30 May 2017 Current Affairs
Dr. Sunil Kothari to be awarded the Akademi Ratna
Dr. Sunil Kothari who was the first one to complete Ph D from Vadodara M S University’s Department of Dance, has been selected for the coveted Akademi Ratna award by the Sangeet natak Akademi. The 83 year old Kothari, who is a native of Matar town of Kheda district will receive the highest Indian recognition given to an artist in October by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was starting the school of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Priyanka Chopra bags Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Actress Priyanka Chopra will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for being an international icon. The Bollywood star will be given the award under the newly introduced . “Internationally Acclaimed Actress” category at a ceremony. The board of trustees for Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards include Johny Lever, Pahlaj Nihalani, Mithun Chakraborty and TP Agrawal. The award ceremony will be held on June 1, 2017 in Mumbai.
Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis dies at 98
Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the Greece’s most prominent veteran politicians died on 29 May 2017. Mitsotakis, whose political career spanned more than half a century, was Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993. Mitsotakis was first elected to parliament at the age of 28 as a member of a liberal party. His son, Kyriakos, in the incumbent President of New Democracy, now the chief Opposition party in the country.
Union Government launched new campaign “Darwaza Band” to promote Sanitation
The Union Government launched a new campaign called Darwaza Band for the Promotion of toilet usage in the rural areas across the country. Bollywood Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, who leads the campaign, is proposed to be joined by Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the formal launch event to be held in Mumbai.
First Women’s TV Channel launched in Afghanistan
The first ever Women television channel “Zan TV” (or Women’s TV) has started in Kabul, Afghanistan. It has been started on May 30, 2017 with a staff of all female presenters and producers. The main purpose to launch the women TV Channels is to highlight the rights of Afghan Women and to improve their status and ensure their equality with men in the conservative society. It has been taken a crucial step for Women’s rights, in a male dominated country which is struggling for peace.
Veteran Telugu Filmmaker Dasari Narayana Rao Pases Away
Veteran Telugu Filmmaker and former Union Minister Dasari Narayana Rao passed away on 30 May 2017 following heart failure. He was 75, Narayana Rao known for directing movies with legendary actors like NT Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He was also an active politician in the congress party and served as a Union Minister during the UPA regime. Rao began his career as a theatre artiste and went on to work in films. Rao directed his first film in the early 1970 s. He launched the popular Telugu Daily Udayam in 1984.
US Successfully tests intercontinental ballistic missile defence system
The United States of America on 30 May, 2017 successfully conducted the first ever test of its defence system against an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The test was long planned. US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) stated that a ground based interceptor was launched at a California airbase and it successfully shot down a mock ballistic missile. Experts compare the exercise to hitting a bullet with another bullet. The enormous distance involved further added to the complexity of the test.
President of India Presents Hindi Sevi Samman Awards
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee Presented the Hindi Sevi Samman Awards to 26 eminent Hindi Scholars for the year 2015 on 30 May, 2017 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including the Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar, The awards were conferred to the scholars under 12 different categories for their contribution in the field of Hindi language and literature. Every year this award was given to Hindi scholars in the field.
India, Fiji Sign MoU on Defence Cooperation
In an endeavour to strengthen defence ties between India and Fiji, the two nations on 29 May, 2017 signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation. Minister of Defence and National Security of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola accompanied by his delegation met Minister of Defence Arun Jaitley. A MoU on defence cooperation envisaging several areas of cooperation including in defence industry, military training and humanitarian assistance and disaster management.
Goa bans thin plastic bags to tackle garbage
The Goa State government has decided to ban buying and selling of plastic bags below 50 microns. The ban will come to effects from July 2017. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar implemented the law with the fine of Rs.500 and then the fine will be subsequently raised to Rs.5,000. Goa has already banned plastic bags below 40 microns. This thin plastic has a tendency to cause flooding by Choking drains, and can easily travel by wind and water in floodplains.
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