International News Affairs
- Today (6th May 2017) is International No Diet Day.
- This day is an annual celebration of body acceptance, including fat acceptance and body shape diversity.
- Note: The symbol of International No Diet Day is a light blue ribbon.
- A law banning excessively thin models has come into effect in France, and ‘unhealthily skinny’ models will not be allowed to work in the fashion industry unless they provide a doctor’s medical certificate.
- The health ministry explained the aim is to fight eating disorders and inaccessible ideals of beauty.
National News Affairs
- The world’s first “ladies special” suburban train, which runs in Mumbai, has completed 25 years.
- Prior to its launch, women commuters were forced to travel in cramped regular ladies compartments.
- Note : At present, the Western Railway operates eight ladies special services daily, divided equally during the morning and evening peak hours.
- The Supreme Court today asked the state governments to issue a notification to include children affected with HIV in the disadvantaged group for imparting free, compulsory education under the 2009 law.
- Capital punishment has been carried out in 4 instances in India since 2000.
- Yakub Memon was hanged till death in 2015 after being convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case.
- Afzal Guru was executed in 2013 while Pakistani militant
- Ajmal Kasab was hanged in 2012.
- Dhananjoy Chatterjee was hanged in 2004 for rape and murder.
- Note : The four convicts in Nirbhaya gang rape case will be hanged soon as the Supreme Court confirms death sentence.
- The government has declared the entire Assam as a “disturbed” area under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for another 3 months.
Banking, Business & Economic Affairs
- The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today announced that it will soon launch a smartphone app which will allow people to rate the service quality of their call after the call ends.
- It also announced that it will further bolster the existing ‘Do Not Disturb’ system, which helps people to avoid calls from telemarketers.
Awards & Honors
- Saqib Majeed, a Kashmir based freelance photographer has bagged prestigious 2016 Wisden-MCC (Melbourne Cricket Council) Cricket ‘Photograph of the Year’ Award.
- With this he has become the first Kashmiri and second Asian after Atul Kamble to receive the prestigious award.
New Appointments
- In a bid to improve their efficiency, the Indian government today appointed heads for 7 Public Sector Banks. They are :
- Sunil Mehta – Punjab National Bank
- Dinabandhu Mohapatra – Bank of India
- Usha Ananthasubramanian – Allahabad Bank
- Melwyn Rego – Syndicate Bank
- Rajkiran Rai G – Union Bank of India
- A. Sankara Narayanan– Vijaya Bank
- Subramaniakumar – Indian Overseas Bank
Obituaries
- India’s first woman High Court Chief Justice and Delhi High Court’s first woman judge, Justice (retired) Leila Seth (86), passed away.
- She was the mother of noted author Vikram Seth (A suitable boy, Two lives)
- Swimming legend Adolph Kiefer (98), USA’s oldest living gold medalist in any sport, died today in Illinois aged 98 after reportedly suffering from pneumonia.
- He won the 100-meter backstroke at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a 17-year-old, creating an Olympic record that stood for 20 years.
Science & Technology
- The recently launched GSAT-9 / ‘South Asia Satellite‘ became the 1st Indian spacecraft to use an electric propulsion system (EPS).
- It significantly reduced the payload weight as the satellite carried only 80kg of chemical fuel for its 12-year-long mission, 25% of the fuel otherwise needed.
Sports Current Affairs
- Boxer Shiva Thapa won a Silver medal at the Asian Boxing Championships in Uzbekistan today.
- With this he became the first Indian to claim three back-to-back medals at the event.
- India’s men’s hockey team clinched the Bronze medal at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, after defeating New Zealand 4-0 in Malaysia today.