Current Affairs Articles 24 May 2019

1.UN downgraded the global economy growth forecast to 2.7% in 2019

United Nations (UN) in its mid-year report on economic prospects named "World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019 Mid-year Update" diminished the global economic growth forecasts for 2019 to 2.7% and for 2020 to 2.9%. Read more

2. ADB granted $750 mn loan to India for Railway Track Electrification Project

Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement with Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), an entity owned by Government of India (GOI) to provide USD 750 million long-term financing for the Railways Track Electrification Project as part of a broad modernization program to reduce the dependence India's railway sector on fossil fuels. Read more

DOWNLOAD CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF FROM APP

3.BJP won with an absolute majority for its second term in the 2019 LS election

"If the 16th general election in 2014 catapulted the BJP as the primary pole of Indian politics, relegating the Congress to a distant second, 2019 establishes it as the overarching hegemon". Read more

4. Sethu FC Crowned As Indian Womens League Champions

Sethu FC turned around a first-half deficit to clinch their first ever Indian Women's League trophy after defeating Manipur Police 3-1 at the Guru Nanak Stadium on Wednesday. Read more

5.RBI to create specialized supervisory and regulatory cadre within RBI

The central board ofReserve Bank of India (RBI) approved creating a specialized supervisory and regulatory structure for commercial banks, urban cooperative banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). The decision was taken at the RBI board meeting, which is chaired by Governor Shaktikanta Das along with deputy governors and other members of the board, held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.Read more

6. Dr. Ankur Patwardhan, a scientist from Pune conferred with 'German Chemistry Prize'

Dr. Ankur Patwardhan, a scientist from Pune won second place in 'German Chemistry Prize' in an international competition named 'Elsevier Foundation-ISC3 Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge' during in the 4th Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference held in Dresden ,Germany. Read more

7. Jagan Mohan Reddy To Be Sworn In As CM of Andhra Pradesh

The YSR Congress, which swept both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, will meet on Saturday to elect YS Jaganmohan Reddy as the leader of the party and he will be sworn in Chief Minister on May 30. Read more

8. Volodymyr Zelensky sworn in as the 6th President of Ukraine

Ukrainian TV star Volodymyr Zelensky won the presidential election in April 2019 and sworn in as 6th President of Ukraine recently. He succeeded Petro Poroshenko. Read more

9. WHO has declared Algeria and Argentina as malaria-free countries

World Health Organizationofficially declared Algeria and Argentina as malaria-free countries after recording no new cases for more than three years. Read more

10. Department of Biotechnology signed MoU with DAE on cancer research

Two departments under the Government of India, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for supportingjoint collaborative research programmes in the area of Cancer. The MOU was signed by Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary DBT and Shri K N Vyas, Secretary DAE. Read more

11. UN celebrated May 23 as an International Day to End Obstetric Fistula

Marking the International Day on 23 May to end the almost entirely preventable condition, the head of the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, said that sufferers continue to “face devastating social stigma”. Read more

12.Bengaluru based Doctor Hema Divakar gets 'Global Asian of the Year' Award for Contribution to Women's Healthcare Ecosystem

Bengaluru based doctor Hema Divakar received the 'Global Asian of the Year 2018-19' Award for women services and contribution towards Women's Healthcare Ecosystem. Read more

13. Microsoft stopped online sale of Huawei laptops after US ban on Chinese tech companies

Microsoft has removed the Huawei laptops it sold on its online store. The move of Microsoft is to comply with the US President's executive order to crack down on Chinese tech companies. Read more

14.Telangana records 15% GSDP growth in FY19 with Rs. 8,66,875 crore

Telangana recorded 15% Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth for the Financial year ended March 31 , 2019 with Rs.8,66,875 crore.Read more

15. ICICI Bank to buy 9.9 percent stake in BSE subsidiary INX for Rs.31 crore

ICICI Bank said it has entered into an agreement with the BSE to buy a stake in its subsidiary INX, located at GIFT City Gujarat. It will buy a 9.9% stake in India International Exchange (INX),a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for nearly Rs.31 crore. The exchange posted a loss of Rs.31 crore in 2018-19 while its total revenue stood at RS.2.25 crore. INX is located at GIFT City in Gujarat. Read more

16. US, Japan, South Korea, Australia Hold 1st Naval Drills In Western Pacific

US State Department approved to sell air-defense missiles for worth of more than USD 600 million to Japan and South Korea. This approval was result of rising tension with North Korea when a pair of missile was tested by North Korea last week. Read more

17. Researchers suspects gas insulation could be protecting an ocean inside Pluto

Researchers said that computer simulations provide compelling evidence that an insulating layer of gas hydrates could keep a subsurface ocean from freezing beneath Pluto’s icy exterior. The researchers conducted computer simulations covering a timescale of 4.6 billion years when the solar system began to form. The simulations showed the thermal and structural evolution of Pluto’s interior and the time required for a subsurface ocean to freeze and for the icy shell covering it to become uniformly thick. They simulated two scenarios: one where an insulating layer of gas hydrates existed between the ocean and the icy shell, and one where it did not. Read more