National
1. A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud, is currently hearing a case to interpret Article 39(b) of the Constitution. The key issue is whether the phrase "material resources of the community" in this Directive Principle of State Policy includes privately-owned resources and allows the government to redistribute such resources for the common good.
2. In recent news, the government is planning to introduce the draft Explosives Bill, 2024, as a replacement for the Explosives Act, 1884. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has proposed raising fines for violation of regulations and enhancing the efficiency of licensing procedures.
3. The Indian central government is inviting comments on a potential ban on the import, breeding, and selling of 24 breeds of dogs. The Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying issued a public notice on 2nd May seeking input from stakeholders.
4. India's election season has reignited debates surrounding reservation based on religion. Questions are being asked about the compatibility of religion-based reservations with the secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
5. Following the tragic death of a 24-year-old woman, Surya Surendran, who accidentally consumed oleander leaves, two major religious temple boards in Kerala have imposed a ban on the use of oleander flowers in temple offerings.
6. The Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry Department recently declared a prohibition on 23 dog breeds deemed 'ferocious', including well-known types like the Rottweiler, Pitbull Terrier and Tosa Inu. This decision was largely motivated by a distressing incident in Chennai where a Rottweiler severely injured a child.
7. The government of Nagaland has announced plans to establish a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) with the overarching aim of finding a fair and inclusive solution to the pervasive Naga political issue. This decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on 9th May.
8. According to an official statement, five Indian states, such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, have shown interest in using Aadhaar-based authentication for GST registration. Additionally, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Puducherry have started testing Aadhaar identification.
9. Multiple banks, including the Reserve Bank of India, are actively urging people who receive government-direct benefit transfers (DBTs) to use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for their transactions. This program is part of a larger plan to get more people to use digital payments instead of cash.
10. New studies show that India's heatwaves are getting worse, which is a very bad sign. Extreme weather happened in April 2024, especially in the east and south. The Indian Army built two of the world's tallest tank repair centres so that these armoured units can keep working. These sites are located in Nyoma and the DBO Sector and work at heights above 14,500 feet.
11. For the sixth year in a row, India had the most number of Internet shutdowns reported anywhere in the world in the year 2023. There were 116 incidents in which the Internet was purposefully disconnected in different regions of the country, as reported by the Keep It On coalition, which is a civil advocacy group.
12. On 14th May 2024, the Supreme Court has delivered a landmark judgment exempting lawyers from liability under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. The decision overturned a previous ruling by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) from 2007, which classified legal services as fallible under the Act.
13. The government has proposed the Digital Competition Bill, 2024 taking a clue from European regulatory frameworks. This draft law aims to regulate the operations of major technology firms such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon, ensuring they do not misuse their dominant positions.
14. UNESCO's Memory of the World (MOW) program has recently added three Indian literary works - Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, and Sahṛdayaloka-Locana, to its Asia-Pacific Regional Register. This took place during the tenth meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP), held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
15. The government of Uttarakhand has realized that the famous Char Dham Yatra needs better management because more and more people are going on it, which is making things more chaotic. There are plans to set up a "Dharmik Yatra Authority" to make sure that these pilgrimages run smoothly.
16. The number of people using protein supplements in India has grown a lot. The market is expected to grow from Rs. 33,000 crore in 2023 to about Rs. 1.28 crore by 2032. This rise is a clear sign that people are changing their focus from a diet high in carbs to one higher in protein.
17. Ladakh should be added to the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This demand has gained a lot of support in recent years. Many groups in Ladakh have been pushing for this, especially since the area became a Union Territory in August 2019 when Article 370 was revoked and local government was given more freedom.
18. India recently passed the important milestone of $100 billion in payments. In the fiscal year 2022-23, it reached a record $112 billion. At this peak, an amazing $29 billion was sent back to India just in the December quarter. This shows that money sent back to India is strongly going up.
19. Both the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Nutrition have recently updated their dietary guidelines. One of the new rules talks about using non-stick cookware. These suggestions are meant to help people learn more about the health risks that might come from using these cooking tools incorrectly.
20. A notice from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to traders and Food Business Operators (FBOs) directly targets the illegal use of calcium carbide to make fruit ripen. During the mango-ripening season, this rule is enforced even more strongly.
21. The Supreme Court of India told the Rajasthan government on 15th May to close 68 mines that are less than one kilometer from the Sariska Tiger Reserve. This decision is part of a larger attempt to keep illegal mining out of the important habitat for tigers, which has been a problem since the 1990s.
22. In an important joint effort, the Government of Manipur, along with several equestrian groups and state offices, has taken steps to keep the Manipuri Pony, also called the Meitei Sagol, from going extinct. At a meeting on 16th May in Imphal, these steps were made official.
23. RITES Limited, a government-owned company and the exporting part of Indian Railways, was recently awarded a large contract to provide Bangladesh Railways with 200 broad-gauge passenger carriages. The European Investment Bank paid for the deal, which was worth USD 111.26 million (about Rs. 915 crore). It was won in a global buying process.
24. Delhi has achieved the best ranking among Indian cities in the 2024 Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, positioned at 350th. This index analyzes the global standing of 1,000 cities based on several pivotal categories.
25. A large study called "Climate Change in the Indian Mind, 2023" shows that a lot of people in India are worried about climate change. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research (CVoter) did the poll in September and October 2023. The results show that 91% of those who answered agree that global warming is real.
26. India moved up to the 39th spot on the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024, as the number of tourists around the world returned to levels seen before the pandemic. First on the list was the United States. The next five countries in order were Spain, Japan, France, and Australia.
27. The Supreme Court of India approved a change to the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961, in 2022. This change lets gram panchayats take care of shamlat deh, or village common land. But in May 2023, a Bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta overturned this decision, saying that the first one didn't take the Constitution Bench's decision in Bhagat Ram vs. State of Punjab (1967) seriously enough.
28. On 16th May, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) set up an inter-ministerial committee in reaction to a big rise in transnational organized cybercrime coming from Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos Philippines. There have been a lot of victims and financial loses in India because of the rise in cybercrime.
29. The Supreme Court of India made a big decision that said decisions made by the Constitution bench are more important than decisions made by smaller benches. According to the Haryana Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961, this was brought up during a review of a bad 2022 decision about land-holding rights.
30. At a meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2022-2023, the US, EU, UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, and Japan all voiced worries about India's subsidies for farmer inputs. Approximately $48 billion in handouts were given to India to help pay for things like power, irrigation, and fertilizer.
31. Rainfall caused the saalu mantap (pavilion) at the Virupaksha Temple in Karnataka's Hampi to collapse on 21st May. Despite saying that repair work was already underway, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said that this event made people worry about their efforts to protect the site.
32. The government of Kerala has said that they will be making a special action calendar to stop Nipah virus breakouts, which have happened many times in the state. Because of the past of major outbreaks in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, mostly in the districts of Kozhikode and Ernakulam, the state government is working harder to reduce this health risk.
33. A new low-pressure area has been found over the southwest and adjacent west central Bay of Bengal as of 22nd May 2024, early in the morning. From what the IMD can tell, this storm will move northeast and is likely to turn into a depression by 24th May. After that, the storm is likely to get stronger as it stays on the same path.
34. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) recently put out a very important statement that aims to make health insurance services in India more efficient and effective. This change is meant to make the cashless claim process easier and faster for policyholders and to make insurance companies follow strict reaction times.
35. India is rapidly urbanizing, which is causing a big change in the country's population. By 2047, it is expected that over half of the people will live in cities. It's important to make big investments, says the World Bank. They say that basic urban infrastructure needs will cost about $840 billion over the next 15 years.
36. In order to encourage more people to make diamonds in India, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman's 2023-24 Budget included big benefits like lowering the taxes on diamond seeds used to make lab-grown diamonds. Furthermore, IIT Madras was given a grant of Rs. 242 crore to create the India Centre for Lab Grown Diamonds (InCent-LGD), which will help study in the area of lab-grown diamonds (LGDs).
37. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) finished the rules for setting up a self-regulatory organization (SRO) for the growing fintech industry in 2023. This is better than the draft guidelines that were first suggested in January, after hearing from people in the business.
38. New Rise in the Price of Nvidia's Stock market value rose sharply on 28th May, when its stocks hit a new high. They are now worth almost as much as Apple's. The value of the company’s shares went up by 6%, making the stock price $1,128 and the market capitalization of the company about $2.8 trillion.
39. The Tata Group, Adar Poonawalla's Serum Institute of India (SII), and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) were named by TIME magazine as some of the most important companies in the world in 2024. This recognition shows how important these Indian companies are on a world scale and how innovative they are.
40. A company called Agnikul Cosmos, which was started at IIT Madras, made history on 30th May 2024, by safely launching "Agnibaan - SOrTeD," the world's first rocket powered by a fully 3D-printed engine. This important event happened at Sriharikota from India's first privately built launchpad, called "Dhanush".
International
1. The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved the renovation of the Kankesanthurai Port (KKS Port) in the Northern Province, with India agreeing to grant the entire estimated cost of the project, amounting to USD 61.5 million. The decision highlights India's commitment to enhancing regional cooperation and supporting Sri Lanka's infrastructure development.
2. The European Union, led by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, has pledged $1 billion in aid to Lebanon. Announced during her visit to Lebanon on 2nd May 2024, this commitment aims to bolster the country's socio-economic stability, grappling with a profound economic crisis since late 2019.
3. On 3rd May 2024, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated a proposal to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. This proposal, backed by the Justice Department, aligns with President Joe Biden's directive to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Attorney General to review marijuana's classification.
4. Archaeologists have recently discovered a 7000-year-old pre-historic settlement near the Tamis River in northeastern Serbia. The settlement is believed to date back to the late Neolithic period and spans roughly 11-13 hectares, surrounded by four to six ditches.
5. On 3rd May 2024, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the global arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), entered into its first international agreement with the Bank of Namibia.
6. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has accused U.S. tech giant Apple of using "blood minerals" sourced from the country's war-torn eastern region in its products. In letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook, lawyers representing the DRC alleged that the company purchases minerals illegally transported from the DRC to Rwanda, where their origins are concealed before entering the global technology supply chain.
7. A series of COVID-19 variants within the Omicron JN.1 lineage, known as FLiRT, including the KP.2 and KP 1.1 variants, is rapidly spreading in the United States, exhibiting new mutations which increase their contagiousness.
8. Russia's Defence Ministry has recently announced its decision to conduct exercises simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons. This announcement came shortly after senior Western officials made statements about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which Russia described as provocative.
9. Jose Raul Mulino, a conservative candidate and former Minister of Public Security, was declared the winner of the presidential election in Panama on 5th May 2024. He secured 34% of the vote, outpacing his closest rival, Ricardo Lombana, who received 25%.
10. Thailand has recently extended a visa exemption initiative for tourists from India and Taiwan, now effective until 11th November 2024. This decision, announced by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, follows a government meeting aiming to encourage more foreign visitors.
11. On 7th May 2024, Vladimir Putin has been inaugurated as the President of Russia for a historic fifth term. This followed a March election victory categorised by significant control over electoral proceedings. Despite broad international criticism regarding electoral fairness and an outright boycott of the inauguration by many Western nations.
12. The 3rd Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) held recently was a resounding success, attracting global investors and facilitating deals worth $26.6 billion. More than 2,500 participants from 93 countries attended, underscoring Uzbekistan's growing appeal as an investment destination.
13. On 7th May, the European Union formally adopted groundbreaking legislation designed to combat violence against women across its 27 member states. This legislation includes measures against forced marriages, female genital mutilation, and cyber violence, marking a significant step in enhancing women's rights and safety within the EU.
14. Dubai has launched an innovative Gaming Visa, spearheaded by Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, aiming to transform the city into a global gaming hub by attracting 30,000 game developers by 2033.
15. India has completed the withdrawal of its military personnel from the Maldives, an action that fulfils one of President Mohamed Muizzu's major campaign promises. This event marks a notable shift in Indo-Maldivian relations, especially considering his perceived pro-China stance. The final batch of troops left the Maldives a day before the deadline of 10th May 2024.
16. On 10th May 2024, the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of a resolution supporting Palestine's bid for full membership in the UN. The resolution was passed with 143 votes in support, nine against, and 25 abstentions.
17. Recently, Afghanistan was hit by severe flash floods following torrential rains, resulting in a tragic loss of life and extensive property damage. The most affected area was the northern province of Baghlan, where it was reported that more than 150 individuals lost their lives in a single day, with pervasive destruction across the province.
18. India is soon expected to sign a 10-year management agreement for Chabahar Port in Iran. This development is part of India's strategic effort to enhance connectivity with Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the broader Eurasian region. Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is scheduled to attend the signing ceremony in Iran.
19. Russian President Vladimir Putin has nominated Andrei Removich Belousov as the new defence minister. Belousov, a civilian with extensive background in economics, has been chosen for this significant military role over two years into the conflict with Ukraine.
20. The mosquito-borne disease known as West Nile Virus (WNV) has recently made headlines in Kerala. Twelve confirmed cases and four suspected cases have been reported in the southern state in the past several weeks. The health minister, Veena George, and other officials have increased their vigilance and promised to take action to contain the disease and treat those who are sick.
21. Kenya has had a serious cholera outbreak recently. This is because of the long rains, which destroyed sanitation facilities and contaminated water sources. The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) have both reported cases and told the people what they should do to stay safe.
22. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the US government is looking into Amazon's self-driving robot cab unit, Zoox. This comes after two cases in which the robotaxis suddenly slowed down and was hit from behind by motorcyclists. One rider and a Zoox vehicle operator were slightly hurt in the accidents, which happened during the day.
23. In response to the catastrophic floods affecting Kenya, the Government of India has dispatched its second tranche of humanitarian assistance, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on 14th May 2024. This aid includes essential supplies to aid flood victims.
24. China and Pakistan recently talked about their long-term plans for growth. These plans include changing the route of the Karakoram Highway and making other important CPEC projects better. In these talks, Liu Jianchao of the Communist Party of China met with Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who is the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan.
25. Georgia's parliament passed a controversial "foreign agents" bill on 14th May, despite strong opposition from within the country and from around the world. The bill says that news outlets, NGOs, and other groups that get more than 20% of their money from outside the United States must register as "foreign agents".
26. A researcher named Nature Desai recently shared on the social media site X information about how China is building roads in the Himalayas. Satellite images back up Desai's research, which shows that a road is being built across the Aghil Pass at an elevation of 4,805 m that goes to the lower Shaksgam Valley.
27. The Canadian government put a limit on the number of foreign students it would accept in January. This had a big effect on people from India and other countries who wanted to study there. The goal of this two-year strategy is to control the high number of immigrants who have put a strain on local resources.
28. Japan and the US recently decided to work together to make interceptors that can shoot down hypersonic missiles. A contract worth more than $3 billion was signed between the two countries to make this deal official. The idea came from a meeting in August at Camp David, where South Korea was also present.
29. Pakistan did a successful test launch of the "Fatah-II" guided multi-launch rocket system. Pakistan's weaponry is getting better, and this event is a big step in that direction. The Fatah-II rocket system was made to hit targets up to 400 kilometers away with great accuracy.
30. Blockout 2024 is a new online movement that wants people to stop following celebs and other influential people on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. It became more well-known after the Met Gala, a fancy fashion show that happened while Gaza was still in the middle of a humanitarian crisis. People who back the movement criticize famous people for doing nothing about the situation in Gaza.
31. A recent study has revealed an important new fact about how the ancient Egyptian pyramids were built. Scientists discovered proof of a previously hidden branch of the Nile River that was about 64 kilometers long and flowed near the Giza pyramid complex and more than 30 other pyramids.
32. Introducing the Blue Residency card in 2023 was a big step for the United Arab Emirates to show its dedication to protecting the environment. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, announced this new visa program that gives people who have made outstanding efforts to protect the environment the chance to live there for 10 years.
33. The new Dutch government, which is run by Geert Wilder's nationalist Party for Freedom (PVV), wants to break the rules set by the European Union for immigration. This choice was made after Wilders won the recent elections and formed an alliance with three other right-wing parties.
34. As worries about how social media sites might make people addicted grow, the European Union has recently started an investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. and their goods, like Facebook and Instagram. This move is meant to deal with and control the social problems that come with using these sites too much.
35. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently confirmed 46 cases of cryptosporidiosis in the Brixham area of south Devon. More than 100 other people have also reported identical symptoms. The Cryptosporidium parasite that is found in the local drinking water is linked to the spread. Other cases of diarrhea and vomiting in the area are still being looked into, and more proven cases are likely to come up.
36. In its second edition study on salt benchmarks across several dietary categories, the World Health Organization (WHO) has found a major public health problem. The study shows a strong link between eating a lot of sodium and serious health problems, like a higher chance of heart disease and dying early from a bad diet.
37. Campo is a small town in California. Its owner, Las Vegas real estate investor John Ray, has put it up for sale for $6.6 million. The sale includes more than 20 buildings, both residential and business, and is close to the Mexican border, about 50 miles southeast of San Diego.
38. Recently, Armenia and Azerbaijan came to a deal on several border areas in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that were being disputed. This agreement is a big step toward ending problems that have been going on for decades.
39. Recently, the European Union has become more careful about the generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that big tech companies like Microsoft use. This is because these technologies could be dangerous during the EU polls, which are coming up from 6th June to 9th June across the 27-member bloc.
40. Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Amina Mohammed stressed at a hearing with many stakeholders how important it is to finish the international pandemic treaty as soon as possible. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a growing threat to health worldwide, is a big reason why this is so important.
41. In April 2024, health officials from 14 Eastern African countries met in Kenya to start two big public health projects with help from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Two of these projects are RISLNET (the Eastern Africa Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network) and the Eastern Africa Regional Cholera Taskforce.
42. A yacht was sunk by orcas in May 2024, 22.5 kilometers off the coast of Morocco in the Strait of Gibraltar. Two crew members were saved in a dramatic escape. This is not the first time something like this has happened. In November 2023, orcas attacked the stern of a yacht for almost 45 minutes, causing the boat to sink near the Tanger Med port.
43. The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is thinking about making changes to the Graduate Route Visa (GRV) program. GRVs should only be given to the "best and brightest," according to the proposal. This is meant to cut down on the number of foreign students overall and especially on the false information spread by education recruitment agents.
44. Ed Dwight, who was America's first Black astronaut candidate, made a historic trip into space on 19th May with Jeff Bezos's company, Blue Origin. This event was a big deal because it happened 60 years after he was first suggested for NASA's astronaut corps. Dwight set a new record as the oldest person to fly to space when he felt weightless for a few minutes. He was 90 years old.
45. Researchers at the University of New Mexico have found microplastics in the testicles of both people and dogs. This is a very important finding. This has brought to light a new way that pollution affects the environment-it can even affect the way people reproduce.
46. The Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other important leaders were in a helicopter that crashed in East Azerbaijan province on 19th May 2024. Search and rescue efforts were made harder by bad weather and darkness, which is why Iran asked the European Union for help.
47. A new study called "From Resistance to Resilience: Reinforcing the Response to Antimicrobial Resistance" was released by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA). This report, which was released in collaboration with Airfinity, looks ahead to 2033 to see how the antibiotic research pipeline might change.
48. Antibiotic resistance is a major public health problem around the world. It happens when bacteria become resistant to medicines, making infections hard to treat. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently changed the Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (BPPL). This is an important step that shows they are serious about solving the problem.
49. China started large-scale military training near Taiwan soon after William Lai Ching-te became president of Taiwan on 20th May, 2024, under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). In his inauguration speech, Lai promised to protect Taiwan's freedom and told China to stop making military threats.
50. The independent investigation into the contaminated blood scandal in the UK is set to release its findings in May 2024. People in the National Health Service (NHS) say that this incident is one of the worst cases of bad care in their history. The British government plans to give more than £10 billion to people who got HIV or hepatitis from tainted blood products in the 1970s and 1980s as compensation.
51. Since 7th October, when Hamas began a major attack, Israel has stepped up its military operations in Gaza against Hamas, causing a humanitarian crisis. The Rafah crossing from Egypt, which is a key way for aid to get in, is still closed because of the ongoing fighting.
52. Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321, which was going from London to Singapore on 21st May, 2024, ran into bad weather over Myanmar's Irrawaddy Basin. About 10 hours into the flight, during lunch service, the Boeing 777-300ER started moving very quickly and violently. 71 people were hurt, and a 73-year-old British tourist died because the event may have made his heart condition worse.
53. Recent news reports say that Spain, Ireland, and Norway plan to formally declare Palestine as a state on 28th May. A lot of people see this move as a sign that the Palestinians are standing up for themselves internationally and that it is in response to the humanitarian situation in Gaza that has been made worse by Israel's military actions.
54. China has started using a new large language model (LLM) that is based on the political ideas of Chinese President Xi Jinping. It is officially called "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era". This plan includes detailed instructions on how to follow China's political, social, and economic rules.
55. A child who came back to Victoria from India in March was the first person in Australia to get the H5N1 bird flu. The child had a serious sickness, but now fully better. Victoria's chief health officer confirmed that there have been no more cases tied to this incident. This shows how rare it is for this strain to be passed from person to person.
56. Recently, Canadian universities and colleges changed the requirements for admission. One big change was that you don't have to have completed 16 years of schooling to take postgraduate classes. This move is especially good for Indian kids who want to go to college.
57. There is a lot of attention on India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) because it needs to follow the Paris Principles to keep its accreditation standing with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). This kind of approval is very important for India's ability to speak and vote at the UN Human Rights Council.
58. The Maldives wants to make its own currency, the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR), stronger, so it has announced plans to accept India's RuPay payment service. This is a step forward in working together financially, even though there have been political problems between India and the Maldives lately because President Mohamed Muizzu supported China.
59. Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against OpenAI for using her voice without her permission brings up an important question in the age of artificial intelligence (AI): who owns one's voice and who can use it without permission. This is a problem that affects public figures all over the world, not just celebrities like Scarlett Johansson.
60. It was reviewed by the UK's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in May 2024, and they said that the Graduate Route Visa (GRV) should stay the same. This choice is in line with what stakeholders think because they value the GRV for making it easier to find work in the UK after graduation.
61. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said that things have calmed down in Kharkiv, which is one of the main targets of the ongoing war with Russia. When Zelenskyy went to this important city in northeastern Ukraine, close to the border with Russia, he talked about the ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks and reported that Russia was constantly bombing the city.
62. The 194 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) are about to finish two years of talks in Geneva on new rules for how to respond to a pandemic. The main goal of these talks is to strengthen global defences against future pandemics. These talks were sparked by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which killed millions of people around the world.
63. New studies and suggestions show that breastfeeding should be seen as an environmentally friendly practice that helps the economy grow and is good for long-term development. As worries about the health effects and damage to the environment from commercial milk formulas grow, researchers in global health are pushing for the value of women's nursing to be added to GDP and considered as possible "carbon offsets".
64. According to a study from the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a big drop in life expectancy around the world. The results show that the average life expectancy is now 71.4 years, which is much lower than in previous years and the lowest level since 2012.
65. The Philippines recently made major changes to its laws that allow foreign medical students, including those from India, to work as doctors in the Philippines after they graduate with a Doctor of Medicine degree. Because of this change, there will be 25 to 30 percent more Indian students in the Philippines.
66. With help from China, Myanmar's junta is starting up again the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project that was put on hold before. This move is a big change in policy from when it was first put on hold in 2011 because of strong public opposition. The project is on the Ayeyarwady river in northern Kachin state.
67. Pakistan has confirmed the third case of polio this year, showing that getting rid of the poliovirus is still hard. The most recent person to get sick is a 12-year-old girl from the Kili Malak Haqdad area of Balochistan's Killa Abdullah district.
68. The Indian Central Government gave the state of Kerala a lot of money at the end of May 2024 to help it deal with its economic problems. The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology told everyone about this change in a public post on platform X. Up until December 2024, the Centre has let Kerala borrow up to Rs. 21,253 crores.
69. Zimbabwe recently tried to get their economy back on track, which is why they made a new currency in April called the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG). As a result of major economic problems and the failure of earlier currencies, this is the sixth attempt in 15 years to create a national currency.
70. Six NATO countries-Finland, Norway, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania-are planning to build a coordinated drone defence system because of increased security worries and tensions along their borders with Russia. The goal of this project, which is often called the "drone wall," is to make the border safer from possible threats like military provocations and drug trafficking.
71. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is in charge of keeping an eye on nuclear issues for the UN, recently released a secret report that said Iran has greatly increased the amount of uranium it enriches. The most recent information shows that Iran has 142.1 kilograms of uranium refined to 60% purity.
72. The Philippines is taking steps to make divorce legal, which is a big change in policy. Representative Edcel Lagman pushed for this bill to become law in the House of Representatives, which it recently passed. The Bill's goal is to give people who are stuck in violent or dysfunctional marriages legal freedom. It will now go to the Senate for further approval.
73. Thailand has begun the process of holding its first election for the Senate since the military took over in 2014. The previous Senate, which was put together after the coup, finished its term in May. Over 48,000 people applied for the 200 open Senate seats, which are usually filled by people who support the military and the royalist program.
74. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will add a new requirement to all applications for guest visas. Now, supporting papers sent with applications must be in English or have certified translations with them if they were written in a language other than English.
75. "One Person, One File" (OPOF) is a program suggested by the government of Shanghai that would make digital surveillance and censorship much stricter in China. According to experts, the plan includes installing more facial recognition cameras and making detailed personal profiles for every resident. This is an example of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) unprecedented attempt to control and watch the people.
76. The Dubai Gaming Visa was just made available as part of the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033 (DPG 2033). The goal of this project is to make Dubai a major player in the world gaming market by 2033. The visa is meant to bring in talented gamers, content makers, and experts from all over the world.
77. While dengue fever used to only happen in tropical areas, there are now an alarmingly high number of cases in both those areas and other places, like the US and Europe. This rise in dengue cases is a growing global health issue. It is thought to be caused by climate change and changes in how people travel around the world.
78. The Swedish government just recently said that it would be sending a lot more troops to help Ukraine fight Russia. As part of this help, Sweden is giving Ukraine two advanced radar surveillance and command aircraft. This shows how important Sweden is to strengthening Ukraine's defences.
79. The International Labour Organization (ILO) recently said that the rate of unemployment around the world will settle at 4.9% in 2024, a small drop from the previous year. This increase is a big change from earlier predictions, which called for a rise to 5.2%.
Defence
1. The Indian Navy has launched the sixth barge of the LSAM 16 (Yard 130) series, named 'Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 20 (Yard 130),' built by a private firm, Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, in Thane, Maharashtra. The launch ceremony took place recently, at the launch site of Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd and was presided over by Madhusudan Bhui, INAS, GM NAD (Karanja).
2. The Border Security Force (BSF) has introduced new guidelines outlined by the Directorate General (DG) for non-gazetted officers in the force with the aim of improving job satisfaction.
3. The Indian Navy has initiated a modernisation programme to enhance the life, maintenance support, and capability of its warships by converting their propulsion systems from steam to diesel. The Ministry of Defence had signed a contract worth Rs. 313.42 crore with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) on 16th October 2023 to commence the mid-life upgrade and re-powering of INS Beas, the first of the Brahmaputra-class frigates to undergo this transformation.
4. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 65th Raising Day recently, with an emphasis on embracing modern technology and techniques to accelerate project completions.
5. The Indian Army's Kharga Corps, part of the Army's Western Command, recently concluded a three-day joint military exercise Gagan Strike-II with the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Punjab.
6. Indian Army is set to receive the first Hermes-900 Starliner drone, known as the Drishti-10, on 18th June. The delivery of the Drishti-10 drone is facilitated by Adani Defence Systems under a contract that utilises emergency powers granted by the Defence Ministry.
7. India and France are set to conduct the 7th edition of the Joint Military Exercise 'Shakti' between 13th - 26th May 2024, in the Umroi region of Meghalaya. This version of the drill builds on the strong defense ties that have been gaining a lot of strength, as shown by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan's trip to France from 22nd - 25th April.
8. The Vibrant Village Program (VVP), which was approved by the government on 15th February 2023, wants to improve infrastructure and settlement stability along the border between India and China. The goal of this project is to improve the lives of people in 2,967 villages spread out over 46 border blocks in 19 districts in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh.
9. BHISHM portable cubes were dropped from an airplane by the Indian Air Force in Agra as part of an important test. These mobile hospitals are meant to provide emergency medical care anywhere, and this event was their first test run.
10. The Indian Army will be able to defend itself better in the air after getting more Russian Igla-S very short-range air defense weapons (VSHORAD). The Army's defensive actions will depend on these systems, which should arrive by the end of May or the beginning of June.
11. Since April to May 2020, when China sent troops to the border, the Indian Army has been present in Eastern Ladakh more than before. Over 500 tanks and infantry battle vehicles, including Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles made in India, are used in this area, which is known for its harsh climate and difficult terrain.
12. In May 2023, the Indian Army set up a one-of-a-kind field tour in Arunachal Pradesh for army experts. The goal of this project was to give people a better idea of the conditions and problems that military troops stationed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China have to deal with.
13. The INS Delhi, INS Shakti, and INS Kiltan ships of the Indian Navy recently arrived in Manila. They are on a major visit to strengthen marine ties between India and the Philippines. The fleet ships from the Eastern Fleet arrived and the Philippines Navy gave them a formal welcome.
14. Hon'ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and other top military officials were there on a special day to mark the start of "Project UDBHAV". The event took place at the Indian Military Heritage Festival. This project is an innovative partnership between the Indian Army and the United Services Institution of India (USI).
15. Head of the Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan started Cyber Suraksha - 2024 on 22nd May 2024. Defence Cyber Agency of India is in charge of the event, which runs from 20th May to 21st May. To protect India from new cyber threats, General Chauhan stressed how important it was to improve the country's cyber defence system.
16. Since 2019, the Indian government has taken big steps to reorganize its military to make operations run more smoothly by suggesting the creation of integrated theatre commands. The goal of this plan is to bring the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force together under one set of commands so that military operations can be coordinated based on common threats and battle zones.
17. The Indian government started the Agnipath plan in June 2022. It was a new way to hire people for the Armed Forces. People who are hired as Agniveers are in service for four years. Up to 25% of these people are given the option to continue their work after the project is over, based on their performance and the needs of the organization.
18. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has decided that Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande will stay in his job until 30th June. The news came out on 26th May, just one day before Gen. Pande was set to retire on 31st May. This move is significant because it is the first time that a term has been extended in this way since Indira Gandhi, who was Prime Minister at the time, did it for Gen. G. G. Bewoor in the early 1970s.
19. In recent months, the Indian Army has taken big steps toward using environmentally friendly and sustainable transportation in its activities. A relationship with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), which was made official by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is a big part of this project.
20. India has started talking to France about buying 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets, which is expected to be a deal worth Rs. 50,000 crore. The Indian government gave its approval for these advanced fighter jets from France to be sent to the country's aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
21. A big step forward in India's defence was made when the RudraM-II missile was successfully tested from a Su-30 fighter jet off the coast of Odisha. This accomplishment shows how much better India is getting at making advanced weapon systems on its own.
Business, Economy & Banking
1. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is exploring new technologies aimed at creating pothole-free highways. This includes innovative development towards self-healing roads, encapsulating technologies that allow the roads to repair themselves automatically under specific conditions.
2. In 2023, the Supreme Court insisted on introducing disincentives for stubble burning, majorly affecting the perennial problem of air pollution. Reacting to this, the Central Government has directed a halt on Minimum Support Price (MSP) benefits to farmers who engage in stubble burning. This decision is informed by a goal to discourage a practice detrimental to environmental health and air quality, particularly in Northern India.
3. In response to the rising health issues related to poor dietary habits in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) unveiled a comprehensive set of dietary recommendations on 9th May 2024. These guidelines are designed to address the alarming statistic that 56.4% of India's disease burden is due to unhealthy eating practices.
4. The Spices Board of India has recently issued detailed guidelines to tackle the problem of ethylene oxide (EtO) contamination in spices exported from India. This action was prompted by the bans imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of popular Indian spice brands like MDH and Everest, after these products were found to contain the carcinogenic chemical ethylene oxide.
5. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), through its Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has recently highlighted potential misleading claims on packaged food labels. The ICMR's dietary guidelines issued in May 2024 warn consumers that labels designed to attract attention may not accurately reflect the healthiness of the products.
6. Recently, the Ministry of Labour and Employment joined the PM Gati Shakti site. Strengthening health infrastructure and social security measures in industrial places and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) is the main goal. According to Sumita Dawra, secretary of the ministry, this project aims to use a lot of building data from the port to improve workers' social security in these growing areas.
7. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), India's largest IT services exporter, has announced plans to establish a unique 'human-centric' artificial intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Paris. The announcement is as per strategic expansion of TCS into European markets, focusing on innovative AI applications.
8. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that retail inflation in India slowed down a bit in April. The rate went down a little from 4.85% in March to 4.83%, according to the National Statistical Office. Some of this small drop was caused by lower prices in the fuel and light sectors.
9. The Annual Information Statement (AIS) now has a useful feature added by the Income Tax Department that lets taxpayers see the confirmation state of their financial data. The goal of this change is to make tax filing more open and accurate.
10. The Employee's Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has made it easier to settle claims for loans used for things like schooling, marriage, and housing by adding an "auto-mode settlement" process. By streamlining the process and reducing the need for human input, this new idea marks a move toward faster and more efficient handling.
11. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made it harder for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to do business by telling them in March that they had to follow the rules for gold loans carefully. As a result of breaking these rules, IIFL Finance was not allowed to give out any more gold loans.
12. The Bank of Maharashtra grew much faster than other public sector banks in India in the fiscal year 2024. The total domestic business growth for this Pune-based institution was 15.94%, which was higher than the 13.12% growth for the State Bank of India.
13. A record amount of Rs. 2.11 lakh crore has been approved by the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the surplus payment to the Central Government for the accounting year 2023-24. This large transfer goes above and beyond what was planned in the budget and what the market thought would happen.
14. The market value of all companies traded on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India recently passed the $5 trillion mark, which is a big deal for the market. India is now the fifth country in the world, after the U.S., China, Japan, and Hong Kong, to hit this level of market value.
15. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is keeping a closer eye on fantasy games and virtual trading platforms that use real share prices to mimic stock trading. This action comes after a lot of like-minded apps became famous because more and more regular people are interested in trading stocks.
16. The Adani Group's Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) will be added to the Sensex on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on 24th June. With this important step forward, APSEZ is the first company under the Adani Group's control to join the Sensex, replacing the technology firm Wipro.
17. Four big European banks-Credit Agricole, Societe Generale, Deutsche Bank, and BNP Paribas-are asking the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to let them use a third-party clearing model to keep buying and selling Indian government bonds and derivatives. As a result of problems with audit and inspection rights, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) took away the Clearing Corporation of India's (CCIL) recognition.
18. To make financial services easier to get to and better at what they do, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das recently launched three big projects: the Pravaah site, the Retail Direct Mobile App, and a FinTech Repository. These plans came from what the RBI said in its Development and Regulatory Policies reports in 2023 and 2024.
19. ADB, the Asian Development Bank, promised to give a large amount of money (2.6 billion USD) to India in 2023 for several development projects. As part of this promise, USD 23.53 million in professional help and USD 4.1 million in grants were also given under the sovereign portfolio.
Science & Technology
1. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) have achieved breakthrough in speech technology by developing and patenting "LOQU," a novel method to generate human speech signals directly from vocal cord vibration signals.
2. Recently, the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has acknowledged in court documents submitted to the High Court in London that its COVID-19 vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, can cause Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) in very rare cases. This admission comes as AstraZeneca faces a class-action lawsuit in the UK, with claimants alleging that the vaccine has caused fatalities and severe injuries.
3. Geologists from MIT and Oxford University discovered the oldest evidence of Earth's magnetic field in 3.7 billion-year-old rocks from Greenland's Isua Supracrustal Belt. This finding suggests Earth's conditions may have been habitable earlier than thought, with a stable magnetic shield playing a crucial role.
4. A recent study conducted by scientists from ISRO's SAC in collaboration with other research institutions has revealed enhanced possibilities of water ice occurrence in the polar craters of the Moon. The study suggests that the amount of subsurface ice in the first couple of meters is significantly larger than the ice at the surface in both poles.
5. Scientists at Sweden's Linköping University have recently made a significant scientific breakthrough by creating the first free-standing sheet made of gold, which is only one atom thick. This 2D sheet, named "goldene," is similar to graphene and marks the first time a metal has been transformed into a 2D sheet.
6. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have recognized the urgent need for vaccines that can provide protection against not just one, but potentially multiple coronavirus strains, including those yet undiscovered. On 6th May 2024, a groundbreaking study was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, introducing an advanced 'all-in-one' vaccine designed by leading scientists from prestigious universities.
7. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is set to deploy 4G services nationally starting August 2024, utilizing entirely home-grown technology. This initiative aligns with India's "Atmanirbhar Bharat" policy aimed at boosting domestic capability and reducing reliance on foreign technologies.
8. In the past week, the Sun has emitted two significant solar flares from a newly identified sunspot, AR3663, causing impacts such as radio blackouts in several parts of the world. These flares occurred within six hours of each other, signaling an increase in solar activity as part of the Sun's 11-year magnetic cycle, during which it experiences a polar reversal.
9. India's leading institute for fish genetic resources ICAR-NBFGR has identified a new species of catfish, Glyptothorax punyabratai, in the Tung Stream of Brahmaputra River drainage system. It has been named in honour of Dr. Punyabarata Das, the founding director of ICAR-NBFGR.
10. The government has proposed the establishment of a dedicated research and development (R&D) unit under the newly envisaged India Semiconductor Research Centre (ISRC). This initiative aims to enhance semiconductor research that can transition swiftly to industrial production.
11. Recent research published in the journal Nature Communications has drawn attention to the significant environmental costs associated with our digital activities, including using social media, streaming videos, and web browsing. The study suggests that these activities account for about 40% of the per capita carbon budget needed to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
12. A rising trend within artificial intelligence involves the creation of 'deadbots' or 'griefbots', which are chatbots designed to emulate deceased individuals. "Deadbots" refers to a concept in artificial intelligence and robotics where chatbots or robotic entities continue to function or are reactivated after the discontinuation or death of their human counterparts.
13. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a remarkable feat by successfully conducting a hot test of a 3D-printed liquid rocket engine on 10th May 2024. This test represents a crucial step forward in integrating Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies into India's space exploration program.
14. Black Hole Week (6th to 10th May) has made people pay more attention to NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will be launched in 2026. Most astronomers are looking forward to this project, which is meant to look for primordial black holes, which are leftovers from when the universe was first formed about 13.8 billion years ago.
15. In recent research published in the journal Science, a noteworthy relationship has been identified between the sea-surface temperatures of the Indian Ocean and the global intensity of dengue outbreaks. This work introduces the Indian Ocean basin-wide (IOBW) index as a potential predictor for dengue epidemics, providing countries with vital lead time for preparation and response.
16. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of Sahul, a lost supercontinent that facilitated human migration from Asia to Australia about 70,000 years ago. This finding hints towards the likelihood of many yet-undiscovered historic sites across the globe.
17. On 11th May 2024, Earth experienced its most significant solar storm in over two decades. The storm, triggered by multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, stirred a global buzz due to its potent impact on communication networks, satellite functions, and power grids. It was also visible in the form of dazzling auroras spanning from Tasmania to Britain.
18. OpenAI, a major player in the field of artificial intelligence study, recently announced big improvements to their AI models, including the release of the GPT-4o model. During a livestream event, Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, stated that this new model would be available for free because it is more efficient than the ones that came before it.
19. At the Google I/O 2024 developer conference, Google showed off a new and useful tool that will help protect Android users from phone scams. This feature, which is powered by AI, is meant to make things safer by finding and warning users of possible scams over the phone.
20. On 13th and 14th May 2024, the 4th National Workshop on Technology Innovation in Cyber-Physical Systems, or TIPS 4.0, took place. The event was put together by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) as part of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS). It happened at IIT Bombay, more specifically at the Technology Innovation Hub for IoT & IoE (TIH-IoT).
21. The Indian Institute of Petroleum & Energy (IIPE), Visakhapatnam, and other national research institutions have come up with a new, environmentally friendly way to treat water. They call it the "Surface Modification Technique of Membrane".
22. The IIIT Bangalore recently unveiled "XoRehab," a new IoT-enabled wheelchair device that was made possible by the Centre for the Internet of Ethical Things and with help from several government and foreign groups. Specifically made to help stroke patients recover after surgery, this tool aims to solve the practical problems that patients often have getting regular exercise.
23. NASA's International Space Station recently took a unique picture of a strange hole on Mount Nemrut in Turkey, which is a dormant stratovolcano. As seen in the picture, the crater was split in half, making it look like the Chinese yin-yang sign.
24. For the sixth year in a row, India had the most number of Internet shutdowns reported anywhere in the world in the year 2023. There were 116 incidents in which the Internet was purposefully disconnected in different regions of the country, as reported by the Keep It On coalition, which is a civil advocacy group.
25. As worries about how social media sites might make people addicted grow, the European Union has recently started an investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. and their goods, like Facebook and Instagram. This move is meant to deal with and control the social problems that come with using these sites too much.
26. Adani Green Energy started a big $442 million wind power project in the northern areas of Mannar and Pooneryn. In February 2023, the Sri Lankan Board of Investment gave its approval. Sri Lanka's goals for renewable energy have taken a big step forward with this, but there are worries about the possible effects on the environment and the lack of transparency.
27. The European Commission has given Microsoft until 27th May to talk about any risks that might come with the creative AI features in its search engine, Bing. The main worry is that generative AI could be used to make deepfakes and other types of automatic content manipulation that could trick voters.
28. At Google I/O 2024, the industry learned about new and advanced developments in artificial intelligence, especially in how people and computers can talk to each other. Google and OpenAI, known for ChatGPT, have released new AI assistants called Project Astra and GPT-4o. These new assistants claim to be more flexible and useful.
29. Gopi Thotakura, a commercial pilot from India, made history by becoming the first person from India to go on a recreational space trip. This happened on 19th May on a Blue Origin-owned spaceship. Participants in the flight, which lasted only ten minutes from start to finish, reached an altitude of about 105 km above Earth, crossing the Karman line, which is the line between Earth's atmosphere and space.
30. The X chromosome is an important part of mammalian genetics that does a lot more than just determine sex. When it comes to humans, females have two X chromosomes and men have one X chromosome paired with a Y chromosome. New study has helped us learn more about how the X chromosome affects many biological processes and how likely someone is to get sick.
31. A group of Indian astronomers using India's AstroSat satellite found an interesting event happening around the black hole X-ray binary system called "Swift J1727.8-1613" in August 2023. NASA's Swift telescope was the first to see this system. AstroSat, India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, made observations from 2nd to 14th September 2023, that led to a finding in the field of astrophysics that had never been seen before.
32. An important new finding in the study of how the Neanderthals died out involves the possible role of old viruses. Molecular scientist Marcelo Briones and his team found viral DNA fragments in bones that are 50,000 years old. This offers new information about how our closest extinct relatives died.
33. Nanopatterning has come a long way thanks to scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) and Columbia University in the United States. An Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at IIT Guwahati named Dr. Rishi Maiti was very important to this study.
34. The Center's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) just sent out a warning about major security holes found in Google Chrome. CERT-In's warning note, CIVN-2024-0170, talks about this worry and stresses how important it is for users to update their browsers right away. The flaws that were found are considered very serious, and hackers can access user systems and data from afar.
35. SpaceX recently announced that the next test flight for Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, will take place on 5th June 2024. If the government gives the go-ahead, this event will start at 7:00 a.m. local time at the Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. It is an important part of both NASA's plans for a journey to the moon and Elon Musk's plans for people to live on Mars.
36. Together with mobile operators, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up a new method to spot and block fake international calls that show Indian phone numbers. This step was taken because many people have complained about getting scam calls from people saying they were police officers, FedEx workers, or even officials from the Department of Telecom (DoT).
37. A new type of iron-based cathode material has been made thanks to recent study led by Oregon State University. This discovery could lead to the creation of batteries that are safer, cheaper, and last longer, especially for electric cars (EVs).
38. The urgent global problem of climate change continues to call for new scientific discoveries and technological advances. NASA's PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far Infrared Experiment) mission began on 25th May. This was a big step toward better climate prediction and knowledge.
39. An important part of e-commerce innovation is the Foundation for Interoperability in the Digital Economy (FIDE). They just released a new AI agent called Beckn Generative Pre-trained Transformer (BecknGPT). This AI agent is made to handle business deals on its own, using Open AI's ChatGPT model to work within the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) framework.
40. Scientists from Catholicate College's Department of Botany have found a new species of algae. This is a big step forward in our knowledge of the variety in the Western Ghats, an area of India's mountains known for its many plant and animal species.
41. The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET) have made big steps forward in electrical measurement technology by getting a patent for a new device that measures voltage without touching it. This new invention is a major step forward in the field of electrical engineering.
42. British scientists have found something very interesting about caterpillars: they have a sixth sense that most land animals don't have. Through special hairs on their bodies called setae, they can pick up on electric fields with this sense, called electroreception.
43. As part of the Sanchar Saathi program, the Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have recently taken strong steps to stop SMS fraud. Over 10,000 fake texts sent in the last three months have been found, which is why this is being done. Because of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre's (I4C) warning about the misuse of eight specific SMS headers, those headers were put on a ban.
44. IIT Bombay and TCS, India's biggest IT services company, are working together to make the country's first quantum diamond computer imager. This technology was just announced and it looks like it will completely change how semiconductor chips are inspected.
45. Recently, there have been a lot of agreements between news organizations and AI companies. Now, News Corp has joined forces with OpenAI. With this partnership, standard ways of spreading news will be replaced by ones that use AI technologies.
46. According to scientists, Venus, Earth's nearest neighbor planet, has more volcanic activity than was thought before. Researchers concluded by looking at old radar images collected by NASA's Magellan probe during its time orbiting Venus from 1990 to 1992.
47. The Department of Biochemistry at the Indian Institute of Science has developed a new way to make recombinant proteins. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a better and easier-to-get food additive, is now used instead of methanol, which was previously used in the activation process.
48. A major study from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) that was released in NPJ Systems Biology and Applications has shed new light on how sympatric speciation works. Researchers have seen speciation, or the creation of new species, happen even when there are no physical obstacles. This is something that is usually linked to being geographically isolated.
49. The OSIRIS-APEX project has changed since its start as OSIRIS-REx, which successfully took samples from the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft is now on a longer mission that includes a move to visit the asteroid Apophis. In this new phase, the mission's path will be changed to bring the spacecraft 25 million miles closer to the sun than expected, making several important perihelion passes.
50. Cancer vaccines are a type of immunotherapy. Unlike vaccines that are meant to avoid cancer, these are used to treat cancer by helping the immune system find and kill cancer cells. Using technologies like DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence to make personalized vaccines has been a big focus of recent progress.
Government Schemes
1. On 14th May 2024, the Indian Air Force conducted field tests of the Arogya Maitri Cube- BHISHM portable hospital by performing an airdrop in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. This test marked the first occasion that the Indian Air Force deployed this innovative medical solution, aimed at enhancing rapid medical response capabilities during emergencies.
2. The Indian government-run broadcaster Prasar Bharati wants to start its own over-the-top (OTT) streaming service by August. The service will offer material that shows Indian culture and society while still being family-friendly. This project is a direct reaction to what people think are content problems on private OTT services like Netflix and Hotstar.
Awards & Honours
1. "Sultana's Dream" by Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was recently added to UNESCO's "Memory of the World" list. This honor was given at the 10th General Meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific, which took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on 7th - 8th May 2024, as part of the 2024 cycle. Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, a feminist author from British India, wrote "Sultana's Dream" in 1905.
2. On 11th May 2024, Senior IPS Officer Idashisha Nongrang has been named Meghalaya's first woman Director General of Police (DGP). Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma officially announced this landmark decision, noting it as a significant moment for the state, as Nongrang is also the first tribal woman to ascend to this prestigious rank.
3. The prestigious Sahitya Akademi Fellowship has been given to Ruskin Bond, a renowned British-Indian author. This honor was given to him on 11th May at his home in Mussoorie. At first, Bond was named the winner of this prestigious award in September 2021. The official presentation had to be pushed back because of health problems, but it was finally done recently.
4. The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) recently made big changes to the Infosys Prize, with the goal of recognizing early careers more. The age limit for prize winners has been lowered from 50 to 40 years old as of 15th May. This means that more people can now enter. The goal is to find and recognize new academic talent and the promise of future success.
5. Shrinivas R. Kulkarni, an astronomy professor with Indian roots who now lives in the US, has been given the prestigious Shaw Prize in Astronomy for 2024. He is known for being one of the first people to study millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and other changing celestial events.
6. India's biggest energy company, NTPC Limited, won third place at the ATD BEST Awards 2024, making it the best-performing Indian company in this prestigious foreign event. Ms. Rachana Singh Bhal, CGM (Strategic HR & Talent Management), got the award on 21st May 2024, at a ceremony in New Orleans, USA.
7. The 77th Cannes Film Festival gave Best Actress to Anasuya Sengupta for her part in "The Shameless". She is a very good actress from Kolkata. This win is important because it shows that Indian filmmaking is present and growing in importance around the world. It also shows how strong Indian women are in film.
8. In May 2023, the Cannes Film Festival showed some of the best movies from around the world. Indian producers got a lot of attention. Notably, All We Imagine As Light, director Payal Kapadia's first full-length movie, won the Grand Prix. This shows that India is becoming a bigger force in foreign film.
9. Major Radhika Sen, an Indian peacekeeper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), won the prestigious UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year award in 2023. This award was given to her because of her outstanding service and active participation in gender-sensitive projects at the UN peacekeeping operation MONUSCO.
Sports
1. The leader of the Indian national football team, Sunil Chhetri, has said that he is retiring. One of India's most famous football player's long and successful career comes to an end with this important event. Sunil Chhetri is a professional football player who has led the Indian national team and Kolkata FC as captain.
2. The 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup will be held in Brazil. This is a big deal in the world of international women's football. Brazil will be hosting this prestigious event for the first time. It will be a chance to show off its rich culture and love of football.
3. Chandru G from Tamil Nadu recently beat Jaskaran Singh from Punjab to win the WBC India National title in the Cruiserweight Division. At the Pro Boxing Fight Night in Hyderabad, the fight, which ended with a knockout in the fourth round, was the main event.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the IPL 2024 title, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final. KKR's Sunil Narine was named the Most Valuable Player and Ultimate Fantasy Player of the Season. Virat Kohli (RCB) won the Orange Cap for most runs, while Harshal Patel (PBKS) took the Purple Cap for most wickets. SRH received the Fair Play Award, while the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad won the Pitch and Ground Award.
5. The International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body of cricket, has appointed the legendary Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi as the brand ambassador for the upcoming 9th ICC Men's T20 World Cup. This highly anticipated tournament will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America from 1st to 29th June 2024.
References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com
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