Current Affairs May 2019 - Appointments

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1 - Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria Appointed as Vice Chief of Air Staff

Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria was commissioned in the fighter stream of Indian Air Force in 1980 and won the coveted ‘Sword of Honour’ for standing first in the overall order of merit.

He has over 4250 hours of experience on twenty-six types of fighters and transport aircraft with the unique distinction of being an Experimental Test Pilot, a Cat ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor and a Pilot Attack Instructor.

He held a number of important appointments, which include, Command of a Jaguar Squadron and a premier Air Force Station, Commanding Officer of Flight Test Squadron at Aircraft and System Testing Establishment, Chief Test Pilot and Project Director of National Flight Test Centre on Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project.

He was extensively involved in the initial prototype flight tests on the LCA.

Air Marshal Bhadauria was also the Air Attache, at Embassy of India in Moscow, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects), Commandant of the National Defence Academy, Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ CAC, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air HQ and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command.

2 - Japan got its new emperor Naruhito Emperor ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne

The new emperor, Naruhito (59-year-old), on 1^st May received the sacred imperial regalia that represents his rightful succession to the world’s oldest monarchy, Tokyo, Japan. Emperor Akihito of Japan formally stepped down on 30^th April 2019 as his son Naruhito prepared to take the Chrysanthemum Throne and usher in a new imperial era.

Emperor Akihito

Emperor Akihito abdicated the Chrysanthemum Throne three decades after he succeeded his father, the wartime emperor Hirohito. This is the first abdication for 200 years in the world's oldest monarchy. In the “Room of Pine” in Tokyo's Imperial Palace, the popular 85-year-old performed the abdication ritual in the presence of the imperial regalia, an ancient sword and the sacred jewel.

Akihito (now 85 years old), took the throne in 1989. He devoted his career correcting for a war fought in his father's name. He even brought the aloof monarchy closer to people. He is the first emperor in Japan's modern history whose era did not have a war. While the role of the emperor has been chiefly ceremonial since the end of World War II, the departing monarch acted as the nation’s chief consoler during times of disaster, such as the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and sought to make amends throughout Asia for Japan’s wartime atrocities.

Change of Era

Stepping down of Emperor Akihito brings his "Heisei" era to an end and beginning of a new "Reiwa" era with Naruhito's accession. The term "Reiwa" means "Beautiful Harmony". It is derived from "Manyoshu", an anthology of Japanese poems dating back 1,200 years that symbolises Japan's profound public culture and long tradition.

3 - Jayshree Vyas appointed as BSEs first independent woman director

BSE, formerly known as the Bombay Stock Exchange, has finally appointed its first independent woman director Jayshree Vyas. The appointment was still late by at least a few weeks from the deadline of April 1 given to all top 500 listed companies based on their market capitalisation for appointing an independent woman director on their board.

Why the delay?

The delay happened as the country’s largest stock exchange was awaiting market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) approval on the appointment. Because of the appointment, BSE is now compliant with the regulations. BSE already has two non-executive women directors namely Usha Sangwan and Rajeshree Sabnavis on its Board.

Jayshree Vyas

Vyas is a professionally-qualified chartered accountant, working as the managing director of Shree Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank, Ahmedabad, since 1986. She helped in launching the first financial literacy programme in Sewa Bank in 2001.

Why the appointment is important?

The Companies Act of 2013 mandates a certain class of companies to have at least one woman director on board. SEBI, in compliance with the Companies Act 2013, made it compulsory to have at least one woman on a board from October 2014.

Howver, according to some reports as of April 2019, 51 of top 500 National Stock Exchange (NSE) listed companies in terms of market capitalisation had not appointed independent woman director.

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

Location: Maharashtra, India

Founded on: 9 July 1875

Founded by: Premchand Roychand

Chairman: S. Ravi

MD & CEO: Ashishkumar Chauhan

Market cap: ₹150,184.87 billion

It is an Indian stock exchange

BSE is the world's 10^th largest stock exchange

4 - US Air Force General Tod Wolters sworn in as NATO commander

US Air Force General Tod D. Wolters has been sworn in as the top military officer of the 29-nation NATO military alliance.

Wolters, who replaces U.S. Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti for a term likely to run two to three years, will also be commander of U.S. forces in Europe.

The NATO post of SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander Europe) is always held by an American military officer.

About NATO

NATO full form: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

It is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries.

The organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949.

NATO's Headquarters: Haren, Brussels, Belgium

Headquarters of Allied Command Operations: Mons, Belgium.

The most recent member state to be added to NATO is Montenegro on 5 June 2017.

NATO's 29 members are: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United States, and Montenegro.

5 - Justice PR Ramachandra Menon sworn in as CJ of the Chhattisgarh HC

Justice PR Ramachandra Menon was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court on 6^th May. Governor Anandiben Patel administered him the oath of office and secrecy at a function at Raj Bhawan.

The office the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh fell vacant after the resignation of Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi following his appointment as Judicial Member in the Lokpal.

Justice PR Ramachandra Menon

Initially, he was sworn-in as Additional Judge of High Court of Kerala on January 5, 2009. On December 15, 2010, he was appointed as permanent Judge of the High Court of Kerala and has been functioning there since his elevation.

Menon’s name was recommended for the position of Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court by Supreme Court Collegium on April 8, 2019, following which, he was appointed for the said position by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Chhattisgarh

Capital: Raipur

Governor: Anandiben Patel

Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel

Official language: Hindi

Districts: 27

6 - Sujatha V Kumar appointed as Head of Marketing for India and South Asia for Visa

Visa, the global leader in digital payments technology, announced the appointment of Sujatha V Kumar as Head of Marketing for India and South Asia.

Her roles will be as the overall marketing strategy and execution including consumer, retail and digital marketing initiatives for India and the emerging markets of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives

Prior to this, she worked with Google as Head in Brand & Reputation, Marketing and Strategy.

She has 20 years of experience and extensive knowledge of consumer insights, brand development, go-to-market approaches, category management, retail strategy and promotions.

She started her career at Procter & Gamble and later on gathered rich experience in sales and marketing across companies such as Gillette, Nokia, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Coca-Cola.

Sujatha is a graduate in Psychology and holds an MBA in Marketing.

About Visa

• Headquarters: California, United States

• CEO: Alfred F Kelly Jr

7 - Indias Jagjit Pavadia re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board(INCB)

Jagjit Pavadia, an Indian re-elected by the UN Economic and Social Council to a five year term on International Narcotics Control Board with the highest number of votes of 44 in the 54 member council.

She will begin her term on March 2, next year.

She was elected to the INCB for her first five year term in 2014. She has also served as the First Vice-President of the Board in 2016 and Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates in 2015 and 2017.

About International Narcotics Control Board

• Established: 1968

• President: Viroj Sumyai

8 - Rakesh Sharma, Bajaj Auto Executive Director elected as IMMA Vice-President

Rakesh Sharma, Bajaj Auto Executive Director and also a representative of SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) elected as VP (Vice President) of IMMA, International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (based in Geneva) during the annual general meeting of (IMMA) at Yogyakarta in Indonesia.

Rakesh Sharma has a wide range of experience in 2 and 3-wheeler industry and he is expected to efficiently direct IMMA towards being the trusted motorcycle manufacturers worldwide.

IMMA’s president is Johannes Loman.

9 - LIC Mutual Fund appointed Dinesh Pangtey as CEO

LIC Mutual Fund appointed Dinesh Pangtey as the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

He joined LIC as a direct recruit officer in 1984

He was Director and CEO at LIC Group's private equity division LIC HFL AMC. He also served as Regional Manager Marketing channel in Western Zone spanning the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa.

He has more than 35 years of experience across private equity, life pension, group annuation scheme and insurance sector.

About Life Insurance Corporation(LIC)

Industry: Financial services

Founded: 1 September 1956

Headquarters: Mumbai, India

Chairman: M. R. Kumar

10 - Simon Armitage has been named the U.K.s new Poet Laureate

Simon Armitage has been named the U.K.’s new Poet Laureate. He succeeds Carol Ann Duffy in the 10-year post. Queen Elizabeth II has approved the appointment, Britain’s highest literary honour.

It is up to the poet to decide whether or not to produce poetry for national and royal occasions. Previous laureates have included John Dryden and William Wordsworth.

Simon Armitage

Armitage, a professor of poetry at the University of Leeds, has published 28 collections of poetry and his work is studied by British schoolchildren as part of the national curriculum.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright praised Armitage for his witty and profound take on modern life.

Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom

The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently on the advice of the Prime Minister.

It is expected that the role holder will write verse for significant national occasions.

The origins of the laureateship date back to 1616 when a pension was provided to Ben Jonson. But the first official holder of the position was John Dryden. He was appointed in 1668 by Charles II.

11 - RBI appointed R.Gandhi as Additional director of Yes Bank

The Reserve Bank of India has appointed its former Deputy Governor R. Gandhi as an additional director on the board of private sector lender Yes Bank with immediate effect. The appointment is for two years, that is till May 13, 2021.

R. Gandhi’s appointment comes against the backdrop of Yes Bank reported a loss of ₹1,507 cr for March quarter. This appointment will significantly strengthen Yes Bank's Board Composition and the Bank will immensely benefit from R. Gandhi's experience and wisdom at the Yes Bank.

Mr.R.Gandhi

Gandhi was RBI Deputy Governor during April 2014 and April 2017. Gandhi was the driving force for the design and implementation of a real-time gross settlement system or RTGS.

About Yes Bank

Founded on: 2004

Founder: Rana Kapoor, Ashok Kapur

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Non-Exe Chairman: Brahm Dutt

MD & CEO: Rana Kapoor

Yes Bank is India's 4^th largest private sector Bank.

12 - Sanjiv Puri appointed as New Chairman of ITC

Sanjiv Puri is appointed as the chairman of ITC.

He became the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of ITC.

He was appointed as a Managing Director of ITC in 2018 and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in February 2017.

About ITC Limited

Headquarter: Kolkata

CEO: Sanjiv Puri

Founded: 24 August 1910

Headquarters: Virginia House, Kolkata

13 - Cyril Ramaphosa re-elected as President of South Africa

African National Congress (ANC) won South African elections with majority and secured 57.51 percent votes and Cyril Ramaphosa elected as South African President.

Last year in February 2018, Cyril Ramaphosa elected as South African President after President Jacob Zuma resigned from the post due to charges of corruption

This was the first time that African National Congress has got less than 60 percent votes in national polls.

About South Africa

Capital: Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein

Currency: South African rand

14 - ILFS Engineering appoints Karim Raza Khan as CEO

IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Ltd. has appointed Karim Raza Khan as its chief executive officer. Mr. Khan was appointed as the manager and key managerial personnel of the company on December 24, 2018.

Khan has an overall professional experience of over three decades in the technical field focused on infrastructure. He will continue to be key managerial personnel of the company.

Khan's previous experience

Khan had joined IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited in December 2005 as Project Manager. He was promoted as Assistant Vice President in 2007 and was further promoted as Associate Vice President in 2010.

He was working as Senior Vice President and Regional Head of South, Central and West India till his appointment as Manager (Key Managerial Personnel) of IL&FS Engineering & Construction Company Limited in December 24, 2018.

15 - Moin ul Haque appointed as Pakistans High Commissioner to India

Pakistan announced career diplomat Moin ul Haque as its new High Commissioner to India. The appointment was formally approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan. He is the current ambassador of Pakistan in France.

Haque replaces Sohail Mehmood. The post of High Commissioner to India fell vacant after Sohail Mehmood was appointed Pakistan's new foreign secretary.

Pakistan has announced new ambassadors to 18 countries including China, Japan, and Brussels. The decision came after a detailed meeting with Prime Minister Khan, who formally approved the new appointments.

Other appointments

In Beijing, Naghmana Hashmi will replace Masood Khalid, the incumbent envoy to China, after completion of his tenure. Additional Secretary Imtiaz Ahmad has been appointed Ambassador to Japan, while Zaheer Janjua, currently serving as additional secretary in Europe, will look after the Pakistani mission in Brussels.

Sarfaraz Ahmad was appointed as ambassador to Sudan, Imran Haider as ambassador in Tajikistan, Major General Abdul Aziz Tariq in Brunei and Major General Muhammad Khalid Rao in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Ambassador in Kuwait Ghulam Dastagir will replace Muazzam Ali Khan in Abu Dhabi, while Qazi Khalilullah, serving as ambassador in Russia, was being given an extension of six months.

The newly-appointed ambassadors and consul generals will play a pivotal in promoting the soft image of Pakistan and will adopt the best behaviour with Pakistani community living abroad.

Note

Ambassador: An ambassador is an accredited diplomat sent by a state as its permanent representative in a foreign country.

16 - Jagan Mohan Reddy Sworn In As CM of Andhra Pradesh

YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy sworn in as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh on 30^th of May at Vijayawada.

Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy took over the post following his party’s landslide victory in the legislative elections for Andhra Pradesh Legislative assembly.

He replaces N Chandrababu Naidu as Andhra Pradesh CM.

About YSR Congress Party

President: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy

Founded:12 March 2011

Headquarters: Vijayawada

17 - Four new Supreme Court judges were sworn in making a strength of 31 judges

Four new Supreme Court judges were sworn in, raising the number of judges to the full sanctioned strength of 31.

Justices Aniruddha Bose, AS Bopanna, Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and Surya Kant were administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

With this, the apex court attained its approved total strength of 31 judges. The five-member Collegium, headed by Justice Gogoi, had earlier this month overruled the Centre's objection to the appointment of Justice Bose of the Jharkhand High Court and Justice Bopanna of the Gauhati High Court. The Collegium had recommended the names of Justices Bose and Bopanna on April 12. The Centre had, however, objected to their elevation citing seniority and representation of regions as the reasons.

18 - Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar of India appointed to head UN peacekeeping operation in South Sudan

The commandant of the Indian Army Infantry School, Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar, aged 57appointed as the new force commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

He will succeed Lieutenant General Frank Kamanzi of Rwanda.

He will command over 1 6,000 peacekeepers which include nearly 2,400 from India.

He has an experience with the Indian Armed Forces for more than 34 years. ii. In 1 983, he graduated from the Indian Military Academy.

He obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras.

He served the UN Angola Verification Mission Ill from 1996 to 1997 and UN Mission in Sudan from 2008 to 2009.

About the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)

Established by. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1996

Founded: July 9, 201 1

Headquarters: Juba, South Sudan Head: David Shearer

19 - Alapan Bandyopadhyay appointed as new Home Secretary for West Bengal

Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee appointed Alapan Bandyopadhyay, an IAS officer of the 1987 batch, as the new Home Secretary for West Bengal.

He succeeds Atri Bhattacharya

Alapan Bandyopadhyay was in charge of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) Department with additional charge of Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Department.

Ajit Ranjan Bardhan as the new principal secretary of the North Bengal Development Department (NBDD)

Bardhan was earlier in charge of Youth Services and Sports department.

Barun Kumar Ray, who was in charge of the NBDD with an additional charge of Jalpaiguri Commissioner was transferred as the Commissioner of Malda.

Choten D Lama, Secretary of the Panchayat & Rural Development Department (P&RD) was shifted to the Backward Classes Welfare Department with an additional charge of the Tribal department.

Gyanwant Singh was appointed as the new ADGP (Law and Order).

Jayanta Kumar Basu was appointed as the director of the directorate of economic offences.

About West Bengal

Capital: Kolkata

Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi

Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee (AITC)

20 - Malawi's President Peter Mutharika re-elected for the second term

Malawi's president Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party won the re-elections with 38.5% votes.

The victory was announced in Blantyre, Malawi by the head of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Jane Ansah.

He won the elections against the opposition candidate Lazarus Chakwera from the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) who secured 35.4% of the votes.

Former Vice President Saulos Chilima secured third position with 20% votes.

Malawi has been independent since 1964 and it was the 6^th presidential election held since single-party rule ended in 1994.

About Malawi

Capital: Lilongwe

Currency: Malawian Kwacha

21 - Muhammadu Buhari sworn in as the president of Nigeria for the second term

Muhammadu Buhari sworn in for a second term as Nigeria's president.

He is a former military ruler, won 56 percent of the votes to defeat his main challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) in the February election.

According to Transparency International's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index, Nigeria failed to improve its ranking of 144^th out of 180 countries from the previous year, despite a number of positive steps.

Buhari is the twenty-third child of his father.

Buhari was raised by his mother after his father died when he was about four years old.

About Muhammadu Buhari

Born:17 December 1942

Political party: All Progressives Congress

Nationality: Nigerian

22 - James Marape appointed as the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

Lawmakers of Papua New Guinea elected James Marape as its 8^th prime minister.

He belongs to Pangu Party.

He succeeded Peter O Neill of People's National Congress party, who was pressured to resign by a series of political defections in recent days, and tensions over a multi-billion-dollar gas project signed this year with French company Total and the US firm ExxonMobil.

Marape earlier served as the finance minister of Papua New Guinea while he was a member of the People's National Congress party and he resigned on April 2019.

About Papua New Guinea

Capital: Port Moresby

Currency: Papua New Guinean kina