17 May 2016

South Korean author Han Kang wins 2016 Man Booker International Prize

South Korean author, Han Kang, has won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize for her novel ‘The Vegetarian’. With this Han becomes the first South Korean to win this prestigious literary prize. The writer and her British translator Deborah Smith will share the 72,000 dollars prize money. Han’s novel ‘The Vegetarian’ tells a story of a wife (Yeong-hye lead character) who decides to become a vegetarian. The decision provokes cruelty from her husband, and from her father, and obsession from her sister’s husband, as the woman, she dreams obsessively about becoming a tree. The novel was picked unanimously by the panel of five judges chaired by Boyd Tonkin. It was chosen amongst six other novels. 

About Man Booker International Prize

 Man Booker International Prize is an international literary award. The award given to a living author of any nationality for a body of work published in English or generally available in English translation. The Man Booker International Prize is sponsored by Man Group plc, which also sponsors the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. 

NTPC tied-up with Coal India Limitedcompany to foray into Fertilizer Sector 

On 16 May 2016 NTPC Limited which is a State-run power producer signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with state-run miner Coal India limited to foray into the Fertilizer Sector and revive plants of the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL).By NTPC's General Manager (BD) Arun Kumar Gupta and Coal India's General Manager (Coal Videsh) T Bandopadhyay the JVA was signed

Know About NTPC – 

• NTPC Limited earlier it was known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited. This is an Indian central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, which engaged in the business of generation of electricity and allied activities. 


• NTPC is a company incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 and a "Government Company" within the meaning of the act

2016 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day observed with theme ICT entrepreneurship for social impact

·        May 17: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

·        The 2016 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) was observed on 17

 May 2016.

·        This year, WTISD focused on the theme ICT entrepreneurship for social impact. The theme was in accordance with Resolution 68 and as endorsed by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council 2015.

·        The theme for WTISD-16 was in line with ITU’s work in unlocking the potential of ICTs for young innovators and entrepreneurs, SMEs, and others.

• International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia
•  World AIDS Vaccination Day
• World Hypertension Day

5 Indians posthumously honoured with UN’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal

our Indian peacekeepers and a civilian have been chosen posthumously for United Nation’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their courage and sacrifice. They are among the 124 police, military and civilian personnel who have been posthumously awarded a prestigious UN medal. 

They will be honoured on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (observed annually on 29 May). 

Five Indians are Head Constable

 Shubhkaran Yadav: He died in April 2015 while serving in the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). 

Rifleman Manish Malik: He died in August 2015 while serving in the UN-MONUSCO

 Havildar Amal Deka: He died in June 2015 while serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). 

Naik Rakesh Kumar: He died in January 2015 while serving in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). 

Gagan Punjabi: He died in January 2015 while serving in the MONUSCO in a civilian capacity under the UN Volunteers programme.

About Dag Hammarskjold 

Medal Established in December 2000. Named after second UN Secretary General and Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjold (In office: from 1953 to 1961). Awarded posthumously to members of peacekeeping operations who lost their lives during service with a peacekeeping operation under the control and authority of the UN. Hammarskjold had died in a mysterious plane crash in 1961. He was posthumously awarded Nobel Peace Prize the year he died (only exceptional case).