Published on May 21, 2022
Daily News Update
20th & 21st May 2022 Current Affairs

PRELIMS BITS

1. International Tea Day 2022 celebrated on:
--May 21 (to create awareness about safe working conditions for the tea workers, fair trade and a sustainable environment to improve the production of tea. 2022 Theme - “Tea and Fair Trade”.)

2. World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 2022:
--May 21 (day aims to celebrate the richness of the world’s cultures and highlight the significance of its diversity)

3. Anti-Terrorism Day 2022 observed on:
--21 May (on the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, assassinated on May 21, 1991)

4. World Metrology Day 2022 observed on:
--20th May (to create awareness about the Metrology, the science of measurement and its application)

5. National Endangered Species Day 2022 observed on:
--20th May (on the third Friday of May; theme 2022: “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”)

6. World Bee Day 2022 is celebrated on:
--May 20 (to commemorates the birth of Anton Jansa in 1734 who is considered the pioneer of beekeeping. Theme 2022: ‘Bee Engaged: Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems’)

7. Where is the “world’s highest weather station” installed:
--On Mount Everest by National Geographic Society (at an altitude of 8,830 metres to automatically measure various meteorological phenomena).

8. New Development Bank (NDB) a regional office opened in:
--India at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).

9. A franchise in UAE based T20 League bought by:
--Adani Sportsline, a division of the diverse Adani Group

10. Which state is to launch ‘CSpace’ India’s First State-Owned OTT Platform:
--Kerala.

11. Which scheme is launched by Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann with the aim of providing a single-window platform to the people of the state for the redressal of the complaints that they have.
--‘Lok Milni’ scheme (The people of the state who had submitted various grievances and complaints with the state government in the previous two months were called to attend this programme.)

12. Who was appointed as the CEO of IndiGo:
--Pieter Elbers.

13. India’s 1st dental health insurance plan is launched by:
--PNB MetLife India Insurance Company.

14. Who won William E. Colby award
--Wesley Morgan, for his book “The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan’s Pech Valley.”

15. Who won Women’s World Boxing Championships:
--Nikhat Zareen.

16. Name the first space mission that would be specially designed to search for habitable terrestrial planets through space telescope:
--Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey (CHES).

17. Who chaired the 7th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of NDB:
--Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman (theme 2022: “NDB: Optimising Development Impact”)

NEWS IN DETAIL (FOR U.P. JUDICIARY MAINS + PRELIMS)

18. Karnataka Mining case, SC allows companies to export mining ore:

In 2012, the Supreme Court with the goal of preventing environmental degradation and ensuring that the state’s mineral resources be maintained for future generations as part of the notion of inter-generational equality, barred iron ore exports from Karnataka. 
Recently, a bench consisting of Chief Justice N V Ramana, Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli withdrew the export ban on iron ore, while instructing the companies to adhere to the authorities’ restrictions thus allowing mining companies to export iron ore extracted from mines in the Karnataka districts of Ballari, Chitradurga, and Tumakuru. 

19. Skyroot Aerospace successfully test fires its rocket engine:
Private sector rocket maker Skyroot Aerospace Private Ltd successfully tested its Kalam-100 rocket that will power the Vikram-1 rocket’s third stage/engine.
This is the largest rocket stage ever designed, manufactured, and tested completely in the Indian private sector.
The company announced the completion of the milestone of full duration test-firing of its Vikram-1 rocket stage. The third stage, named Kalam-100 after former President APJ Abdul Kalam, was fired for a duration of 108 seconds.

20. Genius Energy wins Amazon Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge 2022:
Subhash Ola, an innovator from Rajasthan who has developed the technology of saving energy in boilers by recycling steam, won the 1st prize for the Amazon Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge 2022.
His enterprise “Geniusenergy Critical Innovation Private Limited” has won the Start-up of the Year award.
Geniusenergy Critical Innovation, a start-up recognized by Govt. of India, was incubated by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India.

21. UN projects India to grow 6.4% in 2022:
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) in its ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) Mid-year Update 2022’ report has declined India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth projections from 6.7% to 6.4% for 2022-23.