NATIONAL
UPDATES:
1. New norms for labeling food planned : Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) has released new draft regulations on food
packaging.All packaged food with at least 5% content from genetically
engineered sources need to be labeled so.Foods that exceed norms of sugar and
fat will need to carry ‘red’ and ‘green’ labels specifying the extent to which
they do so.
2. Government to expand Van Dhan
Vikas Kendras : Tribal Affairs Ministry will expand Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in Tribal
Districts across the country.The aim of the establishment of these Kendras is
to provide skill upgradation and capacity building training to increase the
incomes of tribals.Van Dhan Vikas Kendra was launched at Bijapur, Chattisgarh
on 14th April 2018 for training, providing equipment and tools for primary
level processing.
3. India funds flood, earthquake
warning systems : India has launched a flood & earthquake early warning systems in
Myanmar aimed at helping the country mitigate the effects of natural calamities
that affects people every year.Under the Flood Warning System, 12 automatic
water level stations and 3 automatic weather stations have been established.Under
the Earthquake Monitoring System, 10 telemetered seismic stations have been
added.
4. Sensitization Meeting of
Stakeholders held :The ‘first sensitization meeting of stakeholders to make Delhi a model
Accessible city’ was held in the national capital on May 7.The Department of
Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities took this initiative to
coordinate the meeting of all key stakeholders, sensitize them about the legal
mandates.Delhi being the capital city of the country is proposed to be selected
for this drive.
5. Pradeep Kumar Sinha got one
year extension : Cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha has got another one-year extension
as the country’s top bureaucrat.Cabinet Secretary is the administrative head of
the cabinet secretariat & is also the ex-officio chairman of the civil
services board.The cabinet secretariat is under the direct charge of the Prime
Minister.The cabinet secretariat assists in decision-making in the government.
INTERNATIONAL
UPDATES:
1. India, Guatemala signs various agreements : India and Guatemala agreed to
work together to combat terrorism.A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on
enhancing cooperation in diplomatic academics.A Letter of Intent (LoI) of
providing training for the English language to Guatemalan teachers was also
signed under the ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) programme.
2. SCO Secretary-General arrived
in India : Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretary General Rashid Alimov has arrived
in India to hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
& other Union ministers.India became a full member of SCO in 2017, at
the summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan.SCO is an intergovernmental international
organisation aimed at strengthening mutual trust & neighbourliness
among the member states.
3. Asia Media Summit to be hosted
by India : The 15th Asia Media Summit (AMS) 2018 is being hosted by the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, Government of India from 10th-12th May 2018
in New Delhi.The AMS 2018, an annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Institute for
Broadcasting Development (AIBD) Kuala Lumpur, is a prestigious summit in the
Asia Pacific Region.The theme of the summit is “Telling Our Stories – Asia and
More”.
OTHER
UPDATES:
BUSINESS/ECONOMY:
1.
BSE to launch commodity
derivatives trading : Bombay
Stock Exchange has decided to launch trading in the commodity derivatives
segment from October 1.BSE will begin commodity derivatives with
non-agriculture commodities like metals, energy and base metals.A derivative is
a contract between two parties which derives its value/price from an underlying
asset.The most common types of derivatives are futures, options, forwards and
swaps.
DEFENCE:
1.
US and Philippines began
military exercises : US and
Philippine forces have begun their largest annual military exercises named
Balikatan on 7th May.The Balikatan exercises involved combat drills in
mock urban settings to train special forces in battling terrorists.In 2017,
Balikatan focused mainly on honing humanitarian responses to the Philippines’
frequent natural disasters.
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