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1.The Union Government has announced that currently 34 Indian satellites are operational in the space. It was announced by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha. 34 operational satellites are 13 Communication Satellites: INSAT-3A, INSAT-3C, INSAT-4A, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4CR, GSAT-6, GSAT-7, GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-12, GSAT-14, GSAT-15 and GSAT-16. 12 Earth Observation Satellites: Resourcesat-2, RISAT-1, RISAT-2, Cartosat-1, Cartosat-2, Cartosat-2A, Cartosat-2B, Oceansat-2, SARAL, Kalpana-1, Megha-Tropiques and INSAT-3D. 7 Navigational Satellites: IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G. 2 Space science Satellites: Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and Astrosat. It was also mentioned that about 30 service providers are utilising Ku-band (a part of K band) transponders onboard indigenous communication satellites for various communication applications. These applications include Direct-To-Home Television (DTH), Digital Satellite News Gathering, telecommunication, VSAT services for banking, tele-education and business communication etc.

2. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for adoption of United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. Decision in this regard was taken by the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The 10 UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics are Principle I: Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, economy, serving the Government, and public with data about the economic, social, demographic and environmental situation. Principle II: Statistical agencies need to decide according to strictly professional considerations to retain trust in official statistics. In this regard they must strictly take in to professional considerations, including scientific principles and professional ethics. Principle III: Statistical agencies must present information according to scientific standards on the methods, sources and procedures of the statistics to facilitate a correct interpretation of the data. Principle IV: Statistical agencies need to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics. Principle V: Data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sources. In this regard, statistical agencies must choose the source with regard to quality, costs, timeliness and the burden on Respondents. Principle VI: Individual data collected by statistical agencies for statistical compilation, whether they refer to natural or legal persons, are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes. Principle VII: The laws, measures and regulations under which the statistical systems operate are to be made public. Principle VIII: Statistical agencies within countries must have coordination to achieve consistency and efficiency in the statistical system. Principle IX: Statistical agencies in each country must use international concepts, methods and classifications. It will promote the consistency and efficiency of statistical systems at all official levels. Principle X: There should be bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics. It will contribute to the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries. Comment The adoption of the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics will bring Professional independence, accountability, impartiality and transparency in methods of collection, compilation and dissemination of official statistics besides adopting international standards. It will pave way for devising a National Policy on Official Statistics for improving systems, procedures and institutions consistent with these principles. Background The Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics were endorsed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in its Resolution in January 2014. On a reference from the UnionnMinistry of External Affairs on the draft UNGA Resolution, the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) had supported it. Most of the ingredients in these principles are already being adhered to by MoSPI since they are for qualitative improvements and good of the statistical system.

3. Renowned statistician Dr Radha Binod Barman took over as the part-time Chairperson in the National Statistical Commission (NSC). Besides, Professor Rahul Mukherjee, Professor S. Mahendra Dev, Dr Rajiv Mehta and Dr Manoj Panda also took over as other part-time members of the commission. About National Statistical Commission The Commission is an advisory body on all statistical matters, set up to enhance public trust in official statistics. It was established in 2006 based on the recommendation of C. Rangarajan Commission to reduce problems faced by statistical agencies in the country in relation to collection of data. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog is the ex-officio Member in the Commission.

4. Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Project has won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in the e-Agriculture category. Harita-Priya (Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda – Precision Technology for Agriculture) Project is meant to collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised information through SMS. Key facts The Harita-Priya Project uses wireless sensor networks to collect micro-climatic information from farms. The data is used to create advisories and alerts on irrigation schedules and pests and plant diseases. Based on this state agriculture officers disseminate personalised crop advisories in Telugu language to farmers by way of SMS. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Hyderabad has developed the project and is having a pilot run in Anantpur district. Andhra Pradesh government, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) station and Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University also have partnered for the project.

5. The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the renewed Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation with European Union (EU) for another period of 5 years. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The agreement will be retrospectively effective from 17 May 2015 until 2020. Key facts The agreement will reaffirm India-EU’s shared commitment to research and innovation as drivers of social and economic development. The Agreement’s purpose is to strengthen the co-operation in R&D activities in science & technology fields of common interest between the research institutions of the EU Member States and India. The cooperation activities include supporting joint R&D projects, sharing of advanced research facilities, exchange of scientists and experts joint seminars. It will also include symposia and workshops, sharing of relevant information on science, technology and innovation policy, program and R&D projects. The Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation was initially signed in November, 2001 was in force till May 2015.

6. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement. Decision in this regard was taken at the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The Agreement was signed in February, 2016 during the official state visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India. Key facts The MoU commits that RBI and Central Bank of UAE will consider signing a bilateral Currency Swap Agreement on mutually agreed terms and conditions. The agreement will be signed after undertaking technical deliberations, subject to the concurrence of respective Governments. The MoU will help to further strengthen the close economic cooperation and relationship between India and UAE. The swap agreement is also expected to facilitate invoicing of bilateral trade in local currencies. What is a Currency Swap? A currency swap involves exchange of principal and interest in one currency for the same in another currency. It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction. For example: Suppose a US based company needs to acquire Indian Rupees and India-based company needs to acquire US dollars. Then these two companies could arrange to swap currencies by establishing an interest rate, agreed upon amount along with a common maturity date for the exchange.

7. The Union Cabinet has apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT). Decision in this regard was taken by the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

8. The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) between Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). It was signed for the cooperation in Information and Communication Technology enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and other related technical matters. The MoC would cover 162 high malnutrition burden districts of 8 States viz. Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtrta, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

9. President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred 63rd National Film Awards for the year 2015 in various categories at the function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Legendry actor Manoj Kumar was conferred 2015 Dada Saheb Phalke Award, highest official recognition (award) in Indian cinema. Baahubali: The Beginning (Tamil, Telugu film) directed by S. S. Rajamouli was bestowed with the Best feature film award. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Hindi) directed by Kabir Khan was awarded as the Best Popular film providing wholesome entertainment. The 63rd National Film Awards in the various categories Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan (Piku). Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut (Tanu Weds Manu Returns). Best Direction: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Bajirao Mastani). Best Film on Social Issues: Niranayakam (Malayalam) directed by V. K. Prakash. Best Supporting Actor: Samuthirakani for the film Visaranai (Tamil). Best Supporting Actress: Tanvi Azmi for the film Bajirao Mastani (Hindi). Best Children’s Film: Duronto (Hindi) directed by Soumnedra Padhi. Best Child Artist: Gaurav Menon for the film Ben (Malayalam). Special Jury Award: Margarita with a Straw (Hindi) directed by Kalki Koechlin. Best Cinematography: Remo D’Souza for the film Bajirao Mastani (Hindi). Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Neeraj Ghaywan for the film Masaan (Hindi). Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: Nanak Shah Fakir (Punjabi) directed by Sartaj Singh Pannu. About National Film Awards The National Film Awards are most prominent most prominent film award ceremonies in India. Established in 1954, since then awarded annually. Winners in different categories of these awards are selected by the national panel of Juries appointed by Union Government. These awards are presented by the President of India in the official ceremony.

10. The Lok Sabha passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 for the establishment of funds under the public accounts of Centre and each State towards compensatory afforestation. It also provides for additional afforestation and penal compensatory afforestation to regulate collected funds. Salient features of the bill It seeks to establish the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state. The payments into the funds include compensatory afforestation, net present value of forest (NPV), and any project specific payments. The National Fund will get 10% of funds collected and the remaining 90% will go to respective State Fund. The collected funds will be utilised for afforestation, regeneration of forest ecosystem, wild life protection and forest related infrastructure development. The bill also seeks to establish National and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authorities to manage the funds. The determination of NPV will be delegated to an expert committee constituted by the central government. Background The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA) governs diversion or use of forest land for non-forest purposes such as industrial or infrastructure projects. A company diverting forest land must provide alternative land for taking up compensatory afforestation. For the afforestation purpose, the company should pay for planting new trees in the alternative land provided to the state. The loss of forest ecosystem must also be compensated by paying for (NPV). In 2002, the Supreme Court of India observed that collected funds for afforestation were underutilised by the states and it ordered for centrally pooling of funds under ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund. The court had set up the ad hoc National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (National CAMPA) to manage the Fund. In 2009, states also had set up State CAMPAs that receive 10% of funds form National CAMPA to use for afforestation and forest conservation. However, in 2013, a CAG report identified that the funds continued to be underutilised.

11. Australian entrepreneur and computer scientist Craig Wright has publicly identified himself as creator of virtual currency Bitcoin. He claimed that he is the real person behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin which was launched in 2009. Satoshi Nakamoto’s online cash system work in 2009 was the key for creation of the online cash system, but he remained anonymous and his work has since stopped. Craig Wright revealed his identity in order to stop the spread of misinformation about the virtual currency. He even sustained his claim by signing digital messages using cryptographic keys used during the early days of Bitcoin. What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a virtual currency that is unregulated by any central bank or government, but still works for purchasing goods and services from retailers willing to accept it. It can also be traded on an open market and its exchange rate fluctuates much like a stock market i.e. based on the demand. Bitcoin is a distributed peer-to-peer digital currency that functions without the inter-mediation of any central authority. Bitcoin is also called a “cryptocurrency” since it is decentralized and uses cryptography to prevent double-spending, a significant challenge inherent to digital currencies.

12. 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).

13. Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra Kainthola took charge as Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Kainthola replaced Prashant Pathrabe, who had served as interim Director and shall have tenure of three years.

14. The search engine giant Google has acquired business technology startup Synergyse founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra. The financial detail of the acquisition deal was disclosed by the Google. Synergyse was launched in 2013 with an aim to teach users how to use Google Applications. With this acquisition, Synergyse will be joining the Google Apps team and help it to accelerate its mission and build Google Apps. Entrepreneur Varun Malhotra specialises in training and strategy and has over 10 years of experience in the enterprise space.

15. Public Sector Power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned 600 MW coal-based thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh. The unit was commissioned at the 1×600 MW Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP) located in Seoni district in Madhya Pradesh. The project has been developed by Jhabua Power Ltd (JPL), a subsidiary of Avantha Power & Infrastructure Limited (APIL). This is the second project of APIL commissioned by BHEL after the 1×600 MW Avantha Bhandar TPP at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh. Presently, BHEL is also executing two supercritical units of 800 MW for NTPC at Gadarwara in Madhya Pradesh. BHEL is a power plant equipment manufacturer completely owned by Union Government. It is largest engineering and manufacturing company of its kind in India. It was established in 1964 and was awarded a Maharatna Company status in 2013.

16. 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 application was launched by Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi. Key facts Currently, Indian Railways have over 600 major projects of network expansion and modernization costing around 4.5 lakh crores rupees. PMIS is web-enabled IT- application application will be used for proper monitoring and management of all the Railway projects throughout the country. It will contain all the information about the ongoing projects which will help in reducing the completion time of the project. The application will also help in fixing the responsibility for delay in projects and help to watch over the life cycle of any project of the railways.

17. An international team of scientists have discovered a trio of Earth-like exoplanets using the TRAPPIST telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory. These planets were found orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star just 40 light-years from Earth and are likely comparable in size and temperature to Earth and Venus.

18. 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. The MoU paves way for planting around 5 lakh trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary prior to Monsoon Season. Key facts This agreement paves way improvements with regard to afforestation on railway land. With this Indian Railways can contribute substantially towards the Green India Mission. Forest department of respective states will provide expertise in afforestation as well as in maintenance and disposal of trees. The afforestation will help in protecting railway land from illegal encroachment. Tree plantation will be done without declaring such land as protected forest, thus it will be no hindrance to railway works and developmental projects. Union Ministry of Railways has asked all Zonal railways to execute similar agreement between their zones and concerned State Forest departments as early as possible.

19. Andhra Pradesh Government has launched Chandranna Bima Yojana, an insurance scheme for the working class people. The scheme was launched by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on the occasion of May Day in Vijayawada. About Chandranna Bima Yojana Any insured worker who meets an accidental death and permanent disability will be paid 5 lakh rupees. Any insured worker who suffers partial disability will be paid 3 lakh rupees. Under it, about 1.5 crore workers of the state will be covered.

20. 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. Their names had appeared on the list of 50 new fellows and 10 new Foreign Members announced by the Royal Society. They are: Physicist Sriram Ramaswamy: He is professor in Bengaluru based Indian Institute of Science (IISc). He is also Director of TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad. He mainly works on two broad areas: non-living imitations of self-propulsion and collective movement of self-propelled (“active”) matter through fluids. Biochemist Ramanujan Hegde: Currently he works at MRC Laboratory of Microbiology, UK. His scientific research mainly deals with humans’ understanding of how newly made proteins are localised correctly inside cells. Applied mathematician Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan: He is alumnus of IIT-Madras. His scientific work deals with understanding geometrical and dynamical patterns of shape and flow in biological and physical matter.

21. The Supreme Court has appointed a three-member high-powered committee headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM Lodha to oversee the functions of the Medical Council of India (MCI). Ruling in this regard was given by the SC Bench comprising Justices Anil R Dave, A K Sikri, R K Agrawal, Adarsh K Goel and R Banumathi. Key facts Other two members of the panel are Vinod Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and Dr SK Sareen, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. The committee is tasked to oversee all statutory functions under the Medical Council of India (MCI), Act. The MCI is the statutory regulator of medical profession and education in India. The committee will function till the Union Government puts in place a new mechanism for regulation by bringing a new legislation or amending the statute. SC Ruling MCI had repeatedly failed in its duties and the quality of medical education in the country was at its lowest ebb. The regulator is often been accused of indulging in corrupt practices and referred it to reports of a government panel and a parliamentary standing committee. It was not able to spearhead any serious reforms in medical education and neither represented the professional excellence nor its ethos.

22. Leicester City FC was crowned champions of the of English Premier League title for 2015-16 season without playing as nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC. They were crowned after its nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC had 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC. The draw placed Tottenham at second position and was not able to surpass Leicester City FC’s seven point lead at the top of the table. This is the first time in the Leicester City FC’s 132-year history it became the champion of the England. About English Premier League The English Premier League is professional league for men’s association football clubs. It was founded in 1992 and is England’s primary football competition. It is at the top of the English football league system. It is contested by 20 clubs and it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Football League.

23. 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 amendment Bill was first passed in the Lok Sabha in March 2016 and later in the Rajya Sabha in May 2016. Key facts Transfer of mining leases: The Bill provides for transfer of mining leases, which have been granted through procedures other than auction and where minerals are used for captive purpose. This provision will allow for merger and acquisition of companies with captive mining leases. Leased area: The also bill adds the definition of leased area as the area within which mining operations can be undertaken. This will also include the non-mineralised area required and approved for the activities defined under Mines Act 1952. Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957: It regulates the mining sector in India. It also specifies the requirement for obtaining and granting leases for mining operations.

24. The Union Government launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for providing free of cost LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from BPL Households. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maldepur Morh, Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. The tagline for the scheme is Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan. Key facts Under PMUY, each of the beneficiaries will receive monetary support of about 1,600 rupees to get a connection of cooking gas. It includes administrative cost, pressure regulator booklet and safety hose The scheme seeks to empower women and protect their health by shifting them from traditional cooking based on unclean cooking fuels or on fossil fuels to clean cooking gas. It is being implemented by Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It is for the first time this ministry is implementing a welfare scheme. The identification of eligible BPL families will be made in consultation with the State Governments and the Union Territories. It will be implemented over three years’ time frame namely in the FY 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

25. INS Kalvari, Indian Navy’s first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, has recently launched for the first sea trial in the Mumbai naval dockyard. It is a diesel-electric attack submarine which is built under the strategic Project 75 by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with French naval defence and energy company DCNS. Key facts INS Kalvari is also known as Tiger Shark (or S50). It is expected to be commissioned into Indian Navy by September 2016. It has superior stealth capability and is designed to operate in all theatres including the tropics. It is built using special steel that can withstand high yield stress that can withstand high hydrostatic force and enabling to dive deeper. Operations capability: It can undertake various operations including multifarious warfare, Anti-submarine warfare, Intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc. Attack Ability: It can launch attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons and attack can be launched from underwater or on surface. Weapons: It is equipped with Weapons Launching tubes (WLT) that can carry weapons on board and can be easily reloaded at sea.

26. An Indian-American journalist Neela Banerjee was felicitated with a prestigious Edgar A Poe award along with of her colleagues from Inside Climate News. They were felicitated by US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle during the annual White House Correspondents Dinner held in Washington DC. The award was shared by Neela Banerjee and three of her colleagues from Inside Climate News John Cushman Jr, David Hasemyer and Lisa Song and Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post.

27. The ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism (Ex MS & CT) has started at Brunei on May 1, 2016. The nine day exercise (till May 9, 2016) seeks to strengthen the strong bilateral ties and extensive maritime interactions between India and ASEAN countries. Key facts ADMM Plus Ex MS & CT is a multinational naval exercise conducted under the aegis of ADMM Plus consortium. It aims at enhancing mutual understanding with respect to maritime security issues and streamlining drills on counter-terrorism operations at sea. This edition of exercise will commence at Brunei and culminate at Singapore after conducting with various drills and exercises in the South China Sea. The Indian Navy has been a regular participant in maritime exercises conducted by the ADMM countries. This year Indian warship INS Airavat is participating in it. Participating Countries: Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, China, Japan, Russia, Australia, South Korea and US. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Airavat is a Landing Ship Tank, indigenously designed and built in India. The ship has a lift capability of 500 troops, 10 tanks and 11 combat trucks. India-ASEAN Ties India participates in ADMM Plus Ex MS & CT in consonance with its Act East Policy and Indian Navys constant endeavour to enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. There are deep historic and cultural linkages between India and ASEAN countries. The ties have bolstered and strengthened in the recent past by vibrant economic engagement and a growing sense of shared maritime destiny. In the recent past, ASEAN has emerged as one of the largest trading partners of India. The bilateral trade is showing an upward trend. India is also has actively contributing in numerous ASEAN-led mechanisms, namely the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ADMM Plus, as well as East Asia Summit (EAS).

28. German Formula One Driver Nico Rosberg from Mercedes team has won 2016 Russian Grand Prix held at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia. It was Rosberg’s fourth consecutive win in the 2016 season and overall eighteenth championship title of F1 in his career. Russian Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 2016 season of Formula One in which total 11 teams had participated and was contested over fifty-three laps.

29. Indian shooters have won three gold medals and one bronze on the opening day of the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Junior World Cup held in Suhl, Germany. Two Team Gold Medal Indian shooters won two gold medals in the team events of men’s 25m standard pistol and women’s 50m rifle prone competitions respectively. The men’s team comprised of Rituraj Singh, Shivam Shukla and Arjun Das. They collectively shot total of 1661 score in the 25m standard pistol event. Indian women won the gold medal in the team event of the 50m rifle prone competition. The team comprised of Gaayathri Nithyanadam, Sonika and Ayushi Podder. They collectively shot a total of 1846.6 score to emerge winners. Individual Medals India’s Rituraj Singh also won an individual gold medal in the men’s 25m standard pistol competition through. Gaayathri Nithyanadam won the bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle prone competition.

30. India and New Zealand have signed a landmark Air Services Agreement paving the way for introduction of direct flights between the two countries. The agreement was signed in the presence of the President Pranab Mukherjee and the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. The agreement will lead to easier air connectivity between both countries that have inhibited both business travel and people- to- people contact in the past. The Air Services Agreement was signed under the Convention of International Civil Aviation that aims to promote international air services between their respective territories. Background The two-way tourist traffic between India and New Zealand has witnessed sharp rise in recent past. There are nearly 1,75,000 persons of Indian origin living in New Zealand of which about 15,000 are Indian students. The two-way trade between the two countries has doubled in the last few years. Business, Education and Tourism also have grown exponentially between both countries.

31. 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. Women’s team comprised of Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi Laishram and Laxmirani Majhi. In the final match they lost to Chinese Taipei team by 2-6 score. While men’s trio team and mixed pair won their respective bronze playoffs in the first stage of Archery World Cup. Indian men’s recurve team comprised of Atanu Das, Jayanta Talukdar and Mangal Singh Champia. They defeated British team by 6-0 to bag the bronze medal.

32. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 came into force on 1 May 2016. In this regard, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) had notified 69 of the total 92 sections of the Act to bring it into force from 1 May 2016. Key provisions of Acts Sets up in motion the process of making necessary operational rules and creation of institutional infrastructure for protecting the interests of consumers. Promotes the growth of real estate sector in an environment of trust, confidence, credible transactions and efficient and time bound execution of projects. Real Estate Regulatory Authority will be formulated within one year as per the mandate of Act. Regulatory Authorities will have to dispose of complaints in 60 days and Appellate Tribunals will be required to adjudicate cases in 60 days.

33. The Union Government has launched National LED programme – 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. Key facts The UJALA scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power. It is LED based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP). Under it, 3 crore LED Bulbs will be distributed in Madhya Pradesh in the next 6 months. Under it, people of Madhya Pradesh will get subsidiesed 9W energy efficient LED bulbs by paying just 85 rupees per LED bulb. The scheme will help reduce electricity bills of consumers, contribute to the energy security of India and also help in environment protection. Background The Scheme was launched as part of Union Government’s efforts to spread the message of energy efficiency in the country. LED bulbs have a very long life, almost 50 times more than ordinary bulbs, and 8-10 times that of CFLs, and therefore provide both energy and cost savings in the medium term. It will help in saving of energy around 24 crore units every year.

34. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has termed reservation in promotions in the state as unconstitutional. Ruling in this regard was given by HC division bench chaired by Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar on the petitions filed several employee associations and social organisations. Petitioners had challenged the rules of the state government which provided reservation in promotion for Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes. HC Ruling Stated that the reservation to underprivileged during appointments is logical but reservations in promotions frustrate talented people. Giving priority to reserved categories over general classes in promotions is not justice.

35. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has inked MoU with SAARC Development Fund (SDF) for mutual cooperation and collaboration. The MoU was signed by SIDBI Deputy Managing Director A K Kapur and SDF CEO Sunil Motiwal. MoU envisages SDF and SIDBI to work together in co-funding of projects in Indian MSMEs on risk sharing basis in identified sectors. Development of suitable financial products for SME financing for MSMEs of other Saarc states, the Finance Ministry said in a statement. Technology transfer and making available software to MFIs regarding loan tracking systems in other SAARC states. Capacity development of SDF, SIDBI and SME funding institutions in SAARC countries. SIDBI: It is an independent financial institution aimed to aid the growth and development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).

36. South India’s first underground metro services flagged of in Bengaluru i.e. at East-West corridor (Purple Line) of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). The underground metro corridor has been named as Namma Metro and was flagged off Dr BR Ambedkar station by the Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The newly inaugurated 28-km metro line has 5.12-km underground stretch and connects Cubbon Park to the City Railway station. With the opening of the east-west corridor of Namma Metro, a total of 28 km of the first phase of Bengaluru Metro (spanning total 42 km) has become operational. Phase II of Namma Metro work has already commenced and it may become operational by 2020.