Daily Current Affairs May 17

Dear Champions, as you all know that a lot of competitive exams have been notified consequently. Candidates have to prepare themselves according to the level of competition and expectation of the Recruitment board. Regarding that one of the most important topic is Daily Current Affairs May 17. Current Affairs in the form of contemporary events of national & international play a crucial role in almost every competitive exams like Banking, Insurance, SSC, UPSC, TNPSC, Railway etc.

Current affairs are the most dynamic yet scoring among all sections and need to be prepared from the right source. Here, we cafunsta team, providing  Daily GK Updates, Current Affairs Questions, and Monthly  current affairs pdf.

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May 17| Daily Current Affairs 2023

Important Days – Daily Current Affairs May 17

1. On which date is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day observed every year?
A) May 10
B) May 15
C) May 17
D) May 20
E) May 25
Answer: C) May 17

  • World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is observed every year on May 17, to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

Theme:

  • Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies

History:

  • World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated annually on May 17th since 1969, marking the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga-Torremolinos in 1973 as Resolution 46.
  • World In November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society called upon the UN General Assembly to declare 17 May as World Information Society Day to focus on the importance of ICT and the wide range of issues related to the Information Society raised by WSIS. The General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/60/252) in March 2006 stipulating that World Information Society Day shall be celebrated every year on May 17.
  • In November 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both events on May 17 as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

World Hypertension Day

  • World Hypertension Day is observed every year on May 17. The World Hypertension League declared May 17 as World Hypertension Day.
  • The day aims to spread awareness and educate people about hypertension or high blood pressure in the human body.

History:

  • World Hypertension Day was first observed on May 14, 2005.
  • It was introduced by the World Hypertension League, an umbrella organization of 85 countries that seek to raise awareness around the issue of hypertension.
  • From 2006 onwards, World Hypertension Day has been celebrated on May 17 every year.

Theme:

  • The theme for this year is ‘Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, live longer’.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

  • The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is observed on May 17 and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide.
    Frenchman Louis-Georges Tin was founder of the day in 2004.
  • Theme: Together Always: United in Diversity

Obituary – Daily Current Affairs May 18

2. Who recently passed away as the Chairman of Hinduja Group?
A) Anil Ambani
B) Gautam Adani
C) SP Hinduja
D) MukeshAmbani
E) Cyrus Poonawalla
Answer: C) SP Hinduja

  • SrichandParmanandHinduja, the eldest of the four Hinduja brothers and chairman of Hinduja Group, died in London.
  • In 1980, Hundujas’ acquired a stake in Indian truck and bus manufacturer Ashok Leyland.
  • They also took control of the Gulf Oil International Company from Chevron Corp to venture into the oils and lubricants business.
  • In 1993, SP Hinduja ventured into banking, with IndusInd Bank.
  • He founded the only Indian-owned Swiss bank, S P HindujaBanqueePrivee, which has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. With branches in Zurich, London, and Dubai, the bank offers investment advisory and wealth management services to big businessmen and entrepreneurial clients.
  • According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, SP Hinduja had an estimated net worth of about $3.6 billion.
  • In 2022, SP Hinduja and his younger brother Gopichand topped The Sunday Times Rich List for the fourth time, with an estimated net worth of £28.5 billion ($36 billion).

3. Which Australian tennis player, known for winning 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, has recently passed away?
A) Rod Laver
B) Margaret Court
C) Roy Emerson
D) Owen Davidson
E) Evonne GoolagongCawley
Answer: D) Owen Davidson

  • Australian tennis player Owen Davidson, who won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, has died.
  • He won 11 major titles in mixed doubles and two in men’s doubles.
  • Davidson teamed with Billie Jean King to win eight of his Grand Slam trophies in a career that spanned from the early 1960s to mid-1970s.
  • In 1967, Davidson became only the third player in tennis history to earn all four major mixed doubles titles in the same year, including three with King.
  • Davidson won the 1972 Australian Open with Ken Rosewall and the 1973 US Open with John Newcombe.
  • In singles, he reached the 1966 semifinals of Wimbledon by upsetting two-time defending champion Roy Emerson.
  • Davidson also reached the quarterfinals in singles at seven other majors — five times at the Australian Championships and twice at the U.S. Nationals, a precursor to the US Open.
  • Davidson played in the first match of the Open era, defeating John Clifton in the first round of the British Hard Court Championships on April 22, 1968.
  • Davidson and King combined to win four major titles at Wimbledon, three at the US Open and one at the French Open.
  • He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010.
  • He was coached by Hall of Famer Mervyn Rose and worked with Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman as a member of the Australian Davis Cup team. Davidson coached the British Davis Cup team from 1967 to 1970.

Banking and Finance – Daily Current Affairs May 17

4. Which broking firm has introduced FLIP, its newest mobile trading platform with the aim of replacing the current platform SELFIE?
A) Geojit Financial Services
B) ICICI Securities
C) HDFC Securities
D) Kotak Securities
E) Angel Broking
Answer: A) Geojit Financial Services

  • Geojit Financial Services has launched its latest mobile trading platform, FLIP, that will replace the existing platform SELFIE.
  • The new platform will provide investors and traders a comprehensive and flexible trading experience, backed by a range of advanced features.
  • FLIP offers advanced order capabilities such as One Cancel Other Order, Bracket Orders, Basket Orders, Option Chain, Option Greeks, Single Click Multi-Leg Orders, and Exit All Positions in Just 1 Click. It also features Portfolio Insights, Technical and Fundamental Research, a Stock Analysis Page, Advanced Charting (TradingView), and Dashboard that provides a summary of trades and investments.
Titbits

Geojit Financial Services Ltd:

Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala
Founder and MD & CEO: C J George


5. Which organizations have been appointed by the government to manage the initial public offer (IPO) of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA)?
A) IDBI Capital, BOB Capital, and SBI Capital
B) ICICI Securities, Axis Capital, and HDFC Bank
C) Kotak Mahindra Capital, Citibank, and JPMorgan
D) BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley
E) Yes Securities, IndusInd Bank, and RBL Bank
Answer: A) IDBI Capital, BOB Capital, and SBI Capital

  • The government has appointed IDBI Capital, BOB Capital and SBI Capital to manage the initial public offer (IPO) of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
    IDBI Capital is the lead banker for the transaction.
  • Separately, Saraf and Partners has been appointed as the legal adviser for the IPO.
  • On March 17, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the IREDA IPO.
  • IREDA is currently a wholly owned Government of India enterprise incorporated in 1987 and is engaged in the financing of Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) projects in India.
Titbits

IDBI CapitalMarkets Ltd:

Headquarters: Mumbai, ‎Maharashtra‎
Managing Director & CEO: Shri. Kamal Kant Upadhyay

BOB Capital Markets Ltd:

MD & CEO: SunilKumar Sharma
Headquarters: Mumbai, ‎Maharashtra‎

SBI Capital Markets Ltd:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO: Amitava Chatterjee
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited(IREDA)
Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
Founded: 11 March 1987
Chairman and Managing Director : Shri Pradip Kumar Das


6. Which bank has partnered with Zomato to launch its own UPI offering?
A) State Bank of India (SBI)
B) ICICI Bank
C) HDFC Bank
D) Axis Bank
E) Punjab National Bank (PNB)
Answer: B) ICICI Bank

  • Food aggregator platform Zomato has partnered with ICICI Bank to launch its very own unified payments interface (UPI) offering called Zomato UPI, for some of its users.
  • Using the new service, customers can pay for their orders directly through the Zomato app – by creating their own UPI ID – without being redirected to other payment gateways like Phonepe, Google Pay, or any other third-party app. Users will be able to make both, peer-to-peer, as well as merchant payments using the service.
  • According to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), as of April 2023, the trio of Phonepe, Google Pay and Paytm command a 97 per cent share of the digital payments market in India, with almost 863 crore transactions across the three of them.
Titbits

Zomato:

Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
Founder & CEO: Deepinder Goyal

ICICI Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD &CEO :SandeepBakshi
Tagline : Hum Hai Na, KhayalApka


7. Which company has partnered with Tazapay to provide seamless cross-border payments to Indian exporters?
A) Paytm
B) Google Pay
C) PhonePe
D) Cashfree Payments
E) Razorpay
Answer: D) Cashfree Payments

  • Cashfree Payments, India’s leading payments and API banking company, has partnered with Tazapay, Singapore-based cross-border payments company to power their cross-border payments for Indian exporters.
  • The partnership allows Tazapay to settle all cross-border payments directly to Indian exporters’ local bank accounts in Rupees (INR) in one business day.
  • Previously, Indian exporters faced challenges with e-FIRS (Foreign Inward Remittance Statement) generation, which required 2-3 weeks and multiple bank follow-ups. With this partnership, Cashfree Payments will provide e-FIRS to Tazapay merchants, complete with remitter & buyer details, for all their transactions within one business day.
  • This partnership streamlines transaction processing, improves cash flow management and offers convenient payment options. It aims to unlock new opportunities for Indian sellers to expand their reach and tap into more global buyers.
Titbits

Cashfree Payments:

Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
CEO and Co-Founder : Akash Sinha

Tazapay:

Headquarters: Singapore
CEO: Rahul Shinghal


Acquisitions and Mergers – Daily Current Affairs May 17

8. What percentage of stake has the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML) to purchase in HDFC Bank?
A) 5%
B) 7%
C) 9.99%
D) 12%
E) 15%
Answer: C) 9.99%

  • State Bank of India (SBI) Funds Management received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to acquire up to 9.99 per cent stake in HDFC Bank.
  • Central bank has advised the SBIFM to acquire the stake within six months i.e. by November 15, 2023.
  • RBI’s approval that has been granted to SBI Funds Management is subject to the conditions, including compliance with the relevant provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI’s Master Direction and Guidelines on Acquisition and Holding of Shares or Voting Rights in Banking Companies dated January 16, 2023, provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, provisions of the regulations issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), and any other guidelines, regulations, and statutes as applicable.
Titbits

SBI Funds Management Private Limited:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer: Mr. Shamsher Singh

HDFC Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai , Maharashtra
Tagline : We Understand Your World
CEO :SashidharJagdishan

RBI:

Abbreviation: Reserve Bank of India
Act: Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– 4 (T Rabi Sankar, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao)


Appointments – Daily Current Affairs May 17

9. Who has been appointed as the new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Raheja QBE General Insurance Company Limited?
A) Rajeev Dogra
B) Rakesh Sharma
C) Sanjiv Bajaj
D) Aditya Puri
E) Uday Kotak
Answer: A) Rajeev Dogra

  • Raheja QBE General Insurance Company Limited has announced the appointment of Rajeev Dogra as the new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer following regulatory approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
  • Since joining the company’s Sales and Distribution division in October 2011.
  • Raheja QBE is a joint venture between RajanRaheja Group and QBE Insurance, Australia based global insurer.
Titbits

Raheja QBE General Insurance:

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer: Rajeev Dogra


Awards – Daily Current Affairs May 17

10. Who was recently conferred with France’s highest civilian honour, “Chevalier de la Légiond’Honneur”?
A) Ratan Tata
B) N Chandrasekaran
C) MukeshAmbani
D) Adi Godrej
E) Azim Premji
Answer: B) N Chandrasekaran

  • Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran was conferred with France’s highest civilian honour- “Chevalier de la Légiond’Honneur”– by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna.
  • The 59-year-old was conferred with the award for the role played by him in developing and fostering commercial links between India and France.
  • Chandrasekaran was appointed the chairman of Tata Sons in 2017, taking over from Cyrus Mistry and in February 2022, was given a second-term in the role for another five years.
  • He also served on the board of the Reserve Bank of India from 2016 to 2022
    Chandrasekaran has also been appointed as the chair of B20 India by the Central government.
  • He is also heading the new Economic Advisory Council of Maharashtra, which was announced by the state government in December 2022.
  • Earlier this year, Tata Group-owned Air India had inked a multi-billion dollar deal with Airbus to buy 250 aircraft from Airbus, which included 210 A320 neo planes and 40 A350 aircraft.
  • Last year in December, Tata Technologies inaugurated its innovation centre in Toulouse, France, to cater for the new-age product engineering and digital requirements of the global aerospace and defence sector.
  • In April, Ratan Tata was conferred with the highest civilian award of Australia-Order of Honour-by Australia’s High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell.
Titbits

France:

President : Emmanuel Macron
Capital : Paris
Currency :Euro,CFP franc


International Affairs – Daily Current Affairs May 17

11. Which two organizations are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi?
A) Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
B) Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
C) Competition Commission of India (CCI) and National Stock Exchange (NSE)
D) Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA)
E) Competition Commission of India (CCI) and World Trade Organization (WTO)
Answer: D) Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA)

  • The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA).
  • The MoU envisages promotion and strengthening of cooperation in competition law and policy through exchange of information, sharing of best practices as well as through various capacity building initiatives. The MoU also aims to develop and strengthen linkages between CCI and ECA, and learn and emulate from each other’s experiences in the enforcement of competition law in their respective jurisdictions through experience sharing and technical cooperation.
  • Section 18 of the Competition Act, 2002 permits CCI to enter into any memorandum or arrangement with any agency of any foreign country for the purpose of discharging its duties or performing its functions under the Act. Accordingly, the present proposal relates to signing of MoU between CCI and EGA.

Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and The Chartered Accountants of the Maldives

  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and The Chartered Accountants of the Maldives (CA Maldives).
  • ICAI and CA Maldives aim to establish mutual co-operation for the advancement of Accounting Knowledge, Professional and Intellectual Development, Advancing the interests of their respective members and positively contributing to the development of the Accountancy Profession in the Maldives and India.

Cabinet approves signing of Project Collaboration Agreement between the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Assistive Technology

  • The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, was apprised of signing of Project Collaboration Agreement between the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for promoting access to high quality affordable assistive technology mainly through fostering research, innovation, and capacity building.
  • This collaboration aims to work towards drawing global attention toward access to assistive technology, fostering research and innovation and developing and disseminating appropriate training programmes.
Titbits

CCI:

Abbreviation: Competition Commission of India
Founded: 14 October 2003
Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
Chairman :Ravneet Kaur

ICAI:

Abbreviation: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Formation: 1 July 1949
Headquarters: New Delhi
President: CA. Aniket Sunil Talati

WHO:

Abbreviation: The World Health Organization
Director-General : Dr TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: 7 April 1948


12. What is the name of the programme launched jointly by India and Bangladesh to promote collaboration and exchange between their start-up ecosystems?
A) Startup Connect Initiative
B) 50 Start-up Exchange Programme
C) India-Bangladesh Start-up Alliance
D) Innovation Bridge Program
E) Cross-border Startup Exchange Initiative
Answer: B) 50 Start-up Exchange Programme

  • India and Bangladesh have recently collaborated to launch the ’50 Start-up Exchange Programme,’ aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and promoting cooperation in the start-up and innovation sectors.
  • The initiative serves as a platform for entrepreneurs, investors, and stakeholders from both countries to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge.
  • By facilitating the exchange of ideas, best practices, and expertise, the program aims to foster innovation, growth, and learning opportunities for Indian and Bangladeshi start-ups.
  • Additionally, participating start-ups benefit from mentorship, guidance, and valuable connections with experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors.
Titbits

Bangladesh:

Capital : Dhaka
Currency : Bangladeshi Taka
President: Mohammed Shahabuddin
Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina


National Affairs – Daily Current Affairs May 17

13. What is the budgetary outlay approved by the Cabinet for the Production Linked Incentive Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware?
A) Rs 10,000 crore
B) Rs 12,500 crore
C) Rs 15,000 crore
D) Rs 17,000 crore
E) Rs 20,000 crore
Answer: D) Rs 17,000 crore

  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Rs 17,000 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the IT hardware segment.
  • The Production Linked Incentive Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware has a budgetary outlay of Rs17,000 crore. The PLI Scheme 2.O builds on the success of PLI for mobile phones.
  • India has become the world’s second largest manufacturer of mobile phones. Exports of mobile phones crossed a major milestone of $11 billion this year (about Rs 90 thousand crore).

What is PLI Scheme?

  • The government had in February 2021 approved the PLI scheme for IT hardware, covering the production of laptops, tablets, All-in-One PCs, and servers with an outlay of Rs 7,350 crore. The global electronics manufacturing ecosystem is coming to India, and the country is emerging as a major electronics manufacturing country.

What is the tenure of the scheme?

  • The tenure of the programme will be applicable for six years and the government expects investments worth Rs 2,430 crore in the scheme.

Jobs to be created

  • The Union Electronics said the scheme is expected to lead to incremental production of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, incremental investment of Rs 2,430 crore. It is expected to create incremental direct employment for 75,000 people during the scheme period.

What is outlay of the scheme?

  • The PLI 2.O will have an outlay of Rs 17,000 crore, up from Rs 7,350 crore in the ongoing scheme.

Cabinet approves Rs 1.08 lakh crore fertiliser subsidy for April-September kharif season

  • The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 1.08 lakh crore package for fertiliser subsidy for the April-September kharif season.
  • Of the Rs 1.08 lakh crore subsidy, Rs 70,000 crore is for urea and Rs 38,000 crore for Di-ammonium Phosphate, or DAP.

14. Which city in India has become the first to measure the progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
A) New Delhi
B) Mumbai
C) Bhopal
D) Kolkata
E) Chennai
Answer: C) Bhopal

  • Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal has become the first city in India to accept the localization of the United Nations (UN)-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) will now be conducted in Bhopal to show the abilities and commitments of the government.
  • Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had officially unveiled the Agenda for Action: Sustainable Urban Transformation in Bhopal.
  • The SDGs localisation is translating the agenda, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (known as Agenda 2030), into local actions and impacts that contribute to the global achievement of the goals.
  • Bhopal’s VLR is the result of a collaboration between the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, UN-Habitat and a collective of over 23 local stakeholders to measurably demonstrate the city’s aspirations for a sustainable and inclusive urban transformation.
  • It incorporated a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches to the review of SDGs, with qualitative mapping of 56 developmental projects.
  • In 2015, all 193 member states of the UN adopted the Agenda 2030, comprising 17 SDGs and 169 targets as a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.
  • The member states report their progress towards achieving the goals through a voluntary national review (VNR) to UN’s high-level political forum (HLPF).
  • New York City became the first city to present its VLR to the HLPF in 2018. By 2021, some 33 countries had made 114 VLRs or similar review documents publicly available.
Titbits

Madhya Pradesh:

Capital: Bhopal
CM: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Governor : Shri Mangubhai Patel


15. Which Indian state has recently approved the ‘MukhyamantriSikhoKamaoYojana’ (Chief Minister Learn and Earn Scheme) targeting unemployed youths?
A) Uttar Pradesh
B) Bihar
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Rajasthan
E) Maharashtra
Answer: C) Madhya Pradesh

  • The cabinet of Madhya Pradesh has approved a new scheme for unemployed youths in the state ‘MukhyamantriSikhoKamaoYojana’ (Chief Minister Learn and Earn Scheme).
  • Youth who have passed class 12th, ITI, Graduation and post graduation, all of them will be eligible for the scheme and a stipend amount will also be given to them for learning skills
  • Under the scheme, the youths will be taught about 700 different types of works of various sectors which includes, engineering, hotel management, tourism, travel, hospital, ITI, software development sector, banking, insurance, accounting, chartered accountant and other financial services related work, industries, MSME industry or other service sector.
  • The youth would be paid for learning the skills. Youths, who have passed Class 12, would be given a stipend of Rs 8000 and ITI pass would be given Rs 8,500.
  • Similarly, youth having a diploma would be given Rs 9,000 and youth having higher degree than the above would get Rs 10,000 a month stipend.

MukhyamantriKrishakByaajMaafi Yojana-2023

  • Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a farm loan interest waiver scheme that he claimed would benefit over 11 lakh farmers in the State.
  • Under the MukhyamantriKrishakByaajMaafi Yojana-2023 or the Chief Minister Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme, the State government will compensate the defaulter farmers, who have outstanding loans of up to ₹2 lakh including the principal and interest as on March 31, 2023, from Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (PACS).
  • The scheme under which outstanding amounts of ₹2,123 crore would be waived off for 11,19,000 farmers
  • These farmers are those who have defaulted on loans from the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, affiliated to District Cooperative Central Banks.
  • Under the scheme, short-term crop as well as short-term loans, which have been converted into medium-term loans due to natural calamities, are also included.

16. Who inaugurated the online rural education programme ‘Pahal’ at Government UP Sainik Inter College, Sarojini Nagar?
A) Prime Minister Narendra Modi
B) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
C) Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra
D) Education Minister Ramesh PokhriyalNishank
E) Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan
Answer: C) Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra

  • Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra inaugurated an online rural education programme ‘Pahal’ at Government UP Sainik Inter College, Sarojini Nagar.
  • This programme has been prepared by the department of secondary education in collaboration with IIT Kanpur.
  • Under this programme, free online education will be provided at 10 government secondary schools of the state in the initial phase.

17. Which branch of the Indian Army conducted the joint flood relief exercise ‘Exercise Jal Rahat’ in Assam?
A) Gajraj Corps
B) Kumaon Regiment
C) Garud Commando Force
D) Maratha Light Infantry
E) Siachen Brigade
Answer: A) Gajraj Corps

  • Gajraj Corps of the Indian Army conducted a joint flood relief ‘Exercise Jal Rahat’ at Hagrama Bridge on Manas River in Assam to validate joint drills and coordinate preparedness by multi-agency flood relief columns.
  • Apart from Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and police representatives took part in the exercise.
  • The event included coordination and rehearsals for rescue missions of people from inundated areas by joint efforts of the Army, NDRF and SDRF specialist teams, according to the official statement by Defence PRO, Guwahati.
  • Practice on use of innovative expedients by the flood relief columns was also organised in which teams of Army and SSB demonstrated use of local resources during such calamity.
Titbits

The Indian Army:

Headquarters: New Delhi
Founded: 1 April 1895
Commander-in-Chief: India President DroupadiMurmu
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS): General Anil Chauhan
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS): General Manoj Pande
Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS): Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar


18. Where did the 3rd Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting (ETWG) under India’s G20 Presidency take place?
A) New Delhi
B) Mumbai
C) Kolkata
D) Chennai
E) Bengaluru
Answer: B) Mumbai

  • The 3rd Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting (ETWG) under India’s G20 Presidency starts in Mumbai.
  • The meeting will bring together over 100 delegates from G20 member countries, special invitee countries and International Organisations such as International Energy Agency (IEA), and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
  • The 3rd ETWG Meeting will be chaired by Shri Alok Kumar, who serves as the ETWG Chair.
  • There are six priority areas outlined under India’s G20 Presidency. These priority areas reflect India’s focus on various aspects of energy transition and building global cooperation towards sustainable and clean energy development.
  • The six priority areas are (i) Energy transition through addressing technology gaps (ii) Low-cost financing for energy transition (iii) Energy security and diversified supply chains (iv) Energy efficiency, industrial low carbon transitions and responsible consumption, (v) Fuels for Future (3F) and (vi) Universal access to clean energy and just, affordable, and inclusive energy transition pathway.
  • The first two meetings of the ETWG were held in Bengaluru and Gandhinagar, respectively.


Over All Review

Important Days

  • May 17 – World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, World Hypertension Day, International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

Obituary

  • SrichandParmanandHinduja, the eldest of the four Hinduja brothers and chairman of Hinduja Group, died.
  • Australian tennis player Owen Davidson, who won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles, has died.

Banking and Finance 

  • Geojit Financial Services has launched its latest mobile trading platform, FLIP, that will replace the existing platform SELFIE.
  • The government has appointed IDBI Capital, BOB Capital and SBI Capital to manage the initial public offer (IPO) of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
  • Zomato has partnered with ICICI Bank to launch its very own unified payments interface (UPI) offering called Zomato UPI, for some of its users.
  • Cashfree Payments has partnered with Tazapay to power their cross-border payments for Indian exporters.

Acquisitions and Mergers

  • State Bank of India (SBI) Funds Management received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to acquire up to 9.99 per cent stake in HDFC Bank.

Appointments

  • Raheja QBE General Insurance Company Limited has announced the appointment of Rajeev Dogra as the new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer.

Awards 

  • Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran was conferred with France’s highest civilian honour- “Chevalier de la Légiond’Honneur”- by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna.

International Affairs

  • The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA).
  • India and Bangladesh have recently collaborated to launch the ’50 Start-up Exchange Programme.

National Affairs

  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Rs 17,000 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the IT hardware segment.
  • Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal has become the first city in India to accept the localization of the United Nations (UN)-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
  • The cabinet of Madhya Pradesh has approved a new scheme for unemployed youths in the state ‘MukhyamantriSikhoKamaoYojana’ (Chief Minister Learn and Earn Scheme).
    Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra inaugurated an online rural education programme ‘Pahal’ at Government UP Sainik Inter College, Sarojini Nagar.
  • Gajraj Corps of the Indian Army conducted a joint flood relief ‘Exercise Jal Rahat’ at Hagrama Bridge on Manas River in Assam.
  • The 3rd Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting (ETWG) under India’s G20 Presidency starts in Mumbai.

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