Daily Current Affairs and GK | 28 May 2024

Topic: International Appointments

1. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has won re-election.

• Gitanas Nausėda secured a second five-year term as Lithuanian president after defeating Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
• Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission showed that Nausėda won 74.5% of the votes and Šimonytė 24.1%.
• Nauseda and Simonyte are competing for the second time in the presidential election.
• Nausėda is a moderate conservative leader and has been a strong backer of Ukraine.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Gitanas Nauseda on being re-elected as Lithuania’s President.
• Lithuania is north of Poland and south of Latvia and Estonia. It separates Belarus from Kaliningrad.

Topic: National Appointments

2. Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman Samir V. Kamat has been granted one year extension.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has granted Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman, DRDO extension up to 31 May 2025.
• One day ago, Army chief General Manoj Pande was granted a one-month extension up to June 30, 2024.
• Dr. Kamat was appointed in August 2022. He took over from Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy.
• Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy was appointed the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. In the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific & Middle East Green Airports Recognition (GAR) 2024, KIA has won the silver award.

• In the category of airports serving between 15 million and 35 million passengers annually, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) won the silver prize.
• ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East has released the GAR 2024 results.
• Twelve airports in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific region have received recognition for their exceptional achievements in sustainability initiatives.
• The Green Airports Recognition 2024 theme is ‘Biodiversity and nature-based solutions’.
• Airports were invited to propose their best methods for protecting biodiversity and using environmentally friendly solutions on their property.
• The airports have received awards in three different categories. These categories are silver, gold, and platinum.
• The airports were grouped into four categories. These categories were over 35 million passengers a year, between 15 million and 35 million passengers, between 8 million and 15 million passengers, and less than 8 million passengers a year.
• Among the airports handling between 15 million and 35 million passengers a year, Japan’s Kansai airport and Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport won the platinum and gold awards, respectively.
• In the category of airports handling more than 35 million passengers annually, New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport is the other Indian airport to receive the GAR 2024 (silver).
• Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport won the GAR 2024 (silver) in airports handling less than 8 million passengers a year category.

Topic: Personality in News

4. Purnima Shrestha became the first woman to climb Mount Everest three times in 13 days.

• Purnima Shrestha, a 32-year-old mountaineer and photojournalist from Gorkha, Nepal, has created history as the world's first woman to climb Mount Everest three times in just 13 days in a single season.
• Her extraordinary triple climb broke the previous record for any woman summiting Everest three times in a single season.
• She has climbed Everest four times, before this she climbed Everest in 2018.
• Her record represents the empowerment of female climbers and inspires women to achieve their dreams.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: International News

5. A legislation has been approved by the European Union to increase domestic green tech production.

• On May 27, a new law formally approved by EU governments, designed to ensure that the EU produces 40% of its solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps and other clean tech equipment.
• This will help European industry compete with American and Chinese rivals.
• The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) will come into force next month or early July after it is signed by the Presidents of the European Parliament and Council.
• It will be published in the Official Journal of the EU.
• The Act is the centerpiece of the EU's effort to become a global leader not only in cutting greenhouse gas emissions but also in building the necessary technology.
• Europe is becoming increasingly dependent on China, which is estimated to have 80% of its global manufacturing capacity in solar energy.
• The EU has also concerned that the $369 billion in green subsidies in the US Inflation Reduction Act will tempt European producers to relocate.
• The bloc has set a target of producing 40% of products needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
• These will include other decarbonizing technologies, including renewable energy, nuclear power, heat pumps, electrolyzers and carbon capture.

Topic: Indian Economy

6. With a 42% rise to $15.6 billion in FY24, smartphones rank as India's fourth most popular export good.

• India’s top export items are dominated by petroleum products.
• Smartphones replaced motor gasoline to become the fourth-largest exported commodity in FY24.
• The surge in smartphone exports was caused by a 158% increase in shipments to the US, totaling $5.6 billion, according to figures from the commerce department.
• The United Arab Emirates ($2.6 billion), the Netherlands ($1.2 billion), and the United Kingdom ($1.1 billion) came next.
• India began gathering smartphone data on a separate basis in April 2022.
• Preliminary estimates by the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) indicate that the value of mobile devices manufactured in India for both export and domestic markets surged to Rs 4.1 trillion ($49.16 billion) in FY24.
• Because of smartphones, India is now the world's second-largest producer of mobile phones, behind China.
• According to ICEA data, exports were over 30% of the total output value in FY24, up from 25% in FY23 based on early estimates.

Topic: International News

7. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Secretary, Pankaj Jain held a bilateral discussion with Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of Libya.

• The bilateral discussion was held during the visit of Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of Libya, Mohamed Khalil Issa and his delegation to New Delhi.
• India and Libya discussed on enhancing collaboration in the energy sector.
• This include increased crude oil trade and the resumption of exploration and production projects in Libya.
• Indian Public Sector Undertakings including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, ONGC Videsh Limited and Oil India Limited have invested in Libya.
• India opened its Diplomatic Mission in Tripoli (capital of Libya) in 1969.

Topic: State News/Telangana

8. Telangana government banned the sale, production and distribution of tobacco and gutka products.

• Telangana government has banned the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine for one year.
• The ban has become effective for one year from May 24, 2024.
• The restriction has been imposed for public well-being. The ban is imposed under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
• Tobacco products can cause oral cancer, oral submucous fibrosis and many other diseases.
• The Pan Shop Owners Association of Telangana has supported the ban and many shops have stopped selling the pan masala.
• Chewing or smokeless tobacco was first banned by Maharashtra in 2002.

Topic: International News

9. Six NATO countries will create a ‘Drone Wall’ against Russia.

• Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland, and Norway have decided to build a drone wall” to protect their borders against Russia.
• This drone wall will be from Norway to Poland and will use drones and other technologies to protect borders.
• Details such as funding, timeline and technical aspects of the project were not provided.
• EU funds are likely to play a key role in this project.
• The interior ministers of the six countries have taken part in the drone wall project. They met in the Latvian capital of Riga on May 23 and 24.
• Security threats and the issue of non-military tactics such as “instrumentalised migration” were discussed in the meeting.
• The European countries that share a border with Russia are Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Lithuania.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

10. WIPO members signed a treaty to protect genetic resources, and traditional knowledge.

• On May 24, the Geneva-based UN organization's members signed the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) treaty.
• It is a significant win for India and the Global South.
• This treaty will help countries protect traditional knowledge, protect biodiversity, increase transparency in the patent system, and strengthen innovation.
• If the claimed invention is based on those related traditional knowledge or materials, the treaty requires patent applicants to reveal the nation of origin or source of genetic resources.
• This provision will provide additional protection for Indian genetic resources and traditional knowledge that are at risk of misuse in countries that do not have disclosure obligations.
• The treaty is also a major victory for India and the Global South, which have been long-time supporters of this.
• After two decades of negotiations, the treaty was unanimously adopted by more than 150 countries.
• This treaty will help bridge conflicting paradigms within the IP system by ensuring that countries providing genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge are recognized and compensated.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Miscellaneous

11. ICC appointed Shahid Afridi as its ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2024.

• Shahid Afridi, a former captain of Pakistan, was announced as the latest ambassador for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, which will begin on June 1 in the United States and the West Indies.
• Afridi has been selected by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to be one of the ambassadors for the T20 World Cup, with sprint sensation Usain Bolt, Chris Gayle, and India legend Yuvraj Singh.
• In the first-ever 2007 T20 World Cup, which took place in South Africa, Afridi was named Player of the Tournament but Pakistan lost to India in the final.
• In 2009, Afridi led Pakistan to the title with match-winning performances in the semi-finals and final.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

12. Ayush Ministry, in partnership with the AIIA, hosted Sensitization Program.

• The Ministry of Ayush, in association with the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), hosted a sensitization program at the AIIA campus.
• The event aims to share information between the insurance sector and Ayush healthcare providers.
• Its main aim is to encourage collaborations that enhance the accessibility and affordability of Ayush treatments for the public and promote holistic health and wellness.
• Prof. Bejon Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Core Group of Experts for Insurance at the Ministry of Ayush, said that all stakeholders are committed to making healthcare affordable, accessible, and of the highest quality.
• All India Institute of Ayurveda:
• It is an Ayurveda medicine and research institution situated in New Delhi.
• It was first inaugurated in October 2010. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Institute for the second time in 2017.

​Topic: Banking System

13. RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 3.1 lakh on Hero FinCorp Limited.

• RBI has imposed this penalty for non-compliance with certain provisions relating to Fair Practices Code.
• The penalty is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance.
• The penalty isn't meant to call into question the legality of any agreements or transactions the company has with its clients.
• RBI carried out statutory inspection of the company with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023.
• According to RBI, Hero FinCorp failed to provide borrowers with written loan terms and conditions in a vernacular language that they could understand.