Daily Current affairs - May 23rd, 2017 for all competitive exams
The International Day for Biodiversity (IDB) 2017
was celebrated all over the country on May 22, by different States and various
organisations.
- The International Day for Biological Diversity was first
established in 1993, when the 29th of December was selected to serve as
the day to educate the world of the importance of Biodiversity. This was
later changed to the 22 of May in 2000. Too many winter holidays were
interfering with countries holding meaningful celebrations.
- 2017 Theme: “Biodiversity
and Sustainable Tourism”.
The 52nd Annual Meetings of the African
Development bank are being held in Gandhinagar. This is the first time that the Annual Meetings of
AfDB are being held in India. These Meetings are the Bank’s
largest annual event and serve to raise the profile of the institution on the
global stage.
- The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is a multilateral development finance
institution established to contribute to the economic development and
social progress of African countries.
- The AfDB was founded in 1964 and comprises three
entities: The African Development Bank, the African
Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund.
India joined
the African Development Fund in 1982, and became a member of the Bank in 1983.
India is a non-regional member of the Bank.
The incredibly rare Arisaema
translucens, more commonly remembered as the cobra lily, was recently
rediscovered in the western Nilgiris after 84 years. It was last collected in
1932.
- Barely a few hundred cobra lily plants are left in the wild
and they can be found only in a small area measuring less than 10
square kilometres in the Nilgiris.
The world’s smallest
republic, the tiny island nation of Nauru — has become the sixth country
to ratify the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework pact initiated by the
Indian and French Governments at the climate change summit held at Paris in
2015.
- Five more nations, from Africa, — Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire,
Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti — have committed to sign the pact during the
ongoing meeting of the African Development bank in India.
The Manipur Cabinet has decided to extend the
Disturbed Areas Act for another period of six months to facilitate the
imposition of the AFSPA except in seven Assembly segments in Imphal. The
government had lifted the AFSPA from these segments on August 12, 2004.
- In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, the Governor
of Manipur declares the entire state of Manipur, excluding the Imphal
Municipal Area, as “Disturbed Area”.
- The Commission also expects comments on the preventive
measure taken/proposed...to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur.
- The CM also suggested a ban on use of plastic at the tourist spot which is a four-tiered waterfall on the Mandovi river
In what is being touted as the first of its kind
by a State-run tourism corporation in the country, the Karnataka State Tourism
Development Corporation (KSTDC) has decided to offer a ‘women’s special’ tour
package.
- The package, a three-day, two-night tour of Mysuru and
Kodagu, promises to be a unique experience for women travellers.
Everest’s Hillary Step may have collapsed
A famous feature of Mount Everest called ‘The Hillary Step’ —
a near vertical outcrop of rock — has collapsed, a British mountaineer has
said.
- However, local sherpas say the feature is intact and under
snow. The outcrop was named in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary.
A United
Nations-backed panel has publicly released a draft treaty banning the
possession and use of all nuclear weapons.
- The draft treaty is the culmination of a sustained campaign,
supported by more than 130 non-nuclear states, to prohibit nuclear weapons
and persuade nuclear-armed states to disarm.
- Nine countries that are known to possess nuclear weapons
are- the US, UK, Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and
Israel has not supported the draft plan.
- The President, as advised by the Prime Minister, directed
that Mr. Singh shall be assigned the additional charge during the period
of indisposition of Mr. Paswan, who is at present undergoing treatment
abroad.
A 43-year-old UK
entrepreneur has become the first India-born woman to be elected as a
councillor to a ward in the UK.
- Rehana Ameer, who was born and raised in Chennai, contested
from Vintry ward in the City of London county as an independent candidate.
Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI) has closed another major deal worth 630 million US
dollar with India to supply advanced long-range air and missile defense
systems for four ships of the Indian Navy.
- According to State-owned IAI, the contract is for
supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems.
- The LRSAM is a joint development by IAI and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The system provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and airborne threats. The deal, a major boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign.
India has emerged as the second largest stainless
steel producer in the world after China. India toppled Japan in the year 2016
according to the figures disclosed by International Stainless Steel Forum at a
conference held in Tokyo, Japan, recently.
- It will offer 4% per annum as interest on saving accounts
deposits. The bank is targeting a customer base of 500 million customers
by 2020. It will offer five free ATM transactions (in non-metro cities)
per month, post which they will be charged Rs. 20 per ATM withdrawal.
- The current Paytm Wallet will move to the Paytm Payments Bank
in the same capacity i.e. KYC Wallet as KYC
Wallet and minimum detail KYC Wallet as minimum detail KYC Wallet
- Renu Satti, CEO, Paytm Payments Bank.
HDFC
Life announced the launch of an artificial intelligence-based
application 'SPOK' that can automatically read, understand,
categorize, prioritize and respond to customer emails sent to the private
insurer.
- 'SPOK', an insurance email bot, can read customer queries
within milliseconds and respond to them.
- The deployment of SPOK will improve customer experience, while providing the support staff with the bandwidth to focus on customer satisfaction.
Federal
Bank, in association with Geojit, has launched a new trading platform
called “Selfie” for customers.
- Designed and managed by Geojit, the trading platform will give its users absolute control over their investments with timely research inputs to make sound investment decisions.
- Mr. Agrawal wi1ll join Tata Sons with effect from July.
Rohan
Chakravarty, a wildlife and environment cartoonist from India, has
won WWF International President’s Award 2017 for his efforts to
change attitudes towards nature.
- The award is the top accolade given by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to recognize leadership in young conservationists who are under the age of 30 from around the world. The award ceremony was held recently in Manado, Indonesia.
Indian businessman Mathunny Mathews died aged 81 in
Kuwait after being part of the tiny emirate's fortunes and trials for over six
decades.
- He was known as one of the heroes who made
possible the largest civilian evacuation in known history and the main
inspiration behind the 2016 Bollywood historical drama Airlift.
