Current affairs 06 May 2023

Govt sets foodgrain production target of 332 MT for 2023-24.

• Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2023-24.
• During the conference, he announced that the Ministry of Agriculture has set a target of a record 3,320 lakh tonnes (332 million tonnes) production of foodgrains for the year 2023-24.
• In 2022-23, 3,235 lakh tonnes were produced.
• The target for the production of Pulses is fixed at 292.5 lakh and for oilseeds at 440 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.

India to launch its own heat index next year.

• India will launch its own heat index in 2024 to quantify the impact of heat on its population and generate impact-based heatwave alerts for specific locations.
• IMD started issuing an experimental heat index for different parts of the country.
• It includes various parameters like wind, temperature, humidity, duration of exposure, etc.
• Impact of Heat waves: It has an immense impact on human health, causing cramps, exhaustion, stress, and heat stroke.

USFDA approves world's 1st RSV vaccine for older adults.

• The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has approved the world's 1st Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults.
• However, this vaccine still needs approval from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before its launch in Public.
• The vaccine was approved for people aged 60 and older.
• RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms.
• It can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.

Geoffrey Emmanuel 1st Indian to compete in FIM JuniorGP.

• Chennai's 18-year-old Geoffrey Emmanuel has become the first Indian rider to participate in FIM Wolrd Junior Grand Prix at at the Circuit de Estoril in Portugal.
• Geoffrey, son of seven-time National Champion Emmanuel Jebaraj, will race for Cuna De Campeones in his maiden FIM JuniorGP season.
• The first round of the 2023 season is scheduled for May 5-7 at the Circuit de Estoril in Portugal.

India, Israel sign MoU to further collaboration in high technology areas.

• India and Israel have signed an MoU on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation.
• Aim: To collaborate in high technology areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum, and semiconductors, synthetic biology, etc.,
• The MoU was signed between CSIR and the DDR&D, Ministry of Defense of Israel.
• It enables cooperation in the industrial R&D programs in mutually agreeable industrial technology fields through the implementation of specific projects.