Current Affairs May 14, 2019
In this post, GKToday presents Current Affairs of May 14, 2019 in Short Notes form for preparation of IBPS, Banking, CLAT, SSC, Railway, UPSC, IAS/PCS, UPPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, RPSC, TNPSC, MPSC, KPSC and all other competitive examinations of India.
1. India's Dairy major Amul will be the principal sponsor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the 2019 ICC World Cup, which will be hosted by England and Wales. The logo of brand AMUL, which boasts of an annual sales turnover of Rs 45,000 crores ($6.5 billion), will appear on the Afghanistan team playing jerseys as well as on the training kits throughout the World Cup from May 30 to July 14, 2019. This is the third time that Amul is sponsoring a cricket team in the World Cup. Earlier, the company had associated with New Zealand and Holland teams. Though Afghanistan participated in the 2015 World Cup as an associate nation, this will be the first time it will feature in a tournament as a full-member.
2. After United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland has officially become the 2nd country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. It happened after the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) report on Climate Action was accepted by the government and opposition parties without a vote. An amendment to a parliamentary report declaring a climate emergency and calling on parliament to examine how the Irish government can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss was accepted. Britain's parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency, passing the largely symbolic motion on May 1. The step followed 11 days of street protests in London by the Extinction Rebellion environmental campaign group.
3. The National Technology Day (NTD) is held every year on May 11 to celebrate India’s achievements in science and technology and to mark the historic feat of test-firing its very first nuclear-capable missile back in 1998 at Pokhran. The day also highlights the importance of science in daily life and encourages youngsters to embrace it as a career option. On this day in 1998, India successfully tested Shakti-I nuclear missile at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. The tests were conducted under the leadership of Former President Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who was then DRDO Chief, and Dr R Chidambaran, then Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). A team of more than 100 scientists, technicians and soldiers were involved in the successfully conducted tests.
4. Y C Deveshwar (72), the noted industry leader and ITC Chairman, has passed away in Gurugram on May 11, 2019. He was India’s longest serving CEO and had received the India's third-highest civilian award ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2011. Deveshwar took over as chairman of ITC group in 1996 when the company was going through its worst crisis. Under his leadership, ITC battled resistance from its largest shareholder BAT and it made a successful diversification in the FMCG category. He transformed the cigarette major into a diversified player with interests in FMCG, hospitality, IT and other sectors. In 2017, Deveshwar stepped down as chief executive of ITC Ltd, India's largest cigarette maker . After that, he moved to the role of non executive chairman. He was also a director on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). ITC Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.
5. The Indian Army has decided to commemorate 2019 as the ‘Year of Next of Kin’ and plans to reach out to the next of kin of battle casualties, ex-servicemen and serving soldiers to inform them of entitled financial benefits, welfare schemes and help resolve pension related problems. The issue gains importance in light of most next of kin of deceased soldiers being unaware of the financial benefits that are entitled to them. Incorrect and incomplete documentation is a common problem for most of the next of kin, which aggravates their plight. Indian Army plans to overcome these challenges through its formations and regimental centres. It will also seek the involvement of the defence ministry, Nepal Embassy (due to several soldiers being recruited from Nepal), Sainik Boards, banks and welfare agencies such as the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). The Directorate of Indian Army Veterans will be the nodal agency. Earlier, the Indian Army marked 2018 as the 'Year of Disabled in the Line of Duty'.
6. Prof. Kirpal Singh (95), the renowned Sikh historian and chronicler, has passed away in Chandigarh on May 7, 2019. He was the first chronicler of India's partition. The historian had retired as professor and head of the department of Punjab Historical Studies in Punjabi University, Patiala. Before joining Punjabi University, he was lecturer at the Khalsa College in Amritsar and worked on the Sikh historical research. With over 40 books on history to his credit, the Akal Takht had in 2014 conferred the title of National Professor of Sikhism on him. To compile the history of Partition, he even visited UK in early 1960s and interviewed many bigwigs who associated with it, including then Prime Minister Clement Attlee. Kirpal had established the Oral History Cell at Punjabi University in 1973 having over 400 statements of eminent persons in several fields.
7. The Supreme Court has recently upheld the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation (to the Posts in the Civil Services of the State) Act, 2018. The new Karnataka 2018 law grants reservation in promotion and seniority to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) employees in the state. This judgment is significant as Karnataka becomes the first State to gain from a Constitution (5-judge) Bench order of September 2018 that modified a 2006 order requiring the States to show quantifiable data to prove the “backwardness” of a SC/ST community in order to provide quota in promotion in public employment.
8. The World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is observed every year on 11th of May to raise awareness of issues affecting migratory birds and to inspire people and organizations around the world to take measures for their conservation. The 2019 theme − “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!” − will put the spotlight on the negative impact of plastic pollution on migratory birds and their habitats.
9. The World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) to achieve its target under REPLACE initiative of eliminating industrial trans-fat from industrially produced global food supply by 2023. Trans-fat is also called the worst form of fat in food. It is responsible for over 5,00,000 deaths from coronary heart disease each year globally. Industrially-produced trans-fats are contained in hardened vegetable fats, such as margarine and ghee, and are often present in snack food, baked foods, and fried foods. Manufacturers often use them as they have a longer shelf life than other fats. But healthier alternatives can be used that would not affect taste or cost of food.
10. The Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd (KRCL) has signed a contract agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets. These trains will be used to operationalise railway link between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal. Each train set will comprise of one driving power car, three trailer cars with one air-conditioned, one driving trailer car with standard accessories. The train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai. The 34 kms Jayanagar-Kurtha Railway Link has been built by IRCON with Government of India (GoI) financial grant under India-Nepal Development Partnership programme. The KRCL is a Union Government Company headquartered at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai that operates Konkan Railway.
