DAILY GK 17-18 MAY
1.
·
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved USD
148.5 million loan which aimed to bolster, modernize and climate-proof
distribution system to enhance reliability, quality and resilience of
electricity supply in Sikkim, India.
·
The loan is in alignment with Power
for All initiative led by Sikkim government which aims to ensure
uninterrupted access to high-quality electricity for households, industries,
among others.
·
The Project will upgrade and
modernize Power Distribution System (PDS) of Sikkim, with
installation of approximately 770 Kilometers(Kms) of
climate-resilient medium –voltage underground or covered conductors.
·
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
·
President: Masatsugu
Asakawa(Japan)
·
Headquarters: Mandaluyong
City, Manila, The Philippines
·
Members Nations: 68
(49 members nations are from Asia-Pacific region)
·
Established: 1966
2.
FORBES 30 UNDER 30 ASIA 2024
·
The 9th edition of the Forbes 30
Under 30 Asia list (2024) featured
86 entries from India which includes Akshit
Bansal (29) and Raghav Arora (28), co-founders of Statiq-India and Bhagya
Shree Jain (29), founder of The Disposal
Company.
·
The 2024 list features 300 entries from 21 countries and
territories.
·
India
had the most entries followed by China and Japan (32 each),
Singapore (27), Australia (26) and Indonesia (18).
3.
NEW PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE
·
Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai,
a United States (US) trained economist and a former civil servant, was sworn in
as the fourth Prime Minister (PM) of Singapore since
independence.
·
The President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, administered
the oath to Wong on May 15, 2024.
·
Wong succeeded Lee Hsien Loong who
relinquished his position after 20 years (2004-2024).
·
He will be leading the fourth generation People’s Action Party (PAP) or 4G government
as the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister.
4.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RBI
·
Lakshmi Kanth Rao assumed
charge as Executive Director (ED) of the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) with effect from 10th May 2024.
·
Before this, he served as Chief General Manager-in-Charge in the
Department of Regulation, RBI.
·
As an ED, he oversees the Deposit
Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation, the Right to Information Act (FAA),
and the Department of Communication.
5.
‘FLOAT’- 1ST RAILWAY SYSTEM ON MOON
·
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) has announced its plan to build 1st
Railway System on Moon, and named as “Flexible Levitation on a Track
(FLOAT)”.
·
This Railway system is part of NASA’s Moon
to Mars mission i.e. Robotic Lunar
Surface Operations 2 (RLSO2).
·
The FLOAT system will be developed by
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, United
States of America(U.S.A.)
·
A Flex-Circuit Layer generates
electromagnetic thrust to controllably propel robots along tracks.
·
An Optional thin-film solar panel
Layer generates power for the base when in sunlight.
·
Carts will be mounted on these robots and
will move at the speed of 1.61 kilometer per hour (Km/hr).
·
The system aims to transport
approximately 100 tons of material per day to and from NASA’s
future lunar base.
·
The FLOAT system will be integrated with
NASA’s Artemis program. It aims to land astronauts on moon and
bring them back on earth.
·
NASA Headquarters: Washington
D.C.
·
Established: 1958
6.
BOOK “AT THE WHEEL OF RESEARCH”
·
Anuradha Mascarenhas,
has penned a new book titled “At The Wheel of Research: An Exclusive
Biography of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan”.
·
This book outlines the life journey
of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the inaugural Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO)
(2019 to 2022)
·
She is an Indian pediatrician and
Chairperson of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
·
She is the daughter of Dr. Monkumbu Sambasivan (MS) Swaminathan,
the agricultural scientist popularly known as the “Father of the Green Revolution in India”.
7.
NATIONAL DENGUE DAY 2024 – MAY 16
·
National Dengue Day is
annually observed across India on 16 May to
spread awareness about Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infectious disease, and
to promote preventive measures to combat Dengue.
·
The 2024 theme of the
National Dengue Day is, “Connect with Community, Control Dengue.”
8.
14 PEOPLE GIVEN CITIZENSHIP
CERTIFICATES FOR THE FIRST TIME UNDER CAA
·
The first set of citizenship
certificates to 14 people was
issued under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, nearly two
months after the Centre notified it, initiating the process of granting Indian
nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
·
Under the CAA, the qualification period of
citizenship application has been reduced from 11 to 5 years for
undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who
came to India before December 31, 2014.
9.
FORBES’ WORLD’S HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETES
2024
·
Forbes’ released the list of World’s
Highest-Paid Athletes 2024 featuring top 50 highest paid athletes.
·
Soccer Player Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
topped the list with a total earnings of
USD 260 million
·
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm stands
2nd with a total earning of USD 218
million and Argentine Soccer player Lionel Messi 3rd with
USD 135 million.
·
Total earnings of the top 50 highest paid
athletes in the past 12 months is USD 3.88 billion before taxes and agents’
fees.
·
USA’s footballer
Lamar Jackson is the only National
football League (NFL) player on the list in 10th place with USD 100.5
million.
·
The
NBA (National Basketball Association) has the most players on the list of any sport at
19, followed by NFL with 11 and soccer at 3rd with 8.
·
The 2024
list does not features any women athletes.
10.
GEOSPATIAL WORLD LEADERSHIP
AWARD
·
Indian
National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre
(IN-SPACe), under the Department of Space (DOS), Government of India,
has won the Geospatial World Leadership Award 2024 under “Enabling
Public Policy” category.
·
Geospatial Leadership Awards was presented
during the Geospatial World Forum (GWF) 2024 held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands
·
IN-SPACe Chairman- Pawan
Kumar Goenka
·
Headquarters- Ahmedabad,
Gujarat
11.
INDIA’S HIGHEST TUNNEL
·
Arunachal
Pradesh’s Sela Tunnel, an engineering marvel
has been recognised as India’s Highest Tunnel by the International
Book of Honour (IBH), England,
United Kingdom (UK).
·
This recognition underscores the
achievement of the Border Road Organisation (BRO) in constructing the tunnel at
an altitude of 13,000 feet through
Project VARTAK
·
The 2.598 km-long Sela Tunnel is the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel constructed on
the road connecting Tezpur, Assam to
Tawang in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
·
Tawang is located 448 km northwest of
Itanagar (capital city of Arunachal Pradesh) and is close to the Chinese border
in the northeast.
·
The tunnel ensures all-weather connectivity along the National Highway (NH)-13
road to Tawang via Sela Pass on the Balipara – Chariduar – Tawang Road.
12.
PRESIDENT OF SUPREME COURT BAR
ASSOCIATION
·
Kapil Sibal, senior
advocate and former Union Minister of Law and Justice has been
elected as the President of Supreme Court Bar
Association (SCBA) for the fourth time.
·
Kapil Sibal won the election by
securing 1,066 votes, defeating Pradeep Kumar Rai, a
senior advocate who secured 689 votes.
·
He served as the President of the SCBA
for three times (1995-96, 1997-98 and 2001-2002).
13.
PM-DESIGNATE OF CROATIA
·
Andrej Plenkovic (54
years), incumbent Croatian Prime
Minister(PM) and President of the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) party, has been appointed as PM-designate
of the Republic of Croatia for 3rd consecutive term.
·
HDZ party has won 61 seats while the
Homeland Movement (DP) won 14 seats.
·
The
coalition government has secured a majority of 78 seats in the
new 151 seat parliament with the backing of DP as well as representatives of
national minorities.
·
Republic of Croatia President- Zoran
Milanovic
·
Capital- Zagreb
·
Currency- Euro
(EUR)
14.
PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF CHAD
·
Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has
been elected as the President of the Republic of Chad.
·
He is son of Late President of Chad Idriss
Deby, ran as the candidate of the Patriotic
Salvation Movement Party (MPS).
·
He won the 2024 presidential election
of Chad with 61% of the total votes.
·
Republic of Chad Prime Minister – Succes Masra
·
Capital –
N’Djamena
·
Currency – Central
African CFA franc
15.
27TH NATIONAL FEDERATION SENIOR
ATHLETICS COMPETITION 2024
·
2020 Tokyo Olympics Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra won the Gold
medal in the men’s Javelin with 82.27 meter(m) throw
in 27th National Federation Senior Athletics Competition 2024.
·
The tournament held at Kalinga
Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
·
DP Manu from
Karnataka won the Silver medal with 82.06m throw
and Uttam Balasaheb Patil from Maharashtra won the
Bronze medal with 78.39m.
16. WORLD
HYPERTENSION DAY 2024 – MAY 17
·
The
World Health Organization (WHO) annually observes the World
Hypertension Day (WHD) on 17 May to increase
awareness of Hypertension, also known as high
blood pressure (BP)
·
The 2024 theme of WHD is,
“Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately,
Control It, Live Longer.”
17.
KUTCH AJRAKH, EARNED GI TAG.
·
The traditional artisans of ‘Kutch
Ajrakh’ in Gujarat have been awarded the prestigious Geographical
Indication (GI) certificate by the
Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks (CGPDTM).
·
Ajrakh,a
textile craft that has been deeply rooted in Gujarat's cultural tapestry, holds
a revered place in the regions of Sindh, Barmer, and Kutch, where its
legacy spans millennia.
18.
9TH BOOK COVER PRIZE
·
Oxford Bookstores announced Bhavi Mehta
as the winner of the 9th edition of
the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize at a celebratory event
hosted at the India Habitat Centre.
·
Mehta won the prize for the book jacket
of “The Book Beautiful” published
by Hachette India and authored by Pradeep Sebastian.
19.
'GREEN OSCAR' WHITLEY GOLD AWARD 2024
·
Dr Purnima Devi Barman won the GBP 1,00,000 Whitley Gold Award from the
Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), which supports grassroots
conservation leaders from around the world, at a Royal Geographical
Society awards ceremony in London
·
A wildlife biologist from Assam
has been honoured with a leading UK wildlife charity award for her
conservation efforts of the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork and its wetland
habitat.
·
The Whitley Awards also celebrated six other grassroots conservationists
– from Guyana, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, Cameroon, Nepal and Brazil–
for their locally-led solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises.
20.
PLAYER DEVON THOMAS BANNED UNDER AN
ANTI-CORRUPTION CODE
·
The International Cricket Council imposed five years of ineligibility
from all cricket on West Indies player Devon Thomas after he accepted breaching seven
counts of the anti-corruption codes
of Sri Lanka Cricket , the Emirates Cricket Board
and the Caribbean Premier League .
·
The ICC announced the period of
ineligibility in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under
the relevant codes, ruling that the last 18 months of the period of
ineligibility would be suspended.
21.
15 NBFC RELINQUISH THEIR CERTIFICATE
OF REGISTRATION TO RBI
·
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
announced the cancellation of certificates of registration (CoR) for 15
Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), including Tata
Capital Financial Services and Revolving Investments, due to various
reasons.
·
The cancellation was carried out by the
RBI under Section 45-IA (6) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
·
9 NBFCs have
ceased to exist legally due to reasons such as amalgamation, merger, dissolution, or voluntary strike-off.
·
These include Tata Capital
Financial Services, Tata Cleantech Capital, Naperol Investments, USG Financial
Services, Urja Capital, Vandana Dealers, ABRN Finance, Jodhani
Management, and JDS Securities.
·
6 NBFCs surrendered
their certificates of registration after
exiting the Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFI) business.
·
These were Vian Growth Capital,
Drap Leasing and Finance, Jewel Strips, Revolving Investments, Anshu Leasing,
and A V B Finance.
22.
INDIA TO HOST 'BHARAT PARV' AT 77TH
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
·
India is set to host a 'Bharat Parv'
at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for eminent
dignitaries and delegates from around
the world to showcase the myriad creative opportunities in the country.
·
It will be for the first time that the country will host a “Bharat Parv” at
the Cannes Film Festival
·
The
Bharat Pavilion has been designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
·
It is christened on ‘The Sutradhara’ for
depicting this year’s theme of “Create in India”.
·
The highlight will be filmmaker Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine As Light",
which has been selected in the
Competition section, where it will vie for the top prize Palme d'Or.
·
"Sunflowers
Were the First Ones to Know", a short film by the Film
and Television Institute of India students, has been shortlisted in the La Cinef Competitive section.
