Daily Current Affairs 21st May, 2019

Daily Current Affairs 21 May 2019 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

8th Indo-Myanmar coordinated Navy patrol begins

Navy ships from Myanmar reached Port Blair to attend the opening ceremony of the 8th Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) which will be held from May 20-28. Myanmar ships UMS King TabinShweHtee and UMS Inlay would undertake a coordinated patrol (CORPAT) with Indian Naval Ship Saryu under the program.

• The ships will patrol along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between the two countries covering a distance of roughly 725 kilometres in four days, augmented by patrol aircraft from both navies.
• Extra info.:
  Myanmar Capital: Naypyitaw
  Currency: Burmese kyat

Swaraj to attend SCO Foreign Minister’s meet

For the first time, since the Pulwama terror attack and the Balakot airstrikes, Indian and Pakistani Foreign Ministers will together attend a ministerial meeting under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.

• The meeting will be attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, along with the Foreign Ministers of SCO member states, including Pakistan.

Niti Aayog proposes Rs 7500-crore plan for Artificial Intelligence push

The NITI Aayog has drawn up a plan for creating an institutional framework for artificial intelligence (AI) in the country. It has circulated a cabinet note to provide Rs 7,500 crore in funding for creation of cloud computing platform called AIRAWAT and research institutes.

• The note proposes that the new government pump in Rs 7,500 crore initially over a three-year period and set up a high-level taskforce to oversee roll-out and implementation of AI.

Campaign launched to raise awareness on illegal wildlife trade

UN Environment India and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of India launched an awareness campaign ‘Not all animals migrate by choice’ to be displayed at major airports across the country ahead of the International Day of Biological Diversity celebrated on 22 May. 

• The campaign is an important step forward in creating much-needed awareness on wildlife trafficking which threatens the very survival of these species.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Indonesia election: Joko Widodo wins second term

The Election Commission of Indonesia confirmed that President Joko Widodo has won a second term as president, beating out rival Prabowo Subianto, a retired general, by a 55.5 per cent to 44.5 per cent margin.

• Last month, Indonesia held its biggest-ever election, a massive one day poll featuring more than 190 million registered voters and a record 245,000 candidates vying for the presidency, parliamentary seats and local legislator positions.
• Extra info.:
  Indonesia Capital: Jakarta
  Currency: Indonesian rupiah

Australia: Scott Morrison to form govt after ‘miraculous victory’

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks all set to form a majority Conservative government after his “miraculous” election victory over the centre-left Labor Party. 

• The result also indicated a crushing defeat for the Labor Party, with Opposition leader Bill Shorten announcing his resignation from the Labor leadership.
• Extra info.:
  Australia Capital: Canberra 
  Currency: Australian dollar

Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes oath as Ukraine’s new President

In Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy took oath as country’s new President. Zelenskiy, in his first address as President, pledged to protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

• Zelinskiy became Ukraine’s youngest post-Soviet President after he scored a landslide election victory against incumbent Petro Poroshenko.
• Extra info.:
  Ukraine Capital: Kyiv
  Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Reliance beats Indian Oil Corporation, becomes biggest Indian company

Reliance Industries has toppled state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to become the country’s biggest company by revenue. The Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate, in the 2018-19 fiscal year that ended March 31, reported a turnover of Rs 6.23 lakh crore.

• In comparison, IOC posted a turnover of Rs 6.17 lakh crore for the fiscal. It was also the most profitable company in the country with a net profit of more than double that of IOC in FY2019.

SBI ties up with FMCG arm of The Art of Living

The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced a strategic partnership with the FMCG arm of The Art of Living — Sri Sri Tattva. Under this partnership, YONO users can avail a discount of 15 per cent on the entire range of products offered by Sri Sri Tattva such as food, personal care, healthcare, homecare, BYOGI apparels and Shankara skincare products.

SPORTS

Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mt Everest for a record 24th time

Just a week after breaking his own record for the most number of summits on Mt Everest, Kami Rita Sherpa yet again climbed the world’s highest mountain. By achieving this feat, Sherpa has become the only Mountaineer in the world to hold the record for most Everest summits.

• Sherpa successfully climbed Mt Everest from the Nepal side. The 50-year-old mountaineer has already climbed most of the peaks including Kangchenjunga, Cho-Oyu, Lhoste, and Annapurna among others.
• Serpa achieved the feat of climbing the Mt Everest for the 23rd time earlier this year on May 15, 2019.

APPOINTMENTS

Pak appoints Mueenul Haq as High Commissioner to India

Pakistan announced career diplomat Mueenul Haq as its new High Commissioner to India. Haq was appointed after Sohail Mehmood left the High Commissioner’s post to join as foreign secretary. 

• Qureshi has expressed hope that Haq would perform his “new job with the best of his abilities.” Along with India, Pakistan has announced new ambassadors to several countries including China, Japan and Brussels.

AWARDS

Indian peacekeeper to be honoured posthumously by UN

An Indian peacekeeper is among the 119 military, police and civilian personnel who will be honoured this year with a prestigious UN medal this year for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.

• Police Officer Jitender Kumar made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin would collect the medal on behalf of the fallen Indian peacekeeper.

OBITUARIES

F1 legend Niki Lauda passes away

Austrian Formula One legend Niki Lauda passed away at the age of 70. The three-time world champion had received a lung transplant last year and then he was hospitalised with flu in January this year. Lauda, won the F1 titles in 1975, 1977 and 1984. He was hugely admired within the F1 fraternity. He won two F1 titles for Ferrari and one for Mclaren.

• He competed in 171 races in his lifetime and out of those, he succeeded in winning 25. Lauda, even suffered a horrific accident, leaving him severely burned and injured in 1976.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Anti-Terrorism Day

May 21, the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day. Rajiv Gandhi became the youngest prime minister of the country when he was sworn in at the age of 40 as the sixth Prime Minister of India after his mother Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984.

• The Anti-Terrorism Day is observed to spread the message of peace and humanity and to promote unity among the people. It also honours the sacrifices made by thousands of soldiers who fought against terrorism. It’s a day to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks.

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