1. PM Modi pays tributes to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 May paid tribute to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 56th death anniversary.
• Nehru was born in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) on November 14, 1889. He died in Delhi on May 27, 1964.
• One of the principal leaders of the Indian freedom struggle along with Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru became the first prime minister of the country after Independence, a post which he held till his death. He died at the age of 74.
• Nehru is known as an architect of modern India.

2. LIC launches modified PM Vaya Vandana Yojana pension scheme for senior citizens

• Life Insurance Corporation of India(LIC) announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana-PMVVY (Modified- 2020) Scheme for those over and above 60 years. The sale will be available from May 26 for 3 financial years(up to March 31, 2023). This scheme can be purchased offline as well as online from LIC website.
• The Union Cabinet has recently extended the pension plan till 31 March 2023 which is a social security scheme for senior citizens.

Foot Notes: About LIC
Headquarters: Mumbai
Founded: 1 September 1956
Chairman: M R Kumar

3. India’s GDP growth is expected to reach 1.2% in Q4 FY20: SBI Ecowrap report

• According to the State Bank of India’s(SBI) Ecowrap report India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) is estimated to grow at 1.2% in the last quarter(Q4) of FY20 as economic activity came to a halt since last week of March due to the nationwide lockdown.
• The GDP is likely to be 4.2% for FY20 and (-)6.8% for FY21. The gross value added (GVA) growth would be nearly (-) 3.1%. for FY21
• The estimates in the report are based on an assessment of current trends which may change rapidly as the cyclone disaster in West Bengal & the continued return of migrant labourers.

Foot Notes: About SBI
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman: Rajnish Kumar
Founded: 1 July 1955

4. Army Commanders' Conference to be organised in two phases

• The Army Commanders' Conference, an apex level biannual event which was scheduled for April 2020 and postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, will now be organised in two phases. 
• The first phase of the conference will commence from 27 May which will continue till 29th of this month.
• The second phase will be held  in the last week of June 2020.The apex level leadership of Indian Army will brainstorm on current emerging security and administrative challenges and chart the future course for Indian Army. 
• The Army Commanders' Conference was scheduled for April and had to be postponed due to COVID-19.It is an apex biannual event that facilitates conceptual level deliberations leading to important policy decisions. The conference’s first phase will be held at the South Block in Delhi.

Foot Notes:
Chief of Indian Army: General Manoj Mukund Naravane
Commander-in-chief: President Ram Nath Kovind

5. J&K’s Dharmarth Trust cancels annual "Kheer Bhawani Mela" due to  Pandemic

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Annual Kheer Bhawani Mela on 30th May this year in Tulmulla village of Ganderbal district has been cancelled because of outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic. 
• The devotees have been asked to cooperate with the authorities and perform the worship of the Goddess at their homes only. However, the holy rituals and Aarti of the Deity will be conducted as per the tradition which will be shared with the devotees via social media.
• Kheer Bhawani Mela is one of the biggest religious functions of Kashmiri Pandit Community. 
• It is believed and rather has been seen that the colour of the water in the spring around the Kheer  Bhawani Temple changes  with the change in the circumstances of the Kashmir valley.

Foot Notes: About Jammu& Kashmir
Capital:Srinagar (May-October), Jammu (November-April)
Lt. Governor: G.C. Murmu

6. Chhattisgarh to give agriculture status to lac cultivation

• The Chhattisgarh government has decided to consider lac cultivation as an agriculture activity in the state and promote its farming as a livelihood option for farmers, particularly those living in remote and forest areas.
• Lac is a scarlet-coloured resin secreted by an insect called 'laccifer' or 'kerria lacca' that makes its home on trees. The resin is scraped off from trees, dried and processed to form lac which is used in jewellery and leather industries.
• Once lac farming gets the status of agriculture, farmers associated with its production would be able to avail loans via co-operative societies, like other cultivators.

Foot Notes: About Chattisgarh
Capital: Raipur
Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel

7. NGMA commemorates 115th Birth Anniversary of Ramkinkar Baij  

• The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) organised a virtual tour to commemorate the 115th Birth Anniversary of iconic artist Ramkinkar Baij. The virtual tour was titled as “Ramkinkar Baij | Journey through silent transformation and expressions” and was conducted in five different themes namely: Portrait, Life Study, Abstract & Structural Composition, Nature Study & Landscape, Sculptures. 
• Ramkinkar Baij was the one of the most seminal artists of modern India. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan Award by the Government of India in 1970, for his irrefutable contribution to Indian art. 

Foot Notes: About NGMA
Founded: 29 March 1954
Director General: Adwaita Charan Gadanayak
Headquarters: New Delhi

8. Salman Khan launches grooming and personal care brand FRSH

• Superstar Salman Khan has launched his own grooming and personal care brand FRSH.
• Considering the importance of hygiene and sanitisation during the coronavirus pandemic, Salman said he decided to launch a sanitiser as the first product under the brand.
• Other products will also be launched soon and can be purchased from http://frshworld.com.
• The products will also be available at various stores across the country once the supply begins.
• Salman already owns an apparel brand under Being Human - The Salman Khan Foundation, a charitable trust devoted to education and healthcare initiatives for the underprivileged in India.

9. IBM scientist Dr. Rajiv Joshi won the NYIPLA Inventor of the year Award 2020 

• IBM Academy of Technology member Dr. Rajiv Joshi, an Indian-American scientist won The New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) 2020 Inventor of the Year Award, to honour for his work in advancing the electronic industry and improving artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. He received the award through an online interview.
• Dr. Joshi’s inventions like novel interconnect process technology for scaling, machine learning techniques for predictive failure analytics, high bandwidth, high performance and low power integrated circuits and memories and their usage in hardware accelerators for the applications in AI helps in advancing day-to-day life, global communications, medical fields etc.

Other Awards:

• He holds the Master Inventor title of IBM since 1997.
• He received the IEEE Circuits and System Society’s Industrial Pioneer Award, in 2013.
• He was inducted into the New Jersey Inventor Hall of Fame, in 2014
• In 2018, He Received the IEEE Daniel E. Noble Award in 2018 for Emerging Technology.

Foot Notes: About NYIPLA
President: Colman B. Ragan
Established- March 7, 1922
Headquarters: New Jersey, USA

10. Renowned vocalist Shyamala Bhave passes away at 76

• Noted Classical musician Shyamala G. Bhave, who was well versed in both the Hindustani and Carnatic styles passed away at the age of 76, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. She was born on March 14, 1941, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Bhave was the daughter of late Govind Vitthal Bhave, who trained her in Hindustani music and her mother Lakshmi Bhave was also a classical vocalist. She was tutored in the Carnatic stream by noted vocalists A. Subbaraya and H.S. Doreswamy.
• She was honoured with the title of ‘Ubhayagaana Vidushi’ (expert in both styles) by Sir M Visvesvaraya, the 19th Diwan of Mysore.

Foot Notes: About Karnataka
Capital: Bengaluru.
Chief Minister (CM): Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa.
Governor: Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.