On 6 May 2015, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was sentenced by a session’s court to five years' rigorous imprisonment in which case?: 2002 hit-and-run case
Explanation: The judgment in the over 12-year-old case, whose trial saw many twists and turns was delivered by Judge D W Deshpande with the 49-year-old actor and his family present in the Court. The bollywood actor Salman Khan was sentenced with 5 years Jail after the case was lingered on for 14 long years for loop holes in probe, witnesses turning hostile and gained notoriety for the twists and turns. He was found guilty for driving under the influence of alcohol and did not have a driving license at the time of the accident. Salman is also facing trial in a Rajasthan court for hunting a black buck during the shooting of "Hum Saath Saath Hain" back in 1998.
In a major step to check female foeticide and promote 'Beti Bachao' campaign in the state, which state government on 6 April 2015 has announced to give Rs. one lakh cash award to anyone who provides information regarding sex determination tests or female foeticides to concerned authorities?: Haryana
Explanation: The announcement of Cash money is made so that we may completely put an end to female foeticide, which has led to unbalanced sex-ratio in the state. According to government once the people involved in this crime are caught red-handed and after verification of information, the person, who provides this information, would immediately be given the cash prize.
Fishing communities and farmers from Mundra in Kutch district on 30 April 2015 filed suit against the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-lending arm of the World Bank Group, in federal court in Washington, DC. What is the main reason for this law suit?: IFC funding to Tata Power's coal-fired ultra-mega power, which will cost to the loss of their livelihoods, destroyed their lands and water
Explanation: The Law suit was filed through their representative EarthRights International (ERI). The 4,150 MW power plant owned by Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd, as special purpose vehicle floated by Tata Power Ltd for the Mundra-based power plant, began operations at full capacity in 2013. Thus the thermal pollution discharged from the plant's cooling system have caused to server decline in fish population in the region. Even the IFC's own accountability mechanism - the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) - in 2013 held that the IFC had failed to ensure the Tata Mundra project met the applicable environmental and social standards that had been made binding conditions of the IFC's loan.
The Army on 5 May 2015 got some supersonic firepower to take on enemy fighters when it includes which missile system in its armory thus adding an extra teeth to take on enemies helicopters, drones and sub-sonic cruise missiles with the more power and destruction?: Indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile system
Explanation: The Akash missiles, is built with ability to an interception range of 25km and will progressively replace the obsolete air defence weapons in the Army. In 1984, Akash incidentally was one of the five core missile systems of the integrated guided missile development programme launched by DRDO. However after long delays due to technical problems, the indigenous SAM — produced by defence PSUs Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics — is finally now being inducted into the armed forces. IAF has already begun to deploy six Akash missile squadrons in the north-east to counter China's build-up of military infrastructure all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC), which includes eight fully-operational airbases in Tibet. IAF has ordered eight Akash squadrons for Rs 6,200 crore, with the first two coming up at the Mirage-2000 base in Gwalior and Sukhoi-30MKI base in Pune.
In the month of May 2015, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC Limited) completed how many years of its establishment?: 20 years
Explanation: Delhi Metro is responsible for the change the course of public transport in Delhi and especially India was established on 3 May 1995 with the legendary E. Sreedharan serving as its first Managing Director (MD). Thus so far is working as the state-owned entity that operates the highly successful Delhi Metro network in Delhi NCR region. Apart from being involved in operating Delhi Metro, DMRC is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail, and high-speed rail projects in India and abroad. DMRC has maintained the reliability and punctuality of Metro services.
Which information technology services and consulting major has extended its maternity leave benefits to five months of paid leave (which was earlier only 12 weeks), making it one of the first companies in the sector and one of the select few organisations in the country offering such options to employees?: Accenture India
Explanation: The benefit will be extended both full-time and part-time employees. In addition to this, employees who require additional time off beyond the maternity leave but do not have enough accrued vacation leave may take unpaid leave of absence for a further 12 weeks, taking the total permissible leave period to nine months. The maternity leave is seen mostly in the age group 28 and 35 years where they choose to stop working which leads to exits of high potential women professionals at the middle of the pyramid. Thus this move would prove one of the major milestone to retain those talent.
President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 May 2015 conferred National film awards for the year 2014 at the 62nd National Film Awards Function held at Vigyan Bhawan. Who was awarded with prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award in this ceremony?: Shashi Kapoor
Explanation: A total of 21 Awards were given in the Non-Feature film category while the number of awards in Feature Film category being 45. The highlight of the function was the live musical performance of Sukhwinder Singh and Uttara Unnikrishnan. Some major awards in this function are:
-The Best Director award was conferred on Srijit Mukherji for the Film 'Chotushkone'.
-Female actor Kangana Ranaut awarded for the Best Actor for 'Queen'
-Vijay got the award for the film 'Nanu Avanalla Avalu'.
-10-year-old Uthara Unnikrishnan who was judged best playback singer
- 'Mary Kom' which won the award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment
On 2 May 2015, which Indian scientist was chosen for Japan’s highest civilian award the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star” as announced by the Japanese Govt.?: Prof. C.N.R. Rao
Explanation: Professor C.N.R. Rao was named as a winner of Japan’s prestigious “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star” for his ‘contribution to promoting academic interchange and mutual understanding in science and technology between Japan and India’. He is a National Research Professor and Honorary President of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru. Mr. Rao is also awarded with civilian award of India, Bharat Ratna. The ward is given to those who have made distinguished achievements in the following fields: international relations, promotion of Japanese culture, advancements in their field, development in welfare or preservation of the environment.
On 1 May 2015, who has taken over as the new Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)?: Surender Singh
Explanation: Surender Singh will replace Arvind Ranjan, a 1977-batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre who retired on 30 April 2015. Surender Singh was serving as a special director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) before taking up his new assignment as CISF chief. He is from 1980-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the West Bengal cadre.
The Maharashtra government on 1 May 2015 has decided to amend the Maharashtra Rent Control Act (1999) which would exclude all commercial establishments occupying more than 500 square feet, a step which is bound to prove a controversial decision. What is so important about this change?: Exclusion from protection under the Maharashtra Rent Control Act that prohibits landlords from levying market rents.
Explanation: Once the amendment come to effect then all those who have taken such commercial establishments on rent and also those living as tenants in residential homes that are bigger than 862 sq ft will not be protected under the Rent Control Act. Therefore, then people will now have to pay market rates that are demanded by his/her landlord or could be evicted However, amendment has incorporated a provision where in for the first three years after the amendment has been introduced, the owner of the property can only levy 50% of the market rent. From the fourth year onwards, the landlord can levy 100% of rent, though the act has introduced one more caveat - the landlord cannot levy a market rent that is more than 30% of the annual income of the tenant. In such cases the tenant will be 'liable to pay rent equal to only 30% of his/her annual income'.
