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1. Justice Naveen Sinha has sworn in as the 31st Chief Justice of Rajasthan. He was administered the oath to the office by Governor Kalyan Singh as per the provisions of the Article 219 of Constitution. He was appointed by President Pranab Mukherjee as per provisions Article 222 of Constitution after following recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) T.S. Thakur. Prior to the transfer, Justice Naveen Sinha was Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court since July 2014.

2. 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. The first of its king policy in the country seeks to strengthen legislative and legal framework of IPRs, their commercialization and reinforce enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for IPR infringements. The National IPR Policy will endeavour for a “Creative India; Innovative India: रचनात्मक भारत; अभिनव भारत”. The Policy lays down seven objectives IPR Awareness: Outreach and Promotion- It seeks to create public awareness about the social, economic and cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society. Generation of IPRs: It seeks to stimulate the generation of IPRs. Legal and Legislative Framework: It call for a strong and effective IPR laws, which will have balance the larger public interest and interests of rights owners. Administration and Management: It seeks to strengthen and modernize service-oriented IPR administration. Commercialization of IPRs: Provide appropriate value for IPRs through commercialization. Enforcement and Adjudication: Seeks to strengthen the adjudicatory and enforcement mechanisms for combating IPR infringements. Human Capital Development: Seeks to expand and strengthen human resources, capacities and institutions for teaching, research, training and skill building in IPRs. Other highlights of the Policy Recognises abundance of innovative and creative energies in the country and prioritizes the need to tap and channelise these energies towards a better and brighter future for all. Exploit and create synergies between all forms of intellectual property (IP), concerned agencies and statutes in the country. Sets in place an institutional mechanism for monitoring, implementation and review of IP regime. Aims to incorporate and adapt global best practices to the Indian scenario. Makes the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under the Union Commerce Ministry nodal agency for regulating IP rights in the country. Seeks to weave in the strengths of the Government, R&D organizations, educational institutions, corporate entities including start-ups, MSMEs and other stakeholders in the creation of an innovation-conducive environment. Facilitates a transparent, stable and service-oriented IPR administration in the country. Recognizes that India has well-established TRIPS-compliant administrative, legislative and judicial framework to safeguard IPRs. Meets international obligations while utilizing the flexibilities provided in the international regime to address its developmental concerns. Reiterates India’s commitment to the Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement and Public Health.

3. 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. NITI Aayog which had replaced erstwhile Planning Commission (PC) in 2015, with its 15-year vision document will also abandon the concept of five-year plans prepared by the PC since 1951. Key facts The first 15-year vision document will come into effect from 2017-18 after the end of the 12th Five year plan. It will be formulated with central objective of eradication poverty. It will come along with a seven-year National Development Agenda which will lay down the programmes schemes, and strategies to achieve the long-term vision The long vision document (perspective plan) will comprise of three-year macroeconomic framework. The framework will predict growth indicators that will be synced with the 14th Finance Commission recommendations. It will also be coterminous with the UNDP’s 2030 sustainable development goals to which India is committed to meet broader social objectives. The 15-year vision document will also include defence and internal security. They were not been a part of five-year plans. The NITI Aayog will also create a dashboard for monitoring, evaluation and review of the implementation of vision document. The 14th Finance Commission recommendations will remain in force till financial year 2019-20. It had favoured giving states more untied funds along with greater fiscal responsibility in implementing centrally-sponsored schemes. To this effect, it had increased the states’ share in central taxes from 32% to 42%. UNDP’s 2030 sustainable development goals include 16 long-term goals and 169 sub-targets to be achieved by 2030.

4. Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of three years. Earlier he was appointed as the chairman for his first term in 2012 and now he will continue to head the panel until 2018. Anil Kumble is all-time highest wicket-taker for India. Other appointments Besides, former Indian Rahul Dravid was also named member of the ICC Cricket Committee. Former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene also has been appointed member. Former Australia off-spinner Tim May has been elected as current player representative and shall replace Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who has completed his three-year term. Three-time ICC Umpire of the Year Richard Kettleborough also has been appointed as umpires’ representative in the committee. The ICC Cricket Committee is representative of all stakeholders in the game of cricket, including players, umpires and the media. It is empowered to make recommendations on cricket playing issues to the ICC’s Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) and, if the matter is a policy matter, the ICC Board for approval.

5. United States has activated a land-based missile defence station (Aegis Ashore Missile Defence System) in Deveselu, Romania. The missile defence station is part of NATO’s larger European shield to protect member countries from short and medium-range missiles, particularly from the Middle East. Key facts The Deveselu missile defence station has a battery of SM-2 missile interceptors. It uses powerful computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets. It also allows on-shore sites and warships to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles while they are still in space. The interceptor missiles are fired to hit ballistic missiles before they re-enter the atmosphere, stopping them well before there is any danger of causing any damage. US has spent 800 million dollars on the site in Romania, where work had began in 2013.

6. 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 camp is home to 330000 refugees mostly from Somalia who have fled from the civil war in their country. Security threat: Kenyan Government has stated that the Dadaab refugee camp has become safe haven for terrorist organizations like al-Shabaab, a Somali-based Islamist extremists group and also a conduit for smuggling weapons. al-Shabab also had planned three large-scale attacks from Dadaab. The United Nations and non-governmental organizations have urged Kenya Government to reconsider its decision to close Dadaab camp. Dadaab Refugee Camp was established in 1991 to receive Somalis fleeing civil war. Since then the population of the Dadaab camps expanded.

7. 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). The card has been christened as the ‘Jet Airways ICICI Bank Business Advantage Card’. Key facts The card is powered by ‘VISA payWave’ contactless technology. The technology enables cardholder to make payments by simply tapping card at contactless enabled terminals in more than 48 countries including India. The card can also be used by dipping or swiping at non-contactless merchants. It offers dual advantage of reward programme on the expenses and repayments of the credit card. With this ICICI Bank became the first bank globally to offer a dual advantage reward programme.

8. 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). The multilateral agreement aims at boosting automatic exchange of information on tax issues and developing new tools to tackle the tax evasion. Key facts The pact allows all signatories to bilaterally and automatically exchange Country-by-Country Reports with each other. It is designed to provide tax administrations with information needed to combat tax avoidance through transfer pricing. It will help ensure that the tax administrations obtain a complete understanding of how the MNCs structure their operations by safeguarding confidentiality of such information. With this, these 6 countries have joined 33 other countries that have already signed the agreement including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Italy and United Kingdom. The multilateral agreement seeks to give effect to standards developed in G20/ OECD base erosion profit shifting (BEPS) project. The project is concerned with transfer pricing documentation and country-by-country reporting.

9. The Union Railways Ministry has decided to constitute two Directorates viz. Mobility Directorate (MD) and Non-Fare Revenue Directorate (NFRD). They will be established for creation of cross functional directorates to focus on different areas in line with the Railway Minister’s budget speech. Key facts Mobility Directorate: It will be constituted to focus on areas like speed enhancement. It will handle work such as identification and prioritization of train corridors for raising speed and identification of path for timetabled freight trains. Non-Fare Revenue Directorate: It will be constituted to focus on areas for enhancing revenues by 10% to 20% from Non-Tariff sources. Among other things, it will handle advertisement at stations, commercial exploitation of vacant land, and advertisements on coaches. These new Directorates would work directly under the supervision of Chairman of the Railway Board.

10. The Union Cabinet has apprised of a General Framework Agreement (GFA) on Renewable Energy Cooperation between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The GFA was signed in February 2016 in New Delhi during the official state visit of Crown Prince of UAE to India. Key facts The GFA aims at boosting bilateral cooperation between India and UAE in the field of new and renewable energy technologies. It will provide opportunity for exploring potential renewable energy projects for investments; cooperation in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and explore avenues of cooperation in R&D in renewable energy. It also will help in developing knowledge-sharing mechanisms to build upon the human capital, establishing a joint fund to facilitate investment etc.

11. 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. The dirtiest air was recorded at Zabol City in Iran, which has annual PM2.5 measure of 217 due to months of dust storms in the summer. WHO’s Urban Air Quality Database for 2016, was based on the annual average of PM2.5 readings of 3000 cities in 100 countries. Key highlights of Air Quality Database Top 10 Cities (PM2.5): Iran’s Zabol (217), India’s Gwalior (176) and Allahabad (170), Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh (156) and Al Jubail (152), India’s Patna (149) and Raipur (144), Cameroon’s Bamenda (132), China’d Xingtai (128) and Baoding (126). India Related Facts: India is home to four of the top seven cities in the world with the worst air pollution. New Delhi ranked as the 11th worst city in the survey. It had an annual average PM2.5 measurement of 122. Global Facts: More than 80% of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO limits. People dwelling in low-income cities are the most impacted. In high-income countries, 56% of cities meet WHO air quality guidelines. In case of low- and middle income countries, 98% of cities with more than 100000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines.

12. The Union Cabinet has given its approval to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to sign a MoU with Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), Abu Dhabi. The MoU is for mutual co-operation and technical assistance between the two financial regulators of both countries. Key facts The MoU seeks to promote further development of economic links and cooperation between the SEBI and FSRA. It will also help to create conditions for development of securities markets in the two countries. It would also facilitate towards strengthening the information sharing framework between the two regulators. Background SEBI signs MoUs with different country’s financial jurisdictions who are not a signatory to the multilateral MoU of International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). IOSCO’s MoU encourages the exchange of information and assistance between signatory parties. SEBI is a signatory to global market regulators’ grouping IOSCO’s MoU. So far SEBI has signed bilateral agreements with a number of countries including Mauritius, Bangladesh etc.

13. Indian Air Force has launched its Electronic Maintenance Management System (e-MMS) Project, an automated military maintenance system. It was inaugurated by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at the Air Force Station in Pune, Maharashtra. Key facts The e-MMS project is one of the largest Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) IT implementation in the world. The project has been designed and developed by the Indian IT giant Wipro. IAF had signed the contract for the project e-MMS with Wipro as a System Integrator (SI) in 2013. The e-MMS system has a central console that will help IAF to get rid of paper works and heavy logbooks. It seeks to seamlessly connect squadrons, wings, commands, and Air Headquarters after its implementation. It will transform IAF’s paper-based legacy maintenance system to an online system as it will be implemented in IAF’s hierarchy and functioning. It will help to transform work environment of IAF to become more efficient and also help to monitor the operational availability of all fleets and systems in real time at various hierarchical levels.

14. The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Telecom companies will not compensate mobile phone users for inconvenience caused by call drops. In this regard, the apex court has struck down the TRAI Regulation which made it mandatory for telecom companies to compensate subscribers for call drops from January 2016. The Ruling was given by the SC bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman on the appeals filed by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). SC Ruling SC struck down the TRAI regulation calling it as arbitrary, unreasonable and non-transparent. TRAI cannot punish telecom companies in the name of protecting consumer interests. Dismissed that telecom companies alone were to blame for call drops and were thus deficient in service. Background In October 2015, TRAI had framed the rules that had imposed mandatory compensations to the subscribers for call drops. As per the rule, telcos (call originating service provider) were to pay consumers 1 rupee for every call drop with the penalty capped at 3 rupees per day. TRAI Rule was to come into force from January 1, 2016. But service providers had refused to pay compensations to the consumers, and had taken the case to SC.

15. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed ceiling price of 54 drug formulations used for treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, diabetes and hypertension. NPPA has revised/fixed the ceiling prices as per the Schedule-I under Drugs (Price Control) Amendment Order (DPCO), 2016. Besides, it also has fixed the retail price of 11 drug formulations under DPCO, 2013, which covers 680 formulations with effect from May 15, 2014. What is Drug Pricing and Regulation? In India, the Central Government fixes the prices of essential drugs based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment, having sales of more than 1%. The drugs are brought under price control as part of its efforts to make medicines affordable in the country. Besides, it also regulates the prices of all other medicines, while pharmaceutical companies are allowed to hike prices of such drugs by up to 10% in a year. About National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) NPPA is nodal drug price regulator in India established in 1997. It functions under the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. It is entrusted with the task of fixation/revision of prices of pharma products, enforcement of provisions of the DPCO and monitoring of prices of controlled and decontrolled drugs.

16. Veteran cricket administrator Shashank Manohar (58) was elected unopposed as ICC’s (International Cricket Council) first independent Chairman. He was the sole nominee for the position and the ICC Board has now unanimously supported his appointment. He will have tenure of two years. Background He was elected to the post after the ICC Full Council’s approval of constitutional amendments proposed by the Board following its April 2016 meeting. The amendments had abolished the post of the ICC President and created the post of independent Chairman. The provision of ICC chief can’t be associated with a cricket board was also added in these amendments. In order to comply with provisions of ICC rules, Shashank Manohar had resigned from the post of BCCI president. About Shashank Manohar Shashank Manohar by profession is a prominent lawyer. Born on 29 September 1957 in Nagpur, Maharashtra. He had twice served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), from 2008 to 2011 and from November 2015 to May 2016. As a cricket administrator he is known for his impeccable clean image and track record & integrity in cricketing circles. About International Cricket Council (ICC) ICC the international governing body of cricket. Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Established: 1909 as Imperial Cricket Conference by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa. It took up its current name in 1989. ICC has 106 members: 10 Full Members that play Test matches, 57 Affiliate Members and 38 Associate Members. Functions: Responsible for the organisation and governance of cricket’s major international tournaments including Cricket World Cup. Appoints umpires and referees that officiate at all sanctioned Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals. Promulgates the ICC Code of Conduct, which sets professional standards of discipline for international cricket. Co-ordinates action against corruption and match-fixing through its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

17. Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm has launched digital wallet service, named JioMoney Wallet, for Indian consumers. JioMoney is a semi-closed prepaid wallet that aims to enable mobile-based transactions. Using it customers can store money and use it for purchasing goods and services. Key Features of JioMoney Wallet The service will enable customers to make bill payments, mobile and DTH recharges, send/receive money and insurance premium payments, as well as for online shopping. It also allows users to send and receive money to and from family and friends. It will also enable easy transfer of JioMoney balance into the customer’s bank account. The wallet service allows consumers to use barcode scan to pay at physical stores. It also offers coupons, deals and cashback directly to customers on their mobile phone from local merchants. Customers with the help of Jio Money will be able to make payments from and for the entire Reliance ecosystem which includes Reliance Retail, Digital Express, Reliance Fresh etc. The service was launched after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had given licence to Reliance Payment Solutions for its JioMoney service in November 2015.

18. 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. Decision in this regard was taken by State Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Key facts The bicycle highway will not run along the Agra-Etawah main road but will cover various historical and tourism centres. It will start from eastern gate of the Taj Mahal and will cover other historical areas such as Bateshwarnath Temple, Raja Bhoj ki Haveli, Mela Kothi Jarar, and Naugava ka Quila and other rural areas to reach lion safari in Etawah.

19. 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. The code seeks to ensure time-bound settlement of insolvency, faster turnaround of businesses and create a unified data base of serial defaulters. Key facts The Code will consolidate and amend existing laws related to insolvency resolution and reorganization of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals in a time bound manner. It provides for setting up Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) to regulate professionals, agencies and information utilities (IUs) engaged in resolution of insolvencies of companies. It also provides for establishment of National Companies Law Tribunal (NCLT) and Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRT) as nodal adjudicating authorities for resolution of insolvency, liquidation and bankruptcy. As per the code, in case of insolvency the interest of the workers must be fully protected and they should be given dues for 24 months. The code seeks to give a push to the ease of doing business in the country.

20. US President Barack Obama has honoured an Indian-American elementary teacher Revathi Balakrishnan from Texas at the White House. She was honoured for her excellent work in the field of education as part of the ‘National Teacher of the Year Programme.

21. President Pranab Mukherjee has approved names of four new judges for Supreme Court by signing their warrants of appointment as per Article 124 of Constitution. These include 3 chief justices of high court and one senior advocate. They will sworn-in later in May 2016. With this, the judicial strength of the Supreme Court will move up to 28 of the total sanctioned strength of 31. Recommended names are Justice A M Khanwilkar: He is Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Justice D Y Chandrachud: He is Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court. Justice Ashok Bhushan: He is Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. L Nageswara Rao: He is senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General.

22. 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. In the floor test Harish Rawat Government recieved 33 votes against 28 votes out of 61 qualified members who voted in the assembly. Based on this, the apex court has allowed Mr Rawat to assume office as Chief Minister after President’s rule is revoked in the state. After the mandate of floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly, the Union Cabinet has taken decision to revoke President Rule in Uttarakhand. Background The Himalayan state had plunged into a political crisis after nine legislators from ruling Congress had revolted against the Chief Minister Harish Rawat. It had brought government into minority in the 70-member state legislature. Since then President Rule under Article 356 was imposed in Uttarakhand in March 2016. Prior to imposition of President Rule, 9 rebel legislators were disqualified by the speaker under the anti-defection law. However, Harish Rawat had challenged the President Rule in the Uttarakhand High Court which in its April 21, 2016 order had quashed the President Rule. Later, the Supreme Court on 5 May 2016 ordered to conduct of ‘composite floor test’ in the Uttarakhand legislative assembly based on its previous directives in the R. Bommai v. Union of India case.

23. 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. 2016 Theme: ‘Technology enablers of Startup India’. Several events are organized in various engineering colleges and technical institutes to mark the occasion. Significance of the day The day is being commemorated to celebrate the anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test, held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan. Apart from Pokhran nuclear test, on this day first indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore. India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day. Background Considering all these technical achievements, 11 May was chosen to be commemorated as National Technology Day. To commemorate this day, Technology Development Board (TDB) has instituted a National Award. This award is conferred on to various individuals and industries by the President for their successful achievement in commercialization of Indigenous Technology.

24. NASA’s unmanned Kepler space observatory has discovered the largest trove of exoplanets outside our solar system. So far, it has discovered total of 1,284 exoplanets and it is more than double the number of known exoplanets found with the Kepler space telescope. Of the new trove of 1,284 exoplanets nearly 550 are said to be rocky planets like Earth, based on their size. The new discovery has given hope that eventually another Earth can be discovered. So far NASA has discovered nearly 5,000 total planet candidates, of them more than 3,200 have been verified and 2,325 of these were discovered by Kepler. About Kepler space observatory The unmanned Kepler space observatory was launched in 2009 and was tasked with determining how commonly, Earth-like planets occur throughout the Milky Way galaxy. Since then it has scanned nearly 150,000 stars for signs of orbiting bodies, particularly those that might be able to support life. The Kepler observatory works by observing a dimming in the light of a star, known as a transit, each time an orbiting planet passes in front of it The observatory has been designed for a statistical mission and not to probe into the environmental conditions of planets that exist in the so-called Goldilocks zone of their stars. Exoplanet: It is a planet that does not orbit the Sun and instead orbits a different star, stellar remnant, or brown dwarf. It is also termed as extrasolar planet. Goldilocks zone: It refers to a habitable zone in the planetary system where the temperature is neither too high nor too low. Such conditions could allow for the presence on the planet’s surface of liquid water – a key ingredient for life.

25. 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. IUHDSS and MWDC systems seek to enhance the Indian Navy’s surveillance capability and response to security threats at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Key facts IUHDSS: It is a multi-sensor system capable of detecting, tracking, identifying and generating warnings for all types of surface and underwater threats to Visakhapatnam harbour. MWDC: It will collate, classify and analyse data collected by the Indian Navy’s Mine Hunting Ships from various ports along the East coast. This state-of-the-art facility will be the nodal centre for maintaining an underwater information database of harbours along the East coast. Background Post 26/11, the Indian Navy was made responsible for the security of the country’s vast coastline of 7516 km in coordination with other agencies like Indian Coast Guard (IGC), Marine Police, Fisheries, etc. The creation of the Sagar Prahari Bal along with induction of Fast Interceptor Crafts (FICs) and commissioning of the IUHDSS are some of the Navy’s measures to strengthen security in the post 26/11 scenario. Note: India’s first Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) was commissioned in Kochi, Kerala in August 2015.

26. 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. In the Presidential election held on 9 May 2016, Rodrigo Duterte secured 39% (15.36 million) of the votes. He was followed by Mar Roxas 23% (9.27 million) votes and his closest rival Grace Poe with 22% (8.6 million) votes.

27. Parliament has passed the Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 after with the Lok Sabha adopted certain amendments made by the Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 that provides for development and regulation of certain industries. Key facts The Bill seeks to transfer from the Centre to states the control over industries engaged in the production of potable alcohol. It seeks to amend a schedule in the parent Act to exclude production of alcohol for potable purposes. It empowers central government to formulate policy and regulate foreign collaboration for all products of fermentation industries, including industrial and potable alcohol.

28. The Union Government has constituted a three member committee to prepare a policy framework for online taxi aggragators and other transport operators. The committee will be headed by Sanjay Mitra, Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Its other two members are Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Delhi Transport Commissioner. The committee was constituted after taxi and other transport operators had appraised the situation emerging from Supreme Court’s order and directions of Environment Pollution Control Authority of banning diesel taxis in the National Capital Region (NCR). It will look into these issues and come up with appropriate recommendations to address the same in a time bound manner. SC Rulings So far the apex court has given four rulings aimed at bringing down pollution levels in the NCR Delhi that has earned it the tag of the world’s most polluted city. Top court’s first order against diesel-run commercial vehicles came in December 2015. Later it issued an interim order banning registration of diesel-run vehicles with engine capacity of 2000 cc and above till March 31, 2016 and then was again extended till April 30, 2016. The apex court also had initially asked the diesel cab operators in the NCR to switch over to CNG by March 1, 2016. This deadline was later extended to March 31 and then to April 30, 2016.

29. The Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT) won the Lonely Planet Group’s Best Indian Destination for Wildlife Award. The award was handed over to MPT at a function in Mumbai by actress Amy Jackson. On behalf of MPT Chairman, the award was received by his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Vinod Kumar Amar.

30. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shortly issue banknotes of 1000 rupees denominations with inset letter ‘R’ in both the number panels. These new banknotes will be issued in the Mahatma Gandhi Series – 2005. Besides, all the banknotes in the denomination of 1000 rupees issued by RBI in the past would continue to be legal tender.

31. Indian Navy has decommissioned its aging fleet of iconic Sea Harriers at a function organised at INS Hansa base in Vasco, Goa. The Harriers will be replaced by a squadron of Russian MIG 29k jets and the retired aircrafts will be put on display in museums.

32. India and Mauritius have signed a protocol to amend taxation methods for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital gains. The Protocol seeks to prevent “abuse” of the tax avoidance treaty. It also provides for updation of Exchange of Information Article as per international standard, source-based taxation of other income, provision for assistance in collection of taxes, amongst other changes. Comment The Protocol will help to tackle the long pending issues of treaty abuse and round tripping of funds attributed to the India-Mauritius treaty. It will also help to curb revenue loss, prevent double non-taxation, streamline the flow of investment and stimulate the flow of exchange of information between India and Mauritius. It will ensure that firms based Mauritius that invest in India are not just ‘shell’ companies who could earlier avoid paying capital gains tax in India.

33. 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. The day seeks to raise awareness and highlight the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. 2016 Theme: “Stop the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds”. On this day people around the world organize public events such as bird festivals, education programmes, exhibitions and bird-watching excursions to celebrate WMBD. Background WMBD was initiated in 2006 by the United Nation as an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. The day was founded as an effort of the United Nation’s Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.

34. Parliament has passed the Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016 to widen ambit of law dealing with this anti-hijacking crime. The Bill was first passed in the Rajya Sabha and later in the Lok Sabha in May 2016. Now the Bill will go for Presidential assent as per Article 111 of Indian Constitution. Key provisions of the Bill The Bill defines hijacking as seizing control of an aircraft in service, unlawfully and intentionally, by coercion, technological means or by exercising force or any other form of intimidation. It covers several acts within the definition of hijacking. It includes (i) attempt and abetment of hijacking (ii) organizing or directing others to commit hijacking and (iii) making a credible threat to commit hijacking. The Bill provides for the death penalty for hijackers even if ground airport personnel and handling staff are killed during such acts. Under it, hijacking and the related offences shall be extraditable. It means that for such offences, one country many transfer the accused to another country’s legal jurisdiction. The Bill will not allow refusing the request for extradition on the ground that hijacking is a political offence or is connected to a political offence. The current law, The Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982 which was last amended in 1994, will be repealed after passage of this new Bill. Comment The Bill has been framed in line with the International convention including Beijing Protocol, 2010. It was introduced for more vigilant for the safety and security of passengers in case of hijacking. It will help to overcome drawbacks of the existing crisis management system in dealing with cases of hijacking.

35. The fourth edition South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) Ministerial Meeting has begun in New Delhi. The 3 day landmark meeting (from 9 to 11 May 2016) is being hosted by the Union Ministry of Child and Women Development. Key facts The meeting will assess progress and developments of the past decade of regional effort of SAIEVAC and identify priorities for SAIEVAC for the next five years. Delegates from the governments and civil society organizations of India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are participating in it. It will set strategies and agree on commitments to ensure the security and protection of the children of the region. The Ministerial meeting will be preceded by a two day technical consultation focusing on critical issues of child violence and protection in the region. India is going to showcase some of its major initiatives like Childline-1098, Trackchild and Khoya Paya, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 among others. The 4th Ministerial Meeting marks 30 years since that SAARC summit made a commitment in 1986 by installing children as a ‘summit-level concern. What is SAIEVAC? SAIEVAC is apex body of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations created to bring governments of the region into active engagement for child protection against violence.

36. Indian Army had conducted major military training exercise ‘2016 Chakravyuh-II’ in Suratgarh, Rajasthan. Purpose of the exercise: Validate battle readiness and operational effectiveness of the Pivot Formation and Rapid Division of Indian Army along with all its affiliated components. Key facts The Chakravyuh-II exercise involved rapid mobilisation and execution of battle plans in conjunction with the Indian Air Force (IAF). It envisaged mechanised manoeuvres in the entire spectra of new generation weapons, systems and platforms in the rapid urbanisation and development areas along the border. It has provided an opportunity to all commanders in planning and conducting large scale operations in an integrated theatre environment along with IAF. It mainly included fighter ground attack aircrafts, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), attack helicopters, remotely piloted vehicles and communication helicopters. During the exercise surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance and communication systems were put to test in a network-centric battlefield environment and were supported by required operational logistics. Improved mobility, extensive use of information technology and inventory management techniques were also validated to ensure logistics are deployed in the fast paced operational environment.

37. Mrugank Paranjape took charge as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), country’s largest commodity exchange. He will have tenure of 3 years. His appointment fills the vacancy of the post which was vacant for past two years. Prior to this, Mrugank Paranjape was working with Deutsche Bank for 14 years as Asia Pacific Head of Trust & Securities Services/Cash Management for Financial Institutions. About Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) The MCX is country’s first listed commodity futures exchange that facilitates online trading, and clearing and settlement of commodity futures transactions. It started functioning in November 2003 and operates within the regulatory framework of the Forward Contracts Regulation Act (FCRA), 1952. MCX offers futures trading in bullion, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, energy, and a number of agricultural commodities (mentha oil, cardamom, potatoes, palm oil etc). Globally, MCX ranks no. 1 in silver, no. 2 in natural gas, no. 3 in crude oil and gold in futures trading and is India’s largest commodity exchange.

38. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Senior advocate of Bombay High Court Atma Ram Nadkarni as Additional Solicitor General. He will have tenure of three years and an order in this regard was issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Earlier he had served as Advocate General (highest law officer of the state) of Goa.

39. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled the first global digital elevation (topographic model) of Mercury. The model was unveiled by NASA’s MESSENGER ((MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) mission. Key facts The MESSENGER mission shows stunning detail the topography across the entire innermost planet of our solar system. The model was created using more than 100,000 images acquired by the MESSENGER mission. These images were acquired with a large range of viewing illumination and geometries conditions, which help to determine the topography across Mercury’s surface. The topographic model shows a variety of topographic features including the highest and lowest points on the planet. The highest elevation on Mercury is at 4.48 kilometres above Mercury’s average elevation and is located just south of the equator in some of planet’s oldest terrain. The new topographic map provides an unprecedented view of the region near Mercury’s North Pole which was earlier not available. The new global topographic model complements an older product released by MESSENGER which was derived from earlier measurements by the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA). About MESSENGER Mission MESSENGER is a NASA’s robotic spacecraft that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015. It was launched in August 2004 to study Mercury’s chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field. It had entered orbit around Mercury on March 18, 2011, becoming the first spacecraft to do so. It had successfully completed its primary mission in 2012. The MESSENGER mission has shared more than 10 terabytes of Mercury science data. It includes nearly 300,000 images, millions of spectra and numerous map products.

40. An Indian-origin lawyer Murali Pillai from Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has been elected member of the parliament. He got elected by garnering 61.21 per cent of the votes in the by-election held at suburban Bukit Batok constituency. His opponent Chee Soon Juan from Singapore Democratic Party got 38.79 per cent of votes. With this victory, Mr Murali became the first PAP candidate to win a by-election in a single member constituency in more than three decades.

41. 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. In this regard, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad approved the provision of a single number for various emergency services. Key facts The single emergency number will be similar to the ‘911’ all-in-one emergency service in the United States and 999 of United Kingdom (UK). The 211 emergency services will also be accessible even through those SIMs and landlines whose outgoing call facility has been stopped or temporarily suspended. A person in distress will need to call only 112, which will direct the call to concerned departments immediately for help. All existing emergency numbers will be phased out within a year of rolling out 112, depending upon the awareness about this new facility.

42. 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. The fund was launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States. Key facts The Fund aims to provide a rapid, flexible and accountable platform to support a coordinated response from the UN system and partners. It will directly support the Zika Strategic Response Framework developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in consultation with UN agencies, partners and international epidemiological experts. This fund will help donors to contribute to a central point and an Advisory Committee will direct funds to the highest-priority activities in the affected countries.

43. The Union Government has released a commemorative coin of Rs 100 and a circulation coin of Rs 10 as a part of 475th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Maharana Pratap. The coin was released by Union Tourism Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma in New Delhi. Maharana Pratap, the ruler of Mewar is regarded as one of the greatest warriors in Indian history. The Union Ministry of Culture has been celebrating the 475th Birth Anniversary of Maharana Pratap during 2015-16 in association with the State Government of Rajasthan

44. India is ranked ninth in 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). The index was based on new study by The Economist which had used data from a list of the world’s billionaires and their worth published by Forbes. In this study each individual is labelled as crony or not based on the source of their wealth. Key facts As per the index in India, the non-crony sector wealth amounts to 8.3 per cent of the GDP. In 2014 rankings too, India stood at the ninth place. Top countries in the list: Russia (1st), Malaysia (2nd), Philippines (3rd) and Singapore (4th). Top ranking in the list indicates countries are engaged more in crony capitalism. Russia ranks worst in the index, wealth from the country’s crony sectors amounts to 18 per cent of its GDP. Germany was ranked lowest and was found out to cleanest country, where just few of the country’s billionaires derive their wealth from crony sectors.

45. The Gujarat Government has accorded minority status to the Jain community in the state. In this regard state government has issued a government resolution (GR) giving minority status to the Jain community.

46. Karnataka Government has decided to go ahead with the establishment of Asia’s first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district. Apart from it state government has decided to set upa Maize Technology Park at Ranebennur in Haveri district. Key facts Both parks will be established on the public-private participation model as a one-stop solution to all problems of rice and maize growers. As a value addition, the rice technology park would have facilities for rice flour, rice bran oil, rice rava, rice-based alcohol, noodles, animal and poultry feed and paddy husk used for power generation and brick-making. These parks would pave the way for opening new avenues for rice and maize growers. It will help growers to add value to their produce and get better returns and also enhance quality of the produce.

47. Two Indian women wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics scheduled to be held in August 2016. Vinesh sealed her place for the Olympic berth after defeating Avin Demirhan of Turkey 12-2 in the 48 kg category in the semi-final match of the Olympic world qualifying tournament held at Istambul in Turkey. Now she will now fight for gold medal against Ivona Neena Matkovaska. Sakshi Malik also entered the final in the 58 kg category and qualified for Rio Olympics. In the Semi-final she defeated Len Jhang. In the final she will play against Russian Valeria Koblova Jholobova in the final.

48. Indian Railways has launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit Shirdi, Tirupati, Jagannath Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and Jyotirlingams among others. The tourist train comprises 10 coaches and bookings are being done by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation).

49. 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. The drive has been launched by the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) under the aegis of Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Key facs The UBIN would be automatically linked to Ministry Of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal after it is issued to the intended beneficiary. It will be subsequently sent to the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) which would nomenclature it as PAN for UBIN. The move is seen as a major step towards boosting ease of doing business and the start-up India initiative of the government.

50. Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor’s autobiography titled ‘Shashi Kapoor – the Householder, the Star’ was released recently. The biography has been authored by film journalist Aseem Chhabra and with forword by Karan Johar. It unveils the chapters of actor’s personal and professional life.

51. 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. With this ICICI Bank becomes first financial institution in the country to tie up with the BRICS Grouping-promoted NDB. The MoU was signed by BDB’s first President and ICICI Bank veteran KV Kamath and ICICI Bank Chief Chanda Kochhar in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Key facts The MoU will help NDB in exploring rupee-denominated bonds in the domestic and international markets. It will make both the lenders collaborate to fund development projects in India. They will also leverage a mutually beneficial partnership in other areas such as treasury risk management, human resource development and account and cash management services. The MoU will help NDB to leverage the deep market access and insight of ICICI Bank in the India’s financial markets. About New Development Bank NDB is a multilateral development bank promoted by BRICS nations viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It is outcome of 6th BRICS Summit being held in Fortaleza, Brazil. It is headquartered in Shanghai, China. It will have a regional office in Johannesburg, South Africa. NDB began its operations in July 2015 with an initial capital of 100 billion dollars. The goal of the bank is to fund infrastructure projects in emerging economies for sustainable development. In the NDB, each participant country has been assigned one vote, and none of the countries have veto power.

52. Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has launched Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya at Panaji. It was launched by the Governor of Goa, Mridula Sinha, in the presence of GSl and ICG officials. Key facts ICGS Shaurya is fifth of a series of six Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) designed in-house and built by GSL. The vessel is 105-metre long and is capable of cruising at a speed of 23 knots. It has a range of 6000 nautical miles. It is powered by twin diesel engines and carries four boats for boarding party operations. It is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment. The ship’s weaponry package has one 30 mm gun and two 12.7 mm guns associated with fire control system. ICGS Shaurya will be commissioned into service in 2017. It will be deployed for search and rescue operations, pollution control and external firefighting. It will also be deployed for monitoring sea lanes of communication and ocean surveillance.

53. Pakistan has won the third edition of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) by defeating India. In the final match held at Pakistan Ordinance Factory Sports Complex in Wah Cantonment, Pakistan (defending champion) defeated India by 50-31 points. This is Pakistan’s second successive win in the Asian Kabaddi title as they had won it in 2012. The championship was organised by the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) in collaboration with POF Sports Control Board under the banner of the Asian Kabaddi Federation. This edition of championship took place in a league format and seven teams including India, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan had participated. It should be noted that Pakistan has hosted the Asia Circle Style Kabaddi Cup for the second time. Earlier it was held in 2012.

54. Union Government has approved the proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic zone (SEZ) in Bengaluru, Karnataka in an area spread over 4 hectares. Decision in this regard was taken by an inter-ministerial Board of Approval (BoA), headed by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia. Key facts BOA granted formal approval Infosys’ proposal as it possesses the land by itself. It also extended the time limit of nearly around 20 developers to complete their projects. The developers who got the time extension include Wipro for IT SEZ in Karnataka, Mayar Infrastructure Development for a biotechnology SEZ in Haryana and Vedanta for its sector-specific SEZ for manufacturing and exports of aluminium in Odisha. The BoA also approved application of Unitech Realty Project for change of name of the developer. The changed name will be Candor Gurgaon One Developers and Projects and it also changes shareholding pattern of the company. SEZs are delineated duty-free enclaves that are deemed to be foreign territory for the purposes of trade operations and duties and tariffs. They are genereall export hubs that contribute about 23 per cent to the country’s total exports.

55. The Lok Sabha has unanimously passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015 by a voice vote. The code seeks to ensure time-bound settlement of insolvency, faster turnaround of businesses and create a unified data base of serial defaulters. Highlights of the Code The Code creates time-bound processes for resolution of the insolvency of companies and individuals. These processes will be completed within time-bound 180 days. If insolvency is resolved in stipulated time, the assets of the borrowers may be sold to repay creditors. The resolution of the insolvency of processes will be conducted by licensed insolvency professionals (IPs). These IPs will be members of insolvency professional agencies (IPAs). IPAs under insolvency resolution will also furnish performance bonds equal to the assets of a company. The Code facilitates establishment of Information utilities (IUs) to collect, collate and disseminate financial information to facilitate insolvency resolution. The insolvency resolution for companies will be adjudicated by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) will adjudicate insolvency resolution for individuals. The Code also gives statutory backing establishment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India to regulate functioning of IPs, IPAs and IUs.

56.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. He will assume the charge on 31 May 2016 and shall have full three-year-term in office till 31 May 2019. He will succeed incumbent Navy Chief Admiral Robin K. Dhowan, who will superannuate from the post on 31 May 2016.