Daily GK Updates - 30th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Goa celebrates its statehood day: Goa celebrates its statehood day on 30th May. It was on this day in 1987 Goa became the 25th state of the Indian Union. It was a Union Territory along with Daman and Diu from December 1961 onwards when Goa was liberated from the colonial rule. Once Goa was liberated there was a controversy regarding merging Goa with the neighbouring state of Maharashtra or Mysore. However, an opinion poll of 1967 suggested that Goa, Daman, and Diu be Union Territory.

Note: Chief Minister of Goa - Pramod Sawant, Capital- Panaji, Governor- Mridula Sinha

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

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

3. Military tribunal allows Karambir Singh to take charge as new Navy Chief: The Armed Forces Tribunal cleared the way for Vice Admiral Karambir Singh to become the next Navy Chief, while it deferred for four weeks the matter of Vice Admiral Bimal Verma which seeks to quash Singh’s appointment. Karambir Singh, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, will take over as the Navy Chief on 31st May 2019.

4. SC extends the tenure of NCDRC’s judicial member by one year: The Supreme Court has extended the tenure of Justice VK Jain, a judicial member of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), which was expiring on 30th May 2019. A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Aniruddha Bose stated the extension of tenure would be for one year or till the process of fresh appointment is completed. Justice Jain was appointed as a judicial member of the NCDRC on 30th May 2014.

Note:  The NCDRC is a quasi-judicial commission in India which was set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The head office of NCDRC is in New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US-UAE defense agreement comes into force: The United States and the United Arab Emirates have announced that mutual defense cooperation agreement had come into force, amid increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran. The DCA (Defense Cooperation Agreement) will enhance military coordination between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, further advancing an already robust military, political, and economic partnership at a critical time. US President Donald Trump bypassed Congress to sell USD 8.1 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, citing the alleged threat from Iran.

2. International Everest Day: 29th May: International Everest Day is being observed on 29th May. Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand’s Edmund Hillary had climbed the Mt. Everest on this day (29th May) in 1953, as the first humans to achieve the feat. Nepal decided to observe the day as International Everest Day since 2008 when the legendary climber Hillary passed away.

Note:  Mount Everest, known in Nepali as Sagarmatha and in Tibetan as Chomolungma, is Earth’s highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas.

3. James Marape elected new Papua New Guinea PM: James Marape, a former finance minister and critic of a major global gas development deal, has been elected by parliament as the prime minister of Papua New Guinea. His election came after weeks of political turmoil that saw his predecessor, Peter O’Neill, resign having lost the support of the House after more than seven years in power.

4. Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari sworn in for second term as president:  Muhammadu Buhari has been sworn in for a second term as Nigeria’s president, following a campaign that focused on tackling security threats and rooting out corruption. He did not make a speech during the low-profile event attended by members of the diplomatic community. Buhari, a former military ruler, won 56 percent of the votes to defeat his main challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2019 election.

5. Nepal celebrates its 12th Republic Day: Nepal is celebrating its 12th Republic Day on 29th May 2019. A number of programmes are being organized in different parts of the country to mark the occasion. The main function was held at Army Pavilion in Kathmandu, which was attended by the President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli, cabinet ministers, senior government officials, heads and representatives of various diplomatic missions and other dignitaries.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019: The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 begins on 30th May 2019. England will open the tournament at The Oval in London when they will take on South Africa. The World Cup will span 48 matches in all, of which 45 will make up the group stage. Each team will play nine group stage matches, and the top four will progress to the semifinals, similar to how the 1992 World Cup was held.

2. Manu Bhaker secures India 7th Olympic quota: Indian shooter Manu Bhaker (17-year) secured India its seventh Olympic quota with a fourth-place finish in the women's 10-meter air pistol event of the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany. This is India's first quota in women's 10-meter pistol. Bhaker shot 201 in the final to secure the quota for the Tokyo Games. She finished third in the qualification with a total of 582 points, shooting a solid 98 in her last two rounds.

3. Europa League final: Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1: Chelsea got the better of its English Premier League rivals to win the Europa League final, beating Arsenal 4-1 in the Baku Olympic Stadium, Azerbaijan. Despite a bright start from the Gunners, Chelsea ran riot in the second half with three goals in quick succession. Chelsea won their fifth major Uefa European competition final, with only Liverpool winning more among eight English clubs.

Note: The UEFA Europa League is an annual football club competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions. It is the second-tier competition of European club football, ranking below the UEFA Champions League.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI sets up committee on corporate loans: RBI has constituted a six-member committee on the Development of Secondary Market for Corporate Loans to come up with recommendations to increase the efficiencies of the debt market and aid in the resolution of stressed assets. The committee, headed by TN Manoharan, Chairman, Canara Bank, will make recommendations on required policy/regulatory interventions for facilitating the development of the secondary market in corporate loans, including loan transaction platform for stressed assets.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Annie Zaidi honoured with Nine Dots Prize 2019: Freelance writer Indian writer ‘Annie Zaidi’ has won the Nine Dots Prize 2019 for her entry ‘Bread, Cement, Cactus’- combining memoir and reportage, exploring concepts of home and belonging to her experience based in contemporary life in India. The prize included an award of 100,000 US dollar. It is a prestigious book prize created to award innovative thinking that addresses contemporary issues around the world.

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

OBITUARIES 

1. Godfather actor Carmine Caridi dies aged 85: Carmine Caridi, known for roles in The Godfather franchise, has died at the age of 85. The veteran actor also appeared in the final part of “The Godfather” trilogy in a different role – Albert Volpe, an investor in Michael Corleone’s casinos who is killed in an attack at a hotel in Atlantic City.