Every year the world commemorates World AIDS Vaccine Day on May 18. The day is also known as H.I.V. Vaccine Knowledge Day, a campaign aimed at increasing public awareness about the importance of H.I.V. vaccinations in preventing H.I.V. infection and AIDS.

• The project accomplishes two goals. One, it primarily aims to honor those medical professionals, scientists, and volunteers/supporters who have committed their lives to the development of a viable and safe AIDS vaccine.
• The other emphasizes the necessity of vaccination, which serves as a barrier against life-threatening infection.

In a major move aimed at enhancing cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Royal Saudi Naval Force, cadets from the latter are in India for 24 days of afloat training.

• 55 cadets from the King Fahd Naval Academy, Saudi Arabia arrived this week in Kochi, the headquarters of India's Southern Naval Command, as part of their first-ever training with the Indian Navy. 
• King Fahd Naval Academy, Saudi Arabia arrived onboard First Training Squadron (1TS) ships, INS Tir and INS Sujata at Kochi as part of afloat training with the Indian Navy on 16 May 23.
• The cadets would be undergoing 24 days of afloat training on various aspects of seamanship, navigation, fire fighting and emergency drills onboard.

SAHAS, an initiative towards making workplaces safer for women has been launched in Telangana yesterday. Home Minister Mohamood Ali formally launched the initiative.

• SAHAS, which means Courage, is a programme that aims at strengthening the support ecosystem for women who face workplace sexual harassment.
• Under the initiative, the SAHAS Microsite, SAHAS Sathi Chatbot, SAHAS Whatsapp Number, Forum and online support facilities were launched in Hyderabad. Speaking on the occasion, the Home Minister said, SAHAS programme is another example of the same.
• Director General of Police, Anjani Kumar lauded the SAHAS initiative and called it the natural next step towards reducing vulnerabilities in workplaces. Addl.

The Ghaziabad-Aligarh Expressway has achieved a new milestone by successfully laying Bituminous Concrete across 100 lane kilometers in 100 hours. 

• Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari congratulated the team for their accomplishment and hailed their dedication.
• Mr Gadkari emphasized the critical role of the Ghaziabad-Aligarh section of NH34 in connecting densely populated regions, including Dadri, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Sikandrabad, Bulandshahr, and Khurja.
• The project, spanning 118 kilometers, acts as a crucial trade route, facilitating the movement of goods and contributing to regional economic development.

The Indian Navy’s sixth and final Kalvari class submarine, Vaghsheer, has begun its sea trials and is expected to be commissioned into the force by early next year.

• The commissioning of the submarine, built under Project-75, is set to enhance the Navy’s combat capability at a time when China has been increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean region.
• “The sixth submarine of Project-75 commenced her sea trials on May 18,” the Navy said. Vaghsheer is scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in early 2024 after completion of the sea trials.
• The submarine was launched in April last year from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).

Ruskin Bond, an Indian author, authored a new book titled “The Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good Long Life”, published by HarperCollins India, which is scheduled to be released on 19th May 2023 (on the occasion of his 89th Birthday). 

• The book is about the last 20 to 30 years of his life (60s, 70s and 80s).
• Ruskin Bond was born on 19th May 1934 in Kasauli, Punjab States Agency, British India.
• He wrote his 1st book “The Room on the Roof” at the age of 17. It was a semi-autobiographical story with Rusty being the protagonist.
• Ruskin Bond was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for “Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra”.
• He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014 for Literature and Education.

World Bee Day is observed on 20 May each year to draw attention to the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy.

• It provides an opportunity for governments, organizations, civil society and concerned citizens everywhere to promote actions that will protect and enhance pollinators and their habitats, improve their abundance and diversity, and support the sustainable development of beekeeping. 
• The date was chosen as it was the day Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern apiculture, was born. Janša came from a family of beekeepers in Slovenia, where beekeeping is an important agricultural activity with a long-standing tradition.

A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on May 18 upheld the amendments made by the legislatures of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, allowing bull-taming sports like jallikattu, kambala, and bullock-cart races.

World Metrology Day takes place on May 20 annually. The day celebrates the signing of the Metre Convention by delegates from 17 different countries in Paris, France on May 20, 1875. It resulted in the establishment of a universally recognized standard measurement system. 

• The theme for World Metrology Day 2023 is Measurements supporting the global food system. 
• This theme was chosen because of the increasing challenges of climate change, and global distribution of food in a world whose population reached 8 billion at the end of 2022.
• The World Metrology Day project is realized jointly by the BIPM and the OIML.

Centre has promulgated Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 to constitute National Capital Civil Services Authority.

• The Authority will recommend the transfers and postings of all Group 'A' officers and officers of DANICS serving in the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
• The Authority consists of Chief Minister of Delhi, who shall be the ex officio Chairperson of the Authority, Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of NCT of Delhi. All matters shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present.
• In case of difference of opinion, the decision of the Lieutenant Governor shall be final.

According to a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly, the day is marked every year on May 21. The day's goal is to increase public knowledge of the beverage's health advantages. 

• According to the United Nations, there is proof that tea was drunk in China more than 5,000 years ago.  
• After being discovered in China in 2737 BC, tea spread throughout Asia where it first appeared in religious rites as a symbol before becoming a beverage and a remedy.
• In order to compete with China's monopoly on the production of tea, the British first brought the crop to India for commercial purposes in 1824. Since then, it has been extensively grown throughout Darjeeling, Nilgiri, and Assam, with 900,000 tonnes of tea reportedly produced in the nation.
• The scientific name of the tea is Camellia sinensis.