Daily Current Affairs, 20th May 2019

1) World Metrology Day: 20 May

•World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May. The theme for World Metrology Day 2019 is The International System of Units – Fundamentally better.

2) World Bee Day: 20th May

•To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators (such as bees, butterflies, bats and hummingbirds), the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

•20 May coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, who in the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia and praised the bees for their ability to work so hard, while needing so little attention.

3) Kerala Becomes First Indian State To Tap Into Masala Bond Market

•Kerala became the first state to tap into masala bond market by listing the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)’s masala bond worth of USD 312 million (Rs 2,150 crore) in London Stock Exchange (LSE)’s International Securities Market (ISM).

•It has a fixed interest rate of 9.723% per annum. The bond issue builds on the Kerala government’s focus to get multinational corporations to invest in the state.

4) Meghalaya Government Approves Setting Up Of Farmers’ Commission

•The Meghalaya government has approved setting up of a commission to look into the problem faced by farmers. The proposal was made by the Agriculture Department to set up the Farmers’ Commission in line with the resolution passed at the ‘farmers’ parliament’.

•The ‘farmers’ parliament’, first of its kind in the country, was organised in December 2018 and was attended by scientists, bureaucrats, apart from farmers, to discuss issues related to the agri situation in the state.

5) Historic Move: World Gets Redefined Units Of Measurement

•After decades of ground-breaking laboratory works, the world’s scientific and technical community, in a landmark and historic decision has unanimously adopted the resolution to redefine four of the seven base units, the kilogram (SI unit of weight), Kelvin (SI unit of temperature), mole (SI unit of amount of substance), and ampere (SI unit of current). 

•This decision has now enabled scientists and researchers to base the SI units entirely on fundamental properties of nature, which will ensure their ongoing refinement and improvement for years to come. The fundamental constants are invariants of time and space and successfully replaced the artifact based units, and aptly opened up the new era for quantum world by linking all seven base units to fundamental constants/quantum standards.

•The new SI is being implemented worldwide from 20th May 2019 i.e. the World Metrology Day. The World Metrology Day (WMD) is celebrated annually on this very day as the Metre Convention was signed by representatives of seventeen nations on May 20, 1875. On this occasion, CSIR-NPL also published a book entitled, “Redefined SI Units and Glimpses of NPL Metrological Activities” of almost 100 pages.

6) EAM Sushma Swaraj To Attend SCO Foreign Ministers Meet In Bishkek

•External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will attend the foreign ministers’ meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. Swaraj’s Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi will also attend the meeting.

•This will be the second Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting that India will be attending as a full member of SCO. External Affairs Minister had also attended the last CFM meeting in Beijing (China) in 2018.

7) India, Singapore Conduct SIMBEX-19 Naval Exercise In The South China Sea

•The 26th Edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX)-19 has commenced in the South China Sea. In addition to IN Ships Kolkata and Shakti, Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I will also participate in the exercise.

•The naval exercise will include various maritime combat drills such as advanced aerial tracking, coordinated targeting tactical exercises and weapon firing on aerial and surface targets.

8) Debit Card Swipes On PoS Terminals Rise 27% in March 2019: RBI data

•According to the RBI data, in Mar 2019, the total number of financial transactions done by people using their debit cards increased by 15%. Also, the financial transactions done by the debit cards at POS terminals increased by 27% compared to March 2018.

•In actual terms, the total number of financial transactions done by people using their debit cards at ATMs stood at 891 million for the month of March, increased by 15%, against 775 million in March 2018.

9) Indian Short Film Wins Nespresso Talents Award In Cannes

•Indian filmmaker, Achyutanand Dwivedi’s film, “Seed Mother”, won the third prize in the international section of Nespresso Talents 2019 in Cannes. The three-minute film celebrates the exceptional spirit of Rahibai Soma Popere, a woman who champions the use of local seeds and traditional methods of farming in villages of Maharashtra.

•This year’s theme was ‘We Are What We Eat’, aimed at exploring the world, experiencing diversity, and sharing experiences and knowledge through food.

10) BFA Launches 2 New Formats Of Game, AirBadminton & Triples

•The world body governing Badminton, BFA, has launched two new formats of the game AirBadminton and Triples with new dimensions of the court and an innovative shuttlecock called Airshuttle. Traditional competitive badminton has been an indoor game.

•AirBadmintion will be outdoor sports. In Triples format, the match will be played between a team of three players each with the presence of at least one female. India’s top shuttlers have endorsed AirBadminton.