International Labour Day 2022 observed globally on 1st May
- International Labour Day is observed globally on 1st May every year. It is also known as International Worker’s Day and May Day. The day is celebrated to spread awareness about Labour’s rights and mark their achievements.
- The day aims to pay tribute to workers’ sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.
- In India, the first Labour Day or May Day was celebrated in Madras (now known as Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923. It was also the first time when the Red Flag which symbolises Labour Day was used in India for the first time. In Hindi, Labour Day is also known as Kamgar Din or Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas, Kamgar Divas in Marathi and Uzhaipalar Naal in Tamil.
World Laughter Day 2022 celebrates on 1st May
- World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of every May to remind people to laugh and make those around them laugh. This year the day is celebrated on 1st May. It has been scientifically observed that laughter tends to decrease the cortisol level in the brain, which subsequently, affects positively on the body.
- Laughter has utmost importance when it comes to lifting the mood or tweaking the train of thought that is not heading in the right direction. World Laughter Day was first celebrated in Mumbai in 1998 when Dr Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga Movement, highlighted a theory through that movement.
World Tuna Day observed 2022 On 2nd May
- World Tuna Day is observed globally on 2nd May every year. This day is established by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness about the importance of tuna fish. Tuna is a significant source of food for humans as the fish has several rich qualities such as Omega 3, Vitamin B12, proteins and other minerals.
- In the year 2016, the General Assembly of the UN declared May 2 as World Tuna Day to spread awareness among people regarding the importance of conserving Tuna fish.
Statehood Day 2022 of Maharashtra and Gujarat
- Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated their statehood day on 1st May 2022.
- On May 1st, 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into two separate states by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960: Maharashtra for Marathi speaking people and Gujarat for Gujarati speaking people.
- Gujarat was established as the 15th state of the Indian Union.
Maharashtra Cabinet approved first-of-its-kind ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank Project’
- Maharashtra Cabinet approved the ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank’, a first-of-its-kind project in India. To conserve genetic resources in Maharashtra including marine diversity, seeds of local crops, and animal diversity.
- In the next five years, an amount of Rs 172.39 crores will be spent on these seven focus areas. The project will be implemented by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board (MSBB) and will be overseen by committees under the chief secretary and the principal secretary (forests).
Vinay Mohan Kwatra assumes charge as India’s new Foreign Secretary
- Vinay Mohan Kwatra took charge as India’s new Foreign Secretary. A 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Mr Kwatra succeeded Harsh Vardhan Shringla who retired from service. Mr Kwatra was serving as India’s envoy to Nepal before assuming the charge of the Foreign Secretary.
- A career diplomat with over 32 years of experience, Mr. Kwatra has also held the position of a Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for two years between October 2015 and August 2017.
- Mr Kwatra is known to have extensive expertise in dealing with India’s neighbourhood as well as the U.S., China and Europe. He has taken charge as the Foreign Secretary at a time when India is dealing with various geopolitical developments including the Ukraine conflict, the severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka and situation in Afghanistan and developments in the Indo-Pacific.
Lt Gen BS Raju appointed as Vice Chief of Indian Army
- The Indian Army’s Director General of Military Operations, Lieutenant General Baggavalli Somashekar Raju has been appointed as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from May 1.
- He was an alumnus of Sainik School Bijapur and National Defence Academy and commissioned in the Jat Regiment on December 15, 1984. He had commanded a battalion during Operation Parakram in the Western Theatre and J&K. He has been awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Yudh Seva Medal.
- Before taking over the new role, Lt General BS Raju was serving as the Director-General of Military Operations during the standoff on the LAC, the de facto border between India and China. The two countries have been locked in a standoff since June 2020 when both sides lost several troops.
Indian Army Red Shield Division signs MoU for ‘Manipur Super 50’
- Red Shield Division of the Indian Army under the aegis of Spear Corps entered into a tripartite agreement with the State Bank of India Foundation (SBIF) and the National Integrity and Educational Development Organization (NIEDO) to establish ‘Red Shield Centre for Excellence and Wellness’ in Manipur’s Bishnupur district.
- The project ‘Manipur Super 50’ is expected to be fully functional for the first batch of 50 students by the first week of July 2022.
- This initiative will be able to create a feeling of mental and social well-being amongst parents and their children by providing quality education thus catering for a better life and evolving responsible citizens for our country.
- The centre which will be opened in Bishnupur Battalion will remain as instrumental in bringing a progressive and inclusive society.
NATO Exercises’ Defender Europe 2022 & Swift Response 2022 began
- North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) exercise, Defender Europe 2022 (DE22) and Swift Response 2022 (SR22) began on May 01, 2022, aimed at building preparedness and interoperability between Allies and partners of the United States (US) and NATO. The exercises are scheduled from May 01 to May 27, 2022.
- DEFENDER-Europe 22 demonstrates the United States’ unshakable commitment to NATO and is a prime example of our collective capabilities. It shows that NATO’s allies and partners are stronger together.
ICICI Bank launched India’s ‘open-for-all’ digital ecosystem for MSMEs
- ICICI Bank has launched India’s first ‘open-for-all’ comprehensive digital ecosystem for all Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, which can also be used by the customers of other banks.
- Anyone can use the benefits of digital solutions on the InstaBIZ app. MSMEs customers of other banks can avail of a host of services by logging in as a ‘Guest’ in the app. It provides sanctions of instant and paperless overdraft facility up to Rs 25 lakh through ‘InstaOD Plus’.
Union Bank becomes first public sector bank to go live on Account Aggregator framework
- Union Bank of India became the first public sector bank to go live on the Account Aggregator (AA) ecosystem. The framework facilitates sharing of financial information on a real-time basis between regulated entities.
- AAs are licensed by the Reserve Bank of India to enable the flow of data between Financial Information Providers (FIPs) and Financial Information Users (FIUs).
In Bengaluru, Prime Minister Modi introduced the Semicon India Conference 2022
- The Semicon India Conference-2022 will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bengaluru will host this three-day conference.
- According to a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) statement, the three-day conference is being held to advance Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s objective of making India a leader in electronics manufacturing, semiconductor design, production, and innovation.
- The conference is intended to serve as a springboard for the country’s aspiration to become a worldwide semiconductor hub and to develop the chip design and manufacturing ecosystem.
PV Sindhu won bronze at Asian Badminton Championships
- In Asia Badminton Championships, India’s P.V. Sindhu won her second Asian bronze medal after a heartbreaking three-game loss to top-seed and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the semifinal in Manila.
- She had won her first bronze in the Asia Badminton Championships 2014 Gimcheon edition. Sindhu has assured a medal in the championship when she defeated He Big Jiao of China by 21-9,13-21 and 21-19 in the quarterfinal. She has won silver in 2016 Rio de Janeiro, and bronze in 2020 Tokyo.
