Daily Current Affairs and GK | 28 and 29 May 2023

Topic: Space and IT

1. ISRO launched its next-generation of navigational satellite NVS-1 on 29 May 2023.

• NVS-1 weighs about 2,232 kilograms. It has been launched by GSLV F12 rocket from the 2nd launch pad at Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• This is the 15th flight of the GSLV. This is the sixth operational flight of the GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic stage.
• NVS-1 is the first of the 2nd generation satellites for the Navigation with Indian constellation series.
• The satellite will be placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
• It will carry an indigenously developed rubidium atomic clock. This clock will be used for gps precise location timing.
• It will also carry navigation payloads L1, L5 and S bands.
• It is for the first time that an indigenously developed rubidium atomic clock will be used.
• The spacecraft comes under the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) series.
• NavIC series aims to provide monitoring and navigational capability.
• NavIC provides a standard position service for civilian users and a restricted service for strategic users.
• NavIC is an Indian regional satellite navigation system, similar to GPS.
• It provides accurate and real-time navigation in India and in an area extending to 1,500 km around the mainland.
• NavIC signals provide user position accurate to better than 20-metres. They provide timing accuracy of better than 50 nanoseconds.
• NavIC was earlier called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). It is designed with a constellation of seven satellites.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Menstrual Hygiene Day: 28 May

• Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 28 all over the world to create awareness about menstruation.
• The theme for this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day is ‘Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030’.
• As per United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), May 28 signifies the menstrual cycle of females.
• Menstrual cycles last 28 days on average, and females menstruate five days every month. (The fifth month of the year is May).
• So, Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on 28 May.
• In 2013, Germany-based NGO WASH United started Menstrual Hygiene Day.
• As per the fifth National Family Health Survey (2019-2021), 90% of women with 12 or more years of schooling used safe menstrual hygiene products in 17 states and Union territories.
• Maharashtra’s ‘Asmita Yojana’, Rajasthan’s ‘Udaan’, Andhra Pradesh’s ‘Swechcha’, Kerala’s ‘She Pad’, Odisha’s ‘Khusi’, Chhattisgarh’s ‘Suchita’, and Sikkim’s ‘Bahini’ are the schemes focused on the distribution of sanitary napkins to adolescent girls.
• Kerala and Bihar are the only two states that have menstrual leave policies for women.

Topic: National News

3. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched National Medical Device Policy 2023.

• Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya unveiled the National Medical Device Policy 2023 at an annual conference on Indian pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
• He also launched Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices and the Scheme for Assistance to Medical Devices Clusters for Common Facilities (AMD-CF).
• He also released six reports on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
• The health ministry is planning to bring forth a basic chemical and API-related PLI. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) are biologically active components of medicinal products that produce the intended effect.
• India is aiming to become a $65 million Pharma industry by 2024.
• The 8th edition of the annual International Conference on ‘India Pharma and India Medical Devices’ started on 26 May.
• The day-1 of the event was focused on medical devices while Day-02 was centered on pharmaceuticals.
• The main aim of the conference is to make India a cost-effective, high-quality manufacturing and innovation centre for the pharmaceuticals and medical device industry.

Topic: Indian Polity

4. Chief justice of five High Courts has been appointed by the Government.

• The government has appointed chief justices of five high courts.
• Justice R D Dhanuka has been appointed as chief justice of the Bombay High Court. He will have four-day tenure.
• Justice SV Gangapurwala has been appointed as the chief justice of the Madras High Court.
• Justice M S R Ramachandra Rao has been appointed as the chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
• Justice S V Bhatti has been appointed as the chief justice of the Kerala High Court.
• Justice Augustine George Masih becomes the new Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
• Article 217 states that the Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
• Chief Justice of the High Court:
  • Appointment: The President appoints the Chief Justice of the High Court after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the governor of the state.
  • Oath: The oath is administered by the governor of the state or Lieutenant Governor in Union Territories or a person appointed by the governor.
  • Tenure: Chief justice can remain in office until the age of 65 years.

Topic: National News

5. Ministry of Minority Affairs supported the development of the Unani Medicine System.

• Ministry of Minority Affairs supported the Central Council of Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) and National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM) Bengaluru for promoting and upgradation of Unani Medicine facilities in India.
• Ministry of Minority Affairs has approved a grant of Rs 45.34 Crore under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK).
• It will support the upgradation of Unani Medicine facilities at Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Silchar and Bengaluru.
• Ministry of Minority Affairs has sanctioned Rs 35.52 crore to CCRUM and Rs. 9.81 crore to NIUM.
• A centre for fundamental research in Unani Medicine at the National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders, Hyderabad will be set up with a cost of Rs 16.05 crores.
• NIUM, Bengaluru will be given Rs 5.55 crore for setting up rest houses for attendants of patients and Rs 4.26 crore for a skill center of model Unani cosmetic care, small scale Unani pharmacy and Unani raw drug storage.
• The grant for the CCRUM project for Hyderabad and the projects of NIUM, Bengaluru would be released after the approval of DPR.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram is a development programme for community infrastructure and basic amenities creation in the identified areas.

Topic: National Appointments

6. Praveen Kumar Srivastava takes the oath as Central Vigilance Commissioner.

• Praveen Kumar Srivastava sworn in as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
• The oath-taking process has been administered by President Droupadi Murmu.
• Since December last year, Srivastava was working as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).
• He is a 1988-batch (retired) Indian Administrative Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
• He has also served as Chief Vigilance Officer in RITES Ltd.
• Central Vigilance Commission:
  • It is headed by a CVC and can have a maximum of two vigilance commissioners.
  • The tenure of a CVC and the vigilance commissioner is of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years.
  • It was established on the recommendation of the K. Santhanam Committee.
  • It is an apex anti-corruption government body in India.
  • It was granted statutory status in 2003 under the Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

7. Erdogan won the election in Turkey, extending his reign for a third decade.

• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won Turkey's presidential election by defeating opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
• Erdogan was declared the winner with 52.14% of the vote, according to the preliminary official results released by Turkey's Supreme Election Council (YSK) on May 28 with 99.43% of the votes counted.
• The opposition leader Kilicdaroglu received 47.86%.
• Turkey:
  • It is officially known as the Republic of Türkiye.
  • It is a transcontinental country located primarily on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia.
  • Its capital  is Ankara. Its currency is Turkish lira.

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

8. Bandra-Versova sea link will be named after Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.

• On 28 May, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the under-construction Bandra-Versova Sea Link would be named after Swatantra Veer Savarkar.
• On the occasion of Savarkar's 140th birth anniversary, the government decided to name it.
• The birth anniversary of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was celebrated as 'Swatantrya Veer Gaurav Diwas'.
• Shinde also announced that those displaying exceptional bravery in various fields would be honored with the Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Gallantry Awards on the lines of the Central Government bravery Awards.
• On May 28, 2023, the Maharashtra government for the first time celebrated the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar at Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi.
• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar:
  • He was born in the Nashik district of Maharashtra on 28 May 1883.
  • He was sentenced to 50 years in jail in 1911 for revolting against the Morley-Minto reforms.
  • He was part of the Hindu Mahasabha. He wrote the famous book ‘The Indian War of Independence 1857’.

Topic: Defence

9. Exercise 'Sudarshan Shakti 2023' conducted by Indian Army's Sapta Shakti Command.

• The Exercise was conducted along the Western borders in Rajasthan and Punjab from May 22 and 25.
• Exercise Sudarshan Shakti 2023 was designed to test the operational preparedness of the Indian Army.
• The Indian Army's firepower, combat support and logistics support were put to the test in a coordinated manner keeping in mind the enemy threats including Gray Zone Warfare.
• During military drill, special forces and specialized techniques covering drones were deployed.
• The exercise is considered as unique in its scope and objectives as it aims to combat electronic warfare.

Topic: State News/ Bihar

10. Patna became the first municipal corporation in the nation to use CBDC.

• On 23 May, Digital currency e-rupee has been inaugurated by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Municipal Commissioner of Patna Municipal Corporation.
• Patna Municipal Corporation has become the first Municipal Corporation in India to use CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency).
• The Reserve Bank of India has created this digital currency, which will be used in the entire Patna Municipal Corporation area.
• This payment system will be fully adopted at the Municipal Corporation Headquarters Mauryalok Complex.
• Along with this, it will also be used at all zonal and payment counters of Patna Municipal Corporation.
• CBDC is a digital currency, but this currency is different from private currency. CBDC issued by RBI will be a legal tender in digital form.
• Digital currency e-rupee is a better and safer system where the amount gets credited instantly as soon as the payment is made.
• Private digital currencies do not represent liabilities of any individual, as they have no issuer.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

11. 8th meeting of NITI Ayog Governing Council chaired by PM Modi.

• On 27 may, the eighth meeting of the NITI Aayog Governing Council was held at the New Convention Center at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• The meeting focused on the theme “Viksit Bharat @ 2047: Role of Team India.”
• Seven more major topics were discussed in the meeting.
• These include Thrust on MSMEs, Infrastructure and Investments, Minimising Compliances, Women Empowerment, Health and Nutrition, Skill Development, and Gati Shakti for area development and social infrastructure.
• Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors of the States, Union Ministers and Vice Chairman and Members of NITI Aayog participated in the meeting.
• As a preparation for the 8th meeting of the Governing Council, the 2nd Chief Secretaries' Conference was held in January 2023, where these subjects were discussed extensively.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: National News

12. On May 28, PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate much-awaited new Parliament building.

• The building is a part of the redevelopment of the Central Vista project.
• On December 10, 2020, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of this new Parliament building.
• The project was earlier targeted to be completed by October 2022 but got delayed due to various reasons.
• Key features of the building:
  • It will have a built-up area of about 65,000 square metres.
  • It will be composed of Lok sabha, Rajya Sabha, Central Hall Joint Session, Central Lounge, Constitutional Hall, and the offices.
  • The building is triangular in shape and it will have a lifespan of more than 150 years.
  • It can accommodate 888 members in the chamber of the lower house, and 300 in upper house chamber.
  • In September 2020, the contract for the construction of the new Parliament House at an estimated cost of Rs 862 crore was awarded to Tata Projects.   
  • However, the cost of the project crossed Rs 1000 crore.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: National News

13. The next census form will have only six religions options.

• The next census form will have only the option of six distinct religions- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain.
• The Sarnaism and the Lingayat religion have been not included despite demands from several communities.
• The Nature-worshipping Adivasis of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, and Odisha were demanding to include the Sarna faith as a separate religion.
• Some people of Karnataka were also demanding to include the Lingayat religion as a separate religion.
• In the final schedule of the census, only six religion codes were retained.
• The next Census will be the first digital census of India.
• The next Census will also record details on whether a person who lives in a rented house owns a house somewhere else or not.
•  A code directory — containing possible responses and their matching codes for questions involving descriptive and non-numeric entries will be used for the first time in the next census.
• India's first official census was undertaken in the year 1881.

Topic: Banking System

14. Merger of Maratha Sahakari Bank with Cosmos Co-op Bank has been approved by RBI.

• The voluntary Scheme of Amalgamation of Maratha Sahakari Bank with The Cosmos Co-operative Bank has been approved by RBI.
• The scheme will become effective from May 29, 2023.
• The Maratha Sahakari Bank Ltd, Mumbai, Maharashtra, was placed under directions from close of business on August 31, 2016.
• Maratha Sahakari Bank’s branches will function as branches of The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Limited, Pune (Maharashtra) from May 29, 2023.
• The Cosmos Co-operative Bank is a multi-state urban co-operative bank.
• Maratha Sahakari Bank was founded in the year 1946 for helping poor and needy people, in South Mumbai.