Current Affairs 18th May 2016

1. World’s largest Single Rooftop Solar Power Plant inaugurated in Amritsar
i. In Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal inaugurated the World’s largest Single Rooftop Solar Power Plant with capacity of 11.5 MegaWatt (MW) at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh at Beas, in Amritsar district.

2. Union Government opened Tatkal Window to expedite examination of patent applications

3. CCEA gives approval to proposal for offering improved VRS package

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval to the proposal for offering an improved Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) package based on 2007 notional pay scales for the employees of Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation, HVOC.

4. Draft National Policy for Women, 2016 unveiled

5. Five Member Committee to give recommendations on Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
The Committee will be headed by former Revenue and Expenditure Secretary N.K. Singh. Other members of the Committee are Sumit Bose, former Finance and Revenue Secretary, Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser, Urijit Patel, Deputy Governor,RBI and Rathin Roy, Director, National Institute Public Finance and Policy, NIPFP.

6. India successfully test fires its indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile
i. India today successfully test fired its indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile from the Chandipur, off Odisha coast.

7. Odisha to launch Green Passage Scheme for Orphan Students

8. Trial run of Delhi Metro's new driverless trains flagged off

9. World’s first robot lawyer ROSS hired by US law firm BakerHostetler

10. 15-year old Indian-American student Syqmantak Payra wins prestigious Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award

11. Barco Appoints Rajiv Bhalla as MD for India
i. The Belgium based company Barco, a global leader in visualization technology like laser projectors, digital cinema projection, video projectors, DLP projectors, Image Processing, LED displays, flat panel displays, LCD and LED video walls etc has announced the appointment of Rajiv Bhalla as managing director for India

12. Manzil Saini Becomes First Woman SSP Of Lucknow

13. IndiGo names Rohit Philip as its new CFO

14. Shell India Announces New Head
i. Shell India has announced Nitin Prasad as its new India head from 1st October.

15. England cricketer Joe Root bags top three England cricket awards