CURRENT GK
1.Theresa May’s announcement catches U.K. off guard :-
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement of snap polls caught many off guard as she had earlier insisted that no election would take place before 2020.
Holding — and winning an election — would enable Ms. May to address one of her biggest weaknesses, often pointed to by critics at a time when Britain is expected to be ‘taking control” by exiting the European Union (EU).
2.Trump signs executive order on H-1B visa :-
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that calls for a review of the H-1B visa programme, saying they should never be used to replace American workers and be must given to the most skilled and highest paid applicants.
Mr. Trump signed the order targeting the programme popular with Indian technology professionals at the Kenosha, Wisconsin headquarters of tool maker Snap-on Inc on Tuesday.
3.Sasikala, Dinakaran ousted as AIADMK factions bury hatchet :-
The political turmoil in Tamil Nadu following the death of Jayalalitha in December took a decisive turn Tuesday, with the ruling AIADMK faction deciding to “delink” its jailed general secretary V K Sasikala and her nephew T T V Dinakaran from all party affairs, paving the way for a merger with the rebel group headed by O Panneerselvam.
4.BCCI tells Sreesanth his life ban will not be revoked :-
Tainted fast bowler Sreesanth’s plea for a review of his life ban has been “summarily rejected” by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), adding that it will not compromise on its zero tolerance policy towards corruption.
The BCCI has informed Sreesanth of its decision in a letter. The letter was sent by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri after the cricketer wrote to the Committee of Administrators (CoA) appealing for revocation of his ban following the 2013 spot-fixing scandal.
5.RBI raises red flag over banks’ telecom exposure :-
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised a red flag over banks’ loans to telecom players and asked the lenders to increase their standard asset provisioning more than what is prescribed so that they can built ‘necessary resilience.’
6.In the works: Modi-Trump meeting in June :-
United States National Security Advisor H R McMaster met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi Tuesday, setting the ball rolling for a bilateral visit by the Prime Minister in the next few months, possibly as early as June. If this happens, it will be his fifth visit to the US in three years.
7.New data safety regime from TRAI by Diwali :-
The Centre informed a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is working on a new regulatory regime to ensure online data protection, and it will be ready by Diwali.
8.Rajasthan textbooks on govt schemes: Good height, beautiful complexion for successful entrepreneur :-
IN A first, Rajasthan’s latest curriculum change for secondary and senior secondary classes in government schools includes textbooks on “socially relevant schemes” that propagate the flagship initiatives of BJP governments at the Centre and in the state.
But the textbooks, in Hindi, also outline some curious ideas: one of them says the desirable physical attributes of an entrepreneur include “good height” and “beautiful complexion”.
9.Fast and Furious 8 box office collection Vin Diesel film breaks Furious 7’s record in India, is biggest weekend opener worldwide :-
Fast and Furious 8 starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson has collected Rs 71 crore in India. The action thriller surpassed its previous installment Furious 7’s collection of Rs 70.83 crore, according to a statement released by Universal Pictures. Fast and Furious 8 has also become the highest opening weekend opener with a collection of $532 million worldwide which amounts to approximately Rs 3400 crore. Of its total revenue, the film collected $100.2 million in the US and a $432.2 million in the overseas market.
10.Land issues continue to haunt Adivasis :-
Three quarters of a century after the legendary Raj Gond leader Kumram Bheem and 15 other Adivasis gave the supreme sacrifice for rights on their lands and 36 years after a good number of them were gunned down in the infamous Indervelli police firing, the issue continues to burn.
