• National

OBC panel gets yet another extension

• The five-member panel examining the sub-categorisation of OBCs has been given an extension of two more months till July 31 by President Ram Nath Kovind.
• This is the fifth extension of term given to the commission, formed in October 2017.
• Last November, the Cabinet had extended the term of the panel headed by Justice (retd) G. Rohini till May 31.
• The commission has held meetings with all stakeholders, including state governments, state backward classes commissions, community associations and general public.

• National

‘Hawa Aane De’ launched to spread awareness

• Union Environment Ministry on 29th May launched the song ‘Hawa Aane De’ to spread awareness about Air pollution.
• The song was launched by Secretary, Ministry of Environment C K Mishra ahead of the World Environment Day on 5th of June.
• The theme of Environment Day for 2019 is Air Pollution.

• National

Narendra Modi took oath as PM for 2nd term.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath of Office and Secrecy along with a new Council of Ministers for his second consecutive term.
• The function  attended by Governors, Chief Ministers, Opposition leaders, a galaxy of leaders from BIMSTEC countries and foreign envoys.
• Over 6,000 guests are present to attend the ceremony.

• International

World’s tiniest surviving baby born in the US

• A California hospital on May 29 disclosed the birth of the world’s smallest baby ever to survive, weighing a mere 245 gm when she was born.
• The girl, nicknamed Saybie by hospital staff, was born 23 weeks and three days into her mother’s pregnancy in San Diego.
• The father was told by doctors that he would have about an hour with his daughter before she passed away.
• “But that hour turned into two hours which turned into a day, which turned into a week,” the mother said.

• International

Netanyahu fails to form coalition govt

• In an unprecedented development, Israeli lawmakers have voted to dissolve Parliament after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government before the May 29 deadline, triggering a fresh general election to be held on September 17.
• In little more than six weeks since they were elected, Israeli lawmakers voted 74-45 in favour of dissolving the 21st Knesset (parliament) and hold a second general election in the same calendar year.
• It is the first time in Israel’s history that a prime minister-designate has failed to form a coalition.

• Sports

Manu Bhaker secures India 7th Olympic quota

• Indian shooter Manu Bhaker (17-year) secured India its seventh Olympic quota with a fourth-place finish in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event of the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany.
• This is India’s first quota in women’s 10-meter pistol.
• Bhaker shot 201 in the final to secure the quota for the Tokyo Games.
• She finished third in the qualification with a total of 582 points, shooting a solid 98 in her last two rounds.

• Awards

Sundar Pichai turned down a big stock award.

• The Google CEO hasn’t received an equity award in more than two years.
• A key reason is that Pichai turned down a big new grant of restricted stock in 2018 because he felt he was already paid generously, according to a person familiar with the decision.
• Since 2016 big stock award, Sundar Pichai has collected a $650,000 annual salary and typical CEO perks such as the cost of personal security

• Appointments

Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal sworn in as Chief Justice of Meghalaya HC

• Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal has been sworn in as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court.
• Governor Tathagata Roy administered him the oath of office in a ceremony at Raj Bhavan, Shillong.
• The Office of the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court fell vacant upon the retirement of Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir.
• Justice AK Mittal was the judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court before his appointment as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

• Science and Tech

Pasta-like rocks sign of life on Mars?

• Rocks on the surface of Mars that look like layers of pasta may be the most obvious sign of life on the Red Planet, a NASA-funded study suggests.
• The bacterium that controls the formation of such rocks on Earth is ancient and thrives in harsh environments that are similar to conditions on Mars, according to the study published in the journal Astrobiology.
• “It has an unusual name, Sulfurihydrogenibium yellowstonense.
• We just call it ‘Sulfuri’,” said Bruce Fouke, a professor at the University of Illinois in the US.
• The bacterium belongs to a lineage that evolved prior to the oxygenation of Earth roughly 2.35 billion years ago, Fouke said.
• It can survive in extremely hot, fast-flowing water bubbling up from underground hot springs.

• Defence

AK Jain: Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief

• Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain takes over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command from Vice Admiral Karambir Singh.
• A Gunnery and Missile Specialist, he has held various Operational, Staff and Command Appointments in the course of his distinguished career spanning over 37 years.
• He was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in 2009 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015.

• States

Jagan sworn in as Andhra Pradesh CM

• S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who led his YSR Congress Party to a thumping victory in the Assembly election, was sworn in on May 30 as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
• Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 46-year-old leader, whose party emerged victorious in 151 seats in the 175-member Assembly.
• The YSR Congress decimated the TDP headed by N. Chandrababu Naidu, who became the first chief minister of the state after it was bifurcated to carve out Telangana five years ago.
• The YSRC also won 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the recently concluded polls.

• States

Kerala to introduce flood cess from July 1

• The CPM-led LDF government in Kerala has decided to introduce from July 1 the 1 per cent flood cess, aimed at mobilising resources for rebuilding the state devastated by the deluge last year.
• Earlier, the government had said the cess would come into force from June 1.
• On the basis of the Goods and Services Tax Council’s recommendations and after making appropriate arrangements, the cess collection will commence, a government release said.
• The business community had sought some more time for the levy of the cess.
• Taking into consideration all these matters, the government has decided to extend the introduction of levy to July 1.

• States

Pema Khandu sworn as Arunachal Pradesh CM

• Pema Khandu, who pitchforked into politics after the death of his father in a helicopter crash eight years ago, was on Wednesday sworn in as the first Chief Minister of an elected Bharatiya Janata Party government in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Apart from Mr Khandu, Governor Brigadier (Retd.) B.D. Mishra administered the oath of office and secrecy to Chown Mein as the Deputy Chief Minister.

• Miscellaneous

Okhla to get largest sewage treatment plant

• The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on May 29 approved the setting up of a new sewage treatment plant (STP) in Okhla which, it claimed, will be the largest such plant in India.
• The plant will be able to treat 124 million gallons of wastewater per day and will come up at a cost of Rs 1,161 crore in three years, said DJB vice-chairman Dinesh Mohaniya.
• “It will be the largest treatment plant in India and one of the largest in the world,” he said.
• The new STP will be set up under the Yamuna Action Plan – III scheme.