NATIONAL NEWS

52nd Reserve Forest for Wild Cats

• Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav announced that Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary has notified as 52nd Reserve Forest for Wild cats (Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan).
• It is the 52nd Reserve of India, which will conserve biodiversity and bring in ecotourism and development to the area.
• This is Rajasthan’s fourth tiger reserve after Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra.
• The notified tiger reserve includes the tiger habitat between Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the northeast and Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve on the southern side and facilitates dispersal of tigers from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
• He also announced that Ramgarh palace will encourage eco-tourism and provide employment opportunities to local communities.

India to Host SCO Anti-Terror Meeting

• India will be hosting the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO's) anti-terror body--Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure or RATS.

• The meeting will take place from May 16th to 19th in Delhi and all members of the SCO will participate in the event.

• India assumed the chairmanship of the Council of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO (RATS SCO) on October 28 for a period of one year which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.
• A major focus of the discussions was to be on the situation in Afghanistan, especially in dealing with the threat from terrorist groups.

Incredible India International Cruise Conference-2022

• India’s first Incredible India International Cruise Conference-2022 was held in Mumbai from 14th to 15th of May.

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mumbai Port Authority and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) organized the two-day event in Mumbai.
• The conference aims to deliberate on 'Developing India as a Cruise Hub'.
• The mascot of the Conference is named as Captain Cruzo.
• The two-day conference has been organized with an aim to position India as the Global Cruise Hub and showcase business and investment opportunities in the cruise tourism sector.

Two Indigenously Built Frontline Warships into Indian Navy

• Two frontline warships of Indian Navy: Surat, a Project 15B Destroyer and Udaygiri, a Project 17A Frigate will be launched at Mazgaon Docks Limited, Mumbai.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the Chief Guest for both the events.
• The Project 15B class of ships are the next-generation stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy which is built at the Mazgaon Docks Ltd, Mumbai.
• Surat is the fourth ship of Project 15B Destroyers and is named after the commercial capital of Gujarat.
• Udaygiri, named after a mountain range in the state of Andhra Pradesh, is the third ship of Project 17A Frigates.
• Mega Block Outsourcing, Project Data Management and Project Lifecycle Management have been adopted for the first time in indigenous Warship Design and Construction in this project.

PM Modi to Address TRAI

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a programme marking Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) virtually.
• He will also release a postal stamp to commemorate the occasion.
• TRAI was established in 1997 through the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
• During the programme, Mr Modi will also launch a 5G Test Bed, developed as a multi-institutional collaborative project by a total of eight institutes led by IIT Madras.
• The Test Bed will enable a supportive ecosystem for Indian industry and start-ups which will help them validate their products, prototypes, solutions and algorithms in 5G and next-generation technologies.

SPORTS

ISSF Junior World Cup

• India’s Sift Kaur Samra won the gold medal in the individual women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) like Prone, the Standing and the Kneeling positions at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2022 in Suhl, Germany.

• Sift Kaur Samra beat Julie Johannessen from Norway with the score of 17-9 in the final.

• India now has a total of 25 medals - 10 gold, 12 silver and three bronze.
• India’s Ashi Chouksey also won bronze in the event of Men’s 50m rifle 3 positions category.

AWARDS & PRIZES

World’s Best Nurse

• Kenyan national, Anna Qabale Duba has been crowned the first-ever recipient of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award.
• On the occasion of International Nurses Day celebrated globally on May 12, Anna bagged a cash prize of USD 250,000.
• Duba, the founder of Qabale Duba Foundation in Kenya has been championing against harmful cultural practices against women like female genital mutilation.
• Anna is the former Miss Kenya Peace and Investment, as she has conducted communities and champion for peace.
• She has also been recognised as the Top 100 most influential young Africans in 2020.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

11th Chief Minister of Tripura

• Dr Manik Saha, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rajya Sabha MP was sworn as the 11th Chief Minister of Tripura.

• The oath was administered at the Raj Bhawan in Agartala by Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya.
• Dr Manik Saha had joined the BJP in 2016. In 2018, he was appointed as BJP president of Tripura.
• Dr Manik Saha is a professor of Dental Surgery.

President of Somalia

• Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who is a Somali politician was elected as the President of Somalia.

• He defeated Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

• He is the founder and current chairman of the Union for Peace and Development Party.

• He has been elected for the second time, having served as the President between 2012-2017.

 Prime Minister of French

• French President Emmanuel Macron has named Elisabeth Borne as the country's new Prime Minister.

• Borne, is a former Minister of transport, ecology and labour. She is a long-time member of the Socialist Party (PS).
• She is the second woman to hold the position after Edith Cresson (1991-1992) under President Francois Mitterrand.
• Borne succeeds Jean Castex, who had led the French cabinet since July 2020.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Dengue Day

• National Dengue Day is observed every year on 16 May.
• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to raise awareness about dengue in India.
• Under National Health Mission, necessary and sufficient budgetary support is also provided to states and UTs for dengue control activities.
• It is celebrated to create awareness about dengue as well as to intensify the preventive measures and preparedness for the control of viral disease before the transmission season starts in India.

International Day of Living Together in Peace

• International Day of Living Together in Peace is observed every year on 16 May.

• In 2017, the United Nations declared 16 May the International Day of Living Together in Peace to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity across the world.

• The day is meant to signify unity in differences and diversity.
• The year 2000 was observed as the International Year for Culture of Peace.

International Day of Light

• International Day of Light is celebrated every year on 16 May.

• International Day of Light was a global initiative initiated to appreciate the light.

• It is also celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by Physics and engineer, Theodore Maiman.
• The International Day of Light is a global project that serves as an annual focal point for the continued enjoyment of light and its significance in science, culture, art, education and sustainable development.

OBITUTARY

Former Australian Cricketer Andrew Symonds

• Former Australian test cricketer and two-time World Cup winner Andrew Symonds passed away following a car accident in Queensland. He died at the age of 46.

• He had played 26 tests for Australia.

• He featured in 198 ODIs scoring six centuries and 30-half centuries while also contributing 133 wickets with his more than handy off spin and medium pace.