Daily GK Update: 8th May 2023

Defense

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated India's first Indian Air Force Heritage Centre in Chandigarh.
It will highlight the IAF’s role in various wars.
It also houses the first IAF-made patent aircraft Air Force ‘Kanpur-1 Vintage Prototype Aircraft’, a single-engine indigenous flying machine designed and built by the late Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh in 1958.
In June 2022, an MoU on the heritage centre was signed between the Chandigarh administration and IAF.

Sports

Spanish tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz has successfully defended his title at Madrid Open 2023 and won his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the year and his tenth overall.
In the final, he defeated Jan-Lennard Struff (German) 6-4 3-6 6-3.
While Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus has clinched the Women's singles title at Madrid Open 2023.
Other winners:
- Men's doubles: Karen Khachanov / Andrey Rublev
- Women's doubles: Victoria Azarenka / Beatriz Haddad Maia

Science & Technology

Rocket Lab has launched NASA's two satellites to study tropical storms and hurricanes.
The two CubeSats, the founding members of the agency's TROPICS network, launched atop a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, which was lifted off from New Zealand.
Aim: To improve forecasting and provide new insights into how tropical storms evolve and intensify
The TROPICS constellation will consist of four CubeSats in low Earth orbit.

Schemes

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy inaugurated a PM Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Warasiguda in Secunderabad.
Aim: To provide affordable healthcare and generate self-employment opportunities for youth
It was launched to make quality generic medicines available to the common man at a low cost.
PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana:
- Launched by: Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- Initially launched in 2008
- The scheme was rechristened in 2015

Important Dates

World Red Cross Day is celebrated on May 8 every year to honor the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who founded the Red Cross.
World Red Cross Day is also known as Red Crescent Day.
The theme of World Red Cross Day 2023 is ‘Everything we do comes #fromtheheart’.
This day recognizes the significant contributions of the International Red Cross toward providing humanitarian services to individuals regardless of their race, religion, or political beliefs.

Summits & Conferences

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, and Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Canada have co-chaired the discussions for the sixth India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) in Ottawa.
MDTI is a bilateral mechanism that provides an institutional mechanism to discuss a broad spectrum of trade and investment-related issues and cooperation areas.
The Ministers have also reviewed India-Canada CEPA negotiations.

National Affairs

After Jammu and Kashmir, lithium reserves have been traced in the Degana district of Rajasthan.
According to officials, the lithium reserves are higher than the ones recently found in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials have also informed, that the quantity of lithium here can meet around 80% of India's demand.
For the first time, lithium reserves were found in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi in February 2023.
Lithium is a key component of batteries used in electric vehicles.

National Affairs

Union Minister Nityanand Rai has inaugurated the Dawki Land Port in West Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya.
Aim: To promote trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh
The corresponding Land Port in Bangladesh is Tamabil, located in the Sylhet district.
The Dawki Land port will facilitate the movement of goods, people, and vehicles across the border.
It will also facilitate passenger movement across the border.

Important Dates

World Thalassaemia Day is celebrated every year on May 8 to create awareness about the disorder and explore treatment options.
2023 theme: Be aware. Share. Care: Strengthening Education to Bridge the Thalassaemia Care Gap
This day was created by Panos Englezos (President and Founder of the Thalassemia International Federation) in 1994.
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that is inherited by children from their parents.

National & International Appointments

United States President, Joe Biden named Indian-American Neera Tanden as his Domestic Policy Advisor to help him craft and implement his domestic policy agenda.
She has replaced Susan Rice as Biden's Domestic Policy Advisor.
She served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, as well as presidential campaigns and think tanks.
Tanden previously served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services.