Dear Readers, we are providing important current affairs of May for Competitive Exams specially for Bank and SSC.
May Current Affairs Revision- 1-10 May 2016
2. The Union Government has launched National LED programme – Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA). It was launched by Union Minister for State (IC) for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
3. Reliance Defence signed strategic partnership agreement with three Ukranian state- owned firms. This will allow them to collaborate on a range of military products including transport aircraft, upgrade of armoured vehicles, maritime gas turbines and unmanned aerial vehicles.
4. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has inked MoU with SAARC Development Fund (SDF) for mutual cooperation and collaboration. The MoU was signed by SIDBI Deputy Managing Director A K Kapur and SDF CEO Sunil Motiwal.
5. South India’s first underground metro services flagged of in Bengaluru i.e. at East-West corridor (Purple Line) of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
6. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched Chandranna Bima Yojana in Vijayawada. The Yojna launched on the occasion of May Day is an insurance scheme for the working class people.
7. German Formula 1 Mercedes Driver Nico Rosberg won 2016 Russian Grand Prix. It is his fourth win in a row this season.
8. India and New Zealand have signed a landmark Air Services Agreement paving the way for introduction of direct flights between the two countries. The agreement was signed in the presence of the President Pranab Mukherjee and the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
9. Indian women’s team has won silver medal in the recurve team final of Archery World Cup held at the Yuanshen Stadium in Shanghai, China. Women’s team comprised of Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi Laishram and Laxmirani Majhi.
10. Maharashtra Government has launched Adi Praman, a web-based application for state’s tribal population to get the caste validity certificates online. It was launched along with portal named etribalvalidity.mahaonline@gov.in by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. The application is first of its kind for any state in India.
11. The Union Ministry of Railways and Forest Department of Haryana & Punjab have inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for plantation of trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary. The MoU paves way for planting around 5 lakh trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary prior to Monsoon Season.
12. The Supreme Court of India on 2 May 2016 appointed a three-member panel headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM Lodha to oversee the functions of the Medical Council of India. It is the regulator of medical profession and education in India.
13. Leicester City was crowned as champions of English Premier League on 2 May 2016. It was crowned with the title without playing, as nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur had 2-2 draw with Chelsea.This is the first time in the club’s 132-year history that Leicester is champion of England.
14. Leicester City striker forward Jamie Vardy was named 2015-16 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers Association (FWA). He will be honoured with the prestigious FWA accolade, which has been running since 1948, at a gala dinner in London on 12 May 2016.
15. The World Press Freedom Day was on 3 May 2016 observed across the world with the theme Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms - This Is Your Right!
16. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar accepted Indian Olympic Association (IOA)’s invitation to become the country’s goodwill ambassador for the Rio Olympics alongside ace shooter Abhinav Bindra and Bollywood star Salman Khan after the controversial actor’s appointment created an uproar.
17. An Indian American Sikh woman Harmeet Kaur Dhillon (47) from California was elected to an important position in the Republican Party at the United States national level. She was elected as the newest national committee woman, a key position of the Republican National Committee.
18. United States of America (US) Navy tested the world's largest unmanned surface vessel named Sea Hunter in San Diego.
19. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) commissioned 600 mega watts (MW) coal-based thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh. The unit was commissioned at the 1x600 MW Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP) located in Seoni district in Madhya Pradesh.
20. Australian entrepreneur and computer scientist Craig Wright has publicly identified himself as creator of virtual currency Bitcoin.
21. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has selected Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa as the executive secretary of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). She will replace the incumbent Christiana Figueres when her term ends in July 2016.
22. Ace snooker player Mark Selby (World no 1) from England has won the 2016 World Championship title of Snooker. In the final match played in Sheffield, Selby defeated China’s Ding Junhui by 18-14 score.
23. As many as 2,508 cities in 26 States have been selected under ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’ for providing affordable houses to the urban poor. As on April 25, 2016, a total of 2,508 cities of 26 States have been identified as selected for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Housing for all (Urban) Mission.
24. The European Central Bank (ECB) announced that it will permanently stop producing the 500 euro banknote by the end of 2018. The ECB will also exclude it from the Europa series, taking into account concerns that this banknote could facilitate illicit activities.
25. Lok Sabha passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund bill, 2015 that seeks to establish setting up of a National Compensatory Afforestation Fund and also a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund. The bill paves the way for unlocking of nearly 41000 crore rupees earmarked for forest land which is lying unspent.
26. The Union Cabinet approved the signing of Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) between Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The MoC will be signed for the cooperation in Information and Communication Technology Enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and other related technical matters.
27. US jury of St Louise ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay 55 million US dollars to a woman, Gloria Ristesund, who claimed that company’s talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer. It is the second such judgment against J&J in three months.
28. A group of researchers from University of Cambridge have built the world’s smallest (nanoscale) working engine. The research team was led by Professor Jeremy Baumberg from the Cavendish Laboratory. They have named the microscopic engine as ANTs (Actuating Nano-Transducers).
29. President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred 63rd National Film Awards for the year 2015 in various categories at the function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The 63rd National Film Awards in the various categories
Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan (Piku).
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut (Tanu Weds Manu Returns).
Best Direction: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Bajirao Mastani).
Best Film on Social Issues: Niranayakam (Malayalam) directed by V. K. Prakash.
Best Supporting Actor: Samuthirakani for the film Visaranai (Tamil). Best Supporting Actress: Tanvi Azmi for the film Bajirao Mastani (Hindi).
Best Children’s Film: Duronto (Hindi) directed by Soumnedra Padhi.
Best Child Artist: Gaurav Menon for the film Ben (Malayalam). Special Jury Award: Margarita with a Straw (Hindi) directed by Kalki Koechlin.
Best Cinematography: Remo D’Souza for the film Bajirao Mastani (Hindi).
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Neeraj Ghaywan for the film Masaan (Hindi).
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: Nanak Shah Fakir (Punjabi) directed by Sartaj Singh Pannu.
30. Late director Yash Chopra, who captured the verdant Swiss valley in his films, has been honoured with a special statue by the Switzerland government.A sculpture made of pure bronze, and weighing about 350 kilos, will present Yash Chopra in an iconic pose of him directing a film.
31. Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba (58) has been appointed as next Chief of the Naval Staff. He will be 23rd chief of Indian Navy and 21st as an Indian. He will assume the charge on 31 May 2016 and shall have full three-year-term in office till 31 May 2019.
32. Senior IPS officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra was appointed as Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the aviation security wing of the Government. His appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
33. The Lok Sabha has unanimously passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015 by a voice vote. The code seeks to ensure time-bound settlement of insolvency, faster turnaround of businesses and create a unified data base of serial defaulters.
34. Bangladesh Government has given its in-principle approval to Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power’s first phase of the 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj district. This approval has paved the way for the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh with a potential investment of over 8,700 crore rupees (1.3 billion dollars).
35. The trade body of Indian IT firms NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) has signed a MoU with Social network giant Facebook to build a product design initiative for Indian entrepreneurs. The NASSCOM-Facebook initiative seeks to catalyse the innovation ecosystem and to help design thinking in India.
36. Indian author Parashar Kulkarni has won the regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2016 for the Asia region. He was bestowed with this award for his politically grounded, funny fiction story ‘Cow and Company’ about four men in search of a cow. The short story was adjudged the ‘best piece of unpublished short fiction in English’ from Asia and will receive 2500 pounds prize.
37. Goa-based defence shipyard, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), on 5 May 2016 launched Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya at Vasco. The is the fifth ship of a series of six off-shore patrol vessels (OPVs) that the Indian Coast Guard had tasked the Vasco defence public sector undertaking to build.
38. The Union Government on 5 May 2016 announced that the H.R. Nagendra Committee on Yoga Education in Universities has recommended seven programmes for implementation in universities.
39. Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Project has won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in the e-Agriculture category. Harita-Priya (Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda – Precision Technology for Agriculture) Project is meant to collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised information through SMS.
40. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement. Decision in this regard was taken at the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
41. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was re-elected as Prime Minister of Ireland on 6 May 2016. Kenny, leader of Fine Gael party, was elected for the post 70 days after a general election which had produced no outright winner.
42. Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor’s autobiography titled ‘Shashi Kapoor – the Householder, the Star’ was released recently. The biography has been authored by film journalist Aseem Chhabra and with forword by Karan Johar. It unveils the chapters of actor’s personal and professional life.
43. The Pakistan Cricket Board on 6 May 2016 appointed Mickey Arthur as head coach of Pakistan Cricket Team.
44. US based private space transport service company, SpaceX has successfully launched Japanese JCSAT-14 communication satellite into the space.
45. Defending Champion Pakistan on 6 May 2016 won the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) that held at Wah Cantonment in Pakistan. It defeated India by 19 points.
46. Union inter-ministerial Board of Approval (BoA) approved the proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic zone (SEZ) in Bengaluru in an area spread over 4 hectares.
47. India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has inked a MoU with the BRICS Grouping-promoted New Development Bank (NDB) for a partnership in bond issuances, co-financing, treasury management and human resources.
48. The Gujarat Government has accorded minority status to the Jain community in the state. In this regard state government has issued a government resolution (GR) giving minority status to the Jain community.
49. Karnataka Government has decided to go ahead with the . establishment of Asia’s first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district. Apart from it state government has decided to set upa Maize Technology Park at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
50. Indian Railways has launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit Shirdi, Tirupati, Jagannath Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and Jyotirlingams among others. The tourist train comprises 10 coaches and bookings are being done by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). The service offers budget-friendly package for pilgrims.
51. The Union Government has started the process for issuance of Unique Business Identification Number (UBIN) to enable budding entrepreneurs set up their business without any delays.
52. South Indian Bank has announced its new tie-up with National Australia Bank (NAB) for online inward remittance from Australia at competitive rates. The remittance fee is as low as AUD 7 and the arrangement enables faster, hassle-free remittance through internet at the best exchange rates.NAB is South Indian Bank’s main banking correspondent in Australia.
53. The single emergency number ‘112’ will be operational throughout India from January 1 to help people reach immediate services of police, ambulance and fire department. The service will also be accessible even through those SIMs and landlines whose outgoing call facility has been stopped or temporarily suspended.
54. India is ranked at ninth position in crony-capitalism index that was released by the Economist in the first week of May 2016. India has a crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).Russia topped the list and followed by Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
55. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) under Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry permitted 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) into asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) through automatic route.
56. The Insect Museum of West China on 5 May 2016 announced that a stick insect measuring 62.4 centimeters has broken the record for length among the world’s 807625 known insects.
57. Atomic Oxygen was detected in the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere known as Mesosphere. This presence of Atomic Oxygen for the first time since the last observation 40 years ago was detected by an instrument onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
58. Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on 7 May 2016 won the women singles title of the Madrid Open. The men’s singles title was won by Novak Djokovic of Serbia.She defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-4 in the final played at Madrid, Spain.
59. The Karnataka Government in the first week of May 2016 decided to establish Asia’s first-ever Rice Technology Park at Gangavati.Besides, a Maize Technology Park will also be established at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
60. An Indian-origin lawyer Murali Pillai from Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has been elected member of the parliament.
61. The United Nations has launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak. The fund was launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States.
62. Serbian Tennis player Novac Djokovic (World no. 1) won the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open title in the men’s single category.
63. Mrugank Paranjape took charge as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), country’s largest commodity exchange. He will have tenure of 3 years. His appointment fills the vacancy of the post which was vacant for past two years.
64. The Union Government has launched nine projects initiatives for rural sanitation initiatives for conservation of river Ganga in Jharkhand. It was launched by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti under Namami Gange Programme in Sahibganj, Jharkhand.
65. Indian Army had conducted major military training exercise ‘2016 Chakravyuh-II’ in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
66. United Kingdom’s first baby named Biagio Russo was born in Oxford using Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) method. This method uses a revolutionary In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technique resulting in better selection of embryos to transfer during the treatment.
67. The fourth edition South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) Ministerial Meeting has begun in New Delhi. The 3 day landmark meeting (from 9 to 11 May 2016) is being hosted by the Union Ministry of Child and Women Development.
68. World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is being observed across the world on the second weekend in May. This year, WMBD is being observed on 10th May. The day seeks to raise awareness and highlight the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats.
69. Senior advocate of Bombay High Court Atma Ram Nadkarni was appointed as Additional Solicitor General (ASG).
70. Anti-crime candidate and mayor of Davao Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte won the presidential election of the Philippines held on 9 May 2016.
71. Shashank Vyankatesh Manohar resigned as the President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Dear Readers, we are providing important current affairs of May for Competitive Exams specially for Bank and SSC.
May Current Affairs Revision- 1-10 May 2016
2. The Union Government has launched National LED programme – Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA). It was launched by Union Minister for State (IC) for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
3. Reliance Defence signed strategic partnership agreement with three Ukranian state- owned firms. This will allow them to collaborate on a range of military products including transport aircraft, upgrade of armoured vehicles, maritime gas turbines and unmanned aerial vehicles.
4. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has inked MoU with SAARC Development Fund (SDF) for mutual cooperation and collaboration. The MoU was signed by SIDBI Deputy Managing Director A K Kapur and SDF CEO Sunil Motiwal.
5. South India’s first underground metro services flagged of in Bengaluru i.e. at East-West corridor (Purple Line) of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
6. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched Chandranna Bima Yojana in Vijayawada. The Yojna launched on the occasion of May Day is an insurance scheme for the working class people.
7. German Formula 1 Mercedes Driver Nico Rosberg won 2016 Russian Grand Prix. It is his fourth win in a row this season.
8. India and New Zealand have signed a landmark Air Services Agreement paving the way for introduction of direct flights between the two countries. The agreement was signed in the presence of the President Pranab Mukherjee and the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
9. Indian women’s team has won silver medal in the recurve team final of Archery World Cup held at the Yuanshen Stadium in Shanghai, China. Women’s team comprised of Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi Laishram and Laxmirani Majhi.
10. Maharashtra Government has launched Adi Praman, a web-based application for state’s tribal population to get the caste validity certificates online. It was launched along with portal named etribalvalidity.mahaonline@gov.in by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. The application is first of its kind for any state in India.
11. The Union Ministry of Railways and Forest Department of Haryana & Punjab have inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for plantation of trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary. The MoU paves way for planting around 5 lakh trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary prior to Monsoon Season.
12. The Supreme Court of India on 2 May 2016 appointed a three-member panel headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM Lodha to oversee the functions of the Medical Council of India. It is the regulator of medical profession and education in India.
13. Leicester City was crowned as champions of English Premier League on 2 May 2016. It was crowned with the title without playing, as nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur had 2-2 draw with Chelsea.This is the first time in the club’s 132-year history that Leicester is champion of England.
14. Leicester City striker forward Jamie Vardy was named 2015-16 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers Association (FWA). He will be honoured with the prestigious FWA accolade, which has been running since 1948, at a gala dinner in London on 12 May 2016.
15. The World Press Freedom Day was on 3 May 2016 observed across the world with the theme Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms - This Is Your Right!
16. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar accepted Indian Olympic Association (IOA)’s invitation to become the country’s goodwill ambassador for the Rio Olympics alongside ace shooter Abhinav Bindra and Bollywood star Salman Khan after the controversial actor’s appointment created an uproar.
17. An Indian American Sikh woman Harmeet Kaur Dhillon (47) from California was elected to an important position in the Republican Party at the United States national level. She was elected as the newest national committee woman, a key position of the Republican National Committee.
18. United States of America (US) Navy tested the world's largest unmanned surface vessel named Sea Hunter in San Diego.
19. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) commissioned 600 mega watts (MW) coal-based thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh. The unit was commissioned at the 1x600 MW Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP) located in Seoni district in Madhya Pradesh.
20. Australian entrepreneur and computer scientist Craig Wright has publicly identified himself as creator of virtual currency Bitcoin.
21. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has selected Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa as the executive secretary of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). She will replace the incumbent Christiana Figueres when her term ends in July 2016.
22. Ace snooker player Mark Selby (World no 1) from England has won the 2016 World Championship title of Snooker. In the final match played in Sheffield, Selby defeated China’s Ding Junhui by 18-14 score.
23. As many as 2,508 cities in 26 States have been selected under ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’ for providing affordable houses to the urban poor. As on April 25, 2016, a total of 2,508 cities of 26 States have been identified as selected for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Housing for all (Urban) Mission.
24. The European Central Bank (ECB) announced that it will permanently stop producing the 500 euro banknote by the end of 2018. The ECB will also exclude it from the Europa series, taking into account concerns that this banknote could facilitate illicit activities.
25. Lok Sabha passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund bill, 2015 that seeks to establish setting up of a National Compensatory Afforestation Fund and also a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund. The bill paves the way for unlocking of nearly 41000 crore rupees earmarked for forest land which is lying unspent.
26. The Union Cabinet approved the signing of Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) between Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The MoC will be signed for the cooperation in Information and Communication Technology Enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and other related technical matters.
27. US jury of St Louise ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay 55 million US dollars to a woman, Gloria Ristesund, who claimed that company’s talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer. It is the second such judgment against J&J in three months.
28. A group of researchers from University of Cambridge have built the world’s smallest (nanoscale) working engine. The research team was led by Professor Jeremy Baumberg from the Cavendish Laboratory. They have named the microscopic engine as ANTs (Actuating Nano-Transducers).
29. President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred 63rd National Film Awards for the year 2015 in various categories at the function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The 63rd National Film Awards in the various categories
Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan (Piku).
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut (Tanu Weds Manu Returns).
Best Direction: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Bajirao Mastani).
Best Film on Social Issues: Niranayakam (Malayalam) directed by V. K. Prakash.
Best Supporting Actor: Samuthirakani for the film Visaranai (Tamil). Best Supporting Actress: Tanvi Azmi for the film Bajirao Mastani (Hindi).
Best Children’s Film: Duronto (Hindi) directed by Soumnedra Padhi.
Best Child Artist: Gaurav Menon for the film Ben (Malayalam). Special Jury Award: Margarita with a Straw (Hindi) directed by Kalki Koechlin.
Best Cinematography: Remo D’Souza for the film Bajirao Mastani (Hindi).
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Neeraj Ghaywan for the film Masaan (Hindi).
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: Nanak Shah Fakir (Punjabi) directed by Sartaj Singh Pannu.
30. Late director Yash Chopra, who captured the verdant Swiss valley in his films, has been honoured with a special statue by the Switzerland government.A sculpture made of pure bronze, and weighing about 350 kilos, will present Yash Chopra in an iconic pose of him directing a film.
31. Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba (58) has been appointed as next Chief of the Naval Staff. He will be 23rd chief of Indian Navy and 21st as an Indian. He will assume the charge on 31 May 2016 and shall have full three-year-term in office till 31 May 2019.
32. Senior IPS officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra was appointed as Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the aviation security wing of the Government. His appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
33. The Lok Sabha has unanimously passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015 by a voice vote. The code seeks to ensure time-bound settlement of insolvency, faster turnaround of businesses and create a unified data base of serial defaulters.
34. Bangladesh Government has given its in-principle approval to Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power’s first phase of the 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj district. This approval has paved the way for the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh with a potential investment of over 8,700 crore rupees (1.3 billion dollars).
35. The trade body of Indian IT firms NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) has signed a MoU with Social network giant Facebook to build a product design initiative for Indian entrepreneurs. The NASSCOM-Facebook initiative seeks to catalyse the innovation ecosystem and to help design thinking in India.
36. Indian author Parashar Kulkarni has won the regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2016 for the Asia region. He was bestowed with this award for his politically grounded, funny fiction story ‘Cow and Company’ about four men in search of a cow. The short story was adjudged the ‘best piece of unpublished short fiction in English’ from Asia and will receive 2500 pounds prize.
37. Goa-based defence shipyard, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), on 5 May 2016 launched Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya at Vasco. The is the fifth ship of a series of six off-shore patrol vessels (OPVs) that the Indian Coast Guard had tasked the Vasco defence public sector undertaking to build.
38. The Union Government on 5 May 2016 announced that the H.R. Nagendra Committee on Yoga Education in Universities has recommended seven programmes for implementation in universities.
39. Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Project has won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in the e-Agriculture category. Harita-Priya (Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda – Precision Technology for Agriculture) Project is meant to collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised information through SMS.
40. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement. Decision in this regard was taken at the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
41. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was re-elected as Prime Minister of Ireland on 6 May 2016. Kenny, leader of Fine Gael party, was elected for the post 70 days after a general election which had produced no outright winner.
42. Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor’s autobiography titled ‘Shashi Kapoor – the Householder, the Star’ was released recently. The biography has been authored by film journalist Aseem Chhabra and with forword by Karan Johar. It unveils the chapters of actor’s personal and professional life.
43. The Pakistan Cricket Board on 6 May 2016 appointed Mickey Arthur as head coach of Pakistan Cricket Team.
44. US based private space transport service company, SpaceX has successfully launched Japanese JCSAT-14 communication satellite into the space.
45. Defending Champion Pakistan on 6 May 2016 won the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) that held at Wah Cantonment in Pakistan. It defeated India by 19 points.
46. Union inter-ministerial Board of Approval (BoA) approved the proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic zone (SEZ) in Bengaluru in an area spread over 4 hectares.
47. India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has inked a MoU with the BRICS Grouping-promoted New Development Bank (NDB) for a partnership in bond issuances, co-financing, treasury management and human resources.
48. The Gujarat Government has accorded minority status to the Jain community in the state. In this regard state government has issued a government resolution (GR) giving minority status to the Jain community.
49. Karnataka Government has decided to go ahead with the . establishment of Asia’s first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district. Apart from it state government has decided to set upa Maize Technology Park at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
50. Indian Railways has launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit Shirdi, Tirupati, Jagannath Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and Jyotirlingams among others. The tourist train comprises 10 coaches and bookings are being done by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). The service offers budget-friendly package for pilgrims.
51. The Union Government has started the process for issuance of Unique Business Identification Number (UBIN) to enable budding entrepreneurs set up their business without any delays.
52. South Indian Bank has announced its new tie-up with National Australia Bank (NAB) for online inward remittance from Australia at competitive rates. The remittance fee is as low as AUD 7 and the arrangement enables faster, hassle-free remittance through internet at the best exchange rates.NAB is South Indian Bank’s main banking correspondent in Australia.
53. The single emergency number ‘112’ will be operational throughout India from January 1 to help people reach immediate services of police, ambulance and fire department. The service will also be accessible even through those SIMs and landlines whose outgoing call facility has been stopped or temporarily suspended.
54. India is ranked at ninth position in crony-capitalism index that was released by the Economist in the first week of May 2016. India has a crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).Russia topped the list and followed by Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
55. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) under Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry permitted 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) into asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) through automatic route.
56. The Insect Museum of West China on 5 May 2016 announced that a stick insect measuring 62.4 centimeters has broken the record for length among the world’s 807625 known insects.
57. Atomic Oxygen was detected in the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere known as Mesosphere. This presence of Atomic Oxygen for the first time since the last observation 40 years ago was detected by an instrument onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
58. Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on 7 May 2016 won the women singles title of the Madrid Open. The men’s singles title was won by Novak Djokovic of Serbia.She defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-4 in the final played at Madrid, Spain.
59. The Karnataka Government in the first week of May 2016 decided to establish Asia’s first-ever Rice Technology Park at Gangavati.Besides, a Maize Technology Park will also be established at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
60. An Indian-origin lawyer Murali Pillai from Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has been elected member of the parliament.
61. The United Nations has launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak. The fund was launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States.
62. Serbian Tennis player Novac Djokovic (World no. 1) won the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open title in the men’s single category.
63. Mrugank Paranjape took charge as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), country’s largest commodity exchange. He will have tenure of 3 years. His appointment fills the vacancy of the post which was vacant for past two years.
64. The Union Government has launched nine projects initiatives for rural sanitation initiatives for conservation of river Ganga in Jharkhand. It was launched by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti under Namami Gange Programme in Sahibganj, Jharkhand.
65. Indian Army had conducted major military training exercise ‘2016 Chakravyuh-II’ in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
66. United Kingdom’s first baby named Biagio Russo was born in Oxford using Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) method. This method uses a revolutionary In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technique resulting in better selection of embryos to transfer during the treatment.
67. The fourth edition South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) Ministerial Meeting has begun in New Delhi. The 3 day landmark meeting (from 9 to 11 May 2016) is being hosted by the Union Ministry of Child and Women Development.
68. World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is being observed across the world on the second weekend in May. This year, WMBD is being observed on 10th May. The day seeks to raise awareness and highlight the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats.
69. Senior advocate of Bombay High Court Atma Ram Nadkarni was appointed as Additional Solicitor General (ASG).
70. Anti-crime candidate and mayor of Davao Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte won the presidential election of the Philippines held on 9 May 2016.
71. Shashank Vyankatesh Manohar resigned as the President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
