Current Affairs, May 2019

31st May, Current Affairs:

• Today is observed as World No Tobacco Day.
• Nirmala Sitharaman will be India's first woman Finance Minister.Rajnath Singh appointed as the new Defence Minister, while BJP chief Amit Shah will be the new Home Minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will keep Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space Ministry.
• Admiral Karambir Singh took charge as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) from Adm. Sunil Lanba, who stepped down upon retirement.
• South Africa's Imran Tahir first spinner to bowl first over of a World Cup. He bowled the first over of the opening match between South Africa and England.
• Indian-origin Anita Bhatia has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nation.
• India's GDP or gross domestic product grew 5.8 per cent in the January-March period.


30th May, Current Affairs:

• Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister of India for the second time at Rashtrapati Bhawan this evening.
• Jagan Mohan Reddy of YSRCP Party took oath as the new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
• ICC World Cup 2019 begins from today in England. England will play the opening match against South Africa. The World Cup will span 48 matches in all. Total 10 teams will participate in this tournament.
• Chelsea wins the Europa League final after beating Arsenal 4-1 in the Baku Olympic Stadium.
• Goa is celebrating its statehood day today.


29th May, Current Affairs:

• The US Treasury Department has removed India from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners.
• Naveen Patnaik took oath as the Chief Minister of Odisha for the fifth time after victory in the state elections
• BJP leader Pema Khandu sworn-in as the Arunachal Chief Minister.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced an extension of timings for customer transactions through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) by one and half hours from 4:30 PM to 06 PM.
• Scott Morrison has been sworn in as Australia's new Prime Minister.


27th May, Current Affairs:

• Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) President Prem Singh Golay has sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Sikkim.
• The nation pays homage to first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 55th death anniversary today.
• US President Donald Trump becoming the first world leader to meet with the new emperor of Japan.
• India's Mahesh Mangaonkar wins the Sekisui Open in Kriens, Switerzland for the second time. Sekisui Open is a Challenger tour event of the Professional Squash Association (PSA).


26th May, Current Affairs:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take oath for his second term at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.
• Barcelona's superstar Lionel Messi has created history by becoming the first player to win three consecutive European Golden Shoe awards with 36 goals in the LaLiga this season.
• In a first, a 25-year-old engineering graduate Chandrani Murmu from Odisha become the youngest Member of Parliament to the 17th Lok Sabha. She was elected as BJD candidate from the Keonjhar seat.
• China whitewashed Japan 3-0 to win the 11th Sudirman Cup title.
• Valencia defeated Barcelona to win the Copa Del Rey. Valencia beat Barcelona 2-1 in the Copa del Rey.
• The French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season begins today in Paris.


25th May, Current Affairs:

• President Ram Nath Kovind has dissolved the 16th Lok Sabha.
• National Democratic Alliance has elected Narendra Modi as its leader for the 17th Lok Sabha.
• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, posthumously honoured Indian police officer Jitendra Kumar with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjold medal for sacrificing his life during the peacekeeping mission in Republic of the Congo.
• India bags a total of 57 medals including 12 Gold, 18 Silver and 27 Bronze at India Open International Boxing tournament in Guwahati.
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired an indigenously-developed 500 kg class guided bomb from a Sukhoi combat jet at Pokhran in Rajasthan.
• Indian Air Force's (IAF) An-32 transport aircraft has been formally fleet certified to fly on blended aviation fuel containing up to 10 per cent of indigenous bio-jet fuel.


24th May, Current Affairs:

• British Prime Minister Theresa May today announced she will step down as Conservative leader on June 7 after failing to convince MPs to support her Brexit deal.
• The Union Cabinet has passed a resolution recommending the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.
• Four new judges of the Supreme Court were administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. Justices B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Aniruddha Bose and A.S. Bopanna were administered the oath of office by the CJI.
• China unveils 600 kmph magnetic levitation train prototype.
• At least 18 students were killed after a massive fire broke out at a coaching centre in Gujarat's Surat.


23rd May, Current Affairs:

• In the 17th Lok Sabha elections, 58 results have come in so far. 37 have gone in favour of BJP and 10 to Congress. The BJP is leading in 266 seats while Congress is in the lead on 39 constituencies.
• Counting of votes for four assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Sikkim and for Tamil Nadu by poll is going on. In Arunachal Pradesh, BJP has won 10 assembly seats and is leading in 11 while JDU has bagged two seats and is leading in two. In Odisha, BJD is leading in 109 seats while BJP in 23 and Congress in 12. In Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP is leading in 147 seats while TDP in 27 and Janasena Party in one seat.
• South African lawmakers have re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa as the president of the country.
• Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth scripted history by becoming first woman pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) to qualify to undertake combat missions on a fighter jet.


22nd May, Current Affairs:

• Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO successfully launched earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities among others.
• Oman author Jokha Alharthi wins Booker International Prize for her book "Celestial Bodies".
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully test fired the air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
• Aarohi Pandit becoming the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean flying solo in an ultra-light aircraft.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched ‘Golden Card’ Permanent Residency Scheme in an attempt to woo wealthy individuals and exceptional talents from all over the world.
• Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran is selected for Japan’s Second Highest National Award called ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver.


21st May, Current Affairs:

• The meeting of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of Shanghai Cooperation Organization today held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
• Indonesia's Joko Widodo has been re-elected as the president of the country.
• India today observed Anti-terrorism Day on 28th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• Pakistan has appointed career diplomat Mueenul Haq as the High Commissioner to India.


20th May, Current Affairs:

• The Navies of India and Singapore are participating in the annual maritime bilateral exercise SIMBEX in the South China Sea.
• The Second India Open International Boxing Tournament will begin today at Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati.
• World Metrology Day is celebrated today to commemorates anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention in 1875.
• The third meeting of the Advisory Council of the 15th Finance Commission held in Delhi.


19th May, Current Affairs:

• Elections for the 17th Lok Sabha concluded successfully. Overall around 70 percent polling was recorded in all the phases.
• Voting for the seventh and final phase ended this evening. Fifty-nine constituencies went to polls today from 8 different states.
• The world's highest polling station at 15,256 feet in Tashigang village of Himachal Pradesh today recorded 142.85 per cent voter turnout.
• Scott Morrison elected as the new Prime Minister of Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Liberal-National Coalition won the federal elections.
• Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova defeated Britain's Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4 to win the WTA Italian Open in Rome.


18th May, Current Affairs:

• India’s overall export, combining Merchandise and Services, in April this year is estimated to be around 44 billion US dollars with a positive growth of 1.34 per cent over the April last year.
• The government has retained the interest rate for General Provident Fund (GPF), Contributory Provident Fund and other related schemes at 8 per cent for the first quarter of current financial year.
• Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board has become the first state-level firm in India to be listed in the London Stock Exchange.
• Indian filmmaker, Achyutanand Dwivedi's film, "Seed Mother", won the third prize in the international section of Nespresso Talents 2019 in Cannes.


17th May, Current Affairs:

• Irfan Pathan became the only Indian cricketer to enrol himself in the players draft for upcoming Carribean Premier League by signing up for the players draft.
• I M Pei, the architect behind buildings including the glass pyramid outside the Louvre in Paris, has died at the age of 102.
• World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is being observed across the globe today.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has greeted people on the eve of Buddha Purnima.
• The Retired judge of Indian Supreme Court Justice Madan B Lokur has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji.


16th May, Current Affairs:

• Indian signed New Zealand led initiative ‘Christchurch Call to Action’ aimed at encouraging tech companies and countries to curb extremism online. The United States has declined to join the initiative.
• Sikkim today celebrates their statehood day.
• China is elected to host 2023 Asian Cup after South Korea withdraw bid.
• The Geological Survey of India, GSI, has revealed that 35 per cent the country's Graphite deposits of the country is found in Arunachal Pradesh.


15th May, Current Affairs:

• San Francisco became the first city in the U.S. to ban the use of facial-recognition software by city agencies and the police.
• The Reserve Bank of India has appointed its former Deputy Governor R. Gandhi as an additional director on the board of private sector lender Yes Bank with immediate effect.
• Nepal's mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has become the first person to climb to the top of Mouth Everest for the most number of times with his 23rd conquest of the highest summit on Earth.
• Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq broke Kapil Dev's record as he became the youngest-ever batsman to score a 150-plus knock in One-Day International (ODI) cricket in England.
• India’s Captain Aarohi Pandit became world’s first woman to cross Atlantic Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft named Mahi.


14th May, Current Affairs:

• One of the most prestigious international film events, Cannes Film Festival will begin today in France.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived India in two-day official visit.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the flight test of 'Abhyas', a high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT), which offers a realistic threat scenario for practice of weapon systems.
• Vietnam says it will mobilise its military and police forces to help combat the outbreak of African swine fever.
• The Home Ministry today issued a fresh notification extending ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE in India for a further period of five years.
• India's G.S. Lakshmi has become the first woman to be appointed to ICC's international panel of match referees and will be eligible to officiate in international games with immediate effect.
• Kiki Bertens of Netherlands beats Simona Halep of Romania in finals by 6-4 6-4 to win women’s singles title in Madrid Open tennis.


13th May, Current Affairs:

• ITC Managing Director Sanjiv Puri has been appointed as the chairman by the Board of Directors.
• Novak Djokovic wins third Madrid Open title after 6-3, 6-4 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
• Young Indian racer Jehan Daruvala, driving for Prema Racing, won the inaugural round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, one of the support events to Formula One in Barcelona today.
• The World Trade Organisation, WTO ministerial meeting of developing countries began in New Delhi today.


12th May, Current Affairs:

• Mother's Day is observed today.
• Voting is conducted for 59 constituencies across 7 states in India for sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election.
• World's fastest bullet train starts high-speed tests in Japan. Called the Alpha-X with the capacity of speeds of as much as 400kmh, the train is scheduled to go into service in 2030.
• Team Supernovas wins the inaugural Women’s T20 Challenge after defeating Team Velocity in the final in Jaipur.
• MS Dhoni became the most successful wicket-keeper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with 132 dismissals.
• Manchester City retained the English Premier League title 2019 after defeating Brighton by 4 -1.
• Mumbai Indians wins the IPL 2019. Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Supper Kings by 1 run in the final at Hyderabad.


11th May, Current Affairs:

• National Technology Day is observed today marking the anniversary of the Pokhran nuclear Tests of 1998.

10th May, Current Affairs:

• Ireland has declared climate emergency in their country, to be the second country after Britain to do so.
• Former Croatia international Igor Stimac appointed as Indian men’s football team coach.


8th May, Current Affairs:

• India's Jagjit Pavadia was re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for another term.
• World Red Cross Day, also known as World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day observed today.

6th May, Current Affairs:

• Around 62.5 per cent people voted in the fifth round of the national election. Fifty-one constituencies, spread over seven states, went to polls in this phase.
• Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE has announced the results for Class 10 examinations today. Of the 17.6 lakh students who appeared in CBSE's Class 10 examination, 91.1 per cent have passed. 13 students share the top position with 499 out of 500 marks.

5th May, Current Affairs:

• Windies openers John Campbell and Shai Hope shattered the record for the highest first-wicket partnership in one-day internationals (ODIs) with a stand of 365 against Ireland in Dublin. The duo breaks the previous best partnership of 304 set by Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in July last year.

4th May, Current Affairs:

• Thailand has crowned its new King Maha Vajiralongkorn, marking the first ascension of a new monarch in seven decades.
• India retained its top position in the ICC Test rankings, while England remained the number one ODI side in the latest annual rankings released in Dubai today.
• Rajasthan Royals' Riyan Parag has become the youngest player to score an IPL half-century. The 17-year-old from Assam achieved this feat against Delhi Capitals in a match in New Delhi. Parag scored his first fifty aged 17 years 175 days, to break the record of the youngest half-centurion, which was held by Sanju Samson.

3rd May, Current Affairs:

• The cyclonic storm FANI hits Odisha this morning. The Extremely Severe Cyclonic storm has reduced to very severe cyclonic storm.
• Today is World Press Freedom Day which was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference.

2nd May, Current Affairs:

• Japan welcomes new emperor Naruhito as Reiwa era begins.
• The Central Board of Secondary Education has declared results for its Class 12 examination held in February to March 2019. Of the 12.87 lakh students who attempted the examination, 83.4% have passed.

1st May, Current Affairs:

• May Day is celebrated across the World.
• Fifteen policemen and their driver were killed in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli after a powerful explosion, set off by Maoists, blew up their vehicle.
• Terrorist Masood Azhar has been listed as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council. China, which had blocked Masood Azhar's listing as global terrorist four times, finally dropped its objections.