Today in History (23^rd May 1984)

On this day, May 23, India has witnessed remarkable events in history. Bachendri Pal successfully climbed Mount Everest on this day in 1984 to become India’s first woman to summit the peak.

Let’s revise

A) The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is appointed by the ______

1. Prime Minister of India
2. President of India
3. Home Minister of India
4. Chief Minister of Delhi

Ans. (b)

B) Who is the current Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India.?

1. General Vipin Rawat
2. General Anil Chauhan
3. Manoj Pande
4. Dinesh Kumar Tripathi

Ans. (b)

C) The Indian armed forces currently have ____ commands.

1. 17
2. 15
3. 18
4. 24

Ans. (a)

D) The creation of new post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was recommended by which committee?

1. Kargil Review Committee in 1999
2. Goswami Committee
3. Sardar Swaran Singh Committee
4. None of the above

Ans. (a)

E) Which range of the Himalayas in the north most part?

1. Shivalik
2. Karakoram
3. Dhauladhar
4. Ladakh

Ans. (b)

F) The ________ area in Gujarat is also home to the Flamingo City of India because it is the largest flamingo breeding site in the country.

1. Rann of Kutch
2. Giri forest
3. Sabarmati Ashram
4. None of the above

Ans. (a)

G) Which place in India is known as Flamingo City?

1. Kutch National Wildlife Sanctuary
2. Giri National Park
3. Keoladev lake
4. Kheetham lake

Ans. (a)

Summary of Today’s News

Shun divisive speeches, EC tells BJP, Congress.

• The Election Commission (EC) of India has directed the BJP and Congress to avoid campaign methods and statements that could be divisive, particularly along religious or communal lines, or that could mislead or create false impressions about the Constitution or the socio-economic composition of the armed forces.
• The EC issued these instructions in letters to BJP president J.P. Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, urging them to ensure their star campaigners maintain decorum in their speeches.
• The EC noted that the BJP, in particular, had not adequately addressed previous notices about such violations and criticized the party’s response as insufficient.
• The EC emphasized the importance of preserving the country’s socio-cultural fabric during elections and highlighted the need for both ruling and opposition parties to act responsibly.

Ireland, Norway, and Spain set to formally recognise the statehood of Palestine.

• Ireland, Norway, and Spain have announced their formal recognition of the state of Palestine, set to take place on May 28. This decision aligns with the broader international movement for Palestinian statehood, as evidenced by the recent UN General Assembly vote in favor of granting Palestine full membership.
• The leaders of these countries emphasized that recognizing Palestine is a step toward peace and reconciliation in the region.
• Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris drew parallels between this recognition and Ireland’s own historical struggle for freedom, while Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre highlighted the urgent need for a two-state solution amidst ongoing conflict.
• Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez framed the recognition as a move for peace, justice, and moral consistency. The announcements come amid heightened tensions and violence in Gaza, with significant casualties reported on both sides.

Veterinary drugs for Human in Government hospitals, Karnataka

• A significant error by the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) has surfaced, involving the procurement of seven drugs labeled for the Animal Husbandry Veterinary Sciences (AHVS) Department, which were subsequently supplied to Health Department hospitals for human use. Over 25% of this stock was distributed before the mistake was identified. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao clarified that the drugs were intended for human use despite the labeling error, which was described as a “logo misprint” by KSMSCL officials.
•The incident caused panic among patients who visited state-run hospitals in the past three months. The labeling error was first noticed by an official at a KSMSCL warehouse and was reported to higher authorities. The pharmaceutical company, Pushkar Pharma Ltd., which supplied the drugs, acknowledged the labeling error and assured KSMSCL that the drugs were of standard quality and safe for human use. They offered to mask the incorrect logos at their own expense, despite this being a violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. KSMSCL allowed this masking and imposed a 1% penalty on the company.
•KSMSCL Managing Director Chidananda S. Vatare reassured the public that the error was purely a printing mistake and that the drugs meet Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) standards for human use. The company has also provided documentation to confirm that the products were never intended for the AHVS department. As a precaution, KSMSCL has recalled 70% of the distributed drugs from hospitals.

Bail cancelled for juvenile boy in Pune car crash

• The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) revoked the bail of a 17-year-old who drove a luxury car that killed two people in Pune and sent him to an observation home until June 5. The minor’s father, a prominent realtor, and two bar employees who served the minor liquor were remanded in police custody.
• The initial bail of the minor, granted just 15 hours after the incident, caused public outrage. The minor’s grandfather, linked to gangster Chhota Rajan, is under investigation. Maharashtra officials, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, assured thorough probes into the family’s connections.
• The Maharashtra Transport Commissioner stated that the minor will be barred from obtaining a driving license until age 25.

International Booker Prize for German love story Kairos

German writer Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann were announced as the winners of the International Booker Prize on Tuesday for the novel “Kairos.” Originally written in German, the book explores a young woman’s “destructive affair” with an older man in 1980s East Berlin.