1 May 2015 Current AffairsSurender Singh Took Over As Director General of CISFSenior IPS officer Surender Singh on 1 May took over as the new director general of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Singh, a 1980-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the West Bengal cadre, was serving as a special director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) before taking up his new assignment as CISF chief. He succeeds Arvind Ranjan, a 1977-batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre who retired on 30 April 2015.

Scientist CNR Rao Conferred with Japans Highest civilian AwardEminent scientist CNR Rao was conferred with Japans highest civilian award for his outstanding contributions to science and Indo-Japanese science coperation. The Emperor of Japan conferred the countrys highest award, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, on the Bharat Ratna awardee. Rao is also the only Indian to be elected as a foreign member of the Japan Academy.The renowned scientist, who has published more than 1600 research papers and authored about 50 books, has been bestowed with about 70 honorary doctorates, received the highest civilian award from several nations and is an elected member of almost all scientific academies across the globe.He had also worked as the Chief Science Advisor to Prime Ministers of India.

West Bengal CM Declares Nadia Indias First Open Defecation Free DistrictWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared Nadia as the first Open Defecation Free (ODF) district in the country. The mission to make Nadia Open Defecation Free (ODF) district was started on 19 November 2013. West Bengal is also doing efforts to make two more districts Hooghly and Burdwan as ODF districts very soon.

Bangalore Railway Station To Be Re-named Krantiveera Sangolli RayannaThe Union Government approved the name change of the Bangalore city railway station as Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station. The decision came following a request of the Karnataka government, which sought the name change of the railway station. In September 2014, the central government had cleared renaming 12 cities and towns of the state including Belgaum as Belagavi and Bangalore as Bengaluru. The other cities and towns whose names were changed then include Mangalore (to Mangaluru), Bellary (to Ballari), Bijapur (to Vijapura), Chikmagalur (to Chikkamagaluru), Gulbarga (to Kalaburagi), Mysore (to Mysure), Hospet (to Hosapete), Shimoga (to Shivamogga), Hubli (to Hubballi) and Tumkur (to Tumakuru).

2 May 2015 Current AffairsIGIA received Worlds Best Airport AwardNew Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been adjudged the worlds best airport for the year 2014, under the category of handling 25 to 40 million passengers per annum. IGIA bettered its ranking from second position for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 to emerge on top in 2014. Airports Council International (ACI) presented the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award to IGIA at a ceremony of the ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly.

Renowned Crime Writer Ruth Rendell DiedRenowned crime writer Ruth Rendell has died at the age of 85 in London, United Kingdom. She was best-known for creation of fictional character Inspector Wexford, which was turned into a highly successful TV series in Britain. Ruth Rendell was born on 17 February 1930 in Essex, United Kingdom. She was also one of Britains best-selling contemporary authors, also authored novels under the pen-name Barbara Vine.Her first Wexford book was From Doon with Death published in 1964.

Indo-French Naval Exercise VARUNA 2015 ConcludedThe 14th edition of the Indo-French naval exercise VARUNA 2015 concluded on 2 May 2015. The exercise started on 23 April 2015 off the Goa Coast. The ten day long Indo-French naval exercise, VARUNA, concluded off the Goa the exercise presented the extrordinary naval strength and close ties between the two countries.

Legendary Russian Ballerina Maya Plisetskaya DiedRussian ballet legend Maya Plisetskaya has died on 2 May in Munich, Germany. She was 89. Plisetskaya born in Moscow on 20 November 1925 was considered as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. She danced for half a century and her modern choreography and performances charged with eroticism flouted Soviet convention. She was an international face of Russias Bolshoi Theater. She joined the ballet company in 1943 at the age of 18 and became the Bolshois prima ballerina in 1960. Later, she retired as a soloist in 1990 at the age of 65. The Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, ballet director, and actress, published her autobiography, I, Maya Plisetskaya in 1994.

3 May 2015 Current AffairsMazen Darwish Honoured with UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2015Syrian journalist and rights activist Mazen Darwish was honoured with UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2015. The award was presented in Latvia on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day in recognition of the work he has carried out in Syria for more than ten year as a human rights defender and a journalist.

Former Union Minister Baleshwar Ram DiedFormer Union minister and veteran Congress leader Baleshwar Ram died in Patna, Bihar. He was 87. Since 1952 he had served as MLA for five-term from various assembly constituencies in Bihar. Ram also had served in different ministerial capacity in various Congress governments in Bihar between 1960s and 1970s. In 1980, he was elected to Lok Sabha from Rosera constituency and had served as the Union minister in the Indira Gandhi government.

Floyd Mayweather Won World Welterweight Title of BoxingAmerican boxer Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao from Philippines to win the unified World Welterweight title. The legendary bout termed as Fight of the Century was played at iconic MGM Grand, Las Vegas. With this win, Mayweather added Pacquiaos World Boxing Organization (WBO) title to his World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) crowns. Also, he extended his winning streak record to 48-0, that is, he has remained undefeated for 19 years as a professional fighter and a victory would push his record to 49-0, the same as American Rocky Marcianos.

World Press Freedom Day Observed Across The WolrdWorld Press Freedom Day was observed on 3 May 2015 across the world. The theme of 2015 year is : Let Journalism Thrive! Towards better reporting, gender equality and media safety in the digital age. The day marks the celebrations of the fundamental principles of press freedom to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCOs General Conference in 1991. Since then, 3 May is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. This day also marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.

4 May 2015 Current AffairsBHEL commissioned 195 MW Thermal Unit of KBUNL In BiharState-owned electrical equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 4 April commissioned a 195 MW thermal unit of Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL) in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. This was the first 195 MW unit to be commissioned by BHEL at the 2195 MW Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station (TPS) Plant of KBUNL. The second 195-MW unit of KBUNL is expected to be commissioned in the fiscal year 2015-16. KBUNL is a joint venture (JV) of NTPC and Bihar State Power Generation Company (BSPGCL).

Oscar-winning Dances With Wolves Writer Michael Blake DiedMichael Blake, the writer whose novel Dances With Wolves became a major hit movie and earned him an Academy Award for the screenplay, has died in Tucson, Arizona. He was 69. The novel Dances With Wolves after adapted into movie in 1990 was a major hit and had earned Blake an Academy Award (Oscar) for the screenplay.The movie had won seven Oscars including Best Picture category. For his script of movie he also had won the WGA Award and Golden Globes. He was born in North Carolina and lived with his family in Texas before settling in southern California.

Indias Top Shooters Won 3 Gold, 2 Bronze Medals at International Shooting CompetitionIndias top rifle shooters have won a rich haul of three gold and two bronze medals at the International Shooting Competition of Hannover in Germany. Beijing Games gold medallist Abhinav Bindra won both the individual and team gold in his pet 10 metre air rifle event. Chain Singh won gold medal in the 50 metre mens rifle and team gold in the 10 metre air rifle event. The Gold medal winning 10 metre air rifle team members included Abhinav Bindra, Chain Singh and Gagan Narang. While, Gagan Narang won the Bronze medal in the mens 50 metre rifle 3 positions event and Apurvi Chandela won Bronze medal in womens air rifle event.

Madhya Pradesh To Host Worlds Biggest Solar Photovoltaic PlantThe Madhya Pradesh Cabinet gave its approval to build 750 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (SPV) plant at Gurh tehsil in Rewa district. The plant, to be developed in three phases of 250 MW, once completed will become the worlds largest solar power plant.At present, the largest SPV plant is the Topaz Solar Farm (550 MW) in Californias San Luis Obispo county, US, which was commissioned in 2014.

5 May 2015 Current Affairs Akash Missile Inducted In Indian ArmyIndian Army on 5 May inducted the first regiment of the indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile system.The Akash Weapon System (AWS) has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The missile is built by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and has strike range of 25 km and can carry a warhead of 60 kg. The missile system can detect aerial threats from enemys fighter planes, helicopters, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles. It can evaluate and track danger and is capable of launching missiles on the information obtained by the radar system. It has capability to target aircraft from a low altitude of 30 metres to maximum of up to 20 km.It will be a boost for the Army Air Defence Corps, which had been grappling for years with obsolete air defence weapons.

Union Cabinet Approved India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement BillThe Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 May approved the 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh. The Bill seeks to operationalize the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh by exchanging several enclaves located along the common border of both nations. The territories involved in the exchange are located in the North eastern states of Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.

World Asthma Day was Observed Across The WorldWorld Asthma Day was observed across the world on 5 May 2015. Theme of the year is You Can Control Your Asthma and sub-theme is Its Time to Control Asthma. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May. The day is observed across the world to spread awareness and care around the world including India. The day is annually organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. The inaugural World Asthma Day was held in 1998. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory long-term disease of the lungs which causes breathing problems by narrowing the airways. Symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, and feeling of tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. Asthma cannot be cured but the symptoms can be controlled enabling people with asthma to live full lives.

PM Narendra Modi Joined Chinese Social Media Platform WeiboPrime Minister Narendra Modi has joined Chinese social media platform Weibo. Sina Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website. It is similar to Twitter and Facebook. It is one of the most popular sites in China, in use by well over 30% of Internet users, with a market penetration similar to the United States Twitter.

6 May 2015 Current AffairsRajya Sabha Passed Bangladesh Land Boundary BillThe Rajya Sabha on 6 May passed the bill to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh, and the entailing exchange of enclaves between the two countries. The Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, 2013, was unanimously passed by the upper house, with 180 votes in favour and none against it. The Bill to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh was on 5 May cleared by the Union Cabinet and now includes territories in Assam along with those in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Lok Sabha Passed the Goods and Services Tax Bill 2014Lok Sabha on 6 May 2015 passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2014. The bill also called Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill seeks to introduce GST regime in India. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution in order to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Consequently, the bill also seeks to carry out new indirect tax regime in the country that will subsume various central and state levies like sales tax, excise and service tax except taxes on the supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption and petroleum products.

Rajya Sabha Passed Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill 2014Members in the Rajya Sabha on 6 May passed by a voice vote the Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2014 that enhances pecuniary jurisdiction of the court from Rs 20 lakh to Rs two crore. The Bill allows for transferring cases based on the amount of below Rs two crore to 11 district courts to take up lessening the judicial burden of the higher court. The Bill was introduced in the house by Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.

Union Cabinet Approved Amendments In Whistle Blowers Protection Act 2011The Union Cabinet on 6 May approved amendments in the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 to keep issues of national security out of its purview. The amendments accepted by the union cabinet to the parent Act are done with a view to incorporate necessary provisions that aim at strengthening safeguards against disclosures.

7 May 2015 Current Affairs56 Indian Companies Among Forbes Global 2000 ListUS magazine Forbes on 6 May released Global 2000 Companies list. According to the Forbes Global 2000 list, India is home to 56 of the worlds 2000 largest and most powerful public companies. The list is topped by US (579 companies), followed by China (232 companies) and Japan (218 companies). The United Kingdom retained its fourth place with 94 companies. France had to vacate its slot among the top five countries, making way for South Korea. Argentina and Cyprus made their debut on the list.

Achal Kumar Jyoti Appointed as new Election CommissionerFormer Gujarat Chief Secretary Achal Kumar Jyoti was appointed as the Election Commissioner on 7 May, filling one of the two vacancies in the three-member body. Jyoti , who retired from active service in January, 2013 after serving in various capacities in Gujarat including as Chairman of the Kandla Port Trust between 1999 and 2004 and Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL).

West Bengals Nadia District gets United Nations Public Service AwardWest Bengals Nadia district has been declared the winner for the 2015 United Nations Public Service Award in the category of improving delivery of public services for the initiative Sabar Shouchagar. Nadia district is the first open defecation free district in country.

Noted Assamese Historian Dr Amalendu Guha DiedNoted Assam historian and social scientist Dr. Amalendu Guha was died on 7 May in Guwahati, Assam. He was 91. He was known for his extensive research related to the socio-economic history of North eastern state of Assam. He was born in Manipur in 1924 and later had migrated to Guwahati. He was a prolific writer and had written several books in English, Assamese and Bengali. His most acclaimed book was Planter Raj to Swaraj: Freedom Struggle and Electoral Politics in Assam which was outcome of his remarkable historical research related to the socio-economic history of state.

8 May 2015 Current AffairsPM Narendra Modi Released Commemorative Coin On Swami Chinmayananda SaraswatiPrime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 May released a commemorative coin to mark the birth centenary of Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati in New Delhi. Swami Chinmayananda was a renowned Hindu spiritual leader and teacher who had inspired the formation of a global nonprofit organisation called Chinmaya Mission to spread the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta. Advaita Vedanta is the nondual system of thought found in the Upanishads, which epitomise the philosophical teachings of the Vedas.Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati born as Balakrishna Menon on 8 May 1916 pioneered works in the field of education and social reform. He died on 3 August 1993.

SBI launches RuPay Platinum Debit CardIndias largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) launched State Bank RuPay Platinum debit card in association with National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI).The card initially would be issued free to customers maintaining a quarterly balance of 50,000 rupees. For the convenience of customers, this card has a special feature which is accepted at all payment channels including ATMs, point-of-sale (PoS) and eCommerce.

Mhairi Black Becomes The Youngest Lawmaker of BritainMhairi Black at the age of 20 became the youngest elected Member of Parliament (MP) in United Kingdom in over 300 years. Representing the Scottish National Party (SNP), she defeated Labour Partys Douglas Alexander in the seat of Paisley and Renfrewshire South. Black thus became the youngest lawmaker since Christopher Monck entered Parliament in 1667 at age 13. Mhairi Black is student at the University of Glasgow and currently in her final year of a Politics and Public Policy degree.

David Camerons Conservative Party Won 2015 General ElectionDavid Cameron led Conservative Party won the UK General election 2015 by securing 331 seats in a Parliament of 650. With this win, David Cameron will become Prime Minister for second term. Labour Party has won 232 seats with 30.4% vote share, emerging as largest opposition party. Scottish National Party (SNP) has emerged third largest party in this election by winning 56 seats with 9% of vote share. SNP has won 56 seats of the 59 seats from Scotland.

Navneet Rajan Wasan Appointed as DG of BPR&DSenior IPS officer Navneet Rajan Wasan has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).The post of Director General (DG) of Bureau of Police Research and Development had been lying vacant since March 2015 following the retirement of Rajan Gupta.

9 May 2015 Current AffairsLiberia Declared Ebola Free By UN Health AgencyThe United Nations health agency on 9 May declared Liberia Ebola-free, hailing the monumental achievement in the west African country where the virus has killed more than 4,700 people. A total of 11,005 people have died from Ebola in Liberia, neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Smita Purushottam Appointed Indias Ambassador To SwitzerlandSmita Purushottam,a 1980 batch IFS officer has been appointed Indias Ambassador to Switzerland. Purushottam is currently serving as Ambassador to Venezuela. She is expected to take up her new assignment soon.

Arvind Saxena Appointed as UPSC MemberArvind Saxena, in-charge of Aviation and Research Centre of external snooping agency RAW, was appointed as a member of UPSC becoming the first officer of 32-year Research and Analysis Service to be named to the commission. After the appointment of Saxena, who was due to retire in August, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is left with only one vacancy. The UPSC is a 10-member body besides a Chairperson.

North Korea Successfully Test Fired Underwater Ballistic MissileNorth Korea successfully conducted underwater test-fire of a newly developed Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM). This successful test indicates the progress in the secretive states pursuit of building missile-equipped submarines which is described as a world level strategic weapon. This underwater ballistic missile is capable of striking and wiping out hostile forces in any waters.

10 May 2015 Current AffairsVeteran Actor Shashi Kapoor Received Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2014Veteran actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor has been presented the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley. The veteron actor was unable to attend the award ceremony in Delhi because of his ill-health, therefore, he was handed over the award at a function at Prithvi Theatre in suburban Mumbai. He is the 46th film personality to receive this honour and third member of his illustrious family after father Prithviraj Kapoor (1972- Posthumously) and elder brother Raj Kapoor (1987).

Goa Govt Launched Hot Air Balloon & Amphibious VehiclesThe Goa government launched hot air balloon and amphibious vehicles in the picturesque state of beaches.It was launched with an aim to add attractions to its tourism portfolio. The new facilities were launched in the presence of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, State tourism minister Dilip Parulekar and others. The hot air balloon will help tourists to fly over the picturesque landscape, which will provide an aerial view of the popular tourist destinations.

Haryana Government Includes Deaflympics In Its Sports PolicyHaryana Government included Deaflympics in its Sports Policy. It was included to enable Deaflympian medalists to get cash rewards, jobs and other benefits. Decision in this regard was taken during a state cabinet meet chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Rohan Bopanna Florin Mergea Won Mens Doubles Title of Madrid Tennis OpenIndian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna won his third title of the 2015 season and first with new partner Florin Mergea (Romania) as they lifted the Madrid Open trophy with a tense win over Nenand Zimonjic and Martin Matkowski on 10 May.

11 May 2015 Current AffairsVanitha Narayanan Is First Woman Chairperson of AMCHAM IndiaAmerican Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM) on 11 May appointed Vanitha Narayanan as new Chairperson, the first woman to hold this post since the industry bodys inception here in 1992. Narayanan, who is the Managing Director of IBM India, holds an MBA in Marketing and Information Systems. She has been responsible for taking up multiple challenging assignments for India and several other countries.

Lok Sabha Passed Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill 2015The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill 2015,which provides for heavy penalties for those stashing away black money in foreign accounts, was passed in the Lok Sabha on 11 May 2015. The government had introduced the black money bill in March 2015.The bill provides a window to those with funds abroad to come clean by paying tax, interest and penalty. For those who refuse to do so, the bill has provisions for rigourous punishment, including a jail term of 3-10 years.

KV Kamath Named as First President of NDB of BRICS nationsEminent banker Kundapur Vaman Kamath was appointed as first President New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS nations. He will have of five year term after the bank becomes operational within one year. KV Kamath is one of Indias most well-known bankers. He retired as Managing Director and CEO of ICICI bank in April 2009, and took up his current position as non-executive chairman. He had also worked with Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila in its Private Sector department in 1988. He was conferred with Padma Bhushan Award in 2008.

K Satish Reddy Appointed as new Chairman of National Safety CouncilK Satish Reddy, the Chairman of Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd., has been appointed as the new Chairman of the National Safety Council (NSC). The National Safety Council is the apex body set up by the Govt of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment, to generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on safety, health and environment at the national level.

National Technology Day was Observed In IndiaThe National Technology Day was observed in India on 11 May 2015. This day glorifies the importance of science in day-to-day life and motivates students to adopt science as a career option.National Technology Day is being commemorated to celebrate the anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test which was held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan. Apart from Pokhran nuclear test, on this day first indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore and India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day.Considering all these achievements 11 May was chosen to be commemorated as National Technology Day.

12 May 2015 Current AffairsIndian American Prof. Sivanadane Mandjiny Won UNCs 2015 Award For Teaching ExcellenceDr. Sivanadane Mandjiny, an Indian-American Professor in US, has been named the University of North Carolina Pembrokes recipient of the UNC Board of Governors 2015 Award for Excellence in Teaching. Annually, the Board of Governors names one professor at each of the 17 UNC campuses to receive the award. The award winners will collect a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize. Presently, he is a Chemistry professor at the University of North Carolina. He had joined Universitys Department of Chemistry and Physics in 1996 as a teaching associate. Sivanadane Mandjiny is native of Tamil Nadu.

Govt Launches Dedicated E-Commerce Centre In New DelhiUnion Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a dedicated e-commerce Centre in New Delhi to cater the e-commerce business enterprises. This project was implemented by Department of Posts through Delhi Postal Circle. This processing centre will exclusively handle all the e-commerce business. It is capable of handling 30000 parcels (articles) per day.

Four New Governors AppointedThe Union government on 12 May appointed four Governors and transferred two others, who had been appointed during the tenure of the previous UPA government.Following are newly appointed Governors :-1) Jharkhand Former Odisha Minister Droupadi Murmu was appointed as Governor of Jharkhand. She will replace Dr Syed Ahmed.2) Tripura Tathagata Roy will be the Governor of Tripura.3) Arunachal Pradesh J P Rajkhowa was appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. He will replace Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma.4) Meghalaya- V. Shanmuganthan has been appointed as Meghalaya Governor.* Governor of Jharkhand Syed Ahmed, who was appointed in September 2011, has been shifted to Manipur for remainder of his term that ends in September next year.* Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma , who was serving as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh since May 2013, has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the remainder of his term which ends in 2018.

Writer Neel Mukherjee Won Encore Award 2015Kolkata-born writer Neel Mukherjees The Lives of Others has won the UKs Encore Award for the best second novel. The novel The Lives of Others reflects the political and social convulsions of an entire society and based upon story of one family living in Calcutta in 1960s. It covers, various issues ranging from the mass hunger of the Second World War to independence and the emergence of the Maoist Naxalbari movement.

13 May 2015 Current AffairsUnion Cabinet Approved Amendments To Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012The Union Cabinet on 13 May gave its approval to official amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act (CLPR Act) 1986 bans employing children as labor in 18 occupations and 65 processes. The Act also regulates working condition of children in other occupations and processes. A person who is less than 14 years of age is considered to be child under the Act.

Achal Kumar Jyoti Takes Over as new Election CommissionerFormer Gujarat chief secretary Achal Kumar Jyoti assumed charge as the new Election Commissioner on 13 May, filling one of the two vacancies in the three-member body. Achal Kumar Jyoti, who has joined a month after Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, will have a tenure of three years as the Election Commissioner. Jyoti had served as Gujarat chief secretary when Narendra Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister. He has also worked as Secretary in the Industry, Revenue and Water Supply Departments.

Union Govt. Approved Rs.20,000-crore Budget For Namami Gange SchemeThe government has approved Rs. 20,000 crore budget for Namami Gange programme, which integrates the efforts to clean and protect the River Ganga in a comprehensive manner. The amount was a significant four-fold increase over the expenditure allocated to the task of cleaning the Ganga over the past 30 years. The programme would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organisations, that is, the State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs).

Union Cabinet Approved Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2015The Union Cabinet on 13 May gave its approval for a proposal to amend the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988 by moving of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition)(Amendment) Bill, 2015 in Parliament. It also adds provisions for attachment and confiscation of benami properties and imposes fine with imprisonment.This is in pursuance of an announcement made in this regard in the Union Budget for 2015-16.

14 May 2015 Current AffairsPresident Pranab Mukherjee Presents Presidential Awards For Classical TamilPresident Pranab Mukherjee on 14 May presented the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil for 2011-12 and 2012-13. The Tolkappiyar award for 2011-12 was given to Tamil Litterateur S V Shanmugam while for 2012-13 was given to R Krishnamurthi. The Kural Pritam award for the 2011-12 was given to Eva Maria Wilden. K Iyyappan, E Ezhilvasanthan and K Jwahar were conferred with young scholar awards for the year 2011-12 while for 2012-13, the award was presented to A Sathish, R Venkatesan, B Jaiganesh, M R Evaki and U Alibava. The Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil were instituted to give recognition and honour to distinguished scholars, who have made outstanding contribution to classical Tamil language and literature.

Tejaswini Won Gold at Under-15 World School Chess ChampionshipsTejaswini Sagar from India won her maiden world title bagging the gold in the under-15 category of World School Chess Championship that concluded on 14 May at Pattaya, Thailand . She defeated Kavinya Miyuni Rajapaksa of Sri Lank to win gold medal. Irina Barbayeva of Russia won the silver medal in this category. While, top seed Nur Abidah Shanti of Indonesia won the bronze medal.Apart from Tejaswini, Anand Nadar bagged the silver medal in under-15 open category while Saloni Sapole also won the silver in under-17 girls section for India in this World School Chess Championship.

Harbhajan Kaur Dheer Becomes First Asian Elected Mayor In UKHarbhajan Kaur Dheer, an Indian-origin councillor, became the first Asian woman to be elected as mayor in United Kingdom. She was elected as mayor of Ealing Council in London by succeeding councilor Tej Ram Bagha. Harbhajan Kaur Dheer was born in Punjab in 1953 and has moved to Britain in 1975. She had obtained a degree from Social Sciences at Kingston University in 1995.

Karan Menon Won National Geographic Bee ChampionshipKaran Menon, a 14-year-old Indian-American student, has won the prestigious National Geographic Bee competition in the US, in which the top three positions were bagged by Indian-origin contestants. Menon, an eighth grader from New Jersey, competed against 10 finalists from across the US to win the 2015 National Geographic Bee championship held at National Geographic headquarters in Washington. Of the 10 finalists, seven were of Indian-origin. In addition to winning the title of National Geographic Bee champion, Menon received a $85,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and an expedition for two to the Galapagos Islands aboard the Lindblad ship National Geographic Endeavour.

15 May 2015 Current AffairsGagan Narang Won Bronze Medal In ISSF World CupIndias ace shooter Gagan Narang on 15 May won the bronze medal in the 50m Rifle Prone Event of the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning in USA, earning himself a quota place for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Narang, who won the bronze in 10m Rifle at the London Olympics, shot 185.8 overall to secure third place behind gold medalist Michael McPhail (208.8 points) of USA and Ole Kristian Bryhn (206.3) of Norway. Narang is third Indian shooter to make the 2016 Rio Olympics cut after Jitu Rai and Apurvi Chandela. He had won won the bronze medal in 10m Rifle at the 2012 London Olympics.

Arun Shrivastava Takes Over as MD&CEO of Syndicate BankThe government appointed Arun Shrivastava as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Syndicate Bank, nearly nine months after the arrest of its CMD S K Jain in a graft case. Shrivastava, earlier Executive Director (ED) of Bank of India on 15 May assumed charge of MD and CEO of Syndicate Bank and will continue up to the age of superannuation or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

India and China Signed 24 AgreementsIndia and China signed 24 key agreements to strengthen their bilateral relationship in several fields including trade and commerce, education, skill development, railways, human resource and other areas. The agreements were signed in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, China.

Union Government Launched Kayakalp Award SchemeThe Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda on 15 May launched Kayakalp- an initiative for awards to Public Health Facilities(PHFs). The Health Minister also released the Swachchta Guidelines for Public Health Facilities.

16 May 2015 Current AffairsPM Narendra Modi Inaugurates ICICI Banks First Branch In ChinaICICI Bank Ltd , Indias biggest private sector lender by assets, on 16 May opened its first branch in China, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Based in Shanghai, Chinas biggest city and a major global financial hub, the new branch would begin with 17 banking professionals handling different functions including corporate banking, operations, finance and treasury.With a total consolidated asset base of $132 billion, ICICI Bank is Indias largest private sector bank.

Egypts Former President Mohamed Morsi Sentenced To DeathAn Egyptian court has sentenced the former president Mohamed Morsi to death over a mass prison break in 2011.The verdict was announced on 16 May in Cairo,the capital of Egypt. Mohamed Morsi, Egypts first freely elected president, was ousted by the military in July 2013 following days of mass street protests by Egyptians demanding that he be removed because of his divisive policies.The ousted leader already is serving a 20-year sentence following his conviction on 21 April on charges linked to the killing of protesters outside a Cairo presidential palace in December 2012.

M.J. Joseph Appointed as Controller General of AccountsM.J. Joseph has been appointed as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in the Union Ministry of Finance. He succeeded Jawahar Thakur who has been appointed as OSD (Accounting Reforms) in the Office of CGA. Previously, Joseph has served in various administrative capacities in the Union Government including the post of Additional Secretary in Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs and as Director in Union Ministry of Defence among others.

Scientists Discovered New State of MatterScientists at Tokohu University in Japan have discovered a new state of matter called the Jahn-Teller-metal that resembles an insulator, superconductor, metal and magnet all rolled into one. The team made the discovery by studying a superconductor made from carbon-60 molecules or buckyballs.

Global Statistics on Addictive Behaviours: 2014 Status Report ReleasedAccording to the Global Statistics on Addictive Behaviours: 2014 Status Report, which was released during May 2015, revealed that more than 20% of the worlds adult population (i.e., around 1 billion people) smoke tobacco. The study also revealed that almost 5% of the worlds adult population (240 million people) has an alcohol use disorder. This status report has been prepared based on the most up-to-date evidence on addictive disorders globally.

17 May 2015 Current AffairsIndia and Mongolia Signed 13 AgreementsIndia and Mongolia on 17 May signed 14 agreements, including an air services agreement and in cyber security, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg in Ulan Bator,the capital of Mongolia. Among the 14 agreements is to set up a cyber security training centre in the Mongolian defence ministry, a MoU in the field of new and renewable energy, and for setting up an India-Mongolia Friendship Secondary School in Mongolia.Both sides inked an air services agreement and on the transfer of sentenced prisoners.

Vikas Gowda Won Bronze Medal In Shanghai IAAF Diamond LeagueAce India discus thrower Vikas Gowda won a bronze medal in the second leg of the prestigious International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League series in Shanghai, China. In his fifth and penultimate attempt, Gowda hurled the disc to a distance of 63.90 metres to settle at third position.

Pope Francis Canonises Two Palestinian NunsPope Francis has canonized Sister Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas and Mariam Bawardy from Palestine. The canonization ceremony was held in Vaticans St Peters Square and was attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and over 2,000 Christian pilgrims from the region. Both of them are 19th Century nuns who lived in Ottoman-ruled Palestine. They are also are the first Arabic-speaking Catholic saints to Canonized.

Syed Ahmed Sworn In as Manipur GovernorFormer Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed was formally sworn in as the 16th Governor of Manipur at the Banquet Hall of Raj Bhavan in Imphal. Chief Justice of Manipur High Court, Justice Laxmi Kanta Mohapatra administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new Governor.

18 May 2015 Current AffairsIndia and South Korea Signed Seven AgreementsIndia and South Korea on 18 May signed seven agreements, including on avoidance of double taxation and formalising consultations between National Security Councils of the two nations, to boost bilateral ties. The agreements were signed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Indian-American Harkeert Singh Saini Won Prestigious Police AwardHarkeert Singh Saini, an Indian-American policeman has been awarded the prestigious Top Civilian Supervisor of the Year award for his efficient services to the Houston Police department in the US state of Texas. Saini hails from Hoshiarpur district of Punjab and is a graduate from Deshbandu College in New Delhi. He had settled in Houston in 1998 and joined Houston Police Department in March 2000.

India Assumes Presidency of 68th World Health AssemblyIndia assumed the presidency of the 68th World Health Assembly (WHA) held in Geneva after a gap of 19 years. WHA is the worlds highest health policy setting body and the top decision-making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is governed by WHOs 194 member state and generally composed of health ministers from member states.The first WHA assembly was held in 1948.

Draupadi Murmu Sworn In As First Woman Governor of JharkhandDraupadi Murmu was on 18 May sworn in as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. Draupadi Murmu succeeds Syed Ahmed, who will take over as the Governor of Manipur. Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Virendra Singh administered the oath of office to Draupadi Murmu. Draupadi Murmu is two-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Odisha Assembly and had represented Rairangpur. She was the Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge for Commerce and Transport from March 2000 to August 2002.

Federal Bank SBI Co-branded Credit Card LaunchedFederal Bank, one of Indias premier private sector banks, and SBI Card, one of Indias leading Credit Card issuer announced their collaboration to launch Federal Bank-SBI co-branded credit cards on 18 May. This is for the first time that Federal Bank has entered into credit card segment. In the first year, the bank aims to issue as many as 1.5 lakh credit cards to its customers. Initially, two variants-Platinum and Gold N More-will be issued under the Visa platform for a specified fee.

19 May 2015 Current AffairsBiryani, Selfie Enter French Dictionary For First TimeThe words biryani and selfie have been included in the latest edition of one of the most famous French dictionaries, Le Petit Larousse, for the first time. The authors of the dictionary define selfie as a photographic self portrait, generally taken with a smartphone and destined to be published on social media.

Harvard University Names Two Indians For Prestigious Radcliffe FellowshipTwo Indians from Indian Institute of Science, and University of Delhi have been named for Harvard Universitys prestigious Radcliffe fellowship. Shivani Agarwal from Indian Institute of Science and Maharaja Pandit from University of Delhi are among 50 scholars, scientists, and artists who will begin their one-year fellowships along with 48 at the Radcliffe Institute in September 2015. Radcliffe Fellowship by Harvard University is considered as one of the most prestigious honors for faculty. It is instituted by Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Six Indian-Americans Received 2015 Ellis Island Medals of HonorSix Indian-Americans and a British-Indian were among nearly 100 individuals who were presented prestigious 2015 Ellis Island Medals of Honor in the US for their contributions to America. Indian-American winners include Meera Gandhi, founder of The Giving Back Foundation, Rajdeep K Dhami, Chad P Gehani, Rahul M Jindal, S Mona Sinha, chairperson of the Asian Womens Leadership University (AWLU) Project, and K V Kumar. Baroness Sandip Verma, member of the House of Lords, and a former junior minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the UK, also received the award presented recently in New York.

Joe Root and Charlotte Edwards Named England Cricketers of the YearJoe Root and Charlotte Edwards have been named England mens and womens cricketers of the year for 2014-15. Root who was recently appointed vice-captain of Englands Test team was named as the cricketer of the year for scoring 1135 test runs at an average of 95 including four scores of 149 and above. His top test score of the season was of 200 not out against Sri Lanka at Lords. He also made three one-day international centuries. Charlotte Edwards, the womens captain won the award for consecutive second year. She was chosen for averaging above 75 in ODIs and nearly 60 in Twenty20 internationals in the season.

20 May 2015 Current AffairsLaszlo Krasznahorkai Won Man Booker International Prize 2015Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai has been announced as the winner of the sixth Man Booker International Prize 2015. Krasznahorkai, who writes in Hungarian, was chosen from a list of 10 contenders from around the world. The prize, worth 60,000, is awarded every two years for an achievement in fiction on the world stage. The Man International Booker Prize is awarded to a living author of any nationality who has published fiction either in English or in English translation. Unlike the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction, the Man Booker International Prize, which is awarded once in two years, is in recognition of a writers body of work and overall contribution to fiction rather than to a single novel.

Tathagata Roy Sworn In as Tripura GovernorTathagata Roy was on 20 May sworn-in as the Governor of Tripura by Chief Justice of the High Court Deepak Gupta. He replaced Padmanabh Balkrishna Acharya, Governor of Nagaland, who had held the additional charge of Tripura.

V Shanmuganathan Sworn In As Meghalaya GovernorV Shanmuganthan was on 20 May sworn in as the Governor of Meghalaya. He will succeed Keshari Nath Tripathi, governor of West Bengal who was given additional charge of Meghalaya since January 2015.

Eminent Economist Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri DiedEminent economist, policy advisor and noted academic Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri passed away in Pune, Maharashtra. He was 81. He had served as Director of Delhi School of Economics (DSE) and was a visiting professor of economics at the Universities of Harvard and Minnesota. He was popularly and affectionately called as MDC among his circles. His numerous prescient papers on Indian planning had an enormous impact on former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Dr. Chaudhuri was a policy advisor in the former Congress-led UPA governments and had served on many committees and advisory bodies of Union Government. He was part of the unofficial think tank that had helped usher in the policy of economic reforms of 1991. Awards and Honours: Padma Bhushan (2005) in the field of Trade and Industry.