latest current Affairs for SSC & Bank Exams

Indigenously built INS Tarmugli commissioned in Indian Navy
The Indian Navy has commissioned indigenously built highly maneuverable Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli at the commissioning ceremony held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. INS Tarmugli will be based in Visakhapatnam under the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh). It would be deployed for coastal patrol and surveillance operations along the East Coast of India.

Odisha Governor promulgates ordinance for official use of Odia
Odisha Governor Dr SC Jamir has promulgated Odisha Official Language (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 to ensure use of Odia in all government systems. The ordinance was promulgated as per provisions of the Article 213 of the Constitution. It empowers the state government to formulate laws to implement Odisha Official Language Act, 1954. It will amend the Language Act and use Odia in the official businesses of the Government including in writing files, letters and all other official documents.

Delhi-based NGO Routes 2 Roots awarded Inter-cultural Innovation Award 2016
Routes 2 Roots, a Delhi-based Non-profit organization (NGO), has been awarded prestigious Inter-cultural Innovation Award 2016. The award was bestowed upon the NGO for their unique Student Exchange Program, which allowed children in schools from India and Pakistan to connect with each other. The award was given by United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Sarbananda Sonowal sworn-in as Assam Chief Minister
BJP leader and former Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (54) was sworn-in as the 14th Chief Minister of Assam after winning 2016 state assembly election with absolute majority. State Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sarbananda Sonowal at the oath taking ceremony held in Khanapara, Guwahati. Besides, Governor also administered oath of office and secrecy to the 10 ministers of his government. With this, maiden BJP government assumed power in the North Eastern state for first time in the political history of independent India. Sarbananda Sonowal also became second tribal chief minister of Assam after Jogen Hazarika who was in the office 1970s.

Union Government shortlist 13 Cities for Smart Cities Mission in 2nd batch
The Union Ministry of Urban Development has shortlisted 13 cities from 13 States/UTs in the list of second batch of Smart Cities Mission. These cities were shortlisted based on scores obtained in Fast Track competition conducted for 23 cities from as many States and Union Territories. This competition list was topped by Lucknow in Uttar Prades and was followed by Warangal in Telangana and Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh. In the Fast Track competition, 23 cities had participated from which these 13 were selected. These 23 cities were having the highest ranking and had failed to get representation in the first round of competition held in January 2016.

S K Sharma appointed CMD of Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Renowned scientist S K Sharma was appointed the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). In his new role, Mr Sharm will be responsible for design, construction, commissioning and operation of nuclear power reactors. He has been appointed to the new post for a period of five years. At present,he is working as Distinguished Scientist and Director (Operations) in NPCIL.

Mohun Bagan wins 2016 Indian Federation Cup football tournament
Mohun Bagan FC has won the 2016 Indian Federation Cup football tournament title for the 14th time. They have won the tournament after a gap of 8 years and last was won in 2008. In the final match played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati (Assam), they defeated Aizawl FC by 5-0 goals. For Mohun Bagan FC the Jeje Lalpekhlua scored two goals while Haitian Sony Norde, Dhanachandra Singh and Bikramjit Singh scored one each. Aizawl FC for the first time had played in the final match. They had defeated I-League champions Bengaluru FC in the quarterfinals before getting the better of Sporting Clube de Goa to book a place in the Final for the first time.

Latest Current Affairs of 20th May 2016

·        Five State Assembly Election 2016 Results: 

o   The 2016 Kerala Assembly Election has won by the CPI (M) led Left Democratic Front (LDF) by the absolute majority by winning 91 seats (44.94% votes) of the total 140 seats. So as result, Pinarayi Vijayan is set to become the next Chief Minister of Kerala.

o   In Assam Assembly Election 2016, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners have won an absolute majority by winning 87 seats (16.46% votes) in the 126 member House. BJP alone has won 60 seats (29.5% votes) on its own, thus making history by winning an Assam assembly election for the first time. So as result, Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is all set to become the next Chief Minister of Assam.

o   Ruling All India Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has emerged victorious in the 2016 West Bengal Assembly Election.

o   Ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Party under the leadership of Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha has emerged victorious in the 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly Election.

o   The Congress, which has been decimated in Assam by the BJP and by the Left front in Kerala have managed to wrest power in the union territory of Puducherry in alliance with the DMK winning 17 of the 30 assembly seats.

·        President inaugurates Intelligent Operations Centre in Rashtrapati Bhavan

o   President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated an Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) in Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

o   He also launched a mobile application ‘Monitor’ for transformation of President’s Estate into a smart township. 

o   During the launching ceremony President announced that President’s Estate will work around the ‘4H’ theme of a humane, Hi-Tech, Heritage and Happy Township. 

·        Cyclonic storm ROANU to strike Andhra Pradesh coast: IMD

o   The cyclonic storm ROANU that emerged in the west central Bay of Bengal was in news. 

o   It came into news after India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its prediction said that the Cyclone is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by 20 May 2016 night and will hit Andhra coast.

o   At present, ROANU is moving northeastwards and lay centred at south-southeast of Machilipatnam, about 290 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam & 160 km south-southwest of Kakinada. It issued an orange warning message to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. It issued yellow message for West Bengal as the system would turn into severe cyclonic storm.

·        JP Nadda launches Centre for Environmental Health to assess environmental impact on health

o   The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda has launched the Centre for Environmental Health in New Delhi.

o   It was launched to assess the impact of environment-related problems like air pollution, climate change, pesticide use and sanitation on health.

o   It is a joint initiative of the Public Health Foundation of India and the Tata Institute of Social Science. Its also includes capacity-building, advocacy, outreach and remedial issues.

·        Himachal CM launches PEHAL programme

o   Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has introduced PEHAL programme in Shimla district. 

o   The programme aim to expediting developmental works and government schemes through effective implementation at grassroots level. With this Shimla has become the 1st district in the state to launch such different programme to work as a team with the people.

o   The PEHAL will focus on five areas namely- Primary Education, Forest Rights, Health and Sanitation, Campaign against drugs and skill development, and Women Empowerment. The district authorities have already begun works on all these areas with a distinct strategy. The programme also attempt to integrate the various stakeholders in the development story of the district. 

·        India lauded for Medicines with the Red Line campaign on antibiotics

o   Medicines with the Red Line: A public awareness campaign launched by the Union Government to curb irrational use of antibiotics.

o   The term Medicines with the Red Line was in news, as the campaign was appreciated by the Global Review on Antimicrobial Resistance.

o   The review was commissioned by the UK Prime Minister David Cameron in 2014 and chaired by economist Jim O’Neil.  As per the review, India led the way so far with its idea of a ‘Red Line Campaign’ for antibiotics packaging

·        International Buddhist conference begins in Nepal

o   A two day International Buddhist conference has begun in Nepal to celebrate the 2,560th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. Around 1,200 delegates and observers from 28 countries around the world are attending the conference. 

o   The theme of the conference is "Lumbini, Nepal: the birth place of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace".

o   The conference is inaugurated by the Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. The main objective of organizing the event is to highlight Lumbini as birth place of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism, in the international arena, to establish Lumbini as the centre for interfaith and peace dialogue as well as developing Nepal as the fountain for world peace. 

·        India-Slovenia have signed Double Taxation Avoidance Convention

o   India and Slovenia have signed a Protocol to amend the existing bilateral double taxation avoidance agreement, broadening the pact to include exchange of information to curb tax evasion in Ljubljana. 

o   The Protocol was signed by Mr. Sarvajit Chakravarti, Ambassador of India to Slovenia on behalf of India and Mr. Dusan Mramor, the Slovenian Minister of Finance on behalf of Slovenia.

o   The Protocol will broaden the scope of the existing framework of exchange of tax related information which will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two countries and will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes. 

·        Beijing-New Delhi Yoga Conference opens in China

o   Chinese yoga practitioners gathered in large numbers over 1,000 for a group performance in Kunming, China to open the China-India Yoga Conference. 

o   The five day conference is featuring activities including courses from Indian yoga masters and yoga introductions for communities.

o   The Yoga gathering was organised by the Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese affairs offices and the China-India Yoga College in Kunming.

·        Mukesh Ambani awarded Othmer Gold Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership

o   Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani has been conferred the prestigious Othmer Gold Medal for his entrepreneurial leadership that has resulted in the expansion of India’s petroleum refining industry, creation of the Jamnagar Refinery in Gujarat-the largest grassroots petroleum refinery in the world.

o   The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) established the Othmer Gold Medal in 1997 to honour outstanding individuals who have made multifaceted contributions to the world's chemical and scientific heritage through outstanding activity in such areas as innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation, or philanthropy.

·        Tata Power acquires 30 MW wind farm in Maharashtra

o   Tata Power has announced that it has completed the acquisition of 30 MW wind farm in Maharashtra.

o   Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), a 100% subsidiary of Tata Power and has completed acquisition of 100% shareholding in Indo Rama Renewables Jath Ltd (IRRJL), which is a 100% subsidiary of Indo Rama Renewables Limited (IRRL). IRRJL has a 30 MW operating wind farm in Sangli district of Maharashtra.

o   The wind farm, which is fully operational since July 2013, has a long-term power purchase agreement with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Ltd and is registered under the generation-based incentive scheme of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. With this acquisition, Tata Power's total generation capacity now becomes 9,213 MW and current operating non-fossil based capacity at 1,704 MW.

·        Indian journalist Philip Abraham elected as Deputy Mayor in United Kingdom

o   Indian journalist and Councillor Philip Abraham was elected unanimously as the Deputy Mayor of Loughton town in the United Kingdom. 

o   Councillor Abraham was presented with the Deputy Mayor’s Badge by Carol Davis, the newly-elected mayor.

o   V K Krishna Menon was the first person from Kerala to become a Councillor in Britain. He was a Labour Councillor for the Borough of St Pancras from 1934 to 1939.

·        Tsai Ing-wen sworn in as first woman president of Taiwan

o   Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has sworn in as the new president of Taiwan and also has become the first female President of the country. 

o   The 59 year old, Tsai has begun her four-year term as president after an inaugural ceremony at the Presidential Office. 

o   The DPP chairwoman and former vice premier scored a convincing victory in the election held in January. She took over from President Ma Ying-jeou, who has served two four-year terms since May 2008.

Current Affairs Today for SSC & Bank Exams

Assam Assembly Election 2016 Results
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners have won an absolute majority in 2016 Assam state assembly election by winning 87 seats (16.46% votes) in the 126 member House. BJP alone has won 60 seats (29.5% votes) on its own, thus making history by winning an Assam assembly election for the first time. BJP’s ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has won 14 seats (8.1% votes) while another ally Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) has bagged 13 seats (3.9% votes). Indian National Congress (INC) has won 26 seats (31% votes), while its ally All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) won 13 seats (13% votes) and one seat was won be an independent candidate.

Kerala Assembly Election 2016 ResultsThe coalition of Left Democratic Front (LDF) has won the 2016 Kerala Assembly Election by the absolute majority by winning 91 seats (44.94% votes) of the total 140 seats. Among the LDF, Communist Party of India (Marxist) by winning 58 seats has emerged single largest party.

Other LDF allies have won

Communist Party of India: 19 seats.

Janata Dal (Secular): 3 seats.

Nationalist Congress Party: 2 seats. O

ther LDF supporters: 9 seats.

Apple Inc opens Development Office in Hyderabad
US personal and consumer technology giant Apple Inc. opened a new Development Office in Hyderabad, Telangana. The office was formally opened by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook who is on official visit to India. The facility located on the Waverock campus will focus on development of Maps for Apple’s flagship products, including iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch. The new facility will provide a world-class, LEED-certified home for the expanding Maps team and create up to 4000 jobs.

Hypersonic superjet technology successfully tested in Australia

A joint US-Australian military research team successfully tested a hypersonic technology in the Australian desert. In the test, scramjet attached to a rocket booster was successfully sent to an altitude of 278 km at Mach 7.5 (seven times the speed of sound). The team was running a series of 10 trials of the hypersonic technology at the world’s largest land testing range located at Woomera in Australia and at Norway’s Andoya Rocket Range.

Veteran Gujarati folk singer Diwaliben Bhil passes away
Veteran Gujarati folk singer Diwaliben Bhil passed away in Junagadh, Gujarat. She was 80. Diwaliben Bhil had given her voice to various Gujarati folk songs, film songs and Garba (Gujarati folk dance).

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Haryana Backward Classes Act 2016 notified

Haryana Government on 13 May 2016 notified the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act 2016.

The act was enacted to provide reservation to Jats and four other castes in services and admission in educational institutions in the state.

Union Cabinet approves National Intellectual Property Rights Policy

The Union Cabinet on 12 May 2016 approved the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy that will lay the future roadmap for intellectual property in India.

The Policy recognises the abundance of creative and innovative energies that flow in India, and the need to tap into and channelise these energies towards a better and brighter future for all.

NITI Aayog to replace 5-year plans with 15-year vision document

Union Government’s apex think tank NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog has decided to come up with a 15-year vision document in tandem with global trends and economic growth. NITI Aayog which had replaced erstwhile Planning Commission (PC) in 2015, with its 15-year vision document will also abandon the concept of five-year plans prepared by the PC since 1951.

Anil Kumble re-appointed ICC Cricket Committee chairman

Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of three years. Earlier he was appointed as the chairman for his first term in 2012 and now he will continue to head the panel until 2018. Anil Kumble is all-time highest wicket-taker for India.

US activates land-based missile defence station in Romania

United States has activated a land-based missile defence station (Aegis Ashore Missile Defence System) in Deveselu, Romania. The missile defence station is part of NATO’s larger European shield to protect member countries from short and medium-range missiles, particularly from the Middle East.

Current Affairs for SSC and Bank Exams 2016

May 11: NationalTechnology Day
National Technology Day is being observed across India on May 11 to glorify the importance of science in day-to-day life and motivate students to adopt science as a career option. Several events are organized in various engineering colleges and technical institutes to mark the occasion.

NASA’s Kepler telescope finds largest trove of exoplanets
NASA’s unmanned Kepler space observatory has discovered the largest trove of exoplanets outside our solar system. So far, it has discovered total of 1,284 exoplanets and it is more than double the number of known exoplanets found with the Kepler space telescope. Of the new trove of 1,284 exoplanets nearly 550 are said to be rocky planets like Earth, based on their size. The new discovery has given hope that eventually another Earth can be discovered. So far NASA has discovered nearly 5,000 total planet candidates, of them more than 3,200 have been verified and 2,325 of these were discovered by Kepler.

Indian Navy launches underwater Harbour Defence Systems in Visakhapatnam
Indian Navy has launched the state-of-the-art Harbour Defence Systems, viz. Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Besides, Mine Warfare Data Centre (MWDC) was also launched. IUHDSS and MWDC systems seek to enhance the Indian Navy’s surveillance capability and response to security threats at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

Rodrigo Duterte wins 2016 Philippines Presidential Election
Anti-crime candidate and mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte has won the 2016 presidential election of the Philippines by a landslide victory. He will become the 16th President-elect of Philippines. In the Presidential election held on 9 May 2016, Rodrigo Duterte secured 39% (15.36 million) of the votes. He was followed by Mar Roxas 23% (9.27 million) votes and his closest rival Grace Poe with 22% (8.6 million) votes.

Parliament passes bill on potable alcohol
Parliament has passed the Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 after with the Lok Sabha adopted certain amendments made by the Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 that provides for development and regulation of certain industries.

Government constitutes Sanjay Mitra committee to prepare policy framework for taxi operators
The Union Government has constituted a three member committee to prepare a policy framework for taxi and other transport operators. The committee will be headed by Sanjay Mitra, Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Its other two members are Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Delhi Transport Commissioner as its members. The committee was constituted after taxi and other transport operators had appraised the situation emerging from Supreme Court’s order and directions of Environment Pollution Control Authority of banning diesel taxis in the National Capital Region (NCR). It will look into these issues and come up with appropriate recommendations to address the same in a time bound manner.

10 May 2016: WorldMigratory Bird Day
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is being observed across the world on the second weekend in May. This year, WMBD is being observed on 10th May. The day seeks to raise awareness and highlight the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. 2016 Theme: “Stop the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds”. On this day people around the world organize public events such as bird festivals, education programmes, exhibitions and bird-watching excursions to celebrate WMBD.

Parliament Passes Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016
Parliament has passed the Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016 to widen ambit of law dealing with this anti-hijacking crime. The Bill was first passed in the Rajya Sabha and later in the Lok Sabha in May 2016. Now the Bill will go for Presidential assent as per Article 111 of Indian Constitution.

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World Press Freedom Day observed across the world

The World Press Freedom Day was on 3 May 2016 observed across the world with the theme Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms - This Is Your Right!

In 2016, World Press Freedom Day coincides with three important milestones:
• The 250th anniversary of the world’s first freedom of information law, covering both modern-day Sweden and Finland.
• The 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration of press freedom principles.
• The first year of the 15 year life-cycle of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Indian American Harmeet Kaur Dhillon elected to key Republican position
An Indian American Sikh woman Harmeet Kaur Dhillon (47) from California was elected to an important position in the Republican Party at the United States national level. She was elected as the newest national committee woman, a key position of the Republican National Committee.  Prior to this, she was vice chairman of the California GOP. She was the first woman elected to this position of vice chair of the California Republican Party.

Parliament passes Mines and Minerals AmendmentBill, 2016
Parliament has passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016. The Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The amendment Bill was first passed in the Lok Sabha in March 2016 and later in the Rajya Sabha in May 2016.

Union Government launches Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana
The Union Government launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for providing free of cost LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from BPL Households. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maldepur Morh, Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. The tagline for the scheme is Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan.

India’s first Scorpene class submarine INS Kalvari undergoes first sea trial
INS Kalvari, Indian Navy’s first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, has recently launched for the first sea trial in the Mumbai naval dockyard. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which is built under the strategic Project 75 by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with French naval defence and energy company DCNS.

Indian shooters win 3 Gold, 1 Bronze medals in ISSF Junior World Cup
Indian shooters have won three gold medals and one bronze on the opening day of the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Junior World Cup held in Suhl, Germany.

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Renowned Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas passes away
Renowned Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas passed away following a brief illness at in Kottayam, Kerala. He was 86. He was popularly known as Toms and had created the legendary cartoon characters Boban and Molly (Bobanum Moliyum).

Deepika Kumari equals world record in recurve event at Archery World Cup
India’s Deepika Kumari has equalled the world record in Women’s Recurve event at the qualifying stage of Archery World Cup held in Shanghai, China. Deepika recorded a score of 686 out of 720 to finish 1st in qualifiers and equal the world. With this she equalled the record set by South Korea’s Ki Boe Bae at the World University Games in Gwangju in 2015. Deepika has already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics scheduled to be held in August 2016 with her performance at the Copenhagen World Championships in 2015. In the previous editions of the World Cup, Deepika had won silver medals consecutively in 2011, 2012 and 2013 in the women’s individual events.

Union Cabinet gives nod to BPCL’s investment enhancement in Oman Refineries
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to enhance investment by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Bharat Oman Refineries Limited (BORL). With this, the investment amount of BPCL could be enhanced upto a maximum of 3000 crore rupees by way of subscription of convertible warrants or other instruments. The infusion of funds by the BPCLs will Enable expansion of Bina Refinery in Madhya Pradesh and overcome the implications on account of the erosion of the net worth. Enhance the availability of petroleum products in the Northern and Central parts of the country. It will also enhance industrial development of Madhya Pradesh and substantial increase in employment and tax earnings in the State.

Union Cabinet gives nod to MoU between IRDAI and Insurance Authority of UAE
The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Insurance Authority of United Arab Emirates. Decision in this regard was taken by the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister  Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The MoU was signed in February, 2016.

Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and Papua New Guinea in health area and medical science
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of Healthcare and Medical Science. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The bilateral MoU will encourage cooperation between the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of India and Ministry of Health and HIV/AIDS of the Papua New Guinea. Under it, joint initiatives in the health sector will be established which will strengthen bilateral ties between India and Papua New Guinea.

Union Government allows states to put stock holding limits on sugar
The Union Government has decided to allow States to impose and enforce stock limits on sugar in order to check the the price rise of sweetener in the market. The decision to bring sugar under the purview of stock holding limits on dealers of sugar was taken in Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. It will empower State and Central Government agencies to impose stock limits and regulate supply, storage, distribution and trade of sugar in order to bring down sugar prices at reasonable level by curbing unscrupulous trading. Government has brought sugar within the purview of stock limits in order to check the inflationary tendencies in sugar and to reduce hoarding by wholesalers and retailers. In recent times, Union Government had noticed that the wholesale and retail prices of sugar have shown a spurt in spite of sufficient availability of sugar stocks with the Sugar Mills.

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PM Narendra Modi unveils Asia’s largest optical telescope ARIES at Nainital

Asia’s largest and first of its kind optical telescope Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) was unveiled at Devasthal in Nainital District, Uttrakahnd. It was remotely activated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel from Belgium. Key facts Aries telescope was joint collaborative technological effort between Indian and Belgian scientists.

India’s first indigenously developed sonar dome flagged off

India’s first indigenous composites sonar dome, a ship’s underwater eyes and ears, was flagged off by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The sonar dome was dedicated to the nation dedicated to the nation and will be delivered to Mazgaon Docks, Mumbai for use in the warships of Indian Navy.

Htin Kyaw sworn in as first elected President of Myanmar

Htin Kyaw (69) sworn in as the first elected civilian (non-military) President of Myanmar after 53 years of military rule. Myanmar’s Army was in power since 1962 coup. He belongs to National League for Democracy (NLD) Party and succeeds Thein Sein, who had stepped down after end of five years of army-backed rule. Apart from him, Military backed Myint Swe and NLD member Henry Van Thio were sworn in as first vice-president and second vice-president of the country along 18 Cabinet ministers.

Russia approves OVL’s deal to acquire 15% stake in Vankor oilfield

The Russian Government has approved a deal of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) to acquire 15% stake in Vankor oilfield from Rosneft. The deal was signed between the OVL and Rosneft in September 2015 and is worth 1.3 billion US dollars. Vankor is Russia’s second biggest oil field with capacity of total 2.5 billion recoverable reserves barrels (or 500 million tonnes). As per the deal OVL’s stake in Vankor will raise to 26% from 15% and will give it about 3.5 million metric tonnes of oil a year Consequently, Rosneft will retain the remaining 50.1 per cent and also retain full control of infrastructure of the Vankor cluster.

China launches 22nd BeiDou navigation satellite

China has successfully launched 22nd new generation satellite into space as part of its domestic BeiDou Navigation System (BDS). It was launched using Long March-3A carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center located in the south-western province of Sichuan. It was the 225th launch of the Long March carrier rocket. About BeiDou Navigation System (BNS) BNS is 2nd generation of the Chinese navigational system seen as rival to the US’s Global Positioning System (GPS). BeiDou is Mandarin means magnetic Compass which was one of the Chinese major invention in the history which had revolutionized the sea voyages.

Faustin Archange Touadera sworn in as new President of Central African Republic

Faustin Archange Touadera (58) took the oath of office as the new President of Central African Republic (CAR). With this he becomes first elected leader of CAR since Muslim rebels had overthrown the government in early 2013. His presidency puts an end to a two-year transitional government that came into force in early 2014. Touadera is well respected former mathemathics Professor. He had served as Prime Minister as former Prime Minister of ex-president Francois Bozize from January 2008 to January 2013.

Ebola outbreak in West Africa no longer poses global risk: WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that Ebola outbreak in West Africa is no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO, a specialized agency of the United Nations has officially declared an end to a nearly 20-month Ebola outbreak emergency that has killed about 11,300 people. The declaration was made by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan after accepting the recommendations of a committee of independent experts. The committee also has called for the lifting of any travel and trade restrictions affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

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March 22: World Water Day

Every year World Water Day (WWD) is observed globally on 22 March to preserve and ration consumption of water. Significance of the Day: WWD is observed to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues. It marks a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future. 2016 Theme: “Better Water, Better Jobs”. It focuses on the central role that water plays in creating and supporting good quality jobs.

HS Prannoy wins 2016 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold badminton title

Ace Indian shuttler HS Prannoy (World no 13) has won the prestigious 2016 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament in the men’s single category. In the final match played at Basel, Switzerland, he defeated Marc Zwiebler (World no 7) of Germany 21-18, 21-15 score. It was his second Grand Prix Gold title after the Indonesia Open Grand Prix Gold won in 2014.

21 March: International Day of Forests

Every year 21st March is being observed as International Day of Forests to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests. The observance of the day is also used to communicate the vital role forests play in to sustain and protect us i.e. in environmental sustainability, food security and poverty eradication. Theme for 2016: “Forests and water”. The theme highlights importance of forests as key factor to the planet’s supply of freshwater, which is essential for life. It also marks the joint celebration of the International Day of Forests and World Water Day (22nd March).

Yogeshwar Dutt wins Gold medal in Asian Olympic Qualification tournament

Star Indian grappler Yogeshwar Dutt has won a Gold medal in the Asian Olympic Qualification tournament in the 65 kg freestyle category. In the final match held at Astana in Kazakhstan, he defeated Katai Yeerlanbieke from China in the 65 kg freestyle category. With this victory he secured an Olympic quota place for India. He is second Indian wrestler after Narsingh Yadav to secure berth in the 74 kg freestyle category for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In the 2012 London Olympics, Yogeshwar had won bronze in men’s 60kg freestyle category. But later he had moved up to 65kg category after the international governing body FILA had re-jigged the weight classes at the end of 2013.

March 20: World Sparrow Day

The world sparrow day is being observed every year on March 20 to raise awareness of the house sparrow and other common birds to urban environments and threats to their populations. The day was celebrated globally by carrying out different activities and events like awareness campaigns, art competitions and the sparrow processions. The rationale for celebrating the Day is to use it as a platform to underscore the need to conserve sparrows as well as the urban biodiversity. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on the occasion of this day inaugurated a sparrow conservation programme at school levels. The sparrow, especially the common house sparrow is one of the oldest companions of human beings. But its population is declining for various reasons such as destruction of its habitat, lack of insect food for the young and the increasing microwave pollution from mobile phone towers.

PM Narendra Modi launches Kisan Suvidha mobile app

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Kisan Suvidha mobile application for farmers to provide agricultural relevant basic information quickly. Kisan Suvidha is an omnibus mobile app that will provide basic information on subjects such as market prices, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, weather and agriculture machinery. Key Features The app has a simple interface and the information will be available in Hindi and English. It will provide information on five critical parameters weather, market price, input dealers, plant protection and expert advisories.

Latest Current Affairs for SSC/BANK Exams

10th Asian Film Awards announced; The Assassin won maximum awards

The 10th Asian film awards were presented on 17 March 2016 in Macau, China. 'The Assassin', a movie about a highly trained female assassin bagged prizes for, best actress and best director.

The movie took home more than half of the prizes, eight out of 15 trophies, at one of Asia's leading film awards.

Hong Kong Action Choreographer-director Yuen Wo-ping and Japanese Actress Kiki Kirin received the Lifetime Achievement Award on the occasion.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched FCI’s Depot Online System

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on 17 March 2016 launched the Online Depot System in New Delhi to automate all the operations of Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots.

The key objective of the Depot Online System is to align with Digital India vision for transformation of food distribution supply chain in India.

The system, which efficiently captures data online on a real time basis, will bring total transparency in the working of FCI. Besides, it will also help in better monitoring and supervision to reduce leakages and losses.

Punjab Government notifies swine flu under Epidemic Disease Act

Punjab Government has notified swine flu (H1N1) under the Epidemic Disease Act to prevent the spread of disease in the state. In the regard, Health and Family Welfare Department of state has issued notification based on recommendations of state advisory committee headed by Dr. D Behera.

India inks $35 million loan agreement with WB for MP project

India has signed loan agreement of 35 million dollars with the World Bank for Madhya Pradesh citizen access to responsive services project. The loan has been sanctioned by the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm International Development Association (IDA). Key facts The project size is 50 million dollars, of which 35 million dollar will be financed by the World Bank and the remaining amount will be funded out of State Budget. The objective of the project is to improve access and quality of public services in the state through implementation of the Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act, 2010.

Union Government launches FCI’s Depot Online System

Union Government has launched Depot Online System of state run Food Corporation of India (FCI) to bring transparency and minimise storage losses of foodgrains. It was launched by Union Food and public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in New Delhi as part of Digital India initiative of Union Government. Key facts Depot Online System will help real time monitoring of FCI operations and enhance transparency and efficiency. The project is being implemented in the FCI owned 553 depots and subsequently FCI hired godowns will be also brought under the ambit of the project later.