May 2016 Daily News Current Affairs

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  1. May 31, 2016
    1. May 31 - World No-Tobacco Day. 2016 Theme is World No Tobacco Day – Get ready for plain packaging. The theme seeks to highlight this new trend packing trend in global efforts to control tobacco products.
      1. Plain packaging of tobacco products prohibits or restricts the use of logos, brand images, colours and promotional information on packaging other than brand and product names displayed in a standard colour and font style. It reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products.
    2. 57km (35-mile) twin-bore Gotthard base tunnel opened in Switzerland. It is now world's longest Train Tunnel and will provide high-speed rail link under Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe. It is meant to revolutionise European freight transport. The tunnel has overtaken Japan's 53.9km Seikan rail tunnel as the longest in world.
      1. Diameter is 8.5 Metres, 2300 Metre Depth and it has been built by cost of 12.27 Billion USD (80000 Crore Approx).
      2. About India - India's Longest rail tunnel is Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir with Length of 11.215 KM.
    3. As per Government Data, India's per capital income rose by 7.4 % to Rs 93,293 in 2015-16, compared to Rs 86,879 in the 2014-15.
    4. As per Government Data, India's GDP Growth rate in Last Quarter of 2015-16 (Jan - Mar 2016) stayed at 7.9 %, Taking India's GDP growth rate during 2015-16 to 7.6 %. In 2015-16, India's quarter wise GDP Growth has been -
      1. First Quarter (April 2015 - June 2015) - 7.5 %
      2. Second Quarter (July 2015 - September 2015) - 7.6 %
      3. Third Quarter (October 2015 - December 2015) - 7.2 %
      4. Fourth Quarter (Jan 2015 - March 2016) - 7.9 %
  2. May 30, 2016
    1. Ministry of Railways launched Rail Humsafar Saptaah as a week-long initiative to highlight significant achievements made by Indian Railways in all spheres during last 2 years -
      1. 26th May - Swachchta Diwas
      2. 27th May - Satkar Diwas
      3. 28th May - Sewa Diwas
      4. 29th May - Satarkata Diwas
      5. 30th May - Saamanjasya Diwas
      6. 31st May - Sanyojan Diwas
      7. 1st June - Sanchaar Diwas
    2. Indian boxer Sonia Lather won silver medal at AIBA Women's World Championships in Astana (Kazakhstan). She was defeated by Mesiano Alessia.
    3. 20th CEAT Cricket Awards 2016 -
      1. Lifetime Achievement - Dilip Vengsarkar
      2. International Cricketer - Joe Root (England)
      3. International Batsman - Joe Root (England)
      4. International Bowler - Ravichandran Ashwin
      5. Test Cricketer - Kane Williamson (NZ)
      6. ODI Cricketer - Martin Guptill (NZ)
      7. T20 Player - Virat Kohli
      8. Indian Cricketer - Rohit Sharma
      9. Young Player - Rishabh Pant
      10. Special Award – Ajinkya Rahane
    4. Noted actor Suresh Chatwal passed away.
    5. Noted Kannada writer D Javare Gowda passed away.
    6. England cricketer Alastair Cook became youngest Cricketer to score 10000 test runs. He achieved this at age of 31 years, during test match against Sri Lanka.
    7. President Pranab Mukherjee presented Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar 2016 to 15 teachers from Punjab for their contribution in education.
    8. Indian Pharmaceutical Firm Strides Shasun received tentative approval from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Efavirenz HIV tablets USP, 600 mg. Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that is used as part of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) for treatment of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) type 1.
    9. Surajit Kar Purkayastha appointed as Director General of West Bengal Police.
  3. May 29, 2016
    1. 29 May - International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. 2016 theme is Honouring Our Heroes.
    2. Government approved investment of over 5500 crore rupees for basic urban infrastructure in six states - Madhya Pradesh,Gujarat, Rajasthan,Odisha, Jharkhand and Meghalaya. It has been done under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, AMRUT.
    3. According to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, first bullet train will run in India in 2023. It will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad and is expected to cover 508 km in 2 hours, running at maximum speed of 350 kmph.
    4. According to USA based global rating agency Fitch, India's economic growth rate will accelerate to 8% by 2018-2019. India's GDP to grow 7.5% in 2015-2016 and improve to 7.7% in 2016 - 2017 and 7.9% in 2017-2018.
    5. As per Forbes, India's HDFC has been ranked 7th among world's top 10 biggest and most powerful companies in consumer financial services sector. List is topped by global major American Express. In overall list of world's 2,000 largest companies, HDFC is ranked 404th with total 56 Indian companies on list, in which Reliance Industries ranked India's highest.s
    6. Google won US court battle with software firm Oracle after a jury ruled it did not unfairly appropriate parts of the Java programming language. Oracle had argued that Google had infringed its copyright and had sought nearly 9 billion dollars in damages.
    7. Sanjay Bangar appointed as India's head cricket coach for team's tour to Zimbabwe. 
    8. Bihar government MDM scheme, UNICEF and Bihar based Rajendra Agriculture University signed agreement to curb malnourishment among women and children in the state.
    9. RBL Bank will launch an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) programme for fintech start-ups, to enhance engagement with start-ups.
    10. Tata Group entered into e-commerce with launch of 'Tata CliQ'. Products purchased through this platform will be accepted for return at physical stores of Westside or Croma.
    11. IT services Firm Tech Mahindra will acquire UK based Target Group to strengthen its BFSI portfolio, for $164 million USD.
    12. Ashok Leyland re-appointmented Vinod K Dasari as Managing Director(MD) for 5 years.
    13. Indian Har Parkash Rishi made Guinness World Record for fitting nearly 500 straws and over 50 burning candles in his mouth. He already holds world record for having maximum number of flags (366) tattooed on his body.
    14. Mercedes  F1 driver Lewis Hamilton from Britain won 2016 Monaco Grand Prix.
      1. 2016 Formula One season -
        1. Total 21 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
          1. Grand Prix Date Winner
            Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Spain 15 May Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
            Monaco 29 May Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
            Canada 12 June  
            Europe 19 June  
            Austria 3 July  
            Britain 10 July  
            Hungary 24 July  
            Germany 31 July  
            Belgium 28 August  
            Italy 4 September  
            Singapore 18 September  
            Malaysia 2 October  
            Japan 9 October    
            USA 23 October  
            Mexico 30 October  
            Brazil 13 November  
            Abu Dhabi 27 November  
    15. Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to win its First IPL (Indian Premier League) title.
    16. Bollywood Actor R Madhavan became goodwill ambassador of LEPRA India organization that fights against diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis.
    17. V Narayanaswamy elected as Congress Legislature Party leader, to become Chief Minister of Puducherry.
    18. China will launch world's first quantum communication satellite in July 2016, to improve security of data transmission. It will use quantum photons, which cannot be separated or duplicated, making communication immune to wiretapping or interceptions.
    19. Gujrat government launched 2 state-wide campaigns - Bal Amritam and Mission Shakti , against malnutrition. As part of these campaigns, iron-rich supplementary food would be provided to children and women.
    20. Indian Railways conducted first ever trial run for high-speed Talgo trains of Spain on Bareilly-to-Moradabad stretch in Uttar Pradesh with speeds averaging 80-115 kmph. Talgo consumes 30% less energy and can run on curves without decelerating. It can complete journey between Delhi and Mumbai in about 12 hours against present 17 hours.
  4. May 28, 2016
    1. National Meet on Mining Sector held in Jaipur (Rajasthan).
    2. Baciro Dja named as new Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau (Country in West Africa).
    3. Telangana state Government entered Limca Book of Records for its Intensive Household Survey conducted in August 2014, that compiled all kinds of information about each household in state with an aim to prepare a data-bank for its social welfare and development programmes.
    4. IT & Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that payments bank of India Post will start functioning from March 2017.
    5. Indian para athlete and Arjuna Awardee Amit Kumar Saroha from Haryana won gold medal in mens club throw (F-51) at 2016 French Open Athletics Championship in Paris. He broke Asian record with a throw 26.58m.
    6. Mount Sinabung volcano in Karo plateau of Indonesia erupted.
    7. 42nd G7 summit held in Ise-Shima (Japan). G7 Consits of Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, USA.
    8. Tripura ranked first in overall performance in Implementation of MGNREGA. Testing was done on basis of 3 indicators - efficiency in providing guaranteed 100 days of employment, regular wage payment, work completion rate.
    9. Neeraj Kumar Gupta committee constituted by government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to boost cashless transactions.
    10. Book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up, authored by Rana Ayyub has been released.
    11. Discus thrower Seema Punia qualified for Rio Olympics with a 62.62m throw at Pat Youngs Throwers Classic 2016 at Salinas in USA. She crossed 61 Metre Olympics qualification standard.
  5. May 27, 2016
    1. Noted Marathi litterateur R G Jadhav passed away.
    2. Mamata Banerjee sworn-in as Chief Minister of West Bengal for second successive five-year term.
    3. Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh won India Biodiversity Award 2016 in conservation of threatened species category for its Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme. Under this Programme, urban citizens contribute money to protect hornbill nests around Pakke Tiger Reserve.
    4. Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired a land-attack version of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos at Pokaran (Rajasthan). It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram and has top supersonic speed of Mach 3 (thrice the speed of sound). It can strike a target at maximum range of 290-km.
    5. India's BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) and Horticulture Innovation Australia signed MOU to enhance research and development capabilities in biotechnology.
    6. Indian author Aditi Krishnakumar won prestigious 2016 Scholastic Asian Book Award for her 32,000-word manuscript Codex: The Lost Treasure Of The Indus.
    7. Indian-American scientist Arnab De received Springer Theses Award for his research on developing transgenic mice to study a critical tumor-suppressor A20.
    8. Real Madrid FC won 2016 UEFA Champions League for record 11th time by defeating Atletico Madrid FC by 5-3 goals.
    9. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully deployed first experimental inflatable room attached to International Space Station (ISS). Experimental inflatable room is dubbed as BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module), built by Nevada Company Bigelow Aerospace.
    10. China launched 3 (1 domestic (Ziyuan III 02 ) and foreign (NewSat)) by a Long March 4B rocket. Ziyuan III 02 satellite is a new civilian high-resolution mapping satellite and second in remote-sensing mapping system that China plans to build by 2030.
    11. Oscar winning Legendary Indian music composer A R Rahman honored by Japan's Fukuoka prize 2016 in Grand Prize category for his outstanding contribution towards showcasing South Asian traditional fusion music.
    12. Nokia Technologies and HMD global Oy (HMD) signed 10-year licensing agreement to market Nokia-branded phones and tablets.
    13. 102 years old, world's oldest Olympic champion Sandor Tarics passed away. He was member of Hungarian Waterpolo team that won in Berlin Olympics staged by Nazi government in 1936.
    14. PM Modi Visited Iran. 12 MoUs signed with Iran on this occasion. Some are -
      1. India, Iran and Afghanistan signed three-way land transit agreement on Iran’s strategic southern port of Chabahar.
      2. National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) signed MoU with Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), to explore possibility of setting up smelter- cum-gas based power plant on joint venture in Iran for proposed smelter plant in Chabahar Free Trade Zone. NALCO will supply alumina from its refinery in India.
      3. MoU between EXIM Bank and Irans Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).
      4. Confirmation Statement between EXIM Bank and Central Bank of Iran (CBI).
      5. IRCON and CDTIC - to enable IRCON to provide requisite services for the construction of Chabahar-Zahedan railway line.
      6. MoU on India-Iran Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP).
      7. MoU on Policy Dialogue between Governments and Interaction between Think Tanks.
      8. MoU between Foreign Service Institute, MEA and School of International Relations, Irans MoFA.
      9. Implementation Protocol on Cooperation in Science and Technology.
    15. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released report Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6): Regional assessment for Asia and the Pacific -
      1. As per report, India is at top with nearly 4 crore Indians will be at risk from rising sea levels by 2050 as  worst impacts of climate change are projected to occur in the Pacific and South and South-East Asia.
    16. United Nations Environment Programme released report Actions on Air Quality, during second United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi (Kenya). As per report, with decline of global air quality, action in some air quality areas points to political will to tackle it.
    17. British director Ken Loach's film I, Daniel Blake won Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. It was Loach's second award for best picture at the festival after 2006's The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
  6. May 26, 2016
    1. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Bahrain.
    2. Indian Coast Guard ship Arush has been commissioned.
    3. Bilateral Air Force exercise between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Ex-Desert Eagle-I held in UAE.
    4. Committee headed by T S R Subramanian set up to formulate new National Education Policy submitted its report to Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry.
    5. Lakshadweep became first Union Territory (UT) to sign 24x7 Power for All document, that states a plan to increase solar capacity of the region from 2.15 MW to 8.45 MW. As part of energy efficiency measures, 1 lakh LED bulbs will be distributed by UT administration through Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and Incandescent lamps/CFL bulbs will be replaced with LED bulbs under UJALA programme.
    6. Ministry of Power and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Indias first integrated web portal (www.nzeb.in) designed to promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in India. Portal provides complete information about Net Zero Energy Buildings (those that generate as much energy as they use).
    7. Government will launch Mission 11 Million to engage more than 11 million children in activities relating to Football in October, 2016. Note that FIFA U-17 Football world cup will be held in India.
    8. Girish Luthra appointed as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command while AR Karve as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command.
    9. Railways signed MOU with PEC University of Technology for setting up Kalpana Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways at PEC University, Chandigarh.
    10. Sunil Lamba appointed as Chief of Indian Navy while Karambir Singh appointed as Vice Chief of Indian Navy.
    11. India Signed An agreement for Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Grant of USD 9.20 Million with World Bank for"Efficient and Sustainable City Bus Service Project. 
    12. Bhim Sain Bassi appointed as Member of Union Public Service Commission.
    13. Indian-American student won 2016 National Geographic Bee championship, securing first three positions in 28th annual National Geographic Bee Competition in Washington. This is fifth consecutive year of National Geographic Bee championship in which an Indian-American has won. Winners - Rishi Nair (1st), Saketh Jonnalagadda and Kapil Nathan.
    14. Bharti Enterprises founder Sunil Bharti Mittal honored with 2016 Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award.
    15. Barack Obama became first incumbent USA president to visit Hiroshima memorial site in Japan. It is worlds first atomic bombing dropped on August 6, 1945 and killed over 140,000 people.
  7. May 25, 2016
    1. As per report by Assocham-KPMG, India emerged as worlds fifth largest electronic waste (e-waste) producer and India discards 18.5 lakh tonnes of e-waste each year. India is worlds second largest mobile market with 1.03 billion subscribers, nearly 25% of it end up in e-waste annually.
    2. For effective waste management in an eco-friendly manner, Sikkim government banned disposable foam food containers like cups, plates, spoons, containers, etc., and has restricted the use of mineral water bottles in government programmes all over the state.
    3. Retirement fund body EPFO decided to almost double maximum sum assured under its insurance scheme from 3.6 lakh to Rs 6 lakh for its 4 crore subscribers.
    4. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari launched 20 Nirbhaya buses of Rajasthan State Transport Corporation with multiple safety measures to better protect women passengers. These include Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), CCTV and panic buttons on every seat.
    5. Telangana government signed MoU with US-based healthcare tech firm Eclat Health Solutions. Eclat will invest USD 15 million in state to provide 1000 jobs.
    6. Saudi Arabia based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will open its first branch in India at Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
    7. China signed agreements with Sudan to build 600-megawatt atomic reactor.
    8. Book A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve has been released. It is collection of previously unreleased writings by Mother Teresa and has been compiled by Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk.
    9. BJP formed NEDA (North East Democratic Alliance) to boost development agenda in North-Eastern states.
    10. HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani launched multilingual knowledge portal www.bharatvani.in as largest online repository of dictionaries in India. It has been launched in 22 scheduled languages, which eventually will be extended to 100 more languages and will help showcase the Indian culture and heritage to the world.
    11. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched inaugural World Wildlife Crime Report, highlighting how poaching and illegal trade of thousands of different species across globe present real environmental dangers.
    12. Book My Favourite Nature Stories authored by famous author Ruskin Bond has been released.
    13. World Health Organisation released World Health Statistics 2016 - Monitoring Health for the SDGs. Global life expectancy for children born in 2015 was 71.4 years (73.8 years for females and 69.1 years for males), while in India it was 68.3 (66.9 for males and 69.9 for females). Highlights of World Health Statistics 2016 -
      1. With average lifespan of 86.8 years, women in Japan live longest while Switzerland's men have longest average 81.3 years lifespan.
      2. People in Sierra Leone have world’s lowest life-expectancy for both - 50.8 years for women and 49.3 years for men.
      3. Globally, life expectancy increased by 5 years between 2000 and 2015, the fastest increase since the 1960s.
      4. Increase was greatest in the African Region of WHO where life expectancy increased by 9.4 years to 60 years.
      5. Healthy life expectancy, a measure of the number of years of good health that a newborn in 2015 can expect, stands at 63.1 years globally (64.6 years for females and 61.5 years for males)
      6. Every year -
        1. 303000 women die due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth
        2. 5.9 million children die before their fifth birthday
        3. 2 million people are newly infected with HIV, and there are 9.6 million new TB cases and 214 million malaria cases
        4. 800000 people commit suicide, 1.25 million from road traffic injuries, 4.3 million due to air pollution by cooking fuels, 3 million due to outdoor pollution and 475 000 people are murdered.
    14. USA Senate approved 1.1 billion USD emergency funding to combat Zika virus in 2016 and 2017.
    15. Five Indian car models failed in crash tests by Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP). Cars that failed are - Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzukis Celerio and Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon.
  8. May 24, 2016
    1. Noted Tennis Player Roger Federer withdrawn from 2016 French Open due to back injury.
    2. Government constituted Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) Authority, to strengthen framework for safeguarding interest of investors. This is a step closer to setting up IEPF, which will be utilized for multiple purposes for protecting investors.
    3. Denmark won Thomas Cup badminton tournament for the first time by defeating Indonesia.
    4. India banned its nationals from travelling to Libya, in view of prevailing security situation in that country.
    5. Rajasthan's Bundi is stepping into virtual world with an 'e-municipal council' to make all informative rsources digitally accessible.
    6. Britain granted political refugee status to ousted former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed.
    7. S K Saini appointed as new commandant of Indian Military Academy (IMA).
    8. Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities will now be known as 'Divyangjan' Sashaktikaran Vibhag in Hindi and dropped word 'viklangjan'.
    9. USA's Frances Arnold won the Technology Academy's (Finland) Millennium Technology Prize for her work 'directed evolution' (method of rewriting DNA to improve medicines and develop green fuels). She is first female wo win this 1 million euro prize.
    10. Digital payments platform FreeCharge named Kunal Shah as chairman, and Govind Rajan as CEO.
    11. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd commissioned first 800 MW super critical thermal unit in Karnataka. This is the highest rating unit in the state.
    12. Automobile giant Mahindra & Mahindra incorporated its agricultural equipment rental services arm Trringo.com as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
    13. First-ever World Humanitarian Summit since World War II, held in Istanbul (Turkey).
    14. University Grants Commission (UGC) brought out new norms for deemed universities. An institution will be eligible to become a deemed university if -
      1. It has undergraduate and 5 post-graduate programmes with research in existence for 3 years.
      2. A deemed university should have a min 40 % open space of total built up area.
      3. Institution must have either highest NAAC or NBA accreditation rating for three cycles consecutively or an ‘A’ grade at the time of application and a position among top 20 institutions under the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF).
      4. Deemed universities will be able to open off-campus centres only after five years of their existence.
    15. Government approved revised guidelines of Performance in Credit Rating Scheme , to increase its effectiveness for both borrowers and banks.
      1. Fee to be reimbursed by the MSME Ministry will constitute 75 % of the fee charged by the rating agency subject to a ceiling of
        1. 15000 - For turnover up to 50 lakh rupees
        2. 30000 - For turnover between 50 lakh and 2 cr
        3. 40000 - For turnover above 2 cr
  9. May 23, 2016
    1. Government approved MOU with Japan for promoting sustainable, stable and low-carbon thermal power development in India.
    2. Government approved financial restructuring of Hindustan Fertilizers Corporation Limited (HFCL), including loan waiver of over 9000 crores and transfer of 56 acres of Ash Dyke land of Barauni unit to Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) to settle dues of HFCL for faster revival of Barauni Unit.
    3. Government approved undertaking cadre review of Indian Postal Service for enabling Department of Posts to meet the functional requirements and strengthening cadre structure.
    4. Government approved MoU between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) for cooperation in exploration and user of outer space for peaceful purposes.
    5. Government approved MOU with Maldives for cooperation in field of tourism.
    6. Government approved financial restructuring of Hindustan Steel Works Construction Limited (HSCL) and its takeover by National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC).
    7. Government modified list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Puducherry -
      1. Sl.No.

        State / Union Territory

        Inclusion / Exclusion / Rectification / Identification

        Community

        1.

        Assam

        Inclusion

        Boro, Boro Kachari, Bodo, Bodo Kachari, Karbi (Mikir)

         

        2.

        Chhattisgarh

         

         

         

         

         

         

        Chhattisgarh

        Inclusion

         

         

         

         

         

         

        Rectification of Hindi Version of the Notification

         

        iii) Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, Bhuyan

        iv) Dhanuhar / Dhanuwar

        v) Kisan

        vi) Saunra, Saonra

        vii) Dhangad

        3.

        Jharkhand

        Inclusion

        viii) Bhogta, Deshwari, Ganjhu, Dautalbandi (Dwalbandi), Patbandi, Raut, Maajhia, Khairi (Kheri)

        ix)  Puran

         

        4.

        Tamil Nadu

        Inclusion

         x) Malayali Gounder

        xi) Narikoravan, 

             Kurivikkaran

         

        5.

        Tripura

        Inclusion

        xii) Darlong

         

        6.

        Puducherry

        Identification (First Order)

        xiii) Irular (including Villi and Vettaikaran)

    8. Government approved proposal of Yes Bank for increase in foreign investment limit to 74% from existing foreign equity of 41.87 %.
    9. Government approved establishment of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Andhra Pradesh. It was on August 20, 2015 registered as a Society in the state under Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001.
    10. National Academy For Training & Research In Social Security (NATRSS) has been renamed as Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS).
    11. After successful test of Reusable launch Vehicle- Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will test an Air-breathing Propulsion System, aimed to capitalize on oxygen in atmosphere instead of liquefied oxygen while in flight. These activities are part of ISRO's efforts to to bring down cost of launch vehicles.
    12. Government approved to amend Institutes of Technology (IIT) Act, 1961 for incorporation of 6 new IITs - Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Dharwar (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Goa, Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir).
    13. Government approved National Capital Goods Policy 2016 by Ministry of Heavy Industry & Public Enterprise for capital goods sector -
      1. Policy Objectives
        1. Increase production of capital goods from 2,30,000 crore rupees in 2014-15 to 7,50,000 crore rupees in 2025.
        2. Raise employment from current 84 lakh to 3 crore.
        3. Increase exports from 27% to 40% of production.
        4. Increase share of domestic production in Indias demand from 60% to 80%.
      2. Aim of Policy
        1. Facilitate improvement in technology depth across sub-sectors
        2. Ensure mandatory standards
        3. Increase skill availability and promote growth
        4. Capacity building of MSMEs.
    14. Scientists from Trinity College Dublins School of Physics and CRANN Institute discovered a new property of light based on Angular Momentum, opening up ways to alter basic understanding of fundamental nature of light.
      1. Unexpected new property of light was seen based on concept called ‘angular momentum, during passing of light through crystals.
      2. Earlier, physicists thought that in all forms of light, angular momentum (measures how much a beam of light is rotating) is multiple of Plancks constant (physical constant that sets the scale of quantum effects). But now scientists found angular momentum of each photon (a particle of visible light) takes only half of this value.
      3. This new property causes a beam of light to be confined to fewer than three dimensions.
      4. Significance - Help in study of light waves in areas such as secure optical communication which will open up new means for faster internet connections.
    15. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has been conferred the prestigious Othmer Gold Medal by Chemical Heritage Foundation, for his entrepreneurial leadership.
    16. China won Uber Cup badminton championship by defeating India in China. It was china's 14th Uber cup title.
    17. Bihar Government announced ban on sale, distribution, storage, manufacture, consumption and publicity of tobacco products like gutka and pan masala.
    18. World Bank's subsidiary International Finance Corporation (IFC) will invest US$68 million (about INR 460 crore) in Apollo Health & Lifestyle ltd (AHLL) and $20 million in FCEL (Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd). 
    19. Binali Yildirim chosen as Turkey’s Prime Minster.
    20. Belgium's Mourad Laachraoui won gold in European Taekwondo Championships and will nocompete in this summer's Rio Olympics. Note that hs is brother of Paris Blasts Accused  Najim Laachraoui.
  10. May 22, 2016
    1. National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned over 10 years old diesel vehicles in six cities of Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.
    2. Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) launched ASMITA (All School Monitoring Individual Tracing Analysis ) under Shala Asmita Yojana (SAY).
      1. SAY aims to track educational journey of school students from Class I to Class XII across 15 lakhs schools in country.
      2. ASMITA will be an online database with information of student attendance and enrolment, learning outcomes, mid-day meal service and infrastructural facilities.
    3. Chief Executive Office of Apple Inc., Tim Cook Visited India.
      1. Apple opened a new Development Office in Hyderabad, Telangana.The facility will focus on development of Maps for Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. This investment will accelerate Maps development and create up to 4000 jobs.
    4. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal released draft of State of Delhi Bill 2016 that seeks to establish State of Delhi as 30th State in country.
    5. Military tourism initiative Veer Yatra has been launched by Maharashtra Ex-servicemen's Corporation (MESCO) in Pune (Maharashtra) to strengthen bond between military establishment and civilians.
    6. Book Making It Big: The inspiring Story of Nepals first billionaire in his own words has been authored by Binod Chaudhary, Nepal's first billionaire.
    7. 2016 Women Economic Forum (WEF) hosted by New Delhi (India) under theme Women: Uplifting and Uniting the World.
    8. International Buddhist conference held in Lumbini (Nepal) with theme Lumbini, Nepal: the birth place of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace.
    9. Tsai Ing-wen appointed as first female President of Taiwan.
    10. Book Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission has been authored by Dhananjay Kheer.
    11. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) made mandatory for Participatory Notes (P-Notes) users to follow Indian anti-money laundering laws and report any suspicious transactions. Issuers of P-Notes will report transfer trail of P-Notes to SEBI on monthly basis in addition to present reporting details of their holders.
      1. P-Notes are instruments issued by registered foreign institutional investors to overseas investors, who wish to invest in Indian markets without registering themselves directly in India to save time.
    12. Indian 4x100m womens relay team broke 18-year-old national record to finish 4th at IAAF World Challenge in Beijing (China). Team included Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, HM Jyoti and Merlin Joseph clocked 44.03 seconds to finish race.
    13. US-based Nepali Lhakpa Sherpa climbed Mount Everest for seventh time, breaking her own record for the most summits of the world’s highest mountain by any woman.
    14. May 22 - International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD). Theme for 2016 is Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their Livelihoods.
    15. Health Minister J P Nadda launched Kayakalp Fortnight at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi with aim of intensifying Kayakalp initiative under Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan.
  11. May 21, 2016
    1. May 21 - Nationsl Anti-Terrorism Day. It Marks death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was assassinated at an election rally near Chennai by a suicide bomber from LTTE on 21 May 1991.
    2. Government launched affordable Faecal Incontinence Management System (FIMS) Qora.
      1. Fecal incontinence (FI) is a medical condition marked by inability to control ones bowel (Intestine) movements.
      2. It causes feces (stool) to leak unexpectedly from the rectum.
    3. United Nations (UN) appointed Mary Robinson and Macharia Kamau as UNs Special Envoys for El Nino and Climate.
    4. Ratan P Watal appointed as Principle Adviser for social sector in NITI Aayog.
    5. Himachal Pradesh fisheries department started an artificial propagation programme for conservation of Golden Mahseer fish.
    6. Government constituted 11 members committee under D B Shekatkar to recommend measures to enhance combat capabilities of armed forces and re-balance overall defence expenditure.
    7. US House of Representatives passed amendments to National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)- 2017 to enhance countrys defence cooperation with India and bring India at par with USs NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies for technology and equipment sale.
    8. Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling conferred with Yug Kavi Siddhicharan Award, one of the Nepals prestigious literary award.
    9. Anurag Thakur elected as 34th President of BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) till September 2017.
    10. Global Review on Antimicrobial Resistance appreciated Indias Medicines with Red Line campaign on antibiotics. Global review was commissioned by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and was chaired by economist Jim ONeil.
      1. As per report, Indias model of putting a red line on antibiotic packages to curb their over-the-counter sale can be used globally to counter rising threat of superbugs.
    11. Gujarat Government launched Smart Village program to improve public facilities in villages. Under this, 300 villages will be selected for Smart Village program.
    12. J Jayalalithaa sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for record sixth time. Her party AIADMK Party won 134 / 234 seats in State Assembly elections 2016.
    13. Mohun Bagan FC won 2016 Indian Federation Cup football tournament title for 14th time, defeating Aizawl FC.
    14. USA lifted its embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam, its one-time enemy in 1970's.
    15. India's Biliards player Pankaj Advani won Asian 6-Red Snooker title in Abu Dhabi. He became first in world to hold both world and continental titles in 6-red snooker at same time.
    16. Noted scientist S K Sharma appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
    17. Odisha Government promulgated Odisha Official Language (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 to ensure use of Odia in all government systems.
    18. Routes 2 Roots, Delhi-based Non-profit organization (NGO) has been awarded Inter-cultural Innovation Award 2016 by United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Azerbaijan. The award was bestowed upon NGO for their unique Student Exchange Program, which allowed children in schools from India and Pakistan to connect with each other.
    19. Ministry of Urban Development shortlisted 13 cities in list of 2nd batch of Smart Cities Mission, topped by Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. 13 shortlisted smart cities (Rank wise) are
      1. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
      2. Warangal (Telanagana).
      3. Dharmashala (Himachal Pradesh).
      4. Chandigarh (UT of Chandigarh).
      5. Raipur (Chattisgarh).
      6. New Town Kolkata (West Bengal).
      7. Bhagalpur (Bihar).
      8. Panaji (Goa).
      9. Port Blair (UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
      10. Imphal (Manipur).
      11. Ranchi (Jharkhand).
      12. Agartala (Tripura).
      13. Faridabad (Haryana).
    20. World Bank Group launched Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility and launched a $500 million fund to fight Pandemics in poor countries and creating the world's first insurance market for pandemic risk. FEP is a financing mechanism designed to quickly mobilize funds to tackle global disease outbreaks and create a new insurance market for pandemic risk. It was unveiled at G-7 Finance Ministers Summit in Ise-Shima (Japan).
  12. May 20, 2016
    1. Jitendra Singh has been assigned Independent charge of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports after resignation of Sarbananda Sonowal.
    2. Kiran Bedi has been appointed as Lt. Governor of Union Territory of Puducherry.
    3. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visited Oman.
    4. Indian Space Research Organization successfully tested a Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator at Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). With this, India moved a step close to developing a space vehicle that can fly numerous times into space.
    5. Indian Navy commissioned Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli.
    6. Indian Signed loan agreement with World Bank for US$ 100 million for Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernization project.
    7. Indian Person Philip Abraham elected as Deputy Mayor of Loughton town in United Kingdom.
    8. Noted Gujarati singer Diwaliben Bhil passed away.
    9. A joint US-Australian military research team successfully tested a hypersonic technology in Australian desert. During the test, scramjet attached to a rocket booster was successfully sent to an altitude of 278 km at Mach 7.5 (seven times speed of sound).
      1. Hypersonic flight involves travelling at more than 5 times the speed of sound (Mach 5). For this, scientists are working in Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) programme.
      2. Scramjet is a supersonic combustion engine that uses oxygen from the atmosphere for fuel. It is lighter and faster than fuel-carrying rockets and is suitable for flying at hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) speed. Scramjet engines do not have moving parts, It has rotating compressor and turbine in a jet engine.
      3. Scramjet technology can revolutionise global air travel and also provide cost-effective access to space.
    10. Coalition of Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 2016 Kerala Assembly Elections by winning 91 / 140 seats . Communist Party of India (Marxist) became largest party by winning 58 seats. Pinarayi Vijayan will be next chief minister of Kerala.
    11. Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners won majority in 2016 Assam state assembly election by winning 87 / 126 seats. BJP won 60 seats. Sarbananda Sonowal will be next chief minister of Assam.
    12. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) desiged by IBM in Rashtrapati Bhavan and a mobile application Monitor.
    13. Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda launched Centre for Environmental Health in New Delhi to assess impact of environment-related problems on health.
    14. All India Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) under leadership of Mamata Banerjee won 2016 West Bengal Assembly Elections by winning 211 / 295 seats.
    15. First World Conference on Tourism for Development (WCTD) held in Beijing (China) with theme Tourism for Peace and Development.
    16. Himachal Pradesh Government has launched ‘PEHAL, a vision document of the Shimla District administration for raising education standards.
  13. May 19, 2016
    1. Australian researchers at University of Newcastle built worlds first scanning helium microscope (SHeM). It would enable scientists to study human, animal and plant samples, as well as pharmaceutical drugs and computer chips in their true state.
    2. Italian parliament passed legislation legalizing same-sex civil unions. With this, italy became last country in Western Europe to do so. The new law grants same-sex couples many of the same rights as married heterosexual couples.
    3. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry named as NBA (National Basketball Association)'s Most Valuable Player for second straight year.
    4. A Genetic study confirmed that Bene Israel community living in the western part of India has roots of Jewish Religion.
    5. Tinlianthang Vaiphei appointed as acting Chief Justice of Tripura High Court.
  14. May 18, 2016
    1. May 18 - International Museum Day. 2016 theme is Museums and Cultural Landscapes.
    2. Global rating agency Moody's has forecasted growth rate of 7.5 % for Indian economy in 2016 and 2017.
    3. Government revised rehabilitation of bonded labour scheme, bringing it into the Central sector. Scheme proposes to increase the Budget provision from rs. 5 crore to about Rs. 47 crore per annum.
    4. SBI's Overseas subsidiary, Nepal SBI Bank launched payment gateway to facilitate transactions between Nepal and India.
    5. Public sector Bank Punjab National Bank reported largest net loss of rs. 5,367.14 crore for 4th quarter ended 31st of March, 2016. This is the biggest quarterly loss in Indian bank history. 
    6. Ola signed MoU with National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) to Build a sustainable framework by supporting entrepreneurship and self-defence courses for Safai Karamcharis and Scavengers.
    7. Japanese financial company Nomura exited its mutual fund joint venture with India's Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
    8. Tata Power Renewable Energy will develop 2 solar-grid connected photovoltaic projects of 50 mw capacity each in Pavagada Solar Park in Tumkur district of Karnataka.
    9. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research appointed Rakesh Kumar Mishra appointed as Director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
    10. As per World Cities Report 2016 – Urbanization and Development: Emerging Futures report by UN Habitat -
      1. Urban areas contributing 60% of the GDP and an extra 30 crore urban residents are projected by 2050. Government of India will need to build 100 new cities with low infrastructure, denser and low energy to tackle needs of such population growth.
    11. Rupa Iyer, Indian-American bio-technologist received University of Houston's highest teaching award for her contributions to education in USA.
    12. Sevilla named champions of UEFA Europa League for third straight year after they defeated Liverpool. 
  15. May 17, 2016
    1. 17 May - 2016 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. Theme is ICT entrepreneurship for social impact.
    2. 17 May - World Hypertension Day. Theme is Know Your Numbers
    3. Michel Temer appointed as president of Brazil after 6-months Suspension of Dilma Rouseff.
    4. FC Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions for second straight time and 24th time overall, after they defeated FC Granada.
    5. Rio Olympics qualified sprinter Sudha Singh set a new national record in 3,000-meter steeplechase category by clocking 9 minutes and 26.55 seconds in IAAF Diamond League race in Shanghai.
    6. Malaysia won women's Asian Team squash Championships in Chinese Taipei, by defeating India.
    7. Actress Celina Jaitly honoured by Harvey Milk Foundation for her contribution to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) equality as a United Nations Equality Champion.
    8. Deepak Shodhan, India's oldest Test cricketer and 2nd Indian to score a memorable test century in his debut innings, has passed away.
    9. Han Kang became First South Korean author to win Man Booker International Prize after she won 2016 Prize for her novel The Vegetarian.
    10. India and Bangladesh concluded a nuclear agreement to engage bilateral neighborhood relationship. Indian nuclear deal will equip and train Bangladesh to import their first nuclear power plant from Russia.
    11. Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited got 1,600 crores order from joint venture company of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to set up a coal based thermal power project in Odisha.
    12. India’s renewable energy sector has been ranked third in the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) with China at second and the US on top. Index ranks 40 markets on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities.
    13. UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will shut down its corporate, institutional and retail banking operations in India. RBS currently operates 10 retail branches in India employing 400 people.
    14. Pfizer Inc (USA) will buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals (USA) in a $5.2-billion (£3.61 billion).
    15. British Royals launched Heads Together campaign at Queen Elizabeth Park in East London, with aim of changing national conversation on mental health and wellbeing.
    16. Renowned author of Harry Potter series, JK Rowling has been honoured with highest French civilian honour French Legion Of Honour.
    17. French astrophysicist Andre Brahic, knwon for discovery of Neptune's rings, Passed away.
    18. 3-member Indian women's archery team comprising Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi and Laxmirani Majhi named for Rio Olympics after several selection trials.
    19. IndiGo airlines appointed Rohit Philip as its new Chief Financial Officer.
    20. Shell India has announced Nitin Prasad as its new India head.
    21. England Cricket Awards 2016 -
      1. Joe Root won 3 awards - Test Player of the Year, Limited Overs Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year.
      2. Anya Shrubsole - women's cricketer of the year
      3. Callum Flynn - best cricketer with a disability.
      4. David Lloyd - special achievement award, for his 50-year stint as a player, umpire, commentator and coach.
  16. May 16, 2016
    1. 16 May - National Day for Disease of Dengue. Government of India recently declared May 16 as National Dengue Day to mark the toll the deadly disease has been taking in terms of lives and to reaffirm nationwide efforts to tackle it.
    2. Indian non-fiction short film on girl child education Beti has been invited for a special screening at 42nd edition of Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) 2016b (Washington DC).
    3. Rajasthan became first Indian state to issue newspaper advertisements for the post of Vice Chancellor (VC) of government universities.
    4. As per National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Indias GDP growth rate is projected to 7.6 % in FY 16 (2015-16) and 7.7 % FY 17 (2016-17) because of a favourable monsoon.
    5. Rwanda hosted 26th World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF) in its capital Kigali. Theme is - Connecting Africa's Resources through Digital Transformation.
    6. Iran has stopped free shipping of oil to Indian refiners from April 2016. Note tat Iran since 2013, has offered free shipping due to international sanctions imposed on it because of its nuclear program.
    7. National Aluminium Company (Nalco) signed MoU with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for Research and Development (R&D) in fields of mutual interest.
    8. Kotak Mahindra Bank Chief Uday Kotak (Net worth $7.1 billion), is sonly Indian in Forbes' 'Money Masters: The Most Powerful People In The Financial World' list of 40. List topped by Blackstone Group's CEO Stephen Schwarzman (worth $10.2 billion).
    9. Music composer AR Rahman has been made Goodwill Ambassador for Rio Olympics. Rahman is India's fourth Goodwill Ambassador after Bollywood actor Salman Khan, Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
    10. Central Asian state leaders inaugurated Central Asia South Asia (CASA-1000) transmission line in Tajikistan to link Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan and to promote regional stability.
    11. Parkash Singh committee submitted its report on Jat Quota in Haryana.
    12. Securities and Exchange Board of India approved appointment of Ashok Chawla as National Stock Exchange (NSE)'s new Chairman.
    13. Rwandan cricket captain Eric Dusingizimana has set a new Guinness world record by batting out a straight 51 hours as longest individual net session. He beat record set last year by India's Virag Mane (50 hours).
    14. Postal department of India went high tech by geo tagging 1.5 Lakh post offices on Bhuvan Portal (ISRO) and monitoring timely clearance of letter boxes through a mobile app.
    15. Government approved Odisha Government's proposal to set up Kalinganagar National Investment and Manufacturing Zone in Jajpur district with cost approx 4200 crores. This is third Investment and Manufacturing Zone of India involving a massive area of 163 sqr km.
  17. May 15, 2016
    1. 15 May - International Day of Families. Theme for 2016 is Families, healthy lives and sustainable future.
    2. Government approved joint issue of UN Women HeForShe postage stamp and a MoU has been signed between Department of Posts and United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in for this purpose.
    3. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved offering an improved Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) package based on 2007 notional pay scales for employees of Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation (HVOC). It will bring relief to employees of HVOC. that were suffering due to financial sickness of the company.
    4. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji visited India.
    5. Cyclonic storm ROANU over west central Bay of Bengal Hits Indian Coastal states of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
    6. India and Slovenia signed Protocol amending existing Convention and Protocol between two countries for avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion.
    7. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) conducted trial run of countrys first ever driverless Metro train. Driverless trains will run on over 58 km-long Majlish Park-Shiv Vihar (Line 7) and over 38 km-long Janakpuri (West)- Botanical Garden (Line 8) corridors of Phase-III.
    8. Indian American professor Rakesh K. Jain will be presented 2015 National Medal of Science of USA.
    9. Indian American teenager from Texas Syamantak Payra won $50,000 Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award for his work in making a low-cost electronically-aided knee brace device which allows people with weakened legs to be able to walk better.s
    10. Income Tax (IT) department launched electronic grievance redressal system e-nivaran to fast track taxpayer grievances and ensure early resolution of their complaints.
    11. World's largest single rooftop solar power plant of 11.5 MegaWatt (MW) capacity inaugurated at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh in Beas near Amritsar in Punjab. It is spread over 82 acres of rooftop in single campus with installed capacity of 19.5 MW. Cost has been around 139 crores and would generate clean and green energy sufficient to power approximately 8,000 homes. It will also help in abating 4-lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in next 25 years.
    12. Odisha Government launched Green Passage scheme for orphan students to ensure that they get free of cost higher education in the state.
    13. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched a super pressure balloon to conduct near-space scientific investigations, from South Island Wanaka Airport (New Zealand). The balloon is 532,000 cubic metres and aims to remain airborne for more than 100 days.
    14. Indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile successfully test-fired. It is Capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of nuclear as well as conventional warheadsm with Strike Range 350 km.
    15. World's first robot lawyer ROSS has been employed by a US law firm BakerHostetler. It will assist the law firm in legal research.
    16. State Bank of India decided to merge its five associate public sector banks (PSBs) and Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with itself. 5 subsidiary banks are - State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore.
    17. Government opened a special Tatkal like window to expedite examination process of patent applications by start-ups as well as of entities choosing India for filing first patent. It is aiming to reduce time frame for grant of patents to 18 months from the present 5-7 years by March 2018.
    18. HDFC Bank launched SmartUp, a dedicated solution for startups to fulfil all their banking needs. It was launched in association with Mumbai-based accelerator Zone Startups India (ZSI).
    19. Scientists from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) developed world's first genetically engineered clone of Zika virus strain. They dubbed it as infectious complementary DNA (cDNA) clone.
  18. May 14, 2016
    1. 14 May - World Fair Trade Day (Second Saturday of May Each Year).
    2. India's Mukul Mudgal appointed as Deputy Chairman of FIFA Governance Committee. While General Luis Miguel Maduro from Portugal was appointed as Chairman of FIFAs governance committee.
    3. Income Declaration Scheme 2016 / 4 month window for declaration of domestic black money (Dhan Wapsi) will be effective from 1st June 2016. It provides an opportunity to all persons who have not declared income correctly in earlier years to declare their undisclosed incomes. Under this,
      1. Declared income would be taxed at rate of 30 % plus ‘Krishi Kalyan cess of 25 % on taxes payable and a penalty at rate of 25 % of taxes payable. Thus, total tax to be paid will be 45% of income declared.
      2. Declarations can be filed online or with the Principal Commissioners of Income-tax. The surcharge and penalty must be paid by 30th November, 2016.
    4. Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen (18 years age) from Netherlands became Formula Ones youngest winner, after he won 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
      1. 2016 Formula One season -
        1. Total 21 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
          1. Grand Prix Date Winner
            Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Spain 15 May Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
            Monaco 29 May  
            Canada 12 June  
            Europe 19 June  
            Austria 3 July  
            Britain 10 July  
            Hungary 24 July  
            Germany 31 July  
            Belgium 28 August  
            Italy 4 September  
            Singapore 18 September  
            Malaysia 2 October  
            Japan 9 October    
            USA 23 October  
            Mexico 30 October  
            Brazil 13 November  
            Abu Dhabi 27 November  
    5. Italian Open Tennis 2016 -
      1. Men's Singles - Andy Murray (Britain) defeated Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
      2. Womens Singles - Serena Williams (USA) defeated Madison Keys (USA).
      3. Womens Doubles - Sania Mirza (India) and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis. defeated Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.
      4. Mens doubles - Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (USA) defeated pair of Vasek Pospisil (Canada) and Jack Sock (United States).
    6. Former ISRO Chairman Udupi Ramachandra Rao became first Indian to be given Hall of Fame Award by International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
    7. China successfully launched Yaogan-30 remote-sensing satellite into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) using Long March-2D rocket.
    8. India Successfully tested Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile - Ashwin. During Test, It hit target missile which another ballistic missile (Prithvi). Ashwin AAD is capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile. It is 7.5-meter long and weighs around 1.2 tonnes.
    9. 5 Indians - Shubhkaran Yadav, Manish Malik, Rakesh Kumar and Amal Deka have been chosen posthumously for United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their courage and sacrifice. They are among 124 personnel who have been posthumously awarded a prestigious UN medal.
    10. India and United States (US) held their first Maritime Security Dialogue in New Delhi for deepening evolving partnership in maritime domain.
    11. Deepak Gupta sworn-in as Chief Justice (CJ) of Chhattisgarh High Court.
    12. NTPC signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with Coal India to revive plants of Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL).
    13. Nandini Bhandaru, a PhD student at IIT-Kharagpur won Young Scientist Award of European Materials Research Societys (E-MRS) for contribution to materials science, for her contribution to materials science and nanotechnology, particularly nano-patterning of soft films and surfaces.
    14. World Bank approved 625 million USD loan to support Indias grid connected rooftop solar programme to generate clean energy. Loan has maturity of 20 years and a 19.5 year grace period.
    15. Book White magic: A story of heart break , Hard Drugs and Hope has been authored by Arjun Nath.
    16. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) established Nozzle Testing Laboratories (NTL) at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram (Andhra Pradesh) to carry out advanced R&D esearch in area of rocket nozzle.
    17. Tony Cozier, legendary West Indies commentator passed away.
    18. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organized 3-day International Vichaar Mahakumbh conference at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
    19. Book Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle for the Middle East, has been authored by Patrick Cockburn (Ireland).
    20. Hindupur Pradeep Rao appointed as Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
  19. May 13, 2016
    1. US President Barack Obama honoured Indian-American elementary teacher Revathi Balakrishnan from Texas for her excellent work in field of education.
    2. Shashank Manohar elected as ICCs (International Cricket Council) first independent Chairman for 2 years.
    3. President Pranab Mukherjee presented National Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 nursing personnel from across the country.
    4. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixed ceiling price of 54 drug formulations used for treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, diabetes and hypertension.
    5. Supreme Court of India ruled that Telecom companies will not compensate mobile phone users for inconvenience caused by call drops and the TRAI Regulation that made it mandatory for telecom companies to compensate subscribers for call drops from January 2016, stands illegal.
    6. Indian Air Force launched its Electronic Maintenance Management System (e-MMS) Project, an automated military maintenance system
      1. The e-MMS project is one of largest Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) IT implementation in world.
      2. It has been developed by Wipro, for which contract was signed in 2013. e-MMS will help IAF to get rid of paper works and heavy logbooks.
    7. 19 Singaporean terms and 13 Hong Kong terms were added into Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and became officially recognised as acceptable English. Some of words are -
      1. Wah - expression of delight or surprise.
      2. Shiok - cool / great / delicious / superb.
      3. Yum cha - a type of Chinese brunch.
      4. Wet market - a market selling fresh meat and produce.
      5. Blur - confused / ignorant.
      6. Sabo - to harm or play a prank on.
      7. Sandwich class - informal term used to refer to middle class
      8. Milk tea - drink made from black tea and milk
      9. Shroff - a cashier, especially at a car park
    8. As per recent World Health Organisations (WHO) Urban Air Quality Data -
      1. Top 10 Polluted Cities - Irans Zabol (217), Indias Gwalior (176) and Allahabad (170), Saudi Arabias Riyadh (156) and Al Jubail (152), Indias Patna (149) and Raipur (144), Cameroons Bamenda (132), Chinad Xingtai (128) and Baoding (126).
    9. United States (US) President Barack Obama appointed Indian-American engineer Manjit Singh as member of President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (PACFBNF).
    10. India and Canada, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand and China have signed OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement, for boosting automatic exchange of information on tax issues and developing new tools to tackle tax evasion.
    11. ICICI Bank launched India's first contactless business credit card in association with Jet Airways for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), named as Jet Airways ICICI Bank Business Advantage Card. Card is powered by VISA payWave contactless technology.
    12. Kenyan Government hasdecided to close Dadaab refugee camp, referred to as worlds largest refugee camp having 330000 refugees mostly from Somalia.
    13. USA activated a land-based missile defence station (Aegis Ashore Missile Defence System) in Romania, as part of NATOs larger European shield to protect member countries from short and medium-range missiles, particularly from Middle East.
    14. Cricketer Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket Committee chairman for second term of 3 years. Rahuil dravid has been elected as a member.
    15. NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog decided to come up with a 15-year vision document in relation with global trends and economic growth. It will replace five-year plans continued since 1951.
      1. First 15-year vision document will come into effect from 2017-18 after end of 12th Five year plan.
      2. It will be formulated with central objective of eradication poverty.
      3. It will come along with a seven-year National Development Agenda which will lay down the programmes schemes, and strategies to achieve the long-term vision.
    16. Naveen Sinha appointed as 31st Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.
    17. Senegal's UN diplomat Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura named First Female as Secretary General of FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Council.
    18. Red Flag Aerial combat exercises between US, NATO and allied forces and India Air Force (IAF) concluded in Alaska (USA). This was second time India in such an exercise after 2008.
    19. India signed Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) with World Health Organization (WHO) for cooperation on promoting effectiveness of traditional and complementary medicines. PCA aims at supporting WHO in development of WHO Traditional and Complementary Medicine Strategy.
    20. Indian artist Anjali Chandrashekar won 3rd prize in UN Poster for Peace contest, presented by UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) to raise awareness of need for nuclear disarmament. Her poster Cutting Barriers through Peace featured a peace dove slicing through a nuclear weapon.
  20. May 12, 2016
    1. Government approve MoU between Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi for co-operation and technical assistance.
    2. Government approved status of Central University for Rajendra Agriculture University, PUSA, Samastipur (Bihar).
    3. Foreign Secretary of India, S Jaishankar visited Bangladesh.
    4. H.E. Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka visited India. PM Narendra Modi along with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena released ‘Simhastha Declaration’ at Ninora village in Ujjain.
    5. Sweden's Minister for Justice & Migration, Morgan Johansson visited India.
    6. MoU signed between Ministry of Textiles and NDTV Ethnic Retail Ltd. for popularizing India Handloom textiles as a fashionable product for youth.
    7. Book Tagores Vision of the Contemporary World, written by Indra Nath Choudhuri has been released.
    8. Book Tagore and Russia, written by Reba Som and Sergei Serebriany has been released.
    9. Government approved National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy 2016 to promote IP regime and to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship with theme - Creative India; Innovative India. The Policy lays down seven objectives - IPR Awareness, Generation of IPRs, Advertisement Legal and Legislative Framework, Administration and Management, Commercialization of IPRs, Enforcement and Adjudication and Human Capital Development.
    10. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries organized national conference on ‘Gaushalas (cowsheds) in New Delhi.
    11. Road, ransport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari launched ePACE, INFRACON and an updated INAMPRO IT initiatives, developed by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
      1. ePACE(Projects Appraisal & Continuing Enhancements) - integrated Management  Information System that brings projects from all wings of Ministry under a common platform,  ensuring  their effective and real time tracking.
      2. INFRACON is the National Portal for Infrastructure Consultancy Firms and Key Personnel.
      3. INAM PRO has been developed as a web-based application (www.inampro.nic.in) for Infrastructure and Material Providers.
    12. Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Myanmar for India-Myanmar Business Conclave at Yangon.
    13. Government constituted a 5 Member Committee under N.K. Singh, to give recommendations on FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) roadmap for future In pursuance of Budget Announcement 2016-17.
    14. Railways renamed Bengaluru city station after Karnataka's 19th century revolutionary freedom fighter and warrior Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna.
  21. May 11, 2016
    1. 11 May - National Technology Day. 2016 Theme is Technology enablers of Startup India'. The day marks several technological achievements for India including -
      1. First of five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test, held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
      2. First indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore and successful test of Trishul missile held on the same day.
    2. Government approved to allow flexibility in optimal use of domestic coal to reduce cost of electricity generation and purchase. It will leverage coal to electricity conversion and also optimize transportation cost.
    3. Indian Railways created a Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to carry out advertisements in rail Assets, to increase revenue substantially from non-tariff sources. Mobility Directorate will also be constituted, to focus on areas like speed enhancement.
    4. A massive wildfire struck city of Fort McMurray in Alberta province of Western Canada, causing huge damages.
    5. International Cricket Council (ICC) lifted provisional suspension imposed on Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera.
    6. President Pranab Mukherjee approved appointment of 4 judges to Supreme Court. These names were recommended by Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur.
      1. AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, and L Nageshwar Rao.
      2. With this, judicial strength of Supreme Court moved up to 28. Max being 31 (30 Justices + 1 Cheif Justice of India).
    7. Charlotte Edwards, Englands women cricket team captain announced her retirement.
    8. Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademark granted patent to USA's Gilead Sciences for its Hepatitis C drug Sofosbuvir (brand name Sovaldi) in India.
    9. South American nation Argentina adopted the Social Fridge Policy to to feed needy ones who are facing hardship due to increase in job cuts and inflation in the country.
      1. Genesis of‘social fridge or ‘solidarity fridge is in recent economic crisis of Europe during which countries like Spain and Germany saw the mushrooming of such fridges. It is called so because people leave food in outdoor "social fridges" for those who need it.
    10. Book Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle for the Middle East authored by Patrick Cockburn has been released.
    11. Google launched Free Public Wi-Fi Service at 5 Indian Railway Stations (Ujjain, Jaipur, Patna, Guwahati and Allahabad) as part of RailWire initiative of RailTel Corporation .
    12. Book India vs Pakistan: Why Cant we just be Friends, written by Husain Haqqani has been released.
    13. Indian-American Revathi Balakrishnan is honoured by USA as 2016 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year for her excellent work in the field of education.
  22. May 10, 2016
    1. 10 May - World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with 2016 theme Stop the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds.
    2. Indian boxers won 4 medals at 7th Asian Youth Championships in Kazakhstan.
    3. Noted US actor William Schallert passed away.
    4. Tech Firm Apple appointed Sanjay Kaul as Head for Apple India.
    5. Classifieds business Quikr acquired Salosa, an on-demand in-home beauty services provider.
    6. Karnataka Bank launched cash back campaign for its VISA debit cardholders.
    7. India will to develop regional connectivity projects worth $5 billion in South Asia, including road corridors connecting India with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan through West Bengal and India-Myanmar through Manipur.
    8. India and Mauritius signed protocol for amendment of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for checking Tax Evasion.
    9. Indian Navy launched new Harbour Defence Systems at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, including Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) and Mine Warfare Data Centre (MWDC).
    10. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released consultation paper on Peer to Peer (P2P) lending to classify it as Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
      1. Peer to Peer lending is a form of crowd -funding which can be defined as the use of an online platform that matches lenders with borrowers in order to provide unsecured loans.
    11. US jury of St Louise ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay 55 million USD to Gloria Ristesund, who claimed that companys talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer.
    12. 51 Enclaves (Approx 7000 acres) in Coochbehar district of West Bengal voted for the first time since independence. They came into India in 2015 after an agreement signed between India and Bangaldesh in 1974 was bought into force on 31-07-2015.
    13. Astronomers discovered 3 planets with similar size and temperatures as those of Venus and Earth, using TRAPPIST telescope at ESOs La Silla Observatory. They ar orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star at approx 40 light-years from Earth.
    14. International Monetary Fund Economic Outlook for Asia and Pacific -
      1. Indias growth rate will be at 7.5 % in 2016-17.
      2. Growth in Asia and the Pacific is expected to be 5.3 % in 2017
      3. China's growth is forecast to moderate from 6.9 % in 2015, to 6.5 % in 2016 and 6.2 % in 2017.
      4. Japan's growth will be 0.5 % in 2016 and -0.1 % in 2017.
    15. USA Navy tested world's largest unmanned surface vessel named Sea Hunter. It is a self-driving 132-foot ship able to travel up to 10000 nautical miles on its own.
  23. May 9, 2016
    1. 9 May, 2016 - 475th Birth Anniversary of Maharana Pratap . Government released a Commemorative coin of Rs. 100 and a Circulation coin of Rs. 10 on this occasion. 
    2. IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency) will be converted into a Green Bank to enable its access funding from overseas banks, to entitled it to avail of certain benefits supported by Power Ministry.
    3. National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) approved projects worth Rs. 2446 crores for Development of Ganga Ghats.
    4. Musician Angelique Kidjo (USA) along with three inspirational African youth activist movements have been declared joint winners of Amnesty International top 2016 human rights award.
    5. Google partnered with Idea Cellular to offer direct carrier billing in India. Idea users will now be able to make purchases on Google Play Store directly through their postpaid and prepaid accounts.
    6. E-commerce Firm Snapdeal acquired Gurgaon-based predictive marketing technology startup TargetingMantra for  undisclosed amount.
    7. Somnath Ghosh is appointed as next Ambassador of India to Tajikistan.
    8. E-commerce Firm Flipkart will launch its own map services in tie up with MapUnity, to better handle its shipping activities.
    9. Yes Bank received Custodian of Securities licence from SEBI to allow Yes Bank to offer custodial services to financial market participants (FIIs , foreign portfolio investors).
    10. Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines will conduct coordinated sea patrols and establish a hotline to combat piracy and kidnappings in waters bordering the three nations.
    11. Australian state of Victoria, Swinburne University sigend two agreements with India in medical technology to address major health challenges in India.
    12. Nepal recalled its Ambassador to India (Deep Kumar Upadhyaya) over charges of non-cooperation and indulging in anti-government activities.
    13. Enda Kenny has been re-elected as Ireland's Taoiseach (prime minister of Ireland) for a second term.
    14. Kerala based South Indian Bank tied-up with National Australian Bank (NAB) for online inward remittances from Australia at a competitive rate.
    15. England automative brand Jaguar Land Rover tied up with UK-based Bullitt Group to develop mobile devices and a range of accessories.
    16. Infosys Foundation signed pact with Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune to support students from economically weaker section to pursue ‘high quality’ education.
    17. Ministry of Environment and Forests launched a web-based application on Integrated Waste Management System (www.iwms.nic.in), for better management of waste.
    18. Government allowed 100 % foreign direct investment (FDI) in asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) under automatic route, up from 49%.
    19. Leading cloud telephony company, Knowlarity acquired Delhi-based customer engagement platform Smartwards.
  24. May 8, 2016
    1. 8 May - Birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. India held a cultural festival in Egypt on this occasion.
    2. Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of Council of Republic of National Assembly of Belarus Visited India.
    3. PM Narendra Modi has launched India's first solar powered e-boats at Assi Ghat in river Ganga, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
    4. All four Southern languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia are now Included in classical languages of India, Earlier, Sanskrit alone had this status.
    5. e-Commerce Firm PayTm has tied up with Wipro IT services for implementing technology infrastructure for PayTm's upcoming Payment bank business.
    6. Indian Boxer Vijender Singh recorded his 5th consecutive victory in Professional Boxing after defeating Matiouze Royer (France).
    7. Jammu and Kashmir government signed MoU with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi for setting up an IIT in Jammu.
    8. IT services Firm Wipro inaugurated Saudi Arabia's first all women business and technology park (WBP) in Riyadh.
    9. Bharti Airtel and networking player GBI partnered to increase Airtel's reach in West Asian countries.
    10. Leicester City's Jamie Vardy named 2015-16 Footballer of Year by Football Writers Association (FWA).
    11. Cricketr Rohit Sharma became Brand Ambassador of world famous Swiss luxury watch maker Hublot.
    12. Future Groups Chief Executive Kishore Biyani has been appointed managing director of Bharti Retail after merger of Retails Businesses of Future Group and Bharti Retail in 2015.
    13. Sameer Chadha appointed as partner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KPMG India.
    14. Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari appointed Sergio Marchionne as new CEO.
    15. Government launched named MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) initiative for up gradation of tourism sector in India.
    16. JSW Energy bought a 1,000 MW power plant of Jindal Steel and Power, located in Chhattisgarh.
    17. National stock exchange will launch a new trade receivable and credit exchange platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This It will help MSMEs to file their bill against large companies.
    18. According to IMF (International Monetary Fund), Financial inequality is highest in India and China among Asia Pacific countries. China and India's rapid growth has been accompanied by increasing levels of inequality. Inter provincial inequality is lower in India than in China, and rising inequality in India is primarily in urban phenomenon.
    19. European Central Bank (ECB) announced to stop producing 500 euro banknote by the end of 2018.
    20. Corporation Bank received excellence award on empowering MSMEs by Federation of Industry, Trade and Services (FITS).
  25. May 7, 2016
    1. 7 May - World Athletics Day.
    2. Book Exploring Marxist Bengal, authored by Debraj Bhattacharya has been released.
    3. Madhya Pradesh government will launch Nagaroday Abhiyan, under Gramoday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan in July-August 2016, with focus on welfare of people of urban localities.
    4. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been made Indias goodwill ambassador for the 2016 Rio Olympics, along with Actor Salman Khan and Olympic shooting champion Abhinav Bindra.
    5. Ashok Kumar became first Indian Kabaddi Refree to officiate in 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
    6. AP Disaster Recovery Project (APDRP) will be funded jointly by World Bank and Andhra Pradesh government in ratio 68 (World Bank) : 32 (AP Govt.). World Bank will finance 1,550 crore and AP government will spend 670 crore) in the project.
    7. As per SocialCops' analysis of World Bank data -
      1. India is 137th out of 210 countries on electrification with 78.7% of its population having access to electricity.
      2. There are 87 countries with 100% access to electricity, 40 countries with 90-99%, and 6 countries with 80-89%.
    8. Report Protecting People through Nature: Natural World Heritage Sites as Drivers of Sustainable Development by World Wildlife Fund for nature (WWF) -
      1. As per study, 114 World Heritage sites out of 229 in 96 countries have oil, gas or mining concessions overlapping them or are under threat from at least one harmful industrial activity.
    9. 2016 Malabar trilateral naval exercise will be hosted by Japan with naval ships of USA, India and Japan participating in it.
    10. Book Incarnations : India in 50 lives, is authored by Sunil Khilnani.
    11. Zimbabwe will print its own version of US dollars i.e. bond notes in order to ease cash shortage. Specially-designed $2, $5, $10 and $20 bond notes will have same value as their US dollar equivalents.
    12. Nagaland Police department won National Award for Smart Policing in the category of Road Safety and Traffic Management for initiative of SMS based Vehicle Monitoring System, by FICCI.
    13. 11th Habitat Film Festival 2016 Held in New Delhi with showcasing some of best films of 2015-2016.
    14. Kalraj Mishra, Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) inaugurated Harmukh Khadi Gram Udyog Sansthan in Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir).
    15. Book Anubandh: Building 100-mile communities is authored by Ela Bhatt.
    16. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) commissioned a 600 MW coal-based thermal power plant in at Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP) in Seoni (Madhya Pradesh).
    17. H.R. Nagendra Committee on Yoga Education in Universities submitted its report to the Government .
    18. A bug over half a metre long (62.4 centimetres ) discovered in southern China has been declared worlds longest insect amongst 807,625 known insects.
    19. USA President Barack Obama approved National Bison Legacy Act for officially making American bison the country's first national mammal.
    20. Rodrigo Digong Duterte won Presidential Presidential Elections of Philippines.
  26. May 6, 2016
    1. NASA's unmanned Kepler space observatory discovered largest trove (group) of exoplanets outside our solar system. Of the new trove of 1,284 exoplanets, nearly 550 are said to be rocky planets like Earth.
    2. Harish Rawat led Congress Government won floor test in Uttarakhand legislative assembly. Mr Rawat will now assume as Chief Minister after Presidents rule revoked in state recently.
    3. Uttar Pradesh Government will develop over 197 km long bicycle highway from Agra up to the lion safari in Etawah to encourage eco-tourism in vicinity of Taj Mahal.
    4. Reliance Jio Infocomm launched digital wallet service named JioMoney Wallet. It's prepaid wallet that will easy mobile-based transactions for Indians for purchasing goods and services.
    5. Book Great Acceleration: How the World is Getting Faster, Faster, is authored by Robert Colvile.
    6. Andhra Pradesh will become first Indian State to make all of its urban areas Open Defecation Free by October 2016.
    7. Andhra Pradesh Government launched Chandranna Bima Yojana as an insurance scheme for working class people in State. Under this, Rs. 5 lakh would be paid if insured worker met with an accidental death or permanent disability and 3 lakh for partial disability.
    8. 6th Senior Mens National Hockey championship 2016 won by Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) by defeating Hockey Punjab.
    9. Nour El Sherbini (Egypt, age - 20) became youngest ever Women's squash World champion by defeating Laura Massaro of England.
    10. BCCI nominated Virat Kohli for prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2016 and Ajinkya Rahane for Arjuna Award.
    11. Ajay Mittal appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
    12. According to a study by Organisation Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and European Unions Intellectual Property Office, India is 5th biggest exporter of fake goods in world. List is topped by China, followed by Turkey, Singapore and Thailand.
    13. Three Indian names selected to list of 50 scientists elected as Fellows of Royal Society (premier scientific academy of UK and Commonwealth). Indians are - Sriram Ramaswamy (TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad), Ramanujan Hegde (MRC Laboratory of Microbiology, UK) and applied mathematician Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan(Harvard University).
    14. Book Politics of the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, authored by Yeshi Choedon has been released.
    15. Nico Rosberg (Germany) won 2016 Formula One Russian Grand Prix 2016.
      1. 2016 Formula One season -
        1. Total 21 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
          1. Grand Prix Date Winner
            Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany)
            Spain 15 May  
            Monaco 29 May  
            Canada 12 June  
            Europe 19 June  
            Austria 3 July  
            Britain 10 July  
            Hungary 24 July  
            Germany 31 July  
            Belgium 28 August  
            Italy 4 September  
            Singapore 18 September  
            Malaysia 2 October  
            Japan 9 October    
            USA 23 October  
            Mexico 30 October  
            Brazil 13 November  
            Abu Dhabi 27 November  
  27. May 5, 2016
    1. Fourth South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi.
    2. Gujarat Government has accorded minority status to Jain community in state.
    3. Scientists have detected atomic oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars for the first time. It was detected using an instrument onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
    4. As per recent study by The Economist , -
      1. India is ranked ninth in 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 % of gross domestic product (GDP). In India, non-crony sector wealth is 8.3 % of GDP.
      2. Top countries in the list: Russia (1st), Malaysia (2nd), Philippines (3rd) and Singapore (4th). Top ranking in the list indicates countries are engaged more in crony capitalism.
      3. Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials.
    5. United Nations launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak.
    6. Single emergency number, 112 will be operational throughout India from January 1, 2017 to help people reach immediate services of police, ambulance and fire department.
    7. Indian-origin lawyer Murali Pillai from Singapore's ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) has been elected as a member of parliament of Singapore.
    8. Mrugank Paranjape appointed as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX).
    9. Bombay High Court Advocate Atma Ram Nadkarni is appointed as Additional Solicitor General.
    10. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled first global digital elevation (topographic model) of Mercury, made by 10000 images captured by NASAs MESSENGER ((MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) mission.
    11. Mutua Madrid Open Tennis title -
      1. Men's Singles - Novac Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Andy Murray (Britain)
      2. Womens Singles - Simona Halep (Romania) defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
    12. Government launched 9 projects initiatives for rural sanitation initiatives for conservation of river Ganga in Jharkhand. Under this, villages located on 83 Km. stretch of Ganga River in Jharkhand will be covered to improve the health and quality of life.
    13. Indian Army conducted major military training exercise 2016 Chakravyuh-II in Suratgarh (Rajasthan), in conjunction with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
    14. United Kingdoms first baby named Biagio Russo was born in Oxford using Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) method. This method uses a revolutionary In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technique resulting in better selection of embryos to transfer during the treatment.
    15. Scientists from Queen’s University (Canada) developed world’s first holographic flexible smartphone named HoloFlex, that lets users to interact with 3D Media without using any headgear or glasses. HoloFlex features a high-definition Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) touch-screen display.
    16. Shashank Manohar resigned as President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
    17. Indian Navy decommissioned aging fleet of Sea Harriers, to be replaced by a squadron of Russian MIG 29k jets.
    18. Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT) won the Lonely Planet Groups Best Indian Destination for Wildlife Award.
    19. Government constituted a committee under Sanjay Mitra (Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways), to prepare a policy framework for taxi and other transport operators.
    20. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will issue banknotes of 1000 rupees denominations with inset letter R in both the number panels.
  28. May 4, 2016
    1. 4 May - International Firefighters' Day (IFFD).
    2. Government approved for adoption of 10 United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.
    3. Government announced that currently 34 Indian satellites are operational in space. These satellites are
      1. 13 Communication Satellites: INSAT-3A, INSAT-3C, INSAT-4A, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4CR, GSAT-6, GSAT-7, GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-12, GSAT-14, GSAT-15 and GSAT-16.
      2. 12 Earth Observation Satellites - Resourcesat-2, RISAT-1, RISAT-2, Cartosat-1, Cartosat-2, Cartosat-2A, Cartosat-2B, Oceansat-2, SARAL, Kalpana-1, Megha-Tropiques and INSAT-3D.
      3. 7 Navigational Satellites - IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G.
      4. 2 Space science Satellites: Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and Astrosat
    4. President Pranab Mukherjee conferred 15th Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards - .
      1. Reliance Industry - top foreign exchange earner and leading exporter of last 50 years.
      2. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - Gold Award in IT services.
      3. State Bank of India (SBI) - Gold award among supporting institutions.
    5. Indian author Parashar Kulkarni won regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2016 for Asia region, for his politically grounded, funny fiction story Cow and Company (about four men in search of a cow).
    6. NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) signed MoU with Social network Facebook to build a product design initiative for Indian entrepreneurs.
    7. Bangladesh Government approved Anil Ambani-led Reliance Powers first phase of the 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj district. It will be largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh with a potential investment of over 8,700 crore rupees (1.3 billion dollars).
    8. Seven Indian shuttlers (Badminton players) earned qualification for forthcoming Rio Olympics in August 2016 in Brazil. They are - Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, K. Srikanth, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy.
    9. Lok Sabha passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2015 that seeks to ensure time-bound settlement of insolvency. The Code creates time-frame of 180 days for resolution of insolvency of companies and individuals. If insolvency is resolved in stipulated time, assets of borrowers may be sold to repay creditors.
    10. Sadiq Khan of British Labour party became first Muslim to be elected as Mayor of London (UK).
    11. Government approved proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic zone (SEZ) in Bengaluru, Karnataka in an area spread over 4 hectares.
    12. Former South African cricketer Mickey Arthur is appointed as Pakistan cricket teams head coach.
    13. Pakistan won 3rd edition of Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) by defeating India.
    14. Switzerland Government honoured late Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra by unveiling bronze statue at Interlaken, weighing about 250 kilos.
    15. Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) launched Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya.
    16. ICICI Bank signed MoU with BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) for partnership in bond issuances, co-financing, treasury management and human resources.
    17. USA's private space transport service company, SpaceX launched Japanese JCSAT-14 communication satellite by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
    18. Noted actor Shashi Kapoors biography Shashi Kapoor – the Householder, the Star has been released. It has been written by Film Journalist Aseem Chhabra.
    19. To Promote ease of doing business, Government started process for issuance of Unique Business Identification Number (UBIN) to help budding entrepreneurs.
    20. Railways launched Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit several Pilgrims.
    21. Karnataka Government decided to establish Asia's first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district. A Maize Technology Park will be established at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
  29. May 3, 2016
    1. 3 May, 2016 - World Asthma Day (First Tuesday in May every year). 2016 theme is You Can Control Your Asthma.
    2. 3 May - World Press Freedom Day, observed by United Nations. 2016 Theme is Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms – This Is Your Right!”. 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize has been honoured to Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist from Azerbaijan.
    3. HASE Hiroshi, Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology visited India.
    4. Manohar Kumar appointd as Director (Engineering) of National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC).
    5. Kumar Rajesh Chandra appointed as Director General in Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
    6. ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism (Ex MS & CT) held in Brunei. Indian Navy Ship INS Airavat participated in it.
    7. 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 PM Narendra Modi from Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) with tagline - Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan.
      1. Under PMUY, each of the beneficiaries will receive monetary support of about 1,600 rupees to get a connection of cooking gas. It includes administrative cost, pressure regulator booklet and safety hose.
    8. Leicester City named champions of English Premier League 2015-16 season. They were crowned after nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC had 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC. The draw placed Tottenham at second position and was not able to surpass Leicester City FCs seven point lead at top of table.
    9. Supreme Court appointed 3-three-member committee under RM Lodha to oversee functions of Medical Council of India (MCI).
    10. Indian American Harmeet Kaur Dhillon elected to newest national committee woman, a key position of Republican National Committee of USA.
    11. Mark Selby from England won 2016 World Championship title of Snooker by defeating China's Ding Junhui.
    12. Google acquired business technology startup Synergyse founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra.
    13. Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa is appointed as executive secretary of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
    14. Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright publicly identified himself as creator of virtual currency Bitcoin. He claimed that he is real person behind pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, creator of Bitcoin which was launched in 2009. Satoshi Nakamotos online cash system work in 2009 was the key for creation of online cash system, but he remained anonymous since then.
    15. Scientists at University of Montreal (Canada) developed worlds Smallest (Nano) Thermometer using DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) structures that can resize at specifically defined temperature functions. Worlds smallest thermometer is 20,000 times smaller than a human hair and is fully programmable.
    16. Group of researchers from University of Cambridge built worlds smallest (nanoscale) working engine, led by Jeremy Baumberg from Cavendish Laboratory. They named it ANTs (Actuating Nano-Transducers). This Nanoscale engine is just a few billionths of a metre in size and uses light to power itself.
    17. Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Project won World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in e-Agriculture category. Harita-Priya (Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda – Precision Technology for Agriculture) Project is meant to collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised information through SMS.
  30. May 2, 2016
    1. Government launched EXIM Analytics Dashboard to provide easy access to detailed trade data of the country. This web-based dashboard will provide an accurate perspective to the general public on the facts around the trade performance in India.
    2. PP Khandekar assumed charge as Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance.
    3. Annual Master General of Ordnance (MGO) Industry Cooperation Meet (AMICOM-2016) held in Delhi with theme Indigenisation. AMICOM Series is an initiative of Indian Army to engage with indigenous defence industry.
    4. 49th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) held in Frankfurt (Germany), attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on India's Behalf.
    5. Minister of Railways launched an application - Project Management & Information System (PMIS) for proper Monitoring of all Railway projects throughout country.
    6. Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics Given to Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) for momentous detection of gravitational waves. The $3 million award will be shared between two groups - 1 Milion for three founders of LIGO (Ronald W. P. Drever, Kip S. Thorne, Caltech, Rainer Weiss) and 2 Million will be distributed to 1012 contributors.
    7. Memorandum of Understanding signed with Qatar for cooperation in Information Communication Technology.
    8. Government approved MoU between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement.
    9. Government approved Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) between Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) for cooperation in Information and Communication Technology enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and other related technical matters.
    10. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) is putting studying rain formation in clouds through a research program called Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX). Under this experiment, air borne observations are taken through randomized cloud seeding and the impact is recorded.
    11. Radha Binod Barman is appointed as Chairperson of National Statistical Commission.
    12. Han Zheng, Party Secretary of Shanghai and Member of Politburo of Communist Party of China Visited India.
    13. Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba will be next (23rd) Chief of Indian Navy.
    14. Vijay Shankar Madan is appointwed as Secretary in Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Girish Shankar appointed as Secretary in Department of Public Enterprises (Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises).
    15. Ministry of Women & Child Development has been administering Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme since 1986-87, to impart training to women in modern skills as well as traditional ones and enable women to become self-employed/ entrepreneurs.
  31. May 1, 2016
    1. 1 May - Labor Day / International Workers' Day / May Day.
    2. Maharashtra Government has launched Adi Praman web based application for states tribal population to get caste validity certificates online. It was launched along with portal named etribalvalidity.mahaonline@gov.in.
    3. Madhya Pradesh High Court termed reservation in promotions in state as unconstitutional.
    4. South Indias first underground metro services flagged of in Bengaluru i.e. at East-West corridor (Purple Line) of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
    5. ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Junior World Cup held in Suhl (Germany).
    6. MoU signed between India and Maldives for Conservation and Restoration of Ancient Mosques and other Historical Monuments in Maldives. 
    7. Indian-American journalist Neela Banerjee honored with Edgar A Poe award by USA along with her 3 colleagues from Inside Climate News.
    8. INS Kalvari, Indian Navy's first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, launched for first sea trial in Mumbai naval dockyard.
    9. Two Indian Naval Ships (INS) Veer and Nipat have been decommissioned.
    10. 3 Indian origin persons have been named among 100 highest-paid CEOs globally. PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi (22.2 Million USD), LyondellBasell’s Bhavesh Patel (24.5 Million), Microsoft's Satya Nadella ($18.3 Million).
    11. MOU Signed Between NITI Aayog and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise for launching the Urban Management Programme in India, to tap expertise of Singapore in urban sector to build capacities.
    12. Zimbabwe (Country in South Africa) decided to put some of its wild animals for sale, in view of severe drought and worsening finances.
    13. India Finished 4th in Commonwealth Judo Championship 2016 in Port Elizabeth (South Africa) with 12 Medals (5 Gold). South Africa stayed at top with 266 Medals (65 Gold).
    14. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ministry of Railways and Forest Department of Haryana & Punjab for plantation of trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary.
    15. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy launched Contract Labour Payment Management System for Coal India Limited.

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