Current Affairs Daily Updates: 20th May 2017
APPOINTMENTS
Air
Marshal PN Pradhan appointed as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff
- Air Marshal PN Pradhan appointed as the Deputy Chief of
Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) (Operations).
- He was closely associated with the induction and
operationalisation of Embraer-135 and C-130 fleets in the Indian Air Force
(IAF).
- He was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2014.
DRDO chief S
Christopher gets one-year extension
- Eminent scientist S Christopher was given a one-year
extension, till May next year, as chief of the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO).
- Christopher is also Secretary, Department of Defence
Research and Development (DoDRD). He will continue to hold both the
charges for one more year.
- Christopher was in May 2015 appointed Director General
of the DRDO for a two-year term.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
ISRO
receives 2014 Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for path-breaking achievements
- Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh awarded the
2014Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace to the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) Chairman A. S. Kiran Kumar.
- The award, announced by a jury headed by Vice-President
Hamid Ansari in 2014, consists of a trophy, a cash prize of Rs 1 crore and
a citation.
- The Prize was awarded to ISRO in recognition of its
path-breaking achievements culminating in the Mars orbiter mission and its
significant contributions in strengthening international cooperation in
peaceful use of outer space.
Indian-origin
steel tycoon bags global award in UK
- Britain's Indian-origin steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta has
bagged a top global award for his successful acquisitions and drive to
transform the steel industry in the UK, India and beyond.
- Gupta, the executive chairman of the Liberty House Group
received the title of 'CEO of the Year' at the prestigious Platts Global
Metals Awards in London.
Purnima Barman & Sanjay Gubbi Win The
Prestigious ‘Green Oscars’ Award
- Sanjay Gubbi of Karnataka and Purnima Barman of Assam
have won the prestigious Whitley Award, popularly known as Green Oscars,
for their efforts in wildlife conservation.
- The awards are instituted by the U.K.-registered charity
Whitley Fund for Nature Conservation. While Mr. Gubbi has been awarded for
his work to protect tiger corridors in Karnataka.
- Ms. Barman has won the award for her work in
conservation of Assam’s Greater Adjutant Stork and its habitat.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Prime
Minister releases Book Series written by MS Swaminathan
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a two-part book
series written by the eminent agricultural scientist Dr M.S. Swaminathan.
- The book series is titled as M.S. Swaminathan: The Quest
for a world without hunger.
- Dr. M S Swaminathan is known as the Father of the Green
Revolution in India.
IMPORTANT DAYS OBSERVED
May 20th: World Metrology Day
- World Metrology Day is celebrated on May 20 globally
every year.
- The theme for World Metrology Day 2017 is Measurements
for transport.
- World Metrology Day is an annual celebration of the
signature of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of
seventeen nations.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Japan
cabinet approves bill allowing Emperor’s abdication
- Japan's cabinet approved a bill that would allow Emperor
Akihito to resign paving the way for the first resignation by a Japanese
emperor in nearly two centuries.
- Resignation must take place within three years of the
bill becoming law.
- In August 2016, due to health issues, he handed over his
crown to his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito.
- But current Japanese law has no provision for
resignation, thus requiring politicians to craft legislation to make it
possible.
Hassan Rouhani won Iran’s Presidential
Election
- Hassan Rouhani re-elected as the President of Iran.
- He was elected as President for his first term in 2013.
- He won his second term by presenting himself as the
candidate of change and social freedoms that ended many sanctions and a
13-year standoff over Iran’s nuclear programme.
- He had spent 16 years as secretary of the Supreme
National Security Council, which is Iran’s top security post.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Union
Government to provide affordable electricity by 2022
- Union Power minister Piyush Goyal announced that the
rural electrification will provide every citizen affordable adequate
electricity by 2022.
- Smart Power meters will be installed soon in 100% smart
metering.
- The Minister of Power started functioning independently
with the effect from 2 July 1992.
- Earlier 'Power Minister' was known as the Minister of
Energy sources.
Visakhapatnam railway station cleanest, Darbhanga
dirtiest says survey
- The Visakhapatnam railway station is the cleanest,
followed by Secunderabad, among the 75 busiest stations in the country.
According to a survey, the report of which was released by railway
minister Suresh Prabhu, the Jammu railway station occupied the third spot,
while the New Delhi station was ranked at 39 among the busiest stations.
- The survey was carried out by the Quality Council of
India. The Darbhanga railway station in Bihar was the dirtiest among the
busiest stations.
- The railway station in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha
constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was ranked at 14th position.
Chitale
Committee recommends measures for de -siltation of river Ganga
- The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation had constituted a committee to prepare guidelines
for de-siltation of Ganga River last year.
- The four-member committee is headed by Madhav Chitale
includes Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Secretary, Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and Central Water and Power
Research Station, Pune, Director Mukesh Sinha.
- The committee recommended a series of measures that
includes the creation of a sand registry for de-silting of the Ganga and
establishment of a technical institute to conduct the sediment budget.
- The committee suggested good agricultural practices,
river bank anti-erosion works and reclamation of adjoining lakes along the
river. The committee also favours de-silting of adjoining lakes to
increase their storage capacities.
India betters
ranking in international tourist arrivals
- India has jumped 16 places in the revised United Nations
World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) rankings to settle at 24th for 2014 and
2015. Earlier, India was ranked 41st and 40th in 2014 and 2015 as per the
global ranking, respectively.
- UNWTO is the United Nation’s agency managing promotion
of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism and its
barometer ranks countries in terms of their ITAs- comprising both foreign
tourist arrivals as well as non-resident arrivals.
Hyderabad’s Turbo Megha Airways first private
airline to get UDAN licence
- Turbo Megha Airways has become the first private airline
to get a licence to fly under UDAN, the government scheme for subsidized
regional flights.
- The Hyderabad-based airline which flies as TruJet stated
that it will launch flights on Hyderabad-Cuddapah, Hyderabad-Nanded and
Nanded-Mumbai routes.
- The five airlines awarded the rights to fly UDAN flights
so far are Air India, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha and G.R. Gopinath
led Deccan Air.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY / DEFENCE AFFAIRS
Ferry
service opens between North Korea and Russia
- North Korea and Russia have started first ever
'passenger ferry service' to develop links and boost economic co-operation
without being affected by United Nations sanctions.
- A ferry is a merchant vessel used to carry passengers
(sometimes vehicles and cargo) across a body of water.
- Ferry service is launched by a north Korean passenger
Ferry Docking in Russia's port city of Vladivostok.
- The vessel, called the Man Gyong Bong, will sail once a
week to the port city and will also carry cargo.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Indian
Men’s Team Wins Compound Gold in World Cup Archery
- The Indian Men’s compound archery team Abhishek Verma,
Chinna Raju Srither and Amanjeet Singh won compound goldat World Cup stage
1 championships held in Shanghai, China.
- They defeated Colombia team to achieve the gold.
- India beat the United States of America (USA) in the
semifinal and Iran in the quarterfinals.
