Daily Current affairs - May 25th to 27th, 2018 for all competitive exams
Union Human Resource Development Ministry has launched Samagra Shiksha
scheme for school education. Samagra Shiksha is a program that
unifies learning from the pre-school to class 12 levels and encapsulates
elements of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamk Shiksha Abhiyan and
teacher education. The scheme will focus on digital education.
The objectives of the scheme include:
- Provision of quality education.
- Enhancing learning outcomes of students.
- Bridging social and gender gaps in school education
and promoting vocationalisation of education.
- Strengthening teacher education institutions like
SCERTs and Diets to improve quality of teachers.
- Annual grant of Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per school for
strengthening of libraries.
Clean air India initiative launched
Clean Air India initiative was recently launched by Prime Minister of
Netherlands Mark Rutte, who is in India on a two-day visit.
- 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.
- 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.
‘Clean Air’ India Ring, a critical component of the
Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink, will be launched on 24th May at Taj Hotel, New Delhi
by the Dutch Prime Minister, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and
Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, Invest India and corporate partners.
The initiative is a multi-corporate challenge that will test and scale
innovations through collaboration between startups, corporates and
governments by providing pilot opportunities for promising innovations that
solve the problem of pollution. Indian and Dutch startups will be matched
through this program to relevant corporates for the same.
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Ministry of culture organized Rashtriya sanskriti
mahotsav-2018
To celebrate the idea of unity in diversity, the Ministry of Culture is
organising the the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in Tehri, Uttarakhand.
- The paired state for Uttarakhand under the Ek Bharat
Shreshtha Bharat matrix is Karnataka, and
while troupes from all over the country will be performing, special
emphasis is being given to Karnataka.
- Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the
Ministry of Culture in the year 2015, when the Ministry decided to
organize it with an intent to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the
Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, viz Handicrafts, Cuisine,
Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Documentation and Performing Arts-Folk,
Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all in one place.
The Ministry of Culture is organising the event under the Ek Bharat
Shreshtha Bharat matrix. Tehri Lake Festival where one can explore the water
sports, organized by the Uttarakhand Tourism every year, will be subsumed
within the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav.
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NITI Aayog and Sushant decided to collaborate for
Women entrepreneurship platform
NITI Aayog and actor Sushant Singh Rajput have decided to collaborate
towards promoting the Women Entrepreneurship Platform launched by the NITI
Aayog.
- Women Entrepreneurship Platform initiative is aimed at building an ecosystem for women across
India to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations, scale-up innovative
initiatives and chalk-out sustainable, long-term strategies for their
businesses.
- This will be done through an enabling network of
industry collaborations, partnerships, mentors and peer-to-peer connect.
According to Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs, India scored an
overall 41.7 points, ranking 49 among 54 economies globally with
comparatively low in Women Business Ownership percentages.
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In Telangana, govt plans
Rs 5 lakh life cover for farmers
Telangana government is
working on a scheme to provide life insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh per farmer in
the state.
- The state government plans to pay the entire premium
every year on August 1. Every year on August 1, the total premium amount
will be credited to LIC, the implementing agency.
PMs of India and
Bangladesh inagurate Bangla bhavan in Shantiniketan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurate Bangladesh
Bhawan at Shanti Niketan in West Bengal.
- The two leaders
then paid floral tributes to Rabindra Nath Tagore. This is the first
time in Indian history, that two prime ministers attended a convocation
ceremony.
India’s first National
sports university in Manipur
Union Cabinet approved an ordinance to
set up the country’s first national sports university in in Imphal (west),
Manipur.
- The ordinance is on the lines of National
Sports University Bill, 2017 which is pending in Parliament (introduced in
Lok Sabha in August, 2017).
India-Nepal joint
battalion level exercise
The thirteenth edition of India-Nepal
joint military exercise, Surya Kiran-XIII will be conducted at
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand from May 30 to Jun 12, 2018.
- The Joint Battalion Level Exercise will enhance
defence co-operation and relations between the two nations.
Surya Kiran series of Exercises are being conducted annually,
alternatively in Nepal and India. Notably in the series of military training
exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Surya Kiran series with
Nepal is the largest in terms of troop’s participation.
The aim of this exercise is to conduct battalion level joint training
with emphasis on Counter Terrorism in mountainous terrain. Aspects of
Disaster Management have also been included in the exercise.
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Nepal becomes first
country in south-east Asia to eliminate trachoma
World Health Organization (WHO)
validated Nepal for having eliminated trachoma, a contagious bacterial
infection of the eye.
- It makes Nepal first country in WHO’s
South-East Asia Region to defeat trachoma, world’s leading infectious
cause of blindness.
Trachoma is an infectious disease
caused by bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The infection causes a roughening
of the inner surface of the eyelids.
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Nepal
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Capital
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Kathmandu
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Currency
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Rupees
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PM
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Khadga Prasad Oli
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Netherlands becomes 64th
signatory member of International Solar Alliance
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is in India at PM Modi's
invitation held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral and international issues
at the Hyderabad House
- Netherlands has become the 64th signatory
member of the International Solar Alliance.
- PM Modi noted that the first Indo-Dutch Centre
of Excellence CoE in Vegetables had started in Baramati,
Maharashtra. India also welcomed the Netherlands as the Partner
Country for the TechSummit in 2019.
Palestine has become the
193rd nation to join the Chemical Weapons Convention
Palestine has become the 193rd nation to
join the Chemical Weapons Convention
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an
arms control treaty that outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of
chemical weapons and their precursors.
- It is administered by the Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organization
based in The Hague, The Netherlands.
China tests 1st
drone-carried meteorological data monitor to gauge atmosphere
China has successfully
tested its first drone-carried meteorological data monitor to
undertake atmospheric observations.
- The unmanned aircraft vehicle will carry the
dropsonde, also known as the meteorological data monitor. They will drop
it at an altitude of 6,000metres to measure atmospheric profiles.
- The dropsonde carried by the Unmanned Aircraft
Vehicle (UAV) was produced by the Second Institute of China Aerospace
Science and Industry Corporation Limited.
UNICEF launches data
visualisation app
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Emergency
Fund) has launched Data Visualisation App to provide user-friendly visual
representation of complex analytics of education scenario in India.
- It has been developed with technical inputs from the
UNICEF, in collaboration with National Council for Educational Research
and Training (NCERT) and National Institute of Education Planning and
Administration (NIEPA).
- 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 programmes in the field of education.
RIMPAC naval exercises held near Hawaii
United States has decided to disinvite China from participating in the Rim
of the Pacific naval exercise, held near Hawaii. The decision to withdraw the
invitation extended to China was made in response to Chinese activity in the
South China Sea.
- China first participated in the RIMPAC exercises in
2014, as noted by The Diplomat.
- In Asia’s current climate, these exercises are
especially important. Tension in both the South China Sea and East China
Sea tends to increase during summer months, when activity is on the rise
due to the presence of fishing and trade vessels.
RIMPAC is the world’s
largest set of international maritime war games. The exercises occur every
two years and are led by the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet, headquartered in
Honolulu, Hawaii. They are seen as a unique opportunity for Pacific Rim
nations to cooperate as they train and work together to solve problems.
Several observer nations are usually invited, including China, Ecuador,
India, Mexico, the Philippines, and Russia.
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Government notifies 8.55%
interest on PF for 2017-18
Employees’ Provident Fund
Organization (EPFO) has asked its field offices to credit 8.55% rate
of interest for 2017-18 into the Provident Fund accounts of around 5 crore
subscribers.
- According to an order issued by the EPFO, the Labour
Ministry has conveyed approval to credit 8.55% rate of interest for
last fiscal.
- The finance ministry had ratified 8.55%rate of
interest on EPF for the last fiscal, but it could not be implemented
because of model code of conduct for Karnataka elections.
TCS 1st Indian co to cross
Rs 7L-cr m-cap
Software services
major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the first Indian company
to achieve a market valuation of Rs 7 lakh crore in intraday trades.
- TCS had become the first Indian company to reach the
$100-billion market cap mark. So far, the flagship from the Tata
Group remains the only Indian company to achieve these two
milestones.
E-logistics co to launch
world’s 1st e-freight passage
Indian e-logistics
company Cogoport has announced that it will establish the world’s
first digital freight corridor to enable Indian traders to connect to
European markets.
- The Port of Amsterdam will be competing for the
operations of the Mumbai cruise terminal jointly with JM Baxi.
- The announcements came during the Indo-Dutch Forum
on ‘Smart and Sustainable Port-led Development’ in Mumbai.
SIDBI signed MoU with CSCs
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that operates
Common Service Centres (CSCs).
- Through the MoU, the SIDBI seeks to extend financial
support to the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) of Common Services
Centers, with minimum one year of operation, under the Direct Financing
Window of SIDBI.
- Under the Direct Financing Window, CSC SPV will
approve the list of VLEs, within 25 km distance of SIDBI Branch Offices,
who require financial support. To avail the loan, the VLEs need to submit
their CSC project, with maximum project outlay of Rs. 3.50 lakh and term
loan requirement not exceeding Rs. 2 lakh per project.
Common Services Centers (CSCs) are a strategic cornerstone of the Digital
India programme. They are the access points for delivery of various
electronic services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally
and financially inclusive society.
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Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) was set up on 2nd
April 1990 under an Act of Parliament. It acts as the Principal Financial
Institution for Promotion, Financing and Development of the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector as well as for co-ordination of functions of
institutions engaged in similar activities.
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Tata Motors first Tata
flagship entity to offer employee stock ownership plan (ESOPs)
For the first time in the
150-year history of the Tata Group, employees will be made co-owners of
its flagship entity.
- The $45-billion Tata Motors plans to hand
over a little less than half a percent of its equity to employees through
a stock options plan.
- With this move, the auto major leaves behind the
group’s other big revenue generators like the $20-billion Tata
Steel and the $19-billion TCS.
India ranks 145 in
Healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index
India has been ranked 145th among 195
countries with score of 41.2 in terms of Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ)
index of 2016, as per Lancet’s latest study “Global Burden Of Disease”.
- 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
those of 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 (each with 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).
According to the study, India performed
poorly in tackling cases of tuberculosis, rheumatic heart diseases, Ischaemic
heart diseases, stroke, testicular cancer, colon cancer and chronic kidney
disease among others.
I&B Minister launches
6-day ASEAN India film festival
I&B Minister Col.
Rajyavardhana Rathore launched six-day ASEAN India Film Festival in
New Delhi. India and ASEAN share historical and cultural links.
- Union Minister also stated that the Information and
Broadcasting ministry is taking measures to create and promote film
festivals with ASEAN, BRICS and European nations.
Association of Southeast
Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten
Southeast Asian countries which promotes Pan-Asianism and intergovernmental
cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military,
educational and socio-cultural integration amongst its members and other
Asian countries, and globally. Since its formation on 8 August 1967 by
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the
organisation's membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar and Vietnam.
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Pakistan hosts SCO
anti-terror meeting
The two-day conference
named SCO-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Legal Experts (RATS) of
legal experts took place in Islamabad under the framework of Shanghai
Cooperation Organization, which comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
- Pakistan hosted the meeting for the first time since
it became a full member of the organization together with India nearly a
year ago.
Mission innovation
ministerial meeting held in Sweden
The 3rd Mission Innovation
Ministerial Meeting was held at Malmo, Sweden. The Indian delegation
was led by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science, Technology and
Earth Sciences.
- Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated Smart Grid
Workshop at Copenhagen and Chaired public-private roundtable on
Strategies on Decarbonisation through innovations in Smart Grids.
- India announced setting up of First
International Incubator for clean energy in a public-private
partnership at a total investment of around US $ 5 million in Delhi.
5th India - CLMV
conclave held at Cambodia
5th India – CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam)
Business Conclave was recently held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia. During the
conference, government and business community of CLMV countries were invited to
actively partner in India’s initiative to strengthen manufacturing capacities.
- Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam collectively,
are the third largest economy in ASEAN, followed by Indonesia and
Thailand.
- India’s trade with the CLMV countries has grown from
USD 1.5 bn to more than USD 10 bn in the last 10 years.
The CLMV conclave is an annual feature which provides an opportunity for
Indian business leaders to interact with government and business stakeholders
representing the four countries. The conclave facilitates to create and
provide a platform for the decision makers from CLMV countries to interact
with a range of Indian business companies involved in trading, manufacturing,
processing, engineering, consultancy, construction etc.
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15th Finance Commission
constitutes high level group
Fifteenth Finance Commission constituted
high level group to explore and give recommendations for a balanced expansion
of the health sector.
- The high level group will be headed by Dr. Randeep
Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi.
Fifteenth Finance Commission of India
(XV-FC) is a finance commission constituted in November 2017. The
commission's chairman is N. K. Singh
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Barbados elects Mia
Mottley as 1st female Prime minister
The Caribbean island of
Barbados has elected Mia Mottley as its first female Prime
Minister since gaining independence from the UK in 1966.
- Mottley's Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats in
the country's Parliament, coming to power for the first time in a decade.
Airtel payments bank
appoints Anubrata Biswas as MD and CEO
Airtel Payments
Bank has appointed Anubrata Biswas as its Managing Director
and Chief Executive Officer. Biswas fills the position, which was lying
vacant since end-December, after Shashi Arora quit the
post.
- Prior to joining Airtel Payments Bank, he was the
Joint General Manager and Retail Business Head - South India for ICICI
Bank.
Airtel Payments
Bank was the first payments bank to start operations in India.
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President appoints new
Governors in Odisha and Mizoram
BJP leaders Ganeshi Lal
and Kummanam Rajasekharan were appointed as Governors of Odisha
and Mizoram, respectively.
- According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan
communique, Prof. Ganeshi Lal will take over as the
new governor of Odisha. He has replaced S C Jamir.
- The President appointed Kerala BJP chief
Kummanam Rajasekharan as the Governor of Mizoram. He will be
replacing Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma.
Putin picks ex-deputy PM
Rogozin as head of space agency
President Vladimir
Putin picked former Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin as head
of the space agency Roscosmos.
- Over the past few years, the Russian space industry
has suffered a series of setbacks including the loss of a number of
satellites and other spacecraft.
- As deputy prime minister between 2011 and May 2018,
Rogozin was responsible for overseeing the defence and space industries.
Biodiversity award for Arunachal reserve
Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh has been
awarded the India Biodiversity Award for its effort to conserve the critically
endangered bird – Bugun liocichla.
- Bugun Liocichla ( Liocichla bugunorum) was
discovered in 2006 in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The bird
has been named in honour of the efforts of the Bugun community of
Singchung village in West Kameng district in conserving the wildlife and forest
of the area.
The Singchung Bugun village community reserve was formally created on
February 6 last year following intensive conservation efforts by the
Arunachal forest department. The SBVCR, 17 square kilometre in size, is the
core area of a larger conservation area on traditional Bugun lands.
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CSIR bags Clarivate
analytics India innovation award 2018
Council of Scientific & Industrial
Research (CSIR) has been awarded the Clarivate Analytics India
Innovation Award 2018 in the Government Research Organizations Category.
- Every year, Clarivate Analytics (formerly the IP
& Science division of Thomson Reuters) recognizes the most innovative
companies in India according to patent-related metrics that get to the
essence of what it means to be truly innovative.
Alan Bean, 4th man to walk
on the Moon died
Former US astronaut Alan
Bean, who was the fourth man to walk on the Moon, has died in Texas, United
States.
- Bean went into space twice, the first time in
November 1969 as the lunar module pilot on the Apollo 12 moon-landing
mission. In 1973 he was commander of the second crewed flight to Skylab-
America's first space station.
Japan win Uber Cup to end
37-year drought
Japan’s women clinched the
Uber Cup, breezing by surprise finalists Thailand 3-0 in Bangkok to end a 37-year
wait to regain the title.
- With a team stacked with top-ranked players in both
the singles and doubles, Japan made light work of the hosts.
- It ends an Uber Cup drought for Japan that stretches
back to 1981 and is a major confidence boost ahead of the Olympics which
they will host in two years’ time.
ICC bans smart watches
from field, dressing rooms
ICC has prohibited players and officials
from using communication devices, especially smart watches, on the field of
play as well as the dressing room, taking another step at curbing corruption in
the sport.
- The ICC confirmed that under the Player and Match
Officials Area (PMOA) Regulations, smart watches are not permitted to be
worn on the field and in areas designated as PMOA.
Ireland’s Ed Joyce retires
from cricket
Dual international Ed
Joyce announced his retirement from all forms of cricket less than a
fortnight after realising his dream of playing a Test for Ireland.
- The 39-year-old was one of the 11 men who made
history against Pakistan in Malahide earlier this month when Ireland
became the 11th Test-playing nation.
- Joyce played a total of 78 one day internationals 17
for his adopted country of England and 18 Twenty20 internationals, two for
England.
