Today's Current Affairs 3rd June 2023

NATIONAL

Shalini Singh becomes the first female NCC cadet to complete mountaineering course

Achieving another feat for the National Cadet Corps, under-officer Shalini Singh scripted history by becoming the first female NCC cadet in India to complete the advanced mountaineering course in the Himalayan region of Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

The Senior Wing NCC cadet, Shalini Singh, was enrolled in the 67 UP Battalion. She began the month-long mountaineering course on April 26. Before that, she had to complete her mandatory basic mountaineering course in 2022 at Pahalgam, Jammu, and Kashmir, reported HT. Shalini is pursuing her graduation from Bappa Shri Narayan Vocational PG College.

It is worth noting that she was the only female cadet in the team of 45 NCC cadets that was formed to complete the course

SPORTS

India’s Esow Alben wins bronze medal in keirin at Finale Bahnen-Tournee 2023 cycling

Indian cyclist Esow Alben won the bronze medal in the elite men's keirin event at a UCI Class 1 Event-Finale Bahnen-Tournee 2023 cycling competition in Dudenhofen, Germany. The 22-year-old also listed himself in being the first cyclist from India to participate in the UCI Champions League. Alben was also the first Indian who won a medal in a cycling world championship.

He clinched a silver medal in the year 2018 after finishing behind world championships medallist Germany's Marc Jurczyk and France's Sebastien Vigier.

OBITURY

Kannada Actor Nithin Gopi passes away at 39

Actor Nithin Gopi from the Kannada film and television industry, passed away at the age of 39 due to a heart attack. According to reports, Nithin suffered from chest pains at his house in Ittamadu, Bengaluru, and while being urgently taken to the hospital, he succumbed.

Nithin Gopi Professional Life - Nithin Gopi had made a mark for himself in the Kannada industry and gained recognition for his performances in films and television shows. His breakthrough role came in the movie Hello Daddy, where he played a flute player alongside Dr. Vishnuvardhan. He also starred in movies like Keralida Kesari, Mutthinantha Hendati, Nishabdha and Chirabandhavya.

That apart, Nithin also played a pivotal role in the popular serial Punar Vivaha, produced by Shruthi Naidu, which received good TRPs. He also made cameos in a few episodes of the devotional serial Hara Hara Mahadev and acted in several Tamil serials. Of late, the actor had been preparing to direct a new serial and had been engaged in discussions with a prominent Kannada channel for the same.

Ghanaian writer and feminist Ama Ata Aidoo passes away at 81

Ama Ata Aidoo, the iconic Ghanaian writer whose classics The Dilemma of a Ghost and Changes were taught to children in West African schools for decades, passes away at the age 81, The cause of death was an undisclosed illness.

About: Ama Ata Aidoo - Born in 1942 in a village in central Ghana, Aidoo began writing at 15. She ended up studying literature at the University of Ghana, where she lectured for years.

Her first work, The Dilemma of a Ghost, a play, was published in 1965, making her the first African woman to publish a play. She went on to become one of the continent’s best-known writers, inspiring a generation of younger authors, artists and feminists.

Aidoo, who was Ghana’s education minister from 1982 to 1983, won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book for Changes, a story about an educated woman navigating the complexities of a polygamous marriage.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Celeste Saulo of Argentina appointed first female Secretary-General of WMO

Prof. Celeste Saulo of Argentina has been appointed as the first female Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), taking the helm of an organization at the fore of international efforts to monitor and tackle climate change and increasingly extreme weather

Prof. Saulo, has been Director of the National Meteorological Service of Argentina since 2014 and is currently the First Vice-President of WMO. She will take office on 1 January 2024 and succeeds Prof Petteri Taalas, who has completed his two-term mandate.

Prof. Saulo was appointed after receiving the requisite two thirds majority of votes from delegates at the quadrennial World Meteorological Congress, the top decision-making body of the 193-Member WMO

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra elected as vice-president of World Meteorological Organisation

The Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra is elected as one of the three vice-presidents of the World Meteorological Organisation. Along with Mohapatra, the UN agency for climate change, weather and water elected two other vice-presidents as well.

Apart from Mohapatra, two other vice presidents were appointed at the WMO elections held in Geneva.

Director of meteorology of Cote d'Ivoire, Daouda Konate was elected as the first vice-president and Eoin Moran, director of Met Éireann, was elected the second vice-president.

Mohapatra hails from Odisha and is often referred to as the ‘cyclone man of India’. He has been heading the IMD since 2019. The IMD took to Twitter to congratulate Mohapatra for his new role.

Janardan Prasad appointed new DG of Geological Survey of India

Janardan Prasad has been appointed as the new Director-General of the Geological Survey Of India (GSI), one of the country’s oldest institutions.

Prasad takes the charge from Dr S Raju, who held the post since May 2020. Known for his extensive mineral exploration work in Saurashtra and other areas of Gujarat, Prasad joined the 174-year-old scientific institution in 1988 at GSI Gandhinagar as a geologist.

Prasad is also experienced in Metallogeny and Mineral Exploration studies. He has carried out extensive mineral exploration work in Saurashtra and other areas of Gujarat in commodities like limestone, gold, base metal, PGE and bauxite. He has also been actively involved in the exploration of limestone, which was critical for the cement industry, said the institute.

The appointment comes at a time when the government is preparing to auction the lithium block discovered by GSI in February. The institute had established 5.9 million tonnes of inferred lithium resources in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. A critical metal, lithium is a key component used for electric vehicle batteries and holds the power to start EV revolution in the country. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Bicycle Day

Each year on June 3, World Bicycle Day is observed to spread awareness about sustainable transportation that also ensures fostering sustainability, health and well-being. The day reminds us of the age-old tradition prevalent in the world.

History - The world celebrated this affordable, reliable, and sustainable means of transportation for the first time in 2018 when the United Nations General Assembly declared June 3 as International World Bicycle Day, The day is a result of Leszek Sibilski's campaign and the support of Turkmenistan and 56 other countries to recognise World Bicycle Day. The assembly also took into consideration the versatility and longevity of the bicycle which has served as a sustainable means of transportation for two centuries.

Theme - The theme for World Bicycle Day 2023 is "Riding Together for a Sustainable Future" .