Weekly Current Affairs update - Global IAS · PMs of India and Bangladesh inaugurate Bangladesh...

Current Affairs Magic

Current Affairs Magic May 23 to 29, 2018 www.globalias.in

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Weekly Current Affairs Update

For the Week: May 23 to 29, 2018

HEADLINES

Section A: INDIA

India 145th among 195 countries in healthcare access, quality: Lancet

UGC approves regulations for online courses by universities

HRD Ministry launches „Samagra Siksha‟ scheme for holistic development of school education

UNICEF launches data visualisation app for education scenario in India

EC to launch app to help voters share malpractice proof

Women Safety Division created in Home Ministry

Cabinet approves provision of mobile connectivity in Left Wing Extremism Areas

BSF troops to undergo „happiness test‟ to gauge wellness quotient

Army‟s Gandiv Vijay exercise concludes in Rajasthan

Brahmos test-fired on consecutive days

Commissioning of fourth ship of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV done

National parties under RTI Act: EC clarifies

International Day for Biodiversity celebrated on May 22

World Thyroid Day observed on May 25

Africa Day celebrated on May 25

India‟s highest decorated general Zorawar Chand Bakshi passes away at 97

S. Christopher completes term as DRDO Director General

Former SC judge R K Agrawal appointed NCDRC president

Sangeeta Bahl, 53, becomes oldest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest

Lt Gen Devraj Anbu is the new Vice Chief of Army Staff

Justice C K Prasad appointed PCI chief for second term

Akshay Kumar launches ad campaign for Swachh Bharat

Actress Geeta Kapoor dies at 67

Veteran actor Hemu Adhikari dies at 81

Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

Dutch PM Mark Rutte visits India

Netherlands joins International Solar Alliance

Dutch PM launches „Clean Air India Initiative‟

Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink initiative launched

Indo-Dutch Ganga Forum inaugurated

Meeting of agriculture ministers of India and the Netherlands held

Govt collaborating with Netherland, Sweden for research programme on HIV/AIDS

Pakistan integrates Gilgit-Baltistan into its federal structure

PMs of India and Bangladesh inaugurate Bangladesh Bhavan in Santiniketan

AIR and Bangladesh‟s Betar to co-produce radio programmes

India rejects US sanctions on Iran

India CLMV Business Conclave held at Phnom Penh

India-Nepal Joint Military Exercise to be held in Uttarakhand

Could not address Islamabad‟s concerns regarding Indus Waters Treaty with India: World Bank

Coast Guards of India, Pakistan hold talks on maritime boundary violations by fishermen

Cabinet approves inking of India, Singapore MoU on personnel management

India launches 2nd IT corridor in China to gain access to the Chinese market

India, Russia conclude negotiations for S-400 Triumf deal

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visits India




May 23 to 29, 2018 www.globalias.in

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Section C: WORLD

Over 66% voters favour scrapping anti-abortion laws in Ireland

Pakistan‟s Senate votes to merge FATA with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

SCO legal experts meet in Pakistan to discuss extremism, terrorism

108th session of UNWTO Executive council held in San Sebastian

Putin and Abe discuss peace treaty over Kuril Islands

Pakistan‟s Sindh province assembly passes bill to allow Hindu widows to remarry

Colombia joins global partnership program of NATO

China, Burkina Faso establish ties following Taiwan snub

Cyclone Mekunu lashes Oman, Yemen

Hamburg to host 2018 Global Wind Summit

European Union‟s new data protection rules come into force

North Korea demolishes nuclear test site

Trump cancels June 12 summit meeting with Kim Jong un

Nepal first country in south-east Asia to eliminate trachoma: WHO

White House releases commemorative coin before Kim-Trump meet

Saad Hariri wins third term as Prime Minister of Lebanon

Ex-ISI chief Lt.-Gen. Asad Durrani (retd.) placed on „no-fly‟ list by Pakistan govt.

Ex-chief justice Nasirul Mulk named caretaker PM of Pakistan

Children‟s author Richard Peck dies at 84

Apollo 12 mission astronaut Alan Bean dies at 86

American literary giant Philip Roth dies at 85

Gina Haspel sworn in as CIA‟s first female director

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Twin spacecraft to track Earth‟s water cycle successfully launched

Section E: AWARDS

Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 presented to the INSV Tarini Team

Virat Kohli is International Cricketer of the Year at CEAT awards

Indian botanist Kamaljit S. Bawa receives Linnean Medal in UK

Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk bags Man Booker International Prize

UNEP recognises Cochin International Airport Ltd as world‟s 1st solar airport

Arunachal NGO honoured for conserving wildlife resources‟

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Cabinet clears ordinance for amendments to bankruptcy code

Govt reconstitutes Financial Stability and Development Council

EPFO cuts administrative charges to 0.5%

EPF interest rate hits 5-year low at 8.55%

Paytm unveils initiative to educate women on financial services

Reserve Bank of India appoints Sudha Balakrishnan as its first CFO

Govt appoints chairpersons of Dena, Punjab & Sind and Central Bank

Section G: ECONOMY

E-Way Bill system for intra-State movement of goods rolled out in more States/UTs

15th Finance Commission constitutes High Level Group on Health Sector

2nd Advance Estimates of production of Horticulture Crops released

NSDC to Set Up Trainer and Assessor Academies across India

Air passenger citizen charter for domestic sector launched





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DAC approves procurement of equipment for Defence Forces

Engineering Wings of CAPFs authorised to execute construction works

Ayushman Bharat a tectonic shift in Indian healthcare: PwC

Centre unveils model contract farming law

Alcoholic beverages to carry warning on safe driving: FSSAI

CSC, SIDBI ink pact for financial support to village level entrepreneurs

TRIFED elects new Board of Directors

M. Venkatesh appointed MRPL MD

Section H: CORPORATE

India ranked 44th in IMD‟s competitiveness rankings

Ramdev‟s Patanjali ties up with BSNL; launches Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards

IMD teams up with BSNL to send extreme weather warnings

TCS m-cap surges past Rs 7-lakh cr mark

NITI Aayog and ABB India sign Statement of Intent

CCI approves Bayer‟s $62.5 bn acquisition for US seed major Monsanto

Five Indian brands among world‟s top 100 luxury goods companies: Deloitte Report

Sushant Singh Rajput to promote NITI‟s Women Entrepreneurship Platform

Stacey Cunningham is the first woman to lead the NYSE

French industrialist Serge Dassault dies at 93

IMFA founder & industrialist Bansidhar Panda passes away at the age of 87

Section I: STATES

Central High-level Team calls Nipah virus disease in Kerala a local occurrence

Tamil Nadu closes Vedanta copper smelter permanently after bloody protest

Kerala tourism to unveil world‟s largest bird sculpture

PM inaugurates expressway projects in Delhi NCR

Himachal CM launches three schemes

Tata Trusts signs MoU with govt to support development in Naxal-hit districts of Chhattisgarh

Incubation centre and Food Testing Laboratory inaugurated at NIFTEM in Sonipat

PM lays foundation stone for Patratu Super Thermal Power Project

PM inaugurates Digital Art Gallery of NHAI in Haryana

Main event of International Yoga Day to be held in Dehradun

NIA convicts five IM militants for 2013 Bodh Gaya serial blasts

NIC launches new data centre in Bhubaneswar

Gaj Yatra honours Meghalaya‟s elephant corridor effort

Ordinance approved for India‟s first sports varsity in Manipur

H.D. Kumaraswamy sworn in as chief minister of Karnataka

BJD leader & Lok Sabha MP from Odisha Baijayant Panda quits party

Newly elected Karnataka Congress MLA S B Nyamgoud dies at 71

Veteran Telugu actor, producer Madala Ranga Rao dies at 69

Veteran Gujarati writer, humourist Vinod Bhatt dies at 80

Commemorative stamp on C. Kesavan released

President appoints Odisha, Mizoram Governors

Section J: SPORTS

Chennai Super Kings win IPL

AB de Villiers announces retirement from international cricket

ICC bars cricketers from wearing smartwatch

BCCI goes „green‟ by joining hands with UN

Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 to win Champions League





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China wins Thomas Cup Men‟s Team Badminton Championship

Japan wins Uber Cup Women‟s Team Badminton Championship

India bag silver, bronze in archery World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo named most famous athlete in the world by ESPN World Fame 100

Tejaswini wins gold, Chain Singh silver at Munich World Cup

Srinath Narayanan is Kolkata Open chess champion

Former NZ athlete Dick Quax dies aged 70

Daniel Ricciardo wins Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix





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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

India 145th

among 195 countries in healthcare access, quality: Lancet

India ranks 145th among 195 countries in terms of quality and accessibility of healthcare, behind its neighbours like China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan,

according to the Global Burden of Disease study of medical journal Lancet.

The report mentions that India has seen improvements in healthcare access and quality since 1990. In 2016, India‟s healthcare access and quality scored at

41.2 (up from 24.7 in 1990). It said that Goa and Kerala had the highest scores in 2016, each exceeding 60 points, whereas Assam and Uttar Pradesh had the

lowest, each below 40.

India lags behind China (48), Sri Lanka (71), Bangladesh (133) and Bhutan (134) while its health index was better than Nepal (149), Pakistan (154) and

Afghanistan (191). The five countries with the highest levels of healthcare access and quality in 2016 were Iceland (97.1 points), Norway (96.6), the

Netherlands (96.1), Luxembourg (96.0), and Finland and Australia (both 95.9). The countries with the lowest scores were the Central African Republic (18.6),

Somalia (19.0), Guinea-Bissau (23.4), Chad (25.4), and Afghanistan (25.9).

UGC approves regulations for online courses by universities

University Grants Commission (UGC) on May 24, 2018 approved UGC (Online Courses) Regulations, 2018 as landmark reform in the field of Higher Education.

Higher Educational Institutions can now offer Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programmes in full-fledged online mode in only those disciplines in which it

has already been offering the same or similar Programmes /Courses at graduation level in regular mode (of classroom teaching) or in Open and Distance

Learning mode and from which at least one batch has been graduated and approved by the statutory councils, as applicable.

Online Programmes requiring Practical/ Laboratory Courses as a curricular requirement shall not be permitted.

HRD Ministry launches ‘Samagra Siksha’ scheme for holistic development of school education

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar launched the „Samagra Shiksha‟ - an integrated Scheme for school education extending

support to States from pre-school to senior secondary levels for the first time in New Delhi on May 24, 2018. The Scheme is a paradigm shift in the

conceptual design of school education by treating „school‟ holistically as a continuum from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior

secondary levels.

UNICEF launches data visualisation app for education scenario in India

The UNICEF on May 24, 2018 launched a „data visualisation app‟ which provides a user-friendly visual representation of complex analytics of the education

scenario in the country. The app has been made with technical inputs from the UNICEF, in collaboration with the National Institute of Education Planning and

Administration (NIEPA) and the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT). It uses the UDISE (Unified District Information System for

Education), the NAS (National Assessment survey) and demographic data and can be used as a visual tool by policy makers, senior government officials,

academia, and researchers to address gaps and monitor programs in the field of education.

EC to launch app to help voters share malpractice proof

The Election Commission will launch a multi-lingual mobile application empowering people across the country to share evidence of malpractice by political

parties, their candidates and activists ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, directly with the electoral body. Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat said on May

22, 2018 that such an application, called Model Code of Conduct Violation Reporting App, was made available for the first time in Bengaluru in the run-up to

the recently concluded Karnataka Assembly polls. “The application registered a total of 780 downloads and complaints were received from the users.

Accordingly, action was taken by the officials concerned in all the cases.

Women Safety Division created in Home Ministry

Union Home Ministry has created a new Division to address issues of women safety comprehensively. This Division would deal with all aspects of women

safety in coordination with relevant Ministries/Departments and State Governments. Punya Salila Srivastava, AGMUT Cadre officer of 1993 batch has been

posted as Joint Secretary to head this Division, a press note issued by the Ministry said on May 24, 2018. The new division will deal with subjects like crimes

against women, SCs & STs, crimes against children, elderly persons, anti-trafficking cell, matters relating to prison legislation and prison reforms, all schemes

under NIRBHAYA fund, Crime and Criminal Tracking & Network System (CCTNS) and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).





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Cabinet approves provision of mobile connectivity in Left Wing Extremism Areas

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 23, 2018 approved the “Universal Service Obligation Fund [USOF]” supported scheme to

provide mobile services at 4072 tower locations identified by MHA in inhabited uncovered areas affected by Left Wing Extremism ([LWE) of 96 districts in 10

States for Phase-II of the project. The total project cost would be Rs.7330 Crore. This network would be used by the security personnel deployed in LWE

affected areas. Project will also provide the mobile services to help the residents in unconnected inhabited villages which would improve the economic

activities in the region. It will give impetus to the e-Governance activities in the backward and LWE affected area with the availability of digital mobile

connectivity.

BSF troops to undergo ‘happiness test’ to gauge wellness quotient

Troops of the BSF, country‟s largest border guarding force, will now undertake a “mandatory” test that will analyse the state of their happiness and wellbeing

before deployment along the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, and in anti-Naxal operations. The forces‟ headquarters in New Delhi has prepared a

multi-point wellness quotient assessment test (WQAT) tool that helps “identify stress precipitators and physical and mental health issues that need

interventions.” The WQAT is a special tool designed to understand the happiness quotient and mental wellbeing of an individual and this has now been made

a compulsory part of the annual medical test for the troops.

Army’s Gandiv Vijay exercise concludes in Rajasthan

Indian Army‟s South Western Command concluded its „Gandiv Vijay‟ exercise in Mahajan field firing ranges near Suratgarh in Rajasthan on May 23, 2018. The

two-month long exercise aimed at training commanders and soldiers in their offensive tasks. During the exercise, synergy between mechanised forces,

infantry, artillery, engineers, elements of Special Forces (SF) and Air Force was practised and fine tuned.

Brahmos test-fired on consecutive days

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from an integrated test range in Odisha‟s coastal Balasore district for the second

consecutive day on May 22, 2018, validating its strike capability. “Through this launch the critical indigenous components including fuel management system

and other non-metallic airframe components have qualified to form part of the missile,” Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of BrahMos Sudhir

Mishra said. Brahmos is a joint venture between India‟s DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM) of Russia. It has a maximum speed of Mach 2.8 to 3, and

it is believed to be the one of the world‟s fastest cruise missiles currently in operational use.





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Commissioning of fourth ship of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV done

Vice Admiral GS Pabby on May 24, 2018 commissioned IN LCU L54 into the Indian Navy at Port Blair. IN LCU L54 is the fourth Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-

IV class to be inducted into the Indian Navy. The ship has been indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata.

National parties under RTI Act: EC clarifies

The Election Commission on May 28, 2018 said national parties are public authorities under the RTI Act as declared by the Central Information Commission, a

day after the poll panel‟s appeal order on an RTI application saying political parties are out of the purview of RTI Act was reported. The EC clarified that it

goes by the CIC order of 3rd

June, 2013 that declared national parties as public authorities for the purposes of RTI Act. In pursuance of this, the CIC order had

said, all the information about the contributions received by these parties as well as their annual audited accounts, as and when submitted to the

Commission, are put in public domain.

International Day for Biodiversity celebrated

The International Day for Biodiversity (IBD) 2018 was celebrated all over the country on May 22, 2018. The theme for 2018 was “Celebrating 25 years of action

on biodiversity”. The theme provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of and threats to biodiversity, while highlighting its

contribution to sustainable development. The national-level celebrations were held at Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU)

Auditorium in Hyderabad.

World Thyroid Day observed on May 25

May 25, 2018 was observed as World Thyroid Day. Established in 2008, the day is celebrated on May 25 each year to increase awareness of thyroid health and

promote understanding of advances made in treating thyroid disease.

Africa Day celebrated on May 25

Africa Day was observed on May 25, 2018. Africa Day was first held in 1963 in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, when 32 countries formed the

Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU). OAU is today known as African Union. This year‟s theme was „Combating Corruption: A Sustainable Path To Africa's

Transformation.‟

RECENT BOOKS

NON-FICTION

The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It by Yascha Mounk

Religion as Critique: Islamic Critical Thinking from Mecca to the Marketplace by Irfan Ahmad

There and Back: Twelve of the Great Routes of Human History by Stewart Gordon

Legendary Maps From The Himalayan Club Edited by Harish Kapadia

Illiberal India by Chidanand Rajghatta

The Climate Solution: India‟s Climate-Change Crisis and What We Can Do About It by Mridula Ramesh

Karunanidhi: A Life in Politics by Sandhya Ravishankar

Leadership for India Inc: An Experiential Treatise by C.B. Rao

Happyness: Life Lessons from a Creative Addict by Yusuf Merchant

The Climate Solution: India‟s Climate Change Crisis and What We Can Do About It by Mridula Ramesh

Waste of a Nation: Garbage and Growth in India by Assa Doron and Robin Jeffrey

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The Unseeing Idol of Light by K. R. Meera

All the Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy

Clouds by Chandrahas Choudhury

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Life over Two Beers and other Stories by Sanjeev Sanyal

The Last Color by Vikas Khanna

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Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold by Mukunda Rao

NEWSMAKERS





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India’s highest decorated general Zorawar Chand Bakshi passes away at 97

Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi, one of India‟s most highly decorated generals, died in New Delhi at the age of 97 on May 24, 2018. He was decorated for

gallantry with the Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Mention-in-Despatches, besides being awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service.

Gen Bakshi hailed from Gulyana village near Rawalpindi in Pakistan, where he was born in 1921. His father, Bahadur Bakshi Lal Chand, served with the

erstwhile British Indian Army and was decorated with the Order of British India.

After graduating from Rawalpindi‟s Gordon College in 1942, he was commissioned into the Baloch Regiment in 1943. His first major engagement was against

the Japanese in Burma in World War II.

After Partition, he was transferred to the 5th

Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army and soon after saw action during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-1948, where he

was awarded the Vir Chakra in July 1948. In 1949, he received the MacGregor Medal, awarded to Indian armed forces personnel for valuable reconnaissance.

In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he was instrumental in the capture of the strategic Haji Pir Pass in the Uri Sector from the Pakistani forces, for which he

was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.

In the early 1960s he had led his battalion in a United Nations Operation in Congo. In 1969-1970, he took part in counter-insurgency operations in the North-

East. During the 1971 Indo-Pak war he oversaw operations in the crucial Chicken‟s Neck area in the Sialkot sector, capturing territory from enemy control. He

retired in 1979. He also served as the Military Secretary at Army Headquarters.

S. Christopher completes term as DRDO Director General

Eminent scientist S. Christopher has completed his term as the Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and

Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra was given additional charge of the post on May 28, 2018.

Christopher was in May 2017 given a one-year extension. His extended term ended on May 28. He was in May 2015 appointed as Director General of the

DRDO for a two-year term. Christopher was then working as Distinguished Scientist and Programme Director (airborne early warning and control system) and

Director, Centre for Air-Borne Systems in the DRDO.

Established in 1980, the DRDO advises the government on scientific aspects of military equipment and logistics and the formulation of research, design and

development plans for the equipment required by the three services-- the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

Former SC judge R K Agrawal appointed NCDRC president

Justice R K Agrawal, who retired as Supreme Court judge recently, was appointed the president of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

(NCDRC) on May 28, 2018. He will succeed Justice D K Jain, who completes his term on May 31. The NCDRC, a quasi-judicial authority, was set up in 1988 to

decide on consumers‟ complaints. Anybody aggrieved over goods and services, for values over Rs one crore, can approach the commission for grievance

redressal.

Sangeeta Bahl, 53, becomes oldest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest

Gurugram resident, Sangeeta Bahl, at the age of 53 became the oldest Indian woman to scale the world‟s highest mountain, the 8,848 m-Mount Everest

located in Nepal. She scaled the peak on May 19, 2018 with the help of two Sherpas. Her husband Ankur Bahl climbed Mt Everest in 2016. She broke the

record of Premlata Agarwal, 48, who scaled Everest on May 20, 2011. Sangeeta Bahl has already conquered six out of the seven highest peaks of the world.

Lt Gen Devraj Anbu is the new Vice Chief of Army Staff

Lt. Gen. Devraj Anbu was on May 24, 2018 appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). He is presently GOC-in-C (General Officer Commanding-

in-Chief) Northern Command. He will replace Lt. Gen. Sarath Chand who retires on May 31. He will take over the new appointment on June 1. He had taken

over as the Northern Army Commander in December 2016.

Justice C K Prasad appointed PCI chief for second term

Former Supreme Court judge C K Prasad was on May 22, 2018 appointed the chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI) for a second term. Prasad headed

the media watchdog for three years from November 2014. The Press Council of India is a statutory body with a mandate to act as a watchdog to oversee the

conduct of the print media. It was reconstituted for three years in October, 2014 and the term ended in October 2017. According to the Press Council Act, the

council shall consist of a chairman and 28 other members. In March, the government had notified the names of eight nominated members of the





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reconstituted council, while 20 other names are yet to be announced. Prasad had said that the Council has submitted the names of the other members of the

revamped PCI to the Centre, which will decide on its notification.

Akshay Kumar launches ad campaign for Swachh Bharat

Akshay Kumar on May 27, 2018 launched an advertisement campaign for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in New Delhi. The campaign was launched at

a Collectors Convention for Toilet Technology organized in the capital. The campaign focuses on promoting the twin pit toilet technology in rural India, and

also features actor, Bhumi Pednekar along with Kumar.

‘Pakeezah’ actress Geeta Kapoor dies at 67

Veteran Bollywood actress Geeta Kapoor, who shot into the limelight for her role in the classic “Pakeezah”, died in Mumbai on May 26, 2018 at the age of 67.

She had acted in around 100 films in supporting roles/characters, including prominent ones in Kamal Amrohi‟s films “Pakeezah”,” “Razia Sultan”.

Veteran actor Hemu Adhikari dies at 81

Veteran film and theatre actor Dr Hemu Adhikari died in Mumbai on May 22, 2018 at the age of 81. Adhikari was known for his cameo in Rajkumar Hirani‟s

“Lage Raho Munna Bhai” (2006). He acted in Sai Paranjpe‟s “Katha” and Marathi films like “Dhyaas Parya” and “Harishchandrachi Factory”.





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Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

Dutch PM Mark Rutte visits India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 24, 2018 held wide-ranging talks with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in New Delhi during which both sides decided

to deepen engagement in a range of areas including trade, investment, energy and agriculture. Rutte came on a two-day visit to India on May 24-25, 2018.

India and the Netherlands signed ten agreements, mainly relating to smart cities, knowledge institutions, high-tech IT and Space, life sciences and health.

India and the Netherlands have a bilateral trade of USD 5.39 billion. The Netherlands is the fifth largest investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD

23 billion from 2000 to December 2017. The Netherlands is also home to a 235,000 strong Indian Diaspora, the largest in mainland Europe.

Netherlands joins International Solar Alliance

New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 24, 2018 welcomed the entry of the Netherlands into the International Solar Alliance (ISA). In a joint

statement, issued after delegation level talks between Modi and PM Rutte, New Delhi welcomed the signing of the Framework Agreement of the ISA by the

Netherlands. The two Prime Ministers urged research institutions and industry to collaborate, including in third countries, to promote greater use of solar

technologies through the ISA that will also benefit the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Dutch PM launches ‘Clean Air India Initiative’

Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte launched the „Clean Air India Initiative‟ in the national capital on May 24. The campaign aims to curb air pollution in

Indian cities by promoting partnerships between Indian start-ups and Dutch companies and build a network of entrepreneurs working on business solutions

for cleaner air. The Clean Air India Initiative is a collaborative project between „Get In The Ring‟, a platform for start-ups, the government of the Netherlands,

Start-up India, and INDUS Forum, an online matchmaking platform of Indian and Dutch businesses.

Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink initiative launched

In an endeavour to further the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, Invest India (host to the Govt. of India‟s initiative, „Startup India‟ under the Ministry

of Commerce and Industry) and the Dutch Government jointly launched the Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink initiative on May 25, 2018 in Bengaluru. The objective is

to facilitate market expansion for startups in the two countries alongside fostering a joint sense of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Indo-Dutch Ganga Forum inaugurated

Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte inaugurated the Indo-Dutch Ganga Forum on May 25, 2018 in New Delhi to take forward the Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) signed between India‟s Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Infrastructure &

Environment of the Netherlands in June 2017. Rutte appreciated the efforts being made under Namami Gange programme and acknowledged the vastness

of the task at hand. Minister of Water and Infrastructure, Netherlands, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen also advocated trash-to-cash approach. She expressed the

Netherlands government‟s keenness to work closely with National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).

Meeting of agriculture ministers of India and the Netherlands held

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers‟ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh on May 24, 2018 met Carola Schouten, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of

Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Netherlands in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi and expressed his desire to further strengthen the existing partnership

between the two countries in agriculture and allied sectors.

Govt collaborating with Netherland, Sweden for research programme on HIV/AIDS

The government has collaborated with Netherlands and Sweden for a research programme on HIV/AIDS, said Bruno Bruins, Minister of Medical Care,

Netherlands. The announcement about the Collaborative Research Program on HIV/AIDS between the three nations was made in New Delhi on May 23, 2018.

The programme aims to harness complementary research strengths and diverse expertise across the three nations to catalyse the development of better

tools in order to understand and address the burgeoning global epidemic of HIV. The collaboration would involve various government and non-government

institutions in India, including the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), and International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

(IAVI) along with Erasmus Medical Centre in The Netherlands, and Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

Pakistan integrates Gilgit-Baltistan into its federal structure

Pakistan has decided to integrate the region of Gilgit-Baltistan into the federal structure of the country. This was announced by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan

Abbasi in his speech to the Joint Session of the Gilgit-Baltistan Council and Legislative Assembly on May 27, 2018.





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The idea of granting provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan gained momentum since work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through the

region, demanded greater coordination between local and central-level leaders.

India, which opposes the CPEC for reasons related to sovereignty, has reiterated its territorial claims over Gilgit-Baltistan, and said Abbasi‟s order will be

against the position of the Indian Parliament, which, in 1994, passed a resolution in support of India‟s claims over the undivided Jammu and Kashmir.

PMs of India and Bangladesh inaugurate Bangladesh Bhavan in Santiniketan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Bangladesh Bhavan in Santiniketan (West Bengal) on May 25,

2018. The inauguration of Bangladesh Bhavan inside the Vishwa Bharti University complex took place in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata

Banerjee.

The Bangladesh Bhavan features a museum that showcases renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore‟s association with that country, the Liberation War of

Bangladesh and Indo-Bangla relations. It has been built at a cost of Rs. 25 crores, which was provided by the Bangladesh government.

Prime Minister Hasina was on a two-day visit to India on May 25-26. On May 26, she was conferred a honorary Doctorate of Literature by the Kazi Nazrul

University in Asansol (West Bengal) on May 26, 2018. Nazrul is the national poet of Bangladesh.

AIR and Bangladesh’s Betar to co-produce radio programmes

The All India Radio (AIR) and state-run Bangladesh Betar will co-produce radio programme on music, quiz, theatre, tourism and sports among others. The

two broadcasters have also agreed to jointly produce one daily news bulletin of ten minutes with a focus on cooperation between the two nations in various

developmental aspects like tourism, commerce and trade, sports, culture, agriculture and climate change.

India rejects US sanctions on Iran

India will not accept sanctions imposed, or to be imposed, by the United States on Iran, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on May 28, 2018. The

remark was a categorical rejection of U.S. decision to withdraw from the six-nation Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement and its

plans to impose massive new sanctions on Iranian entities.

Later in the day Swaraj met Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in New Delhi. Zarif has been travelling to several capitals including Moscow, Beijing and

Brussels, in an effort to salvage the agreement despite the U.S. move.

In a statement on May 13, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said that countries that “continue to deal with Iran could face sanctions”.

Iran is India‟s third largest oil supplier, and India has many areas of strategic engagement with Iran, including management of the Shahid Beheshti Port in

Chabahar, co-development of the International North-South Transport Corridor to Russia, as well as bilateral trade of about $13 billion of which about $5

billion was in non-oil trade in 2016-17.

India CLMV Business Conclave held at Phnom Penh

India‟s Ministry of Commerce & Industry along with Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia organized the 5th

India-CLMV Business Conclave in Phnom Penh on

May 21-22, 2018. The first four rounds of this Business Conclave were held in India. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is the institutional partner of

the event. The event was attended by Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry. The business conclave provided an opportunity for developing

better understanding of CLMV economies which have untapped potential for development and which offer more scope for enhancement of economic

engagement with India. CLMV comprises Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.

India-Nepal Joint Military Exercise to be held in Uttarakhand

Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIII between India and Nepal will be conducted at Pithoragarh from 30 May to 12 June 2018. The exercise will comprise

of nearly 300 soldiers from both Indian and Nepal Army who would be sharing their experiences gained during conduct of various counter insurgency and

counter terrorism operations in the past. Exercise SURYA KIRAN is a biannual event which is conducted alternatively in Nepal and India.

Could not address Islamabad’s concerns regarding Indus Waters Treaty with India: World Bank

The World Bank has snubbed Pakistan and said it could not address Islamabad‟s concerns regarding the Indus Waters Treaty with India. The World Bank

decision came after a high-powered Pakistani delegation led by Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali met with Bank‟s Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva





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on May 21-22, 2018. The Bank said, meeting was held at Pakistan‟s request to discuss issues regarding the Indus Waters Treaty. Recently, Prime Minister

Narendra Modi inaugurated the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan had protested the inauguration claiming that

the project on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water supplies.

Coast Guards of India, Pakistan hold talks on maritime boundary violations by fishermen

Coast Guards of India and Pakistan on May 28, 2018 held talks in New Delhi, addressing issues pertaining to boundary violations by fishermen from both

sides and enhancing cooperation in the area of maritime search and rescue, and combating pollution at sea. The talks were attended by Indian Coast Guard

Director General Rajendra Singh and a delegation of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) is being led by its Director General Rear Admiral Zaka Ur

Rehman.

Cabinet approves inking of India, Singapore MoU on personnel management

The Union cabinet on May 23, 2018 approved the signing of an MoU between India and Singapore on cooperation in the field of personnel management and

public administration. The MoU aims at improving the current system of governance, particularly in the areas of workforce, workplace and jobs, public service

delivery, human resource management, public sector reform, leadership or talent development and e-governance or digital government.





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India launches 2nd

IT corridor in China to gain access to the Chinese market

India on May 27, 2018 launched its second IT corridor in China. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has established

one more Digital Collaborative Opportunities Plaza (SIDCOP) platform in China in an effort to provide market access to Indian IT firms in the huge Chinese

market, the NASSCOM said. Agreements worth RMB 36 million (about USD six million) were signed between Indian service providers and Chinese customers

at the launch of the corridor by China‟s Guiyang Municipal government and the NASSCOM. In December 2017, NASSCOM established its first SIDCOP

platform in the Chinese port city of Dalian, which is India‟s first IT hub in China.

India, Russia conclude negotiations for S-400 Triumf deal

India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air

Force. Both countries are likely to announce the deal before an annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin

in October. Both sides are now looking at ways to insulate the deal from the sanctions announced by the US against Russia under its Countering America‟s

Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along

the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.

NEWSMAKERS

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visits India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28, 2018 met Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in New Delhi and discussed and financial inclusion and global

development finance. Queen Maxima is visiting India in her capacity as the UN Secretary-General‟s special advocate for inclusive finance for development.





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Section C: WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

Over 66% voters favour scrapping anti-abortion laws in Ireland

A total of 66.4 per cent of voters voted to scrap the present anti-abortion laws in Ireland in a referendum, according to the final results announced in Dublin

on May 26, 2018. A total of 33.6 per cent of voters chose to retain the present abortion laws that virtually ban abortions in the country.

Nearly 3.37 million voters were registered for the referendum and 64.1 per cent of them turned out in the voting held on May 25. The referendum received

an overwhelming victory in almost all the 40 constituencies across the country except in Donegal, a constituency in the country‟s northwest, with 51.9 per

cent of voters voting against repealing the Eighth Amendment.

Currently, abortion is only allowed when a woman‟s life is at risk, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality. Following the referendum, the

Eighth Amendment, which grants an equal right to life to the mother and unborn, will be replaced. A vote in favour of repeal has paved the way for the Dáil

(Irish Parliament) to legislate for change which would see the introduction of a much more liberal regime.

Pakistan’s Senate votes to merge FATA with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistan‟s Senate on May 25, 2018 endorsed a Constitutional amendment seeking to merge the restive tribal region of Federally Administered Tribal Areas

(FATA) along the Afghanistan border with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest, a day after the historic move was overwhelmingly passed by the

National Assembly.

The amendment was passed with a 229-1 vote in the National Assembly on May 24, bringing an end to 150-year-old British-era arrangement. The bill which

needed 69 votes was supported by 71 Senators while only five members opposed it.

The bill will now be presented in the assembly of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province as it aims to change the territory of the province by merger of tribal region

into it. According to the Constitution, any change in the territory of a province must be passed with two-thirds majority by the assembly of the respective

province.

SCO legal experts meet in Pakistan to discuss extremism, terrorism

Legal experts from SCO member states met in the Pakistani capital Islamabad and discussed proposals to increase cooperation to combat extremism and

terrorism. The legal experts‟ group meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) started on May 23 and

ended on May 25, 2018. This was the first ever SCO meeting to be held in Pakistan since it become a member of the grouping in June, 2017 along with India.

Legal experts from eight member states, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan, as well as representatives of

the SCO-RATS executive committee participated in the meeting.

The SCO-RATS, based in Tashkent, was established by the member states of the SCO in 2001 to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism.

As a permanent organ of the SCO, it is a regional forum for exchange of views and best practices on countering terrorism and extremism. The highest

decision-making body of the SCO-RATS is the council, which meets once in six months.





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108th

session of UNWTO Executive council held in San Sebastian

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, K. J. Alphons along with a delegation of senior officials attended the 108th

session of UNWTO

Executive Council held in San Sebastian, Spain from May 23 to 25, 2018. The Executive council decided that in order to address new challenge and trends, the

organization will pay special attention to scaling up innovation and digitization in the sector. During the three day Executive Council meeting, K. J. Alphons

chaired the „Programme and Budget Committee‟ meeting of UNWTO.

Putin and Abe discuss peace treaty over Kuril Islands

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japan‟s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 27, 2018 pledged to move forward on a peace treaty to solve a territorial

dispute over the Kuril Islands. The Soviet takeover of the islands in the closing days of World War II has soured relations between the two countries for 70

years. The summit in Moscow is the latest attempt to draw a line under World War II since Japan and the Soviet Union began discussions in 1956.

Pakistan’s Sindh province assembly passes bill to allow Hindu widows to remarry

A landmark Bill allowing Hindu widows to remarry has been passed by the assembly of Pakistan‟s Sindh Province. The bill was initially moved by Nand Kumar

Goklani of the Pakistan Muslim League. The Bill allows Hindu widows to remarry out of their own free will but only after a period of six months has lapsed

after their husband‟s death.

Colombia joins global partnership program of NATO

Colombia will become NATO‟s first partner in Latin America. President Juan Manuel Santos said in capital Bogota on May 25, 2018 that the country‟s entry

into the military alliance‟s global partnership program will take place the forthcoming summit of NATO in Brussels. NATO‟s other partners include nations

such as Japan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Mongolia and Iraq that work with NATO in some areas. Colombian authorities said the partnership will help in

training a military that confronts threats from transnational criminal networks and instability in neighbouring Venezuela.

China, Burkina Faso establish ties following Taiwan snub

China and Burkina Faso signed an agreement on May 26, 2018 to establish diplomatic relations, days after the west African nation cut ties with Taiwan. A

communique on establishing relations was signed in Beijing by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart Alpha Barry. Burkina Faso broke off ties

with Taiwan on May 24 leaving the democratically ruled island with only 18 diplomatic allies around the world. China and Taiwan split in 1949 after a civil war

was won by the Chinese Communists. The two sides often use economic support and other aid as bargaining chips for diplomatic recognition. Earlier in May

2018, the Dominican Republic switched recognition to Beijing, terminating a 77-year diplomatic relationship to recognise China.

Cyclone Mekunu lashes Oman, Yemen

Cyclone Mekunu blew into the Arabian Peninsula on May 26, 2018, drenching arid Oman and Yemen, cutting off power lines and leaving at least three dead

and 40 missing. Five people including an Indian national were killed and at least 40 missing on the Yemeni island of Socotra on May 25 as Cyclone Mekunu

disrupted the area before passing through Arabian Peninsula‟s southern coast. India‟s Meteorological Department said the storm packed maximum sustained

winds of 170-180 kilometres (105-111 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 200 kph (124 mph). It called the cyclone “extremely severe.”

Hamburg to host 2018 Global Wind Summit

The first edition of the Global Wind Summit will be held in Hamburg (Germany) from September 25 to 28, 2018. The conference on wind is the largest and

most important meeting of the wind industry worldwide. The focus of the conferences would be on three major subjects: Dynamic markets, cost efficiency

and smart energy. India is fourth largest country -- after China, the US and Germany -- in terms of wind energy installation capacity at around 33 GW. The

government has set a target of achieving 60 GW by 2022.

European Union’s new data protection rules come into force

The European Union‟s new data protection laws came into effect in Brussels on May 25, 2018. The data protection laws are known as General Data Protection

Regulation (GDPR). GDPR empowers people to control their personal information, setting a strong standard for privacy and data protection.

North Korea demolishes nuclear test site

North Korea carried out what it said is the demolition of its nuclear test site on May 24, 2018, setting off a series of explosions over several hours in the

presence of foreign journalists. The explosions at the nuclear test site deep in the mountains of the North‟s sparsely populated northeast were centred on

three tunnels into the underground site and a number of observation towers in the surrounding area. The planned closing was previously announced by





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leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his planned summit with US President Donald Trump in June 2018. The North‟s decision to close the Punggye-ri nuclear test site

has generally been seen as a welcome gesture by Kim to set a positive tone ahead of the summit.

Trump cancels June 12 summit meeting with Kim Jong un

In a surprise move, US President Donald Trump on May 24, 2018 cancelled his proposed summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12

in Singapore and blamed Pyongyang‟s “tremendous anger” and “open hostility” for his decision.

Nepal first country in south-east Asia to eliminate trachoma: WHO

Nepal has become the first country in south-east Asia to eliminate trachoma, world‟s leading cause of preventable blindness of infectious origin, the World

Health Organisation (WHO) said in a statement on May 23, 2018. “It is a big step towards the health of everyone and comes at a time when Nepal accelerates

its fight against other neglected tropical diseases as well,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said.

White House releases commemorative coin before Kim-Trump meet

The White House has released a commemorative coin to mark the June 12 meeting between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader

Kim Jong-un. Released by the White House Communications Agency on May 21, 2018, the “trip coin” describes the North Korean leader as the “supreme

leader” and the occasion as peace talks. The much-anticipated meeting between the two leaders is scheduled to be held in Singapore on June 12.

NEWSMAKERS

Saad Hariri wins third term as Prime Minister of Lebanon

Saad Hariri has won a new term as Prime Minister of Lebanon after securing support from the vast majority of lawmakers in the country‟s new Parliament,

Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced on May 24, 2018.

Hariri received support from 111 politicians in the 128-seat Parliament. All major parliamentary blocs supported him, except for Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim

group supported by Iran, which abstained. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called the results a “great moral and political victory.”

Hariri is the son and political heir of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was credited with ushering Lebanon into a reconstruction era after its 15-year

civil war that ended in 1990. The five-time Prime Minister was assassinated in a 2005 bombing that plunged Lebanon into political crisis.

Ex-ISI chief Lt.-Gen. Asad Durrani (retd.) placed on ‘no-fly’ list by Pakistan govt.

Pakistan‟s military on May 28, 2018 took the unprecedented step of preventing a former ISI head from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-

authoring a book that touches on Pakistan‟s alleged role in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

Lt.-Gen. Asad Durrani (retd.), who headed Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from 1990 to 1992, was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), stopping him from

leaving the country.

Lt. Gen. Durrani has been mired in controversy since the recent release of „The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace‟. He wrote the book with A.S.

Dulat, former head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). It is based on a series of discussion between the two on various subjects including tense

relations with India. The book also suggests that the Pakistani authorities may have known about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and may have later

handed over information to the U.S.

Lt.-Gen. Durrani was also summoned to the military headquarters for allegedly violating the institution‟s code of conduct. The military then announced a

court of inquiry into his alleged misconduct and said he had been placed on the ECL, marking the first instance such controls have been placed on a former

spy chief.

Ex-chief justice Nasirul Mulk named caretaker PM of Pakistan

Pakistan‟s former chief justice Nasirul Mulk was on May 28, 2018 named as the caretaker prime minister until general elections on July 25. The caretaker

administration will not make any major decisions. The announcement came after weeks of deadlock between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

(PML-N) and the Opposition over the name of the caretaker prime minister.

Children’s author Richard Peck dies at 84





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Richard Peck, a former English teacher who won many awards for his novels for young readers, died in Manhattan. He was 84. In all, he wrote more than 40

books, mostly for fourth- to seventh-graders but sometimes for teenagers. He also wrote a few for adults, including London Holiday (1998) and New York

Time (1981), and a memoir, Anonymously Yours (1991).

Apollo 12 mission astronaut Alan Bean dies at 86

Alan Bean, a NASA astronaut who journeyed into space two times and, as part of the Apollo 12 mission in 1969, became the fourth man to walk on the moon,

died at the age of 86 in Houston on May 26, 2018. He made his first voyage into space on November 14, 1969, four months after the historic first landing on

the moon of Apollo 11, commanded by Neil Armstrong. The three astronauts aboard Apollo 12 were Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr., the mission commander,

Richard F. Gordon Jr., the command module pilot, and Bean, whose duty was as lunar module pilot.

American literary giant Philip Roth dies at 85

Prolific novelist Philip Roth, a dominant force in American literature throughout the latter half of the 20th century, died on May 22, 2018 in Manhattan at the

age of 85. Roth won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his acclaimed novel “American Pastoral.” Roth first gained attention with the 1959 novella

“Goodbye, Columbus”, for which he received the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction.

Gina Haspel sworn in as CIA’s first female director

Gina Haspel was sworn in on May 21, 2018 as the first female director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in its 71-year history at the agency‟s

headquarters in Langley, in the US state of Virginia.





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Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Twin spacecraft to track Earth’s water cycle successfully launched

A twin spacecraft to track the global water cycle has been successfully launched aboard the a SpaceX rocket, along with five communications satellites on

May 23, 2018. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) is a joint mission by NASA and the German Research Centre for

Geosciences (GFZ). It lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA. Over its five-year mission, GRACE-FO will

monitor the movement of mass around our planet by measuring where and how the moving mass changes Earth‟s gravitational pull.





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Section E: AWARDS

Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 presented to the INSV Tarini Team

Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 to the members of the INSV Tarini team in New Delhi

on May 24, 2018. The six-member all-women team comprising Lt Commander Vartika Joshi, Lt Commander Pratibha Jamwal, Lt Commander Swathi Paternally

,Lt Aishwarya Boddapati, Lt SH Vijaya Devi and Lt Payal Gupta received the Puraskar.

President Ram Nath Kovind had conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskars on International Women‟s Day (March 8) in Rashtrapati Bhavan. As the INSV Tarini team

was sailing then, the award could not be presented to the team.

The crew of the Indian Navy Sailing Vessel „Tarini‟ is a part of the Indian Navy‟s unique project „Navika Sagar Parikrama‟, an all-women team circumnavigating

the globe,

The 6-member all-women team, led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi circumnavigated and managed the whole operation in this first ever global

journey. The voyage which lasted for 254 days, with 199 days at sea covered 21600 nautical miles, had 5 port calls in Fremantle, Australia; Lyttelton, New

Zealand; Port Stanley, Falklands; Cape Town, South Africa and finally at Mauritius before returning home to Goa. All six members of the crew were trained for

over three years under Captain Dilip Donde, who is also the first Indian to successfully carry out solo-circumnavigation of the globe between 2009 and 2010.

Virat Kohli is International Cricketer of the Year at CEAT awards

India skipper Virat Kohli won the International Cricketer of the Year Award at the CEAT Cricket Ratings awards which were presented in Mumbai on May 28,

2018.

India opener Shikhar Dhawan was presented the International Batsman of the Year Award, while New Zealand pace sensation Trent Boult won the

International Bowler of the Year Award.

Afghanistan‟s leg spinner Rashid Khan, who impressed everyone with his skills in the recently concluded Indian Premier League grabbing 21 wickets, was

presented with the T20 Bowler of the Year Award.

New Zealand‟s swashbuckling opening batsman Colin Munro won the T20 Batsman of the Year Award.

Indian cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, who single-handedly took the women‟s team to the final of the ICC Women‟s World Cup with her breath-taking knock of

171 not out against Australia in the semi-final, won the Outstanding Innings of the Year Award.

Mayank Agarwal, who had a dream domestic season with the bat for Karnataka, was given the Domestic Player of the Year Award.

Eighteen-year-old Shubman Gill, who made his mark in the U19 World Cup in Australia and the IPL while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, was the U-19

Player of the Year.

Swashbuckling West Indian batsman Chris Gayle was presented with the Popular Choice Award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed on former India wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer.





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Indian botanist Kamaljit S. Bawa receives Linnean Medal in UK

Indian botanist Kamaljit S. Bawa, president of Bengaluru-based non-profit Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), received the

prestigious Linnean Medal in Botany from the Linnean Society of London on May 24, 2018. Dr. Bawa is the first Indian to win the award ever since it was first

constituted in 1888.

Dr. Bawa was recognised for his pioneering research on the evolution of tropical plants, tropical deforestation, non-timber forest products and for decades of

work on the biodiversity of forests in Central America, the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalaya.

The Linnean Medal is awarded to a biologist every year by the Linnean Society of London (the world‟s oldest active biological society founded in 1788 and

named after famous Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus who gave us one of the systems of naming plants and animals). According to the society‟s website, it is

awarded “as an expression of the society‟s esteem and appreciation for service to science.”

Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk bags Man Booker International Prize

A novel about travel in the 21st century and human anatomy titled “Flights” by Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk has been awarded the Man Booker International

Prize for 2018. A counterpart to the prestigious Man Booker Prize, the 50,000 British Pounds award goes to the best work of translated fiction from anywhere

in the world and is split between the writer and the translator. “Flights” has been translated by Jennifer Croft and is published by Fitzcarraldo Editions.

Tokarczuk and Croft were presented the award at a ceremony in Victoria and Albert Museum in London on May 22, 2018.

UNEP recognises Cochin International Airport Ltd as world’s 1st solar airport

The United Nations Environment Programme recognised Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) as the world‟s first fully solar energy-powered airport. This

was announced by its global chief Erik Solheim on May 26, 2018.

Arunachal NGO honoured for conserving wildlife resources

An NGO from West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh has bagged the first prize from the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) for its efforts in

conserving rare wildlife resources in the area. The NBA, established by the Centre in 2003, honoured the Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve

(SBVCR) with a citation, a memento and a cash prize of Rs one lakh during a function in Hyderabad, an official release said on May 23, 2018.





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Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

Cabinet clears ordinance for amendments to bankruptcy code

The Cabinet on May 23, 2018 approved promulgation of an ordinance to amend the 16-month-old Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which proposes to

classify home buyers as “financial creditors” at par with lenders to help them quickly get refunds from defaulting companies.

The amendment comes months after a new Section 29A was added into the bankruptcy code in November, introducing four layers of ineligibility for

potential bidders.

The present amendment is based on recommendations of a 14-member government appointed committee that had last month suggested a slew of

measures, including addressing woes of home buyers and making recoveries easier for lenders.

The Insolvency Law Committee had recommended to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, that home buyers should be treated as financial creditors, which will

allow them to equitably participate in an insolvency resolution process.

The panel has also suggested relaxations for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the IBC.

With realty firms, such as Jaypee Infratech, facing insolvency proceedings, the ordinance, once approved by President Ramnath Kovind and promulgated, will

provide relief for home buyers facing hardships due to incomplete real estate projects.

Under the code, financial creditor implies any person to whom a financial debt is owed. The financial debt can include money borrowed for interest.

The panel had suggested that the government should exempt MSMEs from application of certain provisions of the code. “Illustratively, since usually only

promoters of an MSME are likely to be interested in acquiring it, applicability of section 29A has been restricted only to disqualify wilful defaulters from

bidding for MSMEs,” it had noted. Section 29A of the Code pertains to ineligibility criteria for bidders.

Besides, the panel had suggested that only those who contributed to defaults of the company or are otherwise undesirable should be ineligible from bidding

for stressed assets under the Code.

In January 2018, the IBC was amended to prevent unscrupulous persons from misusing the law. Wilful defaulters and those whose accounts have been

classified as non-performing assets, among others, are barred from bidding for stressed assets. The IBC, which came into force on December 2016, provides

for market-determined and time-bound insolvency resolution process.

Govt reconstitutes Financial Stability and Development Council

The government has reconstituted the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) to include secretaries from the revenue department as well as

Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY).

The FSDC, chaired by the Union Finance Minister, was set up in 2010 by the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The council comprises RBI Governor, SEBI Chairman, finance secretary, and secretaries in the departments of Economic Affairs, Financial Services and

Corporate Affairs.

The FSDC also has Chief Economic Advisor and chairpersons of insurance regulator IRDAI, pension regulator PFRDA and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board

(IBBI) as members.

The government, through a gazette notification, has now included Minister of State for Finance (who is in-charge of the Department of Economic Affairs);

Secretary, Department of Revenue; and Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as members of the FSDC.

The FSDC was set up to strengthen and institutionalise the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and

promoting financial sector development. Since 2010, the FSDC has held 18 meetings with the latest on December 29, 2017.

The move to include revenue secretary in FSDC follows increasing safeguards being put in place by the department to check tax evasion in both direct and

indirect taxes. Inclusion of MeitY Secretary in the FSDC comes at a time when there is increasing public gaze on the issue of data protection and privacy.

EPFO cuts administrative charges to 0.5%





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Employees‟ Provident Fund Organisation‟s trustees had decided to cut the administrative charges to 0.50% from 0.65% of total wage paid by employers in its

meeting this year. EPFO decided to cut the administrative charges in view of its expanding business and high recovery of such fees. According to EPFO

estimates, the employers would save in total around Rs. 900 crore annually after this move.

EPF interest rate hits 5-year low at 8.55%

The government has finally notified 8.55% interest rate on EPF for 2017-18, lowest in 5 years since the 2012-13 fiscal. The Employees‟ Provident Fund

Organisation (EPFO) has asked its more than 120 field offices to credit 8.55% rate of interest for 2017-18 into the PF accounts of close to 5 crore subscribers.

EPF‟s rate of interest for 2016-17 was 8.65%. It may be noted that the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), the apex decision making body of EPFO, headed by the

labour minister, had decided to fix 8.55% interest on PF for 2017-18 in its meeting held on Feb 21, 2018.

Paytm unveils initiative to educate women on financial services

Paytm Payments Bank on May 22, 2018 announced a programme Paytm AshaKiran aimed at educating rural women about financial services. In the first

phase, the bank has partnered with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) under its Disha project which is supported by IKEA Foundation and

women-related organisations like SHEROES “to mobilize self-help groups and organize workshops”. These workshops will be held in smaller cities and towns

across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

NEWSMAKERS

Reserve Bank of India appoints Sudha Balakrishnan as its first CFO

Sudha Balakrishnan, until recently the vice-president of National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL), has been appointed the first chief financial officer (CFO) of

the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with effect from May 15, according to an Economic Times report. Balakrishnan, a chartered accountant, will be the 12th

executive director of the RBI.

A recruitment notice issued by the RBI in October, 2017 said that the new CFO, in one of his/her key roles will be in charge of the Department of Government

and Bank Accounts and will responsible for formulating the accounting policy of the Bank, maintaining the internal accounts and reporting of financial results

through various statements of accounts, Balance Sheet and Profit & loss Account.

Balakrishnan will also be in charge of formulating the policy related to provident fund (PF) and the PF interest rates under the corporate strategy function. So

far, RBI‟s balance sheet and other financial functions were managed internally and there was no dedicated officer to do the job.

Govt appoints chairpersons of Dena, Punjab & Sind and Central Bank

The government on May 24, 2018 appointed non-executive chairpersons of three public sector banks- Dena Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank and Central Bank of

India. Former Corporate Affairs Secretary Tapan Ray will be the non-executive chairperson of Central Bank, former Reserve Bank of India director Dr Charan

Singh of Punjab & Sind Bank and ex-global partner at TPG Private Equity Anjali Bansal of Dena Bank. The appointments were based on recommendations of

the newly-reconstituted Banks Board Bureau (BBB) under Bhanu Pratap Sharma‟s leadership.

The appointments come at a time when these banks are under the strict watch of RBI. Dena Bank, Central Bank of India and Punjab & Sind Bank are among

11 PSBs under the RBI‟s prompt corrective action (PCA). These banks face severe restrictions-- including curbs on dividend distribution, branch expansion and

management compensation-- for breaching various limits. In fact, RBI has put restrictions on all fresh lending by Dena Bank.





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Section G: ECONOMY

E-Way Bill system for intra-State movement of goods rolled out in more States/UTs

As per the decision of the GST Council, e-Way Bill system for inter-State movement of goods was rolled out from April 1, 2018. As on May 23, e-Way Bill

system for intra-State movement of goods had been rolled out in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal

Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Union

Territory of Puducherry.

E-Way Bills are getting generated successfully and till May 23, more than five crore and thirty lakh e-Way Bills have been successfully generated which

includes more than one crore and sixty lakh e-Way Bills for intra-State movement of goods.

The e-Way Bill system for intra-State movement of goods was introduced in more states and UTs on May 25. These are: Maharashtra, Manipur, Andaman &

Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.

Twenty seven States / Union Territories have now implemented the e-Way Bill system for intra-State movement of goods with the roll-out of the same on

May 25.

15th

Finance Commission constitutes High Level Group on Health Sector

The Fifteenth Finance Commission has constituted a high level group consisting of eminent experts from across the country in Health Sector. Dr. Randeep

Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi will be its Convenor.

The group will evaluate the existing regulatory framework in the Health sector and examine its strength and weaknesses for enabling a balanced yet faster

expansion of the health sector keeping in view India‟s demographic profile;

It will also suggest ways and means to optimize the use of existing financial resources and to incentivize the state governments‟ effort on fulfillment of well-

defined health parameters in India

It will holistically examine best international practices for the health sector and seek to benchmark our frameworks to these practices for optimizing benefits

keeping in mind our local issues.

Convenor and Members of the High Level Group on Health Sector: Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi (Convenor); Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman,

Narayana Health City, Bengaluru; Dr. Deelip Govind Mhaisekar, Vice Chancellor, Maharashtra University of Health Science, Pune; Dr. Naresh Trehan, Medanta

City, Gurgaon; Dr. Bhabatosh Biswas, Prof & HOD of Cordio Thoracic Surgery, R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata; and Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President of

Public Health Foundation of India.

2nd

Advance Estimates of production of Horticulture Crops released

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare on May 28, 2018 released the 2017-18 (2nd

Advance Estimates) of Area and Production of

Horticulture Crops. These Estimates are based on the information received from different States/UTs in the country.

As per the 2nd

Advance Estimates prepared on the basis of information received from State Departments of Horticulture/Agriculture and various agencies like

Directorate of Arecanut & Species Development (DASD), Directorate of Cashew & Cocoa Development (DCCD) and National Bee Board (NBB) the total

horticulture production of the country is estimates to be 307.2 Million Tonnes during 2017-18 which is 2.2% higher than the previous year and 8.6% higher

than the past 5 year‟s average production.

The Production of fruits is estimated to be about 94.4 million tonnes which is about 2% higher than previous year production of vegetables is estimated to

be about 182 million tonnes which is about 2.2% higher than previous year.

Onion production in the current year is likely to be around 218 lakh Tonnes in 2016-17(Final) which when compared to 5 years average is about 8% higher.

Potato production is estimated at 503 Lakh Tonnes as against 486 lakh Tonnes in 2016-17 (Final) which is about 3.5% higher than the previous year. Tomato

production in the current year is likely to be around 220 lakh Tonnes as against 207 lakh Tonnes in 2016-17 (Final Est.) which is about 6.6% higher than the

previous year.

NSDC to Set Up Trainer and Assessor Academies across India

To meet the rising demand for trainers and assessors in India‟s skill development ecosystem, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) aims to

establish state- of-the-art Trainer and Assessor Academies in the country.





24

To complement this development, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and Temasek Foundation International are partnering NSDC on a Technical and Vocational

Education and Training (TVET) programme to build capabilities of 300 education leaders and specialists who will establish and manage these academies

across India. This programme is supported by Temasek Foundation International with a grant of S$502,955.

To formalise this programme, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NSDC and SP is expected to be signed during India Prime Minister Narendra

Modi‟s visit to Singapore from 31 May to 2 June 2018, said Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, NSDC on May 28, 2018.

Air passenger citizen charter for domestic sector launched

In good news for air travellers facing baggage-related issues, the air passenger citizen charter for domestic sector has proposed that an airline will have to

pay Rs 3,000 for loss of baggage and Rs 1,000 for damage.

The entitlement for passenger relating to baggage is crucial as cases of missing, stolen and damaged luggage have been reported by passengers from time

to time, often ending on a sour note with the airline concerned.

The charter was unveiled on May 22, 2018 and is expected to come into effect from August after a month-long consultation process with stake-holders. It has

proposed that if a passenger dies or suffers injuries on board an aircraft, the “limit of liability to be paid by the airline must be same for both international

and domestic passengers”.

DAC approves procurement of equipment for Defence Forces

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, met in New Delhi on May 28, 2018 and accorded approval for the

procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces valued at over Rs. 6900 crore. The DAC approved procurement of Thermal Imaging (TI) Night Sights for

the Rocket Launcher (RL) used by the Army and the Air Force under „BUY (Indian) IDDM‟ category through established Indian Vendors.

Engineering Wings of CAPFs authorised to execute construction works

Ministry of Home Affairs on May 25, 2018 issued orders, authorizing the Engineering Wings of CAPFs to function as Public works organizations. This will

enable them execute construction works upto Rs. 15 crore for execution of Major Works and Rs.1 crore for Minor Repair Works.

Ayushman Bharat a tectonic shift in Indian healthcare: PwC

Global consultancy firm PwC has said the Indian government‟s flagship programme „Ayushman Bharat‟ will result in a tectonic shift in the healthcare industry,

encouraging efficiency and innovation in the sector. The national health protection scheme aims to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (about

50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. PwC made this observation in

its report on „Financing and Funding Indian Healthcare: Navigating the Turbulent Tide‟.

Centre unveils model contract farming law

To ensure better price to farmers, the Centre on May 22, 2018 unveiled a model law on contract farming and services not only in agriculture crops but also in

livestock, dairy and poultry products. The draft Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (promotion and facilitation) Act 2018 seeks

to keep the contract farming/services contracts outside the ambit of respective Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act of the states, which

will help buyers save 5-10 per cent on their transaction cost. It also provides for setting up of a dispute settlement authority and imposition of penalties for

breach of contract. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that states should adopt the model law and implement it at the earliest for the benefit of

farmers.

Alcoholic beverages to carry warning on safe driving: FSSAI

Come April 2019 and all bottles containing alcoholic beverages will carry warning asking people not to drink and drive, the Food Safety and Standards

Authority of India (FSSAI) has said. The move comes following a Public Interest Litigation filed by social activist Prince Singhal. Citing Food Safety and

Standards (Alcoholic Beverages Standards) Regulations, 2018, the FSSAI in a recent order said the warning “Consumption of alcohol is injurious to health. Be

safe - Don‟t drink and drive” can be printed on the labels of alcoholic beverages -- both Indian Made Foreign Liquors (IMFL) and the imported ones.

CSC, SIDBI ink pact for financial support to village level entrepreneurs

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will provide financial support to village level entrepreneurs who operate the Common Service Centres that

act as access points for delivery of electronic services. An MoU to this effect was signed between SIDBI and Common Service Centres (CSC) in the presence of





25

Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi on May 24, 2018. The existing VLEs (village level entrepreneurs) who have been operating

CSCs for at least one year and looking to expand their operations are eligible for availing the financial support under the MoU, which is initially eyeing 50,000

VLEs.

NEWSMAKERS

TRIFED elects new Board of Directors

The General Body meeting of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) was held on May 25, 2018 in New Delhi in which

the 11th

Board of Directors was reconstituted and the Office Bearers were elected unanimously. Ramesh Chand Meena was elected as the Chairperson and

Pratibha Brahma was elected as the Vice Chairperson of TRIFED. Pravir Krishna is MD of TRIFED.

M. Venkatesh appointed MRPL MD

M. Venkatesh was on May 23, 2018 appointed as the Managing Director of PSU Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL). He has been

appointed to the post for a period of five years with effect from the date of his assumption of charge of the post on or after June 1, 2018, or till the date of

his superannuation.





26

Section H: CORPORATE

India ranked 44th

in IMD’s competitiveness rankings

India has moved one notch higher, to the 44th

place in terms of competitiveness, in the annual rankings compiled by International Institute for Management

Development (IMD) which placed the US in the top slot. The US became the most competitive economy globally driven by its strength in economic

performance and infrastructure, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore in the second and third place, respectively. The Netherlands and Switzerland were the

other two nations in the top five slots.

Regarding India, the report said, “some of the challenges which India has to face for the year 2018 would be skilling of manpower and employment

generation, streamlining the implementation of goods and services tax and balancing high growth with sustainable development goals”. The report further

noted that “digital literacy and adequate bandwidth at rural areas and mobilisation of resources for infrastructure development needs are few more key areas

where the government needs to concentrate”.

The other top 10 countries include Denmark (6th), the UAE (7th), Norway (8th) and Sweden (9th) and Canada (10th). The IMD World Competitiveness Center,

a research group at IMD business school in Switzerland, has published the rankings every year since 1989. This year 63 countries are ranked with Cyprus and

Saudi Arabia making their first appearance.

Ramdev’s Patanjali ties up with BSNL; launches Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards

After becoming India‟s most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods brand, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev‟s Patanjali on May 27, 2018 entered the telecom sector.

Baba Ramdev launched Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards, in alliance with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Initially, only the employees and office bearers

of Patanjali will be able to avail the benefits of the SIM card. After its full-fledged launch, people will get discount of 10 per cent on Patanjali products with

this card.

IMD teams up with BSNL to send extreme weather warnings

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is teaming up with state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to send extreme weather warnings to people.

This was stated by M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences. The move comes after the IMD came under criticism from several quarters, including

some state governments for not sending out specific alerts, a charge denied by the weather body. The area specific alerts will be sent to users if they are in

that particular place where the extreme weather pattern is going to occur, even if their phone numbers do not belong to that particular telecom circle.

TCS m-cap surges past Rs 7-lakh cr mark

Tata Consultancy Services‟ market capitalisation (m-cap) surged past Rs 7 lakh crore in intra-day on May 25, 2018, making it the first company to achieve this

milestone. The market valuation of TCS jumped to Rs 7,03,309 crore during the intra-day session on the BSE. At the close of trade, however, the m-cap of TCS

slipped below the Rs 7-lakh crore mark and stood at Rs 6,87,123.96 crore.

NITI Aayog and ABB India sign Statement of Intent

NITI Aayog and ABB India signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) on May 23, 2018 in New Delhi to support the Indian government realize its ambitious vision of

„Make in India‟ through advanced manufacturing technologies that incorporate the latest developments in robotics and artificial intelligence.

CCI approves Bayer’s $62.5 bn acquisition for US seed major Monsanto

Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of US seed major Monsanto Co by Bayer AG, in a decision that moves the $62.5 billion

deal a step closer to the finish line. German conglomerate Bayer is preparing to close the takeover this quarter, giving it control of more than 25 per cent of

the world‟s seed and pesticides market. Both Bayer and Monsanto had subsidiaries in India, making it mandatory for them to receive clearance from the CCI.

Five Indian brands among world’s top 100 luxury goods companies: Deloitte Report

Five Indian brands feature among the 100 largest luxury goods companies in the world, a Deloitte report said on May 22, 2018. The Indian companies in the

list are Titan Company (ranked 28th), Kalyan Jewellers India (37th), PC Jeweller (43th), Joyalukkas India (49th), Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri (89th), said the

report named “Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2018”.

NEWSMAKERS





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Sushant Singh Rajput to promote NITI’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform

Actor-turned entrepreneur Sushant Singh Rajput will promote NITI Aayog‟s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), which was launched earlier this year to

establish an enabling ecosystem for women across India. Rajput on May 25, 2018 signed an agreement to promote the Women Entrepreneurship Platform

(WEP) of the Aayog.

The actor will endorse the Women Entrepreneurship Platform and encourage use of Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) application by appearing in various

video, print and social media campaigns of NITI Aayog.

Rajput and his business partner Varun Mathur, through their recently launched company Innsaei Ventures, shall be setting aside a corpus of Rs 20 crore,

which shall be invested in start-ups established by women entrepreneurs.

NITI Aayog‟s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) was launched on March 8, 2018 on the occasion of the International Women‟s Day. It aims to power a

vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem through an enabling network of industry collaborations, partnerships, mentors and peer-to-peer connect.

Stacey Cunningham is the first woman to lead the NYSE

The New York Stock Exchange for the first time in its 226-year history will be led by a woman. Stacey Cunningham, who is the chief operating officer for the

NYSE Group, became President on May 25, 2018. Current NYSE President Thomas Farley, is leaving to head a special purpose acquisition company.

French industrialist Serge Dassault dies at 93

French billionaire industrialist Serge Dassault, whose group builds Rafale warplanes, died in Paris on May 28, 2018 aged 93. His Dassault group controls

Dassault Aviation, newspaper Le Figaro as well as holding major stakes in Dassault Systemes and Thales and smaller stakes in several other listed French

businesses.

IMFA founder & industrialist Bansidhar Panda passes away at the age of 87

Dr Bansidhar Panda, the doyen of Odisha industries and father of Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda, passed away in Bhubaneswar on May 22, 2018. He was 87.

Panda had founded IMFA (Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys) in 1961 and set up his first plant in Koraput district.





28

Section I: STATES

Central High-level Team calls Nipah virus disease in Kerala a local occurrence

Following directions of the Union Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda, a multi-disciplinary Central Team led by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is

presently in Kerala constantly reviewing the situation of the Nipah Virus Disease.

After reviewing the cases of all the patients who have lost their lives, the Central High-level Team on May 24, 2018 said that the Nipah virus disease is not a

major outbreak and is only a local occurrence. The Team has also further fine-tuned the draft guidelines, case definitions, advisory for healthcare workers,

information to the general public, advisories for sample collection and transportation accordingly.

About the virus

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic pathogen (transmitted from animals to humans) reported for the first

time in Malaysia in 1998 in a village known as Kampung Sungai Nipah. The virus‟s natural hosts are considered to be fruit bats although it has been found to

have been transmitted to humans from pigs as well as seen in Malaysia. In later outbreaks in Bangladesh, people were found to have been infected after

consuming date palm sap that was contaminated by virus-carrying fruit bats. The virus can be transmitted from humans to humans as well.

Transmission mode

Air-borne transmission of the virus can be ruled out, say health officials. WHO says humans could get infected if they come in direct contact with „sick pigs or

their contaminated tissues.‟ Secretions from fruit bats or pigs and droplets can also lead to transmission.

Symptoms

Influenza-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, sore throat, vomiting, dizziness and muscle pain are the symptoms associated with the viral infection. The

incubation period, or the period from infection to first symptoms, is generally 4-14 days though health officials say it can extend to 60 days as well.

Treatment

The fundamental mode of treatment is limited to intensive supportive care for neurological and respiratory complications. No vaccine or cure has been

invented yet.

Fatalities

Till May 27, 2018, a total of 13 fatalities have been confirmed for NiV in Kerala. It is a serious health crisis for the state but doctors say that the virus has been

largely contained and that all the fatalities can be tied to one single family. Since human-to-human contact is necessary for transmission, all the casualties

were those who came in contact with the initial victims who were infected. Most of the deaths occurred at the Kozhikode Medical College where they were

admitted.

Tamil Nadu closes Vedanta copper smelter permanently after bloody protest

Tamil Nadu on May 28, 2018 ordered the permanent closure of a copper smelter controlled by London-listed Vedanta Resources after 13 people protesting

to demand its shutdown on environmental concerns were killed on May 22. Residents and environmental activists have long demanded a shutdown of the

copper smelter operated by Vedanta‟s Sterlite Industries. The smelter is India‟s second-biggest with an annual production of more than 400,000 tonnes, citing

air and water pollution.

The plant, in the coastal city of Thoothukudi, has been shut since March 2018 for maintenance and pending a renewal of its licence, even as residents

continued largely peaceful protests demanding it be shut for good.

The opposition escalated on May 22 when thousands of people marched towards a government office on the 100th day of the protest. Ten people were

killed in police firing that day; three more died in subsequent days.

Vedanta says it has already evacuated about 3,500 employees from the plant site due to the tensions.

On May 23, 2018, the Madras High Court had stayed the construction work at Vedanta Ltd‟s second copper smelter plant at Thoothukudi. Hearing a public

interest petition (PIL) against the company‟s application for renewal of environmental clearance for the second copper smelter plant project, the Madurai

Bench of the High Court ordered that the application be processed after mandatory public hearing.

Kerala tourism to unveil world’s largest bird sculpture





29

Kerala tourism will inaugurate the world‟s largest bird sculpture, Jatayu Earth‟s Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on July 4, Tourism Minister Kadakampally

Surendran said on May 22, 2018. The replica of the bird „Jatayu‟ -- a character in the Ramayana -- is 200 feet long, 150 feet wide, 65 feet tall and is positioned

right at the top of a rock situated 1,000 feet above sea level. The sculpture, spread over 65 acres in Thiruvananthapuram, has been built at a cost of Rs 100

crore.

PM inaugurates expressway projects in Delhi NCR

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 27, 2018 dedicated to the nation, two newly built expressways in the Delhi NCR Region and addressed a public

meeting in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.

The first of these is the 14 lane, access controlled, Phase-I of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, stretching from Nizamuddin Bridge to Delhi UP Border. One

completed, this expressway will significantly reduce travel times from the National Capital to Meerut, and to several other parts of Western Uttar Pradesh and

Uttarakhand. This expressway stretches from Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi to UP Border. This is the first National Highway in the country with 14 lanes.

The second project to be dedicated to the nation is the 135 km long Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), stretching from Kundli on NH 1 to Palwal on NH 2.

EPE will contribute towards the twin objectives of decongesting and de-polluting the national capital by diverting traffic not destined for Delhi.

Himachal CM launches three schemes

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched schemes for assistance to youths to start self-employment ventures, distribution of LPG

connections to households and a programme to address public grievances in effective manner in Shimla on May 26, 2018.

The chief minister said that „Jan Manch‟ to be organised on first Sunday of every month would go a long way in prompt redressal of public grievances.

Thakur said Mukhya Mantri Swavlamban Yojana would provide self-employment opportunities to the youth of the state in the age group of 18-35 years. They

would be given 25 per cent investment subsidy for purchase of machinery on an input of Rs 40 lakh. The subsidy would be 30 per cent for women

entrepreneurs.

Under „Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana‟, gas connections would be provided to all the households which have not been covered under the Ujjawala Scheme.

Tata Trusts signs MoU with govt to support development in Naxal-hit districts of Chhattisgarh

The Tata Trusts has joined hands with the government to help it in development initiatives in eight worst Naxal-affected districts in Chhattisgarh, which were

covered under the “transformation of aspirational” districts programme. Tata Trusts, the philanthropic organisation started by the promoters of the Tata

group, has signed an MoU with the government to provide technical and human resource assistance to the special development programme launched by the

NITI Aayog.

As per the pact, the Tata Trusts will help the government in conducting surveys and providing ground level and technical support in raising the living

standards of citizens. The eight worst Naxal-hit districts, which were chosen for the programme and would be helped by the Tata Trusts are Rajnandgaon,

Kanker, Bastar, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma.

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January, the „Transformation of Aspirational Districts‟ programme aims to quickly and effectively transform

some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country. Over 100 districts from across the country were chosen to implement the ambitious programme.

Health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure are the programme‟s core

areas of focus.

Incubation centre and Food Testing Laboratory inaugurated at NIFTEM in Sonipat

Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that the Ministry will collaborate with multiple international laboratories testing

various food products so that the food products approved by laboratories at National Institute of Food Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) get

worldwide acceptability. The Minister was speaking to the media at the inauguration ceremony of an Incubation centre and Food Testing Laboratory at

NIFTEM in Sonipat, Haryana on May 25, 2018.

PM lays foundation stone for Patratu Super Thermal Power Project





30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone on May 25, 2018 for the 2400MW first phase of NTPC‟s Patratu Super Thermal Power Project in

Jharkhand. The project is a 74: 26 Joint Venture between Government of Jharkhand (GoJ) and Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd. (PVUN), a subsidiary

company of NTPC establishing a total capacity expansion of 4,000MW.

PM inaugurates Digital Art Gallery of NHAI in Haryana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 27, 2018 inaugurated the Digital Art Gallery of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at the toll plaza in Jakhauli

village in Sonepat district of Haryana.

Main event of International Yoga Day to be held in Dehradun

The main event of 4th International Yoga Day celebrations (IDY-2018) will be held on June 21 at Dehradun in Uttrakhand. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary,

Ministry of AYUSH announced on May 28, 2018 that Dehradun has been selected as the venue for Mass Yoga Demonstration (Main Event).

NIA convicts five IM militants for 2013 Bodh Gaya serial blasts

A special NIA court in Patna on May 25, 2018 convicted five Indian Mujahideen militants in the Bodh Gaya serial blasts case of 2013. Special NIA judge Manoj

Kumar Sinha held all the five accused - Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujib Ullah, Omair Siddiqui and Azharuddin Qureishi - guilty in the case under various

sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act and the Explosives Act. The pilgrim town of Bodh Gaya was rocked by a series of

explosions in the morning of July 7, 2013 which had left a number of people, including some Buddhist monks, injured.

NIC launches new data centre in Bhubaneswar

The National Informatics Center (NIC) on May 28, 2018 launched its fourth data centre in Bhubaneswar after such centres at New Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune.

Union Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the centre. The new cloud-enabled National Data Centre aims to offer round-the-clock

operations with secure hosting for various e-governance applications of Central and state governments and has ability to support 35,000 virtual servers.

Gaj Yatra honours Meghalaya’s elephant corridor effort

In 2014, villagers in Meghalaya‟s Garo Hills set aside a part of their community-owned land to create village reserve forests to give right of passage to

elephants. In acknowledgement of that gesture, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) on May 28,

2018 rolled out the „Gaj Yatra‟ from Tura, the principal town of Garo Hills. „Gaj Yatra‟, a “journey celebrating India‟s national heritage animal”, aims at securing

100 elephant corridors across India. Four of these are in Meghalaya, including the Siju-Rewak corridor that some 1,000 elephants use to travel between the

Balpakram and Nokrek National Parks in the State.

Ordinance approved for India’s first sports varsity in Manipur

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 23, 2018 approved an ordinance to set up the country‟s first National Sports University

in Manipur. The proposed university will be spread over 325 acres in Imphal West district and cost Rs 524 crore.

NEWSMAKERS

H.D. Kumaraswamy sworn in as chief minister of Karnataka

H.D. Kumaraswamy of Janata Dal (Secular) was sworn-in as the 24th

chief minister of Karnataka on May 23, 2018, marking the beginning of the JD(S)-Congress

alliance in the state. G. Parameshwara of Congress took oath as the state‟s Deputy Chief Minister. Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath at

a ceremony held outside the Vidhana Soudha, the state assembly.

Fifty-eight-year-old Kumaraswamy was invited to form the government in Karnataka after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led B S Yeddyurappa stepped down

within three days of taking over as the state chief minister, following a fractured mandate of Karnataka assembly polls.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats, only eight seats short of the simple majority mark of 112. On the other hand, the Congress party

with 78 seats and JD(S) with 37 seats, along with two independent candidates, stitched up a post-poll alliance with a total of 117 MLAs.

However, the Governor invited BJP‟s Yeddyurappa to form a government on May 16, and gave him 15 days to prove majority, amid huge uproar by the

opposition.





31

On May 18, the Supreme Court, on the plea of the Congress and JD(S), shifted the floor test to May 19. Unable to garner the required number by the

deadline, Yeddyurappa stepped down from the post of chief minister before the floor test could be conducted.

Kumaraswamy, the son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, had earlier served as the chief minister of the state from February 2006 to October 2007

On May 25, 2018, the three-day old H. D. Kumaraswamy government won the vote of confidence in the Legislative Assembly. The motion expressing

confidence in the Kumaraswamy government was adopted by voice vote in the presence of JD (S)-Congress coalition MLAs and other lawmakers supporting

the government. The BJP members staged a walkout before the trust vote was taken. Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) nominee K.R. Ramesh Kumar was elected

the Assembly Speaker

BJD leader & Lok Sabha MP from Odisha Baijayant Panda quits party

Odisha Lok Sabha MP and Biju Janta Dal leader Baijayant Jay Panda quit the party on May 28, 2018. The MP from Kendrapara district submitted his

resignation letter to BJD chief and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Panda has been a parliamentarian of the BJD since 2000 and was a founding member of

Biju Janata Dal. He was suspended from the party‟s primary membership in January 2018 on disciplinary grounds.

Newly elected Karnataka Congress MLA S B Nyamgoud dies at 71

Senior Congress legislator Siddu Bhimappa Nyamgoud from Karnataka‟s Bagalkot district died in a road accident on May 28, 2018 at the age of 71.

Nyamgoud was re-elected to the state Assembly in the May 12 election, defeating BJP‟s Kulkarni Shrikant Subrao by 2,795 votes. The veteran party leader was

a Union Minister in the P V Narasimha Rao cabinet in 1990-91.

Veteran Telugu actor, producer Madala Ranga Rao dies at 69

Noted Telugu film personality Madala Ranga Rao, also popularly known as “Red Star” for his revolutionary movies, died at the age of 69 in Hyderabad on

May 27, 2018. He acted and produced several films with leftist ideologies. He received the prestigious Golden Nandi award from the then Andhra Pradesh

government for his film „Yuvatharam Kadilindhi‟.

Veteran Gujarati writer, humourist Vinod Bhatt dies at 80

Eminent Gujarati writer and humourist Vinod Bhatt died in Ahmedabad on May 23, 2018 at the age of 80. The veteran writer was best known for his humour

columns in Gujarati newspapers, which were popular among the masses for years.

Commemorative stamp on C. Kesavan released

A commemorative postage stamp of veteran freedom fighter and Chief Minister of erstwhile Travancore-Kochi C Kesavan was released at a function in

Thiruvananthapuram on May 23, 2018. The stamp is certainly a fitting homage to the memory of the hero of the „abstention movement‟ of the 1930s,

Governor P Sathasivam said. The abstention movement started as a protest against constitutional reforms in 1932.

President appoints Odisha, Mizoram Governors

President Ram Nath Kovind on May 25, 2018 appointed new Governors of two states - Odisha and Mizoram. President Kovind appointed Professor Ganeshi

Lal as the Governor of Odisha with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. He also appointed Kummanam Rajasekharan to be the Governor of

Mizoram. Rajasekharan will replace incumbent Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma, who is completing his tenure on May 28. Rajasekharan is the current president of

Bharatiya Janata Party‟s (BJP) Kerala unit.





32

Section J: SPORTS

Chennai Super Kings win IPL

Chennai Super Kings (181/2 in 18.3 overs) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) 178/6 (20 overs) in final by 8 wickets in the final to win the 2018 edition of

Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 27, 2018. Kane Williamson was the captain of the losing side

while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) was led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Shane Watson who made 117 not out in 57 balls for CSK was named Player of the Match.

CSK won the toss and elected to field first. Tom Moody and Stephen Fleming were coaches of SRH and CSK respectively.

The 2018 season of the Indian Premier League was its eleventh season held from April 7 to May 27. This season saw the return of the Chennai Super Kings

and the Rajasthan Royals after serving two years of suspension for the involvement of their respective owners in the 2013 IPL betting case.

Awards

Emerging player of the season award was won by Rishabh Pant of Delhi Daredevils. He made 684 runs in 14 matches. Purple cap for most wickets in the

tournament was given to Andrew Tye of Kings XI Punjab for taking 24 wickets in 14 matches. Orange cap for most runs in the tournament was given to Kane

Williamson of Sunrisers Hyderabad for making 735 runs in 17 matches. The Most Valuable Player award was won by Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders

for making 357 runs and taking 17 wickets in 16 matches. Rishabh Pant also won Stylish Player of the Season award. Narine also won Super Striker of the

Season. Perfect Catch of the Season award was won by Trent Boult. IPL Fairplay award was won by Mumbai Indians.

AB de Villiers announces retirement from international cricket

Former South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers announced his retirement from international cricket on May 23, 2018. The 34-year-old holds several records

including the world‟s fastest ODI half-century, century and 150. De Villiers scored 8,765 runs in 114 Tests with 22 centuries (average 50.66), 9,577 runs in 228

ODIs with 25 centuries and 1,672 runs in 78 T20Is with 10 half-centuries. Starting out as a wicketkeeper-batsman, he finished his career with 463 catches,

including those behind the wicket and in the field, as well as 17 stumpings.

ICC bars cricketers from wearing smartwatch

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on May 25, 2018 warned players to stop wearing smartwatches during play to avoid any allegations of match-fixing.

Some Pakistan players were seen sporting the devices during the opening day of their first test against England at Lord‟s on May 24 and were cautioned by

an ICC anti-corruption officer.

BCCI goes ‘green’ by joining hands with UN

The BCCI and UN Environment on May 27, 2018 signed an agreement to promote green‟ cricket in India. BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and Erik

Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment, signed a letter of intent at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 to win Champions League

Gareth Bale scored twice as Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League final in Kiev on May 27, 2018. Karim Benzema scored the first goal

of the match for Real Madrid. Sadio Mane scored the only goal for the losing side.

China wins Thomas Cup Men’s Team Badminton Championship

China won the Men‟s Team title at the Thomas Cup Badminton Championship held in Bangkok by beating Japan 3-1 in the final held on May 27, 2018. In the

first Singles match Japan‟s Kento Momota beat Chen Long 21-9, 21-18. China‟s Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan won the Doubles match beating Takuto Inoue and

Yuki Kaneko 21-10, 21-18 making the score 1-1. China‟s Shi Yuqi made it 2-1 by defeating Japan‟s Kenta Nishimoto 21-12, 21-17 in the second Singles match

making the score 2-1. The 5-match contest ended in 3-1 in China‟s favour when its Doubles pair Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen beat Japan‟s Keigo Sonoda and

Yuta Watanabe 17-21, 21-19, 22-20. The fifth match was not played.

Japan wins Uber Cup Women’s Team Badminton Championship

Japan won the Women‟s Team title at the Uber Cup Badminton Championship held in Bangkok by beating hosts Thailand 3-1 in the final held on May 26,

2018. Japan went ahead 1-0 when Akane Yamaguchi defeated Ratchanok Intanon 21-15, 21-19. Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota made the score 2-0 by

beating the Thai pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Puttita Supajirakul in the Doubles match 21-18, 21-12. Japan won the Uber Cup when Nozomi Okuhara

won the Singles match against Thailand‟s Nitchaon Jindapol 21-12, 21-9.





33

India bag silver, bronze in archery World Cup

India opened its account with a silver and a bronze medal in the compound section of the ongoing second stage of the archery World Cup Stage II in Antalya

on May 25, 2018. India‟s women compound team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Muskan Kirar and Divya Dhayal lost to their Chinese Taipei opponents by three

points to settle for a silver. In another event, mixed pair of Abhisek Verma and Jyothi prevailed over Belgian duo of Reginald Kools and Sarah Prieels 158-155

in the bronze play-off to add a second medal to India‟s tally.

Cristiano Ronaldo named most famous athlete in the world by ESPN World Fame 100

Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni appeared in the top 20 biggest names in the world of sports while Cristiano Ronaldo was tagged the most famous

athlete in the world, according to ESPN World Fame 100, released on May 22, 2018. Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Ronaldo leads the list for the third

successive year. NBA superstar LeBron James and Barcelona star Lionel Messi take the second and third spot. ESPN uses various categories to score athletes

around the world including search score, social media as well as endorsement deals to come to a judgement. Indians in the list: Virat Kohli (11th), MS Dhoni

(20th), Rohit Sharma (30th), Suresh Raina (41st), Saina Nehwal (50th), Yuvraj Singh (57th), R Ashwin (71st), Harbhajan Singh (80th), Gautam Gambhir (83rd),

Shikhar Dhawan (94th), Sania Mirza (100th)

Tejaswini wins gold, Chain Singh silver at Munich World Cup

Tejaswini Sawant won a gold in the women‟s 50m Rifle Prone event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol stage in Munich on May 23, 2018. Sawant shot 621.4 to

pip younger teammate Anjum Moudgil, who shot 621.2 to win Silver in the event. Chain Singh also won a silver in the men‟s 50m Rifle Prone event finishing

behind USA‟s Matthew Emmons who won gold.

Srinath Narayanan is Kolkata Open chess champion

Srinath Narayanan won the LIC 3rd Kolkata Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament in Kolkata on May 22, 2018.

Former NZ athlete Dick Quax dies aged 70

Former 5,000m world record-holder and Olympic medallist for New Zealand, Dick Quax, died in Wellington on May 28, 2018 at the age of 70. Quax won silver

in the 5,000m at the 1976 Montreal Games, and 1,500m silver at the 1970 Commonwealth Games. In May 1977, he broke the 5,000m world record with a time

of 13 minutes 12.9 seconds.

Daniel Ricciardo wins Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo won the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix on May 27, 2018. He was followed by Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel and Lewis

Hamilton of Mercedes in second and third places respectively.

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