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Showing posts with label
May 2015 Current Affairs updates.
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Showing posts with label
May 2015 Current Affairs updates.
Show all posts
International Affairs
- Today on ‘World No Tobacco Day’.
- This day is intended to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe. T
- It is also intended to discourage a consumption of tobacco and draw attention to the negative health effects of tobacco.
- The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987.
- This year's Theme : Stop illicit trade of tobacco products
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International Affairs
- President Pranab Mukherjee is on 5-day visit to Sweden and Belarus
- Sweden Visit (31st May 2015 2nd June 2015)
- In the first leg of his visit Mr. Mukherjee will arrive in Sweden where he will meet the King Carl Gustaf, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and Speaker of the Swedish Parliament.
- During this visit, the two countries are expected to sign agreements on Urban Development, academics, health and in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises .
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National Affairs
- The government has asked the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to look into the quality issues related to global giant Nestle's famous noodle brand Maggi.
- Important Note : There are different authorities to handle different complaints related to different consumer items, the FSSAI under the Health Ministry handles food related issues.
- Consumer Affairs Minister : Ram Vilas Paswan
- Health Minister : J P Nadda
- Tamil Nadu has the highest number of road accidents in the country at 67,232, and the second-highest number of deaths at 15,176.
- This data was based on the responses received to RTIs filed by a Delhi-based NGO, Save Life Foundation.
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International Affairs
- According to the annual report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, India is home to 194.6 million undernourished people, the highest in the world.
- Over
15 per cent of the India’s population, exceeding China in both absolute
numbers and proportion of malnourished people in the country's
population.
- Top 10 Undernourished Population.
- India - 194.6
- China - 133.8
- Pakistan - 41.4
- Ethiopia - 31.6
- Bangladesh - 26.3
- Indonesia - 19.4
- Tanzania - 16.8
- Philippines - 13.7
- Nigeria - 12.9
- North Korea - 10.5
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International Affairs
- India and Vietnam have signed a joint vision statement on defense cooperation for the period 2015-2020.
- The statement was signed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Vietnamese Minister for National Defence General Phung Quang Thanh at the end of the delegation level talks in New Delhi yesterday.
- An MoU on cooperation between the Coast Guards of the two countries was also signed in the presence of the two Defence Ministers.
- Note : General Phung Quang Thanh is on a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of Manohar Parrikar.
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International Affairs
- The government in Bangladesh today banned Islamist radical group Ansarullah Bangla Team for attacking and killing secular writers and bloggers.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday issued a gazette notification banning the group that has been active since 2008.
- The ministry also requested Ministry of Information to take necessary steps to spread the news.
- Note : Ansarullah Bangla Team is the sixth such organization outlawed for militant and anti-state activities in the country.
- The other five banned earlier are:
- Hizb ut-Tahrir,
- Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB),
- Harkat- ul Jihad Bangladesh (HUJI),
- Jagrata Muslim Janata of Bangladesh and
- Shahadat-e Al-Hikma.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning on 6th June 2015.
- The visit is Prime Minister’s first to Bangladesh and it reflects the importance attached by India to the bilateral relationship.
- Important Details about Bangladesh
- Capital - Dhaka
- Currency - Taka
- Prime Minister - Sheikh Hasina
- President - Abdul Hamid
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International Affairs
- Switzerland has published the names of foreigners wanted for tax frauds after requests from Russia, France, Germany, India and other countries.
- This will mark the end of the Swiss bank privacy tradition, dating back to the 1930s.
- This move comes after the government of Switzerland received formal requests from several foreign tax authorities.
- Note : Names of two Indians have been made public so far.
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International Affairs
- Iran has agreed to grant United Nations inspectors “managed access” to military sites as part of a future deal over its contested nuclear programme.
- About Iran :
- Capital : Tehran
- Currency : Iranian rial
- Supreme leader : Ali Khamenei
- President : Hassan Rouhani
- Vice President : Eshaq Jahangiri
- Official language : Persian
- Ireland voted overwhelmingly to legalise the same-sex marriage.
- It has become the first country in the world to approve gay marriage by a popular vote in a move that depicts a rapid social change in this traditionally Catholic nation.
- India is planning to ask Pakistan to seize assets of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and most wanted terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, as all the three are in the UNSC’s al-Qaeda sanctions list that makes it incumbent upon Islamabad to freeze their holdings.
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International Affairs
- Today (23rd May) is World Turtle Day.
- This day is being observed to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.
- Founder of World Turtle Day : American Tortoise Rescue
- A trial run of Bus Service between Bangladesh capital Dhaka and Guwahati, the capital of Indian state of Assam began.
- The service was launched by the Bangladesh road transport minister Obaidul Quader and Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran at the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus depot with an aim to promote people-to-people contact.
- The UN has adopted a resolution calling for stronger cooperation in stemming the illicit transfer and misuse of small arms and light weapons, underlining the suffering they have caused to civilians.
- UN Secretary-General : Ban Ki-moon
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National Affairs
- Martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev is being observed today with reverence.
- PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the golden jubilee celebrations of renowned Hindi Poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's works 'Sanskriti ke Chaar Adhyay' and 'Parshuram ki Pratiksha' in New Delhi.
- Dinkar is considered as one of the most important modern Hindi poets.
- He has been hailed as a Rashtrakavi ("National poet") on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions.
- He won Sahitya Akademi and Padma Bhushan awards in 1959 and Jnanpith in the year 1972.
- India has reached sixth position in terms of publishing scientific research papers, climbing four spots (earlier our country was in 10th Position).
- Secretary, Department of Science and Technology : Ashutosh Sharma,
- Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah invites AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa to form a new government in the state.
- Jayalaithaa is set to become the Chief Minister of the state for the fifth time.
- Union Home Ministry issues notification saying Lieutenant Governor has jurisdiction over matters of services also in National Capital Territory of Delhi.
- President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated 24 hot-spots with 30 WiFi access points in the President’s Estate, making it 100 percent WiFi enabled.
- Important Points to Note :
- India was at the 89th position in Network Readiness Index.
- Countries like Singapore, Finland and Sweden are leaders in this index.
- India, with 244 million internet users, ranks third after China and the US in terms of number.
- Communication and Information Technology Minister : Ravi Shankar Prasad
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National Affairs
- Food inspectors have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi noodles from shops across the country, saying the product contained dangerous levels of lead.
- The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) in Uttar Pradesh said high lead content was found during routine tests on two dozen packets of instant noodles, manufactured by Nestle in India.
- The packets of instant noodles tested in the state-run laboratory were contaminated. They found a lead concentration of 17.2 parts per million (ppm), which is way beyond the permissible limit (ranges between 0.01 ppm and 2.5 ppm).
- The scientists also found high levels of added monosodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer, in the noodles.
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National Affairs
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met the surviving members of India's first successful expedition to Mt. Everest.
- The Golden Jubilee of Indian's first successful ascent on Mt
Everest, which was led by Captain (Retired) M S Kohli exactly 50 years ago, on May 20th, 1965, is being
celebrated from May 19 to May 21 by the Indian Mountaineering
Federation.
- Members of this team had successfully scaled Mt. Everest for the first time.
- The expedition team had nineteen members, including ten Indian Army mountaineers.
- The Prime Minister also met the next of kin of the deceased members of the expedition.
- The Prime Minister also released the book titled "The Great Himalayan Climb" on the occasion.
- Escalating his confrontation with the AAP government, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today cancelled all appointments made by it in the last four days, asserting he was the sole authority in matters of ordering transfer and posting of bureaucrats.
- Note : The appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary last week had triggered a full-blown war between the AAP government and Jung with Kejriwal alleging that the LG was trying to take over the administration.
- Each side has since appointed some officials in senior positions which were declared void by the other.
- The govt has announced that 7.5cr people subscribed to Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana in a week.
- After the success of these schemes, the Govt is planning to announce a new scheme for senior citizens which will be funded through the unclaimed money lying with Banks and other financial institutions.
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International Affairs
- During his Korea visit, the final destination of his three-nation tour, Modi and President Park Geun - hye held
discussions and resolved to add "new substance, speed and content"
covering defence, trade and investment, and regional cooperation to take
the bilateral ties to a qualitatively higher level.
- South Korea decided to provide $10 billion to India for infrastructure, development of smart cities, railways, power generation and other diversified areas as the two countries agreed to upgrade their bilateral relationship to a "special strategic partnership"
- Modi invites Korean companies to invest in India's infrastructure sector; assures them of business friendly environment
- Modi today Concluded his Three Nation visit to China, Mongolia and South Korea where he held bilateral talks and signed several pacts to bolster India's relations with the three countries.
- He began his six-day sojourn from China on May 14th.
- He then travelled to Mongolia, from where he flew to South Korea.
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International Affairs
- India today announced that it would contribute USD 2.1 million to
the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a "reflection" of its commitment
to the global health body and its mandate.
- Health Minister : JP Nadda
- Government of Nepal today imposed a temporary ban on all constructions of houses and buildings, including those which are already under construction or whose maps have been approved for construction before the recent earthquake.
- The ban would remain in effect until the end of Nepali month of Asad, July 16. instructed.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived to South Korea from Mongolia on the last leg of his three-nation tour.
- He held wide-ranging talks with South Korean President Park Geun-Hye at Cheong Wae Dae, the office and residence of the President.
- India and South Korea today agreed to upgrade their ties to ‘Special Strategic Partnership’.
- India & South Korea Sign 7 agreements in various sectors including avoidance of double taxation, energy, road design and and maritime transport. The agreements signed are,
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Indian and the Government of the Republic of Korea for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income;
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in Audio-Visual Co-production;
- MOU for Cooperation between the National Security Council Secretariat of the Republic of India and the Office of National Security of the Republic of Korea;
- NOU between the Ministry of Power of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea concerning Cooperation in the field of Electric Power Development and New Energy Industries;
- MOU between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in Youth Matters;
- Framework of Cooperation in the Field of Road Transport and Highways between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea; and
- MOU between the Ministry of Shipping of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in the Fields of Maritime Transport and Logistics.
- Iran’s defence minister Hossein Dehghan arrived in Baghdad today, a day after the Iraqi government suffered one of its worst losses, with Ramadi falling to Islamic State (IS).
- He will hold talks with Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi.
- Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj is on 4 day tour to South Africa.
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International Affairs
- Egypt has executed six members of Sinai Peninsula, a militant group with links to Islamic State for carrying out an attack on soldiers in 2014.
- The group has killed hundreds of police and soldiers since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2013.
- Modi's Mongolia Visit
- Modi, on a two-day visit to Mongolia, the first-ever by an Indian Premier has gifted Mongolia a Bhabhatron, the indigenous machine developed by Indian scientists for cancer treatment, in the first demonstration of bilateral cooperation in the civil nuclear sector.
- Modi gifted this equipment to National Cancer Centre, the only cancer hospital at Ulaan Baatar.
- India today announced a credit line of USD 1 billion to Mongolia to expand its economic capacity and infrastructure, as they decided to upgrade their relationship from Comprehensive to "Strategic Partnership".
- India and Mongolia today inked 14 agreements, in different sectors to further strengthen bilateral ties including an air services agreement and in cyber security, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg at Ulan Bator.
- Nepal government today unveiled its action plan to protect and reconstruct heritage sites damaged by the massive earthquake that devastated the country and robbed it of major historical jewels.
- The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has come up with the action plan that will be carried out in a phased manner with short-term, middle-term and long-term plans.
- Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation : Deepak Chandra Amatya
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International Affairs
- Chinese and Indian companies signed 26 agreements for 22 billion US dollars investment in India.
- Prime Minister inaugurates a Centre for Gandhian and Indian Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.
- Narendra Modi concludes his China tour and reaches Mongolia on second leg of his three-nation tour.
- This is the first ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Mongolia.
- Civil nuclear energy, IT and cyber security likely to be high in agenda.
- About Mangolia :
- Mongolia, a landlocked country between China and Russia, has a population of over 2.9 million.
- Nick name : Land of Blue Skies
- Capital : Ulan Bator (Ulaanbaatar)
- Prime Minister : Chimed Saikhanbileg
- President : Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
- Currency : Tögrög
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International Affairs
- In a confidence building measure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that India will grant e-visas to Chinese tourists.
- Note : India this year has announced 'Visit India Year' in China to attract more tourists in order to boost tourism revenues.
- While less than two lakh Chinese visit India, more Chinese travellers are visiting Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives enhancing their tourism revenues.
- India and China sign a record 24 agreements worth $10 billion on bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology and culture.
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International Affairs
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is undertaking his first visit to China as Prime Minister,
reached the ancient city of Xi'an this morning and was accorded a grand
welcome.
- Modi holds Summit level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Xi'an today.
- They both discussed border issue and trade imbalance among others.
- Note : India and China are likely to sign over 20 business agreements during Modi’s visit
- The US House of Representatives today voted overwhelmingly to end the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records, a controversial programme made public in 2013 by former security contractor Edward Snowden.
- The US House of Representatives has passed the Freedom Act, replacing the controversial Patriot Act.
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International Affairs
- At least 47 people have been killed and 20 others injured after a passenger bus carrying members of the minority Ismaili Shia community was attacked by gunmen on motorcycles in Pakistan's Karachi today.
- Some leaflets found at the site of the attack claimed it had been perpetrated by the Daulatul Islamiyyah Baaqiya, an Islamic State-inspired group.
- Also, terror-tracking website Site Intel Group tweeted that Khorasan Province, a division of the Islamic State (IS) in the Afghan-Pakistan region, claimed credit for the deadly attack.
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International Affairs
- A major earthquake (7.4 magnitude) has struck eastern Nepal, near Mount Everest, two weeks after more than 8,000 people died in a devastating quake.
- At least 37 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured.
- Tremors also felt in North and Eastern parts of India, and at least 16 killed in Bihar.
- The first International Day of Yoga would be celebrated at the historic National Mall of Washington on June 21st featuring yoga demonstrations by experts and Indian dance and music, Indian envoy to the US Arun K Singh has said today.
- This event is being organized by the Indian Embassy in the US in association with the 'Friends of Yoga',
- British Prime Minister David Cameron forms first all-Conservative Cabinet in nearly 20 years.
- Note : The newly re-elected British prime minister appoints Indian-origin MP Priti Patel as new Employment Minister.
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