26Th May 2015 - Important Current Affairs Updates

26th May 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

Tuesday, May 26, 2015Current Affairs Daily Updates, May 2015 Current Affairs updates

sponsored links International Affairs o The government in Bangladesh today banned Islamist radical groupAnsarullah Bangla Team for attacking and killing secular writers and bloggers. o The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday issued a gazette notification banning the group that has been active since 2008. o The ministry also requested Ministry of Information to take necessary steps to spread the news. o Note : Ansarullah Bangla Team is the sixth such organization outlawed for militant and anti-state activities in the country. o The other five banned earlier are: o Hizb ut-Tahrir, o Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), o Harkat- ul Jihad Bangladesh (HUJI), o Jagrata Muslim Janata of Bangladesh and o Shahadat-e Al-Hikma. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning on 6th June 2015. 1 The visit is Prime Minister’s first to Bangladesh and it reflects the importance attached by India to the bilateral relationship. 2 Important Details about Bangladesh o Capital - Dhaka o Currency - Taka o Prime Minister - Sheikh Hasina o President - Abdul Hamid National Affairs

o Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launchedDoordarshan's farmer-centric channel - DD Kisan. o Launching the channel on the first anniversary of his government, Modi said the agriculture sector had been "neglected" and there was need to make the sector "vibrant". o The 24x7 channel will focus on programmes primarily for agriculture sector and rural India. o Information related to weather will also be available on the channel. o Note : The Channel has tie up with IMD, IARI, Agricultural Universities, Krish Vigyan Kendras etc. o Prasar Bharati chairman : A. Surya Praskah o Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting : Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore o The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed a year in officetoday. o It was on May 26 last year that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took oath following a massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. New Appointments o Government has appointed Manoj Mishra as Chairman and Managing Director ofstate-run National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL). o Mishra, currently posted as Director Finance at State Trading Corporation (STC), is likely to assume the charge of CMD of the fertiliser firm this week. o Lt general (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma was today sworn-in as the governor of Mizoram. o He is the eighth governor of Mizoram after the then state governor Vakkom Purushothaman resigned on July 12 last year in protest against being transferred to Nagaland. o Note : General Sharma, the former governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was transferred and appointed as Mizoram governor on 12th May 2015 by President Pranab Mukherjee, replacing West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi who took additional charge of Mizoram. Science & Technology o Secunderabad Railway Station of Talangana state has become the first one to get WiFi facility in the South Central Railways. o Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has launched the Wi-Fi services. o Railway Minister : Suresh Prabhu People in News o Industrialist Yashovardhan Birla, City Limousine chairman Sayed Mohamed Masood and his wife Chand Kauser Mohamed Masood are among five Indian nationals with Swiss bank accounts whose names have been made public in Switzerland’s official gazette with regard to ongoing tax probes in India. o The other two are Gurjit Singh Kochar, son-in-law of late realty baron Ponty Chadha, and Delhi-based businesswoman Ritika Sharma. o Note : Yesterday, Sneh Lata Sawhney, wife of Sawhney Tyres managing director Bhushan Lal Sawhney, and Sangita Sawhney were named.

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sponsored links International Affairs o Switzerland has published the names of foreigners wanted for tax fraudsafter requests from Russia, France, Germany, India and other countries. o This will mark the end of the Swiss bank privacy tradition, dating back to the 1930s. o This move comes after the government of Switzerland received formal requests from several foreign tax authorities. o Note : Names of two Indians have been made public so far.

National Affairs o The Delhi High Court holds that city government's Anti Corruption Branch (ACB)has "jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute" Delhi Police officials. o The court also dismissed the bail plea of a head constable arrested on corruption charges by it. o Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa announces development and welfare measures worth over 1800 crore rupees, including for improving roads and drinking water facilities and extending assistance to needy families headed by women. o She approved five major schemes such as opening more 'AMMA' canteens that provide subsidised food, housing for poor and setting up Reverse Osmosis plants for drinking water. o In the backdrop of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh governments hinting a ban on Maggi noodles manufactured by Nestle, the Karnataka government too is planning to go for laboratory tests on the food product. o India's only dedicated TV Channel for Farmers DDKisan to be launched tomorrow. o The 24-hour channel will air information on farmer- related issues. People in News o Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert sentenced to 8 months in prison for unlawfully accepting money from a U.S. supporter. o Olmert served as prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009. New Appointments o Consumer appliances maker Whirlpool today announced that it has appointed Sunil D'Souza Managing Director of its India operations. Sports

o The 2015 edition of the Indian Premier League ended yesterday's Night (24th May 2015). o Mumbai Indians won the title for the second time in the last three years. o Check important details you should know about IPL 8 from here. Business & Economy o The government has cleared 21 foreign direct investment (FDI) deals worth Rs 280.70 crore. o The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has, however, deferred 12 proposals including that of Kotak Bank, Mumbai for increasing the aggregate foreign investment limit in the bank to 55 per cent. o Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hinted at coming out with more steps on squeezing black money but assured honest taxpayers that they need not fear the new law to unearth unaccounted wealth stashed abroad. o Around 10 lakh employees of 43 banks, including public sector banks, will get a 15 per cent hike in salaries, with the Indian Banks Association today signing a wage agreement with employee unions and officers’ associations. o The revision, applicable with retrospectively with effect from November 1, 2012, will benefit employees and officers in 43 banks including public sector banks, old private sector banks and a few foreign banks. o The 15 per cent hike would come come at a cost of Rs. 4,725 crore. o India's largest private lender ICICI Bank has launched a service where customers can make transactions using just their voice, without using other means of authentication like a password. o The voice recognition service authenticates customers based on their speech patterns and allows them to execute banking transactions through the bank's call centre. o Over 33 million savings bank and credit card customers will be able to use the service. o China, the world's biggest gold producer, has set up a gold sector fund involving countries along the ancient Silk Road which is expected to raise $16.1 billion. o The fund, led by Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE), is expected to raise an estimated 100 billion yuan ($16.1 billion) in three phases. o This is said to be the "largest fund" set up by China. o Note : China is the world's largest gold producer, and also a major importer and consumer of gold. Awards & Honors o The 68th Cannes Film Festival concluded in France. o French director Jacques Audiard bags Palme d’Or for refugee drama Dheepan. o Check complete list of Winners from here Careers o The CBSE has declared the results of class 12th examination today's after noon. o The results were uploaded on websites www.results.nic.in, www.cbseresults.nic.inand www.cbse.nic.in. o The Board in a statement said that students can also get their results through an Interactive Voice Response System by dialing phone numbers 24300699 in Delhi and 011-24300699 from other parts of the country. Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here Sunday, May 24, 2015Current Affairs Daily Updates, May 2015 Current Affairs updates sponsored links International Affairs o Iran has agreed to grant United Nations inspectors “managed access” to military sites as part of a future deal over its contested nuclear programme. o About Iran : o Capital : Tehran o Currency : Iranian rial o Supreme leader : Ali Khamenei o President : Hassan Rouhani o Vice President : Eshaq Jahangiri o Official language : Persian o Ireland voted overwhelmingly to legalise the same-sex marriage. 1 It has become the first country in the world to approve gay marriage by a popular vote in a move that depicts a rapid social change in this traditionally Catholic nation. o India is planning to ask Pakistan to seize assets of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and most wanted terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, as all the three are in the UNSC’s al-Qaeda sanctions list that makes it incumbent upon Islamabad to freeze their holdings. National Affairs o Centre launches a comprehensive plan to provide 'Soil Health Card' to all farmers across the country. o The card will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients / fertilizers required for farms, making it possible for farmers to improve productivity by wisely using the inputs. o Pressing for 5 percent reservation, Gujjars today intensified their agitation by blocking highways in parts of Rajasthan and threatening to expand it across the state as they alleged that the state government had failed to offer any concrete proposal to meet their demand. o Government is likely to make psychometric test mandatory for assessing the mental health of pilots of domestic carriers. o This move came against the backdrop of a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately crashing a plane in the Alps in March. o Minister of State for Civil Aviation : Mahesh Sharma Deaths o John Nash (13th June 1928 — 23rd May 2015), the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician whose life story inspired the Oscar-winning film A Beautiful Mind, has died in a car crash with his wife Alicia Nash. o Nash is best known for the Nash Equilibrium, on the subject of game theory, that won him the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics Sciences in the year 1994. o In 1978, he was awarded the John von Neumann Theory prize for the Nash Equilibrium. o He was awarded the Abel Prize in 2015 for his work on nonlinear partial differential equations. o About A Beautiful Mind o This film was based on the John Nash's biography written by Sylvia Nasar. o Directed by Ron Howard o Russell Crowe portrayed John Nash in the film. o In the year 2002 the film was awarded four Academy Awards, for Best Adapted Screenplay (Akiva Goldsman), Best Picture (Brian Grazer and Ron Howard), Best Director (Ron Howard) and Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly). Awards & Honors o Indian film Masaan has won the prestigious critics prize in the Un Certain Regard category at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. o Masaan, a joint production of Manish Mundra, Macassar Productions, Arte France Cinema, Sikhya Entertainment & Phantom Films, stars newcomers like Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi, along with Sanjay Mishra and Richa Chadda. o Note : The film received a five-minute standing ovation at the festival where it premiered on May 20. Business & Economy o RBI to soon set up a Central Fraud Registry for quick sharing of information about unscrupulous borrowers. o The idea is to set up a structure for quick sharing of information about unscrupulous borrowers and help banks fight bad loans. o The Registry will work under the supervision of the RBI. o Note : Currently, there is no single database that lenders can access for all relevant details of previously reported frauds. o Government will soon privatise eight loss-making hotels run by ITDC as it plans to "offload" all the sick units. o The eight hotels which are likely to go under the hammer include those at Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Jammu, Guwahati, Ranchi, Pondicherry and the Lalitha Mahal hotel in Mysore, all of which are loss-making. o ITDC : India Tourism Development Corporation o Tourism Minister : Mahesh Sharma Sports o 8th IPL Final between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians has started in Kolkata this evening. o Indian boxers round off Doha International Tournament with 4 Gold, 1 Silverand 2 Bronze. o Commonwealth Games silver medalist L Devendro Singh (49kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg), Manish Kaushik (60kg), and Manoj Kumar (64kg) won the gold medals. o The silver medal went to Gaurav Bidhuri (52kg) o Mandeep Jangra (69kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg) bagged bronze medals. 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Blog Archive  May (120)  April (207)  March (201)  February (269)  January (247)

o Today (23rd May) is World Turtle Day. o This day is being observed to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive. o Founder of World Turtle Day : American Tortoise Rescue o A trial run of Bus Service betweenBangladesh capital Dhaka andGuwahati, the capital of Indian state of Assam began. o The service was launched by the Bangladesh road transport minister Obaidul Quader and Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran at the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus depot with an aim to promote people-to-people contact. o The UN has adopted a resolution calling for stronger cooperation in stemming the illicit transfer and misuse of small arms and light weapons, underlining the suffering they have caused to civilians. o UN Secretary-General : Ban Ki-moon o Ireland becomes first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote. o More than 3.2m people were asked whether they wanted to amend the country's constitution to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. o A total of 1,201,607 voters backed the reform in the countrywide vote, which worked out to 62.07% in favour.

National Affairs o AIADMK Chief J Jayalalithaa takes oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth

time. o 28 ministers also took oath . o In a significant ruling, the Kerala High Court has said that being a Maoist is not a crime and police cannot detain a person merely because he is a Maoist. o "Being a Maoist is of no crime, though the political ideology of Maoists would not synchronise with our constitutional polity. It is a basic human right to think in terms of human aspirations," the court said. o Gujarat has achieved one hundred percent targets under the Jyoti Gram Yojana, the scheme, which was launched by then State Chief Minister Narendra Modi. o Under the scheme, more than 18,600 villages in the state have been provided 24 hours three phase electricity. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Doordarshan's 'Kisan TV' on May 26 to coincide with the first anniversary celebrations of the NDA government. o Note : In his Union Budget 2014 speech, our Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that a TV channel will be dedicated to the agriculture sector, for which he had marked an outlay of Rs 100 crore. Awards & Honors o Two Indian peacekeepers are among the 126 military, police and civilian personnel who will be posthumously awarded Dag Hammarskjold Medal, a prestigious UN medal next week for their courage and sacrifice while serving in the world body's peacekeeping operations last year. o Lance Naik Nand Ram : He served with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) o Raju Joseph : He had served in a civilian capacity with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) o The will be honored with this prestigious award on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers which is observed annually on May 29. o Note : Last year, eight Indian soldiers had posthumously received the medal, named after the second UN Secretary-General.

Business & Economy o ArcelorMittal and Steel Authority of India signed a MoU to set up an automotive steel manufacturing facility in India, marking renewed interest in the country by the Luxembourg-based steelmaker. o The project will be set up through a Joint Venture (JV). o The proposed JV will construct a state-of-the-art cold rolling mill and other downstream finishing facilities in India that will offer technologically advanced steel products to India's rapidly growing automotive sector, said a joint statement by the two companies. o ArcelorMittal Chairman & Chief Executive : Lakshmi Niwas Mittal o SAIL Chairman : CS Verma

New Appointments o Indian-origin councillor Parvinder Singh Batth was chosen as the mayor of Britain’s Wokingham Borough Council. o He became the first Sikh to hold the position. Sports o Final of the IPL Cricket will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata tomorrow evening between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. o AIBA Women's Junior World Championship o Indian boxers clinch three gold and two silver medals on the final day of the event. o Gold Medal Winners : o Savita (50kg) o Mandeep Sandhu (52kg) and o Sakshi (54kg) struck o Silver Medal Winners o Soniya (48kg) and o Niharika Gonella (70kg)

Careers o UPSC will hold the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2015 on the 23rd of August 2015. o The Preliminary Examination will be common for the candidates applying for Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination. o Candidates are required to apply through online mode on the Commission’s website www.upsconline.nic.in and no other mode is allowed for submission of application. o The commencement of filling online applications will start from today and conclude on the 19th of next month. o Check Current Affairs updates of 22nd May 2015 from here o Check Current Affairs updates of 21st May 2015 from here o Check Current Affairs updates of 20th May 2015 from here o Check Current Affairs updates of 19th May 2015 from here Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here sponsored links You might also like:

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Blog Archive  May (120)  April (207)  March (201)  February (269)  January (247)  December (160)  November (136)  October (170)  September (172)  August (188)  July (175)  June (138) tional Affairs o Martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev is being observed today with reverence. o PM Narendra Modi inaugurated thegolden jubilee celebrations of renowned Hindi Poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's works 'Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyay' and 'Parshuram ki Pratiksha' in New Delhi. o Dinkar is considered as one of the most important modern Hindi poets. o He has been hailed as aRashtrakavi ("National poet") on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions. o He won Sahitya Akademi and Padma Bhushan awards in 1959 and Jnanpith in the year 1972. o India has reached sixth position in terms of publishing scientific research papers, climbing four spots (earlier our country was in 10th Position). o Secretary, Department of Science and Technology : Ashutosh Sharma, o Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah invites AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa to form a new government in the state. o Jayalaithaa is set to become the Chief Minister of the state for the fifth time. o Union Home Ministry issues notification saying Lieutenant Governor has jurisdiction over matters of services also in National Capital Territory of Delhi. o President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated 24 hot-spots with 30 WiFi access points in the President’s Estate, making it 100 percent WiFi enabled. o Important Points to Note : o India was at the 89th position in Network Readiness Index. o Countries like Singapore, Finland and Sweden are leaders in this index. o India, with 244 million internet users, ranks third after China and the US in terms of number. 2 Communication and Information Technology Minister : Ravi Shankar Prasad International Affairs

o Today (22nd May) is the International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day). o This day is being observed by United Nations to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. o Themes of International Day for Biological Diversity o 2015 - Biodiversity for Sustainable Development o 2014 - Island Biodiversity o 2013 - Water and Biodiversity o 2012 - Marine Biodiversity o 2011 - Forest Biodiversity o India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index. 1 This Index evaluates nations' progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in environmental decision making. 2 This list was launched by Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and Access Initiative. 3 This Index was topped by Lithuania 4 Top 10 Nations : o Lithuania, o Latvia, o Russia, o US, o South Africa, o UK, o Hungary, o Bulgaria, o Panama and o Colombia 5 Note : The index evaluates environmental democracy in 70 countries, including 75 legal and 24 practice indicators, based on recognized international standards. People in News o A special Court in Delhi granted bail to Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, former Union Minister Dasari Narayan Rao and ex-Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda in a coal block allocation case in Jharkhand. o The court also granted bail to former Coal Secretary HC Gupta in the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block allocation case. Science & Technology o The Union Cabinet has approved Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)continuation programme of fifteen operational flights of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C36 to PSLV-C50, thus enabling the launch of satellites required for Earth Observation, Navigation and Space Sciences along with the possibility of clinching commercial launch service contracts. o The total fund requirement is Rs 3090 crore and includes the cost of fifteen PSLV vehicles, Programme Elements, Programme Management and Launch Campaign. o It will meet the demand for the launch of satellites at a frequency of four to five launches per year, with a greater focus on enhancing the level of participation by the Indian industry. o All the fifteen operational flights would be completed during the period 2017-2020. Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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24th May 2015 - Important Current Affairs Updates International Affairs Iran Has Agreed To Grant United Nations Inspectors “ Managed Access ” To Military Sites As Part Of A Future Deal O...

st May 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates Saturday, May 23, 2015Current Affairs Daily Updates, May 2015 Current Affairs updates sponsored links National Affairs o Food inspectors have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi noodlesfrom shops across the country, saying the product contained dangerous levels of lead. o The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) in Uttar Pradesh said high lead content was found during routine tests on two dozen packets of instant noodles, manufactured by Nestle in India. o The packets of instant noodles tested in the state-run laboratory were contaminated. They found a lead concentration of 17.2 parts per million (ppm), which is way beyond the permissible limit (ranges between 0.01 ppm and 2.5 ppm). o The scientists also found high levels of added monosodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer, in the noodles. o The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for the revival of closed urea unit of Fertilizer Corporation India Limited (FCIL) at Sindri (Jharkhand) with an investment of Rs 6000 crore. o This unit was lying defunct and was not in operation since 2002. o Note : There is no functional urea unit in the Eastern part of the country except two small units at Namrup (Assam). o The Union Cabinet also approves setting up of a new Ammonia-Urea Complex at Namrup in Assam at a cost of 4,500 crore rupees. o Cabinet gives nod for amendments in FDI policy to treat investments by NRIs, PIOs and OCIs at par with investment made by resident Indians. o Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi announced that the Government is going to set up Nirbhaya Centres across the country to help women in distress.

o Anti-Terrorism Day being observed across the country today (21st May 2015). o Purpose of this day is to educate and wean away people from terrorism and violence. o It was on this day in 1991 that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE, in the southern Indian town of Sriperambadudr, at an election rally. o LTTE : Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam o Maharashtra government has decided to make necessary changes in the Factories Act, 1948 to allow women to work in factories in night shifts. o The managements will have to ensure security of women working in night shift. o The decision was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. o Note : Earlier, section 66 (1) (c) of the Factories Act, 1948 restricted women from working at a factory between 7 PM and 6 AM. o HRD Minister Smriti Irani announces monetary rewards to parents and schools which would ensure education of the girl children. o The ministry is going to launch a mobile app within one or two months to enable anyone to freely download NCERT books. New Appointments o US President Barack Obama has named Akhil Amar, an Indian-American professor from Yale University as a member of the prestigious National Council on Humanities. Science & Technology o For the fist time, a Mirage 2000 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) test-landed on the Yamuna Expressway near Delhi as part of a drill for emergency landings on national highways. o The IAF has been considering the use of national highways for emergency landing by fighter aircraft. Science & Technology o The indigenously developed air-to-air supersonic Astra, was successfully fired from Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft and tested for a very long range at the Integrated Test Range, in Odisha on Thursday. o On Wednesday, two Astra missiles were launched when the fighter aircraft was performing high-g manoeuvres in two separate trials. o The 3.8 metre tall Astra can carry a warhead weighing 15 kg and intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head-on and tail chase modes. o It possesses high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) and can be launched from different altitudes. Deaths o Eminent economist, noted academic and policy advisor Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri(81), who bewitched and inspired generations of students at the Delhi School of Economics with his lively lectures on an ostensibly arid subject, passed away. o ‘MDC’ as Professor Chaudhuri was popularly and affectionately called, studied with Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen in Shantiniketan and furthered his education at Kolkata’s Presidency College before completing his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he studied modern economics under the legendary Paul Samuelson, whom Dr. Chaudhuri personally regarded as “the greatest economist of the 20th century”. Business & Economy o State Bank of India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with e-commerce player Amazon to develop payment and commerce solutions for customers and small businesses. o SBI chairperson : Arundhati Bhattacharya o Amazon India vice president and country manager : Amit Agarwal Sports o Star Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal on Thursday regained the number one spot in the latest BWF world rankings released on Thursday. o Meanwhile, P V Sindhu lost a position to be on 12th place. o In men’s singles, K Srikanth has retained his fourth place. Even P Kashyap and H S Parnnoy also maintained their 13th and 15th positions, respectively. o Women's Singles (Top 10) o Saina NEHWAL (India) o LI Xuerui (China) o Carolina MARIN (Spain) o TAI Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei) o WANG Shixian (China) o Ratchanok INTANON (Thailand) o SUNG Ji Hyun (Korea) o WANG Yihan (China) o SUN Yu (China) o Nozomi OKUHARA (Japan) 2 Men's Singles (Top 10) o CHEN Long (China) o LIN Dan (China) o Jan O JORGENSEN (Denmark) o K. Srikanth (India) o SON Wan Ho (Korea) o CHOU Tien Chen (Chinese Taipei) o WANG Zhengming (China) o Kento MOMOTA (Japan) o Viktor AXELSEN (Denmark) o TIAN Houwei (China) Read Current Affairs of 20th May 2015 from here

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015Current Affairs Daily Updates, May 2015 Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

o During his Korea visit, the final destination of his three- nation tour, Modi and President Park Geun - hye held discussions and resolved to add "new substance, speed and content" covering defence, trade and investment, and regional cooperation to take the bilateral ties to a qualitatively higher level. o South Korea decided to provide $10 billion to India for infrastructure, development of smart cities, railways, power generation and other diversified areas as the two countries agreed to upgrade their bilateral relationship to a "special strategic partnership" o Modi invites Korean companies to invest in India's infrastructure sector; assures them of business friendly environment o Modi today Concluded his Three Nation visit to China, Mongolia and South Koreawhere he held bilateral talks and signed several pacts to bolster India's relations with the three countries. o He began his six-day sojourn from China on May 14th. o He then travelled to Mongolia, from where he flew to South Korea. . Check complete highlights of Modi's 3 Nation Visits from here. National Affairs

o The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee paid homage to Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, former President of India on his Birth Anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (May 19, 2015). o Sanjeeva Reddy was the sixth President of India, who served from 1977 to 1982. o Gujarat government has decided to form a high-level task force to study the growing habitat of Asiatic lions. o This was decided after the latest census revealed that population of Asiatic lion has increased outside the protected area of Gir National Park and Sanctuary. o This task force will analyze the census data in the wake of growing lion population outside Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, the only adobe of Asiatic lions. o The aim of the task force will be to prepare a report about growing habitat of lions outside the sanctuary and suggest measures to reduce man-animal conflicts. o Infosys has become the first Indian company to join the RE100 renewable energy campaign, a global initiative where companies pledge to use only renewable power. o The initiative was launched in New York in September 2014 and has already seen global giants, such as IKEA, Swiss Re, Formula E, H&M, Mars, Nestlé, Philips, make a commitment to use only clean energy. o Note : Infosys met 29 percent of its electricity needs through green power in the fiscal year 2015.

New Appointments

o Former Union minister and BJP MP S S Ahluwalia was today appointed Chairman of a Joint Committee of Parliament that will go into the provisions of thecontroversial land acquisition bill. o The Joint Committee of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha consisting of 30 memberswill submit its report on the first day of Monsoon Session on the land bill which has been already passed by the Lower House.

People in News

o Delhi High Court issues notice to TERI Director General RK Pachauri on a plea seeking cancellation of his anticipatory bail in a sexual harassment case. o TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute

Business & Economy

o Telecom arm of Reliance Industries (RIL), Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJio), has signed a pact with Chinese firm Huawei for sourcing various 4G devices, which includes smartphones, tablets and mifi dongles. o RJio plans to launch 4G service this year in around 5,000 towns and cities, accounting for over 90 per cent of urban India and over 2.15 lakh villages.

Science & Technology

o The 4th and last anti-submarine warfare ship being made for the Indian Navy was launched at Kolkata today, adding a feather to the cap of domestic manufacturing for naval forces. o The ship named as ‘Kavaratti`has been built by GRSE. . GRSE : Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited. o Kavaratti is the last of four ASW class stealth corvettes being built for the Indian Navy under Project 28. o Important Points to Note : . The other three ships of the same class are INS Kamrota, Kadmatt andKiltan. . Of the three, Kamrota was delivered to the navy in 2014, and has been commissioned. . Kadmatt and Kitan are expected to be delivered between 2015 and 2017. . Chief of Naval Staff : Admiral R.K. Dhowan . Minister of State for Defense : Rao Inderjit Singh Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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International Affairs

o India today announced that it would contribute USD 2.1 million to theWorld Health Organisation (WHO) as a "reflection" of its commitment to the global health body and its mandate. o Health Minister : JP Nadda o Government of Nepal today imposed atemporary ban on all constructions of houses and buildings, including those which are already under construction or whose maps have been approved for construction before the recent earthquake. o The ban would remain in effect until the end of Nepali month of Asad, July 16. instructed. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived to South Korea from Mongolia on thelast leg of his three-nation tour. o He held wide-ranging talks with South Korean President Park Geun-Hye at Cheong Wae Dae, the office and residence of the President. o India and South Korea today agreed to upgrade their ties to ‘Special Strategic Partnership’. o India & South Korea Sign 7 agreements in various sectors including avoidance of double taxation, energy, road design and and maritime transport. The agreements signed are, o Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Indian and the Government of the Republic of Korea for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income; o Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in Audio-Visual Co-production; o MOU for Cooperation between the National Security Council Secretariat of the Republic of India and the Office of National Security of the Republic of Korea; o NOU between the Ministry of Power of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea concerning Cooperation in the field of Electric Power Development and New Energy Industries; o MOU between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in Youth Matters; o Framework of Cooperation in the Field of Road Transport and Highways between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea; and o MOU between the Ministry of Shipping of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in the Fields of Maritime Transport and Logistics. o Iran’s defence minister Hossein Dehghan arrived in Baghdad today, a day after the Iraqi government suffered one of its worst losses, with Ramadi falling to Islamic State (IS). o He will hold talks with Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi. o Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj is on 4 day tour to South Africa.

National Affairs

o NITIAayog launches its website in New Delhi today. o The website can be accessed on the following url: http://www.niti.gov.in. o The website was launched by Arvind Panagariya (Vice Chairman of NITIAayog) o Note : The government had replaced the Planning Commission with the National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog on January 1 this year. . Check important details you should know about NITIAayog from here. o The National Green Tribunal today extended its order prohibiting diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old from plying in Delhi to May 25. o Noting that diesel is the prime source of air pollution in Delhi, the Tribunal on April 7 had held that all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. o On November 26, 2014, it had banned plying of all diesel or petrol vehicles which were more than 15 years old. o The second double hand transplant in the country was successfully completed at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi. o The recipient of the hands is Abdul Rahim, a 30- year-old from Afghanistan, who lost his hands three years ago while trying to defuse mines as part of his duties with the Afghanistan Border Security Force. o By his account he had defused about 2,000 mines in his career. o Note : India's first hand transplant was carried out successfully by the same team led by Dr. Subramania Iyer,on 13th January 2015 People in News

o United States President Barack Obama has been finally 'allowed' on Twitter. o The verified account, with the handle @POTUS, has a bio that reads "Dad, husband, and 44th President of the United States." o He tweeted saying he had finally been given his own account after six years in office. o Note : For the past few years, Obama's staff has been tweeting for him via @BarackObama, but now he's got his own account. Deaths o Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital nurse Aruna Shanbaug passed away in Mumbai this morning, losing her 42-years of battle to coma and other complicated medical conditions. o Aruna had been in vegetative state for the last 42 years. o 66-year old Shanbaug developed the complicated medical condition after she was sexually assaulted by a hospital ward boy on November 27, 1973. Awards & Honors

o Singer Taylor Swift dominated the Billboard Music Awards with eight wins, including top artist. o She also won top Billboard 200 album for 1989 and top female artist. o Harkeert Singh Saini, a 44-year-old Indian-American policeman has been awarded the prestigious "Top Civilian Supervisor of the Year" award for his efficient services to the Houston Police department in the US state of Texas. New Appointments

o Draupadi Murmu was today sworn in as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. o She succeeds Syed Ahmed, who will take over as Manipur Governor. o J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare assumed as President of the 68th World Health Assembly, at Geneva today. Sports

o The first qualifier match of the play-off stage of the IPL cricket tournament will be played in Mumbai at Wankhede Stadium tomorrow between Chennai Super Kingsand Mumbai Indians. o Russia’s Maria Sharapova today regained second place in the WTA world rankings after winning the Rome Masters on Sunday while Spanish finalist Carla Suarez moved to her highest ranking ever at eighth. o The current WTA rankings : . Serena Williams (USA) . Maria Sharapova (Russia) . Simona Halep (Romania) . Petra Kvitova (Czech) . Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) . Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) . Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) . Carla Suarez (Spain) . Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) . Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 3,315 o Former Grand Slam tennis star Bob Hewitt has been jailed for six years by a South African court for raping underage girls. o Hewitt, 75, was found guilty in March of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault on girls he was coaching in the 1980s and 1990s. o Australia opening batsman Chris Rogers has confirmed that he will retire from international cricket after the Ashes series in England later this year. o Rogers made his test debut in 2008 and was recalled for the 2013 Ashes series. o He has made more than 1,500 runs at an average of 40 in 20 test appearances. Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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International Affairs

o Egypt has executed six members of Sinai Peninsula, a militant group with links to Islamic State for carrying out an attack on soldiers in 2014. o The group has killed hundreds of police and soldiers since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2013. o Modi's Mongolia Visit o Modi, on a two-day visit to Mongolia, the first-ever by an Indian Premier has gifted Mongolia a Bhabhatron, the indigenous machine developed by Indian scientists for cancer treatment, in the first demonstration of bilateral cooperation in the civil nuclear sector. . Modi gifted this equipment to National Cancer Centre, the only cancer hospital at Ulaan Baatar. o India today announced a credit line of USD 1 billion to Mongolia to expand its economic capacity and infrastructure, as they decided to upgrade their relationship from Comprehensive to "Strategic Partnership". o India and Mongolia today inked 14 agreements, in different sectors to further strengthen bilateral ties including an air services agreement and in cyber security, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg at Ulan Bator. . Check the complete list of 14 agreements signed by India and Mangolia from here. o Nepal government today unveiled its action plan to protect and reconstruct heritage sites damaged by the massive earthquake that devastated the country and robbed it of major historical jewels. o The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has come up with the action plan that will be carried out in a phased manner with short-term, middle-term and long-term plans. o Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation : Deepak Chandra Amatya National Affairs

o Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today announced various initiatives for auto drivers including annual fare revision of auto rickshaws, over 400 new halt- and-go stands and relaxation in rules, including permission to refuse customers while returning home. Business & Economy

o Expanding utilities of Post offices, the Centre is planning to open 1,000 Postal ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) all over the country to provide facility of cash withdrawal round the clock.

o Important Note : The first postal ATM in Bihar was inaugurated in Patna GPO (General Post Office). o Union Information and Technology Minister : Ravishankar Prasad o Bettering its own financial targets, the government has contained the fiscal deficit at 4 per cent of GDP for 2014-15 at Rs 5,01,880 crore. o The revenue deficit has also been confined to 2.8 per cent, beating the budget target of 2.9 per cent for the last fiscal. o The government has allocated Rs 5,000 crore for the growth of Department of AYUSH and launched an independent National AYUSH Mission aimed at capacity building for the sector. o AYUSH - Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy o Union Minister of State for AYUSH - Sripad Naik o To help Indian and Chinese corporates in cross-border businesses, top private sector lender ICICI Bank has opened its first branch in China. o Based in Shanghai, China's biggest city and a major global financial hub, the new branch would begin with 17 banking professionals handling different functions including corporate banking, operations, finance and treasury. o This branch was launched by : Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Awards & Honors

o Chaitali Galakhe, a Maharashtra bride who got a "toilet" as her wedding gift from her kin as she preferred it over jewellery will now be given a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh by Sulabh International for taking a stand on the issue. o Inspired by 'Swachch Bharat' campaign, the woman from Akola district insisted on a toilet in her in-laws' house, placing basic sanitation needs much ahead of other wedding presents. Science & Technology

o The latest version of Google’s self-driving car, a pod- like two-seater that needs no gas pedal or steering wheel, will make its debut on public roads this summer, a significant step in the technology giant’s mission to have driverless cars available to consumers in the next five years. o This prototype is the first vehicle built from scratch for the purpose of self-driving. People in News

o The Enforcement Directorate recently questioned Trinamool Congress MP and actorMithun Chakraborty in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chitfund scam. o During the questioning, heassured the agency that he would soon return the amount given to him by the said firm. o AAP government charges acting Chief Secretary of Delhi Shakuntala Gamlin of lobbying for power companies. o Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju termed it as an insult to people of North East. Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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International Affairs

o Chinese and Indian companies signed 26 agreements for 22 billion US dollars investment in India. o Prime Minister inaugurates a Centre for Gandhian and Indian Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. o Narendra Modi concludes his China tour and reaches Mongolia on second leg of his three-nation tour. o This is the first ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Mongolia. o Civil nuclear energy, IT and cyber security likely to be high in agenda. o About Mangolia : o Mongolia, a landlocked country between China and Russia, has a population of over 2.9 million. o Nick name : Land of Blue Skies o Capital : Ulan Bator (Ulaanbaatar) o Prime Minister : Chimed Saikhanbileg o President : Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj o Currency : Tögrög o India has asked Switzerland to share information on Indians who have admitted to having accounts in Swiss banks. o It also expressed readiness to sign a bilateral pact on automatic sharing of information with Switzerland. o This was conveyed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley when the visiting Swiss Economic Affairs Minister Johann N Schneider-Ammann met him in New Delhi yesterday evening. o Ahead new US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's visit to India, the House of Representatives today passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorisation Act ( NDAA) 2016, calling for expansion of the Indo-US defence cooperation and welcoming India's role in providing security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. o Canada announced it plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percentbelow 2005 levels by 2030 amid international efforts to create a new framework for addressing climate change. o Prime Minister : Stephen Harper o Environment Minister : Leona Aglukkaq Awards & Honors

o Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari conferred the "Pt. Haridutt Sharma Award" in the field of journalism, writing and social services to Anurradha Prasad, the editor-in- chief of News-24 Channel today. o In the memory of Pt. Haridutt Sharma, a renowned journalist and eminent writer., this annual award is given in the field of journalism, writing and social services for the outstanding contribution in their respective field. o This award consists of cash prize of Rs. 51000/-, citation, trophy, shawl and souvenir. People in News

o An Egyptian court today sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsi to death over his part

in a mass prison break that took place during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

o Morsi is already serving a 20-year prison term for ordering the arrest and torture of protesters while in power. o Note : Morsi was Egypt's first freely elected president. o A US jury has sentenced Boston bomberDzhokhar Tsarnaev to death by lethal injection. o Three people were killed and 260 were injured when Tsarnaev, now 21, and his brother placed bombs at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon in 2013. New Appointments

o The government today appointed M J Joseph as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in the Ministry of Finance. o Joseph, a 1979 batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, was the Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). o He succeeds Jawahar Thakur (ICAS-1979) who has been appointed as OSD (Accounting Reforms) in the office of CGA. Sports

o Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis reclaimed the number one spot in the teams ranking after reaching the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia today. o They won titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Charleston Doubles titles this year. Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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International Affairs

o An Egyptian court today sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsi to death over his part

in a mass prison break that took place during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

o Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is undertaking his first visit to China as Prime Minister, reached the ancient city of Xi'an this morning and was accorded a grand welcome. o Modi holds Summit level talks withChinese President Xi Jinping in Xi'an today. o They both discussed border issue and trade imbalance among others. o Note : India and China are likely to sign over 20 business agreements during Modi’s visit o The US House of Representatives today voted overwhelmingly to end the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records, a controversial programme made public in 2013 by former security contractor Edward Snowden. o The US House of Representatives has passed the Freedom Act, replacing thecontroversial Patriot Act. National Affairs

o In order to check the steep decline in ground water level across Maharashtra, the state government has decided to ban digging of borewells beyond 200 feetand violators will face fine or even imprisonment in case of repeated offence. o The decision comes in the wake of big farmers and private players resorting to digging new borewells on agriculture land due to water scarcity during summer. o Note : The move is part of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' ambitious water conservation project-- 'Jalayukta Shivar Yojana'-- that promises to make 5,000 villages in the state drought-free in one year. o The Supreme Court today upheld land acquisition that was done in Noida and Greater Noida by the respective local authorities between 2006 and 2009, bringing relief to thousands of home buyers but dealing a blow to farmers. o The apex court dismissed all petitions that were filed against land acquisition in the area by farmers and said that no land will be returned back. o The Supreme Court today dismissed a batch of petitions filed by various telecom companies, including Vodafone and Bharti Airtel, seeking extension of their spectrum licences. o The telecom operators had challenged the government’s decision to reject their applications for extension of their licenses and auction the spectrum surrendered by them. New Appointments

o Harbhajan Kaur Dheer, an Indian-origin councillor woman has became the first Asian woman elected mayor of Ealing Council in London. People in News

o The Supreme Court today indicted former CBI director Ranjit Sinha for meeting coal block allocation scam accused at his Delhi residence privately and held that he must be investigated to gauge its impact on the probe. Science & Technology o The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is planning to set up an information technology wing to face the rising security challenges coming from the cyber world, Governor Raghuram Rajan announced today. o Note : Last month, Rajan got an e-mail threat from the dreaded terror group Islamic State of the Levant and Iraq. Deaths

o Noted Bengali writer Suchitra Bhattacharya (65) passed away. o Known for her sensitive portrayal of urban, social and feminist issues through her novels, many of her works have been adapted into films, including Dahan , based on the stigmatisation and helplessness of a rape survivor, made into aNational Award winning film by late Rituparno Ghosh. o Some of her acclaimed works include Hemanter Pakhi , Kachher Manush , Aleek Shukh , Icche and Kacher Dewal besides several other short stories. Business & Economy

o Government clears several proposals of defense acquisition. o The government cleared the lone bid of Airbus-Tata consortium for replacing Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) fleet of ageing Avro transport aircraft for Rs.11,930 crore besides approving Russia’s offer to build Kamov Ka-226T helicopters under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. o The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which met in New Delhi, also cleared the proposal to convert two Boeing 777-300 ER for VVIP travel. o Other major proposals cleared in the meeting, chaired by defence minister Manohar Parrikar, included six new BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems for the Indian Navy worth Rs.2,700 crore and acquisition of 145 pieces of M777 Ultra-Light Howitzers from the US under a government to government deal. International Affairs

o At least 47 people have been killed and 20 others injured after a passenger bus carrying members of the minority Ismaili Shia community was attacked by gunmen on motorcycles in Pakistan's Karachi today. o Some leaflets found at the site of the attack claimed it had been perpetrated by the Daulatul Islamiyyah Baaqiya, an Islamic State-inspired group. o Also, terror-tracking website Site Intel Group tweeted that Khorasan Province,a division of the Islamic State (IS) in the Afghan-Pakistan region, claimed credit for the deadly attack. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leave for a Three Nation (China, Mongolia and South Korea) Six-day visit shortly. o During this visit, he is going to ink Several agreements, including in the field of trade and tourism. o Highlights of the Visit : . China (14-16) . PM will land in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province and the hometown of President Xi Jinping. . The two leaders will hold a summit meeting, and later Modi will visit places of cultural interest in Xi'an. . Mangolia (17-18) . Modi will be in Mongolia on May 17. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister. . He will present a sapling of the Bodhi tree to the chief abbot of the Gandan Monastery in Ulan Bator. . He will then meet Mongolian Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbileg for talks during which several agreements are set to be inked. . In a special gesture, the Mongolian parliament will be opened on a holiday (Sunday) for the first time to allow Modi to address lawmakers in Ulan Bator. . Modi will also meet President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. . They will ink agreements in the field of cyber security, an air services agreement and in cooperation in traditional systems of medicine. . Mongolia is marking its 25th anniversary of becoming a democracy and Buddhism is a major point of linkage. . South Korea (18-19) . He will lay a wreath at the Seoul National Cemetery. . He will attend a reception by the Indian community, during which 1,500 members will be present. . He will hold talks with President Park Geun- hye. . A number of agreements are to be inked. . On May 19, Modi and Park are to attend the 6th Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul. . Modi will also meet CEOs and visit the Hyundai shipbuilding yard at Ulsan. . In Seoul, among the agreements to be inked are in the field of trade, shipping, logistics and in double taxation avoidance and new energy. National Affairs

o A bill to deal with black money stashed abroad was passed by Parliament today. o The Bill allows imposition of a steep 120 percent of tax and penalty on undisclosed foreign assets and income besides a jail term of up to 10 years to deal with black money stashed abroad. o Before the new law comes into effect, a limited period window will be provided to people to declare their till now undisclosed income and assets, pay 30 percent tax and a similar amount as penalty and escape prosecution. o The Bill will put in strong deterrent for those who do not come clean in a one-time window being provided under the law and declared unaccounted foreign wealth. o India and other G-20 members have committed to a global framework on automatic information exchange. . It will also receive information on assets held by its citizens from the US under FATCA. o The Supreme Court today lifted its embargo and allowed the Centre to go ahead with the appointment of Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and a Vigilance Commissioner from the list of candidates shortlisted by it. o The two posts have been lying vacant for past few months and the apex court had on December 17, 2014 asked the Centre to take its prior “leave” before going ahead with the appointment for which 10 candidates each have been shortlisted after scrutinizing 130 applications received in response to the advertisement issued in this regard. o Supreme Court bans pictures of political leaders in government advertisements. o The Court has stated that government ads can feature pictures of only the Prime Minister, the President, and the Chief Justice of India only. o The verdict applies to the frequent ads that are placed by the centre and state governments to publicize schemes. . Note : Today's ruling means that Chief Ministers and Governors cannot feature in government ads. o The court has also appointed a committee of three members to ensure that the new guidelines are not violated. o In Andhra Pradesh, a 15-member State-level Steering Committee constituted to coordinate the activities at the apex level to realise the State’s vision of being one among the best three states in the country by 2022 and the best State by 2029. o Chairman : Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. o Haryana Govt to going to set up a high powered commission of enquiry to investigate the land deals in Haryana during the Bhupinder Singh Huda (congress) rule. o This commission to be headed by a retired judge, it will focus especially on the cases involving Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra. New Appointments

o Achal Kumar Jyoti, a former Chief Secretary of Gujarat during Narendra Modi's tenure as Chief Minister, today took over as the new Election Commissioner, filling one of the two vacancies in the three-member body. o Indian-origin Daniel Mookhey today became the first politician in Australia to be sworn in on the Gita when he took oath in New South Wales Parliament. o Note : Mookhey was elected by the Labor to replace Steve Whan in the New South Wales Upper House, making him the state's first politician of Indian background. o Bharti AXA General Insurance has announced the appointment of Deepak Iyer(currently managing director — Indian subcontinent at Wrigley India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Mars Inc) as its new chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD). o Iyer is expected to come on board by the end of June and will take charge from Milind Chalisgaonkar, interim CEO and MD, after receipt of regulatory approvals by the company. Awards & Honors

o Kolkata-born writer Neel Mukherjee's "The Lives of Others" has won the UK'sEncore Award for the best second novel. Business & Economy

o The Union Cabinet today approved new urea policy and fixed subsidy rate of phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for 2015. o In the new urea policy, the government is considering measures for boosting urea production by making plants more energy efficient. o The policy will also provide framework for balanced use of fertilisers. The correct proportion in which Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) should be used is 4:2:1. o A day after the Centre released its consolidated FDI policy, the Delhi governmenttoday said it will not allow entry of foreign direct investment in the capital's retail sector, saying that it will be detrimental to the interests of traders in the city. o Google Inc. is going to build its biggest campus outside the US in Hyderabad at an investment of Rs.1,000 crore. o The 2 million square feet facility, the Internet giant’s first company-owned campus in Asia, will house 13,000 employees when it is ready in 2019. o Telangana's information minister K.T. Rama Rao, who is on an official visit to the US, signed this agreement with Google Inc. o Under this agreement, the state government will allocate the company 7.2 acres in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli locality. International Affairs

o A major earthquake (7.4 magnitude)has struck eastern Nepal, near Mount Everest, two weeks after more than 8,000 people died in a devastating quake. o At least 37 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured. o Tremors also felt in North and Eastern parts of India, and at least 16 killed in Bihar. o The first International Day of Yogawould be celebrated at the historic National Mall of Washington on June 21st featuring yoga demonstrations by experts and Indian dance and music, Indian envoy to the US Arun K Singh has said today. o This event is being organized by the Indian Embassy in the US in association with the 'Friends of Yoga', o British Prime Minister David Cameron forms first all- Conservative Cabinet in nearly 20 years. o Note : The newly re-elected British prime minister appoints Indian-origin MP Priti Patel as new Employment Minister.

National Affairs

o Today (12th May) is International Nurses Day. o Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing, was born on May 12, 1820 and hence this day is celebrated as International Nurses Day all over the world to mark the contributions nurses make to society. o President Pranab Mukherjee today presented theNational Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 nursing professionals on the eve of International Nurses Day. o The Health Ministry had instituted the awards in 1973 as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services of nurses. o Until 2014 a total of 306 nurses were decorated with this award. This year, 35 nursing personnel are conferred with these awards. o The Award carries Rs 50,000 cash, a certificate, a citation certificate and a medal. o Health Minister : J P Nadda o Worried over depleting groundwater levels in the national capital, National Green Tribunal (NGT) today imposed hefty fines on five-star hotels, malls and hospitals for not installing proper rainwater harvesting systems in their premises. o NGT Chairperson : Justice Swatanter Kumar Awards & Honors

o Sivanadane Mandjiny, An Indian-American Chemistry Professor at the University of North Carolina (US) has been named the University of North Carolina Pembroke’s recipient of the UNC Board of Governors 2015 Award for Excellence in Teaching. o Annually, the Board of Governors names one professor at each of the 17 UNC campuses to receive the award. o The award winners will collect a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize.

Science & Technology o Preparations for Chandrayaan-2, the second lunar exploration mission of the country, is progressing well and is expected to be ready for launch by 2017, Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Space Physics Laboratory, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has said today.

Business & Economy

o Leading global rating agency Moody's today said that India's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by a solid 7.5 percent in the current financial year, the highest among G20 economies, aided by reforms and cheap crude oil prices.

Deaths

o Ananta Bijoy Das, a secular blogger from north-eastern bangladesh, has been hacked to death in the country's third such deadly attack since the start of the year. o Mr Das wrote blogs for Mukto-Mona, a website once moderated by Avijit Roy, himself hacked to death in February this year. New Appointments

o President of India appoints Governors in 6 states o Former Odisha Minister Droupadi Murmu will be the new Governor of Jharkhand. o She will replace Dr Syed Ahmed who has been transfered to Manipur for remaining period of his term. o Mr J P Rajkhowa has appointed as the new Governor of Arunachal Pradeshwho will replace Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma who has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the remainder of his term. o Tathagata Roy will be the Governor of Tripura. o V. Shanmuganthan has been appointed as Meghalaya Governor. o National Human Rights Commission Member Justice Cyriac Joseph was today authorized to act as the Chairperson of the Commission until the appointment of a new Chairperson in place of Justice K.G. Balakrishnan who has completed his tenure. o Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the National Safety Council (NSC). o He takes over the Chairmanship from Venu Srinivasan, who steered the workings of the Council since July 2011. o Note : The National Safety Council is the apex body set up by the Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment, to generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on safety, health and environment at the national level. International Affairs

o President Pranab Mukherjee, currently on his four-day official visit to Russia, has inaugurated a festival of Indian Culture 'Namaste Russia' in Moscow. National Affairs

o Today (11th May) is National Technology Day. o We observe this day to celebrate India’s achievements in science and technology and to commemorate the anniversary of Shakti, the Pokhran nuclear test, held on May 11, 1998. o The government today introduced the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 in Lok Sabha, amid a huge uproar by the opposition. o The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was also introduced in the Lok Sabha. o The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets bill, which provides for heavy penalties for those stashing away black money in foreign accounts, was passed in the Lok Sabha today. o This bill provides a window to those with funds abroad to come clean by paying tax, interest and penalty. o For those who refuse to do so, the bill has provisions for rigourous punishment, including a jail term of 3-10 years. New Appointments

o Eminent banker K V Kamath was today appointed as headof the USD 100 billion New Development Bank, which is being set up by the five emerging economies of BRICS grouping. o Important Points to Note : . The BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China andSouth Africa - agreed to set up the $100 billion development bank last July to be based in Shanghai. . As per the agreement, India got the right to nominate the first president. . It would be headed by an Indian for a first five- year term, followed by a Brazilian and then a Russian. o Outgoing chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), senior Congress leader K V Thomas, has been renominated to the post for a second term. o Note : The PAC examines CAG reports after they are tabled in Parliament. People in News

o In a major victory for AIADMK, a special Bench of the Karnataka High Court set aside the trial court order convicting former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case. o In September 2014, she was sentenced to four years in prison and a Rs.100-crore fine was imposed. o She is expected to be sworn in as chief minister on 17 May. o A Hyderabad court today granted bail to Satyam Computers founder B Ramalinga Raju and 9 others in the multi-crore rupee accounting fraud. o The court has suspended their sentence. Science & Technology

o Minister of Communication and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched "PostInfo"IndiaPost's Mobile App in New Delhi today. Sports

o Andy Murray wins Madrid Masters Men's Singles Title defeating Rafael Nadal. National Affairs

o J&K govt sets up single window to permit shooting Bollywood movies in state. o According to this system, the Bollywood film shoots in Kashmir locales will not be charged and the film shooting proposals will be cleared within seven days time period. o Amidst reports pointing at the discolouration of Taj Mahal, a parliamentary panel has recommended that a "multi- pronged" strategy be adopted to preserve the "pristine beauty" of the monument and asked the Archeological Survey of India to submit at the earliest an action plan for the same. o The committee took note of a study conducted by two IIT, Kanpur, scientists which states that discolouration of Taj Mahal was taking place due to particulate carbon and dust deposits arising from combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. o Head of this Committee : Ashwani Kumar (former Union Minister) International Affairs

o Mother’s Day is being celebrated today.

o The celebration of Mother's Day began in the United States in the early 20th century o Yemen’s Houthi rebels have announced that they had agreed to a five-day cease-fire proposed by Saudi Arabia that would allow humanitarian relief supplies to be delivered to the country, according to statements carried by a Houthi news agency. o China has significantly increased its defence budget which is now more than three times that of India. o The Pentagon says that China's official defence budget last year was 136.3 billion dollars while that of India was 38.2 billion dollars. o China has significantly increased its defence budget over the past several decades and now has reached a position to pose threat to the American national security interest in the region. o Note : China is exporting arms to Pakistan, which is its top importer. Awards & Honors

o Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today conferred the prestigiousDadasaheb Phalke Award on veteran actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor. o Shashi Kapoor's best known performances are in the films "Satyam Shivam Sundaram", "Trishul", "Kabhi Kabhie", "Vijeta" and "Kalyug", o Important Points to Note : . Shashi Kapoor is the 46th Dada Saheb Phalke Award Winner . Shashi Kapoor is the 3rd person to receive the prestigious award from the same family. . Prithviraj Kapoor - 1971 . Raj Kapoor - 1987 . Shashi Kapoor - 2015 Science & Technology

o India has successfully test-fired an advanced version of the BrahMos land-attack cruise missile from the Car Nicobar Islands. o This test, the 48th test firing of the missile, met all flight parameters, including high-level manoeuvres. Sports o Ace Indian discus thrower Vikas Gowda won Gold Medal in the Jamaican International Invitation meet in Kingston. o National record holder Kamalpreet Singh won Gold medal in the men's hammer throw event with 69.61m at the Sacramento State Open in United States. o The India and Pakistan cricket boards have agreed to resume bilateral cricket ties. o The Pakistan Cricket Board chief, Shahryar Khan, made the announcement in the presence of the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Jagmohan Dalmiya today. o The PCB chairman said the UAE was ready to host a series, which will include three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s. Intnational Affairs

o Russia today staged a grand military parade at Moscow to commemorate theVictory day (70th anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany during the 2nd World War) in the presence of several world leaders, including President Pranab Mukherjee. o Nearly 10,000 soldiers, including an Indian Army contingent and China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), took part in the Victory Day parade at the iconic Red Square which lasted for over 90 minutes. o Note : The western powers boycotted the event due to a stand-off over Ukraine. o Russian President : Vladimir Putin o Prime Minister : Dmitry Medvedev o Capital : Moscow o Currency : Ruble National Affairs

o Nation Pays Tributes to the great social reformer and freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his 149th Birth Anniversary. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three social security schemes in West Bengal today. o Note : This is Narendra Modi's first visit to West Bengal after becoming Prime Minister. o The schemes - which include accident insurance, life insurance and a pension plan -- target the people from the economically deprived and the unorganised sections, who are neither covered by any form of insurance nor get any pension. o The Insurance Schemes are . Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (accident insurance) and . Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana (life insurance), o The Pension Scheme has been named after former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee asAtal Pension Yojana. o Four MoUs on Steel plant and & Railway Line signed during PM Narendra Modi's visit to Chhattisgarh o These MoUs worth Rs 24,000 crore were signed at Dantewada. o The MoUs signed were, o MoU between Government of Chhattisgarh, NMDC, IRCON and SAIL for 140 km rail line between Rowghat and Jagdalpur. Estimated project cost: Rs 2,000 crore. o MoU between Ministry of Steel, Government of Chhattisgarh, SAIL and NMDCfor 3 million ton Ultra Mega Steel Plant with an investment of approximately Rs 18,000 crore. o MoU between Government of Chhattisgarh and NMDC for Slurry Pipeline and 2MTPA Pellet Plant at Nagarnar in Bastar District with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. o MoU between Government of Chhattisgarh and SAIL for setting up 1MTPA Pellet Plant at Dalli- Rajhara, Balod District with an investment of Rs 826 crore. o The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today ordered that every household in Delhi, irrespective of whether they have a sewerage connection, pay a monthly "environmental compensation" which is directly proportional to their property tax or water bill, whichever may be higher. o The fund created from this compensation will be utilized to provide new sewage treatment plants (STPs) and other technology to clean up river Yamuna. People in News

o Mhairi Black, a 20 year girl has become Britain's youngest member of parliament since 1667 in a victory which symbolises an expected nationalist landslide in Scotland. o A record number of 10 Indian-origin candidates including Keith Vaz, Priti Patel and Infosys cofounder Narayana Murthy's son-in-law were elected to the British parliament.

New Appointments

o US President Barack Obama has nominated Sanjita Pradhan, an IIT alumni to his advisory commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Science & Technology

o Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel commissions INS Sardar Patel at Porbandar today. o This will help boost security of Gujarat's 1600-km coastline. o Navy chief : RK Dhowan o North Korea has announced that it had successfully test- fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) -- a technology that could eventually offer the nuclear-armed state a survivable second-strike capability. o North Korean leader : Kim Jong-Un National Affairs

o Punjab government has made a plan to provide facility of water supply, sewerage, sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs), streetlights, roads and parks inall the 165 towns by the end of 2016at a cost of 5000 crore rupees. o Chief Minister : Parkash Singh Badal o Governor : Kaptan Singh Solanki o Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch3 ambitious Social Security Schemes pertaining to the insurance and pension sectors tomorrow (9th May 2015) at Kolkata. o Those schemes are, . Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) . Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and . Atal Pension Yojana (APY) International Affairs

o Today is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.

o This day is an annual celebration of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's principles. o This year marks the 67th year of the celebration, which was first officially celebrated in 1948. o This year's Theme : "Power of Humanity: The Fundamental Principles in Action". o Important Note : The day is also the birth anniversary of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s founder Henry Dunant. . He won first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. o Conservative Party retains power in United Kingdom (UK). o British Prime Minister David Cameron swept to an unexpectedly strong victory with a majority in Parliament elections of United Kingdom. o Note : The Conservatives claimed a comfortable majority by taking 331 seatsin the 650-member Parliament, which means Cameron will not have to look for coalition partners as he puts together his new cabinet. Deaths

o Helicopter Crash in Pakistan (Naltar Valley) Kills 7 foreign diplomats. o Ambassador of Philippines Domingo D Lucenario Jr, Ambassador of Norway Leif Larsen and the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors were among those seven people killed. o Eminent historian, economist and social scientist Dr Amalendu Guha died today. o An author who wrote in English, Assamese and Bengali, Guha has several books to his credit including his most acclaimed book 'Planter Raj to Swaraj'. o Note : Guha, through a registered will in the year 2005, had donated his body to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital for research and pledged his eyes to Shankardev Nethralaya, Guwahati. New Appointments

o Achal Kumar Jyoti, a former Chief Secretary during the tenure of Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister, was today appointed as the Election Commissioner, filling one of the two vacancies in the three-member body. Awards & Honors

o West Bengal's Nadia district, which was declared as the first “open defecation free” district in the country, has won the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 in the category of improving delivery of public services. o Hooghly and Burdwan districts have bagged the second and third positions. o Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan also featured in the top 10 list of open defecation free districts. o President Pranab Mukherjee was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Moscow today by the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. o Note : The President is in Moscow to witness the Victory Day parade on Saturday, which marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Allied forces in the Second World War. Business & Economy o The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) today criticized the Telecom Ministry for giving Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm undue benefit of over Rs 3,367 crore by allowing it to provide voice calling on broadband spectrum. Sports

o Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova defeats Sharapova after seven years to reach in Madrid Open final. International Affairs

o India signed an agreement with Iran for the development of the strategically important Chabahar port which will give India sea-land access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan. o Indian road transport and highways minister : Nitin Gadkari o Iranian President : Hassan Rouhani o US hands over to Pakistan 14 combat aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel carriers. o The arms were earlier used by American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. o India had in the past opposed the transfer of such arms to Pakistan as it believes Islamabad would eventually use the fighter jets against it. o India has slipped to 140th rank in an annual Global Mother's Index, analysing the world's best places to be a mother. o This Index measures countries on four indicators of moms’ wellbeing: risk of maternal death; under-five mortality rate; expected number of years of formal schooling; the gross national income per capita and participation of women in government. o In 2014, India was 137th out of 178 countries in the global mother’s index.

National Affairs

o Nation pays tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his 154th birth anniversarytoday.

o Parliament gave its approval to the 100th Constitution Amendment Bill to settle the 41-year old boundary dispute between India and Bangladesh. o The bill stipulates redrawing India’s boundary with Bangladesh by exchanging enclaves in Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya. o Lok Sabha passes Juvenile Justice Bill which permits juveniles between 16-18 years to be tried as adults for heinous crimes. o Highlights of the Bill . The bill permits juveniles between the ages of 16- 18 years to be tried as adults for heinous offences. . Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees would be constituted in each district. . The juvenile justice board will conduct a preliminary inquiry to determine whether a juvenile offender is to be sent for rehabilitation or be tried as an adult and the child welfare committee will determine institutional care for children in need of care and protection. . Eligibility of adoptive parents and the procedure for adoption have been included in the bill. . Penalties for cruelty against a child, offering a narcotic substance to a child, and abduction or selling a child have been prescribed. o Government has asked the Universities to include a column for transgender category in all application forms, academic testimonials and other relevant documents. o Supreme Court in its judgement in 2014 had directed that eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as third gender for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under under the Constitution. o The union cabinet has approved amendments to the Whistlebowers Protection Act, 2011 aimed at strengthening safeguards against disclosures which may affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country. o The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. o The Gujarat High Court today ordered shutting down of 67 sandmining activities units which continued to operate without renewing their leases in the Gir sanctuary which is the only abode of Asiatic lions. o The order came after the Gujarat forest department submitted that the 67 units would not be given 'No Objection Certificates (NOC)' to mine on the banks of the Shetrunji river in the Gir Sanctuary area. Business & Economy

o Indian rupee hits 20 months' low of 64.23 against US dollar. international Affairs

o President Pranab Mukherjee is leaving tomorrow on a four days tour of Russia, to take part in the Victory Day celebrations that mark the victory of allied forces in the Second World War. o Note : The 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade will take place in Red Square in Moscow on 9th May 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945. o South Arabia will host a meeting of Syrian opposition groups fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. o The main intention of this meeting is to stress the need for a political settlement in Syria. o French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian met Defense Minister Manohar Parikar to begin negotiations for the 36 Rafale fighter jets o This trip of Drian follows the 14th edition of the "Varuna" exercise between Indian and French Navies, conducted from April 28 to May 2, off India's western coast with the carrier battle groups of the two countries. o The United States has authorized commercial ferry services to Cuba for the first time in more than a half- century (5 decades), in a major step in improving relations between the two countries. o This adds to the charter air services that had been permitted until now, focused on enabling Cuban- Americans to visit their families. o The ferries will also be allowed to carry cargo to the communist island of 11 million, which sits just 150km off the southern tip of Florida. National Affairs

o Lok Sabha passes the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. o The bill seeks to carry out new indirect tax regime, that will subsume various central and state levies like sales tax, excise and service tax except taxes on the supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption and petroleum products. o Once adopted, it can dramatically alter tax administration in a one-shot solution by replacing a string of central and local levies such as excise, value added tax and octroi into a single unified tax to lower commercial barriers that impede ease of doing business. o The government plans to introduce GST from April 1, 2016. o Government today announced that there is no proposal for creation of separate zone for Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu & Kashmir. o This puts to rest the controversy surrounding recent reports that government was planning to build composite townships for Kashmir pandits in the Valley. o The union cabinet today gave its approval to operationalising three social sector schemes -

Atal Pension Yojna (APY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and thePradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). o Rajya Sabha today unanimously passed a historic bill to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh that provides for exchange of territories to settle the 41-year border issue. o The Constitution 119th Amendment Bill, which will allow the operationalization of the 1974 India- Bangladesh Land Boundary agreement, was passed with full support from 181 members. The bill will be taken up by Lok Sabha tomorrow. o Maharashtra government today decided to bring down the crop loss percentage, which is crucial in awarding compensation to farmers whose crop is hit by natural calamities, to 33 per cent from existing 50 per cent. o The state cabinet also raised the amount of compensation by 50 per cent. o The Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill 2014, A bill which seeks to reduce workload of the Delhi High Court by transfering thousands of civil suits valued up to Rs 2 crore to the 11 district courts in Delhi was passed in Rajya Sabha today. o This bill will not only reduce the burden from Delhi High Court but lead to "speedy" disposal of cases helping the litigants. o Note : At present, all suits above Rs 20 lakh are heard by the High Court. o Law Minister : D V Sadananda Gowda

Science & Technology

o A proposal for building GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 communication satellitessupporting telecommunication, television services and in-orbit back-up received the Government's approval today. o The GSAT-17 and the GSAT-18 spacecraft project, cleared by the Union Cabinet, will be built at a cost of Rs 1,013.2 crore and 1,022 crore respectively. . They weigh 3,425 kg each. o The GSAT-18 spacecraft will provide replacement capacity supporting the existing television, telecommunication, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and VSAT services in the country. o The GSAT-17 satellite, on the other hand, will offer similar services and some additional features such as in-orbit back up. Its footprint would cover the entire mainland India. o Microsoft India today unveiled Edu-Cloud, a cloud computing-based offering, designed to offer digital learning and teaching in schools and higher educational institutions through virtual learning platforms in India. o Microsoft India Chairman : Bhaskar Pramanik. People in News

o A Mumbai court sentences Bollywood Actor Salman Khan for five years imprisonment in 2002 hit and run case. o The Mumbai High court grants him two days interim bail. National Affairs

o The Union Cabinet today approvedConstitution 119th Amendment Billon the land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh. o Under the pact, India and Bangladesh will exchange several enclaves which are under each other's adverse possession. o The bill was placed in the Rajya Sabha in 2013 and subsequently referred to a select committee, headed by Shashi Tharoor of Congress, which unanimously recommended implementation of the deal. o Rajasthan medical and health minister Rajendra Rathore has inaugurated acow-urine refinery at Jalore. o The refinery will prepare cow-urine extract for use in the formulation of various products. o Rajasthan has bagged first place in country in matter of free admission under Right to Education. o Rajasthan has also topped in reimbursement of school fee under RTE in the country. o State Education Minister : Vaudev Devnani

International Affairs

o Today (first Tuesday of May) is World Asthma Day.

o This day is recognized and observed by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. o This year's Theme : You can control your Asthma o Important Points to Note : . The inaugural World Asthma Day was held in 1998. . In 2014, World Asthma day was observed on 6th May. . In 2015, World Asthma day is being observed on 5th May. . In 2016, World Asthma day will be observed on 3rd May. . In 2017, World Asthma day will be observed on 2nd May. o Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a three-nation official visit to China, Mongolia and South Korea from 14th to 19th May 2015. o China visit (14th to 16th): . Modi will visit Xian, Beijing and Shanghai from May 14-16. . He will hold bilateral meetings with the country's leadership and participate in cultural and business events. . He will also attend an event organised by the Indian community in China. o Mongolia visit (17th) . This is the first ever visit by an Indian prime minister to Mongolia. o Republic of Korea visit (18th to 19th May) . He will hold bilateral discussions with President Park Geun-hye and meet with important business leaders in Seoul.

People in News

o Britain’s Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have named their newborn daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, a choice that honours the baby’s late grandmother Princess Diana and her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth. Deaths

o Lu Ping (88), the feisty Chinese diplomat who led negotiations over the handover of Hong Kong and warned that the territory’s last British governor would be “condemned through the ages”, has died today. o Michael Blake, the writer whose novel "Dances With Wolves" became a major hit movie and earned him an Academy Award for the screenplay, has died today. o Note : "Dances With Wolves," a Civil War epic about Army lieutenant who befriends a Native American tribe, won seven Academy Awards, including one for Blake for best adapted screenplay. Business & Economy o IT major Infosys has asked the West Bengal government to either give SEZ status to the company’s proposed software development centre at Rajarhat or repay the money it has given in advance for the land. o The previous Left Front government had promised the company that it would give SEZ status to Infosys for starting the project which had the prospect of creating 15,000 jobs. o This was supposed to be the first Infosys centre in the state. o Rajasthan Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)with National Health Mission (NHM), UNICEF and GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) in Jaipur to tackle the severe problem of malnourishment of the state. o Initially, 1000 children will be benifited by this programme which is going to be implemented in 13 districts. o Permanent Account Number (PAN) has been made mandatory for private firms seeking central excise registration. o The registration will now be given within two days of filing online applications, as per the new simplified rules formed by the Finance Ministry "to improve the ease in doing business in manufacturing". o Note : Government departments are exempted from the requirement of quoting PAN in their online application. Sports

o Team India's Bangladesh tour schedule announced. o India is going to play one test and three One day internationals beginning from 10th June 2015. International Affairs

o International Firefighters' Day is being observed today. o It was instituted after proposal emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999 due to the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a wildfire in Australia. o May 4 used to be a traditional Firefighters' Day in many European countries, because it is the day of Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters. National Affairs

o The Punjab government today constituted a five member committee to give recommendations for ensuring the safety of women passengers in the public transport system across the state. o The committee comprising state Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Principal Secretary (Transport), Secretary Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes and Additional Director General of Police (Traffic) would assess the ground realities for suggesting ways and means to ensure the safety of the passengers, especially women, commuting in the public transport system. o The committee has been asked to submit its report within a month. o The International Buddha Poornima Diwas 2015 was celebrated today.

o The programme is organized by the International Buddhist Confederation with the support of Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Deaths

o Former Union minister and veteran Congress leader Baleshwar Ram passed away. o A five-term MLA from various assembly constituencies since 1952, Ram had served in ministerial capacity in various Congress governments in Bihar in 1960s and 1970s. o He was elected to Lok Sabha from Rosera constituency in 1980 and went to serve in the Indira Gandhi government as the Union minister. o Acclaimed crime writer Ruth Rendell (85) has passed away o Her best-known creation was Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford, whose first book in the series 'Doon with Death,' was published in 1964, followed by over 20 more, and it was even made into a highly successful TV series starring George Baker. Awards & Honors

o The UN's cultural body today awarded its annual press freedom prize to Mazen Darwish, a Syrian journalist and rights activist who has been jailed by the regime for more than three years. o Darwish was arrested on February 16, 2012 along with Hani Zaitani and Hussein Ghreir, his colleagues at the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression. Sports

o Railway Sports Promotion Board win 5th National women hockey championship title defeating Jharkhand. o Gujarat's Maniram Patel claimed gold in the men's 20 km walk in the 19th Federation Cup senior athletics championship. o Kuldeep of Tata Motors and Ankit Kumar Kumar of Indian Navy came second and third respectively. o India's top shooters win three gold and two bronze medals at the International Shooting Competition at Hanover in Germany. o The tournament, held at the National Shooting Center in the German city, featured more than 1000 shooters from around the world. o Abhinav Bindra won both the individual and team gold in his pet 10m air rifle event. o Chain Singh won gold in 50m men's rifle. o Gagan Narang won the bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event. o Apurvi Chandela won a bronze medal in women's air rifle event. International Affairs

o World Laughter day is being observed today (first Sunday of May). o The first World Laughter Day was observed on 10th January 1998, in Mumbai, India. o This day was arranged by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. o World Press Freedom Day is being observed today. o This Day gives people the chance to pay tribute to media professionals who risked or lost their lives in the line of duty.

o This year, the global theme to mark this day is "Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media" which focuses on safety of journalists‚ the issue of impunity‚ and online safety. o Note : There is also a special focus on the implementation of UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. o India today welcomed UNSC’s assurance of taking up the issue of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi’s release at its next meeting, and questioned Pakistan’s “sincerity” in the matter. o Tunisians have unfurled a national flag the size of 19 football pitches in a bid to set a Guinness world record and promote patriotism in the face of Islamist extremism. o Tunisian President : Beji Caid Essebsi o Tunisian Prime Minister : Habib Essid o Nepal seeks UNESCO help to assess damage to monuments. o Apart from the colossal loss of life, over 200 historical monuments have also been badly damaged in the Nepal earthquake, including some world heritage structures in the capital, forcing the country to approach UNESCO to assess the overall destruction to the buildings. Deaths

o One of Russian ballet’s most iconic dancers, Maya Plisetskaya (89) has died of a heart attack in Germany. o Philip S. Goodman, a film, television and stage writer and director passed away at New York. o He is famous for the episodes of the 1950s and 1960s TV shows such as “Profiles in Courage”, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, and “Johnny Staccato”. o He directed the 1963 feature “We Shall Return”, which centred on anti-Castro Cuban fighters in Miami and starred Cesar Romero. Science & Technology

o India has sought assistance from Japan on the latest technologies andexpertise to tackle cyber criminals in Internet espionage, cyber terrorism and stealing personal as well as critical data. o Last week, officials from the Ministry of Telecom and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) met with a visiting top Japanese trade delegation led by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa. o Both sides discussed how the two countries can join hands to check cyber crime. o The major area of focus was technologies that can help in securing the flow of information on the Internet as well as protect critical government data on cloud. o India has also asked Japan to help it with technologies that can check hackers and network intrusions, the source added. Awards & Honors

o President Pranabh Mukherjee presented the 62nd National Film Awards in in a glittering ceremony at New Delhi today. o Best Actress : Kangana Ranaut for Queen o Best Acto r: Vijay Kumar B for Kannada film Nanu Avanalla Avalu o Dada Saheb Phalke award : Shashi Kapoor o Best feature film : Marathi film Court o Best popular film : Mary Kom o Best Directo r: Srijit Mukherji for Bengali film Chotushkone. o Best Children's film : Jointly bagged by Tamil Film Kaakkaa Muttai and Marathi film Elizabeth Ekadashi. Business & Economy

o In a major restructuring exercise, Aditya Birla Group today announced merger of all its branded apparel businesses into one entity, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, through an all-share deal. o The new entity will have a combined turnover of Rs 5,290 crore and a retail network of 1,869 exclusive stores, becoming the largest pure play fashion company in the country. Sports

o American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. wins unified World Welterweight titledefeating Manny Pacquiao of Philippines. International Affairs

o U.S. Secretary of State John Kerryarrived in Sri Lanka today to offer support for newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena after years of tensions with the former government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa over human rights. o It is the first time in a decade that a U.S. secretary of state has visited Sri Lanka. o Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday condemned the waving of Pakistani flags at Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s rally and said he was confident that the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government would rise to the occasion and take steps to ensure such incidents do not recur. National Affairs

o 94th birth anniversary of Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray is being observed today.

o The Centre will invest a whopping 20 thousand crore rupees in the road sector for the North East this year. o Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said that the government is committed to develop the infra sector of the region. o He said, his ministry has set a target of constructing 30 kilometer roads every day across the country within 2 years from 12 kilometers at present. o The government has removed a duty free import scheme for raw sugar, a move aimed at curbing supplies from overseas. o “Import of raw sugar under Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA)scheme is withdrawn with immediate effect,” Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification. o The scheme has been withdrawn also to prevent leakages in domestic markets. o Note : Under the scheme, refiners were allowed to import raw sugar, which had to be processed and then exported. o New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been adjudged theworld’s best airport for the year 2014, under the category of handling 25 to 40 million passengers per annum. o Airports Council International (ACI) presented the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award to IGIA at a ceremony of the ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly in Jordan. o The Delhi airport scored 4.90 on a scale of 5 points measured by 300 members of the ACI ASQ benchmarking programme. o Note : IGIA bettered its ranking from second position for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 to emerge on top in 2014. o In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States, a new five- lakh rupees Accident Insurance Scheme for transport drivers has been introduced. o The scheme came into force yesterday coinciding with the May Day. o About 11 lakh transport drivers and journalists in the two Telugu speaking states will be benefited under the programme. o About 16 thousand Home Guards in Telangana will also be benefited by the scheme. o Note : The two states will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with an insurer to bear the additional amount of three lakh rupees insurance cover, over and above the two lakh rupees cover that the Central Government provide through the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. o Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh : Chandra Babu Naidu o Chief Minister of Telangana : Chandra Sekhar Rao New Appointments

o Senior IPS officer Surender Singh has been appointed as the new chief of central paramilitary force CISF. o Singh, a 1980-batch police officer of West Bengal cadre, is at present serving as a Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and will take over the new charge as incumbent Director General Arvind Ranjan. Awards & Honors

o The Order Of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, Japan's highest civillian award was conferred on eminent scientist CNR Rao for his outstanding contributions to Science and Indo-Japan Science cooperation. o The emperor of Japan conferred the award upon the Bharat Ratna awardee. o Mr Rao has received the highest civilian award from several nations and is an elected member of almost all scientific academies across the globe. o He had also worked as the Chief Science Advisor to Prime Ministers of India. o The renowned scientist, has published more than 1600 research papers and authored about 50 books. o Dr Prannoy Roy, Executive Co-Chairman of NDTV Group, has been awarded the2015 RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Journalism for his consistent and pioneering contribution to news television in India. o PresidentMukherjee will present 62nd National Film Awards including Dada Saheb Phalke Award tomorrow. o Check complete winners list of 62nd National Film Awards from here. o Senior DRDO scientist G Satheesh Reddy, who played a critical role in the Agni 5 programme, has been conferred the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Institute of Navigation, a first for an Indian. o Reddy, Director, Research Centre Imarat of DRDO, has been recognised for his work in the field of inertial and satellite-based navigation and avionics technologies. Sports

o Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy awarded the Gold Medal for Merit to tennis star Rafael Nadal. o Nadal was one of the winners of this award, decided last June 13, but he could not pick it up at the ceremony in November because he was still recovering from his recent appendectomy operation. International Affairs

o International Labour Day being celebrated through out the country today. o The date was chosen for International Workers' Day by the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago on 4 May 1886. o This Day has its origins in thelabour union movement,specifically the Eight-Hour Day Movement. . Note : Eight-Hour Day Movement advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. o India today rejected outright the stand by Pakistan that creation of any “devoted” townships in Kashmir Valley for displaced Kashmiri Pandits would change the demographic make-up of the state and be in violation of UN resolutions. o In a forceful assertion, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated the Kashmiri Pandits together with Muslims and Sikhs are an integral a part of Jammu and Kashmir. o Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval are on a visit Kathmandu. o They directed all involved Indian agencies to carry relief and rescue operations in full swing. o Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked PM Narendra Modi for helping Israel in its rescue work in quake-hit Nepal. National Affairs

o Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi today greeted the people of Gujarat and Maharashtra on the foundation day of the two western states. o Gujarat . Established on : 1st May 1960 . Governor : Om Prakash Kohli . Chief Minister : Anandiben Patel o Maharashtra . Established on : 1st May 1960 . Governor : C. Vidyasagar Rao . Chief Minister : Devendra Fadnavis o Imoprtant Points to Note : . The state of Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed as a result of a movement according to the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 enacted by the Parliament of India on 25 April 1960. . This act came into effect on 1st May 1960.

o Mumbai State transport commissioner Mahesh Zagade today issued a circular banning the use of the phrase "Horn Ok Please" on the rear side of commercial vehicles, such as trucks and tempos, across Maharashtra. o Reason for the Ban : The phrase is giving licence to motorists to honk unnecessarily and there have been numerous complaints of excessive honking in silence zones such as near hospitals, schools and colleges. o Adilabad recorded a maximum temperature of 42.3 degree Celsius today, making it the hottest day in the season so far. o Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stressed on the need for a law to prevent money laundering. o He said that the target of the government is to make all international transactions transparent by 2017. o Note : New law on undisclosed income and assets abroad to be taken up in Parliament next week. o Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu today flagged off the phase one of Namma metro in Bangalore. People in News

o Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) today said it has ordered filing of FIR against e- commerce major Snapdeal.com’s CEO Kunal Bahl and directors of the company in a case related to alleged online sale of medicines, including prescription drugs. Science & Technology

o Wrapped under secretive ‘Project Spartan’ so far, Microsoft has unveiled Edge as itsnew web browser, which would eventually replace the existing Internet Explorer. o About Edge : This is lighter and faster than Internet Explorer and comes with new features like a built—in notation tool, a distraction—free reading mode, and website information from Cortana, a personal voice— assistant app for Windows. o The Broad Sustainable Building Co, a Chinese construction company claimed to be the world’s fastest builder after erecting a 57-storey skyscraper in 19 working days in central China. Business & Economy

o Leading mobile operators cut roaming call rate by upto 40 per cent and SMS by upto 75 per cent from today due to cut in ceiling rate by TRAI.