International Museum Day 2019

Theme:"Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition".

Anil Kapoor felicitated by Council of European Chambers of Commerce for promoting children’s rights

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Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor felicitated by Council of European Chambers of Commerce (CEUCC) in India and a European Union delegation in Mumbai.

Council of European Chambers of Commerce(CEUCC) honoured Anil Kapoor for promoting Children’s Rights. Source:boxofficeindia.co.in

In a first for Asia, Taiwan legalises gay marriage

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For the first time in Asia, Taiwan’s parliament legalised same-sex marriage, as lawmakers passed a bill permitting same-sex couples to form ‘exclusive permanent unions‘ which would let them apply for a ‘marriage registration’ (under Clause Four) with government agencies.

Taiwan becomes the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Source:abcnews.com

The only places in the broader Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws are Australia and New Zealand.

Mumbai local train travellers may now opt for insurance policy from Bajaj Finserv

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Bajaj Finserv, through its lending arm Bajaj Finance Ltd has launched a specialised insurance cover titled ‘Mumbai Local Train Cover‘ for passengers travelling in local trains in Mumbai.

Bajaj Finserv, through its lending arm Bajaj Finance Ltd launched ‘Mumbai Local Train Cover’ . Source:PPRO Group

The passengers will get an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh against a payment of Rs 399 per annum.

Kerala CM rings opening bell at London Stock Exchange as KIIFB lists masala bonds

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Kerala became the first state to tap into masala bond market by listing the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)’s masala bond worth of USD 312 million (Rs 2,150 crore) in London Stock Exchange (LSE)’s International Securities Market (ISM).

Kerala became first state to list Masala Bond in overseas market. Source:mathrubhumi.com

The masala bond has a tenor of 5-year and a 9.723% coupon.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

It is celebrated on May 17 every year since 1969 because on this day the first International Telegraph Convention was signed and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was created.

Theme:"Bridging the Standardization Gap".

Indians likely to benefit as Trump unveils new immigration policy for merit-based professionals

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US President Donald Trump in an announcement in Rose Garden speech, unveiled a new ‘Merit-Based Immigration System’. This is a point based system for professionals where skills of the people will be preferred for permanent residency against the current country based quotas which requires family ties for green cards. It will replace the existing green cards with ‘Build America’ visa.

US President Donald Trump rolled out new ‘Merit-Based Immigration System’. Source:newsonscreen.com

Under the new plan, 57% of the proportion of green cards or lawful permanent residence status will be given to people with skill-based visas as against the present rate at 12%. In addition to this, immigrants are required learn English and pass a civics exam prior to admission.

Indian H-1B visa holders residing in US will be the biggest beneficiaries of this new point based system as it takes at least 9.5 years on average to get a green card.

Yes Bank says appointment of former RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi as additional director a positive move

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Under Sub-section (1) of Section 36 AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, The Reserve Bank of India announced the appointment of Rama Subramaniam Gandhi, former Deputy Governor of RBI, as an additional director on the board of Yes Bank for two years.

R Gandhi, former RBI Deputy Governor, appointed as the Additional Director to Yes Bank for two years. Source:The Hindu Business Line

HCL partners SRFI to promote squash in India

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The Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) entered into a tie-up with HCL. The objective of this tie-up is to improve Indian Squash. There will be multiple tournaments organized under the ‘HCL Squash Podium Programme’ for both the senior and junior level.

SRFI- HCL tie-up to improve Indian Squash. Source:kreedon.com

Maratha quota: Maharashtra approves promulgation of ordinance on reservation in medical seats

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In order to provide reservation to Maratha students in postgraduate medical courses, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved to circulate an ordinance to amend the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Reservation Act, 2018, and also approved to recompense the fees to the general category-students, who will be affected after the promulgation of the ordinance.

IBM Garage to co-create AI-based automation solutions with HDFC ERGO

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IBM India announced that it has tied-up with HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India's third-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, to co-create new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions.

IBM Garage to co-create AI-based automation solutions with HDFC ERGO. Source:technologyforyou.org

The experts from HDFC ERGO and a team of 25 experts from IBM Garage which includes data scientists, technology architects, and design engineers are working together to improve customer experience by working on different test cases.

Nitin Chugh appointed MD of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank

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Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has appointed Nitin Chugh as its Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a period of 3 years from December 1, 2019. The current MD and CEO Samit Ghosh’s tenure will end on November 30, 2019.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank appointed Nitin Chugh as MD and CEO. Source:Express Computer

Currently, Nitin Chugh is Group Head of Digital Banking of HDFC Bank. He will join the bank by August 2019 as President and will work closely with Samit Ghosh.

ICC World Cup Commentators: Sourav Ganguly, Sanjay Manjrekar, Harsha Bhogle the three Indians

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Former Indian cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Sanjay Manjrekar along with cricket writer and commentator Harsha Bhogle are inducted into the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) commentary panel from India for World Cup 2019.

India’s Sourav Ganguly, Sanjay Manjrekar, and Harsha Bhogle inducted in the ICC commentary panel for World Cup 2019. Source:youngisthan.in

World Cup 2019 will begin from May 30, 2019, in England and Wales. A total of 24 commentators are in the list of the ICC TV.

Antano and Harini Honored by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

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The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, felicitated Legacy Accelerators, Antano and Harini with the ‘Award for Honour’ for their work to help people change the trajectory of their lives and create a personal legacy in compressed time.

Legacy Accelerators Antano and Harini honoured by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Source:antanoharini.com

P K Mishra conferred with 2019 UN Sasakawa Award

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United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) granted the prestigious Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction to Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India, Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, during the ongoing 6th Session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2019 at Geneva, Switzerland.

UNDRR conferred Dr P.K. Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister with the Sasakawa Award 2019. Source:orissadiary.com

BSNL partners with Google to expand WiFi footprint

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Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has partnered with Google on the occasion of World Telecom Day (May 17) to expand BSNL’s Wi-Fi footprint in the country.

BSNL partnered with Google. Source:wikipedia.com

Currently, there are around 38,000 BSNL Wi-Fi hotspot locations working across the country and one can use these after buying the Wi-Fi vouchers worth of Rs 19 and more.

India sets Guinness World Records of 'largest laundry lesson'

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India achieved a Guinness World Records of ‘largest laundry lesson’ with the participation of 400 young Indian men.

India sets Guinness World Records of ‘largest laundry lesson’ with the participation of 400 young men. Source:eehibu.com

The event was a part of #sharetheload campaign. It was done to share the responsibility of cleaning clothes at home along with the female members of the family.

The event was initiated by Ariel India. It was hosted by Mandira Bedi and Indian Actor Anil Kapoor also joined the function.

Earlier, the largest laundry lesson was achieved by Lion NANOX Team (Japan) at Lion Hirai Research Laboratory in Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan on November 29, 2017. It had 318 people.

The second International Day of Light

A special focus of celebrations on this day is the ‘Illuminating Education conference’ that was held at the UNESCO Category 1 Institute ICTP in Trieste where presentations have covered a wide range of topics, namely, science education, challenges on diversity and gender equality, and practical career advice. The overall program was titled “Illuminating Education”.

International Day of Living Together in Peace

International Day of Living Together in Peace. Source:International Day of Living Together in Peace,YouTube Channel

NASA’s 2024 Moon Mission is called Artemis, and Will Need an Additional $1.6 Billion in Funding

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NASA has announced that their mission to the Moon, which is named Artemis after the Greek goddess of hunting, has been advanced by four years, from 2028 to 2024.

NASA dubbed its 2024 Mission to Moon as ‘Artemis’. Source:WNCN.com

This Mission has committed to take a female astronaut to the surface of the moon for the first time.

Kumar Tuhin (IFS:1991) appointed as next Ambassador of India to Bosnia & Herzegovina

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Kumar Tuhin (IFS:1991) presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Hungary, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Bosnia & Herzegovina with residence in Budapest.

India's child mortality rate was highest in the world in 2015: Study

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At 47.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, India in 2015 had more deaths among children under five than any other country, new research has found. This is despite the great progress the country has made in reducing child mortality.

Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of preterm birth complications in 2015 with 84,362 children under 5 years of age, Bihar recorded 36,289 children, Madhya Pradesh recorded 35,503 and Rajasthan recorded casualty of 30,402 children.

CBIC introduces weightage system for appointments under compassionate scheme

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The CBIC(Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) has introduced a weightage points system for appointing persons on compassionate ground, based on criteria such as family income, dependents and remaining service period of the deceased.

CBIC introduced weightage system for appointments under compassionate appointment scheme. Source:www.cbic.gov.in

Under this new system, the preference would be given to the widow of the deceased government servant.

India signs Christchurch Call To Action to combat online extremism

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India joined France, New Zealand, Canada and several other nations in launching a key initiative, termed ‘Christchurch call to action’ in Paris to fight against online terrorism and extremism and make the internet secure.

India joins global initiative termed ‘Christchurch call to action’ to fight against extremism online. Source:India Today

The initiative was termed after 51 people were killed (on 15th March 2019) in an attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand and the video of which went viral.

The objective of the initiative is to assemble collective efforts to globally secure the internet from terror groups as the internet is no more immune to abuse by terrorist and violent extremist actors.

The initiative is headed by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

RBI’s 2021 Vision Document Makes Digital Payments Its Main Focus

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its statement on Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019–2021. The Vision 2021 emphasised on innovation, cyber security, financial inclusion, customer protection and competition.

RBI has published ‘Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 – 2021’ to promote innovation, cyber-security, financial inclusion. Source:inc42.com

What Is Vision 2019-2021?The vision 2019-2021 aims for:

• enhancing the experience of customers
• empowering payment system operators and service providers
• enabling the ecosystem and Infrastructure
• putting in place a forward-looking regulation
• supported by a risk-focussed supervision.

The objective of the initiative is to assemble collective efforts to globally secure the internet from terror groups as the internet is no more immune to abuse by terrorist and violent extremist actors.

The initiative is headed by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

China set to host 2023 AFC Asian Cup after Korean withdrawal

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The Korean Football Association(KFA) informed the Asian Football Confederation (AFC),the governing body for Asian soccer, it's decision to widraw from hosting the AFC Asian Cup 2023, thus giving Chia the nod to host 20123rd AFC Asian Cup without any opposition.

China set to host the Asian Cup 2023 after withdrawal from South Korea. Source:dunyanews.tv

The Korean Football Asosociation pulled out of the deal in order to host the 2023rd Women's Fifa World Cup.

11th Joint Consular Committee meet between India, Iran held in Delhi

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The 11th Joint Consular Committee meeting between India and Iran took place on 14th of this month in New Delhi.

The purpose of this meeting is to review the status of ongoing cooperation in consular and visa related issues and also to discuss the strategy to further expand people to people contacts and to promote friendly exchanges between India and Iran.

Lion star Sunny Pawar wins Best Child Actor for Chippa at New York Indian Film Festival

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Child actor, Sunny Pawar aged 11, won the Best Child Actor Award for his performance in ‘Chippa’ at the 19th New York Indian Film Festival. He hails from a slum in Kunchi Kurve Nagar in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Sunny Pawar won the Best Child Actor award for his performance in ‘Chippa’ at 19th New York Indian Film Festival. Source:chippathefilm.com

Film ‘Chippa’ is directed by Safdar Rahman.Sunny Pawar had also starred in the six Oscar nominated film Lion

HDFC Capital Advisors launches programme to invest in real estate-tech firms

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HDFC Capital Advisors, (a wholly-owned subsidiary of HDFC Ltd) launched an initiative termed as HDFC Affordable Real Estate and Technology Programme (HeART), the objective of which is to mentor, partner and invest in real estate technology companies which produce innovative products that aim at lowering costs and creating efficiencies in every stage of the development cycle of the affordable housing system.

HDFC Capital Advisors launched an initiative termed as HDFC Affordable Real Estate and Technology Programme (HeART). Source:TheDispatch.In

Tech Mahindra partners with French digital content solutions firm Rakuten Aquafadas

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IT services firm Tech Mahindra and French digital content publishing firm Rakuten Aquafadas on Thursday signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to collaborate on building enhanced customer experience offerings.

International Day of Families

As proclaimed by the UN (United Nations) General Assembly in 1993 with resolution A/RES/47/237, the International Day of Families or IDF is observed on May 15 every year since 1996, and it lays stress on the importance attached to families.

International Day of Families observed on May 15. Source:HelloTravel

Theme:"Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13".

MoU signed between NMCG, HCL Foundation and INTACH for Rudraksh Plantation in Uttarakhand

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As an initiative towards a greener ecosystem in Ganga Basin, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), HCL Foundation and Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage (INTACH) for taking up a project of 'Plantation of Rudraksh Trees in Uttarakhand' under the 'Namami Gange' Programme.

NMCG, HCL Foundation and INTACH inked MoU for Rudraksh Plantation in Uttarakhand. Source:Unacademy,YouTube Channel

The objective is to create a greener ecosystem in the Ganga Basin along the stretch of 97 towns and 4,465 villages.

Under the project, the aim is to plant 10,000 Rudraksh trees in the catchment area of Ganga River in Uttarakhand.

Global Influence of Asian Civilizations Forum kicks off in Beijing

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As one of the six parallel forums of the "Conference of Dialogue on Asian Civilizations," the Forum on Global Influence of Asian Civilizations, organized by the National Radio and Television Administration of the People’s Republic of China, is being held at the China National Convention Center Beijing.

Global Influence of Asian Civilizations Forum has begun in Beijing. Source:www.xinhuanet.com

The representatives from 47 Asian and other invited countries attended the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations event. The theme of the event was “Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Asian Civilizations and a Community with a Shared Future.”

With the theme of "Asian Values for the World," the forum invited government officials, well-known scholars, experts, media professionals and artists from Asia, Europe and the Americas as speakers, including Chen Daoming, Chinese film performing artist, Aamir Khan, Indian film actor and director. They explored the rich connotation and contemporary values of Asian civilizations and discussed the new missions of Asian civilizations in the era of globalization.

HDFC ties up with IMGC for mortgage guarantee-backed home loan

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HDFC May 15 said it has partnered with India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC) for a mortgage guarantee-backed home loan.

Mortgage guarantee is a financial product which compensates lending institutions for losses that may arise if a home owner defaults on a mortgage loan,ie; The risk of the home loan gets transferred from the bank/FIs to the mortgage guarantee company.

Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mt. Everest for record 23rd time

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49 year old Sherpa climber from Nepal, Kami Rita climbed Mt. Everest for the 23rd time and broke his own record for most summits on Mt. Everest.

Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita climbs Mt. Everest for the 23rd time; Broke his own record. Source:Nepali Sansar

Govt initiates steps to create special forces division

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Major General AK Dhingra has appointed as the first chief of Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD) which comprised of commandos from all the three service.

Armed Forces Special Operations Division. Source:SSBCrack

The government has set up AFSOD which comprised of Special Forces commandos from Army’s Parachute Regiments, Navy’s Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and Air Force’s Garud commandos.

Justice A.K. Sikri appointed Chairperson of News Broadcasting Standards Authority

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The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) notified that Arjan Kumar Sikri, former Supreme Court judge has been appointed as the chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Arjan Kumar Sikri. Source:Exchange4Media

BSE launches BSE StAR MF app; exchange's MF platform touches 3.5 crore transactions

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After launching BSE StAR Mutual Fund distribution platform, the exchange on May 15 launched its mobile app BSE StAR MF.

BSE StAR MF Logo. Source:bsestarmf.in

In April 2019, the BSE StAR MF platform processed 42.6 lakh transactions. In FY2018-19, BSE StAR MF crossed 3.5 crore transactions, witnessing 111 percent growth as compared to 1.70 crore transactions in FY2017-18.

SPARROW launched for over 46,000 Group B & C officers of CBIC

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The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) notified that for better human resource management, it will conduct annual performance appraisal report (APARs) of over 46,000 Group B and C officers (IRS– Indian Revenue Service officers in Customs and Central Excise in 2016-17) online in SPARROW (Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window).

CBIC introduced weightage system for appointments under compassionate appointment scheme. Source:www.cbic.gov.in

India-Botswana hold Foreign Office Consultations in Delhi

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The third round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Botswana was held in New Delhi on 15th May 2019.

Indian delegation was led by Neena Malhotra, Joint Secretary (East and Southern Africa) and the Botswana delegation led by Tapiwa Mongwa, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation.

The purpose of the Foreign Office Consultation is to review bilateral relation which includes political, economic, commercial, defence, consular and international cooperation related to United Nations.

Global Drug Survey: Indians lead world in seeking help to reduce drugs intake

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According to the 8th edition of Global Drug Survey (GDS) 2019, Indians are seeking help more than any other countries to reduce their alcohol intake. The survey was conducted online in between October and December 2018. Around 1,00,000 respondents from 30 countries have participated in the online survey.

Global Drug Survey 2019. Source:crew.scot

Indians are reported drunk on an average of 41 times in the last 1 year which is well behind countries like UK, US, Canada, Australia and Denmark which have an average of 33 times in the last 1 year.

Portugal leading the country whose respondents enjoyed 82 percent of the occasions while India ranked in 16thplace.

SIDBI’s pilot scheme for fintech NBFCs to boost digital lending

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To give a fillip to digital lending, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has put together a pilot scheme to extend financial assistance of up to Rs.10 crore to new-age fintech non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) engaged in financing small businesses and other income-generating activities.

SIDBI’s pilot scheme for fintech NBFCs to give financial assistance up to Rs. 10 crore to boost digital lending. Source:wikipedia

Claude Monet's 'Mueles' sells for record breaking $110.7 mn at Sotheby's auction

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Claude Monet's 1890 work "Mueles" sold for a record breaking price of $110.7 million at Sotheby's 'Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale'.

Claude Monet’s 1890 work ‘Mueles’ painting sold for record breaking $110.7 million at Sotheby’s auction. Source:ctvnews.ca

It is the finest work of Claude Monet from ‘Haystacks’ series and became the first impressionist work to cross $100 million threshold at auction.

Scientists Create A Plastic That Can Be Recycled Indefinitely

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Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in northern California have created a next-generation plastic that can be recycled again and again, into new materials of any color, shape, or form.

U.S. Department of Energy creates a new 100% recyclable plastic named Polydiketoenamine(PDK). Source:Forbes

The researchers discovered that the new PDK material has wide range of thermal and mechanical properties. It can be used in textiles, foams and 3D printed materials.

Fifth service selection board of Indian Navy inaugurated

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The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurated Indian Navy’s first full-fledged as well as Navy's 5th Service Selection Board (SSB) at Diamond Harbour, near Kolkata.

The other Boards are located in Bhopal, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, and Coimbatore.

SSB (Kolkata), sprawling over 27 acres on the Hooghly river-bank can screen an estimated 5000 officer-candidates annually.

Ajoy Mehta is new Maharashtra chief secy: Ex-BMC commissioner faces challenge of bailing state out of water crisis

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Mumbai's former municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta (1984-batch I.A.S- Indian Administrative Officer) took over as Maharashtra's new chief secretary succeeding UPS Madan.

Scientists create world's smallest pixels that could be used for large flexible displays

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Scientists from the University of Cambridge, UK created the World’s Smallest Colour Pixels by trapping the particles of light under the tiny rocks of gold. These pixels can be used for new types of large-scale flexible displays and are big enough to cover entire buildings.

World’s Smallest Colour Pixels for large-scale flexible displays. Source:Printed Electronics World

The reserch was led by Cambridge University Professor Jeremy J Baumberg and got published in Science Advances.

New Delhi: WTO Ministerial Meeting to focus on developing countries; resolve deadlocks

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India hosted a 2-day (May 13-14, 2019)ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in New Delhi in which ministers from 16 developing nations and 6 least developed nations had participated to discuss major problems and challenges facing the multi-lateral trading system.

India Hosted A 2-Day Ministerial Meeting Of WTO In New Delhi. Source:prokerala.com

The meeting laid emphasis on ways to constructively and collaboratively engage on issues (both institutional and negotiating) in the WTO, before the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO which would be held in Kazakhstan in June 2020.

Ban on LTTE extended for another five years

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Under sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government has extended the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for an additional 5 years with immediate effect.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Source:Northeast Today

Paytm launches cash-back driven credit card with Citi Bank

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Paytm, has launched a credit card named Paytm First Card in partnership with global payments company Citi Bank.

India’s GS Lakshmi became the first woman female ICC match referee. Source:DNA India

India’s G.S. Lakshmi first woman to be inducted into ICC match referee panel

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India’s G.S. Lakshmi has become the first woman to be appointed to ICC’s international panel of match referees and will be eligible to officiate in international games with immediate effect.

Paytm collaborated with Citibank to launch its 1st credit card called ‘Paytm First Card’. Source:Paytm Blog

This is the first card of its kind launched in India by the American card company,It is also the first white-label credit card of its kind to offer unlimited one per cent cash-back without restrictions that would get auto-credited to the card every month.

Virat Kohli, Smriti Mandhana bag top honours in CEAT International Cricket Awards

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Smriti Mandhana was given the International women cricketer of the year award and Virat Kohli has been named as the International Cricketer of the year during the CEAT International Cricket Awards 2019

CEAT International Cricket Awards 2019: Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana won International Cricketers of Year Award. Source:The Hans India

This is the first card of its kind launched in India by the American card company,It is also the first white-label credit card of its kind to offer unlimited one per cent cash-back without restrictions that would get auto-credited to the card every month.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Mohinder Amarnath who is the former Indian all-rounder and he was the member of the winning team of World Cup 1983.

Indian Pacer, Jasprit Bumrah was honoured with the International Bowler of the Year Award.

DRDO successfully conducts flight test of ABHYAS drone from ITR in Odisha

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Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully conducted the flight test of ABHYAS, a High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) drone which is to be used for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot. The flight test was conducted from an Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha.

DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of ABHYAS in Odisha. Source:Doordarshan News on Twitter

Sana Mir of Pakistan becomes world's most successful women's ODI spinner

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Pakistan off-spinner Sana Mir bagged the title of the most successful women ODI’s spinner in the world after she dismissed Sune Luus from South Africa in the third ODI of ICC Women’s Championship.

Sana Mir became highest wicket-taking women spinner in ODI. Source:ICC Cricket

Overall, with 147 wickets the Pakistan off-spinner is the third highest wicket-taker after pacers Jhulan Goswami of India (218 wickets) and Cathryn Fitzpatrick of Australia (180).

Meet Captain Aarohi Pandit, the 23-year-old girl who became world's first woman to cross Atlantic Ocean in LSA

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A 23-year-old pilot from Mumbai, Captain Aarohi Pandit, became first woman in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA).

Captain Aarohi Pandit from Mumbai became 1st woman in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in a LSA. Source:StreeNEWS

She had started her journey from Wick, Scotland (United Kingdom) and landed her aircraft at Iqaluit Airport, Canada, post a 3,000 km long flight, under extremely bad weather conditions, with short stopovers in Greenland and Iceland.

This Bird Evolved into Existence Twice — Thousands of Years Apart

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The white-throated rail (Dryolimnas cuvieri) which was extinct for more than 136,000 years reappeared on Indian Ocean Island. This new finding was published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. It is now the last species of flightless bird left in the Indian Ocean.

White-throated rail, extinct bird of 136,000 Years Ago is “Back From the Dead”. Source:Wikipedia

Mint Globetrotter Index: Dubai costlier than Delhi

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The Mint Globetrotter Index was prepared by Mint’s data partner Howindialives.com which is a database and search engine for public data that took into account 25 essential spends in total, ranging from multifarious categories, namely, accommodation, shopping, leisure, market and food and came up with an index which would help general public to travel well-informed.

Among the seven cities in the list, Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, is the most expensive with an index value of 192 and a rank of 28.

Dubai is way more costlier than Delhi and ranks 24 on the overall cost index. A half-litre local beer bottle costs Rs.285 in Dubai, which is considered the business hub of the Middle East.

Mint Globetrotter Index: Dubai costlier than Delhi

Short Detail

The Mint Globetrotter Index was prepared by Mint’s data partner Howindialives.com which is a database and search engine for public data that took into account 25 essential spends in total, ranging from multifarious categories, namely, accommodation, shopping, leisure, market and food and came up with an index which would help general public to travel well-informed.

Among the seven cities in the list, Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, is the most expensive with an index value of 192 and a rank of 28.

Dubai is way more costlier than Delhi and ranks 24 on the overall cost index. A half-litre local beer bottle costs Rs.285 in Dubai, which is considered the business hub of the Middle East.

Officer Who Cracked Nirbhaya Case Honoured With Prestigious Courage And Leadership Award

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IPS officer Chhaya Sharma, who headed the investigation team of the infamous Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, has been conferred with the 2019 McCain Institute Award for Courage and Leadership.

Chhaya Sharma, who oversaw Nirbhaya rape case receives McCain Institute Award 2019. Source:The Logical Indian

Other famous awardees are-MalalaYousafzai (2015) and DikembeMutombo (2016).

China Launches 19th and 20th Type 052D Guided Missile Destroyer

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The Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company reportedly launched China’s 19th and 20th Type 052D Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyers — dubbed the “Chinese Aegis”—at the company’s shipyard in Dalian in Northeast China.

Chinese Navy launches two Type 052D new guided missile destroyers. Source:defpost.com

The destroyers are fast and warships are operated for long distances. In addition, they can be used to accompany the aircraft carriers.

They are the 19th and 20th ships in the class and are named as Tangshan and Suzhou. China, at present, has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or to be launched for service soon.

PLAN(People's Liberation Army Navy) is the World’s fastest growing Navy as it adds new vessels to the fleet every month.

NABARD announces Rs 700-crore venture capital fund for agri, rural startups

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A subsidiary of NABARD (The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), Nabventures notified its first time funding termed ‘NABVENTURES Fund I‘ which is a Rs 700-crore venture capital fund for equity investments to provide support for agriculture, food and rural start-ups (which would help improve rural livelihoods).

NABARD announces Rs 700-crore venture capital fund for agri, rural startups. Source:moneycontrol.com

The fund has a proposed corpus of Rs 500 crore, has a greenshoe option of Rs 200 crore and has received an anchor commitment from NABARD.

HDFC ERGO Launches Cover For Vector Borne Diseases

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India’s 3rd-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company launched a scheme termed ‘Mosquito Disease Protection Policy’ which will cover a person against common mosquito-borne diseases, namely, Dengue Fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis and Zika Virus.

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company launched ‘Mosquito Disease Protection Policy’. Source:realtyplusmag.com

There has been a stark rise of 300% dengue cases in India between 2009-2017,according to the report published by National Health Profile 2018.

The policy cover will be available for people between the age of 91 days to 65 years.

Indian Armed Forces perform daredevil stunts during Exercise BullStrike at Andaman island - Watch video

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All Indian armed forces comprising Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force hold joint exercise Bull Strike at Teressa Island in Andaman and Nicobar.

Exercise Bull Strike, a tri-service para jump Ops at Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Total 170 troops from all three services participated and carried out para drop operations in a Combat Free Fall and Static Line mode.

ICICI Bank joins hands with travel portal Goibibo to launch multi-currency card

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ICICI Bank, on Monday, announced the launch of a co-branded multi-currency card with online travel booking portal Goibibo.

ICICI Bank along with online travel booking portal Goibibo launched co-branded multi-currency card. Source:Destination Reporter

Anyone travelling abroad, whether they hold an ICICI Bank savings account or not, can apply for the Goibibo ICICI Bank Travel Card on the Goibibo website and mobile app,said ICICI, adding that it is accepted across 200 countries and 4.6 crore merchants globally and can be loaded with up to 15 currencies.

The joining fee is Rs. 499+ GST and customers can buy the card by logging into the iMobile App. The card will be activated within one working day.

Airtel offers HDFC Life Insurance cover with Rs 249 plan

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Telecom major Bharti Airtel said that it has partnered with HDFC Life Insurance to bundle an insurance cover of Rs 4.lakh with its Rs 249 prepaid plan.

Bharti Airtel and HDFC Life tied up to offer insurance for prepaid customers. Source:United News of India

This new Rs 249 prepaid recharge will include 2 GB data, unlimited calls across all the networks and 100 SMS per day with an insurance cover of the worth of Rs 4 lakh from HDFC Life. The recharge validity is for only 28 days.

Dinesh Pangtey appointed as CEO of LIC Mutual Fund

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Former Director and Chief Executive Officer at LIC HFL (Housing Finance Ltd) AMC (Asset Management Company), Dinesh Pangtey has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) Mutual Fund.

RBI slaps Rs.1-cr fine on Nainital Bank

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs.1 crore on Nainital Bank for its failure to fully automate the non-performing asset (NPA) identification process, despite specific directions issued in this regard.

The Nainital Bank Limited (NTB) (known as Nainital Bank). Source:wikipedia.org

Doordarshan launches souvenir store on Amazon India

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Public service broadcaster Doordarshan has launched a souvenir store on online shopping website Amazon India. A whole range of merchandise including T-shirts, coffee mugs and sippers with the tagline “I am in your DNA, I am your Doordarshan" will now be available on the e-commerce platform.

Doordarshan launched online Souvenir Store on Amazon India. Source:wikipedia.org

War Games: India to host for the first time Army Scout Masters Competition in Jaisalmer

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For promoting geniality among the participating nations, India, for the first time will host a part of an international military sports event named ‘ Army Scout Masters Competition ‘ in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan’s for 9 days in August (August 6 to August 14, 2019).

India will be the fifth to host The Army International Scout Masters Competition which was first organised by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in 2015.

CTBTO invites India to be an observer at meetings

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CTBTO (The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation) has offered India an ‘Observer‘ status and access to the International Monitoring System (IMS) data.

Pakistan also did not sign the treaty but joined CTBTO as an observer.

Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix in fifth straight Mercedes one-two

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Lewis Hamilton won the Spanish Grand Prix for a third consecutive year after overtaking Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas at the first turn in Barcelona.

Lewis Hamilton grabs Spanish Grand Prix. Source:cnn.com

He celebrated the 76th win of his Formula 1 career, the third victory of 2019 and fourth in Spain following victories in 2014, 2017 and 2018.

This win took him back to the top spot of the world championship ranking with 112 points, ahead of Valtteri Bottas who is on 105 points.

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) stood at the second spot while Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was third.

International Nurses Day 2019

The International Nurses Day was celebrated globally to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale also known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, was famous as manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War.

Theme:"Nurses – A Voice to Lead –Health for All".

Japan Tests World's Fastest-ever Alfa-X Bullet Train Capable of Reaching 400 kmph

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Japan has started testing its fastest-ever bullet train,The ALFA-X version of the Shinkansen train — capable of reaching 400 kilometres per hour (249 mph) — as it continues to develop the revolutionary mode of travel.

Japan has begun testing the ALFA-X version of its fastest-ever Shinkansen bullet train that could reach 400 km per hour (249 mph). Source:TicToc by Bloomberg,Twitter Feed

Once it enters operation sometime around 2030, it will run at speeds of up to 360 kph (224 mph), comfortably making it the world's fastest bullet train.

It'll be tested on the line between the cities of Sendai and Aomori, which are about 280 kilometres apart as the crow flies. Tests will take place after midnight when the line is quiet and will occur twice a week.

ISIS claims it has established new branch 'Wilayah of Hind' in India

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For the very first time ISIS, the Islamic State terror group has claimed to have established a new ‘province’ in India, termed as “Wilayah of Hind” (India Province) in Arabic. This has been announced through its Amaq News Agency.

ISIS has claimed to have established a new ‘province’ in India, termed as “Wilayah of Hind” in Arabic. Source:Dailyhunt

The short ISIS statement was made via Telegram, the messaging app.

Yosuke Asaji wins the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup

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Japan’s Yosuke Asaji capped the title at the Sobu Country Club, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup 2019,Yosuke Asaji wins the title. Source:Golf Australia Magazine

Indian Professional golfer Rahil Gangjee finished tied 39th while 23-year-old Viraj Madappa faltered on the final day and ended tied 53rd at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup 2019.

2-week guided tour of students to Isro centres begins from Monday

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ISRO launched a maiden 2-week long (13th May 2019 to 26th May 2019) summer vacation residential programme termed ‘India Young Scientist Programme’ (Yuvika-2019) or ‘Yuva Vaigyanic Karyakram’ in line with the central government’s vision of ‘Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan’.

ISRO launched a 2-week long summer vacation residential programme termed ‘India Young Scientist Programme’ (Yuvika-2019) . Source:ReviewStories

This two-week-long programme is regarded as “Catch them young”. The selected students from 29 states and 7 Union Territories across India would be able to avail this novel programme.

The students are selected based on their performance in the 8th Standard (CBSE, ICSE and State syllabus) and this includes their performance in academic as well as extracurricular activities.

‘Rain-loving’ snake discovered in Mizoram

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A new non-venomous ‘rain loving’ snake species named “Smithophis atemporalis” was discovered in Mizoram.

Non-venomous species of ‘rain snake’ discovered in Mizoram. Source:The Hindu

It was published in the taxonomic journal named Zootaxa.

It has been named after eminent British herpetologist, Malcom A Smith, for his contribution to Indian herpetology,while the locals commonly referred to the snake as ‘ruahlawmrul’, a rain-loving snake.

The highest length of the species is 655 mm (approximately 2.5 feet).

CCMB scientists sequence Asiatic lion genome

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For the first time, the entire genome of Asiatic lion, an endangered species, has been sequenced by scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.

Entire genome of Asiatic lion sequenced first time. Source:Tour My India

The population of the endangered Asiatic lion is very low — only 523 animals are present in the Gir forests.

The genome is estimated to be 2.3 Gb (Gigabase) long and is found to have 20,543 protein-coding genes.