GENERAL AWARENESS---SBI PO - IBPS PO 2017 -- CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL 24 TO 30, 2017

24-04-2017

National Panchayati Raj Diwas

In India, April 24th is celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Diwas every year. This day marks the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993. The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in 2010.

First digital village in Arunachal

Nirjuli village-1 in Papum Pare district was declared as the first digital village of Arunachal Pradesh. Digital village aims at cashless transactions even in sabji mandis to make payment through mobile. The state government also promised to promote V-set linked customer service point (CSP) for digitalisation.

India’s first hospital for eye tumours

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is India’s first public hospital to start plaque brachytherapy facility for the treatment of eye tumours. The facility is a form of local radiation delivered to the eye through a radioactive device which is attached to the eye for a temporary period of time. AIIMS was established in 1956.

Newton wins best film honour

Actor Rajkummar Rao-starrer “Newton” has won the best film honour at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Amit Masurkar-directed “Newton”, which also stars Anjali Patil, is a political satire. It had its world premiere at the 67th Berlin Film Festival where it won the International Federation of Art Cinemas (CICAE) award in its Forum segment.

Cricket removed from 2018 Asian Games

One of the sports to miss out from the programme list of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang is cricket. Apart from cricket, skateboarding, sambo and surfing have also been removed. This measure was taken as a part of the series of changes aimed at reducing the total number of events from 493 to 431. Also omitted from the list are kurash and belt wrestling events.

Nadal wins 10th Monte-Carlo title

Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters for a record-breaking 10th time by defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas. He, who now has 50 clay court titles and 70 in all, will be aiming for a 10th French Open title as well next month. He became the first man in the Open era to win the same event 10 times.

Sandhya Agarwal honoured

The ‘Marylebone Cricket Club’ has offered honourary life membership to Sandhya Agarwal, former captain of the Indian women’s Test team. A resident of Indore, Agarwal has played 13 Tests and 21 ODIs from 1984 to 1995. Presently, she is the chairperson of girl’s U-19 and senior women’s team of MPCA.

‘Public data office’ (PDO) technology

State-run C- DOT has developed the public data office which can be installed at any neighbourhood shop or even on push carts to provide low-cost Wi-Fi powered data packs to public. It creates Wi-Fi hotspots using 2G, 3G or 4G signals and connect up to 100 mobile devices at a given time in a range of 500 m. C-DOT expects it to be released within 2-3 months.

New types of blood cells discovered

Scientists, including those of Indian origin, have identified new types of blood cells in the human immune system. The cells are new classes of types of white blood cells called dendritic cells and monocytes. Researchers used a technique called single-cell genomics to analyse gene expression patterns in individual human blood cells.

Freight train connects Russia with China

A freight train connecting Russia with China arrived in Ganzhou an inland city in Jiangxi province, carrying goods from Moscow on April 24. The freight train travelled more than 7000 km. This freight train connecting Russia and China is e pected to bring resources from Europe and boost local development.

Quality Mark Award Scheme

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries has supported the National Dairy Development Board developed initiative of “Quality Mark” Award Scheme for dairy Cooperatives. The NDDB is in the process of registering the quality mark logo under Trademarks Act, 1998. Since its formation on 6th January, 2016, NDDB has received 53 applications for award of the Quality Mark.

Cuba, Morocco reestablish diplomatic ties

Cuba and Morocco have signed an agreement to re-establish diplomatic ties after a time period of 37 years. The decision to re-establish diplomatic ties has been made couple of weeks after King Mohammed’s private visit to Cuba. Morocco severed its ties with Cuba in 1980 after Fidel Castro officially recognised Western Sahara as the independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

GNFC wins Golden Peacock Award

The Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd (GNFC) won the prestigious Golden Peacock Award in the category of Innovative Product/Service for pioneering a cashless township transformation model. The Awards were established by the Institute of Directors in 1991. The GNFC won from among 313 applicants.

Limit for senior citizen benefit

The government wants ministries, departments and also private agencies to adopt ’60 years’ as the uniform age criterion to define senior citizens as to address anomalies in extending benefits to the elderly. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is contemplating to bring in an amendment in the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act, 2007.

Subsidised solar water pumps

The Madhya Pradesh government would soon provide nearly 18,500 solar-powered water pumps to farmers in the state at subsidised rates. MP Urja Vikas Nigam would be the nodal agency to make available the solar pumps to the farmers. MP has the highest agricultural growth rate of over 20% since last couple of years.

Programme for social start-ups launched

The International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Hyderabad) has announced an accelerator programme for social start-ups. The institute has joined hands with Surge Impact Foundation to run the three-month-long accelerator. At the end of the programme, start-ups could get seed funding opportunities between Rs 50000-Rs 1 lakh.

FreeCharge, MobiKwik in merger talks

After consolidation in the online market space, it seems the turn of mobile wallets. FreeCharge plans to merge itself in an all-stock deal with MobiKwik. Sources say after the merger, the new entity is likely to get a top-up of $200 million from a Chinese investor who is eager to make an entry into India. However, it should be noted that the talks are only at an initial stage.

Utkrisht Double-Decker AC Yatri Express

The Indian Railways will launch in July the Utkrisht Double-Decker AC Yatri (Uday) Express+ , a special class service for overnight journey that will ply on high-demand routes. The main USP of this train is that it will have fares lower than that of 3AC class. It runs at a speed of 110 km/hr.

A pinprick to detect cancer

Strand Life Sciences, a Bengaluru-based company has created a test called ‘STRAND LB’ that claims to be able to detect traces of a tumour “from a simple blood draw”. MedGenome, another company based in Bengaluru — also announced the launch of “ONCOTRACK”, another ‘liquid biopsy’ test. They are a part of NGS (next-generation sequencing)-based liquid biopsies to detect cancer.

Vitamin C helps kill bacteria

That vitamin C, an anti-oxidant agent, boosts and strengthens immunity is well known. Now, a study by a team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has found the molecular mechanism by which vitamin C impedes and even kills Mycobacterium smegmatis which causes tubercuolosis. The article was published in FEMS Microbiology Letters.

25-04-2017

Goldman Environmental Prize

Prafulla Samantara, the face of people’s resistance against Vedanta’s plan to mine bauxite from Niyamgiri hills in Odisha, has been honoured with this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize. The prize, also known as Green Nobel prize, was announced in San Francisco on April 24. Samantara is only the sixth Indian to win the prize.

World Malaria Day

World Malaria Day(WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria. It was established in May 2007 by the 60th session of the World Health Assembly, WHO’s decision-making body. The 2017 theme is, ‘A Push for Prevention.’ Prior to the establishment of WMD, Africa Malaria Day was held on April 25.

President of kabaddi federation elected

Mridul Gehlot and Dinesh Patel were elected unanimously president and general secretary of Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India. The elections were held here under the the supervision of Justice I S Israni. Observers from the Sports Ministry, Indian Olympic Association, International Kabaddi Federation and Asian Kabaddi Federation were also present for the elections.

Asia’s largest church in Nagaland

The Sumi Baptist Church Zunheboto in Nagaland, is said to be the largest church in Asia. The church, which is now open to public, stands tall at 1864.9 m above sea level and measures 23,73,476 sq ft in the plinth area. The construction of the church took 10 years and is reportedly built on a budget of Rs 36 crore. It has a seating capacity of 85000 people and has 27 rooms.

IPPB to open 650 branches this year

India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) is planning mega expansion to open 650 branches this year. The first two branches of IPPB have been opened in January 2017 in Ranchi and Raipur. It will also be recruiting 55,000 Gramin Dak Savekas in rural areas out of which the process for filling up of 14,406 vacancies has already commenced.

K Viswanath wins Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Renowned filmmaker and actor Kasinadhuni Viswanath, best known for his award-winning movies in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, has won the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 2016. He will be the 48 recipient of the award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema, which consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a shawl. The award ceremony will be held on May 3 in New Delhi.

Central university for Divyangs

Government will set up a Central university for Divyangs in Uttar Pradesh. This was stated by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar while addressing the convocation function of Shakuntala Mishra national rehabilitation university, Lucknow. The Minister said, the University Grants Commission has been instructed to make arrangement for special training of instructors providing education to Divyangs.

Ballabhgarh renamed as Balramgarh

Ballabhgarh is Haryana has now been renamed as Balramgarh. He also announced a number of projects for the development of Ballabhgarh and NIT Faridabad Assembly constituencies. The government had earlier renamed Gurgaon as Gurugram and Mewat as Nuh.

Manpreet Kaur bags Gold

Indian shot putter Manpreet Kaur clinched a gold in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix Athletics. With this performance, Manpreet also qualified for the IAAF World Championships to be held in August in London. India ended the one-day event with seven medals (1 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze).

Wax worm caterpillar that eats plastic

The wax worm, the larvae of insect Galleria mellonella, is found to possess the ability to biodegrade polyethylene. The scientists have observed that the degradation rate of the wax worm is extremely fast when compared to other recent discoveries. The worms were found to transform the polyethylene into ethylene glycol. Wax worms are considered as parasites.

Haryana beats Kerala

Haryana beat arch rivals Kerala after six years to win the team championship at the National Youth Athletics Meet. Haryana emerged champions with 166.5 points. Kerala has finished as the runners-up. However, Kerala managed to retain the team crown for girls while Haryana boys topped and won the boys’ title.

Messi scores milestone 500th goal

Lionel Messi scored his 500th Barcelona goal against Real Madrid. His 500th goal was his second of the night, and it came in injury time, ensuring a Barcelona victory. Messi made his competitive senior debut for Barcelona as a teenager in 2004. He has since won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues, and he has received the Ballon d’Or award on five occasions.

Aadhaar Shila and Aadhaar Stambh

LIC has introduced two endowment assurance plans for individuals having Aadhaar card. Aadhaar Shila is a plan exclusively designed for women, the other scheme Aadhaar Stambh is meant for men. These plans offer a combination of protection and savings and provide a lump-sum amount in case of death of the policyholder to the person’s family.

Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas win

Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas won the 2017 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in mens doubles category. The crown is the first of the season for Bopanna and Cuevas and the third overall for the Indian. Bopanna had earlier won the Chennai Open in January with Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan.

Bihar passes GST bill

The Bihar Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2017, was passed by the bicameral state legislature on April 24. Bihar was also the second state in the country, after Assam, to rectify the constitutional amendment Bill. Chief minister Nitish Kumar speaking in the state Legislative Council described the passing of GST by all the parties together as “a historic moment.”

India-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge

The Tripura government has commenced the land acquisition process for the construction of India-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge over river Feni that demarcates boundaries between the two countries in south Tripura. The bridge would facilitate implementation of a protocol India earlier signed with Bangladesh to use Chittagong sea port as a ‘port of call’. The govt is bearing the entire cost.

First underwater metro tunnel

A gigantic Tunnel Boring Machine is being used to build a underwater tunnel which will connect Howrah with Kolkata. The construction will be completed by July. The two 520-metre structures are part of a 10.8 km underground stretch and are crucial to the East West Metro project. They are being built at a cost of Rs. 8900 crores.

3D-printing conquers glass

Scientists have developed a novel way to 3D-print objects using glass. Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany mixed nanoparticles of high-purity quartz glass and a small quantity of liquid polymer and allowed the mixture to be cured by light at specific points — by means of stereolithography. Stereolithography is used for creating models, prototypes etc.

India’s first sea ropeway

India’s first and longest ropeway to connect Mumbai with the famous Elephanta Island in the Arabian Sea is planned to be constructed by the Mumbai Port Trust. The 8-km ropeway will begin from Sewri in Mumbai’s east coast and end at Raigad district’s Elephanta Island, globally renowned for Elephanta Caves.

India fifth largest military spender

India’s military expenditure grew around 8.5% in 2016, making it the world’s fifth largest spender at $55.9 billion. USA ranks first, followed by China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. These figures were released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).

26-04-2017

World Intellectual Property Day

World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on 26 April. The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2000 to raise awareness regarding patents, trademarks etc. The theme for 2017 is, “Innovation – Improving Lives”.It coincides with the date on which the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization entered into force in 1970.

Cassini completes final flyby of Titan

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has completed its last close flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan and is beginning its final set of 22 orbits before the probe plunges into the ringed planet to bring an end to its 20- year-long journey. The spacecraft’s first finale dive will take place on April 26. The spacecraft was launched on October 15, 1997.

TERI, French firm sign MoU

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Innovative Finance Foundation (IFF) and 3WAYSTE company signed an MoU to collaborate on the rollout of a breakthrough technology for municipal solid waste management. The technology is capable of treating all household waste into residue fuel to produce clean energy.

Tamil Nadu signs agreement with BBNL

The Tamil Nadu government entered into an agreement with Bharat Broadband Network Ltd for implementing the Centre’s rural internet connectivity programme, ‘BharatNet.’ A sum of Rs. 50 lakh has been allocated as the state’s share capital for this purpose and work for registering it was on. The programme will help connect every household in Tamil Nadu.

New variety of Bakla developed

Scientists of Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) here have developed a new variety of Fababean, commonly called Bakla. The new variety HFB-1 is high yielding and also has high nutritional quality. HFB-1 has been found superior to National Check variety Vikrant in seed yield. It also contains levo-dopa, a precursor of neuro-chemicals in brain such as dopamine, epinephrine.

RDPR bags awards

Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Dept has bagged e-Puraskar Award for the best performance in empowering panchayats by using Information and Communication Technology tools, for 2016-17. Kerala bagged the 2nd prize, while West Bengal secured 3rd prize in the category of ICT tools. The cash prize is Rs. 2 crore.

China launches aircraft carrier

China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, which will join an existing one bought second-hand, amid rising tensions over North Korea. The latest addition to Beijing’s naval fleet comes against the backdrop of long-running territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The new carrier will have capacity for 24 J-15 fighter jets and 12 helicopters.

Child artistes can work only for 5 hours

The Labour Ministry has proposed draft rules to fix the working conditions for child artistes and for employing children in family enterprises. While a child artiste will not be allowed to work for more than five hours a day, a child “assisting” in a family business can only work for three hours a day. An amendment to the Child Labour Rules, 1986 has been made.

Solve a problem, win ₹1 crore

The Centre is set to launch a scheme for students from higher educational institutions to volunteer to offer innovative, original and practical solutions to problems facing the country and get rewarded for their efforts. The scheme is called IDEAS, or Innovations for Development of Efficient and Affordable Systems. The winner will get Rs. 1 crore.

UID numbers for cows

The Centre has proposed issuing “Unique Identification Number Sequences” for cows and their progeny to protect them from cattle smuggling. It is the brainchild of the Union Agriculture Ministry. The Ministry of Agriculture has devised a method of tamper-proof identification of cattle using polyurethene tags with Unique Identification Number Sequence.

Exhibition “The Paths We Walk”

Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment inaugurated a Documentary Photo exhibition The Paths We Walk” in New Delhi. The exhibition is intended to tackle negative myths of disability and employment of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability and Multiple Disabilities. April is celebrated across the World as the World Autism Awareness Month.

Exercise ‘Varuna’

India and France began their week-long bilateral naval exercise Varuna in France’s Toulon port. The Varuna series of exercises began in 2000 and have grown into an institutionalised form of interaction between the two navies. The joint-exercises are held either in the Indian Ocean or Mediterranean sea.

Conference on Dara Shikoh

The international conference on “Dara Shikoh: Reclaiming Spiritual Legacy of India”, organised by the Indian Council Of Cultural Relations (ICCR), will be held on April 27 and 28 at ICCR’s Azad Bhavan, New Delhi. It will see the participation of eminent scholars, academics and historians from the US, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and India.

IIITM-K develops app for coffee growers

Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K) has launched an application named Kaapi Soil Health Management and Monitoring (Kshemam) app for coffee growers. The app will help in proper identification of optimum levels of fertiliser use. The information will be available in English, Kannada, Tamil or Malayalam.

Agriculture Ministry unveils APMC Act

In order to give more freedom to farmers to sell their produce, the agriculture ministry has unveiled “The State/UT Agricultural Produce and Livestocks Marketing (promotion and facilitation) Act, 2017”. The draft law proposes to cap market fees and commission charges payable by a farmer after bringing produce to a wholesale market. The Act was passed in 2003.

Northeast India’s largest IT hub opens

Northeast India’s sixth and largest Information Technology (IT) hub was inaugurated in Tripura. It will boost employment and e-governance besides to export software technology. The hub has been built at a cost of Rs. 50 crore.

Iran signs agreement with China

China and Iran have signed the first commercial contract for the reconstruction of Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor. It was signed in Vienna, Austria. Under the contract, China National Nuclear Corporation will complete the design concept for the renovation of the Arak reactor within the next eight months.

GIC Re sets up base in GIFT City

General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) has become the first re-insurer to open an office at India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). GIC provides reinsurance support to life and non-life insurers in India and abroad. GIC Re’s foreign and domestic premium composition now stands at 45:55.

Mann Kaur sets world record

Mann Kaur broke her world record to clinch gold in 100m at the World Masters Games — considered the Olympics for veterans — in Auckland, New Zealand. She completed the race in 1 minute and 14 seconds. Mann Kaur made headlines last year when she become the world’s fastest centenarian by clinching gold in 100m at the American Masters Games in Vancouver with a time of 1 minute 21 seconds.

Aditi Ashok, SSP Chawrasia win awards

SSP Chawrasia and Aditi Ashok were among the winners at the second Golf Industry Association Awards. Aditi, who finished second in the Ladies European Tour order of merit last year with the help of two victories, expectedly bagged Outstanding Achievement as a Player award. Chawrasia, bagged the Award for the Men’s Player of the Year.

27-04-2017

NASA launches super balloon in NZ

A stadium-sized pressure balloon launched by NASA in New Zealand began collecting data in near space. The balloon is designed to detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the galaxy as they penetrate the earth’s atmosphere. The balloon was launched from Wanaka, New Zealand’s South Island.

Indo-Armenian bilateral relations

India has signed three agreements with Armenia to further enhance the bilateral relations. The agreements are in the field of cultural co-operation, youth affairs and peaceful use of space. The Vice President will also visit Poland on the second leg of his two-nation visit.

Indian Bank to offload 7% of shares

​            Indian Bank has decided to offload 7 percent of its shares to the public through a follow-on offer. The Union Government is the promoter of the bank holding 82 percent of shares at present. Indian Bank is the first Indian public sector bank whose Price-to-Book value has reached the level of ‘One,” reflecting its strong performances.

Trump introduces biggest tax reform plan

US President Donald Trump has introduced biggest tax reform plan in the history of United States. The income tax rates have been slashed from 39.6% to 35%. The new plan proposes for a 15% corporate tax rate which is a sharp drop from the existing 35%. However, under the US law, only the Congress is empowered to make major changes to the tax laws.

PM launches UDAN Scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme from Jubbarhatti, an airport on the outskirts of Shimla. He flagged of the first UDAN flight under Regional Connectivity Scheme on Shimla-Delhi sector. UDAN flights on Kadapa–Hyderabad, and Nanded-Hyderabad sectors were also flagged off.

Sukma attack

Twenty-five CRPF jawans were slaughtered in one of the deadliest attacks by Maoist rebels. Around 300-400 Leftist insurgents ambushed and outgunned 99 troopers deployed to help with the construction of a road through the Maoist stronghold of Sukma in Chhattisgarh. This was one of the three biggest attacks on security forces in seven years, and the second in the last one and a half months.

IPR Awareness Campaign launched

The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) has begun an IPR Awareness campaign in schools across the country. It has been launched in collaboration with the International Trademark Association. The campaign was kicked off at Kendriya Vidyalaya, RK Puram Sector 2, New Delhi. The National Intellectual Property Rights Policy was approved by the govt on May 12, 2016.

MFIN launches financial literacy app

Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), a self-regulatory organisation and an industry association of microfinance, has launched a financial literacy mobile app for microfinance clients. The app has been released on Android platform and will be available in six languages. It is aimed to help microfinance clients in understanding the dynamics involved in microfinance like credit history.

SAP launches solution to help SMEs

Enterprise application software maker SAP launched a solution for SMEs to help them become compliant with the Goods and Services Tax (GST). SAP has launched ‘GST in a box’, an all-inclusive solution portfolio designed to help SMEs. SAP has committed to provide businesses with the necessary consultation and technology to efficiently adopt the GST regime through various initiatives.

Tiger death in Madhya Pradesh

The death of the two cubs, one on April 22 and the second on April 23, had prompted the National Tiger Conservation Authority to send a team to Bandhavgarh from Delhi. Days after the death of two orphaned cubs in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, their third sibling succumbed to viral infection. The three cubs had recently been infected by parvovirus.

Belgium opens honorary consulate

Belgium has become the first country to open an honorary consulate office in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). The consulate was inaugurated by Belgian Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Pieter De Crem. GIFT is a central business district (CBD) located between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in the state of Gujarat.

Miss Teen Universe 2017

Srishti Kaur has been crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017. In addition, she also bagged an award for the best national costume. Her costume featured a peacock, the Indian national bird. Miss Teen Universe pageant was started six years ago. The pageant is organized by the Miss Universe organisation for teens aged 15 to 19.

Kia Motors to invest in India

Kia Motors is lining up around $1.1 billion to set up a manufacturing plant in India. The South Korean firm, part of the Hyundai group, will sign a MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a new plant in Anantapur district. It will roll out a compact SUV and a compact sedan by 2019-end.

Rs 10000 minimum monthly wage

The Labour Ministry has proposed a minimum monthly income of Rs.10000 for contract workers. The move will drastically increase the minimum wages of contract labourers from around Rs.6000 per month that is paid to them in a few sectors at present. At present, employers give the fixed minimum wages to workers for 45 economic activities.

Golden Peacock Business Award 2017

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd has won the Golden Peacock Business Excellence Award 2017. Golden Peacock Business Excellence Award seeks to characterize validated best management practices, as a basis for accelerating the rate of organizational improvement. The Golden Peacock Awards were established in 1991.

India to host 18th World Road Meeting

India is set to host the 18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017) on November 13. The theme of this year’s WRM is ‘Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth’. The WRM will provide an important platform for potential investors to partner and participate in the immense opportunities that are made available by the country.

New Director General of CRPF appointed

Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar was appointed as the new Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force. The action comes after 25 CXRPF officers were killed in Sukma. Bhatnagar will be replacing acting DG Sudeep Lakhtakia. Currently, Bhatnagar serves as DG of the Narcotics Control Bureau.

Nita Ambani made member of IOC

Nita Ambani, who became India’s first woman International Olympic Committee member last year, has now been made a member of two important commissions of the global sports governing body, including the prestigious Olympic channel and the Olympic education Commission. Ambani would be one of the 16 members of the Olympic Channel Commission. It is based in Madrid, Spain.

10 heritage sites to be developed

The government announced 10 new iconic places which would be developed as cleanliness role models under the “Swachh Bharat Mission”. The decision to choose new places was taken at the second quarterly review meeting of the swachh iconic places, an initiative of the ministry of drinking water and sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission.

YES Bank wins award

YES BANK has won the prestigious ‘Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award 2017’ for its innovative mobile technology product, SIMsePAY. The Golden Peacock Awards, instituted by the Institute of Directors, India in 1991, are regarded as a benchmark of Corporate Excellence worldwide. YES BANK is India’s fifth largest private sector Bank with a pan-India presence.

28-04-2017

Bhubaneswar wins Pierre L’enfant Award

Bhubaneswar has become the first Indian city to win Pierre L’enfant International Planning excellence award-2017 instituted by the American Planning Association. APA was created in 1978. It is an independent, not for profit educational organization representing the field of urban planning in the United States. Pierre L’enfant was a French-born American architect and civil engineer.

Scientists create ‘Artificial Womb’

Researchers have created a fluid-filled transparent container called the Biobag to simulate how foetuses float in amniotic fluid inside the uterus of their mothers. So far the device has only been tested on fetal lambs. The device is kept in a dark, warm room where researchers can play the sounds of the mother’s heart for the lamb fetus and monitor the fetus with ultrasounds.

India’s 1st green highway

India’s first smart and green highway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway will be ready by August this year. It has been built a t a cost of Rs. 11000 crore. At least 2.5 lakh trees will be on the both sides of the roads with solar panels.

Planet discovered through Microlensing

NASA has discovered a new planet with the mass of Earth, orbiting its star at the same distance that we orbit our sun. However it is too cold to support any life. It was discovered through a process called microlensing. Microlensing is a technique that facilitates the discovery of distant objects by using background stars as flashlights. The new planet has been called OGLE-2016-BLG-1195Lb.

El Salvador bans metals mining

El Salvador became the first country in the world to ban the mining of metals in what campaigners called a landmark move for environmental protection. The law bans “prospection, exploration, exploitation, extraction or processing of metallic minerals in El Salvador”. The new law entered into force after being signed by President Salvador Sanchez Ceren.

4th National Standards Conclave

Department of Commerce, Government of India in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry, Bureau of Indian Standards and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies and other knowledge partners is organizing the 4th National Standards Conclave. It will be organized in New Delhi from May 1-2. The objective of the Conclave is to bring awareness and prepare Industries.

e-SOT and e-PRAN card launched

The facility of online viewing of the statement of transaction(e-SOT) and also the e-PRAN card have been launched for Atal Pension Yojana subscribers. The scheme is being implemented through 235 APY-Service Providers all over the country. APY was launched on 9 May, 2015 and is available for all citizens of India in the age group of 18-40 years.

UNESCO to screen Indian short film

UNESCO will screen Rahul V. Chittella’s short film “Azaad” as a part of World Press Freedom Day event that is scheduled to be held from May 1-4 in Indonesia. The movie is about the dysfunctional relationship between a father and his son. May 3 is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day every year to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom.

Artificial photosynthesis

Scientists from the University of Central Florida have discovered a way to trigger artificial photosynthesis, which would help turn greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into clean air and produce energy at the same time. Titanium was used as light-harvesting antennae to see if that configuration would work. The findings were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.

IOC to build new oil terminal in Bihar

The Indian Oil Corporation has planned to build a new oil terminal at Motihari in Bihar to supply fuel to Nepal via the planned pipeline up to Amlekganj in Nepal. The 69-km Motihari-Amlekganj pipeline will be built at a cost of Rs.325 crore. In August 2015, the India and Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a product pipeline.

ISRO solar calculator app

ISRO has developed an Android app, named Solar Calculator, for computing the solar energy potential of any location. Developed at the behest of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the ISRO Solar Calculator app is considered to be useful ti install solar panels. The app app provides monthly and yearly solar potential and the minimum and the maximum temperatures at any location.

Workers’ Memorial Day

Workers’ Memorial Day takes place annually around the world on April 28, an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. The slogan for the day is Remember the dead – Fight for the living. On this day, World Day for Safety and Health at Work is also observed.

E-taxi trial run to begin in Nagpur

India’s first electric taxi trial in the country would be launched in Nagpur from May 24. Mahindra and Mahindra is set to provide 200 taxis for the initiative. Electric car taxi is one of the ambitious projects and forms as a part of its UNDP millennium goals to tackle pollution.

ISRO to launch five satellites

ISRO will launch five satellites by year end. The satellites, proposed to be launched, are aimed at improving the communication system within the country. ISRO and the government has made GPS-aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) mandatory for all aircraft by 2019 to ensure safety and precision landing.

Yashwanth is man of the tournament

Yashwanth Naidu from Andhra Pradesh was declared Man of the Tournament in the T-20 Asia Cup held recently at Dhaka, Bangladesh. In the triangular tournament, India beat Bangladesh and Pakistan in the Asia Cup to lift the Trophy.

Lavasa Committee submits report to FM

The ‘Committee on Allowance‘ headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa submitted its final report on ‘higher allowances’ and ‘minimum wages’ to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Around 43 lakh central government employees and 57 lakh pensioners are eagerly waiting for the Ashok Lavasa committee to submit its final report. The Ashok Lavasa Committee was formed in June 2016.

MMTC, PAYTM to launch ‘Digital Gold’

Paytm launched Digital Gold in collaboration with accredited refinery MMTC-PAMP, which allows users to buy, sell and even store gold. This new service will enable users to request their gold to be delivered at their home in the form of minted coins. Customers can store it in MMTC-PAMPs secure vaults free of charge.

EShakti initiative

NABARD under its EShakti initiative, has so far digitised around 1.29 lakh self-help groups covering 14.86 lakh individuals in the country. The aim of the initiative is to digitise all SHGs under its Micro Credit and Innovations Department and reduce the drudgery of book keeping and cut the dependence on cash transactions. The pilot project at Ramgarh, Jharkhand & Dhule, Maharashtra in 2015.

Video Assistant Referees

Video assistant referees will be used at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Video Assistant Referee system was first introduced at the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2016. The technology can be used to review major incidents such as goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity.

21 lakh street lights installed in India

            Under the Government of India’s Street Lighting National Programme over 21 lakh conventional street lights have been replaced with LED street lights across the country. The installation of LED street lights has resulted in 295 million unit kWh, avoided capacity of over 73 MW and reduction of 2.3 lakh tonnes of CO2 annually. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd is implementing the Project.

29-04-2017

‘Oorja’ Talent Hunt Tournament-2017

The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been tasked to conduct ‘Oorja’, – CAPFs Under-19 Football Talent Hunt Tournament – 2017. CAPFs will be jointly organizing the tournament under the aegis of All India Police Sports Control Board throughout the country from May 1-15, 2017. It is being used to generate interest regarding football in the country.

International Basava Convention

Prime Minister Modi will unveil translated volumes of Vachana, penned by 12th century social reformer Basavanna and other saints in 23 Indian languages, on the social reformer’s birth anniversary in New Delhi. Vachana is a prosaic form well known in the Kannada literature which propagates values of universal brotherhood. It is used to spread social awareness.

Sankha Ghosh wins Jnanpith Award

The 52nd Jnanpith Award was conferred to celebrated Bengali poet and literary critic Sankha Ghosh by President Pranab Mukherjee. He is regarded a leading authority on Rabindranath Tagore in addition to being one of the most prolific writers in Bengali. He was also awarded the Sahitya Akademi award in 1977 and in the year 1999.

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament begins

Sultan of Azlan Shah Cup Men’s Hockey tournament begins in Ipoh, Malaysia. Six nations – India, Malaysia, Australia, Great Britain, Japan and New Zealand – are taking part in the 8-day tournament which will be held in a round-robin format. In the opener, India will take on Great Britain Pakistan is not playing in the competition this year.

Govt launches Test &Treat policy for HIV

The government launched a new policy for HIV under which anyone who is tested and found positive will get the necessary treatment. As per this new policy, anyone who is tested and found positive will get the necessary treatment free of cost. The scheme will be a centrally sponsored scheme where all who have been diagnosed positively can benefit under this new policy.

BSNL to provide broadband services

Bharat Broadband Network Limited, the Department of Posts and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited have signed a tripartite agreement for providing broadband connectivity of BharatNet to post offices in rural areas. It will provide connectivity to about 1.3 lakh, post offices in rural areas and 25,000 sub-post offices. The project will be completed by December 2018.

NCRPB sanctions 25 projects in Haryana

The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) has sanctioned 25 infrastructure projects for Haryana related to urban transport and water supply with a loan assistance of Rs 1,552 crore. NCRPB is an urban planning body for the National Capital Region. It covers 34,144 square kilometres. NCRPB has its jurisdiction over the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi.

MoU for setting up of vehicle inspection

A tripartite MoU has been signed between the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways , Department of Transport, Nagaland and International Centre for Automotive Technology for establishing a vehicle inspection and certification centre in Dimapur district, Nagaland. It will be setup in Chumukedima. The civil construction work will take 11 months.

Justice S N Dhingra report

The Justice SN Dhingra Commission concluded that Robert Vadra made illegal profits of Rs 50.5 crore from a land deal in Haryana in 2008 without spending a single penny. The commission was constituted in 2015 to investigate a mutation of land deal between Vadra’s firm Skylight Hospitality and realty major DLF. The committee submitted its report on August 31, 2016.

Committee for Transgender Welfare Board

Maharashtra government will set up an executive committee under the ministry of Women and Child Welfare to activate functioning of Transgender Welfare Board, conceptualised in 2014. The government will implement various Central schemes for welfare of the transgender community through the executive committee. There are some five Central schemes for welfare of transgenders.

Indian Coast Guard lauded

The Indian Coast Guard has been praised at ReCAAP conference. There was only one incident of armed robbery in Indian waters as of March this year. The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia, abbreviated as ReCAAP or RECAAP, is a multilateral agreement between 16 countries in Asia, concluded in November 2004.

India wins 6 medals

India won six medals in the second leg of the Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in Jiaxing, China. India had won seven medals, including a gold and 4 silver in the first leg on April 24. The third leg will be held in the Chinese Taipei on April 30.

Yusra Mardini-UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced the appointment of Syrian refugee and Olympic athlete Yusra Mardini as a Goodwill Ambassador. Since her selection for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Mardini has worked closely with UNHCR, highlighting with her own inspiring performances the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team and the wider global refugee crisis. Yusra studies full time in Germany.

Karnataka the most corrupt state

Karnataka occupies the first slot in a list of states perceived to be corrupt on the basis of people’s experience in paying bribes for public services. Karnataka is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab. Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Chhattisgarh are least corrupt. The report was published by Centre for Media Studies.

Press freedom rankings

India slipped three places in the 2017 world press freedom rankings to 136th among 180 countries, the dismal performance blamed on “Modi’s nationalism” and growing “self-censorship” in the mainstream media. India was ranked just three places above Pakistan and was one notch below violence-torn Palestine. The report was released by Reporters without Borders.

MSEFC portal and MyMSME mobile app

Minister Venkaiah Naidu Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council’s (MSEFC) portal and MyMSME Mobile App. This online platform is expected to be a significant step in the direction of Digital India, from the perspective of the MSME Sector in the country. In addition, the MyMSME mobile app provides information on all schemes implemented by the Ministry of MSME at one place.

Infosys launches new AI Platform

Building on its first generation Artificial Intelligence platform Infosys Mana and its Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution, AssistEdge, Infosys announced the launch of ‘Infosys Nia’. This comes in the wake of the company having stated that they would place stronger emphasis on data analytics, cyber security and artificial intelligence in the coming months.

Sebi clears P-Note norms

In yet another move in India against black money, markets regulator Sebi barred resident as well as non-resident Indians from making investments through participatory notes (P-Notes). P-notes are mostly used by overseas individual investors, hedge funds and foreign institutions to invest in the Indian securities markets through registered foreign institutional investors (FIIs).

First transgender athletic meet

Kerala has conducted the country’s first-ever transgender one-day athletic meet in Thiruvananthapuram. The event saw the participation of 132 participants belonging to 12 districts of the state. The event was jointly organised by Kerala sports council and Sexual Gender Minority Federation of Kerala.

Pankaj Advani loses in Asian Snooker

Pankaj Advani lost to China’s Lv Haotian in the summit clash of Asian Snooker Championship. The defeat in the final also meant that Advani could not complete a career Grand Slam in cue sport. A victory will make Advani only player in history to win all Majors in two sports at all levels and across all formats.

30-04-2017

Niti Aayog For Simultaneous polls

The Niti Aayog has suggested a synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and assembly polls from 2024. This has been suggested so as to ensure minimum ‘campaign-mode’ disruption to governance. It has made the Election Commission the nodal agency to look into the suggestion and for setting up a working group of stakeholders for deciding a road-map for synchronised elections.

Teen Murti Chowk renamed Haifa Chowk.

NDMC has renamed Teen Murti Chowk Haifa Chowk after the city in Israel. On September 23 every year, the Indian Army celebrates Haifa Day and its own part in winning the battle for Haifa for the Allied Powers in World War I. Next year, the Army will celebrate 100 years of the battle.

Trump skips White House Dinner

First time in 36 years, US Prez Donald Trump gave White House Correspondent’s Association (WHCA) Dinner a miss. The annual dinner is one of the most awaited events in the US calendar, where the Prez spends a lighthearted evening with the press. VP Mike Pence was also not present for the occasion. Trump has had differences with the press ever since the time he began running for president.

Guwahati declares ‘silent zone’

Guwahati has declared a radius of 100 metres from “all prominent religious places” including temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches — as a “silent zone”. The notification states that officials of PWD have been asked to place proper signs in the notified areas. The issue of loudspeakers being used at places of worship was the subject of a heated debate on social media recently

US starts drill with South Korean navy

The US aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson has kicked off a joint drill with the South Korean navy. The exercise began amidst tensions over North Korea’s latest test-fire of a ballistic missile. The drill is aimed at verifyig the allies’ capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles. Earlier this week, the US carrier had joint drills with Japan’s naval forces.

Aadhaar soon compulsory for Comp. Act

The government will soon make quoting of Aadhaar number compulsory for key managerial personnel and directors in regulatory filings under the Companies Act. Corporate Affairs Ministry has already asked individual stakeholders to obtain Aadhaar at the earliest for “integrating their details with MCA21”. MCA21 is the portal through which filings are submitted to the Ministry.

New fuel price everyday in 5 cities

Starting May 1, Puducherry, Visakhapatnam, Udaipur, Jamshedpur and Chandigarh-as part of a pilot project will see petrol and diesel being sold under a daily price change regime. The base prices of petrol and diesel will continue to be the global benchmarks. Till now, diesel and petrol prices were changed on the 1st and 16th of every month depending on the preceding fortnight average.

Telecom base in India grows to 1.18 bn

India’s telecom subscriber base, mobile and landline, touched the 1.18 billion mark at the end of February 2017. The market growth was led by the addition of 13.75 million mobile users during the month. The urban connectivity went up to 692.15 million in February-end, from 681.15 million in January-end, a growth of over 1.6 per cent. Rural connectivity was slower at 0.56 per cent.

Turkish Prez on 2-day visit to India

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will begin his 2 day India visit from today. The visit will be the first-ever official trip at the presidential level from Turkey to India in seven years. The Turkish president will participate in “Turkey-India Business Forum” during India visit. Talks are expected to cover fight against terrorism, boosting bilateral ties in economy and trade.

1 GW ultra mega solar park in Andhra

The world’s largest single-location solar park of 1,000 megawatts is nearing completion in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. 900 MW of the 1,000 MW has been already commissioned at the Park, and the remaining will be fully operational next month. It has already become the largest such park outpacing 648 MW solar park developed by in Tamil Nadu and Topaz Solar Park of 550 MW in California.

Non-FATCA accounts to be blocked

All non-FATCA compliant accounts may be frozen on May 1, 2017. The FATCA of USA makes it mandatory for overseas financial institutions to give information about non-resident US account holders or face withholding tax. Mutual fund investors, bank account holders and insurance investors, cannot operate if they are not compliant with FATCA.

Options trading in commodities market

SEBI has allowed options trading in commodity derivatives. Ajay Tyagi, Chairman of SEBI described it as a very big step towards further deepening the commodities derivatives market. SEBI permitted investors to purchase mutual funds worth up to 50,000 rupees through digital wallets. SEBI has barred resident and non-resident Indians from making investments through participatory notes.

EU sets tough divorce terms for Britain

European Union leaders have endorsed stiff divorce terms for Britain. The EU considers it vital that Britain not be seen to profit from Brexit, to dissuade others from following suit. EU leaders in Brussels approved eight pages of negotiating guidelines to seek a deal that secures the rights of 3 million EU expats living in Britain.

National Health Policy 2017 announced

Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda has announced the National Health Policy 2017. NHP’s main focus is ‘comprehensive and universal wellness’. Two very significant and patient centric initiatives have recently received approval are the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 and the HIV & AIDS Prevention and Control Act, 2017. The Acts are one of the many sub components of the NHP 2017

Walmart to open 50 new stores in India

Global retail giant Walmart will set up 50 new stores across India over the next three to four years. The new stores would include 10 in Telangana, for which the US retailer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government. It will invest $10 to $12 million in each store, which would create direct and indirect employment for 2,000 people.

First direct London-China train

The first freight train to link China directly to the UK arrived in the Yiwu, China after covering over 12,000-kilometres. This is the second longest route in the world. The journey is the latest effort in China’s drive to strengthen trade links with western Europe along a modern-day “Silk Road” route. This route is 1000 kilometres shorter than the record-holding China-Madrid link.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai pay doubled

Google’s India-born CEO Sundar Pichai received a stock award of $198.7 million in 2016. This has brought his total compensation in 2016 to $199.7 million, almost twice the $100.6 million he earned in 2015. Pichai received a salary of $650,000 in 2016, slightly less than the $652,500 he earned in 2015. Under Pichai’s leadership, Google has boosted sales from its core ad and YouTube business

China’s 1st home-built amphibious craft

China’s first amphibious aircraft, stated to be the largest in the world, successfully conducted its first glide test on Friday in the Chinese city of Zhuhai. Designed to be the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, the 37-meter AG600, with a wingspan of 38.8 meters, has a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes. AG600 will be mainly used for maritime rescue and marine environment monitoring

PM Modi’s Rs 450 cr satellite gift

India is embarking on an unprecedented and unchartered ‘stratospheric diplomacy’ through a special Rs 450 crore gift for south Asians. On May 5, the Geo- synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) also called the ‘naughty boy of Isro’ will be launched on its 11th mission. The uniqueness of this satellite is that it will have a footprint that extends all over South Asia.

‘Muktijodha scholarship’ scheme

India will give 35 crore rupees to children of freedom fighters in Bangladesh during the next five years under the new ‘Muktijodha scholarship’ scheme. Students at higher secondary level will get an one time grant of 15,370 rupees and those at Under graduate level will get 38,430 rupees. India initiated the Muktijodha Scholarship Scheme in 2006 for descendants of the 1971 Freedom Fighters.

SOURCE;  testbook.com