Current Affairs 5th & 6th May 2017

Braj Bihari Kumar to succeed economist S K Thorat as - ICSSR Chairman

• Kumar’s name was finalised for the top position by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development on 2nd May 2017. He would be succeeding noted economist S K Thorat.

Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah has been appointed as Chairman of Tea Board of India 

• Renowned tea planter from Assam Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah, who was once a banker in the US, was on 4th May 2017 appointed as the Chairman of the Tea Board of India for a tenure till November 2018.

Deal signed by Russia, Iran and Turkey to - deal on Syrian crisis

• Allies of Syria- Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a memorandum on 4th May 2017,  backing Moscow’s plan of creating safe zones in Syria to encourage a truce between the Syrian government and the rebel forces.
•  Heads of the delegations signed a deal representing the three ally countries during peace talks in Kazakhstan’s capital city, Astana.
• Though The Syrian government and rebel delegations were not among the signatories.

South Asia Satellite successfully launched by - ISRO

• Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the South Asia Satellite on 5th May 2017.
•  The communication and broadcasting satellite was launched with Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV F-09  at 4.57 pm from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta has been appointed Vice Chancellor of Ashoka University

• Ashoka University named Pratap Bhanu Mehta as its Vice Chancellor (VC) on 4th May 2017. Mehta is a renowned public intellectual and Centre head for Policy Research, a Delhi-based think-tank. 
• Mehta will take charge from 1st July 2017 at the Sonepat, Haryana-based university. He will be the second VC of the liberal arts university since its inception after Rudrangshu Mukherjee.

PepsiCo India forays into Dairy Products with - Oats-Based Milk Beverage

• PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt Ltd, the maker of Quaker Oats, Lays chips and carbonated beverages like Pepsi, entered the Indian dairy market by launching Quaker Oats Milk, a ready-to-drink beverage that combines milk and oats on 5th May 2017. 
• The company will be selling intially sell two flavours of Quaker Oats Milk in 180 ml on-the-go cartons and will market them in India’s top cities and towns.