Current Affairs 13th-14th May 2017

New Chancellor of JNU - V K Saraswat

• Eminent scientist V K Saraswat was appointed as the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on 12th May 2017.  
• He succeeds former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan, who completed his term on 30th March 2017.

No school bag day in UP government schools declared by - Yogi Adityanath

• The UP government is planning to declare "no school bag day" on Saturdays in all the state-run schools. 
• The proposal for the same was submitted at a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on 12th May 2017 in Lucknow.

New WHO’s goodwill ambassador for hepatitis - Amitabh Bachchan

• The World Health Organisation appointed Amitabh Bachchan as its goodwill ambassador for hepatitis in South-East Asia region to boost awareness and intensify action to arrest the epidemic on 12th May 2017.
•  Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director for South-East Asia of WHO made this decision public.

Himachal Pradesh cabinet minister Karan Singh passed away on - 12th May 2017

• Karan Singh, Himachal Pradesh Cabinet Minister passed away on 12th May 2017 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. 
• He was 59 at the time of death. Singh was suffering from cancer since some time ago. 
• The state government is arranging for his funeral at Kullu with full state honours.
•  His body would be flown from Delhi to Kullu on 12th itself.

Brazil declares end to - Zika emergency

• Brazil declared an end to public health emergency for the Zika virus after about 18 months of fight against this mosquito-borne virus on 11th May 2017. 
• The Zika virus emergency fell upon Brazil when the country was preparing to host the 2016 Olympics, spreading the concerns that Rio Olympics could spread the virus.

VVS Laxman awarded honorary life membership of - Marylebone Cricket Club

Former India batsman V V S Laxman was awarded an honorary life membership to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on 11th May 2017. 

After Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan, Laxman is the fifth Indian to receive this honour.

National Contact Centre launched by - Election Commission of India

• The Election Commission of India has launched National Contact Center with a toll free number- 1800111950. 
• This move would enable any citizen from any part of the country to call on the toll-free number and get their query or complaint addressed at any time of the day in Hindi or English.

Aruna Sundararajan has been appointed as Secretary of Department of Telecommunication- 

• Aruna Sundararajan was appointed as Secretary of Department of Telecommunications on 10th May 2017. 
• She will also continue to serve as the Secretary for Union Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity). 
• Aruna replaced PK Pujari, who was appointed to the post temporarily in March 2017. Sundararajan’s Secretary position will also going to be temporary.

Justice Mukul Mudgal has been appointed as Chairman of FIFA Governance Committee 

• Justice Mukul Mudgal, retired judge of Delhi High Court was elected as the Chairman of FIFA Governance Committee on 12th May 2017. 
• This appointment was made at the world football governing body’s 67th Congress at Manama, Bahrain. Mudgal former Deputy Chairman of the Committee, will take the office for four years effective immediately.

The first woman senator to breastfeed in Parliament - Larissa Waters

• Australian Senator Larissa Waters, the deputy co-leader of the Australian Greens party became the first woman in the history of Australian Politics to breastfeed her baby during a Parliamentary session on 9th May 2017.

India and UK to sign MoU to increase efficiency of urban transport system

•  UK and India inked MoU with an aim to improve bilateral cooperation between the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Britain's Transport For London (TFL) in  urban transport policy planning, technology transfer and institutional organization of transport.
• This MoU was inked during the three day official Visit of Nitin Gadkari to Britain.

Light Combat aircraft Tejas successfully test-fires air-to-air missile

• Light Combat Aircraft Tejas successfully fired Derby Air-to-Air BVR missile. It demonstrated demonstrating an Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile firing capability.
• It was conducted at Interim Test Range (ITR), Chandipur. It is being considered as a major step towards clearing BVR capabilities on LCA aircraft for FOC.