2017 IBPS PO -- GENERAL AWARENESS --MAY 8TH TO 15, 2017

also read

http://www.sbank.in/2017/06/ibps-po-general-awareness-current.html (May 1 to 7, 2017)



8TH MAY 2017

Jharkhand announces Jan-Dec FY

Jharkhand has decided to become the second state in the country to reschedule its financial year from January to December. In 2017 Jharkhand was also the first state to table its budget in January. In the earlier system, it commenced from April 1 and ended on March 31. Madhya Pradesh was first state to adopt the new financial year.

Thapa bags silver at Asian Championships

Indian boxer Shiva Thapa (60kg) had to settle for a silver medal after an injury-forced loss in the at the Asian Boxing Championships. With this medal Thapa became the first Indian to claim three back-to-back medals at the event. India’s last gold medal at the Asian meet had come in 2013 through Shiva, when he was competing in the bantamweight division.

Ustad Raees Khan passes away

Renowned Pakistani sitarist Ustad Raees Khan passed away on Saturday. Apart from performing at a number of concerts solo, Khan collaborated with legendary shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan on stage. He also played sitar for film music composers. Born in Indore in Madhya Pradesh in 1939 into a family of musicians, he began playing sitar at a young age.

Haryana: Every house to get smart ID

In Haryana, the detailed data of every resident will be collected under a special mission, and every house would be allotted a smart house ID. A real time-based survey would be conducted to gather socio-economic data and the teams of Saksham and e-Numerator would visit houses to feed their GPS location in tablets and create smart house IDs online and link each house with biometric.

Bisht qualifies for World Championships

Boxer Kavinder Singh Bisht qualified for the World Championships in the 52 kg category. With Bisht, India now have five boxers confirmed for the World Championships. They are the bronze medal winning duo of Vikas Krishan in 75 and Amit Phangal in 49 kilogram weight categories and silver-medallists Shiva Thapa in 60 and Sumit Sangwan in 91 kilogram categories.

Ridley to be mascot of Asian Athletics

The logo and mascot of the Asian Athletics Championships scheduled to be held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar from July 6 to 9 has been released. The sea turtle, Olive Ridley was declared the mascot of the Championship, besides the logo depicts an athlete crossing the finishing line with tourist attractions of Odisha. 700 athletes from nearly 45 countries would participate the event.

Macron becomes youngest French President

Emmanuel Macron has become the youngest-ever president of France, defeating far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a pivotal vote for the future of the divided country and Europe. The victory caps an extraordinary rise for the 39-year-old former investment banker, who will become the country’s youngest-ever leader. Macron won about 65.5% while Le Pen won 33.9% votes.

Kashmiri bags Photo of the Year Award

Saqib Majeed, a freelance photographer has done Kashmir proud, pocketing the prestigious 2016 Wisden-MCC (Melbourne Cricket Council) Cricket Photograph of the Year Award. The photograph captured boys playing cricket in the outskirts of the city. Majeed is the first Kashmiri and second Asian after Atul Kamble to receive the prestigious award.

Tendulkar welcomes INS Tarkash to London

Sachin Tendulkar welcomed an Indian naval frigate as it docked on the river Thames in London on Monday. INS Tarkash, a state-of-the art stealth ship, is in the UK for naval exercises and to mark UK India Year of Culture 2017. INS Tarkash, under the command of Captain Rituraj Sahu, set sail from Mumbai last month and will remain docked in London until next week.

New norms to deal with stressed loans

RBI has made substantial changes in the norms for dealing with stressed loans and warned banks they will be penalised for missing Non-Performing Assets (NPA) resolution timelines. The apex bank also warned that any non-adherence to these instructions and timelines specified under the Framework shall attract monetary penalties on the concerned banks.

Jordan, US launch military exercises

Jordan and the United States kicked off annual military exercises today with about 7,400 troops from more than 20 nations taking part. Jordan is a key recipient of US financial aid and a partner in the US-led coalition battling Islamic State group jihadists in Syria and Iraq. This year’s “Eager Lion” exercises — the seventh so far — are the largest and most complex.

Elphinstone renamed ‘Prabhadevi’ station

The famed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and headquarters of the Central Railway has been renamed by adding ‘Maharaj. Western Railway’s Elphinstone Road station has been rechristened as ‘Prabhadevi’ station. The new name ‘Prabhadevi’ is dedicated to Goddess Prabhavati Devi, whose 12th century idol is installed in the modern temple, now over three centuries old.

4-point plan to improve Sino-India ties

China has proposed a four-point initiative to overcome differences and deepen relations with India. First point is to start negotiation on a Treaty of Friendly Cooperation. Second is to restart negotiation of China-India Free Trade Agreement. Third is to strive for an early harvest on the border issue. Fourth is to actively explore the feasibility of aligning OBOR and Act East Policy.

Philippines, US begin military exercises

Philippines and US troops have kicked off their annual joint exercises that are smaller in scale than in years past. The exercise focussed on disaster response and counterterrorism while excluding territorial defense operations and maritime security. Opening rites for the `’Balikatan” or “Shoulder-to-Shoulder” exercises were led by Def-Sec Delfin Lorenzana and US Ambassador Sung Kim.

Watson wins 1st gender-neutral MTV Award

Emma Watson has won the first gender-neutral prize at the MTV TV & Movie Awards. The former Harry Potter star picked up the best big-screen actor gong for her role as Belle in Beauty & the Beast. Before MTV, Grammy Awards also scrapped male and female prizes in 2011.

Britain wins Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

Great Britain beat reigning champions Australia 4-3 in Malaysia to win the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. This makes them the first British winners since England in 1984. India on the other hand settled for Bronze medal.

IIT-B Prof declared INSA Young Scientist

Assistant professor in IIT-B, Prof Vikram Vishal has won the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) medal for Young Scientist (2017). Along with a bronze medal, Vishal will receive a cash prize of Rs 25,000. The award is considered to be the highest recognition of promise, creativity and excellence in young scientists.

1st insurance in India to be sold by PoS

The country’s first, and perhaps the simplest life insurance product that can be bought at a point of sale (PoS) has finally been launched. Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance has recently launched PoS Saral Nivesh-the first product to be approved by the IRDA guidelines on point of sale-life insurance products. The sum assured in PoS Saral Nivesh ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh.

Two Indian warships visit Egypt

Two Indian warships have visited Egypt as part of Indian Navy’s overseas deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and the west coast of Africa. INS Mumbai and INS Aditya, part of Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command based in Mumbai, arrived in the port city on May 5. The warships engaged in a number of sports and social engagements with the Egyptian navy.

Odisha to introduce boat ambulances

Odisha will introduce boat ambulance service in four districts where people face difficulties in getting health service. The boat ambulance service will be available in the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kendrapara and Kalahandi. People in these areas face problems in availing 108 ambulance service due to intervening large water bodies.

9TH MAY 2017

India elected president of UN-Habitat

India has been unanimously elected as the President of the UN-Habitat. UN-Habitat, an organ of the United Nations’ Organisation reports to the United Nations General Assembly. M Venkaiah Naidu will preside over the deliberations of the GC of UN-Habitat for the next two years. Since its inception in 1978, it is the third time that India has been elected to lead this organisation.

N’Golo Kante wins award

N’Golo Kanté has been voted the 2017 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association. He will receive the prestigious FWA accolade, which has been awarded since 1948, at a gala dinner in London on 18 May when the association marks its 70th anniversary. Kante is a French footballer who plays as a central midfielder for English club Chelsea and the France national team.

Konkona Sen Sharma wins award

Konkona Sensharma has been named the best director for her directorial debut “A Death in the Gunj” and the best actress for “Lipstick Under My Burkha” at 2017’s New York Indian Film Festival. Onir’s film “Aaba” was declared the best short film at the festival.  K Kaladharan won the best actor for Malayalam film “Ottayaal n Paatha” The film festival took place from April 30 to May 7.

‘Quality of water has improved’

The standard of drinking water in India has improved in the last five years but a lot of work still remains to be done, head of the World Water Council said. It carried out a survey on water awareness in major parts of the world, including India. The survey was done ahead of the 8th World Water Forum that is scheduled to take place in the Brazilian capital Brasilia in March 2018.

C919 makes its maiden flight

The Chinese built Comac C919 airplane has made its debut. It’s a major triumph for China, who has invested a lot to build up its civilian aerospace industry. The programme was launched in 2008 and production of the prototype began in December 2011. The C stands for “COMAC” and “China”, 9 means “forever” in Chinese, while 19 refers to its passenger capacity of 190 people.

Satellites used to count birds

Scientists have a new solution for counting endangered birds — using satellite images from space. The research was conducted by the British Antarctic Survey and the Canterbury Museum in New Zealand. This is the first time that satellites have been used to count individual birds from space

New way to turn methane into methanol

A new way to turn methane into methanol using water has been developed. This could help in to significantly cut carbon emissions by ending gas flaring at oil fields and create a useful chemical feedstock. Methanol is a valuable source of industrial chemicals and over 30 million tonnes are consumed every year. The research was conducted at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland.

World’s largest X-ray fired

The world’s biggest X-ray laser has generated its first light, paving the way for a new era of research in Europe. The European XFEL laser is housed in underground tunnels inside a 3.4km-long facility at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron accelerator centre in Germany. It can generate short pulses of X-ray light at more than 27000 light flashes per second.

CRPF command shifted to Chhattisgarh

The strategic anti-Naxal operations command headquarters of the Central Reserve Police Force has been shifted back from Kolkata to Raipur.

In 2010, the central zone command headquarters was shifted from Raipur to Kolkata owing to logistics and connectivity issues. The decision comes after 25 CRPF troops were killed by naxals in Sukma.

India’s First Bio Refinery in Pune

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated India’s First Integrated Bio‐refinery for Renewable Fuels & Chemicals for producing ethanol from a variety of biomass. The plant is situated at Rahu in Pune district of Maharashtra. The demonstration plant has been built by Praj industries. The plant is capable of producing 1 million litres of ethanol per annum. Every day, since 1904, staff at the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory in Tamil Nadu have aimed their telescope at the sun, freezing the images of its disc. This data, spanning a hundred years and more, has now been digitised by astrophysicists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and made available to the public. The data has been taken using different filters.

Jharkhand govt to tie up with Oracle

The Jharkhand government has signed a MoU with Oracle to enhance delivery of services to citizens as well as make the State more attractive for startups. Oracle’s cloud services will be used to support the State by providing transparent governance. A smart city will also be constructed in Ranchi.

Digital Africa

An Indian-African entrepreneur is planning to use the Digital India model in South Africa as a global case study to incubate innovative digital start-ups that will propel the continent towards faster growth. Ramesh Awtaney is the founder and chairman of iSON Group, Africa leading IT conglomerate. Awtaney has over 28 years of experience in global technology, market development and BPO.

Pakistan’s new envoy to India

Sohail Mahmood will be Pakistan’s new High Commissioner to India and is set to take charge at the end of this month. Mahmood, now Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey, will succeed Abdul Basit. Mahmood has served in Pakistani missions in Washington, New York, Ankara and Bangkok.

Tiger population up

The Tiger count in at least two of Assam’s four reserves has registered a growth since the tiger census conducted last year. Manas National Park has recorded the presence of 30 tigers, while Orang National Park has put the figure at 28. The tiger population is expected to reach 140.

Mars rocks to be turned into concrete

Civil engineers at the Stanford University have worked with colleagues at Nasa to develop a form of concrete that could be produced on Mars or the moon. Since it is impossible to ship tons of cement from Earth to Mars, the best bet is for humans to start making it when they arrive. The technique uses bovine blood to bind the materials.

Rabindranath Tagore birth anniversary

Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary was celebrated on May 7. He was born on May 7 1861 and passed away on 7 August 1941. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla. The Sri Lankan national anthem was inspired by his work. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for ‘Gitanjali’.

Dakota aircraft to arrive in India

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s offer to the Union Government to hand over the 1948 made Douglas DC3 ‘Dakota’ Aircraft to the Indian Air Force has received clearances. He had first made the offer to the UPA govt in 2009 but did not get any response. After buying the aircraft from Ireland in 2009, he has now made the aircraft airworthy in London.

Cinnamon may cut heart disease risk

Researchers from US-based company OmniActive Health Technologies have found that Cinnamon may reduce the effects of a high-fat diet and risk of cardiovascular damage by slowing the fat storing process in the body. Researchers fed rats cinnamon supplements for 12 weeks along with a high-fat diet. They found that after 12 weeks the rats weighed less and were healthy.

‘Mission Sukma’

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh outlined ‘Mission Sukma’, which suggests use of air power to target Naxal leadership, along with continuous development work to eradicate the Left-wing extremism. He strongly advocated targeting interior areas, hitting naxal leaders, occupying new areas etc to eradicate maoist terror. A record 135 Naxals were killed last year.

10TH MAY 2017

Mobile World Congress

India is all set to have its own version of the Mobile World Congress for the first time, from September 27 to 29. Following the yearly global attention drawn by the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that takes place in Barcelona, India is all set to have its own version this year. The event will be organised by telecom industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI).

‘Asian Businesswoman of Year’ award

An Indian-origin educationist in the UK has been named the ‘Asian Businesswoman of the Year’ in an award ceremony in Birmingham. 65-year-old Dame Asha Khemka was honoured for her efforts in the field of education and skills at the Asian Business Awards ceremony. In 2013, she was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, one of Britain’s highest civilian awards.

Inter-State Council

The 11th Standing Committee meeting of the Inter-State Council examined recommendations of the Punchhi Commission report on april 9. The committee examined recommendations of the report related to Centre-State financial relations etc. The Inter State Council is an Indian constitutional body set up on the basis of provisions in Article 263 of the Constitution of India.

BNHS announces third common bird count

The Bombay Natural History Society had invited bird watchers, NGOs, ornithologists etc to participate in the exercise that started on April 9. After successfully completing bird counts in monsoon and winter seasons, the BNHS has announced the bird count for summer season. BNHS, founded on 15 Sep,1883,is non-govt organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.

NBA launches first basketball school

National Basketball Association announced the setting up of its first basketball school, a network of tuition-based basketball development programmes, in Mumbai. The school, as part of a multi-year agreement announced with India On Track (IOT), is open to male and female players between ages 6-18.

World Homeopathy Day

National Convention on World Homeopathy Day will be held on 10 April 2017 at New Delhi. The event is being organized to commemorate the 262nd birth anniversary of the founder of Homeopathy, Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. The theme of the convention is “Enhancing Quality Research in Homeopathy through scientific evidence and rich clinical experiences”.

Exhibition on 100 yrs of Champaran

Champaran Satyagraha was a historic mass movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and its impact was phenomenal. PM Modi will inaugurate an exhibition titled ‘Swachhagraha – Bapu Ko Karyanjali’ to mark 100 years of the historic Champaran Satyagraha in New Delhi. The exhibition will showcase Champaran Satyagraha and it will connect essential principles of Satyagraha with Swachhagraha.

G7 foreign ministers seek to meet

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major industrialised nations met for an annual gathering, with Europe and Japan seeking clarity from the United States on an array of issues, especially Syria. The Group of 7 (G7) is a group consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is also represented within the G7.

Khel Yatra for underprivileged children

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet unveiled ‘Khel Yatra’ for the underprivileged children in Delhi as its chief sponsor. An inter-school 100 meter athletic competition Khel Yatra is a special initiative supported by the airline to identify and appreciate young budding talents from the underprivileged sections of the society. The programme was backed by more than 11 NGO’s including- Saksham etc.

1st Country to Fully Legalize Marijuana

Uruguay is set to be the 1st country in the world to fully allow the production,sale and consumption of marijuana when its pharmacies will be allowed to sell marijuana. Uruguay legalized the cultivation, distribution and consumption in 2013 but the rollout has been slow. The authorization for pharmacies to sell marijuana was initially expected by the end of 2014, but was delayed many times.

Bhiwandi economic corridor

Bhiwandi, the powerloom centre of the country, is set to get a big development push, with the state government planning to convert it into an economic corridor and make it a logistics hub. The city is likely to be directly connected by train to textile town Bhiwandi via Thane. Bhiwandi has seen rapid growth in the past decade and has emerged as an industrial town.

Large asteroid to buzz past Earth

A relatively large near-Earth asteroid will fly safely past our planet on April 19 at a distance of about 1.8 mn km. The asteroid, known as 2014 JO25, was discovered in May 2014. Contemporary measurements by NASA’s NEOWISE mission indicate that the asteroid is roughly 650 meters in size, and that its surface is about twice as reflective as that of the Moon.

US, Canada & Mexico to launch joint WC

Football federations of US, Canada and Mexico appear set to launch a joint bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA will designate a host for the 2026 edition in 2020. There has been only one World Cup hosted by multiple nations, the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea. The 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams from 32.

Universities to be declared national uni

HRD ministry will soon decide on registration of 20 universities of national importance which are aspired to be world class. here will be 10 government and 10 private universities in the list. The HRD Minister also assured students that India is getting better research experiment labs which will encourage them to stay in the country.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. The Sunday was often named after these substitute trees, as in Yew Sunday, or by the general term Branch Sunday.

Girls edu free upto the university level

The Assam govt announced a draft population policy which suggested denial of govt jobs to people with more than two children and making education up to university level free for all girls in the state. Minimum age for marriage must be followed for getting benefits of government employment generation schemes. Policy proposes strict measures to prevent child marriage.

Astronomers discovered Venus twin

Astronomers, using NASA’s Kepler space telescope, have discovered a Venus-like planet orbiting a dim star that is one-fifth the diameter of our Sun and is located 219 light-years away from Earth. This newly found world is only slightly larger than Earth, and it tightly embraces its low-temperature star called Kepler-1649, encircling it every nine days.

Haryana sex ratio highest since history

For the first time in the history of the state, the sex ratio at birth in Haryana has touched the 950 mark. The state govt launched a massive campaign by implementing the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. Haryana had ranked the worst among all states in sex ratio in the country.

Earth-like planet

GJ 1132b, just 39 light years away, raises the tantalising possibility of life beyond our solar system. Astronomers have, for the first time, detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet. Scientists, including those from Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, studied the planet known as GJ 1132b, which is 1.4 times the size of our planet.

Hamilton won 5th Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton mastered Shanghai’s changing conditions and stayed clear of squabbling rivals to win the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix. It was Hamilton’s 54th career win and a record fifth in Shanghai. But it was the triple champion’s first this season and returned Mercedes to the top of the podium after Vettel won last month’s season-opening race for a resurgent Ferrari.

11TH MAY 2017

National Technology Day

National Technology Day is being observed across India on May 11 to mark India’s technological advancements. On this day India successfully conducted first among the five nuclear tests in Pokhran under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day. The 2017 theme is ‘Technology for inclusive & sustainable growth’.

Home min to inaugurate two mobile apps

Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated two important mobile applications MHA Grievances Redressal App and BSFMyApp in New Delhi. All the Paramilitary Force jawans and BSF personnel will be able to raise their problems on BSFMyApp. These problems will be settled at the level of the Force and Ministry. It is being tried that this app can not be hacked.

Ahmedabad to host International Yoga Day

Ahmedabad will host biggest ever International Yoga Day event on the 21st of June. The event will be held on GMDC grounds with over 5 lakh people attending the event. An international day for yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 11 December 2014. It was first celebrated in 2015.

Harpreet Singh wins bronze

Harpreet Singh has won a bronze medal in Greco-Roman weight divisions on the opening day of Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi. He beat Jun Ji Na of China. The gold medal was won by Ramin Soltanmorad of Iran by beating Kim Junehyoung of South Korea.

Oldest evidence of life on land found

Scientists have discovered 3.48 billion year old fossils in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Previously, the world’s oldest evidence for microbial life on land came from 2.7- 2.9 billion-year-old deposits in South Africa. The extraordinary finding suggests the earliest life may have actually originated in the hot springs on land, rather than in thermal vents deep in the ocean.

NBA opens its first academy in India

The National Basketball Association has opened its first academy in India. An elite basketball training center at Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in Greater Noida was officially thrown open for the upcoming male and female talent of the country. 21 elite male prospects, who were selected following a three-month nationwide talent search, will receive scholarships and training.

First deaddiction centre for women

Punjab is all set to get its first government-run women drug de-addiction centre in the state. The 15-bedded centre, which is likely to become operational by next month, will come up in Kapurthala district. Currently, no government facility exists in the state which is meant exclusively for women drug addicts.

Sanjay Mitra named Defence Secretary

The Centre has appointed Sanjay Mitra as the Defence Secretary to take charge later this month. Mitra, currently secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has been posted as an officer on special duty in Defence Ministry until incumbent G Mohan Kumar’s tenure ends on May 24. He served as joint secretary in the PMO under Manmohan Singh before being made West Bengal chief secretary.

Buddha to be included in NCERT syllabus

The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has decided to integrate the teachings of Gautam Buddha in the NCERT curriculum. Minister Prakash Javadekar said the work of scrutinising and assessing the books to restructure curriculum had begun. The HRD Minister said he will ensure that Buddha’s teachings reached students at all levels.

NHAI to list masala bonds

The National Highways Authority of India will soon raise about Rs. 5000 crore by issuing masala bonds to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will open the market for LSE trading on May 11. Masala bonds are bonds issued outside India but denominated in Indian Rupees, rather than the local currency.

Liveability Index of cities

Ministry of Urban Development will launch measuring of Liveability Index of cities next month based on indigenously evolved Index. To start with, standards of 140 cities including 53 cities with population of 1 million and above and Smart Cities will be assessed. Cities will be assessed on 15 core parameters relating to Governance, security etc and will be ranked based on 79 aspects.

Barapullah Drain cleaning begins

Work has begun for cleaning of Barapullah Drain under the Project LOcal Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS HR) in New Delhi. The project is an Indo-Netherlands joint project funded by Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Govt of India and NWO/STW, The Govt of Netherlands. The project aims to demonstrate a novel waste water management approach.

Kochi Metro Appoints Transgenders

Kochi Metro will employ 23 members from the transgender community. This is the first time a government owned company has formally appointed members of the transgender community. These 23 workers will be a part of the 530 Kudumbasree workers to be employed at 11 stations. All of the workers have been appointed after written test and interview.

BJP calls for abandoning ‘Darbar Move’

The BJP called for abandoning bi-annual practice of ‘darbar move’ wherein the Jammu and Kashmir government functions six months each in the two capital – Srinagar and Jammu. This move may trigger a major controversy in the state. The practice was adopted because of the special circumstance prevailing at that time when means of communication were limited.

DIPAM launches online investor platform

Keen on creating more awareness about the forthcoming disinvestment issues, the Finance Ministry has set up an Investor Facilitation Platform that will provide information about stocks of public sector units. It will be maintained by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management. Developed and maintained by PRIME Database, all users will be authorised by DIPAM.

Oracle launches cloud computing service

Oracle has launched its cloud computing service for India, which aims to support the government’s GST rollout in July and plans to open data centres in the country. Oracle’s ERP solution aims to provide support for GST Network integration, statutory reporting, payment processing, among others. In the GST regime, companies will have to upgrade their ERP systems.

NGOs told to open a/c with core banks

The Home Ministry has instructed 5845 NGOs to open their accounts in banks having core banking facilities. The Home Ministry has mandated the NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to have their accounts in either nationalised banks or in a few private banks that has core banking facilities. The measure is done to regulate foreign funding to NGOs.

India, Australia to hold naval exercise

India and Australia will hold their second bilateral naval exercise next month off the coast of Western Australia. The first-ever such exercise, called AUSINDEX, was held in September, 2015 in the Bay of Bengal. The first exercise was held in Bay of Bengal.

Mukti Bhawan Wins The Best Film Award

Mukti Bhawan has won the Best Film award at the New York Indian Film Festival. The film, directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani and featuring Adil Husain and Lalit Behl, revolves around an interesting relationship between a father and son after the former decides to die in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi and his son is forced to join his journey.

Railways to acquire EoTT system

The Indian Railways has planned to acquire the End of Train Telemetry equipments to run nearly 1000 trains without guards in the current fiscal. The EoTT system will help in establishing communication between the locomotive driver and the last wagon of the train and ensure that the train is running as a complete unit. Railways has floated global tenders of Rs. 100 crore.

12TH MAY 2017

Indian Army to re-introduce CASO

Indian Army has planned to re-introduce cordon and search operations (CASO) as a part of its counter terrorism operations after a gap of 15 years. The major objective behind the reintroduction of combing operations is to bring the situation in the Kashmir Valley under control. The decision to re-introduce CASO comes against the backdrop of the recent killing of Army officer Ummer Fayaz.

EC launches National Contact Centre

The Election Commission has added another feather to its cap with the launch of National Contact Centre with a toll-free No. 1800111950. Now any citizen from any part of the country can call on the toll-free in English or Hindi with any query or complaint at any time of the day. The National Contact Centre is operated on a National Grievance Redressal System Software.

Signs of water detected on planet

With the help of NASA telescopes, scientists have detected a water signature on the atmosphere of a distant Neptune-sized planet that could help in exploring more about the birth and development of planetary systems. Scientists detected hydrogen and helium on HAT- P-26b. It is located 437 light-years away.

Aadhar to be linked with PAN

The Income Tax department has launched a new e-facility to link a person’s Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number (PAN). The department’s e-filing website has created a new link on its homepage making it easy to link the two unique identities of an individual. Taxpayers should ensure that the date of birth and gender in PAN and Aadhaar are exactly the same.

Northern Zonal Council Meet

The 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council will be chaired by Rajnath Singh. Addressing the meet, Punjab Chief Minister called for coordination by the concerned states with the Centre to find a feasible solution for optimal utilization of river waters based on internationally accepted riparian principles. The meeting is being held in Chandigarh.

Brazil declares end to Zika emergency

Brazil has declared an end to a national emergency over the Zika virus. It was detected in the Latin American country late in 2015 before becoming a global concern. The World Health Organization lifted its own international emergency in November 2016. The Zika scare was at its peak before Rio de Janeiro held the 2016 Olympics.

Mudgal elected head of FIFA Gov Comm

Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal was elected as head of FIFA’s governance committee at the world football governing body’s 67th Congress in Bahrain’s capital city of Manama. His name was proposed by the FIFA Council for the vacant position of the governance chief after Miguel Maduro was reportedly fired. He was appointed deputy chairman of the governance committee in May 2016.

Anil, Jyoti win awards

After Harpreet Singh was the only silver lining on the opening day of the Asian Wrestling Championship, Anil Kumar and Jyoti brought home two more medals. They both bagged bronze medals in their respective categories to keep the interest level alive in the competition.

GM mustard gets approval

A genetically-modified variety of mustard, developed by a Delhi-based institute, has been cleared for commercial cultivation by the GEAC, or Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee. The mustard is called DMH-11. GM mustard is the only other food crop which has made it to this last stage, after prolonged debate and several rounds of regulatory checks

Coastal Regulation Zone

The Environment min. and Forests has given its final clearance to certain relaxations sought in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The coastal land up to 500m from the High Tide Line and a stage of 100m along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers subject to tidal fluctuations, is called the CRZ. CRZ along the country has been placed in 4 categories-CRZ-1, CRZ-2, CRZ-3,CRZ-4.

Train for Char Dham pilgrims soon

The Indian Railways will commence this week the final location survey for providing rail connectivity to the four important Hindu shrines in the hills of Uttarakhand at an estimated cost of over Rs 40000 cr. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has been entrusted with the task of undertaking the final survey for rail connectivity to Chardham – Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath

V K Saraswat appointed JNU Chancellor

V K Saraswat, was appointed as Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University on May 11. He succeeds former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan, who completed his term on March 30 this year. Apart from being a member of the JNU court, he will be the competent authority to sanction leave to the vice-chancellor. He, however, will play little role in the day-today administration of the university.

8 banks to manage SBI Life’s IPO

SBI Life Insurance Co Ltd is set to hire 8 banks including Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas to manage its up to $1 billion initial public offering of shares. The life insurance arm of top Indian lender State Bank of India will hire 5 local banks – Axis Capital, ICICI Securities, JM Financial, Kotak and SBI Capital Markets. SBI Life now plans to offer a 12% stake in the IPO.

Life sustainability on moon

Eight Chinese volunteers will live in “Yuegong-1,” a simulated space “cabin” in Beijing for the next year to check sustainability on moon. The first four stepped into Yuegong-1 on May 10. The two men and two women will stay in the cabin for 60 days, then be replaced by the second group, also two men and two women, who will stay there for 200 days.

Snapdeal to merge with Flipkart

SnapDeal is finally ready to merge with Flipkart. The deal valuing Snapdeal at around $1 billion, a steep fall from its peak of $6.5 billion last year, signals the biggest consolidation in the sector and fierce competition between Amazon and Flipkart. The transaction is through, sources in the know confirmed, and an announcement could come anytime within the next 72 hours.

Qualcomm launches Snapdragon platforms

Qualcomm launched its new Snapdragon 630 and 660 platforms, incorporating several features of its ‘premium’ 800 tier in the ‘high’ 600 tier, including machine-learning capabilities. The Snapdragon 660 platform features the Kryo 260 octa-core processor, which promises a 20% faster performance. The 630 feature the Adreno 508 for better graphics.

47th Indian Labour Conference

Providing social security cover to the entire workforce will likely be the central theme of the 47th Indian Labour Conference to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year. The Standing Labour Committee, chaired by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, will meet on May 11 to decide the agenda. The central trade unions have proposed discussing universal social security cover

Mutual funds via digital wallet

Sebi has allowed investors to buy mutual fund schemes for up to Rs 50000 through digital wallets. Besides, MF houses or asset management companies have been allowed to provide instant online access facility to resident individual investors in liquid schemes. The move is part of the efforts to promote digital payments in the MF industry.

India to replace Maitri station

What’s so unique about the pin code 403001? It is the pin code you would use to write a letter to India’s permanent research station Maitri in Antarctica. It has been revealed that it will be replaced after by a new station in the next three to four years. Maitri is India’s second permanent research station in Antarctica as part of the Indian Antarctic Programme. It was constructed in 1989.

Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary

The annual hunting festival of the tribal community was observed in a ‘bloodless and symbolic’ manner in and around Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary for the third consecutive year. The 2017 hunting festival ‘Bishu Parv’ of the tribal community was observed in Jharkhand. To observe fest peacefully, the awareness campaign was launched by the forest department.

13TH MAY 2017

Ransomware’ attack hits 99 countries

A large-scale cyberattack has spread across 99 countries, including the UK, US, China, Russia, Spain, Italy and India. It has been dubbed ‘WannaCry’. Unknown hackers apparently launched ‘ransomware’ attacks, which basically encrypt files and demands a Bitcoin payment to regain access.

Tejas Test Fires Air-to-Air Missile

Tejas has successfully test fired Derby Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range missile in RADAR guided mode. The objective was to assess the Derby integration with aircraft systems on-board Tejas including the aircraft avionics, fire-control radar, launchers and Missile Weapon Delivery System and evaluate its performance. The test was carried out in Chandipur, Odisha.

India, Singapore Naval Exercise

The Indian Navy will join the Singapore Navy next week in carrying out a mega maritime exercise in the Indian Ocean. The exercise is called SIMBEX. Held since 1994, this year would be the 24th edition of the annual maritime exercise between the two countries.

WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo

World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in Congo. WHO Congo representative Allarangar Yokouide said in a statement that at least one person has died after contracting the virus in the country’s north-east. More than 11000 people died in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2015, mainly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Logo for vehicles driven by deaf people

Telangana has introduced a logo for identifying vehicles driven by persons with hearing impairment and has become the first state in the country to do so. The logo was designed by Hyderabad-based graphic designer Manikanta Annapragada, who incidentally is the first person to obtain a driving license in the ‘hearing impaired’ category. The logo was chosen from 8 designs submitted by Manikanta

Mark Lowcock, new UN humanitarian chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed British humanitarian expert Mark Lowcock as the UN Humanitarian Chief. He will replace Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien in September. Lowcock is currently the top civil servant in the British Government’s Department for International Development.

Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat win medals

Three Indian women wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Divya Kakran bagged silver medals in their respective categories in the Asian Wrestling Championship. Sakshi Malik lost her final bout against Japan’s Risako Kawai in 60kg category, Vinesh Phogat lost the final in women’s 55kg category and Divya Kakran in 69 Kg to settle with silver medals. Ritu Phogat is playing for bronze.

Nepal joins OBOR

Nepal formally signed the One Belt One Road framework agreement, leaving India the only country in South Asia not involved in China’s ambitious economic strategy. Nepal’s formal entry into the OBOR network will allow collaboration in construction of cross-border railways and highways etc. Funds will be provided by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as well as the Silk Road Fund.

ISRO to launch rocket in June

India plans to launch next month its most powerful rocket that is capable of transporting a heavier 4-tonne communications satellite. ISRO will launch the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV) Mark-III in the first week of June. It will also enable ISRO to launch from India heavier communications spacecraft to geostationary orbits of 36,000 km.

Pakistani boat seized near Sir Creek

A day after six Pakistanis were caught in the Sir Creek region near Gujarat coast, the Border Security Force on May 12 caught another Pakistani fishing boat from the same region. Sir Creek About is a 96 km (60 mi) tidal estuary on the border of India and Pakistan. The creek, which opens up into the Arabian Sea, divides the Gujarat state of India from the Sindh province of Pakistan.

Aadhaar not mandatory

The Centre exempted residents of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, and citizens above 80 years from mandatory quoting of Aadhaar to obtain PAN cards and file income tax returns. The announcement has been made by the government at a time when a case challenging mandatory use of Aadhaar is pending in Supreme Court. This was done under Section 139AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

‘Spyder’ missile test fired

India test fired a surface-to-air missile ‘Spyder’ from a test range in Odisha as part of missile launch practice of a series of tests of the short-range quick reaction. Spyder (Surface-to-air PYthon and DERby) is an acquired missile system from Israel. It can neutralise enemy targets up to a distance of 15 km and at heights between 20-and-9,000 metres.

Indian Exclusion Report

According to the 2016 Indian Exclusion Report released by the Centre for Equity Studies, in terms of exclusion from access to public goods, Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims continue to remain the worst-hit communities. The report determines exclusion by taking into account four public goods, namely, pensions for the elderly, digital access, agricultural land, and legal justice for undertrials.

e-Krishi Samvad portal launched

 Union Minister for agriculture Radha Mohan Singh has recently launched an online interface “e-Krishi Samvad” in New Delhi to provide direct solution to the problem faced by farmers. It is an internet-based interface and is a unique platform that will provide direct and effective solutions to the problems faced by farmers and stakeholders.  Farmers can also connect to the ICAR website.

Bengaluru most affordable Tech City

Bengaluru has been named the world’s most affordable tech city in the new Savills Tech Cities Index. The Indian technology hub is the most affordable out of 22 cities that were graded on different parameters. While the per-week rent is $236 (roughly Rs 15000) in the city as compared to the global average of $368 (almost Rs 24000), the city ranked 20th overall. Austin, Texas, USA is ranked 1st

Chanda Kochhar awarded

ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar has become the first Indian woman to be conferred with the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award for Global Corporate Citizenship. She has joined the league of former Indian recipients– former President and space scientist APJ Abdul Kalam and IT honcho Narayana Murthy. The award was instituted in 1998 by the prestigious Wilson Center.

Home loan product ‘Griha Siddhi’

LIC Housing Finance has come up with a new home loan product ‘Griha Siddhi’ to match State Bank of India’s recent move to cut interest rate on homes loans in the affordable housing segment by up to 25 basis points. A special segment for women borrowers for loans up to Rs 25 lakh at an interest rate of 8.35% per annum. For other borrowers, the interest rate will be 8.4%.

New IIP, WPI series introduced

The new-look index of industrial production and the wholesale price index, which were declared on May 12. The series has been revised after eight years. Calculated in accordance with the new series, while the IIP rose 2.7% in March, against 1.9% in February, the WPI inflation rate declined to a four-month low of 3.85%in April, against 5.29% in the previous month.

YES Bank under-reported FY16 bad loan

Yes Bank Ltd said that its non-performing asset classification as of March 2016 varied from that of the RBI to the tune of Rs 4176 cr. Yes Bank had reported gross bad loans of Rs 748.98 cr. A higher bad loan classification would have necessitated higher provisions. The bank’s actual provisions of Rs 464.5 cr fell short of RBI’s calculation of Rs 1322. 5 cr.

‘No school bag day’ on Saturdays in UP

The Uttar Pradesh government is considering a proposal to declare “no school bag day” on Saturdays in state-run schools. School kids will be allowed to come to school without their school bags on Saturdays so that they can enjoy themselves in creative activities. From the new session in July, students will be seen in new uniforms will be given to students

14TH MAY 2017

Community Radio stations

Centre has enhanced the subsidy amount to set-up Community Radio stations across the country from the existing 50% to 75%. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu said universities and NGOs will be encouraged to set up community radios and States in the north eastern region will be given subsidy upto 90%.

Indian Coir Sector grows high

The export of Coir and Coir products from the country has touched an all time high of 2282 crore rupees by value and 9.57 Metric Tones in quantity during 2016-17. This was reported by minister Giriraj Singh. The Coir Board of India promotes development of coir industries in India. It is based in Kochi and Alappuzha.

17 mummies found at burial site in Egypt

Egypt has unearthed an ancient burial site replete with at least 17 mostly intact mummies. The mummies were discovered in Minya, a province about 250km south of Cairo. The burial chamber was first detected last year by a team of Cairo University students using radar technology.

Eurovision 2017 Song Contest

Portugal won the Eurovision-2017 Song Contest for the first time ever with a melancholy ballad performed by a singer who suffers from a serious heart condition. The fado-tinged song “Amar Pelos Dois” was performed by 27-year old Salvador Sobral. The ceremony was held in Kiev, Ukraine. Kristian Kostov of Bulgaria and SunStroke Project of Moldovia won the 2nd & 3rd prize respectively.

G7 against cybercrime

Financial leaders of seven leading world economies pledged stronger cooperation against cyber crime and not to use foreign exchange to gain competitive advantage. The decision was taken in the G7 meeting in Bari, Italy. It also said the G7 financial leaders would strengthen cooperation to counter cyber threats.

Base year of WPI, IIP revised

The government has revised the base year of wholesale price index and index of industrial production to 2011-12 from 2004-05. WPI has been changed 6 times so far since 1942. The IIP base year has also been changed to ensure that it remains more relevant in the years that it is operational. A base year is the year used for comparison in the measure of a business activity.

I Rammohan Rao passes away

I Rammohan Rao, former Principal Information Officer who had served as a media adviser to four prime ministers, passed away today at the age of 83. Rao started his career with the Information Service in the 50s. He served as media adviser to four former Prime Ministers – Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh, Chandrashekhar and P.V. Narasimha Rao.

Bajrang wins first gold medal for India

Bajrang Punia provided India its first gold medal on the penultimate day of the Asian Wrestling Championship. He defeated South Korea’s Seunghui Lee in the men’s 65 kg freestyle category. Wrestler Sarita settled for a silver medal. She lost to Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan in the final of women’s 58 kg category.

Internet Watch Foundation Resources

The Centre has asked all internet service providers to prevent the distribution and transmission of child sexual abuse material into the country by adopting and implementing Internet Watch Foundation Resources by July 31. It will block all relevant content.

Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 Nurses

The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 nurses from across the country on the occasion of International Nurses Day. The awards are given to the outstanding nursing personnel employed in Central, State/UTs. Nurses working in Government, Voluntary Organizations etc. The Awards carry Rs.50000, a certificate, a citation certificate & a Medal.

Honorary Life Membership of MCC to VVS

Former India batsman VVS Laxman was awarded the honorary life membership of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He joined Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and other Indians in the prestigious list. VVS Laxman has played 134 Tests and scored 8781 runs. He also played 85 One Day Internationals.

India’ambassador to France appointed

Vinay Mohan Kwatra, currently a joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, has been appointed as the next ambassador to France. He succeeded Mohan Kumar, who is retiring. He has worked in International Labour Organisation and World Health Organisation and has served in Indian diplomatic missions in China and the US.

Amitabh Bachchan appointed ambassador

Amitabh Bachchan, a Hepatitis B conqueror, was appointed the WHO goodwill ambassador for the Hepatitis awareness programme in southeast Asia region. It is estimated that around 325 million across the world suffer from the disease. As an ambassador, Amitabh Bachchan will participate in public awareness programmes to scale up prevention measures, early diagnosis and treatment.

Invisible’ laser walls in J&k

The Border Security Force will make use of a newly developed technology that is capable of detecting intrusions and relaying information to the nearest post for action. The technology has been developed by the Delhi-based CRON Systems. It is called Kavach. It is based on infrared array and hence are invisible.

Pneumonia vaccine launched

India has decided to introduce pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme. The vaccine will provide protection against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria which results in pneumonia. The whole of Himachal Pradesh as well as 6 districts of Uttar Pradesh and 17 districts of Bihar will be covered under the 1st phase of the immunisation programme.

107-ft-high Tricolour at Wagah border

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju inaugurated a 107-foot-high Tricolour installed by Land Ports Authority of India at the Integrated Check Post at Attari (ICP) on Wagha border. The new Tricolour is 40X30 ft in size. The minister also inaugurated new digital CCTV camera at ICP and said much awaited full truck scanners would be installed soon at ICP.

Nepal votes in first local elections

Nepalese are lining up to vote for representatives in municipal and village councils for the first time in two decades. The first phase was conducted on May 14. Crucial local positions have been held by government-appointed representatives because elections could not be held amid a 10-year-old communist insurgency and years of delay in drafting a new constitution.

Amul to sponsor New Zealand cricket team

Amul will be the prime sponsor of the New Zealand cricket team in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy that starts on June 1 in England. The Blackcaps, who are in the same group with Australia, England and Bangladesh in the Champion’s trophy, would sport a new jersey with the Amul logo on its chest.

North Korea fires ballistic missile

The missile was fired from the region of Kusong, northwest of Pyongyang and flew for 30 minutes before dropping into the sea between North Korea’s east coast and Japan. According to Japan the missile reached an altitude of more than 2,000 km (1,245 miles). North Korea has attempted but failed to test launch ballistic missiles four consecutive times in the past two months.

India slams China’s OBOR initiative

India suggested that the project is little more than a colonial enterprise, leaving debt and broken communities in its wake. India has objected to OBOR on the basis of CPEC through diplomatic channels. India has decided not to send a high-level representative for the Belt and Road Forum that begins in China. US, France, Germany and UK are among the major powers participating at the BRF.

15TH MAY 2017

UNSC to hold emergency meeting

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on North Korea’s latest missile test. The US, Japan and South Korea requested the emergency discussions after Pyongyang launched a missile. Headquarters of UNSC – New York City, New York, United States

Jack Ma becomes China’s richest person

Alibaba’s Founder Jack Ma has surpassed real estate and entertainment tycoon, Wang Jianlin, to become China’s richest person with a $30.9 billion fortune. Ma’s fortune has gained from a more than one-third rise in Alibaba’s share price so far this year amid growing profits. Its IPO in New York in 2014 set a record as the world’s biggest public stock offering.

Rajnath to inaugurate meeting of NPDRR

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the second meeting of National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi. It is a National Platform which promotes participatory decision making in disaster management and strengthens federal policy of the country. The theme of the meeting is Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development: Making India resilient by 2030.

PM Modi to launch Narmada Seva Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Narmada Seva Mission for the conservation of the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh. The Yatra for Narmada river conservation, started in December last year from Amarkantak, will conclude today after covering a distance of more than 3000 kilometres and passing through over 1,100 villages and towns. Narmada is known as The Lifeline of Madhya Pradesh.

Kerala tops in public affairs index

Kerala has secured first rank and Bihar has ranked last on this year’s Public Affairs Index (PAI), compiled on basis of a survey by Public Affairs Centre. The survey was based on 10 themes, 26 focus subjects and 82 indicators. Kerala, Assam and Madhya Pradesh secured top three ranks in implementation of social protection policies.

India bags10 medals in Asian C’ship

India have finished their Asian Wrestling Championship campaign on high with Sumit winning a silver medal in the 125 kg category on the final day of the continental event in New Delhi. The Indian wrestlers overall bagged 10 medals comprising a gold, five silver and four bronze. This bettered their tally of nine medals in the last edition of the Championship at Bangkok.

India ranks 26 in World Bank power list.

India has climbed up to twenty sixth position in World Bank’s electricity accessibility ranking in the current year from 99th spot in 2014. Power Minister Piyush Goyal asserted that by 2019 government would be able to provide electricity to every household. Piyush Goyal also said that the government was closely working with the states to see that electricity was made available on tap.

Vani Kola quits Snapdeal board

Kalaari Capital managing director Vani Kola has resigned from the board of beleaguered online marketplace Snapdeal, amid talks to sell the company to larger rival Flipkart. Earlier, Kalaari had refused to the terms offered by Snapdeal’s largest investor SoftBank. Snapdeal founders are planning on distributing Rs 193 crore from the proceeds made from the upcoming merger among the employees.

Zomato may acquire Runnr

Zomato is in talks to buy delivery start-up Runnr in $20 million deal. The deal is likely to give Zomato a strong fleet of delivery personnel and will help Zomato strengthen its food delivery business against rivals such as Swiggy. CEO of Zomato – Deepinder Goyal

Ramit Tandon wins maiden PSA title

US based Indian squash player Ramit Tandon has won his maiden professional title in the SYS Open. Ramit defeated Kush Kumar 11-3, 11 -2, 11-3 in the final. This was Tandon’s third appearance in a Professional Squash Association final.

Mother’s Day Celebrated.

Mother’s Day is an annual event celebrated every year to honour and respect a mother. It is a modern time celebration which was originated in the North America in order to honour the mothers. It falls every year on second Sunday of the month of May. This year, in India, it was celebrated on Sunday, May 14. Theme of Mother’s Day 2017 – Every Mother knows

Palestine President Arrives in India.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived India on a four-day visit during which he will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Modi on key bilateral, regional and international issues, including the Middle East peace process. Ahead of President Abbas’ visit, India reiterated its “political support” to the Palestinian cause and had said it continued to assist developmental projects there.

RBI goes for security upgrade.

RBI has constituted a high-level committee on currency storage and movement (HLCCSM) to review the existing security arrangements relating to storage, movement and processing of currency. Reserve Bank of India has initiated an exercise of upgrading measures for secured storage and movement of currency at more than 4,000 chests across the country in view of the heightened threat perception.

Rafael Nadal wins 5th Madrid Open title

Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 to win his fifth Madrid Open title and move into the world’s top four. For the 14-times Grand Slam Winner, it was also the 72nd tournament win of his career. Rafael Nadal is from Spain. He is widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player in history. He has been titled “The King of Clay”

Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position to cut Sebastian Vettel’s overall lead in the Formula One championship to six points. Despite having lead at the start Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished at second position. This is Hamilton’s 55th career win. Lewis Hamilton is British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team.

Online correction of Aadhaar and PAN

Income tax department recently launched an online facility to correct errors in permanent account number and Aadhaar. The links for corrections are available on incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. Earlier, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had proposed to make Aadhaar mandatory for filing of the Income-Tax returns as well as for obtaining the Permanent Account Number.

UP govt forms ‘Maa’ committees

Uttar Pradesh government has decided to form ‘Maa’ committees to keep an eye on mid-day meals served to students in state-run primary schools. It will be a committee of six mothers, from all sections of society, whose students are studying in that school. From cleanliness in kitchen, to quality of food being served to children, they will keep an eye on minute details.

India’s longest river bridge

PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s longest river bridge, the 9.15-km-long Dhola-Sadiya bridge near the China border. The bridge is built over the Brahmaputra river. The design is such that the bridge can withstand the movement of military tanks. Cost ot the project – Rs 950 crore. It is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai, making it the longest bridge in India.

NCERT to review books

NCERT will review all its books as they were created over a decade ago. Textbooks were not being revised , NCERT was only reviewing the books in a systematic way. Earlier this year CBSE schools were asked to raise indents for NCERT textbooks. NCERT will review books for 1st time since 2007. Full Form of NCERT – National Council of Educational Research and Training.

Arjun Maini first Indian to win GP3 race

Arjun Maini has become the first Indian to win a GP3 series race, an F1 support race, after registering a win in Barcelona. He drives for Switzerland-based Jenzer Motorsport.

source:testbook.com   -- thanks