Current Affairs May 5, 2015

World Asthma day observed today

5th may has been observed as World Asthma Day. It is observed by the Global Initiative for Asthma, GINA every year the first Tuesday of May. theme for This year is You Can Control Your Asthma.

A report of WHO said that there are about 300 million people suffering from asthma across the globe. About 60,000 people die of asthma in India every year. Asthma is a lung disorder that obstructs breathing and the patient experiences chronic inflammation leading to narrowing of the airway that causes recurrent asthma attacks.

PAN mandatory for central excise registration

PAN has been made mandatory for private firms seeking central excise registration. However the government departments are exempted from the requirement of quoting PAN in their online application. It said, applicants other than government departments shall not be granted registration in the absence of PAN.

Indira Gandhi International Airport has been adjudged the world's best airport

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been adjudged the world's best airport for the year 2014, under the category of handling 25 to 40 million passengers per annum. Airports Council International (ACI) presented the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award to IGIA at a ceremony of the ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly in Jordan.

Puducherry Science Centre and Planetarium inaugurated

Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Dr.Mahesh Sharma inaugurated  Science Centre and Planetarium  in Puducherry. It is 47th Science Museum in India.

Prime Minister’s visit to China Mongolia and Republic of Korea (May 14-19, 2015)

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will pay a three nation official visit to China, Mongolia and Republic of Korea from May 14 – 19, 2015.
In China, Prime Minister will visit Xian, Beijing and Shanghai from May 14 – 16, 2015. He will hold bilateral meetings with China’s leadership and participate in cultural and business events. PM will attend an event organized by the Indian community in China.
Prime Minister’s official engagements in Mongolia will be on May 17, 2015.This is the first ever visit by a Prime Minister of India to Mongolia.
Prime Minister’s visit to Republic of Korea will be on May 18 – 19, 2015. PM will hold bilateral discussions with President Park Geun-hye and meet with important business leaders in Seoul.

Union Cabinet approved Constitution 119th Amendment Bill on the land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh

Under the pact, India and Bangladesh will exchange several enclaves which are under each other's adverse possession. The bill was placed in the Rajya Sabha in 2013 and subsequently referred to a select committee, headed by Shashi Tharoor of Congress, which unanimously recommended implementation of the deal

New species of caecilian (limbless) amphibian from the southern part of the Western Ghats

A team of scientists from Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and Natural History Museum, London, have reported the discovery of a new species of caecilian (limbless) amphibian from the southern part of the Western Ghats. Name of the new species is Gegeneophis tejaswini. It is named after the Tejaswini river in north Kerala. It is the 12th Gegeneophis species discovered from the Western Ghats and the fourth from Kerala.

Source: The Hindu,PIB