16 May 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Taiwan Expo 2019 begins in New Delhi

Tien Chung-Kwang (Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre) and James CF Huang (Chairman of Taiwan External Trade Development Council) have inaugurated the three-day event ‘Taiwan Expo 2019’ in New Delhi.
There are 10 theme pavilions at the expo focusing on green products, health care, agriculture, tourism, biotechnology and electrical equipment.
150 exhibitors are showcasing their products in 230 stalls.
Around 30 thousand people are expected to visit the expo this year and potential business is likely to touch 150 million dollars.

Source: AIR News

2. Election Commission curtails campaigning in West Bengal

Election Commission curtailed the campaigning in the West Bengal state following Kolkata violence.
Campaigning for the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal will end at 10 PM tonight.
According to Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kuma, for the first time, such an action (Article 324) has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.
Nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will go to polls in the last phase on Sunday.
The Commission also ordered the removal of State's Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajeev Kumar from their posts.

Source: Business Line

3. MoU signed for plantation of Rudraksha Trees in Uttarakhand

As a part of CSR initiative under the Namami Gange Programme, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU was signed between National Mission for Clean Ganga, HCL Foundation and INTACH for taking up a project of Plantation of Rudraksha Trees in Uttarakhand
The project aims at planting 10 thousand Rudraksha trees in the catchment area of river Ganga in Uttarakhand in association with the local community and other stakeholders.
It will also help in generating income for people residing in those areas.
Namami Gange Mission aims at providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions for a cleaner ecosystem along the stretch of 97 towns and over 4 thousand 4 hundred villages on the Ganga stem.

Source: AIR News

Important Days

4. Sikkim celebrates its foundation day today

On 16th May 1975, Sikkim became a part of Indian state after the 36th Constitutional Amendment.
During the British rule in India, the kingdom of Sikkim enjoyed a sovereign status with British protectorate against the neighbouring countries Nepal and China.
This ‘subordinate alliance’ with the British was carried on by the newly formed Indian government after 1947.

Note:

Sikkim is located at the northeast part of India, and notable for its biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates.

5. 16th May: National Dengue Day

The Government of India (GoI) has declared 16th May as National Dengue Day to mark the toll from the deadly disease ‘Dengue’ (transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquito).
The day has been taking in terms of lives and to reaffirm nationwide efforts to tackle the scourge by using both education and medical intervention.
Dengue is a viral disease which includes symptoms such as high-grade fever 2 to 7 days and headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash.

6. Sri Lanka declares National Vesak week from today

Sri Lanka has declared a National Vesak week to mark the Vesak celebrations, one of the most significant events for Buddhist followers.
The festival will be held under tight security and people have been encouraged to organize celebrations at Buddhist temples and not in public places in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks last month.
The state Vesak festival will be held in Galle under the patronage of the President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe on Friday and Saturday.
The Chief Prelates of four Buddhist chapters have requested the public to give priority to spiritual practices and not to conduct public celebrations that draw crowd due to the present security situation in the country.

Source: The Hindu

Banking and Finance

7. RBI releases vision document for e-payment system

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a vision document for ensuring a safe, secure, convenient, quick and affordable e-payment system.
The move comes as the apex bank expects the number of digital transactions to increase more than four times to 8,707 crores (in December 2021).
The 'Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 - 2021', with its core theme of 'Empowering Exceptional E-payment Experience', envisages achieving "a highly digital and cash-lite society" through the goal posts of competition, cost-effectiveness, convenience and confidence (4Cs).
The payment systems landscape will continue to change with further innovation and entry of more players which is expected to ensure the optimal cost to the customers and freer access to multiple payment system options.
The approach of the RBI will continue to be of minimal intervention in the pricing of charges to customers for digital payments, all efforts will be made towards facilitating the operation of payment systems which are efficient and price- attractive.
The document talks about creating customer awareness, setting up a 24X7 helpline and self-regulatory organisation for system operators and service providers, among others.

Source: AIR News

8. India’s overall exports registered positive growth of 1.34% in April this year

India’s overall exports, combining Merchandise and Services, in April this year is estimated to be around 44 billion US dollars with a positive growth of 1.34 per cent over the April last year.
According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry data released today, overall imports in last month is estimated to be around 53 billion dollars with a positive growth of 4.5 per cent over the corresponding period of last year.
The overall trade deficit for last month is estimated at around nine billion dollars as compared to around seven billion dollars in the same period last year.

Source: AIR news

International Affairs

9. Trump declares a national emergency over IT threats

US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency to protect American computer networks from foreign adversaries.
Mr. Trump signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose a security risk to the country.
Several countries (including the US) have raised concerns that the company's products could be used by China for surveillance.

Source: BBC News

10. Conference on Asian Civilizations Dialogue (CDAC) Organised in China

The Chinese Ministry of Education organised the ‘Conference on Asian Civilizations Dialogue (CDAC)’ in collaboration with UNESCO in Beijing.
The theme of the event is Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Asian Civilizations and a Community with a Shared Future.
As part of this conference, the Ministry also organized the parallel panel: Safeguarding the Diversity of Asian Civilizations.
The objective of the dialogue to bring together a number of internationally renowned experts to deliberate and discuss the major challenges facing the rapprochement and peaceful coexistence of Asian Civilizations in today’s context.

Source: The Hindu

Appointment

11. Former RBI Deputy Guv appointed an additional director on Yes Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed R Gandhi (former Deputy Governor of RBI) as Additional Director on the board of private sector lender YES Bank for a period of two years.
Gandhi was RBI Deputy Governor during April 2014 and April 2017.
The RBI has the powers conferred under sub-section (1) of Section 36AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to appoint additional directors on the board of a bank if it feels it is in the interest of the banking company or its depositors.

Source: Business Standard

12. Major General AK Dhingra appointed as the first head of India’s first tri-services Special Operations Division

Major General AK Dhingra has been appointed as the first head of India’s first tri-services Special Operations Division.
It comprises of commandos from all three services (Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force).
The Armed Forces Special Operations Division has been set up by the government to undertake joint operations by three services.
It will have elements from the Army’s Parachute Regiments SF, Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of the Navy and the Garud Commandos of the Indian Air Force.

Source: The Economic Times

Sports

13. Croatian World Cupper Igor Stimac appointed Indian football team coach

Croatian World Cupper Igor Stimac (51-years) has been appointed Indian football team head coach for a two-year term.
The appointment was made by the All India Football Federation's Executive Committee.
The national team has been without a coach since the departure of Stephen Constantine in January, following the creditable show at the AFC Asian Cup.
Stimac was part of Croatia's 1998 World Cup squad that finished third in France, has over 18 years of coaching experience.

Source: DD News

14. Kami Rita creates a world record by scaling Mt. Everest for the 23rd time

Veteran Nepali sherpa Kami Rita (49-years) scaled Mount Everest for the 23rd time.
He broke his own record of the most successful ascents of the world's highest peak.
The Sherpa climber first scaled the Mount Everest on 13^th May 1994.
He has already climbed most of the peaks above 8,000 m including K2, Cho-Oyu, Lhoste, and Annapurna among others.

Source: Times of India