DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MAY 31, 2018

Daily Current Affairs (May 31, 2018) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness , Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

Union Tribal Affairs Ministry launches exhibition cum sale event ‘Pankha’

Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Shri Jual Oram has launched an exhibition cum sale event, ‘PANKHA’ (Hand-fans), created by TRIFED through its artisans from all over the country at its showroom Tribes India, New Delhi. These Pankhas are on display at Indira Gandhi National Auditorium (IGNA), New Delhi.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Shri Jual Oram has launched an exhibition cum sale event, ‘PANKHA’ (Hand-fans), created by TRIFED through its artisans from all over the country at its showroom Tribes India, New Delhi. These Pankhas are on display at Indira Gandhi National Auditorium (IGNA), New Delhi.

TRIFED collaborated with Jatin Das Centre for Arts (JDCA) to provide marketing support to the tribal artisans who are associated with this craft.

TRIFED is a national-level organisation under the administrative control of Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs of India. It is engaged in marketing of tribal products, including tribal art & craft under the brand name ‘TRIBES India’.

Shri Jual Oram constituency: Sundargarh, Odisha

Ministry of Railways launches new user interface of its e-ticketing system

The Railway’s Online Travel Portal – www.irctc.co.in has now launched beta version of its new User Interface in line with Union Minister of Railways Shri Piyush Goyal’s vision to ensure better user experience by recommending best Information Technology industry practices.

The new link has more user friendly features for easier navigation. E-ticketing now constitutes about two third of total reserved tickets on Indian Railways.

By creating Next Generation e-Ticketing (NGeT) system the new online ticket booking system of Railways provides easy and fast way of booking rail tickets by automating the journey planning and purchase of tickets.

Shri Piyush Goyal constituency: Deoria, Uttar Pradesh

3rd Meeting of India-UK Home Affairs’ Dialogue Held in New Delhi

The Third Home Affairs’ Dialogue between India and U.K. was held in New Delhi.

The Government of India Delegation was led by Shri Rajiv Gauba, Union Home Secretary and the Delegation from Home Office of the U.K. was led by its Second Permanent Secretary, Ms. Patsy Wilkinson.

The Dialogue covered a wide range of issues including cyber security, women safety, organized crime, terror financing, visas for Indian Students and highly skilled professionals etc.  and a need to put in place a mechanism for timely exchange of information and intelligence inputs on such issues.

Gujarat Government Launches ‘Reuse of Treated Waste Water Policy’

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has released the ‘Reuse of Treated Waste Water Policy’ at a high-level meeting at Gandhinagar in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.

The state government has planned to create water-grid, on the lines of power-grid, for reuse of the treated waste water from urban areas. The plan is to set up set up sewage treatment plant in each and every municipal corporation and over 150 municipalities. The plan is to fulfil 50 per cent requirement of water from retreated water in collaboration with the state’s industrial units

Gujarat

Capital: Gandhinagar

Chief minister: Vijay Rupani

Governor: Om Prakash Kohli

DAC Approves Procurement of Equipment for Defence Forces

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Smt Nirmala Sitharaman accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces valued at over Rs. 6900 crore.

The DAC approved procurement of Thermal Imaging (TI) Night Sights for the Rocket Launcher (RL) used by the Army and the Air Force under ‘BUY(Indian) IDDM’ category through established Indian Vendors.

In the last eight months the DAC has given approvals for procurement of equipment worth about Rs 43,844 crore. Out of this, Rs 32,253 crore would be made in India.

The approval is also for the procurement of at least 100 IRSTs under ‘Buy (Indian–IDDM) category.

Devika river rejuvenation project by Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir government has submitted a detailed report of the Rs 189 crore Devika river rejuvenation project to the Centre for approval.

The detailed project report (DPR) amounting to Rs 189.22 crore has been formulated for the Devika rejuvenation project and submitted for approval to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India (GOI).

The river holds religious significance as it is revered by Hindus as the sister of river Ganga.

Also known as Devika Nagari, it originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple in Udhampur district and flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan) where it merges with the Ravi river.

INTERNATIONAL

RIMPAC: World’s Largest International Maritime Exercise

The World’s Largest International Maritime Exercise RIMPAC ws held in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, the Pentagon.

The RIMPAC this year involves 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel.

As many as 26 countries, including India, would participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise.Four countries, Brazil, Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are participating in RIMPAC for the first time.

The theme this year is “Capable, Adaptive, Partners.”

US Pacific Command renamed as Indo-Pacific Command

The United States has renamed its oldest and largest military command – the “Pacific Command’ – to “Indo-Pacific Command”. Henceforth, the storied US Pacific Command, or PACOM, which was formed after World War II, will be known as the US Indo-Pacific Command.

It is a symbolic move to signal India’s importance to the US military amid heightened tensions with China over the militarisation of the South China Sea.

admiral Phil Davidson replaced Admiral Harry Harris as Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command or IndoPacom.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

India, Indonesia agree to nearly triple bilateral trade to USD 50 billion

India and Indonesia have agreed to double their efforts to boost bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2025.

They exchanged views with President Widodo on potential areas of cooperation in areas like defence, maritime security, trade and economy.

PM Modi also announced 30-day free visa for Indonesian citizens. Both leaders agreed to cooperate in the promotion of energy efficiency technologies, new and renewable energy technologies.

Indonesia

Capital: Jakarta

Currency: Indonesian rupiah

Microsoft becomes third most valuable firm globally

Microsoft has surpassed Alphabet, the parent company of Google, in the market capitalisation for the first time in three years.

According to a report by Investor’s Business Daily, Microsoft had a market cap of $753 billion at the close of trading, almost $14 billion ahead of Alphabet.

Apple(1) leads with a market cap of nearly $924 billion and Amazon(2) is at second rank, with nearly $783 billion. Microsoft(3) posted a revenue of $26.8 billion and net income of $7.4 billion in its third quarter that ended on March 31.

Moody’s reduces India Growth Forecast to 7.3%

International rating company Moody’s Investors Service has cut India’s growth forecast to 7.3% for 2018 from 7.5% projected earlier on the back of higher oil prices.

The trade tensions between the US and China is another risk factor to global growth, according to the company.

Moody’s expects China’s growth to decelerate to 6.6% in 2018 and to 6.4% in 2019. India’s economy is projected to grow by 7.5% in 2019.

APPOINTMENTS

Pankaj Saran: Deputy National Security Advisor

The Senior diplomat Pankaj Saran has been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Saran’s appointment as the deputy NSA for a period of two years.

He was appointed as the India’s envoy to Russia i 2015.He also served as the joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office between 2007 and 2012.

The Former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, Ajit Doval is the National Security Advisor.

R K Agrawal: President of the NCDRC

Justice R K Agrawal was appointed the president of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC). He retired as Supreme Court judge earlier this month.

He will succeed Justice D K Jain, who completes his term on May 31.

The NCDRC, a quasi-judicial authority, was set up in 1988 to decides on consumers’ complaints. Anybody aggrieved over goods and services, for values over Rs one crore, can approach the commission for grievance redressal.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

13th edition of the World Press Cartoon awards 2018

The 13th edition of the World Press Cartoon awards 2018 will be held at Portugal.

Kerala cartoonist Thomas Antony has won an international award, in the “best caricature category”. Antony, currently working as Executive Artist of Malayalam daily ‘Metro Vaartha’.

He is among the nine winners at the 13th edition of the World Press Cartoon awards, instituted by an organisation based in Lisbon, Portugal.

The awards are given to the best works published in 2017 in newspapers and magazines from around the world.

Kamaljit Bawa Received Linnean Medal

Indian botanist Kamaljit S. Bawa, received the prestigious Linnean Medal in Botany from the Linnean Society of London.

He is the president of Bengaluru-based non-profit Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).

Dr. Bawa is the first Indian to win the award ever since it was first constituted in 1888.

The scientist is being recognised for his pioneering research on the evolution of tropical plants, tropical deforestation, non-timber forest products and for decades of work on the biodiversity of forests in Central America, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalaya.

SPORTS

Vikas Gowda – CWG gold medallist retires

Indian discus thrower Vikas Gowda retired from the sport after competing at the highest level for more than 15 years. His retirement was announced by the Athletics Federation of India.

He became the first and only Indian male to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the Discus throw.

He also won silver in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a gold in the 2014 Glasgow CWG. In the Asian Games, he won a bronze in 2010 and a silver in 2014.

China claims Thomas Cup 2018

China beat Japan 3-1 to claim Thomas Cup. This is the 10th time for China to win the Thomas Cup.

In the deciding match was the world number 4 doubles duo Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen won over the japan’s Keigo Sonoda and Yuta Watanabe .The event was held in Bangkok.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World No Tobacco Day – May 31

The world No Tobacco Day is observed every year throughout the world on May 31. As per WHO, World No Tobacco Day 2018 will focus on the impact tobacco has on the cardiovascular health of people worldwide.

Theme of World No Tobacco Day 2018: ‘Tobacco and heart disease’.

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