Sanjay Mitra committee to prepare policy framework for taxi operators

 The Union Government has constituted a three member committee to prepare a policy framework for taxi and other transport operators. 

• The committee will be headed by Sanjay Mitra, Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. The committee was constituted after taxi and other transport operators had appraised the situation emerging from Supreme Court’s order and directions of Environment Pollution Control Authority of banning diesel taxis in the National Capital Region (NCR).
•  It will look into these issues and come up with appropriate recommendations to address the same in a time bound manner.

Mauritius investors to be taxed from Apr 2017

 The government has gained the right to tax capital gains arising in Mauritius from sale of shares acquired on or after April 1, 2017, in Indian companies.

•  India and Mauritius signed a protocol for amendment of a three-decade-old double taxation avoidance agreement. 
• The agreement was signed in Port Louis.

May 11: National Technology Day

National Technology Day is being observed across India on May 11 to glorify the importance of science in day-to-day life and motivate students to adopt science as a career option. 

• The theme of the year 2016 is ‘Technology enablers of Startup India’. 
• The day is being commemorated to celebrate the anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test, held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan. 
• India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day.

Veteran leader Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao passes away

 Veteran Communist leader and five-time-MLA Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao died at a hospital in Hyderabad, following illness. 

• He was 93 and is survived by three daughters and a son Ch. Ramesh, who is the TRS MLA from Vemulawada constituency in Karimnagar district.

Shashank Manohar resigns as BCCI president

 Shashank Manohar has resigned as the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC).

•  The move has come in anticipation of Mr. Manohar set to be re-nominated as ICC chief during the governing body’s annual board meeting scheduled for next month. 
• However, with the ICC set to revert to its old rule of not allowing its chief to hold a post in his/her home board, Mr. Manohar has stepped down. 
• The deadline for filing the nomination for the ICC chief’s post is May 23.
•  The BCCI will have to propose Mr. Manohar as its ICC presidential candidate.

Atma Ram Nadkarni appointed as Additional Solicitor General

Senior advocate of Bombay High Court Atma Ram Nadkarni on 9 May 2016 was appointed as Additional Solicitor General (ASG). 

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Nadkarni as Additional Solicitor General in Supreme Court for a period of three years.

Scientist develops World’s first holographic flexible phone

Scientists from the Queen’s University (Canada) have developed the world’s first holographic flexible smartphone named HoloFlex. 

• The HoloFlex smartphone lets users to interact with 3D (Three dimensional) videos and images without using any headgear or glasses.
•  HoloFlex features is a high-definition Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) touch-screen display.