1) International Museum Day 2022 Observed on 18th May
•International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated every year on 18 May. This day is observed to highlight the importance of museums in any culture. Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.
•International Museum Day is celebrated with the aim of educating the public about museums and the challenges they face. Every year the International Council of Museums (ICOM) comes up with a specific Theme and all activities revolve around the particular topic. A museum is a place that displays collections of documents and historical artefacts of all different kinds from cultures, societies, and nature around the world.
2) Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shilanyas ceremony
•On the invitation of Nepal’s Prime Minister, Shri Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi conducted an official visit to Lumbini, Nepal, coinciding with the auspicious event of Vaishakha Buddha Purnima. This was Shri Narendra Modi’s fifth visit to Nepal as Prime Minister, and his first to Lumbini.
3) PM Modi unveils India’s first 5G test bed, estimated to be worth Rs 220 crore
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s first 5G testbed, allowing startups and industry players to test and certify their technologies domestically and lessen reliance on foreign facilities. The testbed was built at a cost of approximately Rs 220 crore. The Prime Minister said the 5G testbed is a significant step toward self-reliance in the direction of critical and modern technologies while speaking at the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s silver jubilee celebrations.
4) Ramgarh Vishdhari notified as India’s 52nd tiger reserve
•Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav has announced that Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan has been notified as Rajasthan’s 4th and the 52nd tiger reserve of India. It will help to conserve biodiversity and bring ecotourism and development to the area. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had given in-principle approval to make Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining areas as tiger reserves on July 5 last year.
•Wild animals like Indian wolf, leopard, striped hyena, sloth bear, golden jackal, chinkara, nilgai and fox can be seen in the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve. According to the “Status of Tigers in India” report released in 2019, there are 2,967 tigers in 20 states across the country.
5) Somalia elects Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as new president
•Somali legislators have elected former leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the country’s next president, following a long-overdue election in the troubled Horn of Africa nation. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017, won the contest in the capital, Mogadishu, amid a security lockdown imposed by authorities to prevent deadly rebel attacks. He defeated Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (also known as Farmajo).
•The presidential elections committee said in a statement that Mohamud collected 214 votes against 110 casts in favour of incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo in a final third round. The 66-year-old Mohamud is the leader of the Union for Peace and Development Party, which commands a majority of seats in both legislative chambers.
6) Dr Kamal Bawa Elected to US’ National Academy of Sciences
•The chief of Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Dr Kamal Bawa has been elected to the US National Academy of Sciences. The election is the reaffirmation of our important work on the ecology, conservation, and management of tropical forests that are declining all over the world but are critical to humanity’s well-being. He is also an elected fellow of the Royal Society (London) and the American Philosophical Society.
•Dr Bawa had brought together a few scientists from India’s leading institutions to develop the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing under the banner of the Biodiversity Collaborative which got the backing of the office of the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India and is currently funded by the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.
7) Sky Bridge 721: World’s longest suspension bridge, been opened in Czech Republic
•The world’s largest suspension bridge has opened to travellers in the Czech Republic. The bridge, which had been under construction for nearly two years, was officially opened. Sky Bridge 721 is the name given to it. The promenade promises both beautiful views of the cloud-shrouded Jesenky mountains and an exhilarating, but slightly dangerous experience.
8) S N Subrahmanyan: Appointed as MD and CEO of Larsen & Toubro
•S.N. Subrahmanyan, the current deputy managing director and president of Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), has been named managing director and chief executive officer, marking the first change of guard at the top of India’s largest engineering and construction corporation in 18 years. S.N. Subramanyam will replace A.M. Naik as the CEO of the company.
9) Sunil Arora, India’s former Chief EC, has been named Chairman of Gram Unnati
•Sunil Arora, the former chief election commissioner, has been named as the new non-executive chairman of Gram Unnati’s board. Arora is a retired civil servant (IAS) with over 36 years of experience. He has worked as the secretary of two important ministries, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
10) Emmanuel Macron names Elisabeth Borne as France’s new prime minister
•Elisabeth Borne was appointed France’s new Prime Minister to become the second woman to hold the post in the country. She has served as Labor Minister in Macron’s previous government since 2020. Borne is the second woman to hold the position after Edith Cresson, who was Prime Minister from 1991-to 1992 under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand.
•Borne, succeeds Jean Castex, whose resignation was expected after President Emmanuel Macron’s reelection last month. Macron and Borne are expected to appoint the full government in the coming days. Macron is expected to name a new prime minister shortly. French media say Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne is the favourite for the job. In France, it’s common for presidents to have more than one prime minister during their terms.
