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Current Affairs May 22 2019

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Mumbai tops the list of most vulnerable cities to cyberattacks in 2019
Recently, Quick Heal Security Labs in its report titled “The Annual Threat Report 2019” has disclosed that Mumbai topped the list of 15-city which are more vulnerable to cyberattcks in 2019. The other two cities which followed Mumbai are: Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Pune
i. The report has also revealed that Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal are the top three states which are prone to cyber attacks.
About Quick Heal Security Labs
♦ Parent organisation: Quick Heal Technologies Limited
♦ Headquarter: Pune, Maharashtra

FSSAI permitted ‘Small Organic Growers’ to sell produce without certification till April 2020
Recently, Food Safety and Standards Authority in India (FSSAI) has allowed ‘small organic producers’ which are having an annual turnover of over Rs 12 lakh can sell their products directly to customers without certification till April 2020. However, they can’t use Jaivik Bharat Logo on their product.
Key Highlights
i. The Jaivik Bharat Logo is a kind of identity mark which is used to distinguish organic products from non-organic ones.
ii. A similar kind of relaxation has also been given to ‘aggregators’ which are having an annual turnover of Rs 50 lakh. But, the organic food retail firms have to comply with the certification norm prescribed by FSSAI. They have to get certification from National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS).
About Food Safety and Standards Authority in India (FSSAI) 
♦ Headquarter: New Delhi
♦ Chairman: Rita Teotia

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India ranked 117th in Kids Right Index 2019
Recently, the annual global index named Kids Right Index 2019, has ranked countries on the basis of how much they adhere to and are equipped to improve child rights. India ranked 117th out of 181 countries and Iceland topped the ranking followed by Portugal.

Kids rightindexKey Highlights
i. Kids Rights Index is an initiative started by the Kids Right Foundation in cooperation with Erasmus University, Rotterdam. The index is prepared on the basis of data pooled from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
ii. The index is prepared on the basis of five indicators:

  • Right to Life
  • Right to Education
  • Right to Health
  • Right to Protection
  • Enabling environment for child rights

iii. India has scored 0.64 out of 1 in the overall category and Iceland has scored 0.967 followed by Portugal and Switzerland.
Top 5 countries in the Index:
1.Iceland
2.Portugal
3.Switzerland
4.Finland
5.Germany
About Iceland
♦ Capital: Reykjavik
♦ Currency: Iceland Krona
♦ President: Guoni Th. Johannesson
About Portugal
♦ Capital: Lisbon
♦ Currency: Euro
♦ Prime Minister: Antonio Costa

UAE launched ‘golden card’ permanent residency scheme
The United Arab Emirates has launched ‘golden card’ permanent residency scheme to woo wealthy investors and exceptional talents such as doctors, engineers, scientists, students, and artist. This move can attract Indian professionals and businessmen to UAE and total 6,800 people will get the benefit of the scheme under the first round of applications. The program was launched by UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.
Key Highlights
i. The benefits of ‘golden card’ scheme also include the spouse and children of the cardholder.
ii. Under the category of outstanding students, the students will also be permitted residency visas for 5 years.
About UAE
♦ Capital: Abu Dhabi
♦ Currency: UAE Dirham
♦ Prime Minister: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum
♦ President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

BANKING & FINANCE

Mutual funds get SEBI nod to invest in exchange-traded commodity derivatives
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given its consent for the participation of mutual funds (MF) in exchange-traded commodity derivatives (ETCD) except sensitive commodities. The participation of MFs is allowed through hybrid schemes, which include the multi-asset scheme and gold ETFs (Exchange-traded fund).

  • The decision has been taken to boost participation of mutual funds in the commodities market.
  • For participation in ETCDs, the unitholders of the existing scheme would be given minimum of 30 days to exercise the option to exit at prevailing net asset value (NAV) without any exit load charges.

Investment limit of Mutual Fund Schemes to participate in ETCDs:

  • ETCD of particular goods (single) – Not exceed 10% of NAV of the scheme. However, the limit of 10 percent is not applicable for investments through gold ETFs in ETCDs having gold as underlying.
  • ETCD of Multi-asset allocation schemes – Not be more than 30% of the NAV of the scheme.
  • For other hybrid schemes excluding multi-assets allocation scheme – Participation in ETCDs shall not exceed 10% of NAV.
  • The cumulative gross exposure through equity, debt and derivative positions, including commodity derivatives, should not exceed 100% NAV of the scheme.

About SEBI
♦ Establishment – 1992
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
♦ Chairperson – Ajay Tyagi

Karnataka Bank introduced Savings Bank product named “KBL SB Salary” for salaried class
Karnataka Bank has launched a customized product for the salaried class. The new savings bank product, KBL SB Salary has been designed with three variants namely SB Salary Executive, SB Salary Prime, and SB Salary Classic to cater the financial needs of the ‘employer-employee ecosystem’.

  • All three variants do not have the minimum balance criteria instead they have Digitally Powered features.
  • Its major features include- No annual charge on Debit Cards, Unlimited free access to Karnataka Bank ATMs, Free Cash Deposit facility across all branches, Free Fund Transfer within the Bank, Free NEFT & RTGS through Internet and Mobile Banking, Free Outstation Cheque Collection, No Annual Fee on Demat & Trading Accounts
  • Also, bank will provide an insurance coverage of up to Rs 50,000 without any charges against chain snatching, theft and burglary for women employees falling in the top category of the salary scheme.

About Karnataka Bank:
♦ Headquarters – Mangaluru
♦ CEO – Mahabaleshwara M S
♦ Tagline – Your Family Bank, Across India.

Bank credit has increased by 18.5% to infrastructure sector in FY19
In accordance with the data compiled by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the bank credit has been mounted by 18.5% to Rs 10.55 lakh crore for infrastructure in financial year 2018-19. It is highest since 2012-13 fiscal.
Other hikes within Infra Sector

  • Loans to the power sector had increased by 5% to Rs 5.69 lakh crore compared to Rs 5.19 lakh crore in FY18.
  • Credit growth to roads sector mounted 2% to Rs 1.86 lakh crore as of end-March 2019.
  • Credit to telecommunications and other infrastructure (excluding above) rose by 7% and 53.5%, respectively over FY18, the RBI data showed.

Reason behind this rise:

  • Prior to the asset quality review conducted by the RBI, the lending to infrastructure sector was diminished by banks due to higher NPAs (Non-performing assets) but after the review all the NPAs from the infrastructure sector have been recognized. Banks are now willing to lend to the sector meanwhile credit demand from the sector has also increased.

About RBI
Governor: Shaktikanta Das
Headquarters: Mumbai
Subsidiary: National Housing Bank

SBI has joined hands with FMCG Arm of The Art of Living — Sri Sri Tattva
State Bank of India (SBI) has tied up with the FMCG arm of The Art of Living, Sri Sri Tattva under which SBI’s YONO users can avail a discount of 15% on the entire range of products offered by Sri Sri Tattva such as food, personal care, healthcare, homecare, BYOGI apparels and Shankara skincare products. YONO is an integrated digital banking platform of SBI.

SBI - Sri Sri TattvaAbout Sri Sri Tattva
Managing Director – Arvind Varchaswi
Headquarter – Bengaluru
About SBI
Managing Director – PK Gupta
Headquarter – Mumbai
Tagline – With you all the way, Pure Banking Nothing Else, The Nation’s banks on us.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

India’s exports grew by 1.34 % in April to USD 44 billion
According to Commerce Ministry data, India’s export has grown by 1.34% in April 2019 to USD 44.06 billion meanwhile imports has grown by 4.53 % to USD 52.83 billion. Thus, the trade deficit is USD 8.78 billion in April 2019 as compared to USD 7.07 billion in April 2018.
i. The commodity which India has exported to other country was petroleum products, electronic goods, organic and inorganic chemicals, readymade garments of all textiles, drugs and pharmaceuticals.
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry
♦ Minister: Suresh Prabhu
♦ Minister of State: C. R. Chaudhary

Due to US-China tensions, OECD cuts global growth forecast
Recently, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has reduced the global growth forecast to 3.2% as compared to earlier forecast of 3.3% due to US-China trade war.
i. OECD has also cut the forecast for US growth by 0.2% to 2.8% this year. However, for next year OECD has predicted a slowdown to 2.3%.
About OECD
♦ Headquarter: Paris, France
♦ Secretary General: Jose Angel Gurria

Tech Mahindra signed defence contract with Indian Navy
Tech Mahindra signed a defence contract worth of Rs 300 crore with Indian Navy. Under ‘Armed Forces Secure Access Card’ (AFSAC) Project, Tech Mahindra will implement Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based Access Control System across all naval bases and ships.
Key Highlights
i. The new Access Control System named ‘Armed Forces Secure Access Card’ (AFSAC) Card will replace the existing paper-based identity cards for all Navy personnel which also includes dependents and ex-servicemen.
ii. Tech Mahindra will develop a secure application which will manage the access control devices, network devices, and the AFSAC Card by using the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) level 5.
About Tech Mahindra
♦ Headquarter: Pune, Maharashtra
♦ CEO: C. P. Gurnani

Indian Economy projected to grow at 7.1% in fiscal year 2020 as per UN report
According to the report of the United Nations, India’s economy is projected to grow at 7.1% in the fiscal year 2020 as a result of strong domestic consumption and investment. It is a downward revision from 7.4% which was estimated in January 2019.
Key Points:
i. As per the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019 Mid-year Update, the Indian economy expanded by 7.2% in 2018. Domestic consumption and investment are estimated at 7% in 2019 and 7.1% in 2020.
ii. India remains the fastest growing economy in the world ahead of China, despite of the downward revision of the projected growth. It was estimated that India would grow at 7.6% in the fiscal year 2019 and 7.4 % in 2020.
iii. Indian economy will grow strong because of exports as half of the exports are made to Asian markets at the same time the geopolitical risks are to be dealt with Afghanistan and Iran.
iv. The growth projections for other developing and developed economies were also downgraded.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Nancy Pelosi honoured with John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award 2019
The USA’s House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi received John F Kennedy (JFK) Profile in Courage Award 2019. She is honoured for her efforts to pass 2010 health care law of former President Barack Obama’s governance and for helping Democrats reclaim control of the U.S. House during 2018 elections.

Nancy PelosiKey Points:
i. She has presented the award at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 19, 2019.
ii. She has served USA’s House of Representatives since 1987.
About JFK Profile in Courage Award:
John F Kennedy was the 35th president of United States and the award in his name was created in 1989 by the family members of President J.F. Kennedy to recognize the quality of political courage. The previous recipients of JFK Profile in Courage Award are former Presidents Barack Obama, Gerald Ford and prominent lawmakers Rep. John Lewis and late Sen. John McCain.

Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita climbs Mt Everest for 24th time beating his own record within a week
On May 21, 2019, Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita climbed the Mt Everest for 24th time beating his own record within a week. On May 15, 2019, he had made a record by climbing the 8,848-metre mountain for the 23rd time. He successfully climbed the mountain from the Nepal side.

Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita climbsKey Points:
i. Rita is the resident of Thame village of Solukhumbu district.
ii. For the first time, he had scaled the mountain in the year 1994.
iii. In 2017, he became the third person to climb the highest peak for 21 times along with the record held by Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa.
iv. Rita has also climbed other world’s highest peaks including K-2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse.
About Nepal:
Capital: Kathmandu
Currency: Nepalese Rupee
President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister: KP Sharma Oli

Sculptor Anish Kapoor ranked first on Hurun India Art List 2019 with estimated sales of Rs. 168.25 crore
Sculptor Anish Kapoor was ranked first on Hurun India Art List 2019  with estimated sales of Rs. 168.25 crore. Hurun India Art List 2019 was released by Hurun Research Institute with the ranking of the top 50 Indian artists alive based on the sales of their works at public auctions from April 2018 to March 2019.

Sculptor Anish KapoorKey Points:
i. The next positions were held by Akbar Padamsee whose 38 works were sold for Rs. 45.84 crore. He was followed by Krishen Khanna with sales of 44 works of Rs. 9.48 crore. One of his works “Tash ke Patte”(Deck of Cards) which was a collaborative work of 100 artists was sold for $365 million in 2017.
ii. The fourth position was held by Jogen Chowdhury with the sales of Rs. 7.78 crore and New Delhi based sculptor Subodh Gupta in the fifth place with sales of Rs. 6.55 crore.
iii. There were 605 lots sold in the year by the listers and it was topped by Anish Kapoor with 102 lots.
iv. Hurun report India in association with ArtPrice.com’s list of 2019 had 24% women. Modernist painter Arpita Singh was listed as the most successful female artist and her works were sold at ₹5.25 crore.
v. The eldest women in the list were Arpita Singh (84) and Zarina Hashmi (84) while the youngest woman was Ranjani Shettar (42). The oldest and youngest men were Krishen Khanna (94) and Sumir Tagra (40) respectively.
vi. As per the list, New Delhi was considered as the Art Capital of India with 16 residents followed by Mumbai (7) and Bengaluru (4). In terms of places of origin, the most number were born in Bengal (8), followed by Maharashtra (7) and Kerala (6).

Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran to be conferred with Japan’s ‘Order of the Rising Sun’ award
On May 21, 2019, The Government of Japan in its 2019 Spring Imperial Decorations announced that former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, aged 72, will be honoured with Japan’s ‘Order Of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star Award’. It is Japan’s second highest national award established by the Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1875.

Shyam SaranKey Points:
i. Shyam Saran is conferred with this award for his contributions in strengthening the strategic ties and enhancing mutual understanding between India and Japan and since 2017, “India-Japan Colloquium” is hosted in this regard.
ii. He served as the Foreign Secretary for the period from 2004 to 2006. During his tenure, Junichiro Koizumi, the then Prime Minister of Japan, visited India for first time in 5 years.
iii. During his tenure as Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy of India in Japan, his contribution to promote mutual understanding between India and Japan included “India Festival”, which was held in Japan in 1988.
About Japan:
Capital: Tokyo
Currency: Japanese Yen
Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe

Reliance Industries becomes India’s biggest firm in terms of revenue by overtaking Indian Oil Corporation
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), headed by Mukesh Ambani, became India’s biggest firm in terms of revenue by overtaking Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). Reliance Industries reported a turnover of Rs. 6.23 lakh crore for the financial year ended March 31 whereas Indian Oil Corporation’s turnover was Rs. 6.17 lakh crore.
Key Points:
i. Reliance Industries was the most profitable company in the country with a net profit of more than double that of IOC in FY 2019. Its net profit was Rs.39,588 crore compared to IOC’s net profit of Rs.17,274 crore.
ii. It has achieved this position in terms of 3 parameters. They are revenue, profit, and market capitalization.
About Reliance Industries Limited(RIL):
Headquarters: Mumbai
CEO: Mukesh Ambani
About Indian Oil Corporation(IOC):
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairman: Sanjiv Singh

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Mueenul Haq of Pakistan appointed as High Commissioner to India
Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan approved the appointment of Mueenul Haq as High Commissioner to India.

Mueenul Haq of Pakistani. He Succeeded Sohail Mehmood, who was appointed as Pakistan’s new foreign secretary.
ii. Haq currently serves as the ambassador to France, earlier he served as chief of protocol at the Foreign Office.
About Pakistan:
Capital – Islamabad
CurrencyPakistani rupee
Prime Minister – Imran Khan
President – Arif Alvi

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO launched PSLV C-46 rocket carrying earth observation satellite RISAT-2B
Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-46 carrying earth observation satellite RISAT-2B (Radar Imaging Satellite-2B), from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh which will enhance country’s surveillance capabilities.

PSLV C-26Key Highlights
i. The earth observation satellite has equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar which has the capability of taking high-resolution images of the earth during day and night and also under cloudy conditions which can help in keeping an eye on terror camps across the border in Pakistan.
ii. This was PSLV’s 48th mission which carried a 615kg satellite.
iii. The RISAT-2B satellite will help in fields such as surveillance, agriculture, forestry, and disaster management support. The satellite has a life span of 5 years. It will replace RISAT-2 satellite launched in 2009.
About ISRO
♦ Headquarter: Bengaluru, Karnataka
♦ Chairman: K. Sivan

NASA Researchers discovered water, ‘organic molecules’ on mysterious Ultima Thule
Researchers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have discovered a mixture of methanol, water ice and organic molecules found on the surface of the Ultima Thule. The research has been published in Journal Science.
Key Points:
i. Ultima Thule, also known as 2014 MU69, is a trans-Neptunian object located in the Kuiper belt.  It is 4 billion miles away from Earth.
ii. Data is collected from the New Horizons spacecraft and it is analyzed by NASA scientists. They have also found the largest depression of 5-mile-wide (8-kilometer-wide)  which has been nicknamed as Maryland crater.
iii. The mixture found is described as ‘very different from most icy objects explored previously by spacecraft’.
iv. In colour and composition, Ultima Thule resembles many other objects found in its area of the Kuiper Belt. Its reddish hue is believed to be caused by modification of the organic materials on its surface.
About NASA:
Headquarters: Washington DC
Founded: July 29, 1958
Administrator: Jim Bridenstine
Motto: For the Benefit of All

Researchers from UBC developed microscope for surgery without cutting skin
Group of researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) has developed the microscope for performing surgery without cutting skin.
i. It was published in the journal “Science Advances” titled “Precise closure of single blood vessels via multiphoton absorption–based photothermolysis”.
ii. The device is a specialized type of multiphoton excitation microscope that allows imaging of living tissue up to about one millimeter in depth using an ultrafast infrared laser beam, that can both scan skin and perform surgery by intensifying the heat its beam produces.

New Standards of measurement of kilogram, Kelvin, mole and ampere came into effect
On the occasion of World Metrology Day i.e. on 20th May 2019, the world’s scientific and technical community has adopted the resolution to redefine four of the seven base units. The resolution has been adopted on the lines of the decision taken at the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) at BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) on 16 November 2018, which was passed by 60 countries. The four SI (International System of Units) base units that have been refined are the kilogram, ampere, kelvin, and mole. The second, metre, and candela are already defined by physical constants and are subject to correction to their present definitions. Now the SI units are defined in terms of constants that describe the natural world. The updation is as follows:

New SI UNITS

Newly redefined SI Units
NameSymbolMeasure     Defining constants of the SI are Post 2019
KilogramKgMassPlanck constant h
AmpereAElectric currentElementary charge e
KelvinKThermodynamic temperatureBoltzmann constant k
MoleMolAmount of substanceAvogadro constant, NA
Already Defined SI Units
MetreMLengthSpeed of light in vacuum c
SecondSTimeCaesium frequency ∆νCs
CandelaCdLuminous intensityluminous efficacy of a defined visible radiation Kcd


India’s CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research)-NPL (National Physical Laboratory of India) has accepted the redefined SI units and also made recommendations on the following:

  • Proposed changes to be incorporated in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi textbooks.
  • Proposed changes to be incorporated in syllabi of metrology courses in graduate engineering and academic courses being taught in All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and other academic institutes.

CSIR-NPL also published a book entitled, “Redefined SI Units and Glimpses of NPL Metrological Activities”.
About CSIR:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Founded: September 26, 1942
♦ Director General: Shri Shkehar C. Mande
About International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM):
♦ Location: Sevres, France
♦ Founded: May 20, 1875
♦ Director: Martin Milton

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SPORTS

American professional golfer, Brooks Koepka returns to world No. 1 after fourth major golf title
American professional golfer, Brooks Koepka returned to world No.1 after winning US PGA Championship victory at Bethpage Black, New York.
i. He won four major titles and became the first man to ever hold back-to-back titles.
ii. He won 2018 PGA TOUR Player of the Year and Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year 2014.

OBITUARY

Renowned film historian, researcher, and director Vijaya Mulay passed away at the of 98 in South Delhi
Vijaya Mulay, a documentary filmmaker, film historian, writer, educationist, and researcher passed away at the age of 98 in South Delhi. She was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Vijaya Mulayi. She was popularly known for her animation film Ek Anek Aur Ekta which won her National Film Award for Best Educational Film.
ii.Several accolades received by her:

  • Shantaram Award for Lifetime Achievement for documentaries at the Mumbai International Film Festival.
  • Vikram Sarabhai Life Time Achievement award for educational communication in 1999.
  • National award for best writing on cinema for her work, From Rajahs and Yogis to Gandhi and Beyond: Images of India in International Films of the Twentieth Century.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Ruskin Bond, on his 85th birthday, launched new memoir titled “Coming Round the Mountain”
On May 19, Ruskin Bond, on his 85th birthday launched new memoir titled “Coming Round the Mountain”. India’s beloved children’s author officially released the book at Cambridge bookstores in Mussourie, Uttarakhand. The book has been published by Penguin India.

Ruskin BondKey Points:
i. “Coming Round the Mountain” is the third installment of Ruskin Bond’s award-winning memoir series for children, prior being “Looking for the Rainbow” and “Till the Clouds Roll By”. This book will deal with Bond’s story as a boy of thirteen during the crucial year of India’s partition.
ii. Other books written by Ruskin Bond include The Room on the Roof”, ” The Blue Umbrella”, “A Flight of Pigeons”, ” Rusty, the Boy from the Hills”, ” A Handful of Nuts” and many more.
iii. He was awarded the Sahitya Academy Award in 1992 for his English novel “Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra”. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan award in 2014 and Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chandigarh Literary Society during the 5th edition of Chandigarh Literature Festival in 2017.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Biological Diversity celebrated on May 22
International Day of Biological Diversity (IDB) was celebrated on May 22. It was declared by the United Nations to raise awareness and increase understanding of biodiversity issues. The theme of this year is ” Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health”. As a part of celebrations, the Convention on Biological Diversity has partnered with the Slow Food International, an organization that promotes local food and traditional cooking.

International Day of Biological Diversityey Points:
i. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly for the first time in December 2000 to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
ii. The theme ” Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health” is aimed at spreading knowledge and awareness of the dependency of our food systems, nutrition and health on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.

About Convention on Biological Diversity:
It is a multilateral treaty with an objective to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
Signed – 5 June 1992
Effective – 29 December 1993
Number of parties – 196
Number of signatories – 168
Location – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

STATE NEWS

Maharashtra government introduced ordinance to bring medical admissions under SEBC quota
Maharashtra government has introduced an ordinance to provide quota to candidates seeking admissions to medical courses under Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) Reservation Act, 2018.
i. Other than this ordinance, the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2019 will introduce reservation in appointments in public services and other posts in the state.
About Maharashtra
♦ Capital: Mumbai
♦ Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao
♦ Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis
♦ National Parks/Wildlife Sanctuaries: Tadoba National Park, Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, Great Indian Bustard Wildlife Sanctuary etc.
♦ Dance Forms: Lavani, Koli, Tamasha, Dindi, Kala, Povadas etc.

Kadavoor Sivadasan, veteran Congress leader passed away at the age of 87 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Kadavoor Sivadasan, senior Congress leader passed away at the age of 87 in Thiruvananthapuram. He hailed from Kollam, Kerala.
i. He served four-time as a legislator, under the Cabinets of K.Karunakaran and A.K.Antony.
ii. He was first elected as MLA in Revolutionary Socialist Party in early 1980 and 1982. Later he joined Congress and won 1991 and 2001 assembly polls.
iii. He represented Kundara and Kollam constituencies in the Assembly.
iv. During his tenure, he worked as the minister for forest and rural development, health and family welfare and labour minister.

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