Important Current Affairs 3rd June 2017

Current Affairs 3rd June 2017: SPORTS

CP Joshi elected Rajasthan Cricket Association President

Congress leader CP Joshi won the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections. 
●    Joshi and former IPL chairman Lalit Modi’s son Ruchir Modi were the frontrunners for the post.
●    Joshi got 19 votes against Ruchir 14. The posts of Secretary and Treasurer has gone to Rajendra Nandu and Pinkesh Jain respectively. 
●    The elections were slated on April 26th but secretary Surendra Tiwari abruptly called off process as it was believed that Joshi faction was in majority.
●    Mohammad Iqbal, another Congressman beat Ram Prakash Choudhary 19–14 to take the post of vice-president while Mahendranagar, also of Joshi faction, emerged victorious against Shatrughan Tiwari 18–15. 
●    Apart from this KK Nimawat defeated Ramesh Gupta 19-14 for the post of executive member.
●    The Lalit Modi faction had earlier called off the RCA elections slated for 26th April, citing legal tangles, at a stage when two days of nominations had already passed the Rajasthan High Court ordered that RCA election would take place on May 29.

Cricket South Africa announces launching of T20 Global League

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on 31 May 2017 announced that it has planned a Twenty20 cricket league and it will be known as T20 Global League. 
●    As per reports, the league will make its debut in the last quarter of 2017.
●    There will be eight participating teams consisting of local and international players. The team ownership will be revealed on 19 June 2017 in London.
●    In addition to this, Cricket South Africa also unveiled the associated logo of the T20 Global League at the Wanderers Stadium. 
●    The logo depicts the African continent along with the radiance on South Africa, replaced the word 'destination' with a visual reference.
●    Chris Nenzani said it is their duty as Cricket South Africa to safeguard the future of the game.
●    By backing a high-value tournament like the new T20 Global League, and investing in synergistic partnerships with key stakeholders, the T20 Global League is perfectly positioned to become an internationally successful sporting event.

Cricket South Africa announces launching of T20 Global League
India is second most complex tax jurisdiction: Deloitte

Indian tax laws are perceived to be second most complex in the Asia-Pacific region, becoming even less predictable over the last three years, a Deloitte survey has said.
●    India ranks only after China in having most complex jurisdiction for taxation and most complicated requirements of tax, the Asia Pacific Tax Complexity Survey conducted by Deloitte said.
●    Japan, Australia, Indonesia and South Korea trail India in the complexity index.
●    “In these two jurisdictions (China and India), well over half of the respondents believe complexity in the regime has increased in the last 3 years,” it said.
●    By ‘complexity’, it meant the perceived level of difficulty in interpreting the tax law and rules in the relevant jurisdictions.
●    “An overwhelming majority of over 90 per cent respondents said that they would like to see tax reform in India along with China and Indonesia. 
●    Specifically for India, the survey respondents suggest that they look forward to reform taking place in timeliness and quality of audits and adoption of BEPS recommendations,” Deloitte said.
 

Current Affairs 3rd June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

India is second most complex tax jurisdiction: Deloitte

Indian tax laws are perceived to be second most complex in the Asia-Pacific region, becoming even less predictable over the last three years, a Deloitte survey has said.
●    India ranks only after China in having most complex jurisdiction for taxation and most complicated requirements of tax, the Asia Pacific Tax Complexity Survey conducted by Deloitte said.
●    Japan, Australia, Indonesia and South Korea trail India in the complexity index.
●    “In these two jurisdictions (China and India), well over half of the respondents believe complexity in the regime has increased in the last 3 years,” it said.
●    By ‘complexity’, it meant the perceived level of difficulty in interpreting the tax law and rules in the relevant jurisdictions.
●    “An overwhelming majority of over 90 per cent respondents said that they would like to see tax reform in India along with China and Indonesia. 
●    Specifically for India, the survey respondents suggest that they look forward to reform taking place in timeliness and quality of audits and adoption of BEPS recommendations,” Deloitte said.
 

Current Affairs 3rd June 2017: ECONOMY 

SBI to charge customers for withdrawals from its ATMs starting April

As private banks take the lead to introduce cash transaction charges, India's largest public sector bank SBI has taken the demonetisation plunge too.
●    Come April 1st and its customers will have to shell out extra charge for using debit cards and ATMs above the mandatory limit.
●    As per the notification accessed by India Today, State Bank of India will be charging 10 rupees (excluding service tax) beyond five ATM withdrawals for its customers.
●    Currently, under RBI guidelines, banks must offer their savings bank account holders a minimum of five free transactions.
●    SBI has also mandated banks to offer at least 3 free transactions to card holders of other banks at their ATMs. 
●    So for non-SBI card holders, the bank will be charging 20 rupees (excluding service tax) for crossing the limit. 
●    It has so far kept 3 transactions till Rs 1000 withdrawal from its ATM by non-SBI account holders free.
●    Account holders using SBI debit cards will have to shell out Rs 50 (excluding service tax) if they exceed the fixed limit. 
●    The bank has given a levy of 2 transactions below Rs 1000, two transactions between Rs 1000 and Rs 25,000, and 15 transactions between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh,  which will be free of charge.
 

Current Affairs 3rd June 2017: ECONOMY 

World TT Championships: Mouma-Manika makes history by becoming first Indian pair to reach quarters

Manika Batra and Mouma Das on 1 June 2017 entered into the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis Championships in Dusseldorf. 
●    With this, the duo also created a history by becoming the first Indian pair to reach the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis Championships.
●    Mouma and Manika created history with luck on their side as they got a walkover from the Netherlands and Polish combination of Li Jie and Li Quian, the latter reportedly was hospitalised last night after falling sick.
●    After qualifying for the quarterfinals, Mouma said, "I don't know what to even feel. It's just sad that our opponents could not play the match. 
●    But at the same time, I am so elated that we have created history for our country".
●    Now in quarterfinals, the Indian duo will take Chinese pair of Ding Ning (ranked no. 1) and Liu Shiwe (ranked no. 2) on 2 June 2017. 
●    The Chinese pair is considered as a lethal left and right combination in the world of Table Tennis.

Trump announces US withdrawal from Paris Agreement on Climate Change

President Donald Trump announced on 1 June 2017 that he would withdraw the United States from the landmark 2015 Paris agreement to fight climate change.
●    The move, perfectly in line with Trump’s "America First" message that he used during his Presidential campaign, has drawn flak from US allies and business leaders across the world.
●    Trump stated that the Paris accord would undermine the U.S. economy, cost U.S. jobs, weaken American national sovereignty and put the country at a permanent disadvantage to the other countries of the world.
●    "The nations asking us to stay in the agreement are the same countries that have collectively cost America trillions of dollars through tough trade practices and in many cases lax contributions to our critical military alliance," Trump said.

Current Affairs 3rd June 2017: DEFENCE  

Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired

Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired India Army on 2 June 2017 successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile from a test range in Odisha as part of a user trial.
●    The trial of this surface-to-surface missile was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.
●    Prithvi-II Missile is the first missile to be developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).
●    It was inducted into India's armed forces in 2003.
●    It weighs around 4600 kilogram and has a strike range of 350 kilometre.
●    It is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines.

Current Affairs 3rd June 2017: Science and technology

 
Airtel, Telenor approach NCLT for merger approval, after Sebi nod

Bharti Airtel Ltd Thursday said it had received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and the country’s top exchanges—Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange—to merge Telenor (India) Communications Pvt. Ltd with itself.
●    Airtel and Telenor have also filed a joint application before the New Delhi bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for approval of the merger. 
●    In a statement, the firm said the merger also requires approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
●    “Telenor India and Airtel have today (Thursday) filed the joint company application before the New Delhi Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal for approval of the proposed scheme of merger.
●    The merger is inter alia subject to other statutory approvals including from the Competition Commission of India,” Bharti Airtel said in a statement.
●    Airtel had on 24 February said it would acquire the assets of Telenor ASA’s India business, as the country’s biggest telecom operator seeks to preserve its position in a market where new entrant Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd’s aggressive pricing has spurred a wave of consolidation.

Important Current Affairs 2nd June 2017

Current Affairs 2nd June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India lays foundation stone of Driver’s Training Institute and Secondary School at village Dhaula under SMARTGRAM Initiative 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone of a Driver’s Training Institute and a Secondary School under the SMARTGRAM Initiative at village Dhaula, Gurugram (Haryana) today (June 2, 2017). 
●    Three new Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) at Mahendragarh, Ambala and Palwal were also inaugurated. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that our villages not only have the capacity to develop but are also eager for development. 
●    If we keep moving ahead in this manner, the day is not far when our youth would not need to leave villages for cities in search of better avenues. 
●    It would also be possible to complete education of daughters in nearby villages. 
●    Good and affordable health services would be available for all and the youth would get training and employment in the vicinity of villages itself. 
●    The President said that he believes that our country will develop only when our villages develop. Even today, 68 percent of our population lives in villages. 

MODI Fest inaugurated in Bengaluru 

Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation Shri D.V.Sadananda Gowda has inaugurated Making of Developed India Festival - MODI Fest at Malleswaram in Bengaluru today. 
●    The objective of the programme was to communicate, on the occasion of completion of three years in office by the Central Government, to the people about the Union Government’s achievements over the last 3 years and to convey them about the various Government schemes and initiatives. 
●    Releasing a brochure on achievements of the Union Government during last 3 years, Shri Sadananda Gowda said, people of the country have been experiencing overall development achieved by the Union Government and entire world is noticing it. 
●    The Prime Minister desires that elected representatives must go to the people and present before them the details of the development work done by them. 
●    By conducting such programmes people’s feedback and suggestions on different schemes will also be collected, he added. 
●    An exhibition depicting the achievements of the Union Government over last three years was also held on the occasion.

Centre issues new guidelines to protect Aadhaar data

The government on Thursday issued new guidelines to protect your Aadhaar details in order to protect your identity and also several other information on cards.
●    After Aadhaar data leakage, Centre issues new guidelines to protect data.
●    A set of 27 dos and don'ts has been circulated on data handling. The document instructs government departments not to publish any personal data including Aadhaar in public domain/websites etc. 
●    It also said that there will be legal consequences if there is a data breach and warned the government departments to check future leaks. Under the Aadhaar Act, publishing of Aadhaar numbers of beneficiaries is illegal.
●    The move to protect personal data comes after reports of 130 million Aadhaar cardholders data was leaked from four government websites which also included cricketer MS Dhoni's personal Aadhaar details. 
●    Whether these incidents could have been avoided if the guidelines had been issued earlier is debatable. 
●    But the issuance of these guidelines at the earliest would have at least given the impression that the government does care about privacy and identity protection.

Haryana Cabinet approves extension of Metro rail from Delhi to Sonepat

The Haryana Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on 1 June 2017 approved the extension of Metro Rail from Narela in Delhi to Kundli in Sonepat district of Haryana.
●    The Cabinet also approved the revised funding pattern of Metro projects in Haryana. 
●    Under this, 50 per cent of funds for DMRC projects will be contributed by the Haryana Infrastructure Development Board, 20 per cent by the Haryana Urban Development Authority, 18 per cent by state government and 12 per cent by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corp.
●    The 4.86-km long extension will have three stations--Narela Sector 5, Kundli and Nathupur. All the three stations will be elevated.
●    The project will be financed jointly by the State and Central governments, with Haryana providing 80 per cent of the funds and the Centre will be responsible for the rest 20 per cent.

Current Affairs 2nd June 2017: AWARDS

WHO’s tobacco control award for Health Minister J P Nadda

Union health Minister J P Nadda is set to get the World Health Organization’s (WHO) award for outstanding global leadership in tobacco control. 
●    One of the proposers for the award is Dr K S Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), a public-private initiative that was last month barred from getting foreign funds for allegedly using funds for “anti-tobacco lobbying”.
●    The WHO award is given to governments or individuals who show exceptional zeal in tobacco control. Usually given out in Geneva on World No-Tobacco Day (May 31), it has been decided that the award this time will be given at the regional level by the WHO Southeast Asia regional office. 
●    Past winners from India include former Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Reddy himself.
●    Nadda will not be in Delhi on Wednesday, so the award may be given at a tobacco control event in June, sources said. 
●    Besides Reddy, sources said, Nadda’s name was also proposed by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), which, like PHFI, had testified in front of the Parliamentary committee looking at the issue of larger tobacco warnings.

Current Affairs 2nd June 2017: DAYS AND DATES

World milk day observed around the globe 

World Milk Day is a day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognise the importance of milk as a global food. It has been observed on June 1 each year since 2001. 
●    The day is intended to provide an opportunity to bring attention to activities that are connected with the dairy sector. Milk is an important part of a healthy balanced diet. 
●    World Milk Day provides the perfect opportunity to spread the word and celebrate all aspects of milk and dairy products  in many countries around the globe.
●    World Milk Day was first designated by the FAO in 2001. 
●    June 1 was chosen as the date because many countries were already celebrating a milk day during that time of year. 
●    The Day provides an opportunity to focus attention on milk and to publicise activities connected with milk and the dairy industry. 
●    The fact that many countries choose to do this on the same day lends additional importance to individual national celebrations and shows that milk is a global food.

Current Affairs 2nd June 2017: SPACE

Japan launches satellite for high-precision positioning system

Japan on 1 June 2017 launched a satellite to help build a high-precision geolocation system that will complement the US operated Global Positioning System (GPS).
●    The rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 2 satellite, H-IIA, was launched from the Tanegashima space center in Kagoshima Prefecture, Southern Japan. 
●    The same was confirmed by the footage recorded by Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency.
●    Japan launches satellite for high-precision positioning system. 
●    The satellite geolocation systems, which were initially designed for the US military, power countless applications including car navigation and internet browsing on mobile phones.
●    Japan aims to build its version with four satellites focusing on the country and wider region.
●    The nation had launched its first Michibiki satellite into space in 2010 on a trial basis.
●    It plans to launch two more satellites by March 2018, after which at least one satellite will be flying over Japan for eight hours per day.
●    The Michibiki system can cover the Asia-Oceania region.

Current Affairs 2nd June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Five agreements signed between India and Russia

India and Russia on 1 May 2017 signed five Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs)/agreements including a program of cultural exchanges and implementation of the high-speed service at the Nagpur-Secunderabad section among others.
●    The agreements were signed with an aim to boost the bilateral relations between the two nations. 
●    These agreements were inked during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia. Modi was in Russia between 1 May and 2 May 2017.
●    The program of cultural exchanges for 2017-2019 was signed. 
●    The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of India.
●    The General Framework Agreement for the construction of the third stage of the Kudankulam NPP (KK5 & KK6) along with the Credit Protocol.
●    India, Russia signs 16 MoUs including procurement of the S-400 air defence system.
●    Agreement on granting access to Rospatent experts to the Indian Digital Library of Traditional Knowledge (TKDL) was signed. 
●    The agreement was signed between the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) and the Council of India for Scientific and Industrial Research.
●    The contract on the preparation of the justification for the implementation of the high-speed service at the Nagpur-Secunderabad section was inked. 
●    The contract was signed between JSC Russian Railways and the Ministry of Railways of India.
●    Memorandum of cooperation between ALROSA Joint Stock Company (Public Joint Stock Company) and the Council for the Promotion of the Export of Precious Stones and Jewellery of India.
 

Important Current Affairs 1st June 2017

Current Affairs 1st June 2017: AWARDS

Rajnath Singh presents awards at 15th BSF Investiture Ceremony 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh presented the Police Medal for Gallantry and Police Medal for Meritorious Services to the BSF officials at the 15th BSF Investiture Ceremony and Rustamji Memorial Lecture held here today. 
●    This year 29 medals were awarded to the BSF officials. 
●    The Government of India honours brave officers and men of BSF with medals for gallantry in recognition of their acts of valour and sacrifices in the service of the nation. 
●    Const Harinder Singh, BSF Bronze medalist of 6th Asian Para Cycling Championship-2017 was also awarded during the function.
●    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh said that the country is proud of the sacrifices made by the forces while defending the country. 
●    He said that when somebody decides to join BSF, CAPFs or Army, then a passion to serve the nation must be in their mind. He said that national self-esteem is very important for anybody along with personal self-esteem and nobody shall ever compromise with his self-esteem. 
●    The national self esteem cannot be compromised when any foreign power tries to disturb peace at the border of India.
 

Current Affairs 1st June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Inauguration of MITS Mega Food Park at Rayagada, Odisha. 

The first Mega Food Park in the state of Odisha M/s MITS Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at Rayagada has been inaugurated today the 1st June, 2017 by Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hon’ble Minister of Food Processing Industries. 
●    This is the 7th Mega Food Park operationalized in the last 3 years by the present government.
●    On this occasion Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble MoS (I/C) of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Hon'ble MoS (Food Processing Industries), Government of India, were also present.
●    Speaking on the occasion Hon’ble Minister said that under the Visionary guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the food processing industry so that agriculture sector grows exponentially and become a major contributor to doubling the farmer’s income and ‘Make In India’ initiative of the government.

Inauguration of MITS Mega Food Park at Rayagada, Odisha. 

The first Mega Food Park in the state of Odisha M/s MITS Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at Rayagada has been inaugurated today the 1st June, 2017 by Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hon’ble Minister of Food Processing Industries. 
●    This is the 7th Mega Food Park operationalized in the last 3 years by the present government.
●    On this occasion Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble MoS (I/C) of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Hon'ble MoS (Food Processing Industries), Government of India, were also present.
●    Speaking on the occasion Hon’ble Minister said that under the Visionary guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the food processing industry so that agriculture sector grows exponentially and become a major contributor to doubling the farmer’s income and ‘Make In India’ initiative of the government.

Karnataka's Nandini K R tops civil services exam

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday declared results of the prestigious civil services examination.
●    This year's topper, Nandini K R , is an officer of the Indian Revenue Service, and at present undergoing training at the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics in Faridabad.
●    Anmol Sher Singh Bedi is the topper among male candidates securing overall second rank. 
●    He is an engineering graduate in computer science from BITS, Pilani.
●    Ronanki Gopal Krishna from Palasa in Srikakulam district has bagged the 3rd rank.
●    The top 25 candidates comprise 18 men and 7 women.
●    An Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Nandini, who hails from Kolar (known for gold mining) in Karnataka, cracked the exam in her fourth attempt.
●    "It is like a dream come true. I always wanted to be an IAS officer," she told PTI from the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics in Faridabad, where she is undergoing probation.
 

Current Affairs 1st June 2017: ECONOMY

Delhi Assembly Passes State Good And Services Tax (GST) Bill

The Delhi Assembly on Wednesday passed the state Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pitched for capping the tax rate at a maximum of 10 per cent.
●    A special session of the Assembly, which saw clashes between a few AAP legislators and sacked minister Kapil Mishra, cleared the bill following an extensive discussion while also adopting a resolution on lowering tax slabs. 
●    Parliament had on April 6 passed four legislations to pave the way for nationwide roll-out of the GST from July 1. 
●    Talking to reporters outside the House, Kejriwal said under the GST regime, tax slabs should be 10 per cent, 5 per cent each for the Centre and the states, claiming that higher tax slabs may trigger inflation.
●    "GST is the biggest tax reform and in principle we all are with it. But we have concerns pertaining to its implementation. 
●    We believe higher tax slabs may trigger inflation and it will not be good for the country.
●    The GST Council has approved four-tier tax slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent plus an additional cess on demerit goods like luxury cars, aerated drinks and tobacco products.

Current Affairs 1st June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

India, Spain sign 7 agreements during PM Modi's visit

India and Spain on 31 May 2017 signed seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) including one on cyber security and technical cooperation in civil aviation.
●    The MoUs were signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Spain.
●    The two sides signed one MoU on transfer of sentenced persons to respective countries.
●    One of the MoUs was for the visa waiver scheme for holders of diplomatic passports.
●    Four MoUs were signed between the two countries on cooperation in organ transplantation, cyber security, renewable energy and civil aviation.
●    One MoU was signed between India's Foreign Service Institute and Diplomatic Academy of Spain.

Current Affairs 1st June 2017: SPACE

ASA announced its first solar mission in 2018

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 31 May 2017 renamed the Solar Probe Plus Spacecraft, NASA's first mission to a star which will be launched in 2018, as the Parker Solar Probe in honour of astrophysicist Eugene Parker. 
●    The announcement was made at a ceremony at the University of Chicago, where Eugene Parker serves as the S Chandrasekhar Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
●    NASA renames Solar Probe Mission to honour Eugene Parker
●    Eugene Parker was the first to predict the existence of the solar wind back in 1958. He theorized that the sun constantly sends out a flow of particles and energy called the solar wind.
●    This is the first time NASA has named a spacecraft for a living individual.
●    In 1958, Eugene Parker published an article in the Astrophysical Journal called “Dynamics of the interplanetary gas and magnetic fields.” 
●    The article was based on the observations of Parker which showed that there was high speed matter and magnetism constantly escaping the sun which affected the planets and space throughout our solar system. 
●    He proposed a number of concepts about how stars including sun give off energy.
●    This phenomenon has been proven to exist repeatedly through direct observation and it was named as the Solar Wind. 
●    Parker’s observation forms the basis for understanding about how stars interact with the worlds that orbit them.

Current Affairs 1st June 2017: SPORTS

Ramachandra Guha resigns as BCCI Administrator

Historian Ramachandra Guha on 1 June 2017 resigned as member of the four-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Guha cited personal reasons for his resignation.
●    Following his resignation, the Supreme Court asked Guha to file plea in registry which will be taken up in the court in July 2017.
●    Guha’s resignation comes at a time when the Champions Trophy 2017 is about to kick start. 
●    The Committee of Administrators headed by Vinod Rai was appointed by the Supreme Court in January 2017 to oversee BCCI administration after the BCCI showed reluctant to implement the Lodha panel report.
●    The other two members of the Committee are former Indian women’s cricket team captain Diana Edulji and IDFC Limited’s Managing Director Vikram Limaye.
●    As per the SC order, Rai, Guha, Edulji and Limaye were asked to function as the interim bosses of the BCCI and run its day-to-day administration until the Lodha Committee reforms are fully implemented and elections are held.

Important Current Affairs 31st May 2017

Current Affairs 31st May 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Swachhta Pakhwada successfully celebrated across the country by the Department of Consumer Affairs

The Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution celebrated Swachhta Pakhwada from 16th to 31st May, 2017.
●    The Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Sh. Jagdish. Prasad Meena, briefed the media on the successful completion of the Swachhta Pakhwada and informed that the Consumer can play a pivotal role in the Swachhta Mission in New Delhi today.
●    The Pakhwada was initiated by an oath taking ceremony which was attended by the officers and staff of the Department of Consumer Affairs. 
●    The aim of the Swachhta Pakhwada observed by the Department was to spread swachhta awareness and implementation across the country with a focus on role of the Consumer in taking a leadership role for sanitation initiatives. 
●    In this direction, a series of activities were undertaken such as Nukkad Natak, slogan writing competition, poster making competition, essay writing competition, special drives for cleaning of the work place and removing of old and unwanted articles from the office premises. 
●    The Department through its own staff members performed Nukkad Natak at various places including Krishi Bhawan and INA Market.

Online APAR for Indian Trade Service SPARROW-ITS Launched 

In accordance with the Government of India’s policy to introduce online Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) for Group ‘A’ services, Smt. Rita Teotia,Commerce Secretary launched the SPARROW-ITS (Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window) today, to enable the Indian Trade Service (ITS) officers to fill their APAR online for the year 2016-17 onwards.  
●    The event was attended by Sh. Ajay Bhalla, DGFT and other senior officers of DGFT.
●    The APARs would be generated and transmitted online to the concerned officers for filling up of the self appraisal.  
●    The officer can then submit the self appraisal online through Digitally Signed Signature (DSC) or through E-sign.  
●    The subsequent processes of reporting and reviewing would also be done online by the Reporting and Reviewing Officer by using DSC or E-sign.  
●    The timelines have been drawn up for each stage of the process.  
●    The entire process of filling up of APAR would have to be completed by 31st December and no remarks can be added after that date.

Prasar Bharati signs MoU with Morocco's SNRT

Government-run Prasar Bharati has got into an agreement with Moroccos Societe Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Television (SNRT) to step up cooperation in the broadcasting sector.
●    The MoU was signed last week during the the fifth India Morocco Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Rabat, Moroccos capital.
●    Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was there to attend that meeting.
●    "The MoU was signed by Kheya Bhattacharya, Ambassador of India, on behalf of Prasar Bharati and Faycal Laraichi, Chief Executive Officer of SNRT," the commerce ministry said in a statement.
●    It said JCM has ramped up the strong bilateral ties and provided an impetus for closer cooperation in political, commercial, cultural, and trade sectors.

Delhi Police launches Bicycle Patrols for better policing

Delhi Police on 30 May 2017 launched the Bicycle Patrols for better policing in the capital. The Bicycle Patrols were flagged off by Union minister of Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir.
●    In the first phase, a total of 65 high-end bicycles have been operationalised. 
●    Out of 65 bicycles, 30 were allotted for North East district, 20 for East district and 15 for Shahdara district. 
●    The scheme will be extended to other areas of Delhi as well.
●    Bicycle patrols were launched as a part of green initiative for patrolling the parks, congested lanes, by-lanes, the cooperative societies, etc.
●    These patrols were introduced to complement and supplement existing motorcycle and PCR patrols of Delhi Police which focus mainly on crime prevention along the arterial and main roads of Delhi.

Current Affairs 31st May 2017: OBITUARIES 

Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega passes away

Panama dictator Manuel Noriega passes away Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega passed away on 29 May 2017 following a prolonged illness. He was 83.
●    Noriega ruled Panama from 1983 to 1989. 
●    He spied for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) until the United States invaded and toppled his corrupt government, putting an end to his criminal career that saw him working with drug traffickers like Pablo Escobar.
●    He was serving a sentence for murder in Panama at the time of his death.
●    Born in Panama City on 11 February 1934, Noriega studied at a military academy in Peru. 
●    After becoming a de facto ruler of Panama in 1983, he played a key role in mid-1980s Iran-Contra affair, which involved smuggling weapons and drugs to aid US undercover efforts.

Veteran filmmaker Dasari Narayana Rao passes away

Dasari Narayana Rao passes away Veteran Telugu filmmaker and former Union minister Dasari Narayana Rao passed away on 30 May 2017 following heart failure.
●    He was 75.
●    Rao was known for directing movies with legendary actors like NT Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. 
●    He was also an active politician in the Congress party and served as a Union Minister during the UPA regime.
●    Rao began his career as a theatre artiste and went on to work in films.
●    Rao directed his first film in the early 1970s.
●    He launched the popular Telugu daily Udhayam in 1984 to counter the influential Eenadu of Ramoji Rao. 
●    He worked in many films as a dialogue writer, lyricist and actor.

Current Affairs 31st May 2017: SPORTS

Kohli only Indian in top 10 of ICC ODI rankings

Indian captain Virat Kohli is the only Indian cricketer to feature in the top 10 of the ICC Players Rankings for ODIs. 

●    Kohli managed to retain his third spot in the top 10 ODI player batting rankings.
●    The top three batsmen in the list are not separated by many points. 
●    While South Africa's AB de Villiers (874 rating points) and Australian David Warner (871) just have a three-point difference between them, Kohli with 852 points is just 22 points behind them.
●    Virat sole India in ICC top 10 Batsman list
●    Other Indian batsmen to feature in the top 20 player rankings list include Rohit Sharma at 12th rank, Mahendra Singh Dhoni at 13th and Shikhar Dhawan at the 15th rank.
●    Among the bowlers, South Africa's 22-year-old pace sensation Kagiso Rabada outpaced his team-mate Imran Tahir to become the top ODI bowler in the world.

Current Affairs 31st May 2017: ECONOMY

Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) sign $100 million loan to finance Solar Rooftop projects

●    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Punjab National Bank (PNB) yesterday signed a $100 million loan — to be guaranteed by the Government of India — that will finance large solar rooftop systems on industrial and commercial buildings throughout India. 
●    The PNB will use the ADB funds to make further loans to various developers and end users to install rooftop solar systems.
●    This is the first tranche loan of the $500 million multi tranche finance facility Solar Rooftop Investment Program (SRIP) approved by ADB in 2016. 
●    The financing includes $330 million from ADB’s ordinary capital resources and $170 million from the multi donor Clean Technology Fund (CTF) administered by ADB.  
●    The first tranche loan of $100 million would be financed entirely from the CTF. 

Important Current Affairs 30th May 2017

Dear Aspirants,

Important Current Affairs 30th 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.

Current Affairs 30th May 2017: SCIENCE

Ministry of Earth Sciences to launch ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ by January 2018
 

Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India is all set to launch ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ by January 2018. 
●    This will improve India’s position in ocean research field. Shri M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences announced today. 
●    Secretary was speaking through video conference in the workshop arranged by National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula. Shri M S Nagar, Member Standing Committee, Ministry of Earth Science, Dr VSN Murthy, Director, National Institute of Oceanography were also present at the inauguration of the workshop on ‘Three decades of India acquiring Pioneer Investor Status- Achievements and way forward’. 
●    India achieved a lot in the field of ocean research; still it is long way to go, said Secretary M Rajeevan on this occasion. 
●    The program on Poly metallic nodules was initiated at CSIR-NIO with the collection of the first nodule sample from Arabian Sea on board the first Research Vessel Gaveshani on 26 January 1981. 
●    India was the first country in the world to have been given the Pioneer Area for exploration of deep-sea mineral viz. Polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin in 1987. 
●    This was based on the extensive surveys carried out by the scientists of CSIR-NIO, on several research ships leading to the allocation of an area of 150,000 sq km to the country with exclusive rights under the UN Law of the sea.

Current Affairs 30th May 2017: APPOINTMENT

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi appoints Shri George Kurian as Vice-Chairman of National Commission for Minorities

The Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has appointed Shri George Kurian as Vice-Chairman of National Commission for Minorities. 
●    Shri Kurian is a renowned social and educational activist from Kerala.
●    Earlier, noted social activist from Uttar Pradesh, Syed Ghayoor Hasan Rizvi was appointed as Chairman of National Commission for Minorities.
●    Other appointed members of the Commission are Ms Sulekha Kumbhare, Shri Sunil Singhvi and Shri Vada Dasturji Khurshed Kaikobad Dastoor.

Google India head Rajan Anandan appointed IAMAI chairman

Google’s vice-president for South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan has been appointed new chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
●    He will take over from FreeCharge’s co-founder and chief executive officer Kunal Shah. 
●    MakeMyTrip chairman & Group CEO Deep Kalra has taken over as vice-chairman from music app Saavn co-founder and president Vinodh Bhat; Facebook’s managing director - India & South Asia, Umang Bedi has been elected as the new treasurer of the association, while Subho Ray continues to be the president, IAMAI said in a statement.
●    The tenure of the new council is for two years.
●    “Anandan assumes office at a time when the industry is going through a growth trajectory with more than 400 million Internet users and with more than 300 million mobile Internet users,” the statement said. 
●    “In rural India, with an estimated population of 906 million, have only 156 million Internet users thus, there are potential 750 million users still in rural heartlands; if only they can be reached out properly. Thus, the new council will work towards increasing the Internet users’ base, especially in rural areas,” the statement added.

Ajit Agarkar appointed chairman of selection committee for Mumbai

After playing 17 years of first class cricket for Mumbai, former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar was on Friday named the chairman of selection committee for Mumbai Cricket Association. 
●    Agarkar will head the selection committee for senior and U-23 teams. Apart from Agargar, three others — Nilesh Kulkarni, Jatin Paranjape and Sunil More — will also be part of the senior selection committee.
●    In the U-19 selection committee, Rajesh Pawar has been named as the chairman while Avishkar Salvi, Raju Sutar and Santosh Shinde are also part of the committee.
●    Agarkar made his ODI debut  for India against Australia at Kochi in 1998 and in the same year, he made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare. 
●    He went on to play 191 one-day internationals for India and picked up 288 wickets. In his 28 Tests, he picked up 58 wickets.
●    For the women’s committee, Trupati Bhattacharya has been appointed as the chairperson. 
●    The three other members of the selection committee are Sangeeta Kamat, Vishaka Dalvi and Rahul Thakur.

Current Affairs 30th May 2017: NATIONAL

Gadkari lays foundation stone for eight connectivity projects worth 1117.3 crores at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust

The Minister of Shipping and Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for eight connectivity projects worth Rs. 1117.03 crores at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) today. 
●    All these projects will enhance connectivity of the hinterland   to JNPT. Port Connectivity is among the four pillars of Ministry of Shipping’s flagship Sagarmala programme.
●    Speaking on the occasion Shri Gadkari said that huge investments are expected under the Sagarmala programme, which will lead to better infrastructure and creation of new jobs besides giving  a big push to Indian exports. 
●    He said a lot of companies have shown interest in acquiring land for setting up factories in the JNPT SEZ zone, and this in turn will create a demand for  skilled manpower. 
●    Shri Gadkari informed that a coordinator will be appointed to look into the requirements of these new companies and help to train the local youth from Raigad and Konkan areas to meet their specific needs. 
●    He said the government’s aim is to increase efficiency and improve the development in and around the port areas by continuously undertaking new initiatives.
 

Current Affairs 30th May 2017: SCHEMES

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar announces pension scheme for journalists

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday announced a slew of incentives for journalists, including a Rs 10,000 monthly pension scheme, for those who are above 60 years and have completed 20 years in the profession.
●    He also announced a life insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh and a cashless mediclaim policy of Rs 500,000.
●    The announcements were made by the Chief Minister at the "Swarna Jayanti Journalists' Meet" in Panchkula near here.
●    He said now media persons, who have completed five years in the profession, would be given recognition by the state government.
●    He also announced that a new policy would be framed for giving recognition to representatives of online news portals.

Current Affairs 30th May 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

India and Germany signed 8 deals

Setting a roadmap for the bilateral strategic ties between India and Germany, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday opened the fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. 
●    India and Germany signed 8 deals, agreeing to cooperate in multiple sectors and exchange knowledge.
●    The Prime Minister was also given a ceremonial welcome with military honours at the Chancellery, the office of the German Chancellor, where he was greeted by Merkel and senior German officials. 
●    He was also accorded a guard of honour and was welcomed as the the music choir of the German Army played the Indian National Anthem. 
●    Later, he called on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Castle Bellevue.

Current Affairs 30th May 2017: OBITUARIES

Former Bengal cricketer Tapan Banerjee dead

Former Bengal and East Zone all-rounder Tapan Jyoti Banerjee passed away on Monday at a hospital here after a prolonged spell of illness, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) said.
●    Banerjee was 73. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
●    "He suffered a cerebral attack a few months back. 
●    On Sunday night he slipped into coma. 
●    He breathed his last around 11 a.m.," the CAB official said.
●    Banerjee, born in Kanpur, played 18 first class matches for Bengal scoring 217 runs and taking 47 wickets. 
●    He was a right hand batsman and a right-arm medium fast bowler.
 

Important Current Affairs 29th May 2017

Dear Aspirants,

Important Current Affairs 29th 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.

Current Affairs 29th May 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

5th India Morocco Joint Commission Meeting

The 5th India Morocco Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held in Rabat on 25 and 26 May 2017. 
●    The JCM was anchored by Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister.
●    On 25 May 2017, the Minister was the keynote speaker at the Industry Day of Morocco in Casablanca, organised by the Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco. 
●    She visited the Centre for Excellence in Information Technology in Casablanca, a collaboration of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), India and Institut National des Postes et Télécommunications (INPT), Morocco. 
●    She called on Dr Saad Eddine El Othmani, Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and had bilateral discussions with Mr. Abdelkader Amara, Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, and Mr. Mohamed Boussaid, Minister of Economy and Finance. On 26 May 2017, she met with Mr. Moulay Hafid El Alamy, Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy. 
●    In all the interactions, the key element of excellent political relations that underpinned the economic context of the bilateral relations, was highlighted.

Current Affairs 29th May 2017: DEFENCE 

Martyrs’ Day observed at Air Force Station Sarsawa

Kargil Martyrs’ Day is observed all across the country to honour the martyrs who had laid down their lives in defence of our country. In keeping with the glorious traditions of the IAF, four air warriors of Air Force Sarsawa too had attained Martyrdom on 28 May 99 during Kargil Operations. 
●    On that day, one MI-17 Helicopter of the base took off for a mission with Squadron Leader Rajiv Pundir as pilot, Flight Lieutenant S Muhilan as co-pilot, Sergeant PVNR Prasad as Flight gunner and Sergeant RK Sahu as Flight Engineer. 
●    While carrying out a rocket attack on Tiger Hill in the Kargil Sector, the helicopter was shot down by the enemy and these air warriors made the supreme sacrifice in keeping with the highest traditions of service. 
●    Since then, 28th May is observed as Martyrs’ Day every year at this Station to honour these brave air warriors. 
●    This year, on 28 May the Air Officer Commanding and all air warriors of Air Force Station Sarsawa paid tribute to these brave air warriors by placing floral tributes at the War Memorial to commemorate the 18th anniversary of their supreme sacrifice. 
●    At the same time, four helicopters of the base took off for ‘Missing Man Formation’ in the sky, thereby, remembering the martyrs and showing gratitude towards them. 
●    Further, in the evening, a candle lighting ceremony was also organized where all families of the Station gathered and paid homage to the war heroes by lighting candles at the Station War Memorial.
 

Current Affairs 29th May 2017: ECONOMY

CSCs To Function As GST Suvidha Providers

A workshop on “CSCs as GST Suvidha Provider” to train the top performing VLEs and the State level representatives of CSC SPV for enabling implementation of GST scheme especially in rural India through CSC was organized here today. 
●    Common Services Centers are proposed to act as a GST Suvidha Provider. CSCs have been identified to facilitate the roll out of GST especially in rural India. 
●    CSCs will help merchants’ registration, filing returns and support them in fulfilling various requirements under GST. 
●    They will mobilize, conduct training and create advocacy of GST implementation across the country. 
●    The Union Minister for Electronics & IT and Law Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the event, appreciated the efforts of the enterprising VLEs in providing key services to the grassroots. 
●    He Said the Village Level Entrepreneurs are Rapid Action Force for Digital India and hoped they will truly be the harbingers of digital revolution in India and enable us to create digitally and financially inclusive society. 
●    India does not want to miss the digital revolution and, in fact, aims to become the leader of the revolution and CSCs will lead us in this endeavor.
 

Current Affairs 29th May 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Union Home Minister addresses the 30th Convocation of Kurukshetra University

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has called upon the youth to abide by the values in all situations of life, which will make them winner and help them achieve anything in life. 
●    Delivering the Convocation Address at the 30th Convocation of Kurukshetra University at Kurukshetra, Haryana today, Shri Rajnath Singh said that convocation connotes the completion of study for a degree, but not the completion of education, which is a lifelong process. 
●    In the Indian context, the convocation purports qualification of an individual to serve the society through the knowledge and skills imbibed through education. 
●    World remembers the people for their values and their service to the society and not because of their wealth, might or even knowledge, he added.
●    Shri Rajnath Singh said that India aspires to be a vishwa guru and  not a super-power because a nation becomes a super-power by might, dominance and even coercion and the nations come to it because of fear. 
●    As a vishwa guru, people will join with India because they would see their well being. 

Prakash Javadekar launches UGC App to fight Ragging 

Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar today launched an Anti-Ragging Mobile App introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) here in New Delhi. 
●    Speaking on this occasion Shri Javadekar said this mobile app will help students register complaints to counter the menace of ragging.
●    The Minister said earlier one had to visit the website for registering a complaint of ragging and our record shows that timely action was taken which in turn had resulted in the decrease of such instances. 
●    But still this ill has to be eliminated completely, he said.
●    Shri Javadekar said as per his knowledge in campuses majority of senior students actually help guide their juniors and properly mentor them, but in few cases ragging happens which needs to be completely eliminated from campuses. 
●    He said “physical or mental torture of a new student is ragging which we won’t allow, this is unacceptable and therefore this app will become a handy tool to any student who goes through such experience.”

DGT announces Introduction of Diploma Courses

The Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has announced the launch of five high end diploma courses in the skill ecosystem for the academic year 2017. 
●    The five courses in Welding Technology, Industrial Electronics and Automation, Manufacturing Technology, Automotive Technology and IT, Networking and Cloud Computing were cleared today at the Sub-Committee meeting of NCVT .
●    The need for advance level courses/ specialized courses has been long felt in the vocational training landscape in the country. 
●    The courses are of two years duration and will be introduced from August/September 2017 at Advanced Training Institutes (ATIs). 
●    These courses would enable trainees to acquire cutting edge training by providing an opportunity to sharpen their “hands-on skills” in specialized areas such as computerized pneumatic control (CNC) machining, automotive technology, welding, mechatronics, industrial electronics and automation. 
●    This would also extend the skill pyramid beyond current vocational training set up. 
●    Over and above this, one fourth of the training period is dedicated for on-the-job training in the form of an industrial attachment.

Bihar is the top litchi producing State

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the main objective of the Central Government is focused on research to develop new varieties and techniques of litchi farming to increase its production and to share information with the Extension Division. 
●    Shri Singh said this at the inauguration and co-training of Litchi processing plant here. 
●    Union Minister said that Bihar is the top litchi producing State in the country. In Bihar, about 300 thousand metric tonnes of litchi is being produced from 32 thousand hectares of area. 
●    Bihar's contribution in the production of litchi is about 40 percent. Considering the importance of litchi, National Research Centre on Litchi was established on June 6, 2001. 
●    Shri Singh said that the contribution of Muzaffarpur district in litchi’s production is impressive, but there is a need to increase the productivity of litchi, which is currently 8.0 tonne. 
●    For this, all the government institutions, cooperatives and farmers will have to come forward. 
●    Union Agriculture Minister said that it is a matter of immense pride that scientists at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and National Research Centre on Litchi have succeeded in treating litchi and preserving it for 60 days at low temperature. 
●    One of its processing plants has also been developed. Shri Singh said that this technique will be useful for the litchi producers and businessmen. 
●    Shri Singh also said that to make this technique effective, litchi producers will have to produce superior quality fruits for which National Research Centre on Litchi has developed several techniques. 
●    The National Research Centre on Litchi is providing about 35-40 thousand plants every year to various institutions/states in the country. 
●    Union Agriculture Minister said that the National Research Centre on Litchi is working closely with other institutions of ICAR and agricultural universities of the state and the development centres of the Central and State Governments like National Horticulture Board, APEDA, National Horticulture Mission etc.

Swachh Bharat Mission to go all out for ‘Darwaza Band’

For promotion of toilet usage across the country’s villages, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has come out with an aggressive new campaign called Darwaza Band starting tomorrow, May 30th, 2017.
●    Iconic actor, Shri Amitabh Bachchan, who leads the campaign, is proposed to be joined by Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Parameswaran Iyer, and other dignitaries at the formal launch event in Mumbai tomorrow. 
●    Champion functionaries from the State will also be awarded on the occasion.
●    The campaign has been supported by the World Bank and is being rolled out countrywide immediately after the launch. 
●    It is designed to encourage behaviour change in men who have toilets but are not using them. 
●    The campaign also features actor, Ms Anushka Sharma, who will be seen encouraging women to stand up for this issue in their villages and assume a leadership role.
 

Important Current Affairs 28th May 2017

Dear Aspirants,

Important Current Affairs 28th 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.

Current Affairs 28th May 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Boost to Metro Rail Connectivity Cabinet approves Noida - Greater Noida Metro Rail Project 

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law on the southern island of Mindanao after about 100 Muslim fighters laid siege to a major city following a deadly gun battle with government forces. 
●    The emergency declaration took immediate effect and will last for 60 days, according to presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, who made the announcement on Tuesday from Russia, where Duterte was on a scheduled four-day official visit.
●    The president "has already declared martial law for the entire island of Mindanao", Abella said.Duterte cut short his trip to Russia, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said. "The president feels that he is needed in Manila as soon as possible."
●    Duterte met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday night rather than Thursday as planned, according to Russian state media.
●    The president said on Wednesday martial law could last a year as he vowed it would be similar to the late Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship.

Boost to Metro Rail Connectivity Cabinet approves Noida - Greater Noida Metro Rail Project 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Noida - Greater Noida Metro Rail Project covering a length of 29.707 k.m.   
●    Total completion cost of the project is Rs.5,503 crore.
●    Metro rail connection between NOIDA and Greater NOIDA will result into people being assured about their mobility and thus more people will like to move to these satellite towns of Delhi, thus decongesting Delhi. 
●    As a result, more residential and commercial complexes will develop in this region. 
●    With metro rail in place, there will be less vehicular traffic on roads leading to less congestion, less time and cost of journey, less consumption of fossil fuel and less environmental pollution.  
●    People of Noida-Greater Noida, which has a population of approx. 7.50 Lakhs and people of surrounding areas will be benefitted with this metro link. 
●    Project will be implemented by Noida Metro Rail Corporation Limited, which will be a 50:50 jointly owned company of Govt. of India and Govt. of Uttar Pradesh.  
●    The existing Noida Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) which is a State owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be converted into a joint SPV of Government of India (Gol) and Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP), for implementation of the project.

Union Cabinet approves setting up of AIIMS in Kamrup, Assam

Union Cabinet approves setting up of AIIMS in Kamrup. The Union Cabinet, presided by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 24 May 2017 gave its approval for the establishment of new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Kamrup in Assam.
●    The institute will be set up under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). The estimated cost of the project is Rs.1123 crore.
●    The new AIIMS will be completed in a period of 48 months from the date of the approval of Government of India. The pre-construction phase would be of 15 months, while a construction phase would be of 30 months. 
●    The stabilization/commissioning phase of would be of three months.
●    The establishment of AIIMS at Kamrup will serve the dual purpose of providing super speciality health care to the population while also help create a large pool of doctors and other health workers in the region.

Mumbai, Kota feature in the world’s top ten most crowded cities

Two Indian cities, Mumbai and Kota have been named among the world’s most crowded cities list, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) that cited UN-Habitat data.
●    While Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh topped the list with a population density of 44,500 people per sq km, Mumbai, India’s financial capital with a population density of 31,700 per sq km was placed second.
●    Medellin in Columbia features at the third place with 19,700 people per sq km.
●    The fourth, fifth and sixth position have been occupied by Manila, the capital city of Philippines, Casablanca, the port city of Morocco and Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos respectively.
●    Kota in Rajasthan with 12,100 people per square kilometre was ranked 7th.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates India's longest bridge Dhola-Sadiya in Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 May 2017 inaugurated India's longest river bridge- the Dhola- Sadiya Bridge in Assam. 
●    This three lane 9.15 kilometre bridge has been built over river Lohit, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, that links Dhola to Sadiya in Assam.
●    The total length of the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge project, including the approach roads on each side, is 28.50 km. The length of the bridge itself is 9.15 Km.
●    It was constructed on BOT Annuity basis at a total cost of Rs 2056 crore, as a part of the Arunachal Package of Roads and Highways.
●    It will ensure 24X7 connectivity between upper Assam and Eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh.
●    The bridge will reduce the distance from Rupai on NH- 37 in Assam to Meka/Roing on NH-52 in Arunachal Pradesh by 165 KM.

The government has increased the purchase price of sugarcane from farmers

The government has increased the purchase price of sugarcane from farmers, which may result in the hike of sugar price.
●    Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that Union Cabinet approved a Rs 25 per quintal, or 10.6%, hike in the fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane to Rs 255 for 2017-18 season beginning October.
●    He has also stated that while the government had kept sugarcane FRP, that is the minimum price that sugarcane farmers are legally guaranteed for the 2016-17 season is unchanged at Rs 230 per quintal. the situation has now improved.
●    The food ministry had earlier proposed an FRP of Rs 255 per quintal for the 2017-18 season after a recommendation by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). 
●    However, State governments are free to fix their own state advised price (SAP) and millers can offer any price above the FRP.
 

Current Affairs 28th May 2017: APPOINTMENT 

Anurag Tripathy appointed as Secretary of CBSE

Senior bureaucrat Anurag Tripathy was on 25 May 2017 appointed as the Secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Tripathy will serve the post for a period of five years.
●    Tripathy is a 1998 batch officer of Indian Railway personnel Service (IRPS).
●    CBSE is a Board of Education for public and private schools under the Union Government.
●    It affiliates all Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), all Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), private schools and the other schools that have been approved by the Union Government. 
• It is responsible for conducting the final examinations for Class 10 and Class 12 every year. 
●    It is also responsible for conducting JEE(Main) examination for admission to undergraduate courses in engineering and architecture. 
●    It also conducts the NEET-UG (Undergraduate) examination for MBBS and BDS.

Important Current Affairs 27th May 2017

Dear Aspirants,

Important Current Affairs 27th 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.

Current Affairs 27th May 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Government tweaked Startup definition

The Union Government on 25 May 2017 introduced minor changes to the startup definition, saying a business not older than seven years will now qualify for benefits under the Startup India Action Plan.
●    Earlier, companies which were not older than five years from the date of incorporation were eligible for concessions under the plan, which was announced in 2016.
●    Under the new definition, an entity shall be considered as a startup if its turnover is less than Rs 25 crore - which remains unchanged - and has not completed seven years from the date of its incorporation/registration. 
●    However, in the case of startups in the biotechnology sector, the period shall be up to 10 years.
●    It also said that an entity shall be considered as a start-up if it is working towards innovation, development or improvement of products or processes or services. 
●    It will also be called a startup if it is a scalable business model with a high potential of employment generation or wealth creation.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath launches JE vaccination drive in 38 districts of UP

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 25 May 2017 launched a massive immunisation drive in 38 districts of the state to eradicate Japanese Encephalitis (JE).
●    This anti-encephalitis drive was launched from Kushinagar district. 
●    This government has fixed the target of immunisation of above 88 lakh 55 thousand children in the age group of 1 to 15 years during the drive in the targeted districts.
●    The government has also involved all the voluntary and social organisations in these JE prone districts.
●    CM Yogi also launched a toll free number to get or provide any information about encephalitis. 
●    The number is 18001805544.
●    The drive will be continued till 11 June 2017.

Uttarakhand CM launches water conservation campaign

Uttarakhand CM launches Water conservation campaign The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat launched a campaign on water harvesting and conservation on the occasion of Water Day on 25 May 2017 in the state’s capital, Dehradun.
●    The Minister flagged off two mechanised rath, one each for Kumaon and Garhwal regions.
●    The vans would be using audio material and related literature to broadcast information on water conservation and spread awareness in the two regions.
●    The Minister stressed that the objective of the campaign cannot be achieved without the participation of the common people.
●    The CM has urged the members to have a rainwater harvesting system fitted in their residential premises.
●    The Minister also requested the common people not to use water beyond what is sufficient to flush toilets.
●    Uttarakhand with 1.10 Cr population has around 20 lakh toilets and on an average a person there uses about 7-10 litres of water daily in the toilet.

Union Environment Ministry bans sale of cattle for slaughter

Union Environment Ministry bans sale of cattle for slaughter. 
●    The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on 23 May 2017 came up with new regulations that ban the sale of all kinds of cattle for slaughter across India.
●    The rules were issued under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. 
●    It requires anyone purchasing cattle to provide an undertaking that the animals are bought for agricultural purposes and not slaughter.
●    The definition of cattle includes bulls, bullocks, cows, buffalos, steers, heifers, calves and camels.
●    The new rules will be implemented in the next three months.
●    The cattle trade is permitted only among farmland owners across the nation.
●    Cattle can only be sold to a person possessing documents that he/she is an agriculturist. 
●    A trader has to submit five copies of proof of sale at the local revenue office, the local veterinary doctor in the district of the purchaser, animal market committee, apart from one each for seller and buyer.

Current Affairs 27th May 2017: ECONOMY 

Mukesh Ambani's RIL tops among 58 Indian firms on Forbes Global 2000 list

Huge public companies still prospered this past year despite wild swings between market uncertainty and volatility, punctuated by unexpected political outcomes, according to the Forbes’ Global 2000 list. 
●    Despite slowing GDP figures, China and the US, whose companies make up more than 40% of the list, continue to dominate the top 10 list. 
●    ICBC, China Construction Bank, Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan and Wells Fargo were the top five on the list. 
●    China’s two-year stronghold of the top 3 spots was disrupted this year by the company owned by Warren Buffett . 
●    The ranking is based on a composite score from equally-weighted measures of revenues, profits, assets and market value. 
●    The 2017 list features public companies from 58 countries that together account for $35.3 trillion in revenue, $2.5 trillion in profit, $169.1 trillion of assets, and have a combined market value of $48.8 trillion.

Cabinet approves Raising of Bonds of Rs. 2360 crores for Renewable Energy 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to Raising of Bonds of Rs. 2360 crores for Renewable Energy.
●    The Bonds will be raised by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) through the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) during the 2017-18. 
●    These funds will be used by MNRE in the approved programmes/schemes for solar park, green energy corridor, generation-based incentives for wind projects, CPSU and defence solar projects, viability gap funding for solar projects, roof-top solar, off-grid/grid-distributed and decentralized renewable power, investment in corporations and autonomous bodies etc. 
●    Such timely investment would boost infrastructure in renewable sector and facilitate achievement of ambitious targets for the renewable energy sector.  
●    The resources raised would be used for developing additional capacity in renewable energy sector which would result in generation of additional employment.
●    The Government had declared additional finance mobilization of Rs. 31,300 crore bonds through NHAI, PFC, REC, IREDA and IWAI in the budget for FYT 2016-17. As a part of this, the Government had allocated Rs. 4000 crores to IREDA to raise “GOI fully serviced taxable Bonds” on behalf of the MNRE during the FY 2016-17. 
●    Out of this allocation, IREDA had raised Rs. 1640 crores as per the requirement of MNRE. The MNRE subsequently approached the Cabinet,   to approve raising  of the balance Rs. 2360 crores in the year 2016-17.
 

Demonetization move gave economy Rs 5 lakh crore advantage

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move has given the economy a Rs.5 lakh-crore advantage, a high-level internal assessment report of the government on the drive has found.
●    By May 2017, the banknotes in use would have been of the value of Rs.19.25 lakh crore. 
●    However, according to RBI figures, at the end of April this year, the total amount of currency in circulation was Rs 14.2 lakh crore.
●    This means that the economy now has roughly Rs.5 lakh crore cash less than the amount it would have had if note ban had not happened. 
●    This also indicates that the amount of cash stashed away by citizens has come down.

Current Affairs 27th May 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Eating beans instead of beef would sharply reduce greenhouse gasses

The team, headed by Loma Linda University (LLU) researcher Helen Harwatt, PhD, suggests that one simple change in American eating habits would have a large impact on the environment: if Americans would eat beans instead of beef, the United States would immediately realize approximately 50 to 75 percent of its GHG reduction targets for the year 2020.
●    The researchers explained that beef cattle are the most GHG-intensive food to produce and that the production of legumes (beans, peas, etc.) results in one-fortieth the amount of GHGs as beef.
●    "Given the novelty, we would expect that the study will be useful in demonstrating just how much of an impact changes in food production can make and increase the utility of such options in climate-change policy," Harwatt said.
●    In a 10-page paper released May 12, Harwatt and her colleagues noted that dietary alteration for climate change mitigation is currently a hot topic among policymakers, academics and members of society at large. 
●    The paper, titled "Substituting beans for beef as a contribution towards U.S. climate change targets," can be found online.
●    In addition to reducing GHG, Harwatt and her team -- which included Joan Sabate, MD, DrPH; Gidon Eshel, PhD; the late Sam Soret, PhD; and William Ripple, PhD -- concluded that shifting from animal-sourced to plant-sourced foods could help avert global temperature rise.

Important Current Affairs 26th May 2017

Dear Aspirants,

Important Current Affairs 26th 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.

Current Affairs 26th May 2017: BOOK AND AUTHOR

President of India receives books ‘Mann Ki Baat: a social revolution on radio’ and ‘marching with a billion - analysing Narendra Modi’s government at Mid Term’

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received the first copies of books ‘Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio’ and ‘Marching with a Billion- Analysing Narendra Modi’s Government at Midterm’ from Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker Lok Sabha who formally released these books at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan today in the presence of Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India, Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Finance and Defence and other dignitaries. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said effective communication is important for any leader. 
●    Without having the capacity to communicate, a leader may not be able to inspire people to follow his ideas and approach. 
●    He said that undoubtedly, in the contemporary period Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is one of the most effective communicators of the times. 
●    In independent India, Prime Minister Pt. Nehru effectively propagated the values in our Constitution including secularism. 
●    Smt. Indira Gandhi mobilized public in favour of the Liberation war of Bangladesh effectively. 
●    Various initiatives taken by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have resulted in the Indian economy moving forward in a steadfast manner.

Current Affairs 26th May 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi assumes charge of Chairman of National Commission for Minorities

Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi assumed charge of the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities in New Delhi today. 
●    After assuming the charge, Shri Rizvi said that the Commission will work for the welfare and development of minorities. 
●    Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi is a graduate in Arts and also holds Diploma in Mechanics. 
●    He served as Chairman, U.P Minority Finance Development Corporation Ltd. 
●    Shri Rizvi has been actively participating in social service. 
●    He worked for the improvement of the basic facilities and working conditions of Beedi workers and Weaver community in Uttar Pradesh. 
●    He also worked for Communal Harmony and National Integrity.

Prime Minister lays the foundation stone of the country's third Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Goghmukh, Dhemaji, Assam

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today laid the Foundation Stone of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute at Gogamukh in Assam.
●    Addressing a large public meeting on the occasion, the Prime Minister congratulated the State Government in Assam and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, for the work done by them in the State.  
●    The Prime Minister said the foundation stone of IARI laid today, had the potential to impact the entire region in a positive way in the future. 
●    He said agriculture needs to be developed in line with the requirements of the 21st century. 
●    He added that farmers must benefit from the changing technology.  
●    He stressed on the need of modern agriculture and technological interventions, keeping in mind the specific needs of the region.
●    The Prime Minister spoke of his vision of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022, the 75th anniversary of independence. 

Current Affairs 26th May 2017: COMMITTEES AND SCHEMES

Uma Bharti begins Ganga Nirikshan Abhiyan

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti today visited Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute located at Barrackpore, West Bengal during the first leg of her Ganga Nirikshan Abhiyan. 
●    This institution is specialized in Fisheries Research on river Ganga. During her fortnight long tour the Minister will visit several places from Ganga Sagar to Gangotri along the river Ganga to personally monitor the progress of Namami Gange programme. 
●    During the 2500 km long tour the Minister will pass through  Kakdweep, Kapilmuni Ashram (Ganga Sagar),  Nabadweep, Murshidabad, Farraka, Sultanganj (Bhaglpur), Munger, Patna, Arrah , Buxar, Varanasi, Allahabad, Shringverpur, Fatehpur, Kanpur, Fatehgarh, Kasganj, Narrora, Bhrigu Ashram, Brijghat, Vidhurkuti, Haridwar and Uttarkashi to reach Gangotri.
●    The Minister will travel through Boat, Road, Rail, Air and on foot. 
●    During the Ganga Nirikshan Abhiyan Water Resources Minister will attend Ganga Chaupal at Cossipore ghat, Kapilmuni Ashram (Ganga Sagar), Gandhi ghat (Barrackpore), Diamond Harbour, Hooghly, Nabadweep, Murshidabad, Sultanganj (Bhaglpur), Munger, Arrah, Buxar, Shringverpur, Allahabad, Fatehgarh, Bhrigu Ashram, Fatehpur, Kanpur, Kasganj, Brijghat and Gangotri.  
●    In these Chaupals the Minister will interact with various stakeholders such as NGOs, Government agencies, other institutions and individuals to make Namami Gange programme a success.
 

Manoj Sinha launches Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan 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. 
●    Shri Sinha also informed that Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award will also be given the person who will perform at par excellence.
 

Current Affairs 26th May 2017: SPORTS

Union Minister Vijay Goel flags off Slum Yuva Daud

Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel here today flagged off the Slum Yuva Daud to mark the beginning of the Adopt Slum Campaign initiated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS). 
●    The run started from Delhi University’s Shankarlal Hall and ended at the Rugby Stadium with participation of about 5000 youngsters from various slums of Delhi . 
●    Boxer MC Mary Kom and Member of Parliament Shri Bhupender Yadav were also present on the occasion.
●    Shri Vijay Goel said, “This would enable us to gather the youth and know about their skills and ideas. 
●    We would organize mini-fests in slums with the themes of Swachhta, Digital India, BetiBachaoBetiPadao etc.” 
●    He said “We will aim at creating model slums and create groups of youth who will work as agents of change to work for the development of their respective slums/areas”.
●    Shri Goel also stated that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed for the cause of the weaker sections and we all must keep the fire burning, the fire that illuminates lives in a positive way and resolves social and economic issues. 
●    The Slum Yuva Daud and Adopt Slum campaigns aim at highlighting the government’s pro-people schemes among masses.

Manchester United beat Ajax to claim 2016–17 UEFA Europa League title

Manchester United on 24 May 2017 won their first ever UEFA Europa League title. The team defeated Ajax 0-2 to clinch the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League title.
●    It is the second major trophy of the season for the Manchester United. Their first win for the season was the 2016-17 EFL Cup.
●    Manchester United Football Club is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.
●    It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football.
●    The team is nicknamed as "the Red Devils."
●    It was founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club. Its name was changed to Manchester United in 1902.
●    It is the most successful club in England, having won a record 20 League Titles, a joint-record 12 FA Cups, 5 League Cups and a record 21 FA Community Shields.

Important Current Affairs 25th May 2017

Dear Aspirants,

Important Current Affairs 25th 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.

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Mountaineering expedition by Indian Air Force team to Mount Dhaulagiri 

An Indian Air Force mountaineering team comprising of 12 members including a lady climber was launched on a mountaineering expedition to Mt Dhaulagiri in Nepal on 15 Apr 2017.
●    Standing at 8167 M (26795 Ft) Mt Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world. 
●    The mountain's name Dhaulagiri comes from the Sanskrit word ‘dhawal’ meaning dazzling, white and beautiful and ‘giri’ meaning mountain.
●    The IAF team of mountaineers is led by Group Captain RC Tripathi who was the first 1AF air warrior to summit Mt Everest in 2005. 
●    The team reached the base camp after an arduous trek of eight days. At the base camp the team trained hard for a week to acclimatise and prepare itself for the challenge ahead. 
●    As the team was all set to start its summit attempt, a spell of bad weather forced it to literally cool its heels for almost one week.
●    Finally when the weather gods smiled on 18 May 17, the team set out on its summit attempt in two groups. 
●    The first group of three climbers led by Squadron Leader Kevin Nishant after an extremely challenging climb successfully summited the peak and hoisted the Indian and IAF flag on the summit of Mt Dhaulagiri on 20 May 17 at 1730 h. 
●    Other summiteers were Corporal Ravinder and Corporal JPS Raina along with three sherpas.

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: DEFENSE

Sanjay Mitra took charge as Defense Secretary

Sanjay Mitra took charge as the Defence Secretary on 25 May 2017. Mitra succeeds G Mohan Kumar. He is a 1982 batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre.
●    His appointment as the new Defence Secretary was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 10 May 2017. He will have a fixed two-year tenure.
●    Earlier, he served as the Road and Transport Secretary.
●    Mitra has served as the Chief Secretary in West Bengal.
●    He also served as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office of Manmohan Singh from November 2004 to July 2011.
●    He is a post-graduate in Physics and Economics. 

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Kiren Rijiju presents Country Statement at Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction at Cancun, Mexico 

A high level Indian delegation headed by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju is participating in the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) at Cancun, Mexico from May 22-26, 2017.
●    While presenting the Country Statement yesterday, Shri Kiren Rijiju briefed about the steps taken by India, after the adoption of the Sendai Framework. 
●    He said that in June 2016, Prime Minister of India launched the National Disaster Management Plan which aligns with the Sendai priorities. 
●    He said that, at Regional level, India had hosted the first Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction after the adoption of Sendai Framework in November 2016, which brought together more than 50 countries from the Asia-Pacific and adopted the Asia Regional Plan for the implementation of Sendai Framework.
●    The Minister said that, through strengthening statistical capacity, India is putting in place systems for monitoring progress and taking practical steps towards achievement of Sendai targets. 
●    He said that, with regards to Target A, India is analyzing the patterns of disaster mortality, both spatially and temporally, for different hazards and taking focused, urgent steps to reduce preventable deaths. 

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: DISCOVERY

Cobra lily rediscovered in Nilgiris after 84 years

The rare Arisaema translucens, more commonly known as the cobra lily, was recently rediscovered in the western Nilgiris after 84 years.
●    The discovery was made by nature enthusiasts K M Prabhu Kumar and Tarun Chhabra.
●    News of the discovery was published in a journal on botanical taxonomy Phytotaxa in May 2017.
●    Only a few hundred cobra lily plants are left in the wild and they can be found only in a small area measuring less than 10 square kilometres in the Nilgiris.
●    The plant features a distinctive translucent spathe. The species is probably the only member of the Arisaema family to have a translucent spathe.
●    It was last collected by E. Barnes in 1932 and described by C.E.C Fischer in 1933.
●    Prized for their beauty around the world, cobra lilies are at even greater risk of extinction from the commercial trade in exotic plants.
●    Of the handful cobra lily species found in the Nilgiris, only two are endemic.
●    Cobra lilies have vanished in the past decades along with the disappearance of the shola tree patches in which they were found.
●    The rediscovery of the plant highlights the importance of preserving whatever is left of shola tree patches, even inside plantations and tea fields.

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: SPORTS

P V Sindhu elected to Badminton World Federation Athletes’ Commission

Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu on 24 May 2017 became the second Indian to be inducted in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes' Commission.
●    Before Sindhu, Saina Nehwal was inducted to the Commission.
●    Sindhu emerged the highest voted player in the BWF Athletes' Commission election that took place on the sidelines of the Sudirman Cup in Gold Coast, Australia. She topped the ballot with 129 votes and will be joined by Marc Zweibler of Germany and Kristy Gilmour of Scotland for a four-year term.
●    The trio will be joined by Lithuania's Akvile Stapusaityte, who will be serving a two-year tenure after replacing China's Tan Yuanting, who retired after serving just two years on the panel.
●    Born on 5 July 1995, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is an Indian professional badminton player.
●    At present, she ranks world no 4 in the BWF World Ranking.
●    She is one of the two Indian badminton players to ever win an Olympic medal, the other being Saina Nehwal.
●    The Badminton World Federation is the international governing body for the sport of badminton.
 

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: ECONOMY

Union Cabinet approves abolition of Foreign Investment Promotion Board

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 24 May 2017 approved the proposal to phase out the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). 
●    The proposal approved entails abolishing the FIPB and allowing administrative Ministries and Departments to process applications for Foreign direct investment (FDI) requiring government approval.
●    Hereafter, the work related to the processing of applications for FDI and approval of the Government thereon under the FDI Policy and FEMA, shall now be handled by the concerned Ministries in consultation with the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion(DIPP), Ministry of Commerce.
●    DIPP will also issue the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for processing of applications and decision of the Government under the extant FDI policy.
●    Presently, applications are considered by FIPB in Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) for making recommendation on FDI applications. But after this decision of Union Cabinet, the applications would now be handled independently by Administrative Ministries as per Sector.
 

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: SPACE

Neil Armstrong’s Moon Dust Bag to be sold at an auction

Neil Armstrong’s Moon Dust Bag will be sold at an auction at Sotheby’s auction house in New York on 20 July 2017. The announcement of the auction was made by Sotheby’s Auction House on 23 May 2017.
●    It will be up for auction along with a signed photograph of Armstrong’s companion Buzz Aldrin on the Moon and other noteworthy objects. 
●    The auction will coincide with 48th Anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon.
●    The bag is expected to fetch up to  USD 4 million.
●    The bag is labelled as 'Lunar Sample Return'.
●    It is an extremely rare bag which was used by NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong to collect the first dust samples from the Moon. It contains remnants of moon dust.
●    The bag was brought back to Earth 48 years ago and is an exceptionally rare relic of humanity’s greatest achievement.
●    The bag is a collection pouch used by astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
●    During the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong collected nearly 500 grams of material finer than 1 cm, as well as 12 rock fragments larger than one cm from five different locations on the lunar surface in the region known as the Sea of Tranquillity.
 

Current Affairs 25th May 2017: SCIENCE

World's largest aircraft Airlander 10 completes successful test flight

The world's largest aircraft, Airlander 10, on in the third week of May 2017 successfully completed a test flight. This brings the helium-filled behemoth one step closer to commercial use.
●    The hybrid aircraft dubbed the Airlander 10 merges technology from airplanes, helicopters and airships. 
●    The aircraft is designed to stay aloft at altitudes of up to 20000 feet for up to five days when manned. At a massive 302 feet long, it is the largest aircraft currently flying.
●    On 10 May 2017, the behemoth flew for a total of 180 minutes to test its handling, improved landing technology, among other things. It was only the third flight of the Airlander 10.
●    The manufacturer of the behemoth, Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), stated that the latest flight had two main objectives beyond safely completing a takeoff, flight and landing.
●    The first objective was to determine how the Airlander handles, including the aircraft's new, additional "landing feet" that make up the Auxiliary Landing System (ALS).
●    The second goal was to collect data on the flight's performance, such as airspeed.