APPOINTMENTS

Vietnam's parliament elected public security minister To Lam as the country's President

• On May 22, Vietnam's parliament elected To Lam, the public security minister, as the country's new President. Lam succeeded Vo Van Thuong, who resigned in March amid a significant anti-corruption campaign. Lam received an overwhelming 472 out of 473 votes.

• This election follows the appointment of former deputy Tran Thanh Man as the new chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly on May 20. Vietnam operates under a four-person leadership structure led by the General Secretary of the Communist Party, which also includes the President, the Prime Minister, and the head of the National Assembly.

• Lam has been minister of public security since 2016 and has taken a tough stance on human rights movements in the communist country.

• The National Assembly elects the President by secret ballot, after which delegates approve the results.

AWARDS

National Award to Teachers (Higher Education) 2024 launched

• The portal for nominations for the National Award to Teachers (Higher Education) 2024 has been launched.

• The launch was officiated by Shri Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, in collaboration with Shri T. G. Sitaram, Chairman of AICTE.

• In addition to the launch, the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education has issued guidelines for enrollment. This prestigious award aims to recognize exemplary teachers and faculty members from both technical and non-technical higher education institutions, as well as teachers from polytechnic institutions.

•There will be three sub-categories under the first category based on the following broad topics:

• Engineering & Technology, Architecture

• Pure Sciences including Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy

• Arts and Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Legal Studies, Commerce, and Management

• The last date for submitting nominations for this award is June 20, 2024.

• The selected award winners will be honored on 5th September (Teacher's Day) to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India and renowned teacher.

• The National Award to Teachers 2024 in Higher Education Institutions aims to recognize and honor outstanding faculty members for their dedication, hard work and contribution to teaching and pedagogy who have enhanced the quality of higher education and enriched the lives of students.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Spain, Norway and Ireland have decided to recognize Palestine as a separate state

• Spain, Norway, and Ireland have decided to formally recognize Palestine as an independent state. This recognition will come into effect on May 28. Israel has criticized these nations, claiming they are "rewarding" Hamas for its brutal attack on October 7.

• Palestinian statehood has already been acknowledged by more than 130 United Nations member states. This formal recognition by Spain, Norway, and Ireland is seen as a step towards achieving a two-state solution, aiming to secure peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.

• More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 80,000 wounded during the Israeli assault on Gaza.

• The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the main representative of the Palestinians, was the first to declare the establishment of the State of Palestine in 1988.

INDEX AND RANKING

World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024.

• India moved to 39th place on the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024.

• As tourism activities returned to pre-pandemic levels, India’s rank on the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 reached 39th position.

• In 2021, India’s rank was 54th.

• USA is at the top of the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024.

• Spain, Japan, France and Australia are among the top five in the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024.

• India is ranked highest in South Asia and among the lower-middle-income economies.

• The index is prepared by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the University of Surrey.

• India ranks 18th in price-competitive and 25th in Ground and Port infrastructure.

• India is only one of three to score in the top 10 for all the resource pillars.

• India’s overall TTDI (Travel and Tourism Development Index) score is 2.1 per cent below its 2019 level.

• High-income economies in Europe and Asia-Pacific continued to lead the index.

• The report highlights that the Middle East has seen the biggest improvement in international tourist arrivals.

By 2050, global life expectancy is projected to improve by more than 5 years for men and more than 4 years for women.

• According to a global study published in The Lancet journal, Life expectancy is projected to improve by nearly five years for men and more than four years for women worldwide between 2022 and 2050.

• Improvements are expected to be greatest in countries where life expectancy is lower, contributing to an overall increase in life expectancy across all geographic regions.

• Public health measures are improving prevention and survival rates from cardiovascular diseases, COVID-19 and many communicable, maternal and nutrition-related diseases, largely driving the trend of increased life expectancy globally.

• Worldwide healthy life expectancy, the number of years one can expect to live in good health, will increase by 2.6 years in the coming years – from 64.8 years in 2022 to 67.4 years in 2050.

• For India, the study estimates that by 2050, life expectancy for men could exceed 75 years on average, while for women it could be around 80 years.

MISCELLANEOUS

ONGC registered the highest-ever profit in FY24.

• ONGC achieved its highest-ever profit in FY24. The company reported a record standalone net profit of Rs 40,526 crore.

• Additionally, ONGC's consolidated net profit for FY24 reached an unprecedented Rs 57,101 crore.

• During the fourth quarter of FY24, ONGC's crude oil production increased by 2.4%, reaching 5.359 million metric tonnes (MMT).

• However, the company's standalone gross revenue declined by 11%, from Rs 1,55,517 crore in FY23 to Rs 1,38,402 crore in FY24.

• ONGC has announced a total dividend of Rs 12.25 per share with a total amount of Rs 15,411 crore.

• This includes an interim dividend of Rs 9.75 per share already paid during the year.

• During FY24, ONGC spent Rs 37,000 crore in capital expenditure.