DAILY GK 15-16 MAY
1.
7th INDIA-FRANCE JOINT MILITARY
“EX-SHAKTI”
·
The 7th
India-France joint military “Exercise SHAKTI 2024” commenced
at Umroi, in a fully developed and modern Foreign Training
Node in Meghalaya.
·
Ex-SHAKTI is a biennial training
exercise which is conducted alternatively in India and France.
·
India
conduct 3 biennial training exercises with France namely
·
GARUDA–
between Air Forces of India and
France
·
VARUNA–
between Navies of India and France
·
SHAKTI- is
a joint military exercise between India and France
·
Chief of Army Staff: Manoj Pande
·
France President: Emmanuel
Macron
·
Currency: Euro
2.
19TH UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON
FORESTS
·
The 19th session of the United Nations
Forum on Forests (UNFF19) was held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, United States (US)
·
The forum was organized by UNFF
Secretariat.
·
It was chaired by Zéphyrin
Maniratanga of Burundi.
·
The forum undertook its midterm review of the International
Arrangement on Forests.
·
The key outcomes of the session
were High-Level Segment declaration and an omnibus resolution, which included the
outcome of the midterm review as well as the new Quadrennial Programme of Work of the Forum for 2025-2028.
·
The Indian delegation was led by Jitendra Kumar,
Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
·
UNFF is a functional commission of the UN Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) with universal membership.
·
The Forum has set many milestones
including the first UN Forest Instrument in 2007, the Global Forest Financing
Facilitation Network (GFFFN) in 2015, and adoption of the first UN Strategic
Plan for Forests 2030 and its six Global Forest Goals in 2017
3.
INDIA & IRAN SIGNED CONTRACT TO
OPERATE CHABAHAR PORT IN IRAN
·
India and Iran signed a long-term contract
of 10 years to operate the Shahid
Beheshti Port Terminal at Chabahar Port, Iran.
·
The contract was signed by India Ports
Global Limited(IPGL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of India
Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ) and by Port and Maritime
Organisation (PMO), Iran.
·
As per the contract, IPGL is committed to
invest approximately USD 120 million in equipping the port.
·
India has also offered a credit window
of USD 250 million for mutually identified projects aimed at
enhancing Chabahar-related infrastructure.
·
An inter-Governmental memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development
of the Chabahar port by India was signed
in May 2015.
·
India took up the development of the
Shahid Beheshti terminal under a tripartite agreement (Chahbahar Agreement) on Chahbahar signed with Iran and Afghanistan in
May 2016.
·
Afghanistan
is effectively no longer part of the arrangements
since the takeover of the country by the Taliban in 2021.
·
Chabahar
Port
is a deep water port located in the
Sistan-Baluchistan province in South Eastern Iran.
·
It consists of 2 important ports i.e. Shahid Kalantari and ShahidBeheshti.
·
Chabahar Port as a key hub for the International North-South Transport
Corridor (INSTC) project.
·
INSTC is a 72,00 km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among
India, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia,
Central Asia and Europe.
·
Iran President- Ebrahim
Raisi
·
Currency- Iranian
Rial
·
Capital- Tehran
4.
RAMCHARITMANAS, PANCHATANTRA AND SAHRDAYALOKA-LOCANA INCLUDED
IN UNESCO’S MEMORY OF THE WORLD (MOW) REGISTER
·
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has included: The
Ramcharitmanas (Rāmacaritamānasa), Panchatantra (Pañcatantra
Fables) and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana in its “Memory of the
World (MOW) Asia-Pacific Regional Register”.
·
The inclusion of these literary works was
made at 10th meeting of the Memory of
the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) in Ulaanbatar, Mongolia.
·
The Asia-Pacific
Member States newly inscribed 20 items from different countries (including
3 from India) during the 2024 cycle.
·
MOWCAP
is a regional forum for UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme (MOW) which was
launched in 1992.
·
MOWCAP was formally established in 1998
during its 1st MOWCAP General Meeting held in Beijing, China.
·
UNESCO Director-General: Audrey
Azoulay
·
Headquarters: Paris,
France
·
Established: 1945
5.
UNODC 3RD WORLD WILDLIFE
CRIME REPORT
·
The
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
has released the 3rd edition of its
World Wildlife Crime Report titled ‘World Wildlife Crime Report 2024:
Trafficking in Protected Species’, which highlights the persistent issue of
illegal trafficking in plant and animal wildlife.
·
Seizures in 2020 and 2021 were about half
compared to previous years, likely due to COVID-19 disruptions rather than a
true decline in trafficking.
·
From 2015 to 2021, 13 million items
were seized, indicating illegal trade involving around 4,000 species across
162 countries and territories.
·
Approximately 3,250 of these species are
listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices.
·
The most
trafficked species were corals (16%), crocodilians (9%),
and elephants (6%).
·
For the first time, an indicator on
progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 15.7 was
included to end trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna.
·
On positive front, trafficking of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn elephant dropped.
6.
2024 SUPERBET POLAND RAPID &
BLITZ;
·
The Five-time World Champion & World
No. 1 Magnus Carlsen emerged as the winner of the 2024
Superbet Poland Rapid & Blitz, a part of World Chess Tour that was held
in Warsaw, Poland.
·
The
Norwegian chess player gained a total of 26 points to clinch the title after a total of 10 wins in
a row.
·
The prize fund for each of the two
tournaments will be USD 350,000 and USD 175,000 per
event for rapid and blitz.
·
In addition, a bonus prize fund worth USD
275,000 will be awarded.
·
Wei Yi of
China clinched the second spot with
25.5 points.
·
Jan-Krzysztof
Duda of Poland finished third with 19.5 points and
Praggnanandhaa claimed the fourth position in the tournament with 19 points.
·
Erigaisi Arjun finished fifth while Dommaraju Gukesh finished at 10th
position.
7.
NEERAJ CHOPRA FINISHED SECOND AT THE
DOHA DIAMOND LEAGUE 2024
·
The Olympic and World Champion javelin
thrower Neeraj Chopra claimed the second spot
in the Doha Diamond League 2024 at the Qatar Sports Club,
Doha, Qatar.
·
The three-time Olympian for Czech Republic Jakub Vadlejch claimed the
top spot with 88.38 meters throw
while Neeraj Chopra missed the first
spot by just 2 centimeters (88.36
meters).
·
The former world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada claimed the
third spot with an 86.62m throw.
·
The next men’s javelin Diamond League
meeting will be held in Paris on July 7,2024.
·
The Diamond League is a high-level
multi-tier group of track & field meets conducted under the World Athletics
(formerly known as IAAF or International Association of Athletics Federations).
8.
INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY 2024 – MAY
12
·
International Nurses Day (IND)
is annually observed across the globe on 12th May to honour
the contributions of nurses to society and recognise their role in the overall
healthcare system.
·
IND commemorates the birth
anniversary of a English nurse, social reformer, and
statistician Florence Nightingale (also known as the founder
of modern nursing).
·
The theme of
International Nurses Day 2024 is “Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic
power of care”.
·
The annual observance of IND is led by the
International Council of Nurses (ICN).
·
ICN is the world’s first and
widest-reaching international organisation for health professionals.
·
Headquarters–
Geneva, Switzerland
9.
INTERNATIONAL SUN DAY 2024
– MAY 3
·
International Sun Day (also
known as World Sun Day) is annually observed across the globe on 3rd
May to raise awareness about the significant
benefits of solar energy in fostering a greener and healthier planet and
promoting eco-friendly energy.
·
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE), Government of India (GoI), organised a ‘Run for Sun’ Marathon at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, Delhi
10.
SBI BECOMES INAUGURAL BANK TO JOIN
INTERNATIONAL BULLION EXCHANGE
·
Public sector lender, State Bank of India (SBI), has
become the first trading-cum-clearing member (TCM) at the India
International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) – the country’s first bullion exchange in
GIFT City Gandhinagar.
·
This enables SBI’s IFSC Banking unit (IBU)
to trade on the IIBX platform.
·
The Reserve Bank of India recently
permitted IBUs to act as trading members and trading and clearing members at
IIBX as special category clients (SCCs)to import gold
through the bullion exchange.
·
IIBX is a platform that enables trading in bullion with adherence to OECD Due
Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chain of Minerals from
Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas for establishing supply chain integrity.
·
SBI Established
:
1 July 1955
·
Headquarters
:
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
·
Chairman
:
Dinesh Kumar Khara
11.
UAE TOPS GLOBAL FIBRE CONNECTIVITY
·
The UAE has once again been
recognizedas the global leader in Fibre to the Home (FTTH)
penetration.
·
This marks the eighth consecutive year the country has held this top position with
a penetration rate of 99.3 percent,
·
The report placed the UAE above
Singapore (97.1 percent), Hong Kong (95.3 percent), China (92.9 percent), and
South Korea (91.5 percent).
12.
NEPAL'S KAMI RITA SHERPA CLIMBS MOUNT
EVEREST FOR RECORD 29TH TIME
·
Nepal's Kami Rita Sherpa also
known as 'Everest Man' broke his record by climbing the world's highest
peak, Mount Everest for the 29th time.
·
The 54-year-old Sherpa climber and
guide in the last spring season had climbed
the 8848.86 meters tall highest peak two times within a week setting a
record for the 28th summit.
13.
7TH JOINT ANTI-TERROR MOCK
DRILLS EXERCISE TARKASH WITH US’ SOF
·
The 7th edition of the India-U.S. joint
counter-terrorism exercise ‘Tarkash’
was held between the National Security Guard (NSG) and United
States (US) Special Operations Forces (SOF) in Kolkata, West Bengal(WB).
14.
THE YOUNG UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2024
·
According to the Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2024, Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) in
Kottayam, Kerala, ranked 81(globally) has emerged as the highest-ranking Indian university.
·
Nanyang
Technological University(NTU), Singapore has topped the global
ranking for the 2nd consecutive year.
·
Apart from MGU, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu(TN) ranked 96th is the only
Indian University featured among the top
100 on the 2024 ranking.
·
The
2024 ranking includes 673 universities, up from 605 in 2023.
·
The number of Asian universities in list
are 327 in 2024.
·
India
is represented by 55 institutions in the 2024 ranking,
up from 45 in 2023 and 26 in 2020.
15.
SAHITYA AKADEMI FELLOWSHIP
·
The renowned English Author Ruskin
Bond received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.
·
Madhav Kaushik, President of
Sahitya Akademi handed over the plaque to Bond at his home (Mussoorie,
Uttarakhand).
·
Ruskin Bond was named a recipient of Akademi’s
highest honour in September 2021. Due to his illness, he was unable
to receive the honour in person.
·
Bond published his first novel, The
Room on the Roof in 1956 , which was also awarded the John Llewellyn
Rhys Prize in 1957.
·
His notable works: ‘Vagrants in the
Valley’, ‘Once Upon a Monsoon Time’, ‘Angry River’, ‘Strangers in the Night’,
‘All Roads Lead to Ganga’, ‘Tales of Fosterganj’, ‘Leopard on the Mountain’ and
‘Too Much Trouble’.
·
Bond received the Sahitya Akademi Award (1992)
for his story collection “Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra”.
16.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UN– MPTFO
·
The United Nations Development Programme
has appointed Alain Noudéhou of Benin as
the new Executive Director of the UN
Multi – Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTFO).
·
He will succeed Jennifer Topping of
Canada, who will complete her tenure by the end of May 2024.
·
UNDP was
established in 1966 by the General Assembly of the United
Nations.
·
It works in 170 countries and territories
to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality.
·
Administrator –
Achim Steiner
·
Headquarters–
New York, United States
17.
CHIEF OF PERSONNEL OF INDIAN NAVY
·
Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, assumed
charge as the Chief of Personnel of the Indian Navy(IN).
·
He will succeed Vice Admiral
Krishna Swaminathan who assumed charge as Vice Chief of The Naval
Staff.
18.
BHISHM- WORLD’S 1ST AIR-LIFTED
PORTABLE HOSPITAL
·
The
Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted maiden air drop test
of BHISHM portable
cubes, World’s 1st air-lifted portable hospital in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
·
BHISHM portable cubes are part of broader
initiative named “Project BHISHM- Bharat health initiative for Sahyog,
Hita and Maitri”.
·
This initiative is specifically designed
to treat up to 200 causalities,
emphasizing rapid response and comprehensive care.
·
Indian Army also introduced its latest
innovation named “Hexacopter Drone” mounted by Machine Gun.
·
Sirin Hexadrones were developed by Ikran
Aerospace and Technologies Private Limited (IAATPL).
·
Chief of Air Staff: Vivek
Ram Chaudhari
·
Headquarters: New
Delhi, Delhi
·
Established: 8th
October, 1932
19.
JAPAN LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST 6G
DEVICE
·
Japan has
launched the world’s first high-speed 6G prototype device, with
data transmission rate of 100 gigabits
per second (Gbps), 20 times faster than the Gold Standard
5G technology.
·
The 6G device offers services covering an impressive range of 300 feet,
showcasing the potential for a significant advancement in internet technology.
·
The 6G technology has the potential to
provide real-time holographic communication as well as
immersive virtual and mixed reality experiences.
20.
INDIA’S 85TH CHESS GRAND MASTER
(GM)
·
Indian Chess Player P.Shyam Nikhil (31
year old) has become India’s 85th Grand Master (GM).
·
He achieved this feat after earning 3rd norm which is required for GM title at Dubai
Police Masters 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
·
He drew with GM Bai Jinshi (China)in
the final round.
·
To become a GM, a player has to secure 3 GM norms and cross the live rating of 2500 Elo points.
·
FIDE President: Arkady Dvorkovich
·
Headquarters: Lausanne,
Switzerland
·
Established: 1924
21.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES 2024 –
MAY 15
·
The United Nations (UN)’s International
Day of Families is annually observed across the globe on 15th
May to raise awareness and highlight issues relating to families
·
The year 2024 marks
the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the
Family (1994).
·
The theme of
International Day of Families 2024 is “Families and Climate
Change”.
22.
PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS' AGGREGATE PROFIT
SURGES BY 35%
·
Public sector banks' cumulative
profit crossed Rs 1.4 trillion in the financial year
ended March 2024, recording a growth
of 35% over the
previous year on a high base of Rs 1 trillion.
·
The 12 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) together
earned a net profit of Rs 1,04,649 crore in 2022-23.
·
Out of the total profit of Rs
141,203 crore earned during the FY24, market leader State Bank of India (SBI) alone contributed over 40%
of the total earnings.
·
In percentage terms Delhi-based Punjab
National Bank had the highest net profit growth with 228%
to Rs 8,245 crore
·
During the year, the only public
sector bank out of 12 that reported a drop in profit was Punjab &
Sind Bank.
·
The government has implemented a
comprehensive 4R strategy: Recognising NPAs transparently, Resolution
and recovery, Recapitalising PSBs, and Reforms in the
financial ecosystem.
23.
INDIAN ARMY TO RECEIVE HERMES-900
DRONE
·
The Indian Army is set to
receive the first Hermes-900 Starliner drone, also known as the Drishti-10 drone, enhancing
its surveillance capabilities along the Pakistan border.
·
The Hermes-900 known as the Drishti-10
drone is being supplied to Indian forces including Indian Army and Navy
by Adani Defence Systems.
·
The Indian Army has ordered two
drones, with the first delivered to the Navy in January.
·
The second
drone will go to the Army, and the third and fourth will be supplied
accordingly.
·
The Indian Army is already operating
the Heron Mark 1 and Mark 2 drones and has also
placed orders for the Drishti-10 or the Hermes-900 drones under
the last tranche of the emergency procurements approved by the government for
the forces.
·
Adani Defence had
signed a deal with the Israeli firm Elbit for the transfer of
technology for the drones and stated that it has indigenized 70% of
the birds and will work to increase it further.
·
Chief of Defence Staff : General Anil
Chauhan
·
Chief of the Army Staff : General
ManojPande
24.
WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS BY CWUR
·
According to the Center for World
University Rankings (CWUR), as many as 65 Indian universities and institutes
from India, led by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad,
are among the top 2000 globally
·
In the 2024 edition of the Global 2000 list by the
CWUR, 32 Indian institutions moved up the ladder, while 33 saw a fall.
·
IIM-A,
the country’s top institute stood
at 410th rank globally, as compared to 419 last year.
·
It was followed by the Indian
Institute of Science (501) and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay(568).
·
The rankings are based on the analysis of
62 million outcome-based data points on
four factors: Quality of education (25%), Employability (25%), Quality of
faculty (10%), Research (40%).
·
In Asia, the University of Tokyo
was the highest-ranked institution, at 13th spot
·
Globally, Harvard emerged as the
top university for the thirteenth year in a row.
·
It was followed by two other private US
institutions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford.
·
The UK’s Cambridge and Oxford ranked fourth
and fifth.
