Daily Current Affairs and GK | 31 May 2023

Topic: State News/ Odisha

1. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Odisha for AI, and AI for Youth' initiative.

• 'Odisha for AI, and AI for Youth' initiative will be implemented in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack in the first phase.
• ‘Odisha for AI’ is a free 4-hour course on AI by Intel on its app/site.
• AI for youth is an initiative for students (below 18) of 2000 5T schools and Odisha Adarsh Vidyalayas.
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said that Artificial Intelligence has the potential to reshape the world and drive progress.
• Odisha government is focused on technology-driven transformation. It is one of the key components of the Government's 5-T initiative.
• The initiative will promote digital literacy among the masses and make them familiar with new-generation technology.
• It will also create an ecosystem for improving research, innovation, and application of AI across various sectors.
• Odisha Electronics and IT Department has collaborated with Intel India.
• Artificial Intelligence will play a key role in the economic growth, transformation of governance and the betterment of the lives of our citizens and society.

Topic: Books and Authors

2. Justice Sudarshan Reddy released a book titled ‘A Political Biography NTR’.

• ‘A Political Biography NTR’ has been written by senior Editor K. Ramachandra Murthy.
• Justice B Sudarshan Reddy said that Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao was a rare leader who fulfilled promises made to people and loved people abundantly.
• NTR had no political knowledge but he has a strong will power to do welfare of the people.
• Supreme Court retired Judge Justice Chalameshwar released the Telugu version of the book ‘NTR- Rajakiya Jeevitha Charitra- Asalu Kadha’.
• Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao served as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over three terms. He also acted in more than 300 films.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. RINL bagged the prestigious "GreenTech Safety Award 2023".

• RINL received the "GreenTech Safety Award 2023" under the safety Excellence Category. It has received the award for improving safety at the workplace in 2022-23.
• The award has been received by Shri A K Bagchi - Director (Projects) and Additional Charge Director (Operations) on behalf of RINL.
• The award has been presented at the 21st Annual Greentech Awards function held in New Delhi.
• The 21st GreenTech Safety Award has been organized by the Greentech Foundation.
• It honours the outstanding organizations that are defining the commercial futures by adding value through excellence in fire, safety, health and security management for corporate citizenship, life cycle stewardship, etc.
• The jury of the award praised RINL’s initiatives of using Drone technology for the inspection of high-rise structures, chimneys etc. and the development of Software Application for tracking the use of Safety Harnesses.

Topic: Defence

4. India's defense exports grew 23 times since 2014, with highest ever exports of nearly Rs 16,000 crore in the last financial year.

• The country's defense exports have reached an all-time high.
• In 2013-14, it was 686 crore rupees, which has increased to about 16,000 crore rupees in 2022-23.
• This figure of 23 times remarkable increase in defense exports is indicative of India's progress in the defense manufacturing sector.
• Defense material is being exported from India to more than 85 countries and one hundred defense exporting companies are engaged in this work.
• The Government has taken several policy measures in the last nine years to promote defense exports.
• The measures taken under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan have given a significant boost to the design, development and manufacturing of defense equipment in the country.
• Expenditure on defense purchases from foreign sources has declined from 46% of total expenditure in 2018-19 to over 36 per cent in December 2022.
• India, which was once primarily known as a defense equipment importer, now exports a wide range of defence products.
• It includes aircraft like the Dornier-228, artillery guns, Brahmos Missiles, PINAKA rockets & launchers, radars, simulators and armoured vehicles.
• There is also growing global demand for India's indigenous products including LCA-Tejas, Light Combat Helicopter, Aircraft Carrier and MRO.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Space and IT

5. Three astronauts sent by China to Tiangong space station.

• On 30 May, three astronauts, including a civilian in China, were launched on Shenzhou-16 to the Tiangong Space Station.
• The civilian, Professor Gui Haichao of Beihang University, has been sent to space for the first time.
• China has sent astronauts to its now fully operational space station as part of crew rotation.
• The spacecraft, Shenzhou-16, is carrying these passengers.
• The Shenzhou-16 crew was launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
• China has committed billions of dollars in its military-run space programme.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

6. World No Tobacco Day 2023: 31 May

• Every year on 31 May, the World No Tobacco Day is observed.
• It is observed to spread awareness about the dangers of using tobacco.
• The main purpose of the day is to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes.
• The aim of the 2023 global campaign is to raise awareness of alternative crop production and encourage them to grow sustainable, nutritious crops.
• The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2023 is “We need food, not tobacco”.
• In 1987, World Health Assembly had started the World No Tobacco Day by passing a resolution.
• According to WHO, tobacco use kills more than 8 million people around the world each year.
• The nicotine present in tobacco causes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

7. Farmers will get Rs 6,000 per year under the new scheme of Maharashtra cabinet.

• The Maharashtra government has launched a new scheme for farmers, under which Rs 6,000 will be given annually to more than one crore farmers in the state.
• On 30 May, Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana was approved in the cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai.
• The amount of 6,000 rupees per year given in this scheme will be in addition to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme of the Center.
• The Maharashtra cabinet also approved the implementation of 'Gender Inclusive Tourism Policy' named 'Aai' to empower women in the tourism sector.
• Similarly, approval was also given to start women bike-taxi service at some tourist places of the state.

Topic: Personality in News

8. Maharashtra's Chandrapur Congress MP Balu alias Suresh Dhanorkar passed away.

• On May 30, Balu alias Suresh Dhanorkar, Congress MP from Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, passed away at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana.
• Dhanorkar, the only MP from the Congress in Maharashtra, was 47 years old.
• In 2014, he was elected as the MLA of Shiv Sena.
• In 2019, he resigned from Shiv Sena, and was elected as Congress MP from Chandrapur Vani Arni Lok Sabha constituency.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

9. Araku Coffee and Black Pepper received organic certification from APEDA.

• Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has granted organic certification to Girijan Co-operative Corporation (GCC), Visakhapatnam for Araku coffee and black pepper crops.
• This certification will have a positive impact on the market value of these products.
• The certification covers an extensive cultivation area of 21,104 acres. 1,300 farmers in the Gondipakalu, Lammasingi, Kappalu, GK Veedhi, Pedavalasa, and Erracheruvulu clusters grow coffee and pepper.
• The process of obtaining certification crossed various challenges including third-party verification, online registration, geo-tagging of farms, etc.
• Araku Coffee:
  • It is cultivated in the Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh.
  • It is grown in iron-rich soil which allows the coffee to ripen slowly.
  • It is grown in the weather with hot days and cold nights.
  • It is grown in the red lateritic soil.
• Arabica Coffee:
  • It is grown around Vishakapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh and Koraput district in Orissa.
  • It is grown in an area with an elevation of 3000 to 5300 feet.
  • It receives adequate rains from South‐West and North‐East monsoons.
  • It is grown in soil with optimum pH levels of 6.0 to 6.5.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

10. DGCA simplified the process of granting the Heliport License.

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has simplified the process for granting Heliport License.
• Earlier, an applicant had to obtain NOC from the Ministry of Home, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Airport Authority of India and Local Administration before applying for the license.
• Now, the applications for NOC/Clearance from five external organizations can be routed through a single tab on the relevant portal.
• DGCA grants heliport licenses to the heliports at the surface level as well as at elevated or rooftops of the buildings.
• A person who wants to obtain license or authorization should has to submit an online application through the eGCA portal.
• In 2021, the eGCA (e-Governance in Directorate General of Civil Aviation) portal was launched to enhance the efficiency of the various services provided by DGCA.
• Directorate of General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):
  • It is a regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation. It became a statutory body under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act, 2020.
  • It is mainly responsible for dealing with safety issues in the Civil Aviation sector.
  • It issues licences related to aviation like Private Pilot Licence and Commercial Pilot Licence.
  • Vikram Dev Dutt is the current director general of DGCA.

Topic: State News / Telangana

11. Telangana state government has established at least one de-addiction center in all 33 districts.

• On 29 May, the Telangana government has said that at least one de-addiction center has been set up in all the 33 districts of the state.
• In these centers, people who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs are treated free of cost and they are being provided yoga therapy and counselling services.
• The High Court had criticized the state government for the delay in opening such centres. A month after this, new drug de-addiction centers have been set up.
• After the state reorganization of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the Andhra Pradesh developed 18 de-addiction centers in 13 districts, while Telangana did not create any.
• Regarding this, a public interest litigation was filed in the High Court in the year 2016 and a request was made to direct the state government to open drug de-addiction centers in all the districts.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

12. 57^th Jnanpith Award has been honoured to Goan writer Damodar Mauzo.

• On 27 May, the Goa state governor P S Sreedharan Pillai honored Goan writer Damodar Maujo with the Jnanpith Award, the country's highest literary honour.
• He also stated that Mauzo is the "epitome of the Konkani literary culture."
• 25 books of Maujo have been published in Konkani and one in English. Many of his books have also been translated into different languages.
• In 1983, the famous novel 'Karmelin' by Mauzo received the Sahitya Akademi Award.
• In 1981, this novel was published and was translated in Hindi, Marathi, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Odia and Maithili languages.
• Mauzo is the second Goan after Ravindra Kelekar (2008), who received the Jnanpith Award.
• Jnanpith Award:
  • It is a literary award that is presented every year by the Bhartiya Jnanpith for outstanding contribution to Literature.
  • The award is given for literary work in 22 “scheduled languages” recognized in the Indian Constitution.
  • The first award was presented in 1965.

Topic: International News

13. Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni began his maiden visit to India.

• King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni, is on his maiden State visit to India from the 29th to 31st of May.
• His visit will mark the culmination of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Cambodia.
• A Cambodian king last visited India in 1963.
• The King received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 30th May.
• The Cambodian king will hold bilateral meetings with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
• India and Cambodia:
  • India-Cambodia relation is from the 1st century AD.
  • India and Cambodia have cultural and economic linkages and deep-rooted people-to-people ties.
  • India is actively assisting Cambodia in capacity building and human resource development.
  • India has given grants and concessional loans to Cambodia for various developmental projects including the restoration of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Preah Vihar.
  • India has offered a line of credit worth 50 million dollars to Cambodia for the procurement of defence equipment from India.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

14. Tamil Nadu signed six MoUs with Japanese companies.

• Tamil Nadu and Japanese companies signed six MoUs to bring an investment of ₹818.9 crores in the State.
• Guidance Tamil Nadu (the State’s nodal agency for investment promotion and single window facilitation) and KyoKuto Satrac signed MoU for establishing a 13-acre plant for manufacturing trailers and trucks.
• An MoU worth ₹155 crores has been signed by Mitsuba for the expansion of its plant at SIPCOT Gummidipoondi in the Tiruvallur district.
• Kohyei signed an MoU for setting up a plant for manufacturing polycarbonate sheets.
• Sato-Shoji Metal Works will invest ₹200 crores to set up a plant for manufacturing high-quality steel components.
• The Tamil Nadu government is setting up various industrial parks across the state.
• Tamil Nadu government has also launched ‘Naan Mudhalvan’, a skill development programme for school and college students.