Latest Current Affairs For Tuesday 9th May, 2023

Joe Biden appoints Indian-American Neera Tanden as Domestic Policy Advisor

United States President, Joe Biden named Indian-American Neera Tanden as his Domestic Policy Advisor to help him craft and implement his domestic policy agenda.

She has replaced Susan Rice as Biden's Domestic Policy Advisor.

She served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, as well as presidential campaigns and think tanks.

Tanden previously served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services.

World Thalassaemia Day 2023: 8 May

World Thalassaemia Day is celebrated every year on May 8 to create awareness about the disorder and explore treatment options.

2023 theme: Be aware. Share. Care: Strengthening Education to Bridge the Thalassaemia Care Gap. 

This day was created by Panos Englezos (President and Founder of the Thalassemia International Federation) in 1994.

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that is inherited by children from their parents.

MoS Nityanand Rai inaugurates Dawki land port in Meghalaya

Union Minister Nityanand Rai has inaugurated the Dawki Land Port in West Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya.

Aim: To promote trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh

The corresponding Land Port in Bangladesh is Tamabil, located in the Sylhet district.

The Dawki Land port will facilitate the movement of goods, people, and vehicles across the border.

It will also facilitate passenger movement across the border.

New Lithium deposits discovered in Rajasthan after J-K

After Jammu and Kashmir, lithium reserves have been traced in the Degana district of Rajasthan.

According to officials, the lithium reserves are higher than the ones recently found in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials have also informed, that the quantity of lithium here can meet around 80% of India's demand.

For the first time, lithium reserves were found in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi in February 2023.

Lithium is a key component of batteries used in electric vehicles.

Minister Piyush Goyal to attend 6th India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, and Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Canada have co-chaired the discussions for the sixth India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) in Ottawa.

MDTI is a bilateral mechanism that provides an institutional mechanism to discuss a broad spectrum of trade and investment-related issues and cooperation areas.

The Ministers have also reviewed India-Canada CEPA negotiations.

World Red Cross Day 2023: May 8

World Red Cross Day is celebrated on May 8 every year to honor the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who founded the Red Cross.

World Red Cross Day is also known as Red Crescent Day.

The theme of World Red Cross Day 2023 is ‘Everything we do comes #fromtheheart’.

This day recognizes the significant contributions of the International Red Cross toward providing humanitarian services to individuals regardless of their race, religion, or political beliefs.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy inaugurates PM Jan Aushadhi Kendra

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy inaugurated a PM Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Warasiguda in Secunderabad.

Aim: To provide affordable healthcare and generate self-employment opportunities for Youth. 

It was launched to make quality generic medicines available to the common man at a low cost.

PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana:

Launched by: Department of Pharmaceuticals,  Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizer. 

Initially launched in 2008. 

The scheme was rechristened in 2015

Rocket Lab launches NASA satellites to study tropical storms and hurricanes

Rocket Lab has launched NASA's two satellites to study tropical storms and hurricanes.

The two CubeSats, the founding members of the agency's TROPICS network, launched atop a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, which was lifted off from New Zealand.

Aim: To improve forecasting and provide new insights into how tropical storms evolve and intensify

The TROPICS constellation will consist of four CubeSats in low Earth orbit.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz wins Madrid Open 2023

Spanish tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz has successfully defended his title at Madrid Open 2023 and won his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the year and his tenth overall.

In the final, he defeated Jan-Lennard Struff (German) 6-4 3-6 6-3.

While Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus has clinched the Women's singles title at Madrid Open 2023.

Other winners:

Men's doubles: Karen Khachanov /  Andrey Rublev

Women's doubles: Victoria Azarenka / Beatriz Haddad Maia

India's first Air Force Heritage Centre inaugurated in Chandigarh

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated India's first Indian Air Force Heritage Centre in Chandigarh.

It will highlight the IAF’s role in various wars.

It also houses the first IAF-made patent aircraft Air Force ‘Kanpur-1 Vintage Prototype Aircraft’, a single-engine indigenous flying machine designed and built by the late Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh in 1958.

In June 2022, an MoU on the heritage centre was signed between the Chandigarh administration and IAF.

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.