Current Affairs Daily Updates: 24th May 2017

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Current Affairs Daily Updates: 24th May 2017
APPOINTMENTS
Tata Sons appointed Head of Group General Counsel
  • Tata Sons have appointed a new legal head recently.
  • The group appointed Shuva Mandal as the new head of Group General Counsel.
  • He replaces Bharat Vasani.
  • Vasani will continue with the group as Legal Adviser to the Chairman’s office.
Tedros Adhanom elected as first African Director-General of WHO
  • Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a physician and former health minister of Ethiopia, appointed as agency's new director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • Ghebreyesus will begin his five-year term on July 1, 2017.
  • He is replaced by Margaret Chan, who is serving as the Director General of WHO since 2007.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
Jio MAMI film fest to award excellence in digital content
  • Jio Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI) film festival announced a new award category for digital content for this year 's festival to held from October 12- 18.
  • This award will encourage young talent to break the boundaries of their creative ideas and take Indian Cinemas to new and greater heights especially in the digital space.
  • The winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Ravichandran Ashwin wins International Cricketer of the Year Award
  • Ravichandran Ashwin won the International Cricketer of the Year award at the CEATCricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2017.
  • Shubhman Gill won the Young player of the year award.
  • Ashwin took 99 wickets in the past 12 months.
BANKING AFFAIRS
Bank of Baroda, IFFCO roll out co-branded debit card for farmers
  • Bank of Baroda (BOB) and Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) rolled out their first set of co-branded debit cards for farmers as part of a novel initiative to push digitalisation and cashless economy.
  • They entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU)  in this regard in February 2017.
  • Two lakh co-branded debit cards will be issued initially to the farmers beginning with the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Karnataka Bank pact with HDFC Asset Management
  • Karnataka Bank Limited entered into a distribution agreement to sell the mutual fund products of HDFC Capital Asset Management Limited (HDFCAML) during exchanged the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
  • Investment in mutual funds will provide an opportunity to those customers who are uncomfortable about investing directly in stock markets.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Israel signs $630 million arms deal with India
  • Israel and India penned a deal worth $630 million, to provide India's navy with missile defence systems following a record weapons sale between the two countries last month.
  • The new contract will see state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) supply LRSAM air and missile defence systems for four Indian naval ships.
  • IAI said the contract will be carried out with India's Bharat Electronics Limited, which will be the project's main contractor.
  • LRSAM is an advanced air and missile defence system, jointly developed by IAI and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation.
DEATHS
Sir Roger Moore, James Bond actor, dies aged 89
  • Actor Sir Roger Moore, best known for playing James Bond, has died due to cancer aged 89.
  • He played the famous spy in seven Bond films including Live and Let Die and A View to a Kill.
  • Sir Roger was also well known for his humanitarian work - he was introduced to Unicef by the late Audrey Hepburn and was appointed as a goodwill ambassador in 1991.
IMPORTANT DAYS OBSERVED
World Turtle Day is observed on May 23
  • World turtle day is celebrated on May 23.
  • The observance aimed at protecting turtles and tortoises and their rapidly disappearing habitats across the world.
  • The greatest threats faced by the turtles and tortoises in India is smuggling. They are smuggled every year in large numbers to East Asian and Southeast Asian markets.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Dubai recruited the world's first robot Police Officer
  • The world's first operational robot police officer was officially inducted into the Dubai police force at the 4th Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC).
  • The name of the robot is robocop is around 5-foot tall and weighs a 100kg. It can not only identify hand gestures from a distance of up to 1.5 meters but can also detect people's emotions and facial expressions.
  • The robocop comes with other special features such as its facial recognition software.
India becomes second largest steel producer
  • India overtook Japan to become the second-largest steel producer in the world after China in 2016, according to data released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).
  • India’s stainless steel production rose to 3.32 million tons for 2016 showing an impressive growth of about 9% over 3.0 million tons achieved in 2015.
Petroleum Minister co chairs India OPEC Institutional Dialogue at Vienna
  • The Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan visited Vienna, Austria to co-chair the 2nd India-OPEC Institutional Dialogue at the OPEC headquarters.
  • The meeting took place two days prior to the OPEC Ministerial meeting that is scheduled from 25th May.
  • Pradhan held a one-to-one meeting with the Secretary General of OPEC Mr Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo.
  • It was agreed that India will host the next meeting during 2018.
3rd RCEP Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting
  • Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman led the Indian delegation to the 3rd Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting on 21-22 May 2017 in Hanoi in which Trade Ministers of 15 other RCEP countries participated.
  • Trade Minister and Industry Minister of Philippines Mr Ramon Lopez, was the Chair of the Meeting as Philippines is currently holding the Presidency of ASEAN this year and Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, Mr Tran Tuan Anh, as the host extended a warm welcome to the delegates.
  • So far 4 Ministerial Meetings, 3 Inter-sessional Ministerial Meetings and 18 Rounds of the Trade Negotiating Committee at the technical level have been held.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
IIT-Kharagpur signs MoU with Madhya Pradesh for measuring happiness index
  • IIT Kharagpur’s Rekhi (IIT - KGR) Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness and Madhya Pradesh Government  ‘Rajya Anandam Sansthan’ (Department of Happiness) signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU).
  • The MoU to collaborate on the development of a Happiness Index for measuring the well-being of the residents of the state.
  • The Happiness index would be developed by IIT-KGP and the data collected by the state government would be analyzed to assess the happiness levels of people of the state and to suggest recommendations to enhance happiness levels in the state.
Union Minister publishes World’s First Philosophical Novel on God
  • Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and IAS officer Haulianlal Guite published a philosophical novel for God titled“Confessions of a dying mind: the blind faith of atheism“.
  • Haulianlal Guite is the first civil officer to write on Philosophy after John Stuart Mill’s work titled “On Liberty” published in 1858.
  • The book explores interesting arguments against atheism. It also explores the nature of science, religion, evidence and love.
Environment Ministry and Ozonaction Organize “Ozone2Climate” Technology Roadshow in Agra
  • Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry along with the UN Environment OzonAction’s Compliance Assistance Programme, organized an “Ozone2Climate” Technology Roadshow in Agra.
  • The Roadshow was inaugurated by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ajay Narayan Jha.
  • This is the first time the Ozone2Climate Technology Roadshow was organized as a part of the annual network meeting globally.
  • The Technology Roadshow was organized in association with Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Manufacturers Association (RAMA), Indian Polyurethane Association (IPUA), Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
Union Minister Inaugurates an Exhibition Return of the three stone Sculptures from Australia to India
  • Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism inaugurated an exhibition “Return of the Three Stone Sculptures from Australia to India” in National Museum New Delhi.
  • The exhibition is organized to mark the safe return of three stone sculptures (Seated Buddha, Worshippers of  Buddha, Goddess Pratyangira) from Australia to India.
  • Dr. Mahesh Sharma attended a special event at National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra, Australia.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY / DEFENCE AFFAIRS
World's Largest Aircraft Airlander 10 completes Test Flight
  • Airlander 10, the world’s largest aircraft has successfully completed a test flight by flying for a total of 180 minutes in Cardington, United Kingdom (UK).
  • It is hybrid ship i.e. it is a partly plane and partly airship filled with helium gas.
  • It is 92-metre-long and 43.5m wide. It can fly at up to 6,100 meters and reach speeds of 148 kilometers per hour.
Light Utility Helicopter completed its first flight in Bengaluru
  • The second prototype of the Light Utility Helicopter(LUH PT2) successfully completed its first flight for 22 minutes in Bengaluru.
  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is developing the three-tonne-class LUH aircraft for military and civil users.
  • LUH is being designed to fly 350 km non-stop at a speed of 220 kilometers per hour.
  • The aircraft is capable of reaching a maximum height of 6.5 Km and can carry a payload of 400 kg.
  • The light utility helicopter (LUH) will replace the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters that have been in use for more than three decades.