Current Affairs One-Liner : 16th May 2023

National:

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the fourth “Positive Indigenisation List” (PIL) of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units(LRUs)/Sub-systems/Spares and Components with import substitution value worth Rs 715 crore

• One-stop centres for zero waste are called Reduce, Recycle and Reuse (RRR) Centres and they are part of a nationwide campaign called ‘Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar’ under the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0)
• SCO adopting India’s proposal on digital public infrastructure, this means that the member nations of the SCO, which include China and Pakistan, have supported the adoption of Indian digital public infrastructure such as Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface, DigiLocker and CoWin
• Union Minister Jitendra Singh National Technology Week 2023:It was a 4-day long event organized by Technology Development Board along with 12 Ministries/Departments to showcase innovations from different sectors of the innovation lifecycle with a central theme of ‘School to Startup- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO)1, it has launched its first-ever comprehensive framework on reducing anaemia, called Accelerating anaemia reduction: a comprehensive framework for action
• The Reserve Bank of India issued an advisory to banks and other RBI-regulated entities, emphasizing the need to take steps to ensure a complete transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) from July 1, 2023
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed a five-member expert committee comprising medical experts and insurers under the chairmanship of Pratima Murthy, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), to provide advice and inputs to IRDAI on matters related to mental health and insurance
• The Netherlands has emerged as India’s third largest export destination after the US and UAE during 2022-23 on account of a surge in shipment of goods such as petroleum products, electronic items, chemicals, and aluminium goods
• A BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from the Indian Navy’s frontline guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao on 14 May 2023. The missile firing demonstrated the Indian Navy’s firepower at sea
• Bhupender Yadav, the Union Environment Minister of India, launched the app on Monday, May 15, 2023. The app is inspired by the concept of LiFE, which stands for Lifestyle for Environment, envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP 26
• According to NASA, an asteroid named 2023 JL1, as big as a bus, made its closest approach to Earth on May 15, 2023. The approximate size of the space object is 39 feet1. It was travelling at a speed of 26,316 kilometers per hour
• Prraneeth Vuppala from Telangana has become India’s 82nd Grandmaster after he achieved the required 2,500 FIDE rating points during the Baku Open tournament1. He defeated GM Hans Niemann of the US in the penultimate round of the Baku Open 2023
• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched a campaign called “Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar” on May 15th to promote reuse and recycle of old items such as clothes, shoes, toys and books
• The SDC is a unique programme in the country to preserve the unique culture and heritage of 62 tribes and 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) living in the state. The SDC was formed in 2017 covering nine tribal-dominated districts
• iDEX is a framework launched by the Government to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace Sector by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia and promote self-reliance
• ICMR will help Ayush researchers with capacity building, access to instruments and knowledge database as part of an initiative announced under the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between Ministry of Ayush and ICMR recently
• The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has launched the rupee-denominated NYMEX WTI Crude Oil and Natural Gas futures contracts in its commodity derivatives segment on Monday, May 15, 2023. This came after the exchange received approval from the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in March
• World:
• The direct flight service from Bhubaneswar to Dubai is operated by IndiGo airlines and it started on March 5, 2023. It is the first international flight from Bhubaneswar airport and it will boost tourism and business opportunities
• U.S. State Department has released an annual report on religious freedom on May 15, 2023. The report listed attacks against religious minorities including Muslims and Christians in India, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party
• Sports:
• India was knocked out of the Sudirman Cup badminton tournament after losing to Malaysia 1-4 in the group stage on Monday. India had earlier lost to Chinese Taipei 2-3 on Sunday and needed to win against Malaysia to have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
• Barcelona secured their 27th LaLiga title after a comfortable 4-2 victory over city rivals Espanyol. This was their first league title since Lionel Messi’s highlighted exit at Camp Nou
• Indian shooters finished the ISSF World Cup 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with four medals. In the overall medals tally, India finished its campaign in second behind China with one gold, two silvers and one bronze. The event was held from May 8 to May 15
• Appointments:
• Ravneet Kaur has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). She will be the first full-time woman Chairperson of the fair trade regulator, which started functioning in 2009
• Important Days:
• International Day of Families 2023: This day is celebrated annually on May 15th to promote the important role played by families in our lives while also reflecting on the challenges facing modern families. The theme for 2023 is Families and Urbanization, which aims to raise awareness on the importance of sustainable, family-friendly urban policies.
• Books:
• Ruskin Bond has authored a new book titled “The Golden Years”. The book is about the last 20-30 years of his life, his 60s, 70s and 80s. It is written in his trademark warm, witty, whimsical style and his marvelously simple prose.