NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY 2022 OBSERVED ON 11TH MAY
- National Technology Day is observed every year on 11th May across the country. National Technology Day has significant historical importance in India. Every year on this day, officials pay honour to India’s scientists for their achievements.
- This day is commemorated as an achievement of India’s technical advances, since on May 11, 1998, the country successfully tested nuclear weapons in Pokhran. The theme for National Technology Day 2022 is “Integrated Approach in Science and technology for sustainable future”. The theme was launched by Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
- It was on 11th May 1998, that India achieved a major technological breakthrough by successfully carrying out a series of nuclear tests at Pokhran. In addition, the first indigenous aircraft “Hansa-3” was tested on this day, besides which, India also performed a successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day.
- Considering the technological advancements, the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, declared 11th May to be celebrated as National Technology Day every year.
LS SPEAKER OM BIRLA LAUNCHES ONE OF ITS KIND ‘KALAM WEBSITE’
- Lok Sabha (LS) Speaker, Om Birla has launched the one-of-its-kind literary initiative Kalam website of the Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) to support and encourage vernacular literature.
- The aim of Kalam is to popularize Hindi literature and provide a platform for veteran and young authors and poets to talk about their writings and love for vernacular literature.
- Kalam started its journey back in the summer of 2015 in the cities of Jaipur and Patna and has conducted over 550 sessions spread over 40 cities in India and overseas since then.
- Kalam is in sync with the philosophy of our nation – ‘Unity in Diversity which is reflected in the tagline of Prabha Khaitan Foundation – ‘Aapne Bhasha Aapne Log’.
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.
- The former secretary for security in Hong Kong ran under the slogan “Starting a new chapter for Hong Kong together” and was the sole candidate in the polls.
YOON SUK-YEOL TAKES OATH AS SOUTH KOREA’S NEW PRESIDENT
- Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn in as South Korean president in a huge ceremony at Seoul’s National Assembly, taking office at a time of high tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea.
- The ceremony was attended by over 40,000 people, including officials from the US and China. The new president is facing several challenges, including the task to balance ties with China to defuse ongoing tensions with North Korea.
- Yoon Suk-yeol, who has called North Korea the South’s “main enemy,” offered to work with the international community to craft an “audacious plan” to improve North Korea’s economy in return for its commitment to “complete denuclearization.” The 20th president of the country delivered an inauguration speech vowing to build a nation that “truly belongs to the people.”
VIETNAM OPENS WORLD’S LONGEST GLASS-BOTTOMED BRIDGE
- World’s Largest Glass Bottom Bridge was opened in Vietnam. It is called as Vietnam’s Bach Long pedestrian bridge, which is 632m (2,073ft) long and located 150m (492ft) above a huge jungle.
- As per the reports, the Asian country has opened a glass-bottomed bridge suspended above a lush jungle. It surpasses a 526m Glass Bottom Bridge in Guangdong, China.
- The Bach Long pedestrian bridge which means ‘white dragon’ in Vietnamese. The bridge suspends above the rainforest The bridge can support up to 450 people at a time and the floor of the bridge is made from tempered glass.
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). The scheme is an innovative initiative to encourage girl children to pursue higher education and make them self-dependent.
- Ladli Laxmi scheme is a comprehensive scheme that offers financial assistance for a girl from birth until her marriage in instalments. 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. A maximum of two daughters can be registered under this scheme.
ON CLOSING DAY OF LIC IPO, THE TOTAL SUBSCRIPTION AT 2.95 TIMES
- On the final day of bidding, the insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC) IPO, the country’s largest ever, witnessed 2.95 times greater demand than the shares on sale, generating bids totalling Rs 43,933 crore.
- Domestic investors, mostly retail, were the primary drivers of the subscription. The IPO received 7.33 million retail investor applications, breaking the previous record of 4.8 million set by Reliance Power in 2008. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were lukewarm on the issue, owing to global risk aversion caused by rising bond yields.
GREEN SATELLITE PROPULSION TESTED BY BELLATRIX AEROSPACE
- Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace has successfully tested an environmentally friendly satellite propulsion system that offers a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency over hydrazine-dependent fuel systems. Bellatrix’s recent testing of its green propulsion system also signals a turning point in the company’s quest to develop a space taxi for satellites.
- Satellite thrusters use the poisonous substance hydrazine, which has a negative influence on the environment, prompting space experts to look for environmentally friendly replacements.
- According to a press statement from ISRO, the union cabinet approved two unmanned missions and one crewed mission as part of the Rs 9,023-crore Gaganyaan project.
SO SURVEY: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF INDIA AT 8.7% IN OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2021
- The National Statistical Office (NSO) data has revealed that the unemployment rate for people above 15 years in urban areas slipped from 10.3% to 8.7% between October and December 2021. Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.
- Among males, the unemployment rate in urban areas also dipped to 8.3% in October-December 2021 compared to 9.5% a year ago. It was 9.3% in July-September 2021.
- The data also showed that the joblessness or unemployment rate among females (aged 15 years and above) in urban areas also declined to 10.5% from 13.1% in the same period.
SEBI FORMED ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ESG-RELATED MATTERS
- The 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.
- 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.
A BOOK TITLED “THE STRUGGLE FOR POLICE REFORMS IN INDIA” BY EX-IPS PRAKASH SINGH
- Vice President (VP) of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, released a book titled “The Struggle for Police Reforms in India: Ruler’s Police to People’s Police” authored by a former IPS officer, Prakash Singh in New Delhi.
- The book is published by Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. This book documents the efforts made to bring about police reforms in India.
- The book provides the historical background to the origin of the Indian Police and traces the evolution during British Rule and subsequently since independence.
Current Affairs of 9th & 10th May: https://blog.o2academia.org/post/9th10thmay
