- National:
- AirAsia India flight i5-767 departed from Pune to New Delhi using a blend of indigenous Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) supplied by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) in partnership with Praj Industries Ltd. (Praj)
- India’s defence production rose more than 12% last fiscal year and crossed the 1 trillion rupee ($12 billion) threshold for the first time.
- On May 19, 2023, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in India (IACC) renewed their ongoing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for an additional five years
- According to Knight Frank’s ‘The Wealth Report 2023’, India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), with net worth over $30 million are estimated to grow by 58.4% from 12,069 in 2022 to 19,119 individuals in 2027
- The sixth Scorpene Submarine of Project-75, Yard 11880, Indian Navy’s Kalvari class, ‘Vaghsheer’ commenced her sea trials on May 18th, 20231. The submarine was launched on April 20th, 2022 from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL)
- The 3rd Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting of the G20 began in Mumbai on May 21, 2023 with aspects of blue economy as its focus. The three-day meeting began with a side event of mega beach clean-up in Juhu followed by the Ocean 20 Dialogue
- The Supreme Court has ruled that the Delhi government will have control over all services in the national capital, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), with the exception of land, police, and law and order
- The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has added 1.39 crore members during the financial year 2022-23. In March 2023 alone, EPFO added over 13 lakh members
- The third G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting is being held at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir from May 22-24. This is the first major international event after Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was scrapped in 2019
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 76th Session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland via video message on May 21, 2023. He congratulated the World Health Organization on completing the historic milestone of serving the world for 75 year
- Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the women labourers convention organized by the Kerala unit of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) in Thiruvananthapuram on May 22nd
- World:
- A panel discussion was held in Dubai on the topic of the role of G20 in creating global economic stability. The event took place on the sidelines of an International Conference jointly organized by the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak, Academy for Global Business Advancement, and Council for Strategic Affairs
- The government of Nepal has announced 2025 as a ‘special tourism year’ and the decade of the 2080s will be marked as ‘visit Nepal decade’
- Mahatma Gandhi Scholarships were awarded to 300 Advanced Level school students from all 25 districts across Sri Lanka by High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha and State Minister of Education A. Aravindh Kumar at a special ceremony held in Ministry of Education recently
- The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) carried out a review of Micron which concluded that the US chipmaker poses a threat to national security1. As a result, Chinese companies operating in information infrastructure are effectively banned from using Micron’s products
- INS TARKASH, the flagship frigate of the Indian Western Naval Fleet, along with the INS SUBHADRA, an offshore patrol vessel, arrived at Port Al-Jubail in Saudi Arabia on May 21, 2023 . This visit marks the start of the harbor phase of the second edition of the naval exercise between India and Saudi Arabia, known as ‘AL-MOHED AL-HINDI 2023’
- Sports:
- Elena Rybakina won the Italian Open after Anhelina Kalinina retired from the final with a thigh injury. In the men’s singles event, Daniil Medvedev defeated Holger Rune 7-5, 7-5 in the final to win his maiden clay court title
- India won 3 gold and a bronze medal in Archery World Cup Stage 2 at Shanghai. Prathamesh Jawkar won the individual gold medal in the men’s compound section by defeating world number one Mike Schloesser of the Netherlands. Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam bagged the mixed team gold by defeating top seeds Korea
- Indian athlete Shaili Singh clinched a bronze medal at the Golden Grand Prix 2023 athletics meet in the women’s long jump event in Yokohama, Japan. She attempted a jump of 6.65 meters, which provided her third place on the podium at the Yokohama meet, a World Athletics Continental Tour gold label event
- Daniil Medvedev won the Italian Open by defeating Holger Rune in straight sets. It was his first ATP Masters 1,000 clay-court title
- Banking:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it has withdrawn Rs 2000 currency notes from circulation. The State Bank of India (SBI) has informed that the facility of exchange of Rs 2,000 notes by the public up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time will be allowed without obtaining any requisition slip
- According to government data, Canara Bank emerged as the largest buyer among the state-owned lenders in 2022-23, making total purchases of Rs 592.82 crore from the GeM portal
- Public sector banks’ cumulative profit crossed the Rs 1 trillion-mark in the financial year ended March 2023, with market leader State Bank of India (SBI) accounting for nearly half of the total earnings. These 12 PSBs witnessed a 57% increase in total profit compared to Rs 66,539.98 crore earned in 2021-22
- Important Days:
- World Metrology Day is celebrated annually on May 20th. The theme for World Metrology Day 2023 is "Measurements supporting the global food system".
- World Bee Day is celebrated annually on May 20th to increase understanding and recognition of the vital role bees and other pollinators play in our ecosystem. This observance was established by the United Nations in 2017 with the purpose of emphasizing the importance of bees in sustaining both ecosystems and food production
- The 7th UN Global Road Safety Week will be held from 15-21 May 2023. The theme for this year is sustainable transport and the slogan is #RethinkMobility. The campaign calls for policy makers to make walking, cycling, and public transport safe and convenient so that people can make the shift to active, sustainable mobility
- Appointments:
- S.P. Singh Baghel has been appointed as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He was moved from the Union Law Ministry to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Questions:
Q.1 When is World Metrology Day celebrated?a. May 20th
b. June 20th
c. July 20th
d. August 20th
Q.2 Who has been appointed as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare?
a. Kiren Rijiju
b. S.P. Singh Baghel
c. Arjun Ram Meghwal
d. Bharati Pravin Pawar
