Daily Current Affairs 1 May 2018 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
9th India-Japan Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi
The 9th India Japan Energy Dialogue was held in New Delhi on May 1, 2018.
- Both Japan and India, as the third and the seventh largest economies respectively, recognized that having access to reliable, clean and economical energy is critical for their economic growth and agreed on further strengthening of bilateral energy cooperation for energy development of both countries.
- Both countries agreed to initiate the discussion towards development of Electric Vehicles (EVs) by collaborating with “Policy dialogue on next generation/Zero emission vehicles”.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Leonardo DiCaprio gets beetle named after him
A new species of water beetle found in Malaysia was named after the Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio for his environmental activism.
The Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi beetle was discovered at the bottom of a waterfall in Maliau Basin, a remote nature reserve in Malaysian Borneo.
BANKING & ECONOMY
GST collection in April at Rs 1.03 lakh cr
The government’s revenue collection from GST or goods and services tax exceeded Rs. 1 lakh crore in April 2018 according to the statement by the Ministry of Finance.
- April marks the first ever month in which GST collection came in above Rs. 1 lakh crore, since the rollout of the new indirect tax regime in July 2017.
- The GST collection for April was pegged at Rs. 1.03 lakh.
SPORTS
Shahzar Rizvi claims No.1 spot in 10m air pistol rankings
Indian Shooter Shahzar Rizvi clinched top-spot in the latest 10m Air Pistol rankings on Tuesday (May 1) after winning the silver medal at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, South Korea.
- With 1654 rating points, Rizvi made his way to the numero uno position ahead of Russia’s Artem Chernousov (1046) and Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsuda (803).
- The other Indians in the top-10 are Jitu Rai, who is sixth in the charts, and Om Prakash Mitharval, at the 12th spot.
India continues to lead ICC Test rankings
India continued to sit atop the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test team rankings following the latest update on Tuesday, with South Africa at No.2 and Australia at the No.3 positions.
- India and South Africa, meanwhile, got $1 million and $500,000 respectively.
Hockey India swaps men’s, women’s teams coaches
In a surprise move, women’s hockey coach Harindra Singh has been named chief coach of the Indian men’s team while incumbent men’s in-charge Sjoerd Marijne was sent back to the women’s camp
- The move to switch the coaches came after both men’s and women’s team failed to clinch medals in the recently-concluded 21st edition of The Commonwealth Gamesin Gold Coast, Australia
APPOINTMENTS/RESIGNATIONS
Shri Sitanshu Kar takes over as DG, PIB
Mr Sitanshu Ranjan Kar, a 1983 batch officer of Indian Information Service, took over as the 27th Principal Spokesperson of the Government of India and Director General of Press Information Bureau in New Delhi on May 1, 2018.
- He succeeds Mr Frank Noronha, who superannuated on April 30, 2018.
WhatsApp CEO quits Facebook over ‘data privacy’ concerns
In a jolt to Facebook, WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum has decided to move on amid reports that he had a difference of opinion with parent company Facebook over data privacy, encryption and other issues.
- Koum who sold WhatsApp to Facebook for more than $19 billion in 2014, also plans to step down from Facebook’s board of directors.
TECHNOLOGY
Telecom panel gives nod to in-flight connectivity in Indian airspace
In big boost for flyers, the Telecom Commission, highest decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications, today approved the long awaited mobile in-flight connectivity, facilitating both Voice And Data Callsand date surfing in Indian airspace, .
- The commission headed by Aruna Sundararajan says that the formalities to provide the facility will be made available over next three months. In-flight connectivity will be allowed in both domestic as well as international airlines entering the Indian space.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Asthma Day is being observed- May 1, 2018
World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May.
- The inaugural World Asthma Day was held in 1998.
- The theme this year is “Never too early, never too late. It’s always the right time to address airways disease”.
International Labour Day -May 1
The International Labour Day, also known as International Worker’s Day or May Day is observed every year on May 1.
- The day aims to promote and encourage the international labour associations, marks the victory of workers’ movement for eight hours of work and pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.
- The theme of International Labour Day 2018 is “Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement”.
OBITUARY
Marxist economist Ashok Mitra dead
Eminent Marxist economist and politician, and former finance minister of West Bengal, Ashok Mitra, died at age 89 on Tuesday.
- He served as Chief Economic Adviser during Indira Gandhi’s prime ministerial tenure.
Former IAF chief I.H. Latiff dead
Former chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal Idris Hassan Latif, died here on Monday. He was 95.
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