NATIONAL NEWS

NCRTC at Savli in Gujarat

• The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) will receive India’s first semi-high-speed train set for Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) at Alstom’s Savli plan in Gujarat.
• The event will be held under the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• The RRTS train sets are being manufactured under Make in India initiative and run at a top speed of 180 kilometre per hour.
• NCRTC is the implementing agency of India’s first RRTS corridor between Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut.
• The 17 km long priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai is targeted to be commissioned by 2023 and the full corridor will be fully operational by 2025.

NHAI Signs Two MOUs in Lucknow

• National Highways Authority of India held a two-day regional conference in Lucknow under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

• NHAI also signed two significant Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) that will contribute to enhance National Highway infrastructure and will contribute to sustaining environment in Uttar Pradesh and other states.

• A first of its kind MOU was signed between NHAI and State Rural Livelihood Mission, Uttar Pradesh to involve the self-help groups in taking up the plantations along the National Highways.
• The second MOU was signed between NHAI and AMMANN India Pvt. Ltd. Both entities have collaborated to create a talent pool of highly skilled workforce, fully trained on advanced technologies in Highway construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance.

Boeing Partners with Air Works

• Boeing has announced strategic agreements with Air Works for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of two key Boeing defence platforms in India and services for the Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime patrol aircraft fleet.

• Boeing India’s collaboration with Air Works is an important first step under the launched initiative, the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub.

• The hub aims to grow capabilities in India in the areas of heavy maintenance, component repairs, training and skilling of IAF and IN maintainers.
• This is also an important step to the government of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of developing India as an MRO hub.

PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY Complete Seven Years

• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) complete seven years of providing social security net.
• The schemes were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9th May 2015 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• In order to ensure that the people from the unorganized section of the country are financially secure, the Government launched two insurance schemes - Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
• Atal Pension Yojana was launched to cover the exigencies in the old age.

BANKING

Indian Bank Launches E-Broking

• Public sector Indian Bank has unveiled digital broking solution- E- Broking which allow customers to open a demat and trading account facility.

• E-Broking, an instant and paper-less demat and trading account opening is integrated in the bank’s mobile banking application.
• The launch of digital broking solution ‘E-Broking’ was a strategic step towards complete digitalisation of its offerings to customers.
• This will also help the bank to increase its CASA (current account, savings account).

SPORTS

Asian Games 2022

• The governing Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that the Asian Games scheduled to take place in the China city of Hangzhou in September have been postponed until 2023 because of the COVID-19 situation.

• The 19th edition of the multi-sports Games was second in size to the Summer Olympics.

• The city prepared to host more than 11,000 athletes from 44 nations and territories.

Santosh Trophy

• Kerala defeated West Bengal and won the 2021-2022 Santosh Trophy which was held at the Kottappadi Stadium and the Payyanad Stadium in Malappuram, Kerala.

• This year marks the 75th edition of the tournament.

• This is the 7th time that Kerala has lifted the Santosh Trophy title.
• Kerala Football team was captained by Jijo Joseph.

Madrid Open

• Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev to win the Madrid Open title.
• It is his second Masters 1000 crown after Miami and his fourth title of the year.
• The Spaniard scored against German 6-3, 6-1 in 62 minutes in the men's singles final.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Part-Time Chairman of City Union Bank

• City Union Bank Ltd announced that RBI has approved the appointment of M Narayanan independent director, as the part-time Chairman of the Bank for two years with effect from May 4, 2022.

•  He succeeded R Mohan who will continue to act as an Independent Director of the Board of the Bank till June 27, 2022.

• He is a qualified chartered accountant (CA), cost accountant, and system auditor. He has a professional experience of more than 2 decades in various corporates.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Satellite GISAT-2

• Indian Navy has announced to acquire earth imaging satellite — Geo Imaging Satellite-2 (GISAT-2). The launching vehicle is Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-F12.

• The satellite is expected to enhance the navy’s operational capabilities in the Indian Ocean region.
• The GISAT-2 will be designed to provide near real-time images of large areas of region of interest at frequent intervals.
• It will help the navy not only in surveillance but also operations planning.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Red Cross Day

• World Red Cross Day is observed every year on 08 May.

• The day also marks the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who was the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

• The theme for the year 2022 is ‘Be Human Kind’.
• The main objective of the day is to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.
• In 1984 it was named as world Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.

World Thalassemia Day

• World Thalassemia Day is observed every year on 08 May.

• The day is celebrated every to honour the struggles of patients suffering from thalassemia as well as to make people aware of the disease and its symptoms.

• Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder in which the body fails to create enough haemoglobin.
• During the occasion Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has mentioned people to work towards creating awareness about thalassemia.
• International Thalassemia Day was initiated in 1994 by the Thalassemia International Federation (TIF).

OBITUTARY

An Eminent Odia Litterateur Rajat Kumar Kar

• Rajat Kumar Kar, an eminent Odia Litterateur and a Padma Shri awardee passed away on May 8, 2022. He was at the age of 88.
• Rajat Kumar Kar was an orater on Jagannath Culture.
• He was also known for his commentary during the annual Rath Yatra on TV and Radio for six decades.

MISCELLANEOUS

Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mount Everest

• Nepal’s legendary climber Kami Rita Sherpa has climbed the Mt Everest, the tallest peak in the world for the 26th time to set a new world record.

• He was born in 1970 in Solukhumbu district and first climbed the Everest in May 1994.
• Leading an 11-member rope fixing team, Kami Rita and his team reached the summit on 07 May 2022 breaking his own previous world record.