Today's Current Affairs 21st May 2023

NATIONAL

India's First Commercial Flight Powered By Indigenous Sustainable Aviation Fuel Flies From Pune To Delhi

India’s first commercial passenger flight using indigenously produced Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend was successfully flies From Pune To Delhi.

Flight I5767 flew from Pune to Delhi powered by SAF blended aviation turbine fuel (ATF) supplied by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) in partnership with Praj Industries, which provided the technology for the blend.

Praj Industries has developed the fuel in partnership with the US-based biofuels company Gevo Inc., which has developed a breakthrough alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology for the production of SAF using sugarcane molasses as feedstock. The SAF samples produced at Praj Industries’ research & development facility underwent detailed testing at IOCL laboratories before being cleared for the special flight.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) - SAF is a biofuel used to power aircraft that has similar properties to conventional jet fuel but with a smaller carbon footprint. Depending on the feedstock and technologies used to produce it, SAF can reduce life cycle GHG emissions dramatically compared to conventional jet fuel.

HM Amit Shah to inaugurateD and lay foundation stone of various civic projects worth Rs 360 crore in Ahmedabad

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah commissioned 320 buses of the State Road Transport Corporation in Ahmedabad, He also inaugurated and lay the foundation stone of various civic projects worth 360 crore rupees,

Among the projects inaugurated include a gymnasium and library in the Naranpura ward of the city and a redeveloped lake at Chharodi village in Ahmedabad.

Apart from this, the Minister also inaugurated a modern organic testing laboratory for Amul-fed Dairy in Gandhinagar. Mr. Shah also inaugurated a national convention of the Modi community in Ahmedabad.

Telangana Home Minister launches 'SAHAS' an initiative towards making workplaces safer for women

In Telangana, SAHAS, an initiative towards making workplaces safer for women has been launched . The Home Minister Mohamood Ali formally launched the initiative.

SAHAS, which means Courage, is a programme that aims at strengthening the support ecosystem for women who face workplace sexual harassment.

Under the initiative, the SAHAS Microsite, SAHAS Sathi Chatbot,  SAHAS Whatsapp Number, Forum and online support facilities were launched in Hyderabad.

DGP Women Safety Wing, Shikha Goel, who conceptualised the SAHAS initiative, stated that the State has the largest percentage of working women in the country, and this could only be possible due to the positive atmosphere prevailing in Telangana. She also stated that “SAHAS, is the first of its kind initiative in the country, involving a collaboration.

 SPORTS

Italian Open: Daniil Medvedev beats Holger Rune to win first ATP clay-court title

Daniil Medvedev claimed his first clay-court title and sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown with a victory over Holger Rune in the final of the Italian Open. The match, which was delayed by rain, saw Medvedev deliver a consistent and clean-hitting performance to defeat Denmark's Holger Rune 7-5 7-5 in a gripping men's Italian Open final.

About Daniil Medvedev - Daniil Sergeyevich Medvedev is a Russian professional tennis player. He is currently ranked as the world No. 3 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals, and was ranked as the world No. 1 for 16 total weeks. Medvedev has won 20 ATP Tour singles titles, including the 2021 US Open and 2020 ATP Finals.

Italian Open: Elena Rybakina clinches women’s singles title

In Italian Open Tennis, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan won the title defeating Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 1-0, last night. This was Rybakina’s second title of the year.

After rain backed up play for much of the day, 7th seed Rybakina took the trophy when 30th seed Kalinina was unable to continue after 65 minutes. Kalinina retired from the final due to a left thigh injury.

About: Elena Rybakina - Elena Andreyevna Rybakina is a Kazakhstani professional tennis player. She is the reigning champion at Wimbledon and the first Kazakhstani player to win a title at a major.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Tea Day – UN

International Tea Day is observed annually on May 21 to celebrate the cultural and economic significance of tea or chai where the day aims to promote and raise awareness about the diverse aspects of tea, including its history, production, consumption and health benefits.

History - The idea of observing an International Tea Day was proposed by India at the 2015 UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Intergovernmental Group on Tea meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The proposal was supported by several tea-producing countries, and on December 21, 2019, the United Nations declared May 21st as International Tea Day.

Tea has a long history and holds immense cultural and economic importance in various countries. It is one of the most widely consumed beverages globally and plays a significant role in many societies. International Tea Day serves as an opportunity to recognize and promote sustainable tea production, fair trade practices, and the livelihoods of millions of people involved in the tea industry, including farmers, workers, and tea traders.

Various campaigns and initiatives are undertaken to educate the public about the health benefits of tea, sustainable tea farming practices, and the positive impact of fair trade in the tea industry.

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – by UN General Assembly

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is observed across the globe annually on May 21. The day celebrates the richness of the world’s cultures and highlights the important role of intercultural dialogue in achieving world peace and sustainable development.

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development provides an opportunity for world leaders and the common people to promote culture and highlight the significance of its diversity to induce positive change and promote inclusion. The saying urges people to celebrate culture’s manifold forms, from the tangible to the intangible.

History - The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development was established by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 2002, following UNESCO’s adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.

Since parts of the world are witnessing conflicts due to cultural differences, the day marks an important event to initiate dialogue on the acceptance and protection of diversity in artistic expression.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

NGEL and HMEL sign MoU; HMEL to source 250 MW Renewable Energy from NGEL

NTPC Green Energy Ltd. (NGEL) and HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd. (HMEL) sign MoU; HMEL to source 250 MW Renewable Energy from NGEL .

In order to realize green energy and green hydrogen objectives and the GOI’s efforts towards energy transition, NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) and HPCL Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi today. The MoU was signed by Shri V. V. Sivakumar, GM(NGEL) and Shri Girish Ghildiyal, GM(HMEL) in the presence of Shri Mohit Bhargava, CEO(NGEL) and Shri Harak Banthia, CFO (HMEL). The MoU envisages to collaborate in the field of Renewable Energy through sourcing of 250 MW RE-RTC (Round-The-Clock) power to meet the requirement of HMEL and also exploring opportunities in the Green Hydrogen business & its derivatives (Green Ammonia & Green Methanol).

About NTPC -  NTPC is India’s largest Power Utility with core business of power generation having a total installed capacity of 72 GW (including JVs and subsidiaries). As part of increasing its renewable energy portfolio, a fully owned subsidiary has been formed as “NTPC Green Energy Limited” (NGEL) which shall take up Renewable Energy Parks and Projects including business in the area of Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage Technologies, and Round the Clock RE Power.