CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEKLY ONE LINERS : MAY 15-21 – 3RD WEEK

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     NATIONAL AFFAIRS:

• PM Narendra Modi unveils conclusion of ‘Namami Devi Narmade Sewa Yatra’, conservation of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh at Amarkantak in Anooppur district
• PM Modi inaugurates India longest bridge “The Dhola-Sadlya” in Assam, costing 950 crore and length is 15 km between Dhola and Sadlya.
• India Ranked 2nd in EY Renewable Energy Attractiveness Index released by EY.
• West Bengal government made Bengali compulsory in all schools announced by Education Minister Partha Chatterjee.
• India’s first Aquatic Rainbow Technology Park(ARTP) for ornamental fish will be set up in
• West Bengal introduces a new method of deep-sea pisciculture “cage culture” with big floating cages in the middle of the sea.
• The 64th National Award Winning Films Festival 2017 will be held in Panaji from May 18 to June 14 Best feature film:  ‘Kaasav’ (Turtle)
• Union finance minister Arun Jaitley to chair the 14^th GST Council meet held at the Sher-I-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the banks of the Dal Lake, Jammu & Kashmir.
• The Army has got its first artillery guns from BAE Systems which will be trial firing at the Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan brought from United States.
• ISRO will launch three communication satellites GSAT-19, GSAT-11 and GSAT-20in the next 18 months to boost internet speed across the nation.
• The first Goa Anti-Tobacco Film Festivalwill be held on May 31, and will screen over 30 films, which is organised by “The Entertainment Society of Goa.
• NITI Aayog Held The First “Samavesh” Meeting to bring together 32 premier educational and policy research institutions
• The 64th National Award Winning Films Festival 2017 will be held in Panaji from May 18 to June 14 Best feature film:  ‘Kaasav’ (Turtle)
• Union finance minister Arun Jaitley to chair the 14^th GST Council meet held at the Sher-I-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the banks of the Dal Lake, Jammu & Kashmir.
• The Army has got its first artillery guns from BAE Systems which will be trial firing at the Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan brought from United States.
• ISRO will launch three communication satellites GSAT-19, GSAT-11 and GSAT-20in the next 18 months to boost internet speed across the nation.
• The first Goa Anti-Tobacco Film Festival will be held on May 31, and will screen over 30 films, which is organised by “The Entertainment Society of Goa.
• NITI Aayog Held The First “Samavesh” Meeting to bring together 32 premier educational and policy research institutions
• Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti inaugurated a first semi-mechanised car park in Srinagar to ease traffic congestion in and around Lal Chowk.
• Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhanwas given additional charge of Environment Ministry, due to sudden demise of Anil Madhav Dave.
• Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar launched goaonline.gov.in. portal under which citizens will be able to obtain a residence & income certificate, at no charge.
• Vishakhapatnamand Beas railway stations are the cleanest railway stations out of the 407 station in India. The Darbhanga railway station in Bihar declared dirtiest.
• P. CM Yogi Adityanath approves for grant of land for the purpose of a grand Ram museum in Ayodhya. Government has allotted Rs.225 croreto build a museum.
• Modi will become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel in July. This visit coincides with 25^th anniversaryof the diplomatic ties between the two countries.
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approves laying of railway tracks in Maharashtra, P. and A.P.at an estimated cost of Rs.5,695 crore.
• Trujet airway becomes first airline toget air operator certificate under the scheduled commuter operator category under the Centre’s UDAN scheme for regional connectivity.  It operate on 128 routes connecting 70 airports
• Punjab governmentwas signed an MoU with Reliance Jio to provide free Wi-Fi facility in all state-run educational institutions
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurate the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s annual conventionin Gandhinagar, Gujarat on May 23. The theme of the event is “Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa.”
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT)announced an environment compensation of Rs 5,000 and banned open defecation and dumping of waste on the floodplains.
• The luxurious train, Tejas Expressset to be running between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Karmali in North Goa on May 22.
• The Punjab Health Departmenthas launched a State-wide programme to sensitise people about hypertension to mark World Hypertension Day on May 17.
• First Flight Of Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 Prototype-2 successfully took place at the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) in Bangalore.
• Maharashtra governmenthas decided to form “Good Morning” squads in a bid to curb open defecation across the state to check whether residents have toilets.
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) finalized the long-term strategic partnership with the Indian private sectorin defence manufacturing chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
• Madhya Pradesh Government signed a MoU with IIT-Kharagpur for developing state Happiness Index. (World Happiness Index 2017 India 122nd spot).
• Odisha CM & Biju Janata Dal partypresident Naveen Patnaik will launch the “Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas” (our village, our development) programme starting from July 1,
• Nanammal, probably the oldest woman yoga instructorin India, will participate in the International Yoga Celebrations (from June 15 to 21), at Tanuku in Andhra Pradesh.

     INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS:

• Palestinian President Abbaswill hold a bilateral summit with Modi and will be hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee.
• China will host the Second Belt and Road Forumin 2019 to promote China’s “Belt and Road”
• S. President Donald Trumpmeets prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on “regional security matters,” trade and bilateral investments.
• Yemenis declared a state of emergency in the Sanaa, Yemeni capital by World Health Organization  as one of the worst humanitarian emergencies
• Japan’s Cabinet approved a bill that would allow Emperor Akihitoto step down, as Japanese emperor in nearly two centuries.
• Chinalaunch their the first export-oriented attack helicopter Z-19E or Black whirlwind combative choppers made its debut flight from the Harbin airport
• The US President TrumpAdministration plans to announce $110 billion of sale of arm to Saudi Arabia for civilian deaths in its fight against Iranian-backed rebels.
• Minister of State for HomeKiren Rijiju is participating in the five day Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) summit being held in Cancun, Mexico.
• Donald Trump signs $110 billion arms dealwith Saudi Arabia, predicted to grow to a $380 billionSaudi investment within 10 years.

     BANKING & BUSINESS:

• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) predicted India’s GDP growth will be around4 per cent for fiscal 2017-18,
• Kotak Mahindra Bankunveiled India first downloadable digital saving zero minimum balance account  “811 account” which can opened in 5 minutes.
• BHEL has won Rs 233 croreorder for a steam and power generation package from Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd (RFCL) at Ramagundam in Telangana.
• Axis Bank lowers home loans rates from 65 percentto 8.35 percent for the loan below Rs 30 lakhs.
• European Unionfines Facebook for €110 million ($122.4 million) for providing misleading information over its purchase of WhatsApp in 2014.
• Ericsson Joins Microsoft For Global IoT Services with aim to strengthen the global Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem
• Axis Bank lowers home loans rates from 65 percentto 8.35 percent for the loan below Rs 30 lakhs.
• European Unionfines Facebook for €110 million ($122.4 million) for providing misleading information over its purchase of WhatsApp in 2014.
• Ericsson Joins Microsoft For Global IoT Services with aim to strengthen the global Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem
• Japanese Softbank has pumped in $1.4 billion(over Rs 9,079 crore) in Indian digital payments platform, Paytm.
• RBI mandated that 25 percentof the total number of ‘banking outlets’ opened in unbanked rural centres under “Rationalization of Branch Authorization Policy”.
• Indiahas overtaken Brazil to become the 2nd largest country for consumer products giant Unilever. Hindustan Unilever contributes 8% to the global turnover.
• CGI Dubai and Embassy of Indiain Abu Dhabi in partnership with iSPIRIT, a nonprofit think tank and supported by TiE, Dubai will host a two day “Start up India Summit” in UAE on 23rd and 24th of May 2017
• The commerce and industry ministry reported that country FDIinflows hit an all-time high of $60.1 billion in 2016-17 whereas $55.6 billion in 2015-16.
• India has placed a 154th among 195 countriesin the healthcare index. Switzerland topped the health index, followed by Sweden and Norway.
• BSNL has inked agreements with Facebookand MobiKwik as its looks to popularize the internet and its value added services among customers.

     APPOINTMENTS

• Israel President Reuven Rivlinappoints the first ever female judge “Hana Khatib” for Israel’s Sharia Court system in Jerusalem
• France President Emmanuel Macronappointed an Edouard Philippe as France new prime minister.
• Nitin Karmalkarhas been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
• Paytm had announced that its long time executive and vice president Renu Satti will be the CEO of the payments bank.
• Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singhpresented the 2014 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace to the  The award consists of a trophy, cash prize of Rs 1 crore and a citation.
• The government approved a one-year extensionin service to DRDO chief Dr S Christopher, an aeronautical scientist.
• Pakistangets its first transgender lecturer  Aisha Mughal of government-run Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad.

    AWARDS

• A researcher from IIT-Hyderabad,  Aravind Kumar Rengan has been awarded Indian National Science Academy (INSA)medal in the Young Scientist category for 2017.
• David Letterman, the longest-running host of late-night TV in United States’ history, has been chosen for Kennedy Centre’s Mark Twain Prize
• Indian scientist Shrinivas Kulkarniprofessor of astrophysics and planetary science at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena won the prestigious Dan David prize
• 14-year-old Indian-American Pranay Varada Wins National Geographic Bee Contest prize money USD 50,000
• Assam’s Purnima Barman, who known as the force behind the ‘Hargila Army’ has won the Whitley Awards 2017. This award is also known as the ‘Green Oscars’.
• Assam’s renowned environmentalist Purnima Devi Barmanhas won the prestigious Whitley Awards, also known as the Green Oscars received from Princess Royal Anne
• Kanchhi Maya Tamangis the first Tamang woman from Nepal to scale the 8,848-metre peak Mt. Everest twice within five days. Her message: ‘Fight Against Human Trafficking’.

SPORTS:

• Arjun Maini,19-year-old becomes first Indian who drives for Jenzer Motorsport Wins GP3 Sprint Race at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
• India’s Ramudri Someshwara Raowon a gold medal in men’s 200m T44 event at the 2017 World Para athletics GP and qualifies for IPC Para athletics World Championships in London.
• Sumit Kumarwon a silver medal  in final of the 125kg freestyle class of the Asian wrestling championship in New Delhi.
• Indian Womenset new records in Women’s ODI cricket at the Potchefstroom against Ireland recorded the first ever triple century 320
• India’s Sundaram Ravihas been appointed on-field umpires for the Champions Trophy on June 1 at Cardiff, Edgbaston, the Oval, and London.
• Manpreet Singhwas named the Indian hockey captain for “Three Nations Invitational Tournament” in Germany and the World League semi-final in England
• International Museum Day(IMD) is an international day a celebration that held every year on or around 18 May, coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
• This Year theme is “Museums and Contested Histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums”
• Indiamaintained top position on the ICC Test rankings of  ICC while South Africa on second place and Australia on third place in the ranking.
• Vidit Gujrathiand  Vaishali did India proud by winning the bronze at the Asian chess championship at Chengdu, China.
• German Policewoman Bibiana Steinhaus  to become first female referee in europe’s top leagues
• Alexander Sascha Zverevbecame the youngest Masters Series finalist in 10 years when he beat American veteran John Isner at the Italian Open.

     IMPORTANT DAYS:

• May 15 – International Day Of Families. Theme 2017 is “Families, education and wellbeing”.
• May 20 – World Metrology Day Theme of 2017: Measurements for Transport
• May 21-Anti Terrorism Dayis observed across India on 21 May to commemorate the death anniversary of Priome Ministers of India, Shri Rajiv Gandhi.

   OBITUARY

• Former Puducherry Chief Minister Ramassamy passes away
• Anil Madhav Dave Minister of State (Independent) for Environment, Forests and Climate Changeelected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh passed away at age of 60.
• Roger Ailes, former chief executive of Fox News, has died at age 77.
• Rocker Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, has died at age .