Current Affairs 19th & 20th May 2017



Indian-American student Pranay Varada wins - National Geographic Bee Competition 2017

  • Pranay Varada, 14-year-old Indian-American student won the prestigious National Geographic Bee competition 2017 on 18th May 2017.
  • As a National Geographic Bee champion, he gets USD 50000 in scholarship and other prizes.

All India Open Rapid FIDE Rating Chess Meet won by - R R Laxman

  • Grand Master R R Laxman of Integral Coach Factory won the All India Open Rapid FIDE Rating Chess Tournament at the Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, Kolkata, West Bengal on 18th May 2017. 

First Human Antibodies to fight Ebola viruses discovered by - Researchers

  • Scientists team from the United States have discovered a possible cure for all five known Ebola viruses, one of which ravaged West Africa in recent years.
  • This research was published online in journal Cell as 'Antibodies from a human survivor define sites of vulnerability for broad protection against Ebola viruses' on 18th May 2017.

Cheapest respiratory filter developed by - IIT Delhi scientists

  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi researchers developed cheapest respiratory filter, named ‘Nasofilters’.
  •  The filter, which is ready for commercialisation, restricts entry of upto 95 percent dust and air pollutants. 
  • It is the cheapest naso filter available in comparison to the face masks and other alternatives available in the market to fight critical level of air pollution.

Operation Clean Money portal launched by - Union Government

  • Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched Operation on 16th May 2017 Clean Money Portal with an aim to keep a tab on dishonest citizens hiding their income from the authorities and government. 

Number of migrant children travelling alone hits record high: UNICEF

  • The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on 18th May 2017 that the number of children travelling alone has increased five times since 2010. 
  • In addition, the agency also warned that many young refugees and migrants are taking highly dangerous routes to reach their destinations.

NGT bans open defecation, waste dumping on - Yamuna floodplains

  • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned open defecation and dumping of waste on the floodplains of the Yamuna on 19th May 2017. 
  • The tribunal also announced an environment compensation of Rs 5000 for violating the diktat.

Chitale Committee recommends several measures for Desiltation of - Ganga

  • Chitale committee constituted to prepare guidelines for desiltation of river Ganga from Bhimgauda (Uttarakhand) to Farakka (West Bengal), submitted its report to Ministry of Water Resources on 19th May 2017.

Bhindawas bird sanctuary to be developed as - Tourist resort

  • Manohar Lal Khattar,Haryana CM said that the Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar would be developed as a beautiful tourist destination on 19th May 2017.

Indian scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni wins - Dan David Prize 2017

  • Indian scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni won the prestigious Dan David prize 2017 for his contribution in the field of astronomy on 18th May 2017.
  •  He was awarded in the 'Future' category which is dedicated to astronomy this year. Kulkarni will share the award with Andrej Udalski of the University of Warsaw and Neil Gehrels of NASA for their discoveries on time-domain astrophysics.

Indian Army gets M777 howitzers 30 years after - Bofors scandal

  • After a 30-year wait for new artillery guns since the Bofors scandal, the Indian Army received the first two M-777 A-2 (Indian) ultra-light howitzers (ULH) from BAE systems of the US on 18th May 2017

Anant Geete inaugurates Test Track Facility developed by - Global Automotive Research Centre

  • Anant G. Geete, Union Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Minister formally inaugurated the Test Track Facility at Oragadam, Chennai on 18th May 2017. 
  • Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) developed test track facility with the estimated cost of Rs 193.25 crore. The facility has been notified to issue certificates under CMVR 1989.


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