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 AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 28 & 29 May 2023 : Headlines

1. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Launched National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 &
Other Initiatives
2. PM Modi flags off Uttarakhand’s 1st Vande Bharat train: Dehradun-Delhi
3. MoRD Minister Giriraj Singh launches SAMARTH campaign to Promote Digital Transactions at
Gram Panchayat Level
4. UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group’s JME 2023 Report: 18.7% Indian Children were Affected
by Wasting
5. SEBI sets up Intermediary Advisory Committee Chaired by former SEBI ED S Ravindran
6. RBI approves the voluntary amalgamation of Maratha Co-op Bank with Cosmos Co-operative
Bank
7. Indian Bank Empanelled as Clearing & Settlement Bank with ICCL
8. TCS-led Consortium Bags Rs 15,000 crore BSNL Contract for 4G Deployment
9. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh London home honoured with Commemorative Blue Plaque
10. Srikrishnan Hari Hara Sarma appointed as MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank
11. Mukesh Ambani, CMD of Reliance Industries appointed as member of Advisory Committee of
COP28
12. Parminder Chopra to Become 1st Woman CMD of Power Finance Corporation
13. Rocket Lab launches 2nd pair of Sats for NASA’s storm-tracking TROPICS mission; SuperBIT
balloon, NASA’s 1st science mission to complete two revolutions of SH
14. Indian Navy & ISRO Jointly Released ‘Gaganyaan Recovery Training Plan’ at WSTF INS Garuda
15. Kannada writer and Sahitya Akademi Awardee, GH Nayak passed away
16. Dr. Vijay Darda’s New Book, ‘RINGSIDE,” to be Released by Shashi Tharoor
17. GoI Appoints Chief Justices of 5 High Courts

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 NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Launched National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 &
Other Initiatives
On May 26, 2023, the Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW),
unveiled the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, and launched the Export Promotion Council for
Medical Devices during the inaugural event of the 8th International Conference on Pharma and Medical Device
Sector in New Delhi, Delhi.

• Mansukh Mandaviya also launched a scheme titled ‘Assistance for Medical Devices clusters
for Common Facilities (AMD-CF)’ to establish and strengthen common infrastructure facilities in the
medical devices clusters and fortify testing facilities for medical devices.
Click here to know more about National Medical Devices Policy 2023
8th International Conference on Pharma and Medical Device Sector:
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the 8 International Conference on Pharma and Medical Device
Sector on May 26, 2023.
• The conference was organized by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and
Fertilizers, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
for 2 days on May 26 and 27 2023 to promote India as a manufacturing hub of quality medical
products in the pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sector.
Theme:
• 26th May 2023 was dedicated for India Medical Device sector on the theme ‘Sustainable MedTech
5.0: Scaling and Innovating Indian MedTech’
• 27th May 2023 was dedicated for the Pharmaceutical sector on the theme “Indian pharma industry:
Delivering Value through Innovation.
Highlights:
i.Following the conference’s inauguration, Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
roundtable and discussed the avenues for growth and existing issues of the medical sector with stakeholders.
ii.He had an in-depth consultation with the stakeholders and urged the participants to brainstorm ideas on
various fronts – policy, economics, research and innovation.
iii.The conference was also attended by N Yuvaraj, Joint Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals,
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Srikar Reddy, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Commerce, Dr. Rajeev
Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India ( DCGI), Kamlesh Pant, Chairman, National Pharmaceutical
Pricing Authority (NPPA), Shailesh Pathak, Secretary General, FICCI, and various industry stakeholders and
representatives.
Additional info:
• Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India emphasized the fact that
the Medical Device sector is undergoing a metamorphosis phase.

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 • Mansukh Mandaviya stated the Indian pharmaceutical industry’s robust, resilient and responsive
nature and due to that, India has met its own demand during the pandemic and supplied medicines
to 150 countries.
Recent Related News:
On September 25-26, 2022, National Health Authority (NHA) organized Arogya Manthan 2022 at The Ashok,
New Delhi (Delhi) to mark the double anniversaries of Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
(AB PM-JAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
Union Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha – Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS) – Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar

PM Modi flags off Uttarakhand’s 1st Vande Bharat train: Dehradun-Delhi

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually flagged off Uttarakhand’s 1st semi-high-speed Vande Bharat
Train connecting Dehradun with Delhi.

The inaugural run of the train connects Dehradun to Delhi’s Anand Vihar terminal.
• This will be the 6th Vande Bharat train connecting Delhi from a different state.
• This also marks the 18th Vande Bharat train in India.
Note: At present, Delhi is connected via Vande Bharat train with Ajmer(Rajasthan), Varanasi(Uttar Pradesh),
Katra(Jammu and Kashmir), Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh), and Amb Andaura(Himachal Pradesh).
Key People:
Pushkar Singh Dhami Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand and Ashwini Vaishnaw Union Minister of Railways
were present during the flagging-off ceremony at Dehradun railway station, Uttarakhand.
Key Points:
i.This Vande Bharat Train, equipped with world-class amenities, was indigenously manufactured.
ii.It is also equipped with advanced safety features, including the Kavach technology.
iii.The regular operations for the Delhi-Dehradun Vande Bharat Express will start on 29 May.
iv.The train will operate on all days of the week, except Wednesdays.
v.This will reduce the journey time between Dehradun and Delhi to 4 hours 30 min. At present, the Shatabdi
Express takes 6 hours and 10 minutes to complete the journey.
Other Highlights:
PM Modi also dedicate the newly electrified rail line sections in Uttarakhand. with this Uttarakhand will have its
entire rail route 100% electrified.
• The trains on electrified sections will result in an increase in the speed of trains and enhance
haulage capacity.

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Recent Related News:
According to the “Landslide Atlas of India” report prepared by the Hyderabad (Telangana)-based National
Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag
(1st) and Tehri Garhwal (2nd) are the most landslide-prone districts in India.
About Uttarakhand:
Chief Minister– Pushkar Singh Dhami
Governor– Gen. (Retd.) Gurmit Singh
UNESCO Heritage Site– Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
Festival– Kanwar Yatra; Bissu Mela

MoRD Minister Giriraj Singh launches SAMARTH campaign to Promote Digital Transactions at
Gram Panchayat Level
On May 25, 2023, a Campaign on Promoting Digital Transactions in 50000 Gram Panchayats
namely ‘SAMARTH’ under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was launched in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP) by the
Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) & Panchayati Raj.

• This campaign was already initiated on February 1, 2023, by the MoRD to promote digital
transactions at the Gram Panchayat level in rural areas, and will continue till 15 August 2023.
• The event was addressed by the UP Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath.
The key thrust of the campaign is to promote Digital Transactions in rural areas, particularly among women.
Key Points:
i.The Non-Performing Assets (NPA) of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) has decreased from 9.58% in 2013 to below 2%
presently.
ii.The BC (Banking Correspondent) Sakhis in UP brought digital transformation to the tune of 5 Crore 57 lakh
transactions.
• They helped rural masses encash over Rs 75,000 Crore of Government DBT (Direct Benefit
Transfer).
iii.During the event, Biometric PoS (Point of Sale) machines and Certificate of On-boarding were distributed to
newly selected BC Sakhis.
What is BC Sakhi?
In May 2020, the BC Sakhi Yojana was launched by the CM of UP to benefit the women residents of the state by
providing employment possibilities through this scheme.
• Under the scheme, the state govt deploys BC Sakhi in rural regions to eliminate the need for rural
residents to travel to the bank as Sakhi delivers the money to their doorstep.
Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, has briefed about the milestones which are
set as well as being achieved under the campaign SAMARTH by Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna- National Rural
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development.
A compendium of 75 Inspirational Tales of BC Sakhis along with live testimonies of transformations in the lives
of BC Sakhis was released during the event.

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About Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD):
Union Minister– Giriraj Singh (Constituency- Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State (MoS)– Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Faggan Singh Kulaste

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group’s JME 2023 Report: 18.7% Indian Children were Affected
by Wasting
According to report ‘ Levels and trends in child malnutrition: United Nations Children’s Fund/World Health
Organization/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank Group: the Joint Child
Malnutrition Estimates’s (UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group: JME) key findings of the 2023 edition’
released on May 23, 2023, 18.7% of Indian children were affected by wasting in 2020 due to poor nutrient
intake and/or recurrent illnesses.

• In 2022, globally, 148.1 million children under the age of 5 years were stunted, 45 million wasted,
and 37 million overweight.

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Backdrop: The UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank: JME , the United Nation’s inter-agency team, was created in
2011 to address the call for harmonized child malnutrition estimates and the team releases annually estimates
for child stunting, overweight, underweight, wasting and severe wasting.
Key Findings of the report 2023:
a.Wasting and Severe wasting:
Southern Asia has the highest wasting prevalence of any sub-region in the world.Southern Asia refers to a
specific geographic sub-region encompassing countries located in the southern part of the Asian continent. It
includes countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and others.
i.India is the largest country in southern Asia, which has half of all children with wasting in the world live.
ii.In 2022, an estimated 45 million children under five (6.8%) were affected by wasting globally, of which 13.6
million (2.1%) were suffering from severe wasting.
iii.More than three quarters of all children with severe wasting live in Asia and another 22% live in Africa.
b.Stunting:
i.India had a stunting rate of 31.7% in 2022, compared to 41.6 % in 2012, a decade ago.
ii.Global:
• 148.1 million, or 22.3% of children under age 5 worldwide, were affected by stunting in 2022.
• Nearly all children affected lived in Asia (52% of the global share) and Africa (43% of the global
share).
c.Overweight:
i.India had an overweight percentage of 2.8% in 2022, compared to 2.2% in 2012.
ii.Global:There are around 37 million children under 5 who are overweight globally, an increase of nearly four
million since 2000.
• One out of every five children are affected by overweight in Australia and New Zealand.
Other Findings of the report:
i.The key findings in the 2023 Edition include global and regional trends for all for the child malnutrition
indicators of stunting, wasting, overweight and underweight
ii.Insufficient Progress: The JME 2023 reveals insufficient progress to reach the 2025 World Health Assembly
(WHA) global nutrition targets and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 2.2.
• Only about one third of all countries are ‘on track’ to halve the number of children affected by
stunting by 2030.
• Only fewer countries are expected to achieve the 2030 target of 3% prevalence for overweight, with
just one in six countries currently ‘on track’.
• An assessment of progress towards the wasting target is not possible for nearly half of countries.
iii.As per the report, more intensive efforts are required if the world is to achieve the global target of reducing
the number of children with stunting to 89 million by 2030.
• With current progress, the 2030 target will be missed by 39.5 million children, with more than 80%
of these ‘missed’ children living in Africa.
About Wasting, Stunting and Overweight:
Wasting:
• It is defined as low weight-for-height. It often indicates recent and severe weight loss and it usually
occurs when a person has not had food of adequate quality and quantity and/or they have had
frequent or prolonged illnesses.
• Children suffering from wasting have weakened immunity, and are associated with a higher risk of
death if not treated properly.
Stunting:
• It is defined as low height-for-age. It is the result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition, usually
associated with poverty, poor maternal health and nutrition, frequent illness and/or inappropriate
feeding and care in early life.
• Stunting prevents children from reaching their physical and cognitive potential.

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Overweight:
• Childhood overweight occurs when children’s calorie intake from food and beverages exceeds their
energy requirements.
• This form of malnutrition is driven by failing food systems characterised by poor affordability as
well as access to nutritious foods.
• BMI: The most commonly used measure for overweight and obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI) –
a simple index to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as the weight in kilograms
divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2).
Recent Related News:
According to the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) report ‘Bridging The Gender Digital Divide:
Challenges and an Urgent Call for Action for Equitable Digital Skills Development’ , 90% (9 out of 10) of
adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 in low-income countries are offline (no access to the
internet) compared to 78% of adolescent boys and young men of the same age who do not use the internet.
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Executive Director – Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters – New York, USA
Establishment – 1946

BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI sets up Intermediary Advisory Committee Chaired by former SEBI ED S Ravindran
On May 25, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted a 21-member Intermediary
Advisory Committee chaired by the former SEBI executive director(ED) S Ravindran.
• The committee will advise SEBI on changes in legal framework and increasing transparency in the
functioning of market intermediaries like stock exchanges, depository participants, clearing
corporations, among others.
Note: S Ravindran handled the charge of SEBI’s Corporation Finance Department. He had also headed
departments related to investment management, and foreign institutional investors and custodians.
Members:
i.The committee has representation from the broking community, legal, and financial institutions which
include Ashish Chauhan, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Stock
Exchange (NSE); Sundararaman Ramamurthy, MD & CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE); Vijay Mehta,
President of brokers’ body Association Of National Exchanges Members Of India (ANMI).
ii.Member-Secretary – Jeevan Sonparote, Chief General Manager, SEBI.
Click here for the full list of 21 Members
Responsibilities of Committee:
i.To provide guidance to SEBI on matters relating to regulation of stock brokers, depository participants,
clearing members, non-mutual fund Registrar and Transfer Agents (RTAs), Investments Advisors (IAs),
Research Analysts (RAs), and KYC Registration Agency (KRAs)
ii.To suggest measures for improving market safety, efficiency, transparency and integrity
iii.To observe new market development and suggest measures
iv.To advise on greater adoption of technology and cyber security by intermediaries, including in respect of
compliances
v.Any other matter that the Committee considers relevant
SEBI follows a recommendation process of the committee before introducing the proposals for stakeholder
comments through a consultation process.

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About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
SEBI was constituted as a non-statutory body in 1988 and later it was established as a statutory body in the
1992.
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

RBI approves the voluntary amalgamation of Maratha Co-op Bank with Cosmos Co-operative
Bank
On May 26, 2023, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sanctioned the merging of Maratha Sahakari Bank Ltd.,
Mumbai (Maharashtra) with the Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd, Pune (Maharashtra), the second largest
urban cooperative bank of India through Voluntary scheme of amalgamation from May 29, 2023, in exercise of
its powers conferred under Sub-Section (4) of Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation (BR)
Act, 1949.

• In accordance with the scheme, all the 7 branches of Maratha Sahakari Bank Ltd., will function as
branches of The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Limited.
• Voluntary scheme of amalgamation: A voluntary scheme of amalgamation refers to a merger or
consolidation of two or more companies based on their mutual agreement and voluntary decision.
The Companies Act, 2013, governs the process and regulations related to amalgamations and
mergers in India.
Key Points:
i.Maratha Sahakari Bank was founded in 1946 and has seven branches in Mumbai. RBI had placed Maratha
Sahakari Bank under Directions under Section 35 of the BR Act, 1949, on August 31, 2016. The Directions were
extended from time to time and the final extension was made on February 28, 2023, till March 31, 2023.
• The bank earned a net profit of Rs 3.81 crore in FY22 and had accumulated losses of Rs 52.43 crore
as on 31st March 2022.
ii. By the end of March 2022, the Cosmos Co-operative Bank, operating as a multi-state urban co-operative bank
with a network of 140 branches across seven states, recorded deposits totalling Rs 16,522 crore and advances
amounting to Rs 12,293 crore.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1st April 1935

Indian Bank Empanelled as Clearing & Settlement Bank with ICCL

On May 27, 2023, Indian Bank signed an agreement with Indian Clearing Corporation Limited (ICCL) as its
clearing and settlement bank. Indian Bank will now facilitate banking services to members of BSE (formerly
Bombay Stock Exchange) for clearing and settlement operations.

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 • Mahesh Kumar Bajaj, executive director of Indian Bank, exchanged the agreement with Devika
Shah, MD and CEO of ICCL.
• Clearing members can open settlement accounts with the Indian Bank for fund settlement under the
equity derivatives segment.
• The Indian Bank also launched the electronic term deposit receipt (e-TDR) product for online
transmission of fixed term receipts (FDR) and margin with ICCL on behalf of the clearing members
with its dedicated Fort Mumbai branch.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

TCS-led Consortium Bags Rs 15,000 crore BSNL Contract for 4G Deployment
The Tata Consultancy Service Limited (TCS)-led consortium has received an advance purchase order worth Rs
15,000 crore from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), a central public sector undertaking (PSU) under the
Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, for the deployment of a 4G network across
India.
• The consortium, consisting of Tejas Network Ltd., the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-
DOT), and the central PSU, ITI Ltd. (formerly known as Indian Telephone Industries Limited), has
won the bid for BSNL’s pan-India 4G project. Around 75% of the deal value will go to TCS.
• Tejas Networks, Tata Group’s domestic gear company, will supply and service RAN equipment.
Note: The deadline fixed by the union government to BSNL for rolling out 4G services is August 2023, and the
deadline for 5G services is the end of 2023.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh London home honoured with Commemorative Blue Plaque
On May 26 2023, the London home of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, a suffragette Indian princess, Red Cross
nurse, and critic of British rule in India, was honoured with the English Heritage’s commemorative Blue
Plaque in London, the United Kingdom (UK).

• The blue plaque is erected at Faraday House, 37 Hampton Court Road, Richmond, London, where
Princess Sophia Duleep Singh lived for over five decades.
• Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), the
militant group led by Emmeline Pankhurst, a British political activist who organised the UK
suffragette movement.
• Faraday House, was granted to Princess Sophia and her sisters as a grace and favour apartment in
Hampton Court Palace southwest of London by Queen Victoria.
Note: Faraday House is named after another former resident, the eminent English physicist Michael
Faraday (1791–1867).

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About London’s Blue Plaque:
i.London’s Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, celebrates the links between the historical
figures of the past with the buildings of the present. It was started in 1866 it has inspired many similar schemes
in the UK and around the world.
ii.The blue plaque recipients are recognised across several fields, including the arts, music, social reform and
activism.
Note: In 2022, the London home of Dadabhai Naoroji got a Blue Plaque.
About Sophia Duleep Singh:
i.Sophia Duleep Singh was Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s granddaughter and the daughter of Maharaja
Duleep Singh, the last ruler of the Sikh empire and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria.
ii. From 1909 she was active in the WSPU Richmond and Kingston district branches in the UK.
iii. In 1910, she was also a part of the action on “Black Friday”, where more than 300 Suffragettes marched on
Parliament.
• Suffragette is a woman seeking the right to vote through organized protest.
iv. She supported the Indian Women’s Education Association in London (UK) and nursed Indian soldiers during
World War I and housed refugees during World War II.
v.Sophia Duleep Singh, the last princess of the Sikh Empire died in August 1948.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Srikrishnan Hari Hara Sarma appointed as MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank
On May 26 2023, Karnataka Bank, one of the leading South Indian Private sector banks,
appointed Srikrishnan Harihara Sarma as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
for a period of 3 years with effect from the date of his assuming charge.

He succeeds Sekhar Rao, who has been serving as the Interim MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank since April
2023.
• Following the approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the board of directors has appointed
Sarma as an additional director to take up the role as MD & CEO.
• As per SEBI (LODR) (Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure
Requirements)) Regulations, 2015, appointment is subject to approval of shareholders at the Annual
General Meeting or within three months from the date of assuming charge.
About Srikrishnan Harihara Sarma:
i.Srikrishnan Harihara Sarma has nearly four decades of experience spread across Commercial, Retail, and
Transactional Banking, Technology and Payments.
ii.Prior to joining Karnataka Bank, he has served at various key positions at HDFC Bank Limited, Yes Bank
Limited and Jio Payments Bank Limited.
• At HDFC bank, he was part of the founding management team for over nine years and as the country
head.

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 • He served as the Executive Director and a member of the Board at Yes Bank Limited.
• He served as the MD & CEO of Jio Payments Bank Limited and was responsible for the application
and coordination for approval of licence with the RBI, Incorporation of the company, formation of
the board, strategic direction, and commencement of operations in 2018.
About Karnataka Bank:
Incorporated in– 18 February 1924 (Commenced Business on 23-05-1924)
Chairman– P Pradeep Kumar (Part time)
Headquarters– Mangaluru, Karnataka

Mukesh Ambani, CMD of Reliance Industries appointed as member of Advisory Committee of

COP28
On May 26 2023, Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Reliance Industries has
been appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee to the President of the 28th Session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

• Mukesh Ambani is the only Indian, other than Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science
and Environment, on the Advisory Committee to the President of COP28.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the COP28 Advisory Committee from November 30 to
December 12, 2023 in Dubai, UAE that brings together the climate expertise of thought leaders from
countries across 6 continents.
Committee board:
i.Mukesh Ambani joined other significant global leaders on the COP28 Advisory Council such as: Larry Fink,
Chairman and CEO of BlackRock; Olafur Grimsson, Chairman of Arctic Circle (Former President of Iceland);
Laurent Fabius, President of COP21 / Paris Agreement, Former Prime Minister of France; Francesco La Camera,
Director General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Bob Dudley, Chair of the Oil and Gas
Climate Initiative (OGCI), former CEO of BP (The British Petroleum Company Public Limited).
• In January 2023, the UNFCCC Secretariat announced the appointment of Sultan Ahmed Al
Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change,
as President-Designate of COP 28.
ii.The 31 members of the Committee representing: Policy, Industry, Energy, Finance, Civil Society, Youth, and
Humanitarian action, of which 65% are from the Global South, and they will provide guidance and counsel to
the COP Presidency in the run-up to COP28 and beyond.
iii.The panel will inspire collaborative and transformative action across adaptation, mitigation, finance, loss
and damage, food and agriculture, and nature-based solutions.
The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference:
The United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the
UNFCCC. They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with
climate change.
• The COP Presidency rotates among the five recognized UN regions – that is, Africa, Asia, Latin
America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe

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The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference which will convene from November 30 to December 12, 2023 will
comprise the following events.
• The 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28);
• The 5th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 5);
• The 18th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 18);
• The 59th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 59); and
• The 59th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 59).
Note – COP28 drives global transformation towards a low-emission and climate-resilient world, promotes
ambitious climate action and facilitates implementation, including the related support.

Parminder Chopra to Become 1st Woman CMD of Power Finance Corporation

Parminder Chopra is set to become the first woman Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Power
Finance Corporation (PFC), India’s largest non-banking financial company (NBFC) and a Central Public Sector
Undertaking(PSU) under the Ministry of Power.
• The Public Sector Enterprise Board (PESB) has recommended Parminder Chopra for the role of CMD
of PFC.
• She will succeed Ravinder Singh Dhillon, who is set to retire on 31st May 2023.
Chopra has over 35 years of experience in the power sector, including at the National Hydroelectric Power
Corporation of India (NHPC) and the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL).
• She has been serving as a Director (Finance) of PFC since July 2020.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Rocket Lab launches 2nd pair of CubeSats for NASA’s TROPICS mission; NASA Completes 1st
Globetrotting SuperBIT Balloon Flight to SH
On May 25, 2023, the Rocket Lab USA Inc.’s Electron two-stage rocket launched the second and final pair of
shoebox-sized weather-tracking satellites called CubeSats for NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a
Constellation of Smallsats) mission from Launch Complex 1 at Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand.

• The CubeSats were launched to low Earth orbit to collect tropical storm data more frequently than
other weather satellites and improve tropical cyclone forecasts.
• The launch was named ‘Coming To A Storm Near You’.
• The current launch was Rocket Lab’s 37th Electron launch overall. It brings the total number of
satellites launched into orbit by Rocket Lab to 163.
Key Points:
i.The current launch marks the second TROPICS launch for NASA, following Rocket Lab’s first pair of CubeSats
namely ‘Rocket Like A Hurricane’ was launched on May 7, 2023, from Mahia by Electron Rocket.

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 • TROPICS, NASA’s mission will study tropical cyclones and improve forecasting for hurricanes and
typhoons.
ii.The four CubeSats are a part of NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program which require launch to a
specific orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometres and inclination of about 30 degrees.
What will TROPICS do?
TROPICS will monitor the formation and evolution of tropical cyclones, including hurricanes, and will provide
near-hourly data updates on storm intensity. It will observe temperature, precipitation, water vapour, and
cloud ice more often. This information will help scientists understand the processes that affect these high-
impact storms which led to improved modeling and prediction.
SuperBIT balloon became 1st science mission of NASA to complete two full revolutions of the Southern
Hemisphere
On May 25, 2023, NASA’s globetrotting SuperBIT balloon carrying the Super Pressure Balloon Imaging
Telescope (SuperBIT) successfully completed a flight test after returning to Earth. With this, it became the first
science mission of NASA to complete two full revolutions of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) floating at mid-
latitudes.
• The mission was completed in 39 days and 14 hours began on April 16 from New Zealand’s Wānaka
Airport and was completed on May 25.
• It was an 18.8-million-cubic-foot (532,000-cubic-meter) balloon.
Objective:
To capture images of galaxies in the visible-to-near ultraviolet light spectrum, with a goal to map dark matter
around galaxy clusters
Key Points:
i.The balloon completed five full circuits about the Southern Hemisphere during its journey while floating at
mid-latitudes.
ii.The next mission for NASA’s balloon program is a science mission launching from it’s Columbia scientific
balloon facility in July 2023.
iii.The scientific balloon flight program is controlled by the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and conducts
around 10 to 15 flights each year from launch sites worldwide.
iv.Peraton, which operates NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) in Texas, provides mission
planning, engineering services, and field operations for NASA’s scientific balloon program.
v.The CSBF team has launched more than 1,700 scientific balloons over some 40 years of operations. NASA’s
balloons are fabricated by Aerostar.
Recent Related News:
i.On 8th March 2023, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) (NISAR), an Earth-observation satellite, was
handed over to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) from National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California, United States of America(USA).
ii.On 2nd March 2023, SpaceX launched its Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with 4
astronauts on board reusable SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from the NASA(National
Aeronautics and Space Administration)’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States of America(USA).
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
NASA is an independent agency of the government of the United States of America(USA) which is responsible
for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
Administrator– Bill Nelson
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., USA

Indian Navy & ISRO Jointly Released ‘Gaganyaan Recovery Training Plan’ at WSTF INS Garuda
On May 24, 2023, the Indian Navy along with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released
a ‘Gaganyaan Recovery Training Plan’ at the state-of-the-art Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF)
at INS (Indian Naval Ship) Garuda, Kochi, Kerala.

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 • The training document was jointly released by Vice Admiral Atul Anand, Director General of Naval
Operations, Indian Navy, Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), and
Dr Umamaheshwaran R, Director, Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) of ISRO.
Key Points:
i. The document provides a Training plan for the recovery of the crew module for the Gaganyan mission.
ii.The document also defines overall requirements with respect to training of various teams participating in
recovery operations such as Marine Commandos(MARCOS), parajumpers, medical specialists, technicians etc.
iii.The Recovery training is planned in incremental phases starting from unmanned recovery to manned
recovery training in harbour and open sea conditions.
iv.The overall recovery operations of the crew module are being led by the Indian Navy in coordination with
other maritime agencies.
v.The Gaganyaan recovery teams are set to be trained and familiarized with the use of mass and shape-
simulated mock-up.
• WSTF is equipped with its state-of-the-art facility in the new avatar with a team of highly qualified
divers all set to assist ISRO by undertaking a series of trials and fine-tuning of Standard Operating
Procedures to train the crew and recovery team of Gaganyaan.
Note – Gaganyaan mission aims to send Indian astronauts to space for the first time to low earth orbit (LEO) for
a week and they will be on board a spacecraft `Gaganyaan’.
About Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO):
Chairman – S. Somanath
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Establishment – 1969

OBITUARY
Kannada Writer & Sahitya Akademi Awardee, GH Nayak Passed Away
On May 26 2023, noted Kannada writer, critic and Sahitya Akademi award winner Govindaray H Nayak,
popularly known as GH Nayak passed away at his residence in Mysuru, Karnataka at the age of 88.
• He was born in Surve village near Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka in 1935.
Career:
i. GH Nayak started his career as a Kannada lecturer at the University of Mysore, Karnataka and retired as a
Professor.
ii. He also served as a Visiting Faculty of Hampi Kannada University and Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies,
Manasagangothri, Karnataka.
Notable works:
Some of his notable works includes Samakaleena, Anivarya, and Uttarardha.

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 Awards and honours:
i.Department of Kannada and Culture, Karnataka Government, honoured him with the Pampa Prashasti for
literature for 2010. He had also been the recipient of the prestigious Pampa Award.
ii. In 2014, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for the compilation of his essays on literary
criticism titled “Uttaraardha” (Kannada).
iii. He has also won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award, V M Inamdhar Memorial Award, Karnataka State
Award, G.S. Shivarudrappa Award, and Shivaram Karanth Award.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Dr. Vijay Darda’s New Book, ‘RINGSIDE,” to be Released by Shashi Tharoor
“RINGSIDE – Up, Close, and Personal on India and Beyond”, a new book written by former member of
parliament (MP) Dr Vijay Darda, Chairman of the editorial board of Lokmat Media Group, is set to be released
by renowned author and Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor on 30th May 2023 in New Delhi, Delhi.
• The book 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.
• This book is a reflection of contemporary political, social, cultural, and other significant happenings
and developments.
Darda served as an active member of the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 2016.
• “Straight Thoughts,” Dadra’s previous book, is a collection of articles from 2004 to 2011.

STATE NEWS
GoI Appoints Chief Justices of 5 High Courts
On 27th May 2023, the Government of India (GoI) appointed chief justices to five High Courts: Bombay, Madras,
Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan. These appointments were recommended by the Supreme Court
Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on 19th April 2023.

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Note:
The appointments were made by the President of India, in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1)
of Article 217 of the Constitution of India.
Details of the Appointment:
High Court(HC) New CJ Previous CJ/Acting CJ
Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala (ACJ of
Bombay HC Justice Ramesh Deokinandan Dhanuka Bombay HC)
Madras HC Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala Justice S Vaidyanathan (ACJ of Madras HC)
Himachal Pradesh Justice Mamidanna Satya Ratna Sri Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan(ACJ of Himachal
HC Ramachandra Rao Pradesh HC)
Kerala HC Justice Sarasa Venkatanarayana Bhatti Justice S. Manikumar
Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (Acting CJ of
Rajasthan HC Justice Augustine George Masih Rajasthan HC)
Key Points:
Bombay HC:
On 27th May 2023, Justice Ramesh D Dhanuka took oath as the Chief Justice(CJ) of Bombay HC succeeding
Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala, Acting Chief Justice(ACJ) of Bombay HC.
• Justice Ramesh D Dhanuka, who is set to retire on 30th May 2023, will have the shortest tenure as CJ
of the Bombay HC.
• Justice Dhanuka is the 2nd senior-most judge at the Bombay HC after Justice Gangapurwala.
Madras HC:
Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala is appointed as the CJ of Madras HC succeeding Justice S Vaidyanathan, who
was appointed as the ACJ of Madras HC on 25th May 2023.
• The position of CJ of Madras HC has been vacant since the superannuation of Justice
Munishwar Nath Bhandari in September 2022.
Himachal Pradesh HC:
Justice M S Ramachandra Rao, a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana HC has been appointed as the CJ of the
Himachal Pradesh HC.
• He succeeds Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan who has been serving as the ACJ of Himachal Pradesh
since April 2023.
Kerala HC:
Justice Sarasa Venkatanarayana Bhatti (SV Bhatti), the senior-most puisne Judge acting CJ of the Kerala HC,
has been appointed as the CJ of Kerala HC.
• Justice SV Bhatti has been serving as the ACJ of Kerala HC following the retirement of CJ S Mani
Kumar.
Rajasthan HC:
Justice Augustine George Masih, senior most puisne judge of Punjab and Haryana HC, has been appointed as
the CJ of the Rajasthan HC.
• The post has been vacant since the elevation of earlier CJ Justice Pankaj Mithal from the Rajasthan
HC to the Supreme Court of India.
Note:
The retirement age of a High Court & Supreme Court Judge is 62 years and 65 years respectively.

GA Questions Asked in Exams

• Affairscloud’s Self Analysis for General Awareness Section

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