Kaza Summit 2024

• More than 400 people attended the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Summit, which was held in Livingstone, Zambia, from May 27–31, 2024.
•  This meeting included representatives from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These nations comprise the KAZA conservation region.
• It is renowned for having an abundance of animals, which includes the greatest population of elephants in the world.
•  Examining the progress and expansion of the conservation area since its establishment was the principal aim of the KAZA TFCA meeting.

Sweden uses cutting Edge Radar Planes to strengthen Ukraine defenses

• Sweden has announced the donation of 2 Saab Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASC) 890 aircraft to Ukraine in a significant move to strengthen its defensive capabilities against Russia as of May 31, 2024.
•  The integration of F-16 fighter airplanes supplied by other Western countries and the improvement of Ukraine's long-range target identification capabilities will be greatly aided by these radar surveillance aircraft.
• Sweden has contributed to a large aid package worth $1.3 billion that is intended to strengthen Ukraine's defenses against the ongoing conflict.
• With regular Russian airstrikes and the deployment of cutting-edge Russian fighter jets, the ASC 890 aircraft will support and bolster Ukraine's current defense systems.

Reliance and Tata Groups are TIME’s Most Influential companies

• The Tata Group, Adar Poonawalla's Serum Institute of India (SII), and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) under Mukesh Ambani were listed by TIME magazine on May 31, 2024, as 3 of the most significant firms in the world.
• This acknowledgement demonstrates the innovativeness and global significance of these Indian businesses.
• Reliance Industries and the Tata Group were categorized as "Titans" when Reliance Industries made it into TIME's esteemed list for the second time.
• The Serum Institute of India fell into the "Pioneers" category. The roles and accomplishments of each corporation in the business sector are reflected in these classifications.
•  Dhirubhai Ambani founded Reliance 58 years ago as a polyester and fabric industry. It has developed into the most valuable firm in India, with a market value of more than $200 billion.

OSIRIS-APEX handles the nearby Sun approach with safety (Space)

• Since its inception as OSIRIS-REx, which was successful in collecting samples from the asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS-APEX project has undergone modifications as of May 31, 2024.
• The spacecraft is now traveling to the asteroid Apophis as part of a longer mission.
• The mission's trajectory will be altered in this new phase to put the spacecraft 25 million miles closer to the sun than anticipated, allowing for multiple significant perihelion visits.
• OSIRIS-APEX follows an elliptical orbit around the sun. It approaches perihelion, the point where it is closest to the sun, every 9 months.
• The first occurrence of this flyby was on January 2, 2024. The spacecraft was modified by mission engineers to cope with the intense sun radiation.

Safer Protein Production using MSG developed (Health and Nutrition)

• A novel method for producing recombinant proteins was created by the Indian Institute of Science's Department of Biochemistry on May 31, 2024.
•  The dietary additive monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is more readily available and superior to methanol, is currently utilized in the activation process.
• Monoclonal antibodies, insulin, and vaccine antigens are examples of recombinant proteins that are produced by cultivating genetically engineered cells in large bioreactors.
• The yeast Pichia pastoris, now known as Komagataella phaffii, is widely used because of its ease of protein expression.
• This yeast has a unique promoter that is activated by methanol to begin producing hybrid proteins.
• Methanol, however, is hazardous and can result in a number of issues, including fires and oxidative protein damage.

Mangroves labeled ‘Critically Endangered’ in Sri Lanka and India (Environment and Ecology)

• The International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) on May 31, 2024classified coastal mangroves in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives as "critically endangered".
• This alarming grade indicates that there are numerous issues with mangrove ecosystems that need to be addressed for conservation purposes, according to the IUCN's first worldwide evaluation of these ecosystems.
•  The IUCN study examines mangroves from 36 global locations, including tropical, subtropical, and some warm temperate coasts.
•  Particularly designated as seriously endangered are regions of the mild, temperate northwest Atlantic, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and South India.
•  Several South Indian locations were examined, including Muthupet in the Thiruvarur district, Ramanathapuram, and sections of southern Kerala.

BFI to become a member of World Boxing

• The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) on May 31, 2024 decided to join World Boxing, an international organization created to guarantee that boxing stays at the core of the Olympic Movement,.
• The BFI General Assembly has accepted the membership application, and the Executive Board of World Boxing will now ratify it.
• Ajay Singh, the president of the BFI, recently met with the president and secretary general of World Boxing to talk about how India might help the International Federation expand its membership base in Asia, where the FBI is one of the biggest National Federations.
•  India is a key nation in international boxing, according to World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst, and we are excited to have the BFI join the expanding World Boxing Family.

Sandeep Batra

• Sandeep Batra's appointment as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company was approved by the IRDAI on May 31, 2024. 
• Sandeep Batra will hold the position of Chairman of the ICICI Prudential Board. Since July 2018, he has been an Executive Director on the ICICI Bank Board, where he is in charge of the Corporate Center as on June 30, 2024.
• Over June 30, 2024, Batra will take over the role as Chairman of the ICICI Prudential Board.

Nishant Dev

• Nishant Dev, the world championships bronze winner, became the first Indian male to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on May 31, 2024.
• He defeated Moldova's Vasile Cebotari in a unanimous 5-0 decision in the men's 71 kg category quarterfinal at the World Boxing Qualifiers.
•  With the bronze medals from the 2022 Asian Games secured by Nikhat Zareen (women's 50 kg), Preeti (54 kg), and bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg) from the Tokyo Olympics, he will now be the fourth Indian pugilist to make it to the Paris Olympics.
•  As of right now, he is the only male Indian boxer to qualify for the Summer Games.

Rakesh Ranjan

• Rakesh Ranjan, an IAS officer from Manipur Cadre who was selected in the 1992 batch and holding the post of Secretary to the Government of India, was appointed as the Chairman of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) on May 31, 2024.
•  The position of Chairman, SSC has been temporarily elevated, and Rakesh Ranjan will now report to the Government of India with the rank and salary of Secretary.
• The post's Recruitment Rules (RR) have been suspended.

Emmanuelle Soubeyran

• Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran was elected as the new Director General of World Organisat for Animal Health (WOAH) on May 31, 2024, replacing Dr Monique Eloit.
• Her appointment, under the sway of France, represents a dedication to animal health worldwide.
•  France's dedication to the organization's mission of advancing the health and welfare of animals was evident in her campaign.
• One of its main donors and the location of the WOAH's Paris headquarters is France, which helped to form the organization.
•  It will keep pushing for the multilateral system to acknowledge the WOAH and in favor of a bold future plan for it.
•  Following the principle of "one country, one vote," the election was conducted by secret ballot, with Dr Soubeyran emerging as WOAH's 8 Director general.

Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024

• The World Health Organization (WHO) presented the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 on May 31, 2024.
• Established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion honors people, organizations, and/or governmental or non-governmental groups that have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of health.
•  The honor is proof of NIMHANS' commitment and exceptional efforts to advance mental health and wellbeing.
• NIMHANS has led the way in mental health and neurosciences, promoting cutting-edge methods in patient care, research, and teaching.