Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Economy & Banking...... 03 Government & Polity...... 08 International...... 13 Sports...... 18 Appointments...... 22 Person/Event/Award...... 23 Important Days………………………………………………………………………………………………..26 Science and Technology…………………………………………………………………………………….28

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Economy & Banking

1. RBI appoints former Dy. Governor of RBI R. Gandhi to Yes Bank board

 In a precautionary measure RBI’s decides to appoint Rama Subramaniam Gandhi to the board of Yes Bank  Gandhi’s appointment comes against the backdrop of Yes Bank reporting a loss of ₹1,507 cr for March quarter and given the governance issues under the previous managing director and CEO Rana Kapoor  The appointment has been made under sub-section (1) of Section 36 AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949  Sub-section (1) of Section 36 AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949  Under this section RBI can, appoint additional directors “if the Reserve Bank is of [opinion that in the interest of banking policy or in the public interest or] in the interests of the banking company or its depositors it is necessary so to do, it may, from time to time by order in writing, appoint, with effect from such date as may be specified in the order, one or more persons to hold office as additional directors of the banking company."

Yes Bank

 HQ: Mumbai  Key People  Founder: Rana Kapoor  Brahm Dutt (Chairman)  Ravneet Gill (MD & CEO)

2. Banking sector gross NPA falls as IBC helps in better recovery

 As per the report by CRISIL Rating Agency: The banking sector’s gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio is estimated to have declined to 10 % in end-March 2019 from 11.5 %, as recoveries through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) helped banks recovery bad loans.  Recovery through the IBC was Rs 70,000 crore in fiscal 2019 – or twice the Rs 35,500 crore recovered through other resolution mechanisms such as the DRT,SARFAESI, and Lok Adalat – in fiscal 2018  The IBC requires a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) to be completed in 180 days, which can be extended by another 90 days to a maximum of 270 days.  These time limits were set in to ensure that recovery of non-performing assets (NPAs) happen in a time-bound manner and banks are able to reduce the quantum of stressed assets of more than Rs 10 lakh crore.

3. ICICI Bank collaborates with travel portal Goibibo to launch multi-currency card

 Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India(ICICI) Bank launched co-branded multi-currency card with online travel booking portal Goibibo.  As per the agreement anyone travelling abroad, whether they hold an ICICI Bank savings account or not, can apply for the Goibibo ICICI Bank Travel Card on the Goibibo website and mobile app  The card provides travel insurance of Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh

ICICI Bank Limited (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India)

 HQ: Mumbai  Tag line: “Hum Hai na” 3 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019 Key People:  Girish Chandra Chaturvedi (Chairman)  Sandeep Bakhshi (MD & CEO)

Goibibo

 Co-founded by Sanjay Bhasin and Vikalp Sahni  CEO: Sanjay Bhasin

4. Quit your job, take $10,000 and start a delivery business

 In efforts to fulfill orders faster, Amazon will help some employees transition to entrepreneurial life. An expansion of its Delivery Service Partner program, the new initiative will give Amazon employees funding to start their own businesses delivering packages for the online retail giant.

 Amazon employees who take the plunge will receive funding for "startup costs, up to $10,000, as well as the equivalent of 3 months of the former employee’s last gross salary.

 Amazon is racing to deliver packages faster and seeks to speed up its shipping time from 2 days to 1 for its Prime members.

 The offer is open to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers who pack and ship orders.

Amazon.com

 Amazon Inc. is an American multinational technology company that focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.  HQ: Washington  Established: 1994  Founder: Jeff Bezos  Key People:  Jeff Bezos (chairman, president and CEO)  Werner Vogels (CTO)

5. Ola launches credit card in tie up with SBI Card

 Ola has launched Ola Money SBI Credit Card in partnership with SBI Card, one of India’s largest credit card issuers. Powered by Visa,  The Bangalore-based company aims to provide a flexible and convenient payment system alongside several benefits to its customers.  Ola is targeting 10 million Ola Money SBI Credit Cards by 2022.  Ola Money SBI Credit Card cashback offers: Cashback examples shared by the company include 7 percent cash back on Ola Cab spends, 5 percent cash back on flight bookings, 20 percent cash back on domestic hotel bookings, 6 percent cash back on international hotel bookings, 20 percent cash back on over 6,000 restaurants across the country, 1 percent cash back on other spends, and finally, 1 percent surcharge waiver on all fuel transactions.

 MD & CEO, SBI Card: Hardayal Prasad  Co-founder and CEO of Ola: Bhavish Aggarwal.

6. BSE launches 'BSE StAR MF' mobile app for its mutual fund platform 4 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) launched an app named ‘BSE StAR MF’ in order to enable more participation and aid mutual fund distributors to accelerate transactions process.  ‘BSE StAR MF’ is BSE’s mutual fund platform which helps distributors in purchasing and redeeming the mutual fund units on behalf of their clients.  The app Store supports dynamic (real-time) client registration, digital transactions, creates and uploads mandate for SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans), generates multiple orders, tracks and permits the distributor in evaluating his business instantly.  The app enables IFAs (Independent Financial Advisors) to take their business anywhere, anytime  After downloading the app through google play, the sign up can be done by providing the member identification number.

BSE: Bombay Stock Exchange

 HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra  Founded: July 1875 (oldest Stock exchange of Asia)  BSE Chairman: S Ravi  MD & CEO: Ashish Kumar Chauhan  Indices: BSE SENSEX, S&P BSE SmallCap, S&P BSE MidCap, S&P BSE LargeCap, BSE 500

7. Doordarshan merchandise launched on Amazon India

 Doordarshan has partnered with online retail giant Amazon India to launch a Souvenir Store. The store will offer a whole range of merchandise which includes T-shirts, coffee mugs and sippers with the tagline “I am in your DNA, I am your Doordarshan”.  The purpose of this initiative is to establish a stronger relationship with viewers of Doordarshan channel and Connecting with new-age digital India is a vision for Doordarshan

Doordarshan  Motto: Satyam Shivam Sundaram  Parent Organisation: Prasar Bharati- Dr. A. Surya Prakash, Chairman

7. Mortgage guarantee-backed home loan

 Housing finance major HDFC Limited has partnered with the India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC) to offer a mortgage-guaranteed home loan product.  The partnership aims to make it possible for HDFC to further penetrate the home loan market and access an enlarged customer base, helping them to own a home of their choice  The partnership statement iterated that it will support the government of India's mission under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana Scheme (PMAY) to provide housing for all by 2022."  Mortgage guarantee: Mortgage guarantee is a financial product which compensates lending institutions for losses that may arise if a homeowner defaults on a mortgage loan.  The risk of the home loan gets transferred from the bank/FIs to the mortgage guarantee company.

HDFC  HQ: Mumbai  Key People:  Chairman: Deepak Parekh  Vice Chairman & CEO: Keki Mistry  Managing Director: Renu Sud Karnad  India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation  CEO: Mahesh Misra

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019 8. NMCG, HCL and INTACH inked tripartite MoU for Rudraksh plantation in Uttarakhand

 National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), HCL foundation and INTACHis taking up a project of 'Plantation of Rudraksha Trees in Uttarakhand' under the 'Namami Gange' Programme.  The Namami Gange Mission aims at providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions for a cleaner ecosystem along the stretch of 97 towns and 4,465 villages on the Ganga stem.  The afforestation drive and the Clean Ganga Mission will go hand in hand

Uttarakhand  Capital: Dehradun  Governor: Baby Rani Maurya  Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat

National Mission for Clean Ganga NMCG  Director General: Rajiv Ranjan Mishra  NMCG is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act 1860.  NMCG has a two-tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee (both are headed by Director General, NMCG).

9. BharatPe ropes in Salman Khan as brand ambassador

 Merchant service and UPI payments app BharatPe Roped in Bollywood actor Salman Khan as its brand ambassador.  The new brand campaign with Khan will be focused towards educating merchants and users about UPI payments along with driving adoption of BharatPe app for all their business needs  BharatPe offers merchants a single interface for all UPI apps like Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, BHIM, Mobikwik, Freecharge, and others.  BharatPe Co-founded by Grover and Shashvat Nakrani

10. Bharatpe launches India's first UPI "Bahi Khata" for merchants

 BharatPe - India's first Fintech start-up enabling payments for merchants through interoperable UPI QR codes, has announced its foray into merchant services with a new app  The app allows merchants to record their cash/credit (Udhar) sales customer wise, request accounts receivable from customers via SMS payment links, and keep track of accounts payable to suppliers, among other services.  Some of the prominent features on BharatPe's app for merchants include UPI Khata (Ledger), Managing Supplier Bills, Cashback, Settlements and Refer and Earn.

11. Tech Mahindra collaborate with Rakuten Aquafadas

 IT services firm Tech Mahindra and French digital content publishing firm Rakuten Aquafadas signed an MoU to collaborate on building enhanced customer experience offerings  The partnership aims to build a Customer Experience Offering leveraging the suite of software that Rakuten Aquafadas provides for digital publishing.  Tech Mahindra will bring its deep domain experience across industry verticals, expertise across Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing making it simpler, faster and better for the customers to go digital and to enhance the customer experience.  As part of the TechMNxt charter, Tech Mahindra has a deep focus on Enhancing Customer Experience and is currently engaged with multiple Fortune 500 customers globally on their digital transformation journey.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

12. HDFC ERGO launches protection policy for vector-borne diseases

 HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company launched the 'Mosquito Disease Protection Policy' that aims to cover individuals against common mosquito-borne diseases  The policy will cover hospitalization expenses incurred during the treatment of individuals between the age group of 91 days to 65 years. The policy also provides international cover to individuals who are suffering from vector-borne diseases like Dengue Fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis, and Zika Virus.  The report of National Health Profile 2018 shows that India has witnessed an alarming rise in dengue cases by 300% between 2009 to 2017.

13. SIDBI’s pilot scheme for fin tech NBFCs to boost digital lending towards SME’s

 To give a fillip to digital lending, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has put together a pilot scheme to extend financial assistance of up to ₹10 crore to new-age fintech non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) engaged in financing small businesses and other income-generating activities  SIDBI has set the exposure cap for lending to a single new-age fintech NBFC at 30 percent of NOF of the new-age fintech NBFC, subject to a maximum cap of ₹10 crore.  As per the scheme, new-age fintech NBFCs should hold in trust the underlying securities/ receivables on behalf of SIDBI.  SIDBI will charge a minimum upfront fee of 0.075 percent to 0.25 percent of the sanctioned assistance, plus applicable taxes.

Fintech NBFCs

 Fintech NBFCs are digital loan companies. They leverage information technology to provide fast and convenient access to funding. To be eligible for funding assistance, Reserve Bank of India-registered new-age fintech NBFCs have to meet prescribed parameters, including minimum capital risk-weighted assets ratio of 15 per cent; non-performing assets less than or equal to 4 per cent; minimum net-owned fund (NOF) of ₹20 crore and minimum asset size of ₹50 crore; and at least two audited annual reports, positive net worth and leverage ratio within 5:1.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Government & Polity

1. First time voters are influenced by the influence of social media platforms: A report by ADG Online digital marketing company

Key points of the survey:

 Nearly one-third of the first-time voters were influenced by political messages on social media platforms in this election.  As per the survey report, around 40% of youths (18-24 years) kept themselves updated about the political developments through at least one of the five social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram, Share Chat, What’s app and Twitter.  Based on an online survey of around 25 lakh participants half the 15-crore first-time voters received political messages through various social media platforms  More than 50% of the voters influenced by social media were less than 25 years of age.

2. Collegium headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi recommends Chief Justices to four HCs

 The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended names of four High Court judges for appointment as chief justices of the High Courts of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana.  A 3 member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, recommended the Name:  D.N. Patel as the chief justice of the Delhi High Court  A.A. Kureshi as the chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court  V. Ramasubramanian as the chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court  R.S Chauhan as the chief justice of the Telangana High Court

The Collegium System

 The Collegium System is a system under which appointments/elevation of judges/lawyers to Supreme Court and transfers of judges of High Courts and Apex Court are decided by a forum of the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.’ There is no mention of the Collegium either in the original Constitution of India or in successive amendments.  The recommendations of the Collegium are binding on the Central Government; if the Collegium sends the names of the judges/lawyers to the government for the second time.

3. WTO ministerial meeting 2019 of developing countries begins in New Delhi

 India has convened a WTO (World Trade Organization) ministerial meeting of 16 developing and six least developed countries  Issues such as impasse on the appointment of WTO's appellate body members and way forward on reforms at the global trade body would be discussed in the meeting of developing countries  The two-day meeting is being held at a time when the multilateral rule-based-trading system is facing serious and grave challenges  Sixteen developing countries and six Least Developed Countries, LDCs are participating in the meeting.  It includes China, South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh. The Director-General of WTO Roberto Azevedo is also participating in the meeting.  World Trade Organization (WTO): It is an intergovernmental organization that is concerned with the regulation of international trade between nations.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  Formation: 1 January 1995  Purpose: Reduction of tariffs and other barriers to trade  HQ: Geneva, Switzerland  Director General: Roberto Azevêdo

4. Foreign delegation meeting in Delhi India, Iran to discuss impact of US ending waivers

 Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif will hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi on 14 May 2019  The talks will primarily focus on the impact of the US ending waivers on import of Iranian oil and ways to deal with it. Both the leaders are expected to discuss the latest developments pertaining to the Iran nuclear deal also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

5. GoI extends ban on LTTE for 5 years

 The Home Ministry today issued a fresh notification extending ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE in India for a further period of five years.  The move came as:  LTTE, even after its military defeat in May 2009 in Sri Lanka, has not abandoned the concept of Eelam and has been clandestinely working towards the Eelam cause by undertaking fundraising and propaganda activities in Europe.  The Tamil chauvinist groups and pro-LTTE groups continued to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for LTTE in India and particularly in Tamil Nadu.  Government of India under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 declares the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as an Unlawful Association.  LTTE was banned in India after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

6. India extends 1 billion dollar Line of Credit to Mongolia

 To set up petrochemical unit India has extended 1 billion dollar Line of Credit to Mongolia to set up its first-ever grass-root refinery at Sainshand in Dornogobi Province.  The capacity of the refinery will be 1.5 Million Metric Tons Per Annum and it will be implemented with Exim Bank funding.  The project will be the largest being undertaken by the government of India under its Lines of Credit programme  India’s attempts to boost cooperation with Mongolia come against the backdrop of China making inroads into South Asia--Sri Lanka and Nepal besides Myanmar--considered India’s periphery.

Mongolia

 Capital: Ulaanbaatar  Currency : Tögrög (MNT)  President Khaltmaagiin Battulga  Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh  Nomadic Elephant : India-Mongolia military exercise

7. India-Iran foreign delegation meet in New Delhi

 The decision on oil imports from Iran to be taken after the General elections  India will take a call on the purchase of Iranian energy after the general election

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  The discussions come in the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf after the S. waivers for supply of Iranian energy ended on May 2, prompting Tehran to declare that it would no longer be bound by the 2015 nuclear deal.  Tehran, meanwhile, indicated that it would leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was agreed upon during the second tenure of S. President Barack Obama.

8. Lokpal website www.lokpal.gov.in launched in Delhi

 The website of the Lokpal www.lokpal.gov.in has been launched. It was inaugurated by first and current Lokpal of India Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosein presence of all the Members of Lokpal in New Delhi  Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was appointed as the first Chairperson of the Lokpal and his oath was administered by President of India Ram Nath Kovind on March 23.  The website provides basic information about the working and functioning of the anti-corruption ombudsman.

LOKPAL

 Pinaki Chandra Ghose  Pinaki Chandra Ghose (born 28 May 1952) is currently Lokpal of India since 23 March 2019.  He appointed as the first Lokpal of India on 19 March 2019 and President of India administered oath to him on 23 March 2019. He will remain at the post till 70 years of his age or up to maximum 5 years, whichever is earlier.  The Lokpal is the first institution of its kind in India established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013to inquire and investigate into allegations of the corruption against public functionaries  A Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or ombudsman who represents the public interest. The concept of an ombudsman is borrowed from Sweden.  The term “Lokpal” was coined by Dr. L.M.Singhvi in 1963.  Lokayukta is present in many states however many of the states still do not have the Lokayukta.

9. India-Iran 11th Joint Consular Committee meet in New Delhi

 The 11th Joint Consular Committee meeting between India and Iran took place on 14th May in New Delhi.  The 11th joint consular committee meeting primarily focused on reviewing the status of ongoing cooperation in consular and visa related issues  Both sides discussed the early conclusion of Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance on civil and commercial matters and extending the longer duration of e-Visa for each other nationals on reciprocity, visa facilitation for greater people to people contacts  Iran at present provides visa-on-arrival to Indian travelers which is given as a paper visa. Iranian visas are also given to Indians online and through missions.  Amit Narang, Joint Secretary (CPV) led the Indian side, while the Iran delegation was led by Ali Asghar Mohammadi, Director General for Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran.  Iranian Foreign Minister: Javad Zarif  Indian Minister of external affairs: Sushma Swaraj

10. Nepal inaugurates educational institution built with Indian aid

 India has built new infrastructure at Shree Narad Adarsha Education Campus in Udayapur District of Nepal.  The new construction has been carried out with the Government of India’s grant assistance of 3 crore Nepalese Rupees.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  It is affiliated with Tribhuvan University (TU) and offers 4 years Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme.  The project is the part of India's Small Development Programme Scheme under the India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme.

11. System for appointments under compassionate appointment schem

 Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has introduced a weightage system for appointments under compassionate grounds  The compassionate grounds will be based on weighted system of nine criteria like family income, dependents, remaining service period of the deceased etc.  Under the compassionate appointment scheme, the government appoints dependent family member of a government servant dying in harness or those who have retired on medical grounds, thereby leaving his or her family without any means of livelihood.  The objective is to ensure objectivity, transparency and uniformity in the selection process for appointments on the compassionate ground.  The guidelines for appointment are issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and CBIC introduced weightage points system for its cadres according to the guidelines of DoPT.  Under this new system, the preference would be given to the widow of the deceased government servant.

Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs  The Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC) is the nodal national agency responsible for administering Customs, GST, Central Excise, Service Tax & Narcotics in India.  HQ: Ministry of Finance, New Delhi  CBIC Chairperson: Pranab Kumar Das, IRS

12. Cyril Ramaphosa reelected as President of South Africa in presidential election 2019

 Cyril Ramaphosa’s party, African National Congress (ANC) won South African elections with majority and secured 57.51 percent votes and Cyril Ramaphosa elected as South African President.  The ANC has been in power since Nelson Mandela was elected following the end of white-minority rule 25 years ago.  Last year in February 2018, Cyril Ramaphosa elected as South African President after President Jacob Zuma resigned from the post due to charges of corruption.

13. Global Drug Survey 2019 Indians lead world in seeking help to reduce drugs intake Global Drug Survey (GDS)

 It is an independent research organization based in London, United Kingdom (UK). It runs the largest global survey on recreational drug use.  The Global Drugs Survey, a survey of recreational drug use for the first time polled respondents from India. It found that more than any other nationalities, Indians are seeking help to reduce their alcohol intake which reflects an awareness of abuse.  In comparison to respondents from other nationalities, the Indians respondents are seeking help to reduce their drugs and alcohol intake.  Survey Shows Indians Willingness: that 51% of respondents wanted to ‘drink less’ in the following year and while only about 43% of Indians reported using cannabis but, the 51% among them also wanted to use ‘less cannabis’ in the following year. This wanting is more than any other nationality and reflects an awareness of abuse by Indians.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  About 6% of the female Indians surveyed reported seeking ‘emergency medical treatment’ in the last 12 months. The global female average was about 13%.  None of the males in India reported seeking medical treatment, compared to the global average of 12%.  Tobacco, Alcohol, and Cannabis were among the most common drugs used by Indians.

14. Modified EIA: MoEFCC notifies that Green nod not required building on 20-50k sq mt plot

 Modified notification on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) by MOEFCC states that Construction on areas between 20,000 and 50,000 square meters will not require environment clearance  Under the new notification, the process of clearances granted for sand mining and construction activities have been eased out  Environmental Impact Assessment: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse.  Environmental clearance: The environmental clearance process is required for 39 types of projects and covers aspects like screening, scoping and evaluation of the upcoming project. The main purpose is to assess the impact of the planned project on the environment and people and to try to abate/minimize the same.

15. DoT panel led by Abhay Karandikar submits report on scope of 5G trials

 The 5G committee led by Abhay Karandikar (Director IIT Kanpur) has submitted its recommendations to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on what should be the quantum, duration, and price of the spectrum for trial in India  The DoT is in process of examining the recommendations on the fifth-generation or 5G technology trials in the country, in addition to the committee views for the next auction which would be tabled before the Digital Communication Commission (DCC)  The National Digital Communications Policy 2018 outlines a mission to “propel India”, by enabling next- generation technologies and services through investments, innovation and IPR generation.  In this regard, it underlines the need to harness the power of emerging digital technologies, including 5G.

16. FB is partnering with tech start-up incubator T-Hub

 FB is partnering with tech start-up incubator T-Hub to launch the 2nd edition of the India Innovation Hub Accelerator program  It aims at supporting start-ups that are focused on building products and services using AI in the domains of gender equality, decent work, and economic opportunity, innovation infrastructure, climate change, and peace and justice  The start-ups selected for the program would receive support to scale their efforts and improve their products and services, to better tackle fundamental challenges facing the region  Facebook would provide technical support, mentorship, and training on the use of Facebook products and tools, and access to dozens of experts within the company

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

International News

1. Pakistan to get $6 billion loan over next 3 years from International Monetary Fund

 Pakistan has reached staff level agreement with the IMF on a bailout package (to meet its foreign debt obligations) under which the cash-strapped country will receive $ 6 billion over three years  The agreement aims to support Pakistan's "strategy for stronger & more inclusive growth by reducing domestic and external imbalances, removing impediments to growth, increasing transparency and strengthening social spending"  The latest deal would be the 22nd bailout package since Pakistan became member of the IMF in 1950.  The IMF forecasts Pakistan's economic growth will slow to 2.9% this fiscal year from 5.2% in 2018.  As per the Pakistan finance ministry: Pakistan will get $6 billion from the IMF, and in addition we will get $2 to $3 billion from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in the next three years

International Monetary Fund

 IMF is a international organisation with a group of 189 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.  Headquarters of IMF - Washington DC  Managing Director (MD) - Christine Lagarde  Chief Economist - Gita Gopinath  Parent organization - United Nations

2. UN chief Antonio Guterres en-route to south pacific islands decries “fading” global eff

 Antonio Guterres visited New Zealand en route to South Pacific islands that are at risk of being inundated by rising sea levels.The trip is planned with an objective to take a stock of issue regarding efforts towards arresting climate change

As per Antonio Guterres:  the world was "not on track" to confine the rise in global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre- industrial levels as agreed in the 2015 Paris agreement  The paradox is that as things are getting worse on the ground, political will seems to be fading  Climate change is running faster than what we are the last four years have been the hottest year registered  Antonio Guterres commended host Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on New Zealand's ambitious parliamentary bill, tabled last week, seeking to make the 5-million-population nation mostly carbon neutral by 2050

3. India, Vietnam discuss ways to strengthen strategic partnership

 Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on his 4 day visit to Vietnam held talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Xuan Phuc in Hanoi.  The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues and underscored the importance of strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations to ensure peace and security in the region. Key issue discussion:  Entry of Indian pharmaceutical products  Indian high tech health systems and medicines for public health 13 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019 Vietnam  Capital: Hanoi  Currency : đồng (VND)  President: Nguyễn Phú Trọng  Vice-President: Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh  Prime Minister: Nguyễn Xuân Phúc

4. China launches two new Type 052D destroyers as it continues drive to strengthen naval base

 Chinese Navy has commissioned two new Type 052D guided missile destroyers in Dalian, a coastal city. They are the 19th and 20th ships in the class and are named as Tangshan and Suzhou. China, at present, has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or to be launched for service soon.  The Type 052D destroyer is a large 7500 tone destroyer. It was introduced into the People’s Liberation Army Navy(PLAN) in March 2014.  PLAN is the World’s fastest growing Navy as it adds new vessels to the fleet every month.  PLAN celebrated its 70th anniversary in Qingdao, China.  Indian naval ships including INS Kolkata along with tanker INS Shakti participated in it.  For the first time in its history, Chinese navy has logistics bases in Djibouti in the Indian Ocean. It is developing Pakistan’s Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea and has also acquired Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port for 99 years in a debt swap.

China  Capital: Beijing  Currency: Renminbi  President: Xi Jinping

5. India to co-chair Consultative Group of GFDRR for the fiscal year 2020

 India has been unanimously chosen as co-chair of the Consultative Group (CG) of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) for the fiscal year 2020. This will give the country an opportunity to work with the member countries and organizations with a focused contribution towards advancing the disaster risk reduction agenda during the course of the year.  The decision was taken during The Consultative Group meeting held in Geneva in the 6thSession of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2019.  The CG Meeting 2019 was co-chaired by the European Union (EU), Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, and World Bank.  The meeting was attended by member, National Disaster Management Authority Kamal Kishore and Joint Secretary, Disaster Management, Kumar Jindal.  Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction: GFDRR is a global partnership that helps developing countries better understand and reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. It is a grant-funding mechanism, managed by the World Bank,that supports disaster risk management projects worldwide.  India became a member of CG of GFDRR in 20156. India to co-chair Consultative Group of GFDRR for the fiscal year 2020

6. In the US, Alabama state Senate passes the bill for near total abortion ban

 In the United States, the Alabama Senate has passed a bill banning abortion. The legislation bans any termination of pregnancy and punishing doctors who perform the procedure with life in prison.

 The law includes a ban on abortion in cases of rape or incest. 14 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

 Human rights organisation, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), promised to file a lawsuit to block its implementation. But, those backing the bill have expressly said they want to bring the case to the Supreme Court.

7. China in its latest censorship blocks all language editions of Wikipedia

 The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), China started blocking all language editions of Wikipedia.  With the expansion of this block, millions of readers and volunteer editors, writers, academics, and researchers within China cannot access this resource or share their knowledge and achievements with the world  China’s online censorship apparatus – dubbed the “Great Firewall” – blocks a large number of foreign sites in the country, such as Google, Facebook and The New York Times.  Reporters Without Border’s 2019 World Press Freedom index ranks China at 177 on a list of 180 countries analyzed.  According to a separate study conducted by the watchdog group, China is not just issuing censorships locally, but is also attempting to infiltrate foreign media in an attempt to deter criticism and spread propaganda.  Wikipedia is also blocked in Turkey.

8. Ambassador to UN as next president of General Assembly

 India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin in a statement put forward India’s support to Nigeria's Ambassador to the UN Tijjani Muhammad-Bande as the next president of the UN General Assembly.  During the interactive dialogue, Akbaruddin highlighted that in his vision statement, Muhammad-Bande spoke about the issue of terrorism.  Akbaruddin drew Muhammad-Bande's attention to the long-pending global convention on international terrorism and called for action in the UN body to adopt it, emphasizing that terrorism is "antithetical" to everything that the UN stands for.

UN General Assembly

 The current President of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa  UN Assembly is made up of all the 193 Member States.  The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations; it is the only one which enables all 193 Member States to have equal representation - One Nation, One Vote.  Every year in September, all the Member nations meet in New York for the annual General Assembly session.  It provides a forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter.

United Nations

 HQ: New York City; NY is also the HQ for all UN Principal organs except International Court of Justice (HQ: The Hague, Netherland)  Secretary General: António Guterres

9. Austria approves headscarf ban in primary schools

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  Austria has approved a law aimed at banning the headscarf in primary schools. However, patka head covering worn by Sikh boys or the Jewish kippa would not be affected.

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

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

10. UN imposes sanctions on terror group ISIL Khorasan

 The United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee sanctioned Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan (ISIL-K).  ISIS-K is known as ‘ISIS’ South Asia Branch, ISIL Khorasan, Islamic State’s Khorasan Province’ and ‘South Asian Chapter of ISIL’.  The group is now subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.  The listing comes two weeks after the Sanctions Committee designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e- Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as “global terrorist”. This capped a decade-long effort by India and its allies including the US, the UK, France to sanction the mastermind of several attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack and the 14th February Pulwama terror attack.

11. US President Donald Trump to visit S Korea in June for 2nd round talks on North Korea

 US President Donald Trump will visit South Korea next month to meet with his counterpart Moon Jae- in over their efforts to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons arsenal.  Trump plans to visit South Korea in late June as part of his regional trip. He will travel to Osaka, Japan, for the two-day G-20 summit to open on June 28  It will be the second meeting between the two leaders since the collapse of a summit between Mr. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearization.

South Korea: Republic of Korea (ROK)

 Capital: Seoul  Currency: South Korean won  President: Moon Jae-in  North Korea: Democratic People's Republic of Korea  Capital: Pyongyang  Currency: Korean People's won  Party Chairman and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission: Kim Jong-un

12. South Korea announces $8 Million humanitarian aid package for North

 South Korea — South Korea said on Friday that it would provide $8 million in humanitarian aid to help North Korea’s malnourished children and pregnant women, as the North faces severe drought and a food crisis caused by its worst harvest in a decade.  It followed a review by government officials of a report by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued earlier in the month, which claimed that 10.1 million North Korean people were “in urgent need of food assistance.”  About $4.5m of nutrition-rich supplies will be distributed to children and pregnant women through the UN World Food Programme. A further $3.5m will go to UNICEF to fund vaccinations and treatments for diarrhoea, acute respiratory diseases and malnutrition.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019 13. US Administration moots merit-based immigration policy plan

 US President Donald Trump has outlined plans for a new US immigration system designed to favor younger, better educated, English-speaking workers.  Trump administration proposed this policy moving away from the current system that favors applicants with family ties to the US  Merit-based immigration policy plan if materialized will replace the existing green cards with 'Build America' visa and substantially hikes the quota for young and highly-skilled workers from 12 to 57 %.

14. Taiwan becomes 1st Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage

 Taiwan’s legislature legalized same-sex marriage. It became the first country in Asia to recognize the rights of same-sex couples.  The new legislation gives couples many of the tax, health insurance and child care rights available to male-female married couples.

Taiwan officially the Republic of China (ROC)  Capital: Taipei  President: Tsai Ing-wen  Currency: New Taiwan dollar

15. Doubts raised over Pakistan's battle against terror financing at APG meet in China

 Doubts raised over Pakistan's battle against terror financing at APG meet in China  A 10-member delegation of Pakistan, led by Finance Secretary Mohammad Younas Dagha, attended the two-day meeting of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) of the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF)  The meeting took place in the Chinese city of Guangzhou  The APG submits FATF its analysis of the compliance report submitted by Pakistan which will become the basis for the FATF to decide whether to exclude Pakistan from its grey list or not.

16. Amazon Returns to Restaurant Delivery with Massive Investment in Deliveroo

 Amazon Returns to Restaurant Delivery with Massive Investment in Deliveroo  Amazon with an aim to expand its market and strengthen its delivery services partnered with U.K. Food- Delivery Startup Deliveroo  Amazon is the biggest investor in Deliveroo's latest round of fundraising, which in total raised $575m (£450m).  The backing from Amazon gives Deliveroo a boost against rivals such as JustEat and Uber Eats. The delivery company aims at “investing heavily in expanding the company’s tech team” at its U.K. Headquarters in the City of London

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Sports

1. Madrid Open: Novak Djokovic beats Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 3rd Madrid title

 The World No. 1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to win the Mutua Madrid Open, equaling Rafael Nadal’s record of 33 ATP Masters 1000 titles. It is also Djokovic’s 200th victory against a Top 10 opponent (200-90).  Women’s singles winner: Kiki Bertens

2. International premier kabaddi league (IPKL) 2019 started in India

 The rise of kabaddi is set to welcome new chapter as the 'Indo International Premier Kabaddi League (IPKL)' is all set to take center stage from the 13th of May 2019 and will feature a total of eight teams that include 160 Indian players and 16 foreign imports.  The franchise league, a joint initiative of the New Kabaddi Federation of India (NKF) and broadcasters DSPORT will play host to the eight teams namely Bangalore Rhinos, Chennai Challengers, Diler Dilli, Haryana Heroes, Mumbai Che Raje, Pondicherry Predators, Pune Pride, and Telugu Bulls.

3. Jehan Daruvala Wins 2019 Formula 3 Season Opener In Barcelona

 Jehan Daruvala (Mumbai based racer) Wins 2019 Formula 3 Season Opener In Barcelona with team Prema Powerteam  India’s Jehan Daruvala starred on Sunday winning the reverse grid FIA Formula 3 Race 2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

4. 2019 IAAF World Relays

 The 2019 IAAF World Relays was held in Yokohama, Japan from May 11-12 2019.  USA won the overall medal tally with 54 points, Jamaica stood 2nd and host japan 3rd position  Poland dethrones US women in 4X400M Relay  TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ends US Reign in Men’s 4X400M  USA dominates in mixed 4X400M

5. MaryKom to compete in India Open boxing tournament to be held at Guwahati between 20-24may

 Following her return to 51 kg, 6 time World champion and London Olympics bronze medalist M.C. Mary Kom will compete in her first event in the Olympic weight class in India Open boxing tournament to be held at Guwahati between 20-24 May  Around 200 boxers from16 countries will participate in the event.  India Open boxing tournament was started in 2018 by Boxing Federation of India (BFI) with an aim to give international exposure to maximum Indian pugilists

6. CEAT rating awards 2019

 CEAT Cricket Ratings (CCR) was formed in 1995 in association with Professional Management Group. Three cricketing legends , and are the members of the Governing Council of the CRR. 18 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  This rating system takes into account the performances in Test Cricket and One Day Internationals over a period of 12 months from 1 May to 30 April. The system takes into account overall performances, the , Bowling, Fielding and Wicket Keeping.

7. Sana Mir (Pakistan cricketer) becomes highest wicket taking SPINNER in Women’s ODI

 Pakistan's Sana Mir became the most successful spinner in women's one-day international history as on (May 2019)  She claimed her 147th ODI wicket in her 118th appearance  She is now third on the all-time list of most successful bowlers in women’s cricket, behind fast bowlers Jhulan Goswami of India (218) and Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick (180)

8. Anticorruption officer for each team

 In a first, all the 10 participating teams of the upcoming ODI World Cup will have a dedicated anti- corruption officer attached with it to deliver a corruption-free tournament  The move was part of ICC Anti-Corruption Unit's effort to deliver a fixing and corruption-free World Cup and also an effort to build better relations between players and the Anti-Corruption Unit ACU.

ICC World Cup cricket 2019 (12th edition)  Host : England & Wales  Participants: 10  Official Theme Song: “Make me move”

9. Croatian Igor Stimac to be appointed head coach of Indian Football National Team

 The Executive Committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has appointed Igor Stimac as the head coach of Indian Senior Men's National Team for a two-year contract.  Igor Stimac comes with an experience of over 18 years in coaching, structuring, and developing football and players in Croatia, and internationally.  As a coach, Stimac’s major achievement was guiding Croatia to the play-off of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014.  The 51-year-old is coming in at a very crucial time with India looking to build after a promising AFC Asia Cup 2019 (Host: UAE) campaign where India finished 4th and Qatar won the tournament.

India national football team  Association: All India Football Federation (AIFF)  Head Coach: Igor Štimac  Captain: Pronay Halder  Top scorer and most caps: Sunil Chhetri (67&107)  FIFA Ranking (April 2019): 101

10. History made as for the first time women (Female referees) to referee men’s AFC Cup cla  The Asian Football Confederation announced that for the first time an all-female referee team will take charge of a men’s continental club cup clash marking a new milestone in Asian refereeing,”  Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi will officiate the AFC Cup match between Myanmar’s Yangon United and Cambodia’s Naga World at the Thuwunna Stadium (Myanmar)  The trio will also be among 12 officials from the AFC to officiate the FIFA Women’s World Cup in June 2019.  The AFC Cup is the second-string Asian club competition, a rung below the AFC Champions League. 19 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

11. China to host 2023 Asian Cup football tournament after Korea withdraw bid

 China has been all but confirmed as the hosts for the 2023 Asian Cup soccer tournament after its only bidding rival, South Korea, withdrew from the bidding process.  The Korean Football Association KFA has pulled the bid is due to its preference for hosting the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.  AFC Asian Cup: The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament held every four years run by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).  It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia  AFC Asian cup 2019: Host UAE  Qatar are the current champions after beating Japan 3-1 in the final  Windsor John, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary

12. Hockey India names 18 Member Indian junior men’s hockey team for 8-Nation U-21 in Spain

 Hockey India named the 18-member Indian Junior Men’s Team for the 8 Nation Under-21 Tournament in Spain which begins on 10 June 2019.  The teams in fray for top honors include the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, hosts Spain and India.  The Indian Junior Men’s Team will be Captained by Mandeep Mor and Vice Captained by Suman Beck.  Director-High Performance: David John

India men's national field hockey team  Association: Hockey India (President: Mohammad Mushtaque Ahmad)  Coach: Graham Reid (Australia)  Manager: Arjun Halappa  Captain: Manpreet Singh

13. SRFI- HCL tie-up to improve Indian Squash

 The Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) announced a tie-up with HCL with an aim to improve the health of the sport  Through 'HCL Squash Podium Programme', multiple tournaments will be organized at both the senior and junior level besides clinics for the existing coaches.  As part of this initiative, HCL and SRFI will also host the HCL Indian Tour – a Professional Squash Association (PSA) multi-city circuit in the country, giving the Indian players an opportunity to compete against the world’s best on their home turf.

About Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI)  President: Debendranath Sarangi  Location: Chennai  Indian Squash famous players: Saurav Ghosal, Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa,  Indian squash National coach: Cyrus Poncha

14. 2nd India Open International Boxing Tournament to be held in Guwahati

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  2nd India Open International Boxing Tournament to be held in Guwahati

 The Second India Open International Boxing tournament will be held in Guwahati  India will field a strong contingent of 38 men and 37 women in the tournament including Mary Kom in 51-kilogram category.  The competition will be held in a total of 18 categories, 10 in men and 8 in women. The gold medalist will get 2500 US dollar and Silver medalist will earn 1000 US dollar.

15. Rafael Nadal and Karolina Pliskova wins Italian Open men’s and women’s single respectively  Rafael Nadal and Karolina Pliskova wins Italian Open men’s and women’s single respectively  Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova swept past Britain's Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4 to win the WTA Italian Open in Rome  Rafael Nadal posts a win against Novak Djokovic to earn his ninth WTA Italian Open title with a 6-0, 4- 6, 6-1 victory over the world No. 1 in Rome.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Appointments

1. Justice AK Sikri appointed as Chairperson of News Broadcasting Standards Authority

 Former Supreme Court judge, Justice A. K. Sikri has been appointed as the Chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA).

News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA)  News Broadcasting Standards Authority is an independent body set up by the News Broadcasters Association. Its task is to consider and adjudicate upon complaints about broadcasts.  NBSA is a self-regulatory body that implements the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards and Guidelines for its Member news broadcasters. It is an independent body which is completely free from any interference from the NBA

2. Jeffrey Rosen confirmed as US next deputy attorney general

 Jeffrey Rosen was confirmed as the United States' latest deputy attorney general by the US Senate.  United States Attorney General: William Barr

3. 3 Indian commentators for Cricket World Cup 2019

 Celebrated cricket expert Harsha Bhogle along with former India cricketers and Sanjay Manjrekar are part of the list of commentators announced by the International Cricket Council for the World Cup 2019.  A total of 24 commentators are part of the star-studded list announced by ICC.  Cricket world cup is hosted by England and Wales.

ICC  Headquarters: Dubai, UAE  CEO: Dave Richardson (28 Jun 2012–July 2019)  Designated CEO: Manu Sawhney (July 2019)  Motto :Cricket for good  Chairman: Shashank Manohar

4. Nitin Chugh appointed as MD and CEO of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank

 Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited has appointed Nitin Chugh as its next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)  The present MD and CEO Samit Ghosh’s tenure will end on November 30, 2019.  Currently, Nitin Chugh is Group Head of Digital Banking of HDFC.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank

 Headquarter: Bengaluru, Karnataka  Tagline: Better banking better living

5. Australian PM Scott Morrison wins federal elections  In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Liberal-National Coalition won the federal elections.  Prime Minister Morrison has declared victory after his coalition defied opinion polls and secured a surprise win over the opposition Labor Party. 22 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Person/Event/Award

1. Captain Aarohi Pandit is world's 1st to cross Atlantic Ocean in Light Sports Aircraft

 Mumbai-based pilot Aarohi Pandit became the world's first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo  Captain Aarohi Pandit achieved the feat around midnight Monday-Tuesday (May 13-14) when she landed her tiny aircraft at Iqaluit Airport in Canada, after a gruelling 3,000 km long flight, under adverse and extreme weather conditions following take-off from Wick, Scotland (United Kingdom), with brief stopovers in Greenland and Iceland.  This is part of her ongoing year-long global circumnavigation flight which was launched wither friend Keithair Misquitta on July 30.  En route, she set another world record as the first woman pilot to fly solo above the treacherous Greenland ice-cap in a LSA, and is due for at least half a dozen other records by the time she reaches India

2. India’s GS Lakshmi appointed first female match referee by ICC

 GS Lakshmi has become the first ever woman to be appointed to the ICC International Panel of Match Referees. The 51-year-old's appointment comes close on the heels of Claire Polosak becoming the first ever woman umpire to stand in a men's ODI.  Lakshmi first officiated in domestic women's cricket in 2008-09, and has overseen three women's ODI matches and three women's T20I matches.  Meanwhile, Australia's Eloise Sheridan has joined compatriot Polosak on the ICC Development Panel of Umpires, taking the number of women on that panel to an unprecedented eight.

3. US Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Michael Richardson visits India

 Chief of Naval Operations of US Navy, Admiral John Michael Richardson is on a three day official tour to India. The tour is scheduled from 12 to 14 May 2019 and during his visit he will meet Indian Navy’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba in New Delhi.  The visit aims to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two navies by emphasizing the importance of information sharing and exchange."

India-US Defence Relation

 2016: USA accorded India a Major Defence Partner status.  2018 the inaugural Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue conducted between two nations (India and US), facilitated new avenues for defence cooperation among them. COMCASA signed between the two nations  Indian Navy and US Navy maritime exercises like MALABAR and RIMPAC.

4. Retd. Indian supreme court judge Madan B. Lokur Appointed Non-Resident Judge of the Sup

 Justice (retired) Madan B. Lokur has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji as a judge of its non- resident panel for a period of three years.  Supreme Court of Fiji

 In one year it has three sessions in total. Justice Lokur will attend the August session which starts from August 15 to August 30, 2019. 23 | P a g e

Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019  Other countries that have been invited by Fiji over the years are South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and New Zealand.

Republic of FIJI  Capital: Suva  Currency: Fijian dollar

5. The National Security Guard commandos summit Mt Everest in maiden attempt

 A seven-member team led by Lt Col J P Kumar successfully unfurled the Indian flag at the 8,848-metre tall peak. The team adopted the southeastern approach via South Col in Solukhumbhu region of Nepal.  The National Security Guard (NSG) is a counter-terrorism unit under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). o HQ: New Delhi o Sudeep Lakhtakia (Director General of NSG) o The NSG, called as the 'black cats', was raised in 1984 as a federal counter-terror and counter- hijack contingency force.

6. Buddha Purnima being celebrated in different parts of the country

 Buddha Purnima during Vaishakha month is celebrated as birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama was a spiritual teacher on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.  In Bihar, Buddha Purnima is being celebrated with religious fervor and gaiety. The main function has been organized at Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under pious Bodhi tree.  The United Nations (UN) Vesak Week 2019 is hosted by Vietnam

7. UNDRR confers P.K. Mishra with prestigious Sasakawa Award 2019

 The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) on May 16, 2019 honored Dr Pramod Kumar Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, with the ‘Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction’.  The award was announced during the 6th Session of ‘Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction’ (GPDRR) 2019, which is being held at Geneva, Switzerland.  Objective: The Award recognizes individuals, organizations and initiatives that have contributed to ensure inclusive participation in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities for all sections of society, especially the poor.  Theme of 2019 Sasakawa Award: The theme of the Sasakawa Award 2019 was ‘Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies’.

8. Anil Kapoor to be felicitated for support to promoting the cause of children's rights

 Council of European Chambers of Commerce (CEUCC) in India and European Union (EU) delegation will felicitate Indian actor Anil Kapoor for Promoting Children’s Rights and his effort to protect the rights of girls in collaboration with Plan India and the European Union. The event is organized as part of the 'Europe Day' celebrations in Mumbai  Kapoor will be the Chief Guest for the celebrations. He will be accompanied by the EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski, EU Member states Consuls and senior representatives from the European and Indian corporate world.

European Union:

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

 Europe Day is celebrated every year on May 9 to mark the formation of the European Union (EU).  Formation: treaty of Rome 1 January 1958  Capital: Brussels (De Facto Capital)  Currency: Euro  President of the council: Donald Tusk  Member states: 28

9. Indian short film "Seed Mother" wins 3rd prize in Nespresso Talents award 2019 at Canne

 Indian filmmaker, Achyutanand Dwivedi's film, "Seed Mother", won the 3rd prize in the international section of Nespresso Talents 2019 in Cannes film festival  The 3-minute film celebrates the exceptional spirit of Rahibai Soma Popere, a woman who champions the use of local seeds and traditional methods of farming in villages of Maharashtra.  Nespresso Talents 2019  Nespresso Talents theme 2019: We are what we eat  The Nespresso 2019 first prize in the international section was won by New Zealand's Josh Morrice for "Subak", about rice cultivation in Bali, while the second prize went to Mexican filmmaker Marco Aurelio Celis' "Ruffo".

o 1st prize: Subak

o 2nd prize: Ruffo

o 3rd prize: Seed Mother

10. Israel in Cannes proposes India the focus country of Jerusalem film fest 2020

 Israel has proposed India to be the focus country at Jerusalem Film Festival next year during a meeting between the delegations of the two countries at the Cannes International Film Festival  Israel also proposed the idea of making concept-based films in India, with a focus on regional and small budget film  The Indian delegation at Cannes is led by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare

11. Three day Asia Pacific naval and maritime event, IMDEX ASIA 2019 Singapore

 Two warships, INS Kolkata and INS Shakti, are participating in IMDEX as also several Indian engineering and shipbuilding firms, including the Larsen & Toubro and the BrahMos aerospace corporation.  After IMDEX, the Indian ships along with a Navy P-8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft will participate in the 26th edition of the Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) scheduled from May 16 to 22.  SIMBEX is the longest uninterrupted naval exercise that India has with any other country.

12. I.M. Pei, architect who designed Louvre Pyramid, dies at 102

 M. Pei, the versatile, globe-trotting architect who revived the Louvre with a giant glass pyramid and captured the spirit of rebellion at the multi-shaped Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has died at age 102.  Pei’s works ranged from the trapezoidal addition to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to the chiseled towers of the National Center of Atmospheric Research that blend in with the reddish mountains in Boulder, Colorado.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Important dates

1. 18 May celebrated as World AIDS Vaccine Day

 May 18 is celebrated as World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. On this day, HIV vaccine advocates promote the continued urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. World AIDS Vaccine Day observance is headed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID).

AIDS and HIV

 AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It's a disease that affects the CD4 cells of the immune system due to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The attack makes it difficult for the body to fight infections and cancers. If left untreated, HIV can develop into full-blown AIDS.  HIV can spread through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, semen, pre-seminal fluids, breast milk, vaginal fluids and rectal fluids of the affected person.  Symptoms of HIV infection include flu-like symptoms, fever, chills or rash. Treatment for HIV includes antiretrovirals or ART.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease NIAID  Established: 1955  HQ: Maryland, US  NIAID is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

2. International Museum Day celebrated on 18 May 2019

 IMD is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).  The objective of International Museum Day (IMD) is to raise awareness of the fact that, Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.  The theme (IMD) 2019 is Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition

3. 17 May celebrated as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day WTISD 2019

 The day seeks to help raise awareness about possibilities which can be brought to societies and economies with the use of Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT). It also promotes awareness about using ICT to explore ways to bridge digital divide.  This year’s theme was: ‘Bridging the standardization gap’.

4. The 2nd International Day of Light is celebrated globally on 16th May 2019

 UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) officially observes the International Day of Light so as to continuously appreciate the light and for the exemplary role, it plays in science, culture, and art, education, sustainable development, medicine, communications, and energy.  On 16th May 2019, globally, more than 300 events took place in 60 countries.  As the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay states in a special message for the International Day of Light 2019: “All its natural benefits and its scientific and technological applications make light an

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019 essential part of the daily life of our societies; these benefits and applications make light an important issue for the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)  HQ: Paris, France  Director General: Audrey Azoulay

5. International Day of Living Together in Peace celebrated on 16th May

 International Day of Living Together in Peace is celebrated on 16th May.  The Day invites countries to further promote reconciliation to help to ensure peace and sustainable development, including by working with communities, faith leaders and other relevant actors, through reconciliatory measures and acts of service and by encouraging forgiveness and compassion among individuals.  The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) celebrates this day by releasing doves which symbolize Peace.

6. International Nurses Day

 It is observed on May 12 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale (founder of Nursing as a profession) by International Council of Nurses (ICN). Theme for 2019: – Nurses a voice to lead, Health for all.

7. International Day of Families 15 May 2019

 The purpose of this day is to promote awareness of issues related to families and increase knowledge about social, economic and demographic progression that affects families which are the basic unit of society.  International Day of Families 2019 Theme: “Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13”.  The 2019 observance focuses on families, family policies and major SDG13 targets:  SDG 13 target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.  SDG 13 target 13.2: integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

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Weekly GA Capsule 13th May to 19th May 2019

Science and Technology

1. Genetically modified organisms

 The letter comes in the aftermath of activist groups recently proffering evidence of Bt. Brinjal, a GM crop, being grown in a farmer’s field in Haryana.  The letter demands that the Environment Ministry “uproot and destroy planted Bt. brinjal in farms and seedlings in nurseries, undertake a scaled-up exercise of testing of seeds and plantings (for the presence of Bt. genes) and, ascertain the supply chain - from seed developers to intermediaries.”

Genetically Modified Organisms  Genetically Modified Organisms, are the ones in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in such a way as to get the required quality.  The technology is often called ‘gene technology’, or ‘recombinant DNA technology’ or ‘genetic engineering’ and the resulting organism is said to be ‘genetically modified’, ‘genetically engineered’ or ‘transgenic’.BT Brinjal:  It was developed by MAHYCO (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company) in collaboration with the Dharward University of Agricultural Sciences and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.  brinjal was the first GM food crop made to contain an insecticidal protein, called cry1 ac, sourced from the genes of the soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringienesis .  The GEAC in 2007, recommended the commercial release of Bt. Brinjal. The initiative was blocked in 2010.

2. Berkeley Lab designed a recyclable plastic

 Researchers at Berkeley Lab has designed a recyclable plastic that, like a Lego playset, can be disassembled into its constituent parts at the molecular level.  As per the journal of nature chemistry-the plastic, called poly diketoenamine, or PDK, can be reassembled into a different shape, texture, and color again and again without loss of performance or quality.  With PDKs, the immutable bonds of conventional plastics are replaced with reversible bonds that allow the plastic to be recycled more effectively.  Unlike conventional plastics, the monomers of PDK plastic could be recovered and freed from any compounded additives simply by dunking the material in a highly acidic solution.  The acid helps to break the bonds between the monomers and separate them from the chemical additives that give plastic its look and feel.  After testing various formulations, the researchers demonstrated that not only does acid break down PDK polymers into monomers, but the process also allows the monomers to be separated from entwined additives.

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