Current Affairs Quiz 26th May 2023 Quiz

Exp. Ayush Minister inaugurates PCIM&H ‘e-office’ and online portal

Union Minister for AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the “PCIM&H e-Office Portal” and an online portal.

The objective of the online portal is to facilitate easy access of Pharmacopoeia Monographs to stakeholders across the globe.

PCIM&H, under the Ministry of AYUSH, is actively involved in the standardization and quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathic (ASU&H) drugs, and publishes standards in the form of Pharmacopoeia.

Recent Inauguration by Sarbananda Sonowal

• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates National Mission Conclave in Delhi
• Sarbananda Sonowal launched ‘Harit Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines 2023
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Discovery Campus of National Technology Centre in Chennai
• Sarnbanada Sonowal flags off International Yoga Mahotsav in Dibrugarh
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated School of Logistics, Waterways, and Communication in Agartala, Tripura.
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated ‘Ayush Utsav’ in Kashmir

Exp. First Urban Climate Film Festival to be held in Kolkata

The first-ever Urban Climate Film Festival is going to be held in New Town, Kolkata from June 3 to 5 to sensitize the audience about the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on urban settlements

The festival will highlight the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on urban settlements.

16 films from 12 countries are scheduled to be screened, along with Q&A sessions with filmmakers in order to spark conversations about building climate-resilient cities and invite input from the public.

The festival will conclude with a special closing ceremony on June 5, the occasion of World Environment Day.

Exp. President Murmu inaugurates new Jharkhand High Court building

President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the new building of the Jharkhand High Court in Ranchi, built at a cost of about ₹ 550 crore.

The 165-acre compound of the new high court is one of the largest in the country in terms of area.

The new high court building has 25 air-conditioned courtrooms and two halls for lawyers with a sitting capacity of 1,200 people each, along with 540 chambers.

This high court was set up after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.

About Jharkhand

• Capital – Ranchi
• Chief Minister – Hemant Soren
• Governor – P. Radhakrishnan

Exp. Chhattisgarh CM launched ‘Hamar Sughghar Laika Abhiyan’

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has launched the ‘Hamar Sughar Laik Abhiyan’ in the ‘Bharose Ka Sammelan’ program at Sankra in Durg district.

The campaign aims to bring 1,800 malnourished children, identified through a survey, into the category of well-nourished children.

This is the first district-level campaign of its kind in the state and focuses on managing the growth of children through hunger testing.

Recent Scheme launched by Chhattisgarh government

• Mahatma Gandhi Rural Industrial Parks’ (MGRIP) scheme
• Rojgar Mission
• Shri Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store” Scheme
• Kaushalya Matritva Yojana
• Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojana’
• Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana

About Chhattisgarh

• Capital – Raipur
• Chief Minister – Bhupesh Baghel
• Governor – Anusuiya Uikey

Exp. Goa, Uttarakhand sign MoU to boost tourism

The governments of Goa and Uttarakhand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate towards enhancing the tourism landscape of both Goa and Uttarakhand.

The MoU is aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation in the travel and tourism sector and facilitating travel between the states to increase the number of tourists visiting Goa and Uttarakhand.

The signing of this MoU between the officials of the two states marks a significant step towards promoting tourism in Goa and Uttarakhand and showcasing India’s rich cultural diversity to the world.

This is in line with the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage people to witness and experience the rich heritage and vivid culture of India.

Under the MoU, both states will benefit from direct flight connectivity between Uttarakhand and Goa, making it easier for tourists to visit the states. The tourism departments of both states will also work on joint packages to promote various tourism products, including adventure tourism activities, ecotourism, spiritual tourism, and wellness tourism.

According to the official press note, Goa witnessed over 7 million domestic visitors, while over 40 million domestic tourists visited Uttarakhand in 2022.

About Goa

• Formation – 30 May 1987
• Capital – Panaji
• Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant
• Governor – S. Sreedharan Pillai

Recent MoUs signed by State Government

• Himachal Pradesh signed MoU with the French Development Agency Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) for Rs 817.12 crore project.
• Kerala government signed MoU with UN Women to boost women-friendly activities in tourism
• Nagaland government partnered with Patanjali Foods for palm oil cultivation
• NTPC REL signs MoU with Tripura for collaboration in Renewable Energy
• REC signed MoU with UP govt for multiple projects worth Rs 98,853 crore
• Meghalaya signed MoU with Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for MSME borrowers

Exp. India’s AI supercomputer ‘AIRAWAT’ ranked 75th in Global Supercomputing list

The AI Supercomputer ‘AIRAWAT’, installed at C-DAC, Pune has been ranked 75th in the top 500 Global Supercomputing List.

The announcement was made during the 61st edition of the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2023) held in Germany.

The installation of ‘AIRAWAT’ at C-DAC Pune is part of the National Program on AI initiated by the Government of India.

Supercomputers aggregate the computational power of multiple servers or compute devices for processing huge amounts of data and performing complex calculations.

The AIRAWAT PoC of 200 AI Petaflops integrated with PARAM Siddhi – AI of 210 AI Petaflops gives a total peak compute of 410 AI Petaflops Mixed Precision and sustained compute capacity of 8.5 Petaflops (Rmax) Double Precision.

About supercomputer AIRAWAT

• AIRAWAT is the name for an in-house cloud platform for big data.
• The proposed AIRAWAT system is a 100+ petaflop AI-focused supercomputer.
• This system is a 130 petaflop computer focused on providing compute for AI, ML and big data tasks.

Exp. Sydney’s Harris Park renamed as ‘Little India’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese officially named Sydney’s Harris Park area in Parramatta as ‘Little India’ during a special community event for the Indian diaspora.

Harris Park is a hub in Western Sydney where the Indian community celebrates festivals and events such as Diwali and Australia Day.

Harris Park is home to a large Indian community and is well-established as a unique destination for Indian cuisine, and Indian-owned businesses.

About Australia

• Capital – Canberra
• Currency – Dollar
• President – Anthony Albanese

Exp. The Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI) 2022: India ranked 103

Zimbabwe has been ranked ‘most miserable country’ in the Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI) 2022.

The country’s staggering level of misery has been attributed to the policies implemented by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, representing the ZANU-PF party.

According to the index, Zimbabwe experienced a skyrocketing inflation rate of 243.8 percent in the previous year.

India is placed at the 103rd spot, with unemployment identified as the primary contributing factor to the country’s relative level of misery.

Among the 157 countries analyzed, Switzerland emerged as the least miserable, occupying the top position (157) on the list.

Grappling with economic and political challenges, Pakistan secured the 35th position on the list of the world’s most miserable countries. Inflation was identified as the primary contributing factor to Pakistan’s placement in the index.

Economist Steve Hanke’s index provided rankings for a total of 157 countries. The index is the sum of the year-end unemployment, inflation, and bank-lending rates, minus the annual percentage change in real GDP per capita.

Among the countries ranked, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Argentina, Yemen, Ukraine, Cuba, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Angola, Tonga, and Ghana emerged as the 15 most miserable countries worldwide.

Finland, constantly ranked as the world’s happiest country for six consecutive years according to the World Happiness Report, secured the 109th position on the misery index. The United States fared relatively well on the misery index, ranking among the least miserable countries at 134.

Other countries with the least misery levels include Kuwait (156), Ireland (155), Japan (154), Malaysia (153), Taiwan (152), Niger (151), Thailand (150), Togo (149), and Malta (148).

Recent index

• Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI) 2022: India ranked 103rd; Zimbabwe (1st); Switzerland (157th)
• World Press Freedom Index 2023: India ranked 161; topped by Norway
• World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index 2023 – India ranked 38th
• World’s Wealthiest Cities 2023 List – NewYork (Rank 1), Mumbai (21st), Delhi (36th), Kolkata (63rd), Hyderabad (65th)
• World’s Most Criminal Countries Ranking – India ranked 77th; topped by Venezuela
• Stanford University’s annual Al Index report 2023 – India ranked 5th; topped by USA

Exp. K Govindraj elected as President of FIBA

Dr. K. Govindaraj has been elected as the President of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia.

He replaced Qatar’s Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, who served as head of FIBA Asia since 2002.

Govindaraj is the first Indian to be unanimously nominated as the President of FIBA Asia.

He is a Congress MLC and holds the position of President of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia and President of Karnataka Olympic Association.

Recent Appointment

• MD & CEO of Tata Chemical Board – R. Mukundan (reappointment)
• Chairman of Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) – Anil Kumar Jain
• Chairman of UPSC – Manoj Soni
• Chairperson of Competition Commission of India (CCI) – Ravneet Kaur (replace Ashok Kr. Gupta)
• CFO of Vedanta Limited – Sonal Srivastava

About International Basketball Federation (FIBA)

• Establishment – 18 June 1932
• Headquarters – Mies, Switzerland
• President – Hamane Niang
• It consists of 212 national federations organised into five regions: Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

Exp. Actor Sonu Sood Receives Honoris Causa at Apex University’s Jaipur

Sonu Sood, the acclaimed actor and philanthropist, was the centre of attention at the 1st Convocation Ceremony of Apex University Jaipur, where he received the esteemed Honoris Causa for his noble work.

The event held at the Apex University campus in Jaipur was a momentous occasion as graduates from various academic programmes received their degrees, diplomas, and certificates.

The Honoris Causa, a prestigious award, was bestowed upon Sonu Sood by Apex University Jaipur in recognition of his exceptional contributions to society.

Sonu Sood’s tireless efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic have garnered him nationwide recognition as a true humanitarian.

Recent Awards

• National Water Award 2022 – Chandigarh
• Fiji’s highest civilian award “The Companion of the Order of Fiji” – PM Modi
• Papua New Guinea’s highest civilian award Grand Companion of the Order of Loghu (GCL) – PM Modi
• France’s highest civilian award “Knight of the Legion of Honour” – Tata Chairman N Chandrasekaran
• Sagar Shreshtha Sammaan Award 2023 – Cochin Port

Exp. Murali Sreeshankar won gold at International Jumping Meeting in Greece

Indian Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar won gold while compatriot Jeswin Aldrin finished bagged silver at the International Jumping Meeting 2023 at Kallithea in Greece.

Kerala’s Murali Sreesankar won the gold medal in the International Jumping Meet with a jump of 8.31 metres. Sreeshankar, who has played in the Tokyo Olympics, holds the national record of 8.36 metres.

Sweden’s Tobias Montaller won the silver with a jump of 8.27m, while France’s Jules Pommery won the bronze.

Jeswin Aldrin claimed silver with an effort of 7.85m.

Exp. Sania Mirza appointed as the Tennis Ambassador for Sony Sports Network

Leading sports broadcaster Sony Sports Network has announced the exclusive onboarding Sania Mirza as the Tennis Ambassador for Sony Sports Network.

Sony Sports Network has also launched a campaign called Home of Tennis.

The campaign showcases Mirza, Sony Sports Network, and the three Grand Slams as a match made in heaven and celebrates her journey as she dons the hat of an expert after retiring from playing tennis.

The first film talks about Mirza exclusively partnering with Sony Sports Network.

The second film is Mirza presenting Roland Garros, Clay that Slays, to Indian audiences.

The third film will showcase Sony Sports Network as the Home to Tennis with all three Grand Slams – Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open, presented by the Tennis Ace.

The fourth film with Mirza will be a teaser for the US Open, which is a Glam Slam and will launch in August.

Having won six Grand Slam titles across Australian Open (2), US Open (2), Roland Garros (1) & Wimbledon (1), including three women’s doubles titles and three mixed doubles titles, she is one of the most successful tennis players in Indian history.

Exp. Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman astronaut to go to space

Part of Axiom Space’s private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Rayyanah Barnawi became the first Arab woman astronaut to go into space.

Barwani is part of a team which has travelled to the ISS in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in the southern state of Florida.

The group — also including Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who will be making her fourth flight to the ISS, and John Shoffner, a businessman from Tennessee — will stay aboard the space station for around eight days to carry out a variety of experiments.

Who is Rayyanah Barnawi?

• Born in September 1988 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Barnawi is a biomedical researcher with almost a decade of experience in cancer stem-cell research.
• She has multiple degrees in biomedical sciences, including a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia, and a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences from Otago University in New Zealand, according to Axiom Space’s website.

What is Axiom Space’s private mission?

• Called Axiom Mission 2, or Ax-2, this is the second private mission by Axiom Space, an American privately funded space infrastructure manufacturing company that was co-founded by Michael Suffredini, who served as NASA’s International Space Station Program Manager from 2005 to 2015.
• As part of the latest mission, Barnawi and her other crew members will conduct about 20 science and technology experiments, covering various areas such as human physiology, cell biology, and technology development.

Exp. Industrialist and philanthropist Karumuttu T Kannan passes away

Karumuttu T Kannan, a prominent industrialist, and philanthropist, passed away.

He was the Chairman & Managing Director of Thiagarajar Mills Ltd.

Kannan held significant positions such as Chairman of the Textiles Committee in Mumbai, and The South India Mills’ Association.

Kannan held the distinguished role of Thakkar of Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Thirukoil in Madurai.