• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to withdraw Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation under the "Clean Note Policy". Rs 2,000 notes will continue to be legal tender. Individuals can deposit the Rs 2,000 banknotes into their bank accounts or exchange them for other denominations at any bank branch.
• From May 23, 2023, Rs 2,000 notes can be exchanged for other denominations up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank branch. RBI's 19 regional offices with issue departments will also provide the facility to exchange Rs 2,000 banknotes up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time from May 23.

• Himachal Pradesh (HP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the ‘Him’ data portal, a common digital platform to improve the delivery of welfare schemes by integrating real-time and accurate data of all government bodies.
• He was addressing a conference organised by the Bharti Institute of Public Policy of the Indian School of Business (ISB) on governance and technology at Mohali, Punjab.

• World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20 every year to raise awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinators. It was first designated by the United Nations in 2017 to acknowledge the critical role bees play in sustaining ecosystems and food production.
• The observance of World Bee Day aims to promote actions that protect bees and their habitats, as well as highlight the significance of pollinators in maintaining biodiversity and ensuring global food security.
• Theme: "Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production."

• On May 20, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida ahead of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
• They Discussed enhancing India-Japan friendship in trade, economy, culture and Indo-Pacific cooperation. Emphasised efforts to synergize between the G-7 and G-20 Presidencies and the voices of the Global South. Prime Minister Modi unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and peace.

• Indian government-owned companies and private firms in the country have supplied Rs 421 crore ($51 million) worth of arms, dual-use items and raw materials to the military junta in Myanmar since generals staged their coup in February 2021, according to a new report released on Wednesday by the UN-appointed independent expert monitoring and investigating human rights abuses in the country.

• The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) board, on Friday, approved a surplus transfer of 874.16 billion rupees ($10.69 billion) to the government for the fiscal year ended March 31, less than the market estimate of at least 1 trillion rupees.
• The government had budgeted a dividend of 480 billion rupees for fiscal 2023 from the central bank and state-run banks. The RBI transferred 303.07 billion rupees to the government in fiscal 2022.

• Geojit Financial Services has launched its latest mobile trading platform, FLIP, that will replace the existing platform SELFIE. The new platform will provide investors and traders a comprehensive and flexible trading experience, backed by a range of advanced features.
• FLIP users will benefit from additional features set to be introduced over the next three months, including Split Order for Options, Roll Over for Futures, and Conditional Orders, Trading from Charts, Events Calendar, Market Overview, and Apply for IPO. Clients can download FLIP, and all existing SELFIE users can upgrade to FLIP from Apple AppStore and Google Play Store.

• The 76th Cannes Film Festival started in France. The festival officially started with the world premiere of the Johnny Depp starring film Jeanne Du Barry. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan is leading the Indian delegation at the 12-day event.
• Filmmaker Guneet Monga of The Elephant Whisperers fame, Indian actresses Manushi Chillar, Esha Gupta and Manipuri actor Kangabam Tomba are accompanying him. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur addressed the inaugural session through a video message.

• Ajai Chowdhry one of the co-founders of HCL also an Entrepreneur, sportsman, and salesman authored a new book titled ‘Just Aspire’ ‘Just Aspire’  which is a motivational book that focuses on the importance of having a positive mindset, setting goals, and taking action to achieve them.
• This book talks about the journey of a small-town boy (Ajai) who turned into a CEO of a global company. nThis easy-to-comprehend book is divided into three personas – “Aspire,” “Achieve,” and “Inspire.”

• Indian author Ruskin Bond wrote a book titled "The Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good Long Life". The Golden Years book is published by HarperCollins India and released on 19 May 2023, Bond's 89th birthday."The Golden Years" focuses on Bond's experiences during the 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Ruskin Bond  was born on 19 May 1934 in Kasauli, Punjab States Agency, British India.His first book, "The Room on the Roof", was written when he was 17 and featured the semi-autobiographical character Rusty. In 1992, Bond received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his work "Our Tree Still Grows in Dehra".

Download Daily GK PDF of 20 May 2023