Current affairs 16 February 2023

Saudi Arabia to send its 1st woman astronaut into space.

• A Saudi Arabian woman, Rayyana Barnawi will become the first woman astronaut from Saudi Arabia to go on a space mission.
• She will join fellow Saudi astronaut, Ali Al-Qarni on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
• Barnawi and Al-Qarni will fly to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of a mission by Axiom Space.
• The Ax-2 mission will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Kerala launched Monthly Stipend Scheme for Junior Lawyers.

• Kerala CM, Pinarayi Vijayan has launched the monthly stipend scheme for junior lawyers in Kerala.
• Under this scheme, a monthly stipend of Rs. 3,000 will be provided to junior lawyers in the State.
• Eligibility for stipend:
• Lawyers below 30 years of age with less than three years of practice.
• Annual income less than Rs. 1 lakh.
• The scheme will be implemented by the Bar Council of the state.
• Junior lawyers are law graduates who work under attorneys or legal associates.

Bihar among states that allocated more towards education.

• According to the government data, the States/UTs - Delhi, Assam, and Himachal Pradesh - allocated a higher portion of their budget expenditure on education.
• Delhi spent 22% of its budget, while Assam spent 20% and HP spent 19%.
• Among the big States, such as Chhattisgarh and Bihar allocate 18.82% and 18.3% respectively, of the State’s estimated net budget expenditure to education.

Namami Gange Mission-II approved with a budgetary outlay of ₹22,500 cr.

• The government has approved Namami Gange Mission-II with a budgetary outlay of Rs.22,500 crore till 2026.
• It also includes the projects for existing liabilities of Rs.11,225 crore and new projects/interventions of ₹11,275 crore.
• The Government has released a total of Rs.14,084.72 crore to the NMCG, from 2014-15 till 31st January 2023.
• Out of which, NMCG has released Rs.13,607.18 crore to State Governments to implement Ganga-related projects.

Dr. Mahendra Mishra to receive International Mother Language Award 2023.

• An eminent linguist, Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra will be honored with UNESCO’s International Mother Language Award 2023.
• Reason: For the promotion of the mother language in India
• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina will present this award to Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra at the International Mother Language Institute, Dhaka.
• He is the first Indian to receive this prestigious award for the promotion of a language.
• He is also the recipient of Odisha Sahitya Akademi.