The WHO-UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology (AT) reveals that more than 2.5 billion people need one or more assistive products, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, or apps that support communication and cognition.

• Nearly one billion of them are denied access, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where access can be as low as 3% of the need for these life-changing products.
• The Global Report provides the best available evidence about the barriers currently preventing access, how access can be improved, and how enabling environments and AT can enable persons with disabilities to enjoy their human rights while generating a tremendous return on investment for governments.
• The report also makes 10 key recommendations for concrete actions that will improve access to AT, for everyone, that needs them. 

An Indian Government Officer, Anwar Hussain Shaik has been made the chair of the World Trade Organisation’s Committee on Technical Barriers on Trade. Mr. Shaik will take this role from Elisa Maria Olmeda de Alejandro from Mexico.

• WTO is a 164-member multilateral body which formulates rules for global exports and imports and adjudicates disputes between countries on trade-related issues. India is a member since 1995.
• The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement aims to ensure that technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures are non-discriminatory and do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has eased norms for non-bank entities to set up Bharat Bill Payment operating units by reducing the net-worth requirement to Rs 25 crore, with a view to encouraging more players in the segment.

• At present, a net worth of Rs 100 crore is required to obtain authorisation for a non-bank BBPOU (Bharat Bill Payment Operating Units). The reduction in net-worth requirements follows an announcement regarding the same by the central bank in April.
• To increase participation, the RBI had decided to align the net worth requirement of non-bank BBPOUs with that of other nonbank participants who handle customer funds (like payment aggregators) and have a similar risk profile.

Two days meeting of senior functionaries of the Postal Department and India Post payments Bank (IPPB), AAROHAN 4.0 started in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

• The agenda of the meeting is to discuss and deliberate ways to further deepen the Financial Inclusion drive in the country and to provide banking solutions to every citizen of India.
• Postal Department along with IPPB is working on the vision of the Prime Minister’s Digital India initiative to promote digital payments and bring digital banking services to every nook and corner of the country in a customer-friendly manner. IPPB leverages upon the world’s largest postal network of the Department of Posts to offer interoperable banking services at the doorstep benefiting senior citizens, farmers, migrant labourers and women amongst others.
• The meeting was inaugurated by Shri. Alok Sharma, Director General Postal Services in presence of Shri J Venkatramu, MD & CEO of IPPB, Chief PMG of 23 Postal Circles and other senior functionaries of the Department and IPPB. Discussions were held today to further strengthen the synergy between the post office and IPPB operations.

Moody’s Investors Service slashed India’s economic growth projection to 8.8 per cent for 2022 from 9.1 per cent earlier, citing high inflation.

• In its update to Global Macro Outlook 2022-23, Moody’s said high-frequency data suggest that the growth momentum from December quarter 2021 carried through into the first four months this year.
• However, the rise in crude oil, food and fertilizer prices will weigh on household finances and spending in the months ahead. Rate hikes to prevent energy and food inflation from becoming more generalized will slow the demand recovery’s momentum.
• Strong credit growth, a large increase in investment intentions announced by the corporate sector, and a high budget allocation to capital spending by the government indicate that the investment cycle is strengthening. For 2022 and 2023, it projected inflation to be around 6.8 per cent and 5.2 per cent, respectively.

The RBI came up with norms for facilitating physical import of gold through India International Bullion Exchange IFSC (IIBX) or similar authorised exchange by Qualified Jewellers in India.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced new guidelines to permit qualified jewellers to import gold through the India International Bullion Exchange IFSC Ltd. (IIBX) or any other exchange. IFSCA and the DGFT, the Government of India, must sanction the other exchanges.
• All payments by authorised jewellers for gold imports through IIBX must be done using an exchange mechanism recognised by IFSCA in accordance with the IFSC Act and regulations, according to the RBI. 

Chhattisgarh is now the second state after Odisha to have recognised Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights inside a National Park, after the state government approved the CFR claims of Gudiyapadar and Nagalsar villages in Kanger Ghati National Park in Bastar district. Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday met the villagers of both the villages at Nangur during his ‘Bhent Mulakat’ programme and handed over the CFR certificates.

• Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights - The rights empower forest dwellers with the authority over decision-making and forest governance with access to and use of funds available under various government programs for management of their CFRs. 
• In 2016, the Odisha government was the first to recognise Community Forest Resources (CFRs) inside the Simplipal National Park and now Chhattisgarh is the second state to recognize it.

India has launched the second of four Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Nirdeshak (Yard 3026) at Kattupalli, Chennai. The ship was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and L&T Shipbuilding for the Indian Navy.

• The ship has taken its name from erstwhile Nirdeshak which was also an Indian Naval Survey ship and was decommissioned after 32 years of glorious service in December 2014.
• Part construction of three out of four ships of SVL is being undertaken at L&T, Kattupalli as part of a collaborative approach between GRSE and L&T shipbuilding.
• This model of Public-Private Partnership shall be a harbinger of future successful collaboration for Warship construction in India.

Indian writer Geetanjali Shree and American translator Daisy Rockwell won the International Booker Prize for “Tomb of Sand,”. Originally written in Hindi, it’s the first book in any Indian language to win the high-profile award, which recognizes fiction from around the world that has been translated into English.

• The 50,000-pound ($63,000) prize money will be split between New Delhi-based Shree and Rockwell, who lives in Vermont. “Tomb of Sand” is published in Britain by a small publisher Tilted Axis Press. It was founded by translator Deborah Smith, who won the 2016 International Booker for translating Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” to publish books from Asia.
• The book tells the story of an octogenarian widow who dares to cast off convention and confront the ghosts of her experiences during the subcontinent’s tumultuous 1947 partition into India and Pakistan. Shree’s book beat five other finalists including Polish Nobel literature laureate Olga Tokarczuk, Claudia Piñeiro of Argentina and South Korean author Bora Chung to be awarded the prize at a ceremony in London.

A tsunami warning has been issued in the Indian Ocean after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of East Timor on May 27, 2022.

• Reportedly, the earthquake in East Timor was very quick and people went about their activities as usual.
• East Timor and Indonesia sit on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire’. It is an arc of intense seismic activity that stretched through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
• The youngest country in South East Asia also recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Independence from Indonesia.

The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan took part in Vigraha Pratishtha and Maha Samprokshanam rituals of Sri Venkateswara Temple in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha on May 26, 2022.

• On the inauguration of Shri Venkateswara Temple, a plaque was also unveiled by the pontiff of Visakha Sarada Peetham.
• The temple will be significant for those from different parts of Odisha. TTD is committed to constructing at least one replica temple of Lord Venkateswara in every state and Union Territory.

Bengal education department has topped the Skoch award in the country in the education sector. The award, instituted in 2003, recognizes efforts in digital, financial, social inclusion, governance, inclusive growth, technology and applications and corporate leadership.

• West Bengal has bagged the prestigious ‘Star of Governance-SKOCH Award in Education’, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday. Banerjee said that the award will be bestowed on the state at a function in New Delhi on June 18.
• Instituted in 2003, the Skoch award recognises efforts in digital, financial, social inclusion, governance, inclusive growth, technology and applications and corporate leadership.

In a major move aimed at addressing the concerns of farmers, the state cabinet on Wednesday decided to authorise local self-government institutions to eliminate wild boars that destroy crops or pose a threat to human life or assets. However, poisoning, electrocution or use of explosives to kill them will not be allowed.

• Gram panchayat presidents, Municipal Chairpersons and Corporation Mayors can be appointed as Honourary Wildlife Warden by the state government, as per the Wildlife Protection Act. The Chief Wildlife Warden can also appoint Secretaries of Panchayats, Municipalities and Corporations as authorised officials to kill wild boars. 
• While killing wild boars, the authorities should ensure that there's no damage to human life, property, domestic animals and other wildlife.
• Meanwhile Maneka Gandhi urged that the order should be revoked as it posed a threat to the forest ecology and could also increase human-animal conflicts.