Highlights of May 2016 Current Affairs (One-Liners)

May 2016 Current Affairs Highlights

18 year old Max Verstappen became the youngest driver in F1 history to win a Grand Prix as he finished first at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
42nd G7 summit was held in Japan from 26th to 27th May 2016. The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States.
7th President of India Giani Zail Singh's (5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) 100th birth anniversary was observed on 5th May 2016.
A two-day international Buddhist conference to mark the 2,560th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha held in Khatmandu. Theme of the conference : "Lumbini, Nepal: the birth place of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace".
According to a World Health Organisation report, Delhi is no longer the world's most polluted city and is ranked 11th in the most polluted cities list. The highest PM2.5 levels were recorded in Iran's Zabol (217), followed by India's Gwalior (176).
According to Amnesty International, China is the most welcoming country when it comes to refugees. The survey found Russia to be the least welcoming country.
According to SocialCops' analysis of World Bank data, India ranked 137th of 210 countries on electrification with 78.7% of its population having access to electricity.
According to the latest census, the number of endangered deer 'Sangai', found only in Manipur, has increased from 204 in 2013 to 260.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, President's rule has been imposed 115 times till date including the one in Uttarakhand recently.
After 17 years of construction work, Switzerland is going to open world's longest and deepest train tunnel. The Gotthard Base Tunnel will open for the first time on 1st June 2016, extending 57 km in length into the bowels of the earth 2,300 meters below the Gotthard massif in the Swiss Alps.
After winning the Asian 6 Red Snooker championship, India's Pankaj Advani become the first cueist to hold the world and continental titles in 6-red snooker at the same time.
Ahead of the World No Tobacco Day, the Assam government banned all forms of smoking in public transport vehicles.
Algeria is building one of the world's largest mosques with a 265-meter tall minaret, which will be the world's tallest. The 20,000-square meter Djamaa El Djazair mosque will reportedly be able to accommodate 1,20,000 worshippers.
All Gram panchayats in the country will have WiFi connectivity by October 2018 under the Bharat Net programme.
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the first AIIMS-like institution for Ayurveda will be inaugurated in Delhi within three months, to popularise the Indian system of medicine.
American professional tennis player, Serena Williams has won her fourth Rome Masters title and the first title in last nine months by beating compatriot Madison Keys.
An IPL-style T20 league is being scheduled to be hosted by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) in December 2016.
Andhra Bank will launch Bharat Bill Payment Service soon to enable customers make all utility bill payments.
Andhra Pradesh Government has launched Chandranna Bima Yojana, an insurance scheme for the working class people. According to this scheme, any insured worker who meets an accidental death and permanent disability will be paid 5 lakh rupees.
Andhra Pradesh is going to implement e-Office system in all 13 districts on a pilot basis in June, followed by a full-scale launch in July,
Andhra Pradesh is set to become the first State in the country to make all of its urban areas ‘Open Defecation Free’ by October 2nd this year, marking the two years of the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence has received 15 new industrial licences to manufacture a range of defence equipment, taking its total number of licences to 25, the highest held by a private firm in India.
As many as 2,508 cities across 26 states have been selected under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana' for providing affordable houses to the urban poor.
As per Ministry of Home Affairs data, Punjab has been under President's rule for a total of 3,510 days, the most for any state.
Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has reportedly confirmed that he created digital payment system bitcoins and provided technical proof for his claims.
Australian researchers have built the world’s first Scanning Helium Microscope (SHeM) to examine materials without disturbing them.
Baba Ramdev and Amit Agarwal (Amazon India Head), have been named in the list of ‘100 Most Creative People in Business’ by American magazine Fast Company.
Banks in India are expected to cut lending rates by up to 50 basis points (0.5%) by September as there is sufficient liquidity in the system, according to a report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Barcelona lifted a record 28th Copa Del Rey title after defeating Sevilla 2-0 in the finals.
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners have won an absolute majority in 2016 Assam state assembly election by winning 87 seats (16.46% votes) in the 126 member House.
Bollywood Actor Emraan Hashmi launched his book,'The Kiss Of Life : How a Superhero and My Son Defeated Cancer'. This book is about his struggle and hardship with his son, Ayan's cancer treatment.
Border Road Organisation's (BRO) foundation day was observed on 7th May 2016.
Britain has granted refugee status to Maldives' former president Mohamed Nasheed.
Cab aggregator Ola has signed a MoU with National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) to focus on building a sustainable framework by supporting entrepreneurship, skill development training and self-defence courses for Safai Karamcharis and Scavengers.
Capital markets regulator SEBI has tightened the norms for participatory notes (P-notes) in order to check misuse of these instruments in round-tripping and money laundering.
Carnival Corp’s 704-passenger cruise ship Adonia set sail from Miami to become the first US cruise ship to sail to Cuba in around 50 years.
China has replaced all business tax with the Value-Added Tax (VAT) after extending it to four new sectors of construction, real estate, finance and consumer services.
China has signed two agreements with Sudan, its close ally in Africa to build 600-megawatt (MW) atomic reactor.
China has successfully launched Yaogan-30, a remote sensing satellite to carry out land surveys and disaster relief.
China is set to be associated with Kolkata's Durga Puja this year. The country is planning to bring 100-200 people to Kolkata during Durga Puja.
China's central bank has fixed the Yuan 0.6% weaker at 6.4943 against the US Dollar, the biggest downward movement since August 2015.
China's central bank has set the daily Yuan-fixing rate against the US Dollar at 6.5784, the lowest level since February 2011.
Colombian President Juan Santos has announced that the US will provide intelligence support to help fight the country's crime gangs.
Defending champions and hosts Pakistan defeated India 50-31 in the 3rd Asian Kabaddi Championship's final.
Drugmaker Aurobindo Pharma has received final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture and market an an aesthetic injection in the American market.
Ella Mae Colbert, a 100-year-old retired South Carolina teacher set a new world record for the fastest 100-meter sprint by a 100-year-old.
England batsman, Joe Root grabbed the top honours at the 2016 CEAT Awards as he was named International Cricketer of the Year as well as International Batsman of the Year.
England's world number one Mark Selby won World Championship title of Snooker.
European Union (EU) officials recently announced that all scientific articles in Europe supported by public and public-private funds will be freely accessible by 2020.
Food regulator FSSAI has decided to remove Potassium Bromate from the list of permitted food additives. This comes after a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed that potassium bromate – banned in several countries – is a cancer-causing agent.
Football's world governing body FIFA has lifted the suspension on Indonesia which was imposed in May 2015 for political interference in the local football association.
For the first time since its opening in 1889, Paris' Eiffel Tower will be used as an apartment for a night during June's UEFA Euro-2016 football tournament.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the telecom sector stood at $4.09 billion (around ₹27,000 crore) between April 2014-February 2016.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in India till December in 2015-16 stood at $40.82 billion, compared to $44.29 billion in the entire 2014-15 fiscal.
Former Argentinian dictator Reynaldo Bignone (88) has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for conspiring to assassinate leftist dissidents as part of Operation Condor in the 1970s and 1980s.
Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has accepted Indian Olympic Association's invitation to be India's Goodwill Ambassador at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid and former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene were appointed to the ICC Cricket Committee for a three-year term. Former Indian captain Anil Kumble was re-appointed as the Chairman of the committee for another three-year term.
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has launched Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya at Panaji. This is the fifth ship of a series of six Off-shore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) that the Indian Coast Guard had tasked the Vasco defence public sector undertaking to build.
Government body National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has fixed the ceiling price of 54 drug formulations including those for the treatment of cancer and diabetes.
Government expands its flagship vaccination programme Indradhanush. According to this expansion, Four more new vaccinations added to existing seven.
Greek Parliament has passed austerity reforms amid protests in the Greek capital Athens. The reforms increase taxes on high earning individuals, fixes a $437 monthly pension to move towards a 'sustainable' system.
Gujarat Government has launched Smart Village program to improve public facilities in the villages.
ICICI Bank has became the first financial institution in the country to tie up with the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Grouping-promoted New Development Bank (NDB).
ICICI Bank has launched India’s first contactless business credit card in association with Jet Airways for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their employees. Named as the ‘Jet Airways ICICI Bank Business Advantage Card’, this co-branded credit card will help customers to save on their business expenses.
In a first in Kerala, two persons of the transgender community voted in Assembly elections. Surya and Suji were the only two listed as ‘third gender’ in the electoral roll.
In Haryana, a committee on Jat Quota agitation headed by Parkash Singh (former DGP of Uttar Pradesh & retired IPS Officer) has submitted its report to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
In his upcoming book titled "India vs. Pakistan", Former Pakistani Ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, claimed that former ISI chief Shuja Pasha said "Log hamarey thhe, operation hamara nahin tha", referring to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Inaugural Indian Super League (ISL) champions, Atletico de Kolkata, announced the appointment of former Villareal coach Jose Francisco Molina Jimenez as their Head Coach for ISL-2016.
India has successfully launched the first technology demonstrator of indigenously made Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), capable of launching satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter the atmosphere, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
India and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance Research and Development (R&D) capabilities in biotechnology by launching a joint funding call.
India and Iran reached an agreement for the former to pay Iran $6.4 billion in pending oil payments using European banks.
India and Japan have decided to exchange sports persons, coaches, experts andadministrators to improve the standard of the game in both nations.
India and Mauritius signed a pact to amend the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention.
India and New Zealand have signed a landmark Air Services Agreement paving the way for introduction of direct flights between the two countries.
India and Slovenia have signed a protocol to amend the bilateral Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).
India and the US held their first Maritime Security Dialogue in Delhi which focused on strategic maritime security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.
India has agreed to pay an interest of 1.5% on the $6.5 billion that refiners like Essar Oil and Mangalore Refinery owe Iran in oil dues, as a "goodwill gesture".
India has been ranked 3rd in the Attractiveness of Renewable Energy, behind the US and China, according to a report by consulting firm Ernst & Young.
India has secured 9th position in the 2016 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index.
India has sent two Naval ships, with relief materials to Sri Lanka, which is hit by cyclone Roanu. The Naval ships, INS Sunayna and INS Sutlej, have been sent to the Colombo coast from the Southern Naval Command Kochi.
India has signed a $100 million loan deal with the World Bank to develop the Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernisation Project that will provide piped water to different cities in the state.
India has signed a historic Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) with World Health Organisation (WHO) for cooperation in promoting traditional medicine, a move which will deliver for the first time WHO benchmark document for training in yoga , ayurveda , unani and panchakarma. The agreement titled 'Co-operation on promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary medicine between WHO and AYUSH, India, 2016-2020', aims to support WHO in the development and implementation of the 'WHO Traditional and Complementary Medicine Strategy: 2014-2023'.
India has signed a pact to grant assistance worth $1 million over the next 10 years to a school in Afghanistan.
India is the only country to have won the 60, 50 and the 20-over Cricket World Cups.
India Post's payments bank will start functioning from March 2017 and serve as a wider platform to implement financial inclusion programmes.
India ranked 5th in the list of countries exporting counterfeit or pirated goods globally, according to a study by global body Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
India successfully test fired its indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile Prithvi-II off the Odisha coast.
India was ranked 9th out of 22 countries in the Crony Capitalism Index in a recent study by The Economist. Germany was declared the cleanest while Russia performed the worst in the study.
India, China, Canada, Iceland, Israel, and New Zealand have signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement for the automatic exchange of information on tax issues amongst countries. This brings the total number of signatories of the pact to 39 (including France, Japan, Germany, the UK, and Australia).
India, Iran, Afghanistan ink historic trilateral transit agreement in Tehran to facilitate seamless transport of goods.
India, Thailand and Myanmar are currently working on a 1,400-kilometres long highway that will link India with Southeast Asia by land for the first time in decades.
India, which has emerged as the world’s second largest mobile market, is also the 5th largest producer of e-waste, discarding roughly 18.5 lakh tonnes of electronic waste each year.
India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a mobile-based payments solution ‘mVisa’. The application will enable users to make payments from their smartphones by scanning a unique QR (Quick Response) code at merchant outlets.
Indian batsman Rohit Sharma inaugurated India's first sports expo in Pune.
Indian para-athlete, discus and club thrower, Amit Kumar Saroha has clinched the gold medal in the men’s club throw F-51 event at the 2016 French Open Athletics Championship.
Indian professional boxer Vijender Singh kept his unbeaten record intact with a Sixth straight victory in his professional boxing career after he knocked out Polish boxer Andrzej Soldra in their encounter's third round.
Indian racer, Gaurav Gill started the 2016 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) season on a winning note after finishing first in the Whangarei International Rally.
Indian tennis player Sania Mirza's upcoming autobiography ‘Ace Against Odds’ is set to be released in July this year.
Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari was on a two-nation visit to Morocco and Tunisia.
Indian Women's Squash team won the Silver medal at the 18th Asian Squash Championship in Taipei.
India's economic growth for the 2015-16 fiscal year stood at 7.6%, in line with the official estimate, as against 7.2% witnessed in 2014-15.
India's proposed single emergency number '112' will be operational from January 1, 2017. The service will also be accessible through phones whose network has been stopped.
Indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile, Ashwin was successfully test fired. Of the 11 tests held earlier, 9 were successful.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines agreed to conduct coordinated sea patrols and establish a hotline to combat piracy and kidnappings in waters bordering the three nations.
INS Kalvari, Indian Navy’s first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, has recently launched for the first sea trial in the Mumbai naval dockyard.
ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is going to launch a record 22 satellites in a single mission next month.
IT services company Wipro has inaugurated Saudi Arabia's first all women business and technology park (WBP) at the Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh.
Italy's Giorgio Calcaterra touched the 88 km mark to win Red Bull's Wings for Life World Run 2016 racing event.
Jammu and Kashmir has banned the use of non-biodegradable consumables including items made of plastic in government offices and official functions. id.
Jammu and Kashmir is the only Indian state to have a state flag and its own constitution.
Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK swept the Tamil Nadu polls to become the first incumbent regime to retain power in the state since 1984.
Karnataka government has decided establish the Asia’s first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district and a Maize Technology Park at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
Kenya has vowed to close the world’s biggest refugee camp in Dadaab, home to 3,30,000 mostly Somali refugees, within a year.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Chief Uday Kotak, with a net worth of $7.1 billion, is the only Indian in Forbes' 'Money Masters: The Most Powerful People In The Financial World' list of 40. He ranked 33rd.
Lakshadweep became first Union Territory (UT) in the counry to sign 24×7 Power for All document.
Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy has been voted the 2016 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association.
Lhakpa Sherpa, a 42-year-old US-based Nepali climber, climbed the Mount Everest for the seventh time, breaking her own record for the most ascents to the world's highest mountain by a woman.
Long jump world record holder Mike Powell has announced a comeback to the sport at the age of 52.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress retained power in West Bengal, winning 211 seats in the 294-seat Assembly, the highest number of seats won by a single party in the state's history.
Manavaditya Singh Rathore, son of the 2004 Athens Olympics silver medalist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, clinched the Gold medal in the Men’s Junior Trap event of the International Junior Shotgun Cup in Finland.
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed the fastest elevator in the world, having achieved a top-speed of 1,230 meters per minute or 20.5 meters per second. It will be installed at the 632-meter Shanghai Tower (China's tallest building).
Mohun Bagan FC has won the 2016 Indian Federation Cup football tournament title for the 14th time.
Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm has launched its digital wallet service 'JioMoney Digital Wallet'.
Mumbai based IDBI Bank has decided to open an International Banking Unit (IBU) at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gandhinagar. This is the first state-run bank to open for IBU centre.
Mumbai based Kotak Mahindra Bank has opened IFSC Banking unit at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) City.
Nagaland has became the first state in the Northeast to introduce a financial literacy course through the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in schools.
New York-based law firm BakerHostetler recently hired ROSS, 'the world's first artificially intelligent lawyer', which is powered by Watson, an IBM-developed AI system capable of processing natural language.
Odisha Government has decided to launch Green Passage scheme for orphan students to ensure that they get free of cost higher education in the state. As per the scheme Orphan students pursuing higher education (from Plus-II level) to post-graduation level, will be exempted of tuition fees, admission fee and laboratory fees for higher studies.
Pakistan has missed its growth target for the current year, registering a GDP growth of 4.7% against the target of 5.5%.
Pakistan-born Bollywood singer and actress Salma Agha will get an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. This card will offer her multiple entry, multi-purpose life long visa to visit India and exemption from reporting to police.
Paramilitary force CRPF is set to deploy 567 women commandos in selected Left Wing Extremism-affected states for undertaking anti-Naxal operations. This is the fourth women battalion of CRPF.
Parliament has passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016. This Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
Playing against Sri Lanka in the second Test, England skipper Alastair Cook became the youngest cricketer and the first Englishman to score 10,000 Test runs. Cook, aged 31 years, 157 days, broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of breaching the mark at the age of 31 years, 326 days.
PM Narendra Modi has launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. This ₹8,000 crore scheme aims to provide five crore free cooking gas (LPG) connections to below poverty line (BPL) families between 2016-19.
President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena was on a Two Day visit to India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the retirement age of government doctors across the country will be increased from 62 years to 65 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Iran for two days on May 22 and 23 this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched solar-powered e-boats at the Assi Ghat in Varanasi. The initiative is aimed at reducing pollution and keeping the Ganga river clean.
Private sector lender Yes Bank has received in-principle approval from markets regulator SEBI to act as custodian of securities.
Public Sector undertaking, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltdhas commissioned 500 MW thermal power unit at Bokaro Thermal Power-AStation of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) in Jharkhand.
Rajasthan is set to become the first state to issue newspaper advertisements for the post of Vice Chancellor of state universities.
Real Madrid FC won the 2016 UEFA Champions League for the record 11th time by defeating Atletico Madrid FC by 5-3 goals in penalty shootout.
Rio Olympics qualified sprinter, Sudha Singh set a new national record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase category.
SAARC nations have agreed to set up a uniform toll-free child helpline at a three-day meeting of the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children.
Safra Catz, the co-CEO of Oracle, emerged as the highest-paid US female executive with a $56.9 million package in fiscal 2015.
Saudi Arabia has joined Turkey, Indonesia and the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) as a prospective founder member of a new Islamic finance infrastructure bank.
Saudi Arabia's Justice Ministry has announced that brides in the country will now get a copy of their marriage contracts, a privilege that was reserved only to men.
SBI’s subsidiary Nepal SBI Bank has launched payment gateway to facilitate online trade and non-trade transactions between the Himalayan nation and India.
Scottish professional tennis player Andy Murray has won his first Rome Masters title by beating Serbia's World number one Novak Djokovic.
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has remained as number one ranked player for 200 weeks, thereby becoming the fifth player in the history of the sport to achieve this feat.
Sevilla Football club was crowned the UEFA Europa League champions for the third straight year after it defeated Liverpool 3-1 in the finals.
Shashank Manohar has resigned as the President of the BCCI and also as the ICC Chairman.
'Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, the Star', a biography of veteran actor Shashi Kapoor authored by film journalist Aseem Chhabra was recently released.
Six-time Paralympic gold medal-winning British wheelchair racer, David Weir became the first wheelchair racer to complete a mile-long race (approximately 1.6 kilometers) in under three minutes.
Spanish football giants Real Madrid were named 2016's most valuable football team for a fourth consecutive year by Forbes.
State-owned engineering firm BHEL has won a ₹1,600 crore contract from NSPCL, a joint venture company of state-run NTPC and SAIL, to set up a 250 MW coal-based thermal power plant in Rourkela, Odisha.
State-owned major, National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has signed a MoU with Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) to jointly explore the possibility of setting up an aluminium smelter in Iran.
State-owned power generating firm NTPC has signed a joint venture agreement with state-run Coal India to revive plants run by the Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL).
State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has posted a loss of ₹5,367 crore for the quarter ended March. This is the highest ever quarterly loss by an Indian bank.
State-run Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) is going to be converted to a Green bank to enable it to access funds from overseas banks.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 8 runs to clinch the IPL title for the first time.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to create more districts in the state. The total number of districts may go up to 24-25. As of now, there are ten districts in the state.
The 27th edition of the India-Indonesian CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) recently concluded in Belawan, Indonesia.
The ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism (Ex MS & CT) was held at Brunei on May 1, 2016.
The Australian government has added 49 species of flora and fauna to the 'threatened' and 'endangered' list, of which 9 are 'critically endangered'. This marks the largest addition to the fifteen-year-old list since 2009.
The BCCI has nominated Indian Test captain Virat Kohli for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and Ajinkya Rahane for the Arjuna award.
The BJP has won a seat in the 140-member Kerala Assembly for the first time in history after its leader O Rajagopal emerged victorious from the Nemom constituency.
The Cabinet has approved India's first National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy. The policy is guided by seven objectives, including IPR public awareness, generation of IPRs, human capital development, and strong law enforcement.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has launched mobile app “Indian Customs- Guide to Travellers” for dissemination of information about Customs Baggage Rules, 2016.
The central government has imposed a complete ban on Indian citizens travelling to Libya "irrespective of the purpose" in view of the security situation in the North African country.
The Central government is working on a programme named Bal Sansad (Children's Parliament) to help children develop skills like leadership, and decision making.
The Centre has approved plans to construct 1,000 kilometres of expressways at an investment of ₹16,680 crore under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP).
The Congress-DMK alliance claimed victory in Puducherry by winning 17 of the 30 seats with a combined vote share of 39.5%.
The Environment Ministry has launched a web-based application, Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS), to help in tracking the movement and management of solid waste.
The first bullet train will run in India in 2023, and its work is on track, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu recently announced.
The first World Conference on Tourism for Development (WCTD) was held in Beijing, China from May 18 to 21, 2016.
The Football World Cup for unrecognized states, de facto independent states, and autonomous regions began in the breakaway region of Abkhazia on 28th May 2016.
The four-month compliance window for declaring domestic black money by paying 45% tax and penalty will open on June 1.
The German government has decided to relax rules on cannabis use by seriously ill persons if no other treatment options are available.
The Government has decided to set up six new IITs. These IITs will be set up at Goa, Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Khanpur Nagrota (J&K) and Dharwad (Karnataka).
The government has relaxed FDI norms for Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs), allowing 100% FDI through the automatic route, as per Budget announcements.
The government recently approved ₹4,428 crore worth of highway projects in Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh under its highways building programme National Highways Development Project.
The Gujarat government has issued a notification giving minority status to the Jain community.
The Haryana government has notified the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, 2016. The backward classes in the state will now receive reservation in services and educational institutions under the Act.
The HRD Ministry has launched Bharatavani, India’s first and largest multilingual dictionary in the form of a mobile app. The app, currently featuring 35 multilingual dictionaries, lets users search for text of one language in other languages.
The Income Tax department has launched 'e-nivaran' (electronic solution), a special grievance redressal system to fast-track grievances and ensure early resolution of taxpayers' complaints.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is going to give state-wise monsoon forecast from 2017.
The Indian 4x100m women’s relay team comprising Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, HM Jyoti and Merlin Joseph broke the 18-year-old national record to finish 4th position at the IAAF World Challenge in Beijing.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully test-fired an advanced version of BrahMos land-attack supersonic cruise missile system.
The Indian Army was held Chakravyuh-II, a major military training exercise to validate battle readiness and operational effectiveness of the Pivot Formation and Rapid Division, in Rajasthan's Suratgarh. t is a follow up to 'Exercise Shatrujeet' by the Strike Corps (Strike One) in April 2016.
The Indian Navy has commissioned indigenously built highly maneuverable Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli at the commissioning ceremony held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian Navy has retired the Sea Harrier aircraft of the Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS 300) at a function aboard the INS Hansa in Goa.
The Indian Space Research Organisation is going to launch a Space shuttle that is completely made in India for the first time before the onset of monsoon this year. The indigenously made Reusable Launch Vehicle - Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) will be launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian Women Shooters team of Sanjana Sehrawat, Chinki Yadav and Gauri Sheoran won the bronze medal in the 25m Pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation's Junior World Cup in Germany.
The Indru Nag hillock in Dharamshala is set to have its own sign similar to the famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. A 100-feet high national flag mast shall also be erected near the sign.
The Jama Masjid in Gujarat’s Vadodara has claimed to have the world's largest Quran, with 75 inches length and 41 inches breadth.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has issued a notification banning the sale of Loose Cigarettes, Beedis and Tobacco in the state with immediate effect.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi for setting up an IIT in Jammu.
The Jammu and Kashmir government will provide free medicines in all state-run hospitals from June 1.
The Jharkhand government has decided to include regional and tribal languages in Jharkhand Public Service Commission and Staff Selection Commission examinations, the recruiting bodies for government jobs.
The Lok Sabha has passed the Anti-Hijacking Bill, dealing with offences related to hijacking of aircrafts. The Bill, which provides for the death penalty even if ground handling staff and airport personnel are killed during the act, was already passed by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha has passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 which aims at consolidating and amending laws related to reorganization and insolvency resolution in a timely manner.
The Madhya Pradesh government will launch Nagaroday Abhiyan on the lines of Gramoday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan in the state in July-August. The campaign will focus on welfare of the people and development of urban localities.
The Maharashtra Ex-servicemen Corporation (MESCO) – a Government of Maharashtra undertaking – has opened a unique new tourism initiative called "Veer Yatra". This initiative will give civilians a glimpse of the evolution and daily life of the Indian Military.
The Maharashtra government has moved 255 families, who were earlier living in a slum, to a building ready under the Dharavi redevelopment plan.
The Maharashtra government is planning to develop the Nandgaon industrial estate in Vidarbha's Amravati as a 'Textile Park' and promote Amravati as a 'Textiles City'.
The Maharashtra government is set to plant over two crore saplings across the state on July 1st.
The Malaysian government has submitted to parliament a 'hudud' bill, an Islamic penal code which includes provisions of amputations and stoning.
The multilateral Red Flag Aerial combat exercises between US, NATO and allied forces and India Air Force (IAF) were held in Alaska, US.
The Mutiara Trash Bank in the city of Makassar is one of around 2,800 banks in Indonesia which allow customers to repay monetary loans in terms of trash.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully deployed the first experimental inflatable room attached to the International Space Station (ISS). The experimental inflatable room dubbed as BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module) was deployed after it was successfully expanded and pressurized.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled the first global digital elevation (topographic model) of Mercury. The model was unveiled by NASA’s MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) mission.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years in six cities of Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.
The Odisha government has decided to grant Below Poverty Line (BPL) status to the Transgenders in the state. They will also be covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
The Odisha government signed a Memorandum Of Understanding with Sulabh International Social Service Organisation for construction and maintenance of ‘hybrid toilet complexes’ in its nine cities.
The Palestinian Museum, a $24 million project, which has been in making since 1998, was opened for the public on May 18, 2016.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut its benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points to a record low of 1.75%.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it will shortly issue banknotes of ₹1,000 denomination with inset letter ‘R’ in both the number panels.
The Russian Tennis Federation has named suspended tennis player Maria Sharapova, among four players, who will compete in women's singles at the Rio Olympics.
The Sikkim government has banned the use and sale of disposable foam food containers like cups and plates across the state with immediate effect.
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and SAARC Development Fund (SDF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual cooperation and collaboration.
The Spanish authorities ruled that the Bull-lancing festival 'Toro de la Vega' will take place as usual in September but participants will no longer be allowed to kill the bull.
The Spice Board of India is going to set up the country's first spice museum at Willingdon Island in Kochi to let travellers know about the history and evolution of the Indian spice industry.
The state of Maharashtra was formed from the division of the Bombay State on thsi day (May 1) in the year 1960.
The Supreme Court of India has appointed a three-member panel to oversee the functions of the Medical Council of India. This panel will be headed by RM Lodha (former Chief Justice of India (CJI)).
The Taj Mahal has ranked 5th on a list of world's top 25 landmarks for 2016 by travel website company 'TripAdvisor'.
The Telangana government has entered the Limca Book of Records for conducting the most intensive household survey by a state. In August 2014, four lakh government employees covered over 1.09 crore households between 7 am and 8 pm in one day.
The Telangana government has issued orders to set up a 'Monkey Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre' in Adilabad district, at a cost of ₹2.21 crore.
The Telangana government has announced that it is going to set up a Memorial in Hyderabad for those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of a separate state.
The Transport Ministry has created a centralised online database system 'Sarathi', which is operational in some states, to track frequent traffic violators.
The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) for cooperation in the exploration and user of outer space for peaceful purposes.
The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement.
The Union Cabinet has granted ex-post facto approval to the MoU signed between the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of Maldives for strengthening co-operation in the field of tourism.
The Union Government Committee on Yoga Education in Universities has submitted it's report. The committee has recommended 7 programmes for implementation in universities. It was headed by Professor H.R. Nagendra, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana, Samsthana, Bengaluru.
The Union Government constituted a 5 Member committee to comprehensively review and give recommendations on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) roadmap for the future. This committee will be headed by : NK Singh (former Revenue and Expenditure Secretary).
The Union Government has given its final approval to setting up of National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in Kalinganagar, Odisha.
The Union Government has launched ‘Qora’, an indigenously developed affordable Faecal Incontinence Management System (FIMS).
The Union Government has launched the Centre for Environmental Health in New Delhi to assess the impact of environment-related problems on health.
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has decided to launch ASMITA, a student tracking system programme under Shala Asmita Yojana (SAY). ASMITA - All School Monitoring Individual Tracing Analysis.
The Union Ministry of Power and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched India’s first integrated web portal (www.nzeb.in) designed to promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in India.
The Union Ministry of Railways and Forest Department of Haryana & Punjab have inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for plantation of trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary.
The Union Ministry of Railways has launched Rail Humsafar Saptaah, a week-long initiative to highlight significant achievements made by Indian Railways in all spheres.
The United Nations has launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak.
The University Grants Commission has reduced the working hours of college professors to 14 hours / week instead of 16 hrs / week following the instructions by the Human Resource Development Ministry.
The US has designated two Pakistan-based Islamist groups with links to Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. They are, Tariq Gidar Group (TGG) and Jama’at ul Dawa al-Qu’ran (JDQ).
The US House of Representatives has passed amendments to the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)-2017 to enhance the country’s defence cooperation with India.
The US Senate has passed a bill that will allow the families of 9/11 victims to file lawsuits against Saudi Arabia.
The US Treasury Department has placed five countries – China, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan on its monitoring list aimed at tackling their trade imbalances with the US.
The USA has activated its $800-million missile defence system in Romania, triggering protests from Russia.
The 'Valravn' roller coaster, claimed to be the tallest, fastest and longest “dive coaster” in the world, has opened at 'Cedar Point', an amusement park in Ohio, USA.
The White House has launched the National Microbiome Initiative – a new initiative aimed at studying microbial communities that could aid in the development of useful applications in several areas.
The World Bank has announced a new programme Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) to mobilise funds quickly against virulent disease outbreaks in the world's 77 least developed countries.
The World Bank has launched Pandemic Emergency Finance Facility (FEP) to help countries and health agencies fight deadly disease outbreaks.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China have organized the First World Conference on Tourism for Development in Beijing on 18-21 May 2016.
The world's largest cargo plane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, landed for the first time in India.
The world's largest cruise ship 'Harmony of the Seas' set sail from England's Southampton on its maiden voyage to Rotterdam, Netherlands. The 362-metre long cruise is 50 metres longer than the Eiffel Tower and costs over $1 billion.
The World's largest solar power plant on a Single rooftop with a capacity of 11.5 megawatts was inaugurated by Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh near Amritsar.
Thrissur-based South Indian Bank has announced a tie-up with National Australian Bank (NAB) for online inward remittances from Australia at a competitive rate.
Top UK banks have reportedly shut over 600 branches across the country over the past one year as more people switched to banking online. RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) closed the most number of branches at 166 followed by HSBC (146).
Top-ranked women's doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis have clinched the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome.
Twitter has announced changes to its 140-character limit and names in replies and media attachments like photos, GIFs, videos and polls will no longer count as characters within a tweet in the coming months.
Two Indian-Americans, Nihar Janga (11) and Jairam Hathwar (13), were declared co-winners of the US Scripps National Spelling Bee 2016 competition.
UK-born professional snooker player Mark Selby defeated China's Ding Junhui with a final scoreline of 18-14 to win his second World Snooker Championship title.
Union Cabinet approved 6 new IITs at Goa, Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Dharwad (Karnataka), and Bhilai (Chhattisgarh).
Union Government has constituted 11 members committee to recommend measures to enhance the combat capabilities of the armed forces and re-balance the overall defence expenditure. The committee will be headed by : Lt Gen D B Shekatkar (retd).
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi unveiled the draft 'National Policy for Women, 2016' focusing on protecting women from cyber crime and recognising the rights of single women.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched 20 Nirbhaya buses of Rajasthan State Transport Corporation with multiple safety measures to better protect women passengers.
US based private space transport service company, SpaceX has successfully launched Japanese JCSAT-14 communication satellite into the space.
US personal and consumer technology giant Apple Inc. opened a new Development Office in Hyderabad, Telangana.
US President Barack Obama has visited Hiroshima during a trip to Japan and Vietnam. This was the first visit to Hiroshima by a serving US President.
US President Barack Obama signed National Bison Legacy Act into law officially making the American bison the country’s first national mammal.
US President Barrack Obama announced the lifting of a 50-year-old ban on the sale of military equipment to Vietnam.
US-based squash player, Vikram Malhotra, who originally hails from Mumbai, won the PSA $5000 2016 Charlotte Open.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared a state of emergency for 60 days in the country, citing internal threats and a United States plot to topple his government.
With more than 1.5 lakh post offices spread across the country, India has the largest postal network in the world.
World number one Novak Djokovic beat defending champion Andy Murray in the Madrid Open final to win a record 29th Masters crown.
Zimbabwe is set to print its own version of the US dollar in order to ease a cash shortage in the country. The cash, known as bond notes, will be backed by 200 million dollars support from the Africa Export-Import Bank.

Highlights of May 2016 Current Affairs (One-Liners)

May 2016 Current Affairs Highlights

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