NATIONAL:
1. CRS 2020 Report
Why in news - Annual ‘Vital Statistics of India Based on the Civil Registration System (CRS) 2020′ report was released by the Office of the Registrar General.
Key Points –
• Registered births decreased by about 2.40% and registered deaths increased by 6.2%.
• Bihar saw the maximum increase in the death rate of 18.3% followed by Maharashtra (16.6%) and Assam (14.7%).
• Lakshadweep recorded the maximum decrease in the birth rate of 14.3% followed by Haryana (11.7%) and Bihar (8.4%).
• Registration of birth and death is done under the Registration of Birth and Death Act (RBD), 1969.
2. Green Health Alliance
Why in news - The Catalyst Group has announced the establishment of the Green Health Alliance (GHA) in New Delhi.
Key Points –
• Other collaborating members are the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to GoI, USAID and Rockefeller Foundation.
• The Office of the PSA under ‘Innovation and Science @Bharat’ is establishing a cooperation platform called ‘Manthan,’ centred on the Sustainable Development Goals.
• PSA to the GoI – Ajay Kumar Sood.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. UAE president ‘Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed’ died
Why in news - India announced one day of state mourning on 14th May 2022 following the demise of UAE President.
Key Points –
• He was also the ruler of Abu Dhabi emirate.
• Previously, state mourning was observed on 13th Jan 2020 after the demise of Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin.
2. Czech Republic elected to UNHRC
Why in news - The UN General Assembly has elected the Czech Republic to the Human Rights Council to fill the vacancy left by Russia.
Key Points –
• Russia was suspended on 7th April due to its ongoing war in Ukraine.
• Czech Republic was elected for the remainder of Russia’s three-year term that ends on 31st December 2023.
• It was elected with 157 votes in favour and 23 abstentions.
SCI – TECH:
1. Scientists grew plants in lunar soil
Why in news - The researchers at the University of Florida (UF) in the US showed that plants can successfully sprout and grow in lunar soil.
Key Points –
• Moon’s soil is also known as lunar regolith.
• This soil was collected during the Apollo 11, 12 and 17 missions to the moon.
• Plant grown - Arabidopsis thaliana.
• On 20th July, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the Moon (Apollo 11 mission).
• NASA’s Artemis programme aims to land humans on the moon by 2024.
2. ISRO tests booster for Gaganyaan
Why in news - ISRO has successfully carried out the static test of the HS200 solid rocket booster.
Key Points –
• It was designed and developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The test was held at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft to send 3 astronauts to space for a minimum of seven days by 2023.
3. Green Satellite Propulsion System
Why in news - Bellatrix Aerospace has tested India’s first high-performance green propulsion system for satellites.
Key Points –
• Present Propulsion System uses hydrazine (N2H4).
• Bellatrix Aerospace (Hq -Bangalore) is an Indian private aerospace manufacturing and small satellite firm.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. Templeton Prize 2022
Why in news - Dr Frank Wilczek has been awarded the Templeton Prize 2022.
Key Points –
• He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004.
• His books - A Beautiful Question (2015), The Lightness of Being (2008), Fundamentals (2021).
• He became the 6th Nobel laureate to receive this award since its inception in 1972.
• The first Templeton Prize (1973) was given to Mother Teresa.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. International Day of Plant Health (IDPH)
Why in news - The United Nations designated 12th May as IDPH to raise awareness about how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty and boost economic development.
Key Points –
• UN declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH).
• Plants make up 80% of the food we eat and 98% of the oxygen we breathe.
APPOINTMENTS:
1. Campbell Wilson
Why in news - Tata Group appointed Campbell Wilson as CEO & MD of Air India.
Key Points –
• Currently, he is the CEO of Singapore Airlines’ wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary ‘Scoot’.
• Previous CEO-designate Ilker Ayci declined to take the role of CEO.
2. Sanjiv Bajaj
Why in news - Sanjiv Bajaj (chairman of Bajaj Finserv) has assumed office as the president of CII for 2022-23. He takes over from T V Narendran.
AGREEMENTS:
1. MOU between C-Dot and Indian Railway
Why in news – Centre for Development of Telematics agreed to provide locally and indigenously manufactured telecom equipment and services for various railways operations.
2. Agriculture Ministry signs MOU with UNDP
Why in news – UNDP agreed to provide technical support for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana scheme (PMFBY) and Kisan Credit Card - Modified Interest Subvention Scheme.
AMBASSADORS:
1. Deepika Padukone
Why in news – Deepika Padukone has become the first Indian brand ambassador of luxury brand Louis Vuitton. She would join actors Emma Stone and Zhou Dongyu for promotional shots.
STATES/UTs:
1.‘Chara Bijayi Yojana’
Why in news - Haryana launched the ‘Chaara-Bijaee Yojana’ to encourage farmers to grow fodder and help gaushalas (cowshed) grappling with fodder shortage
Key Points –
• Farmers who have tied up with gaushalas would receive upto ₹10,000 per acre for up to 10 acres for fodder cultivation
• Rs 13.44 crores were provided in April 2022 for fodder to 569 gaushalas in the state.
BIHAR:
1. Indo-Nepal border road to be made four lane
Why in news - Bihar government requested the Union to make Indo-Nepal border road four-lane in the state for a length of about 552 km.
Key Points –
• It runs from Bettiah to Kishanganj.
• Out of 552 km, bituminous work has been done in about 184 km stretch.
• Initially, the Center had given approval of Rs 1656 crores for this project which has been increased to 2428 crores.
2. Selfie points at tourist places in Bihar
Why in news – The tourism department has decided to make selfie points at all the tourist places in different districts of the state for promoting tourist places of Bihar.
Key Points –
• At present, a selfie point has been made at Pandu Pokhar in Rajgir.
• In the first phase, selfie points would be made in Patna, Rajgir, Nalanda, Gaya, Banka, Rohtas and Valmikinagar.
3. Bihar’s performance in NFHS-5
Why in news – Bihar is ahead of Uttar Pradesh and behind neighbouring Jharkhand in terms of measles vaccination.
Key Points –
• The pace of measles vaccination in Bhagalpur (91.8%) is more than the national average (87.9%).
• 85.7% of children aged 12 to 23 months were given the first dose of measles in Bihar. Uttar Pradesh (83.3%).
• Between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5, 16.7% more children aged 12 to 23 months were given the first dose of measles in Bihar.
4. Physical Modeling Center, Supaul
Why in news – The second center in the country to collect data related to rivers and study their water harvesting and flow capacity would soon come into existence in Veerpur, Supaul, Bihar. (1st- Pune).
Key Points –
• It is being constructed under Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project.
• Information would be provided 72 hours before the flood.
• Estimated to be completed by Dec 2022.
• Budget - 108 crore 93 lakh.
5. Bengal to adopt Bihar’s Panchayat election model
Why in news – SEC of Bengal Saurabh Kumar Das agreed to use biometric attendance and OCR technique to prevent bogus voting at polling stations.
Key Points –
• Before Bengal, Delhi and Chandigarh already adopted this model.
6. Sugarcane production in Bihar
Why in news – In view of the Increasing interest in ethanol production, government has decided to increase area under sugarcane cultivation.
Key Points –
• Currently, sugarcane is cultivated in 240000 ha which is intended to be increased to 400000 ha.
• For 2022, government targets to increase area by 160000 ha.
7. Lakhandei river revived
Why in news – In Sitamarhi, the Water Resources Department has revived the old stream of Lakhandei river which had become dead due to siltation.
Key Points –
• The construction work of a 3 km long link channel to connect the new stream of Lakhandei river with the old stream has been completed.
• It originates from Chhoti Bhasar of Sonvarsha block on Indo-Nepal border and joins the Bagmati river.
• The total length of the Old Lakhandei River in India is 170 km.
8. Amit Kumar
Why in news – Amit Kumar took over as the Director of Information and Public Relations Department late on 13th May 2022. He is a 2012 batch Indian Administrative Service officer.
POINTERS:
• In which country "Intersolar Europe 2022 event" has been organized recently - Germany.
• SpiceJet has partnered with which bank to launch co-branded credit card - Axis Bank.
• Which state government has organized "Utkarsh Samaroh" to celebrate the achievement of 4 schemes – Gujarat.
• Who has been named the ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month for April 2022 - Keshav Maharaj (South Africa - Male) and Alyssa Haley (Australia - Female).
• The world's oldest chess grandmaster “Yuri Averbakh” has passed away recently at the age of - 100 years.
• Who has been appointed by Pakistan as the Minister of Trade in New Delhi - Qamar Zaman.
• Caitlin Novak has recently been elected as the first female President of which country - Hungary.
• Confederation of British Industry and which organisation recently signed an agreement to set up UK-India Trade Commission - Confederation of Indian Industry.
• Which state has recently inaugurated the first food safety museum in Thanjavur– Tamil Nadu.
• Which actress has recently been awarded the 12th Bharat Ratna Dr. Ambedkar Award 2022 -– Harshali Malhotra