May 5 and 6 Current Affairs
STATE
MADHYA PRADESH
NFL to invest Rs.1,250 crore in 2 years on new plant, energy-saving projects
- State-owned fertilizer firm (NFL) National Fertilizers will invest Rs.1,250 crore over the next two years on energy-saving projects in its five existing plants and setting up a new factory in Madhya Pradesh to produce di-nitrogen tetroxide.
TAMILNADU
160th Convocation of University of Madras
- The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the 160thconvocation of the University of Madras today (May 5, 2018) in Chennai.
ANDHRA PRADESH
Google Code Lab at VVIT
- Google Inc, USA has funded a Google Code Lab at Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology, Nambur.
- VVIT Chairman V. Vidya Sagar said that Google Inc had invested Rs.2 lakh for setting up a lab, in association with A.P. Skill Development Corporation.
PUDUCHERRY
Portal for MSMEs launched
- Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday opened a portal – https:// easybusiness.tn.gov.in/msme – for single window clearance to the MSME sector.
- The Chief Minister also launched a portal – http://msmeonline.tn.gov.in/uyegp – to enable unemployed youth to apply for loans under the Unemployed Youth Employment Generation Programme (UYEGP) scheme and http://www.msmeonline.tn.gov.in/needs to help people apply for loans under the New Entrepreneur Cum Enterprise Development Scheme (Needs).
TELANGANA
Four NH projects in Hyderabad launched
- Union Minister for Highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday laid foundation stones for six-laning of 10 km stretch from Aaramghar to Shamshabad, a double lane from Hyderabad Outer Ring Road to Medak over 63 km, a flyover from No. 6 Junction to Amberpet over 1.5 km and a six lane elevated corridor from Uppal to Narapally over 6.5 km.
- The total cost of the four projects was estimated at Rs.1,523 crore.
NATIONAL
ISRO’s clock to prop up India’s own GPS
- Repeated failures of foreign-made atomic clocks have dogged NavIC project. Seven-satellite Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NavIC (Navigation in Indian Constellation).
- NavIC, whose seventh satellite was launched in April 2016, was expected to provide India a satellite-based navigation system independent of the U.S.-controlled GPS (Global Positioning System).
Vice President of India departs for a 6-day visit to Guatemala, Panama and Peru
- The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu departed today for a 6-day visit to Guatemala, Panama and Peru.
- This is the first official foreign visit of Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu since he assumed office of the Vice President in August last year.
India and the world: a history in nine stories – Exhibition
- ‘India and the World: A History in Nine Stories’ offers insights into two million years of history. It was planned as part of commemoration of 70 years of India’s independence and a year of major cultural exchange between India and the UK (UK/India 2017).
LPG Penetration has reached 58.55 % in Odisha
- LPG penetration in the State of Odisha has reached 58.55 % by 1st May 2018 which was at 20% level in June 2014 and the government has set a target of providing gas connections to 80.0 lac household by the end of December 2018.
Naval Commander’s conference to begin on 08 May at New Delhi
- The first edition of this year’s Bi-annual Naval Commander’s Conference is scheduled from 08 to 11 May 18.
Border Roads Organisation to celebrate Raising Day
- Border Roads Organisation (BRO), is celebrating its Raising Day on 07 May 2018. BRO, a leader in the arena of infrastructural development in the border areas of the country is celebrating its 58 years of glorious service to the nation.
Plenary Session of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- The Plenary Session of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB) 05.05.2018 in Manila and welcomed the ADB’s Strategy 2030.
- Shri Garg is currently leading an Indian delegation to the 51st Annual Meeting of ADB.
WORLD
North Korea resets clocks to match South Korea’s time zone
- North Korea readjusted its time zone to match South Korea’s on May 5 and described the change as an early step toward making the longtime rivals “become one” following a landmark summit.
Japan bullfighting lifts ‘men-only’ rule
- “Togyu” is a bloodless match between two bulls locking horns in Japan.
- Japanese bullfighting organisers said on 05.05.2018 they had lifted a long-standing ban on women entering the sport’s “sacred” ring
UAE deploys troops in Yemeni island Socotra
- Yemen’s alliance with the UAE may be coming to an end after the latter deployed forces in a Yemeni island, recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site, without prior consultation with the exiled government.
- The UAE is a major pillar in a Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in northern Yemen
ECONOMY
ONGC floats first tender to sell Brazil Ostra crude
- India’s top explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp. on 04.05.2018 floated a mini tender to sell Brazil’s heavy oil Ostra in June-November, a tender document showed.
- ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of ONGC, owns a 27% stake in BC-10 block in Brazil.
SCIENCE
Limit trans fats to 1% of calorie intake to keep diseases at bay
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that adults and children should consume a maximum of 10% of their daily calorie intake in the form of saturated fat (found in meat and butter) and 1% in trans fats.
First record of invasive aphid in Kashmir Valley
- The brown peach aphid – an insect that attacks temperate fruit trees – has been recorded in the Kashmir Valley, the fruit bowl of India for the first time.
Bacteria isolated from domestic sewage remove organophosphorous pesticide
- Using three bacterial species isolated from domestic sewage, researchers from India have successfully removed chloropyrifos pesticide from both water and soil.
- Chloropyrifos is an organophosphorous pesticide and is moderately toxic to humans.
New preventive vaccine against leptospirosis
- Leptospirosis is an emerging tropical infectious disease, and currently there is no preventive vaccine for humans that are available in the market.
- A key peptide that can be used to develop a new preventive vaccine against leptospirosis has been successfully identified by researchers from the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre.
NASA launches InSight spacecraft to Mars
- NASA on May 5 blasted off its latest Mars lander, InSight, designed to perch on the surface and listen for “Marsquakes” ahead of eventual human missions to explore the Red Planet.
- The $993 million project aims to expand human knowledge of interior conditions on Mars
SPORTS
South Asian junior athletics championships, Colombo
- Haryana’s 400m hurdler Aman and Tamil Nadu triple jumper Priyadharshini Suresh came up with personal bests as they struck gold in the South Asian junior athletics championships here on 06.05.2018.
- India topped the medal table with 20 gold, 22 silver and 8 bronze medals.
Marshal Arjan Singh Memorial All India Hockey Tournament
- The first ‘Marshal Arjan Singh Memorial’ All India Hockey Tournament is being conducted by Air Force Sports Control Board, New Delhi to honour the great soldier.