• Current Affairs 24th May 2019

    Updated : 24-May-2019

    Current Affairs 24th May 2019 - Important Points

    • MoU inked between DBT and DAE on Cancer Research
    • Charter of Affiliation inked between Assam Rifles - ICG
    • BrahMos Air Launched Missile test fired from a - Su-30 MKI
    • Bhawana Kanth, 1st Female IAF Pilot to qualify for -  Combat Missions
    • Supreme Court gets full strength of Judges with total strength - 31
      Current Affairs 24th May 2019 - Details

    MoU inked between DBT and DAE on Cancer Research

    The Department of Biotechnology under Ministry of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy, under PM of India has inked a MoU for supporting a joint combined research programs in area of Cancer.
    Key Highlights on Agreement

    • The Agreement for Joint Collaboration on Cancer Research was inked between Department of
      Biotechnology and Department of Atomic Energy.
    • The Department of Atomic Energy was represented by its Tata Memorial Centre, which also works as co-ordinating centre on behalf of The National CancerGrid of India.
    • The objective behind this agreement is to work towards common motive of tackling cancer and also to bring a quantum variation in current scenario of cancer research.
      Features
    • The clinicians shall assist in consistency with Researchers to identify and develop collaborative research programs and public health initiatives for public awareness.
    • Activities including intensive workshops on clinical research procedures, joint clinical fellowships and  protocol development shall assist towards generating a trained manpower community and will deliver a platform to use their acquired skills in best possible way.
    • Agreement shall assist fortifying various initiatives mandatorily for cancer by planning and prioritizing cancer research, developing fresh and inexpensive technologies, mutually designing and backing clinical trials & organizing and collaborating for translational research, interventions, training of manpower and  infrastructure progress.

    Charter of Affiliation inked between Assam Rifles - ICG

    The DG Assam Rifles and Indian Coast Guard inked a ‘Affiliation Charter’ between 3rd Naga Hills Battalion of Assam Rifles and Indian Coast Guard Ship “Shaurya” at a function organised at Laitkor, Shillong. It goals to improve inter-armed forces collaboration between both and utilise each other’s assets for training and  sports.
    Key Highlights

    • It intends to promote bilateral assistance between the Indian Coast Guard and Assam Rifles in field of exchange of data and personnel and to develop camaraderie for training in sports, adventure and sustainable progress.
    • This affiliation charted will simplify the ‘Sentinels of the North East’ to cooperate with ‘Sentinels of the Seas’ on professional and social platforms and share their rich experiences and best practices.
    • The both Armed Forces will profit from motivating one another towards common initiatives.
    • Assam Rifles personnel will be able to understand peculiarity of Maritime Service and role played by them in defending and intercepting anti-national forces and non-state actors who are harmful to maritime and coastal security.
    • Similarly, Indian Coast Guard troops will be able to understand the operational philosophy of Assam Rifles while assisting along the Indo-Myanmar border.

    BrahMos Air Launched Missile test fired from a - Su-30 MKI

    The Indian Air Force effectively fired aerial version of supersonic BrahMos cruise missile from a Su-30 MKI fighter airplane.
    Key Highlights

    • The Indian Air Force effectively fired BrahMos Air Launched Missile from its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter plane.
    • Earlier on 22nd November 2017, the Indian Air Force became World’s 1st Air Force to effectively fire an air launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this section on a sea target. Since then this was the 2nd such live launch of weapon.
    • The launch from Su-30 MKI plane was smooth and missile followed wanted calculated trajectory before straight hitting land target.
    • The firing was effectively undertaken with enthusiastic support from Indian Navy which made sure that abundance of monitoring ship is available for ensuring range safety clearance.
    • The capability of BrahMos missile attached with superlative performance of Su-30MKI plane issues
      Indian Air Force its desired strategic reach.
    • The combination of missile weapon on plane was a very complex procedure which involved electrical, mechanical and software alterations on plane.
    • The Indian Air Force engineers undertook software development of plane and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited did mechanical and electrical adjustments on plane.
    • The dedicated and synergetic efforts of Indian Air Force, DRDO, HAL & BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. proved the nation’s capability of undertaking such multifaceted integrations.

    Bhawana Kanth, 1st Female IAF Pilot to qualify for -  Combat Missions

    Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth wrote history by becoming 1st female pilot of IAF to qualify to
    undertake combat missions on a fighter jet.
    More about Bhawana Kanth

    • She is from the 1st batch of women fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force and joined the fighter squadron in November 2017.
    • For the 1st time she flew solo in a MiG-21 Bison, in March 2018 and became 2nd female pilot of the IAF to fly alone. The 25 years old Bhawana flew from Ambala Air Force Station to attain the feat.
    • In order to be acknowledged ‘Operational by Day’, a pilot has to finish their syllabus which declares them as fit to fly and undertake day operations.
    • She has now finished Operational by Day syllabus for carrying out combat missions on Mig-21 Bison plane during day and thus became 1st qualified female Indian Air Force fighter pilot to undertake missions by day on fighter plane.
    • Within a year of government decision to open fighter stream for females on an experimental basis, 3
      women namely Avani Chaturvedi, Mohana Singh and Kanth were commissioned as flying officers in July 2016.

    Supreme Court gets full strength of Judges with total strength - 31

    Supreme Court has touched its full sanctioned strength of 31 with designation of Four new judges to the top court. The total authorized strength of Supreme Court is 31, which consists 30 Supreme Court
    Judges and One Chief Justice of India. The length of their term is from their joining till they retire at the age of 65.
    Key Highlights

    • The Centre has announced the 4 names suggested by 5-member Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, for elevation as judges of the top court.
    • The law ministry released notification regarding designation after President of India Ram Nath Kovind inked their permits of designation.
    • The government firstly returned the names of Justices Bose and Bopanna to the Supreme Court collegium after citing seniority and representation of regions as the reasons.
    • But Supreme Court collegium approved a resolution in early May which reiterated its commendation  to promote Justices Bose and Bopanna to top court and also endorsed the names of justices B R Gavai and Justice Kant.
    • The collegium noted that nothing wrong has been found regarding their conduct, competence/integrity.
    • Following the promotion of 4 new judges, the top court reached its complete sanctioned strength of 31 judges. In recent past this is the 1st time that Supreme Court will have its full sanctioned strength.
      Four Newly Appointed Judges

    1. Justice Aniruddha Bose having parent High Court Calcutta High Court. He is Chief Justice
    of Jharkhand High Court and stands at number 12 in all-India seniority of judges.
    2. Justice Surya Kant is incumbent Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.
    3. Justice A S Bopanna has parent high court Karnataka High Court. He is Chief Justice of
    Guwahati High Court and stands at number 36 in all-India seniority of judges.
    4. Justice B R Gavai is a judge of the Bombay HC. Once sworn in, he could become the CJI in
    May, 2025 and will be 2nd Dalit CJI after K G Balakrishnan who retired on May 11th, 2010.