NATIONAL:
1. Sengol
Why in news - PM Narendra Modi would install historic sceptre Sengol next to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s seat in the new parliament building.
Key Points –
• It was given by Lord Mountbatten to India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru to represent the transfer of power on August 14, 1947.
• It was originally used to mark the handing over of power from one king to another during the Chola dynasty in Tamil Nadu.
• Currently, it is kept in a museum in Prayagraj.
About Sengol –
• Derived from the Tamil word “Semmai”, meaning “Righteousness”.
• Made by — Vummidi Ethirajulu and Vummidi Sudhakar from Tamil Nadu.
• It has a “Nandi” bull on top, symbolising justice.
2. “Total e-Governance Kerala” Declaration
Why in news - Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan made the “Total e-Governance Kerala” declaration on May 25, 2023.
Key Points –
• Kerala became India’s total e-governed state along with 100% digital literacy.
• It enables online delivery of the whole range of government services.
• e-Sevanam – Kerala’s single window service delivery mechanism which integrates more than 800 plus government services online.
Value Addition –
• Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) - First Indian state with its own internet service.
• Kerala - First Indian state to declare access to Internet as a citizen’s right.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Modi-Albanese Bilateral Talks
Why in news - India and Australia inked several agreements following bilateral talks between PM Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese.
Key Points –
• Indian diaspora accounts for 3% of Australia's population and is the nation's fastest-growing ethnic minority.
• Key takeaways –
• Migration Agreement –
(a) Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) - Mutual mobility of students, graduates, professionals, researchers, academics and business people.
(b) Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early Professional Scheme (MATES) - "Specifically created for India" to allow as many as 3,000 top graduates and early career professionals, annually, to work and stay in Australia for up to two years.
• Green hydrogen task force – to accelerate the manufacture and deployment of clean hydrogen, focusing on hydrogen electrolysers and fuel cells.
Value Addition –
• In June 2020, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA).
• India and Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement was signed on April 2, 2022 and came into force on December 29, 2022.
2. Railway Diplomacy
Why in news - Ministry of Railways in India handed over 20 Broad Gauge (BG) locomotives (engine) to Bangladesh.
Key Points –
• Aim - to boost India's bilateral connection with Bangladesh.
• Indian government has also offered Bangladesh to use the IT system deployed by the PM-GATI SHAKTI scheme.
• 5 links connecting India with Bangladesh have been made operational.
• Previously, the Indian government granted Bangladesh ten locomotives in June 2020.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA)
Why in news - A 2-day National Workshop on NeVA was organized in New Delhi.
Key Points –
• Focus – to bring transparency, accountability and responsiveness in their conduct of House business, through the use of technology.
• NeVA aim –
(a) to make the functioning of all the State Legislatures paperless by transforming them into “Digital House”.
(b) integrate all 37 Legislative Houses on to “One Nation One Application”.
• NeVA is one of the 44 Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under the “Digital India Programme”.
• Till May 2023, 9 Legislatures have already become fully digital and are Live on NeVA platform.
AWARDS & AUTHORS:
1. International Booker Prize 2023
Why in news – The book “Time Shelter” has won the International Booker Prize 2023.
Key Points –
• Author - Georgi Gospodinov.
• Translated into English by - Angela Rodel.
• It tells the story of Gaustine, who starts a clinic for Alzheimer patients and those suffering with dementia to help them recover their memory.
• This is the first time a novel originally published in Bulgarian has won the award.
• 2022 winner - Tomb of Sand. Author - Geetanjali Shree. Translated by - Daisy Rockwell.
SPORTS:
1. 3rd Khelo India University Games
Why in news - 3rd edition of Khelo India University Games began in Uttar Pradesh (May 25 to June 3).
Key Points –
• Venue - Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
• Opening ceremony - Gautam Buddha Nagar (May 25). Closing ceremony - Varanasi (June 3).
• Mascot - Jeetu (Swamp Deer or Barasingha - state animal of Uttar Pradesh).
• The 10-day mega sporting event is set to feature over 200 universities across 21 sporting disciplines.
STATES/UTs:
1. Tripura Tourism
Why in news - Sourav Ganguly to be brand ambassador of Tripura tourism.
Key Points –
• In December 2022, Tripura’s Unakoti featured in the tentative list of UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites.
• Unakoti is famously known as the “Angkor Wat of the North-East”.
• Dating back to the 7th-9th centuries, Unakoti is a Saivite pilgrimage site with marvellous rock carvings, murals with their primitive beauty and waterfalls.
2. Shasan Aplya Dari
Why in news - Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde launched the “Shasan Aplya Dari” (government at your doorstep) initiative.
Key Points –
• Aim - to provide benefits of government schemes in one place.
• Portal used – Mahalabharthi. All state schemes would be enlisted.
BIHAR:
1. Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojnaa
Why in news - 6 beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojna in Bihar have cracked the all-India civil services examination (UPSC) in 2022.
Key Points –
• SC, ST and OBC aspirants have been getting financial assistance for preparation of state and central civil services exam since 2018-19.
• In 2022, it was extended to general category women aspirants as part of Civil Sewa Protsahan Yojna under the Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojna.
• Benefit - Women who clear UPSC or BPSC preliminary examinations and are preparing for the main examinations are given Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, for coaching, special studies and guidance.
POINTERS:
• Who has inaugurated the new greenfield building of Jharkhand High Court - President Droupadi Murmu.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed no further mining in the Son river bed in which district of Uttar Pradesh – Sonbhadra.
• Who has been unanimously elected as the new Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly - U T Khader.
• Which state has decided to regularise all unauthorised colonies that have emerged before December 31, 2022 - Madhya Pradesh.
• Which ministry has launched the 5.1 version of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) to enhance the connectivity to remote areas of the country - Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• The AI Supercomputer installed at C-DAC, Pune, has been ranked 75th in the world – AIRAWAT.
• 76th World Health Assembly began in which city – Geneva.
• What is the recently budget for the World Health Organization for the next two years (2024-2025) - $6.83 billion (approximately Rs 56,567 crore).
• Who has recently launched the Sagar Parikrama Yatra Phase-V - Parshottam Rupala.
• India has achieved milestone of laying bituminous concrete over a distance of 100 lane kilometers in an unprecedented time of 100 hours. It was achieved on which expressway - Ghaziabad-Aligarh Expressway (Uttar Pradesh).