Important Current Affairs 24th May 2017

Important Current Affairs 24th May 2017

Dear Aspirants,

Important Current Affairs 24th May 2017 in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It is useful for the preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

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Current Affairs 24th May 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

J P Nadda Congratulates New WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare today congratulated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his appointment as Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and stated that India looks forward to working with the new Director-General of WHO to build a strong, resilient health system, especially in developing countries, to mitigate any vulnerability to health crises. 
●    Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was nominated by the Government of Ethiopia, and will begin his five-year term on 1st July 2017.
●    Earlier, Shri Nadda addressed the Plenary Meeting of the 70th World Health Assembly, at Geneva. 
●    The Union Health Minister spoke on the theme – ‘Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: building better systems for health.’
●    “India remains committed to ensuring quality and affordable healthcare for all. We have made strategic investments under the National Health Mission and the national disease control programmes. 
●    We are committed to further strengthening the health systems,” Shri Nadda said.
●    Shri Nadda also informed the participants that the National Health Policy, 2017 lays down the roadmap for various milestones and targets. 
●    “To translate the Policy into affirmative action, we are working with the States, Union Territories, academicians and development partners. 
●    A National SDG-3 Task Force has been set up with representation of key ministries, agencies and experts,” he said.

 

CBDT felicitates Abhishek Verma, Income Tax Inspector at New Delhi, for India’s Gold Medal at World Championship of Compound Archery, Shanghai 

India clinched the compound team gold medal to conclude their Archery World Cup Stage 1 campaign in Shanghai on 21st May, 2017.  
●    Shri Abhishek Verma, Income Tax Inspector at New Delhi, was a member of the Indian Team that won the Gold defeating Colombia. 
●    The Indian team defeated Vietnam, Iran and USA to reach the final. The Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Shri Sushil Chandra felicitated Abhishek on behalf of the entire department and conveyed best wishes for an illustrious sports career. 
●    The Income Tax Department congratulates Shri Abhishek Verma on the achievement and wishes him many more successful championships. 
●    Currently ranked 5th in the World and 2nd in Asia, 27-year old Abhishek, is Number 1 in India. 
●    He is also a recipient of the prestigious Arjun Award in the field of Archery in 2014 and the Rajiv Gandhi State Award for outstanding excellence in Sports in 2007.
●    He has won laurels for the country at many International events in archery including Gold at the 12th South Asian Games (SAF Games), 2016 held in India and the 19th Asian Archery Championships, 2015 held in Thailand.  

 

Manoj Sinha launches BSNL’s satellite phone service and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award Scheme

The Minister of State for Communications (IC), Shri Manoj Sinha today launches BSNL’s satellite phone service that will be offered to government agencies in phase one and later opened for others in phased manner. 
●    Shri Manoj Sinha also launched Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award Scheme and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan Scheme on this occasion.
●    While launching the new service, Shri Manoj Sinha said that BSNL works there also where no one (network) is present. BSNL has played an important role in spreading communication network across the country. 
●    Global satellite phone service is modern satellite phone service. In first phase agencies handling a disaster, state police, railways, Border security forces and other government agencies will be given in the first phase. 
●    Later people while travelling in flight and on ships will be able to use it. The services will be provided by INMARSAT which has a constellation of 14 satellites. 
●    Shri Sinha said that 10,000 people from 10 States/UTs to be trained in the first phase under the scheme of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan Scheme. 
●    Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab and Haryana are included in the first phase. 
●    Shri Sinha also stated that the DoT to be established more than 1,000 Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan in future under the newly launched scheme.

Exhibition ‘Return of the Three Stone Sculptures from Australia to India’ begins in National Museum 

An exhibition “Return of the Three Stone Sculptures from Australia to India” has begun in National Museum, Janpath, New Delhi.  It has been organised to mark the safe return of three stone sculptures (Seated Buddha; Worshippers of Buddha; & Goddess Pratyangira) from Australia to India. 
●    These sculptures were purchased by National Gallery of Australia from the Nancy Wiener, New York in 2007 and Art of the Past, New York, 2005.
●    Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the exhibition yesterday. 
●    He attended a special event at National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra, Australia in which Senator Mitch Fifield formally handed over three ancient artefacts stolen and smuggled out of India and inadvertently acquired by National Gallery of Australia.
●    Earlier, during the visit of Australian Prime Minister to India in September, 2014, the Australian government had also returned sculpture of ‘Dancing Shiva’.
●    This exhibition is important as it celebrates the return of rare heritage sculptures that were stolen from the country.

 

Swachh Bharat App Launched in National Museum 

“Swachh Bharat App” has been launched in National Museum under Ministry of Culture by the Minister of State (I/C) for Culture & Tourism Dr. Mahesh Sharma yesterday. 
●    The main focus of this “Swachh Bharat App” is to basically involve people actively to become part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Movement). 
●    At present, this App is available for Android Mobile phones which can be downloaded from Google Play Store. 
●    In this App the concept of Physical web is implemented. When you are in the monument or Museum it will deliver you the message about Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and ask you to report the garbage around you. 
●    All you need is to enable the Bluetooth of your mobile device. 
●    Even if you did not have the App installed then also you will be delivered the message by Google about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and which will give you the link to install the App. 
●    Once you start the App it will ask to take photograph of the garbage and write the comment and just submit. It will be reported to the authority on the backend. 

IIT-Kharagpur signs MoU with Madhya Pradesh for measuring happiness index

IIT Kharagpur’s Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness has signed an MoU with Madhya Pradesh government to collaborate on the development of a Happiness Index for measuring the wellbeing of the people of the state. The MoU was signed with MP government’s ‘Rajya Anandam Sansthan’ (Department of Happiness) in the presence of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and IIT-KGP Director Prof P P Chakrabarti at Bhopal recently, an IIT-KGP press statement said today.
●    IIT-KGP will develop the index and analyse data collected by the state government to assess the level of happiness and chalk out recommendations that can be used to enhance happiness, the statement said.
●    IIT-KGP will also develop an online screening and assessment system in order to screen and identify suitable volunteers from the database of more than 30,000 people who have offered to be part of the collaborative exercise.
●    Satinder Rekhi, the patron of Rekhi Centre of Happiness at IIT Kharagpur, who was present at the MoU sign, agreed to provide funding for a District Happiness Centre for Jabalpur, where he studied 50 years ago.
●    The institute will also develop online courses on happiness through the evaluation system available at the Centre for Educational Technology of IIT-KGP.

Current Affairs 24th May 2017: SPORTS

Ashwin wins International Cricketer of the Year award

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was conferred the much-desired International Cricketer of the Year award at the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2017 on 24 May 2017.
●    The award was presented by former Indian Cricket Captain Sunil Gavaskar and Chairman of RPG Enterprises Harsh Goenka at a function held at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.
●    The award is the player’s second one, as he had won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in 2016 as well. 
●    With this, he has joined the ranks of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, the only two other Indian cricketers to have received the honour.
●    While receiving the award, Ashwin recalled of how he had taken his first autograph from Gavaskar himself at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai.

Current Affairs 24th May 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda resigns

Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda resigns Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' resigned on 24 May 2017, barely nine months after coming to power. 
●    He announced his resignation during a television address to the nation. Prachanda belongs to the CPN (Maoist Centre) party of Nepal.
●    It was his second term as the Prime Minister. 
●    He was elected as the 39th prime minister of Nepal on 3 August 2016 after forging an alliance with the Nepali Congress.
●    His resignation is an outcome of the power-sharing pact that was signed in August 2016 between Prachanda and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
●    As per the pact, Prachanda will serve the term as PM for nine months and will thereafter resign to pave way for Deuba to become the next Prime Minister. 
●    The pact was to run the Nepal Government on a rotational basis until elections to the parliament are held in February 2018.