LIC ADO Recruitment 2019 Notification Out: 8581 Vacancies (Apply Online)

EPFO Assistant Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2019: (Pre/Mains)

EPFO Assistant Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2019: (Pre/Mains)

EPFO Assistant Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2019: EPFO has recently released the recruitment notification for the post of EPFO Assistant. This exam is going to be conducted for the first time. There are a total of 280 vacancies. To help you out knowing better about this recruitment, we are sharing the EPFO Assistant syllabus and exam pattern for both Prelims and Main examination. You can check topic-wise syllabus & pattern of exam described below.

EPFO Assistant 2019 Recruitment Notification Out : Apply Online for 280 Assistant Posts

EPFO Assistant Exam Pattern 2019 - Preliminary Exam

• The paper consists of 3 sections, with a sectional timing of 20 minutes for each section. This paper is only qualifying in nature.
• For each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of one-fourth of the total marks assigned to that question.

Name of Test	Max. Questions	Max. Marks	Duration
Reasoning Ability	35	35	20 Minutes
Quantitative Aptitude	35	35	20 Minutes
English Language	30	30	20 Minutes
Total	100	100	60 Minutes

EPFO Assistant Exam Pattern 2019 - Main Exam

• Only the marks obtained in Phase – II will be considered for final selection.
• For each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of one-fourth of the total marks assigned to that question.
• The descriptive paper will be completely online.

Name of Test	No. of Qs.	Max. Marks	Duration
Reasoning/ Intelligence	40	60	35 mins
General/ Economy/ Financial Awareness	40	40	20 mins
English Language	30	40	30 minss
Quantitative Aptitude	40	60	35 mins
Total	150	200	2 hours
Descriptive Paper (English Language with an emphasis on comprehensive and analytical abilities)	3 (letter, precis, comprehension)	30	45 mins

EPFO Assistant Syllabus 2019

Reasoning Ability Syllabus for EPFO Assistant

• Puzzles & Seating Arrangement
• Input-Output 
• Alphanumeric Series
• Syllogism 
• Coding Decoding 
•  Blood Relations
• Data Sufficiency
• Inequality 
• Verbal Reasoning 
• Order and Ranking
• Direction Sense

Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus for EPFO Assistant

• Simplification
• Number Series
• Mixture and allegation
• Data interpretation
• Approximation
• Data Sufficiency
• Speed, distance and time
• Mathematical Inequality
• Quadratic Equation
• Time and work
• Average
• Simple and compound interest
• Profit and loss

English Language Syllabus for EPFO Assistant

• Error Spotting
• Theme based questions
• Reading comprehension
• Odd one out
• Sentence Connectors
• Fillers
• Sentence Improvement
• Sentence rearrangement
• Parajumbles
• Cloze Test
• Cloze Test

General/ Economy/ Financial Awareness Syllabus for EPFO Assistant

• National/International Affair
• Sports News
• Important Days
• Summits & Conferences
• Agreements
• Awards and Honours
• Schemes, Committees
• Appointments/Resignations
• Books and Author
• National and International Organization
• Obituaries
• Sports News
• Important Days
• Summits & Conferences
• Agreements-MoU's
• International/National Affairs
• Awards and Honours
• Schemes
• Committees
• Appointments/Resignations/Obituaries
• Books and Authors
• Science and defense

Check the other Ongoing and Upcoming Recruitment, in the link given below.

Ongoing and Upcoming Exams & Recruitment

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EPFO Assistant 2019 Recruitment Notification Out : Apply Online for 280 Assistant Posts

22 May 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

22 May 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Oman author Jokha Alharthi wins Booker International Prize

• Oman author Jokha Alharthi (first Arabic-language writer) has won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for "Celestial Bodies", the story of three sisters of a desert country confronting its slave-owning past and a complex modern world.
• Jokha Alharthi will split the 50,000 pounds or 64,000 US dollar purse with her UK-based translator, Marilyn Booth.
• The winning novel was a book to win over the head and the heart in equal measure.
• "Celestial Bodies" beat five other finalists from Europe and South America, including last year's winner, Poland's Olga Tokarczuk.
• The prize is a counterpart to the Man Booker Prize for English-language novels and is open to books in any language that has been translated into English.

Note:

• The Man Booker International Prize is the world’s most prestigious English-language literary award launched in 1969 and presented by the Man Group.
• The award aims at promoting the finest literary work in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom (UK).

Source: AIR News

2. Shyam Saran to be Conferred Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun

• Former Indian foreign secretary Shyam Saran (72-years) has been chosen to be conferred with Japan’s second highest national award in its 2019 Spring Imperial Decorations
• Mr.  Saran will be awarded ‘the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’ for his contributions to strengthen the strategic ties and enhancing mutual understanding between India and Japan.
• Shyam Saran was India’s Foreign Secretary during 2004-2006.

Note:

• 'The Order of the Rising Sun' is a Japanese government honour established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji.
• The design of the Rising Sun symbolizes energy as powerful as the rising sun in parallel with the "rising sun" concept of Japan.

Source: Business Standard

3. Indian peacekeeper to be honoured posthumously by UN

• Indian peacekeeper Police Officer Jitender Kumar is among the 119 military, police and civilian personnel who will be honoured with a prestigious UN medal 2019 for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.
• Mr. Kumar made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Central African country of Congo.
• He will be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal as the world organisation observes the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

4. Kapil Sharma is the most viewed stand-up comedian in India and Abroad

• Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma (38-years) has been acknowledged as the most viewed stand-up comedian in India and abroad by the World book of Records London.
• Kapil Sharma started his career as a stand-up comedian and performed on several comedy shows.
• But it was his separate show ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’ which brought him immense fame.
• Kapil also tried his hand at acting with Bollywood films like Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon and Firangi.
• The is currently hosting The Kapil Sharma Show on television.

Note:

• Kapil Sharma was born in Amritsar, Punjab.
• Sharma was nominated for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (in 2015) by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Science & Defence

5. ISRO launches earth observation satellite RISAT-2B

• Today, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its earth observation satellite RISAT-2B (latest radar imaging satellite) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota (90 km north of Chennai).
• It will replace the RISAT-2, which was launched in 2009.
• The 615 kg satellite was released into the orbit 15 minutes after the lift-off.
• RISAT-2B meant for application in fields such as surveillance, agriculture, forestry and disaster management support.
• RISAT-2B expanded Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) making it an advanced earth observation satellite, operating in spotlight mode, mode and mosaic mode.

Source: AIR News

6. 8th Indo- Myanmar Coordinated Patrol begins at Port Blair

• The 8th edition of the Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) is being held at Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Command (from 20-28 May 2019).
• Under the program, Myanmar ships UMS King TabinShweHtee (773) and UMS Inlay (OPV-54) are participating in the coordinated patrol (CORPAT) along with Indian Naval Ship Saryu.
• The ships will patrol along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between the two countries covering distance of roughly 725 kilometres in four days, augmented by patrol aircraft from both navies.

Source: Business Standard

Important Dates

7.  22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity

• The United Nations (UN) has proclaimed 22nd May ‘The International Day for Biological Diversity’ (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
• The theme of 2019 is ‘Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health’.

Note:

• The International Day for Biological Diversity falls within the scope of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals.

Banking and Finance

8. India to grow at 7.1% in FY'20: United Nations' report

• According to the United Nations report, India's economy is projected to grow at 7.1% in the fiscal year 2020 on the back of strong domestic consumption and investment.
• The Indian economy expanded by 7.2 per cent in 2018.
• That report had estimated that India would grow at 7.6 per cent in the fiscal year 2019 and 7.4 per cent in 2020.
• GDP growth is a downward revision from the 7.4% estimated in January this year.

Note:

• The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019 Mid-year Update noted that growth projections for 2019 have been revised downward in all major developed economies.

National Affairs

9. CSIR-NPL introduce Redefined International System of Units

• On World Meterology Day, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) has introduced redefined International System of Units for the country.
• The redefined systems are kilogram, Kelvin, mole and ampere.
• CSIR-NPL has also prepared documents on NPL policy on Meterology Traceability and recommendations on proposed changes to be incorporated in the National Council of education Research and Training textbooks.
• The International system of Units-SI was formalised in 1960 and has been d several times to account for advances in measurement technology.
• Since the 1960s, the country has come to rely ever more heavily on advanced science and engineering in day-to-day lives, and in manufacturing, health care and science.
• The proposed changes in the unit definitions have been designed to have no immediate consequence.

10. A high-level committee submits its recommendations on crude oil imports

• High-Level Committee constituted by the Centre has submitted its recommendations to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan to bring down India’s dependence on crude oil imports.
• It has recommended short term, medium-term and long-term strategies in the report, clearly bringing out the strategy to reduce the import dependency of the nation.
• The High-Level Committee consisted of Dr Anil Kakodkar, eminent Scientist and Sidharth Pradhan, an expert on financial and tax issues.
• Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas will consider the recommendations submitted by the Committee while formulating policies.

Note:

• The High-Level Committee was constituted to examine the issues relating to the preparation of action plan to create synergy among Research and Development Centres of Oil and Gas Public Sector Undertakings, tax issues and ways to benefit from GST by the Oil and Gas PSUs.
• It also looked merger, acquisition and consolidation of Oil and Gas Public Sector Undertakings and the Joint Ventures.

Source: AIR News

Obituaries

11. Renowned filmmaker & film historian Vijaya Mulay passes away

• Renowned filmmaker, researcher and educationist Vijaya Mulay (98-years) passed away.
• Vijaya Mulay founded the Delhi Film Society in 1959, and later became a joint secretary of the Federation of Film Societies.
• She is most famously known for her 1974 film Ek Anek Aur Ekta, which was awarded the National Film Award for Best Educational Film.
• In 2002, Vijaya Mulay was honoured with the prestigious V Shantaram Award for her work in documentary filmmaking.

Source: Indian Express

21 May 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

21 May 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Joko Widodo re-elected as president of Indonesia

• Joko Widodo (57-years) has been re-elected as Indonesia's president after last month's vote, beating former general Prabowo Subianto
• According to the elections commission, Widodo and his vice-presidential running mate Ma'ruf Amin won the election by a 55.5% to 44.5% margin over Subianto and Sandiaga Uno.
• Joko Widodo’s challenger Subianto (67-years) has vowed to challenge any victory for Widodo, alleging widespread voter fraud, and warned that it could spark street protests across the country.
• On 20 October 2014, Joko Widodo (also known as Jokowi) became the seventh president of Indonesia.

Note:

• The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.
• The president leads the executive branch of the Indonesian government and is the commander-in-chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.

Source: BBC

2. Pakistan appoints Mueenul Haq as High Commissioner to India

• Pakistan has appointed career diplomat Mueenul Haq (current ambassador to France) as the High Commissioner to India.
• Earlier, Mr Haq has served as chief of protocol at the Foreign Office.
• The post of High Commissioner to India fell vacant after Sohail Mehmood was appointed Pakistan's new foreign secretary.
• Prime Minister Imran Khan approved appointments of over two dozen ambassadors in various countries including India, China and Japan.

Note:

• In the Commonwealth of Nations, a high commissioner is a senior diplomat (generally ranking as an ambassador) in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.
• Instead of an embassy, the diplomatic mission is generally called a high commission.

Source: AIR News

3. Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes oath as Ukraine's new President

• In Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy (41-years) took oath as the country's new President.
• Mr. Zelenskiy announced the dissolution of the parliament in his speech.
• The election was expected to take place in October 2019.
• Zelinskiy became Ukraine's youngest post-Soviet President after he scored a landslide election victory against incumbent Petro Poroshenko.
• Mr Zelensky a former television star, acted the part of the Ukrainian president in a popular comedy series. He scored a landslide victory in last month's presidential election.

Source: The Guardian

4. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank appoints Nitin Chugh as next MD and CEO

• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited has appointed Nitin Chugh as the next Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (from 1^st December 2019).
• Nitin Chugh will join the bank by August 2019 as President and will work closely with Samit Ghosh, existing MD and CEO to ensure a smooth transition.
• He will take over as the MD and CEO from December 1, 2019, upon the Samit Ghosh's retirement.

Note:

• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited is a bank licensed under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to carry out small finance bank business in India.
• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank received Scheduled Bank status from the Reserve Bank of India in August 2017.

Source: AIR News

International Affairs

5. UAE celebrates World Day for Cultural Diversity today

• On 21st May, the UAE is celebrating World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development to highlight its efforts in promoting tolerance and cultural diversity.
• The event coincides with the country’s declaration of 2019 as the Year for Tolerance and its hosting of many related events.
• The UAE has cultural relations with many countries and is an active member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.

Source: AIR News

6. Sushma Swaraj attends SCO foreign ministers meet in Bishkek

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Bishkek, in Kyrgyzstan.
• During the meeting, several pressing issues including a thread of terrorism are expected to be discussed.
• The Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) will exchange views on topical issues of international and regional importance, besides reviewing the preparation for the SCO Summit in Bishkek from June 13-14.

Note:

• The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• Along with India, Pakistan was also granted SCO membership in 2017.

Source: The Hindu

Important Dates

7. Anti-Terrorism Day being observed today

• Today, the nation is paying homage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 28th death anniversary.
• The Anti -Terrorism Day is observed on 21st May every year in our country to make the people aware of the anti-social act of terrorism and its impact on human suffering and lives.
• 0n 21st May 1991 the seventh Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed in Tamil Nadu in a campaign by the terrorist and then, V.P. Singh government has decided to observe 21st May as Anti-Terrorism Day.

8. 21^st May: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

• The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is observed on 21st May every year.
• The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development", is an opportunity to help communities understand the value of cultural diversity and learn how to live together in harmony.
• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this holiday due to UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in November 2001.
• This day was created as a result of the destruction of the Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001.

National Affairs

9. Maharashtra Govt. signs ordinance to bring medical admissions under SEBC quota

• C Vidyasagar Rao (Maharashtra Governor) has signed an ordinance to provide quota under the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) Reservation Act, 2018, to candidates from the Maratha community seeking admission to post-graduate medical and dental courses.
• The ordinance was issued by the Governor on the recommendation of the state government to protect the admissions of students in the PG courses.
• The ordinance is aimed to further explain the intent of the state government to provide quota for the Maratha community.
• In the wake of state-wide protests by Maratha community members, the Maharashtra government had on 30^th November last year cleared a 16% quota for the community in education and government jobs, identifying them as Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC).

Source: AIR News

10. Kerala first Indian state to tap into masala bond market

• The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board’s (KIIFB) celebrated its debut Masala Bond listing on the London Stock Exchange with a special market open ceremony.
• Kerala is the first Indian state to tap into the market for masala bonds.
• KIIFB (a state government agency) had raised Rs 2,150 crore through its debut masala bond issue.
• KIIFB plans to raise Rs 5,000 crore through masala bonds to fund large and critical infrastructure projects in Kerala.
• Indian Rupee denominated overseas bonds are popularly known as masala bonds.

Note:

• Masala bonds are bonds issued outside India but denominated in Indian Rupees, rather than the local currency.
• Masala (means spices) term was used by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to evoke the culture and cuisine of India.

Source: Indian Express

Obituaries

11. Three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda passes away

• Austrians former Formula One driver Niki Lauda (70-years) passed away.
• Three-time world champion Niki Lauda was hugely admired, respected and liked within F1.
• He won two titles for Ferrari and one for McLaren.
• He came back from a horrific accident that left him severely burned and injured in 1976.
• He competed in 171 races and won 25.

Source: BBC

12. The master architect I M Pei passes away

• American architecture I M Pei (designed the Louvre’s crystal pyramid) has passed away.
• Pei’s more than 50 projects included the Musee d’Art Moderne in Luxembourg (2006) and the 72-story Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong (1989).
• He was honoured with the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal in 1979.
• The Grande Medaille d’Or from the Academie d’Architecture de France; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the USA.

Source: Business-Standard

Sports

13. Double Olympic Biathlon Champion Dahlmeier retires

• Germany’s double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier(25-years) announced her retirement at the after struggling with health issues.
• She has won seven world championship gold medals, and in 2018 in Pyeongchang.
• She became the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Olympics.

Source: Business-Standard

14. Ashish to lead 3-member Indian gymnastics team in World Challenge Cup

• A three-member team led by 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist Ashish Kumar will represent India at the second World Challenge Cup Series gymnastics tournament in Osijek, Croatia
• Besides Ashish, the Indian contingent will also have Rakesh Kumar Patra and Shraddha Talekar.
• The World Challenge Cup is a major FIG event with broader participation of 110 gymnasts from 30 different countries (23 to 26 May 2019).

Source: Business-Standard 

19-20 May 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

19-20 May 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Rafael Nadal clinches Italian Open 2019 Tennis title

• Spain’s Rafael Nadal (defending Champion) has clinched the Italian Open 2019 Tennis title after beating Serbian Novak Djokovic 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 in the final in Rome.
• This is Nadal's ninth Italian Open title and 81st title in his career.
• Nadal also broke a tie with Djokovic by claiming a record 34th ATP Masters 1000 crown.
• In Women's single, Czech's Karolina Pliskova registered two straight-set victories against Britain's Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4 to claim the Italian Open title.

Note:

• The 2019 Italian Open (76th edition) was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy from 15 May–21 May 2019.
• It was classified as an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the 2019 ATP World Tour and a Premier 5 event on the 2019 WTA Tour.

Source: The Hindu

2. 2nd India Open International Boxing Tournament begins today

• The India Open International Boxing Tournament (2^nd edition) has begun at Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati, Assam (20-24^th May 2019).
• 200 players from 16 countries will take place in the event. 
• The competition will be held in a total of 18 categories, 10 in men and 8 in women.
• India will field a strong contingent of 38 men and 37 women in the tournament including Mary Kom in 51-kilogram category.
• The gold medallist will get 2500 US dollar and Silver medallist will earn 1000 US dollar.

Source: AIR News

3. BFA launches two new formats of game ‘AirBadminton’ & ‘Triples’

• The world body governing Badminton (BFA) has launched two new formats of the game ‘AirBadminton’ and ‘Triples’ with new dimensions of the court and an innovative shuttlecock called 'Airshuttle'.
• AirBadmintion will be outdoor sports (Traditional badminton- indoor game).
• In Triples format, the match will be played between a team of three players each with the presence of at least one female. 
• Infrastructure won't be a hindrance for people interested in Airbadminton as it can be played in different environments like grass in parks, on sands in beaches and the streets and bylanes.

Source: AIR News

4. USD 10 million on offer in ICC World Cup, winner to earn 4 million

• Ten million US Dollars (more than 70 crore rupees) are on offer in the upcoming ICC men's cricket World Cup.
• The 46-day tournament will be played across 11 venues in the United Kingdom from 30th of this month.
• Besides a trophy, the World Cup winner will earn a cash award of 4 million US dollars or about 28 crore rupees which is the highest prize money on offer in the history of the tournament.
•  The runners-up take home 2 million US Dollars or about 14 crore rupees.
• The losing semi-finalists will get around 5 crores 60 lakh rupees.
• There are six prizes of about 70 lakh rupees each for teams that pass the league stage.
• Winners of each league match will get around 28 lakh rupees in what promises to be a competitive tournament with the world's best teams playing each other in a round-robin format.

Source: AIR News

5. ICC releases the official song for World Cup 2019

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the official song of the 2019 ICC World Cup as the countdown to the tournament enters the final two weeks.
• The official song ‘Stand By’ is a collaboration between new artist LORYN and one of the UK’s most successful and influential acts, Rudimental
• It will be played in ground and city events across the tournament.

Note:

• The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup is the 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by England and Wales, from 30 May to 14 July 2019.
• It is the fifth time that the Cricket World Cup will be held in England and Wales, following 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999 World Cups.

Source: DD news

Obituaries

6. Veteran Telugu actor Rallapalli Venkata Narasimha Rao passes away

• Veteran Telugu actor Rallapalli Venkata Narasimha Rao (74-years) passed away in Hyderabad.
• He had also worked as a staff artist in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• Ralapalli acted in more than 800 films and was popular as a comedian and character artiste.
• He was a five-time winner of the prestigious Nandi award in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Source: The Economic Times

National Affairs

7. Govt plans introducing artificial intelligence system in MCA 21 portal

• The Union government has planned to introduce artificial intelligence system in the MCA 21 portal as it seeks to make the compliance process easier as well as ensure routine enforcement activities are done round-the-clock on autopilot basis.
• MCA 21 is the electronic backbone for the dissemination of information to all stakeholders, including the regulator, corporates and investors.
• All filings under the company’s law are submitted to the ministry through this portal.
• According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas, the ministry would like to introduce Artificial Intelligence in MCA 21 when version 3 of the portal is rolled out in about a year's time.

Note:

• MCA 21 allows electronic filings of various documents under the Companies Act, 2013 and has fully automated all processes related to enforcement and compliance monitoring under the Act.

Source: AIR News

Science & Defence

8. India-Singapore Naval drill begins in the South China Sea

• The Navies of India and Singapore are participating in the annual maritime bilateral exercise ‘SIMBEX-19’ in the South China Sea.
• According to the Indian Navy, Various maritime combat exercises such as firing on aerial or surface targets, advanced aerial tracking, coordinated targeting exercises and tactical exercises on the surface or air scenarios is being conducted during the exercise.
• Naval ships INS Kolkata and INS Shakti taking part in the bilateral naval exercise, along with long-range maritime patrol aircraft Poseidon-8I.
• The Singapore side is being represented by RSN ships Steadfast and Valiant, maritime patrol aircraft Fokker-50 and F-16 fighter aircraft.

Source: The Times of India

9. Indian Navy conducts successful fire trial of MRSAM

• The Indian Navy achieved a significant milestone in enhancing its Anti-Air Warfare Capability with the maiden cooperative engagement firing of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM).
• The firing was undertaken on the Western Seaboard by Indian Naval Ships Kochi and Chennai.
• In test, the missiles of both ships were controlled by one ship to intercept different aerial targets at extended ranges.
• The firing trial was carried out by the Indian Navy, DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries.
• The MRSAM has been manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited.

Source: AIR News

International Affairs

10. Saudi Arabia approves permanent residency for the first time

• The Saudi government has approved for the first time a scheme that gives permanent residency to certain expatriates, allowing them to own real estate in the kingdom and reside with their families without a Saudi sponsor.
• The decision aimed at attracting long-term investments as the government tries to diversify the economy and boost domestic spending.
• The "Privileged Iqama" system will offer a permanent residence scheme and one that can be renewed annually to highly skilled expatriates and owners of capital funds.
• The decision will attract more investors and entrepreneurs to Saudi Arabia to help drive private sector growth and expand employment opportunities for Saudis.

Source: Arab week

Appointment

11. Australian PM Scott Morrison wins the federal election

• In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Liberal-National Coalition has won the 2019 Australian federal election.
• According to the ABC’s Election Calculator, the governing Coalition is on track to win at least 76 seats in the Australian Parliament, while the opposing Labor Party is set to win 65.
• Scott Morrison is Australia’s fifth prime minister in almost nine years, owing to rapid successions of party leaders during the period.
• Mr Morrison became Leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister in August 2018, winning the party’s leadership vote following Malcolm Turnbull’s resignation.

Note:

• The Prime Minister of Australia is the head of government of Australia.
• The Prime Minister also has the responsibility of administering the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and is the chair of the National Security Committee and the Council of Australian Governments.

Honours & Awards

12. Dr P.K. Mishra conferred with prestigious Sasakawa Award 2019

• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) conferred Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction to Dr Pramod Kumar Mishra (Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India).
• The award was announced at the Award Ceremony during the ongoing 6th Session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2019 at Geneva.
• A total grant of USD 50,000 is distributed among the winners which can be either organizations or individuals.
• The theme of the 2019 Sasakawa award was “Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies”.

Note:

• The United Nations Sasakawa Award is the most prestigious international award in the area of Disaster Risk Management.

13. Indian short film wins Nespresso Talents award in Cannes

• Indian filmmaker Achyutanand Dwivedi's film, "Seed Mother" (three-minute film) has won the third prize in the international section of Nespresso Talents 2019 in Cannes.
• The Nespresso 2019 first prize in the international section was won by New Zealand's Josh Morrice for "Subak", about rice cultivation in Bali.
• The second prize went to Mexican filmmaker Marco Aurelio Celis' "Ruffo".
• The film "Seed Mother" celebrates the exceptional spirit of Rahibai Soma Popere, a woman who champions the use of local seeds and traditional methods of farming in villages of Maharashtra.
• This year's theme of Cannes Critics' Week was 'We Are What We Eat', aimed at exploring the world, experiencing diversity.

Source: Economics Times