SBI PO -IBPS PO -- APRIL 1 TO 8 CURRENT AFFAIRS
USEFUL FOR SBI PO/CLERKS/IBPS
PO/CLERKS, RRB OFFICERS/ASSISTANT/SSC GRADUATE LEVEL/MATRIC LEVEL.
01-04-2017
Priti Patel awarded
Priti Patel,
Britain’s senior-most Indian-origin minister has received the ‘Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman’. The award is the highest honour conferred on overseas
Indians and Patel has been awarded for her “exceptional contribution to
national and international politics, her role in strengthening UK-India
relations. The award is presented annually at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
ICFMD inaugurated
Union Agriculture
minister Radhamohan Singh inaugurated the International Centre for Foot and
Mouth Disease (ICFMD) at Argul in Khurda district in Bhubhaneshwar. This centre
will conduct research on how to control foot and mouth disease of cattle. This
centre will serve as a regional resource laboratory for countries of the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Arunachal Pradesh
permitted to use ALGs
Defense Ministry has
given permission to Arunachal Pradesh government to use the functional Advance
Landing Grounds in the state for civilian purpose. The ALGs across the state
have been developed by the Defence Ministry and are under the direct control of
the Indian Air Force. Operations from Ziro, Mechuka, Walong, Aalo, Pasighat and
Tuting Advanced Landing Grounds are being permitted.
Japan to assist India
for infra projects
Japan has committed
an official development assistance of 371 billion yen under 2016-2017 for
various infrastructure projects, including the dedicated freight corridor, in
India. India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral
development cooperation since 1958. In the last few years, the economic
partnership between India and Japan has steadily progressed
Conference of World
Parliamentarians
A mega conference of
world parliamentarians has started in Dhaka promising to focus on ways and
means to end political and economic inequality and uphold democracy and human
rights. Around 687 members of 131 national parliaments around the world are
expected to join the 4-day event organised jointly by the Geneva-based Inter
Parliamentary Union and Bangladesh’s Parliament the Jatiya Sangsad.
2 ILO conventions
approved
The government has
approved ratification of two fundamental conventions of International Labour
Organization to address concerns related to child labour. They are Minimum Age
Convention and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention. India would join
majority of countries who have adopted the legislation to prohibit and place
severe restrictions on the employment and work of children.
Rail routes declared
as Green Corridors
The North Western
Railway has declared the Barmer-Munawab and Pipad Road-Bilara rail routes in
Rajasthan as Green Corridors. With this total number of green corridors has
increased to three. The Green Corridor ensures zero toilet discharge on rail
tracks as part of its commitment to clean environment under the ‘Swachh
Rail-Swachh Bharat’ initiative.
El Salvador bans
metals mining
El Salvador became
first country in the world to ban metal mining nationwide. The law imposes
broad prohibition on the extraction of minerals to protect the nation’s
allegedly quite fragile environment, water reservoirs and reduce social
tensions. According to UN, El Salvador is one of the most densely populated
countries and second-most environmentally degraded in America after Haiti.
India becomes
associate member of IEA
India has become part
of IEA Association that will allow the country play a more “visible and
influential” role in the global energy landscape. India’s engagement with the
International Energy Agency has enhanced over the last two decades and the
“Association” status would facilitate it to participate in meetings of the
standing groups, committees etc.
IIT Madras signs MoU
with Indian Army
The Indian Institute
of Technology, Madras and Indian Army have signed a MoU to identify the
critical technological areas that can be enhanced in the armed forces. The MoU
will facilitate IITM to achieve a better understanding of the critical
technology requirements of the Indian Army through seamless interaction between
the Army officers and IITM faculty.
Interest rate on PPF,
KVP lowered
Returns on small
savings schemes, including public provident fund , National Savings Certificate
and Kisan Vikas Patra, will be lower from April 1. Interest rates on all nine
small savings schemes will be lower by 0.1%. The government moved to a
market-linked interest rates system for these instruments last year but also
reserved the right to review them quarterly.
Peggy Whitson creates
record
American astronaut
Peggy Whitson made history when she floated outside the International Space
Station(ISS) breaking the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. Whitson is
making her 8th career spacewalk, surpassing the record of 7 previously held by
Sunita Williams. The goal of the spacewalk is to continue upgrading the ISS for
the arrival of commercial spaceships in the years to come.
Suresh Prabhu
launches book on Railways
Minister of Railways
Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu released the book titled “Indian Railway- The
weaving of a National Tapestry”. The book is written jointly by Bibek
Debroy, Sanjay Chadha & Ms. Vidya Krishnamurthi. The theme of this
book is the historical development of railways in India, organized into chapters
dealing with different periods of development in chronological order.
Kotak Mahindra Bank
launches 8-11 app
Kotak Mahindra Bank
announced the launch of 8-11, a completely digital and paperless account
opening system, that can be used anytime, anywhere. The number 811 is inspired
from Narendra Modi’s cash ban that was implemented on Nov 8. The app can
be used to open accounts, get account details etc.
Mobile apps to report
traffic violations
The government has
launched two mobile apps, echallan and mParivahan, that provide access to
various services and information, and enable citizens to report any traffic
violation or road accident. eChallan is an integrated enforcement solution to
manage traffic violations through an Android-based mobile app and mParivahan is
used to access various services, information etc.
Mega Power Policy
2009 amended
The Cabinet Committee
on Economic Affairs has approved amendments to the Mega Power Policy 2009.
The CCEA approved 25 Provisional Mega certified project for Mega Policy
benefits in proportion to the long term PPA tied up, as permitted under the
Mega Power Policy, once the specified threshold capacity of the project, gets
commissioned.
Axis Bank ties up
with Wells Fargo
Axis Bank has tied up
with Wells Fargo to offer real time remittances from the Indian diaspora to
their relatives back home. Under the arrangement any member of the Indian
diaspora with an account with the Wells Fargo will be able to transfer money to
their relatives back home and there will be no transaction fee. The bank has
its head office in Mumbai and Registered office in Ahmedabad.
Cabinet approves new
Urea Policy
The Cabinet Committee
on Economic Affairs approved amendments to the New Urea Policy–2015. The said
amendments will protect the production beyond re-assessed capacity by the urea
units and are expected to boost indigenous production. After the amendment, the
projects will be allowed to avail tax relief for 120 months from earlier 60
months.
SBI to enter ‘Top 50
Global Banks’
Following the merger
of 5 associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with State Bank of India, the
latter will enter the league of ‘Top 50 Global Banks’ with a balance sheet size
of Rs 41 lakh cr. With the merger the bank now has 2.77 lakh employees, 50
crore customers, and more than 25,000 branches and 58,000 ATMs. Further, SBI’s
market share will increase to nearly 22% from 17%.
Motor Vehicles Bill
amended
The government has
approved changes to the motor vehicle bill. The amended motor vehicle bill
proposes a hefty penalty on auto companies caught manufacturing faulty
vehicles, statuary guidelines for cab aggregators and a 10% annual increase in
penalty for traffic violations. The government has also proposed specific
timelines for processing insurance claim.
02-04-2017
China bans beard,
veil in Xinjiang
China has introduced
new restrictions in the far-western region of Xinjiang in what it describes as
a campaign against Islamist extremism. The measures include prohibiting
“abnormally” long beards and the wearing of veils in public places. It will
also be illegal to refuse to watch state television and listen to state radio,
or prevent children from receiving national education.
ISRO embraces private
sector
Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and the private sector are now working shoulder-to-shoulder
with government engineers to create a new satellite. ISRO is engaging for the
first time a private sector industry to make a full multi-crore, heavy duty and
full navigation satellite. ISRO has an experience of almost 150 missions and
three decades of space faring.
Centre gives nod to
Khurja Power Project
The Centre has given
a green nod for setting up 1,320 MW coal-based supercritical Khurja Thermal
Power Project at a cost of Rs 9,747.5 crore in Bulandshahar, UP. The proposed
project is to be implemented by state-run THDC India (THDCIL) along with the UP
government. The proposal is for setting up two units of 660 MW and the power
generated from the project will then be evacuated.
India seeks $2
billion from BRICS bank
India had placed a
request with the New Development Bank (NDB), or BRICS Bank, to fund $2 billion
in various projects. India would work with the NDB to develop projects in smart
cities, renewable energy, urban transport, coal technology, solid waste management
and urban water supply. The NDB has signed its first agreement for providing a
loan to finance district roads in Madhya Pradesh.
World Autism Day
today
The world is
observing Autism Day on April 2. According to a study by AIIMS, at least one in
89 children aged between two and nine years have been diagnosed with autism in
India. Autism Spectrum Disorder is an umbrella term for persons living with
developmental disorders that impair communication—speaking, gesturing and
listening—and make them have limited interests or repetitive behaviour.
Chandra X-Ray Detects
Cataclysmic Event
A mysterious flash of
X-rays probably resulting from a “completely new type of cataclysmic event” in
space has been discovered by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. There are 3 main
possibilities to explain the X-ray source, according to scientists. Two of them
are explained either by the collapse of a massive star or by the merger of a
neutron star with another neutron star or a black hole
China announces new
economic zone
China has said that
it will set up a special economic area in a province neighbouring Beijing. The
move is said to be a part of a strategic move to advance the coordinated
development of the adjoining areas and integrate them with the national
capital. The setting up of the Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province is also aimed
at reducing congestion and pollution.
Indian-made vaccine
for rotavirus
A new vaccine
manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India has shown 66.7% efficacy
against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis among infants. The low-cost oral
vaccine can help in the global war against the deadly virus that
kills about 600 children a day. Serum Institute of India is the world’s
largest vaccinemaker, producing and selling more than 1.3 billion doses every
year.
TN replaces ration
card with smart card
Ration cards in Tamil
Nadu are all set to go fully digital with. The state has launched a smart
family card scheme to replace 1.89 crore cards in the state at a cost of Rs 330
crore. Consumers can continue to buy commodities at PDS outlets by using their
existing ration cards till such time they received the smart cards.
Indians develop first
male contraceptive
Sujoy Guha, the
76-year-old biomedical engineer is on the cusp of launching a male contraceptive.
It has the potential to win as much as half the $10 billion market for female
contraceptives worldwide and cut into the $3.2 billion of annual condom sales. It
could also ease the burden on the 225 million women in developing countries,
who the have an unmet need for contraception
Dalai Lama arrives in
Assam
Tibetan spiritual
leader, the Dalai Lama, arrived in Assam on Saturday. The spiritual leader
arrived in Assam on Saturday to deliver a lecture organised by a local media
house, the Assam Tribune Group of newspapers. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to
visit different places of Arunachal Pradesh from April 4 including Tawang,
which China often claims as disputed territory.
Chenani Nashri tunnel
inauguration today
India’s longest road
tunnel and Asia’s longest bi-directional highway tunnel is set to
be inaugurated today. The Chenani-Nashri tunnel is 9.2 km connecting
Chenani in Udhampur district with Nashri in Ramban district. The tunnel is
specially significant as it would reduce travel time on National Highway 44
between Jammu and Srinagar by almost 2 hours.
Transaction fee for each equity trade
Transaction fee for each equity trade
BSE will start
charging transaction fee on per trade basis from tomorrow, which is expected to
attract a larger number of big deals. Under the new system, it will charge Re 1
per trade for up to 5 lakh transactions in a month; 70 paise for 5-10 lakh; 60
paise for 10-20 lakh and 30 paise for over 40 lakh. Earlier, the exchange
charged Rs 275 per crore on a gross turnover of Rs 1 crore.
India adds 5,400 mw
wind power capacity
India added over
5,400 MW of wind energy capacity in 2016-17, beating its own target of 4,000
MW. The leading states in wind power capacity addition during 2016-17 were
Andhra Pradesh (2,190 MW), Gujarat (1,275 MW) and Karnataka (882 MW). Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana and Kerala reported 357 MW, 288
MW, 262 MW, 118 MW, 23 MW and 8 MW wind power capacity.
Trump signs orders
targeting ‘cheaters’
US President Donald
Trump has signed an executive order seeking a review of the massive trade
deficit totaling more than USD 500 billion with 16 countries, including
China and India. He also signed a second order that seeks to strictly enforce
anti-dumping laws. The announcement is widely seen as targeting China. The US
has a massive trade imbalance of USD 347 billion with China.
Healthcare, education
exempt from GST
Education, healthcare
and pilgrimages will continue to be out of service tax net even under the GST
regime. Centre is against giving any shock in the first year of the rollout by
bringing in new services. Currently, there are 17 items in negative list of
services on which service tax is not levied. The GST Council has approved a
four-rate tax structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.
ED conducts searches
on shell firms
ED has conducted
searches nationwide as part of its major crackdown on 500 shell companies
suspected to be generating huge amounts of black money. In one instance, the
agency found Rs 20 crore deposited in a bank account of a dubious operator. The
agency said it searched a Mumbai-operator who ran 700 shell companies with 20
dummy directors and had converted Rs 46.7 crore for Chaggan Bhujbal.
Foreign investors
pump in 57,000 crore
Foreign investors
pumped in a record Rs 57,000 crore in Indian capital markets in March. With the
latest funds mobilisation, net investment by FPIs in the capital markets
reached a little over Rs 49,000 crore in 2016-17. The latest inflows follow a
net investment of Rs 15,862 crore in equity and debt in February. FPIs had
pulled out over Rs 80,000 crore from October to January.
Leander Paes wins
first title of season
Leander Paes won his
first title of the season, combining with Canadian Adil Shamasdin to lift the
Leon Challenger Tour. With this win, Paes clinched his 20th ATP Challenger
title. Paes has now won at least one title every year for the past 26 years. Paes’
last Grand Slam in the men’s doubles event came in 2013 with Radek Stepanek at
the US Open.
Motor Vehicles Act
made more stringent
The penalty for drunk
driving is being raised five times to Rs 10,000. If such driving results in the
death of another person, the driver can be booked for a non-bailable offence
with imprisonment up to 10 years. In case of accidents, such drivers will not
be booked under provisions of negligence but their action will be considered as
pre-meditated commitment of crime.
03-04-2017
Turkey concludes
Operation
Turkey has officially
ended Operation Euphrates Shield it launched in Syria last August. Turkey had
sent military equipment to support Free Syrian Army rebels to fight the ISIS
terrorists. Turkish troops are still stationed in the secured regions and along
the border, which amounts to nearly 2,000 sq km of Syrian territory.
Eclipses of binary
star system
A team of scientists
from Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru and University of Delhi for the first
time have seen indications of a massive planet orbiting a low mass X-ray binary
star system. The system MXB 1658-298 is an X-ray binary and a part of the
constellation Ophiuchus which is nearly 30,000 light years away. The planet is
8000 times the size of earth.
Myanmar becomes 7th
member of SASEC
Myanmar became the
7th member of South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program of
Asian Development Bank. Myanmar’s membership comes in advance of the first
SASEC meeting of Finance Ministers that will be held in New Delhi on April 3.
Prior to becoming member, Myanmar was having observer status of SASEC since
2013.
19th commonwealth
forestry conference
Scientists and
experts from 49 member countries of the Commonwealth will gather here on April
3 to participate in a five-day forestry conference. The conference will be held
at Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute. The event will witness 4 plenary
sessions and altogether 21 technical sessions.
Rashtriya Vayoshri
Yojana
“Rashtriya Vayoshri
Yojana”, a ‘Scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for
Senior citizens belonging to BPL category’ was launched in Nellore, Andhra
Pradesh. The govt will provide devices to help the senior citizens to overcome
their age related physical impairment and to lead a dignified and productive
life. The scheme is expected to help 520000 senior citizens.
Tendulkar launches
cricket-centric app
Sachin Tendulkar has
launched a mobile phone app called, “100MB”. The app is conceptualised and
developed by JetSynthesys and has been envisioned by Sachin himself. The app
will feature Live Chat and discussions on cricket along with a fan wall where
you can share your thoughts with Sachin and the community.
Lithium Battery
Technique
ISRO has developed
lithium ion battery for satellite and launch vehicle applications. 4 types of
batteries have been developed – 1.5Ah, 5Ah, 50Ah and 100Ah. Out of these, 1.5Ah
& 50Ah have been used for space applications and 5Ah & 100Ah batteries
are qualified and is ready for induction in space applications. Lithium
ion is a type of rechargeable battery.
India 170th for
anemia among women
India is ranked 170th
in terms of anemia among women as per the Global Nutrition Report 2016 and
114th in terms of prevelance of under-five stunting. Health Minister JP Nadda
said Global Nutrition Targets were set for 2025 in 65th World Health Assembly
2012 for stunting and wasting in under-five children and anemia in women of
reproductive age group.
AP Chief Minister
bags award
Chief Minister N
Chandrababu Naidu has been selected for another prestigious award. The US India
Business Council has selected the CM for award of ‘Transformative Chief
Minister’ and Naidu would be receiving coveted award at second annual West
Coast summit which to be held in California on May 8.
Navrang Saini
appointed member of IBBI
Navrang Saini has
taken charge as a Whole Time Member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of
India (IBBI). He would look after Registration & Monitoring wing at the
board. Saini has served in the Corporate Affairs Ministry in various capacities
and his last assignment was Director General at the Ministry.
All India Institute
of Ayurveda
All India Institute
of Ayurveda(AIIA) established at New Delhi at a cost of Rs. 157 crore. It is a
200 bedded referral hospital and shall impart PG & Ph.D degree courses in
Ayurveda. 1st Batch of P.G. course has been started in 2016. The institute has
started OPD & IPD facility with major specialties in Ayurveda. Presently
AIIA is functional.
Drug resistant
superbugs
Scientists from the
University of Birmingham and Newcastle University in the UK have new way of
removing antibodies from the blood stream. Scientists had used a process known
as plasmapheresis that is somewhat like kidney dialysis. It involved the
removal, treatment, and return of blood plasma from circulation. This method
has potential to reduce chronic infections.
1 GBPS internet speed
in Hyderabad
Bengaluru-based
Internet Service Provider ACT Fibernet announced the launch of 1Gbps wired
broadband internet services in Hyderabad. The company has been working for over
a year and a half to launch these services in Hyderabad and has invested around
Rs 100 cr. In Hyderabad, the 1 Gb plan will be offered at Rs 5,999 per month.
2nd annual meeting of
BRICS New Dev Bank
The second annual
meeting of the New Development Bank was held in New Delhi from April 1-3.
Speaking at the event, Jaitley said global growth is moving upwards and is
expected to improve further in 2017-18. NDB president K V Kamath said focus of
the bank is sustainable development.
Joyciline Jepkosgei
creates 3 records
Kenya’s Joyciline
Jepkosgei broke the world half marathon record as well as the 10km and 15km
marks at the Prague Half Marathon on the way to winning the IAAF Gold Label
Road Race in 1:04:52. The 23-year-old, who was competing in just her fifth half
marathon, clocked splits of 30:05 and 45:37 to improve the 10km and 15km world
records.
Sindu wins India Open
Super Series 2017
PV Sindhu produced a
brilliant performance to clinch the India Open title after beating Olympic
champion Carolina Marin. The tournament took place in Siri Fort Sports
Complex, New Delhi, India from March 28– April 2, 2017 and had a total purse of
$350,000.
2017 Miami Open
Gabriela Dabrowski
and Xu Yifan won the 2017 Miami Open in women’s doubles category. They
beat Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova. Mirza and Strycova have been in
five finals since they paired up last summer, winning two of them. Sania Mirza
was playing in the Miami Open for the 15th time this year.
Karnataka Bank and
SBI launch card
Karnataka Bank and
SBI Card announced their collaboration to launch co-branded credit cards for
customers of Karnataka Bank. Through this alliance Karnataka Bank and SBI Card
will launch two variants of the co-branded credit card – Karnataka Bank
Platinum SBI Card and Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card.
Rs 5 cr tax evasion
to be non-bailable
The government has
decided to make tax evasion of over Rs 5 crore under the proposed Goods and
Services Tax regime as a non-bailable offence. The earlier threshold for
treating tax evasion as a cognizable and non-bailable offence was proposed to
be at Rs 2.5 crore. In a revised set of FAQs on GST, the CBEC said other
offences under the act are non-cognizable and bailable.
EC set to buy new
EVMs
Election Commission
is set to buy next generation Electronic Voting Machines that become
inoperable the moment attempts are made to tinker with it. The ‘M3’-type
electronic voting machines (EVMs) are also equipped with a self-diagnostic
system for authentication of genuineness of the machines. The move comes after
reports of tampering in recent elections.
04-04-2017
First bio-gas bus in
Kolkata
A city based company
has claimed to have launched the first bio-gas fuelled bus in Kolkata keeping a
flat fare of just Re 1. All buses will have a flat fare of Re 1 irrespective of
the distance, even in excess of 40 km. The first bus will run a distance of 17
km between Ultadanga and Garia. The bus service will be run by Phoenix India.
Kishori Amonkar
passes away
Renowned Hindustani
classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passed away at the age of 84. Born on April
10, 1932 Amonkar was recognised as one of the foremost singers in the
Hindustani tradition and as an innovative exponent of the Jaipur gharana. In
recognition of her contribution to the arts, she received many awards,
including the Padma Bhushan (1987) and Padma Vibhushan (2002).
IISc ranked best
educational institution
The IISc, Bengaluru
was adjudged as the best Indian university in the 2017 National Institutional
Ranking Framework released by Union HRD Ministry. This year it is
2nd edition NIRF survey and was released as part of the India Rankings
2017 for the Educational Institutions. Seven IITs have also made it to the list
of the top10 educational institutions, the other two being BHU and JNU.
Fungus that eats
plastic
Scientists from
Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified a soil fungus Aspergillus
tubingensis that uses enzymes to rapidly break down plastic materials. The new
discovery in an advance can help to deal with plastic waste problem that
threatens our environment in safer and more effective way. The plastic-eating
fungus was found Islamabad, Pakistan.
Rajiv K Chander
becomes UN Ambassador
Rajiv Kumar Chander
has been appointed as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the
United Nations Offices in Geneva. He is currently the consul general of India
in Vancouver since August 2015. He was the deputy permanent representative with
the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Geneva, between 2006 and
2009.
New Chief Justice of
Madras High Court
Justice Indira
Banerjee, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the
new Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. She will sworn in as Chief Justice
on April 5. Indira Banerjee will succeed Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, who was
elected to the Supreme Court on February 18. She is the 2nd woman to hold the
post after Kanta Kumari Bhatnagar.
New Ecuador President
elected
Ruling Party of
Ecuador, Alianza PAIS candidate Lenin Moreno won the Ecuador’s presidential
election. He defeated Guillermo Lasso. Out of 94% of voting acts counted, the
National Electoral Council declared Moreno has defeated Lasso by 51% to 49%.
ICICI Bank offers
access to DigiLocker
ICICI Bank announced
the integration of its retail Internet banking with ‘DigiLocker’, an online
repository on cloud. DigiLocker is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics
& Information Technology. ICICI Bank is offering this service free of cost.
No NHL in 2018
Olympics
The National Hockey
League(NHL) will not take part in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The
decision brings an end to years of tense bargaining between the International
Olympic Committee, International Ice Hockey Federation and the NHL over the
league’s continuing participation in the Winter Games. The NHL had participated
in every Winter Olympics since the 1998 Nagano Winter Games.
Bajaj Allianz General
CEO appointed
Bajaj Allianz Life
Insurance announced the appointment of Tarun Chugh as its MD and CEO. He
replaced Anuj Agarwal, who has moved overseas within the Allianz group. Chugh
has over 22 years’ experience in financial services, including over 12 years
life insurance sector. Meanwhile, Tapan Singhel, was re-appointed as MD and CEO
for Bajaj Allianz General Insurance for 5 years from 1 April.
Haryana becomes
kerosene-free
Haryana has become
kerosene-free as the supply of the fuel has been stopped under the Public
Distribution System from April 1. With an aim to provide smoke-free and healthy
environment while cooking, the state government had decided to provide
free-of-cost LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. As per
the report of oil companies, 272949 gas connections have been made.
African Development
Bank Meet
With Africa taking
the centre-stage in terms of trade and investment, India will host 5-day annual
meeting of the African Development Bank in Ahmedabad. The 52nd annual meeting
will be held on May 22-26. India joined the African Development Bank in 1982.
Rice scheme for
tribal families
Nearly 70000 families
of Jharkhand’s primitive tribal groups will get foodgrains at their doorsteps
with the state government launching the “PTG Dakia Yojana”. Under the scheme,
employees of Food and Civil Supplies Department would deliver a packet of 35
kg. The scheme was formally launched in Godda, Sahebganj and Palamu districts.
Sci-fi forest to
track CO2 levels
Scientists have
developed a sci-fi outdoor laboratory in the UK to find out how forests will
respond to the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide expected by the middle of
the 21st century. The industrial-scale experiment in a Staffordshire forest
encircles trees with 25 metre masts gushing high levels of CO2.
Subsidy for mild
hybrid vehicles removed
The Union Ministry of
Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has withdrawn subsidy given to mild
hybrid vehicles under FAME India scheme. A mild hybrid vehicle has an electric
motor, which on its own cannot run a vehicle but assists normal engine by using
recovered energy stored in a battery and helps save fuel. FAME India was
launched in 2015 to promote eco-friendly cars.
Dawit Isaak awarded
Dawit Isaak, an
imprisoned Eritrean-Swedish journalist, has been chosen to receive the 2017
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Mr. Isaak was arrested in a
crackdown on the media that occurred in September 2001. The $25,000 Prize is
named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was
assassinated in 1986.
New Indian Consul
General in Dubai
Indian diplomat Vipul
has taken charge as the new Consul General of India in Dubai. He succeeded
Anurag Bhushan. Before joining the Consulate at Dubai, he was working at the
office of External Affairs Minister of India, Sushma Swaraj. He had also served
at the India’s diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka and Egypt.
CIRT now authorised
body
Pune based
Central Institute of Road Transport has, for the first time, become an
authority to certify vehicle engines for their emission standards. Earlier,
such tests could only be carried out at Automotive Research Association of
India. Operating under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, CIRT
recently signed an MoU with FEV India — a German company in the automobile
sector.
Government launches
PowerTex India
The Union Ministry of
Textiles has launched PowerTex India, a 3 year comprehensive scheme for
Powerloom Sector Development. The scheme aims to boost common infrastructure
and modernization of the powerloom sector in the country. It was launched
at Bhiwandi and also in all powerloom centres across the nation, including
Erode in Tamil Nadu through video conference.
CIRDAP Centre in
Hyderabad
The govt approved the
establishment of a unit of the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia
and the Pacific at national rural development institute for exchange of best
practises with other countries in the areas of rural development. As per the
agreement a CIRDAP centre will be established at the National Institute of
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad.
05-04-2017
Bharat Stage emission
standards
Bharat stage emission
standards are emission standards instituted by the GOI to regulate the
output of air pollutants from IC engines and Spark ignition engines
equipment, including motor vehicles. The standards, based on European
regulations were 1st introduced in 2000. In 2016, the Indian govt
announced that the country would skip the BS-V norms altogether and adopt BS-VI
norms by 2020.
Change in e-visa
policy
The window for
application under e-visa scheme has been increased from 30 days to 120 days.
Duration of stay on e-visa increased from 30 days to 60 days with double entry
on tourist and business e-visas and triple entry on medical e-visa. With the
double-entry benefits, tourists can visit neighbouring countries like Bhutan
and can return to India within the stipulated time.
India ranks 3rd in
WADA doping charts
India has been ranked
third for the third year in a row in a doping violation report published by
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for 2015 with 117 athletes. India followed
Russian Federation (176) and Italy (129) at third spot in the doping violation
chart released by the WADA. All the dope violations by the Indians came from
urine samples.
TN leads MHRD’s top-100
colleges list
A whopping 37
colleges in Tamil Nadu have made it to the rankings released by the Ministry of
HRD, with three TN colleges coming in the top-10 list. Delhi’s Miranda
House has the top spot in the list. Chennai’s Loyola College came in the number
two spot. A total of 535 colleges have been ranked in this first-time exercise.
‘Pax’ for
cross-licensing of Android
Google has announced
Pax, a new licensing agreement group for patents across Android devices. Google
is calling it ‘Pax’, which means peace in latin, in the hope of creating some
peace around patents and licensing terms. Google’s Android is already an
open-source OS, with licenses being free for all manufacturers or anyone
really.
Rs.40,000 Crore
Expressway Project In NE
The first express
highway project in the northeast region will be developed along the Brahmaputra
river in Assam at an estimated investment of Rs. 40,000 crore. 1,300 km-long
express highway is likely to incur an investment of Rs. 40,000 crore. The
Centre will dredge the Brahmaputra river from Sadia in Upper Assam to increase
navigational channels up to Chittagong port in Bangladesh.
National Board of
Electric Mobility
The Centre notified
the constitution of the National Board of Electric Mobility (NBEM). It also
nominated six members of eminence and expertise from the automobile industry
into it. The Board will be chaired by the Secretary, the Dept of Heavy
Industry. The NBEM will examine, formulate and propose short- as well as
long-term plans and contours of the mission programme on electric mobility.
West Bengal gets 22nd
district: Jhargram
West Bengal govt
declared Jhargram as the 22nd district of the state. It was formed on 4 April
2017, after splitting from the Paschim Medinipur district as the 22nd district
of West Bengal. The west bengal govt also announcd that April 4 will now
be celebrated as Jhargram Diwas.
Seawater into
drinking water by Graphene
Researchers have
developed a graphene-based sieve capable of removing salt from seawater, an
advance that may provide clean drinking water for millions of people. When
immersed in water, graphene-oxide membranes become slightly swollen and smaller
salts flow through the membrane along with water, while larger ions or
molecules are blocked.
‘Grassoline’ may
power future flights
In the quest of more
sustainable energy sources, scientists have developed ‘grassoline’ a bio-fuel
derived from grass that could one day power aircraft. Researchers investigated
methods that can disintegrate and treat grass until it can be used as a fuel.
The current process is very expensive, and engines should be adapted to this
new kind of fuel.
Android to become
worlds most popular OS
Android has become
the most popular OS, snatching the 1st place from Windows for the
1st time, according to web analytics firm StatCounter. Look at combined
usage across desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile, Android usage climbed 37.93%,
edging out Windows’ 37.91%. StatCounter only measures internet-connected
devices, which will exclude a small number of desktop PCs used for specific
tasks.
Govt seeks opinion on
changes in RTI Act
The govt has proposed
that proceedings related to an RTI query will automatically stop if the
applicant dies while the appeal is pending before the CIC. Clause 1 of Rule 12
states that an appellant may withdraw an appeal after giving it in writing to
the CIC. But there can be no withdrawal of appeal after the matter has been
finally heard or an order or decision has been pronounced.
SBI cuts lending
rates by 0.15%
The country’s largest
bank, State Bank of India has reduced its benchmark lending rate by 0 0.15%.
Base rate or the minimum lending rate of the bank has been reduced from 9.25
per cent to 9.1 per cent. Base rate is the minimum rate set by the Reserve Bank
of India below which banks are not allowed to lend to its customers.
Glaciers, forests
‘living entities’
HAVING declared the
Ganga and the Yamuna as “living entities”, Uttarakhand HC has now declared
glaciers, forests and lakes also as similar “biologically living” entities. The
bench said that like human beings, they also have a right to exist, persist,
maintain, sustain and regenerate their vital ecology system. These are
scientifically and biologically living.
AERA exempts RCS
flights
Tariff regulator AERA
has ordered all major airport operators, including those run under the defence
min., to exempt flights operated under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)
from landing and parking charges. Under RCS, UDAN, fares have been capped
at Rs 2500 for 1-hr flights. The scheme also provides for various benefits
including no airport charges and 3-yr exclusivity on the routes.
Change in MWPSC Act
The govt is mulling
bringing legislative changes to remove the monthly ceiling of ₹10,000
on the maintenance paid by children to parents. At present, children need not
pay more than ₹10,000. If the proposed amend. to the
Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act come
through, the maintenance amount to be decided by senior citizen tribunals for
the neglected parents.
Waives farm loans up
to Rs. 1 lakh
The UP govt, at its
first Cabinet meeting announced its decision to waive farmers’ loans worth
₹30,729 cr, writing off all farm loans
up to ₹1 lakh. The govt will also settle
around ₹6,000 cr of NPAs of 7 lakh
small and marginalised farmers. The double decision , will benefit over 86 lakh
small and marginalised farmers, who had taken loans until March 31, 2016.
5D ultrasound system
to detect cancer
Amaravati-born
Nishikant Deshmukh claims to have developed the world’s first 5D ultrasound
system that will help surgeons in detecting cancerous tumours. The 33-year-old
Indian developed the 5-D technology as a part of his PhD thesis. His
research findings were 1st presented at the 2015 Information Processing in
Computer Assisted Interventions.
Gujarat gets its 1st
woman police chief
Geetha Johri was
appointed in-charge police chief of Gujarat. The minister of state for home
Pradeepsinh Jadeja announced the decision while stating that Johri has been
given the additional charge as she is the senior-most IPS officer in the state.
With this Johari has become the first woman IPS officer to be appointed for the
top job in the state.
Technology park in
Andhra Pradesh
A Malaysian company
has agreed to help set up a technology park in Andhra Pradesh that’s expected
to attract private sector investment of $100 million in the first phase. MTN,
which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group
for High Technology (MIGHT), will provide consultation in the areas of feasibility,
planning and development of the park.
06-04-2017
Virat Kolhi- Wisden’s
Leading Cricketer
India cricket team
skipper Virat Kolhi was named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for 2016.
Kohli scored 1215 Test runs at a brilliant average of 75.93 last year. His 10
ODI appearances fetched him 739 runs at 92.37, while he scored 641 T20
International runs at 106.83. Only six batsmen have ever scored more
international runs in a calendar year
Aditya Birla Group to
open payments bank
Aditya Birla Idea Payments
Bank becomes the 7th entity to receive a final licence from the RBI to set up a
payments bank. Except Vodafone M-Pesa Ltd, all payment bank licence holders
have received the final approval. Among payment bank licence holders, two
entities namely Airtel Payments Bank and India Post Payments Bank have started
operations so far.
Rail Development
Authority
The Union Cabinet has
cleared approved setting up an independent rail regulator, named Rail
Development Authority (RDA). It will be based in Delhi and will be set up
through an executive order.It will act within the parameters of the Railway
Act, 1989. It will only make recommendations to the Railway Ministry.
Conference on
‘Communicating India’
The Vivekananda
International Foundation organised a special function to acquaint the world
with India’s rich cultural heritage in New Delhi. The aim was not just to
spread the concept of India but to also highlight India’s growing strength on
the global stage. A number of issues were brainstormed upon such as ways to
increase the potential it has.
Sugarcane to power
future cars
Sugarcane can be
genetically engineered to produce oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel
production. The modified sugarcane plants also produce more sugar, which could
be used for ethanol production. The dual-purpose bioenergy crops are predicted
to be more than five times more profitable per acre than soybeans and two times
more profitable than corn.
Govt. introduces two
bills for new NSEBC
The Government
introduced two Bills related to the move for setting up of a new National
Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NSEBC). It will
replace the two-decade old National Commission for Backward Classes. While the
first Bill will ensure setting up of the new commission, the second Bill seeks
to repeal the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
Padayani Dance
Padayani festival was
recently celebrated in Kerala. Padayani is a traditional folk dance and a
ritual art from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial
dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual performed in Bhagavati temples.
Padayani was performed by magico-medicine men of Kerala to heal the illnesses
not amenable to medical modalities of intervention.
CAG to audit UN
Secretariat in New York
The Comptroller and
Auditor General of India will audit the UN Secretariat in New York, a job which
till now was the exclusive domain of developed countries. It will be done
by Shashi Kant Sharma. The CAG is the external auditor of several UN
organisations and Sharma presently is the Chairman of the UN Board of Auditors.
Kharat is new Indian
Bank chief
Kishor Kharat has
assumed charge as the Managing Director and CEO of Indian Bank. Prior to this,
he was MD and CEO of IDBI Bank. During the tenure, he also served as the
Chairman of IDBI Capital Market Services, IDBI Asset Management and IDBI
Trusteeship Services. Kharat was also on the Board of Directors of IDBI Federal
Life Insurance as well as Exim Bank.
Doctors artwork in
Guinness Book
A fingerprint
painting, created by a group of Indian doctors as a symbolic representation to
end frequent attacks against the fraternity, has found place in the Guinness
Book of World Records as the worlds largest such artwork. Titled “Ray of Hope”,
the painting was made up of 15 lakh finger impressions of doctors from
different parts of the country, collected over a period of four months.
2016 Global Slavery
Index
Nearly 46 million
people live under conditions of slavery across the world, with 18 million (39%)
of those in India. Globally, modern slavery includes child workers in African
mines, deforestation crews in the Amazon or people trapped in commercial sexual
exploitation in Europe. In India slavery is banned as per the Bonded
Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976.
UTI MF first to bring
IPO
UTI Mutual Fund has
become the first domestic asset management company(AMC) to bring an IPO.
The listing plan of the country’s sixth-largest fund house had hit a block,
with the SBI and the Life Insurance Corporation of India trying to wrest
control over the AMC. The UTI MF had average assets under management of Rs 1.37
lakh cr in March quarter.
Malvika Sinha
appointed RBI ED
The RBI has appointed
Malvika Sinha as Executive Director following the appointment of B P Kanungo as
Deputy Governor. As Executive Director, she will look after foreign exchange
department, department of government and bank accounts and internal debt
management wing. Sinha had joined the Reserve Bank in 1982.
Rashid Khan-First
Afghan player in IPL
Rashid Khan
Arman created history by becoming the first player from the war-torn
Afghanistan to play an Indian Premier League match. He will play for Sunrisers
Hyderabad. Rashid was bought by Sunrisers for Rs 4 crore making him an
overnight star in his country.
Belmont Forum
Secretariat
The government has
given its approval for signing of the Collaborative Agreement with French
National Research Agency, France. The MoU will be signed for supporting the
Belmont Forum Secretariat from January, 2015 to December, 2017 at a total
estimated expenditure of 40000 Euros. The Forum aims to improve the environment
through research and co-operation.
Tree-dwelling crab
found in Kerala
Scientists from the
University of Kerala have discovered a new species of long-legged, tree-dwelling
crabs named Kani maranjandu in Western Ghats of Kerala. The new species named
Kani maranjandu after the Kani tribe in Kerala. This is the first report of its
kind to offer a record of an arboreal crab — a species that lives in trees.
Ayesha Aziz to fly
MIG-29 fighter jet
Ayesha Aziz is all
set to become the youngest Indian woman to fly a MIG-29 fighter jet, after
getting her commercial pilot’s license. Ayesha plans to fly the aircraft at
Sokul airbase in Russia. Her training to become a pilot started while she was
in school and Ayesha got her student pilot licence from the Bombay Flying Club
when she was 16.
Toni Morrison honored
Toni Morrison is
scheduled to be presented with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’
Emerson-Thoreau Medal. The prize was established in 1958 and is awarded to
individuals to recognize a lifetime of literary achievements. Morrison will
receive the award on April 6 at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
Panel formed for
Gomti River Project
The Uttar Pradesh
government formed a three-member panel under chairmanship of Justice (retd)
Alok Kumar Singh for the Gomti-River Channelisation project. The other two
members are retired IIT-BHU Professor U K Chaudhary and IIM-Lucknow Professor A
K Garg. The committee has been asked to submit its report in 45 days.
Japan recognizes
Bitcoin
Bitcoin has finally
gained the recognition of a mainstream currency along the lines of other fiat
currencies. The privilege follows the implementation of a new law in Japan which
categorizes Bitcoin as a legal payment option within the country. The
much-awaited law went into effect on April 1. With the law’s implementation, it
will come under regulatory scrutiny.
07-04-2017
World Health Day
The World Health Day
is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the
sponsorship of the World Health Organization. In 1948, the WHO held the First
World Health Assembly and decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with
effect from 1950, as the World Health Day. The theme for 2017 is, ‘Depression:
Let’s talk’.
64th National Film
Awards
Sonam Kapoor’s hijack
drama Neerja bagged the Best Hindi film for the year 2016. Akshay Kumar was
also among the big winners grabbing the Best Actor award for Rustom. Marathi film,
Kasav, won the award for Best Feature Film. Amitabh Bachchan’s Pink got the
Award for Best Film on Social Issues. Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dhanak grabbed the Best
Children Film.
Deendayal Rasoi Yojna
launched in MP
Madhya Pradesh is all
set to join the league of those states which have launched populist subsidised
meal scheme for poor with the opening of canteens that provides wholesome food
at Rs 5. The scheme was launched in 49 districts. This scheme is named after
the BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhya.
National Children’s
Film Festival
Children’s Film
Society, India will host the extension of its India’s largest Children’s Film
Festival in Visakhapatnam from April 7. The three-day film extravaganza
for the children of Andhra Pradesh will be inaugurated by Union Minister for
Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu. The opening film of the NCFF
2016 will be “Shanu – The Optimist” directed by K.N.T.Sastry.
Rajasthan announces
cow cess
Rajasthan government
has imposed a 10% cow cess as surcharge on stamp duty for protection and
propagation of cows in the state. The surcharge will be applicable on
non-judicial instruments. The Rajasthan government’s finance department
released an order for the cow cess on March 31.
India’s growth to
accelerate to 7.4%
The Asian Development
Bank said that India’s growth rate will improve to 7.4% during 2017-18 and go
up further to 7.6% in the next financial year. India recorded a growth rate of
7.1% during 2016-17, notwithstanding the fears of demonetisation. The
report further said that South Asia would remain the fastest growing of all
subregions, with growth reaching 7% in 2017 and 7.2% in 2018.
Appointment of
Foreign Coaches
Keeping in view the
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the sports ministry has approved Athletics Federation
of India proposal to appoint two foreign experts—one each in race walking and
400-metre sprint. Australian Dave Smith will take charge of the national race
while Galina P Bukharina will oversee the national 400-metre squad.
India 7th in tourism
economy
India’s travel and
tourism sector ranks 7th in the world in terms of its total contribution to the
country’s GDP, according to a new report of the World Travel and Tourism
Council (WTTC). According to data, the travel and tourism sector generated Rs
14.1 trillion ($208.9 billion) in 2016. Additionally it created 40.3 million
jobs.
World’s largest solar
plant
Morocco’s King
Mohammed VI launched the fourth and final stage of Noor Ouarzazate, the world’s
largest solar plant. The Noor Ouarzazate IV power station in the southern
province of Ouarzazate, spanned over an area of 137 hectares (1.37 square km),
will be set up with over $75 million with photovoltaic (PV) technology. The
plant will start operations in 2018.
India, Israel sign
defence deal
India and Israel on
inked mega defence deals worth over $2 billion for advanced surface-to-air
missile systems. The second deal to be inked was for a similar SAM system to be
fitted on board the 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant being
built at the Cochin Shipyard. The deals are part of the bilateral
strategic partnership ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Israel in July.
India, UK to setup
fund for green energy
India and UK decided
to set up a 240 million pound fund to finance clean energy projects. The Green
Growth Equity Fund will be a sub-fund of NIIF. India had in 2015 set up the Rs
40,000 crore National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF) to finance
greenfield as well as brownfield projects.
FMCG highest paying
industry in India
Fast moving consumer
goods (FMCG) companies are the most lucrative ones to work for in India,
according to the findings of a survey by human resources consulting firm
Randstand. With an average annual cost-to-company for talent across all levels
and functions at Rs11.3 lakh, FMCG industry’s employees get the highest pay in
India
RBI keeps repo rate
on hold
The Reserve Bank of
India decided to keep its policy rate on hold in its first bi-monthly monetary
policy review for 2017-18, citing the challenging inflation outlook. The RBI’s stance
on the policy rate was widely expected as it works towards achieving the
medium-term target for consumer price index inflation of 4%. RBI has kept its
policy rate unchanged at 6.25%.
Free legal aid in
triple talaq cases
Women in Kerala
divorced through the Islamic tradition of triple talaq can now receive free
legal aid sponsored by the state government. Kerala’s minority commission
constituted a special committee under retired judge PK Haneefa to provide legal
assistance to divorced women. It also set up a toll free helpline number
(0471-2315122).
Online tax filing
portal for GST
Online tax filing
portal ClearTax.com announced that it has developed a technology platform to
help businesses comply with the provisions of GST law. It’s a multi GSP (GST Suvidha
Provider ) taxation solution and it helps to monitor one billion invoices which
will be generated once the GST comes into action.
Geo tag for RKVY
assets
The government has
decided to geo-tag all assets like farm ponds, soil testing labs and seed godowns
created under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) for their better
utilisation. A MoU regarding this was signed between the National Remote
Sensing Centre and RKVY. NRSC officials said that it will complete the
geo-tagging process of all assets of RKVY by end of 2017-18 financial year.
India, Japan steel
dispute
The WTO’s dispute
settlement set up a panel to resolve the dispute between Japan and India over
imposition of safeguard import duty on iron and steel products. Japan in
December dragged India to the WTO against certain measures taken regarding iron
and steel products. In September 2015, India imposed a duty of 20% to protect
domestic companies.
12% free power for
states
As much as 12% of
electricity generated in a power project is given to the host state free of
cost and the government has no plan to change the rules. When a power plant is
set up in a state, the state government provides land and other logistics to
facilitate its successful installation. Host state of a power plant will continue
to get 12 per cent free power.
India’s first
transgender SI of police
K Prithika Yashini
has become the first transgender to become sub-inspector of police. Yashini,
who had fought a long legal battle to join the police, visited the officer of
the superintendent of police in Dharmapuri and submitted her joining documents.
Prithika was born and raised as Pradeep Kumar in Chennai. She underwent a sex
change surgery and became Prithika.
Germany to launch
cyber command centre
Germany is the first
NATO state to launch a “self-contained” cyber command unit designed to shield
IT and weapons systems from growing attacks. The Bundeswehr’s Cyber and
Information Space (CIR) boasts a status equal to that of the army, navy, and
air force. CIR will start off with 260 IT specialists, but will grow to 13,500
military and civilian personnel by July.
08-04-2017
Smoking causes over
11% deaths
More than 1 in 10
deaths globally was caused due to smoking in 2015 and over 50% of them took
place in just four countries, one of which was India. Over 11% of 6.4 million
deaths worldwide was caused by smoking in 2015 and 52.2% of them took place in
China, India, USA, and Russia. The estimates are based on the Global Burden of
Disease study published in medical journal The Lancet.
Family court judge
breaks world record
The principal judge
of a family court in Muzaffarnagar has set a Guinness World Record by disposing
of as many as 6,065 cases in 327 working days. The name of judge is Tej Bahadur
Singh. The judge said that his move was aimed to reduce the number of pending
cases in the court and provide justice to the litigants.
Malala-youngest UN
Messenger of Peace
Malala
Yousafzai is to become the youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace. Yousafzai
will be appointed on April 10 by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and will
help promote girl’s education around the world as part of her new role. She
came to prominence when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head on her school bus
in 2012 as punishment for campaigning for girls education.
Shyam Kumar wins gold
in Thailand Int’l
Indian boxer K Shyam
Kumar (49kg) clinched a gold medal at the Thailand International Tournament in
Bangkok without even stepping inside the ring for his summit clash. Shyam,
who won a gold at the 2015 edition of the event, was to take on Olympic
champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan in the final. He however pulled out
after an injury.
“Bharat ke Veer” web
portal
The Union Home
Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the web portal and mobile
application named “Bharat ke Veer” on April 9. The portal is an IT based
platform, with an objective to enable willing donors to contribute towards the
family of a braveheart who sacrificed his/her life in line of duty. The amount
so donated will be credited to the account of ‘Next of Kin’.
North India to get
DNA bank for wildlife
North India is all
set to get its first DNA bank for wildlife. Scientists at the Indian Veterinary
Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly are in the process of collecting DNA
samples of all wild animals to set up the bank. At present, the Laboratory for
the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) in Hyderabad
Book on Draupadi
A book on Draupadi
written by senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily was released by President
Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 7. Published by Rupa, Flaming
Tresses of Draupadi is an English translation by D A Shankar of Moily’s
original work in Kannada. The book traces the life and journey of Draupadi from
her birth to her marriage with the Pandavas.
Bengal gets 23rd
district
West Burdwan district
was carved out of Burdwan by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, making it the 23rd
district. The new district comprises Burdwan Paschim, Asansol and Durgapur.
With the division, the agrarian parts of Burdwan now fall under East Burdwan,
while the industrial hub will come under West Burdwan, which has two
sub-divisions – Asansol Sadar and Durgapur.
Govt launches Cyber
Physical Sys prog
Department of Science
and Technology has launched Cyber Physical Systems programme dealing with
self-driven cars, autonomous unmanned vehicles and aircraft navigation systems.
Rs 3000 cr has been has been conceived for it and it will first take root in
some of the IITs. CPS deals with the deployment of computer-based systems that
do things in the physical world.
Aerial survey to
detect minerals
An aerial geophysical
survey to detect presence of minerals was launched across four mineral blocks
in the country from Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur. Undertaken
by the Geological Survey of India employs low-flying aircraft fitted with
various equipment to detect the minerals. The aircraft is built by by
McPhar International, EON Geosciences Inc and Kiwi Air Ltd.
Govt to revive North
Koel project
The Centre has
decided to revive the North Koel Irrigation project, envisaged nearly 40 years
ago, to address water requirements in Jharkhand and Bihar. When completed, the
project, estimated to cost Rs 1600 cr, is expected to irrigate 1 lakh
hectares of land in the two states. Though 90% of its works, costing nearly Rs
800 cr, was completed by 2007 it was stopped to clearance issues.
Govt ties with Google
for net security
The government has
collaborated with Google India for raising awareness about internet safety
among consumers. The National Consumer Helpline has tied up with 230 companies
for faster redressal of consumer grievances and complaints. Two mobile
applications have also been developed to redress consumer grievances.
India, ADB sign loan
India and the Asian
Development Bank have signed a loan agreement to improve the country’s solar
power transmission system. India and ADB have signed a $175 million loan
agreement to support construction of high-voltage transmission systems to
evacuate power generated from new mega solar parks to the interstate grid, and
improve reliability of the national grid system.
Indian internet
economy to hit $250b
Mobile
internet users in India are estimated to touch 650 million by 2020, up from
about 390 million now. The report was published by Boston Consulting Group
and The Indus Entrepreneurs. Fueling the internet economy will be data
consumption, which by 2020 could potentially increase 10-14 times.
IOA grants
affiliation to BFI
The Indian Olympic
Association has granted affiliation to the Boxing Federation of India, ending a
long-standing impasse between the two bodies. The affiliation ends a logjam
that goes back to September last year when BFI took charge of the sport after
elections conducted in the presence of International Boxing Association and
sports ministry observers.
1st NIMCARE World
Health Day Summit 2017
President Pranab
Mukherjee inaugurated the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017 in New
Delhi. The slogan of the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit is, ‘Unite for a
Healthy Mind’. He also launched the eCAP & SOL’s Telepsychiatry
application for the rural and urban population in need of mental health
consultation.
India 9th in business
corruption
India ranks 9th among 41 countries in
bribery and corrupt practices in businesses, according to the findings of a
recent survey. Nearly 78% respondents queried in the country said that bribery
and corrupt practices happen widely in businesses here. The report was
published by the EY Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) Fraud Survey
2017.
Device to protect
astronauts
NASA scientists have
developed a new device to monitor harmful radiation exposure, which may help
keep astronauts safe during deep-space missions such as the manned mission to
Mars. The Fast Neutron Spectrometer is designed to detect and measure the
energy of neutrons, which are known to be specifically harmful to humans.
India rises to 101 in
FIFA rankings
India have climbed an
unprecedented 72 places in the Fifa rankings in two years. India is now ranked
101, the highest since 1996. India’s highest on the Fifa list was 94th in
February 1996. India are now ranked 11th in Asia above Jordan, Oman, North
Korea, Iraq and Thailand. They are two slots below China and one behind Qatar.
India rankings 2017
The President Pranab
Mukherjee, will be releasing the India Rankings 2017 report on April 10 at a
function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will also present awards to
top-ranked institutions i.e. top 10 in overall category & toppers in the
stream-wise categories -Engineering, Management etc. The National Institutional
Ranking Framework was introduced in 2016 to rank Indian Universitiesthanks testbook.com
Post a Comment