Weekly Current Affairs update - Global IAS · Physicist E C G Sudarshan dies at 86 Section C: WORLD...

Current Affairs Magic

Current Affairs Magic May 15 to 22, 2018 www.globalias.in

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Weekly Current Affairs Update

For the Week: May 15 to 22, 2018

HEADLINES

Section A: INDIA

Swachh Survekshan 2018: Indore, the cleanest, followed by Bhopal and Chandigarh

SC approves setting up of Cauvery Management Authority

Facebook received over 22K data requests from Indian govt in 2017

AYUSH finds a place in English Language

BrahMos test fired to validate service life extension

PM reshuffles cabinet; Irani removed as I&B Minister

Amit Khare appointed Information and Broadcasting Secretary

Mukul Rohatgi appointed as eminent jurist in Lokpal panel: Govt

Artist Uttam Pacharne appointed Lalit Kala Akademi chairman

Lt Gen Sangwan takes over as DG of Assam Rifles

Karnataka MPs Yeddyurappa, Sreeramulu quit Lok Sabha

VCs of JU, KU granted 'Honorary Colonel' rank

Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

Informal Summit between India and Russia held in Sochi

INSV Tarini arrives in Goa after historic circumnavigation

UAE oil for Mangalore strategic stockpile arrives

India and Pakistan to revive joint judicial committee on prisoners, fishermen

Meeting of Cultural Ministers of SCO held in China

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre visits Nauru

Mission Innovation Ministerial organised at Malmo, Sweden

26th BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers held in Durban

MoS for External Affairs Gen V K Singh visits North Korea

Army chief honours fallen IPKF personnel in Sri Lanka

Delhi court awards 3 years jail to ex-diplomat for spying for Pak ISI

Ambika Sharma is USIBC's Managing Director of India operations

Indian academic C Raja Mohan joins Singapore's think-tank as director

Physicist E C G Sudarshan dies at 86

Section C: WORLD

UK lists Pakistan among top three money launderers

US opens new embassy in Jerusalem amid 37 deaths in Israel-Palestinian clashes

Guatemala becomes 2nd country to open embassy in Jerusalem after USA

Delhi projected to become world's most populous city around 2028: UN report

China to purchase more US goods to reduce trade deficit

North Korea cancels talks with South over US military drill

WHO publishes its first essential diagnostics list

Nepal's two left parties merge to become largest communist party

Paraguay opens its embassy in Jerusalem

Russia unveils world's first floating nuclear power station

Plane crashes on take-off in Cuba

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day observed on May 17

International Day of Living Together in Peace observed on May 16

International Day of Families observed on May 15

US Senate confirms Gina Haspel as first female CIA director



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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro wins re-election

Author Tom Wolfe dies at 88

Iconic Indian-origin musician Ramesh Hassan dies at 73 in S. Africa

Richard N. Goodwin, White House speech writer, dead at 86

Bernard Lewis, influential scholar of Islam, dies at 101

Bill Gold, designer of iconic movie posters, dies at 97

Chinese Terracotta Warriors archaeologist dies aged 82

Margot Kidder, 'Superman' star, dead at 69

Richard Pipes, scholar of Russian history, dies at 94

Poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal discharged from UK hospital

Prince Harry and Meghan become Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Slain Salvador archbishop, Pope Paul VI to be made saints

US diplomat involved in road accident in Pak returns home

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Workshop on AI in National Security and Defence held in New Delhi

President launches integrated centre for crisis management at BARC

IISER develops device to detect and remove arsenic from water

WHO launches 'REPLACE' to eliminate trans fat in foods by 2023

China launches satellite to explore dark side of Moon

Section E: AWARDS

Cannes Film Festival awards conferred

2018 Billboard Music Awards presented

NRI industrialist Swraj Paul wins lifetime achievement award in UK

Veteran journalist Mark Tully bags RedInk Award

Sulabh International founder awarded Nikkei Asia Prize

Robert De Niro to receive Brass Ring Award at 2018 Carousel of Hope Ball

NMDC bags S&P PLATTS Global Metals Award 2018 under CSR category

NPCIL wins Russian award for 'Atom on Wheels' campaign

India's Jagriti Yatra wins charity award in UK

Nara Lokesh receives award for 'Digital Leader of the Year'

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

RBI tweaks norms for setting up of IFSC Banking Units

Nirav Modi fraud costs PNB Rs 14,357 crore

RBI bars Allahabad Bank from giving fresh loans

Moody's downgrades PNB, cites negative impact of fraud

Allahabad Bank divests its CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian of all powers

Section G: ECONOMY

Indian economy projected to grow 7.6% in 2018-19: UN WESP

Cabinet approves National Biofuel Policy

Govt announces national wind-solar hybrid policy

CCEA approves Rs 5,000 cr micro-irrigation fund

New mechanism to settle commercial disputes between govt. departments, PSUs approved

Foodgrain production at record 279.51 MT in 2017-18

Atal Pension Yojana crosses 1 crore subscribers

Forex reserves fall by $1.237 bn to $417.702 bn

Exports rise 5.17% to USD 25.9bn in April; trade deficit up at USD 13.7 bn

Army finalises Rs 15,000 crore ammunition production project



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Both retail and wholesale inflation rise in April

DoT issues guidelines for use of embedded SIMs

NITI Aayog organised Venture Capital Symposium 2018 in New Delhi

MCX launches India's first copper options

NHAI Chairman Deepak Kumar sent back to cadre state Bihar

Section H: CORPORATE

India 6th wealthiest nation with $8,230 bn: AfrAsia Bank Global Wealth Migration Review

Kaspersky to transfer infrastructure out of Russia

Facebook launches global project to fight election interference

Horlicks creates a new Guinness World Record for making largest glass of milkshake

Sony Pictures acquires rights for Jhulan Goswami biopic

Facebook launches India-first features for ‗stories‘

IIM-A centre unveils $25 million initiative to fund start-ups

IOA signs Li-Ning as its apparel partner till Tokyo Olympic Games

UltraTech to acquire Century‘s cement unit in share swap deal

Flipkart introduces ‗certified‘ furniture

Lexus India launches SUV LX 570 priced at Rs 2.33 crore

Toyota adds Yaris to lineup

Tata Steel completes acquisition of controlling stake in Bhushan Steel

WOW offers India-U.S. flights from Rs.13,499

Birju Kishore Salla becomes first to be on 'No-fly list'

P. K. Purwar appointed full time CMD of MTNL

Nick Read to succeed Vittorio Colao as Vodafone Group CEO

Netmeds appoints Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador

Anil Kumar Jha appointed CMD of Coal India Ltd

LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo dies at 73

Section I: STATES

Karnataka Assembly election results

Cabinet approves central university for Andhra Pradesh

International Rail Expo organised in Chennai

PM unveils plaque to mark commencement of work on the Zojila Tunnel

J&K Governor clears ordinance advocating death for rape of girls below 12

Bastariya Battalion of CRPF formed in Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh to get specialised combat unit 'Black Panther'

Students to say 'Jai Hind' during roll call in MP schools

Bihar CM inaugurates "Malmas Mela" at Rajgir

Bihar CM flags off Beej Vahan Vikas Vahan Rath for every district

Cabinet approves establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation at Bhopal

Chetak Corps conducting in exercise 'Gandiv Vijay' in Rajasthan

First all-woman Post Office Passport Seva Kendra starts operations in Punjab

Cabinet approves setting up of a new AIIMS in Deoghar, Jharkhand

Maharashtra women's commission to protect women from harassment on social media

Solapur University to be named after Ahilyabai Holkar:

President Kovind inaugurates Global Exhibition on Services-2018 in Mumbai

Camera trap spots Black Panther in Odisha

Foundation stone of LPG bottling plant laid in Odisha

Meeting of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network held in Kolkata

Sikkim govt. announces incentive to have more than one child

First commercial flight lands in Arunachal Pradesh

Eminent Warli artist Jivya Soma Mashe dies at 84



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Tamil novelist Balakumaran dies at 71

Telugu novelist Yaddanapudi Sulochana Rani passes away

Renowned homeopath Prasanta Banerji dies in Kolkata at 84

Muzaffarnagar's last freedom fighter Raghuvir Singh passes away at 95

SC holds Navjot Singh Sidhu guilty in road rage case, spares him jail term

Assam MLA asked to prove citizenship

NSA Ajit Doval conferred honorary doctorate by Kumaun University

Maharashtra CM unveils wax statue of Union minister Athawale

Section J: SPORTS

Kenyans sweep medals at Kigali International Peace Marathon

Amicus Curiae suggest 5 members for cricket selection committees

Ireland lose their first ever test to Pakistan

Shashank Manohar re-elected unopposed as ICC Chairman

Australian Steve Plain climbs 7 peaks in 7 continents in record time

Gurgaon's father-daughter duo scale Mt Everest

Nepal‘s Kami Rita scales Everest for a record 22nd time

Himanta Biswa Sarma elected as Vice-President of Badminton Asia Confederation

Heena Sidhu bags gold in Hannover

Federer replaces Nadal as number one in Men‘s Singles tennis

Nadal, Svitolina win Singles titles at Italian Open tennis

Balaji and Vishnu win Challenger tennis at Samarkand

Rafael Nadal regains number one ranking

Ray Wilson, member of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup winning side, dies at 83

India U-16 defeat Tajikistan 4-2 to win four-nation tournament in Serbia

Atletico Madrid wins Europa League football title

Lionel Messi wins fifth European Golden Shoe award

Chelsea beat Manchester United to win FA Cup

Katie Ledecky breaks her own 1,500m freestyle world record

South Korea win Women's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey

Rajinder Singh named Hockey India president

Gary Russell Jr. retains featherweight crown

Sathiyan-Sanil win silver in Thailand Open TT



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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

Swachh Survekshan 2018: Indore, the cleanest, followed by Bhopal and Chandigarh

Indore emerged as the cleanest city, followed by Bhopal and Chandigarh in the government's cleanliness survey.

The results of Swachh Survekshan 2018, which aims to estimate levels of cleanliness across cities in the country, were announced by Minister of State for

Housing Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi on May 16, 2018.

Jharkhand was adjudged the best performing state in the survey followed by Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.

Compared to the previous surveys, this year's exercise allocated substantial weightage to the feedback from citizens based on their daily experience.

Indore was the cleanest city in 2017 as well but that survey was conducted only for around 430 cities. This time it was conducted for around 4,200 cities.

Component-wise weightages considered for rankings: ODF progress 30%, Collection & Transportation of Solid Waste: 40%, Processing & disposal of solid

waste: 20%, Information, Education & Communication: 5%, Capacity Building: 5%, Innovation: 5%.

The names of the worst performing cities would be announced on the day the awards would be presented, Puri said.

SC approves setting up of Cauvery Management Authority

The Supreme Court on May 18, 2018 approved the Cauvery Management Authority (CMA) for the implementation of the 2007 Cauvery Award, as modified

and reaffirmed by the top court by its February 16 judgment.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the government would notify it before the monsoon season

sets in June.

Headquartered in Delhi, the CMA will be the sole body to implement the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award as modified by the apex court. The Centre

would have no say in it except for issuing administrative advisories to it.

The CMA will be assisted in the discharge of its functions by a Regulatory Committee located in Bengaluru.

On May 14, the Centre submitted in the Supreme Court the draft of the Cauvery management scheme, following which the court had said it will examine

whether the scheme conformed to its February 16 judgment.

On May 3, the apex court had rapped the Centre for not framing the Cauvery management scheme for river-water sharing between four southern states.

"The authority shall take care of storage, apportionment, regulation and control of Cauvery waters; It shall supervise the operation of reservoirs and

regulation of water releases with assistance from Regulation Committee. Regulated release by Karnataka at the inter-state contact point located on common

border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," the draft Cauvery Management scheme said.

Facebook received over 22K data requests from Indian govt in 2017

Facebook received more than 22,000 requests from the Indian government for data in 2017, the second highest globally after the US, the social network said

in its Transparency Report in May 2018. Facebook said it had received 9,853 total requests in January-June 2017, followed by 12,171 requests in the second

half of the year. This is about 62 per cent higher than 2016 when the Indian government made 13,613 such requests. Facebook had received over 65,000

government requests for user data in the US in 2017. The company said it responds to government requests for data in accordance with applicable law and

our terms of service.

AYUSH finds a place in English Language

The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology has decided to adopt the word ‗AYUSH‘ in Hindi and English languages for scientific and technical

purposes. The ―AYUSH‖ became popular as the acronym for five traditional and complementary systems of medicine, namely Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy,

Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy and successfully adopted and used in all Government communications. The decision follows a proposal from the Ministry of

AYUSH in this regards.



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BrahMos test fired to validate service life extension

BrahMos, supersonic cruise missile was successfully test fired on May 21, 2018 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Balasore, Odisha as part of service life

extension programme. The life extension test firing of BrahMos was conducted from a Static Inclined Launcher, proving the efficacy and longevity of the

system which was witnessed by the Scientist from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and BrahMos. The precision strike missile flew in

its designated trajectory and the key components functioned perfectly. BrahMos is a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPOM of Russia.

RECENT BOOKS

Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World by Joshua B. Freeman

Swachch India by K.S. Babu, M. Gopinath Reddy& Others

Whither Indian Judiciary by Justice Markandey Katju

Supreme Whispers: Conversations with Judges of the Supreme Court of India 1980-89 by Abhinav Chandrachud

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor by Virginia Eubanks

Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism‘s Greatest Thinker by Pavan K. Varma

Republic of Caste: Thinking Equality in the Time of Neoliberal Hindutva by Anand Teltumbde

Mannequin: Working Women in India‘s Glamour Industry by Manjima Bhattacharjya

The Last White Hunter: Reminiscences of a Colonial Shikari by Joshua Mathew

An Ordinary Man‘s Guide to Radicalism — Growing Up Muslim in India by Neyaz Farooquee

Son of Bhrigu (The Pataala Prophecy) by Christopher C. Doyle

The Brahmin by Ravi Shankar Etteth

NEWSMAKERS

PM reshuffles cabinet; Irani removed as I&B Minister

Smriti Irani, Information and Broadcasting Minister, was on May 14, 2018 divested of the portfolio as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshuffled his cabinet in

which Rail Minister Piyush Goyal was given the additional charge of the Finance Ministry. Irani remains the Textile Minister.

Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore has been assigned the independent charge in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The communique said that during the indisposition of Arun Jaitley, the portfolio of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs, have been "temporarily" been

assigned to Goyal.

S. S. Ahluwalia has been relieved of the charge of Minister of State in Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry and assigned a new portfolio of Electronics and

Information Technology.

Alphons Kannanthanam has been relieved as Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. He continues as Minister of State for

Tourism.

Amit Khare appointed Information and Broadcasting Secretary

Senior IAS officers Amit Khare and Anup Wadhawan have been appointed as secretaries in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Commerce

Ministry respectively as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle on May 18, 2018.

M. M. Kutty has been named new Petroleum Secretary and senior bureaucrat Rina Ray the Secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy.

Atanu Chakraborty, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, will be Secretary, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management. He is at

present Director General of Hydrocarbons.

Binoy Kumar was named the Steel Secretary. He has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Steel.

Mukul Rohatgi appointed as eminent jurist in Lokpal panel: Govt

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has been appointed as an eminent jurist in the selection committee for appointment of the Lokpal, the Centre told the

Supreme Court on May 15, 2018.

Attorney General K. K. Venugopal told a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi that a decision was taken on May 11 appointing Rohatgi as an eminent jurist

in the selection committee, which is chaired by the Prime Minister.



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Rohatgi was appointed as Attorney General of India after the Narendra Modi government assumed power in May 2014. He resigned from the post in June

2017.

The post of eminent jurist in the Lokpal selection panel was lying vacant since the death of senior advocate P. P. Rao on September 11, 2017.

The bench, on hearing the submissions, posted the matter for further hearing on July 2. It was hearing a contempt petition filed by NGO Common Cause,

which had raised the issue of non-appointment of the Lokpal despite the apex court's verdict of April 27, 2017.

Artist Uttam Pacharne appointed Lalit Kala Akademi chairman

Artist and sculptor Uttam Pacharne was appointed the chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi on May 17, 2018. He is the recipient of National Lalit Kala Award

1985, Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar 1985 from Government of Maharashtra, Junior National Award 1986 and Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar 2017 from Prafulla

Dahanukar Foundation. Pacharne would hold office for a term of three years from the date on which he assumes charge.

Lt Gen Sangwan takes over as DG of Assam Rifles

Lt. Gen. Sukhdeep Sangwan on May 14, 2018 took over the charge as the 20th Director General of Assam Rifles (DGAR) in Shillong. Lt. Gen. Sangwan is an

alumnus of Officers Training Academy, Chennai and was commissioned into the Rajputana Rifles in August 1982. He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff

College Wellington, College of Defence Management Secunderabad & the prestigious National Defence College. Lt Gen Sangwan has a vast combat

experience including counter insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland.

Karnataka MPs Yeddyurappa, Sreeramulu quit Lok Sabha

Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP legislature party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa along with co-legislator B. Sreeramulu resigned as Lok Sabha members on May

19, 2018 after taking oath as the MLAs of the newly-constituted state Legislative Assembly. Yeddyurappa represented Shivamogga parliamentary segment in

the state's northwest Malnad region, about 300km from Bengaluru and Sreeramulu was from Ballari (reserved) segment from the state's northern region.

VCs of JU, KU granted 'Honorary Colonel' rank

The Vice Chancellors of Jadavpur University and Kalyani University were on May 21, 2018 granted the rank of 'Honorary Colonel' by the Centre for promoting

NCC activities in the varsities. At the investiture ceremony organised at Fort William in Kolkata, West Bengal Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister

Partha Chatterjee conferred on Prof Suranjan Das (JU) and Prof Shankar Kumar Ghosh (KU) the ranks in the presence of Lt General P. P. Malhotra, DG of

National Cadet Corps. The vice-chancellors of both the universities shall hold the rank of 'Colonel Commandant' in the NCC for the duration of their office.



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Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

Informal Summit between India and Russia held in Sochi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin held their first informal Summit in the city of Sochi in the Russian Federation on May 21, 2018.

The Summit provided an occasion for both leaders to deepen their friendship and to exchange views on international and regional issues.

The two leaders agreed that the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia is an important factor for global peace and stability.

Both leaders agreed to institute a Strategic Economic Dialogue between NITI Aayog of India and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian

Federation, to identify greater synergy in trade and investment.

US sanctions

The possible impact of the US sanctions against Russia under the ‗Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act‘ (CAATSA) on Indo-Russia

defence cooperation might have figured during the talks between Modi and Putin.

The CAATSA is a United States federal law that imposed sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia. It includes sanctions against countries that engage in

significant transactions with Russia's defence and intelligence sectors.

India could face US sanctions for purchasing high value military defence items, in particular state-of-the-art S-400 Triumf missile defence system, from Russia

under the act.

Modi thanked Russia for playing a major role in helping India get a permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. India and Pakistan

were admitted last year into the organisation.

INSV Tarini arrives in Goa after historic circumnavigation

The all woman-crew commanding the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini arrived in Panaji (Goa) on May 21, 2018 after successfully circumnavigating the

globe for eight months. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman received the six-member team along with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lamba. The

expedition had started from Panaji on September 10, 2017.

The INSV Tarini is the first Indian all-women crew to circumnavigate the globe, led by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi. The crew comprises of Lieutenant P

Swathi, Lieutenant Pratibha Jamwal (Air Traffic Control specialists), Lieutenant Vijaya Devi, Sub Lieutenant Payal Gupta (both Education officers) and

Lieutenant B Aishwarya, a Naval Architect.

The expedition known as ―Navika Sagar Parikrama‖ was covered in five legs, with stopovers at four ports - Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in New Zealand,

Port Stanley in Falklands and Cape Town in South Africa.

INSV Tarini was built by Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa. The boat draws her origin from the famous Tara-Tarini temple of Orissa‘s Ganjam district.

The word Tarini means boat and is also a Sanskrit word for saviour.

UAE oil for Mangalore strategic stockpile arrives

India on May 21, 2018 received the first shipload of crude oil from UAE for storage at the Mangalore underground strategic storage which will act as

insurance in times of emergencies.

Ship MT Inspiration carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) docked at the Mangalore port.

Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd - a special purpose vehicle that will build and manage India's maiden strategic storages - had in February signed a

contract with ADNOC to lease out part of the Mangalore storage.

Under the pact, ADNOC will store about 5.86 million barrels of crude oil at Mangalore storage at its own cost. ADNOC will bring additional crude oil and fill

up the Mangalore cavern later this year.

India has in the first phase of strategic oil storage programme built underground facilities with total capacity of 5.33 million tonnes (around 39 million barrels)

at Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka. Vishakhapatnam storage has a capacity of 1.33 million tonnes (around 9.77 million

barrels) of crude oil, Mangalore has a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes (around 11 million barrels) and Padur can stock 2.5 million tonnes (18.37 million barrels).



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India and Pakistan to revive joint judicial committee on prisoners, fishermen

Pakistan has responded positively to India's proposal to revive a mechanism of a joint judicial committee which looks into humanitarian issues of fishermen

and prisoners in each other's custody, the External Affairs Ministry said on May 17, 2018.

The ministry said names of members of the reconstituted committee from the Indian side have been communicated to Pakistan. The committee was first

formed in 2007. It consists of retired judges of the higher judiciary who visit and meet prisoners in each other's jails and propose steps to ensure humane

treatment and expedite release of prisoners and fishermen who have completed their prison terms.

The committee met seven times. The last meeting was hosted by India in October 2013.

Meeting of Cultural Ministers of SCO held in China

The Minister of State for Culture, Dr Mahesh Sharma led the Indian delegation to the 15th

Meeting of the Cultural Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation

Organization (SCO) Member States held in Sanya, China on May 16-17, 2018. India participated for the first time at the Meeting of Cultural Ministers of the

SCO.

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre visits Nauru

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre went on an official visit to Republic of Nauru from May 16 to 18, 2018. He attended the 50th anniversary

celebrations of its Constitution Day on May 17 as the Chief Guest. Nauru will be hosting the 49th

Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in September 2018

and Bhamre conveyed that India will be offering 22 Mahindra SUVs and two Tata buses worth $ 706,000 to Nauru as per their request for this meeting.

Mission Innovation Ministerial organised at Malmo, Sweden

Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Dr. Harsh Vardhan led an Indian delegation for

participation in the Mission Innovation Ministerial organised at Malmo-Sweden on May 22-23, 2018. Mission Innovation is a global platform of 23 countries

and European Union aimed at accelerating clean energy innovations through enhanced Government funding, greater public-private sector partnership and

enhanced global cooperation.

26th

BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers held in Durban

The 26th

BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers was held in Durban on May 20, 2018. Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change,

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the response of developed nations for greater action in combating climate change is inadequate. He reiterated his appeal to

make joint efforts to create a societal movement in combating climate change through ―Green Good Deeds‖ which is a societal movement to protect

environment and promote good living in the country, BASIC is a bloc of four countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China, formed by an agreement on

November 28, 2009. The four committed to act jointly at the Copenhagen climate summit.

MoS for External Affairs Gen V K Singh visits North Korea

In first high-level visit to North Korea from India in two decades, Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh visited Pyongyang on May 16, 2018

where he held talks with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on key issues. Singh conveyed India's concerns over nuclear proliferation linkages of North Korea with

India's neighbourhood, seen as a clear reference to Pakistan.

Army chief honours fallen IPKF personnel in Sri Lanka

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on May 14, 2018 paid tribute to Indian Peace Keeping Force personnel who died during the Sri Lankan civil war. Gen Rawat

placed a floral wreath at the IPKF monument in Colombo and saluted the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in Sri Lanka's fight against terrorism. The

Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was stationed in Sri Lanka's war-torn north and east between 1987 and 1990.

NEWSMAKERS

Delhi court awards 3 years jail to ex-diplomat for spying for Pak ISI

Former diplomat Madhuri Gupta, who had served at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was on May 19, 2018 sentenced to three years in jail by a

Delhi court which convicted her for passing on sensitive information to Pakistan's ISI.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma gave her the maximum sentence for the offences of spying and wrongful communication of information

protected under the law.



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Gupta, who was the Second Secretary (Press & Information) at the high commission, was held guilty on May 18 under various provisions of the Official

Secrets (OS) Act.

She was arrested on April 22, 2010 by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly passing on sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in

touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed.

Ambika Sharma is USIBC's Managing Director of India operations

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) on May 16, 2018 announced that Ambika Sharma will join the USIBC as Managing

Director of India operations. Sharma brings over three decades of experience in catalysing business engagement and public policy advocacy. Formed in 1975

at the request of the US and Indian governments, USIBC is the premier business advocacy organization, comprised of 350 top-tier US and Indian companies

advancing US-India commercial ties.

Indian academic C Raja Mohan joins Singapore's think-tank as director

Renowned Indian academic and foreign policy analyst C Raja Mohan has been appointed as director of the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), a think

tank of the National University of Singapore, a statement said on May 18, 2018. Mohan has held academic appointments at leading institutions globally and

is author of several publications. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Henry Alfred Kissinger Chair in Foreign and International Relations at the Library of Congress.

Prior to that, he was a professor of South Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. He was also a member of India's National

Security Advisory Board and served as the diplomatic editor and Washington correspondent for the national daily 'The Hindu'. Mohan was the founding

director of Carnegie India, a Delhi-based research centre. HE holds a PhD in International Relations (Strategic Studies and Arms Control) from the JNU.

Physicist E C G Sudarshan dies at 86

Eminent Indian-American theoretical physicist EC George Sudarshan died on May 13, 2018 in Austin, Texas (USA) at the age of 86. He was born in Kottayam,

Kerala, India, in 1931. He was honoured Padma Bhushan in 1976 and Padma Vibhushan in 2007 by the Indian government. He was also awarded the Dirac

Medal in 2010, which is known to be given out to scientists who have made substantial contributions in theoretical physics, computational chemistry and

mathematics.



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Section C: WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

UK lists Pakistan among top three money launderers

The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA) has listed Pakistan among the top three sources for money laundering in the United Kingdom. The other

two countries are Nigeria and Russia. The NCA report is titled "National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organized Crime 2018‖.

The NCA report says that the UK is a prime destination for foreign corrupt and politically exposed people to launder money and has identified trade

misinvoicing as one of the key mechanisms used for such operations. Trade misinvoicing is the largest component of illicit financial outflows from developing

countries as measured by New York- based Global Financial Integrity (GFI) which tracks such flows.

Global Financial Integrity (GFI) defines trade misinvoicing as "fraudulently manipulating the price, quantity, or quality of a good or service on an invoice

submitted to customs" to quickly move substantial sums of money across international borders.

Under-invoicing

Here is how it works: Let's say an exporter in Pakistan exports goods worth USD 1 million to a foreign country and invoices it at USD 500,000 through an

offshore middleman. The middleman invoices and collects USD 1 million from the end customer, sends USD 500,000 to Pakistan and deposits $500,000 in an

offshore account. The result: Pakistan is deprived of the USD 500,000 in foreign exchange.

Over-invoicing

Similarly, imports of goods worth USD 1 million to Pakistan are overinvoiced at USD 1.5 million through an offshore middleman and the difference is kept in

an overseas account. The result: Pakistan loses another USD 500,000 in foreign exchange. Meanwhile, Pakistani traders and the officials facilitating

misinvoicing together pocket USD 1 million or 50 percent on the two trades. Pakistan's trade and current account deficits grow and the foreign exchange

reserves are depleted, forcing Pakistan to go back to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for yet another bailout with tough conditions.

US opens new embassy in Jerusalem amid 37 deaths in Israel-Palestinian clashes

The US on May 14, 2018 opened its embassy in Jerusalem under a controversial move by President Donald Trump that has infuriated the Palestinians, who

clashed with Israeli soldiers who shot dead at least 37 of them in Gaza.

Trump announced the decision to move the embassy in December 2017, when he formally recognised the city as the capital of Israel, breaking away from

decades of US neutrality on the sensitive issue.

The Embassy move is contentious for Palestinians, who hope to claim part of Jerusalem as their future capital, and for many in the Arab world, as it is home to

some of the holiest sites in Islam. The city is also home to deeply holy sites for Jews and Christians.

The issue has been so thorny that international negotiators had left the question of Jerusalem to the final stages of any peace deal.

Guatemala becomes 2nd

country to open embassy in Jerusalem after USA

Guatemala inaugurated its Israel embassy in Jerusalem on May 16, 2018, becoming the first country to follow in the footsteps of the United States' deeply

controversial move. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales in the

disputed city at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The US embassy move on May 14 was accompanied by mass protests and clashes along the Gaza

border that saw Israeli forces kill 60 Palestinians.

Delhi projected to become world's most populous city around 2028: UN report

Delhi is projected to become the most populous city in the world around 2028, according to new United Nations estimates released on May 16, 2018, which

said India is expected to add the largest number of urban dwellers by 2050.

The 2018 Revision of World Urbanisation Prospects produced by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

said that 68 per cent of the world population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050. Currently, 55 per cent of the world's population lives in urban areas.

Currently Tokyo is the world's largest city with an agglomeration of 37 million inhabitants, followed by New Delhi with 29 million, Shanghai with 26 million,

and Mexico City and Sao Paulo, each with around 22 million inhabitants. Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing and Dhaka all have close to 20 million inhabitants.



12

The urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. Today, the most urbanized regions include Northern

America (with 82 per cent of its population living in urban areas in 2018), Latin America and the Caribbean (81 per cent), Europe (74 per cent) and Oceania

(68 per cent). The level of urbanization in Asia is now approximating 50 per cent. In contrast, Africa remains mostly rural, with 43 per cent of its population

living in urban areas.

China to purchase more US goods to reduce trade deficit

China will ramp up its purchase of US goods to reduce its massive trade imbalance with the United States, the two countries said in a joint statement at the

conclusion of the latest round of high-level trade talks between them. The two sides also agreed on "meaningful increases" in United States agriculture and

energy exports. The US will send a team to China to work out the details, the joint statement at the conclusion of the trade delegation level talks between the

two countries on May 17 and 18, stated. The United States delegation included Secretary of the Treasury Steven T Mnuchin, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L.

Ross, and United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer. The Chinese delegation was led by State Council Vice Premier Liu He, Special Envoy of

President Xi.

North Korea cancels talks with South over US military drill

North Korea cancelled the high-level talks with South Korea due to latter's ongoing military drills with the United States. As reported by the North's Korean

Central News Agency on May 16, 2018, military drills called 'Max Thunder' are taking place between the US and South Korea air forces. North Korea had

earlier agreed to send two of its diplomats to South Korea's unification ministry to attend the forum hosted by South Korea.

WHO publishes its first essential diagnostics list

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 16, 2018 published its first 'essential diagnostics list', a catalogue of tests needed to diagnose the most

common conditions as well as a number of global priority diseases. The step was taken to address the problem of people's inability to access diagnostic

services, thus failing to receive the correct treatment. "An accurate diagnosis is the first step to getting effective treatment. No one should suffer or die

because of lack of diagnostic services, or because the right tests were not available, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Nepal's two left parties merge to become largest communist party

Nepal's ruling CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist) and CPN-Maoist Centre on May 17, 2018 merged to form the Nepal

Communist Party, eight months after they initially agreed on the unification. The CPN-UML, led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and the CPN-Maoist Centre,

led by former PM Prachanda, had secured 174 seats in the 275-member Parliament in the election results announced in December 2017.

Paraguay opens its embassy in Jerusalem

Paraguay on May 21, 2018 officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Guatemala.

Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the inauguration ceremony of the embassy at Malha

Technological Park in the city.

Russia unveils world's first floating nuclear power station

Russia on May 19, 2018 unveiled the world's first floating nuclear power station at a ceremony in the port of the far northern city of Murmansk where it will

be loaded with nuclear fuel before heading to eastern Siberia. The 21,000-tonne barge will be towed in the summer of 2019 to the port of Pevek in the

autonomous Chukotka region in Russia's extreme northeast, 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. The barge can produce enough electricity to power a

town of 200,000 residents. It will be primarily used to power oil rigs as Russia pushes further north into the Arctic to drill for oil and gas and needs electricity

in far-flung locations.

Plane crashes on take-off in Cuba

A Cuban State airways plane with 104 passengers on board crashed shortly after taking off on May 18, 2018 from Havana‘s Jose Marti airport, leaving a thick

column of smoke over the scene. The Boeing 737 operated by Cubana de Aviacion crashed in a field near the airport. The plane was almost completely

destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire. The jetliner was heading from the capital to the eastern city of Holguin.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day observed on May 17

The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) was observed on May 17, 2018 to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use

of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital

divide. 17 May marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication

Union. 2018 Theme: Enabling the positive use of Artificial Intelligence for All



13

International Day of Living Together in Peace observed on May 16

The International Day of Living Together in Peace was observed on May 16, 2018. The Day aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in

differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony.

International Day of Families observed on May 15

International Day of Families was observed on May 15, 2018 with its theme as ―Families and inclusive societies‖.

NEWSMAKERS

US Senate confirms Gina Haspel as first female CIA director

The United States Senate on May 18, 2018 voted to confirm Gina Haspel as the first female director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A career CIA

official for more than three decades now, Haspel, 61, worked in Africa, Europe and classified locations around the globe and was tapped as deputy director of

the CIA in 2017. She worked under former CIA director Mike Pompeo until President Donald Trump moved him to the secretary of state.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro wins re-election

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected for a second six-year term in presidential elections on May 20, 2018. Maduro got 68 percent of votes.

Author Tom Wolfe dies at 88

Award winning writer and journalist Tom Wolfe, who is noted for works like "The Bonfire of the Vanities", "The Right Stuff" and "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid

Test", died in New York on May 14, 2018 at the age of 88. Wolfe, who began working as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune in 1962, was a pioneer

of "new journalism", which melded traditional reporting methods and literary fiction techniques.

Iconic Indian-origin musician Ramesh Hassan dies at 73 in S. Africa

South African musician and singer Ramesh Hassan, considered the face of Hindu-Muslim unity in the country, died on May 12, 2018 at the age of 73. He had

changed his birth name of Hassan Saib to Ramesh Hassan because he wanted to foster harmony between Hindus and Muslims living in South Africa through

music.

Richard N. Goodwin, White House speech writer, dead at 86

Former White House aide and speechwriter Richard N. Goodwin died in Concord, Massachusetts on May 20, 2018. He was a liberal force for President John

Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson who helped develop Kennedy's "Alliance for Progress" in Latin America and write Johnson's historic "We Shall

Overcome" speech on civil rights. His memoir "Remembering America" inspired the 1994 film "Quiz Show," directed by Robert Redford and featuring Rob

Morrow as Goodwin.

Bernard Lewis, influential scholar of Islam, dies at 101

Bernard Lewis, an eminent historian of Islam who traced the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to a declining Islamic civilization, a controversial view that

influenced world opinion and helped shape American foreign policy under President George W. Bush, died on May 19, 2018 in Voorhees Township, N.J. He

was 101. His books included "The Arabs in History" (1950), "The Emergence of Modern Turkey" (1961), and "The Crisis of Islam" (2003).

Bill Gold, designer of iconic movie posters, dies at 97

Bill Gold, who created posters for Casablanca, A Streetcar Named Desire, Alien, Mystic River, A Clockwork Orange and hundreds of other films with an artistry

that captured the intrigue, romance and drama of Hollywood for nearly 70 years, died on May 20, 2018 in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was 97.

Chinese Terracotta Warriors archaeologist dies aged 82

The Chinese archaeologist credited with discovering the emblematic ancient Terracotta Warriors, Zhao Kangmin, died aged 82 on May 16, 2018. Zhao was the

first archaeologist to identify fragments of terracotta found by local farmers digging a well in 1974 as relics dating back to the Qin dynasty and the first to

excavate the site. The 8,000-man clay army, crafted around 250 BC for the tomb of China's first emperor Qin Shihuang, is a UNESCO world heritage site, a

major tourist draw and a symbol of ancient Chinese artistic and military sophistication.



14

Margot Kidder, 'Superman' star, dead at 69

Veteran actor Margot Kidder, best known for playing Lois Lane in 1978 film "Superman," died in Montana on May 15, 2018 at the age of 69. Kidder began

acting in the late 1960s, but rose to fame in 1978 for her role as Lois Lane in "Superman: The Movie" opposite Christopher Reeve. She went on to reprise the

part in the movie's three sequels.

Richard Pipes, scholar of Russian history, dies at 94

Richard Pipes, a renowned scholar of Russian history and aide to President Ronald Reagan, died in Massachusetts (USA) on May 17, 2018. Pipes was born in

Poland in 1923. He and his family later fled the Nazi occupation of the country and arrived in the United States in 1940. Pipes spent his entire academic

career at Harvard University, teaching history from 1958 until his retirement in 1996. He became a leading authority on the history of Russia and the Soviet

Union, writing numerous books. In the early 1980s, Pipes served as director of Eastern European and Soviet Affairs for the National Security Council under

President Reagan.

Poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal discharged from UK hospital

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in March 2018, leading to a major diplomatic standoff with Russia,

was on May 18, 2018 discharged from a hospital in Salisbury (UK) and taken to an undisclosed location. The 66-year-old former Russian double agent and his

daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a shopping centre bench in the Salisbury town on March 4. They were hospitalised in critical condition after he

was found poisoned and spent weeks in critical condition. Yulia, 33, recovered more quickly than her father and was discharged in April 2018 and also taken

to an undisclosed location.

Prince Harry and Meghan become Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Queen Elizabeth II on May 19, 2018 bestowed the title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex on her grandson, Prince Harry, and his bride Meghan Markle as part of

Britain's royal wedding tradition. The couple formally take on the titles as they tied the knot at a wedding ceremony in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle

in London.

Slain Salvador archbishop, Pope Paul VI to be made saints

Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero, assassinated by a right-wing death squad in 1980, and Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) will be made saints in October, Pope

Francis announced in Vatican City on May 19, 2018.

US diplomat involved in road accident in Pak returns home

A US diplomat, who killed a Pakistani motorcyclist in a road accident in April left the country on May 14, 2018 amidst controversy over his immunity from

prosecution. Defence attache Colonel Joseph Hall killed a motorbike rider and injured another on April 7 in Islamabad after jumping a red signal. A case was

registered but he was never formally arrested due to diplomatic immunity. Washington refused to withdraw the immunity of the diplomat but promised to

hold him accountable under its domestic laws.



15

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Workshop on AI in National Security and Defence held in New Delhi

The ‗Stakeholders‘ Workshop on Artificial Intelligence in National Security and Defence, Listing of Use Cases‘, was organised in New Delhi on May 21, 2018.

The event inaugurated by defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was attended by Chairman DRDO & Secretary Department of Defence R&D Dr S Christopher,

Secretary (Defence Production) Dr Ajay Kumar and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence and Services.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), a branch of computer science dealing with the simulation of intelligent behaviour in computers, has shown significant technical

advancement in some of the developed countries. Most of this progress is due to advances in the AI sub-field of Machine Learning (ML). Most AI research

advances are occurring in the private sector and academia.

AI has a potential to have transformative impact on national security. It is also seen that AI is essentially a dual use technology. While it can fuel technology

driven economic growth, it also has potential to provide military superiority. To study the whole gamut of issues surrounding strategic implications of AI in

national security perspective, a multi-stakeholder Task Force represented by members from the Government, Services, Academia, Industry Professionals and

Start-ups has been constituted with the approval of the Raksha Mantri for developing future roadmap on AI

The AI Task Force of Ministry of Defence under the Chairmanship C. Chandrasekharan, Chairman of Tata Sons, has met twice on February 10 and April 28,

2018.

President launches integrated centre for crisis management at BARC

President Ram Nath Kovind on May 15, 2018 inaugurated an integrated centre for crisis management (ICCM) at the iconic Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in

Mumbai that will help the nation respond more effectively to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies. The new facility will monitor

radiological data from a network of 504 radiation sensors across the country.

Among the other facilities that were inaugurated on the same day today include a metal fuel pin fabrication facility jointly developed by BARC and the Indira

Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research at Kalpakkam, near Chennai, that can increase plutonium production in fast breeder reactors.

The third facility in Hyderabad will help develop high-power electron beam melting furnace for nuclear and strategic applications. This technology is jointly

developed by the scientists of BARC and the Nuclear Fuel Complex.

Kovind also inaugurated an integrated enriched boron tri-fluoride gas generation facility developed by the Heavy-water Board in Odisha that will be used in

neutron detectors.

That apart, the president launched a multi-leaf collimator system developed by BARC that will enable gamma radiation to be exposed only on cancer-

affected organs.

The Department of Atomic Energy also presented a high-yielding dwarf variety of Dubraj mutant rice (Trombay Chhattisgarh Dubraj Mutant-1) to the

president. This is the 43rd high-yielding crop variety developed by BARC.

IISER develops device to detect and remove arsenic from water

In a major breakthrough to tackle arsenic contamination in West Bengal, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, IISER Kolkata has developed

a new device which can be used to detect and remove arsenic content from water and make it safe and usable by households.

IISER Director Sourav Pal said in a press conference that the device, 'Arsenic Sensor and Removal Media, developed in collaboration with a private company,

is an effective system with low production cost.

An IISER research team, led by Dr Raja Shunmugam, developed the arsenic sensor which would show an immediate change in colour in arsenic contaminated

water.

West Bengal has the highest number of arsenic-affected people in the country. In 83 blocks in eight districts of the state, groundwater is affected by arsenic

contamination.

WHO launches 'REPLACE' to eliminate trans fat in foods by 2023

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a comprehensive plan to eliminate industrially-produced artificial trans fats from the global food supply

by 2023.



16

The global health body estimates that every year, trans fat intake leads to over 5,00,000 deaths worldwide from cardiovascular diseases.

Industrially-produced trans fats are contained in hardened vegetable fats such as margarine and ghee, and are often present in snack, baked, and fried foods.

Manufacturers often use them as they have a longer shelf life than other fats. But, healthier alternatives can be used, which would not affect taste or cost of

food, the WHO said in a statement on May 14, 2018.

"WHO calls on governments to use the 'REPLACE' action package to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from the food supply," WHO Director-

General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.

REPLACE, which is an acronym for Review, Promote, Legislate, Assess, Create and Enforce, is the first global initiative to eliminate a risk factor for

cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths globally, accounting for one in every three deaths.

The initiative provides six strategic actions to ensure the prompt, complete, and sustained elimination of industrially-produced trans fats from food supply.

China launches satellite to explore dark side of Moon

China launched a relay satellite on May 21, 2018 to enable a rover to communicate with the Earth from the Moon's mysterious far side. Named Queqiao

(Magpie Bridge), the 400-kg satellite has a designed life of three years. It was carried by a Long March-4C rocket that blasted off from southwest China's

Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.



17

Section E: AWARDS

Cannes Film Festival awards conferred

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda took home the top prize -- the Palme d'Or for his film "Manbiki Kazoku" ("Shoplifters") at the 71st Cannes Film Festival

on May 20, 2018.

Spike Lee's engaging, feisty anti-racism period drama "BlacKkKansman", the true story of an African-American police detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux

Klan in Colorado Springs in the 1970s, won the Grand Prix, while Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki's neorealist Beirut street life tale Capharnaum earned

the Jury Prize.

The Best Director prize went to Poland's Pawel Pawlikowski for the wonderfully well-crafted black-and-white "Cold War".

Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi (along with co-screenwriter Nader Saeivar) figured on the Cannes 2018 winners list with "Se Rokh" (3 Faces), which shared the

Best Screenplay prize with Italian director Alice Rohrwacher's "Lazzaro Felice" (Happy as Lazzaro).

Best Actor award was won by Italian Marcello Fonte for his deeply affecting performance as the tragically vulnerable dog-washer in a small town in Matteo

Garrone's "Dogman". Best Actress award was won by Kazakhstan's Samal Yeslyamova for her performance as an illegal immigrant who abandons her

newborn child in a Moscow in Sergey Dvortsevoy's "Ayka".

Jury president Cate Blanchett announced a Special Palme d'Or to 88-year-old Jean-Luc Godard's "The Image Book".

Cannes Film Festival paid tribute to actor Sridevi with the Reginald F. Lewis Film Icon Award. The award traditionally celebrates women of the film industry all

over the world. Filmmaker Subhash Ghai and producer Namrata Goyal received the award on behalf of Sridevi‘s family.

2018 Billboard Music Awards presented

Ed Sheeran emerged as the big winner as the singer-songwriter bagged five top honours, including the Top Artist recognition, at this year's Billboard Music

Awards (BBMA) in Los Angeles on May 20, 2018.

Sheeran also took home trophies in Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Song Sales Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist categories.

Kendrick Lamar won as the Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Streaming Song (Audio) for "Humble". Bruno Mars

won the awards in Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Male Artist and Top R&B Tour categories.

Janet Jackson was announced as the BBMA Icon Award - the first African American female artiste to receive the recognition.

Taylor Swift won Top Female Artist for her album "Reputation" with Cardi B winning the title of Top Rap Female Artist and SZA being adjudged Top R&B

Female Artist. Maren Morris received the award for Top Country Female Artist.

"Havana" hitmaker Camila Cabello won the Billboard Chart Achievement Award.

Khalid emerged as the Top New Artist. The Chainsmokers snagged the Top Dance/Electronic Artist award.

K-pop boy band BTS bagged the trophy of Top Social Artist. They are the first-ever Korean act to perform at the BBMAs.

U2 was named the Top Touring Artist and Top Rock Tour.

NRI industrialist Swraj Paul wins lifetime achievement award in UK

Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has received a lifetime achievement award for his contributions towards promoting brand India in the UK. The

founder of Caparo Group of industries was recognised at a UK & Asia Business Awards ceremony in London on May 17, 2018, organised by World Consulting

and Research Corporation (WCRC) the research and consultancy firm behind collating the world's "iconic" brands.

Among some of the other awards presented at the event included the Business Leader of the Decade honour for another prominent Indian-origin peer,

Cobra Beer founder Lord Karan Bilimora.

A Champion of International Trade and Investment award went to Dr Mohan Kaul, President of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), and an Iconic Leader

award was presented to Vijay Goel, founder of the Indo-European Business Forum (IEBF).



18

Veteran journalist Mark Tully bags RedInk Award

Veteran British journalist and former BBC India correspondent Sir William Mark Tully has been chosen for this year's RedInk award for lifetime achievement in

journalism. The RedInk awards for excellence in journalism are instituted by the Mumbai Press Club. The award was presented to him in Mumbai on May 18,

2018. Tully worked with the BBC for 30 years before resigning in July 1994. He held the position of Chief of Bureau, BBC, Delhi, for 20 years. Meanwhile, Faye

D'Souze, the executive editor of Mirror Now channel, won the RedInk award for 'journalist of the year'. Apart from these two awards, the RedInk awards for

excellence in journalism are given in 13 competitive categories to 32 journalists after a process of selection by a jury appointed for each category.

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.

Pathak is among the three who have been conferred with the award. The prizes will be awarded on June 13 in Tokyo in Japan. According to an

announcement made by the Nikkei Asia Prize Secretariat in Tokyo on May 14, 2018, Pathak 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.

Robert De Niro to receive Brass Ring Award at 2018 Carousel of Hope Ball

Veteran actor Robert De Niro will be honoured with the Brass Ring Award at the Carousel of Hope Ball event. The Carousel of Hope Ball is held every two

years in Los Angeles and over the years, it has raised over USD 100 million dollars towards finding a cure for diabetes. It is hosted by Barbara Davis and the

proceeds from the event go to Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. The center was created after Davis' daughter, Dana, was diagnosed with diabetes at the age

of 7.

NMDC bags S&P PLATTS Global Metals Award 2018 under CSR category

NMDC Limited bagged the prestigious S&P Global PLATTS Global Metals Award 2018 in corporate social responsibility (CSR) category held in London on

May 17, 2018. The shortlisted 12 nominations were of renowned companies across the world. This is the first time since inception of this award that an Indian

Company bagged an award in this category. S&P Global Platts is the leading independent provider of information, benchmark prices and analytics for the

energy and commodities markets. It has been in existence for over 100 years.

NPCIL wins Russian award for 'Atom on Wheels' campaign

In recognition of the importance of public outreach in nuclear power development, state-run Nuclear Power Corp of India (NPCIL) on Monday won the top

award in the public communication category from the Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom at its 10th

Atomexpo international conference in

Sochi (Russia) on May 15, 2018. NPCIL won the award for its "Atom on Wheels" campaign started in 2016 to spread awareness in rural areas about the

benefits of nuclear energy and dispel doubts about its risks.

India's Jagriti Yatra wins charity award in UK

An Indian charity that organises 15-day train journeys around India to understand and build the India of smaller towns and villages through enterprise has

won an award in London. Jagriti Yatra was among a series of worldwide charities and individuals recognised for their impact within their communities at the

Asian Voice Charity Awards, powered by due diligence platform Charity Clarity.

Nara Lokesh receives award for 'Digital Leader of the Year'

Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Nara Lokesh on May 18, 2018 received the "Digital Leader of the Year" award during

Businessworld Digital India Summit and Awards 2018 at New Delhi. The 'Business World' magazine has announced this award for the best utilisation of

technology in governance. Lokesh won this award for using cutting edge technology and yielding good results in Panchayat Raj, Rural Development, and

Rural Water Supply departments. The state Panchayat Raj and Rural Water Supply Department officials have won another award for the ultramodern tracking

system for water supply program.



19

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

RBI tweaks norms for setting up of IFSC Banking Units

Modifying the norms for setting up IFSC Banking Units, RBI said on May 17, 2018 that the parent bank will be required to provide and maintain at all times a

minimum capital of USD 20 million to its IBU.

In April 2015, the Reserve Bank had formulated a scheme for setting up of International Financial Services Centres (IFSC) Banking Units (IBUs) by banks in

IFSCs.

RBI said modification has been made based on suggestions from stakeholders to consider minimum prescribed regulatory capital at the parent level rather

than at the IBU level.

Also, the parent bank will be required to provide a Letter of Comfort for extending financial assistance, as and when required, in the form of capital/liquidity

support to IBU.

The government has set up an IFSC in Gujarat namely Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The guidelines are applicable to IBUs set up in GIFT as well as in other IFSCs which may be set up in India.

Nirav Modi fraud costs PNB Rs 14,357 crore

Punjab National Bank said on May 15, 2018 that its total liability works out to Rs 14,356.84 crore on account of the fraud allegedly carried out by jewellery

designer Nirav Modi and associates.

The fraud was detected at PNB's Brady House branch in Mumbai involving certain accounts under 'gems and jewellery' sector wherein, through apparent

connivance between "these entities and few employees of the bank", some LoUs/FLCs were issued fraudulently to certain overseas branches of Indian banks

through misuse of the SWIFT messaging system.

The fraud allegedly perpetuated through Letters of Undertaking (LoUs)/Foreign Letter of Credit (FLCs) is currently being investigated by different agencies.

The bank has posted largest ever quarterly loss of Rs 13,416.91 crore for January-March period, mainly on account of high provisioning for bad loans. It had

reported standalone profit of Rs 261.90 crore in the fourth quarter of 2016-17. The total income for the fourth quarter also declined to Rs 12,945.68 crore,

from Rs 14,989.33 crore in the year-ago period.

RBI bars Allahabad Bank from giving fresh loans

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred state-run Allahabad Bank from extending fresh loans, under its prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, after

the lender fell short of minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR) requirement. The bank‘s CAR was 8.69% as on March 31, 2018 against the regulatory minimum

requirement of 9%. The bank reported a net loss of Rs.3,510 crore in the January-March quarter and Rs.4,674 crore loss for the financial year 2017-18. RBI had

also asked the Kolkata-based lender to reduce its exposure to unrated and high risk advances. The central bank also restricted the lender‘s access to raise

high cost deposits and creation of non-banking assets.

Moody's downgrades PNB, cites negative impact of fraud

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Punjab National Bank's rating citing impact of the recent USD 2 billion fraud on its capital as well as weak internal

controls. The outlook to the rating has been however retained as stable, reflecting Moody's expectation that the negative impact of the fraudulent

transactions is largely known. The agency downgraded PNB's foreign currency issuer rating by a notch to 'ba1', which is non-investment grade, from 'Baa3'-

meaning below investment grade.

NEWSMAKERS

Allahabad Bank divests its CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian of all powers

The Board of state-owned Allahabad Bank on May 15, 2018 divested its MD and CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian of all powers with immediate effect,

following a directive from the finance ministry after she was named in the CBI's chargesheet in PNB fraud case. Ananthasubramanian, was the CMD of Punjab

National Bank till May 2017. On May 14, the finance ministry had asked the boards of Allahabad Bank and PNB to take action against Ananthasubramanian

and two executive directors of PNB.



20

Section G: ECONOMY

Indian economy projected to grow 7.6% in 2018-19: UN WESP

India's economy is projected to grow 7.6 per cent in fiscal year 2018-19, remaining the fastest growing economy in the world, as robust private consumption

and benefits from past reforms help the country's GDP gain momentum but sustained recovery in private investment remains a crucial challenge, according

to a UN report.

The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) as of mid-2018, launched on May 17, 2018, said GDP growth in India is expected to climb to 7.5 and

7.6 per cent in fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. This is a substantial recovery from the 6.7 per cent growth India registered in fiscal year 2017.

Among the major economies, growth in India is gaining momentum, underpinned by robust private consumption, a slightly more supportive fiscal stance and

benefits from past reforms. WESP added that although capital spending has shown signs of revival, a more widespread and sustained recovery in private

investment remains a crucial challenge in India.

World economic growth is forecast to reach 3.2 per cent both in 2018 and 2019, an upward revision by 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points, respectively. This

revised outlook reflects further improvement in the growth forecast for developed economies due to accelerating wage growth, broadly favourable

investment conditions, and the short-term impact of a fiscal stimulus package in the US. GDP growth forecasts in 2018 have been upwardly revised in nearly

40 per cent of countries since the previous forecast presented in the WESP Report 2018 was released December 2017.

Cabinet approves National Biofuel Policy

Food grains can now be used for producing ethanol during surplus production years, according to the national policy on biofuels that was approved by the

Cabinet on May 16, 2018.

The Policy expands the scope of raw materials for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, corn, cassava, damaged

food grains like wheat, broken rice, and rotten potatoes unfit for human consumption. Currently, ethanol is mainly produced from molasses.

The policy, which aims to provide financial and fiscal incentives specific to a biofuel type, categorized biofuels as first generation (1G), second generation (2G)

and third generation (3G) fuels.

The first generation category of biofuels includes bioethanol and biodiesel. The second generation comprises ethanol and municipal solid waste. The third

generation includes bio-compressed natural gas (CNG).

―Farmers are at a risk of not getting appropriate price for their produce during the surplus production phase. Taking this into account, the Policy allows use of

surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee,‖ an official statement

said.

Food for fuel has often been a controversial policy matter across the globe as many believe using grains for ethanol raises food inflation risk. By limiting use

of grains for fuel production only in surplus production years, the government has tried to limit the risk.

India has for years trailed the official target of blending 5 percent ethanol and biodiesel in petrol and diesel respectively to cut pricey oil import and save

foreign exchange. The current blending ratio is about 2% for petrol and less than 0.5% for diesel. The country imports 83 percent of its domestic crude oil

requirement.

Govt announces national wind-solar hybrid policy

With an aim to boost renewable power generation, the government on May 14, 2018 announced a national wind-solar hybrid policy, which seeks to promote

new projects as well as hybridisation of the existing ones.

The government has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 gigawatt (GW) of installed capacity from renewable energy sources by 2022, which includes 100

GW of solar and 60 GW of wind power capacity.

The total renewable power installed capacity in the country stood at about 70 GW in 2017-18.

The policy provides for a comprehensive framework to promote large grid-connected wind-solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid system for optional and efficient

utilisation of transmission infrastructure and land, thereby reducing the variability in renewable power generation and achieving better grid stability.

Besides, the policy also aims to encourage new technologies, methods and way-outs involving combined operation of wind and solar PV plants.



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Under the policy, the government will extend all fiscal and financial incentives available to wind and solar power projects to hybrid projects. It will also

support technology development projects in the field.

CCEA approves Rs 5,000 cr micro-irrigation fund

The Government on May 16, 2018 approved a dedicated Rs 5,000 crore fund to bring more land area under micro-irrigation as part of its objective to boost

agriculture production and farmers income. An allocation of Rs 2,000 crore has been made for this fiscal while Rs 3,000 crore has been earmarked for the

2019-20 fiscal.

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved an initial Corpus of Rs 5,000 crore for setting up

of a dedicated 'Micro Irrigation Fund' (MIF) with NABARD under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)," an official statement said.

The fund will provide this amount to States on concessional rate of interest to promote micro-irrigation, which currently has coverage of only 10 million

hectares as against the potential of 70 million hectares.

NABARD will extend the loan to state governments from this fund. Borrowings from NABARD shall be paid back in seven years including the grace period of

two years. The lending rate under MIF has been proposed at 3 per cent lower than the cost of raising the fund by NABARD.

New mechanism to settle commercial disputes between govt. departments, PSUs approved

The government on May 16, 2018 put in place a new mechanism to settle commercial disputes between government departments and Public Sector

Undertakings where the Cabinet Secretary will have the last word, and barred them from approaching courts to settle such matters.

However, disputes concerning the Railways, Income Tax, Customs and Excise departments have been kept out of ambit of the new mechanism.

"The Union Cabinet approved the strengthening of the mechanism for resolution of commercial disputes of central public sector enterprises inter se and also

between CPSEs and other government departments/organizations. The decision will put in place an institutionalised mechanism within the government for

speedy resolution of commercial disputes of CPSEs without the matter being referred to the courts of law," an official statement said.

2-tier mechanism

A two-tier mechanism will be put in place of the existing permanent machinery of arbitration mechanism to resolve commercial disputes between CPSEs, and

CPSEs and government departments outside courts.

At the first level, such commercial disputes will be referred to a committee comprising secretaries of the administrative ministries to which the disputing

parties belong and the Law Secretary.

The financial advisors of the two ministries concerned will represent the issues related to the dispute in question before the committee.

In case the two disputing parties belong to the same ministry, the committee will comprise secretary of the administrative ministries concerned, the Law

Secretary and Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises. In such a case, the matter would be represented by the financial advisor and one joint secretary of

that ministry.

At the second level, in case the dispute remains unresolved, it will be referred to the Cabinet Secretary, whose decision will be "final and binding on all".

For the faster disposal of disputes, a timeline of three months at the first level has been prescribed.

Foodgrain production at record 279.51 MT in 2017-18

India is estimated to have harvested a record 279.51 million tonnes (MT) of foodgrains in the 2017-18 crop year ending next month, up 1.6 per cent from

275.11 million tonnes achieved during 2016-17, according to the third advance estimates released by the agriculture ministry released on May 16, 2018.

The country achieved an all-time high production in all four foodgrains -- rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses -- during 2017-18 crop year (July-June)

Rice output is estimated at record 111.52 MT as against 109.7 million tonnes in the 2016-17 fiscal. The production of wheat during 2017-18 is estimated at

record 98.61 MT as against 98.51 MT in the previous year. Coarse cereals output is also seen at record 44.87 MT tonnes as against 43.77 MT achieved during

2016-17. Total pulses production during 2017-18 is estimated at record 24.51 MT which is higher by 1.37 MT than the previous year's production of 23.13

MT.



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In non-foodgrains category, oilseeds production is estimated to have declined to 30.64 MT in 2017-18 from 31.28 MT in the previous year. With a significant

increase by 49.03 MT over 2016-17, total production of sugarcane in the country during 2017-18 is estimated at 355.10 MT. Production of cotton during

2017-18 is estimated to have increased to 34.86 million bales (of 170 kg each) from 32.58 million bales in the previous year. Jute and Mesta output is

estimated at 10.62 million bales (of 180 kg each), lower than the production achieved during 2016-17.

Atal Pension Yojana crosses 1 crore subscribers

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has added over 1 crore subscribers since its launch in May 2015, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

said on May 15, 2018. APY was launched in May 2015 and current number of subscriber stands at 1.10 crore.

Till date, the APY has collected Rs 3,950 crore of contribution from subscribers. The scheme has generated around 9.10 per cent compounded annual growth

rate (CAGR) since inception till March 2018.

A guaranteed pension scheme for citizens of India, APY is focused on the unorganised sector workers which constitute more than 85 per cent of the

workforce.

Under this scheme, the guaranteed minimum pension of Rs 1,000 per month or Rs 2,000-5,000 per month will be given at the age of 60 years depending on

the contributions by subscribers.

The spouse of a subscriber is also eligible for pension and the nominee receives the accumulated pension wealth.

The top ten states in APY mobilisation are Uttar Pradesh (1,401,631); Bihar (1,061,660); Tamil Nadu (814,917); Maharashtra (758,695); Karnataka (686,504);

Andhra Pradesh (686,504); West Bengal (551,471); Madhya Pradesh (498,111); Rajasthan (497,962) and Gujarat (486,465).

Forex reserves fall by $1.237 bn to $417.702 bn

The country's foreign exchange reserves decreased by USD 1.237 billion to USD 417.702 billion in the week to May 11, on account of a fall in foreign currency

assets, the Reserve Bank data showed on May 18, 2018.

In the reporting week, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, declined by USD 1.262 billion to USD 392.453 billion.

Expressed in US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies such as the euro, the

pound and the yen held in the reserves.

Gold reserves rose by USD 26.2 million to USD 21.687 billion in the reporting week.

The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) dipped by USD 0.3 million to USD 1.515 billion.

The country's reserve position with the IMF also declined by USD 0.3 million to USD 2.045 billion.

Exports rise 5.17% to USD 25.9bn in April; trade deficit up at USD 13.7 bn

India's exports rose by 5.17 per cent year-on-year to USD 25.9 billion in April on back of good show by sectors like engineering, pharmaceutical and

chemicals, according to the commerce ministry data. Imports during the month were valued at USD 39.6 billion, up 4.6 per cent over April 2017. The gap

between imports and exports or trade deficit was marginally higher at USD 13.7 billion during April 2018 compared to USD 13.24 billion in April 2017.

Army finalises Rs 15,000 crore ammunition production project

Army has finalised a mega 15,000 crore rupees project under which a range of ammunition for its critical weapons and tanks will be produced indigenously.

Official sources said, 11 private firms would be involved in the ambitious project.

Initially, ammunition for a range of rockets, air defence system, artillery guns, infantry combat vehicles, grenade launchers and various other field weapons

would be produced under strict timelines.

The immediate aim of the project is to create an inventory for all major weapons to enable the forces to fight a 30-day war while the long-term objective is to

cut dependence on imports.



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Army have set a specific target for the next 10 years in terms of the volume of ammunition to be produced. The implementation of project is being

monitored by the top brass of the Army and the Defence Ministry.

Both retail and wholesale inflation rise in April

Reversing the declining trend of three months, retail inflation, based on movement in Consumer Price Index (CPI), inched up to 4.58 per cent in April. The

Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation too rose to 3.18% in April mainly on account of spike in fuel prices, as per inflation data released by the

government on May 14, 2018. WPI-based inflation stood at 2.47% in March and 3.85% in April 2017.

DoT issues guidelines for use of embedded SIMs

Mobile users will not need to buy a new SIM while changing service provider or buying a new connection, according to new guidelines issued by the

Department of Telecom to allow use of embedded SIMs (eSIM).

The eSIM will be installed in the device and details of service providers can be updated in it at the time a customer buys a new connection or changes

operator or wants to buy standalone service from a telecom operator like data or calling etc.

"To cater the needs of modern technological developments in M2M/IoT, it has been decided to permit the use of "Embedded-Subscriber Identity Module

(eSIM) with both single and multiple profile configurations with over the air subscription update facility, as the case may be, as per prevailing global

specifications and standards," the DoT said.

NITI Aayog organised Venture Capital Symposium 2018 in New Delhi

NITI Aayog, in association with Vision India Foundation, organised the Venture Capital Symposium 2018 in New Delhi on May 18-20, 2018 to deepen the

economic relationships between France and India. Following the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, 20 of the biggest French venture capital and

private equity funds are coming to India to explore investment opportunities. French investors interacted with 100 early to mid-stage Indian start-ups at the

Symposium organised to support the Start-up India programme

MCX launches India's first copper options

Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) launched the country's first copper options contracts on May 21, 2018. Three contracts expiring in June, August and

November with a lot size of 1 tonne were launched, the exchange said in a statement.

NEWSMAKERS

NHAI Chairman Deepak Kumar sent back to cadre state Bihar

Deepak Kumar, the chairman of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), was on May 17, 2018 sent back to his cadre state Bihar before completion of his

tenure. Yudhvir Singh Malik, the Secretary of Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, has been given additional charge of the post of NHAI chairman.

Kumar, a 1984 IAS officer of Bihar cadre, had taken over as the NHAI chief on June 28, 2017.



24

Section H: CORPORATE

India 6th

wealthiest nation with $8,230 bn: AfrAsia Bank Global Wealth Migration Review

India is the sixth wealthiest country in the world with a total wealth of $8,230 billion, while the US is the richest nation globally, said the AfrAsia Bank Global

Wealth Migration Review report. The US is the wealthiest country in the world with a total wealth of $62,584 billion, followed by China ($24,803 billion) at the

second place and Japan ($19,522 billion) at the third place.

Total wealth refers to the private wealth held by all the individuals living in each country. It includes all their assets (property, cash, equities, business

interests) less any liabilities. We exclude government funds from our figures. Larger countries have an advantage due to higher populations.

Other countries in the top 10 wealthiest list includes the UK ($9,919 billion), Germany ($9,660 billion), India ($8,230 billion), Australia ($6,142 billion), Canada

($6,393 billion), France ($6,649 billion) and Italy ($4,276 billion).

Kaspersky to transfer infrastructure out of Russia

Russian anti-virus software firm Kaspersky Lab, which is suspected by US authorities of helping the Kremlin's espionage efforts, said on May 15, 2018 it was

moving its core infrastructure and operations to Switzerland.

"To ensure full transparency and integrity, Kaspersky Lab is arranging for this activity to be supervised by an independent third party, also based in

Switzerland," it added.

The move follows controversy in the United States in 2017 when the federal government removed Kaspersky from its list of approved vendors, weeks after

senior US intelligence agency and law enforcement officials expressed concerns about the safety of its software. US government workers were ordered to

stop using Kaspersky anti-virus software.

Kaspersky denied that its products had "backdoors" which would allow Russian intelligence agencies to spy on computers using its software, and said it

would take measures to reassure customers about the safety of its products.

Facebook launches global project to fight election interference

In a bid to prevent its platform from being abused during elections, Facebook on May 17, 2018 announced a partnership with Washington-based Atlantic

Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab that will independently monitor disinformation and other vulnerabilities in elections globally, including in India.

Experts from the research lab will work closely with Facebook's security, policy and product teams to get real-time insights and updates on emerging threats

and disinformation campaigns from around the world.

Facebook is doubling the number of people who work on safety and security and using technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to more effectively block

fake accounts during elections

Facebook will also use the Atlantic Council's Digital Research Unit Monitoring Missions during elections and other sensitive moments.

Horlicks creates a new Guinness World Record for making largest glass of milkshake

Horlicks has launched its cold consumption campaign platform 'Kuch Bhi Karega for Chilled Horlicks'. As part of the campaign, Horlicks along with 2000

school children created a new Guinness World Record title of making the largest glass of milkshake at DAV Public school in New Delhi. The children clustered

together to set an all new record of 'largest glass of milkshake' which was 5.5ft tall with 500 litres of Horlicks milkshake. The Guinness team confirmed that

the record was set and it put India on the world map for this achievement.

Sony Pictures acquires rights for Jhulan Goswami biopic

Sony Pictures International Productions has acquired the rights for a biopic on India's veteran medium pacer Jhulan Goswami. The studio will develop and

produce the film in partnership with Dunamis Entertainment. Jhulan will be the first female cricketer on whom a biopic will be made. The 34-year-old, who

hails from Nadia district of West Bengal, is the highest wicket-taker in One-day Internationals (ODIs) with 195 scalps in 164 matches.

Facebook launches India-first features for ‘stories’

Facebook has rolled out a set of India-first features to its stories format, including voice posts and stories archive, before hitting the rest of world. The

updates will also let users save photos and videos directly to their accounts in the Facebook cloud to avoid using up space on phones.



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IIM-A centre unveils $25 million initiative to fund start-ups

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad‘s (IIMA‘s) centre for innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship (CIIE) on May 14, 2018 launched a $25 million

‗Bharat Inclusion Initiative‘ that will look to mentor and invest in start-ups in the early stage and seed segment over the next three-four years. The initiative

received an initial pledge of $12.5 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and Omidyar Network. The

fund will look at start-ups in areas such as financial inclusion, livelihood, education, agriculture, and health.

IOA signs Li-Ning as its apparel partner till Tokyo Olympic Games

The IOA on May 15, 2018 announced sports apparel brand Li-Ning as Indian team's official sports apparel partner till Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. As part of

the partnership, Li-Ning will provide Indian athletes and officials with sports competition and training apparel, leisure wear and footwear for the Asian Games

2018, 2018 Summer Olympic Youth Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

UltraTech to acquire Century’s cement unit in share swap deal

Century Textiles and Industries Ltd., a B.K. Birla Group company, has decided to demerge its cement business to UltraTech Cement Ltd. of the Aditya Birla

Group in a stock (share) swap deal. Century‘s cement business is being acquired at an enterprise value of Rs.8,621 crore, including debt of Rs.3,000 crore

which will be taken over by UltraTech. Century‘s cement business consists of three integrated cement units in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra

with a total capacity of 11.4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and a grinding unit in West Bengal of 2 mtpa.

Flipkart introduces ‘certified’ furniture

Flipkart said it has introduced ‗FurniSure,‘ a certification that assures customers ‗quality and durability‘ of furniture available on its website. It added that this

was a first-of-its-kind certification for furniture in Indian retail industry. The products that get certified would be available at the ‗FurniSure‘ store on Flipkart.

Lexus India launches SUV LX 570 priced at Rs 2.33 crore

Toyota group luxury automobile maker Lexus on May 21, 2018 launched its flagship SUV LX 570 in India priced at Rs 2.33 crore (ex-showroom).

Toyota adds Yaris to lineup

Toyota Kirloskar Motor on May 17, 2018 introduced its new mid-segment sedan Yaris in India with an introductory starting price of Rs.8.75 lakh ex-showroom

all India. The top most model is priced at Rs.14.07 lakh ex-showroom. The model will compete with Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Ciaz.

Tata Steel completes acquisition of controlling stake in Bhushan Steel

Bamnipal Steel Ltd (BNPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, has successfully completed the acquisition of controlling stake of 72.65 per cent in

Bhushan Steel Ltd (BSL). Tata Steel Ltd had won the bid to acquire debt-laden Bhushan Steel Ltd (BSL) in an insolvency auction.

WOW offers India-U.S. flights from Rs.13,499

Iceland‘s low-cost carrier WOW Air announced on May 15, 2018 it would start flights from December 7 connecting New Delhi to the island country‘s capital

city of Reykjavik and onwards to Canada, U.S. and London at fares starting from Rs.13,499. India is the first destination in Asia for the airline and the flights

from the Indian capital would be operated five times a week.

NEWSMAKERS

Birju Kishore Salla becomes first to be on 'No-fly list'

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed that a Mumbai-based jeweller, Birju Kishore Salla, who created a hijack scare onboard a Jet

Airways flight in 2017, has become the first person to be put on the 'National No Fly List.'

Salla, 37, was arrested in October 2017 by the crime branch following the emergency landing made by the Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways plane at the

Ahmedabad airport after the pilot was alerted about a note about hijackers and a bomb which was found in the plane's washroom by a cabin crew. He was

also the first one to be booked under the stringent Anti-Hijacking Act.

According to the DGCA, it is the responsibility of Jet Airways now to inform other airlines about the grounding of this particular passenger under the Civil

Aviation Requirements (CAR).



26

No-fly-list is a central database of unruly or disruptive passengers. If an airline decides to ban a passenger for unruly or disruptive behaviour, it will have to

inform the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other airlines and the passenger will become a part of the National No-Fly List.

P. K. Purwar appointed full time CMD of MTNL

The government has confirmed appointment of P. K. Purwar as chairman and managing director of public sector telecom firm MTNL. "PK Purwar is

confirmed as CMD, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited for the balance period of his tenure after expiry of first year on March 2, 2018," the Department of

Telecom said in its order dated May 15, 2018. The telecom PSU has been without a full-time CMD since May 30, 2014 when A K Garg retired from the post.

MTNL, which offers telecom services in Delhi and Mumbai circles, has been making losses since 2009-10. MTNL's debt stands at a staggering Rs 17,000 crore,

and its annual interest burden is close to Rs 1,450 crore. Its losses were pegged at Rs 2,893 crore in 2014-15 , Rs 2,005 crore in 2015-16, and Rs 2,970 crore in

2016-17.

Nick Read to succeed Vittorio Colao as Vodafone Group CEO

British telecom major Vodafone said on May 15, 2018 that Nick Read will be the next CEO of the company, succeeding Vittorio Colao. Read, currently the

group's CFO, will take over from October 1.

Netmeds appoints Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador

Online pharmacy Netmeds on May 15, 2018 said it has appointed cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador. Promoted by Dadha family,

Netmeds currently has an inventory of 35,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) of prescription drugs and 5,000 SKUs of OTC products.

Anil Kumar Jha appointed CMD of Coal India Ltd

Anil Kumar Jha was on May 18, 2018 appointed as the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of Coal India Limited. Jha, at present the CMD of Mahanadi

Coalfields Ltd, has been appointed to the post till his superannuation i.e. January 31, 2010. CIL is a state-owned coal mining company headquartered in

Kolkata.

LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo dies at 73

Koo Bon-moo, the Chairman of South Korean conglomerate LG Group, died at the age of 73 in Seoul on May 20, 2018. He is credited with expanding the

business empire -- centred on consumer electronics, displays and chemicals -- founded by his grandfather in 1947.



27

Section I: STATES

Karnataka Assembly election results

Karnataka Assembly election on May 12, 2018 saw 72% voter turnout. Voting was held in 222 out of 224 seats.

In the results announced on May 15, BJP emerged as the largest party with 104 seats followed by Congress-78, Janata Dal (Secular) plus-38 and Others-2.

Prominent winners were JD(S) plus leader H.D. Kumaraswamy from Ramanagara and Channapatna seats, BS Yeddyurappa (BJP) from Shikaripura and

Siddaramaiah (Congress) from Badami (lost from Chamundeshwari). CM Siddaramaiah of Congress submitted his resignation to Governor Vajubhai Vala

On May 17, BJP leader B. S. Yeddyurappa took oath as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka. Governor gave him 15 days to prove his majority on the floor of

the Assembly.

On May 18, the Supreme Court ordered Yeddyurappa to face a floor test in the state Assembly on May 19.

On May 20, Yeddyurappa resigned ahead of trust vote and JD(S)-Congress combine led by H. D. Kumaraswamy was invited by the Governor to form new

govt.

Cabinet approves central university for Andhra Pradesh

The Union Cabinet on May 16, 2018 cleared in-principle a proposal for setting up a central university in Andhra Pradesh and approved a provisioning of Rs

450 crore for its first phase. The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval to the proposed "Central University of Andhra

Pradesh", which is to be set up in Janthaluru village of Anantapur district. After its division into two states, Andhra Pradesh was left with no central university

while the newly carved Telangana was endowed with three such varsities in Hyderabad.

International Rail Expo organised in Chennai

The maiden International Rail Coach Expo was organised in Chennai on May 17-19, 2018. The expo displayed coaches and train sets by reputed rail car and

equipment manufacturers. Organised by leading Public Sector Unit rail coach maker Integral Coach Factory, in coordination with CII and RITES Ltd, the three-

day expo also showcased their technology and products. About 100 participants from over 10 countries participated in the expo, where seminars and

conferences were also held. Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit inaugurated the Expo on May 17.

PM unveils plaque to mark commencement of work on the Zojila Tunnel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the commencement of work on the Zojila Tunnel in Leh, Jammu & Kashmir on May 19, 2018. Modi

also attended the closing ceremony of the birth centenary celebration of the 19th

Kushok Bakula Rinpoche in Leh.

The 14 km long Zojila tunnel will be India‘s longest road tunnel and Asia‘s longest bi-directional tunnel. The CCEA had approved the construction, operation

and maintenance of this tunnel between Baltal and Minamarg, on the Srinagar-Leh section of NH-1A, at a total cost of Rs 6800 crore earlier this year.

The construction of this tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. The Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 ft on

the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway and remains closed during winter It will cut down the time taken to cross the Zojila pass from the present three and

a half hours, to just fifteen minutes. It will lead to all-round economic and socio-cultural integration of these regions. It also has immense strategic

importance.

During his visit, Modi also laid the foundation stone of 1000 MW Pakal Dul hydroelectric project in Kishtwar district and inaugurated the 330 MW

Kishanganga hydroelectric project in Bandipora District of Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K Governor clears ordinance advocating death for rape of girls below 12

In a bid to curb violence against women, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N. N. Vohra has approved two ordinances, one of which advocates the death penalty

for those convicted of raping a girl below 12 years of age. Both ordinances came into effect from on May 17, 2018.

Under the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, raping a girl under the age of 12 years can lead to a death sentence. It also

provides for 20 years imprisonment, which may extend to the remainder of a convict's natural life, for raping a woman under the age of 16 years.

The Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Children from Sexual Violence Ordinance, 2018 provides for preventing a minor from sexual assault, sexual harassment

and pornography for safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process.



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Bastariya Battalion of CRPF formed in Chhattisgarh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh attended the passing out parade of 241 Bastariya Battalion of CRPF in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh on May 21, 2018. Singh

lauded the efforts of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the State Police in combating the Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

Numbered 241, this new battalion of CRPF carries the moniker ‗Bastariya Battalion‘ for the special reason that it comprises of youths, mostly scouted from

the four highly naxal infested Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma districts of Chhattisgarh. Another remarkable feature of the battalion is its

adequate female representation which is in sync with the Government‘s policy of 33% reservation for women.

The ‗Bastariya Battalion‘ that came into existence on 1st April 2017, has been created to enhance local representation in CRPF‘s combat lay-out in the Bastar

area besides providing the ‗Bastariya‘ youths a full-proof platform for employment. Accordingly, its recruitment process too carried some unique features.

While the physical standards of height and weight were relaxed to give a fair chance to the local aspirants, CRPF also walked yet another extra mile to provide

pre-educational and physical training to the local youths through Civic Action Programmes so as to maximize their ability and eligibility for induction into the

special formation.

Chhattisgarh to get specialised combat unit 'Black Panther'

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on May 21, 2018 said Chhattisgarh would get a specialised anti-Naxal combat force called "Black Panther" on the lines of

the Greyhound unit of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Singh chaired a meeting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in Naya Raipur. The Greyhounds are a special

force that specialise in anti-insurgency operations against Naxalites and Maoists. Meanwhile, seven police personnel were killed in a Maoist attack in

Dantewada on may 20.

Students to say 'Jai Hind' during roll call in MP schools

Students across Madhya Pradesh would be responding to the roll call with 'Jai Hind' instead of the usual 'Yes sir' or 'Yes madam' from the coming academic

year, as per a recent government order. The objective is to foster patriotism among children, said School Education Minister Vijay Shah. The order will be

applicable to both government and private schools.

Bihar CM inaugurates "Malmas Mela" at Rajgir

The month-long "Malmas Mela", which attracts people from across the country to this pilgrimage town in central Bihar, was inaugurated by Chief Minister

Nitish Kumar in Rajgir on May 16, 2018. Kumar also launched a mobile app that would help tourists gain information about Rajgir, which was the capital of

the mighty Magadh Empire in ancient India.

Bihar CM flags off Beej Vahan Vikas Vahan Rath for every district

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on May 19, 2018 flagged off the 'Krishi Mahabhiyan-cum-Beej Vikas Vahan Rath' to create alertness among farmers about

government schemes for them during Kharif season. Kumar flagged off two ''raths' each for every district of the state at a function in May 19, 2018 on the

occasion of 'Kharif Mahabhiyan-cum-Mahotsav 2018'. The 'raths' would travel to blocks, gram panchayats and villages to tell the farmers about the schemes

being run during kharif season. Of the two raths, one is 'Kharif Mahabhiyan-cum-Mahotsav Rath' while the other is 'Beej (Seed)Vahan Vikas Rath' which

would have Kharif seeds and pesticides for the treatment of kharif seeds.

Cabinet approves establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation at Bhopal

The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 16, 2018 approved the establishment of National Institute of Mental Health

Rehabilitation (NIMHR) at Bhopal as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 under the aegis of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with

Disabilities. The main objectives of the NIMHR are to provide rehabilitation services to the persons with mental illness, capacity development in the area of

mental health rehabilitation, policy framing and advanced research in mental health rehabilitation.

Chetak Corps conducting in exercise 'Gandiv Vijay' in Rajasthan

Thousands of soldiers with war fighting equipment of South Western Command's Chetak corps are engaged in intensive training in Mahajan field firing

ranges of Rajasthan under exercise 'Gandiv Vijay'. The exercise, which began two months ago, will conclude on May 23.

First all-woman Post Office Passport Seva Kendra starts operations in Punjab

In a first, a Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) run by an all-woman team has started operations in Phagwara (Punjab) on May 14, 2018. It was 192nd

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



29

Cabinet approves setting up of a new AIIMS in Deoghar, Jharkhand

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 16, 2018 approved setting up of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in

Deoghar, Jharkhand. A provision of funds worth Rs. 1103 crore has been approved for the project and the said AIIMS will be set up under the Pradhan Mantri

Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). The setting up of new AIIMS at Deoghar will serve the dual purpose of providing super speciality health care to the

population while also helping to create a large pool of doctors and other health workers in this region to be available for primary and secondary-level

institutions/facilities being created under the National Health Mission (NHM).

Maharashtra women's commission to protect women from harassment on social media

The Maharashtra State Women's Commission (MSWC) has set up a committee comprising cyber crime experts to recommend measures to the state

government for protecting women from harassment on social media. MSWC chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said the decision to set up the panel was taken

owing to complaints about the online harassment of women. The panel, headed by Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Director Brijesh

Singh, comprises lawyers, cyber crime experts, and government officials.

Solapur University to be named after Ahilyabai Holkar:

The Maharashtra government has decided to rename Solapur University as "Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur Vidyapeeth", state Education Minister

Vinod Tawde said on Mumbai on May 19, 2018. The renaming function will be organised on May 31 to coincide with the birth anniversary of Ahilyadevi

Holkar. He added that proposals to name Solapur Airport after Mahatma Basaveshwar and rename Solapur Railway Station as Shri Siddheshwar Railway

Terminus would be sent to authorities.

President Kovind inaugurates Global Exhibition on Services-2018 in Mumbai

The 4th

edition of Global Exhibition on Services was organised by the CII in Mumbai from May 15 to 18, 2018. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the

event on May 15. 25 Indian states and around 100 countries participated. The event also featured roundtables and seminars, state investment summits, B2B

meetings, exhibition of key services sectors, cultural activities, country and international pavilions, among others.

Camera trap spots Black Panther in Odisha

The wildlife wing of Odisha‘s Forest and Environment Department has recorded the presence of a black panther in a forest in Sundargarh district. The

photographs make Odisha the ninth State in India where the elusive and rare big cat has been seen. Black panthers have also been reported from Kerala

(Periyar Tiger Reserve), Karnataka (Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary), Chhattisgarh (Achanakmar Tiger

Reserve), Maharashtra (Satara), Goa (Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary), Tamil Nadu (Mudumalai Tiger Reserve), Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Foundation stone of LPG bottling plant laid in Odisha

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 21, 2018 laid the foundation stone of a LPG bottling plant of Bharat Petroleum

Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Odisha's Balangir district. The bottling plant will entail an investment of Rs 103 crore. It is likely to be commissioned by March

2020 and will cater to 14 districts of the state. The Balangir plant will give a boost to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and tribals and Dalits will be its main

beneficiaries, Pradhan said.

Meeting of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network held in Kolkata

The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), an inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement agency, in its first ever meeting in India, adopted

many resolutions to curb wildlife crime in the region. At the two-day conference held in Kolkata from May 8-10, the members agreed on having an

operational framework for strengthening the regional body to combat wildlife crime. Members of all participant countries — India, Bangladesh, Bhutan,

Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan —except Pakistan participated in the meeting. SAWEN was launched in Bhutan in 2011 and in 2016 the Union Cabinet gave

permission to adopt the statute of SAWEN.

Sikkim govt. announces incentive to have more than one child

Apparently alarmed over decreasing population of the indigenous people, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling on May 17, 2018 announced

financial incentives for birth of more than one child in a family. To encourage Sikkimese couples to have more than one child, the state government will

provide financial grant of Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 on the birth of the first and second child, respectively. A monthly grant of Rs 300 will also be provided for

nutritional food for a baby till the age of six years. Chamling, however, did not say anything about the birth of more than two children in a family. According

to the 2011 census, the population of Sikkim was 6,10,577, while in the 2001 census report, the state's population stood at 5,40,851 and in 1991, it was

4,06,457. These figures also include non-indigenous people.



30

First commercial flight lands in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh on May 21, 2018 found a place on the aviation map of the country as the state's first commercial flight with Chief Minister Pema Khandu

among 25 passengers on board, landed at Pasighat Advance Landing Ground in East Siang district. The 42-seater ATR aircraft of the Alliance Airlines touched

down at Pasighat airport after 1.5-hour journey from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati. Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, will operate

flight services on the Calcutta-Guwahati-Pasighat route thrice a week - on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

NEWSMAKERS

Eminent Warli artist Jivya Soma Mashe dies at 84

Noted artist Jivya Soma Mashe, who popularised the Warli tribal art form, died in Dahanu taluka in Palghar district of (Maharashtra) on May 14, 2018 at the

age of 84. He had received the Padma Shri in 2011 for his contribution towards the Warli painting. He had got the National Award for the Tribal Art in 1976.

Through his works, the Warli art form emerged from its cocooned world to draw global fame and attention. Mashe received international recognition for his

work and participated in several exhibitions and festivals across the world.

Tamil novelist Balakumaran dies at 71

Veteran Tamil novelist Balakumaran died in Chennai on May 15, 2018 at the age of 71. The late author was famous for his novels like 'Mercury Pookal' and

'Irumbu Kuthiraigal'. Balakumaran also published a number of short stories and later entered Tamil cinema through script and dialogue writing.

Telugu novelist Yaddanapudi Sulochana Rani passes away

Renowned Telugu novelist Yaddanapudi Sulochana Rani has passed away in the United States on May 19, 2018 at the age of 78. Rani was a household name

in Andhra Pradesh and extremely popular with women readers in the 1970s and 1980s before the advent of television. Some of her popular novels include

Meena, Secretary and Radhakrishna.

Renowned homeopath Prasanta Banerji dies in Kolkata at 84

Renowned homeopath Prasanta Banerji passed away in Kolkata on May 18, 2018 at the age of 84. He was best known for establishing 'The Banerji Protocol',

which has been described by his website as a method to diagnose and cure specific diseases with homeopathy medicines. He had also founded the Prasanta

Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation. Banerji had worked as an honorary adviser to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

Muzaffarnagar's last freedom fighter Raghuvir Singh passes away at 95

The lone freedom fighter of Muzaffarnagar district, Raghuvir Singh, passed away in Noida on May 19, 2018 at the age of 95. Singh was part of Subhas

Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj.

SC holds Navjot Singh Sidhu guilty in road rage case, spares him jail term

The Supreme Court on May 15, 2018 convicted Punjab Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for voluntarily causing hurt to a 65-year-old man but spared him

a jail term in the 1988 road rage case. The bench said Sidhu is guilty of Section 323 of IPC and is fined Rs 1,000 for the offence but did not award any

sentence. The court acquitted the co-accused Rupinder Singh Sandhu. Sandhu was sentenced to a three-year jail by the Punjab & Haryana High Court in the

case

Assam MLA asked to prove citizenship

An MLA of the ruling BJP in Assam has been served notice to prove his citizenship amid the exercise to update the National Register of Citizens nearing

completion. BJP legislator Kishore Nath and six members of his family were served the notice on May 17, 2018 by Foreigners‘ Tribunal No. 1 on suspicion of

being ‗doubtful‘ voters. Mr. Nath, 53, represents the Barkhola Assembly seat in southern Assam‘s Cachar district.

NSA Ajit Doval conferred honorary doctorate by Kumaun University

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was conferred an honorary doctorate by the Kumaun University at the varsity's 14th convocation in Nainital on

May 18, 2018. Doval was conferred the Doctorate of Literature (D Litt) by Uttarakhand Governor K. K. Paul at the ceremony which was held at Dev Singh Bisht

College.

Maharashtra CM unveils wax statue of Union minister Athawale



31

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled a wax statue of Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale in Mumbai on May 18,

2018. Some 25 kg of wax has been used for the statue, made by sculptor Sunil Kundilur.



32

Section J: SPORTS

Kenyans sweep medals at Kigali International Peace Marathon

Kenyans took the most medals in the 14th edition of the Kigali International Peace Marathon held in the Rwandan capital Kigali on May 21, 2018. The peace

marathon had three race categories; the 42 km full marathon, the 21 km half marathon and the 10 km fun run for peace.

Kenya's Elkana Kibet won the gold medal in the full marathon race after clocking a time of 2:23:42. Fellow compatriot Kibet Rono Kenneth won silver with a

time of 2:23:52 and another Kenyan, Jones Omar Onyambu won the bronze with a time of 2:24:35. In the women's category, Kenya's Beatrice Jepkorir Rutto

won the gold medal, clocking a time of 2:54:01. She was followed by her compatriot Caroline Jeruto with a time of 2:55:27. Uganda's Priscilla Chelangat came

in third with a time of 3:07:17.

The gold medal in the women's half marathon was won by Rwanda's defending champion Salome Nyirarukundo. She was followed by Kenya's Esther

Chesang who won the silver medal and Rwanda's Marthe Yankurije who won bronze. In the men's half marathon, Rwanda's Noel Hitimana won gold after

clocking a time of 1:16:16. Kenya's Kipsang Kipkemoi won silver in 1:17:01 and Moses Kingeitch won the bronze medal.

About 8,000 athletes from across the world participated in the street race flagged off at Kigali's Amahoro National Stadium. The international peace race was

launched 13 years ago to promote peace after the 1994 Rwanda genocide, which killed over 1 million people.

Amicus Curiae suggest 5 members for cricket selection committees

Amicus Curiae (AC) Gopal Subramaniam, guiding the Supreme Court in the matter of the implementation of the Justice Lodha committee reforms, has urged

the apex court to issue directions to increase the composition of the selection committees (senior men, junior and women) from three to five members.

The AC has also said that the Committee of Administrators (CoA) be empowered to relieve the present selection committees of their burden immediately.

Selection committee criteria: Senior men: Seven Tests & 30 First Class (FC) matches, or 10 ODIs & 20 FC games (minimum); should have retired from the

game (at least five years previously - applies to all categories); Juniors: 25 FC matches (minimum); Women: Should have represented the National team.

Ireland lose their first ever test to Pakistan

Ireland were defeated in their first ever test match by Pakistan by 5 wickets at The Village, Malahide on May 15, 2018. Scores: Pakistan: 310/9d, Faheem

Ashraf 83, Tim Murtagh 4/45 and 160/5, Imam-ul-Haq 74*, Tim Murtagh 2/55. Ireland: 130/10, Kevin O'Brien 40, Mohammad Abbas 4/44 and 339/10, Kevin

O'Brien 118, Mohammad Abbas 5/66. Kevin O'Brien, who scored the first test century for Ireland, was named Man of the Match. William Porterfield and

Sarfraz Ahmed were captains of Ireland and Pakistan respectively.

Shashank Manohar re-elected unopposed as ICC Chairman

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Shashank Manohar, who became the first independent ICC Chairman in 2016, will continue for a second two-year

term following his unopposed election in Dubai (UAE) on May 15, 2018.

Australian Steve Plain climbs 7 peaks in 7 continents in record time

An Australian mountaineer scaled Mount Everest on May 14, 2018, completing his quest to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents in record time.

Steve Plain scaled Everest 117 days after he began his mission in Antarctica. The 36-year-old Plain began his mission by climbing Mount Vinson in Antarctica

on January 16. He followed that with Mount Aconcagua in South America, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea, which

covers Australia and Oceania, Mount Elbrus in Europe and Denali in North America.

Gurgaon's father-daughter duo scale Mt Everest

Gurgaon-based Ajeet Bajaj and Deeya Bajaj (24) on May 16, 2018 became the first Indian father-daughter duo to climb Mount Everest. A Padma Shri

awardee, 53-year-old Ajeet became the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and the South Pole within a year in 2006-2007. Deeya trained at the Nehru

Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi.

Nepal’s Kami Rita scales Everest for a record 22nd

time

Nepali Sherpa guide Kami Rita Sherpa achieved the record for most ascents to the summit of Mount Everest after reaching it for a 22nd

time in May 2018 at

the age of 48. In 2017, Kami was the third person to ascend to the summit of Everest 21 times along with Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa.



33

Himanta Biswa Sarma elected as Vice-President of Badminton Asia Confederation

The President of Badminton Association of India (BAI), Himanta Biswa Sarma was on May 17, 2018 elected as the Vice-President of Badminton Asia

Confederation (BAC). The election took place during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the continental body in Bangkok, Thailand.

Heena Sidhu bags gold in Hannover

Indian shooter Heena Sidhu clinched the gold medal while compatriot P Shri Nivetha settled for bronze in the Women's 10m Air Pistol at the International

Shooting Competitions of Hannover (ISCH) on May 14, 2018.

Federer replaces Nadal as number one in Men’s Singles tennis

Spain‘s Rafael Nadal has been replaced as world number one by Swiss Roger Federer in the latest ATP rankings published on May 14, 2018. Germany‘s

Alexander Zverev remains in third place.

Nadal, Svitolina win Singles titles at Italian Open tennis

Rafael Nadal defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 on May 20, 2018 to win the men‘s Singles title at Italian Open tennis in Rome.

Defending champion Ukraine‘s Elina Svitolina won the Women‘s singles title by sweeping aside Romania‘s Simona Halep in the final 6-0, 6-4.

Balaji and Vishnu win Challenger tennis at Samarkand

India‘s Vishnu Vardhan and Sriram Balaji won the Men‘s Doubles at the $75,000 Challenger tennis tournament at Samarkand (Uzbekistan) on May 18, 2018.

The Indian pair got a walkover in the final from Mikhail Elgin and Denis Istomin.

Rafael Nadal regains number one ranking

Spain‘s Rafael Nadal regained the number one position in Men‘s Singles tennis in the world rankings on May 21, 2018 after winning his eighth Rome Masters

Singles title. The victory saw Nadal overtake Roger Federer of Switzerland. ATP rankings at May 21: 1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 8,770 pts (+1) 2. Roger Federer

(SUI) 8,670 pts (-1) 3. Alexander Zverev (GER) 5,615 4. Marin Cilic (CRO) 4,950 (+1) 5. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 4,870 (-1) 6. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 4,450 7.

Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3,635 8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3,195 9. David Goffin (BEL) 3,020 (+1) 10. John Isner (USA) 2,955 (-1)

Ray Wilson, member of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup winning side, dies at 83

Ray Wilson, a member of the England team that beat West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, died aged 83 on May 15, 2018. An outstanding left-back,

Wilson won 63 caps with 1966 a memorable year for him as he won the FA Cup with Everton at Wembley and the World Cup as hosts England beat West

Germany 4-2 at the same stadium.

India U-16 defeat Tajikistan 4-2 to win four-nation tournament in Serbia

India won against Tajikistan 4-2 and emerged as champions in the four-nation Under-16 Tournament held in Serbia on May 14, 2018. India drew 0-0 with the

hosts, defeated Jordan 2-1 before beating Tajikistan in the final. India finished their campaign unbeaten in three matches, accumulating seven points out of a

maximum nine.

Atletico Madrid wins Europa League football title

Antoine Griezmann was the hero for Spain‘s Atletico Madrid as he scored twice in their 3-0 win over French club Marseille in Europa League final in Lyon

(France) on May 17, 2018. The third goal came from Gabi.

Lionel Messi wins fifth European Golden Shoe award

Barcelona star striker Lionel Messi has been confirmed to pick the prestigious fifth European Golden Shoe award of his career after finishing the campaign as

top La Liga goal scorer. The Argentine smashed a total of 34 goals for Barcelona in their Liga-winning campaign. Messi, who finished for a total of 68 points

in the Golden Shoe scoring system, edged out competition from the Premier League duo of Mohamed Salah (32/64) and Harry Kane (30/60). Messi, who also

lifted the prestigious award last year as well as in 2010, 2012 and 2013, has now overtaken Ronaldo's tally of four Golden Shoes with his most recent victory.

Chelsea beat Manchester United to win FA Cup



34

Eden Hazard first-half penalty helped Chelsea win the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the final on May 19, 2018 at Wembley Stadium in

London. Meanwhile in Germany, Eintracht Frankfurt clinched their fifth German Cup after beating Bayern Munich 3-1 in Berlin on May 19.

Katie Ledecky breaks her own 1,500m freestyle world record

Five-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky smashed her own 1,500m freestyle world record by five seconds in her first race as a professional. The 21-year-old

American clocked 15min 20.48sec at the Pro Swim event in Indianapolis, obliterating her previous best of 15:25.48 set at the World Championships in Kazan

in 2015.

South Korea win Women's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey

Defending Champions Indian Women's Hockey Team lost to hosts South Korea 0-1 in the final match of the fifth Women's Asian Champions Trophy played

at the Sunrise Stadium in Donghae City on May 20, 2018. The match saw South Korea keep a resolute defence and score the only goal of the match in the

24th minute when Youngsil Lee found the back of the net. India‘s Vandana Katariya was declared as the player of the tournament while youngster

Lalremsiami was given the award for the upcoming player of the tournament. Forward Navneet Kaur and Vandana Katariya were also the joint top-scorers of

the tournament along with China's Xiaoming Song.

Rajinder Singh named Hockey India president

Rajinder Singh was on May 19, 2018 named president of Hockey India (HI), following the resignation of Mariamma Koshy from the post. Koshy, a former

State-level centre forward player, was appointed as the President of HI in November 2016 following Narinder Batra's decision to step down after being

elected as the President of International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Gary Russell Jr. retains featherweight crown

Gary Russell Jr. retained his World Boxing Council featherweight title on May 19, 2018, taking a unanimous 12-round decision over previously unbeaten

Joseph Diaz in a showdown of American southpaws. Russell improved to 29-1 while Diaz suffered his first loss after 26 victories in his first World title bout.

Sathiyan-Sanil win silver in Thailand Open TT

Indian doubles pair of G. Sathiyan and Sanil Shetty settled for silver medal after going down against Tobias Hippler and Kilian Ort of Germany (1-3) in the

finals of 2018 Challenge Thailand Open on May 20, 2018. The Indian duo won the first game 11-9 but fell short in the next three games, losing 12-14, 9-11, 7-

11.

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