Gk

www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com
EXCLUSIVE May 2018 GA Refresher FOR
DENA BANK PGDBF
Banking & Economy
Bank of Baroda locates major operations at GIFT City
 Bank of Baroda has successfully located most of its operational activities at a shared service center (SSC) at the
GIFT City near Ahmedabad.
 The bank will now offer its services including retail loan processing, deposit account opening, forex and call
center from the SSC, which will have staff strength of 200.
 The bank will thus become one of the largest employers in the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar region.
MCX launches India’s first copper options contracts
 India’s largest commodities exchange platform, Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX) has
launched the country’s first copper options contracts.
 The option contract will provide physical market participants additional instrument to hedge their price risk.
 The copper option contracts were launched with lot size of 1 tonne in three contracts expiring in Jun, Aug and
Nov 2018.
 Copper is third-most-consumed industrial metal in the world, after iron and aluminium.
SBI Q4 loss at Rs 7,718 crore
 India's largest lender, State Bank of India reported a whopping Rs 7,718 crore loss for Mar 2018 quarter as bad
provisions doubled to Rs 22,096 crore from Rs 11,740 crore in the same quarter last year. NPA provisions stood
at Rs 18,876 crore for Dec quarter.
 The PSU bank had reported net loss of Rs 3,442 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.
RBI slaps ₹ 5 cr. fine on South Indian Bank
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of ₹5 crores on South Indian Bank (SIB) for non-
compliance with its directions on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms, Know Your
Customer (KYC) norms and treasury function.
 The penalty has also been imposed on the Thrissur-headquartered private sector bank for deficiencies in its
compliance function and compliance culture.
 In the fourth quarter ended Mar 31, 2018, SIB had reported a 51 per cent jump in net profit at ₹114 crore
against ₹76 crore in the year-ago period.As of March-end 2018, the bank’s deposits increased 9 per cent year-on-
year (y-o-y) to ₹72,030 crore and advances were up 17 per cent at ₹55,109 crore.
RBI tweaks norms for setting up of IFSC Banking Units
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) modified norms for setting up International Financial Services Centres (IFSC)
Banking Units (IBUs) by banks in IFSCs.
 In April 2015, RBI had formulated scheme for setting up of IFSC IBUs by banks in IFSCs.
 The parent bank will be required to provide and maintain at all times a minimum capital of USD 20 million or
equivalent in any foreign currency to its IBU.
India’s economy to grow at 7.6% in 2018-19: UN WESP
 According to UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP), India’s economy has been projected to grow
at 7.6% in fiscal year 2018-19, making it fastest growing economy in the world.
 GDP growth in India is expected at 7.5 and 7.6% in fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. This is a
substantial recovery from 6.7% growth India registered in fiscal year 2017.
 World economy is projected to reach 3.2% both in 2018 and 2019, an upward revision by 0.2 and 0.1%,
respectively.

BSE becomes first Indian stock exchange to get US SEC’s DOSM recognition
 BSE Ltd (earlier known as Bombay Stock Exchange) has become the first Indian exchange to be designated as
Designated Offshore Securities Market (DOSM).
 DOSM status was given by United States Securities and Exchange Commission (US-SEC).
 DOSM status will allow sale of securities to US investors through trading venue of BSE without registration of
such securities with US SEC.
 BSE is Indian stock exchange located at Dalal Street, Mumbai (Maharashtra).
India’s economic growth to accelerate at 7.3%: Fitch
 Credit rating agency, Fitch in its second-quarter of Sovereign Credit Overview for Asia Pacific region has
projected that India’s economic growth will accelerate to 7.3% in the current financial year FY19 and 7.5% in the
next fiscal.
 The growth rate will accelerate as money supply has recovered to its pre-demonetisation level and disruptions
related to the rollout of GST have diminished.
India was world’s largest remittance-receiving country in 2017
 According to recently released report 'RemitSCOPE – Remittance markets and opportunities – Asia and the
Pacific', India was largest remittance receiving country in the world with US $69 billion in 2017.
 Top five remittance receiving countries in 2017 in the world were India ($69 billion), China ($64billion) and
Philippines ($33 billion), Pakistan ($20 billion), and Vietnam ($14 billion).
RBI puts Dena Bank under prompt corrective action
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) put state-run lender Dena Bank under prompt corrective action (PCA)
framework.
 It has barred Dena Bank from extending fresh credit in view of deteriorating financial health due to mounting
non-performing assets (NPAs) and mounting losses.
 With this, Dena Bank becomes the first lender to face curbs on lending under PCA framework.
 PCA is process or mechanism to ensure that banks don’t go bust.
 Under it, RBI has put in place some trigger points to assess, monitor, control and take corrective actions on banks
which are weak and troubled.
Top 30 Innovations showcased in Atal Tinkering Marathon
 Atal Tinkering Marathon’s top 30 Innovations to be supported through industry partnerships were showcased on
the eve of the National Technology Day.
 Atal Tinkering Labs of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog had organized an Atal Tinkering Marathon
in an effort to identify India’s best student innovators.
India to grow 7.4% in 2018
 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its Asia and Pacific Regional Economic Outlook report reaffirmed that
India will be the fastest growing major economy in 2018, with growth rate of 7.4% and 7.8% in 2019.
 Medium-term consumer price index inflation is forecasted to remain within but closer to upper bound of Reserve
Bank of India’s (RBI) inflation-targeting band of 4% with a plus or minus 2% change.
 The region contributes more than 60% of global growth and three-quarters of this comes from India and China,
which is expected to grow 6.6 % in 2018 and 6.4% in 2019.
Govt launches Digital India Internship Scheme portal
 The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) launched the website of Digital India
Internship Scheme.
 It was launched by Information Technology Minister Ravi Prasad Shankar in New Delhi.
15th Finance Commission forms constitutes advisory council over terms of reference issue
 The Fifteenth Finance Commission (FCC), headed by NK Singh, constituted Advisory Council to advise and
assist Commission on issue or subject related to Terms of Reference (ToR) to quell strong opposition from some
states over 2011 census.
 The council comprises Arvind Virmani, former chief economic advisor, Surjit S Bhalla, Sajjid Chinoy, Neelkanth
Mishra, Sanjeev Gupta, and Pinaki Chakraborty.

 The recommendations of 15th Finance Commission (FFC) will come into effect from Apr 01, 2020.
 The ToR of 15th Finance Commission have drawn protests from many states, especially from southern ones, over
its mandate to use 2011 Census data over 1971 Census data for resource allocation.
ADB projects India's GDP to grow at 7.3% in 2018-19
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) projected India to remain the fastest growing Asian nation with 7.3%
growth in 2018-19 and 7.6% in 2019-20.
 Chief Economist of ADB, Yasuyuki Sawada stated that India should not worry about not achieving 8% growth
but focus on increasing domestic demand by reducing the income inequality.
RBI announces Rs. 10,000 Crore Bond Purchases
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) would buy Rs. 10,000 crore ($1.50 billion) of govt bonds via open market
operation (OMO), after failing to sell all the debt it had offered to bidders earlier.
 It was the third straight week when the RBI couldn't sell everything on offer, leading to a spike in bond yields.
 The 10-year govt bond yield rose to 7.75 percent from 7.74 percent before the auction result was announced.
 The RBI will buy 8.12 percent 2020 bond, 6.84 percent 2022 bond, 7.72 percent 2025 bond, 6.79 percent 2027
bond, and 8.24 percent 2033 bond via open market operation on May 17.
GST Council approves converting GSTN into govt owned entity
 The 27th meeting of GST Council chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has approved the proposal of
converting GST Network (GSTN) into govt entity from current private entity status by taking over stakes held by
private entities.
 Following the move, central govt will own 50% in GSTN and the remaining will be collectively held by state
govts.
 Currently its 24.5% is owned by central govt and similar percentage is held by state govts collectively.
 The remaining 51% is owned by five private financial institutions- ICICI Bank, NSE, HDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank
and LIC Housing Finance Ltd.
GST Council approves simplified tax return filing system
 The 27th meeting of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced
new and simplified return filing process.
 All taxpayers excluding few exceptions like composition dealer will file one monthly return.
 Taxpayer will be given user-friendly IT interface and offline IT tool to upload the invoices.
GST Council constitutes 2 GoM
 The GST Council in its 27th meeting constituted two Group of Ministers (GoM) to consider issues related to
incentivizing digital payments in GST regime & imposition of Cess on Sugar under GST.
 Both GoMs will submit their reports within period of 15 days.
 First GoM will consider the issues relating to incentivizing digital payments in GST regime. Sushil Kumar Modi,
(Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar) is its convenor.
 Second GoM will consider issues relating to imposition of Cess on Sugar under GST. Himanta Biswa Sarma
(Finance Minister of Assam) is its convenor.
HDFC Bank launches interactive humanoid IRA 2.0
 India's private sector lender, HDFC Bank has launched Interactive Robotic Assistant (IRA) 2.0, an interactive
humanoid at its Koramangala Branch in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
 HDFC Bank has developed IRA 2.0 in collaboration with its technology partners Invento Makerspaces and
Senseforth Technologies.
 IRA 2.0 is more advance than first version IRA 1.0.
 HDFC was the first bank in India to introduce humanoid IRA 1.0 for customer service at Kamala Mills Branch in
Mumbai in Jan 2o18. Currently, IRA 1.0 is stationed at Palarivattom Branch in Kochi.
EPFO launches View Pension Passbook Service
 Retirement fund body, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched View Pension Passbook
Service for pensioners on Umang App.

 This facility was launched part of EPFO’s plan to go paperless by August this year and provide all services
online.
 UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) app aims to build common, unified platform
and mobile app to facilitate single point of access for government services (centre, state and utility services)
through mobile.
 It had won Best m-Govt Service Award for Accessible Government Category at World Government Summit
2018.
Manufacturing growth improves slightly in Apr 2018
 The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 51.6 in Apr 2018 form from 51 in
Mar 2018.
 PMI showed that manufacturing conditions improved for ninth consecutive month in Apr 2018.
 Inflationary pressures continue to ease in Apr 2018, with softest increases for input costs and output charges
reported since Sept 2017 and Jul 2017 respectively.
Core sector growth slows to 4.1% in Mar 2018
 According to index of eight core industries released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, core sector growth in
Mar 2018 slowed to 4.1%, a three-month low due to weak performance in six sectors.
 These sectors are coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, steel and electricity.
 Cumulatively, the eight core sectors grew 4.2% in 2017-18 as compare to 4.8% in the previous fiscal.
 The previous low was 3.8% in Dec 2017.
Atal Pension Yojana’s subscriber base crosses 1 cr mark
 The subscriber base of Atal Pension Yojana (APY) crossed 1 crore subscribers mark since its launch in May
2015. It has been reported by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
 The scheme has collected Rs. 3,950 crore of contribution from subscribers.
 It has generated around 9.10% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) since inception till Mar 2018.
 Uttar Pradesh (1,401,631) topped the APY mobilisation followed by Bihar (1,061,660) and Tamil Nadu
(814,917).
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandan Yojana
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved doubling of investment limit from Rs
7.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh under Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY).
 It also extended time limits for subscription from May 2018 to March, 2020.
 It will boost social security initiatives for senior citizens and enable them upto Rs.10,000 pension per month.
 PMVVY aims to provide social security during old age and protect elderly persons aged 60 years and above
against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions.
National News
NITI Aayog ink SoI with ABB India
 NITI Aayog and ABB India signed Statement of Intent (SoI) to help India leverage power of advanced
technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence.
 NITI Aayog will work with ABB across various sectors of economy, such as power and water utilities, industries
like food, heavy industries and transport (rail and metro), electric mobility and infrastructure to suggest solutions
for digitalization, incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) and AI technologies.
 ABB is Zurich-based Technology Company with presence across 100+ countries and over 1.3 lakh employees.
India’s first National Sports University in Manipur
 The 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).
 The specialised university will be the first of its kind in the country and adopt best international practices.
 It was approved in 2014-15 budget with Rs. 100 crore allocation.
Habitat loss may have triggered Nipah outbreak
 According to a report by World Health Organisation (WHO), human-triggered factors like habitat loss due to
deforestation and climate change set off infectious outbreaks such as recent Nipah cases in Kerala.
 Due to habitat destruction by human activity, flying fox (fruit bat), a natural host of Nipah virus get stressed and
hungry, which weakens its immune system, increasing virus load.
 It results in lot of virus spilling from urine and saliva of bats.
 Nipah virus (NiV) infection is zoonotic disease (disease transmitted to humans from animals) that causes severe
disease in both animals and humans.
Ministry of Civil Aviation notifies Draft Passenger Charter
 The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation notified Draft Passenger Charter defining rights for air passengers.
 It aimed at improving hassle-free air travel experience of air passengers in the country.
 Passenger can cancel air ticket within 24 hours of booking it and if provided travel is to take place after 96 hours,
then passenger will be able to cancel ticket without any charge.
 If delay results in flight departing next day, then airline will have to offer free hotel stay.
 If a delay results in a passenger missing a connecting flight, then airline will have to pay Rs.5,000 to
Rs.20,000. In case of lost baggage, the minimum compensation proposed is Rs.3,000 per kg.
 If baggage is delayed or damaged, airline is liable to pay Rs. 1,000 per kg.
 If passenger doesn’t receive due compensation, grievances can be filed on Ministry of Civil Aviation’s AirSewa
app or at Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) portal.
Election Commission to launch App
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) is planning to launch multi-lingual mobile application called Model
Code of Conduct Violation Reporting App ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
 The app was made available for first time in Bengaluru (capital of Karnataka) in run-up to recently concluded
state assembly elections.
 ECI is permanent and independent constitutional body established directly by Constitution of India to ensure fair
and fair elections in the country.
Govt releases draft Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming Act, 2018
 The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Famers Welfare unveiled Model Agriculture Produce and Livestock
Contract Farming and Services (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2018 to ensure better price to farmers.
Justice B N Srikrishna chairs panel on 'Future of Governance'
 Justice B N Srikrishna, who heads the high-level committee on framing new data protection norms for India, has
chaired a panel discussion on ‘Future of Governance’.
 It will focus on various aspects related to data privacy, an issue that has become increasingly relevant in the
digital era.
 It is hosted by India International Centre (IIC) in collaboration with NITI Aayog and Centre for Policy Research
(CPR).
Worsening air quality major cause of premature deaths in India
 According to latest research, worsening air quality in last two decades has emerged as one of major reasons for
high numbers of premature deaths in India.
 The research has been conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi in collaboration with
environmental NGO Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED).
 The study was conducted on eleven north Indian cities i.e. seven in Uttar Pradesh (Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow,
Meerut, Varanasi and Gorakhpur), three in Bihar (Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya) and one in Jharkhand (Ranchi).

 Kanpur recorded highest number of premature deaths per year (4,173) due to chronic exposure to air pollution,
followed by Lucknow (4,127), Agra (2,421), Meerut (2,044), Varanasi (1,581), Allahabad (1,443) and Gorakhpur
(914).
DAC approves measures to simplify DPP
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, approved
various measures to simplify Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP).
 These measures will be incorporated in DPP-16, the manual governing defence procurement procedure.
India to achieve 9% growth rate by 2022
 NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar has exuded confidence that Indian economy will achieve 9 per cent
growth rate on sustained basis by 2022 on the back of reforms like GST, demonetisation and the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
 Indian economy grew by 6.6 per cent in 2017-18 and expected to grow at 7.5 per cent this fiscal.
India receives first crude oil cargo from UAE
 India has received the first consignment of 2 million barrels of crude oil from United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its
strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) at Mangaluru (on west coast), Karnataka.
 This first consignment from UAE filled one of two strategic reserve caverns at Mangaluru under agreement
between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
Govt earns Rs.1,400 crore
 According to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Govt earned Rs 1,400 crore as revenue from highly successful e-
Visa scheme since its launch in 2014.
 19 lakh tourists made use of e-Visa scheme in 2017 and fees are divided into four slabs of zero, $25, $50 and $75,
which were fixed on reciprocity and depending on nationality.
 e-Visa scheme provides pre-authorization of visa to foreigners prior to travel to India.
India is sixth wealthiest country in the world
 According to AfrAsia Bank Global Wealth Migration Review, India is the sixth wealthiest country in the world
with total wealth of $8,230 billion.
 US is the richest nation globally with total wealth of $62,584 billion followed by China ($24,803 billion), Japan
($19,522 billion), UK ($9,919 billion), Germany ($9,660 billion), India ($8,230 billion).
CRPF raises Bastariya Battalion
 The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commissioned special unit called Bastariya Battalion (numbered 241)
to combat Naxals activities in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
 This is for first time CRFP raised special battalion that includes local representation to enhance combat
capabilities in Naxal-hit area of Bastar district.
IIT Kanpur sets up India’s first advisory centre
 The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur set up India’s first Centre for Energy Regulation (CER) with the
help of Govt of United Kingdom.
 The first of its kind centre in India aims at providing independent advisory on policy and regulatory matters in the
power and energy sector.
EESL distributes over 30 crore LED bulbs across the country
 The state run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) distributed over 30 crore light emitting diode (LED) bulbs
across country under zero-subsidy Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme.
 The distribution of 30 crore LED bulbs has led to energy savings of over 38,952 million kWh, annually,
amounting to energy savings of Rs. 15,581 crore.
 The implementation of scheme has increased penetration of LED in domestic market to 10% from mere 0.4%
earlier.
 It has also increased India’s share in global LED market to 12% from a mere 0.1%.
India drags US to WTO
 India dragged United States (US) to World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Dispute Settlement Mechanism over
imposition of import duties on steel and aluminium.

 The decision of imposition of import duties impact its exports of these products to US and is not in compliance
with global trade norms.
 India has sought consultations with US as first step of dispute settlement process under the WTO’s dispute
settlement mechanism.
PM Modi launches construction of Asia’s longest road tunnel
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated construction of Rs 6,809 crore Zojila tunnel project in Jammu and
Kashmir’s Leh.
 It will be India’s and Asia’s longest and strategic bi-directional road tunnel, which will provide all-weather
connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.
 It will be situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway (NH-1A).
CSTT adopts AYUSH word
 The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) adopted the word 'AYUSH' in Hindi and
English languages for scientific and technical purposes.
 AYUSH word has become popular as acronym for five traditional and complementary systems of medicine,
namely Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
Supreme Court approves draft Cauvery Management Scheme
 The apex court has approved Centre’s draft Cauvery Management Scheme for smooth distribution of water
among four southern riparian states/UT viz. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
 The apex court also modified Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award of 2007 and made it clear that it
will not be extending time for its implementation on any ground.
 It also raised Karnataka’s share of Cauvery water by 14.75 tmcft saying that issue of drinking water of Southern
Karnataka region has to be placed on a higher pedestal.
PM Narendra Modi inuagrates Kishanganga Hydroelectric project
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated 300 MW Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project in Bandipora District
of Jammu & Kashmir.
 He also laid foundation stone of 1000 MW capacity Pakal Dul Power Project.
 Pakal Dul Dam is proposed 167m concrete-face rock-fill dam (CFRD) on Marusadar River, a tributary of Chenab
River in Kishtwar district of J&K.
Parcel Cargo Express Train begins operation
 Northeast Frontier Railway of the Indian Railway started operating one lease Parcel Cargo Express Train (PCET)
connecting northeastern part of the country to West Coast on fortnightly basis.
 It has been launched on line of Govt’s priority to provide connectivity to northeast region and empowering local
industries of this region.
India saw 211 tuberculosis cases in 2016
 According to the World Health Statistics 2018 released by World Health Organisation (WHO), India saw
estimated 211 cases of tuberculosis (TB) per 1,00,000 people in 2016.
 India has pledged to eradicate tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of global target set by WHO.
 Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in India was 174 per 1,00,000 births in 2015.
 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 is to lower MMR for all countries to less than 70 per
1,00,000 births.
IISER develops device to detect and remove arsenic from water
 The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in collaboration with private company developed
a new device-Arsenic Sensor and Removal Media to detect and remove arsenic content from water and make it
safe and usable by households.
 It uses very simple and household detection sensing methodology. It is capable of sensing soluble arsenic (3)
which cannot be easily detected and removed.
Commerce Ministry establishes DGTR
 The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued a notification for creation of Directorate General of
Trade Remedies (DGTR) in Department of Commerce.

 DGTR will be apex national authority for administering all trade remedial measures including anti-dumping,
countervailing duties and safeguard measures.
Tata Steel to acquire Bhushan Steel
 The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved Tata Steel's bid for Bhushan Steel Limited (BSL),
clearing the deck for the bankrupt mill’s acquisition by India’s oldest maker of the primary infrastructure alloy.
 The NCLT also dismissed a plea filed by the employees of Bhushan Steel opposing Tata Steel's bid.
 Bamnipal Steel Limited (BNPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, will initially subscribe to 72.65 per
cent equity share capital of BSL at face value i.e. at Rs 2 per share, for an aggregate amount of Rs 158.89 crore.
Union Environment Ministry launches Green Skill Development Programme
 The Union Environment Ministry, Harsh Vardhan has launched its full fledged Green Skill Development
Programme (GSDP).
 It aims to train over 5.5 lakh workers in environment and forest sectors in the country through 30 courses by
2021.
 A related mobile app ‘GSDP-ENVIS’ has also been launched to boost employability and entrepreneurship of the
youth in the country.
Suresh Prabhu launches IP mascot – IP Nani
 The Commerce and Industry Minister, Suresh Prabhu has launched the Intellectual Property (IP) mascot – IP Nani
– at the conference on National Intellectual Property Rights Policy in New Delhi.
 Mascot IP Nani is a tech-savvy grandmother who helps the government and enforcement agencies in combating
IP crimes with the help of her grandson “Chhotu” aka Aditya.
India emerges third largest solar market in the world
 According to recently released report by Mercom Communications, India has emerged as the third largest solar
market in world in 2017 behind China and United States.
 India has set new record with 9.6 GW of solar installations in 2017, which was more than double the 4.3 GW
installed in 2016.
 In 2017, India’s solar market had grown at Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 170%
since 2010.
National Conference of 244 Districts under BBBP held in New Delhi
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has conducted National Conference of 244 Districts
under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) in New Delhi.
 The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi was the Chief Guest.
Govt launches Pilot scheme Procurement of Aggregate Power of 2500 MW
 The Ministry of Power has launched Pilot Scheme for Procurement of Aggregate Power of 2500 MW on
competitive basis for 3 years.
 It aims to revive commissioned power plants which are unable to sell electricity in absence of valid power
purchase agreements (PPAs). The scheme will assure minimum off-take of 55% contracted capacity.
India, US hold round 3 of Maritime Security Dialogue
 India and United States held the third round of the India-US Maritime Security Dialogue in Goa focussing on
cooperation and developments in the Indo-Pacific region.
 The next round of the dialogue will be held in the US on mutually convenient dates.
Kisan Kalyan Karyashala organised
 The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare has organised Kisan Kalyan Karyashala at the block level
across the country in which farmers from that block will participate.
 Awareness campaigns and training programmes will disseminate information about steps for doubling the
farmers’ income by 2022 and other measures taken by the NDA government for their welfare.
Task Force on Establishment of CDRI submits report to MHA
 The Task Force constituted on "Establishing a Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)" has
submitted its report to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

 The Task Force was constituted by MHA in Aug, 2017 and was headed by Preeti Saran, Secretary (East),
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Varanasi in Jan 2019
 The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in the holy city of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) from Jan 21 to Jan 23,
2019 with the theme "Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India".
 It will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth.
 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year in India on Jan 09.
 The day commemorates return of the father of nation, Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in Mumbai (then
Bombay) on Jan 09, 1915.
Govt launches Pilot scheme Procurement of Aggregate Power of 2500 MW
 The Ministry of Power has launched Pilot Scheme for Procurement of Aggregate Power of 2500 MW on
competitive basis for 3 years.
 The main purpose is to revive commissioned power plants which are unable to sell electricity in absence of valid
power purchase agreements (PPAs). Under this scheme, these plants will be allowed to bid for power supply.
GOBAR-DHAN Scheme launched
 The Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation launched GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) –
DHAN scheme at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Karnal.
 The GOBAR-DHAN Scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from
cattle and organic waste.
 It was launched under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) by Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation
Uma Bharti.
 It also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing income for farmers and other rural
people.
9th India-Japan Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi
 The 9th India Japan Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi.
 Both countries issued Joint Statement at conclusion of the meeting, agreeing to work together for energy security,
energy access and climate change issues.
 The meeting was chaired by Minister of State (MoS) for Power and New & Renewable Energy R.K Singh and
Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Hiroshige Sekosigned.
14 Indian cities figure in World’s 20 most polluted cities list
 According to Global Urban Air Pollution database released by World Health Organisation (WHO), 14 Indian
cities have been figured in the list of world’s 20 most polluted cities in terms of particulate matter PM2.5 levels in
2016.
 These 14 cities include Delhi, Varanasi, Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon,
Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur.
 They were followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem (Kuwait) and few cities in China and Mongolia.
President to preside over PM-headed panel on Gandhi 150th birth Anniversary
 President Ram Nath Kovind will preside over first meeting of the National Committee for Commemoration of
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019.
 The committee is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has 114 members on board including Vice
President M. Venkaiah Naidu, former Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, members of
union cabinet, political party leaders, chief ministers, Gandhians, spiritual gurus and social workers among others.
 The birth anniversary of father of the nation will be commemorated from Oct 02, 2019 to 02 Oct, 2020.
National Digital Communications Policy 2018
 The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) released draft of new Telecom policy – National Digital
Communications Policy, 2018.
 Calls for Universal broadband coverage, creating four million additional jobs in tdigital communications sector,
enhancing contribution of digital communications sector to 8% of India’s GDP from around 6% in 2017,
enhancing India’s contribution to global value chains and ensuring digital sovereignty.

 These objectives will be achieved by 2022.
Shivangi Pathak becomes India’s youngest women to scale Mt Everest
 At the age of 16, Shivangi Pathak has become the India’s youngest women to scale Mt Everest from Nepal side.
 Shivangi climbed Mt Everest to spread the message that women could overcome any obstacle to achieve their
goals.
NDMA conducts workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction database
 The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has conducted two-day National Workshop on Data
Requirements for Disaster Risk Reduction Database in New Delhi.
 The workshop was held in collaboration with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
(UNICEF), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR).
Integrated Centre for Crisis Management for CBRN emergencies at BARC
 President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the Integrated Centre for Crisis Management (ICCM) at Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
 It will help nation to respond more effectively to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN)
emergencies.
 President Kovind also remotely inaugurated three other nuclear facilities of Department of Atomic Energy (DEA).
IIM Ahmedabad unveils $25 million initiative to fund start-ups
 The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad’s (IIMA’s) centre for innovation, incubation and
entrepreneurship (CIIE) launched $25 million 'Bharat Inclusion Initiative' to fund start-ups.
 CIIE was founded at IIMA to support entrepreneurs and turn business ideas into viable businesses models.
Govt to link 200 more mandis to eNAM
 Union Govt is planning to link additional 200 wholesale mandis to online trading platform eNAM (electronic
National Agriculture Market) this fiscal (2018-19) and also encourage inter-mandi transactions.
 At present, 585 regulated mandis in 14 states are linked with the eNAM.
 So far, 73.50 lakh farmers, 53,163 commission agents and over 1 lakh traders are registered on it from these 14
states.
Govt launches full-fledged Green Skill Development Programme
 The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched full-fledged Green Skill
Development Programme (GSDP).
 It aims to train over 5.5 lakh workers in environment and forest sectors in the country through 30 courses by 2021
for sustainable conservation and management of natural resources.
 GSDP-ENVIS mobile application was also launched to provide more information and applying to courses under
GSDP programme.
Govt issues National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy
 The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy with an aim to
boost renewable power generation by promoting new projects as well as hybridisation of existing ones.
 It has been provided in hybrid project, subject to condition that, rated power capacity of one resource be at least
25% of rated power capacity of other resource for it to be recognised hybrid project.
UNDP to set up skill development centre in Hyderabad
 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is planning to set up skill development centre for clients of
Bharosa, an integrated support centre for distressed women and children in Hyderabad, Telangana.
 It aimed at empowering vulnerable and marginalised women by imparting skills training.
 Bharosa is an initiative of Hyderabad City Police launched in 2016.
 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), headquartered in New York City, US, is United Nations’
global development network.It is.
Gender bias caused excess deaths of girls under 5
 According to recent study of Lancet Global Health, 2,39,000 excess deaths per year of girls under age of five in
India due to gender bias have been reported.

 Excess mortality is difference between observed and expected mortality rates in both genders.
 The excess mortality accounted for about 2.4 million deaths in decade of study period 2005-2015.
 Four largest states in northern India, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, accounted for two
thirds of the total excess deaths of females under five. In Uttar Pradesh, excess female mortality was calculated at
30.5. In Bihar it was 28.5, in Rajasthan it was 25.4, and in Madhya Pradesh it was 22.1.
More tests required for release of GM mustard
 The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) demanded more tests for genetically modified mustard-
Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH -11) for “commercial cultivation.
 It has called for 'field demonstrations' of GM mustard in an area of 5 acres at two or three different locations
across the country to study possible impact transgenic crop could have on honey bees and seeks additional data on
these and other pollinators and also on soil microbial diversity.
Indian Customs and Department of India Posts Conference held in New Delhi
 The first-ever joint conference of Indian Customs and Department of India Posts held at Vigyan Bhavan in New
Delhi to deliberate on streamlining of imports and exports by post.
 Imports and exports by post are the 6th highest cited citizen grievances under under Centralized Public Grievance
Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMs).
Govt to expand Buddhist tourism circuit to 21 more states
 The Ministry of Tourism decided to expand Buddhist tourism circuit under Swadesh Darshan Scheme to 21 more
states to make it India’s first trans-national tourist circuit.
 It was envisaged only to seven major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
 The states now that will be covered includes Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, West Bengal, Goa, Gujarat and
Jammu & Kashmir.
Parliamentary panel decides to study the recovery of black money
 The parliamentary panel, headed by veteran BJP MP Murali Manohar Joshi decided to study the recovery of black
money and performance of public sector banks among a host of subjects.
 The 30-member Estimates Committee has decided to study a host of subjects related to various ministries in the
year 2018-19.
India’s installed clean energy capacity touched 70 GW
 According to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India’s installed clean (renewable) energy
capacity touched 70 Gigawatts (GW) and 38 GW is under implementation.
 This shows that India is progressing fast in areas of renewable energy and it is committed to meeting target of
having 175 GW renewable energy (100 GW Solar, 60 GW Wind, 10 GW Biomass and 5 GW Hydro) by 2022.
Asia Media Summit (AMS-2018) held in New Delhi
 India hosts the 15th edition of the Asia Media Summit (AMS-2018) in New Delhi with the theme 'Telling our
Stories- Asia and More'.
 New Delhi is hosting the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)
Kuala Lumpur for the first time.
Govt approves green licence plates for private electric vehicles
 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) approved green licence plates bearing numbers in white
fonts for private e-vehicles and yellow for taxis to promote electric vehicles (e-vehicles) in India.
 The purpose behind distinctive green number plates is easy identification of electric vehicles for preferential
treatment in parking, free entry in congested zones besides other proposed benefits like concessional toll.
 As per estimate, India at present has 1 to 1.5 lakh electric vehicles.
IPC approves modern animal-free testing for drugs
 Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in its 2018 edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia approved modern, animal-
free tests for drug manufacturers. It will spare animals from suffering due to drug experiments.
 It provides guidelines on tests for drugs manufactured and marketed in India.
 It replaces pyrogen test carried out on rabbits and abnormal toxicity test carried out on guinea pigs and mice with
tests that can be done in test tubes.

TRAI releases draft of telecom interconnection regulation
 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued draft of Telecommunication Interconnection
(Amendment) Regulations 2018 to amend interconnect regulations, proposing certain changes in terms and
conditions for operators to seek fresh call connect ports from other telecom operators.
 Service provider can ask another operator for additional ports or Point of Interconection (POI), in case projected
utilisation of capacity is likely to exceed 85% over 60 day period.
Govt to expand Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in Tribal Districts
 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is planning to expand Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in tribal districts across
the country.
 About 3000 such kendras are proposed to be set up in two years in all forested Tribal Districts.
 Initially, it will be taken up on priority in 39 districts with more than 50% tribal population and then gradually
will be expanded to other Tribal Districts across the country.
 Van Dhan Yojana aims at mainstreaming tribal community by promoting primary level value addition to Non
Timber Minor Forest Produce (MFP) at grassroots level.
Naval Commanders’ Conference held New Delhi
 The first edition of 2018 bi-annual Naval Commanders’ Conference held in New Delhi.
 The new deployment philosophy is in furtherance of Prime Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the
Region (SAGAR).
NITI Aayog ink SoI with Google
 The NITI Aayog signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with search engine giant, Google to work together to foster
growth for India’s nascent artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) ecosystem.
 Under the aegis of this program, Google will train and incubate Indian AI startups in accelerator program.
 Google will also conduct hands-on training programs to sensitise policymakers and technical experts in
governments about relevant AI tools, and to use them for streamlining governance.
 NITI Aayog and Google will jointly organize AI/ML hackathon that will be focused on solving key challenges
within healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, transportation and mobility etc.
Govt to set up additional 100 One Stop Centres for women safety
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) in its Programme Approval Board (PAB) meeting
approved setting up of additional 100 One Stop Centres (OSCs) for women affected by violence.
 These OSCs will be set up in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
 Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) had launched Centrally Sponsored Scheme for setting up
One Stop Centres (OSC). It is funded from Nirbhaya Fund.
UNPCAP-03 held in New Delhi
 The third edition of United Nations Peacekeeping Course for African Partners (UNPCAP) has been held in New
Delhi.
 The course was conducted by Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping in India (CUNPK) in partnership with
United States.
 The first and second editions of the course were held in New Delhi in 2016 and 2017.
 India is the largest cumulative troop contributor to UN Peacekeeping Missions mandated to maintain stability and
negotiate peace settlement in turbulent regions across the world.
2018 International Children’s Theatre Festival to be held in Kolkata
 The 2018 International Children’s Theatre Festival will be held at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata, West
Bengal from Jun 17 to 21.
 The participating countries are France, Slovenia, Swaziland, Mexico, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Nepal and
Bangladesh.
 Children of theatre groups from Indian states such as Kerala, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha and West
Bengal will also be participating in the 5-day festival.
India to host 15th Asia Media Summit

 India will host 15th Asia Media Summit (AMS-2018) in New Delhi from May 10-12, 2018.
 It is being organised by Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) in collaboration with its
partners and international organisations.
 The theme of the annual summit is "Telling our Stories- Asia and More".
 AIDB is regional inter-governmental organisation servicing countries of United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in field of electronic media development.
TOONZ Animation Masters Summit 2018 held in Thiruvananthapuram
 The 19th edition of TOONZ Animation Masters Summit 2018 held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 It was inaugurated by Ashish Kulkarni, Chairman of FICCI for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics
Forum, and was organized by the Technopark-based Toonz Media Group.
 Legendary masters including Kiran Antony- Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, Resul Pookutty-
Oscar winning sound engineer and Paul Robinson- International Media Executive, also took part in the event.
Sports initiative ‘Star Khel Mahakumbh’ launches
 The sports initiative, 'Star Khel Mahakumbh' has been launched by BJP MP Anurag Thakur and cricketing great
Sachin Tendulkar at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh in the presence of 1,500 athletes.
NMCG approves used of GIS technology
 National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has partnered with Board Survey of India to facilitate the Ganga
rejuvenation task under Namami Gange programme by using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.
 NMCG aims to strengthen planning and implementation at national, state and local levels.
Regional Conference on 'Futuristic, Resilient and Digital Infrastructure' held in Bengaluru
 The 4th Regional Conference on ‘Futuristic, Resilient and Digital Infrastructure’ has been held in Bengaluru.
 The Conference was organized by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in collaboration with the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
Vibrant North East 2018 held in Guwahati
 The fourth edition of ‘Vibrant North East 2018’ has been started in Guwahati, Assam on May 03, 2018 in which
people would be made aware of central government’s schemes and programmes.
 It is organised by Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) and is supported by
the North Eastern Council, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry and All India Farmers Alliance.
Google.org grants $3 mn to two Indian non-profit organisations
 The philanthropic arm of Google, Google.org has announced additional grants of $3 million to two Indian non-
profit organisations – Central Square Foundation and The Teacher App.
 With a $1 million grant to The Teacher App in India, Google.org aims to provide teachers with training and
resources on the concepts of math, science, language, and pedagogy.
Govt notifies 75 National Resource Centres
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched initiative of online professional development
of 1.5 million higher education faculty using massive open online course (MOOC) platform SWAYAM.
 Under its first phase of implementation, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres (NRCs) have been
identified. SWAYAM stands for Study Webs of Active –Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) programme.
Meteorological Department issues warning of another dust storm in UP, Rajasthan
 Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warning of another dust storm and thunderstorm in parts of
Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
 It has also forecasted thunderstorm accompanied with squall is also likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand,
Sikkim, West Bengal and Odisha.
 Rainstorms (thunderstroms) and duststorms arise from similar meteorological conditions.
 Thunderstorms occur when atmosphere has moisture and duststorms take place when moisture is not present.
BIMSTEC Working Group on Customs Cooperation held in New Delhi
 The first meeting of the BIMSTEC Working Group on Customs Cooperation held in New Delhi, India.

 Delegates from all the BIMSTEC Member States, i.e., Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka
and Thailand attended the meeting.
STATE News
Maharashtra Govt introduces new scheme to help the landless labourers
 The Maharashtra Govt introduced a new scheme to help the landless labourers among the Scheduled Castes (SCs)
to acquire agricultural land.
 The landless among the SCs can now purchase for acres of rainfed agricultural land or two acres of irrigated land
by paying only 5% of the cost.
Smart Cities India 2018 Expo starts in New Delhi
 Smart Cities India 2018 Expo started in New Delhi on May 23, 2018.
 The mega event, consisting five expos is being held with a vision to help develop attractive and safe cities that
evoke pride, passion and a sense of belonging among citizens.
 The five expos are: Building India Expo, Solar India Expo, Transport India Expo, Smart Cities India Expo and
Water India Expo.
Kalinga literary festival 2018 to be held in Bhubaneswar
 The 5th edition of Kalinga literary festival 2018 will be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
 It will explore concepts of equality, equity and humanity in literature.
Rajasthan Govt launches software for disease monitoring
 Rajasthan Govt has launched new software known as Nidaan for disease monitoring and strengthening tele-
medicine services in the govt hospitals.
 Nidaan will help for providing presumptive diagnosis and monitoring of seasonal and non-communicable diseases
as well as trends of ailments found in specific areas.
First commercial flight of Arunachal Pradesh lands
 The first commercial flight (42-seater ATR aircraft of the Alliance Airlines) of Arunachal Pradesh under UDAN
scheme has been landed at Pasighat airport or Advance Landing Ground (ALG) in East Siang district.
 Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, will operate flight services on Kolkata-Guwahati-Pasighat route thrice a
week – on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Chhattisgarh to get specialised anti-Naxal combat force
 Chhattisgarh will get specialised anti-Naxal combat force known as Black Panther on the lines of the Greyhounds
unit of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
 It was announced by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh after chairing meeting on Left-Wing Extremism
(LWE).
Madhya Pradesh launches 'My MP Rojgar Portal'
 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched 'My MP Rojgar Portal' to provide jobs to
youths as per their educational qualification, skills and interest and ensure availability of able candidates to
employers as per the need of their business.
 It was launched as a part of the 'Ham Chhu Lenge Asman' Mukhyamantri Career Counselling programme ‘Pahal'
in Model School of Bhopal.
Tamil Nadu to build India’s Next Generation Stealth Fighter Jet
 The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which had conceived and designed the Light Combat Aircraft
(LCA) Tejas, has set the ball rolling for building the next generation defense aircraft, the Advanced Medium
Combat Aircraft (AMCA), by extending an invitation to private players in Coimbatore to build a technology
demonstrator.
 The proposal is not only the first time an indigenous military aircraft programme is seeing the involvement of
private players, but it is also the first time a defense plane development project is proposed to be executed outside
Bengaluru.

Venture Capital Symposium 2018 held in New Delhi
 The Venture Capital Symposium 2018 has been organized by NITI Aayog in association with Vision India
Foundation in New Delhi. It aims to deepen the economic relationships between France and India.
Gujarat govt launches free treatment scheme
 The Gujarat government has launched free treatment scheme for the road accident victims.
 Under this scheme, the state govt will bear medical expenses of up to Rs 50,000 for each victim of road accident
in the state for the first 48 hours.
 Free treatment includes dressing of wounds, X-ray, blood transfusion, treatment in ICU and MRI, and all other
treatment available in a hospital.
Haryana Govt to launch ‘Chatra Parivahan Suraksha Yojana’
 The Haryana Government is planning to launch the ‘Chatra Parivahan Suraksha Yojana’ to ensure safety of girl
students.
 For facilitating women, the state govt has opened women police stations in districts. Besides, women help desks
have also been set up.
'Physical and Social Infrastructure for Regional Development' Conference held in Guwahati
 The two days regional conference on 'Physical and Social Infrastructure for Regional Development' has been held
in Guwahati, Assam.
 It was inaugurated by Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, the Governor of Assam.
HP govt sanctions Rs 25 cr for renovating Bantony Castle
 The Himachal Pradesh govt will spend Rs 25 crore on renovating and developing the historic British Raj 'Bantony
Castle Estate' as a major tourist attraction.
 The castle was one of the historic and monumental buildings of Shimla town with a very rich history.
 'Gram Shilp Mela' was a new beginning for the Bantony Castle as artisans from different parts of the state got an
opportunity to exhibit their artifacts.
Indore ranked India’s first cleanest city
 According to the Swachh Survekshan 2018, Indore has been ranked India’s first cleanest city, as per latest survey
‘Swachh Survekshan-2018’.
 Bhopal ranked second whereas Chandigarh third in the survey at the national level.
 Besides, Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh is India’s cleanest big city with a population of over 10 lakh.
 Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh is ‘Fastest Mover’ big city.
 New Delhi Municipal Council is country’s cleanest small city having a population between one lakh to three lakh.
First International Rail Coach Expo held in Chennai
 The first-ever International Rail Coach Expo (IRCE) held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to focus on Rail Coaches and
train sets.
 Many reputed rail car and equipment builders showcased their technology and products in this expo.
 The three day expo was hosted by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai, under the Ministry of Railways, in
coordination with CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) and RITES Ltd.
 ICF is manufacturer of rail coaches located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
4th GES-2018 inaugurated in Mumbai
 The fourth edition of Global Exhibition on services (GES-2018) has been inaugurated by President Ram Nath
Kovind at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.
 The event is organised by the Department of Commerce, Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Sikkim govt nominates Mohit Chauhan as Green Ambassador of state
 The Sikkim govt has nominated Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan as the Green Ambassador of the state for
promoting Sikkim as a Green Destination, nationally and internationally, on voluntary basis.
First Apex Conference for CEOs of Smart Cities held in Bhopal
 The First Apex Conference for CEOs of Smart Cities has been organised by Union Urban Affairs Ministry in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

 It was inaugurated by Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs.
 It also aimed to provide momentum to cities and platform for cross-learning, sharing and disseminating
experience gained over past two and a half years.
 It enabled CEOs to learn from experiences of all city leaders to understand in greater details both successes and
failures.
Manipur Govt launches ‘Go to Village’ mission
 The Government of Manipur has launched ‘Go to Village’ mission across the State from Konuma ground of
Komlakhong gram panchayat in Imphal West district.
 The mission was launched simultaneously in 60 villages in all 60 constituencies.
Maharashtra becomes 1st Indian state to provide digitally-signed land record receipts
 Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to provide digitally-signed land record receipts (also known as 7/12
receipts).
 The 7/12 receipt is the most important document which establishes the ownership of the land, and is primarily
used by farmers while applying for loans.
 Presently, eight lakh 7/12 receipts come with digital sign, and the aim is to complete the digitisation of all 2.5
crore receipts by Aug 01.
 To get the 7/12 receipt with digital sign, one must go to https://mahabhulekh.maharashtra.
4th meeting of SAWEN held in Kolkata, India
 The fourth meeting of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), an inter-governmental wildlife law
enforcement agency was in Kolkata, West Bengal (India).
 South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) is a regional inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement
support body of South Asian Countries.
 It was launched in Jan, 2011 in Paro, Bhutan during the second meeting of the South Asia Expert Group on Illegal
Wildlife Trade. Its secretariat is in Kathmandu, Nepal.
 Its regional network comprises of eight South Asia countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
First all-woman Post Office Passport Seva Kendra starts in Phagwara, Punjab
 The Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) run by an all-woman team has begun its operations Phagwara,
Punjab.
 It was was formally inaugurated by Union Minister Vijay Sampla in the local head Post Office of Phagwara.
 This kendra was 192nd POPSK in the country and first one to be operated by an all-woman team.
 It was launched as part of Central Govt’s initiative for women empowerment.
Meeting of Stakeholders of Samarth Scheme held in New Delhi
 A meeting of stakeholders on Samarth Scheme (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector) under Skill India
Mission has been held in New Delhi to familiarize the stakeholders about scheme and its guidelines.
 The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani.
 It is scheme of Ministry of Textiles, approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in December
2017.
Telangana govt launches investment support scheme for farmers
 Telangana govt launched an investment support scheme, Rythu Bandhu (friend of farmers) Scheme to support
livelihood of farmers.
 It is first of its kind investment support scheme for farmers to be launched by any state in India.
 They will get an investment support of Rs 8,000 per acre every year (Rs. 4000 each for monsoon and Rabi
season) as crop investment support.
Stanford University to assist UP
 United States' prestigious Stanford University agreed to assist Uttar Pradesh Govt to combat chronic disease like
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).
 It has been announced by Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh who had headed high-powered
delegation of top state officials to United States.

 JE is a mosquito-borne flavivirus. It belongs to the same genus as dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses.
Madhya Pradesh launches India’s first Integrated Control and Command Centre
 Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Ltd. (BSCDCL) launched the India’s first cloud-based Common
Integrated Data Centre, Disaster Recovery Centre and Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC).
 It is powered by Hewlett Packard (HP) Enterprise’s Universal Internet of Things (IoT) Platform.
 ICCC will enable Madhya Pradesh State administration to monitor and administer multiple city civic utilities and
citizen services across seven smart cities in state through central cloud.
 These seven cities include Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Ujjain, Satna, and Sagar.
International News
India-Netherlands-Sweden to collaborate for research programme
 The Govts of India, Netherlands and Sweden have launched first-of-its-kind collaborative research programme on
HIV/AIDS.
 It aims at harnessing complementary research strengths and diverse expertise across three nations to catalyze
development of better tools to understand and address burgeoning global epidemic of HIV.
Nepal becomes first country in south-east Asia
 The 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.
 India had self-declared itself free from infective Trachoma in Dec 2017 after it met goal of trachoma elimination
as specified by WHO under its GET2020 (Global Elimination of Trachoma by the year 2020) program.
Pakistan hosts SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure meeting
 Pakistan hosted the first ever Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS)
legal experts meeting in Islamabad.
 The three day meeting saw participation of legal advisors from eight SCO member states including China,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan as well as representatives of the SCO-
RATS executive committee.
 SCO-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is permanent organ of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO). It is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
71st World Health Assembly (WHA-2018) starts in Geneva
 The 71st World Health Assembly (WHA-2018) held in Geneva, Switzerland.
 Union Health Minister J P Nadda is leading the Indian Delegation.
 In the plenary meeting of WHA, he spoke on the theme “Health for All: Commit To Universal Health Coverage”.
 The Indian govt has recently launched the Ayushman Bharat programme, which rests on the twin pillars of health
and well-ness centres, and the National Health Protection Mission for 100 million families covering 500 million
individuals.
 The programme will approximately cover 40% of the India’s population, who will be provided an insurance cover
of Rs 500,000 per year. India has set an ambitious plan to end TB by 2025.
Pakistan named among top 3 sources for money laundering
 United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in its report listed Pakistan among top three sources for money
laundering in the country. The other two countries are Nigeria and Russia. The NCA is non-ministerial UK
government law enforcement agency.
 UK is prime destination for foreign corrupt and politically exposed people (PEPs) to launder money.
BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers held in Durban
 The 26th BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers held in Durban, South Africa.

 The grouping is a bloc of four countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China.
 It was attended by from BASIC countries and Michal Kurtyka of Poland, next president of Conference of Parties
(COP-24) under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). India was represented
by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.
 BASIC countries are bloc (geopolitical alliance) of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South
Africa, India and China.
Emergency Summit of OIC held in Istanbul
 The 57-members Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has held extraordinary summit in Istanbul, Turkey to
discuss recent Israeli violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza Strip.
 The summit has been convened at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
 It condemned massacre of Peaceful Palestinian civilian protestors by the Israeli forces as well as on the official
opening of US Embassy in Jerusalem in defiance of international law, UN Security Council (UNSC) and General
Assembly (UNGA) Resolution.
Guatemala becomes 2nd country to open Jerusalem Embassy
 Guatemala has become the second country after US to open its Embassy in Jerusalem.
 The U.S. moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the Guatemalan embassy’s opening in west Jerusalem.
 Paraguay has said it will follow the U.S. and Guatemala by moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by
the end of May.
WHO publishes its first Essential Diagnostics List
 The World Health Organisation (WHO) published its first Essential Diagnostics List, a catalogue of tests needed
to diagnose most common diseases along with number of global priority diseases.
 It contains overall 113 products which comprises 58 tests for detection and diagnosis of a wide range of common
conditions.
WHO launches REPLACE campaign
 World Health Organization (WHO) launched comprehensive plan "REPLACE" to eliminate industrially-produced
artificial trans-fats from global food supply by 2023.
 REPLACE is abbreviated in six strategic actions as Review, Promote, Legislate, Assess, Create awareness and
Enforce.
 The campaign provides step-by-step guide in six strategic actions of 'REPLACE' package to ensure prompt,
complete, and sustained elimination of industrially-produced trans-fats from global food supply.
Three million new jobs by 2030: ILO Report
 International Labour Organization’s (ILO’s) World Employment and Social Outlook Report projected increase in
surface temperature due to global warming.
 The increase in surface temperature will lead to around 2,59,000 job losses in India by 2030, especially in carbon-
and resource-intensive industries.
 According to report, global temperature rise of 1.5°C by end of 21st century will result in heat stress, which will
reduce total number of working hours by 2030.
China launches first India-dedicated investment fund
 The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), a top state-run Chinese bank launched China’s first India-
dedicated publicly offered investment fund.
 The fund has been named as Industrial and Commercial Bank Credit Suisse India Market Fund.
 ICBC is the largest in the world with over $3.6 trillion in assets.
 The ICBC Credit Suisse Indian Market Fund (LOF) will invest in exchange-traded funds listed on more than 20
exchanges in Europe and US that are based on the Indian market.
Nepal to host 2018 BIMSTEC summit
 Nepal will host the 2018 Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) summit.

 It was announced by Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in Kathmandu (capital city ).
 BIMSTEC is the sub-regional group of seven countries in South Asia and South East Asia lying in the littoral and
adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
 BIMSTEC countries are India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka from South Asia and Myanmar, Thailand
from South East Asia.
SCO Tourism Ministers' conference held in Wuhan, China
 The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Tourism Ministers' conference has been held in Wuhan, China.
 It was the first meeting of SCO tourism ministers since the organization was established in 2001 in Shanghai.
 From India Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism K. J. Alphons attended the conference.
 The meeting approved joint action plan that will serve as guideline for tourism cooperation between SCO member
states for 2019-2020.
 The full members of organization are China, Russia, KazakhstanUzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and
Pakistan.
2018 World Robot Conference (WRC) to be held in Beijing
 The 2018 World Robot Conference (WRC) is going to be held in Beijing, China from Aug 15-19 under the theme
of creating new intelligent power and sharing the new opening-up era.
 A robot competition will be held during the conference where participants will compete in five categories viz.
robots, artificial intelligence, automation, robotics and control systems.
President Donald Trump withdraws US from Iran nuclear deal
 United States President Donald Trump has unilaterally withdrew US from historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal or Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal signed between Iran and P5+1 countries.
 It also reimposed sanctions on Iran that were lifted by the JCPOA.
Google launches Android Things for IoT platform
 Alphabet Inc’s Google has launched Android Things (codenamed Brillo), a variant (or spinoff) of Android
operating system for Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as smart home appliances and other smart machines.
 It aims to enable IoT machines developers to be built faster, cheaper and more secure.
 Android Things is Android-based embedded operating system (OS) platform developed by Google.
Meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers held in Manila
 The 12th informal meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers held in Manila, Philippines on May 04, on the sidelines
of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
 Finance Minister of Nepal Yuba Raj Khatiwada chaired the meeting.
 The Finance Ministers/Heads of Delegation briefed the meeting about the current status of economic progress
achieved by their countries.
 An Indian delegation was headed by Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs
(DEA).
California's economy passes UK's to become world's fifth biggest
 California’s economy has surpassed the United Kingdom to become the world’s fifth largest.
 Despite having a population of only 40 million compared with the UK’s 65 million people, California’s gross
domestic product of $2.7 tn has overtaken the UK’s $2.6tn.
 The so-called Golden State’s GDP rose by $127bn in the period from 2016 to 2017, while the UK’s economic
output fell slightly over that time when measured in US dollars, due in part to exchange rate fluctuations.
ISABS – 2018 held in Johannesburg
 The first-ever India-South Africa Business Summit (ISABS 2018) has been held at the Sandton Convention
Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.
 The tag line of the Summit was "United by Legacy, Unified for Prosperity" and was attended by the Minister of
Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu.

Science & Defence
Alien asteroid discovered in Solar system
 Scientists have discovered an asteroid named Oumuamua (or (514107) 2015 BZ509) nestling in Jupiter’s orbit
that had migrated from another star system. It makes it first known permanent immigrant to our solar system.
 It confirms suspicions of scientists’ that asteroids from other stars have arrived in our solar system.
 The asteroid Oumuamua was actually first discovered in 2014, but after four years of tracking it, scientists were
able to determine that it had arrived in our solar system some 4.5 billion years ago – just as Earth was beginning
to form.
SpaceX launches NASA satellites to track Earth’s water Cycle
 Elon Musk-led SpaceX successfully launched twin NASA satellites GRACE-FO (Follow-On) that will track
Earth’s water Cycle i.e. water movement and icemelt.
 It was launched onbaord of SpaceX’s preflown Falcon 9 Rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California,
US.
Indian Navy’s all-women crew completes circumnavigating globe expedition
 The Indian Navy’s six-member all-women Navy crew onboard of INSV Tarini vessel reached Panaji, Goa after
circumnavigating around globe in 254 days under Navika Sagar Parikrama expedition.
 It was the first-ever all women Asian and Indian circumnavigation expedition of globe.
 The expedition had started on Sept 10, 2017 in Goa and was aimed at promoting women empowerment aligned
with Govt of India’s thrust for ‘Nari Shakti’.
 The crew covered 21,600 nautical miles in Indian-built sailing vessel INSV Tarini that visited five countries and
crossed Equator twice.
 It sailed across four continents and three oceans and passed south of the Great Capes – Leeuwin, Horn and Good
Hope.
 The expedition was completed in six legs, with five stopovers at Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand),
Port Stanley (Falkland Islands), Cape Town (South Africa) and Port Louis (Mauritius).
Chetak Corps of South Western Command conduct military exercise
 Chetak corps of South Western Command of Indian Army has conducted military exercise Gandiv Vijay in
Mahajan field firing ranges of Rajasthan.
 The Gandiv Vijay miliarty exercise was based on central role of carrying out offensive operations through joint
air-land battle in network-centric environment employing modern intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
concepts and equipment.
India successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
 India successfully test-fired the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a test range
along the Odisha coast to validate some new features.
 The missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher stationed at Launch pad 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at
Chandipur.
 The trial was conducted to validate its "life extension" technologies developed for the first time in India by DRDO
and team BraHmos.
China launches relay satellite
 China has launched relay satellite named Queqiao (Magpie Bridge) to establish communication link between
earth and its planned Chang’e-4 lunar probe (rover) that will explore the dark side of moon.
 It was launched as part of Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) onboard of Long March-4C rocket from
Xichang launch centre.
 Queqiao (meaning bridge of magpies) satellite will serve as communications relay for future Chang’e-4 rover that
will explore in South Pole-Aitken Basin in moon’s far side.
India’s freshwater stocks in danger
 According to the first of its kind study of NASA, India is among hotspots where overuse of water resources has
caused sharp decline in availability of freshwater.

 The study has been conducted by the scientists from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre by using an array of
NASA satellite observations to track global hydrologic changes.
 This is for first time scientists had used observations from multiple satellites for assessment of how freshwater
availability is changing everywhere on Earth.
IMD issues advisory to 5 states and 1 UT
 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued advisory to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa,
Maharashtra and Lakshadweep archipelago (UT) over cyclonic storm ‘Sagar’.
 The cyclonic storm was developed as low pressure area in Arabian Sea which gained strength and intensified into
depression and later into a cyclone ‘Sagar’.
 It is the first cyclonic storm of season to develop in Indian waters.
Russia unveils world’s first floating nuclear power plant
 Russia unveiled world’s first floating nuclear power station at port city of Murmansk.
 The Nuclear plant will be loaded with nuclear fuel at Murmansk and will be towed to port of Pevek in
autonomous Chukotka region in Russia’s far northeast in Arctic Circle region.
 Akademik Lomonosov was constructed by Russian state nuclear power firm Rosatom.
 It has length of 144 metres and width of 30 metres. It is named after Russian Academician Mikhail Lomonosov.
Indian Army flags of Women Officers' Mountaineering Expedition
 Indian Army flagged off Women Officers’ Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Bhagirathi-II to explore maximum
potential of women officers in the field of adventure sports.
 Mt. Bhagirathi-II (6512 metres) is located in the Garhwal Himalayas in Gangotri National Park.
Indian Army finalises Rs. 15000 cr indigenous ammunition project
 Indian Army finalised Rs. 15,000-crore indigenous ammunition project under which range of ammunition for its
critical weapons and tanks will be produced indigenously.
 It is claimed to be the biggest ever initiative for indigenisation of ammunition.
 It aims to overcome long delays in imports and address problem of dwindling stockpile.
 The overall cost of project has been pegged at Rs. 15,000 crore.
IMD to deploy 30 more doppler radars across India
 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is planning to deploy 30 more doppler radars in the next two-three
years across the country.
 14 will be located in the northeast, four in Jammu and Kashmir and three each will be Uttarakhand and Himachal
Pradesh. The first Doppler radar in India was installed in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 2002.
 The hilly states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and J&K had witnessed erratic patterns like thunderstorms and
heavy rains and snowfall, so do north eastern states.
Bangladesh's first communication satellite to be launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9
 The first communication satellite of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu-1 will be launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket
from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
 It has been built by Thales Alenia Space, a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer.
 It is named after Bangladesh’s 'Father of the Nation'- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
US cancels NASA's carbon monitoring project
 US President Donald Trump's administration cancelled NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) programme
citing reasons of budget constraints and higher priorities within science budget.
 It was also in line with Donald Trump’s latest broad attack on climate science.
 NASA’s CMS Programme costing $10 million per year was meant to track carbon and methane, key greenhouse
gases that contribute to global warming.
China launches communication satellite
 China has successfully launched 'APSTAR-6C', a new communication satellite into orbit.
 It was launched onboard of Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
 This was overall 273rd mission of Long March rocket series.
 Both satellite and rocket were developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

New frog species discovered in coastal Karnataka
 Scientists discovered new frog species named Microhyla kodial or Mangaluru narrow-mouthed frog in a small
industrial region in coastal Karnataka.
 It is christened Microhyla kodial after city of Mangaluru (called kodial in Konkani language) from where they
spotted it two years ago.
World's second oldest rock discovered in Odisha
 Scientists discovered world’s second oldest grain of magmatic zircon (a mineral that contains traces of radioactive
isotopes) from Champua from Singhbhum rock sample in Odisha’s Kendujhar district.
 It is an estimated 4,240 million years old, making it world’s second oldest rock ever to be discovered. It is oldest
magmatic zircon on earth.
Western Ghats’ forests vital for monsoon rainfall
 Researchers have found that the dense vegetation in Western Ghats determines amount of rainfall that Tamil Nadu
gets during the summer monsoon.
 The study highlights importance of urgent need to stop deforestation in the Western Ghats.
World’s second oldest grain of magnetic zircon discovered
 Scientists discovered the world’s second oldest grain of magnetic zircon from the Singhbhum rock at the
Champua in Kendujhar district of Odisha.
 The zircon is a mineral that contains traces of radioactive isotopes.
ISRO developing environment-friendly propellant
 Scientists at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) has been developing environment-friendly
propellant propellant blend based on hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) to power satellites and spacecraft.
 HAN-based monopropellant formulation consists of HAN, ammonium nitrate, methanol and water.
China’s first indigenous aircraft carrier begins sea trial
 China’s first domestically manufactured aircraft carrier known only as "Type 001A" started sea trials from Dalian
port in Liaoning province.
 The ship’s engine, propulsion and navigation systems will be tested at sea for first time, a year after it was
officially launched.
 The name of the carrier was not revealed at the launch ceremony, but it is speculated that it will be named
Shandong after province of same name.
6th US-India Aviation Summit held in Mumbai
 The 6th United States-India Aviation Summit, formally inaugurated by Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh
Prabhu, has been held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
 The biennial Summit was jointly organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation and US Trade and Development Agency
(USTDA).
IAF successfully conducts online scheduled test
 The Indian Air Force (IAF) for the very first time successfully conducted scheduled test for airmen recruitment
(STAR) online, taking forward Digital India Initiative of Govt.
 This makes IAF first of any of three services to undertake selection tests online.
 The first online examination of IAF was conducted successfully through computer based online tests in
collaboration with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) Pune.
Vijay Prahar exercise of Indian Army concludes
 Indian Army’s month long Vijay Prahar exercise has been concluded in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
 It was conducted by South Western Command of Indian Army.
 The month-long exercise was aimed to orchestrate wide spectrum of threats including Nuclear, Chemical or
Biological (NCB) attack which are planned to be tackled through high tempo joint air and land operation.
CSWRI comes up with new sheep insemination technique
 Scientists at Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI), Avikanagar, Rajasthan have come up with new
laparascope-assisted insemination technique for sheep breeding.

 It is minor invasive laparascopic technique involves passing rigid fibre-optic laparoscope into abdomen through
small incision.
 Using it, reproductive tract of sheep is located through camera and frozen semen is deposited into uterus.
Border Roads Organisation celebrates 58th Raising Day
 The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has celebrated its 58th Raising Day on May 07, 2018.
 BRO is leading government organisation in arena of infrastructural development in the border areas of the
country.
 Since its inception in 1960, it has grown from 02 to 19 projects.
Hidden reserves of water ice discovered
 Scientists from Tohoku University in Japan have found mineral called moganite in lunar meteorite that point to
presence of abundant hidden reserves of water ice under the surface of the moon.
 The mineral discovered in a desert in northwest Africa could be potentially useful for future human exploration of
moon. Moganite is a crystal of silicon dioxide (SiO₂).
NASA launches robotic lander to explore Mars
 NASA has launched first-ever InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat
Transport) lander dedicated to exploring the deep interior of Mars.
 It was launched aboard United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-3 at
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Scientists identify key peptide to develop a vaccine for leptospirosis
 Researchers from Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Gandhinagar successfully identified key peptide that
can be used to develop a new preventive vaccine against leptospirosis.
 The researchers had used bioinformatics (computational biology analysis) approach to study whole protein set of
bacteria Leptospira interrogans key peptide and narrowed search down to one effective immunogenic protein.
India emerges as fifth largest military spenders in 2017
 According to recently released report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India emerged
as fifth largest military spender in 2017.
 India had spent $63.9 billion on defence in 2017, an increase of 5.5% compared with 2016, when it was in the
sixth spot overall.
 The world’s five biggest military spenders in 2017 are United States ($610 billion), China ($228 billion), Saudi
Arabia (69.4 billion), Russia (66.3 billion) and India ($63.9 billion).
 They together accounted for 60% of global military spending.
 The total global military expenditure in 2017 rose to $1,739 billion, a marginal increase of 1.1% in real terms
from 2016.
 SIPRI is an international institute based in Stockholm, Sweden.
Bilateral border trade between India & China from Nathu La border resumes
 The 12th edition of the bilateral border trade between India and China from Nathu La border in Sikkim has
resumed for the scheduled period from May 1 to Nov 30.
 The trading days are from Monday to Thursday and the trade will continue till Nov 30.
 The announcement in this regard was made by the General Secretary of the Indo-China Border Traders’ Welfare
Association, Tenzing Tsepel. In 2017, the trade was disrupted following the Doklam standoff.
India and France conduct final phase of Varuna naval exercise
 Indian and French navies have conducted final and third phase of Varuna naval exercise 2018 near Reunion Island
in Indian Ocean region (IOR) to enhance their operational coordination.
 2018 Varuna naval exercise between Indian and French Navy was conducted in three phases and included anti-
submarine, air defence and asymmetric engagement exercises.
India and Malaysia joint military exercise begins
 The first ever bilateral joint military training exercise, HARIMAU SHAKTI 2018, between India and Malaysia
has begun in dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia.
 The exercise aims at bolstering cooperation and coordination between armed forces of both nations.

 It also seeks to share expertise of both contingents in conduct of counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain.
South Western Command conducts Exercise Vijay Prahar in Rajasthan
 South Western Command of Indian Army is conducting 'Vijay Prahar' exercise in Mahajan area close to Suratgarh
in Rajasthan.
 The month-long exercise is aimed to orchestrate wide spectrum of threats which are planned to be tackled through
high tempo joint air and land operation.
Book "Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System" launched
 The book ‘Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System’ has been released by Gen Bipin
Rawat, Chief of Army the Staff.
 The book has been authored by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, former Army Commander and Member ‘A’, Armed
Forces Tribunal of Lucknow Bench.
RANKING & REPORTS
India ranks 145th in healthcare access, quality
 India ranked 145th among 195 countries in 2016 Healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index.
 India is behind its neighbours like China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
 The index was released as part of Global Burden of Disease study released by Lancet, one of the world’s oldest
and best known peer-reviewed general medical journal.
 Healthcare access and quality (HAQ) Index used index to measure quality and accessibility of healthcare, based
on 32 causes of death which should be preventable with effective medical care. Iceland topped the index followed
by Norway, Netherlands.
India slips to 6th on Global Optimism Index
 After topping the chart for four years, India slipped to sixth position globally on the Global Optimism Index in the
first quarter of 2018.
 Global Optimism Index is prepared as per the survey by Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR).
 The report says the business optimism in India has deteriorated while entering the last year of the current regime.
 Austria topped the index followed by Finland, Indonesia.
India ranks fourth in Asia-Pacific region in Asia Power index
 India ranked fourth out of 25 nations in Asia-Pacific region in the inaugural Asia Power Index released by
Australian think tank Lowy Institute.
 It measures overall power of countries and territories in Asia-Pacific region.
 Three of the world’s four largest economies are in Asia and United States is Pacific power.
 US remained to be pre-eminent power in Asia, while China, an emerging superpower is rapidly closing in on
United States.
 It ranked Russia, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam,
Taiwan, Pakistan, Philippines and North Korea as middle powers, while Bangladesh, Myanmar, Brunei,
Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Laos and Nepal as “minor powers."
India slips to 6th position globally in first quarter of 2018
 India ranked 6th on Global Optimism Index released as part of Grant Thornton’s International Business Report
(IBR) in the first quarter of 2018.
 Austria topped among the nations followed by Finland, Indonesia, the Netherlands and US.
 India with a score of 89 ranked at the sixth place in the index.
 India had topped the chart for four years, but business optimism in India deteriorated while entering the last year
of the current Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India ranks 11th in FDI Confidence Index 2018
 India has been ranked 11th in the FDI Confidence Index 2018 released by global consultancy firm A T Kearney.
 It has slipped by three notches in 2018 as it was ranked 8th in 2017 and 9th in 2016.

 This is the first time India fell out of the top 10 since 2015.
 United States topped the FDI Confidence Index 2018 followed by Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, China,
Japan, France, Australia, Switzerland and Italy.
India ranks joint-sixth in latest WADA report
 India has been ranked at joint-sixth in the list of doping violations with 69 cases, same as that of Russia,
according to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report for samples collected in 2016.
 India improved its position to sixth after being joint-third for three consecutive years from 2013 to 2015.
 Though, the number of dope violations for India has reduced but the trend of sports which are mostly under the
scanner remain same.
 Italy topped the rankings of drug cases in 2016, followed by France (86), United States (76), Australia (75),
Belgium (73).
APPROVALS & MoUs
Union Cabinet Approvals
Approves USOF scheme for Meghalaya under CTDP
 The Union Cabinet approved implementation of Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) Project for
North Eastern Region (NER) in Meghalaya to improve mobile services.
 The project has provision of 2G and 4G mobile coverage in identified uncovered areas of Meghalaya and
seamless mobile coverage along National Highways in state.
 It will be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
Approves proposal to set up 4072 towers in Left Wing Extremism Areas
 The Union Cabinet approved Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA’s) proposal of setting up 4,072 mobile towers to
improve telecom connectivity network in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Areas.
 These towers will be set up at cost of Rs. 7,330 crore in 96 districts of 10 naxal affected states through Universal
Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
 These states are Jharkhand (1,054 towers will be installed), Chhattisgarh (1,028), Odisha (483), Andhra
Pradesh (429), Bihar (412), West Bengal (207), Uttar Pradesh (179), Maharashtra (136), Telangana (118) and
Madhya Pradesh (26).
Approves National Policy on Biofuels, 2018
 The Union Cabinet approved National Policy on Biofuels – 2018 in order to promote biofuels in the country.
 Biofuels in India are of strategic importance as it augers well with ongoing initiatives of Government such as
Make in India, Skill Development and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Approves Micro Irrigation Fund under NABARD
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved initial corpus of Rs.5,000 crore for setting up of
dedicated Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) in NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)
under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
 The allocation of MIF under PMKSY will be made in instalments of Rs 2,000 crore and Rs 3,000 crore in 2018-
19 and 2019-20. Under it, NABARD will extend loans to state governments during this period.
Approves enhancement of budget for Network for Spectrum Project
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its approval for enhancement of budget by Rs.11,330
crore for Network For Spectrum (NFS) project.
 This is over and above Rs.13,334 crore already approved by Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure in July, 2012.
 With this, total budget for the network for Defence services has now gone up to Rs. 24,664 crore.
Approves setting up of Central University in Andhra Pradesh
 The Union Cabinet has given its in-principle approval for establishing Central University by name of Central
University of Andhra Pradesh in Janthaluru village of Ananthapur District of Andhra Pradesh.
 It also approved the proposal for operationalization of Central University in transit campus.

Approves setting up of new AIIMS in Deoghar, Jharkhand
 The Union Cabinet approved setting up of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Deoghar,
Jharkhand under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
 Under PMSSY, Government is planning to set up 20 AIIMS across the country.
 So far AIIMs have been established in Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Raipur (Chattisgarh),
Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) and Patna (Bihar).
Approves strengthening commercial disputes resolution mechanism of CPSEs
 The Union Cabinet approved strengthening commercial disputes resolution mechanism of Central Public Sector
Enterprises (CPSEs) inter se and also between CPSEs and other Government Departments and Organizations.
Approves establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation at Bhopal
 The Union Cabinet approved establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) at
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
 NIMHR, Bhopal will be first of its kind institute in country in area of mental health rehabilitation.
Approves ordinance to amend law for speedy disposal of commercial disputes
 The Union Cabinet approved promulgation of Ordinance amend a law for speedy disposal of commercial
disputes.
 It aims to improve India’s ranking in World Bank’s ease of doing business index.
Approves Restructuring of Indian Bureau of Mines
 The Union Cabinet approved restructuring of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) by upgradation, creation and
abolition of certain posts of Joint Secretary-level and above.
 The Union Ministry of Mines had constituted Committee for comprehensive ‘Review and Restructuring of
Functions and Role of IBM’ in the light of ‘National Mineral Policy’ (NMP) 2008.
PGCIL inks pact with power ministry for Rs.25,000 crore capex
 State-run Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has inked a pact with the Ministry of Power to incur capital
expenditure of Rs.25,000 crore for the current fiscal.
 The MoU includes various targets to be achieved by Powergrid during 2018-19.
 Capex target for the year has been set as Rs.25,000 crore.
 The MoU was signed by Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of Power and I S Jha, Chairman and and
Managing Director.
NITI Aayog ink SoI with IBM
 NITI Aayog signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with IBM to develop crop yield prediction model using Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to provide real time advisory to farmers in Aspirational Districts.
 The first phase of project will focus on developing model for 10 Aspirational Districts across states of
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
 The project will introduce and make available climate-aware cognitive farming techniques.
Cabinet approves setting up of 20 AIIMS under PMSSY
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved plan to set up 20 All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across the country and upgrade 73 medical colleges.
 The decisions are part of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), which has been extended by
two years till 2020 with financial outlay of Rs.14,832 crore.
 The decision to extend PMSSY is aimed at meeting shortfall in healthcare professionals and facilities across the
country.
 Setting up of new AIIMS in various states will transform health education and training and also help to address
shortfall of healthcare professionals.
CBDT inks 200th Unilateral APA
 The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) entered into 200th Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreement (UAPA)
after it singed one in April 2018.
 With the signing of the agreement, CBDT has achieved another milestone of having signed its 200th UAPA.
 The total number of APAs entered into CBDT so far has gone up to 220, which include 20 Bilateral APAs.

Gk

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Gk

Similar to Gk (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Gk