Daily Current Affairs and GK | 2 May 2024

Topic: Defence

1. 6^th barge of the LSAM 16 series built by a private firm has been launched in Thane.

• The sixth barge of the LSAM 16 (Yard 130) series was launched in Maharashtra's Thane.
• This barrage will help the Navy in transporting articles, and ammunition to ships.
• It is 'Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 20 (Yard 130)', 6th Barge of 11 x ACTCM Barge Project.
• It has been built by MSME Shipyard, Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane for the Indian Navy.
• The Ministry of Defence and Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane had signed a contract for building 11 x ACTCM barge.
• These barges are indigenously designed and have been built under relevant Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping.
• The model testing of the barrage was undertaken at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam.

Topic: Space and IT

2. ISRO study found water ice possibility in Moon’s polar craters.

• A study by ISRO scientists found evidence of the possibility of water ice in polar craters of the Moon.
• Scientists of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC), in collaboration with researchers of IIT Kanpur, University of Southern California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad carried out a study titled ‘Reachability and Genesis of Water Ice on the Moon’ study.
• It is published in the journal International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
• This study reveals that the amount of subsurface ice in the first couple of metres is about 5 to 8 times larger than the one at the surface in both poles (North and South). This data will help in drilling on the Moon for samples.
• The study reveals that the extent of water ice in the northern polar region is twice that in the southern polar region.
• This data has been found by utilizing polarimetric radar data from the Chandrayaan-2 Dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument.
• The researchers used several instruments, comprising a radar, laser, optical, neutron spectrometer, and ultra-violet spectrometer.

Topic: Company and Corporates

3. After 127 years, the Godrej family split their business empire.

• The 127-year-old Godrej Group's founding family has decided to separate the company, which is well-known for its varied portfolio that includes from locks to soaps to real estate and aircraft.
• The 1897-founded company has realigned itself in a "respectful and mindful" way to preserve unity and better align ownership in light of the many ideals held by the Godrej family.
• The move is expected to enhance strategic direction, focus, and agility and accelerate the process of creating long-term value for shareholders and all stakeholders involved.
• There will be a leadership change at Godrej Industries Group (GIG), with Jamshed Godrej as Chairman and Managing Director of Godrej Enterprises, and Nyarika Holkar as Executive Director.
• Nadir Godrej will remain Chairman of GIG, with Adi Godrej and his family overseeing the management.
• Pirojsha Godrej will serve as executive vice president and will replace Nadir as president in August 2026.
• The realignment will be executed once relevant regulatory approvals are obtained.

Topic: Important Days

4. World Tuna Day 2024: 2 May

• Every year on May 2, World Tuna Day is celebrated.
• It is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of tuna and to promote more sustainable fishing practices.
• In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly voted to officially observe World Tuna Day.
• It was celebrated for the first time in 2017.
• Tuna is a popular fish which is consumed all over the world. Overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices are the main threats to Tuna.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

5. The number of carnivorous birds in India is decreasing at a faster rate than that of omnivorous birds.

• The recently released State of India's Birds Report 2023 shows that Indian bird species, especially carnivores, insectivores, and granivores, are declining faster than omnivores and nectar eaters.
• This shows the effect of diet on bird populations.
• According to the report, 942 bird species that feed on fruits and nectar are thriving across the country.
• This success is attributed to the availability of these resources, which remain abundant even in highly modified rural and urban landscapes.
• Bird populations are affected not only by direct threats to their habitats but also by the availability of food resources.
• The report, based on data provided by 30,000 birdwatchers across the country, has been published by a consortium of 13 government and non-government institutions.
• These include the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
• In 2020, with the launch of the first report on the status of India's birds at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species in Gandhinagar, India joined the list of countries that regularly assess the status of their birds.
• The assessments are based on three indices:
  • Two indices measure changes in abundance: long-term trends (reflecting changes over approximately 30 years) and current annual trends (tracking annual changes over the past eight years).
  • The third index measures the distribution range size within India.

Topic: Geography

6. During a scuba diving expedition, the world's deepest blue hole was discovered in Mexico.

• The world's deepest blue hole has been discovered by researchers in Mexico, but the problem is that they have not been able to reach the bottom of it yet.
• A scuba diving expedition took place on 6 December 2023 where it was discovered.
• The site, named Taam Ja' Blue Hole (TJBH), is now the deepest known underwater sinkhole in the world.
• Measurements show that the TJBH extends at least 1,380 feet (420 m) below sea level.
• Situated in Chetumal Bay off the southeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the newly found deepest blue hole is 480 feet deeper than what scientists documented in 2021.
• It has been found to be 390 feet (119 m) deeper than the previous record holder, the 990-foot-deep (301 m) Sansha Yongle Blue Hole, also known as the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea.
• Blue holes are vertical caves, or sinkholes, filled with water, found in coastal areas where the bedrock is composed of soluble materials such as limestone, marble, or gypsum.
• They form when water at the surface seeps through rock, dissolving minerals and widening cracks, which eventually causes the rock to collapse.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

7. RBI has cancelled Acemoney's (India’s) NBFC licence.

• While cancelling licence of Delhi-based non-banking financial company (NBFC), RBI cited irregular lending practices.
• RBI has cancelled the licence because of the violation of RBI guidelines.
• RBI issued a Certificate of Registration (CoR) to the company in 2017.
• RBI said that the company was not complying with the extant regulations regarding charging excessive interest and pertaining to ensuring the confidentiality of customer information.
• RBI has directed the company to not transact the business of a Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFI).
• ActLoan, AgMoney, NiceCash, CashLender, QuickRupee are the names of some service providers or mobile applications associated with the company.
• In October 2023, RBI asked Bank of Baroda to stop onboarding of customers on BoB World mobile app.
• In January 2024, RBI asked Paytm Payments Bank to stop deposit and credit transactions.
• Last week, RBI asked private-sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank to stop taking on board new customers.

Topic: National Appointments

8. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor took charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command on 1 May 2024.

• He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in December 1986.
• He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and a Fighter Combat Leader.
• He has over 34 hundred hours of flying experience.
• He was awarded with Vayu Sena Medal in 2008.
• He was awarded with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022.
• Training Command is the command of Indian Air Force responsible for flying and ground training.
• It was founded in July 1949. It is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka.

Topic: Indian Economy

9. In April, GST collection hits a record high of Rs 2.10 lakh crore.

• GST collection reached a record high of Rs 2.10 lakh crore in April, with a growth of 12.4 per cent over the year.
• After accounting for refunds, the net GST revenue for April 2024 stands at ₹1.92 lakh crore.
• The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) was Rs 43,846 crore, while the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) stood at Rs 53,538 crore.
• The highest GST has been recorded due to a strong increase in domestic transactions (up 13.4 per cent) and imports (up 8.3 per cent).
• From the IGST collected, the central government settled ₹50,307 crore to CGST and ₹41,600 crore to SGST.
• This is the highest level of GST collections recorded since the indirect tax reform occurred in July 2017.
• The previous highest level was registered in April 2023 at Rs 1.87 lakh crore.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. India will host the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will host the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP 26) in Kochi, Kerala.
• It will be organised from May 20 to 30, 2024, for global dialogue on environmental stewardship, scientific collaboration, and cooperation in Antarctica.
• More than 350 delegates from 60+ countries are expected to attend the 46th ATCM and 26th CEP this year
• The ATCM and meetings of the CEP are held annually under the Antarctic Treaty System.
• The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 and entered into force in 1961. It established Antarctica as a region for peaceful purposes, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection.
• The CEP was established under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol) in 1991.
• The CEP advises the ATCM on environmental protection and conservation in Antarctica.
• Since 1983, India has been a consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty.

Topic: National News

11. The telecom industry is demanding a ban on the sale of Wi-Fi 6E routers in India.

• There has been a demand by telecom industry body COAI to ban the sale of Wi-Fi 6E routers that use the 6 GHz spectrum band for data transmission.
• However, the government has also not yet decided on the use of these frequencies.
• The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has alleged that various offline merchants, and e-commerce platforms, like Amazon, Flipkart, and Moglix, are selling such routers.
• On April 15, COAI (whose members include Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea) asked in a letter to the Department of Telecommunications to ban the sale of devices using the 6 GHz band.
• COAI said that this device has not yet been employed for this purpose or declared license-free by the government, and is illegal, and should be immediately banned in the country.
• An annex has been attached to the letter by the industry body, which gave examples of WiFi routers from TP-Link and Google that operate on the 6 GHz band radio frequency.

Topic: Sports

12. BWF World Junior Badminton Championships will be hosted by Guwahati’s National Centre of Excellence in 2025.

• On 30 April, the Badminton World Federation allotted the hosting rights of the 2025 BWF World Junior Championships to Guwahati.
• This was announced during the BWF Annual General Meeting in Chengdu on the sidelines of the BWF Thomas & Uber Cup 2024.
• India's image as one of the leading centers of world badminton will be further boosted.
• The prestigious tournament, which India will host for the second time, will be held at the new state-of-the-art National Centre of Excellence.
• In August 2023, the National Centre of Excellence has also earned acclaim globally from all quarters for its facilities and stadium capacity since its inauguration.
• The National Center of Excellence in Guwahati has 14 badminton courts, an international standard gymnasium, and a seating capacity of about 4000 spectators.
• In 2008, the last time India hosted the BWF World Juniors was in Pune, where Saina Nehwal became the first Indian to win the World Junior title.
• In 2009, India hosted the BWF World Championships in Hyderabad.
• In 2014, India successfully hosted the Thomas and Uber Cup finals in New Delhi.

Topic: Defence

13. DRDO successfully tested a long-range 'SMART' anti-submarine missile system.

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a flight test of the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART).
• Its main aim is to enhance the Navy's anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
• It is equipped with several advanced subsystems, including a two-stage solid propulsion system, electromechanical actuator system, and precision inertial navigation system.
• The capability of the missile was successfully demonstrated during the test.
• SMART (Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo):
• It comprises a long-range supersonic missile carrier that can travel up to 643 km, a lightweight torpedo with a range of 20 km and a 50 kg high explosive warhead as the payload.
• It is equipped with an advanced lightweight torpedo. It was launched from a ground mobile launcher.

Topic: Important Days

14. Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day: 1 May

• On May 1, 1960, Gujarat and Maharashtra were formed as two different states.
• The demand for a separate state for Gujarati-speaking people started around 1928. Mahagujarat Movement was launched for a separate state for Gujarati people.
• In 1956, the Indian government created a panel to reorganise states along linguistic lines.
• The committee recommended the creation of a separate state for Gujarati-speaking people, by including Gujarat and Saurashtra part of the erstwhile Bombay State.
• Before 1960, Maharashtra was part of the Bombay State, which included present-day Maharashtra, Gujarat and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
• Maharashtra is one of India's most dynamic and progressive states of India.