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May 31, 2019

Meet the new Navy Chief of India : Admiral Karambir Singh

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Admiral Karambir Singh today took charge as the new Indian Navy chief. He has replaced Adm. Sunil Lanba, who retired yesterday. With this Mr. Singh, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, has became the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).

Adm. Singh was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command, headquartered in Visakhapatnam. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai and has served as Directing Staff in both these institutions. 

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, he earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters.

He is also the first helicopter pilot from the Indian Navy to lead the naval armed forces. Having commanded missile corvette INS Vijaydurg, guided-missile destroyers INS Rana & INS Delhi during his almost 40-year career, he will be Navy chief till November 2021. The tenure of Admiral Karambir Singh is 3 years or 62 years of age, whichever is earlier.

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List of New Cabinet Ministers of Modi Govt 2.0 & Portfolios 2019 - Pdf Download

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A day after the swearing in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and new Council of Ministers, the government today released the list of Cabinet Ministers and their portfolios 2019. Modi earlier sent the list of portfolios for his Council of Ministers to President Ram Nath Kovind, after which the same was unveiled.

Newly appointed minister Amit Shah has been given the charge of Ministry of Home Affairs. Former Foreign Secretary and another new joinee Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is the new Minister of External Affairs. Rajnath Singh is the new Defence Minister and Nirmala Sitharaman has been named Finance Minister. With this Sitharaman became the 1st woman to be named full time Finance Minister. Sitaraman was also the first woman to be named full-time Union Defence Minister in September 2017.

Important Note : Indira Gandhi held additional charge of the all-important portfolio from 1970-71 when she was Prime Minister.

Smriti Irani has been given charge of Textiles and Women and Child Development Ministries. Piyush Goyal will retain Ministry of Railways. He will also look after Commerce and industry Ministry.  Nitin Gadkari is the Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is the new Human Resources Development Minister. Kiren Rijiju has been named the new Sports Minister of India, replacing Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

A total of 24 Cabinet Ministers took oath at the Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday, followed by 9 Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and 24 Ministers of State. PM Narendra Modi can have as many as 80 ministers in the 543-member Lok Sabha. With current appointments, the total number of Union ministers in 17th Lok Sabha is 57. Here's the Complete list of the Union Council of Ministers and their portfolios 2019, under the Modi 2.0 government. You can download the PDF Version of the New Cabinet Ministers & Portfolios List 2019 from below link. All the Best :)

Prime Minister of India

  • Narendra Modi
    • Also in-charge of :
      • Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
      • Department of Atomic Energy
      • Depratment of Space and
      • All important policy issues and
      • All other portfolios not allocated to any Minister

Cabinet Ministers 2019 List

  • Amit Shah - Home
  • Arjun Munda - Tribal Affairs
  • Arvind Sawant - Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise
  • Dharmendra Pradhan - Petroleum and Natural Gas; Steel
  • Dr Harsh Vardhan - Health and Family Welfare; Science and Technology; Earth Sciences
  • DV Sadananda Gowda - Chemical and Fertilizers
  • Ram Vilas Paswan - Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution
  • Gajendra Singh Shekhawat - Jal Shakti
  • Giriraj Singh - Animal Husbandary, Dairying and Fisheries
  • Harsimrat Kaur Badal - Food Processing
  • Mahendra Nath Pandey - Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
  • Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi - Minority Affairs
  • Narendra Singh Tomar - Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare; Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
  • Nirmala Sitharaman - Finance
  • Nitin Gadkari - Road Transport and MSME
  • Piyush Goyal - Railways; Commerce and Industries
  • Prahlad Joshi - Parliamentary Affairs; Coal and Mines
  • Prakash Javdekar - Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Information and Broadcasting
  • Rajnath Singh - Defence
  • Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank - Human Resource and Development
  • Ravi Shankar Prasad - Telecom; Law and Justice; and IT and Communications
  • Smriti Irani - Women and Child Development; Textiles
  • Subrahmanyam Jaishankar - External Affairs Ministry
  • Thawarchand Gehlot - Social Justice and Empowerment

Ministers of State (Independent Charge)

  • Angadi Suresh Channabasappa
  • Anurag Singh Thakur
  • Arjun Ram Meghwal
  • Ashwini Kumar Choubey
  • Babul Supriyo
  • Danve Raosaheb Dadarao
  • Debasree Chaudhuri
  • Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao
  • Dr Jitendra Singh
  • Faggansingh Kulaste
  • G Kishan Reddy
  • General (Retd) VK Singh
  • Hardeep Singh Puri - Housing and Urban Affairs, Civil Aviation
  • Kailash Choudhary
  • Kiren Rijiju - Sports
  • Krishan Pal
  • Mansukh L Mandaviya

Ministers of State

  • Nityanand Rai
  • Parshottam Rupala
  • Prahalad Singh Patel
  • Pratap Chandra Sarangi
  • Raj Kumar Singh
  • Ramdas Athawale
  • Rameswar Teli
  • Rao Inderjit Singh
  • Rattan Lal Kataria
  • Renuka Singh Saruta
  • Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
  • Sanjeev Kumar Balyan
  • Santosh Kumar Gangwar - Labour and Employment
  • Shripad Yesso Naik
  • Som Parkash
  • V Muraleedharan
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May 30, 2019

PM Modi & Union Ministers swearing-in ceremony : Highlights

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Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second consecutive term at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by leaders of the BIMSTEC member countries. Several foreign and Opposition leaders attended the ceremony including Presidents of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and Congress' Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Here is the list of World Leaders who participated at swearing in ceremony of PM Narendra Modi
  • Md. Abdul Hamid, President of Bangladesh
  • Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka
  • Sooronbay Jeenbekov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic
  • U Win Myint, President of Myanmar
  • Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius
  • K. P. Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal
  • Dr. Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Bhutan
  • Grisada Boonrach, Special Envoy of Thailand
Along with Modi, new Council of Ministers were also took oath. The new Cabinet under PM Modi have a lot of new faces, and a lot younger than the old one too. Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari and Smriti Irani took oath as Union Ministers. Amit Shah, who won the Lok Sabha elections from Gandhinagar, joined PM Narendra Modi's Cabinet for the first time. Piyush Goyal, who was Railways and Coal Minister, also took oath.  Here is the list of ministers who got inducted into the new Modi government. Theri portfolios will be announced by tomorrow's morning.

List of ministers in the new Modi government 2019

  • Amit Anilchandra Shah
  • Arjun Munda
  • Arvind Sawant
  • Dharmendra Pradhan
  • Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
  • Giriraj Singh
  • Harsh Vardhan
  • Harsimrat Kaur Badal
  • Mahendra Nath Pandey
  • Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
  • Nirmala Sitharaman
  • Nitin Jayram Gadkari
  • NS Tomar
  • Piyush Goyal
  • Prakash Javadekar
  • Pralhad Joshi
  • Rajnath Singh
  • Ram Vilas Paswan
  • Ramesh Pokhriyal (Ex Uttarakhand CM)
  • Ravi Shankar Prasad
  • S Jaishankar (Ex foreign secy)
  • Sadananda Gowda
  • Smriti Irani
  • Thawar Chand Gehlot

President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of Office and Secrecy to the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers.

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30th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (30th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 30th May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Israeli lawmakers have voted to dissolve parliament after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government following last month's elections. 
    • The country will now hold fresh elections on September 17. It's the first time in Israel's history that it has been forced to hold new elections due to failure to form a government after the previous election.
  • The United States (US) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have announced that mutual defence cooperation agreement (DCA) has come into force, amid increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
    • The DCA will enhance military coordination between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, further advancing an already robust military, political, and economic partnership at a critical time.
National Current Affairs
  • Today is Hindi Journalism Day.
    • On this day in the year 1826, the first Hindi newspaper of India called Udant Martand (The Rising Sun) was edited and published. 
    • With this, the Hindi Journalism completed its 187 years in India.
  • Goa is celebrating its 32nd Statehood Day today.
    • It was on this day in 1987 that Goa became the 25th state of India.
    • It was a Union Territory along with Daman and Diu from December 1961 onwards when Goa was liberated from the colonial rule.
    • About Goa :
      • Established on : 30th May 1987
      • Capital : Panaji
      • Districts : 2
      • Official language : Konkani
      • Governor : Mridula Sinha
      • Chief Minister : Pramod Sawant
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29th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (29th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 29th May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Today (29th May 2018) is International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
    • The day was established to :
    • Honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace;
    • Pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage.
    • Theme of International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2019 :  “Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace
  • The Maldives has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the Parliament during his upcoming visit to the country expected in June.
    • PM Modi will visit the Maldives in his first bilateral visit post assuming office for the second term. He had visited the Maldives in November 2018 to attend the oath-taking ceremony of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
  • The Philippines has proposed a law under which students will be required to plant at least 10 trees before they are allowed to graduate from primary school, high school and university. 
    • Lawmakers said 525 billion trees could be planted in a generation if the law is properly implemented. 
  • Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid is going to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony on May 30, Bangladesh's presidential palace said. 
    • India has invited leaders of BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) nations, the Prime Minister of Mauritius and President of the Kyrgyz Republic for the oath-taking ceremony.
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Meet the new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh : Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy

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Founder and leader of YSR Congress Party, Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy (Y S Jagan) today sworn in as the new and 17th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada, AP.
Jagan, who is the son of former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has replaced N. Chandrababu Naidu. The swearing in was dministered by the state's Governor E.SL. Narasimhan
Mr. Reddy takes oath in Telugu, swearing in the name of God. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao and DMK president M.K. Stalin also attended the function. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress won 151 out of 175 seats in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, nearly a decade after its launch and staying in the opposition.

Quick Review of Andhra Pradesh :
  • Statehood : 1st November 1956
  • Bifurcated (to form Telangana) on : 2nd June 2014
  • Capital : Amaravati
  • Total Districts : 13
  • Official Language : Telugu
  • Chief Minister : Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy
  • Governor : E. S. L. Narasimhan
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May 29, 2019

SBI Clerks 2019 Preliminary Online Exam Call Letters out

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Friends, the State Bank of India has released the call letters for SBI Clerks 2019 Preliminary Examination. You can download your call letters of SBI Junior Associates (Customer Support & Sales) / Clerks 2019 from the official website of State Bank of India or from below link by entering your Registration No / Roll No and Password / Date of Birth. The download link will remain active from today to 23rd June 2019. You can also download complete previous papers of SBI Clerks Prelims from below links. All the Best :)

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May 28, 2019

28th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (28th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 28th May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Today (28th May) is Menstrual hygiene day.
    • This is an annual awareness day which aims to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for women and adolescent girls worldwide.
    • Theme of Menstrual hygiene day 2018 “It's Time for Action”
  • India has been elected to the Executive Board of the 1st UN-Habitat Assembly at the Plenary Session of the Assembly started yesterday in Nairobi, Kenya.
    • The special theme for the UN-Habitat Assembly is "Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities".
National Current Affairs
  • Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's birth anniversary is being celebrated today.
    • Born on this day (28th May) in the year 1883 near Nasik in Maharashtra, Savarkar was popularly called Veer Savarkar
    • He was a revolutionary who fought against the British Government.
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RBI Assistants Recruitment Final Result out

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Friends, the Reserve Bank of India has released the Final results of RBI Assistants Recruitment, for which notification was released on 18th October 2017. On the basis of performance of the candidates in the Online Test, Language Proficiency Test (LPT), Bio-metric Verification and Document Verification, the organization has leased the list of finally selected candidates for the above mentioned posts. You can check the zone wise lists of Roll Numbers of selected candidates from the official website of the Reserve Bank of India (https://opportunities.rbi.org.in) or from below link. All the Best :)

Check the final result of RBI Assistants Recruitment from HERE

Thanks to Biswaraj Bandhu Bhattacharyaa  for the update


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May 27, 2019

27th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (27th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 27th May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • India has rejected attempts by the United States and other countries to bring in "differentiation" to deny policy space to India and other developing countries in multilateral trade pacts. 
    • India said it "cannot agree to any approach which undermines the centrality of development dimension in the WTO." 
    • South Africa and the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific coalition supported India's position.
National Current Affairs
  • Lt Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal inaugurated the Sahara Naval Hostel for the ‘Veer Naris at Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, today. 
    • The unique project steered by the Indian Navy for ‘Naval Veer Naris’ has been built in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership with National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC).
    • The hostel addresses a long term need felt towards rehabilitation of Naval ‘Veer Naris’ and provide them a safe and secure environment which will help them rebuild their lives.
    • The Sahara Hostel comprises compact suites equipped with all necessary amenities for dignified living, along with a common Dining Hall and a Community Hall.
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Meet the new Chief Minister of Sikkim : Prem Singh Tamang

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The leader and founder of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), Prem Singh Tamang today sworn in as the new and 6th Chief Minister of Sikkim. Tamang, who is popularly known as P S Golay, has replaced the longest serving Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling (5 successive terms / 8932 Days).

The SKM, founded in 2013, won 17 seats of the state’s 32 seats, leaving the chief minister and his Sikkim Democratic Front totally stunned, who won 15 seats. Fifty-one-year-old Tamang, was administered the oath by Governor Ganga Prasad at Paljor Stadium. He took the oath in Nepali.

Quick Review of Sikkim :
  • Capital : Gangtok
  • Districts : 4
  • Formed on : 16th May 1975
  • Governor : Ganga Prasad
  • Chief Minister : Prem Singh Tamang
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72nd Cannes Film Festival 2019 Awards Winners List

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The 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival was recently at Cannes, France from 14th to 25th May 2019. American film director Jim Jarmusch's ensemble zombie comedy film 'The Dead Don't Die' served as the opening film of the festival. French comedy film 'The Specials' directed by Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano was the closing film of the festival.

The festival honoured French filmmaker Agnès Varda, who died in March 2019, featuring her on the official poster of the festival.

The Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, was awarded to “Parasite,” a ferocious satire and critical favorite from the South Korean director Bong Joon-ho. The main competition jury was led by the Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu

French director Céline Sciamma won the best screenplay prize for “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” The best actor was won by Antonio Banderas, the star of Pedro Almodóvar’s widely-loved “Pain and Glory.” The best actress was presented to Emily Beecham, the star of “Little Joe,”. Here is the complete winners list. Happy Reading :)
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May 26, 2019

26th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (26th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 26th May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • India and Japan are in advanced talks with Sri Lanka to build a container terminal at the port in Colombo
    • The terminal would come up next to a Chinese terminal built as part of the Belt and Road Initiative
    • Sri Lanka will control 51% of the project with India and Japan jointly controlling the rest.
  • Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill today resigned from his post after weeks of unrest in the government.
    • The announcement came after high-profile defections from his Government to the Opposition. 
    • O'Neill has handed over leadership to Sir Julius Chan, who will become prime minister for the 3rd time.
  • Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced his new cabinet and the nation's new ambassadors to the United States and the United Nations.
    • Morrison announced a new-look cabinet, including a record seven women and the first indigenous minister in Australian history, promising that it would focus on service delivery for Australians.
  • Citizens across 21 European nations are voting today for new representatives at the European Parliament in the last leg of four day poll.
    • 7 nations of the 28-member bloc have already voted. 
    • The European parliamentary election is the 2nd largest democratic exercise in the world. 
    • Current European lawmakers' terms end on 1st July and the new parliament will take their seats in Strasbourg the following day.
  • Ireland has voted by an overwhelming majority to relax its constitutional restriction on divorce.
    • The step is the latest in a series of reforms to modernise the charter of the once-devoutly Catholic nation. 
    • Results today showed that some 82 per cent of voters cast their ballots in favour of removing a provision requiring couples to live separately for four out of the previous five years before dissolving their marriage.
    • Note : At present, Irish divorce law is regarded as among the most restrictive in Europe. 
National Current Affairs
  • NDA leader Narendra Modi met President Ram Nath Kovind today and staked claim to form new government. 
    • President appointed Modi to the office of Prime Minister and asked him to advise about the names of others to be appointed members of the Union Council of Ministers. 
    • The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on May 30.
    • Modi will take oath as the Prime Minister for a second straight term at 7 pm on May 30 (Thursday). 
    • The members of Union Council of Ministers will also be sworn in along with Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 
    • Note : The BJP-led NDA won 353 out of 542 Lok Sabha seats that were contested in the elections.
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May 25, 2019

25th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (25th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 25th May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Today (25th May) is International Missing Children's Day.
    • Emblem of International Missing Children's Day : forget-me-not flower
  • Today is Towel Day.
    • This day is celebrated every year on 25 May as a tribute to the author Douglas Adams by his fans.
    • On this day, fans openly carry a towel with them, as described in Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or share their folded animal towels to demonstrate their appreciation for the books and the author.
  • US president Donald Trump embarked on a 4-day visit to Japan amid trade war with China and renewed challenges from North Korea. 
    • During his meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump will likely to discuss trade and military during his visit.
    • Note : US President will be first state guest of Japan after the enthronement of its new emperor Naruhito early this month.
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May 24, 2019

24th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (24th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 24th May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Theresa May today announced that she is going to step down as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on June 7. 
    • This comes as May faced backlash by her own MPs against her latest Brexit plan
    • Since January, the UK Parliament has rejected the withdrawal agreement that May negotiated with the European Union (EU) three times.
  • The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced Algeria and Argentina as the latest countries to be recognised as malaria-free
    • Both countries have registered zero cases of malaria in the last three years. 
    • Other than Algeria and Argentina, there are 36 other countries that are recognised as malaria-free by the WHO. 
    • Note : While all these nations are moving away from malaria, India is still continuing its fight with around 9.5 million cases of malaria recorded in 2017.
  • India was among 116 nations to vote in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded the UK withdraw its “colonial administration” from the Chagos Archipelago unconditionally within 6 months, supporting Mauritius in its quest for the restoration of sovereignty over the island chain in the Indian Ocean.
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23rd May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (23rd May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 23rd May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Today (23rd May) is World Turtle Day.
    • The purpose of this day is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.
    • World Turtle Day 2019 Theme : Save Turtles
  • England is going to introduce a ban on single-use plastic items including straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers from April 2020 over environmental concerns. 
    • There will be a complete ban on plastic drink stirrers' supply, however, registered pharmacies will be permitted to sell plastic straws, over the counter or online. 
    • Eateries won't be allowed to display plastic straws or provide them automatically.
  • Sri Lanka has extended by another month the emergency regulations, which were enforced after the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
    • President Maithripala Sirisena issued an extraordinary gazette notice today extending the emergency regulations which was imposed a month ago after suicide blasts at multiple locations in the country which killed over 250 people including 45 foreigners.
    • The emergency provisions give the military sweeping powers to act against fundamentalist organizations behind the attacks, which was claimed by Islamic state.
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May 23, 2019

Supreme Court gets 4 New Judges

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The govenrment has approved 4 names for elevation as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.  The four appointed judges are :
  • Justice Aniruddha Bose : Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court. His parent high court is Calcutta. He is at number 12 in all-India seniority of judges. 
  • Justice A S Bopanna : Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court. His parent high court is Karnataka. He is at number 36 in all-India seniority of judges. 
  • Justice B R Gavai : Judge of the Bombay High Court. He is the incumbent Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
    • Important Note : Gavai will be the 2nd Dalit Chief Justice of India after K G Balakrishnan. 
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May 22, 2019

22nd May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (22nd May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 22nd May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Today (22nd May) is International Day for Biological Diversity.
    • The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
    • Theme of International Day for Biological Diversity 2019 : ‘Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health’.
  • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched a permanent residency scheme to woo wealthy individuals and exceptional talents, a move that could attract more Indian professionals and businessmen to the Gulf nation.
    • The "Golden Card" programme unveiled by UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum is open to investors and "exceptional talents" such as doctors, engineers, scientists, students and artists.
    • As part of this, the 1st group of 6,800 investors from over 70 countries with investments totalling 100 billion dirhams (USD 27 billion) were being given permanent residency.
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Meet the Winner of Man Booker International prize 2019 : Jokha Alharthi (Celestial Bodies)

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Omani writer and academic Jokha al-Harthi has won the prestegious Man Booker International prize 2019 for her novel 'Celestial Bodies'. With this, Alharthi became the first Arabic author to win the Man Booker International prize.

About the Author :

Alharthi is the author of two previous collections of short fiction, a children's book and three novels in Arabic. She obtained her PhD in classical Arabic literature from Edinburgh University. She is currently an associate professor in the Arabic department at Sultan Qaboos University.

Alharthi shares the prestegious 50,000-pound (Over 44 lakh rupees) award with her translator U.S. academic Marilyn Booth, who teaches Arabic literature at Oxford University.

About the Novel :

The novel “Celestial Bodies” reveals Alharthi's Omani homeland's post-colonial transformation. This novel is set in the Omani village of al-Awafi and follows the stories of three sisters: Mayya, who marries into a rich family after a heartbreak; Asma, who marries for duty; and Khawla, waiting for a man who has emigrated to Canada. The three sisters witness Oman's evolution from a traditional, slave-owning society to a complex modernity.

The Chair of judges for the prize, historian Bettany Hughes said Celestial Bodies was “a richly imagined, engaging and poetic insight into a society in transition and into lives previously obscured”.

Important Note : Polish novelist Olga Tokarczuk won last year's Man Booker International Prize 2018 for her novel titled 'Flights'. 

Quick Review :

  • Award : Man Booker International Prize 2019
  • Winner Name : Jokha Alharthi  [Shortcut tip : Remember Indian name Harthi]
  • Book : Celestial Bodies
  • Shares with : Marilyn Booth - English Translator of the Book [Shortcut tip : Remember Milk Booth]
Check the Difference between Man Booker and Man Booker International Prizes from HERE

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Andhra Bank, OBC & Allahabad Bank may merge with Punjab National Bank

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In the next round of banking secotr consolidation, Delhi based Punjab National Bank (PNB) is likely to take over Andhra Bank, Allahabad Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC). The process of merger will start in coming 3 months. The new government, which is going to be formed soon will make decision about this merger process.

To reduce bad lonas, the Indian government has been trying to consolidate its banking sector by merging smaller regional public-sector banks with larger government-owned banks. Merging banks is also meant to create superior lenders which can size up to global competitors.

In the year 2017, the government merged India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) with its five associate banks viz State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Raipur, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad as well as with Bhartiya Mahila Bank (BMB).

Later the government merged Bank of Baroda (BoB) with Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, making it India's 2nd largest bank beating private sector lender ICICI Bank.

Last year, the government engineered state-owned Life Insurance Corp's takeover of IDBI Bank, a step to ensure that the bank with one of the highest levels of bad loans on its books is well capitalised.

About Punjab National Bank (PNB) :

The bank was founed in 1984. It has around 11 Crore customers. The bank has around 7000 branches, 10600 ATMs. In the financial year 2017-18, the bank has faced the loss of Rs. 12,283 Cr and the profit of Rs. 56,876 Cr. Total assets of the bank Rs. 7,65,830 Cr. Total staff of the bank around 71,000.

About Andhra Bank :

The medium sized public sector bank as founded in the year 1923. It offers it's services in 25 states and 3 union territories. It has 2,900 branches, 3,798 ATMs. The Indian government owns 90.85% of its share capital and LIC holds 7.66% of the shares in the bank.

About Oriental Bank of Commerce :

The bank was founded in the year 1943. Headquartered in Gurgaon, the bank currently has around 2700 branches and 2621 ATMs. In the financial year 2017-18, the bank faced the loss of Rs. 5,871 Cr.

Allahabad Bank :

The Kolkata headquartered bank was founed in 1895. In has 3,245 branches all over India. In the financial year 2018-19, it has faced the loss of Rs. 8334 Cr. 

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21st May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (21st May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

Daily Current Affairs of 21st May 2019

International Current Affairs
  • Today (21st May) is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
    • This day is a United Nations–sanctioned international holiday to help people learn about the importance of cultural diversity and harmony.
  • In Serbia, lawmakers today amended the penal code to introduce a life sentence without parole, despite concerns voiced by the Council of Europe. 
    • Until now, the maximum sentence in Serbia, which seeks to join the European Union, was 40 years in prison.
    • According to the new law, those sentenced to life imprisonment will be able to ask a tribunal to review their sentence once they have spent 27 years behind bars. 
    • But those convicted of rape followed by murder, or serious crimes against children or pregnant women, will not have that option.
  • Myanmar Navy Ship UMS King TabinShweHtee (773) and UMS Inlay (OPV-54) have arrived Port Blair for the ‘Opening Ceremony’ of the 8th Indo-Myanmar coordinated patrol (IMCOR), at Andaman and Nicobar Command.
    • The CORPAT (Co-ordinated Patrol) initiative between the two navies is meant to address issues of terrorism, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, poaching and other illegal activities inimical to interest of both nations. 
    • Started in Mar 2013, the CORPAT series has enhanced the mutual understanding and fostered improved professional interaction between the two navies for maritime interoperability.
National Current Affairs
  • Anti-Terrorism Day being observed across India today (21st May 2018).
    • Former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated by a female suicide bomber on this day (21st May) 1991, while conducting an election campaign in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. 
    • The bomb attack was carried out by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu, who was reportedly a member of the Sri Lankan militant organisation Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
  • Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao today signed an ordinance promulgated by the state government that upholds admissions given to students under the Maratha quota in postgraduate medical and dental courses. 
    • The ordinance is good news for 253 students whose seats were confirmed under the quota. 
Banking, Business & Economic Affairs
  • Asia's richest person Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has toppled state-run Indian Oil to become India's largest company by revenue
    • Reliance reported revenue of ₹6.23 lakh crore for 2018-19 compared to Indian Oil's ₹6.17 lakh crore. 
    • Note : With this milestone, Reliance has achieved the number one position in India in terms of revenue, profit and market capitalisation.
  • State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) could take control of two-three small state-run banks.
    • These small lenders could include Oriental Bank of Commerce, Andhra Bank and Allahabad Bank
    • The country's third-largest public sector lender could start the process of taking control of the banks in the next three months.
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s central has decided to create a specialised supervisory and regulatory cadre within the RBI to strengthen the supervision and regulation of commercial banks, urban cooperative banks and non-banking financial companies. 
    • A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Central Board here under the Chairmanship of RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das
People in News
  • Only 6 days after making a record 23rd ascent to Mount Everest, Nepalese Kami Rita Sherpa bettered his record on Tuesday while guiding a team of Indian police. 
    • He first summited the 8,848-metre peak in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition. 
    • The 49-year-old guide has made 35 summits on five 8,000-metre peaks, including K2, the world's second-highest mountain peak.
Awards & Honors
  • Paris St-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, who has already scored 32 goals this season, was named both the best player and best Under-21 player for the 2018-19 season
    • German midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan, who helped Olympique Lyonnais' women's team to a record-extending 13th consecutive league title and fourth straight Champions League crown, was named the best first division female player.
  • An Indian peacekeeper is among the 119 military, police and civilian personnel who will be honoured with a prestigious UN medal 2019 for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.
    • Police Officer Jitender Kumar made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Central African country of Congo. 
    • He will be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal on Friday as the world organisation observes the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Deaths
  • Former Formula One driver Niki Lauda (70) passed away.
    • Lauda, who had suffered serious burns in a near-fatal crash at German Grand Prix in 1976, won three championships (1975, 1977 and 1984). 
    • The Austrian competed in a total of 171 races, winning 25.
  • Filmmaker and film historian Vijaya Mulay (98) passed away.
    • The filmmaker was best known for her 7-minute animated film 'Ek Anek Aur Ekta', which was first aired on Doordarshan in 1974.
New Appointments
  • Pakistan today appointed Moin-ul-Haque as the High Commissioner to India
    • Haque's appointment comes after Sohail Mahmood left the High Commission to take over as Pakistan's Foreign Secretary. 
    • He earlier served as Pakistan's Ambassador to France. Besides India, Pakistan also announced appointments of High Commissioners to China, Japan and Brussels.
  • Indonesia's Joko Widodo has been re-elected as president of the country, defeating rival Prabowo Subianto, a retired general.
Sports Current Affairs
  • 9 Indian boxers, including Mary Kom have won their respective bouts in the Second India Open International Boxing tournament being held in Guwahati.
    • In her first competitive bout in the new 51 kg category, MC Mary Kom defeated Nepal's Mala Rai. 
  • The Committee of Administrators(CoA) announced in New Delhi today that the much-awaited elections of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)  will be held on October 22.
  • A 3-member team led by 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist Ashish Kumar will represent India at the second World Challenge Cup Series gymnastics tournament in Osijek, Croatia from May 23 to 26.
    • Besides Ashish, the Indian contingent will also have Rakesh Kumar Patra and Shraddha Talekar.
    • Note : The World Challenge Cup is a major FIG event with a broader participation of 110 gymnasts from 30 different countries.

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    May 21, 2019

    19th & 20th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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    Dear Great Ambitionists, here are the Important Current Affairs updates of 19th and 20th May 2019. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

    Daily Current Affairs of 19th & 20th May 2019

    International Current Affairs
    • External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be representing India in the meeting of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to be held in Bishkek in Kyrgyz beginning tomorrow.
      • The CFM meeting will review the preparations for the forthcoming SCO Summit in Bishkek in 13-14 June and also exchange views on topical issues of international and regional importance. 
      • Note : This will be the 2nd CFM meeting that India will be attending as a full member of SCO.
    • The Navies of India and Singapore are participating in the annual maritime bilateral exercise SIMBEX in the South China Sea.
      • Various maritime combat exercises such as firing on aerial or surface targets, advanced aerial tracking, coordinated targeting exercises and tactical exercises on the surface or air scenarios is being conducted during the exercise.
      • Naval ships INS Kolkata and INS Shakti taking part in the bilateral naval exercise, along with long-range maritime patrol aircraft Poseidon-8I
      • The Singapore side is being represented by RSN ships Steadfast and Valiant, maritime patrol aircraft Fokker-50  and F-16 fighter aircraft.
    • Spanish Navy ship 'Mendez Nunez' (Frigate) with a crew of 30 officers and 135 sailors is on Mumbai visit from May 18 to 23. 
      • The ship is on Overseas Deployment and is docked at the Mumbai Port Trust.
      • The Commanding Officer of 'Mendez Nunez' will interact with Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra Naval Area, during its stay.
      • The visit would further strengthen the existing bonds between the two navies.
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    May 20, 2019

    LIC ADO Recruitment 2019 - 8581 Posts

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    Friends, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is inviting online applications from eligible aspirants for filling up the posts of Apprentice Development Officers (ADOs) in various zones for the year 2019. Therea re 8581 posts in total. You can apply online from today (20th May 2019) to 9th June 2019. Check complete details below. All the Best :)

    Name of the Organization : Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)

    Name of the Posts : Apprentice Development Officer (ADO)

    Zone Wise Vacancy Details :
    • Central Zonal Office, Bhopal - 525
    • Eastern Zonal Office, Kolkata - 922
    • East Central Zonal Office, Patna - 701
    • South Central Zonal Office, Hyderabad - 1251
    • Northern Zonal Office, New Delhi - 1130
    • North Central Zonal Office, Kanpur - 1042
    • Southern Zonal Office, Chennai - 1257
    • Western Zonal Office, Mumbai - 1753
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    Complete Winners List of 76th Italian Open (Tennis)

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    The Italian Open tennis tournament for the year 2019 was recently held during 13th to 19th May 2019 at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. It is the 76th edition of the Italian open. World number two Rafael Nadal has won the Men's singles title for the 9th time by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic. Nadal also broke a tie with Djokovic by claiming a record 34th ATP Masters 1000 title. For his victory, Nadal received 1,000 ATP Ranking points and earned ₹7.5 crore. Czech tennis player Karolina Pliskova won the Women's Singles title by defeating Johanna Konta. The win will take her to the world number two ranking. Here is the complete winners list of Italian Open 2019. Happy Reading :)

    2019 Italian Open Winners List
    • Men's Singles : Rafael Nadal (Spain)
    • Women's Singles : Karolína Plíšková (Czech Republic)
    • Men's Doubles : Juan Sebastián Cabal (Colombia) / Robert Farah (Colombia)
    • Women's Doubles : Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) / Ashleigh Barty (Australia) 

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    May 18, 2019

    18th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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    Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (18th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

    Daily Current Affairs of 18th May 2019

    International Current Affairs
    • Today (18th May) is International Museum Day.
      • This day is an occasion to raise awareness on how important museums are in the development of society.
      • Theme of International Museum Day 2019 : "Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition".
    • India has expressed its full support for sustainable peace, economic development and stability in Afghanistan.
      • External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj gave this assurance to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's Special Envoy and High Peace Council Secretary Umer Daudzai in New Delhi today.
      • Both sides also discussed India’s role in Regional Peace Consensus with regards to Afghanistan, progress in peace talks and bilateral relations.
    • India has voiced concern over the delays in reimbursement to countries providing peacekeeping troops and police for UN missions.
      • Note : The UN owes India  38 million US Dollars, among the highest it has to pay to any country, for peacekeeping operations as of March 2019.
      • India's share of the UN's budget has been increasing in recent years, including a 13 per cent increase from this year and the country has been paying its share on time.  
      • UN Secretary-General : Antonio Guterres 
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    May 17, 2019

    17th May 2019 Daily Current Affairs - PDF Download

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    Dear Great Ambitionists, here are today's (17th May 2019) Important Current Affairs updates. You can download the pdf version of these current affairs from below link. Check complete Daily Current Affairs of the year 2019 from HERE. Happy Reading :)

    Daily Current Affairs of 17th May 2019

    International Current Affairs
    • Today (17th May) is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD 2018).
      • This day was proclaimed to be on 17 May by United Nations General Assembly resolution, following the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. 
      • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Theme of WTISD 2019 :  "Bridging the standardization gap"
    • Taiwan has become the 1st Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage
      • In the year 2017, the island's constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry. 
      • Taiwan's parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by May 24.
    • US President Donald Trump has 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. 
      • Under the proposed system permanent legal residency would be given based on points for their age, knowledge, job opportunities and civic sense.
      • The proposals significantly increase the quota for skilled workers from the existing nearly 12 per cent to 57 per cent. 
      • Besides, immigrants will be required to learn English and pass a civics exam prior to admission.
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    SBI PO 2019 Prelims Call Letters out

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    Friends, the State Bank of India (SBI) has released the call letters of SBI PO 2019 Preliminary Online Exam. The Prelims exam is scheduled to be held from 8th, 9th, 15th & 16th June 2019. You can download your call letter from below link or from the official website of the State Bank of India www.sbi.co.in by entering your Registration Number / Roll Number and Password / Date of Birth. The call letter download will remain active from Today (17th May 2019) to 9th June 2019. All the Best :)

    Download your SBI PO 2019 Preliminary Online Exam Call letter from here

    Download Scribe Declaration Form from HERE

    Check complete details at the Careers Page of SBI from HERE

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