- IIT-Hyderabad professor bags INSA Young Scientist award
Aravind Kumar Rengan, a professor at Indian Institute of Technology – Hyderabad has been awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) award in the Young Scientist category for 2017.
Assistant Professor in Department of Biomedical Engineering, he is being recognized for having devised a novel way of nano delivery using liposomes and gold nanoparticles. This is useful for both imaging and therapeutics.
- Govt launches ‘Clean Money’ portal to prevent tax evasion
Launching a new website on ‘Operation Clean Money’, a programme to bring illegal wealth on books, he said the fallout of the November 8 decision to demonetise higher denomination currency has increased movement towards digitisation, number of assessees going up and tax revenue jumping as also fear of dealing in cash being installed. CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra said there was 22% growth in e-filed returns post demonetisation.
- PM Modi launches river conservation project in Madhya Pradesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Narmada Seva Mission for the conservation of the crucial river, which is a lifeline of Madhya Pradesh. With large stretches still contaminated by toxic waste and sewage, the $3 billion plan to clean the Ganga – India’s showcase river conservation project — is set to miss its 2018 deadline.
- RBI advises banks to follow CERT-In instructions over ‘WannaCry’ attack
RBI has asked banks to follow the instructions of government organisation CERT-In to prevent the attack by ransomware, ‘WannaCry’, which has impacted various IT networks in over 150 countries. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has come out with list of dos and don’ts and webcast on how to protect networks from the global ransomware attack.
Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-In) is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents, report on vulnerabilities and promote effective Information Technology (IT) security practices throughout India.
- Shri Venkaiah Naidu announces separate 24×7 DD Channel for Jharkhand
Minister for Information & Broadcasting Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has announced a separate 24×7 DD channel for the state of Jharkhand. The Government was putting up a vision document for a 24×7 DD Jharkhand channel for the people of the state and the proposal was included in the 3 years Action Plan of DD. However till the launch of 24×7 channel, DD Ranchi programmes would be telecast on DD Bihar. Jharkhand related programmes would be provided a special window in already available 24×7 satellite channel- DD Bihar.
- India ranks second in EY renewables list
India has been placed in the second spot in the renewable energy country attractiveness index by EY. The UK accountancy firm noted the fast pace of growth in Indian renewable energy in the past three years. Over 10 gigawatt (Gw) of solar power was added between 2015 and 2017 and wind energy capacity grew to 5.4 Gw in 2017-18. This growth is in the context of the government’s ambitious targets — 175 Gw of renewables by 2022, with 40 per cent installed capacity from renewables by 2030 — and the dramatic price falls in photovoltaic technology.
- President Emmanuel Macron names Edouard Philippe as French PM
Newly sworn-in French President Emmanuel Macron named Edouard Philippe, the 46-year-old Mayor of Le Havre city, as his Prime Minister. Philippe is a member of the centre-right Les Republicains party and is close to Alaine Juppe, the former Prime Minister. Philippe, a lawyer with experience working in the private sector, was born in Rouen and grew up a Left-wing environment.
- ISRO to launch India’s most powerful, ‘game changer’ rocket
India plans to launch next month its most powerful rocket that is capable of transporting a heavier 4-tonne communications satellite and described as a “game-changer” in the first of its kind space mission. Aiming for a greater share of the multi-billion dollar global space market and to reduce dependency on international launching vehicles, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) it is hoping to launch the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV) Mark-III in the first week of June.
- Indian teen develops world’s smallest satellite ‘KalamSat’
When the US’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) launches the world’s smallest satellite KalamSat on June 21, it will be the first time ever that it would be piloting an experiment by an Indian student. Developed by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old boy, from Tamil Nadu’s Pallapatti town, KalamSat weighs only 64 grammes.
‘KalamSat’, named after India’s nuclear scientist and former President, APJ Abdul Kalam, will be launched from a Nasa facility in Wallops Island.
- China, Vietnam agree to maintain peace in South China Sea
China and Vietnam will manage and properly control their maritime disputes, avoiding actions to complicate or widen them, so as to maintain peace in the South China Sea. Vietnam is the Southeast Asian country most openly at odds with China over the waterway since the Philippines pulled back from confrontation under President Rodrigo Duterte. After what China said were “positive” talks on the South China Sea last week between President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, the joint statement stressed the need to control differences.
- SpaceX launches fourth GX satellite to enable fast mobile internet service
SpaceX has launched a communications satellite for Inmarsat, marking its first launch for the London-based mobile broadband company. The Inmarsat-5 F4 satellite, built by Boeing, blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite is the fourth in the company’s Global Xpress (GX) constellation, aimed at providing high-speed mobile broadband service.
- India finish Asian Wrestling Championship with 10 medals
India stood fifth among the 12 participating teams in the Asian Wrestling Championship 2017, which concluded on May 14.
Top Five final medal tally from the Asian Wrestling Championship 2017
| Ranking | Country | Gold medals | Silver medals | Bronze medals | TOTAL |
| 1 | Japan | 8 | 3 | 5 | 16 |
| 2 | Iran | 7 | 2 | 6 | 15 |
| 3 | Kazakhstan | 2 | 5 | 6 | 13 |
| 4 | Uzbekistan | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 | India | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 |
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