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Top Current Affairs of the Week (26 May - 1st June 2019)

1. Prem Singh Golay was sworn in as Chief Minister

• Today, (SKM) President Prem Singh Golay (51-years) has sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Sikkim. • Governor Ganga Prasad administrated the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Golay and his 11 cabinet colleagues at Palzor Stadium in Gangtok. • The cabinet ministers who took oath are Kunga Nima Lepcha, Sonam Lama, Bedu Singh Pant, Mani Kumar Sharma, Arun Kumar Upreti, Samdup Lepcha, Lok Nath Sharma, Mingma Norbu Sherpa, Karma Loday Bhutia, Bhim Hang Limboo and Sanjit Kharel. • Mr. Golay is not a member of the State Assembly at present as he did not contest the polls. • The SKM unseated the SDF government led by five-time chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling (country’s longest-serving Chief Minister).

Related Information:

• Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections were held in Sikkim on 11th April 2019 to elect the 32 members of Legislative Assembly. • Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (founded in 2013) won a slender majority in the 32-member legislative assembly by bagging 17 seats against 15 won by (SDF).

2. Pakistan successfully tests ballistic missile Shaheen-II

• Pakistan successfully test-fired surface-to-surface medium-range guided ballistic missile ‘Shaheen-II’. • It is a two-stage rocket with a diameter of 1.4 m, length of 17.5 m, the weight of 25 tons and a range of 1500-2000 km. • Shaheen-II is a highly capable missile that fully meets Pakistan’s strategic needs towards the maintenance of desired deterrence stability in the region.

Related Information:

• The Shaheen-II is designed and developed by the NESCOM and the National Defence Complex (NDC) of Pakistan. • The Shaheen missile series is named after a falcon that lives in the mountains of Pakistan.

3. Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' strikes gold at Cannes this year

• South Korean director Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" bagged the Palme d'Or at the closing ceremony of 72nd Cannes Film Festival in France. • Belgium's Dardenne brothers won the best director award for their story of a radicalised Muslim youth "Young Ahmed". • British actress Emily Beecham won the best actress award for psychological chiller "Little Joe".

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• Antonio Banderas named the best actor for his role of a filmmaker in Pedro Almodovar's self-reflexive "Pain and Glory". • The Jury Prize was shared by two films -- French-Malian Ladj Ly's "Les Miserables" and the Brazilian entry "Bacurau", directed by Kleber Mendonce Filho and Juliano Dornelles.

4. Apurvi Chandela bags gold medal in 10m Air Rifle in ISSF World Cup

• India’s Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in women’s 10 m Air Rifle competition at the year's third International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle and Pistol tournament in Munich, Germany. • She shot a score of 251 in the final to outshine Wang Luyao of China. • This was Apurvi’s second ISSF world cup gold of the year followed by a world record score in New Delhi (in Feb 2019). • Indian Elavenil Valarivan missed out on a bronze medal to Xu Hong of China by just 0.1 points and finished fourth.

Related Information:

• The 2019 ISSF World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation.

5. DRDO successfully test fires Akash-1S surface to air defence missile system

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired the Akash-1S surface to air defence missile system. • Akash-1S is a new version of the missile which is fitted with an indigenous seeker. • The Akash surface-to-air missile was designed to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles from a distance of 18 to 30 km. • The Akash missile system has the capability to neutralise aerial targets such as fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles.

6. IAF chief leads 'missing man' formation in MiG-21

• Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (Chief of the Air Staff) led a four aircraft, MiG-21 'Missing Man' formation flypast at Air Force Station Bhisiana in Bhatinda, Punjab to honour the valour and supreme sacrifice of men killed in action during Operation Safed Sagar at Kargil. • The 'Missing Man' formation is an aerial salute accorded to honour the fallen comrades- in-arms. • This is an Arrow Formation, with a gap between two aircraft in the formation depicting the Missing Man. • Later, the Air Chief Marshal laid a wreath at the War Memorial in Bhatinda to honour the Air Force men who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

7. Artist Nalini Malani wins Joan Miro prize

• Artist Nalini Malani has won the seventh edition of the Joan Miró Prize. • Miro international award is considered one of the most prestigious art awards in the world. • The recipient gets prize money of 70,000-Euro ($78,000) cash prize.

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• Malani (born in Karachi in 1946) is a film, photography, installation, video art and performance artist.

8. Lewis Hamilton wins Monaco Grand Prix

• Lewis Hamilton won the Monaco Grand Prix to extend his championship lead over Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. • Hamilton struggled with grip in the latter stages and was under constant pressure from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. • But Verstappen had earlier picked up a five-second time penalty. • So even though he finished just behind Hamilton, Verstappen was fourth overall behind Bottas in third and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in second.

Related Information:

• The Monaco Grand Prix (Run since 1929) is a Formula One motor race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. • It is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world and, with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport.

9. BJP leader Pema Khandu sworn in as Arunachal CM

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prema Khandu (39-years) sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. • Arunachal Pradesh Governor Mr. B. D. Mishra administrated the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Khandu and his cabinet colleagues at the Dorjee Khandu state convention hall in Itanagar. • BJP won an impressive 41 seats [JD(U) - 7, (NPP- 5), (IND-2), (INC-4), (PPA-1)] in the 60- seat house in the Assembly elections. • Earlier, Mr Khandu (MLA for Mukto) was elected unanimously as the leader of the BJP legislature party at its meeting held in Itanagar.

Know about Mr Prema Khnadu

• Mr Khandu is the eldest son of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who died in the helicopter tragedy on 30 April 2011 on a constituency visit to Tawang. • Pema Khandu is a graduate from Hindu College (Delhi University).

Related Information:

• The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh is the chief executive of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. • As per the Constitution of India, the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh is the state's de jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister.

10. Naveen Patnaik was sworn in as Odisha CM for a 5th term

• Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo and the Chief Minister-designate Naveen Patnaik (73- years) sworn in as the chief minister of Odisha for the fifth time in a row (since 2000).

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• Odisha Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal administrated the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Patnail and his cabinet colleagues at the IDCO exhibition ground in Bhubaneswar. • The Biju Janata Dal secured 112 seats [BJP-23, INC-9, CPI(M)-1] in the 147-member Odisha Assembly in the recently concluded elections. • Currently, Mr. Patnaik (MLA- Bijepur) is the third Indian chief Minister after Pawan Chamling (CM-Sikkim) and Jyoti Basu (CM-West Bengal) to win five consecutive terms as Chief Minister of an Indian state.

Know about Naveen Patnaik

• Naveen Patnaik was born in Cuttack to ‘Biju Patnaik’ (former Chief Minister of Odisha) and his Punjabi wife, Gyan. • Patnaik was educated at the prestigious Welham Boys' School in Dehradun, and later The Doon School. • After the death of his father Biju Patnaik (leader of the Janata Dal), he was elected as a member to the 11th Lok Sabha in the by-election from Aska Parliamentary Constituency in Odisha, India.

11. 29th May: International Day of UN Peacekeepers

• The ‘International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers’ is being observed on 29th May to pay tribute those who served in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. • They also honour the memory of people who died in the name of peace. • The theme for the 2019 International Day of UN Peacekeepers is “Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace.” • International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.

12. Jagan Mohan Reddy was sworn in as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister

• Today, YSR Congress party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (46-years) sworn-in as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. • Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan administrated the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Reddy at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada. • Mr Reddy became the second chief minister (post bifurcation) of Andhra pradesh. • Chandrababu-led TDP got only 23 seats, while Pawan Kalyan's Janasena got only one seat.

Know about Jagan Mohan Reddy

• Jaganmohan Reddy was born on 21st December 1972 in Pulivendula village of Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh. • Jaganmohan Reddy's father YS Rajasekhara Reddy was a two-time Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (from 2004 to 2009). • In 2009, he was elected as Member of Parliament from Kadapa constituency as a member of the Indian National Congress. • Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy is the founder and leader of YSR Congress Party.

Related Information:

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• In the 2019 National and State election held in April-May 2019, YSJR won 151 of the total 175 assembly seats and 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.

13. Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal sworn in as Chief Justice of Meghalaya HC

• Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal has been sworn in as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court. • Governor Tathagata Roy administered him the oath of office in a ceremony at Raj Bhavan, Shillong. • The Office of the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court fell vacant upon the retirement of Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir. • Justice AK Mittal was the judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court before his appointment as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

Related Information:

• The Meghalaya High Court established in March 2013, after making suitable amendments in the Constitution of India and North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act of 1971.

14. PM Narendra Modi takes oath for the 2nd consecutive term

• Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn-in as the Prime Minister for the second time at a grand and star-studded ceremony in the sprawling forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. • During the ceremony, Apart from PM Modi, 57 ministers administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind • There are 24 cabinet ministers including Rajnath Singh, BJP President Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, D V Sadanand Gowda, an, Ram Vilas Paswan,, Narendra Singh Tomar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Thanwar Chand Gehlot, Ramesh Pokhriyal, Arjun Munda, Smriti Irani, Harsh Vardhan, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Prahlad Joshi, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Arvind Sawant, Giriraj Singh and Gajendra Shekhawat. • Nine leaders took oath as minister of state with independent charge. • 24 leaders who took oath as the minister of state. • The glittering ceremony was witnessed by a galaxy of leaders, diplomats, industrialists and prominent personalities from various fields.

Related Information:

• The function was attended by leaders from BIMSTEC countries and foreign envoys, Governors, Chief Ministers, Opposition leaders, corporate heads and film stars. • Maithripala Sirisena(President of Sri Lanka), U Win Myint(President of Myanmar), Md. Abdul Hamid(President of Bangladesh), Dr Lotay Tshering(Prime Minister of Bhutan), K P Sharma Oli(Prime Minister of Nepal), Grisada Boonrach(Special Envoy of Thailand), Sooronbay Jeenbekov (President of the Kyrgyz Republic,) and Pravind Jugnauth (Prime Minister of Mauritius) witnessed the event.

15. Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba retired

• Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba has retired on completion of his tenure. • He is retiring after over four decades of distinguished service.

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• During his tenure as the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Lanba set the tone for several transitions in operational, training and organizational philosophy of the Indian Navy. • Admiral Lanba has also steered the implementation of the new transition cycle which facilitated the improvement of the overall readiness of ships and submarines in undertaking operational tasking and Mission-Based Deployments. • Vice Admiral Karambir Singh (Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command) has taken over as the Navy Chief (24th chief).

16. 1st June: World Milk Day

• World Milk Day is celebrated every year on 1st June to educate people about the importance of milk in our diet (science 2001). • The theme for World Milk Day 2019 in India is "Drink Milk: Today & Everyday • World Milk Day is a day established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognize the importance of milk as a global food.

Related Information:

• Milk is not only consumed by growing children but also by the people of all age groups. • It has great nourishing value and a rich source of calcium, protein, fat and vitamin C. • Mainly we get milk from cows, buffaloes and from other animals like sheep, goat and camel.

17. 1st June: Global Day of Parents

• The Global Day of Parents is observed on the 1st of June every year. • The Global Day provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents in all parts of the world for their selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship. • The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2012 with resolution A/RES/66/292 and honours parents throughout the world.

18. Admiral Karambir Singh takes over as Navy Chief

• Admiral Karambir Singh took over as the Chief of Naval Staff. • He took over from Admiral Sunil Lanba, who retired on 31 May 2019 after four decades of service from the Indian Navy. • Mr Karambir Singh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at the headquarters in New Delhi before moving to Vishakhapatnam last year as the Eastern Naval Commander.

Related Information:

• The Chief of the Naval Staff is the commander and the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy.

19. Pakistan to host 2020

• Pakistan will host the 15th edition of the 2020 Asia Cup tournament (in September 2020). • The matches will be played as Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in the quadrennial event.

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• In the (ACC) meeting, it was also decided that the tournament will be shifted to another venue if diplomatic ties between India (defending champions) and Pakistan do not improve. • India had defeated Bangladesh in the final of the previous edition held in the United Arab of Emirates (UAE). • ACC also reaffirmed its stand to include cricket in the 2022 Asian Games scheduled in Hangzhou, China.

Related Information:

• The 2018 Asia Cup (14th - edition) was a One-Day International (ODI) cricket tournament that was held in the in September 2018.

Related Information:

• World No-Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed every year across the world on 31st May. • This day highlights the health risks associated with consumption of all forms of tobacco and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. • The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is on "tobacco and lung health." • The campaign will increase awareness of: o the negative impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease, o the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people.

Related Information:

• In 1988, WHO’s World Health Assembly had passed a resolution calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31st May.

20. Annie Zaidi honoured with Nine Dots Prize 2019

• Freelance writer Indian writer ‘Annie Zaidi’ has won the Nine Dots Prize 2019 for her entry ‘Bread, Cement, Cactus’- combining memoir and reportage, exploring concepts of home and belonging to her experience based in contemporary life in India.

• The prize included an award of 100,000 US dollar.

• It is a prestigious book prize created to award innovative thinking that addresses contemporary issues around the world.

• The winner of the Nine Dots Prize is supported to develop their response into a full- length book, which is published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) and given the opportunity to spend a term at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), Cambridge University.

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