May Month PDF Tyari Plus 1559637359 60 PDF

CURRENT AFFAIRS May 2019
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PREFACE
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On the Basis of your continuous demand for a Monthly PDF of most-trusted Current Affairs, the No.1
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As we know Current Affairs, including related General Knowledge (GK), form a crucial component of
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and candidates often is a main cause of their failure.
The Current Affairs May 2019 PDF covers the most important and exam-focused current affairs.
The PDF has been designed basis the concept of complete Study Cycle, viz., Study ----> Revise ---
-> Test and thus has three parts: (i) Detailed Section-wise Current Affairs in bullet points; (ii) One
Liners; and (iii) Current Affairs Questions with Explanation.
The Current Affairs PDF of April 2019 comes with one more value addition, that is, 10 Topics of the
Month. We have also selected 11 articles of the month from The Hindu, The Indian Express and
Mint. These topics have been selected on the basis of their impact and will be very useful for
subjective papers like IAS (Mains) Exam 2019.
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Preface....................................................................................................... 2
Topics of the Month .................................................................................. 8
1. Iran announces partial withdrawal from JCPOA ......................................................... 8
2. NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid in 2022 ......................................................... 9
3. IMF bails out cash-strapped Pakistan with a new loan deAL ....................................10
4. China blocks Wikipedia in all languages ....................................................................10
5. New Merit based Immigration Regim in US ................................................................11
6. Joint meetings of Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions held in Geneva ..12
7. Organic molecules found on Ultima Thules surface ..................................................13
8. „Golden Card‟ PR Scheme launched by UAE .............................................................14
9. RBI releases draft liquidity framework guidelines for ailing NBFCs.........................15
10. Qatar set to abolish Exit Visa System .....................................................................16
Important Articles of May 2019 .............................................................. 18
1. What is Data Localisation and India‟s stand? ............................................................18
2. What are Masala Bonds? .............................................................................................19
3. What is CTBT? ..............................................................................................................19
4. Where US China Trade War is heading for? ...............................................................20
5. May 4 Movement of China............................................................................................21
6. Arsenic Contamination ................................................................................................22
7. How cyclones are named?...........................................................................................23
8. Economic Geography of India .....................................................................................24
9. Impact on World Economy of rising oil prices ...........................................................26
10. Safe Cities program In India .....................................................................................27
11. What is Melamine? Why Indian banned Chinese dairy products? ........................28
National ................................................................................................... 30
1. Narendra Modi is likely to be re-elected for 2nd term as PM .....................................30
Supreme Court reaches its full strength of 31 ..................................................................30
2. CBIC implements a Project „SPARROW‟ for online writing of APAR ........................31
3. Government extends ban on LTTE .............................................................................31
4. ISRO inaugurates „Yuvika 2019‟: The Young Scientist Programme..........................32
5. World Famous Char Dham Yatra begins ....................................................................32
6. “GRIHA for Existing Day Schools”: A rating system for evaluating existing schools33
7. SC rejects review petition by 21 opposition parties for 50% VVPAT verification ....33
8. Zero Pendency Court Project ......................................................................................34
9. NSE to review data sharing third-party pacts since 2009 ..........................................34

10. Post stamp to commemorate 750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan ....35
11. NITI Aayog agreed to the proposal that dentists can practice as General Physicians
35
12. ICMR launches „MERA India‟ to eliminate malaria by 2030 ....................................36
International ............................................................................................ 38
1. British PM Theresa May announces resignation........................................................38
2. WHO declares Algeria and Argentina as malaria-free countries...............................38
3. India cuts off UN panel after Jammu & Kashmir report .............................................39
4. India delivers First Pair of Mi-24 helicopters to Afghanistan ....................................40
5. Taiwan: First Asian country to Legalise Same-Sex Marriage ....................................40
6. U.K. law secures rights of Sikhs to carry kirpans ......................................................41
7. Saudi Arabia approves permanent residency for first time .......................................41
8. Sixth Session of Global Platform for DDR ..................................................................42
9. United Nations chief concerned nuclear 'coffin' leaking in Pacific ..........................42
10. India to host WTO Ministerial Meeting of Developing Countries ...........................43
11. WHO partners with IFBA to eliminate Trans Fat .....................................................43
12. India and Bangladesh agreed to jointly produce film on the life of Mujibur Rahman
44
13. US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross to raise India's e-commerce rules .............44
14. US president announces fresh tariffs on $200 billon Chinese products ..............45
15. King Maha Vajiralongkorn officially crowned Rama X of Thailand .......................45
16. India returns to Venice Biennale after 8 years ........................................................46
17. China may skip Bangladesh- China- India- Myanmar (BCIM) Economic corridor 46
18. Sri Lankan bans covering the face with veils .........................................................48
19. India to stop Importing Crude Oil from Iran ............................................................48
Science & Tech ....................................................................................... 49
1. Radar imaging space fleet RISAT-2B ..........................................................................49
2. India adopts new standards for measuring units kilogram, kelvin, mole & ampere 49
3. Methanol, water ice, and organic molecules is found on Ultima Thules surface.....50
4. Google uninstalls Huawei ............................................................................................50
5. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched „MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative‟ ....51
6. India develops new groundnut line with desirable oil quality ...................................51
7. Space X launches Cargo Mission for NASA ...............................................................52
8. ISRO planning to send a probe to study sun early next year ....................................52
9. Jamia team develops ultrasensitive quantum thermometer .....................................53

10. Insight Mars lander detects likely Marsquake ........................................................53
Reports and Surveys .............................................................................. 55
1. India projected to grow at 7.1% in FY20: UN report ...................................................55
2. Incidence of cancer set to rise: Lancet study ............................................................55
3. Sand and Sustainability: UNEP Report on Sand Mining............................................56
4. One million species at risk of extinction: UN Report .................................................56
5. International Religious Freedom 2019 report .............................................................57
6. Global Food Policy Report-2019..................................................................................58
Banking & Economy ............................................................................... 59
1. CCI probe finds Monsanto abused dominant position: Report .................................59
2. PNB could take control of OBC, Allahabad Bank.......................................................59
3. Chief Risk Officers for NBFCs .....................................................................................60
4. Sensex posts biggest one-day gain in 10 years .........................................................60
5. Kerala becomes first state to list Masala Bonds ........................................................61
6. NABARD Nab Ventures- Funding for rural startups ..................................................61
7. BharatPe launches India‟s first UPI Digital Ledger for merchants............................62
8. Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at 5.7% this year .........................................62
9. Reliance Jio's "super app": World's largest online-to-offline new e-commerce platform
63
10. Reliance Jio overtakes Airtel to become India's No.2 telecom company .............63
11. Microsoft Becomes Worlds Third Company To Be Worth $1 Trillion ...................63
12. Govt. to mandate QR code based payment method ...............................................64
13. Government plans introducing AI system in MCA 21 portal ..................................64
Defence & Security ................................................................................. 66
1. US, Japan, South Korea and Australia hold 1st naval drills in Western Pacific ......66
2. SIMBEX 2019.................................................................................................................66
3. MRSAM: successfully tested by Indian Navy .............................................................66
4. India to set up military space agency headquartered at Bengaluru .........................67
5. India gets its first Apache Guardian attack helicopter in US ....................................67
6. Indian Navy launches fourth Scorpene class submarine „INS Vela‟ .........................68
7. Indian Army signed with NHPC to build underground tunnels .................................68
Awards & Person in News ...................................................................... 70
1. Bengaluru based Doctor Hema Divakar won Global Asian of the Year' Award ......70
2. Oman author Jokha Al Harthi wins Booker International Prize .................................70

3. Japan‟s 2nd Highest National Award conferred to Shyam Saran .............................70
4. „Formula One‟ Legend: Niki Lauda dies at 70.............................................................71
5. Pramod Kumar Mishra was awarded the Sasakawa Award ......................................71
6. Retired SC Justice MB Lokur appointed to Supreme Court of Fiji ...........................72
7. Hinduja brothers named UK's wealthiest people for the third time ..........................73
8. Father of Modern Legal Law Dr N. R. Madhava Menon passes away .......................73
9. Trump awards highest US civilian honour to Tiger Woods .......................................73
10. Ex-ISRO chief as Kiran Kumar received France‟s highest civilian award.............74
11. UN designates JeM chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist ..................................74
12. Emperor Akihito: Japan‟s first emperor to abdicate in 200 years .........................75
13. Gagandeep Kang awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS), UK ................75
14. Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2019 ................................................................76
Sports ...................................................................................................... 77
1. Italian Open 2019: Karolina Pliskova won Women‟s Singles Title ............................77
2. Rafael Nadal wins Italian Open 2019 ...........................................................................77
3. China to host 2023 Asian Cup Football tournament ..................................................77
4. ICC World Cup 2019: First Time an Anticorruption officer for each team ................78
5. Igor Stimac appointed as the head coach of the Indian football team .....................78
6. Kiki Bertens wins Women‟s Singles Title in Madrid Open tennis .............................78
7. Novak Djokovic wins Madrid Open 2019 title .............................................................78
8. „CRICZONE‟: World‟s First Women‟s Cricket Magazine launched ............................79
9. Mumbai Indian wins the IPL 2019 ................................................................................79
10. Raheem Sterling named 2019 FWA footballer of the year .....................................79
11. India tops Medals Tally at ISSF World Cup Rifle/ Pistol 2019 held in China .........80
12. India finishes Asian Wrestling Championships 2019 with 16 medals ...................80
13. India ends with 13 medals at Asian Boxing C'ship 2019 ........................................81
Environment ............................................................................................ 82
1. Vice President calls for protection of Ongole cattle ..................................................82
2. 'Not all animals migrate by choice' campaign launched by UN ................................82
3. Herbivore census in Gujara‟s Gir forest .....................................................................83
4. A new UN accord signed to include plastic waste in Basel Convention ..................83
5. India‟s newest pit viper found in Arunachal Pradesh ................................................84
ADB launches $5 Billion Healthy Oceans Action Plan.....................................................84
UK Parliament becomes the first national government to pass an Environment and Climate
Emergency ...........................................................................................................................85
Cyclone Fani: Depression Over The Bay Of Bengal Intensifies Into Cyclonic Storm .....86
Kakapo: World's fattest parrot............................................................................................86
State ......................................................................................................... 88
1. YSRC wins Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections 2019 .............................................88
2. Sikkim Statehood Day: 16 May ....................................................................................88
3. Kerala assembly started „E-Vidhan‟ project to go paperless ....................................88
4. Drill for minerals on China border: Arunachal Pradesh to GSI .................................89
5. Threat of „fall armyworm‟ growing in Manipur ...........................................................89
6. Purple Frog to be named as Keralas state amphibian ...............................................90
7. Business and shops now open 24 hours in Gujarat ..................................................91
8. Article 324 first time used in West Bengal ..................................................................91
Important Days of the Month ................................................................. 92
1. National Technology Day: 11 May 2019 ......................................................................92
2. World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) ..............................................................................92
3. World Red Cross Day: 08th May..................................................................................92
4. International Workers' Day or Labour Day: May 1st ..................................................93
5. World Intellectual Property Day: Apr 26 .....................................................................93
6. World Malaria Day ........................................................................................................94
Questions of the Month .......................................................................... 96
Explanations ......................................................................................................................101
One Liners of the Month ....................................................................... 107
National ..............................................................................................................................107
Banking ..............................................................................................................................108
International .......................................................................................................................110
Sports .................................................................................................................................112
Person in News..................................................................................................................113
Science & Tech ..................................................................................................................113
General Knowledge ...........................................................................................................114
Defence ..............................................................................................................................117
Person in News..................................................................................................................118
TOPICS OF THE MONTH
1. Iran announces partial withdrawal from JCPOA
Iran on May 8 announced that it will ―partially‖

withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA).
JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal concluded in 2015

between the Iranians and the P5+1 group — marks
yet another step in the landmark accord‘s slow
death. President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will cease
its sales of enriched uranium, meaning its stocks will
begin to exceed set JCPOA limits.
He also warned that if the other still-compliant signatories — clearly signaling the Europeans — don‘t
come up with a mechanism for Iran to recapture the economic benefits of the JCPOA in 60 days, then
Tehran will resume production of highly-enriched uranium — likely above the 3.67% level permitted
under the accord.
Why this move?

 Iranian hardliners had always maintained that the JCPOA was a Western plot to undermine
the Islamic Revolution, which was all but confirmed by the US withdrawal in 2018.
 As per Iran, such action is required as European Union (EU) and other countries did not have
power to resist US pressure.
 Also, such measures are necessary to secure Iran‘s rights and bring back balance after
United States exited from agreement in 2018.
 Iran‘s Supreme National Security Council gave 60 days to remaining countries of deal, to
implement their commitments, mainly in fields of banking and oil. It referred to commitments
made by Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain, to lift sanctions on Iran in return if it
curbs its nuclear activities.
 China and Russia have opposed the unilateral US sanctions on Iran.
WHAT US HAS TO SAY?

 In May 2018, US President Donald Trump announced that US will unilaterally pull out of from
JCPOA, re-imposing US sanctions on Iran. His administration found the deal to be ―defective
to the core‖.
 US also announced to cancel waivers to countries (including India) who continue to purchase
oil from Iran.
 JCPOA does not have binding restrictions on Iran‘s ballistic missile programme and it does
nothing to prevent Iran from sponsoring terrorism in its region.
 Most restrictions have a sunset-clause, which means that over the years JCPOA‘s provisions
will become less strict and this will enable Iran to move towards nuclear-weapon capability.
JCPOA
 It is an international nuclear agreement signed in 2015, between Iran and the P5+1.
 The P5+1 includes five permanent UNSC‘s members (P5): China, Russia, France, United
Kingdom (UK), and United States; and (+1) Germany.
 Under it, Iran agreed to make certain changes to its nuclear programme which included
stopping export of enriched uranium stock, in return for United Nations (UN), European Union
(EU) and the US revoking their sanctions against it.
 These Nuclear related sanctions on Iran were lifted by US from 1 January 2016.
2. NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid in 20 22
In a world first, NASA has announced the Double Asteroid Redirection Test or the DART Mission.
It is a defence driven mission aimed at

preventing the impact on Earth by a potentially
hazardous asteroid in the future. In the DART
mission, NASA will send a spacecraft to crash
into an asteroid in the year 2022.
NASA DART Mission

 It is known the mission will be the
first time the kinetic impactor technique is
demonstrated.
 The technique will try to change the motion or path of the asteroid in space.
 The DART mission has swiftly reached Phase C and is managed under NASA‘s Solar System
Exploration Program at Marshal Space Flight Center for the organisation‘s Planetary Defence
Coordination Office.
 The DART spacecraft launch is scheduled for late July 2021 aboard the Falcon 9 rocket made
by SpaceX.
 It is expected to intercept with the Didymos asteroid in late September of the year 2022.
Noteworthy, the asteroid will be within a distance of 11 million kilometres from Earth at the
time and poses no harm to the planet in any way.
 While the mission seems farfetched at first, its real-world application may be very important in
the future.
 If the mission is successful, Earth will have gained the ability to fend off incoming threats from
outer space like asteroids or meteorites. This has the potential of minimising or saving the
planet from damage in case of any potential collision.
3. IMF bails out cash-strapped Pakistan with a new loan

deAL
Pakistan has reached an agreement with the International

Monetary Fund for $6 billion bailout package. The financial aid
is an attempt to help the country strengthen its slowing
economy, improve public finances and reduce debt, IMF said
in a statement on 12 May.
The funding, which still needs approval by the IMF board in

Washington, would be provided over three years. The
agreement comes after months of negotiations and is the latest
addition to a series of bailouts that Pakistan has received from
the IMF. The Pakistani government has received financial aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates.
Bailout Economy
 Pakistan has had 21 bailouts since it joined the IMF in 1950. Its most recent loan was issued
in 2013, worth $6.6 billion.
 The United Arab Emirates -- Pakistan's largest trading partner in the Middle East and a major
investment source -- recently offered $3 billion to support the battered economy.
 Islamabad also secured $6 billion in funding from Saudi Arabia and struck a 12-month deal for
a cash lifeline during Khan's visit to the kingdom in October 2018.
 The crisis also comes as Pakistan is facing possible sanctions from the Financial Action Task
Force -- an anti-money-laundering monitor based in Paris -- for failing to rein in terror
financing.
4. China blocks Wikipedia in all languages
All language editions of Wikipedia have been

blocked in mainland China since April, the
Wikimedia foundation has confirmed. No reason
has been given as to why China expanded the
ban, but it has been known to block websites as
anniversaries of political events draw near.
June 4 marks thirty years since thousands of pro-

democracy student protesters were killed by
authorities at Tiananmen Square.
China: Great Firewall

 China has created a Great Firewall which limits access or censors the allowed platforms.
 Google, Yahoo, You Tube, Facebook has already been banned so it is not new that they are
restricting now Wikipedia.
 It is a complicated game. It‘s very simple to say that China want to censor its people so any
dissent can be checked whether it‘s online of offline.
 But the reality can be a little different. As it is said that next industrial revolution will be called
Industry 4.0 which will be based upon IoT, robotics, big data and artificial intelligence.
Industry 4.0
 Industry 4.0 will be focused on technology but it‘s premise is data. So the companies will excel
who have more data.
 The future cold war between the US and China is all about data.
 That‘s why China won‘t allow Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google, Amazon or any kind of
social network to mine the data of Chinese users.
 These companies are US companies are not trusted to the Chinese after all.
 The US won‘t allow Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent or perhaps future Tik Tok to mine the data of
US users for security concerns.
5. New Merit based Immigration Regim in US
US President Donald Trump on 16 May rolled out a merit-based

immigration system from which foreigners, including hundreds
and thousands of Indian professionals and skilled workers,
waiting to get Green Cards or permanent legal residency stand
to benefit.
The immigration reform proposals significantly increase the

quota for skilled workers from existing nearly 12 per cent to 57
per cent. Besides, under the proposed reforms, immigrants will
be required to learn English and pass a civics exam prior to
admission.
Trump‟s Motive
 Ruling that the current system of legal immigration has failed to retain and attract the talent
and brilliant young people from across the globe, Trump said he is proposing a merit-based
immigration system wherein permanent legal residency would be given based on points for
their age, knowledge, job opportunities and their civic sense.
What is for India?

 Boon for developed countries, but bane for India - Brain drain has become a major concern of
the developing countries, especially, India.
 As the best minds will attracted towards new US immigration policy, India may suffer not only
in economic terms but also in Research & Development.
 A recent study conducted by Indian Institute of Management- Bangalore (IIM-B) shows that
the students going for higher studies abroad has increased by 256% in the last 10 years.
 When 53,000 Indian students went abroad for higher studies in 2000, the figure shot up to 1.9
lakh in 2010.
 There are several reasons for this trend such as lack of higher education, life-style,
government policies and many more.
 A report by Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) pointed
out that when a large number of students flocking to foreign universities, it costs India a
whopping Rs. 95,000 crores per year.
 A major reason why India‘s young, skilled labour force leaves is in search of better rewards for
their effort and talent.
 When seen in the context of the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), average wages for a person
in the US is more than six times of his Indian counterpart in the academia, more than three
times in management and more than double in the IT sector.
6. Joint meetings of Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam

conventions held in Geneva
The14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties

(COP) to Basel Convention (COP 14) was held along
with the 9th meeting of the COP to Rotterdam
Convention and the 9th meeting of the COP to
Stockholm Convention in Geneva, Switzerland, from
29 April to 10 May 2019.
Theme of 2019 meetings was- “Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals
and Waste”.
India and COP:

An Indian delegation of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and along
with other ministries namely Agriculture Ministry, Chemicals and Fertilizer Ministry, and Electronics
and Information Technology Ministry (MeitY) participated in the joint meetings and set a tone at COP.
Basel Convention: India‟s Opposition

 In Basel Convention on Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal, two important issues were mainly discussed and decided i.e. technical guidelines on
e-waste and inclusion of plastic waste in Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
 In view of growing consumption of electronic equipment and waste across world, India
highlighted that technical guidelines provision in name of re-use, repair, refurbishment and
failure leads to possibility of e-waste dumping from developed world to the developing
countries.
 So, Indian delegation strongly objected the proposed decision on these guidelines during
plenary and did not allow it to be passed by conference of parties (COP).
Stockholm Convention
 In Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP), COP decided to list
―Dicofol‖ in Annex A (Elimination) without any exemption. The ―PFOA‖, (Perfluorooctanoic
acid) was also listed with some exemptions in Annex A of Stockholm Convention.
 Dicofol is an organochlorine pesticide that is chemically related to DDT. Dicofol is a matricide
that is very effective against spider mite. One of the intermediates used in its production is
DDT.
Rotterdam Convention
 In Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, two new chemicals named Phorate and
HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane) were added in list for mandatory Prior Informed Consent
(PIC) procedure in international trade.
7. Organic molecules found on Ultima Thules surface
NASA's New Horizons mission team has found evidence for a

unique mixture of methanol, water ice, and organic molecules
on Ultima Thule‘s surface which is the farthest world ever
explored by mankind.
The U.S. space agency has published the first profile of Ultima
Thule, an ancient relic from the era of planet formation,
revealing details about the complex space object.
The researchers analyzed the first sets of data collected during the New Horizons spacecraft‘s New
Year‘s 2019 flyby of the Kuiper Belt object called 2014 MU69, also known as Ultima Thule.
Scientists discovered that Ultima Thule wasn‘t any space object, instead, its composition,
development, and geology were more complex than expected.
Data transmission from the flyby will continue until late summer 2020 and until then, New Horizons
will continue to take new observations of additional Kuiper Belt objects.
Ultima Thule
 Ultima Thule is a contact binary, because it has two differently-shaped lobes.
 It‘s about 22 miles long and consists of a large, weirdly flat lobe (Ultima) that‘s connected to a
small, slightly rounder lobe (Thule), at a juncture dubbed the neck.
 It features bright spots, hills, craters, and pits.
 The biggest depression on Ultima Thule is five miles in diameter and it is nicknamed as the
Maryland crater, which could have been created from an impact event.
 Some smaller pits on Ultima Thule though might have developed by material falling into
underground spaces.
8. „Golden Card‟ PR Scheme launched by UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched ‗Golden Card‘ Permanent Residency Scheme in an
attempt to woo wealthy individuals and exceptional talents from all over the world.
Key Highlights
 The ―Golden Card‖ programme was unveiled by UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al-Maktoum (who is also Dubai‘s ruler).
 The UAE has always opened its door to millions of people looking for pursuing their dreams
and betterment of lives. The Golden Card is UAE‘s way to welcome all those seeking to be a
part of the UAE‘s success story and making it a second home.
 It is introduced keeping in mind that Residents are an indispensable part of country and thus
will be permanent partners in UAE‘s journey.
 Expatriates in the UAE are usually given limited duration residence permits under a
sponsorship system.
About „Golden Card‟ Programme

 It is open to investors and ‗exceptional talents‘ like scientists, engineers, doctors, students and
artists.
 The Golden Card offers permanent residency and unprecedented benefits to cardholders as
well as to their families while creating an attractive environment for growth and business. The
benefits of PR also includes spouse and children of cardholder so as to ensure cohesive
social ties.
 As part of initiative, the first group of 6800 investors from more than 70 countries with
investments of about 100 Billion Dirhams (USD 27 billion), were being given permanent
residency.
 This new initiative will attract greater foreign investment (FI) and activate local economy,
making it more efficient and attractive for investors. It will also increase UAE‘s
competitiveness on a global scale and will reaffirm country‘s position as a global incubator.
The “Golden Card” visa includes 5 categories –

 General investors who will be granted a 10 year permanent residency visas .
 Real Estate Investors, who can get a visa for 5 year visa.
 Entrepreneurs and Talented Professionals like doctors, researchers and innovators can get 10
years visa.
 The fifth category is ‗outstanding students‘. These will also be permitted 5 years permanent
residency visas.
 All mentioned categories of visas can be renewed upon expiry.
India- UAE
 The Indian expatriate community is the largest ethnic community in UAE. It constitutes roughly
about 30% of country‘s population, which is around 9 million.
 Although, most of the Indians living in UAE are employed, about 10% of Indian population
constitutes dependent family members. This Golden Card programme could attract more
Indian professionals and businessmen to Gulf nation.
9. RBI releases draft liquidity framework guidelin es for

ailing NBFCs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 May released

the much-awaited draft guidelines on liquidity risk
management framework for non-banking financial
companies (NBFCs) and core investment companies
(CICs).
Background:
 The guidelines come on the back of rating downgrades and debt defaults in the NBFC sector
and the need for a stronger asset liability management (ALM) framework.
 The need has also arisen because many NBFCs have run up serious mismatches in their
books by borrowing short-term to find long-term assets.
New Guidelines
 In its draft guidelines, RBI has proposed to introduce a Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR), which
is the proportion of high liquid assets set aside to meet short term obligations for all NBFCs
with an asset size of more than ₹5000 crore.
 Starting April 2020, NBFCs will have to maintain a minimum of 60% of LCR as high liquid
assets which will be increased in a calibrated manner to 100% by April 2024.
 RBI has also asked NBFCs to adopt liquidity risk monitoring tools to capture any possible
liquidity stress.
 This will include concentration of funding by counterparty/ instrument/ currency, availability of
unencumbered assets that can be used as collateral for raising funds, certain early warning
market-based indicators, such as, price-to-book ratio, coupon on debts raised, breaches and
regulatory penalties for breaches in regulatory liquidity requirements.
 The problems with NBFC sector started after Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services
Ltd (IL&FS) defaulted on its loan last year, resulting in mutual funds with exposure to debt
papers of other NBFCs redeeming their holding in these companies in panic.
10. Qatar set to abolish Exit Visa System
Qatar is set to abolish its controversial exit visa system for all
foreign workers by the end of 2019 the UN‘s International Labour
Organization said on 26 April.
Qatar has introduced a series of labour reforms since its selection

as the 2022 World Cup host, with the event setting in motion a
huge construction programme employing foreign workers.
In September 2018, Qatar approved legislation to scrap the

―kafala‖, or sponsorship, system which required that foreign workers obtain permission from
their employers to leave the country. In October, it went into force for all but 5% of a company‘s
workforce — reportedly those in the most senior positions.
What is Kafala?
 Under the system, a migrant worker‘s immigration status is legally bound to an individual
employer or sponsor (‗kafeel‘) during the contract period.
 The migrant worker cannot enter the country, transfer employment nor leave the country for
any reason without first obtaining explicit written permission from the kafeel.
 It is being practiced in the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries of Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and also in the Arab states of
Jordan and Lebanon.
 The kafala directly contradicts the labour law. The employer can dictate the recruitment
process and working conditions.
 It restricts labour mobility. It prohibits any mobility on part of the worker unless approved by
the kafeel. If the kafeels are unwilling to let them go, workers cannot leave them for better
employment.
IMPORTANT ARTICLES OF MAY
1. What is Data Localisation and India‟s stand?
Data localization laws refer to regulations that dictate how

data on a nation‘s citizens is collected, processed and
stored inside the country.
Why India advocating Data Localization?

 Data localization is critical for law enforcement.
 Access to data by Indian law agencies, in case of a breach or threat, cannot be dependent on
the whims and fancies, nor on lengthy legal processes of another nation that hosts data
generated in India.
 If data generated in India is stored in the U.S., for example, it is dependent on technology and
channels such as the undersea fibre optic cable network. Such reliance can be debilitating in
the case of a tech or physical breakdown.
 Currently, the only mandatory rule on data localisation in India is by the Reserve Bank of India
for payment systems. Other than this, there are only reports or drafts of bills that are yet to be
signed into law.
Why Companies are reluctant to comply?

 The disadvantage for a company compelled to localise data is obvious — costs, in the form of
servers, the UPS, generators, cooling costs, building and personnel.
 Companies feel that infrastructure in India is not yet ready to support this kind of ecosystem.
For any large e-commerce player in India, costs may go up between 10% and 50% depending
on how stringently the final law is worded.
 It is well known that Canada and Australia protect their health data very carefully.
 Vietnam mandates one copy of data to be stored locally and for any company that collects
user data to have a local office, unlike the EU‘s GDPR; citing national interests, China
mandates strict data localisation in servers within its borders.
2. What are Masala Bonds?
Masala Bonds are rupee-denominated bonds

i.e. the funds would be raised from overseas
market in Indian rupees. According to RBI, any
corporate, body corporate and Indian bank is
eligible to issue Rupee denominated bonds
overseas.
 While companies can raise funds through these bonds, there are limitations for the use of
such proceeds.
 RBI mandates that the money raised through such bonds cannot be used for real estate
activities other than for development of integrated township or affordable housing projects.
 It also can‘t be used for investing in capital markets, purchase of land and on-lending to other
entities for such activities as stated above.
Maturity of Masala Bonds

 According to RBI, the minimum maturity period for Masala Bonds raised up to Rupee
equivalent of USD 50 million in a financial year should be 3 years and for bonds raised above
USD 50 million equivalents in INR per financial year should be 5 years.
 The conversion for such bonds will happen at the market rate on the date of settlement of
transactions undertaken for issue and servicing of the bonds, including its redemption.
 As the investment is denominated in Indian currency so any fluctuation in the currency will be
wear by the investors.
3. What is CTBT?
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is the Treaty banning all nuclear explosions –
everywhere, by everyone.
The Treaty was negotiated at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly. It opened for signature on 24 September 1996.
Although more than 180 countries have signed the CTBT, and mostly ratified it, the treaty can only
enter into force after it is ratified by eight countries with nuclear technology capacity, namely China,
Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States.
India‟s stand on CTBT
 Since its inception, India has had a number of reservations about the CTBT. While it has
stood by its demand for a nuclear weapons-free world, various principled, procedural, political,
and security concerns have stood in the way of its support for the CTBT.
 India‘s principled opposition drew from its emphasis on universal and complete nuclear
disarmament in a time-bound manner. India has traditionally believed this to be the end goal
with the test ban just being a path to get there. But it did not insist on a complete disarmament
clause in 1994, acknowledging that it was a ―complex issue.‖
 Another major concern was Article XIV, the entry-into-force (EIF) clause, which India
considered a violation of its right to voluntarily withhold participation in an international treaty.
 The treaty initially made ratification by states that were to be a part of the the CTBT‘s
International Monitoring System (IMS) mandatory for the treaty‘s EIF.
What is ahead?
 CTBT has an essential role within the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.
More than 20 years since its negotiation, the Treaty has yet to enter into force.
 Every effort must be made to bring about the immediate entry into force of the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
 The failure to bring the treaty into force prevents its full implementation and undermines its
permanence in the international security architecture.
4. Where US China Trade War is heading for?
On 10 May 2019, the United States decision to raise tariffs to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese
goods took effect — a move that potentially impacted goods trade in more than 5,700 product
categories, and sparked another round of tariff wars between the world‘s two largest economies.
Understanding US China Trade War

 The US and China have been slugging it out since Trump slapped heavy tariffs on imported
steel and aluminium items from China in March last year, and China responded by imposing
tit-for-tat tariffs on billions of dollars‘ worth of American imports.
 The dispute escalated after Washington demanded that China reduce its $375 billion trade
deficit with the US, and introduce ―verifiable measures‖ for protection of Intellectual Property
Rights, technology transfer, and more access to American goods in Chinese markets.
 Analysts say the tariffs could hamper the rebound in the US economy, with consumption likely
to be hit, as these tariffs would be paid by American consumers and businesses.
 Also, this exacerbates the uncertainty in the global trading environment, affects global
sentiment negatively, and adds to risk aversion globally.
Impact on India
 India is among a handful of economies that stand to benefit from the trade tensions between
the world‘s top two economies, the United Nations has said in a report.
 EU members are expected to benefit the most, as exports in the bloc are likely to grow by $70
billion; and Japan and Canada will see exports increase by more than $20 billion each.
5. May 4 Movement of China
This month marks the centenary of one of the most important

cultural and political episodes in modern Chinese history: the May
Fourth Movement.
On May 4, 1919, Chinese students and intellectuals launched a

massive protest in Beijing, demanding the end of ―feudalism‖ and
more political freedom.
A century later, it is officially celebrated by a Communist dictatorship that allows no

protest, let alone one led by students.
May 4 inspired another revolt, in Tiananmen Square from April to June 1989, which is not even
allowed to be mentioned in public
Why there was a protest in China in 1919?

 A decision at the Versailles Peace Conference in Paris 1919 to allow the Japanese to occupy
former German concessions in China after the first world war sparked protests largely aimed
at foreigners.
 But the students taking to the streets also saw Western-style reforms as an antidote to
imperial and feudal forms of government in the warlord era.
 The upheaval of 1919 took place against the backdrop of intellectual fervour about
―modernising‖ Chinese culture through language and educational reforms – ideas which
became known as the New Culture Movement.
 China‘s intelligentsia had reached widespread consensus on what they called ―Mr Science
and Mr Democracy‖. They advocated individual liberties, humanism and academic freedom.
 Since coming to power in 1949, the Communist Party has squarely rejected liberalism while
inheriting the anti-imperialist and nationalist rhetoric of May 4.
6. Arsenic Contamination
Arsenic is toxic to almost all life forms, but now researchers at the University of Washington have
discovered that some microbes in the Pacific Ocean not only tolerate the stuff, but actively breathe it.
The discovery has implications for how life may adapt to a changing climate, as well as where we
might find it on other planets.
Arsenic in Groundwater: Its Implications

 Arsenic in ground water is a geogenic contaminant i.e. caused by natural geologic processes.
 Concerns: Incidence of high arsenic in groundwater reported from various parts of the country,
particularly in the Ganga- plains is a serious threat to the health of human being.
 Arsenic occurrences in ground water in these areas is highly sporadic in nature and all the
sources in these areas are not necessarily contaminated.
What is Arsenic and its impact on Human Health?

 Arsenic is naturally present at high levels in the groundwater of a number of countries.
 Arsenic is highly toxic in its inorganic form.
 Contaminated water used for drinking, food preparation and irrigation of food crops poses the
greatest threat to public health from arsenic.
 Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can cause cancer and skin
lesions. It has also been associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
 In utero and early childhood exposure has been linked to negative impacts on cognitive
development and increased deaths in young adults.
7. How cyclones are named?
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other states with their coastlines hugging the Bay of Bengal are
bracing up for Cyclone Fani to make a landfall. Cyclone Fani (pronounced as Foni) is gaining strength
over southeast Bay of Bengal and will soon develop into an "extremely severe cyclonic" storm.
The name for this cyclone was suggested by Bangladesh.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has devised a mechanism where countries submit a
list of names from time to time. Names of cyclones are chosen from this pool.
How are they named?

 For tropical cyclones developing in the North Indian Ocean, countries like India, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan and Thailand send their names to the
regional tropical cyclone committee.
 At present, all eight countries have submitted eight names each for naming future cyclones.
The name Fani was chosen from this list containing 64 names.
 Last year Cyclone Titli hit Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha. This cyclone was named by
Pakistan. In 2017, Cyclone Ockhi caused severe damage in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu.
Its name was given by Bangladesh.
 The names given by India are: Agni, Akash, Bijli, Jal, Lehar, Megh, Sagar and Vayu.
How countries select their names?

 While selecting names for cyclones, countries have to take care that the word is easily
understood by people in the region, hence the names are generally familiar words.
 "The main purpose of naming a tropical cyclone is basically for people to easily understand
and remember the tropical cyclone in a region, thus to facilitate tropical cyclone disaster risk
awareness, preparedness, management and reduction," WMO says in its explanation of how
cyclones are named.
8. Economic Geography of India
This year marks the tenth anniversary when economic geography entered mainstream policy debates
across the world. This issue comes in view because of the decision by the World Bank to devote its
2009 edition of the World Development Report to the issue of reshaping economic geography.
One key idea in the 2009 report is worth using to frame the question of regional divergence in India.
The three capture the human, physical and political aspects of economic geography. This framework
is useful when thinking about the economic challenges of the Gangetic plain.
What is Economic geography?

 Economic Geography may be defined as the study of physical and non-physical environment
of man and its influence on his economic life.
 Economic geography deals mainly with the spatial distribution of various types of economic
activities of mankind. It has been defined in different ways by the different scholars.
 According to Huntington, economic geography combines three main phases – agriculture,
industrial and commercial but mining, lumbering, fishing must be considered. Economic
geography, like every other branch of Geography, cannot be separated from physical
geography.
THE ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA IS GIVEN BELOW:

Land Resource: India is the seventh largest country (area wise) of the world. India‘s total area is
32,87,263 sq. km.
Water Resource: Rivers basins (14 Major, 44 Medium, number of Minor), lakes are present in India.
Forest Resource: At present the total forest area in India is 6,78,333 sq. km.
Agricultural Resources: Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy.
Indian Agriculture: Rabi crops (Wheat, Potato, Gram, Mustard), Kharif Crops (Paddy, Jute,
Sugarcane, corn, Jowar, Bazra, Maize), Plantation Crops (Tea & Coffee), Fibre Crops (Jute, Cotton),
Cash Crops (Jute, Rubber, Tea).
Mineral Resource: India is a mineral rich country. There are large deposits of coal, iron, bauxite,
mica, manganese, thorium limestone etc.
Human Resource: India is the second largest populated country of the world.
Key observations
 The Northern states are densely populated. But this density has clearly not provided the
economies of scale to promote rapid economic growth. One problem is that the dense
population in the Gangetic plains is not clustered in large cities.
 The glaring absence of a major metropolitan center in the region has forced young people to
migrate away from the small towns and move to other cities in the West and the South.
 Then there is the challenge of distance, or more generally market access. The states along
the Indian coast have been better able to take advantage of the opportunities provided by
globalization.
 It is impossible to reduce physical distance, but economic distance can be reduced through
better transport networks, such as high-speed trains and intercity highways. India has not paid
enough attention to building such infrastructure, especially a better railway network that
connects the hinterlands to the coastal areas.
 The challenge of political division is usually more applicable to trade between countries, but
there were trade barriers between states till recently. The move to the goods and services tax
(GST) finally integrates India into a single market.
 The hierarchy when it came to regional inequality is that distance is the most important factor,
followed by density and finally division.
 The population in the Gangetic plain is too large, nearly a fourth of the entire Indian
population, for mass migration to be a viable option. That would entail too many political risks.
Policymakers would do well to look at the challenge through the prism of economic geography
- density, distance, division. It encouraging the growth of new metropolitan centres, transport
infrastructure to improve market access and more trade within different regions of the country
have to be part of the solution.
 The optimistic view is that regional inequality will eventually shrink as economic growth
spreads across India. The principles of economic geography can play a part when it comes to
thinking about the possible solutions.
9. Impact on World Economy of rising oil prices
Brent crude has risen about 33 percent this year and is close to the highest in six months.
While higher prices due to strong demand typically

reflects a robust world economy, a shock from
constrained supply is a negative.
It is a simple math where the supplying countries

will enjoy increased revenue and receiving
countries will have soaring Current Account Deficit.
In this article, let‘s assume crude oil price is $100 per barrel and what will be impact of it on world
economy.
Impact on growth
 Rising oil prices will hurt household income and spending and it could accelerate inflation for
importing countries.
 As the world‘s biggest importer of oil, China is vulnerable, and many countries in Europe also
rely on imported energy. Seasonal effects will also impact.
 A slowing world economy will also hurt demand and by extension keep a lid on prices.
World Economy at $100

 For a sustained hit to growth, economists say oil would need to hold above $100.
 Analysis by Oxford Economics found that Brent at $100 per barrel by the end of 2019 means
the level of global gross domestic product would be 0.6 percent lower than currently projected
by end-2020, with inflation on average 0.7 percentage points higher.
Impact on Iran and USA

 As the USA has imposed sanctions on Iran and its oil export, affected supply is as much as
800,000 barrels a day.
 Uncertainties around availability have already whipsawed oil markets. And the political
sensitivities of these developments have other markets bracing for volatility.
 USA has pledged to help, alongside Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., those needing to shift
orders from Iran to another supplier.
 But U.S. claims that its domestic supply can help offset the loss are a high bar to meet, given
that the daily American output for similar crude is about a quarter of Iran‘s.
Impact on Inflation
 Because energy features prominently in consumer price index, policy makers look to core
indexes that remove volatile components.
 If the run-up in prices proves to be substantial, and sustained, those costs will filter through to
transportation and utilities.
10. Safe Cities program In India
A year after the launch of the Safe Cities program, not much headway has been made in making
cities safer for women.
What is Safer Cities program?

 The Safer Cities program aims to build safe, accountable and inclusive cities, especially for
adolescent girls and women.
 The Safer Cities program has the following building blocks - Building urban safety through
urban vulnerabilities Reduction; Building urban safety through urban planning, management
and governance; Improving the governance of safety.
 The project aims to benefit more than 1 million individuals. A global program led by Plan
International, Safer Cities is currently being implemented in five cities across the globe: Delhi,
Cairo, Hanoi, Kampala and Lima.
 Safer Cities represents a collaboration between Plan International, Women in Cities
International and UN-HABITAT, thus benefitting from the distinct and impressive track record
each organisation boasts from previous work done to address violence against women and
girls.
Key achievements
 18,796 adolescent girls, 7,463 adolescent boys, 1,837 youth girls, 639 youth boys and 3,132
parents have been engaged through various community activities.
 537 government stakeholders and 394 transit staff have committed to take action on girls
safety.
 3.022 adolescent girls, 289 youth girls, 1,762 adolescent boys and 100 youth boys have been
trained in Champions of Change module.
 472 adolescent girls were trained on self-defence by Parivartan Cell of Delhi Police.
 206 safe spaces set up with the support of local stakeholders.
 The project has moved beyond the immediate geographic boundaries and engaged with
children‘s homes and CWC in four districts of Delhi and was presented at the Global
Leadership Conference as well.
Safest city in India

 Chennai is the safest city in India. Safety parameters are varied and dynamic, and hence
determining the safest city needs to be approached with caution.
 Here are the top 13 safest cities in India – Chennai, Tirupati, Surat, Mumbai, Dehradun,
Jaipur, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Gandhinagar.
UN-Habitat‟s Safer Cities Program

 The United Nations, through its Habitat Agenda on Human Settlements (Habitat II, 1996),
which was adopted at the Istanbul Conference, initiated a series of approaches and strategies
to effectively reduce and eradicate violence and crime within the cities. To date UN-Habitat
has supported initiatives in 77 cities in 24 countries worldwide.
 The aim of the UN-Habitat Safer Cities program is to reinforce personal safety and reduce fear
by improving safety services and accountability to the community.
 Global Network on Safer Cities (GNSC) is an initiative of UN-Habitat with the goal of
equipping local authorities and urban stakeholders to deliver urban safety, thus contributing
towards securing the urban advantage for all. It was launched in September 2012.
 It acting as a common platform that links existing crime and violence prevention networks with
the urban players.
11. What is Melamine? Why Indian banned Chinese dairy

products?
The Indian government has extended the ban on import of milk and its products, including chocolates,
from China till laboratories at ports for testing presence of toxic chemical melamine are upgraded.
Food regulator FSSAI had recommended extending the ban until all labs at ports are modernised to
test the chemical. The ban was first imposed in September 2008 and extended subsequently from
time to time.
What is Melamine?
Melamine is widely used in plastics, adhesives, countertops, dishware, whiteboards.
Why it is used in milk products?

 In China, where adulteration has occurred, water has been added to raw milk to increase its
volume. As a result of this dilution the milk has a lower protein concentration.
 Companies using the milk for further production (e.g. of powdered infant formula) normally
check the protein level through a test measuring nitrogen content.
 The addition of melamine increases the nitrogen content of the milk and therefore its apparent
protein content.
 Addition of melamine into food is not approved by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius (food
standard commission), or by any national authorities.
Health effects on Humans

 While there are no direct human studies on the effect of melamine data from animal studies
can be used to predict adverse health effects.
 Melamine alone causes bladder stones in animal tests. When combined with cyanuric acid,
which may also be present in melamine powder, melamine can form crystals that can give rise
to kidney stones.
 Melamine has also been shown to have carcinogenic effects in animals in certain
circumstances, but there is insufficient evidence to make a judgment on carcinogenic risk in
humans.
NATIONAL
1. Narendra Modi is likely to be re -elected for 2nd term

as PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be sworn-in for the second term on May 30 and some world
leaders could be invited for it. Bhartiya Janta Party hailed Modi for leading to a super-sized victory for
a second term in office. The party has won 303 seats. Out of the total 543 lok sabha seats, 272 will
be just enough to form a government for an alliance.
About Lok sabha

 The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament,
with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha.
 Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by adult through elections to represent their respective
constituencies. The house meets in the Lok Sabha Chambers of the Sansad Bhavan in New
Delhi.
 The maximum strength of the House allotted by the Constitution of India is 552. Currently, the
house has 545 seats which is made up by the election of up to 543 elected members and at a
maximum, 2 nominated members of the Anglo-Indian Community by the President of India.
 The Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26
January 1950. According to Article 79 (Part V-The Union.) of the Constitution of India, the
Parliament of India consists of the President of India and the two Houses of Parliament known
as the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
 The Lok Sabha (House of the People) was duly constituted for the first time on 17 April 1952
after the first General Elections held from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952.
Supreme Court reaches its full strength of 31
Four new judges are likely to be sworn in as Supreme Court justices soon, taking the total to the
court's full strength of 31 for the first time in five years. Justices Aniruddha Bose, AS Bopanna,
Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and Surya Kant have been elevated to the top court.
SC Judges Appointment
 Article 124 provides for the establishment and constitution of Supreme Court of India, which is
the apex court of India.
 It was established on 28th January, 1950 i.e. two days after the commencement of the
Constitution.
 The sanctioned strength of the judges is 31, consisting of the Chief Justice and 30 other
judges.
 The Chief Justice and other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President of
India.
 While appointing the Chief Justice, the President is constitutionally required to consult such
other judges of the Supreme Court as he deems proper, but outgoing Chief Justice is always
consulted.
2. CBIC implements a Project „SPARROW‟ for online

writing of APAR
As part of CBIC‘s constant endeavor for better HR management, Central Board of Indirect Taxes &
Customs (CBIC) has implemented a Project ‗SPARROW-CBIC‘ for online writing of Annual
Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) in SPARROW (Smart Performance Appraisal Report
Recording Online Window) for its Group ‗B‘ and ‗C‘ Officers, working in its various formations all
across the country.
 Online writing of APARs in SPARROW for IRS (C&CE) Officers has already been
implemented w.e.f. 2016-17.
 The Directorate General of Human Resource Management (DGHRM), the HR arm of CBIC is
the implementing Agency of this ambitious project. It is being implemented in over 400
formations of CBIC across the country.
 This Project leverages modern technology for enhancing the overall efficiency and morale of
the huge workforce working in Central GST and Customs formations of CBIC. The Project is
an important milestone in the journey towards digitisation and paper less working.
About CBIC
 The Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs is the nodal national agency responsible for
administering Customs, GST, Central Excise, Service Tax & Narcotics in India.
 The Customs & Central Excise/CGST department was established in the year 1855 by the
then British Governor General of India, to administer customs laws in India and collection of
import duties / land revenue. Later in 1944, department was reconstituted and gave current
name.
3. Government extends ban on LTTE
 In its latest notification, the Union Home Ministry extended the ban imposed on the militant
group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for its strong anti-India posture and the
threat it poses to the nation.
 According to the Indian Government, the LTTE has been covertly working towards the
creation of Tamil Eelam, a proposed independent state for Tamils, and has been undertaking
fundraising activities for the same.
 As per the Central Government, the activities of LTTE continue to pose a threat and are
detrimental to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India as well as the public order.
Therefore, the government felt that it should extend a ban on the outfit and declare it as an
unlawful association.
Background
 The Indian Government has banned as many as 41 terrorist outfits under the first schedule of
the unlawful activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
 The LTTE has been declared as a terrorist organisation by over 32 countries, including the
European Union.
4. ISRO inaugurates „Yuvika 2019‟: The Young Scientist

Programme
 ISRO had announced the ‗Young Scientist Programme‘ or ‗Yuva VIgyani Karyakram‘ (YUVIKA
2019) to get young school children interested in space science and technology.
 The ISRO Young Scientist Programme YUVIKA 2019, which received an astounding
response from students across the country, will be inaugurated on 13 May 2019.
 YUVIKA 2019 is a two week summer vacation residential programme, will be conducted from
13 to 26 May 2019.
 A total 107 students would get trained by ISRO Scientists as part of YUVIKA 2019.
5. World Famous Char Dham Yatra begins
 The world renowned and much awaited chardham yatra began in Uttrakhand. The Gangotri
and Yamunotri dhams were opened for pilgrims on auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritya (also
called ‗Teej‘, is an annual spring time festival of Jains and Hindus).
About Chardham
 It literally means four sacred pilgrimage centres.
 The four pilgrim-destinations are Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath which are
collectively called Chardham.
 It is located in the great Himalayas in Uttarakhand.
Religious Deities: Each sites is devoted to a specific deity
1. Yamunotri– dedicated to Goddess ‗Yamuna‘. It stands high up in deep left on western face of
Bandarpunch Peak.
2. Gangotri– dedicated to Goddess ‗Ganga‘. The shrine overlooks River Bhagirathi.
3. Kedarnath– dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is also a part of Panch Kedar. It is northern-most
Jyotirlinga and is close to source of holy River Mandakini.
4. Badrinath– dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is situated on the bank of River Alaknanda (it is one
of the two headstreams of Ganges other is Bhagirathi).
6. “GRIHA for Existing Day Schools”: A rating system for

evaluating existing schools
 In a bid to evaluate the environmental performance of existing schools across India, GRIHA
(Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Council released a rating tool ‗GRIHA for
Existing Day Schools‘.
 This variant will work as an integrated tool to evaluate performance and provide solutions for
enhanced energy and water efficiencies, increased thermal and visual comfort, and decreased
operational and maintenance costs.
 The rating familiarises the students with the concepts of sustainability by involving them,
under the guidance of their teachers, on evaluating the environmental impact of schools on
the environment.
About GRIHA Council

 GRIHA Council is an independent platform for the interaction on scientific and administrative
issues related to sustainable habitats in the Indian context.
 GRIHA is a rating tool that helps people assesses the performance of their building against
certain nationally acceptable benchmarks. It evaluates the environmental performance of a
building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what
constitutes a ‗green building‘.
 It was founded by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) with support from the Ministry
of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) along with a variety of experts in the fields related to
sustainability of built environment from across the country.
7. SC rejects review petition by 21 opposition parties

for 50% VVPAT verification
 The Supreme Court on 07 May dismissed a review petition filed by 21 opposition parties
seeking verification of 50 per cent EVMs and VVPAT machines during counting of Lok Sabha
election votes scheduled for May 23.
Background
 Citing issues with electronic voting machines (EVM) in the first few phases of polling for the
Lok Sabha election, 21 opposition parties had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court
demanding verification of 50% EVMs using voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips.
What is VVPAT?
 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines are used during election process to
verify that the vote polled by a voter goes to the correct candidate.
 VVPATs are a second line of verification particularly and are particularly useful in the time
when allegations around Electronic Voting Machines' tampering crop up.
8. Zero Pendency Court Project
 Zero Pendency Courts Project is the pilot project of the Delhi High Court.
 The pilot project was undertaken in certain subordinate courts of Delhi to identify benchmarks
for different types of cases timelines, number of judges required, case flow management rules
and a host of other relevant factors.
 The project was also aimed to provide information on the judicial time required to dispose of a
case together with the gathering stage wise details in each case.
Findings of the study

 Delhi needs 43 more judges above the current strength of 143 to clear all the pending cases
in one year.
 Persisting delays have made the system less credible as litigants have to wait for decades to
get their cases resolved.
 As a result of the increase in the number of filings over the years, the pendency of cases is
bound to increase if no proper targeted steps are taken. .
 It was estimated that judicial delays cost India around 1.5% of its Gross Domestic Product
annually.
9. NSE to review data sharing third -party pacts since

2009
 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), has directed the National Stock Exchange
(NSE) to review all third-party agreements that have a data-sharing component entered by it
from year 2009 onwards.
 Accordingly, the NSE has been directed to take necessary legal actions against the parties
with whom such agreements were signed "wherever any actions of irregularity, breach of
terms and conditions and other provisions of such agreements are observed".
Why NSE has been directed for strict data protection measures?
 The direction on disclosures of conflict of interest assumes significance after a massive
breach of corporate governance norms was observed in the case in connection to noted
public policy academician Ajay Shah for collusion to access confidential market information for
business purposes.
 Shah and his wife Susan Thomas are credited with co-creating the NSE Nifty50 index. He has
had an illustrious stint at various high-level positions, including Ministry of Finance.
 However, in what could have been a criminal conspiracy worthy of celluloid screen, Shah
along with some of his immediate family members created a virtual family enterprise and used
their connections with NSE officials to gain a computing contract for Liquidity Index.
10. Post stamp to commemorate 750th birth anniversary

of Sri Vedanta Desikan
 A postage stamp has been released to commemorate 750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta
Desikan and his great philosopher‘s life and highly valued work.
Sri Vedanta Desikan

 Sri Vedanta Desikan (1268–1369) was a Sri Vaishnava guru/philosopher and one of the most
brilliant stalwarts of Sri Vaishnavism in the post-Ramanuja period.
 He was a poet, devotee, philosopher and master-teacher (desikan).
 He was the disciple of Kidambi Appullar, also known as Aathreya Ramanujachariar, who
himself was of a master-disciple lineage that began with Ramanuja.
 He is considered to be avatar (incarnation) of the divine bell of Venkateswara of Tirumalai by
the Vadakalai sect of Sri Vaishnavite.
 Literary works: Sri Sthothra Nidhi, Sri Paduka Sahasram, Rahasya Granthams, Sri Desika
Prabandham, Kavyams.
11. NITI Aayog agreed to the proposal that dentists can

practice as General Physicians
 Government's Think tank Niti Aayog has agreed to the proposal of the Dental Council of India
which had sought to allow dentists to practice as general physicians after a bridge course.
 The proposal was in the backdrop of the call by the Prime Minister's office to explore
unconventional methods to address the shortage of doctors in the country, particularly in rural
areas.
 The Dental Council of India (DCI) had sent a similar proposal to the Medical Council of India
last year.
THE PROPOSAL SOUGHT:
 The DCI has proposed a post Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) bridge course running for 3
years.
 Admission would be either through a common entrance exam or through cumulative marks
secured in the BDS course, or even a combination.
 The syllabus curriculum, scheme of examination, method of evaluation, degrees, and
registration all these criteria will be the same as recommended for MBBS.
IMA opposes
 Indian Medical Association has vehemently opposed the proposal.
 Stating the figures the IMA has said that 63,250 MBBS graduates come out of 494 medical
colleges every year and India has only 23,729 post-graduate seats.
 Unemployment among medical graduates is a cause for concern.
 The IMA has called the policy has flawed. IMA also demands that medical graduates be given
their due, the health budget be flexed to include job creation for them.
12. ICMR launches „MERA India‟ to eliminate malaria by

2030
 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched Malaria Elimination Research
Alliance (MERA)- Indiato eliminate malaria in India by 2030.
 ICMR has established ‗Malaria Elimination Research Alliance-India (MERA-India)‘ which is a
conglomeration of partners working on malaria control.
 The principal activity of the alliance is to prioritise, plan, conduct, scale up and translate
relevant research in a coordinated and combinatorial way in order to have a tangible impact of
this research on the population at risk for malaria.
India‟s Progress in Eliminating Malaria

 The malaria burden has declined by over 80 per cent (2.03 million cases in 2000 to 0.39
million in 2018) and malaria deaths by over 90 per cent (932 deaths in 2000 to 85 in 2018).
 This success has provided a strong foundation for the commitment from the leadership of the
GoI to eliminate malaria in India by 2030.
 The National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP) of India has developed a
comprehensive framework to achieve the overarching vision of ―Malaria free India by 2030‖.
 The NVBDCP‘s national strategic plan clearly recognises the critical role of research to
support and guide malaria elimination efforts.
INTERNATIONAL
1. British PM Theresa May announces resignation
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her

resignation on May 24.
For months, the second female prime minister of

United Kingdom (UK), May's faced calls to resign
from both opposition leaders and members of her
own party.
Those calls grew after she unveiled her latest Brexit deal earlier this week.
May will officially step down as party leader on June 7 and the process of electing a new leader is
expected to start the following week. She'll stay on as prime minister until that new leader is elected.
The United Kingdom

 The United Kingdom (UK / Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is a sovereign country located
off the north-western coast of the European mainland.
 It is a constitutional monarchy that is made up of four separate countries: England, Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland. Its Capital is London and Currency is Pound sterling.
2. WHO declares Algeria and Argentina as malaria -free

countries
 World Health Organisation has declared Algeria and Argentina the latest countries to be
recognised as malaria-free countries.
 WHO satisfied the two countries as malaria-free countries after three years of recording no
new cases. Algeria and Argentina having recorded no few cases joined others 36 countries
around the world which have eliminated the mosquito-borne disease.
 The country has now seen no new infections since 2013 and is the first nation in Africa to be
declared malaria-free in more than 40 years. It is the only other African country to have
eliminated the disease is Mauritius which achieved the goal in 1973.
 According to records, World Health Organisation reports that mosquito bites kill about 435,000
people a year – in the last six decades.
About WHO
 The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is
concerned with international public health.
 It was established on 7 April 1948, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
 The WHO is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
3. India cuts off UN panel after Jammu & Kashmir report
 Reacting angrily to a submission from the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on
the alleged violations in Jammu and Kashmir, India has informed the United Nations body that
it will no longer entertain any communication with the HRC‘s Special Rapporteurs on its
report.
 India had also rejected the OHCHR‘s report on the ‗Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir‘ —
the first-ever such report on Jammu and Kashmir that came out in June 2018 — and accused
the High Commissioner of Human Rights Zeid Ra‘ad Al Hussein of ―clear bias‖ in bringing it
out.
 The report claimed that nearly ―70% of torture victims in Jammu and Kashmir were civilians
(not militants) and 11% died during or as a result of torture‖.
 The cases included incidents of electrocution, ‗water-boarding‘ and sexual torture, which the
government has repeatedly denied.
UNHRC
 The UN body was established in 2006 with the aim of promoting and protecting human rights
around the globe, as well as investigating alleged human rights violations.
 It is made up of 47 member states, which are selected by the UN General Assembly on a
staggered basis each year for three-year-long terms.
 It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
 Members meet around three times a year to debate human rights issues and pass non-
binding resolutions and recommendations by majority vote.
 The council also carries out the Universal Periodic Review of all UN member states, which
allows civil society groups to bring accusations of human rights violations in member states to
the attention of the UN.
4. India delivers First Pair of Mi -24 helicopters to

Afghanistan
India on 16 May 2019 handed over a pair of Mi-24

helicopters to Afghanistan with the aim of strengthening
the Afghan air force as it battles a deadly Taliban
insurgency against the backdrop of the US looking to
exit the war-torn country after a 17-year stay.
 The Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship, can be used for assault and transport missions given
that it can ferry up to eight people.
 This is the second time that India agreed to transfer lethal military equipment to Afghanistan.
 In December 2016 India had gifted four Mi-25 (Mi-24D) helicopters drawn from the inventory
of the Indian Air Force and three Cheetah utility helicopters manufactured by Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
India‟s Assistance to Afghanistan and Dealing with Pakistan

 India has pledged and donated more than $3 billion in aid and reconstruction efforts to
Afghanistan, it has been reluctant to send soldiers to reinforce a US-led multinational force.
 Pakistan wants an Islamabad friendly government in Kabul that it can fall back on in times of
hostilities with India.
 India on its part wants a government in Kabul that if not friendly, is at least neutral in its
dealings with Pakistan and India.
 Though India is itself an importer of arms, it has been trying to source military hardware
through third countries like Russia and Belarus to hand over to Kabul.
 The US has been holding talks with the Taliban as it looks to leave the country.
 India is opposed to an interim administration in Kabul with the Taliban as part of the
government and Afghan elections.
5. Taiwan: First Asian country to Legalise Same -Sex

Marriage
 Taiwan's parliament has become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage following a
vote on 17 May.
 Taiwan has been a leader for gay rights in Asia, hosting an annual gay pride parade in Taipei
attended by LGBT groups from all over the continent.
 While same-sex marriage is still illegal in China, homosexuality was decriminalised in the
country in 1997, and officially removed from its list of mental illnesses three years later.
 In a historic decision, India's Supreme Court ruled that gay sex was no longer a criminal
offence in September 2018.
6. U.K. law secures rights of Sikhs to carry kirpans
 The U.K. government has passed an amendment by which Sikhs in the country will be
allowed to carry kirpans and use it during religious and cultural functions.
 The ‗Offensive Weapons Bill‘ received the royal assent this week.
 The Bill had been amended in 2018 to ensure that it would not impact the right of the British-
Sikh community to possess and supply kirpans, or religious swords.
 Large kirpans, with blades over 50 cm, are used by the community during religious
ceremonies in gurdwaras as well as for ceremonies involving the traditional Sikh Gatka martial
art.
The 5 Ks of Sikkhism
 As per their religious believes, every Sikh should wear Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (a wooden
comb), Kara (a iron bracelet), Kachera (cotton underpants) and Kirpan (an iron dagger).
7. Saudi Arabia approves permanent residency for first

time
 Saudi Arabia approved a program that offers permanent residency for some foreigners.
 Under the law, which allows foreigners to own property, those eligible can apply for an
indefinite stay or a one-year renewable residency. The government will detail the program‘s
rules within 90 days.
 The idea for a long-term Saudi residency program was first floated in 2016 by Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman as a part of his plan to reduce the economy‘s reliance on oil.
 The scheme will attract investors and enhance the economy‘s competitiveness.
 The program would not abolish the sponsorship system, only exempting certain privileged
foreigners from it.
About Saudi Arabia

 Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in Western Asia constituting
the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula.
 Saudi Arabia is geographically the largest sovereign state in the Middle East. It is the only
nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast.
 Its Capital city is Riyadh and Currency is Saudi riyal.
8. Sixth Session of Global Platform for DDR
 India has been unanimously chosen as co-chair of the Consultative Group (CG) of Global
Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) for the fiscal year 2020.
 The decision was taken during the recently held meeting of GFDRR in Geneva, Switzerland
on the margins of the 6th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
GFDDR
 It is a global partnership that helps developing countries better understand and reduce their
vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change.
 It is a grant-funding mechanism, managed by the World Bank, that supports disaster risk
management projects worldwide.
 GFDRR contributes to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction by helping countries to integrate disaster risk management and climate change
adaptation into development strategies and investment programs and recover from disasters
quickly and effectively.
 It provides technical assistance, capacity building, and analytical work to help vulnerable
nations improve resilience and reduce risk.
 India became a member of CG of GFDRR in 2015.
Sendai Framework:
 The ―Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030‖ was adopted during the
Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan in March,
2015.
 It is the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda, with seven targets and
four priorities for action.
9. United Nations chief concerned nuclear 'coffin'

leaking in Pacific
 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised concerns on May 16, that a concrete dome
built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb tests is leaking radioactive material into
the Pacific.
 Speaking to students in Fiji, Guterres described the structure on Enewetak atoll in the
Marshall Islands as "a kind of coffin" and said it was a legacy of Cold War-era nuclear tests in
the Pacific.
Marshall Islands: A coffin of Nuclear Materials

 In the Marshalls, numerous islanders were forcibly evacuated from ancestral lands and
resettled, while thousands more were exposed to radioactive fallout.
 The island nation was ground zero for 67 American nuclear weapons tests from 1946-58 at
Bikini and Enewetak atolls, when it was under US administration.
 The tests included the 1954 "Bravo" hydrogen bomb, the most powerful ever detonated by the
United States, about 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
10. India to host WTO Ministerial Meeting of Develop ing

Countries
 India will host a World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting of developing countries
and least developed countries (LDCs) in New Delhi on May 13-14.
 The meeting is an effort to bring together the developing countries and the LDCs on a platform
for sharing common concerns on various issues affecting the WTO and work together to
address these issues.
Significance:
 The meeting is held in a time when multilateral rule based trade system is under threat.
Powerful countries are unilaterally imposing sanctions and tariffs. For example, US has
imposed stringent sanctions on Iran and increased the tariffs on Chinese imports.
 The Dispute Settlement Mechanism of WTO is no longer a viable option for the developing
countries. Thus, the demand for WTO reform has increased.
 WTO‘s Twelfth Ministerial Conference which will be held in Kazakhstan in June 2020.
11. WHO partners with IFBA to eliminate Trans Fat
 World Health organization (WHO) collaborated with the International Food and Beverage
Alliance (IFBA) to eliminate industrially produced trans fat (iTFA) from food supply worldwide
by 2023.
 WHO had a meeting with the IFBA representatives. The meeting stressed on the steps that
are needed to be taken to eliminate industrial trans fats, decrease salt, sugar and saturated
fats in processed foods.
 The decision was taken by the IFBA members to make sure that the amount of industrial trans
fat in their products does not go beyond 2 gram of iTFA per 100-gram fat/oil globally by 2023.
 In current state, Trans fat-intake leads to coronary heart disease, due to which globally
5,00,000 deaths occur every year.
About WHO
 The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is
concerned with international public health.
 It was established on 7 April 1948, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
12. India and Bangladesh agreed to jointly produce film

on the life of Mujibur Rahman
 India and Bangladesh was agreed to co-produce a film on the life and works of Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a documentary on Bangladesh Liberation War.
 The movie will be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Shyam Benegal who, along with writer of
the movie Atul Tiwari.
 The Bangladesh Delegation assured full cooperation in ensuring smooth logistics for shooting
the movie in Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh is a sovereign country in South Asia. It shares land borders with India and
Myanmar. Dhaka is its capital and Taka is its currency.
13. US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross to raise India's

e-commerce rules
 US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says he would discuss e-commerce with India's
commerce minister Suresh Prabhu.
 India‘s new e-commerce rule could have an impact on operations of firms such as Amazon
and Walmart with his Indian counterpart on 05 May.
India-US Trade on Crossroad

 Ross is visiting New Delhi at a time when India and the United States are locked in disputes
over tariffs, price caps India has imposed on imported U.S. medical devices and over rules
banning companies from selling products via firms in which they have an equity interest.
 India also prohibits companies from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their
platforms, rules which could affect investment plans of foreign firms in India's fast-growing
market set to touch $200 billion by 2027.
 In March 2019, US President Donald Trump announced plans to end preferential trade
treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the
United States.
 India is the world's biggest beneficiary of that trade concession, called the Generalised
System of Preferences (GSP), and its withdrawal would be the strongest punitive action
against the country since Trump took office in 2017.
 Political and security ties between India and the United States have developed but trade has
become a problem.
 Total U.S. trade with India stood at $87.5 billion in 2018, with the deficit at $21.3 billion.
 India was also forced to stop importing crude oil from Iran after US refused to renew India‘s
waiver which ended on 1 May 2019. Iran was the India‘s third largest source of crude oil after
Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
 India has lined up supplies from alternate sources such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and
Mexico to make up for the lost volumes from Iran.
 India was the second-biggest buyer of Iranian crude oil after China. It bought some 24 million
tonne of crude oil from Iran in the fiscal ended March 31.
14. US president announces fresh tariffs on $200 billon

Chinese products
 US President Donald Trump said on 05 May that tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods will
increase to 25% on 10 May 2019, despite repeated claims by the administration in recent
weeks that trade talks with Beijing were going well.
 The tariff rate on those goods was originally set at 10%. Trump had initially threatened to
increase the tariffs at the start of the year, but postponed that decision after China and the
U.S. agreed to sit down for trade talks.
 In addition, Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on an additional $325 billion of Chinese
goods ―shortly.‖
US Trade Deficit with China

 The U.S. imports goods from China totalling $539.5 billion and the trade deficit stood at
$419.2 billion in 2018, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
 If Trump follows through with his threats, virtually all goods imported from China to the U.S.
would face some sort of tariff.
 US China Rivalry or New Cold War
 US China rivalry has entered a competitive phase that goes well beyond trade disputes.
 Tensions have broadened to include technological, political, ideological and military
dimensions – and we see them as long-lasting.
 The US on world stage is shrinking as it cancelled many trade deals in Pacific and also with
European Union. On the other hand, China through One Belt and One Road program is
making inroads not only in Asia but also in Europe.
 China is far behind in only term and that is military. However, China probably will surpass US
in this sphere too in coming 30 years. So it looks like a Trade War but in reality it is a new
Cold War.
15. King Maha Vajiralongkorn officially cr owned Rama X

of Thailand
 Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been crowned on the first of three days of
coronation rites.
 King Vajiralongkorn inherited the throne in 2016 when his long-reigning father Bhumibol
Adulyadej died.
 Thailand has a constitutional monarchy, but the royal family is highly revered by Thais and
wields considerable power.
 Thailand also has strict laws, called lese majeste, which ban criticism of the monarchy. The
laws have shielded the royal family from public view and scrutiny.
16. India returns to Venice Biennale after 8 years
 More than eight years later, 16 of the 400 Haripura posters will go up on the walls of the India
pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale that begins on May 11, 2019. The Venice Biennale will
continue till November 24.
 This will be the second time India will have a pavilion of its own at one of the biggest art
events in the world. The last time was eight years back.
 The overarching theme at the Biennale this year is 'Our Time for a Future Caring', and India
has decided to showcase Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi to ensure a memorable show at
the art event.
 In 1938, Mahatma Gandhi commissioned Indian modern artist Nandalal Bose to create
paintings portraying different aspects of Indian life to be displayed at the Indian National
Congress' session in Haripura, Gujarat.
About Venice Biennale

 The Venice Biennale refers to an arts organization based in Venice and the name of the
original and principal biennial exhibition the organization presents.
 The organization changed its name to the Biennale Foundation in 2009, while the exhibition is
now called the Art Biennale to distinguish it from the organisation and other exhibitions the
Foundation organizes.
 The first exhibition organized in 1895. It is biennial event (every two years).
 On April 19, 1893 the Venetian City Council (Venice, Italy) passed a resolution to set up an
biennial exhibition of Italian Art to celebrate the silver anniversary of King Umberto I.
 A year later, the council allowed foreign artists. The first Biennale (1st International Art
Exhibition of the City of Venice) was opened on April 30, 1895.
17. China may skip Bangladesh - China- India- Myanmar

(BCIM) Economic corridor
 India‘s decision to skip the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) may have led to the exclusion of the
Bangladesh- China- India- Myanmar (BCIM) Economic corridor from the list of projects
covered by the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) umbrella.
 In an annex tagged with the Joint Communiqué of the Leaders‘ Roundtable of the BRF, which
concluded in Beijing recently, the Chinese foreign ministry website has not listed the BCIM as
a project covered by the BRI—the giant connectivity initiative speared by China to revive the
ancient Silk Road across Eurasia and Africa.
 South Asia is covered by three major undertakings—the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor
(CMEC), the Nepal-China Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network, including
Nepal-China cross-border railway, as well as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
 Citing ―sovereignty‖ concerns, India, for the second time, has not officially participated in the
BRF, as CPEC—a flagship of the BRI—passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
BCIM Corridor
 The BCIM economic corridor aims to connect Kolkata with Kunming, capital of the Yunnan
province.
 It envisages formation of a thriving economic belt, focusing on cross-border transport, energy
and telecommunication networks.
 Starting from Kunming, the route passes through nodal points, such as Spread: Mandalay and
Lashio in Myanmar.
 It heads towards Kolkata after passing through Manipur and Silchar, before crossing
Bangladesh via Sylhet and Dhaka, with branches extending to the ports of Cox Bazar and
Chittagong.
Benefits of BCIM
 India will benefit in terms of the development of the Kolkata port and the opening up of the
economic potential of the northeast states.
 India‘s gain from the BCIM includes the ability to connect to the One Belt, One Road project
thus opening up markets to the east.
 With natural gas reserves of about 200 trillion cubic feet, the largest in the Asia-Pacific,
Bangladesh could become one of the major energy exporting countries.
 The regional connectivity would facilitate cross-border movement of people and goods, reduce
overland trade bottlenecks, ensure access and increase volume of trade.
 Substantially reduce transaction costs, enhance trade and investment and poverty alleviation
in the region.
India‟s Concerns
 Indian critics of BCIM state that China cannot be trusted, and cite the divergent positions of
the two countries on Arunachal Pradesh and PoK.
 Security is a very important aspect of BCIM that ethnic insurgencies, terrorism, drug trafficking
and the accompanying spread of HIV infections, smuggling, as well as cross-border human
trafficking, threatened to derail the project.
18. Sri Lankan bans covering the face with veils
 A statement from the President‘s Media Division on 28 April said covering of the face with
veils, in a manner that prevents identification of a person, will be banned from 29 April 2019
under emergency regulations.
 Sri Lanka remains on high alert since the attacks on Easter Sunday, with the military
deploying nearly 10,000 soldiers across provinces.
 Schools, universities and several commercial establishments are closed.
 Muslims account for 10 per cent population of the island country.
 Most Sri Lankan Muslims practice a liberal form of the religion, with only a small percentage of
women wearing a full face veil known as niqab.
19. India to stop Importing Crude Oil from Iran
 In the backdrop of the US refusal to extend the sanctions waiver for India to import crude from
Iran, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has taken the necessary steps to fill the
shortfall.
 Even though India has urged the US to restore the sanction waivers it has decided to not to
proceed with the purchase as the oil trade cannot happen in anticipation.
 It has been stated that shortfall will be met through alternate supply sources available in Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and Mexico.
India‟s Oil Import

 India which is the world‘s third-biggest oil consumer meets more than 80 per cent of its oil
needs through imports.
 In 2017-18, Iran was India‘s third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and about 10 per
cent of total needs were met through imports from Iran.
 But the cause of concern is more related to prices in India.
 When President Trump had first pulled out of the nuclear deal, oil shot up to over USD 85 a
barrel and it fell to near USD 50 after the US administration unexpectedly granted the waivers.
SCIENCE & TECH
1. Radar imaging space fleet RISAT -2B
 Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch radar imaging satellite RISAT -2B
from Sriharikota on 22 May 2019.
 RISAT-2B, short for "Radar Imaging Satellite-2B", is the second in a series of satellites used
to observe weather conditions on Earth using radar imagery.
 Once operational, the satellite will be capable of monitoring weather day and night, in all
weather conditions.
 RISAT-2B is to be followed by RISAT-2BR1, 2BR2, RISAT-1A, 1B, 2A and so on.
Radar Imaging Satellite Importance

 When it is cloudy or dark, ‗regular‘ remote-sensing or optical imaging satellites — which work
like a light-dependent camera — cannot perceive hidden or surreptitious objects on the
ground.
 Satellites that are equipped with an active sensor, the synthetic aperture radar (SAR), can
sense or ‗observe‘ Earth in a special way from space day and night, rain or cloud.
 This all-weather seeing feature is what makes them special for security forces and disaster
relief agencies.
2. India adopts new standards for measu ring units

kilogram, kelvin, mole & ampere
 India on May 20 adopted a global resolution to redefine four of the seven base units --
kilogramme, kelvin, mole and ampere.
 A resolution to redefine four of the seven base units was passed by representatives of 60
countries at the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) of the International
Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), Paris on November 16 last year.
 The other base units are -- second, metre and candela.
Background:
 Over 100 countries have adopted the metric system of measurements, also known as the
International System of Units (SI), which has been in practice since 1889.
 The purpose of a system units is to enable worldwide coherence of measurements.
 The International System of Units (SI) was formalised in 1960 and has been updated several
times to account for development in measurement technology.
Impact
 An updated kilogram doesn‘t mean that weights everywhere will be thrown off balance.
 For everyday measurements, consumers wanting to calibrate their instruments — whether it‘s
for high-precision drug manufacturing or retail weighing machines — will continue doing it the
same way.
 The National Physical Laboratory itself will be relying on the kilogram maintained in the U.S.-
based National Institutes of Standards and Technology to calibrate its one-kilogram weight.
3. Methanol, water ice, and organic molecules is found

on Ultima Thules surface
 NASA's New Horizons mission team has found evidence for a unique mixture of methanol,
water ice, and organic molecules on Ultima Thule‘s surface which is the farthest world ever
explored by mankind.
 The U.S. space agency has published the first profile of Ultima Thule, an ancient relic from the
era of planet formation, revealing details about the complex space object.
 The researchers analyzed the first sets of data collected during the New Horizons spacecraft‘s
New Year‘s 2019 flyby of the Kuiper Belt object called 2014 MU69, also known as Ultima
Thule.
 Scientists discovered that Ultima Thule wasn‘t any space object, instead, its composition,
development, and geology were more complex than expected.
 Data transmission from the flyby will continue until late summer 2020 and until then, New
Horizons will continue to take new observations of additional Kuiper Belt objects.
Ultima Thule
 Ultima Thule is a contact binary, because it has two differently-shaped lobes.
 It‘s about 22 miles long and consists of a large, weirdly flat lobe (Ultima) that‘s connected to a
small, slightly rounder lobe (Thule), at a juncture dubbed the neck.
 It features bright spots, hills, craters, and pits.
 The biggest depression on Ultima Thule is five miles in diameter and it is nicknamed as the
Maryland crater, which could have been created from an impact event.
 Some smaller pits on Ultima Thule though might have developed by material falling into
underground spaces.
4. Google uninstalls Huawei
 Google has suspended business ties with Huawei, cutting the Chinese telecom major off from
its technology.
 As the trade war intensifies between USA and China, the next economic war will be fought on
technology fronts.
 As Huawei loses access to updates on the Android operating system, anyone using a Huawei
smartphone is sure to be miffed.
 But future versions of Huawei smartphones would have to do without proprietary apps such as
Gmail, Google Chrome and YouTube.
Why Google takes this step?

 Huawei has been accused to espionage in America, but if this is so, then the US authorities
should show the rest of us the evidence.
 Else, it looks as if the world‘s leading country is afraid of losing a technological edge in
telecom to China.
5. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched

„MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative‟
 The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) recently launched ‗MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative‘, a
project for mapping every tissue of the human body to help understand better the roles of
tissues and cells linked to various diseases.
Objective:
 The comprehensive map of the human body, every tissue accounted for, will be created from
all available scientific literature.
 The programme will seek to provide better biological insights through physiological and
molecular mapping, develop disease models through predictive computing, and allow for a
holistic analysis and finally drug discovery.
 The aim of the project is to understand and capture human physiology in two stages — normal
stage and disease stage.
6. India develops new groundnut line with desir able oil

quality
 In close collaboration with scientists from several institutions in India and Africa, the
Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
has developed improved groundnut lines for disease resistance and high oleic acid content.
 Groundnuts grown in India have about 55% oleic acid, about 25% linoleic acid and around
10% palmitic acid, whereas in the U.S., several groundnut varieties have 80% oleic acid and
just 2-3% linoleic acid.
 Efforts have been taken to increase the oleic acid content and reduce both linoleic and
palmitic acid content for health benefits and to increase the shelf-life.
Why it is important?
 Excess consumption of palmitic acid increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
 Linoleic acid is not stable on heating and causes deterioration of foods due to oxidation with
oxygen. Linoleic acid also promotes formation of trans-fat.
 On the other hand, oleic acid reduces the level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and
maintains level of high density lipoproteins (HDL).
 Oleic acid also reduces the formation of tumour, and ameliorates inﬂammatory diseases.
7. Space X launches Cargo Mission for NASA
 SpaceX on 04 May successfully launched a Dragon spacecraft for its 17th resupply mission to
the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.
 Loaded with about 2,500 kg of research, supplies and hardware for crew members living and
working on the orbiting laboratory, the spacecraft launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the
Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Dragon
spacecraft is scheduled to reach the ISS on May 6.
Space X
 SpaceX, is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services
company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
 It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space
transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars.
 SpaceX has since developed the Falcon launch vehicle family and the Dragon spacecraft
family, which both currently deliver payloads into Earth orbit.
8. ISRO planning to send a probe to study sun early next

year
 Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to send a probe to study the sun in
2020.
 Indian scientists are exploring possibilities to study more about Sun and the probe named
Aditya-L1 will be sent to observe the solar corona, the outer layers of the Sun.
 The satellite would be send in a halo orbit around the L1 (Lagrangian point 1) of the Sun-Earth
system so that it has the advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation or
eclipses.
 The L1 is 1.5 million kms from the Earth.
 This will be ISRO‘s maiden mission to study the sun.

 ISRO is making all-out efforts to launch Chandrayaan-2 in the launch window between July 9
and 16, with the aim of its lander soft landing near the south pole of the moon by September
6th.
Lagrange Points
 A Lagrange point is a location in space where the combined gravitional forces of two larger
bodies, such as Earth and the Sun or Earth and Moon, equal the centrifugal force felt by a
much smaller third body.
 The interaction of forces creates a point of equilibrium where a spacecraft may be parked to
make observations.
9. Jamia team develops ultrasensitive quantum

thermometer
 Researchers at Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi) have developed an ultrasensitive quantum
thermometer using graphene quantum dots (measuring 3-6 nanometre in size).
 The thermometer can precisely measure a wide range of temperature: 27 degree C to –196
degree C. The thermometer can measure micro Kelvin changes in temperature and has quick
response time.
 The thermometer developed by a team led by Saikh S. Islam (Centre for Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology) also showed extremely quick response time of just about 300 milliseconds to
register a change in temperature from 27 degree C to –196 degree C.
 And the time taken to return to its initial temperature value was as little as about 800
milliseconds.
 The sensor can also be used for measuring high temperatures up to 100 degree C.
10. Insight Mars lander detects likely Marsquake
 NASA‘s Mars Lander InSight has recorded its first ‗Marsquake.‘

 It has recorded a quake of 2 or 2.5 magnitude which is hard to predict on Earth‘s surface.
INSIGHT Mission
 InSight is part of NASA‘s Discovery Program, managed by the agency‘s Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
 It will be the first mission to peer deep beneath the Martian surface, studying the planet‘s
interior by measuring its heat output and listening for marsquakes, which are seismic events
similar to earthquakes on Earth.
 It will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet‘s deep
interior.
 InSight would delve deep beneath the surface of Mars, detecting the fingerprints of the
processes of terrestrial planet formation, as well as measuring the planet‘s ―vital signs‖: Its
―pulse‖ (seismology), ―temperature‖ (heat flow probe), and ―reflexes‖ (precision tracking).
 The mission will help in understanding how the terrestrial planets like earth was developed.
REPORTS AND SURVEYS
1. India projected to grow at 7.1% in FY20: UN report
 India's economy is projected to grow at 7.1 per cent in fiscal year 2020 on the back of strong
domestic consumption and investment but the GDP growth is a downward revision from the
7.4 per cent estimated in January this year, according to a report by the United Nations.
 The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019 Mid-year Update said that the
Indian economy, which generates two-thirds of the regional output in South Asia, expanded by
7.2 per cent in 2018.
Highlights of the Report

 The estimates for India, however, reflect a downward revision from the projections made in
the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2019 report released in January this year.
 That report had estimated that India would grow at 7.6 per cent in fiscal year 2019 and 7.4 per
cent in 2020.
 It must be noted that despite the downward revisions, India remains the fastest growing major
economy in the world, ahead of China.
 The WESP mid-year update noted that growth projections for 2019 have been revised
downward in all major developed economies.
 The global growth outlook has weakened amid unresolved trade tensions and elevated
international policy uncertainty. Across both developed and developing countries, growth
projections for 2019 have been downgraded.
 Alongside a slow-down in international trade, business sentiments have deteriorated, casting
a cloud on investment prospects.
 World gross product growth is now expected to moderate from 3.0 per cent in 2018 to 2.7 per
cent in 2019 and 2.9 per cent in 2020, reflecting a downward revision from WESP 2019
forecast released in January.
2. Incidence of cancer set to rise: Lancet study
 Between 2018 and 2040, the number of patients requiring first-course chemotherapy annually
will increase from 9.8 million to 15 million.
 A study published in The Lancet, Oncology estimates that a steady growth curve of patients
(eligible for chemotherapy) will be seen in low and middle income countries going from 63% in
2018 to 67% in 2040.
 The most common indications for chemotherapy worldwide in 2040 will be lung cancer 16.4%,
breast cancer 12.7% and colorectal cancer 11.1%.
 This first of its kind study is aimed at helping the global community scale up chemotherapy
provisions. ―Strategic investments in chemotherapy service provision and cancer physicians
are needed to meet the projected increased demand for chemotherapy in 2040‖.
 An Indian study ―Projections of number of cancer cases in India by cancer groups‘‘ has noted
that for the country the cancer cases are likely to go up from 9,79,786 cases in 2010 to
11,48,757 cases in 2020.
3. Sand and Sustainability: UNEP Report on Sand Mining
 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recently released a report on sand
mining and its consumption. The report published with title – Sand and sustainability: Finding
new solutions for environmental governance of global sand resources.
 UNEP report on sand resources indicates that global demand for sand and gravel is at 40 to
50 billion tonnes per year. It also highlights the issues caused by illegal sand mining from
rivers such as flooding, rising level of pollution, lowering of water aquifers and worse drought
occurrences.
Highlights of the report

 Report informs that sand and gravel are the second largest natural resources extracted after
water but least regulated.
 UNEP declares it one of the major sustainability challenges of the century.
 A growing trend of irresponsible and illegal extraction in marine, coastal and freshwater
ecosystems makes this a sustainability challenge of significant proportions.
 China and India head the list of critical hotspots for sand extraction impacts in rivers, lakes
and on coastlines, most likely because these countries also lead globally on infrastructure and
construction.
India and China

 Two thirds of global cement production occurs in China (58.5%) and India (6.6%), as per
United States Geological Survey.
 China stands out for aggregates production at 14.3 tonnes/capita per year. In total, China,
India and Asia represent 67% of global aggregates production.
4. One million species at risk of extinction: UN Report
 One million animal and plant species are at imminent risk of extinction due to humankind‘s
relentless pursuit of economic growth, according to Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
 Known as the Global Assessment, the report found that up to one million of Earth‘s estimated
eight million plant, insect and animal species is at risk of extinction, many within decades.
Highlights of the Report:

 Industrial farming and fishing as major drivers of the crisis.
 Climate change caused by burning the coal, oil and gas produced by the fossil fuel industry is
exacerbating the losses.
 The threatened list includes more than 40 percent of amphibian species, almost 33 percent of
reef-forming corals, sharks and shark relatives, and more than a third of all marine mammals.
 Human activity has resulted in the severe alteration of more than 75 percent of Earth‘s land
areas.
 66 percent of the oceans, which cover most of our blue planet, have suffered significant
human impacts.
IPBES
IPBES is often described as the equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change for
biodiversity and does scientific assessments on the status of the non-human life that makes up the
Earth‘s life-support system.
5. International Religious Freedom 2019 report
 The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its
International Religious Freedom 2019 report.
 US Commission on International Religious Freedom is a bipartisan, independent federal
government commission, created by International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
 In its Annual Report, USCIRF unflinchingly describes threats to religious freedom around the
world and recommends to the State Department countries for designation as ―countries of
particular concern‖ (CPCs) for engaging in or tolerating ―systematic, ongoing, egregious
violations.‖
 This year, USCIRF has recommended 16 countries for CPC designation and five entities for
EPC designation.
Key Findings
 The 16 countries USCIRF recommended for CPC designation include 10 that the State
Department so designated in November 2018 – Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea,
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan – as well as six others that the State
Department has not designated – Central African Republic (CAR), Nigeria, Russia, Syria,
Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
 The 12 countries on USCIRF‘s Tier 2 list are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cuba, Egypt,
India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, and Turkey.
 The five entities recommended for epc designation include the islamic state of iraq and
syria (isis), the taliban in afghanistan, al-shabab in somalia, and new to the list this year,
the houthis in yemen and hay‘at tahrir al-sham (hts) in syria.
India Specific
 India saw an ―overall deterioration of religious freedom conditions in 2018‖.
 India continues to remain a Tier II country. It is in same list since 2009. Tier II countries are
those in which violations engaged in or tolerated by government are serious and characterized
by at least one of the elements of systematic, ongoing, and egregious (horrible)‘.
 India is facing declining religious freedom, apart from increased securitisation and
politicisation of religion.
 It is increasingly becoming difficult to separate religion and politics.
 It is a tactic which is sometimes intended by those who seek to discriminate against certain
religious communities.
6. Global Food Policy Report-2019
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has recently released Global Food Policy Report-
2019. IFPRI‘s flagship report reviews the major food policy issues, developments, and decisions of
2018, and considers challenges and opportunities for 2019.
This year‘s Global Food Policy Report highlights the urgency of rural revitalization to address a
growing crisis in rural areas.
Focus on Rural Areas

 Food Policy report says that rural people around the world continue to struggle with food
insecurity, persistent poverty and inequality, and environmental degradation.
 Policies, institutions, and investments that take advantage of new opportunities and
technologies, increase access to basic services, create more and better rural jobs, foster
gender equality, and restore the environment can make rural areas vibrant and healthy places
to live and work.
 Drawing on recent findings, IFPRI researchers and other distinguished food policy experts
consider critical aspects of rural revitalization.
Highlights of the report

 Rural population account for 45.3% of the world‘s total population and at least 70% of the
world‘s population remains extremely poor.
 The rural population suffers from rapid population growth rates, inadequate job and enterprise
creation, poor infrastructure, scarce financial services.
 In addition, rural communities bear the brunt of climate change impacts.
 Nearly 50% of rural youth all over the world do not have any formal job they are either
unemployed or under-employed.
BANKING & ECONOMY
1. CCI probe finds Monsanto abused dominant position:

Report
 A probe by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has found that Monsanto abused its
dominant position as a supplier of genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds in the country.
 In 2016, India‘s farm ministry and some local seed companies complained that Monsanto was
charging unreasonably high royalty fees for its GM technology.
 The CCI has powers to impose a penalty of up to 10% of the company‘s relevant turnover in
the past three financial years if it agrees with the report‘s findings.
 Monsanto launched the GM cotton variety in India in 2002 despite opposition from critics who
questioned the safety of genetically-modified crops.
 It has been locked in a battle with Indian seed makers, including Nuziveedu Seeds, which is
one of the complainants at the CCI.
CCI
 Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible
for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent activities that have
an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
 It was established on 14 October 2003.
2. PNB could take control of OBC, Allahabad Bank
 In further consolidation of the public sector banking industry, Punjab National Bank (PNB)
could take control of two to three small state-run banks that could include Oriental Bank Of
Commerce, Andhra Bank and Allahabad Bank, news agency Reuters reported.
 Earlier this year, with the first ever three-way merger with Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, Bank
of Baroda has now become the second-largest public sector lender after State Bank of India
with over 9,500 branches, 13,400 ATMs, and 85,000 employees.
 The merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda became effective from April
1.
 Back in 2017, State Bank of India (SBI) had amalgamated its five associate banks and
Bharatiya Mahila Bank.
Why India needs few good banks?

 Batting for consolidation in public sector banks, Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy V
Subramanian has said that having a few good banks is a good idea as they can compete and
their quality can get enhanced to compete globally with the best in the world.
 Chinese and European banks are very large, there are benefits they derive from economies of
scale, which reduces their costs. American and Chinese banks benefit from global savings.
3. Chief Risk Officers for NBFCs
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) with
asset size of more than Rs. 5,000 crore to appoint a chief risk officer (CRO) with clearly
specified role and responsibilities.
 RBI‘s move to tighten regulations comes in the backdrop of the increasing role of NBFCs in
direct credit intermediation, especially in view of the IL&FS imbroglio and its ripple effects on
the financial sector.
Background:
 A series of defaults at top lender Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services' (IL&FS) have
necessitated the need for more stringent controls on the functioning of NBFCs, especially the
systemically important ones.
 Emphasising that there is a need for NBFCs to augment risk-management practices, the
central bank said the CRO is required to function independently to ensure highest standards
of risk management.
CRO
 The CRO can be appointed for a fixed tenure with the approval of the board.
 The CRO will be involved in the process of identification, measurement and mitigation of risks.
All credit products (retail or wholesale) will be vetted by the CRO from the angle of inherent
and control risks.
 The CRO should not have any reporting relationship with the business verticals of the NBFC,
and should not be given any business targets.
4. Sensex posts biggest one-day gain in 10 years
 Indian markets jumped sharply on 20 May, posting their biggest one-day gain in 10 years,
after exit polls showed BJP-led NDA getting a comfortable majority in Lok Sabha elections.
 Most of the exit polls predicted a majority for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP and its
allies after the six-week-long general election ended on 19 May.
 The rupee also jumped against the US dollar.
 The Sensex rose 1,421 points to 39,352 while Nifty surged to settle at 3.7% higher at 11,828,
their highest close ever. The results of Lok Sabha elections will be announced on 23 May
2019.
Indian Stock Exchange

 Most of the trading in the Indian stock market takes place on its two stock exchanges: the
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
 The BSE has been in existence since 1875. The NSE, on the other hand, was founded in
1992 and started trading in 1994. However, both exchanges follow the same trading
mechanism, trading hours, settlement process, etc.
 Almost all the significant firms of India are listed on both the exchanges.
 NSE enjoys a dominant share in spot trading, with about 70% of the market share, as of 2009,
and almost a complete monopoly in derivatives trading, with about a 98% share in this market,
also as of 2009.
5. Kerala becomes first state to list Masala Bonds
 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opened 17 May trading on the London Stock Exchange
by ringing the iconic bell after the state-owned Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board
(KIIFB) debuted its ‗masala bond‘ issue of Rs 2,150 crore on the bourse.
 Kerala becomes first sub-sovereign entity in country to access global market.
 The resources earned through the bonds would be channelised for funding a clutch of
infrastructure development projects.
Masala bonds
 Masala bonds are bonds issued outside India but denominated in Indian Rupees, rather than
the local currency.
 Masala is an Indian word and it means spices.
 The term was used by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to evoke the culture and
cuisine of India.
6. NABARD Nab Ventures- Funding for rural startups
 The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on 13 May announced a
Rs 700-crore venture capital fund for equity investments in agriculture and rural-focused
startups.
 The fund has been launched by Nabventures, a subsidiary of NABARD, and has a proposed
corpus of Rs 500 crore with an option to retain over-subscriptions of Rs 200 crore, called as
the greenshoe option.
Significance
 The fund will have a high impact as it will provide a boost to investment ecosystem in the core
areas of agriculture, food and improvement of rural livelihoods.
 Most of the times, the city based tech startups receive the funding from Indian as well as
foreign investors. But rural startups hardly make their way. So this initiative will help these
startups to get the momentum from NABARD.
 Note: NABARD is now 100 per cent owned by the government, which has been focusing on
startups through a slew of measures.
7. BharatPe launches India‟s first UPI Digital Ledger for

merchants
 BharatPe has announced its foray into merchant services with a new app.
 The app allows merchants to record their cash/credit (Udhar) sales customer wise, request
accounts receivable from customers via SMS payment links, and keep track of accounts
payable to suppliers, among other services.
 BharatPe is a India's first Fintech start-up enabling payments for merchants through
interoperable UPI QR codes.
 The BharatPe app also serves as a networking platform for merchants to connect with
other BharatPe merchants near them and to collaborate with them to both sources and
expand their businesses.
 Along with UPI payments, the app now allows merchants to manage their entire Bahi Khata
and even note receivables and payables seamlessly.
8. Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at 5.7% this

year
 The Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at 5.7% in 2019.

 According to the ADB‘s Asian Development Outlook 2019 report released in April; developing
Asia, which comprises 45 nations ranging from China to Tuvalu, is projected to grow by 5.7%
in 2019.
 However, the growth outlook for developing Asia is expected to moderate to 5.6 % in 2020.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)

 The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December
1966, which is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.
 As of 31 December 2016, Japan and United States hold the largest proportion of shares at
15.607%. China holds 6.444%, India holds 6.331%, and Australia holds 5.786%.
9. Reliance Jio's "super app": World's largest onlin e-to-

offline new e-commerce platform
 As Mukesh Ambani (CMD), Reliance Industries, prepares to officially launch world's largest
online-to-offline new e-commerce platform.
 Reliance Jio is reportedly working on a "super app" that will provide over 100 services at one
platform. Jio is now serving over 300 million subscribers in India as data and voice traffic has
seen an unparalleled growth.
 India is a mobile-first nation and such a self-contained network that offers convenience will
find favour with demanding consumers. The fast-growing Indian ecommerce market, poised to
touch $84 billion in 2021 from $ 24 billion in 2017, is set to face massive disruption with
Reliance's entry.
10. Reliance Jio overtakes Airtel to become India's No.2

telecom company
 Mukesh Ambani‘s Reliance Jio has overtaken Bharti Airtel‘s subscriber base. The company
has emerged as India‘s second largest telecom company.
 Jio, having a customer base of 30.6 crores. Airtel has 28.4 crore subscribers while Vodafone-
Idea had announced 38.7 crore subscribers in December 2018.
 The growth in Jio‘s business since it launched services in September 2016. Jio added 2.7
crore new customers between January and March 2019, after logging in 12 crore new
members through 2018.
11. Microsoft Becomes Worlds Third C ompany To Be

Worth $1 Trillion
 Microsoft has become the third US company to pass a market cap of $1 trillion.
 The software giant passed the milestone briefly today after a jump in stock price following
strong fiscal Q3 earnings.
 Microsoft joins Apple and Amazon in hitting the $1 trillion valuation ahead of rival Google.
 Microsoft‘s latest earnings also revealed that the three main buckets the company splits its
businesses up into are all doing well and roughly contributing the same amount of revenue
this quarter (around 30 percent each).
1. Office, LinkedIn, and Dynamics = $10.2 billion in revenue
2. Azure cloud, server products, and enterprise services = $9.7 billion in revenue
3. Windows, Xbox, and Surface = $10.7 billion in revenue
About Microsoft
 Founded: April 4, 1975; 44 years ago in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.

 Founders: Bill Gates Paul Allen
 Headquarters: One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington, U.S.
12. Govt. to mandate QR code based payment method
 The Indian government is planning to mandate a quick response (QR) code based payment
method option using Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at all shops. The prime idea behind the
proposal of mandatory QR code-based payment is to make digital payment more popular and
bring a behavioral change in the ecosystem.
 The GST council approved the proposal. The move will also provide a GST benefit to both
shops and consumers. The govt has for the project roped in National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI) to work on a necessary mechanism to launch it nationally. The QR code payment
is reported to have witnessed exponential growth in consumer adoption in ASEAN countries.
QR Code
 It was first designed in 1994 for the automotive industry in Japan. A barcode is a machine-
readable optical label that contains information about the item to which it is attached.
 QR code is said to store over 4000 alphanumeric characters. A QR code uses four
standardized encoding modes (numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and kanji) to store data
efficiently, extensions may also be used.
13. Government plans introducing AI system in MCA 21

portal
 The Union Corporate Affairs Ministry plans to introduce artificial intelligence system in the
MCA 21 portal in order to make the compliance process easier as well as to ensure routine
enforcement activities are done regularly on autopilot basis.
 The Ministry plans to introduce Artificial Intelligence in the MCA 21 portal when its version 3 is
rolled out within a year.
 The main focus of the Ministry will be to rationalise all the forms and follow the principle of a
single source of truth so that one is not required to fill in the known details again, as it will get
filled automatically.
MCA 21
 MCA 21 allows electronic filings of various documents under the Companies Act, 2013 and
has fully automated all processes related to enforcement and compliance monitoring under
the Act.
 The portal is the electronic backbone for distribution of information to all the concerned
stakeholders, including the regulator, corporates and investors.
 All the filings under the companies law are submitted to the ministry through this portal.
 MCA21 is an e-Governance initiative of Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Government of
India that enables an easy and secure access of the MCA services to the corporate entities,
professionals and citizens of India.
 The MCA 21 system was started in 2006. The first phase of the e-governance initiative of the
ministry was implemented by Tata Consultancy Services and the second phase is being
implemented by Infosys for the period from January 2013-July 2021.
DEFENCE & SECURITY
1. US, Japan, South Korea and Australia hold 1st naval

drills in Western Pacific
 US Navy ships have conducted joint drills with warships from Japan, Australia and South
Korea in their first combined exercise in the Western Pacific.
 The ‗Pacific Vanguard‘ exercise near the US island of Guam started on May 23. US wish to
allies in Asia to help counter China's military might in the region.
 The six-day exercise involves two Japanese destroyers, two Australian frigates and a
destroyer from South Korea, with as many as 3,000 sailors participating. Pacific Vanguard is
the latest show of combined naval force in the Asia Pacific region.
2. SIMBEX 2019
 The Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy began a major bilateral naval exercise
on 20 May in the South China Sea.
 The exercise, code-named SIMBEX 19, will run through May 22. Last year‘s exercises took
place in the Indian Ocean, off India‘s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 On the Indian side, two vessels that have been on a two-month-long deployment to East Asia
are participating.
 INS Kolkata, the lead ship of the Kolkata-class guided missile destroyers, and INS Shakti, a
Deepak-class fleet tanker, participated in the exercise.
India and South China Sea

 In recent years, India has increased its naval activities in the South China Sea.
 This month, for the first time ever, India joined the navies of the United States, Japan, and the
Philippines for quadrilateral presence exercises, including ―formation exercises,
communication drills, passenger transfers,‖ according to a U.S. Navy 7th fleet statement.
 In April 2019, the two countries held their annual joint army exercise, Bold Kurukshetra 2019.
 The two countries have expanded their defence cooperation since the signing of their Defence
Cooperation Agreement in 2003.
3. MRSAM: successfully tested by Indian Navy
 The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired a Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM),
achieving a significant milestone to enhance its anti-air warfare capability.
 The test-firing of the missile was undertaken on the western seaboard by Indian naval ships
Kochi and Chennai.
 The test-firing of the missile was carried out jointly by the Indian Navy, Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries.
 The DRDO has jointly developed the missile in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries.
The MRSAM has been manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited.
 The MRSAM has the capability of providing defence against air, marine and ground threats. It
has several systems which include a digital radar, command and control, launchers, and
interceptors with advanced homing seekers.
4. India to set up military space agency headquartered

at Bengaluru
 India is planning to set up its military space agency headquartered at Bengaluru with the ace
fighter pilot Air Vice Marshal SP Dharkar as its likely head.
 AVM Dharkar is an ace fighter pilot and is presently looking after the air defence operations of
an important command along the borders. The tri-services defence space agency is expected
to get operational by June 2019.
 The tri-services Space agency is likely to command all the space assets of the three services
including the A-SAT capability, which can be used to destroy enemy space-based satellites
and other assets.
Tri-services Special Operations Division:

 Maj Gen AK Dhingra has been appointed as the first head of Country's first tri-services
Special Operations Division comprising commandos from all three services.
 The Armed Forces Special Operations Division has been set up by the government to
undertake joint operations by three services and will have elements from the Army's
Parachute Regiments SF, Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of the Navy and the Garud
Commandos of the Indian Air Force.
 Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta has been appointed as the head of the Defence Cyber Agency set
up in Delhi with people from all three services.
5. India gets its first Apache Guardian attack helicopter

in US
 The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally received the first AH-64E (I)-Apache Guardian
helicopter at the Boeing production facility in Mesa, Arizona, USA.
 Better known as an ‗attack helicopter‘, the Apache was received by a team of Indian Air Force
officers led by an Air Marshal.
Background:
 The Indian government has signed a contract for 22 Apache helicopters with the US
government and Boeing.
 This contract was signed in September 2015 for $3 Billion at current rates and was for the
supply of helicopters to the IAF.
 The first of these helicopters is scheduled to be shipped to India in July this year and are likely
to be inducted in the IAF at a special ceremony in Pathankot air base.
Needed Upgradation
 The introduction of Apache will lead to the modernisation of the IAF‘s attack helicopter fleet
which at present is equipped with Russian origin MI-35 helicopters.
 The Russian attack helicopters, stationed in Pathankot in Punjab and Suratgarh in Rajasthan,
are now on the verge of retirement and, thus, IAF needed an urgent augmentation of
capabilities.
6. Indian Navy launches fourt h Scorpene class

submarine „INS Vela‟
 Scorpene class submarine Vela, equipped with modern machinery and technology to guard
the seas, was launched on 05 May.
 It is the fourth submarine to be launched by the state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Limited (MDL) after entering into a contract for the construction and transfer of technology for
six Scorpene class submarines with French collaborator Ms Naval Group (formerly known as
DCNS).
 INS Vela is now set to undergo a series of harbor and sea trials before being delivered to the
Indian Navy.
 The submarine is fourth of overall six units that will be delivered to the Indian Navy through a
transfer of technology agreement with France‘s Naval group.
7. Indian Army signed with NHPC to build underground

tunnels
 Indian Army signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with National Hydroelectric

Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited.
 The agreement is to build four underground tunnels along China and Pakistan borders for
storage of ammunition and other war-related equipment.
 Three tunnels will be built along the Chinese border and one tunnel will be built along the
Pakistan border.
 The tunnel can store 175-200 metric tonnes of ammunition and the cost of this pilot project is
around Rs 15 crore.
AWARDS & PERSON IN NEWS
1. Bengaluru based Doctor Hema Divakar won Global

Asian of the Year' Award
 Bengaluru-based medical doctor Hema Divakar was honoured with the 'Global Asian of the
Year 2018-19' award in Dubai (UAE) for her yeomen services and contributions to the
women's healthcare ecosystem, in India. It is organised by 'Asia One' magazine.
 Hema received the award at the Asian Business & Social Forum 2019 under the 'In Service of
the Society and the Nation' category.
 Asia One‘s 'Global Asian of the Year‘ award is conferred on those who stand out for vision,
action and ingenuity and represent contemporary ideas to make global impact.
2. Oman author Jokha Al Harthi wins Booker

International Prize
 Omani author Jokha Alharthi has become the first Arabic-language writer to win
the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for Celestial Bodies, a novel that deals with
family connections and history in the coming-of-age account of three sisters.
 Alharthi's book beat five other shortlisted novels from Europe and South America to take the
prize, which celebrates translated fiction from around the world and included a $64,000 award
divided equally between author and translator.
 She studied classical Arabic poetry at Edinburgh University and teaches at Sultan Qaboos
University in Oman's capital, Muscat.
 Alharthi's translator was US academic Marilyn Booth, who teaches Arabic literature at Oxford
University.
3. Japan‟s 2nd Highest National Award conferred to

Shyam Saran
 Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran is selected for Japan‘s Second Highest
National Award called ‗The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star‘.
Key Highlights
 The Government of Japan recently announced in its 2019 Spring Imperial Decorations, that it
will confer the 72-year-old Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran, ‗The Order of the Rising
Sun, Gold and Silver Star‘.
 He will be conferred for his contributions in strengthening strategic ties and enhancing mutual
understanding between India and Japan.
About Shyam Saran

 He served as India‘s Foreign Secretary from year 2004 to 2006 during which he played an
important role in elevating India-Japan relationship to a strategic partnership.
 During his tenure Junichiro Koizumi, (then Japanese Prime Minister) visited India for first time
in 5 years.
 During his tenure as Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy of India in Japan he contributed in
strengthening mutual understanding between India and Japan. His contributions includes
―India Festival―, that was held in Japan in 1988.
 Since 2017 he has worked towards enhancing mutual understanding between two countries,
by hosting events like an ―India-Japan Colloquium―.
4. „Formula One‟ Legend: Niki Lauda dies at 70
 Formula One legend Niki Lauda, one of the greatest racing drivers in history, has died at age
70.
 The racer had long struggled with health problems after a horrific crash during a race more
than four decades ago that disfigured him for life.
 In 1976, at the Germany Grand Prix in the Nurburgring track, Lauda lost control of his Ferrari
car and crashed into a fence at a speed of 200km an hour.
 A perfectionist and born competitor, Lauda did not only go on living, he went on to compete
again - and won multiple times.
 Andreas Nikolaus Lauda was an Austrian Formula One driver, a three-time F1 World Drivers'
Champion, winning in 1975, 1977 and 1984, and an aviation entrepreneur. He was the only
driver in F1 history to have been champion for both Ferrari and McLaren, the sport's two most
successful constructors.
 By the time the Austrian ended his racing career in 1985, he had competed in 171 Formula
One races, winning 25 of them and standing on the podium 54 times.
5. Pramod Kumar Mishra was awarded the Sasakawa

Award
 United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has awarded the Sasakawa
Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction to Pramod Kumar Mishra.
 The award recognized his dedication to improving the resilience of communities most exposed
to disasters. He is currently serving as Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India
Narendra Modi.
 The theme of the 2019 Sasakawa award was Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies.
 He was conferred the award during ongoing 6th Session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk
Reduction (GPDRR) 2019 at Geneva, Switzerland.
 GPDRR is biennial multi-stakeholder forum established by UN General Assembly (UNGA) to
review progress, share knowledge and discuss the latest developments and trends in
reducing disaster risk.
United Nations Sasakawa Award:

 The award was instituted in 1986 by Nippon Foundation. It is jointly given bg the UNDRR and
the Nippon Foundation.
 It is most prestigious international award in area of Disaster Risk Management.
 It is awarded either to organizations or individuals in recognization of their contributions for
ensuring inclusive participation in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities for all sections of
society, especially the poor.
6. Retired SC Justice MB Lokur appointed to Supreme

Court of Fiji
 Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, who retired as the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court in
December 2018, has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji‘s non-resident panel for the
duration of three years.
 Justice Lokur received the appointment letter for the same on December 31, 2018, a day after
he retired from the Supreme Court of India.
 Speaking on the same, Justice Lokur said that he was invited by the Chief Justice of Fiji to be
part of the Fiji Supreme Court and he accepted the offer.
Fiji Supreme Court

 The Supreme Court of Fiji consists of the Chief Justice, who is also the President of the
Supreme Court, all Justices of Appeal who are also members of the Court of Appeal and
others specifically appointed as Supreme Court judges.
 The court has three sessions in one year and Justice Lokur would be attending the August
session from August 15- 30, 2019.
 Fiji has previously invited judges from other nations including Australia, New Zealand, Sri
Lanka, Singapore, South Africa and Malaysia to be a part of its non-resident panel.
7. Hinduja brothers named UK's wealthiest people for

the third time
 The billionaire Hinduja brothers have been named as the wealthiest people in the uk for a
third time, according to the Sunday Times rich list.
 Sri and Gopi Hinduja saw their fortune increase by 1.356 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) in
the last year to 22 billion pounds, the BBC quoted the list as saying.
Hinduja Group
 The Hinduja Group, a family business, was founded in Mumbai in 1914, and now it has
interests around the world including in oil and gas, banking, IT and property.
 British citizens Sri, 83, and Gopi, 79, who are based in London, are two of the four brothers
controlling the empire. The two moved to London in 1979 to develop the export business.
 The third brother Prakash manages the group's finances in Geneva, Switzerland while the
youngest, Ashok, oversees the Indian interests.
8. Father of Modern Legal Law Dr N. R. Madhava Menon

passes away
 Prof N.R. Madhava Menon, an educationist, scholar and the pioneering spirit behind modern
legal education in India, passed away early on 8 May 2019. He was 84 years old.
His Contribution
 Menon was the founder director of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU)
Bangalore and headed it for 12 years.
 After that, he established West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) in
1998 and later presided as the founder director of Judicial Academy (NJS), Bhopal, till 2006.
 Menon was honoured by the Padma Shri, fourth highest Indian civilian award, in 2003 for his
outstanding contribution to public services.
 He had conceptualized the five-year integrated LLB programme.
9. Trump awards highest US civilian honour to Tiger

Woods
 US President Donald Trump on 06 May bestowed Tiger Woods with the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the nation‘s highest civilian honour, describing the golfer as ―one of the greatest
athletes in the history of sports.‖
 Tiger Woods is only the fourth and the youngest golfer ever to have received the highest
American civilian award.
Medal of Freedom
 The Medal of Freedom is America‘s highest honour for civilian accomplishment.
 President Truman first established the medal to honour extraordinary civilian
accomplishments related to World War II. President Kennedy re-established the medal by
executive order in 1963.
 Presidents can award the medal of freedom to any person, living or dead, who has made ―an
especially meritorious contribution‖ to the security or national interest of the United States,
world peace, or to a significant public or private endeavour.
10. Ex-ISRO chief as Kiran Kumar received France‟s

highest civilian award
 Former ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar was conferred with France's highest civilian award
'Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur' for his contribution to India-France space cooperation.
 He served as the ISRO chief from 2015 to 2018 and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2014.
He has contributed to projects like India's first experimental remote sensing satellite,
Bhaskara-1, launched in 1979 and even Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan.
'Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur

 Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Ordre national de la Lgion d'Honneur (National
Order of the Legion of Honour) is the highest civilian award given by the French for
outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipient.
 The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Ordre national de la Lgion
d'Honneur.
11. UN designates JeM chief Masood Azhar as global

terrorist
 The United Nations listed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global
terrorist after China lifted its hold on the proposal.
 Now, Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist in UN Sanctions list.
 China had put a hold in March on a fresh proposal by the US, UK and France to impose a ban
on the chief of the JeM, which claimed responsibility for the deadly Pulwama terror attack. The
proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global
terrorist.
12. Emperor Akihito: Japan‟s first emperor to abdicate in

200 years
 Japan‘s new Emperor Naruhito has succeeding his father on the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Naruhito received the Imperial regalia of sword and jewel as proof of succession in a
ceremony on April 30. Naruhito (59) is the 126th emperor.
 For the first time in more than 200 years, Japan's emperor abdicated, putting his son on the
Chrysanthemum Throne and ushering in a new era for the world's oldest monarchy. And
Emperor Akihito becomes Japan‘s first emperor to abdicate in 200 years. He had been leader
of the monarchy for 30 years.
 In a set of solemn ceremonies, Emperor Akihito handed over to his eldest son, 59-year-old
Crown Prince Naruhito, also kicking off the new imperial "Reiwa" era -- meaning "beautiful
harmony" -- that will continue for the length of the new monarch's reign.
Japan
 Japan is an island country in East Asia and located in the Pacific Ocean. Its Capital is Tokyo
and Currency is Yen.
 The Imperial House of Japan is the world‘s oldest monarchy, founded in 660BC by Emperor
Jimmu.
13. Gagandeep Kang awarded Fellowship of the Royal

Society (FRS), UK
 Gagandeep Kang, the executive director of Translational Health Science and Technology
Institute, has become the first Indian woman scientist to be selected as a fellow of the
prestigious Royal Society, London.
 She is known for her interdisciplinary research, development and prevention of enteric
infections and their sequelae in children in India — has built national rotavirus and typhoid
surveillance networks, established laboratories to support vaccine trials and conducted phase
1-3 clinical trials of the vaccine.
Her contribution: Rotavac

 She is a clinician scientist, who is well known for her key role in development of Rotavac.
 It is India‘s first indigenously developed vaccine for rotavirus infections, which is responsible
for childhood diarrhoea.
 The Rotavac was developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech Limited and Pune-based
Serum International also developed a rotavirus vaccine called Rabishield.
 Both of them are included in India‘s Immunisation Programme.
 In January 2018, World Health Organisation (WHO) ―pre-qualified‖ the Rotavac vaccine, which
means that vaccine could be sold internationally to other countries.
Royal Society of London

 It is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence since 1663.
 It is granted to individuals who made substantial contribution to improvement of natural
knowledge in fields of natural knowledge, including mathematics, medical science and
engineering.
 It has been awarded to many eminent scientists approximately 8000 in total with 1675 living
right now, including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, Ernest Rutherford,
Srinivasa Ramanujan, Albert Einstein, etc.
14. Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2019
 The second edition of Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was awarded to author Rana
Dasgupta for his 2010 novel "Solo", a tale of estrangement and the ultimate failure of material
existence.
 An amount of $10,000, a Tagore statue and a certificate for contribution to literature was given
to Dasgupta.
 The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for social achievement was awarded to Yohei
Sasakawa, the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, for
"his incredible efforts to uproot leprosy and great contribution to world peace".
 It is awarded for an extraordinary work of litereature.
 It carries a monetary award of $10000, a Tagore statue and a certificate.
 It was launched in 2018 by Maitreya Publishing Foundation.
SPORTS
1. Italian Open 2019: Karolina Pliskova won Women‟s

Singles Title
 In the women's singles final, Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova swept past Britain's
Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4 to win the WTA Italian Open.
 Pliskova, the 2017 French Open semi-finalist, clinched her 13th career title.
 She becomes the first Czech woman to win the Rome tournament since Regina Marsikova in
1978.
2. Rafael Nadal wins Italian Open 2019
 Rafael Nadal, the No. 2 player in the world, beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1, to
win the Italian Open on 19 May in Rome for his first win of the season and his ninth title at the
event.
 It was Nadal's first clay court final win over Djokovic since the 2014 French Open. It was the
54th meeting between the two rivals, and Djokovic now leads 28-26.
3. China to host 2023 Asian Cup Football tournament
 China will host the Asian Cup Football tournament in 2023. South Korea have abandoned
their bid to stage tournament.
About Asian Cup

 The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian
Football Confederation. It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world
after Copa América.
 Two years after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) came into being in 1954, the first ever
AFC Asian Cup was staged in Hong Kong. It was held once every four years.
4. ICC World Cup 2019: First Time an Anticorruption

officer for each team
 In a first, all the 10 participating teams at the upcoming ICC World Cup will have a dedicated
anti-corruption officer attached with it to deliver a corruption-free tournament.
 According to International Cricket Council; the move was part of an effort to deliver a fixing
and corruption-free World Cup.
 By being with teams throughout the competition, it is also thought that officials will be better
placed to spot any potential corruptors who lurk near players or back-room staff and so
identify any behaviour that may be suspicious.
 World Cup 2019 is scheduled to be held in Britain starting from 30 May 2019.
5. Igor Stimac appointed as the head coach of the

Indian football team
 Croatia's Igor Stimac has been appointed the head coach of the Indian football team for a two-
year term, the All India Football Federation announced on 15 May 2019.
 The national team has been without a coach since the departure of Stephen Constantine in
January.
 The 51-year-old Stimac, who was part of Croatia's 1998 World Cup squad that finished third in
France, has over 18 years of coaching experience.
6. Kiki Bertens wins Women‟s Singles Title in Madrid

Open tennis
 The Netherlands' Kiki Bertens pulled off a surprise 6-4, 6-4 victory over Simona Halep to win
the Madrid Open 2019.
 With this triumph she became first woman ever to win Madrid singles title championship
without dropping a set.
 Madrid Open Tennis also known as the Mutua Madrid Open (as currently sponsored by Mutua
Madrileña) is a joint men‘s and women‘s professional tennis tournament, held every year in
Madrid (Spain).
7. Novak Djokovic wins Madrid Op en 2019 title
 Novak Djokovic, the World No. 1 tennis player, won the Madrid Open 2019 title.
 He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek tennis player, and secured 6-3, 6-4.
 He equalled Rafael Nadal‘s record of 33 ATP Masters 1000 titles.
 It is also Djokovic‘s 200th victory against a Top 10 opponent.
8. „CRICZONE‟: World‟s First Women‟s Cricket Magazine

launched
 The first edition of world‘s first exclusive women‘s cricket magazine named ‗Criczone‘ was
released in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
 Indian team cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has featured as the cover story.
9. Mumbai Indian wins the IPL 2019
 Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings by 1 run in a nerve-wracking last-ball thriller at
the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 12 May in the IPL Finals.
 With Mumbai Indians win, Rohit Sharma became the only player to win 5 IPL titles.
 It is also the fifth IPL trophy for the Mumbai Indians.
 Mumbai Indians team is owned by Mukesh Ambani‘s led Reliance Industries.
About IPL
 The Indian Premier League is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India contested
during March or April and May of every year by eight teams representing eight different cities
in India.
10. Raheem Sterling named 2019 FWA footballer of the

year
 Raheem Sterling has been named the 2019 footballer of the year by the Football Writers'
Association (FWA).
 The Manchester City and England forward topped the poll of the 400-strong FWA membership
as a clear winner, with 62 percent of the votes.
ABOUT FWA
 The Football Writers' Association is an association of football journalists and correspondents
writing for English newspapers and agencies, created on 22 September 1947 by journalists.
 The ―footballer of the year" award is the oldest and is considered to be the most prestigious
award in British football. The award is presented annually since 1948. In 2018 the FWA
introduced their award for the Woman Footballer of the Year.
11. India tops Medals Tally at ISSF World Cup Rifle/

Pistol 2019 held in China
 India finished on top of the medal standings for the second consecutive International Shooting
Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup with 3 gold and 1 silver, for a total of four medals in
Beijing.
 Additionally, India also bagged two Olympic quota places for Tokyo 2020 at the competition
that came to an end on 28 April 2019.
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS

 Anjum Moudgil and Divyansh Singh Panwar - 10m air rifle mixed team gold
 Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary - 10m air pistol mixed team gold
 Abhishek Verma – 10m Air Pistol event
 India have earned five quota places in shooting events at Tokyo Olympics 2020 — women‘s
10m air rifle (2 spots), men‘s 10m air pistol (2 spots), men‘s 10m air rifle (1 spot).
12. India finishes Asian Wrestling Championships 2019

with 16 medals
 India wrapped up their campaign at the Asian Wrestling Championships on a resounding note
with 16 medals after Greco-Roman grapplers added a silver and a bronze on the concluding
day in Xi'an, China on 28 April 2019.
 India's overall tally of 16 medals included eight -- one gold, three silver and four bronze -- won
by men's freestyle wrestlers, four bronze by women and three silver and a bronze by Greco-
Roman wrestlers.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEDAL TALLY

 India bagged two silver medals in Asian Wrestling Championships in Xian, China in MEN‘S
GRECO-ROMAN CATEGORY.
 Wrestler Gurpreet Singh finished with second spot and won India a silver medal in Greco-
Roman 77kg category after facing a 0-8 defeat by Hyeonwoo Kim of Korea in the finale.
 Sunil Kumar in men‘s 87kg category, registered victory in semi finale bout against Azamat
Kustubayev of Kazakhstan with 6-6 but defeated by Hossein Ahmad Nouri of Iran in final
clash.
 India‘s Greco-Roman wrestlers performed better than last edition where they clinched only a
couple of bronze medals by Rajender Kumar (55kg) and Harpreet Singh (82kg).
 Harpreet Singh won silver in 82kg after defeating Iran‘s Saeid Morad Abdvali while
Gyanender won bronze in 60kg after beating Jui Chi Huang of Taipeion final day.
 Only Bajrang Punia won gold medal after defeating Kazakhstan‘s Sayatbek Okassov by 12-7
in 65kg men‘s free style.
WRESTLING ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

 It is Wrestling Asian Championship organized by Asian Associated Wrestling Committee
(AAWC).
 In 1979 men‘s tournament began and in 1996 women‘s tournament was first staged, after that
it is held every year.
13. India ends with 13 medals at Asian Boxing C'ship

2019
 The Indian contingent finished campaign with a best-ever haul of 2 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze
medals at the Asian Boxing Championships 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand on April 26.
 Pooja Rani (81kg) and Amit Panghal (52kg) have brought two gold medals. However, Deepak
Singh (49kg), Kavinder Singh Bisht (56kg) and Ashish Kumar (75kg) signed off with silver
medals among the men. In the women's draw, Simrajit Kaur (64kg) ended with a silver medal.
 This year, tournament was held simultaneously for men and women for the first time.
ENVIRONMENT
1. Vice President calls for protection of Ongole cattle
 The Vice President of India has called for protecting the indigenous Ongole cattle breed.
 He has said this while releasing a Compendium on Ongole cattle breed at the Swarna Bharat
Trust in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
ONGOLE CATTLE
 Ongole cattle are an indigenous cattle breed that originates from Prakasam District in the
state of Andhra Pradesh.
 The breed derives its name from the place the breed originates from Ongole.
 Ongole cattle are known for their toughness, rapid growth rate and natural tolerance to tropical
heat.
 It was the first Indian breed of cattle to gain worldwide recognition.
 Further, Ongole breed of cattle has a great demand as it is said to possess resistance to both
foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease.
 These cattle are commonly used in bull fights in Mexico and some parts of East Africa due to
their strength and aggressiveness.
 They also participate in traditional bull fights in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
2. 'Not all animals migrate by choice' campaign

launched by UN
 United Nation (UN) Environment India and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) of India, for
the International Day of Biological Diversity, which was celebrated on 22 May, initiated an
awareness campaign by the name of 'Not all animals migrate by choice' to be displayed at
major airports across India.
 Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the
Government of India under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized
wildlife crime in the country.
OBJECTIVE:
 The aim is to raise awareness on illegal wildlife trade, to garner public support for
conservation and protection of wildlife, prevention from smuggling and for the reduction in
demand for wildlife products.
 It also complements worldwide action taken on illegal trade in wildlife via UN Environment's
global campaign called Wild for Life.
 WCCB and UN Environment started a comprehensive approach with a focus on awareness

building towards the issue of prevention of illegal trade, smuggling of wildlife (and wildlife
products) through exit points.
 In the first phase of the campaign, Tiger, Pangolin, Star Tortoise and Tokay Gecko have been
chosen as they are highly endangered due to illegal trading in International markets.
3. Herbivore census in Gujara‟s Gi r forest
 Every summer, the Forest Department of Gujarat conducts a Herbivore Census in Gir forest.
 This year‘s exercise, which began on 13 May is of particular significance because it is the last
Herbivore Census ahead of next year‘s Lion Census, which is a once-in-five-years exercise.
 The Herbivore Census covers ungulates such as spotted deer, blue bulls (nilgais), sambars,
Indian gazelles (chinkaras), four-horned antelopes (choshinga) and wild boars, as well as
Indian langurs and peafowl.
SIGNIFICANCE
 Wild ungulates and langurs are the main prey of Asiatic lions, the endangered species whose
only wild population in the world is surviving in the 22,000 sq km Greater Gir area.
 A count provides a sense of the available of the prey base for lions as well as other predators
like leopards, hyenas and wolves.
 A strong prey base can reduce depredation of livestock by lions and can reduce man-animal
conflict. In 2013-14, the last Herbivore Census before the previous Lion Census, the total
count of all herbivores was 1.32 lakh, higher than the about 1.25 lakh counted in 2012-13.
4. A new UN accord signed to include plastic waste in

Basel Convention
 180 national governments have agreed on a new United Nations (UN) accord to regulate the
export of plastic waste.
 It also undertook to eliminate two toxic chemical groups, Dicofol, and Perfluorooctanoic Acid,
plus related compounds. The Geneva meeting amended the 1989 Basel Convention on the
control of hazardous wastes to include plastic waste in a legally-binding framework.
 About 1,400 representatives from almost every country in the world met for 12 days of
discussions at a United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) meeting in Geneva,
Switzerland.
 Except for the United States, about 180 governments, agreed to the deal to include plastic
waste in a legally-binding framework.
 Even though the U.S. and a few others have not signed the accord, they cannot ship plastic
waste to countries that are on board with the deal.
 This is a move to quickly reduce the amount of plastic being washed into the world's oceans.
THE DIRTY PLAY OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

 Developed countries like the US and Canada have been exporting their mixed toxic plastic
wastes to developing Asian countries claiming it would be recycled in the receiving country.
 Instead, much of this contaminated mixed waste cannot be recycled and is instead dumped or
burned, or finds its way into the ocean.
 Plastic waste pollution has reached epidemic proportions with an estimated 100 million tonnes
of plastic now found in the oceans.
BASEL CONVENTION
 In 1989, the Conference of Plenipotentiaries (COP) in Basel, Switzerland adopted The Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal.
 It was adopted in response to large public outcry after it was discovered that large deposits of
toxic wastes were being imported from abroad into the developing world. The Basel
Convention came into force in 1992.
5. India‟s newest pit viper found in Arunachal Pradesh
 A team of herpetologists has described a new species of reddish-brown pit viper, a venomous
snake with a unique heat-sensing system, from a forest in West Kameng district of Arunachal
Pradesh. India now has a fifth brown pit viper but with a reddish tinge.
 In a new paper, researchers have described this species and named it Trimeresurus
arunachalensis, or Arunachal pit viper.
 While the researchers have described the Arunachal pit viper based on a single specimen,
they say the species‘ unique features distinguish it from all the other known species of pit
vipers.
 The new species also make Arunachal Pradesh the only Indian state to have a pit viper
named after it.
THE OTHER FOUR PIT VIPER IN INDIA ARE:

1) MALABAR PIT VIPER
2) HORSESHOE PIT VIPER
3) HUMP-NOSED PIT VIPER
4) HIMALAYAN PIT VIPER
 The single known specimen of this species makes it currently the rarest pit viper in the world.
ADB launches $5 Billion Healthy Oceans Action Plan
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on May 3 launched the Action Plan for Healthy Oceans
and Sustainable Blue Economies for the Asia and Pacific region at the 52nd Annual Meeting
of ADB‘s Board of Governors in Fiji.
HEALTHY OCEANS AND SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMIES

 The Action Plan for Healthy Oceans and Sustainable Blue Economies will expand financing
and technical assistance for ocean health and marine economy projects to $5 billion from
2019 to 2024, including cofinancing from partners.
4 FOCUS AREA
1. Creating inclusive livelihoods and business opportunities in sustainable tourism and fisheries
2. Protecting and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems and key rivers
3. Reducing land-based sources of marine pollution, including plastics, wastewater, and
agricultural runoff
4. Improving sustainability in port and coastal infrastructure development.
WHY ASIA PACIFIC NEEDS ATTENTION?

 Asia and the Pacific is at the epicenter of a major crisis in marine plastic pollution, threatening
the productivity of the region‘s marine economies, which are crucial to poverty reduction. For
example, among the 10 rivers transporting 88% to 95% of plastics into the sea worldwide, 8
are in the region.
 Ocean ecosystems have been pushed to the brink of collapse by the threats of climate
change, pollution, and illegal and unregulated fishing, among others.
 Unless immediate action is taken, about 90% of Asia and the Pacific‘s coral reefs will be dead
by 2050, and all commercially exploitable fish stocks will disappear by then.
UK Parliament becomes the first national government to

pass an Environment and Climate Emergency
 The UK parliament has become the first in the world to pass a motion declaring an
"environment and climate emergency", as pressure on the government to adopt a net zero
emission target as soon as possible continued to intensify.
 The declaration was preceded by a visit by teenage activist Greta Thunberg (to the
Parliament) , the feature of David Attenborough‘s documentary movie titled ‗Climate Change:
The Facts‘ and the 11-days of constant protest by an environmental group ‗Extinction
Rebellion‗.
CLIMATE EMERGENCY
 The decision of emergency in Parliament caters to national reductions and investment in the
reduction of carbon emissions and saving the planet.
 Compared to its 1990 levels, UK (United Kingdom) was later legally committed to a 80%
reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 and recently featured as 1 of 18 developed economies
to decrease CO2(carbon dioxide) emissions in the last 10 years.
Cyclone Fani: Depression Over The Bay Of Bengal

Intensifies Into Cyclonic Storm
 The Cyclone Fani, formed in south-east Bay of Bengal and adjoining Indian Ocean, is set to
intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by today‘s afternoon.
 It is expected to further intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by tomorrow. It is currently
moving in a north-west direction.
 According to the Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD),
Cyclone Fani is very likely to reach near the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra
Pradesh by the evening of April 30.
 Under the category of Very Severe Cyclonic storm, Fani is expected to reach the state at a
speed of 140-150 kmph on 30 April.
HOW CYCLONES ARE FORMED?

 Tropical cyclones are like giant engines that use warm, moist air as fuel. That is why they form
only over warm ocean waters near the equator.
 The warm, moist air over the ocean rises upward from near the surface. Because this air
moves up and away from the surface, there is less air left near the surface.
 Another way to say the same thing is that the warm air rises, causing an area of lower air
pressure below.
 Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes in to the low pressure area. Then
that "new" air becomes warm and moist and rises, too.
 As the warm air continues to rise, the surrounding air swirls in to take its place. As the
warmed, moist air rises and cools off, the water in the air forms clouds.
 The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows, fed by the ocean's heat and water
evaporating from the surface.
 Storms that form north of the equator spin counter-clockwise. Storms south of the equator
spin clockwise. This difference is because of Earth's rotation on its axis.
 As the storm system rotates faster and faster, an eye forms in the center. It is very calm and
clear in the eye, with very low air pressure. Higher pressure air from above flows down into
the eye.
 When the winds in the rotating storm reach 39 mph, the storm is called a "tropical storm." And
when the wind speeds reach 74 mph, the storm is officially a "tropical cyclone," or hurricane.
Kakapo: World's fattest parrot
 The world's fattest parrot, the critically endangered ―Kakapo‖, has enjoyed a record breaking
breeding season. 249 eggs laid during breeding season as part of a breeding program.
 New Zealand scientists said that climate change is possibly aiding the species' unique mating
spree. Less than 50 years after the flightless nocturnal bird was thought to have been extinct,
at least 75 chicks are expected to survive this year.
 This will significantly boost the population which has grown to 147 adults since a small
number of the plump green, yellow and black birds was discovered in 1970.
 The surviving kakapo, whose name means "night parrot" in Maori, are kept on four predator-
free islands off the New Zealand coast. Surviving male kakapo weigh about four kilograms.
KAKAPO PARROT
 The kakapo is a large, nocturnal, flightless, lek-breeding parrot – a real oddity. It is also
critically endangered, and the focus of considerable conservation attention. Before humans
arrived it was common throughout New Zealand‘s forests. Kakapo have no close relatives.
 A large flightless forest-dwelling parrot, with a pale owl-like face. Kakapo are moss green
mottled with yellow and black above, and similar but more yellow below. The bill is grey, and
the legs and feet grey with pale soles.
 The kakapo is an "unusual" parrot as the females control the breeding process and only mate
every two to four years when New Zealand's native rimu trees are full of fruit.
 Other names of kakapo are owl-parrot, tarapo, tarepo, night parrot. It is claimed that kakapo is
probably one of the most intensively managed species in the world.
STATE
1. YSRC wins Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections

2019
 Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress (YSRC) has single-handedly wiped out Chandrababu
Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as well as the BJP and Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
 The party led by YS Jaganmohan Reddy surging ahead in all the 25 constituencies in the
state, beating exit poll estimates. Among the 176 Andhra Pradesh Assembly seats, YSRC is
leading in a whopping 149 seats while the ruling TDP is leading in only 24 seats.
ABOUT ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

 The Legislative Assembly elections in India are the elections in which the Indian electorate
choose the members of the Vidhan Sabha. They are held every 5 years and the members of
the legislative assembly are called MLA.
 The assembly elections are never carried out in same year for all states and union territories.
The legislative assembly elections are held in all the 29 States and 2 of the 7 Union Territories
of India.
2. Sikkim Statehood Day: 16 May
 On May 16, Sikkim celebrated its 43rd statehood day. It was on May 16, 1975 that Sikkim had
officially become a state under the Union of India and Kazi Lhendup Dorjee became its first
chief minister.
 Sikkim officially became the 22nd state of the country. Its capital city is Gangtok. Pawan
Chamling is a current Chief Minister.
 Sikkim has the highest number of employees on the government payroll constituting about 14
percent of its population.
 It bagged the Gold at the Future Policy Award in Rome for being the World‘s first totally
Organic State.
3. Kerala assembly started „E -Vidhan‟ project to go

paperless
 Soon, the Kerala state Legislative Assembly will go completely paperless with the state
government undertaking an initiative to digitise all records.
 The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 14 months.
 The state has awarded the work to the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society and it
has started working on the ambitious project called ‗E-Vidhan‘ to enable the state legislature
to go completely paperless.
 This is expected to save around Rs. 35 crore to Rs. 49 crore annually and time as the state
has been spending around Rs. 40 crore for taking tonnes of paper printouts.
4. Drill for minerals on China border: Arunachal

Pradesh to GSI
 Arunachal Pradesh has asked the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to explore the possibility of
surveying and drilling for minerals along the India-China border.
 This follows reports of Beijing carrying out ―massive‖ mining activities very close to the border
in the Tibet Autonomous Region. According to information on the Ministry of Home Affairs‘
website, Arunachal Pradesh shares 1,126 km of the 3,488 km India shares with China.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH: GRAPHITE

 The GSI‘s 2013 report showed Arunachal Pradesh sits on 43% of the country‘s graphite
resources followed by Jammu & Kashmir (37%), Jharkhand (6%), Tamil Nadu (5%), and
Odisha (3%).
 But in terms of resources, Tamil Nadu led with 37% followed by Jharkhand with 30% and
Odisha with 29%.
GRAPHITE USAGE
 The only non-metal element that is a good conductor of electricity, graphite is known as a dry
lubricant for its greasy feel. Graphite has many industrial uses, particularly for products that
need very high heat.
 Natural graphite is used mostly in what are called refractory applications.
 Refractory applications are those that involve extremely high heat and therefore demand
materials that will not melt or disintegrate under such extreme conditions.
 One example of this use is in the crucibles used in the steel industry. Such refractory
applications account for the majority of the usage of graphite.
5. Threat of „fall armyworm‟ grow ing in Manipur
 The infestation of ―fall armyworm‖ in Manipur is growing rapidly despite measures taken up by
the various departments to control the invasion of the pest.
 An initial report provided by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said that almost
all the districts in the state are under the threat of the pest except for two districts namely
Ukhrul and Tamenglong.
FALL ARMYWORM
 Fall Armyworm (FAW) or Spodoptera frugiperda has become a major problem for farmers this
year, with the pest hitting the production of the crop.
 A native of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas, FAW was first detected in the
African continent in 2016.
 Since then, it has spread to other countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
 It was reported in India for the first time last year, when it affected crops in Karnataka.
 Within a span of only six months, almost 50 per cent of the country, including Mizoram,
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat and West Bengal, has reported FAW infestations.
 What makes FAW dangerous is the polyphagous (ability to feed on different kinds of food)
nature of the caterpillar and the ability of the adult moth to fly more than 100 km per night.
 Given its ability to feed on multiple crops — nearly 80 different crops ranging from maize to
sugarcane — FAW can attack multiple crops.
WHAT GOVERNMENT IS DOING?

 The Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) — which recommends
usage of pesticides during infestations — is yet to come up with recommendations to control
the spread of FAW as the pest is still relatively unknown in these parts.
 Most entomologists have suggested the Integrated Pest Management system to control the
pest.
 This would involve constant surveillance of the pest during its vegetative growth phase and
taking measures like mechanically destroying the egg masses and using pheromone traps to
catch the insects.
6. Purple Frog to be named as Keralas state

amphibian
 Purple Frog is to be named as Kerala‘s state amphibian. The title would help in protecting
species fragile habitat.
PURPLE FROG
 The purple frog is a frog species belonging to the family Sooglossidae. Its scientific name is
Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis.
 It can be found in the Western Ghats in India.
 For almost its entire life it lives in underground tunnels and comes out to surface for only a
single day in a year to breed.
 As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), their conservation status
is endangered.
 It is believed that the species should be rightly called a living fossil as its evolutionary roots
suggest it could have shared space with dinosaurs going back almost 70 million years ago.
7. Business and shops now open 24 hours in Gujarat
 The legislative Bill that proposed to amend Shops and Establishment Act and to allow shops
across Gujarat to function 24 hours was made effective from midnight May 2, the foundation
day of Gujarat.
 Gujarat will probably the first state to have shops and business functioning for 24 hours.
FEATURES OF THE BILL

 Any shop or establishment in municipal corporation area, national highway, railway platform,
state roadways bus station premises, hospital premises, petrol pumps can remain open 24
hours on any day of the week.
 However, shops located in the municipality area or along state highways may remain open
except from 2 am to 6 am.
 In other areas, shops located within the district or along minor roads may remain open except
from 11 pm to 6 am.
8. Article 324 first time used in West Bengal
 The Election Commission on 15 May invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to prohibit
election campaigning in nine constituencies of West Bengal from 10 pm on Thursday until the
conclusion of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19.
 It took the decision in view of clashes between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress over the
last 24 hours, which resulted in largescale vandalism and damage to an iconic statue of 19th
Century social reformer Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.
 This is the first time Election Commission invoked Art 324 to cut short campaigning ahead of
parliamentary polls in certain constituencies.
ARTICLE 324
 Article 324 of the Constitution charts out the various powers and responsibilities of the
country's Election Commission for ensuring free-and-fair polling across the country.
 "The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the
conduct of, all elections to Parliament and to the Legislature of every State and of elections to
the offices of President and Vice President held under this Constitution shall be vested in a
Commission (referred to in this Constitution as the Election Commission),".
IMPORTANT DAYS OF THE MONTH
1. National Technology Day: 11 May 2019
 National Technology Day is observed on May 11 across India. It was on May 11 that India
conducted its nuclear missile Shakti, also known as Operation Shakti.
 The National Technology Day was coined by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
 The day also marks the flight of Hansa-3, India‘s first indigenous aircraft, that was flown in
Bengaluru when the nuclear tests were being organized in Rajasthan.
 Hansa-3 was developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories. It was a two-seater, light
general aviation plane which is utilized in the flying institutes for sports, pilot training, aerial
photography, surveillance and projects related to the environment.
2. World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)
 The World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2019 is being observed on 11 May 2019.
 It helps to raise global awareness about threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological
importance, and need for international cooperation to conserve them.
 It is organized by Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the African-Eurasian Waterbird
Agreement (AEWA) together with Environment for the Americas (EFTA).
 CMS is the only global and UN-based intergovernmental organization established exclusively
for conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species
throughout their range.
 Theme: ―Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!‖
MIGRATORY SPECIES
 Migratory species are those animals that move from one habitat to another during different
times of the year, due to various factors such as food, sunlight, temperature, climate, etc.
 The movement between habitats, can sometimes exceed thousands of miles/kilometres for
some migratory birds and mammals.
 A migratory route can involve nesting and also requires the availability of habitats before and
after each migration.
3. World Red Cross Day: 08th May
 World Red Cross Day 2019 is celebrated across the world by the National Societies affiliates
to the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) on 8th of May.
 This year, theme is “#love”. The theme will mainly focus on asking people on what they love
about Red Cross and Red Crescent.
ABOUT THE DAY

 World Red Cross day is celebrated on 8th of May every year as the birthday anniversary of
founder of the Red Cross.
 World Red Cross Day is an annual event celebration, celebrating the principles of
―International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement‖. It is celebrated every year to pay
tribute to the volunteers participated in the event as well as welcome their precious
contribution for helping people in need.
 Henry Dunant was the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), born in the Geneva on May 8 in the year 1828. He was
the most famous person and became the recipient of 1stNobel Peace Prize.
 This day was first celebrated as the Red Cross Day on 8th of May in 1948. Later, it was
officially named as the ―World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day‖ in the year 1984.
4. International Workers' Day or Labour Day: May

1st
 1st May is International Labour Day, also known as International Worker's Day or May
Day. The day is celebrated to honour the contribution of working men and women.
 Theme for 2019 – ―Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement‖
ABOUT THE DAY

 Labour Day aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights
all over the world.
 During industrialization at the beginning of the 19th Century, the industrialists used to exploit
the labour class and made them work up to 15 hours a day. The workers rose against this
exploitation and demanded paid leaves, proper wages and breaks for the workforce.
 The day marks the victory of the workers' movement for eight hours of work. In India, the first
Labour day or May Day was celebrated in 1923 in Chennai.
5. World Intellectual Property Day: Apr 26
 Every April 26, world celebrate World Intellectual Property Day to learn about the role
that intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity.
 The theme of World Intellectual Property Day 2019 is Reach for Gold: IP and Sports.
 This year‘s World Intellectual Property Day campaign – Reach for Gold – takes a closer look
inside the world of sports. It explores how innovation, creativity and the IP rights that
encourage and protect them support the development of sport and its enjoyment around the
world.
ABOUT THE DAY

 The day is observed across the world to spread awareness about the role that intellectual
property rights like patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright play in encouraging
innovation and creativity.
 The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2000. 26 April
was chosen as the date for World Intellectual Property Day because it coincides with the date
on which the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization entered
into force in 1970.
 It aims to increase people‘s awareness and understanding of the intellectual property. The
main purpose of intellectual property law is to encourage the creation of a large variety of
intellectual goods for consumers.
 Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind, inventions, literary and artistic works, and
symbols, names and images used in commercial activities.
6. World Malaria Day
 World Malaria Day is observed globally on 25 April to recognize and celebrate worldwide
efforts to control and raise awareness about malaria.
 In 2019, the annual event has activities and a campaign around the theme "Zero Malaria
Starts with Me‖. Every year, World Malaria Day marks an opportunity for local and global
public health organisations to engage with civil society, private sector, academic institutions,
and global leaders in ramping up and fighting to eradicate the life-threatening disease entirely.
PROGRESS IN MALARIA TREATMENT:
GENE DRIVE
 Gene Drive is a method of introducing a modified gene variant into a swarm of gene-edited
mosquitoes that eventually makes subsequent generations of mosquitos with gene-edited
parents, sterile.
 In regions where cases of malaria are very high, the mosquitos, specifically the female
Anopheles mosquitoes responsible for carrying malaria-causing parasites from infected to
healthy people, reproduce rapidly.
 The gene drive is a clever use of gene-editing technology to make these noxious malaria-
causing mosquitoes sterile.
 Over many years, the gene drive could lead to mosquitoes being eradicated entirely (which
sounds undeniably pleasant) but could cause irreversible changes to the natural ecosystem.
RTS-S
 As the WHO marks World Malaria Day, April 25, Malawi has launched the pilot phase of
Africa's first ever malaria vaccine.
 Known as RTS-S, the vaccine is only helpful for children younger than 2 who receive four
doses, at the ages of 5 months, 6 months, 7 months and 22 months.
 It took more than 30 years and nearly $1 billion to develop a vaccine against malaria.
HOW IS MALARIA CAUSED?

 Malaria is a life-threatening vector-borne disease caused by parasites of the genus
Plasmodium.
 The parasites spread via the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito that has been already
infected with the malarial parasite.
 The initial symptoms of the infection generally include fever, headache, and chills.
 Children suffering from this condition may also develop a few other symptoms such as severe
anaemia, respiratory distress, and cerebral malaria.
QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH

Q1. NASA‘s which of the following program Q5. Kafala System is set to be abolished by
has recorded Marsquake on planet Mars? which of the following country?
1. Discovery Program 1. Iran

2. Mars Program 2. Indonesia
3. Origin Program 3. Qatar
4. Seeker Program 4. Saudi Arabia
Q2. Malaria is caused with the bite of which Q6. Which of the following South Asian
of the following female mosquito type? country has banned covering of the face
with veils?
1. Asian Tiger Mosquito
2. Marsh Mosquito 1. Pakistan
3. Haemagogus Mosquito 2. Sri Lanka
4. Aedes Mosquito 3. India
4. Bangladesh
Q3. Which of the following chemical
substance is added in milk products to Q7. It is the 30th year of Tiananmen Square
increase the Nitrogen content? student protest which demanded reforms.
This uprising happened in which of the
1. Hydrogen Peroxide following country?
1. Benzoic Acid
2. Salicylic Acid 1. Malaysia
3. Melamine 2. Russia
3. China
Q4. Which of the following statements are 4. Pakistan
true about Tropical Cyclones?
Q8. Electric Vehicles‘ number plates will be
I. Tropical cyclone winds rotate in anti shown in which of the following color?
or counter-clockwise in the
northern hemisphere 1. Yellow
II. In Southern hemisphere, Tropcial 2. Red
Cyclone winds rotate clockwise in 3. White
southern hemisphere around the low 4. Green
pressure
Q9. Cyclone Fani recently hit Eastern
III. The clockwise and anticlockwise
Coasts of India. The name Fani was
rotation is caused by Coriolis effect suggested by which of the following
country?
Options:
1. India
1. Only I and III
2. Bangladesh
2. Only II and III
3. Pakistan
3. Only I and II
4. Myanmar
4. I, II and III
Q10. Who among the following was Q15. Which of the following international
awarded with France's highest civilian body recently released a report named
award 'Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur' ―Sand and Sustainability‖?
for his contribution to India-France space
cooperation? 1. World Bank
2. United Nations Framework on
1. B N Suresh Climate Change
2. K Radhakrishnan 3. United Nations Development
3. A S Kiran Kumar Program
4. Kailasavadivoo Sivan 4. United Nations Environment
Program
Q11. Which of the following country is not a
part of G-7 grouping? Q16. Indian Air Force received the first
Apache Guardian attack helicopter from
1. China
which of the following country?
2. Italy
3. USA 1. United Kingdom
4. Germany 2. Russia
3. USA
Q12. Who has been appointed as first
4. Israel
independent woman director of Bombay
Stock Exchange (BSE)? Q17. NASA‘s DART Mission scheduled to
launch in 2021 will be used for which of the
1. Jayshree Vyas
following purpose?
2. Urmila Thapar
3. Varsha Kapoor 1. To understand the Sun‘s
4. Jyoti Rai gravitational forces
2. To destroy an asteroid
Q13. SCO Council of Foreign Ministers
3. To examine Mars‘s atmosphere
2019 meeting will be held in which of the
4. None of them
following country?
1. India Q18. Thrissur Pooram is the biggest temple

festival of which of the following Indian
2. China
state?
3. Kyrgyzstan
4. Pakistan 1. Tamil Nadu
2. Andhra Pradesh
Q14. May Fourth Movement (1919) is
3. Kerala
associated with which of the following
4. Telangana
country?
1. Russia Q19. Which among the following IPL team

has won the title of IPL 2019 edition?
2. China
3. Germany 1. Chennai Superkings
4. France 2. Mumbai Indians
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad
4. Kolkata Knight Riders
Q20. What is the name of the World‘s First 3. Israel

Women‘s Cricket Magazine which was 4. All of the above
recently launched in Jaipur?
Q25. Wilayah of Hind, which is in news
1. Criczone recently, is associated to which of the
2. Cricwome following fields?
3. Cricket Women
4. None of them 1. Human Rights Awards
2. Militant Province claimed by IS
Q21. What is the name of famous folk 3. Educational Institution focusing on
singer who was also known as ‗Birha women‘s Skill Development
Samrat‘ recently passed away? 4. None of them
1. Hiralal Yadav Q26. Which among the following is the only
2. Ajay Kumar non-metal element that is a good conductor
3. Shakuntal Sinha of electricity?
4. Arpan Das Mitra
1. Tellurium
Q22. ‗Yuva VIgyani Karyakram‘ 2019 has 2. Bromine
been launched by which of the following 3. Graphite
government entity? 4. Argon
1. Vigyan Prasar Q27. Who among the following has been
2. Indian Board of Science Education appointed as head coach of the Indian
3. Indian Space and Research football team?
Organization
4. Department of Biotechnology 1. Bhaichung Bhutia
2. Don Shula
Q23. Basel Convention is an international 3. Bobby Bowden
treaty on……….? 4. Igor Stimac
1. Control of Transboundary Q28. India‘s upcoming Military Space
Movements of Hazardous Wastes Agency will be headquartered in which of
and Their Disposal the following Indian city?
2. Convention on International Trade in
1. Hyderabad
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
2. Bangalore
and Flora
3. Delhi
3. Protocol on Substances that Deplete
4. Chennai
the Ozone Layer
4. Convention on Mercury Q29. Which among the following European
country recently has amended its ‗Offensive
Q24. Which of the following country has not
Weapons Bill‘ to allow carry kirpans for Sikh
yet ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban
community?
Treaty?
1. United Kingdom
1. China
2. Belarus
2. Iran
3. Russia
4. Ukraine Q34. Currently, the only mandatory rule on

data localisation in India is applicable
Q30. Which of the following statements are to…….?
true about Masala Bonds?
1. Payment Systems
I. Masala Bonds are dollar- 2. E-commerce
denominated bonds 3. Social Media
II. It is used for raising funds from 4. Newspapers
overseas market
III. Funds raised through Masala Q35. Cocos (Keeling) Islands is an external
Bonds can‘t be used for territory of which of the following countries?
investing in capital markets
1. Australia
Options: 2. USA
3. Maldives
1. Only I and II 4. China
2. Only II and III
3. Only I and III Q36. MCA21 is an e-Governance initiative
4. I, II and III of which of the following Union Ministry?
Q31. Which of the following has become 1. Ministry of Science and Technology
first Indian state to issue Masala Bonds in 2. Ministry of Human Resource and
overseas market? Development
3. Ministry of Finance
1. Andhra Pradesh 4. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
2. West Bengal
3. Kerala Q37. ‗Golden Card‘ Permanent Residency
4. Tamil Nadu Scheme has been launched by which of the
following country?
. Q32. Election Commission invoked Article
324 for the first time in which of the 1. UAE
following state recently? 2. Saudi Arabia
3. Iran
1. Uttar Pradesh 4. Israel
2. Bihar
3. West Bengal Q38. Who has become the first Arabic-
4. Sikkim language writer to win the prestigious Man
Booker International Prize?
Q33. The joint naval exercise SIMBEX 2019
is conducted between which of the following 1. Ahmed Mourad
countries in South China Sea? 2. Rabee Jaber
3. Mohamed Sadeq
1. USA and Japan 4. Jokha Alharthi
2. USA and India
3. Singapore and India Q39. What is the maximum sanctioned
4. Vietnam and India number of judges in the Supreme Court?
1. 35
2. 30
3. 32
4. 31
Q40. What is the name of the world‘s

largest radio telescope?
1. Arecibo Observatory
2. RATAN-600
3. Green Bank Telescope
4. Square Kilometre Array

EXPLANATIONS
1. NASA‘s Mars Lander InSight has the Coriolis Effect (which deflects
recorded its first ‗Marsquake.‘ It has the wind direction to the right side of
recorded a quake of 2 or 2.5 the actual movement of the wind in
magnitude which is hard to predict the northern hemisphere and left
on Earth‘s surface. InSight is part side in the southern hemisphere)
of NASA‘s Discovery Program, due to the earth‘s rotation.
managed by the agency‘s Marshall 5. Qatar is set to abolish its
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, controversial exit visa system for all
Alabama. foreign workers by the end of 2019
2. Malaria is a life-threatening vector- the UN‘s International Labour
borne disease caused by parasites Organization said on 26 April. Qatar
of the genus Plasmodium. The has introduced a series of labour
parasites spread via the bite of a reforms since its selection as the
female Anopheles mosquito (also 2022 World Cup host, with the event
called Marsh Mosquito) that has setting in motion a huge construction
been already infected with the programme employing foreign
malarial parasite. workers. In September 2018, Qatar
3. The addition of melamine increases approved legislation to scrap the
the nitrogen content of the milk and ―kafala‖, or sponsorship, system
therefore its apparent protein which required that foreign workers
content. Addition of melamine into obtain permission from their
food is not approved by the employers to leave the country.
FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius (food 6. A statement from the President‘s
standard commission), or by any Media Division on 28 April said
national authorities. covering of the face with veils, in a
4. Actually the tropical cyclone winds manner that prevents identification
rotate in anti or counter- of a person, will be banned from 29
clockwise/cyclonic in the northern April 2019 under emergency
hemisphere and clockwise/anti- regulations.
cyclonic in southern hemisphere 7. Thirty years ago in the month of
around the low pressure, because of April, student protests erupted in

Beijing, posing one of the most 12. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has
significant threats to the rule of the appointed chartered accountant M
Communist Party in China‘s history. Jayshree Vyas as its first
The focal point of the protest was independent woman director to the
Tiananmen Square, the heart of board.
Beijing. 13. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
8. The Central government has asked Council of Foreign Ministers will be
the state transport departments to held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, starting
make it mandatory for all Electric on 20 May.
Vehicles (EVs) to use the green 14. This month marks the centenary of
number plates, irrespective of the one of the most important cultural
year in which they were bought. and political episodes in modern
9. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Chinese history: the May Fourth
other states with their coastlines Movement.
hugging the Bay of Bengal are On May 4, 1919, Chinese students
bracing up for Cyclone Fani to make and intellectuals launched a massive
a landfall. The name for this cyclone protest in Beijing, demanding the
was suggested by Bangladesh. The end of ―feudalism‖ and more political
World Meteorological Organisation freedom.
(WMO) has devised a mechanism 15. United Nations Environment
where countries submit a list of Programme (UNEP) has recently
names from time to time. Names of released a report on sand mining
cyclones are chosen from this pool. and its consumption. The report
10. Former ISRO chairman AS Kiran published with title – Sand and
Kumar was conferred with France's sustainability: Finding new solutions
highest civilian award 'Chevalier de for environmental governance of
la Légion d'Honneur' for his global sand resources.
contribution to India-France space 16. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has
cooperation. formally received the first AH-64E
11. The G-7 groups together the US, (I)-Apache Guardian helicopter at
Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Japan the Boeing production facility in
and Germany. Mesa, Arizona, USA. The Indian
government has signed a contract

for 22 Apache helicopters with the 21. Padma Shri awardee ‗Birha Samrat‘
US government and Boeing. Hiralal Yadav died at the age of 93
17. In a world first, NASA has recently. He was felicitated with
announced the Double Asteroid Padma Shri award this year also
Redirection Test or the DART honoured with Yash Bharti award by
Mission. It is a defence driven the Uttar Pradesh government in
mission aimed at preventing the 2015.
impact on Earth by a potentially 22. Indian Space Research Organization
hazardous asteroid in the future. In had announced the ‗Young Scientist
the DART mission, NASA will send a Programme‘ or ‗Yuva VIgyani
spacecraft to crash into an asteroid Karyakram‘ (YUVIKA 2019) to get
in the year 2022. The DART young school children interested in
spacecraft launch is scheduled for space science and technology. The
late July 2021 aboard the Falcon 9 ISRO Young Scientist Programme
rocket made by SpaceX. YUVIKA 2019, which received an
18. In 2019, Thrissur Pooram will be astounding response from students
held on May 13 in Kerala‘s Thrissur across the country, will be
district. It is the biggest temple inaugurated on 13 May 2019.
festival of the Kerala. While the 23. In 1989, the Conference of
Pooram itself is just one day, Plenipotentiaries (COP) in Basel,
preparations begin months in Switzerland adopted The Basel
advance. Convention on the Control of
19. Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Transboundary Movements of
Super Kings by 1 run in a nerve- Hazardous Wastes and their
wracking last-ball thriller at the Rajiv Disposal. It was adopted in response
Gandhi International Stadium in to large public outcry after it was
Hyderabad on 12 May in the IPL discovered that large deposits of
Finals. toxic wastes were being imported
20. The first edition of world‘s first from abroad into the developing
exclusive women‘s cricket magazine world. The Basel Convention came
named ‗Criczone‘ was released in into force in 1992.
Jaipur, Rajasthan. 24. The countries who are not
signatories to CTBT are North

Korea, India and Pakistan. 5 kirpans and use it during religious

countries who have signed but not and cultural functions. The
ratified are: China, Egypt, Iran, ‗Offensive Weapons Bill‘ received
Israel, and the United States. the royal assent this week. The Bill
25. Islamic State (IS) has claimed for the had been amended in 2018 to
first time that it has established a ensure that it would not impact the
―province‖ in India, after a clash right of the British-Sikh community to
between militants and security possess and supply kirpans, or
forces in the Kashmir region killed a religious swords.
militant with alleged ties to the 30. Masala Bonds are rupee-
group. The new ‗province‘ is called denominated bonds i.e the funds
―Wilayah of Hind ‖ by the militant would be raised from overseas
group. market in Indian rupees. According
26. The only non-metal element that is a to RBI, any corporate, body
good conductor of electricity, corporate and Indian bank is eligible
graphite is known as a dry lubricant to issue Rupee denominated bonds
for its greasy feel. Graphite has overseas. While companies can
many industrial uses, particularly for raise funds through these bonds,
products that need very high heat. there are limitations for the use of
27. Croatia's Igor Stimac has been such proceeds. It also can‘t be used
appointed the head coach of the for investing in capital markets,
Indian football team for a two-year purchase of land and on-lending to
term, the All India Football other entities for such activities as
Federation announced on 15 May stated above.
2019. 31. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi
28. India is planning to set up its military Vijayan opened 17 May trading on
space agency headquartered at the London Stock Exchange by
Bengaluru with the ace fighter pilot ringing the iconic bell after the state-
Air Vice Marshal SP Dharkar as its owned Kerala Infrastructure
likely head. Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)
29. The U.K. government has passed an debuted its ‗masala bond‘ issue of
amendment by which Sikhs in the Rs 2,150 crore on the bourse.
country will be allowed to carry Kerala becomes first sub-sovereign

entity in country to access global lagoons. West Island has an airport

market. and a visitor centre. Across the
32. The Election Commission on 15 May lagoon, the Home Island Museum
invoked Article 324 of the explores the culture of the resident
Constitution to prohibit election Cocos Malay people.
campaigning in nine constituencies 36. MCA21 is an e-Governance initiative
of West Bengal from 10 pm on of Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Thursday until the conclusion of the (MCA), Government of India that
Lok Sabha polls on May 19. This is enables an easy and secure access
the first time Election Commission of the MCA services to the corporate
invoked Art 324 to cut short entities, professionals and citizens of
campaigning ahead of parliamentary India.
polls in certain constituencies. 37. The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
33. The Indian Navy and the Republic of launched ‗Golden Card‘ Permanent
Singapore Navy began a major Residency Scheme in an attempt to
bilateral naval exercise on 20 May in woo wealthy individuals and
the South China Sea. The exercise, exceptional talents from all over the
code-named SIMBEX 19, will run world.
through May 22. Last year‘s 38. Omani author Jokha Alharthi has
exercises took place in the Indian become the first Arabic-language
Ocean, off India‘s Andaman and writer to win the prestigious Man
Nicobar Islands. Booker International Prize for
34. Currently, the only mandatory rule Celestial Bodies, a novel that deals
on data localisation in India is by the with family connections and history
Reserve Bank of India for payment in the coming-of-age account of
systems. Other than this, there are three sisters.
only reports or drafts of bills that are 39. Four new judges are likely to be
yet to be signed into law. sworn in as Supreme Court justices
35. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a soon, taking the total to the court's
remote territory of Australia in the full strength of 31 for the first time in
Indian Ocean. Its 2 coral atolls five years. Justices Aniruddha Bose,
comprise 27 tiny islands with white-- AS Bopanna, Bhushan Ramkrishna
sand beaches, palm trees and Gavai and Surya Kant have been

elevated to the top court. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the
sanctioned strength of the judges is world's largest radio telescope.
31, consisting of the Chief Justice
and 30 other judges.
40. Scientists at Cambridge have
finished designing the 'brain' of the

ONE LINERS OF THE MONTH
NATIONAL
1. This High Court initiated the ‗Zero Pendency Courts Project‘ in April - Delhi High Court.
2. Under the scheme of modernisation of police force, the Central government has
released Rs. 7.69 crore each as an incentive to - Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab,
Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and
Uttar Pradesh.
3. New portal of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to
promote technology innovation, start-ups and creation of Intellectual Properties - MeitY
Startup Hub (MSH).
4. A rating tool to evaluate the environmental performance of existing schools across India
by GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Council - GRIHA for
Existing Day Schools.
5. The Gangotri and Yamunotri dhams were opened for pilgrims on auspicious occasion of
- Akshay Tritya.
6. Char Dham literally means - four sacred pilgrimage centres.
7. A Conference of the Regional Heads of Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region
of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) organised during May 8-10 in – Kochi,
Kerala.
8. A ‗WTO Ministerial meeting of developing countries‘ is being hosted on 13-14 May 2019
in - New Delhi, India.
9. During April-May, the threat of ‗fall armyworm‘ growing in the state of – Manipur.
10. ISRO‘s two-week summer vacation residential training program for Class 9 students -
Young Scientist Program (YUVIKA 2019).
11. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all universities to make this subject
compulsory for undergraduate students of all branches - Environment Studies.
12. Project by Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) for online writing of Annual
Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) - SPARROW-CBIC (Smart Performance
Appraisal Report Recording Online Window).

13. To create digital collections, ―JATAN: Virtual Museum Builder‖ is developed by - C-DAC
Pune.
14. In the 2019 State Assembly elections, the party which won 303 seats for formation of
government - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
15. Indian government will merge the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and National Sample
Survey Office to form - National Statistical Office (NSO).
16. A project by Ministry of Human Resource Development to improve the quality and
accessibility of higher education over the next five years - Education Quality
Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP).
17. New commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) which was opened
at Bangalore - NewSpace India Limited (NSI)
BANKING
1. RBI has slapped monetary penalty of Rs 6.10 crore on five pre-paid payment
instrument issuers including - Vodafone m-pesa, Phonepe, Mobile Payments, G.I.
Technology and Y-Cash Software Solutions.
2. Total deficit in the Indo-US trade in 2018 - $21.3 billion.
3. As per the TeamLease report, India is expected to add ….. jobs in the April to
September period in year 2020 - 11.5 lakh.
4. For eligibility under priority sector lending, the RBI has decided to enhance the housing
loan limits for - Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Small Finance Banks (SFBs).
5. Indo-US trade could rise to ………. by 2023-24 - $500 billion
6. According to the report of the Indian Staffing Federation (ISF), the size of the country‘s
tech jobs will be 7 million by - 2023.
7. New Chief Operating Officer of Mangaluru-headquartered Karnataka Bank -
Balachandra Y. V.
8. On May 13, this bank announced that the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate
(MCLR) for one-year loan has been reduced to 8.60% (by 0.05% points) from 8.65% -
Allahabad Bank.

9. The debt relief under new personal bankruptcy scheme of India will be given to Small
borrowers with annual income up to - Rs. 60,000.
10. In April 2019, India‘s Wholesale price index (CPI)-based inflation slipped down to -
3.07%.
11. NABARD‘s maiden fund to back agriculture, food and rural start-ups with a proposed
corpus of Rs 700 crore – NABVENTURES Fund I.
12. The Indian government is planning to mandate this code based payment method option
using Unified Payments Interface (UPI) - Quick response (QR) code.
13. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the trade deficit, a gap between exports and
imports, in April 2019 expanded to - $15.33 billion.
14. RBI‘s 'Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 - 2021' document expects
the number of digital transactions in December 2021 to increase more than four times to
- 8,707 crore.
15. Next MD and CEO of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank on December 1 - Nitin Chugh.
16. This Indian State Government marked the listing of masala bonds sold by KIIFB at the
London Stock Exchange (LSE) to raise Rs 5,000 crore to fund infrastructure projects -
Kerala.
17. Head of the RBI-appointed committee to examine the recommendations on promoting
digital payments - Nandan Nilekani.
18. First Indian state to sell Masala bonds in the market - Kerala.
19. Sensex posted their biggest intra-day gain in 10 years on May 20 to - 39,225.64.
20. The RBI has asked the non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) with assets of more
than Rs. 5,000 crore to appoint - a chief risk officer (CRO).
21. ArcelorMittal would pay Rs 42,000 crore for acquiring debt-laden - Essar Steel.
22. Punjab National Bank (PNB) could take control of two to three small state-run banks that
could include - Oriental Bank Of Commerce, Andhra Bank and Allahabad Bank.
23. Largest public sector lender in India - State Bank of India (SBI).
24. AI-based portal by Ministry of Corporate Affairs for the dissemination of information to all
stakeholders, including the regulator, corporates and investors - MCA 21.
25. Competition Commission of India (CCI) has found that this company abused its
dominant position as a supplier of GM cotton seeds in the country - Monsanto.

26. To strengthen the supervision and regulation of commercial banks, urban cooperative
banks and NBFCs, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to create - a specialised
supervisory and regulatory cadre.
27. IDBI Bank sold insurance policies worth Rs 160 crore in March 2019 after a partnership
with - Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
28. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said all non-deposit-taking non-banking financial
companies (NBFCs) with an asset size of Rs 5,000 crore and above, and all deposit-
taking NBFCs irrespective of their asset size, have to maintain a liquidity buffer in terms
of a - Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR).
29. For foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) under the voluntary retention route (VRR), RBI has
fixed the investment limit at - Rs. 54,606.55 crore.
INTERNATIONAL
1. The 10th monarch in the Chakri dynasty of Thailand - King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
2. On 10 May, US will increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to - 25%.
3. The Group of 7 industrialised nations meet will be organised in August in - Biarritz,
France.
4. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Foreign Ministers conclave will be
held on May 21-22 in - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
5. India and Bangladesh agree to make films on the life of founder of Bangladesh, named -
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
6. Iran on May 8 announced that it will ―partially‖ withdraw from - Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA).
7. 14th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP-14) is being held in -
Geneva, Switzerland.
8. Country‘s first ever case of monkeypox has reported in May 2019 in - Singapore.
9. WHO collaborated with the IFBA to eliminate industrially produced trans-fat (iTFA) from
food supply worldwide by - 2023.
10. The richest person in UK, according to the Sunday Times Rich List - Hinduja Brothers
(Gopichand and Srichand) (22 billion pounds).

11. On 13-14 May, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial meeting of developing
countries was held in - New Delhi, India.
12. Pakistan has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for …..
bailout package - $6 billion.
13. According to study published in The Lancet, the number of patients requiring
chemotherapy annually will increase between 2018 and 2040 to - 15 million.
14. To detect Nuclear Test, India was invited to be an observer in the - Comprehensive
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
15. Country that blocked Wikipedia in all languages – China.
16. India has been unanimously chosen as co-chair of the Consultative Group (CG) of
GFDRR for the - fiscal year 2020.
17. Largest country in the Middle East approved a program that offers permanent residency
for some foreigners - Saudi Arabia.
18. On May 22, the first edition of ‗TIMES NOW India International Summit‘ will host by
Times Now in - New York (US).
19. This European country secured rights of Sikhs to carry kirpans - U.K.
20. US‘s New Merit based Immigration Regime plans to replace green card by - 'Build
America' visa.
21. First Asian country that Legalise Same-Sex Marriage – Taiwan.
22. During April 29 and May 10, the joint meetings of Basel Convention, Rotterdam
Convention and Stockholm Convention was held at - Geneva (Switzerland).
23. India has informed this UN body that it will no longer entertain any communication after
Jammu & Kashmir report – UN Human Rights Council (HRC), Geneva.
24. According to the report 'UN World Economic Situation and Prospects of the Mid-2015',
India's estimated GDP growth in the FY 2019-20 - 7.1%.
25. Countries recognised as malaria-free by WHO in May 2019 - Algeria and Argentina.
26. The British Prime Minister announced her resignation, named - Theresa May.
27. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved the most expensive medicine
ever, called – Zolgensma ($2.125 million).
28. The ‗Golden Card‘ permanent residency scheme to woo wealthy individuals and
exceptional talent was launched by - United Arab Emirates (UAE)

SPORTS
1. New head coach for Indian Men‘s Volleyball team - Dragan Mihailovic (Serbia).
2. First Indian male squash player who won the Asian individual squash championship
2019 - Sourav Ghoshal.
3. The youngest golfer, who received the 'Presidential Medal of Freedom' of USA - Tiger
Woods (43 years old).
4. Winner of 2019 World Snooker Tournament in London - Judd Trump (England).
5. Former cricketer (1960 to 1969) of the West Indies, who died on May 6 -
Seymour Nurse.
6. Player who won Gold in Women's 50m Rifle Proney in the ISSF International Shooting
Championship at Hanover - Tejaswini Sawant.
7. Winner team of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 - Mumbai Indians.
8. World's first exclusive women's cricket magazine - Criczone.
9. Winner of the English Premier League 2019 football tournament - Manchester City.
10. Winner of the 'Madrid Open 2019' tennis championship - Novak Djokovic (Serbia).
11. Winner of the women's singles event at the 'Madrid Open 2019' - Kiki Bertens
(Netherlands).
12. International Cricket Council's (ICC) first Indian woman match referee - G. S. Lakshmi.
13. Host country for the Asian Cup Football tournament in 2023 - China.
14. The ICC Men World Cup tournament from May 30, 2019 held in – England.
15. Head coach of the Indian football team - Igor Stimac.
16. Winner of the men's singles event in the 'Italian Open 2019' tennis tournament - Rafael
Nadal (Spain).
17. Winners of the TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2019 marathon, which was held on May 19 -
Andamlak Belihu (Ethiopia, Male) and Agnes Tirop (Kenya, Female).
18. Winner of the Women‘s Singles event at ‗Italian Open 2019‘ - Karolina Pliskova (Czech
Republic).
19. Total number of medals won by India in the India Open Boxing 2019 tournament at
Guwahati - 18 (12 gold).

PERSON IN NEWS
1. Current President of Bolivia - Evo Morales Ayma.

2. A person, who won ‗Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman 2019‘ Awards for the efforts of
the promotion of Arabic language - Professor Maulana Syed Asad Raza Hussaini.
3. Father of entrepreneurship movement in India, passed away on April 4 - Dr. V. G.
Patel.
4. 13th President of the World Bank Group - David Malpass.
5. An eminent theatre organiser and playwrighter passed away on April 1, 2019 -
Kartik Chandra Rath.
6. New Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court - Justice Pradeep Nandrajog.
7. ‗Business Leader of the Year‘ in 'AIMA Managing India Award 2019‘ - Sanjeev Mehta
(President of HUL).
8. Benjamin Netanyahu has won the national election, to be the Prime Minister for record
fifth term in - Israel.
9. A person has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London by UK, named - Alice G.
Vaidyan.
10. Co-founder of Wikileaks has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on
April 11 - Julian Assange.
11. Author of ‗The Fate of Butterflies‘ - Nayantara Sahgal.
12. Author of ‗The Friendly Ones‘ - Philip Hensher.
13. Journalists to be awarded with the 2019 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize
- Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.
14. President of Sudan was ousted by military - Omar Al-Bashir.
15. New Prime Minister of Palestine - Mohammad Shtayyeh.
16. Author of the book ―The Verdict: Decoding India's Elections‖ - Prannoy Roy and Dorab
Sopariwala.
17. NASA's first female astronaut candidate, who died on Apr 18 - Jerrie Cobb.
SCIENCE & TECH

1. On May 4, this private aviation company successfully launched its 17th commercial
2,495 kg cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) – SpaceX.
2. India‘s first UPI Digital Ledger for merchants is launched by – BharatPe App.
3. Scientists from India and Africa developed new …….. line with desirable oil quality –
Groundnut.
4. NASA will launch Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft that will collide
with an asteroid in - 2022.
5. New project run by Biotechnology Department for mapping every tissue of the human
body - MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative.
6. According to the US National Airspace Museum, the Moon is shrinking as its interior
cools, getting more than about - 150 feet (50 meters).
7. In the backdrop of the US-China trade war, Google have suspended business ties with -
Huawei.
8. In other galaxy, NASA's mission has found evidence for a unique mixture of methanol,
water ice and organic molecules on - Ultima Thule.
9. On May 20, India adopts new standards for measuring units -kilogram, kelvin, mole &
ampere.
10. On May 22, ISRO successfully launched radar imaging satellite to provide all-weather
surveillance, named - RISAT-2B.
11. World's most powerful radio telescope - Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) – Established in: 1935; Headquarters: Mumbai.

2. First Governor of the Reserve Bank of India - Sir Osborne Smith (1935-1937).
3. First Indian governor of the Reserve Bank of India - Sir C. D. Deshmukh (1943-1949).
4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) – founded in: 1966; Headquarters: Mandaluyong,
Philippines.
5. Members of G-7 - France, Germany, Japan, UK, Italy, Canada and USA.
6. The Medical Council of India (MCI) was established in - 1933.
7. US – Capital: Washington DC; Currency: US dollar.
8. Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was launched in - 1993.

9. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – Established in: 2001, Headquarters:

Beijing (China).
10. India became a full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in - 2017.
11. The GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Council in India was
established by - The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
12. Panama - Capital: Panama City; Currency: Balboa.
13. Founded in 1863, the founder of the Red Cross Society - Henry Dunant.
14. Bangladesh - Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.
15. An international nuclear agreement signed in 2015, between Iran and the P5+1 –
JCPOA.
16. CSAT - Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal.
17. Two thirds of global cement production occurs in – China.
18. The four Dhar Dham pilgrim-destinations are - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and
Badrinath.
19. Singapore - Capital: Singapore City; Currency: Singapore Dollar.
20. World Trade Organization (WTO) – Established in: 1995; Headquarters: Geneva
(Switzerland).
21. World Health Organization (WHO) – Established in: 1948; Headquarters: Geneva
(Switzerland).
22. In order to protect the migratory species throughout their range countries, a Convention
on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) formed in – 1983.
23. One continent, one nation and one island - Australia.
24. Australia - Capital: Canberra; Currency: Australian dollar.
25. Thrissur pooram festival is celebrates in - Kerala.
26. BCCI's Indian Premier League (IPL) founded in - 2007.
27. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was founded in -1929.
28. United Nations‘ Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) – founded in: 1945;
Headquarters: Rome (Italy).
29. World Trade Organization (WTO) – founded in: 1995; Headquarters: Geneva
(Switzerland).
30. International Monetary Fund (IMF) – Established in: 1945; Headquarters: Washington
D.C. (US).

31. India conducted its nuclear missile Shakti, also known as Operation Shakti (Pokharan-
2) in - 1998 (11th May).
32. 2030 Sustainable Development Goal which stated as to conserve and sustainably use
the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development - SDG 14.
33. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was founded in -
1981.
34. Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) – Formed in: 1997;
Headquarters: Vienna (Austria).
35. International Cricket Council (ICC) – Formed in: 1909; Headquarters: Dubai, United
Arab Emirates (UAE).
36. National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) – Founded in: 2008; Headquarters:
Mumbai.
37. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was set up in – 1851.
38. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted by UNGA in – 1996.
39. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entered into force in –
1970.
40. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was formed in - 1974.
41. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) was established in - 1944.
42. Capital of Sikkim State - Gangtok.
43. The Asian Football Federation (AFC) was founded in – 1954.
44. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) was created in -1999.
45. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and
their Disposal adopted on - 22 March 1989.
46. Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade adopted on - 10 September 1998.
47. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants adopted on - 22 May 2001.
48. Bombay Stock Exchange Index – Sensex.
49. National Stock Exchange Index – Nifty.
50. Mauritania (country in Northwest Africa) - Capital: Nouakchott; Currency: Ouguiya.
51. United Nations (UN) – Established in: 1945; Headquarters: Manhattan (New York City,
USA).
52. UN peacekeeping was founded in - 1948.

53. International Bureau of Weights and Measures (IBWM) – Established in: 1875;
Headquarters: Sèvres, France.
54. United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC) – founded in: 2006; Headquarters:
Geneva (Switzerland).
55. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) was established in – 2003.
56. United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Capital: Abu Dhabi; Currency: UAE Dirham.
57. Japan - Capital: Tokyo; Currency: Japanese yen.
58. World Health Organization (WHO) – Established in: 1948; Headquarters: Geneva
(Switzerland).
59. United Kingdom (UK) - Capital: London; Currency: Pound sterling.
60. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was established in –
1958.
61. The maximum number of members sanctioned in Lok Sabha according to the
Constitution of India – 552.
62. First Lok Sabha formed in India – 1952.
63. The first provident fund law in India was created in - 1925.
64. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) – Established in: 1969; Headquarters:
Bangalore.
65. First satellite of ISRO - Aryabhatta (1975).
66. India's Chandrayaan-1 mission - 22 October 2008.
DEFENCE
1. Indian Navy's fourth scorpion-class submarine - INS Vela.

2. On May 10, AH-64E (I), the first ……. Guardian attack helicopter was formally handed
over to the Indian Air Force - Apache.
3. US-made system which is uses for interactions between navies of two countries that are
restricted to the classified environment, called - COMCASA (the Communications
Compatibility and Security Agreement).
4. On May 14, The Union government extended the ban for five years on the - Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
5. Head of Military Space Agency headquartered at Bengaluru - Air vice Marshal SP
Dharkar.

6. Head of the Defence Cyber Agency set up in Delhi - Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta.
7. On May 17, a type missile was tested by the Indian Navy - Medium Range Surface to
Air Missile (MRSAM).
8. On 16th May, India delivered the first pair of replacement Mi-24 attack helicopters to -
Afghanistan.
9. The 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX 2019)
commenced on May 20 in - South China Sea.
10. First combined naval exercise by US, Japan, Australia and South Korea - „Pacific
Vanguard‟ exercise.
11. On May 22, the IAF successfully test fired the aerial version of the supersonic -
BrahMos cruise missile.
PERSON IN NEWS
1. The first Indian, who received International John Harper Award 2019 in Ecology - Dr.
Rituja Chitra Tarak.
2. Author of ‗Around the World in 80 Trains‘ - Monisha Rajesh.
3. New Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh - Justice P.R. Ramachandra Menon.
4. New President of Panama - Laurentino Cortizo.
5. Father of Modern Legal Law – Dr. N.R. Madhava Menon.
6. Former SC judge of India appointed as Member of Commonwealth Tribunal- Justice
(Retired) KS Radhakrishnan.
7. This ITC chairman and noted industrialist passed away on May 9 - Yogesh Chander
Deveshwar.
8. The female IPS officer has been awarded the prestigious courage and leadership award
by McCain Institute, named - Chhaya Sharma.
9. A retired senior-most judge of the Supreme Court of India, who has been appointed to
the Supreme Court of Fiji‘s non-resident panel - Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur.
10. World‘s first woman to cross Atlantic Ocean (AO) solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA) -
Aarohi Pandit.
11. The 49-year-old person became the only man to climb Mount Everest (8848m) for 23
times, named - Kami Rita Sherpa (Nepal).

12. Indian recipient of the Sasakawa Award 2019 that conferred by UNDRR - Dr. Pramod
Kumar Mishra.
13. First cricketer with 100 million social media followers - Virat Kohli.
14. This Indian peacekeeper to be honoured posthumously with UN‘s Dag Hammarskjold
Medal in 2019 - Jitender Kumar.
15. Formula One racing driver has died on May 20 - Niki Lauda.
16. Indian who received the Japan‘s 'The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star' in
2019 - Shyam Saran (former Foreign Secretary).
17. First Arabic woman author who won the Man Booker International Award - Jokha Al
Harthi (book 'Celestial bodies'), Oman.
18. New Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India who is the senior judge of the Bombay
High Court - Bhushan Gavai.
19. Indian winner, who honoured with the 'Global Asian of the Year 2018-19' by 'Asia One'
magazine in Dubai (UAE) – Medical doctor Hema Divakar.
20. First Indian solder who appointed as the United Nations Peacekeeping Commandant -
Paratrooper Commando, Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS May 2019

9. NSE to review data sharing third-party pacts since 2009 ..........................................34

9. Jamia team develops ultrasensitive quantum thermometer .....................................53

2. Oman author Jokha Al Harthi wins Booker International Prize .................................70

TOPICS OF THE MONTH

1. Iran announces partial withdrawal from JCPOA

Iran on May 8 announced that it will ―partially‖

JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal concluded in 2015

Why this move?

WHAT US HAS TO SAY?

2. NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid in 20 22

It is a defence driven mission aimed at

NASA DART Mission

3. IMF bails out cash-strapped Pakistan with a new loan

Pakistan has reached an agreement with the International

The funding, which still needs approval by the IMF board in

4. China blocks Wikipedia in all languages

All language editions of Wikipedia have been

June 4 marks thirty years since thousands of pro-

authorities at Tiananmen Square.

China: Great Firewall

5. New Merit based Immigration Regim in US

US President Donald Trump on 16 May rolled out a merit-based

The immigration reform proposals significantly increase the

What is for India?

6. Joint meetings of Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam

The14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties

India and COP:

Basel Convention: India‟s Opposition

7. Organic molecules found on Ultima Thules surface

NASA's New Horizons mission team has found evidence for a

8. „Golden Card‟ PR Scheme launched by UAE

About „Golden Card‟ Programme

The “Golden Card” visa includes 5 categories –

9. RBI releases draft liquidity framework guidelin es for

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 May released

10. Qatar set to abolish Exit Visa System

Qatar has introduced a series of labour reforms since its selection

In September 2018, Qatar approved legislation to scrap the

IMPORTANT ARTICLES OF MAY

1. What is Data Localisation and India‟s stand?

Data localization laws refer to regulations that dictate how

Why India advocating Data Localization?

Why Companies are reluctant to comply?

2. What are Masala Bonds?

Masala Bonds are rupee-denominated bonds

Maturity of Masala Bonds

India‟s stand on CTBT

4. Where US China Trade War is heading for?

Understanding US China Trade War

5. May 4 Movement of China

This month marks the centenary of one of the most important

On May 4, 1919, Chinese students and intellectuals launched a

A century later, it is officially celebrated by a Communist dictatorship that allows no

Why there was a protest in China in 1919?

Arsenic in Groundwater: Its Implications

What is Arsenic and its impact on Human Health?

7. How cyclones are named?

The name for this cyclone was suggested by Bangladesh.

How are they named?

How countries select their names?

8. Economic Geography of India

What is Economic geography?