Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
MOU/Agreement Countries
➢ India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan’s largest egg producer, ISE Foods, in a bid to
improve the quality of eggs, waste management and disease diagnosis in poultry farms across the country.
The ISE’s egg production process, almost fully automated, is considered most hygienic in the world.
MOU Industry/States/Others
➢ Bharat Heavy Electricals and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), an autonomous body affiliated
to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises have signed an MoU for cooperation on various
projects related to e-mobility.
➢ IT services firm Tech Mahindra and French digital content publishing firm Rakuten Aquafadas signed an
MoU to collaborate on building enhanced customer experience offerings.
➢ On the occasion of World Telecom Day on 17 May, state-run telecom major BSNL has partnered with
Google to increase access to its Wi-Fi footprint in the country. With the launch of this service, people across
the country will be able to enjoy BSNL’s free Wi-Fi services.
➢ Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati has signed an MoU with The Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) to set up an IITG-ISRO Space Technology Cell (STC) at the institute where Assam
Governor Jagdish Mukhi inaugurated a new academic complex and research and development
building.
Rama Subramaniam Gandhi Additional director on the board of Yes Bank He is former deputy governor
Nitin Chugh MD and CEO of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank
Dinesh Pangtey CEO of LIC Mutual Fund
Bimal Dayal Chief Executive Officer after merger of Indus Hemant Ruia will be the Chief
Towers and Bharti Infratel Financial Officer
Sanjiv Puri Chairman of ITC Ltd.
Sandeep Patil Managing Director of Truecaller India former Flipkart executive
Ajoy Mehta Chief Secretary of Maharashtra
Parveen Pardeshi Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Chief
Jayshree Vya Director of BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) BSE’s first independent woman
director
Virat Kohli and Anushka 1st Brand Ambassadors of Flipkart-owned
Sharma fashion e-commerce platform Myntra
Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant Brand Ambassadors of Himalaya MEN
Salman Khan Brand Ambassador of BharatPe
Rakesh Sharma Vice-President of International Motorcycle HQ - Geneva
Manufacturers Association (IMMA)
Himanta Biswa Sarma Vice President of the Badminton Asia
Council (BAC)
Mueenul Haq High Commissioner to India Pakistan has appointed
Jeffrey Rosen US’ Deputy Attorney General
Scott Morrison Prime Minister of Australia
PM Boubou Cisse Prime Minister of Mali
James Marape Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
Laurentino Cortizo President of the Republic of Panama
Stevo Pendarovski President of North Macedonia
Cyril Ramaphosa South African President
Joko Widodo President of Indonesia 2nd Term
Volodymyr Zelenskiy President of Ukraine
Peter Mutharika President of Malawi
Muhammadu Buhari President of Nigeria
India has been re-elected as an observer to intergovernmental forum Arctic Council (HQ - Tromsø, Norway).
Japan’s new emperor, Naruhito, has formally ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne, replacing his father,
Akihito, who had abdicated recently.
Bhushan Patil, president at Paytm, quit the company.
Debt-laden and grounded Jet Airways’ Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer Amit Agarwal
resigned.
Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube resigned.
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced resignation from her post.
Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra By United Nations Office for
Risk Reduction Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
‘Order of St. George’ award by Kerala Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Award
International News
➢ The UK parliament became the first national legislative body in the world to declare a climate change
“emergency”. The historic move closely follows Extinction Rebellion protests that blocked traffic in key
parts of central London.
➢ US President Donald Trump has said he will withdraw his country from the International Arms Trade
Treaty. The agreement, signed by Barack Obama in 2013, aims to regulate the sale of weapons between
countries.
➢ A Japanese aerospace startup funded by a former internet maverick has successfully launched a small
rocket into space. Interstellar Technology Inc. says the unmanned MOMO-3 rocket has exceeded 100
kilometers (60 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean.
➢ The Asian Development Bank (ADB) 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.
➢ A Nepali teenager danced continuously for 126 hours to set a Guinness World Records on “Longest
Dancing Marathon by an Individual”, a feat previously hold by an Indian.
➢ Senegalese lawmakers approved a constitutional reform to scrap the post of prime minister, the first
initiative of President Macky Sall‘s second term in office. The government approved the measure last
month before sending it to the parliament where the presidential party enjoys a majority.
➢ The Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu released a postage stamp to commemorate the 750th birth
anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan in New Delhi.
Indian government had earlier proposed a special green-colored number plate for all electric vehicles
in the country. Putting the year old plan in action, the Central government has now asked the state
transport departments to make it mandatory for all EVs to use the green number plates, irrespective of
the year in which they were bought.
➢ Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently launched the Malaria Elimination Research Alliance
(MERA)- India and organised the Stakeholders’ Meeting at ICMR headquarters, New Delhi to have vibrant
discussions on the roadmap of the Alliance.
➢ The government has hiked the customs duty on wheat to 40 per cent from 30 per cent to curb imports and
protect the domestic industry.
➢ The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has announced that they will be introducing a new Centre of
Excellence for Waste to Wealth Technologies. This step has been taken as a way to celebrate Mahatma
Gandhi’s 150th Birthday. The initiative is a joint effort of IIT-D and Government of India’s Principle Scientific
Advisor (PSA).
➢ The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) held a brainstorming session for all
stakeholders in the renewable energy industry. This ‘chintan baithak’ was the first of its kind
organized by MNRE.
➢ The Indian Army is commemorating this year as the ‘Year of Next of Kin’ and plans to reach out to the next
of kin of battle casualties, ex-servicemen and serving soldiers to inform them of entitled financial benefits,
welfare schemes and help resolve pension related problems.
➢ The Indian Navy’s first full-fledged Services Selection Board (SSB) was inaugurated by Navy Chief Admiral
Sunil Lanba at Diamond Harbour near Kolkata. The SSB (Kolkata) is located at a place that was previously
occupied by a Naval Coastal Battery.
➢ The website of the Lokpal www.lokpal.gov.in has been launched. It was inaugurated by Chairperson
Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose in presence of all the Members of Lokpal in New Delhi.
The Lokpal is the first institution of its kind in independent India, established under the Lokpal and
Lokayuktas Act, 2013 to inquire and investigate into allegations of the corruption against public
functionaries who fall within the scope and ambit of the above Act
➢ At 47.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, India in 2015 had more deaths among children under five than
any other country, new research has found.
The highest mortality rate, in Assam, a state in northeastern India, was more than seven times that in the
western state of Goa.
➢ India signed the ‘Christchurch Call to Action’ in Paris. The agreement came in the backdrop of the
attacks on mosques in March and is aimed at stopping the abuse of the Internet by extremists.
➢ 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.
➢ India delivered the first pair of replacement Mi-24 attack helicopters to Afghanistan. India had first
delivered the Mi-24 Helicopters to Afghanistan in December 2015.
➢ With 400 young Indian men participating across the country to learn laundry lessons to share the
responsibility of cleaning clothes along with the female members of their homes, India achieved the
Guinness World Records certificate for the largest laundry lesson recently.
State News
Arunachal Pradesh
➢ The Geological Survey of India (GSI) in its report said that about 35% of India’s total Graphite reserves are
found in Arunachal Pradesh. This is the highest found in the country.
Karnataka
➢ Mangalore City Police has launched an all-women police patrol unit in the city. Flagging off the ‘Rani
Abbakka Force’ in Mangalore, Sandeep Patil, Commissioner of Police, said the Karnataka police is giving
utmost importance to the protection of women and children.
➢ Defence Space agency to come up at Bengaluru
Madhya Pradesh
➢ Indore’s Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar airport has been declared as an international airport.
Sikkim
➢ The 14th edition of the annual Sino-Indian border trade opened at Nathu La in Sikkim.
Tamil Nadu
➢ A unique ‘Tree Ambulance’ service – an initiative to provide care to trees besides spread green cover, was
launched by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu in Chennai.
The service launched for the first time in the state, aims at providing first aid treatment to trees, uprooted
tree planting, seed bank, seed ball distribution, plant distribution, aiding tree plantation, shifting trees,
survey of trees and removal of dead trees. The ambulance can be availed through the helpline number –
9941006786. People can register themselves as volunteers in their website- www.treeambulance.org.
Telangana
➢ Telangana’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has grown 15 per cent in the financial year ended
March 31, 2019 at ₹8,66,875 crore as against ₹7,53,804 crore in the previous year.
This is the highest ever growth of GSDP after the formation of Telangana State.
➢ India Ratings and Research marginally lowered country’s GDP growth projection for 2019-20 fiscal to 7.3
per cent mainly due to below normal monsoon prediction and loss of momentum in industrial output.
➢ The Asia-Pacific region is expected to power ahead growing at 5.7% this year: Asian Development Bank
➢ Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in its Economic Outlook: India’s
economic growth will regain strength and approach 7.5% by 2020
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in India is projected to strengthen to close to 7.25% in FY19 and
close to 7.5% in FY20.
➢ UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects report: India’s growth rate for the current fiscal year to be
7%. And 7.1% in the fiscal year 2020.
World growth of 2.7% this year and 2.9% in 2020.
➢ The country’s economic growth in the fourth quarter ended March 2019 is expected to moderate to 6.1-
5.9 per cent, which could pull down growth rate for the entire fiscal 2018-19 to below 7 per cent,
according to a report by SBI.
➢ India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said that it expects India’s GDP growth rate during 2018-19 to be 6.9
per cent as against the advance estimate of 7 per cent.
➢ In 2018, MICE tourism in India was pegged at Rs 25,000 crore with 8 per cent growth year-on-year, said
the report titled ‘India Inbound Tourism: Unlocking the Opportunity’: FICCI-Yes Bank report
➢ Food inflation in the country is likely to go up to 2 per cent in the financial year 2019-20 from the 0.7
per cent estimated for FY19. The low food prices have been one of the prime factors which has aided
the RBI to be more accommodatory in its rate setting recently.
➢ Bank credit grew by 13.2% in financial year 2018-19 as compared to 10.3% in the previous financial year,
mainly aided by loans to services and retail sector. Deposit growth also gained momentum, growing by
10% as compared to 6.7% a year ago.
➢ India’s exports in April 2019 grew 1.34 per cent to 44.06 billion US dollars while imports jumped 4.53 per cent to
52.83 billion US dollars in the year-on period.
➢ Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation for April 2019 eased to 3.07%, from 3.62% in April 2018.
➢ The Indian economy will grow at 7 per cent range in the current fiscal powered by the effects of the strong
structural reforms such as bankruptcy laws, Goods and Services Tax (GST), crackdown on shell companies
and the fiscal prudence undertaken in the last five years, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Krishnamurthy V.
Subramanian said recently.
➢ Bad loan recoveries in the last fiscal effected through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) route was
at Rs 70,000 crore, posting a recovery rate of 43 per cent, and was twice the Rs 35,500 crore recovered
through previous resolution mechanisms like the Debt Recovery Tribunal and Lok Adalat, as per a report by
ratings firm Crisil.
➢ Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection scales record high of Rs 1.13 lakh crore in April, highest ever collection
since GST implementation.
➢ In a first in recent history of tax filings, income tax e-filings in FY 2019 have dropped by more than 6.6 lakh, a
trend that analysts said was surprising as tax base was expected to increase post demonetization.
➢ The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced a Rs 700-crore venture
capital fund for equity investments in agriculture and rural-focused startups. NABARD has been contributing
to other funds till now and this is the first time that the rural development bank has launched a fund of its
own.
Defence News
➢ Indo-French joint naval exercise, Varuna 19 was conducted in two phases. 1st phase ‘ Varuna 19.1’ -
Goa coast from 1 to 10 May 2019. 2nd phase ‘ Varuna 19.2’ - May end in Djibouti.
➢ 8th Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) held in Port Blair.
➢ Completing its journey of 36 years, INS Ranjit, a Rajput class destroyer was decommissioned at Naval
Dockyard, Visakhapatnam recently. Commissioned on 15 September 1983 by Captain Vishnu Bhagwat in
erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the ship was used for yeoman service.
Committee
Head of Committee Purpose
M K Sharma The Central Works Public Department (CPWD) has constituted an expert committee to
formulate a design policy for building construction and infrastructure development.
T. N. Manoharan, Chairman The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) constituted a task force on development of secondary
of Canara Bank market for corporate loans.
Harsh Vardhan RBI announced the setting-up of a committee to work for the development of housing
finance securitisation market in the country
➢ India 4th Biggest Military Spender in 2018: SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute)
Report. India’s military spending went up by 3.1 per cent to $66.5 billion. 1st – USA.
Obituaries
Name Profession Other Info
Grumpy Cat, the Internet’s most popular cat and one of its first viral memes, has passed away at age seven. Grumpy
Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, had feline dwarfism.
N.R. Madhava Menon Father of ‘legal education’
Baidyanath Mishra Economist
Kirpal Singh Sikh historian
Vijaya Mulay Filmmaker
Kadavoor Sivadasan Politics
V. Vishwanatha Menon Politics Former CPI-M Kerala Finance Minister
Rajendra Tiwari Madhya Pradesh Advocate General and
Senior Advocate
MB Balakrishnan Swimmer Ace Tamil Nadu swimmer and South
Asian Games gold-medalist
Derek Sippy Former billiards player, coach
and administrator
Thoppil Mohamed Meeran Author (Tamil)
Maramraju Satyanarayana Rao Writer and academician
Surya Prakash Painter
Roshan Taneja Acting Guru Founder and former head of the acting
department at the Film and Television
Institute of India (FTII), Pune.
Known to many as the ‘pioneer of
method acting’ in India
Veeru Devgan Action and Stunts directors
Benu Mishra Assam’s noted artist and former
senior art adviser
Rallapalli Venkata Narasimha Rao Actor (Telugu)
Master Hirannaiah Actor (Kannada) Kannada theatre and film personality
Mrinal Mukherjee Actor (Bengali)
Eranholi Moosa Mappilapaattu singer
Nebburu Narayana Hegde Yakshagana ‘bhagawatha’
(singer)
Important Days