Today’s Current Affairs: 10th May 2023 for UPSC IAS exams, State PSC exams, SSC CGL, State SSC, RRB, Railways, Banking Exam & IBPS, etc
Table of Contents
Gopal Krishna Gokhale Birth Anniversary:
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has recently paid homage to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his birth anniversary.
- Gokhale became a member of the Indian National Congress in 1889. He was the leader of the moderate faction of the Congress party.
- In 1905, he was elected president of the Indian National Congress (Benares Session).
- He played a leading role in bringing about Morley-Minto Reforms, the beginning of constitutional reforms in India.
- In 1899, Gokhale was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council and in 1901 he was elected to the Imperial Council of the Governor-General of India.
- Servants of India Society was formed by him in Pune (Maharashtra) in 1905 to further the expansion of education in India.
- The Society organised mobile libraries, founded schools, and provided night classes for factory workers.
- In 1908, he founded the ‘Ranade Institute of Economics’.
36th CISO Deep-Dive Training Programme:
National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under its Capacity Building scheme, organised 36th CISO Deep-Dive training programme from 8th-12th May 2023 with 24 participants from Central Line Ministries and States/UTs at Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi.
- The five-day intensive training programme is designed for designated CISOs from Central and State/UT Governments, subordinate agencies, including public sector banks and insurance companies, technical wings of police and security forces, CTOs and members of technical,PMU teams; also, officers responsible to observe security of IT systems in their respective organisations.
- The deep-dive training specifically aims at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber-attacks comprehensively and thoroughly, get necessary exposure in latest technologies of safeguard, and translate the benefits of a resilient e-infrastructure to individual organisations and citizens at large.
- The training also focuses on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies in the domain of cyber security and build concrete cyber crisis management plans.
- Launched in 2018, the CISO training is the first-of-its-kind of partnership between the Government and industry consortium under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
- Cyber Surakshit Bharat is the initiative of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber-crime.
27th Meeting Of The Financial Stability And Development Council:
Finance Minister recently chaired the 27th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC).
- Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) is an apex-level forum constituted by the Government of India in December 2010.
- FSDC is not a statutory body. No funds are separately allocated to the council for undertaking its activities.
- Objective is Strengthening and institutionalizing the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development.
- It is chaired by the Union Finance Minister of India.
- Its members include the heads of financial sector Regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, IRDA & FMC) Finance Secretary and/or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, and Chief Economic Adviser.
- The Council can invite experts to its meeting if required.
- It monitors macroprudential supervision of the economy, including the functioning of large financial conglomerates.
- It addresses inter-regulatory coordination and financial sector development issues.
- It also focuses on financial literacy and financial inclusion.
Maharana Pratap Jayanti:
PM recently paid tributes to Maharana Pratap on his Jayanti.
- Pratap Singh popularly known as Maharana Pratap, was a king of Mewar, a region in the present day state of Rajasthan.
He was the eldest son of Udai Singh II founder of city of Udaipur - Battle of Haldighati: It was fought on 18 June 1576 between the forces Maharana Pratap; and the Mughal emperor Akbar’s forces, led by Man Singh I of Amber. The Mughals were the victors but failed to capture Pratap, who escaped.
- Mughal pressure on Mewar relaxed after 1579 following rebellions in Bengal and Bihar.
- Taking advantage of the situation, Pratap recovered Western Mewar including Kumbhalgarh, Udaipur and Gogunda. During this period, he also built a new capital, Chavand, near modern Dungarpur.
- Chetak is the name given in traditional literature to the horse ridden by Maharana Pratap at the Battle of Haldighati.
- However, some Historians debate it.
- According to tradition, Chetak, although wounded, carried Pratap safely away from the battle, but then died of his wounds.
- The story is recounted in court poems of Mewar from the 17th century onwards.
- Pratap Gaurav Kendra,a tourist spot at Tiger Hill in Udaipur city, Rajasthan,aims at providing information about Maharana Pratap and the historical heritage of the area with the help of modern technology.
Central Asian Flyway: Conserving Migratory Bird
Eleven countries have collaborated to strengthen conservation efforts for migratory birds and their habitats in the Central Asian Flyway (CAF).
- The meeting was conducted by The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme/Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS).
- A flyway is a geographical region within which a single or a group of migratory species completes its annual cycle i.e. breeding, moulting, staging and non-breeding. Migratory birds from 3 flyways (CAF, East Asian Australasian Flyway and Asian East African Flyway) visit India.
- Central Asian Flyway (CAF) Covers a large area of Eurasia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans.
- One of the nine most important flyways for migratory birds around the world.
- It extends from the northernmost breeding grounds in the Russian Federation (Siberia) to the southernmost non-breeding (wintering) grounds in West and South Asia, the Maldives and British Indian Ocean Territory.
- Importance is Conserving migratory birds requires cooperation and coordination along the entire flyway between countries and across national boundaries.
- Treaty Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention: an intergovernmental treaty (under the aegis of UNEP; signed in 1979 in Bonn, Germany, and entered into force in 1983) is the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats, and migration routes.
- Major Species using this flyway Species such as the Baer’s pochard (CR); northern bald ibis (CR), greater adjutant (EN) and black-necked crane (Vu), Indian skimmer (Vu) etc.,
Nation’s First Indian Air Force Heritage Centre:
Defence Minister recently inaugurated the nation’s first Indian Air Force Heritage Centre
- Indian Air Force Heritage Centre located in chandigarh.
- This is the first heritage centre of the IAFand is spread over 17,000 square feet.
- The heritage centre highlights the IAF’s role in various wars, including in 1965 and 1971 and the Kargil War, and the Balakot air strike through murals and memorabilia.
- It houses five vintage aircraft and will provide visitors with cockpit exposure and an experience with flight simulators.
- It also houses the first IAF-made patent aircraft Air Force ‘Kanpur-1 Vintage Prototype Aircraft’, a single-engine indigenous flying machine designed and built by the late Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh in 1958 at Base Repair Depot Kanpur.
- The centre also showcases augmented reality, holograms, virtual reality, and electro-mechanical enclosures, interactive kiosks highlighting various facets of the IAF.
- The centre also has a special segment which has been dedicated to women officers in the IAF for their contribution to the service of the nation.
- An audio-visual gallery will present the journey of the IAF through time, tracing its evolution from its inception to the modern day as well as promotional movies.
- There is a section where uniforms of the IAF will be shown, besides an enclosure for its ranks and badges.
Farm Exports Data : Report
Provisional data released recently by the Department of Commerce has shown that both agricultural exports from and imports into India have scaled new highs in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2023.
- The data shows that total farm exports were at USD 53.15 billion and imports at USD 35.69 billion during 2022-23, surpassing their previous year’s records.
- The resultant agricultural trade surplus has marginally dipped from USD17.82 billion to USD 17.46 billion.
- Between 2013-14 and 2015-16, India’s agricultural exports sharply fell from USD 43.25 billion to USD 32.81 billion, primarily due to the crash in global prices, as reflected the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Price Index (FFPI).
- However, imports continued to rise, leading to a decline in the farm trade surplus.
- In recent years, the FFPI has recovered, making India’s agricultural commodities more globally price competitive, resulting in a surge in exports during 2020-2023.
- India’s basket of imported farm produce is less dominated by agricultural products compared to its exports.
- Among these imports, the most significant is vegetable oils, whose imports have more than doubled in value terms between 2019-20 and 2022-23.
- Imports meet roughly 60% of India’s vegetable oil requirements while the dependence on pulses imports is hardly 10% now.
- The value of pulses imports has also come down halved from USD4.2 billion in 2016-17 to USD1.9 in 2022-23.
- Imports of spices, cashew, and cotton commodities where India has traditionally been a net exporter have shown a rising trend.
- Spice imports going up are a reflection of reduced-price competitiveness, while cotton imports have risen as an outcome of stagnant or falling domestic production.
National Security Advisers (NSAs) Of India, The US, And The UAE:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted a special meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of India, the US, and the UAE.
- The discussions aimed to strengthen relations and ties between the countries in a way that enhances growth and stability in the region.
- The meeting focused on regional initiatives on infrastructure.
- The meeting sought to advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world.
- Among the projects discussed, a plan to connect Gulf countries via a railway network and connect to India via shipping lanes from “two ports” in the region is highlighted.
- This is meant to provide a counter to China’s Belt and Road initiative and other inroads in the region.
- The idea for the initiative came up during talks held over the past 18 months by the I2U2.
- The I2U2 Quad, works on connecting “South Asia to the Middle East to the United States in ways that advance economic technology and diplomacy”.
Space Science And Technology Awareness Training (START):
ISRO announced a new introductory-level online training programme called Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START).
- Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START), is launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- It is an introductory-level training program for students.
- Objective is To provide students with introductory-level training in Space Science and Technology.
- Giving students an overview of different facets of the field, research opportunities, and career options.
- The programme will cover various domains of space science, including Astronomy & Astrophysics, Heliophysics & Sun-Earth interaction, Instrumentation, and Aeronomy.
- It will be delivered by scientists from Indian academia and ISRO centres.
- The programme will cover various domains of Space Science, including Astronomy and Astrophysics, Heliophysics and Sun-Earth interaction, Instrumentation, and Aeronomy.
Scary Barbie : Recently Discovered Black Hole
Scientists named the recently discovered black hole “Scary Barbie,” after a beloved children’s character.
- Scary Barbie is a supermassive black hole that is devouring a star with a thousand times the brightness of a supernova.
- It was first observed in 2020 and named ZTF20abrbeie.
- It is one of the most luminous, energetic, long-lasting transient objects in the sky.
- It is also extremely far away and in a somewhat neglected corner of the sky.
- The researchers discovered it using an AI engine called REFITT (Recommender Engine
For Intelligent Transient Tracking). - The AI engine looks through observations from many different telescopes around the World.
