DAILY TOP NEWS OF THE DAY

NATIONAL (NEWS):

• Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Launched National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 & Other Initiatives On May 26, 2023, the Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), unveiled the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, and launched the Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices during the inaugural event of the 8th International Conference on Pharma and Medical Device Sector in New Delhi, Delhi. Mansukh Mandaviya also launched a scheme titled 'Assistance for Medical Devices clusters for Common Facilities (AMD-CF)' to establish and strengthen common infrastructure facilities in the medical devices clusters and fortify testing facilities for medical devices.

• PM Modi flags off Uttarakhand's 1st Vande Bharat train: Dehradun-Delhi Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually flagged off Uttarakhand's 1st semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Train connecting Dehradun with Delhi. The inaugural run of the train connects Dehradun to Delhi's Anand Vihar terminal. This will be the 6th Vande Bharat train connecting Delhi from a different state. This also marks the 18th Vande Bharat train in India. PM Modi also dedicate the newly electrified rail line sections in Uttarakhand. with this Uttarakhand will have its entire rail route 100% electrified.

• MoRD Minister Giriraj Singh launches SAMARTH campaign to Promote Digital Transactions at Gram Panchayat Level On May 25, 2023, a Campaign on Promoting Digital Transactions in 50000 Gram Panchayats namely `SAMARTH' under the Azadi Ka  Amrit Mahotsav was launched in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP) by the Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). This campaign was already initiated on February 1, 2023, by the MoRD to promote digital transactions at the Gram Panchayat level in rural areas, and will continue till 15 August 2023. The event was addressed by the UP Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath.

INTERNATIONAL (NEWS):

• UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group's JME 2023 Report: 18.7% Indian Children were Affected by Wasting According to Levels and trends in child  malnutrition: United Nations Children's Fund/World Health Organization/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank Group: the Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates (UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group: JME) key findings of the 2023 edition' report released on May 23, 2023, 18.7% of Indian children were affected by wasting in 2020 due to poor nutrient intake and/or recurrent illnesses.

BANKING & FINANCE (NEWS):

• SEBI sets up Intermediary Advisory Committee Chaired by former SEBI ED S Ravindran On May 25, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted a 21-member Intermediary Advisory Committee chaired by the former SEBI executive director(ED) S Ravindran. The committee will advise SEBI on changes in legal framework and increasing transparency in the functioning of market intermediaries like stock exchanges, depository participants, clearing corporations, among others.

• RBI sanctions merger of Maratha Co-op Bank with Cosmos Co-operative Bank On May 26, 2023, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sanctioned the voluntary Scheme of Amalgamation of Maratha Sahakari Bank Ltd., Mumbai (Maharashtra) with the Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd, Pune (Maharashtra), the second largest urban cooperative bank of India, from May 29, 2023, in exercise of its powers conferred under Sub-Section (4) of Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949. In accordance with the scheme, all the 7 branches of Maratha Sahakari Bank Ltd., will function as branches of The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Limited.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS (NEWS):

• TCS-Ied Consortium Bags Rs 15,000 crore BSNL Contract for 4G Deployment The Tata Consultancy Service Limited (TCS)-led consortium has received an advance purchase order worth Rs 15,000 crore from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), a central public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, for the deployment of a 4G network across India. The consortium, consisting of Tejas Network Ltd., the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), and the central PSU, ITI Ltd. (formerly known as Indian Telephone Industries Limited), has won the bid for BSNIZs pan-India 4G project. Around 75% of the deal value will go to TCS. Tejas Networks, Tata Group's domestic gear company, will supply and service RAN equipment.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS (NEWS):

• Princess Sophia Duleep Singh London home honoured with Commemorative Blue Plaque On May 26 2023, the London home of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, a suffragette Indian princess, Red Cross nurse, and critic of British rule in India, was honoured with the English Heritage's commemorative Blue Plaque in London, the United Kingdom (UK). The blue plaque is erected at Faraday House, 37 Hampton Court Road, Richmond, London, where Princess Sophia Duleep Singh lived for over five decades.Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), the militant group led by Emmeline Pankhurst, a British political activist who organised the UK suffragette movement.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS (NEWS):

• Srikrishnan Hari Hara Sarma appointed as MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank On May 26 2023, Karnataka Bank, one of the leading South Indian Private sector banks, appointed Srikrishnan Harihara Sarma as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a period of 3 years with effect from the date of his assuming charge. Following the approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the board of directors has appointed Sarma as an additional director to take up the role as MD & CEO.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (NEWS):

• Rocket Lab launches 2nd pair of Sats for NASA's storm-tracking TROPICS mission; SuperBIT balloon, NASA's 1st science mission to complete two revolutions of SH On May 26, 2023, the Rocket Lab USA Inc.'s Electron two-stage rocket launched the second and final pair of shoebox-sized weather-tracking satellites for NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) TROPICS mission from Launch Complex 1 at Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. This pair is named as 'Coming to a Storm Near You'.

• Indian Navy & ISRO Jointly Released 'Gaganyaan Recovery Training Plan' at WSTF INS Garuda On May 24, 2023, the Indian Navy along with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released a 'Gaganyaan Recovery Training Plan' at the state-of-the-art Water Survival Training Facility (WSTF) at INS (Indian Naval Ship) Garuda, Kochi, Kerala. The training document was jointly released by Vice Admiral Atul Anand, Director General of Naval Operations, Indian Navy, Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), and Dr Umamaheshwaran R, Director, Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) of ISRO.

BOOKS & AUTHORS (NEWS):

• Dr. Vijay Darda's New Book, 'RINGSIDE," to be Released by Shashi Tharoor "RINGSIDE - Up, Close, and Personal on India and Beyond", a new book written by former member of parliament (MP) Dr Vijay Darda, Chairman of the editorial board of Lokmat Media Group, is set to be released by renowned author and Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor on 30th May 2023 in New Delhi, Delhi. The book is a compilation of Darda's weekly articles, which were published in the Lokmat Media Group newspapers and other prominent national and regional dai