Daily Current Affairs- 29 May 2024

Daily Current Affairs- 29th May 2024

INTERNATIONAL

Allamaye Halina became the new Prime Minister of Chad  

• Chad's former ambassador to China Allamaye Halina has been named as the Prime Minister of Chad succeeding Succes Masra, who announced his resignation earlier this week. The appointment of Halina as the head of government further solidifies the new administration’s grip on power.
• Mahamat Idriss Deby was sworn in as the country’s new president. Deby’s ascension to power marks the end of three years of military rule in the oil-rich but impoverished nation.

Purnima Shrestha Becomes First Woman In the world to Climb Mount Everest Thrice in 13 Days

• Purnima Shrestha, a 32-year-old mountaineer from Gorkha, Nepal, and a photojournalist by profession has made history as the first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest three times in the same season, all in just 13 days.
• Her exceptional triple ascent beats the previous record of any woman summiteer to climb Everest thrice in a single season. She has climbed Everest four times, with a prior summit in 2018. 

Reliance Industries Strikes Deal with Russia’s Rosneft

• Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries Limited has signed a one-year deal with Russia's Rosneft to buy at least 3 million barrels of oil a month in roubles.
• This is after Russian President Vladimir Putin's push for Moscow and its trading partners to find alternatives to the Western financial system to facilitate trade despite US and European sanctions. 

Reliance Industries Partners with Norway’s Nel to Boost New Energy Investments

• Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has entered into a strategic technology partnership with Norway's Nel ASA to accelerate its investments in green energy, including the production of green hydrogen. This move supports billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s shift towards renewable energy.
• On May 21, RIL finalized a technology licensing agreement with Nel ASA, securing an exclusive license for Nel’s alkaline electrolysers in India. Additionally, RIL gains the authority to manufacture Nel’s alkaline electrolysers globally for internal purposes.

 NATIONAL

TCS & IIT Bombay Collaborate to Create India’s First Semiconductor Chip Imaging Tool

• IT services major Tata Consultancy Services has entered into a partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, to develop what it said is India’s first quantum diamond microchip imager.
• According to a statement from the IT services major this to-be-developed sensing tool will hold the potential to unlock new levels of precision in the examination of semiconductor chips, reduce chip failures and improve the energy efficiency of electronic devices.

Reliance Industries to Begin Construction on India’s First Multimodal Logistics Park Near Chennai

• Reliance Industries is set to begin construction on India’s first Multimodal Logistics Park at Mappedu near Chennai in June, which was conceptualized 12 years ago.
• The project, slated to be India’s first such park, aims to facilitate efficient, cost-effective and value-added logistics services such as cargo aggregation and disaggregation, distribution, intermodal transfer, sorting, packing, and repacking. It is located 52 km from the Chennai Port, 80 km from Ennore Port and 87 km from Kattupalli Port. 

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

Sanchar Saathi Initiative Launched by Home Ministry & DoT, crackdown on fake SMS

• The Department of Telecommunication (DoT), in association with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has initiated a strong crackdown on the menace of fraudulent SMS (Short Messaging Service) under the Sanchar Saathi Initiative. Eight SMS headers that were being used by cyber criminals to target unsuspecting mobile phone owning customers have been blocked by the government.
• The Department of Telecommunication (DoT), which comes under the Ministry of Communication, the government of India, said that more than 10,000 fraudulent messages from eight different entities were sent in the past three months, Dot has blocked and blacklisted the 73 SMS Headers and 1522 SMS content templates owned by these eight entities. 

OBITURY

Richard M. Sherman, Disney, 'Mary Poppins' songwriter, Passes Away at 95

• Richard M. Sherman, who crafted some of Disney’s most iconic and memorable songs, has passed away, The legendary musical force behind more than 200 songs in 27 Disney films died of age-related illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills.
• Together, the Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for the 1964 classic “Mary Poppins” – best score and best song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” They also received a Grammy for best movie or TV score. Their partnership with Disney spanned over a decade, during which they wrote more than 150 songs, including the iconic “It’s a Small World’’ (After All). 

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of UN Peacekeepers

• The International Day of UN Peacekeepers falls on 29th May. This day is celebrated to honour the sacrifice and dedication of people who work for peace worldwide.
• Observed under the theme “Fit for the future, building better together,” this year’s International Day looks at the invaluable contributions military, police and civilian peacekeepers have made over the last seven decades. It encapsulates the spirit of progress and collective action towards creating a more equal, just and sustainable world.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI unveils Pravaah portal, Retail Direct Mobile App and FinTech Repository

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched three major initiatives: Pravaah portal, Retail Direct mobile app and a Fintech Repository. These initiatives are aimed at enhancing regulatory processes, facilitating retail investment, and providing comprehensive data on the fintech sector.
• Pravaah portal - It is a centralized, secure web-based platform that enables individuals or entities to apply online for regulatory approvals, licences, and authorizations from the RBI. The portal covers 60 application forms across different regulatory and supervisory departments of the RBI, allowing applicants to track the status of their applications and receive decisions in a timely manner.