National Technology Day 2023

• On May 11^th, 2023, the National Technology Day 2023 program will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at Pragati Maidan.
• This program will also mark the beginning of the celebration of the 25^th anniversary of National Technology Day, which will run from May 11^th to May 14^th.
• This year theme for National Technology Day is ‘School to Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.

---

India Among Seven Countries to Benefit from Saudi Arabia's New E-Visa System

• In the starting of May 2023, Saudi Arabia has replaced visa stickers with e-visas in seven countries including Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Indonesia, as per a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
• The new e-visas will be issued with QR codes and aim to modernize consular services by the Saudi Foreign Ministry and provide a digital way of issuing visit, work, and residency visas in the afore mentioned countries.
• This move is part of a broader effort to automate consular services and establish a process for granting various types of visas, as reported by the Saudi Gazette.

---

35^th Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)

• In the Andaman Sea, the 35^th edition of the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) took place between May 3 and May 10, 2023, involving the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy.
• The bi-annual coordinated patrol aims to reinforce maritime linkages between the two countries and ensure the safety and security of the international trade route in the Indian Ocean.

---

'Harit Sagar' Initiative Launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways introduced the "Harit Sagar" Green Port Guidelines, which seek to encourage environmentally friendly practices in the development, operation, and maintenance of ports to achieve zero carbon emissions.
• The guidelines emphasize the use of clean and green energy, such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol/ethanol, to reduce carbon emissions over defined timelines.
• The aim of the guidelines is to achieve zero waste discharge from port operations by following the principles of reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle, while also promoting the use of Environmental Performance Indicators as a means of monitoring.

---

Santiniketan Inclusion in Tentative List for UNESCO

• Santiniketan, a cultural site located in West Bengal, India, has been recommended for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
• The recommendation was made by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a non-governmental organization based in France that provides advice to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and consists of experts, representatives from local authorities, heritage organizations, and companies.
• The Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy has expressed optimism about the site's formal inscription on the World Heritage List during the World Heritage Committee meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in September 2023.

---

“The Indian Metropolis: Deconstructing India’s Urban Spaces” Book by Feroze Varun Gandhi

• Published in 2023, "The Indian Metropolis: Deconstructing India's Urban Spaces" is a book authored by Feroze Varun Gandhi that focuses on the difficulties that plague India's urban areas, such as poverty, inequality, crime, and environmental decay.
• The book asserts that the country's cities require a to become more equitable and environmentally sustainable.

---

Government Launches ‘Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi’ to Ensure Early Childhood Care & Education

• On May 10^th, in New Delhi, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MCWD) introduced its latest initiative for enhancing Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) called "Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi."
• This distinctive program is intended to create a top-notch preschool network throughout India. ECCE is a crucial aspect of both Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) and is part of the National Education Policy.
• ‘Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi’ is a pathbreaking ECCE program to ensure that India has the world’s largest, universal, high-quality pre-school network.

---

Rathendra Raman New Chairman of Kolkata Port

• Rathendra Raman, a member of the 1995 cohort of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), has assumed the role of Chairman at the Kolkata Port, now known as Syama Prasad Mukerjee Port.
• Previously serving as the Chief Freight Traffic Manager (CFTM) in the Southeastern Railway, Raman recently convened a meeting with top officials from the Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex to address port-related concerns in his new capacity.

---

27^th Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council

• Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 27^th Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC).
• During the meeting of the Council, it was discussed that the policy and legislative reform measures required to further develop the financial sector may be formulated and implemented expeditiously to not only increase the financial access of the people, but also increase their overall economic well-being.