Current Affairs Quiz 10th May 2022 : Daily GK Update Quiz

Exp. Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Asani’ to hit Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has named the cyclonic depression over South Andaman Sea as “Asani”.

The cyclone is the first one of the year and the name was suggested by Sri Lanka, which means wrath in Sinhala.

Cyclones are given names to avoid confusion, facilitating disaster risk awareness, management, and mitigation.

There are five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres around the world who issue advisories and name cyclones. The IMD names cyclone which forms over northern Indian Ocean after reaching a sustained surface wind speed of 62 kmph or more.

Exp. Poumai Naga Area of Manipur declared Drug-Free Zone

Manipur’s Poumai tribe has declared that Poumai inhabited areas to be a Drug-Free Zone supporting the State government’s War on Drug campaign.

The Chief Minister welcomed the resolution of the Poumai Naga tribe and affirmed that the State government will not tolerate deforestation and poppy plantation in hill districts in Manipur.

The leaders of the Paumai tribe also conveyed that the community will join the fight against the drug menace in the State. The Poumai Naga are one of the major Naga tribes in Manipur.

Exp. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister launched Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the second phase of the Ladli Laxmi scheme (Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0) on May 8th, 2022.

Ladli Laxmi scheme – 2.0 is an innovative initiative to encourage girl children to pursue higher education and make them self-dependent.

Ladli Laxmi Scheme is being implemented by the government of Madhya Pradesh since 2007 to enhance the economic and educational status of the girls.

Ladli Laxmi scheme is a comprehensive scheme that offers financial assistance for a girl from birth until her marriage in installments.

Eligibility criteria: The family of the girl child should be a permanent resident of Madhya Pradesh. The family should come under below the poverty line (BPL), i.e., should not be an income taxpayer. Maximum of two daughters can be registered under this scheme.

Exp. PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY completed seven years of providing social security net

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) have completed seven years of providing social security net.

The schemes were launched by PM Narendra Modi on 9th May 2015 in Kolkata, West Bengal. These schemes have been successful in providing affordable insurance and security to people.

All the citizens can have a life insurance cover for Rs 2 lakh at less than 1 rupee a day under PMJJBY and an accident insurance of Rs 2 lakh at less than 1 rupee a month under PMSBY.

All the citizens of the country in the age group 18 to 40 can subscribe for receiving pension after the age of 60 by paying a minimum amount of Rs 42 per month under APY.

Exp. Rodrigo Chaves sworn-in as President of Costa Rica

Rodrigo Chaves, Costa Rica’s new president, was sworn in, promising to tackle corruption and rebuild the country’s economy.

Last month, he won a four-year term in a runoff against former President Jose Maria Figueres, who was also stained by a corruption investigation.

During the first-round election in February, Chaves’ predecessor Carlos Alvarado’s party was nearly wiped out, earning no seats in the new Legislative Assembly.

Chaves’ Social Democratic Progressive Party holds only ten of the legislature’s 57 seats, making him a surprise qualifier for the runoff after finishing fourth in the first round.

Exp. John Lee Ka-Chiu elected as Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive

John Lee Ka-Chiu has been confirmed as Hong Kong’s next chief executive. He will replace Carrie Lam.

He will be the first security official to hold the Chief Executive position of Hong Kong which witnessed years of political unrest and recent debilitating pandemic controls.

Lee resigned from his position as the city’s No 2 official last month to run and was the only contender to secure Beijing’s backing.

Exp. SEBI constituted Advisory Committee for ESG-related matters; headed by Navneet Munot

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a committee for advising on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) related matters in the securities market.

The committee will be chaired by Navneet Munot, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HDFC Mutual Fund.

The terms of reference of the committee include Enhancements in business responsibility and sustainability report, ESG ratings, and ESG investing.

It will examine evolving disclosures/metrics relevant to the Indian context and suggest areas for assurance and a plan for implementation.

Other Members:

They include MD & CEO of Tata Chemicals, C Siva Kumar, executive director of NTPC, Amit Talgeri, chief risk officer, Axis Bank, Sharad Kalghtagi, ESG head Cipla, Amit Tandon, Institutional Investor Advisory Services, J N Gupta, founder & MD of Stakeholders Empowerment Services, Rama Patel, Director Crisil Ratings and Ramnath.

Exp. Rajesh Unni took charge as Vice-Chair at Maritime Anti-Corruption Network

Captain Rajesh Unni, Founder and CEO of Synergy Group, one of the world’s leading ship managers and one of India’s major marine firms, elected Vice-Chair of the Denmark-based Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN).

MACN is made up of over 165 member companies that combined represent 50% of global tonnage.

50 percent of all tonnage in the globe, MACN was founded in 2011 and now has over 165 member companies that collectively represent 50% of the world’s tonnage. MACN’s goal is to establish a thriving maritime industry.

The recently elected MACN Chair Ann Shazell, Group Lead Lawyer for Cargill’s Ocean Transportation division, will be joining Captain Unni at MACN. MACN CEO Cecilia Müller Torbrand expressed her delight in welcoming Ann and Rajesh to their new positions.

Exp. Sudhanshu Dhulia and JB Pardiwala took oath as Supreme Court judges

President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala as Judges of the Supreme Court.

Justice Dhulia was elevated as the judge of Uttarakhand High Court in November 2008 and later he became the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on January 10, 2021.Justice Pardiwala was elevated as an additional judge of the Gujarat High Court and later confirmed as a permanent judge.

Senior-most puisne Judge of the Gauhati High Court Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh will perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court with effect from the date Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia relinquishes the charge.

The Supreme Court has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges and it was working with two vacancies. The fresh appointments have brought the functioning strength back to 34.

Exp. Danish Siddiqui posthumously won 2nd Pulitzer Prize for ‘images of Covid toll’

Late photojournalist Danish Siddiqui (Reuters) has been honoured with his second prestigious Pulitzer Prize 2022 in the feature photography category with other three Indian journalists: Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Amit Dave.

They won the award for “images of COVID’s toll in India that balanced intimacy and devastation, while offering viewers a heightened sense of place”.

He was honoured with the prestigious award in 2018 for their coverage of the Rohingya crisis. Pulitzer Prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer (Hungarian-American journalist).

Exp. Bengali translation of French novel ‘Meursault, contre-enquête’ won Romain Rolland Book Prize 2022

The fifth Romain Rolland Book Prize – Romain Rolland Book Prize 2022 has been awarded to the Bengali translation of the French novel “Meursault, contre- enquête” (The Meursault Investigation).

The award ceremony was organized by the French Institute in India. Meursault, contre-enquête is the debut novel of Algerian writer and journalist Kamel Daoud.

The award was presented to translator Trinanjan Chakraborty and publisher Esha Chatterjee of Patra Bharati, a leading publisher of prestigious Bengali books, during the French Literary Festival-French LitFest 2022 at Bikaner House in New Delhi on May 07, 2022. This is the first time Patra Bharati, the publisher, has gotten this honour.

The Romain Rolland Book Prize, which was established in 2017, honours the finest translation of a French title into any Indian language, including English.

Exp. Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy received British Honour ‘MBE’ for his service during the pandemic

Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy, CEO of Penlon, a world-class British medical technology firm, is all set to receive The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) Award 2022 – Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) recognition from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, London, UK.

Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy hails from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. The British Honorary Awards are awarded twice a year, first during the new year and again in June, on the date of the Queen’s official birthday.

Guruswamy led a group of companies that formed a consortium with Penlon as its hub. In 12 weeks, 11,700 ventilators were provided to the United Kingdom government by employing around 4,000 people for three round-the-clock shifts. The effort also resulted in an award from the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK.

An MBE is the third-highest ranked Order of the British Empire award (excluding a knighthood or damehood), after Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest award, and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), the second-highest award.

Exp. Indian GM D Gukesh won Sunway Formentera Open chess tournament

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh has emerged as champion in the 1st Chessable Sunway Formentera Open 2022 chess tournament in Punta Prima.

It was a hat-trick of titles for him after he had previously won the La Roda tournament and the Menorca Open in recent weeks.

The 15-year-old Gukesh (Elo 2637) settled for a draw with Armenian GM Haik M Martirosyan in the final round to win the title with eight points.

He had defeated compatriot and second-seed K Sasikiran in the ninth and penultimate round. He has now moved up to no. 64 in the world rankings.

Exp. 8-9 May: UN’s ‘Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War’

Every year during May 8-9, the United Nations marks the Time of Remembrance and reconciliation for those who lost their lives during the Second World War.

The day pays tribute to all the victims of the Second World War. This year is the 77th Anniversary of World War II.

On 2 March 2010, by resolution 64/257, the General Assembly invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe 8-9 May in an appropriate manner to pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War.

A special solemn meeting of the General Assembly in commemoration of all victims of the war was held in the second week of May 2010, marking the sixty-fifth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Exp. 10 May: International Day of Argania

The United Nations observed the second International Day of Argania on 10th May 2022.

This celebration crowns the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco in promoting the Argan tree as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity and an ancestral source of resilient and sustainable development.

The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a native species of the sub-Saharan region of Morocco, in the southwest of the country, which grows in arid and semiarid areas.

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated in 1988 the endemic production area as the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve. Also, all know-how concerning the argan tree was inscribed in 2014 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Moreover, in December 2018, FAO recognized the Argan-based agro-sylvo-pastoral system within the area of Ait Souab – Ait Mansour in Morocco as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. And lastly, in 2021, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 10 May the International Day of Argania.

Theme 2022: “The Argan tree, symbol of resilience”

Exp. 10 May: World Lupus Day

World Lupus Day is observed every year on May 10 to raise awareness about Lupus disease that can cause damage to any part of the body.

An autoimmune disease is one in which the immune system is unable to recognize the difference between healthy cells in the human body and the foreign cells it fights to remove.

Most common symptoms of Lupus disease are intermittent fever, recurrent mouth ulcers, joint and muscle pain, and extreme fatigue.

Exp. Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away

Indian music composer and santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away in Mumbai. He was 84.

He had been suffering from kidney-related issues for the last six months and was on dialysis. He passed away due to cardiac arrest.

He was born in Jammu in 1938 and is believed to be the first musician to have played Indian classical music on the santoor. Sharma gave santoor, once a little-known instrument from Jammu and Kashmir, a classical status.

Awards: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1986), Padma Shri (1991), and Padma Vibhushan (2001).