Today in History (May 20th, 1489)
On 20th May 1489, Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, arrived in Calicut. He was the first European to reach India via sea route. He sailed to India via the Cape of Good Hope, linking Europe and Asia through an ocean route, connecting the Atlantic and the Indian oceans.
Summary of Today’s News
RBI to pull out Rs. 2,000 notes from active circulation.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to withdraw Rs. 2000 denomination bank notes from circulation in pursuance of its “Clean Note Policy.” Exchange of Rs. 2000 notes into banknotes of other denominations can be made up to a limit of Rs. 20,000 at a time at any bank, starting from May 2023 till 30th September 2023.
Centre gives L-G final say on bureaucrats.
The Union Government brought an ordinance that seeks to establish the National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA), headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi, with the Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of Delhi as its other two members. It will decide the transfer, posting, and vigilance matters of all Group A and DANICS officers posted in Delhi through majority votes. However, the final decision will lie with the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
Gujarat to become India’s green hydrogen hub.
Gujarat is framing a new policy for green hydrogen manufacturing, which will be given the status of ‘priority sector’. It aims to become a hub for green hydrogen by creating a production capacity of 8 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2035. It will help to decarbonize energy-intensive industries like fertilizers, steel, chemicals, and petroleum. Hydrogen produced through renewable or non-fossil sources is called green hydrogen.
Kiren Rijiju appointed as the Union Minister of Earth Science.
Kiren Rijiju, formerly the Union Minister of Law and Justice, has been appointed the Union Minister of Earth Science. In his new role, he emphasized his priority to implement the Deep Ocean Mission, a flagship initiative of the Ministry aimed at exploring polymetallic nodules containing valuable minerals in the Indian Ocean.
Golden Globe Race
Commodore Abhilash Tomy became the first Indian to complete the Golden Globe Race, a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, without modern technological aids. He was the only Indian to finish a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world onboard the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei in 2012-13.
