Today's Current Affairs 23rd May 2023

NATIONAL

Shri Amit Shah inaugurates Janganana Bhavan in New Delhi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated Janganana Bhavan in New Delhi, Shri Amit Shah also launched the web-portal for birth and death registration, the upgraded SRS mobile application for geofencing, and the web-portal for online sale of census publications. Many dignitaries including Union Ministers of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai and Shri Ajay Kumar Mishra, and Union Home Secretary were present on the occasion.

Census data is helpful in making the basic plan of development and providing basic amenities to the underprivileged and exploited, All-round and all-inclusive development of the country can be done only through data-based planning and for such data we have no other means except census.

Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, will now conduct the census electronically, in which every person will have the right to fill the data, it will be verified and audited and it will include more than 35 parameters of socio-economic status.

The government is going to make such arrangements that as soon as a person turns 18, the Election Commission will take information from him and make his voter card, in case of death of someone, the census registrar will send the information to the Election Commission and his name will be removed from the voter’s list

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates and lay foundation stone of projects worth 2 thousand 50 crores rupees in Rajasthan

Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of six National Highway projects and 7 ROBs in Rajasthan. Mr. Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of these projects in a program held in Omprakash Jyani Stadium at Pakka Saharan in Hanumangarh district. These projects cost about 2 thousand 50 crores rupees.

• Gadkari inaugurated Bikaner to Suratgarh, Nagaur to Bikaner, and Fatehpur to Jhunjhunu two-lane paved shoulder highways. The total length of these highways is 275 kilometers and Rs 987 crore has been spent on them .
• Union Minister also laid the foundation stone of two-lane highway works from Hanumangarh to Kenchia, Fatehpur Bypass, Mandawa Bypass and Jhunjhunu Bypass, and Rajgarh, Pilani Bypass. Rs 1 thousand 76 crores will be spent on these projects.

With these projects, access to the international border will be easy which has a strategic importance. Also, travel between Rajasthan and Punjab will be easy and traffic between Hanumangarh and Bikaner will be smooth. Along with this, tourism will get a boost in the northwest region of the state.

Indian Railways hands over 20 Broad Gauge Locomotives to Bangladesh

In order to further strengthen bilateral relationship, 20 Broad Gauge (BG) locomotives were virtually flagged off to Bangladesh in a handing over ceremony held at Rail Bhavan New Delhi, by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways. From the Bangladesh end, Minister of Railway, Md. Nurul Islam Sujan also joined in virtually. The event was attended by Shri A.K.Lahoti, Chairman & CEO, Railway Board, Board Members, senior officials of Railway Board and delegates of Bangladesh.

The handing over of these diesel locomotives, under grant assistance from the Government of India, fulfills an important commitment made during the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina to India, in October, 2019. In keeping with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway, the locomotives have been suitably modified by the Indian side. These locomotives will help handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh.

SPORTS

Neeraj Chopra creates history, becomes world number 1 in men's javelin throw rankings

Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra on 22 May has claimed number one ranking in men's javelin for the first time, which is a major career milestone for him.

Neeraj Chopra has topped the charts with 1455 points, 22 ahead of Grenada's Anderson Peters. On 30 August, 2022, the Indian javelin throw ace rose to World No. 2, but was stuck behind Peters, the reigning world champion, since then.

In 2022, Neeraj won the Diamond League 2022 finals in Zurich in September, which made him the first Indian athlete to do so, The Indian national record holder in men's javelin throw, competed in the season-opening Doha Diamond League on May 5 and finished first with a throw of 88.67m. Anderson Peters finished third in Doha with a distance of 85.88m.

Neeraj will now compete at the FBK Games 2023 on June 4 in the Netherlands and confirmed his participation at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2023 in Turku, Finland, on June 13.

Sania Mirza roped in as Tennis Ambassador for Sony Sports Network

Sony Sports Network has announced the exclusive onboarding Sania Mirza as the Tennis Ambassador for Sony Sports Network, who will be seen as an expert panellist on the network. Sony Sports Network is the home to three out of the four Grand Slams, the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, US Open, along with the Davis Cup, making it the Home of Tennis in India.

Sania will now also serve up expert insights off the court on Sony Sports Network’s Extraaa Serve. The Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and Padma Bhushan recipient will be seen on the Sony Sports Network starting with the Roland-Garros on 28th May 2023.

Sony Sports Network has launched a special campaign called Home of Tennis. The campaign showcases Sania Mirza, Sony Sports Network, and the three Grand Slams as a match made in heaven and celebrates her journey as she dons the hat of an expert after retiring from playing tennis

Adidas named as the new India cricket team kit sponsor

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Adidas will be the new kit sponsor of the Indian team. Adidas replaced Kewal Kiran Clothing Ltd, maker of Killer Jeans, which came in as interim sponsor after the then-sponsor Mobile Premier League Sports (MPL Sports) pulled out of the deal midway.

About: Adidas - Adidas is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures athletic shoes, apparel, and equipment. The company is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and is the largest sportswear manufacturer in the world. Adidas has been involved in cricket for many years, and is the current kit sponsor for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA)

OBITURY

Actor Sarath Babu passes away at 73 due to multiple organ failure

Veteran actor Sarath Babu, who was last seen in Pawan Kalyan's Vakeel Saab, passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad. Sarath Babu (73) was undergoing treatment for multi-organ failure and was on a ventilator.

Sarath Babu was unwell for a while and earlier this month his condition worsened and he was taken to the AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad. Sarath Babu contracted sepsis which impacted his kidneys, lungs, liver, and other organs, after which the actor was put on a ventilator.

About: Sarath Babu - Sarath Babu was born in Amadalavalasa, Andhra Pradesh in 1951 and his birth name was Satyanarayana Dixit. He changed his name to Sarath Babu after stepping into the film industry in 1973. Sarath Babu made his acting debut with his first Telugu movie called Rama Rajyam. Subsequently, after a span of four years, in 1977, he marked his entry into Tamil cinema with Pattina Pravesam, a film directed by K Balachander.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Turtle Day

Every year, World Turtle Day is marked on May 23 to help people understand the importance of turtles and tortoises. Turtles are vital to the marine environment. They control the population of jellyfish, and sponges, and maintain the length of the seagrass, which provides oxygen to the ocean. Their eggshells help enrich coastal vegetation. Turtle hatchlings are food for raccoons, birds and fish. On the other hand, tortoises live on land. They have bigger, heavier shells and are not able to swim. Turtle populations around the globe are gradually declining due to habitat destruction, artificial lighting, turtle trade, climate change and pollution.

History - World Turtle Day was founded by the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and welfare of turtles and tortoises. The event was first celebrated in 2000, making 2023 the 24th anniversary of the observance.

Theme - 23rd May 2023 marks the observance of the 23rd World Turtle Day. The theme of World Turtle Day 2023 is “I Love Turtles”.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

2nd meeting of G-20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRRWG) begins in Mumbai

The second meeting of the G-20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRRWG) began in Mumbai today. The meeting aims to mitigate the impact of disasters on vulnerable communities by identifying opportunities and examining creative financing mechanisms. The three-day meeting will be attended by government officials, industry experts, private sector representatives, and stakeholders from over twenty countries.

Akashvani correspondent reports that the National Disaster Management Authority in collaboration with various knowledge partners has organised a day-long side event titled ‘Financing Disaster Risk Reduction’ at the margins of the 2nd DRR Working Group meeting. The overall objective of the side event will be to deliberate on cross-country arrangements related to disaster risk financing, the existing policy and institutional frameworks, arrangements for alternate risk instruments and public-private partnerships and the role of social protection system in reducing the impact of disasters on the most vulnerable population groups.