Weekly One Liner Current Affairs May 2024 | May 7 to May 14 | May 2nd Week Current Affair

National Affairs

  • REC Limited, under the Ministry of Power, obtained a 'No Objection Certificate' from RBI on May 3, 2024, to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary in GIFT City, Gujarat,
  • In 2022, India became the top recipient of remittances globally, receiving over $111 billion. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) recognized India, along with Mexico, China, the Philippines, and France as the top five remittance recipient countries. With this India becomes first country to get over $100 billion in remittances.
  • In 2023, India became the world's third-largest solar power generator, surpassing Japan, due to its remarkable surge in solar energy deployment.
  • India contributed $500,000 to the UN Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund, reaffirming its commitment to fighting terrorism. Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj delivered the contribution to Under Secretary General Vladimir Voronkov on May 7, adding to India's total commitment of $2.55 million.
  • Manipur introduces "School on Wheels" to educate students in relief camps after ethnic strife and hailstorms. Inaugurated by Governor Anusuiya Uikey, it includes a mobile setup with library, computers, sports items, and a teacher.
  • Kerala health authorities report West Nile fever in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Thrissur.West Nile fever is a viral infection caused by the West Nile virus (WNV), which is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected Culex mosquitoes. First found in Uganda in 1937, it spread globally, reaching India in 2011. Transmission is mainly through mosquito bites, but rare cases involve blood transfusions or mother-to-baby transmission. Human-to-human transmission is rare.
  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) has stepped in to help the state combat the forest fires in the Pauri Garhwal sector. Using its Mi17 V5 helicopters, the IAF conducted Bambi Bucket operations, offering crucial relief support.
  • The Uttarakhand government initiated the 'Pirul LaoPaise Pao' campaign to control the raging forest fires in the state.
  • India and Ghana will integrate their payment systems, UPI and GHIPSS, enabling instant and cost-effective fund transfers. Within six months, NPCI’s UPI will be operational on Ghana’s GHIPSS platform, fostering financial collaboration.
  • India and Nigeria plan to finalize a Local Currency Settlement System Agreement to boost bilateral trade. The agreement, discussed during the India-Nigeria Joint Trade Committee meeting, will use Indian rupees and Nigerian naira.
  • As per RBI, 97.76% of the Rs 2000 denomination banknotes have been reabsorbed into the banking system.
  • Rakesh Singh has been appointed as the new CEO of Paytm Money Ltd.
  • India Ratings have raised their GDP growth estimate for FY25 to 7.1%.
  • GetVantage, a start-up specializing in revenue-based finance (RBF), has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining a non-banking financial company (NBFC) license from RBI.
  • ICICI Bank now lets NRIs use UPI in India with their international numbers, making payments easier by removing the need to register an Indian mobile number.
  • RBI lifted restrictions on Bank of Baroda’s BoB World mobile application, allowing the bank to onboard customers immediately.
  • HDFC Bank and Atal Innovation Mission provided Rs 19.6 crore in grants to 170 social sector startups in FY24. This initiative, known as the 'Parivartan Start-up Grants programme' has focused on area such as climate innovation, financial inclusion, agriculture, healthcare, education, livelihoods, and gender diversity through 41 incubators.
  • YES BANK is collaborating with EBANX, a global fintech firm specializing in payment solutions for emerging markets. This collaboration aims to facilitate seamless cross-border transactions and expand global commerce opportunities for both Indian merchants and customers.
  • Thomas Cook India launched TCPay, a simple digital service to make international money transfers easier and improve the remittance process.
  • 26th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting took place in New Delhi, co-chaired by Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar and Permanent Secretary Albert Chua of Singapore.
  • Mumbai and Delhi entered top 50 wealthiest cities globally in Wealthiest Cities Report 2024 by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth, Mumbai at 24th and Delhi at 37th position. Bengaluru found a spot in the top 10 most promising 'cities to watch' list for future growth.
  • Setu, a leading Indian fintech firm, introduced Sesame, India's premier Large Language Model (LLM) for he banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector. Developed in collaboration with Sarvam AI, marks a milestone in AI adoption in financial services.
  • Gujarat's 'Kutch Ajrakh' artisans received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) certificate, acknowledging the region's cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship.
  • Subodh Kumar (IAS) has been appointed as Director in the Ministry of Ayush.
  • After Deepak Parekh resigned as Chairman, HDFC Life Insurance appointed Keki Mistry to the position.
  • SBI General Insurance has announced the appointment of Jaya Tripathi as the Head – Key Relations Group.
  • RBI has appointed R. Lakshmi Kanth Rao as Executive Director.
  • RBI cautioned NBFCs offering gold loans not to exceed Rs 20,000 cash disbursal limit.
  • Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra Assumes Role as President of GST Appellate Tribunal.
  • Ujjivan Small Finance Bank named Sanjeev Nautiyal as MD & CEO.
  • Visa, the global digital payments platform, named Sujai Raina as India's new Country Manager.
  • Bengaluru's Flying Wedge Defence unveiled FWD-200B, India's first indigenous bomber unmanned aircraft.
  • Nagesh Kapoor has taken charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Training Command (TC) in the Indian Air Force.
  • Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla took charge as Chief of Personnel of the Indian Navy.
  • Dileep Sanghani elected as Chairman of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO).
  • Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran is set to assume the role of chairman at Tata Electronics.
  • Wipro, a leading IT major, has announced the appointment of Vinay Firake as CEO of its Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) strategic market unit (SMU).
  • India and Oman to collaborate on research and conservation of sharks and rays in the Arabian Sea, enhancing marine biodiversity efforts.
  • ISRO, with Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and other centers, is developing a semi-cryogenic propulsion system to boost payload capacity for LVM3 and future rockets. It uses a 2,000 kN engine with liquid oxygen and kerosene to enhance performance.
  • IIT-Madras startup Mindgrove launches first India-made microcontroller chip powering electronic device.
  • Indian Army to strengthen surveillance along Pakistan border with induction of advanced drones, including Drishti-10 (Hermes-900).
  • India Inks 10-year Deal with Iran to Operate Iran’s Chabahar Port.
  • Meghalaya has made history by appointing Idashisha Nongrang as the state’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP).

International Affairs

  • Ukraine introduced Victoria Shi, an AI-generated spokesperson, to deliver official statements from its foreign ministry, combining technology with diplomacy.
  • Dubai launches long-term gaming visa to establish itself as a gaming hub, part of the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033.
  • Nepal’s population growth rate has hit a historic low, standing at 0.92%, the slowest in 80 years, according to the National Statistics Office.
  • Russia has claimed to have discovered massive oil and gas reserves in the British Antarctic Territory.
  • Sri Lanka approved an agreement with Adani Green Energy, led by Gautam Adani, to build wind power stations in Mannar and Poonerin.
  • Jose Raul Mulino has emerged victorious in Panama’s presidential election.
  • China has launched the Chang’e-6 probe on an ambitious mission to collect samples from the far side of the Moon.
  • Chad's military dictator and interim president, Mahamat Idris Deby Itno, won the presidential election held on May 6, 2024.
  • NASA announced FLOAT(Flexible Levitation on a Track), the first lunar railway system, designed to revolutionize payload transport on the Moon.

Awards and Honours

  • Pawan Sindhi honoured with Global Pride of Sindhi Award 2024.
  • Bhavi Mehta won Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize for "The Book Beautiful" published by Hachette India and authored by Pradeep Sebastian.
  • Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, alongside colleague Butch Wilmore, is embarking on her third space mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
  • Hindustan Shipyard Limited’s CMD Cmde Hemant Khatri bestowed with ‘PSU Samarpan Award’.
  • Researchers discovered Taam Ja' Blue Hole in Mexico's Chetumal Bay as Earth's deepest known blue hole, plunging 1,380 feet, surpassing Sansha Yongle Blue Hole by 480 feet.
  • Dr. Soumya Swaminathan Honoured with Honorary Doctorate by McGill University.
  • Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa made history, scaling Mount Everest for the 29th time.

 

SPORTS

  • United Nations Declares May 25 as World Football Day.
  • Lando Norris of McLaren clinched his first-ever Grand Prix victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
  • Tejaswin Shankar won the men's High Jump event at the USATF Festival in Tucson, Arizona.
  • China regained dominance in badminton, winning both men's and women's titles at the 2024 BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu.
  • Japan Wins Maiden Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Trophy title
  • Mumbai City FC beat Mohun Bagan 3-1 to win Indian Super League final in Kolkata.
  • At the 2024 Madrid Open, Iga Swiatek won her first title, and Andrey Rublev secured his second victory in the singles events.
  • Real Madrid clinched the La Liga 2023-24 season title.
  • Neeraj Chopra, Olympic and world champion in javelin throw, began 2024 with a second-place finish at the Doha Diamond League.
  • Indian Milk Producer Amul Appointed As ‘Official Sponsor’ Of Sri Lanka Men’s Team for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal made history in IPL, becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 350 wickets in the shortest cricket format.
  • Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia received a provisional suspension from United World Wrestling until December 31, 2024, following his suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for his ‘refusal’ to provide a urine sample.
  • Colin Munro, the explosive New Zealand batsman, retired from international cricket.

IMPORTANT DAYS

  • May 7 : World Asthma Day
  • May 7: World Athletics Day
  • May 8 : World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
  • May 8 : World Thalassaemia Day
  • May 8 : Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti
  • May 9 : Maharana Pratap Jayanti
  • May 10 : International Day of Argania
  • World Migratory Bird Day : It will be celebrated on two dates: 11 May and 12 October
  • May 11 : National Technology Day
  • May 12 : International Day of Plant Health
  • May 12 : International Nurses Day
  • May 12 : Mother’s Day
  • Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 65th Raising Day on May 7, 2024.