5th May CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. Cartoonists’ day: 5 May

World Cartoonists’ day is celebrated every year on 5th May.

• Cartoonists’ day is best celebrated by picking up a comic you used to know and love, and walking down memory lane on the part it played in you growing up.

2. Nobel prize in literature 2018 cancelled after sexual assault scandal

 

The Swedish Academy has said no Nobel prize for literature will be awarded this year.

• For the first time since 1949, the secretive jury that hands out the world’s most prestigious literary prize will not unveil a winner this autumn, instead revealing two laureates in 2019.
• At the root of the institution’s unprecedented crisis are a raft of wide-ranging allegations against Jean-Claude Arnault, a photographer and leading cultural figure in Sweden, who is married to Katarina Frostenson, an academy member and author.

3. 12th informal meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers held in Manila

The twelfth informal meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers was held in Manila, the capital of Philippines on the sidelines of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB).

• The meeting was attended by the Finance Ministers/Heads of Delegations from the SAARC member states.
• Finance Minister of Nepal Yuba Raj Khatiwada chaired the meeting.
• Khatiwada underscored the need of concerted efforts to attain the objective of South Asian Economic Union as desired by the leaders of SAARC.

4. HRD Ministry notifies 75 National Resource Centres

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched a major and unique initiative of online professional development of 1.5 million higher education faculty using the MOOCs platform SWAYAM.

• In the first phase, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres have been identified which are tasked to prepare online training material with focus on latest developments in the discipline, new & emerging trends, pedagogical improvements and methodologies for transacting revised curriculum.
• Under this initiative, all in-service teachers, irrespective of their subject and seniority will have an enabling opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments in their disciplines through the technology based online refresher course.

5. NITI Aayog to Collaborate with IBM to develop Precision Agriculture

NITI Aayog and IBM signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to develop a crop yield prediction model using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide real time advisory to farmers in Aspirational Districts.

• The SoI was signed in the presence of Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog and Shri Karan Bajwa, MD, IBM India.
• The partnership aims to work together towards use of technology to provide insights to farmers to improve crop productivity, soil yield, control agricultural inputs with the overarching goal of improving farmers’ incomes.

6. Two Group of Ministers Constituted

Subsequent to the decisions taken in the 27th GST Council meeting held on 04.05.2018), two Group of Ministers (GoMs) have been constituted.

• The first GoM shall consider the issues relating to “Incentivizing digital payments in the GST regime”.   Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar is convenor of this GoM.
• The Second GoM  shall consider issues relating to “Imposition of Cess on Sugar under GST”.   Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma, Finance Minister of Assam is convenor of this GoM. 
• Both the GoMs shall submit their reports within a period of 15 days.

7. Govt. Appoints Justice AK Mittal As Acting Chief Justice Of Punjab & Haryana HC

The Centre appointed Justice A.K. Mittal as Acting Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court,

• The post is vacant due to Justice S.J. Vazifdar’s retirement.
• The Collegium had, on 19 April, recommended appointment of Justice Krishna Murari as the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The Centre has, however, not acted on this recommendation yet.

8. Jagdish Mukhi sworn-in as acting Manipur Governor

Jagdish Mukhi has sworn in as the acting governor of Manipur by the Acting Chief Justice of Manipur High Court, Justice N Kotiswar Singh.

• Mukhi, who is the governor of Assam and Meghalaya, will hold office in the absence of Governor Najma Heptullah.

9. Ministry of Railways announces Awards for beautification of Station premises

In order to promote cleanliness with creativity, the Ministry of Railways had invited nominations across all Zonal Railways for stations where beautification has been done with participation of local artists.

• Balharshah and Chandrapur stations (Nagpur Division) of Central Railway have been awarded first prize for depicting the best art & refurbishing itself as the most beautiful station across Indian Railways.
• Madhubani Railway station under Samastipur Division of East Central Railway in Bihar has been declared the second best along with Madurai Railway Station (Southern Railway).
• Kota Station (West Central Railway), Gandhidham Station (Western Railway) & Secunderabad Station (South Central Railway) were adjudged as the Third Prize winning Stations.