Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule - May 2022

Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – May 2022
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S. No Topics Page No
1. Important Days 03
2. Important Banking and Economy News 31
3. Important State News 99
4. Important National News 139
5. Important International News 186
6. Important MOU’s and Agreement News 194
7. Important Mergers and Acquisitions News 218
8. Important Appointments and Resignation News 225
9. Important Awards and Honours News 273
10. Important Defence News 306
11. Important Summit & Conference News 318
12. Important Schemes News 320
13. Important Science and Technology News 321
14. Important Apps and Services News 333
15. Important Rankings and Indices News 334
16. Important Books and Authors 357
17. Important Sports News 359
18. Important Obituaries 386
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Jazz Day -30 April:
• International Jazz Day is celebrated annually on April 30.
• The day aims to raise awareness about the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for
empathy, dialogue, and enhanced cooperation among people.
• The theme for International Jazz Day 2022 is ‘A Call for Global Peace and Unity’
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed 30
April as International Jazz Day in November 2011.
• The day was designated to bring together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics,
and jazz enthusiasts from across the world to celebrate and learn about the art of jazz and its
impact.
World Veterinary Day 2022: 30th April
• World Veterinary Day is observed on the last Saturday of April to celebrate the work of
veterinarians globally.
• This year it falls on 30th April 2022.
• The day highlights the work and duties veterinarians have towards society and the
responsibilities they shoulder at a local, national and international level.
• The theme of 30 April 2022, World Veterinary Day is “Strengthening Veterinary Resilience”.
• The first-ever International Veterinary Congress meeting was held in 1863 in Hamburg,
Germany and was called by Professor John Gamgee.
• The agenda of the meeting included epizootic diseases and a discussion on standard rules for
cattle trade in Europe.
• It later came to be known as World Veterinary Congress.
• A permanent committee was created in the eighth Congress, in 1906.
• Further, in 1959, the World Veterinary Association (WVA) was founded in Madrid, Spain.
• World Veterinary Day was declared in 2001.
International Dance Day 2022- 29 April:
• International Dance Day 2022 will be observed on 29th April annually.
• International Dance Day 2022 is observed to celebrate the different dance forms.
• The day also marks the birth anniversary of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet.
• International Dance Day came into existence when the Dance Committee of the International
Theatre Institute started to recognise it.
• It is the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO.
• In 1982 the Dance Committee of ITI founded International Dance Day to be celebrated every
year on the 29th of April, the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), creator of modern
ballet.
International Labour Day - 1st May
● International Workers Day, also known as Labour Day or May Day, is observed on 1 May every
year.
● The global event is organised to celebrate the working class and the labourers.
● It was started in the year 1886 when on 1st May when people in the United States of America
started a strike to fix the working duration to a maximum of 8 hours per day.
● Soon, there was a bomb blast that took place on 4th May in Haymarket Square of Chicago in
which many people died and many others were severely injured.
● With respect to those who died in the incident, the socialist pan-national organization started on
1st May as International Labour Day which also promoted labour welfare throughout the world.
● In India, the first Labour Day or May Day was celebrated in Madras (now known as Chennai) by
the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923.
● It was also the first time when the Red Flag which symbolises Labour Day was used in India for
the first time.
● In Hindi, Labour Day is also known as Kamgar Din or Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas, Kamgar
Divas in Marathi and Uzhaipalar Naal in Tamil.
Ayushman Bharat Diwas -30th April:
● Ayushman Bharat Diwas is celebrated every year across India on April 30.
● This day revolves around the Ayushman Bharat Yojna launched in 2018 by Prime Minister
Narendera Modi.
● The objectives of the yojana are to reduce out of pocket hospitalization expenses, fulfillment
needs and improve access of identified families to quality inpatient care and day care surgeries.
● This day is of national importance to mark the launch of Ayushman Bharat Yojana which is also
known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
● It was launched by PM Narendra Modi in the year 2018 to provide various benefits with a cover
of 5 lakh rupees per family to be given per year.
● This day is celebrated to make people aware about national health care mission. Ayushman
Bharat Diwas is celebrated to achieve twin missions.
● They are to promote health and wellness to the poor and also to provide insurance benefits to
them.
● The day is of national importance to mark the launch of Ayushman Bharat Diwas.
● Which was first launched on 14th April 2018 in Bijapur of Chhattisgarh.

World Laughter Day – 1st May
● Every year, the first Sunday in May is observed and celebrated as World Laughter Day.
● This year, World Laughter Day will be observed on 1 May.
● Through its annual observance, the day aims to raise awareness about the importance of
laughter in an individual's life and its many healing benefits.
● The day also aims to manifest world peace and to build up a feeling of friendship and
brotherhood through laughter.
● World Laughter Day came into existence on 10 May 1998, when it was celebrated for the first
time in Mumbai.
● The day was arranged by Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga Movement.
World Tuna Day- 2nd May:
● World Tuna Day is observed every year on 2nd May to spread awareness among people about
Tuna fish.
● The United Nations marked the day to spread awareness about sustainable fishing practices
and make people know how Tuna is threatened by overwhelming demand.
● In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly officially finalized 2 May as World Tuna Day in its
resolution 71/124.
● The main motto of observing the day is to spread awareness among people about the global
situation of the fish and the need of preserving it.
● The UN has also assured us that they have taken certain precautions to prevent stocks of Tuna
from crashing.
● The first Tuna Day was recognised globally on 2 May 2017.
● In the past few years, over 96 countries in the world have stepped forward to stop overfishing
and safeguard the stocks which carry a value of almost $10 billion.
World Press Freedom Day- 3rd May
● Every year, 3rd May is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day.
● It is also known as World Press Day.
● The day acts as a reminder for the government to uphold the right to freedom of expression.
● The theme for this year is 'Journalism under Digital Siege', focusing on the digital eras impact on
freedom of expression, the safety of journalists and access to information.
● In 1993, 3 May was declared World Press Freedom Day.
● This declaration came after a recommendation was made in 1991 at the 26th General
Conference session of UNESCO.
World Asthma Day -3rd May
● World Asthma Day (WAD) is observed every year on the first Tuesday of May to raise
awareness of asthma and to educate people about the issues that might arise as a result of the
disease.
● This year, the day is observed on May 3.
● This year, theme is 'Closing Gaps in Asthma Care'.
● Asthma is a condition in which there is a narrowing of the airways due to swelling of mucosa.
● The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a World Health Organization collaboration organisation
created in 1993, was the first to establish World Asthma Day.
● The organisation works with doctors and public health officials all across the world to reduce
asthma prevalence, morbidity and mortality.
● In 1998, on the sidelines of the World Asthma Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, the first Asthma Day
was observed.
● A total of 35 countries were represented during the gathering. With each year's commemoration
since then, the day has grown in importance as one of the world's most important asthma
awareness and education events.
● Since that day, the first Tuesday in May has been designated as World Asthma Day.
International Firefighter’s Day: 4th May
● Every year, Fire Fighters Day is celebrated on May 04 to honour the work done by firefighter
professionals to protect people and property.
● The main aim of this day is to recognise and honour professional firefighters across the world.
● A tragic incident in Australia’s Linton led to the establishment of International Firefighters Day.
● This historical accident happened on December 02, 1998, which led to the taking of the lives of
5 firefighters.
● Therefore, a proposal was passed on January 04, 1999, to honour the firefighters who lost their
lives on duty.
World Portuguese Language Day – May 5th
• The World Portuguese Language Day is being celebrated on May 5th in about 50 countries, with
cultural activities worldwide.
• In the United States, May 5th will be officially celebrated in New York, in a joint initiative between
Portugal and Brazil.
• With more than 260 million speakers worldwide, Portuguese ranks fifth among world languages
in a number of native speakers, distributed on all continents.
• Portuguese is projected to be spoken in 2050 by about 400 million, and in 2100 by more than
500 million people, when the population of Angola will increase to more than 170 million and
Mozambique to more than 130 million people.
• The date of May 5th was officially established in 2009 as ‘World Portuguese Language Day’ by
the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) – an intergovernmental organization
that has been in official partnership with UNESCO since 2000 and brings together people with
the Portuguese language as one of the foundations of their specific identity – to celebrate the
Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures, with the mission of bringing together the
communities and countries around the world where Portuguese is spoken.
Coal Miners Day: May 4th
● Coal Miners Day is observed annually on 4 May to highlight one of the toughest professions-
those working in coal fields or mines.
● The day honours the accomplishments and sacrifices made by coal mine workers so far.
● It also remembers the horrific tragedies that these hardworking individuals experience.
● Right from the Industrial Revolution (between 1760 and 1840), coal miners played a significant
role across the globe. During that time, coal was burnt to fuel stationery, locomotive engines,
and heat buildings.
● In India, the coal mining business began in 1774.
● It was when the East India Company exploited the Raniganj coalfield which is located in the
Asansol and Durgapur region.
● It falls along the bank of River Damodar that crosses Jharkhand and West Bengal.
● Later in 1853, steam locomotives increased the demand for coal by railways.
● Coal-rich regions in India include Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal as well as
some central and southern parts of the country.
World Hand Hygiene Day 2022:
● World Health Organization (WHO) marks May 5 every year as World Hand Hygiene Day.
● This year, WHO is marking the day with the theme “Unite for safety: clean your hands” with a
focus on encouraging people to clean their hands at the right times with the right products that
will help lead to high quality safer care everywhere.
● It states that good hand hygiene is relatively cheap, and a cornerstone of safe and effective
health care.
● WHO launched the “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” global annual campaign in 2009, which is
celebrated as World Hand Hygiene Day on 5th May to further the goal of maintaining a global
profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care.
International No Diet Day - 6th May
● International No Diet Day is observed on May 6 annually.
● People are made aware on this day of body acceptance, leaving the behaviour of body shaming,
which consists of people of all shapes and sizes.
● The day is celebrated by loving and nurturing the body without relying on strict diets and treating
yourself with some tasty treats.
● Forgetting problems like obesity, increasing weight, weakness, and belly fat, people express
their love towards themselves on this day.
● In the year 1992, International No Diet Day was celebrated for the first time in the UK by British
lady Mary Evans.
● Mary’s purpose was to convince people that they should accept themselves as they looked.
● Mary wanted people to become aware of the harm caused by dieting.
World Red Cross Day- 8th May:
• World Red Cross Red Crescent Day is celebrated on 8 May each year.
• This date is the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Henry Dunant, who was born on 8 May 1828.
• He was the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of
the first Nobel Peace Prize.
• The theme of World Red Cross Day 2022 is #BeHUMANKIND (Believe in the power of
Kindness).
• The theme of World Red Cross Day 2022 focuses on the power of kindness and how it can
impact the whole world
• The first Red Cross Day was celebrated on May 8, 1948.
• In 1946 during World War II, the Tokyo proposal was put into effect.
• The possibility of an annual celebration was asked by the Board of Governors of the 'League of
the Red Cross Societies (LORCS)', later called the General Assembly of the International
Federation of Red Cross Societies.
• Two years later the proposal of celebrating annually World Red Cross Day was adopted on 8
May 1948, the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross.
• In 1984 officially it was named World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day”.
BRO celebrates its 62nd raising day- on 7th May
● Border Roads Organisation or BRO is celebrating its 62nd Raising Day on 7th May.
● BRO, a leader in the arena of infrastructural development in the border areas of the country is
celebrating its 63 years of glorious service to the nation.
● Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was formed on May 7, 1960, with the primary role to provide
road connectivity in Indias border areas.
● It also creates, upgrades and maintains infrastructure along borders to meet India’s overall
tactical and strategic goals.
World Athletics Day: May 7th
● In a bid to encourage sports activities throughout the world, May 7 is celebrated annually as
World Athletics Day.
● The special day is observed across the globe to promote the importance of fitness and health.
● Introduced in 1996, the day aims to spread awareness among the youth about athletics.
● It was also introduced as a social responsibility project titled ‘Athletic for a better world’ by the
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
● The day was founded by IAAF president Primo Nebiolo in 1996.
● IAAF was founded on July 17, 1912, in Sweden’s Stockholm; its name was later changed to
International Association of Athletics Federation.
Objectives:
● Popularising sports among youth.
● Boosting athletics to such an extent that it becomes the primary sport in every school and
institution.
● Imparting public awareness about athletics and also spreading the importance of sporting
activity among youngsters.
● Establish a crucial connection between the youth, sport, and environmental conservation.
World Thalassemia Day -8th May
● People around the globe observe World Thalassemia Day on 8 May every year.
● The theme for this year is “Be Aware. Share. Care: Working with the global community as one to
improve thalassemia knowledge.’’
● The International Thalassemia Day (ITD) 2022 theme is an open call to action.
● The day is observed to honour the struggles of patients suffering from thalassemia as well as to
make people aware of the disease and its symptoms.
● The day has been celebrated since 1994, when the Thalassemia International Federation (TIF)
declared 8 May as International Thalassemia Day.
● The president and founder of TIF, Panos Englezos established the day in the loving memory of
his son George Englezos and all thalassemia patients who fought the disease and confronted
the social stigma attached to it, setting an example for others.
Russia Victory Day 2022: 9 May
● Russia Victory Day commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.
● The German Instrument of Surrender was signed late in the evening of May 8, 1945.
● Victory Day in Russia marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 and falls one day after Victory
in Europe Day (VE Day) is celebrated in the UK and Western Europe.

● The Soviet government declared victory early on May 9th, following the signing ceremony in
Berlin.
● Even though the holiday was declared in 1945, it was not declared a non-working day until 1965,
and then only in a few Soviet countries.
International Day of Argania -10th May:
● The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 10 May the International Day of
Argania.
● The resolution, submitted by Morocco, was once co-sponsored by 113 member states of the
United Nations and adopted by using consensus.
● The argan tree with the name Argania Spinosa is a native species of the sub-Saharan place of
Morocco, in the southwest of the country, which grows in arid and semiarid areas.
● The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated
1988 the endemic production area as the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve.
● Also, all know-how concerning the argan tree was inscribed in 2014 on the UNESCO
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
● Moreover, in December 2018, FAO recognized the Argan-based agro-salvo-pastoral system
within the area of Ait Souab – Ait Mansour in Morocco as a Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage System.
● And lastly, in 2021, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 10 May the International
Day of Argania.
International Nowruz Day: 21 March
● International Nowruz Day is being celebrated globally on 21 March every year.
● International Nowruz Day is being observed to celebrate "Nowruz, " an ancestral festivity that
marks the first day of spring and the renewal of nature.
● It also encourages values of peace and solidarity among generations and within families hence
contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples as well as in different
communities.
● Nowruz marks the first day of spring which has been celebrated on the occasion of the
astronomical vernal equinox that generally occurs on 21 March.
● International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, at
the initiative of several countries that share this holiday.
● Under the agenda item of “culture of peace”, the member states of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan,
Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iran (the Islamic Republic of), India,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan prepared and introduced a draft
resolution entitled “International Day of Nowruz” to the ongoing 64th session of the General
Assembly of the United Nations for its consideration and adoption.
National Technology Day – 11th May
● National Technology Day is celebrated on 11 May in India, to celebrate the achievements made
by the scientists, engineers, teachers and researchers across the nation.
● The theme for this year is “Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for a Sustainable
Future”
● The theme was launched by Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
● On that day in 1999, for the first time, National Technology Day was officially celebrated in India,
aiming to commemorate the scientific and technological accomplishments of the Indians.
● Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then Prime Minister declared on 11 May 1999 to celebrate this day as
National Technology Day, for the years coming ahead.
International Nurses Day- 12th May
• International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on 12 May in memory of the founder of modern
nursing, Florence Nightingale, but also to honour nurses as an invaluable resource, and raise
awareness of the challenges they face.
• She was also known as Lady with the Lamp.
• The theme for this year’s Nurses Day is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and
respect rights to secure global health”.
• In the year 1965, the first International Nurses Day was observed throughout the world.
International Nurses Day is held to recognise the value of nurses worldwide and their
contributions to the medical field.
• Every year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) marks the day by creating and spreading
information and tools.
International Day of Plant Health - 12th May
● To raise awareness for the safety of plants, The United Nations has announced that May 12 will
mark the International Day of Plant Health.
● The day was promoted by Zambia and was taken into action by the UN General Assembly.
● The resolution under which they adopted the decision included Finland, Bolivia, the Philippines,
Pakistan, and Tanzania.
● The United Nations declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH).
● Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Year was expanded until 1 July 2021.
● This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to promote global awareness about how plant health may
aid in ending hunger, poverty reduction, environmental protection, and economic development.
World Migratory Bird Day -14th May
● International Migratory Bird Day will be celebrated on 14 May and 8 October 2022.
● World Migratory Bird Day is marked twice a year since its inauguration in 2006.
● The theme for World Migratory Bird Day 2022 is “light pollution.
History of International Migratory Bird Day:
● International Migratory Bird Day was marked in 2006 when the United Nations decided that the
world's population needs to be made aware of the worldwide migratory linkages.
● Since then, 118 countries participated in and organised the event.
● The United Nations (UN) Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory
Waterbirds had envisioned the World Migratory Bird Day.
● International Migratory Bird Day came up as a part of the UN's agreement on the Conservation
of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.
● The idea, initially to raise awareness about eliminating the threat faced by these birds, was
developed in the United States in 1993.
● World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated across Mexico, Central and South America, and the
Caribbean on the second Saturday of October annually.
● While in the United States and Canada, the day is celebrated on the second Saturday in May.
International Day of Light- 16th May

● The International Day of Light is celebrated annually on May 16.
● It marks the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and
engineer Theodore Maiman.
● The laser is a prime illustration of how a scientific breakthrough may help society in areas such
as communications, healthcare, and many others.
● The International Day of Light is a global project that serves as an annual focal point for the
continued enjoyment of light and its significance in science, culture, art, education, sustainable
development, and disciplines as diverse as medical, communications, and energy.
● The broad topic of light will enable many diverse sectors of society across the world to engage in
events that highlight how science, technology, art, and culture can assist UNESCO accomplish
its aims of education, equality, and peace.
About UNESCO:
● Headquarters: Paris, France
● Director-General; Audrey Azoulay
● Founded: 16 November 1945
International Day of Families - 15th May
● International Family Day or International Day of Families is observed every year on May 15.
● In 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the day to provide importance to families and the
issues faced by them and to increase knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic
processes affecting families.
● The theme of 2022 is Families and Urbanisation which aims to raise awareness of the
importance of sustainable, family-friendly urban policies.
● According to the UN, Urbanisation is “one of the most important megatrends shaping our world
and the life and wellbeing of families worldwide”.
History:
• In the 1980s, the United Nations focused its attention on families and issues related to them,
based on recommendations of the Economic and Social Council.

• The Commission for Social Development in its resolution on the role of the family requested the
Secretary-General to enhance awareness among decision-makers and the public of the
problems and needs of the family, as well as of effective ways of meeting those needs.
• In 1993, the General Assembly decided in a resolution that May 15 of every year should be
observed as the International Day of Families.
About UN:
● Founded: 24 October 1945
● Headquarters: New York, United States
● Secretary general: António Guterres
International Day of Living Together in Peace- 16 May
● The International Day of Living Together in Peace is celebrated every year on May 16.
● The day is meant to signify unity in differences and diversity.
● The day is celebrated on the 16th of May throughout the world and with its annual observance, it
aims to urge people to live together in a united and peaceful way.
● Individuals can attain this by listening to each other and respecting one another despite their
differences.
History:
• The day first came into being after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to
declare 16 May as the International Day of Living Together in Peace on 8 December 2017.
• The first International Day of Living Together in Peace was observed in 2018.
• Ever since the end of World War II, the United Nations has been on a mission to work towards
world peace.
• The year 2000 was recognised as 'The International Year for a Culture of Peace” and from 2001
to 2010, the UN declared it the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence
for Children of the World.”
• Both of these events led to the adoption of a resolution for the formation of the International Day
of Living Together in Peace.
About UNGA
• The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations,
serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN.
• Currently, in its 76th session, its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in
Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.
• President: Abdulla Shahid
• Headquarters: New York, United States
Statehood Day 2022 of Maharashtra and Gujarat:
• On May 1, 2022, Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated their statehood days.
• The Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960, separated the bilingual state of Bombay into two
independent states on May 1, 1960: Maharashtra for Marathi speakers and Gujarat for Gujarati
speakers.
• Gujarat was admitted to the Indian Union as the 15th state.
About Maharashtra
• Capital: Mumbai
• Sex Ratio: 929 females per 1000 male
• Literacy: 82.34%
• Maharashtra has two major ports, Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) both located in
Mumbai harbour.
• Maharashtra's forest cover accounts for 16.50 percent of the state's geographical area,
according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-2019.
About Gujarat
• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Sex Ratio: 919 females per 1000 male
• Literacy: 78.03%
• Kandla Port is the major port in Gujarat along with 41 minor ports.
• Gamit, Bhils, Dhodias, Bawcha, and Kunbi are the major tribes present in the state.
• Gujarat has the greatest area of wetlands within Recorded Forest Area/Green Wash (RFA/GW)
in the country, followed by West Bengal, according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-
2019.
National Dengue Day 2022:16th May

• Every year on the 16th of May, India commemorates National Dengue Day.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare created National Dengue Day to raise public
awareness about dengue fever and how to prevent it.
• It also has people who understand how to prepare for and control dengue fever before the
transmission season starts.
About dengue:
• Dengue fever is spread by the mosquito Aedes Aegypti.
• It's a female mosquito that bites humans and spreads dengue fever.
• Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the dengue virus, which has four different
genotypes: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4.
• Dengue fever causes severe muscle pain and nausea, and if not treated appropriately, it can
lead to death.
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2022:
• Every year on May 17th, the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is
commemorated to raise awareness of the advantages and opportunities that the Internet and
other information and communication technologies (ICT) give to nations, societies, and
economies.
• This year's theme for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is “Digital
technologies for older people and healthy ageing”.
• It also aims to increase awareness of ways to bridge the digital gap.
History:
• WTISD marks the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the establishment
of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• The International Telecommunication Union was founded on May 17, 1865, and World
Telecommunication Day was established in 1969 to celebrate that date.
• However, in 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society urged that the United Nations
General Assembly declare May 17 as World Information Society Day.
• The UN General Assembly decided in March 2006 that WISD would be held every year on May
17th.
• In 2006, the ITU decided to combine the two holidays and name its World Telecommunication
and Information Society Day at a Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey.
Vesak Day or Buddha Purnima -16 May
• Vesak Day, also known as Buddha Purnima, was observed on May 16, 2022.
• For millions of Buddhists around the world, "Vesak," or the Full Moon Day in May, is the most
important day.
• The Gautama Buddha was born on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago, in the year
623 B.C in Lumbini, Nepal
• It was also on Vesak Day that the Buddha acquired enlightenment, and it was also on Vesak
Day that the Buddha passed away in his eightieth year at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
About Buddha:
• In countries such as India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Tibet, China, Korea, Laos, Vietnam,
Mongolia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka (where it is known as Vesak),
Buddhists and Hindus commemorate Gautama Buddha's birth as the major festival of Buddha
Purnima, but each country celebrates it differently.
• The teachings of the Buddha, and his message of compassion and peace, and goodwill have
moved millions. Millions around the world follow the teachings of the Buddha and on the Day of
Vesak commemorate the birth, the attainment of enlightenment, and the passing away of the
Buddha.
World Hypertension Day: 17th May
• Every year on May 17th, World Hypertension Day is commemorated to raise awareness and
support hypertension prevention, detection, and treatment.
• High blood pressure is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is known as the "Silent
Killer".
• Blood pressure is the force exerted by flowing blood on the walls of the body's arteries, or
primary blood vessels.
• Hypertension is a condition in which blood pressure is abnormally high.
• Blood pressure is calculated using a two-digit number.
• The first number (systolic) indicates the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts or
beats.
• The second number (diastolic) represents the pressure in the arteries while the heart is not
beating.
• If the systolic blood pressure measurements on two distinct days are both 140 mmHg and/or the
diastolic blood pressure readings on both days are 90 mmHg, hypertension is diagnosed.
History:
• World Hypertension Day was recognised and started by the World Hypertension League (WHL),
which is an umbrella organisation for 85 national hypertension societies and leagues (WHD).
• The day's purpose was to increase hypertension awareness.
• This was especially important because people with hypertension lacked the requisite knowledge.
The WHL unveiled their first WHD on May 14, 2005.
• The World Hypertension League has declared May 17 as World Hypertension Day since 2006.
• Individuals with diabetes or chronic renal illness should have blood pressures of less than
130/80 mmHg.
• The following cut-off values have been proposed by international and Canadian authorities.
International Museum Day -18th May
● Every year on May 18, International Museum Day (IMD) is observed.
● This day is commemorated to emphasise the significance of museums in all cultures.
● Museums have a significant role in cultural exchange, cultural enrichment, and the development
of mutual understanding, collaboration, and peace among people.
● This year, the theme for International Museum Day is ‘The Power of Museums’.
● Museums have the power to transform the world around us.
● As incomparable places of discovery, they teach us about our past and open our minds to new
ideas — two essential steps in building a better future.
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY HISTORY:
● International Museum Day was first held in 1977.
● Since then, it has gained increasing attention.
● The International Museum Day in 2009 attracted 20,000 museums, hosting events in more than
90 countries.
● The very next year, in 2010, 98 countries were a part of the International Museum Day
celebration, whereas, in 2011, 100 countries joined the celebration
ABOUT MUSEUMS:
● Museums play an important part in the development of society.
● They enlighten us about the numerous unknowns and take us to places we have never been
before.
● A museum describes the journey of a nation from prehistory to modernity by displaying enriched
historical artefacts such as tools, weapons, clothes, and jewellery.
● Hence, to mark the importance of the Museum, every year International Museum Day is
observed.
Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation - Second World War:
• Every year on May 8-9, the United Nations observes the Time of Remembrance and
Reconciliation for those who died during World War II.
• It is an annual International Day of Remembrance designated by the United Nations General
Assembly on November 22, 2004.
• The day commemorates all World War II victims.
• This year marks the 77th anniversary of World War II.
HISTORY
• On 2 March 2010, the General Assembly invited all Member States, United Nations system
entities, non-governmental organisations, and people to celebrate 8-9 May in an appropriate
manner to pay respect to all World War II casualties.
• In the second week of May 2010, the General Assembly conducted a special solemn gathering
to commemorate all war victims on the 65th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II.
About World War II:
• World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945, though conflicts before led to the world war.
• Nearly all nations at the time broke out into two warring factions, the Allies and the Axis.
• Allies included the United Kingdom, U.S.S.R, the United States, and others.
• The Axis comprised several nations, including Germany, Italy, and Japan.
• It was fought in Europe, Russia, North Africa, and Asia.
World AIDS Vaccine Day or HIV Vaccine Awareness Day:
● World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD), is observed
annually on May 18th around the world to raise awareness and provide information about
Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a chronic, possibly deadly condition caused by
the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and its immunisation.
HISTORY:
● World AIDS Vaccine Day was inspired from former United States President Bill Clinton's speech
on May 18, 1997, at Morgan State University in Maryland, United States of America (USA).
● The first World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, was
commemorated on May 18, 1998, to commemorate US President Bill Clinton's 1997
announcement.
Additional Info.
● The National Institutes of Health (NIH) – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID), United States of America, is organizing the celebration of this day.
● The Red Ribbon is a globally recognised AIDS awareness symbol.
● It is worn to show support for persons living with HIV and to remember those who have died as
well.
International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia:
● The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia is observed on May 17,
with the purpose of coordinating international events to raise awareness of LGBT rights
violations and encourage interest in LGBT rights to work worldwide.
● Until now, there have been commemorations in over 130 countries.
● Despite advances, consensual same-sex partnerships remain banned in roughly 70 countries.
● Only one in every three countries protects people from discrimination based on sexual
orientation, one in every ten protects people based on gender identity, and a small number
protect people based on sex characteristics
HISTORY:
● The day's concept was conceived in 2004.

● A year-long campaign culminated in the first International Day Against Homophobia on May 17,
2005.
● The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), the International Gay and Lesbian
Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), the World Congress of LGBT Jews, and the Coalition of
African Lesbians all signed an appeal in favour of the "IDAHO proposal".
● Many countries took part in the festivities of the day, including the first LGBT celebrations in the
Congo, China, and Bulgaria.
● The date was selected to commemorate the World Health Organization's decision in 1990 to
declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.
Additional Info.
• The architects of the International Day Against Homophobia established the IDAHO Committee
to coordinate grassroots actions in many countries, promote the day, and advocate for formal
recognition on May 17.
• That day was chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to
remove homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases in 1990.
• In 2019, 69 nations outlawed same-sex relationships.
• Furthermore, transgender persons face criminal prosecution in 26 countries and are
disproportionately exposed to violence around the world.
• IDAHOBIT is frequently used as a venue for organising actions to strengthen the campaign for
LGBT+ rights in many countries, including Uganda, where homosexuality is prohibited.
World Bee Day -20th of May
● On May 20, the world celebrates World Bee Day.
● The purpose of World Bee Day is to recognise the importance of bees and other pollinators in
the ecosystem.
● This year Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will celebrate World Bee Day through a
virtual event, under the theme “Bee Engaged: Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping
systems”
● The main goal of this day is to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators in our
environment, the risks they face, and their critical role in ecosystem sustainability.
History:
• World Bee Day was established on May 20, 2018, and has been observed annually since then.
• This day marks Anton Jansa's birth in 1734.
• She is regarded as a beekeeping pioneer.
• Slovenia's bid to declare May 20th as World Bee Day was approved by the United Nations
Member States in December 2017.
• Beekeeping is strongly ingrained in Slovenian heritage, and the country is one of the leading
European countries in terms of beekeepers.
About Food and Agriculture Organization :
● Director-General: QU Dongyu
● Headquarters: Rome, Italy
● Founded: 16 October 1945.
National Endangered Species Day- 20th May
● Every year on the third Friday of May, people all over the world commemorate National
Endangered Species Day.
● The day is observed on May 20 this year.
● The National Endangered Species Day theme 2022 is “Recovering key species for ecosystem
restoration”.
● Every year the awareness campaign takes place around a theme.
● This year commemorates the 16th year of National Endangered Species Day.
● The goal of National Endangered Species Day is to educate people about conservation,
ecological restoration, and biodiversity.
History of the National Endangered Species Day:
● On December 28th, to highlight the importance of wildlife conservation and restoration activities
for all endangered species.
● The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was passed into law.
● David Robinson and the Endangered Species Coalition developed and launched National
Endangered Species Day in 2006.

● Since 2006, the third Friday of May has been commemorated as National Endangered Species
Day.
Anti-Terrorism Day -21st May
• Every year on May 21, the day after the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi, Anti-Terrorism Day is marked.
• He was slain by LTTE terrorists on May 21, 1991, while campaigning for the Congress Party in
Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
• Rajiv Gandhi, 40, was sworn in as India's youngest Prime Minister.
• After Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984, he became the country's sixth Prime Minister.
• He served from 1984 to 1989.
The Importance of Anti-Terrorism Day 2022:
• Anti-Terrorism Day is celebrated to promote peace and harmony.
• The day also helps us remember the sacrifices made by thousands of soldiers and policemen
who fought against terrorism to protect their country and their people.
HISTORY:
● Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, by a
woman from the terrorist group Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE).
World Metrology Day - 20th May
● World Metrology Day (WMD) is celebrated yearly on May 20th around the world to raise
awareness of metrology, the science of measuring, and its applications.
● The day focuses on the application of metrology in scientific domains, innovation, industry,
trading, and other areas.
● The day commemorates the signing of the Metre Convention on May 20, 1875.
● The theme for World Metrology Day 2022 is “Metrology in the Digital Era”.
HISTORY:
● World Metrology Day commemorates the signing of the Metre Convention on May 20, 1875, by
officials from seventeen nations.
● The Convention established the platform for global collaboration in measurement science and its
industrial, economic, and societal applications.
● The initial goal of the Metre Convention - international measuring uniformity – is as relevant now
as it was in 1875.
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development- May 21
● The United Nations General Assembly established May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural
Diversity for Dialogue and Development in a resolution.
● The purpose of the day is to celebrate the richness of the world's cultures and to highlight the
importance of diversity as an agent of inclusion and good change in the pursuit of peace and
sustainable development.
HISTORY:
● As a response to the destruction of the Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001, the
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the
'Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity’ 2001.
● The UN General Assembly (UNGA) then recognised 21 May to be World Day for Cultural
Diversity for Dialogue and Development in its resolution 57/249 in December 2002.
International Tea Day- 21st of May
● Every year on May 21, the world celebrates International Tea Day.
● The day is celebrated to raise awareness about safe working conditions for tea workers, fair
trade, and a sustainable environment in order to improve tea production.
The Origins of International Tea Day:
● Based on a proposal made by India at the FAO Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Tea in
October 2015, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 21 as International Tea
Day.
● Prior to 2019, December 15 was observed as International Tea Day in tea-producing countries
like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda,
India, and Tanzania.
● The first International Tea Day was hosted in 2005 in Delhi, India.
● The Indian government requested the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 2015 to spread
this day globally.

● The day is marked in the month of May since most countries begin tea manufacturing at this
time of year.
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula -23rd May:
● Since 2013, the United Nations (UN) has observed the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
on May 23rd to encourage action toward treating and preventing obstetric fistula, a disorder that
affects many girls and women following childbirth in underdeveloped nations.
● The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its partners started the global Campaign to
End Fistula in 2003, a collaborative effort to prevent fistula and restore the health of people who
have it.
● The day was made official in 2012.
About Obstetric fistula
• Obstetric fistula is a catastrophic birth injury that is both a public health and human rights issue.
• Two million women in low-income countries have an obstetric fistula, with 100,000 more
developing one each year.
About United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA):
● Head: Natalia Kanem
● Founded: 1969.
International Day for Biological Diversity -22nd May:
● Every year on May 22nd, the International Day for Biological Diversity, also known as World
Biodiversity Day, is held to raise awareness and understanding of biodiversity issues.
● The theme in 2022 is Building a shared future for all life.
● The slogan conveys the notion that biodiversity is the basis upon which we may rebuild better in
the context of the ongoing United Nations Decade on Restoration, which emphasizes that
biodiversity is the answer to various sustainable development concerns.
History:
● When the UN General Assembly's Second Committee established the International Day for
Biological Diversity in late 1993, the date of coming into force of the Convention on Biological
Diversity (December 29) was chosen.

● The UN General Assembly designated 22 May as IDB in December 2000 to celebrate the
approval of the Convention's text by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of
the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity on that date in 1992.
Indian Commonwealth Day 2022:
● Commonwealth Day is typically observed on the second Monday of March in the majority of the
Commonwealth's 54 member countries, with the British monarch delivering a radio address.
● However, it is observed on May 24 in India and a few other nations.
THEMES:
● The theme for Commonwealth Day 2022 is ‘Delivering a Common Future’ which showcases how
the Commonwealth's fifty-four member countries are "innovating, connecting, and reforming" to
assist achieve goals such as combating climate change, fostering good governance, and
enhancing commerce.
HISTORY
● Previously, Commonwealth Day was known as Empire Day.
● Empire Day was first marked in 1901, following Queen Victoria's death on January 22, 1901.
● Empire Day was first marked on May 24, 1902, the late Queen's birthday.
● Even before it was formally recognised as an annual event, it was celebrated in many schools
around the British Empire.
● The British Empire had begun to dissolve by the 1950s, as various colonies gained
independence, and Empire Day had lost its significance.
● The majority of them, though, maintained relations with Britain and founded the Commonwealth
of Nations.
● In 1958, Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day.
● The Royal Commonwealth Society advocated changing the date to 1973, and the
● Commonwealth Secretariat chose the second Monday in March as commemoration day.
World Turtle Day- 23rd May
● Every year on May 23, American Tortoise Rescue, a non-profit organisation, observes World
Turtle Day.
● The day is observed to increase public awareness about the importance of protecting turtles and
tortoises, as well as their diminishing habitats around the world.
● Tortoises and turtles serve a vital function in the Earth's ecological design.
● These reptiles have been observed to survive and thrive in a wide variety of settings around the
world.
THEMES:
● This year’s theme for World Turtle Day is Shellebrate”.
● The theme asks everyone to Love and Save Turtles”.
HISTORY:
● There would be no World Turtle Day if the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) had not initiated it.
● This non-profit organisation was founded in 1990 and began commemorating World Turtle Day
in 2001.
● They are commemorating the 22nd International World Turtle Day.
● Susan Tellem and her husband Marshall Thompson created the organisation, which has
rescued and re-homed over 4,000 turtles and tortoises.
International Week of Solidarity with the People of Non-Self-Governing Territories- 25-31 May:
● From May 25 to 31, the United Nations will observe "International Week of Solidarity with the
Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories".
● The UN General Assembly established the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-
Governing Territories on December 6, 1999.
● A Non-Self-Governing Territory is described in the UN Charter as a territory "whose people have
not yet reached a complete degree of self-government."
HISTORY
● On December 6, 1999, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) enacted Resolution
A/RES/54/91, establishing an annual International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-
Self-Governing Territories beginning on May 25.
● The first week of the year was observed in 2000.
OBJECTIVES
● To take effective efforts to protect and ensure the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories'
inalienable rights to their natural resources, including land.
● To create and maintain control over the future development of such resources, and to seek that
the administering powers take steps to protect the peoples' property rights in these Territories.
Non-Self-Governing Territory:
● A Non-Self-Governing Territory is one that "has not yet reached a complete degree of self-
government," according to the UN Charter.
● In 1946, UN Member States recognised a number of non-self-governing areas under their
authority and added them to the UN list.
● Administrating Powers are countries that administer Non-Self-Governing Territories.
● Several regions were deleted from the list as a result of the decolonization process.
World Thyroid Awareness Day- 25th May
• World Thyroid Day is marked on May 25 to raise awareness and understanding of thyroid
illnesses, their symptoms, prevention, and treatments.
• The European Thyroid Association proposed the creation of the day in 2008 (ETA).
• According to a Public Health Update article, more than 200 million people worldwide are
believed to have thyroid abnormalities, with half of these cases going misdiagnosed.
THEME:
• This year's World Thyroid Day has no specific theme. However, for Thyroid Awareness Week,
which takes place from May 22 to May 28, the Thyroid Federation International has announced
the theme “Its not you. Its your thyroid”.
HISTORY:
• During the Annual General Meeting before the European Thyroid Association (ETA) congress in
September 2007, the 25th of May was formally designated as World Thyroid Day.
• The 25th of May is also the anniversary of ETA's founding in 1965.
• As a result, it was designated as a day dedicated to raising awareness about thyroid diseases.
International Missing Children’s Day: May 25
• International Missing Children's Day is an annual awareness event held on May 25th.
• The day's goals are to bring attention to the issue of child abduction, educate parents on how to
protect their children, and honour those who have never been found as well as those who have.
• This awareness event is co-sponsored by the Global Missing Children's Network.
• The network, founded in 1998, has 23 member countries that collaborate to share information
and best practices to improve the effectiveness and success rate of missing children’s
investigations.
HISTORY:
• Missing Children's Day was first observed in the United States in 1983.
• The date was chosen in response to the abduction of 6-year-old Etan Patz from New York City
on May 25, 1979.
• International Missing Children's Day, which falls on the same date, was established a few years
later in 2001 and is now recognized worldwide.
International Day of UN Peacekeepers-29th May
• On the 29th of May, the UN Peacekeepers International Day is commemorated around the
world.
• The International Day of UN Peacekeepers also provides an opportunity to remember the over
4,200 peacekeepers who have died while serving under the UN flag, including 135 who died in
the battle last year.
• This year's theme, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the focus is the Power
of Partnerships.
THEMES:
• The theme for 2022 is “People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships”
• Peacekeeping is one of the many tools used by the United Nations to secure global peace and
security.
• UN Peacekeepers also known as the Blue Helmets, is a collective enterprise, which aims to
change lives for the better.
HISTORY:
• The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) was founded on May 29, 1948,
when the Security Council dispatched a small number of UN military observers to the Middle
East to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
• More than one million people have served in the United Nations' 72 peacekeeping missions
since 1948.
IMPORTANT BANKING & ECONOMY NEWS
RBI imposes Rs 1.12 crore penalty on Bank of Maharashtra
● The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1.12 crore on the state-run
Bank of Maharashtra for non-compliance.
● The non-compliance pertains to certain directions issued under the Know Your Customer (KYC)
Directions, of 2016.
● This penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
section 47 A (1) (c) read with sections 46 (4) (i) and 51 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
(the Act).
● Meanwhile, the RBI has also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 25 lakh on Haryana State Co-
operative Apex Bank Limited for non-compliance with its directions on Housing Finance.
● It has also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 12 lakh on Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank Limited
for non-compliance on ‘Interest Rate on Deposits.
About RBI :
● Founded: 1 April 1935
● Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra,India
● Governor: Shaktikanta Das
● Deputy Governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi
Shankar.
About Bank of Maharashtra :
● Founded : 16 September 1935
● Headquarters : Pune, Maharashtra
● MD & CEO : A. S. Rajeev
ICICI Bank launches digital ecosystem for MSMEs
● ICICI Bank has launched India’s first comprehensive digital ecosystem for all Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, offering a complete range of enhanced banking
and value-added services at one place.
● The ecosystem has three pillars:
• enhanced banking services for existing customers
• a bouquet of banking services to MSMEs, who are customers of other banks
• a whole range of value-added services for all.
How to avail services?
● Anyone can avail of the benefits of ICICI Bank’s digital solutions by simply downloading the new
version of the InstaBIZ app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store, or at the Bank’s
Corporate Internet Banking (CIB) platform.
What services are offered?
● MSMEs, who are customers of other banks, can avail of services from ICICI Bank’s digital
ecosystem by logging in as a ‘Guest’ in the new version of InstaBIZ.
● The most important in the list of these services is sanction of instant and paperless overdraft
facility up to Rs 25 lakh.
● Named ‘InstaOD Plus’, the industry-first proposition enables customers of any bank to avail of an
overdraft instantly through a few clicks either on the new version of InstaBIZ or CIB (Corporate
Internet Banking).
About ICICI Bank :
● Founded : 5 January 1994
● Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
● Chairperson : Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
● MD & CEO : Sandeep Bakhshi
SEBI cuts listing time for REITs, InvITs from 12 days to 6 days
● The Securities and Exchange Board of India the time taken for allotment and listing of REITs
(real estate investment trusts) and InvITs (infrastructure investment trusts) after the closure of
issue would be reduced to six working days, against the current requirement of 12 working days.
● The new rules will be applicable to the public issues of REITs and InvITs which open on or after
June 1, 2022.
Aim :
● To make the existing process of issuance of such emerging investment vehicles simpler and
cost-effective.
● Both REITs and InvITs are investment vehicles similar to mutual funds, wherein
sponsors/managers pool money from investors, which is further invested in real estate and
infrastructure projects.
● InvITs comprise a portfolio of infrastructure assets, such as highways and power transmission
assets.
● As of March 2021, a total of 15 InvITs and four REITs were registered.
● Of these, six InvITs and three REITs were listed on the stock exchanges.
About SEBI :
● Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
● Chairperson : Madhabi Puri Buch
● It was established on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the
SEBI Act, 1992.
GST revenue collection hits record Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April:
● The Gross Goods and Services Tax, GST revenue collection has touched an all-time high of
around 1.68 lakh crore rupees in April 2022.
● The total GST collection in April was one lakh 67 thousand 540 crore rupees.
● The GST collection in April this year is 25 thousand crore rupees more than the next highest
collection of one lakh 42 thousand 95 crore rupees which was in March 2022.
● Of the total GST collection in April this year, Central Goods and Services Tax, CGST collection
is 33 thousand 159 crore rupees, State Goods and Services Tax, SGST is 41 thousand 793
crore rupees, Integrated Goods and Services Tax, IGST is 81 thousand 939 crore and cess are
10 thousand 649 crore rupees.
● The Finance Ministry mentioned that for the first time Gross GST collection has crossed 1.5 lakh
crore rupees mark.
● The total number of e-way bills generated in the month of March 2022 was 7.7 crore, which is 13
percent higher than 6.8 crore e-way bills generated in the month of February 2022, which
reflects the recovery of business activity at a faster pace.
Religare Broking partners Spice Money to help open demat accounts in rural India
● Rural fintech player Spice Money has tied up with Religare Broking Ltd to facilitate rural
populace to apply for shares of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
● The life insurance giant is coming out with a premium initial public offering (IPO).
● Spice Money offers essential digital financial and e-retail services such as cash deposit and
Aadhaar led withdrawals, mini ATM services, bill payments and recharge, money transfers,
loans, tours and travel and more to the rural citizens through Spice Money Adhikari App.
Aim :
● To provide rural citizens with access to investment opportunities.
● This association will allow over 95 per cent of rural pin codes to get access to assisted phygital
platforms to invest in capital market securities.
About Religare Broking :
● CEO : Nitin Aggarwal
● Religare Broking is currently servicing over 10 lakh demat customers through its pan India
network of over 1,100 branches and business partners across over 400 cities in the country.
About Spice Money:
● Spice Money has a network of over 10 lakh merchants (called Spice Money Adhikaris) serving
over 10 crore households in over 700 districts across the hinterlands of India.Co-Founder &
CEO : Sanjeev Kumar
DBS Bank partners with Headstart and Anthill to support promising startups
● DBS Bank India has partnered with startup venture capital fund Anthill Ventures and evangelist
network Headstart Network Foundation to launch DBS Business Class foundED, in line with its
vision to support entrepreneurs and innovators.
● This forum will be held across cities in India and will celebrate modern-day founders, innovators,
and game-changers to foster co-innovation and collaboration in the startup ecosystem.
● The first event of DBS BusinessClass foundED was recently hosted in Hyderabad with actor,
entrepreneur and investor Rana Daggubati as the keynote speaker.
● The Indian metaverse firm Ikonz, backed by Daggubati and Anthill Ventures, has recently
secured funding from Village Global, which has investors like Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates and
Jeff Bezos.
About Headstart Network Foundation :
• Headstart is India's largest 'Volunteer-driven, Grassroot level, Startup Ecosystem Enabler'.
• Head Start began operations in 2007 to support startups and entrepreneurs across India.
IFSCA Issues Framework for FinTech Entity in International Financial Services Centers (IFSCs)
● The government-controlled and Gujarat Headquartered International Financial Services Centres
Authority (IFSCA) issued a framework for fintech entities across the spectrum of banking,
insurance, securities, and fund management in the International Financial Services Centres
(IFSC).
● The framework in furtherance of its mandate to develop and regulate financial products, financial
services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (IFSC) and to
encourage promotion of financial technologies (FinTech).
● The “Framework for FinTech Entity in the IFSCs” is aimed at giving boost to the establishment of
a world class FinTech Hub at GIFT IFSC comparable with other International Financial Centers
(IFCs).
● The framework proposes to cover (i) financial technology (FinTech) solutions resulting in new
business models, applications, process or products in areas/activities linked to financial services
regulated by IFSCA and (ii) advanced/innovative technological solutions which aid and assist
activities in relation to financial products, financial services and financial institutions (TechFin).
● The framework also incorporates the Inter Operable Regulatory Sandbox (IoRS) mechanism.
IoRS is a proposed mechanism to facilitate testing of innovative hybrid financial products
services falling within the regulatory ambit of more than one financial sector regulator..
● IFSCA will facilitate Indian FinTech’s seeking access to foreign markets and foreign FinTech’s
seeking entry into India.
● The framework proposes a Regulatory Referral mechanism which shall be governed as per the
provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or collaboration or special arrangement
between IFSCA and corresponding overseas Regulator(s)
● IFSCA endeavors to support FinTech firms for proof of concept (PoC), minimum viable product
(MVP), prototype development, product trials, commercialization, and global market access etc.
About IFSCA :
● Established : April 27, 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act,
2019.
● Headquarters : GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat
● First Chairperson of IFSCA : Injeti Srinivas
● International Financial Sevices Centres Authority (IFSCA) is a statutory unified regulatory body
under the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India established
by an Act of Parliament.
Indian Bank launches pre-approved personal loan under Project WAVE
● Public sector lender Indian Bank launched its maiden digital product called Pre-Approved
Personal Loan (PAPL) under Project World of Advanced Virtual Experience (WAVE), which will
be serviced only through digital channels.
● The project was launched by Indian Bank MD and CEO S.L Jain in the presence of its Executive
Directors Imran Amin Siddiqui and Ashwani Kumar.
● Currently, it is available for the bank's existing customers aged 21 years and above and having
regular income and pension accounts.
● This loan can be availed via ‘IndOASIS mobile app, bank’s website and through internet banking
facility.
● The loan carries an interest rate of 10% per annum at present, with a flexibility to opt for a loan
tenure of between 10 and 48 months, with no foreclosure charges.
Recent News :
• In January 2022, Indian bank launched the digital transformation initiative – World of Advance
Virtual Experience “WAVE” to launch its first digital product “Pre-Approved Personal Loan
(PAPL)” that aims to provide customers with instant loan disbursements.
About Indian Bank :
• Founded : 15 August 1907
• Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO : Shanti Lal Jain
FidyPay partners with Yes Bank to foster financial inclusion
● One of the industry's leading Financial Inclusion and Digital Payment company FidyPay has
partnered with Yes Bank to extend the digital facilitation to a wide array of businesses,
comprising fintechs, SMEs, and start-ups.
● FidyPay will also be the solution provider for UPI services.
● The association will be an enabler for FidyPay to strengthen its existing product line and emerge
as a trusted tech partner for banks, corporates, MSMEs, SMEs, start-ups and more.
● FidyPay is working with the private sector lender on multiple use cases which includes UPI, API
banking, prepaid cards, escrow accounts, PA licensing, eRUPI, amongst others.
About FidyPay :
● Established : 2017
● Headquarters : Indore, Madhya Pradesh
● Founder & CEO : Manan Dixit
About Yes Bank :
• Founded: 2004
• CEO: Prashant Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Canara Bank Partners with ASAP to launch skill loans
● Canara Bank in association with the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) has
launched ‘skill loans’ .

● The loan was formally launched by Higher Education Minister R. Bindu in the presence of
Canara Bank general manager and State Level Bankers’ Committee convener S. Premkumar.
About Skill Loans :
● Loans ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹1.5 lakh .
● It can be availed of by students pursuing skill training programmes offered by ASAP Kerala or
any other Central or State government-recognised agencies that conduct National Skills
Qualifications Framework (NSQF) or National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) courses.
● The loan will be provided without any collateral and have a repayment period of 3 to 7 years.
About Canara Bank :
● Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka
● MD & CEO : Lingam Venkat Prabhakar
● Canara Bank is the third largest nationalised bank in India.
● It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
IIFL Finance, Open Financial JV to launch India’s 1st neobank for MSMEs
● Non Banking financial company IIFL Finance Ltd and Open Financial Technologies, Asia’s
largest SME focused neo-banking platform will launch IIFL Open Fintech Pvt Ltd.
● The joint venture claims to be India’s first neobank to cater to the banking and credit
requirements of micro and small enterprises (MSMEs).

● The initial capital of the joint venture company will be Rs 120 crore (around $15.7 million) and
the composition between IIFL Finance and Open is 51:49.
Features of Neobank :
● Neobank provides an innovative User Interface (UI) system made exclusively for small
merchants, a first of its kind in India.
● It will offer an alternative experience to traditional banking by providing a simple interface for
banking and integration with accounting, finance and payroll etc.
● Moreover, customers will have access to credit from IIFL Finance at one click.
● These customers will also have access to savings, insurance, payment, card and other
solutions, customized for their needs.
About IIFL Finance :
● Founded : 1995
● Founder & Chairman : Nirmal Jain
● MD : R Venkataraman
About Open Financial Technologies :
● Founded : 2017
● Co-founder and CEO : Anish Achuthan
RBI hikes repo rate by 40 basis points to 4.40% : RBI monetary policy committee
● From May 2-4, 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducts a Monetary Policy Committee
(MPC) meeting.
● During this meeting they have decided to Increase the repo rate under the liquidity adjustment
facility (LAF) by 40 basis points (bps) to 4.40 percent with immediate effect from 4.00% earlier
(first since August 2018 as well as the first instance of the RBI governor-headed monetary policy
committee (MPC) holding an unscheduled meeting for raising interest rates.)
● Also Increase in the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points to 4.50 per cent was observed
The New various rates are as under:

● Policy Repo Rate : 4.40%
● Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)= 4.15%
● Marginal Standing Facility Rate : 4.65%
● Bank Rate : 4.65%
● CRR : 4.50%
● SLR : 18.00%
● The new increased policy rates are effective from May 21, 2022.
About RBI :
● Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

● Deputy Governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar
India achieves merchandise export of 38.19 billion dollars in April:
● India has achieved a monthly value of merchandise export of 38.19 billion US dollars in April.
● It shows an increase of around 24 per cent as compared to the export registered in the same
period 2021.
● The value of non-petroleum exports in April was 30.46 billion US dollars, registering a growth of
12.32 per cent in export against the corresponding period last year.
● On the other hand, the value of non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports in April was
27.16 billion US dollars, registering a growth of 14.38 per cent as compared to the exports
registered in the same period 2021.
● Petroleum products 113.21 per cent, electronic goods 64.04 per cent and Chemicals 26.71 per
cent led the way in a high increase in exports during April.
● The trade deficit april was 20.07 billion US dollar.
UBI Becomes the First Public Sector Bank to Join the Account Aggregator Ecosystem
● Union Bank of India became the first public sector bank to go live on the Account Aggregator
(AA) ecosystem for participating in Govt. of India’s Digital Initiatives.
● Union Bank of India endeavors to work both as FIP and as FIU enabling its Customers to share
Data digitally on a real time basis.
● It has implemented the technology stack as per the Reserve Bank Information Technology
(ReBIT) guidelines.
● The Account Aggregator (AA) Ecosystem which went live in September 2021 has seen active
participation from Banks/NBFCs in the country.
● The Account Aggregator Ecosystem helps the Lenders to leverage on Digital data acquired with
the consent from the Customers for providing them a seamless journey and eliminating the need
of physical documentation. Financial Information User (FIU) can request for data from the
Financial Information User (FIP) based on a simple consent given by the Customer on their
Account Aggregator handle.
● Major private sector banks like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank
are already live as FIPs and FIUs.
● There are 34 banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and other institutions so far live
on AA, including Federal Bank, IDFC First Bank and IndusInd Bank.
About UBI :
● Founded : 11 November 1919
● Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
● MD & CEO : Rajkiran Rai G
SEBI reconstructs secondary market advisory panel
● Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its committee on secondary
market, which provides suggestions to the capital markets regulator on improving market safety,
efficiency and transparency.
● The 18-member advisory committee will now be chaired by G Mahalingam, former whole-time
member of Sebi.
● Earlier, the panel had 17 members and was headed by Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch.
● Apart from Mahalingam, the panel has CEOs of stock exchanges and depositories,
representatives of various stakeholders and senior officials of Sebi as members.
● Other members of the panel include Zerodha's co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO)
Nithin Kamath; Dhiraj Relli, MD and CEO of HDFC Securities; Jaideep Hansraj MD at Kotak
Securities; Naresh Yadav MD and CEO of SBICAP Securities; and Leo Puri Chairman, JP
Morgan, South & Southeast Asia.
About SEBI :
• The SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the
ownership of the Ministry of Finance ,GoI.
• It was established on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the
SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
Indian Bank introduces digital broking solution - E-Broking

● Public sector Indian Bank has introduced digital broking solution E-Broking.
● The product was launched in association with the bank's financial technology partner Fisdom.
● It allows customers to open a demat and trading account facility, in line with the digitalisation
mission of the bank.
● It was a strategic step towards complete digitalisation of its offerings to customers.
● E-Broking, an instant and paper-less demat and trading account opening is integrated in the
bank's mobile banking application.
● The bank's mobile banking application, IndOASIS would offer customers, a seamless
experience from demat and trading account opening to discounted broking services backed by
research based investment in the secondary market starting from equity, futures, options, and
initial public offerings in a single platform.
● It will help the bank to increase its CASA (current account, savings account).
● It also enables its customers to invest in the ongoing LIC Initial Public Offering seamlessly.
About Indian Bank :
• Founded : 15 August 1907
• Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO : Shanti Lal Jain
About Fisdom :
● Founded : 2015
● Co-founder and CEO: Subramanya S V
RBI Provides NoC for merger of Equitas SFB, Equitas Holdings
● Equitas Holdings Ltd (EHL) and Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd (ESFBL) received no-objection
from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the voluntary amalgamation of both units.
● The merger is being effected to comply with the RBI norms on small finance banks, mandating
the promoter to reduce the stake in the subsidiary to 40 per cent within five years of
commencement of operations by the SFB (Small Finance Bank).
● EHL must divest its shareholding in its subsidiary Equitas Technologies P Ltd prior to the
amalgamation.
● Besides, Equitas SFB will have to seek RBI approval for bringing Equitas Development
Initiatives Trust (EDIT) and Equitas Healthcare Foundation (EHF) under its ambit prior to the
scheme taking effect.
● According to RBI conditions laid down for SFBs in June 2016 and guidelines for licensing of
SFBs in private sector in November 2014, equity shares of SFBs should be listed on recognised
stock exchange(s) within three years from the date the net worth of SFB reaches Rs 500 crore.
● In case of ESFB, the applicable date for listing was September 4, 2019.
● However, it commenced its banking operations with a net worth of more than Rs 500 crore.
● Compliance with regard to listing was honoured through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and
listing of shares of ESFB on exchanges from November 2, 2020.
● The other condition requires that if a promoter holds more than 40 per cent stake in the
subsidiary, it should be brought down to 40 per cent within five years from the date of
commencement of banking operations.
● The applicable date is September 4, 2021.
About RBI :
● Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra,India
● Deputy Governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar
About Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd :
● Founded :2016
● Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
● MD & CEO : Vasudevan P N
The second phase of mandatory hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts to come into force
from June 1:
● The second phase of the mandatory hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts will come
into force on the 1st of June this year.
● The second phase will cover additional three caratages of gold jewellery and artefacts – 20
carats, 23 carats and 24 carats.

● Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS has successfully implemented Mandatory Hallmarking in 256
districts of the country with effect from 23rd June last year.
● More than three lakh gold articles are being hallmarked with the Hallmark Unique Identification
every day.
● BIS has made a provision to allow a common consumer to get the purity of their hallmarked gold
jewellery tested at any of the BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.
● The charges for testing gold jewellery up to four articles are fixed at two hundred rupees.
SEBI forms advisory committee for ESG-related matters
● The Securities and Exchange Board of India has formed an advisory committee for advising on
Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) related matters pertaining to the securities
markets.
● The committee will be chaired by Navneet Munot, the chief executive officer of HDFC Asset
Management Company.
Highlights :
● In terms of the Business Responsibility and Sustainability report the committee will look at
reviewing leadership indicators that may be made essential - including those related to value
chain along with developing sector specific sustainability disclosures.
● It will also examine evolving disclosures / metrics relevant to the Indian context, as well as
suggesting areas for assurance and a plan for implementation.
● Furthermore, the committee will oversee the development of a second or parallel approach for
ESG ratings tailored to emerging markets, such as a focus on ‘S’ including job creation, and so
on.
● This will also include developing uniform indicators of ‘G’ as input to ESG ratings and / or credit
ratings.
● In the case of ESG investing, the advisory committee will assess the ongoing improvement of
disclosures relevant to ESG Mutual Fund Schemes, with a special focus on risk mitigation of
mis-selling and greenwashing hazards.

● The committee will examine whether ESG funds should have any particular prudential norms.
While also evaluating the long term plan to prescribe ESG disclosures for all mutual fund
schemes.
About SEBI :
● Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
● SEBI was established on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through
the SEBI Act, 1992.
HDFC Bank Launches Industry 1st 30-Minute Xpress Car Loan’
● India’s largest private sector bank, HDFC Bank, has launched ‘Xpress Car Loans an end to end
digital new car loan journey for existing customers as well as non-customers.
● The Bank has integrated its lending application with automobile dealers across India.
● HDFC Bank has created a comprehensive, faster, more convenient, and inclusive digital journey
for car buyers.
● This will help simplify the car purchase process and drive car sales across the country including
in the semi urban and rural areas
● HDFC Bank envisages 20-30% of customers (for loans up to 20 Lakh) to avail of this facility.
● This facility is at present being offered for four wheelers and will be gradually rolled out to two-
wheeler loans.
● In the next 5-7 years, the Indian automotive industry is set to become the third largest in the
world with 35 million new vehicle units sold per year.
● In the next decade about 350 million 4-wheelers and over 250 million 2-wheelers are expected
to hit the roads of India.
About HDFC Bank :
● Founded : August 1994
● MD & CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
UPI hits record high in April with 5.58 bn transactions worth Rs 9.83 trn
● As per the latest data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Unified
payments interface (UPI) hit a record high with 558 crore transactions amounting to Rs 9.83-lakh
crore in April 2022.
● In April, volume of transactions was up 3.33 percent and value of transactions rose 2.36 per cent
compared to March.
● In March, UPI processed 5.4 billion transactions amounting to Rs 9.6 trillion.
● However, year-on-year (YoY), the volume of transactions jumped 111 percent, and the value of
transactions increased by almost 100 per cent.
● In April 2021, UPI had processed 2.64 billion transactions worth Rs 4.93 trillion.
Additional Info :
● On March 8, 2022, To increase the UPI transactions, the Reserve Bank of India,, launched UPI
for feature phones called UPI123Pay.
● The Central bank also announced the rollout of a 24x7 helpline for digital payments called
DigiSaathi.
About NPCI :
● Founded : 2008
● Non Executive Chairman : Biswamohan Mahapatra
● MD & CEO : Dilip Asbe
RIL is 1st Indian company to cross $100bn revenue:
• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd has reported a 22.5 per cent rise in net
profit for the quarter ended March on the back of bumper oil refining margins, steady growth in
telecom and digital services and strong momentum in the retail business.
• It is the first Indian company to have crossed USD 100 billion in revenue in a year.
• The oil-to-retail-to-telecom conglomerate's consolidated net profit rose to Rs 16,203 crore in the
quarter ended March 31, 2022, from Rs 13,227 crore, the firm said in a statement.
• Net profit, however, fell 12.6 per cent sequentially -- breaking a six-quarter chain of quarter-on-
quarter improvement.
• Reliance's earnings also rose because of a rise in broadband subscribers, online retail gaining
traction and new energy investment picking roots.

• Consolidated revenue of the nation's biggest company by market value rose 35 per cent year-
on-year to Rs 2.32 lakh crore in the fourth quarter of FY22.
ICICI Bank Partners with Santander for India-UK business ease
● ICICI Bank inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Santander UK Plc, a premier
British bank, establishing a framework of partnership between the banks for financial service
requirements of the corporate customers in the India – UK corridor.
● The MoU was signed by Sriram H. Iyer, Head – International Banking Group, ICICI Bank and
John Carroll, Head- International & Transactional Banking, Santander UK.
● ICICI bank will offer UK corporates operating in India banking solutions in trade, cross-border
payments, supply chain, treasury solutions, and retail banking.
● Meanwhile Santander UK will support Indian corporations.
● This partnership will be helpful in providing seamless banking services for corporates in the UK-
India corridor.”
Note :
● The UK is India's sixth largest investor, with US$ 31.7 billion in cumulative foreign direct
investment (FDI) inflows, accounting for 6% of overall FDI inflows.
About ICICI Bank :
• Founded : 5 January 1994
• MD & CEO : Sandeep Bakhshi
Revenue Deficit Grant of Rs. 7,183.42 crore released to 14 States
● The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has released the 2nd monthly installment of
Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of Rs. 7,183.42 crore to 14 States.
● The grant has been released as per the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission.
● The Fifteenth Finance Commission has recommended a total Post Devolution Revenue Deficit
Grant of Rs. 86,201 crore to 14 States for the financial year 2022-23.
● The recommended grant will be released by the Department of Expenditure to the
recommended States in 12 equated monthly installments.
● With this, the total amount of Revenue Deficit Grants released to the States in 2022-23 has gone
up to Rs. 14,366.84 crore.
● The States which have been recommended Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant by the
Fifteenth Finance Commission during 2022-23 are: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh,
Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura,
Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
● In this, West Bengal has received Rs 1132.35 crore, the highest post-devolution revenue deficit
grant for the second instalment, followed by Kerala at Rs 1097.83 crore.
About PDRD :
● The Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grants are provided to the States under Article 275 of the
Constitution.
● The grants are released to the States as per the recommendations of the successive Finance
Commissions to meet the gap in Revenue Accounts of the States post devolution.
● The eligibility of States to receive this grant and the quantum of grant for the period from 2020-
21 to 2025-26 was decided by the Fifteenth Commission based on the gap between the
assessment of revenue and expenditure of the State after taking into account the assessed
devolution during this period.
About Ministry of Finance :
● Cabinet Minister : Nirmala Sitharaman
● Minister of State : Bhagwat Karad, Pankaj Choudhary
Retail Inflation Surges To 7.79% in April, Highest In 8 Years:
● India's retail inflation surged to 7.79 per cent in April, largely driven by rising fuel and food prices.
● The consumer price-based inflation figure stayed well above the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's)
upper tolerance limit for the fourth consecutive month.
● In April, the CPI inflation expanded at its highest pace in eight years.
● The previous high was recorded at 8.33 per cent in May 2014.
● April's print was higher than 6.95 per cent in March and 4.23 per cent a year ago.
● Inflation in the food basket rose to 8.38 per cent in April from 7.68 per cent in March.
● Food inflation, which accounts for nearly half the consumer price index (CPI) basket, reached a
multi-month high in April and can remain elevated due to higher vegetable and cooking oil prices
globally.
● The rate of price rise in the 'fuel and light' category in the retail inflation basket quickened to
10.80 per cent in April this year from 7.52 per cent in the preceding month.
Retail Inflation:
● Retail inflation essentially refers to the rate at which the general price level went up in a
particular month over what it was in the same month a year ago.
● The change is expressed as a percentage
Bharti AXA Life insurance launches financial literacy campaign – InspiHERs
● Bharti AXA Life Insurance has launched a financial literacy campaign ‘InspiHE₹- enabling an
empowered future - a special initiative to spread financial awareness among women and enable
them to make informed financial decisions for a secured future.
● Research states that 55% of women do not make educated financial decisions, and 59% of
women don’t have any kind of health or life Insurance.
About InspiHE₹ :
• ‘InspiHE₹’ campaign will be set in motion with on-ground education sessions for a group of
mothers across Mumbai and will be promoted across social media platforms to create
engagement.
• Through this campaign, the company plans to engage with women, especially mothers, their
families, and close to 1 million citizens of India on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to
raise alertness about a financially secure future for women.
• The campaign will help them to get ready for emergencies, deal with rising costs of living, make
positive financial decision-making and set a good example for their children in becoming
financially independent.
• Apart from the education programme, employees of Bharti AXA Life Insurance will also come
forward and contribute to this noble initiative.
• It will teach their mothers voluntarily; house helps and other family members the basics of
financial planning and encourage Indians on social media to sponsor financial literacy and take
this initiative ahead.
About Bharti AXA Life insurance :
● Establishment : 2006
● MD & CEO : Parag Raja
● It is a joint venture between the Indian conglomerate Bharti Enterprises, and AXA one of the
largest multinational financial and wealth services companies
Worldline India Partners with Bank Of India to Digitise E-challan Collections
● Worldline India, a payment services firm, has partnered with Bank of India to digitise e-challan
collections for Madhya Pradesh police department.
● A Memorandum of Association (MoU) was signed between BOI and MP Police Department,
Govt. of India to integrate Point of Sale (POS) terminals with e-challan portal of the police
department.
● The MoU was exchanged between Shri. G. Janardhan, ADG, PTRI, MP Police, Govt. of India
and Shri Lokesh Krishna, GM, Bank of India at Taj Lakefront Hotel in Bhopal.
● Bank of India has provided over 600 Worldline Android Terminals to the MP Police Department
to facilitate e-collections via credit and debit cards.
● This initiative will enable MP Police to accept online payments for challans on the go and offer
convenience to the residents.
● Three zones namely Jabalpur, Rewa and Shahdol covering 12 districts in MP will be covered in
this initiative.
About E-challan :
● E-challan is an electronically generated challan (Online Generated System Challan) that is taken
care of by the Electronic Challan System.
● Challan is a payment which citizens have to pay if they break any traffic rule as per the
guidelines issued by the traffic department.
About Bank Of India :
● Founded : 7 September 1906

● MD & CEO : Atanu Kumar Das
RBI extends period of restriction on 2 co-operative banks
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the period of restriction on two co-operative banks
namely the Laxmi Co-operative Bank Ltd Solapur, Maharashtra and Sri Guru Raghavendra
Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, Bengaluru, Karnataka for up to three and six months, respectively.
The Laxmi Co-operative Bank:
• RBI had issued directions to the banking exercise of powers vested in it under sub-section (1) of
Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (AACS) from the close of
business on November 12, 2021.
• The directions stipulate certain restrictions and /or ceilings on withdrawal /acceptance of
deposits.
• These directions shall continue to apply to the bank for a further period of three months from
May 12, 2022, to August 11, 2022, subject to review.
• The issue of Directions should not per se be construed as a cancellation of a banking license by
the Reserve Bank of India.
• The bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till its financial position
improves.
Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha:
● RBI has extended the period of restrictions on the bank for another six months starting from May
11, 2022, to November 10, 2022, subject to review.
● RBI had issued directions to the bank under Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949 dated January 2, 2022.
● Later, the validity was extended from time to time, dated January 10, 2022, up to May 10, 2022.
● Under the directions, there are restrictions and ceilings on withdrawals and deposits on Sri Guru
Raghavendra Sahakara Bank.
● The directions are in the public interest & other terms and conditions of the Directives under
reference shall remain unchanged.
Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra launches Repco Subiksham - new schemes of Repco Bank
● Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra has launched New Repatriate
Welfare Scheme, a deposit scheme of Repco Bank, a micro finance loan scheme and an app for
Repco Micro Finance Ltd. (RFML) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
New Schemes of Repco Bank :
● Repco Subiksham
● Repatriate Youth Development Scheme
● Repco Mahila Samriddhi Scheme
About Repco Subiksham :
• Repco Subiksham is a retail deposit scheme.
• It provides a new deposit scheme for senior citizens (aged above 60) and super senior citizens
(age above 80) with an Interest rate of 7.15% and 7.25% respectively.
• Tenure : 15 months
• Interest Payable : Monthly/Quarterly/Half-yearly or on maturity
About Repatriate Youth Development Scheme :
● ‘A’ class repatriate members from Myanmar or Sri Lanka and their family members are eligible
for the ‘Repatriate Youth Development Scheme’.
● The Sponsorship amount shall be upto a maximum of ₹25,000 and those aged between 18 and
35 are eligible to apply.
About Repco Mahila Samriddhi Scheme :
● Repco Mahila Samriddhi Scheme meant for Self Help Groups.
Aim :
1. To support income generation activities for the underprivileged sections.
2. It will provide collateral free loans to women with household income of up to ₹3 lakh.
3. The loan amount would be between ₹50,000 and ₹2.5 lakh.
About Repco Bank :
● Headquarters : T. Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
● Chairman : E. Santhanam
● Managing Director : R.S. Isabella
● Repco Bank is a cooperative bank controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs
● It is operated only in the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil
Nadu.
Purpose :
● To improve the financial needs of repatriates from neighbouring countries mainly from Sri Lanka
and Burma.
About Ministry of Home Affairs :
● Union Minister : Amit Shah
● Minister of State : Nityanand Rai, Nisith Pramanik, Ajay Kumar Mishra
Exim Bank's Government of India supported additional Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 190 million to the
SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd
● Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an agreement dated January 06, 2022
with the SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SBMIDCL), for making
available to the latter, Government of India supported Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 190 million.
Purpose of the agreement :
● To finance its participation through Redeemable Preference Shares in public sector entities for
implementing the ongoing Metro Express Project and other infrastructure projects in Mauritius.
● The Credit facility is an additional tranche to the existing Credit of USD 500 million which has
been extended to SBMIDCL on the terms and conditions contained in the Dollar Credit Line
Agreement dated May 27, 2017.
● Under the arrangement, financing of export of eligible goods and services from India, as defined
under the agreement, would be allowed subject to their being eligible for export under the
Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India and whose purchase may be agreed to be
financed by the Exim Bank under this agreement.
● Out of the total credit by Exim Bank under the agreement, goods and services of the value of at
least 75 percent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India.
● The remaining 25 percent of goods and services may be procured by the seller for the purpose
of the eligible contract from outside India.
● However, Indian content requirement for the Metro Express Project shall be 30% of the contract
price.
● Under the LoC, the terminal utilization period is 60 months from the scheduled completion date
of the project.
● As per instructions issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time, Shipments under the LoC
shall be declared in Export Declaration Form
● No agency commission is payable for export under the above LoC.
● The directions contained in this circular have been issued under section 10(4) and 11(1) of the
Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to
permissions/ approvals, if any, required under any other law.
About Exim Bank :
● Founded: 1982
● Managing Director : Harsha Bangari
● Exim Bank was established under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981
RBI restricts withdrawals from Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed several restrictions on Shankarrao Pujari Nutan
Nagari Sahakari Bank Limited, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, including on withdrawals, in view of the
lender’s worsening financial position.
● The restrictions will remain in force for a period of six months from the close of business on May
13, 2022 and are subject to review.
● However, 99.84 per cent of the depositors are fully covered by the DICGC insurance scheme.
● Under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) insurance scheme,
deposits of up to Rs 5 lakh are insured.
● Considering the bank’s present liquidity position, no amount from the total balance across all
savings bank or current accounts or any other account of a depositor, may be allowed to be
withdrawn, but are allowed to set off loans against deposits subject to the conditions.
About RBI :
● Established : 1 April 1935
● Governor : Shaktikanta Das
● Deputy Governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain,M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar
Union Bank launches online platform Trade nxt for export-import transactions
• Union Bank of India (UBI) has launched a digital solution, ‘Trade nxt’ to ease all cross-border
export-import transactions for corporates and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
About ‘Trade nxt’ :
● ‘Trade nxt’ eliminates the need for companies to visit a bank branch to initiate a trade transaction
and ensures better governance with enhanced security and controls.
● The online platform provides seamless entry and processing of letters of credit (LC), bank
guarantees, export and import bills, disbursement of export credit, outward & inward
remittances, dealer financing, & etc.
● It will also enable regulatory online auto reporting through import Data Processing & Monitoring
System (IDPMS), Export Data Processing & Monitoring System (EDPMS) and other statutory
reporting pertaining to ODI/ FDI/ LRS transactions.
Key features :
● Digital transactions round the clock and from anywhere, with minimal dependency on the branch
● Auto-generated regulatory declarations
● Reminders for future bills and payments due dates
● Dedicated relationship manager desk
● Digitized trade finance transactions Facility of uploading scanned copies of documents is
available.
About Union Bank of India :
● MD & CEO : Rajkiran Rai G
SpiceJet and Axis Bank launch co-branded credit card
• The country’s airline SpiceJet & India’s third largest private sector bank, Axis Bank have partnered
to launch the most rewarding co-branded credit card, powered by Visa that will offer a host of
privileges and benefits to customers.
• The card is available in two variants
1. SpiceJet Axis Bank Voyage
2. Voyage Black.
Aim :
● To facilitate a superlative travel experience for flyers through SpiceClub, the first frequent flier
program by a low cost carrier in India.
● The cards were officially launched at the Indira Gandhi International airport in the presence of
Ajay Singh, Chairman and MD, SpiceJet, and Amitabh Chaudhry, MD & CEO, Axis Bank, where
they unveiled a special SpiceJet-Axis Bank credit card livery on a SpiceJet Boeing 737 MAX
aircraft.
● The products are designed to enable customers to use the rewards earned on their daily spends
for booking flights and add-ons, thus encouraging both travel and digital payments embedded
with benefits of SpiceJet’s frequent flyer program.
● Customers can earn benefits up to 7% on the Voyage Black credit card which is a Top-tier
offering in the travel credit card segment.
● The redemption of earned points does not have any limitations on blackout dates, festival
demand, and are on a first-come basis.
● Cardholders would get exclusive SpiceClub membership with direct entry in either Silver or Gold
tiers, and special benefits like complimentary or discounted travel add-ons, priority check-in,
SpiceMax upgrade, preferred seat selection, complimentary meal etc.

Features of Voyage and Voyage Black credit cards :
Benefits SpiceJet Axis Bank Voyage Credit SpiceJet Axis Bank Voyage
Card Black Credit Card
Joining Fee & Annual Fee ₹750 ₹2000
Joining Benefit Complimentary SpiceClub Silver Complimentary SpiceClub
Tier membership Gold Tier membership
Features 1. Earn 18 SpiceClub Points(SC) 1. Earn 28 SpiceClub
per ₹ 200 spent on SpiceJet Points(SC) per ₹ 200 spent on
Platform* (Silver Tier membership SpiceJet Platform* (Gold tier
benefits) – up to 4.5% customer membership benefits) – up to
benefit 7% customer benefit
2. Earn 6 SC Points per ₹ 200 2. Earn 12 SC Points per ₹ 200
spent on Online Bill Payments, spent on Online Bill Payments,
Online food and Online Online food and Online
Entertainment accelerated Entertainment accelerated
categories – up to 3% customer categories – up to 6%
benefit customer benefit
3. Earn 3 SC Points per ₹ 200 3. Earn 6 SC Points per ₹ 200
spent on any other qualifying spent on any other qualifying
spends excluding any fuel, wallet spends excluding any fuel,
top up, cash withdrawal and EMI wallet top upcash withdrawal
transactions – up to 1.5% customer and EMI transactions – up to
benefit 3% customer benefit
Renewal Benefit Upon successful payment of Upon successful repayment of
annual fee of the card, 1000 SC annual fee of the card, 2000
Points to be credited for cardholder SC Points to be credited for
cardholder
Other benefits (a) Complimentary access to select Complimentary access to
airport lounges (4 visits a year) select airport lounges (8 visits
(b) Fuel surcharge waiver @1% a year)
(upto ₹ 400/-) (b) Fuel surcharge waiver
@1% (upto ₹ 400/-)
About SpiceJet :
● Founded : 2004 (Commenced Operations 23 May 2005)
● Headquarters : Gurgaon, Haryana, India
● MD : Ajay Singh
● SpiceJet is an Indian low-cost airline & is the second largest airline in the country by number of
domestic passengers carried
About Axis Bank :
● Founded: 1993
● MD & CEO : Amitabh Chaudhry
Morgan Stanley lowers India’s FY23 growth forecast to 7.6%
● Global brokerage firm Morgan Stanley has lowered India’s gross domestic product (GDP)
growth forecast for the current financial year to 7.6 percent from 7.9 percent for F2023.
● It stated that slowdown in global growth, higher commodity prices and risk aversion in global
capital markets expose Asia’s third-largest economy to downside risks.
● The baseline forecast for India is 7.6 per cent growth for FY23, its bearish and bullish growth
projections are 6.7 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively.
● However, sees the Indian economy expanding at above pre-pandemic growth rates in FY23 and
FY24.
Key Highlights :
● Earlier, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised downwards its growth projection for FY23 to
7.2 percent from 7.8 percent.
● The World Bank slashed its FY23 growth forecast for India to 8 percent from 8.7 percent
estimated in January.
● For FY24, the investment bank lowered its growth forecast to 6.7 percent from 7 percent
estimated earlier.
● The investment bank has projected global growth at 2.9 percent in calendar year 2022, less than
half of the 6.2 per cent growth in 2021.
● CPI (Consumer Price Index) inflation is expected to be 6.5% for FY23.
● The current account deficit widened to a 10-year high of 3.3% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
in FY23.
About Morgan stanley :
● Headquarters : New York, U.S
● Chairman & CEO : James P. Gorman
RBI imposes monetary penalty on KEB Hana Bank
● Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 59 lakh on KEB Hana Bank (Formerly Korea
Exchange Bank) for non-compliance with the certain norms related to 'interest rate on deposits'.
● The bank has been penalized for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on ''Reserve
Bank of India (Interest Rate on Deposits) Directions, 2016''.
● The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
Section 47 A (1) (c) read with sections 46 (4) (i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Act).
● The penalty is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to
pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its
customers.
Background :
● RBI conducted the statutory inspection for supervisory evaluation of KEB Hana Bank with
reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2020.
About KEB Hana Bank :
● Headquarters : Seoul, South Korea

● President & CEO : Park Sung-ho
WPI inflation hits record 15.08% in Aprilon price rise across all items
● Wholesale price-based inflation spiked to a record high of 15.08 percent in April on rising prices
across segments from food to commodities.
● The WPI-based inflation was 14.55 percent in March and 10.74 percent in April 2021.
● Since 2012-13, The WPI at 15.08% is the highest in the new series.
● Since April 2021, WPI inflation has remained in double digit for the 13th consecutive month.
● The high rate of inflation in April 2022 was primarily due to rise in prices of mineral oils, basic
metals, crude petroleum & natural gas, food articles, non-food articles, food products and
chemicals & chemical products etc.
Key Highlights :
● Inflation in food articles was 8.35% as prices of vegetables, wheat, fruits and potato witnessed a
sharp spike over the year-ago period.
● In the fuel and power basket, inflation was 38.66%, while in manufactured products and oil
seeds, it was 10.85% and 16.10%, respectively.
● Inflation in crude petroleum and natural gas was 69.07% in April.
● Core inflation accelerated for the third consecutive month to 11.1 percent from 10.9 per cent in
March 2022.
● Manufactured products inflation was also up at 10.9 per cent in April from 10.7 per cent in
March.
RBI allows Lending by Commercial Banks to NBFCs & SFBs to NBFC-MFIs, for on-lending to priority
sectors
● The Reserve Bank of India has permitted lending by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) to
non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) for the purpose of on-lending to priority sector loan
(PSL).
● Along with this, the central bank has also permitted small finance banks (SFB) to tag loans to
microfinance institutions (MFIs) as PSL loans on an on-going basis.
● The lending was permitted up to March 31, 2022.
● Bank credit to NBFCs (including HFCs) for on-lending will be allowed up to an overall limit of 5%
of an individual bank’s total priority sector lending in the case of commercial banks.
● In the case of SFBs, credit to NBFC-MFIs and other MFIs (societies, trusts, etc.) which are
members of RBI recognized ‘Self-Regulatory Organisation’ of the sector, will be allowed up to an
overall limit of 10% of an individual bank’s total priority sector lending.
● SFBs are allowed to lend to registered NBFC-MFIs and other MFIs which have a gross loan
portfolio (GLP) of up to Rs 500 crore as on March 31,of the previous financial year for on-lending
to the priority sector.
What is priority sector lending?
● Priority sector lending is about the necessary lending by banks to economically weaker sections.
● Commercial banks are required to lend at least 40 percent of their loan to PSL category while
the SFBs are required to extend 75 percent.
About RBI :
PNB MetLife launches India's 1st dental health insurance plan
● PNB MetLife India Insurance Co Ltd has launched India’s first dental care insurance plan that
covers fixed-benefit outpatient expenses and provides financial assistance with costs related to
overall dental health.
● It is a one-of-a-kind, standalone, dental health insurance plan that covers major dental
procedures without the hassles of hospitalization.
About PNB MetLife's new Dental Care Plan :
● PNB MetLife's new Dental Care Plan will help customers manage their dental health and reduce
their essential spending in order to make space for dental treatment.
● To provide convenience to its customers, PNB MetLife has tied up with more than 340+ dental
clinics, including Clove Dental and Sabka Dentist, two of India’s largest dental clinic chains with
clinics across key cities in India, where policyholders can enjoy the full value of their benefits.
Benefits :
● Fixed benefits ranging from Rs 350 to Rs 7,500 per procedure and a sum assured of up to Rs
50,000
● Cashless facility and simplified claims process
● Tax benefit exemptions under Sec 80D
● Pays fixed benefits for the specific outpatient and accidental dental procedures
About PNB MetLife :
• Established : 2001
• MD & CEO : Ashish Kumar Srivastava
World Bank sanctions USD 350 billion in Gujarat -SRESTHA-G project
● The World Bank has approved 350 million dollars aid for the Systems Reform Endeavors for
Transformed Health Achievement in Gujarat (SRESTHA-G) project.
● The five-year total cost of the project will be around USD 500 billion which is approximately Rs
3,750 crore & out of this, USD 350 billion which is approximately Rs 2,625 crore, will be provided
by the World Bank.
● Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel approved the SRESTHA-G project & it will implement the
programme through the Health & Family Welfare Department (HEWD).
About SRESTHA-G project :
● Under the project, the government will undertake the initiative to improve the quality of the health
system of the state by expanding the health services to the rural and urban people and
strengthening the epidemic prevention system of the state.
● The programme will focus on four key result areas to improve quality, equity, and
comprehensiveness of primary health care, services for adolescent girls and the capacity of
disease surveillance systems.
About World Bank :
● Established : July 1944
● Headquarters : Washington, D.C., U.S
● President : David Malpass
● MD & CEO : Anshula Kant
AXA set to launch mental health insurance in Indian group policies
● AXA France India, along with its Indian insurance partners, is set to launch mental health
insurance cover in its group policies.
● The mental health insurance would provide Rs 25,000 for consultation with therapists,
psychologists, life coaches, among others through virtual mode, and up to Rs 1 lakh for
hospitalization.
● The cover would also provide free mental health assessment tests as recommended by the
World Health Organisation (WHO).
● In addition to that, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal,
launched a free mental health helpline run by AXA France Vie’s India division and Delhi-based
non governmental organization (NGO) Manas Foundation.
About free mental health helpline :
● The 24X7 pan India helpline will provide mental health support and consultations from
counselors and psychologists.
Aim :
• To help bridge the major gap in care for people suffering with poor mental health, which is
integral to ensure holistic wellbeing.
Investors lose approximately Rs 50,000 crore as a result of the delayed listing of LIC shares:
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) shares began trading on stock exchanges at a discount
to the initial public offering price.
• The insurance behemoth's shares began trading on the BSE and NSE for Rs 872 per share, an
8.11 per cent decrease from the IPO price of Rs 949 per share.
• Despite the fact that the Sensex and Nifty were in the green, equities plummeted.
• The LIC public issue of Rs 21,000 crore is the largest Dalal Street has ever witnessed.
• Earlier this month, the offering had a strong response from all investor groups during a six-day
subscription period, rather than the standard three-day period.
• Meanwhile, LIC policyholders received a Rs 60 per share cut, resulting in a break-even price of
Rs 889 per share.
About LIC Market Capital:
● When LIC went public, it had a market capitalisation of Rs 5.5 lakh crore.
● The LIC IPO occurred during a tough period for Dalal Street and at a lower valuation than had
previously been proposed.
● The Indian government sold only 3.5 per cent of its interest to the public through the IPO, down
from the previously discussed 5 percent.
About LIC:
• Life Insurance Corporation of India is an Indian statutory insurance and investment corporation
headquartered in the city of Mumbai, India. It is under the ownership of Government of India.
• Chairperson: M R Kumar
• Headquarters: Mumbai
SEBI Notifies Rules to Strengthen Regulatory Framework for CIS
● The market regulator Securities and Exchange board of India (SEBI) has enhanced the net
worth criteria and track record requirements to strengthen the regulatory framework for collective
investment schemes.
● The rules, first notified in 1999, have not been reviewed since then.
Aim :
• To strengthen the regulatory framework for collective investment schemes as well as
empowering the CIMCs to effectively discharge their responsibilities toward the investors.
About CIS :
• CIS is a pooled investment vehicle in closed-ended investment space and the units of the
schemes are listed on an exchange.
• The structure of CIS is a two-tier one as there are two entities involved in the process the CIMC
and trustees.
Eligibility criteria :
● Sebi stated that applicants or promoters should have a soundtrack record and a general
reputation of fairness and integrity in all their business transactions.
● The applicant should have been carrying out business in the relevant field in which CIS schemes
are proposed to be launched, for at least five years; net worth should be positive in all the
immediately preceding five years and should have profits in three out of the five years.
● CIMCs are required to have a minimum net worth of Rs 50 crore as compared to the present
requirement of Rs 5 crore.
● The applicant shall have a net worth not less than Rs 100 crore till it has profits for five
consecutive years'', in case the requirements related to profit are not fulfilled.
● According to the new regulations, each CIS will have a minimum subscription amount of Rs 20
crore and each CIS needs to have a minimum of 20 investors and no single investor will hold
more than 25 percent of the assets under management of such schemes.
● Currently, CIS rules do not mandate a minimum number of investors, maximum holding of a
single investor, or minimum subscription amount.

● SEBI has put a cap on cross-shareholding in Collective Investment Management Company
(CIMC) to 10 percent to avoid conflict of interest.
● Also, Sebi stated that CIS will not be open for subscription for more than 15 days & at present,
the limit is for 90 days.
About SEBI :
• Established : 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI
Act, 1992.
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
Banking Frauds dip 51% To Rs 40,295 Crore : RBI

● The Reserve Bank of India has stated Public sector banks reported over 51% dip in the amount
involved in frauds to Rs 40,295.25 crore during the financial year ended March 2022.
● The 12 PSBs (Public Sector Banks) had reported frauds worth Rs 81,921.54 crore in preceding
fiscal 2020-21.
● However, the number of fraud cases fell to 7,940 frauds reported by the PSBs in 2021-22,
against 9,933 incidents reported in FY21.
12 PSBs Fraud Data :
● Punjab National Bank (PNB) - Highest amount of Rs 9,528.95 crore (431 fraud cases)
● State Bank of India (SBI) - Rs 6,932.37 crore (4,192 cases)
● Bank of India (BoI0 - Rs 5,923.99 crore (209 cases)
● Bank of Baroda (BoB) - Rs 3,989.36 crore (280 cases)
● Union Bank of India (UBI) - Rs 3,939 crore (627 cases)
● Canara Bank - 3,230.18 crore (90 cases)
● Indian Bank - 2,038.28 crore (211 cases)
● Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) - Rs 1,733.80 crore (312 cases)
● Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) - Rs 1,139.36 crore (72 cases)
● Central Bank of India - Rs 773.37 crore
● UCO Bank - Rs 611.54 crore (114 cases)
● Punjab & Sind Bank - Rs 455.04 crore (159 cases).
● RBI stated that the data may change subject to rectification/update made subsequent to the first
reporting of banks (in respect of individual frauds).
● As per the RBI reply, the number of frauds worth less than Rs 1 lakh has been recorded from
April 1, 2017.
About RBI :
India is presently the largest recipient of international remittances:

● According to the World Bank, India will overtake Mexico as the top remittance-receiving country
in 2021, relegating China to third place.
● In 2021, India received more than $89 billion in remittances, an increase of 8% above the
$82.73 billion received in 2020.
● Even though the world was severely impacted by Covid in 2020, remittances were slightly
greater than the non-Covid year of 2019.
About Remittances:
● Some of the rises can be attributed to the rupee's depreciation against the dollar.
● Inbound remittances to India will rise further this year, boosted by one of the world's lowest
transaction costs.
● The average cost of transferring $200 was $6 worldwide, but it was the cheapest to send money
to South Asia (4.3 per cent) and the most expensive to send money to Sub-Saharan Africa
● Remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are expected to increase by 4.2% to
$ 630 billion in 2022.
● This comes on the heels of a significant 8.6% gain in 2021, when remittances totalled $605
billion, far exceeding the World Bank's prediction.
● In 2021, remittances entering South Asia climbed by 6.9 percent.
WPI inflation will reach a new high of 15.08 percent in April 2022:
● Wholesale inflation in India reached a three-decade high in April, as rising commodity prices and
supply-chain disruptions increased businesses' input costs.
● In April 2022, the annual rate of inflation was 15.08 percent (Provisional), compared to 10.74
percent in April 2021.
● The WPI Food Index-based inflation rate climbed somewhat from 8.71 percent in March 2022 to
8.88 percent in April 2022.
What causes this to happen?
● The high rate of inflation in April 2022 was primarily due to an increase in the prices of mineral
oils, basic metals, crude petroleum & natural gas, food articles, non-food articles, food products,
and chemicals & chemical products, among other things when compared to the previous year's
corresponding month.
● Fuel costs, a major component of the increase, were up 38.66 percent year on year, compared
to 34.52 percent in March.
● The Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade,
announced wholesale pricing index statistics in India (Base Year: 2011-12) for the months of
April 2022 (Provisional) and February 2022. (Final).
S&P slashes India's Economic Growth Forecast To 7.3% FY23
● S&P Global Ratings cut India’s growth projection for the current fiscal to 7.3 percent from 7.8
percent earlier on rising inflation and the longer-than-expected Russia-Ukraine conflict.
● In December 2021, S&P had pegged India’s GDP growth in the 2022-23 fiscal, which began on
April 1, 2022, at 7.8 percent & for the next fiscal the growth has been pegged at 6.5 percent.
Other Projections :
● In April 2022, the World Bank slashed India’s GDP forecast for fiscal 2022-23 to 8 percent from
8.7 percent predicted.
● The IMF has cut the projections to 8.2 percent from 9 percent.
● Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected India’s growth at 7.5 percent.
● In April 2022, the RBI, cut its forecast to 7.2 percent from 7.8 percent amid volatile crude oil
prices and supply chain disruptions due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
About S&P Global Ratings :
● Headquarters : New York, U.S
● Founder : Henry Varnum Poor
● S&P Global Ratings is an American credit rating agency (CRA).
IDBI Bank to sell 25% stake in Ageas Federal Life Insurance
● IDBI Bank has signed a share purchase agreement with Ageas Insurance International to sell its
25 percent stake in Ageas Federal Life Insurance(AFLI) for ₹580.2 crore.
● It will be the first foreign investor to use the enhanced foreign direct investment cap of 74
percent for the insurance sector.
● The transaction is expected to be completed in Q2FY23, subject to regulatory approvals and

satisfaction of the terms and conditions set out in the share purchase agreement.
● Currently, Ageas Insurance International holds 49 percent stake in the private sector life
insurer, Ageas Federal Life Insurance, and Federal Bank holds 26 percent.
● In December 2020, Ageas (a European insurer), had earlier increased its stake in the Indian
insurer from 26 percent to 49 percent.
● Ageas Federal has earned a net profit of Rs 94 crore in FY22, compared to Rs 119 crore in
FY21, registering a 21 percent drop due to sharp rise in Covid-related death claims.
About IDBI Bank :
● Ageas Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd (Formerly known as IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd.)
● Founded : 1 July 1964
● Chairman : M. R. Kumar
● MD & CEO : Rakesh Sharma
About AGEAS Federal Life insurance Company :
• Founded : March 2008
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• CEO & Whole Time Director : Vighnesh Shahane
• Ageas Federal Life Insurance is a joint venture with IDBI Bank, global insurance giant Ageas
and Federal Bank.
BRICS bank issues CNY 7 billion bond in China's interbank bond market
● BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has issued an RMB-denominated bond of 7 billion yuan
(about USD 1.04 billion) in China's interbank bond market with a maturity of three years.
● The bank would have a cumulative total of 30 billion yuan bonds issued under its RMB bond
programs in the China interbank bond market.
● The net proceeds from the sale of the bond will form a part of the bank's general corporate
resources onshore and will be used to finance infrastructure and sustainable development
activities in the bank's member countries.
About NDB :
• Established : July 2015

• Headquarters : Shanghai, China
• President : Marcos Prado Troyjo
• NDB was established by the BRICS nations, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South
Africa.
UN Projects India growth estimate to 6.4% in 2022
● According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) Mid-year Update 2022 report
released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, India's Gross Domestic
Product(GDP) growth projections have declined from 6.7% to 6.4% for 2022-23 due to war
between Russia and Ukraine & higher commodity prices and potential negative spillover effects
from monetary tightening in the United States.
● In 2021, India’s economy grew at 8.8%, meanwhile for 2023-24, 6% GDP growth is forecasted
for India as against 6.1%.
● The regional economic output is projected to expand by 5.5 percent in 2022, which is 0.4
percentage points lower than the forecast released in January.
● The global economy is projected to grow by only 3.1 percent in 2022, down from the 4.0 percent
growth forecast released in January 2022.
● Global inflation is projected to increase to 6.7 percent in 2022, twice the average of 2.9 per cent
during 2010-2020
About UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs :
● Founded : 1948
● Headquarters : New York, United States
● Head : Liu Zhenmin
NEFT, RTGS facility to be available for post office savings account holders from May 18,2022
● According to a Department of Post circular, the NEFT facility has been made available for Post
Office Savings Bank Account (POSB) customers from May 18, 2022 and RTGS facility is
currently under testing and is expected to be rolled out by May 31, 2022
● This facility enables POSB customers to transfer funds to and from other bank accounts to
POSB Accounts in DoP-CBS (Department of Posts - Core Banking Solutions).
● This will make investment in POSB schemes easier.

● Currently NEFT Inward Remittance is allowed only to Post Office Savings Account, further, this
facility will be extended to PPF and SSA accounts shortly.
About NEFT :
● NEFT : National Electronic Funds Transfer.
● NEFT transactions are a round-the-clock payment system.
● Transactions are settled between banks in every half an hour batch by RBI.
About RTGS :
● RTGS : Real Time Gross Settlement
● It is defined as the continuous and real time settlement of fund transfers, individually on a
transaction without netting or grouping.
● Real Time means the processing of instructions at the time they are received & Gross
Settlement means the settlement of fund transfer instructions occurs individually.
RBL Bank Partners with Amazon Pay to offer UPI payment Services
● RBL Bank, Amazon Pay and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have collaborated to offer Universal
Payments Interface (UPI) payments.
● Also RBL Bank has partnered with Amazon Pay to offer peer-to-peer and peer-to-merchant
transactions.
● Amazon Pay will issue the National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) allocated UPI ID to
RBL Bank with the handle @rapl.
Additional Info :
● In August 2021, Indian banking and digital payments network PayNearby partnered with Visa
and RBL Bank to launch SoftPoS and mPOS for PayNearby’s network of over 1.5+ million
retailers.
About RBL Bank:
• RBL Bank, formerly known as Ratnakar Bank & in August 2014 the name of the bank was
changed to RBL Bank Limited.
• Founded : 1943
• MD and interim CEO : Rajeev Ahuja

About Amazon Pay :
● Founded : 2007
● Headquarters : Seattle, Washington United States
About Amazon Web Services :
● CEO : Adam Selipsky
● AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs.
SC orders constitution of 25 special courts for cheque bounce cases
• The Supreme Court has directed the constitution of 25 special courts with a retired judge in 5
states for expeditious disposal of cheque bounce cases.
• A three-judge bench of justices L Nageswara Rao, B R Gavai and S Ravindra Bhat informed
that the special courts under the Negotiable Instruments Act (NI) would be set up in
Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in view of a large number of pending
cases.
• For operationalising the special courts under this pilot study, retired judicial officers and retired
court staff, preferably those who have retired within the past 5 years, may be employed.
• The special courts set up for the pilot study shall follow the same procedure with respect to trial
as mandated by the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.
RBI imposes penalty on Daimler Financial Services India, KKR India Financial Services
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh each on KKR India
Financial Services Limited, Mumbai & Daimler Financial Services India Private Limited, Pune for
failing to comply with the 'Monitoring of Frauds in NBFCs (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016'
issued by RBI.
● This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 58 G read with clause (aa) of sub-section (5) of section
58 B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, taking into account the failure of the company to
adhere to the aforesaid RBI Directions.
● RBI had conducted a statutory inspection of both the firms with reference to its financial position
as on March 31, 2020.
● The penalties are based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and not intended to
pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by them with their
customers.
About RBI :
● Deputy Governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain,M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi
Shankar
RBI imposes Rs 2.97 million Monetary Penalty on Unimoni Financial Services Limited
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 29.79 lakh on Unimoni
Financial Services Limited (the entity) for non-compliance with norms on small-Prepaid Payment
instruments (PPI) requirements.
• The penalty was imposed after considering the company's response.
• The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under Section 30 of the
Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce
upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the entity with its customers.
In FY22, India received the highest-ever FDI influx of $83.57 billion:
● The central government declared that India received the largest annual FDI inflow of $83.57
billion during FY22.
● Inflow totalled $81.97 billion in 2020-21.
● India is quickly becoming a popular destination for foreign investments in the industrial sector.
● FDI equity inflows into manufacturing sectors surged by 76% in 2021-22 ($21.34 billion)
compared to 2020-21 ($12.09 billion).
Additional Info.
● Singapore was first in terms of top investor countries, with 27%, followed by the United States
(18%) and Mauritius (16%) in the previous fiscal year.

● Computer software and hardware drew the most inflows.
● It was followed by the services sector and the automobile industry.
● Reforms have recently been undertaken in sectors such as coal mining, contract manufacturing,
digital media, single-brand retail trading, civil aviation, defence, insurance, and
telecommunications to further liberalise and simplify FDI policy in order to provide ease of doing
business and attract investments.
Volopay ties with Visa to issue their own cards in APAC region
● A Y Combinator-backed corporate cards and payable management company, Volopay has
partnered with Visa’s Fintech Fast Track Program to offer financial management solutions.
● The Fast Track Program will enable Volopay to begin issuing their own Visa cards to their
shopper companies in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
● The partnership program was founded by Visa in order to support innovative financial services
and solutions.
About Volopay :
• Founded : 2020
• CEO and co-founder : Rajith Shaji
• Headquarters : Singapore
• It combines business accounts, corporate cards, bill payments, expense reimbursement, credit,
cashback and accounting automation into a single platform.
HDFC Bank to have new vertical for rural banking
● India’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank has carved out rural banking function as a
separate vertical.
Aim of the Rural Banking function :
● To take banking products further in the hinterland & It will consolidate the bank’s existing
initiatives in this direction, and take it closer to the last mile
● Anil Bhavnani, who has been with the bank for over 19 years, has been appointed National
Rural Banking Head

● To expand its distribution in the rural areas, HDFC Bank will open over 1,064 branches in semi-
urban and rural areas in the financial year.
● At present, the bank has 50 percent of its 6,342 branches in semi-urban and rural areas, and the
remaining 50 percent in metro and urban areas.
● The bank also works with Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) of Common Service Centres (CSC)
as an extension of the bank's branches in far flung areas.
About HDFC Bank :
● CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
● MD : Renu Sud Karnad
RBI directs banks & ATMs on cardless cash withdrawals
● The Reserve Bank of India has directed all banks and ATM networks to provide the option of
Interoperable Cardless Cash Withdrawal (ICCW), and that the National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI) supports UPI integration with all banks and ATM networks.
● This is a step towards combating frauds like skimming, card cloning, and device tempering.
● While UPI will be employed for customer authorisation, such transactions would be settled
through the National Financial Switch (NFS)/ATM networks.
About RBI :
● Deputy Governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain,M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi
Shankar
RBI allows trade transactions with Sri Lanka in INR
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed trade transactions with the island country to be
settled in Indian Rupees (INR), outside the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) mechanism in view of
the difficulties being experienced by exporters in receiving proceeds from Sri Lanka.
● Under the arrangement, financing of export of eligible goods and services from India, as defined
under the agreement, would be allowed subject to their being eligible for export under the Indian
Foreign Trade Policy and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by SBI under this
agreement.
● The credit facility under the agreement is available for draw-down up to 12 months from the
signing date of agreement, i.e. March 16, 2023.
● In March 2022, the State Bank of India (SBI) entered into a credit facility agreement with the Sri
Lankan government to sanction the Indian government's guaranteed $1 billion term loan for
financing the purchase of essential goods by Sri Lanka from India.
● Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
● The crisis has been caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which means the country
cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very
high prices.
About ACU :
● Established : Dec. 9, 1974
● Headquarters : Tehran, Iran
● Chairman : Chiranjibi Nepal
● Secretary General : Lida Borhan-Azad
● It is an initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific for
promoting regional co-operation.
Objective :
● To facilitate payments among member countries for eligible transactions on a multilateral basis,
thereby economising on the use of foreign exchange reserves and transfer costs, as well as
promoting trade among the participating countries.
RBI board approves transfer of Rs 30,307 crore as surplus to Central Government for 2021-22
● The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Central Board of Directors have approved the transfer of Rs
30,307 crore as surplus to the Central Government for the accounting year 2021-22
● At Rs 73,948 crore, the budgeted dividend revenue from the central bank and PSU banks was
27 percent lower than the Rs 1.01 lakh crore the Centre received in FY22.
● Out of this sum, the RBI had contributed a massive Rs 99,122 crore.
● The decision was taken during the 596th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of RBI held
at Mumbai under the Chairmanship of Governor Shaktikanta Das.
● The decision has been taken keeping in mind the current economic situation, global and
domestic challenges and the impact of geopolitical
● The board also decided to maintain the Contingency Risk Buffer at 5.50 percent.
● Deputy Governors Mahesh Kumar Jain, Dr Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi
Sankar and other Directors of the Central Board, viz. Satish K. Marathe, S. Gurumurthy, Revathy
Iyer and Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and
Shri Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary, Department of Financial Services also attended the meeting.
HDFC rolls out Instant Home Loans offer on WhatsApp
● Mortgage lender HDFC Ltd. in association with Cogno AI has launched a first-of-its-kind ‘Spot
Offer’ on WhatsApp, to provide an in-principle home loan approval to home buyers within two
minutes.
● The Platform will enable prospective borrowers to get an in-principle home loan approval
instantly.
● To avail the offer, users have to send the message on HDFCs WhatsApp number (+91
9867000000) and provide some basic information.
● The home loan spot offer facility can be availed 24×7 & this facility can be availed by salaried
resident Indians.
SBI introduces Real Time Xpress Credit on YONO app
• The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced Real Time Xpress Credit
on its Yono platform, allowing eligible customers to get personal loans of up to ₹35 lakh.
Aim :
● To digitally empower customers and offer additional convenience.
● The service would be a 100 percent paperless and digital experience and an end-to-end 8 step
journey.
● The bank also claimed that the flagship personal loan product for salaried customers – Xpress
Credit.
Benefits of Real Time Xpress Credit
● Central, state government and defence salaried customers of SBI will no longer be required to
visit the branch for availing a personal loan.
● Credit checks, eligibility, sanction and documentation will now be done digitally in real-time.
About SBI :
● Establishment : 01 July 1955
● Chairman : Dinesh Kumar Khara
RBI sets up panel to review customer service standards at banks, NBFCs
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) constituted a committee to examine & review the efficacy,
adequacy and quality of customer service in banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs)
and payment operators.
• It is a part of the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies released along with the
Monetary Policy Statement.
• The six-member committee comprises
SI.No Name Chairperson/Members
1 Shri B P Kanungo, former Deputy Chairperson
Governor, RBI
2 Shri A K Goel, Chairman IBA and MD & Member
CEO, PNB
3 Dr. A S Ramasastri, former Director, Member
IDRBT
4 Dr. Amitha Sehgal, Hon. Secretary, All Member
India Bank Depositors Association
(AIBDA)
5 Dr. Rajeshri N Varhadi, Professor, Member
Department of Law, University of
Mumbai
6 Shri Anil Kumar Sharma, Executive Member

Director, RBI
● The Committee will submit its report within three months from the date of its first meeting.
● Chief General Manager, Consumer Education and Protection Department, Central Office,
Reserve Bank of India will be the member secretary of the Committee.
Functions of the Committee :
● Evaluate the efficacy, adequacy and quality of customer service in entities regulated by RBI vis-
à-vis the existing RBI guidelines on customer service and identify gaps, if any
● Review the emerging and evolving needs of the customer service landscape, especially in the
context of evolving digital/ electronic financial products and distribution landscape and suggest
suitable regulatory measures
● Identify the best practices, adopted globally and domestically, in customer service and grievance
redressal, especially for improvement in services rendered to retail and small customers,
including pensioners and senior citizens
● Suggest measures to leverage technology for enhancing customer service efficiencies,
upgrading internal grievance redress mechanism in REs and strengthening the overall consumer
protection framework of RBI;
● Any other matter relevant to customer service and consumer protection.
About RBI :

HDFC Bank partners with Retailio to launch co-branded credit cards
● India’s largest private sector bank, HDFC Bank Partners with India’s largest B2B pharma
marketplace , Retailio launched a new range of co-branded credit cards primarily targeted at
chemists and pharmacies in the merchant segment.
● The credit cards will be available to more than 1 lakh customers of Retailio from their existing
merchant base and new customers.
Under this the credit cards will offer:
• Upto 50 days of Interest-free credit period
• Reward points on spend and purchases through all merchants,
• Annual milestone benefits like 500 Bonus Reward Points on spending Rs 25,000 per month and
1,500 Bonus Reward Points on spending Rs 50,000 per month (exclusive for RIO club
members),
• 5% Cashback on all Business essentials like Utility, Telecom, Govt. & tax payments (capped at
Rs.250 per month)
• 1% fuel surcharge waiver between Rs.400 to Rs.5000 of Fuel purchase and up to Rs. 250 per
statement
• Other Subscription offers on Smartbuy, SmartPay and Payzapp offer,
• No cost & low-cost EMI options for all customers on their credit card along with term loan
eligibility for business purposes.
• As part of the program, members will receive activation card benefits like 1000 bonus points on
Activation of the card within the first 90 days while the RIO club members will get an additional
Gift voucher worth Rs.500 upon activating within 90 days.
About HDFC Bank :
• Founded : August 1994
• CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
About Retailio :
● Founded : 2017
● Headquarters : Pune, Maharashtra, India
● Retailio is a subsidiary of API Holdings.
● It has its presence in over 1000 cities along with a network of over 1000 Healthcare and Pharma
companies, 3000 Pharmaceutical distributors, 1 Lakh pharmacies, hospitals & nursing homes.
● Retailio Offers Search Products Seamlessly, View & Compare Schemes, 24*7 Order Placement,
Hot Deals, Online Payments, Digital Receipts, Substitute Search
India records highest ever FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion in FY 21-22
● According to the data released by the commerce and industry ministry, India has recorded the
highest ever annual FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion in the Financial Year 2021-22 overtaking
FY21s FDI by USD 1.60 billion despite military operation in Ukraine and COVID-19 pandemic.
Note :
● FDI inflow has increased by 23% post-Covid (March, 2020 to March 2022: USD 171.84 billion) in
comparison to FDI inflow reported pre-Covid (February, 2018 to February, 2020: USD 141.10
billion) in India.
● India’s FDI inflows have increased 20-fold since FY03-04, when the inflows were USD 4.3 billion
only.
Previous FDI inflows :
S.No Financial Year Amount of FDI inflows
(in USD billion)
1 2018-19 62.00
2 2019-20 74.39
3 2020-21 81.97
Key Highlights :
● In terms of top investor countries of FDI Equity inflow, Singapore is at the apex with 27%,
followed by U.S.A (18%) and Mauritius (16%) for the FY 2021-22.
● Computer Software & Hardware has emerged as the top recipient sector of FDI Equity inflow
during FY 2021-22 with around 25% share followed by Services Sector (12%) and Automobile
Industry (12%) respectively.
● Under the sector `Computer Software & Hardware’, the major recipient states of FDI Equity
inflow are Karnataka (53%), Delhi (17%) and Maharashtra (17%) during FY 2021-22.
● Karnataka is the top recipient state with 38% share of the total FDI Equity inflow reported during
the FY 2021-22 followed by Maharashtra (26%) and Delhi (14%).
● India is rapidly emerging as a preferred country for foreign investments in the manufacturing
sector. FDI Equity inflow in Manufacturing Sectors have increased by 76% in FY 2021-22 (USD
21.34 billion) compared to previous FY 2020-21 (USD 12.09 billion).
About Ministry of Commerce & Industry :
● Cabinet Minister : Shri Piyush Goyal
● Minister of State : Anupriya Patel, Som Parkash
IDBI Bank divests its entire 19.18% stake in ARCIL
● IDBI Bank has divested its entire holding of 6,23,23,800 fully paid-up equity shares constituting
19.18 percent of the total equity share capital of Asset Reconstruction Company (India) Ltd.
(ARCIL) to Avenue India Resurgence Pte. Ltd.
● The lender, however, did not disclose the deal value.
About IDBI Bank :
• Founded : 1 July 1964
• Chairman : M. R. Kumar
• MD & CEO : Rakesh Sharma
About ARCIL :
• Founded : 2003
• It is sponsored by prominent banks and financial institutions namely State Bank of India (SBI),
IDBI Bank Limited (IDBI), ICICI Bank Limited (ICICI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB).
• ARCIL has acquired more than Rs. 70,000 crore worth of NPAs from the Indian banking system.
Note :
● ARCIL was the first & and largest Asset Reconstruction Company in India.
Tata Capital launches digital Loan Against Shares’
● The financial services company of the Tata Group, Tata Capital Ltd has launched ‘Loan Against
Shares (Tata Capital is amongst the first financial institutions to offer), an end-to-end integrated
digital financial offering.
Aim :
● To provide customers with an easy and seamless experience.
About Tata Capital’s digital LAS :
● Through this facility, Customers can avail loans upto Rs 5 crores by simply pledging their
dematerialised shares online which is facilitated by NSDL.
● The loan amount is customized based on the value of shares in the portfolio of the customer.
● LAS offering can be customized and customers can have quick access to funds.
Benefits of Digital LAS :
• End to End paperless journey – from registration to loan account creation
• Online KYC and pledging of shares via NSDL
• Electronic signing of loan documents
• Easy-to-use online portal for disbursement, repayment, additional pledging and de-pledging
Recent News :
● In Sep 2021, Tata Capital Ltd, launched ‘Loan Against Mutual Funds’ (LAMF), an industry-first
end-to-end digital offering & in this customers can avail of quick and hassle-free loans ranging
from ₹5 lakh and ₹2 crore.
About Tata Capital :
• Founded : 2007
• MD & CEO : Rajiv Sabharwal
FDI equity inflows marginally down at $58.77 bn in 2021-22: DPIIT data
● According to the data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT),
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows into India contracted marginally by 1 percent to
USD 58.77 billion during 2021-22.
● In fiscal 2020-21, the FDI equity inflows stood at $59.63 billion.
● However, total foreign direct investment into India rose by 2 percent to the “highest ever” USD
83.57 billion in 2021-22.
● During 2021-22, Singapore was at the top with USD 15.87 billion worth of investments.
● It was followed by the US (USD 10.55 billion), Mauritius (USD 9.4 billion), the Netherlands (USD
4.62 billion), Cayman Islands (USD 3.81 billion), and the UK (USD 1.65 billion), the data showed
● The computer software and hardware sector attracted the highest inflows of USD 14.5 billion
during the last fiscal.
● It was followed by services (USD 7.1 billion), automobile industry (USD 7 billion), trading (USD
4.5 billion) construction (infrastructure) activities (USD 3.3 billion) and pharma (USD 1.4 billion)
About DPIIT :
● Founded: 1995
● Parent agency: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
SEBI reviews the framework for debt ETFs and index funds
● The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has announced a new framework for
managing Passive Funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), and Index Funds amid the growing
popularity of such funds as investment products for retail investors.
● The parameters of debt ETFs or Index Funds could be based on indices comprising corporate
debt securities or Government Securities (G-Secs), T-bills, and/or State Development Loans
(SDLs) or a combination of corporate debt securities and G-secs, T-bills, and SDLs.
● The new framework will come into effect from July 1, 2022.
Key Highlights :
Weightage of the Securities :
● For an index weighing at least 80% of corporate debt securities, a sole issuer should not have a
weighting of more than 15% in the index in respect of AAA securities, not more than 12.5% in
case of AA securities, and not more than 10% in case of A and below rated securities.
● In the case of a Hybrid Index consisting of both corporate debt securities and G-Secs/SDLs with
a weighting of up to 80% of corporate debt securities, a single issuer should not have more than
15% weight in the index in respect of AAA-rated securities.
● Regarding the norms of the Market Making (MMs) framework for ETFs, the Asset Management
Companies (AMCs) need to appoint at least two market makers (MMs), who are members of the
stock exchanges, for ETFs to provide continuous liquidity on the exchange platform.
● Investors can directly approach the AMC for the redemption of units of the ETFs, for transactions
up to Rs 25 crore without any exit load in case of certain scenarios.
● The minimum subscription amount at the time of the new fund offer (NFO) for debt ETFs/Index
Funds and other ETFs/Index Funds would be Rs 10 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively.
● SEBI has also allowed mutual funds to launch passively managed Equity-Linked Savings
Schemes (ELSS) to save tax under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
About SEBI :
● Established: on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI
Act, 1992.
● Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
UCO Bank signs Co-Lending Loan Agreement with Paisalo Digital Limited
● UCO Bank signed a co-lending agreement with NBFC Paisalo Digital Limited for agriculture
business to capitalize on the huge Rs 8 lakh crore market of small-ticket loans for the 365 million
underbanked and under-serviced population.
● The tie-up will give a boost to the agriculture advance of the bank and it is a favorable situation
for the bank as well as the NBFC with benefits reaching those at the bottom of the society.
About Co-lending :
● Co-lending is an emerging area in priority sector financing and due focus is given by the
Government of India to help agriculture and other small borrowers who are the backbone of the
Indian economy.
About UCO Bank :
● Founded: 6 January 1943
● Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
● Founder: G. D. Birla
● MD & CEO : Soma Sankara Prasad
● UCO Bank, formerly United Commercial Bank.
Mahagram Partners with IndusInd Bank to enhance the digital payments ecosystem
● A rural fintech company, Mahagram partners with a new-generation Indian bank IndusInd Bank,
to enhance the digital payments ecosystem & provide a wider horizon to transact especially for
its customers in rural India.
Aim :
● To add 15 million (1.5 crores) small merchants to UPI QR in the current fiscal year (2022-23).
● The Partnership boosts financial inclusion, encourages socio-economic development, mitigates
the risks of a shadow economy, and accelerates the growth of a cashless society.
● Digital payments will bring more transparency to the sector and further empower the merchants.
● It contributes to economic growth and also ensures easy transactions for customers through
their mobile phones, making it a much safer, simpler, and more convenient way to pay.
● Recently, Mahagram launched a citizen service delivery portal 'GramSevak.com' to provide
basic doorstep banking and e-governance services to all the citizens residing in rural as well as
urban locations.
About Mahagram :
● Founded: 2015
● CEO: Ram Shriram
About IndusInd Bank :
● Founded: 1994

● MD & CEO : Sumant Kathpali
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) introduces Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) issuer
charges
● India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has introduced issuer charges for the Aadhaar Enabled
Payment System service (AePS).
● AePS Issuer transaction charges will be in effect from June 15, 2022.
● AePS allows you to do six types of transactions.
About AePS :
● AEPS is a bank-led model which allows online interoperable financial inclusion transactions at
PoS (MicroATM) through the Business correspondent of any bank using the Aadhaar
authentication.
● It is a payment service that allows a bank customer to use Aadhaar as his/her identity to access
his/her Aadhaar enabled bank account and perform basic banking transactions like balance
enquiry, cash withdrawal, and remittances through a Business Correspondent.
IPPB AePS service charges :
● The first three AePS issuer transactions each month, such as cash withdrawal, cash deposit,
and mini statement, will be free of charge.
● Over the free transaction limit, AePS issuer cash withdrawals and cash deposits will be charged
at ₹20 plus GST per transaction, and mini statement transactions will be charged at ₹5 plus GST
per transaction
● To make use of AEPS, one requires a bank name, Aadhaar Number and Fingerprint captured
during enrollment & the transaction is completed using his/her biometric authentication only.
• The limit on any AEPS transactions is not put by IPPB.
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has set a maximum transaction amount of Rs
10,000 on a single transaction.
Services provided by AePS :
● Banking Services such as Cash Deposit, Cash Withdrawal, Balance Enquiry, Mini Statement,
Aadhaar to Aadhaar Fund Transfer, Authentication, BHIM Aadhaar Pay
● Other Services such as eKYC, Best Finger detection, Demographic Authentication,
Tokenization, Aadhaar Seeding Status
Additional Info :
● Recently, IPPB signed a sub membership agreement with the Department of Post to facilitate
NEFT/RTGS transactions for their customers with eligible accounts.
● To facilitate such inward/outward transactions, to and from DoP Customer accounts, a dedicated
IFS code IPOS0000DOP has been created which will be exclusively used only for transactions
in DoP Customer accounts.
About IPPB :
● Founded: 1 September 2018
● Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
● MD & CEO: J. Venkatraman
● IPPB, is a division of India Post which is under the ownership of the Department of Post, a
department under the Ministry of Communications of the GoI.
Japan's MUFG Bank gets approval to set up a branch at GIFT City, it's sixth in the country
● MUFG Bank will be the first Japanese bank to open a branch at Gujarat International Financial
Tech City (GIFT City) in Ahmedabad for foreign currency-denominated lending business.
● This will be its 6th branch in India.
Purpose :
● To offer a wide range of banking services to both domestic and global clients.
● The Tokyo-based Mitshubishi U FJ Financial Group (MUFG) Bank has obtained the necessary
approvals from the International Financial Services Center Authority in India and the Financial
Services Agency in Japan, to open a branch at GIFT City.
● It plans to open this branch for operations by the first half of FY 2022.
● MUFG opened its first branch in Mumbai in 1953.
● At present, it has a presence in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Neemrana.
About MUFG Bank :
● Founded: January 1, 2006
● Headquarters: Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
● President : Katsunori Nagayasu
BRICS’s New Development Bank (NDB) to Set up India’s Regional Office in GIFT City
● The New Development Bank (NDB), the Shanghai-based multilateral bank of the BRICS (Brazil,
Russia, India, China, South Africa), Development Bank would set up a regional office in India at
the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gujarat, India to cater to infrastructure
and sustainable development needs.
● NDB Headquarters working in close coordination with the Indian Regional Office will focus on
project origination including initial project preparation and technical assistance, pipeline
development, project implementation, and monitoring as well as regional portfolio management.
About NDB :
● Formally Opened: July 2015
● Headquarters: Shanghai, China
● President : Marcos Prado Troyjo
● The first regional office of the NDB was established in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2017
followed by 2019 in São Paulo, Brazil & Moscow, Russia in 2020.
● So far, The NDB has approved 21 Indian projects, involving funding of $7.1 billion.
HDFC Securities launched the Robo-advisory platform ‘HDFC Money’
● HDFC Securities has launched HDFC Money, a Robo-advisory investment platform for all
mutual fund investments.
About HDFC Money :
● HDFC Money is a 100 percent digital platform that doesn’t involve opening or having a Demat
Account.
● It mainly focuses on mutual funds investment and offers a range of options for investors
depending on their preference and risk tolerance.
● Also, it will allow users to manage various aspects of finances including accessing, managing,
and tracking portfolios, insurance planning, starting goal planning, creating e-Wills, and
managing or filing taxes.
● HDFC Money will allow investors to “plan and execute with a more defined objective keeping risk
and tenure in consideration”.
● Customers can sign up for HDFC Money by completing basic know you customer (KYC)
documentation digitally.
● Through this platform, customers will be able to access funds of their choice and reports about
the fund performance history, fund manager as well as other details such as last disclosed asset
allocation, top sector, and stock holding.
● The E-Will facility, which starts at ₹1,500, voluntary assistance in the creation of a will for the
distribution of wealth and other assets.
● e-tax returns can be easily submitted through HDFC Money, either yourself or through a certified
public accountant.
About HDFC Securities :
● Founded: 2000
● Chairman: Bharat Shah
● MD & CEO: Dhiraj Relli
● HDFC Securities Limited is a subsidiary of HDFC Bank.
BOB Financial & HPCL Launch co-branded contactless RuPay Credit Card
● BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL) & Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) in
partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have launched the HPCL
BoB co-branded contactless RuPay Credit Card.
Aim :
● To offer extraordinary services to its customers by making their journey faster, safer, and more
rewarding.
Features of the card :

● The card is designed to reward customers for spending at HPCL fuel pumps as well as the HP
Pay app.
● It offers accelerated rewards for spending on utilities, grocery, and departmental stores.
● The card can be used across merchants and ATMs globally through the JCB network.
● The card offers an attractive discount on movie ticket bookings.
● Also, the Cardholders will be entitled to 4 complimentary visits per year to domestic airport
lounges.
• Customers who spend Rs 5,000 or more within 60 days of card issuance will get 2,000.
About BFSL :
● Established: 1994
● MD & CEO : Shailendra Singh
● BFSL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank of Baroda (BoB).
About HPCL :
● Founded: 1974
● Chairman & MD: Pushp Kumar Joshi
● HPCL is a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation which is under the ownership of the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the GoI.
About NPCI :
● Founded: 2008
● Non-Executive Chairman: Biswamohan Mahapatra
● MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe
● NPCI is the specialized division of the Reserve Bank of India under the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
About JCB International Co. Ltd :
● JCB is the only international payment brand based in Japan.
Moody's lowers India's economic growth forecast to 8.8% for 2022
● Moody's Investors Service, often referred to as Moody's, lowered India’s economic growth
projection to 8.8 percent for 2022 from 9.1 percent earlier.
● It cites the rise in crude oil, food, and fertilizer prices that will weigh on household finances and
spending even as interest rate hikes to curb inflation will slow the demand recovery’s
momentum.
● For 2022 and 2023, it projected inflation to be around 6.8 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.
● Growth hopes for G-20 nations have been pared from 3.6% to 3.1% for 2022, virtually half the
5.9% growth recorded in 2021.
● Moody's projected China to grow at 4.5 percent in 2022 & 5.3 percent in 2023.
● While in the US and UK, GDP growth is expected to be around 2.8 percent each.
Other Projections :
● S&P Global Ratings had cut India's growth projection for 2022-23 to 7.3 percent, from 7.8
percent earlier, on rising inflation and the longer-than-expected Russia-Ukraine conflict.
● In March 2022, Fitch had cut India's growth forecast to 8.5 percent, from 10.3 percent, citing
sharply high energy prices on account of the Russia-Ukraine war.
● In April 2022, The World Bank slashed India's GDP forecast for 2022-23 to 8 percent from 8.7
percent predicted earlier.
● The IMF has cut the projection to 8.2 percent from 9 percent.
● Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected India’s growth at 7.5 percent.
● In March 2022, RBI cut its forecast to 7.2 percent, from 7.8 percent, amid volatile crude oil prices
and supply chain disruptions due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
About Moody's Investors Service :
● Founded: 1909
● CEO: Rob Fauber
● Moody's Investors Service provides international financial research on bonds issued by
commercial and government entities.
NBFC Northern Arc Capital Partners with Indian Bank
● A non-banking finance company (NBFC), Northern Arc Capital has entered a strategic
partnership with Indian Bank.
About the Partnership :
● The partnership will help both institutions leverage synergies and offer customer-centric financial
solutions to retail borrowers.
● The partnership will enable Indian Bank to access Northern Arc’s n-POS platform, which helps
NBFCs, fintech, digital lenders, and investors co-lend to retail borrowers.
● The n-POS platform also helps investors with periodic reporting and reconciliations and has so
far enabled over 7.5 million loans.
● It provides fully integrated systems for partners and investors with real-time KYC validation and
instant disbursement features.
● The platform provides investors access to the NAC score - an assessment of a borrower’s
financial strength and propensity to repay, that has been developed by Northern Arc.
• Imran Amin Siddiqui, Executive Director, Indian Bank said, "Indian Bank has tied up with several
Fintech companies
About Northern Arc Capital :
● Founded: 2008
● Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
● MD & CEO : Ashish Mehrotra
About Indian Bank :
● Founded: 15 August 1907
● Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
● MD & CEO: Shanti Lal Jain
• Executive Director: Imran Amin Siddiqui
Paytm sets up a general insurance JV named Paytm General Insurance Limited
● Digital financial services firm One97 Communications, which operates under the Paytm brand,
has formed a joint venture firm Paytm General Insurance Limited (PGIL) approved by May 20
● Paytm has announced plans to infuse Rs 950 crore in PGIL in tranches, for 10 years and to hold
an upfront equity stake of 74% in JV.
● With this Paytm General Insurance Limited will become a subsidiary of Paytm.
● PGIL will seek a license for a general insurance business from the insurance regulator IRDAI.
● One97 Communications (OCL) will hold a 49 percent stake in PGIL while the remaining 51
percent stake is to be owned by OCL's managing director Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led VSS
Holding Private Limited (VHPL).
● Paytm will hold a 74 percent stake in PGIL, reducing VHPL's stake in the company to 26
percent.
AU Small Finance Bank Introduces New Services for Affluent Segment
● AU Small Finance Bank has launched two new products of AU Royale –‘AU Royale Salary’ and
‘AU Royale Business’ current account under its affluent banking program.
● It had launched the Royale program designed to cater to the everyday banking requirements of
the affluent segment.
● AU Royale Salary’ and ‘AU Royale Business’, specially designed for the salaried and business
class, respectively.
● While the bank has been already offering customized premium products for High Net Worth
Individuals (HNIs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
About AU Royale Salary :
● The AU Royale Salary Savings account offers family banking for up to five family members and
a cashback of up to 1 percent on signature debit card spending.
● Customers can get benefits like complimentary movie tickets on BookMyShow, low currency
mark-up on international transactions and a 75% discount on lockers, and a dedicated
relationship manager for banking support.
About AU Royale Business :
● The AU Royale Business Current Account offers family banking, which allows the grouping of
business and family accounts.
● It offers a card called - Rich Royale Business Signature Debit Card.
● Other offers: merchant solutions ( Quick Response (QR), Point of Sales (PoS), Payment
gateway); preferential pricing on banking products; choice of the account number, and domestic
airport lounge access.
About AU Small Finance Bank :
● Headquarters: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
● Chairman: Raj Vikash Verma
● MD & CEO: Sanjay Agarwal
● It was founded as AU Financiers (vehicle finance company) Ltd in 1996 and converted to a small
finance bank on 19 April 2017.
India GDP Growth Rate projected at 8.2-8.5 percent in FY 2022 - SBI report
● According to the State Bank of India’s research report Ecowrap, India's GDP growth rate has
been projected at 8.2-8.5 percent for FY 2022.
● The report has projected growth at 2.7 percent in the fourth quarter of FY 2022.
Key Highlights of the SBI Report :
● The Central Statistics Office had projected Q4 GDP at Rs 41.04 lakh crore and FY22 real GDP
growth at Rs 147.7 lakh crore, an improvement of 1.7 percent over pre-pandemic levels.
● The sectors including chemicals, steel, FMCG, IT software, auto ancillary, and paper have
reported better growth numbers.
● The sectors such as cement, automobile, capital goods-electrical equipment, and edible oil
reported growth in Q4FY22 but registered negative growth in Profit After Tax (PAT).
● The Reserve Bank of India is expected to hike policy rates during its Monetary Policy
Committee meeting in June & the cumulative rate hike in June and August is likely to be 75
basis points.
Note :
● SBI’s Group Chief Economic Adviser: Soumya Kanti Ghosh
RBI reduces the net-worth requirement for non-bank BBPOU to Rs 25 crore from Rs 100 crore
● The RBI eased norms for non-bank entities to set up Bharat Bill Payment operating units by
reducing the net-worth requirement to Rs 25 crore from Rs 100 crore to encourage more players
in the segment.
● This circular is issued under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007), and shall come into effect immediately.
About BBPS :
● Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an interoperable platform for bill payments and the scope
and coverage of BBPS extend to all categories of billers who raise recurring bills.
● The BBPS is owned by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
● Through this platform, Payments can be made via transfer cheques, cash, and electronic
modes.
Benefits :
● Standardized bill payment experience
● Centralized customer grievance redressal mechanism
● Prescribed customer convenience fee.
● While BBPS has seen an increase in the volume of transactions as well as the number of
onboarded billers, it is observed that there has not been a corresponding growth in the number
of non-bank BBPOUs.
About RBI :

● Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
IRDAI establish committees through GIC to recommend industry overhaul
● The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed various
committees through the General Insurance Council (GIC) to suggest reforms in several areas of
general, reinsurance, and life insurance such as regulation, product, distribution, among others.
● These panels include heads of private and public sector insurance companies, members of Irdai,
and representatives from the GIC.
About IRDAI :
● Established: 1999
● Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
● Chairperson: Debasish Panda
● IRDAI is a 10-member body including the chairman, five full-time and four part-time members.
● It is responsible for regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
About GIC :
● Founded: 22 November 1972
● Chairman & MD: Devesh Srivastava
● Secretary-General: Nagaraja Sarma Maddipatla
PAN or Aadhaar mandatory for cash deposits or withdrawals of Rs 20 lakh or more
● The Central Board of Direct Taxes has made new rules, called the Income-tax (Fifteenth
Amendment) Rules, 2022, as per this, the government has made quoting of PAN or Aadhar
mandatory for cash withdrawals/deposits amounting to Rs. 20 lakh or more in a single financial
year.
● The fresh guideline will also be applicable for the opening of a current bank account or cash
credit account by a person with a banking company or a cooperative bank or a post office.
● Also, a person is required to apply for PAN at least seven days before making any of the
aforementioned transactions.
As per the new rules, PAN or Aadhaar will be compulsory in the following transactions:
➢ Cash deposit or deposits aggregating to ₹20 lakh or more in a financial year, in one or more
accounts of a person with a banking company or a co-operative bank or a post office
➢ Cash withdrawal or withdrawals aggregating to ₹20 lakh or more in a financial year, in one or
more accounts of a person with a banking company or a co-operative bank or a post office
➢ Opening of a current account or cash credit account by a person with a banking company or a
co-operative bank or a post office
➢ For authentication referred to in section 139A, the permanent account number or Aadhaar
number along with demographic information or biometric information of an individual shall be
submitted to the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of
Income-tax (Systems) or the person authorized by the Principal Director General of Income-tax
(Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) with the approval of the Board.
About Aadhaar :
● Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number.
● The data is collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) a statutory authority
established in January 2009 by the Government of India, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology, under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and
other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016.
RBI survey: ₹100 is the most preferred banknote, ₹2,000 the least
● The Reserve Bank of India’s Banknote Survey of Consumers findings revealed that, among
banknotes, ₹100 was the most preferred while ₹2,000 was the least preferred denomination.
● Among coins, the denomination of ₹5 was the most preferred whereas ₹1 was the least
preferred.
Key Highlights :
● As per the survey, the Watermark of Mahatma Gandhi’s image followed by the windowed
security thread were the most recognized security feature.
● Around 3 percent of the respondents were not aware of any banknote security feature.
● Overall, approximately 7 out of 10 respondents were found to be satisfied with the new series of
banknotes.
About RBI Survey :
● In the RBI Survey, a diverse sample of 11,000 respondents from rural, semiurban, urban and
metropolitan areas, spanning 28 states and three union territories participated.
● The survey also included 351 visually impaired respondents.
● The survey covered respondents from the age of 18 to 79 years with a gender representation of
60:40 for males and females.
● It has been conducted to assess demand for cash as well as denomination preferences at the
consumer level.
IMPORTANT STATE NEWS
Maharashtra became India’s 1st state to develop Migration Tracking System app
● The Maharashtra government has developed a website-based migration tracking system (MTS)
application to map the movement of vulnerable seasonal migrant workers through individual
unique identity numbers.
About MTS project :
● The MTS project is envisaged to maintain the continuity of the Integrated Child Development
Services (ICDS) like nutrition supply, immunisation and health check-up etc. to migrant
beneficiaries including children aged up to 18 years, lactating mothers and pregnant women
registered with the anganwadi centres.
● The migration workers will be tracked for ensuring the portability of the ICDS for their families in
their destination districts within or outside the state until their return to their native places.
● Anganwadi workers have to first register the migrating beneficiaries from their areas on the MTS
website app on their laptops or mobile phones by using the workers’ identity cards like Aadhar,
PAN card, or ration cards etc. “

● The anganwadi workers have to mention the age, weight, height of the migrant children, who will
be placed in nutritional categories like severe, moderate or acute.
● Depending on this data, the nutrition benefits will be allocated to the children in their new
locations.
● On the MTS app, the anganwadi workers would also collect details about various informal
sectors such as brick kilns, agriculture labour, stone crushing, construction work, sugarcane
cutting or sugar factory where the migrant workers are headed along with their children.
Additional Info :
● In November 2021, The state government’s women and child development (WCD) department
launched it as a pilot project in six districts with high tribal population including Gadchiroli,
Chandrapur, Amravati, Jalna, Palghar and Nandurbar.
About ICDS :
● Launched : 2 October 1975
● ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development.
● It is a government program in India which provides nutritional meals, preschool education,
primary healthcare, immunization, health check-up and referral services to children under 6
years of age and their mothers.
India’s first gene bank to preserve biodiversity - Maharashtra Gene Bank
● The Maharashtra Cabinet approved the 'Maharashtra Gene Bank', a first-of-its-kind project in
India.
Aim :
● To document native natural resources and conserve them with local communities to ensure
biodiversity conservation and the inclusion of traditional knowledge.
● A budget of ₹172.39 crore for five years has been approved.
● The project was initially run as a pilot by the Maharashtra government's Rajiv Gandhi Science &
Technology Commission across 27 districts.
● Now it would be run by the State Biodiversity Board to sustain and continue the work.
● The project will be carried out by a three-tier panel with the Chief Secretary as head of the State-
level committee.
● Each of the seven major points identified in the project will be worked upon by organisations,
research institutes or NGOs working in that area.
● An executive committee under Principal Secretary (Forest) will monitor the sector-wise
functioning while a panel under district collector will look after the functioning at district level.
The seven main themes identified for the Gene Bank include:
• Marine biodiversity
• Local crop/seed varieties
• Indigenous cattle breeds
• Freshwater biodiversity
• Grassland, scrubland and animal grazing land biodiversity
• Conservation and management plans for areas under forest right
• Rejuvenation of forest areas
● Under the project biodiversity, traditional knowledge and local community wisdom about
conservation will be documented.
● The successful conservation and methods will be standardised by collection and analysis and
will also be popularised on different educational and social levels.
● It will promote permanent biodiversity conservation and suggest measures on effects on food
security due to climate change.
● Ecologist and former Secretary in the government of India, Madhav Gadgil, had conceptualised
the project that aims to bring the members of the grass-roots community and the scientific
community together.
About Maharashtra :
● Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
● Capital: Mumbai
● Chief minister: Uddhav Thackeray
Chhattisgarh govt launches scheme for doorstep delivery of 100 public services - Mukhyamantri Mitaan
Yojna’
● The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh launched a titled ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojna’ (Mitaan stands
for friend), which will be implemented as a pilot project in 14 civic bodies, including the state
capital Raipur and cities like Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon.
About ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojna’ :
● Under the scheme, the required documents of citizens will be collected from their home through
a nominated individual ‘Mitaan’, who will scan the certificates and get the processes rolling for
the issuance of certificates/services.
● People can contact the ‘Mitaan’ toll free number 14545 for the service.
● Once the department concerned issues a certificate, it will be delivered at the citizen’s doorstep
by the ‘Mitaan’ in a sealed envelope.
● The scheme will gradually be expanded to other urban local bodies.
● Through this scheme, people will have easy access to around 100 services, like obtaining birth,
marriage, caste, domicile, income and death certificates.
● It will make the public service delivery system equally accessible to all citizens in a time-bound
manner with enhanced accountability, transparency, responsiveness and inclusiveness.
About Chhattisgarh :
● Capital: Raipur
● Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
● Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel
Assam signs tripartite agreement with AFD, ONFI for wildlife protection
● A Tripartite Park and Biodiversity Partnership MoU between Government of Assam, Agence
Francaise de Development (AFD) and Office National des Forets International (ONFI) for
exchanging of expertise and sharing of knowledge between the partners on various aspects of
wildlife protection management was signed.
● The MoU was signed in presence of Environment and Forest Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya and
Council General of France in India, Didier Talain and other officials.
● The Assam Cabinet on April 2 this year approved a MoU between the environment and forest
department of the state and Agence Francaise de Development, a French funding agency, to
foster bilateral dialogue in the field of environment.
About Financial Assistance:
● This Indo-Pacific initiative between the AFD, the Assam Forest Department and the ONF
International — a subsidiary of the French National Forest Office (ONF).
● The AFD had granted Rs.2.50 crores in kind to the state government to carry out an exchange
programme for forest officials of France and Assam to similar landscapes and increase the
abilities of forest officials in wildlife management.
About Agence Francaise de Development
● Founder: Charles de Gaulle
● Founded: 1941, France
Bihar boasts of India's first greenfield grain-based ethanol plantFile Pic
● Bihar has the distinction of being the first state in the country to set up a greenfield grain-based
ethanol production plant.
● Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the state's first ethanol production plant in Purnia
district.
● This is among the 17 ethanol units proposed to be set up in the state.
● the chief minister stated that ethanol production would help reduce the cost of petrol and
generate employment opportunities in the state.
● The state industries minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain declared that the government has
received investment proposals worth Rs.30,382 crore for setting up ethanol production plants.
● Spread over an area of 15 acres and estimated cost of about Rs.105 crore, the Purnia plant is
expected to produce 65,000 litres of ethanol per day.
● The Purnia production plant will need 150 tones of maize and rice every day. It is stated to be
the country's first green field grain based ethanol production unit.
About Bihar
● Governor : Phagu Chauhan
● Capital: Patna
Telangana govt extends insurance coverage under ‘Nethanna Bima’ scheme

● Telangana state Government has announced extension of insurance coverage to handloom and
power loom weavers under ‘Nethanna Bima’ (Weaver’s Insurance) Scheme.
● The State Government has issued orders to extend insurance coverage of 5 lakh rupees for
weavers under the Insurance Scheme on par with farmers insurance scheme.
● During the current year, Over 29 crore rupees have been sanctioned for implementing the
scheme.
● The insurance coverage will be extended to weavers in the age group of 18 to 59 years.
● The Cabinet Sub Committee had proposed to cover 55,072 handloom and powerloom and
ancillary weavers in the State.
● The proposed premium is expected to be Rs.5,426 and the budget requirement would be
Rs.29.88 crore.
● The insurance benefits would be extended to the family of the death of weaver or ancillary
worker.
About Telangana :
● Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
● Capital: Hyderabad
● Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
JKFDC & NFDC to Organize J&K National Film Festival
● Jammu and Kashmir Film Development Council in collaboration with National Film Development
Corporation and Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is organizing the first ever
National Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir from 15th to 20th June, 2022.
About the Festival :
● The Film festival will be a congregation of the best of films and music, film-makers, music artists,
other allied talent and serve as a reservoir of creativity and inspiration for anyone across the
world who aspire to live, love and breathe films and music.
Idea behind this film festival :
● To highlight the film, music and creative ecosystem in J&K, along with its’ natural and social
beauty that Jammu and Kashmir has been blessed with, to the world.
● The National Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir for a chance to win numerous awards under
three broad categories including Feature Films, Non-Feature Films and Music Videos.
● There are over 40+ awards to be given during the Film Festival Award ceremony and the
winners will receive mentioned cash component as well a certificate and a medal/trophy.
About J&K :
● Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
● Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Launches OBPS in Sikkim
• Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Online Building
Permission System (OBPS) in sikkim.
Aim :
● To improve service delivery with lesser human interface and more accountability to get building
plans passed.
● He launched during a symposium on ‘Urban Development of North Eastern States – Smart City
Revolution’, organized by the Sikkim government in collaboration with the union ministry of
development of north east region (DONER) as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav.
● Also the Centre has agreed to amend the funding pattern to 90:10 to expedite completion of
many infrastructure projects in the region on time.
● In the Smart Cities Mission 523 projects worth Rs 13,563 crore were in various stages of
development in 10 cities of the region.
Note :
● With this Sikkim became the first state in the North East to launch the OBPS.
About MoHUA :
● Cabinet Minister : Hardeep Singh Puri
● Minister of State : Kaushal Kishore
About Sikkim :
● Capital: Gangtok
● Governor: Ganga Prasad

● Chief minister: Prem Singh Tamang
'Miyan ka Bada' railway station in Rajasthan renamed to 'Mahesh Nagar halt'
● The name of a railway station in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, Miyan ka Bada’ railway station
name changed to ‘Mahesh Nagar halt’ was held in the Balotra area of Barmer district.
● The renamed station was finally inaugurated on April 30, 2022.
● The event was attended by Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Kailash
Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture.
● Earlier in 2018, the name of the village was changed from Miyan ka Bada to Mahesh Nagar but
the name of the railway station was not changed.
● Proposals to rename the station were sent to the railway ministry when the village’s name was
changed.
● In 2021, the name of the railway station was changed from Mian Ka Bada to Mahesh Nagar Halt
after the proper procedures were followed, but the inauguration was postponed owing to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
● Earlier, the name of the following railway stations have been changed:
● Mughalsarai Junction is now Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Railway Junction
● Manduadih Railway Station is now known as Banaras Railway Station
● Robertsganj Railway Station was renamed Sonbhadra Railway Station
● Allahabad Junction is now Prayagraj Junction
● Faizabad Junction is now known as Ayodhya Cantt
● Panki Railway Station is changed to Panki Dham Railway Station
● Dandupur Railway Station is renamed Maa Barahi Devi Dham Railway Station
Government of Maharashtra ties up with IFC to strengthen medical education
• The Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) and International Finance Corporation
(IFC) have joined forces to prioritise healthcare projects with an emphasis on medical education
under the public-private partnership (PPP) model in Maharashtra.
• MEDD and IFC recently organised an investor conference themed around strengthening medical
education and tertiary healthcare in Mumbai.

• IFC will be the transaction advisor for the PPPs to develop super-specialty hospitals and medical
education facilities across Maharashtra.
• IFC’s support will help drive private sector-led growth, strengthening the state’s health
infrastructure and increasing the number of specialist healthcare personnel in the state.
About MEDD :
● Secretary : Saurabh Vijay
About IFC :
● Established : July 20, 1956
● Headquarters : Washington, D.C., U.S
● Executive Vice President & CEO : Makhtar Diop
● Membership : 185 countries
● IFC is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-
management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries.
● The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.
Indias 1st Flow Chemistry Technology hub set up at Hyderabad
● The Telangana government together with industry partners set up a ‘Flow Chemistry
Technology’ hub at Dr Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS).
● The hub was formally inaugurated by Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries &
Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, Govt of Telangana.
● The hub houses various state-of-the-art flow chemistry equipment, and provides hands-on
training besides promoting scientific capability building.
● This will ensure greater incorporation of flow chemistry techniques in the pharma R&D and
greater adoption of continuous synthesis for manufacture of active pharma ingredients (APIs).
● Flow chemistry and pharmaceutical continuous manufacturing have become the need of the
hour since they provide a road-map for alignment of the chemical industry towards the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
● The hub is expected to help in transition to modern approaches to pharmaceutical

manufacturing.
● Training and scientific capability building for flow chemistry and continuous manufacturing
involving reactions of particular importance to the pharma industry will be planned.
● Hyderabad is the life sciences capital of India.
● With over 800 pharmaceutical companies, the city hosts the highest number of USFDA
approved facilities globally and contributes to about 35 per cent of India’s overall pharmaceutical
production.
India’s first tribal health observatory to come up in Odisha
• The Government of Odisha has initiated the process for the establishment of India’s 1st “Tribal
Health Observatory” for ensuring equity in tribal health in odisha.
• Also a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked in this regard between the ST and SC
Development Department and the RMRC, a regional centre of the Indian Council of Medical
Research.
About TriHOb :
● The Tribal Health Observatory (TriHOb) is the "first in the country", and designed to be an
effective, evidence-based and a policy-oriented centre.
● It will perform systematic and ongoing observation on disease burden, health-seeking behaviour
and healthcare delivery system pertaining to tribal health in the state.
● The MoU was signed between Ranjana Chopra, Principal Secretary, ST & SC Development
Department and Dr. Sanghamita Pati, Director RMRC, ICMR, in the presence of Sushmita
Bagchi, Chairperson, Mo School Abhiyan the Chief Guest of the occasion.
● Mrs. Sushmita Bagchi gracing the occasion launched the ‘Odisha Tribal Family Health Survey’
which would be the first of its kind and comprehensive survey among tribal communities in India,
where high quality demographic and health data will be made available for informed policy
making.
● This study will lay the foundation for further longitudinal cohort studies and implementation of
policy oriented research.
● This study would provide an idea about the reach of the health programmes and policy
interventions and suggest course correction wherever required.
● The 'Mo School' (My School) initiative aims to create a platform for people to connect,
collaborate and contribute to revamping government and government-aided schools in Odisha
About Odisha :
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
Manipur CM Biren Singh launches Direct Benefit Transfer for organic farmers
● Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched the Direct Benefit Transfer for 18,000 registered
farmers under Horticulture Department for Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North
Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), Phase- III (2020-23).
● Direct Benefit Transfer of 11,250 rupees per farmer for the components of assistance for on-
farm input for both first year and second year and for off-farm inputs production for first year was
transferred to the individual registered farmer’s account.
● Also An amount of 3,750 rupees will be transferred to the farmers in the next installment.
● 25,000 farmers under this phase including 7,000 farmers registered under Agriculture
Department and 18,000 farmers under Horticulture Department.
● Horticulture and Soil Conservation Minister Letpao Haokip, Additional Chief Secretary P. Vaiphei
also attended the programme.
About Manipur :
● Governor : La. Ganesan
● Chief minister: N. Biren Singh
● Capital: Imphal
Kerala Govt To Launch App For Diagnosing, Controlling Lifestyle Diseases - Shaili App
● The Kerala government is set to launch an Android app named ‘Shaili App’.
Aim :
● To diagnose and control lifestyle diseases among people in the southern State.
● The app has been set up as part of the population-based screening project launched by the
Health Department under the Nava Kerala Karma plan.

● As part of the health-screening project, ASHA workers have been tasked with collecting
information from persons over the age of 30 in their respective areas about any lifestyle
diseases or risk factors they may have.
About the ‘Shaili App’ :
● Shaili App, set up under the e-Health initiative, would help to collect and codify the information
quickly.
● The app would primarily collect information about diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure,
heart disease, lung diseases as well as other lifestyle-related ailments and cancers.
● It would collect information about the lifestyles of an individual that lead to these diseases.
● Based on the information collected, the health status of the individuals would be scored and
those with a score of above four would be asked to visit the nearest health centre for a check-up
for lifestyle diseases.
● The ASHA workers would be incentivised to visit the households in their respective areas and
information collected by them would be immediately made available to health workers.
About Kerala :
● Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
● Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
● Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Haryana Govt Launches 'e-Adhigam' Scheme
● The Haryana government has launched the e-Adhigam scheme under which nearly three lakh
tablets were distributed to government school students of grade 10 and 12.
● These devices come with pre-loaded content along with personalised and adaptive learning
software, and 2GB free data.
● Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stated this after launching the Advance Digital Haryana
Initiative of Government with Adaptive Modules (Adigham) scheme at Maharishi Dayanand
University in Rohtak,Haryana.
About e-Adhigam” scheme :
● These devices come with pre-loaded content along with personalised and adaptive learning
software, and 2GB free data.

● The state government plans to distribute tablets among 5 lakh students who are in Class 10, 11
and 12.
● Under the e-Adhigam scheme, devices were distributed among students in 119 blocks across
the state simultaneously.
● India has set a target to implement this policy by 2030, but our target is 2025.
About Haryana :
• Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Capital: Chandigarh
Maharashtra Govt launches Jivhala Scheme for Prisoners
• The Maharashtra Department of Prisons has launched a loan scheme called Jivhala for inmates
serving sentences in jails across Maharashtra, being offered by the Maharashtra State
Cooperative Bank.
• The pilot was introduced for prisoners at Yerawada Central Jail in Pune, and will gradually be
extended to nearly 60 prisons across Maharashtra.
• Existing loans initiatives for inmates are for rehabilitation after completion of their prison terms.
• The credit scheme, called Jivhala meaning ‘affection’ in Marathi,
• It has been launched primarily for convicted inmates who are undergoing a prison sentence of
more than 3 years.
• In the initial phase, a loan of Rs 50,000 will be given at a 7 percent interest rate.
• Of the interest the bank earns, one percent will be given back to the system as a contribution to
the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund.
• The loan will be provided without any requirement of mortgage or guarantor.
How will the inmates repay the loans?
● On entering the prison system, an inmate is categorised as skilled, semi-skilled or un-skilled and
assigned work in various industrial and manufacturing units inside the prison.
● For this work, they are paid anywhere between Rs 50 to 70 as daily wages.
Note :
● The credit scheme Jivhala is the first kind of credit scheme that has been launched for prisoners
in India.
About Maharashtra :
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Chief minister: Uddhav Thackeray
• Capital: Mumbai
Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mount Everest for the 26th time:
● A Nepali mountaineer identified as Kami Rita Sherpa has created history by scaling Mount
Everest for the 26th time.
● The man has broken his own record that was set last year.
● He scaled Everest along the southeast ridge route.
● This time, he was leading 10 other Sherpa climbers.
● The climbing route, which is the most popular one, was pioneered by Edmund Hillary and Nepali
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
● Kami Rita has broken his own record and established a new world record in climbing, Taranath
Adhikari, director-general of the Department of Tourism in Nepal's capital.
● The 52-year-old followed in his father’s footsteps and became a mountain guide, first summiting
the peak in 1994.
● He has climbed Everest almost every year since.
Priyanka Mohite becomes the first Indian woman to climb five peaks above 8,000 metres:
● Priyanka Mohite from Satara in western Maharashtra has become the first Indian woman to
scale five peaks above 8,000 metres after she climbed Mount Kanchenjunga.
● Priyanka (30), the recipient of the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award 2020, est successfully
completed her expedition to Mount Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), the third-high mountain on the
planet.
● In April 2021, she had scaled Mt Annapurna (8,091 m), the 10th highest mountain peak in the
world and had become the first Indian woman climber to achieve the feat.
● Priyanka has also climbed the world's highest peak Mount Everest (8,849 m) in 2013, Mount
Lhotse (8,516 m) in 2018, Mount Makalu (8,485 m) and Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in 2016.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin announces nutritious breakfast scheme
● To mark the completion of DMK government's first anniversary, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK
Stalin announced that all Government primary school students from 1st to 5th standards will be
provided nutritious breakfast on all working days.
List of 5 schemes announced by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin the T.N. Assembly:
• Free breakfast for Class I-V government school children in a phased manner
• Initiatives to eradicate nutrition deficiency
• Setting up of Schools of Excellence
• Setting up of primary healthcare-like centres in urban areas
• Expanding the 'CM in Your Constituency' (Ungal Thogudhiyil Mudalamaichar) grievance
redressal scheme to all 234 constituencies in the State.
• The free breakfast scheme was launched based on the available information that the
government school children skip breakfast while going to school because of the distance and
family situation.
• In the first phase, the scheme would be launched in some Corporations, municipalities and
villages & in this 708 urban health centres will be established in 21 corporations and 63
municipalities across the state.
• The scheme would be implemented through the local bodies and expanded to all parts of the
State in phases.
Note :
• Tamil Nadu is set to become the first state in the country to offer breakfast in government
schools, along with the mid-day meal.
About Tamil Nadu :
● Governor: R. N. Ravi
● Capital: Chennai
● Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
Rajasthan Becomes First 10 GW Solar State of India
● As per Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, Rajasthan became the first state in India to
surpass 10 GW of cumulative large-scale solar installations.

● Rajasthan has a total of 32.5 GW of installed power capacity, with renewables contributing 55%,
followed by thermal energy at 43%, and nuclear energy making up for the remaining 2%.
● Solar is the predominant source which accounts for around 36% of the power capacity mix and
64% amongst renewables.
● Rajasthan has over 16 GW of solar projects under development.
● Rajasthan has highest solar irradiation levels in the country, along with other favorable factors
like land availability and minimal power curtailment issues.
● These attractive conditions have also encouraged other states like Maharashtra to develop
projects in Rajasthan to procure power.
● Other significant projects include the ones developed by NTPC and Solar Energy Corporation of
India (SECI) and projects developed under the Rajasthan State Solar Policy.
● SECI-awarded projects amount to 11.6 GW, of which 6.2 GW are interstate transmission system
(ISTS) projects.
About Rajasthan :
• Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot
• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Capital: Jaipur
Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojana
● Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojana, a total of 25,000 households in East
Delhi will be provided free sewer connections.
Aim :
● To prevent sewage from landing in the Yamuna river.
● These free connections will be provided in 12 colonies in Karawal Nagar, Mustafabad, Rajiv
Gandhi Nagar, Chandu Nagar, and parts of Khajuri Khas.
● For this an amount of Rs 19 crore has been allocated.
● The decision was taken at a board meeting of the DJB chaired by Water Minister Satyendar
Jain.
● The households will be connected to the existing sewer network, which will carry the waste to
the Yamuna Vihar sewage treatment plant.
● Also, a project to lay around 10 km of sewer lines in unsewered areas of Narela and 25 km in
Burari was approved at the meeting.
● While the Rithala STP with a capacity of 40 MGD will be upgraded to reduce the biochemical
oxygen demand and total suspended solids in the treated water, a new 7 MGD STP will be set
up at Sonia Vihar.
● The board also decided to set up 30 RO plants at JJ colonies to increase the drinking water
supply.
● Each plant will provide around 50,000 litres of water per day & the supply will be free.
● At Okhla, a small 6 MGD water treatment plant will come up with the capacity to treat ammonia
up to 10 ppm (parts per million).
● The DJB’s WTPs can currently treat ammonia only up to a level of 0.9 ppm.
● According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable limit for ammonia in drinking water
is 0.5 ppm.
MP govt launches 2nd phase of Ladli Laxmi scheme
• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched the second phase of the
Ladli Laxmi scheme (Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0).
• Around 7,500 Ladli Laxmis will be present in the programme.
• The scheme has been implemented by the government of Madhya Pradesh since 2007 to
enhance the economic and educational status of the girls.
About Ladli Laxmi schme - 2.0 :
● Ladli Laxmi schme - 2.0 is an innovative initiative to encourage daughters to pursue higher
education and make them self-dependent.
● It is a comprehensive scheme that offers financial assistance for a girl from birth until her
marriage in installments.
● Till April 2022 in MP, 42,04,650 girls have been registered under Ladli Laxmi Yojana.
● So far, more than 9 lakh girl students have been paid a scholarship amount of Rs 231 crore.
● The sex ratio at birth in the state has increased from 927 to 956.
● The implementation of the scheme has changed the attitude of the society towards daughters,
due to which there has also been an unprecedented success in ending social evils like child
marriage.
Eligibility criteria of the scheme :
● The family of the girl child should be a permanent resident of Madhya Pradesh.
● The family should come under below the poverty line (BPL), i.e., should not be an income
taxpayer.
● Maximum of two daughters can be registered under this scheme.
● Also, Chouhan will dedicate the Ladli e-Samvad app to establish a continuous dialogue with
Ladlis.
About e-Samvad app :
● In that app, all Ladli Laxmis will be linked to the education portal through Samagra ID which will
enable continuous tracking of their educational status.
● The Gram Panchayats which take best care of the girl child will be declared ‘Ladli Friendly’ gram
panchayat.
About MP :
● Capital: Bhopal
● Governor : Mangubhai C. Patel
● Chief minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Manipur’s Poumai Naga Areas Declared ' Drug-Free Zone'
● In Manipur, the Poumai tribe has declared that Poumai inhabited areas will be a Drug-Free Zone
supporting the State government’s War on Drug campaign.
● This is the first such case where the whole community has extended their support to fight
against the menace of drugs in the state.
● A delegation of the Poumai tribe led by Karong AC MLA J Kumo Sha, and leaders of the
students union and civil organization met Chief Minister N. Biren Singh at Imphal and conveyed
the resolution of the Drug-Free Zone in Poumai inhabited areas of the State.
● On April 28, the Poumai general body meeting passed a resolution to this effect and against
poppy plantation.
About Manipur :
• Governor : La. Ganesan
• Chief minister: N. Biren Singh
• Capital: Imphal
Azure Power commissions 90 MW solar project in Assam
● India's leading sustainable energy solutions provider and renewable power producer, Azure
Power has successfully commissioned its 90 MW solar power project in Assam, the largest in
the state.
● The 90 MW of solar capacity is spread across four districts in Assam – Udalguri, Kamrup,
Nagaon, and Cachar.
● The project has been commissioned in phases, and the final 25 MW was commissioned in
Cachar.
● The power generated by the plant is being supplied to Assam Power Distribution Company
Limited under a long term 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) at a tariff of Rs 3.34 per
KWh.
● The Government of Assam has the vision to transform Assam into a sustainably developed state
by 2030.
Additional Info :
● For, budget 2022-23, the Assam Government has allocated Rs 4,000 crore for setting up solar
power plants under Mukhyamantri Souro Shakti Prokolpo to enhance the clean energy
generation in the state.
● The aggregate capacity of the upcoming solar projects will be 1000MW across Assam.
● The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also allocated 250 MW Grid Connected
Solar Rooftop projects in Assam by 2022.
About Azure Power :
● Founded : 2008
● Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
● CEO : Ranjit Gupta
● Now Azure Power has an operational capacity of over 2,900 MW of high-performing renewable
energy assets in India.
● Azure Power is one of the leading independent sustainable energy solutions providers, and
power producers in India.
● It also partners with commercial and industrial customers in their decarbonization journey by
providing comprehensive solutions for their clean energy needs.
Prominent crossing in Ayodhya to be named after Lata Mangeshkar
● In remembrance of Lata Mangeshkar, a new crossroad is set to be developed in Ayodhya that
will be named after the late legendary singer to honour her memory.
● The order for this new construction was issued by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to the DM
during his Ayodhya review meeting.
● Instructions to the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation have been issued to mark a major
intersection and send the proposal to the government within 15 days.

● Songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar that were dedicated to Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman would
also be played in Ayodhya.
● The Ayodhya Municipal Corporation has started identifying prominent crossings across the city
● The main crossing in Ayodhya on the way to Ram Janmabhoomi was likely to be selected for
this project.
About Lata Mangeshkar :
● Lata Mangeshkar Born on September 28, 1929, Madhya Pradesh.
● She began her career in 1942 at the age of 13.
● She recorded her songs in over 36 regional Indian and foreign languages.
● Her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning seven decades gained her
honorific titles such as the "Queen of Melody", "Nightingale of India", and "Voice of the
Millennium".
● Her last recorded song was "Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti ki" released on 30 March 2019 as a tribute
to the Indian Army and the Nation.
Honors & Awards :
● In 1989, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her by the Government of India.
● In 2001, in recognition of her contributions to the nation, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna,
India's highest civilian honour; she is only the second female singer, after M. S. Subbulakshmi,
to receive this honour.
● France conferred on her its highest civilian award, Officer of the National Order of the Legion of
Honour, in 2007.
● She was the recipient of three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists' Association
Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, the Filmfare
Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lokpal to get permanent office at World Trade Centre in Delhi
● The Lokpal of India is set to move into a permanent office at World Trade Centre in south Delhi’s
Nauroji Nagar.
● According to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the administrative Ministry for
the Lokpal, the government has bought over 59,000 square feet of land in World Tower Centre
in Nauroji Nagar at a cost of Rs 254.88 crore.
● Five years after the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act was passed in 2013, Justice Pinaki Chandra
Ghosh (retd) was appointed as India's first Lokpal along with eight other members in March
2019.
About the Lokpal :
● Formed : 19 March 2019
● Chairperson : Pinaki Chandra Ghose

● The Lokpal can inquire into allegations of corruption against anyone who is or has been Prime
Minister, or a Minister in the Union government, or a Member of Parliament, as well as officials
of the Union government under Groups A, B, C and D.
● It also covers complaints against chairpersons, members, officers and directors of any board,
corporation, society, trust or autonomous body either established by an Act of Parliament or
wholly or partly funded by the Centre and any society or trust or body that receives foreign
contribution above ₹10 lakh.
Haryana launches scheme for fodder growers - Chaara-Bijaee Yojana
● Haryana agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister JP Dalal launched Chaara-Bijaee Yojana
(fodder cultivation scheme) for farmers.
Purpose :
● To encourage farmers to cultivate fodder and help gaushalas, who have been suffering from
fodder scarcity due to an increase in the number of stray cattle.
About Chaara-Bijaee Yojana :
● Under the scheme, Farmers who partner with gaushalas would be entitled to a financial subsidy
of 10,000 per acre for up to 10 acres of fodder cultivation.
● The money would be transferred to the farmers' bank account through direct benefit transfer.
● In April 2022, the state distributed Rs. 13.44 crore to 569 gaushalas for the purchase of fodder.
● He also stated that cow dung manure (phosphate-rich organic manure) might be used in fields.
● At present diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser costs around Rs 3,850 out of which Rs 2,500
is being given as subsidy to the farmer and Rs 1,350 is being taken from the farmer.
● The subsidy of DAP in the country has reached Rs Two lakh crore.
Additional Info :
● In Haryana the number of cow shelters has increased from 175 in 2017 to 600 in 2022.
● Prom manure or phosphate-rich organic manure is being prepared at gaushalas of Pinjore, Hisar
and Bhiwani, and that have been tested in the labs of IIT and Haryana Agricultural University in
Hisar.
About Haryana :
● Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya

● Capital: Chandigarh
● Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
Chhattisgarh becomes 1st state to restore old pension scheme
● Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to restore the old pension scheme in order
to provide assured income to retired employees.
● The Chhattisgarh government has sent a proposal to the Pension Fund Regulatory and
Development Authority (PFRDA) for the withdrawal of Rs 17,000 crore accrued under the
National Pension Scheme since November 2004.
● The government issued a notification saying that the old pension scheme will be effective from
April 1, 2022.
Key Highlights :
● The 10 percent deduction for monthly contribution from the salary of government employees as
a contribution to the new pension scheme will be abolished from April 1, 2022.
● However, a minimum of 12 percent of basic salary will be deducted as per the General Provident
Fund rule.
● The old pension scheme gives 50 percent of the employee's salary as pension.
Additional Info :
● Also the Centre had rejected the Rajasthan government's request to withdraw Rs 39,000 crore
accrued under the National Pension Scheme since 2004.
● The proposal for various amendments in the Rajasthan Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1996,
Rajasthan Civil Services (Contributory Pension) Rules, 2005, various revised pay scale rules
and Rajasthan Civil Services (Medical Attendance) Rules, 2013 were approved.
About Chhattisgarh :
● Capital: Raipur
● Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
● Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel
Rajasthan’s Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary notified as India’s 52nd tiger reserve
● Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has announced that The Ramgarh Vishdhari
Sanctuary in Rajasthan was notified as India’s 52nd tiger reserve
● The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had given in-principle approval to make
Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas as tiger reserves on July 5 2021.
● It is Rajasthan’s fourth tiger reserve after Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Sawai
Madhopur, Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in Alwar, Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in
Kota.
About Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary :
● Ramgarh Vishadhri, located mostly in Bundi district and in part in Bhilwara and Kota districts.
● The reserve will be spread in an area of 1,501.89 sq km.
● Wild animals like Indian wolf, leopard, striped hyena, sloth bear, golden jackal, chinkara, nilgai
and fox can be seen in the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve.
● The area has been called ‘critical’ for the movement of tigers by wildlife experts and
conservationists.
● According to the “Status of Tigers in India” report released in 2019, there are 2,967 tigers in 20
states in India.
Punjab CM Mann launches ‘Lok Milni’ for redressal of grievances of people
● Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant has launched a first-of-its-kind public interaction programme,
‘Lok Milni’, on hearing grievances of people and issuing directions for their redressal.
Aim :
● To provide a single-window platform to the people for redressal of their complaints.
● People from different parts of the state came with several complaints regarding encroachment of
panchayat land, land dispute, pending arrears of Shagun scheme and others.
● 61 complainants listed their grievances before the chief minister during this ‘Lok Milni’.
Key Highlights of Lok Milni :
● Lok Milni ensures that the matters flagged by people are immediately resolved on the spot.
● It facilitates resolution of long-pending administrative issues concerning people.

About Punjab :
● Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
Delhi Government Announces Delhi Startup Policy for Entrepreneurs
● The Delhi Cabinet has approved the implementation of the Delhi Startup Policy.
Aim :
• To create business leaders and entrepreneurs from among the youth and make Delhi the startup
destination of the world.
Purpose :
● To create an enabling ecosystem for people to launch startups and avail of a host of
handholding measures such as fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, collateral-free loans, and free
consultancy from experts, lawyers, and chartered accountants, among others.
● The 20 members task force will be set up to oversee the startup policy & the task force will have
one government official, three people from academia, and the rest will be from the industry.
● The Delhi government also decided to introduce entrepreneurship classes and the “business
blasters” programme in colleges after the successful roll-out of these programmes in schools.
● The government will form a monitoring committee to oversee the startup policy.
● This committee will be headed by Delhi’s Finance Minister.
● The composition of this committee will be 85% representatives from the private sector, 10% from
educational institutions and 5% from the government.
About Delhi :
● Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
● Lt Governor : Anil Baijal
Kerala to launch India's 1st state-owned OTT platform
● The Government of Kerala will launch a first-of-its-kind initiative state-owned over-the-top (OTT)
platform, named 'CSpace', on November 1 (coinciding with the Kerals’s formation day ).
● The Platform offers film lovers an array of movies, short films and documentaries of their choice.
● The name of the OTT platform as CSpace, revealed by Minister for Cultural Affairs Shri Saji
Cheriyan.
● The platform is an initiative of Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) on behalf of
the state government, through video conferencing at a function in Kalabhavan Theater.
● The registration of films to be streamed on CSpace will begin on June 1.
About Kerala :
● Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
● Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
● Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
About KSFDC :
• Established : 1975
• Headquarters : Thiruvananthapuram
• Chairman :Shaji N Karun
• Managing Director : N Maya
• KSFDC is the first public sector corporation for film development in India.
India's largest lithium-ion battery plant begins production in Gujarat
• Nexcharge, a joint venture between India's Exide Industries Limited and Swiss-based Leclanché
SA, has started the mass production of the nation's largest lithium-ion battery packs at its factory
in Prantij, Gujarat.
• The plant, which is spread across 6,10,098 sq ft (total area) is the largest in India for the
production of li-ion battery packs and modules (pouch/ prismatic/ cylindrical).
• The facility has 6 fully automated assembly lines and testing labs with an installed capacity of
1.5 GWh and will cater energy storage systems for India’s electric vehicle market and grid-based
applications.
• Nexcharge offers battery packs for many products including two-wheelers, three-wheelers,
personal and commercial vehicles and inverters.
• Exide and Leclanche pumped in Rs 250 crore to set up the plant.
• Nexcharge can now make 3 V to 1000 V battery packs with sizes varying from 10 cm to 2 meter.
About Nexcharge :
● Headquarters : Prantij, Gujarat
● Chief Executive Officer : Stefan Louis
● President : Surender Narula
About Exide Industries Limited :
● Founded : 1947
● Headquarters : Kolkata, West Bengal, India
● Chairman : Bharat Dhirajlal Shah
● CEO : Subir Chakraborty
● Exide Industries Ltd, is an Indian multinational storage battery manufacturer and life insurance
company.
About Leclanché SA :
● Founded : 1909
● Headquarters : Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
● CEO : Anil Srivastava
Delhi Government Inducts 2 Robots in Its Firefighting Fleet
• The Delhi government has inducted a unique initiative of using robots for extinguishing fires in
Delhi.
• This comes days after a massive fire ripped through a building in Mundka, killing 27 people.
• Previously, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government inducted two robots into Delhi’s firefighting
fleet that will be able to douse fires in narrow streets, warehouses, basements, stairs, forests
and enter places like oil and chemical tankers and factories.
• For the first time such remote control robots have been brought into the country which are
capable of controlling fire remotely.
About the Robots :
● It will also be capable of releasing high water pressure at the rate of 2,400 liters per minute.
● The robot will be able to douse fire even in places which firefighters cannot possibly access.
● This machine can be operated remotely from a distance of 300 meters.
● It will not be affected by fire, smoke, heat, or any other adverse condition.
● The robot has a 140-horsepower engine & there are many nozzles for water showers.
● The robot can run at a speed of 4 kilometers per hour.
Additional Info :
• The fire department stated the figure of 2,145 incidents is the highest in May,2022 so far as
compared to the same period in the last 3 years.
About Delhi :
● Chief Minister : Shri Arvind Kejriwal
● Director of Delhi Fire Service : Atul Garg
TN govt launches Integrated Agriculture Development Project in districts
● Chief Minister M.K. Stalin remotely launched the Kalaignars All Village Integrated Agriculture
Development Project in the districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Erode.
● The programme will be jointly implemented by the State Agriculture Department in close
coordination with the Rural Development Department in all the 12,525 village panchayats across
Tamil Nadu in a period of five years.
● In 2022, the programme will cover 1,997 village panchayats at a cost of Rs 227.06 crore and
benefit over 9 lakh agricultural families.
Aim of the Programme :
• To bring 11.75 lakh hectares of land under net area cultivated in the next 10 years, increase the
double-cropping area to 20 lakh hectares, & bring Tamil Nadu among the top three States in
production of foodgrains, coconut, cotton, sunflower, and groundnut.
Objective :
• To bring fallow lands in rural habitations under cultivation
• To diversify water resources and to increase the usage of solar pumps
• Establishing micro irrigation facilities in all rural areas
• To market the farm products by value addition
• To establish small water bodies for irrigation and retaining ground water
• To increase rural infrastructure

• To increase the production of milk through developing the health conditions of cattle, Issuing
change of patta, e-adangal and certificates for micro and small farmers through Revenue
department
• Issuing more crop loans through cooperative societies, desilting waterways that are used for
irrigation and so on.
• While Inaugurating the scheme, Stalin stated that coconut saplings, horticultural saplings, kit for
vegetable garden, and sprays required for farming would be distributed.
• Also 100 percent subsidy would be provided to Adi Dravida families for sinking wells in drylands,
employing drip irrigation, and digging farm ponds.
• Additionally, Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam stated that 3,675 tonnes of short-term
paddy variety seeds and 56,229 MTs of fertilizers have been kept ready for Kuruvai season.
About TN :
Tripura adopts EV policy, to convert 10% of state’s vehicles to electric
● The new Tripura Cabinet headed by CM Manik Saha has decided to adopt the Tripura Electric
Vehicle Policy 2022, to promote electric vehicles, in an effort to cut down on environmental
pollution and uphold Tripura as an eco-friendly tourist destination.
Aim :
● To convert 10 percent of Tripura’s vehicles i.e. 6,000 vehicles into Electric Vehicles out of
60,000 registered vehicles in the next 5 years.
Note :
● The electric vehicles policy is already existing in 14 states of the country.
● If it is implemented, Tripura would become the 15th state and 3rd in the Northeast region after
Assam and Meghalaya to adopt the electric vehicle policy.
● The cabinet decided to provide 2-3 Ganda free land to 7,230 tea garden workers in Tripura.
● The cabinet also decided to procure 20,000 MT of paddy from farmers in the state during the
Kharif season at a Minimum Support Price (MSP).

About Tripura :
● Governor : Satyadev Narayan Arya
● CM : Manik Saha
● Capital : Agartala
India's first Olympic Values Education Programme launched in Odisha
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched India’s first ‘Olympic Values Education
Programme’ (OVEP) by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Odisha.
• The OVEP has been developed in partnership with the Government of Odisha’s Department of
School and Mass Education and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT).
Attendees :
● Olympic Education Commission Chair - Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski, IOC member - Nita
Ambani, IOA President - Narinder Dhruv Batra, Director of Olympic Foundation for Culture and
Change - Angelita Teo, Minister of Sports Tushar Kanti Behera, Chief Secretary Shri Suresh
Mohapatra Commissioner cum Secretary Sports Vyneel Krishna.
About OVEP :
● The OVEP will be implemented in 90 schools across two smart cities Bhubaneswar (63 schools)
and Rourkela (27 schools) in the first phase.
● The OVEP is a practical set of resources designed by the IOC to introduce young people to the
Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship.
Aim :
● To disseminate the values-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy and
responsible citizens.
About Odisha :
● Governor: Ganeshi Lal
● Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
● Capital: Bhubaneswar
UP energy minister Shri AK Sharma launches SAMBHAV portal

● Uttar Pradesh minister for urban development and energy, Shri A K Sharma launched
‘SAMBHAV’ or Systemic Administration Mechanism for Bringing Happiness and Value portal -
www.sambhav.up.gov.in platform/portal that will monitor public grievances, programs, schemes,
projects and policies of Urban Development and Energy Departments of Uttar Pradesh
government effectively and transparently.
About SAMBHAV Portal :
● SAMBHAV is a multi-modal platform which has been launched to dispose of public grievances
swiftly and effectively and provide good governance and make the public service delivery
transparent and accountable.
● It will work as an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform for flagging
grievances received from the public to the concerned officers who have been provided login IDs.
● The officers are required to feed their response and action taken report (ATRs) on the issues
concerned.
● The portal will have the facility of videoconferencing and teleconferencing for dialogue with the
officials.
● It will take grievances and issues from various sources, including pending cases and grievances
under the chief minister’s Jan Sunwai/ Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) system.
About UP :
• Governor : Anandiben Patel

• CM : Yogi Adityanath
• Capital : Lucknow
Uttarakhand becomes the 1st Indian state to roll out drone in healthcare
● Redcliffe Labs, a unit of Redcliffe Lifetech in the U.S., has come up with its first commercial
drone flight in Uttarakhand in the India healthcare sector.
● The commercial drone corridor between Uttarkashi and Dehradun.
Key Highlights :
• The distance from Uttarkashi to Dehradun by road is 144 km, by road 6-8 hours and during
landslides 12 hours but instead of this, using drone technology the distance was covered in 88
minutes with a battery swap.

• The project was part of the Radcliffe and Sky Air tie-up and they have conducted 40 successful
trials in North India.
• Radcliffe Lab carried 5 kg payloads in temperature controlled boxes from Gyansu, Uttarkashi to
Vivek Vihar, Dehradun, an aerial distance of 60 kms.
• It will operate “two flights daily for both routine and special test sample collection with effect from
June 10, 2022.
Additional Info :
• According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), as a part of its Medicine from the Sky
undertaking, healthcare professionals delivered vaccines, Covid-19 testing samples and medical
merchandise to a inhabitants of over 3,00,000 folks represented by 8 district well being services
in the Vikarabad district of the southern state of Telangana.
• According to a report by 6Wresearch, in terms of revenue, the Indian UAV market is poised to
grow at a CAGR of 18% during 2017–23.
• As per study conducted by BIS Research predicted that the market for commercial drones
superseded the military market by 2021, cumulatively hitting approximately $900 million.
About Redcliffe Labs :
● Founder : Dheeraj Jain
● Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh
About Uttarakhand :
● Governor : Gurmit Singh
● CM : Pushkar Singh Dhami
● Capital : Bhararisain, Dehradun
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurates & lays foundation stones of various infrastructure
projects in Arunachal Pradesh
● Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated & laid foundation stones of various
infrastructure projects worth Rs.1180 crore in Arunachal Pradesh during a public meeting at
Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.
● Shri Amit Shah termed Arunachal Pradesh as Jewel in Indias Crown.
Key Highlights :
● On the occasion of its ‘Swarn Jayanti Samaroh (Golden Jubilee Celebrations), Shah unveiled
the statue of Swami Vivekananda at Ramkrishna Mission, Narottam Nagar in Tirap District’s
Deomali.
● He will lay the foundation-stone of a 51-feet bronze statue of Bhagwan Parshuram at the
Parshuram Kund near Wokra in Lohit District.
● He will also attend the ‘security and development review’ meeting at Namsai and interact with
the personnel of Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Services Selection Board
(SSB), Assam Rifles, Border Roads Organization (BRO), National Highways and Infrastructure
Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
About Arunachal Pradesh :
● Governor : B. D. Mishra
● CM : Pema Khandu
● Capital : Itanagar
Kolkata becomes 1st metro city to get its biodiversity register
● Kolkata mayor, Firhad Hakim announced Kolkata has become the first major metropolitan city in
India to make a detailed biodiversity register.
● On the occasion of UN International Biodiversity Day (22 May), Kolkata Municipal Corporation
released the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR).
● The document is prepared by the biodiversity management committee (BMC) of the civic body
under the supervision of the state biodiversity board and with help from NGOs.
Note :
● Chandigarh and Indore are other important cities that have prepared the document.
About People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) :
● The People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR), details flora and fauna forms within the city, as well as
its land, uses, and human activities.
● It is the 520-page documentation of 399 plants (i.e. 138 trees, 126 Chinese vegetables, 33
medicinal plants, and Nearly 100 other plants) and 283 animal species (i.e. Nearly 70 butterflies,
47 fish, 84 birds, 22 mammals).

● The report covers hotspots such as the East Kolkata Wetlands and Rabindra Sarobar.
● It is also a key document in the fight against climate change.
● The Data is generated through on-ground surveys, focused group discussions, and interviews,
also used Google-based maps to document water bodies, green verges, and other landscapes.
About National Biodiversity Authority :
● Established: 1 October 2003
● Chairman: V.B. Mathur
● Located in: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
● The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) is a statutory autonomous body under the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and climate change, GoI.
● To implement the provisions under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, after India signed
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992.
● In 2012, NBA organized the first-ever National Biodiversity Congress (NBC), held in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
4th edition of Shirui Lily Festival 2022 begins in Ukhrul district, Manipur :
● The 4th Edition of State-Level Shirui Lily Festival 2022 began at Shirui Village Ground in Ukhrul
district, Manipur from May 25 to May 28, 2022.
• The festival is held around April and May as it is the blooming season of Shirui Lily.
Aim:
● To create and raise awareness of the Shirui Lily flower, which is also the State Flower of
Manipur.
● The annual festival is organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur.
● It is the four-day-long festival inaugurated by the Governor of Manipur La. Ganesan and Chief
Minister N. Biren Singh.
● Different events including traditional dances, songs and music, trekking, beauty contests,
indigenous games, and sports will be organized at different sites in the Ukhrul district.
About Shirui Lily (Lilium Mackliniae) :
● Shirui Lily was discovered by English botanist Kingdon F Ward in 1946.
● It is founded in the Ukhrul district of Manipur only and cannot be replanted anywhere in the
world.
Note :
• State Flower of Manipur - Shirui Lily
About Manipur :
● Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh
● Capital: Imphal
Rajasthan becomes 1st state to create health accounts in association with WHO
● Rajasthan is the first state in the country to institutionalize health accounts which will help in
estimating the amount spent on the health sector and its impact with the help of the World
Health Organization(WHO).
• The state began registration for Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana under which
each family in the state can claim up to Rs five lakh a year for medical expenses.
● The state health accounts will support regular tracking and monitoring of health expenditures
over time and can serve as an important tool for evidence-based policymaking.
● The government has allocated more than 7 percent of the total budget for health, which is higher
than the national average.
● Rajasthan is leading from the front with schemes like Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima
Yojana, Mukhyamantri Free Nirogi Rajasthan Yojana (all types of IPD and OPD services in all
government institutions free of cost) along with strengthening the health system.
About Rajasthan :
● Governor: Kalraj Mishra
● CM: Ashok Gehlot
● Capital: Jaipur
About WHO :
● Established: 7 April 1948
● Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
● Director General : Tedros Adhanom
Delhi Customs launches Project ‘NIGAH’ at ICD Garhi Harsaru, Gurugram
● Chief Commissioner, Delhi Customs Zone, Shri Surjit Bhujabal inaugurated project ‘NIGAH’ at
ICD Garhi Harsaru, Gurugram.
● The function was attended by the Commissioner of Customs, ICD Patparganj & Other ICDs Sh.
Manish Saxena; Additional Commissioner of Customs Sh. Jayant Sahay; Deputy Commissioner
of port Sh Sunil Shrivastava and Smt Jaya Kumari, Vice-President of M/s. GRFL Sh Rajguru.
About ‘NIGAH’ :
● Project NIGAH is an initiative to track containers by using ICTM (ICD Container Tracking
Module) which will help in better visibility of the container movement inside the ICD.
● It will help Customs to expedite long-standing containers and monitor timely clearances, thereby
enhancing the Ease of Doing Business along with ensuring lead preventive checks.
● ICTM has been developed in collaboration with the Custodian M/s. GRFL.
About Delhi Customs Zone :
● Delhi Customs Zone, a field formation under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
Rajasthan govt approves revised criteria for Indira Gandhi Shehri Rozgar Guarantee Yojana
● Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved new guidelines for the implementation of
‘Indira Gandhi Shahari Rozgar Yojana’.
About ‘Indira Gandhi Shahari Rozgar Yojana :
● It is a New Urban Employment Scheme announced by Ashok Gehlot in the 2022-23 budget.
Aim :
● To employ in urban areas on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
● For this scheme, the state government will spend Rs 800 crore per year.
● Under the Scheme, 100 days of employment per year will be provided to the families residing in
urban areas.
About the new guidelines of the Scheme :
● The people in the age group of 18 to 60 years residing in the local body area will be registered
based on a Jan Aadhaar card.
• The state launched a campaign to make maximum Jan-aadhar cards from May 1st, 2022.
● Under the scheme, the work will be approved and executed through committees at the state and
district levels.
Punjab Cabinet approves Rs 1,500 per acre incentive for farmers
• The Punjab Cabinet approved an incentive of Rs 1,500 per acre for farmers sowing paddy
through direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique.
• The incentive scheme was approved by the Cabinet in a meeting headed by chief minister
ShriBhagwant Mann.
• A total of ₹450 crore has been earmarked to provide incentive to farmers for promotion of the
less water consuming and cost-effective DSR technique.
Benefits :
● The incentive will encourage farmers to adopt this DSR technique & it needs
● Far less water for irrigation (saving nearly 15-20% than the conventional puddling (kaddu)
method of paddy cultivation),
● Enhancing yield of both paddy and wheat by 5-10 percent.
● The Cabinet decided to pay the financial assistance worth Rs 1,500 per acre to the farmers
through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for which ‘Anaj Kharid’ portal of Punjab Mandi Board has
already prepared a database of around 11 lakh farmers linked with their Aadhaar details, mobile
number and bank account details.
About DSR :
● Under the DSR technique, paddy seeds are drilled into the field with the help of a machine that
does seeding of rice and spray of herbicide simultaneously.
Other Highlights :
● The Cabinet gave approval to enhance rates of ex-gratia grant to families of martyr soldiers from
Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
● The Cabinet approved enhancement by 40 percent in amount of cash in lieu of land and cash
award to distinguished services award winners (Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal winners from Rs 2
lakh to Rs 2.80 lakh, for Uttam Yudh Seva Medal winners from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.40 lakh, for
Yudh Seva Medal winners from Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000.), in recognition of the gallantry services
of defence services personnel.

● Also, the Cabinet has decided to hire services of retired ‘patwaris’ and ‘kanungos’ (revenue
officials) on contract basis against 1,766 regular posts of ‘patwaris’.
About Punjab :
● Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
● Chief minister: Bhagwant Mann
J&K Organizes First ever Bird Festival to promote sustainable ecotourism
● Jammu & Kashmir will soon organize the first of its kind, Bird Festival to promote sustainable
ecotourism and give impetus to nature-based alternative sources of livelihood to the local
people.
● The festival is being planned to be held in Pahalgam and Dachigam areas.
● This was disclosed in a meeting of officers held here chaired by Secretary, Tourism & Culture,
Mr Sarmad Hafeez.
● The festival would jointly be organized by the Tourism Department, Forests and Wildlife
Departments with the support of Sanctuary Nature Foundation, a Mumbai based organization
working for the preservation of birds and other wildlife.
About J&K :
• Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
• Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
Telangana Launches a Single-Pick Cotton Pilot Project
● The government of Telangana has launched a single-pick cotton pilot project on 50,000 acres.
About Single-Pick Cotton Pilot Project :
● This method will help increase yields by up to 40%.
● The single-pick cotton will be suitable for machine harvest because the plants will grow to a
uniform height of around knee-level compared to the tall varieties of cotton.
● Presently, the farmers pick cotton bolls at least three to four times, but this method will help the
farmers to extend the harvest by a few weeks and allow farmers to complete the harvest all at
once.
Single-pick cotton:
● Cotton varieties flower at one time and boll bursting happen at the same time.
Note :
● President of National Seed Association of India (NSAI): M Prabhakara Rao
About Telangana :
● Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
● CM : K. Chandrashekar Rao
● Capital: Hyderabad
Nanjarayan Tank to become Tamil Nadu’s 17th bird sanctuary
● Tamil Nadu Minister for Forests K. Ramachandran announced in the Assembly, that Nanjarayan
Tank in Tiruppur district is the 17th bird sanctuary of Tamil Nadu.
● An initial amount of ₹ 7.5 crores has been allocated for the works.
● Also, Slender loris sanctuaries will be established in Dindigul and Karur districts with Rs 5 crore.
About Nanjarayan Tank :
● The Nanjarayan Tank is a 125.86-hectare water body, hosts around 130 bird species along with
other flora and fauna.
● It was constructed by king Nanjarayan
● Nanjarayan Tank also known as Sarkar Periyapalayam Reservoir is located on the outskirts of
Tirupur city near Kulipalayam, about 60 km from Coimbatore.
About Tamil Nadu :
● CM: M. K. Stalin
International Day of Yoga to be observed in Karnataka on June 21, 2022
● Minister Ayush Sarbanand Sonowal announced that the main event of the 8th International Day
of Yoga (IDY) 2022 will be held at Mysore in Karnataka on June 21, 2022.
● Also, The International Day of Yoga would be falling in the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” year & the
ministry has also planned to observe it at 75 iconic locations across the country, focusing on
branding India on a global scale.
Note :
● The First International Day of Yoga was celebrated on June 21, 2015.
● The idea of an International Day of Yoga was first proposed by the Prime Minister of India, Shri
Narendra Modi, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on 27
September 2014.
IMPORTANT NATIONAL NEWS
Asia’s biggest International Food and Hospitality fair – AAHAR-2022:
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in
association with the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) is organizing Asia’s biggest
international food and hospitality fair AAHAR-2022 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
• The first day of the fair was April 26th, 2022.
• This fair will run till April 30th, 2022.
• The fair is now in its 36th year.
• This event will provide visitors and participants with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop
new business leads.

• More than 80 exporters from different agricultural products, including geographical indication
products, processed food, organic, and frozen food products, will participate in the fair.
• APEDA has created dedicated stalls for exporters from the North East Region and Himalayan
states like Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, women
entrepreneurs, Farmer Producers Organizations, Start-Ups, and exporters of millets.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh launches 90-day inter-ministerial campaign Azadi se Antyodaya Tak:
• Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh has launched ‘Azadi se Antyodaya Tak,’ a 90-day
inter-ministerial campaign under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Celebrating the spirit of the year-long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the identified districts are
aligned with the birthplace of one hundred Freedom Fighters, who made the ultimate sacrifice
for the nation during its struggle for independence.
• The campaign will be implemented involving all rural stakeholders like families of selected
freedom fighters, Panchayati Raj Institutions, women networks, youth groups and students
highlighting the achievements of the schemes.
• The campaign has been launched with a mission to saturate 75 Districts across 28 States and
Union Territories with beneficiary schemes of nine central ministries.
• 17 select schemes with direct assistance to beneficiaries in saturation mode, reaching out to the
person at the bottom of the pyramid in rural areas by each of the participating ministries and
departments.
PM Modi lays the foundation stones for various healthcare, education projects:
• PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for projects relating to healthcare and education
including a Veterinary College in Diphu, Degree College in West Karbi Anglong and Agricultural
College in Kolonga.
• These projects, worth more than ₹500 crores, are expected to bring new opportunities for skilling
and employment in the region.
• During the programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also laid the foundation stone for more
than 2950 Amrit Sarovar projects.
• The state will develop these Amrit Sarovar at a cumulative cost of around ₹1150 crore.
Education Minister releases ‘Mandate Document’ for developing NCF:

● Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan released the ‘Mandate Document:
Guidelines for the Development of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF)’ at an event held
at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
● The National Education Policy 2020 focuses on the education and skills needed for the youth of
21st century India.
● Transforming education is the vision and soul of the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
● National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is viewed as the Centre of the transformative National
Education Policy 2020 that has the capacity to empower and enable outstanding teaching and
learning in the country.
● NEP 2020 recommends the development of National Curriculum Frameworks (NCF) in four
areas- School Education, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Teacher Education and
Adult Education.
● Mandate document is responsible for the development of the process of the NCF, its structure,
objectives and some of the basic principles from the NEP 2020 that will inform the development
of the four NCFs.
● Mandate document works as a bridge between the NEP 2020 and the NCF.
● Here is the list of some of the essential characteristics of the National Curriculum Framework, as
envisioned in the Mandate Document.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 launches National Behaviour Change Communication Framework
for Garbage Free Cities:
● Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,
has launched the ‘National Behaviour Change Communication Framework for Garbage Free
Cities’ to strengthen the ongoing jan andolan for ‘Garbage Free Cities’.
● Now, under SBM-U 2.0, the newly launched ‘National Behaviour Change Communication
Framework for Garbage Free Cities’ shall serve as a guiding document and blueprint for States
and Cities to undertake large scale multimedia campaigns along with intensive and focused
inter-personal communication campaigns.
● Launched by Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA),
Government of India, the framework focuses on intensifying messaging around the key focus
areas of source segregation, collection, transportation, and processing of waste, plastic waste
management, and remediation of legacy dumpsites to truly transform the urban landscape of
India.
NCTE invites applications for the four years Integrated Teacher Education Programme 2022-23:
● The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has invited online applications for the four
years Integrated Teacher Education Programmes (ITEP) for the academic session 2023-24.
● The programme is a dual-major holistic bachelor’s degree offering B.A. B.Ed., B. Sc. B. Ed. and
B.Com. B.Ed.
● It is one of the major mandates of the National Education Policy 2020 related to Teacher
Education.
● The admission will be carried out by the National Testing Agency through the National Common
Entrance Test.
● The four-year ITEP will be available for all students who choose to teach as a profession after
secondary.
IREDA registers historic annual performance in 2021-22 amidst covid pandemic:
● Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has registered historic annual
performance in 2021-22 in the midst of a covid pandemic.
● The profit has jumped 83 per cent to an all-time high of 634 crore rupees.
● The Board of Directors approved the audited financial results for 2021-22 in a meeting held.
● They lauded the company’s outstanding performance under challenging conditions.
● The loan disbursement of over 16 thousand crore rupees is also the highest in the company’s
history and a record increase of 82 per cent from the previous year.
Narayan Rane inaugurates Enterprise India a month-long initiative to promote entrepreneurship culture
in the country:
● Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shri Narayan Rane has inaugurated the
Ministry’s Mega Event: Enterprise India under the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
● “Enterprise India” is a series of commemorative entrepreneurship development events and
activities being organised from 27.04.2022 up to 27.05.2022 to promote entrepreneurship

culture and create awareness about the schemes and initiatives of the Ministry of MSME across
the country.
● The event is aimed at ‘Jan Bhagidari’ and some of the key activities include conferences with
Industry Associations, organizing Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes through Field
offices, demonstration of Nukkad Nataks in Aspirational Districts, special campaigns on Udyam
Registration, the launch of MSME Sustainable Zed Certification Scheme, conducting ‘MSME
Expedition’ in several States, organising MSME Mega Convention and Exhibition.
Cochin Shipyard to build India’s first home made Hydrogen-fuelled electric vessel:
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will to build the first indigenous hydrogen-fuelled
electric vessels at Cochin Shipyard Limited(CSL).
• Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced this while unveiling the government’s plan for
building the vessels in keeping pace with the global maritime green transitions at a workshop on
green shipping organised by the Ministry jointly with CSL and The Energy and Resources
Institute.
• The hydrogen fuel cell vessel based on Low Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane
Technology (LT-PEM) called Fuel Cell Electric Vessel (FCEV) is expected to cost around ₹17.50
crore of which 75 per cent would be funded by the Government.
• The project is expected to augment the efforts of the nation in achieving the Prime Minister’s
ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2070 and also in complying with the standards
set by International Maritime Organization (IMO) that envisages a reduction in carbon intensity
of international shipping by at least 40 per cent by 2030 and progressively to 70 per cent by
2050.
India to be 'Country of Honour' at Cannes Marche' Du Film:
● India will be the Official Country of Honour at the upcoming Marche’ Du Film, organised
alongside the Cannes Film Festival in France.
● The festival will be organised from the 17th of May.
● This was announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur during a press
conference in New Delhi.
● France and India are marking 75 years of their diplomatic ties and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s visit to Paris and meeting with President Macron take even more significance in this
context.
● It is a significant diplomatic backdrop that India has been chosen as the ‘Country of Honour’ at
Marche’ Du Film at the Cannes Film Festival.
● This is the first time that such an honour is being bestowed on any country.
PM Modi hails ties with Canada at the unveiling of Sardar Patel statue:
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the unveiling of a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - the
first in North America - in Canada as “a marker for relations between the two countries”.
● The bronze statue was unveiled at a programme at the Sanatan Mandir Cultural Center in the
town of Markham in the Greater Toronto Area with messages from the Prime Ministers of India
and Canada.
● This statue stands nine feet in height, atop a four-foot-high pedestal, and weighs approximately
1000kg
National Museum of Indian Cinema to host film festival on Satyajit Ray’s birth anniversary:
● On the 101st birth anniversary of Satyajit Ray, the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai
under the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry will host a three-day film festival at
various venues across India to screen films made by the legendary filmmaker.
● It will also screen films made on Satyajit Ray.
● The screening will be conducted free of cost on May 2, 3 and 4 in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,
Kolkata, Bengaluru and Pune.
● The National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai is organizing the film festival in association
with the National Film Development Corporation, Films Division, National Film Archives of India
and Doordarshan and supported by the Government of West Bengal and Arora Film Corporation
and Friends Communication
National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Bengaluru campus inaugurated by Amit Shah:
• Home Minister, Amit Shah inaugurates the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) campus in
Bengaluru.
● Home Minister Amit Shah, that the Narendra Modi government has pursued had a zero-
tolerance policy toward terrorism from day one.
● Inaugurating the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) premises at Bengaluru, Mr Shah said,
security requirements have changed significantly as compared to earlier challenges in terms of
data, scope, and complexity.
● There is a need for legal and security agencies to have automated, secure, and immediate
access to information obtained from reliable sources.
● The government has entrusted NATGRID with the task of developing and operating a state-of-
the-art and innovative information technology platform for accessing information from data
collection organizations.
Food processing minister launches three 'One District One Products' brands:
● Food Processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras has launched three 'One District,
One Product' brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro-Food Processing
Enterprises Scheme in New Delhi.
● The scheme aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the
unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector
and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations and Self-Help Groups.
● The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has signed an agreement with the National
Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India, NAFED for developing ten brands of
selected 20 'One District, One Product' under the branding and marketing component of the
scheme.
● Out of these, seven 'One District, One Product' brands and nine products have been
successfully launched in collaboration with NAFED.
● All the products are available on E-commerce platforms, and prominent retail stores across
India.
Govt prepares new draft National Youth Policy:
● The government has prepared a new draft National Youth Policy (NYP).
● The draft policy envisages a ten-year vision for youth development that the country seeks to
achieve by 2030.
● It is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and serves to unlock the potential of the
youth.
● The draft policy seeks to catalyse widespread action on youth development across five priority
areas including education, employment and entrepreneurship, youth leadership and
development, health, fitness and sports and social justice.
● The Department of Youth Affairs has sought comments and views on the draft policy from all
stakeholders.
“Enterprise India National Coir Conclave 2022” inaugurated by MSME Minister Narayan Rane:
● Union Minister for MSME Shri Narayan Rane and Minister of State for MSME Shri Bhanu Pratap
Singh Verma along with other State Ministers and senior officials inaugurated the ‘Enterprise
India National Coir Conclave 2022’ being organised under the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” at
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
● Shri Rane emphasized the development of new products and new applications of coir through
product development, product diversification& adoption of new technologies.
● This event is being organized with an idea to bring about a coordinated effort between the State
and Central Governments to promote the production of coir and coir products and to identify new
areas of application of coir.
PM Modi to address the inaugural session of “JITO Connect 2022”:
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the inaugural session of Jain International Trade
Organisation’s ‘JITO Connect 2022’ on 6th May 2022 through video conferencing.
● Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) is a global organisation connecting Jains
worldwide.
● JITO Connect is an endeavour to help business and industry by providing an avenue for mutual
networking and personal interactions.
● ‘JITO Connect 2022’ is a three-day event being organized at Gangadham Annex, Pune from
May 6 to 8 and will encompass multiple sessions on diverse issues relating to business and the
economy.
● PM Modi's tour to Europe comes at a time when the region is facing numerous trade, finance,
and geopolitical challenges due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
India's first Regional Rapid Transit System train set to be handed over to NCRTC at Savli in Gujarat:
● The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) will be receiving India's first semi-
high speed train set for Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) at Alstom's Savli in Gujarat.
● The event will be held in presence of the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Manoj
Joshi.
● The RRTS train sets are being manufactured under Make in India initiative and are capable of
running at a top speed of 180 kilometres per hour.
● NCRTC is the implementing agency of India's first RRTS corridor between Delhi-Ghaziabad-
Meerut.
● The construction work on the 82-kilometre-long corridor is in full swing.
● The 17 km long priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai is targeted to be commissioned
by 2023 and the full corridor will be fully operational by 2025.
India embarks on the World’s Largest Film Restoration Project:
● Minister of Information & Broadcasting Anurag Thakur has announced that the World's largest
film restoration project under National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) will begin with a budget of
INR 363 crores, which is awarded by the Ministry.
● National Film Heritage Mission in addition to restoration also involves the ongoing preservation
processes of film condition assessment, preventive conservation and digitization, with a total
allocated budget of INR 597 crores, which is one of the world's largest film preservation
missions.
● The restoration project now awarded is set to commence in full swing at NFAI.
● The process involves frame-to-frame digital and semi-automated manual picture and sound
restoration from the best surviving source material.
● Under NFHM, approximately 2,200 films will undergo restoration.
Three-day Utkarsh Mahotsav organized by Central Sanskrit University begins in New Delhi:
● Jagat Prakash Nadda has inaugurated the three-day Utkarsh Mahotsav being organized by
Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi.
● The government will leave no stone unturned to promote the Sanskrit language across the
country
● The centralisation of three Sanskrit Universities reflects PM Modi's strong commitment to
preserving and promoting the Sanskrit language across the nation.
● The event is being jointly organised by the Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, Shri Lal
Bahadur National Sanskrit University, New Delhi and National Sanskrit University, Tirupati.
● The main theme of this Mahotsav is 'Global Orientation of Sanskrit Studies in the New
Educational Era' Vice-Chancellors of 17 Sanskrit Universities, Scholars and a large number of
students participated in the event.
Tata Power Solar bags Rs 5,500 crores order from SJVN:
● Tata Power Solar Systems has won India's largest solar engineering procurement and
construction (EPC) order for a 1 GW project worth Rs 5,500 crore from state-owned SJVN Ltd.
● EPC order has been designed keeping in mind the innovative use of 'Make in India' cells and
modules.
● The project will be developed under the CPSU (central public sector undertaking) scheme of the
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy and will be completed within 24 months.
● Covering 5,000 acres of land in Rajasthan, this project aims at reducing around 22,87,128 kg of
carbon emission and is expected to generate around 2,500 million units annually.
● Tata Power Solar has always been a pioneer in the implementation and commissioning of such
large scale renewable projects.
● With this win of 1GW (gigawatt), the company's order booking crosses the Rs 12,000-crore mark
with a cumulative portfolio of more than 9.3 GW for utility-scale renewables projects.
Adani Wilmar beats HUL to become the largest FMCG company in India:
● Adani Wilmar Ltd (AWL) has trounced Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) from the position of largest
FMCG company in India.
● This became public after the announcement of the Q4FY22 results of Adani Wilmar.
● While sharing its Q4FY22 results, Adani Wilmar reported operating revenue of ₹54,214 crores in
FY22 whereas HUL's yearly revenue stands at ₹51,468 crores in FY2021-22.
● Adani Wilmar's major chunk of revenue has come from the edible oil business.
● The edible oil business has contributed around 84 per cent towards this Adani group's top line
and continued to drive AWL's sales throughout FY22.
● In FY22, Adani Wilmar's revenue from edible oil stands at ₹45,401 crores, logging around a 47
per cent YoY rise against ₹30,818 crore in FY21.
Supreme Court gets two new judges, set to regain full strength of 34:
● The Supreme Court is set to regain its full strength of 34 judges with two fresh appointments to
the top court
● The Supreme Court Collegium headed by CJI N.V. Ramana recommended the names of
Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Jamshed B. Pardiwala of the
Gujarat High Court for elevation to the apex court, the Union Law Ministry announced their
appointments
● The other members of the Collegium are Justices UU Lalit, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud
and L Nageswara Rao.
● Once they take the oath, the Supreme Court will regain its sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
● Justice Pardiwala will go on to serve as the CJI for over two years, sources aware of the
procedure to appoint members of the higher judiciary.
● Justice Dhulia, who will be the second judge to be elevated from Uttarakhand.
● He will have a tenure of a little over three years.
Website to encourage vernacular literature launched by LS Speaker Om Birla:
● Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla launched the Kalam website, a literary initiative by the Prabha
Khaitan Foundation (PKF) to support and encourage vernacular literature on May 7.
● The PKF is a Kolkata-based nonprofit trust, dedicated to socio-cultural welfare and humanitarian
causes.
● The Kalam website aims to popularize and provide a platform for veteran and young authors and
poets to talk about their writings and love for vernacular literature.
● Kalam was launched in the summer of 2015 in Patna and Jaipur.
● It has conducted over 550 sessions spread over 40 Indian cities and overseas since then.
● The sessions of Kalam are insightful and inspiring for authors and audiences who enjoy Hindi
literary creations.
● It is in sync with the philosophy of our nation, i.e. 'Unity in Diversity.
● The same is reflected in the tagline of Prabha Khaitan Foundation - 'Aapne Bhasha Aapne Log'.
Unemployment rate at 8.7% in October-December 2021: NSO survey
• The unemployment rate for persons of 15 years and above in urban areas slipped to 8.7 per
cent in October-December 2021 from 10.3 per cent in the year-ago quarter, showed a periodic
labour force survey by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in
the labour force.
• The unemployment rate for persons of age 15 years and above in July-September 2021 was 9.8
per cent in urban areas, the 13th Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
WEF to focus on emerging technologies to help small, marginal farmers:
● The World Economic Forum (WEF), in partnership with the Government’s think-tank Niti Aayog,
is focusing on putting emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things
(IoT), blockchain and drones, to better use to ensure they benefit farmers, particularly small and
marginal.
● Purushottam Kaushik, Head, Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (CFIR), World
Economic Forum (WEF).
● The CFIR was established three and a half years ago to assist core sectors such as agriculture,
health, urban transformation, urban space, and environment in leveraging the fourth industrial
revolution (4IR).
NITI Aayog’s AIM has released the AIM-PRIME Playbook to assist academics:
● The AIM-PRIME Playbook was launched at the Dr Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi.
● This event marks the culmination of the nationwide AIM-PRIME program, an initiative of Atal
Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, that is being implemented by Venture Center, Pune and is
supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Office of Principal Scientific Advisor.
● The AIM Program for Researchers in Innovation, Market Readiness, and Entrepreneurship
(PRIME) programme was designed to help bring early-stage science-based, deep technology
concepts to market over the course of a year using a blended learning curriculum.
● The PRIME Playbook, a guide for science-based entrepreneurs and undertakings, the PRIME
Library, a curated source of information shared by the program’s faculty and expert mentors, and
the PRIME Videos, an open-access video collection of the lectures delivered as part of the
PRIME Classroom, are among the other programme benefits.
Ministry of Tourism takes part in the Arabian Travel Market, Dubai-2022:
• The Ministry of Tourism under its 'Incredible India' brand line is participating in the Arabian
Travel Market (ATM), Dubai-2022 which is being held from 9th to 12th of May.
• It is showcasing India’s rich and diversified tourism potential and providing a platform to the
tourism stakeholders to showcase the various tourism destinations and products including Niche
products.
• Also, it is aimed to promote India as a ‘Must See, Must Visit’ destination.
• The India Pavilion is showcasing India as a '365-Day Destination' which is a year-round multi-
faceted tourist destination such as culture, adventure, cruise wildlife, wellness and medical
tourism.
• The India Pavilion was inaugurated in the presence of Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal
Maharaj and other dignitaries.
Jan Suraksha Scheme Completes 7 Years of Social Security:
● The three Jan Suraksha schemes of the Indian government, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana
(APY) has completed 7 years of providing social security with the commitment of recognizing the
necessity to protect human life from unanticipated risks and economic uncertainty.
● PMJJBY, PMSBY & APY were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9th May 2015
from Kolkata, West Bengal.
● The government launched two insurance schemes – Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
(PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) – to ensure that people from
the unorganised sector of the country are economically secure, as well as the Atal Pension
Yojana (APY) to cover the needs of the elderly.

● FM Nirmala Sitharaman gave an overview of providing welfare provisions to the poor and said
that under PMJJBY, the poorest of the poor can get a life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh for less
than 1 rupee per day and an accident insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh for less than 1 rupee per
month.
● By paying a minimum of Rs 42 a month, all citizens of the country between the ages of 18 and
40 can sign up to receive a pension after reaching the age of 60.
The government has released Rs 7,183.42 crore to 14 states as a revenue deficit grant:
● The central government has released Rs 7,183.42 crore as revenue deficit grant to 14 states
including Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab, Assam and Kerala.
● The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance released the money.
● This is the 2nd monthly instalment of the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant to
states.
● The grant has been released as per the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission
● The Fifteenth Finance Commission has recommended a total Post Devolution Revenue Deficit
Grant of Rs 86,201 crore to 14 states for the financial year 2022-23.
● The States which have been recommended Post Devolution Revenue Deficit grant by the
Fifteenth Finance Commission during 2022-23 are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh,
Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura,
Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
India elected as Chair of Association of Asian Election Authorities for 2022-24:
● India has been unanimously elected as the new Chair of the Association of Asian Election
Authorities (AAEA) for 2022-2024.
● The decision was taken at the Executive Board and General Assembly meeting in Manila, the
Philippines on May 7, 2022.
● Commission on Elections, Manila was the current chair of AAEA.
Election Commission of India
● The Election Commission of India 3-member delegation headed by Deputy Election
Commissioner Nitesh Vyas, along with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Manipur, Rajesh Agrawal,
and CEO Rajasthan, Praveen Gupta, attended the Executive Board meeting in Manila.
● They presented the work plan for 2022-23 as also futuristic activities for 2023-24 to the
Executive Board.
● Further, they also presented ‘Gender Issues in Elections’ which highlighted various interventions
by India to break socio-political barriers in electoral and political processes for inclusive and
participative elections.
About Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)
● The Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) was established in 1998, in pursuance of
the resolution passed by participants of the Symposium on Asian Elections in the 21st Century
held from January 26-29, 1997 in Manila, Philippines.
● The new member of the Executive Board now includes Russia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives,
Taiwan, and the Philippines. Currently, 20 Asian EMBs are members of AAEA.
● The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a founder member of the Election Management Body
(EMB) of the AAEA.
● India also served on the Executive Board of the AAEA as the Vice-Chair during 2011-13 and
Chaired during 2014-16.
RailTel launches PM-WANI based access to its Wi-Fi at 100 railway stations across the country:
● RailTel, a Mini Ratna PSU, has launched Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-
WANI) scheme based on access to its Public WiFi services across 100 railway stations across
the country.
● This public-friendly service was virtually launched by RailTel chairman and managing director
Puneet Chawla.
● To access this WiFi network, android users can download the mobile app ‘Wi-DOT’ available on
Google Play Store.
● This app has been developed in close coordination with C-DOT.
● This method of accessing Wi-Fi through the ‘mobile app’ will be in addition to the existing
method of accessing WiFi at these stations through the conventional method of selecting
RailWire Service Set Identifier (SSID).
About PM-WANI
• PM-WANI is an ambitious program of the Department of Telecom (DoT) to connect all silo Wi-Fi
networks for ease of use and proliferate broadband usage for the masses.
• The government further plans to extend the PM-WANI-based access of RailTel’s public Wi-Fi
services to all 6,102 railway stations in a phased manner by the end of June 2022.
PM Modi addresses ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’ in Bharuch:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’ in Bharuch, Gujarat via video
conferencing.
• The programme marks the celebration of 100% saturation of four key schemes of the state
government in the district, which will help provide timely financial assistance to those in need.
• Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, was present on the occasion.
About Utkarsh Initiative:
• The Bharuch district administration implemented this project from January 1 to March 31, 2022,
to provide full coverage of the four-state government plans for the aged, widowed, and
impoverished individuals.
About Four Key Schemes
Gujarat Ganga Swaroopa Aarthik Sahay Yojana
● This initiative was created to assist women who had lost their husbands in the state.
● This scheme provides financial assistance to women for them to care for their families.
Indira Gandhi Vrudh Sahay Yojana
● This scheme was launched to help all those beneficiaries who are aged 60 years and above and
belong to the Below Poverty Line category.
Niradhar Vrudh Aarthik Sahay Yojana
● This scheme was launched to help the destitute persons with disabilities as well as the destitute
old people of the state to lead dignified life by providing them with financial help.
Rashtriy Kutumb Sahay Yojana
● When the family living Below the Poverty Line's main breadwinner dies, the family members are
eligible for financial benefits under this scheme.
Indias first Khadi Centre of Excellence opens In Delhi:
● To enable Khadi Institutions across the country, the Ministry of MSME has established a Centre
for Experimentation, Innovation, and Design for the Khadi Village and Industries Commission
(KVIC).
● The objective of the Center is to design apparel, home items, and fashion accessories for people
of all ages.
● The Khadi Centre of Excellence's (CoEK) mission is to make Khadi a globally recognised,
traditional, and value-driven brand.
● Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane will inaugurate the first
Khadi Centre of Excellence in New Delhi.
● The ceremony will also be attended by the Minister of State for MSME Bhanu Pratap Singh
Verma, Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles U
P Singh, and Secretary, Ministry of MSME B.B Swain.
About Khadi Centre:
● A Khadi Centre of Excellence has been established in Delhi by the National Institute of Fashion
Technology, with spokes in Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Kolkata, and Shillong.
● Clothing, home furnishings, and accessories for individuals of all ages will be the focus of the
Centre of Excellence.
● At Mahatma Gandhi's request, Khadi fabric, which is hand-spun and hand-woven, became a
means for bringing people together, with thousands of individuals joining collectives to create
Khadi fabric and dress in comfortable apparel.
● The Khadi Village and Industries Commission has been tasked with developing, promoting,
organising, and implementing programmes to develop Khadi and other village industries in rural
regions, in collaboration with other rural development organisations as needed.
● Researchers are working on improving productivity and minimising drudgery in a variety of
areas, including the utilisation of non-conventional energy and electric power.
About MINISTERS:
● Union Minister for MSME: Narayan Rane
● Minister of State for MSME: Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma
● Minister of State for Textiles: Darshana Vikram Jardosh
India Contributes USD 800,000 To Promote the Hindi Language At UN:

● India has contributed USD 800,000 to the United Nations as part of the initiative to enhance
public outreach of the organisation in Hindi.
● Country's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, R Ravindra handed over a
cheque for the UN project launched by India in 2018 to disseminate information about the UN to
the Hindi-speaking population across the world.
● India contributed $800,000 for continuing to promote #Hindi@UN
About 'Hindi @ UN' project:
● 'Hindi @ UN' project, in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information was
launched in 2018 with an objective to enhance the public outreach of the United Nations in Hindi
language, and to spread greater awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-
speaking people around the world
● India has been partnering with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) since 2018
by providing an extra-budgetary contribution to mainstream and consolidate news and
multimedia content of DGC in Hindi
About UN:
● The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization whose purpose is to maintain
international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international
cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations
● Secretary general: António Guterres
Prime Minister's participation in the Second Global COVID Virtual Summit:
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had participated in the Second Global COVID Virtual Summit
at the invitation of the President of the U.S.A., Joseph R. Biden Jr.
● The Summit aims to inspire new measures to solve the COVID pandemic's ongoing difficulties
and to strengthen the global health security infrastructure.
● Prime Minister will deliver his remarks in the Opening Session of the Summit on the theme
Preventing Pandemic Fatigue and Prioritizing Preparedness.
● The session will be live-streamed from 1830 to 1945 hrs

● Prime Minister had also participated in the first Global COVID virtual Summit hosted by
President Biden on 22 September 2021.
Additional Information:
● The United States and other hosts invited Taiwan to attend the meeting, but China and Russia
declined.
● The WHO forecasts that 4.7 million people will die in India as a result of Covid-19 in 2020 and
2021, more than ten times what the government estimates, making India's death toll the highest
in the world.
● More than 30 countries attended the conference, which was co-hosted by the United States,
Belize, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal.
● The 2nd global climate conference, according to a press release from the US government,
resulted in more than $3 billion in additional financial pledges from participants, multilateral
organisations, and philanthropic organisations, on top of promises made in 2021 and 2022.
About WHO:
● Director General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
About the USA:
● Capital: Washington, D.C.
● President: Joe Biden
● Currency: United States Dollar
COP15 Session on combating desertification: Bhupender Yadav led the Indian delegation:
• The Indian delegation landed in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire, for the UN Convention on Combating
Desertification's 15th Conference of Parties, led by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and
Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav (UNCCD COP15).
• The Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification held its
fourteenth session in New Delhi, and India is the organization's current president.
About COP15 Session:
● Despite the covid outbreak, India made major contributions to bringing nations together to
achieve the global aim of preventing and reversing land degradation during its presidency.
● During India’s presidency, G-20 leaders, recognising the importance of countering land
degradation and developing new carbon sinks, set an aspirational goal of planting 1 trillion trees
collectively by 2030, urging other countries to join forces with the G20 to achieve this global
goal.
● The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which will take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire,
will bring together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society, and other key
stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in future sustainable land management
and to explore links between land and other key sustainability issues.
● These problems will be considered at the high-level phase and will include a Heads of States
Summit, high-level roundtables and interactive dialogue sessions, as well as a variety of
additional special and side activities.
● Drought, land restoration, and associated enablers including land rights, gender equality, and
youth empowerment are among the conference’s major priorities.
● COP15 is expected to galvanise sustainable solutions for land restoration and drought resilience
through resolutions made by the UNCCD’s 197 Parties, with a significant focus on future-
proofing land usage.
About UNCCD:
● The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in 1994 to
protect and restore our land and ensure a safer, just, and more sustainable future.
● The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the
effects of drought.
Amit Shah inaugurated the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory at CFSL in Hyderabad:
• The National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (NCFL) was established on the grounds of the Central
Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Hyderabad by Home Minister Amit Shah.
• The NCFL intends to speed up the resolution of cybercrime cases throughout the country.
• In December 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) authorised the establishment of the
NCFL for tracking purposes in the CFSL, Hyderabad.

About CFSL and NCFL:
• There are seven CFSLs in the country which have dedicated facilities for electronic forensics,
including computer and cyber forensics.
• A state-of-the-art NCFL has been established at CyPAD, Dwarka, New Delhi to provide early-
stage cyber forensic assistance to Investigating Officers (IOs) of State/UT Police.
• Cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories have been commissioned in 28 states/union territories,
namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim,
Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli,
Daman and Diu, Punjab, Assam, Tripura, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh,
Rajasthan and West Bengal
NITI Aayog has launched a National Data and Analytics Platform:
• NITI Aayog launched the National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP) for free public usage.
• The platform aims to democratise access to public government data by making data accessible,
interoperable, interactive, and available on a user-friendly platform.
• It organises and houses basic datasets from many government ministries, as well as provides
analytics and visualisation tools.
• This public debut follows the platform's beta rollout in August 2021, which offered a restricted
number of users access to testing and feedback.
• Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog Dr Anantha Nageswaran is the Government of India's Chief
Economic Advisor Mr Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, and other top officials from NITI
Aayog, several ministries and state governments, academicians, and researchers launched the
platform.
Niti Aayog:
• NDAP employs a use-case methodology to ensure that the datasets provided on the platform
are tailored to the needs of data users from government, academia, journalism, civil society, and
the private sector.
• All datasets have the same structure, making it easy to merge them and do cross-sectoral
analysis.
At the Incredible India International Cruise Conference, eight Memorandums of Understanding were
signed:
• Eight Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were signed at the first Incredible India
International Cruise Conference that was jointly organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
Waterways, the Government of India and FICCI.
• Strategies for developing India as a cruise hub, policy initiatives and port infrastructure, the
potential of river cruise tourism, and the role of technology in the post-pandemic world were
some of the key issues deliberated at the two-day event.
About First Incredible India International Cruise Conference 2022:
• An incredible two-day event The India International Cruise Conference highlighted the country's
burgeoning cruise tourism industry.
• First Incredible India International Cruise Conference 2022 is being organized by the Ministry of
Ports, Shipping & Waterways.
Objective:
• Incredible The India International Cruise Conference strives to promote India as a desirable
cruise destination.
• Highlight regional connectivity, encourage the construction of new destinations and attractions
such as lighthouses and disseminate information about India's cruise tourism readiness.
About Tourism Industry
• The Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Shipping have formed a dedicated task group for
cruise tourism.
• Sagarika: The International Cruise Terminal in Kochi was just inaugurated.
• It will be able to accommodate over 100,000 people.
• The Union Government's Central Financial Assistance Scheme has been promoting tourism
infrastructure development.
• Three Primary Programs for Tourist Infrastructure Development: The three major central
government schemes for the development of India's tourism sector are SWADESH DARSHAN,
PRASHAD, and Central Financial Assistance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shilanyas ceremony:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid an official visit to , at the request of Nepal's Prime
Minister, Shri Sher Bahadur Deuba, to coincide with the auspicious event of Vaishakha Buddha
Purnima.
• This was Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's fifth visit to Nepal, and his first to Lumbini.
During Visit:
● Both Prime Ministers paid a visit to the Mayadevi temple, which houses the birthplace of Lord
Buddha.
● The Prime Ministers made donations to the temple and attended Buddhist rites and prayers.
● The Prime Ministers lit lamps and paid a visit to the Ashoka Pillar, which has the first epigraphic
testimony of Lumbini being Lord Buddha's birthplace.
● They also watered the sacred Bodhi tree, which Prime Minister Modi donated to Nepal during his
visit in 2014.
● Both Prime Ministers Shri Narendra Modi and Sher Bahadur Deuba attended the "Shilanyas"
ceremony for the establishment of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and
Heritage on an International Buddhist Confederation site at Lumbini (IBC).
● The Lumbini Development Trust transferred ownership of the site to the IBC in November 2021.
● With a built-up area of 6300 square metres, it will be the first building in Nepal to achieve Net
Zero Emission using Radiant Cooling technology and water bodies. The total cost of the project
is expected to be Rs 9846.46 lakhs.
Name of the Guests:
● Prime Minister of Nepal: Shri Sher Bahadur Deuba
● Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation: Ms Pampha Bhusal
● Minister for Culture, Civil Aviation and Tourism: Mr Prem Bahadur Ale
● Minister for Education: Mr Devendra Paudel.
● Ministers for Home Affairs of Nepal: Mr Bal Krishna Khand
● Minister for Foreign Affairs: Dr Narayan Khadka

● Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation: Ms Renu Kumari Yadav
RailTel and WHO launch a mobile container hospital in Visakhapatnam:
● RailTel Corporation of India Ltd stated that they had created and established a "Health Cloud" at
the Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone premises in Visakhapatnam (AMTZ).
● The Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone (AMTZ) is the first integrated medical device
manufacturing cluster in the world.
● Louise Agersnap, Head of WHO Innovation Hub, WHO Geneva, officially opened the "Health
Cloud" at AMTZ.
● RailTel has also given complete technological support for the teleconsultation solution for the
Mobile Container Hospital, which was designed and manufactured in AMTZ with all of the
necessary Hospital setups for ready-to-operation in remote places.
About RailTel:
● RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. is an Indian public sector enterprise focusing on providing
broadband and VPN services
• RailTel is also providing cloud and connectivity support to the Electronic Medical Record
Alliance (EMRA) which is an important consortium formed to provide Hospital Information
System (HIS) solution to small entities for building EMR bringing everyone into the fold of the
digital health ecosystem.
• The consortium aspires to emerge as a Health Digital Data Fiduciary Services and Health
Information Exchange fully complying and seamlessly integrating into the ABDM ecosystem.
• Headquarters: India
• Founded: 26 September 2000
About WHO:
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 7 April 1948
• Head: Tedros Adhanom; (Director-General)
Prime Minister unveiled India's first 5G testbed, which is anticipated to cost Rs 220 crore:
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled India's first 5G testbed, allowing startups and
industry companies to test and certify their technology in-house rather than relying on foreign
facilities.
● The testbed cost roughly Rs 220 crore to build.
● While addressing the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's silver jubilee celebrations, the
Prime Minister stated that the 5G testbed is a big step toward self-reliance in the direction of
crucial and modern technology.
About 5G Network:
● The 5G testbed was developed as a joint effort by eight institutes, led by IIT Madras.
● Because the United States lacked a 5G testbed, entrepreneurs and other industry players had to
travel abroad to test and certify their products before they could be deployed on a 5G network.
● Other institutes involved in the research were IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur,
IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER),
and Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology.
Supreme Court has ordered the release of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination suspect:
• The Supreme Court applied Article 142 of the Constitution to extend exceptional powers to AG
Perarivalan, a convict in the killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to "perform thorough
justice in any cause or issue standing before it".
• A bench of justices led by Mr L.N. Rao and Mr B.R. Gavai discharged Perarivalan after
considering his lengthy detention.
About Perarivalan
● Perarivalan was imprisoned in solitary confinement for 29 of his 32 years before being granted
bail by the Supreme Court in March 2022.
● He was on death row for 16 years when the court reduced his sentence to life in prison in 2014.
● The court further noted that Perarivalan had filed his Article 161 clemency petition with the Tamil
Nadu Governor in 2015 and that the state cabinet had directed the state's chief executive to
accept it in September 2018.
Case History:
● On May 21, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a suicide bombing at a rally in Sriperumbudur,
Tamil Nadu.
● Perarivalan was arrested on June 11, 1991, at the age of 19.
● On January 28, 1998, 26 people, including Perarivalan and his co-accused Nalini, were
sentenced to death.
● Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, and Nalini's death sentences were upheld by the Supreme
Court on May 11, 1999.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw established the NIELIT Center in Leh, Ladakh:
● Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Cabinet Minister for Electronics and Information Technology,
Communications, and Railways, has inaugurated the National Institute of Electronics and
Information Technology (NIELIT) Centre Leh, Extension Centre Kargil, and IT Enabled
Incubation Centre for Handicraft and Handloom Sector.
Additional Info.:
● While inaugurating the NIELIT Centres in Leh and Kargil, as well as the Incubation Centre in
Leh, Union Minister Shri. Ashwini Vaishnaw reaffirmed the Hon'ble Prime Minister's commitment
to the development of the UT of Ladakh.
● The road of development in this area has opened up significantly with the repeal of Article 370
and the formation of the new UT.
● The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology would instantly approve any proposal
about IT Education, Training, and Incubation for the development of the UT of Ladakh.
● He also commended NIELIT for establishing the Leh and Kargil Centres, as well as the IT,
Enabled Incubation Centre in record time, which should be expanded at a faster rate.
West Central Railway has created the Navdoot, a battery-powered dual-mode locomotive:
● West Central Railway has created the Navdoot, a battery-powered dual-mode locomotive.
● This engine operates in two modes: battery and electricity.
● It is now being trialled during train shunting at Jabalpur, Mudwara, and other stations.
● The Railway Board also awarded this Dual Mode Locomotive the Best Innovation Award.
● With this new locomotive, railways will save 1000 litres of diesel every day.
● It will be utilised more widely once all of the trials are completed.
About Navdoot:
● This engine operates in two modes: battery and electricity.
● This e-engine has a top speed of 30 kmph and can pull 18 coaches.
● It currently has 84 batteries and a capacity of 400 tonnes.
● The Electric Department of New Katni Junction created this.
● After passing all testing, it will be utilised more widely at other stations for purposes such as
transporting products, coal, oil tankers, etc...,
About The West Central Railway
● Headquarters: Jabalpur
The Prime Minister's Office panel suggests an urban job guarantee scheme:
● The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has proposed that the
government adopt a guaranteed employment programme for city residents as well as a universal
basic income (UBI) scheme to eliminate income gaps.
● The research advised raising the minimum wage and expanding government investment in the
social sector to make vulnerable groups more robust to shocks and prevent them from falling
into poverty, citing the country's uneven income distribution.
About The Report:
• Given the disparity in labour force participation rates between rural and urban areas, the urban
equivalent of demand-based and guaranteed employment programmes such as MGNREGS
should be implemented so that surplus labour can be rehabilitated, according to the report titled
"The State of Inequality in India."
• It went on to say that raising the minimum wage and instituting universal basic income are two
proposals that can help bridge the income gap and ensure that salaries are allocated fairly in the
labour market.
EAC-PM Statement:
• According to the EAC-PM, the most important aspect of defining poverty in a multidimensional
context is documenting the mobility into and out of poverty.
• The wealthiest 1% of the population had 6-7% of total income produced in the three years to
2019-20, according to the results of the three rounds of the Periodic Labour Force Survey
(PLFS), with the top 10% possessing a third.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi established the Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy and
addressed it to the startup community via video conferencing at the Madhya Pradesh Startup
Conclave in Indore.
• The Prime Minister also unveiled the Madhya Pradesh Startup Portal, which would help and
promote the state's startup environment.
About the Startups:
● The event will be attended by Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as well as key officials
and entrepreneurs.
● According to the official, Madhya Pradesh has 1,937 start-ups recognised by the Union
government, with women running 45 per cent of them.
● Various pillars of the startup ecosystem will be represented at the Madhya Pradesh Startup
Conclave, including government and private sector policymakers, innovators, entrepreneurs,
academicians, investors, mentors, and other stakeholders.
Sessions included:
● A rapid mentorship event in which startups interacted with an educational institution and startup
community leaders.
● A discussion on how to create a startup in which policymakers helped companies.
● Entrepreneurs learned about several funding methods during a funding session.
● A pitching session where startups could work with investors and offer their ideas for funding.
● An ecosystem support session in which officials guided startups.
After the covid-19 pandemic, a new virus known as tomato flu was discovered in southern India:
• Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a new infection has been detected in parts of Kerala.
• According to the reports, this dangerous virus has hit almost 80 children in the Kollam city of
Kerala to date and it continues to rise.
• It is targeting children below the age of five years.
Tomato flu:
● Tomato flu or Tomato fever is a deadly virus that has been detected majorly in the southern part
of the country.
● Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the main states which have registered many cases from their local
government hospitals of this unidentified flu.
● To prevent this, local Aganwadi centres in the areas are shut and new campaigns related to its
awareness have started, where a team of 24 members is formed.
The Cotton Council of India, established by the government:
● The Union Government has announced the establishment of the Cotton Council of India, which
would be led by renowned veteran cotton man Suresh Bhai Kotak.
● Textile, Agriculture, Commerce, and Finance Ministries, as well as Cotton Corporation of India
and Cotton Research Institute, will be represented on the Council.
● Mr Goyal also urged the spinning and trade community to ensure a smooth supply of cotton and
yarn to the local industry first.
● The government is committed to protecting the interests of cotton farmers, spinners, and
weavers, and the Minister promised to actively consider the spinning sector's demand for duty
exemption on import contracts with bills of loading issued until September 30, 2022, in order to
address the current cotton shortage and logistical issues.
Regarding the Cotton Council of India (CCI):
• The council will deliberate, discuss, and establish a strong action plan to bring about actual
improvements in this subject.
• The statement was made during a meeting with cotton value chain stakeholders presided over
by Union Textiles Minister Mr Piyush Goyal.
India's Cotton Industry:
● Cotton yarn and fabrics account for around 23% of total textile and garment exports from India.
● In 2019-20, India produced 36.04 million bales of 170 kg cotton.
● Cotton yarn, cotton textiles, cotton made-ups, and handloom items exports totalled US$ 10.01
billion in 2019-20.
The BHARAT TAP project is unveiled during the Plumbex India Exhibition:
• Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Sh. Hardeep Singh Puri launched the
Plumbex India Exhibition ceremony.
• He also introduced the Bharat Tap initiative, which will produce low-flow fixtures and
sanitaryware to assist India in entering a new era of water conservation and sustainable growth.
• Plumbex India, a three-day event held in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan, is the country's largest
single exposition of plumbing, water, and sanitation goods.
About Plumbex India:
• It is a public awareness campaign promoting BIS Certified Water-Efficient Plumbing Fixtures
under IS 17650, Parts 1 and 2, which comprise Low Flow Sanitaryware and Sanitary Fittings that
reduce water dispensation at the source and save at least 40% of water.
• Water and energy will be saved since less water will be used for pumping, transportation, and
purification.
• Sh. Hardeep Singh Puri served the 'Nirmal Jal Prayas' at Plumbex India.
• Because it is vital to protect fossil water/underground water, NAREDCO Mahi is investigating
groundwater mapping through the Nirmal Jal Prayaas.
• The 'Nirmal Jal Prayaas' programme by NAREDCO Mahi will distribute and emphasise water
conservation advocacy, awareness, and amplification.
The Madame Tussauds Museum will open in Noida:
• Madame Tussauds' wax museum is returning to India.
• The museum will be housed in a mall in Noida.
• The new venue will showcase 50 Indian and worldwide celebrities from sports, entertainment,
history, and music.
• Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with celebrities as well as some of their most
iconic moments at Madame Tussauds India.
About Madame Tussauds:
● The museum debuted in Connaught Place, Delhi, in 2017, but had to close due to the epidemic.
● The DLF Mall of India, one of the country's largest retail malls, would be its new home.
● The museum is open to the public under strict anti-Covid regulations.
● Madame Tussauds, which first opened her doors in London in 1835, has a 200-year history and
legacy.
● Madame Tussauds sculptors use the same techniques as the famed Marie Tussaud to create
each figure.
● A single life-like figure takes an artist at least 12 weeks to create.
The fourth meeting of the National Startup Advisory Council was presided over by Shri Piyush Goyal:
• The 4th meeting of the National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) was presided over by Shri
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution, and Textiles.
• The Minister assured the crowd that the government will continue to support the growth of the
startup ecosystem.
• He applauded the work of NSAC members and encouraged them to focus on tier 2 and tier 3
areas, where VC funding is rare.
About the Startups:
• Shri Piyush Goyal emphasised the significance of building capability and increasing awareness
of the government's many programmes to support startups in such cities.
• Members of the council have also travelled across the country, meeting with entrepreneurs and
students at educational institutions to better understand and promote the startup ecosystem.
• The Council covered crucial issues of the startup ecosystem, such as retaining original promoter
ownership, incorporating in India, listing in India, and establishing innovation hubs.
• Members also discussed progress on prior NSAC-discussed programmes such as the National
Mentorship Program, Investor-Startup Matchmaking Portal, and Incubator Capacity
Development Program.
• The Minister also announced the launch of the NavIC Grand Challenge, which will encourage
the usage of NavIC as a geo-positioning system.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launches the 'Padhe Bharat' reading campaign:
● Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has begun the 'Padhe Bharat' 100-day
reading campaign.
● The introduction of the 100 Days Reading Campaign aligns with the National Education Policy
(NEP) 2020, which emphasises the promotion of joyful reading culture for children by providing
the availability of age-appropriate reading books for children in their native/mother
tongue/regional/tribal language.
● While launching the campaign, the Minister emphasised the importance of reading for
youngsters to enable continuous and lifelong learning.
● He also emphasised that instilling the habit of reading at a young age aid in brain growth,
develops imagination, and provides a suitable learning environment for youngsters.
About the Padhe Bharat campaign:
● The Padhe Bharat campaign would target youngsters from Balvatika through Grade 8.
● The reading campaign will last 100 days (14 weeks), beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending
on April 10, 2022.
● The reading campaign intends to involve all stakeholders at the national and state levels,
including children, teachers, parents, community members, educational administrators, and so
on.
● One activity each week per group has been devised to make reading fun and instil a lifetime love
of reading.
● This initiative is also in line with the basic Literacy and Numeracy mission's vision and goals.
Nirmala Sitharaman chairs over the 7th Annual Meeting of the NDB Board of Governors:
• Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs and India's Governor
for the New Development Bank (NDB), presided over the 7th Annual Meeting of the Board of
Governors of NDB via video conference in New Delhi.
• Governors/Alternate Governors from Brazil, China, Russia, South Africa, and recently admitted
members Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates also attended the meeting (UAE).
About the meeting:
• This year's NDB Annual Meeting, which was hosted/chaired by India, was held virtually.
• This year’s theme for the Annual Meeting was “NDB: Optimising Development Impact”, which is
particularly important and relevant in the current global economic scenario.
Meeting highlights include:

● In view of India's 75th anniversary of independence this year, the Union Finance Minister stated
that the country's economic growth in the current fiscal year has been healthy and is expected to
be 8.9 percent, the highest among all large economies.This illustrates India's tenacity and quick
recovery.
● Smt. Sitharaman expressed optimism that India will maintain its high growth rate in the current
and following fiscal years.
● Smt. Sitharaman emphasised that the NDB has proven significant outcomes within its primary
mandate while acknowledging the NDB's achievements and progress over the last six years.
● The Union Finance Minister also lauded the work achieved in establishing the India Regional
Office in Gift City, Gujarat.
Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan launched the North East Research Conclave 2022:
● The North East Research Conclave (NERC) 2022 was launched at IIT Guwahati by Shri
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
● When addressing about the importance of research, the education minister noted that the
purpose of research should be to find solutions to the country's chronic problems and to
encourage everyone to join together, work together, and produce for the welfare of the most
vulnerable.
● According to him, NERC 2022 will be a global benchmark for accomplishing India's and the
world's research and development goals.
● Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, emphasised in his consideration that R&D
is vital for a rapidly rising country like India.
● This massive event will have a tremendous impact on the educational sector in the region.
India Celebrates 250th Birth Anniversary of Raja Ram Mohan Roy:
● The Ministry of Culture honoured Raja Ram Mohan Roy's 250th birth anniversary with the Azadi
ka Amrit Mahotsav.
● On May 22, 2022, the Ministry of Culture will have an inaugural ceremony.
● The inaugural ceremony was held at the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation in Salt Lake,
Kolkata, as well as the Science City Auditorium.
● It was Raja Ram Mohan Roy's 250th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the Raja Ram Mohan
Roy Library Foundation.
● Several ministers, including West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar, attended the opening
ceremony.
● G Kishan Reddy, the union minister of culture, tourism, and development of the North-eastern
Region (DoNER), also attended the ceremony remotely.
About His Contribution and Reforms:
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy was born in Radhanagar, West Bengal's Hooghly District.
• He completed his higher education at Patna.
• During this period, he studied Persian and Arabic. He studied the Vedas, Upanishads, and
Hindu philosophy in Varanasi after reading the Qur'an.
• He also studied Islam and Christianity.
• He founded the Atmiya Sabha in 1814, the Calcutta Unitarian Association in 1821, and the
Brahmo Samaj in 1828.
• He battled for women's rights, including the ability of widows and widowers to remarry and the
right of women to own property.
• His tireless efforts resulted in the abolition of Sati Pratha in India in 1829.
• He also opposed caste, untouchability, superstition, and the usage of intoxicants.
• His revolts targeted child marriage, female illiteracy, and polygamy.
• He also founded the Bengali periodical Sambad Kaumudi, which tried to denigrate sati.
Indian Railways and IIT Madras Join Forces to Build India's First Hyperloop:
● The Ministry of Railways has announced collaboration with IIT Madras to create a made-in-India
Hyperloop system.
● It has also announced the establishment of a Hyperloop Technology Centre of Excellence at the
aforementioned institution.
● Since 2017, India has demonstrated interest in Hyperloop technology, led by then-Railway
Minister Mr Suresh Prabhu.
● In addition, the ministry held discussions with the US-based Hyperloop One, but nothing came of
it.
Hyperloop:
4. Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation concept in which pressurised vehicles (or pods) travel
via a low-pressure tunnel, allowing for nearly no resistance movement through the atmosphere,
akin to air travel.
5. Consider an aircraft-like speed on land, travelling through low-pressure tunnels from one
terminal to another.
6. The pods would move using mag-lev technology, which would allow for a frictionless journey.
Hyperloop in India:
● Avishkar Hyperloop, founded in 2017 at IIT Madras, has been working on scalability and cost-
effective engineering concepts for the creation of a Hyperloop-based transportation system for
India.
● The team finished as one of the top 10 finalists in the 2019 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod competition,
the only Asian team to do so.
● They were also given the 'Most Scalable Design Award' during the 2021 European Hyperloop
Week.
● In March 2022, the university addressed the Ministry of Railways with a proposal for
collaborative work on a prototype as well as the creation of a first-of-its-kind Hyperloop Test
facility at its Discovery campus in Thaiyur, Tamil Nadu
Dr Jitendra Singh Announces the Launch of the 'BioRRAP' Portal for Biotech Researchers:
● Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh introduced the Single National Portal for Biotech Researchers
and Start-ups, in keeping with the One Nation, One Portal ethos.
● BioRRAP will be used by anyone seeking regulatory approval for biological research and
development in the country.
● According to the Minister, biotechnology has swiftly become a viable academic and career
alternative for Indian youngsters.
● There are currently over 2,700 biotech start-ups and over 2,500 biotech firms operating in the
country.
About 'BioRRAP' Portal Launch:

● Dr Jitendra Singh remarked following the portal's launch that India is on pace to become a global
bio-manufacturing hub and will rank among the top five countries in the world by 2025.
● He further stated that the Portal will allow stakeholders to view the approvals granted to a single
application by utilising a unique BioRRAP ID.
● He praised DBT's one-of-a-kind gateway for making science and scientific research more
accessible to Indians and making it simpler to start businesses.
ONGC is the first Indian exploration and production company to trade domestic gas:
● The state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is the first gas producer to sell
domestic gas on the Indian Gas Exchange, exchanging unspecified amounts from the KG-DWN-
98/2 block off India's coast.
● ONGC announced in a statement that output will be steadily increased.
● ONGC created history when it became the country's first exploration and production (E&P)
business to sell domestic gas on the Indian Gas Exchange.
About ONGC:
• Anurag Sharma, ONGC Director (Onshore) and In-charge Marketing executed the first online
deal on India's first automated national level Gas Exchange, IGX.
• The gas swapped originated from the ONGC Krishna Godavari 98/2 block, however, the quantity
sold was not specified.
• ONGC has planned to benefit from the liberalisation of the gas price ecosystem between 2000
and 21.
The Prime Minister-led Inter-State Council has been reconstituted:
● The Inter-State Council, which works to promote and support cooperative federalism in the
country, has been reconstituted with Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi as chairman and chief
ministers of all states and six Union ministers as members.
● Ten union ministers will be the permanent invitees to the Inter-State Council
● The government has also reconstituted the standing committee of the Inter-State Council with
Union Home Minister Shri. Amit Shah as chairman.
● While the prime minister is the chairman, chief ministers of all states and Union Territories
having a legislative assembly and the administrators of UTs not having a legislative assembly
have been made members.
Members Of the Council
• Mr Rajnath Singh, Mr Amit Shah, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Mr Narendra Singh Tomar, Mr
Virendra Kumar, Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, Mr Nitin Gadkari, Shri S Jaishankar, Shri Arjun Munda,
Shri Piyush Goyal, Mr Dhamendra Pradhan, Shri Pralhad Joshi, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, Mr
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Mr Kiren Rijiju and Mr Bhupender Yadav.
The composition of the standing committee of the Inter-State Council:
● Shri Amit Shah (chairman), and the members include Union ministers Smt Nirmala Sitharaman,
Mr Narendra Singh Tomar, Mr Virendra Kumar and Mr Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
● The chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab
and Uttar Pradesh are also members of the standing committee of the Inter-State Council.
● The standing committee will have continuous consultation and process matters for consideration
of the council, and process all matters pertaining to centre-state relations before they are taken
up for consideration in the inter-state council.
● The standing committee also monitors the implementation of the decisions taken on the
recommendations of the council and considers any other matter referred to it by the chairman of
the council.
The ABHA smartphone app has been improved by the National Health Authority:
● The National Health Authority's Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has introduced a revamped
Ayushman Bharat Health Account, ABHA smartphone application to handle health records.
● According to the Union Health Ministry, the ABHA app, formerly known as the NDHM Health
Records app, is now available for download from the Google Play Store and has already had
over four lakh downloads.
● The ABHA app has been updated with a new User Interface and new functions that allow users
to see their health records from any time and anywhere.
About ABHA App:
● Existing users of the ABHA app can also update to the most recent version of the app.
● Users can create an ABHA address, which is a simple username that can be linked to the 14-
digit ABHA number generated at random, using the ABHA mobile application.
● Users can also link their Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission-compliant health records and access
them on their smartphones via the mobile application.
● The platform also provides for the self-uploading of physical health records as well as the
interchange of digital health documents such as diagnostic reports, medications, and CoWIN
immunisation certificates after an individual's approval.
Centre launches Swachh Survekshan 2023:
• Under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, the Union Government of India has launched the
Eighth Edition of Swachh Survekshan – SS-2023.
• Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, unveiled it at a virtual
event in New Delhi.
• Swachh Survekshan- 2023 is curated to achieve circularity in waste management, with the idea
of 'Waste to Wealth' as its driving philosophy.
• The survey would prioritize the three R’s: Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse.
• As a result, in SS-2023, the evaluation will take four phases rather than the three in previous
editions.
Param Porul supercomputer inaugurated at NIT Tiruchirappalli:
• A supercomputer named Param Porul was inaugurated at NIT Tiruchirappalli under National
Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
• The NSM is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• To support computational research, the Param Porul supercomputing facility was established
under phase two of the national supercomputing initiative.
About Param Porul:
• The Param Porul uses direct contact liquid cooling technology to achieve high power utilization
effectiveness while lowering operational costs.
• For the advantage of researchers, multiple applications from diverse scientific areas such as
Weather and Climate, Bioinformatics, Computational Chemistry, Molecular Dynamics, Material
Sciences, Computational Fluid Dynamics, and so on have been installed on the system.
• To meet the computing needs of various scientific and engineering applications, the system is
outfitted with a mix of CPU nodes, GPU nodes, high memory nodes, high throughput storage,
and high-performance Infiniband connectivity.
MeitY hosts Digital India BHASHINI brainstorming session:
• Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship, attended a brainstorming session on Mission Digital India
BHASHINI - the National Language Translation Mission, organized by MeiTY (NLTM).
• Startups are an important part of our digital ecosystem, and Mission Digital India Bhashini will
assist them in developing India-specific and Indian Languages enabled IT solutions.
Highlights:
• Multilingualism offers huge opportunities for businesses to develop unique solutions and
products that can benefit all Indian inhabitants, regardless of their native language.
• To fulfil the aims of Digital India, enabling access to knowledge resources and digital
empowerment of citizens is a top priority.
• The Hon'ble Minister of State highlighted his aim to digitally connect all Indians and encourage
their digital inclusion by overcoming linguistic barriers on the Internet using AI/NLP.
About BHASHINI:
• The mission's purpose is to empower Indian citizens by connecting them to the country's digital
efforts in their native language, leading to digital inclusion.
• Bhashini is an open platform that will power the entire Digital Ecosystem.
• To encourage startup participation, a brainstorming meeting was organized via video
conferencing.
• A lot of renowned entrepreneurs operating in the Indian language space attended the
conference.
• Mission Digital India Bhashini also aims to considerably improve material in Indian languages on
the Internet in areas of public interest, such as governance and policy, science and technology,
and so on, to encourage Indians to use the Internet in their language.
The Central Advisory Board on Archaeology was re-established by the government:
• The Central Advisory Board on Archaeology (CABA), which was constituted seven years ago to
strengthen relations between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and those involved in
archaeological research, has been re-established.
• The ASI recreated the board, with the culture minister serving as chairwoman and members
including Culture Ministry and ASI officials, MPs, State government nominations, university
representatives, scientists, and Indus Valley script experts.
Key points:
• It was reconstituted for a three-year term to promote closer contact between the Archaeological
Survey of India and Indian universities conducting archaeological research, as well as other
institutions conducting studies related to the application of archaeological principles, and to
provide for a closer association of learned societies in India with the ASI's activities.
• Former ASI Director-Generals will also serve on the board, as will five individuals who have
been selected by the Government of India in their capacity.
PM Modi has inaugurated India’s biggest drone festival: Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 in New Delhi
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched India's largest drone festival in Delhi, while he
visited with Kisan drone pilots and saw open-air drone demos.
• The 'Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022' is set to be a two-day event on May 27 and 28.
• The festival is being held amid the government's push for extensive use of drones in various
fields, including agriculture.
• The prime minister will meet with Kisan drone pilots, observe open-air drone demos, and meet
with startups at the drone exhibition center.
• Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia released a drone experience studio at the state-run
think tank NITI Aayog where he unveiled two policies. These include Drone Shakti and Kisan
Drone.
About the Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022:
• More than 1600 delegates, including government officials, military forces, central armed police
forces, Public Sector Units (PSUs), foreign embassies, commercial corporations, and drone
startups, will attend the Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022.
• Around 70 exhibitors will display diverse drone use cases at the Drone Festival.
• The Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 will include a virtual awarding of drone pilot certifications,
panel talks, product launches, a display of a 'Made in India' Drone Taxi prototype, and flying
demonstrations, among other things.
India to introduce made in India TB infection skin test called “c-TB” in New Delhi
• According to Health Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, India will introduce a newly approved
"made in India" TB infection skin test dubbed "c-TB".
• This low-cost tool will be extremely beneficial to other high-burden countries as well.
• This year, a new effort called "Adopt people with TB" will be launched, which will call on
corporates, industries, organizations, political parties, and individuals to come forward and adopt
TB-infected people and families, providing nutritional and social support.
• The minister addressed the 35th board meeting of the Stop TB Partnership through video-
conferencing.
• 'Made in India' skin test for TB to be a free disease by 2025
Additional Info:
• Among these include 'bidirectional testing' of tuberculosis with Covid, house-to-house TB
detection campaigns, scaling up of rapid molecular diagnostics at sub-district levels, the use of
artificial intelligence and digital tools, the 'Jan Andolan,' and, most critically, the decentralization
of TB services to Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWAs) as part of
comprehensive primary healthcare.
• Mandaviya congratulated Minister of Health of Indonesia Budi Gunadi Sadikin for being a
champion in prioritizing TB under the Indonesia Presidency of G20.
• India saw a 19 percent increase in new and relapsed tuberculosis (TB) patients in 2021
compared to the previous year, according to the annual India TB report.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the 40th PRAGATI Interaction:
• Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, has asked infrastructure agencies to coordinate
their initiatives with the water bodies being built as part of the Amrit Sarovar project.
• Mr. Modi added that this would be a win-win situation because the material required for the Amrit
Sarovar could be utilized for public works by the agencies.
• The Prime Minister presided over the 40th edition of PRAGATI, a multi-modal ICT-based
platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation that brings together the Centre
and State governments.
• Up to the 39 editions of PRAGATI meetings, 311 projects having a total cost of 14.82 lakh
crore have been reviewed
About The Interactions:
• Nine agenda items were reviewed during the meeting, including eight projects and one program.
• The overall cost of these eight projects across 14 states is estimated to be roughly 59,900
million rupees.
• Among the eight projects, two projects each were from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of
Road Transport & Highways, and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas along with one project
each from the Ministry of Power and Department of Water Resources, River Development, and
Ganga Rejuvenation.
• Among the states engaged are Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram,
Nagaland, and Sikkim.
• During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the 'National Broadband Mission'
program.
• States and agencies were urged to use the centralized Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal to expedite
the processing of Right of Way (RoW) applications.
• According to the Prime Minister, states may also develop state-level GatiShakti Master Plans
based on the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and establish state-level organizations for this
purpose.
3rd Global Organic Expo 2022 3-day event Begins at IARI, Pusa, New Delhi
• The 3rd Global Organic Expo 2022,3 days from may 26-28 2022 is poised to become a major
platform for producers, aggregators, processors, value chain integrators, and organic partners
by organizing a world-class conference, with the relevant theme “Profitability for Humanity” in
New Delhi.
• More than 200 organic product and service companies participated in the previous events.
• It provides a great opportunity to introduce work in the field of organic agriculture to the world.
• Krishi Jagran is the official media partner and set up a stall at the Expo to meet with numerous
farmers & companies working in the Agricultural field.
Directed by:
• iCONEX is a leading technology conference, trade show, consumer exhibition, and live concert
organization that embodies the spirit of innovation and dynamism and believes in creating
immersive experiences.
• Focuses on bringing together people from different fields under one platform.
• iCONEX are event experts in creating platforms for thought leaders and industry stakeholders to
meet, connect, and inspire each other with fresh and innovative ideas. born of outstanding
commercial activities.
Objectives of Global Organic Expo:
• Reduce costs and achieve sustainable productivity through certified organic products and
develop the capacity of organic production systems
• Organic products will focus on creating commercial links between producers and traders with the
ultimate goal of increasing income without any chemical inputs.
• Field and people: Organic Expo allows all organic customers, suppliers, partners, and potential
new customers to meet face-to-face in a very comfortable way.
• Global Organic Expo is a platform to discover new customers and the opportunity to interact
directly with existing customers, suppliers, and partners.
• This event will be a 360-degree approach to understanding the competition and analyzing the
market
Import of paper brought under compulsory registration from October 1
• The import policy for key paper products has been changed from free to free with mandatory
registration under the Paper Import Monitoring System.
• The ministry of commerce and industry said the government’s import policy of major paper
products has been amended from ‘Free’ to ‘Free subject to compulsory registration under Paper
Import Monitoring System’
• The DGFT published a statement about this effect.
• Newspaper printing, craft paper, wallpaper background, copy paper, coated paper, parchment,
carbon paper, uncoated paper, printing and offset paper, tissue paper, wallpaper, envelopes,
toilet paper, cardboard, book accounts, labels, rolls, and other paper products are covered by
this order.
• This policy will apply to all incoming imports.
Additional info:
• Currency paper, bank bonds, cheque paper, security printing paper, and other paper goods are
exempt from this policy change.
• A substantial percentage of paper products are imported under the Others Tariff Lines category.
• In this category, the measure will also help promote Make in India and Atmanirbhar.
• For the installation of the Paper Import Monitoring System (PIMS), a user-friendly interface was
built.
• By paying a registration cost of Rs. 500/-, any importer will be able to get an automated
registration number online.
• The importer must apply for registration between the 75th and the 5th day before the projected
arrival date of the import shipment.
• The automatic registration number issued in this manner is valid for 75 days.
• Online facility of registration will be available from 15.07.2022
Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurates India’s first ‘Lavendar Festival’ in Bhaderwah:
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the country's first "Lavender Festival" in Jammu's
Bhaderwah, where the cultivation of lavender transformed the economy of the mountainous
region.
• Bhaderwah in the Doda district is the birthplace of India's Violet Revolution.
• The minister described Bhaderwah in the Doda district as the cradle of India's purple revolution
• The Purple or Lavender Revolution was launched in 2016 by the Union Ministry of Science &
Technology through the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Aroma Mission.
Under the mission:
• The original farmers were given the lavender plants for free while those who had planted the
lavender were charged Rs 56 per sapling.

• The mission promotes the cultivation of aromatic plants for their essential oils which is in high
demand by the aromatherapy industry.
• More than 800 progressive farmers of Doda have adopted aromatic cultivation which is now
proved to be profitable.
• The mission was aimed to increase lavender cultivation to 1,500 hectares by 2024.
• At J&K, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Institute of
Integrative Medicine, Jammu (IIIM Jammu) are the two bodies responsible for advancing
Aroma's mission.
Important Points:
• Lavender changed the destiny of farmers in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the ‘Aroma Mission
or Purple Revolution’, a central government initiative to change the lives of communities. farmers
in UT.
• The Purple or Lavender Revolution was launched in 2016 by the Union of Ministries of Science
and Technology through the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Taste Mission.
• The goal of the mission is to support the national agro-economy based on aromatic plants by
switching from imported aromatic oils to local varieties.
• Lavender cultivation is practiced in most of the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shri Rajnath Singh approves new Defence Estates Circle for Uttarakhand:
• Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has endorsed the proposal to establish a new
defense ring dedicated to Uttarakhand.
• Due to the difficulties encountered in managing the vast defense lands in the state and the
needs of the residents of the Uttarakhand Cantonment, the Ministry of Defence will establish an
independent Defence Neighbourhood Office in Dehradun and an office sub in Ranikhet.
• The establishment of the new Defence Residence for Uttarakhand is a big step in bringing the
government closer to the people, in line with the goal of ‘ease of living and ‘ease of doing
business
About the Defence Estates Circle:
• The establishment of a new Defence Lands Circle in Dehradun specifically for Uttarakhand will
provide residents/organizations with prompt and timely access to various Defence Lands
management services.
• To further decentralize the governance structure, Raksha Mantri also approved the creation of a
subsidiary office in Ranikhet under the administrative management of Defence Estates
Dehradun to deal exclusively with six districts in the Kumaon region of the state.
• Previously, the entire defense land and states of Uttarakhand were covered by two separate
defense lands with headquarters at Meerut and Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.
India has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world: PM Modi
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced that India has become one of the world’s fastest-
growing economies.
• He was addressing an occurrence where he announced the PM-CARES for Children’s
Scheme’s benefits.
• Within the midst of the pandemic’s negative mood, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that
India relied on its strength.
• Prime Minister Modi transferred scholarships to school-going children. Also, a passbook of PM
CARES for Children, and a Health card under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana was handed over to children during the program.
• Under this PM-CARES scheme, PM Modi helped children with someone's needs education
loans for higher education. and they will give monthly Rs 4000 for children daily needs.
• Apart from Rs 10 lakh on attaining the age of 23 years, the children will be given health
coverage through the Ayushman Card and emotional counseling through the ‘samvad helpline’
for psychological and emotional help.
Additional info:
• India was confident in its scientists, doctors, and youth. And, rather than being a source of
anxiety, we emerged as a source of hope for the world. India did not become a problem; rather,
we became a solution provider.
• No one could have imagined India's successes in the last eight years, according to the Prime
Minister.
• India's pride in the world and its power in international forums have grown in recent years.
• India's economic growth prediction for 2022 has been lowered from 9.1 percent to 8.8 percent by
Moody's Investors Service, citing high inflation.
• According to Moody's Global Macro Outlook 2022-23, high-frequency data suggests that the
growth momentum from the December quarter of 2021 carried over into the first four months of
2022.
Ease of living: Common platform called Jan Samarth is to be launched soon
• To make life easier for the average man, the government plans to develop Jan Samarth, a
unified platform for the implementation of several initiatives run by several ministries and
departments.
• As part of the Shri Narendra Modi government's goal of minimal government maximum
governance, the new portal will first enroll 15 credit-linked government activities.
Key points:
• Because some of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes incorporate many agencies, the services
will be gradually expanded based on compatibility.
• Initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme
are handled by several ministries.
• The planned site attempts to bring together many programs on a single platform so that
beneficiaries can conveniently access them.
• The State Bank of India and other lenders are conducting pilot tests and cleaning up loose ends
in preparation for the formal launch.
• Various state-owned banks can now approve loans for MSMEs and other borrowers in principle
in 59 minutes, compared to the previous turnaround time of 20-25 days.
Jet Airways Gets DGCA approval To Start Commercial Flights:
• Jet Airways has been given an air operator's authorization by the DGCA (Directorate General of
Civil Aviation).
• After more than three years of being grounded, the airline will be able to resume commercial
flight operations.
• The airline received certification after conducting proving flights for the safety regulator between
May 15 and May 17.
• The airline intends to launch service in the second quarter, between July and September.
• It will be a full-service airline that will offer both business and economy classes.
About the Approval:
• Jet Airways has met all of the pre-conditions set by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)
as part of the insolvency process for the transfer of ownership of the airline to the successful
resolution applicant, a consortium consisting of UAE-based NRI Murari Lal Jalan and London-
based Kalrock Capital Management.
• The NCLT authorized the Jalan-Kalrock consortium's resolution plan for Jet Airways' rebirth in
June.
• They recommended a cash injection of Rs 1,375 crores into the airline, with Rs 475 crores going
to creditors and Rs 900 crores going to CAPEX and working capital.
About Jet Airways
• CEO: Sanjiv Kapoor
• Founder: Naresh Goyal
• Established: 1 April 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai.
IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Russia Withdraws From UN World Tourism Organization Amid Ukraine War
● The UN World Tourism Organization announced that Russia has decided to withdraw from the
United Nations Tourism body.
● On April 27, 2022, The decision to suspend the country from the world tourism organization must
be approved by two-thirds of its 159 member states at a two-day general assembly which got
underway.
About UNWTO :
• Founded : 1 November 1975
• Headquarters : Madrid, Spain

• Secretary General : Zurab Pololikashvili
• The UNWTO is the United Nations specialized agency entrusted with the promotion of
responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
PM Modi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chair sixth edition of IGC in Berlin; Also hold bilateral
discussion@narendramodi
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chaired the sixth edition
of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations-IGC in Berlin.
● This was the Prime Minister’s first IGC with Chancellor Scholz and also the first such
Government-to-Government consultations of the new German Government, which assumed
office in December last year.
● Both leaders reviewed the full range of bilateral ties between India and Germany, including
giving an impetus to trade as well as cultural linkages.
● Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Scholz signed the Joint Declaration of Intent establishing
the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership.
● This Partnership envisages a whole-of-government approach to India-Germany cooperation on
SDGs and climate action, under which Germany has agreed to make an advance commitment of
10 billion Euros of new and additional development assistance until 2030.
PM Narendra Modi attends second India-Nordic Summit in Denmark:
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit along with Prime
Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway.
● The summit is being hosted by Denmark.
● Mr Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir,
Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and
Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
● The India Nordic Summit will help in expanding India's multifaceted cooperation with the Nordic
region.
● It will focus on subjects like post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovation and
technology, renewable energy, the evolving global security scenario and India-Nordic
cooperation in the Arctic region.
About India-Nordic Summit
● The 1st India-Nordic Summit took place in 2018 in Stockholm.
● The 2018 India-Nordic Summit reiterated the six countries’ commitment to global security,
economic growth, innovation and climate change.
About Denmark
• Capital: Copenhagen
• Currency: Danish krone
• Prime Minister: Mette Frederiksen
Bangladesh unveils a new gas field of 20 MMCFD capacity
● Bangladesh has discovered a new gas field with the capacity to produce 20 million cubic feet of
gas per day (MMCFD) at the Koilastila Gas field.
● The announcement was made by the State Minister for power, energy and mineral resources
Nasrul Hamid.
● It will be possible to supply 17-19 million cubic feet of gas daily to the national grid from the
newly discovered well number 6 by May 10.
● The remaining extractable gas reserves of the Lower Gas Sand Zone at Koilashtila Field are 758
billion cubic feet.
About Koilastila Gas field :
● Koilastila Gas Field is one of the five gas fields purchased from the Shell Oil company by
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 for just 4.5 million pounds.
● So far 7 wells have been drilled in the Koilastila gas field of Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL).
● The first gas field in Bangladesh was made in Sylhet in 1955.
About Bangladesh :
• President: Abdul Hamid
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka
• Capital: Dhaka
PM Narendra Modi's 3-day visit to Germany, Denmark, France
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited three European Countries- Germany, Denmark and
France from 2nd to 4th May, 2022.
• Modi would be visiting these three countries for bilateral as well as multilateral engagements.
Key Highlights :
PM Modi in Germany :
● In Berlin, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with H.E. Mr. Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor
of Germany, and the two leaders will co-chair the 6th edition of the India-Germany Inter-
Governmental Consultations (IGC).
● The biennial IGC is a unique dialogue format that also sees participation of several Ministers
from both sides.
● This will be the Prime Minister’s first IGC with Chancellor Scholz, and also the first such
Government-to-Government consultations of the new German government, which assumed
office in December 2021.
● Both leaders would jointly address a Business Event. Prime Minister will address and interact
with the Indian community in Germany.
● In 2021, India and Germany commemorated 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic
relations and have been strategic partners since 2000.
● It will be an opportunity to enhance and intensify cooperation in a broad range of areas and for
the two governments to exchange views on regional and global matters of mutual interest.
PM Modi in Denmark :
• Also the Prime Minister had an official visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Denmark,
H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen.
• He will also participate in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit being hosted by Denmark.
• The bilateral component of the visit will include talks with PM Frederiksen as well as an audience
with Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II.
• The Green Strategic Partnership was the first of its kind arrangement between India and
Denmark.
• The visit would provide both sides an opportunity to review its progress, as well as examine
ways to further expand our multifaceted cooperation.
• Also PM attend an India-Denmark Business Forum and also address members of the Indian
diaspora.
About 2nd India-Nordic Summit :
● The 2nd India-Nordic Summit will focus on subjects like post-pandemic economic recovery,
climate change, innovation and technology, renewable energy, the evolving global security
scenario and India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region.
● The 1st India-Nordic Summit took place in 2018 in Stockholm.
PM Modi in France :
● On 04 May 2022, the Prime Minister briefly stopped over in Paris and met H.E. Mr. Emmanuel
Macron, President of France.
● India and France are celebrating 75 years of their diplomatic relations this year and the meeting
between the two leaders will set a more ambitious agenda of the Strategic Partnership.
About Germany :
● President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
● Capital: Berlin
● Currency: Euro
About Denmark :
● PM : Mette Frederiksen
● Capital: Copenhagen
● Currency: Danish krone
About France :
● President: Emmanuel Macron
● Prime minister: Jean Castex
● Capital: Paris
World’s Longest Glass Bridge Opens In Vietnam
● The World’s Longest Glass Bridge named Vietnam’s Bach Long pedestrian bridge was opened
in Moc Chau District, Son La Province, Vietnam.

● The opening of the bridge is expected to boost tourism in Vietnam.
● In Vietnamese, the Bach Long pedestrian bridge means “white dragon.
● The bridge’s entire length is 632 metres,(2073 ft) and the floor is constructed of tempered glass
created in France & it is located 150m (492ft) above a huge jungle.
● The bridge is believed to be three layers of 40mm thick French-made tempered glass that can
carry up to 450 people at a time while admiring the green ravine below.
● It is the world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge, surpassing the 526m (1,726 feet) structure in
Guangdong, China.
About Vietnam :
● President : Nguyễn Xuân Phúc
● PM : Phạm Minh Chính
● Capital: Hanoi
● Currency: Vietnamese dong
Czech Republic to replace Russia on U.N. rights council
● The United Nations General Assembly elected the Czech Republic to the Geneva-based UN
Human Rights Council to replace Russia whose membership was suspended in April due to its
ongoing war in Ukraine.
● The Czech Republic was the only candidate to replace Russia on the 47-member UNHRC and
will complete its term until December 2023.
● In the General Assembly’s secret ballot voting, 180 of the 193 members cast ballots.
● More than 150 countries voted in favour of Prague’s bid in the UN General Assembly, with 23
members abstaining.
● Since late February, Russia has been suspended from multiple UN bodies and agencies
including the executive boards of UN Women and UNICEF, as well as from the World Tourism
Organisation.
Additional Info :
● The Czech Republic already served two terms in 2012-2014 and 2019-2021 and was among the
council’s inaugural members.
About UN Human Rights Council :

● Founded: 15 March 2006
● President: Federico Villegas
● Member State : 47 members
● The UN Human Rights Council is a UN body to promote and protect human rights around the
world.
● The members of the council are elected by the General Assembly for staggered three-year
terms.
World's Longest Suspension Bridge Opens in Czech Republic - Sky Bridge 721
● The world's longest suspension footbridge named Sky Bridge 721 was opened to the public in
Czech Republic's Dolni Morava village for tourists.
● The construction took two years and cost 200 million Czech crowns ($8.3 million).
About Sky Bridge 721 :
● The Sky Bridge 721, is 721-meter (2,365-foot)-long bridge and is built at an altitude of more than
1,100 meters (3,610 feet) above sea level.
● It connects two ridges of the mountains and hangs up to 95 meters (312 feet) above the valley
below.
● The Bridge is 1.2-metre-wide and is open to children of all ages and heights, but is not suitable
for people with pushchairs or wheelchairs.
● The Czech Republic Sky Bridge is 154 meters longer than Nepal's Baglung Parbat Footbridg
(567 meters), which currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest suspension
footbridge.
About Czech Republic :
● President: Miloš Zeman
● PM : Petr Fiala
● Capital: Prague
● Currency: Czech koruna
World's highest weather station installed on Mt. Everest - National Geographic society
● A team of experts from the National Geographic Society has installed the “world’s highest
weather station” on Mt. Everest at an altitude of 8,830 meters to automatically measure various
meteorological phenomena.
● The NatGeo team, led by climate scientist Baker Perry from the Appalachian State University in
the US, consisted of acclaimed climbers and scientists.
● The weather monitoring system, powered by solar energy, is supposed to measure various
meteorological phenomena like air temperature, wind speed and direction, air pressure, change
in surface height of snow, and incoming and outgoing short and long wave radiation.
Additional Info :
● Nepal’s Department of Hydrology & Meteorology (DHM) and National Geographic society signed
a memorandum of understanding to operate all 5 Automatic Weather Stations installed by
NatGeo to provide near real-time information regarding mountain conditions.
● Under the MoU, the National Geographic team will fully operate the stations till 2025 before
transferring the technology to Nepal government in 2026.
● Beijing,China has 8 stations set up from 5,200 meters to 8,800 meters on Mt Everest, with 4
stations exceeding 7,000 meters at 7,028 meters, 7,790 meters, 8,300 meters, and 8,800
meters.
Belgium becomes first country to make quarantine compulsory for monkeypox patients
• Belgium has become the first country to make a 21-day quarantine compulsory for monkeypox
patients after 4 cases of the disease were reported.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) reported there were 92 cases in 12 countries, and a
further 28 suspected cases under investigation.
List of countries monkeypox cases have been confirmed :
• UK, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, the US, Canada and Australia
as reported by Saudi Gazette.
About Monkeypox :
● Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958.
● The first human infection was recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.
● Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus part of the smallpox family
● Symptoms : rashes, fever, headaches, muscle ache, swelling and back pain
● The disease, which was first found in monkeys, can be transmitted from person to person
through close physical contact, as well as sexual intercourse.
WEF launches alliance to supercharge India's climate action
● The World Economic Forum (WEF) has launched the India chapter of the Alliance of CEO
Climate Action Leaders to supercharge India’s climate action and decarbonization efforts.
● The Alliance will continue efforts to achieve the vision outlined in the white paper released last
year, “Mission 2070: A Green New Deal for a Net Zero India”, on India’s low-carbon transition by
2070.
● It will bring together the government, businesses, and other key stakeholders to achieve the
Indian Prime Minister’s ambitious five-part ‘Panchamrit’ pledge.
● A collaboration between the management consultancy Kearney and the Indian think-tank
Observer Research Foundation, the Alliance will serve as a high-level platform to support
business leaders in planning and implementing plans and programmes to achieve climate
targets, including net-zero economic growth.
About WEF :
● Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
● Executive Chairman : Klaus Schwab
● President : Borge Brende
About Belgium :
● PM : Alexander De Croo
● Capital : Brussels
● Currency : Euro
Kuwait to Build the World's Largest Petroleum Research Center
● Kuwait's Ministry of Oil announced that it plans to start building the world’s largest petroleum
research center by the end of 2022 in al-Ahmadi, south of Kuwait city.
● The center will have 28 technological laboratories and hire more than 600 employees.
● The estimated cost of the project is $120 million.
● It will seek to develop improved production and refining techniques that can be used by the
industry for different applications including the extraction of heavy crude and non-associated
gas.
About Kuwait :
● Capital: Kuwait City
● Currency: Kuwaiti dinar
IMPORTANT MOUs & AGREEMENTS
Flipkart signs MoU with Bengal govt to support artisans, weavers, handicraft makers
● Flipkart has signed a memorandum of understanding with the West Bengal government to train
and support local artisans, weavers and handicraft makers to leverage its e-commerce platform
to scale up their businesses nationally.
● The agreement was signed with West Bengal’s micro, small and medium enterprises and
textiles department.
● Under this partnership, it will provide time-bound incubation support and training benefits to
underserved communities.
About Flipkart :
● Founded : 2007
● Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka, India
● CEO : Kalyan Krishnamurthy
About West Bengal :
● Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
● Capital: Kolkata
● Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee
IIMK-AARDO signs international MoU to promote sustainable agriculture
● The African Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) and the Indian Institute of
Management Kozhikode (IIM-K) have signed an MoU (Memorandum of understanding) to
encourage and work collaboratively in research, consulting firms, technical and knowledge
assistance in promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development practices in the 33
member-AARDO, which involves 31 nations in the Asian-African region.
● The agreement was signed in New Delhi by IIM-K Director Debashis Chatterjee and AARDO
Secretary-General Manoj Nardeosingh.
About the MoU :
● Under the agreement, IIMK and AARDO will cooperate and collaborate with each other to
address the challenges in agriculture and sustainable rural development; through research,
publication, consultancy and advisory.
● The MoU will also focus on advancing new knowledge and its sharing, innovative solutions,
interventions and capacity enhancement to benefit and strengthen rural communities of these 33
members, which include 31 countries.
● Both IIMK and AARDO will organize international, regional and On-The-Spot (OTS), in-country
training programmes, workshops, seminars to strengthen the institutional capacity of the
Member Countries.
● It will also conduct research, implement development projects jointly, exchange experts,
specialists, create exchange programmes with universities, institutes in member countries and
provide technical support in project formulations and consultancy.
About AARDO :
● Formed : 1962
● Headquarters : New Delhi, India.
● Secretary General : Dr Manoj Nardeosingh
About IIM-K :
● Located at : Calicut, Kerala
● Chairman : A. Vellayan
● Director : Prof. Debashis Chatterjee
Railways and C-DoT to work together for modernization of Telecommunication in Indian Railways for
Public Safety and Security Services
● The Ministry of Railways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for
Development of Telematics (C-DoT) to establish a collaborative working partnership.
● The partnership entails coordination and resource sharing with respect to provision of
telecommunication facilities in the delivery and implementation of C-DoT’s Telecom Solutions
and services in Railways.
● The MoU was signed in the presence of Rajkumar Upadhyay, Executive Director of C-DOT and
Aruna Singh, Additional Member/Telecom/Railway Board.
About the MoU :
● With this MoU, CDoT and Ministry of Railways will work together for modernization of
Telecommunication in Indian Railways for Public Safety and Security Services using LTE-R
following world standards, 5G Use Cases in Indian Railways in line with Make in India (MII)
policy, Internet of Things (IoT)/ Machine to Machine (M2M) Applications, Unified Network
Management System, OFC Monitoring/Network Management System (NMS), Video Conference
software (VC DOT), Chatting application, Routers, Switches and soon.
● The MoU will help in providing indigenous affordable telecom equipment & services for train
operation, public safety and security applications by lowering the total cost of ownership,
boosting the make in India initiative of the Government of India and helping in bridging the digital
divide in the country.
About Ministry of Railways :
● Union Minister : Ashwini Vaishnaw
● Minister of State : Raosaheb Danve, Darshana Jardosh
BHEL & GE Power signs MoU for development of Integrated Electric Propulsion System
● Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and GE Power Conversion signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for the development of Integrated Electric Propulsion Systems for the
Indian Navy.
● The MoU has provided a boost to the indigenous capability in the field of advanced technology
for Integrated Full Electric Propulsion System.
● The MoU was signed in the presence of Jeremy Quin MP, UK Minister of Defence Procurement,
Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary Defence Industrial
Promotion, Dr Nalin Shinghal, CMD BHEL, Renuka Gera, Director (IS&P) BHEL, Syreeta Jeffs
and Balaji Parthasarathy, Directors of GE Power Conversion, J.P Srivastava, Executive Director
(IS) BHEL.
● This collaboration between GE Power Conversion and BHEL characterises the UK’s
commitment to partnership with India in support of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
● GE’s powerful electrical networks and equipment are capable of supporting a ship’s energy
requirements, including propulsion, high-power sensors, service loads and pulse power for
defence systems.
● GE’s dependable naval technologies are shock rated and proven on naval applications from
3MW to 110MW, and include naval electric motors and generators, switchboards, power
converters, power management and automation and control systems.
● GE’s naval centre of excellence teams bring integrated system design expertise, built on deep
understanding of naval standards, vessels and lifecycle demands.
About BHEL :
● Founded : 1956
● Headquarters : New Delhi, India
● Chairman & MD : Nalin Shinghal
● It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India.
● BHEL is India's largest power generation equipment manufacturer.
About GE Power Conversion :
● Headquarters : Paris-Saclay (Villebon-sur-Yvette), Île-de-France, France
● CEO : Philippe Piron
● GE Power Conversion is an electrical engineering company and is a subsidiary of GE Power,
part of General Electric.
● It is a world leader in electric propulsion, with equipment installed on the latest platforms of the
US Navy and the Royal Navy, including the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers.
India and Germany sign joint declaration of Intent on Indo-German Hydrogen Task Force,Forest
Landscape RestorationTweeted by @AIR
• India and Germany have signed joint declaration of Intent on Indo-German Hydrogen Task
Force.
• The declaration was signed virtually between Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister
R.K Singh and German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Change Dr. Robert Habeck.
• India has huge ambitions for energy transition and it will add 500 GigaWatt of non-fossil fuel
capacity by 2030.
• India and Germany have signed joint declaration of Intent on Forest Landscape Restoration.
• The joint declaration was signed virtually between Environment, Forest, and Climate Change
Minister Bhupender Yadav and Minister for Environment and Nature Conservation of Germany
Steffi Lemke .
● Speaking on the occasion, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stated, the joint declaration
will provide the platform to further advance our partnership and support in areas like
conservation and restoration, climate protection, and conservation of biodiversity.
● This will also help in strengthening Indo-German Cooperation. He mentioned that the joint
declaration will enable both the countries to successfully partner with each other and expand the
bilateral cooperation in the areas of forest landscape restoration, environment, and climate
change.
About Germany
● Capital-Berlin, Currency-Euro
● President-Frank-Walter Steinmeier
India, Germany sign agreements on Triangular Development Cooperation and Renewable Energy
Partnership
• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar held a meeting with German Minister for Economic
Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze in Berlin .
• Dr Jaishankar said, they discussed climate action, resilient and reliable supply chains, third-
country partnerships and the economic impact of the Ukraine conflict.
• They also signed agreements on Triangular Development Cooperation and Renewable Energy
Partnership.
• India and Germany signed a joint declaration on agroecology and sustainable management of
natural resources.
• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Germany's Minister of Economic Cooperation
and Development Svenja Schulze signed the declaration in a virtual meeting. Through this, joint
research, knowledge sharing and innovation will be promoted between academic institutions of
both countries and practitioners including farmers.
• The transfer of technology and scientific knowledge will be promoted by encouraging
exchanges, partnerships and research collaboration with the private sector.
● Under this initiative, Germany's Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development will
provide up to 300 million euros by the year 2025 for financial and technical cooperation for
projects.
OPEC fund to finance $ 14.3 million for Nigeria-Morocco gas Pipeline
● Moroccan Ministry of Finance stated that the agreement was signed by the Moroccan Finance
and Economy Minister, Nadia Fettah and the General Director of the OPEC Fund, Abdulhamid
Alkhalifa
● The OPEC Fund for International Development will finance $14.3 million for the second phase of
the studies in the submarine Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project.
● In January, the Islamic Development Bank has signed an agreement with Morocco to provide
$15.45 million to the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline studies.
● This gas pipeline project would cover 7,000-km long through 13 west African countries, and
extend to Europe, according to WorleyParsons.
About OPEC :
● Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
● Founded: September 1960, Baghdad, Iraq
NGSL Signs MoE with LREB to Develop Floating Solar Projects in Kenya
● NTPC GE Power Services Limited (NGSL) has inked a tripartite Memorandum of Engagement
(MoE) with The Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB), Kenya and Procorp Enertech Private
Limited (PEPL) to work towards the development of Ground Mounted & Floating Solar PV
Projects in The Lake Region of Kenya.
● The MOE was signed by a high-ranking delegation of 20 members from The Lake Region
Economic Bloc, Kenya.
● The MoE was signed by Shri Sanjeev, MD, NGSL and Victor Joash Oginga Nyagaya CEO,
LREB and Dr. Raju Singh Gannavarapu, PEPL.
● The MoE envisages also extending support to adoption of affordable housing, efficient lighting
and development of mini-grid options.
● It will also help build the capacity of Kenyan professionals in the power sector.
● High-ranking Kenyan officials also visited the 100 MW floating PV plant at NTPC Ramagundam
in India, India’s largest solar plant.
● They also visited the 250 MW NTPC Ananthapuram Ground Mounted Solar PV plant in Andhra
Pradesh.
Additional Info :
• LREB had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NGSL, PEPL in order to
explore opportunities for business in Kenya and other African nations.
About NGSL :
● Founded : September, 1999
● Headquarters : Uttar Pradesh
● NTPC GE Power Services Pvt. Ltd. (formerly NTPC ALSTOM Power Services Pvt. Ltd) is a 50 :
50 Joint Venture Company between state owned Indian power company National Thermal
Power Corporation (NTPC) and GE Power India Limited with equal participation.
Ayana Renewable collaborates with Greenstat Hydrogen India to Develop Green Hydrogen Projects in
India
● The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund's (NIIF) Ayana Renewable Power (Ayana) and
Norway-based Greenstat ASA’s subsidiary Greenstat Hydrogen India, have entered into a joint
development agreement for development of green hydrogen projects powered by renewable
energy in India.
● An initial pilot project will be launched in Karnataka.
About the Partnership :
● Under this partnership, the companies will develop large scale green hydrogen solutions, to
provide long term supply of green hydrogen to industrial and commercial customers in India.
● The partnership supports the National Hydrogen Mission with an aim to make India a global hub
for production and export of green hydrogen.
About Ayana :
● Founded : 2018
● MD & CEO : Shivanand Nimbargi
● It is one of the largest renewable energy companies in India.
● It is a majority owned company of the NIIF.
● Ayana develops utility-scale solar, wind and RE hybrid projects across India to build cost-
effective capacity.
About Greenstat Hydrogen India :
● Founded : 2013
● Chairman : Sturle Pedersen
Skill Ministry join hands with ISRO, launches ISRO Technical Training Programme
● The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signs a MoU (Memorandum of
Understanding) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Aim of the MoU :
● To upskill the technical staff at the Department of Space in the Indian Space Research
Organisation.
● To create a formal framework for short-term courses to provide training for the skill development
and capacity- building of the technical staff of ISRO as per the industry requirements, in the
space domain in the country.
Objective :
● To boost the skills of various technical staff working across ISRO centres and units under the
Department of Space (DOS).
● The MoU was signed by Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary MSDE and Shri S. Somanath,
Secretary Department of Space/ Chairman ISRO.
● More than 4000 ISRO technical employees will be trained in the programme over the course of
the next 5 years.
● The location of the training will be the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI) under MSDE
located across India.
● Under the MoU, ISRO will jointly work with MSDE and associated NSTI to prepare a detailed
training calendar, training curriculum, and syllabus to accomplish the larger objectives of the
programme. ISRO will provide trainee kits to the trainees.
● With that, MSDE will also arrange labs, workshops, classrooms, specimens, and other training
facilities to effectively carry out the programme at identified National Skill Training Institutes
(NSTI) in consultation with Capacity Building Programme Office (CBPO).
About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship :
● Cabinet Minister : Dharmendra Pradhan
● Minister of State : Rajeev Chandrasekhar
About ISRO :
● Established : 15 August 1969
● Headquarters : Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
● Chairman : Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
ReNew Power signs 5 PPAs to supply around 1,500 MW solar energy
● ReNew Power had signed 5 Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for supplying around 1,500
MW of electricity generated from solar plants.
● The company signed PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) with Solar Energy Corporation of
India (SECI), and Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (PSPCL), along with multiple long-term
agreements with corporate buyers totaling around 2 GW.
● The company’s total gross portfolio has risen to 12.1 GW, from 10.2GW at the start of the
calendar year.
● The new solar power projects will be located in the western state of Rajasthan with tariffs over
25 years.
● Overall, 4 solar PPAs have been signed with SECI, of which two PPAs of 600 MW and 375 MW
are under the SECI Rajasthan IV scheme, where ReNew Power will supply electricity at Rs 2.18
per KWh.
● The other two PPAs with SECI for 300 MW and 100 MW are under the SECI IX scheme at Rs
2.37 per KWh.
● PSPCL has a PPA of 100 MW, and ReNew will supply electricity at Rs 2.33 per KWh.
● All the projects will be commissioned by the fourth calendar quarter of 2023.
About ReNew Power :
● Founded : January 19, 2011
● CEO & Chairman : Sumant Sinha
● Headquarters : Gurgaon, Haryana
● ReNew Power is India's largest renewable energy company by operational capacity.
● The company also announced an investment by Mitsui and Co Limited in its 1.3 GW round-the-
clock renewable energy project and a joint venture (JV) agreement with Indian Oil Corporation
Limited (IOCL) and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) for developing green hydrogen capacity in India.
MHA and SECI sign MoU to realize India’s green energy initiative
● A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA) and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) in New Delhi which envisages
collaboration between the two parties for jointly undertaking installation of Solar Rooftop PV
Power Plants.
● The MoU is a step ahead toward supply of green power to the country's security forces and
reinforces the government's commitment to a sustainable future.

Additional Info :
● The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has estimated the total solar power potential of
71.68 Megawatts in the campuses of CAPFs & NSG.
● SECI, having expertise in the field of solar power projects, will either directly or through an
agency or agencies selected through a competitive bidding process, support the MHA in
implementing rooftop solar PV power plants.
About Ministry of Home Affairs :
About SECI :
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi
• SECI is a company of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.
• It was registered as Section 25 under the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8 of the
Companies Act, 2013) on 9 September 2011
• It is established to facilitate the implementation of the National Solar Mission (NSM).
• It is the only Central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) dedicated to the solar energy sector.
NHAI Signs 2 MOUs in Lucknow to Enhance Highway Infrastructure
• As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration, National Highways Authority of India
(NHAI) holds a two-day regional conference in Lucknow with NHAI officials and other regional
stakeholders from Uttar Pradesh East & West, Uttarakhand and Bihar.
• NHAI also signed 2 significant Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) that will contribute to
enhance National Highway infrastructure and will contribute to sustaining the environment in
Uttar Pradesh and other states.
• On the occasion Minister of State for Road and Highways Gen VK Singh, NHAI's Chairperson
Alka Upadhyaya and Manoj Kumar Singh, ACS, Govt of Uttar Pradesh were present.
• A first of its kind MOU was signed between NHAI and State Rural Livelihood Mission, Uttar
Pradesh to involve the self-help groups in taking up the plantations along the National Highways.
• The initiative will be introduced in other states like Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, Assam, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.
• The second MOU was signed between NHAI and AMMANN India Pvt. Ltd.
• Both entities have collaborated to create a talent pool of highly skilled workforce, fully trained on
advanced technologies in Highway construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance.
About NHAI :
● Established : 1995 under the act 1988
● Chairman : Alka Upadhyaya
● The NHAI is a nodal agency of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
About Ministry of Road Transport & Highways :
● Cabinet Minister : Nitin Gadkari
● Minister of State : General V. K. Singh
Boeing and Air Works collaborate on Indian Navy's P-8I fleet
• Air Works, an Indian maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) company is partnered with the
Boeing Company in undertaking heavy maintenance checks on three Indian Navy P-8I long-
range maritime patrol aircraft simultaneously at Air Works, Hosur for underscoring the success
of the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign.
• Boeing India and Air Works intend to commemorate their collaboration at the Boeing India
Aatmanirbharta in Defence conference being organized in New Delhi.
• The collaboration between Boeing and Air Works has enabled faster turnarounds and enhanced
operational capability within India for key defence platforms.
• The partnership began with checks on the P-8I Poseidon aircraft, and has grown to include
checks and MRO on the landing gear of the Indian Air Force’s Boeing 737 VVIP aircraft.
• Boeing’s strategic collaboration with Air Works was an important first step under the Boeing
India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub launched in 2021.
About Airworks :
● Established :1951
● Headquarters : Gurugram, Haryana
● MD & CEO : Anand Bhaskar
● Air Works Group is India’s biggest independent MRO with a pan-Indian presence across 27
cities.
● It also undertakes modification and assembly of rotary-wing aircraft and is an Authorized Service
Centre (ASC) for Bell and Leonardo helicopters
About Boeing :
● Founded : July 15, 1916
● Headquarters : Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
● President & CEO : Dave Calhoun
● Chairman : Larry Kellner
● The Boeing Company is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and
sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles
worldwide
Railway Ministry and C-DoT sign MoU to develop local digital solutions
● The Railways Ministry and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) have signed an
MoU for developing local digital solutions for railways to reduce its dependence on foreign
technology.
● Under the agreement, C-DoT is expected to replace over Rs 2,100 crore of foreign technology
gears being used in Indian Railways.
About the MoU :
● The partnership will not only reduce the dependency of Railways on foreign technologies but
also mitigate security risks.
● The MoU will bring great synergy in meeting specific goals of modernizing & expanding
nationwide Railways communication networks through C-DOTs indigenously designed
technologies.
● C-DOT has developed indigenous solutions for LTE and we hope to utilize these solutions for
rolling out services for the proposed 4G network for Indian Railways for high-speed mobile
communication corridor.
● "C-DoT agreement with Railways will not only provide a boost to Make in India but also provide
Railways long term stability and support for its communications system.
About C-DoT :
● Founded: August 1984
● Executive Director : Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay
● The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is an Indian Government owned
telecommunications technology development centre.
Boeing inks pact with Air India Engineering Services for maintenance of naval, VIP aircraft
• Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) , a wholly owned Subsidiary of Air India entered into
an MoU with Boeing for the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of critical equipment on
key Boeing defence platforms in India, including the P-8I operated by the Indian Navy and the
777 VIP aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force.
• The collaboration was announced at the Boeing India Aatmanirbharta in Defence conference
organized in New Delhi.
• This collaboration would support the Indian Navy’s growing P-8I fleet, building up the local
aviation ecosystem, while ensuring quicker turnarounds for the Indian Navy.
• It would also help build indigenous MRO capabilities as it would bring the P-8I landing gear
repair and overhaul work to India for the first time.
• It provides critical support to India’s armed forces as part of the Boeing India Repair
Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub initiative.
• The move signals the rolling out of the commitment shared in the joint statement on the fourth
India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue held last month in Washington.
• The two countries had “committed to work closely across their respective governments on co-
production, co-development, cooperative testing of advanced systems, investment promotion,
and the development of Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in India.
About AIESL :
● CEO : Sharad Agrawal
● AI Engineering Services Ltd. is a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved MRO
set up in India.
● It serves as a one-stop-shop for all engineering requirements at major airports with a pan-India
footprint.
About Boeing :
● Headquarters : Chicago, Illinois, US
● Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes,
defense, space and security systems, and global services.
Prasar Bharati inks MoU with Madagascar for broadcasting collaboration
● India's public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Madagascar's official ORTM (Office de la Radio et de la Television) for cooperation and
collaboration in broadcasting.
● The MoU was signed by Indian Ambassador Abhay Kumar and Director General of ORTM Jean
Yves.
Aim :
● To exchange programmes, exploring co-production of programmes and training and exchange
of personnel.
● The TVM (Madagascar National Television) will broadcast programmes from internal
productions of Prasar Bharati in the fields of culture, education, science, entertainment, sports,
news as well as other areas of mutual interest.
● Both sides will explore co-production opportunities related to matters of mutual interest and will
arrange training for TVM personnel in India.
About Prasar Bharati :
● Formed : 23 November 1997

● CEO : Shri. Shashi Shekhar Vempati
About Madagascar :
• President : Andry Rajoelina
• PM :Christian Ntsay
• Capital: Antananarivo
• Currency: Malagasy ariary
OMCs Sign Tripartite-Cum-Escrow Agreement for Upcoming Dedicated Ethanol Plants
● Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), and Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) have signed a long-term purchase agreement (LTPA) for
upcoming dedicated ethanol plants across India.
● 3 banks are involved in this tripartite agreement with OMCs and project proponents i.e. State
Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, and Indian Bank.
● TPAs were signed with Bihar's Micromax Biofuels Pvt Ltd, Eastern India Biofuels Pvt Ltd,
Muzaffarpur Biofuels Pvt Ltd, and K P Biofuels Pvt Ltd., Madhya Pradesh and Visag Biofuels
Private Limited, Madhya Pradesh.
● The first set of Tripartite-cum-Escrow Agreements (TPA) were signed In the presence of
Sandeep Poundrik (IAS), Principal Secretary, Department of Industries, Govt. of Bihar, Ashwani
Bhatia, MD State Bank of India, and Sukhmal Jain, Executive Director I/C, Marketing Corporate,
BPCL among OMCs, project proponents, and Banks of the respective ethanol plant projects.
● The agreement states that the ethanol produced by these dedicated ethanol plants will be sold
to OMCs for blending with Petrol under the Government of India's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP)
Program.
● Payment for ethanol supply shall be credited to an escrow account maintained with the financing
bank to ensure timely loan servicing.
● The 5 projects are likely to contribute to around 23 crore liters of ethanol per annum.
Additional Info :
● As per E20 scenario, the country requires 1,016 crore litres of ethanol to achieve the target in
2025-26.
● But, there is a deficit of approximately 650 crore of ethanol as per the current availability.
● Ethanol blended petrol not only gives us a cleaner environment as it produces 38 percent lesser
carbon dioxide emission, as well as supporting the rural economy with investment in rural areas
and employment generation.
About BPCL :
● Chairman & MD : Arun Kumar Singh
● It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.
About IOCL :
● Founded : 30 June 1959
● Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi
● Chairman : Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
About HPCL :
● Founded : 1974
● MD : M K Surana
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare signs MoU with UNDP for strategic partnership on
Agriculture, Crop Insurance and Credit
● The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) under the UNDP will provide technical support to two government programmes: the
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Kisan Credit Card-Modified Interest
Subvention Scheme (KCC-MISS).
● The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar by
CEO-PMFBY Ritesh Chauhan and UNDP Resident Representative Shoko Noda.
About the MoU :
● Under the MoU, UNDP will leverage its expertise in systems and global know-how for supporting
the Ministry of Agriculture for the implementation of combined agriculture credit and crop
insurance.
● According to the MoU, UNDP will provide responsive, demand-driven technical assistance for
effective implementation of agriculture credit and crop insurance,
● As well as providing capacity development and Information, Education & Communication (IEC)
support to existing national and state institutions, keeping in mind the interest of small and
marginal farmers, women farmers, sharecroppers, tenant and non-loanee farmers.
Key Highlights :
● KCC-MISS and PMFBY were launched with the aim to tackle the problematic areas of previous
Schemes and to map out a structure that affords better implementation options for all
stakeholders while achieving the desired results.
● The schemes apply uniformly across the entire country and have a provision to cover all crops.
● Under PMFBY, farmers have got more than Rs 1.15 lakh crore in compensation after paying a
premium of Rs 21,000 crore.
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare :
● Cabinet Minister : Narendra Singh Tomar
● Minister of State : Shobha Karandlaje, Kailash Choudhary
● Secretary : Sanjay Agarwal
About UNDP :
● Headquarters : New York, USA
● Head : Achim Steiner
● The UNDP is a United Nations organization tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and
achieve sustainable economic growth and human development.
● It operates in 170 countries and is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member
states.
OMC Power signs MoU with IREDA for Clean Energy Growth Journey
● OMC Power announced a long-term relationship agreement with the Indian Renewable Energy
Dev Agency Ltd (IREDA) towards building a Rural renewable energy ecosystem.
● It will be getting economic support for setting up Renewable energy plants to provide sustainable
energy in the villages of Uttar Pradesh.
● Currently, OMC Power has 280 renewable energy plants across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
● OMC Power plans to expand its footprint to 1000 sites to drastically reduce the Carbon footprint
in rural India.
● Under IREDA’s “Access to Energy” scheme, this partnership will look to achieve long-term
sustainability by supplying green and clean energy in rural areas.
Objective :
● To increase the supply and use of sustainable clean energy services in rural areas through
improved access to financing for project developers.
● The facility has been backed by KFW, the German Development Bank.
About the Agreement :
● The agreement boosts the overall economic strata of rural areas in a systematic manner.
● The long-term engagement of OMC and IREDA will further deepen and strengthen the shared
vision of sustainable energy development for a better and brighter tomorrow.
● The unique association of OMC Power and the IREDA will spur economic development among
the rural population in India by providing access to electricity on demand.
● It will have a significant impact on the rural economy including that on the agriculture, education,
and health sectors.
About OMC Power :
● Founded : 2011
● Headquarters : Gurgaon, Haryana
● CEO : Rohit Chandra
About IREDA :
● Established : 11th March, 1987 as a Public limited Government Company under the Companies
Act, 1956
● IREDA has been awarded “Mini Ratna” (Category -I) status in 2015 by the Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE).
● Motto : “Energy for Ever.”
Functions :
● To promote, develop and extend financial assistance for Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency/Conservation Projects.
MoRD & Amazon signs MoU for online marketing of SHG products
• The Ministry of Rural Development and Amazon Seller Services Private Limited (Amazon)
signed an MoU at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi .
Signatories :
● Sh. Charanjit Singh, Joint Secretary-RL-1, Ministry of Rural Development
● Sh. Sumit Sahay - Director, IN Marketplace Business, Amazon Seller Services Private Limited
● The MoU was signed in presence of Shri Giriraj Singh - Union Minister of Rural Development
and Panchayati Raj Department and Shri Nagandra Nath Sinha, Secretary- Rural Development.
● The MoU will enable SHG entrepreneurs under NRLM to offer their products to the buyers
across India through AmazonSaheli Storefront and help SHG women achieve good prices for
their varied products.
Features of the MoU :
● Amazon & MoRD will jointly enable Commercial and social development of women led rural
enterprises across identified States/UTs.
● Amazon will provide Training & Onboarding support to MoRD appointed sellers to list products
from Self Help Groups (SHGs) associated with MoRD on Amazon.in
● Amazon will offer Referral fee waiver, imaging & cataloging and account management support at
launch to mitigate cold start for SHGs
● Amazon will help market and promote products listed by SHGs through the Saheli Storefront,
Social media, Events and Onsite merchandising
● MoRD (through respective SRLM) will help identify and appraise GST verified sellers to sell on
Amazon.in, and assist the sellers in securing GST, PAN etc.
● MoRD & Amazon will conduct joint workshops for awareness creation and assist the sellers in
listing their products and to unlock growth levers to grow their business on Amazon.in
Additional Info :
● As on April 30, 2022, a total of 1088 products have been uploaded at Government e-
Marketplace (GeM) by 455 SHGs/ SHG members.
● Meanwhile, there are 445 products from 114 SHG sellers on board on Flipkart representing 14
States.
About Ministry of Rural Development :
● Cabinet Minister : Giriraj Singh
● Minister of State : Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Faggan Singh Kulaste
INCOIS signs MoU with Indian Navy
● Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, has signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Navy to provide training services and
support to the School of Naval Oceanology and Meteorology (SNOM) for conduct of various
courses related to operational oceanography.
● The MoU was signed by Dr T.Srinivasa Kumar, Director of INCOIS and Commodore AA
Abhyankar, Head of Indian Navy’s Oceanology and Meteorology Directorate.
● The agreement to be provided through the state-of-the-art International Training Centre for
Operational Oceanography (ITCOO).
● The MoU will allow future interactions and professional exchange of data between the Indian
Navy and INCOIS.
About INCOIS :
● INCOIS is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
● Headquarters : Hyderabad, Telangana
● Director : T. Srinivasa Kumar
About ITCOO :
● ITCOO is the training arm of INCOIS
● It was recognised as one of the Regional Training Centers by the Ocean Teacher Global
Academy of International Oceanographic Data Exchange to promote capacity development and
optimisation of scientific base, technology and information system for operational oceanography.
About SNOM :
• SNOM is the ‘Center of Excellence’ in atmospheric sciences recognised by Cochin University of
Science and Technology.
About Indian Navy :

● Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral R. Hari Kumar
The First National Film Festival of J&K, the DIPR, and the NFDC sign a Memorandum of
Understanding:
• The National Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir is quickly approaching, and the J&K
Department of Information and Public Relations has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the National Film Development Corporation Limited.
• The agreement was signed in the presence of Shri Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the
Lt Governor, by Shri Akshay Labroo, Director, Department of Information and Public Relations,
J&K, and Shri D. Ramakrishnan, General Manager, NFDC.
Attendees:
● CEO of Mission Youth, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.
● Ms Tanu Rai, Deputy Director of the Directorate of Film Festivals, was there, as were other top
officials.
About the event:
● The event is being co-organized by the National Film Development Corporation Limited and the
Directorate of Information and Public Relations, J&K, and will take place from June 15 to June
20.
● The festival's purpose is to highlight and promote the University of Tennessee's creative
environment, as well as to promote J&K as a leading destination for filmmakers from across the
world.
Uttarakhand Govt and BPCL inked MoU for renewable energy projects:
● In the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Mr Pushkar Singh Dhami, an MoU was signed
between the Uttarakhand government and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to
promote the renewable energy industry and other initiatives in the state.
● The state of Uttarakhand and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited has signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to develop new and renewable energy projects in the state.
Additional Info.
● R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary of State for Energy, signed the MoU on behalf of the state,
while Shelly Abraham, BPCL's chief general manager (renewable energy), and executive
director Amit Garg signed on behalf of BPCL.
● The arrangement, according to CM Dhami, will help the hill state flourish in the sector of
renewable energy, particularly solar energy.
Attendees:
● Pushkar Singh Dhami is the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
● R Meenakshi Sundaram is the Secretary of State for Energy.
● Shelly Abraham is the Chief General Manager of BPCL.
Maharashtra signed MoUs with 23 Companies worth Rs 30,000 crores in Davos:
● During the current World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, the
Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth over 30,000
crores.
● Among the 23 MoUs signed for investment were those for pharmaceuticals, medical devices,
information technology, data centres, textiles, food processing, packaging, paper and pulp, and
steel.
● According to Subhash Desai, state industries minister, the investment will result in the creation
of 66,000 jobs in the state.
About the Agreement:
● The state has signed 121 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) as part of the Magnetic
Maharashtra programme, with a total investment of 2.2 lakh crore and the potential to create
over 4,00,000 jobs.
● According to the industries minister, Voyager Space Holding, a commercial space firm based in
the United States, has expressed interest in investing in Maharashtra.
● In addition, Maharashtra signed an MoU that will serve as a roadmap for the state's sustainable
development, making it the first sub-national government to join the Global Plastic Action
Partnership (GPAP), a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to translating commitments to
reduce plastic pollution and waste into concrete action.
Important Points:
● Desai, energy minister Nitin Raut, and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray are among those
who have arrived at Davos.
● Among the companies with whom the MOU is signed are Microsoft Corporation (3,200 crores),
Asia Pulp & Paper (10,500 crores), Tata Realty (5,000 crores), Gramsci Business Hubs (5,000
crores), Vishvaraj Environment Private Limited (1,000 crores), GR Group (740 crores), Scalar
Spaces (650 crores), Indorama Corporation (600 crores), Indo Count Industries Limited (510
crore), Colorshine Coated Private Limited (510 crore), Goyal Proteins (380 crore), PG
India and Jordan have agreed to collaborate in the fertilizers sector:
• Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya led a high-level delegation to Jordan in a first-of-its-kind mission to
secure fertilizers and raw materials for the short and long term.
• The visit was timed to coincide with the current worldwide fertilizer crisis.
• According to Dr. Mandaviya, the Jordan visit was significant in ensuring India's supply of
phosphoric and potassium fertilizers.
• Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya referred to Jordan as India's preferred fertilizer partner during the
meetings.
Additional info.:
• Jordan Phosphate Mining Company (JPMC) inked MOUs with Indian public, cooperative, and
private sector companies for supplies of 30 LMT Rock Phosphate, 2.50 LMT DAP, and 1 LMT
phosphoric acid for 2022.
• India has signed a 5-year MOU with Jordan for yearly shipments of 2.75 LMT of MoP, which will
gradually increase to 3.25 LMT each year.
• These shipments will be critical for India’s continued fertilizer supply in the coming agricultural
seasons.
About Jordan:
• Capital: Amman
• Currency: Jordanian dinar
• King: Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein
IMPORTANT MERGER’s & ACQUISITIONS

Airtel acquires 7 per cent stake in Cnergee Technologies:
• Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has acquired around 7 per cent stake in cloud-based networking
solutions provider Cnergee Technologies under the Airtel Startup Accelerator Program.
• The stake acquisition will enable Airtel to sharpen its NaaS proposition for Small and Medium
Businesses (SMBs), who are looking to accelerate their shift to cloud-based applications.
• Navi Mumbai-based Cnergee specializes in integrated networking solutions over the cloud for
businesses of all sizes.
• Airtel has bought the stake at a mutually agreed pre-money enterprise valuation but did not
disclose the valuation due to reasons of confidentiality.
• Cnergee has developed a range of 5G ready software tools for Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)
that can be deployed at scale to enable zero-touch service provisioning, central remote
monitoring, and management of all connected devices with a host of real-time analytics.
L&T Infotech and Mindtree announce merger to create India's 5th largest IT services provider:
● L&T Infotech and Mindtree, the two independently listed IT services companies under Larsen &
Toubro Group have announced a merger that would create India's fifth-largest IT services
provider.
● The combined entity will be known as "LTIMindtree".
● The Boards of Directors of Mindtree and L&T Infotech (LTI) at their respective meetings held
and approved a composite scheme of amalgamation of both these independently listed IT
services companies under the Larsen & Toubro Group.
● The proposed integration will see Mindtree and LTI join strengths to create an efficient and
scaled up IT services provider exceeding USD 3.5 billion
RBI approved the merger of Equitas Holdings and Equitas SFB:
● Equitas Holdings Ltd (EHL) and Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd (ESFBL) has received no
objection from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the voluntary amalgamation of both units
● The RBI no-objection comes with conditions.
● The merger is being effected to comply with the RBI norms on small finance banks, mandating
the promoter to reduce the stake in the subsidiary to 40 per cent within five years of
commencement of operations by the SFB (Small Finance Bank).
● However, The EHL must divest its shareholding in its subsidiary Equitas Technologies P Ltd
prior to the amalgamation.
● Besides, Equitas SFB will have to seek RBI approval for bringing Equitas Development
Initiatives Trust (EDIT) and Equitas Healthcare Foundation (EHF) under its ambit prior to the
scheme taking effect.
Swiggy acquires restaurant tech platform Dineout for $200 million:
● An online food-delivery app, Swiggy has agreed to buy Times Internet's restaurant technology
and dining out platform Dineout.
● Dineout will continue to operate as an independent app following the acquisition, according to
Swiggy.
● Founders Ankit Mehrotra, Nikhil Bakshi, Sahil Jain and Vivek Kapoor will join Swiggy once the
acquisition is completed.
● In the last 20 months, Swiggy has strengthened its food delivery business, expanded Instamart,
its quick commerce grocery delivery to 28 cities.
● It has recently commenced drone trials for Instamart.
About Dineout:
● Dineout, launched by Mehrotra, Nikhil Bakshi, Sahil Jain, and Vivek Kapoor in 2012, allows
customers to search for restaurants in their area and make reservations at any of the 50,000
restaurants in 20 cities.
● It also provides restaurants with contactless eating options, as well as discounts and privileges
for Dineout Passport and Dineout Pay clients at certain restaurants.
● Dineout was purchased by Times Internet, the digital media division of Bennett, Coleman and
Company Ltd., which publishes ET.
● Dineout has close to 5 million customers, whereas Swiggy has over 50 million active annual
transacting users, according to the data.
CCI approves acquisitions by Sanoti Properties LLP of shareholding in Magma HDI & by Serum
Institute Life Sciences-Biocon Biologics deal
● The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved acquisitions of a majority stake in Magma
HDI General Insurance Company Ltd by Sanoti Properties LLP & proposed deal Covidshield
Technologies Pvt Ltd (CTPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Serum Institute of Life Sciences, will
be merged into Biocon Biologics Limited.
Key Highlights :
● Under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002, acquisition of 55.39 percent of the total equity
share capital of Magma HDI General Insurance Company Limited by Sanoti Properties LLP has
been approved.
● The deal involves buying shares of Magma HDI held by certain shareholders – Poonawalla
Fincorp Ltd and Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd.
● The proposed combination is being undertaken in order to ensure compliance with the
mandatory regulations of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
● Under this acquisition, Serum Institute Life Sciences Pvt Ltd will have about 15 percent stake in
Biocon Biologics Ltd.
About Biocon Biologics Ltd :
● MD : Arun Chandavarkar
● Biocon Biologics Ltd is a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd.
● It offers treatment for chronic and acute diseases such as diabetes, oncology, nephrology,
cancer, and autoimmune diseases.
About CTPL :
● Founded: 2019
● Directors : Tushar Vijay Modak, Saurabh Lakshman Prabhudesai and Adar Cyrus Poonawalla
● Parent organization: Serum Institute Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.
● CTPL was incorporated to undertake the business of marketing, selling and distributing
vaccines, drugs and other pharmaceutical products.
About CCI :
● Established : 14 October 2003

● Chairman : Ashok Kumar Gupta
● First Chairman : Dhanendra Kumar
● Secretary : P K Singh
● CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
● It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and is responsible for enforcing the
Competition Act, 2002.
Phonepe to acquire Wealthdesk, Open IQ for USD 75 million
● Walmart-backed PhonePe will acquire 2 wealth tech platforms WealthDesk ('Wealth
Technologies & Services Private Limited') and OpenQ (Quantech Capital Investment Advisors
Private Limited) total deal is in the range of USD 75 million.
● The valuation of Wealthdesk is over USD 50 million & OpenQ is USD 25 million.
About PhonePe :
● Founded : 2015
● Co-Founder & CEO : Sameer Nigam
● It is owned by Flipkart, a subsidiary of Walmart.
GIC buys a 7.5% stake in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail for Rs 2,195 crore
● Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC, is acquiring a 7.5% equity stake in Aditya Birla Fashion
and Retail (ABFRL) for Rs 2,195 crore by way of preferential issue of equity and warrants.
● GIC will invest Rs 770 crore now towards subscription of equity and warrants and follow it up by
pumping in Rs 1,425 crore in one or more tranches within 18 months.
● After the investment, Aditya Birla Group will hold a controlling stake of 51.9% in the company.
● The capital infusion will strengthen ABFRL’s balance sheet.
● Analysts expect debt levels to stay within manageable limits in the current fiscal year 2022-23.
About GIC :
● Established: 22 May 1981
● Headquarters: Singapore
● Chairman: Lee Hsien Loong
● CEO: Lim Chow Kiat
● GIC Private Limited is a sovereign wealth fund to manages Singapore's foreign reserves.
Mission :
● To preserve and enhance the international purchasing power of the reserves.
About ABFRL :
● Founded: 1997
● MD: Ashish Dikshit
Coal India Ltd to divest 25% stake in BCCL
● India’s largest coal producer, Coal India Limited (CIL), is planning to divest a 25 percent stake in
its unlisted arm Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), and will go for the subsequent listing of the
subsidiary on stock exchanges after obtaining further clearances.
● The approval was given at a board meeting held on 10 March 2022.
● The idea had only received “in principle” permission from the board of directors.
● The net turnover of the BCCL during FY21 was Rs 6,149.81 crore against the previous year's
turnover of Rs 8,967.56 crore.
About CII :
● Founded: 1975
● Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
● Chairman & MD: Pramod Agarwal
● It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Coal, GoI.
● Coal India accounts for over 80 percent of domestic coal output.
About BCCL :
● BCCL was taken over by the government on October 16, 1971.
● Founded: 1972
● Headquarters: Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India
● Chairman & MD: Sri P. M. Prasad
Purpose :
● To operate coking coal mines in the Jharia & Raniganj Coalfields.
● It is a Public Sector Undertaking engaged in the mining of coal and allied activities.
About Ministry of Coal :
● Cabinet Minister : Pralhad Joshi
● Secretary: Anil Kumar Jain
UAE-based Emirates Telecom buys a 9.8% stake in Vodafone for $4.4 bn
● Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC “e&" (Etisalat Group) has acquired
approximately 2,766 million shares in Vodafone Group Plc aggregating to $4.4 billion, these
shares represent 9.8% of Vodafone's issued share capital.
● The transaction is in line with e&s ambition to be a global player in telecom and technology and
to increase its exposure to international markets.
● It had invested to gain "significant exposure to a world leader in connectivity and digital services.
● Also, e& does not seek Board representation & is confident about the company’s ability to unlock
value from its organic business activity and other potential strategic transactions.
About Etisalat :
● Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
● Chairman : H.E. Obaid Humaid Al Tayer
● CEO: Hatem Dowidar
Adani buys 50% stake in drone startup General Aeronautics
● A wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd.,
signed an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in Bengaluru-based General Aeronautics Pvt. Ltd.
● Adani Defence Systems and Technologies shall leverage its military drone and Artificial
Intelligence/ Machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities and work with General Aeronautics for
providing end-to-end solutions for the domestic agricultural sector.
● The acquisition is expected to be completed by July 31.
● The Adani group forayed into healthcare by incorporating Adani Health Ventures (AHVL).
● The new entity will be engaged in healthcare-related activities like setting up medical and
diagnostic facilities, and research centers.
● The Adani family entered into definitive agreements for the acquisition of Switzerland-based
Holcim Ltd's entire stake in two Indian cement companies Ambuja Cements Ltd and ACC Ltd.
● Adani Enterprises unveiled its plans to acquire a 49% stake in Quintillion Business Media the
parent entity of business news platform BQPrime.
● The Adani family has also committed to investing $75 million in Abu Dhabi-headquartered
petrochemicals firm Borouge's $2 billion initial public offerings (IPO), touted to be the biggest
ever listing in the emirate.
● India's largest commercial port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) said
its subsidiary Adani Harbour Services will acquire a 100% stake in third-party marine services
provider Ocean Sparkle Ltd, which has an enterprise value of ₹1,700 crores.
About General Aeronautics Pvt. Ltd :
● Founded: 2016
● Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
● CEO: Abhishek Burman
● Founder: Abhishek Burman, Kota Harinarayana, and Anutosh Moitra
● General Aeronautics is an end-to-end Agri solutions provider.
● It provides robotic drones and drone-based solutions for crop protection services, crop health,
precision farming, and yield monitoring using artificial intelligence and analytics for the
agricultural sector.
About Adani Defence Systems :
● Founded in 2015
● It offers drone-based solutions to defense services.
● It will leverage its military drone, artificial intelligence, and machine learning capabilities and
work with General Aeronautics for providing end-to-end solutions for the domestic agricultural
sector.
IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS NEWS
Shivalik Small Finance Bank appoints former RBL bank retail chief Anshul Swami as MD-CEO
● Shivalik Small Finance Bank has appointed Anshul Swami as the bank’s managing director and
chief executive officer.
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has already approved the appointment of Anshul Swami.
● Swami replaces Suveer Kumar Gupta who co-founded the bank and led its transition from an
urban co-operative bank to a small finance one.
● Now Gupta will act as an adviser to the Board of Directors.
About Anshul Swami :
● Anshul is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management- Lucknow (IIM- Lucknow).
● Swami has over 20 years of experience across various customer and geographic segments.
● He has worked across various customer segments like retail, MSME, microfinance and Agri.
● Prior to Shivalik SFB, Swami was associated with RBL Bank as Head – Retail & Inclusion,
Products.
● He has also held positions with Barclays, Citi Financial, and Britannia.
About Shivalik Small Finance Bank :
● Founded : 1997
● Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh
● MD & CEO : Mr. Anshul Swami
● In 2021, Shivalik Small Finance Bank was the first one to convert from a Universal Cooperative
Bank to a Small Finance Bank structure.
● As of the 2022 March end , the lender’s total advances stood at Rs 804.9 crore, up 12 percent
year-on-year, while total deposits rose 9.2 percent on year to Rs 1,244.5 crore.
IRS Officer Sangeeta Singh given additional charge of CBDT Chairman

● Sangeeta Singh, a 1986 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer has been given additional
charge of Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
● She was appointed after incumbent JB Mohapatra retired as the head of the direct taxes
administration body on April 30.
● An order issued by the Union Finance Ministry Singh, “shall discharge the duties and
responsibilities of the post of chairman, CBDT in addition to her own duties for a period of three
months or till a regular Chairman is appointed, whichever is earlier.”
About Sangeeta Singh :
● Singh is currently holding charge of Audit and Judicial.
● She is also holding additional charge of Income Tax and Revenue and Tax Payers services.
● Currently, the board has four members including Sangeeta Singh.
● Her Husband, Arvind Singh is a Maharashtra Cadre IAS and presently serving as Secretary of
Tourism, Government of India.
● Anuja Sarangi, a 1985 batch officer is holding charge of Member, Administration, and Faceless
Scheme, Nitin Gupta is handling the charge of Investigation and Pragya Sahay Saksena is
handling the charge of member legislation and systems.
About JB Mohapatra :
● Mohapatra, a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax department,
was appointed as the full-time chairman in September 2021.
About CBDT :
● Central Board of Direct Taxes is a statutory body established as per the Central Board of
Revenue Act, 1963.
● It is administered by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
● Chairman : Sangeeta Singh
RBI gives nod for appointment of Rajiv Ranjan as MPC ex-officio member
● The central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the appointment of executive
director Rajiv Ranjan as an ex-officio member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
● Ranjan will be succeeding Mridul Saggar, who is understood to have retired.

● The 595th meeting of the central board was held through video conferencing under the
chairmanship of RBI governor Shaktikanta Das.
● The other attendees were deputy governors Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Patra and M
Rajeshwar Rao, apart from directors Satish Marathe, S Gurumurthy, Revathy Iyer and Sachin
Chaturvedi. Ajay Seth, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, was also present.
● Regulations Review Authority (RRA) has recommended the withdrawal of an additional 225
redundant circulars stated by RBI.
About RRA
● The RBI had set up the Regulations Review Authority (RRA 2.0) with an objective to reduce the
compliance burden on regulated entities.
● Regulations Review Authority (RRA 2.0) has recommended withdrawal of additional 225
circulars in the third tranche of recommendations,” announced by RBI.
● The RRA had recommended the withdrawal of 150 circulars in the first tranche of
recommendations in November 2021, and 100 circulars in the second tranche of
recommendations in February 2022.
About RBI
● Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
Indian-origin Nand Mulchandani appointed 1st-ever chief tech officer of CIA
● Nand Mulchandani is the first Indian-origin person to be appointed as the first-ever Chief
Technology Officer (CTO) of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
● In his new role, Mulchandani will ensure the Agency is leveraging cutting-edge innovations and
scanning the horizon for tomorrow’s innovations to further the CIAs mission.
About Nand Mulchandani :
• Mulchandani has more than 25 years of experience in Silicon Valley as well as the US
Department of Defense (DoD).
• Prior to joining the CIA, Mulchandani most recently served as the CTO and Acting Director of
DoD’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) under the US Department of Defence.
• He also co-founded and was CEO of several successful startups such as Oblix (acquired by
Oracle), Determina (acquired by VMWare), OpenDNS (acquired by Cisco), and ScaleXtreme
(acquired by Citrix).
About CIA :
• Established : September 18, 1947
• Headquarters : Virginia, US
• Director : William J. Burns
IBM Chairman Arvind Krishna elected to Board of Directors of Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arvind Krishna has been elected to the Board
of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
• He has been elected as a Class B director, representing the public with due but not exclusive
consideration to the interests of agriculture, commerce, industry, services, labour, and
consumers.
• He will fill the vacancy in the office for the remaining portion of a three-year term ending
December 31, 2023.
About Arvind Krishna :
● Krishna, who has an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and
a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
● He was senior vice president of Cloud and Cognitive Software.
● He also headed IBM Research and was the general manager of IBM Systems and Technology
Group’s development and manufacturing organisation.
About Federal Reserve Bank of New York :
● Established : November 16, 1914
● President & CEO : John C. Williams
● Headquarters : New York, US
● The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United
States.
Ex Petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor appointed as advisor to PM

• Former Petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor has been appointed as advisor to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
• The position of PM’s adviser had fallen vacant in February, after retired IAS officer Bhaskar
Khulbe’s term ended.
Other Appointments :
● Mr Hari Ranjan Rao and Atish Chandra both have been appointed as Additional Secretaries in
the Prime Minister’s office.
● Radha Chauhan, has been appointed as DoPT secretary & She replaces Pradip Kumar Tripathi.
About Tarun Kapoor :
● Kapoor, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre.
● He was known as “Modi’s man” during the pandemic, as he worked relentlessly to design and
implement the free LPG cylinders-to-households scheme.
● He also worked on another of the PM’s pet projects, development of city gas distribution
networks under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) Act, 2006.
● He was joint secretary in the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy between 2011 and
2016.
● He served as vice-chairman in the Union ministries of housing and urban affairs as well as rural
development between 2018 and 2021.
● On November 30, 2021, he superannuated as the secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas.
About Mr Hari Ranjan Rao :
● Rao, a 1994-batch lAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.
● Currently he is administrator in the Universal Services Obligation Fund, Department of
Telecommunications (DoT).
● He also served as joint secretary and additional secretary in the department between 2020 and
2022.
About Atish Chandra :
● Mr Chandra is 1994 batch IAS officer from Bihar cadre.

● Chandra is chairman and managing director in the Food Corporation of India.
● He has also worked in the agriculture and food and supplies ministries as joint secretary and
additional secretary respectively, between 2018 and 2022.
About Radha Chauhan :
● Radha Chauhan, a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
● Chauhan is the third woman IAS officer to become DoPT secretary since 1970.
About MoPNG :
● Cabinet Minister : Hardeep Singh Puri
● Minister of State : Rameswar Teli
● Secretary : M. M. Kutty
M Narayanan appointed as part-time Chairman of CUB
● On May 4, 2022, City Union Bank Ltd announced that RBI has approved the appointment of M
Narayanan (62), independent director, as the part-time Chairman of the Bank for two years.
● Mr. Narayanan succeeds R. Mohan, part-time Chairman of the Bank has laid down the office of
Chairman of Board after completing his three year term on May 3, 2022.
● Moreover, R. Mohan will continue to act as an Independent Director of the Board of the Bank till
June 27, 2022.
About M Narayanan :
● Mr. Narayanan is a graduate in Mathematics from Loyola College.
● He is a qualified chartered accountant, cost accountant and a system auditor.
● He has professional experience of more than two decades in various reputed corporates.
● On May 3, 2016, he was inducted into the Board as an Independent Director representing
majority sector agriculture, rural economy, accountancy, and information technology.
● Currently he is practising as a chartered accountant.
About CUB :
• Founded : 1904
• Headquarters : Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India
• Chairman : Mr. R. Mohan
• MD & CEO : Dr. N. Kamakodi

Rodrigo Chaves Takes Office as New President of Costa Rica
• Rodrigo Chaves, has been sworn in as the new President of Costa Rica for the period of four
year term 2022-2026 promising to fight corruption and revive the economy.
• He will succeed Carlos Alvarado Quesada.
• Also sworn in at the ceremony were the first vice president, Stephan Brunner, and the second
vice president, Mary Munive.
About Rodrigo Chaves :
● Rodrigo Chaves is an economist and former World Bank (WB) official.
● He worked as the World Bank country director for Indonesia and countries of America, Europe
and Asia.
● He became the 49th president of Costa Rica.
● He would rework a $1.78 billion financial support package from the International Monetary Fund
(IMF).
● In a bid to consolidate finances in the country with the heaviest debt load in Central America, at
66.5% of gross domestic product.
● Three quarters of Costa Rica's $42.62 billion total debt is internal while the rest is external.
● The 60-year-old had served as the Finance Minister from 2019-2020 under President Carlos
Alvarado Quesada.
About Costa Rica :
● President: Rodrigo Chaves Robles
● Capital: San José
● Currency: Costa Rican colón
Pushp Kumar Joshi appointed Chairman and MD of HPCL
● Pushp Kumar Joshi appointed as the new interim chairman and managing director of India’s
third largest oil refining and fuel marketing company Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(HPCL).
● Prior to this Dr Joshi was Director-HR of the Corporation from August 01, 2012.
About Pushp Kumar Joshi :
● Pushp Kumar Joshi is a Doctorate in Human Resource Management, Post Graduate in Human
Resource Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur and Bachelor of Law from Andhra University.
● During his career, he had held key portfolios in human resources functions viz. executive
director - HRD and Head - HR of Marketing Division.
● Joshi is also holding the additional charge of Director-Marketing of HPCL.
● He is the senior-most director on the HPCL board, was in January, picked by the government
headhunter PESB to be the new head of the company.
About HPCL :
● Founded : 1974
● HPCL is a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation which is under the ownership of the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Yoon Suk Yeol sworn in as President of South Korea
• On 10 May 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn in as South Korea’s new president.
• The formal inauguration ceremony of the new South Korean President was staged outside
Seoul’s National Assembly.
• Around 40,000 people attended the massive inauguration ceremony (including US second
gentleman Douglas Emhoff and Japan's Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa) of the new South
Korean President.
• Currently he has served as the 20th President of South Korea.
• One of Yoon's main challenges will be dealing with North Korea, which is accelerating its nuclear
and missile development.
About Yoon Suk Yeol :
● Yoon Suk-yeol is a South Korean politician, former public prosecutor and lawyer.
● He played a key role in convicting former presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak for
abuse of power.
● Yoon served as prosecutor general of South Korea between 2019 and 2021.
About South Korea :
● PM : Kim Boo-kyum
● Capital: Seoul
● Currency: South Korean won
John Lee elected as Hong Kong’s next chief executive
• John Lee Ka-chiu was elected as the new chief executive of Hong Kong.
• He will succeed Carrie Lam.
• He will begin his five-year term (2022-2027) from 1st July 2022.
• John Lee won 1,416 votes of approval from the 1,500-strong Election Committee.
• He will be the first security official to hold the Chief Executive position of Hong Kong which
witnessed years of political unrest and recent debilitating pandemic controls.
• He was sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for his role in implementing a Beijing-imposed
national security law that has crushed the city’s democracy movement.
• The former secretary for security in Hong Kong ran under the slogan “Starting a new chapter for
Hong Kong together” and was the sole candidate in the polls.
About John Lee Ka-chiu :
• In 1977, he became a Probationary Inspector of Police, and he has worked in the Hong Kong
Police Force for more than 30 years.
• Lee served as Chief Secretary for Administration between 2021 and 2022, Secretary for Security
between 2017 and 2021, under Secretary for Security between 2012 and 2017, Deputy
Commissioner of Police between 2010 and 2012.
• In June 2021, Lee was appointed as Chief Secretary for Administration.
About Hong Kong :
● Currency: Hong Kong dollar
Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mount Everest for 26th time
● To set a new world record, Nepal’s legendary climber Kami Rita Sherpa has climbed Mount
Everest, the tallest peak in the world for the 26th time.
● Leading an 11-member rope fixing team, Kami Rita and his team reached the summit, breaking
his own previous record set 07 May 2021.
● The climbing route used by Kami Rita was pioneered by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and
Nepal’s sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953 and remains the most popular.
● According to Nepal’s Tourism Department, 316 people have applied to scale Everest this
season.
About Kami Rita Sherpa :
● Kami Rita Sherpa Born in 1970 in Solukhumbu district, Nepal.
● He first climbed Everest in May 1994.
● In 2017, Kami Rita was the third person to ascend to the summit of Everest 21 times, sharing
this record with Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa.
● He became the first person in the world to climb Everest 22 times.
Additional Info :
● According to the Himalayan database, Everest has been climbed 10,657 times since it was first
scaled in 1953 from Nepali and Tibetan sides, and 311 people have died so far.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr wins Philippines presidential election landslide
● Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Junior, the son and namesake of the late dictator, has won a
2022 landslide presidential election victory.
● Marcos Jr has won the election with more than 30 million votes.
● He is on course to replace President Rodrigo Duterte.
● 8 other candidates, including former boxing star Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno
and former national police chief Sen. Panfilo Lacson, have lagged far behind in voter preference
surveys.
About Philippines :
● Capital: Manila
● Currency: Philippine peso
Deepika Padukone becomes 1st Indian house ambassador of Louis Vuitton
● Indian Actress Deepika Padukone has become the first ever Indian brand ambassador of luxury
brand Louis Vuitton.
● The brand unveiled the role of the 36-year-old Bollywood actress during their new handbag
campaign.
● Emma Stone, an Oscar winner and longtime House Ambassador, and Zhou Dongyu, a fellow
Ambassador and pillar of contemporary Chinese cinema, star alongside Deepika Padukone in
the campaign.
● Along with this, Padukone was recently announced as a part of a 9-member jury presided by
French actor Vincent Lindon at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Note :
● Deepika Padukone became the first Indian actor to feature in the brand's campaign in 2020.
About Cannes Film Festival :
● Cannes Film Festival, which is held on the French riviera.
● It is the world's most prestigious film gathering, it showcases the best of global films which
enhance the development of cinema and promote the development of the global film industry.
About Louis Vuitton :
• Founded : 1854
• Headquarters : Paris, France
• Chairman & CEO : Michael Burke
• Louis Vuitton Malletier commonly known as Louis Vuitton, is a French luxury fashion house and
company
NK Singh appointed as acting Chief Justice of Gauhati HC
● The President of India Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh,
senior-most Puisne Judge of Gauhati High Court as Acting Chief Justice of the Gauhati High
Court in Assam.
● In exercise of the power conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, the President is
pleased to appoint, Shri Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswa.
● He has been appointed after Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia elevation as a Judge of the
Supreme Court.
● Justice Singh to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court
with effect from the date of Justice Dhulia relinquishes the charge as Chief Justice of the High
Court.
About Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh :
● NK Singh was born on March 1, 1960 at Imphal, in Manipur.

● He was designated as a Senior Advocate by the Gauhati High Court on March 31, 2008.
● He was sworn in as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011 and as a
judge of the Gauhati High Court on November 7, 2012.
● He was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Manipur.
● He was transferred to the Gauhati High Court on October 11, 2018.
Rajiv Kumar Appointed as New Chief Election Commissioner
● In pursuance of clause (2) of Article 324 of the Constitution, President Ram Nath Kovind
appointed Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the next chief election commissioner.
● He will take charge from outgoing CEC Sushil Chandra on May 15.
About Rajiv Kumar :
● Kumar is a 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Bihar/Jharkhand cadre.
● On September 1, 2020, he took charge as the Election Commissioner of the Election
Commission of India (ECI).
● Before taking charge as Election Commissioner in September 2020, he was the Chairman of the
Public Enterprise Sector Board in April 2020.
● Shri Rajiv Kumar has been Director, Central Board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), SBI,
NABARD; Member, Economic Intelligence Council (EIC); Member, Financial Stability and
Development Council (FSDC); Member, Bank Board Bureau (BBB); Member, Financial Sector
Regulatory Appointments Search Committee (FSRASC), Civil services Board among many other
such Boards and Committees.
About ECI :
• Formed : 25 January 1950
• Chief Election Commissioner : Sushil Chandra
• The ECI is a constitutional body under the ownership of the Ministry of Law and Justice,
Government of India.
Bajaj Finserv Chairman and MD Sanjiv Bajaj appointed as new president of CII
● Chairman and managing director of Bajaj Finserv, Sanjiv Bajaj appointed as the President of
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2022-23.
● Sanjiv Bajaj replacing TV Narendran, CEO & managing director of Tata Steel.
● The newly constituted National Council of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at a meeting
elected its new office-bearers for the year 2022-23.
● Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp has been appointed as CII President-
Designate
● R Dinesh, Executive Vice Chairman of TVS Supply Chain Solutions takes over as Vice
President of CII for 2022-23.
About Sanjiv Bajaj :
● Bajaj, an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and a member of the Board of Indian School
of Business (ISB).
● He was a Member of the International Advisory Board (IAB), Allianz SE and the International
Technology Advisory Panel (ITAP) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Regional
Stewardship Board for India and South Asia 2019-2020 of the World Economic Forum.
● He has been engaged with CII for many years at the state, regional and national levels.
● He has also led CII National Committees on Insurance and Pensions and CII task force on
Fintech.
Awards & Honors :
● AIMA’s Managing India Award’s Entrepreneur of the year 2019
● ET’s Business Leader of the year 2018
● Financial Express’ Best Banker of the year 2017-18
● Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the year in 2017
● Transformational Leader award at the 5th Asia Business Responsibility Summit in 2017
About CII :
● Founded : 1895
● Director General : Chandrajit Banerjee
● CII engages business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional,
and industry agendas.
Tata Group appoints Campbell Wilson as CEO & MD of Air India
● The Tata Group has appointed Campbell Wilsonas as the chief executive officer (CEO) and
managing director (MD) of the airline.
● Wilson’s appointment will be subject to security clearance by the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA).
● The MHA nod is necessary for any change in the top management of an airline & this clearance
is sought by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, while granting its approval to the appointment.
About Campbell Wilsonas :
• Campbell Wilson has 26 years experience in the aviation industry and started as a Management
Trainee with Singapore Airlines in 1996 in New Zealand.
• He worked for SIA in Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, before returning back to Singapore as the
founding CEO of Scoot, which he led till 2016.
• Wilson worked as the Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing at SIA.
• He is the CEO of Scoot, wholly-owned low cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Additional Info :
● Singapore Airlines informed that Campbell's last day at Scoot will be June 15, 2022 and he will
subsequently join Air India as its new CEO.
● Former Vistara CEO Leslie Thng will replace Wilson at Scoot.
Note :
• Singapore Airlines is Tata Sons’ joint venture partner in Vistara.
About Tata Group :
● Founded : 1868
● Chairman & MD : Natarajan Chandrasekaran
About Air India :
● Founded : 15 October 1932 ( Commenced operations in 29 July 1946)

● Founder : J. R. D. Tata
● Chairman : Natarajan Chandrasekaran
Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in nem PM of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Opposition leader and former premier Mr.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was 26th Prime Minister of the country after his predecessor Mahinda
Rajapaksa resigned following violent protests over the worst economic crisis in the debt-ridden
island nation.
About Ranil Wickremesinghe :
● Ranil Wickremesinghe is a Member of Parliament from the National List of the United National
Party.
● He has been the leader of the United National Party since 1994.
● Previously he served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for four times from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to
2004, 2015 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019
● Also he has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2015.
About Sri Lanka :
• Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
• President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan elected as President of UAE
• The Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates elected Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan as the President of UAE.
• He replaced Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who died at the age of 73.
• The Council held a meeting at the Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi, headed by Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Additional Info :
● Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is the first President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu
Dhabi
About Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan :

• Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan colloquially known by his initials as MBZ.
• He is the third president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi.
• MbZ, had already been wielding power for years in a period when Sheikh Khalifa suffered bouts
of illness, including a stroke in 2014.
About UAE :
• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
• Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Manik Saha appointed as new CM of Tripura
● On May 15, 2022, Tripura BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Manik Saha will be the new chief
minister of Tripura at Raj Bhawan in Agartala.
● Governor SN Arya administered the oath to Saha.
● He is the 11th Chief Minister of Tripura.
● He was appointed after Biplab Kumar Deb stepped down from the post.
About Manik Saha :
● He is a dental surgeon by profession.
● He has served as the Professor and Head of the Department of the Tripura Medical College and
BR Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital in Agartala.
● He had quit Congress and joined the BJP in 2016.
● He was appointed BJP's Tripura unit president in 2020 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in
March 2022.
● He is also the president of the Tripura Cricket Association.
Additional Info :
● Biplab Kumar Deb was the BJP's first Chief Minister in Tripura.
About Tripura :
● Governor : Satyadev Narayan Arya
● Capital: Agartala
Nidhi Chibber Appointed As CBSE Chairperson
• Senior bureaucrat Nidhi Chibber has been appointed as the chairperson of the Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE).
• According to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry, She has been appointed as chairperson
of the CBSE in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary to the government of India.
● S Gopalakrishnan, Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), has been
appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare.
● Rakesh Sarwal, Additional Secretary, NITI Aayog will be Managing Director, National Waqf
Development Corporation Ltd., Ministry of Minority Affairs.
● Aditi Das Rout, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development has been promoted
as Additional Secretary.
● Shyam Bhagat Negi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal will be Additional Secretary, Cabinet
Secretariat.
● Manisha Sinha, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance has been
appointed as Additional Secretary.
● Kumar Anugreh Prasad Sinha will be Additional Secretary of the National Disaster Management
Authority.
● Amar Nath, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, has been posted as
Additional Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of
Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

About Nidhi Chibber :
● Chibber, a 1994 batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre.
● Currently She is Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries.
About CBSE :
Vivek Kumar Dewangen appointed as New CMD Of REC Limited
● The Government of India appointed Vivek Kumar Dewangan, as the chairman and managing
director of power sector lender REC Ltd, formerly known as Rural Electrification Corporation.
About Vivek Kumar Dewangen :

● Vivek Kumar Dewangen is a 1993 batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre.
● Earlier, he had served as the Joint Secretary in the Power Ministry.
● Currently, he is an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power.
About REC Limited :
• Founded : 25 July 1969
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairman & MD : Sanjay Malhotra
• REC Limited is a Public Sector Undertaking and finances and promotes power projects across
India.
• It provides loans to Central/State Sector Power Utilities in the country, State Electricity Boards,
Rural Electric Cooperatives, NGOs and Private Power Developers.
RBI appoints Sitikantha Pattanaik, Rajiv Ranjan as executive directors
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Rajiv Ranjan and Sitikantha Pattanaik as
executive directors with effect from May 1, 2022.
● As Executive Director, Ranjan will look after the Monetary Policy Department, while Pattanaik
will look after the Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR).
About Sitikantha Pattanaik :
● Pattanaik has a PhD in economics from the University of Mumbai.
● He has, over a span of three decades, worked in the areas of economic research and monetary
policy in RBI’s Monetary Policy Department and Department of Economic Policy and Research.
● He was with the Central Bank of Oman on deputation from RBI for about five years.
● Prior to being promoted as executive director, Pattanaik was an Adviser in the Department of
Economic and Policy Research (DEPR).
About Rajiv Ranjan :
● Ranjan has a PhD in economics from Mumbai University and holds a Masters degree in
economics from the Delhi School of Economics.
● He has an experience of more than three decades in macroeconomic policy and research
including monetary policy, fiscal policy, real sector, external sector and international relations.
● He has worked in various departments of RBI like the Monetary Policy Department, Department
of Economic Policy and Research, Department of External Investments and Operations and
International Department.
● He served as Economic Policy Expert in the Central Bank of Oman for three years.
● Prior to becoming ED, Rajiv Ranjan was serving as Adviser-in-Charge of the Monetary Policy
Department and Secretary to the Monetary Policy Committee.
● Ranjan will also serve as an ex-officio member of the rate-setting panel Monetary Policy
Committee (MPC).
Vinay Kwatra takes charge as India’s new Foreign Secretary
● Senior Indian Foreign Service officer Vinay Mohan Kwatra took charge as India's new Foreign
Secretary.
● The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Kwatra.
● He succeeded incumbent Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
About Vinay Mohan Kwatra :
● Vinay Mohan Kwatra is a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
● He has served as a diplomat for over 32 years and is credited for improving the India-Nepal ties
in his tenure.
● From May 2010 to July 2013, he was Minister (Commerce) at the Embassy of India in
Washington D.C.
● Kwatra headed the Policy Planning & Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs
between July 2013 and October 2015
● He has held the position of a Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for two years
between October 2015 and August 2017.
● He served as the head of the Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry where he dealt with
India’s relations with the US and Canada.
● He served as the Ambassador of India to France from August 2017 to February 2020.
● He is known to have extensive expertise in dealing with India's neighborhood as well as the U.S,
China and Europe.
● He took charge as the foreign secretary at a time India is dealing with various geopolitical
developments including the Ukraine conflict, the severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka and
situation in Afghanistan and developments in the Indo-Pacific.
Lt. Gen. B.S. Raju appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff
● On May 01, 2022, The Indian Army’s Director General of Military Operations, Lt. Gen. B.S. Raju,
has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
● He will succeed incumbent Lt. Gen Manoj Pande.
● Meanwhile, Lt. Gen Manoj Pande has been appointed as the 29th Chief of Army Staff & he has
succeeded General MM Naravane.
● Pande is also the first engineer to hold the position of the Chief of Army Staff.
Role of Vice Chief of the Army Staff :
● The army Vice Chief is the deputy head and the second highest-ranking officer of the Indian
Army.
● The position is held by a senior officer in the rank of Lieutenant General, of the Commander-in-
Chief grade.
About Lt. Gen. B.S. Raju :
● B.S. Raju is an alumnus of Sainik School Bijapur and National Defence Academy and was
commissioned into the JAT Regiment on December 15, 1984.
● In his illustrious career spanning 38 years, he had commanded his battalion during 'Operation
Parakram' in the Western theatre and in Jammu and Kashmir.
● He served as the Commandant, Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan.
● He is also the Colonel of the JAT Regiment.
● Before the new role, he served as the Director-General of Military Operations.
Awards & Honors :
● For his illustrious contribution to the service has been awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam
Yudh Seva Medal, and Yudh Seva Medal.
JioSaavn appoints Sahas Malhotra as CEO

● Music app firm JioSaavn has appointed former Amazon Music director and entertainment
industry veteran Sahas Malhotra as new CEO of JioSaavn.
● He replaced former CEO and JioSaavn co-founder Rishi Malhotra.
About Sahas Malhotra :
● Sahas Malhotra has more than 24 years of experience in the entertainment sector, including
team development, film marketing, music P&L management, licensing, media planning, music
publishing, and product management.
● He worked at Amazon since 2006 & most recently as its Director, Amazon Music – India.
● He worked at Sony Music Entertainment India from 1998 until October 2010, most recently as
Director – Digital & New Business.
● He was the business leader at Tips Music and the marketing director for Tips Film Production at
Tips Industries.
About JioSaavn :
● Founded : 2007
● CEO & Co-Founder : Rishi Malhotra
● President : Vinodh Bhat
● JioSaavn is an audio streaming service for South Asian music and artists.
● In March 2018, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) acquired a majority stake in the firm.
● JioSaavn claims to have over 100 million monthly active users.
IndiGo appoints Venkataramani Sumantran as chairman of the Board
● InterGlobe Aviation has appointed Venkataramani Sumantran as chairman of its Board of
Directors.
● Sumantran succeeds Meleveetil Damodaran, who stepped down from his position on attaining
the age of 75 years.
About Venkataramani Sumantran :
● Sumantran is a business leader, technocrat and academic, having worked in the USA, Europe,
and Asia.
● He also serves on the Boards of Rane Holdings Limited and TVS Electronics Limited.
● Until 2014, he was the Executive Vice-Chairman of Hinduja Automotive (UK) and the Vice
Chairman of Ashok Leyland Limited.
● He has served on the Prime Minister of India’s Science Advisory Council and the Indian
Cabinet’s Scientific Advisory Committee.
● Also, he is the Chairman and Managing Director of Celeris Technologies, a strategic advisory
firm engaged in the domains of automotive, mobility, digital transformation, and technologies.
About IndiGo :
● Founded : 2005 (Commenced Operations 4 August 2006)
● MD : Rahul Bhatia
● CEO : Rono Dutta
● InterGlobe Aviation, which runs IndiGo airlines, is an Indian low-cost airline .
Somalia elects Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as new president
● Somalia's former leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been elected as president of Somalia
after defeating Mohamed Abudallahi Farmajo who has been in office since 2017.
● Mr Mohamud received 214 votes, defeating Mr Farmajo who won 110 votes.
● The ballot was limited to Somalia's 328 MPs.
Additional Info :
● This is only the third time that the indirect election for president has been able to take place in
Somalia (Previous ones were held in neighboring Kenya and Djibouti.)
About Hassan Sheikh Mohamud :
● Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was born in central Hiran in present-day Somalia.
● He is the founder and current chairman of the Union for Peace and Development Party.
● He served as Somalia's president between 2012 and 2017 before he was defeated by Mr
Farmajo.
About Somalia :
● Capital: Mogadishu
● Currency: Somali shilling
Larsen & Toubro re-appoints S N Subrahmanyan as MD & CEO

● Larsen & Toubro has re-appointed S. N. Subrahmanyan as Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer of the company, with effect from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2027.
● S.N. Subramanyam will replace A.M. Naik is the CEO of the company.
About S. N. Subrahmanyan :
● S. N. Subrahmanyan born on 16 March 1960 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
● He joined the ECC Division of Larsen & Toubro in 1984.
● In July 2011, he was appointed as full-time Director on the L&T Board and designated as
Member of the Board and Senior Executive Vice President (Construction).
● In October 2015, he was designated Deputy Managing Director & President, L&T.
● In 2017, he was promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Larsen
& Toubro (L&T) by the company's board of directors.
● In 2021, he was appointed Chairman of the National Safety Council (NSC) for three years by the
Union Ministry of Labour & Employment.
● In 2022, The Board of Directors of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. (LTFH), approved the
appointment of S. N. Subrahmanyan as the Director and Chairperson of the Board.
Awards & Honors :
● In March 2022, he was recognised as the winner in the Infrastructure & Engineering category of
the Business Today-PwC India’s Best CEOs ranking.
Sudarshan Venu Appointed as MD of TVS Motor Company
● Sudarshan Venu has been appointed as Managing Director of TVS Motor Company.
About Sudarshan Venu :
● Sudarshan Venu is the son of Venu Srinivasan and Mallika Srinivasan.
● He joined TVS Motor Company as a Vice President.
● He has played a pivotal role in the TVS Motor Company growth in India and key international
markets, including Asia, Africa, and more recently in Europe
● Prior to the new role, Sudarshan Venu was the Joint Managing Director of TVS Motor Company.
About TVS Motor Company :
● Founded : 1978

● Founder : T. V. Sundaram Iyengar
● Chairman Emeritus : Venu Srinivasan
● Chairman : Ralf Dieter Speth
● TVS Motor Company is a well-known global manufacturer of two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
● TVS is the third largest motorcycle company in India.
● It is the only two-wheeler manufacturer to win the coveted Deming Prize.
Elisabeth Borne became France’s first female prime minister
● Centrist politician Elisabeth Borne was appointed France's new prime minister by France
President Emmanuel Macron.
● Borne will replace Jean Castex.
● Elisabeth Borne is the country's first female PM in more than 30 years.
● She is only the second woman to become France's PM after Edith Cresson, who served
between May 1991 and April 1992 under Socialist President François Mitterand.
About Elisabeth Borne :
• Elisabeth Borne was born in Paris on 18 April 1961.
• Previously, Borne served as minister of transport (2017–2019) and minister of ecology (2019–
2020).
• She was then minister of labour, employment and integration in the Castex government from
2020 to 2022.
• She is both a member of Macron's party La République En Marche! (LREM) and of the centre-
left party Territories of Progress.
About France :
● President: Emmanuel Macron
● Capital: Paris
● Currency : Euro, CFP franc
Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor takes charge as Director General (Inspection and Safety)
• Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor took charge as Director General (Inspection and Safety) [DG(I&S)]
of Indian Air Force at Air HQ New Delhi on 01 May 2022.
About Sanjeev Kapoor :
● Sanjeev Kapoor is a graduate of National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the
Flying branch of IAF in December 1985 as a Transport Pilot.
● He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) Wellington, College of Defence
Management and National Defence College.
● He is a Qualified Flying Instructor with more than 7700 hours of flying experience on various
aircraft in the inventory of IAF.
● He has served as Head of the Faculty and Senior Air Force Instructor at College of Defence
Management, Principal Director Operations (Transport), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
Operations (Transport & Helicopters), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Personnel Airmen and
Civilians) at Air Headquarters and Commandant of Air Force Academy.
● He was Commandant of National Defence Academy, Pune.
Awards & Honors :
● Sanjeev Kapoor is a recipient of Vayu Sena Medal and Ati Vishist Seva Medal.
About Ministry of Defence :
● Defence Minister : Rajnath Singh
● Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
PFC Chairman Ravinder Singh Dhillon takes addition charge of REC CMD
● Chairman of Power Finance Corporation, Ravinder Singh Dhillon has taken the additional
charge of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of REC Limited for three months or until
further orders, whichever is earlier.
● The development follows the elevation of S K G Rahate to the post of Secretary, Ministry of
Power.
About Ravinder Singh Dhillon :
● Dhillon holds B.E. (Electrical) degree from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology and M
Tech in Power Systems from IIT, Delhi.
● He is serving as CMD of PFC where he is spearheading the entire operations of the company.
● He has over 36 years of varied experience spread across the entire value chain of the power
sector.
● Prior to being appointed as CMD of PFC, he was Director (Projects), where he was responsible
for business growth and asset quality.
● Under his leadership, PFC increased its focus on renewable energy business and refinancing of
commissioned assets.
About REC Limited :
● REC Limited, formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is a public Infrastructure Finance
Company in India’s power sector.
● It provides loans to Central/State Sector Power Utilities in the country, State Electricity Boards,
Rural Electric Cooperatives, NGOs and Private Power Developers.
About PFC :
● Founded : July 1986
● It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
BSE appoints former RBI deputy governor S.S. Mundra as chairman
● The BSE Limited appointed Mr.Subhash Sheoratan Mundra, Public Interest Director as the
Chairman of the board of directors of the company.
● He will replace Justice Vikramajit Sen.
About Mr S.S. Mundra :
• Mr Mundra, a Post Graduate from University of Poona, is a Fellow Member of Indian Institute of
Banking & Finance (FIIB).
• Amity University has conferred the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.), Honoris Causa,
upon Mundra, in recognition of his services in the field of banking.
• In a banking career he has over four decades of experience & he has held several positions,
including Executive Director of Union Bank of India, Chief Executive of Bank of Baroda
(European Operations).
• He was Chairman and Managing Director of Bank of Baroda from where he superannuated in
July 2014.
• He was on boards of several multi-dimensional companies, including Clearing Corporation of
India Ltd and Central Depository Services (India) Ltd (CDSL).
• In July 2017, Mr. Mundra retired as Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India after a stint of
three years.
• In January 2018, Mundra was appointed as Public Interest Director at BSE.
• He served as RBI's nominee on the Financial Stability Board (G20 Forum) and its various
committees.
• He was also the Vice-chair of OECD's International Network on Financial Education.
About BSE :
● BSE Limited, also known as the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
● MD & CEO : Ashish Chauhan
AP Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma gets 2nd tenure extension for 6 months
● The Center announced that the tenure of Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Mr Sameer Sharma
is extended for another 6 months from May 21, 2022, to November 31, 2022.
● This is the 2nd tenture extension of Sameer Sharma as chief secretary.
● The Center accepted the state’s request and granted a second extension for a further 6 months
relaxing Rule 16 (1) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, by
invoking Rule 3 of AIS (Conditions of Service-Residuary Matters) Rules, 1960.
About Mr Sameer Sharma :
● Mr Sameer Sharma is a 1985 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre.
● Mr Sharma became the state Chief Secretary on September 30, 2021 and was supposed to
retire from service on November 30, 2021.
● Earlier, the Center extended the tenure of Sameer Sharma by six months from 1 December to
31 May 2022.
Gram Unnati Appoints India’s Former Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora as Board’s New
Chairman
● A full-stack agricultural value chain service provider Gram Unnati, has appointed Mr Sunil Arora,
former chief election commissioner (CEC) as its board’s new chairman (non-executive).
About Mr Sunil Arora :
• Mr Sunil Arora is a 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Rajasthan cadre
with rich leadership experience spanning over 36 years.
• He has served as Secretary to two key ministries i.e. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
(I&B) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• He is the chairman for Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB).
• He has also served as the additional chief secretary (home) in the Rajasthan government.
• He has been on the board of various corporate entities, such as Barmer Mining and Lignite
Company, Mahindra SEZ, and Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited.
• He was a former chairman and managing director of Indian Airlines from 2000 to 2005.
• He was the Principal Staff Officer of Chief Minister, Rajasthan from 2005-2009 as well as from
1993-1998.
• Mr Sunil Arora was the 23rd Chief Election Commissioner of India.
About Gram Unnati :
● Founded : 2013
● CEO & Founder : Aneesh Jain
● Gram Unnati has a formidable advisory pool comprising seasoned agri professionals, ex-civil
servants, and industry body representatives.
● It is a social venture that helps farmers increase their net income by increasing price realization,
enhancing agricultural productivity, and lowering cultivation costs
● It operates through a network of 30 district-level centers spread across the nation, helping agro-
processors source quality cereals, oilseeds, pulses, fruits & vegetables directly from farmers.
Airtel re-appoints Gopal Vittal as MD and CEO for 5 years
● Bharti Airtel has reappointed Mr Gopal Vittal as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executing
Officer (CEO) for a further period of 5 years i.e. from February 01, 2023 to January 31, 2028.
● The reappointment came on a day the telco posted consolidated net profit at Rs 2,007.8 crore in
the March quarter, up 141% sequentially and 164% on year. Analysts had estimated net profit of
around Rs 1,970 crore.
● This was Airtel’s 6th successive quarter in the black after six straight losses earlier.
About Bharti Airtel :
● Chairman & Founder : Sunil Bharti Mittal
● It is the second largest mobile network operator in India and the second largest mobile network
operator in the world.
Eicher Motors Appoints B Govindarajan as new CEO Of Royal Enfield
● The parent company of Royal Enfield, Eicher Motors Mr B Govindarajan as the Chief Executive
Officer of Royal Enfield.
● Mr B Govindarajan will also serve as the Wholetime Director of the Board of Eicher Motors
Limited.
About Mr B Govindarajan :
● Mr Govindarajan has been with Eicher Motors for more than 23 years.
● He was the Chief Operating Officer of the motorcycle brand since 2013.
● He played a key role in the development of the Himalayan, Continental GT 650 and Interceptor
INT 650 and the recent J-platform based Meteor and Classic 350 models.
● Prior to his appointment as CEO, he served as the Executive Director of Royal Enfield.
About Eicher Motors :
● Eicher is the parent company of Royal Enfield.
● Founded : 1948
● Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi,India
● Chairman : S Sandilya
● Managing Director : Siddhartha Lal
About Royal Enfield :

● Founded : 1955
● Royal Enfield is an Indian multinational motorcycle manufacturing company.
Naveen Srivastava appointed as India's ambassador to Nepal
● India has appointed Seasoned diplomat Mr Naveen Srivastava as its new Ambassador to Nepal.
● Mr Srivastava succeeded Mr Vinay Kumar Kwatra, who completed his Nepal assignment in April
after he was appointed foreign secretary.
● The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the appointment of Naveen Srivastava a day
after Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Lumbini in Nepal.
About Mr Naveen Srivastava :
● Mr. Srivastava, a 1993 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
● Since 2020, he headed the East Asia division in the ministry, and has played a key role in
diplomatic and military talks with China to tackle the military standoff on the Line of Actual
Control (LAC).
● He also served as consul general in Shanghai.
● Currently Mr Naveen Srivastava is an Additional Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry.
Additional Info :
● Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states - Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Indian environmental scientist Dr Kamal Bawa elected to U.S. National Academy of Sciences
● India-born conservation biologist Dr Kamal Bawa, has been elected to the US National Academy
of Sciences.
● The election is the reaffirmation of our important work on the ecology, conservation, and
management of tropical forests that are declining all over the world but are critical to humanity’s
well-being.
About Dr Kamal Bawa :
● Dr Kamal Bawa is president of the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and
Environment (ATREE).
● He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society (London) and the American Philosophical Society.
● Earlier, Dr. Bawa brought together some scientists from India’s leading institutions to develop
the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well Being under the banner of the Biodiversity
Collaborative & it was supported by the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Indian
government and is currently funded by the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.
● ATREE is well recognised for its work on assessing and managing biodiversity, climate change,
and water.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal resigns
● Delhi Lieutenant Governor Shri Anil Baijal has submitted his resignation to President Shri Ram
Nath Kovind citing personal reasons.
About Shri Anil Baijal :
• Shri Baijal, a 1969-batch AGMUT cadre, short for Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union
Territory, IAS officer.
• He has served as the Chairman of Delhi Development Authority & additional Home Secretary in
the I&B Ministry & Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• He was appointed the home secretary in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
• Under the Congress-led UPA government, he oversaw the ₹ 60,000 crore Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission.
• He was chief of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority that spearheaded the capital's
response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• He has served as an advisor, on National e-Governance Advisory Group (NAG); Advisory Group
for Integrated Development of Power, Coal, and Renewable Energy; Committee on
implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility.
• He also had stints as the chairman and managing director of Indian Airlines, chief executive
officer of Prasar Bharati Corporation, development commissioner of Goa and counsellor in
charge of India’s aid programme in Nepal.
• In December 2016, he was appointed as the 21st Lieutenant Governor of Delhi after the sudden
resignation of Najeeb Jung.

• The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, which gave
primacy to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over the elected government in the city had come into
effect in April last year after the notification of the Act by the Union Home Ministry.
About Delhi :
● Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
Aruna Singh takes additional charge as CMD of RailTel Corporation
• Ms Aruna Singh has taken over the additional charge of the post of Chairman & Managing
Director (CMD) of RailTel Corporation of India Limited (RailTel) .
About Ms Aruna Singh :
● Ms Aruna Singh is a 1985 batch Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE) officer.
● She started his career from Northern Railway zone, he has done many important assignments in
various sectors and wings of Indian Railways like
● Chief Workshop Manager (CWM), Ghaziabad
● Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Hyderabad Division, South Central Railway
● Chief Signal & Telecom Engineer (CSTE)/(Project) & Chief Communication Engineer, Northern
Railway
● Principal Chief Safety Officer, North Western Railway
● Additional General Manager (AGM) of North Western Railway
● Executive Director of Railway Electrification /(S&T) in the Railway Board.
• Her contribution in “green initiatives” like rejuvenation of vintage open wells & water
conservation measures on South Central Railway won ‘The Minister of Railways special award.’
• Presently, She is working as an Additional Member (Telecom) on the Railway Board.
About RailTel :
● Founded : September 2000
● RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. is an Indian public sector enterprise focusing on providing
broadband and VPN services.
● It is under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of India.
IndiGo Appoints Mr Pieter Elbers as CEO

● The parent company of low-cost carrier IndiGo, InterGlobe Aviation Limited’s Board of Directors
appointed Mr Pieter Elbers as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & as a Whole Time Director
which is effective from 1 October, 2022.
● He will replace Mr Ronojoy Dutta, 71, who retires on September 30, 2022.
About Mr Pieter Elbers :
● Mr Elbers was born in Schiedam, The Netherlands.
● He was appointed as the Senior Vice President of Network & Alliances.
● He holds a Bachelor's degree in Logistics Management and a Master's Degree in Business
Economics.
● He started his career at KLM in 1992 at their Schiphol hub and held several managerial
positions in both The Netherlands and overseas in Japan, Greece and Italy.
● He is the President and Chief Executive Officer of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines since 2014.
● He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Air France-KLM Group.
Recent News :
● In Feb 2022, IndiGo appointed its co-founder and promoter Mr Rahul Bhatia as the new
managing director of Indigo for a period of 5 years.
About IndiGo :
● Founded : 2005 (Commenced Operations 4 August 2006)
● Chairman : M. Damodaran
Equitas Small Finance Bank MD & CEO Mr P N Vasudevan resigns
● Mr PN Vasudevan, Managing Director and CEO, Equitas Small Finance Bank, has decided to
step down from his role in order to focus on the public charitable trust.
● However, Mr Vasudevan would continue as the MD & CEO of the lender till his successor is
finalized.
● Meanwhile, the board can be forming a search committee to undertake the process of identifying
a successor.
About Mr P N Vasudevan :
● Notably, Vasudevan is the founder of Equitas and has been associated with its journey as a
micro finance institution dating back to 2007.
● The entity was converted into a SFB, under his leadership, in 2016.
● He was the Executive Vice President and Head - Consumer Banking Group in Development
Credit Bank Ltd, based out of Mumbai.
● He worked in Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co Ltd, part of the Murugappa Group.
● He was the Chairman of the South India Hire Purchase Association for the year 2005-06.
● He has contributed many articles to various journals such as Chartered Secretary, Company
Law Journal etc.
About Equitas SFB :
● Founded : 2016
IFS officer Mr Vivek Kumar appointed as Private secretary to PM Shri Narendra Modi
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Indian Forest
Service (IFS) Officer, Mr Vivek Kumar as new Private Secretary (PS) to Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi at the joint secretary level.
• He will replace Mr Sanjeev Kumar Singla.
• The Private secretary is selected from the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Foreign
Service.
• The Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India is the senior most bureaucrat and
administrative officer in the PM's office.
About Mr Vivek Kumar :
● Mr Vivek Kumar completed B.Tech in chemical engineering from IIT Bombay and has served in
diplomatic positions in Russia and Australia.
● He is an IFS officer of the 2004 batch.
● He joined the Prime Minister's Office as a Deputy Secretary in 2014.
● Currently, Mr Vivek Kumar is the director of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
About Mr Sanjeev Kumar Singla :
● Mr Sanjeev Kumar Singla is a 1997 batch IFS officer.

● He was appointed as PS to the prime minister in 2014.
● Mr Singla returned to India to serve in the PMO after a brief posting in the Indian Embassy in Tel
Aviv.
● He will be taking over as India’s Ambassador to Israel.
Mr Salil Parekh reappointed as MD & CEO of Infosys
● The board of directors of information technology giant Infosys has re-appointed Mr Salil Parekh
as chief executive officer(CEO) & managing director(MD) of the company for a period of 5 years
which is effective from July 1, 2022, till March 31, 2027.
● This is based on the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC)
and subject to the approval of shareholders.
● Infosys board of directors has also approved a grant of 104,000 shares to 6 key management
personnel and another 375,760 shares to 88 other senior executives.
About Mr Salil S. Parekh :
● Mr Salil S.Parekh has more than 30 years of global experience in the IT services industry.
● He was a member of the Group Executive Board at Capgemini.
● He was a Partner at Ernst & Young and is widely credited for bringing scale and value to the
Indian operations of the consultancy firm.
● He has been the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys since January 2018
and has successfully led the Company over the last 4 years.
About Infosys :
● Chairman : Nandan Nilekani
● Infosys is the second-largest Indian IT company after Tata Consultancy Services.
Mr Vijay Shekhar Sharma reappointed as MD & CEO of Paytm
● One 97 Communications, which operates under Paytm brand, has reappointed its founder Mr
Vijay Shekhar Sharma as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) for another
5 years effective from December 19, 2022, to December 18, 2027.
● The Company also announced the appointment of Mr Madhur Deora as Additional Director of
the company for a tenure of 5 years from May 20, 2022, to May 19, 2027.
● Also the Board has approved the appointment of Mr Deora as the “Whole-time Director and
Chief Financial Officer of Paytm.
● Mr Deora is the President and Group Chief Financial Officer of Paytm.
About Mr Vijay Shekhar Sharma :
• Mr Vijay Shekhar was born on 7 June 1978 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
• He is an Indian technology entrepreneur who has played an instrumental role in revolutionizing
the digital payments and financial services landscape in India.
• Under his guidance, Paytm is on a mission to bring half a billion Indians into the mainstream
economy.
• In 2020, the ICANN-supported Universal Acceptance Steering Group appointed him as UA
Ambassador in India.
Awards & Honors :
• Mr Sharma was named to Time magazine’s ‘2017 Time 100’ list of the world’s “hundred most
important individuals.”
• He received All India Management Association’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award in 2018,
‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence’ in 2016, and ‘GQ Man of
the Year’ in 2016.
• He is the recipient of Yash Bharati, the highest civilian honor of the Government of Uttar
Pradesh.
About Paytm :
● Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
● President : Amit Nayyar
Mr Anthony Albanese sworn in as new PM of Australia

● On May 23, 2022, Mr Anthony Albanese was sworn in as Australia's 31st Prime Minister at
Government House, Canberra.
● Mr Anthony Albanese's Labor Party defeated the ruling coalition led by Mr Scott Morrison in
Australia federal elections 2022.
● During his oath-taking ceremony, Anthony Albanese vowed to tackle climate, inequality, rising
living cost, promising a journey of change.
● He was sworn in with four key cabinet members, including
● Foreign Minister - Mr Penny Wong
● Deputy prime minister and employment minister - Mr Richard Marles
● Treasurer- Mr Jim Chalmers ,
● Attorney-general and finance minister - Mr Katy Gallagher.
● Mr Anthony Albanese will be holding one-on-one meetings with each QUAD leader in Japan
including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Note :
• Mr Anthony Albanese has become the first Italian Australian to become Prime Minister of the
country, bringing an end to almost a decade of conservative rule in Australia.
About Mr Anthony Albanese :
● He has been an Australian Member of Parliament (MP) for Grayndler since 1996.
● He was first appointed to the Shadow Cabinet in 2001 by Simon Crean & eventually became
Manager of Opposition Business in 2006.
● He held the key position of leader of the House following the 2010 hung parliament under Julia
Gillard
● He had served as deputy prime minister of Australia under the second government led by Kevin
Rudd in 2013.
● From 2007 to 2013, cabinet minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments.
● He was elected unopposed as the leader of Australian Labor Party in 2019 after the resignation
of Bill Shorten and became the leader of Opposition.
● He worked as New South Wales Labor's assistant general secretary for six years in the 1990s
before being elected to federal parliament.
Additional Info :
● The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a strategic and security forum of Australia, India,
Japan, and the United States that was initiated in 2007.
About Australia :
● Capital: Canberra
● Currency: Australian dollar
Jose Ramos-Horta sworn in as East Timor president
● Former independence fighter and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta was sworn in
as president of East Timor for the period of 5 years i.e. 2022 to 2027, making it the second time
for him to lead Southeast Asia’s youngest nation.
● His inauguration came on the celebration of Timor Leste’s Independence Day, which falls on
May 20, 2022 ( marks 20th anniversary).
● He defeated incumbent Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres, his fellow independence fighter, in the
election.
● He secured 62 percent against the former guerilla fighter’s 37 percent.
● Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Indonesian Coordinating Minister of
Political, Law and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud were among those who attended the
inauguration.
About Jose Ramos-Horta :
● Ramos-Horta, 72, is also known as one of Timor Leste’s founding fathers.
● In 2002, He was appointed as the country's first foreign minister until his resignation on 25 June
2006.
● He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2006 and Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007.
● Previously, he served as president from 20 May 2007 to 20 May 2012.
● He was appointed as the United Nations' Special Representative and Head of the United
Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) on 2 January 2013.
Awards & Honors :

● Ramos-Horta was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, along with Bishop Carlos Felipe
Ximenes Belo, in recognition of their work “toward a just and peaceful solution to the conflict” in
East Timor.
About East Timor :
● Prime Minister : Taur Matan Ruak
● Capital : Dilli
● Currency: United States Dollar
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena is new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
● Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Vinai Kumar Saxena has
been appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi.
● He will succeed outgoing Anil Baijal who resigned from the post last week citing “personal
reasons”.
Note :
● Saxena is the first corporate businessman to be chosen for the role of Lieutenant Governor of
Delhi.
About Vinai Kumar Saxena :
● Vinai Kumar Saxena Born on March 23, 1958, in Uttar Pradesh.
● Saxena is well-known in the corporate and social sector with over three decades of experience.
● He began his career in 1984 as an Assistant Officer in Rajasthan with JK Group.
● In 1991, he founded the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), a non-profit NGO with its
headquarters in Ahmedabad.
● On October 27, 2015, Vinai Kumar Saxena had taken charge as Chairman of Khadi and Village
Industries and was responsible for several acclaimed employment-generation schemes like
‘Honey Mission’, ‘Kumhaar Sashaktikaran Yojana’ and ‘Leather Artisans’ Empowerment
Scheme’.
● He is one of the members of the national committee (headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi)
to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.
● In 2020, he was then nominated as a member of the “Governing Council” of the prestigious
“Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

● In 2020, he was nominated as a member of the Padma Awards Selection Committee for the
year 2021 by the Government of India.
● On March 5, 2021, He was appointed as a member of the National Committee.
● Under Saxena leadership, the turnover of KVIC grew by a massive 248 percent while a massive
40 lakh new employment was created in 7 years.
● During his tenure, for the first time, KVIC clocked a historic turnover of Rs 1.15 lakh crore in
2021-22, the highest by KVIC and any FMCG company in India so far.
Awards & Honors :
● In May 2007, Saxena’s NGO – NCCL won the prestigious UN-HABITAT supported Dubai
International Award for Best Practices for its unique project “Mission ENDURE” to reduce dust
pollution in Ahmedabad city.
● In May 2008, he won International Felicitation by the United Nations Decade of Sustainable
Development (UNDESD) in association with UNESCO, UNICEF and UNDP for “Outstanding
Contribution to Environment Protection and Water Security” in Gujarat.
About KVIC :
● Founded : 1957
● KVIC has 6 zonal offices in Delhi, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati
● The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body under the Act of
Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'.
● It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
● The KVIC is responsible for generating employment avenues in rural areas by implementing
khadi and village industry programmes.
IDBI Bank appoints TN Manoharan as part-time Chairman
• As approved by the Reserve Bank of India, The Board of IDBI Bank, approved the appointment
of Mr T N Manoharan as the part-time chairman for a period of 3 years.
• IDBI Bank has announced that Mr M R Kumar will no longer continue to be the non-executive
non-whole time Chairman of the bank.

• In terms of the Articles of Association of the bank, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
nominated Raj Kumar, Managing Director of LIC as LIC nominee director on the board of the
bank.
• Kumar’s appointment is being separately processed under Section 161 (3) of the Companies
Act, 2013.
About TN Manoharan :
● TN Manoharan is a Chartered Accountant by profession.
● He has served as the former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
during 2006-07.
● He was the Chairman of the ICAI of Accounting Research Foundation.
● He was on the Board of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA).
● He served as the Administrator for Lakshmi Vilas Bank during November, 2020 appointed by the
RBI
● He was the Non-Executive Chairman of Canara Bank for five years upto August, 2020.
● He was a member of the Governing Council for Skill Development in the BFSI sector.
● He was a member of the Advisory Board on Banks, Commercial and Financial Frauds
constituted by the Central Vigilance Commission.
● He is an Independent Director of Tech Mahindra Limited.
● Currently, he is member of the Standing External Advisory Committee of the RBI for evaluating
applications for Universal Banks and Small Finance Banks.
Awards & Honors :
● T. N. Manoharan received several awards including the
● “Business Leadership Award” from NDTV Profit in 2009
● CNN IBN “Indian of the Year 2009” award in the Business category.
● “Padma Shri” award in 2010.
About IDBI Bank :

● Chairman : M. R. Kumar
● MD & CEO : Rakesh Sharma
● IDBI Bank is an Indian private sector bank and a subsidiary of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
● LIC has 49.24 percent shareholding in IDBI Bank, as of March 2022.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus re-elected as WHO Director-General for 2nd term
• During the 75th World Health Assembly, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was re-elected as
WHO Director-General for a second five-year term by WHO Member states.
• He was the sole candidate for the post of WHO Chief.
• His new term will officially begin from August 16, 2022.
• Previously he has served as Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017.
About Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus :
● Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is an Ethiopian public health researcher.
● He served as the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia from 2012-2016 and as the health Minister from
2005-2012.
● He was a former top official in the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
● He had also served as the chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria.
● He had also served as the chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board and as co-
chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
● Dr Tedros was included in Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Note :
● Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had become the first African to take over as the WHO Chief
in 2017.
Additional Info :
• A Director-General can be re-appointed once, in accordance with World Health Assembly rules
and procedures.
About WHO :

Captain Abhilasha Barak becomes Indian Army’s 1st woman combat pilot
● Captain Abhilasha Barak (26 years old) has become the first woman officer to join the Army
Aviation Corps as a helicopter pilot after completing a year-long course at the Combat Army
Aviation Training School at Nashik in Maharashtra.
● Barak has been assigned to the second flight of the 2072 Army Aviation Squadron that operates
the Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH).
● It was described as a ‘Golden Letter Day’ for the Indian Army.
About Captain Abhilasha Barak :
● Barak hails from Haryana and is the daughter of a retired colonel.
● She is an alumnus of the Lawrence School, Sanawar.
● Before joining the Army, she worked as a Business Technology Analyst for Deloitte, US.
● She was commissioned in the Army Air Defence Corps in September 2018.
● She was selected by President Ram Nath Kovind as a Contingent Commander for Presentation
of Colors to Army Air Defence at the Army Air Defence Corps.
● She is a part of the National Defence Academy (NDA) batch, which is set to induct its first batch
of women cadets in June 2022.
● Abhilasha Barak was awarded the coveted wings along with 36 Army Pilots by the Army Aviation
director-general Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Suri during a valedictory ceremony at the
Nashik-based training school.
Note :
● In 2018, Air Force Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter
aircraft.
About Army Aviation Corps :
● Army Aviation Corps is the component of the Indian Army which was established on November
1, 1986.
● The division is headed by a Lieutenant General rank officer who is known as the Director-
General of Army Aviation (Ajay Kumar Suri)
● It was first deployed in India’s 1987 fight with the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in
Jaffna, known as ‘Operation Pawan’.
● They flew the HAL-developed Chetak and Cheetah helicopters.
● It is one of the youngest corps of the Indian Army and operates a fleet of Chetak, Cheetah,
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, and Rudra helicopters.
India’s Health Secretary Shri Rajesh Bhushan appointed as chairperson of the key world health panel
● India’s Union Health Secretary Shri Rajesh Bhushan has been appointed as the Chairperson of
Committee B at the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland.
● The World Health Assembly functions through two types of committees: Committee A and
Committee B
About Committee A :
● Committee A meets to debate technical and health matters.
● It has listed critical issues to discuss during the 75th WHA including Pandemic Preparedness
and Response, Amendment in International Health Regulations 2005, WHO work in a health
emergency, Global Strategy for HIV, TB, Viral hepatitis and eradication of polio, immunization
agenda-2030, infection prevention, and control and Human resources for health, etc.
About Committee B :
● Committee B primarily discusses administrative and financial matters of the World Health
Organization.
● It will discuss and prepare a report on many important issues which includes health conditions in
the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan, the
Budget for WHO for the year 2022-2023, Prevention of sexual exploitation, WHO reforms global
strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property, audit report of
WHO, global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property
and intergovernmental organizations issues.
About Shri Rajesh Bhushan :
● Shri Rajesh Bhushan is a 1987 Bihar cadre Indian Administrative Service.
● In July 2020 Bhushan was appointed as Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
● In 2019 he was appointed as Secretary of the Special Protection Group.
● Also, he was Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development.
Note :
● The annual World Health Organisation (WHO) assembly is being held from May 22 to 28 in
Geneva, Switzerland.
About WHA :
● Founded: 1948
● Chairperson: Dr. Harsh Vardhan
● Membership: 194 Countries
● Parent Organization: World Health Organization
Mr. Narinder Batra resigns as president of the Indian Olympic Association
● Mr. Narinder Dhruv Batra resigned as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
● Mr. Batra will continue to serve as the chief of the FIH.
● Mr. Anil Khanna was named acting chief of the IOA (HC) following the high court’s order.
● The Indian Olympic Elections that were due to be held in December 2021 were suspended
temporarily due to the pending court case.
About Mr. Narinder Batra :
● Mr. Batra, who was elected as IOA president for the first time in 2017, is eligible to contest for re-
election.
● He had become a member of the Indian Olympic Association in 2019.
● He was involved in the promotion of Hockey 5s, the creation of a new competition - the FIH
Hockey Nations Cup - and the launch of fan-engaging platforms and activities.
● Currently, he is under the scanner for allegedly diverting funds to the tune of Rs 35 crore for
personal purposes.
About IOA :
● Establishment: 1927
● Secretary-General: Rajeev Mehta
● It acts as the Indian Commonwealth Games Association, responsible for selecting athletes to
represent India at the Commonwealth Games.
Indian officer Anwar Hussain Shaik is the new chair of the WTO committee
● An Indian government officer Mr. Anwar Hussain Shaik has been made the chair of the World
Trade Organization’s (WTO) Committee on Technical Barriers on Trade.
● Mr. Shaik will take this role from Elisa Maria Olmeda de Alejandro from Mexico.
Note :
● Mr. Anwar Hussain Shaik is the first Indian representative to chair the committee after 10 years.
● The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement aims to ensure that technical regulations,
standards, and conformity assessment procedures are non-discriminatory and do not create
unnecessary obstacles to trade.
● TBT Committee work involves two broad areas: Review of specific measures and strengthening
implementation of the TBT Agreement.
● WTO members use this committee to discuss specific trade concerns, specific laws, regulations,
or procedures that affect their trade, usually in response to notifications.
About WTO :
● Commenced operations: 1 January 1995
● Director-General: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
● Membership: 164 members (160 UN member states, the European Union, Hong Kong, Macao,
and Taiwan) & India has been a member since 1995.
● WTO is a multilateral body that formulates rules for global exports and imports and adjudicates
disputes between countries on trade-related issues.
Mr. Gaurav Sachdeva appointed as CEO of JSW One Platforms
● JSW Group has appointed Mr. Gaurav Sachdeva as the CEO of JSW One Platforms, an e-
commerce venture of the group.
● In his new role, Mr. Sachdeva will be responsible for creating a robust transparent platform that
will ease buying and selling of steel and other products for manufacturing and construction
MSMEs in the country.
● Also, he worked with institutions like Citibank, Bank of America, and Infosys.
About JSW One Platforms :
● Founded: 2020
● Director: Parth Jindal
● Vision: To leverage our manufacturing and distribution strength in steel, cement, and paints
businesses to build a technology-enabled one-stop-solution for the manufacturing and
construction segments
● It also has collaborations with other non-competing manufacturing and construction material
brands to market them on its tech platform
About JSW Group :
• Founded: 1982
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman & Founder: Sajjan Jindal
President Appoints Justice Pradip Mohanty As acting Chairperson Of Lokpal
● Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty has been appointed as Acting Chairperson of Lokpal by
President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind.
● He succeeded Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose.
About Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty :
● Justice Mohanty was Born in Cuttack in Odisha.
● He was nominated as Chairman of the NSA Advisory Board constituted under National Security
Act, 1980.
● In March 2002 he was appointed an Additional Judge of the Orissa High Court and thereafter
became the Permanent Judge in 2004.

● He was appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jharkhand on March 24, 2017.
● On 23 March 2019, he was appointed Judicial Member of the Lokpal Committee along with 3
other Judicial members.
About Lokpal :
● The Lokpal is headed by a chairperson and can have eight members - four judicial and the rest
non-judicial.
● At present, there are six members in the Lokpal & two posts of judicial members have been lying
vacant for over two years.
● A Lokpal chief and members are appointed for a term of five years or until attaining the age of
70 years.
Note :
● A Lokpal chief and its members are appointed by the President after obtaining the
recommendations of a selection committee headed by the Prime Minister.
IMPORTANT AWARDS & HONOURS NEWS
BROs Atal Tunnel Won IBC Best Infrastructure Project award
● The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Engineering Marvel Atal Tunnel built in Rohtang of
Himachal Pradesh received Indian Building Congress (IBC) ‘Best Infrastructure Project’ award in
New Delhi.
● The 9.02 km-long Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel globally and connects Manali to
Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year.
● Earlier, the valley was cut off for about six months each year owing to heavy snowfall.
● The tunnel, built by using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) was dedicated to the
Nation by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 03, 2020.
● More than 30 State-of-the-art infrastructure projects were nominated for the award.
● Director General of the BRO, Lt General Rajeev Chaudhry, received the award during the 25th
annual convention of the IBC.
Features of BROs Atal Tunnel :
● It features a semi transverse ventilation system with large fans that circulate air in the tunnel.
● A tunnel section has an emergency tunnel that is located beneath the main carriageway.
● This tunnel can be used for evacuation in case of emergencies.
● The fires inside the tunnel will be controlled within an area of 200 metres and fire hydrants are
provided at specific locations throughout the tunnel.
About BRO :
● Founded : 7 May 1960
● Director General : Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary
Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba presents India Pharma and India
Medical Devices Awards 2022
● During the 7th edition of International conference on Pharma and Medical Devices sector 2022,
Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers (MoC&F), Shri Bhagwanth Khuba along with
the Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals also conferred India Pharma and India Medical
Devices Awards 2022.
● In 2022 the Department of Pharmaceuticals has announced six main categories of the India
Pharma and India Medical Devices Awards in: -
• Leaders Category
• Company of the year
• MSME of the year
• Start-ups of the year
• Innovation Category
• CSR Category.
India Pharma & India Medical Device 2022 Awards :
Category Award Winners
LEADERS CATEGORY INDIA PHARMA LEADER OF THE Cipla Limited
AWARDS YEAR
LEADERS CATEGORY INDIA MEDICAL DEVICES LEADER Poly Medicure Limited
AWARDS OF THE YEAR
COMAPNY OF THE YEAR INDIA PHARMA (FORMULATION) Micro Labs Limited
AWARD COMPANY OF THE YEAR
COMAPNY OF THE YEAR INDIA MEDICAL DEVICES Trivitron Healthcare
AWARD COMAPANY OF THE YEAR
MSME CATEGORY INDIA MEDICAL DEVICE MSME OF Nice Neotech Medical
AWARDS THE YEAR Systems Private Limited
START-UP CATEGORY INDIA MEDICAL DEVICE START-UP Vanguard Diagnostics (P)
OF THE YEAR Limited
INNOVATION CATEGORY INDIA PHARMA INNOVATION OF Glenmark
THE YEAR Pharmaceuticals Limited
INNOVATION CATEGORY INDIA MEDICAL DEVICE Meril Life Sciences Private
INNOVATIVE OF THE YEAR Limited
CSR CATEGORY INDIA PHARMA CSR COMPANY OF Zydus Lifesciences
THE YEAR Limited
About 7th edition of International conference on Pharma and Medical Devices sector 2022 :
● Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare,
inaugurated the 7th edition of the International Conference on Pharma and Medical Devices
sector 2022, which is scheduled from 25th to 27th April.
● The annual flagship three-day conference is being held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre,
New Delhi.
● In 2022 the India Pharma is planned around the theme: 'India Pharma-Vision 2047:
Transformative agenda for future' & for India Medical Device, the theme is 'Transforming
Healthcare through Innovation & Integrated Services'.
● The Indian medical device sector is currently standing at $11 billion and is likely to reach $ 50
billion by 2025.
● Currently over 80 percent of medical devices are imported in India & with R&D, innovation, India
will soon produce 80 percent of medical devices in India.
About Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers :
● Union Minister : Mansukh Mandaviya
● Minister of State : Bhagwanth Khuba
Indian wildlife conservationist Charudutt Mishra won Whitley Gold Award 2022
● Charudutt Mishra, a snow leopard conservationist, was awarded the Whitely Gold Award at the
Royal Geographical Society in London.
● Princess Anne presented the award to Mishra.
● He was awarded for his contribution to involving indigenous communities in the conservation
and recovery of big cat species in Asia’s high mountain ecosystems.
● Mishra was given the award for his work in 12 snow leopard range countries including
Afghanistan, China, and Russia.
● This is Mishra’s second Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) Award & he had won the award
previously in 2005.
About Charudutt Mishra :
● He is the first international Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT), founded and
headquartered in Seattle in 1981.

● Mishra, who is also the co-founder of Bengaluru-based Nature Conservation Foundation,
established India’s first community scheme to save snow leopards over a decade ago.
● He serves on the editorial boards of the journals Animal Conservation and Oryx, on the winner
selection panel of the Whitley Awards, and is a member of the IUCN’s Cat Specialist Group.
● Mishra was also instrumental in helping establish the intergovernmental Global Snow Leopard
and Ecosystem Protection Programme, which for the first time has brought authorities together
in an alliance across all 12 snow leopard range countries to enhance protection.
Note :
● SLT is the largest and oldest organisation dedicated to promoting ecosystem and wildlife
conservation across the high mountains of South and Central Asia, with the endangered snow
leopard as the flagship.
● 6 other conservationists were awarded prizes during The 2022 Whitley Awards Ceremony. They
are:
● Emmanuel Amoah from Ghana, for work on the West African slender-snouted crocodile
● Micaela Camino, Argentina, for empowering communities to defend their human rights and
conserve Argentina’s Dry Chaco
● Pablo Hoffmann, Brazil, for nurturing wild plant diversity in the Araucaria Forest region
● Sonam Lama, Nepal, for work done on red pandas
● Estrela Matilde, São Tomé and Príncipe, for efforts to save sea turtles
● Dedy Yansyah, Indonesia, for work on the Sumatran rhino
About Whitley Gold Award :
● Each year a Whitley Award alumnus is chosen to receive the Whitley Gold Award in recognition
of their outstanding contribution to conservation.
● Whitley Gold Award winners are international advocates for biodiversity with the passion and
ambition to inspire large-scale change.
● The award is worth £100,000 in project funding, and recipients join the Whitley Awards judging
panel as well as mentoring new winners.
NASA climate research scientist Cynthia Rosenzweig Receives 2022 World Food Prize
● Cynthia Rosenzweig, a senior research scientist and head of the Climate Impacts Group at
NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City, received the 2022 World
Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation.
● On 5 May, 2022 President of the World Food Prize Foundation, Barbara Stinson announced the
2022 Laureate during a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Department of State.
● Rosenzweig was selected for the $250,000 prize in recognition of her innovative modeling of the
impact of climate change on food production.
● She will officially receive the World Food Prize at a ceremony in October 2022.
About Cynthia Rosenzweig :
• Rosenzweig is currently a Senior Research Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space
Studies (GISS ) and Adjunct Senior Research Scientist at the Columbia Climate School.
• Her research focuses on improving models and assessments of how climate change will affect
agriculture and the food supply in the future.
• Also, she uses data from NASA satellites and models to study agricultural regions around the
world and how they are changing.
• She was one of the Coordinating Lead Authors of the food chapter on IPCC’s Special Report on
Climate Change and Land.
• Previously she has served as coordinating lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Fourth Assessment Report in 2007 and the IPCC
Special Report on Climate Change and Land in 2019.
• She is also a co-founder of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project
(AgMIP), an international project using climate science, crop modeling and economic modeling
to understand crop yield and food security in a changing climate.
About AgMIP :
● AgMIP is a globally integrated transdisciplinary network of climate and food system modelers.
● It has directly helped decision-makers in more than 90 countries enhance their resilience to
climate change.
About World Food Prize :
● The World Food Prize is a prestigious international award conceived as the "Nobel Prize for
Food and Agriculture"

Mission :
● To elevate innovations and inspire action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and
availability of food for all.
● Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug and established in 1986 through the
support of General Foods.
● The prize is envisioned and promoted as the Nobel or the highest honors in the field of food and
agriculture.
About World Food Prize Foundation :
● Founded : 1986
● Headquarters : Des Moines, Iowa, USA
● President : Barbara Stinson
DFPD gets Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2020 for the ‘One Nation
One Ration Card’ scheme
● The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) received the prestigious Prime
Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2020 for its scheme ‘One Nation One
Ration Card’ (ONORC).
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi conferred the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in
Public Administration on the occasion of 15th Civil Services Day in New Delhi.
● The award was presented under the category Innovation (General)-Central.
● Presently, ONROC plan is enabled in 35 States/UTs up to Feb 2022 seamlessly covering nearly
77 Crore beneficiaries (almost 96.8% of NFSA population) in the country.
● A specially customized Android Mobile App on ONORC is also available in 13 languages and
has been downloaded nearly 20 lakh times.
● A 5-digit ‘14445’ toll-free number for migrant NFSA beneficiaries is also available in most
States/UTs under ONORC.
Note :
● 15th Civil Services Day observed on 21 April, 2022.
About Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution :
● Cabinet Minister : Piyush Goyal

● Minister of State : Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Dr Bina Modi, Chairperson, Modi Enterprises Receives the Woman Transforming India Award - IACCs
6th Entrepreneur & Leadership Awards 2022
● At the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce(IACC) 6th Entrepreneur & Leadership Awards
2022, Dr Bina Modi, Chairperson of Modi Enterprises was adjudged the ‘Woman Transforming
India’ Award.
● The Award was presented by the Honourable Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri
JyotiradityaScindia.
About Dr Bina Modi :
● Dr Bina Modi is the President and Managing Director of the flagship company Godfrey Phillips
India Ltd and Chairperson and Managing Director of Indofil Industries Limited.
● She has founded and built several successful brands including Bina Fashions, Ego Chain of
Specialty Restaurants, along with luxury and lifestyle businesses.
Awards & Honors :
● She has been awarded the Women of the Decade in Business & Leadership 2018 by Women
Economic Forum, prestigious Achiever’s Award in 2019.
● In 2020 she received an Award for Excellence in Business by the H.E President, Abdelfattah El
Sisi, President of Egypt, at The Women Economic Forum 2020.
About IACC :
● Founded : 1968
● It is the apex bi-lateral Chamber synergizing India-US Economic Engagement.
Objective :
● To promote Indo-American business, trade and economic relations.
● IACC promotes bilateral trade, investment and technology transfer, facilitates business
collaborations, joint ventures, marketing tie-ups and strategic alliances through a set of proactive
business-oriented initiatives.
Gurusamy Krishnamoorthy to receive British honour for his service during pandemic
● Chief executive officer of Penlon, a British medical device manufacturing firm, Gurusamy
Krishnamoorthy is all set to receive the Member of the Royal Order of British Empire (MBE)
recognition from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, London, UK.
● Penlon did a commendable job and went on to produce 11,682 ventilators in a short span of 12
weeks and suppied them to NHS (National Health Service) & they sourced components from all
over the world and a dedicated team of 4000 staff worked round the clock to ensure smooth
production.
● This project has earned Penlon the President’s Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering
and also the second place in the Management Consultants Association in the UK.
About Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy :
● Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy hails from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
● He is an engineering graduate from the College of Engineering Guindy.
● He has been in the medical device industry for the past 30 years.
● He started his career with Wipro GE Medical Systems and later co-founded a Med tech start up
in Chennai.
● Then, he joined BPL Medical Technologies as Director for International and Strategic business
● He moved on to Penlon, a reputed global Medical devices company with its headquarters in the
UK as its CEO.
About the Member of the Royal Order of British Empire (MBE) :
● This award is given to individuals who make a great impact on society.
About Penlon :
● Headquarters : Abingdon, United Kingdom
● Penlon deals with design and manufacture of anesthesia ventilators, anesthesia machines and
vaporizers.
Pulitzer Prize: 2022 Winners List
● The winners of Pulitzer Prize 2022 in journalism, books, drama and music were announced.
Pulitzer Prize in Journalism :
S.No Categories Winners
1 Public Service The Washington Post for covering the assault
on Capitol on January 6, 2021.
2 Breaking News Reporting The Staff of the Miami Herald for covering the
collapse of Seaside apartment towers in
Florida
3 Investigative Reporting Corey G. Johnson, Rebecca Woolington, and
Eli Murray of the Tampa Bay Times for
exposing highly toxic hazard inside only
battery recycling plant in Florida
4 Explanatory Reporting Staff of Quanta Magazine, notably Natalie
Wolchover on how the Webb Space
Telescope works
5 Local Reporting Cecilia Reyes of Chicago Tribune and
Madison Hopkins of the Better Government
Association
6 National Reporting The Staff of the New York Times
7 International Reporting The Staff of the New York Times
8 Feature Writing Jennifer Senior of The Atlantic
9 Commentary Melinda Henneberger of the Kansas City Star
10 Criticism Salamishah Tillet, contributing critic at large
for The New York Times
11 Editorial Writing Lisa Falkenberg, Michael Lindenberger, Joe
Holley and Luis Carrasco of The Houston
Chronicle
12 Illustrated Reporting and Fahmida Azim, Anthong Del Col, Josh
Commentary Adams, Walt Jockey of Insider
13 Breaking News Photography

Marcus Yam of Los Angeles Times for images
of US departure from Afghanistan
Win McNamee, Drew Angerer, Spencer Platt,
Samuel Corum and John Cherry of Getty
Images for photos of attack on US Capitol
14 Feature Photography Late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters, Adnan Abidi,
Sanna Irshad Mattoo, and Amit Dave for
images of COVID toll in India
15 Audio Reporting Staffs of Futuro Media and PRX for ‘Suave’-
an immersive profile of a man re-entering
society after more than 30 years in Prison
Pulitzer Prize 2022 Special Citation :
Category Winner
Special Awards & Citations The Journalists of Ukraine
Pulitzer Prize 2022 in Books, Drama & Music :
S.No Category Winners
1 Fiction The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor
and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in
the History of a Very Famous Family, by
Joshua Green
2 Drama Fat Ham, by James Ijames
3 History
Covered with Night, by Nicole Eustace
(Liveright/Norton)
Cuba: An American History, by Ada Ferrer
(Scribner)
4 Biography Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist's
Memoir of Jim Crow South, by the late
Winfred Rembert as told to Erin. I Kelly
(Bloomsbury)
5 Poetry frank: sonnets, by Diane Seuss
6 General Notification Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in
an American City, by Andrea Elliott
7 Music Voiceless Mass, by Raven Chacon
About Pulitzer Prize :

● Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in magazines, newspapers, online journalism,
musical composition, and literature.
● Pulitzer was established in 1917 by the provisions in the will of Joseph of Pulitzer, who made his
fortune as a newspaper publisher and is administered by Columbia University.
● Pulitzer Prizes are awarded yearly in 21 categories.
● In 20 of the categories, each winner received a certificate and a US $15,000 cash award.
● The Pulitzer winner in the Public Service Category was awarded a Gold Medal.
Bengali translation of French novel ‘Meursault, contre-enquête’ wins Romain Rolland Book Prize 2022
● The Bengali translation of French novel “Meursault, contre-enquête” (The Meursault
Investigation) has won the fifth Romain Rolland Book Prize.

● The award, announced during the French LitFest 2022.
● The award was given to translator Trinanjan Chakraborty and publisher Patra Bharati & this is
the first time Patra Bharati has received this award.
● It is chaired by the French Institute in India / Embassy of France in India.
About Romain Rolland Book Prize :
● Started : 2017
Aim :
● To award the best translation of a French title into any Indian language, including English.
● As part of the prize, the winning publisher and the translator will be awarded a curated trip to the
Paris Book Fair, 2023 (Livre Paris).
● The jury, composed of professors from different universities in France and India, and literary
translators from both countries to assess the quality of the translations.
About French LitFest 2022 :
● The French LitFest 2022 held at Bikaner House in New Delhi.
● It was part of the ongoing ‘Bonjour India’, an art and culture summer festival which celebrates
the relationship India and France share.
● The festival, funded by the government of France and supported by the France Embassy, is
travelling to 19 cities with over 200 events.
About Meursault, contre-enquêteto :
● It is the debut novel of Algerian writer and journalist Kamel Daoud.
● It is a retelling of Albert Camus’ 1942 novel, “The Stranger”.
● It won the prize beating the other shortlisted book, the Hindi translation of Marjane Satrapi’s cult
comic “Persepolis”.
Note :
• In 2021 the prize was won by the Tamil translation of the French novel “Le mariage de plaisir”.
Indian Architect B.V. Doshi conferred with Royal Gold Medal 2022
● Well-known Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi conferred the prestigious Royal Gold Medal 2022,
one of the world’s highest honours for architecture, by the Royal Institute of British Architects
(RIBA), London, United Kingdom.

● He is the only one from India to have been awarded both the Royal Gold Medal and the Pritzker
Architecture Prize.
● The president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Simon Allford presented the
medal to the renowned architect in person at his residence in Ahmedabad.
● Given in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Queen
Elizabeth and is given to people who have had a significant influence on the advancement of
architecture.
About B.V. Doshi :
● He has become internationally known for his visionary urban planning and social housing
projects, as well as his work in education.
● He worked with Louis Kahn as an associate to build the Indian institute of Management (IIM)
Ahmedabad and they continued to collaborate for over a decade.
● He founded his own practice, Vastushilpa in 1956 with two architects.
● Vastushilpa is a multi-disciplinary practice with five partners spanning three generations and has
sixty employees.
Some of his key projects include :
● Shreyas Comprehensive School Campus, Ahmedabad (1958-63); Atira Guest House,
Ahmedabad (1958); The Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad (1962); Ahmed-abad School of
Architecture (1966 – renamed CEPT University in 2002); Tagore Hall and Memorial Theatre,
Ahmedabad (1967); Premabhai Hall, Ahmedabad (1976); IIM Bangalore (1977-1992); Kanoria
Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad (1984); and Amdavad ni Gufa (1994).
Awards & Honors :
● In 2020, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, for his
contribution to the field of architecture.
● Mr. Doshi was awarded three Honorary Doctorate by prestigious international universities
including the latest from the Boston Architectural College, USA in 2021.
● He is the recipient of the French ‘Global Award for Lifetime Achievement for Sustainable
Architecture’ by the Institut Francais d’architecture, Paris.
About RIBA :
● Founded: 1834
● CEO: Alan Vallance
● Headquarters : London, UK
Nobel Laureate Dr. Frank Wilczek Receives 2022 Templeton Prize
● Penguin Press author and Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Dr Frank Wilczek has won
the 2022 Templeton Prize.
About Dr. Frank Wilczek :
● Currently, he is the Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), Founding Director of T. D.
● Along with David Gross and H. David Politzer, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in
2004 "for the discovery of asymptotic freedom in the theory of the strong interaction
● He has written several popular books, including A Beautiful Question (2015) and The Lightness
of Being (2008) & Fundamentals (2021).
Note :
● Wilczek is the 6th Nobel laureate to receive the Templeton Prize since its inception in 1972.
About Templeton Prize :
• The Templeton Prize, valued at more than $1.3 million, is one of the world's largest annual
individual awards.
• The Prize Established by the late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton.
• It is given to honor those who harness the power of the sciences to explore the deepest
questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it.
British climber Kenton Cool becomes first foreigner to scale Everest 16 times
● British mountaineer Kenton Cool has scaled the world's highest mountain for the 16th time
becoming the first foreign climber to make the most Mt Everest summits
● Previously, American climber Dave Hahn has climbed Mt Everest 15 times.
About Kenton Cool :
• A 48-year-old British national, who hails from Gloucestershire, an area in South West England.
• In 2013, Kenton Cool became the first person in history to complete the ‘Everest Triple Crown’,
climbing the peaks of Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse

• He is also the first British guide to lead a client to the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest
mountain.
Piramal Group chairman Ajay Piramal receives Order of the British Empire award
● Piramal Group chairman Mr Ajay Gopi Kishan Piramal has received an honorary commander of
the order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty The Queen.
● Mr Piramal has received the award for services to the UK-India trade relationship as India Co-
Chair of the UK-India CEO Forum.
● As co-chair of India-UK CEO forum since 2016, the endeavour has been to help strengthen the
strong bilateral relations between the two countries through greater economic co-operation.
About Piramal Group :
● Founded : 1984
● The Piramal Group is an Indian multinational diversified global business conglomerate that has
presence across various sectors such as healthcare, life sciences, drug discovery, healthcare
information management, financial services and real estate.
About honorary commander of the order of the British Empire (CBE) :
● The Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) is awarded for having a prominent role
at national level.
● Established : 1917 by king George V
Cameroonian activist Cécile Ndjebet wins Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award 2022
● Cameroon activist and board member of the African Forest Forum, Ms Cecil Ndjebet has won
the 2022 Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award.
● The award was given for recognition of her outstanding contribution to preserving forests and
improving the lives of people who depend on them.
● The award celebrates Cécile Ndjebet’s energy and dedication over three decades in promoting
women’s rights to land and forests.
● The award is presented by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), which is chaired by
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the award was conferred at
a ceremony during the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Previous Wangari Maathai Forest Champion Award winners :
● Nepalese community forestry movement leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha (2012)
● Mexican environmental campaigner Martha Isabel ‘Pati’ Ruiz Corzo (2014)
● Ugandan forestry activist Gertrude Kabusimbi Kenyangi (2015)
● Brazilian forestry activist Maria Margarida Ribeiro da Silva (2017)
● Burundian forestry activist Léonidas Nzigiyimpa (2019).
About Ms Cécile Ndjebet :
● Ms Cécile Ndjebet is an agronomist and social forester by profession.
● With 33 years of field experience, Cécile started her professional career as a Cameroonian civil
servant.
● In 2009, she founded the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests
(REFACOF), a regional network within 17 countries in West and Central Africa
● In 2012, she was elected Climate Change Champion of the Central African Commission on
Forests (COMIFAC).
About Wangari Maathai Forest Champions’ Award :
● The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) launched the first Wangari Maathai Award in
2012 to honor the memory of Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari
Maathai,
● The award recognizes outstanding individuals who have helped preserve, restore and
sustainably manage forests and to raise awareness of the key role forests play in supporting
local communities, rural livelihoods, women and the environment.
KVGB won 6 awards from PFRDA
● Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB), has bagged 6 National Awards in different
Categories” for outstanding achievement under enrolment of Atal Pension Yojana (APY) from
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
● Mr. P Gopi Krishna, Chairman, KVGB received the Awards from Mr. Supratim Bandyopadhyay,
Chairman, PFRDA in a Summit held at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
● The Bank has enrolled (Cumulative) 264817 accounts under APY.

● In the last financial year itself (During 2021-2022) the Bank has enrolled 58603 accounts against
the target of 39000.
● KVGB is playing a pivotal role in implementing all the three social security schemes (PMJJBY -
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PMSBY-Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana &
APY-Atal Pension Yojana).
● Atal Pension Yojana is a safety net for workers in the informal sector for getting a predefined
pension after 60 years of age.
About KVGB :
● Founded: 12 September 2005
● Headquarters: Dharwad, Karnataka
● Chairman : Puttaganti Gopi Krishna
● KVGB is one of the leading regional rural banks sponsored by Canara Bank Bank.
About PFRDA :
● Founded : 23 August 2003\
● Chairman : Supratim Bandyopadhyay
Journalist Wesley Morgan wins Colby award for his book 'The Hardest Place'
● Author and journalist Mr Wesley Morgan has won the William E. Colby Award for his book titled
The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley.
● Previous winners of the Colby award include Dexter Filkins, Karl Marlantes and Adam
Higginbotham.
About Colby award :
● The Colby award, a $5,000 prize named for the former ambassador and CIA director.
● The award is given for “a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence
operations or international affairs.”
● The Colby Award is presented by Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.
2022 Billboard Music Awards Winners
● The Billboard Music Awards 2022 honors the artists across genres whose music has received
the most fanfare over the past year were held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
● It was hosted by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and gave out trophies to the musicians who have
achieved success via album and song sales and streams, touring, radio play and social
engagement.
● Nominations across 62 categories for releases during the period dated April 10, 2021 to March
26, 2022.
● At the 2022 Billboards Music Awards, BTS created history by winning 3 out of 6 awards they
were nominated for.
● Most awards won by Olivia Rodrigo (7) & Most nominations won by The Weeknd (17).
Full List of 2022 Billboard Music Awards winners :
● Top Artist - Drake
● Top New Artist - Olivia Rodrigo
● Top Male Artist - Drake
● Top Female Artist - Olivia Rodrigo
● Top Duo/Group - BTS

● Top Billboard 200 Artist - Taylor Swift
● Top Hot 100 Artist - Olivia Rodrigo
● Top Streaming Songs Artist - Olivia Rodrigo
● Top Song Sales Artist - BTS
● Top Radio Songs Artist - Olivia Rodrigo
● Top Billboard Global 2022 Artist (New) - Olivia Rodrigo
● Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist (New) - Ed Sheeran
● Top Tour - The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)
● Top R&B Artist - Doja Cat
● Top R&B Male Artist - The Weekend

● Top R&B Female Artist - Doja Cat
● Top R&B Tour - Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars at Park MGM)
● Top Rap Artist - Drake
● Top Rap Male Artist - Drake
● Top Rap Female Artist - Megan Thee Stallion
● Top Rap Tour - Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millenium Tour 2021)
● Top Country Artist - Taylor Swift
● Top Country Male Artist - Morgan Wallen
● Top Country Female Artist - Taylor Swift
● Top Country Duo/Group - Dan +Shay
● Top Country Tour - Eric Church
● Top Rock Artist- Glass Animals
● Top Rock Tour- The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)
● Top Latin Artist - Bad Bunny
● Top Latin Male Artist - Bad Bunny
● Top Latin Female Artist- Kali Uchis
● Top Latin Duo/Group - Eslabon Armado
● Top Latin Tour - Los Bukis
● Top Dance/Electronic Artist - Lady gaga
● Top Christian Artist - Ye
● Top Gospel Artist - Ye
● Top Billboard 200 Album - Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR
● Top Soundtrack - Encanto
● Top R&B Album - Doja Cat, Planet Her
● Top Rap Album - Drake, Certified Lover Boy
● Top Country Album - Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s version)
● Top Rock Album - Twenty one pilots, Scaled and Icy
● Top Latin Album - Karol G, KG0516
● Top Dance/Electronic Album - Illenium, Fallen Embers

● Top Christian Album - Ye, Donda
● Top Gospel Album - Ye, Donda
● Top Hot 100 Song - The Kid LAROI & Justin Beiber, “Stay”
● Top Streaming Song - The Kid LAROI & Justin Beiber, “Stay”
● Top Selling Song - BTS, “Butter”
● Top Radio Song - Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
● Top Collaboration - The Kid LAROI & Justin Beiber, “Stay”
● Top Billboard Global 200 Song - The Kid LAROI & Justin Beiber, “Stay”
● Top Billboard Global (Excel. U.S.) Song (New) - The Kid LAROI & Justin Beiber, “Stay”
● Top Viral Song - Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
● Top R&B Song - Silk Iconic (Bruno Mars, Anderson.Paak), “Leave the Door Open”
● Top rap Song - Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
● Top Country Song - Walker Hayes, “fancy Like”
● Top Rock Song - Maneskin, “Beggin”
● Top Latin Song - Kali Uchis, “telepatia”
● Top Dance/Electronic Song - Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart-PNAU Remix”
● Top Christian Song - Ye, “Hurricane”
● Top Gospel Song - Ye, “Hurricane”
Subhash Ola wins Amazon Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge 2022
● An innovator from Rajasthan , Mr Shri Subhash Ola has won the 1st prize for the Amazon
Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge 2022 and his enterprise "Geniusenergy Critical Innovation
Private Limited" has won the Start-up of the Year award.
● He has developed the technology of saving energy in boilers by recycling steam.
● The technology was first developed to make khoya and other milk products, & the portfolio of
applications were later extended to textile, milk and food, pharma, plywood, paper mills, leather
industry, chemical industry, hot water boiler generator, plastic recycle, laundry, hospitals etc.
● Mr Shri Ola was one amongst, close to 2000 entrepreneurs of our country contesting for this
Start-up of the Year award, representing 240 cities across the length and breadth of the country.
About Mr Shri Subhash Ola :

● He was conferred with National Innovation Foundation (NIF's) 8th Biennial National Grassroots
Innovation and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge Award in the year 2015.
● He was also invited to be part of the 4th Batch of Innovation Scholar-In-Residence Programme
of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
About Geniusenergy Critical Innovation Private Limited :
● Geniusenergy Critical Innovation, a start-up recognized by the Govt. of India, was incubated by
the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body of the Department of Science
and Technology (DST), Govt. of India.
● It serves clientele in a variety of industries for their energy needs, helps them reduce cost, and at
the same time protects the environment.
● Founded : 2016
● Headquarters : Jaipur,Rajasthan, India
● CEO : Subhash Ola
Aim :
● To provide high quality products in diverse specifications within a scheduled time period.
About Amazon Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge 2022 :
● Amazon India launched the Amazon Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge 2022.
● It is open to startups across all industries, verticals and business models.
● The 3rd edition of its annual flagship summit Amazon Smbhav being organised on the 18th &
19th of May,2022.
● The initiative will provide participating startups from anywhere in the country a chance to
showcase their business proposition and get a chance to win cumulative cash prizes up to INR
65 lakhs and other rewards.
Cummins India’s Ms Anjali Pandey bags the CII EXCON Committed Leader Award 2022
• Cummins India’s Ms Anjali Pandey has been awarded the prestigious Committed Leader Award
at CII EXCON 2022 in Bengaluru,Karnataka.
• She was awarded for her deep-rooted commitment and efforts to create a more diverse,
equitable and inclusive workplace.

● Ms Pandey holds the position of Engines and Components Business Unit Leader at Cummins
India.
About Cummins India :
● Cummins views Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) as a competitive advantage and hence
it’s a business imperative.
● Cummins India has taken active measures to increase its female representation over the past
few years resulting in an increase in gender diversity ratio from 5 to 32% over the last two
decades, which is a significant achievement for a manufacturing organization.
● To provide equal opportunities to women,it drives various initiatives including Women in
Technology, gender balance during recruitment, ensuring pay parity, gender-neutral
workstations, Cummins Women& Empowerment Network, flexible work arrangements, and
award-winning breastfeeding-friendly facilities for new mothers, all of which are strongly
supported by leadership.
Additional Info :
● DE&I efforts within Cummins India & EBU (Engine Business Unit) and CBU (Components
Business Unit) segments have resulted in a reduction in women attrition from 13.8 percent in
2019 to 11 percent in 2021.
India’s ASHA honored with WHOs DGs Global Health Leaders Awards
● The WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced six awards to
recognize outstanding contributions to advancing global health, demonstrated leadership and
commitment to regional health issues.
● The recipients of the prize are decided by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus
ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist Workers) :
• ASHA which means hope in Hindi.
• ASHAs are trained female volunteers who take healthcare services to rural, marginalized, and
hard-to-reach communities across India.

• It plays a critical role in India’s primary healthcare system, including during the Covid-19
pandemic, providing essential health services to millions of people.
• The ASHA community health worker concept was instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (MoHFW) as a part of India's National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005.
Honorees of the Global Health Leaders Awards :
● Dr Paul Farmer
● Dr Paul Farmer was Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard
Medical School and co-founder of Partners in Health.
● He was co-founder and chief strategist of Partners In Health.
● Dr Ahmed Hankir
● A British-Lebanese psychiatrist, Dr Ahmed Hankir is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for
Mental Health Research in association with Cambridge University and Academic Clinical Fellow
in Psychiatry at the King’s College London in the United Kingdom.
● He is the author of The Wounded Healer.
● He is also known for his work on Muslim mental health, islamophobia and violent extremism.
• Ms Ludmila Sofia Oliveira Varela
• Ms Oliviera Varela’s work to facilitate access to sports for all provides a healthy alternative to
risky behaviors among young people and tackles the growing threat of non-communicable
diseases.
• Polio workers in Afghanistan
● Polio workers names were Mr Mohamamd Zubair Khalazai, Mr Najibullah Kosha, Mr Shadab
Yosufi, Mr Shareefullah Hemati, Mrs Haseeba Omari, and Ms Khadija Attaee, Ms Munira Hakimi
and Ms Robina Yosufi and her brother Shadab
● Mr Yōhei Sasakawa
● Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Japans largest charitable foundation, Mr Sasakawa is
the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, and Japan’s Ambassador for the
Human Rights of People Affected by leprosy.
About WHO’s DG’s Global Health Leaders Awards :
● The ceremony for the awards, which were established in 2019, was part of the live-streamed
high-level opening session of the 75th World Health Assembly.
About 75th World Health Assembly :
• The 75th World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 22-28 May 2022.
• It is the first in-person Health Assembly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ahmed bin Saeed Honors the Winner of the First Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2022
● Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of
Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group honored the
winner of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award at an award ceremony held at Atlantis The
Palm, Dubai.
● Anna Qabale Duba from Marsabit County in Kenya was named the winner of the Aster
Guardians Global Nursing Award, which has a prize money of $250,000, for endorsing
education and campaigning against outdated cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation
(FGM) in her community.
● She beat more than 24,000 nominees from 184 countries to the Aster Guardians Global Nursing
Award.
● The top 10 finalists for the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award were announced on 26 April.
● The winner was chosen after a public voting process, followed by the Grand Jury’s final
evaluation.
The other nine finalists were also awarded a monetary prize is
● Dida Jirma Bulle from Kenya
● Francis Michael Fernando from United Kingdom
● Jasmine Mohammed Sharaf from United Arab Emirates
● Julia Dorothy Downing from United Kingdom
● Lincy Padicala Joseph from India
● Manju Dhandapani from India
● Matthew James Ball from Australia
● Rachel Abraham Joseph from United States
● Wais Mohammad Qarani from Afghanistan.
About Anna Qabale Duba :

● Anna Qabale Duba was the first graduate from her village and the only educated child in her
family.
● During her nursing studies, she won the Miss Tourism Kenya 2013.
● Under the Qabale Duba Foundation, she built a school in her village where children could study
in the morning and adults in the afternoon & the community literacy programme currently has
over 150 children and 100 adult learners.
About Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award :
● The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award was launched by Aster DM Healthcare.
Aim :
● To recognize the phenomenal contribution of nurses to the healthcare delivery system.
● The award was launched on International Nurses Day i.e. 12th May 2021.
About Aster DM Healthcare :
● Aster DM Healthcare is one of the largest private global healthcare service providers with 366
total healthcare facilities, including 26 hospitals, 115 clinics, and 225 pharmacies in 7 countries.
● It is one of the largest and fastest-growing conglomerates in the MENA region & it covers the full
spectrum of healthcare services.
Music Academy Announces Sangita Kalanidhi Awards For 3 Years
● The Madras Music Academy announced the Sangita Kalanidhi and other awards for various
artists from the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.
● Chief Minister M K Stalin will present the awards while inaugurating the 96th Annual Conference
and Concerts on December 15, 2022.
Awards & Awardees :
Sangita Kalanidhi Award :
● Awarded to one person highest accolade in the field of Carnatic music.
● Since 2005, the Sangeetha Kalanidhi has also received the MS Subbulakshmi Award instituted
by The Hindu.
● Sangita Kalanidhi will be given to
● Renowned vocalist Neyveli R Santhanagopalan - 2020
● Eminent mridangam artiste Tiruvarur Bhakthavathsalam - 2021

● Violin duo Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi - 2022.
Sangita Kala Acharya awards :
• This award was instituted in 1993 and is given to those who have contributed by bringing several
disciples to the concert platform.
• Two senior musicians/preceptors are given this award each year.
● The award was received by nadaswaram exponent Kivalur N G Ganesan (2020)
● Vocalist, musicologist, and guru Dr Ritha Rajan (2021)
● Vainika and musicologist Dr R S Jayalakshmi - 2022
T T K Award :
● It is named after TT Krishnamachari, former Union Minister and industrialist, who was a great
patron of the arts and was Vice-President of the Music Academy.
● Awarded to two senior musicians who have made a mark in the music field as icons and gurus.
● Noted vocalist and guru Thamarakkad Govindan Namboodiri - 2020
● Versatile percussionist Nemani Somayajulu - 2021
● Noted Kanjra artiste A V Anand - 2022.
The Musicologist award :
• This was instituted as the Vaggeyakara award in 1999 by Smt R Ranganayaki to recognise
outstanding contemporary music composers in the field.
• In 2008, the scope of this award was changed to include musicologists as well and the award
was renamed the Musicologist Award.
● 2020 will be presented to Dr V Premalatha.
Nritya Kalanidhi :
❖ Bharatanatyam exponents Rama Vaidyanathan (2020)
❖ Narthaki Nataraj (2021).
• Bragha Bessell, widely respected Abhinaya expert and guru, will be awarded the prize for 2022.
• The Annual Music Festival will be held from December 15, 2022, to January 1, 2023, and the
Dance Festival from January 3 to January 9, 2023.

CMFRI Director Dr Gopalakrishnan Receives VASVIK Industrial Research Award for works on fish
genetics
● Director of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Dr A
Gopalakrishnan, has won the prestigious VASVIK (Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas
Kendra) Industrial Research Award for the year 2020 in the category of Agricultural Sciences
and Technology.
● He was honored for his significant contribution towards the research works related to fish
genetics which is relevant for conserving many commercially important and endangered species.
● The award, which carries a cash prize of Rs. 1.51 lakh and citation.
About Dr A Gopalakrishnan:
● Dr A Gopalakrishnan graduated with a master's in zoology and a doctorate in fish reproductive
physiology in 1991.
● He joined NBFGR as a scientist in Lucknow/Allahabad in 1989, and in 1995 & then he relocated
to Kochi to establish an NBFGR center on the CMFRI Kochi campus.
● He has worked on various aspects of fish genetic stock identification using DNA markers, as
well as attempted DNA barcoding using mtDNA markers.
● His research projects have included Genetic Stock Identification (GSI), species inventory,
taxonomy, breeding, and seed production of threatened and commercially important species for
mariculture, which has contributed to improved scientific knowledge on Indian fisheries and
conservative measures.
About VASVIK research award :
● The VASVIK research award is given in 8 categories each year, in addition to Agricultural
Sciences and Technology.
● First Awarded : 1976
● Presented by : Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra
About CMFRI :
● Established : 3 February 1947
● Director : Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan

● Located at : Kochi, Kerala
● It comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, GoI.
Gautam Adani, Karuna Nundy, Khurram Parvez among Time’s 100 Most Influential People 2022
● Business tycoon Gautam Adani, Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy, and prominent Kashmiri
human rights activist Khurram Parvez have been named among the world’s 100 most influential
people of 2022 by TIME magazine.
● The list has been divided into 6 categories – Icons, Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders and
Innovators.
● The list has other names like Mila Kunis, Zendaya, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Tim Cook
and Xi Jinping.
Gautam Adani :
• Adani’s name has been included under the category ‘Titans’.
• In his profile, writer Roy Chowdhury wrote that Adani ‘stays out of the public eye, quietly building
his empire’.
Karuna Nundy :
● Nundy is an advocate in the Supreme Court of India.
● She is a champion of women’s rights & has been fighting for reforms in anti-rape laws.
● She has been included under the category of ‘Leaders’.

● She is currently fighting to bring marital rape under the ambit of India’s rape law.
● Her profile, written by advocate Menaka Guruswamy.
Khurram Parvez :
● Khurram Parvez is the head of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances.
● He has been fighting for the human rights of the Kashmiris.
● His profile, written by journalist Rana Ayyub.
Additional Info :
• In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and
Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla were included in the TIME Magazine’s list of 100
most influential people of 2021.
About Times 100 Most Influential People :
● Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world which is assembled by
the American news magazine Time.
● It was first published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, journalists
and politicians.
Union Minister of Power Shri R.K Singh confers NHPC Limited with first prize of 'Rajbhasha Shield’
● Union Power Minister RK Singh has conferred National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited
(NHPC Limited) with the first prize for the year 2020-21 and the second prize for the year 2018-
19 for excellent implementation of Rajbhasha.
● During the meeting, Shri R.K Singh also released the latest issue of ‘Rajbhasha Jyoti’, NHPC's
official language magazine, and the book ‘Bharatiya Sanskriti Mein Prabandhan’ written by Dr.
Rajbir Singh, Group General Manager (Rajbhasha), NHPC.
● NHPC has also been awarded "Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar" 9 times by the Government of India
for its excellent work in the field of implementation of Rajbhasha.
Additional Info :
● Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shri R.K Singh chaired the meeting
of Hindi Salahkar Samiti.
About NHPC Limited :
● Founded: 1975
● Headquarters: Faridabad, Haryana
● Chairman & MD: Abhay Kumar Singh
● NHPC Limited is an Indian government hydropower board under the ownership of the Ministry of
Power, GoI.
About Ministry of Power :
● Minister of State: Shri Krishna Pal Gurjar
● Power Secretary: Shri Alok Kumar
Mamata Banerjee awarded Special Bangla Academy Award
● On the occasion of Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary, the chief minister of West Bengal,
Mamata Banerjee, has received the first Bangla Academy award for her "relentless literary
pursuit at the "Ravi Pranam" function organized by the government's information and culture
department.
● The award was introduced by Sahitya Academy & it was presented to Banerjee for her book
"Kabita Bitan", which pays tribute to the best writers of West Bengal.
● On behalf of Mamata Banerjee, the award was received by state Education Minister Bratya
Basu.
About Kabita Bitan :
● The Book 'Kabita Bitan' was launched at the 2020 Kolkata Book Fair.
● The book contains 946 poems written by the TMC supremo.
● The award will be given to those who constantly pursue literature even after working tirelessly in
various other fields.
Rolls-Royce India president Jayaraman Receives the Order of the British Empire (OBE) Award
● President of India and South Asia for Rolls-Royce, Kishore Jayaraman, has received an
honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty The Queen.
● He received the award for services to international trade and investment, with a key focus on the
promotion of India-UK trade.
About Kishore Jayaraman :
● Kishore was born in 1965 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
● He began his career in 1989 with GE Drive Systems as a Process Models Design Engineer at
Salem, Virginia, USA till 2012.
● In 2012, Kishore was appointed President of India and South Asia for Rolls-Royce.
● Jayaraman is a member of the Board of the UK-India Business Council which supports UK
businesses set up in India.
● He has also been instrumental in promoting bilateral ties by setting up a strategic ecosystem for
boosting manufacturing in India enabled by UK’s technology.
● Under his leadership, the company set up the ‘Engineering Centre’ in Bangalore in 2015, ‘The
Digital Centre of Excellence with over 60 digital technologists in 2017, and its first ‘Start-up
Accelerator Programme’ in India in 2019.

About Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) :
● The Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) is awarded to distinguished regional or
county-wide roles in any field, through achievement or service to the community including
notable practitioners known nationally.
Tomb of Sand becomes 1st Hindi novel to win International Booker Prize
● Delhi-based author Geetanjali Shree and American translator Daisy Rockwell won the
International Booker Prize for their novel ‘Tomb of Sand’.
● The 50,000-pound ($63,000) prize money will be split between Shree and Rockwell.
● Shree's novel was chosen from a shortlist of six books, the others being:
1. ‘Cursed Bunny’ by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur from Korean
2. ‘A New Name: Septology VI-VII’ by Jon Fosse, translated by Damion Searls from Norwegian
3. ‘Heaven’ by Mieko Kawakami, translated by Samuel Bett and David Boyd from Japanese
4. ‘Elena Knows’ by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle from Spanish;
5. ‘The Books of Jacob’ by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft from Polish.
About Geetanjali Shree :
● Geetanjali Shree was born in 1957 in UP and is presently based in Delhi.
● Shree is the author of three novels and several story collections with her work translated into
English, French, German, Serbian, and Korean.
● Her 2000 novel Mai was shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award in 2001.
● She is also a recipient of the Indu Sharma Katha Samman Award and has been a fellow of the
Ministry of Culture, India and Japan Foundation.
About Tomb of Sand :
● The book is about a widow who dares to confront her experiences during the 1947 partition into
India and Pakistan.
● Tomb of Sand’ which was originally published in Hindi as Ret Samadhi is translated into English
by Daisy Rockwell.
● The novel is published in Britain by Tilted Axis Press.
● It was founded by translator Deborah Smith, who won the 2016 International Booker for
translating Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” to publish books from Asia.

Note :
● Tomb of Sand has become the first Hindi novel to win the International Booker Prize & it
becomes the first book written in an Indian language to win the prestigious 2022 International
Booker Prize.
About International Booker Prize :
● The International Booker Prize (formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize).
● It is an international literary award hosted in the United Kingdom.
● First Awarded: 2005
● Since 2016, the award has been given annually to a single book translated into English and
published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
● The prize is shared equally between the author and the translator.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui Awarded For Excellence In Cinema - French Riviera Film Festival
● Two-time Emmy award-winning American actor and producer Vincent De Paul presented an
award for Excellence in Cinema to the Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui at the French
Riviera Film Festival in Cannes.
● Nawazuddin was one of the first confirmed attendees at the Cannes Film Festival.
About Nawazuddin Siddiqui :
● He is an alumnus of the National School of Drama.
● He is the only actor in the world to have 8 films officially selected and screened at the Cannes
Film Festival.
● He has starred in two Emmy-nominated series, Sacred Games (2019) and the British McMafia
Jharkhand to get WHO Award for Controlling Tobacco Consumption
● The World Health Organization (WHO) has selected Jharkhand for the World No Tobacco Day
(WNTD) Award-2022 in recognition of its efforts to reduce tobacco consumption.
● Stata Tobacco Control Cell of the Health Department will receive the award on the occasion of
World No Tobacco Day in Delhi on May 31, 2022.
Reasons for the reduction of tobacco in Jharkhand :
● Awareness and restrictions on the use of Tobacco such as the prohibition of smoking in public
places and making it a punishable offense.
● Successful campaigns and reach-out helplines for those who planned on quitting tobacco.
● According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)-1 report, the National Tobacco Control
Programme (NTCP) was launched in Jharkhand in 2012, when the state's tobacco prevalence
rate was 51.1 percent, with 48 percent being smokeless users.
● According to the GATS-2 report, which was published in 2018, tobacco users in the state fell to
38.9 percent, with 35.4 percent being smokeless users.
About WNTD Award 2022 :
● Every year, WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of the six WHO Regions for
their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control.
● The nominee of the award may be a group, an individual, a government department, or a
ministry that made a significant contribution to tobacco control.
● Also, two of the awardees may receive special recognition through the WHO Director-General
Special Recognition Award.
About WHO :
IMPORTANT DEFENCE NEWS
NATO Exercise - Defender Europe 2022 and Swift Response 2022 began
● DEFENDER-Europe 22 is a multinational, regular joint and combined exercise organized by the
United States Armed Forces to build preparedness and interoperability between Allies and
partners of the USA and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
● The exercises are scheduled to run May 1-27, 2022 & it will be held in nine NATO countries
including Poland.
● During the exercise, the troops ability to cooperate in a joint combat operation will be put to test
using various training episodes including long-distance tactical marches, bridging rivers and live
fire training.
● 18,000 soldiers from over 20 countries were taking part in the Defender Europe 2022 and Swift
Response 2022 exercises that are taking place in Poland and 8 other countries.
● DE22 and SR 22 belong to a series of regular, defensive trainings.
● Joint combined exercises such as these enhance the security of the NATO Eastern Flank
through a training in accordance with NATO standards and procedures.
● Also they allow for the adaptation of these rules and standards to meet new and emerging
challenges at the contemporary battlefield in order to deter a potential aggressor.
About NATO :
● The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an
intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states, of which 28 are in Europe and
the other 2 in North America.
● Headquarters : Brussels, Belgium
● Secretary General : Jens Stoltenberg
INS Gharial delivers critical medical aid to Sri Lanka - Mission SAGAR IX
● As part of Mission SAGAR IX, INS Gharial arrived at Colombo to provide critical medical aid to
Sri Lanka during the ongoing crisis.
● It delivered over 760 kgs of 107 types of critical life saving medicines.
● The shipment was received by the Health Minister of Sri Lanka, Honble Channa Jayasumana,
and would be supplied to the University of Peradeniya Hospital.
● In line with GoI’s vision of SAGAR – Security And Growth for All in the Region – the Indian Navy
undertakes several deployments titled ‘Mission SAGAR’ to assist friendly IOR littorals.
● Since May 2020, Indian Navy has successfully concluded eight such missions, deploying ten
ships to 18 Friendly Foreign Countries.
INS Vikrant, India's First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier to be handed over to Indian Navy
● The Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) will hand over India's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)
which will be named 'INS Vikrant' to the Indian Navy by May 2022.
● It will be commissioned on Independence Day Aug 15, 2022.
● The IAC uses ski-jump technology for launching the aircraft from the carrier.
● Around 60 per cent of the components of the aircraft carrier are indigenous while the remaining
40 per cent have been imported.
● A new aircraft carrier of IAC specifications can be built by the shipyard in just five years.
● The shipyard can also make aircraft carriers that use the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch
System (EMALS) deployed in the US Navy's aircraft carriers.
● CSL has obtained a contract for eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts.
● CSL has been declared as the lowest bidder for the New Generation Missile Vessel (NGMV)
project.
● CSL is expecting to complete the work for the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) at
Wellington Island in Kochi by 2023.
About CSL :
• Founded : 1916
• CEO : Paul Perreault
• Headquarters : Melbourne, Australia
ICG commissions 2nd ALH Mk III Squadron in Kochi

● Indian Coast Guard chief VS Pathania commissioned its second Air Squadron, 845 Squadron
(CG), at the Coast Guard Air Enclave at Nedumbassery in Kochi.
● The Squadron, led by Commandant Kunal Naik has nine officers and 35 men.
● The second squadron of these choppers will further boost the security of the western seaboard
and enhance India’s search and rescue capability.
● The first ALH Mk-III squadron of the Coast Guard is in Bhubaneswar.
About ALH Mk-III helicopters :
● The indigenously developed ALH Mk-III helicopters feature an array of state-of-the-art sensors
which add up to maritime prowess of Coast Guard.
● The multifaceted helicopters sport advanced communication systems, automatic identification
system, search-and-rescue homer and automatic flight control system and are fitted with modern
surveillance radar/electro-optical equipment
About ICG :
• Established : 1 February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978
• It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
• Director General : Virender Singh Pathania
IAF successfully test-fires extended-range version of BrahMos missile from Sukhoi
● The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully test-fired an extended-range version of BrahMos
supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet in the Bay of Bengal.
● Besides the IAF, the Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) were
involved in the test firing.
About BrahMos supersonic cruise missile :
● The range of BrahMos was earlier around 290 km, which, with the new version, has reached
around 350 km.
● The project was conceived to enhance the IAF's capability to strike from large stand-off ranges
on any target on sea or land.
● This is the first time that the extended-range version of BrahMos missile was fired from Su-30
MKI aircraft.
About BrahMos Aerospace :
● Founded : February 12, 1998
● CEO & MD : Atul Dinkar Rane
● BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces supersonic cruise
missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
Additional Info :
● On April 19, 2022, the IAF successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a
Sukhoi fighter jet on the eastern seaboard.
● In 2016, the Indian government decided to integrate the air-launched variant of the Brahmos into
over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Launches India-made Warships INS Surat & INS Udaygiri
• Defence minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched two made-in-India warships 'Surat' and 'Udaygiri'
at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• This is the first time that the two indigenously built warships have been launched together.
• Surat is the fourth guided missile destroyer of P15B class, while Udaygiri is the second stealth
frigate of P17A class.
• Both warships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built
at MDL, Mumbai.
About INS Surat :
• The ship ‘Surat’ is the fourth of Project 15B destroyers which heralds a significant makeover of
the P15A (Kolkata Class) destroyers.
• It is named after the city Surat (capital of Gujarat) and also the second largest commercial hub
of western India after Mumbai.
• Surat city has a rich maritime and shipbuilding history, and vessels built at the city during the
16th and 18th centuries were known for their longevity (of more than 100 years).
• The warship has been built using the block construction methodology which involved hull
construction at two different geographical locations and has been joined together at Mazgaon
Docks, Mumbai.
• The first ship of this class was commissioned in 2021.
• The project 15B class of ships are the next generation stealth guided-missile destroyers of the
Indian Navy being built at the Mazgaon Docks.
About INS Udaygiri :
● INS Udaygiri is the third ship under Project 17A Frigates, named after the mountain ranges in
Andhra Pradesh.
● These are follow-on of the P17 frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features,
advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
● Around 75 percent of the orders for equipment and systems have been placed on indigenous
firms including MSMEs which is a true testament of ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the country.
About MDL :
• Founded : 1934
• Chairman & MD : Narayan Prasad
DRDO & Indian Navy successfully test fires naval anti-ship missile off Odisha coast
● Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully
conducted maiden flight-test of indigenously-developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile launched from a
Naval Helicopter from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
● It is the first indigenous air launched anti-ship missile system for the Indian Navy.
● The missile followed the desired sea skimming trajectory and reached the designated target with
high degree of accuracy, validating the control, guidance and mission algorithms.
About Ministry of defence :
• Defence Minister : Rajnath Singh
• Minister of state :Ajay Bhatt

About DRDO :
● Founded : 1958
● Chairman : Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
About Indian Navy :
● Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral R. Hari Kumar
NALs ‘HANSA-NG’ aircraft successfully completed engine relight
● The new generation two-seater flying trainer aircraft, HANSA-NG designed and developed by
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL),
successfully completed in-flight engine relight test at the aeronautical test range (ATR) facility of
Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) at Challakere in Chitradurga district,
Karnataka.
● The aircraft had completed the sea level trials in Puducherry from February 19 to March 5.
About the Flight test :
● The Flight test was carried out at an altitude of 7,000-8,000 feet with the speed range of 60 to 70
knots by Wg Cdr K V Prakash and Wg Cdr NDS Reddy, Test Pilots from Aircraft and Systems
Testing Establishment (ASTE), Indian Air force (IAF).
● The aircraft handling characteristics and flight parameters were found to be normal during these
test flights.
● The in-flight engine relight test is the most critical and important milestone towards certification
of an aircraft by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
● The flight tests were monitored by Abbani Rinku, project director of HANSA along with the
design team of CSIR-NAL and flight test crew from ASTE – wing commander Senthil Kumar,
flight test director, Squadron leader Sahil Sarin, safety pilot and Group Captain M Rangachari,
chief test pilot.
About ‘HANSA-NG’ :
● ‘HANSA-NG’is the new generation two-seater flying trainer aircraft.

● It is designed to meet the Indian flying club needs and it is an ideal aircraft for commercial pilot
licensing due to its low cost and fuel consumption.
Features of ‘HANSA-NG’ :
• Glass cockpit with cabin comfort
• Highly efficient digitally controlled engine
• Electrically operated flaps
• Long endurance
• composite lightweight airframe
About NAL :
● Established : 1 June 1959
● Director : Jitendra J Jadhav
● Located at : Bangalore, Karnataka
● National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), is India's first & largest aerospace research firm.
● It was established by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at Delhi .
About CSIR :
● Established : 26 September 1942
● President : Prime Minister of India ( Shri Narendra Modi)
● Director General : Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale
● CSIR is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, it operates as an autonomous body
through the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
U.S. Air Force conducts hypersonic weapon test
● The US Air Force had conducted a successful test of a hypersonic weapon, which flew at five
times the speed of sound.
● The Air Force stated that a B-52H Stratofortress bomber launched an AGM-183A Air-launched
Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) off the coast of Southern California.
● The 419th Flight Test Squadron and the Global Power Bomber Combined Test, both
headquartered at Edwards Air Force Base in California, conducted the test.

● The ARRW was developed by Lockheed Martin to destroy flexible, time-sensitive targets in
combat situations.
● The weapon will increase precision-strike capabilities by enabling fast response strikes against
heavily defended ground targets.
● Following separation from the aircraft, the ARRW’s booster ignited and burned for expected
duration, achieving hypersonic speeds five times greater than the speed of sound.
4th edition of India-Bangladesh Navy Coordinated Bilateral CORPAT exercise commences in Northern
Bay of Bengal
• On May 22, 2022, The fourth edition of the Indian Navy-Bangladesh Navy Coordinated Patrol
(CORPAT) commenced in the Northern Bay of Bengal .
• Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy units will undertake joint patrolling along the International
Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) till 23 May 22.
• The last IN-BN CORPAT was conducted in October 2020.
Key Highlights :
• Indian Navy’s indigenous warships, INS Kora, a guided-missile corvette and INS Sumedha, an
offshore patrol vessel along with Bangladesh Navy’s warships BNS Ali Haider and BNS Abu
Ubaidah are participating in the exercise.
• Maritime Patrol Aircraft of both navies will also undertake joint patrol along the International
Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) during CORPAT.
• The regular conduct of CORPATs has strengthened mutual understanding and enhanced
interoperability between both the navies in countering transnational maritime threats at sea.
● Secretary : Dr. Ajay Kumar
About Indian Navy :
• Chief of the Naval Staff : R. Hari Kumar
3rd edition of Indian Navy – Bangladesh Navy Bilateral EX Bongosagar begins at Mongla port
● The 3rd edition of the Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy Bilateral exercise Bongosagar 2022
commenced at Port Mongla, Bangladesh.
● The Harbour Phase of this exercise is scheduled from May 24-25 2022, followed by a Sea
Phase in the Northern Bay of Bengal from May 26-27 2022.
Aim :
● To develop a high degree of interoperability and joint operational skills through the conduct of a
wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations between the two navies.
Participants of the exercise :
● For Representing Indian Navy, INS Kora, an indigenously built Guided Missile Corvette, and
Sumedha, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel
● Representing Bangladesh Navy, BNS Abu Ubaidah and Ali Haider, both Guided Missile Frigates
are participating in the exercise.
● The harbour phase of the exercise includes professional and social interactions, and friendly
sporting fixtures, in addition to the tactical level planning discussions on the conduct of the
exercises at sea.
● The sea phase of the exercise would facilitate ships from both the navies to participate in
intensive surface warfare drills, weapon firing drills, seamanship evolutions, and coordinated air
operations in a tactical scenario.
● Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
● Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
● Defence Secretary: Ajay Kumar
India’s upcoming AI-powered wargame center - Project WARDEC
● The Army Training Command signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) to develop a ‘Wargame Research and
Development Centre’(prototype name ‘WARDEC’) in New Delhi.
● RRU will collaborate with Tech Mahindra to develop the center over the next 3 to 4 months.
About WARDEC :
● WARDEC would be a first-of-its-kind simulation-based training center in India that will use
artificial intelligence (AI) to design virtual reality wargames
● It will be used by the Army to train its soldiers and test their strategies through “metaverse-
enabled gameplay”.
● The wargame models will be designed to prepare for wars as well as counter-terror and counter-
insurgency operations.
● Soldiers will test their skills in the metaverse where their surroundings will be simulated using a
combination of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
● Apart from the armed forces, the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB can also use the
metaverse-enabled simulation exercises for better training.
About RRU :
● The RRU is a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) institute that specializes in national security and
policing.
● It is established by the Parliament of India, Act No. 31 of 2020.
● Located in: Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Indian Navy successfully tests surface to air missile system from warship
● The Indian Navy successfully tested its ship-based surface-to-air missile (SAM) system by
taking down a low flying target.
● The test was carried out from a stealth frigate deployed on the western seaboard by the force.
About SAM :
● The surface-to-air missile is also called a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided
weapon (SAGW).
● It is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles.
● SAM is a type of anti-aircraft defense system in modern armed forces.
Note :
● Former President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam or APJ Abdul Kalam (11th President of
India) is known as the Missile Man of India.
List of important Indian missiles :
Name of Indian Type of Missile Range
Missile
Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile (Fastest cruise 290 km
missile in the world)
Brahmos II Hypersonic Cruise Missile 300 km
Nirbhay Subsonic Cruise Missile 1,000 to 1,500 km
Astra Air to Air Missile 60 to 80 km
Helina (Helicopter Air to Air Missile 7 to 8 km
Launched Nag)
K 100 Air to air missile (medium range) 300 to 400 Km
Akash Medium range surface to air missile 30 km to 35 km
Barack 8 Long-range surface to air missile 100 km
Trishul Surface to air missile 0.5km to 9 km
Agni I Surface to surface to Ballistic missile 700 to 1250 km
Agni II Surface to surface to Ballistic missile 2,000 to 3,000 km
Agni III Surface to surface to Ballistic missile 3,500 to 5,000 km
Agni IV Surface to surface to Ballistic missile 3,000 to 4,000 km
Agni V Surface to surface to Ballistic missile (under 8,000 to 12,000 km
development)
Recent News :
● On 18 May 2022, the Indian Navy successfully carried out the maiden test firing of the first
indigenously developed naval anti-ship missile from a Seeking 42B helicopter in Odisha's
Balasore.
About the Indian Navy :
● Founded: 26 January 1950
● Chief of the Naval Staff: R. Hari Kumar
Indian Navy’s survey vessel ‘INS Nirdeshak’ launched by GRSE
● The Indian Navy has launched the second of four Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Nirdeshak
(Yard 3026) at Kattupalli, Chennai, Tamil Nadu to replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey
ship.
● The ship was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in collaboration with
L&T shipbuilding.
● The vessel derives its name from a former Indian Naval Survey ship, Nirdeshak, which was
decommissioned in December 2014, after 32 years of service.
● The launching ceremony was attended by Vice-Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer
Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
● On December 05, 2021, the first vessel, Sandhayak, was launched at GRSE, Kolkata, expected
to deliver in January 2023.
About SVL ships :
● The ships have a deep displacement of about 3400 tons and a complement of 235 personnel.
● It is designed to operate at a cruise speed of 14 knots and a maximum speed of 18 knots.
● The hull of these ships is made from indigenously developed steel manufactured by Steel
Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
Primary Role :
● To undertake deepwater and full-scale coastal hydrographic surveys of various ports and
navigational channels.
● It would also be deployed for collecting oceanographic and geophysical data for defense as well
as civil applications.
Secondary Role :
● To include the provision of limited defense and serving as hospital ships during emergencies.
Back Ground :
● In 2018, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with GRSE to procure 4 large
survey vessels for the Indian Navy.
● Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
● Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
● Defence Secretary: Dr. Ajay Kumar
IMPORTANT SUMMITS & CONFERENCES
Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi attended the 7th BRICS Culture Ministers meeting.
● Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs participated in the 7th
BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting via video conference, which was hosted by the People's
Republic of China and attended by all BRICS Member Nations.
● A conference was held on the topic of Establishing a Cultural Partnership Featuring
Inclusiveness and Mutual Learning Among BRICS to promote and extend cultural activities
among the BRICS countries.
About The Discussions:
● The discussion centred on increasing cultural digitization growth and collaboration, improving
cooperation on cultural heritage protection, and driving the establishment of cultural exchange
platforms for BRICS members.
● The Ministers endorsed the BRICS Action Plan 2022-2026, which aims to strengthen cultural
cooperation and implement the BRICS Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed in 2015.
Conclusion of the meeting:
● At the end of the conference, all BRICS Culture Ministers agreed and signed the Action Plan for
the Implementation of the Agreement between the Governments of the BRICS States on
Cooperation in the Field of Culture (2022-2026).
President Ram Nath Kovind to inaugurate first-ever two-day national conference of woman legislators
in Thiruvananthapuram
• President Ram Nath Kovind will kick off the two-day National Women Legislators' Conference-
2022 at the Legislative Assembly complex, which is expected to bring a significant number of
female parliamentarians and legislators from throughout the country.
• The first-ever such event, organized by the state Assembly, is part of the nationwide
celebrations marking India's 75th anniversary of independence, known as the Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav.
KEYPOINTS:
• The two-day meeting, according to Assembly sources, would focus on contemporary topics like
women's rights, gender equality, and enough female representation in decision-making bodies.
• Gujarat Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya, Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi, former Lok Sabha
Speaker Meira Kumar, and former Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat are among the speakers
at the Constitution and Women's Rights event.
• The panellists for the session "Role of Women in India's Freedom Struggle," as well as former
MP Subhashini Ali, will be MPs Supriya Sule and Jebi Methar, while the speakers for the session
Women's Rights and Legal Gaps will be West Bengal minister Shashi Panja, MP Jaya
Bachchan, Delhi Assembly deputy speaker Rakhi Birla, and Kerala High Court justice Anu
Sivaraman.
• In the last session, "Under Representation of Women in Decision-Making Bodies," Uttarakhand
Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri, Telangana MLC Kavitha Kalvakuntla, and National Federation
of India Women general secretary Annie Raja will speak.
• The valedictory session will be opened by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who will be addressed
by state Devaswom and Parliamentary Affairs Minister K Radhakrishnan.
ATTENDEES:
• Parliamentary Affairs Minister: K Radhakrishnan
• Lok Sabha Speaker: Om Birla
• Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker: Ritu Khanduri
• Gujarat Assembly Speaker: Nimaben Acharya

• National Federation of India Women general secretary: Annie Raja
IMPORTANT SCHEMES NEWS
‘GatiShakti Sanchar portal for Centralised Right of Way launched by DoT:
● The Central government has launched the "GatiShakti Sanchar" platform for centralised Right of
Way (RoW) permissions in order to allow universal and equal access to broadband services
across India, particularly in rural areas.
● The portal, developed by MP State Electronics Development Corporation on behalf of the
Department of Telecommunication (DoT), was launched by Union Minister for Communications,
Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw at an event in New Delhi in the presence of various state
chief secretaries and IT secretaries along with the top officials of various telecom service
providers (TSPs).
About GatiShakti Sanchar portal:
● Applicants from diverse telecom service providers (TSPs) and infrastructure providers (IPs)
would be able to apply for the right of way licences to lay optical fibre cable and erect mobile
towers through a unified platform for state and municipal governments.
● The software also has a sophisticated dashboard that displays state and district-level pendency
status for effective RoW application tracking across the country.
IMPORTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1st Gaganyaan unmanned module to be injected into a 170×408 km orbit
● Indicating the eventual human spaceflight (Gaganyaan) mission profile, ISRO has finalized the
first uncrewed mission or G1 which will see the launch vehicle inject the orbital module into a
170 X 408km.
● It was launched by a Human-Rated GSLV-MK-III or the HRLV (Human-Rated Launch Vehicle)
for 2023.
● The G1 mission will be followed by G2, the second uncrewed mission, both of which are
precursors to the eventual human/crewed mission or H1 as named by ISRO.
● The specification for injection parameters for HRLV during G1 has been revised from 170 X 395
to 170 X 408 kilometre in order to ensure adequate propellant margin in the service module
propulsion system.
● Also, the circularisation manoeuvre for moving from an inserted orbit to a more circular orbit is
planned in the third orbit apogee (farthest point) instead of the fourth, in order to reduce the
residency period of the perigee (closest point) to a lower altitude of 170km.
● ISRO formed a mission interface committee is constituted to review and finalise all the data flow
interfaces between participating entities or teams in the ground segment and added that different
types of SNAP (separation) scenarios various abort conditions in the overall (including crewed)
mission were identified for which different sequences of operations are worked out depending
upon the separation scenario.
● The mission sequence documents for the descent phase in G1 will be similar to the TV-D1 the
special test vehicle’s (TV) first demonstration (D1) mission which is expected later 2022, ISRO
will also launch TV-D2 and G1 and G2 are only scheduled for 2023.
Indian Navy Successfully Test Fires Anti-ship Version of BrahMos Missile
● The Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command jointly test fired an anti-ship version
of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
● The Andaman and Nicobar Command is the only tri-services command of the Indian armed
forces.
About BrahMos Aerospace :
● The BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or
land.
● The missile was developed as part of a joint venture between Indian Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya initiated in 1998.
● BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound
● The range of the advanced version of the missile is learnt to have been extended to around 350
km from the original 290 km.
Recent News :
● In March 2022 the Indian Navy successfully test-fired an advanced version of the Brahmos
missile from a stealth destroyer in the Indian Ocean.
● On April 19, 2022, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired the BrahMos missile from a
Sukhoi fighter jet on the Eastern seaboard.
India becomes 1st country in Asia Pacific region to use LPV Approach equipped with GAGAN
• The Airports Authority of India successfully conducted a light trial using an indigenous satellite
based augmentation system (SBAS) called GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation)
at the Kishangarh airport in Rajasthan.
• With this India becomes the first country in the Asia Pacific Region to achieve this.
• Including GAGAN, the others being US (WAAS), Europe (EGNOS) and Japan (MSAS).
About GAGAN :
• GAGAN is an Indian Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) jointly developed by AAI and
ISRO.
• It is the first such system developed for India and neighboring countries in the equatorial region.
• GAGAN System was certified by DGCA in 2015 for Approach with Vertical Guidance (APV 1)
and en-route (RNP 0.1) operations.
• There are only four Space-Based augmentation systems available in the world namely India
(GAGAN), US(WAAS) Europe (EGNOS) and Japan (MSAS).
• LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance) permits aircraft guided approaches that are
operationally nearly equivalent to Cat-IILS, without the need for ground-based navigational
infrastructure.
• The service relies on the availability of GPS and GAGAN Geostationary Satellites (GSAT-8,
GSAT-10 and GSAT-15), launched by ISRO.
Additional Info :
● AAI in coordination with Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has
implemented GAGAN Message Service (GMS) through which alert messages to fishermen,
formers, and disaster affected people will be sent on the occurrence of natural disasters,
calamities, such as flood, earthquake etc.

About Airports Authority of India :
● Founded : 1 April 1995
● Chairman : Sanjeev Kumar
● The AAI is a statutory body, under the ownership of, Ministry of Civil Aviation,GoI.
IIT Hyderabad demonstrates extreme massive MIMO technology
● Researchers from IIT Hyderabad (IITH) have demonstrated extreme massive multiple-input
multiple-output (MIMO) technology that is being considered for deployment of 5G and next
generation 6G networks.
● Extreme massive MIMO refers to next-generation technology that uses very large antenna
arrays.
● The IITH developed an experimental research prototype with the aim to discover achievable
performance limits.
● It can be used for sending multiple data signals simultaneously on the same channels, making
optimum use of spectrum, which is becoming an increasingly scarce resource.
● Massive MIMO involves deployment of MIMO on a larger scale, in the interest of greater network
coverage and data carrying capacity.
● The antennas required for the technology are smaller in size than conventional telecom
equipment, reducing the physical footprint of telecom infrastructure.
● The first set of pilots conducted using 192 antennas and 48 radio frequency chains showed that
up to 24-36 users could be served in the same spectrum.
● This is a 3-fold improvement over the state-of-the-art 5G massive MIMO technology, designed to
support 12 simultaneous users.
ISRO plans mission to Venus in December 2024
● The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Chairperson S Somnath announced it will
send a spacecraft to orbit Venus to study what lies below the surface of the solar system's
hottest planet, and also unravel the mysteries under the Sulfuric Acid clouds enveloping it.
● The Spacecraft is expecting to launch the mission by December 2024.
● The next similar window would be available in 2031.

● Among the experiments planned include investigation of the surface processes and shallow sub-
surface stratigraphy, including active volcanic hotspots and lava flows, studying the structure,
composition and dynamics of the atmosphere and investigation of solar wind interaction with
Venusian Ionosphere.
● A key instrument on the spacecraft will be a high resolution synthetic aperture radar, to examine
the Venusian surface, which is covered by dense clouds.
● The mission will also bring an instrument to Venus to examine the planet’s atmosphere in
infrared, ultraviolet and submillimeter wavelengths.
About ISRO :
• Established : 15 August 1969
• Headquarters : Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Chairman : Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
• It operates under the Department of Space (DOS)
Russia launches Secret Military Spacecraft into orbit
● The Russian space agency conducted a satellite launch using the brand new Angara-1.2 light
launch vehicle.
● The launch took place at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the town of Mirny in the north-western
Russian region of Arkhangelsk Oblast.
● The mission was a test flight for the new Angara-1.2 light rocket and it lifted off with a satellite for
the first time.
● Angara rocket has passed the trial, it would be used to launch payloads up to 3,800 kilograms.
Additional Info :
● The Plesetsk cosmodrome, which was founded in 1957, has been used to launch a variety of
rockets such as the R-7 derived Soyuz, the Cosmos-3M, Rokot, Tsyklon and the Angara.
About Russia :
● President: Vladimir Putin
● Prime minister: Mikhail Mishustin
● Capital: Moscow
● Currency: Russian ruble
Indian Navy to Acquire Spy Satellite GISAT-2 to Boost Capability in IOR
● The Indian Navy is looking to acquire a dedicated earth imaging satellite named Geo Imaging
Satellite-2 (Gisat-2) as part of its modernisation and network-centric warfare and
communications programme in the fiscal year.
● The satellite is expected to enhance the navy’s operational capabilities in the Indian Ocean
region, which is strategically and geopolitically important, especially in the backdrop of
increasing Chinese presence.
About Gisat-2 :
● The Gisat-2, is among 21 planned procurements, including some long-term acquisitions as per
information from the ministry of defence (MoD).
● The capability development/modernisation of the navy is being undertaken in accordance with
the long-term plans being put in place for the next decade.
● The Gisat-2 will be designed to provide near real-time images of large areas of region of interest
at frequent intervals, which will help the navy not only in surveillance but also operations
planning.
● Operating from a geostationary orbit (GEO), the satellite will facilitate near real-time
observations under cloud-free conditions too.
● The navy has been allotted Rs 45,250 crore for modernisation under budget estimates for 2022-
23.
Bellatrix Aerospace in Bangalore tests green satellite propulsion
• Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace has developed an environmentally benign propulsion
system for satellites that promises a possible 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency for space
satellites.
• Satellite thrusters use the poisonous substance hydrazine, which has a negative influence on
the environment, prompting space experts to look for environmentally friendly replacements.
• The Green propellant has significantly reduced toxicity compared to hydrazine, making it safer to
store and handle.

Additional Info :
● According to an announcement from Isro, the union government has approved two unmanned
flights and one crewed expedition as part of the Rs 9,023-crore Gaganyaan mission.
About Bellatrix Aerospace :
● Founded : 2015
● Bellatrix is an aerospace manufacturer and small satellite company.
● It is among the clutch of new age space tech startups in India that have taken venture capital
funds to reach out to the important frontiers in a global race towards superior space programs.
● It is part of a crop that includes Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, Skyroot Aerospace, and others, all of
which are attracting investor attention in the field’s early stages.
ISRO Successfully Tests Human-rated S200 Rocket Booster For 2023 Gaganyaan Mission
● The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) successfully completed the static test of a
human-rated solid rocket booster (HS200) for the Gaganyaan programme at Satish Dhawan
Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
● The design and development of the HS200 booster were completed at Vikram Sarabhai Space
Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala & propellant casting was completed at SDSC,
Sriharikota.
● The test was for ISRO's Gaganyaan programme.

● The event was witnessed by ISRO Chairman S. Somanath along with other senior ISRO
scientists.
● The human-rated GSLV-Mk3 that will be labelled as the HRLV is a crucial achievement towards
the Gaganyaan mission.
● GSLV Mk III rocket is a three-staged vehicle.
About HS200 booster :
• The HS200 is the human-rated version of the S200 rocket booster of satellite launch vehicle
GSLV Mk III, popularly known as LVM3.
• The HS200 booster loaded with 203 tonnes of solid propellant was tested for a duration of 135
seconds.
• It is 20-meter long and 3.2 m diameter booster is the world’s second-largest operational booster
with solid propellant.
• During the test, about 700 parameters were monitored and the performance of all the systems
was normal.
• Gaganayaan would be the Indian orbital spacecraft for ISRO’s Indian Human Spaceflight
Programme (IHSP) that will launch orbital spacecraft into low earth orbit in 2023.
• The first stage is powered by the solid fuel, the second by liquid fuel and the third is the
cryogenic stage, powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
About ISRO :
● Chairman : Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
NAL initiates taxi trials for evaluation of indigenously developed digital anti skid braking system for
SARAS Mk 2
● The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) initiated taxi trials for the evaluation of an
indigenously developed digital anti-skid braking system for the civil aircraft, SARAS Mk2, 19-
seat Light Transport aircraft.
● The state-of-the-art brake by wire electro-hydraulic braking system is developed for the first time
in India for civil aircrafts by NAL which is part of CSIR labs.
● SARAS Mark 2 aircraft being developed by NAL has indigenously built most advanced high
performance integrated avionics and flight control computer embedded with multicore power PC,
VPX bus architecture and ARINC 635 compliant real-time operating system with safety-critical
partitioned virtual wall.
● The low-speed taxi trial was conducted at the speed of about 30 knots and the results are highly
satisfactory.
● There will be about 15 to 20 taxi trials to evaluate system performance.
● Digital anti-skid braking system integration on SARAS Mk2 will benefit operation from airfields
with short runways to boost regional air connectivity.
About SARAS Mark 2 :

● The Central Government had sanctioned the SARAS-Mk2-19 seat Light Transport project to
NAL in June 2019.
● It is a multirole commuter aircraft with unique features like the pressurised cabin, short take-off
and landing, operation from hot and high altitude airfields, operation from semi-prepared
runways, autopilot for CAT-II landing, glass cockpit, digitally controlled mechanical systems.
● It is also considered the most versatile aircraft of its class for connecting remotely located Tier-2
and Tier-3 cities and towns under the UDAAN Scheme.
● The first flight of SARAS Mk 2 is planned for December 2024.
About NAL :
● Established : 1 June 1959
● Director : Jitendra J Jadhav
● Located at : Bangalore, Karnataka
● NAL is India's first & largest aerospace research firm.
● It was established by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at Delhi.
NASA warns of giant 1,600-feet asteroid heading towards earth
● According to the American space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), has stated that a giant space rock Asteroid 388945 (2008 TZ3) 1,608 feet wide would
make a close approach to earth.
● The asteroid would pass us from a distance of about 2.5 million miles away.
● This is not the first time that Asteroid 388945 will be visiting us, as it passed very close to Earth
in May 2020 at a distance of 1.7 million miles.
● As per the scientists, the space rock routinely passes the Earth every two years, while orbiting
the sun.
● To protect the Earth from the potentially hazardous asteroids, US Space Agency NASA recently
launched its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.
Aim of DART Mission :
● To deflect an asteroid heading towards Earth from its path through kinetic impact, meaning that
the DART craft will collide with the asteroid with an aim to move it off course.
What is an asteroid?
• Asteroids are the space debris & they are the remains of the planets that keep rotating in the
vast infinite universe.
About NASA :
• Founded: 29 July 1958
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Administrator : Bill Nelson
NASA & Boeing successfully launches Starliner spacecraft
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) & Boeing successfully launched
Starliner spacecraft - uncrewed mission called Orbital Flight Test 2 (OFT-2) from Space Launch
Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA.
• It was carried out by the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket on a mission designed to
test the end-to-end capabilities of the crew-capable system as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew
Program.
• OFT-2 will provide valuable data toward NASA certifying Boeing’s crew transportation system for
regular flights with astronauts to and from the space station.
• OFT-2's liftoff was marking the 150th launch for the rocket company, which is a joint effort of
Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
About NASA :
● Established : July 29, 1958
● Headquarters : Washington, D.C, USA
● Administrator : Bill Nelson
About Boeing :
● Headquarters : Chicago, Illinois, U.S
China plans world's 1st nearby habitable planet search with space telescope
● Chinese scientists have proposed a space project named Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey
(CHES) to survey the sky with the help of a space-borne telescope, in the quest for habitable
terrestrial planets outside the solar system.
● In the universe, this will be the world's first space mission specially designed to search for
habitable planets.
● The CHES will observe about 100 Sun-like stars 32 light-years away on a long-term survey.
Aim :
• Super Earths are planets that are up to about 10 times the mass of Earth.
• More than 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered and confirmed so far, including around 50
Earth-like planets in the habitable zone & however, most of these are hundreds of light-years
away from Earth.
• The discovery of the nearby habitable worlds will be a great breakthrough for humankind, and
will also help humans visit those Earth twins and expand our living space in the future.
• The CHES mission will be contributing to the advancement of scientific research like
explorations pertaining to black holes and the dark matter in the universe.
About China :
● President: Xi Jinping
● Capital: Beijing
● Currency: Renminbi
Skyroot Aerospace successfully test fires engine of Vikram-1 rocket
● Private sector rocket maker Skyroot Aerospace Private Ltd successfully tested the Kalam-100
rocket that will power the Vikram-1 rocket’s third stage/engine.
● The company announced the completion of the milestone of full duration test-firing of its Vikram-
1 rocket stage.
● The rocket stage is built with high-strength carbon fiber structure, solid fuel, Ethylene-Propylene-
Diene terpolymers (EPDM) thermal protection system, and carbon ablative nozzle.
About Vikram-1 :
• Vikram-1 has three solid fuel-powered stages.
• Each stage has a burn time ranging between 80 and 108 seconds.
• The third stage, named Kalam-100 after former President APJ Abdul Kalam, was fired for a
duration of 108 seconds.
• The rocket stage/engine has no moving parts and a high level of automation in manufacturing.
• The rocket's stage was tested at the facilities of Solar Industries India Ltd, one of the investors in
Skyroot.
• This is the largest rocket stage ever designed, manufactured, and tested completely in the
Indian private sector.
About Skyroot Aerospace Private Ltd :
● Founded : 12 June 2018
● Headquarters : Hyderabad, Telangana, India
● Co-founder, CEO : Pawan Kumar Chandana
● Co-Founder & COO : Naga Bharath Daka
● Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer and commercial
launch service provider.
ISRO plans to build twin satellites, DISHA-L&H, to study the upper atmosphere
● The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to build an identical pair of satellites
named DISHA (Disturbed and quiet time Ionosphere-thermosphere System at High Altitudes)
L&H to study the physics and chemistry of the upper atmosphere including the distribution of
temperature, density, and chemical constituents, and the chemical reactions that occur there.
● The Satellites would be launched in low earth orbit about 500 kilometers above the earth.
● ISRO officials revealed this at a National Meeting on Aeronomy Research, themed "Science of
Near-Earth Space and its Applications".
About DISHA satellites :
● DISHA satellites will study space weather and solar-terrestrial interactions.
● This will help provide warnings based on space weather happenings so preventive actions can
be taken quickly.
● The two satellites will carry identical payloads.
● The Disha H satellite will be placed at an 85-degree high inclination from the earth's equator,
whereas the Disha L satellite will be placed at a 25-degree low inclination
● The data generated by the proposed ISRO's solar mission Aditya L1 and by DISHA satellites
would help to understand the Sun-Earth linkages.
About ISRO :
● Established: 15 August 1969
● Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
● Chairman: Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
New Arunachal monkey named after Sela pass:
• A new species of old-world monkey recorded from Arunachal Pradesh has been named after a
strategic mountain pass at 13,700 ft above sea level.
• Sela macaque (Macaca selai), the new-to-science primate was identified and analyzed by a
team of experts from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the University of Calcutta.
• Their study has been published in the latest edition of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
• Phylogenetics relates to the evolutionary development and diversification of a species or group
of organisms.
• The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Sela macaque was geographically separated from
the Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) of the Tawang district by Sela.
• This mountain pass acted as a barrier by restricting the migration of individuals of these two
species for approximately two million years.
• Sela is situated between Dirang and Tawang towns in western Arunachal Pradesh.
IMPORTANT APPS & SERVICES NEWS
Haryana launches mobile app to track movement of sand, mining vehicles
• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a Vehicle Movement Tracking System
(VMTS) mobile app that will help in tracking vehicles carrying sand and other mining material.
• The app will be used at different checkpoints in all the districts of Haryana and vehicle details
like vehicle number, vehicle type, moving from, moving to along with driver details, like name,
driver mobile number and driver license number.
• All the travel history of the vehicle will be logged and can be viewed through the app at anytime.
• Only users whose mobile number is registered in the database will be authorized to login into it.
About Haryana :
● Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
● Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
MHA launches employment portal for retired CAPF & Assam Rifle personnel
● The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a portal named CAPF Punarvaas’
through the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) for the benefit of personnel belonging to
the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like CRPF and BSF seeking re-employment after their
retirement.
About CAPF Punarvaas :
● The portal will help retired personnel seeking re-employment to find an appropriate match by
uploading their personal details on the WARB website along with their area of expertise and
preferred employment location.
● The Ministry of Home Affairs also runs a portal under Private Security Agencies Regulation Act
(PSARA) for the registration of Private Security Agencies (PSAs).
● Both websites have now been interlinked whereby the database of retired CAPFs personnel who
have applied on ‘CAPF Punarvaas’ can be accessed by PSAs through PSARA website resulting
in a single platform for both job seekers and job providers.
● This new initiative of the Home Ministry provides access to the database under ‘CAPFs
Punarvaas’ to PSAs digitally.
About MHA :
IMPORTANT RANKING & INDEX NEWS
Chainalysis : Crypto investors’ profit grew by 400 per cent in 2021
● According to the new report by data analytics firm Chainalysis, investors around the world
realized total gains of $162.7 billion in 2021, compared to just $32.5 billion in 2020.
● The United States lead by a wide margin at an estimated $47 billion in realized cryptocurrency
gains, followed by the UK, Germany, Japan, and China.
● Meanwhile, India ranked a lowly 21st with realized gains of around $1.85 billion.
● The report highlights that Ethereum edged out Bitcoin in total realized gains globally at $76.3
billion to $74.7 billion.
● Japan, for instance, received a much higher share of realized gains from Bitcoin at just under
$4.0 billion, compared to just $790 million in realized Ethereum gains.
● The report further reveals that Turkey ranks sixth in realized cryptocurrency gains at $4.6 billion,
Vietnam ranks 16th in realized cryptocurrency gains at $2.7 billion, Ukraine ranks 13th in crypto
gains at $2.8 billion, the Czech Republic ranks 19th at $1.9 billion, and Venezuela ranks 33rd in
realized cryptocurrency gains at $1.1 billion.
● In 2021, China witnessed a growth of 194 per cent in comparison to 2020.
● For instance, the United States estimated realized cryptocurrency gains grow 476 per cent, up
from $8.1 billion to $47.0 billion.
● The UK witnessed a 431 per cent increase, and Germany’s gains grew by 423 per cent.
About Chainalysis :
• Founded : 2014
• Headquarters : New York, US
• CEO : Michael Gronager
Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 (GAR2022)
● The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) released the Global Assessment Report on
Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 ahead of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in May
2022, which has warned that the world will face around 560 disasters every year by 2030.
● The Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 (GAR 2022) builds on the
analysis of United Nations-mandated SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) data on increased
gender based violence in disasters.
● The document cited various studies to establish that increases in gender-based violence during
disaster displacement and slow-onset disasters was a key concern at the global level, in regions
such as Asia and the Pacific, as well as in various countries such as wildfires in Australia,
cyclones in Bangladesh, and floods and hurricanes in the United States.
● Disasters also fuel human trafficking, which has a strong gender dimension.
● An analysis of available SDG data demonstrates a strong relationship between disaster
affectedness and the number of detected female victims of human trafficking in all regions
except north Africa, west Asia and Oceania.
● In India, in the coastal states of West Bengal and Odisha, which are seeing a rapid increase in
floods and cyclones brought on by the impacts of climate change, there are increasing instances
of displacement and migration, making people more vulnerable to trafficking.
● Moreover, the report also highlighted a ‘shadow pandemic’ of gender-based violence globally
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Meanwhile, the report also emphasised on women playing a crucial role in scaling up disaster
preparedness, bringing a wealth of knowledge, capacities and needs-based approaches to
decision-making.
About UNDRR :
● Founded : 22 December 1999
● Head : Mami Mizutori
● Purpose : To ensure the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(General Assembly (GA) resolution 54/219[1]).
2022 World Press Freedom Index : India slips to 150th position, Norway Tops
● According to the Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, which published its 2022 World Press
Freedom Index India's ranking has fallen down to 150th position with a score of 41 from last
year's 142nd rank out of 180 countries.

● The index published on World Press Freedom Day 2022 (ie May 03, 2022) assesses the level of
freedom available to the media in 180 countries and territories.
Best performing countries :
• Norway - 92.65
• Denmark - 90.27
• Sweden - 88.84
• Estonia - 88.83
• Finland - 88.42
• The ranking of India's neighbours, except that of Nepal, have also slid down, with the index
placing Pakistan at 157th position, Sri Lanka 146th, Bangladesh 162nd and Maynmar at 176th
position.
• Bhutan is ranked at 33rd position within a score of 76.46 , the best among India's neighbouring
countries.
• Russia was placed at 155th position, down from 150th last year, while China climbed up by two
positions with the Reporters Without Borders placing it at 175th position.
• Meanwhile North Korea is the worst-ranked country in the world with a score of 13.92.
About World Press Freedom Index :
● The index highlights the degree of freedom that journalists, news organisations and netizens
have in each country, and the government’s efforts to respect such freedom.
● Five new indicators are now used to compile the World Press Freedom Index & these are the
political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and security.
About Reporters sans frontieres :
● Founded: 1985
● Director General: Christophe Deloire
NABARD Plans Farmers Distress Index to Allot Appropriate Package of Support
● The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) plans to create a farmer
distress index (FDI) to track, identify, and assist the really needy and distressed farmers with
small and marginal farmers getting a raw deal when it comes to farm loan waivers.
● This index will not be consistent across the country because stress levels vary from place to
place.
● It will also benefit the whole financial industry, as well as government agencies and insurance
businesses.
● Instead of doling out distress packages to all farmers uniformly, the government and financial
institutions might decide on a suitable package of help based on the severity of distress.
Key Highlights :
● According to a survey performed in Punjab by Nabard and Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS), a
farmers producers' organization, more than 60% of 'very high' and 'high' distress small and
marginal farmers (SMFs) did not obtain farm loan waiver (FLW) benefits.
● The exclusion rate for SMFs in the medium distress category was similarly 60%.
● In Maharashtra, SMFs that were classified as 'low' distress received the highest FLW benefits.
● Nearly 42% of SMF in the 'very high' distress category did not obtain FLW benefits.
● In UP, 47% of SMF in the "very high distress" category and 45% of SMF in the "high distress"
category did not obtain FLW benefits.
● More than 40% of the 'very high distress' farmers in the three states did not obtain FLW benefits.
About NABARD :
● Founded: 12 July 1982
● Chairman : Govinda Rajulu Chintala
● NABARD was established on the recommendations of B.Sivaramman Committee (by Act 61,
1981 of Parliament).
● It is an apex regulatory body for overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex cooperative
banks in India.
2020 Civil Registration System report - Ladakh recorded highest sex ratio in the country & Manipur
lowest
● According to the annual report on Vital Statistics based on 2020 Civil Registration System
report, The Union Territory of Ladakh recorded the highest sex ratio (1104) at birth in the country
in 2020, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (1011), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (984), Tripura
(974) and Kerala (969).
● Lowest intercourse ratio at start was reported by Manipur (880), adopted by Dadra and Nagar
Haveli and Daman and Diu (898), Gujarat (909), Haryana (916) and Madhya Pradesh (921).
● The report was published by the Registrar General of India.
● Meanwhile in 2019, the highest sex ratio at birth was reported by Arunachal Pradesh (1,024),
followed by Nagaland (1,001), Mizoram (975) and A&N Islands (965), and the lowest sex ratio
was reported by Gujarat (901), Assam (903), Madhya Pradesh (905) and Jammu & Kashmir
(909).
● The Intercourse Ratio (Variety of females per thousand males) at the start of registered
occasions is a vital indicator to map the intercourse differential of the inhabitants at first of their
life.
About Registrar General of India :
● Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, founded in 1961 by Government of India
Ministry of Home Affairs.
● It arranges, conducts and analyzes the results of the demographic surveys of India including
Census of India and Linguistic Survey of India.
● The position of Registrar is usually held by a civil servant holding the rank of Joint Secretary.
Unemployment rate at 8.7% in Oct-Dec 2021: NSO survey
● According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), the overall unemployment rate for those
above 15 years of age in urban areas reduced to 8.7% from 10.3% between October and
December 2021.
Key Highlights :
• Joblessness or unemployment rate among females (aged 15 years and above) in urban areas -
Declined to 10.5% from 13.1% in the October-December 2021.
• It was 11.6% in July-September 2021.
• The unemployment rate in urban areas, among males dipped to 8.3% in October-December
2021 compared to 9.5% a year ago.
• It was 9.3% in July-September 2021.
• Further, NSO data revealed that the labour force participation rate in CWS (current weekly
status) in urban areas for those aged 15 and above remained unchanged at 47.3% during the
period under review.
• The work Population Ratio in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above stood at 43.2%
in October-December 2021, up from 42.4% in the same period a year ago & it was 42.3% in
July-September 2021.
• Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in
the labour force.
Forbes highest-paid athletes list for 2022 - Lionel Messi tops
● According to Forbes’ highest-paid athletes list for 2022 , Paris Saint-Germain star footballer
Lionel Messi topped the list with a reported income of $130 million followed by Basketball
players, Lebron James and Cristiano Ronaldo with $121.2 million and $115 million income
respectively in the world over the last 12 months
Top 10 Forbes' highest-paid athletes list for 2022 :
S.No Athletes Earnings
(Millions)
1 Lionel Messi $130
2 LeBron James $121.2
3 Cristiano Ronaldo $115
4 Neymar $95
5 Stephen Curry $92.8
6 Kevin Durant $92.1
7 Roger Federer $90.7
8 Canelo Alvarez $90
9 Tom Brady $83.9
10 Giannis Antetokounmpo $80.9
Urgent Action Needed to Ensure a Resilient Energy Transition Amid Severe Global Challenges- WEF
● According to the World Economic Forum’s new report, titled Fostering Effective Energy
Transition 2022, urgent action is required by both private and public sectors to ensure a resilient
transition as the world faces the most severe energy crisis since the 1970s.
● The report launched in collaboration with Accenture, details key recommendations for
governments, companies, consumers and other stakeholders on how to progress the energy
transition.
● The report is Building on 10 years of the Energy Transition Index, an annual country
benchmarking report.
About the report :
● The report reveals the structural barriers to balancing energy affordability, security and
availability with sustainability.
● As per the report, the urgency for countries to accelerate a holistic energy transition is reinforced
by high fuel prices, commodities’ shortages, insufficient headway on achieving the climate goals
and slow progress on energy justice and access.
● It also states that energy transition must address the challenges to environmental sustainability,
energy security and energy justice and affordability.
● The pace of energy transition needs to be supercharged, as demonstrated by recent spike in
fuels prices, challenges to energy security, and the slow progress on climate action
● The report notes that of 34 countries with advanced economies, 11 rely on only three trade
partners for over 70% of their fuel imports.
About WEF :
● Executive Chairman : Klaus Schwab
● Founder: Klaus Schwab
● MD & President : Børge Brende
● The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying
organization.
Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022: India ranks 4th
● The Times Higher Education (THE), publisher of the globally recognised THE World University
Rankings, released the 2022 edition of its Impact Rankings.
● According to the rankings, 1 Indian University has been placed in the Top 50 while 2 Indian
Universities are placed in Top 100.
● Around 64 Indian universities have been featured on THE Impact Rankings 2022 making India
the 4th best-represented country in the ranking.
● The list includes 8 Indian universities among the top 300.
● Among 1,524 universities from 110 countries/regions ranked on work towards the UN’s SDGs
across 18 tables, an overall ranking and one for each of the 17 SDGs.
Top 3 Universities in THE Impact Rankings 2022:
1. Western Sydney University (Australia)
2. Arizona State University (The US),
3. Western University (Canada)
● From India, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham was ranked at 41 while Lovely Professional University
was placed at 74
● Also, Amrita Vishwa placed eighth place for SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 5
(gender equality).
● Lovely Professional University makes the top 100 at joint 74th place in the overall table and is
sixth for SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy).
● Calcutta University has been ranked first among all the central and state-aided public
universities in the country by Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022.
● The varsity has been ranked 14th globally in the ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ sub-
category.
● OP Jindal Global University (JGU) has also featured in the 600-800 band with a score of 60.3
out of 100.
About Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking 2022 :
● Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking 2022 list ranks 1,406 universities from 106
countries and regions.
● The ranking assesses universities against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) after
carefully calibrating indicators to provide comprehensive and balanced comparisons across four
broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching.
India becomes 4th largest vehicle market - OICA Report
● According to the latest report released by the Organization Internationale des Constructeurs
d’Automobiles (OICA), India overtakes Germany to become 4th largest vehicle market in the
world.
Top 3 vehicle market in the world :
● China
● US
● Japan
Key Highlights :
● OICA, the international trade association formed of 39 national automotive industry trade
associations India saw 3,759,398 vehicles sold in 2021, compared to 2,973,319 vehicles in
Germany & this indicated a difference of almost 26 percent.
● In 2019 India had grabbed the fourth spot and was expected to become the third-largest by 2025
& it is possible for India to surpass Japan with sales of 4,448,340 units in 2021.
● The opportunities in the Indian market is that vehicle penetration in the personal mobility space
is around 33 vehicles per 1,000, which is one of the losses compared to the developed market.
UN lists Pakistan among 23 drought-hit countries
● According to the United Nations ‘Global Land Outlook’ report, released by the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Pakistan is one of 23 nations that have

experienced drought in the past two years (2020-2022).
● The report was released ahead of the UN Desertification and Drought Day on June 17, 2022.
● The highest total number of humans affected by drought was in Asia.
● Apart from Pakistan, Other 22 countries listed in this UN report include Afghanistan, Angola,
Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, US, Zambia.
Key Highlights :
● By 2050, an additional 4 million square kilometers of natural areas, equivalent to the size of
India and Pakistan, would require drought restoration measures.
● Upto 40 percent of the planet's land is degraded, which directly affects half of humanity,
threatening roughly half of the global GDP worth USD 44 trillion.
● Poor rural communities, smallholder farmers, women, youth, indigenous peoples, and other at-
risk groups are disproportionately affected by desertification, land degradation, and drought.
● The report warned that if current land degradation trends continue, food supply disruptions,
forced migration, rapid biodiversity loss and species extinctions will increase, accompanied by a
higher risk of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19, declining human health, and land resource
conflicts.
About UN Desertification and Drought Day 2022 :
● Theme of 2022 Desertification and Drought Day “Rising up from drought together”.
● The global observance of the event will take place in Madrid, Spain.
About UNCCD :
● The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the
effects of drought.
● There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union.
Global Air Powers Ranking 2022 : IAF overtakes Chinese Air Force
• The World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) published the Global Air Powers
Ranking of 2022, in that the Indian Air Force (IAF) ranked 6th which has been placed above the
People's Liberation Army Air Force, also known as the Chinese Air Force,Japan Air Self-
Preservation Power (JASDF), Israeli Aviation based armed forces, and French Air and Space
Power
• The report has evaluated the total fighting strength of the various air services of different nations
of the world and has ranked them accordingly.
Key Highlights :
● For Global Air Powers Ranking, the WDMMA uses a formula that considers values related to the
overall fighting strength of the air services of various countries.
● The formula produces the 'TrueValueRating' (TvR), which helps WDMMA separate each power
based on the overall strength and factors like modernisation, logistical support, attack and
defence capabilities
● The Global Air Powers Ranking (2022) report has given the highest TvR score (242.9) to the
United States Air Force (USAF),
● According to the report the Indian Air Force (IAF) currently counts 1,645 total units in its active
aircraft inventory.
Top 10 Global Air Powers Ranking 2022 :
Rank Country TvR
1 United States Air Force (5,091) 242.9
2 United States Navy (2,626) 142.4
3 Russian Air Force (3,829) 114.2
4 United States Army Aviation (4,328) 112.6
5 United States Marine Corps (1,211) 85.3
6 Indian Air Force (1,645) 69.4
7 People's Liberation Army Air Force 63.8
(2,040)
8 Japan Air Self-Defense Force (779) 58.1
9 Israeli Air Force (581) 58.0
10 French Air and Space Force (658) 56.3
About World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) :
● WDMMA evaluates by taking many factors and presents a comprehensive report describing the
present strengths and inherent weaknesses of modern military air services worldwide.
● It provides information through an in-depth resource that gives people a visual, unique and
analytical insight into a primary aspect of modern warfare and control of the skies.
● Presently, the WDMMA tracks 98 countries, covering 124 air services and following a total of
47,840 aircraft.
The State of Inequality in India Report released - Dr Bibek Debroy
● Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), Dr Bibek Debroy has
released the State of Inequality in India Report.
● The report has been written by the Institute for Competitiveness and presents a holistic analysis
of the depth and nature of inequality in India.
● The panelists for the launch included Dr Poonam Gupta, Director General, NCAER and a
member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Dr Charan Singh, Chief
Executive at Foundation for Economic Growth and Welfare (EGROW) and Professor Suresh
Babu of IIT Madras.
About the report :
● The report compiles information on inequities across sectors of health, education, household
characteristics and the labor market.
● As per the report, inequities in above sectors make the population more vulnerable and triggers
a descent into multidimensional poverty.
● The report Consists of two parts
● Economic Facets
● Socio-Economic Manifestations
● The report indicated five key areas that influence the nature and experience of inequality ie
● Income distribution
● Labour market dynamics
● Health
● Education
● Household characteristics.
● The report is Based on the data derived from various rounds of the Periodic Labour Force
Survey (PLFS), National Family and Health Survey (NFHS) and Unified District Information
System for Education (UDISE) etc.
● The report stretches the narrative on inequality by presenting a comprehensive analysis that
shapes the ecosystem of various deprivation in the country, which directly impacts the well-being
of the population and overall growth.
● It is a study that cuts across the intersections of class, gender, and region and highlights how
inequality affects the society.
Key Highlights of the Report :
Inequality :
● For the first-time focus on income distribution to understand the capital flow, the report
prominently shows that wealth concentration as a measure of inequality does not reveal the
changes in the purchasing capacity of households.
● The share of the top 1% accounts for 6-7% of the total incomes earned, while the top 10%
accounts for one-third of all incomes earned.
● The information available on inequality, which this report brings out, will help formulate reform
strategies, a roadmap for social progress and shared prosperity.
Employment categories :
● In 2019-20, among different employment categories, the highest percentage was self-employed
workers (45.78%), followed by regular salaried workers (33.5%) and casual workers (20.71%).
● The share of self-employed workers also happens to be the highest in the lowest income
categories.
● The country’s unemployment rate is 4.8% (2019-20), and the worker population ratio is 46.8%.
Health Infrastructure:
● In Health Infrastructure there has been a considerable improvement in increasing the
infrastructural capacity with a targeted focus on rural areas i.e. in India, total health centers
increased from 1,72,608 in 2005 to 1,85,505 in 2020.
● States and Union Territories like Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
and Chandigarh have significantly increased health centers (comprising Sub-Centres, Primary
Health Centers, and Community Health Centers) between 2005 and 2020.
● The results of NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21) have shown that 58.6% of women
received antenatal check-ups in the first trimester in 2015-16, which increased to 70% by 2019-
21.
● 78% of women received postnatal care from a doctor or auxiliary nurse within two days of
delivery, and 79.1% of children received postnatal care within two days of delivery.
● However, nutritional deprivation in terms of overweight, underweight, and prevalence of anemia
(especially in children, adolescent girls and pregnant women) remains areas of huge concern
requiring urgent attention.
● Additionally, low health coverage, leading to high out-of-pocket expenditure, directly affects
poverty incidences.
Education and household conditions :
● Education and household conditions have improved hugely due to targeted efforts through
several social protection schemes, especially in the area of water availability and sanitation that
have increased the standard of living.
● It is emphasized that education and cognitive development from the foundational years is a long-
term corrective measure for inequality.
● By 2019-20, 95% of schools will have functional toilet facilities on the school premises (95.9%
functional boy’s toilets and 96.9% functional girl’s toilets).
● 80.16% of schools have functional electricity connections with States and Union Territories like
Goa, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu,
Lakshadweep and Puducherry have achieved universal (100%) coverage of functional electricity
connections.
● The Gross Enrolment Ratio has also increased between 2018-19 and 2019-20 at the primary,
upper primary, secondary and higher secondary.
● In terms of improvement in household conditions, emphasis on providing access to sanitation
and safe drinking water has meant leading a dignified life for most households.
● According to NFHS-5 (2019-21), 97% of households have electricity access, 70% have
improved access to sanitation, and 96% have access to safe drinking water.
Recommendations of the Report :
• Creating income slabs that provide class information
• Establishing universal basic income
• Creating jobs, especially among the higher levels of education and increasing the budget for
social protection schemes
About EAC-PM :
● Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PMEAC)is a non-constitutional, non-
permanent and independent body constituted to give economic advice to the Government of
India, specifically the Prime Minister.
WEF’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021: India Ranks 54, Japan Tops, and Bottam position
Chad 117
● According to the report titled Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2021: Rebuilding for
a Sustainable and Resilient Future’, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India has
been ranked the 54th place in the overall rankings with a score of 4.2, down from 46th in 2019,
but has remained on top within South Asia.
● The theme of the WEF’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2021 is “Rebuilding for a
Sustainable and Resilient Future”.
Top 10 Countries on the TTDI 2021 :
Rank Country Score
1 Japan 5.2
2 United States of 5.2
America (USA)
3 Spain 5.2
4 France 5.1
5 Germany 5.1
6 Switzerland 5.0
7 Australia 5.0
8 United Kingdom 5.0
9 Singapore 5.0
10 Italy 4.9
54 India 4.2
Bottom 5 Countries in the index :
Rank Countries Score
113 Angola 2.9
114 Sierra Leone 2.8
115 Mali 2.7
116 Yemen 2.6
117 Chad 2.5
About WEF’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 :
● The Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 is a direct evolution of the Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Index, which has been published biennially for the past 15 years.
● The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007.
● The index assessed a total of 117 countries for the study.
● It consists of five subindexes, 17 pillars, and 112 individual indicators.
● The Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 is a direct evolution of the Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Index, which has been published biennially for the past 15 years.
● The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007.
● The index assessed a total of 117 countries for the study.
● It consists of five subindexes, 17 pillars, and 112 individual indicators.
About WEF :
● Founded: January 1971
● Headquarters: Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland
● Executive Chairman: Klaus Schwab

Ministry of Education releases National Achievement Survey 2021
● The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education released the National
Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 report.
● The report assesses the health of the school education system in the country by conducting a
comprehensive evaluation survey of children’s learning competencies in classes III(3), V(5),
VIII(8) and X(10) with a cycle period of 3 years.
● It reflects the overall assessment of the school education system.
● The survey was managed through a technology platform designed and developed by the
National Informatics Center (NIC).
Objective :
● The last NAS was held in 2017.
About NAS 2021 :
● NAS 2021 conducted on November 12, 2021, assessed over 34 lakh students in 1.18 lakh
schools at 720 districts across 36 states and Union Territories.
● The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) along with the governments of states and
union territories of India will be administering the test.
● The survey was conducted in 22 languages, ie Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi,
Kannada, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Garo, Khasi, Konkani, Nepali, Malayalam,
Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Bhutia, and Lepcha.
● The report is based on the performance in all subjects through disaggregation by gender
(female, male), Area (Rural and Urban), Management of schools (Government, Government
Aided, and Private unaided), and Social Groups (Schedule Caste (SC), Schedule Tribe (ST),
Other Backward Communities (OBC) and General.
● For Classes 3 and 5, the survey will be conducted in mathematics, language, and environmental
science.
● For Class 8, NAS will be conducted in mathematics, language, science, and social science
subjects.
● For Class 10, the survey will cover subjects like mathematics, language, science, social science,
and English.
● The NAS 2021 report cards for the national, state, and district levels have been made available
at the official website “nas.gov.in.”
About NAS :
● National Achievement Survey (NAS) is a nationally representative large-scale survey of
students' learning undertaken by the Ministry of Education, GoI.
● NAS gives a system-level reflection on the effectiveness of school education.
About Ministry of Education :
● Cabinet Minister: Dharmendra Pradhan
● Minister of State : Subhas Sarkar, Annapurna Devi Yadav, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
IFPRI's Global Food Report 2022: 74 million Indians at risk of suffering from increased hunger level by
2030
● According to the Global Food Policy Report, 2022 released by the International Food Policy
Research Institute(IFPRI), the number of Indians at risk from hunger is expected to be 73.9
million by 2030 and, if the effects of climate change were to be factored in, it would increase to
90.6 million.
● The report projected a scenario for 2030, that climate change could negatively impact India’s
food production and drop by 16% while the number of those at risk from hunger could increase
by 23% by 2030.
● In the 2021 Global Hunger Index, India ranked 101 out of the 116 countries, with a score of 27.5.
Key Highlights of the report :
● The International Food Policy report also focuses on the issue that climate change will lead to
falling crop production i.e. Normally the annual crop production of India is 1.627 which may fall
to 1.549.
● Global food production will grow by about 60% over 2010 levels by 2050 in the context of climate
change.
● Climate change will not impact the average calorie consumption of Indians and this is projected
to remain roughly the same at 2,600 kcal per capita per day by 2030 even in a climate change
scenario.
● The average temperature across India is projected to rise by between 2.4°C and 4.4°C by 2100.
● Similarly, summer heatwaves are projected to triple by 2100 in India.
● The emission of carbon dioxide per year has drastically increased between 1990 and 2018,
particularly in developing countries.
● In India, the agricultural production data from 1967 to 2016 for several crops showed that
average land productivity decreased as average temperature increased and it led to higher
levels of warming.
● As per the reports, Higher temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, sea-level rise, and
growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as droughts, cyclones, floods,
etc are reducing agricultural productivity, disrupting food supply chains, and displacing
communities.
● As per the report, food systems account for more than a third of the greenhouse gas emissions
that cause climate change, making their reduction critical to any mitigation attempt
● Through the establishment and maintenance of carbon sinks in forests, oceans, and soils,
agriculture, forestry, and other land use is now the only sector with a substantial potential to
become net emissions sink pulling more GHGs out of the atmosphere than it emits
Assessment of the report :
● The Projections are part of a model that was used to evaluate the impact of climate change on
aggregate food production, food consumption(kcal per person per day), net trade of major food
commodity groups, and the population at risk of going hungry.
Recommendations of Global Food Policy Report :
● Investment in Research and Development
● Management of Land and Water Resources
● Healthy Diets and Sustainable Food Production
● Efficient Value Chain
● Social Protection
● Financing Sustainable Production
About IFPRI :
● Founded: 1975
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C., USA

● Director-General: Johan Swinnen
Mission :
● To provide research-based policy solutions that sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and
malnutrition.
ICMR Report: India’s cancer burden to rise to 29.8 million in 2025
● According to a report by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) on the ‘Burden of
cancers in India’, The number of Indians suffering from cancer is projected to increase to 29.8
million in 2025 from 26.7 million in 2021.
● The findings of the report have been published in BMC Cancer Journal.
● The report estimates the cancer incidences in Years of Life Lost (YLLs), Years Lived with
Disability (YLDs), and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) from 2021 to 2025.
● In 2021, The highest incidence was noted in the North (2,408 patients per 100,000) and the
Northeast (2,177 per 100,000).
● Cancer cases were higher among men.
● Mizoram, Delhi, and Meghalaya had the highest cancer Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)
and the most vulnerable demographic are people in the 65–69-year age group.
● As per the report, 7 cancers account for more than 40 percent of the total disease burden ie.
1. Lung Cancer (10.6 percent)
2. Breast Cancer (10.5 percent)
3. Mouth Cancer (5.7 percent)
4. Liver Cancer (4.6 percent)
5. Stomach cancer (5.2 percent)
6. Oesophagus Cancer (5.8 percent)
7. Cervix Uteri (4.3 per cent)
● As per National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) 2021-2025 projections :
● Men will contribute to 14.7 Million Years of Life Lost (YLLs)
➢ 0.72 million Years Lived with Disability (YLDs)
➢ 15.5 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2025.
● For women will be 13.6 million YLLs, 0.69 million YLDs, and 14.3 DALYs.
Factors contributing to the increased risk of cancers :
1) Tobacco and alcohol consumption
2) increasing consumption of packaged food with harmful preservatives and junk food
3) obesity
4) radiation from mobile phone towers
5) vegetables are grown in toxic water like rivers near industries
6) adulteration in food and artificial coloring of food and vegetables.
What is DALY?
● The disability-adjusted life year (DALY) is a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as
the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability, or early death.
● It has become more common in the field of public health and health impact assessment (HIA).
About ICMR :
● Headquarters: New Delhi, India
● Director-General: Balram Bhargava
● The ICMR is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of
biomedical research.
● The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Department of Health Research,
Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare.
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk was 2021's highest-paid CEO - Fortune 500 list
● According to the Fortune 500, the world's richest man & the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon
Musk was the highest-paid CEO in 2021.
● He has received a salary of around $23.5 billion (roughly Rs 1,82,576 crore).
Note :
● According to the Fortune 500, Elon Musk was the biggest paycheck CEO ever received.
List of top 10 highest paid CEO in 2021 :
Rank Name & Company Salary
1 Elon Musk & Tesla USD 23.5 Billion
2 Tim Cook & Apple USD 770.5 Million
3 Jensen Huang & NVIDIA USD 561 Million
4 Reed Hastings & Netflix USD 453.5 Million
5 Leonard Schleifer & USD 452.9 Million
Regeneron
Pharmaceuticals
6 Marc Benioff & Salesforce USD 439.4 Million
7 Satya Nadella & Microsoft USD 309.4 Million
8 Robert A. Kotick & USD 296.7 Million
Activision Blizzard
9 Hock E. Tan & Broadcom USD 288 Million
10 Safra A. Catz, Oracle USD 239.5 Million
IMPORTANT BOOKS & AUTHORS
A new book titled “Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings in the BCCI” by Vinod Rai:
• 11th and Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) India and Padma Bhushan
Vinod Rai have penned down a new book titled “Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings in the
BCCI”.
• The book highlights his 33-month stint as the Chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed
Committee of Administrators (CoA) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• The book is published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
• He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2016 for civil service.
• He was appointed as the first Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) in 2016.
Devendra Fadnavis Releases the book on Amit Shah “Amit Shah Ani Bhajapachi Vatchal”
• Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has released "Amit Shah Ani Bhajapachi
Vatchal," a Marathi version of the book "Amit Shah and the March of the BJP," about Union
Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah.
• Bloomsbury India is the publisher of the book.
• The book was originally written by Dr Anirban Ganguly and Shiwanand Dwivedi and it has been
translated into Marathi by Dr Jyostna Kolhatkar.
• The book documents the life and political journey of Amit Shah and details his contribution to
BJP in making it the world’s biggest political organisation.
Rasheed Kidwai authored a new book titled “Leaders, Politicians, Citizens”:
● “Leaders, Politicians, Citizens: Fifty Figures Who Influenced India’s Politics” book has been
authored by author-journalist Rasheed Kidwai compiles stories of 50 personalities who
influenced India’s political landscape.
● The foreword of the book is written by Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha).
● The 50 personalities featured in the book include Teji Bachchan, Phoolan Devi, Indira Gandhi,
Rajiv Gandhi, Jayalalithaa, APJ Abdul Kalam, and Karunanidhi among others.
● The book is published by Hachette India.
A New book Titled “INDO-PAK WAR 1971- Reminiscences of Air Warriors” released by Rajnath Singh:
● Decence Minister Rajnath Singh has released a book titled 'INDO-PAK WAR 1971-
Reminiscences of Air Warriors'.

● The book comprises 50 articles penned by the veterans who have shared their experiences in
detail.
● The book was edited by Air Marshal Jagjeet Singh and Group Captain Shailendra Mohan.
● Defence Minister also paid tribute to Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal (PC Lal).
● Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal (PC Lal), served as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff during
the 1965 war and had served as the 7th Chief of the Air Staff during the 1971 war.
VP Venkaiah Naidu has released ‘Modi @20: Dreams Meeting Delivery’ book:
● The book "Modi@20 Dreams Meet Delivery" by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was
published in New Delhi.
● The book explores several aspects of Narendra Modi's particular thought process, pioneering,
proactive attitude, and iconic, transformational leadership style.
● 'Modi@20' is a compilation of chapters authored by famous intellectuals and domain experts,
edited and assembled by BlueKraft Digital Foundation, Rupa Publications.
A book Titled “The Struggle for Police Reforms in India” by Ex-IPS Prakash Singh:
● Vice President (VP) of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, released a book titled “The Struggle for Police
Reforms in India: Ruler’s Police to People’s Police” authored by a former IPS officer, Prakash
Singh in New Delhi.
● The book is published by Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd.
● This book chronicles India's efforts to reform the police.
● The book covers the growth of the Indian Police from its beginnings during British rule to its
current state post-independence.
● The book focuses on Prakash Singh's efforts to bring transformational reforms to the Indian
Police Force.
Preeti Shenoy's new novel, 'A Place Called Home,' will be published by HarperCollins India:
● Bestselling novelist Preeti Shenoy is scheduled to release a new novel titled "A Place Called
Home," which is set at a coffee estate in Sakleshpur, Karnataka, and has a strong female
protagonist.
● The new book is about secrets, family, and discovering oneself.
● The book will be launched in June 2022 by HarperCollins Publishers India.

About Preeti Shenoy
● Preeti Shenoy is the author of about 15 novels, including The Magic Mindset, When Love Came
Calling, Wake Up Life is Calling, Life is What You Make It, The Rule Breakers, and A Hundred
Little Flames.
● Her novels have also been translated into a number of Indian languages as well as Turkish.
Ruskin Bond’s book titled ‘Listen to Your Heart: The London Adventure’ was Released:
• On Ruskin Bond's 88th birthday, Penguin Random House India (PRHI) released a new book
titled "Listen to Your Heart: The London Adventure".
• Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) and raised in Jamnagar (Gujarat),
Dehradun (Uttarakhand), New Delhi, and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).
About the Books:
• Listen to Your Heart: The London Adventure, which will be released on his 88th birthday, takes
readers on a journey through the four years he spent in the Channel Islands and England.
IMPORTANT SPORTS NEWS
PV Sindhu won bronze at Asian Badminton Championships:
• Indian badminton ace PV Sindhu settled for the bronze medal after losing to reigning world
champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the Badminton Asia Championships 2022 women’s
singles semi-final in Manila, the Philippines
• PV Sindhu, a former world champion, went down to world No. 2 shuttler 21-13, 19-21, 21-16 in
one hour and six minutes for her second bronze medal at the continental event.
• PV Sindhus first Asian championships medal came in 2014 when she lost to former world No. 1
Wang Shixian of China in the semis.
• This was PV Sindhu’s ninth loss against her higher-ranked opponent in 22 meetings.
• The Indian ace, who is a two-time Olympic medallist, had defeated Yamaguchi at last year’s
BWF World Tour Finals and the Tokyo Olympics quarter-finals.
The second edition of Khelo India University Games to conclude:
● The second edition of the Khelo India University Games will conclude with a glittering closing
ceremony to be graced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah among other dignitaries.
● On the final day of the Games, the Kota University men’s team won the Kabaddi Gold and in the
Women’s side, Kurukshetra University won the Gold medal.
● The second edition of the University games saw better performances with 76 meet records
broken.
● Around 4000 players from 208 Universities improved the standard of the games.
● At the end of all the competitions, the host Jain University has emerged as Khelo India
University Games Champions winning 20 Gold, 07 Silver and 05 Bronze medals.
● Lovely Professional University emerged second in the medal tally with 17 Gold, 15 Silver and 19
Bronze medals.
● The Defending champions Punjab University stood third with 15 Gold, 0 Silver and 24 Bronze
medals.
● Among them 42 records were broken in Weightlifting, 28 in the pool competitions and 23 records
were made in athletics.
● Siva Sridhar set a new National Record in the Men’s 200 m individual Medley and M T Ann
Mariya broke the national record in the clean and Jerk women’s weightlifting competition in the
87 plus kgs category.
● Siva Sridhar amassed the largest number of medals winning seven gold and two silver in
swimming emerging as a champion athlete.
● Among the female athletes, Shrungi Bandekar won a maximum of four Gold and One Silver in
Swimming.
● On the track, Priya Mohan emerged as the dominant competitor by winning Gold in the 200 m
and 400 m races.
Harshada Sharad Garud first Indian to win a gold medal at IWF Junior World Championships in
Greece:
● In Weightlifting, Harshada Sharad Garud scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a
gold medal at the IWF Junior World Championships at Heraklion in Greece.
● She lifted 153-kilogram in the 45-kilogram weight category, which included 70 kilograms in
Snatch and 83 kilograms in Clean and Jerk to finish on top of the podium.
● Garud left eight competitors behind as India bagged a medal on the opening day of the
competition.
● Turkey's Bektas Cansu bagged the silver medal while Moldova's Teodora-Luminita Hincu won
the bronze medal.
● The other Indian in the same weight category, Anjali Patel finished fifth with a total effort of 148
kilograms which included 67 kilograms in the snatch and 81 kilograms in clean and jerk.
● Before Harshada, there are only two Indians to win a medal in IWF Junior World
Championships.
● Mirabai Chanu had won a bronze in 2013 and Achinta Sheuli won a silver medal last year.
4th edition of Meghalaya Games-2022 begins in Shillong:
● In Meghalaya, the 4th edition of Meghalaya Games-2022 began at various sports facilities in
Shillong.
● A total of over 2,500 athletes from 19 different disciplines are participating in the mega sports
event held as part of the 50th Statehood Day Celebrations.
● The games will conclude on the 7th of April.
● The formal opening of the Meghalaya Games will be held tomorrow with the opening ceremony
at First Ground, Polo, Shillong.
● The Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre at NEHU will host seven disciplines - archery,
athletics, men's football, gymnastics, weightlifting, karate, and table tennis. Meanwhile,
NEIGRIHMS will be host to the basketball events, the Mawlai Mawroh Indoor Hall will feature
boxing, while Mawlai Madan Heh will be the site for women's football up to the semifinals, with
the title match to be held at SAI.
● The Laban SC Indoor Stadium will feature two martial art forms judo and taekwondo, while
wushu will be held at the Madanrting Indoor Hall.
● Shooting will be held at the Assam Regimental Centre and swimming will go on at Crinoline
Swimming Pool.
ITTF World Rankings: Manika Batra climbs 10 places to achieve a career-best ranking of 38 in
women’s singles:
● India paddler Manika Batra has achieved a career-best ranking of 38 in women’s singles after
she climbed 10 places in the latest ITTF Table Tennis World Rankings.
● The Olympian was ranked 48th in women’s singles last week.
● Batra broke into the top 50 earlier this year and rose to 46th in March, her previous career-best
standing, before dropping down to 48.
● Manika and Archana Kamath, who won bronze at the WTT Star Contender Doha in March,
retained their fourth spot in the women’s doubles rankings.
● Sutirtha and Ayhika are the next best-ranked Indian team at 29th.
● In mixed doubles, Manika and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, silver medallists at the WTT Contender
Doha 2022, moved up a spot to sixth.
● G Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai are the best-placed Indian men’s doubles pair at 28th while
Sathiyan and Sharath Kamal occupy the 35th spot.
Goa: 12th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2022 to begin:
● In Hockey, a total of 29 teams will fight it out to lift the trophy at the 12th Hockey India Sub
Junior Men National Championship 2022 which starts in Goa.
● Eight days of pool matches will be followed by Quarter-Finals on May 12, the Semi-Finals on
May 14, and the Medal matches scheduled for May 15.
● The participating teams are divided into eight pools.
● Teams in Pool A are Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Gujarat, and Hockey Uttarakhand, while Pool B
features Hockey Haryana, Hockey Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh Hockey.
● Pool C consists of Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, and Hockey Bengal, while
Pool D features Manipur Hockey, Hockey Rajasthan, Hockey Himachal, Dadra & Nagar Haveli,
and Daman & Diu Hockey.
● Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Kerala Hockey, and Hockey Mizoram
are in Pool E, while Hockey Punjab, Delhi Hockey, Le Puducherry Hockey, and Goans Hockey
have been slotted in Pool F.
● The teams in Pool G are Hockey Bihar, Hockey Arunachal, Telangana Hockey, and Hockey
Jammu & Kashmir, while Pool H features Hockey Chandigarh, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey
Madhya Pradesh, and Assam Hockey
Stadium to be built in Neeraj Chopra's native village: Haryana

● Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced that a stadium will be built in
Olympic gold-medallist Neeraj Chopra's native village in Panipat.
● Making the announcement after inaugurating a cooperative sugar mill in Panipat, the chief
minister, Neeraj Chopra, who belongs to Haryana, has made the country and the state proud by
winning an Olympic gold medal last year.
● A stadium would be built in Neeraj Chopra's village for Rs 10 crore
● Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's native village Khandra is in Panipat.
● Last year, Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold medal in Olympic track and field.
Kerala beat West Bengal to lift their seventh Santosh Trophy title:
● In Football, Hosts Kerala beat West Bengal 5-4 in a penalty shootout at the Payyanad Stadium
in Malappuram to win the Santosh Trophy National Tournament for the seventh time.
● In a thrilling final, last evening, that kept the 35,000 odd spectators on tenterhooks, both teams
ended the 90 minutes of action into a goalless draw, following which, the match headed into the
extra time.
● The teams were level 1-1 after extra time in a pulsating encounter.
● Two terrific headers from Dilip Orwan of West Bengal and Kerala's Muhammed Safnad in extra-
time took the game to penalties.
● In the tie-breaker, Kerala converted all their shots while Bengal’s Sajal Bag missed his, resulting
in the hosts lifting the title.
● This is the first win for Kerala on home soil since 1993.
Real Madrid clinch 35th Spanish League title:
● Real Madrid clinched a record-extending 35th Spanish league title after its reserve squad
comfortably defeated Espanyol 4-0
● Rodrygo scored twice and Marco Asensio and substitute Karim Benzema added a goal each to
give Madrid its second league title in three seasons, and third in six years.
● The victory gave Madrid an insurmountable lead with four rounds to go.
● It was 17 points in front of Sevilla, which drew with Cádiz 1-1, and 18 points ahead of Barcelona,
which hosts Mallorca.
● With the title, Carlo Ancelotti became the first coach to lift trophies in the top five European
leagues.
● The Italian manager won with AC Milan in Serie A, Chelsea in the English Premier League,
Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
World Snooker Championship Title 2022 won by Ronnie O’Sullivan:
● Ronnie O’Sullivan won a World Snooker Championship title with an impressive victory over Judd
Trump (England) which was held from April 16 to May 2, 2022, at the Crucible Theatre in
Sheffield, England.
● Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed his seventh World Championship title with an 18-13 win over Judd
Trump to equal Stephen Hendry's record in the modern era.
● O'Sullivan, 46, becomes the oldest world champion in Crucible history, eclipsing Ray Reardon,
who won his sixth title aged 45 in 1978.
Khelo India University Games 2021 won by JAIN University:
● Hosts Jain University, powered by swimmer Siva Sridhar's collection of 7 gold and two silver,
overcame a strong challenge from Lovely Professional University, Punjab, to win the overall
championship as the curtain came down on the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) with a
colourful closing ceremony
● Jain emerges on top of the medals table with 20 gold, seven silver and five bronze.
● Lovely Professional University (LPU) with 17 golds has placed second and Punjab University
placed third with 15 gold medals.
● Siva Sridhar has emerged as the star swimmer by winning 11 gold.
● The closing ceremony of KIUG was held at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, Bengaluru.
● Veera was the mascot of KIUG 2021.
Tokyo Olympian discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur was provisionally suspended:
● India's Tokyo Olympics finalist discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur could miss the 2022
Commonwealth Games, 2022 Asian Games, and 2024 Paris Olympics after being provisionally
suspended for using a banned substance.
● The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed that Kamalpreet tested positive for the use of
Stanozolol, a banned anabolic steroid.
● The athlete could face a suspension of up to four years, throwing her career in disarray.
● The ace discus thrower shot to fame by finishing sixth at the Tokyo Olympics and is also the only
Indian woman to go past the 65m mark in the sport.
● Kamalpreet Kaur is part of the Sports Authority of India's Target Olympic Podium Scheme
(TOPS).
● She was initially also a part of the ongoing athletics national camp, being conducted by the
Athletics Federation of India from April 16.
Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2022 has begun in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh:
● The 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2022 will begin in Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh.
● A total of 27 teams will vie for top honours in the 12-day tournament.
● The participating teams are divided into eight pools.
● Teams in Pool A are Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Chandigarh, and Hockey Bihar, while
Pool B features Hockey Haryana, Assam Hockey, and Hockey Bengal.
● Pool C consists of Hockey Punjab, Chhattisgarh Hockey, and Tripura Hockey, while Pool D
features Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Rajasthan, and Hockey Uttarakhand.
● Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Andhra Pradesh, and Le Puducherry Hockey have been included in
Pool E, while Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Arunachal, Hockey
Andaman & Nicobar have been slotted in Pool F.
● Pool G consists of Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Delhi Hockey, Goans Hockey, and Hockey Gujarat,
while Pool H features Hockey Association of Odisha, Kerala Hockey, Telangana Hockey, and
Hockey Himachal.
● After eight days of pool matches, the Quarter-Finals will be played on 14 May 2022, the Semi-
Finals will be held on 16 May 2022 and the Medal matches are scheduled for 17 May 2022.
24th Deaflympics: India wins two gold and one bronze medal:
● At the ongoing 24th Deaflympics at Caxias do Sul in Brazil; The Indian contingent began their
campaign on Day 3 with two golds and one bronze medal.
● Shooter Dhanush Srikanth struck gold in the Men's 10m air rifle competition while Shourya Saini
bagged a bronze, finishing behind Korea's Kim Woo Rim in the eight-man final.
● India is currently placed eighth on the medals table with two gold and one bronze medal.
● Ukraine tops the standings currently with 19 gold, six silver and 13 bronze medals.
● Dhanush shot 247.5, a finals world record score, to emerge triumphant as Kim fell short with
246.6, while Shourya finished third with 224.3.
● The Indian badminton team also won gold beating Japan 3-1 in the final to make it a double
celebration for the country.
Asian Games 2022 in China postponed to 2023:
● The Asian Games 2022, due to be held in Hangzhou, China in September, have been
postponed to 2023 due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country, the Olympic Council of Asia
(OCA) was announced.
● The Olympic Council of Asia, the governing body for the Asian Games, will later announce the
new dates for the 19th edition of the Games.
● The Asian Games 2022 were originally scheduled from September 10 to 25
● The host city of Hangzhou is less than 200km away from Shanghai, which is currently fighting
another major COVID-19 outbreak and has strict restrictions in place, including a weeks-long
lockdown.
● The OCA also announced that the third edition of the Asian Youth Games, scheduled to be held
in Shantou in December, has been cancelled.
● The World University Games 2021, to be held from June 26 to July 27 in Chengdu this year,
have also been pushed to 2023.
Abhinav Deshwal wins men’s 10m air pistol gold at Deaflympics
● India won its second gold medal in shooting at the ongoing 24th Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul,
Brazil, with Abhinav Deshwal claiming the men's 10m air pistol title.
● The 15-year-old from Roorkee, Uttarakhand, was tied with silver winning Ukrainian Oleksii
Lazebnyk at 234.2 points apiece at the end of the 24-shot final, before winning gold in a shoot-
off where he shot a 10.3 to his opponent's 9.7.
● Chinese Taipei's Hsu Ming-Jui won the bronze.
● Abhinav made the top eight final round after finishing second in the 60-shot qualification round
with a score of 575 out of 600.
● He was tied on points there too with Kim Kihyeon, but the Korean topped on account of more
inner 10s.
● Shubham Vashist, the second Indian in the field, also made it to the finals, finishing sixth with a
score of 563.
● He bowed out in the same position in the finals as well.
Max Verstappen wins the first-ever Miami Grand:
● Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen won the first-ever Miami Grand Prix after
sprinting past Charles Leclerc who started at the pole position.
● Leclerc (Ferrari) finished second and Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) placed third in
the Miami Grand Prix 2022.
● The victory cut Leclerc’s lead over Verstappen to 19 points in the championship, while the
Monegasque’s Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz completed the podium.
Carlos Alcaraz won the men’s singles title at the Madrid Open title 2022:
● Rising Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz clinched the Madrid Open title, beating defending
champion Alexander Zverev.
● The victory took the 19-year-old’s winning streak to 10 matches.
● Alcaraz beat Rafael Nadal and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic on his way to the final, the first such
instance in a clay-court tournament.
● It is his second Masters 1000 crown after Miami last month and his fourth title of the year.
● Earlier, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur clinched the women’s singles title to become the first African
player to win a WTA 1000 event.
● The 27-year-old, the world number 10, trailed 4-1 early on and failed to win a game in the
second set but still beat American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 0-6, 6-2.
● She was the first Arab player, male or female, to break into the world’s top 10.
● The pair of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski defeated Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah
to win the men’s doubles tennis title at the Madrid Open.

Indian GM Gukesh wins Sunway Formentera Open chess tournament:
● Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh has emerged champion in the 1st Chessable Sunway
Formentera Open 2022 chess tournament.
● It was a hat-trick of titles for him after he had previously won the La Roda tournament and the
Menorca Open.
● The 15-year-old Gukesh settled for a draw with Armenian GM Haik M Martirosyan in the final
round to win the title with eight points.
● He had defeated compatriot and second-seed K Sasikiran in the ninth and penultimate round.
Anurag Thakur has launched the mascot, logo and jersey of the Khelo India Youth Games:
• Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur launched the mascot ‘Dhakad’ along with the official logo
and official jersey of the Fourth Khelo India Youth Games at Panchkula and lauded the effort of
Haryana to host the games.
• Thakur was accompanied by Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, Haryana deputy CM Dushyant
Chautala and Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh during the function.
• The conclusion of the Khelo India University Games and Thakur was of the view that Haryana
will set an example in hosting the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games from June 4 to
June 13 at Panchkula and other cities.
12th IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships kick-started in Istanbul:
● Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain kickstarted her campaign on an impressive
note by notching up a thrilling win at the 12th edition of the IBA Woman’s World Boxing
Championships in Istanbul.
● More than 400 boxers from a record 93 countries are expected to compete in this year's event,
which also happens to be the event's 20th anniversary.
● Olympian Lovlina Borgohain will represent the Indian country.
● The other representatives of this game are Pooja Rani (81 kg), Nandini (+81 kg) and Nikhat
Zareen (52 kg), Nitu (48kg), Anamika (50kg), Shiksha (54kg), Manisha (57kg), Parveen (63kg)
and Sweety (75kg).
About International Boxing Association (IBA)

7. Established:1946
8. Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
9. President: Umar Nazarovich Kremlev
India won 14 medals in Archery Asia Cup 2022 Stage 2:
● Indian archers wrapped up a highly successful Asia Cup 2022 Stage-2 campaign in
Sulaymaniyah, Iraq with a total of 14 medals eight golds, four silvers and two bronze.
● The final day’s medal rush began after the Indian trio of Mrinal Chauhan, Parth Salunkhe and
Juyel Sarkar outshot Bangladesh 5-1 in the men’s recurve team event final to pocket the gold
medal.
● The women’s recurve team of Avani, Bhajan Kaur and Laxmi Hembrom, meanwhile, overcame a
far sterner test in their final match. The trio edged out Bangladesh 5-4 in the gold medal decider.
● In men’s, Prathmesh Fuge outscored team-mate Rishabh Yadav 146-144 for the gold medal
while Sakshi Chaudhary beat Parneet Kaur 140-138 to claim the women’s title.
● India had sent a young team to the continental meet with all members of the contingent under
the age of 20.
Archery Asia Cup 2022 Stage 2 Iraq: India medal winners
● Women’s team compound – gold (Sakshi Chaudhary, Parneet Kaur and Aditi Gopichand Swami)
● Men’s team compound – gold (Rishabh Yadav, Prathamesh Fuge and Prathamesh Jawkar)
● Mixed team compound – gold (Prathamesh Fuge and Parneet Kaur)
● Men’s individual compound – Prathmesh Fuge (gold); Rishabh Yadav (silver); Jawkar
Samadhan (bronze)
● Women’s individual compound – Sakshi Chaudhary (gold); Parneet Kaur (silver)
● Women’s team recurve – gold (Avani, Bhajan Kaur and Laxmi Hembrom)
● Men’s team recurve – gold (Mrinal Chauhan, Parth Salunkhe and Juyel Sarkar)
● Mixed team recurve – silver (Parth Salunkhe and Bhajan Kaur)
● Men’s individual recurve - Mrinal Chauhan (gold); Parth Salunke (bronze)
● Women’s individual recurve - Bhajan Kaur (silver)
ISSF Junior World Cup: Esha Singh and Saurabh Chaudhary won gold in Mixed Team Pistol event:
● Indian pistol pairs Esha Singh and Saurabh Chaudhary won the mixed team pistol gold at the
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.
● India’s Palak and Sarabjot Singh settled for the silver medal after losing to Esha and Saurabh
16-12 in the gold medal match.
● Ramita and Paarth Makhija also won silver in the 10m air rifle mixed team competition, going
down 13-17 to the Polish pair of Julia Piotrowska and Wiktor Sajdak but not before making it
three medals on the day.
● Esha and Saurabh came through after topping a 38-field qualification round of 60 shots with
scores of 578 and 575 respectively.
● In all, India has so far won 10 medals, including four gold.
About ISSF
● Founded: 1907
● Headquarters: Munich, Germany
● President: Vladimir Lisin.
Inter Milan Beat Juventus: Italian Cup 2022
● Inter Milan were crowned the 2022 Italian Cup champions after beating Juventus 4-2 in the final.
● Ivan Perisic scored twice in extra time after Hakan Çalhanoglu had converted a controversial
late penalty.
● Hakan Calhanoglu stepped up from the penalty spot with 80 minutes on the clock to force extra
time before another spot-kick was converted by Ivan Perisic to put the Nerazzurri within touching
distance of the trophy.
● Nicolò Barella scored the other goal for Inter.
● The Italian Cup final soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan was held at the Stadio
Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
About Italian Cup:
● The Coppa Italia is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC
championship (Italian Football Federation) until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A
afterwards.
Thomas Cup Title: India beats Indonesia 3-0:
● India won its maiden Thomas Cup title beating 14-time champion Indonesia 3-0 in the final in
Bangkok.
● World championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen defeated Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka
Ginting 8-21, 21-17, 21-16 in the first men's singles to give India a 1-0 lead.
● World championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth edged Jonatan Christie 21-15, 23-21 in
straight games in the second men's singles match to seal India's historic victory.
● India put on a show to remember, with medalist Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and the world
number 8 doubles combo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy putting on unforgettable
performances.
About Thomas Cup:
● The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international
badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World
Federation, the sport's global governing body.
● Founded: 1949
Badminton BWF Uber Cup Final 2022 - South Korea beat China:
• Korea surprised defending champions China to win their second Uber Cup title during an
exciting final at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
• In a tie that lasted over 90 minutes, Korea came back twice from behind to deny China a record-
extending 16th title in the prestigious team tournament.
• After a surprising run in Bangkok, Korea won the Uber Cup for the first time in 12 years.
About the Match:
• With the final tied at 2-2, Korea's 46th-ranked Sim Yu-jin met China's 15th-ranked Wang Zhiyi in
the deciding singles match.
• In one hour and 28 minutes, Sim, who turned 23, defeated Wang 28-26, 18-21, 21-8.
• World No. 3 Chen was defeated by fourth-ranked A 21-17 in the first game.
• Despite an ankle injury, Chen rallied to win the second game 21-15 and the final game 22-20.
• Korea's Km Hye Jeong and Kong Heeyong defeated Ping Huang and Li Wen Mei in straight
games in the second doubles match of the final, bringing the event to a decider.
• The Asian giants beat India 5-0 to win their group, then defeated Denmark and Japan 3-0 in the
quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
• India will face 14-time champions Indonesia in the final of Thomas Cup.
Kenton Cool, a British mountaineer, becomes the first foreigner to scale Everest 16 times:
● Kenton Cool, a British climber, has conquered the world's highest mountain for the 16th time,
becoming the first foreign climber to do so.
● Kenton is also the first British mountaineer to have climbed Mt Nuptse, Mt Everest, and Mt
Lhotse all in the same season in 2013.
● Kenton reached the summit of Mt Lhotse in less than 29 hours last year after scaling the world's
highest peak.
● Dave Hahn, an American climber, previously scaled Mt. Everest 15 times.
Additional Info:
• Kenton Cool from Gloucestershire, South West England, also beat his own British record for the
most summits of the world's highest peak, according to Iswari Poudel, Managing Director at
Himalayan Guides Nepal Pvt Ltd.
About Kenton Cool:
• Born: 30 July 1973 (age 48 years), Slough, United Kingdom
• Kenton Cool was told he would never walk again unaided after an accident in 1996 and still
suffers from chronic pain.
• This hasn't stopped his adventures, not only climbing Everest a record number of times but also
becoming the first person to complete the Everest triple crown.
• Kenton Edward Cool is an English mountaineer and mountain guide.
• He is one of Britain's leading alpine and high-altitude climbers and has reached the summit of
Mount Everest sixteen times, including leading Sir Ranulph Fiennes' 2008 and 2009
Expeditions.
Italian Open 2022: Overview
● World number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the 79th Italian
Open (Internazionali BNL d'Italia) in Rome and the 38th ATP Masters 1000 title.
● After defeating Casper Ruud in the semi-finals, Novak Djokovic became the fifth man in the
Open Era to reach 1,000 match wins.
● Iga Swiatek won the Italian Open in women's singles after defeating Ons Jabeur.
● Swiatek is just the second player to ever win four or more WTA 1000 titles in a single season
after Serena Williams won five in 2013.
● Swiatek has won every WTA 1000 she has contested this season, winning Doha, Indian Wells,
Miami and now Rome.
● She currently holds five of the last nine WTA 1000 titles.
Category Winner Runner-up
Men’s singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
Women’s singles Iga Świątek (Poland) Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Men’s doubles Nikola Mektić and Mate John Isner (United States)
Pavić (Croatia) & Diego Schwartzman
(Argentina)
Women’s doubles Veronika Kudermetova and Gabriela Dabrowski
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Canada) & Giuliana Olmos
(Russia) (Mexico)
The BCCI has banned journalist Boria Majumdar for two years in connection with the Wriddhiman Saha
affair:
● The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has banned journalist Boria Majumdar for two
years after an internal investigation found him guilty of attempting to "threaten and intimidate"
wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.
● The BCCI governing council considered the report of a three-member committee and decided to
ban Majumdar from playing cricket or interviewing cricketers for two years.
Committee:
● The BCCI Committee considered both Mr Saha's and Mr Majumdar's submissions and found
that Mr Majumdar's conduct was clearly in the character of a threat and intimidation.
● The BCCI Committee proposed the following punishments to the BCCI Apex Council.
BCCI Committee and imposed the following sanctions:
i. a two-year ban on accreditation as a member of the press in any cricket match (domestic or
international) in India;
ii. a two-year ban on interviewing any registered players in India; and
iii. a two-year restriction on access to any BCCI and member association-owned cricket facilities."
Nikhat Zareen won gold at the Women's World Boxing Championships:
● Nikhat Zareen stunned Thai Olympian Jutamas Jitpong 5-0 to become the fifth Indian woman to
win a World title at the Women's World Championships in Istanbul.
● Nikhat is thus only the fifth Indian women's boxer to win a gold medal at the World
Championships, following Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL, and Lekha KC. Zareen, 25, is a
former junior young world champion.
● India last won a World title when Mary had become a six-time champion in Delhi in 2018.
About the Match
● The 25-year-old Indian took full advantage of her long reach and maintained her dominance
against the Thai boxer, whom she had beaten in the 2019 Thailand Open semi-final—the only
meeting between the two, en route to her silver medal finish.
About Nikhat Zareen:
● Nikhat Zareen is an Indian amateur boxer.
● She won the gold medal at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships.
● She won the gold medal at the 2011 AIBA Women's Youth & Junior World Boxing
Championships held in Antalya.
● She won a bronze medal at the second India Open International Boxing Tournament held in
Guwahati.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull wins the Spanish Grand Prix:
● Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix in a Red Bull, taking up the lead from Ferrari's
Charles Leclerc, who retired with an engine failure while leading at the Circuit de Barcelona-
Catalunya.
● After being told to allow his teammate pass for a third victory in a row after Imola and Miami,
Mexican Sergio Perez finished second, 13 seconds behind but with the consolation of a bonus
point for fastest lap.
● George Russell of the United Kingdom finished third for a resurrected Mercedes after fighting
wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen early on in a dramatic display of defensive driving as they
battled for second place behind Leclerc.
About Max Verstappen:
• Max Emilian Verstappen is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver and the 2021 Formula One World
Champion.
• He competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One with Red Bull Racing.
• He is the son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen.
GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandha, wins the 36th Reykjavik Open 2022:
● Rameshbabu Praggnanandha wins Reykjavik Open 2022 held in Iceland at the age of 16.
● Rameshbabu Praggnanandha, who was born on August 10, 2005, is an Indian Grandmaster
and chess legend.
● He began travelling internationally at an early age and has now visited 30 countries to display
his talent.
● He has faced off against some of the game's most notable figures.
● On 22nd February 2022, at the age of 16, he became the youngest player ever to defeat the
world champion, Magnus Carlsen, at the Airthings Masters Rapid Chess Tournament.
● On May 20, 2022, he defeated Carlsen once more in the Chessable Masters Online rapid chess
event.
● It was his second victory over world champion Magnus Carlsen in three months.
Chess player Rameshbabu Praggnanandha
● Praggnanandha won the World Youth Chess Championship under-8 championship in 2013.
● He became a FIDE master at the age of seven.
● He also won the under-10 title in 2015.
● Praggnanandha was named the youngest international master in history in 2016, at the age of
ten.
● He earned his first Grandmaster norm at the World Junior Chess Championship in November of
2017.
● He earned his second norm at the Herakleion Fischer Memorial Grandmaster norm competition
in Greece in April 2018.
● In 2021, he competed in the Chess World Cup 2021, defeating GM Gabriel Sargissian 2-0 and
progressing to round 4 after defeating GM Michal Krasenkow.
● Unfortunately, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave knocked him out in the fourth round.
● On February 20, 2022, he defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen, becoming the third Indian
player to do so in any time frame.
● Praggnanandha won the Reykjavik Open competition in Iceland in 2022.
Odisha won the 12th Senior Women's National Championship in Hockey India:
● Odisha's women's team earned their first Senior Nationals gold medal, defeating Karnataka 2-0
in the final of the 12th Hockey India Senior Women's National Championship.
● Earlier, in the third-fourth place match, Hockey Jharkhand defeated Hockey Haryana 3-2.
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, hosted the 12th Hockey India Senior Women's National
Championship.
About the Match:
● However, strong defensive performances from both teams meant that the game went into
halftime with a score of 0-0.
● Punam Barla (34) opened the scoring in the third quarter as Odisha took the lead.
● Odisha won the championship with a 2-0 victory over Karnataka, thanks to a late goal by Ashim
Kanchan Barla.
Rhythm Mamania, a 10-year-old girl from Maharashtra, has reached Everest base camp:
● Rhythm Mamania, a 10-year-old champion skater from Worli, has become one of the youngest
Indian mountaineers to reach the Everest Base Camp (EBC) in Nepal's Himalayan ranges.
● She has joined a group of young Indian climbers to reach the base camp.
● Rhythm accomplished a unique accomplishment by climbing to the base camp at an altitude of
5,364 metres in 11 days.
About the Adventure by Rhythm
• Satori Adventures, located in Nepal, took Rhythm to base camp.
• He was accompanied by a group of Kutch trekkers.
• Rishi Bhandari of Satori Adventures in Nepal arranged the 11-day expedition.
• During the base camp trek Rhythm walked for 8-9 hours at various steep terrain in varying
climatic conditions, which included lashing of hailstones and snowfall, and in temperatures as
low as minus 10 degrees Celsius.
• After reaching the base camp, other members of the group decided to take the helicopter on the
way back, but Rhythm insisted that she would walk down. And hence four of us decided to
descend it.
UEFA Europa Football League title won by Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt:
• German club Eintracht Frankfurt won their first European championship in 42 years after
defeating Rangers on penalties 5-4 in Seville, Spain.
• Kevin Trapp, the goalkeeper, made two saves at the end of extra time and another in the
shootout to help Frankfurt win on penalties 5-4.
• Rangers of Scotland were also attempting to capture their first European trophy since the Cup
Winners' Cup in 1972.
• Man of the Match went to Kevin Trapp of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Additional info.
• Colombia striker Rafael Borré, who equalised for Frankfurt in the second half, converted the
deciding penalty to give the club its first European trophy since the 1980 UEFA Cup, a precursor
to the Europa League.
• The victory also assures Frankfurt's first appearance in the Champions League next season.
India wins the Thomas Cup with a 3-0 victory over Indonesia:
● India's men's badminton team wins the Thomas Cup for the first time, defeating superpower
Indonesia 3-0 in the final.
● In the final of the Thomas Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, India defeated 14-time winners Indonesia
3-0 to win the title.
● World Championships medalist Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and the world number 8
doubles combo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy all delivered outstanding
performances for India.
About the Winners:
● Lakshya Sen defeated Anthony Ginting in a dramatic tie by 8-21, 21-17, 21-16 for India's perfect
start.
● Satwik and Chirag, India's doubles combo, defeated Ahsan-Sukamuljo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19,
giving India a 2-0 lead.
● Kidambi Srikanth defeated Jonatan Christie 21-15, 23-21 in the third game to make it 3-0. They
did it without losing a single match in the final.
Manchester City won the Premier League Football Championship in 2021-22:
• Manchester City has won their fourth Premier League title in 2021-2022.
• Manchester City defeated Aston Villa in the season finale.
• Manchester City has won 29, drawn six, and lost three of their 38 league matches this season,
scoring 99 goals.
About Manchester City
• Since Pep Guardiola's arrival in the summer of 2016, Manchester City has won four Premier
League titles and eight major trophies.
• Manchester City won their sixth Premier League title in 11 seasons, coming from behind three
times in the final five minutes to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and avoid being beaten by challenger
Liverpool.
Haryana defeated Punjab in the Hockey India Sub-Junior Women's National Championship:
● Haryana's hockey team won the Hockey India sub-junior women's national championship 2022
in Imphal, defeating Jharkhand's hockey team 2-0 in the final.
● The Uttar Pradesh Hockey team defeated the Madhya Pradesh Hockey team 3-0 in Imphal to
finish third in the Hockey India sub-junior women's national championship 2022.
Regarding the game:
● Riya scored in the 13th minute and Sejal scored in the 39th minute to help Haryana successfully
defend their title with a 2-0 victory.
● Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Hockey defeated Madhya Pradesh Hockey 3-0 to finish third in
the Hockey India sub-junior women's national championship.
● Pushpanjali Sonkar scored in the fourth minute, Manisha Patel scored in the fifth minute, and
Purnima Yadav scored in the 58th minute to assist Uttar Pradesh Hockey to finish third for the
second year in a row.
BCCI signed up as NFT partner for Women’s T20 Challenge:
● The Indian cricket board, which is known for being slow to adopt new protocols, has now chosen
to investigate the use of non-fungible tokens (NFT).
● The Cricket Board has named FanCraze as its official partner and accomplice for the Women's
Twenty20 Challenge.
● FanCraze is an organisation in the cricket metaverse.
● The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to allow NFT firms as sponsors for a
long time, and it also asked that the Indian Premier League (IPL) setups "keep the gap."
● This occurred at a time when the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its other component
organisations were beginning to approach NFT groups about official relationships.
Regarding NFTs:
● NFTs are digital assets linked to a sound bite, photo, or video clip, and their ownership is
validated via blockchain technology.
● The area has become a key source of revenue for sporting groups all across the world.
● Cricket Australia has just inked a long-term agreement to distribute NFTs and participate in the
advanced collectables market.
● Any earnings generated in this field must be split between the participants and the alliance in
accordance with the global standards and rules in this business.

Additional Info.
● One of the most intriguing aspects of it all is that it all started in India with women's cricket.
● It increases fan engagement, something the women's cricket community sorely needs right now.
● The BCCI is also in charge of organising the Indian Premier League for women, and the timing
is excellent.
● This also provides NFT with a platform to enter the country's men's cricket market, which is as
large as any game elsewhere in the world, and this is an opportunity that has been made
available to them as a result of this "remark on the sequence of events that follows."
● FanCraze is an International Cricket Council partner that is actively preparing for the West
Indies.
Shikhar Dhawan becomes the first player to hit 700 fours in IPL history:
● Shikhar Dhawan of the Punjab Kings has become the first player in Indian Premier League
history to score 700 fours (IPL).
About the Record:
• Dhawan accomplished this achievement during the final league stage match of the IPL 2022,
which took place here at the Wankhede Stadium between PBKS and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
• The batsman now has 701 IPL fours to his name.
• With 577 and 576 fours, respectively, he is followed by David Warner and Virat Kohli.
• PBKS finished the IPL 2022 season with 14 points, while SRH finished with 12.
SC appoints 3-member Committee to oversee the functioning of AIFF:
• The Supreme Court has established a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA)
chaired by former Supreme Court judge AR Dave to oversee the business of the All-India
Football Federation (AIFF) and the approval of its constitution in accordance with the National
Sports Code and model guidelines.
Additional Info.
• According to a panel of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and PS Narasimha, the COA
would include two previous members — Dr. SY Qureshi, former Chief Election Commissioner,
and Bhaskar Ganguly, former captain of the Indian Football Team, in addition to Retired Justice
Dave.
• The AIFF's existing condition of affairs, according to the Supreme Court, is not conducive to the
federation's constitutional government.
• It directed the CoA to take immediate control of the AIFF and supervise the AIFF's acceptance
of the constitution.
India beats Indonesia 16-0 in Asia Cup 2022 hockey tournament:
• In an exciting Pool B match, the Indian men's team scored six goals in the last quarter to defeat
Indonesia 16-0.
• A game of the Asia Cup 2022 to qualify for the Asia Cup Super-4 stage.
• India joined Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea in the Asia Cup Super-4 round.
• To qualify, India needed to win by at least a 15-0 score, and the young team thrived under
duress.
About the Match:
• Both India and Pakistan finished with four points in Pool A, trailing Japan, although the hosts
qualified for the Super 4s due to a greater goal difference (1).
• Earlier in the day, Pakistan had lost 2-3 against Japan.
• This was India's first win in the ongoing Asia Cup, following a 1-1 tie with Pakistan and a 2-5
setback at the hands of Japan, who finished first in Pool A.
• Japan won all three of its pool matches.
IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships: Turkey topped medal tally of 2022:
• The 12th edition of the 2022 International Boxing Association (IBA) Women's World Boxing
Championship (WWBC) was placed at Istanbul's Başakşehir Youth and Sports Facility.
• 310 boxers from 73 countries competed in the event.
• Belarusian and Russian boxers were barred from competing in the tournament following a ban
imposed as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Medal Tally:
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Turkey 5 0 2 7
2 Ireland 2 0 0 2
3 Canada 1 1 0 2
4 India 1 0 2 3
Key Points:
• For the first time in four years, India won a total of three medals, including one gold and two
bronze.
• Nikhat Zareen (Nizamabad, Telangana) of India won gold in the flyweight (52kg) event with 5-0
points over Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas.
• She became the fifth Indian woman boxer to win the World Championship with her victory.
• Manisha Moun (Haryana) and Parveen Hooda (Haryana) were the other two Indian women
boxers to win bronze medals in the 57kg and 63kg categories, respectively.
ISSF Junior World Cup 2022: India won 33 medals:
• Indian shooters concluded their campaign on top with a total of 33 medals at the ISSF Junior
World Cup 2022 in Suhl, Germany.
• India’s tally of 33 medals - 13 golds, 15 silvers, and five bronzes - was the most by any country
at the 2022 edition.
• Italy - with four golds two silver and five bronze medals - finished second on the table.
• Sift Kaur Samra and Surya Pratap Singh won the silver medal in the 50m rifle prone mixed team
event on the final day.
• India’s Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu, and Sameer beat Thailand’s Waster Warakorn
Kongklang, Wachiravit Phuangthong, and Thanawit Kruawongkaew 17-1 in the men’s 25-meter
rapid fire pistol event.
• Simranpreet Kaur Brar and Vijayveer Sidhu, meanwhile, won the mixed team gold in the same
event after beating fellow Indians Anish Bhanwala and Tejaswani 17-9 in the final.
• At the last edition of the ISSF Junior World Cup in 2021, India had 43 medals - 17 golds, 16
silvers, and 10 bronzes - to top the medals table.
About ISSF:
• Headquarters: Munich, Germany
• President: Vladimir Lisin

• Founded: 1907
India’s medal winners:
Gold
1. Simranpreet Kaur Brar and Vijayveer Sidhu – 25m rapid fire pistol mixed team
2. Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu, and Sameer – men’s 25m rapid fire pistol team
3. Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Rhythm Sangwan – women’s 25m pistol team
4. Sift Kaur Samra – women’s 50m rifle 3 positions individual
5. Rhythm Sangwan – women’s 25m pistol individual
6. Rudrankksh Patil, Paarth Makhija, and Umamahesh Maddineni – men’s air rifle team
7. Rudrankksh Patil – men’s 10m air rifle individual
8. Shiva Narwal – men’s 10m air pistol individual
9. Palak – women’s 10m air pistol individual
10. Saurabh Chaudhary, Shiva Narwal, and Sarabjot Singh – men’s air pistol team
11. Esha Singh-Saurabh Chaudhary – 10m air pistol mixed team
12. Manu Bhaker, Palak, and Esha Singh – women’s 10m air pistol team
13. Arya Borse, Zeena Khitta, and Ramita – women’s air rifle team
Silver
1. Anish-Tejaswani – 25m rapid fire pistol mixed team
2. Pankaj Mukheja and Sift Kaur Samra – 50m rifle 3 positions mixed team
3. Shivam Dabas, Pankaj Mukheja, Avinash Yadav – men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team
4. Anish – men’s 25m rapid fire pistol individual
5. Manu Bhaker – women’s 25m pistol individual
6. Shivam Dabas – men’s 50m rifle 3 positions individual
7. Abhinav Shaw – men’s 10m air rifle individual
8. Ramita – women’s 10m air rifle individual
9. Manu Bhaker – women’s 10m air pistol individual
10. Palak and Sarabjot Singh – 10m air pistol mixed team
11. Ramita and Paarth Makhija – 10m air rifle mixed team
12. Sift Kaur Samra and Surya Pratap Singh – 50m Rifle Prone Mixed Team competition
13. Shardul Vihaan, Arya Vansh Tyagi, and Vivaan Kapoor – men’s trap team
14. Sarabjot Singh – 10m air pistol men individual
15. Preeti Rajak, Sabeera Haris, and Bhavya Tripathi – women’s trap team
Bronze:
1. Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Darshna Rathore, and Areeba Khan – women’s skeet team
2. Vijayveer Sidhu – men’s 25m rapid fire pistol individual
3. Naamya Kapoor – women’s 25m pistol individual
4. Nischal, Ashi Chouksey, Samra Sift Kaur – women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team
5. Ashi Chouksey – 50m rifle 3 positions
Tokyo Bronze Medallist Lovlina Borgohain elected as IBAs Athletes Committee Chair:
• International Boxing Association (IBA) has announced that Indian boxer and Tokyo Olympics
Bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain has received the highest number of votes during the election
held at the 2022 Women's World Championships and thus has been elected as the chair and a
voting member on the Board of Directors for the IBA's Athletes' Committee.
• Further, Indian boxer Shiva Thapa has also been elected as a member of the IBA Athletes
Committee following the election held during the 2021 IBA Men's World Championships
• The duo, who are both under the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Target Olympic Podium
Scheme (TOPS) have confirmed that they have accepted their roles and look forward to
representing India and other boxers at the Board of Directors’ meeting.
About International Boxing Association
• Headquarters location: Lausanne, Switzerland
• President: Umar Kremlyov
• Founded: 1946.
Adani Sports line acquires new franchise in UAE T20 Cricket League:
• Adani Sports line, a part of the Adani Group, made a foray into franchise cricket by acquiring the
rights to own and operate a franchise in UAE T20 League.
• Licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board, the UAE T20 League will be an annual event that will
feature six teams competing in a 34-match event.
• Top players from all the cricket-playing nations are expected to be in the line-up of different
teams.
• The league will also provide a platform for upcoming cricketers.
• This will be the first major move overseas by Adani Sports line that will "connect and engage
with global fans" from across the cricketing nations.
• Reliance Industries Limited, Lancer Capital, GMR Group, and Capri Global have acquired a
team each in the UAE T20 League.
IPL 2022 Finals: Gujarat Titans won the title
• Gujarat Titans (GT) won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in
Ahmedabad, defeating the inaugural winners Rajasthan Royals (RR).
• The 15th season of the professional Twenty20 cricket league founded by the Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) was the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. (BCCI).
• IPL 2022 Closing Ceremony: It was a full house at the Narendra Modi Stadium as the
attendance marked 1,04,859.
• BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and General Secretary Jay Shah then receive a certificate as
IPL created a Guinness world record for the world’s largest cricket jersey.
List of Winners
• Aramco Purple Cap Winner of The Season: Yuzvendra Chahal (27 Wickets)
• Aramco Orange Cap Winner of The Season: Jos Buttler (863 Runs)
• Player Of the Match (Final): Hardik Pandya
• Upstox Most Valuable Player of The Season: Jos Buttler
Women’s T20 Challenge: Supernovas Beat Velocity
• Supernovas defeated Velocity by four runs in the final of the Women's T20 Challenge 2022.
• Deandra Dottin, a West Indies T20 specialist, starred with both bat and ball as Supernovas won
their third Women's T20 Challenge title with a four-run victory over Velocity.
• The BCCI organizes the Women's T20 Challenge, an Indian women's cricket 20-20 tournament.
• After being thrown in to bat first, Dottin blasted 62 off 44 balls at the top of the order to help
Supernovas score a competitive 165-7 total.
• She recovered to take two wickets for 28 runs in four overs and was instrumental in limiting
Velocity to 161-8.
About Supernovas:
• Supernovas won the first two seasons of the Women's T20 Challenge in 2018 and 2019 but lost
in the final in 2020 against Trailblazers.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was canceled last year.
IMPORTANT OBITUARIES NEWS
Film and TV actor Salim Ghouse passes away:
● Veteran stage, television and film actor Salim Ghouse - who featured in several Bollywood and
south Indian movies such as 'Bharat Ek Khoj', 'Wagle Ki Duniya', 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi' and
'Subah' -- passed away following a cardiac arrest in Mumbai.
● He was 70.
● Later, he played notable roles in several award-winning films such as 'Chakra' (1981),
'Saaraansh' (1984) and 'Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!' (1984).
● He was seen with Shah Rukh Khan in 'Koyla', besides playing prominent roles in films like
'Mujrim', 'Shapath', Kamal Haasan's 'Vettri Vizhaa', Mohanlal's 'Thazvaram', and 'Well Done
Abba'.
● He was last seen in the Tamil film 'Kaa' (2022).
Padma Shri Odia Writer Rajat Kumar Kar has passed away:
● Eminent Odia litterateur Rajat Kumar Kar, a Padma Shri awardee, died in Bhubaneswar.
● He was 88 years old and had heart-related ailments
● Kar, who was conferred with Padma Shri in 2021 for literature and education, had heart-related
ailments and was under medication.
● An orator of Jagannath culture, he was known for his commentary during the annual Ratha Jatra
on TV and radio for six decades.
● He was also instrumental in the revival of Odisha's dying art of Pala.
● He was a prolific writer on Upendra Bhanja literature and has seven non-fictions to his credit.
● He has also written a few books on Lord Jagannath.
● Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik, State BJP president
Samir Mohanty and many others condoled the death of Kar.
Santoor legend Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passes away:
● Legendary musician and santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away due to a
cardiac arrest.
● He was 84.
● Born in Jammu, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma began learning santoor at the age of thirteen.
● His first public performance was in Mumbai in 1955.
● Also, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma composed the background music for one of the scenes in the
1956 film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje.
● Pandit Shivkumar Sharma collaborated with flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia and guitarist Brij
Bhushan Kabra in 1967, and together, they produced the acclaimed concept album Call of the
Valley.
● Pandit Shivkumar Sharma received the prestigious Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma
Vibhushan in 2001.
Former Union minister Pandit Sukh Ram passes away at 94:
● Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Pandit Sukh Ram has passed away.
● He was 94.
● Sukh Ram was the Union Minister of State, Communications (Independent Charge) from 1993 to
1996.
● He was a member of Lok Sabha from the Mandi constituency of Himachal Pradesh.
● He won the Vidhan Sabha elections five times and the Lok Sabha elections three times.
● In 2011, he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment for corruption when he was
Communications Minister in 1996.
The world’s oldest chess grandmaster Yuri Averbakh passes away:
● The legendary grandmaster Yuri Averbakh has died in Moscow at 100.
● Yuri Averbakh was the world’s oldest living Grandmaster.
● In his prime, he was one of the strongest players in the USSR and the world, and in 1953 he
took part in the legendary Candidates Tournament in Zurich.
● Born on 8 February 1922 in Kaluga, a city southwest of Moscow, Yuri Averbakh has witnessed
and has helped to shape a century of chess.
Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of Independent Ukraine Passes Away:
● Ukraine's first president Leonid Kravchuk, who led the country through the tumultuous early
years of independence and agreed to give up its Soviet nuclear arsenal, died.
● He was 88.
About Leonid Kravchuk:
● Kravchuk was born in 1934 to a peasant family in the then-Polish territory, which now is a part of
western Ukraine.
● Kravchuk was known as the “wily fox” as he rose through the ranks of Ukraine’s Communist
Party and take over as head of the parliament in 1990.
● He signed the Belovezha accords with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Belarusian leader
Stanislav Shushkevich in December 1991 which effectively triggered the Soviet Union’s
collapse.
About Ukraine
● Capital: Kyiv
● Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia
● President: Volodymyr Zelenskyy
● Prime minister: Denys Shmyhal.
Eminent Sanskrit and Hindi Scholar, Padma Shri Dr Rama Kant Shukla Passes Away:
● Dr. Rama Kant Shukla, a distinguished Sanskrit and Hindi scholar, died in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
(UP).
● He was 81.
About Rama Kant Shukla
● Rama Kant Shukla was born on 25 December 1940, at Khurja city in the Indian state of Uttar
Pradesh.
● Dr. Rama Kant Shukla is the founder and general secretary of the Devavani Parishad in Delhi,
as well as the chairman and editor of the quarterly Sanskrit journal "Arvacinasamskrtam”.
● Literary and Sanskrit organisations bestowed upon him the Sanskrit titles of Rashtrakavi,
Kaviratna, and Kavi Siromani.

His Achievements:
• The Government of India (GoI) honoured him with Padma Shri in 2013 for literature and
education.
• In 2009, He was honoured with the President’s Award under the Sanskrit category.
• He has also received the Sahitya Academy Award in 2018 under Sanskrit Category for poetry
“Mama Janani”.
• He has also been honoured with the UP-Government’s State Award; Sanskrit Rashtrakavi;
Kalidas Samman; Delhi Sanskrit Academy’s Akhil Bharatiya Maulika Sanskrit Rachana
Puraskara, the Sanskrit Samaradhaka Puraskara, and others.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed passes away:
● UAE President and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away.
● He was 73.
About Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan:
● Born in 1948, Sheikh Khalifa was the second President of the UAE and the 16th Ruler of the
Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
● He was the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed.
● He was elected to succeed his father, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who served as
the UAE’s first president since the union in 1971 until he passed away on November 2, 2004.
● Since becoming the president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa has presided over a major
restructuring of both the Federal Government and the government of Abu Dhabi.
● Under his reign, the UAE witnessed an accelerated development that ensured decent living for
the people calling the country home.
About UAE:
• President: Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Trending
• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
• Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds dies:

● Former Australia cricketer and two-time World Cup winner Andrew Symonds died in a car crash.
● The 46-year-old, who represented Australia in 26 Tests and 198 one-day internationals between
1998 and 2009, was killed in a single-car collision in Townsville, Queensland.
● Symonds was also an excellent fielder, playing a major role in Australia's back-to-back 50-over
World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007.
About Symond
• Symonds, who was born in England and had one Afro-Caribbean father, is also known for the
infamous "monkeygate" affair, which pushed him into a downward spiral.
• In the 2008 New Year Test in Sydney, he claimed India spinner Harbhajan Singh called him a
"monkey."
• He featured in 198 ODIs scoring six centuries and 30 half-centuries while also contributing 133
wickets with his more than handy off-spin and medium pace.
• Symonds also played 14 T20I for Australia, managing 337 runs and eight wickets.
Additional Info:
• He was the third former Australian cricketer to tragically pass away in 2022 after champion leg-
spinner Shane Warne died from a heart attack in Thailand in March.
• Former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh also passed away from a heart attack earlier this year.
Tony Brooks, the last surviving F1 race winner from the 1950s, has died:
● Tony Brooks, a British racing driver known as the "Racing Dentist" for winning six Formula One
Grand Prix in the 1950s, has died.
● He was born in 1932 in the United Kingdom.
● Tony retired from racing at the age of 29 after working for four different teams: BRM, Vanwall,
Ferrari, and Cooper.
● Following Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, and Stirling Moss, Brooks was the most
successful driver of his era.
● Perhaps his most famous victory was at the 1957 British Grand Prix at Aintree, which he shared
with his colleague Moss.
Shivaji Patnaik, a veteran Communist leader, has died:

● Shivaji Patnaik, a veteran Communist politician and three-time Member of Parliament, died at
the age of 93.
● Shivaji Patnaik is credited with founding the CPI (Marxist) in Odisha.
About Shivaji Patnaik:
• He was born on August 10, 1930, and joined the State Student Movement at the age of 17 while
studying at Ravenshaw College.
• When the Communist Party split in 1964, he played a critical role in the founding of the CPI(M).
• From 1971 to 1990, he served as the party's secretary.
• He was also elected to the party's Central Committee.
Sidhu Moose Wala, a Punjabi singer, was killed:
• Sidhu Moose Wala, a 29-year-old Punjabi singer, was killed in Jawaharke village, Mansa district,
Punjab, by unidentified assailants.
• The event occurred a day after the Punjab Police ordered his security, as well as the security of
more than 420 people, including former MLAs, Jathedars of two Takhts, and Deras' leaders, and
police personnel, to be withdrawn.
About Sidhu Moose Wala:
• Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu alias Sidhu Moose Wala was born on June 17, 1993, in the Moose
Wala hamlet of Mansa district.
• Moose Wala's fan base numbered in the millions, and he was well-known for his rap.
• Moose Wala had an electrical engineering degree.
• He had studied music in college and had afterward relocated to Canada.
• Sidhu Moose Wala ran for the Punjab assembly in this year's election on a Congress ticket from
Mansa but was beaten by AAP candidate Vijay Singla by 63,000 votes.
Sanskrit scholar Bhagirath Prasad Tripathi dies at age 86:
• Bhagirath Prasad Tripathi Sanskrit scholar and ‘Vagish Shastri’ has died here after a prolonged
illness.
• He was 86.
About Bhagirath Prasad Tripathi:
• Shastri was awarded the title of 'Mahamahopadhyaya' by the Kashi Pandit Parishad in 1982.
• He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018 and the President's Award in 2013.
• Shastri had invented a unique technique of teaching Sanskrit grammar called 'Vagyoga', a
mnemonic method to enter into the soul of words.
• Hundreds of scholars from all over the world learned Sanskrit from him in a very short time and
made translations of Sanskrit texts in their languages.
• He authored several books.
• People would also come to him to learn meditation and kundalini awakening.
• In 2018, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri for his work in the field of
literature & education.

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Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – May 2022

2. Important Banking and Economy News 31

3. Important State News 99

4. Important National News 139

5. Important International News 186

6. Important MOU’s and Agreement News 194

7. Important Mergers and Acquisitions News 218

8. Important Appointments and Resignation News 225

9. Important Awards and Honours News 273

10. Important Defence News 306

11. Important Summit & Conference News 318

12. Important Schemes News 320

13. Important Science and Technology News 321

14. Important Apps and Services News 333

15. Important Rankings and Indices News 334

16. Important Books and Authors 357

17. Important Sports News 359

18. Important Obituaries 386

International Jazz Day -30 April:

• International Jazz Day is celebrated annually on April 30.

empathy, dialogue, and enhanced cooperation among people.

April as International Jazz Day in November 2011.

World Veterinary Day 2022: 30th April

• This year it falls on 30th April 2022.

responsibilities they shoulder at a local, national and international level.

Germany and was called by Professor John Gamgee.

cattle trade in Europe.

• It later came to be known as World Veterinary Congress.

• A permanent committee was created in the eighth Congress, in 1906.

• World Veterinary Day was declared in 2001.

International Dance Day 2022- 29 April:

• International Dance Day 2022 will be observed on 29th April annually.

Theatre Institute started to recognise it.

• It is the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO.

International Labour Day - 1st May

the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923.

the first time.

Divas in Marathi and Uzhaipalar Naal in Tamil.

Ayushman Bharat Diwas -30th April:

known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

of 5 lakh rupees per family to be given per year.

Bharat Diwas is celebrated to achieve twin missions.

● Which was first launched on 14th April 2018 in Bijapur of Chhattisgarh.

● This year, World Laughter Day will be observed on 1 May.

laughter in an individual's life and its many healing benefits.

brotherhood through laughter.

World Tuna Day- 2nd May:

and make people know how Tuna is threatened by overwhelming demand.

situation of the fish and the need of preserving it.

● The first Tuna Day was recognised globally on 2 May 2017.

World Press Freedom Day- 3rd May

● Every year, 3rd May is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day.

● It is also known as World Press Day.

● In 1993, 3 May was declared World Press Freedom Day.

Conference session of UNESCO.

World Asthma Day -3rd May

● This year, the day is observed on May 3.

● This year, theme is 'Closing Gaps in Asthma Care'.

created in 1993, was the first to establish World Asthma Day.