Daily Current Affairs and GK | 14 May 2022

Topic: International News

1. Czech Republic to replace Russia in U.N. Human Rights Council.

• The United Nations General Assembly elected the Czech Republic as a member of the Human Rights Council.
• The Czech Republic will replace Russia, which was suspended from the U.N. Human Rights Council after it invaded Ukraine.
• It has received 157 votes in its favour in United Nations General Assembly. The Czech Republic will complete the term left by Russia.
• The Human Rights Council will soon have a special session on Ukraine after reviewing the situation in Kyiv.
• The Czech Republic was the only candidate for the seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council.
• Seats in Human Rights Council are divided among regional groups.
• The Council's Membership is based on equitable geographical distribution. Seats are distributed as follows:

Topic: Space and IT

2. ISRO successfully tested human-rated HS200 solid rocket booster for Gaganyaan mission.

• The test of a human-rated solid rocket booster HS-200 is a key component of the Gaganyaan manned mission programme.
• HS-200 booster loaded with 203 tonnes of solid propellant was tested for 135 seconds at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
• During the test, around 700 parameters were monitored and the performance of all systems are found normal.
• The HS200 is the human-rated version of the S200 rocket booster of satellite launch vehicle GSLV Mk III.
• The design and development of the HS200 booster were completed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram and propellant casting was completed at SHAR, Sriharikota.
• It is 20-metre long and has a 3.2-metre diameter. It is the world’s second-largest operational booster with solid propellant.
• It has been developed indigenously by ISRO in participation with various industries.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

3. World Migratory Bird Day: 14 May

• World Migratory Bird Day is commemorated every year on the second Saturday in May and the second Saturday in October.
• It is observed to draw attention to the problems faced by migratory birds worldwide. Loss of habitat, climate change, poisoning, and illegal killing are the main threats to Migratory Birds.
• The day highlights the need for international collaboration for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.
• The theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day is ‘Impact of Light Pollution on Migratory Birds’. Artificial lighting is increasing globally by 2 per cent per annum.
• World Migratory Bird Day was first observed in 2006. It is now celebrated in more than 100 countries.
• Around 229 species of birds arrive in India every year. Sparrow-Hawk, Harriers, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, etc. are common Migratory Bird in India.

Topic: National Appointment

4. Campbell Wilson appointed as CEO & MD of Air India.

• Tata Group has appointed Campbell Wilson as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Air India.
• The board of Air India has approved the appointment of Campbell Wilson. He will also join Air India’s board of directors.
• The appointment in the top management of an airline has to get security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Recently, Tata Group has appointed Nipun Aggarwal as Chief Commercial Officer and Suresh Dutt Tripathi was appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer.
• Air India was officially handed over to Tata Sons on 27 January 2022.
• The government has sold Air India to Talace Private Limited (a subsidiary of the Tata group's holding company) for ₹18,000 crores.

Topic: National Appointments

5. Centre has approved appointment of two technical members and three judicial members at NCLAT.

• The tenure of three judicial members will be 4 years or till they attain age of 67 years, whichever is earliest.
• The three judicial members are Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, Justice Rakesh Kumar and Justice M Satyanarayana Murthy.
• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the names of two technical members and three judicial members.
• The two technical members are Barun Mitra and Naresh Salecha.
• National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT):
  • It was formed in 2016 under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013.
  • It hears appeals against National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) orders passed under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
  • It also hears appeals against orders of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India and the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
  • Chairperson: Justice Ashok Bhushan

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. NITI Aayog vice-chairman Suman Bery launched the National Data Analytics Platform (NDAP) for public use.

• The main aim of this platform is to standardise data across government sources and provide flexible analytics.
• Currently, government data available in the public domain is not standardised.
• NDAP hosts foundational datasets of various government agencies and presents them coherently for analytics and visualization. It follows a use-case based approach to full fill the needs of data users.
• At present, it has 203 datasets from 47 central government ministries and agencies.
• National Data Analytics Platform (NDAP) will further strengthen the data ecosystem.
• It will enable cross-sectoral analysis and democratize the use of government data.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

7. UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away at an age of 73.

• He served as the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi since November 3, 2004.
• He was the second President of the UAE and the 16th Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
• The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced 40 days of mourning after the passing of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
• Under his reign, the UAE witnessed unprecedented development and growth. He had succeeded his father late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

8. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated India-UAE Economic Partnership Summit in Mumbai.

• Piyush Goyal and Economy Minister of United Arab Emirates Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri also launched India-UAE Start-up Bridge to boost economy.
• Confederation of Indian Industry organized India-UAE Economic Partnership Summit in Mumbai.
• Piyush Goyal said that the India-UAE partnership is best defined by its tagline ‘Openness, Opportunity and Growth’. 
• He said that the trade between India and UAE is expected to grow to at least 100 billion dollars in the near future. UAE is second largest exporter to India.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Miscellaneous

9. French luxury brand Louis Vuitton named Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador.

• Deepika Padukone became the first-ever Indian named by Louis Vuitton as brand ambassador.
• Chicnutrix, the lifestyle brand, has appointed Shilpa Shetty Kundra as its brand ambassador.
• Mom and World have appointed actress Anita Hassanandani as their brand ambassador for the range of new mom and baby products.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. India and UAE signed MoU for establishing Skill India International Centre in Varanasi.

• The MoU has been signed between India’s National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Hindustan Ports Private Limited, and UAE's DP World.
• Skill India International Centre will provide skills to Indian youth for getting employment opportunities in logistics, port operations and allied sectors.
• Training will be provided as per the demand of international employers in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Canada, Australia, etc.
• This centre will have a wide network of organisations and overseas recruiters.
• Foreign language training, placement and immigration and post-placement support like services will be provided by the Skill India International Centres.
• India and UAE leaders also discussed the recognition of certificates issued by Indian Skilling Centres in the UAE.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

11. Tomato flu cases are reported in Kerala.

• A new virus known as tomato flu has been detected in some parts of Kerala.
• Tomato flu is a viral disease and it has been mostly found in children below five years of age.
• It has infected more than 80 children in Kerala. It can cause rashes or blisters, skin irritation and dehydration.
• Tomato fever is contagious and also caused nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
• The flu causes rashes on the infected child's body which are normally red in colour so it is called ‘tomato flu’ or the ‘tomato fever’.

Topic: Miscellaneous

12. World’s longest Glass Bridge Opened in Vietnam.

• World’s longest Glass Bridge named Bach Long Bridge has been opened in Vietnam.
• It is a bridge at a height of 150 metres and is 632m (2,073ft) long.
• The Bach Long is Vietnam’s third glass bridge.
• The world’s second-longest Glass Bridge is in Guangdong, China.

Topic: Personality in News

13. First President of independent Ukraine passed away.

• Ukraine's first President Leonid Kravchuk passed away at the age of 88 years.
• He was a leader of Ukraine’s Communist Party. He is also known as the "wily fox".
• In December 1991, he signed the Belovezha accords with Russia, which triggered the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• In 1993, Kravchuk agreed to transfer all Ukraine-based nuclear weapons to Russia in exchange for compensation for each nuclear warhead.