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Current Affairs                                 2^nd May, 2024

Appointments

• Maushumi Chakravarty has been appointed as the Director of Akashvani News. She replaced Ms. Vasudha Gupta after the latter’s superannuation.
• Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.
• Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor has been appointed as the Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the Training Command, Bengaluru.
  • There are seven Command Headquarters of the Indian Air Force:
    • Eastern Air Command – Shillong, Meghalaya.
    • Western Air Command – New Delhi.
    • Central Air Command – Prayagraj, UP.
    • South Western Air Command – Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
    • Southern Air Command – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
    • Maintenance Command – Nagpur, Maharashtra.
    • Training Command – Bengaluru, Karnataka.

National News

• India is going to host the 46^th Atlantic Treaty Consultative Meeting and 26^th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental protection (CEP 26) from May 20, in Kochi, Kerala. The Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India will host the event through National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).
  • Antarctic Treaty :
    • The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth’s only continent without a native human population. It was the first arms control agreement established during the Cold War, in 1959, designating the continent as a scientific preserve, establishing freedom of scientific investigation, and banning military activity; for the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all the land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude.
    • Since September 2004, the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, which implements the treaty system, is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • The CEP was established under the Madrid Protocol of environment protection in 1991.
  • National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR):
    • It is the autonomous nodal research conducting body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences in the polar regions of Arctic and the Antarctic, the Himalayas and the Southern Ocean.
    • Headquarters: Vasco Da Gama, Goa.
  • India is part of the Antarctic Treaty since 1983. The first Indian research station in Antarctica – Dakshin Gangotri was established in 1983.
  • At present there are two operational research stations in the region- Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012).

Sports

• Guwahati is going to host the 2025 BWF World Junior Championship. Earlier the first BWF World Junior Championship in India was hosted in Pune in 2008, that saw the rise of a new badminton prodigy Saina Nehwal.
  • The 2026 BWF Thomas Cup and Uber Cup finals will be played in Denmark.
  • BWF President: Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.
• BCCI has announced the squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup that will be played in USA and West Indies.
  • The chairman of the selection committee was Mr Ajit Agarkar.
  • Captain and Vice-Captain of the Squad: Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya.
  • Wicket Keeper: Risabh Pant
  • The squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Risabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzuvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel.
  • Reserves: Subhman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.

Science and Technology & Environment

• Researchers have discovered the deepest blue hole in the world – the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole (1380 ft) – in Chetumal Bay at the Southeast corner of the Yutacan Peninsula of Mexico.
  • Blue hole:
    • It is type of underwater sinkhole or vertical cave commonly found in low-lying coastal karst regions. They form through the dissolution of limestone or other carbonate rock by slightly acidic groundwater over an extended period. They are hugely enriched in marine flora and fauna.
• Paleontologists have discovered the existence of a new species of a herbivore dinosaur – Chakisaurus nekul –  90 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period in present day Patagonia’s Pueblo Blanco Natural Reserve.
  • The dinosaur was 70 cm high and 2.5 meters long, and it was a speedy runner.

International News

• AstraZeneca, the Global Vaccine manufacturer which developed a Covid-19 Vaccine with the help of the researchers from the Oxford University, has admitted that the vaccine can cause a rare side effect of blood clotting and low platelet count after immunization – Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).
  • The same vaccine was administered and manufactured in India under the name ‘Covishield’ by the Serum Institute of India to 175 cr doses.
  • But the researchers have reaffirmed that TTS is a very rare side effect and it is even rarer in India and South Asia compared to that of in Europe.
• According to the latest report of the IQAir, Kathmandu has topped the list of the cities with most unhealthy air in the world.
  • Top 5 cities: Kathmandu> New Delhi > Chiang Mai, Thailand, > Hanoi, Vietnam > Bangkok, Thailand > Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Zimbabwe has launched its new (6^th) currency – ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) – since the 2009 historical collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar. ZiG is backed by the gold reserves of the country.
  • Zimbabwe:
    • The Republic of Zimbabwe is landlocked country in the Southern Africa between the Zambezi and the Limpopo Rivers. It shares its boundaries with Mozambique, Zmabia, Botswana and Namibia and South Africa.
    • Capital: Harare.
    • President : Emerson Mnangagwa.

Current Affairs                          3^rd May, 2024

Day

• 3^rd May was observed as the “World Press Freedom Day”.
  • Theme 2024: “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the environmental crisis”.

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Appointment

• Pratima Singh has been appointed as the Director in DPIIT (Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

National News

• Air India has started the operations of its brand new Airbus A350-900 aircraft on the Delhi-Dubai route. With this, it has also become the only carrier to operate the A350 b/w India and Dubai.

Defence

• DRDO has successfully conducted the test-flight of the ‘SMART’ anti-Submarine missile system from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
  • SMART – Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo – is a next gen missile based light weight torpedo delivery system that was developed and designed by DRDO with an aim to enhance the anti-submarine Warfare capability of the Indian Navy. The missile was launched from the ground mobile launcher.

Sports

• FIDE (International Chess Federation) has officially awarded the title of Grandmaster to the Indian Chess Prodigy Vaishali Ramesh Babu, the sister of GM R. Pragganandha.
  • Thus Vaishali Ramesh Babu has become the third Indian female grandmaster after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavali.
  • Vaishali Ramesh Babu, the 84^th GM of India was awarded with the Arjuna Award recently. Along with his Brother R Pragganandha, they have become the first Grand Master Brother-Sister duo in the world.

Banking and Finance

• National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has signed a pact with the Bank of Namibia (BoN) for the purpose of developing a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for Namibia. It will enhance Person-to-person (P2P) and Person-to-Merchant (P2M) digital financial services in the country.

Science and Technology

• China is going to launch its robotic spacecraft Chang’e-6, that will make an attempt of landing on the north-eastern side of the lunar south pole’s Atikin Basin, the oldest impact crater in the solar system.
  • Pakistan is going to send its ICUBE-QAMAR CubeSat miniature satellite onboard Chang’e-6. The device will capture images of the moon’s surface.
• Oldest evidence of the Earth’s Magnetic Field has been found in the rocks of Greenland. Geologists from MIT and Oxford University, examining the rock samples collected from the Isua Supracrustal Belt, in Greenland, has said that the rocks bear the earliest remnants of Earth’s early magnetic field about 3.7 billion years old with a magnitude of 15 microtesla.
  • This finding indicates the possibility of the existence of life on the earth surface in times older than 3.5 billion years. This is because the magnetic field protects the planet from harmful solar and cosmic radiation, sustains the atmosphere and liquid water supporting life.
  • The current magnitude of the Earth’s magnetic field is around 30 microtesla.

Current Affairs                          4^th May, 2024

Day

• 3^rd May was celebrated as the International Leopard Day to raise awareness and support for the conservation of Leopard.
  • Leopard scientific name: Panthera pardus
• 4^th May is observed as the ‘Coal Miners’ Day’ to acknowledge the risky contribution of the coal miners. It was on this day in 1907, that the first underground coal mine was inaugurated at Raniganj, West Bengal in 1907.
  • The first coal mine was set up in Scotland in 1575.
• 4^th May is also celebrated as the International Fire Fighters’ Day in the honor of the firefighters who risk their life every day to protect the people in danger. Also it is an occasion of remembering the firefighters who lost their lives in the profession while in service.

Award

• A wild life biologist from Assam, Purnima Devi Barman has been honored with the ‘Whitley Gold Award 2024’, which is also famed as the ‘Green Oscar’, for her tremendous efforts and achievements in conserving the endangered greater adjutant or Hargila.
  • Hargila of the Greater Adjutant Storks are one of the rarest storks of the world. They inhabit only three places in the world – one in Cambodia and two in India (Bihar and Assam).
    • IUCN Red list status: Endangered
    • Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule IV
  • The population of the bird in the wetlands of the North-East had dropped to around 450 and the efforts of Purnima Devi Barman’s Hargila Army, the population has increased to over 1800.
  • Purnima Devi Barman received the award from the charity patron of the Whitley Gold Awards, Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III.
• Along with George Lucas, Holywood Actress Meryl Streep is going to be awarded the honorary Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, opening on May 14.

Appointments

• Hitesh Sethia has been appointed as the MD and CEO of the Jio Financial Services for three years.

National News

• India’s first constitution park was inaugurated in Pune. It was built by the Indian Army and the Punit Balan Group with an objective to propel India towards development by 2047 by appealing every citizen to honor the duties outlined in the constitution.
  • The Indian Constitution, which is mainly based on the Government of India Act, 1935, is the lengthiest constitution of the world that took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days to be built.
  • It was originally hand written in Hindi and English by Prem Bihari Narain Raizada, the original copy now being stored in a helium-filled case within the library of the Parliament.
• ‘Kutch Ajrakh’ textile craft from Gujarat has been given the GI tag by the Geographical Indication Registry of India.
  • It is a 400 years old cultural and traditional process of hand-block printing on treated cotton cloth – introduced by the Sindh Muslims – mostly famous in the regions of Sindh, Barmer and Kutch. The term ‘Ajrakh’ means indigo that casts a bluish effect on the cloth.
• The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih has ruled that a Hindu Marriage will not be construed as a Hindu Marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, where the marriage is not performed in accordance with the applicable rites or ceremonies such as ‘Saptapadi’.
  • The bench further said that a Hindu Marriage is not an event for “song and dance”, “wining and dining” or a commercial transaction.
  • The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955:
    • The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, applies to Hindus, including various sects, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and those domiciled in India, unless exempted by proof of non-governance by Hindu law. Applies to Hindus abroad if domiciled in India.
    • Section 5 of the Hindu Marriage Act specifies conditions for solemnizing a marriage between two Hindus, including absence of living spouse, mental capacity, age requirement, absence of prohibited relationship, and permission according to custom.
    • Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act acknowledges marriage customs. Hindu marriages can follow customary rites of either party. Rituals like Saptapadi, where the couple takes seven steps around fire, signify completion and binding.
• India has expressed its protest with China for building infrastructure in the Shaksgam Valley. The Shaksgam Valley, or Trans Karakoram Tract, is a part of the Hunza-Gilgit region of the PoK – a territory claimed by India but controlled by Pakistan on the border of the Xinjiang Province of China , to the north-west of the Siachen Glacier.
  • The region was ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963 when both the country signed a pact in order to their boundary settlement.
  • However the Article 6 of the Pak-China agreement states that “ after the settlement of the Kashmir dispute, the sovereign authority concerned will reopen negotiations with the Chinese Government on the boundary”.
  • India’s MEA Spokes-Person, Randir Jaiswal has reiterated that the Shaksgam Valley is a part of India and India will never accept the so-called China-Pakistan Pact of 1963.
  • By virtue of this agreement the foundation of the Karakoram Highway – a joint project by the Chinese and the Pakistani engineers- was laid.

Sports

• West Indian cricketer, Devon Thomas has been handed a ban of five years for the breach of anti-corruption practices by the International Cricket Council.
• Amul, the brand under the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) is going to be the official lead arm sponsor of the USA’s Cricket Team that will participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
  • MD of Amul- Jayen Mehta.
• According to the latest annual ICC Rankings, India have retained its top-spot in the ODIs and the T20Is but it has slipped to the second position in the Tests after Australia.

Current Affairs                   5^th-6^th May, 2024

Reports and Indices

• World Press Freedom Index, 2024:
  • It is an annual report released on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, 3^rd May every year, by the global media watchdog ‘Reporters Sans Frontiers’ (Reporters With-out Borders), RSF.
  • The report ranks 180 countries based on the domestic condition of the reporters, their ability to work and report freely and independently in the nation.
  • The index questionnaire covers five categories – political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context and security.
  • Rankings: Topped By – Norway followed by Denmark.
  • Bottom ranks: Eritrea is at the bottom, Syria being just ahead of it.
  • The Middle East and the Maghreb region (the western part of the Arab world – northwest and north Africa) have performed worst in terms of restrictions on press freedom by government.
  • India’s Rankings:
    • India’s ranking has improved from 161 (score 36.62) in 2023 to 159 (31.28) in 2024.
    • The reason of India’s improvement in the rankings is the worsening performance of other countries.
    • India has been ranked behind its neighbor countries like Pakistan – 152, and Sri Lanka – 150.
    • India’s score has dropped in all the categories except the security.

Awards

• UNESCO’s Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2024:
  • Palestinian Journalists doing the coverage of Gaza amidst the Israel-Hamas war, has been awarded the 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
  • This coveted award acknowledges the outstanding defence and promotion of press freedom in the face of danger. The award is named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Columbian Journalist who was killed in Bogota for his press coverage and campaign against the drug barons of Columbia in 1986.
  • UNESCO:
    • It stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
    • Objective: Contribution to global peace and security by leading multi-lateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information.
    • HQ- Paris
    • Head- DG: Audrey Azoulay.
• Along with Hollywood Actress Meryl Streep, and Director George Lucas, the upcoming Cannes Film Festival will honor an animation studio group of Japan, the Studio Ghibli , a special honorary Palme d’Or.
  • The Studio Ghibli has made brilliant animation movies such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and the recent Oscar winning- The Boy and The Heron.
  • Studio Ghibli was founded by Director Hayao Miyazaki.

National News

• Under the Project Cheetah, India is going to initiate talks with Kenya by hosting a Kenyan delegation to explore the possibility of sourcing cheetahs from Kenya for the next phase of the project.
  • This time the cheetahs will be introduced in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Under the Project Cheetah, launched in 2022, India aims to reintroduce the Cheetahs in to the wild in the country. 8 to 14 cheetahs will be inducted annually for five years, subject to availability.
  • So far, 27 cheetahs (13 adults and 14 cubs) have been introduced into the Kuno National Park, MP from Namibia and South Africa. Among them, 10 cheetahs have died so far for various reasons.
  • Cheetahs:
    • Zoological Name: Acinonyx jubatus
    • It’s the oldest of the big cat species having dated since 8.5 million years back.
    • Global number – around 7500.
    • IUCN Status: Vulnerable, but the availability of Asiatic and North-west African cheetah is critically endangered.
  • Gandhi Sagar WLS is situated on the north west MP, established in the 1974. The river Chambal flows through it.
• Uttarakhand Tourism has announced India’s first astro-tourism campaign named ‘Nakshatra Sabha’ in association with a leading astro-tourism company – Starscapes– to provide a comprehensive astro tourism service to the people.
  • It will start in June at George Everest in Mussoorie.
• Chandigarh University has become India’s first University to offer a Harvard University collaborative business management program in line with India’s New Education Policy for international academic partnerships.
  • Under this collaboration, the students of the Chandigarh University will be taught by the faculty of Harvard University’s Business School for a semester under the online MBA program. After that, they will be graded with the Harvard University students and get placements in the top global firms.
    • Chancellor of the Chandigarh University, Satnam Singh Sandhu was recently nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Defence

• Flying Wedge Defence, a Bengaluru based defence and aerospace technology firm has unveiled India’s first ever Bomber UAV named FWD-200B.
  • It has a payload capacity of 100kgs and it’s a MALE (Medium Altitude Long-endurance) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, capable of assembling optical surveillance payloads and integrated missile like weapons for precision air strikes.

International News

• Jeremiah Manele, a pro-China leader and ex-minister has been elected as the new Primme Minister of the Solomon Islands.
  • The Solomon Islands is a Melanesian country consisting 6 major and 900+ minor islands, on the North Eastern side of Australia.
  • Capital: Honiara.
• Archaeologists have uncovered a 7000 year old remnants of a pre-historic settlement near the Tamis river in Serbia.
  • The settlement is believed to be from the late Neolithic period.
  • Serbia: A landlocked country in the south-eastern Europe.
    • Capital – Belgrade
    • Currency – Serbian Dinar.

 Sports

• Mumbai City FC has defeated Mohun Bagan Super Giants in the final of the ISL to win the Indian Super League crown 2023-24 in Kolkata.
  • The awards of the tournament:
    • Golden glove – Phurba Lachenpa (Mumbai City FC)
    • Golden Boot– Dimitrios Diamantakos (Kerala Blasters FC)
    • Player of the League– Dimitrios Petratos (Mohun Bagan Super Giant)
  • The Indian Super Legaue:
    • It is a professional football league in India based on franchise system that was started in 2013.
    • This league was established through a partnership between the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Reliance Industries and Star Sports.
    • It is recognized by the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA.
• India’s High Jumper Tejaswin Shankar has won a Gold Medal in High Jump at the USATF Throws Festival is Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Current Affairs                   7^th – 8^th May, 2024

Days

• 7^th May, 2024 was observed as the 65^th Raising Day of the Border Roads Organisation. This is the nodal agency under the Ministry of Defence that develops and maintains the road networks in the North and North-Eastern border areas of India and friendly neighbouring countries.
  • BRO was set up in 1960 by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • Motto: ‘Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam’
  • HQ: New Delhi
  • Head: Lt. Gen Ragu Shrinivasan.
• The first Tuesday of May, which coincided with 7^th May this Year, was observed as the World Asthma Day.
  • Theme: ‘Asthma Education Empowers.’
• 7^th May is also celebrated as the ‘World Athletics Day’ every year by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) since 1996.
  • HQ of World Athletics: Monaco.
• 7^th May was celebrated throughout the world as the 163^rd Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
  • He was born in Calcutta in 7^th May ( 25she boisakh), 1861.
  • He was a world famous poet, philosopher, educationist, litterateur, composer, painter and playwright.
  • He was the first Indian, first Asian and first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his exceptional creation Gitanjali’s translation as Gitanjalli: Song Offerings.
  • His first poem was published under his one of the most famous pen names ‘Bhanusimha’ at the age of just 16.
  • A great philosopher of his times, Tagore had deep friendship with Albert Einstein. They first met in 1930 when Einstein came to India. Although, both of them are Nobel laureate, Tagore was the earlier to get it in 1913. Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.
  • Tagore is the only person to have written the national anthems of two countries: India (“Jana Gana Mana”) and Bangladesh (“Amar Shonar Bangla”). Additionally, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his collection of poems, “Gitanjali.” However, what’s less known is that he was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Peace in 1940 for his efforts in advocating for harmony and understanding between nations.
  • He was a great enthusiast of the international language Esperanto and translated some of his works into it. He believed in the power of language to bridge cultural gaps.
  • He is regarded with the titles such as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’ and ‘Biswakabi’.
  • He breathed his last on 7^th August 1941.

Appointments

• Former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra has been appointed as the first President of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT), in New Delhi.
  • GSTAT is an Appellate Authority set up under the Central Goods and Services Act, 2017, as a crucial body for resolving GST-related disputes. It is responsible for ensuring swift, fair, judicious and effective resolution to GST disputes along side reducing the burden on the higher courts.
  • Tribunals in the Indian constitution are specialized quasi-judicial bodies established to handle disputes and adjudicate on specific matters, such as taxation, administrative issues, and environmental concerns. They provide a faster and less formal alternative to traditional courts. Tribunals are governed by laws passed by the Parliament, and their decisions are subject to judicial review by higher courts.
  • The original Constitution did not have provisions regarding Tribunals. The 42^nd Amendment Act of 1976 added a new Part XIV-A to the Constitution that had only two Articles – Articles 323A (administrative tribunals) and Article 323B (other tribunals).
• Kareena Kapoor Khan has been appointed as the National Ambassador for UNICEF India.
  • UNICEF HQ: New York City.
  •  Founded in 1946 by UN to help children affected by World War II.

Obituaries

• Renowned British actor Bernard Hill – famed for playing Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar winning Titanic and for playing King Teodoen in the Lord of the Rings – has passed away.

Science & Tech

• FliRT, a new Covid-19 variant of the Omicron JN.1 lineage has raised concern in the United States.
• Indian-American Astronaut, Sunita Williams is set for her third space flight , this time aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft along with her compatriot Butch Wilmore.
  • The space craft will blast off from the Cape Canaveral in Florida, for the International Space Station.
  • Sunita Williams is a veteran NASA Astronaut who has accomplished two space missions previously and holds the record of spending second most time in space-walking by a female astronaut.

International News

• The Nepal Government has introduced new Rs. 100 currency notes that feature the Indian territories of Lipulekh, Limppiyadhura and Kalapani.
  • Earlier on June 18, 2020, Nepal had amended its constitution to update the political map of the country by incorporating the above three strategically important areas.
  • Nepal is a Northern neighbor of India that shares a border of 1850 km with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, UP and Uttarakhand.
  • This claim by Nepal is based on the Treaty of Sugauli, 1816 after the conclusion of the Anglo-Nepal war.
    • Treaty of Sugauli, 1816:It was signed between Lt. Col. Paris Bradshaw (EIC) and Guru Gajraj Mishra. According to this treaty Nepal’s boundary will be marked by all territories east of the Kali (Mahakali) river and west of the Mechi river. The territories of Darjeeling, the whole of Sikkim, Nainital and Kumaon Garhwal – went to the British control.
  • Now the bone of contention between the two countries is regarding the origin of the Kali (Mahakali) river, when, Nepal holds that the Mahakali river originates in the vicinity of Limpiyadhura or the Lipulekh pass. On the other hand, India says that the Kali river’s origin is a smaller stream called Pankhagad, south of Kalapani.
  • The disputed area is of special importance due to the fact that they form a tri-junction between India –China – Nepal and is an important trade and pilgrimage path en route the Kaliash Yatra.
  • As a reaction to Nepal’s actions, India said that the former’s hegemonic initiatives amount to nothing in the actual state of the reality.

Business, Banking and Finance

• In terms of market capitalization, ICICI Bank has crossed Rs 8 trillion – becoming the second bank only after HDFC to achieve so – and it has now entered into the top 5 companies in India by market cap.
  • The top 5 companies: Reliance Industries (Rs 19 trillion) > Tata Consultancy Services (Rs 14 trillion) > HDFC Bank (Rs 11.6 trillion) > ITC > ICICI Bank.
• Bajaj Automobile is going launch world’s first CNG powered bike under the brand name of ‘Bruzer 125 CNG’.
  • Bajaj Auto:
    • Founder – Jamnalal Bajaj in 1945.
    • MD – Rajiv Bajaj.
    • HQ – Pune, Maharashtra.

State News

Manipur

• The governor of Manipur, Anusuiya Uikey has inaugurated ‘School on Wheels’ initiative , implemented by Vidya Bharati Shiksha Vikash Samiti Manipur, where a school bus equipped with a library, computers and sports items with a teacher , visits relief camps in the states.

Sports

• After a long time, (a racer other than Max Verstappen,) Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren has won F1 race of Miami Grand Prix.
  • Bahrain GP – Max Verstappen
  • Saudi Arabia GP – Max Verstappen
  • Australian GP – Carlos Sainz
  • Japan GP – Max Verstappen
  • China GP – Max Verstappen
• China has emerged victorious in both the Thomas Cup (Men’s) and the Uber Cup (Women’s) 2024 after defeating Indonesia.
  • The Men’s Badminton Championship is popularly known as Thomas Cup
  • The Women’s Badminton Championship is popularly known as the Uber Cup.
• FIDE (International Chess Federation) has officially conferred the title of Grand Master to India’s 84^th GM Vaishali Ramesh Babu. With this, she becomes the third female GM of India after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli.
  • To become Grand Masters, it requires the player an Elo rating of above 2500.

Current Affairs                         8^th May, 2024

Day

• 8^th May is observed as the ‘World Red Cross and Red Cresent Day’ to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Henry Durant.
  • Theme : “I give with joy, and the joy I give is a reward”
  • Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman, founded the International Committee of the Red Cross after witnessing the horrors of the Battle of Solferino in 1859. His advocacy led to the development of the Geneva Conventions, shaping international humanitarian law. Recognized for his efforts, he was jointly awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. Despite facing financial struggles later in life, Dunant’s legacy endures through the ongoing humanitarian work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement worldwide.
• 8^th May is observed as the World Thalassemia Day.
  • Theme: ”Empowering Lives, Embracing Progress: Equitable and Accessible Thalassemia Treatment for All”.
  • Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin production, leading to anemia. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, and pale skin. It requires lifelong management with blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy. In severe cases, bone marrow transplantation may be necessary. Genetic counseling is essential for families at risk, as the condition is inherited through autosomal recessive genes.
• 8^th – 9^th May is observed as the Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War, each year since 2004 , as a time to pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War.

International

• Jose Raul Mulino has been elected as the President of the Panama.
  • Panama: Capital – Panama City.
    • Currency: Balboa, USD.

Scinece and Tech

• The Boeing Starliner test flight that was to be piloted by Sunita Williams has been postponed over the Atlas rocket glitch.

National News

• The Ministry of Tourism has participated in the Arabian Travel Mart 2024, Dubai to strengthen India’s presence in the Middle East tourism market.
  • Theme: “Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship.”
  • In the event, the MoT also launched ‘the Cool Summers of India’ campaign named ‘Coolcations’ at the Arabian Travel Mart.
• Researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have recoded that the prolonged marine heat waves have caused widespread Coral Bleaching in the Lakshadweep Sea since October 2023.
  • The Heatwaves are the results of abnormally high temperature ocean currents.
  • Coral Bleaching:
    • The corals are made up of genetically identical organisms called polyps, which have microscopic algae called zooxanthellae living within their tissue. These algae are of mesmerizing colours, and it’s their presence on the polyps that give corals such diverse colours.
    • The corals and the algae have a (++) symbiosis, where the coral provides the zooxanthellae with the compounds necessary for photosynthesis, and in return the zooxanthellae supply the coral with organic products of photosynthesis – like carbohydrates which are utilized by the coral polyps for synthesis of their calcium carbonate skeletons.
    • Adverse conditions such as rise in temperature, change in PH level or nutrients, the corals expel the symbiotic algae from their tissues. As a result, they lose their colours and turn into complete white. This is called coral bleaching.
• The BSF (Borded Security Forces) have issued new guidelines notifying  various facilities like five individual choices for posting, on-request posting, booking of air travels for all the personnel while proceeding on leave , for improving the ‘satisfaction level’ of the CAPFs.
  • This development surfaced after a data from Ministry of Home Affairs came to reveal that more than 46,000 personnel from the six CAPFs took early retirement during the last five years (2019-23). And the maximum of them – more than 21000 men and women belong to the Border Security Force, responsible for safeguarding the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders.

State News

Maharashtra

• The Maharashtra Forest Department is all set up for translocation of a few tigers from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur to the Shyadri Tiger Reserve.
  • This is because The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is one of only five Tiger Reserve in the country – others being Kaval (Telengana), Kamlang (Arunachal Pradesh), Dampa (Mizoram) and Satkosia (Odisha) – with zero tiger within the reserve.
  • The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had cleared the translocation plan in the last October, the final go-ahead being pending before the Union Environment Ministry.
  • Sahyadri TR:
    • It is located in the Shyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats, notified in 2010 by amalgamating the Chandoli NP and the Koyna WLS.
    • The Koyna Dam and the Warna river are inside the TR.
  • Other Tiger Reserves of Maharashtra:
    • Melghat TR.
    • Pench TR.
    • Nawegaon Nagzira TR.
    • Tadoba Andhari TR.
    • Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
    • Bor Tiger Reserve.

Science & Technology

• ISRO has successfully conducted the trial of the Semi Cryogenic Engine (SCE-200) at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
  • This SCE module of ISRO works on a propellant combination of liquid oxygen and kerosene , and it is aimed at enhancing the payload capacity of the heavy launch vehicles – such as Mk III (LVM3).
  • ISRO: Foundation – 15^th August, 1969
    • Founder- Vikram Sarabhai
    • Director – S. Somanath.
• Mindgrove Technologies, an IIT Madras incubated start-up has launched India’s first indigenous high-performance microcontroller chip which is 30% cheaper in comparison to other chips in the market available, with high performance SoC, secure IoT.
  • IoT security– Internet of Things Security: responsible for safeguarding connected devices and networks in IoT.
  • SoC – Security Operations Centre: Responsible for protection against cyber threats.

Business & Finance

• Paytm COO Bhavesh Gupta has resigned from his post. At the same time Varun Sridhar and Rakesh Singh has been appointed as the CEOs of Paytm Services Pvt Limited and Paytm Money respectively.

Sports

• Madrid Open, 2024:
  • Women’s Singles Champion : Iga Swiatek (Poland) – defeated Aryna Sabalenka.
  • Men’s Singles: Andrey Rublev (Russia) defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime.
• Spanish Football Club Real Madrid has won their 36^th La Liga title.