Daily Current Affairs, 16th May 2019

1) Sikkim Statehood Day: 16th May

•President Ram Nath Kovind has greeted the people of Sikkim on their statehood day.It was on 16th May 1975 that Sikkim officially merged with the Indian union and became the 22nd state of the country.

2) India Signs ‘Christchurch Call to Action’

•India signed the ‘Christchurch Call to Action’ in Paris. The agreement came in the backdrop of the attacks on mosques in March and is aimed at stopping the abuse of the Internet by extremists.

•The meeting held in Paris was attended by representatives of online giants like Microsoft, Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon. India was represented by Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

3) India’s Overall Exports Registered Positive Growth Of 1.34% In April 2019

•According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry data, India’s overall exports,combining Merchandise and Services, in April 2019 is estimated to be around 44 billion US dollars with a positive growth of 1.34% over April 2018. 

•Overall imports in April 2019 is estimated to be around 53 billion dollars with a positive growth of 4.5% over the corresponding period of 2018. Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for last month is estimated at around nine billion dollarsas compared to around seven billion dollars in the same period in 2018.

4) Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita Scales Mt Everest For 23rd Time; Creates World Record

 

•Nepalese Sherpa climber Kami Rita has scaled Mount Everest for a 23rd time, breaking his own record for the most successful ascents of the world’s highest peak. He first scaled Everest in 1994.

•He reached the 8,850-metre (29,035-feet) summit with other climbers via the Southeast Ridge route. He has also scaled several other peaks that are among the world’s highest, including K-2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu, and Lhotse.

5) Sanjiv Puri Appointed ITC’s New Chairman

•ITC Managing Director Sanjiv Puri has been appointed as the chairman by the Board of Directors. His new designation will now be chairman and managing director. He has been the Managing Director since 2018.

•He was appointed on the board in December 2015 and as the CEO in February 2017. He is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the Wharton School of Business. He joined the ITC in 1986.

6) Lokpal Website Launched

•The website of the Lokpal www.lokpal.gov.in has been launched. It was inaugurated by Chairperson Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose in presence of all the Members of Lokpal in New Delhi.

•It provides basic information about the working and functioning of the anti-corruption ombudsman. The Lokpal is the first institution of its kind in India established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 to inquire and investigate into allegations of the corruption against public functionaries.

7) Captain Aarohi Pandit Becomes 1st Woman In World To Cross Atlantic Ocean Solo In a LSA

•Captain Aarohi Pandit, a 23-year-old pilot from Mumbai became the world’s first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA). She achieved the feat when she landed her tiny aircraft at Iqaluit Airport in Canada, after a gruelling 3,000 km long flight, under adverse and extreme weather conditions the following take-off from Wick, Scotland (United Kingdom), with brief stopovers in Greenland and Iceland.

8) China To Host 2023 Asian Cup Football Tournament

•China has become the sole contender to host Asian Cup Football tournament in 2023 after South Korea has announced to withdraw its bid to host the game. The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced that it had pulled out to strategically focus on a joint bid with North Korea to host the Women’s World Cup in the same year.