DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MAY 16, 2018

NATIONAL

4th meeting of SAWEN held in Kolkata

The fourth meeting of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) was held in Kolkata.

Union cabinet gave its nod for India adopting the statute of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) which will help in checking cross border wildlife crimes.

The approval by the cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi allows the country to become a formal member of SAWEN in order to strengthen ties with the member countries in controlling the trans-boundary wildlife crime.

SAWEN is a regional network comprises eight countries in South Asia—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Frozen Semen Station being set up in Maranga, Purnea, Bihar

The foundation stone of the frozen semen station in Maranga, Purnea has been laid by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh.

The frozen semen station is being set up at a cost of Rs 64 crore under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission with 100% contribution from the Central Government.

Out of this, Rs 20 crore has already been released. He said the artificial insemination techniques can increase milk production and productivity. Currently, the artificial insemination is being done by CMOFED in Bihar.

The RashtriyaGokul Mission was initiated in December 2014 with an aim to conserve and develop indigenous breeds.

Madhya Pradesh to be declared ODF by October this year

The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that the State will be declared as open defecation free (ODF) by Gandhi Jayanti this year.

This will mean that the State will become ODF one year before the national timeline of October 2nd, 2019.

The Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti shared that the national sanitation coverage has risen to over 83%.

First all-woman Post Office Passport Seva Kendra starts operations

In a first, a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) run by an all-woman team has started operations in Phagwara, Punjab. The seva kendra was inaugurated by Union Minister Vijay Sampla in the local head Post Office.

According to Jalandhar regional Passport Officer Harmanbir Singh Gill, the Phagwara Kendra will be headed by department’s Verification Officer Madhuri Bhavi.

It was 192nd POPSK in the country, but first one to be operated by an all-woman team.

INTERNATIONAL

Nepal to hold BIMSTEC 2018

Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has announced to host the 2018 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit.

Nepal will hold the BIMSTEC summit, while expressing commitment towards building the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal initiative.

The BIMSTEC is an international organisation of seven nations of South Asia and South East Asia, including Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal.

China approves $1 billion loan for Sri Lanka highway

The Chinese government has approved a $1 billion loan to Sri Lanka to build a highway and its export-import bank has been instructed to process the borrowing.

It will be one of the largest projects undertaken by the China in the island nation, which is supporting China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China has emerged as the largest single lender to Sri Lanka in recent years.

China’s “Type-001A” started Trials

China’s first domestically manufactured aircraft carrier started sea trials.

The carrier, known only as “Type 001A”, set out for the trials from a port in north-eastern China.

The ship will give China a second aircraft carrier as it asserts its claims in the South China Sea and seeks to deter any independence movements in Taiwan in 2020.

China’s first aircraft carrier – Liaoning – was also a ‘Type 001 aircraft carrier. The Liaoning was originally a Kuznetsov-class aircraft cruiser for the Soviet Navy in the mid-1980s.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Fino payments bank launched a digital suite

Fino Payments Bank has launched a digital services suite with the intention of helping the bank expand its footprint in the digital banking and payments space.

The digital stack will facilitate extension of the bank’s digital efforts and help it provide simple and convenient banking to its customers.

The bank had launched an app BPay in September 2017, which will be the key driver for digital transition of customers from assisted to self-service mode.

Fino Payments Bank

MD and CEO: Rishi Gupta

India third largest solar market in the world: Mercom Communications

Mercom Communications, India emerged as the third largest solar market in the world in 2017 behind China and the US.

As per the report, India set a new record with 9.6 GW of solar installations in 2017, which was more than double the 4.3 GW installed in 2016.

Mercom Communications India is an arm of global clean energy consulting firm Mercom Capital Group.

Mercom Capital Group

CEO: Raj Prabhu

Yes Bank launches Agenda 25*25

YES Bank and YES Global Institute have launched Agenda 25×25, which pledges to create a synergetic startup environment for budding women entrepreneurs in India.

The effort would ensure that by 2025 at least 25% of all entrepreneurs in India are women.

The bank made the announcement at the YES Bank – YES Global Institute Annual Startup Conclave hosted in partnership with NITI Aayog, Invest India, Startup India and Atal Innovation Mission.

A study by YES Bank-YES Global Institute, ‘Putting Women First: Building the Start-up Ecosystem Ground Up’ was released at the conclave.

Yes Bank

Headquarters: Mumbai

CEO: Rana Kapoor

AWARDS AND HONORS

Prof Muhammad Yunus conferred KISS Humanitarian Award 2018

The 11th KISS Humanitarian Award 2018 was presented to Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Laureate (2006) and Founder, Grameen Bank & Chairman, Yunus Centre.

The award citation recognizes his unwavering commitment to eradicate global poverty and foster economic and social development.

Last year, it was presented to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, also a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Prof. Muhammad Yunus, is a Bangladeshi economist, widely known as the Father of Microfinance. He was co-awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 along with Grameen Bank – the microcredit organisation he created to provide loans to the poor in Bangladesh.

Faye D’Souza receives RedInk award for ‘Journalist of the Year’

The RedInk Award for ‘Journalist of the Year’ has been awarded to Faye D’Souza, executive editor of Mirror Now channel, for her coverage of issues that touch the lives of common people.

The RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism for 2018 has been awarded to veteran journalist William Mark Tully. The award, a part of the National RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism, has been instituted by the Mumbai Press Club.

Sulabh International founder awarded Nikkei Asia Prize

The founder of Sulabh International, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, has been honoured with the Nikkei Asia Prize in Japan for his contribution to Asia’s development.

He has been described as “an Indian social reformer tackling two of his country’s biggest challenges — poor hygiene and discrimination.

Dr Pathak founded the Sulabh International in 1970. It is an NGO that works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation among other social services.

SPORTS

Neymar won the French League’s Player of the Year award

Neymar won the French League’s Player of the Year award.Neymar scored 19 league goals and set up another 13 in only 20 games for French champion PSG.

Second-place Cavani won the award last season and is the league’s top scorer again this season with 28 goals, while Thauvin is next with 22.

Lewis Hamilton wins spanish Grand Prix 2018

British driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix. This is his second victory in a row after winning the Azerbaijan GP.

Mercedes player Valtteri Bottas got second place. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen came third, followed by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel of Germany in fourth.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

The book ‘Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System’ released

Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army the Staff released the book ‘Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System’ by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan.

The book deals with military judicial system vis-a-vis command and management issues within the military establishments besides the whole gamut of issues relating to veterans, their families and dependents.

OBITUARY

Pakistan hockey legend Mansoor Ahmed passes away

Pakistan’s World Cup-winning hockey player Mansoor Ahmed passed away. Ahmed played as a Goalkeeper and Captain for Pakistan national hockey team.

Renowned storyteller Ankit Chadha passes away

Ankit Chadha, a renowned storyteller associated with the tradition of Dastangoi has passed away.He is known for his Urdu poetry.

Nandram Das Bairagi passed away

Noted Hindi film lyricist, Nandram Das Bairagi, popularly known as Balkavi Bairagi has passed away.

Bairagi, a Lok Sabha member between 1984 and 1989 and also a former Rajya Sabha MP, was 87.

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ: MAY 16, 2018