1 India ranked 39th in WEF’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024
India has been ranked 39th out of 119 countries in the recently released Travel and Tourism Growth Index 2024 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) . The United States was ranked top in the world while India was the highest ranked country in South Asia . The Travel and Tourism Growth Index is a biennial report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The first index was released in 2022. Earlier, the WEF used to publish the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index biennially since 2007. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index was replaced by the Travel and Tourism Growth Index. The Travel and Tourism Growth Index benchmarks and measures the set of factors and policies that enable sustainable and resilient growth of the travel and tourism sector and play a key role in the country’s development. The 2024 Travel and Tourism Growth Index was prepared in collaboration with the University of Surrey, England. This year the index covers 119 countries. The US tops the list. Spain is next, followed by Japan, France and Australia. The lowest ranked countries are Mali (119) and Sierra Leone (118 ) .
2 Spain is the 99th member of International Solar Alliance
Spain has become the 99th member of the International Solar Alliance . External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Spain handed over the International Solar Alliance ratification instrument during a meeting of Spanish Ambassador Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez with Abhishek Singh , Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Head of the Depository in New Delhi. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies as a means of bringing energy access, ensuring energy security and driving energy transition in its member countries.
3 Vietnam’s National Assembly approved the country’s Public Security Minister Lam to become the country’s president after voting at the Hanoi headquarters.
Vietnam ‘s National Assembly has approved the country’s Public Security Minister General Tu Lam to become the country’s President after voting in Hanoi headquarters . The new President has been appointed after nearly two months after the resignation of former Vietnam President Vo Van Thong amid corruption scandals. Mr Lam has been made the third President of Vietnam in less than 18 months. Mr Lam is the third most powerful person in Vietnam. During Mr Lam’s tenure as Public Security Minister, many dissidents and bloggers were sent to jail.
4 The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates were awarded the prestigious Shield of Honour for outstanding work
The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai were awarded the prestigious Shield of Honour for their outstanding work at the 5th Foreign Ministers Excellence Awards ceremony held under the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE . With this, India has become the only country to receive two such awards . Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sanjay Sudhir and Consul General of the Consulate General in Dubai Satish Kumar Sivan received these awards. These awards were presented by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. These awards are a testimony to the commendable work done by the Indian Missions in the UAE in promoting economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
5 POWERGRID receives global recognition for Learning & Development, honoured with ATD Best Awards for the 3rd time
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has been awarded the prestigious ATD Best Awards- 2024 for its strategic approach to talent development driving business outcomes . POWERGRID is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSU) under the Ministry of Power, Government of India . Instituted by the US -based Association for Talent Development (ATD), the ATD Best Awards is one of the most respected international awards in the field of learning and development (L&D) . It recognises organisations that leverage talent development as a strategic business tool and demonstrate enterprise-wide success through effective employee development practices. The rankings are determined through a rigorous evaluation and assessment process by international experts of high credentials and global standing. This year’s recognition underlines POWERGRID’s innovative approach to adopting innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for efficient maintenance of the vast power transmission network and successful implementation of large projects.
6 Bihar’s largest solar power plant started in Banka
Bihar’s largest solar power plant has started functioning in Banka . This solar power plant was being constructed by a private company for the last two years. The target is to produce 50 megawatts of electricity per year from this plant. Bihar State Power Holding Company will purchase the electricity produced in the plant for 25 years .
7 Kamarita created a record by successfully climbing Mount Everest for the second time in ten days
Nepali mountaineer Kamirita Sherpa has set a new world record. She successfully climbed the world’s highest peak Mount Everest for the second time in ten days. By successfully climbing Mount Everest for the 30th time, Kamirita has also made a record for the most number of times. A statement issued by the Nepal Mountaineering Association said that Kamirita Sherpa has created a new record by reaching the top of Mount Everest at 7:49 am on Wednesday. Kamirita is the first person to climb Everest who has successfully climbed it for the 30th time. Earlier on May 12, Kamirita had also made a record by climbing successfully for the 29th time. This time, since the government gave permission for climbing, Kamirita has made a record of successfully climbing twice within 10 days.
8 World Para Athletics: India third in medal tally
India’s Sumit Antil won the gold medal in the men’s F64 javelin throw event at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe , Japan with a throw of 69.50m. On the other hand, Mariyappan Thangavelu broke the championship record by clearing over 1.88m in the men’s high jump T63 final to win India’s fourth gold of the tournament. Currently, India is third behind China (15 gold, 13 silver, 13 bronze) and Brazil (14 gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze). India’s total medal tally now stands at 10 which includes four gold, four silver and two bronze medals. Antil is the current world record holder in men’s javelin (F64) after winning the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Para Games javelin throw F64 event with a world record effort of 73.29m in October 2023.
9 International Day for Biological Diversity 2024
Every year 22 May is celebrated as International Day for Biodiversity . The day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of the natural world as a major source of water, food, medicines, clothing, fuel, shelter and energy for humans . It also seeks to raise awareness among people and policy makers to protect, respect and repair our biological wealth. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in December 2000 to celebrate 22 May as International Day for Biodiversity. The day is important because the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted on 22 May. The first International Day for Biodiversity was celebrated on 22 May 2001.
