Current Context : Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh took charge as commandant of National Defence Academy (NDA) from Vice Admiral Ajay Kocchar.

• He holds the distinction of being part of the commissioning crew of three Indian-constructed warships, namely INS Brahmaputra as gunnery officer, INS Shivalik as executive officer, and INS Kochi as commanding officer.
• He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1990.
• He was awarded by the Admiral Katari Trophy for standing “First in Overall Order of Merit” of his batch during ab initio training.
• He has also been awarded the FOC-in-C Commendation (2002), the Nao Sena Medal (2020), and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2024).

Current Context : Celebrated on 29th May every year.

• Objective : to honour the sacrifice and dedication of people who work for peace worldwide.
• It honours more than 4,000 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the name of peace.
• Theme : “Fit for the future, building better together.”
• This day looks at the invaluable contributions military, police and civilian peacekeepers have made over the last seven decades.

About

• It was started by the UN General Assembly in 2002.

Current Context : Payal Kapadia wins Grand Prix Award for her film ‘All We Imagine as Light’.

• For the first time in 30 years an Indian film, Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ which centers around the lives of two nurses, was nominated for the Palme d’or, the highest award in the festival.
• With this win she becomes the first Indian to bag this prestigious award.
• This comes after 30 years when Shaji N Karun’s ‘Swaham’ competed for highest honour.
• Her film was granted official Indo-French co production status by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, under the signed Audio-Visual treaty between India and France.

Current Context : The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is hosting “Pharma Research in AyurGyan and Techno Innovation (PRAGATI-2024)” in New Delhi on 28 May 2024.

Objective : to maximize the potential of Ayurveda stakeholders in drug and device development by connecting researchers and industrial partners involved in manufacturing Ayurveda formulations and technological innovations.

• It focuses on exploring research opportunities and fostering collaboration between CCRAS and the Ayurveda drug industry.
• A Collaborative Initiative by CCRAS to Propel Ayurveda Research and Industry.

ABOUT CCRAS

• Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Government of India.
• Objective : To attain global leadership in research for treatment and prevention of emerging important lifestyle related disease and health requirement.
• Established in 1971.

Current Context : The UN General Assembly proclaimed 24 May the International Day of the Markhor.

• This day is celebrated for the first time in 2024.
• A resolution was sponsored by the Pakistan and eight other countries to celebrate this day.
• Objective : to raise awareness and promote the conservation of the Markhor.
• It is an iconic and ecologically significant species native to the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia.

ABOUT MARKHOR

• The Markhor (Capra falconeri), also known as the “screw-horned goat,” is the national animal of Pakistan.
• It is a majestic wild goat known for its striking spiral-shaped horns which can grow up to 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) in length, making them the largest horns of any living caprid species.

Current Context :  Ekta Bhyan Secures Gold Medal in Women’ F51 Club Throw Competition at World Para Athletic Championship.

• Kashish Lakra took the silver with an effort of 56 metre, Nadjet Boucherf of Algeria won the bronze with a score of 12.70 metre.
• India ended their World Para Athletics Championships campaign with unprecedented success, securing 17 medals, including 6 gold, 5 Silver and 6 Bronze.

SIX GOLD WINNERS

• Deepthi Jeevanji (Women’s 400m)
• Sachin Khilari (Men’s Shot put)
• Simran (Women’s 200 m)
• Sumit Antil ( Men’s Javelin)
• Ekta Bhyan (Women’s Club Throw)
• Thangavelu Mariyappan (men’s high jump T63)

Current Context :  International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi as ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Brand Ambassador.

• He is appointed as the brand ambassador for the upcoming 9th ICC Men’s T20.
• This tournament will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America from 1st to 29th June 2024.
• In tournament he will joins Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle of west Indies and Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt as brand ambassadors for the event.

Current Context : Second edition of AI Summit was held in Seoul, South Korea on 21 – 22 May 2024.

• Republic of Korea and United Kingdom co-hosted the AI event.
• Tech companies have agreed on a set of safety commitments on artificial intelligence (AI)including OpenAI, Mistral, Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and IBM.
• It discussed concerns such as job security, copyright and inequality.

Current Context : The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Launches ‘Let’s Move India’ Campaign to Inspire People to Celebrate Athletes at Paris Olympics.

• It is a collaboration of Reliance Foundation and Abhinav Bindra Foundation.
• Objective : to inspire people to celebrate the athletes participating in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris and encourage to participate in physical activity.
• During this event young people can take part in a series of regional school initiatives to coincide with Olympic Day on June 23.

Current Context : Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to build a “Waste to wonder park” in the town to promoting the recycling of plastic waste and attracting tourists.

• Municipal Corporation will be using plastic bottles, old tyres, single-use plastic and other recyclable waste materials.
• Aim : to promote recycling and the reuse of waste plastic material and attracting more tourists to the town.