IGNCA Hosted the Exhibition of Karl Erich Muller’s Lithographs

• In honour of International Labor Day, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) held an exhibition on May 1, 2024, with the theme "People and Places of India - A Retrospect."
• Lithographs from the IGNCA Archives by well-known German artist Karl Erich Muller were on display.
• Speaking at the event, Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of the IGNCA, emphasized how lithographs capture the essence of everyday life while highlighting their distinctiveness, rarity, and surreal quality.
• He restated that Karl Erich Muller uses his lithographs to convey the idea that not all expressions need a lot of resources.
• Sachchidanand Joshi emphasized the value of the IGNCA as a storehouse of cultural artifacts and the necessity of curating it with the attention to detail that is demonstrated in the display.

2 New MA Programmes of IIMC

• 2 brand-new MA programmes are being offered by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) starting in the upcoming academic year, on May 1, 2024.
•  The Institute announced that starting with the 2024–25 academic year; 2-year MA programs in Strategic Communication and Media Business Studies will be offered.
•  As the institute was just designated as a Deemed to be University, these will be the first PG Degree (MA) Programs offered there.
• There will be 40 places available for each course, which will be taught at the IIMC campus in New Delhi.

Symbol Loading Unit Directions Issued by Election Commission

• In accordance with the Supreme Court Order, the Election Commission of India (ECI) released guidelines on May 1, 2024, regarding the management and storage of Symbol Loading Units (SLU).
• All Chief Electoral Officers have received instructions from the Commission to set up the systems and procedures required to put the new procedures for managing and storing SLUs into effect.
• The Election Commission was ordered by the Supreme Court to lock and guard the Symbol Loading Unit for 45 days following the announcement of the election results.
•  The Commission mandated that all SLU containers, including those that are reserved and utilized, be sealed with a pink paper seal in a way that makes it impossible to open the container without shattering the paper seal.
• The contenders or their delegates will be allowed to sign the seals pasted on the SLU Container.

April’s GST Collection

• The Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) receipts reached a new high in April, 2024 of ₹2.10 lakh crore, as of May 1, 2024.
•  This indicates a noteworthy annual growth of 12.4%, mostly due to a robust rise in both domestic transactions (up 13.4%) and imports (up 8.3%).
• Refunds taken into consideration, the net GST revenue for April, 2024 is ₹1.92 lakh crore, a remarkable 15.5% increase over the same period the previous year.
• The central government used the IGST collected in April, 2024 to pay ₹50307 crore to the CGST and ₹41600 crore to the SGST.
• After regular settlement, this equates to a total revenue of ₹94,153 crore for CGST and ₹95138 crore for SGST for April, 2024.

SMART System Successfully Tested

• The successful flight test done for the Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system from the Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on May 1, 2024.
•  This will significantly improve the Indian Navy's ability to combat submarines beyond the traditional range of lightweight torpedoes.
•  It stated that the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) devised and developed SMART, a next-generation missile-based lightweight torpedo delivery system.
•  This missile system, which is canister-based, has multiple sophisticated subsystems, including an electromechanical actuator system, a precise inertial navigation system, and a 2-stage solid propulsion system.
•  The system's payload consists of a sophisticated lightweight torpedo and a parachute-based release mechanism.

Discovery of Speedy 90-Million Year Old Herbivore Dinosaur in Argentina (Environment and Ecology)                                 

• Argentine paleontologists on May 1, 2024 reported the discovery of a new species of medium-sized herbivorous dinosaur called Chakisaurus nekul as of May 1, 2024.
• It lived in what is now Patagonia about 90 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.
• The discovery, published in the journal Cretaceous Research, provides new insight into a fascinating animal distinguished by its swiftness and unusual tail structure.
•  This strange modification may indicate new locomotor skills, helping the dinosaur make quick movements and maintain balance while racing—both of which are essential for avoiding predators in its natural habitat.
• In addition to being identified by the structure of its tail, Chakisaurus nekul was also well-known for its quickness and agility.
•  Its main protection against the many predators it faced was its speed, which it achieved by using its strong hind legs and remarkable running prowess.

Asian U-22 and Youth Boxing Championship 2024

• The Indian boxers Aryan, Yashwardhan Singh, Priyanshu, and Sahil advanced to the semifinals of the Asian U-22 and Youth Boxing Championships 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 1, 2024.
• Aryan, competing in the 51 kg division, gave India the perfect start by defeating Juraev Shakarboy of Uzbekistan 5-0.
• In the 63.5 kg class, Yashwardhan defeated Iran's Mirahmadi Babaheidari 4-1 after his victory.
• Referee stop contest (RSC) decisions were made to end the bouts for Priyanshu (71 kg) and Sahil (80 kg) against Wu Yu En (Chinese Taipei) and Yklymov Abdyrahma (Turkmenistan), respectively.
• Jatin, meantime, lost his final match in the 57 kg class, 1-4, to A Nodirbek of Uzbekistan.
• With over 390 boxers competing for medals in 25 weight divisions from over 24 countries, the famous competition has been providing high-stakes combat.
• The youth and U-22 division finals are scheduled for May 6 and 7, respectively.

Nagesh Kapoor

• Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command on May 1, 2024.
• On December 6, 1986, he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force's Fighter stream.
• With over 3400 hours of flying experience, he is a Fighter Combat Leader and a Qualified Flying Instructor.
• The Air Marshal received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022 and the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008 for his distinguished service.

On Delhi-Dubai Route Airbus Launched A350-900

• Air India began operations of its new Airbus A350-900 aircraft on the important Delhi-Dubai route on May 1, 2024, marking the flagship plane's international debut.
• As a result, Air India is now the only airline flying the A350 between Dubai and India. There were pre-departure festivities at both airports to celebrate the aircraft, which was painted in Air India's eye-catching new livery.
• Mohammed Abdulla Lengawi, Director General of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai, and Jamal Al Hai, Deputy CEO of Dubai Airports, lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the first departure of the A350 from Dubai at Dubai International Airport.