Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (May 08th to 14th May 2024)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of May 08th to 14th May 2024. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2024 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day are celebrated every year on May 8.
• World Thalassaemia Day is celebrated every year on May 8.
• National Technology Day is celebrated every year on May 11.
• International Nurses Day is celebrated every year on May 12

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• Drone company Drone Destination has signed an agreement with cooperative major IFFCO for spraying agricultural products on up to 30 lakh acres of farmland
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana, women surpassed men in participating in skills training, with over 95 per cent of them choosing tailoring as their preferred trade
• In India during FY 23-24, renewable energy (RE) contributed more than 71 per cent of the 26 GW (GigaWatt) of new power generated in the country.
• The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India is participating in Arabian Travel Mart 2024, is being held in Dubai.
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers launched the MEDITECH STACKATHON 2024
• The traditional artisans of ‘Kutch Ajrakh’ in Gujarat have been awarded the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) certificate by the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks (CGPDTM).
• The 26th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting was held in New Delhi
• India has contributed $500,000 to the U.N. Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund, underscoring its unwavering commitment to support multilateral efforts in the global fight against the scourge of terrorism
• Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) has adopted a work plan focused on assessing country landscapes, drafting policy frameworks, and conducting biofuel workshops
• 3AI Holding Limited and SML India, announced the launch of ‘Hanooman’, India’s homegrown multilingual GenAI platform in 98 global languages, including 12 Indian languages, to build a Gen AI ecosystem for India by leveraging the country’s diverse linguistic and cultural heritage
• The 4th Joint Committee meeting for the review of AITIGA (ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement) was held in Putrajaya, Malaysia and was co-chaired by Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, India and Ms. Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary General (Trade), Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry, Malaysia

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Nepal’s population growth rate has dropped to 0.92% per annum over the past decade, the lowest in the last 80 years.
• Thailand’s cabinet approved a 6-month extension of the visa exemption program for tourists from India and Taiwan to boost foreign tourist arrivals and support the country’s economy.
• The United Nations (UN) First International Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure was held under India’s leadership to harness the technology to propel Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster inclusivity.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• Financial Planning Standards Board India has announced that it has signed a pact with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), GIFT City, Gandhinagar, to promote GIFT IFSC as a ‘Global Finance Hub’.
• More than 185,000 companies were registered in the country last fiscal, higher than the count recorded in the year-ago period, and nearly 16,600 companies were set up in March this year.
• Investments through participatory notes in the Indian capital markets reached Rs 1.5 lakh crore at the end of February, making it the highest level in nearly six years, driven by a strong performance of the domestic economy
• The government is considering granting relief to the online gaming industry by exempting them from paying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the rate of 28% on the full face value of bets for the pre-October 1, 2023 period
• TVS Capital has raised ₹1,700 crore in domestic money for its largest fund yet, its fourth, in a sign of growing interest among Indian investors for private equity as an asset class
• Infosys announced that it has been certified with ISO 42001:2023, the world’s first international standard on AI management systems, by TUV India (part of TUV Nord Group), a leading independent provider of technical quality and safety services
• com unveiled the first of a dozen Volvo electric big rigs it plans to deploy this year to pick up cargo from the nation’s busiest container seaport in southern California
• Bajaj Auto is gearing up for the much-anticipated launch of its CNG-powered motorcycle on June 18, 2024

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

• India and Ghana have agreed to operationalize India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) of the National Payments Corporation (NPCI) on Ghana’s Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS) within 6 months.
• Indian Bank’s net profit rose by 55% to Rs 2,247 crore in Q4FY24, compared to Rs 1,447 crore in the same period of FY23.
• According to Reserve Bank of India’s ( RBI’s) data on ‘Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit’, Credit outstanding to the housing sector rose by nearly Rs 10 lakh crore in the last two fiscals to reach a record Rs 27.23 lakh crore in March 2024.
• The credit-to-deposit (CD) ratio of banks is expected to remain at over 81% in FY25 as credit growth continues to remain above the growth in deposits.
• IDBI Bank has received a Goods and Services Tax (GST) demand order of ₹2.97 crore along with interest and penalty for alleged excess availment of input tax credit (ITC).
• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has published sale notification pertains to the sale of 92 Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) loans, collectively amounting to an aggregate Book Outstanding of Rs 13,471.68 crores, offered on portfolio basis in 2 lots through e-auction under the open auction method.
• India auctioned sovereign green bonds (SGrB) worth ₹20,000 crore in FY24, a significant increase from ₹16,000 crore in FY23.
• ICICI Bank has enabled instant payment facility Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for its non-resident Indian (NRI) customers in India through their international mobile numbers.
• According to the latest data from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), commercial banks, cooperative banks, and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) disbursed Rs 24.84 trillion in agricultural credit in 2023-24.
• According to Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) data on ‘Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit’, Credit outstanding to the housing sector rose by nearly Rs 10 lakh crore in the last two fiscals to reach a record Rs 27.23 lakh crore in March this year.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a caution to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) that offer gold loans, warning them against exceeding the Rs 20,000 limit for cash loan disbursal.
• Digital payments platform PhonePe has continued to be the number one player in the unified payments interface (UPI) ecosystem with a market share of close to 49% in April 2024 across P2M (person to merchant) and P2P (person to person) transactions.
• Setu, an Indian fintech company part of the Pine Labs Group, unveiled Sesame, India’s first Large Language Model (LLM) specifically designed for the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector.
• According to the World Gold Council (WGC), central banks worldwide continued to increase their gold reserves in March 2024 with significant purchases led by emerging market banks.
• Wayve, a British self-driving technology startup, has secured $1.05 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank Group.
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on Go Digit General Insurance for non-disclosure of a change in the conversion ratio of compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) accepted offers to buy Government Securities (G-Secs) totalling ₹10,513 crore, even though the total bids received were 33 times the notified amount of ₹40,000 crore.
• Small finance banks (SFBs) are likely to seek clarification from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on loan portfolio diversification, as the regulator has not specified the extent of diversification that should be seen as desirable.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the Bank of Baroda (BoB) to onboard new customers through the ‘Bob World’ mobile application, lifting a restriction imposed in October 2023 due to material supervisory concerns.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued guidelines that put the responsibility for verifying merchant details on acquiring banks for Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) Aadhaar Pay (BAP).
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) extended the settlement scheme period till June 10, 2024 for entities involved in reversal trades in the stock options segment on BSE in 2014 and 2015.
• HDFC Life has launched the “No Jhanjhat Life Insurance Fatafat” campaign to simplify and expedite the process of purchasing life insurance through its online platform.
• Eternal Capital, founded by former BharatPe Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, has launched its maiden venture capital (VC) fund with a target corpus of Rs 120 crore.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is anticipated to transfer approximately Rs 1,00,000 crore to the government in the fiscal year 2024-25, as per a report by Union Bank of India.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the cancellation of certificates of registration (CoR) for 15 Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), including Tata Capital Financial Services and Revolving Investments, due to various reasons.
• IIHL BFSI (India), linked to the Hinduja Group, has sought approval from the banking regulator Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) to pledge 100% shares of Reliance Capital, which it acquired in a bankruptcy resolution, to raise ₹8,000 crore.
• State Bank of India (SBI) has achieved its highest standalone quarterly net profit of ₹20,698 crore in the fourth quarter, driven by robust growth in non-interest income, including treasury income, along with effective cost management strategies and write-back in provisions for standard assets and other provisions.
• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has launched ICICI Pru Platinum, the company’s first unit-linked product (ULIP) which aligns distributor payouts to their customers’ fund value.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Veteran actor Meryl Streep will receive the honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 14th May
• The Pulitzer Prize, administered by Columbia University in New York, garnered attention this year amid student demonstrations against the war in Gaza.
• Oxford Bookstores announcedBhavi Mehta as the winner of the 9th edition of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize at a celebratory event hosted at the India Habitat Centre.
• Dr Purnima Devi Barman won the GBP 1,00,000 Whitley Gold Award from the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), which supports grassroots conservation leaders from around the world, at a Royal Geographical Society awards ceremony in London
• India is set to host a ‘Bharat Parv’ at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for eminent dignitaries and delegates from around the world to showcase the myriad creative opportunities in the country
• Eminent English author Ruskin Bond was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Fellowship at Mussoorie

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Scottish National Party (SNP) veteran John Swinney was elected as its new leader and is set to replace Humza Yousaf as Scotland’s first minister after he emerged as the sole contender in the contest to pick a new premier.
• Zakia Wardak, the Consul General of Afghanistan in Mumbai, has resigned from her post.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed Xu Feihong as the new Ambassador to India after a delay of 18 months.
• Vijay Kumar Goel, an officer from the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), has been selected for the position of Director in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER).
• Digital payments platform Visa has appointed Sujai Raina as the country manager for India.
• Mallika Nadda, President of Special Olympics Bharat, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Advisory Council for a three-year term, effective from May 1, 2024, until March 31, 2027.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed R Lakshmi Kanth Rao as executive director (ED).
• Wipro, an IT major, has named Vinay Firake as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) strategic market unit (SMU), effective immediately.
• Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, assumes charge as the Chief of Personnel of the Indian Navy.
• B Sudarshan has been appointed as the Executive Director (Refinery) of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board has joined hands with Starscapes, a leading astro-tourism company, to introduce Nakshatra Sabha, a new initiative to provide a comprehensive Astro Tourism experience to people.
• China’s state planner signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab on deepening aviation cooperation.
• INOX Air Products, a manufacturer of industrial and medical gases, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Asahi India Glass Limited (AIS) for a 20-year offtake agreement to supply green hydrogen to AIS’s greenfield float glass facility in Soniyana, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan
• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in New Delhi for the supply of indigenous marine-grade steel to enhance the local content in shipbuilding
• India and Moldova signed an agreement which after coming into force, will allow diplomatic and official passports holders of either country to travel to the other without a visa.
• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd to conduct two Pilot Projects under the Drone Didi Yojana
• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Hindalco Industries inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi for the manufacturing and supply of indigenous marine-grade aluminium to Indian public and private shipyards for the construction of ships
• The Uttar Pradesh government has partnered with the agriculture industry to bolster agri startups and introduce artificial intelligence (AI) in farming to boost rural economy and ‘smart farming’ practices
• Krishikalpa, a not-for-profit organisation for farmer producer organisations (FPOs) has launched an accelerator program in collaboration with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabarad) with an aim to support 30 FPOs distributed across Karnataka
• The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has signed an agreement with Marut Dronetech Private Limited to launch Drone-as-a- Service (DAAS) operations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
• Google and Kochi Metro Rail Limited has announced its partnership between Google Wallet and KMRL in enhancing the digital ticketing options for metro users

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITION AND MERGERS

• Global investment firm KKR announced acquiring Bengaluru-based medical devices company Healthium Medtech from an affiliate of funds advised by private equity firm Apax Partners.
• TVS Holdings Limited (TVSH), Premji Invest, and other associates will collectively acquire 100% equity stake in Home Credit India Finance Private Limited for a total consideration of ₹680 crore.
• Billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limited has acquired an additional 46.57% stake in Japanese display major AvanStrate Inc for $78.3 million through its wholly owned subsidiary, Cairn India Holdings Ltd.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• The Indian Army’s Kharga Corps, part of the Army’s Western Command, concluded a 3-day joint military exercise Gagan Strike-II with the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Punjab.
• The 7th edition of the India-France Joint Military Exercise “Shakti” is scheduled to commence from May 13, to 26, 2024 at the Joint Training Node, Umroi in Meghalaya.
• The two-day “Parivartan Chintan II’ was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Boeing Crew Flight Test will launch Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore on their third space mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
• The first India-made semiconductor chips will be produced from Micron Technology’s packaging unit in Sanand, Gujarat, in the first half of 2025.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completed the first ignition test on the Semi Cryogenic Pre-Burner Ignition Test Article (PITA) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• India’s first-ever “hybrid pitch” was unveiled at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in Dharamshala, marking a significant milestone for the sport in the country
• The launch of the Boeing Starliner, which was set to take astronaut Sunita Williams to space for a 3rd time, has been postponed due to a technical glitch.
• Google announced the launch of the Google Wallet app in India, providing users a centralized platform to save travel tickets, gift cards, event passes, and other digital documents.
• China’s 3rd aircraft carrier, Fujian, has completed its 8-day maiden sea trials.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) accomplished the significant achievement of conducting a successful hot test of a liquid rocket engine that was produced using additive manufacturing (AM) technology.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the top destination for Indian migrants, according to a report by a United Nations agency
• India ranked 159 among 180 countries in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF, short for Reporters sans frontières in French), an international non-profit organization.
• According to the data of economic think tank GTRI, China has emerged as the largest trading partner of India with $118.4 billion two-way commerce in 2023-24, slightly edging past the US.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Top Indian woman paddler Manika Batra claimed the biggest scalp of her career as she accounted for World No. 2, Wang Manyu of China in four games in a Women’s singles Round of 32 clash in WTT Saudi Smash.
• Andrey Rublev won the Madrid Open with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime to secure his second title of the year, despite battling with illness.
• Indian pugilists testing their water for the upcoming Asian Games in August proved their worth and emerged with a massive tally of ten medals, including five gold, one silver and four bronze medals at the Asian Games Test Event, here in Jakarta
• China completed a Thomas and Uber Cup double as both men’s and women’s teams beat Indonesia to win their respective world team championship finals in Chengdu.
• Mumbai City FC beat Mohun Bagan Super Giant 3-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium to emerge as the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 Cup Winners at the final in Kolkata
• Tripura Cricket Association (TCA) is set to inaugurate the state’s first international cricket stadium in Narsingarh, located in the West Tripura district, with a one-day international match or an IPL (Indian Premier League) T20 encounter
• The 24-year-old British Formula 1(F1) driver Lando Norris finally won his maiden F1 title by winning the Miami Grand Prix held at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami, Florida, in the United States of America
• Indian Chess Prodigy, Vaishali Ramesh Babu has been awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE
• The International Cricket Council imposed five years of ineligibility from all cricket on West Indies player Devon Thomas after he accepted breaching seven counts of the anti-corruption codes of Sri Lanka Cricket , the Emirates Cricket Board and the Caribbean Premier League
• The Japanese men’s under-23 football team made history by winning the AFC U-23 Asian Cup for the second time
• New Zealand’s Colin Munro, announced his retirement from international cricket after he was not included in the national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup
• Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra finished second at the Doha Diamond League meeting javelin throw event as his big final effort of 88.36m fell short by two centimetres of Jakub Vadlejch’s winning effort
• The Indian contingent won 43 medals in the ASBC Asian U22 and Youth Boxing Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan
• The world wrestling governing body United World Wrestling (UWW) has provisionally suspended Tokyo bronze medallist Bajrang Punia till 31st December 2024
• Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem announced that he will retire at the end of this season
• In Trampoline, India’s Srishti Khandagale scripted history by becoming the first ever Indian to win a medal at the Asian Trampoline Gymnastics Championships

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• The legendary coach who led Argentina to its first World Cup title in 1978, César Luis Menotti, has passed away at the age of 85.
• Roger Corman, the “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors early breaks, has passed away at the age of 98.

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