Today's Current Affairs 1st May 2023

INTERNATIONAL

Sergio Pérez wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the fourth round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, in Baku. Sergio Pérez took advantage of a fortunately timed safety car to beat his teammate Max Verstappen to the victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix,

Verstappen started second behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc but swept past him on the long start-finish straight at the end of lap 3, the first lap on which drivers were allowed to use the DRS overtake assist system on the rear wing. Fernando Alonso finished in fourth place, showing strong pace for Aston Martin after issues in qualifying.

About: Sergio Pérez - Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza is a Mexican racing driver who races in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, having previously driven for Sauber, McLaren, Force India, and Racing Point.

Ding Liren becomes China's first world chess champion

Paris: Ding Liren became China's first world chess champion on Sunday after a rapid-play tie-break victory over Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi in Kazakhstan.

Ding, 30, takes over as winner of the World Chess Championship from Norway's Magnus Carlsen, who chose not to defend his title after a 10-year reign.

He and Nepomniachtchi had finished on seven points each after the 14 first-stage games played in the Kazakh capital Astana. Each won three, while the other eight ended in a draw.

For the tie-break stage of the match, also in Astana,. The contenders then played a tie-break round, in which they had only 25 minutes to make their moves, plus an additional 10 seconds for each move played.

Ding is rated higher than Nepomniachtchi in the faster formats of the game but had played very little such chess in official competitions since January 2020.

NATIONAL

The Indian Air Force Participates in Exercise INIOCHOS-23

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in Exercise INIOCHOS-23, a multi-national air exercise hosted by the Hellenic Air Force - Grece.  The exercise will be conducted at the Andravida Air Base in Greece from 24 Apr 2023 to 04 May 2023. The Indian Air Force will be participating with four Su-30 MKI and two C-17 aircraft.

Objective - The objective of the exercise is to enhance international cooperation, synergy and interoperability amongst the participating Air Forces. The exercise will be conducted in a realistic combat scenario involving multiple types of air and surface assets.  It will also enable the participating contingents to engage in professional interactions, providing valuable insight into each other’s best practices.

SPORTS

India’s Mairaj Ahmad, Ganemat Sekhon Win Skeet Mixed Team Gold: Shotgun World Cup

Shooters Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Ganemat Sekhon won India its first medal in the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup, winning the gold medal by defeating Mexicans Luis Raul Gallardo Oliveros and Gabriela Rodriguez 6-0 in the skeet mixed team event on Sunday (April 30) in Egypt. It was a second gold medal win in mixed team event for young Indian shooter Ganemat Sekhon, also a fourth senior World Cup medal, while veteran shooter Mairaj secured his fifth senior ISSF medal after the gold medal win. Notably, Mairaj and Ganemat had drawn a blank in the individual skeet competitions.

The Indian pair shot a combined 143 out of 150 in the 30-team qualification round. Their opponents, the Mexicans too finished with a combined score of 143. In the decider, Mairaj made full use of his experience to attain perfect four hits as their opponents missed three birds, giving India an important 2-0 lead. Mairaj put Mexicans under pressure and India on top as he yet again hit a perfect four in the second series. Mexicans Luis Raul Gallardo Oliveros and Gabriela Rodriguez missed three as India pulled through 4-0. Things got a bit intense in the final series with Mairaj missing two targets and Ganemat one, but their opponents missed four in all as India finally clinched a historic gold with a dominating win.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

BARC Director A K Mohanty appointed as new Atomic Energy Commission chairman

Renowned physicist and Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Ajit Kumar Mohanty has been appointed as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. Mohanty was appointed as the BARC director in March 2019.

Born in Odisha in 1959, Mohanty completed his graduation in 1979 with Honours in Physics from the MPC College in Baripada and post-graduation from Cuttack’s Ravenshaw College.

In 1983, he joined the Nuclear Physics Division of the BARC after graduating from the 26th batch of the BARC Training School. He obtained his doctorate from the Mumbai University.

Mohanty worked in several areas of nuclear physics, covering collision energy from the sub-Coulomb barrier to the relativistic regime using the Pelletron accelerator at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), PHENIX and CMS experiments at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in the United States and CERN, Geneva. Mohanty held several honorary positions in various organisations. He served the Indian Physics Association (IPA) as its general secretary and later, as its president. He was the spokesperson fort the India-CMS collaboration, director, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, and director, Physics Group, BARC. He has twice been the CERN Scientific Associate, first during 2002-2004 and again during 2010-2011.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day

May 1 is globally known as International Labour Day. But for the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the day holds historical importance and is celebrated as Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day. The day is celebrated with enthusiasm as the foundation of the two states can be traced back to this day in 1960 following the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Bombay on linguistic grounds

The day is celebrated in the two states with multiple parades, events, and ceremonies across the two states. In Maharashtra, the main function is organised at Shivaji Park in Dadar. And in Gujarat, the main event is held at the Sabarmati Waterfalls. The events highlight the culture and the traditions of the two states. In Maharashtra, the day is declared a public holiday.

As part of the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' initiative, states across the country will now celebrate each other's foundation day, with Raj Bhavans holding commemorative events, The foundation day of Maharashtra and Gujarat on May 1 will be celebrated in Raj Bhavans across the country as part of the initiative,

International Labour Day / International Worker's Day

International Labour Day, popularly known as International Worker's Day or May Day is observed on May 01 every year. It is celebrated to highlight the importance of workers and their contribution to building society.

Workers' rights have always been a point of discussion. In many parts of the world, labours are underpaid and are forced to work under unsafe conditions. This day is a reminder to acknowledge the contribution of workers to society, from providing essential services to building infrastructure for the convenience of the general public.

The root of Labours' Day can be traced back to 1886 when the Haymarket Riot erupted involving violent clashes between the labourers and police. Thousands of workers marched through the streets of Chicago demanding and 8-

hour workday. In 1889, a worldwide organisation of socialist and labour parties, Second International, declared May 01 as International Workers' Day in the memory of Haymarket incident and to promote the rights of workers. Several reports suggest that Canada started celebrating Labour Day 10 years before the United States.

 In India, the first May Day was celebrated by The Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan in Madras (now Chennai) in 1923.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Science 20 Engagement Group meeting under India’s G20 Presidency to begin in Lakshadweep

In Lakshadweep, the Science 20 Engagement Group meet on Universal Holistic Health under India’s G20 Presidency will begin at the Bangaram Island today morning – May 1 2023.

The focus of the two-day event will be to work on improved agricultural practices, greater access to nutritious food, healthier eating habits and more opportunities for ecologically conscious and sustainable food products.

The meeting will also address the interconnectedness of physical, mental and emotional well-being, recognising that all aspects of health are equally important.