1. GS Lakshmi - first woman on ICC international panel of match referees

 

• India`s G.S. Lakshmi has become the first woman to be appointed to ICC`s international panel of match referees and will be eligible to officiate in international games with immediate effect. 

• Claire Polosak had become the first ever woman umpire to stand in a men`s ODI, earlier this month.

• Lakshmi, 51, who first officiated as a match referee in domestic women`s cricket in 2008-09, has overseen three women`s ODI matches and three women`s T20 International matches.

 

2. Shagun best-placed Indian in women`s trap at Changwon Shotgun WC

 

• Shagun Chowdhary shot 65 out of 75 to emerge the best-placed Indian at 34th position after day one of the Women`s Trapshooting qualifiers at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup Shotgun in Changwon, Korea. 

• Shagun shot rounds of 21, 21 and 23 to lie at 34th spot with France`s Carole Cormenier and China`s Wang Xiaojing leading the 59-strong field with scores of 72 each at the year`s third Shotgun World Cup stage.

• Rajeshwari Kumari, the second Indian in the field on the day, shot 58 to be at 56th position with two more rounds of qualifying remaining. 

 

3. India lose to Australia in 4th hockey match of Down Under tour

 

• In Hockey, the Indian men`s team were blanked 0-4 by World No. 2 Australia in Perth in the fourth match of the Tour Down Under. 

• World No. 5 India remained unbeaten in their first three matches of the tour. 

• India will again play Australia in their fifth and last match of the tour.

 

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 1. Former SC Justice MB Lokur appointed to Supreme Court of Fiji for three years

 

• Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur has been appointed to Supreme Court of Fiji’s non-resident panel for 3 years. 

• He was invited by the Chief Justice of Fiji and received the appointment letter on December 31, 2018. Over the years, Fiji has also invited judges from other countries like Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and Sri Lanka.

• Every year, the Supreme Court of Fiji conducts three sessions and Justice MB Lokur will be a part of August session which will begin on August 15 and conclude on August 30, 2019.

• Justice MB Lokur is a Honours graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He enrolled as an advocate in July, 1977 and practised in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court.

• He joined the Supreme Court in the year 1981 and was promoted as Senior Advocate in 1997. 

• He served as the Additional Solicitor General in 1998 and as the Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in the year 1999, February. Later, he was appointed as the permanent judge in 1999.

• He has rendered his service to the Indian Law Review (Delhi Series) as the Editor from February 1983.

• He has also served as the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court and the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

• He was appointed as the judge of Supreme Court on June 4, 2012 and retired from his service on December 31, 2018.

 

2. Telugu actor Rallapalli Venkata Narasimha Rao passed away at the age of 74

 

• On 18th May, Veteran Telugu actor Rallapalli Venkata Narasimha Rao passed away at the age of 74 in Hyderabad.

• He had also worked as a staff artist in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

• He won the prestigious Nandi award for five time in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

• He was popularly known for his works: ‘Thoorpu velle Railu’, ‘Srivariki Prema Lekha’ and ‘Rendu Rellu Aaru’.

 

3. Architect of Louvre Pyramid, Leoh Ming Pei passed away

 

• Leoh Ming Pei, world famous chinese-american architect who designed Louvre Pyramid, the main entrance to the Louvre Museum which houses the Mona Lisa among other historical works of art passed away at the age of 102 in New York. 

• He was born in Guangzhou, Republic of China

• He is one of the most notable architects of the 20th century.

• His Notable Works are:

John F. Kennedy Library,

Boston National Gallery of Art East Building Louvre Pyramid,

Paris Bank of China Tower,

Hong Kong Museum of Islamic Art,

Doha Indiana University Art Museum Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Rock and

Roll Hall of Fame Miho Museum

He won various awards in the field of architecture, they are:

• The Arnold Brunner Award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters(1963)

• The Gold Medal for Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1979)

• The AIA Gold Medal (1979)

• The first Praemium Imperiale for Architecture from the Japan Art Association (1989)

• The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• The Edward MacDowell Medal in the Arts (1998)

• The Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (2010).

• In he was awarded the Pritzker Prize, sometimes called the Nobel Prize of architecture (1983).

 

4. Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita climbs Mt. Everest for the 23rd time

 

• On May 15, 2019, 49 year old Nepali sherpa Kami Rita climbed Mt. Everest for the 23rd time and broke his own record for most summits on Mt. Everest. He successfully climbed the mountain from the Nepal side.

• Rita resides in Thame village of Solukhumbu district.

• For the first time, he had scaled the mountain in the year 1994.

• In 2017, he became the third person to climb the highest peak for 21 times along with the record held by Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa.

• Rita has also climbed other world’s highest peaks including K-2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse.

 

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 1. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully conducted the flight test of ABHYAS in Odisha

 

• The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully conducted the flight test of ABHYAS. ABHYAS is a High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) drone and it is used for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot. The flight test was conducted from an Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha.

• The flight test was recorded by different Radars and Electro Optic Systems.

• It uses MEMS based navigation system for its navigation and guidance.

• The ABHYAS project was sanctioned for Rs. 15 crore.

• The pre-project details of ABHYAS project was completed in January 2013 and in 2012, its first experimental launch was conducted.

• The design of the main body of the aircraft is based on the design of Lakshya which is a high speed drone developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO.

 

2. Indian Army, Navy and Air Force hold joint exercise in Andaman and Nicobar

 

• All three services, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force hold joint exercise Bull Strike at Teressa Island in Andaman and Nicobar.

• The objective is to enhance their coordination in dealing with major security challenges which are currently facing the country and also to showcase joint operation capability of the three forces, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force and further enhance operation coordination.

• Total 170 troops from all three services participated and carried out para drop operations in a Combat Free Fall and Static Line mode.

 

3. Indian Navy’s Service Selection Board inaugurated at Diamond Harbour

 

• The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurated Indian Navy’s first full-fledged Service Selection Board (SSB) at Diamond Harbour, near Kolkata.

• Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, has attended the inauguration.

• This is the fifth SSB- Service Selection Board of the Indian Navy.

• It selects both Permanent and Short Service Commission officers.

• The other Boards are located in Bhopal, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Coimbatore.

• SSB (Kolkata), sprawling over 27 acres on the Hooghly river-bank can screen an estimated 5000 officer-candidates annually.

• Various facilities are available at the board which include GTO ground, Testing Hall, Conference Room, staff accommodation and a Medical Inspection Room. These cater to the comfort of the candidates.

 

4. India delivered 2 Mi-24 helicopters to Afghanistan

 

• Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Vinay Kumar made the hand-over of the first pair of replacement Mi-24 attack helicopters to Afghanistan Defence Minister, Asadullah Khalid at the Kabul Air Force base with the main objective of strengthening the Afghan air force as it battles Taliban insurgency against the fact of US’ lookout for exiting the Afghanistan after a 17-year stay.

• The choppers were purchased from Belarus.

• In December 2015, India had first delivered the Mi-24 Helicopters to Afghanistan.

• The Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and can be used for assault and transport missions.

• The Mi-24 can ferry up to 8 people.

• India has been 1 of the largest donors of Mi-24 helicopters to Afghanistan and, since 2001, has contributed around 3$ billion as help to Afghanistan.

 

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1. India to co-chair Consultative Group (CG) of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)

 

• India has been unanimously chosen as co-chair of the Consultative Group (CG) of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) for the fiscal year 2020. 

• The decision was taken during the meeting of GFDRR held in Geneva, Switzerland on the margins of the 6th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. 

• GFDRR is a global partnership that helps developing countries better understand and reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change.  

• It is a grant-funding mechanism, managed by the World Bank, that supports disaster risk management projects worldwide. 

• According to an official release, India became a member of CG of GFDRR in 2015 and expressed its interest to co-chair during the last meeting of the group held in October 2018. 

• India’s candidature was backed by its consistent progress in disaster risk reduction in the country and its initiative to form a coalition on disaster resilient infrastructure.

• This will give the country an opportunity to work with the member countries and organizations with a focused contribution towards advancing the disaster risk reduction agenda during the course of the year. 

• The meeting was attended by member, National Disaster Management Authority Kamal Kishore and  Joint Secretary, Disaster Management,  Kumar Jindal. 

 

2. ‘BSE’ launched ‘BSE StAR MF’ app to help mutual fund distributors to accelerate transactions process 

 

• BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) notified that it has launched an app named ‘BSE StAR MF‘ in order to enable more participation and aid mutual fund distributors to accelerate transactions process.

• ‘BSE StAR MF’ is BSE’s mutual fund platform which helps distributors in purchasing and redeeming the mutual fund units on behalf of their clients.

• The ‘BSE StAR MF’ app that is downloaded from Google Play Store supports dynamic (real-time) client registration, digital transactions, creates and uploads mandate for SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans), generates multiple orders, tracks and permits the distributor in evaluating his business instantly.

• The app is expected to drastically increase the number of its distributors.

• After downloading the app, the sign up can be done by providing the member identification number.

 

3. ‘Mumbai Local Train Cover’  launched by Bajaj Finserv

 

• Bajaj Finserv, through its lending arm Bajaj Finance Ltd has launched a specialised insurance cover titled ‘Mumbai Local Train Cover‘ for passengers travelling in local trains in Mumbai.

• This policy provides coverage in case of mishap during a train journey.

• The passengers will get an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh against a payment of Rs 399 per annum.

• In the event, when an insured passenger suffers a disability as a result of a Mumbai-local train accident, the passenger is covered against loss of income, with Rs. 2000 per week during the policy period.

• Local train travellers who are eligible for this insurance cover  are persons above 18 years of age and below 70 years of age. 

• Moreover, applying for the Mumbai Local Train Cover can be done instantly through a digital medium.

• As a part of the application process, the customer just has to fill up the online application form on the Bajaj Finserv website and pay the premium amount online.

• Moreover, the pocket insurance offers across categories, namely, lifestyle, travel, health, assistance are only available for existing Bajaj Finserv customers.

 

4. Doordarshan launched online Souvenir Store on Amazon India

 

• Public service broadcaster, Doordarshan has partnered with online retail giant Amazon India to launch a Souvenir Store. 

• The store will offer a whole range of merchandise which includes T-shirts, coffee mugs and sippers with the tagline “I am in your DNA, I am your Doordarshan”. 

• The purpose of this initiative is to establish a stronger relationship with viewers of Doordarshan channel.

• The attachment of viewers to the public broadcaster has prompted the Doordarshan management to launch an online souvenir store in partnership with Amazon India.

• Though there has been a flood of programming content on TV channels in the present times, DD`s reach as well as relation is with everyone.

• Doordarshan has launched online souvenir store for its viewers on Amazon India so that one can easily access it.

• Chairman, Prasar Bharati while launching DD souvenir store on Amazon India, said  that this store is a boon for Doordarshan viewers.

• On this occasion, Amazon India`s Marketing Officer said that Amazon`s connect with Doordarshan brand is a matter of immense pride for Amazon.

• Doordarshan is India`s first broadcaster which has started Souvenir store. Online souvenir store will not only strengthen the relation with viewers but also help in establishing Doordarshan brand value.

 

5. Women to handle entire work of counting votes in Harda district of Madhya Pradesh

 

• In Madhya Pradesh, women will handle the entire work of counting votes in Harda district of the state.  

• Our correspondent reports that the initiative is probably the first of its kind.

• "Harda district is a part of Betul parliamentary seat and the counting of votes of Timarni and Harda assembly segments will take place at Harda district headquarter.  

• At present, 84 women are being trained for counting in Polytechnic College. District Election Officer S Vishwanathan told All India Radio that his intention is to encourage them and to prove that the women are not behind in any case.

• Apart from the counting of votes, only women will be deployed for the security of the counting centre. Betul was voted on 6 May and the women had taken the responsibilities of voting in 60 all women polling booths in Harda district. 

• Now they are ready to take accountability of counting on 28 tables. 

• More than 75 percent of voting has been recorded in Harda district, so the number of votes is also high.

 

6. Assam government orders inquiry into Guwahati grenade attack

 

• Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal has ordered the Director General of Police to conduct an inquiry into the Guwahati blast. 

• Condemning the blast, the Chief Minister said that culprits must be arrested soon. 

• 12 persons were injured in the grenade blast in Guwahati last night. 

• Most of the injured persons are stable now. Senior police officials said that motor cycle-borne miscreants hurled grenade at Zoo Road area. 

• Among injured, 2 are SSB personnel, deployed near a security picket. Several ministers, DGP and Guwahati Police Commissioner visited the blast spot and hospitals where injured people are being treated. 

• DGP Kuladhar Saikia said that police investigation is on. Guwahati city is on following the blast. Banned outfit ULFA (Independence) claimed the responsibility of the blast. 

 

7. India joins global initiative to combat extremism online

 

• India has joined a major global initiative to combat terrorism and extremism online and secure the internet. 

• The initiative -- `Christchurch call to action` --  has been named after the New Zealand city where 51 people were killed in an attack on mosques. 

• It was launched in Paris by India, France, New Zealand, Canada and several other countries. 

• The declaration on Christchurch call to action said a free, open and secure internet is a powerful tool by which to promote connectivity, enhance social inclusiveness and foster economic growth. 

• It said the internet is, however, not immune from abuse by terrorist and violent extremist actors, and there is a need for collective efforts globally to secure the internet from terror groups. 

• This was tragically highlighted by the terrorist attacks in Christchurch which were designed to go viral, it said. 

• The declaration said, the dissemination of such content online has adverse impacts on the human rights of the victims, on our collective security and on people all over the world.

• The declaration said the Christchurch attack highlighted the urgent need for action and enhanced cooperation among the wide range of actors with influence over this issue, including governments, civil society, and online service providers, such as social media companies, to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.

• The event to launch of the initiative was attended by several world leaders and high-ranking officials including from India.

• The initiative outlines collective, voluntary commitments from governments and online service providers intended to address the issue of terrorist and violent extremist content online and to prevent the abuse of the internet.

 

8. MoU signed for Plantation of Rudraksh Trees in Uttarakhand

 

• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between National Mission for Clean Ganga, HCL Foundation and INTACH for taking up a project of Plantation of Rudraksh Trees in Uttarakhand as a part of CSR initiative under the Namami Gange Programme. 

• While the project aims at planting 10 thousand Rudraksh trees in the catchment area of river Ganga in Uttarakhand in association with local community and other stakeholders, it will also help in generating income for people residing in those areas. 

• The tripartite MoU was signed by representative from HCL Foundation, INTACH and Executive Director (Finance) from National Mission for Clean Ganga NMCG Mr Rozy Agarwal in the presence of Director-General NMCG Rajiv Ranjan Mishra and Executive Director (Projects) G. Ashok Kumar.

• Mr Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said that Namami Gange Mission aims at providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions for a cleaner ecosystem along the stretch of 97 towns and over 4 thousand 4 hundred villages on the Ganga stem and a public-private partnership will provide the initiative a much-needed impetus.

• He congratulated HCL Foundation and INTACH for coming forward and joining hands with NMCG in this endeavour.

 

9. Kailash Manasarovar Yatra to begin from 8th June

 

• The annual Kailash Manasarovar Yatra will be held from 8th June to 8th of September. 

• There will be 18 batches consisting of 60 Yatris via the Lipulekh route, and 10 batches consisting of 50 Yatris via the Nathu La route which is fully motorable, and involves very little trekking.

• This year 2996 applicants had successfully registered on-line at the website for the Yatra, which includes 2256 male applicants, and 740 female applicants. 

• Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale conducted the computerized draw for selection of Yatris who had registered for the Yatra. Applicants can also login at the website kmy.gov.in to check the status of their selection, or through the helpline number 011-24300655. 

 

10. Commandos of the NSG scales the Mount Everest

 

• Commandos of the National Security Guard, NSG, scaled the Mount Everest, the world`s highest peak, in their maiden attempt. 

• The NSG  in a statement said in New Delhi that a seven-member team led by Lt Col J P Kumar, successfully unfurled the Indian flag at the 8,848-metre tall peak. 

• The team adopted the southeastern approach via South Col in Solukhumbhu region of Nepal.

• NSG Director General Sudeep Lakhtakia congratulated the team, saying "Everest demands doggedness, tenacity, perseverance, courage and multiple skills to survive in toughest conditions.

• The 12-member team was flagged off by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on March 29 from in New Delhi. 

• Five other members of the team are likely to summit the peak on May 22 as per schedule, the statement said.

 

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 1. New plastic that could be fully recycled created by Berkeley Lab

 

• The scientists have created a next-generation plastic that can be fully recycled into new materials of any colour, shape, or form, without loss of performance or quality.

• A team of researchers at the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has designed a recyclable plastic that, like a Lego playset, can be disassembled into its constituent parts at the molecular level.

• According to Peter Christensen, a postdoctoral researcher at Berkeley Lab, most plastics were never made to be recycled. 

• But he said, they have discovered a new way to assemble plastics that takes recycling into consideration from a molecular perspective.

• All plastics, from water bottles to automobile parts, are made up of large molecules called polymers, which are composed of repeating units of shorter carbon-containing compounds called monomers.

• According to the researchers, the problem with many plastics is that the chemicals added to make them useful, such as fillers that make a plastic tough, or plasticisers that make a plastic flexible are tightly bound to the monomers and stay in the plastic even after it is been processed at a recycling plant.

• According to the journal Nature Chemistry, unlike conventional plastics, the monomers of PDK plastic could be recovered and freed from any compounded additives simply by dunking the material in a highly acidic solution.

• The acid helps to break the bonds between the monomers and separate them from the chemical additives that give plastic its look and feel.

• After testing various formulations, the researchers demonstrated that not only does acid break down PDK polymers into monomers, but the process also allows the monomers to be separated from entwined additives.

 

2. LED lighting can damage eye`s retina

 

• France government-run health watchdog has said, the blue light in LED lighting can damage the eye`s retina and disturb natural sleep rhythms. 

• The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety has said, new findings confirm earlier concerns that exposure to an intense and powerful LED light is photo-toxic and can lead to irreversible loss of retinal cells and diminished sharpness of vision. 

• The agency recommended in a report that the maximum limit for acute exposure be revised, even if such levels are rarely met in the home or work environments.

• The report distinguished between acute exposure of high-intensity LED light, and chronic exposure to lower intensity sources.

• Long-lasting, energy efficient and inexpensive, light-emitting diode (LED) technology has gobbled up half of the general lighting market in a decade and will top 60 per cent by the end of next year, according to industry projections.

• LED uses only a fifth of the electricity needed for an incandescent bulb of comparable brightness. 

 

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 1. Dr P.K. Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister conferred with the Sasakawa Award 2019

 

• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) granted the prestigious Sasakawa Award 2019for Disaster Risk Reduction to Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India, Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, during the ongoing 6th Session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2019 at Geneva, Switzerland.

• GPDRR is a biennial multi-stakeholder forum that was established by the (United nations) UN General Assembly to evaluate progress, share knowledge and discuss the recent developments in decreasing disaster risk.

• The Indian delegation was led by Dr. P K Mishra.

• In the area of Disaster Risk Management, the United Nations Sasakawa Award is the most prestigiousinternational award.

• The theme of the 2019 Sasakawa award was titled “Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies”.

• Dr. Mishra was honoured with the award for his constant dedication in improving the strength of the communities which were most exposed to disasters. He also personally committed to work for social inclusion for the reduction in inequality and poverty, and also enhanced the safety and security.

• The United Nations Sasakawa Award is collaboratively organized by the UNDRR and the Nippon Foundation and was instituted over 30 years ago.

• A total grant of 50,000 USD is distributed among the winners of the award, which can be either organizations or individuals.

• UNDRR received over 61 nominations from 31 countries for the 2019 award.

• Before the award ceremony, the Indian delegates attended Ministerial Roundtable discussions on ‘Risk Informed Investments & Economics of DRR (Disaster Risk Management)’ and also had a bilateral meeting with European Union (EU) on cooperation in India’s initiative on disaster resilient infrastructure.

• The other winners of 2019 Sasakawa Award are as follows:

Sidnei Furtado, Director of Department of Civil Defence, Campinas, Brazil

Bijal Brahmbhatt, Director of the Mahila Housing SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association)Trust of India.

 

2. Council of European Chambers of Commerce(CEUCC) to honour Anil Kapoor for promoting Children’s Rights

 

• As a part of Europe Day celebrations, the Council of European Chambers of Commerce(CEUCC) in India and European Union(EU) delegation will felicitate Indian actor Anil Kapoor for promoting Children’s Rights and his effort to protect the rights of girls in collaboration with Plan India and the European Union.

• Mr. Kapoor will be the Chief Guest for the celebrations. He will be accompanied by the  EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski, EU Member states Consuls and senior representatives from the European and Indian corporate world.

• The event will also demonstrate the emergence of Europe as the most favored destination for Indian filmmakers.

• Every year on May 9, Europe Day is celebrated to commemorate the formation of the European Union.

 

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 1. Mexico City declares environmental emergency

 

• Mexico City has declared an environmental, ordering vehicles off the road and postponing the semi-finals of the first-division football league as a blanket of smog enveloped the sprawling capital.   

• A series of wildfires on the city`s outskirts have combined with stagnant weather conditions to cloak the metropolitan area of more than 20 million people in a grey cloud. 

• Pollution levels passed the critical 150 points on the authorities` air quality index. 

• The Mexican football league said that under the recommendation of city officials, it had decided to postpone the first leg of the first-division semi-final between Leon and Mexico City club America from night to tomorrow because of the pollution. 

 

2. NGT directs 18 states, 2 UTs to submit action plan on utilization of treated wastewater

 

• The National Green Tribunal directed 18 states and two Union Territories to submit an action plan to ensure utilization of treated waste to reduce pressure on the groundwater resources throughout the country. 

• Hearing a plea, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the states and UTs to submit the action plan within three months to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

• The green panel said the states which have still not furnished their action plans are defaulters for violating the directions of the tribunal for which no valid reason can be seen. 

• It noted that only nine states and five UTs have submitted the action plan. 

• Accordingly to the CPCB status report, the states which have not submitted action plans include Gujarat, Assam, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. 

 

3. New vine snake species discovered in Odisha

 

• A new vine snake species has discovered from the eastern state of Odisha after a gap of 113 years. 

• It has been found in the regions of Similipal, Balasore, and Boudh. Zoologists from different institutes have participated in the discovery and the research was published in the Journal of Natural History. 

• Zoologists have named snake species as Ahaetulla Laudankia of Laudankia.

• This snake belongs to the family Colubridae.

• It has a total of three prominent genera, Oxybelis found in the American continent, Thelotornis found in African continent and Ahaetull found in India and South-east Asia. 

• The species, Laudankia vine snake, has been found in Similipal, Balasore and Boudh. Of nine species of vine snake reported from across the country so far, Odisha is home to three - common Indian vine snake, variable coloured vine snake and Laudankia, which is also found in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

 

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 1. ‘Paytm First Card’

 

• The digital payments company, Paytm has collaborated with Citibank and launched its 1st credit card called ‘Paytm First Card‘.

• The new credit card is claimed to be internationally accepted and would offer 1% ‘unlimited cash back universally’ to the customers. In this policy, Paytm notified that its unlimited 1% cash back would be automatically credited each month bereft of any restrictions.

• The card comes with an annual fee of Rs 500 and this fee will be fully waived off on expenses above Rs 50,000 per year.

• The card will provide Paytm promo codes of Rs. 10,000 on expenses of minimum Rs. 10,000.

• Paytm notified that an equated monthly instalment (EMI) option would be offered on purchases made on the new card.

• The Paytm customers can apply for this new credit card through their Paytm app.

• By using the Paytm First Card passbook, the customers can keep a track of their digital transactions. 

• On a real-time basis, the Paytm app will also inform customers about the offers from both Paytm and Citibank.

• Paytm also notifies that there is no hidden fee or additional charge included in this.

 

2. ED attaches properties worth Rs 483 crore in bank fraud case

 

• Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth 483 crores registered with KSL and Industries Ltd, Mumbai, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a bank fraud case.

• The company is one of the group company of Tayal group of Companies. ED in a statement said the properties attached consist of commercially diverted land along with a shopping mall in Nagpur. 

• The Agency initiated an investigation under PMLA on the basis of three FIRs of CBI against three different companies of Tayal group of Companies for cheating and fraudulently availing loans of 524 crore rupees from two banks.

• The investigation revealed that they have diverted these funds through a maze of shell companies. 

 

3. Indian Bank posts net loss of Rs 190 cr in Q4

 

• The public sector Indian Bank has registered a loss of 189.77 crore rupees in the last quarter, as compared to its previous quarter. 

• Its Chairperson and Managing Director Padmaja Chunduru unveiled the bank`s annual financial results in Chennai. 

• Later, addressing the media, she said, the net profit has turned negative due to two corporate loans turning into NPAs for which no provisioning has been made earlier. 

• However, she said, the development is a one-off event and expressed confidence that the net profit would turn positive during the next quarter. 

• She said, the global business of the bank has exceeded 4.3 lakh crore rupees, registering a sixteen percent rise. 

 

4. RBI releases vision document for e-payment system

 

• Reserve Bank of India has released a vision document for ensuring a safe, secure, convenient, quick and affordable e-payment system. 

• The move comes as the apex bank expects the number of digital transactions to increase more than four times to 8,707 crore in December 2021. 

• According to RBI release the `Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 - 2021`, with its core theme of `Empowering Exceptional E-payment Experience`, envisages to achieve "a highly digital and cash-lite society" through the goal posts of competition, cost-effectiveness, convenience and confidence (4Cs).

• The RBI said the payment systems landscape will continue to change with further innovation and entry of more players which is expected to ensure the optimal cost to the customers and freer access to multiple payment system options.

• It said that the bank will implement the approach outlined in this Vision during the period 2019 - 2021. 

• It further said that the approach of the RBI will continue to be of minimal intervention in the pricing of charges to customers for digital payments, all efforts will be made towards facilitating the operation of payment systems which are efficient and price-attractive.

• The RBI said that the document talks about creating customer awareness, setting up a 24X7 helpline and self-regulatory organisation for system operators and service providers, among others. 

• It added that the `no-compromise` approach towards safety and security of payment systems remains a hallmark of the vision.

 

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 1. US denies visit visa to 3 senior Pakistani officials

 

• The US has denied visit visas to three senior Pakistani officials for not taking back Pakistani immigrants who are illegally residing in America. 

• This was disclosed by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. 

• Washington`s move came after a warning was issued late last month by the US that the visa sanction policy might also withhold visas of Pakistani senior officials and not just of ordinary travellers. 

• The decision was taken under a law according to which countries refusing to take back deportees and visa over-stayers could be denied American visas.

 

2. Trump declares national emergency over IT threats

 

• US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency to protect American computer networks from foreign adversaries. 

• Mr. Trump signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose a security risk to the country. 

• Mr Trump does not name any company specifically in the order. However, analysts suggest it is mainly directed at Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

• A number of countries - including the US - have raised concerns that the company`s products could be used by China for surveillance. Huawei has said its work does not pose any threat. 

• The US is also embroiled in an escalating trade war with China.

 

3. US State Dept orders departure of non-emergency employees from Iraq

 

• The US State Department has ordered the departure of non-emergency employees from Iraq, amid rising tensions between the US and Iraq`s neighbour Iran. 

• The US Embassy in Baghdad advised such employees to leave Iraq by commercial transportation as soon as possible. 

• Referring to the embassy and the US consulate in Erbil, the State Department said that normal visa services at both posts will be temporarily suspended. 

• It has also warned its citizens against travelling to the country due to the high risk of violence and kidnapping.

• US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had made an unannounced visit to Iraq last week amid escalating tensions with Iran. US Central Command had warned in a statement that Iranian-backed forces presented credible and possibly imminent threats to US forces in Iraq, without disclosing further details. 

• There were reports suggesting that US investigators believed that the sabotage of the four commercial ships in the territorial waters of the UAE was carried out by proxies of Iran.

• Saudi Arabia has also blamed the Houthi militia for the drone attack on two of its oil pumping station. Houthis are believed to be backed by Iran.

• Last week, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani had announced partial withdrawal from some of the commitments made under the landmark 2015 International Nuclear Deal. 

• The announcement came after US unilaterally decided last year to withdraw from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran.

 

4. Austria approves headscarf ban in primary schools

 

• Austria has approved a law aimed at banning the headscarf in primary schools. However, patka head covering worn by Sikh boys or the Jewish kippa would not be affected, says the government. 

• The law was proposed by the ruling right-wing government.

• Representatives of both parts of the governing coalition, the centre-right People`s Party (OeVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), have said that the law is targeted at the Islamic headscarf.

• FPOe education spokesman Wendelin Moelzer said the law was a signal against political Islam while OeVP MP Rudolf Taschner said the measure was necessary to free girls from subjugation.

• Opposition MPs almost all voted against the measure, with some accusing the government of focusing on garnering positive headlines rather than child welfare.

• The government has admitted that the law is likely to be challenged at Austria`s constitutional court, either on grounds of religious discrimination or because similar legislation affecting schools is normally passed with a two-thirds majority of MPs.

 

5. Global Influence of Asian Civilizations Forum has begun in Beijing

 

• The opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations will be held in the China National Convention Center, Beijing where Xi Jinping, Chinese President will deliver a keynote speech.

• The Forum on Global Influence of Asian Civilizations is 1 of the 6 parallel forums of the “Conference of Dialogue on Asian Civilizations”. 

• The Forum on Global Influence of Asian Civilizations is organized by the National Radio and Television Administration of the People’s Republic of China.

• The representatives from 47 Asian and other invited countries will attend the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations event. The theme of the event is “Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Asian Civilizations and a Community with a Shared Future.”

• The conference will include thematic forums, an Asian culture carnival and Asian Civilization Week.

• The vice minister of the National Radio and Television Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Fan Weiping hosted the opening ceremony of the forum.

• The deputy head of Publicity Department of CPC Committee, Nie Chenxi, delivered the keynote speech.

• The theme of the forum was “Asian Values for the World,” where the speakers discussed the rich and contemporary values of Asian civilizations and also elaborated on the new missions of Asian civilizations in the present times.

• A supporting activity termed as the “Dialogue on Asian Internet Audio-Visual Broadcasting Policy and Release of Cooperation Results,” will be held in line with the forum.

 

6. Saudi grants exit visas to 450 stranded Indian workers

 

• In Saudi Arabia, authorities have granted exit visas to 450 stranded Indian workers and their repatriation will begin soon. 

• This was announced by India`s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr. Ausaf Sayeed on the occasion of Iftar to share the meal with the workers. 

• He added that the  Indian Embassy is working to obtain exit visas for the remaining workers.

 

7. Donald Trump unveils merit-based immigration system

 

• US President Donald Trump has rolled out a merit-based immigration system from which foreigners, including hundreds and thousands of Indian professionals and skilled workers, waiting to get Green Cards or permanent legal residency stand to benefit. 

• He made the announcement in his Rose Garden speech. 

• President Trump said under the proposed system permanent legal residency would be given based on points for their age, knowledge, job opportunities and civic sense. 

• The proposals significantly increase the quota for skilled workers from the existing nearly 12 per cent to 57 per cent. 

• Besides, immigrants will be required to learn English and pass a civics exam prior to admission.

 

8. Mint Globetrotter Index

 

• The Mint Globetrotter Index was prepared by Mint’s data partner Howindialives.com which is a database and search engine for public data that took into account 25 essential spends in total, ranging from multifarious categories, namely, accommodation, shopping, leisure, market and food and came up with an index which would help general public to travel well-informed.

• For an easy comparison between different cities, the indices were benchmarked to a value of 100 for Delhiand re-based accordingly.

• This means that, Zurich has an index value of 301 (this means that the 25 items cost 201% more of what they cost in Delhi) Kathmandu has an index of 82 (the same items here cost 18% less than what they cost in Delhi).

• The ‘others’ category in the Mint Globetrotter Index comprises of 7 cities across Africa, West Asia and the Indian Ocean, among which, Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, is the most expensive with an index value of 192 and a rank of 28.

• The cost profile of Lagos is very similar to that of India and ranks 5th on the index and is the cheapest in the category.

• Dubai is much more costlier than Delhi and ranks 24 on the overall cost index.

• Cape Town, the oldest city in South Africa ranked 16 on the overall index and is 47% costlier than Delhi.

• Amsterdam is the most expensive city on the index, whereas Bali is the 9th cheapest.

 

9. US reaches deal with Canada, Mexico to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum

 

• United States has reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum and the corresponding retaliatory tariffs. 

• This move is likely to ease trade tensions between the three North American countries.

• Elimination of these tariffs is expected to remove a significant barrier to passing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The 1.4 trillion dollar in North American trade supports more than 12 million American jobs.

• Mr Trump in his address to the National Association of Realtors Legislative Meeting said he is pleased to announce that they have just reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico. 

• He said he will be selling US product into those countries without the imposition of tariffs or major tariffs. 

• President Trump said the agreement is going to be a fantastic deal for the US. He hoped the Congress will approve the USMCA quickly.

• The steep US tariffs imposed last year -- 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum -- became a major stumbling block to ratifying a new North American trade pact negotiated last year by the three countries.

 

10. Taiwan becomes the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage

 

• For the first time in Asia, Taiwan’s parliament legalised same-sex marriage, as lawmakers passed a billpermitting same-sex couples to form ‘exclusive permanent unions‘ which would let them apply for a ‘marriage registration’ (under Clause Four) with government agencies.

• In 2017, Taiwan’s constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry, but also notified that Taiwan had 2 years to make necessary changes to the law.

• The vote took place on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, that is on 17th May, 2019. 

• Taiwan has been 1 of the most progressive societies in Asia for gay rights, in the last 10 years. Taiwan had staged Asia’s biggest annual gay pride parade.

• The only places in the broader Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws are Australia and New Zealand.

• Vietnam decriminalised gay marriage celebrations in 2015, but it did not legalise same-sex marriages.

 

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 1. India & Turkey vow to strengthen economic relations

 

• India and Turkey vowed to strengthen economic relations with the aim of reaching 10 billion US dollars bilateral trade by 2020.

• Turkey`s Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, who is on a three-day visit to India since May 7, held talks with Gitesh A Sarma, Secretary (West) under the institutional mechanism of foreign office consultations.

• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that Deputy Foreign Minister Onal and Secretary (West) held cordial discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties including examining opportunities for enhancing trade and investment relations.

• It added that other aspects such as enhanced cultural interaction, tourism, people-to-people contacts were also discussed.

• India and Turkey reviewed the current situation in their respective regions and also exchanged views on several multilateral issues. 

• Mr. Onal had earlier visited India as part of the delegation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May 2017.

 

2. Max Life Insurance Co Ltd dedicated the 6th day of each month as ‘Protection Day’ to raise awareness on financial protection

 

• Max Life Insurance Co Ltd has notified that it will commemorate the 6th day of each month as ‘Protection Day’. 

• The objective of this initiative was to raise awareness on financial protection.

• Aalok Bhan, Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life notified that this date of the calendar month was selected, because, generally, number 6 indicates love, harmony and is also a symbol of secured financial future.

• The decision came in line with the Company’s launch of Max Life India Protection Quotient survey conducted in collaboration with Kantar IMRB. 

• It denoted that the extent to which the Indians feel protected from financial uncertainties is extremely low, and that level was as 35.

• Various other initiatives will start off across Max Life Insurance’s network of around 240 offices, as a part of this initiative.

• The Company will also start an initiative called the “Super Customer Week“, in which the customers will be taught about the different facets of financial protection.

• The Max Life India Protection Quotient survey states 2 things, as follows:

1. Indians are negligibly prepared in facing financial instability.

2. The life insurance-consumers feel under-protected because of low uptake, lack of awareness and ownership of term insurance, thus degree of lesser awareness leading to inadequacy of cover.

 

3. 15th Finance Commission hold meetings with Eminent Economists

 

• The 15th Finance Commission held a two-day meeting with eminent economists, top executives of leading banks at RBI headquarters in Mumbai. 

• Addressing the media, Chairman of Finance Commission Mr N.K. Singh said that last two days meeting with top economists, Panel of experts from RBI and bankers, the Finance commission explored issues pertaining to state leadership, development, better governance and its connection with the market mechanism. 

• Mr Singh said the experts also discussed on the future of Centrally Sponsored Schemes-CSSs and attempts by which rationalization and simplification were done in the past and overall situation at present.

• He said that the obligation for the recapitalization of Prompt Corrective Actions of Public Sector Banks is upon the Central Government; hence the action would be taken only upon a Memorandum is submitted by the Union Government.

• He also said that the panel expected that the Centre and states would conform to the targets stipulated in their respective Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Acts. 

• He added that the experts unanimously agreed that the quality of the budget needs to improve. 

• Speaking about Direct and Indirect tax scenario post GST, the FC Chairman said that projections of direct taxes made by Department of Revenue suggested a healthy buoyancy in coming years, while that of indirect taxes it`s not so healthy. 

• He stated that as per the inputs from the IT department, there is a significant rise in overall Tax Ratio. 

 

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 1. FIFA announces two new award categories to promote women’s football globally

 

• Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has introduced two new award categories,off Women’s goalkeeper of the year and a women’s team of the year, to promote women’s football across the globe.

• These additions means and both men and women will be up for receiving accolades in the same categories at the FIFA Best ceremony 2019 in Milan.

• The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 ceremony will take place on 23 September 2019 at TeatroallaScala, Milan, Italy.

• Awards will be given out in 11 categories:The Best FIFA Men’s Player,The Best FIFA Women’s Player,The Best FIFA Men’s Coach,The Best FIFA Women’s Coach,The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper,The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper,FIFA Pro Men’s World 11,FIFA Pro Women’s World 11,The FIFA PuskasAward,The FIFA Fair Play Award,The FIFA Fan Award.

 

2. Roger Federer climbs to third in men`s rankings

 

• Former world number one Roger Federer has returned to third in the ATP Men`s rankings released, replacing Alexander Zverev after the reigning champion was knocked out of the Munich Open at the quarter-finals stage.  

• Federer, who has won a record 20 Grand Slams, is making his return to clay at the Madrid Open this week after three years` absence.

• Novak Djokovic remains first ahead of Rafael Nadal to mark the Serb`s 250th week as world number one, a record only bettered on four occasions in the past.

• Japan`s Naomi Osaka remained atop of WTA Women`s rankings, ahead of Czech Petra Kvitova and Romanian Simona Halep.

• The largely unchanged top 20 saw Belgian Elise Mertens drop two places to 20th after being knocked out of the first round of the Madrid Open by Slovakia`s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 103rd in the world.

 

3. Mumbai beat Chennai by one run to win record 4th IPL title

 

• Mumbai Indians became IPL champions for the fourth time after defeating Chennai Super Kings by one run in a thrilling final in Hyderabad last night. 

• Last ball dismissal of Shardul Thakur by paceman Lasith Malinga registered final win for Mumbai over Chennai. Chasing a victory target of 150 set by Mumbai, Chennai Super Kings were restricted to 148 for 7 in stipulated 20 overs. 

• Earlier, put into bat, Mumbai made 149 for 8 in stipulated 20 overs. Kieron Pollard top-scored with his unbeaten 41-run knock while Opener Quinton de Kock scored 29.

• Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the most successful wicket-keeper in the history of IPL by taking his dismissals tally to 132, surpassing his India teammate Dinesh Karthik.

 

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 1. IAF jets force Georgian plane to land at Jaipur airport

 

• A Georgian AN-12 aircraft was forced to land at Jaipur by Indian Air Force interceptors. 

• In a statement, Defence Ministry said, an unknown aircraft entered Indian Air Space in North Gujarat Sector at 3.15 PM. 

• The aircraft did not follow the authorized Air Traffic Services (ATS) route and was not responding to Radio calls from Indian controlling agencies. 

• The Ministry said, since ATS routes in the area were closed due to the current geopolitical situation, and the aircraft entered Indian Air Space from an unscheduled point, the Air Defence interceptor on operational readiness was scrambled and vectored towards the unknown aircraft for investigation.  

• It added that on visual contact, the aircraft was identified as Georgian AN-12 flying at twenty-seven thousand feet. 

• The aircraft neither responded on international distress frequency nor to visual signals during interception.

• However, when challenged, the aircraft responded and informed that it was a non-scheduled An-12 aircraft that had got airborne from Tbilisi (Georgia) for Delhi via Karachi. The aircraft was shadowed and forced to land at Jaipur for necessary investigation.

 

2. Indian Navy undertake group sail exercise with Japan, Philippines and US in South China Sea

 

• Guided Missile Destroyer, INS Kolkata and Fleet Support Ship, INS Shakti participated in ‘Group Sail’ exercise with naval ships of Philippines, Japan and United States of America in the disputed South China Sea. 

• This was 6-day long group sail exercise from May 3 to May 9 and objective was to deepen the existing partnership and foster mutual understanding among navies of friendly countries.

• During 6-days long exercise, naval ships have taken participation in various activities which include formation manoeuvring, under replenishment runs, cross-deck flying and exchange of Sea Riders.

• While returning Indian naval ships visited Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, Qingdao in China and Busan in South Korea which was a part of the annual Eastern Fleet Overseas Deployment.

• Both INS Kolkata and INS Shakti had participated in the International Fleet Review (IFR) as a part of 70thAnniversary Celebration of People’s Liberation Army at Qingdao in China and after that they have also participated in the Opening Ceremony of Maritime Security (MS) Field Training Exercise (FTX) at Busan in South Korea. 

• Moreover, these two naval ships have also participated in the International Maritime Defence Expo (IMDEX) 2019 in Singapore.

 

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 1. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport ranked among top 10 in the World-Survey by Air Help

 

• In a survey conducted by Air Help, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport of Hyderabad has been ranked as the world’s 8th Best Airport. 

• The airports were rated on the basis of time performance, service quality and food & shopping options. 

• Air Help is an organization which is specialized in air traveler rights and seeks compensation in cases of delays or cancellations of flights.

• According to the ranking, Qatar Airways topped the list for the second consecutive year. It is followed by American Airlines, Aeromexico, SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Qantas.

• The worst performing airlines were Ryanair, Korean Air, Kuwait Airways, the United Kingdom’s (UK) EasyJet and Thomas Cook Airlines.

• According to the annual rating from AirHelp, The New Jersey Hub was ranked as the worst airport in U.S for the year 2019. 

• The highest-rated Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was ranked 34th  and Newark was at the lowest U.S. spot, at 116.

 

10 Best Airports of 2019:

 

1. Hamad International Airport, Qatar (DOH)

2. Tokyo International Airport, Japan (HND)

3. Athens International Airport, Greece(ATH)

4. Afonso Pena International Airport, Brazil (CWB)

5. Gdansk Lech Wasa Airport, Poland (GDN)

6. Sheremetyevo International Airport, Russia (SVO)

7. Changi Airport Singapore, Singapore (SIN)

8. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, India (HYD)

9. Tenerife North Airport, Spain (TFN)

10. Viracopos/Campinas International Airport, Brazil (VCP)

 

10 Worst Airports of 2019

 

1. London Gatwick Airport, United Kingdom (LGW)

2. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Canada (YTZ)

3. Porto Airport, Portugal (OPO)

4. Paris Orly Airport, France (ORY)

5. Manchester Airport, United Kingdom (MAN)

6. Malta International Airport, Malta (MLA)

7. Henri CoandaInternational Airport, Romania (OTP)

8. Eindhoven Airport, Netherlands (EIN)

9. Kuwait International Airport, Kuwait (KWI)

10. Lisbon Portela Airport, Portugal (LIS)

 

2. India is digitising faster than almost every other country

 

• India is digitising faster than almost every other country.

• Roti, kapda, makaan … and internet – is now the updated version of an Indian’s bare necessities of life

• Supreme Court even granted Indians the internet as a fundamental right.

• 40% growth in internet users expected in the next five years.

• Absence of connectivity for 65% of the country

• Worrisome challenges on infrastructure readiness and shortcomings in policy approaches

• Inadequate progress to implement the policy items.There is much to be done – India needs humongous investments and critical infrastructure to realise our true potential as future leaders in digital communications.

• India’s mobile broadband speeds are only about one-third the global average of 23.6 Mbps (EY).

• With regard to fixed broadband speeds, India ranks a low 67 in the world (according to Speedtest Global Index).

• High broadband speeds are required to extract maximum economic benefits from broadband and reduce the quality issues that plague us.

• Only 7% of our country has internet through fixed-line connections (TRAI). The world average is 46%.

• Top quality downloads at high speeds with minimum delay need fixed-line internet. Mobile internet cannot shoulder this burden alone.

• India’s mobile broadband is crunched at over 90% utilisation. The international best practice is 60-70% to ensure a high quality with next-generation services.

• India has to augment resources to enhance its mobile broadband capacity. One reason for the capacity crunch is the limited broadband spectrum allocation.

• As much as 40% of unused spectrum is lying idle at unrealistically high reserve prices that inhibit spectrum take-up. Enormous value loss to the economy.

• Consumers, businesses and individuals only get limited access to high-quality, high-speed fixed-line internet, thus hindering productivity. If reformed, we can create 60-65 million jobs across sectors by 2025 (according to McKinsey).

• National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP 2018) gazette-notified recently has outlined a clear way forward with goals to fiberise India, improve spectrum usage and satellite communications, and get 5G-ready. (Need effective implementation)

 

3. India’s first UPI for merchants

 

• BharatPe - India`s first Fintech start-up enabling payments for merchants through interoperable UPI QR codes, has announced its foray into merchant services with a new app.

• The app allows merchants to record their cash/credit (Udhar) sales customer wise, request accounts receivable from customers via SMS payment links, and keep track of accounts payable to suppliers, among other services.

• The BharatPe app also serves as a networking platform for merchants to connect with other BharatPe merchants near them.

 

4. SC issues notice to Centre in plea for regulation of online streaming platforms

 

• The Supreme Court has asked for the Centre`s response on a plea seeking guidelines to regulate the functioning of online media streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. 

• In an appeal challenging the February order of the Delhi High Court, an NGO alleged that online platforms are displaying unlicenced, unregulated, uncertified content and collecting subion amounts from Indian consumers. 

• A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna has issued notices to the ministries of Information & broadcasting, law and communications, on the issue.

• Earlier, the Delhi high court had rejected the petition by the NGO, after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had informed it that online platforms are not required to obtain any licence from it.

 

5. Chhattisgarh’s first Anti-Naxal Women’s Commando unit 

 

• The Chhattisgarh police has deployed first ever Anti-Naxal women’s commando unit named ‘Danteshwari Ladake’ or ‘Fighters of Goddess Danteshwari’. These women commandos have inducted in the District Reserve Guard (DRG) which is Chhattisgarh’s frontline anti-naxal force.

• This specially raised squad was part of the security forces “short action teams” which inducted in the state’s Naxal-hit Dantewada district.

• The unit comprised of 30 women commandos which led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dineshwari Nand. Out of these 30 women commandos, 10 are surrendered women Naxals and 10 are assistant constables, part of anti-naxal movement Salwa Judum.

• The squad had been trained in jungle warfare tactics like motorcycle patrolling in the dense forest, map reading, understanding Naxal profiles and counter ambush strategy. They got extensive training for 3 months.

 

6. India and Bangladesh agreed to jointly produce film on the life of Mujibur Rahman 

 

• India and Bangladesh in a meeting agreed to jointly produce the film based on the life and works of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and documentary of Bangladesh Liberation War 1971. 

• The delegation from Bangladesh side led by Dr. Gowher Rizvi, Adviser to Prime Minister of Bangladesh met Amit Khare, Secretary of Information and Broadcasting Ministry.  

• The co-production of film was earlier announced by the PM of both India and Bangladesh.

• The movie will be directed by Shyam Benegal and the scriptwriter of the movie will be Atul Tiwari and the director of the documentary will be from Bangladesh who would be assisted by a co-director from India.

• Additionally, Prasar Bharti has decided to carry Bangladesh TV on DD Free Dish platform and also to waive carriage fees.

• Bangladesh delegation also agreed to launch Doordarshan channel in DTH platform of Bangladesh.

 

7. Portals of Badrinath shrine thrown open

 

• The portals of Badrinath Shrine have been thrown open early this morning amid chants of Vedic Hymns. 

• Governor Baby Rani Maurya performed Pooja Archana on the auspicious occasion. 

• A large number of devotees were also present. 

• The Char Dham Yatra has started in full swing in Uttarakhand after the opening of Badrinath temple.

• The excitement was visible among the devotees as they started forming queues since midnight.

 

8. 158th birth anniversary of Tagore being celebrated 

 

• The 158th birth anniversary of Rabindra Nath Tagore is being celebrated all over West Bengal.

• Various programmes have been organised to pay respect to Gurudev Tagore. The day began with musical soirees, probhat ferry and garlanding statues and potraits of Tagore.

• Our Kolkata Correspondent reports that streams of people have converged at Jorasnko Thakurbari the birth place of Rabindra Nath.

• The West Bengal Government has organised a special musical programme in Kolkata this afternoon to pay tributes to Gurudev Tagore. The day is also being observed in Santineketan. 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary.

• Mr Modi said, Gurudev Tagore manifests the best of India’s ethos of learning and expressing.

• He said, a multifaceted personality, the prose, poetry and artwork of  Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore are brilliant and thought provoking. 

• The Prime Minister said, Gurudev Tagore enhanced India’s pride and richly contributed to the freedom movement. 

 

9. India was re-elected as an Observer to Arctic Council

 

• Finland held the 11th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Lappi Areena, Rovaniemi, Finland. The dignitaries from the 8 Arctic States had approved the work completed under the 2-year Finnish Chairmanship to enhance sustainable development and environmental conservation in the Arctic region.

• The Arctic States were joined by delegates from the Arctic Council’s Permanent Participant organizations, the heads of the 6 Working Groups, and Observers.

• Arctic States concluded the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting by signing a joint agreement as the Arctic Council Ministers meet, passed the Chairmanship from Finland to Iceland.

• As stated in the Rovaniemi Joint Ministerial Statement, the Arctic States ensured the Council’s commitment to keep Arctic peaceful, stabile and a region for constructive cooperation.

• In the session, Finland’s Foreign Minister, Timo Soini stated the Council’s achievements and gave guidance for the upcoming 2 years.

• In the meeting, the International Maritime Organization was authorized as a new Observer.

• The 1st executive meeting of Senior Arctic Officials in the Icelandic Chairmanship will be held in June in Reykjanesbær, Iceland.

• India was re-elected as an Observer to Arctic Council and India committed to contribute more to Arctic Council. India had received the Observer status in 2013 during the Kiruna Ministerial meeting in Sweden.

• Since year 2008, India has its Arctic research station, termed as ‘Himadri’ in Svalbard, Norway.

 

10. KVIC distributed 1 lakh bee-boxes under the ‘Honey Mission’ initiative 

 

• For the first time in India, under the ‘Honey Mission’ initiative, (KVIC) Khadi and Village Industries Commission (in less than 2 years) distributed more than 1 lakh bee-boxes among farmers and jobless youths across India.

• KVIC has helped in creating more than 10,000 new jobs and 25,000 additional man days through the manufacturing of bee boxes and honey extractors. 

• Bee-keeping would also open many job avenues for aspiring young entrepreneurs.

• In  August 2017, the initiative of ‘Honey Mission’ was launched in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Sweet Revolution‘ in 2016 while introducing Banas Honey project at Deesa, Gujarat.

• The KVIC had offered the beekeepers training on the effective examination of the honeybee colonies, wax purification, and management of the bee colonies.

• Being an agency of Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), KVIC would offer loans for setting up honey-processing, packaging and labelling units.

• After the implementation of this mission, till date 246 metric tonnes of honey, amounting over Rs 4 crore, has been extracted through the bee-boxes.

 

11. NIOS inks MoU with NHMPH

 

• The National Institute of Open Schooling Ministry of Human Resources Development and National Health Mission of Public Health Department of Government of Maharashtra signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Mumbai. 

• According to a press release, the MOU focused at offering Vocational programmes to the Health Service Providers of Providers of National Health Mission (NHM) through National Institute of Open Schooling. 

• It added that the aim is to impart uniform structured and quality training to Multipurpose Health Workers Class Ill Male Health Workers and Community Health Workers followed by their assessment evaluation and certification. 

• In addition Secondary, Senior Secondary Vocational Education and Community Health Workers certification will be carried out for ASHAs.

 

12. GRIHA Council Launched “GRIHA for Existing Day Schools”, a rating system for evaluating existing schools in India

 

• GRIHA Council has launched “GRIHA for Existing Day Schools” in India, to comply with the nation’s vision for a greener and sustainable future.

• “GRIHA for Existing Day Schools” is a rating device that would be able to assess the environmental performanceof the existing schools in India.

• The integrated rating system also acquaints the school students with the concepts of ‘sustainability’ and ‘greenery’ by involving them in accessing the environmental impact of schools on the environment as a whole. 

• The students would do evaluation under the guidance of their teachers.

• The product-launch event had taken place at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Mr Dinesh Kumar, Head, Department of Education in Science and Mathematics, National Council of Educational Research and Training, and other dignitaries were present at during the launch.

• GRIHA Council was founded by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) with an active aid from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and from various environment- sustainability experts across India.

• It is a registered society that deals with scientific and administrative issues pertaining to the environment and sustainable habitats across India.

 

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 1. UN report notifies that 40% of amphibian species and 1 million of insect and fauna are threatened

 

• The UN Report termed as ‘Global Assessment’, stated that, among the approximated 8 million plant, insect and animal species, around 1 million is at risk of extinction within decades.

• The research study confirms that this extreme loss is a direct result of human activity and has the consequence of a direct threat to human well-being worldwide

• The report was endorsed by 130 countries, including the U.S., Russia and China

• The research study was launched in Paris by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). 

• IPBES is headed by Robert Watson, a British environmental scientist

• The research study has been compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries

• The basic foundation of the study lies in the dire need to incorporate a new “post-growth” form of economics, which would help to alter the risks of pollution, habitat destruction and carbon emissions

• The researchers notified that industrial farming and fishing are the major causes of species extinction

• The Species extinction rate has accelerated by tens to hundreds of times over the last 10 million years

• The report also stated that the average abundance of native species in most major habitats has decreased by at least 20%, mostly since 1900

• It also notifies that humans have severely changed 75% of land surface, 40% of oceanic environment and 50% of inland waterways, causing irreparable damage through urbanisation, deforestation and agricultural malpractices.

 

2. Ireland becomes second country to declare climate emergency

 

• Ireland has declared climate emergency in their country, to be the second country after Britain to do so. 

• An amendment to a parliamentary report declaring a climate emergency and calling on parliament to examine how the Irish government can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss was accepted without a vote.

• Irish Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who moved the amendment, called the decision historic. 

• Britain`s parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency, passing the largely symbolic motion on May 1. 

• The step followed 11 days of street protests in London by the Extinction Rebellion environmental campaign group.

 

3. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

 

• According to global assessment report of the (IPBES) –

• Human beings have aggressively exploited nature.

• Species belonging to a quarter of all studied animal and plant groups on earth are gravely threatened (due to human impact).

• Ecosystem losses have accelerated over the past five decades universally

• Any devastation to tropical areas, which are endowed with greater biodiversity than other regions, is worrisome.

• If the world continues to pursue the current model of economic growth without factoring in environmental costs, one million species could go extinct, many in a matter of decades.

• The global rate of species extinction is at least tens to hundreds of times higher than the average rate over the past 10 million years, and it is accelerating alarmingly.

• Marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species, including 86% of marine turtles, 44% of seabirds and 43% of marine mammals.

• Ecological economists have always warned about ever-increasing consumption which courts modifying terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems to suit immediate needs, such as raising agricultural and food output and extracting materials.

• Such modifications severely affect other functions such as water availability, pollination, maintenance of wild variants of domesticated plants and climate regulation.

 

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 1. Tijjani Bande  appointed as the President of UN General Assembly

 

• Nigerian Professor, Tijjani Mohammad Bande, has been appointed as the new President of the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA). 

• He is the second Nigerian to be appointed to this post, prior being Mr. Joseph Nanven Garba(1989-1990). Prof. Tijjani Bande will succeed María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés.

• Prof. Tijjani Bande was born at Zagga (Present-Kebbi State) and he was the permanent representative of Nigeria to the UN.

• He is a graduate in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria and holds MA (Political Science) from Boston University, USA  as well as Ph.D (Political Science) from the University of Toronto, Canada.

• He served the Le Centre Africain de Formation et de Recherche Administratives pour le Dèveloppement (CAFRAD) as the Director-General from January 2000 to February 2004.

• Between 2004 and 2009, he was the Vice-Chancellor Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. He has also served as the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Nigeria from 2010 to 2016.

• He is the recipient of Nigeria’s Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), one of Nigeria’s highest national honours. Along with this, he has also won merit awards from various institutions and Governments, including US and China.

 

2. France releases Belhassen Trabelsi

 

• France has released Belhassen Trabelsi, brother-in-law of ousted Tunisian president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, on bail while it mulls a extradition request from Tunisia.

• Lawyers Xavier Nogueras and Marcel Ceccaldi said in Marseille that they had obtained Trabelsi’s conditional release owing to procedural problems, confirming news initially announced by the Tunisian justice ministry.

• Trabelsi who faced charges of organised money laundering and has paid 100,000 euros in bail, must remain in France and report regularly to a local police station.

• Trabelsi, 56, who faced charges of organised money laundering and has paid 100,000 euros in bail, must remain in France and report regularly to a local police station.

• It was the second time that an appeals court in Aix-en-Provence, southeastern France, had ordered his release from a jail in Marseille. The first time was on March 28, but before Trabelsi walked free, the Aix-en-Provence prosecutor arrested him again based on a February 2017 warrant issued by a Tunisian magistrate.

• Tunisia`s extradition request refers to a series of convictions in absentia and three 10-year sentences handed down between February 2017 and June 2018 for financial crimes.

• The millionaire businessman and brother of Ben Ali`s wife Leila Trabelsi left Tunisia in January 2011 when the Arab Spring uprising forced the veteran leader to flee to Saudi Arabia.

• Trabelsi and his family flew in a private jet to Montreal to seek Canadian political asylum, a request that was denied twice. He disappeared in June 2016 just days before he was to be expelled from Canada, and was arrested in southern France in March 2019.

 

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 1. NASA’s first Planetary Defence Technology to collide with small moonlet in 2022

 

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will hit an asteroid named Didymoon or Didymos Bwith a spacecraft called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in 2022. 

• This will be the first mission which demonstrates a planetary defence technique. The asteroid is 150 m tall which orbiting a larger body called Didymos A. 

• This will help in understanding the state of the asteroid system.

• The spacecraft Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will carry an optical navigation system which captures the images. 

• This will help the spacecraft to reach its target successfully.

• The DART spacecraft will use small hydrazine thrusters which utilise the electric propulsion system.

• The spacecraft will collide with the asteroid at a speed of approximately 6 kmps (km per second) and this collision will change the speed of the asteroid in its orbit by fraction of 1%.

 

2. Chandrayaan-2 to be launched in July

 

• India`s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 will be launched on a day between 9 and 16 July this year. 

• In a release, the Indian Space Research Organisation said, Chandrayaan-2’s lander will touch down near the Moon`s south pole on 6th September. 

• The National space agency said, Chandrayaan-2 will have three modules in it, an orbiter, a lander named Vikram and a rover known as Pragyan.

• Chandrayaan-2 will be launched using India`s most powerful rocket GSLV-Mark-3.

 

3. Amazon unveils space vision, moon lander

 

• Jeff Bezos, who heads both Amazon and space company Blue Origin, unveiled a lunar lander that he said would be used to transport equipment, and possibly human beings, to the south pole of the moon by 2024.

• Space agencies prepare to return humans to the moon and top engineers are racing to design a tunnel boring machine capable of digging underground colonies for the first lunar inhabitants.

• Harsh conditions on the surface of the moon mean that, once up there, humans need to be shielded from radiation and freezing temperatures in structures which maintain atmospheric pressure in a vacuum.

 

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 1. Senegal’s lawmakers gives the approval of the removal of the prime minister’s position

 

• Senegalese parliament has approved a constitutional reform to remove the post of prime minister.

• The motion was passed with 124 MPs (member of parliament) voting in favour of the motion, while 7 MPsvoting against the motion

• The parliament also supported the legislative alterations, whose prime objective was to prevent the president from dissolving the National Assembly. In doing so, it could no longer raise a motion of no confidence against the government

• The Opposition parties have rejected the constitutional alterations.

• Macky Sall, in early April, announced the decision for the Prime Minister (Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne) to abolish his own job.

• Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne served as the Prime Minister of Senegal since 6th July, 2014. He is the 3rd prime minister appointed by President Macky Sall. President Sall reappointed Dionne as Prime Minister on 6 September 2017.

• Dionne was preceded by Aminata Toure.

• Macky Sall has been the President of Senegal since April, 2012. He was re-elected as the President in the first round voting in February 2019 Senegalese presidential election. Sall was preceded by Abdoulaye Wade.

 

2. World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meet

 

• The World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting of developing countries will begin in New Delhi. 

• The two-day meeting is being held at a time when the multilateral rule-based-trading system is facing serious and grave challenges. 

• The meeting will provide an opportunity for the Ministers to discuss various issues and the way forward. On the first day, there will be a meeting of senior officers of the participating countries. Tomorrow, the Ministerial Meeting will be held. 

• India has convened a WTO (World Trade Organization) ministerial meeting of 16 developing and six least developed countries. Issues such as impasse on the appointment of WTO`s appellate body members and way forward on reforms at the global trade body would be discussed in the meeting of developing countries in New Delhi on May 13-14.

• The 22 countries would also try to build consensus on how to move forward on the WTO reforms, while preserving the fundamentals of the multilateral trading system.

• On the first day, there will be a meeting of senior officials of the participating countries and on the second day, the ministerial meeting will be held. Ministers from Bangladesh, Central African Republic and South Africa have confirmed their participation. Vice ministers, senior officials and ambassadors will be representing other countries.

• Participating countries include Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Brazil, Chad, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey.

 

3. 131st birth anniversary of haematologist Lucy Wills

 

• 131st birth anniversary of leading English haematologist, Lucy Wills who was the pioneer in tackling prenatal anaemia during pregnancy was observed on 10th May . 

• Lucy`s seminal work in India in the late 1920s and early 1930s helped identify folic acid supplementation to prevent anaemia in pregnant women. 

• Wills spent her life traveling the world and researching on the health of pregnant women until her death in 1964.

• Born in 1888, she  conducted seminal work in India in 1928 on macrocytic anaemia during pregnancy. 

• Lucy Wills observed an apparent correlation between the dietary habits of different classes of Bombay women and the likelihood of their becoming anaemic during pregnancy. 

• Poor women were the ones with both the most deficient diets and the greatest susceptibility to anemia.

• This anemia was then known as `pernicious anemia of pregnancy`. 

• However, Lucy Wills was able to demonstrate that the anemia she observed differed from true pernicious anemia. 

• The nutritional factor called the `Wills Factor` was subsequently shown to be folate, the naturally occurring form of folic acid. 

• Her observations led to the discovery of a nutritional factor in yeast which both prevents and cures this disorder. 

• It was later found to help not just pregnant mothers but also the child by helping in their brain development.

 

4. Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi issues important instructions for Indian job aspirants in UAE

 

• Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai have cautioned that Indians seeking jobs in the UAE must authenticate their employment offers and permit visas before arriving in the country.

• Amid cases of duping and visa frauds, the Consulate in Dubai said that job aspirant should not come on visit visas.

• The Embassy in Abu Dhabi used its account on social networking sites to caution job hunters to follow the standard procedure, and obtain a valid work permit and employment letter before reaching the UAE.

• Government of India had earlier said that starting from January 2019, registration is mandatory for all Indian nationals holding an employment visa in all the 18-emigration check required (ECR) countries. 

• Expats with a valid employment visa have to register in the portal www.emigrate.gov.in.

 

5. US unveils strategy to detect and respond to health security threats globally

 

• The United States government has come up with a first of its kind strategy to prevent, detect and respond to threats from infectious diseases occurring naturally or accidentally, in an effort to help improve the world`s ability to stop and contain deadly outbreaks before they spread between countries.

• The Global Health Security Strategy defines the actions the US administration will take by adopting a whole-of-government approach to health security and leveraging the strengths of different federal departments, agencies and funding streams. 

• A senior administration official told reporters after the strategy was released by the White House, that their National Security Strategy specifically identifies combating biological threats and pandemics as a cornerstone of national security. 

• Biological threats, like infectious disease outbreaks, are a national security priority. 

• The strategy outlines a coordinated US approach that focuses on three interrelated goals: strengthen partner country global health security capacities, increase international support for global health security and a homeland prepared and resilient against global health threats, the official said.

• The White House said that the US is working with international partners to help improve the world`s ability to stop and contain infectious disease outbreaks before they spread between countries.

 

6. Protocol signed for exportation of Indian chilli meal to China 

 

• After a meeting of Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan and General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) Vice Minister Li Guo, India and China signed a protocol for exportation of Indian chilli meal to China.

• In the meeting both the dignitaries discussed the challenges related to trade regarding the pending Indian request for agricultural products, that wasn’t been given clearance.

• They also agreed to resolve the market access issues quite fast in order to achieve the vision of a more balanced trade.

• In order to bridge the trade deficit (which stood at 50.12 $ billion during April-February 2018-19), India is seeking larger market access in the Chinese market for its manufactured and agricultural products.

• This is why India has shared a list of 380 products with China that includes horticulture, textiles, chemicals and pharmaceutical products.

 

Table for agricultural commodities signed between India and China:

SI. No. Commodity Year of Signing

1            Mango             2003

2           Bitter Gourd 11th April, 2005

3             Grapes           11th April, 2005

4       Rapeseed Meal      15th May, 2015

5        Basmati Rice     21st November, 2006

6  Basmati Rice and

           Non-Basmati Rice      9th June, 2018

7    Fish meal/ fish oil      28th November, 2018

8       Tobacco leaves            21st January, 2019

9        Chilli Meal                  9th May, 2019

 

7. Iran likely to withdraw from parts of nuclear deal

 

• Iran is likely to announce that it is partially withdrawing from the nuclear deal it struck with world powers, its state-run news agency reported. 

• The move comes a year after President Donald Trump pulled America from the accord. The terms of the withdrawal remain unclear. 

• The news agency said President Hassan Rouhani will explain Iran`s decision in letters to leaders of Britain, France and Germany that will be handed over to their ambassadors in Tehran. 

• Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif will separately write to the European Union, the agency said. 

• The United Nations` nuclear watchdog says Iran has continued to comply with the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal.

 

8. Cannes Film Festival 2019

 

• One of the most prestigious international event from the world of cinema, Cannes Film Festival will begin in France. 

• Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare, who is leading Indian delegation at Cannes, will inaugurate India Pavilion tomorrow. 

• The Pavilion will showcase Indian cinema across linguistic, cultural and regional diversity, with the aim of forging international partnerships in distribution, production, filming in India. 

• Indian Delegation will also release a special poster to mark the golden jubilee of International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2019).

 

9. Chinese Navy launches two Type 052D new guided missile destroyers

 

• Chinese Navy has commissioned two new Type 052D guided missile destroyers in Dalian, a coastal city. They are the 19th and 20th ships in the class and are named as Tangshan and Suzhou. China, at present, has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or to be launched for service soon.

• The destroyers are fast and warships are operated for long distances. In addition, they can be used to accompany the aircraft carriers.

• The newly developed Type 052D destroyers are the upgrades of its previous version Type 052C.

• The Type 052D destroyer is a large 7500 tone destroyer. It was introduced into the People’s Liberation Army Navy(PLAN) in March 2014.

• PLAN is the World’s fastest growing Navy as it adds new vessels to the fleet every month.

• Last month, PLAN celebrated its 70th anniversary in Qingdao, China. Indian naval ships including INS Kolkata along with tanker INS Shakti participated in it.

• For the first time in its history, Chinese navy has logistics bases in Djibouti in the Indian Ocean. 

• It is developing Pakistan’s Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea and has also acquired Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port for 99 years in a debt swap.

 

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 1. Azerbaijan Grand Prix

 

• Valtteri Bottas won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to retake the Formula One world championship lead from teammate Lewis Hamilton.

• Mercedes set an all-time record of four consecutive one-twos at the start of a season.

• Sebastian Vettel was on able to score the third position for Ferrari.

• The 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix (formally known as the Formula 1 SOCAR Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2019) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 28 April 2019 at the Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

• The race was the fourth round of the 2019 Formula One World Championship, and marked the third time that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix had been run as a round of the Formula One World Championship.

 

2. China`s Ma Long captures the third world title

 

• China`s Ma Long captured a third ITTF-World table tennis championships completing a dream comeback after six months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

• The 30-year-old, nicknamed the `Dragon`, defeated Sweden`s Mattias Falck 4-1 in the final.

• Ma Long now joins the elite club of male paddlers, who have won the Worlds singles for three consecutive times: Victor Barna and China’s Zhuang Zedong being the others.

• Ma Long, current World No. 11, won the Worlds crown in 2015 (Suzhou), 2017 (Dusseldorf) and 2019 at Budapest.

 

3. Bajrang Punia won gold at Ali Aliev Tournament 2019

 

• A 25-year old, Bajrang Punia won a gold medal at Ali Aliev Tournament, held at Kaspiysk in Dagestan, Russia. He defeated Russian wrestler Viktor Rassadin in 65-kg category by 13-8. This was his second gold medal in the last 10 days. Last week, Punia won a gold medal in the 65-kg category at the Asian Championship in Xi’an, China.

• Bajrang Punia won prize money of around USD 7,700. He currently holds the world No. 1 rank in the 65kg freestyle category.

• Continuing his winning spree, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia pocketed another gold medal at the Ali Aliev invitational tournament in Dagestan, Russia .

• Bajrang, currently the world No. 1 in the 65kg freestyle category, made a stunning comeback in the final affair to defeat local favourite Viktor Rassadin 13-8.

• Earlier on April 23, Bajrang had won a gold in the same category, beating Kazakhstan`s Sayatbek Okassov 12-7 in the final of the Asian Wrestling Championships in China. Bajrang will now head to the United States to participate in the `Beat the Streets` competition at the Madison Square Garden, New York.

 

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 1. Tony Award winner “Children of A Lesser God” writer Mark Medoff passed away 

 

• He was born on 18th March 1940 in Mount Carmel, Illinois, United States.

• ‘Children of a Lesser God’ won the 1980 Tony award for Best Play which was about the tale of a love affair between a speech teacher and a deaf woman who struggle to overcome the communications gap.

• He wrote 30 plays and wrote, produced or directed 19 movies and was the co-founder of the American Southwest Theatre Company and head of the Department of Theatre Arts for nine years at New Mexico State University.

• The plays “The Wager,” ”The Hand of Its Enemy,” ”The Heart Outright,” ”The Majestic Kid” and the screenplay for the HBO movie thriller “Apology” were the other Medoff’s work.

 

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 1. SCO Defence Ministers` meet in Bishkek

 

• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers` Meet in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan.

• The two sides discussed regional and bilateral security issues during the meeting.

• The Defence Minister is in Kyrgyzstan on a three-day visit to attend the SCO meet, along with holding bilaterals with other member-countries on the summit`s sidelines.

• The eight member-states will discuss ways to increase cooperation in combatting terrorism, among other issues, during the meet.

• The current SCO meeting is being held in the run-up to the SCO summit, which is expected to take place from June 14 to June 15 this year.

• In 2018, India participated in the SCO Defence Ministers meeting for the first time. Speaking at that meeting, Ms Sitharaman had highlighted India`s keen interest in developing an expanded partnership with the broader Eurasian region.

• In 2018, India for the first time participated in the SCO defence exercises. The joint exercise was conducted by the Central Military Commission of Russia at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk. The exercise involved tactical level operations in an international counterinsurgency or counter-terrorism environment under the SCO Charter.

 

2. The 14th edition of Sino-Indian border trade opens at Nathu La in Sikkim

 

• The 14th edition of the annual Sino-Indian border trade opens at Nathu La, which is the frontier post at Sino-Indian border in Sikkim. Officials and traders of India and China made their presence at the border to symbolise the beginning of the border trade.

• Every year, between 1st May to 30th November, the bilateral border trade between 2 nations is held for 4 days a week for 6 months. After a long interval of 44 years, cross border trade commenced on July 6, 2006 to promote the benefits of trade, increase tourism in Sikkim, thus offering employment for people of the region.

• 2 sections were there in India’s trade list:

• The export list: it contained 36 items, namely, dairy products, flour, oil, biscuits, utensils, copper materials and many more.

• The import list: it contained 20 items ranging from carpets, quilts, jackets, shoes, China clay and other things from the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

• The goods export from India totalled to Rs 45.03 crore in 2018, whereas goods imported from the TAR totalled to Rs 3.23 crore. In 2019, the export of at least Rs 50 crore is expected by India.

• Between India and China there are 3 open trading border posts, namely: Nathu La in Sikkim, Shipkila in Himachal Pradesh and Lipulekh  in Uttarakhand.

• The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) or Xizang Autonomous Region, legally founded in 1965 (to replace the Tibet Area) is a province-level autonomous region in southwest China. The TAR is located on the Tibetan Plateau which is the highest region on Earth. The present borders of the TAR were established in the 18th century and includes about half of ethno-cultural Tibet. y area, the TAR is the 2nd-largest province-level division of China and has an area of 1,200,000 km2 (the largest province is Xinjiang). TAR is the least densely populated provincial-level division of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) owing to its harsh and rugged terrain.

 

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 1. Scientists developed Ultrasensitive Quantum Thermometer

 

• Researchers at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, have developed an ultrasensitive quantum thermometer by using graphene quantum dots. It can precisely measure a wide range of temperature from 27 degree C to –196 degree C.

• It has high sensitivity in different temperatures and can measure every little (micro Kelvin) changes in temperature and has an extremely quick response time of just about 300 milliseconds.

• The team led by Saikh S. Islam, Director of the Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology developed the thermometer.

• The results of the study were published in the journal Nanoscale Advances.

• The thermometer will be useful in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, and the automobile industry.

 

2.IIT Madras team develops easy OCR system for reading documents in Bharati script containing nine Indian languages

 

• The research team from IIT Madras has used a multi-lingual Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scheme to develop a method for reading documents in Bharati script. The researchers have also developed a finger-spelling method that can be used by hearing-impaired persons to generate sign language, in collaboration with TCS Mumbai.

• The Bharati script is a conglomeration of 9 Indian languages, namely, Devnagari, Bengali, Gurmukhi, Gujarati, Oriya, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil. In the last 10 years, Professor V. Srinivasa Chakravarthy’s research team at IIT Madras has worked on developing this script.

• The OCR scheme first segments the document into 2 parts, text and non-text. After this, the text is separated into paragraphs, sentences words and letters, where every letter is recognised as a character in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) or Unicode. The letter again has several components, namely, the basic consonant, consonant modifiers, vowels.

• The objective of this initiative was to introduce easy readability of the Indian languages. The scripts of the aforementioned Indian languages pose a hindrance for character recognition and this difficulty is removed in the Bharati script which can be easily read.

• The future prospects of IIT Madras’ collaboration with Sunil Kopparappu of Innovation Labs, TCS, Mumbai lies in developing a new Braille system with the Bharati script for the visually and hearing-challenged population.

 

3. ISRO planning to send a probe to study sun early next year

 

• Indian Space Research Organization is planning to send a probe to study the sun early next year. 

• Talking to reporters in Nagercoil, ISRO chairman Dr K Sivan said, currently scientists are exploring possibilities to study more about Sun and the probe named Aditya-L1 will be sent to observe the solar corona, the outer layers of the Sun.

• He said, the satellite would be ed in a halo orbit around the L1 (Lagrangian point 1) of the Sun-Earth system so that it has the advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation or eclipses. The L1 is 1.5 million kms from the Earth. Mr Sivan said, the mission to send Indian astronauts to space by 2022 is well on stream. 

• On a question about tracking cyclone Fani, he said, with the details provided by ISRO, officials were able to forecast the landfall area and this helped in taking precautionary measures in advance. 

• It may be recalled that ISRO is making all-out efforts to launch Chandrayaan-2 in the launch window between July 9 and 16, with the aim of its lander soft landing near the south pole of the moon by September 6th.

 

4.  Momo-3

 

• A Japanese aerospace start-up Interstellar Technology Inc. has successfully launched a first privately developed rocket ‘Momo-3’ into space. The unmanned rocket launched from its test site in Taiki on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and it reached about 110 km in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean after 10 minutes of flight time.

• The rocket is 10 meters in length, 50 centimeters in diameter and weighs about 1 ton. ‘Momo-3’ rocket has the capability of putting payloads into the orbit.

• The company Interstellar Technology Inc. founded by former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie in 2013. The objective is to develop low-cost commercial rockets to carry satellites into space.

 

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 1. Healthy Oceans Action Plan 

 

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched 5$ billion Action Plan for Healthy Oceans and Sustainable Blue Economies for the Asia and Pacific region. This will support ADB’s developing member countries’ efforts for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), inclusive of the SDG 14: Life Below Water.

• Among the 10 rivers that transports 88% to 95% of plastics into the sea globally, 8 are in Asia and Pacific region.

• The Healthy Oceans Action Plan was launched at the 52nd Annual Meeting of ADB’s Board of Governors, Fiji.

• Healthy Oceans Action Plan will expand financing and technical assistance for ocean health and marine economy projects to $5 billion from year 2019 to 2024.

• Under this policy, ADB will also launch the Oceans Financing Initiative (will be done by credit risk guarantees and capital market ‘blue bonds’) which will help in creating opportunities for the private sector to invest in projects for bettering marine health.

The 4 areas that the Action Plan will focus on, are as follows:

• creating inclusive livelihoods and business opportunities in tourism and fisheries

• conserving marine ecosystems and major rivers

• decreasing land-based sources of oceanic pollution, including plastics, wastewater, and agricultural runoff

• improving sustainability in port and coastal infrastructure development.

 

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 1. Defence Ministry set to have three new tri-service agencies

• In a bid to bolster its capabilities to tackle threats emanating from hackers, mostly from China and Pakistan, India is all set to have Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) by next month. This agency will be headquartered in the capital. 

• Senior Navy officer Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta will be the first head of this agency -- DCA.

• The work has almost been completed. A new building has been hired in the national capital which will act as the headquarters of the formation," sources in the Defence Ministry said.

• Agreed upon by the Defence Ministry and the three services, it was decided that the cyber agency would be headed by Rear Admiral Gupta. The Navy is expected to announce his formal appointment anytime, sources said.

• DCA is one of the three agencies along with the Special Forces and Space to be set up as per the clearance given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Combined Commanders` Conference in Jodhpur last year.

• The DCA will include a lot of existing capability from the armed forces that will help tackle threats in the cyber domain and will also have the elements of DRDO working in it, sources said.

• The Special Forces agency would be headed by a Major General rank officer of the Army and is likely to come up at Agra. Agra already has a Para brigade and the wherewithal to airlift Special Forces operatives in large numbers as the base co-exists with an Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft squadron specialising in these operations. 

 

2. Fani: Government takes extensive safety measures

 

• Extensive safety measures have been taken by the Government with zero casualty target.  

• A massive exodus got underway in coastal Odisha as Lakhs of people left their homes in probably the largest evacuation ahead of a natural disaster in the country. 

• Our correspondent reports that the Odisha government has moved more than 11 lakh people to safety and advised the public to remain indoors.

• After crossing Odisha, cyclone Fani is likely to move towards West Bengal. It is also likely to impact parts of the northeast, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 

• There is a forecast of massive tides up to 1.5 metres and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Our Kolkata Correspondent reports that leaves of the Government employees in the coastal districts have cancelled. 

• NDRF Director-General said, 81 teams of NDRF has been deployed along the affected coastline. 

• The Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief and rescue operations. Army and Air Force units in the three States have also been put on standby. 

• In neighbouring Bangladesh, the government has issued mass evacuation orders in 19 coastal districts to prevent casualties from the cyclone. The cyclone is expected to make landfall in Bangladesh after hitting Indian coastlines.

• The Home Ministry`s Control Room helpline number for Cyclone Fani 1938 is operational to provide latest information. Odisha’s emergency helpline number for Cyclone Fani is 06742534177.

• The Railways has also released helpline numbers: Bhubaneswar- (0674-2303060), Puri- 06752-225922,  Cuttack- 0671-2201865.

 

3. Politics of Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook

 

• Journalist Saba Naqvi has composed a book named “Politics of Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook” in which she examines the possibility of a coalition government after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

• The book discusses the nature of transformation in Indian political parties and their role in present times.

• The author, Saba Naqvi is a well-known journalist and political analyst in India. She has authored other books, namely, ‘In Good Faith’ (2012), ‘Capital Conquest’ (2015), and ‘Shades of Saffron’ (2018).

 

4. 750th Birth Anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desika

 

• In order to commemorate the 750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan, Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naiduunveiled a postage stamp in New Delhi on May 2, 2019. The stamp has been released by Indian postal department.

• The releasing of commemorative postage stamps inspire the younger generation to practice humanism, peace and compassion propagated by the great saint and spiritual icon.

• Born in 1268 CE, he was Sri Vaishnava philosopher and one of the most brilliant stalwarts of Sri Vaishnavism in the post-Ramanuja period. He was an awardee of Vedanta Desika (supreme teacher of the conclusion of all knowledge).  He also received titles such as ‘Kavitarkika-kesari’ and ‘Kavitarkika-simham’ (lion amongst poets); and ‘Ramanuja-daya-patram’. The most essential feature of his philosophy is the ‘aspect of inclusion’ which means anyone, irrespective of any caste or creed could join Sri Vaishnava fold. he basis of his spiritual teachings was peace and humanity.

 

5. EC declines to advance poll timing due to Ramzan

 

• Election Commission has rejected a plea to advance commencement of polls during the last three phases of the Lok Sabha elections to 5 AM instead of 7 AM due to Ramzan. 

• The Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission to take a call on a plea seeking to advance the voting timing to 5 AM for the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections due to heat waves and Ramzan.

• According to the poll panel, the polling hour which is 11 hours is long enough against the statutory eight hours for the convenience of all sections of the society and it does not find it feasible to alter the existing hours for polling for the 5th, 6th and 7th phase. 

• The sixth and seventh phase is on 12th and 19th of this month.

• The EC had set up a committee of officers on the issue.

• Campaigning has intensified for the remaining two phases of Lok Sabha elections. 

• Top leaders of various political parties are holding rallies and road shows in different parts of the country. 

 

6. Green number plates are now mandatory for all-electric vehicles

 

• The Indian government had earlier proposed a special green-coloured number plate for all-electric vehicles in the country.

• Indian government had earlier proposed a special green-coloured number plate for all electric vehicles in the country. Putting the year old plan in action, the Central government has now asked the state transport departments to make it mandatory for all EVs to use the green number plates, irrespective of the year in which they were bought.

• The special number plate is supposed to have the vehicle number spelled out in white colour on a green background. The new mandate is supposed to help provide a preferential treatment to the vehicles with no carbon emissions, like parking, free entry in congested areas as well as a concessional toll on highways.

• With the introduction of the second phase of FAME - Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles scheme back in February this year, the centre had announced multiple incentives for EV users and makers alike through a total allocated budget of Rs 10,000 crore. These will be used in the form of subsidies to the buyers as well as to those manufacturing electric vehicles in the country, with at least 50% indigenous production.

• The allotted budget under the FAME-II will also be used to set up an EV infrastructure across the country, including charging stations. With the second phase of the FAME scheme, the government aims to support 1 million e-two-wheelers, 500,000 e-three-wheelers, 55,000 e-four-wheelers and 7,000 e-buses. Subsequently, around 7200 charging stations will be put up across major cities of India.

 

7. IIT Indore pips older peers to feature in top 50 Asia University Rankings

 

• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore enters in the top 50 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings.

• It has yet again pipped its older peers like IIT Bombay, Delhi, and Madras to be the only IIT to rank.

• The latest rankings, however, have seen the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru maintain its lead position at 29th, same as last year.

• On the other hand, IIT Bombay which ranked 44 last year, fell 10 places to be ranked at 54th position this year.

• Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore or IITI), located in Madhya Pradesh, is one of the Institutes of Technology established by the Government of India in 2009.[1][2] It is one of the eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) established by theMinistry of Human Resource Development, Government of India under The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2011 which declares eight new IITs as well as the conversion of Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University to IIT.

 

8. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan scheme

 

• A Special Purpose Vehicle under the Ministry of Electronics & IT, (Information Technology) CSC (Common Services Centre) e-Governance Services India Limited, has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)Kanpur to upscale ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’.

• ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan project’ is being led by Dr. Reeta Singh, from IIT Kanpur.

• ‘ Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’ is the programme of the HRD (Human Resource Development) Ministry which is working towards achieving solutions for increasing sustainable growth in rural India.

• IIT-Kanpur has brought together 15 leading higher education institutions from UP (Uttar Pradesh) to work together with CSC, under this policy, for the villages’ development.

• Through CSCs, they will adopt gram panchayats and equip themselves with citizen-centric services.

 

9. FAME-II plan stands to reduce 64% energy needs and 37% carbon needs by 2030

 

• The Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) has notified certain observations regarding second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacture of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India). 

• It has observed that India can save 64% of anticipated road-based mobility-related energy demand and 37% of carbon emissions by 2030. 

• The reduction in energy demands would lead in the reduction of 156 million tonnes of oil equivalent in diesel and petrol consumption and net savings of approximately $60 billion in 2030 at current oil rates. This will boost the India’s vision of reducing oil imports by 10% by 2022.

• The tentative aim is to have 30% electric vehicles by 2030 and the electric vehicle penetration in India is currently at 1%. Therefore, CII added that FAME alone is not enough to reach the 2030 target.

• If transport has to be eco friendly, it must increase its share of renewable along with environmentally sustainable batteries. As per CII, transport continues to be the highest oil consuming sector and the use of diesel and petrol grew at 5.9% and 9.9% respectively in the last decade. 

• As per government’s estimates, the country’s import dependency on oil has increased to 83.7% in the 10-month period of FY 2019 from 78.3% of total consumption in 2014-15.

• The government has allocated Rs.10,000 cr  for FAME-II which is Rs.895 cr higher than allocated for FAME-I.

• The CII suggested to boost the domestic manufacturing of vehicles, components and batteries, along with skill development across the value chain, and the strategic sourcing of key raw material.

 

10. Modi announces Rs 1000 cr assistance for cyclone-hit Odisha

 

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has said that Central Govt will provide manpower,  machine, material and money for restoration work in cyclone FANI affected areas in Odisha.  

• Visiting the cyclone-affected areas in Odisha, Prime Minister said that 1000 crore rupees financial assistance will be given to Odisha.

• Before the cyclone, 381 crore rupees assistance in advance was declared by the  Prime Minister. 

• After an areal survey of the cyclone-affected areas. Prime Minister said that whatever will be required for restoration and rehabilitation work, Center will not hesitate to provide it as assistance. 

• He also said that a team of officials of Prime Minister`s Office will camp in  Bhubaneswar for the supervision of the reconstruction work. 

• Prime Minister praised the fishermen of the community of Odisha for their high level of awareness about cyclone so that the casualty was minimised. 

• Eastern Command of Indian Navy is now providing relief materials at cyclone-affected areas of Puri and Khurda districts. 

• Three helicopters and three vessels are deployed for relief work. The doctors of Navy are providing medical assistance to the injured in camp hospitals. 

 

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 1. Korea set to hold ASEAN maritime drills

• Two warships of the Indian Navy have reached the South Korean port city of Busan after participating at an international maritime parade off the coast of Qingdao in China.

• The Indian Navy said INS Kolkata and INS Shakti are in Busan as part of a deployment of the eastern fleet to the South China Sea.

• "In a demonstration of India`s Act East policy and the Indian Navy`s increasing footprint and operational reach, Indian naval ships Kolkata and Shakti have arrived at Busan, South Korea on a three-day visit as part of deployment of the Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea on April 28," it said in a statement.

• The two ships had gone to China to participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR), organised to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Navy.

• The Navy said the two ships will participate in the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (FTX) at Busan.

• The ADMM-Plus is a platform of the 10-member bloc, ASEAN, and its eight dialogue partners. The aim of the ADMM-Plus is to strengthen the security and defence cooperation among the member countries of the grouping.

• In the United States, Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden has accused President Donald Trump of abusing the powers of his office and ignoring everyone but his political base.

 

 

2. Global Food Policy Report (GFPR)

 

• According to the 2019 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR), rural areas continue to be in a state of crisis and threatening to slow the progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, global climate targets, and improved food and nutrition security due to hunger, malnutrition, poverty, environmental degradation. 821 mn people in the world are facing chronic food deprivation.

• The report was prepared by the Washington DC-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

• Rural transformation and revitalization have been the pre-eminent goal of India’s development efforts since independence, according to the report.

• It also points out the changing consumption patterns due to urbanization, increasing income, growing integration of food supply chains and food systems in India which offer new opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment in rural areas.

 

3. US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein submits his resignation

 

• US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate links between Russia and Donald Trump`s campaign in the Presidential elections, has submitted his resignation.

• In a letter to Mr Trump, Rosenstein said, he will leave his post on the 11th of next month. Attorney General William Barr confirmed in a statement that the letter had been submitted.

 

4. Belt and Road Initiative Progress

 

• The report titled, ‘The Belt and Road Initiative Progress, Contributions and Prospects’ released by the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative had previously listed the BCIM as a BRI project. But, owing to the fact that India had skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor ran the possibility to be excluded from the list of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) umbrella.

• The BRI is a major initiative speared by China to reconstruct the ancient Silk Road connectivity across Eurasia and Africa.

• This has come to limelight after a document attached with the Joint Communique of the Leaders’ Roundtable of the BRF that concluded in Beijing, the website did not list the BCIM as a project under the BRI. South Asia is covered by 3 main undertakings, namely:

• the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)

• the Nepal-China Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network, inclusive of the Nepal-China cross-border railway

• the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

• For the 2nd time, India did not participate in the BRF since the CPEC passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

 

5. ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting

 

• INS Kolkata and INS Shakti arrived at Busan, South Korea to participate in ADMM-PLUS (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting).

• Indian Navy’s 2 warships, INS Kolkata and INS Shakti had gone to Qingdao in China to participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR), which is an international maritime parade organised off the coast of China. It is celebrated to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Navy.

• After participating in the parade, the 2 warships, INS Kolkata and INS Shakti reached Busan, South Korean port city on a 5-day visit as part of a deployment of the Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea. The deployment was regarding demonstration of Act East policy of India and the Indian Navy’s rising footprint and operational reach.

• During the 5-day visit, the warships will develop professional interaction with ADMM-Plus Navies for boosting naval co-operation between the countries.

• The Indian Navy notified that the 2 warships, on arrival were welcomed into the harbour by Republic of Korea’s (ROK) Navy’s officials. The ships will participate in the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (FTX) at Busan.

• The ships will depart on 1st May, 2019, after which they are scheduled to join a maritime security exercise with the participating navies. After the completion of this exercise, the warships will sail to Singapore to celebrate the closing ceremony of the ADMM-Plus exercise.

• The Navy also notified that INS Kolkata and INS Shakti will also participate in the International Maritime Defence Expo, IMDEX-19, and the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise, SIMBEX, both at Singapore.

• The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN, the 10-member bloc and its eight dialogue partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russian Federation and the United States.  The prime objective of the ADMM-Plus is to strengthen the security and defence cooperation  for peace, stability and development in the region.

 

6. UN agency praises India on minimising loss of life from Cyclone Fani

 

• The UN agency for disaster reduction has commended the Indian Meteorological Department`s almost pinpoint accuracy of early warnings that helped authorities conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan and minimize the loss of life as extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall near the coastal city of Puri. 

• Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of the Geneva-based UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Mami Mizutori said that India`s zero casualty approach to managing extreme weather events is a major contribution to the implementation of the Sendai Framework and the reduction of loss of life from such events. 

• Mizutori was referring to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda. It is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the state has the primary role to reduce disaster risk. 

• UN agencies are monitoring Fani`s movements closely and taking measures to protect families living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which is on .

 

7. Afghan President announces to release 175 Taliban prisoners

 

• Afghanistan`s president Ashraf Ghani has announced the release of 175 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture. 

• The Taliban has so far refused to engage in direct peace talks with the government. 

• The militants are negotiating directly with a US envoy in Qatar, as Washington seeks to wind up the longest war in its history, which began in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. 

• The goodwill gesture is the result of the three-day huge peace meeting held in Kabul demanding immediate and permanent ceasefire in Afghanistan. 

 

8. US lawmakers urge Trump administration not to end India`s trade privileges

 

• US lawmakers urge Trump administration not to end India`s trade privileges. 

• Twenty-four US members of Congress sent a letter yesterday to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, urging him not to end a vital trade concession for India, a day before the Trump administration is likely to announce a decision on it. 

• The lawmakers said that ending the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which allows preferential duty-free imports of up to 5.6 billion dollars from the South Asian nation, would impose “hundreds of millions of dollars annually in new taxes” on American companies. They urged the administration to continue negotiating a deal with India that would protect American jobs. 

• A decision to scrap the trade privilege comes as President Donald Trump has vowed to cut the US trade deficit and repeatedly called out India for high tariffs. India is the world’s largest beneficiary of GSP.

 

9. GReVD: SIPRI launches Global Registry of Violent Deaths

 

• Stockholm International peace research institute (SIPRI) has launched a new initiative named Global Registry of Violent Deaths (GReVD) to establish the annual number of violent deaths worldwide.GReVD will count deaths caused by all forms of violence and display these in an open-source database and enable monitoring of progress on the world’s commitment to ‘significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere’ by 2030 as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Goal 16.

• The database will enable policymakers and researchers and the general public to track trends in violence at global, regional, national, provincial, city and municipal levels.

• GReVD will hold a single entry for every violent death, including perpetrator, time, location, victim and type of violence.

• The sources will be verifiable news reports of lethal events and processing will involve machine coding to manage the volume of entries, as well as human coding to ensure accuracy and consistency.

• The first phase of the project is financed by United Kingdom’s Department for International Development and Swedish Postcode Foundation.

 

 

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