Notes:
China’s first domestically developed aircraft carrier “Type-001A” has recently started sea trials. The aim of trials is to demonstrate the reliability and capability of the ship’s propulsion systems. The 50,000-metric tonne vessel will become the country’s second aircraft carrier, and the first to be entirely built and designed inside of China, when it joins the navy before 2020. Few countries in the world have aircraft carriers. Besides India, the US, Russia, the UK, France, Italy, Thailand and China operate a total of 18 aircraft carriers.

Notes:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will set up a skill development centre at ‘Bharosa,’ an integrated support centre for distressed women and children in Hyderabad, Telangana. The purpose of the centre is to empower vulnerable and marginalized women by imparting skills training. ‘Bharosa,’ is a state-of-the-art centre set up by the Hyderabad City Police to support women and children who are victims of violence. ‘Bharosa’ provides under one roof, 24X7 services related to police, medical, legal, prosecution, psycho-therapeutic counselling and relief and rehabilitation services in completely private counselling rooms to maintain confidentiality and privacy. The centre is equipped with well-trained staff and modern gadgets, including facilities like video conferencing, so that the victims need not go to the court.

Notes:
Nandram Das Bairagi (87), the noted Hindi film lyricist, poet and politician, has passed away in Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh on May 13, 2018. The multi-faceted personality, who was also MP minister in the Congress government earlier, was born in Manasa on February 10,1931. He was popularly known as Balkavi Bairagi as he wrote some classic poems in his childhood. He wrote lyrics for more than two dozen Hindi films and some like “Tu Chanda Main Chandni” from the film “Reshma aur Shera” are considered classics. He wrote several Hindi poems, among which, “Jhar gaye paat, bisar gayi tehni” is considered a gem by many Hindi poets. Bairagi was a Lok Sabha member between 1984 and 1989 and also a former Rajya Sabha MP.

Notes:
Indian Shooter Heena Sidhu clinched the gold medal while compatriot P Shri Nivetha settled for bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the International Shooting Competitions of Hannover, Germany. Heena was in a rollicking form in the final where she was tied with France’s Mathilde Lamolle on 239.8 points. She won the tie to win the gold ahead of Mathilde. Shri Nivetha finished on 219.2. The finish marks a strong build-up to next week’s ISSF World Cup in Munich.

Notes:
IIM-Ahmedabad’s Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) has launched a Bharat Inclusion Initiative, which aims to invest about $25 million in startups working in the areas of financial inclusion, livelihood, education and health over the next 3 to 4 years. The project has received an initial pledge of $12.5 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Omidyar Network and Tata Trusts. This amount includes a $5 million commitment for providing support to startups through acceleration programmes, research, workshops and partnerships. The remaining amount has been earmarked for the Bharat Inclusion Seed Fund, which will invest in seed and pre-Series A startups.

Notes:
Lewis Hamilton, a British racing driver who races in Formula One for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team, has won the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix tournament 2018 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on May 13. Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes stood second in the race. Sebastian Vettel finished fourth in the event.

Notes:
As per latest UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report of mid 2018, India’s economy is projected to grow 7.6% in fiscal year 2018-19 and 7.5% for FY 18. This is a substantial recovery from the 6.7% growth India registered in fiscal year 2017. As per report, India is gaining momentum among major economies and although capital spending has shown signs of revival, a more widespread and sustained recovery in private investment remains a crucial challenge. The prediction is largely in line with 2018 Economic Survey that pegged growth at 7% to 7.5% in 2018-19. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) estimates 2017-18 GDP growth at 6.6% compared with 7.1% in the previous year.

Notes:
The Japanese family drama ‘Shoplifters’ has received the coveted award for best film, the Palme d’Or, at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2018. Poland’s Pawel Pawlikowski won the best director award for his love story ‘Cold War’. Little-known Italian actor Marcello Fonte won best actor for his role as a hapless cocaine-dealing dog groomer who faces down a thug in ‘Dogman’. The Best actress award went to Samal Yeslyamova for Kazakh writer-director Sergey Dvortsevoy’s “Ayka.” A special Palme d’Or was awarded to French-Swiss Jean-Luc Godard for the film ‘Image Book’.

Notes:
Rajinder Singh has taken charge as the new President of Hockey India (HI). He succeeded Mariamma Koshy. Prior to this post, Singh was the senior Vice President of HI. He was earlier the Treasurer of HI and currently serves as the Treasurer of Hockey Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

Notes:
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been honoured by European Union for strengthening Europe-India cultural ties. Bachchan, whose last release “102 Not Out”, co-starring Rishi Kapoor, was well-received by critics as well as audiences, will next be seen in “Thugs of Hindostan”.