16th May, 2024 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Centre Issues First Set Of Citizenship Certificates Under CAA

• The first set of citizenship certificates after notification of Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024 were issued today. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates to 14 applicants in New Delhi. According to the Home Ministry, digitally signed certificates are being issued to many other applicants through email.
• The Home Secretary congratulated the applicants and highlighted salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 which was notified on 11th March 2024. Under the rules, applications were received from persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have entered into India up to 31.12.2014.

Also Read: May 7th Current Affairs: Top 11 Current Affairs Quiz Questions on Rabindranath Tagore

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INTERNATIONAL
US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken Removed Cuba From State Department’s Short List Of Countries

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has removed Cuba from the State Department’s short list of countries that it deems less than fully cooperative against violent groups.
• Cuban and US law enforcement were again working together on counterterrorism and other efforts. The State Department had cited Cuba as a “not fully cooperating country” in 2022.The statement said that the United States and Cuba resumed law enforcement cooperation in 2023, including on counterterrorism.
• The State Department, in compliance with US laws on arms exports, maintains a list of countries perceived as not cooperating fully on counterterrorism.
• The US kept North Korea, Syria, Iran and Venezuela on the list in the rulings.

Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico Fights For His Life After Being Shot

• Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot in a small town north-east of Bratislava.
• Slovak politicians including the president have called the shooting an attack on democracy. US President Joe Biden has also condemned the shooting of  Mr Fico as a horrific act of violence.
• The alleged assailant was detained at the scene but has not yet been formally identified by the authorities. The attack happened as Mr. Fico greeted people in front of a cultural community centre where a government meeting had been held.

Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Advocates Diplomatic Dialogue In Lecture Series On Nepal-India Relations

• At the third series of lectures launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal, in honour of former Ambassador and former Foreign Secretary Prof Yadunath Khanal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that Nepal and India being close neighbours have built a longstanding history of mutual friendship and cooperation.
• The salient features of Nepal-India ties include geographical proximity; religious, cultural and linguistic relations; economic engagement and intensely flourished people-to-people relations. The unresolved bilateral issues can be resolved through dialogue and diplomatic channels based on historical facts and per the spirit of good neighbourhood. The bilateral relations are based on sovereign equality, peaceful coexistence, goodwill, mutual trust and understanding.
• The exchange of high-level visits has helped strengthen the relations and enhance partnership in many fields. Sharing that a consultative mechanism has been established to facilitate cooperation in various areas of bilateral relations.
• The third series was focused on Nepal-India relations featuring Prof C Rajmohan, former Director of the Academy of South Asian Studies. Nepal and India are facing similar global challenges and a pragmatic approach towards problem-solving is essential to the development of two neighbours. Noting that Kathmandu and New Delhi should learn from Beijing, as China has improved relations with Russia and the USA as per the need. Although Beijing’s relations with Washington now are strained, relations with Moscow are strong.
• The lecture series has been organized to enhance thematic knowledge and discuss with the scholars about the existing foreign policy and practices of the country.

ECONOMY
India’s Urban Unemployment Rate Declines to 6.7% in March Quarter

• The 22nd Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) revealed that the unemployment rate among individuals aged 15 years and above in urban areas of India decreased to 6.7% in the January-March 2024 period.
• The survey offers insights into various labor force indicators, including unemployment rate, worker population ratio (WPR), and labor force participation rate (LFPR) based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach.
• The unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 years and above in urban areas saw a slight decline to 6.7% in January-March 2024 from 6.8% a year earlier.
• Among females aged 15 years and above, the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5% in January-March 2024 compared to 9.2% in the same quarter of the previous year.
• Conversely, among males, the unemployment rate increased marginally to 6.1% in January-March 2024, up from 6% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NASA Appoints New Chief for Artificial Intelligence

• NASA has given a new role to David Salvagnini as the agency’s Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer. This is an addition to his current job as Chief Data Officer. The appointment shows NASA’s commitment to using AI technology responsibly.
• NASA has been using different AI tools for a long time to support its missions and research projects. AI helps analyze data, find patterns, and develop systems that can work on their own to control spacecraft and aircraft.
• NASA is developing ways to use emerging AI technology for its goals and missions. AI can help analyze images from Earth science, search for data on planets outside our solar system, schedule communications for Mars rovers, and more.
• Before Salvagnini, NASA’s Chief Scientist Kate Calvin served as the acting official for responsible AI. With Salvagnini leading AI efforts, NASA aims to embrace new technology responsibly for space exploration and scientific discoveries that benefit humanity.

SPORTS
Sunil Chhetri Announces Retirement from International Football

• Sunil Chhetri, India’s most decorated footballer, has announced his retirement from international football. The FIFA World Cup Qualifier game against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 will be his last appearance for the national team.
• Chhetri’s remarkable journey began in 2002 with Mohun Bagan. His talent soon propelled him abroad, with stints at the USA’s Kansas City Wizards (2010) and Portugal’s Sporting CP reserves (2012). Back in India, he donned the jerseys of prestigious clubs like East Bengal, Dempo, Mumbai City FC, and currently, Bengaluru FC. It’s with Bengaluru that Chhetri truly flourished, lifting trophies like the I-League (2014, 2016), ISL (2019), and Super Cup (2018). He even led them to the AFC Cup final in 2016.

Published date : 16 May 2024 05:13PM