Deepthi Jeevanji wins India’s first gold medal in women’s M T20 category.

• Indian para-athlete achieved a world record time of 06 seconds in the women’s 400m T20 category at the Para Athletics World Championship 2024.
• It was held in Kobe, Japan on May 20.
• Jeevanji set a new Asian record with a time of 18 seconds, securing her place in the finals of the Women’s 400 m T20 heat, during the qualifying round and secured gold in final.
• Jeevanji also clinched a gold medal in the Women’s 400m- T20 event.
• Yogesh Kathuniya won a silver in men’s F56 category discus throw with an effort of 80 metres.

Current Context : Satwik and Chirag won second title of 2024 and set to return to world No 1.

• This was the second title of the 2024 badminton season for Chirag and Satwik and the second Thailand Open title.
• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated the Chinese pair of Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-15, 21-15 in the final of the Thailand Open.
• The pairs they have beaten before the final, without dropping a game of course and were ranked 71, 69, 64 and 80 in the world.
• The Thailand Open was held in Nimibutr Stadium Bangkok from 14 to 19 May 2024.

ABOUT THAILAND OPEN :

• The Thailand Open in badminton is an open international championships held in Thailand since 1984.
• Founded in 1984.
• Location : Bangkok (2024) Thailand
• It was the 36^th edition of the Thailand Open held at Nimibutr Stadium.

Current Context : A high-level Indian delegation concluded its first round of talks with UAE officials on developing the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC).

Earlier, India -UAE also signed framework agreement on IMEC project.

ABOUT IMEC

• The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a planned economic corridor that aims to bolster economic development by fostering connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Persian Gulf and Europe.
• It is seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• The corridor is a proposed route from India to Europe through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Greece.
• It was formed on 10 September 2023.

Elon Musk launches SpaceX’s Starlink internet services in Indonesia.

• It aims to improve internet connectivity in remote areas.
• SpaceX, which manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, is also a developer of Starlink satellites which provide internet connectivity to remote locations.
• Starlink is already available in Southeast Asia in Malaysia and the Philippines.

Current Context : Astronomers discovered Earth-size planet around cool red dwarf star shares its name with a biscuit.

• SPECULOOS-3 b marks the second planetary system ever seen orbiting a red dwarf star.
• It is the second time astronomers have discovered a planetary system around a red dwarf star, the first being the Trappist-1 system.
• The discovery was made under the SPECULOOS Project mission.
• The aim of the mission (which is named after a popular Belgian biscuit called “Speculoos”) is to use infrared observations to detect rocky exoplanets around nearby ultracool stars like red dwarfs and so-called “failed stars,” or brown dwarfs.

ABOUT SPECULOOS -3B

• It takes around 17 hours to complete an orbit of the star.
• It is located around 55 light-years away from earth and is 100 times less bright than the sun and exhibits half the temperature of our star.
• It receives high levels of radiation from its sun, probably leaving the planet without an atmosphere.
• The Earth-size world was discovered by the Search for habitable Planets Eclipsing Ultra-cool Stars (SPECULOOS) project located at the Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

Current Context : The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has alerted traders, fruit handlers and Food Business Operators (FBOs) to strictly ensure compliance with the prohibition on calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits.

ABOUT CALCIUM CARBIDE :

• Calcium carbide is commonly used for ripening fruits like mangoes.
• It releases acetylene gas, which contains harmful traces of arsenic and phosphorus.
• These substances are also known as ‘masala’.
• It cause serious health issues such as dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, skin ulcers, etc.
• Use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits has been banned under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.

Current Context : The Conservation and Cultural Archives Division of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) organized a symposium on the topic ‘Museums & Archives: A Public Space for Education’ at UMANG Auditorium to commemorate International Museum Day 2024.

Celebrated annually on 18 May.

Aim : to raise awareness about museums as vital means of cultural exchange, cultural enrichment, and fostering mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace.

Theme : Museums for Education and Research.

• Emphasizes the role of cultural institutions in providing holistic educational experiences and advocating for a conscious, sustainable, and inclusive world.

Celebrated annually on 20 May.

• Theme : “Bee engaged with Youth.”
• Aim : Raise awareness among youth and other stakeholders about the essential role of bees and other pollinators in agriculture, ecological balance, and biodiversity preservation.
• Also highlights the importance of involving young people in beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts, recognizing them as the future stewards of our environment.

INITIATIVE OF UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO).

• World Bee Day at the initiative of Slovenian beekeepers, is the birthdate of Anton Janša (1734-1773), Slovenian beekeeper and founder of modern beekeeping.
• Every year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the host country organise an international celebration of World Bee Day.

Celebrated on 22^nd May.

• Aim : to raise awareness about the importance of biological diversity, which is the variety of living organisms on Earth.
• Theme : “Be part of the Plan”.
• Objective : Foster discussions around various issues related to the diversity of life forms on our planet.

Current Context: The two-day national seminar on “Bharatiya Vidya and Vikas: Unveiling Education and Development”, organised at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) Shimla.

• Sixty scholars from across India participated in the seminar.
• Scholars explored the practical implications of ‘Bharatiya Vidya’ in education, social development, environmental sustainability and cultural revitalisation.
• Discussions were focussed on the role of ancient Indian texts in shaping modern educational practices, the potential of traditional knowledge systems in promoting sustainable development, and the importance of cultural revitalisation in the context of globalisation.