NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi To Chair SCO Summit

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 22nd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State.

• It will be held in the virtual format. India assumed the rotating Chairmanship of SCO at the Samarkand Summit on 16 September 2022.

• All the SCO Member States, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have been invited to attend the Summit.

• In addition, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as observer states.

• As per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the Guest of the Chair.

• In addition, heads of six international and regional organizations have also been invited.
• The theme of the summit is 'Towards a Secure SCO'.

'Life Saving Jackets' Mandatory for Shikara Boats

• The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced making 'life jackets' mandatory for shikara boats in Dal and Nigeen lakes, besides other water bodies in the region.

• These instructions have been issued to ensure the safety of tourists riding shikaras in Dal and Nigeen lakes and other water bodies and to prevent any untoward incident due to inclement weather conditions or any other reasons.

• Ordered that as per the guidelines of J&K Tourism Policy, every Shikara boat registered under J&K Tourism Trade Act, 1978 shall maintain availability of minimum three lifesaving jackets of recommended quality and specifications in the boat at all times.

• Failure to do so will result in cancellation of registration under the said Act.

Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana

• The Maharashtra government has approved a new financial scheme under which Rs 6,000 will be paid annually to over one crore farmers in the state.
• 'Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana' was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai.
• Chief Minister Shinde said that this amount is in addition to the Rs 6,000 being given to farmers by the Center under PM Kisan Yojana.
• The Maharashtra cabinet also approved the implementation of 'Gender Inclusive Tourism Policy' named 'I' to empower women in the tourism sector.
• The cabinet also approved the starting of women bike-taxi service at some tourist places.

Bandra-Versova Sea Bridge to be Named After Veer Savarkar

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced that the Bandra-Versova sea route in Mumbai will be renamed as 'Veer Savarkar Bandra-Versova Sagari Setu'.
• Maharashtra will also introduce the 'Veer Savarkar Shaurya Puraskar' award to honour individuals who have made notable contributions to the state, similar to the gallantry awards given by the central government.
• Veer Savarkar, born on May 28, 1883 in Bhagur, Nashik, Maharashtra, was a prominent politician, activist and writer.
• While imprisoned in Ratnagiri, Savarkar developed the ideology of Hindutva, a Hindu nationalist movement in 1922.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Sri Lanka's National Poson Week Begins

• In Sri Lanka, the National Poson Week began on 31 May.
• Posan, also known as Poson Poya, is an annual festival held by Sri Lankan Buddhists celebrating the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE.
• The Posan festival will be held till June 6 and will be centered around the holy city of Mihinthalaya, Thanthirimalaya and Anuradhapura.
• The festival celebrates the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in 236 BCE by Arhat Mahinda, the son of Emperor Ashoka.
• A large number of devotees are expected to visit Anuradhapura for the festival and steps have been taken to provide all facilities to the devotees.

BANKING

Axis Bank Launches ‘Sarathi’

• Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, has launched ‘Sarathi’, a first-of-its-kind digital onboarding journey to enable Electronic Data Capture (EDC) or Point of Sale (POS) for merchants.

• Unlike the time-consuming traditional onboarding process, which can take several days, Sarathi offers merchants a streamlined and hassle-free experience.

• The solution enables merchants to complete the onboarding process in just four simple steps which includes:

• Realtime database checks for faster application processing

• Live video verification to authenticate merchant information at his/ her convenience

• It eliminates the field verification process which helps in instant decision-making
• Instant installation of POS
• The paperless onboarding process eliminates the need for merchants to fill out cumbersome forms or wait for extended periods to have their POS terminals installed.
• Sarathi’s features include immediate status updates, eliminating the need for follow-up visits, and the ability to transact on the same day their application is processed.

ADB and India Signs to Loan Andhra Pradesh

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) signed a USD 141.12-million loan to support the development of high-quality internal infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• It is to support the development of essential infrastructure, such as roads, water supply systems and power distribution networks, in three industrial clusters located in Andhra Pradesh.
• This financing is the second tranche of the USD 500 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) for the programme approved by ADB in 2016.
• It is to build infrastructure in three industrial clusters in the Visakhapatnam and Srikalahasthi-Chittoor nodes in AP.
• ADB also approved a $250 million loan as part of the MFF to support the government’s National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDP) through October 2021.

SPORTS

Khelo India University Games

• Khelo India University Games: Savitribai Phule Pune University won the first gold medal by defeating Osmania University in the women's tennis event.
• They won 2–0 over defending champions Osmania University in the final match.
• The tournament took place at the Ekana International Tennis Stadium in Lucknow.
• The Jain University women's tennis team won the bronze medal by defeating Madras University by a score of 2-0.
• Gujarat University won the bronze medal in a closely fought match against Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) with a score of 2-1.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

President of Türkiye

• Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the President of Turkey.
• In the parliamentary elections, the AK Party and its allies won 323 out of 600 seats.
• Erdogan has been in power for two decades after becoming prime minister in March 2003.
• Erdogan won the presidential election, defeating Kemal Kilikdaroglu, the opposition leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP).
• Erdogan's government aims to prioritise fighting inflation and dealing with the aftermath of the devastating February 6 earthquake.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Toonz Animation Ties Up with FTII Pune For Animation

• Toonz Animation Studios through its education services arm Vizdem has announced that it is collaborating with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune to offer animation and visual effects courses.

• Toonz and FTII signed an MoU to this effect, which aims to bridge the gap between industry requirements and academia by developing relevant skill-based courses in the media and entertainment industry.

• Apart from this, both Toonz and FTII have plans to develop various animation and visual effects courses and to set up an incubation center on the FTII campus.

• This will help the students to develop their own IP and reach out to broadcasters across the globe.

• As per the MoU, Toonz will collaborate with FTII to offer animation and visual effects programs under FTII’s Centre for Open Learning (CFOL).

IMPORTANT DAYS

World NoTobacco Day

• World No Tobacco Day is celebrated every year on 31 May.

• It is celebrated with the aim of making people aware about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.

• The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2023 is ‘We need food, not tobacco’.

• The World Health Organisation honours governments, organisations and individuals every year for their efforts and contributions to prevent tobacco use.

• The World No Tobacco Day initiative was adopted by WHO in 1987.