Daily Current affairs - May 12th and 13th, 2018 for all competitive exams
International Nurses Day (IND) is
celebrated every year all around the world on 12th of May to
commemorate the birth anniversary of the Florence Nightingale and to
mark the nurse's contributions towards people’s health.
The International Council of
Nurses (ICN) has chosen the theme “Nurses A Voice to Lead – Health is
a Human right” for IND 2018.
The International Nurses Day honours
the contributions of nurses to society. The International Council of Nurses
(ICN) celebrates this day since 1965.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind
presented Florence Nightingale awards to 35 nurses for their extraordinary
services at an event at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
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World Migratory Bird Day
World Migratory Bird Day 2018 is being celebrated on May 12th this
year.
The World Migratory Bird Day is
celebrated every year on the Second Saturday in May.
- World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) aims to create
awareness on the need for conservation of migratory birds and their
habitats.
- The theme for
World Migratory Bird Day 2018 is: “Unifying our Voices for
Bird Conservation”. Also 2018 is the
“Year of the Bird”.
The event was founded as an effort of the UN's Agreement on the
Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds to raise awareness of
the migratory linkages between regions of the globe. World Migratory Bird Day
events have been held in 118 nations. Each year, the United Nations announces
a uniting theme for official events
World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated each year to highlight the need
for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. More than 300
events in more than 60 countries to mark World Migratory Bird Day 2018 will
include bird festivals, education programmes, media events, bird watching
trips, presentations, film screenings and a benefit concert to raise funds
for international nature conservation.
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India’s growth will accelerate to 7.3%:
Fitch
As per Credit rating
agency Fitch, Indian economy is projected to grow at 7.3 percent in
current fiscal i.e. 2018-19 and 7.5 percent in next fiscal.
- The above projection has been made in Fitch’s
second-quarter Sovereign Credit Overview for Asia
Pacific region.
Fitch has outlined that India’s
economic growth is likely to accelerate as money supply has recovered to its
pre-demonetisation level (pre-November 2016) and disruptions related to the
rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), in July 2017 have diminished.
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Venkaiah Naidu 3-nation
visit: India & Peru signs agreement
India and Peru signed an agreement in
the field of Renewable Energy at Lima. The pact was signed in the presence
of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and the Prime Minister Cesar
Villanueva Arevalo.
- This is the final leg of the 3-Nation visit to
central America of Indian Vice- President.
- During the meeting, the leaders discussed various
bilateral and international issues of mutual interest. Vice President’s
visit comes at a time when India is celebrating the 55th anniversary
of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations with Peru.
Chhattisgarh CM to launch Vikas Yatra
Chhattisgarh Chief
Minister Raman Singh launched Vikas Yatra from Dantewada
district aimed at spreading awareness about the development the state.
- During the course of this Vikas Yatra, Mr.
Raman Singh will distribute free pesticides to 5.5 lakh labourers.
- Government will also give smartphones to 50
lakh families under Sanchar Kranti Yojna.
Odisha makes loan
provisions for landless farmers
Odisha government has decided to extend
agricultural loan to landless farmers on the lines of credit given to self help
groups (SHGs).
- The loans would be disbursed by cooperative
societies to joint liability groups.
- Each such group will have five farmer members who
will collectively be provided with a term loan of Rs 50,000 with one per
cent interest. The loan will be extended without any collaterals.
- Besides, small farmers having their own land will be
provided the loan in proportion to the area of the land.
- Each cooperative society will have to provide the
loan to at least 10 groups, he said, adding that the loan to these
landless farmers would be provided during the Kharif season which is about
to begin.
- So far, the government had no provisions to extend
loans to landless farmers.
Punjab signs MoU with UK for setting up Bio-gas,
Bio CNG plants
Punjab State Government signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with United Kingdom (UK) for setting up of
bio-gas and bio- Compressed natural gas (CNG) plants in the state.
- Objective of this MoU is to find viable and
sustainable solutions to paddy straw burning,
which has become a major environmental concern in Punjab and surrounding
region.
- As per the terms of the MoU, Rika will build more
than 10 bio-CNG plants with a total investment of USD 100-150 million.
Intake capacity of each plant will be around 100 MT per day.
SC collegium to back
Joseph’s case
Supreme Court collegium led by Chief
Justice of India Dipak Misra agreed “in principle” to reiterate its January 10
recommendation to the government to elevate Uttarakhand High Court Chief
Justice K.M. Joseph as a judge of the Supreme Court.
- The government had objected to his appointment,
saying he was too junior to become a Supreme Court judge. The Centre had
said Justice Joseph’s “comparatively small” parent High Court of Kerala
was already “adequately represented” in the apex court and among High
Court Chief Justices.
- When the collegium sends the file back, the
government will have to accept the recommendation.
The collegium intends to send Justice
Joseph’s name along with other names being considered for Supreme Court
judgeships. This means that he would have to wait till the collegium decides
on the names of the other probables.
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Set up sexual harassment
probe panels in courts: SC
The Supreme Court asked Chief Justices
of High Courts across the country to set up anti-sexual harassment at workplace
committees in High Courts and district courts within two months
- A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice Dipak
Misra, said the committees should be constituted in accordance with the
mandate of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention,
Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 and the Vishaka case guidelines of
the Supreme Court to protect women in workplaces
- The apex court asked Chief Justices and Acting Chief
Justices of High Courts to constitute the committee with “quiet
promptitude”.
- The order came in the backdrop of the alleged
assault and manhandling of a woman lawyer by her male colleagues at the
Tis Hazari courts in the national capital. She had appeared for a client
while the lawyers were on a boycott.
India, Nepal to increase
people-to-people contact
India and Nepal expressed common intent
to revise key trade and transport agreements that may allow Kathmandu greater
access to the Indian market.
- The bilateral understanding came during Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the Himalayan country where he
held discussions with all sections of Nepali politics and set a September
2018 deadline for his officials to address bilateral issues.
- The understanding came days after a senior
diplomatic source in the External Affairs Ministry indicated that the
treaty of transit would soon be modified to make it more
business-friendly. In bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi, his
Nepal counterpart, K.P. Sharma Oli, sought steps to correct his country’s
trade deficit with India.
- Both sides agreed to intensify land, air and water
connectivity and increase people-to-people contact, the declaration said.
The highlight of the visit was the
joint inauguration of the 900-MW Arun-III hydroelectric power project, which
was jointly attended by the two Prime Ministers. In this context, both
leaders welcomed the meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on cooperation
in the power sector held on April 17.
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Ramayan Circuit gets a new
bus service
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his
Nepalese counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated a direct bus service
between Janakpur and Ayodhya, the two sacred cities for Hindus, as part of a
“Ramayan Circuit” to promote religious tourism in Nepal and India.
- “Janakpur and Ayodhya are being connected. This is a
historic moment,” Prime Minister Modi said, inaugurating the bus service,
connecting Lord Rama’s birthplace Ayodhya with goddess Sita’s birthplace
Janakpur.
- Modi flagged off the bus after visiting the famed
20th century Janaki temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sita, where he
offered special prayers.
UNGA adopted resolution on global environment
compact
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution to set up a working group
for negotiations aimed at creating a Global Pact for the Environment, a legally
binding international instrument.
- The resolution requests UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres to submit to the General Assembly a report that identifies and
assesses possible gaps in international environmental law and
environment-related instruments with a view to strengthening their implementation.
- It decides to establish an ad hoc open-ended working
group to consider the report, and if deemed necessary, to consider the
scope, parameters and feasibility of a Global Pact for the Environment.
- The resolution requests the current president of the
General Assembly to appoint two co-chairs of the working group — one from
a developing country and one from a developed country — to oversee its
consultations.
- The resolution was sponsored by France and won the
support of 143 countries.
Russia support to Islamic Cooperation countries
(OIC)
Russia has come in support of Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries
(OIC) in their effort to enter the Russian market.
- Russia’s trade turnover with OIC countries stands at
about $75 billion, with exports accounting for about $58 billion. Imports
from OIC countries total about $17 billion.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is an international organization
founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states. It is the second largest
inter-governmental organization after the United Nations.
The organisation states that it is “the collective voice of the Muslim
world” and works to “safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world
in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony“.
The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European
Union.
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NASA plans to send small helicopter to Mars
NASA is planning to send a small helicopter to Mars as part of the space
agency’s 2020 mission to place a next-generation rover on the Martian surface,
marking the first time such an aircraft will be used on another world.
- The Mars Helicopter, a small, autonomous rotorcraft,
will travel with the agency’s Mars 2020 rover mission, currently scheduled
to launch in July 2020, to demonstrate the viability and potential of
heavier-than-air vehicles on the Red Planet.
- The helicopter also contains built-in capabilities
needed for operation at Mars, including solar cells to charge its
lithium-ion batteries, and a heating mechanism to keep it warm through the
cold Martian nights. But before the helicopter can fly at Mars it has to
get there. It will do so attached to the belly pan of the Mars 2020 rover.
- As a technology demonstration, the Mars Helicopter
is considered a high-risk, high-reward project. If it does not work, the
Mars 2020 mission will not be impacted. If it does work, helicopters may
have a real future as low-flying scouts and aerial vehicles to access
locations not reachable by ground travel.
Mars 2020 will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket
from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida,
and is expected to reach Mars in February 2021.
The rover will conduct
geological assessments of its landing site on Mars, determine the
habitability of the environment, search for signs of ancient Martian life,
and assess natural resources and hazards for future human explorers.
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RBI bars Dena Bank from
lending, hiring
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred
State-run lender Dena Bank from extending fresh credit in view of deteriorating
financial health due to mounting non-performing assets (NPAs).
- In addition, the lender has also been barred from
recruiting staff.
There are two types of restrictions, mandatory and discretionary.
Restrictions on dividend, branch expansion, directors compensation, are
mandatory while discretionary restrictions could include curbs on lending and
deposit. In the cases of two banks where PCA was invoked after the revised
guidelines were issued — IDBI Bank and UCO Bank — only mandatory restrictions
were imposed. Both the banks breached risk threshold 2.
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New monetary limits for
public sector banks to report frauds to CBI
The monetary threshold for public sector
banks to report frauds to different departments of the CBI for a probe has been
revised, according to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
- Frauds of minimum Rs 3 crore to Rs 25 crore, up from
Rs 15 crore, have to be reported to either the CBI’s Anti-Corruption
Branch (in case staff involvement is prima facie evident) or to the
Economic Offences Wing (if employees involvement is prima facie not
evident) respectively.
- Cases of frauds involving more than Rs 25 crore and
up to Rs 50 crore should be given to the CBI’s Banking Security and Fraud
Cell (BSFC).
- The cases of more than Rs 50 crore should be lodged
with the Joint Director (Policy), CBI.
Customs and Postal
department hold 1st ever joint conference
Indian Customs and Department of India
Postsheld a first-ever Joint Conference in Vigyan Bhavan in New
Delhi to deliberate on streamlining of imports and exports by post
- Imports and exportsby post are the 6th
highest cited citizen grievances under Centralized Public
Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMs).
- Customs and Directorate General of Foreign
Trade (DGFT) have worked together since a year to liberalise, reform
and align laws relating to imports by Post.
Book’s across the bench –
Insight into the Indian military judicial system’ release by chief of Army
staff
General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army the
Staffreleased the book ‘Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military
Judicial System’ by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, former Army Commander and
Member ‘A’, Armed Forces Tribunal, Lucknow Bench.
- The book deals with military judicial system
vis-a-vis command and management issues within the military establishments
besides the whole gamut of issues relating to veterans, their families and
dependents.
Junot Diaz steps down as
Pulitzer board chair
The Pulitzer Prize board has started an
investigation into the conduct of novelist Junot Diaz, who was name chairman
last month.
- A Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist has withdrawn from
a writing festival after three women accused him of past sexual misconduct
and harassment.
- A statement issued by the board said that Diaz, a
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and creative writing professor, had himself
wanted to step down from the role, to which he was elected in April on the
basis of seniority. According to the statement, Diaz remains on the board
and he has welcomed the review and will cooperate fully with it.
- DÃaz, one of his generation’s most acclaimed Latino
voices, won the Pulitzer prize in 2008 in the fiction category for The
Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao.
Ravi Venkatesan quits
Infosys board
Independent director of Infosys Ravi Venkatesan
has quit the company board to pursue an “exciting new opportunity.” His
resignation comes into effect immediately, says an Infosys filing with the
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
- Venkatesan has been an independent director since
2011. He served briefly as co-chairman when the company was in the eye of
a storm with co-founder Narayana Murthy engaging in a bitter public spat
with the management and the board headed by R. Seshasayee.
Mohit chauhan nominated as
green ambassador of Sikkim
Sikkim government has nominated
Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan as the Green Ambassador of the state, an
official notification said.
- The state government had earlier this year roped in
AR Rahman as its ambassador to promote tourism in Sikkim.
- Sikkim is known for its rich biodiversity and
abundant natural resources due to environment-friendly policies being
followed by the state government for more than two decades.
Prof Muhammad Yunus
conferred KISS humanitarian award 2018
Nobel laureate and noted economist
Muhammad Yunus was honoured with the 11th KISS Humanitarian Award
2018 at a function held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- Yunus is the founder of Grameen
Bank and is known as the Father of Microfinance.
Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences
is an organization dedicated to provide holistic quality education to 27000
tribal children to eliminate poverty and hunger.
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Oscar-winning film editor
Anne V. Coates passes away
British film editor Anne V.
Coates, who won an Oscar for David Lean’s epic film Lawrence of
Arabia, has passed away. She was 92.
- She also received an Academy Honorary Award, known
as a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, in November 2016 by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences.
