Daily Current Affairs- 2 May

Today's Current Affairs 2nd May 2023

NATIONAL

DRDO & Indian Navy conduct successful maiden test trial of indigenous Air Droppable Container

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of ‘ADC-150’ from IL 38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa. ‘ADC-150’ is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity. The trial was conducted to enhance the naval operational logistics capabilities by providing quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores to ships (under distress), which are deployed more than 2,000 kms from the coast. It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores.

Three DRDO laboratories - Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam; Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru - have been involved in the development of ADC-150 container. The crucial flight clearance certification was given by Regional Center for Military Airworthiness (RCMA), Kanpur headed by Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC), Bengaluru.

ASEAN India Maritime Exercise, AIME-2023

Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Delhi with RAdm Gurcharan Singh, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet embarked onboard arrived at Singapore on 01 May 2023 to participate in the Inaugural ASEAN India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2023) scheduled from 02 to 08 May 2023.

The Harbour Phase of the exercise is scheduled to be held at Changi Naval Base from 02 to 04 May 2023 and the Sea Phase will be conducted from 07 to 08 May 2023 in the South China Sea. AIME 2023 will provide an opportunity for Indian Navy and ASEAN navies to work together closely and conduct seamless operations in the maritime domain.

INS Delhi, India's first indigenously-built guided missile destroyer and INS Satpura, an indigenously-built guided missile stealth frigate are a part of Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and function under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. These ships are fitted with state-of-the art weapons and sensors. The ships, during their port call at Singapore, will also participate in International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX-23) and International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) being hosted by Singapore.

OBITURY

Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi passes away at 89

Arun Gandhi, the son of Sushila and Manilal Gandhi and the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, passed away at the age of 89, His son Tushar, daughter Archana, four grandsons, and five great-grandchildren survive him. The final rites of Arun Gandhi, who referred to himself as a "Peace Farmer,"  held in Kolhapur.

He penned books like `Kasturba, The Forgotten Woman`, `Grandfather Gandhi, with Bethany Hegedus and illustrated by Evan Turk, `The Gift of Anger: And other lessons from my grandfather Mahatma Gandhi`, etc. Born on April 14, 1934, in Durban to Manilal Gandhi and Sushila Mashruwala, followed in his grandfather's footsteps as an activist.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan, AVSM, VM new Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command

Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan, AVSM, VM has taken over as the 17th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) on 01 May 2023. The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is the only Joint-services Command in India and serves as a model for the country’s planned theaterisation of Army, Navy, and Air Force capabilities.

Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan is a distinguished alumnus of the National Defence Academy Khadakwasla, having been commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1986. With over 3200 accident-free fighter flying hours on various variants of MIG-21 and Kiran aircraft, he is an accomplished fighter combat leader. The Air Marshal has held various key positions throughout his illustrious career, including CO of a Bison Squadron, the first Commanding Officer of an AWACS Squadron, and Air Officer Commanding at the prestigious AF Station at Jodhpur. Before assuming Command of ANC he was the Senior Air Staff Officer at the IAF Training Command at Bengaluru.

Justice TS Sivagnanam Appointed As The Chief Justice Of Calcutta High Court

The Central Government has notified the appointment of Justice T. S. Sivagnanam, the senior most judge of the Calcutta High Court, as the Chief Justice of the High Court. He is currently serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court,

The Supreme Court Collegium (SCC) on February 9 recommended Justice Sivagnanam's name for the appointment as Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.

About: Calcutta High Court - The Calcutta High Court is one of the oldest and most prestigious high courts in India. It was established in 1862, under the Indian High Courts Act, and is located in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Calcutta High Court has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Justice S.V. Bhatti appointed acting Chief Justice of Kerala

The Central government has appointed Justice S.V. Bhatti as the acting Chief Justice of Kerala. Justice Bhatti succeeds Justice S. Manikumar who retired on Saturday.

Justice Bhatti, a native of Madanapalli in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, began his career as a lawyer in Hyderabad in 1987. He had served as the standing counsel for several public sector companies, including Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Hindustan Shipyard and National Maritime University. He had also served as a special government pleader in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Asthma Day

World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma – GINA to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day is held on the first Tuesday of May.

ABOUT: Asthma - Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease due to which a patient is not able to breathe properly, Nowadays, this disease is prevalent in children also.

As asthma can not be cured, it is possible to manage asthma to reduce and prevent asthma attacks, which are also known as episodes or exacerbations.

ABOUT: Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA)  - GINA is a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.

THEME - GINA has chosen “Asthma care for All” as the theme for the 2023 World Asthma Day. The majority of the burden of asthma morbidity and mortality occurs in low and middle income countries. GINA strives to reduce this burden by encouraging health care leaders to ensure availability of and access to effective, quality-assured medications. The ‘Asthma care for All’ message promotes the development and implementation of effective asthma management programs in all resource countries.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs signs MoU with RITES as Technical Support

The introduction of Used Water Management (UWM) as a newly funded component for towns with less than 1 lakh population, has led to a paradigm shift in urban sanitation. Focusing on accelerating Solid Waste and Used Water Management, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RITES Limited, in the presence of Mr. Manoj Joshi, Secretary, MoHUA, Ms. Roopa Mishra, JS, MoHUA, Mr. R K Dayal, Executive Director-Urban Infra and Mr. Rahul Mithal, CMD, RITES, for technical assistance for Solid Waste Management (SWM) & UWM under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.

The Technical Support Unit (TSU) of RITES will assist SBM-U for a period of 3 years.  Under SWM, the areas of engagement will be process standardization and engineering design of waste management facilities, like Material Recovery Facility, legacy waste etc. Under UWM, RITES will provide technical support for standards & specification in the field of sewage and faecal sludge management and reuse, engineering design and process of waste water treatment units. RITES will further assist with preparation of model tender document and procurement in the field of sewage, wastewater management and Solid Waste Management.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launches a book ‘Reflections - by banker Narayanan Vaghul

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, has launched a book authored by eminent banker, Narayanan Vaghul, here. The book, titled ‘Reflections’, carries a vivid account of Vaghul’s experiences spanning decades in India’s financial landscape. Speaking after the launch on Friday, Ms Sitharaman commended Vaghul for his extensive experience in banking and his leadership qualities.

About: Narayanan Vaghul - Narayanan Vaghul is a Philanthropist and an ex banker professional from India. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in the Trade and Industry category in 2010 by the Government of India.