Latest Current Affairs For Tuesday 2nd May, 2023

Indian Army inducts five women officers into its Artillery Regiment

The women officers, including Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav, Lt Pavitra Moudgil and Lt Akanksha, joined major artillery units of the Army after completing their training at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.

An Overview:

The move is a significant step towards gender equality in the Indian Armed Forces and reflects the Army's commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity.

According to military sources, out of the five women officers, three have been posted on the forward front along theLine of Actual Control (LAC) with China, while the other two have been posted at challenging positions near the border with Pakistan.

The Artillery Regiment is a major combat support branch responsible for various gun systems including the Bofors howitzer, Dhanush, M-777 howitzer and K-9 Vajra self-propelled guns.

Women officers are being posted in major artillery units of all types, where they will get adequate training and experience in handling rocket, area and surveillance, and target acquisition (SATA) systems, as well as major equipment.

The decision to induct women officers into artillery units was announced by Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pandey in January and later approved by the government.

About Indian Army:

Established- 26 January 1950

Headquarters- New Delhi

Motto- Seva Paramo Dharma: (Sanskrit); "Service Before Self" (translation)

Colour- Gold, Red and Black

Part- Indian Armed Forces

Role- Land War

India to join international climate action in civil aviation from 2027

India will join the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and Long-Term Aspirational Goals (LTAG) from 2027.

An Overview:

This announcement was made in the meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Parliament of the Ministry of Civil Aviation under the chairmanship of Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

ICAO has adopted several key ambitious targets, including a two percent annual fuel efficiency improvement by 2050, carbon neutral development, and net zero by 2050, all covered under CORSIA and LTAG.

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that joining these measures from 2027 would help airlines from developing countries like India to achieve greater growth and avoid adverse financial consequences due to CORSIA.

The financial impact caused by offsetting will be borne by individual airlines based on their international operations, and CORSIA only applies to flights originating from one country to another.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO):

It is a specialised agency of the United Nations and its primary function is to coordinate the principles and techniques of international air navigation.

The organisation is also responsible for promoting the planning and development of international air transport.

ICAO's mission is to ensure the safe and orderly development of the international aviation industry.

The organisation works with its member states to develop and implement policies and regulations related to air navigation and air transport.

ICAO also provides technical assistance and training to help its member states meet international aviation standards and regulations.

Established - 7 December 1944

Headquarters -Montreal, Canada

Carbon Offsetting and Mitigation Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA):

It is a global plan developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to reduce CO2 emissions from international flights.

It aims to achieve carbon-neutral growth for international flights by offsetting any increase in emissions through the purchase of carbon credits from eligible projects.

The plan has a phased implementation and includes all international flights, except to least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023, won by Sergio Perez

Sergio Pérez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the fourth round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship held in Baku.

An Overview:

Pérez won the race beating Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a Formula One race held annually since 2017 at the Baku City Circuit in the capital city of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is a country located in both Asia and Europe, bordered by the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains.

The country's capital is Baku, known for its mediaeval walled Inner City.

The Palace of the Shirvanshahs is located within the inner city of Baku. It was built in the 15th century as a royal residence.

About Azerbaijan:

Capital - Baku

Currency - Azerbaijani manat

Official language - Azerbaijani

Government -Republic, Unitary State, Presidential System, Constitutional Republic, Semi-Presidential System

Continent - Europe, Asia

President -Ilham Aliyev

Vice President - Mehriban Aliyeva

Prime Minister -Ali Asadov

National Assembly Speaker -Sahiba Gafarova

Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty won men's doubles at the Badminton Asia Championships gold medal

On 30 April, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty created history by becoming the first Indian men's doubles pair to win a gold medal at the Badminton Asia Championships.

An Overview:

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Malaysian pair of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yee in a three-game match.

This historic achievement is only the second gold medal India has won at theBadminton Asia Championships, the first gold medal being won by Dinesh Khanna in 1965 in the men's singles category.

He won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2022 and was part of the historic Thomas Cup winning team.

Badminton Association of India (BAI):

It serves as the governing body for badminton in India.

BAI is registered as an association under the Societies Act.

Since 1936, BAI has been responsible for organising and hosting national level badminton tournaments in India.

Establishment -1934

Headquarters - New Delhi

President -Himanta Biswa Sarma

Badminton Asia Championship:

It is an annual badminton tournament organised by the governing body Badminton Asia. 

The tournament has been held since 1962 and has been an annual event since 1991.

National Manufacturing Innovation Survey (NMIS) 2021-22

Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, released the “National Manufacturing Innovation Survey (NMIS) 2021-22: Summary for Policymakers" on April 27, 2023.

Major Findings of the report:

25.01% of the 8,074 firms surveyed were considered innovative.

The 25% of firms that reported innovation in the survey saw 83% increase in turnover and 80% opening up new opportunities in the market.

Only 15% of micro firms are innovative while it is 56% in large firms.

Over 45% of firms reported that lack of funding within the firm or group was the most common constraint, followed by high innovation costs (40.30%) and lack of finance from external sources (39.52%).

The most important constraints were thelow demand for innovations in the market (71.23%).

What is the NMIS survey?

It is a joint study by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to evaluate the innovation performance of manufacturing firms in India.

The study is a follow-up to DST's first National Innovation Survey conducted in 2011.

The survey had two distinct components: the firm-level survey and the Sectoral Systems of Innovation (SSI) survey.

The study was not designed to assess the effectiveness of specific policies individually or collectively.

PM Modi launches 91 FM Transmitters of capacity of 100 Watt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28th April virtually commissioned 91 FM Transmitters of capacity of 100 Watt at Diphu in Karbi Anglong district of Assam.

An overview:

Priority has been given to Left Wing Extremism affected areas, aspirational districts and border areas of the country for setting up new transmitters.

The transmitter will act as a vehicle to convey information about programs and policies of the government as well as entertainment content to every nook and corner of the country.

This will strengthen cultural connectivity as well as intellectual bonding and is expected to benefit the underprivileged who may not have had access to this facility earlier.

It will promote digital entrepreneurship in villages.

It can be linked to the strength of the country and the collective power of duty among the countrymen.

About All India Radio:

All India Radio, formally known as Akashvani since 1957, is India's national public radio broadcaster and an arm of Prasar Bharati.

It was established in 1936.

It is run by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Its slogan is 'Bahujan Hitay: Bahujan Sukhay', which translates to 'serving, educating and entertaining the masses'.

Tiger at Kalesar National Park in Yamunanagar caught on camera

A tiger has been spotted in a camera trap at Kalesar National Park in Yamunanagar district of Haryana. 

An overview:

Recently tiger sightings in the Kalesar area have happened after a gap of 110 years.

Kalesar Park is adjacent to the Simbalbara National Park in the Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh.

Both these parks are connected to Rajaji National Park through dense forest. It appears that tigers are using this corridor for roaming.

About Kalesar National Park:

It is located in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana.

It is situated at the foothills of the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas.

It was declared a National Park on 8 December 2003.

It shares boundary with three States viz., Himachal Pradesh, Uttranchal & U.P.

It was named after a temple (known as Kalesar Mahadev temple) located inside the premise of the park.

In earlier times, rulers under the Mughal and British Raj used the park as hunting grounds.

The park is also famous for its Dak bungalows – the administrative architectural bungalows built in colonial times.

Flora - Most of the forest is covered by tall and dense sal trees. Other trees that are found in the forest are Semul, Bahera, Amaltas, Shisham, Khair, Sain, Chhal and Jhingan.

Fauna: It houses many animals like leopards, Ghoral, Barking deer, Sambar, Chital, Python, King Cobra, Monitor lizard etc.

PM Narendra Modi to be awarded prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award 2023

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) would confer the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune on August 1, 2023.

Reason: This award recognizes PM Modi's supreme leadership under which India has climbed the ladder of progress

It is presented annually on the occasion of Lokmanya Tilak's death anniversary.

Other awardees: Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sharad Pawar, Cyrus Poonawalla, and Manmohan Singh. 

J&K Bank wins award for Best Performance in CASA

Jammu & Kashmir Bank has been felicitated for the Best Performance in CASA-India (1st Runner up in Small Bank Category) at ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave & Awards 2022.

The event was participated by banks from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Myanmar.

The function was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Goa.

Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group headquartered in Calcutta.

India poised to become world’s 2nd-largest economy by 2075: Goldman Sachs

According to the Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, India is poised to become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075.

As per the report, India would cross Japan, Germany, and the US With a population of 1.4 billion people.

India’s GDP is estimated to expand remarkably, reaching 52.5 trillion dollars surpassing the US GDP projection.

The labour force participation set to make India the second-largest economy in the world by 2075.

L&T and Spain's Navantia sign agreement for submarine project

L&T has signed a teaming agreement with Spanish-based Navantia for the submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (India) submarine program.

P75 (India) Submarine Project is expected to be valued at €4.8 billion.

Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines.

The first S80 class submarine was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy. 

India overtakes China as most attractive emerging market for investing

According to a study by Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management, India has overtaken China to become the most attractive emerging market for investing in sovereign wealth funds this year.

Reason: This is due to its solid demographics, political stability, and proactive regulation. 

Positives for the nation also include the rapidly expanding demography, strong regulatory actions, and a welcoming climate for sovereign investors.

World Population Day 2023: 11 July

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 in order to raise awareness about global population issues, including population control.

2023 theme: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities. 

It was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989, after the day the world approximately reached a population of five billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

MoHUA conducts SBM-U 2.0 Planning & Implementation Review-cum-Workshop

The Housing Ministry organized a review-cum-workshop to evaluate and accelerate the planning and implementation of the SBM-Urban 2.0.

PM Modi launched the 2.0 versions of SBM-U and AMRUT on October 1, 2021.

SBM-U 2.0: Achieving 100% waste segregation in all households and premises and 100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste from each. 

AMRUT 2.0: To provide complete coverage of water supply to all households and sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities. 

Gujarat CM launches pilot project of ‘Antyodaya Shramik Suraksha Yojana’

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched the Antyodaya Shram Suraksha Accident Insurance Scheme from Kheda

All those registered under the e-Shram portal from Nadiad will benefit from the scheme.

It is being implemented through the Indian Postal Department, the IPPB, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under this scheme, insurance with a premium of Rs. 289 and Rs. 499 per year will be a big support to workers in the event of death or partial disability.

OCA elects Sheikh Talal as the new President

Kuwait’s Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah has been elected as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

He replaced his older brother Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who led the OCA for 30 years until 2021.

The OCA was founded in 1982 by his father Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who led it until 1990.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance wins Insurer Innovation Award 2023

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the APAC region at the 8th World Digital Insurance Awards, hosted by TDI - The Digital Insurer.

Recognition: Bajaj Allianz Life's ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform - empowering customers to digitally services their policies seamlessly. 

The award entries were shortlisted by industry experts and the winner was selected by the community through pre-voting and live event voting.