22 May 2016

International Day for Biological Diversity - 22 May

• The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations –sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues.Since 2001, the International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated every year. It is  held on May 22 . 

• Biodiversity is the foundation for life and for the essential services provided by ecosystems.

• The theme for the year 2016 is Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their Livelihoods

National maritime day –USA

·  National Maritime Day is a United States holiday created to recognize the maritime industry.

·It is observed on May 22, the date in 1819 that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power.

· The holiday was created by the United States Congress on May 20, 1933.

e-Municipality building to come up in Rajasthan

·  An e-Municipal Council will be built in Bundi, Rajasthan within the next 6-8 months, which will provide digital mapping of the demographical and geographical information of the city.

· The municipality files will also be digitised which can then be accessed on phones and computers. The council will generate revenue by selling data to various agencies, officials added.

Jayalalithaa to be sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM on May 23

·Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah today invited Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to form the government after she apprised him of her election as leader of AIADMK Legislature Party.

· She will be sworn in Chief Minister along with 28 others, including her trusted lieutenant and Finance Minister in the outgoing Cabinet O Panneerselvam, on May 23 in a function at the Madras University Centenary Auditorium here.

Andhra Bank to launch Bharat Bill Payment Service soon

• Andhra Bank will launch Bharat Bill Payment Service soon to enable customers make all utility bill payments.

• The MD and CEO said Andhra Bank was focusing on delivery of services using technology under the JAM (Jandhan-Aadhar- Mobile) initiative.

Recep Erdogan loyalist to be appointed as Turkish Prime Minister

• Turkey's Transport Minister Binali Yildirim will be formally appointed as head of the ruling party and as the new prime minister on Sunday, strengthening the grip on power of his mentor President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

• Yildirim - a longstanding and faithful ally of Erdogan - is the only candidate at an extraordinary congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Sunday that will choose the party chairman, meaning he will become prime minister.

Kiran Bedi appointed Lt Governor of Puducherry

· President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday appointed former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

· Bedi will succeed Lieutenant General (Retd.) Ajay Kumar Singh, who was appointed in July 2013. He was given additional responsibility of the administration of Puducherry in July 2014.

· In the recently concluded assembly elections in Puducherry, the Congress won 15 and its ally DMK won two out of 30 seats.