• ‘Catch the Young’, a campaign is launched to preserve Dalhousie forests by Dalhousie Forest Division, Chamba.
• The efforts being made by the Forest Department through youth involvement in tree plantation drives.
• The campaign targets 30,000 students from various government and private schools and colleges in the region and makes them aware of the importance of forests and their duties towards preserving them.
• The objective was to develop a sense of ownership towards forests among all students.
• Along with creating awareness, practical information about planting seeds was also given.
• Schoolchildren are also taught the right techniques to plant seeds in planting bags and to nurture them during germination.

• Idashisha Nongrang has been appointed the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of Meghalaya.
• She is a 1992 batch Indian Police Service officer and will replace Lajja Ram Bishnoi by serving as the State’s police chief till May 19, 2026.
• She belongs to the Khasi community of Meghalaya.
• The Khasis are a matrilineal community.
• The other two matrilineal communities of the State are Garos and Jaintias.

• P Shyaamnikhil became India’s 85th Grandmaster after securing his third and final GM norm at the recently at Dubai Police Masters chess.
• This achievement marked the end of a 12-year journey for the player, who embarked on his chess career at the age of eight.
• He had already secured two out of three GM norms back in 2012 and reached the requisite 2500 ELO rating points but he had to wait further 12 years to get the mandatory third GM norm to be accorded GM status.
• In 2024, he finally achieved the third GM norm held in the Dubai Police Masters Chess Tournament.

ABOUT GRANDMASTER TITLE

• Grandmaster or International Masters is one of the prestigious chess titles which is awarded by the world chess governing body FIDE.
• FIDE awards four titles to the men and women’s chess players globally.
• It is a lifelong title and can be used by the chess players.

• For the first time, India has set up its own pavilion at the World Hydrogen Summit 2024 being held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
• The India Pavilion was set up by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, is one of the largest pavilions at the Summit.
• The India Pavilion at the conference provides India an opportunity to showcase to the world the progress made by the country in the field of Green Hydrogen.
• In addition to various G2G interactions, the Summit provides a platform for Indian industry to engage with companies from around the globe.
• Around 15,000 delegates from around the world are expected to attend the Summit.
• Recently a portal, National Green Hydrogen Mission has been launched by India to serve as a one-stop location for information on the Mission and steps taken for the development of the green hydrogen ecosystem in India.

ABOUT

• The World Hydrogen Summit is a prestigious event in the global green hydrogen ecosystem.
• It offers a unique platform for hydrogen leaders to explore new energy futures.
• The theme of the summit is “Green Hydrogen: Cleaner and Zero Emission Fuel for a Sustainable Green Economy”.

• Nepali climber and guide Kami Rita Sherpa popularly known as ‘Everest Man’, broke his own record which he had set last spring season by reaching the summit of the world’s highest peak twice within a week, marking his 28th successful ascent by climbing the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, for the 29th time on Sunday.
• This ascent earns Kami Rita the title of ‘Most Successful Ascent of Mt. Everest by an Individual’.

WHO IS KAMI RITA SHERPA?

• Born in Thame village in Solu Khumbu, Nepal, began his mountaineering journey in 1992, joining an expedition to Everest as a support staff member.
• The 54-year-old completed his first ascent of Everest in 1994, at 24.
• Besides Everest, Sherpa has also conquered other prominent peaks including K2, Manaslu, Cho Oyu and Lhotse.

• Contract for development of Shahid Beheshti Port Terminal, Chabahar signed between India Port Global Limited (IPGL) and Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran.
• India will operate the strategically important Shahid Beheshti terminal of Chabahar Port of Iran for the next 10 years .
• India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL) will invest around $120 million for development of Shahid Beheshti terminal.
• The Ministerial visit and signing of the Long-term Contract will further strengthen ties between the two nations and highlights the importance of Chabahar as a gateway for trade with Afghanistan and broader Central Asian countries.

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

• Chabahar Port is at an important point on the Arabian Sea with easy access from India’s west coast.
• Kandla port in Gujarat is the closest port at 550 nautical miles, while the distance between Chabahar and Mumbai is 786 nautical miles.
• The port also offers an alternative route from the Strait of Hormuz for cargo traffic between Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.

• The Yachting Association of India (YAI) Senior Nationals – 2024 is being conducted from 12 – 18 May 24 by the Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre (INWTC), Mumbai supported by Indian Naval Sailing Association (INSA).
• The event is a National ranking event for all Senior Olympic classes.
• 82 participants from 10 prominent sailing clubs across the country have registered for the event.
• The races are being conducted by a team of International Race officers and International Judges from Australia, Korea and Singapore appointed by World Sailing which is the governing body of sailing worldwide.
  • They will provide their services to ensure the fairness of the sport and the conduct of the races with utmost professionalism.

ABOUT YACHTING ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (YAI)

• The YAI is recognised by the Indian Olympic Association and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, GOI as the governing authority for sailing, windsurfing, motor boating, powerboat racing and personal watercraft, at sea and on inland waters in India.
• YAI is responsible for promoting the sport in the country, developing and training of judges, umpires and other administrators of the sport.
• It was constituted on 15 May 1960 and was registered under the Societies Registration Act XXVI of 1961 on the 22 December 1964 at Calcutta, West Bengal.
• The YAI is affiliated to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the governing authority for sailing worldwide.

• Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayaloka-Locana have been included in ‘UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register’.
• It signifies a step forward in global cultural preservation efforts highlighting the importance of recognizing and safeguarding the diverse narratives and artistic expressions that shape our shared humanity.
• Sahṛdayaloka-Locana’, ‘Panchatantra’, and ‘Ramcharitmanas’ were authored by Acharya Anandvardhan, Pt. Vishnu Sharma, and Goswami Tulsidas respectively and have deeply influenced Indian literature and culture, shaping the nation’s moral fabric and artistic expressions.
• The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) played a vital role in securing a historic moment during the 10th meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP).

ABOUT

• The Memory of the World Programme is an international programme aimed at safeguarding, preserving and facilitating access to and the use of documentary heritage.
• UNESCO launched the Program in 1992.
• It includes the inscription of significant documentary heritage on national, regional and international registers.

Leopard cat has been spotted in Maharashtra’s Pench Tiger Reserve for first time.

• Leopard cat with the scientific name Prionailurus bengalensis belongs to the family Felidae and is known for its striking resemblance to leopards in terms of body colour.
• It is the most widespread species after the jungle cat in India due to its “adaptive flexibility” and is restricted to North East India, northern Himalayan states, West Bengal, Odisha, and pockets of Western Ghats.
• It was believed to be absent in central India.

ABOUT PENCH TIGER RESERVE

• The Pench Tiger Reserve is situated in Maharashtra which gets its name from the Pench river is spread over 740 sq km.
• The flora is predominantly dominated by teak trees in the reserve.
• The Reserve shows corridor connectivity with the Melghat Tiger Reserve to the west, Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve to the southeast, Pench Tiger Reserve (MP) to the north, and Kanha Tiger Reserve (MP) to the northeast which facilitates wildlife movement across landscapes
• Nation hosts 15 species of wild cats accounting for over 40% of global field diversity.
• The leopard cat characterized by its adaptive flexibility holds the status of being the second most prevalent felid species in India after the jungle cat.

• The International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) is celebrated on 12 May to raise global awareness of protecting plant health.
• This initiative aims to help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development.
• Theme of the year is “Plant health, safe trade and digital technology”.
• This theme emphasizes the need for international collaboration, standards, and the integration of digital technologies to promote plant health.