National
• Indian Railways has conducted the first ever trial run for high-speed Talgo trains of Spain on the 90-km Bareilly-to-Moradabad stretch in Uttar Pradesh.
• Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University of Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of Kalpana Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways at the University.
• Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar a state-of-the-art submarine assembly workshop at the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired a land-attack version of the supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos at the Pokaran field firing range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
• The Union Ministry of Power and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched India’s first integrated web portal designed to promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (nzeb.in) in India.
• Lakshadweep became first Union Territory (UT) in the counry to sign 24Ã7 Power for All document.
• The Union Ministry of Railways has launched Rail Humsafar Saptaah, a week-long initiative to highlight significant achievements made by Indian Railways in all spheres.
• The Union Government has given its final approval to setting up of National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in Kalinganagar, Odisha.
• The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched the multilingual knowledge portal www.bharatvani.in It was launched by Union HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh as part of Union Government’s Digital India Mission.
• Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched 20 Nirbhaya buses of Rajasthan State Transport Corporation (RSTC).
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval for National Capital Goods Policy 2016 to give an impetus to the capital goods sector and the Make in India initiative.
• The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) for cooperation in the exploration and user of outer space for peaceful purposes.
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval to amend The Institutes of Technology (IIT) Act, 1961 for incorporation of 6 new IITs.
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval for introduction of two Bills in the Parliament for certain amendments in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has decided to test an Air-breathing Propulsion System after successful test of Reusable launch Vehicle- Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD).
• The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has decided to launch ASMITA, a student tracking system programme.
• The Union Ministry of Urban Development has shortlisted 13 cities from 13 States/UTs in the list of second batch of Smart Cities Mission.
• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully test launched the first indigenous Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD).
• Gujarat Government has launched Smart Village program to improve public facilities in the villages.
• The Global Review on Antimicrobial Resistance in its final report has appreciated India’s Medicines with the Red Line campaign on antibiotics.
• Union Government has constituted 11 members committee to recommend measures to enhance the combat capabilities of the armed forces and re-balance the overall defence expenditure.
• Himachal Pradesh fisheries department has started an artificial propagation programme for rehabilitation and conservation of Golden Mahseer fish.
• Himachal Pradesh Government has launched PEHAL, a vision document of the Shimla District administration for raising education standards.
• Union Cabinet has approved promulgation of an ordinance to keep state boards out of the ambit of common medical entrance exams i.e. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for one year.
• President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated an Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• Cyclonic Storm Roanu, an active tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal has hit the eastern coast of India.
• The Union Government has launched the Centre for Environmental Health in New Delhi to assess the impact of environment-related problems on health.
• Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Wildlife Department for the first time has sighted group of eight Himalayan brown bears in Kargil’s Drass Sector after 1999 India-Pakistan War.
• A joint US-Australian military research team successfully tested a hypersonic technology in the Australian desert.
• Union Government has 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 the first patent.
• The Union Government has constituted a five member committee to comprehensively review and give recommendations on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) roadmap for the future.
• Indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile was successfully test-fired from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha.
• Odisha Government has decided to launch Green Passage scheme for orphan students to ensure that they get free of cost higher education in the state.
• The Income Tax (IT) department has launched electronic grievance redressal system ‘e-nivaran’ to fast track taxpayer grievances and ensure early resolution of their complaints.
• The Union Government has launched three IT and ITES initiatives for best practices in road transport sector.
• State-run power producer NTPC has signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with state-run miner Coal India Limited (CIL) to revive plants of the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL).
• India and United States (US) held their first Maritime Security Dialogue in New Delhi for deepening the evolving partnership in the maritime domain between both countries.
• The Income Declaration Scheme 2016 or four month window for declaration of domestic black money shall come into effect from 1st June 2016.
• Indigenously, developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile, Ashwin was successfully test fired.
• The Prime Minister along with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena have released ‘Simhastha Declaration’ at Ninora village in Ujjain.
• The Union Government has approved National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy, 2016 to promote the IP regime and to encourage innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in India.
• Union Government’s apex think tank NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog has decided to come up with a 15-year vision document in tandem with global trends and economic growth.
• The Union Railways Ministry has decided to constitute two Directorates viz. Mobility Directorate (MD) and Non-Fare Revenue Directorate (NFRD).
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of an Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and Mauritius on cooperation in cooperatives and related fields.
• The Union Cabinet has apprised of a General Framework Agreement (GFA) on Renewable Energy Cooperation between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• The Supreme Court has upheld constitutional validity of penal laws on defamation as the right to life under Article 21 includes the right to reputation.
• As per recently released World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Urban Air Quality Database for 2016, Delhi is no longer most polluted in the world in terms of air quality.
• President Pranab Mukherjee has presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards to thirty-five nursing personnel from across the country.
• Indian Air Force has launched its Electronic Maintenance Management System (e-MMS) Project, an automated military maintenance system.
• The Supreme Court, in a 54-page judgment, described the condition of noted disabled rights activist Jeeja Ghosh four years after a private airline crew “pulled her out” of the plane at the Kolkata airport merely because the captain felt she was a threat to the flight.
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed ceiling price of 54 drug formulations used for treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, diabetes and hypertension.
• The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Telecom companies will not compensate mobile phone users for inconvenience caused by call drops.
• Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has given its approval to 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.
• The Parliament has passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill, 2016. It was first passed in Lok Sabha and later in Rajya Sabha in the month of May, 2016.
• Harish Rawat-led Congress Government has won the floor test in the state legislative assembly conducted on 10 May 2016 on the order of the Supreme Court.
• Indian Navy has launched the state-of-the-art Harbour Defence Systems, viz. Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Besides, Mine Warfare Data Centre (MWDC) was also launched.
• Parliament has passed the Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 after with the Lok Sabha adopted certain amendments made by the Rajya Sabha.
• Parliament has passed the Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016 to widen ambit of law dealing with this anti-hijacking crime.
• Indian Army had conducted major military training exercise ‘2016 Chakravyuh-II’ in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
• The Union Government has launched nine projects initiatives for rural sanitation initiatives for conservation of river Ganga in Jharkhand.
• Mrugank Paranjape took charge as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), country’s largest commodity exchange.
• The 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.
• The Gujarat Government has accorded minority status to the Jain community in the state.
• Indian Railways has launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit Shirdi, Tirupati, Jagannath Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and Jyotirlingams among others.
• Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor’s autobiography titled ‘Shashi Kapoor &ndash the Householder, the Star’ was released recently.
• Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has launched Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya at Panaji.
• The Lok Sabha has unanimously passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015 by a voice vote.
• The Union Railways Ministry has launched an application namely Project Management and Information System (PMIS) for proper monitoring of all the Railway projects throughout the country.
• The Union Ministry of Railways and Forest Department of Haryana & Punjab have inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for plantation of trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary.
• Andhra Pradesh Government has launched Chandranna Bima Yojana, an insurance scheme for the working class people.
• Parliament has passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016. The Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
• The Union Government launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for providing free of cost LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from BPL Households.
• The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 came into force on 1 May 2016.
• Maharashtra Government has launched Adi Praman, a web-based application for state’s tribal population to get the caste validity certificates online.
• The Union Government has launched National LED programme &ndash Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA). It was launched by Union Minister for State (IC) for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• The Madhya Pradesh High Court has termed reservation in promotions in the state as unconstitutional.
International
• India and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance research and development (R&D) capabilities in biotechnology by launching a joint funding call.
• Barack Obama became the first incumbent US president to visit Hiroshima memorial, site of the world’s first atomic bombing dropped on August 6, 1945.
• India and Iran signed 12 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements in various areas including building and operating the Chabahar port by India.
• India and Oman have signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)/agreements on defence cooperation.
• India, Iran and Afghanistan sign historic three-way land transit agreement on Iran’s strategic southern port of Chabahar.
• The US House of Representatives has passed amendments to the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)-2017 to enhance the country’s defence cooperation with India.
• The first World Conference on Tourism for Development (WCTD) was held in Beijing, China from May 18 to 21, 2016.
• India and Slovenia have signed a protocol to amend the bilateral Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).
• China has successfully launched Yaogan-30 remote-sensing satellite into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) using the Long March-2D rocket.
• United States has activated a land-based missile defence station (Aegis Ashore Missile Defence System) in Deveselu, Romania.
• The Kenyan Government has decided to close Dadaab refugee camp which is often referred to as the world’s largest refugee camp over the issue national security.
• The multilateral Red Flag Aerial combat exercises between US, NATO and allied forces and India Air Force (IAF) concluded in Alaska, US.
• India has signed a historic Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) with World Health Organization (WHO) for cooperation on promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary medicine.
• Several Singaporean and Hong Kong English terms including wah, shiok and yum cha were added into the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
• India and other 5 countries viz. Canada, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand and China have signed OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement in Beijing (China).
• United Kingdom’s first baby named Biagio Russo was born in Oxford using Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) method.
Business and Economy
• Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has decided to open its first branch in India at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• India and World Bank have signed the Loan and Project Agreements for World Bank (IBRD) assistance of US 100 million dollars for Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernization project.
• The market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has tightened the Participatory Notes (P-note) norms.
• The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to merge its five associate public sector banks (PSBs) and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with itself.
• US personal and consumer technology giant Apple Inc. opened a new Development Office in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• The World Bank’s Board has approved 625 million dollars loan to support India’s grid connected rooftop solar programme to generate clean energy.
• HDFC Bank Ltd. launched SmartUp, a first-of-its-kind dedicated solution for start-ups in Kolkata.
• India’s largest private sector bank ICICI Bank has launched country’s first contactless business credit card in association with Jet Airways for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm has launched digital wallet service, named JioMoney Wallet, for Indian consumers.
• The Union Government has constituted a three member committee to prepare a policy framework for taxi and other transport operators.
• Karnataka Government has decided to go ahead with the establishment of Asia’s first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district.
• The Union Government has started the process for issuance of Unique Business Identification Number (UBIN) to enable budding entrepreneurs set up their business without any delays.
• India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has inked a MoU with the BRICS Grouping-promoted New Development Bank (NDB) for a partnership in bond issuances, co-financing, treasury management and human resources.
• Public Sector Power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned 600 MW coal-based thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh.
• The search engine giant Google has acquired business technology startup Synergyse founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra.
• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has inked MoU with SAARC Development Fund (SDF) for mutual cooperation and collaboration.
Sports
• Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has won the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• Real Madrid FC won the 2016 UEFA Champions League for the record 11th time by defeating Atletico Madrid FC by 5-3 goals in penalty shootout.
• Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen (18) from Netherlands created history by becoming Formula One’s youngest race winner.
• Andy Murray (World No.3) from Britain has won the 2016 Italian Open title of Tennis in the men’s singles category.
• Serbian Tennis player Novac Djokovic (World no. 1) won the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open title in the men’s single category.
• Two Indian women wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics scheduled to be held in August 2016.
• Pakistan has won the third edition of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) by defeating India.
• Former South African cricketer Mickey Arthur has been appointed as cricket team’s head coach. It was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
• Seven Indian shuttlers (Badminton players) have officially earned the qualification for the forthcoming Rio Olympics scheduled to be held in August 2016 in Brazil.
• Ace snooker player Mark Selby (World no 1) from England has won the 2016 World Championship title of Snooker.
• Indian women’s team has won silver medal in the recurve team final of Archery World Cup held at the Yuanshen Stadium in Shanghai, China.
New Appointments
• Mamata Banerjee was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for second successive five-year term at oath taking ceremony held on Red Road.
• Veteran CPI (M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan was sworn-in as 12th Chief Minister of Kerala after the left Democratic Front (LDF) had won 2016 state assembly election.
• Renowned scientist S K Sharma was appointed the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
• President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed BJP leader and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi as the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Puducherry as per Article 239 of the Constitution.
• Ms. J Jayalalithaa has sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for record sixth time after winning 2016 state assembly election with absolute majority.
• United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Mary Robinson and Macharia Kamau as UN’s Special Envoys for El Nino and Climate.
• Anurag Thakur unanimously elected as the BCCI president, while Ajay Shirke was chosen as secretary in a smooth change of guard at a time when the world's richest Board is sailing through choppy waters.
• Former Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal has been appointed as Principle Adviser for social sector in NITI Aayog.
• Tsai Ing-wen (59) has sworn-in as the first female and 14th President of Taiwan on 20 May 2016 in front of national flag.
• Indian journalist and Councillor Philip Abraham has been elected the Deputy Mayor of Loughton town in the United Kingdom.
• Justice Deepak Gupta has sworn-in as the new Chief Justice (CJ) of the Chhattisgarh High Court.
• Former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Mukul Mudgal has been appointed as Deputy Chairman of FIFA Governance Committee.
• United States (US) President Barack Obama has appointed an Indian-American engineer Manjit Singh as the member of President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (PACFBNF).
• Veteran cricket administrator Shashank Manohar (58) was elected unopposed as ICC’s (International Cricket Council) first independent Chairman.
• Anti-crime candidate and mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte has won the 2016 presidential election of the Philippines by a landslide victory. He will become the 16th President-elect of Philippines.
• Shashank Manohar has stepped down as President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with immediate effect.
• An Indian-origin lawyer Murali Pillai from Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has been elected member of the parliament.
• Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba (58) has been appointed as next Chief of the Naval Staff. He will be 23rd chief of Indian Navy and 21st as an Indian.
• Senior IPS officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra was appointed as Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the aviation security wing of the Government.
• Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra Kainthola took charge as Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has selected Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa as the executive secretary of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
• An Indian American Sikh woman Harmeet Kaur Dhillon (47) from California was elected to an important position in the Republican Party at the United States national level.
• Three Indian Scientist have been elected as the as Fellows of The Royal Society, a premier scientific academy of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
Awards
• Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh has won the India Biodiversity Award 2016.
• Four Indian peacekeepers and a civilian have been chosen posthumously for United Nation’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their courage and sacrifice.
• Nandini Bhandaru, a PhD student at IIT-Kharagpur has won the Young Scientist Award of the European Materials Research Society’s (E-MRS) for contribution to materials science.
• Indian-American scientist Arnab De has received the prestigious Springer Theses Award.
• Indian author Aditi Krishnakumar has won the prestigious 2016 Scholastic Asian Book Award. She has won the award for her 32,000-word manuscript titled Codex: The Lost Treasure of the Indus.
• Bharti Enterprises founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal (58) was bestowed with 2016 Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award.
• Bioengineer Frances Arnold from United States (US) has won the prestigious 2016 Millennium Technology Prize.
• Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling was conferred with the Yug Kavi Siddhicharan Award, one of the Nepal’s prestigious literary award.
• An Indian-American biotechnologist Rupa Iyer has been awarded Distinguished Leadership in Teaching Excellence Award, University of Houston’s highest teaching award.
• South Korean author, Han Kang, has won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize for her novel The Vegetarian.
• Indian artist Anjali Chandrashekar (22) has won the third prize in UN Poster for Peace contest presented by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) to raise awareness of the need for nuclear disarmament.
• Former ISRO Chairman and space scientist Prof Udupi Ramachandra Rao became the first Indian to be given Hall of Fame Award by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
• Justice Naveen Sinha has sworn in as the 31st Chief Justice of Rajasthan.
• Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of three years.
• Senegalese UN diplomat Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura (54) has been named as Secretary General of FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Council.
• US President Barack Obama has honoured an Indian-American elementary teacher Revathi Balakrishnan from Texas at the White House.
• Switzerland Government has honoured late veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra by unveiling bronze statue at Interlaken.
Science and Technology
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully deployed the first experimental inflatable room attached to the International Space Station (ISS).
• Australian researchers have built the world’s first Scanning Helium Microscope (SHeM) to examine materials without disturbing them.
• Scientists from The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) have developed world’s first genetically engineered clone of the Zika virus strain.
• World’s largest single rooftop solar power plant of 11.5 MegaWatt (MW) capacity was inaugurated at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh in Beas near Amritsar in Punjab.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully launched a super pressure balloon to conduct near-space scientific investigations.
• The world’s first robot lawyer named ‘ROSS’ has been employed by a US law firm BakerHostetler.
• NASA’s unmanned Kepler space observatory has discovered the largest trove of exoplanets outside our solar system.
• Scientists from the Queen’s University (Canada) have developed the world’s first holographic flexible smartphone named HoloFlex.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled the first global digital elevation (topographic model) of Mercury.
• Scientists have detected atomic oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars for the first time since the last observation 40 years ago.
• The United Nations has launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak.
• US based private space transport service company, SpaceX has successfully launched Japanese JCSAT-14 communication satellite into the space.
• An international team of scientists have discovered a trio of Earth-like exoplanets using the TRAPPIST telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory.
Study/Research
• As per recent study conducted by Assocham-KPMG, India has emerged as the world's fifth largest electronic waste (e-waste) producer.
• A new NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)-led study has found that sea ice cover surrounding Antarctica has been increasing slightly.
Death
Noted Marathi critic and litterateur R G Jadhav passed away in Pune, Maharashtra following prolonged illness. He was 83.
Veteran Gujarati folk singer Diwaliben Bhil passed away in Junagadh, Gujarat. She was 80.
Special Days
• Every year May 22 is being observed as International Biodiversity Day (IDB) across the world to promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
• Every year May 21 is being observed as Anti-Terrorism Day throughout India to spread awareness among the people about the danger of terrorism and violence and its effect on the people, society and the country as a whole.
• National Technology Day is being observed across India on May 11 to glorify the importance of science in day-to-day life and motivate students to adopt science as a career option.
• World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is being observed across the world on the second weekend in May. This year, WMBD is being observed on 10th May.
• World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is being observed on 3 May every year across the world to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press.
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