May 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

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May 2013 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONAL

Every year 2,70,000 Pedestrains are died in the World

On May 2 , World Health Organization (WHO) announced that every year 2,70,000pedestrains are died in road accidents. In case of pedestrains protection is ignored bygoverments.So,every week 5 thousands of pedestrains are died.

Maryland became the First southern US state to Abolish Death Penalty

Maryland, the U.S. state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, on 2 May2013 became the first southern US state to abolish the death penalty.The measure on it wassigned by Democratic Governor Martin O‘Malley on 2 May 2013.The person who wasattended was former Maryland death row inmate Kirk Bloodsworth.He will be the first personin the country freed from death penalty because of DNA evidence after being convicted in adeath penalty case.On the global level, Maryland is the 18th state to abolish the deathpenalty.

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Released Somalia Famine ConditionsReport

On 3 May According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) study report, nearly260,000 people died during the famine that hit Somalia from 2010 to 2012.Half of them werechildren under the age of five.The number of deaths was higher than the estimated 220,000

people who died during the 1992 famine.An estimated 4.6% of the total population and 10%of children under five died in southern and central Somalia.In Lower Shabelle, 18% ofchildren under five died and in Mogadishu 17%.Somalia was worst hit by the extremedrought in 2011 that affected more than 13 million people across the Horn of Africa.Tens ofthousands of people fled their homes in search of food.

Japan – UAE signed Nuclear Agreement

On 3 May Japan and the United Arab Emirates signed on the transfer of nuclear cooperationagreement .It was the first bilateral nuclear agreement signed by Japan since the 2011Fukushima nuclear crisis triggered by the devastating earthquake and tsunami.Theagreements was signed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and UAE Vice Presidentand Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Amazonian Countries Signed Strengthen Regional Cooperation Agreement

On 4 May The representatives of the member countries of the Amazon Cooperation TreatyOrganization (ACTO) agreed to widen and strengthen regional cooperation to promote theintegral development of those territories.Foreign ministers and representatives of Colombia,Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and Ecuador signed the CocaDeclaration, by which they agreed to support initiatives as that presented by Ecuador andthe establishment of the Regional Observatory for the Amazon.The countries that signed thedocument also intend to facilitate the coordination between OTCA, the Community of Latin

American and Caribbean States (Celac), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR),

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the Andean Community (CAN), the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and theCaribbean Community (CARICOM).

Malaysia‟s Barisan Nasional wins parliamentary election

The National Front coalition or Barisan Nasional (BN) led by Prime Minister Najib Razaktriumphed in Malaysia‘s general parliamentary election on 05 May 2013. The BN won 133seats in the 222-seat parliament, taking 60% of the votes, while the opposition PakatanRakyat (PR) party secured 89 seats.80% of Malaysia‘s 13.3 million voters cast their ballotsin what is being called the closest race ever in Malaysia.

Russia and U.S. Agreed on Syria Peace Process

On 7 May Russia and the United States agreed to work together to bring the warring sides inSyria to the negotiating table raising hopes for an end to carnage in the war-torn country anda thaw in frosty relations between Moscow and Washington.U.S. Secretary of State JohnKerry met Russian President Vladimir Putin and bid to narrow the differences between

Moscow and Washington on the conflict.

73 Million Youth Will Be Unemployed By 2013

On 8 May According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) ‗Global UnemploymentTrends 2007-13 ‗ report , more than 73 million young people are unemployed around theworld .The situation is particularly grim in the European Union, West Asia and North Africa.73.4 million people aged between 15 and 24 would be out of work at the end of theyear an increase of 3.5 million since 2007.The youth unemployment rate in South Asiadecreased in 2011 by 0.4 percentage points to reach 9.2 per cent, but increased to 9.3 percent in 2012.The current jobless rate for the young of 12.6% was expected to keep swelling

to 12.8% by 2018, when more than two million more youths would likely be out of work

Brazil, Argentina Signed Agreement To Build Nuclear Reactors

On 8 May Brazil and Argentina have agreed to extend their nuclear cooperation by jointlycommission will jointly build two research reactors.The agreement, signed by the BrazilianNational Commission for Nuclear Energy (CNEN) and the National Commission of AtomicEnergy (CNEA), is centred on the construction of two reactors.

Argentine Passed Judicial Reform Bill

On 8 May Argentina‘s Senate passed a Judicial Reform Law, by 38 votes in favor to

30.According to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez it aims at democratizing the judiciary.

Nawaz Sharif Re-elected for Third term as Pakistan PM

On 14 May Two time former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif re-elected as PakistanPrime Minister for the third time after won the general elections with a thumpingmajority.The Election Commission of Pakistan announced results of 272 National Assemblyseats, with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz heading the count with 126 seats, followed bythe Pakistan Peoples Party with 31 seats.The Sharif, belongs to Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (N) party. Pakistan Muslim League-N attained an overpowering lead with 130 seats.

The first runner up is Imran Khan`s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 37 seats and the lastis Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 31 seats.Nawaz Sharif previously having been



Pakistan‘s 12th and 14th Prime Minister for two non-consecutive terms from November 1990to July 1993 and from February 1997 to October 1999. Sharif is the President of PakistanMuslim League-N, one of Pakistan‘s largest political parties.

France became the 14th Country in the World to legalise Gay Marriage

In France now onwards allow same-sex couples to marry. France‘s President FrancoisHollande on 17 May 2013 signed into law a controversial bill to legalise gay marriage. Itmakes France the ninth in Europe and 14th in the world to do so.

Zimbabwe‟s President Signed New Constitution Into Law

On 22 Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signed Zimbabwe‘s new constitution into law.The new constitution was approved overwhelmingly in a referendum in March 2013.Theconstitution cut short the powers of the president, limits presidential tenures to two five-yearterms and does away with the post of prime minister.

Afghanistan Parliament Approved new Election Law

On 22 May The Lower House of the Afghan Parliament approved two new Election laws ,that will take effect in the elections next spring. The law contains 79 articles and 16 chapters.

EU Lifted Arms Embargo on Syrian Rebels

On 27 May European foreign ministers have lifted an arms embargo on Syria,, paving theway for individual EU member states to provide weapons to the Syrian rebels.After long andcontinuous hour of talk EU governments failed to agree on extending the arms embargo,which effectively ends the EU‘s ban on supplying arms to the rebels.Some other restrictive

measures against Syria , which include financing restrictions, travel bans and asset freezesis also supposed to be extended for a year, as there is a fear that the entire sanctionsregime could fall over a failure to agree on the arms issue.

Australia the world‟s happiest nation: OECD

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released its Better Life Index,which ranks the world‘s most developed economies on jobs, income environment andhealth. Australia got first place for the third consecutive year.Sweden, Canada, Norway ,Switzerland,United States, Denmark, The Netherland Iceland and United Kingdom were alsoin the top ten.In Australia 84 percent of the people accepted that their life ishappy.So,Australia got the first place in Better Life Index.

INDIA & WORLD

US, India and Japan hold trilateral cooperation talks

On May 2 ,India, the United States and Japan held their fourth trilateral dialogue at the StateDepartment in Washington, exchanging views on a wide range of regional and global issuesof mutual interest.These discussions focused on the prospect of greater Indo-Pacific

commercial connectivity and regional and maritime security, and cooperation in multilateralfora.The Indian delegation was headed by External Affairs Ministry joint secretaries D.B.



Venkatesh Varma and Vikram Doraiswami.The group agreed to meet again in autumn inTokyo to continue their deliberations.

17th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting

The 17th Session of the India-Iran Joint Commission was held in Tehran on May 4,2013.The Session was co-chaired by Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister of IslamicRepublic of Iran and by Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India.The two sidesdiscussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.Both countries agreed to study theprospects of joint investment in both countries.The two sides also signed on MOU betweenthe Government of India and the Government of Iran on cooperation in the field of waterresources management.

India Tops „Born to Die same Day‟ List

On 7 May According to the humanitarian organization Save the Children charity in an annualreport entitled ―State of the World‘s Mothers ,India tops the list of babies that die on the day

they are born.India has the dubious distinction of recording the most first-day deaths ofchildren.Every year, 3,09,000 children die on the day they are born in India. It accounts for29% of all the first-day deaths globally, the highest for any country.India is followed on thisgrim list by Nigeria (89,700 deaths, or 9 percent); Pakistan (59,800, or 6 percent); China(50,600, or 5 percent); and Democratic Republic of Congo (48,400, or 5 percent).

Finland Top Ranked in World To Be a Mother

On 8 May According to the annual report called ‗State of World‘s Mothers 2013′ was issuedby an international NGO ―Save the Children‖ , Finland has topped the list of countries wheremothers enjoy the best conditions in the world, while India ranks a low 142nd, below China

and Pakistan.The US places 30th this year while Pakistan was 139th on the list. Chinaranked at the 68th place.The top ten countries attained ver y high scores for mothers‘ andchildren‘s health, educational, economic and political status.The report was featured by aranking list of Mothers‘ index, showing the conditions of mothers in 176 countries .Amongthe reviewed countries, Finland was ranked the best country for being mothers followed bySweden, Norway, Iceland while Democratic Republic of Congo was considered to be thetoughest place.

Karnataka, Israel Signed Bilateral Agreement

On 8 May Israel and the Indian state of Karnataka have signed an R&D cooperationagreement. This is the first-ever such agreement between Israel and an Indian state. The

agreement aims to further bilateral business, technology, and economic relations and seesIsrael benefiting from Karnataka‘s human resources and the Indian state benefitting fromIsrael‘s innovations.

India Tops Cervical Cancer Deaths

On 10 May According to the Cervical Cancer Global Crisis Card report released by theCervical Cancer-Free Coalition, with nearly 73,000 women dying every year, India now topsthe world in cervical cancer deaths .India represents 26.4 per cent of all women dying ofcervical cancer globally, with China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand alsoshowing high death incidence.The cervical cancer kills an estimated 275,000 women everyyear .Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) report in 2009 the number of cervical cancercases were 101938 which has increased to 107690 in 2012.It is being estimated that the





agreement was signed by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare India, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Secretary of State for Health, UK, Jeremy Richard Hunt.

Indians Largest Foreign Born Group in London

On 20 May According to the Oxford University‘s Migration Observatory latest study report ,Indians have become the largest foreign-born group in London, followed by residents bornin Poland and Ireland.Migration Observatory, 262,247 persons born in India were living inLondon in 2011, which represents 8.8 per cent of all foreign-born residents in London.Thisaccounts for 37.8 per cent of all residents that had been born in India resident in Englandand Wales in 2011.Other important foreign-born groups in London, with more than 100,000residents, include those born in Ireland (129,807), Nigeria (114,718), Pakistan (112,457) andBangladesh (109,948).

India – China Signed 8 Agreements

On 20 May India and Chine signed eight important agreements covering a wide range of

issues like trade, culture and water resources. The agreements were finalised afterdelegation-level talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinesecounterpart Le Keqiang.

The list of eight agreements/memoranda of undrstanding (MoUs):-

(i) Protocol between India‘s external affairs ministry and China‘s foreign affairs ministry onIndian Official Pilgrimage (the Kailash Mansoarovar Yatra) to the Tibet Autonomous Regionof China.

(ii) Work Programmes of the Three Working Groups under Joint Economic Group (JEG)

between India‘s commerce and industry ministry and China‘s commerce ministry.

(iii) MoU on Buffalo meat, fishery products and Agreement on feed and feed ingredientsbetween Indis‘s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authorityand The Marine Products Export Development Authority and Export Inspection Council andChina‘s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

(iv) MoU between India‘s urban development ministry and China‘s National Developmentand Reform Commission (NDRC) on cooperation in sewage treatment.

(v) MoU between India‘s water resources ministry and NDRC on cooperation in water -efficient irrigation.

(vi) MoU between the external affairs ministry and China‘s State Administration of Press,Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) on cooperation in mutual translation andpublication of works, both classic and contemporary.

(vii) MoU between the water resources ministries of both countries for provision ofhydrological information by China to india on the Yaluzangbu/Brahmaputra River during theflood season.

(viii) MoU between the foreign ministries of both countries to promote cooperation andlinkages between the cities and states/provinces of the two countries.

Visa on Arrival facility to passengers travelling through RGIA



The central government has extended Visa-On-Arrival facility to international passengerstravelling through Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad managed by theGMR Group.Visitors from 11 countries will be eligible to get a VoA from May 31 at RGIA.TheCentre had introduced an Indian tourist VoA scheme on January 1, 2010 at certain airportswhich was initiated for citizens of five countries. Subsequently, a year later, the facility wasextended to a total of 11 countries viz Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand,Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia.

US Senate Committee Approves Immigration Reform Bill

On 22 May The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a massive immigrationreform bill that grants 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the country anearned path to citizenship.The legislation was passed by a vote of 13 to 5 with threeRepublicans joining 10 Democrats to approve it.The bill, which requires major advances inborder security and expansion of a comprehensive e-verify system for employers before anyundocumented worker is allowed to pursue citizenship, will need 60 votes to pass the 100-seat Senate.

US and India Pledge To Collaborate on Combating Terrorism

On 22 May The US has pledged to collaborate with India on developing global approach tocombat increasing terror threats and asked international community to take effective steps toeliminate sanctuaries and infrastructure that support terrorism.After talks between HomeMinister Sushilkumar Shinde and US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, a joint communique said the two countries also agreed to enhance bilateral co-operation tocombat terror financing and currency counterfeiting.

India, Japan to speed up talks on civil nuclear deal

On 29 May 2013,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe decided to speed up talks on a civil nuclear deal to allow Japan to export nuclearreactors to India and to bolster maritime security cooperation at a time when China‘spostures in the seas of the regional have caused concerns.A joint statement issued at theend of exhaustive talks between Singh and Abe said the two Prime Ministers reaffirmed theimportance of civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries, while recognising thatnuclear safety is a priority for both governments.In this context, they directed their officials toaccelerate the negotiations of an Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses ofNuclear Energy towards an early conclusion

India and Thailand sign extradition treaty

On 30 May 2013,in a major boost to bilateral security cooperation, India and Thailand signedthe much awaited extradition treaty after 20 years of negotiations.The MoU was signed byExternal Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Thai Deputy Premier and Foreign MinisterSurapong Tovichakchaikul.The treaty was signed in the presence of Prime MinisterManmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra.The treaty provides thelegal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders, including those involved interrorism, transnational crimes and economic offences among others.The two countriestotally signed on seven pacts. They are extradition, education,financial intelligence mapping ,geospatial technology applications , investigation of persons suspected of money launderingand criminal activity related to money laundering and terrorism financing.

UNESCO Declares Nicobar Islands as World Biosphere Reserve



On 31 May The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)has declared and designated the Nicobar Islands in India as a world biosphere reserve .TheInternational Coordinating Council of UNESCO‘s Man and the Biosphere Programme addedthe Nicobar Islands to the list of eleven other sites which are designated as world biospherereserves.Great Nicobar now 9th Indian reserve in Unesco world network.Member countriesestablish such reserves. UNESCO recognizes them under the programme to promotesustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science.

NATIONAL

National Urban Health Mission Approved By Cabinet

On 1 May The Union Cabinet approved the launch of the National Urban Health Mission(NUHM) to reduce rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality and for universal access to

reproductive health care.The cost of the National Urban Health Mission for 5 years is 22507crore rupees and the Central government will share 16955 crore rupees.The mission will beimplemented in 779 cities and towns each with the population of more than 50,000 hasexpected to cover about 7.75 crore people.The Cabinet also gave its nod to a bill whichprovides for confiscating property illegally acquired by corrupt public servants.

19.57 lakh Hectares of Forest Land Encroached

On 1 May According to the latest figures compiled by the Ministry of Environment andForests reveal that unchecked encroachment on forest land is on the rise.According to thefigures, over 19.57 lakh hectares of forest land is under encroachment in various parts of the

country.Madhya Pradesh tops the list with 4.87 lakh hectares under encroachment. Followedby Assam (3.30 lakh ha), Andhra Pradesh (2.57 lakh ha) and Maharashtra (1.83 lakh ha).

Mobile subscribers largest in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu

The country‘s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, accounts for the largest number of mobilesubscribers in the country followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar,which together account for almost half of the total wireless connections.India, which is theworld‘s second largest mobile phone market in terms of subscribers, had a total of 861.66million mobile connections as on February 2013, data from telecom regulator TelecomRegulatory Authority of India (TRAI) showed.Uttar Pradesh has a total of 121.60 millionmobile phone connections, while, Tamil Nadu has 71.81 million subscribers, according to the

TRAI data.Maharashtra is at the third position, with a subscriber base of 67.73 millionfollowed by Andhra Pradesh and Bihar at 64.12 million and 60.73 million, respectively.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant got Approval for Operations by the Supreme Courtof India

On 06 May, the Supreme Court of India directed that the Kudankulam nuclear plant situatedin Tamil Nadu could start its operations now. A bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan andDipak Misra issued the directions to the government on safety as well as security of theplant, along with its operations.

Govt Sets Up 39 Special NIA Courts Across The Country



On 7 May Minister of State for Home R P N Singh announced in the Parliament that underthe National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, the central government has set up the 39special courts to take up terror-related cases.

Cabinet Approved Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission

On 16 May The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the Gandhi Heritage SitesMission with the objective of conserving and restoring the heritage sites associated with‗Father of the Nation‘.Gandhi Heritage Sites Mission will be assigned with the identification,collation and assessment of the information on Gandhi Heritage material, its managementand deployment.

India‟s First Yoga University in Gujarat

On 23 May Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country‘s first yogauniversity in Ahmedabad.Lakulish Yoga University, established by Life Mission Trust ofGujarat, is claimed to be the first ever such private sector self-financed institution in the

country.

STATES

Congress Won in Karnataka Assembly Elections

On 8 May Congress has won 121 seats of the 223 seats on which polls were contested inKarnataka Assembly Elections , the elections were held on 5 May 2013. The ruling BJP and

the JD-S won 40 seats each.The Karnataka Janata Party led by former Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa bagged a mere six seats.The assembly has 224 elected and one nominatedmembers. The election took place for 223 seats.

Tamil Nadu Bans Gutka Products

On 8 May The Tamil Nadu government banned the production, possession, distribution andsale of tobacco products such as pan masala and gutka in the state.Tamilnadu Governmenthad constituted a separate department ‗Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Medical Administration,‘ after the Centre announced the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Cabinet Approved 2 Major Ports in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh

On 9 May the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal of the Ministryof Shipping for setting up of two major ports.The ports will come up in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh each, through a Public-Private-Partnership mode. As per the proposal, oneport will be developed at Dugarajapatnam, Nellore district, in Andhra Pradesh and secondport will come up at Sagar Island in West Bengal.

CONFERENCES

ADB‟s 46th Annual Meeting Held in New Delhi



46th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors, held inDelhi, India, from 2 to 5 May 2013.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , Finance Minister P.Chidambaram and ADB member board of directors and related financial institutions wereattended the meeting.Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it is going to provideabout 6 billion dollars loan to India over the next three years which was decided at theconcluding day of the 46th annual meeting of the funding agency.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Indian Wildlife Biologist Aparajita Datta Honoured with the Whitley Award 2013

On 2 May An Indian wildlife biologist Dr. Aparajita Datta was honoured with the Whitleyaward, also known as Green Oscar, in London . Aparajita Datta, the Indian wildlife biologistwas conferred with the award by Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth, at the Royal

Geographical Society in London for her efforts in order to save the endangered hornbills inEastern Himalayas.Aparajita Datta is the head of the program for conservation of thehornbills in dense tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh, at Nature Conservation Foundation.The tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh are an abode to five hornbill species.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi Awarded with „ Judy Wilkenfeld „

On 2 May An Indian doctor of Mumbai‘s Tata Memorial Hospital has been awarded with theprestigious Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence for hisinnovative efforts in reducing tobacco consumption in India.He received the award by the‗Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids‘ on at a function in Washington.

Indian Police Unit in Congo Gets UN medal

On 17 May An Indian police unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo has received theUnited Nations Peacekeeping Medal.The 135 Indian Formed Police Unit-2 (FPU) washonoured with the medal as an appreciation for their service in Goma/North Kivu.

Malala Yousufzai Selected For Prestigious Global Leadership Award

On 20 May Teenager Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot at last year by theTaliban for advocating education of girls, has been selected for the prestigious GlobalLeadership Award this year.Malala will receive the award for her role as a global activist inadvocating for educating and empowering girls worldwide.She was targeted for heroutspoken views and advocacy on behalf of girls‘ education.

Indian-American Girl Won America‟s Top Young Scientist Award

On 20 May An Indian-American girl has invented a super-capacitor device that couldpotentially charge a cellphone in less than 20 seconds. The California teen has attracted theattention of tech giants Google for her potentially revolutionary invention which charges aphone in 20 seconds flat.The super-fast charging device has been dubbed a supercapacitorby 18-year-old Esha Khare, of Saratoga – as she took home $50,000 from the IntelInternational Science and Engineering Fair.

American Writer Lydia Davis won ” 2013 Man Booker International Prize “



On 22 May American writer Lydia Davis won 2013 Man Booker International Prize for herinnovative and influential writing.This was the fifth Man Booker International Prize.LydiaDavis is a professor of creative writing at the University of Albany. She is also anaccomplished translator. Her works include ‗The End of the Story‘ and ‗Varieties ofDisturbance‘.The Man Booker International Prize recognises one writer for his or herachievement in fiction.Worth 60000 ponds, the prize is awarded every two years to a livingauthor who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generallyavailable in translation in the English language.

Carole King Became the First Woman to Receive Gershwin Prize

US singer-songwriter Carole King became the first woman to receive the Library of CongressGershwin Prize for Popular Song.The President of America, Barack Obama conferred uponher, the Gershwin Prize that is given as a lifetime achievement in popular music.

APJ Abdul Kalam Received “Wernher Von Braun” Memorial Award

On 24 May United States based National Space Society‘s (NSS) has conferred ―Wrenhervon Braun‖ Memorial Award upon former president APJ Abdul Kalam in San Diego .Theaward was conferred upon Kalam at International Space Development Conference. It wasinstituted by NSS, a non-profit organization and is dedicated to the creation of spacefaringcivilization.The honour is given to recognize excellence in management and leadership in aspace-related project, where the project holds significance.

Biological clock scientists share Shaw Prize

On 28 May ,three scientists whose groundbreaking studies using fruit flies helped to uncoverthe workings of the human biological clock were named the winners of the $1 million Shaw

Prize .US scientists Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young received the award―for their discovery of molecular mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms‖.Biologicalrhythms govern behaviour in plants, animals and humans, from flowers opening during theday and closing at night, to sleep patterns and the effect of jet lag.

SPORTS & GAMES

PV Sindhu won Malaysian Badminton Grand Prix Title

On 4 May,India‘s shuttler PV Sindhu won Malaysian Badminton Grand Prix title afterwinning Malaysia Open women‘s final match.In the final, top seed Sindhu defeated lowerseed, Gu Juan of Singapore.This is the first Grand Prix title in her Career.

Aamir Won Asian Squash Championship Title

On 5 May Pakistan`s top seeded player, Aamir Atlas Khan won the Asian Squash individualchampionship for the first time in 14 years after he defeated Kuwait`s Abdullah Al Mezayanin straight sets in Islamabad.Pakistan had last won the Asian individual title in 1998, butsince then has only been able to win the Asian team title in the last Asiad.

Ronnie O‟Sullivan Won World Snooker Championship



On 7 May Ronnie O‘Sullivan claimed his fifth World Snooker Championship crown afterdefeated Barry Hawkins at the Crucible in Sheffield.O‘Sullivan is now a five-time Cruciblechampion after his wins in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2012 to move within one of Steve Davisand Ray Reardon and two behind Stephen Hendry in the all-time list.

India Bagged 2 Silver and 7 Bronze Medals in Commonwealth Championship

India on 10 May 2013 finished their candidature in the tournament with a record haul of 2Silver and 7 Bronze in the 19th Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships that concludedin New Delhi.

Men‘s Singles :- Zhan Jian (Singapore) won the title after defeated Li Hu from Singapore inthe final at New Delhi

Women‘s Singles :- Mo Zhang (Canada) won the Women‘s Singles title after defeated YuMengyu (Singapore) in the final.

Alonso Won Spanish Grand Prix Title

On 12 May Fernando Alonso of Spain won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona .KimiRaikkonen second, Felipe Massa secured third position.It was Alonso‘s second win inBarcelona ,the first coming in 2006 and his seventh career podium on the Circuit deCatalunya.

Madrid Open Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners

Women‘s Singles :- On 12 May Serena Williams of the United States bagged her 50th careerSingles title.In the final She defeated Russian Maria Sharapova and got the title .

Men‘s Singles :-Rafael Nadal from Spain won the Men‘s Singles title after defeated SwissStanislas Wawrinka in the final.

Women‘s Doubles:-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova ,Lucie Safarova won the Women‘s Doublestitle.

Men‘s Doubles : Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won their fifth Mutua Madrid Open doubles title .It was their 87th career trophy and fifth crown of the 2013 ATP World Tour season.

Barcelona Won Spanish League Title

On 12 May Barcelona won the Spanish league title (football) for the 22nd time after closestrivals Real Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw with Espanyol.The title is Barca‘s fourth infive seasons and the 22nd of their history. The last team other than Barcelona or Madrid towin the title was Valencia in 2004.Barcelona‘s Lionel Messi finished the Spanish League asthe top-scorer.He has already 46 goals, 12 clear of Cristiano Ronaldo, who finished second.

Rome Masters Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners

Women‘s Singles :- On 19 May Serena Williams (USA) won her fourth consecutive title ofthe year after defeated Victoria Azarenka from Belarus in the Rome Masters final.This is thesecond Rome Open title won by Serena, before this Serena won the Rome title 11 years ago

in 2002.



Men‘s Singles :- Rafael Nadal from spain claimed his seventh Rome Masters title afterdefeated Roger Federar (Switzerland ) in the final

Mumbai Indians Won 2013 IPL Title

On 26 May Mumbai Indians won the Indian Premier League title for the first time , afterdefeated Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs in the final at Eden Gardens.

* Man-of-the-Match – Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)

* Most Valuable Player – Shane Watson (Rajasthan Royals)

* Orange Cap ( (Highest Run Getters) – Michael Hussey (Chennai) : 733 Runs

* Purple Cap (Highest Wicket Takers) – Dwayne Bravo (Chennai) : 32 Wickets

* Best Youngest Player – Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)

* Fair Play Award – Chennai Super Kings

* Best catch of the season – Gurkeerat Mann Singh (Kings Eleven Punjab)

Rosberg Won Monaco Grand Prix Title

On 26 May The Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the Monaco Grand Prix title.Rosberg‘steam-mate Lewis Hamilton dropped from second to fourth after losing out through the safetycar.Force India‘s Adrian Sutil took fifth from McLaren‘s Jenson Button.

China Won Sudirman Cup In Badminton

On 26 May China won their fifth consecutive Sudirman Cup and ninth overall, after defeatedSouth Korea.At the Putra Stadium China‘s World No. 1 Xu Chen and Ma Jin defeated theirSouth Korean opponents Ko Sung Hyun and Kim Ha Na in straight games in the mixeddoubles.In men‘s singles, China‘s Chen Long defeated South Korean Lee Dong Keun .Inmen‘s doubles Chinese Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan defeated South Korean players KoSung Hyun and Lee Yong Dae.Huser Ayla, of Switzerland won the Women‘s Singles afterdefeated Rankin Anna, from New Zealand Sudirman Cup is the world mixed team badmintonchampionship which takes place every two years.

ECONOMY

RBI Cuts Repo Rate By 25 Basis Points

On 3 May The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidityadjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points, from 7.5 percent to 7.25 per cent with immediateeffect as part of its annual monetary policy statement 2013-14.The reverse repo rate underthe LAF also stands adjusted to 6.25 per cent. The RBI took this step to boost flaggingeconomic growth.The cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks has however beenretained at 4 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities.



Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide about 6 billion dollars loan to India

Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 5 May 2013 announced that it is going to provide about6 billion dollars loan to India over the next three years which was decided at the concludingday of the 46th annual meeting of the funding agency. The bank is working on partnership

strategy and is planning to maintain the level of lending to India.It is important here to notethat India is the biggest borrower of ADB and ADB had extended a 2.4 billion dollars loan toIndia in 2012 across sectors like transport, energy, commerce, industry, trade and finance.

Delhi Tops in the Creative Index Report 2013

On 6 May According to the Creative Index Report 2013 report ,Delhi has been ranked as themost creative state in India with the greatest potential for success in today‘s creativeeconomy. The ranking is based on the population of creative class. This class is ofindividuals are often engaged in either complex problem solving or in the generation of newideas, new technology, and new creative content.Chandigarh, Punjab, Kerala, Goa,Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Maharashtra round out the top nine.

Mobile Phones To Out Number Human Population By 2014

On 12 May According to the International Telecoms Union‘s (ITU) report ,The number ofmobile phone subscriptions are set to outnumber the world‘s population by the end of2014.Mobile phone subscriptions will pass a whopping seven billion early in 2014.Currently,there are 6.8 billion mobile phone subscriptions while the world‘s population is 7.1 billion.More than a third of the global population are online, the ITU World in 2013 report alsofound. The Commonwealth of Independent States, the alliance of countries formerly in theSoviet Union, is believed to have the highest mobile penetration with 1.7 subscriptions forevery person.Africa has the least, with 63 subscriptions per 100 people.The report alsofound that 2.7 billion people, almost 40 per cent of the world‘s population, are online.

Government Raises OBC Creamy Layer Income Limit to Rs 6 Lakh

On 16 May The Union Cabinet gave its approval for increase in the present income criterionof Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum for applying the Creamy Layer restriction throughout the country,to avail benefits of reservations in government jobs and admissions to central educationalinstitutions.The decision came up in a view to increase the income limits in tune with theincrease of the consumer price index. This would enable more people to take an advantageof reservation benefits that are extended to OBCs. Creamy layer is the income limit beyondwhich OBCs are not eligible for quotas

Gujarat Tops in Port Development Projects

On 24 May According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India(Assocham) ―‖Ports Development in India ―‖ report ,While 21 PPP projects in the port sectorworth over Rs.43,000 crore are under construction, eight projects worth about Rs.14,000crore are under bidding.Gujarat gets first place , accounting for more than 50 per cent of theport projects completed in India during the last Plan. It has wrapped up 12 projects valued atRs 12,453 crore, consolidating its presence in the Indian maritime map.Gujarat is followedby Odisha (2nd place) and Maharashtra (3rd place ), which account for a share of 16.9 percent and 15.3 per cent respectively in the completed projects.Odisha saw two projects worthRs 4,169 crore getting completed, while Maharashtra finished five projects worth Rs 3,772crore.Andhra Pradesh (4th place) and Tamil Nadu (5th place) each with three projects underoperation have garnered a share between 5-6 percent followed by Kerala (2.8 percent).



Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw in Forbes Philanthropy List

On 30 May According to the Forbes Asia magazine‘s list of Asia-Pacific‘s most remarkable―‖givers‖" , Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar -Shaw, P N C Menon, Vineet Nayar and RonnieScrewvala named in 2013 year list of Asia-Pacific‘s most remarkable givers.The annual list

of Heroes of Philanthropy is compiled by Forbes Asia magazine. It features a total of 48persons from the Asia-Pacific region which includes countries like China, Singapore, HongKong and Indonesia.Keeping into view Kiran Mazumdar‘s work on improving cancer careand her pledge to give away 75 per cent of wealth she was listed as one of the majorPhilanthropist.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Launched Zhongxing-11 Satellite

On 2 May China successfully launched a communications satellite called Zhongxing-11 fromXichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest Sichuan province. The satellite was launchedinto its present orbit from Long March-3B rocket.

World‟s First 3D Printed Gun Successfully Fired

On 4 May The world‘s first gun made with 3D printer technology has been successfully firedin the US.The anti-gun campaigners criticised this project, while the law enforcement ofEurope is monitoring the developments of this project.All 16 parts of the controversial gun,called the Liberator, are made from a tough, heat-resistant plastic used in products such as

musical instruments, kitchen appliances and vehicle bumper bars.

The new Navy patrol ship Rani Avantibayi

Indian Coast Guard Ship ‗Rani Avantibai‘, the second Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) built by theHindustan Shipyard Ltd for the Coast Guard. This was commissioned into Indian Navy inVisakhapatnam on 9 May 2013 by Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh in thepresence of Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Vice-Admiral Anurag G. ‖Viranari Rani Avantibayi‖ is the inshore patrol vessels (IPV) in Madhya Pradesh for Ramgadh CoastGuard.This is used in Tracking thieves, coastal conservation, marine disaster reliefefforts.This is the first in the series of five inshore patrol vessels (IPV) built by the HindustanShipyard Limited for the Coast Guard.

MiG-29K fighter planes commissions into Navy

On May 11,Defence Minister AK Antony commissioned warfare aircraft MiG-29K BlackPanther squadron into the Indian Navy.The commissioning was held at INS Hansa whichwould be the base for Black Panther squadron along with other fighter aircraft squadrons ofIndian Navy. The squadron initially comprising 16 aircraft would be known as IANS 303.

U.S. Launched First Unmanned Aircraft From Carrier Flight Deck

The United States Navy launched an unmanned aircraft from a modern carrier flight deck for

the first time ever on 14 May.The unmanned aircraft was the X-47B Unmanned Combat AirSystem demonstrator, and its first-ever launch from a modern aircraft carrier represents how



manned and unmanned aircraft on carrier flight decks will be merged in the future.A missionoperator aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) controlled X-47B, showing off howwell it works within a carrier environment. It landed back at Naval Air Station Patuxent Riverin Maryland.

Rotavirus Vaccine Developed in India

India developed a Rotavac Vaccine to eradicate the Rotavirus diarrhoea in infants.TheGovernment of India‘s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Bharat Biotech announcedpositive results from a Phase III clinical trial of a rotavirus vaccine.

First Boeing P-8I Aircraft joins Indian Navy

Indian Naval Aviation received a major fillip with the arrival of the first of eight Boeing P-8ILong Range Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft at Naval AirStation Rajali, Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu on 15 May 13. The P-8I aircraft, based on the Boeing737-800(NG) airframe, is the Indian Naval variant of the P-8A Poseidon of the US Navy. The

aircraft is equipped with both foreign as well as indigenous sensors for MaritimeReconnaissance, Anti Submarine operations and for Electronic Intelligence missions.

Scientists Converted Human Skin Cells Into Embryonic Stem Cells

On 15 May In a major medical breakthrough, researchers at the Oregon National PrimateResearch Center (ONPRC) have for the first time ever successfully converted human skincells into embryonic stem cells , via a technique called nuclear transfer.Scientists for the firsttime converted human skin cells into embryonic stem cells.These embryonic stem cells arecapable of transforming into any other cell type in the human body.This technique involvestransplanting the nucleus of one cell, containing an individual‘s DNA, into an egg cell that

has had its genetic material removed.

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile Successfully Test Fired

On 22 May India successfully test fired the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missilefrom Russian-built INS Tarkash off the coast of Goa.The launch was carried out by the Navyas part of Acceptance Test Firing (ATF) of the ship.INS Tarkash, which is an advancedTalwar Class frigate, was commissioned on 9th November, last year.The BrahMos missile jointly developed by India and Russia.

Indian Air Force Inducted Trainer AirCraft Pilatus PC-7

On 31 May Pilatus, PC 7 Mk II aircraft was formally inducted into the IAF by Jitendra SinghMoS, Defence at IAF‘s premier Academy located at Dundigal, Hyderabad.This marked thefirst formal flight of the Basic Trainer Aircraft over the skies at the Air Force Academy inHyderabad.The induction of PC-7Mk II as Basic Trainer Aircraft in Indian Air Force is a veryimportant landmark in our nation‘s quest to modernise its Armed Forces.

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) APPOINTMENTS



Sheikh Salman is New AFC President

On 2 May Bahrain‘s Sheikh Salman Ebrahim Al-Khalifa was elected as the new president of Asian Football Confederation (AFC). He replaced disgraced ex-leader Mohamed Hammam.

Najib sworn in Malaysia‟s PM

Najib Razak was sworn in as Malaysia‘s Prime Minister for a second term on 06 May 2013after his Barisan Nasional (BN, National Front) coalition won 133 of the 222 Parliament seatsin 2013 election.Najib Razak became the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia in year 2009.

Roberto Azevedo Appointed as WTO new Director General

On 8 May Brazil‘s Roberto Azevedo has been named as the new Director General of theWorld Trade Organisation, the first Latin American to hold the post.He will take charge of hisoffice from Pascal Lamy of France in the Geneva-based Body in September 2013.

Siddaramaiah Sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka

On 13 May Congress leader Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the 22nd chief minister ofKarnataka by the Governor H R Bharadwaj.In year 1992 Siddaramaiah was appointed asSecretary General of Janata Dal.In Year 1994 became the Minister for Finance in the JanataDal government headed by Deve Gowda.He served as a Deputy Chief Minister of Karnatakatwice, first in 1996 when JH Patel became Chief Minister and again in 2004 when JDSformed a coalition government with Dharam Singh.

Nirbhay Sharma Appointed Governor of Arunachal Pradesh

On 16 May Lieutenant General (retd) Nirbhay Sharma has been appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh as the term of present incumbent Gen (retd) J J Singh ended in January2013. He was appointed as Member of UPSC in May 2008 and after completion of his fiveyear stint .He was also a part of the Airborne Assault Group, the first Indian Army Unit toenter Dacca (Dhaka) during 1971 war.

Shashi Kant Sharma is the new CAG

On 21 May Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma was appointed as the new Comptroller& Auditor General (CAG) ,replaced outgoing Vinod Rai.Sharma, an IAS officer from 1976batch of Bihar cadre, has earlier assumed various important offices during his tenure asSecretary in the Department of Financial Services and has spent over 10 years in theDefence Ministry in various capacities.The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till theincumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Indian Origin Srinivasan Appointed as Top US Court Judge

On 23 May The United States Senate voted 97-0 to appoint Srikanth Srinivasan as a Judgeof the prestigious US Court of Appeals.It is the highest judicial appointment to an Indian - American . Srinivasan has become the first Indian-American to be appointed to the court.Heis the Principle Deputy Solicitor General and defends the policies of US President BarackObama before the Supreme Court

Radha Krishna Mathur is new Defence Secretary



On 25 May Senior IAS officer Radha Krishna Mathur has been appointed as new DefenceSecretary.He succeeds Shashikant Sharma who has taken over as Comptroller and AuditorGeneral (CAG). A 1977-batch IAS officer of Manipur-Tripura cadre, Mathur was serving asSecretary (Defence Production) in the Defence Ministry.

Justice Raveendran is new NBSA Chief

On 25 May Former Supreme Court judge Justice R V Raveendran has been appointed asthe new Chairman of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) , the selfregulatory initiative of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA).He succeeds justice (Retd.)J.S. Verma, chairperson of the NBSA, who passed away on 2013 April.NBSA is anindependent redressal body set up by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and hasleading TV news channels as its members.

Kushal Singh Appointed as the Chairperson of NCPCR

On 27 May Mrs. Kushal Singh has been appointed as the Chairperson of National

Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), by the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment.Mrs. Kushal Singh has held several high level posts in the Government ofRajasthan and the Central Government.She was the Chief Secretary, Government ofRajasthan.

PM Manmohan Singh elected to Rajya Sabha

On 30 May 2013 ,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was elected to Rajya Sabha from Assamfor fifth consecutive term.Dr Singh got 49 first preference votes, while the second Congresscandidate bagged 45 votes and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)‘s Aminul Islam,who polled 18 votes, lost in the 126-member state Assembly.

B)RESIGNS

Union Railway Minister and Law Minister of India Resigned

On 10 May Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Union Law Minister of India Ashwani Kumar resigned from their posts.Railway Minister PK Bansal resigned from hisoffice since his nephew Vijay Singla was arrested for his alleged involvement of bribery of 90lakh rupees from the Railway Board Member, with a promise of promotion. Ashwani Kumarthe Union Law Minister submitted his resignation after being into attack by the oppositionand the CBI affidavit submitted to Supreme Court for vetting up the CBI report in the Coal

Block allocation scam.

C)DEATHS

ATP chairman Brad Drewett died

Brad Drewett(54), the former tour player who led the ATP as executive chairman andpresident since January 2012 died on 3 May 2013 . He helped in increasing the prize moneyat Grand Slam tournaments.

Giulio Andreotti, the former Italian Prime Minister died



On 6th May, the former Italian Prime Minister ,Giulio Andreott(94) was dies in Rome.He wasone of the most powerful figures in the politics of the country after World War II.

Islamic scholar Asghar Ali Engineer Died

On May 14,Leading Islamic scholar, author and activist Asghar Ali Engineer, 74, died at hisSantacruz home in Mumbai. He was born in 1940 and completed his BSc in civil engineeringfrom Vikram University.From 1980, he edited the journal named the Islamic Perspective andduring 1980s he published a series of books on Islam and communal violence in India. Hisbooks were based on his investigations in the post-independent India. The USA InternationalStudent Assembly and the USA Indian Student Assembly honoured him with DistinguishedService Award in 1987.

Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh dead

On 30 May 2013,Award-winning Indian film director Rituparno Ghosh was died from a heartattack in the city of Calcutta.Ghosh directed 18 films in that 12 films got national

awards.Ghosh began his remarkable journey by directing a children‘s film ―Hirer Angti‖(―Diamond Ring‖) in 1994, which won him an immediate recognition. He shot to fame afterhis next film ―Unishe April‖ (―19 April‖) won the national award in 1995.His other award-winning films include ―Dahan‖, ―Asukh‖, ―Chokher Bali‖, ―Raincoat‖, ―Bariwali‖, ―Antarmahal‖,―Noukadubi‖, ―Abohoman‖, ―Chitrangada‖ and Amitabh Bachchan starrer ―The Last Lear‖.

Academic Vina Mazumdar Dead

On 30 May 2013,Noted academic and a leading figure of India‘s women‘s movement, DrVina Mazumdar, died in New Delhi.Born in 1927 in a middle-class Bengali household inKolkata, she did her schooling in the city and studied in Banaras Hindu University and

Calcutta University, before going to Oxford in 1947, soon after independence. She wentback to Oxford University later and received her D.Phil in 1962.

D)VISITORS

China Prime Minister Li Keqiang Visited India

China‘s new Prime Minister Li Keqiang‘s visited India on his first f oreign trip to India from19th to 21st May 2013 since taking his office in March 2013. During the visit he met PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh and discussed India-China border issues , bilateral, regional andglobal issues of common interest.After the both countries signed on 8 agreements.The

Chinese have also agreed to provide greater facilitation to Indian pilgrims on the KailashManasarovar Yatra.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai Visited India

Hamid Karzai , President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan visited India from 20-22May, 2013.During the visit Hamid Karzai was on 20 May conferred an honorary doctoratedegree by President Pranab Mukherjee at a professional university in Phagwara.He metPrime Minister Manmohan Singh at New Delhi and discussed on various key bilateral andregional issues , the situation in the region in the backdrop of Afghanistan‘s keenness toenhance defence cooperation with India and get supply of lethal and non-lethal weapons.

E)MISCELLANEOUS



First Woman Named To FBI‟s Most Wanted Terrorist List

On 3 May Joanne Chesimard (also known as Assata Shakur), a member of the BlackLiberation Army who killed a New Jersey state trooper 40 years ago and has since fled toCuba,has been named as one of the FBI‘s most wanted terrorists, making her the first

woman ever to make the list.Chesimard was convicted for killing Foerster and sentenced tolife in prison. In 1979 she escaped with the help of the Black Army Liberation and has beenon the run ever since.The U.S. Justice Department announced a doubling of the reward forher capture to $2 million.

Ritankar Das is Century‟s Youngest California University Topper

On 10 May An 18-year-old Indian-American has become the youngest graduate topper ofthe prestigious University of California in more than a century.Kolkata-born Ritankar Das,has been named as the University Medalist, the prize which is given to the year‘s topgraduating senior.Das has taken just three years to complete his studies with a double majorin bioengineering and chemical biology and a minor in creative writing from the University of

California, Berkeley.Further he is the first student from the College of Chemistry in 58 years,and the first ever from the Department of Bioengineering.

Sreesanth,Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested

S Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavanwere arrested by the Delhi police on charges of spot fixing in the ongoing Indian PremierLeague.

First Saudi Woman Ever Climbs Mount Everest

On 18 May Raha Moharrak has become the first Saudi Arabian woman to climb MountEverest. Moharrak also became the youngest Arab to reach the 8,850-meter peak (29,035feet). She was part of a group that included the first Qatari man and the first Palestinian manto reach the summit.

Indian Sisters First Twins To Climb Mount Everest

On 19 May Two Indian girls have scripted history by becoming the first twins ever to climbMount Everest together.Tashi and Nancy Malik from Dehra Dun achieved this feat bysuccessfully reaching the world‘s highest mountain peak at 8,848 meters.The duo wereamong other record-makers including the first women from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan whoclimbed the Everest on 18 May.

Arunima Becomes First Indian Amputee To Scale Mt Everest

On 21 May Arunima Sinha, a former national level volleyball player who had lost one of herlegs after being thrown off a moving train by, created history by becoming the first Indianamputee to conquer Mount Everest. Sinha reached the 8,848 metre-high summit of thewor ld‘s highest peak as a member of the Eco Everest Expedition from the Tata Group.Sinha,a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.Arunima successfully scaled the 6,622-metre-high Mount Chhamser Kangri of Ladakh last year, but her ultimate goal was to climbMount Everest.

Yuichiro Miura, Became Oldest Man to Climb Mount Everest



Yuichiro Miura, the 80-year old mountaineer from Japan reached Mount Everest‘s summit on23 May 2013. With this, he became the oldest man to climb the highest mountain peak of theworld. Yuichiro Miura climbed the Everest at the age of 70 and 75 as well.

Indian-origin Boy Won National Geographic Bee Contest

On 23 May Sathwik Karnik, a 12-year-old Indian-American boy, has won the prestigiousNational Geographic Bee 2013 after gruelling rounds testing his geographic knowledgeabout lions in Botswana, mountain ranges in Asia and port cities in England.To clinch thetitle, Karnik, 12, correctly named Chimborazo as the mountain in Ecuador that represents thefarthest point from the Earth‘s center.US.Karnik took home the spoils of the Bee prize thatinclude a USD 25,000 college scholarship, an all-expenses paid trip to the GalapagosIslands, and a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society.

Jiroemon Kimura Becomes „Last Living Man Born in 19th Century‟

The oldest person in the world, Japanese Jiroemon Kimura,116 years Japanese man

became the last male of the 19th century in the world. Jiroemon Kimura was given the title oflast male alive to be born in the 19th century after the death of Barbados in the month ofMay 2013 at the age of 113 years and 90 days.Gerontolgy Research Group at University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles found out that as far as female were concerned, there are in all 21women born before 1 January 1901 and they are still alive.But amongst the male, JiroemonKimura is the only alive person of 19th century.Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897.

Premlata becomes the first Indian woman to complete seven summits

Asian woman mountaineer Premlata Agrawal has become the first Indian womanmountaineer to scale the seven continental peaks after climbing Alaska‘s McKinley

Peak.With this, she became the first Indian woman mountaineer to step on the highest peakof North America.

Arvind Mahankali Won National Spelling Bee 2013

On 31 May Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year old Indian-American won the Scripps NationalSpelling Bee contest, as children from the community scripted history by dominating theprestigious competition for the sixth year in a row, grabbing top three slots this year.Arvind,from New York, won the contest by correctly spelling the German word ‗knaidel‘ whichmeans a small mass of leavened dough, overcoming his fear of German-derived wordsduring his past four appearances at the contest.This is the sixth consecutive year that anIndian-American has won the contest, which was watched live by millions of people in the

United States.

PLACES IN NEWS

Cyclonic Storm „Mahasen‟ Hits Bangladesh

On 16 May The cyclonic storm ‗Mahasen‘ hit Bangladesh‘s southern Patuakhal i coast withwind speed up to 90 kilometers per hour.More than 48 persons were killed as inflated waters

coupled with gusts started ravaging parts of Patuakhali alongside the other areas adjacent tothe Bay of Bengal in the region.The system is now located in the west-central bay and is



likely to intensify further, move in northeast direction and cross the Bangladesh coast closeto Chittagong.

ABBREVIATIONS

NESAC ——- North Eastern Space Applications Centre

ACTO ——– Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization

ILO ——– International Labour Organization

CNEN ——— National Commission for Nuclear Energy

CNEA ———- National Commission of Atomic Energy

IPV ———– Inshore Patrol Vessel

BWF ———- Badminton World Federation

BOOKS IN NEWS

Understanding Bhagat Singh ” by Prof. Chamanlal released

Understanding Bhagat Singh a book by Prof. Chamanlal was released in the on 3 May2013.Professor Randhir Singh, Eminent Thinker released the book at School of SocialSciences (SSS- I) Auditorium, JNU in New Delhi.The book Understanding Bhagat Singh hastried to explain the soul or spirit of Bhagat Singh like his principle of achieving objectives withdignity, honesty and fearlessness.

Gandhi‟s Outstanding Leadership‟ Book Released

On 27 May ―Gandhi‘s Outstanding Leadership ―, written by former Indian diplomat -turned-Gandhian Pascal Alan Nazareth, was released at the Peking University‘s Centre.Prof Shang

Quanyu, a history professor with the South China Normal University, translated the book intoMadarin.

COMMITTEES

G Padmanabhan Committee on Services for the Exporters

On 6 May A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee recommended setting up of the Indian

Bill Payment System (IBPS) in the country.The committee chaired by G. Padmanabhan,Executive Director, RBI, has recommended a cap on interest margins charged by banks



lending to exporters.The committee also recommended that export credit be allowed to be apart of priority sector lending (PSL) for all commercial banks, including foreign banks, for aperiod of three to five years.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

National Technology Day was Observed on 11 May 2013

National Technology Day was celebrated on 11 May 2013 as a symbol of quest for scientificinquiry, technological creativity and the translation of that quest in the integration of Science,Society and Industry. This day is also celebrated to honour technological innovations andtheir successful commercialization which makes fruits of research reach people at large.

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May 2013 Current Affairs Study Material