1) World Press Freedom Day 2022 observed on 3rd May
•World Press Freedom Day is observed globally on 3rd May every year. It is also known as World Press Day. The day also pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives. This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme “Journalism under digital siege,” spotlights the multiple ways in which journalism is endangered by surveillance and digitally-mediated attacks on journalists, and the consequences of all this on public trust in digital communications.
2) World Asthma Day 2022 observed on 3rd May
•World Asthma Day is observed every year on the first Tuesday of May to spread awareness and care about asthma in the world. This year it falls on 3rd of May 2022. An annual event is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma. This year the theme is ‘Closing Gaps in Asthma Care’. Asthma, the chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, affects 300 million people worldwide and India alone has 15 million asthma patients.
3) CM Nitish Kumar inaugurated nation’s first ethanol plant in Purnia, Bihar
•Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has inaugurated India’s first ethanol plant in Purnia district, Bihar. The plant has been set up by Eastern India Biofuels Private Limited at a cost of Rs 105 crores. Bihar came up with an ethanol production promotion policy in the first half of 2021. It is the country’s first grain-based ethanol plant.
4) Chhattisgarh launched ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojana’
•Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel has launched ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojana’ (Mitaan stands for a friend), which will be implemented on a pilot basis in 14 municipal corporations including the cities like Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. Under the Scheme, the residents of Chhattisgarh can avail around 100 public services at their doorstep.
5) INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, will be handed over to the Indian navy
•The second sea trials of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant began, ahead of her anticipated induction into the Indian Navy in August next year. In August, the 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier, India’s largest and most sophisticated warship, successfully conducted a five-day maiden sea cruise.
6) NATO Exercises’ Defender Europe 2022 & Swift Response 2022 began
•North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) exercise, Defender Europe 2022 (DE22) and Swift Response 2022 (SR22) began on May 01, 2022, aimed at building preparedness and interoperability between Allies and partners of the United States (US) and NATO. The exercises are scheduled from May 01 to May 27, 2022.
•Exercise Swift Response is an annual U.S. Army Europe and Africa multinational training exercise that takes place this year in Eastern Europe, the Arctic High North, Baltics, and Balkans. The exercise began in Poland and will be held in 8 other countries. The 5th Corps of the US Armed Forces is responsible for the command of the exercises. There will be approximately 18 000 participants from over 20 countries training together in both exercises. The portion of the exercises on Polish soil will see some 7,000 troops and 3,000 pieces of equipment.
7) Rasheed Kidwai authored a book titled “Leaders, Politicians, Citizens”
•“Leaders, Politicians, Citizens: Fifty Figures Who Influenced India’s Politics” authored by author-journalist Rasheed Kidwai compiles stories of 50 personalities who influenced India’s political landscape. The book is published by Hachette India. The foreword of the book is written by Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha). The 50 personalities featured in the book include Teji Bachchan, Phoolan Devi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Jayalalithaa, APJ Abdul Kalam, and Karunanidhi among others.
•Traversing ideologies and bringing into focus the human facet of governments, Leaders, Politicians, and Citizens presents a compelling history of Indian democracy and provides riveting insights into the evolution of its political culture.
8) GST revenue of April 2022: All-time high Rs 1.68 lakh crores
•Goods and services tax (GST) collections hit an all-time high of Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April, indicating strong economic activity despite multiple headwinds and better tax compliance. The April number is up 20% from the year-earlier and Rs 25,000 crore more than the previous highest of Rs 1.42 lakh crore in March this year.
•In April 2022, 10.6 million GST returns were filed compared with 9.2 million in the year earlier. Of the total, central GST amounted to Rs 33,159 crores, state GST was Rs 41,793 crore, integrated GST was Rs 81,939 crore while Rs 36,705 crore was collected on the import of goods. Cess collection was Rs 10,649 crore, including Rs 857 crore on import of goods. The government has settled Rs 33,423 crore toward central GST and Rs 26,962 crore toward state GST from the integrated GST.
9) Sangeeta Singh appointed as chairman of CBDT
•Sangeeta Singh, a 1986 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer has been given additional charge of Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), after incumbent JB Mohapatra retired as the head of the direct taxes administration body on April 30. Currently, the board has four members including Sangeeta Singh.
•Singh is currently holding charge of Audit and Judicial. She is also holding additional charge of Income Tax and Revenue and Tax Payers services. Her Husband, Arvind Singh is a Maharashtra Cadre IAS and presently serving as Secretary of Tourism, Government of India.
10) Cochin Shipyard to build India’s first home made Hydrogen-fuelled electric vessel
•Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, announced that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways would develop and build India’s first indigenous hydrogen-fueled electric vessels at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), kicking off the country’s efforts toward green shipping.
11) Ex- petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor appointed as advisor to PM Modi
•Former petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor has been appointed as an advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a government order issued. Kapoor, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, superannuated as the secretary of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas on November 30, 2021.
•The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Kapoor, as an advisor to the Prime Minister, in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in the rank and scale of Secretary to Government of India, initially for a period of two years from the date of joining.
