May Current Affairs Mock Test 2017

Explanation :
Nicos Anastasiades, the President of Cyprus was on an official visit to India from 25-30 April 2017. He held delegation level talks with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Explanation :
The central message of Saint Ramanujacharya’s life was inclusive society, religion and philosophy. Ramanujacharya saw manifestation of God in human beings and saw all devotees of God as equal.

Explanation :
Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the state’s first automatic weather station at Dongargaon in Nagpur. The state government will install 2,065 weather stations across the state on a public private partnership (PPP) mode in 2017 and 1000 in next year.

Explanation :
Dr. Sanjay Pratihar of Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, has been awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Medal for Young Scientist Award for the year 2017, for his excellent contribution to multi-metal complexes, theoretical understanding, selective sensing of Hq2+ions and important applications in agriculture.

Explanation :
On April 30, 2017, Spanish professional tennis player, Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem of Austria in the final to win the Barcelona Open for a record 10th time. This victory also marked Nadal’s 71st tournament win in his career.

Explanation :
World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May.

Explanation :
The award by the US-India Business Council would be presented to Naidu during the USIBC West Coast Summit in the Silicon Valley on May 8, 2017. The summit will convene 150 industry leaders from sectors such as information technology, banking, food processing, healthcare, clean energy, digital payments and manufacturing.

Explanation :
300-foot flag post, said to be the country’s second-tallest, was inaugurated at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra on May 1, 2017. State revenue minister and district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil inaugurated the flag post installed in Police Garden, located opposite the office of Kolhapur Superintendent of Police, by hoisting the tricolour on the occasion of Maharashtra Day.

Explanation :
Uttar Pradesh Government has started an ambulance service for cows. The ‘Gauvansh Chikitsa Mobile Vans’ service was flagged by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on May 2, 2017. The ambulance will rescue injured and ill cows and then take them to ‘gau shalas’ or a veterinary clinic for treatment.

Explanation :
This rate is the average rate of the implicit yields (computed by considering 365 days in a year) at the cut-off prices of the last three auctions of Government of India 182 day Treasury Bills held up to May 7, 2017.

Explanation :
The font, now available to more than 100 million users of Microsoft Office 365 around the world, is the first font to be created by a city and named after it. The font has been designed for more than 180 countries and 23 languages integrating Arabic and Latin typefaces.

Explanation :
On May 2, 2017, Tamil Nadu State Government honoured social worker Padma Venkataraman with the states “Avvaiyar Award” for 2017. Padma Venkataraman is the daughter of former President of India, the late R Venkataraman. This award has been given to her for her efforts in the areas of women’s welfare and rehabilitation of leprosy-affected persons for the past 30 years.

Explanation :
To clear ‘myths and misconceptions’ about radiation from mobile phone towers, the government has launched a portal, ‘Tarang Sanchar’, to allow people to check electro-magnetic radiation (EMF) compliance status of mobile towers. Detailed information about any tower site, if requested, will be sent on email to the users.

Explanation :
One of the world’s most renowned mountain climbers, Ueli Steck from Switzerland, has been killed in a mountaineering accident near Mt. Everest in Nepal. Steck was 40, and one of the most celebrated climber. He was killed after falling to the foot of Mt. Nuptse.

Explanation :
Madhya Pradesh state cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to shift the financial year to January-December. So, now the Budget session of the next financial year will be held either in December 2017 or January 2018

Explanation :
The United Nations is marking the first World Tuna Day with calls to conserve one of the globe’s most popular fish to be caught and eaten. The General Assembly established World Tuna Day in December to reinforce its importance to nations around the globe.

Explanation :
On May 2, 2017, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged-off Western Railways’ first Humsafar Express between Ahmedabad and Chennai at a function held in Udvada town in Valsad district of Gujarat. Full-fledged operations of the train will start from May 8, 2017 from Ahmedabad and from May 10, 2017 from Chennai.

Explanation :
The report stated that during 2014 alone, the inflow of black money was about $101 billion while the outflow was $ 23 billion. The inflow of $ 770 billion was 14% of India’s total international trade of $ 5,500 billion during the 10-year period. 

Explanation :
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is the new chairman of the 21-member Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. Kharge replaces Congress leader K V Thomas whose term ended on April 30, 2017. The Parliamentary panel, which is headed by an opposition leader, has a majority of its members from the ruling NDA.

Explanation :
On May 4, 2017, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu released 3^rd edition of the Swachh Survekshan which ranked 434 Indian cities on various cleanliness parameters. Indore in Madhya Pradesh emerged as the cleanest city and Gonda in Uttar Pradesh ranked at the bottom as the dirtiest city.

Explanation :
This decision will improve air connectivity to Vijayawada, offering more options of services to air travellers. It will also help in promoting tourism in Andhra Pradesh. The decision was taken on account of repeated demands from airline operators and surge in passenger traffic.

Explanation :
Asian Development Bank has stated that the Indian economy will grow 7.4 per cent this fiscal and 7.6 per cent in the next as the bankruptcy and GST laws will help create a more business-friendly environment.

Explanation :
The resolution introduced by Madhya Pradesh Environment Minister Antar Singh Arya stated that river Narmada is the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh and the government is compelled to protect the legal rights of the river as a living entity

Explanation :
The last time India had been in the top 100 was in 1996, with the 94th spot in February 1996 being the country’s best ever FIFA ranking. In latest rankings Brazil has ranked 1^st followed by Argentina and Germany at 2^nd and 3^rd positions respectively.

Explanation :
eVIN (Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network) is an indigenously developed technology system that digitizes vaccine stocks and monitors the temperature of the cold chain through a smart phone application. Currently it is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 12 states of India.

Explanation :
The plant has been setup as a joint venture between Indian defence conglomerate Punj Lloyd and Israel Weapons Industries (IWI). The plant will manufacture weapons like X95 assault rifle, Galil sniper, Tavor assault rifle, Negev light machine gun and the Ace assault rifle

Explanation :
Universal Periodic Review is a process through which human rights records of all United Nations’ Member States are reviewed. This review process is conducted under the auspices of UN Human Rights Council. India’s National Report for the UPR-III was reviewed on the May 4, 2017. India was represented by Mukul Rohatgi – the Attorney General of India.

Explanation :
Express Wi-Fi by Facebook has been launched in India. Facebook has revealed that the service has been in testing since 2015 with various ISPs. It is now commercially available via nearly 700 hotspots across four states – Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Meghalaya.

Explanation :
GSAT-9 is a geosynchronous communications and meteorology satellite developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). South Asia Satellite will improve disaster and telecommunication links between India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Explanation :
By utilising the blockchain technology, time for processing the letter of credit (LC) reduced from 20-30 days to few hours. For this transaction Kotak Mahindra Bank had partnered with Deloitte. JP Morgan – Singapore was the partner bank.

Explanation :
The vaccination drive for Rubella will start from March 2018 under which, children in Maharashtra aged between 9 months to 15 years, will be vaccinated for Rubella. Rubella is an infection among humans which is caused by the rubella virus.

Explanation :
Saqib Majeed, a Srinagar-based freelance photographer has won the prestigious 2016 Wisden-MCC (Melbourne Cricket Council) Cricket Photograph of the Year. He won this award for a stunning image, which captured boys playing cricket in the Nishat Gardens in Srinagar.

Explanation :
Leila Seth, the first woman judge of the Delhi high court, died of cardiac arrest at her Noida home on May 5, 2017. She was the first woman to have topped the London Bar exam. She was also one of the three members of the Justice Verma Committee which was constituted in 2012 to recommend amendments to the Criminal Law for criminals accused of committing sexual assault against women.

Explanation :
Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo will organise this festival from 8^th -12^th May 2017, which will feature a dance show, film screening, a play and painting competition.

Explanation :
The boat ambulance service will be available in the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kendrapara and Kalahandi where people face problems in availing 108 ambulance services due to intervening large water bodies in the form of rivers and dams disrupting road communication.

Explanation :
The BBIN, is promoted by India and aimed at creating seamless connectivity between the four countries for enhanced sub-regional trade and movement of people. On April 29, 2017, Bhutan announced that it will not be able to ratify the plan before it addresses some of concerns raised domestically over the project.

Explanation :
Great Britain has won 26th edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament by defeating Australia in the final match by 4-3. The final match was held on May 6, 2017 in Ipoh, Malaysia. Great Britain has won the Azlan Shah Cup after a gap of 23 years.

Explanation :
India-born legendary sitar player Ustad Rais Khanpassed away in Pakistan on May 6, 2017. He was 77. He was reportedly diagnosed with an ailment and had been bedridden for quite some time. He belonged to the Mewati Gharana of Indian classical music.

Explanation :
The move is in line with the Centre’s plan to redeploy its forces from almost peaceful West Bengal to Maoist hotbeds of Abujmad in Chhattisgarh. A meeting of chief ministers of 10 Maoist-hit states was held on May 8, 2017.

Explanation :
The manoeuvres would include border security, cyber-defence, and “command and control” exercises to bolster coordination in response to threats including “terrorism”. Troops from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Gulf region – including from Britain, Japan, Kenya and Saudi Arabia – are taking part in the exercise.

Explanation :
On May 7, 2017, actress, Emma Watson became the first person to win the MTV Movie and TV Awards’ new gender-neutral Best Actor in a Movie award for her performance as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.”

Explanation :
Components of SAMADHAN strategy are, S – Smart Leadership, A – Aggressive Strategy, M – Motivation and Training, A – Actionable Intelligence, D – Dashboard KPIs and KRAs, H – Harnessing Technology, A – Action Plan for each Theatre, N – No access to financing.

Explanation :
The Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Sutedi Senoputra has arrived at Haddo Wharf, Port Blair to mark the commencement of the 29th series of IND-INDO CORPAT

Explanation :
India has been unanimously elected as the President of UN-Habitat for next two years. In the past, India held the presidency of UN-Habitat in 1988 and 2007.

Explanation :
Theme of 50th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors was “Building Together the Prosperity of Asia”. On May 6, 2017, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, embarked on a 3-day visit to Japan. Mr. Jaitley attended the annual Meeting of Board of Governors’ of Asian Development Bank in Yokohama, Japan and met Japanese leaders.

Explanation :
This proposed inter-ministerial and interdisciplinary project is expected to begin from December 2017. It is intended to harness ocean resources in a “responsible way” and could turn out to be a transformative step for the prosperity and security of the nation

Explanation :
The task force will recommend solutions which can be implemented in a time-bound manner. Other members of this task force are labour secretary Sathiyavathy, chief statistician TCA Ananth, Pulak Ghosh of Niti Aayog and Teamlease chief Manish Sabharwal.

Explanation :
Moon Jae-in is the son of refugees from North Korea, Mr Moon served in South Korea’s Special Forces before becoming a human rights lawyer. He was jailed in the 1970s for leading protests against military ruler Park Chung-hee.

Explanation :
The Indian Railways will float global tenders worth over Rs 100 crore for acquiring sophisticated equipment to run 1000 trains without guards. The End of Train Telemetry (EoTT) equipment is used to establish communication between the locomotive driver and the last wagon of the train to ensure that the train is running with all coaches/wagons as a complete unit.

Explanation :
21 boys in the age group of 12 to 17 years who were selected through a 3-month nationwide basketball talent search comprise the first batch of academy. The selected boys will receive scholarships and will be provided training at the academy.

Explanation :
In 2006, the United Nations established World Migratory Bird Day to be held on the second weekend of May every year. The event was founded as an effort of the UN’s Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds to raise awareness of the migratory linkages between regions of the globe.

Explanation :
As per Savills Tech Cities 2017 rankings, Bengaluru has been adjudged as the most affordable tech city having the lowest cost of living out of 22 tech cities across the world. The mainstream weekly residential rent in Bengaluru is $236 which is much cheaper as compared to all 22 tech cities average of $368.

Explanation :
Mark Lowcock, the head of Britain’s International Development Department, has been appointed as United Nations’ new humanitarian aid chief by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Mr. Lowcock will replace Stephen O’Brien. Lowcock will be the 4^th British national to hold post of UN Humanitarian Chief since year 2007.

Explanation :
Kochi Metro is set to formally appoint transgenders for jobs. Out of the 530 Kudumbasree workers at 11 stations in Kochi Metro’s Aluva-Palrivattom corridor, 23 will be from the transgender community. The duties allotted to transgenders will range from handling the ticket counter to housekeeping works.

Explanation :
INS Tarkash had arrived at its final docking point in Britain – on the river Thames at West India Docks in London’s Canary Wharf – to mark UK India Year of Culture and the 200th anniversary of Britain’s Indian-made warship HMS Trincomalee, the world’s oldest warship which was built at the Bombay Dockyard in 1817.

Explanation :
On May 11, 2017, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh, launched e-Krishi Samvad  at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi for welfare and development of agricultural stakeholders in India. e-Krishi Samvad is internet-based interface that will provide actionable and effective solutions to the problems faced by farmers and stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

Explanation :
This announcement has been made by Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev. About 5 lakh people will participate in the event. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will inaugurate the event on the first day. BJP President Amit Shah will remain present at the concluding ceremony.

Explanation :
The logo was designed by a Hyderabad-based man, who is also the first person to obtain a driving license in the ‘hearing impaired’ category. The Centre had earlier allowed the grant of licenses to hearing impaired persons if they passed regular driving tests.

Explanation :
VVS Laxman had a highly successful career in which he played 134 Test matches and 86 One-Day Internationals. Known for numerous match-winning and match-saving innings, Laxman scored 8,781 Test runs at an average of 45.97, and over 2,338 One-Day International runs at an average of 30.76.

Explanation :
Hubert Minnis of the Free National Movement (FNM) has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Bahamas, defeating Perry Christie’s Progressive Liberal Party. Minnis was campaigning on a platform for change, seeking to impose term limits on the Prime Minister and promote Bahamian ownership in the economy.

Explanation :
Justice Mudgal, who until now served as the Deputy Chairman of the committee after being appointed in May last year during the FIFA Congress in Mexico, will take the office for four years effective immediately.

Explanation :
‘Spyder’ defence system comprises two missiles – Surface-to-air PYthon and DERby. It has been acquired from Israel. It can strike enemy targets within a range of 15 km and at heights between 20-and-9,000 metres.

Explanation :
With India’s pledge to go all electric by 2030, Nagpur will be the first city in the country to get electric cabs. The service will start from May 26, 2017. The pilot project will start with 200 e-taxis provided by Mahindra and Mahindra.

Explanation :
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) has been launched under Indian Government’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). Under Phase – I, this vaccine has been launched in entire state of Himachal Pradesh as well as 6 districts of Uttar Pradesh and 17 districts of Bihar.

Explanation :
14^thedition of United Nations Vesak Day celebration was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 12^th – 14^thMay 2017. Sri Lanka hosted this celebration for the first time. Large number of local and foreign delegates participated in this celebration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest for the 14th International Vesak Day celebration in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Explanation :
This association between WHO and Amitabh Bachchan is expected to help strengthen WHO’s efforts in reducing the high numbers of premature deaths and illnesses from viral hepatitis which is not only causing hardships to individuals and families, but also impacting health and development across the South-East Asia region.

Explanation :
Finland’s first leftist president, Mauno Koivisto who oversaw Finland’s entry into European Union, passed away on May 12, 2017, at the age of 93. He became Finland’s ninth president in 1982, and remained in office for two terms till 1994.

Explanation :
In the overall rankings of large states, Kerala was followed by Tamil Nadu at second position and Gujarat at third position. This year’s bottom three large states – Bihar (18^th), Jharkhand (17^th) and Odisha (16^th) – ranked at the same position even in 2016.

Explanation :
India has ranked 26^th in World Bank’s electricity accessibility ranking for the current year. This marks a remarkable jump of 73 places from 99^th rank in 2014. This improvement has been on account of several initiatives taken by Indian Govt.

Explanation :
The award, “Smart Village,” has been instituted by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), which also gives awards in various other categories. The award was received by Nimai Lila Das, Chief Sustainability Officer of Govardhan Eco Village, in New Delhi on May 13, 2017.

Explanation :
In view of a number of complaints related to quality of mid-day meal being served in primary schools, Uttar Pradesh State Government has formed ‘Maa’ committee in every school. It will be a committee of six mothers, from all sections of society, whose students are studying in that school. From cleanliness in kitchen, to quality of food being served to children, they will keep an eye on minute details.

Explanation:
The award was conferred during the first Bhairon Singh Shekhawat memorial lecture delivered by the President. Chamling was first elected to power in 1994 and has continued to be Chief Minister of Sikkim for 22 years.

Explanation :
Lhakpa Sherpa, the mother of three, conquered Mt Everest for the eighth time from Tibetan side. Without having any formal training on mountain climbing, Lhakpa, who grew up with 11 siblings, first climbed Mt Everest from Nepal side in 2000. She wants to climb Mt Everest for 10 times.

Explanation :
Arjun Maini drives for Jenzer Motorsports and is supported by JK Racing and TVS. Following this win, Arjun moved to third place in the driver’s championship standings. Nirei Fukuzumi of Japan is at the first place.

Explanation :
Lewis Hamilton has won Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix. It is Hamilton’s 55th career win and second win of the season. Runner-up of Spanish Grand Prix is Sebastian Vettel.

Explanation :
These centres will help to meet industry requirements for plastic engineers and technicians. As the technology is required in all sectors from agriculture to space exploration, these centres will help make the country self-sufficient in this field. Mr. Kumar mentioned that a plastic park will be set up over a 75 acre land in Panipat at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore, while a pharma park will be set in over a 100 acre land in Karnal.

Explanation :
Archaeologists have recovered artefacts pre-dating the Harappan Civilisation from the site, located in village Kunal in Fatehabad district.  NASA and ISRO inspection is likely to be done by October 2017.

Explanation :
India maintained its upward trajectory on the index on account of Central Government’s programme to build 175 GW in renewable energy generation by year 2022. This initiative is in direction to realise a larger vision wherein renewable energy will account for 40% of installed capacity by year 2040.

Explanation :
Ujala is globally one of the largest efficiency programmes and is being run by Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, an energy services company promoted by Indian state-run power majors. Through this initiative, the government plans to replace all 770 million inefficient incandescent and CFL (compact fluorescent lamps in the country with LED (light emitting diode) bulbs.

Explanation :
France’s centrist president, Emmanuel Macron, has appointed a prime minister from the right to lead his bid for a parliamentary majority in June’s elections and push through his plans to loosen strict labour laws. Édouard Philippe, the mayor of the Normandy port town Le Havre, comes from Les Républicains, the party that was headed by Nicolas Sarkozy until last year.

Explanation :
Inmarsat-5 F4 satellite, built by Boeing, blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, US on May 15, 2017. SpaceX confirmed that the satellite was successfully deployed to a distant, geostationary orbit. This satellite is the fourth in Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) constellation, aimed at providing high-speed mobile broadband service.

Explanation :
National Dengue Day is observed on 16th of May by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India. The aim of this day is to control Dengue by creating awareness and initiating preventive actions.

Explanation :
IARI-Assam would be a Post-Graduate Institute of higher learning in agricultural education covering all sectors of agriculture.  The institute will work on the agrarian challenges and complexities of North Eastern India.

Explanation :
The Rs 10 crore facility, being funded by the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives of the state government, would be equipped with advanced infrastructure and technical expertise for boosting production of high value ornamental fish species.

Explanation :
As per the report of a survey carried out by the Quality Council of India, Visakhapatnam railway station in Andhra Pradesh has been adjudged as the cleanest, whereas Darbhanga railway station in Bihar is the dirtiest among busiest stations in India. The report of the survey was released by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on May 17, 2017.

Explanation :
Shrinivas Kulkarni is a professor of astrophysics and planetary science at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Prof. Kulkarni is a pioneer and leading figure in time-domain astrophysics across the electromagnetic spectrum who built and conducted the Palomar Transient Factory, a large-area survey of the night sky in search of variable and transient phenomena.

Explanation :
President Pranab Mukherjee, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has directed that Cabinet Minister Harsh Vardhan shall be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in addition to his exiting portfolios.

Explanation :
World Hypertension Day is a day designated and initiated by The World Hypertension League (WHL), which is itself an umbrella to organizations of 85 national hypertension societies and leagues. The day was initiated to increase the awareness of hypertension. This was especially important because of the lack of appropriate knowledge among hypertensive patients.

Explanation :
During the course of his visit, Mr. Abbas held extensive talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on key bilateral, regional and international issues including the Middle East peace process. On May 16, 2017, India and Palestine signed 5 MoUs.

Explanation :
The woman, who suffers from congenital absence of uterus since birth, was fitted with her mother’s womb so that she can conceive normally. The minimally invasive retrieval of the womb carried out mainly through key hole surgery and its subsequent transplant performed only through open surgery took nine hours.

Explanation :
India’ index score was 44.8, which marks an improvement of 14.1 points as compared to 1990.  However, India has underperformed in treating tuberculosis, diabetes, rheumatic heart diseases and chronic kidney disease.

Explanation :
Indian Naval Ships Shivalik, Sahyadri, Jyoti and Kamorta and one P8-I Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft participated in “SIMBEX-17′ bilateral Naval Exercise between Navies of the Republic of Singapore and India held in South China Sea.

Explanation :
Turbo Megha Airways is a Hyderabad-based airline which flies as TruJet. It is one of the five operators who have been awarded a total of 128 routes under the UDAN scheme. The airline will use three ATR-72 aircraft, and will add more planes later.

Explanation :
On May 18, 2017, Former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh presented the 2014 Indira Gandhi Peace Prize to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at a function in New Delhi. The prize was announced in the year 2014 by the jury headed by the Vice President M. Hamid Ansari.

Explanation :
President Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of book ‘Metaphysics, Morals and Politics’ from Prof. Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay on May 18, 2017 in Kolkata, West Bengal. In 1961, as a state scholar of the Government of West Bengal, Prof. Mukhopadhyay joined as a research scholar at the London School of Economics and began his Ph.D. research on T.H. Green, the 19th century English idealist political philosopher.

Explanation :
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced that Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar would be developed as a beautiful tourist resort where more facilities would be provided to tap into the huge tourism potential it holds.

Explanation :
Named as “KARAVALI KARUNYA”, the exercise, which involves both professional exchange and actual disaster response mechanisms is set on a Tsunami disaster scenario and will continue till 20 May, 2017.

Explanation :
G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meet was held in Bad Neuenahr, Germany from 18-19 May 2017. Germany chaired the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meet, as it currently holds the G20 presidency. The meeting focused on the theme “Towards an Inclusive Future – Shaping the World of Work”

Explanation :
The Indian men’s compound team defeated Colombia to win gold on the penultimate day of the archery World Cup stage 1 championship in Shanghai, China on May 20, 2017. India was represented by Abhishek Verma, Chinna Raju Srither and Amanjeet Singh.

Explanation :
Metrology is the scientific study of measurement. World Metrology Day is an annual celebration to mark the signing of the Metre Convention on May 20, 1875, by representatives of 17 nations. This Convention set the framework for global collaboration in the science of measurement and in its industrial, commercial and societal applications.

Explanation :
Two Indian peacekeepers, Rifleman Brijesh Thapa and Private Ravi Kumar are among the 117 military, police and civilian personnel to be honoured with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjold Medal by the United Nations posthumously for their courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.

Explanation :
The new premium train will run five days a week between Mumbai and Karmali in Goa. During the monsoon season, it will run three days a week. The 20-coach modern train has executive class and chair class with the coaches having tea and coffee vending machines, magazines and snacks tables.

Explanation :
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has switched on Azraq’s new two-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant. It will provide clean energy free of charge to some 20,000 Syrian refugees living in shelters that have been linked up to the electricity grid. The grid is due to be expanded to all 36,000 refugees currently residing in the camp by early next year.

Explanation:
HDFC Life has announced the launch of an artificial intelligence-based application named ‘SPOK’ that can automatically read, understand, categorise, prioritise and respond to customer emails within milliseconds. The deployment of SPOK will improve customer experience, while providing the support staff with the bandwidth to focus on customer satisfaction.

Explanation:
Jacqueline has been given this award for her humanitarian work in India and abroad. Since past five years, she has been closely working with a non-profit organisation called ‘Habitat for Humanity’ which builds affordable houses for poor. These awards have been instituted by Asian Voice, leading British Asian news weekly.

Explanation:
Rehana Ameer, who was born and raised in Chennai, contested from Vintry ward in the City of London County as an independent candidate. She was elected as a councillor to the Court of Common Council, becoming the first India-born woman to be elected to the City of London Corporation.

Explanation:
On May 21, 2017, Bengaluru FC beat Mohun Bagan 2-0 to be crowned the Federation Cup champions at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha. This victory will bring solace for Bengaluru FC, who finished at fourth position in the I-League.

Explanation:
On May 21, 2017, Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in the Grand Finale by a margin of 1 run to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 title. This final match of IPL 2017 was played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Explanation :
These squads will comprise representatives of local bodies, self-help groups, NGOs, students and social workers working in the area of sanitation and cleanliness. These squads have been asked to keep an eye on the areas where this practice is prevalent and to ensure that locals have access to toilets there.

Explanation :
India overtook Japan as the second-largest producer in 2016, according to data released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF). India’s stainless steel production rose to 3.32 million tonne in 2016 showing an impressive growth of about 9% over 3 million tonne it produced in 2015.

Explanation:
On May 22, 2017, Dharmendra Pradhan – Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, co-chaired the 2nd India-OPEC Institutional Dialogue at the OPEC headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Pradhan held a one-to-one meeting with Mr. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo – Secretary General of OPEC.

Explanation:
Japan is going to build a war museum at the hillock at Maiba Lokpa in Bishnupur district, Manipur, where a Japanese camp was located during World War II. About 70,000 Japanese soldiers had died in battles from March to June 1944 in Imphal and Kohima.

Explanation:
Federal Bank, in association with Geojit, has launched a new trading platform called “Selfie” for customers. Designed and managed by Geojit, the trading platform will give its users absolute control over their investments with timely research inputs to make sound investment decisions.

Explanation:
The award is the top accolade given by WWF to recognise leadership in young conservationists who are under the age of 30 from around the world. The award ceremony was held recently in Manado, Indonesia. Avid bird watcher, Rohan Chakravarty draws cartoons centred on conservation issues under the banner of Green Humour, a comic strip that is being distributed internationally.

Explanation:
The Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh has released the book ‘India 2017 Yearbook’ authored by the Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Mehrishi. The book is a comprehensive compendium of all data and facts related to the Indian Union, including geographical information.

Explanation :
In the first phase, this service will be provided to agencies handling a disaster, state police, railways, Border Security Force and other government agencies. In the later phase, people travelling in flight and on ships will be able to use this service. BSNL’s satellite phone service will be enabled by INMARSAT which has a constellation of geostationary communication satellites.

Explanation :
At present, this App is available for Android Mobile phones. When you are in the Museum it will deliver you the message about Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and ask you to report the garbage around you. All you need is to enable the Bluetooth of your mobile device. Even if you do not have the App installed then also you will be delivered the message by Google about the Swachh Bharat Abiyan which will give you the link to install the App. Once you start the App it will ask to take photograph of the garbage and write the comment and just submit. It will be reported to the authority on the backend

Explanation :
The world’s smallest nation, Nauru has ratified the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Pact.  Aaron Cook, Nauru’s Commerce, Industry and Environment Minister handed over the ratification document to Union Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley on May 22, 2017.

Explanation :
Trade Ministers of all 16 RCEP countries participated in this meeting. Indian delegation to this meeting was led by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. As Philippines is currently holding the Presidency of ASEAN, the RCEP Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting was chaired by Ramon Lopez – Trade Minister and Industry Minister of Philippines.

Explanation :
The Robocop – standing 1.7 metres tall and weighing 100 kilograms – is equipped with an emotion detector which can recognise gestures and hand signals from up to 1.5 metres away. It can detect a person’s emotions and facial expressions, and can change its own expression and greetings accordingly to put people at ease. The Robocop will use facial recognition software to help human police officers identify and catch offenders, as well as broadcast live video feeds.

Explanation :
On May 23, 2017, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia was voted as the new Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). He is the first African ever to hold this post. Dr Tedros replaces Dr Margaret Chan of China, who has held this post from 2006

Explanation :
In February 2017, Bank of Baroda and IFFCO had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard. The co-branded debit cards, with inbuilt overdraft of Rs. 2,500 in special savings bank account, could be used for purchase of various agri products at IFFCO sale counters.

Explanation :
The hybrid aircraft dubbed the Airlander 10 combines technology from airplanes, helicopters and airships. It is designed to fly at altitudes of 6,100 meters for up to five days when manned. With a length of 92 metres, it is the largest aircraft currently flying.

Explanation :
The award was presented to Ashwin by former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar and Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises, at a function held at the Cricket Club of India. Ashwin has taken 99 wickets in the past 12 months.

Explanation :
The Book titled “Winning like Virat: Think & Succeed like Kohli” by Abhirup Bhattacharya unravels the secrets of Virat Kohli’s consistent form, while attempting to decode his philosophy towards life.

Explanation :
Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura batted for making farmers aware of the latest technologies to enhance production in the sector. He made the remarks while launching the e-plant clinics, a workshop organised by Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), South Asia in Jammu.

Explanation :
Engineers and employees of Afcons Transtonnelstroy and Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Ltd, the two entities implementing the East West Metro have completed boring the country’s first tunnel under the Hooghly river for establishing metro link between Howrah and Kolkata. Rachna, a giant tunnel-boring machine (TBM), was deployed to dig the underwater tunnel that runs a length of 502 metres under the river.

Explanation :
Dhaka tops the list with 44500 people per sq km density while Mumbai with 31700 ranks second in the list of 10 most densely populated cities in the world. Kota in Rajasthan is world’s 7th most densely populated city.

Explanation :
Solvent Extractors Association, a premier vegetable oil Association, said FSSAI has issued notification dated 15th May, 2017, permitting addition of vegetable fats (from sal, kokum, mango kernel, palm oil, mahua oil dhupa, phulwara, dharambe, etc) to a maximum 5 per cent of the finished product.

Explanation :
The hackathon, named ‘Code For Bank’, will focus on the business value, driven by technologies like predictive analytics, fin-tech/blockchain, digital payments, IoT (Internet of Things), artificial intelligence, machine learning, BOTS and robotic process automation.

Explanation :
Reliance Industries ranked 106^th on 2017 Forbes ‘Global 2000’ list. Among Indian companies, Reliance Industries was followed State Bank of India at 244 and ONGC at 246. Indian private sector banks HDFC Bank (258), ICICI Bank (310), Axis Bank (463) and Kotak Mahindra Bank (744) are among the top 20 Indian companies in the overall list

Explanation :
Google’s vice-president for South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan has been appointed new chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). He took over charge from FreeCharge’s co-founder and chief executive officer Kunal Shah.

Explanation :
Omar Hegazy an Egyptian adventurer has become the first amputee to swim from Egypt to Jordan, crossing a 20-kilometre (12.4 miles) stretch of the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba last month in under nine hours. Omar Hegazy, a 26-year-old banker, lost his left leg two years ago in a motorcycle accident.

Explanation :
9.15 km long Dhola-Sadiya Bridge is longer than the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (5.6 km) in Mumbai. It has been built at a cost of about Rs 2,056 crore over river Lohit, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. This bridge has been named after late legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika. Sadiya was the birth place of Bhupen Hazarika.

Explanation :
On May 26, 2017, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for an Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) at Gogamukh in Dhemaji district of Assam. PM Modi also announced the launch of the new scheme SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) which will bring value addition of agriculture produce and will thereby increase farmers’ income.

Explanation :
The four-day initiative is being launched amid the rising resentment among farmers across the state over delay in procurement of tur this year. Nearly 4,000 elected representatives of the party will participate in the campaign and hold meetings with farmers at various locations.

Explanation :
Taj Mahal is the only Indian monument which has featured in the list of top 10 Global Landmarks, compiled by Traveller’s Choice. It has secured 5^th position on this list. In the list of top Asian Landmarks, Taj Mahal secured second position.

Explanation :
Attracting $62.3 billion FDI inflows in 2016, India remained much ahead of China and the US. Attracting $59 billion FDI inflows, China surpassed US and became the second biggest country for FDI by capital investment. US attracted $48 billion FDI inflows.

Explanation :
Former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Kanwar Pal Singh Gill passed away at the age of 82 due to cardiac arrhythmia. Popularly known as the ‘Lion of Punjab’, Gill served twice as the DGP of Punjab and is credited for wiping off Khalistan terrorism from Punjab.

Explanation :
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee received the first copies of books ‘Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio’ and ‘Marching with a Billion- Analysing Narendra  Modis
Government at Midterm’ from Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The book ‘Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio’ is a compilation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s addresses to the nation on radio every month under the programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

Explanation :
This is the first time that the Annual Meetings of AfDB were held in India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 52^ndAnnual Meetings of AfDB. Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of AfDB (comprising Finance Ministers of countries) and number of official, knowledge, and side events were held from 22^nd to 26^th May 2017.

Explanation :
On May 26, 2017, Nagpur earned the distinction of becoming India’s first city with electric mass mobility system as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari flagged off taxi aggregator Ola’s electronic vehicle (EV) services in the city.

Explanation :
India’s Ministry of External Affairs hosted the ‘India-Pacific Islands Sustainable Development Conference’ in Suva, Fiji, on 25^th and 26^th May 2017.The conference was inaugurated by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the Acting Prime Minister of Fiji.

Explanation :
Apple opened its first Southeast Asia store in Singapore on May 28, 2017, drawing hundreds of excited fans to the swanky two-storey site in the city’s upmarket shopping district. Located on the affluent Orchard Road, the new shop is expected to be one of the most popular Apple stores in the world according to the US tech giant.

Explanation :
India has announced USD 500 Million assistance in form of Line of Credit to Mauritius, which will be used for various projects. This Line of Credit (LOC) agreement was signed between SBM Mauritius Infrastructure Development Co. Ltd and Export-Import Bank of India.

Explanation :
On May 28, 2017, Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal and Union Urban Development Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu flagged off Heritage Line of Delhi Metro through video conferencing at Metro Bhawan in Delhi. Union Minister of Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan was also present at the event.