Current Affairs May 26th 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Week of Solidarity with the People of Non-Self-Governing Territories- 25-31 May:

• From May 25 to 31, the United Nations will observe “International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories”.
• The UN General Assembly established the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories on December 6, 1999.
• A Non-Self-Governing Territory is described in the UN Charter as a territory “whose people have not yet reached a complete degree of self-government.”

HISTORY

• On December 6, 1999, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) enacted Resolution A/RES/54/91, establishing an annual International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories beginning on May 25.
• The first week of the year was observed in 2000.

OBJECTIVES

• To take effective efforts to protect and ensure the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories’ inalienable rights to their natural resources, including land.
• To create and maintain control over the future development of such resources, and to seek that the administering powers take steps to protect the peoples’ property rights in these Territories.

Non-Self-Governing Territory:

• A Non-Self-Governing Territory is one that “has not yet reached a complete degree of self-government,” according to the UN Charter.
• In 1946, UN Member States recognised a number of non-self-governing areas under their authority and added them to the UN list.
• Administrating Powers are countries that administer Non-Self-Governing Territories.
• Several regions were deleted from the list as a result of the decolonization process.

World Thyroid Awareness Day- 25th May

• World Thyroid Day is marked on May 25 to raise awareness and understanding of thyroid illnesses, their symptoms, prevention, and treatments.
• The European Thyroid Association proposed the creation of the day in 2008 (ETA).
• According to a Public Health Update article, more than 200 million people worldwide are believed to have thyroid abnormalities, with half of these cases going misdiagnosed.

THEME:

• This year’s World Thyroid Day has no specific theme. However, for Thyroid Awareness Week, which takes place from May 22 to May 28, the Thyroid Federation International has announced the theme “It’s not you. It’s your thyroid”.

HISTORY:

• During the Annual General Meeting before the European Thyroid Association (ETA) congress in September 2007, the 25th of May was formally designated as World Thyroid Day.
• The 25th of May is also the anniversary of ETA’s founding in 1965.
• As a result, it was designated as a day dedicated to raising awareness about thyroid diseases.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

The Prime Minister-led Inter-State Council has been reconstituted:

• The Inter-State Council, which works to promote and support cooperative federalism in the country, has been reconstituted with Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi as chairman and chief ministers of all states and six Union ministers as members.
• Ten union ministers will be the permanent invitees to the Inter-State Council
• The government has also reconstituted the standing committee of the Inter-State Council with Union Home Minister Shri. Amit Shah as chairman.
• While the prime minister is the chairman, chief ministers of all states and Union Territories having a legislative assembly and the administrators of UTs not having a legislative assembly have been made members.

Members Of the Council

• Mr Rajnath Singh, Mr Amit Shah, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Mr Narendra Singh Tomar, Mr Virendra Kumar, Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, Mr Nitin Gadkari, Shri S Jaishankar, Shri Arjun Munda, Shri Piyush Goyal, Mr Dhamendra Pradhan, Shri Pralhad Joshi, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, Mr Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Mr Kiren Rijiju and Mr Bhupender Yadav.

The composition of the standing committee of the Inter-State Council:

• Shri Amit Shah (chairman), and the members include Union ministers Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Mr Narendra Singh Tomar, Mr Virendra Kumar and Mr Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• The chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are also members of the standing committee of the Inter-State Council.
• The standing committee will have continuous consultation and process matters for consideration of the council, and process all matters pertaining to centre-state relations before they are taken up for consideration in the inter-state council.
• The standing committee also monitors the implementation of the decisions taken on the recommendations of the council and considers any other matter referred to it by the chairman of the council.

The ABHA smartphone app has been improved by the National Health Authority:

• The National Health Authority’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has introduced a revamped Ayushman Bharat Health Account, ABHA smartphone application to handle health records.
• According to the Union Health Ministry, the ABHA app, formerly known as the NDHM Health Records app, is now available for download from the Google Play Store and has already had over four lakh downloads.
• The ABHA app has been updated with a new User Interface and new functions that allow users to see their health records from any time and anywhere.

About ABHA App:

• Existing users of the ABHA app can also update to the most recent version of the app.
• Users can create an ABHA address, which is a simple username that can be linked to the 14-digit ABHA number generated at random, using the ABHA mobile application.
• Users can also link their Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission-compliant health records and access them on their smartphones via the mobile application.
• The platform also provides for the self-uploading of physical health records as well as the interchange of digital health documents such as diagnostic reports, medications, and CoWIN immunisation certificates after an individual’s approval.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Belgium becomes first country to make quarantine compulsory for monkeypox patients

• Belgium has become the first country to make a 21-day quarantine compulsory for monkeypox patients after 4 cases of the disease were reported.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) reported there were 92 cases in 12 countries, and a further 28 suspected cases under investigation.

List of countries monkeypox cases have been confirmed :

• UK, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, the US, Canada and Australia as reported by Saudi Gazette.

About Monkeypox :

• Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958.
• The first human infection was recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.
• Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus part of the smallpox family
• Symptoms : rashes, fever, headaches, muscle ache, swelling and back pain
• The disease, which was first found in monkeys, can be transmitted from person to person through close physical contact, as well as sexual intercourse.

WEF launches alliance to supercharge India’s climate action

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) has launched the India chapter of the Alliance of CEO Climate Action Leaders to supercharge India’s climate action and decarbonization efforts.
• The Alliance will continue efforts to achieve the vision outlined in the white paper released last year, “Mission 2070: A Green New Deal for a Net Zero India”, on India’s low-carbon transition by 2070.
• It will bring together the government, businesses, and other key stakeholders to achieve the Indian Prime Minister’s ambitious five-part ‘Panchamrit’ pledge.
• A collaboration between the management consultancy Kearney and the Indian think-tank Observer Research Foundation, the Alliance will serve as a high-level platform to support business leaders in planning and implementing plans and programmes to achieve climate targets, including net-zero economic growth.

About WEF :

• Founded : 24 January 1971
• Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
• Executive Chairman : Klaus Schwab
• President : Borge Brende

About Belgium :

• PM : Alexander De Croo
• Capital : Brussels
• Currency : Euro

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

TN govt launches Integrated Agriculture Development Project in districts

• Chief Minister M.K. Stalin remotely launched the Kalaignar’s All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Project in the districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Erode.
• The programme will be jointly implemented by the State Agriculture Department in close coordination with the Rural Development Department in all the 12,525 village panchayats across Tamil Nadu in a period of five years.
• In 2022, the programme will cover 1,997 village panchayats at a cost of Rs 227.06 crore and benefit over 9 lakh agricultural families.

Aim of the Programme :

• To bring 11.75 lakh hectares of land under net area cultivated in the next 10 years, increase the double-cropping area to 20 lakh hectares, & bring Tamil Nadu among the top three States in production of foodgrains, coconut, cotton, sunflower, and groundnut.

Objective :

• To bring fallow lands in rural habitations under cultivation
• To diversify water resources and to increase the usage of solar pumps
• Establishing micro irrigation facilities in all rural areas
• To market the farm products by value addition
• To establish small water bodies for irrigation and retaining ground water
• To increase rural infrastructure
• To increase the production of milk through developing the health conditions of cattle, Issuing change of patta, e-adangal and certificates for micro and small farmers through Revenue department
• Issuing more crop loans through cooperative societies, desilting waterways that are used for irrigation and so on.
• While Inaugurating the scheme, Stalin stated that coconut saplings, horticultural saplings, kit for vegetable garden, and sprays required for farming would be distributed.
• Also 100 percent subsidy would be provided to Adi Dravida families for sinking wells in drylands, employing drip irrigation, and digging farm ponds.
• Additionally, Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam stated that 3,675 tonnes of short-term paddy variety seeds and 56,229 MTs of fertilizers have been kept ready for Kuruvai season.

About TN :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Capital: Chennai

Tripura adopts EV policy, to convert 10% of state’s vehicles to electric

• The new Tripura Cabinet headed by CM Manik Saha has decided to adopt the Tripura Electric Vehicle Policy 2022, to promote electric vehicles, in an effort to cut down on environmental pollution and uphold Tripura as an eco-friendly tourist destination.

Aim :

• To convert 10 percent of Tripura’s vehicles i.e. 6,000 vehicles into Electric Vehicles out of 60,000 registered vehicles in the next 5 years.

Note :

• The electric vehicles policy is already existing in 14 states of the country.
• If it is implemented, Tripura would become the 15th state and 3rd in the Northeast region after Assam and Meghalaya to adopt the electric vehicle policy.
• The cabinet decided to provide 2-3 Ganda free land to 7,230 tea garden workers in Tripura.
• The cabinet also decided to procure 20,000 MT of paddy from farmers in the state during the Kharif season at a Minimum Support Price (MSP).

About Tripura :

• Governor : Satyadev Narayan Arya
• CM : Manik Saha
• Capital : Agartala

India’s first Olympic Values Education Programme launched in Odisha

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched India’s first ‘Olympic Values Education Programme’ (OVEP) by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Odisha.
• The OVEP has been developed in partnership with the Government of Odisha’s Department of School and Mass Education and the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT).

Attendees :

• Olympic Education Commission Chair – Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski, IOC member – Nita Ambani, IOA President – Narinder Dhruv Batra, Director of Olympic Foundation for Culture and Change – Angelita Teo, Minister of Sports Tushar Kanti Behera, Chief Secretary Shri Suresh Mohapatra Commissioner cum Secretary Sports Vyneel Krishna.

About OVEP :

• The OVEP will be implemented in 90 schools across two smart cities Bhubaneswar (63 schools) and Rourkela (27 schools) in the first phase.
• The OVEP is a practical set of resources designed by the IOC to introduce young people to the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship.

Aim :

• To disseminate the values-based curriculum to help children become active, healthy and responsible citizens.

About Odisha :

• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
• Capital: Bhubaneswar

UP energy minister Shri AK Sharma launches ‘SAMBHAV’ portal

• Uttar Pradesh minister for urban development and energy, Shri A K Sharma launched SAMBHAV or Systemic Administration Mechanism for Bringing Happiness and Value portal – www.sambhav.up.gov.in platform/portal that will monitor public grievances, programs, schemes, projects and policies of Urban Development and Energy Departments of Uttar Pradesh government effectively and transparently.

About SAMBHAV Portal :

• SAMBHAV is a multi-modal platform which has been launched to dispose of public grievances swiftly and effectively and provide good governance and make the public service delivery transparent and accountable.
• It will work as an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform for flagging grievances received from the public to the concerned officers who have been provided login IDs.
• The officers are required to feed their response and action taken report (ATRs) on the issues concerned.
• The portal will have the facility of videoconferencing and teleconferencing for dialogue with the officials.
• It will take grievances and issues from various sources, including pending cases and grievances under the chief minister’s Jan Sunwai/ Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) system.

About UP :

• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• CM : Yogi Adityanath
• Capital : Lucknow

Uttarakhand becomes the 1st Indian state to roll out drone in healthcare

• Redcliffe Labs, a unit of Redcliffe Lifetech in the U.S., has come up with its first commercial drone flight in Uttarakhand in the India healthcare sector.
• The commercial drone corridor between Uttarkashi and Dehradun.

Key Highlights :

• The distance from Uttarkashi to Dehradun by road is 144 km, by road 6-8 hours and during landslides 12 hours but instead of this, using drone technology the distance was covered in 88 minutes with a battery swap.
• The project was part of the Radcliffe and Sky Air tie-up and they have conducted 40 successful trials in North India.
• Radcliffe Lab carried 5 kg payloads in temperature controlled boxes from Gyansu, Uttarkashi to Vivek Vihar, Dehradun, an aerial distance of 60 kms.
• It will operate “two flights daily for both routine and special test sample collection with effect from June 10, 2022.

Additional Info :

• According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), as a part of its Medicine from the Sky undertaking, healthcare professionals delivered vaccines, Covid-19 testing samples and medical merchandise to a inhabitants of over 3,00,000 folks represented by 8 district well being services in the Vikarabad district of the southern state of Telangana.
• According to a report by 6Wresearch, in terms of revenue, the Indian UAV market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 18% during 2017–23.
• As per study conducted by BIS Research predicted that the market for commercial drones superseded the military market by 2021, cumulatively hitting approximately $900 million.

About Redcliffe Labs :

• Founder : Dheeraj Jain
• Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh

About Uttarakhand :

• Governor : Gurmit Singh
• CM : Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Capital : Bhararisain, Dehradun

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurates & lays foundation stones of various infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh

• Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated & laid foundation stones of various infrastructure projects worth Rs.1180 crore in Arunachal Pradesh during a public meeting at Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.
• Shri Amit Shah termed Arunachal Pradesh as Jewel in India’s Crown.

Key Highlights :

• On the occasion of its ‘Swarn Jayanti Samaroh (Golden Jubilee Celebrations), Shah unveiled the statue of Swami Vivekananda at Ramkrishna Mission, Narottam Nagar in Tirap District’s Deomali.
• He will lay the foundation-stone of a 51-feet bronze statue of Bhagwan Parshuram at the Parshuram Kund near Wokra in Lohit District.
• He will also attend the ‘security and development review’ meeting at Namsai and interact with the personnel of Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Services Selection Board (SSB), Assam Rifles, Border Roads Organization (BRO), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

About Arunachal Pradesh :

• Governor : B. D. Mishra
• CM : Pema Khandu
• Capital : Itanagar

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & ECONOMY

FDI equity inflows marginally down at $58.77 bn in 2021-22: DPIIT data

• According to the data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows into India contracted marginally by 1 percent to USD 58.77 billion during 2021-22.
• In fiscal 2020-21, the FDI equity inflows stood at $59.63 billion.
• However, total foreign direct investment into India rose by 2 percent to the “highest ever” USD 83.57 billion in 2021-22.
• During 2021-22, Singapore was at the top with USD 15.87 billion worth of investments.
• It was followed by the US (USD 10.55 billion), Mauritius (USD 9.4 billion), the Netherlands (USD 4.62 billion), Cayman Islands (USD 3.81 billion), and the UK (USD 1.65 billion), the data showed
• The computer software and hardware sector attracted the highest inflows of USD 14.5 billion during the last fiscal.
• It was followed by services (USD 7.1 billion), automobile industry (USD 7 billion), trading (USD 4.5 billion) construction (infrastructure) activities (USD 3.3 billion) and pharma (USD 1.4 billion)

About DPIIT :

• Founded: 1995
• Parent agency: Ministry of Commerce and Industry

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

IDBI Bank appoints TN Manoharan as part-time Chairman

• As approved by the Reserve Bank of India, The Board of IDBI Bank, approved the appointment of Mr T N Manoharan as the part-time chairman for a period of 3 years.
• IDBI Bank has announced that Mr M R Kumar will no longer continue to be the non-executive non-whole time Chairman of the bank.
• In terms of the Articles of Association of the bank, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) nominated Raj Kumar, Managing Director of LIC as LIC nominee director on the board of the bank.
• Kumar’s appointment is being separately processed under Section 161 (3) of the Companies Act, 2013.

About TN Manoharan :

• TN Manoharan is a Chartered Accountant by profession.
• He has served as the former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) during 2006-07.
• He was the Chairman of the ICAI of Accounting Research Foundation.
• He was on the Board of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA).
• He served as the Administrator for Lakshmi Vilas Bank during November, 2020 appointed by the RBI
• He was the Non-Executive Chairman of Canara Bank for five years upto August, 2020.
• He was a member of the Governing Council for Skill Development in the BFSI sector.
• He was a member of the Advisory Board on Banks, Commercial and Financial Frauds constituted by the Central Vigilance Commission.
• He is an Independent Director of Tech Mahindra Limited.
• Currently, he is member of the Standing External Advisory Committee of the RBI for evaluating applications for Universal Banks and Small Finance Banks.

Awards & Honors :

• T. N. Manoharan received several awards including the
• “Business Leadership Award” from NDTV Profit in 2009
• CNN IBN “Indian of the Year 2009” award in the Business category.
• “Padma Shri” award in 2010.

About IDBI Bank :

• Founded : 1 July 1964
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman : M. R. Kumar
• MD & CEO : Rakesh Sharma
• IDBI Bank is an Indian private sector bank and a subsidiary of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
• LIC has 49.24 percent shareholding in IDBI Bank, as of March 2022.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus re-elected as WHO Director-General for 2nd term

• During the 75th World Health Assembly, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was re-elected as WHO Director-General for a second five-year term by WHO Member states.
• He was the sole candidate for the post of WHO Chief.
• His new term will officially begin from August 16, 2022.
• Previously he has served as Director-General of the World Health Organization since 2017.

About Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus :

• Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is an Ethiopian public health researcher.
• He served as the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia from 2012-2016 and as the health Minister from 2005-2012.
• He was a former top official in the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
• He had also served as the chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
• He had also served as the chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board and as co-chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
• Dr Tedros was included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

Note :

• Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had become the first African to take over as the WHO Chief in 2017.

Additional Info :

• A Director-General can be re-appointed once, in accordance with World Health Assembly rules and procedures.

About WHO :

• Established : 7 April 1948
• Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
• Director General : Tedros Adhanom

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

CMFRI Director Dr Gopalakrishnan Receives VASVIK Industrial Research Award for works on fish genetics

• Director of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Dr A Gopalakrishnan, has won the prestigious VASVIK (Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra) Industrial Research Award for the year 2020 in the category of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
• He was honored for his significant contribution towards the research works related to fish genetics which is relevant for conserving many commercially important and endangered species.
• The award, which carries a cash prize of Rs. 1.51 lakh and citation.

About Dr A Gopalakrishnan:

• Dr A Gopalakrishnan graduated with a master’s in zoology and a doctorate in fish reproductive physiology in 1991.
• He joined NBFGR as a scientist in Lucknow/Allahabad in 1989, and in 1995 & then he relocated to Kochi to establish an NBFGR center on the CMFRI Kochi campus.
• He has worked on various aspects of fish genetic stock identification using DNA markers, as well as attempted DNA barcoding using mtDNA markers.
• His research projects have included Genetic Stock Identification (GSI), species inventory, taxonomy, breeding, and seed production of threatened and commercially important species for mariculture, which has contributed to improved scientific knowledge on Indian fisheries and conservative measures.

About VASVIK research award :

• The VASVIK research award is given in 8 categories each year, in addition to Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
• First Awarded : 1976
• Presented by : Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra

About CMFRI :

• Established : 3 February 1947
• Director : Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan
• Located at : Kochi, Kerala
• It comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, GoI.

Gautam Adani, Karuna Nundy, Khurram Parvez among Time’s 100 Most Influential People 2022

• Business tycoon Gautam Adani, Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy, and prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez have been named among the world’s 100 most influential people of 2022 by TIME magazine.
• The list has been divided into 6 categories – Icons, Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders and Innovators.
• The list has other names like Mila Kunis, Zendaya, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Tim Cook and Xi Jinping.

Gautam Adani :

• Adani’s name has been included under the category ‘Titans’.
• In his profile, writer Roy Chowdhury wrote that Adani ‘stays out of the public eye, quietly building his empire’.

Karuna Nundy :

• Nundy is an advocate in the Supreme Court of India.
• She is a champion of women’s rights & has been fighting for reforms in anti-rape laws.
• She has been included under the category of ‘Leaders’.
• She is currently fighting to bring marital rape under the ambit of India’s rape law.
• Her profile, written by advocate Menaka Guruswamy.

Khurram Parvez :

• Khurram Parvez is the head of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances.
• He has been fighting for the human rights of the Kashmiris.
• His profile, written by journalist Rana Ayyub.

Additional Info :

• In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla were included in the TIME Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people of 2021.

About Times 100 Most Influential People :

• Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world which is assembled by the American news magazine Time.
• It was first published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, journalists and politicians.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Phonepe to acquire Wealthdesk, Open IQ for USD 75 million

• Walmart-backed PhonePe will acquire 2 wealth tech platforms WealthDesk  (‘Wealth Technologies & Services Private Limited’) and OpenQ (Quantech Capital Investment Advisors Private Limited) total deal is in the range of USD 75 million.
• The valuation of Wealthdesk is over USD 50 million & OpenQ is USD 25 million.

About PhonePe :

• Founded : 2015
• Headquarters : Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Co-Founder & CEO : Sameer Nigam
• It is owned by Flipkart, a subsidiary of Walmart.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi attended the 7th BRICS Culture Ministers meeting.

• Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs participated in the 7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting via video conference, which was hosted by the People’s Republic of China and attended by all BRICS Member Nations.
• A conference was held on the topic of Establishing a Cultural Partnership Featuring Inclusiveness and Mutual Learning Among BRICS to promote and extend cultural activities among the BRICS countries.

About The Discussions:

• The discussion centred on increasing cultural digitization growth and collaboration, improving cooperation on cultural heritage protection, and driving the establishment of cultural exchange platforms for BRICS members.
• The Ministers endorsed the BRICS Action Plan 2022-2026, which aims to strengthen cultural cooperation and implement the BRICS Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed in 2015.

Conclusion of the meeting:

• At the end of the conference, all BRICS Culture Ministers agreed and signed the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Agreement between the Governments of the BRICS States on Cooperation in the Field of Culture (2022-2026).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Uttarakhand Govt and BPCL inked MoU for renewable energy projects:

• In the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Mr Pushkar Singh Dhami, an MoU was signed between the Uttarakhand government and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to promote the renewable energy industry and other initiatives in the state.
• The state of Uttarakhand and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop new and renewable energy projects in the state.

Additional Info.

• R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary of State for Energy, signed the MoU on behalf of the state, while Shelly Abraham, BPCL’s chief general manager (renewable energy), and executive director Amit Garg signed on behalf of BPCL.
• The arrangement, according to CM Dhami, will help the hill state flourish in the sector of renewable energy, particularly solar energy.

Attendees:

• Pushkar Singh Dhami is the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
• R Meenakshi Sundaram is the Secretary of State for Energy.
• Shelly Abraham is the Chief General Manager of BPCL.

Maharashtra signed MoUs with 23 Companies worth Rs 30,000 crores in Davos:

• During the current World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, the Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth over 30,000 crores.
• Among the 23 MoUs signed for investment were those for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, information technology, data centres, textiles, food processing, packaging, paper and pulp, and steel.
• According to Subhash Desai, state industries minister, the investment will result in the creation of 66,000 jobs in the state.

About the Agreement:

• The state has signed 121 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) as part of the Magnetic Maharashtra programme, with a total investment of 2.2 lakh crore and the potential to create over 4,00,000 jobs.
• According to the industries minister, Voyager Space Holding, a commercial space firm based in the United States, has expressed interest in investing in Maharashtra.
• In addition, Maharashtra signed an MoU that will serve as a roadmap for the state’s sustainable development, making it the first sub-national government to join the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to translating commitments to reduce plastic pollution and waste into concrete action.

Important Points:

• Desai, energy minister Nitin Raut, and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray are among those who have arrived at Davos.
• Among the companies with whom the MOU is signed are Microsoft Corporation (3,200 crores), Asia Pulp & Paper (10,500 crores), Tata Realty (5,000 crores), Gramsci Business Hubs (5,000 crores), Vishvaraj Environment Private Limited (1,000 crores), GR Group (740 crores), Scalar Spaces (650 crores), Indorama Corporation (600 crores), Indo Count Industries Limited (510 crore), Colorshine Coated Private Limited (510 crore), Goyal Proteins (380 crore), PG

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Shikhar Dhawan becomes the first player to hit 700 fours in IPL history:

• Shikhar Dhawan of the Punjab Kings has become the first player in Indian Premier League history to score 700 fours (IPL).

About the Record:

• Dhawan accomplished this achievement during the final league stage match of the IPL 2022, which took place here at the Wankhede Stadium between PBKS and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
• The batsman now has 701 IPL fours to his name.
• With 577 and 576 fours, respectively, he is followed by David Warner and Virat Kohli.
• PBKS finished the IPL 2022 season with 14 points, while SRH finished with 12.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Shivaji Patnaik, a veteran Communist leader, has died:

• Shivaji Patnaik, a veteran Communist politician and three-time Member of Parliament, died at the age of 93.
• Shivaji Patnaik is credited with founding the CPI (Marxist) in Odisha.

About Shivaji Patnaik:

• He was born on August 10, 1930, and joined the State Student Movement at the age of 17 while studying at Ravenshaw College.
• When the Communist Party split in 1964, he played a critical role in the founding of the CPI(M).
• From 1971 to 1990, he served as the party’s secretary.
• He was also elected to the party’s Central Committee.

Daily CA on May 26 :

• From May 25 to 31, the United Nations will observe “International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories”.
• World Thyroid Day is marked on May 25 to raise awareness and understanding of thyroid illnesses, their symptoms, prevention, and treatments.
• The Inter-State Council, which works to promote and support cooperative federalism in the country, has been reconstituted with Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi as chairman and chief ministers of all states and six Union ministers as members.
• The National Health Authority’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission has introduced a revamped Ayushman Bharat Health Account, ABHA smartphone application to handle health records.

• Belgium has become the first country to make a 21-day quarantine compulsory for monkeypox patients after 4 cases of the disease were reported.
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) has launched the India chapter of the Alliance of CEO Climate Action Leaders to supercharge India’s climate action and decarbonization efforts.
• Chief Minister M.K. Stalin remotely launched the Kalaignar’s All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Project in the districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Erode.
• The new Tripura Cabinet headed by CM Manik Saha has decided to adopt the Tripura Electric Vehicle Policy 2022, to promote electric vehicles, in an effort to cut down on environmental pollution and uphold Tripura as an eco-friendly tourist destination.
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched India’s first ‘Olympic Values Education Programme’ (OVEP) by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Odisha.
• Uttar Pradesh minister for urban development and energy, Shri A K Sharma launched ‘SAMBHAV’ or Systemic Administration Mechanism for Bringing Happiness and Value portal – www.sambhav.up.gov.in platform/portal that will monitor public grievances, programs, schemes, projects and policies of Urban Development and Energy Departments of Uttar Pradesh government effectively and transparently.
• Redcliffe Labs, a unit of Redcliffe Lifetech in the U.S., has come up with its first commercial drone flight in Uttarakhand in the India healthcare sector.
• Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated & laid foundation stones of various infrastructure projects worth Rs.1180 crore in Arunachal Pradesh during a public meeting at Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.
• According to the data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows into India contracted marginally by 1 percent to USD 58.77 billion during 2021-22.
• As approved by the Reserve Bank of India, The Board of IDBI Bank, approved the appointment of Mr T N Manoharan as the part-time chairman for a period of 3 years.
• During the 75th World Health Assembly, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was re-elected as WHO Director-General for a second five-year term by WHO Member states.
• Director of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Dr A Gopalakrishnan, has won the prestigious VASVIK (Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra) Industrial Research Award for the year 2020 in the category of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
• Business tycoon Gautam Adani, Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy, and prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez have been named among the world’s 100 most influential people of 2022 by TIME magazine.
• Walmart-backed PhonePe will acquire 2 wealth tech platforms WealthDesk  (‘Wealth Technologies & Services Private Limited’) and OpenQ (Quantech Capital Investment Advisors Private Limited) total deal is in the range of USD 75 million.

• Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs participated in the 7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting via video conference, which was hosted by the People’s Republic of China and attended by all BRICS Member Nations.
• In the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Mr Pushkar Singh Dhami, an MoU was signed between the Uttarakhand government and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to promote the renewable energy industry and other initiatives in the state.
• During the current World Economic Forum (WEF) annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, the Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth over 30,000 crores.
• Shikhar Dhawan of the Punjab Kings has become the first player in Indian Premier League history to score 700 fours (IPL).
• Shivaji Patnaik, a veteran Communist politician and three-time Member of Parliament, died at the age of 93.