Current Affairs 23rd & 24th May 2017



Intel International Science Award 2017 in US won by - India's Prashant Ranganathan

  • Prashant Ranganathan, won the world’s largest pre-college science competition 'The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) 2017' in the United States on 20th May 2017.

The Largest map of Universe ever! created by - Astronomers

  • Astronomers have created the first map of the large-scale structure of the universe based entirely on the positions of quasars using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). 
  • Quasars are highly bright and distant points of light.

Bengaluru FC beat Mohun Bagan to - Lift Federation Cup

  • The Bengaluru FC defeated Mohun Bagan 2-0 to lift the Federation Cup at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on 21st May 2017. 
  • After both sides played out a 0-0 draw in regulation time, it took two strikes from Bengaluru FC’s Vineeth to settle it at tie.

English Premier League's Player of the Year - N'Golo Kante

  • French midfielder N'Golo Kante was named the Player of the Year by English Premier League on 21st May 2017.
  •  He has earlier also grabbed the Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association.

UK Humanitarian Award won by - Jacqueline Fernandez

  • Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez was awarded with the International Humanitarian Award in Editor's Choice category of Asian Voice Charity Awards on 19th May 2017. 
  • The award recognises charity organisations work in the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad.

High speed Tejas Express launched by - Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu

  • Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu launched high speed, air-conditioned Tejas Express,  a premium luxury train that will run from Mumbai to Goa on 22nd May 2017. 
  • The train will operate five days a week during non-monsoon period and three days in a week during monsoon period.

Environment Ministry charge taken by - Harsh Vardhan

  • Union Minister of Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan took over the additional charge of Environment Ministry on 22nd May 2017.
  • Harsh Vardhan filed the seat left vacant after the death of Anil Madhav Dave, who passed away on 18th May after suffering cardiac arrest.

India’s Rohan Chakravarty wins - WWF International President’s Award

  • Rohan Chakravarty, Indian wildlife and environment cartoonist won 2017 WWF International President’s Award in May 2017. 
  • He has been honoured for his efforts to inspire change and attitudes towards nature. Chakravarty, under Green Humour banner, runs a series of cartoons on nature conservation issues.

Sand Mining in Narmada River banned by - MP Government

  • The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ordered an indefinite ban on sand mining in Narmada River on 22nd May 2017. 
  • The Minister made the announcement while addressing a press conference in the state’s capital, Bhopal.

Second largest steel producer in the world - India

  • India overtook Japan to become the second-largest steel producer in the world in 2016,as per the data released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) at a annual conference in Tokyo, Japan in May 2017.

Two Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers signed by - CBDT

  • The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed two Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APA) with Indian taxpayers on 22nd May 2017.
  •  The two Advance Pricing Agreements signed pertain to chip design and development of embedded software and Information technology sectors of the economy.

US, six Gulf countries sign MoU to - Curb financing terror organisations

  • The United States and six Gulf countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to curb financing terror organisations like Islamic State,  Al-Qaeda, Hizbollah, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Taliban and the Haqqani Network on 23rd May 2017.

Petroleum Minister co-chairs India OPEC Institutional Dialogue at - Vienna

  • Dharmendra Pradhan, the Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas co-chaired the 2nd India-OPEC Institutional Dialogue at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) headquarters in Vienna, Austria  on 22nd May 2017.
  •  Pradhan held a one-to-one meeting with secretary General of OPEC Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo. Later on, he also discussed bilateral issues of interest at a delegation level dialogue

Payments Bank launched - Paytm

  • Digital payment wallet service Paytm launched its Payments Bank operations by launching its first physical branch in Noida on 23rd May 2017.
  •  Paytm Payments Bank will be the first bank in the country to offer cashback on deposits. The bank will now be expanded to 31 branches and 3000 customer service centres in the first year.

NGT demands for data on trees in eco-sensitive zone near - Taj Mahal

  • The National Green Tribunal has ordered the Divisional Commissioner of Agra to provide information of planted trees in the eco-sensitive zone near the historic monument, Taj Mahal. 
  • A bench led by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar gave this directive.

Union Government launches SEVA mobile app for - Quick tracking of coal dispatch

  • Union Minister of State for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal launched mobile app Saral Eindhan Vitaran App (SEVA) for quick tracking of coal dispatch on 23rd May 2017. 
  • This unique monitoring app was a joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy and Coal India Limited.

Seventieth World Health Assembly kicks off in - Geneva

  • The 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) opened on 22nd May 2017 at Geneva-based UN headquarters in Switzerland. 
  • The World Health Assembly is the main decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO).

ISRO and NASA collaborate to build - Earth-imaging satellite NISAR

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have collaborated to build a satellite called NISAR.

PM Narendra Modi calls for creation of Asia-Africa growth corridor for - Development of Africa

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the creation of an Asia-Africa growth corridor for the development of Africa on 23rd May 2017.
  •  Modi called for the creation of this corridor while inaugurating the 52nd Annual Meeting of African Development Bank (AfDB) at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat with the theme ‘Transforming Agriculture for wealth creation in Africa’.

UN releases the First draft of -  Nuclear Ban Treaty

  • The United Nations released the first draft of the nuclear ban treaty  on 22nd May 2017 that would legally prohibit the possession of nuclear weapons, in the face of strong opposition from all the nuclear-armed states including the United States.

MoU signed between US, six Gulf countries to curb - Financing terror organisations


  • The United States and six Gulf countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to curb financing terror organisations like Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, Hizbollah, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Taliban and the Haqqani Network on 23rd May 2017. 
  • US and six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh signed this MoU.

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