NATIONAL NEWS
Indo-French bilateral naval exercise 'Varuna-19' concludes
The Indo-French bilateral naval exercise "Varuna-19" concluded with both the Indian and French Navies Carrier Task Forces executing close range manoeuvers. The second part of the naval exercise, Varuna 19.2, is scheduled to be held at the end of May in Djibouti.
- The bilateral naval exercise initiated in 1983 and christened as 'Varuna' in 2001, form a vital part of the Indo-French strategic partnership. The Varuna exercise aims at developing interoperability between the two navies and fostering mutual cooperation by learning from each other's best practices to conduct joint operations.
Konkan Railways signs agreement with Nepal
Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd (KRCL) signed an agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways under which the former will supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets. The agreement was signed in Kathmandu in the presence of Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, and Nepalese Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Secretary, Madhusudan Adhikari.
- The Jayanagar-Kurtha Railway Link has been built by IRCON with a financial grant from the Government of India (GoI) under the India-Nepal Development Partnership program. KRCL is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of GoI, under the Ministry of Railways.
- Extra info.:
Nepal Capital: Kathmandu
Currency: Nepalese rupee
Prime minister: KP Sharma Oli
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Facebook Chooses London As Base For WhatsApp Payments
Facebook has chosen London as the centre for the global roll-out of WhatsApp pay, before the social media giant launches its digital payments service on the mobile messaging platform in India.
- WhatsApp, which has 1.5 billion users globally, would hire nearly 100 people in London to focus on the digital payments service and additional operations staff would be hired in Dublin.
Bank Credit Grows 13.2% In FY19
Bank credit grew by 13.2% in financial year 2018-19 as compared to 10.3% in the previous financial year, mainly aided by loans to services and retail sector. Deposit growth also gained momentum, growing by 10% as compared to 6.7% a year ago.
- Banks typically tend to push for more loan disbursement and also try to get more deposits ahead of the end of a financial year to shore up their balance sheet and meet year-end targets.
SPORTS
Harbhajan Singh becomes third Indian to take 150 wickets in IPL
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) off-spinner Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian to claim 150 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The bowler achieved the feat in the second qualifier against Delhi Capitals at Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
- Delhi's Amit Mishra and Kolkata Knight Riders' Piyush Chawla are the other two Indians who have taken 150 wickets in the IPL.
APPOINTMENTS
Ajoy Mehta appointed Chief Secretary in Maharashtra
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Ajoy Mehta will be the new Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. His appointment was cleared by the Election Commission as the poll code of conduct in place due to ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the country.
- The present Chief Secretary UPS Madan will be made the special Advisor (Chief Secretary grade) to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Mehta is a 1984-batch IAS officer and holds the distinction of being the longest-serving BMC commissioner.
AWARDS
IPS officer who oversaw Nirbhaya rape case receives McCain Institute Award
IPS officer Chhaya Sharma, who led the investigation team of the infamous Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, has been awarded the 2019 McCain Institute Award for Courage and Leadership.
- During her career, Chhaya has led teams in detection and investigation of sensitive criminal cases and protection of human rights. However, solving Nirbhaya's case is considered as the biggest milestone of her career.
TVS Racing wins Desert Storm 2019
A dominating performance from French rider Adrien Metge saw TVS Racing win the 2019 edition of Desert Storm in Jaisalmer. The final stage, which spanned across 220 km, saw the riders brave a dust storm and navigate through the dunes of Jaisalmer.
- While Metge claimed the top spot, teammate Abdul Wahid Tanveer impressed all by his performance across the rally, finishing on the podium with a consistent third place in the Group A. In the same category, TVS Racing's R Nataraj finished at a commendable fourth place. Aishwarya Pissay finished at 16th spot.
OBITUARIES
Corporate czar Yogi Deveshwar passes away at 72
ITC group Chairman Y C Deveshwar passed away morning at the age of 72 after a long bout of illness. In 2011, Deveshwar received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award. Deveshwar was one of India's longest-serving corporate chiefs with over two decades at the helm of ITC.
- He joined ITC in 1968 and was the architect of its aggressive transformation from a tobacco company to an FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) major.
IMPORTANT DAYS
National Technology Day
It’s National Technology Day, observed on May 11 across India and the day also marks India’s progress in science and technology. It was on May 11 that India conducted its nuclear missile Shakti, also known as Operation Shakti. The National Technology Day was coined by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- On this day, engineering colleges across the country conduct programmes to support scientific endeavours and promote interest amongst the students. VigyanPrasar organised a Lecture Programme on National Technology Day in New Delhi.
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