Daily GK Update: 22nd May 2023

 Honours & Awards

1. PM Modi conferred with the highest honours of Fiji and Papua New Guinea

• PM Modi has been conferred with the highest honors by Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
• He was conferred with the "The Companion of the Order of Fiji" by his Fijian PM, Sitiveni Rabuka for his global leadership.
• While Papua New Guinea conferred its highest civilian order, Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island countries.
• PM Modi is on a visit to Papua New Guinea to attend the third India-Pacific Islands Cooperation Summit.

 International Affairs

2. Prime Minister Modi unveils Mahatma Gandhi Bust in Hiroshima

• During the visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima, Japan on 20 May 2023.
• The Mahatma Gandhi bust has been gifted by the Government of India to the city of Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and goodwill between India and Japan.
• The 42 inches tall bronze bust has been sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar.
• The bust site, adjacent to the Motoyasu River, is close to the iconic A-Bomb Dome.

 International Affairs

3. SpaceX sends Saudi astronauts, including first Arab woman, to ISS

• Saudi Arabia’s Rayyanah Barnawi has made history as the first Arab woman astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the private Ax-2 mission.
• She is a breast cancer researcher and was joined on the mission by fellow Saudi Ali Al-Qarni, a fighter pilot.
• The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) crew took off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• The team also includes Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner.

 Defense

4. India's defence production exceeds $12 billion for first time

• India’s defense production has increased by more than 12% from last fiscal year and crossed the 1 trillion rupees ($12 billion) threshold for the first time.
• Reason: India is reducing its reliance on imports from countries such as Russia
• The value of India’s local defence production jumped to 1.07 trillion rupees, as on March 31, 2023, and was expected to rise further once data from some private defence companies came in.

 Banking & Finance

5. No TCS on debit card, credit card forex payments of up to Rs 7 lakh

• The Ministry of Finance has notified that no Tax Collection at Source (TCS) will be levied on individual payments using international debit and credit cards of up to Rs 7 lakh in a financial year from July 1, 2023.
• Further, the Union Budget 2023 has increased TCS for foreign remittances under the LRS from 5% to 20% (except for education and medical purposes).
• This rule will be effective from July 1, 2023.

 Sports

6. Daniil Medvedev wins Italian Open 2023

• The world's number three tennis player, Daniil Medvedev (from Russia) has clinched his maiden Italian Open 2023 title, after beating Holger Rune (Denmark).
• It is Medvedev's fifth title of 2023 and victory lifts him above Novak Djokovic to second in the world rankings.
• Other winners:
  • Women's Single Title: Elena Andreyevna Rybakina (Kazakhstani) after defeating Anhelina Kalinina
  • Men's Double: Hugo Nys and Jan Zieliński
  • Women's Double: Storm Sanders and Elise 

 Sports

7. Indian athlete Shaili Singh bags bronze medal at Golden Grand Prix 2023

• Indian athlete Shaili Singh clinched a bronze medal at the Golden Grand Prix 2023 athletics meet in the women's long jump in Japan.
• She has attempted a jump of 6.65 meter, which provided her third place on the podium.
• Germany’s Maryse Luzolo won the gold medal with an effort of 6.79 meter while Australia’s Brooke Buschkuehl bagged the silver medal with a 6.77 meter leap.
• During the Indian Grand Prix 4 athletics meet in Bengaluru, she has registered a jump of 6.76 meter.

 Important Dates

8. International Day for Biological Diversity 2023: 22nd May

• The world observed the International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22 to increase understanding and encourage the preservation of the Earth’s diverse ecosystems.
• 2023 theme: From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity
• The origins of the International Day for Biological Diversity can be traced back to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, commonly referred to as the Earth Summit, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.

 National Affairs

9. Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management inaugurated

• Union Minister of Environment, Bhupendra Yadav has formally inaugurated the Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM) at ICFRE, Dehradun.
• Aim: To promote South-South Cooperation and address land degradation issues through sustainable land management practices
• The CoE-SLM is poised to make a lasting impact in addressing land degradation issues, by leveraging sustainable land management practices, and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

 International Affairs

10. PM Modi releases Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' in Tok Pisin language

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape released the Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' in the Tok Pisin language.
• Aim: To bring Indian thought and culture closer to the people of this southwestern Pacific nation.
• Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.
• Thirukkural is a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, is written by Poet Thiruvalluvar.

 International Affairs

11. PM Modi releases Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' in Tok Pisin language

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape released the Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' in the Tok Pisin language.
• Aim: To bring Indian thought and culture closer to the people of this southwestern Pacific nation.
• Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.
• Thirukkural is a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, is written by Poet Thiruvalluvar.