Daily GK Updates - 6th May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BRO to celebrate its 58th Raising Day : Border Roads Organisation will celebrate its 58th Raising Day on May 7 to mark the glorious services to the nation.BRO, a leader in the arena of infrastructural development in the border areas of the country, was established in 1960.Since its inception the organisation has gone from strength to strength, and numerous projects undertaken by them has been vital for the territorial integrity.

2. Delhi to host Festival of Bharat : Delhi will host a six-day-long Festival of Bharat between May 9 and May 14 as a 21st century tribute to the majesty and depth of India’s civilization.The event will be held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi.Scholars, Grammy award winning artistes, rising new stars and prominent public figures will be in attendance.

3. ‘Star Khel Mahakumbh’ Launched At HP : BJP MP Anurag Thakur and cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar has launched ‘Star Khel Mahakumbh’ at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.The initiative has been designed in a manner as to attract participation of at least one lakh youth from across 5000 villages and 800 panchayats.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Korean Unification Flag signed at ITFF : The Korean Unification flag was signed by members of the joint Korean women’s table tennis team at the World Team Table Tennis Championship.The flag features a blue Korean Peninsula against a white background.The flag is being used in such tournaments where a unified Korean team is fielded off to participate

2. China Launches ‘APSTAR-6C’ Communication Sat : China has launched a new communication satellite “APSTAR-6C” at the southwestern Xichang Satellite Launch Center.The satellite will provide TV transmission, communication, Internet and multimedia services to customers across the Asia-Pacific region.Both the satellite and the rocket were developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. India seeks $4 bn assistance from ADB : India has requested Asian Development Bank to expand its sovereign and non-sovereign operations in the country by providing financial assistance worth $4 billion a year.India also requested ADB President Takehiko Nakao to support its endevour towards an inclusive & sustainable growth accompanied by rapid economic  transformation.ADB aims to promote social and economic development in Asia.

2. ADB projects India’s growth at 7.3% in 2018 : Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao has noted that India’s growth in 2018 would pick up to 7.3%.

The Bank has also projected that India will remain the fastest growing Asian nation with 7.6% growth in 2019-20.The size of India’s economy is about USD 2.5 trillion currently, making it the sixth largest in the world.

3. India topped list of fastest growing economies : According to a Harvard University report, India topped the list of the fastest growing economies in the world for the coming decade.According to the report, India is projected to grow at 7.9% annually, ahead of China & US.The researchers also found India to be the best on Complexity Opportunity Index, which measures how easy it is to redeploy existing knowhow to enter new complex product

DEFENCE:

1. Royal Navy receives its minesweeping system : Britain’s Royal Navy has taken the delivery of its first unmanned autonomous minesweeping system.The system will restore the Royal Navy’s sweep capability, enabling it to tackle modern digital mines that may not otherwise be discovered in challenging mine hunting conditions/It can be operated from a land or ship-based control station & can be deployed from a suitable ship or port.

2. Dakota aircraft joined IAF again : A restored Dakota aircraft has joined the Indian Air Force more than 4 decades after the fleet was phased out following an illustrious service record.Dakota popularly known as Gooney Bird was the 1^st major transport aircraft inducted in the Indian Air Force.Restored Dakota rechristened as Parashuram will join Vintage Fly of one each of Tiger Moth & Howard raised at Hindan air force station

SPORTS:

1. Neeraj breaks own National record : Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has broke his own national record by clearing a distance of 87.43m to finish 4^th at the Diamond League series.Chopra, who recently won a gold at Commonwealth Games was up against the likes of Olympic champion Thomas Rohler & World champion Johannes Vetter.Chopra had set the earlier record of 86.48m when he won a gold medal in 2016 World Junior Championships.

OBITUARIES:

1.Renowned Marathi singer Arun Date dies : Veteran Marathi singer Arun Date, known for his popular song Shukratara has passed away.Date, famous for non-film ‘bhavgeet’ (lyrical poetry) songs, had crooned numbers like Shukratara & Ya Janmavar, which became very popular among people.He contributed to the Marathi music industry for more than 50 yrs.Date was the first recipient of the state government’s ‘Gajananrav Vatave Puraskar’.

Daily GK Updates - 5th May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. GST Council simplifies return filing process : The GST Council in its 27th meeting decided on a new, simplifed method of filing GST returns, based on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers on IT simplification.All taxpayers excluding a few exceptions like composition dealer shall file one monthly return.

Goods & Services Tax Council is a constitutional body & is chaired by the Union Finance Minister

2. Chhattisgarh to recruit transgender in police : To promote gender equality, Chhattisgarh govt has decided to recruit transgender in the police force.

Chhattisgarh is the first state to recruit transgenders for police while Tamil Nadu is the first state to hire India’s first transgender police officer.In 2014, Supreme Court declared transgender people as the 3^rd gender & ruled that they have equal privilege over the fundamental rights.

3. New snake found in Western Ghats : The snake, currently observed only in the forests of the Anaikatty hills in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district, has been named Uropeltis bhupathyi.The reptile belongs to a family of snakes found only in peninsular India and Sri Lanka.They are non-venomous, burrowing and mostly earthworm-eating.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. California’s economy is world’s 5th biggest : California’s economy has surpassed that of the United Kingdom to become the world’s fifth largest economy.

California’s GDP of $2.7 trillion has overtaken the UK’s $2.6 trillion.

California’s economic output is now surpassed only by the total GDP of the United States, China, Japan and Germany.All economic sectors except agriculture contributed to California’s higher GDP.

2.A new nuclear reactor for space : NASA has developed a new kind of reactor to be used for space exploration missions.NASA’s Kilopower project works to build the kind of technology that could be used for an affordable fission nuclear power system so astronauts can have longer trips to planets.

3. World’s rarest ape on the edge of extinction : Tapanuli Orangutan – the rarest ape species on the planet – could lose its battle for survival, unless decisive steps are taken to rescue it.Fewer than 800 members of the species survive, and they are under assault from mega-projects, deforestation, road building, and poaching.

The ape survives only in areas with virtually no roads.

4. India, Sri lanka agree on information exchange : India & Sri Lanka have agreed on cooperation on exchange of information & other aspects to tackle smuggling of drugs in both countries.The decision was taken at the 3^rd bilateral meeting between India’s Narcotics Control Bureau & Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau.Use of sea route to smuggle drugs & sharing of best practices & training needs were also a part of the discussion.

5. Informal meeting of SAARC FMs held in Manila : The twelfth informal meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers was held in Manila, on the sidelines of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB).The meeting was chaired by the Finance Minister of Nepal Yuba Raj Khatiwada.The Finance Ministers/Heads of Delegation briefed the meeting about the current status of economic progress achieved by their countries.

6. No Nobel Prize in Literature this year : The Swedish Academy has postponed the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature following sex-abuse allegations and other issues within its ranks that have tarnished the body’s reputation.The 2018 winner will be presented alongside the 2019 winner next year.It is the first time since wartime 1943 that the prestigious award will not be given.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. RBI asks banks to share data with DRI :The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks authorised to deal in foreign exchange to share data with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).Under the new rules, in the case of inward remittances, the agency can seek information relating to a remittee’s details like name, address etc.In the case of outward remittances, the agency can seek information relating to a remitter’s detail.

SPORTS:

1. Saina returns to top 10 : Commonwealth gold medalist Saina Nehwal climbed up to return into the top-10 of the Badminton World Federation women’s singles rankings.Commonwealth mixed team gold medalist Kidambi Srikanth climbed from fifth to the third spot, while HS Prannoy jumped to a career-best eighth spot. Meanwhile, Rio Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu retained the third spot.

Daily GK Updates - 4th May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. AK Mittal to be acting CJ of Punjab & Haryana : Justice AK Mittal has been appointed as the acting Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.Appointment of Justice Mittal, who is the first puisne Judge of the HC, has been notified by centre because of the retirement of CJ Vazifdar.Collegium had recommended the appointment of Justice Krishna Murari as the CJ of High Court but the Centre did not act on this recommendation.

2. MT Vasudevan Nair wins ONV Literary Award : Legendary writer M T Vasudevan Nair has been selected for the ONV Literary Award instituted by the by the ONV Cultural Academy. The award carries Rs 3 lakh.The ONV award for young promising writer has gone to ‘Amma urangunnilla’, a poetry collection by Anuja Akathoottu.The awards were presented by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

3. Ashok Lahiri appointed full-time member : Former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri has been appointed as full-time member of the 15th Finance Commission.He is at present the part-time member of the commission, headed by N.K. Singh.He will be accorded the status of the Minister of State.The 15^th finance commission’s chairman is N. K. Singh, with its full-time members being Shaktikanta Das and Anoop Singh.

4. Sushma to chair session on Act East Policy : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be chairing an interactive session on Act East Policy in New Delhi.Chief Ministers of 8 North Eastern states – Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura have been invited to attend this meeting.They will be accompanied by senior officials from the States who deal with policy issues related to the subject.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India to organise cultural festival in Egypt : India is organising a 5 day cultural festival in Egypt to commemorate the 157^th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.Festival is being organised by Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, the cultural wing of Indian Embassy in Cairo.An exhibition of paintings of Tagore titled ‘Rabindranath Tagore: Rhythm in Colours’ will be held at Museum of Ahmed Shawky at Giza.

2. Pakistan reopend major trade route with Afghan : Pakistan has reopened a major trade route with Afghanistan, the Ghulam Khan pass after four years.Authorities had closed Ghulam Khan border crossing in 2014, after the launch of military operation in North Waziristan.Pakistan’s army claims that 95% of the area is now militant-free and all the militants’ hideouts have been destroyed.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. 4th Regional Conference of AIIB : The 4th Regional Conference of AIIB on Futuristic, Resilient and Digital Infrastructure was organised in Bengaluru on May 3.It was organised by the Ministry of Finance, Confederation of Indian Industry, and Research and Information System for Developing Countries.The 2-day Conference is a lead-up to the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

2. EPFO introduces View Pension Passbook service : EPFO introduced ‘View Pension Passbook’ Service for the pensioners through ‘UMANG app’.On clicking ‘View Passbook’ option, it requires PPO Number and Date of Birth information to be entered by the pensioner.Other e-services of EPFO already available through UMANG app includes EPF Passbook, Raise claim, Track Claim, eKYC services etc.

DEFENCE:

1. First meet of Defence Planning Committee : The new Defence Planning Committee (DPC) met for the first time under the chairmanship of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.The DPC will draft National Security Strategy (NSS) and other doctrines as well as ushering reforms in the country’s higher defence management and planning.The Chief of Integrated Staff in the Ministry of Defence will be the member secretary of DPC

SPORTS:

1. Kidambi Srikanth became Deputy Collector in AP : Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth formally took charge as the Deputy Collector of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, his native town.In June 2017, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu had offered Srikanth a Group 1 officer post after he won the Indonesian and Australian Open titles.Recently, Srikanth bagged his maiden singles’ silver medal at Commonwealth Games.

2. Mary named ambassador for TCS World marathon : Former tennis star Mary Pierce has been named the International Event Ambassador for TCS World 10K 2018 Marathon.The marathon, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru for May 27.Mary Pierce reached her career high ranking of World No. 3 in 1995, post her first Grand Slam Singles title – that of the Australian Open in January 1995.

OBITUARIES:

1. Freedom fighter Keyur Bhushan passed away : Well-known Gandhian, freedom fighter & writer Keyur Bhushan passed away.Bhushan took part in the 1942 Quit India movement as a student in Raipur and was incarcerated.He penned novels, collections of short stories and poems. He also edited `Sapthahik Chhattisgarh’ and `Antyoday’.During the 1980s, when terrorism ragged in Punjab, he undertook a foot march to promote peace.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Online system for grant of security clearance : An online system for grant of security clearance to international conferences, seminars and workshops organised in India was launched by the Home Ministry.The online portal  “https://conference.mha.gov.in” was launched by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.Obtaining clearances for organising a conference, issue of conference visa to foreign delegates was an offline procedure till now.

2. ‘Go to Village’ mission launched in Manipur : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched ‘Go to Village’ mission throughout the state of Manipur.The mission was launched on May 2 in 60 villages of all the 60 Assembly constituencies.The mission is aimed at identifying the eligible and deserving beneficiaries in every corner of the state anddelivering  government services at their doorstep.

3. Govt doubles PMVVY pension investment limit : The government has doubled the investment limit to Rs 15 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandan Yojana (PMVVY) pension scheme and extended the subscription period by two years till March 31, 2020.PMVVY is for senior citizens and was available from 4th May 2017 to 3rd May 2018.The scheme provides an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8% per annum for ten years.

3. Jagdish sworn-in as acting Manipur Governor : Jagdish Mukhi has been sworn in as the acting Governor of Manipur by the acting Chief Justice of Manipur High Court, Justice N Kotiswar Singh.Mukhi, who is the governor of Assam & Meghalaya, will hold office in the absence of Governor Najma Heptullah.Article 153 states that nothing shall prevent the appointment of the same person as Governor for two or more States.

4. Cabinet renames minority development programme : Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has renamed the Multi-sectoral Development Programme as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.The restructured programme aims to provide better socioeconomic infrastructure facilities to minority communities, particularly in the field of education, health & skill development.The scheme would extend to 308 districts compared to 196 districts at present.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, US discuss maritime security : India and the US held their third maritime security dialogue in Goa from 30th April to 1st May.The two sides discussed developments in the maritime domain in the Indo-Pacific Region and exchanged views on ways to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation.They also reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during the previous Maritime Security Dialogues.

2. World Press Freedom Day observed on 3rd May : World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993.Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the ‘Declaration of Windhoek’ is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom.

The theme for 2018 is “Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law”.

3. Pakyong to become 100th functional airport : The Pakyong airport in Sikkim is set to become the 100th operational airport in the country when it will be commissioned in June.

Sikkim was the only state without an airport in the country.SpiceJet has been granted permission to fly to Pakyong in Sikkim from Kolkata under the Civil Aviation Ministry’s Regional Connectivity Scheme.

4. India, China militaries to set up hotline : Militaries of India & China have agreed to set up a hotline between their headquarters after the informal summit between PM Modi & President Xi in Wuhan.Hotline is regarded as a major confidence-building measure as it would enable the militaries of both countries to intensify communication to avert border tensions.India already has a hotline with Pakistan that was first used in 1991.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Government aid to reduce sugarcane dues : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval to provide financial assistance of Rs. 5.50 per quintal of cane crushed in sugar season 2017-18 to sugar mills.This will help sugar mills to clear cane dues of farmers.The assistance shall be paid directly to the farmers on behalf of the mills.

2. ICICI Bank named Nair as Independent Director : Former IRDAI member Radhakrishnan Nair has been appointed to ICICI Bank’s board as an Additional (Independent) Director.His appointment will be for a period of five years and is subject to shareholders’ approval.He is already an independent director of 3 subsidiaries of ICICI Bank — ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, ICICI Prudential Trust and ICICI Securities Primary Dealership.

DEFENCE:

 1. India among top 5 defence spenders : According to a Swedish arms watchdog, India & China were among the 5 biggest military spenders which together accounted for 60% of the total global defence expenditure of $1.739 trillion in 2017.India spent $63.9 billion in 2017 to expand, modernise & enhance the operational capability of its armed forces.The 5 top military spenders in 2017 were US, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia & India.

SPORTS:

1. England jump up to number one in ODI rankings : England has replaced India at the top of International Cricket Council one-day rankings.England, who last topped the ODI rankings in Jan 2013, has gained 8 points & moved to 125 points.India with 122 points is at the 2^nd position followed by South Africa & New Zealand.England’s rise up the table is because the forgettable 2014-15 season was dropped from the latest calculations.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.14 Cities In India are World’s most polluted : Delhi and Varanasi are among the 14 Indian cities that figured in a list of 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 levels in 2016, according to the data released by the WHO.Other Indian cities were Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur. PM 2.5 includes pollutants like sulfate, nitrate and black carbon.

2. eOffice system launched by Hyderabad police : The Hyderabad city police launched the ‘eOffice’ System in the city Police Commissionerate office as a citizen-friendly initiative. eOffice is a ‘product suit’ developed by NIC and it aims at handling files in a more efficient and transparent manner to improve the responsiveness to citizens. The system helps in faster clearance of files and it envisions a paper-less office.

3. Vibrant North East 2018’ from May 3 :  The ‘Vibrant North East 2018’, an event in which people would be made aware of central government’s schemes and programmes, will be held in Guwahati from May 3. The main purpose of the event is to disseminate information about the schemes, grants and projects of the Central government. This will be the fourth edition of the ‘Vibrant North East’ expo in Guwahati.

4. Government extends MEIS export benefits : Over 35 handicraft products such as candles, paper and clay articles would be entitled for export benefits.These export benefits are provided under Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS).Under this scheme, the government provides duty credit scrip to exporters.The rates vary from product to product and the export destination, as envisaged in the foreign trade policy.

5. Government to host farmers welfare workshops :  In an outreach to farmers, the Government is organising ‘Kisan Kalyan Karyashala’ at the block level across the country on 2nd May.The workshops will be part of the ongoing ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’.‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’ is a rural-centric campaign that had started on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, and will end on May 5.

6. Subhash Chandra appointed as IRDAI Chairman : Former IAS Officer Subhash Chandra Khuntia was appointed as the new Chairman of Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for three-years.Khuntia will succeed T S Vijayan, who completed his five-year term in February.

His appointment was approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

IRDAI regulates Insurance sector of the country.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NASA to track Earth’s ice and water : NASA is gearing up for the upcoming launch of its Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission.The mission will map changes in water and ice around the world by detecting variations  in Earth’s gravity & it involves 2 identical spacecraft that will orbit the Earth.The mission is a joint project between NASA and the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Germany.

2. India & Japan to work together : India and Japan have agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy development space as well as contribute to worldwide energy security and solutions to climate change issues.Both countries agreed to initiate the discussion towards development of Electric Vehicles.They will work together in promoting well-functioning energy markets.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Core sector growth slows to 4.1% in March : The growth of eight core sectors slowed to a three-month low of 4.1% in March due to weak performance in six sectors including coal, crude oil and natural gas.The other sectors which showed slower growth rates were refinery products, steel and electricity.The Index of Eight Core Industries consists- coal, steel, cement, crude oil, natural gas, fertilizers, electricity & refinery products.

2. Telecom sector to get ombudsman : In a move aimed at empowering mobile consumers, the Telecom Commission cleared a proposal for creation of an Ombudsman under the. sector regulator to resolve subscriber complaints.As per the decision of Telecom Commission, the Ombudsman will be created by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).The TRAI will be free to set up as many Ombudsman as per requirement

DEFENCE:

1. Vijay Prahar exercise under way in Rajasthan : More than 20,000 troops of strike formations of the Indian Army’s South Western Command were engaged in “Vijay Prahar”exercise near Suratgarh in Rajasthan. The aim of the exercise is to fine-tune jointmanship with the Indian Air Force.The other aspects which were focused were fighting capabilities through armed helicopters and fighting and operate in the nuclear environment.

SPORTS:

1. Harendra Singh to coach men’s hockey team : Hockey India has appointed Harendra Singh as coach of India’s men’s team, while Sjoerd Marijne will take over as chief coach of women’s side.Harendra led the junior men’s hockey team to the World Cup title in 2016.Before joining the Indian women’s team, Marijne had a successful tenure with the Netherlands’ women’s team.

2. Salah named writers’ Footballer of the Year : Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.The Egypt star – the first African winner of the award – also won the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award in April.Salah has scored 31 goals in 34 league appearances for Liverpool this season.

Daily GK Updates - 1st May, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.BS-VI fuel to be available by April 1, 2019 : The Centre told the Supreme Court that the BS-VI fuel will be made available by April 1, 2019, in 17 out of 23 districts in the National Capital Region.The government also told that BS-VI fuel will also be made available in Agra in Uttar Pradesh on or before April 1, 2019.Delhi has already switched to BS-VI fuel and the cleaner fuel is now available across the petrol pumps in Delhi

2. NITI Aayog’s agenda for ‘New India 2022’ : NITI Aayog will soon come out with a development agenda for ‘New India 2022’, which will spell out strategy for expediting economic growth.It will start working on a 15-year vision document after finalising the development agenda document for ‘New India 2022’.It had planned to come out with three documents: 3 year action agenda, 7 year medium-term strategy and 15 year vision document.

3. Gobardhan Yojana launched from Haryana : Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation launched the Gobardhan scheme from Haryana’s Karnal district on 30th April.The scheme would focus on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, biogas and  bio-CNG.The Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme was first announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in budget.

4. Pilot scheme for 2,500MW power procurement : Government has launched a Pilot Scheme for procurement of aggregate power of 2500 MW on competitive basis from commissioned power plants without “power purchase agreements” (PPA).The main purpose of the scheme is to revive commissioned power plants which are unable to sell electricity in the absence of valid PPA.The bids under the scheme will be invited in the first week of May.

5. Gujarat & Maharashtra celebrates its 58th foundation day : the two states Gujarat and Maharashtra are celebrating 58th foundation day.In 1960, two western states Gujarat and Maharashtra were formed from erstwhile Bombay state on this day.The Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani has inaugurated the ‘Sujalam Sufalam Yojana’ from Komsadi Talav.Every year the Government of Maharashtra issues a notification declaring the 1st of May to be a public holiday to be celebrated asMaharashtra Day.The day is marked with various cultural events and ceremonies showcasing the culture and traditions of Maharashtra.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Nepal to review bilateral trade treaty : India and Nepal have agreed to review bilateral trade treaty.The decision was taken at the meeting of India-Nepal Inter Government Committee on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade, held in Kathmandu.The two sides also discussed amendments to the bilateral Treaty of Transit signed in 1999 to further facilitate transit movement of Nepal’s trade with third countries.

2. Dominican Republic cuts ties with Taiwan : The Dominican Republic severed ties with Taiwan after nearly 80 years.The Dominican Republic established diplomatic relations with China.Taiwan now has formal relations with only 19 countries, many of them poor nations in Central America and the Pacific.Panama cut its diplomatic ties in favor of Beijing in June last year.

3. World Asthma Day observed on 1st May : World Asthma Day is celebrated worldwide on the first Tuesday of May every year.It is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), it is a global health event aimed at improving asthma awareness and care worldwide.The theme of this year’s event is ‘Never too early, never too late’.Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is caused by inflammation of the airways.

4. NASA mission to study heart of Mars : NASA is set to launch Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) on May 5.InSight will be the first mission to peer deep beneath the Martian surface, studying the planet’s interior by measuring its heat output and listening for marsquakes.It will use the seismic waves generated by mars quakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior.

5. 2nd rapidly growing country for air traffic : India has been projected to be the second fastest growing country in the world for air passenger traffic.The Airports Council International (ACI), a global trade body representing airports, in its traffic forecasts, said, by 2022 passenger traffic in emerging economies like India will surpass advanced economies.ACI has put Vietnam at the top position with an 8.5 percent growth rate.

6. International Labour Day observed on 1st May : International Labour Day, also known as International Worker’s Day or May Day is observed on 1st May.

It is observed every year to promote and encourage the international labour associations.The day marks the victory of workers’ movement for eight hours of work.It also aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Dalmia group adopts Gandikota fort in Andhra : Dalmia Bharat Limited has also ‘adopted’ Gandikota Fort in Andhra Pradesh under “Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan”“Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan” is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), states and union territories.Under the contract, the company will focus on providing basic amenities at the fort.

2. WhatsApp boss and co-founder Jan Koum to quit : The chief executive and co-founder of WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging app, is leaving the company over disagreements about privacy and encryption.Jan Koum will also step down from Facebook’s board of directorsWhatsApp, with 1.5 billion monthly users, is the largest messaging service in the world.

3. Uday Kotak redesignated as MD & CEO : The board of directors of Kotak Mahindra Bank has redesignated Uday Kotak as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 May, 2018.Mr. Kotak was earlier executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director.Mr. Kotak was the only official among private banks to have a Vice Chairman designation.

DEFENCE:

1. Blue Origin launches its first space mission : Blue Origin, the US aerospace company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has launched its suborbital ‘New Shepard’ rocket and space capsule.The mission marked the company’s first test flight of the year and second flight of the New Shepard 2.0 spacecraft.New Shepard is a reusable vertical takeoff, vertical landing space vehicle, consisting of a pressurized capsule atop a booster.

SPORTS:

1. Rizvi claims No.1 spot pistol rankings : Indian shooter Shahzar Rizvi grabbed the number one spot in 10m air pistol rankings by ISSF.He won the silver medal in the just-concluded World Cup in Changwon,Korea. Rizvi had previously won a gold medal with a world record score at the World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico in March.The other Indians in the top-10 are Jitu Rai and Om Prakash Mitharval who are at 6th & 12th spot.

OBITUARIES:

1. Economist & WB Finance Min Ashok Mitra died : Noted scholar and former Finance Minister in the Left Front government in West Bengal Ashok Mitra passed away on 1st May.Mr. Mitra was also an eminent economist and penned several newspaper columns on social and economic issues.He was the Chief Economic Adviser to the Central Government from 1970 to 1972.In the mid-1990s he became a member of Rajya Sabha.