Current Affairs Updates - 24th May 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 24th May 2018

We are once again here with our Daily Current Affairs Updates - 24th May 2018. Today we have brought to you some of the Latest News such as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched 'My MP Rojgar Portal', Nepal and India to run joint operation to check wildlife poaching,  Olga Tokarczuk of Poland Wins Man Booker International Prize and Commonwealth gold medal-winning table tennis player Manika Batra and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu have signed multi-year agreements with sports management firm. All these are very vital for the upcoming government examinations like IBPS PO, IBPS CLERK, SSC CGL and SSC CHSL. Aspirants should go through each of the headlines in details to get a better understanding of all the subjects available and can also follow the GK Pointers on a regular basis.

Important Days

22nd May is observed as International Day for Biological Diversity

• The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. 

New Appointments: National

State-run power equipment maker BHEL said Pravin L Agrawal has been appointed as part-time official director on its board.

• Agrawal, 49, is a Commonwealth scholar and holds post-graduate degrees in sustainable development, public policy and management from different global universities.

Gobind Singh Deo, an Indian-origin Sikh politician in Malaysia, has become a cabinet minister, the first member of the minority community in the country’s history to be appointed as a minister. 

• Deo, 45, who has been given the communications and multimedia portfolio, is among the two politicians of Indian descent included in the Pakatan Harapan coalition’s Cabinet.

New Appointments: International

The New York Stock Exchange has appointed Chief Operating Officer Stacey Cunningham as its first female president.

• Cunningham, who will start her new role on Friday, will replace Thomas Farley as head of NYSE, which is owned by Intercontinental Exchange.

Banking, Economic & Financial Affairs

Bank of Baroda consolidates operational activities at GIFT City

• State-owned Bank of Baroda today said it has consolidated all its operational activities at a shared service center (SSC), which employs over 2,000 people, at Gujarats GIFT City.

The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) is planning to launch its Americas Regional Office in Brazil this year 

• The Americas Regional Office will increase the operational capabilities of the NDB, headquartered in Shanghai, and facilitate identification and preparation of bankable projects in Brazil 

The government's Bank Note Paper Mill India (BNPM) has received green signal to increase the production of bank note paper at its Mysuru unit in Karnataka from 12,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) to 16,000 TPA.

• BNPM is a jont venture of Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran (BRBNMPL) and Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL). 

National Affairs

India's Multi Commodity Exchange said it launched the country's first copper options contracts 

• Three contracts expiring in June, August and November with a lot size of 1 tonne were launched, the exchange said in a statement. 

The finance ministry has tied up with 40 entities including Flipkart, Swiggy, Patanjali and Amul, which are big job creators, for extending loans to small entrepreneurs under the Mudra scheme.

• He said people who need money under the Mudra scheme approach the banks, but with this initiative the financial services department is trying to reach out to those who need loans for their businesses but have not approached the banks.

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday took oath against the backdrop of Karnataka's imposing Vidhan Soudha in the presence of more than a dozen non-BJP leaders from across the country.

• Mr Kumaraswamy, who had patched up with the Congress at the last minute last week to block the BJP, had been keen to turn the event into a springboard for opposition unity that his party, Janata Dal Secular hopes, would hold till next year's Lok Sabha elections.

The government is making all out efforts to ensure that families of troops killed in the line of duty are provided a compensation of not less than Rs one crore, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said. 

• Singh declared this after inaugurating a new government website, along with actor Akshay Kumar, that will allow common people to make monetary donations to families of paramilitary troops killed in action, with an upper limit of Rs 15 lakh to a single family. 

India approaches WTO with complaints against US steel tariffs

• India has launched a complaint against the United States to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium, a filing published by the World Trade Organization 

Defence & Railway News

People can now pay later for tickets booked under the tatkal quota on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) website

• For tatkal tickets, IRCTC users will be able to pay via cash, debit card or credit card by opting to have tickets delivered at their doorstep, said IRCTC payment provider Anduril Technologies.

Application / Portal 

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched 'My MP Rojgar Portal' in 'Ham Chhu Lenge Asman' Mukhyamantri Career Counselling programme ‘Pahal' in Model School of Bhopal.

• This portal is equipped with providing jobs to youths as per their educational qualification, skills and interest and ensuring availability of able candidates to employers as per need of their business. This portal has been prepared by Madhya Pradesh Skill Development and Employment Generation Board under youth empowerment mission.

Agreements/ MoUs Signed

In pursuit of enhanced collaboration, the United States bestowed the privileged status of ’Major Defence Partner’ on India.

• The US Secretary of Defence, Ashton Carter and his Indian counterpart, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, finalised India’s designation as a Major Defence Partner of the United States. This was announced in a joint statement of the two nations on Carter’s visit to New Delhi.

Nepal and India to run joint operation to check wildlife poaching

• Nepal and India are planning to conduct a joint operation to control wildlife poaching and trafficking of animal parts in Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur district on Nepal’s side and Krishnapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh state of India.

Summit /Conference / Events

Third Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-3), will be co-hosted by Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the European Commission and the Nordic Council of Ministers in the cities of Copenhagen and Malmö respectively.

• The Clean Energy Ministerial brings together 24 countries and the EU; it focuses on the promotion of policies and programmes that advance clean energy technologies, share lessons learned and best practices and encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy.

The 71st Session of the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Assembly (WHA) will take place in Geneva, Switzerland

• The WHA is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.

Awards & Honours: Sports

Local racer Bala Prasath set a scorching pace over the weekend to claim the Formula Junior Racing Series 2018 championship.

• Bala, who was trailing in second place after Round 1 with 91 points, was in his element in Round 2 at the Kari Motor Speedway on Saturday and Sunday.

Elina Svitolina thrashed world number one Simona Halep 6-0 6-4 to win a second consecutive Italian Open.

• In a rematch of last year's final, the Ukrainian dominated from the start in Rome and took the first set without losing a game in just 19 minutes.

Awards & Honours: Miscellaneous

Olga Tokarczuk of Poland Wins Man Booker International Prize

• “Flights,” a philosophical rumination on modern-day travel by the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk, won the Man Booker International Prize for works of translated fiction on Tuesday.

Other Sports & Award Related News

Former South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers said he had "run out of gas" as he announced his retirement from international cricket.

• He took time away from Test cricket in 2017, missing the series against England that summer, but returned to the red-ball side in December.

Commonwealth gold medal-winning table tennis player Manika Batra and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu have signed multi-year agreements with sports management firm IOS Sports & Entertainment.

• IOS will now manage their endorsements, appearances, brand profiling, patents, licensing and digital rights, images, and visibility on social networking sites, the company stated in a media release.