Today's Current Affairs 30th May 2023

NATIONAL

Uber partners with GeM portal to offer taxi services to govt offices, agencies, PSUs at fixed price

Soon personnel from the government ministries, departments, agencies and public sector units will be able to book taxis for official purposes from cab aggregator Uber as the company has partnered with public procurement portal GeM to provide the service.

It will be a kind of corporate service. At present, we have started the service on a pilot basis and gradually it will be available for all the government ministers, departments, agencies and public sector units (PSUs).

he company would provide the service at a fixed price with zero cancellation charges and no surge pricing, The company has registered at the portal of government e-marketplace (GeM), which was launched in 2016 by the commerce ministry for buying goods and services by central ministries and departments with a view to bringing transparency in government procurement

SPORTS

Malaysia Masters 2023 badminton: India’s HS Prannoy wins maiden BWF World Tour title

Ranked No. 9 in the BWF rankings, HS Prannoy defeated Weng Hong Yang of the People’s Republic of China 21-19, 13-21, 21-18 to win his maiden BWF World Tour title.

It was also the 30-year-old HS Prannoy’s first men’s singles title in over six years. His last title came at the 2017 US Open, which, at the time, was part of the BWF Grand Prix - the predecessor to the BWF World Tour.

About: HS Prannoy - Prannoy Haseena Sunil Kumar, also known as H. S. Prannoy, is an Indian professional badminton player who currently trains at the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. Prannoy originally hails from Thiruvananthapuram and has a career-high world ranking of number 7, which he attained in May 2023

Meanwhile, India’s women’s singles campaign ended after two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was ousted by runner-up Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia in the women's singles semi-finals on Saturday.

Uttar Pradesh wins the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2023

Uttar Pradesh Hockey won the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2023 on Sunday after defeating Hockey Association of Odisha in the Final at the iconic Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium. Meanwhile, Hockey Haryana beat Hockey Madhya Pradesh to finish third in the competition.

Uttar Pradesh Hockey won the tournament by defeating the Hockey Association of Odisha 7-1. Ujjwal Pal (6', 38', 47') converted three penalty corners, while Rahul Yadav (30'), Ketan Kushwaha (39'), Rahul Rajhbar (52'), and Team Captain Ajeet Yadav (54') each scored a goal to secure their victory. Deonath Nanwar (57') scored the only goal for the Hockey Association of Odisha.

The 3rd/4th place match saw Hockey Haryana claim a 4-2 comeback win over Hockey Madhya Pradesh. Tushar Parmar (14') and Subhan Abid (22') scored to give Hockey Madhya Pradesh a comfortable lead, but Hockey Haryana fought back with goals from Sunil (29', 51'), Happy (37'), and Neeraj (58') to secure their victory.

India Women’s volleyball team scripts history, win NSC CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup for first time

Indian Women’s volleyball team scripted history by winning the NSC CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup -2023 for the first time. The India senior women’s volleyball team became the champion of the tournament by beating Kazakhstan in Kathmandu of Nepal. India Women’s volleyball team, which won the silver medal at AVC Women’s Challenger Cup in Nakhon Pathom of Thailand last year, defeated Kazakhstan 3-0 with a score of 25-15, 25-22, 25-18. The Indian team had entered the final of the tournament after winning a crucial match against Uzbekistan. India attacked Uzbekistan at the net to capture the easy set 25-15, match and final berth.

Max Verstappen wins in Monaco to make it six out of six for Red Bull

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, leading all 78 laps from pole position. The victory was Verstappen’s fourth of the season and extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 39 points. The race was held in wet conditions, and Verstappen made the most of it, starting well and pulling away from the rest of the field. He never looked back, and cruised to victory. Fernando Alonso finished second, with Esteban Ocon in third. Charles Leclerc retired from the race after a collision with Carlos Sainz.

Fernando Alonso, the seasoned Spaniard representing Aston Martin, delivered an impressive performance, securing second place. However, he finished a substantial 27.9 seconds behind Verstappen at the chequered flag

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

SpaceX rocket sends Arabsat communications satellite into orbit

SpaceX,, The space exploration technologies corporation launched a big telecommunication satellite named Arabsat BADR-8, for Arabsat, a multinational consortium providing TV and video broadcast services across the Middle East. The satellite weights nearly five-ton.

SpaceX pushed back the launch time more than hour to wait for winds to subside, then gave the go-ahead to fuel the Falcon 9 rocket for liftoff at 12:30 a.m. EDT (0430 UTC) Saturday.

The launch marked SpaceX’s 36th flight of the year, and the 26th orbital launch attempt so far in 2023 from Florida’s Space Coast.

The nearly 10,000 pound (4.5-metric ton) Badr 8 communications satellite was closed up inside the Falcon 9’s nose cone for liftoff Saturday. Built by Airbus Defense and Space, the Badr 8 satellite, also known as Arabsat 7B, will provide C-band and Ku-band communications services to replace capacity currently offered by the aging 15-year-old Badr 6 satellite in geostationary orbit.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

CAG Girish Chandra Murmu re-elected External Auditor of WHO

Comptroller and Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu has been reelected as the external auditor of the World Health Organization (WHO) for a four-year term from 2024 to 2027. CAG is already holding this position in WHO for a four-year term from 2019 to 2023.

The present election was held on May 29, 2023 in the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, where the CAG of India was reelected with an overwhelming majority (114 out of 156 votes) in the first round of voting itself,

CAG’s appointment is a recognition of its standing among the international community as well as its professionalism, high standards, global audit experience and strong national credentials

About: External Auditor of WHO - The External Auditor of the World Health Organization (WHO) is an independent auditor who is appointed by the World Health Assembly (WHA) to audit the financial statements and operations of WHO. The External Auditor is responsible for providing an independent and objective opinion on the financial statements of WHO, and for reporting on any significant findings or recommendations. The External Auditor is also responsible for auditing WHO’s compliance with its financial regulations and with the terms of its financial assistance agreements.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Multiple Sclerosis Day

World Multiple Sclerosis Day is observed annually on May 30th to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and to provide support to those who are living with this disease. MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system and causes a wide range of symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, numbness, headaches, and difficulty with coordination and balance.

History - The history of World Multiple Sclerosis Day can be traced back to the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF), which was founded in 1967 as a network of national MS societies. In 2009, the MSIF declared May 30th as World Multiple Sclerosis Day to raise awareness about the disease and promote solidarity among the global MS community

Theme - Connections' is the theme for World MS Day for 2020–2023. Building community connections, personal connections, and connections to high-quality care are the main focuses of MS Connections.

Goa Statehood Day

The smallest state by area, Goa is famous for its beaches and the relics of its colonial past. It got its statehood on May 30, 1987. It was a Portuguese territory since Alfonso de Albuquerque conquered it in 1510 by defeating Adil Shah of Bijapur who was ruling the region. 400 years later, India took back Goa from the Portuguese.

Facts –

1. Goa has historically been referred to as “Gomantak” in Sanskrit. Gove, Govapuri were the names of the port town in the state, situated near the mouth of the river Mandovi or Mhadei.
2. In December 1962, Shri Dayanand Bhandarkar became the first Chief Minister of Goa.
3. Goa received statehood on May 30, 1987.
4. Goa is the smallest state in India by area and is famous all over the world for its beautiful beaches and famous architecture.

Note: Goa statehood day is celebrated every year on May 30. It should not be confused with Goa Liberation Day observed in December.