Daily Current Affairs- 9th May 2024

Daily Current Affairs- 9th May 2024

INTERNATIONAL

India’s Adani Green Energy signs PPA with Sri Lanka for two wind projects

• Adani Green Energy has secured a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sri Lanka for the development of two wind projects.
• A cabinet statement from the Sri Lankan government confirmed the agreement, which involves projects in the town of Mannar and the village of Pooneryn in the country’s Northern province.
• The renewable energy company, led by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, received approval in February 2023 to invest $442m in the construction of wind projects with a total capacity of 484MW.
• The Sri Lankan Cabinet has established a negotiation committee to assess the project proposal submitted by Adani Green, Adani will receive $0.0826 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the energy supplied. 

NATIONAL

Uttarakhand Government Launches Pirul Lao Paise Pao Campaign

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the Pirul Lao-Paisa Pao in the Rudraprayag district on 8 May 2024. He urged the people to actively participate in the campaign to prevent forest fires. He said that the cooperatives, Yuva Mangal Dal and Van Panchayat, would also participate in the campaign to make it a people's campaign.
• Under the Pirul Lao-Paise Pao campaign, the local youth and villagers will collect dry Pirul (Pine tree leaves) in the forest and take them to the designated Pirul collection centre. The Tehsildar in their respective areas will manage the pirul collection centre under the supervision of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. 

Manipur government launches ‘school on wheels’ for children in relief camps

• Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey launched the "School on Wheels" initiative aiming to impart education to students sheltered in relief camps in the state in view of over a year-long ethnic violence, The school bus, equipped with a library, computers, and sports items, would visit different camps accompanied by a teacher.
• The Governor after launching the pioneering initiative at Bal Vidya Mandir Complex in Imphal said that the incidents which started on May 3 last year affected thousands of people, especially huge number of students of Manipur. 

SPORTS

Yuzvendra Chahal Creates History to Become First Indian Bowler to 350 T20 Wickets

• Yuzvendra Chahal continues to create history in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. The Rajasthan Royals’ leg-spinner reached yet another historic feat after picking the wicket of the Delhi Capitals skipper, Rishabh Pant at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi,
• Earlier Chahal became the first bowler to reach 200 IPL wickets. Now he also went on to become the first Indian bowler to reach 350 wickets in T20 cricket following his lone scalp against DC. 

Coca-Cola India announces its first ever partnership with Hockey India

• The Coca-Cola India Foundation, announces its first ever partnership with Hockey India, for the National Women's Hockey League 2024. The 1st Phase of the tournament commenced on 30thApril, and it will conclude on 9thMay 2024, in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The domestic league promises an exhilarating showcase of talent and skill.
• The National Women's Hockey League features teams that secured top-eight positions in Pune's recently concluded 14thHockey India Senior Women National Championship 2024. The participating athletes represent various states, including Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Mizoram, Manipur, and Odisha. 

SCIENCE &TEHNOLOGY 

Setu unveils Sesame, India's first domain-specific LLM for BFSI sector

• Setu, a leading Indian fintech company and part of the Pine Labs Group, unveiled Sesame, India’s first Large Language Model (LLM) specifically designed for the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector.
• Developed in collaboration with indigenous AI research firm Sarvam AI, the company said this marks a "ChatGPT moment" in financial services. The unveiling took place at Adbhut India, an event organised by the non-profit People+ai, in the presence of Nandan Nilekani (co-founder and director of EkStep Foundation), Shankar Maruwada (co-founder and chief executive officer of EkStep Foundation), Tanuj Bhojwani (head of People+ai), and other prominent figures in fintech, AI, and digital public infrastructure. 

OBITURY

Acclaimed Urdu litterateur Salam Bin Razzaq passes away at 83

• Mumbai, May 7 (IANS): Renowned Urdu litterateur and academician, Shaikh Abdussalam Abdurrazzaq, famous by his pseudonym Salam Bin Razzaq, passed away at his residence in Navi Mumbai after a prolonged illness, a family friend said here on Tuesday.
• Razzaq was 83 and is survived by his wife, daughter, son, plus several grandchildren and great-grandkids. 

Sangeeth Sivan, renowned film-maker from Kerala, passes away at 61

• Renowned filmmaker from Kerala Sangeeth Sivan passed away at the age of 61 on 8 May while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai.
• Sangeeth Sivan was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked in Malayalam and Hindi film industries. He is best known for directing Vyooham, Yodha and Kyaa Kool Hai Hum and Yamla Pagla Deewana 2. 

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Subodh Kumar (IAS) appointed as Director in Ministry of Ayush

• Subodh Kumar (IAS) has been appointed as selected for the appointment as Director in the Ministry of Ayush on Friday. According to an order issued from the Department of Personnel (DoPT) on May 3, Kumar has been selected for the appointment to the post with effect from the date of taking over charge of the post for a period up-to October 8 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• Kumar is a 2010- batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. Presently, he is on 'Compulsory wait' in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. He may kindly be relieved immediately with instructions to take up his new assignment in the Ministry of Ayush. 

IRDAI approves appointment of Keki Mistry as Chairman of HDFC Life

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) on May 7 approved the appointment of Keki Mistry as Chairman of HDFC Life.
• Earlier, the insurer had appointed Mistry as the Chairman of the Board as Deepak Parekh stepped down from the post. The board has unanimously approved the appointment of Keki M Mistry as the Chairman of the Board with immediate effect subject to approval of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. 

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Oxford Bookstore Honors Bhavi Mehta with 9th Book Cover Prize and Reveals Art Book Prize 2024

• Oxford Bookstores announced Bhavi Mehta as the winner of the 9th edition of Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize at a celebratory event hosted at the India Habitat Centre. Mehta won the prize for the book jacket of “The Book Beautiful” published by Hachette India and authored by Pradeep Sebastian.
• The winner was felicitated with a trophy, certificate and 1 Lakh Indian Rupees cash prize by Dr. Alka Pande, Museum curator, art historian, author and jury chair; Dr. Shashi Tharoor, well-known author, politician and Member of Parliament; H.E Ms. May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of Norway to India, Ms. Anja Riedeberger, Director Information Services South Asia Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan and Mr. Swagat Sengupta, CEO, Apeejay Oxford Bookstores, in the presence of designers, publishers, artists and literary enthusiasts from the industry. 

RANKING

World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2024:  by Henley & Partners

• Featuring exclusive data including the world’s Top 50 wealthiest cities, and accompanied by expert insights, this informative report published annually by Henley & Partners in partnership with New World Wealth is a must-read for followers of private wealth and investment migration trends — from high-net-worth investors and their advisors, to wealth professionals, and policy makers looking to transform their cities into tomorrow’s wealth magnets.
• The Top 10 Cities are as follows =

1. New York
2. The Bay Area
3. Tokyo
4. Singapore
5. London
6. Los Angeles
7. Paris & Île-de-Franc
8. Sydney
9. Hong Kong
10. Beijing

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Canara HSBC Life Insurance introduces Promise4Growth Plan

• Canara HSBC Life Insurance has introduced Promise4Growth, a new Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) designed for customers embarking on a journey towards financial prosperity and security. The product underscores our commitment towards providing holistic financial solutions, seamlessly integrating lucrative investment avenues with comprehensive protection. 

HDFC Bank, Atal Innovation Mission empower social sector startups with Rs 19.6 cr grants

• HDFC Bank supported social sector startups in India with grants worth Rs 19.6 crore in FY24, in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission (under NITI Aayog).
• In FY 2023-24, 170 social start-ups received funding via 41 incubators, with a total of Rs 19.6 crore in the ‘Parivartan Start-up Grants programme.’
• The focus areas for the 2024 grants included climate innovation, financial inclusion, agriculture and sustainable rural economy, accessible and affordable healthcare, education and livelihood enhancement, gender diversity and inclusion.