan Chandra Telescope

It is a 2 meter optical-infrared telescope named after Nobel laureate Subramaniam Chandrasekhar.
It is at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle near Leh in Ladakh.
It is currently the tenth highest optical telescope in the world, situated at an elevation of 4,500 meters.
34
DRDO & Indian Navy conduct successful of Air Droppable Container ‘ADC-150’
DRDO and Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test

trial of ‘ADC-150’ from IL 38SD aircraft, Goa.
It is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable
Container with a 150 kg payload capacity.
The trial was conducted to enhance the naval operational
logistics capabilities.
It reduces the requirement for ships to come close to the
coast to collect spares and stores.
IIT Madras researchers develop tool to detect tumours in brain, spinal cord
IIT-M researchers has developed a machine learning-based computational tool for

better detection of cancer-causing tumors in the brain and spinal cord.
The web server known as ‘GBMDriver’ (GlioBlastoma Mutiforme Drivers) is now
publicly available online.
The GBMDriver was developed specifically to identify driver mutations and
passenger mutations (passenger mutations are neutral mutations) in Glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is a fast and aggressively growing tumour in the brain and spinal
cord.
First test launch of new low-cost star sensor successfully conducted
Recently, researchers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics have developed a low-cost star sensor,
named StarBerry-Sense.
A star sensor is an instrument that was used by a satellite to help identify its location in space.
The sensor could be used in astronomy and on small CubeSat satellite missions to help the satellites find
their orientation in space.
CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites.
Indian Institute of Astrophysics
• The IIA was established in 1971 with its headquarters in Bengaluru.
• It is an autonomous Research Institute wholly financed by the Department of Science and
Technology of the Government of India.
Russia’s Sberbank launches Al to compete with ChatGPT

Russia’s largest banking institution Sberbank launched its own Al
chatbot GigaChat to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
GigaChat is claimed to be able to communicate more
intelligently in Russian than foreign languages.
Capital – Moscow
Currency – Rubel
President – Vladimir Putin
35
IIT Madras, DRDO develop sensor technology for underwater communications.
IIT Madras and DRDO have developed cutting-edge sensor technology for
underwater communications.
The Indigenous technology will enable the fabrication of devices at a relatively
lower cost.
ICMR successfully conducts trial run of blood bag delivery under i-Drone initiative
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Union
Health Ministry successfully conducted a trial run of blood bag
delivery by drones under its i-Drone initiative in New Delhi.
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 project ‘i-DRONE’ (ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach
for North East) assessed the feasibility of using drone to deliver
vaccines and medical supply.
The drone-based delivery of blood will reduce the time for last-
mile deliveries within the country.
Director General ICMR Dr. Rajiv Bahl
Beware of ‘bluebugging’, Andhra Pradesh police cautions smartphone users
Bluebugging is a form of hacking that lets attackers access a device through its discoverable Bluetooth
connection.
Once a device or phone is bluebugged, a hacker can listen to the calls, read and send messages and
steal and modify contacts.
This attack is often limited due to the range of Bluetooth connections, which goes up to only 10
meters.
Process:
• Bluebugging attacks work by exploiting Bluetooth-enabled devices.
• The device’s Bluetooth must be in discoverable mode, which is the default setting on most
devices.
• The hacker then tries to pair with the device via Bluetooth.
• Once a connection is established, hackers can use brute force attacks to bypass authentication.
• They can install malware in the compromised device to gain unauthorised access to it.
36
First Babies Born In Britain Using DNA From 3 People
Recently, Britain’s fertility regulator said the first babies created using an
experimental technique combining DNA from three people have been
born, in an effort to prevent the children from inheriting rare genetic
diseases.
The technique, known as mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT), uses
tissue from the eggs of healthy female donors to create IVF embryos that
are free from harmful mutations their mothers carry and are likely to pass
on to their children.
GRSE’s launched ‘GAINS’ Startup Challenge
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd launched GRSE Accelerated Innovation Nurturing
Scheme (GAINS) 2023 in Kolkata.
Aim: To identify and encourage the development of innovative solutions toward technological advances
in shipbuilding by Startups
Focus: AI, Renewable/Green Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Efficiency Enhancement
GRSE was established as a Category 1 Mini Ratna Company.
It has a rich history dating back to its inception as a DPSU (Defence Public Sector Undertaking) in 1960. In
1961, GRSE achieved a remarkable milestone by delivering the first indigenous warship, INS Ajay, to the
Indian Navy.
India to have new supercomputer for weather forecasting
Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that India will unveil its new
18 petaFLOP supercomputer for weather forecasting institutes later this year.
The new supercomputer will be bought at a cost of Rs 900 crore.
National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) in Noida
houses ‘Mihir’, a 2.8 petaflop supercomputer,
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, is home to ‘Pratyush’, a
4.0 petaflop supercomputer.
These were launched in 2018.
Que:Which company has launched a new generative AI-driven chatbot called ‘Jugalbandi’, designed for
farmers and rural India?
Ans: Microsoft / माइक्रोसॉफ्ट
Developed in collaboration with AI4Bharat and IIT Madras,

Jugalbandi aims to provide personalized assistance by understanding
user queries in multiple languages, whether spoken or typed.
The chatbot will operate over the WhatsApp messaging service and it
aims to make information on government schemes accessible in
multiple languages.
Jugalbandi covers 10 of India’s 22 official languages
37
Defence
Inaugural ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) in South China Sea
This inaugural edition of AIME is co-hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy and Indian Navy and
witnessed participation of ships and personnel from other ASEAN countries.
India has participated with its two frontline warships- INS Satpura and INS Delhi.
The harbor phase of the exercise held at the Changi Naval Base (Singapore) from May 2-4, while the sea
phase conducted from May 7-8 in the South China Sea
INS Delhi is India's first indigenously-built guided missile destroyer, while INS Satpura is an indigenously-
built guided missile stealth frigate.
Buland Bharat Exercise

Indian Army recently conducted the ‘Buland Bharat’ exercise in the longest high-
altitude Artillery Ranges of the eastern theatre located in Arunachal Pradesh.
Buland Bharat Exercise is an integrated surveillance and firepower training
exercise conducted by the Indian Army.
Indian Navy and Royal Thai Navy conduct 35th Indo-Thai coordinated patrol
The 35th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT)

between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy was concluded in the
Andaman Sea on May 10, 2023.
Aim: To reinforce maritime linkages between the two countries and
ensure the safety and security of the international trade route in the
Indian Ocean
INS Kesari, an indigenously built LST (L), and HTMS Saiburi, a Chao Phraya
Class Frigate participated in the exercise.
India-Indonesia bilateral exercise 'Samudra Shakti-23’ held

The 4th edition of the India-Indonesia bilateral exercise Samudra
Shakti-23 was organized in Batam, Indonesia from 14-19 May 2023.
Aim: To enhance interoperability, jointness, and mutual cooperation
between both navies
India Navy has participated with INS Kavaratti, Indian Navy Dornier
Maritime Patrol aircraft, and Chetak helicopter.
Flood Relief Exercise 'Jal Rahat' in Assam

Indian Army’s Gajraj Corps, along with other disaster
management groups, conducted a joint flood relief drill, 'Exercise
Jal Rahat', on Manas River in Assam.
Apart from Indian Army- SSB, National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster
Management Authority (DDMA) and Police representatives
participated in the exercise.
Purpose of "Jal Rahat" Exercise:
To showcase the Indian Army's preparedness and capabilities in
responding to natural disasters, particularly floods.
38
AL-MOHED AL-HINDI 2023 Naval Exercise

nd
2 edition of the bilateral naval exercise 'Al-Mohad Al-Hindi 2023’
between Indian Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF) from 21 to 25
May 2023
Indian Navy ships INS TARKASH and INS SUBHADRA participated.
The inaugural edition of the exercise was successfully conducted in
2021.
The decision on this bilateral exercise between India and Saudi Arabia
was taken at the Riyadh summit held in 2019.
It aims to strengthen the defense ties between India and Saudi Arabia.
'Sudarshan Shakti Exercise 2023'

The Sapta Shakti Command of the Indian Army conducted
exercise 'Sudarshan Shakti 2023' along the western borders in
Rajasthan and Punjab.
Modernizing the Forces for Future Challenges The primary
objective of Sudarshan Shakti Exercise 2023 was to initiate the
transformation of the Indian Army by embracing new
technologies and adopting innovative strategies.
Soaring Eagle Exercise : South Korea Air Force
The South Korea Air Force recently conducted the Soaring Eagle exercise, a
large-scale training program aimed at enhancing its combat capabilities
and ensuring the country’s defense posture.
The exercise began at the Cheongju air base, situated 112 kilometers south
of Seoul.
The exercise comes amidst heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula
following North Korea’s firing of a purported solid-fuel intercontinental
ballistic missile.
Bangladesh-US Joint Naval Exercise held in Chattogram
The Joint Bangladesh-US Naval drill Exercise ‘Tiger Shark 40’ held at BNS
Nirvik in Chattogram
INS Magar : Decommissioned
INS Magar, the lead ship of Magar-class amphibious warfare vessels of the
Indian Navy, was recently decommissioned after 36 years of service.
INS Magar is the oldest Landing Ship Tank (Large) of the Indian Navy.
The ship was indigenously built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
Ltd, Kolkata.
It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 18 July 1987 by late Admiral R
H Tahiliani.
It has been named after a species of crocodile.
39
INS Vagsheer commenced Sea Trial
The sixth Scorpene Submarine of Project-75, Indian Navy’s

Kalvari class, ‘Vaghsheer’ recently commenced her sea
trials.
INS Vagsheer (S26) is the sixth submarine of the first batch
of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy.
It is named after the sand fish, a deadly deep-sea predator
of the Indian Ocean.
5 Submarines- INS Kalvari, Khanderi , Karanj, Vela and Vagir
have already been commissioned.
The submarines are designed by French naval defence and INS Vagsheer commenced Sea Trial
energy company DCNS and are being manufactured by
Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
First Airbus C295 for India successfully completes its maiden flight
India's first Airbus C295 successfully completed its maiden

flight.
This maiden flight marks a significant milestone for the first
Make in India aerospace programme.
The first aircraft is likely to be delivered by September 2023
and Indian Air Force personnel are already being trained in
Spain.
Background of Airbus C295
• India signed a deal with the Airbus for 56 C-295 aircraft in September 2021 to replace the IAF’s
legacy fleet of British origin AVRO, inducted way back in 1960s.
• The first 16 aircraft, as per the Airbus, will be assembled in Seville and delivered to the IAF in
‘fly-away’ condition.
• The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems
(TASL) in Vadodra, Gujarat, as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
• C295 is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed by the Spanish aerospace
company CASA.
What is GBU-57?
The US Military recently posted pictures of a

powerful bomb called the GBU-57, designed to
penetrate deep into the earth and destroy
underground facilities.
It is known as the “Massive Ordnance Penetrator
(MOP)”.
It is a GPS-guided, earth-penetrating strike weapon
MOP is one of the most powerful non-nuclear
bombs in the world.
40
Iran successfully launched ballistic missile 'Kheibar
Iran has successfully test-launched a ballistic missile with a range

of around 2,000-km
The liquid-fuel missile had been named the Kheibar.
The missiles are capable of carrying 1,500 kg of warheads.
41
National News
Sri India's domestic coal production rises by over 22 % during last five
years
• The overall coal production has seen a quantum jump to 893.08
Million tonnes in 2022-23 from 728.72 Million tonnes in 2018-2019
with a growth of about 22.6%.
• The Ministry of Coal has prepared an action plan for the financial
year 2023-24 with the aim of making Atmanirbhar Bharat by
increasing production, efficiency, sustainability, new technologies etc. in the coal sector.
• Coal Production - The total coal production target of 1012 MT for FY 2023-24.
India's first underwater sea tunnel

• The Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) is a Rs 12,721-crore initiative by
the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to link Marine Drive to
the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
• The most significant feature of the project is the construction of India’s first
undersea tunnel
• It is set to open by November 2023, and is a 2.07-kilometer twin tunnels,17-20 meters below sea
level, connecting Girgaon to Priyadarshini Park.
• The high-speed MCRP aims to reduce the 45-minute peak-time trip from Girgaon to Worli to only
10 minutes.
Tiger spotted at Kalesar National Park in Haryana after 110 years

• It was in 1913 that a tiger was seen here last time.
• Kalesar National Park is located in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana.
• It was declared a National Park on 8 December 2003.
• It shares boundary with three States - Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand & U.P.
• It was named after a temple (known as Kalesar Mahadev temple) located inside the premise of the
park.
Tiger Population:
• 5th cycle of India’s Tiger Census 2022, revealed 6.7% in the increase in
the past four years.
• Population has grown by 200 from 2018 to 2022. The current tiger
population in India is 3,167, up from 2,967 in 2018.
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I covers endangered
species that need rigorous protection.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List:
Endangered.
India to join international climate action in civil aviation from 2027

• India will join the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction
Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and Long-Term Aspirational Goals (LTAG) from 2027.
• ICAO has adopted several key ambitious targets, including a two percent annual fuel efficiency
improvement by 2050, carbon neutral development, and net zero by 2050, all covered under
CORSIA and LTAG.
42
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO):

• It is a specialised agency of the United Nations and its primary function is to coordinate the
principles and techniques of international air navigation. The organisation is also responsible for
promoting the planning and development of international air transport.
• Established - 7 December 1944
• Headquarters -Montreal, Canada
National SC-ST Hub Scheme crossed over 1 lakh beneficiary

registration
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the National SC-ST
Hub Scheme, which crossed over one lakh beneficiary
registrations.
About National SC-ST Hub Scheme:
• Launched on: October 2016
• It is an initiative of the Union MSME Ministry.
• Aim: To empower and promote entrepreneurs among
SC, ST Communities
• It is implemented by the National Small Industries
Corporation (NSIC), a public-sector undertaking under
the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME.
NTPC, NPCIL ink pact for joint development of nuclear power plants
• NTPC has signed a supplementary joint venture agreement with Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to develop nuclear power projects.
• Initially the JV company shall develop two pressurized heavy-water reactors
(PHWR) projects, Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project 2x700 MW
and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 4x700 MW.
• Presently, NTPC has a total installed power generation capacity of 71.644
GW, of which 3.01 GW is renewable energy.
• Founded: 7 November 1975
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
India to launch its own heat index next year

• India will launch its own heat index in 2024 to quantify the impact of heat on its population and
generate impact-based heatwave alerts for specific locations.
• IMD started issuing an experimental heat index for different parts of the
country.
• It includes various parameters like wind, temperature, humidity, duration of
exposure, etc.
• Impact of Heat waves: It has an immense impact on human health, causing cramps, exhaustion,
stress, and heat stroke.
• India Meteorological Department is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government
of India.
• Founded: 15 January 1875
43
Smart Cities Mission Extended

• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has extended the deadline of
its Smart Cities Mission to June 2024, giving all 100 smart cities more time to
complete their projects.
• The Smart Cities Mission, which began in 2015, chose 100 cities through a competitive process
between January 2016 and June 2018.
• Originally, the mission was supposed to be completed by June 2023. However, 50 out of the 100
cities have completed 75% of the projects and should be able to finish the remaining work by June.
• Funds and Budget
• A total of Rs 71,000 crore has been released to the cities, of which Rs 38,000 crore is from the
Centre, and the remaining from states and urban local bodies.
India to build Harbour for Maldivian Coast Guard

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Maldivian counterpart Mariya Didi laid
the foundation stone for the Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) Coast
Guard ‘Ekatha Harbour’.
• The development of the Coast Guard Harbour and repair facility at Sifavaru is
one of the biggest grant-in-aid projects of India
• UTF project
• The UTF project (UTF - Uthuru Thila Falhu atoll), announced during External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar’s visit in February 2021, has been at the centre of a political controversy in the Maldives.
• Allegations were that the project was meant for Indian military presence in Maldives & were part of
an "India Out" campaign.
• Last April, Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih banned anti-India protests as a threat to national
security.
• Recent gifts of India to Maldives
• India gifted a Dornier aircraft to Maldives in 2020 and a patrol ship in 2019.
• In 2022, India had also given Coastal Radar System to Male.
Govt sets foodgrain production target of 332 MT for 2023-24

• Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated National
Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2023-24.
• He announced that the Ministry of Agriculture has set a target of a record
3,320 lakh tonnes (332 million tonnes) production of foodgrains for the
year 2023-24.
• In 2022-23, 3,235 lakh tonnes were produced.
• The target for the production of Pulses is fixed at 292.5 lakh and for
oilseeds at 440 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.
Sarbananda Sonowal received first Indian cargo ship at Sittwe Port in Myanmar on May 9
• A cargo vessel named MV-ITT LION (V-273) was flagged off
recently from Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port, Kolkata to Sittwe
Port in Myanmar, marking the inaugural shipment to
operationalize the port.
• The vessel was received by Cabinet Minister Sarbanand Sonowal
at the port.
44
• Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways,

Shantanu Thakur flagged off the inaugural shipment.
• Sittwe Port has been developed under a framework
agreement between India and Myanmar for the
construction and operation of a Multimodal Transit
Transport Facility on the Kaladan River.
• The Kaladan River connects Sittwe Port in Myanmar
with Mizoram in India.
• Sittwe Port has been developed with Indian
assistance as part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP). The port is linked
to Paletwa in Myanmar, which is connected to Zorinpui in Mizoram by a road section.
• Kolkata Port, officially known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust is the only riverine major
port of India, located in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, around 203 kilometres from the sea.
• It is the oldest operating port in India and was constructed by the British East India Company in
1870.
• The port has two distinct dock systems — Kolkata Docks at Kolkata and a deep water dock at Haldia
Dock Complex, Haldia.
• Syama Prasad Mukherjee:
• Syama Prasad Mukherjee (1901 – 1953) was an Indian politician, barrister and academician.
• He served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet.
• He quit the Union Government because of differences of opinion with the Nehru-led government
and founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party, in 1951.
10th Landport between India and Bangladesh inaugurated at

Dawki in Meghalaya
• The 10th Landport between India and Bangladesh was
inaugurated at Dawki in Meghalaya by State Minister for
Home Affairs Nityanand Rai
• The landport will boost trade and facilitate easier travel
between the two countries.
Nationwide Animal Husbandry, Dairying, And Fisheries (AHDF) KCC Campaign

• As part of the Aazadi Ka Amrit Mahostav celebrations, the Union Ministry for Fisheries, Animal
husbandry and Dairying has launched the Nationwide Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries
(AHDF) KCC Campaign from 1st May 2023 to 31st March 2024.
• The campaign aims to expand the benefits of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
to all eligible animal husbandry, dairy, and fishery farmers in the country.
• The campaign will provide credit facilities to small landless farmers
engaged in animal husbandry and fisheries activities.
What is Kisan Credit Card?
• The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was introduced in 1998 to
provide timely credit support to farmers.
• It offers credit for cultivation, purchase of agriculture inputs, and other needs.
• The scheme was extended to cover the investment credit requirement of farmers in 2004.
• In 2018-19, the facility was extended to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers.
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‘Vivad se Vishwas I – Relief to MSMEs’ Scheme Launched

• The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, has launched the
scheme, “Vivad se Vishwas I – Relief to MSMEs” for providing relief to
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for COVID-19 period.
• The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 by Union Finance
Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Under the scheme, Ministries have been asked to refund performance
security, bid security and liquidated damages forfeited/ deducted during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Certain relief has also been provided to MSMEs
debarred for default in execution of contracts during the COVID-19 period.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Indian Air Force Heritage Centre in Chandigarh
• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Indian Air Force
Heritage Center in Chandigarh.
• The Heritage Center aims to inspire the youth of Chandigarh to
pursue a career in the Indian Air Force.
• It will highlight the IAF’s role in various wars.
• It also houses the first IAF-made patent aircraft Air Force ‘Kanpur-1
Vintage Prototype Aircraft’, a single-engine indigenous flying
machine designed and built by the late Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh in 1958.
Border Haat between India and Bangladesh inaugurated at Bholaganj in Sylhet

• The opening of the border haat at Bholaganj on the border between Sylhet in Bangladesh and the
East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya was greeted with great enthusiasm by people on both sides of the
border.
• This is the fourth border haat in Sylhet division, out of which three are currently functioning. There
are plans to open three more border haats in Sylhet division.
• The Bholaganj Border Haat will have 26 stalls from India and 24 stalls
from Bangladesh, where traditional items from both the countries will
be sold duty free.
• The first border haats were inaugurated in 2011 at Kalaichar in West
Garo Hills district of Meghalaya and Kurigram in Bangladesh.
Kiren Rijiju launched the trailer of the first Tagine language film
• The trailer of 'Love in 90s', the first film made in Tagin language of
Arunachal Pradesh, was launched by Union Law and Justice Minister
Kiren Rijiju on 6th May in New Delhi.
• The film is directed by Tapen Natam
About Tagine Community
The Tagin or Ghasi Miri tribe is one of the major tribe of Arunachal Pradesh,
which is a member of the larger designation of Tani Tribes, the descendants of Abu Tani.
The most important festival of the Tagins is the Si-Donyi Festival, involves the veneration of the earth (si)
and the sun (donyi). It is celebrated as New Year
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PMSBY, PMJJBY and APY complete 8 years of inception

• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) have completed their 8 years of providing social security cover on
May 9.
• PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015.
• PMJJBY: One-year life insurance scheme renewable from year to year offering coverage for death
for any reason.
• PMSBY: is a one-year accidental insurance scheme renewable from year to year offering coverage
for death or disability due to an accident.
• Atal Pension Yojana (APY): was launched to create a universal social security system for all Indians,
especially the poor, the underprivileged and the workers in the unorganised sector.
Ban diesel four-wheelers in cities with 10 lakh population: Panel

• According to a report by Energy Transition Advisory Committee of
India's petroleum ministry, India should ban the use of diesel-
powered four-wheelers in cities with over 10 lakh population by 2027
and switch to electric and gas-fuelled vehicles.
• The committee is headed by former Oil Secretary Tarun Kapoor
• It has also suggested phasing out motorcycles, scooters, and three-
wheelers with internal combustion engines by 2035
• There should be no diesel city buses addition in urban areas in about
10 years
• It help India to achieve the goal of cutting emissions to net zero by 2070
• India is world’s fourth biggest emitter of carbon dioxide after China, the US and EU.
All India Radio : Known As Akashvani

• The Centre ordered that public broadcaster, previously known as All India
Radio (AIR), be exclusively referred to as Akashvani in all broadcasts and
programmes.
• All India Radio (AIR) is the radio vertical of Prasar Bharati.
• It’s motto is ‘Bahujan Hitaya : Bahujan Sukhaya’.
• It is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world in terms of the
number of languages of broadcast and the spectrum of socioeconomic and cultural diversity.
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• AIR’s home service comprises 470 Broadcasting centres located across the country, covering nearly
92% of the country’s area and 99.19 % of the total population.
• AIR originates programming in 23 languages and 179 dialects.
River-Cities Alliance Global Seminar

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with
the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized the
‘River-Cities Alliance (RCA) Global Seminar: Partnership for
Building International River-Sensitive Cities’ in New Delhi.
• Purpose of the RCA Global Seminar - to provide a platform for
officials of member cities and international stakeholders to
discuss and learn good practices for managing urban rivers.
• The RCA Global Seminar was presided over by Mr. G. Asok Kumar, Director General (NMCG).
• River Cities Alliance (RCA) was launched in 2021.
• It is a joint initiative of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) & the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA).
• Aim: Managing urban rivers.
• Vision is to connect river cities and focus on sustainable river-centric development.
• Beginning with 30 member cities in November 2021, the Alliance has expanded to 109 river cities
across India and one international member city from Denmark.
• It includes cities from both the Ganga basin and non-Ganga basin states.
Project-SMART for Station Area Development

• Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Railways jointly signed an MoU with
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for ‘Station Area Development along Mumbai-
Ahmedabad High Speed Rail’ (Project-SMART).
• MoUs were signed for four high speed rail stations – Sabarmati & Surat in Gujarat and Virar &
Thane in Maharashtra.
• Surat, Virar and Thane are green fields while Sabarmati is a brown field development.
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Project-SMART
• Project-SMART envisages developing areas around Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway
(MAHSR) stations to enhance accessibility and convenience for commuters and other stakeholders.
• MoHUA, Govts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and JICA are organizing a series of Seminars and field visits
for the Project–SMART in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR):

• National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has signed an MoU with Japan Railway
Technical Service (JARTS) to operationalize bullet trains in the country.
• Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed
Rail Corridor (MAHSR):
• The total length of the corridor
between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is
508 km, of which 348 km falls in
Gujarat and 156 km in Maharashtra.
The remaining four kilometers will fall
in Dadra Nagar Haveli.
• A total of 12 stations will be set up in
the journey between Ahmedabad and
Mumbai, of which eight stations will
be in Gujarat and four in
Maharashtra.
• Rajendra Prasad, MD, National High
Speed Rail Corporation Limited
Union Health Ministry launched SAKSHAM, a learning management information system

• Rajesh Bhushan (Union Health Secretary) has launched the Stimulating Advanced Knowledge for
Sustainable Health Management (SAKSHAM).
• It is a Learning Management Information System (LMIS) of MoHFW.
• Developed by: National Institute of Health & Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi
• SAKSHAM is a dedicated and unified platform for providing online training and medical education
to all health professionals in the country.
Santiniketan in tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage list

• Rabindranath's Santiniketan is included in tentative list for
UNESCO World Heritage list
• Santiniketan is the town in West Bengal’s Birbhum district
where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore spent much of his
life.
• A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each
State Party (country) intends to consider for nomination.
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‘Harit Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines 2023 launched

• Minister of Ports, Sarbananda Sonowal has launched ‘Harit Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines 2023.
• Aim: To promote environment-friendly practices across all our
Ports
• It provides a comprehensive action plan for achieving targeted
outcomes in terms of quantified reduction in carbon emission
over defined timelines and achieving SDG.
• It also aims to minimize waste through reducing, reusing,
repurposing, and recycling to attain zero waste discharge from
port operations.
• The ‘Sagar Shreshtha Samman’ awards were also conferred to
major ports for their exceptional achievements in various
operational parameters
• Paradip Port bags ‘Best Port of the Year’ award for overall performance based upon cargo
handling, average turnaround time, ship berth day output, and idle time at berth, operating ratio,
pre berthing detention.
• The award for best incremental performance was bagged by Paradip Port for attaining the highest
cargo growth rate of 16.56% last year.
• The award for the best Absolute Performance for the year 2022-23 conferred to the Deendayal
Port, Kandla for handling highest cargo of 137.56 MMT.
• The Jawaharlal Nehru Port received award for achieving major milestone in Turn Around Time.
• Vessel Turnaround Time is defined as the total time that a vessel spends at a port from its arrival to
departure
POSHAN BHI PADHAI BHI

• Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a program named “Poshan Bhi
Padhai Bhi” for strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
• ECCE is an important component of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan
2.0) and is envisaged under the National Education Policy.
• The aim of the program is to:
• Transform Anganwadi centres into not just nutrition hubs but also
education-imparting centers and
• Make these Anganwadi centres a space for pre-school learning and
holistic development with special focus on children aged 3 to 6 to
make them school ready for grade 1.
• Nodal Training Institute: The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development
(NIPCCD) will provide training for Anganwadi workers.
• The ECCE program will prioritize education in the mother tongue, aligning with the principles of the
New Education Policy.
• Under the program, every child would be provided with at least two hours of high-quality preschool
instruction daily.
• Funding: The Ministry has allocated Rs 600 crore for the training of Anganwadi Workers (AWW) to
effectively implement ECCE.
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Short News
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated NAMO Medical Education and Research Institute in Silvassa,
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Foundation stone laid by the Prime Minister in
January 2019.
• India is set to host the 23rd edition of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on July
3-4, 2023 in New Delhi.
• The first edition of the Food Conclave-2023 was hosted by the Telangana government on April 28
and 29, 2023 at Hyderabad.
• UGC launches 'CU-Chayan' portal for faculty recruitment. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar
• First mining start-up summit held on 29th May in Mumbai to encourage the participation of start-
ups in the mineral and mining sector.
Model Prisons Act, 2023:

• Union Home Ministry recently announced that comprehensive ‘Model Prisons Act, 2023’ has been
finalized.
• MHA had assigned the task to review and revise the colonial-era outdated Prisons Act, 1894, to
the Bureau of Police Research and Development - with contemporary modern-day needs and
correctional ideology.
• As per the provisions of the Constitution, ‘prisons’ and ‘persons detained therein’ fall under the
State List.
• The Model Prison Act, 2023 may serve as a guiding document for the States, and for adoption in
their jurisdiction.
• Along with the Prisons Act, 1894, the Prisoners Act, 1900, and the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950’
have also been reviewed by the MHA, and their relevant provisions have been assimilated into the
Model Prisons Act, 2023.
Objectives –
• To replace the existing 130-year-old colonial law
• To bring in the use of technology in prison management,
• To create provisions for the grant of parole, furlough, and remission to prisoners to encourage good
conduct.
• To introduce special provisions for women and transgender inmates.
• To bring about “attitudinal change towards prisoners” and initiate vocational training and skill
development for prisoners for their reintegration into society.
5th edition of Global Ayurveda Festival

• The fifth edition of the Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2023) will be held in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala from December 1 to 5.
• The theme of the event - ‘Emerging Challenges in Healthcare & A
Resurgent Ayurveda’.
• Aim: To bring together Ayurveda practitioners and stakeholders
from around the world to showcase Ayurveda’s potential in
addressing health challenges
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Que: The National Medical Commission has passed a new resolution making it mandatory for all ________
to have a Unique Identification Number (UID) to practice medicine in India.
Ans: Doctors / डॉक्टर्ों
• As per the new regulation, the UID will be generated centrally by the National Medical Commission
(NMC) ethics board and thereby grant the practitioner, registration in NMR and eligibility to
practice medicine in India.
• There will be a common national medical register for all the registered medical practitioners and
doctors in the country.
• This unique licence will be issued to a registered medical practitioner and will be valid for five years.
UGC launches new website, UTSAH and PoP portals to promote quality education
• University Grants Commission (UGC)
• UTSAH refers to Undertaking Transformative Strategies and Actions in
Higher Education.
• PoP - Professor of Practice
• Two new portals have been launched with the aim of promoting
transparency, access, and collaboration within the higher education sector.
• These initiatives align with the National Education Policy 2020 and its strategic goals.
Centre For Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE)

• Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has established the Centre for Processing Accelerated
Corporate Exit (C-PACE) to centralize the process of striking off companies from the MCA Register.
• Striking off companies from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) Register means removing
defunct, non-operational, or dissolved companies from the official database.
• C-PACE operates through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) and is part of MCA’s efforts to improve
the Ease of Doing Business and facilitate company exits.
• C-PACE founded in March 2023;
• HQ: Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) in Gurgaon
New Rules:
• As per new rules issued by the MCA, applications for removal of the name of a company under
Section 248 of the Companies Act would be made to the registrar, C-PACE.
• The process of voluntary winding up of companies will now be completed in six months as against
the earlier timeline of two years.
Section 248 of the Companies Act:
• It provides for the removal of the name of the company from the RoC if it is not carrying on any
business or operation for a period of two immediately preceding financial years and has not made
any application within the said period for obtaining the status of a dormant company under Section
455.
Sanchar Saathi Portal launched by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav

• Union Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnav launched
the Sanchar Saathi portal during a function in New Delhi.
• It aims to empower mobile phone users by providing
essential services such as tracking and blocking of lost mobile
phones.
• An artificial intelligence and facial recognition solution has
been implemented to identify fake customers.
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• The portal has detected more than 40 lakh bogus connections and disconnected more than 36 lakh
connections.
• Collaborative effort: It is a joint effort between the Department of Telecom and mobile phone
service providers.
Pune: Asia’s first subsea research lab at MIT-World Peace University

• MIT-World Peace University (WPU) in Pune, India, has launched the Centre
for Subsea Engineering Research (CSER), the first subsea research lab in
Asia.
• Objectives: The CSER aims to revolutionize training and education for the
global oil and gas industry by providing real-world experience and nurturing
multi-disciplinary talent.
Indian govt to launch faster immigration clearance scheme for ‘trusted travellers’
• With an aim to reduce congestion at airport check points, Indian government will soon launch a
‘Trusted Traveller Programme’ for faster immigration clearance of pre-
verified travellers.
• The new scheme will be launched for travellers with Indian passports
across international airports in India.
• The program will be started on a pilot basis at Delhi and Mumbai airports
this year.
• Later it will be expanded to 15 more international airports by 2027 and all airports by 2032.
• The inititative will help Indian passport holders to use e-gates and help them avoid que for
immigration clearance.
Minister Bhupender Yadav launches mobile application Meri LiFE

• Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has launched a
mobile application named Meri LiFE (My life) in New Delhi.
• To catalyze youth action for climate change & help in
creating a structured way to track the progress being made
on Mission LiFE
• LiFE - a global mass movement envisioned by PM Modi at
COP 26 to push individual and community action to protect
environment
• Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was launched in October 2022 at Kevadia, Gujarat.
• Focus: Behaviour changes in individuals through simple easy-to-do actions
PM inaugurated International Museum Expo 2023

• PM Modi inaugurated the International Museum Expo 2023 at
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 18 May 2023.
• Organized as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the
47th International Museum Day.
• Theme of the event ‘Museums, Sustainability, and Well Being’
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• Mascot - 5-feet tall artistic representation inspired by the

iconic Bronze Dancing Girl of the Sindhu Saraswati Sabhyata
• in the Channapatnam art style (Karnataka).
Que:‘ Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum’ is to be set up in which state/UT?

Ans: New Delhi
• PM Modi unveiled the plan for one of the world’s largest museums,
Yuge Yugeen Bharat.
• The name is derived from Sanskrit, meaning “everlasting India.”
• The Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum will showcase India’s
rich civilizational culture of 5,000 plus years.
• The foundation of the current National Museum had been laid by late first Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955.
JJM Achieves Milestone of 12 Crore Tap Water Connections

• The Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship program launched by the
Government of India, has provided 12 crore tap water
connections across the country.
• This achievement marks a major step towards ensuring access
to clean drinking water for every household.
• At the time of announcement of launch of JJM only 3.23 Crore
(16.64%) households in villages had access to piped water
connection.
• 100% tap water coverage
• Till date, 5 states (Goa, Telangana, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab) and 3 union territories
(Puducherry, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Andaman and Nicobar Islands) have
reported 100% coverage.
Jal Jeevan Mission

• Announced by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2019.
• Objective - to supply potable tap water in adequate quantity, prescribed quality and on a regular
and long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024.
• This mission comes under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Funding Pattern :
• The fund sharing pattern between the Center and the states under the mission is 90:10 for
Himalayan and North-Eastern states and 50:50 for other states.
• In the case of Union Territories, 100% contribution is made by the Centre.
54
Supreme Court upholds Tamil Nadu law allowing Jallikattu

• A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice KM
Joseph, upheld the amendments made by the legislatures of Tamil
Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to The Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, allowing bull-taming sports like jallikattu,
kambala, and bullock-cart races.
• The SC held that these rules by the states did not violate the
Constitution and the Supreme Court's 2014 judgment banning
Jallikattu.
• The bench ruled that the amendments, made in 2017 were “valid legislations”. However the
jallikattu issue was “debatable”, and must ultimately be decided by the House of the People (Lok
Sabha).
• Jallikattu, also known as eruthazhuvuthal, is a bull-taming sport traditionally played in Tamil Nadu
as part of the Pongal harvest festival.
India to host Quad summit in 2024

• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), commonly known as the
Quad, is a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan,
and the United States of America.
• It aims to help countries mitigate the effects of climate change and
strengthen their climate resilience.
• Quad Summit 2023 was originally scheduled in Australia but was
conducted in Japan on 20 May 2023.
• Japan also hosted the 49th G7 summit from 19 to 21 May 2023 in Hiroshima city of Hiroshima
Prefecture
• Although India is not a member of G7, PM Modi travelled to Japan for the G7 and Quad Summit on
a personal invite of Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida.
India's first commercial plane using sustainable aviation fuel flies

• Air India’s subsidiary, AirAsia India has successfully operated India's first commercial flight on the
Pune-delhi sectors using an indigenously produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend.
• Flight I5767 was powered by SAF blended aviation turbine fuel (ATF).
• It was supplied by Indian Oil in partnership with Praj Industries, which
provided the technology for the blend
SAF:
• It is also referred to as bio-jet fuel.
• SAF made from renewable biomass and waste resources
Union Health Ministry launched '75/25′ Initiative

• Union Health Ministry announces ambitious “75/25” initiative on World
Hypertension Day – of screening and putting 75 million people with
hypertension and diabetes on Standard Care by 2025.
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• The government has launched the Shashakt Portal to train the 40,000 Primary Healthcare Medical
Officers on the Standard Treatment Workflow for Non-Communicable Diseases.
• As per WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, '75/25′ Initiative is the largest
cover of NCDs in the world for primary healthcare.
Government to provide 30% financial support for Green Shipping promotion

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced the Panch Karma Sankalp, i.e., five major announcements
focusing on green shipping and the digitization of the ports.
1. MoPSW to provide 30% financial support for the promotion of Green Shipping
2. Green Hydrogen hubs will be developed at the Deendayal Port (Kandla) and Chidambaranar Port
(Tuticorin).
3. Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Navi Mumbai), VO Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin), Paradip Port (Paradip in),
and Deendayal Port (Kandla) — will procure two green tugboats each
A tug or a tugboat is a boat that aids in the mooring or berthing operation of a ship by towing or pushing
the vessel towards the port.
4. Single window portal to be designed to facilitate river and sea cruises and their bookings
5. Jawaharlal Nehru Port and VO Chidambaranar Port, Tuticorin to become smart port by next year.
At least, 50% of all the Tugs are likely to be converted into Green Tugs by 2030.
Harit Sagar Guidelines 2023
Recently, the Ministry launched the ‘Harit Sagar,’ the Green Port Guidelines.
The guidelines are aimed at minimising waste through Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle approach to
attain zero waste discharge from port operations.
In addition, it also promotes monitoring based on environmental performance indicators.
Ministry of Education and PARAKH organise the 1st National level workshop
• Recently, the Ministry of Education organized a workshop in New Delhi
to discuss the integration of 60 school examination boards operating in
different states and union territories.
• The central government is planning for uniformity of boards to facilitate
seamless transition for students in different boards or regions.
• It aims to align curriculum standards, grading system and evaluation methods so as to enhance the
credibility.
What is PARAKH?
• PARAKH full name is -Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic
Development.
• It will act as a constituent unit of the NCERT.
• It will also be tasked with conducting periodic learning outcome tests like National Achievement
Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Survey.
People’s Biodiversity Register:

• In News - National Campaign f or Updation and Verification of
People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) was launched in Goa, by the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• It is aimed to document and preserve India’s rich biological diversity.
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• People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) is a record of knowledge, perception and attitude of people
about natural resources, plants and animals, their utilization and conservation in a village or a
panchayat.
• It is prepared by Biodiversity Management Committees (under Biodiversity Act 2002) in
consultation with local communities.
• Kolkata was the first major metropolitan city in India to make a detailed People’s Biodiversity
Register (PBR).
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated new Parliament building in New Delhi

• The New Parliament House is located in the Central Vista area of New
Delhi.
• It has been designed to accommodate the growing size and needs of
the Indian Parliament.
• The building has seating arrangements for 888 members of the Lok
Sabha and 384 members of the Rajya Sabha.
• Three main gates: Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar
• The new Lok Sabha chamber has a peacock theme and Rajya Sabha's theme is based on National
Flower, Lotus
• Covering an area of approximately 65,000 square metres,

the new building has a triangular shape to optimise space
utilisation.
• It is a four storied building constructed at an estimated cost
of Rs 970 crore.
• The building was designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP
Design, Planning and Management and constructed by Tata
Projects Limited.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also installed "Sengol" in a
dedicated enclosure to the right of the Speaker's chair in the
Lok Sabha chamber.
57
OLD:
• The parliament building’s construction took six years, from 1921 to
1927
• Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker
NEW:
• The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed a Central
Vista redevelopment project in 2019.
• The foundation stone was laid in December 2020.
• Architect Bimal Hasmukh Patel from Ahmedabad
Sengol : Historic Sceptre

• A historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu ‘Sengol’ was installed at the new Parliament
building, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.
• It is said that the sceptre was received by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru from Lord Mountbatten to symbolically represent the transfer of power
from the British.
• It was kept in a museum in Allahabad.
• The word Sengol is derived from the Tamil word ‘Semmai’, meaning ‘righteousness’.
• It is a civilisational practice from the Chola kingdom, which was among the leading kingdoms in the
Indian sub-continent for centuries.
According to Tamil tradition, a high priest presents a sceptre to a newly crowned king as a symbolic
gesture of power transition.
• The one accorded the ‘sengol’ is expected to impart a just and impartial rule.
• It is said that C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India, suggested that this tradition,
observed by the Chola dynasty, could serve as a significant symbol of India’s freedom from British
rule.
• The ‘Sengol’ was crafted by a renowned jeweller in Madras Vummidi Bangaru Chetty. Constructed
by two men — Vummidi Ethirajulu and Vummidi Sudhakar
• This sceptre measures five feet in length and features a ‘nandi’ bull at the top, representing the
concept of justice.
Finance Ministry announces launch of Rs 75 special coin

• The Center launched a new ₹75 coin on May 28 to mark the
inauguration of the new Parliament.
• As per the Ministry of Finance notification, the latest Rs 75 coin is
circular in shape with a diameter of 44mm.
• The composition of the coin is of a quaternary alloy — 50 per cent
silver, 40 per cent copper, 5 per cent nickel and 5 per cent zinc.
• “The face of the coin bears the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar in the centre, with the legend “सत्यमेव
जयते” (Satyameva Jayate) inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word “भरर्त”
(Bharat) in Devnagri script and on the right periphery the word “INDIA” in English,”
• The other side of the coin displays an image of the new parliament building.
• The inscription “Sansad Sankul” is written in Devanagari script on the upper periphery while the
words “Parliament Complex” in English on the lower periphery of the coin.
• Additional Trivia:
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• The Coinage Act, 2011 gives the central government the power to design and mint coins in various
denominations.
• All coins are minted in the four mints owned by the Government of India
in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Noida.
• The country released its first commemorative coin in 1964 in honour of Jawaharlal Nehru, who had
passed away that year.
Centre forms Steering committee to review, monitor Cheetah translocation

project to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) set up an 11-member
Cheetah Project Steering Committee.
• The committee works under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change.
• Rajesh Gopal, general secretary of the Global Tiger Forum, has been appointed as the chairman of
the committee.
• The decision to form the committee was taken after the death of six cheetahs involved in the
translocation project.
• Under the Project Cheetah India has translocated twenty cheetahs to Kuno National Park (KNP) in
September 2022 and February 2023 from Namibia.
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
It was established in December 2005.
The establishment of NTCA was based on the recommendation made by the Tiger Task
Force.
NTCA plays a key role in formulating policies and guidelines for the conservation of tigers,
their habitats and prey species.
Atal Bhujal Yojana water scheme extended by two years

• Atal Bhujal Yojana is a groundwater management scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on the 95th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on 25 December
2019.
• The purpose of the scheme is to improve groundwater management in seven states of India -
Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Union government has extended the Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) for two more years until
December 2025.
• Atal Jal plans to bring 4,50,000 hectares of irrigated area under efficient water techniques like drip
irrigation and crop diversification.
• It has been launched under the Jal Jeevan Mission of the government.
59
Rejuvenating Watersheds For Agricultural Resilience

Through Innovative Development (REWARD) Program:
• REWARD is a World Bank assisted Watershed
development program which is being implemented
from 2021 to 2026.
• Development Objectives of REWARD program is to
“Strengthen capacities of National and State
institutions to adopt improved watershed management for increasing farmers resilience and
support value chains in selected watershe ds of participating States”.
• The total budget outlay - USD 167.71 million over a program period of 4.5 years.
Watersheds
• Watersheds are areas of land that drain water into a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean.
They provide vital ecosystem services, such as water supply, soil fertility, biodiversity, and climate
regulation.
• Many watersheds in India are degraded due to unsustainable land use practices, such as
overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion.
SAMARTH Abhiyan launched by Union Minister Giriraj Singh

• Union Minister Giriraj Singh launched the SAMARTH campaign to promote digital transactions at
the Gram Panchayat level.
• The campaign aims to empower women and promote digital transactions in rural areas.
• The campaign was launched in Lucknow as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development.
• It aims to promote digital transactions in 50,000 gram panchayats across India.
• The campaign started on February 1, 2023 and will run till August 15, 2023.
Banking & Finance

Anti-Dumping Duty on Imported Optical Fiber from China, Korea, Indonesia
• Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), an arm of the Ministry
of Commerce, has recommended imposition of anti-dumping duty on
imports of a certain type of optical fiber from China, Korea and
Indonesia to protect the domestic industry from cheap inbound
shipments.
• The DGTR has recommended the duty after examination on dumped imports of 'Dispersion
Unshifted Single-Mode Optical Fiber' from these countries.
What is Dumping?
• According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), if a company exports a product at a price lower
than the price it normally charges on its own home market, it is said to be “dumping” the product.
• This is done by companies to grab market share in other countries from the local companies.
What is Anti- Dumping?
• Anti-dumping duties are taxes imposed on imported goods to compensate for the difference
between their export price and their normal value.
• It is imposed to protect producers of competing products in the importing country from harm.
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Reserve Bank gold reserves rose 4.5% to 794.64 tonnes in 2022-23

• RBI has added 34.22 metric tonnes of gold in the fiscal year that ended March
31, 2023, taking the total gold reserves to 794.64 metric tonnes.
• The latest World Gold Council (WGC) report showed that the Monetary
Authority of Singapore was the largest single buyer of gold (69 metric tonnes) during January-
March 2023.
Visa introduces CVV-free payments for tokenized cards in India

• Card payments company Visa has launched a feature that allows users to carry
out online transactions without the need to punch in the cardholder verification
value (CVV), if the card has been tokenised.
• Aimed at making the online transaction process smoother & protect sensitive
data from cyber attacks and frauds.
• This facility is applicable on tokenized credit and debit cards and is available only for domestic
transactions in India.
• The card is tokenized by securing it with a unique code and transactions are completed using a two-
factor authentication process that does not require the 16-digit card number or any other card
details.
• Tokenization is a security process that replaces sensitive data with unique codes called tokens.
AIBEA to launch ‘Bank Clinic’ to help retail customers

• The All-India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) plans to set up an online
‘Bank Clinic’ to assist bank customers with grievance redress.
• Bank Clinic will assist customers with their complaints.
• It will provide feedback to banks on areas where there are service
deficiencies.
• Bank Clinic will assist banks in improving their services and customer satisfaction.
• It will improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• AIBEA General Secretary CH Venkatachalam
No TCS on LRS transactions upto Rs 7 lakh via international debit, credit cards from July 1, 2023
• The Indian government has recently announced a relaxation in the Tax Collected At Source (TCS)
rules for international transactions made using debit or credit cards.
• Starting from July 1, 2023, individuals conducting international transactions up to Rs 7 lakh will be
exempt from the 20 percent TCS levy.
• This exemption will also exclude these transactions from the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)
limits of $250,000 per annum.
I. Private visits to any country (except Nepal and Bhutan)
II. Gift or donation
III. Going abroad for employment
IV. Emigration
V. Maintenance of close relatives abroad
VI. Travel for business, attending a conference or specialised training or for meeting expenses for
meeting medical expenses, or check-up abroad, or for accompanying as an attendant to a patient
going abroad for medical treatment/ check-up etc
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Google Pay launches RuPay credit cards

• Google Pay users in India can now make Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
payments with RuPay credit cards.
• The users can now link their RuPay credit cards with Google Pay to pay at all online
and offline merchants where RuPay credit cards are accepted.
• It is now available to RuPay credit card holders of Axis Bank, BoB, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, Indian
Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, PNB, and Union Bank of India.
Axis Bank launches a digital onboarding platform ‘Sarathi’

Axis Bank has launched ‘Sarathi’ a digital onboarding journey to enable Electronic Data Capture or Point of
Sale (POS) for merchants.
This platform provides a seamless and hassle-free experience for merchants.
Onboarding process:
• Realtime database checks for faster application processing
• Live video verification to authenticate merchant information
• Eliminates the field verification process which helps in instant
decision-making
• Instant installation of POS
• CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry (1 Jan 2019–)
• Founded: 1993
• Headquarters: Mumbai
Leave encashment tax-free till ₹25 lakh for private sector employees upon retirement
• As was announced in the union budget 2023, Central Board of Direct Taxes has raised the tax
exemption on leave encashment on the retirement of non-government salaried employees from ₹3
lakh to ₹25 lakh, effective from 1 April 2023.
• So far, the tax exemption on leave encashment for non-government employees was ₹3 lakh which
was fixed in 2002.
• In the case of government employees, the entire leave encashment amount received is tax-exempt.
RBI sanctions merger of Maratha Co-op Bank with Cosmos

Co-op Bank.
RBI launches ‘100 Days 100 Pays’ campaign

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a campaign ‘100 Days 100
Pays’ for banks to trace and settle the top 100 unclaimed deposits of
every bank in every district of the country within 100 days.
• Aim: To reduce the quantum of unclaimed deposits in the banking system and return such deposits
to their rightful owners/claimants
• An unclaimed deposit is one which does not see any activity for 10 years or more and is deemed as
an inactive deposit.
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Indian economy expected to grow 6.7% in 2024: UN

• According to a UN report titled, 'World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2023', India’s
economy is expected to grow by 5.8% in 2023 and 6.7% in 2024 (CY), supported by resilient
domestic demand.
• Inflation in India is expected to decelerate to 5.5% in 2023 as global commodity prices moderate.
HDFC Mutual Fund launches India's first defence fund

• HDFC AMC Ltd has launched India's first mutual fund focussed on the defence
sector.
• Aim: To provide investors with an opportunity to participate in the growth
potential of this space
• The fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in defence and allied sector companies including
stocks forming part of aerospace and defence.
Under "Clean Note Policy" RBI decided to withdraw Rs 2000 note from
circulation
• RBI has decided to withdraw Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from
circulation under the "Clean Note Policy".
• Rs 2,000 notes will continue to be legal tender.
• From May 23 till September 30, 2023, Rs 2,000 notes can be
exchanged for other denominations up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank branch.
• ₹2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016 under Section 24(1) of RBI Act,
1934.
• The printing of ₹2,000 notes was stopped in 2018-19. The RBI said about 89% of the ₹2,000 notes
were issued prior to March 2017 and are at the end of their estimated life span of 4-5 years.
Clean Note Policy:

• The clean note policy was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1999 to address the issue
of soiled and mutilated notes.
• Banks are instructed not to give soiled, torn and mutilated notes to customers and instead deposit
them with RBI.
• The objective of the Clean Note Policy is to provide good quality currency notes and coins to the
customers.
• Soiled and mutilated currency notes can be easily exchanged at teller counters under the RBI's note
refund rules of 2009.
Short News
• Google invests $1 million to IIT-Madras Al research centre
• RBI allows SBI Funds Management to acquire up to 9.99% stake in HDFC Bank
• According to Morgan Stanley, India is expected to contribute 16% of the global gross domestic
product (GDP) growth over 2023-24.
• RRVL (Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd ), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, has acquired all 31
wholesale stores operated by METRO Cash & Carry India
• World Bank Approves $82 Million Loan to Control Zoonotic Diseases (Disease Transmitted from
Animals to Humans) in India
63
Patna becomes first municipal corporation to use CBDC

• Patna Municipal Corporation in Bihar has become the first
municipal corporation in India to adopt Central Bank Digital
Currency (CBDC).
• The digital currency called e-Rupee generated by the RBI will be
used in the entire Patna Municipal Corporation area.
• A workshop was organised for the corporators to educate them about the benefits and applications
of digital e-Rupee currency.
• Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are a form of digital currency issued by a country's central
bank. They are similar to cryptocurrencies, except that their value is fixed by the central bank and
equivalent to the country's fiat currency.
About Reserve Bank of India
• RBI was established on April 1, 1935 as per the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• It started functioning from 1 April 1935 and Sir Osborne Smith was made the first Governor of RBI.
• The central office of the Reserve Bank was established in Kolkata which was permanently shifted to
Mumbai in the year 1937.
• It was nationalised in 1949 and now the Government of India owns the RBI.
UPI to account for 90% of retail digital payments by 2026-27

• According to PwC report 'The Indian Payments Handbook - 2022-
27, UPI transactions are likely to reach 1 billion per day by 2026-27,
accounting for 90% of the retail digital payments
• UPI is driving the digital payments revolution, accounting for about
75% of the total transaction volume in the retail segment during
2022-23
• UPI Introduced: 11 April 2016
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International News
Que: Who has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone?
Ans: Margherita Della Valle
Santiago Pena wins Paraguay Presidential Election
Elon Musk appoints Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO
Amy Pope elected next Director General of IOM

• International Organization For Migration: Established in 1951.
• IOM was granted Permanent Observer status to the UN General Assembly
in 1992
• IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the
benefit of all.
• India is a member of IOM.
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins Presidential election

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won the presidential
election In Turkiye, extending his rule to a third decade.
Türkiye capital: Ankara and Currency: Turkish lira
65
th
Bola Ahmed Tinubu sworn in as the 16 President of Nigeria
The swearing ceremony was attended by the Indian defense minister, Rajnath Singh,
who is on a three-day visit to Nigeria.
Agenda of visit: To strengthen the India-Nigeria bilateral relations
This is the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to Nigeria.
The first meeting of India-EU Trade, Technology Council at Brussels

The first ministerial-level meeting of the India-European Union Trade and
Technology Council held on May 16, 2023.
Aim: To discuss ways to increase cooperation in strategic technologies, digital
connectivity, clean energy, trade, and investments
Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal co-chaired the meeting along with EAM S
Jaishankar and MoS, Electronics and information technology Rajeev
Chandrasekhar.
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a policy tool introduced

by the EU to reduce carbon emissions by imposing a carbon tax on
imported products, ensuring that they are subject to the same carbon costs
as products produced within the EU.
It is part of the EU's "Fit for 55 in 2030 package" to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
In order to implement CBAM, importers will need to declare the quantity of
goods imported and their greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis.
The E.U. is India’s second-largest trading partner (after the U.S.) and India’s
second-largest export market therefore the E.U carbon tax will immensely
impact Indian export
India launches 'Operation Karuna' to provide aid to Myanmar
India launches ‘Operation Karuna’ to assist cyclone-hit Myanmar (Cyclone

Mocha)
Indian Naval Ships Shivalik, Kamorta and Savitri were the first Naval ships to
arrive at Yangon with relief material.
66
Que: Which country is now India’s 3rd largest exporter as per Commerce Ministry’s survey?
Ans: Netherlands
The Netherlands has emerged as India's third largest exports destination after the US and UAE during
2022-23, showed commerce ministry's data
India's exports to the Netherlands rose by about 48 % to USD 18.52 billion during 2022-23 as against USD
12.5 billion in 2021-22.
Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai said the Netherlands has
emerged as a hub for Europe with efficient port and connectivity with the EU through road, railways and
waterways.
According to economic think tank GTRI (Global Trade Research Initiative), ATF (aviation turbine fuel) and
diesel were the key petroleum products exported from India to that country.
India & Bangladesh launch '50 Start-ups Exchange Programme'
Under this program, 50 Startups from Bangladesh and 50 Startups from India
will exchange visits to each other’s countries.
Reason: To explore partnerships, expand business relations, share experience
and knowledge, and expand youth and entrepreneurial cooperation
PM Modi conferred with the highest honours of Fiji and Papua New Guinea
He was conferred with the "The Companion of the Order of Fiji" by his Fijian
PM, Sitiveni Rabuka for his global leadership.
While Papua New Guinea conferred its highest civilian order, ‘Grand Companion
of the Order of Logohu’ for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island
countries.
PM Modi is on a visit to Papua New Guinea to attend the third India-Pacific
Islands Cooperation Summit.
3rd Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit was held in Port Moresby, Papua New
Guinea on May 22, 2023.
It was co-chaired by Indian and Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister
Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during PM Modi's visit to Fiji in
November 2014 and includes 14 island countries.
PM Modi releases Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' in Tok Pisin language
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Papua New Guinea
counterpart James Marape released the Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' in the
Tok Pisin language.
Aim: To bring Indian thought and culture closer to the people of this
southwestern Pacific nation.
Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.
Thirukkural is a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic
matters, and love, is written by Poet Thiruvalluvar.
67
Republic of Fiji
It is an archipelago consisting of around 300 islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
Capital: Suva
Currency: Fijian Dollar
Prime Minister: Sitiveni Rabuka
Papua New Guinea
Prime Minister: James Marape
Capital: Port Moresby
Currency: kina (K)
Prime Minister Modi unveils Mahatma Gandhi Bust in Hiroshima
During the visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the bust of
Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima, Japan on 20 May 2023.
The Mahatma Gandhi bust has been gifted by the Government of India to the
city of Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and goodwill between India and
Japan.
The 42 inches tall bronze bust has been sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee
Ram Vanji Sutar.
The bust site, adjacent to the Motoyasu River, is close to the iconic A-Bomb
Dome.
India and Australia sign agreement in the field of Green Hydrogen
During the final leg of PM Modi's three-nation tour (Japan, Papua New
Guinea, and Australia) India and Australia signed agreements in the field of
migration and mobility partnership and on the Green Hydrogen task force.
The MoUs were exchanged after a bilateral meeting between PM Narendra
Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.
He also announced the establishment of a new Australian Consulate General
in Bengaluru saying it will help connect Australian businesses to India's
booming digital and innovation ecosystem.
India gets approval to set up second hydroelectric project in Nepal
The Government of Nepal has approved India's Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN) to develop the
second hydroelectric project in the country.
SJVN is currently involved in the development of the Arun-III Hydroelectric Project in eastern Nepal with
a capacity of 900 MW.
About Nepal
• The kingdom of Nepal was established by the Shah dynasty.
• It is a landlocked country in South Asia.
• Prime Minister - Pushpa Kamal Dahal
• President - Ram Chandra Paudel
• Capital - Kathmandu
• Currency - Nepalese Rupee
68
US seeks to add India in NATO Plus
A US Congressional Committee recently recommended strengthening Nato

Plus by including India in the five-member grouping.
Nato Plus is a grouping of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and
five countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea.
The group works toward boosting global defence cooperation.
India would gain access to seamless intelligence sharing between these
countries.
It would further strengthen India’s defence partnership with the United States.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
• It is a transatlantic alliance of 31 like-minded North American and
European countries.
• It was established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the
Washington Treaty) on April 4, 1949.
• Aim is to protect peace and to guarantee the territorial integrity,
political independence and security of the member states.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): Dialogue Partners
SCO added Kuwait, UAE, Myanmar and Maldives as dialogue partners.

The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization.
It’s a Eurasian political, economic and military organization aiming to maintain peace, security and stability
in the region.
• It was created in 2001.
• The SCO Charter was signed in 2002 and entered into force in 2003.
• The SCO’s official languages are Russian and Chinese.
• Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were
members of the Shanghai Five.
• India and Pakistan became members in 2017.
The 42nd ASEAN Summit begins in Indonesia
The 42nd Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started in
Indonesia.
2023 theme: ASEAN Affairs: Epicenter of Growth
ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of
the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration)
Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and
Thailand.
Aim: To promote economic growth in the Southeast Asian region
69
14th Petersberg Dialogue On Climate Change
Hosted in Berlin, Germany from May 2-3, 2023, by Germany and the United
Arab Emirates
UAE would be hosting the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is an annual high-level political and
international forum held before the United Nations Climate Change
Conferences (COP).
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasised the need
for “cleaning up economies of the developed countries by breaking their
fossil fuel addiction and driving decarbonisation in every sector to
achieve a 1.5-degree global warming pathway.
2023 is the year for the Global Stocktake.

• Global Stocktake: a periodic review of global climate action.
• It aims to assess whether current efforts will enable us to reach the objectives set out in the
Paris Agreement.
• This is the first Global Stocktake year since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015.
• The report is set to be released in September of 2023.
Syria’s Return to Arab League
Recently, the Arab League has re-admitted Syria into the

organization, after a suspension over a decade.
Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 after it
violently cracked down on anti-government protests.
The Arab League accused Syria of not complying with a peace plan
that called for a withdrawal of military forces, the release of
political prisoners, and the start of a dialogue with opposition
groups.
The move signifies softness in relations between Syria and other Arab governments and is seen as the
start of a gradual process to resolve the crisis in Syria.
The Crisis in Syria has killed nearly a half million people since March 2011 and displaced half of the
country’s pre-war population of 23 million.
A committee involving Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq will be established to help Syria
achieve overcoming refugee and drug smuggling crises, which were a result of Syria's civil war.
About:
• Arab League, also called League of Arab States (LAS), is an intergovernmental pan-Arab
organisation of all Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa.
• It was formed in Cairo, Egypt on 22nd March 1945, following the adoption of the Alexandria
Protocol in 1944.
• Currently, there are 22 Arab countries - Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria*, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
70
Arab League Summit in Jeddah adopts Jeddah Declaration

nd
The 32 Arab League Summit has been concluded in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia with the adoption of the Jeddah Declaration
This declaration focuses on fostering Arab unity and addressing
various regional challenges.
Highlights:
• The unanimous decision to readmit Syria to the Arab League
• The declaration emphasizes the need for increased pan-Arab
efforts to assist Syria in resolving its ongoing crisis
• It also proclaims the Arab League's commitment to the Arab
Peace Initiative.
Pakistan and China agree to extend CPEC to Afghanistan
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have agreed to forge closer

economic ties by extending the Beijing-backed China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan to fully exploit the
country's potential as a hub of regional connectivity.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his Chinese
counterpart Qin Gang and Taliban-appointed Acting Foreign
Minister of Afghanistan Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaki held the 5th
China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Talks.
About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Launched in 2015, CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),
launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It aims to increase Beijing's influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects.
The 3,000 km long China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) comprises highways, railways and
pipelines.
The CPEC aims to eventually link the city of Gwadar in southwest Pakistan with Xinjiang, the north-
western region of China, through a vast network of highways and railways.
The proposed project will be financed by heavily subsidized loans.
India has objected to the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sixth edition of the Indian Ocean Conference held in Dhaka, Bangladesh
• The sixth edition of the two-day International Indian Ocean

Conference started in Dhaka, Bangladesh on May 12, 2023.
• Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the
conference.
• The conference was organized by Delhi-based think tank India
Foundation in association with the Bangladesh Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
• 2023 theme -'Peace, Prosperity, and Partnership for a Resilient
Future’.
• Delegates from over 25 countries to discuss ways to
promote economic development while maintaining peace and
stability in the region.
71
About Indian Ocean Conference

• It has been launched by India Foundation along with its partners from Singapore, Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh.
• Indian Ocean Conference is a flagship consultative forum of the Indian Ocean countries to deliberate
upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in Region (SAGAR).
• The first edition of the Indian Ocean conference was held in Singapore in 2016 and fifth in 2021 in
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Que: Which US Company purchased resources of First Republic Bank?

Ans: JP Morgan Chase & Co.
The assets of First Republic Bank have been bought by American

multinational company JP Morgan Chase & Co.
The US financial regulators seized First Republic Bank, a California-
based financial institution.
The deal has been made to save the economic turbulences.
The Washington Declaration

• Recently, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the United
States on the 70th anniversary of bilateral relationship of the U.S.-
Republic of Korea.
• The President of South Korea and the US President recently signed
the Washington Declaration
• The declaration outlines the cooperation towards nuclear
deterrence.
• Purpose: Protect the Korean Peninsula from a nuclear attack.
According to the declaration:

• A US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine would be
deployed in the Korean peninsula;
• a joint Nuclear Consultative Group will be created to share
tactical intelligence, conduct joint training, and coordinate
military reactions in the case of potentially hostile moves by
North Korea.
• The declaration reaffirmed the non-proliferation Treaty implying that South Korea would not
venture into the creation of its own independent nuclear capabilities and would instead focus on
deterrence measures through an alliance-based approach.
• It also mandates the US President as the only ‘sole authority’ to use the nuclear arsenal of the US
in the event of a nuclear confrontation.
What is Policy of non-proliferation?
• The United States has a long-standing policy of non-proliferation, which means that it seeks to
prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to countries that do not currently possess them.
72
Cyclone Fabien over Indian Ocean
Que:Which country’s police has recently launched a traffic campaign, “stay in your lane” to curb road
lane violations?
Ans: UAE
UAE’s Sharjah Police launched a traffic campaign, “stay in your lane” in May to curb road lane violations.
Capital – Abu Dhabi
Currency – Dirham
President – Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Prime Minister – Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Official language -Arabic
Laos will host ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024
The annual ASEAN Tourism Forum will be hosted by Laos in January

2024.
The theme of the forum will be "Quality and Responsible Tourism --
Sustaining ASEAN Future".
Previously, Laos hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2004 and 2013.
The Lao government is working to promote the country’s potential as a
nature-based tourism destination.
UK announces sanctions on Russian diamonds and metals ahead of the G7 meeting in Japan
The United Kingdom has announced sanctions on the military-

industrial complex and metals as well as Russian diamonds in a new
round of sanctions ahead of the G7 meeting in Japan.
The ban specifically covers imports of copper, aluminium and nickel
of Russian origin.
About G7:
It is an intergovernmental political forum.
It consists of seven member states: Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Formation - 25 March 1973
73
Rasht-Astara Railway:
Russia and Iran have signed a deal to build an Iranian railway line,
the Rasht-Astara railway as part of an International North–South
Transport Corridor (INSTC).
The Rasht-Astara railway is seen as an important link in the
corridor, intended to connect India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and
other countries via railways and sea – a route that Russia says can
rival the Suez Canal as a major global trade route.
Rash Astra Railway is a 162-kilometer railway that will connect the
city of Rasht (Iran) near the Caspian Sea, to Astara (Azerbaijan) on
the border with Azerbaijan.
The new connection will save four days off that traveling time
frame.
The railway along the Caspian Sea coast would help to connect
Russian ports on the Baltic Sea with Iranian ports in the Indian Ocean
and the Gulf.
What is the International North–South Transport Corridor?
• It is a 7,200-kilometer Multi-Mode Transit System that
connects ship, rail, and road routes for moving cargo
between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia,
and Europe.
th
• It was launched on 12 September 2000 in St.
Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India for the purpose of
promoting transportation cooperation among the
Member States.
• Since then, International North–South Transport
Corridor (INSTC) membership has expanded to include
10 more countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Syria, Belarus,
and Oman.
• Bulgaria has been included as an observer state. The
Baltic countries like Latvia and Estonia have also
expressed willingness to join.
Next five years expected to be hottest on record: UN
The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned

that the next five years will be the warmest period on record due to the
combined effects of El Niño and greenhouse gases.
WMO predicts a 98 percent chance of setting new heat records in at least
one of the next five years.
The hottest eight years ever recorded were all between 2015 and 2022 -- but
temperatures are forecast to increase further as climate change accelerates.
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to "well below" two
degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The global average temperature in 2022 was 1.15°C higher than the average
measured between 1850 and 1900.
74
El Niño is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern
equatorial Pacific Ocean. Trade winds and atmosphere are also impacted by El Niño.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
It is a specialised agency of the United Nations
It supports research and development in atmospheric science, which includes the study of Earth's
atmosphere and its properties.
WMO focuses on understanding long-term weather patterns and climate variability.
Formation - 23 March 1950
Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland
WMO Secretary General - Peteri Talas
UNEP suggests measures to reduce 80% of world’s plastic pollution by 2040
According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s “Turning Off

The Tap” report, Plastic pollution across the world can see a reduction of up to
80 percent by 2040 if companies and countries make policy and market shifts
using existing technologies.
Plastic pollution undermines marine ecosystems and contaminates oceans.
The presence of microplastics – tiny fragments resulting from the disposal and
breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste – are increasingly found
in the human food chain.
According to the report, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute while up to five trillion
plastic bags are used worldwide every year.
About 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated every year.
To reduce the problem of unnecessary plastics, the report suggests tackling the problem with the
approach of ‘reuse, recycle and reorient and diversify products.’
2025 to be observed as 'special tourism year' in Nepal
The decade of the 2080s of Bikram Samvat will be marked as 'the Visit Nepal
decade' and 2025 as the special year for tourism
This was announced by the President of Nepal Ram Chandra Paudel
President announced that a special honor called the ‘Samarmatha Special
Honour’ will be conferred on foreign nationals who contribute to promoting
Nepal’s cultural values. This effort will be undertaken in partnership with
the private sector.
SpaceX sends Saudi astronauts, including first Arab woman, to ISS
Saudi Arabia’s Rayyanah Barnawi has made history as the first Arab
woman astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS)
as part of the private Ax-2 mission.
The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) crew took off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
75
Que:A 5,000-year-old tree named Patagonian cypress has been officially recognized as the world’s
oldest. It is located in which country?
Ans: Chile
• The tree is located in the Alerce Costero National Park and is

nicknamed “Great Grandfather.”
• 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.
• Chile Capital- Santiago; Currency – Peso
Ireland become first country to introduce health warnings on alcohol
Ireland is the first country in the European Union (EU) to ensure that, from
2026, all alcohol products will have comprehensive labelling about health
risks from consumption, including warnings about the risks of developing
cancers.
About Republic of Ireland
Currency – Euro
Capital – Dublin
President – Michael D. Higgins
Que:Which country has banned domestic flights on short routes that can be covered by train?
Ans: France
France has banned domestic flights on short routes that can be

covered by train in less than two-and-a-half hours — a move aimed
at reducing airline emissions. By doing so, the country plans to
reduce its emissions by 40 per cent in 2030.
Short news
• Dubai set goals for Zero-Emissions Public Transportation by 2050

• The UAE government launched the 'Machines Can See 2023' summit in Dubai, one of the first
international conferences in Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the region.
• India and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance industrial
research and development cooperation in high-tech areas such as AI, quantum,
semiconductors, healthcare, aerospace, sustainable energy and agriculture.
76
Sports
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz wins Madrid Open 2023
Spanish tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz defended his title at Madrid
Open 2023 and won his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the year and his
tenth overall.
In the final, he defeated Jan-Lennard Struff (German)
While Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus has clinched the Women's
singles title at Madrid Open 2023, defeating Iga Swaitek.
Daniil Medvedev wins Italian Open 2023

Daniil Medvedev (from Russia) has clinched his maiden Italian Open
2023 title, after beating Holger Rune (Denmark).
Women's Single Title:
Elena Andreyevna Rybakina (Kazakhstani) after defeating Anhelina
Kalinina
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes Forbes' highest-paid athlete for 2023

According to Forbes, Football player Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) has
become the highest-paid athlete in the world for 2023, after moving to
Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr.
He has signed a £175 million-a-year contract with Al-Nassr, which will
expire in 2025.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) ranked second with an earning of $130 million.
th
Barcelona claimed its 27 LaLiga title and first for four years.
• They defeated Espanyol
• LaLiga is the first-division football league that is played in Spain
Ding Liren becomes China's first male world chess champion
Ding Liren has become China's first male world chess champion at
Astana, Kazakhstan.
He succeeded Norway’s Magnus Carlsen as the winner of the World
Chess Championship
His victory makes him the 17th winner of the world chess tournament.
In 2009, he became China's youngest chess champion at national level.
Vantika Agrawal becomes 11th Indian women to achieve International Master title in Chess
She received the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title in 2021
77
Telangana's Prraneeth Vuppala becomes 82nd Grandmaster of India
Prraneeth Vuppala (16) is from Telangana

He achieved the required 2,500 FIDE rating points during the Baku
Open tournament.
Prraneeth is now the sixth Grandmaster from the State of
Telangana.
Dubai to host the inaugural edition of the Global Chess League
From June 21 to July 2, 2023.

The world's largest and first franchise-based chess league will be held in
Dubai in association with Dubai Sports Council
It will feature six teams with six players each, including a minimum of two
female players and one icon player per team.
GCL is a joint venture of FIDE and Tech Mahindra
Magnus Carlsen won Superbet Rapid and Blitz Poland 2023
Norwegian chess GM, Magnus Carlsen has won the Superbet Rapid
and Blitz Poland 2023,
Held in Warsaw, Poland.
Mark Nicholls appointed new president of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)
Former England cricketer and veteran commentator Mark Nicholls

has been elected as the next President of the Marylebone Cricket
Club (MCC).
Nicholas will replace current president Stephen Fry and will assume
responsibilities in October this year.
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC):

• It is a cricket club which was established in 1787.
• MCC is one of the oldest and most prestigious cricket clubs in
the world.
• Since 1814, the MCC has been based at the Lord's Cricket
Ground in St John's Wood, London.
• Founder - Thomas Lord
BCCI ropes in Adidas as new kit sponsor of Indian cricket team
Replacing interim sponsor Kewal Kiran Clothing Limited.

Adidas is a German multinational corporation & is the largest
sportswear manufacturer globally
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
Established -December 1928
President - Roger Binny
78
Chennai Super Kings beat Gujarat Titans to win fifth IPL title
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated defending champions Gujarat

th
Titans by 5 wickets to win its 5 IPL title.
The final held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on
May 29, 2023.
IPL 2023 awards:
• Orange Cap (Highest Run-Scorer): Shubman Gill (GT) 890 runs
• Purple Cap (Leading Wicket-taker): Mohammed Shami (GT) 28
wickets
• Most Valuable Player: Shubman Gill
• Emerging Players: Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Fairplay Award: Delhi Capital
Satwik-Chirag pair wins gold medal at Badminton Asia Championships

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty created history by becoming the
first-ever Indian men’s doubles pair to win gold medal at the Badminton
Asia Championships.
They beat Malaysian pair in the final in Dubai.
Overall, this is India’s second gold medal at the event. Dinesh Khanna won
the men’s singles gold in Lucknow in 1965
India's ace shuttler HS Prannoy won Malaysia Masters Badminton

Championship 2023 title
Played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Prannoy won the final by defeating China's Wang Hongyang .
Prannoy became the third Indian after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu to
win the Malaysia Masters Championship.
Also became the first Indian to win in the men's singles category.
Women's singles: Akane Yamaguchi
With Prannoy, India has won the championship 4 times.

Gold came in Men's Singles for the first time & earlier India
has won gold three times in women's singles.
PV Sindhu twice and Saina Nehwal once won the
championship.
Men’s World Boxing Championships 2023: India finished with 3 Bronze Medals
2023 IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships held in

Tashkent, Uzbekistan from April 30 to May 14, 2023.
India finished with three bronze medals - Deepak Bhoria (48-
51kg), Mohammed Hussamuddin (54-57kg) and Nishant Dev
(67-71kg)
79
Asian Weightlifting Championships 2023
Indian weightlifters finished the Asian Weightlifting Championships

2023 in Jinju, South Korea, with three silver medals.
Medal winners of India:
Bindiarani Devi (Women's 55kg) - Silver Medal in Overall (Combining
Clean & Jerk and Snatch)
Bindiarani Devi (Women's 55kg) - Silver Medal in Clean and Jerk
Jeremy Lalrinnunga (Men's 67kg) - Silver medal in snatch
Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Ganemat Sekhon win gold in ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2023
The Indian shooters, Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Ganemat Sekhon

won gold medal in the ISSF World Cup Shotgun 2023, held in
Cairo, Egypt.
ISSF World Cup 2023

ISSF World Cup 2023 for rifle and pistol shooters held in Baku,
Azerbaijan.
Indian shooters, Hriday Hazarika and Nancy Mandhotra have
bagged silver medals in the men’s and women’s 10-meter air rifle
events
In the 10m air pistol mixed team, Sarabjot Singh and Divya TS won
gold.
Rhythm Sangwan secured a bronze medal in the women's 25m
pistol event.
In the overall medals tally, India finished its campaign second
behind China
Luca Brecel wins World Snooker Championship 2023
Belgium’s Luca Brecel has become the first European player to win 2023 World Snooker
Championship.
The tournament was held in Sheffield, England
Indian Snooker Players:

PANKAJ ADVANI
VIDYA PILLAI
ADITYA MEHTA
LUCKY VATNANI
SOURAV KOTHARI
80
Que:The Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 is scheduled to be held in which country from June 27 to 30?
Ans: South Korea
• The Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 is scheduled to be held in Busan, South Korea from
June 27 to 30.
• The last edition was held in Gorgan, Iran in 2017.
• India is the defending champions having beaten Pakistan in the final in 2017.
• In the women’s category, too, India are the defending champions. They defeated South Korea
in the final in 2017.
• Capital – Seoul
• Currency – South Korean Won
• President – Yoon Seok-youl
Nepali sherpa becomes world's second person to scale Everest 26 times
Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who is also known as Pa Dawa, scaled

Mount Everest on May 14, 2023, and become the world's
second person to scale Everest 26 times.
Kami Rita Sherpa was the first person who climbed Mount
Everest 26 times.
• In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became
the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount
Everest
• Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman to climb
Mount Everest in 1984.
• Santosh Yadav is the first Indian woman to climb
Everest twice in a row.
Neeraj Chopra clinches Doha Diamond League title
India's Neeraj Chopra won the javelin throw title at the

Diamond League in Doha.
Last year, Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian athlete to
be crowned Diamond League champion
First Indian To Complete The Golden Globe Race
Commander Abhilash Tomy (retd.) created history as the first Indian to

complete the Golden Globe Race, in his sail boat named Bayanat.
South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer scripted maritime history as
the first women to win the race
The historic race is conducted by the U.K.’s Sir Robin Knox Johnston, to
commemorate the world’s first solo non-stop circumnavigation
undertaken by him in 1968, onboard the Indian-built boat Suhaili.
16 sailors from 11 countries depart from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France
81
Sports Minister launches logo, mascot of Khelo India University Games 2022
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur launched the Logo,
jersey, mascot, torch and anthem of the Khelo India University Games 2022
(KIUG 2022) in Lucknow 5th May.
The 3rd edition of the Khelo India University Games will take place from May 23
to June 3.
‘Jitu’ the Barasingha, the exotic vibrant state animal was launched by UP Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath
‘Shakti’, the official torch of the Khelo India University Games
The 12-day-long KIUG UP 2022 will be held in the cities of Varanasi, Noida and Gorakhpur, besides the
state capital of Lucknow with Delhi’s Dr. Karni Singh Shooting range hosting the Shooting competition.
About Khelo India
It aims to revive the sporting culture of India by connecting with children at the grassroots level.
Under this, Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), Khelo India University Games (KIUG) and Khelo India Winter
Games were established as annual national sports competitions.
The initiative started with the Khelo India School Games in 2018 held in New Delhi.
Praveen Chithravel sets national record in triple jump in Cuba
Indian triple jumper Praveen Chithravel won the men’s triple jump event at
an athletics meet in Havana, Cuba with a national record-breaking mark of
17.37m.
The previous men’s triple jump national record of 17.30m was set by
Renjith Maheswary at the third Indian Grand Prix in Bangalore in 2016.
th
Gatka Martial Art to feature in 37 National Games
Gatka is a Punjab-based martial art

Gatka is a style of martial art where wooden sticks, measuring 3-3.5 feet, are
used along with shields made of dry leather for the safety of the rivals.
2023 National Games, scheduled to be held in Goa in October.
Harjeet Singh Grewal, the President of the National Gatka Association of India
(NGAI)
Annu Rani clinched gold medal in Federation Cup 2023
Olympian Annu Rani bagged the gold medal in the javelin throwing
Federation Cup 2023 athletics event at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi.
She also qualified for the Asian Athletics Championships, scheduled for July
in Bangkok, Thailand.
82
Neeraj Chopra becomes World Number 1 in Men's Javelin Throw rankings
As per the latest rankings released by World Athletics, Olympic champion Neeraj
Chopra has become the new world number one in the men’s javelin throw with 1455
points.
Anderson Peters from Grenada ranked second.
Neeraj Chopra also became the first Indian to win a gold medal in a track and field
event at the Tokyo Olympics.
In 2023, he won the Diamond League in Doha with a world-leading effort of 88.67m.
Murali Sreeshankar wins gold at International Jumping Meeting, Greece
India’s long jumper, Murali Sreeshankar has successfully defended his title in
the men’s long jump event at the 13th International Jumping Meeting 2023
in Kallithea, Greece.
India clinches title of CAVA Women’s Challenge Cup 2023
India has won the title of the NSC-CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup held
in Kathmandu, Nepal.
India won the title by defeating Kazakhstan .
India remained undefeated in the entire competition.
The tournament was organised by the Nepal Volleyball Association.
Eight countries participated in the competition.
Max Verstappen has won the Miami Formula One Grand Prix title.
Max Verstappen is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver currently competing in Formula One with Red Bull Racing.
Previous Race Winner
Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 Max Verstappen
Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023 Sergio Pérez
Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023 Sergio Pérez
Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen
Short news
• Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023, won by Sergio Perez (Mexican motorsports racing driver)
• Indian Men's team has surpassed Australia to become the number one Test team in
the latest rankings released by ICC.
83
Ranking & Index News

ODF Plus Ranking Report
Wayanad district in Kerala has become the first district in the country to be declared ODF (open
defecation-free) Plus.
The ODF programme is part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, which was launched on October 2, 2014, to
achieve cleanliness and sanitation across the country.
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is a national effort launched by the Government of India in 2014 to
eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management. It is a reformed version of the Nirmal
Bharat Abhiyan, which was started in 2009.
• The top performing states in terms of percentage of ODF Plus villages are - Telangana (100%),
Karnataka (99.5%), Tamil Nadu (97.8%) & Uttar Pradesh (95.2%) among the big states and Goa
(95.3%) and Sikkim (69.2%) among small states, are the top performer.
• Among UTs – Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Havelli & Daman Diu and Lakshadweep have
100% ODF Plus Model villages.
• An ODF Plus village is one which has sustained its Open Defecation Free (ODF) status along with
implementing either solid or liquid waste management systems.
Karnataka Ranked The Most ‘Innovative’ State By The National Manufacturing Innovation Survey
Recently, the National Manufacturing Innovation Survey 2021-22 was released by

the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
The survey found that Karnataka, overall, is the most “innovative” State, followed by
Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.
Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu had the highest share of innovative firms at
46.18% ,39.10% and 31.90%, respectively
Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand reporting the lowest share of such firms at 12.78%,
13.47% and 13.71%, respectively.
The latest survey is a follow-up to DST’s first National Innovation Survey held in 2011.
Survey Report on ‘Data Governance Quality Index’
Data Governance Quality Index for 2022-2023 Q3, conducted by

Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) under NITI Aayog.
This survey conducted by DMEO, NITI Ayog to assess different Ministries
/Departments' performance on the implementation of Central Sector
Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS)
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has secured the second
position among 66 ministries.
The Ministry has achieved an impressive score of 4.7 out of 5.
The DGQI assessment covers six key areas, which are Data Generation,
Data Quality, Technology Utilization, Data Analysis, Utilization and
Distribution, Data Security and HR Capability, and Case Studies.
84
NITI Aayog’s Annual Health Index 2020-21:

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana emerged as the top performers among the ‘larger
states’ in the NITI Aayog’s annual ‘health index’ for the Covid year of 2020-21.
NITI Aayog’s Annual Health Index:
In 2017, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) in collaboration
with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the World Bank initiated
an annual Health Index for tracking Overall Performance and Incremental
Performance across all states and Union Territories (UTs).
Based on Overall Performance:

Larger States:
Among the 19 ‘larger states’, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have occupied first, second and third place
respectively, in terms of overall performance.
Bihar (19th), Uttar Pradesh (18th) and Madhya Pradesh (17th) are at the bottom of the list.
Smaller States:
Among the eight smaller states, Tripura has recorded the best overall performance, followed by Sikkim
and Goa;
Arunachal Pradesh (6th), Nagaland (7th) and Manipur (8th) are at the bottom.
Union Territories(UT):
And among the eight UTs, Lakshadweep has been ranked as the top performer in terms of overall
performance, while Delhi ranked at the bottom.
Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Odisha emerged as the top three performers in 2020-21, as compared to their
performance in 2019-20.
Performance Indicators:
Iindicators like neonatal mortality rate, total fertility rate, sex ratio at birth, immunization
coverage, proportion of institutional deliveries, total case notification rate of tuberculosis Measure of
health infrastructure available, including the proportion of functional 24X7 primary healthcare centers
Proportion of institutional deliveries, average occupancy (in months) of three key posts at state level,
average occupancy (in months) of the chief medical officer
World Press Freedom Index 2023
Released by global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, India’s

ranking in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index has slipped to 161 out of
st
180 countries (21 Edition).
In 2022, India was ranked at 150.
Norway is ranked first for the seventh consecutive year, followed by
Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland
Last three: North Korea (180th), China, and Vietnam
It is based on five indicators-Political, Economic, Legal Framework,
Sociocultural, and Safety
APAC to overtake US, become world’s top fintech market by 2030
According to a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and QED

Investors, Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is set to overtake the United States as
the world's largest financial technology (fintech) market by 2030.
Report title: Global Fintech 2023: Reimagining the Future of Finance
The growth will be driven by emerging APAC countries such as China, India,
and Indonesia.
85
India among top 5 countries where babies are born pre-term: UN Report
Report title: Born Too Soon: Decade of Action on Pre-term Birth
It is jointly produced by the WHO, UNICEF, and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn
& Child Health (PMNCH).
According to a report released by the UN, an estimated 13.4 million babies were
born pre-term (babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy) in 2020
Preterm birth is the single largest killer of children under 5 years of age, accounting
for more than one in three of all neonatal deaths (first month of life)
• 45% of them being born in just five countries, including India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China, and
Ethiopia.
• The global pre-term birth rate increased to 9.9% in 2020, compared to 9.8% in 2010.
• This indicates a “silent emergency” for children’s survival and health.
Mumbai Ranks Sixth in Annual Housing Price Growth Among Global Cities
th
Mumbai ranks 6 among 46 cities globally in terms of annual price growth
of high-end residential properties
According to real estate consultant Knight Frank India report 'Prime
Global Cities Index Q1 2023’, Mumbai had an appreciation of 5.5% in
January-March 2023.
Dubai clinched the top position globally with an increase of 44.2 % in
prime residential properties values.
Financial Times global ranking puts IIMK among top four schools in India
According to the Financial Times Ranking 2023, IIM Kozhikode has been placed
among the top 4 schools in India and among the top 75 schools worldwide for
its Open Enrolment Executive Education Programme.
IIM Kozhikode has been ranked 72 among the top 75 providers of open-
enrolment executive programs globally.
While IIM Ahmedabad ranked 45, IIM Bangalore at 47, and Indian School of
Business at 65.
Topped by: Iese Business School, Spain, followed by HEC Paris.
86
India's AI supercomputer 'AIRAWAT' ranked 75th in Global Supercomputing list

The AI Supercomputer ‘AIRAWAT’, installed at Center for Development of
Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune has been ranked 75th in the top 500
Global Supercomputing List.
The announcement was made during the 61st edition of the International
Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2023) held in Germany.
It has the potential to revolutionize various sectors, including weather
forecasting, drug discovery, climate modelling, and artificial intelligence
research.
AIRAWAT's manufacturer is Netweb Technologies.
Airawat PSAI, stands as India’s largest and fastest AI supercomputing
system, with a remarkable speed of 13,170 teraflops.
There are three other supercomputers in the top 500 list:

• PARAM Siddhi-AI supercomputer ranked at No. 131 –installed at C-DAC, Pune.
• Pratyush supercomputer ranked at No. 169 – installed at the Indian Institute of Tropical
Meteorology.
• Mihir supercomputer at No. 316 – installed at National Centre for Medium Range Weather
Forecasting
National Supercomputing Mission
• Launched In 2015.
• Aim - to enhance the research capacities in the country to form a Supercomputing grid.
• It supports the government's vision of 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' initiatives.
• The mission is being jointly operated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It is implemented by Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and IISc,
Bengaluru.
Some important facts about supercomputer:
• China has the maximum number of supercomputers followed by the US, Japan, France, Germany,
Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
• C-DAC build India’s first indigenously built supercomputer Param 8000 in 1991.
• PARAM Shakti, PARAM Brahma, PARAM Yukti, PARAM Sanganak are some name of india's
supercomputers.
• Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
The Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI) 2022: India ranked 103
st
Among the 157 countries analyzed, Zimbabwe has been ranked 1
‘most miserable country’ in the Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI)
2022.
Most miserable country: Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan.
rd
India is placed at the 103 spot, with unemployment identified as the
primary contributing factor to the country’s relative level of misery.
Grappling with economic and political challenges, Pakistan secured the
35th position on the list of the world’s most miserable countries.
87
Switzerland emerged as the least miserable, occupying the top position (157) on the list.
Other countries with the least misery levels include Kuwait (156), Ireland (155), Japan (154), Malaysia (153),
Taiwan (152).
Finland, constantly ranked as the world’s happiest country for six consecutive years according to the World
Happiness Report, secured the 109th position on the misery index.
The index is the sum of the year-end unemployment, inflation, and bank-lending rates, minus the annual
percentage change in real GDP per capita.
Tata Group in the Top 50 innovative companies by BCG
Tata Group is the only Indian company to feature in the Top 50 innovative companies 2023 list,
released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
th
Tata Group was ranked 20
Top 5: Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft
88

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Date Day Theme/Remark

15 -21 7th UN Global Road 2023 slogan: #RethinkMobility

23-May World Turtle Day 2023 theme: I love Turtles

31-May World No Tobacco Theme 2023 - “Grow food, not tobacco”

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What was the theme of World Athletics Day 2023?

Books And Authors

A book titled “MADE IN INDIA: 75 Years of Business and Enterprise” by Amitabh

Hindi version of Uttarakhand DGP's book 'Cyber Encounters' released

Ruskin Bond wrote a new book titled 'The Golden Years’

‘Supreme Court on Commercial Arbitration’ book By Dr. Manoj Kumar Released

Assam Governor releases book ‘Partitioned Freedom’

Dr Vijay Darda’s new book ‘RINGSIDE’ released by Shashi Tharoor

Sourav Ganguly appointed brand ambassador of Tripura tourism

Maharashtra govt names Sachin Tendulkar as 'Smile Ambassador’

Siddaramaiah took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka, D K Shivakumar

Arjun Ram Meghwal replaced Kiren Rijiju as Law Minister

Ajay Banga appointed as new President of World Bank

About World Bank:

Debadatta Chand appointed as new Chief of BoB

Karnataka Bank appoints Srikrishnan Harihara Sarma as MD and CEO.

Jayakumar S. Pillai appointed as Deputy MD of IDBI Bank

RBI approved the reappointment of Vijay Shekhar as part-time Chairman

Manoj Soni took oath as UPSC chairman

Govt appoints Ravneet Kaur as CCI Chairperson

R Dinesh Appointed as CII President for 2023-24

Praveen Kumar Srivastava sworn in as Central Vigilance Commissioner

KV Viswanathan, Prashant Mishra took oath as Supreme Court judges

Justice M S Ramachandra Rao sworn in as 28th CJ of Himachal High Court

Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala sworn-in as Chief Justice of Madras High Court

PM Prasad to be next Coal India chief

Parminder Chopra to be the first woman CMD of Power Finance Corporation

Govt appoints Anil Kumar Jain as new PNGRB Chairman

IPS Officer Praveen Sood appointed as next Director of CBI

Rathendra Raman new Chairman of Kolkata Port

SN Subrahmanyan appointed as Chairman and MD of L&T

Accenture appoints Ajay Vij as India MD, Rekha Menon to retire

The founder of start-up Dream11, Harsh Jain elected IAMAI

Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Advisory Committee of COP28

Angshumali Rastogi India’s representative to ICAO

R N Jayaprakash re-elected as President of Swimming Federation

Shirgaonkar re-elected as India Taekwondo Chief

Goa writer Damodar Mauzo conferred with 57th Jnanpith Award

Three jailed Iranian women journalists win UN Press Freedom Prizes

Socialist Pandit Ramkishan Becomes Man of the Century at 97

Tata Chairman N Chandrasekaran honored with France’s Highest Civilian Award

Best Actor (Male):

Kamal Haasan felicitated with Outstanding Achievement at IIFA 2023

Meera Syal Receives the BAFTA Fellowship

TDB/DST conferred National Technology Awards 2023

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) recognised as World’s No.1 Public Business

Shri Ramcharitmanas became the longest song in the world

Three Indian peacekeepers honoured with Dag Hammarskjold Medal

FICCI presents award to Mumbai's ‘BEST’ for excellence in smart mobility

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has

Noted scientist and orator, Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan passes away at 68

Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Tori Bowie passes away at 32

Que: Legendary footballer Antonio Carbajal passed away recently, he

Renowned Bengali author Samaresh Majumdar passes away

May'23 CA Consolidated - A4

May'23 CA Consolidated - A4