Current Affairs 30 May 2019

Current Affairs 29 & 30 May 2019 

• International Day of UN Peacekeepers - 29 May
Theme - Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace

• FICCI survey forecasts India's GDP growth at 7.1% for FY20

The country's median GDP is forecast at 7.1 per cent for FY20 and 7.2 per cent for FY 21.

The industry body FICCI's economic outlook survey said that the minimum and maximum growth estimate stood at 6.8 per cent and 7.3 per cent, for 2019-20.

• RBI sets up committee on corporate loans

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a six-member committee on the Development of Secondary Market for Corporate Loans to come up with recommendations to increase the efficiencies of the debt market and aid in the resolution of stressed assets.

As per its terms of reference, the committee, headed by TN Mahoharan, Chairman, Canara Bank, will make recommendations on required policy/regulatory interventions for facilitating the development of secondary market in corporate loans, including loan transaction platform for stressed assets.

It will create a loan contract registry to remove information asymmetries between buyers and sellers, its ownership structure and related protocols, such as standardisation of loan information, independent validation, and data access.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 begins 

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will begin today. England will open the tournament at The Oval in London when they will take on South Africa. The match will begin at 3 PM Indian Time. 

Australia will launch their title defence on June 1 against the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier champions Afghanistan in a day/night match in Bristol. 

India, the 1983 and 2011 world champions, will play their first match on June 5 against South Africa at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton. 

Their feature match against arch-rivals Pakistan will be on June 16 at Old Trafford in Manchester. The World Cup will span 48 matches in all, of which 45 will make up the group stage. Each team will play nine group stage matches, and the top four will progress to the semifinals, similar to how the 1992 World Cup was held.

• Jagan Reddy sworn in as Andhra Pradesh CM

YSR Congress party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken oath as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh today. Governor ESL Narasimhan administered him the oath of office and secrecy at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada. Mr Reddy is the second Chief Minister of the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh. In his maiden address as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, he announced that he would create one lakh  60,000 jobs by October this year and fill up 4 lakh gram volunteers from August 15th. Jagan assured that he would implement Navaratnalu - a total of nine promises  - a key aspect in his election manifesto in letter and spirit. Earlier, as soon as Jagan rose to take oath as second chief minister of bifurcated Andhra Pradesh, the joy of his followers and YSR congress workers knew no bounds.

• Walmart appoints former Google executive Suresh Kumar as chief technology  office 

US-based retail chain Walmart Tuesday said it has appointed Suresh Kumar, an IIT Madras graduate and former Google executive, as chief technology officer and chief development officer. He will directly report to President and Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon, Walmar said in a statement.

The appointment comes at a time when Walmart is transforming its customer and associate experiences. He brings over 25 years of technology leadership experience coming from Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM, it said. "The technology of today and tomorrow enables us to serve our customers and associates in ways that weren't previously possible. We want to take full advantage of those opportunities," McMillon said.

• NSIC signs MOU with Ministry of MSME for the Year 2018-19

The National Small Industries Corporation Limited, NSIC today signed an MoU with Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises for the year 2019-20. The MoU envisages provision of enhanced services by NSIC under its marketing, financial, technology and other support services schemes for MSMEs in the country. 

The Corporation projects to increase revenue from operation by 22 per cent from two thousand 540 crore rupees in the year 2018-19 to three thousand 100 crore rupees in the year 2019-20. The Corporation also plans to enhance its activities in the areas of imparting entrepreneurship and skill development training by targeting 45 per cent growth in the number of trainees.

• Sri Lanka signs tripartite agreement with India and Japan

Sri Lanka has signed a tripartite agreement with India and Japan for development of eastern terminal of Colombo port. The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed in Colombo today by Sri Lankan ports minister Sagala Ratnayake, Indian high commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu and a Japanese representative. As per the agreement, Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) will hold 51 per cent majority stake in the port development while Japan and India will have combined stake of 49 per cent. 

• US removes India, Switzerland from its currency monitoring list

The Trump administration on Tuesday removed India from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners, citing certain developments and steps being taken by New Delhi addressing some of its major concerns. Switzerland is the other nation that has been removed from the list. However, the list includes China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam among others.

• Most competitive economy: India moves up to 43rd place; Singapore reaches top

India has moved up one place to rank as the world's 43rd most competitive economy on the back of its robust economic growth, a large labour force and its huge market size, while Singapore has toppled the US to grab the top position, a global study showed Tuesday. Singapore has moved up to the top, from the third position last year, while the US has slipped to the third place in the 2019 edition of the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings. Hong Kong SAR has held onto its second place, helped by a benign tax and business policy environment and access to business finance. Economists regard competitiveness as vital for the long-term health of a country's economy as it empowers businesses to achieve sustainable growth, generates jobs and, ultimately, enhance the welfare of citizens. The IMD World Competitiveness Rankings, established in 1989, incorporate 235 indicators from each of the 63 ranked economies to evaluate their ability to foster an environment where enterprises can achieve sustainable growth, generate jobs and increase welfare for its citizens.

• Hindi version of Digital Dilemma launched by Oscar academy President John Baile

President of Oscar Academy, John Bailey today e-launched the Hindi translation of an Academy Publication, "Digital Dilemma", at a function in Delhi. During his speech, Mr Bailey said that the translation of the Academy publication into Hindi is important in order to reach out to film fraternity in India. He said there are many challenges thrown by the technological changes in the film storage medium and this book will help film makers in understanding and planning the storage of born-digital material. 

National Film Archive of India had signed an MoU with the Academy to translate the publication into Hindi so that it can benefit various stakeholders in the country. The Academy works towards the goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion pictures.

• RBI extends RTGS timings from 4:30 pm to 6 pm

To facilitate high-value fund transfers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced an extension of timings for customer transactions through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) by one and half hours from 4:30 PM to 06 PM. 

The RTGS is an online fund transfer system, supported by the RBI, which enables money transaction on a real-time basis. The minimum amount for the transaction under this system is Rs 2 lakh. There is no upper limit on the value of funds that can be transferred via the RTGS system.

• BJP leader Pema Khandu to be sworn-in Arunachal CM

In Arunachal Pradesh, the first BJP government in the state with absolute majority will take oath today. BJP had won an impressive 41 seats in the 60-seat house in the Assembly elections creating history.

• First meeting of new Union Cabinet to be held

The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet will be held this evening. The possible date of convening the Parliament session could be decided in the meeting. The newly-elected Lok Sabha members have to be administered the oath during the ensuing session.

In the coming days, the Prime Minister would also decide on the various Cabinet Committees such as Cabinet Committee on Security, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs and Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.

• Jio GigaFiber Tops Netflix ISP Index

• Ivo became the oldest man to win Roland
Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic became the oldest man to win a match at the French Open for 46 years, as he beat Spain’s fellow veteran Feliciano Lopez in a first-round duel. Karlovic became the oldest man to win, since Torben Ulrich in 1973 at the age of 44. He is also the oldest male player to win a Grand Slam match since Ken Rosewall, also 44, did so at the 1978
Australian Open.

• BS Dhanoa will be the chairman of COSC
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa received the baton of hairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee from outgoing Chairman COSC. Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, an alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College and the National Defence Academy, was commissioned in the Flying Branch of Indian Air Force in June 1978.

• Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma Launches ‘Aroma Mission’ to strengthen the livelihood of farmers and create employment opportunities in the state

• Indian Overseas Bank launches 'Bank on Wheels' facility in Tamilnadu
Do you know:- CEO of Indian Overseas Bank - R Subramaniya Kumar and Tagline - 'Good People to Grow With'

• Malawi's president  Peter Mutharika re-elected to second term

• The world's tallest, a 182 meter high, Statue of Unity in Gujrat built by Larsen and Turbo and designed by Maharashtara's legendary architect Ram V Sutar has entered 2019 World Architecture News Awards.

• Varuna 2019, a bilateral naval exercise  between India and France, concluded in Djibouti.

• Guy Gunaratne wins Dylan Thomas prize for his book 'In Our Mad and Furious City'  

• ICMR head Balram Bhargava  wins Dr Lee Jong Wook prize for public health

• DRDO successfully tests Akash-1S surface to air defence missile system 

• Goa celebrates its Statehood Day on 30th May
Goa got free from Portuguese in 1961 and until 30 May 1987 it was a Union Territory

• Godfather actor Carmine Caridi dies at age of 85

• Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary of Department of Science and Technology, released four books published by Vigyan Prasar. They are 'Voyage to Antarctica', 'Story of Consciousness', 'An autobiography of Moon' and 'Sambhu Nath de - The discovery of Cholera Toxin'.