Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 May 2024

Topic: Sports

1. Manika Batra became the first Indian women's table tennis player to enter in Top 25 ranking.

• India’s women’s table tennis player Manika Batra became the first Indian woman to enter the top 25 of the world women’s singles rankings.
• After the success of the Saudi Smash, Manika Batra rose to her career-best ranking of 24.
• She also equalled G. Sathyan’s five-year-old record for the highest rank achieved by an Indian in singles table tennis.
• She won three medals at the 2015 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships.
• Manika Batra had won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in individual and team categories.
• She was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2020.

(Source: News on AIR)>

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

2. In a study, twelve breast cancer genes were found in women with African ancestry.

• This could eventually help determine their disease risk more accurately.
• This draws attention to possible risk variations from women of European ancestry.
• Historically, research on women with European ancestry has been the primary focus of efforts to find genetic abnormalities associated with breast cancer.
• The latest research is based on data from over 40,000 African-American women living in Barbados, Africa, and the United States. These women include 18,034 with breast cancer.
• Compared to existing measures, the researchers' breast cancer risk score for women of African origin was much more accurate.
• An increased risk for the most aggressive type of breast cancer, known as triple-negative breast cancer, was linked to six of the aberrant genes.
• The study discovered that women having all six genes had a 4.2-fold increased risk of receiving a triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis compared to those who had none or only one of the mutations.
• According to the American Cancer Society, black women in the United States have higher rates of breast cancer before age 50 than white women.
• Black women in the United States have a 42% higher breast cancer death rate than white women.

Topic: Important Days

3. International Day of Families: 15 May

• International Day of Families is also known as International Family Day.
• It is celebrated annually on 15 May to promote family well-being and awareness about the social, economic and demographic changes impacting the families.
• It was established by United Nations General Assembly in 1993.
• The theme for International Day of Families 2024 is 'Embracing Diversity, Strengthening Families'.

Topic: Sports

4. P Shyam Nikhil became the 85th Grandmaster of India.

• He became the 85th Indian to achieve the Grandmaster title.
• He achieved the title on 12th May 2024 at Dubai Police Masters 2024.
• In the final round, he drew with GM Jinshi Bai to secure his final GM-norm.
• He earned his first GM-norm in September 2011 at 4th Mumbai Mayor's Cup.
• He earned his second GM-norm at 46th National Premier 2011

Topic: International News

5. US tariffs on Chinese imports sharply increased by Biden.

• On May 14, a bundle of huge tariff hikes on a range of Chinese imports unveiled by US President Joe Biden.
• That includes electric vehicles, computer chips and medical products.
• Biden would retain tariffs imposed by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump.
• The new restrictions will affect the $18 billion worth of commodities that are imported from China, including steel and aluminium, semiconductors, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells and cranes.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States imported $427 billion in goods from China in 2023 and exported $148 billion to the world’s No. 2 economy.
• A trade gap that has persisted for decades has become an even more sensitive topic in Washington.
• Trump's 2020 trade agreement with China did not increase US exports or increase US manufacturing jobs.
• Trump had imposed tariffs of 60% or more on all Chinese goods.

Topic: National News

6. On May 15, the country's biggest skilling program, IndiaSkills Competition 2024, began in New Delhi.

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has organized this event, which promises to highlight the best in skill development across the country.
• IndiaSkills, spanning four days, will feature competitions in 61 skills ranging from traditional crafts to modern technologies.
• While 47 competitions will be held onsite, 14 will be offsite in states like Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, ensuring access to top-class infrastructure.
• IndiaSkills winners will receive training from industry experts to prepare for the WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France in September 2024, where they will compete with representatives from over 70 countries.
• In 2024, participants can earn credits within the National Credit Framework, aligning with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and enhancing their career prospects.
• More than 2.5 lakh candidates registered on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) portal, out of which 26,000 were shortlisted.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. AIIMS New Delhi and University of Bolton Institute of Medicine have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

• The two institutes have signed MoU to collaborate in the field of medical research, education and innovation.
• Executives from both institutions signed the MoU through a virtual event.
• The partnership will include staff and student exchange, educational conferences and collaborative degree programmes.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

8. The second round of the India-US Dialogue on Africa held in Washington on 14-15 May 2024.

• It was led by Shri Puneet R. Kundal, Additional Secretary for Economic and Southern African Affairs (AS E&SA) from the Indian side.
• Its objective is to exchange thoughts and viewpoints while exploring ways to create bilateral, institutional, and technical synergies for collaboration in Africa.
• It also aims to identify cooperative programmes and developmental projects throughout Africa.
• This is 1st such dialogue on Africa between US and India after the addition of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G20 during India’s presidency.

Topic: Banking System

9. SBI becomes the first bank as a trading and clearing member of IIBX.

• The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced that it has become the first trading-cum-clearing member of the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX).
• India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) is India’s first bullion exchange in GIFT City, Gandhinagar.
• Now, SBI’s IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) will be able to trade on the IIBX platform.
• Recently, RBI has permitted IBUs to act as trading members and clearing members at IIBX as special category clients (SCCs) to import gold through the bullion exchange.
• With the entry of SBI, the trading volume at IIBX will get a boost.
• India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX):
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) on July 29 2022.
  • It is regulated by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
  • It promotes bullion trading, investment in bullion financial products, and vaulting facilities in IFSCs.
  • India's gold market is one of the largest in the world and holds an important position in the global bullion market.

Topic: Space and IT

10. NASA is planning to build the first railway station system on the moon.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced its plans to build a robot train on the moon.
• The Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) project will create the first lunar railway system to provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient transportation on the moon.
• It will be very critical for the daily operations of a sustainable lunar base.
• NASA would use unpowered magnetic robots under the FLOAT project. These robots would levitate a three-layer flexible film track to prevent abrasion from the lunar surface's dust.
• The graphite layer will let robots float over tracks using diamagnetic levitation passively. The flex-circuit layer generates electromagnetic thrust to propel robots along tracks controllably.
• These robots will be used to carry and bring about 100 tonnes of construction material to NASA's lunar base.

Topic: Art and Culture

11. Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana included in 'UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register'.

• This inclusion is a proud moment for India, reaffirming the country's rich literary heritage and cultural heritage.
• 'Ramcharitmanas', 'Panchatantra' and 'Sahṛdayāloka-Locana' are timeless works that have deeply influenced Indian literature and culture, shaping the moral fabric and artistic expressions of the country.
• These literary works have transcended time and space and left an indelible mark on readers and artists both within and outside India.
• It is noteworthy that ' Sahṛdayāloka-Locana', 'Panchatantra' and 'Ramcharitmanas' were composed by Pt. Acharya Anandvardhan, Vishnu Sharma and Goswami Tulsidas respectively.
• During the 10th meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP), Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA) played an important role in achieving a historic milestone.
• The gathering, held in Ulaanbaatar, brought together 38 representatives of member states, along with 40 observers and nominees.
• Advocating the three Indian nominations, IGNCA ensured their placement in 'UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register'.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

12. On May 11, veteran England fast bowler James Anderson announced his retirement from Test cricket.

• Anderson will take retire from Test cricket after the first match of the three-match series against West Indies at the prestigious Lord's in the upcoming summer.
• On July 10, the Test will be played.
• In 2003, the 41-year-old, Anderson  made his Test debut at Lord's.
• He has taken 700 wickets in 187 Tests - the most by any fast bowler in Test history.
• He is third in the all-time wicket-taking list behind Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and late Australian great Shane Warne (708).
• Additionally, Anderson took 269 wickets in 194 ODIs for England between 2002 and 2015, and also played 19 T20I matches in his career.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

13. India has set up its pavilion at the 2024 World Hydrogen Summit.

• World Hydrogen Summit 2024 is being held from May 13–15 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
• The India Pavilion stands as one of the largest at the event. It is being organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• India launched its National Green Hydrogen Mission in January 2023 with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore.
• Its main aim is to achieve a green hydrogen production capacity of 5 million tonnes by the end of 2030.
• Apart from the Green Hydrogen Mission, scheme guidelines have been notified for utilizing green hydrogen in key sectors such as steel, transportation, and shipping.
• To foster innovation and promote the Green Hydrogen ecosystem in India, the Department of Science and Technology has initiated Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters.
• At present, 44 per cent of India’s energy needs are met by non-fossil sources. It will surge to around 65 per cent by 2030.

Topic: Important Days

14. UN declared May 25 as World Football Day.

• The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed May 25th as the World Football Day.
• This resolution was adopted during the 80th plenary meeting of the General Assembly in New York.
• 2024 year is the 100th anniversary of the first international football tournament.
• The first international football tournament was held as part of the 1924 Summer Olympic Games held in Paris.
• This draft resolution has been introduced by Taher M. El-Sonni, Permanent Representative of the State of Libya to the United Nations.