Current Affairs

On 17th May 2022, the Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary in Rajasthan was notified as India’s 52nd tiger reserve.

• This is Rajasthan’s fourth tiger reserve after Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra.

The Supreme Court of India, in a recent ruling, said that remission or premature release of a convict has to be considered in terms of the policy applicable in the State where the crime was committed and not where the trial was transferred to and concluded.

Each year on 15th May, the International Day of Families is observed to reflect the importance that the international community attaches to families.

• The theme for this year’s observance was ‘Families and Urbanization’. This year’s theme’s focus is to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable and family-friendly urban policies.

On 15th May 2022, ‘Blessed Devasahayam’, became the first Indian layman to be declared a saint by Pope Francis during a canonisation ceremony held at the Vatican.

• Devasahayam was born on April 23, 1712 as Neelakanta Pillai into a Hindu Nair family, at Nattalam in Kanyakumari district, which was part of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.

Each year, World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on two days - on the second Saturday of May and October.

• The Days are a way to reflect the cyclical nature of bird migration as well as the fact that there are varying peak migration periods in the northern and southern hemispheres.

India’s men’s badminton team beat 14-time champion Indonesia 3-0 in the final to win its maiden Thomas Cup title in its 32nd edition.

• The biennial international badminton championship was held at Bangkok, Thailand.

On 17 May 2022, two indigenous frontline warships of Indian Navy were launched concurrently at Mazgaon Docks Limited, Mumbai.

INS Surat: A Project 15B Destroyer

• ‘INS Surat’ is the fourth ship of Project 15B Destroyers.

On the occasion of Buddha Purnima (16 May 2022), Union Minister of Tourism & Culture inaugurated various amenities at ancient Kanheri Caves.

About Kanheri Caves

• The Kanheri caves comprise of more than 110 different rock-cut monolithic excavations and one of the largest single excavations in the country.

A natural history museum is coming up in Uttar Pradesh on the Lucknow Zoo campus and is expected to be ready by March 2023.

The museum will be the first-of-its-kind in Uttar Pradesh and will have nearly 6,000 specimens of animals and birds collected by experts over the past 200 years from different places across the world.

Iron implements unearthed from excavations at Mayiladumparai in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district have revealed that the Iron Age in Tamil Nadu dates back 4,200 years, potentially making it the oldest in India, for now.

• Previously, the Iron Age burial site of Adichanallur in southern Tamil Nadu dated between 1000 BCE and 600 BCE.