Daily Current Affairs and GK | 30 May 2023

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

1. Government has decided to extend Atal Bhujal Yojana till 2027.

• The National Level Steering Committee (NLSC) has decided to extend Atal Bhujal Yojana to additional two years. Its original end year was 2025.
• The main aim to extend this scheme is to make up the implementation delays that occurred due to covid-19 and to further promote community behaviour change initiatives.
• The NLSC reviewed the progress of the project and urged state officials to accelerate all related activities.
• This scheme has been lauded by World Bank for its significant role in promoting water use efficiency.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana brought 450,000 hectares of irrigated area through various water techniques like drip irrigation and crop diversification.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana:
  • It was launched in 2020. It is being implemented in 80 districts of seven Indian states.
  • The main focus of the scheme is to bring community behavioural change towards conservation and smart water management.
  • The scheme also encourages innovative irrigation techniques to improve water efficiency.
  • Under this scheme, the adoption of various successful practices in different states has been witnessed.
  • It focuses on groundwater recharge and demand-side interventions.

Topic: Art and Culture

2. 76^th edition of the Cannes Film Festival concluded on 27^th May 2023.

• Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall won the Palme d'Or, which is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival.
• French director Justine Triet is the third woman to win the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
• Jane Campion won the Palme d’Or for The Piano (1993) and Julia Ducournau won it for Titane (2021).
• This year, two Honorary Palme d'Or were awarded to Michael Douglas and Harrison Ford. Ruben Ostlund served as jury president.
• Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest won the Grand Prix award.
• Japanese actor Koji Yakusho won the best actor award for his role in Wim Wenders’s Perfect Days.
• Turkish actress Merve Dizdar won the Best Actress prize for her role in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s About Dry Grasses. Other winners are given in the next table.

Topic: Indian Economy

3. India’s urban unemployment rate has fallen to 6.8% in Q4 of FY23.

• This is the lowest level in more than four years. It stagnated at 7.2% in the previous October-December quarter.
• The decline in the rate reflects improvement in the labour market, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• The unemployment rate in the current weekly status (CWS) terms of all ages in the March quarter was the lowest recorded in over four years.
• NSO released India’s first quarterly urban unemployment rate for the December quarter in 2018.
• The unemployment rate in urban areas was at the peak of 20.8% in the April-June quarter of FY21. It had been on a continuous decline since then.
• The unemployment rate in urban areas for male of age 15 years and above for January – March 2023 was 6%.
• In the previous (October – December 2022) quarter, it was 6.5%. In April-June quarter of 2020-21, it was estimated at 12.2%.
• The unemployment rate in urban areas for female of age 15 years and above for January – March 2023 was 9.2%.
• In the previous (October – December 2022) quarter, it was 9.6%. In April-June quarter of 2020-21, it was estimated at 14.3%.
• Labour force participation rate (LFPR) marginally increased from 48.2% in Q3FY23 to 48.5% in Q4FY23.
• LFPR for females increased from 22.3% in Q3 to 22.7% in Q4 and LFPR for males increased from 73.3% in Q3 to 73.5% in Q4.
• Many women found work in self-employed category, including unpaid helpers in household enterprises. Share of men in regular salaried jobs increased.
• The worker-to-population ratio (WPR) increased by 0.5 percentage points to 45.2% in Q4.
• The female WPR was 20.6% and the male WPR was 69.1%.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR) is the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is the percentage of persons in labour force in the population. This includes working or seeking or available for work.
• Unemployment Rate (UR) is the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.

Topic: International News

4. Nepal has permitted Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited to develop a second hydropower project.

• SJVN Limited will develop second hydropower project Arun-4 worth Rs 4,900 cr in Nepal.
• Presently, SJVN is developing a 900-MW Arun-III hydroelectric project.
• It is a run-of-river project located on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal. It is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
• Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda chaired a meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN).
• It approved the draft project development agreement (PDA) to be signed with SJVN to develop the 669-megawatt (MW) Lower Arun Hydropower project in eastern Nepal.
• Before implementation, the draft needs to be endorsed by the Council of Ministers.
• In the previous meeting of the IBN, 92.68 billion rupees investment was approved for the development of the project.
• The Lower Arun project will be located in the Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts. It will not have any reservoir or dam.
• Arun River comes under Kosi or Sapt Koshi river system in Nepal. Yeru Tsanpo and Trakar-chu are its left bank tributaries. Barun River is its right bank tributary.

Topic: Sports

5. Chennai Super Kings won Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

• On 29 May, Chennai Super Kings won their 5th IPL title by defeating defending champions Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
• The 2023 Indian Premier League was the 16th edition of the IPL.
• Chasing a revised target of 171 in 15 overs against Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings achieved the target with the loss of 5 wickets on the last ball of the final over.
• The Player of the Match was given to Devon Conway and Player of the Series was given to Shubman Gill.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Reports/Indices/Ranking

6. Stunting has decreased in India but wasting, obesity remain a matter of concern.

• The Joint Malnutrition Estimates (JME) report has been released by UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank.
• In line with global and regional trends, India continues to show a reduction in stunting and recorded 1.6 crore fewer stunted children under the age of five in 2022 than in 2012.
• However, wasting and rising level of obesity remains a matter of concern.
• Stunting among children under five in India fell from a prevalence rate of 41.6% in 2012 to 31.7% in 2022, reducing the number from 52 lakh to 36 lakh.
• With this, India's share of the global burden of stunting decreased from 30% to 25% in the past decade.
• In 2022, the overall prevalence of wasting was 18.7% in India, with a 49% share in the global burden of this malnutrition indicator.
• The prevalence of obesity increased over a decade from 2.2% in 2012 to 2.8% in 2022, with the number increasing from 27.5 million to 31.8 million, contributing 8.8% to the global share.
• Globally, the prevalence rate of stunting is projected to decrease from 26.3% in 2012 to 22.3% in 2022.
• There was no improvement in worldwide weight issue, as its prevalence rate increased from 5.5% to 5.6%.

Topic: International Appointments

7. CAG Girish Chandra Murmu has been re-elected External Auditor of the World Health Organisation.

• His re-election is for a four-year term from 2024 to 2027. The election took place at the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva. 
• The position was already held by him for four years from 2019 to 2023.
• After the election, in his address to the World Health Assembly, CAG Murmu emphasised the process improvement for better outcomes, transparency and a professional approach.
• This is the second major international audit assignment for the CAG this year.
• He was selected for the post of External Auditor of the International Labour Organisation in March 2023.

Topic: Sports

8. India has won the NSC-CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup title.

• NSC-CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup was held in Kathmandu.
• India defeated Kazakhstan in the final at the National Sports Council’s Covered Hall in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu on 28 May 2023 and won the title.
• Nepal Volleyball Association has organised the event. National Sports Council supported it. Eight nations participated in it.
• In the competition, Kazakhstan became the runner-up. Nepal came third.
• Uzbekistan came fourth. Sri Lanka came fifth.
• Kyrgyzstan, Maldives and Bangladesh came sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

9. Government announced waiving off ISTS charges for Off-Shore Wind Projects.

• The Government has decided to waive off Inter-State Transmission Charges (ISTS) for Off-Shore Wind Projects.
• The government has extended the waiver to Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia.
• This decision has been taken to promote the expansion of Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia Projects and to encourage the production of renewable energy from Energy Storage System Projects.
• Projects commissioned till December 31, 2032, will become eligible for a complete waiver of ISTS charges for 25 years from the date of commissioning.
• Graded ISTS charges will become applicable to the off-shore projects commissioned from 1st January 2033.
• The Government was earlier providing waivers to wind energy projects till 30th June 2025.
• The government has also waived off ISTS charges for 25 years for Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia production units, which are using Renewable Energy commissioned after 8th March 2019 or Pumped Storage Systems or Battery Storage Systems.
• Wind power project plants commissioned between 2033 and 2034 will be subject to a 25 per cent ISTS fee.
• ISTS charge will be 50 percent for plants being commissioned between 2034 to 2035.
• Full ISTS charges will apply to plants which will be commissioned after 2037.
• 25 percent ISTS charges will apply to Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia plants being commissioned between 2030 to 2031.
• Full ISTS charges will apply to Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia plants commissioned after 2036.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

10. Northeast's first Vande Bharat Express has been flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Northeast's first Vande Bharat Express will connect Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri. It is the third Vande Bharat train of West Bengal.
• It will reduce the travel time to 5 hours and 30 minutes.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated Diesel Electric Multiple Unit and Mainline Electric Multiple Unit shed at Lumding in Assam.
• He also dedicated 182 Route kilometers of newly electrified sections. It will open the door to running electric trains.
• Around 425 kilometers of railway tracks in Assam and Meghalaya have been electrified.
• Prime Minister also announced that all capital cities of the Northeast will be connected through a broad gauge network.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. Hrithik Roshan won best actor for Vikram Vedhan in Indian Film Academy Awards 2023.

• The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2023 was held in Abu Dhabi on 27-28 May.
• Ajay Devgn’s crime thriller Drishyam 2 won the award for best editing and Best film.
• Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal hosted the award.
• Here is some list of winners in various categories:

Topic: Important Days

12. International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2023: 29 May

• Every year on May 29, International Day of UN Peacekeepers is celebrated.
• It is celebrated to honour the contributions of both uniformed and civilian people to peacekeeping.
• This year marked 75 years of UN peacekeeping.
• For 75 years, UN peacekeepers have worked to save and transform lives in the world's most fragile political and security situations.
• The theme of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2023 is “Peace begins with me”.
• UNGA passed a resolution to designate 29 May as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers to mark the establishment of the first UN Peacekeeping mission in 1948.
• India has played a vital role in United Nations peacekeeping operations. In 1960, it sent doctors and nurses to Congo, and in 2008, it sent an all-female team to Liberia.
• Peacekeepers who died in 2022 were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal.

Topic: Sports

13. Uttar Pradesh wins the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2023.

• Uttar Pradesh wins this year’s Sub Junior Men National Championship by defeating the Hockey Association of Odisha.
• Uttar Pradesh defeated the Hockey Association of Odisha by 7-1.
• Ujjwal Pal scored three goals while Rahul Yadav, Ketan Kushwaha Rahul Rajhbar and Ajeet Yadav each scored a goal.
• Deonath Nanwar scored the only goal from the Hockey Association of Odisha.
• The final was played at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Odisha.
• Haryana secured the third spot in the competition by defeating Madhya Pradesh.
• Penalty Corner, Scoop, Dribble, Centre forward, Striking circle, Short corner, etc. are common terms related to Hockey.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Odisha

14. Odisha government announced the launch of ‘Mo Ghara’ housing scheme.

• Odisha CM announced the launch of the ‘Mo Ghara’ (My House) scheme to provide financial assistance to people of states for completing or upgrading their houses.
• This scheme will cover all such families who have been left out of the existing housing schemes.
• Under this scheme, beneficiaries can get housing loans up to Rs 3 lakh which can be repaid in 10 years excluding one year moratorium period.
• An individual can opt for one of the four slabs of loan amount – Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 1.5 lakh, Rs. 2 lakh and Rs. 3 lakh.
• The applications for availing loans will start from June 15, 2023.
• The family living in a kutcha (thatched) house or one pucca room with concrete roof are eligible for the scheme.
• Persons having a monthly income below ₹25,000 and availed housing assistance of ₹70,000 or below in the past would be considered eligible for this scheme.
• The state government will pay the highest ₹60,000 subsidy for ₹3 lakh loan slab while vulnerable groups would get a subsidy of ₹70,000.
• The Odisha government had promised to convert all left-out kutcha houses into pucca ones.