Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (May 15th to 21st May 2024)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of May 15th to 21st May 2024. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2024 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• International Day of Families is celebrated every year on May 15 with the theme of “Families and Climate Change.”
• World Telecommunication And Information Society Day 2024 is celebrated on May 17.
• World Hypertension Day 2024 is celebrated on May 17 with the theme of “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control it, Live Longer!”.
• International Museum Day is celebrated every year on May 18 to raise awareness about the museums in society with the theme of “Museums for Education and Research”.
• World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, is observed annually on May 18.
• World Metrology Day is celebrated on May 20 annually to raise the importance of Metrology. Metrology Day is prompted by the Measurements Standards Laboratory(MSL).
• Anti-Terrorism Day is celebrated every year on May 21 to commemorate the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development was observed on May 21.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• Public sector lender, State Bank of India (SBI), has become the first trading-cum-clearing member (TCM) at the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) – the country’s first bullion exchange in GIFT City Gandhinagar.
• Piramal Alternatives, the fund management arm of the Piramal Group, invested Rs 600 crore in Annapurna Finance Private Limited.
• Zomato, a prominent foodtech company, revealed that its subsidiary Zomato Payments Private Limited (ZPPL) has chosen to voluntarily surrender the certificate of authorization obtained from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to function as an online payment aggregator under the Payment and Settlements Systems Act 2007.
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended rules to make it mandatory for at least one key personnel within an investment team of an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) manager to obtain requisite certification.
• South Indian Bank has formed an association with Northern Arc Capital aiming to explore and maximise commercial prospects by combining efforts in loan origination, underwriting, disbursement, collection, and reconciliation procedures.
• HDFC Bank has launched “PIXEL,” an end-to-end, mobile app-based customisable DIY digital card range.
• India has decided to extend its budgetary support to the Maldives government by rolling over a $50 million treasury bill for another year.
• India’s gold reserve, held domestically, increased by 40% between March 2019 and March 2024, as per the Reserve Bank of India’s latest data.
• One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has launched the UPI Lite wallet to simplify payments, particularly for low-value transactions.
• In a move that can bring insurance down to the grassroots, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has mandated life and general insurers to extend cover to certain identified Gram Panchayats.
• Public sector banks’ cumulative profit crossed Rs 1.4 trillion in the financial year ended March 2024, recording a growth of 35% over the previous year on a high base of Rs 1 trillion.
• State Bank of India (SBI) has raised interest rates on retail domestic term deposits (below ₹2 crore) by 25-75 basis points for deposits of less than 1-year tenor.
• PhonePe, a leading fintech company based in Bengaluru, has partnered with Sri Lanka-based LankaPay to enable Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions for PhonePe users in Sri Lanka.
• According to the latest Half Yearly Report on Management of Foreign Exchange Reserve, the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) investment in the state-owned India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFC) UK subsidiary decreased by a 5th from the previous year, reaching $932 million in FY ‘2023-24.
• com partners with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) to introduce a Homestay Entrepreneurship Training Programme.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 148.5 million loan to help modernise and enhance the reliability, quality and resilience of electricity supply in Sikkim.
• Aurm, an asset protection firm, has announced a strategic partnership with Tata AIG General Insurance, to provide comprehensive insurance coverage to its customers for their valuables.
• General insurance provider Tata AIG launched the ‘Satellite In-Orbit Third-Party Liability Insurance’ policy to provide critical financial support to satellite manufacturers and operators in the Indian space industry.
• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed to allow investment by domestic mutual funds in overseas funds that have limited exposure to Indian securities.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conduct a 14-day Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction for a notified amount of Rs 1.25 trillion.
• National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) RuPay card network has announced a limited-time special cashback offer scheme for both RuPay credit and debit cardholders, from May 15 to July 31, 2024.
• YES BANK has announced the launch of YES Grandeur, an exclusive banking programme designed to address the unique financial and lifestyle needs of India’s fast-growing Emerging Affluent segment.
• Homegrown logistics services platform Porter has likely become the 3rd unicorn (with valuation of $1 billion and above) in India this year after a fresh internal round.
• The convenience of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms is increasingly favoured by merchants and consumers, reducing the reliance on debit cards for cashless transactions.
• The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has extended $500 million in financing to HDFC Bank to expand microloans for underserved women borrowers in India.
• SBI General Insurance Company Limited, one of India’s top general insurance carriers, has partnered with Bima Central, built by CAMS Insurance Repository, to launch the industry-first policyholder servicing platform, Bima Central.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• India will remain a leading player in the world rice market despite restrictions, according to a recent projection by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• The government is planning a unified portal to list all its digital public goods (DPGs) such as Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface and Open Network for Digital Commerce in one place to provide easy access to all the apps and services.
• NTPC Talcher Thermal inaugurates its flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, the “Girl Empowerment Mission 2024”.
• The first set of citizenship certificates to 14 people was issued under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, nearly two months after the Centre notified it, initiating the process of granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
• India witnessed the highest number of Internet shutdowns in the world in 2023, a record it has held for the sixth straight year
• BHISHM Portable Hospital tested in Agra for airdrop from aircraft by the Indian Air Force.
• State-owned gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd has hired a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier from NYSE-listed Cool Company for 14 years to augment its transportation capability to meet India’s rising gas needs.
• The Government of India launched the IndiaAI Mission with a budget outlay of Rs.10,371.92 crore, a comprehensive national-level program to democratize and catalyze the AI innovation ecosystem in the country and ensure the global competitiveness of India’s AI startups and researchers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The Ramcharitmanas, Sahrdayaloka-Locana, and Panchatantra have been included in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, marking a significant achievement for India.
• In a grim milestone, Venezuela has become the 1st country in modern history to lose all of its glaciers after the Latin American country lost its last remaining glacier on the Pico Humboldt peak which was downgraded by climate scientists as an ice field.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cabinet has approved a 10-year Blue Residence visa for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to environmental protection, reflecting the country’s commitment to sustainability.
• The South African government is developing mechanisms for the speedy clearance of visa applications from India and is working on a proposal to introduce E-Visas for Indian tourists.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• India’s retail inflation eased marginally to hit an 11-month low of 4.83 per cent on an annual basis in April 2024 as against 4.85 per cent in the previous month (March 2024).
• Pfizer and AstraZeneca announced new investments in France worth a total of nearly $1 billion, ahead of the start of this year’s annual ‘Choose France’ business summit.
• Mutual fund houses launched 10-12 equity new fund offers (NFOs) every month in the last three years.
• The Hinduja Group has received the insurance regulator’s approval to conclude the acquisition of Reliance Capital’s (RCap) three insurance companies, a move that will help it complete the resolution process of the debt-laden firm by the May 27 deadline.
• Russian energy giant Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy is planning to invest ₹600 crore to set up two ethanol manufacturing plants in the country.
• India’s imports of goods from countries with which it has a free trade agreement like the UAE, South Korea, and Australia grew about 38 per cent during the 2019-24 fiscal year to $187.92 billion.
• Energy firm ReNew announced that it has signed an initial pact with European bank Societe Generale for up to $1 billion in financing as debt and advisory solutions over the next three years.
• TVS Motor Company unveiled its new variant of the electric two-wheeler, TVS iQube with a 2.2 kWh battery in Bengaluru.
• TVS Motor Company (TVSM) unveiled operations in Italy via its branch office TVS Motor Italia headed by Giovanni Notarbartolo di Furnari.
• The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) announced changes to the Infosys Prize, shifting it to an early-career focus.
• Thomas Cook (India) Limited’s shares were up by 2.26 per cent after the company launched TCPay, it is a service aimed at simplifying international money transfers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Idashisha Nongrang, a 1992 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Meghalaya, making history as the first woman to hold the position.
• Chennai-based fintech firm Ippopay Technologies has appointed former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regional director SMN Swamy as a senior advisor.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Ajitkumar Vasantrao Sontakke (IOFS) as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) .
• Senior BJP leader and former cabinet minister Dilip Sanghani has secured his position as the chairman of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) for the second consecutive term.
• Melinda French Gates, one of the world’s preeminent philanthropists, announced that she would resign as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) which she has helped lead since 2000.
• Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi has been unanimously elected as the president of The Hindu Office and National Press Employees’ Union for her 3rd consecutive term.
• Lawrence Wong has been sworn in as Singapore’s new Prime Minister, succeeding Lee Hsien Loong after his two-decade tenure.
• Corteva Agriscience, an agriculture solutions company, has appointed Subroto Geed as the President of South Asia.
• Avendus Wealth Management announced Apurva Sahijwani as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Senior advocate Kapil Sibal was elected as a president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
• Justice Bidisha Banerjee has been designated as the Head of the Department (HoD) of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Kolkata Bench by the President of NCLT, Chief Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar.
• IndiaFirst Life Insurance’s board has approved the appointment of Rushabh Gandhi as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) for 5 years effective July 1, 2024, or the date of regulatory approvals, whichever is earlier.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) appointed David Salvagnini as the agency’s first chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer, in an extension of his current role as the chief data officer.
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India, S Somanath unveiled the carbon reduction initiative of SFO Technologies, the flagship company of the NeST Group.
• Sanjiv Puri, chairman and managing director of consumer goods major ITC Limited., has taken over as president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the 2024-25 period.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : PERSON IN NEWS

• Indian expatriate Gopi Thotakura made history as he became the first Indian space tourist and the second Indian to venture into space as part of the crew for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has been honoured with the Geospatial World Forum (GWF) Leadership Award for “Public Policy: Enabling Industry Development.”

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed Quant Mutual Fund to hike its stake in RBL Bank to 9.98%.
• Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) is in the process of acquiring a lithium block in Australia this year.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has granted the State-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) an additional 3 years until May 2027 to comply with minimum public shareholding norms.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted approval for Pradeep Natarajan to assume the position of Whole Time Director at IDFC FIRST Bank Limited.
• Shriram Finance, the largest auto-focused non-bank lender, has agreed to sell its entire 85% stake in its housing finance subsidiary to Warburg Pincus for Rs 4,630 crore.
• State Bank of India (SBI) has executed transaction documents to acquire a 6.125% stake in CCIL IFSC Limited for ₹6.125 crore.
• ICICI Bank has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in relation to an investment in the equity shares of a company to be incorporated (Target Entity) as a subsidiary of The Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL) along with seven (7) other shareholders.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) , a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, has announced the creation of a Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence in Paris, during the Choose France Summit, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.
• An extremely strong solar storm that hit Earth prompted a stunning display of colours in various parts of the world, including one of the remotest villages in India, Hanle – located in Ladakh.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing to send astronauts back to the moon and has announced its plan to construct the first lunar railway system, known as FLOAT (Flexible Levitation on a Track).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• Hyderabad-based Greenko has entered into an agreement with Norway’s Yara Clean Ammonia for a 10 year pact to supply renewable ammonia to the Norwegian firm, which is the world’s largest trader and distributor of ammonia.
• To enhance economic and trade relations, the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• Bharti Airtel announced a long-term collaboration with Google Cloud to deliver cloud solutions to Indian businesses.
• The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote innovation, support the semiconductor and electronics industry, and strengthen supply chains.
• Indian merchant payment company Pine Labs has partnered with Emirates NBD, one of the major banks in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) region to deploy its payment solutions to the bank’s business clients.
• The delegates of India and Zimbabwe held the third session of the India-Zimbabwe Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in Delhi.
• Indian Oil Corporation Ltd signed a long-term contract with French energy giant TotalEnergies in France for supply of LNG (liquefied natural gas).
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will collaborate with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar for artificial intelligence (AI) driven surveillance and other projects .
• India signed a 10-year contract with Iran to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar, the Narendra Modi-led government said, strengthening relations with a strategic Middle Eastern nation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

• The Indian Army is set to receive the first Hermes-900 Starliner drone, also known as the Drishti-10 drone, on May 18, 2024, enhancing its surveillance capabilities along the Pakistan border.
• The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act has been notified through a Gazette Notification to be enforced with effect from May 10, 2024.
• The National Security Guard (NSG) is conducting joint counter-terror mock drills with the US Special Operations Forces (SOF) at multiple locations in Kolkata, to enhance interoperability and coordination between the two special forces.
• The Indian Army has established one of the world’s highest tank repair facilities at an altitude of 14,500 feet near the China border in Nyoma.
• The Indian Army is set to receive Russian Igla-S very short-range air defence systems (VSHORAD) under the fourth tranche of Emergency Procurements (EP).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING INDEX

• The UAE has once again been recognized as the global leader in Fibre to the Home (FTTH) penetration.
• According to the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), as many as 65 Indian universities and institutes from India, led by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, are among the top 2000 globally but the country is losing its competitiveness in higher education on the international stage.
• China retained its spot as top import partner for India in 2023-24 with goods inflows increasing 3.29 percent (year-on-year) to $101.74 billion, opposed to an overall 5.66 per cent decline in the country’s imports.
• The 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was organized from May 6th to 10th May 2024.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa also known as ‘Everest Man’ broke his record by climbing the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest for the 29th time.
• In a first for Indian sports streaming, the ICC Men’s T20 cricket World Cup will be streamed with Hindi audio description and Indian Sign Language (ISL) for visually and hearing impaired viewers, Disney+ Hotstar, the streaming service with the rights to stream the tournament this year announced.
• Puma India has signed up as the official kit sponsor of the sports body, Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
• India’s women’s table tennis player Manika Batra became the first Indian woman to enter the top 25 of the world women’s singles rankings.
• Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in men’s javelin throw at the 27th National Federation Senior Athletics Competition in Bhubaneswar.
• Brazil was declared the host of the 2027 Women’s World Cup at the FIFA Congress, beating the joint bid of Belgium, Netherlands and Germany to become the first South American country to hold the tournament.
• The Coca-Cola India Foundation, announces its first-ever partnership with Hockey India, for the National Women’s Hockey League 2024.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

• Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi passed away in New Delhi at the age of 72.
• Veteran Congress leader and former governor of Gujarat Kamla Beniwal passed away at the age of 97.
• Distinguished media veteran and former President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), Naresh Mohan, passed away at the age of 82.
• Alice Munro, first Canadian author to win the Nobel Prize in literature, has passed away at the age of 92 in Ontario.
• Legendary Indian banker and former chairman of ICICI Bank Narayanan Vaghul passed away in Chennai at the age of 88.

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