IMPORTANT DAYS
31 May – World No Tobacco Day
2018 Theme – Tobacco and heart disease
- Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners mark World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health and other risks associated with tobacco use, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
NATIONAL
Sikkim
Free Cochlear Implant for Hearing Impaired Sikkimese Children
- The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar has promised that the centre would provide financial assistance worth Rs 6 Lakh for cochlear implant of all children with hearing impairment hailing from the economically weak sections of the Sikkimese society.
New Delhi
CBSE to conduct Central Teacher Eligibility Test
- The Central Board of Secondary Education will be conducting the 11th edition of Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) on 16/09/2018.
Guidelines by government on Adventure Tourism
- The Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge), Shri. K. J. Alphons launched the Guidelines by the Government of India on Adventure Tourism in New Delhi.
- These guidelines on Safety and Quality Norms for Adventure Tourism in India have been formulated along with the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) in an effort to make adventure sports safer.
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh gets new state bird, state flower
- Four years after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the government of the residual state has announced its state symbols.
- State bird – Rama Chiluka (psittacula krameri) or rose ringed parakeet
- State tree – Neem (azadirachta indica) or Vepa Chettu
- State animal – Jinka or spotted deer
- State flower – Jasmine
INTERNATIONAL
U.S. Pacific Command renamed U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
- The United States renamed its strategically important Pacific Command (PACOM) the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in a move widely seen as a public expression of Washington’s keenness to count India as a key partner in its strategic planning.
SCIENCE
China invites all U.N. members to utilise its upcoming space station
- China has invited all member-states of the United Nations to jointly utilise its future space station expected to be ready by 2022.
- The China Space Station (CSS), which is expected to be launched by 2019 and become operational by 2022, will be the world’s first space station open for cooperation with all U.N. member-states.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
India leading country in coconut production and productivity
- India makes unprecedented progress in coconut cultivation from mid 2014 to 2018 & becomes the leading country in coconut production and productivity.
- India begins coconut oil exports to Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka and for the first time exports dry coconut in large quantities to U.S. and European countries.
MOU, AGREEMENTS & CABINET APPROVALS
Government of India and World Bank signs for PMGSY
- The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $500 million loan agreement to provide additional financing for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project, implemented by Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, which will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES
Raksha Mantri inaugurates IAF Commanders’ Conference
- The First biannual IAF Commanders’ Conference of 2018 was inaugurated by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan) & the conference is planned for two days.
- Commanders will discuss the operational, maintenance and administrative takeaways identified during the Exercise and the way ahead.
DEFENCE
Successful Flight Test of SFDR
- The technology demonstrator flight test of ‘Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)’ propulsion based missile has been carried out successfully from the Launch Center-III of ITR, Chandipur, Orissa.
- The technology of nozzle less booster has been successfully demonstrated in the mission for the first time in the country.
SCHEMES
Foodgrain at subsidized prices in Welfare Institutions and SC/ST/OBC Hostels
- Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution asserted that foodgrain at subsidized prices is being allocated for welfare and development of weaker sections of society to ensure adequate standards of nutrition in Welfare Institutions and SC/ST/OBC Hostels.
- Shri Paswan chaired the meeting of Food Secretaries of States/UTs to discuss execution of Welfare Institutions and Hostels Schemes in New Delhi.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
- Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction of another 1.5 lakh affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs.7,227cr with central assistance of Rs.2,209 cr.
- The approval was given in the 34thmeeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee in its meeting.
RANKINGS & INDEXES
Times Higher Education ranking
- The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has made it to the top 100 universities, only Indian institution to make it to the prestigious list this year.
- Topped by American universities Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford.
APPOINTMENTS
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
- Shri Amit Khare – Secretary
Alicia Pucheta – First woman president of Paraguay
APP & WEBPORTAL
Samagra portal
- Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will launch Samagra, an educational resource portal prepared by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) for schoolteachers on May 31 2018.
SPORTS
Vikas Gowda announces retirement
- India’s “greatest” discus thrower Vikas Gowda, only Indian athlete to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2014 in Glasgow announces retirement.
- He had set the current national record of 66.28 metre in 2012.