1) World No Tobacco Day observed on 31st May
•World No Tobacco Day is observed on 31st May globally. This yearly celebration aims to raise awareness amid the global citizens about not only the dangers of using tobacco but also the business practices of tobacco companies, what WHO is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.
What is the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2022?
•The theme for 2022 is Tobacco: Threat to our environment. The Day is an annual celebration that informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organization (WHO) is doing to fight tobacco use, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living.
2) World Vape Day 2022 observed 2022 On 30th May
•World Vape Day is observed on 30th May across the globe to create awareness about the alternatives to harmful tobacco products and highlights the relative safety of e-cigarettes and their potential as harm reduction and smoking cessation tools. World Vape Day (May 30) is observed on the day before World No Tobacco Day(May 31), observed by the World Health Organisation(WHO). World Vape Day was initiated by the World Vapers’ Alliance(WVA). WVA was established by and receives funding from the Consumer Choice Center.
3) National Commission for Minorities 2022
•The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) was established by the Union Government in 1992 under the National Commission for Minorities Act. According to the statute, the Commission would be made up of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, and five members who will be nominated by the Central Government from among persons of eminence, talent, and integrity, with five members, including the Chairperson, being from minority communities. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis), and Jains are six religious communities that have been designated as minority communities by the Union Government in India’s Gazette. Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians, and Muslims were the first five religious communities to be notified in 1993; later in 2014, the Jains were added. According to the 2001 Census, these six communist countries account for 18.8% of the country’s population.
•The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) upholds the United Nations Declaration of December 18, 1992, which implies that “States shall protect the existence of minorities’ national or ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities within their respective territories and encourage conditions for their promotion.”
4) Prime Minister Modi to deliver the 11th instalment of PM-KISAN benefits
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute the 11th instalment of cash benefits totaling Rs 21,000 crore to more than 10 million farmers in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) initiative. Modi will meet with beneficiaries of 16 schemes and programmes conducted by nine central ministries via video conferencing as part of a nationwide event called Garib Kalyan Sammelan, according to a statement from the agriculture ministry.
5) US Overtakes China as India’s Largest Trading Partner in FY22
•The United States overtook China to become India’s top trading partner in 2021-22, reflecting strong economic ties between the two countries. According to commerce ministry data, in 2021-22, bilateral trade between the US and India stood at US$ 119.42 billion as against US$ 80.51 billion in 2020-21. Exports to the US increased to US$ 76.11 billion in 2021-22 from US$ 51.62 billion in the previous fiscal, while imports rose to US$ 43.31 billion as compared to around US$ 29 billion in 2020-21.
•During 2021-22, India’s two-way commerce with China aggregated at $115.42 billion as compared to $86.4 billion in 2020-21, the data showed. Exports to China marginally increased to $21.25 billion last fiscal year from $21.18 billion in 2020-21, while imports jumped to $94.16 billion from about $65.21 billion in 2020-21. The trade gap rose to $72.91 billion in 2021-22 from $44 billion in the previous fiscal year.
6) Border Coordination Conference between the BSF and the BGB gets underway in Bangladesh
•The Border Coordination Conference between India and Bangladesh was opened at Sylhet by Inspector General BSF-Regional Commander BGB. According to a Border Guards Bangladesh official press release, the four-day seminar will end on June 2. (BGB). The Indian team arrived in Bangladesh via the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Dawki, Meghalaya, where they were greeted by top BGB personnel.
7) The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme extended through FY26
•The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) has been extended for another five years, until FY26. According to a statement from the union ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises, the PMEGP has been authorised for continuance throughout the 15th Finance Commission Cycle for five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, with an outlay of Rs 13,554.42 crore.
8) 118th India-Pakistan Bilateral Meeting on the Indus Water Treaty to be held
•The Permanent Indus Commission conference, which is held yearly under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960, began with India and Pakistan. The Indus discussions have survived the tie-freeze since both countries regard it as a requirement of the IWT. According to the ministry of external affairs, the two sides are expected to meet at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan, under the terms of the treaty.
