Current Affairs 1st May 2019

Current Affairs 1st May 2019 - Important Points

• International Dance Day 2019 celebrated on - 29th April 019
• Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia suggested for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna on - 29th April 2019
• Bajrang Punia to fight at - Madison Square Garden
• US Judge and Civil Rights Icon Damon J. Keith Dies at - 96 age
• Barcelona secures La Liga title 2019 in - Spain
• Government gives GRSE agreement to construct - 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts
• Beirut, Lebanon sets a  - New Guinness World Record 
• Air Marshal Rakesh K S Bhadauria appointed as new Vice Chief of Air Staff on - 1st May 2019
  Current Affairs 1st May 2019 - Details

International Dance Day 2019 celebrated on - 29th April 019

Every year 29th April is celebrated as International Dance Day, as an international day to celebrate dance. It purposes to inspire participation and education in dance via programmes and festivals organised on the day.
International Dance Day Objective

• Its goal is to upsurge awareness about significance of dance among general public and also to encourage governments across nation to include dance in education system.
• It was formed by Dance Committee of International Theatre Institute, which was officially recognized by UNESCO as creators and organizers of programme. International Theatre Institute is the main partner for performing arts of UNESCO.
• ‘29th April’ was selected as the day to celebrate birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre who were born on 29th April 1727, a French dancer, the creator of modern ballet, and great reformer of dance.
• Every year a famous dance personality circulates a message worldwide about significance of the day;
• International Theatre Institute creates nominated host city where different dance performances,
  educational workshops and humanitarian projects are organised; Speeches made by ambassadors,
  dignitaries and dance personalities on the significance of dance are also witnessed.
• According to the French Embassy in Nigeria, it hosted the International Dance Day 2019 celebration  for 1st time in Nigeria.

Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia suggested for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna on - 29th April 2019

The Wrestling Federation of India on April 29th, 2019 suggested the names of Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2019.
Presently, the number 1 wrestler, Bajrang Punia marked his expert over Asia after securening the Asian
Wrestling Championships 2019 in Xian, China. 
Punia secured the gold medal in 2018 in the 65 kgs freestyle wrestling programme at the Asian Games
organised in Jakarta. He also managed to secure Gold medal in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and  Silver in the World Championships in 2018.
Alternatively, Vinesh Phogat became the 1st Indian female wrestler to secure Gold in both Commonwealth  and Asian Games 2018.
At the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Vinesh secured Gold in female's freestyle 50 kgs
programme by defeating Canada's Jessica MacDonald. In the Asian Games, she created history by
becoming the 1st Indian female wrestler to secure Gold by beating Japan's Yuki Irie.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is the highest sporting regard of India and the prize is named after Rajiv
Gandhi, former PM of India.
The recipients are nominated by a committee formed by the Ministry and are bestowed for their ‘spectacular and most outstanding performance in the sports more than a period of 4 years’ at international level.
The award consists of a medallion, a citation, and a cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakhs.

Bajrang Punia to fight at - Madison Square Garden

Bajrang Punia became 1st Indian wrestler to be invited by American wrestling body for a special fight at iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, USA.
Punia will take on 2-time United States national champion Yianni Diakomahlis in ‘Grapple at the Garden’ Beat the Streets fight night programme, a major showcase platform for international wrestling since 2010. 
More about Bajrang Punia

• Punia started wrestling at the age of 7 and was heartened to pursue the sport by his father. In 2015, his family shifted to Sonepat from Jhajjar district so that Punia can join a regional centre of Sports Authority of India. 
• He had secured the bronze medal in the men's freestyle 60 kgs category at the World Wrestling Championships in 2013. 
• At the 2014 Common Wealth Games at Glasgow, Scotland, he had secured the Silver in the men's
  freestyle 61 kgs category, after losing 1-4 to David Tremblay of Canada.
• At the Asian Wrestling Championships in 2014 in Astana, Kazakhstan, Punia had secured the Silver in the men's freestyle 61 kgs category, losing 0-4 to Masoud Esmaeilpour of Iran.
• He then secured a Gold at the Asian Wrestling Championship organised at Delhi in 2017. 
  The Wrestler then continued his Gold-securing streak by securing the Gold in men's freestyle 65 kgs category at the 2018 Commonwealth Games organised at Gold Coast, Australia.
• He won another gold at the 2018 Asian Games in the men's freestyle 65 kgs category.
• He won silver at the 2018 World Wrestling Championships. However, after that silver medal, he appealed the world no. 1 position in 65 kgs category.

US Judge and Civil Rights Icon Damon J. Keith Dies at - 96 age

Former United States Judge Damon J Keith, a grandson of slaves and icon in civil rights movement passed away in Detroit at the age of 96. He even being a grandson of enslaved people, later became 6th African American in United States history to work on federal court of appeals.
Lifetime Achievements

• He never retired and died obligatory in office.
• He worked for above 50 years in federal courts, and even at age of 94 he heard cases about 4 times in 1 year at 6 th  United States Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio and delivered dissent in voting rights case.
• During his time as judge, he done series of landmark decisions that transformed social and legal landscape of United States.
• He refused government’s claim of having authority to have electronic surveillance without a warrant on anyone it considered as National Security Threat.
• As a federal judge, he issued judgment in warrantless wiretapping case against Richard Nixon and
  Attorney General John Mitchell in 1971. Nixon government which was in middle of social turmoil over Vietnam War, later prosecuted Keith personally in famous ‘the Keith case’.
• One year following 9/11 attacks, while working on federal court of appeals, he released judgment
  against Bush government conducting deportation hearings of terrorism suspects in secret using blanket National Security Justification, in which he coined iconic phrase ‘democracies die behind closed doors’.

Barcelona secures La Liga title 2019 in - Spain

Barcelona FC has secured Spanish La Liga title 2019 by defeating Levante FC by 1-0 goals in the final match organised at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. The lone securing goal for Barcelona was accomplished by club’s Argentine superstar & team captain Lionel Messi at 61st minute. This was Barcelona’s overall 26th La Liga league label in club history & 8 in past 11 years.
More about La Liga

• It is one of world’s most popular men’s top professional football of Spanish football league. It was
  initiated in 1929.
• It is also known as Liga de Fútbol Profesional/The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera Division.
• Each season lasts from August-May, with 20 teams playing for the tittle. Each club plays every other club double time, once at home & once away, for 38 matchdays.

Government gives GRSE agreement to construct - 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts

Ministry of Defence awarded Defence Public Sector Undertaking Garden Reach Shipbuildersand  Engineers- GRSE, a Rupees 6311 crore agreement to construct 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow
Water Crafts for Indian Navy.
It is anti-submarine warfare vessel in 700 tons displacement rangeand will substitute Abhay-class corvette presently working in Indian Navy.
It is fabricated for deep 750-ton displacement, 25-knot speedand 57 complementand capable of full-scale sub surface surveillance of coastal waters, Search Attack Unitand Coordinated Anti-Submarine Warfare operations with Aircraft.
Key Facts
The Indian Navy released the Request for Proposal to Defence Public Sector Undertaking Shipyardsand
Indian Private Shipyards in April 2014, with Garden Reach Shipbuildersand Engineers eventually securing the bid for design, constructionand supply of 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts.
The designand construction of these ships at Garden Reach Shipbuildersand Engineers is yet another
milestone in “Make in India” Initiative.
The 1st ship is to be delivered within 3.5 years from inking date of agreementand outstanding ships
delivery is planned as 2 ships/year.
GRSE

• It is India’s pioneer warship constructor since its inception as a Defence Public Sector Undertaking in 1960 and it has delivered highest number of warships till date.
• Major projects being managed by it includes 3 Stealth Frigates for Indian Navy under P17A Project, ASW Corvettes for Indian Navy, The Landing Craft Utility for Indian Navy, 4 Survey Vessels (Large) for Indian Navy, Fast Petrol Vessels for Indian Coast Guard, and many more.
• With shipyard having many 1sts to its credit in terms of Innovationand Design, it has also constructed 100 warships that ranges from Advanced Frigates to Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes to Fleet Tankers, Fast Attack Crafts, and many more.
• This fresh project will further solidify Garden Reach Shipbuildersand Engineers’ position as a unique shipyard with all round capability to planand construct Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts warships with state-of-the-art technology.

Beirut, Lebanon sets a  - New Guinness World Record 

Lebanon’s capital Beirut has established a new Guinness World Record for the greatest number of
National flags exhibited in single city for 24 hours.
More about Record
By raising a sum of 26852 Lebanese flags for 24 hours Beirut broke the record of New York’s Waterloo of raising 25599 flags.
It was attained by individualand national initiative undertaken by The Beirut Alive Association. The
programme was organised under the patronage of lebanon’s PM Saad Hariri.

Air Marshal Rakesh K S Bhadauria appointed as new Vice Chief of Air Staff on - 1st May 2019

On May 1st, Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria will take over as Vice Chief of Indian Air Force,
after retirement of incumbent Air Marshal Anil Khosla. After induction, he will be tackling all air
operations being carried out by force.
Service and Tenure

• Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria was commissioned into India Air Force fighter stream on 15th June 1980 with the Sword of Honour.
• He has given important designations like Commandant of National Defence Academy, Senior Air Staff Officer at Central Air Commandand Deputy Chief of Air Staff from January 2016-February 28th, 2017.
• As Deputy Chief, he was chairman of Indian negotiating team for 36 Rafale combat aircraft deal with France.
• From March 2017 till august 2018, he worked as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command. He currently leads Indian Air Force’s Bengaluru-based Training Command.
  Vice Chief of the Air Staff
  The Vice Chief of Air Staff is 2nd-highest ranking Officer in IAF. It is a 3-star appointmentand is organised by an Air Officer of the rank of Air Marshal. He works as Principal Staff Officer at Air HQs, New Delhi. His everyday duties include operationsand flying linked tasks. The Vice Chief of Air Staff assumes duties and  responsibilities of Chief of Air Staff in programme of his absence/unable to perform his duties.