Current Affairs - May 19, 2019 Current Affairs

Union Ministry of Environment has announced a project to create DNA Database for Indian Rhinos. This is done in order to curb poaching and collect evidence for wildlife crimes including Rhinos.The deadline to meet this project is 2021.The database will be kept in the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.The proponents of this project include the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) and the Centre-funded Wildlife Institute of India.There are three species of rhinos, of which only one, the Indian rhino or One-horned Rhinos is found in the country mainly in Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

The European Union has imposed a combined fine of $1.2 billion on Barclays, Citigroup, JP Morgan, MUFG and Royal Bank of Scotland over foreign exchange rigging. Individual traders at the banks had allegedly formed two cartels to manipulate the spot foreign exchange market for 11 currencies, including the dollar, the euro and the pound. They exchanged sensitive information including client orders and their open risk positions. Swiss bank UBS was exempted from a 285 million euro fine since it alerted the existence of two cartels to the European Commission.

According to the 8th edition of Global Drug Survey (GDS) 2019, Indians are seeking help more than any other countries to reduce their alcohol intake. The survey was conducted online in between October and December 2018. Around 1,00,000 respondents from 30 countries have participated in the online survey. People participated from India are mostly male (age 25 to 34 years). GDS is an independent research organization based in London, UK. Indians are reported drunk on an average of 41 times in the last 1 year which is well behind countries like UK, US, Canada, Australia and Denmark which have an average of 33 times in the last 1 year.

The Saudi government has approved for the first time a scheme that gives permanent residency to certain expatriates, allowing them to own real estate in the kingdom and reside with their families without a Saudi sponsor. The "Privileged Iqama" system will offer a permanent residence scheme and one that can be renewed annually to highly skilled expatriates and owners of capital funds.

International Museum Day (IMD) is an international day that is celebrated on 18th May every year. It is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The objective of International Museum Day (IMD) is to raise awareness of the fact that, Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. The theme for International Museum Day (IMD) 2019 is Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition. The role of museums in society is changing. Museums keep reinventing themselves in their quest for becoming more interactive, audience focused, community oriented, flexible, adaptable and mobile. They have become cultural hubs functioning as platforms where creativity combines with knowledge and where visitors can also co-create, share and interact.

May 18 is celebrated as World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. On this day, HIV vaccine advocates promote the continued urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. World AIDS Vaccine Day observance is headed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). This day provides a chance to thank several volunteers, community members, health professionals and scientists those who are working and researching to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine for prevention. HIV research also includes efforts to develop a vaccine for HIV treatment (called a therapeutic vaccine). A safe and effective therapeutic HIV vaccine could prevent HIV from advancing to AIDS, replace daily use of HIV medicines, and help eliminate HIV from the body.

The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired a Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM), achieving a significant milestone to enhance its anti-air warfare capability. The test-firing of the missile was undertaken on the western seaboard by Indian naval ships Kochi and Chennai.

The third round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Botswana was held in New Delhi. The Indian side was led by Joint Secretary, East and Southern Africa in the Ministry of External Affairs Dr. Neena Malhotra. The Botswana side was headed by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation of Botswana Government, Tapiwa Mongwa. The deliberations provided an opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, commercial, defence, consular and international cooperation.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) notified that for better human resource management, it will conduct annual performance appraisal report (APARs) of over 46,000 Group B and C officers (IRS- Indian Revenue Service officers in Customs and Central Excise in 2016-17) online in SPARROW (Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window).This project is being implemented in over 400 formations of CBIC across India.The DGHRM (Directorate General of Human Resource Management), the HR (Human Resource) arm of CBIC, is the implementing agency for this project.

The Kerala State Assembly is undertaking E-Vidhan, an initiative to digitize all records. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 14 months. The project is expected to cost around Rs.40 crore. Once the project is completed, all the Assembly proceedings like submission of notice by a member, question and answers, and all the other correspondence and business concerning the Assembly will go paperless. The state has awarded the work to Cyberpark, which is run by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society. It has started working on the ambitious project, E-Vidhan to enable the state legislature to go completely paperless.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched a pilot scheme for fintech Non Banking Financing Companies (NBFCs) to give financial assistance up to Rs. 10 crore in order to boost digital lending.SIDBI has set the credit exposure limit to a new fintech NBFC to 30% of the Net-Owned Fund(NOF) of the new fintech NBFC, with the maximum capital of Rs. 10 crores.The new fintech NBFCs must hold in trust the underlying securities or receivables on behalf of SIDBI.The minimum fee of 0.075% to 0.25% of the sanctioned amount along with applicable taxes is charged by the development bank.

Asian Football Confederation(AFC) announced its first-ever female referee team to officiate Men's Continental Club Cup match. The team consists of 3 Japanese referees namely, Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi. The match between Myanmar's Yangon United and Cambodia's Naga World at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Prior officiating this match, they served as assistant referees in AFC Cup matches along with Australians Sarah Ho and Alysson Flynn becoming the first in 2014.

INS Kolkata (being designed and built in India, it is an advanced stealth destroyer capable of engaging multiple threats from the air, sea and underwater) and INS Shakti (is a fleet support ship that provides fuel, provisions and munitions to warships at sea), the 2 warships of the Indian Navy participated in a 3-day Asia Pacific naval and maritime event titled the International Maritime Defence Exhibition Asia (IMDEX Asia-2019) (it commenced on May 14, 2019) held in Changi Exhibition Centre, Singapore. After IMDEX, Indian Naval ships together with an Indian Navy surveillance aircraft P8I have participated in the 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX).

India backs Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande as the next President of the United Nations General Assembly. The election to the post of UNGA's President will be held in June 2019.

The 11th Joint Consular Committee Meeting between India and Iran took place in New Delhi. Mr. Amit Narang, Joint Secretary (CPV) led the Indian side, while the Iran delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Ali Asghar Mohammadi, Director General for Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the status of ongoing cooperation in consular and visa related issues and to discuss ways and means to further expand people to people contacts and promote friendly exchanges between India and Iran.