Daily GK Updates - 31st May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Narendra Modi takes oath for the 2nd consecutive term: Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn-in as the Prime Minister for the second time at a grand and star-studded ceremony in the sprawling forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on 30th May, 2019. During the ceremony, Apart from PM Modi, 57 ministers administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind. A total of 24 Cabinet Ministers took oath at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by nine Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and 24 Ministers of State. The glittering ceremony was witnessed by a galaxy of leaders, diplomats, industrialists and prominent personalities from various fields.

Note: The function was attended by leaders from BIMSTEC countries and foreign envoys, Governors, Chief Ministers, Opposition leaders, corporate heads and film stars. Maithripala Sirisena (President of Sri Lanka), U Win Myint (President of Myanmar), Md. Abdul Hamid (President of Bangladesh), Dr Lotay Tshering (Prime Minister of Bhutan), K P Sharma Oli (Prime Minister of Nepal), Grisada Boonrach (Special Envoy of Thailand), Sooronbay Jeenbekov (President of the Kyrgyz Republic,) and Pravind Jugnauth (Prime Minister of Mauritius) witnessed the event.

2. Union Cabinet Ministers Portfolio 2019: A day after the incoming Union Council of Ministers was sworn in the portfolios of ministers was announced. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier sent the list of portfolios for his Council of Ministers to President Ram Nath Kovind, after which the same was unveiled. Here's the full list of the Union Council of Ministers and their portfolios, under the Modi Government 2.0.

Narendra Modi	Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; all important policy issues; and all other portfolios not allocated to any minister
Cabinet Ministers
‏Rajnath Singh	Defence
Amit Shah	Home Affairs
Nirmala Sitharaman	Finance; Corporate Affairs
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar	External Affairs
Nitin Gadkari	Road Transport and Highways; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
DV Sadananda Gowda	Chemical and Fertilizers
Ram Vilas Paswan	Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Narendra Singh Tomar	Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Rural Development; Panchayati Raj
Ravi Shankar Prasad	Law and Justice; Communications; Electronics and Information Technology
Harsimrat Kaur Badal	Food Processing Industries
Thawarchand Gehlot	Social Justice and Empowerment
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank	Human Resource Development
Arjun Munda	Tribal Affairs
Smriti Irani	Women and Child Development; Textiles
Dr. Harsh Vardhan	Health and Family Welfare; Science and Technology; Earth Sciences
Prakash Javdekar	Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Information and Broadcasting
Piyush Goyal	Railways; Commerce and Industries
Dharmendra Pradhan	Petroleum and Natural Gas; Steel
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi	Minority Affairs
Prahlad Joshi	Parliamentary Affairs; Coal; Mines
Mahendra Nath Pandey	Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Arvind Sawant	Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise
Giriraj Singh	Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat	Jal Shakti
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
Santosh Kumar Gangwar	Labour and Employment
Rao Inderjit Singh	Statistics and Programme Implementation; Planning
Shripad Yesso Naik	Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH); MoS Defence
Dr. Jitendra Singh	Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; MoS PMO; Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space
Kiren Rijiju	Youth Affairs and Sports; MoS Minority Affairs
Prahalad Singh Patel	Culture; Tourism
Raj Kumar Singh	Power; New and Renewable Energy; MoS Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Hardeep Singh Puri	Housing and Urban Affairs; Civil Aviation; MoS Commerce and Industry
Mansukh L Mandaviya	Shipping; MoS Chemicals and Fertilizers
Ministers of State
Faggansingh Kulaste	Steel
Ashwini Kumar Choubey	Health and Family Welfare
Arjun Ram Meghwal	Parliamentary Affairs; Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
General (Retd) VK Singh	Road Transport and Highways
Krishan Pal	Social Justice and Empowerment
Danve Raosaheb Dadarao	Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution
G Kishan Reddy	Home Affairs
Parshottam Rupala	Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Ramdas Athawale	Social Justice and Empowerment
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti	Rural Development
Babul Supriyo	Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Sanjeev Kumar Balyan	Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries
Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao	Human Resource Development; Communications; Electronics and Information Technology
Anurag Singh Thakur	Finance; Corporate Affairs
Angadi Suresh Channabasappa	Railways
Nityanand Rai	Home Affairs
Rattan Lal Kataria	Jal Shakti; Social Justice and Empowerment
V Muraleedharan	External Affairs; Parliamentary Affairs
Renuka Singh Saruta	Tribal Affairs
Som Parkash	Commerce and Industry
Rameswar Teli	Food Processing Industries
Pratap Chandra Sarangi	Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
Kailash Choudhary	Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Debasree Chaudhuri	Women and Child Development

3. Centre launches song ‘Hawa Aane De’ on air pollution: As the World Environment Day is approaching, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched a theme song ‘Hawa Aane De’ on air pollution. The song was launched in the national capital. The aim is to spread awareness regarding protecting the environment. Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the song in the presence of actor Shekhar Suman and singer Shaan. World Environment Day is celebrated on June 05. This year the theme of Environment Day is ‘Air Pollution’.

4. Binny, India’s Only Orangutan Dies In Odisha Zoo: A 41-year-old orangutan at Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoological Park died following a prolonged illness. ”Binny”, the country’s lone orangutan passed away around 9:40 pm due to old-age related ailments followed by respiratory tract infection. The great ape was under treatment for the last one year by experts from the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry OUAT who were under constant advice of the Orangutan experts from UK and Singapore.

5. IIT Guwahati signs MoU with ISRO to set up space technology: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati has signed an MoU with The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up an IITG-ISRO Space Technology Cell (STC) at the institute where Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi inaugurated a new academic complex and research and development building. IITG-ISRO STC would be first of its kind in the North-east region to augment research and capacity building processes in the field of space technology.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Trump announces tariffs on all Mexico goods: US President Donald Trump has announced tariffs on all goods coming from Mexico in a bid to curb illegal immigration. From 10th June 2019, a five percent tariff would be imposed and slowly raised until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied. President Trump has declared a national emergency to tackle what he claims is a crisis at the US southern border.

Note: Mexico President: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Capital: Mexico City, Currency: Mexican peso

2. World No-Tobacco Day: 31st May: Every year, on 31st May, the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The annual campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure, and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is on “tobacco and lung health.”

Note: In 1988, WHO’s World Health Assembly had passed a resolution calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31st May.

3. Israel to hold fresh polls as Netanyahu fails to form coalition govt: Israeli lawmakers voted to dissolve Parliament and hold fresh elections after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition before a midnight deadline. He became the first prime minister-designate in Israel's history who was unable to form a government. Israeli lawmakers voted 74-45 in favour of dissolving the 21st Knesset (Israeli Parliament). The repeat general elections will be held on September 17. Netanyahu's victory in the April 9 polls securing him a record fifth term proved temporary. 

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. FICCI survey forecasts India’s GDP growth at 7.1% for FY20: The country’s median GDP is forecast at 7.10 percent for Financial Year 2020 and 7.20 percent for Financial Year 2021. The industry body FICCI’s economic outlook survey stated that the minimum and maximum growth estimate stood at 6.80 per 0cent and 7.3 percent for 2019-20. The survey was conducted in May 2019 among economists belonging to the industry, banking, and financial services sectors. Inflation is expected to remain moderate and the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation rate is projected at 3.1 percent in 2019-20, while, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation has a median forecast of 4 percent for 2019-20.

Note: FICCI stands for Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Headquarter- New Delhi. Established in 1927.

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.

Daily GK Updates - 29th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NSIC signs MOU with Ministry of MSME: The National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) signed an MoU with Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for the year 2019-20. The MoU envisages provision of enhanced services by NSIC under its marketing, financial, technology, and other support services schemes for MSMEs in the country. The Corporation projects to increase Revenue from Operation by 22% from Rs. 2540 crore in the year 2018-19 to 3100 crore in the year 2019-20.

2. Record 78 women MPs elected to 17th Lok Sabha: Record 78 women candidates have been elected to the Lok Sabha in the recently held general elections. According to the Election Commission, the number has grown from the previous 62 women who were elected to the 16th Lok Sabha in 2014. In the country’s first general elections in 1951, twenty-four women were elected to the Lower House, and since then, the number has been increasing.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Saudi Arabia lifts export ban on fruits and vegetable from Kerala: Kerala’s fruits and vegetable exporters have heaved a sigh of relief following the lifting of the export ban by Saudi Arabia after the Nipah virus attack last year. With the lifting of the embargo, he said Kozhikode airport was alone handling 20 tonnes of fruits and vegetables per day valued at $50,000 to various destinations in Saudi. Kerala ships around 150 tonnes of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis to various gulf countries and of this, the consignment to Saudi alone was 30-40 tonnes.

2. US removes India, Switzerland from its currency monitoring list: The Trump administration removed India from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners, citing certain developments and steps being taken by New Delhi addressing some of its major concerns. Switzerland is the other nation that has been removed from the list. However, the list includes China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam among others.

3. India moves up to 43rd in competitiveness; Singapore tops chart: India has moved up one place to rank 43rd most competitive economy in the world on the back of its robust economic growth, a large labour force and its huge market size, while Singapore has toppled the US to grab the top position, a global study showed. Singapore has moved up to the top, from the third position last year, while the US has slipped to the third place in the 2019 edition of the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings. Hong Kong SAR has held onto its second place, helped by a benign tax and business policy environment and access to business finance.

4. Scott Morrison sworn in as Australia’s PM: Scott Morrison has been sworn in as Australia’s Prime Minister, 11 days after retaining the position in the country’s general election. Along with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Morrison was sworn in by Queen Elizabeth’s official representative in Australia, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, in the capital, Canberra. Also sworn in was Morrison’s revamped Cabinet, which includes a record seven women, and Australia’s first Aboriginal federal Cabinet member, Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt, who wore a traditional kangaroo skin.

5. 29th May: International Day of UN Peacekeepers: The ‘International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers’ is being observed on 29th May to pay tribute those who served in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. They also honour the memory of people who died in the name of peace. The theme for the 2019 International Day of UN Peacekeepers is “Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace.”

6. Sri Lanka signs tripartite agreement with India and Japan: Sri Lanka has signed a tripartite agreement with India and Japan for development of eastern terminal of Colombo port. The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed in Colombo by Sri Lankan ports minister Sagala Ratnayake, Indian high commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu and a Japanese representative. As per the agreement, Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) will hold 51% majority stake in the port development while Japan and India will have combined stake of 49 percent. The deal is significant as over 70% of India’s transhipment business is handled at Colombo ports.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS 

1. ICC launches criiio campaign on eve of World Cup: The ICC has launched the criiio campaign on the eve of the men’s World Cup, bringing together 460 million people playing cricket globally to celebrate the magnificent diversity of cricket. The ICC asked the fans to join the social cricket tribe by sharing pictures and videos of where and how they play cricket across the world using the newly launched #criiio and visiting criiio.com. This builds on the success of the recent user-generated social media initiative #WorldWideWickets and is the first of a series of programs that will be launched by the ICC over the next 12 months.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI extends timings for RTGS from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended timings for customer transactions in the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system to 6:00 pm from 4:30 pm. The new time window for RTGS will come into effect from 01st June 2019.

Note: The RTGS is an online fund transfer system, supported by the RBI, which enables money transaction on a real-time basis. The minimum amount for the transaction under this system is Rs 2 lakh. There is no upper limit on the value of funds that can be transferred via the RTGS system.

2. Corporation Bank launches loan scheme for MSME sector: State-owned Corporation Bank has launched ‘SMESuvidha’ scheme to provide loans to the GST-registered MSMEs at affordable interest rates. The product is designed as a part of the lender’s efforts to improve service and provide the best products to the MSME sector. This is a unique product for GST-registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The bank is actively participating in the government’s flagship programmes including ‘MUDRA’ and ‘Stand-up India’ to provide the much-needed push to the MSME sector.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Walmart Appoints Suresh Kumar as Chief Technology Officer: US-based retail chain Walmart has appointed Suresh Kumar, an IIT Madras graduate and former Google executive, as chief technology officer and chief development officer. The appointment comes at a time when Walmart is transforming its customer and associate experiences.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Horticulture award for TNAU V-C: N Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has been conferred the lifetime recognition award by the Confederation of Horticulture Association of India. The award has been conferred for his outstanding contribution in the field of horticulture and academic leadership focussed on human resource development in agriculture.

OBITUARIES

1. Nobel prize winning Physicist Murray Gell-Man passes away: Nobel laureate and American physicist, Murray Gell-Mann (89-years) passed away at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gell-Mann transformed physics by devising a method for sorting subatomic particles into simple groups of eight based on an electric charge, spin and other characteristics. He called his method the “eightfold way” after the Buddhist Eightfold Path to enlightenment. Mr. Mann received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1969 for his work on the theory of elementary particles.

Daily GK Updates - 28th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Govt sets up tribunal for adjudicating ban on LTTE: The government has constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as an unlawful association. The Tribunal is comprised of sitting Judge of Delhi High Court Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal. LTTE was banned in India after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

2. Pema Khandu to take oath as Arunachal Pradesh CM for 2nd term: Pema Khandu will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh for the second time on 29th May. After having a landslide victory in the Assembly elections with 41 seats in the 60-seat house, the BJP held it’s Legislature Party Meeting in Itanagar. Mr. Khandu met Governor Dr. BD Mishra and staked claim to form the government.

3. Madhya Pradesh to tentatively have new UNESCO heritage site: Orchha town in Madhya Pradesh has a plethora of historical sites with the Bundela dynasty architectural style. The Archaeological Survey of India has included that heritage town of Orchha in a tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites. It was included in the proposal sent by the ASI to the UN body in April 2019. UNESCO’s rules state that to be a part of the World Heritage sites, the heritage or historical site must first be on the tentative list. After making it to that list, yet another proposal is sent to the UNESCO. In their initial proposal, the ASI had requested that Orchha be included as a cultural heritage site.

4. Government invites BIMSTEC leaders for the swearing-in ceremony on May 30: Leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) have been invited for PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony to be held on 30th May. However, Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina will not attend the event due to her prior commitments. Myanmar State Councillor Aung Saan Suu Kyi’s presence is also uncertain as she is travelling overseas. Kyrgyzstan, the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), too has been invited for the event.

Apart from India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar. Indian-origin Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth, who visited India for Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in January, has also been invited for the May 30 event.

5. VD Savarkar’s birth anniversary being celebrated: Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s birth anniversary is being celebrated on 28th May. Born on 28th May in 1883 near Nasik in Maharashtra, Savarkar was popularly called Veer Savarkar. He was a revolutionary who fought against the British Government. On the occasion, a function to pay floral tributes to him will be held in the Central Hall of Parliament House.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India elected to Executive Board of first UN-Habitat Assembly: India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly, announced by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly at the Plenary Session of the Assembly being held in Nairobi. The first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly started on May 27th at the headquarters of UN-Habitat in Nairobi and will go on till May 31st. The special theme for the UN-Habitat Assembly is “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities”.

2. Maldives Ex-Leader Mohamed Nasheed Tipped As New Speaker:  The former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has been nominated as the country’s parliamentary speaker. Nasheed was unanimously chosen to head the People’s Majlis, or the parliament, by his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which won a near three-quarter majority in the 87-member assembly in April.

Note: President of the Maldives- Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Capital- Male, Currency- Maldivian rufiyaa

3. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ousted in the no-confidence vote: Austrian Parliament has removed Chancellor Sebastian Kurz from office as he lost the no confidence in a special Parliamentary session. His previous coalition ally, the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) and the opposition Social Democrats (SPO) backed the no-confidence motions. Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen named Vice Chancellor Hartwig Loger as the interim leader. Loger will serve until a new transitional government can be appointed ahead of elections expected in September.

4. Russia launches new nuclear-powered icebreaker in bid to open up Arctic: Russia launched a nuclear-powered icebreaker, part of an ambitious programme to renew and expand its fleet of the vessels in order to improve its ability to tap the Arctic’s commercial potential. The ship, dubbed the Ural and which was floated out from a dockyard in St Petersburg, is one of a trio that when completed will be the largest and most powerful icebreakers in the world. The Ural is due to be handed over to Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom in 2022 after the two other icebreakers in the same series, Arktika (Arctic) and Sibir (Siberia), enter service.

Note: President- Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister- Dmitry Medvedev, Capital- Moscow, Currency- Russian ruble

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Saurabh Chaudhary wins 10m Air Pistol gold in ISSF World Cup: India's Saurabh Chaudhary (17-year) has won 10m Air Pistol Gold beating his own World Record in ISSF shooting World Cup, in Munich, Germany. Mr. Chaudhary scored 246.3 bettering his previous best of 245 points that were set in New Delhi World Cup Shooting in February 2019. Chaudhury has already secured a berth for the Tokyo Olympics.

2. Rahi Sarnobat books Olympic berth for India at ISSF WC: In the ISSF World Cup rifle pistol stage in Munich, Germany, Rahi Sarnobat has booked an Olympic quota place for India winning gold in women's 25m pistol event. Asian Games champion Rahi clinched her career's second World Cup Gold, which helped India win its sixth quota place in shooting for 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In the women's final, another Indian in the fray, Manu Bhaker had a better start than Rahi, having five out of five hits in the first of 10 series of five shots each. Now, India topped in the Munich World Cup medals tally with three gold. China is second with one gold, one silver and three bronze.

3. Anton Aditya Subowo re-elected as President of Badminton Asia: Indonesia's Anton Aditya Subowo was re-elected as the President of Badminton Asia for another four years. There were seven other people who were selected as the vice-presidents of Badminton Asia. The Badminton Association of India's president Himanta Biswa Sarma has also been elected as the vice-president. Badminton Asia also got in a new Secretary-General in Moosa Nashid from the Maldives. A total of 40 countries voted for the posts of President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary-General.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Indian Overseas Bank launches ‘Bank on Wheels’ facility: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has announced that it has launched ‘Bank on Wheels’ facility in 14 of its lead districts in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, besides Vijayawada. The mobile van facility will enable the public, especially senior citizens, conveniently get door-step banking facility available at identified locations of the lead districts. A dedicated banking correspondent will accompany the vehicle with a micro-ATM inside the van to take care of services such as account opening, enrollment of customers in Social Security Scheme, passbook printing, and other financial inclusion activities. R Subramaniakumar is MD & CEO of IOB.

2. BHEL net profit jumps 50.7% to Rs 1,215 crore in FY19: The public sector giant Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has posted a quantum jump in profits and has recommended a final dividend of 60% during the financial year 2018-19. During the year, the company achieved a profit before tax (PBT) of Rs. 2,058 crores (last year Rs. 1,585 Crore), registering a surge of 29.8%. Net profit for the year stands at Rs. 1,215 crores, (last year Rs.807 crores), resulting in a 50.7% jump. During the year, BHEL had also developed in-house the country’s first state-of-the-art regenerative braking system and delivered the first 6,000 HP electric locomotive to the Indian Railways.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Acharya Balkrishna receives 'UNSDG 10 Most Influential People in Healthcare Award': The United Nations had chosen Acharya Balkrishna, among the 10 most influential people in healthcare. Mr. Balakrishna has been invited to Geneva (UN Headquarters) to deliver a talk among other speakers from UNICEF and WHO. Acharya Balkrishna is the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Patanjali Ayurveda.

Note: Patanjali Ayurved Limited is an Indian consumer goods company producing range Ayurvedic medicinal and personal care products, among other consumer items. Popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev co-founded the company along with Balkshrina.

2. Artist Nalini Malani wins Joan Miro prize: Artist Nalini Malani has won the seventh edition of the Joan Miró Prize. Miro international award is considered one of the most prestigious art awards in the world. The recipient gets prize money of 70,000-Euro ($78,000) cash prize. Malani (born in Karachi in 1946) is a film, photography, installation, video art and performance artist.

DEFENCE

1. India’s first all-women medium-lift chopper crew flies the battle mission: Two women IAF officers from Punjab were part of the country’s first all-women crew to fly a medium-lift helicopter Mi-17 V5. Flight Lieutenant Parul Bhardwaj (Captain), Flying Officer Aman Nidhi (co-pilot) and Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal (Flight Engineer) flew the chopper, which took off from a forward air base in South Western air command.

2. New version of Akash missile test-fired successfully: The DRDO successfully test-fired the new version of the Akash surface-to-air defence missile system with a new indigenously-developed seeker in Balasore off the Odisha coast. The medium range multi-target engagement capable missile was developed as part of the Integrated Guided-Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) other than Nag, Agni, Trishul, and Prithvi missiles. The supersonic missile has a range of around 25km and up to the altitude of 18,000 meters.

3. DRDO successfully test fires Akash-1S surface to air defence missile system: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired the Akash-1S surface to air defence missile system. Akash-1S is a new version of the missile which is fitted with an indigenous seeker. The Akash surface-to-air missile was designed to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles from a distance of 18 to 30 km. The Akash missile system has the capability to neutralise aerial targets such as fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles.

4. IAF chief leads 'missing man' formation in MiG-21: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (Chief of the Air Staff) led a four aircraft, MiG-21 'Missing Man' formation flypast at Air Force Station Bhisiana in Bhatinda, Punjab to honour the valour and supreme sacrifice of men killed in action during Operation Safed Sagar at Kargil. The 'Missing Man' formation is an aerial salute accorded to honour the fallen comrades-in-arms. This is an Arrow Formation, with a gap between two aircraft in the formation depicting the Missing Man. Later, the Air Chief Marshal laid a wreath at the War Memorial in Bhatinda to honour the Air Force men who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

Daily GK Updates - 27th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Narendra Modi to be sworn in as PM for 2nd term on May 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be administered the oath of office for his second term along with his new council of ministers on 30th May. President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the prime minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Modi is the first BJP leader who has been elected for the second time after completion of his five-year tenure. From BJP, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also elected as a prime minister for two consecutive terms, but his first stint had lasted only for one year and seven months.

2. Nation pays homage to first PM Jawaharlal Nehru on his 55th death anniversary: The nation pays homage to first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 55th death anniversary on 27th May 2019. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India. Jawaharlal Nehru emerged as an eminent leader of the Indian independence movement under the tutelage of Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru held the post from its establishment as an independent nation in 1947 until his death on 27th May 1964. Shantivan is the Samadhi of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

3. 25 states miss the deadline for plan on plastic disposal: Over 25 state governments may have to pay environment compensation of Rs one crore each for not submitting their respective action plans on systematic disposal of plastic waste to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as the April 30 deadline set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has passed by. The states had to submit action plans by April 30 to the CPCB, failing which they would have to pay the pollution body a compensation at the rate of Rs one crore per month, as per the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order.

4. PS Golay was sworn in as Sikkim Chief Minister: Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) president Prem Singh Tamang, popularly known as PS Golay took oath as the Chief Minister of Sikkim. He was administered the oath by Governor Ganga Prasad at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok. Mr. Golay is not a member of the State Assembly at present as he did not contest the polls. Former Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and senior Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) leaders were conspicuous by their absence at the swearing-in ceremony. The SKM won a slender majority in the 32-member Sikkim Legislative Assembly by bagging 17 seats against 15 won by the SDF.

5. Arunachal CM Pema Khandu tender’s resignation to Governor: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his Council of Ministers resigned to Governor Dr B D Mishra in Itanagar. The Governor accepted the resignation and asked Mr Khandu and the Council of Ministers to continue until the new government is sworn in. BJP for the first time in the state has won 41 seats, JD(U) -7, NPP- 5, IND- 2, INC - 4 and PPA -1 in the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh State Assembly. Assembly elections were held for 57 seats as three BJP candidates were earlier declared elected unopposed.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Trump becomes the first foreign leader to meet new Japanese emperor Naruhito: US President Donald Trump got the red carpet treatment at Japan’s Imperial Palace where he made history, becoming the first world leader to meet with the new emperor of Japan Naruhito. The US President is on a four-day state visit to Japan. Trump will go to the Japanese state guest house later for meetings and joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

2. Cyril Ramaphosa takes oath as South Africa’s President: Cyril Ramaphosa, the head of the African National Congress, was sworn in for a five-year term as South Africa’s president after being elected unopposed by Parliament following the sixth general elections. He was elected earlier this month with a majority of 57.50%, the smallest since the party came to power 25 years ago. Mr. Ramaphosa initially took over from Jacob Zuma in 2018 after Mr. Zuma was accused of corruption. Mr. Ramaphosa is the country’s fifth democratically elected president since apartheid ended in 1994.

3. NASA unveils schedule for ‘Artemis’ 2024 Moon mission: NASA unveiled the calendar for the “Artemis” program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in half a century, including eight scheduled launches and a mini-station in lunar orbit by 2024. The original lunar missions were named for Apollo – Artemis was his twin sister in Greek mythology, and the goddess of hunting, wilderness, and the Moon. Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed that Artemis 1 will be an uncrewed mission around the Moon planned for 2020. Next will come Artemis 2, which will orbit Earth’s satellite with a crew around 2022; followed finally by Artemis 3 that will put astronauts on lunar soil in 2024, including the first woman.

4. Sri Lankan navy launches extra vigil over terrorists: Sri Lankan navy has launched extra vigil on its northern seas in wake of media reports that some terrorist elements may have left the country to land on Indian shores. Earlier, several media outlets reported that a group of 15 suspected Islamic State terrorists were fleeing Sri Lanka towards the Kerala Coast. Coastal security has been beefed up across the Kerala coast in wake of reports.

5. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill resigns: Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill (54 years) resigned from his post after weeks of unrest in the government. O'Neill has handed over leadership to Sir Julius Chan, who will become prime minister for the third time. The announcement came after high-profile defections from his Government to the Opposition. Earlier, one of Peter O'Neill's key coalition allies abandoned him and since then, the Opposition bloc has been saying it has 62 MPs in its camp, which would give it a majority in Parliament.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS 

1. Lewis Hamilton wins Monaco Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton won the Monaco Grand Prix to extend his championship lead over Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton struggled with grip in the latter stages and was under constant pressure from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. But Verstappen had earlier picked up a five-second timepenalty. So even though he finished just behind Hamilton, Verstappen was fourth overall behind Bottas in third and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in second.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Standard Chartered partners with IBM to launch Trade AI Engine: Standard Chartered has officially launched the Trade AI Engine, a joint solution developed in partnership with IBM. Trade AI Engine will enhance the client experience in trade document processing through increased operational efficiency and strengthened operational control. Traditional documentary trade requires millions of data elements in paper-based, unstructured documents that are often issued by various companies and needs to be reviewed through a largely manual process. With the implementation of the Trade AI Engine powered by IBM, this time-consuming and high-risk process is now significantly automated.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' strikes gold at Cannes this year: South Korean director Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" bagged the Palme d'Or at the closing ceremony of 72nd Cannes Film Festival in France. Belgium's Dardenne brothers won the best director award for their story of a radicalised Muslim youth "Young Ahmed". British actress Emily Beecham won the best actress award for psychological chiller "Little Joe". Antonio Banderas named the best actor for his role of a filmmaker in Pedro Almodovar's self-reflexive "Pain and Glory". The Jury Prize was shared by two films -- French-Malian Ladj Ly's "Les Miserables" and the Brazilian entry "Bacurau", directed by Kleber Mendonce Filho and Juliano Dornelles.

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran CPI leader Joshi passes away: Veteran communist leader P.P.C. Joshi (80-years) passed away at his house in Puppalaguda after a prolonged illness. P.P.P. Joshi worked as the general manager (GM) of Visalaandhra Publishing House, treasurer of the CPI Central Committee office and the party’s publication arm People’s Publishing House. His penchant for publishing led him to start Prachee Publications, subsequently handed over to Nava Telangana Publications, which published several books.

2. Action choreographer-filmmaker Veeru Devgan passes away: Bollywood’s most famous stunt and action choreographer, Veeru Devgn passes away in Mumbai. Born in Amritsar, Devgan was behind the fight and action scenes for over 80 Hindi films including ‘Phool Aur Kaante’ (1991), ‘Mr. India’ (1987), and ‘Himmatwala’ (1983) among various others. He even acted in three films and worked as a director on ‘Hindustan Ki Kasam’ (1999).

Daily GK Updates - 26th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. BJD’s Chandrani Murmu from Orissa set to become youngest ever Lok Sabha MP: In a first, a 25-year-old engineering graduate from Odisha has become the youngest Member of Parliament to the 17th Lok Sabha. Chandrani Murmu represents tribal-dominated Keonjhar. Her major focus will be on generating employment in her region, and that she would not leave any stone unturned to accelerate setting up of new industries. According to Chandrani representing Keonjhar has always been a challenge. Though possessing India’s 20% of iron ore reserves and is rich in mineral resources, the district lags in many human development indices. So much so, it has earned the epithet, ‘A rich land with poor people’.

2. Higher education to get a boost with Rs. 1.5 lakh crore action plan: In what could be one of the first new initiatives of the NDA government, the Ministry of Human Resource Development plans to launch an ambitious Rs. 1.5 lakh crore action plan to improve the quality and accessibility of higher education over the next five years. This is being described as the implementation plan for the National Education Policy. The last National Education Policy (NEP) was released in 1986, with a revision in 1992. EQUIP project was being worked on in order to bring transformational change to the Higher Education system.

Note: EQUIP stands for the Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme. It was crafted by ten committees led by experts within the government such as NITI Aayog CEO, principal scientific advisor K. Vijay Raghavan and former revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia, as well as some corporate chiefs.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. SpaceX successfully launches first 60 satellites in “Starlink” internet constellation: SpaceX has launched the first 60 satellites of its “Starlink” constellation, which is intended to provide Internet from space in an array that could one day contain over 12,000 transponders. The launch was on a Falcon 9 rocket. The 60 satellites mark the beginning of SpaceX’s deployment of a global internet mega-constellation intended to generate more revenue to fuel the company’s interplanetary ambitions. The final orbit of the satellites is slightly higher than the International Space Station, but well below terrestrial satellites.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS 

1. Apurvi Chandela bags gold medal in 10m Air Rifle in ISSF World Cup: Indians had a good day at the year's third International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle and Pistol tournament in Munich, Germany. Apurvi Chandela grabbed a gold,  winning the women's 10m Air Rifle competition after a closely-fought contest. She shot a score of 251 in the final to outshine Wang Luyao of China, who shot 250.8. This was Apurvi's second ISSF World Cup gold of the year followed by a world record score in New Delhi in February. This was also her career's fourth ISSF medal. Another Indian in the fray, Elavenil Valarivan also made it to the finals. But she missed out on a bronze medal to Xu Hong of China by just 0.1 points and finished fourth.

2. India's Mahesh Mangaonkar wins Sekisui Open: In squash, India's Mahesh Mangaonkar triumphed for the second time in the Sekisui Open in Kriens, Switerzland. Three years back he had won it the first time. Sekisui Open is a Challenger tour event of the Professional Squash Association (PSA), the world body which governs the sports. Top-seeded Mahesh beat third seed Bernat Jaume of Spain in four games 11-9, 3-11, 11-5, 11-5 yesterday to win his 8th PSA title. 

3. Men's compound team win bronze in Archery World Cup: The men's compound team of Rajat Chauhan, Abhishek Verma and Aman Saini earned India a solitary bronze medal in the Archery World Cup Stage III at Antalya in Turkey yesterday. The trio put up a solid performance to edge out higher seeded Russian team of Anton Bulaev, Alexander Dambaev and Pavel Krylov 235-230 in the bronze medal play-off. The Women's compound team of Jyoti Surekha Vennam, Muskan Kirar and Swati Dudhwal lost to Great Britain's Layla Annison, Ella Gibson and Lucy Mason by two points in the contention for a bronze medal. Indian archers have failed to make it count in the recurve section, finishing without a medal. The third stage of the World Cup is the last meet before the World Championships in the Netherlands.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. From investment cap to pension funds, SEBI plans changes to FPI rules: In an attempts to streamline the regulations to encourage foreign inflows in the Indian market, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed fast track on-boarding procedure for such investors, apart from a simplified registration process. The capital markets regulator released the report of the working group formed under the chairmanship of former RBI deputy governor HR Khan last year.

2. Facebook plans to launch 'GlobalCoin' cryptocurrency in 2020: Facebook wants to create a digital currency that provides affordable and secure ways of making payments, regardless of whether users have a bank account. The currency, dubbed GlobalCoin, would enable Facebook’s 2.4 billion monthly users to change dollars and other international currencies into its digital coins. The coins could then be used to buy things on the internet and in shops and other outlets or to transfer money without needing a bank account. The social networking site, which owns WhatsApp and Instagram, is hoping to disrupt existing networks by breaking down financial barriers, competing with banks and reducing consumer costs.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Sony to stop selling its smartphones in India: Japanese technology giant Sony has revealed it will stop selling its smartphones in several countries including India. Sony added it presently considers Japan, Europe, Taiwan and Hong Kong as the "focus regions" — to drive profit for the smartphone business. Sony reported an operating loss of 97.1 billion yen ($879.45 million) in the year ended March. Samsung with shipment of 71.9 million units, Huawei with 59.1 million, Apple with 36.4 million, Xiaomi with 25 million, Vivo with 23.2 million and Oppo with 23.1 million are the top smartphone brands in the first quarter of 2019.

2. Google bans 2nd largest phone maker Huawei from some Android updates: New Huawei smartphones are set to lose access to some Google apps like YouTube and Maps and the next version of Android to be launched later this year. This comes after the US government sought to blacklist Chinese company Huawei around the world. Google’s suspension follows a report calling for Huawei to be prevented from supplying 5G mobile networks in the UK, because its operations are “subject to influence by the Chinese state”. Australia, which also shares intelligence with the UK, has already moved to ban Huawei as a supplier for its future 5G network.

DEFENCE

1. AN-32 fleet of IAF allowed to use bio-jet fuel: In a significant move, the fleet of AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force was certified to fly on blended aviation fuel containing up to 10 % bio-jet fuel. The approval for use of bio-fuel to fly the Russian made fleet was given by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC). The indigenous bio-jet fuel was first produced by the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun in 2013, but it could not be tested or certified for commercial use on aircraft due to lack of test facilities in the civil aviation sector. On 27 July 2018, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa had formally announced IAF's intention to permit the use of all its resources for testing and certifying the indigenous fuel. 

Daily GK Updates - 25th May, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Naveen Patnaik set for the fifth term as Odisha CM: Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) headed by incumbent Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikis all set to form a government for a fifth consecutive term. The new Cabinet is likely to be sworn-in on 27th May. The final Election Commission (EC) tally shows that the BJD won 112 of the 146 Assembly seats for which elections were held. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 23, the Congress nine, the CPI (M) one and a solitary Independent was also elected.

2. India bans Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh terror outfit: The Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh also called as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan has been declared as a banned terrorist organization by the government of India. The home ministry stated the outfit has committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and has been engaged in radicalization and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India. Therefore, the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan and all its manifestations have been inserted in the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

3. 17th Investiture Ceremony of BSF held in New Delhi: Border Security Force Investiture Ceremony and Rustomji Memorial Lecture 2019 was organized at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has stated that technology will play a pivotal role in guarding the borders in days to come as security challenges are increasing day by day.

4. ISRO's new commercial arm NewSpace India officially inaugurated: NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was officially inaugurated in Bengaluru. It was inaugurated by ISRO's honorary adviser, Dr K Kasturirangan in the presence of Chairman Dr K Sivan. Capital - NISL is provided with an authorised share capital of Rs 100 crore and initially paid-up capital of Rs 10 crore. NSIL's main objective is to scale up industry participation in Indian space programmes. It will be responsible for manufacturing and production of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through technology transfer mechanisms.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shailesh Tinaikar to Head UN Peacekeeping Operations in South Sudan: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed a decorated Indian Army officer as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar, 57, will succeed Lieutenant General Frank Kamanzi of Rwanda who completes his assignment on May 26. The announcement was made by the UN chief on 24 May 2019.

2. 2019 Urban 20 Mayors Summit to take place in Tokyo: The second Urban 20 (U20) Mayors Summit was held in Tokyo, Japan ahead of G20 Osaka Summit. It had seen the participation of Mayors of 35 major cities from across the world. In this summit, mayors and city governors from 30 cities with 126 million people adopted 2019 Urban 20 Tokyo Mayors Summit Communique.

Themes of Mayoral Sessions: Climate Action, Circular Economy, Social Inclusion and Integration, Sustainable Economic Growth and Gender Equality

Note: The G20 Osaka Summit will be held from June 28 to 29, 2019 in Japan.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS 

1. India bags 57 medals at India Open International tournament: India bags a total of 57 medals including 12 Gold, 18 Silver and 27 Bronze at India Open International Boxing tournament in Guwahati. MC Mary Kom, Shiva Thapa, L Sarita Devi, and Naman Tanwar won gold in their respective finals. The London Olympic bronze medallist blew away the challenge of Vanlal Duati in a facile 5-0 win. This was Mary’s second gold in the tournament, having won in 48 kg last year in the capital. On the other hand, Deepak defeated Govind Kumar in 49 kg final while in 52 kg category- Amit Panghal defeated Sachin.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI releases draft norms on liquidity risk management for NBFCs: RBI stated that all non-deposit-taking non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) with an asset size of Rs 5,000 crore and above, and all deposit-taking NBFCs irrespective of their asset size, have to maintain a liquidity buffer in terms of a Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR). In a draft on liquidity risk management framework for NBFCs and core investment companies, these measures will promote resilience of NBFCs to potential liquidity disruptions by ensuring they have sufficient High-Quality Liquid Asset (HQLA) to survive an acute liquidity stress scenario lasting for 30 days. The banking regulator proposed that it will implement LCR through a glide path from 01st April 2020 to 01st April 2024.

2. Corporation Bank launches ‘Corp SME Suvidha’ for MSMEs: Corporation Bank has launched ‘Corp SME Suvidha’, a product for GST-registered MSMEs. The product has been designed as part of the bank’s efforts to provide the best products to the MSME sector. PV Bharathi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation bank, launched the product in Mangaluru recently.

3. RBI to purchase govt securities under OMO: The Reserve Bank of India said that it will conduct an auction on June 13 to purchase government securities under Open Market Operation (OMO) for ₹15,000 crore to infuse durable liquidity. In the current financial year so far, it conducted OMO purchase of five government securities on two occasions — on May 2 and May 16 — infusing ₹12,500 crore in each auction. The total amount of government securities offered by market participants was ₹27,426 crore (face value) on May 2 and was ₹29,479 crore on May 16.

4. India on US watch list for currency practices: The US has added India to its monitoring list for currency practices and macroeconomic policies, alleging undervaluation in its currency. The semi-annual report on the US’ trade partners’ macroeconomic and foreign exchange policies, monitors any unfair currency practices. The monitoring list comprises China, Japan, Korea, Germany and Switzerland. India is the latest addition in the report published last month.

DEFENCE

1. DRDO test fires guided bomb from Sukhoi combat Jet: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired an indigenously-developed 500 kg class guided bomb from a Sukhoi combat jet at Pokhran in Rajasthan. The test firing of the guided bomb came two days after the Indian Air Force successfully test fired the aerial version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile from a Sukhoi jet at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The 2.5-tonne air-to-surface missile has a range of around 300 km, and it will significantly enhance the IAF’s combat capability.