May CA

Current Affairs May 2024 www.parchamclasses.
in
Contents
Important Days & themes .................................................................................................................................... 3
Appointments ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Awards ................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Obituary ............................................................................................................................................................ 13
State News ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
Union Territories................................................................................................................................................ 18
GI Tag ................................................................................................................................................................ 19
Science and Tech................................................................................................................................................ 19
Defence ............................................................................................................................................................. 26
National News ................................................................................................................................................... 31
Economy............................................................................................................................................................ 39
International...................................................................................................................................................... 41
Sports ................................................................................................................................................................ 50
Indexes/Report .................................................................................................................................................. 60
Connect Us - 2
Current Affairs May 2024 www.parchamclasses.in Current Affairs May 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
Important Days & themes 18th May Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Theme - " Safe Horizons: Women in Shaping the Future
DATE DAY THEME/ REMARK Waterways Celebrated of Maritime Safety"
International Women in Maritime
1ST May International Labour Day or May Also known as ‘Kamgar Divas’, ‘Kamgar Din’, and
Day
Day ‘Antrarashtriya Shramik Divas’.
20th May World Bee Day Theme - "Bee engaged with Youth".
1st May - Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day On 1st May 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was
divided into two separate states 20th May World Metrology Day Theme for World Metrology Day 2024 is Sustainability.
This year marks the official recognition by UNESCO of 20
2nd May World Tuna Day
May each year as a UNESCO International Day.
3rd May World Press Freedom Day Theme 2024 - "A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the
20th May World Autoimmune Arthritis Day
Face of the environmental crisis".
21st May National Anti-Terrorism Day commemorate the death anniversary of former Prime
3rd May International Leopard Day 2024 Officially established during the 1st Global Leopard
Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the 6th PM of India
Conference, held in March 2023
21st May International Tea Day This year - Honouring women around the world, from
4th May Coal Miners’ Day
crop to cup
4th May International Firefighter’s Day
21st May World Day for Cultural Diversity for
7th May 2024 65th Raising Day Of BRO BRO was conceived and raised in 7 May, 1960 by Pandit
Dialogue and Development
Jawaharlal Nehru
22nd May International Day for Biological The Theme of Biodiversity Day 2024: "Be part of the
7th May (first World Asthma Day Theme - “Asthma Education Empowers”.
Diversity Plan"
Tuesday of May)
23rd May World Turtle Day
7th May World Athletics Day
24th May Commonwealth Day in India Commonwealth Day (formerly Empire Day) is
8th May World Red Cross and Red Crescent The theme - “I give with joy, and the joy I give is a
commemorated on second Monday of March.(Monday,
Day reward.”
11 March 2024.)
8th May World Thalassaemia Day Theme is: “Empowering Lives, Embracing Progress:
India and a few other countries celebrate it on 24th
Equitable and Accessible Thalassaemia Treatment for
May.
All’’
The theme - 'One Resilient Common Future:
8th -9th May Time of Remembrance and
Transforming our Common Wealth’.
Reconciliation for Those Who Lost
24th May International Day of the Markhor The UN General Assembly celebrate it for the first time
Their Lives During the Second
in 2024.
World War
25th May World Thyroid Awareness Day Theme 2024- Thyroid Diseases are NCDs
10th May World Lupus Day
25th May Africa Day Africa Day is observed to commemorate the founding of
11th May National Technology Day Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee designated
the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which was
May 11 as National Technology Day in India to
established on May 25, 1963.
commemorate the historic Pokhran nuclear tests
28th May World Hunger Day Theme – Thriving Mothers. Thriving world.
conducted by the Indian Army in Rajasthan in 1998.
29th May International Day of UN This year theme: "Fit for the Future: Building Better
12th May International Nurses Day 2024
Peacekeepers Together."
12th May International Day of Plant Health Theme - ‘Plant Health, Safe Trade, Digital Technology
30th May Goa Statehood Day Goa was declared a state separate from Daman and Diu
11th May and World Migratory Bird Day celebrated every year on Second Saturday in May and
in 1987.
12th October the second Saturday in October
30th May Hindi Journalism Day Udant Martand was the first Hindi newspaper to be
Theme - 'Protect Insects, Protect Birds.’
published in India.
15th May International Day of Families 2024 Theme: Families and Climate Change
31st May World No-Tobacco Day Theme: Protecting children from tobacco industry
16th May National Dengue Day Theme 2024 - Dengue Prevention: Our Responsibility for
interference
a Safer Tomorrow.
16th May International Day of Light The theme : Light in Our Lives
17th May World Hypertension Day The theme : 'Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Appointments
Control It, Live Longer.’ Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi Takes Over As Chief Of Naval Staff
th
17 May World Telecommunication and ▪ Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi has taken over as the Chief of the Naval Staff.
Information Society Day (WTISD) ▪ He has succeeded Admiral R Hari Kumar.
16th May Sikkim Statehood Day On May 16, 1975, Sikkim officially became the 22nd ▪ Mr Tripathi has served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.
state of the country, was formed by the 36th ▪ He commanded the Indian naval ships Vinash, Kirch and Trishul.
Amendment of the Constitution of India in 1975. ▪ Admiral Tripathi is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Nausena Medal for devotion to duty.
17th May (Third National Endangered Species Day The theme : National Endangered Species Day is -
Friday in May) Celebrate Saving Species.
18th May International Museum Day The theme - “Museums for Education and Research”
Connect Us - 3 Connect Us - 4
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab to step back from executive role
▪ Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum
(WEF), will step back from his current role and become Chairman of the board of
trustees by next January
▪ The World Economic Forum, established by Klaus Schwab in 1971, is known for its
annual gathering of political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland.
▪ Theme of 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum from 15–19 January
2024 at Davos-klosters, Switzerland was "Rebuilding Trust"
▪ It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
▪ Major Reports by WEF:
▪ Global Competitiveness Report
▪ Global Gender Gap Report
▪ Energy Transition Index Sanjaya Kumar Mishra Takes Oath as 1st President Of GST Appellate Tribunal
▪ Global Risk Report ▪ Former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra has
▪ Global Travel and Tourism Report. been appointed as the first President of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate
Tribunal (GSTAT), New Delhi.
BARC India Appoints Dr. Bikramjit Chaudhuri as New Chief of Measurement ▪ Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman administered the oath of office to
Science & Analytics Justice Mishra.
▪ BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) India is an industry body ▪ The GSTAT is the Appellate Authority established under the Central Goods and
set up to design, commission, supervise and own an accurate, reliable Services Tax Act, 2017
and timely television audience measurement system for India. ▪ GSTAT is set up as a crucial body for resolving GST-related disputes. It will ensure
▪ Chairman BARC India – Shashidhar Sinha swift, fair, judicious and effective resolution to GST disputes, besides significantly reducing the burden on
higher courts.
ITC's Sanjiv Puri becomes CII President for 2024-25
▪ Sanjiv Puri, Chairman and MD of ITC, has taken over as Confederation of Indian Tribunals
Industry President for the 2024-25 term, • It is a quasi-judicial institution that deals with the resolution of disputes pertaining to administration,
▪ He is succeeding R Dinesh of TVS Supply Chain Solutions. taxation, environment, securities, etc.
• A quasi-judicial body is a non-judicial body which can interpret law. It serve as an alternative to the
Confederation of Indian Industries traditional court system.
• CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization. • It is comprised of members who have specialized expertise in the subject matter over which they have
• It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, jurisdiction.
Government and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes. • The original Constitution did not contain provisions with respect to tribunals. The 42nd Amendment Act of
• Founded in 1895, it is headquartered in New delhi. 1976 added a new Part XIV-A to the Constitution. This part is titled ‘Tribunals’ and consists of only two
Articles–
Hitesh Sethia appointed as Jio Financial Services’ MD and CEO • Article 323A dealing with administrative tribunals and
▪ for three years. • Article 323B dealing with tribunals for other matters.
▪ Jio Financial Services was listed on the Indian stock exchanges in August
2023. Kareena Kapoor Khan appointed as National Ambassador for UNICEF
▪ The company provides financial services, including payment services India
and insurance broking. About UNICEF
▪ Founder: Mukesh Ambani ▪ Created in 1946 as International Children’s Emergency Fund
▪ Headquarters: Mumbai (ICEF) by UN relief Rehabilitation Administration to help
children affected by World War II.
Maushumi Chakravarty Assumes Charge Of Director General Of Akashvani News ▪ UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations in
Ms. Chakravarty assumed the charge after superannuation of Ms. Vasudha Gupta as Principal 1953.
DG. ▪ The name was shortened to United Nations Children Fund but it is still referred to as UNICEF.
▪ Awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965 for “promotion of brotherhood among the nations”.
▪ Headquarters: New York City.
Paytm President and COO Bhavesh Gupta resigns

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Assumes Charge As Vice Chief Of Naval Staff ▪ The Company has accepted his resignation, and he will be relieved on May 31, 2024
▪ Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor assumed the appointment of Air Officer Commanding-in- ▪ Varun Sridhar appointed as CEO of Paytm Services Pvt Limited.
Chief Training Command
▪ Rakesh Singh appointed as CEO of Paytm Money. • It operates under Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. The CBI was formally established in
▪ Vijay Shekhar Sharma - Founder & CEO, of Paytm 1963
▪ Parent organization: One97 Communications • However, its origins trace back to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) formed in 1941 to investigate cases
▪ Founded: August 2010 of bribery and corruption in transactions with the War & Supply Department of India during World War II.
• The CBI is not a statutory body but derives its power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police
Meghalaya gets first woman DGP Establishment Act, 1946.
▪ Idashisha Nongrang has been appointed the first woman Director General of Police • The establishment of the CBI was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on
(DGP) of Meghalaya, a hill State dominated by three matrilineal ethnic communities. Prevention of Corruption (1962–1964).
▪ She's the first woman to ever become the DGP in any of the state police forces in the
Northeast. Kapil Sibal elected Supreme Court Bar Association President
▪ Ms. Nongrang belongs to the Khasi community and is currently the Director General of Senior advocate Kapil Sibal was elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association
Meghalaya Civil Defence. (SCBA). He would be serving the SCBA for the 4th time as its President.
▪ The Khasis are a matrilineal community. The other two matrilineal communities of the
State are Garos and Jaintias.
Jethabhai Bharwad elected NAFED Chairman unopposed
Melinda French Gates resigns as Gates Foundation co-chair ▪ Jethabhai Bharwad, who is the Deputy Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly has been
Melinda French Gates will step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the elected Chairman of major agri cooperative National Agricultural Cooperative
nonprofit she and her ex-husband Bill Gates founded and built into one of the world's largest Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).
philanthropic organizations over the past 20 years.
Wipro Appoints Vinay Firake as CEO of APMEA Strategic Market Unit National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)
▪ Wipro, a leading IT major, has announced the appointment of Vinay Firake as ▪ An apex organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and ▪ It was founded on 2 October 1958 to promote the trade of agricultural produce and forest resources across
Africa (APMEA) strategic market unit (SMU) the nation.
▪ With its headquarters in New Delhi, NAFED has four regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata
NASA Appoints New Chief for Artificial Intelligence
▪ NASA appointed David Salvagnini as the agency’s first chief artificial intelligence (AI) Justice R. Mahadevan to be Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court
officer, in an extension of his current role as the chief data officer. ▪ Appointed by President Droupadi Murmu
▪ Justice Mahadevan will take charge as the Acting Chief Justice from 24th May,
upon the retirement of the current Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala.
RBI Approves Appointment of Pradeep Natarajan as IDFC FIRST Bank’s Whole Time
Director Rushabh Gandhi Appointed as MD and CEO of IndiaFirst Life Insurance
▪ The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved Pradeep Natarajan’s joining ▪ The board of IndiaFirst Life Insurance has approved the appointment of Deputy
IDFC First Bank Ltd. as Whole Time Director. He will serve a three-year term CEO Rushabh Gandhi as the Managing Director (MD) and CEO, following the
in this role. current MD and CEO R M Vishakha, who will retire on June 30, 2024.
▪ IDFC FIRST CMD - V. Vaidyanathan
▪ HEADQUARTER - MUMBAI Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh Takes Command Of NDA
▪ Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh assumed the appointment of Commandant, National Defence
L&T Elevates R Shankar Raman as President Academy from Vice Admiral Ajay Kocchar in Pune.
▪ Engineering and construction conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) ▪ NDA is a prestigious military academy that trains officers for the Indian Armed Forces,
announced the elevation of R Shankar Raman as the President of the including the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
company. ▪ Location: Khadakwasla, near Pune, Maharashtra.
▪ Following this promotion, Raman will continue to hold his existing roles as ▪ Motto : Seva Paramo Dharma (Service Before Self)
the Whole-time Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company. Government Extends Tenure Of Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande By One Month
Senior IPS Officers A.Y.V. Krishna & N. Venu Gopal Appointed As Additional Directors In CBI ▪ up to 30th of June.
▪ Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). ▪ He was appointed as the Army Chief on 30th of April, 2022.
▪ Mr. Krishna been inducted as the additional director of CBI for a tenure up to August 6, 2028. ▪ He was commissioned in December 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers).
▪ Mr. Venu Gopal has been appointed as additional director, CBI for a tenure up to May 24, 2027.
DRDO chief Samir V Kamat gets one-year extension
CBI ▪ from June 1, 2024, till May 31, 2025, or until further orders.
• It is India's premier investigative agency, responsible for addressing serious crimes and ▪ DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi
ensuring national security. ▪ Formed: 1958
Awards ▪ Dr. Barman received the trophy from charity patron Princess Anne – the Princess Royal, the sister of King
Designer Bhavi Mehta wins Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize 2024 for 'The Book Beautiful’ Charles III, at the Royal Geographical Society award ceremony in London, United Kingdom.
▪ "The Book Beautiful" authored by Pradeep Sebastian, published by Hachette India. ▪ The birds are mainly found in the wetland areas of North -East , especially Assam. The population of the
▪ Mehta received a trophy, certificate, and a cash prize of INR 1 lakh. birds, which had dropped to around 450, has increased to over 1800 in the areas mainly due to the
conservation efforts of Dr Purnima and her Hargila Army.
Pulitzer Prize 2024 Winners Announced ▪ Whitley Fund for Nature is a charity registered in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1993.
▪ Pulitzer Prizes for 2024 were conferred by Columbia University, USA on the recommendation of the Pulitzer ▪ The charity instituted the Whitley Gold Awards in 2007.
Prize Board. ▪ The Whitley Gold Awards is given to grassroots conservation leaders from the global
▪ The awards are considered the most prestigious in the fields of journalism and arts south for their efforts in mobilisng the local community to find local solutions to the
▪ It recognises work in 15 journalism categories and eight arts categories. global biodiversity and climate crises.
▪ The Pulitzer Prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer in 1904
▪ The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in 1917 Greater Adjutant Storks (Garuda)
• Once found across South and Southeast Asia, the Greater Adjutant is one of the most
Journalism Category threatened stork species in the world.
• There are only three known breeding grounds – one in Cambodia and two in India (Assam
Category Winner
and Bihar).
Public Service Pro Publica (Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy, Alex Mierjeski, and
Protection Status:
Kirsten Berg)
• IUCN Red List: Endangered
Investigative Reporting Hannah Dreier (The New York Times)
• Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule IV
International Reporting Staff of The New York Times
Editorial Writing David E. Hoffman (The Washington Post)
Palestinian journalists covering Gaza awarded 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press
Breaking News Photography Photography Staff of Reuters
Freedom Prize
Feature Photography Photography Staff of Associated Press ▪ Palestinian journalists covering Gaza have been named as laureates of the 2024
Audio Reporting Staff of the Invisible Institute and USG Audio UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
▪ Created in 1997, the annual Prize honours an outstanding contribution to the
Book, Drama, and Music Category defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially
Category Winner when this has been achieved in the face of danger.
Fiction Night Watch. by Jayne Anne Phillips ▪ It is named for Guillermo Cano Isaza, the Colombian journalist
Drama Primary Trust. by Eboni Booth
History No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Boston’s Black Workers in the Civil War Era. UNESCO
by Jacqueline Jones ▪ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Biography 1. King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig, is a biography of American Black civil rights activist ▪ With 194 Member States, it contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on
Martin Luther King Jr. education, science, culture, communication and information.
2. Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo ▪ Headquartered in Paris
Memoir and Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice. by Cristina Rivera Garza ▪ Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
Autobiography
Poetry Tripas: Poems by Brandon Som George Lucas, Meryl Streep & Studio Ghibli set to receive Cannes honorary Palme D’Or
Music Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith). by Tyshawn Sorey ▪ Hollywood actress Meryl Streep is set to be honored with a special Palme d’Or at the
Cannes Film Festival’s opening ceremony on May 14
General Nonfiction A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy. by Nathan Thrall
▪ In a first ever, the upcoming Cannes Film Festival will give an Honorary Palme d'Or for a
▪ A special citation was issued to the late writer and critic Gregory Stephen Tate group – Studio Ghibli -- well known for its brilliant animation cinema.
(Greg Tate), an American writer, musician, and ▪ The Japanese studio house has made movies as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro
producer. and The Boy and the Heron (which won an Oscar this year).
▪ A special citation was also given to journalists and media ▪ Director Hayao Miyazaki is one of the founders
workers covering the war in Gaza. ▪ Star Wars' creator George Lucas will also get the Honorary Palme.
Ruskin Bond awarded Sahitya Akademi Fellowship

Purnima Devi Barman receives 'Green Oscar' Whitley Gold Award 2024 ▪ Eminent author Ruskin Bond has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the
▪ A wildlife biologist from Assam has been honoured with a leading UK wildlife highest honour given by the literary organisation.
charity award for conserving the endangered greater adjutant or Hargila (as called ▪ Sahitya Akademi President Madhav Kashik presented the honour
locally by community in Assam), one of the world’s rarest storks. ▪ His notable works include Vagrants in the Valley, Once Upon a Monsoon Time, Angry
River, Strangers in the Night, All Roads Lead to Ganga, Tales of Fosterganj, Leopard on the Mountain and Too
Much Trouble.
▪ The 1978 Hindi film Junoon is based on Ruskin’s historical novel A Flight of Pigeons (Indian Rebellion of ▪ Anasuya Sengupta, who hails from Kolkata, won Un Certain Regard Prize for Best
1857). Actress for her performance in The Shameless.
▪ Several of his stories The Night Train at Deoli, Time Stops at Shamli and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra (Sahitya ▪ Anasuya has created history by becoming the first Indian to win the award.
Akademi Award 1992) were included in the school curriculum in India. ▪ The film, directed and written by Bulgarian filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov.
▪ In 2005, his popular children’s novel The Blue Umbrella was made into a film. ▪ Indian film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know won the first place in the La Cinef
▪ He has been honoured with Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2019, and the Sahitya Akademi Bal Selection at this year’s Cannes.
Sahitya Puraskar in 2012. ▪ The third prize of the La Cinef competition went to Mansi Maheshwari’s animation film
Bunnyhood. Maheshwari, born in Meerut and an ex-student of NIFT Delhi, made the
Hindustan Shipyard Limited’s CMD Hemant Khatri Honored with ‘PSU Samarpan Award film as a student of UK’s National Film and Television School.
▪ Hindustan Shipyard Limited's (HSL) Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Hemant
Khatri has been honoured with the esteemed 'PSU Samarpan Award' by Gov Connect Made-In-India Cherrapunji Gin Secures Top Honour At Global Spirits Masters Competition
▪ Recognised his exemplary leadership in driving the transformation of the shipyard and ▪ Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin, a homegrown spirit from
inspiring countless individual within the industry. Meghalaya has won the top honor at the Global Spirits Masters
▪ HSL CMD received the award in the 'Other PSU' category competition.
▪ This gin outshined 110 brands from 55 countries to claim the
NTPC gets global recognition for Talent Development, secures 3rd rank at ATD BEST Awards 2024 top spot.
▪ NTPC has achieved a milestone by securing the 3rd rank globally at the ATD BEST Awards ▪ It was featured at the London Wine Fair on May 21, 2024, in the
2024, this being the highest ranking among all Indian companies. United Kingdom, showcasing the flavors of Northeast India to
▪ Notably, NTPC is the only PSU to have received this prestigious award seven times in the the global spirits industry.
past eight years. ▪ Key ingredients include the GI-tagged Khasi mandarin from Meghalaya, Assam’s GI Tagged kaji nemu (lemon)
▪ The ATD BEST Awards, established by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), USA, is one of the most peel; among other ingrdients.
esteemed international recognitions in the field of Learning and Development (L&D).
▪ It honors organizations that leverage talent development as a strategic business tool and demonstrate KIA bags Green Airports Recognition-2024 award
enterprise-wide success through effective employee development practices. ▪ The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has bagged the silver
award in the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific & Middle
Indian-Origin Professor Shrinivas R Kulkarni Wins Shaw Prize in Astronomy East ‘Green Airports Recognition (GAR) 2024’.
▪ The annual Shaw Prize in Astronomy will be awarded to US professor of astronomy ▪ The KIA bagged the silver award in the category of airports handling
Shrinivas R. Kulkarni, who is of Indian descent between 15 million and 35 million passengers a year.
▪ for his groundbreaking research on millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, ▪ The theme for the Green Airports Recognition 2024 is ‘Biodiversity and nature-based solutions’.
and other variable or transitory astronomical events. ▪ The recognised airports have been awarded in three categories – platinum, gold, and silver
▪ “The Shaw Prize consists of three annual prizes: Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, ▪ The airports are bracketed into four categories: over 35 million passengers a year, between 15 million and 35
and Mathematical Sciences, each bearing a monetary award of USD 1.2 million. million passengers, between 8 million and 15 million passengers, and less than 8 million passengers a year.
▪ This will be the 21st year that the Prize has been awarded and the presentation ▪ The other Indian airports to win the GAR 2024 are:
ceremony is scheduled for, November 12 in Hong Kong. ▪ New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (silver) in airports handling over 35 million
passengers a year category and
Indian film ‘Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know’ wins La Cinef for Best Short at Cannes ▪ Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (silver) in airports handling less than 8
2024 million passengers a year category.
▪ Indian filmmaker Chidananda S Naik's short film ‘Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know’ won the 1st prize
in the 27th La Cinef category of the 77th Cannes Film Festival Indian Army Major Radhika Sen Selected To Receive 2023 Military Gender Advocate Of
▪ Chidananda S. Naik is a student at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Year Award
Cannes will give a grant of 15,000 euros for the first prize ▪ The prestigious 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year award was conferred
to Indian Army Major Sen by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio
Cannes 2024: Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ scripts history for India, wins Grand Guterres on International Day of the UN Peacekeepers (29 May)
Prix ▪ The award honours the efforts of a UN peacekeeper whose action promotes the
▪ Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light bagged the Grand Prix, the second-highest principles of the United Nations Security Council resolution passed in 2000, which
award at the Cannes Film Festival. calls for the protection of women and children against sexual violence in conflict zones and sets gender-
▪ The only Indian film to ever win the Palme d’Or — then known as Grand Prix du Festival related responsibilities for the UN.
International du Film — is Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar (1946). ▪ Major Radhika, who is from Himachal Pradesh, was deployed with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion in
▪ Mrinal Sen’s domestic help drama Kharij won the Jury Prize in 1983. South Sudan in 2023.
▪ In 1994, Malayalam director Shaji N Karun’s ‘Swaham’ was the last film from India to ▪ Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive the honour after Major Suman Gawani, who served with the
compete for the Palme d’Or. UN Mission in South Sudan and received the award in 2019.
▪ American director Sean Baker’s Anora won the Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes.
REC wins ‘Sustainability Champion – Editor’s Choice Award’ at Outlook Planet Sustainability Noted Punjabi poet Surjit Patar passes away at 79
Summit & Awards 2024 He received top honours like Padma Shri in 2012 and the Sahitya Akademi Award.
▪ REC Limited is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of
Power and a leading NBFC
▪ The Award ceremony was organised by Outlook Group, in collaboration with IIT Goa.
▪ The award highlights the corporation’s pledge to sustainability initiatives, leading the path toward a greener
future. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi passed away at 72
▪ He was a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader
German author Jenny Erpenbeck wins International Booker Prize for Fiction for ‘Kairos’ ▪ He became Deputy Chief Minister for the first time in 2005 under Chief Minister Nitish
▪ German author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann won the International Kumar
Booker Prize for fiction for “Kairos,” the story of a tangled love affair during the final years of ▪ He was also one of the few leaders to have achieved the feat of being a member of four
East Germany’s existence. legislative Houses - Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, the Bihar Assembly and Legislative Council.
▪ International Booker Prize recognizes fiction from around the world that has been translated
into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland. Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro dies at 92
▪ The 50,000 pounds ($64,000) in prize money is divided between author and translator. ▪ Canadian author Alice Munro wrote short stories for more than 60 years, often focusing
▪ Erpenbeck is the first German winner of the International Booker Prize, and Hofmann is the first male on life in rural Canada.
translator to win since the prize launched in its current form in 2016. ▪ Called “Canada’s Chekhov,” Munro won the Man Booker International Prize in 2009.
▪ In 2013, she became the first Canadian woman and 13th woman overall to win the Nobel
Obituary Prize for Literature.
Sahitya Akademi winner Urdu litterateur Salam Bin Razzaq passes at 83 Passing Away Of Former Gujarat Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal
▪ He won the Sahitya Akademi for Urdu literature for his short stories ▪ Congress veteran Kamla Beniwal, served as Rajasthan’s Deputy Chief Minister (in 2003) and
collection, ‘Shikasta Buton Ke Darmiyan’ in 2004. held the post of Governor in three states - Tripura, Gujarat and Mizoram.
▪ Awards: Sahitya Akademi Award, Ghalib Award, Maharashtra Urdu ▪ Born in 1927 in Jhunjhunu district Rajasthan, Beniwal took part in the freedom struggle in her
Sahitya Akademi Award. youth.
▪ His Works: ‘Nangi Dopahar Ka Sipahi’, ‘Muabbir’, and ‘Zindagi Afsana ▪ At the age of 27, she became Rajasthan’s first woman minister
Nahin’
Author, storyteller Malti Joshi passes away
Varugeese Koshy, chess International Master and renowned trainer, died ▪ Malti Joshi was conferred Padma Shri in 2018.
▪ International Master, renowned trainer and a mentor to many aspirants, Varugeese ▪ She had over fifty collections of stories in Hindi and Marathi
Koshy, has died. ▪ Several of Joshi’s stories were adapted for television by Doordarshan
▪ He become India number two in the National Championship of the early nineties. ▪ Born in Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Print media veteran Naresh Mohan dies at 82 ‘Ice cream man of India’ Raghunandan Kamath dies at 70
▪ Distinguished media veteran and former President of Indian Newspaper Society ▪ Fondly known as the “Ice Cream Man of India”, founder of Naturals Ice Cream
(INS) Naresh Mohan passed away. Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath passed away .
▪ He also served as Executive President at Hindustan Times, chairman at United ▪ Kamath first founded the ice cream brand in Mumbai
News of India and as member of the Press Council of India.
▪ Founded in 1939, INS acts as the central organisation for newspapers in India Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have
been killed in a helicopter crash
Veteran Pakistani actor Talat Hussain dies at 83 ▪ A helicopter carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, the foreign minister, and
▪ Talat Hussain, an acclaimed actor in radio, TV, theatre, and cinema, passed away other officials reportedly crashed in the mountainous northwest of Iran , as it
was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog
Oscar winning producer Albert S Ruddy passes away at 94 ▪ Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will assume powers after Raisi’s death.
▪ Canadian-American film and TV producer Albert S Ruddy, who won Oscars for ‘The ▪ According to the Iranian Constitution, in case of the president’s death or incapacity, the first vice president
Godfather’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’, has passed away will take over until an election is held within a maximum period of 50 days.
Actor Bernard Hill, known for playing King Theoden in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, passes away Fred Roos, ‘Godfather Part II’ producer dies at 89
▪ Renowned British actor Bernard Hill has passed away ▪ Fred Roos, the Oscar-winning producer of The Godfather Part II who helped launch the
▪ He played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic and King careers of numerous superstars from Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise, has died.
Théoden in the Lord of the Rings.
▪ Born on December 17, 1944, in Manchester, England.
State News  It aims to entail over Rs 8 lakh crore of total investments and is expected to
generate 6 lakh jobs
Uttarakhand Tourism Announced India’s First Astro Tourism Campaign Named ‘Nakshatra Sabha’  It will also lead to a cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports by over Rs 1 lakh
▪ The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board has joined hands with Starscapes, a leading astro-tourism crore and an abatement of nearly 50 MT of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
company, to introduce Nakshatra Sabha, a new initiative to provide a comprehensive Astro Tourism  Nodal Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
experience to people.
▪ The campaign will offer a range of activities, including stargazing, special solar GAIL
observations, astrophotography contests, camping under the stars, and more. ▪ Founded as the Gas Authority of India Ltd. in August 1984 under the Ministry of
▪ Scheduled to kick off in early June at George Everest in Mussoorie, Nakshatra Sabha Petroleum and Natural Gas
will continue until mid-2025, featuring a series of immersive events at various ▪ On 1 February 2013, the Indian government conferred GAIL with
locations across Uttarakhand. Maharatna status .
▪ These events will explore potential night sky sites in districts such as Uttarkashi, ▪ GAIL Chairman and Managing Director: Sandeep Gupta
Pithoragarh, Nainital, and Chamoli, along with seminars and webinars led by experts
in the field. IMD issues alert for Cyclone Remal
▪ The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning for a potential
Uttarakhand Launches ‘Pirul Lao-Paise Pao’ Campaign to Combat Forest Fires severe tropical cyclonic storm that could impact the coasts of West Bengal
▪ Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the campaign in the and Bangladesh in the next couple of days.
Rudraprayag district. ▪ This will be the first cyclone developing in the North Indian Ocean basin this
▪ Under the ‘Pirul Lao-Paise Pao’ campaign, local youth and villagers will year.
collect dry Pirul (Pine tree leaves) from the forests and take them to ▪ The name ‘Remal’ is given by Oman
designated Pirul collection centers
▪ The villagers will be paid Rs 50 per kg, with the amount directly transferred to their Cyclone
bank accounts. ▪ Cyclones are rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area.
▪ The collected Pirul will be packed, processed, and sold to industries for further use. ▪ The air circulates in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern
▪ Pirul, due to their excellent burning capacity, pose a significant fire threat in Pine hemisphere.
forests. ▪ Cyclones are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.
There are two types of cyclones:
India’s first urban ropeway in Varanasi to be ready by August 2024 1. Tropical cyclones
▪ The first section of India's inaugural urban ropeway project in Varanasi will link 2. Extra Tropical cyclones (also called Temperate cyclones or middle latitude cyclones or Frontal cyclones or
Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station to RathYatra by August 2024, under the Wave Cyclones).
'Parvatmala Pariyojana’.
▪ Constructed by Vishwa Samudra Engineering in partnership with Switzerland's Assam unveiled the" DRIMS" platform For Disaster Management
Bartholet Maschinenbau AG ▪ The Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS) platform,
▪ the project is designed to carry 96,000 passengers daily, improving connectivity in launched by Assam Government facilitates efficient disaster reporting and aid
congested areas. distribution, in collaboration with UNICEF.
▪ DRIMS captures critical impact data, expediting relief delivery for damaged crops,
GAIL (India) Ltd. Commissions it’s First Green Hydrogen Plant livestock losses, and other post-disaster restoration efforts.
▪ The first hydrogen green plant by GAIL (Gas Authority of India Ltd) was inaugurated at Vijaipur in Madhya ▪ Assam CM: Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Pradesh. Manipur Takes Steps To Save Endangered Meitei Ponies
▪ The plant marks a major step towards new and alternate energy and has been installed in line with the ▪ Chief Minister N Biren Singh
National Green Hydrogen Mission. ▪ To protect the endangered Manipuri Pony, government allotted 30 acres of
▪ This Green Hydrogen plant can produce 4.3 tons per day TPD of hydrogen through 10MW PEM (Proton grassy fields at Lamphelpat, Imphal West where they can freely roam and graze.
Exchange Membrane) Electrolyzer units, by electrolysis of water using renewable power. ▪ The Manipur State Government has been taking up various measures to protect
the Manipuri Pony or Meitei Sagol which is closely tied to the state's history &
National Green Hydrogen Mission culture.
 Union Government approved a Rs 19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen ▪ The Meitei Sagol is one of the seven recognised horse and pony breeds of India.
mission that aims to make India a ‘global hub’ for using, producing and exporting ▪ The others include the Marwari Horse, the Kathiawari Horse, the Zanskari Pony, the Spiti Pony, the Bhutia
green hydrogen. Pony and the Kachhi-Sindhi Horse.
 Developing green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric ▪ The population of the Manipuri Pony, a highly valued breed, has been dwindling rapidly in recent times -
Tonne) per annum, alongside adding renewable energy capacity of about 125 GW from 1,898 animals in the 17th Quinquennial Livestock Census 2003 to only 1,089 in the last livestock census
(gigawatt) in India by 2030 done in 2019
▪ The Manipur government declared the Manipuri Pony as an Endangered Breed in 2013.
▪ The breed is regarded as the original polo pony as modern polo is derived from ▪ The park was inaugurated by General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-
the traditional Sagol Kangjei sport of Manipur. C), Southern Command, Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh.
Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey Inaugurates ‘School On Wheels’ Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR):
▪ Manipur, Governor Anusuiya Uikey inaugurated ‘School on Wheels’ at a ▪ located in the Sahyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats
ceremony held in Imphal. ▪ Notified in 2010 by amalgamating the Chandoli national park and Koyna
▪ The initiative which is being implemented by Vidya Bharati Shiksha Vikash Samiti wildlife sanctuary.
Manipur aims to reach out to the students in the relief camps in the State. ▪ includes the area around the Koyna Dam, the Warna River
▪ The school bus is equipped with a library, computers and sports items with a Tiger reserves of Maharashtra:
teacher and visits relief camps in different places in the State. ▪ Melghat Tiger Reserve
▪ Pench Tiger Reserve
Sikkim Celebrates Saga Dawa Festival ▪ Nawegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve
▪ Sikkim is celebrating Saga Dawa, a festival that falls annually on the 15th day (full ▪ Tadobha Andhari Tiger Reserve
moon) of the fourth month of the Northern Buddhist Calendar ▪ Sahyadri Tiger Reserve
▪ Saga Dawa is considered the most sacred Buddhist festival, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and ▪ Bor Tiger Reserve
Mahaparinirvana (passing away) of Buddha Shakyamuni.
▪ This day is also known as the ‘Triple Blessed Occasion’. Lakshmana Tirtha River Dries Up Amidst Drought and Heat
• Tibetan Buddhist calendar is a lunisolar calendar: ▪ It is a tributary of the river Kaveri in Kodagu or Coorg District of Karnataka.
▪ Lakshmanatirtha Falls or the Irupu Falls on the river, bordering Kerala
Imp. Buddhist festivals in Sikkim: ▪ Farmers in South Kodagu are struggling to irrigate their crops due to a dire situation. They rely on the river
 Losar (Tibetan New Year): for their coffee plantations, but the water scarcity has made it difficult.
• When: 1st day of the 1st month (February-March)
 Saga Dawa: Hepatitis A outbreak in Kerala: 12 deaths so far, 4 districts on alert
• When: 4th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar (May-June) ▪ Kerala is seeing its worst outbreak of the Hepatitis A virus in recent years,
• Description: This festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death (parinirvana) of Lord with the state reporting 1,977 confirmed cases and 12 deaths in the first four-
Buddha. and-a-half months of this year.
▪ State Health Minister Veena George has put out an alert for the four districts
Buddhist festivals in Sikkim: – Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur and Ernakulam – from where the most
 Drukpa Tshechi: number of cases were reported.
• When: 6th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar (July-August) ▪ Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), and is transmitted
• Description: Celebrates the first sermon of Lord Buddha at Sarnath. through contaminated food and water, or through direct contact with an infectious person.
 Pang Lhabsol: ▪ It can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection.
• When: 15th day of the 7th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar (August- ▪ Generally, most people recover from hepatitis A with no permanent liver damage. In rare cases, hepatitis A
September) can cause liver failure.
• Description: This unique festival is dedicated to Mount Kanchenjunga
Union Territories
Sikkim High Court introduces menstrual leave policy for its women employees
▪ In a first-of-its-kind move, the Sikkim High Court has introduced a Chandigarh University becomes India’s first to start Harvard program
menstrual leave policy for its women employees in the registry. ▪ Chandigarh University signs MoU with Harvard to offer a Harvard University
▪ The Sikkim High Court registry stated that women employees may avail collaborative business management program, aligning with India's New Education
“2-3 days of menstrual leave” in a month. Policy for international academic partnerships.
▪ However, such leave would only be granted on the prior ▪ Under the collaboration, Chandigarh University students will be taught by the
recommendation of the Medical Officer of the High Court. faculty of Harvard University's Business School for a semester under this online MBA
▪ This leave will not be counted against the employee’s overall leave account programme.
▪ The Sikkim HC, the country’s smallest High Court, has three judges, with just 9 officers in the registry ▪ Chandigarh University's students to be graded with Harvard University students, get
including one woman officer. placements at top global firms
▪ The Sikkim High Court is the first High Court to introduce a menstrual leave policy. Currently, there is no ▪ CU Chancellor - Satnam Singh Sandhu
national policy or law for menstrual leave.
Marine Heatwaves Trigger Widespread Coral Bleaching in Lakshadweep Sea
Indian Army and Punit Balan Group Collaborate to Develop India’s First Constitution Park
▪ India’s First Constitution Park inaugurated in Pune, Maharashtra.
▪ In order to propel India towards development by 2047, every citizen must honor the duties outlined in the
Constitution.
▪ Researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have Aditya L1 and Chandrayaan 2 capture intense solar storm that hit Earth
recorded widespread bleaching impacting coral reefs in the Lakshadweep sea ▪ The ASPEX payload on-board Aditya-L1 is showing high speed solar wind, high
primarily due to prolonged period of marine heat waves affecting the region since temperature solar wind plasma and energetic ion flux till now
late October 2023. ▪ At least five solar storms, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), slammed
▪ Heatwaves were rare extreme weather events that involved prolonged periods of into our planet's protective field one after the other from May 10 to May 13.
abnormally high ocean temperatures. ▪ These CMEs were launched into space by solar flares from a single, massive
▪ Coral are made up of genetically identical organisms called polyps. These polyps sunspot, named AR3664, which is more than 15 times wider than Earth.
have microscopic algae called zooxanthellae living within their tissues. ▪ Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation coming from the release of magnetic
▪ The corals and algae have a mutualistic (symbiotic) relationship. energy associated with sunspots. They are the largest explosive events in our
▪ The coral provides the zooxanthellae with the compounds necessary for solar system.
photosynthesis ▪ Sunspots are areas of strong magnetic fields on the sun's surface. These
▪ In return, the zooxanthellae supply the coral with organic products of photosynthesis, like carbohydrates, magnetic fields are so strong that they inhibit convection, forming areas of
which are utilized by the coral polyps for synthesis of their calcium carbonate skeletons. reduced surface temperature.
▪ When corals face stress by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the ▪ When these magnetic fields suddenly realign, they can release a huge
symbiotic algae zooxanthellae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. This amount of energy in the form of radiation, which is a solar flare.
phenomenon is called coral bleaching. ▪ Scientists believe we have entered solar maximum — the most active
phase of the sun's roughly 11-year solar cycle.
Air India Launches Airbus A350-900 On Delhi-Dubai Route, Marks International Debut ▪ A majority of these flares that hit Earth recently were X-class — the most
▪ Air India commenced operations of its brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft on powerful type of surface explosions the sun is capable of producing.
the busy Delhi-Dubai route, marking the flagship plane’s international debut. ▪ Scientists expected the storm would be a "severe" G4 disturbance — the second-highest class of
▪ With this, Air India becomes the only carrier to operate the A350 between geomagnetic storms. However, it briefly reached "extreme" G5 status at least twice
India and Dubai. ▪ The CME bombardment temporarily weakened Earth's protective field, which enabled charged particles
from the sun to penetrate deep into the atmosphere and excite molecules of gas. These in turn triggered
GI Tag vibrant, multicolored auroras at latitudes much farther from Earth's polar regions than normal.
▪ It also resulted in some minor "power grid irregularities" and temporary disruptions to GPS and other
Geographical Indication (GI) certificate upon the traditional artisans of 'Kutch Ajrakh’ satellite services
▪ The Ajrakh is a textile craft, and holds deep roots in the cultural of Gujarat, ▪ As per ISRO - “This is the biggest geomagnetic storm since 2003 in terms of its strength, as the flaring region
particularly in the regions of Sindh, Barmer, and Kutch on the Sun was as big as the historically important Carrington event that took place in 1859”.
▪ It is a process of hand-block printing on treated cotton cloth ▪ The October 2003 solar storm called ‘Halloween Storms’ caused blackouts in
▪ Ajrak’s nomenclature originates from ‘Azrak’, meaning indigo, a well-known Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa.
powerful dye to achieve a bluish effect. ▪ The most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history, known as the
▪ This craft was introduced to this region over 400 years back by the Sind Muslims. Carrington Event, occurred in September 1859
▪ Given the rate at which the current solar cycle is progressing, there is a decent
chance that we might experience more G4 or G5 disturbances over the next few
Science and Tech years.
Astronomers finally detect a rocky planet with an atmosphere ISRO completes key test for India’s first semi-cryogenic engine
▪ The planet, called 55 Cancri e or Janssen, is about 8.8 times more massive than ▪ ISRO conducted the first ignition trial for SCE-200 (semi-cryogenic engine-200) at
Earth, with a diameter about twice that of our planet. the semi-cryo integrated engine test facility (SIET) located in the ISRO propulsion
▪ The planet is located in our Milky Way galaxy about 41 light-years from Earth, in complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, TN
the constellation Cancer ▪ The space agency is developing a semi-cryogenic engine which works on a
▪ It orbits its star at one-25th the distance between our solar system's innermost propellant combination of liquid oxygen and kerosene and is aimed at enhancing
planet Mercury and the sun the payload capability of launch vehicle Mk III (LVM3) and future launch vehicles.
▪ This is one of the hottest-known rocky exoplanets ▪ ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru
▪ This planet - apparently with a surface of molten rock - offers no hope for habitability. ▪ Founded: 15 August 1969
▪ The planet is probably tidally locked, meaning it perpetually has the same side facing its star, much like the ▪ Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
moon does toward Earth. ▪ DIRECTOR : S. Somanath
▪ Infrared observations using two instruments aboard the James Webb Space Telescope indicated the
presence of a substantial - if inhospitable – atmosphere T.N.-based Agnikul launches world’s first rocket with fully 3D-printed engine
▪ The atmosphere is likely rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, but can also have other gases such as ▪ The Chennai headquartered space start-up Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited on finally launched
water vapor and sulfur dioxide. its first rocket Agnibaan Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) from the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
▪ The launch was previously postponed several times.
▪ Agnibaan SOrTeD is India’s first launch from a private launchpad, called ‘Dhanush’, established by Agnikul. Sunita Williams-piloted Boeing Starliner test flight postponed over Atlas rocket glitch
▪ It is also India’s first semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket launch and the world’s first single piece 3D-
printed engine designed and built indigenously. First Indian space tourist completes flight
▪ Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and Satya Chakravarthy, Agnikul Cosmos became the ▪ India-born aviator and commercial pilot Gopi Thotakura was among the six
first company in the country to sign an agreement with ISRO under the IN-SPACe initiative to have access to space tourists who undertook a short recreational trip to space on May 19.
the space agency’s expertise and its facilities to build Agnibaan in December 2020. ▪ Thotakura, who is based in the United States, is the first space tourist from India
▪ Thotakura flew aboard a spacecraft of Blue Origin, one of the several private space
NASA Launches Satellite PREFIRE to Study Earth’s Poles companies offering a joy ride to people wanting to venture into space.
▪ The first of a pair of climate satellites designed to study heat emissions at ▪ From take off to landing, the whole journey lasted only about ten minutes, during
Earth’s poles for NASA is in orbit after lifting off atop Rocket Lab’s Electron which the spacecraft attained a maximum height of about 105 km from the Earth.
rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand ▪ Space travel begins at about 100 km altitude from Earth, after crossing the so-called
▪ PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission consists of two shoebox-size cube Karman line, which is generally considered to be the boundary between the Earth’s
satellites, or CubeSats atmosphere and outer space.
▪ The PREFIRE mission will gather data on how much heat the Arctic and ▪ Thotakura’s journey is called a sub-orbital space flight.
Antarctica radiate into space and how this influences global climate. ▪ The spacecraft did not get into an orbit around the Earth.
▪ The data will help us understand the fundamentals of Earth’s heat balance, ▪ It crossed the Karman line, stayed there for some time, and then descended back to
allowing us to better predict how our ice, seas, and weather will change in Earth.
the face of global warming
German company tested rocket powered by candle wax
NASA Captures Yin-Yang Crater On Turkey’s Mount Nemrut’ ▪ German company HyImpulse successfully launched a candle wax-powered
▪ NASA's International Space Station captured a rare image of an unusual rocket capable of carrying commercial satellites on a test suborbital flight into
crater which on the Mount Nemrut volcano in Turkey. space for the first time.
▪ The image captured showed how the entire area gets split into two halves - ▪ The 12-metre, 2.5-tonne test rocket dubbed "SR75" lifted off in Koonibba,
a solidified lava region and a lake - like a yin-yang symbol from Chinese Australia.
philosophy. ▪ It is capable of carrying satellites weighing up to 250kg to an altitude of up to
▪ It is 9,672 feet (2,948 metres) in height and is located at the intersection between 250km while being fuelled by paraffin, or candle wax, and liquid oxygen
the Eurasian and the Arabian tectonic plates.
▪ According to NASA's Earth Observatory, in 1650, the dormant stratovolcano had China set to launch lunar probe Chang'e-6 with Pakistan's satellite on board
majorly erupted for the last time. ▪ China is set to launch its robotic spacecraft Chang'e-6 on May 3 which will make a
round trip and collect samples from the far side of the moon.
Indian-American Astronaut Sunita Williams set for third space flight ▪ Chang'e 6 will make an attempt to land on the northeastern side of the vast South
▪ Sunita Williams is ready to fly into space for the third time , as the pilot aboard Pole-Aitkin Basin, which is also known as the oldest impact crater in the solar
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in its the first crewed test flight. system.
▪ Boeing’s Starliner will blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. ▪ On Chang'e-6, China is set to carry payloads from Pakistan along with countries like
▪ Starliner will carry Williams, 58, and Butch Wilmore to the International Space France, Italy, and Sweden.
Station in low-earth orbit. . ▪ Pakistan's miniature/nano satellite ICUBE-QAMAR CubeSat
▪ It carries two optical cameras and will capture images of the Moon’s surface.
Boeing Starliner ▪ The mission will be launched from Hainan province in China
▪ Starliner can house up to seven astronauts.
▪ The Starliner has an innovative, weldless structure and is reusable up to 10 times with a six-month University of Tokyo inaugurates world’s highest observatory in Chile
turnaround time. ▪ Tokyo University inaugurated the Atacama Observatory in Chile's Antofagasta
▪ On September 16, 2014, NASA announced it had awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing to fly astronauts Region, 5,640 meters above sea level.
to the International Space Station (ISS). ▪ It has been awarded a Guinness World Record for being the highest
observatory in the world.
Who is Sunita Williams? • India's highest astronomical observatory is the Indian Astronomical
▪ Williams has spent a total of 322 days in space over the course of her two missions. Observatory (IAO) located in Hanle, in Ladakh. Established in 2001
▪ With 50 hours and 40 minutes, she is second on the list of total cumulative spacewalk time by a female approximately 4,500 meters (14,764 feet) above sea level. It is managed by Indian Institute of Astrophysics
astronaut (top - Peggy Whitson) (IIA), Bangalore
The previous two missions of Sunita Williams
1. Expedition 14/15 (December 9, 2006 to June 22, 2007) Rare Tree Species re-discovered after 140 years in Western Ghats
2. Expedition 32/33 (July 14 to November 18, 2012) ▪ Uniyala multibracteata, a rare tree species not seen for 140 years, has been rediscovered in the Wagamon
hills of the Western Ghats.
▪ Known locally as Kattupoovamkurunnila, this tree blooms cotton hairs and flowers
from October to January, thriving in evergreen forests and rocky grasslands at altitudes of 1,200 meters. ▪ The site named Taam Ja’ Blue Hole (TJBH) is now the deepest known
▪ It belongs to the genus Uniyala, named after taxonomist B.P. Uniyal. underwater sinkhole in the world.
▪ TJBH extends at least 1,380 feet (420 metres) below sea level.
Glyptothorax punyabratai: New Catfish Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh ▪ It is a type of underwater sinkhole or vertical cave that is typically found in
▪ Recently, the ICAR-NBFGR (National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow) low-lying coastal karst platform regions.
discovered a new catfish species in the waters of Arunachal Pradesh, India and named ▪ These are formed when limestone or other carbonate rock is dissolved by
it as Glyptothorax punyabratai. slightly acidic groundwater over a long period.
▪ The species was collected from Tung Stream, a tributary of the Tissa River, ▪ Yucatan Peninsula is a Northeastern projection of Central America which
in the Brahmaputra River basin. is lying between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and north and the Caribbean
▪ Most catfish are found in freshwater but a few are marine. Sea to the east.
▪ Most species of catfish are nocturnal. ▪ The peninsula is almost wholly composed of beds of coralline and
porous limestone rocks.
New jumping spider species discovered in Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
▪ Researchers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu have discovered two new species of jumping FLiRT: New COVID-19 Variants Increase Concern in US
spiders in Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the southern Western Ghats.  A series of COVID-19 variants within the Omicron JN.1 lineage, known as FLiRT,
▪ The new species are Habrocestum shayadri and Irura Shendurney including the KP.2 and KP 1.1 variants, is rapidly spreading in the United States,
▪ The findings have been published in the peer-reviewed European Journal of Taxonomy exhibiting new mutations which increase their contagiousness.
 The symptoms are largely similar to those of other Omicron infections and
Scientists Discover 1.5 Billion-Year-Old “Giant” Viruses In Yellowstone hospitalisation rates remain low.
▪ Giant viruses dating back 1.5 billion years were found in Yellowstone's geothermal springs, which scientists
claim could reveal the conditions under which life formed on Earth. Australia’s 1st Human Case Of ‘Bird Flu’ Reported
▪ The viruses are labeled as 'giant' because they have extremely large genomes compared to regular viruses ▪ Australia has announced the first confirmed case of human bird flu- avian
and pose no risk to humans influenza A (H5N1) - in a child who is believed to have acquired it while in India
some weeks ago
Yellowstone National Park ▪ Since 1996, bird flu viruses have been circulating among wild and domestic birds,
▪ Yellowstone National Park, located in the western United States first identified in China.
▪ World’s First National Park: On March 1872, Yellowstone became the first ▪ On some occasions, these viruses infect humans who are in close contact with
national park in the world. birds, with a fatality rate of over 50 percent, according to the World Health
▪ UNESCO World Heritage Site: Yellowstone’s significance extends beyond national Organization (WHO).
borders—it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. ▪ According to the WHO, in 2022, 67 countries across 5 continents experienced
outbreaks of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI)
Oldest Known Human Viruses Discovered In 50,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Bones ▪ The only confirmed human case of bird flu was reported in India in 2021 in a 21-year-old boy from Haryana.
▪ Neanderthals were an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans that lived in Eurasia until
approximately 40,000 years ago. 3 Kerala districts on alert after detection of ‘West Nile Fever’
▪ Neanderthals coexisted with early modern humans (Homo sapiens) in Europe and Asia for several thousand ▪ The Kerala Health Department has sounded an alert in the districts of
years. Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode following the detection of the
▪ They were well adapted to cold, glacial environments vector-borne West Nile fever.
▪ How Neanderthals went extinct while humans survived is one of the biggest questions in our species' history. ▪ West Nile Virus is a single-stranded RNA virus, spread by the Culex
▪ Researchers have long wondered if our closest extinct relatives might have succumbed to viral infections species of mosquitoes
that plague modern humans today. ▪ In India, West Nile fever was first detected in Kerala in 2011
▪ The discovery of ancient DNA from three viruses found in 50,000-year-old Neanderthal bones, unearthed at ▪ It is a flavivirus related to the viruses that cause St. Louis encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, and yellow
Chagyrskaya cave in Russia offers new information in this regard.. fever.
▪ Based on these results, it seems that Neanderthals were able to get diseases that people get today. ▪ No symptoms in most people. infected develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches,
▪ Long enough ago that humans could have carried pathogens from Africa and passed them on to joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Few get infected with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or
Neanderthals in Europe. meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord)
▪ The oldest viral DNA found before this was a 31,000-year-old herpesvirus detected in Homo sapiens teeth ▪ No WNV-specific treatment or vaccine is available.
excavated from Siberia. ▪ So, only supportive treatments are given to patients.
Taam Ja’ Blue Hole (TJBH): World’s Deepest Blue Hole discovered in Mexico Science Alert: ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Melting at a Terrifying Rate
▪ Researchers have discovered the world’s deepest blue hole in Mexico, but they ▪ Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier" is melting twice as faster than scientists previously
haven’t reached its bottom yet. thought, because of warm ocean water that is infiltrating miles beneath its surface
▪ Located in Chetumal Bay at the southeast corner of the Yucatan Peninsula.
▪ The Thwaites Glacier, which is nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier because of its potential to massively AstraZeneca admits its vaccine causes clotting
increase sea levels, is located in West Antarctica. It is one of the world's fastest-changing and most unstable ▪ Global pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca has admitted that its COVID-19
glaciers. vaccine, developed by researchers from the Oxford University, can cause a rare side
▪ Previous research found that the glacier has been melting rapidly since the 1980s — contributing to a 4% rise effect of blood clotting and low platelet count after immunisation.
in global sea levels with the loss of hundreds of billions of tons of ice. ▪ In India, the same vaccine, called Covishield and manufactured by the Pune-based
▪ If the glacier completely melted, it could raise sea levels by as much as 2 feet (60 centimeters). Serum Institute, has been administered through 175 crore doses.
▪ But the glacier is also a natural dam to other ice in West Antarctica. If that ice is released into the oceans, ▪ side effect - Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS),
levels could rise 10 feet ▪ Experts say that TTS was reported early on in the pandemic by European countries
but it was very rare in India
Oldest Evidence of Earth’s Magnetic Field Found in Rocks ▪ “TTS is a very rare side effect, rarer still in Indians and South Asians as compared to Europeans. But there is
▪ The Geologists at MIT and Oxford University collected rock samples from the enough evidence to show that vaccination saved lives — the benefits outweighed the risks.”
Isua Supracrustal Belt in Greenland, a region known for its ancient rock
formations. What Is Wet Bulb Temperature? And How Hot Is Too Hot
▪ The researchers determined that the rocks bear the oldest remnants of Earth’s early magnetic field, about ▪ Wet bulb temperature is a meteorological term used to describe the lowest temperature that can be
3.7 billion years old, with a magnitude of at least 15 microtesla. reached by evaporating water into the air at constant pressure.
▪ Previous studies have shown evidence for a magnetic field on Earth that is at least 3.5 billion years old. ▪ It is measured by covering a thermometer bulb with a wet cloth and letting the water evaporate.
▪ This finding suggests Earth’s conditions may have been habitable earlier than thought, with a stable ▪ As the water evaporates, it cools the thermometer, showing the wet bulb temperature.
magnetic shield playing a crucial role. ▪ This temperature helps measure humidity and understand how much water can evaporate into the air,
▪ The magnetic field protects the planet from harmful solar radiation and cosmic rays, sustains the affecting things like comfort, farming and weather patterns.
atmosphere, and allows liquid water essential for life. ▪ The difference between the Dry bulb and Wet bulb temperatures depends on the humidity of the air.
▪ By analyzing the magnetic properties and orientation of iron-oxide minerals, researchers determined the ▪ When the air is fully saturated (100% humidity), the Wet bulb and Dry bulb temperatures are the same.
ancient field’s strength What is a safe heat/humidity limit?
▪ Today, Earth’s magnetic field measures around 30 microtesla. ▪ A wet-bulb temperature of 35 degrees Celsius is suggested as the maximum safe limit, according to a 2010
study.
Mindgrove company launches India’s 1st commercial MCU Chip ▪ Beyond this point, the human body can't cool itself by sweating, which is necessary to maintain a stable
▪ Mindgrove Technologies, an IIT Madras incubated startup has launched India's first core temperature.
first indigenous high-performance microcontroller chip with high-performance SoC, ▪ However, this was proven inaccurate recently
Secure IoT ▪ The researchers discovered the "critical environmental limit" – the point where a person's core temperature
▪ IoT security (internet of things security) is the technology segment focused on starts to rise uncontrollably.
safeguarding connected devices and networks in IoT ▪ Below this limit, the body can keep a stable core temperature for a long time.
▪ SoC - security operations center is responsible for protecting an organization against ▪ Above this limit, the core temperature keeps rising, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses.
cyber threats. ▪ The studies discovered that the safe limit is lower than 35 degrees Celsius (as was revealed by the earlier
▪ Mindgrove claims that this chip is 30% cheaper than other chips in a similar performance class, allowing study).
Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to integrate an India-made SoC into their products and ▪ The ideal wet bulb temperature is approximately 31 degrees Celsius at humidity levels above 50%.
reduce cost without compromising on features. ▪ This means, 31 degrees Celsius at 100% humidity or 38 degrees Celsius at 60% humidity, showing the
significant risk posed by high heat and humidity even for healthy people.
Google DeepMind unveils next generation of drug discovery AI model
▪ Google Deepmind has unveiled the third major version of its "AlphaFold" artificial Defence
intelligence model, designed to help scientists design drugs and target disease more
effectively. Project Udbhav to Revive Ancient patterns in Military Culture
▪ As part of ‘Project Udbhav’, a seminar-cum-exhibition on ‘Historical Patterns of
IIT-Bombay, TCS to build India’s first Quantum Diamond Microchip Imager Indian Strategic Culture’ was held at the National Museum in New Delhi on May 21,
▪ The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-Bombay) has entered a strategic 2024.
partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop India’s first Quantum ▪ What is Project Udbhav?
Diamond Microchip Imager. ▪ Project Udbhav was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the Indian
▪ This advanced sensing tool will hold the potential to unlock new levels of precision Military Heritage Festival on October 21, 2023.
in the examination of semiconductor chips, reduce chip failures and improve the ▪ It is a collaboration between Indian Army and United Service Institution of India (USI), a defence services
energy efficiency of electronic devices. think tank.
▪ This platform will enable better quality control of semiconductor chips, thereby improving product reliability, ▪ The project, named ‘Udbhav’, translates to ‘origin’ or ‘genesis’
safety, and energy efficiency of electrical devices. ▪ The Project has delved deep into ancient texts such as Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads and Arthashastra.
▪ Semiconductor chips are essential to all modern electronic devices, making them smart and efficient. ▪ Furthermore, it has explored the epic battles of the Mahabharata and the strategic brilliance practiced
▪ With the ability to process data and complete tasks, these chips act as the brains of devices across industries during the reigns of Mauryas, Guptas and Marathas, which has shaped India’s rich military heritage,
such as communications, computing, healthcare, military systems, transportation and clean energy.
India and France to conduct the 7th edition Military Exercise Shakti India successfully test-fires RudraM-II air-to-surface missile
▪ From May 13-26 in the Umroi region of Meghalaya.  DRDO successfully test-fired a RudraM-II air-to-surface missile from a
▪ Started in 2011 Su-30 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) off the coast of Odisha.
▪ Exercise “Shakti” is a biennial training event conducted alternatively in India  RudraM-II is an indigenously-developed solid-propelled air-launched
and France. The last edition took place in France in November 2021. missile system meant for air-to-surface role to neutralise several
▪ 90 personnel will be primarily represented by a battalion of the Rajput types of enemy assets.
Regiment RudraM:
▪ Indian Navy and Indian Air Force will also participate in the exercise. ▪ Rudram is an air-to-surface missile, designed and developed by the Defence
▪ The French contingent, also consisting of 90 personnel, 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE). Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
▪ The Indian contingent comprises 90 personnel primarily from the Rajput Regiment, along with personnel ▪ India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile.
from other arms and services, participating in the exercise. ▪ Anti-radiation missiles are designed to detect, track and neutralise the
▪ Observers from the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force are also part of this 14-day exercise. adversary’s radar, communication assets and other radio frequency sources,
▪ It will also include the French contingent consisting of 90 personnel mainly from the 13th Foreign Legion which are generally part of their air defence systems.
Half-Brigade (13th DBLE). ▪ Once the Rudram missile locks on the target, it is capable of striking accurately
even if the radiation source switches off in between.
Gagan Strike-II: Indian Army, IAF Conduct Joint Exercise in Punjab ▪ The missile has an operational range of more than 100 km, based on the launch parameters from the fighter
▪ The Indian Army’s Kharga Corps, part of the Army’s Western Command, recently jet.
concluded a three-day joint military exercise Gagan Strike-II with the Indian Air
Force (IAF) in Punjab DRDO tests missile-assisted torpedo delivery system
▪ DRDO announced the successful flight test of the Supersonic Missile-Assisted
Exercise Cyber Suraksha – 2024 Release of Torpedo (SMART) system from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the
▪ The comprehensive cyber defence exercise ‘Exercise Cyber Suraksha – coast of Odisha.
2024’ was conducted by Defence Cyber Agency of India from 20 - 24 ▪ SMART is a next-generation missile-based light-weight torpedo delivery system
May 2024. ▪ Designed and developed by DRDO to enhance the anti-submarine warfare
▪ Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan attended the Exercise capability of the Indian Navy
and underscored the importance of strengthening India’s cyber ▪ The missile was launched from the ground mobile launcher.
defence capabilities.
▪ It aims to further develop Cyber Defence Capability of all Cyber security organisations Indigenous bomber unmanned aircraft developed by Bengaluru firm
and promote synergy amongst all stakeholders. ▪ Flying Wedge Defence, a city based defence and aerospace technology
firm unveiled the FWD-200B unmanned aircraft.
Indian Air Force Contingent Reached Alaska To Participate In Multi-National Exercise, Red ▪ The firm claimed that it is India’s first indigenous bomber unmanned
Flag 24 aircraft.
▪ An Indian Air Force contingent reached the Eielson Air Force Base of the U.S. Air Force ▪ The FWD-200B has a payload capacity of 100 kgs and is classified as a
in Alaska, USA, to participate in the upcoming edition of the multi-national MALE Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (Medium-altitude Long-
exercise Red Flag 24. endurance)
▪ Ex-Red Flag is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise. ▪ The Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) consists of optical surveillance payloads and is integrated with missile-
▪ 8 Rafale fighter jets will take part from India like weapons for precision air strikes.
▪ With a max speed of 200 kts/370 kmph, it has an endurance capacity of 12-20 hours.
IAF successfully tests Crystal Maze-2 missile capable of striking targets up to 250 ▪ “The FWD-200B can carry a maximum takeoff weight of 498 Kgs in addition to this, it holds a ground control
kilometres away station (GCS) range of 200 kms.
▪ The Indian Air Force (IAF) achieved a significant milestone by successfully test-firing an air-launched ballistic
missile, known as ROCKS or Crystal Maze 2. Indian Army Sets Up Highest Tank Repair Facilities in Ladakh
▪ The missile, capable of striking targets over 250 kilometers away, was launched from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet ▪ Indian Army has over 500 of its tanks and infantry combat vehicles deployed in
in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Eastern Ladakh after the stand-off between India and China started in April-May
2020, post-Chinese aggression there.
About The Crystal Maze 2 Missile ▪ The Indian Army has created a record of sorts by setting up two of world's highest
• The Crystal Maze 2 is an extended stand-off range air-to-surface missile of Israel’s origin. tank repair facilities in that area to support its operations there.
• It is designed to strike high-value stationary and relocatable targets, such as long-range radars and air ▪ These Medium Maintenance (Reset) Facilities are located in Nyoma and the DBO
defense systems. Sector, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along China, and work at heights above 14,500 feet.
• The missile is effective in GPS-denied environments, similar to conditions faced during the Kargil War.
Army looks at creating new unit ‘OPFOR’ to play role of enemy in military exercises
▪ The Indian Army is reportedly in the process of establishing a new unit called OPFOR, or "opposing forces,"
aimed at simulating adversarial roles during military exercises and wargame training.
▪ Similar concepts are already in use in countries like the United States. IAF conducted 'Bambi Bucket' Operation to douse Nainital forest fire
 Plan for OPFOR unit awaits final approval from Army hierarchy ▪ The Indian Air Force had deployed its Mi-17 V5 helicopter to undertake Bambi Bucket operations to douse
▪ The proposed OPFOR unit will be formed from existing military units and will mirror the weapons, operating the forest fires near Nainital.
methods, and tactics of potential adversaries. ▪ The helicopter used a “Bambi Bucket”, also known as a helicopter bucket or a helibucket, to collect water
from Bhimtal lake, located near Nainital, and poured it over the burning forests.
Chief Of The Air Staff Inaugurates First- Ever Emergency Medical Response System Of ▪ Bambi bucket is a specialised apparatus designed for aerial firefighting purposes and was introduced in 1983.
IAF At CHAF Bengaluru ▪ It was invented by a Canadian man, Don Arney. In 2017, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame for
▪ An Emergency Medical Response System (EMRS), was inaugurated by Air Chief this invention
Marshal VR Chaudhari at Command Hospital Air Force Bangalore (CHAFB) on ▪ It allows the helicopters to transport volumes of water underneath the aircraft and disperse it.
21 May 2024.
▪ The EMRS is a first of its kind 24/7 telephonic medical helpline for serving IAF Indian Air Force tests BHISHM portable hospital for airdrop in Agra
personnel and their families across India. ▪ The Indian Air Force conducted field tests of the Arogya Maitri Cube- BHISHM
portable hospital by performing an airdrop in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
Launch of 6th Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 20 (Yard 130) ▪ This is the first time the Indian Air Force tested this portable hospital.
▪ The Indian Navy launched the 6th barge, LSAM 20 (Yard 130), as part of an 11- ▪ This test was performed so that the portable hospital can be deployed to cater
barge project, constructed by M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, boosting to emergencies anywhere.
transport and logistics for naval operations. ▪ BHISHM portable cubes are a part of the broader initiative named "Project BHISHM" - Bharat Health
▪ A barge is defined as flat-bottomed marine vessel that's mainly used for cargo Initiative for Sahyog, Hita and Maitri, which is tailored to treat up to 200 casualties, emphasising rapid
transportation. They don't move independently like a boat; they float and are response and comprehensive care.
towed or tugged by other vessels. ▪ The whole unit contains 72 easily transportable components that can be conveniently carried by hand, cycle,
▪ Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi Admiral R. Hari Kumar or even drone
(retired on April 30, 2024) ▪ These cubes are robust, waterproof, and light, designed for various configurations, making them ideal for
diverse emergency scenarios.
Indian Army Partners with IOCL for Green and Sustainable Transport Solutions
▪ The Indian Army has collaborated with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for demonstration trials of Operation Sadbhavana: Indian Army’s Support For North Sikkim’s Remote
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus technology for heavy-duty e-mobility. Communities
▪ IndianOil Equips Indian Army with Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus for use in Delhi-NCR ▪ Under Operation Sadbhavana, the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps
▪ A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Army and the IOCL in presence of Army demonstrated unwavering support for North Sikkim’s remote communities
Chief Gen Manoj Pande and Indian Oil Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya in Naga and Rangrang villages.
▪ Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology offers a clean and efficient alternative by converting Hydrogen gas into ▪ Following a devastating glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), the Corps distributed essential relief materials
electricity through an electro-chemical process. ▪ Additionally, a medical camp provided critical healthcare services to over 150 patients.
▪ The process leaves water vapour as the only by product, thus ensuring zero emission.
Tri-Service Conference, ‘Parivartan Chintan II’, Chaired By CDS General Anil Chauhan
BSF : On-request posting, Airfare booking etc. in New Guidelines Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan chaired a two-day conference, ‘Parivartan
▪ Five individual choices for posting, on-request posting, and booking of air tickets for all the personnel while Chintan-2’ on 9-10 May on the jointness and integration of the Armed Forces in New
proceeding on leave – these are some of the key decisions made by the BSF in a bid to improve ‘satisfaction Delhi.
level’ of its personnel.
▪ According to the data, provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, more than 46,000 personnel from six Pakistan Successfully Tests Precision-Guided ‘Fatah-II’ Rocket
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) took early retirement during the last five years (2019-2023). ▪ Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of guided multi-launch rocket
▪ The maximum — more than 21,000 men and women — who took early retirement were from the Border system 'Fatah-II', which is capable of engaging targets with high precision up to
Security Force (BSF), which guards the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders a range of 400 kilometres.
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)

• Assam Rifles (AR)
• Border Security Force (BSF)
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
• Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
• National Security Guard (NSG)
• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
National News ▪ However, Article 6 of the Pak-China agreement clearly stated that “the two parties have agreed that after
NHPC Limited to collaborate with Norwegian company for implementation of Floating Solar Energy Technology in the settlement of the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India, the sovereign authority concerned will
India reopen negotiations with the Government of the People's Republic of China, on the boundary as described in
▪ NHPC Limited, the largest organization for hydropower development in India, Article Two of the present agreement.
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with M/s Ocean Sun, a Norwegian ▪ The agreement laid the foundation of Karakoram highway, which was built jointly by Chinese and Pakistani
company operating as a technology provider to the floating solar industry. engineers in the 1970s.
About NHPC Limited
• NHPC Limited (formerly known as National Hydroelectric Power Corp.) is a India, Kenya to Discuss Cheetah Sourcing for Wildlife Sanctuary
Government of India Mini Ratna Category-I Public Sector Enterprise under the ▪ INDIA is likely to host a delegation of Kenyan officials later this month to
Ministry of Power. explore the possibility of sourcing cheetahs from Kenya for the next
• It was incorporated in the year 1975 under the Companies Act, 1956, with the phase of Project Cheetah
objective of developing hydroelectric power in the country. ▪ The Gandhi Sagar wildlife
• NHPC is a premier organization in the country for the development of hydropower. sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh
was chosen as the second site
Hindu marriage not valid unless performed with requisite ceremonies: SC for reintroduction of cheetahs
▪ A Hindu marriage is not an event for "song and dance", "wining and dining" or a last year.
commercial transaction, the Supreme Court has observed and said it cannot be ▪ Project Cheetah, India's
recognised in the "absence of a valid ceremony" under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955. ambitious attempt to
▪ A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said where a Hindu marriage is not introduce African cheetahs in
performed in accordance with the applicable rites or ceremonies such as 'saptapadi' (taking seven steps by the wild in the country, was launched in September 2022.
the groom and the bride jointly before the sacred fire), the marriage will not be construed as a Hindu ▪ Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district is home to 27
marriage. cheetahs (13 adults and 14 cubs) translocated from Namibia and South
Africa. 10 cheetahs have died so far owing to illnesses and infections.
About Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (HMA Act) ▪ As part of Project Cheetah, India plans to introduce 8 to 14 cheetahs
• It codifies the law relating to marriage among Hindus. annually for five years, subject to availability.
• It provides for the ceremonies and registration for Hindu marriage but also lays down rules
regarding Divorce. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary
• A Hindu by birth or by conversion is the subject of the HMA Act. ▪ It is situated in northwestern Madhya Pradesh, with one of its
• The definition of Hindu under the HMA Act includes Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh as well. boundaries running along the border of Rajasthan.
• Customary practices (Reeti-Riwaz) are well respected under the HMA Act. However, marriage ceremonies ▪ The sanctuary was notified in 1974
are subject to customs and accepted accordingly. ▪ River Chambal flows through the sanctuary, dividing it into two parts.
• Saptapadi, i.e., steps taken by the bride and groom before holy fire, is a necessary ritual for
marriage among Hindus. Border Roads Organisation To Start Work On Shinku La Tunnel
• Section 5 of the Act specifies that it is illegal to have two living wives at once, which is known as bigamy. ▪ It is an upcoming motorable tunnel under the 16,580 feet high Shinku-La pass
• A marriage is considered null and void if anyone one or both the people get married being mentally unfit. between Himachal’s Lahaul valley and Ladakh’s Zanskar valley.
• In such cases, the couple must get legal consent before getting married. ▪ It is located on the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha Road link. The road will be the first all-
weather road connecting Ladakh to the rest of the country
India lodges protest with China over its infra development in Shaksgam valley ▪ After completion, the 4.1-kilometre-long Shinku-la tunnel will be the world’s highest
▪ India has lodged a strong protest with China for carrying out construction activities in the Shaksgam valley tunnel at 16580 feet, surpassing China's Mila tunnel. The tunnel is likely to be
▪ Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Shaksgam valley is a part of completed by 2025
India and New Delhi never accepted the so-called China-Pakistan
boundary pact of 1963 through which Islamabad “unlawfully” Mahindra & Mahindra Sign MoU with MSDE for 'Drone Didi' Pilot Project
attempted to cede the area to Beijing. ▪ The Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has signed a
▪ The Shaksgam Valley, or Trans Karakoram Tract, is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. to conduct
Hunza-Gilgit region of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and is a two Pilot Projects under the Drone Didi Yojana at Noida And Hyderabad.
disputed territory claimed by India but controlled by Pakistan. ▪ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Namo Drone Didi scheme under the
▪ It borders Xinjiang Province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Sashakt Nari-Viksit Bharat programme on 11 March 2024 at the Indian Agricultural
to the north, the Northern Areas of POK to the south and west, and Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi.
the Siachen Glacier region to the east. ▪ Under the Drone Didi scheme, the government aims to train and equip 15000 women-led Self Help Groups
▪ It was ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963, when both countries with agricultural drones to assist in tasks such as crop monitoring, spraying fertilisers and sowing seeds.
signed a boundary agreement to settle their border differences.
EAM Dr S Jaishankar Inaugurates Arbitration Bar Of India (ABI) In Delhi ▪ The exhibition has been launched in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
▪ External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar Inaugurated the Arbitration Bar of India at to celebrate the rich history and growing international importance of millets, of which India is the world’s
Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi largest producer.
▪ Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that is used to resolve ▪ India had spearheaded the UNGA resolution to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets
disputes outside of the courts.
▪ It involves the intervention of a third party, known as an arbitrator, who is chosen by Nation’s Biggest Skill Competition, IndiaSkills 2024 inaugurated in New Delhi
the parties involved in the dispute. ▪ Organized by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE)
UNESCO adds three Indian literary masterpieces to Memory of the World Register ▪ Lasting 4 days, IndiaSkills will feature competitions in 61 skills, ranging from
▪ The Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana have been included in traditional crafts to modern technologies.
UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register. ▪ Participants have been trained in various institutions including ITIs, NSTIs, Polytechnics, engineering
▪ The register highlights the significance of preserving and celebrating diverse institutes, nursing institutes, and biotechnology institutes, reflecting the high-quality training available in
narratives and artistic expressions that shape our shared humanity India’s skill network.
▪ Ramcharitmanas was authored by Goswami Tulsidas ▪ Winners of IndiaSkills will receive training from industry experts to prepare for the WorldSkills Competition
▪ Panchatantra by Pandit Vishnu Sharma in Lyon, France, in September 2024, where they will compete with representatives from over 70 countries.
▪ Sahṛdayaloka-Locana by Acharya Anandvardhan ▪ The competition also introduces a new competition information system called Qrencia.
Ramayan & Ramcharitmanas (Static) Conference on Administration of Criminal Justice held in Guwahati
 Ramayana ▪ Ministry of Law and Justice to organise two day Conference titled ‘India's
• Written by: Sage Valmiki Progressive Path in the Administration of Criminal Justice System’, in
• Language: Sanskrit association with the Government of Assam in Guwahati on 18th- 19th May
• Traditionally dated between the 7th to 4th centuries BCE, though estimates 2024.
vary. ▪ To generate awareness about the recently enacted three new criminal
 Ramcharitmanas laws to overhaul the criminal justice system in the country.
• Written by: Goswami Tulsidas ▪ The first conference of the series was held in New Delhi on 20th April
• Language: Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi 2024.
 Written in the 16th century CE, specifically around 1574-1576. ▪ As notified, these new criminal laws are to take effect from 1st July2024:
▪ The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya
UNESCO Recognizes Feminist Utopian Novel Sultana’s Dream as part of Adhiniyam, 2023, will replace the earlier criminal laws namely, the Indian Penal Code 1860, the Code of
“Memory of the World” Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
▪ Sultana’s Dream, the utopian novel of a world without men written by
Bengali author Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain in 1905 British India Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Receives First Stamp Released Commemorating
(no Bangladesh), has been recognised by UNESCO as part of its Memory Completion Of 200 Years Of Indian Origin Tamils In Sri Lanka
of the World Asia-Pacific Committee (MOWCAP) ▪ Taken by British to Sri Lanka, the Malaiyaha (Hill Country) Tamils, or
▪ The Memory of the World Programme of the UNESCO aims to facilitate Indian-origin Tamils have borne the brunt of several injustices — from
preservation of the world’s documentary heritage, particularly in areas being stripped of citizenship to working in inhumane conditions.
affected by conflict and/or natural disaster. ▪ The Citizenship Act of 1948 stripped the community of its citizenship,
making its members stateless.
Centre issues first set of citizenship certificates under CAA to 14 applicants ▪ The Sirima-Shastri Pact, signed in 1964 between prime ministers Lal
▪ Over two months after notifying rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Ministry of Home Bahadur Shastri and Sirimavo Bandaranike, repatriated at least half a million Indian-origin Tamils to India.
Affairs issued the first set of citizenship certificates under the law to 14 persons.
▪ The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) was passed on December 11, 2019 to amend the Citizenship FSSAI finds no ethylene oxide traces in MDH and Everest spices
Act of 1955. ▪ Samples of spices of two major brands MDH and Everest
▪ CAA sought to fast-track the process of granting Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis were tested in 28 accredited laboratories by Food Safety
and Christians—but not Muslims—who migrated to India before 31st December 2014 owing to religious and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. ▪ Last month, the started taking samples of spices in
powder form of all brands, including MDH and Everest,
Google Arts & Culture Launches Digital Exhibition “Millets: Seeds of from across the country in view of quality concerns
Change” flagged by Hong Kong and Singapore.
▪ Google Arts & Culture launched a new digital exhibit, “Millets: Seeds
of Change,” at Krishi Bhawan in Delhi.
ICMR Warns Against Misuse of Non-Stick Teflon Cookware ▪ The proposal is similar to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which went into complete effect
▪ The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has cautioned that overheating earlier this year.
in cracked and scratched teflon-coated nonstick pans can emit large volumes ▪ Currently, India follows an ex post antitrust framework under the Competition Act, 2002. Regulating after
of poisonous fumes and dangerous chemicals into meals (when cooked at a the incidence of market abuse involves delays— by the time the offending company has been penalised,
high temperature of over 170 degrees Celsius), potentially causing lung market dynamics change to rule out smaller competitors.
ailments and cancer. ▪ The proposed framework is a forward-looking, preventive, and presumptive law (an ex ante framework)
▪ Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), which functions under ICMR has instead asked people
to use eco-friendly cookware, such as earthen pots and coating-free granite stone utensils. Criticism of the draft
▪ Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon, is a synthetic chemical comprising carbon and  For big tech companies, an ex ante framework with its strict prescriptive norms could lead to significant
fluorine atoms. compliance burden, and shift focus from innovation and research to ensuring that companies do not
▪ It was first created in the 1930s and provides a nonreactive, nonstick, and almost frictionless surface to presumptively engage in an anti-competitive practice.
utensils.
46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46) meet in Kochi
FSSAI Warns Against Using Calcium Carbide For Fruit Ripening ▪ India is hosting the ATCM 46 and 26th Meeting of the Committee for
▪ The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked traders and Environmental Protection (CEP) in Kochi from May 20-30, 2024.
food business operators not to use 'calcium carbide' the banned product (under ▪ Organized by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
the Regulation of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on (NCPOR), Goa under Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the Antarctic
Sal- es) Regulations, 2011) for ripening of fruits. Treaty Secretariat (located in Buenos Aires, Argentina)
▪ Calcium carbide, commonly used for ripening fruits like mangoes, releases ▪ ATCM is an annual gathering of the parties to the 1959 Antarctic
acetylene gas, which contains harmful traces of arsenic and phosphorus. Treaty to discuss issues pertaining to the science, policy,
▪ There are chances that calcium carbide may come in direct contact with fruits governance, management, preservation and protection of
during application and leave residues of arsenic and phosphorus on fruits Antarctica.
▪ Can cause serious health issues such as dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty in ▪ Earlier, in 2007, India hosted the 30th ATCM in New Delhi
swallowing, vomiting and skin ulcers, etc ▪ For the first time a dedicated working group for regulating tourism in Antarctica has been formulated at the
▪ Ethylene, a naturally occurring hormone in fruits, regulates the ripening process by initiating and controlling 46th ATCM.
a series of chemical and biochemical activities.
About Antarctic Treaty
No mining within 1-km radius around tiger habitats: SC to Rajasthan  Signed on December 1, 1959, enforced since June 23, 1961
▪ The Supreme Court told authorities in Rajasthan that there cannot be any mining  An international agreement governing activities in Antarctica. It effectively
activity within 1-km radius of critical tiger habitats. designated Antarctica as a “no man’s land”.
▪ On April 26, 2023, the court, in a judgment, had said that mining within 1-km  It designates the continent as a scientific preserve, ensuring it remains
from the boundary of a national park or a wildlife sanctuary shall not be exclusively for peaceful purposes.
permissible. It added, “as such the prohibition… will be automatically applicable  Key provisions prohibit military activities, promote scientific cooperation,
even to the critical tiger reserves”. and ban nuclear explosions and radioactive waste disposal.
▪ According to the court, Section 38XA of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 shows that  Initially signed by 12 countries, the treaty now includes 56 signatories, with
tiger reserves stand on a higher pedestal than wildlife sanctuaries and national India joining in 1983.
parks.  India’s first Antarctic research station, Dakshin Gangotri, was established in
▪ The Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. 1983.
▪ It is well nestled in the Aravali Hills, covering an area of 800 sq km.  At present, India operates two year-round research stations: Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012)
• Sariska was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and was declared the tiger  In 2022, India enacted the Antarctic Act to reaffirm its commitment to the Treaty.
reserve later in 1978, making it a part of India's Project Tiger.  India plans to open a new station, Maitri II, a few kilometres from the ageing Maitri station. Operations are
▪ It is the first reserve in the world to successfully relocate tigers. set to begin by 2029.
India Proposes Digital Competition Bill, 2024 DD Kisan to launch two AI anchors AI Krish and AI Bhoomi on 26th May 2024
▪ Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has proposed a new digital ▪ Doordarshan Kisan is going to become the first government TV channel of India, with
competition law that could stop tech giants like Google, Facebook, and AI anchor. These anchors is that they can speak in fifty languages of the country and
Amazon from self-preferencing their own services, or using data gathered abroad.
from one company to benefit another group company. ▪ Doordarshan Kisan, established on May 26, 2015, by the Government of India, is the
▪ The draft law is called the Digital Competition Bill, 2024. only TV channel in the country dedicated solely to farmers.
▪ It has provisions to set presumptive norms to curb anti-competitive practices before they actually take place,
and promises to impose heavy penalties — which could amount to billions of dollars — for violations.
Over 4000 Gangetic Dolphins in India :Indian Wildlife Institute 5. Isolation tactics
▪ The Namami Gange Mission to clean and purify the 6. Using intimidation
Ganga has led to an increase in the dolphin population in
the river . Idol Wing CID to bring back ‘Dancing Krishna’ idol from Thailand
▪ According to the Wildlife Institute of India, there are ▪ Idol Wing CID (IW-CID) of Tamil Nadu police will bring back an antique Chola-era bronze
currently about 4,000 dolphins in the Ganga and its idol of ‘Kaliya Kalki’ also called as Kaliya Narthana Krishna (Dancing Krishna) which was
tributaries. stolen several years ago and now recovered from Bangkok.
▪ In Uttar Pradesh alone, the estimated number of ▪ The present value of the idol is $3.5 million.
Gangetic dolphins is around 2,000. ▪ The rare variant of the bronze idol was handed over by the Fine Arts Department of
▪ The UP government has implemented a new tourism Thailand.
policy and declared a Dolphin Sanctuary area in Chambal
Sanctuary. India’s first research testbed to be deployed to study Nor’westers
▪ A goal has been set to stabilise the Gangetic dolphin population and double the number of the endangered ▪ Meteorologists will soon deploy drones, mobile vans and high-end
species by 2030. instruments to track the Nor’westers that affect the east & northeast
▪ They are being conserved in India, especially in the Ganga and its tributaries, including the Ramganga, regions of India every summer (April-June).
Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghra, Rapti, Son, Gandak, Chambal, and Kosi rivers. ▪ In the early summer months (March and April), the daytime landmass
heating over these regions triggers convection over some areas of Bihar,
Gangetic Dolphins Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal.
▪ It is a freshwater species ▪ These thunderstorm events usually prevail between two to four hours
▪ It inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and during late afternoon hours., before sunset with thick black
Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and clouds, torrential rain & hail for short period.
Bangladesh. ▪ Helpful for Kharif/monsoon crops (jute & paddy).
▪ Common Names: Blind dolphin, Ganges dolphin, ▪ Known as “Kalbaisakhi” (Bengal), “Barodoli Cheerha” (Assam)
Ganges susu, hihu, Scientific name: Platanista ▪ India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and National
gangetica Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Delhi, will jointly develop (by 2026) and use this
▪ The Gangetic Dolphin has been recognized as facility.
India's National Aquatic Animal. ▪ The proposed multi-crore rupees research testbed facility will cover a large area adjoining West
Conservation status: Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. The control centre will be at Chandbali in the Bhadrak district of Odisha
▪ IUCN: Endangered ▪ The large volumes of data generated from the facility are expected to help forecasters make timely
▪ Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule-I thunderstorm predictions, issue nowcast warnings (an event in less than three hours), and ultimately save
▪ CITES: Appendix I lives.
▪ IMD, Pune, will collate all the data generated from the testbed facility for further research and analysis.
What is Workplace Gaslighting?
▪ The phrase comes from the 1938 play “Gas Light,” which is about a Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) Launches
husband who manipulates his wife by changing how she sees the “PRAGATI-2024”/
world. ▪ The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)
▪ Gaslighting is now a common problem in workplaces around the has launched the Pharma Research in AyurGyan And Techno
world, and it’s known for having a big effect on workers’ mental Innovation (PRAGATI-2024) initiative
health and ability to do their jobs. ▪ CCRAS is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of
▪ Undermining a person’s reality to the point where they question AYUSH
their memory, perception, and reasoning is this type of ▪ To promote research and innovation in the field of ayurveda
psychological manipulation.
▪ That behaviour usually comes from people in charge, like bosses or ISRO’ Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA)
experienced coworkers, and makes the workplace less healthy. ▪ "Young Scientist Programme", or "YUva VIgyani KAryakram" YUVIKA, is a
learning and awareness creating programme of the ISRO to impart basic
Characteristics of Workplace Gaslighting knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science, and Space Applications to
1. Denying or distorting facts younger students with a preference to rural areas.
2. Trivializing concerns ▪ The programme is also expected to encourage more students to pursue in
3. Shifting blame Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based research
4. Withholding information /career
▪ Eligibility: Those who have finished class 8 and are currently studying in class 9
could apply for the programme.
▪ Three students from each state/Union Territory will participate in this programme every year, covering CBSE, ▪ SBI Chairman - Dinesh Kumar Khara
ICSE, and state-board syllabus.
▪ The selection is based on 8th Standard academic performance and extracurricular activities. Bank of Maharashtra tops among PSU banks in FY24
▪ State-owned Bank of Maharashtra recorded the highest growth rate last fiscal in
ICMR proposes new guidelines to limit sugar in processed foods terms of total business and deposit mobilisation among public sector lenders
▪ India’s National Institute of Nutrition (Hyderabad), falling under the purview of ▪ The Pune-headquartered lender has registered a 15.94 % rise in the total business (domestic) in FY24,
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has proposed revised dietary guidelines followed by State Bank of India (SBI) with 13.12 % growth
to tackle high sugar content in packaged foods and beverages.
▪ This marks a first for the country and replaces the previous focus on calorie RBI Lifts Restrictions on Bank of Baroda’s ‘BoB World’ Mobile App
thresholds, which have been in place for 13 years. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted the restriction on Bank of Baroda (BoB) that barred
▪ The new guidelines, set specific limits on sugar content. the public sector lender from onboarding customers through its mobile banking
▪ For solid foods, the proposed threshold is around 5% of total energy intake from application ‘bob World’.
added sugar, with a maximum of 10% from all sugars (including naturally occurring
ones). Swiggy partners with "SHIELD" for enhanced fraud prevention
▪ For beverages, the limit is stricter, with a proposed threshold of 10% of energy intake from added sugar and ▪ Swiggy collaborates with SHIELD to bolster its fraud prevention capabilities using
a maximum of 30% from total sugars (including natural sugars in fruit juices and milk). SHIELD’s device-first risk AI platform.
▪ Increased sugar intake has been connected to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and dental issues. ▪ It will enable Swiggy to reduce promo abuse, including the exploitation of platform
discounts, sign-up incentives, referral bonuses and monopolisation of limited-time deals to reduce promo
Economy abuse and prevent fraudulent practices within the Delivery Partner's ecosystem.
ICICI market cap tops Rs 8 trillion, become the 2nd bank after HDFC ▪ Enhanced fraud detection allows Swiggy to concentrate resources on genuine users, improving overall
▪ ICICI Bank's market capitalization surpassed the 8-trillion mark and into the league of the top 5 companies by platform integrity.
market value.
▪ It has become the 2nd bank to cross this milestone, after HDFC Bank. RBI unveils Pravaah portal, Retail Direct Mobile App and FinTech Repository
Top 3: ▪ Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das unveiled three major initiatives
▪ Reliance Industries - most-valued Indian company - Rs 19.8 trillion. of the Reserve Bank, namely the Pravaah portal, the Retail Direct Mobile App and a
▪ Tata Consultancy Services - Rs 14 trillion. FinTech Repository.
▪ HDFC Bank - Rs 11.6 trillion ▪ The Pravaah portal will make it convenient for any individual or entity to apply online
for various regulatory approvals in a seamless manner.
Bajaj Auto to launch world's first CNG-powered bike ▪ This portal will also enhance the efficiency of various processes related to granting of
▪ The CNG-powered bike is to be named Bruzer 125 CNG. regulatory approvals and clearances by the Reserve Bank.
▪ The company will start with an initial capacity of 20,000 CNG motorcycles. ▪ The Retail Direct Mobile App will provide retail investors a seamless and convenient access to the retail
▪ There is no other CNG motorcycle in the world at the moment. direct platform and provide ease of transacting in government securities (G-Secs).
▪ Bajaj Managing Director - Rajiv Bajaj ▪ The Fintech Repository will contain information on rich repository of data on Indian FinTech firms for a
▪ Founder - Jamnalal Bajaj better understanding of the sector from a regulatory perspective and facilitate in designing appropriate
▪ Founded - 29 November 1945 policy approaches.
▪ Headquarters - Pune, Maharashtra
NPCI inks pact with Bank of Namibia for developing UPI-like instant payment system
ICICI Bank Introduces UPI for NRIs Using International Mobile Numbers ▪ National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) overseas arm has signed a pact with
▪ ICICI Bank has launched UPI for NRIs in 10 countries, enabling global mobile the Bank of Namibia (BoN) for developing a Unified Payments Interface(UPI)-like
number use without switching to Indian numbers. instant payment system for Namibia.
▪ With this facility, the NRI customers of the Bank can make payments for their ▪ This strategic partnership aims to enhance digital financial services and bolster real-
utility bills, merchant and e-commerce transactions with their international mobile number registered with time Person-to-Person (P2P) and Merchant payment transactions (P2M) in the African nation.
their NRE / NRO bank account held with ICICI Bank in India.
▪ Non-Residential External (NRE) and Non- Resident Ordinary (NRO) Accounts are the two major categories of PhonePe launches UPI in Sri Lanka for Indian Tourists
accounts available for you, as an NRI. ▪ PhonePe announced that it has enabled UPI payment acceptance in collaboration
▪ Ten countries - USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. with LankaPay, Sri Lanka’s national payment network.
▪ Indians travelling to Sri Lanka can now make payments using the Unified Payments
SBI becomes the first bank as trading, clearing member of IIBX Interface (UPI) by scanning the LankaQR code.
▪ secured the distinction of being the first bank to become a trading-cum-clearing (TCM) Member of India ▪ Their account will be debited in INR, showing the currency exchange rate.
International Bullion Exchange at the GIFT City in Gujarat. ▪ This alliance for PhonePe is facilitated through LankaPay’s partnership with NPCI
▪ This milestone enables SBI’s IFSC Banking unit (IBU) Gift City to conduct trades on the IIBX platform and International Payments Limited (NIPL).
settle them on behalf of its clients
International Solomon Islands elected Jeremiah Manele as new Prime Minister

▪ Former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected as the new prime
Lai Ching-te sworn in as new President of Taiwan minister of Solomon Islands
▪ Lai Ching-te of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was ▪ Manele pledged to continue China-friendly foreign policy
sworn in as new President amid increasing threats from China, which claims ▪ Solomon Islands is a country consisting of 6 major islands and over 900 smaller
the self-governing island as its territory. islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, to the northeast of Australia.
▪ Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949. ▪ Capital: Honiara.
▪ Capital : Taipei City
▪ Currency : New Taiwan dollar 10th World Water Forum opens in Indonesia's Bali
▪ 2024 World Water Forum (10th WWF)—under the theme ’Water for Shared Prosperity’
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader re-elected to 2nd term from 18-25 May, 2024
▪ Capital : Santo Domingo ▪ Jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the
▪ Currency : Dominican peso World Water Council.
▪ The Forum is the world's largest event on water organized, since 1997, every
To Lam named new Vietnam President three years with a different host country.
▪ Vietnam has appointed its Public Security Minister To ▪ The 10th WWF’s six subthemes are: Water Security and Prosperity; Water for
Lam as its new President, after his predecessor Humans and Nature; Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; Governance,
resigned in the ongoing anti-corruption campaign that Cooperation and Hydro-diplomacy; Sustainable Water Finance; and Knowledge and
has shaken up the country’s political establishment. Innovation.
▪ Indonesian President: Joko Widodo
Lawrence Wong sworn in as Singapore’s first new prime minister in 20 years
▪ Mr. Wong, 51, succeeds Lee Hsien Loong, 72, who stepped down after two decades. Maiden India Pavilion at World Hydrogen Summit 2024
▪ He is the city-state's fourth leader and the first born after Singapore's independence in ▪ For the first time, India has set up its own pavilion, at the World Hydrogen
1965. Summit 2024, being held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, during May 13 – 15,
▪ Singapore President: Tharman Shanmugaratnam 2024.
▪ The India Pavilion, set up by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy,
Singapore Government of India
▪ Island city-state in Southeast Asia. ▪ India launched its National Green Hydrogen Mission in January 2023 with
▪ It is situated off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of an overall outlay of Rs. 19,744 crores.
Malacca to the west, and the South China Sea to the east. ▪ India has set an ambitious target to achieve a green hydrogen production
▪ Singapore is a unitary parliamentary republic. The President is the head of state, and capacity of 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonnes) by end of the year 2030.
the Prime Minister is the head of government. ▪ A dedicated portal for the National Green Hydrogen Mission has been
▪ Currency – Singapore Dollar launched recently, to serve as a one-stop location for information on the Mission.
▪ Languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.
What is Green Hydrogen?
Chad military dictator Idriss Deby win’s Presidential election ▪ Green hydrogen refers to hydrogen fuel that is produced through the process of electrolysis using electricity
▪ Military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby has won the presidential election in Chad. generated from renewable energy sources.
▪ Capital : N'Djamena ▪ Water (H2O) is split into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) using an electric current (electrolysis).
▪ Currency :Central African CFA franc ▪ When the electricity used in this process comes from renewable sources like wind, solar, or hydroelectric
power, the hydrogen produced is referred to as "green.”
José Raúl Mulino Wins Panama’s Presidential Election ▪ Key aspect of green hydrogen - hydrogen production process does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2) or other
▪ CAPITAL: Panama City greenhouse gases.
Currency:
▪ Balboa (PAB) Inaugural Africa Clean Cooking Summit Held in Paris
▪ United States dollar (USD) ▪ To provide clean cooking options for the more than 1 billion people in Africa
who currently rely on fuels such as charcoal and wood
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda Secures Landslide Reelection Victory ▪ The Summit drew more than 1,000 delegates from nearly 60 countries to
▪ Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda secured a second five-year term as address the health and climate impacts of cooking using open fires and basic
President stoves.
▪ Capital: Vilnius ▪ It has raised $2.2 billion in pledges from governments and the private sector.
▪ Currency : Euro ▪ Using fuels such as agricultural waste and animal dung in this way is the second-biggest cause of premature
death in Africa, mostly of sub-Saharan women and children
2nd edition of AI Summit in Seoul, South Korea Zimbabwe launches new currency ZiG in attempt to resolve money crisis
▪ Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom co-hosted 2nd AI summit in Seoul ▪ The ZiG- short for Zimbabwe Gold- is the sixth currency Zimbabwe has used since the
on 21-22 May. spectacular 2009 collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar
▪ Leaders from government, industry, and civil society to discuss global ▪ Zimbabwe started circulating a new currency to replace one that has been battered
collaboration on AI safety, innovation, and inclusivity. by depreciation and often outright rejection by the people.
▪ It discussed concerns such as job security, copyright and inequality ▪ The ZiG was introduced electronically in early April, but people are now able to use
▪ The first global AI summit was held in Britain in November 2023, and the next banknotes and coins.
is due to take place in France, likely in 2025. ▪ Authorities say they have faith in the ZiG because it's backed by the country's gold reserves.
▪ South Korean Prime Minister - Han Duck-soo ▪ The government had previously floated various ideas to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, including introducing
gold coins to stem inflation and even trying out a digital currency.
Norway, Ireland, Spain to officially recognise Palestinian state Zimbabwe - officially the Republic of Zimbabwe:
▪ Norway, Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew • It is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers
condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. • The country shares borders with Mozambique to the east, Zambia to the north, Botswana and Namibia to
▪ Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland. the west, and South Africa to the south.
▪ The formal recognition will be made on May 28. • Capital : Harare
• President: Emmerson Mnangagwa
State of Palestine
▪ The State of Palestine refers to the geopolitical entity that is envisioned to exist Nepal introduce new Rs 100 currency note featuring Indian territories
within the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza ▪ The Indian territories featured on Nepal currency - Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and
Strip. Kalapani.
▪ These areas are located in the Middle East, bordered by Israel to the west, ▪ On June 18, 2020, Nepal completed the process to update the country’s
north, and south, and by Jordan and Egypt to the east and southwest political map by incorporating three strategically important areas Lipulekh,
respectively. Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas by amending its Constitution
▪ Several European Union countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to make the recognition, ▪ Notably, both nations have included this region in their official maps, even though it is under India’s
arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region administration.
▪ Norway's recognition of a Palestine state comes more than 30 years after the first Oslo agreement was ▪ Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian States — Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
signed in 1993. and Uttarakhand.
▪ Oslo Accords (1993-1995): These agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) ▪ In an initial reaction, India has said Nepal’s unilateral actions will not change the ground reality.
aimed to establish a framework for Palestinian self-governance in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Historical Backdrop:
to set the stage for future negotiations on final status issues. ▪ Nepal has asserted its claim based on the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 - marked the
▪ Palestinian Authority (PA): Established as a result of the Oslo Accords, it exercises limited self-governance conclusion of the Anglo-Nepal War
over parts of the West Bank. ▪ The Treaty of Sugauli marked the formal establishment of Nepal’s boundary.
▪ Hamas: An Islamist political and militant group that controls the Gaza Strip since According to which all territories east of the Kali (Mahakali) river belong to Nepal.
2007 The Kali River designated as the western border and the River Mechi as the eastern border of Nepal.
▪ Earlier, the territories under Nepalese control included whole of Sikkim to the east, Darjeeling to the south-
Spain becomes 99th member of International Solar Alliance (ISA) east, Nainital to the south-west and the Kumaon and Garhwali to the west.
▪ The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts ▪ Sugauli Treaty was signed on March 4, 1816 between and Lt. Col. Paris Bradshaw (East India Company) and
against climate change through the deployment of solar energy solutions. Guru Gajraj Mishra
▪ It was conceptualized on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the ▪ Nepal contends that the origin of the Mahakali River (known as River Kalee) lies in the vicinity of
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Paris in 2015. Limpiyadhura or the nearby Lipulekh pass.
▪ Recently, Chile (96th), Yemen (97th), Panama (98th) officially ratified the International ▪ India, on the other hand, maintains that the River Kali originates from a smaller stream called Pankhagad,
Solar Alliance (ISA). situated to the south of Kalapani.
▪ 119 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement (signatory) ▪ The region of Lipulekh and Kalapani, forming a trijunction between India and China, holds immense
▪ ISA is guided by its ‘Towards 1000’ strategy which aims to mobilise USD 1,000 billion of geostrategic and geopolitical importance.
investments in solar energy solutions by 2030, while delivering energy access to 1,000
million people using clean energy solutions and resulting in installation of 1,000 GW of India showcases tourism potential at Arabian Travel Mart 2024
solar energy capacity. ▪ In a bid to strengthen India’s presence in the Middle East tourism market,
▪ The first Assembly of the ISA was held in October 2018 in Greater Noida, India. the Ministry of Tourism is participating in Arabian Travel Mart 2024, being
▪ With the amendment of its Framework Agreement in 2020, all member states of the held in Dubai from May 6 to 9, 2024.
United Nations are now eligible to join the ISA. ▪ The theme “Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through
▪ Headquarter: National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gurugram, India. Entrepreneurship.”
▪ Director General: Dr Ajay Mathur ▪ Highlighting lesser-known yet refreshing destinations, the Ministry of Tourism also launched the ‘Cool
Summers of India’ campaign named ‘Coolcations’ at Arabian Travel Mart.
Chabahar port deal between Iran and India Rajinikanth receives Golden Visa from UAE’s Department of Culture and Tourism
▪ India and Iran signed a 10-year contract for the operation of Shahid-Behesti
terminal at the Chabahar port in Iran. Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria since 2012
▪ The long-term agreement was signed between Indian Ports Global Ltd. (IPGL) and ▪ Saudi Arabia announced the appointment of its first ambassador to Syria since
Port and Maritime Organisation (PMO) of Iran. severing ties with Damascus in 12 years
▪ IPGL will invest approximately $120 million to equip and operate the port for the ▪ Faisal al-Mujfel's appointment as the kingdom's first ambassador to Syria since
duration of the contract 2012
▪ Chabahar is Iran's only oceanic port. ▪ It comes over a year after Syria was readmitted to the 22-member Arab
▪ There are two main port terminals in Chabahar – the Shahid Kalantari port and the League. It remained suspended from the group for more than a decade over
Shahid Beheshti port. President Bashar Assad's brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters in
▪ After this, the United States has issued a warning to nations 2011.
considering business deals with Iran that run the "potential risk of ▪ The uprising turned-civil war in Syria, now in its 14th year has killed nearly half a million people and
sanctions.” displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.
▪ For India, Chabahar held immense strategic and economic ▪ Iran has been a key political and military ally for the Assad government in Syria and the Lebanese Hezbollah
significance, as it provided a route to reach Afghanistan — land group.
access to which had been blocked by a hostile Pakistan. ▪ In Yemen, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015 in an attempt to
▪ The new deal with Iran will open up a trade route between South Asia and Central Asia via Iran, bypassing restore the internationally-recognized government.
Karachi and Gwadar port in Pakistan. ▪ The conflict has turned in recent years into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Chabahar Agreement Saudi Arabia

▪ Chabahar is a deep water port in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province on Makran Coast. It is the Iranian port ▪ Capital: Riyadh
that is the closest to India, and is located in the open sea, providing easy and secure access for large cargo ▪ Currency: Saudi riyal
ships. Syria
▪ Modern Chabahar came into being in the 1970s, and Tehran realised the strategic importance of the port ▪ Capital: Damascus
during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. ▪ Currency: Syrian pound
▪ In January 2003, President Khatami and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed off on an ambitious
roadmap of strategic cooperation. Among the key projects the two countries agreed on was Chabahar. India To Host Bharat Parv At Cannes Film Festival For The First Time
▪ During the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Iran in May 2016, a Trilateral Agreement to establish the ▪ 77th annual Cannes Film Festival is taking place from 14 to 25 May 2024 at Cannes in
International Transport and Transit Corridor (Chabahar Agreement) was signed by India, Iran and France. India is participating in the 12-day event.
Afghanistan. ▪ India will host a Bharat Parv at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time.
▪ The Indian company, India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), through its wholly owned subsidiary, India Ports ▪ The Bharat Pavilion at Cannes will serve as a platform for the Indian film community to engage in various
Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), took over the operations of the Chabahar Port from December 24, activities.
2018. ▪ These include fostering production collaborations, curated knowledge sessions, signing distribution deals,
▪ Till date, a total of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 2,000 tonnes of pulses have been trans-shipped from business to business meetings and networking with prominent entertainment and media players from
India to Afghanistan through Chabahar port. In 2021, India supplied 40,000 litres of the environment friendly around the world.
pesticide (malathion) through the port to Iran to fight locust attacks. ▪ The official poster and trailer of the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2024 will also be unveiled
at the Bharat Parv.
Chabahar & INSTC ▪ This year’s IFFI will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28.
▪ There are plans to link Chabahar with the International North South Transport
Corridor (INSTC). TCS to set up ‘AI Center of Excellence’ in Paris
▪ The INSTC is a is a 7,200-km long, multi-modal transportation route (network of ▪ The country's largest IT services exporter TCS will set up a first of its kind 'human-centric' artificial
ship, rail, and road route) which was initiated by Russia, India, and Iran, intelligence centre of excellence in France.
envisaged to link the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, ▪ It will focus on how AI can be "designed and evolved to address business efficiencies and societal priorities“
and onward to northern Europe via St Petersburg in Russia. ▪ The centre will focus on brain-computer interface, building empathy in machines and unleashing the power
of AI in arts and culture
UAE Launches 10-Year Blue Residency Visa for Environmentalists
▪ The UAE Cabinet has announced a new 10-year Blue Residency visa for IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi to commence its first Academic Session in 24-25
individuals who have made exceptional contributions to protecting the ▪ The first international campus of IIT Delhi will commence its first
environment. academic session in 2024-25 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
▪ This includes members of international organisations, international companies, (UAE).
associations, non-governmental organisations, and global award winners. ▪ Initially, the IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus will offer undergraduate
▪ The visa has been introduced in alignment with the national directives declared by UAE, to designate 2024 as courses.
the year of sustainability.
▪ The IIT Delhi said that students can secure admission either through the Combined Admission Entrance Test ▪ EU Founders: Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg.
20024 or the Joint Entrance Test (JEE) 2024.
▪ IIT Madras has set up a campus in Zanzibar -Tanzania, which commenced its academic season in 2023-24. Archaeologists uncover 7000-year-old Prehistoric Settlement in Serbia
▪ Archaeologists have recently discovered a 7000-year-old pre-historic settlement
Artara’24 Fine Arts Exhibition & Competition makes its mark in Dubai near the Tamiš River in northeastern Serbia.
▪ The event aimed to discover hidden artistic gems, with a particular focus ▪ The settlement is believed to date back to the late Neolithic period and spans
on the Indian talent residing in Dubai. roughly 11-13 hectares
▪ Serbia, a landlocked country in Southeast Europe.
Armenia, Azerbaijan Agree On Disputed Border Sections In Nagorno-Karabakh ▪ The capital city is Belgrade.
▪ Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed a deal on disputed sections of their shared ▪ currency is the Serbian dinar
border, a new step towards normalising ties between the historic rivals.
▪ The deal between the two Caucasus nations, both former Soviet republics, includes Argentine Scientists Unveil Discovery of Speedy 90-Million-Year-Old Herbivore Dinosaur
the return to Azerbaijan of four border villages seized by Armenia in the 1990s. ▪ Argentina announced the discovery of a new medium-sized herbivorous dinosaur,
which was a fast runner and lived about 90 million years ago in the Late
Background of the Dipute: Cretaceous period in present day Patagonia.
▪ Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked area in the South Caucasus that has been the ▪ The animal, named Chakisaurus nekul, was found in the Pueblo Blanco Natural
center of a long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan ever since the Reserve, in the southern province of Río Negro, an area rich in fossils where many
Soviet Union broke up. mammals, turtles, and fish have been found along with other species of
▪ The area is mostly made up of native Armenians, but it is officially part of Azerbaijan. Since the late 1980s, dinosaur,
there have been random acts of violence in the area. ▪ 2.5 or 3 meters long and was 70 centimeters high (8 to 10 feet long and 27
▪ Armenia and Azerbaijan fought two wars, in the 1990s and in 2020, for control of the then-contested inches high).
breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
▪ Azerbaijan had demanded the return of the four villages as a condition for a peace deal after decades of Sei Whales Return to Argentina After Century
conflict. ▪ Giant blue-grey sei whales that vanished from Argentina's Patagonian coast a century
ago due to hunting are starting to flourish once again, demonstrating how species can
EU Adopts First Law Against Violence Towards Women recover when measures to protect them are put in place.
▪ The sweeping law aims to protect women in the 27-nation EU from gender- ▪ During the 1920s and 1930s, sei whales faced intense hunting pressure, primarily from
based violence, forced marriages, female genital mutilation and online whaling operations in and around Argentine waters.
harassment. ▪ Sei whales, scientific name “Balaenoptera borealis,” are the third largest rorqual after
▪ It sets minimum sentences, ranging from one year to five years in prison, blue and fin whales.
depending on the crime.
▪ Under the rules, if the victim is a child, spouse or ex-spouse, the punishment can be more severe. Venezuela Becomes First Country To Lose All Glaciers
▪ EU states must transpose the rules into national law within three years. ▪ Venezuela’s (South American nation) only remaining glacier — the Humboldt, or La
Corona, in the Andes — had become "too small to be classed as a glacier".
European Council Approves the first worldwide AI Act ▪ There were six glaciers in this Latin American country.
• European Union (EU) Commission has given their final approval to the bloc's ▪ However, by 2011, five of them had already disappeared forever.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, subjecting high-risk AI applications to stricter ▪ The disappearance of the last glacier in Venezuela, caused by
regulation. temperature fluctuations beyond the norm for tropical latitudes, may
• The EU Commission will have the power to fine companies that breach the AI Act become one of the critical points for the Earth's cryosphere
as much 35 million euros ($38 million) or 7% of their annual global revenues — ▪ While there is no global standard for the minimum size a body of ice must
whichever is higher. be to qualify as a glacier, the US Geological Survey says a commonly
▪ The European Council is one of the seven principal institutions of the European Union accepted guideline is around 10 hectares (0.1 sq km).
(EU) and plays a crucial role in defining the general political direction and priorities of ▪ A glacier is a large, persistent mass of ice that forms on land and moves
the Union. under its own weight, typically flowing outward from its place of
▪ The AI Act has adopted a risk-based approach - subjecting higher-risk AI applications accumulation. Glaciers form in areas where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and
to stricter regulation. sublimation) over many years, often centuries.
▪ The law prohibits applications of AI that are considered “unacceptable” in terms of ▪ The compacted snow gradually transforms into ice, which can flow like a very slow river due to gravitational
their risk level. Such applications feature so-called “social scoring” systems that rank forces and the pressure from the weight of the ice above.
citizens based on aggregation and analysis of their data
▪ They also include applications of AI in financial services and education, where there is a risk of bias Ancient Branch of Nile River Uncovered Near Egyptian Pyramids
embedded in AI algorithms. ▪ For many years, archaeologists have thought that ancient Egyptians must have
▪ The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in used a nearby waterway to transport materials such as the stone blocks needed to
Europe. build the pyramids on the river.
▪ A research team from the University of North Carolina Wilmington has discovered that ▪ The two countries emphasised the need to take immediate steps to ensure the safe and authorised use of
the pyramids are likely to have been built along a long-lost, ancient branch of the River nuclear energy and reduce the risk of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons.
Nile - which is now hidden under desert and farmland. ▪ India and Pakistan agreed to intensify their efforts to resolve all conflicts related to Kashmir, through proper
▪ The river branch - named the Ahramat branch, with "ahramat" meaning pyramids in diplomatic channels.
Arabic - was roughly 64km (39 miles) long and between 200-700m (656-2,296 ft) wide. ▪ However, shortly after the signing, Pakistani troops infiltrated the Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir,
▪ The Ahramat branch flowed near a staggering 31 pyramids, including the iconic Giza leading to the Kargil War.
pyramid complex. This close proximity indicates that the river served as a vital ▪ Sharif confirmed conducting 5 nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, despite an offer from then US President Bill
transportation route. Clinton to prevent them.
▪ The River Nile was the lifeline of Ancient Egypt - and remains so to this day.
▪ The longest river in the world and is called the father of African rivers. Sports
WHO Launches New ‘Investment Round’ Aiming To Raise USD 7 Bn To Tackle Global ICC Imposes Five-Year Ban On West Indies Cricketer Devon Thomas For Anti-Corruption
Challenges Breaches
▪ The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new ‘Investment Round’ ▪ The International Cricket Council imposed a five-year period of ineligibility from all
aiming to raise 7 billion dollars of funds to support countries to tackle challenges cricket on West Indies player Devon Thomas after he accepted breaching 7 counts of
like climate change, displacement, poverty and inequality. the anti-corruption codes of Sri Lanka Cricket , the Emirates Cricket Board and the
▪ This coincides with the 77th World Health Assembly being held in Geneva from Caribbean Premier League .
May 27 to June 1 with the theme “All for Health, Health for All.” ▪ This period of ineligibility has been backdated to May 23, 2023
▪ The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO and is attended
by delegations from all WHO member states India retains top spot in white-ball formats, Australia reclaims world no. 1 rankings in
▪ WHO chief General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tests
▪ The World Health Organization (WHO), established in 1948 ▪ India have retained their top position in ODIs and T20Is but slipped to the second
▪ Membership: WHO currently has 194 member states position in the men’s Test Team Rankings in the latest ICC annual ranking
▪ Headquarter - Geneva, Switzerland
ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Amul to sponsor USA’s cricket team
Russia to remove Taliban from 'terror' list ▪ Amul is set to sponsor the USA and South Africa in the upcoming T20 World Cup
▪ Russia will remove the Taliban from a list of banned terrorist organisations, three years in June
after they returned to power in Afghanistan. ▪ Amul was associated with the South Africa team in the 2019 ODI series and 2023
▪ Moscow has for years fostered relations with the Taliban, holding multiple rounds of ICC Cricket World Cup
talks and boosting trade with Afghanistan despite international sanctions. ▪ Amul has a history of sponsoring cricket teams, with the Netherlands, South
▪ Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of banned organisations at the end of Africa, and Afghanistan among their previous beneficiaries.
2023 ▪ As co-hosts of this major ICC event, the USA will make its debut appearance in
this global championship.
‘Drone wall’ against Russia: Six NATO countries announce border defense plan ▪ Managing Director of Amul - Jayen Mehta
▪ Six NATO countries - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland, and Norway are joining
forces to build a “drone wall” to protect their borders against Russia. Ravi Shastri and Wasim Akram among 54 named as Cricket Australia’s Multicultural
▪ This is a completely new thing -- a drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland, and Ambassadors
the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect the borders ▪ Former India coach Ravi Shastri and legendary Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram has
▪ NATO was established on April 4, 1949, with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in been named as Cricket Australia’s Multicultural Ambassadors, among others, for two
Washington, D.C. by 12 founding member countries from Europe and North America. years.
▪ Its aim was to block expansion by the Soviet Union in Europe after World War II
▪ NATO has 32 members across Europe and North America BCCI announces 15-member squad for upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
▪ Recent most members – Sweden (2024) & Finland (2023) ▪ Chairman of Selection Committee, Mr Ajit Agarkar
▪ ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be hosted in the West Indies and USA
Nawaz Sharif admits violation of 1999 Lahore Agreement ▪ Rohit Sharma will be leading the team
▪ Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has finally accepted his mistake after 25 ▪ Hardik Pandya has been named the vice-captain.
years. ▪ Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant
▪ In fact, Nawaz Sharif has accepted that Pakistan had violated the Lahore Agreement signed with the then ▪ India will begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 05 in New York.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Islamabad on February 21, 1999 - with the goal of fostering
peace and stability between India and Pakistan. Pakistan appointed Gary Kirsten as ODI and T20I head coach
▪ The Lahore Declaration called for strict actions against all stakeholders of terrorism in all its forms and ▪ The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed World Cup-winning Gary Kirsten as their head coach for ODIs
manifestations. and T20Is, while former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie will take over that role in Test cricket.
▪ Gary Kirsten, former South Africa opener, was the head coach of the Indian cricket team which won the 2011 Jos Buttler becomes first England player to make 3,000 T20I runs
World Cup under MS Dhoni. ▪ Buttler reached this milestone against West Indies.
▪ The highest-run-scorer in T20I cricket - Virat Kohli (4,037 runs)
England cricketer James Anderson announced retirement
▪ England pace legend James Anderson’s international career that has lasted close to 22
years, having made his England debut in 2002.
▪ He became the first fast bowler ever to take 700 wickets in Test cricket.
▪ Overall, Anderson is the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history. The two
bowlers above him are spinners: Praggnanandhaa beats World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen For First Time In Classical Event At
▪ Muttiah Muralitharan - 800 Norway Chess 2024
▪ Shane Warne - 708 ▪ The 18-year-old Indian prodigy took down the World No. 1 in the 3rd round of Norway
Chess 2024.
Amul appointed as ‘Official Sponsor’ of Sri Lanka for T20 World Cup
▪ Previously Amul sponsored both the USA and South African cricket teams for the International Chess Federation Awards Grandmaster Title To Indian Chess Prodigy Vaishali
upcoming World Cup Ramesh Babu
▪ Indian Chess Prodigy, Vaishali Ramesh Babu, has officially been awarded the title of
ICC announced Women’s T20 World Cup Schedule Grandmaster by FIDE, the International Chess Federation.
▪ 9th Women's T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in Bangladesh from October 3-20 ▪ This makes Vaishali the third Indian female Grandmaster, joining Koneru Humpy and
▪ 23 matches featuring the top 10 women’s teams in the world from 3 to 20 October Harika Dronavalli.
in Bangladesh ▪ She and her brother, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, became the world’s first Grandmaster brother-sister
▪ CEO of the ICC - Geoff Allardice duo.
▪ Group A: Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka ▪ Vaishali is the 84th Indian grandmaster. In January, she was presented with the Arjuna Award.
▪ Group B: Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies, Scotland
Some Prominent Indian Chess Grandmasters (Requires Elo rating of above 2500):
Scotland cricket team unveils T20 World Cup jersey with Nandini dairy brand logo ▪ 1987 – Vishwanathan Anand, Tamil Nadu
▪ The Scotland cricket team unveiled its new ICC T20 World Cup jersey with Karnataka ▪ 2002 – Koneru Humpy, Andhra Pradesh
Milk Federation’s (KMF) Nandini logo. ▪ 2011 – Harika Dronavalli, Andhra Pradesh
▪ The Nandini brand, which is a household name in Karnataka, is sponsoring Scotland ▪ 2023 – Vaishali Rameshbabu, Tamil Nadu
and Ireland teams in the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
▪ The tournament is set to begin from June 2 in the West Indies and the USA. Note: Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Requires a minimum Elo rating of 2300
▪ Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi - first to claim the WGM title in India 2001.
KKR Lifts Their Third Trophy In IPL ▪ Jayshree Khadilkar – first Woman International Master (WIM) title in India in 1979
▪ In Cricket, Riders (KKR) lifted their third trophy in the Indian Premier League
(IKolkata Knight PL) with a crushing eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad Magnus Carlsen Wins 2024 Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland
(SRH) .
▪ Mitchell Starc was declared Player of the Match (KKR).
Emerging player of the season Nitish Reddy (SRH)

P Shyaamnikhil of Tamil Nadu becomes India’s 85th Chess Grandmaster
Purple cap Harshal Patel (24 wickets, PBKS) ▪ R Vaishali was the 84th Indian GM.
▪ Vishwanathan Anand was the first Indian to become the Grandmaster in 1988.
Orange cap Virat Kohli (741 runs, RCB)
▪ There are three female Indian Grandmasters Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and
Most valuable player of the season Sunil Narine (482 runs and 17 wickets, KKR) R. Vaishali.
Fairplay award Sunrisers Hyderabad Charles Leclerc Makes History with Monaco Grand Prix Triumph
▪ Charles Leclerc is a Monaco-born F1 driver who races with Ferrari
Shahid Afridi Appointed as ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Brand Ambassador ▪ Charles Leclerc achieved a historic victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, becoming the
▪ Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was unveiled as the latest ambassador for the ICC first Monegasque driver to win his home race since Louis Chiron in 1931.
Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, set to be held in the Unites States and the West Indies from
June 1.
▪ Afridi joins Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle and Usain Bolt among the ambassadors chosen by
the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the maiden 20-team T20 World Cup.
Max Verstappen Triumphs at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2024 Sachin Khilari defends gold at World Para Athletics, India surpasses best-ever tally
He competes in Formula One under the Dutch flag for Red Bull Racing ▪ India's Sachin Sarjerao Khilari defended his gold medal in the men's shot put
F46 category with an Asian record at the World Para Athletics Championship,
Lando Norris earns 1st career F1 victory at Miami Kobe, Japan
▪ In Miami Grand Prix Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren beats Max Verstappen ▪ India, now have 11 medals, 5 of them gold.
▪ Bahrain GP - Max Verstappen ▪ They bettered their previous best tally of 10 (3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze) in the 2023
▪ Saudi Arabia GP - Max Verstappen edition in Paris.
▪ Australian GP – Carlos Sainz
▪ Japan GP - Max Verstappen Deepthi Jeevanji sets World record, wins gold at World Para Athletics Championships
▪ China GP - Max Verstappen  Indian para athlete Deepthi Jeevanji sets a world record and wins gold in the women’s
400m T20 at the Para Athletics World Championship 2024 in Kobe, Japan, clocking
Jorge Martin wins 2024 French MotoGP 55.06 seconds
 MotoGP, short for Motorcycle Grand Prix, is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road
circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the sport's global governing Nikhat Zareen And Minakshi Clinch Gold Medals At Elorda Cup In Kazakhstan
body. ▪ In Boxing, Nikhat Zareen and another boxer Minakshi clinched gold medals at the Elorda
Cup 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Indian Shuttlers Set To Shine At 2024 Paris Olympics ▪ Nikhat in the women’s 52 kg category
▪ The Sports Authority of India (SAI) informed that seven shuttlers will represent ▪ Minakshi in the women’s 48 kg event.
India across four categories in the 2024 Paris Olympics. ▪ The Indians concluded their Elorda Cup 2024 campaign with 12 medals, including two
▪ Two time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu will again lead India’s challenge in the gold, two silver and eight bronze medals.
women’s category where she is the only Indian entrant.
▪ Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have qualified in the men’s doubles Nishad Kumar, Preethi Pal Win Medals At World Para Athletics Championships
category. ▪ The Indian team picked up its first medals in the World Para Athletics Championships in
▪ Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy will compete in men’s singles Kobe, Japan with:
▪ Tanisha Crasto-Ashwini Ponnappa will be participating in women’s doubles. ▪ High jumper Nishad Kumar winning a silver and
▪ 200 metres Runner Preethi Pal winning a bronze.
India’s Simran Sharma Wins Gold Medal At World Para Athletics Championship In Kobe,
Japan India’s Star Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra Seals Second-Place Finish In Doha Diamond League
▪ Simran clinched the gold in the women’s 200m T12 event 2024
▪ India concluded their World Para Athletics Championships journey securing a total of 17 medals, including 6 ▪ Chopra’s spear landed at 88.36 metre, just 2 cenitmetres short of event topper Czech
golds, propelling them to the 6th position in the standings. player Jakub Vadlejch’s 88.38 metre.
Neeraj Chopra Wins Gold In Federation Cup With Throw Of 82.27 Metres
▪ In men’s javelin throw, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in
Federation Cup 2024 in Bhubaneswar.
▪ He has won a historic gold in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, became Diamond League
champion in 2022, world champion in 2023 and defended Asian Games gold in China in
2023.
K M Deeksha breaks 1500m National mark in LA meet

 K M Deeksha, from Madhya Pradesh, ran the distance in 4:04.78, bettering the previous
record of 4:05.39 set by Harmilan Bains in 2021
GOLD MEDALS WINNERS
Category Player Indian Gymnast Srishti Khandagale Wins Silver at Asian Championships
Men's High Jump T63 Mariyappan THANGAVELU ▪ In Trampoline, India’s Srishti Khandagale scripted history by becoming the first ever Indian
Men's Javelin Throw F64 Sumit to win a medal at the Asian Trampoline Gymnastics Championships.
Men's Shot Put F46 Sachin Sarjerao KHILARI ▪ She clinched the silver medal in Women’s Individual Age group category at the 6th Asian
Women's 200m T12 Simran Trampoline Gymnastics Championship held in Hong Kong, China.
Women's 400m T20 Deepthi JEEVANJI
Women's Club Throw F51 Ekta BHYAN Abha Khatua Sets National Record Winning Gold In Women’s Shot Put At National Federation
Cup Athletics Competition
▪ Abha Khatua from Maharashtra has set a national record and won gold medal in Women’s Shot Put with a April 2018 to establish a technical support team for managing the TOPS athletes and providing holistic
massive throw of 18.41 metres at National Federation Cup Athletics Competition in Bhubaneswar. support.
▪ The Scheme looks to add a premium to the preparations of these athletes so that they
Tejaswin Shankar Clinches Gold In High Jump At USATF Festival can win medals in the Olympics.
▪ India’s Tejaswin Shankar clinched victory the men’s High Jump event at the USATF ▪ This includes foreign training, international competition, equipment and coaching camp
Throws Festival in Tucson, Arizona, USA. besides monthly stipend of Rs. 50,000/- for each athlete.
▪ The National record holder Tejaswin secured the top spot at the World Athletics
Continental Tour – Silver event. Nepal’s Purnima Shrestha Becomes First Woman In World To Climb Mount Everest Thrice In 13
Days
Dipa Karmakar Clinches India’s First-Ever Gold Medal In Women’s Vault At Asian ▪ Purnima Shrestha, a 32-year-old mountaineer from Gorkha, Nepal, and a
Championships In Tashkent photojournalist by profession has made history as the first woman in the world to
▪ Dipa Karmakar, is an Indian Gymnast from Tripura, scripted history , clinching India’s climb Mount Everest three times in the same season, all in just 13 days.
first-ever gold medal at the Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. ▪ She has climbed Everest four times, with a prior summit in 2018.
▪ This is the first time that an Indian gymnast has won a gold medal in any event at the
Asian Championships. Nepal’s Mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa Climbs Mount Everest For 29th Time
▪ Karmakar also bagged a bronze medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.
▪ She is the first female gymnast from India to compete in the Olympics, and at Rio 2016, where she stood 4th Nepal's Everest Man- Kami Rita climbs Mount Everest for a record 30th time
in the vault event. ▪ A 54-year-old Nepalese climber known as “Everest Man” reached the peak of the world’s
▪ She also became the first Indian to ever win a gold medal at an international gymnastics competition when highest mountain for a record 30th time on three decades after his first summit.
she won the women’s vault gold medal at the 2018 FIG World Cup in Mersin, Turkey. ▪ Kami Rita Sherpa, who broke his own record after climbing the 8,849-metre (29,000-foot)
• Dipa Karmakar was conferred India’s highest sports award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now Major peak for the 29th time earlier this month.
Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award) 2016. ▪ Sherpa first stood on the top of Everest in 1994
• She was honoured with India’s fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri 2017.
Mumbai girl Kaamya Karthikeyan becomes youngest Indian to summit Mt Everest from Nepal
Para Powerlifting World Cup 2024: Sakina Khatun Secures 2 Bronze Medals In Thailand Side
▪ She secured the medals in the Best Lift and Total Lift categories. ▪ 16-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan is a class 12 student from Mumbai.
▪ In the Women’s up to 67 kg event, another Indian, Kasthuri Rajamani earned the ▪ She and her father Cdr S Karthikeyan successfully summited Mt. Everest (8,849 m) –
bronze making her the youngest Indian & the second youngest girl in the world to summit Mt
▪ Earlier in the Men’s up to 65 Kg category, India’s Ashok Malik secured the gold Everest from the Nepal side.
medal with a personal best lift of 197 kg, ▪ Kaamya has completed 6 summits out of all seven continents and aims to climb Mt. Vinson Massif in
▪ In the Men’s up to 49 kg category, Parmjeet Singh claimed the silver. Antarctica this December to become the youngest girl to accomplish the ‘7summits challenge’.
Chandru G Wins WBC India Cruiserweight Championship Seven Summits

▪ Tamil Nadu’s Chandru G clinched the WBC India Cruiserweight Championship title in The highest peaks on each of the seven continents are known collectively as the "Seven Summits.”
Boxing 1. Asia: Mount Everest
▪ In August 2021, World Boxing Council announced the formation of the WBC India 2. South America: Aconcagua
Committee with the Indian Boxing Council as its strategic partner for development of 3. North America: Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley)
Professional Boxing in India. 4. Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro
5. Europe: Mount Elbrus
Next Generation Of Squash Players Inducted In TOPS With Eye On LA 2028 Olympic 6. Antarctica: Mount Vinson
Games 7. Australia (and Oceania): Puncak Jaya
▪ The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ Mission Olympics Cell (MOC) has
inducted next generation squash players Anahat Singh, Abhay Singh and Jyoti Ratre, 55, becomes oldest Indian woman to conquer Mount Everest
Velavan Senthilkumar into the Development Group of the Target Olympic Jyoti Ratre is an entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast from Madhya Pradesh
Podium Scheme (TOPS).
▪ The squash players have been inducted into TOPS with a focus on 2028 Los
Angeles Olympics as the sport is set to debut in that edition.
▪ For years, Saurav Ghosal, Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa have kept the flame burning in India and are
now passing the baton to the next generation of players. Indian Mountaineer Satyadeep Gupta Becomes First Person To Scale Mt. Everest And Mt.
Lhotse Twice In One Season
TOPS SCHEME  This historic achievement marks the first Double Dual Ascent of the world’s highest and
▪ In order to improve India’s performance at Olympics and Paralympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the fourth highest peaks in a single season.
Sports (MYAS) started the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in September 2014. This was revamped in
NRI couple move mountains, become first Sikh pair in the world to scale Mt Everest ▪ At the moment, he holds the record of being the third-highest scorer of international goals among active
US citizens and NRI couple 47-year-old Harpreet Singh Cheema and 40-year-old footballers, after Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Navneet Kaur Cheema became the first Sikh couple in the world to reach the summit of ▪ Chhetri has won the prestigious All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year title a total of seven
Mt Everest. times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons.
▪ He was also conferred upon the Arjuna Award in 2011
▪ Padma Shri Award in 2019.
Manchester City wins historic fourth in row title at Premier League ▪ Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
▪ Manchester City won its fourth straight Premier League title, making it the first team ▪ He is the first footballer to win the Khel Ratna, the country’s highest award for sporting achievement.
to achieve this feat.
▪ Manchester City’s earlier three consecutive Premier League titles: 2021, 2022, 2023, India to host BWF World Junior Badminton Championships 2025, Guwahati
2024 ▪ The tournament will be played at the newly-christened National Centre of Excellence.
▪ The Premier League is the top professional football (soccer) division in England and is ▪ The World Juniors were last held in India in Pune in 2008.
widely regarded as one of the most competitive and popular football leagues in the ▪ India’s only gold medal in the junior major came that year when Saina Nehwal defeated
world. Sayaka Sato to become world champion.
▪ The 2026 edition of the BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals go to Denmark.
Australia and Uzbekistan to host AFC Women's Asian Cups ▪ BWF President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
▪ Australia and Uzbekistan have been confirmed as hosts for the 2026 and 2029 Asian
Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cups, respectively Thomas & Uber Cup 2024: China secure both men’s and women’s crowns
▪ This marks Australia’s second time hosting after 2006 and makes Uzbekistan the first ▪ In the Thomas Cup final, the host nation (China) defeated 14-time champions
Central Asian nation to host the event. Indonesia to secure their 11th title.
▪ AFC President - Shaikh Salman ▪ China also defeated Indonesia to lift their 16th women’s team title in the
▪ AFC Current champions: China Uber Cup.
▪ Held in Chengdu from 27 April to 5 May
Brazil to Host 2027 Women’s World Cup Soccer ▪ Men's Badminton Team Championship is popularly known as Thomas Cup
▪ Brazil was declared the host of the 2027 Women’s World Cup at the FIFA Congress ▪ Women's Badminton Team Championship is popularly known as Uber Cup
▪ to become the first South American country to hold the tournament.
Badminton: Satwik-Chirag Reclaim World No. 1 Spot In BWF Rankings
th
Spanish football club Real Madrid wins 36 La Liga title ▪ Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have regained their top spot in the
The La Liga is a professional men’s club-based football championship in Spain. latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) Rankings after a remarkable victory at
the Thailand Open Super 500 in Bangkok .
Mumbai City FC regain the Indian Super League crown over Mohun Bagan SG ▪ HS Prannoy highest-placed Indian in men’s singles - world No. 9
▪ Mumbai City FC beat Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Salt Lake Stadium to emerge as ▪ PV Sindhu - world No. 15 in women’s singles
the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 Cup Winners at the final in Kolkata. ▪ India’s top women’s doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa -
ISL 2023-24 Season Awards world No. 19
▪ Golden Glove – Phurba Lachenpa (Mumbai City FC)
▪ Golden Boot – Dimitrios Diamantakos (Kerala Blasters FC) Alexander Zverev and Iga Swiatek win Singles Title of Italian open
▪ Player of the League – Dimitrios Petratos (Mohun Bagan Super Giant)
About Indian Super League (ISL):
▪ It is a professional football league in India. India set to get first-ever professional pickleball league ‘WPBL’
▪ The league was officially founded in 2013. ▪ Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Natekar is set to launch the World Pickleball League
▪ It operates on a franchise system (WPBL)
▪ The league was established through a partnership between the All India Football ▪ WPBL professional pickleball league is envisaged by Natekar Sports and Gaming
Federation (AIFF), Reliance Industries, and Star Sports. (NSG) and Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India (SETVI).
▪ ISL is recognized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and global governing body ▪ The inaugural edition of the World Pickleball League will witness six franchises compete for the title. Each
FIFA team will have five to eight players including international stars.
▪ Arvind Prabhoo: President of All India Pickleball Federation
Sunil Chhetri announces retirement from international football after FIFA World Cup
qualifier 2024 Madrid Open, Iga Swiatek and Andrey Rublev Triumph
▪ Indian football icon and captain of the national team, Sunil Chhetri, has announced his ▪ World no.1 women's tennis players Iga Swiatek (Poland) defeated
decision to retire from international football on 6 June. Aryna Sabalenka
▪ India’s FIFA World Cup qualification match against Kuwait would be his last game. ▪ Andrey Rublev (Russia) defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime
▪ Chhetri, 39, has played for the country for 19 years, having scored his first goal during ▪ at the women’s and men’s singles titles at the 2024 Madrid Open,
his debut match in 2005. respectively.
Prithvi Shekhar won the title in Slovenia Deaf Tennis Open ▪ The championship featured all eight Olympic classes of boats and attracted 82 participants from 10 sailing
▪ Prithvi Shekhar won the title in the Slovenia Deaf Tennis Open by winning the title in the clubs nationwide. A total of 94 races, including four medal races.
men's singles category. ▪ Teams from the Army and Navy dominated, securing the highest medal count.
▪ Earlier he claimed a singles title at the Australian Open Deaf Championship.
World’s highest competitive swimming pool opens in Bhutan
▪ World Aquatics inaugurated the highest competitive swimming pool at 8200 ft
(2,400 meters) in Bhutan, under the ‘Pools for All program’ to promote aquatic
India Clinches 3 Gold, And 2 Bronze Medals At Asian Open Pickleball Championships In sports.
Vietnam ▪ The Global body of Swimming launched a program in 2019 that aims to ensure
▪ Pickleball - an American game resembling tennis, in which players use short- accessible aquatic facilities for more countries and regions.
handled bats to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net. ▪ Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the Druk Gyalpo, the monarch of the Kingdom of
Bhutan.
Velavan Senthil Kumar Wins His Eighth Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour ▪ World Aquatics President- Hussein Al-Musallam.
Title In Paris
▪ India’s Velavan Senthilkumar won his eighth Professional Squash Association Bajrang Punia Provisionally Suspended by Wrestling Authorities
(PSA) Tour title by winning the Batch Open, a PSA Challenger event in Paris. ▪ NADA (National Anti Doping Agency) had suspended Bajrang on April 23 for his
‘refusal’ to give his sample during the selection trials for Olympic qualifiers in Sonipat
Manika Batra becomes first Indian woman paddler to break top-25 world rankings; now at on March 10.
No. 24 ▪ As per United World Wrestling (UWW) records, Bajrang has been suspended until
December 31, 2024, for “being provisionally suspended” by NADA “for alleged anti-doping rule violation
(ADRV).”
Indexes/Report
Indian Players Captured Both Men’s And Women’s Doubles Titles At Male: Asian
Carrom Championship IIM Ahmedabad Tops India’s Educational Institutions in Center for World University Rankings 2024
▪ In the 6th Asian Carrom championship, Indian players captured both the Men’s ▪ According to a report issued by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)
and Women’s doubles titles at Male in Maldives. ▪ Indian universities showed signs of downfall in terms of performance at the face of intensified global
▪ In Men’s doubles - Indian duo K Srinivas and Mohammed Ghufran competition from well-funded institutions
▪ Women’s doubles - India’s Aakanksha Kadam and Shainy Sebastian ▪ In the 2024 edition of the Global 2000 list, 64 Indian universities and institutions were featured
▪ Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad secured the top rank among the best performing
Japan Wins its Maiden Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Trophy institutes across India
▪ Japan won its maiden Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey trophy by defeating Pakistan ▪ IIM Ahmedabad climbed 9 spots to secure 410th rank.
in the final. ▪ The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) dropped 7 places to rank 501.
▪ The final was played at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia, 2024. ▪ Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay plunged 14 spots and stood at 568th rank.
▪ The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is an annual international men's field hockey ▪ Harvard University secured top positions for the 13th year in a row despite global competition.
tournament held in Malaysia.
The top-5 Indian higher education institutions are:
Coca-Cola India announces its first ever partnership with Hockey India, for the 1. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad - 410
National Women's Hockey League 2. Indian Institute of Science -501
▪ Anandana, The Coca-Cola India Foundation, announces its first ever 3. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay -568
partnership with Hockey India, for the National Women's Hockey League 4. Indian Institute of Technology Madras -582
2024. 5. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad -606
▪ Under Coca-Cola India's #SheTheDifference campaign, the partnership is aimed at the advancement of
women's hockey in India by providing essential resources and support to players. World Press Freedom Index 2024, India Ranked 159th Out of 180 Countries
▪ Hockey India President: Dr. Dilip Tirkey ▪ An annual report released by the global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders
(RSF for Reporters sans Frontières), RSF.
YAI Senior National Championship 2024 Concludes in Mumbai ▪ It ranks 180 countries on the ability of journalists to work and report freely and
▪ The Yachting Association of India (YAI) Senior National Championship independently.
2024 concluded at the Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre ▪ Norway topped the ranking, while Denmark was on the second rank.
(INWTC) in Mumbai. The event is held from 12-18 May. ▪ Eritrea was at the bottom of the list, with Syria just ahead of it.
▪ Organized under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India (YAI) ▪ The Maghreb and Middle East regions performed the worst in terms of restrictions on press freedom by
and the Indian Navy Sailing Association (INSA) government forces.
India’s Ranking: ▪ India was ranked 9th in solar energy deployment in 2015.
▪ India’s rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, but this was because other countries had slipped in ▪ The report shows that solar power’s share in global electricity production surged to a record 5.5 percent in
their rankings. 2023
▪ India’s score in the World Press Freedom Index fell over the last year, from 36.62 to 31.28 ▪ India’s share of solar power surged from 0.5 percent in 2015 to 5.8 percent in 2023.
▪ India is ranked behind Turkey, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which are ranked at positions 158, 152, and 150, ▪ India witnessed the world’s fourth-largest increase in solar generation in 2023 (+18 Terawatt hours or TWh),
respectively. following China (+156 TWh), the United States (+33 TWh), and Brazil (+22 TWh).
▪ The press freedom questionnaire covers five categories: political context, legal framework, economic ▪ Together, these top four solar growth countries accounted for 75 percent of the overall growth in 2023.
context, sociocultural context, and security.
▪ Scores for India dropped (worsened) in all except the security indicator. India’s Majority Population Decline Second Only To Myanmar In South Asia: EAC PM
Working Paper
India Climbs To 39th Position In World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development ▪ India has seen the second most significant decline of 7.82 % in the majority
Index 2024 population, only next to Myanmar, within the immediate South Asian
▪ The biennial index, which was compiled in collaboration with the UK-based University neighbourhood from 1950 to 2015.
of Surrey, analysed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of ▪ A working paper of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, EAC PM,
factors and policies. said India has witnessed an increase in the share of Minority groups – Muslim,
▪ India also ranks the highest in South Asia among the lower-middle-income Christian, Buddhist and Sikh and a decline in the share of Jain and Parsis.
economies. ▪ Hindu population share was 84.68 per cent in 1950, which came down to 78.06
▪ Earlier, India was ranked 54th in 2021 published index per cent in 2015.
▪ US, Spain, Japan, France and Australia - top five ▪ Between 1950 and 2015, the Muslim population increased by 43.15 per cent,
▪ On an overall index score of 7, where 1 is the worst, and 7 the best, India scored 4.25. and the Christian population by 5.38 per cent.
▪ According to the index,, India demonstrates high price competitiveness (18th) and possesses competitive air ▪ The share of the majority religious denomination for 167 countries has, on
transport (26th) as well as ground and port (25th) infrastructure. average, reduced by 22 per cent from 1950-2015.
▪ India's robust natural (6th), cultural (9th), and non-leisure (9th) resources contribute to its travel appeal, ▪ The paper provided a detailed cross-country analysis of the share of religious minorities in 167 countries.
with the country being one of only three to secure a top 10 ranking across all resource pillars ▪ It said minority populations have shrunk substantially in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and
Afghanistan.
India received $111 billion in remittances in 2022: World Migration Report 2024
▪ The World Migration Report, 2024, prepared by the United Urbanization Boosts Night-Time Warming in Indian Cities: IIT Study
Nations International Organisation for Migration, was released in Dhaka, ▪ As per the new research from the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar
Bangladesh ▪ Urbanization has led to nearly 60% more night-time warming in over 140
▪ India became the first country in the world to receive over $100 billion in prominent Indian cities compared to non-urban areas surrounding them
inward remittance. ▪ According to the research, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Rajkot had the highest urban
▪ India received $111.22 billion in 2022 as remittance, while Mexico dethroned China to take the number two effect, while Delhi-NCR and Pune were at the fourth and fifth position,
spot respectively.
▪ Inward remittance refers to the money sent by the Indians working abroad to their relatives in India. ▪ Urbanisation is known to be responsible for the urban heat island (UHI) effect,
▪ It is biennially published report since 2000 in which the concrete and asphalt (used in constructing roads and pavements)
▪ In 2022, India, Mexico, China, the Philippines and France were the top five remittance recipient countries. surfaces store heat during the day and release it in the evening, thereby raising night-time temperatures.
▪ 3 countries in Southern Asia – India, Pakistan (6th) and Bangladesh (8th), rank among the top ten recipients ▪ The study sought to determine how much urbanisation and local climate change each contributed to raising
▪ India’s receipts from 2010 till 2022 have more then doubled. night-time temperatures over the past two decades (2003-2020) to analyse temperature trends in 141 cities
▪ India has an estimated 1.8 crore international migrants travelling abroad to work (largest source of ▪ "The mean urban effect for all these cities across India was found to be 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade.
international migration ) ▪ This leads to an estimate of 37.73 % of the total urban warming being linked to urbanisation -- that is, nearly
▪ The migrant workers include both skilled and unskilled workers. 60 % more to the surrounding non-urban areas.
▪ Recently, the proportion of skilled and qualified professionals like software engineers, Doctors, Chartered
Accountants, etc, among Indian international migrants has been increasing. Uttar Pradesh leads in Transmission line additions by State Utilities
▪ The maximum migration of the Indians was to the UAE, where there were an estimated 3.47 million Indians, ▪ According to statistics released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA)
followed by 2.7 million in the US and 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia. ▪ UP has topped the list for adding transmission lines of 1,460 Circuit km by
▪ According to the report, West Asia, particularly Gulf countries, was the largest destination for migrant state transmission utilities in FY24
workers. ▪ Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Ltd - 898 Circuit km, was in second
▪ Around 88 per cent of the UAE population consists of migrants, 73 per cent in place.
Kuwait, and 77 per cent in Qatar. ▪ At the third place was Tamil Nadu, added 753 Circuit km
India Surpasses Japan as 3rd Largest Solar Power Generator in 2023 Mumbai & Delhi Among 50 Wealthiest Cities of World: Henley & Partners
▪ Global Electricity Review 2024, published by global energy think tank EMBER ▪ 2024 World’s Wealthiest Cities Report released by Henley & Partners and New
▪ India's become the third-largest solar power generator in the world in 2023. World Wealth.
▪ Mumbai (24th) and Delhi (37th) have secured positions among the top 50 wealthiest cities in a global survey 10th World Water Forum 2024
of wealth distribution ▪ Theme of Water for Shared Prosperity
▪ Bengaluru found a spot in the top 10 most promising 'cities to watch' list for future growth ▪ organised by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the World Water Council.
▪ New York City leads the global ranking ▪ The World Water Council, established in 1996 and located in Marseille, France is an
▪ The United States, with 11 cities securing positions in the top 50, is at the top of the international organisation with 260 member organisations from 52 countries including
charts. India.
▪ The Forum is the world's largest event organised, since 1997, every three years with
Delhi Ranks 350 In Oxford Global Cities Index Report 2024 a different host country.
▪ New York ranks first on the index, followed by London, San Jose, Tokyo, Paris. ▪ Saudi Arabia was appointed as the country to host the 11th Water Forum in 2027
▪ Delhi has scored the 350th rank in the Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index, which
has compared the world's 1000 largest cities spread across 163 different countries World Bank Report on Agri-food System
▪ The index contains five categories: Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, ▪ The World Bank’s recent report, “Recipe for a Livable Planet: Achieving Net Zero Emissions in the Agrifood
Environment, and Governance, which are aggregated to create an overall score for System”, has emphasized on significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the
each city. agrifood sector, which currently accounts for about a third of all global emissions
▪ In India, Bengaluru is ranked 411, Mumbai 427, Chennai 472, Kochi 521 ▪ The World Bank report identifies the top ten agrifood system emitters (responsible for 55% of global
▪ However, no Indian city could make the Top 300. agrifood emissions), which include China, Brazil, India, the United States, and Indonesia, among others.
▪ Annual investments will need to increase by 18 times to $260 billion a year to halve current agrifood
World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 emissions by 2030 and put the world on-track for net-zero emissions by 2050.
▪ 3rd edition of the UN World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 by the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Study reveals how new species evolve without geographic barriers
▪ Earlier editions were published in 2016 and 2020 ▪ A new study conducted by scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology
▪ The report provides an updated focus on trends in the illegal trade in wildlife species Bombay (IIT Bombay), Mumbai published in NPJ Systems Biology and
listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna Applications, has shed light on the process of speciation, meaning the
and Flora (CITES). formation of new species, in the absence of geographic barriers.
▪ The seizure data in the report documents illegal trade in 162 countries and territories ▪ Researchers at IIT Bombay discover the role of environmental resources, genes and mating in species in the
during 2015–2021 development of new species in the same area, challenging the traditional view that new species can develop
▪ The report noted that the intercepted illegal wildlife trade — as a proportion of all wildlife trade — saw an only in distinct geographies.
increase from 2017 onwards. ▪ Traditionally, it is believed that speciation largely occurs when populations of a species are isolated from
▪ According to the findings, the proportion of wildlife crimes peaked in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 each other by geographical barriers such as mountains or bodies of water.
pandemic. ▪ This is called allopatric speciation.
▪ Worst Affected - Rhino horns comprised the largest share of the illegal wildlife market, constituting 29 ▪ However, the new IIT Bombay research suggests that speciation can happen even when populations live in
percent. Following closely were pangolin scales at 28 percent and elephant ivory at 15 percent. the same area without geographical barriers.
▪ This mode of speciation is called sympatric speciation.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): ▪ While there is ecological evidence in favour of sympatric hypothesis, there is no experimental evidence
 CITES was signed on 3 March 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1975.
 With 184 Parties (183 countries + the European Union), it remains one of the world's most powerful tools for Half of world’s “Rangelands” are degraded : UNCCD
wildlife conservation through the regulation of international trade in over 40,900 species of wild animals and ▪ According to a new report of the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification
plants. (UNCCD)
▪ About half of the world’s rangelands are degraded and need policy interventions, and
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): communities depending on them need focused support
 It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that was established in 1997 as part of the UN reform. ▪ The UNCCD report defines rangelands as natural or semi-natural ecosystems that are
 It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. grazed by livestock or wild animals.
 The UNODC is mandated to assist member states in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism. ▪ Rangelands contain vegetation such as grasses, shrubs, bushes, open forests, and agroforestry systems (land
which contains trees and crops or pastures).
World Bank Report: ‘Water For Shared Prosperity’ ▪ Currently, rangelands cover 80 million sq km of Earth’s terrestrial surface area (over half of Earth’s land), and
▪ The World Bank's new report "Water for Shared Prosperity," released at the 10th are thus the largest land cover or land use type in the world.
World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia, highlights the alarming global water crisis ▪ They act as carbon sinks (which absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than they release), storehouses of
and its implications for human and economic development worldwide. freshwater, and prevent desertification of land. Millions of people worldwide depend on rangelands for food
▪ In 2022, 2.2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water security, and livelihoods.
services, while 3.5 billion lacked access to safely managed sanitation. ▪ Rangelands generate 16% of global food production and 70% of feed for domesticated herbivores.
▪ Low-income countries, in particular, have seen regression in access to safe drinking water ▪ In India, rangelands occupy about 1.21 million sq km, from the Thar Desert to Himalayan meadows, as per
▪ China and India, with 36% of the global population, hold only 11% of freshwater, while North America, with the UNCCD report.
5% of the population, possesses 52%.
Current Affairs May 2024 www.parchamclasses.in
▪ The UNCCD report found that nearly 50% of the world’s rangelands can be considered “degraded” and are
facing a “silent demise”.
▪ Climate change, unsustainable land and livestock management practices, biodiversity loss, and the
conversion of rangelands to farmlands are some of the primary drivers of rangeland degradation.
▪ Uncertainty over land rights among pastoralist communities, who depend on rangelands for their livelihood,
also leads to their degradation.
Kathmandu Tops The List Of Cities With Unhealthy Air In The World
▪ According to IQAir: The air quality in Kathmandu was at the top of the list of
cities with ‘unhealthy air’ in the world.
▪ In terms of pollution, Kathmandu, New Delhi, Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi in
Vietnam, Bangkok in Thailand and Dhaka in Bangladesh are ranked first,
second, third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2024

▪ The rankings list the world’s best universities that are 50 years old or younger.
▪ This year the ranking included over 670 universities from across the globe.
▪ The 2 Indian universities have ranked in the top 100 list.
▪ Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala - 81st
▪ Anna University, Chennai - 96th
▪ Nanyang Technological University, Singapore tops the league table for the 2nd year in a row.
China Overtakes US as India’s Largest Trading Partner in FY24

▪ China has emerged as India's largest trading partner in the FY 2023-24 with
$118.4 billion two-way commerce, narrowly edging past the US ($118.3 bn),
according to the data of economic think tank GTRI.
▪ The bilateral trade between India and the US stood at $118.3 billion in 2023-
24.
▪ The US was the India’s largest trading partner in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
▪ According to the report, India's exports to China rose by 8.7 per cent in the last fiscal.
▪ The main sectors which recorded healthy growth in exports to that country include iron ore, cotton
yarn/fabrics/madeups, handloom, spices, fruits and vegetables, plastic and linoleum.
▪ Imports from China increased by 3.24 per cent.
▪ In 2023-24, the UAE (with USD 83.6 billion), was the third largest trading partner of India. It was followed by
Russia ($65.7 billion), Saudi Arabia ($43.4 billion), and Singapore ($35.6 billion).
Deepika Padukone becomes the only Indian star to feature on Deadline’s Global Disruptors
2024 list
▪ Deepika Padukone has been featured on the list of Global Disruptors 2024 by Deadline
Hollywood magazine.
▪ The list features celebrities who are significantly contributing to defining the future of
the entertainment industry globally.
▪ In the feature, Deepika is introduced as ‘India’s surprise superstar who is on a mission to
break boundaries and taboos’.
9th edition of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list released

▪ Forbes released its ninth edition of the “30 Under 30 Asia” list celebrating 300 young
entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers under 30 who are driving innovation and
transforming industries across the Asia-Pacific region.
▪ 86 Indian on the list.
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Current Affairs May 2024 www.parchamclasses.

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