GENERAL AWARENESS ---SBI PO - IBPS PO -- CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL 9 TO 16 2017

09-04-2017

9 year old sues Govt. on climate change

A nine-year-old girl has filed a legal case against the Indian government for failing to take action on climate change In the petition filed with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Ridhima Pandey has said that the government has failed to implement its environment laws. The tribunal has asked the Ministry of Environment and the Central Pollution Control Board to respond within two weeks.

US Strike Group Heads Toward Korea

US has sent a carrier-led strike group to the Korean peninsula in a show of force against North Korea’s “reckless” nuclear weapons program. The move will raise tensions in the region and comes hard on the heels of a US missile strike on Syria. The attack was widely interpreted as putting Pyongyang on warning over its refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Payments Above Rs 2 Lakh In Cash in ITR

All cash payments of over Rs 2 lakh for paying loans and credit card bills during the 50-day period post demonetisation will have to be disclosed in the ITR. The tax department has notified new forms for filing of returns for the Assessment Year 2017-18 (financial year 2016-17). The is an attempt to match the cash deposits made post demonetisation with the annual income.

India helps China fight off pirates

Indian Navy helped the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in sanitising a ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. A distress call was received from merchant vessel OS 35 (Bulk carrier), which was attacked and hijacked by pirates. Gulf of Aden is notoriously known for pirate attacks. Besides Indian Navy’s ships, the PLA sent its ship Yulin, a multi-role frigate, to the Gulf of Aden.

India got only 7 drugs in 5 years

Only seven oncology drugs were introduced in India over five years (2010-2014). During this time, nearly 50 breakthrough therapies were rolled out globally. The disparity in availability of oncology therapies becomes even more stark over a 10-year period (2006-2016). In India, oncology treatment typically run into lakhs particularly with certain lung, prostrate and breast cancer drugs.

EC may cancel RK Nagar bypolls

The Election Commission is planning on scrapping a high-profile assembly bypoll in Chennai’s RK Nagar. The decision can come after tax authorities allegedly unearthed a large-scale bribery scandal to swing an election that might determine the ruling party’s future. The papers leaked to the media show that Sasikala faction gave more than Rs 89.5 crore for distribution among RK Nagar voters

Aadhaar for domestic air travel

The government is considering to make Aadhaar or passport compulsory even for domestic air travel. Aviation Ministry is mulling the idea as it is looking to put four levels of offences-graded in terms of seriousness-in its proposed no-fly list. The Centre is in the process of establishing a “national no-fly list” for unruly passengers in the aftermath of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad case

H-1B visa cap reached for 2017-18

H-1B application for foreign IT professionals has reached the congressionally mandated 65,000 visa cap for the 2018 fiscal year. US Citizenship and Immigration Services has also received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to meet the 20,000 visa US advanced degree exemption. H-1B visa programme allows companies in the US to employ foreign workers in occupations such as science and IT.

IndiGo Operates 900 Flights In A Day

IndiGo flew 900 flights on April 7, 2017, setting the record for operating the highest number of flights ever by an Indian airline in the history of Indian civil aviation sector. IndiGo is the country’s largest passenger airline with a market share of 39.5 per cent as of February, 2017 It currently operates flights connecting to 46 destinations-39 domestic and 7 international.

Suicide by mentally ill not punishable

Attempts to commit suicide by a mentally ill person will not be punishable under a new law that has got assent from President. The law also prohibits use of electro-convulsive therapy, referred to as shock therapy, without the use of muscle relaxants and anaesthesia on a patient. The new law has been enacted to align with a United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Mallya’s Kingfisher Villa finally sold

SBI and other banks have finally found a buyer for his Goa-based Kingfisher Villa. After three failed auctions, the 12,350 square foot house which bankers pegged at a reserve price of nearly Rs 90 crore, was sold for Rs 73 crore to actor-producer Sachiin Joshi. Apart from the villa, the lenders have been trying to auction the Kingfisher logo and Mallya’s Kingfisher House in Mumbai.

India, Bangladesh Boost Cooperation

India and Bangladesh have signed 22 agreements, including as many as five on defence cooperation. India extended to Dhaka lines of credit worth $5 billion following bilateral talks between PM Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart. The 2 countries also signed a historic civil nuclear cooperation agreement. PM assured Sheikh Hasina of an “early solution” to the Teesta waters sharing issue.

Ford tech arm gets Indian patent

Ford has received an Indian patent for an invention related to a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The company said that the invention is related generally to a power train for a hybrid electric vehicle having an engine and one or more electric machines. Globally, electric vehicles are seen as part of moving towards eco-friendly mobility solutions and making cars cost-efficient.

A court orders summons on WhatsApp

In a first, a court of the financial commissioner in Haryana, headed by IAS officer Ashok Khemka, has ordered serving of summons in a property dispute case on WhatsApp. Summons in such cases are usually sent by registered post but Khemka in his order observed that law follows technological advancements and is not fossilised. The summons were ordered to be served on Whatsapp messenger.

India second-most preferred Asian market

India is the second-most preferred market (overweight) in the Asia (excluding Japan) region. This has been revealed in an investor sentiment survey carried out by Credit Suisse. Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong are the most-preferred, while those listed on the mainland are the third-most preferred. Pakistan, Malaysia, and Australia were the least preferred markets (underweight).

India: Second largest steel producer

India is poised to dislodge Japan to become the world’s second-largest steelmaker. By 2022, India will pump out 146 mt to Japan’s 118 mt. India’s Output will rise from 103 million tonnes (mt) this year to 110 mt in 2018, and 118 mt by 2019. While Indian production is set to surge, its output will remain dwarfed by China, the world’s biggest producer.

IndianOil to invest in pipeline network

            Indian Oil Corporation is planning to invest at least Rs 20,000 crore to add a 25-million-tonne (mt) pipeline. The company’s road map comprises India’s longest LPG pipeline from the Kandla coast in Gujarat to Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The first phase of a natural gas pipeline of 1,200 km from Ennore to Tuticorin with an investment of Rs 4,500 crore will also come up by 2018.

RBI proposes long-term finance banks

RBI has proposed to float wholesale and long-term finance (WLTF) banks that would fund long-term high-value projects. The minimum capital required for the bank would be Rs 1,000 crore. These banks will focus primarily on lending to infrastructure and small, medium & corporate businesses. They will also mobilise liquidity for banks and financial institutions.

First non-white judge at Old Bailey

Anuja Ravindra Dhir has taken over as the first non-white circuit judge at the Old Bailey, the central criminal court of England and Wales. Dhir hails from Scotland, where she studied law at the University of Dundee and battled stereotypes over the years to advance her legal career. Dhir, 49, is the first Indian and currently the youngest at the Old Bailey court.

Softbank for Snapdeal sale to Flipkart

Japan’s SoftBank, the largest investor in Jasper Infotech-owned Snapdeal, is believed to have initiated the sale of the business to Flipkart. It has done so by offering Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal $50 million in lieu of their stake. Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, who together own 6.5% equity in Snapdeal, are expected to receive $25 million each from sale of their shares.

10-04-2017

Mobile World Congress

India is all set to have its own version of the Mobile World Congress for the first time, from September 27 to 29. Following the yearly global attention drawn by the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that takes place in Barcelona, India is all set to have its own version this year. The event will be organised by telecom industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI).

‘Asian Businesswoman of Year’ award

An Indian-origin educationist in the UK has been named the ‘Asian Businesswoman of the Year’ in an award ceremony in Birmingham. 65-year-old Dame Asha Khemka was honoured for her efforts in the field of education and skills at the Asian Business Awards ceremony. In 2013, she was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, one of Britain’s highest civilian awards.

Inter-State Council

The 11th Standing Committee meeting of the Inter-State Council examined recommendations of the Punchhi Commission report on april 9. The committee examined recommendations of the report related to Centre-State financial relations etc. The Inter State Council is an Indian constitutional body set up on the basis of provisions in Article 263 of the Constitution of India.

BNHS announces third common bird count

The Bombay Natural History Society had invited bird watchers, NGOs, ornithologists etc to participate in the exercise that started on April 9. After successfully completing bird counts in monsoon and winter seasons, the BNHS has announced the bird count for summer season. BNHS, founded on 15 Sep, 1883, is non-govt organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.

NBA launches first basketball school

National Basketball Association announced the setting up of its first basketball school, a network of tuition-based basketball development programmes, in Mumbai. The school, as part of a multi-year agreement announced with India On Track (IOT), is open to male and female players between ages 6-18.

World Homeopathy Day

National Convention on World Homeopathy Day will be held on 10 April 2017 at New Delhi. The event is being organized to commemorate the 262nd birth anniversary of the founder of Homeopathy, Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. The theme of the convention is “Enhancing Quality Research in Homeopathy through scientific evidence and rich clinical experiences”.

Exhibition on 100 yrs of Champaran

Champaran Satyagraha was a historic mass movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and its impact was phenomenal. PM Modi will inaugurate an exhibition titled ‘Swachhagraha – Bapu Ko Karyanjali’ to mark 100 years of the historic Champaran Satyagraha in New Delhi. The exhibition will showcase Champaran Satyagraha and it will connect essential principles of Satyagraha with Swachhagraha.

G7 foreign ministers seek to meet

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major industrialised nations met for an annual gathering, with Europe and Japan seeking clarity from the United States on an array of issues, especially Syria. The Group of 7 (G7) is a group consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is also represented within the G7.

Khel Yatra for underprivileged children

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet unveiled ‘Khel Yatra’ for the underprivileged children in Delhi as its chief sponsor. An inter-school 100 meter athletic competition Khel Yatra is a special initiative supported by the airline to identify and appreciate young budding talents from the underprivileged sections of the society. The programme was backed by more than 11 NGO’s including- Saksham etc.

1st Country to Fully Legalize Marijuana

Uruguay is set to be the 1st country in the world to fully allow the production,sale and consumption of marijuana when its pharmacies will be allowed to sell marijuana. Uruguay legalized the cultivation, distribution and consumption in 2013 but the rollout has been slow. The authorization for pharmacies to sell marijuana was initially expected by the end of 2014, but was delayed many times.

Bhiwandi economic corridor

Bhiwandi, the powerloom centre of the country, is set to get a big development push, with the state government planning to convert it into an economic corridor and make it a logistics hub. The city is likely to be directly connected by train to textile town Bhiwandi via Thane. Bhiwandi has seen rapid growth in the past decade and has emerged as an industrial town.

Large asteroid to buzz past Earth

A relatively large near-Earth asteroid will fly safely past our planet on April 19 at a distance of about 1.8 mn km. The asteroid, known as 2014 JO25, was discovered in May 2014. Contemporary measurements by NASA’s NEOWISE mission indicate that the asteroid is roughly 650 meters in size, and that its surface is about twice as reflective as that of the Moon.

US, Canada & Mexico to launch joint WC

Football federations of US, Canada and Mexico appear set to launch a joint bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA will designate a host for the 2026 edition in 2020. There has been only one World Cup hosted by multiple nations, the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea. The 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams from 32.

Universities to be declared national uni

HRD ministry will soon decide on registration of 20 universities of national importance which are aspired to be world class. here will be 10 government and 10 private universities in the list. The HRD Minister also assured students that India is getting better research experiment labs which will encourage them to stay in the country.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. The Sunday was often named after these substitute trees, as in Yew Sunday, or by the general term Branch Sunday.

Girls edu free upto the university level

The Assam govt announced a draft population policy which suggested denial of govt jobs to people with more than two children and making education up to university level free for all girls in the state. Minimum age for marriage must be followed for getting benefits of government employment generation schemes. Policy proposes strict measures to prevent child marriage.

Astronomers discovered Venus twin

Astronomers, using NASA’s Kepler space telescope, have discovered a Venus-like planet orbiting a dim star that is one-fifth the diameter of our Sun and is located 219 light-years away from Earth. This newly found world is only slightly larger than Earth, and it tightly embraces its low-temperature star called Kepler-1649, encircling it every nine days.

Haryana sex ratio highest since history

For the first time in the history of the state, the sex ratio at birth in Haryana has touched the 950 mark. The state govt launched a massive campaign by implementing the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. Haryana had ranked the worst among all states in sex ratio in the country.

Earth-like planet

GJ 1132b, just 39 light years away, raises the tantalising possibility of life beyond our solar system. Astronomers have, for the first time, detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet. Scientists, including those from Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, studied the planet known as GJ 1132b, which is 1.4 times the size of our planet.

Hamilton won 5th Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton mastered Shanghai’s changing conditions and stayed clear of squabbling rivals to win the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix. It was Hamilton’s 54th career win and a record fifth in Shanghai. But it was the triple champion’s first this season and returned Mercedes to the top of the podium after Vettel won last month’s season-opening race for a resurgent Ferrari.

11-04-2017

Aadhaar must for web-access to maps

The Survey of India and official maker of maps, has set up a web portal called Nakshe that allows 3000 of its 7000 maps to be downloaded for free. However, Aadhar is a must. The maps prepared for defence and civilian purposes are considered a standard reference for the shape, extent and geographic features of the country.

Govt to settle EPF claims via mobile app

Nearly four crore members of retirement fund body EPFO will soon be able to settle their claims like EPF withdrawal through mobile application UMANG. UMANG stands for Unified Mobile App for New-age Governance. The EPFO receives close to 1 crore applications manually for settlement of EPF withdrawals and others.

Protein that boosts vaccine efficacy

Researchers have discovered a protein that could help make vaccinations more effective and also provide protection from other diseases such as cancer. The protein is called PorB. The researchers purified a protein found on the exterior of bacteria (neisseria meningidis). The study was published in the journal, Scientific Reports.

Mahatma Phule birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Mahatma Phule on his birth anniversary. Jyotirao Phule was an Indian activist, thinker, social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women’s education in India. They opened the first school for girls in India in August 1848. He was the founder of the Satyashodhak Samaj.

Colson Whitehead wins Pulitzer Prize

Colson Whitehead’s celebrated novel The Underground Railroad has won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The novel is about an escaped slave that combined liberating imagination and brutal reality. Earlier in November 2016, the novel had received the National Book Award of US. This makes Colson Whitehead first person to win Pulitzer and National Book Award for fiction in last 20 years.

China tops the list in executions

Amnesty International said China topped on executions in 2016, despite the number of executions worldwide dropped by 37%. In its 2016 Global review of the death penalty published, Amnesty said, China executed more people than all other countries in the world put together. Other countries in the list are Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Pink patrol and security app launched

A fleet of pink patrol vehicles have been introduced in Bengaluru as part of an effort to improve the safety and security of women in the city. The pink patrol cars called the Pink Hoysalas and the Suraksha mobile phone app were unveiled by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The app has been developed by the Bengaluru city police IT team.

Flipkart to operate ebay.in

Flipkart on April 10 announced to sell its Indian operations to to Flipkart, opening up an opportunity for cross-border transactions between the two. eBay will invest $500 million in Flipkart as part of the deal. Both the players have also entered into an exclusive agreement in which they will jointly pursue cross-border trade opportunities.

Haryana launches e-sewa app

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a mobile application to inform people about various welfare schemes and programmes of the state government. In the first phase, information about more than 250 schemes and programmes of 30 different departments has been made available on the e-Sewa mobile app. Other information such as fees, documents for various schemes are also there.

Bill to permit 15 IIITs award degrees

As many as 15 Indian Institutes of Information Technology set up under public-private partnership mode will soon be granted the powers to award degrees to their students. To give effect to this, HRD Minister Mr. Javadekar introduced the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017, which seeks to declare IIITs, as institutions of national importance.

Bhiwandi economic corridor

Bhiwandi, the powerloom centre of the country, is set to get a big development push, with the state government planning to convert it into an economic corridor and make it a logistics hub. The city is likely to be directly connected by train to textile town Bhiwandi via Thane. Bhiwandi has seen rapid growth in the past decade and has emerged as an industrial town.

Large asteroid to buzz past Earth

A relatively large near-Earth asteroid will fly safely past our planet on April 19 at a distance of about 1.8 mn km. The asteroid, known as 2014 JO25, was discovered in May 2014. Contemporary measurements by NASA’s NEOWISE mission indicate that the asteroid is roughly 650 meters in size, and that its surface is about twice as reflective as that of the Moon.

US, Canada & Mexico to launch joint WC

Football federations of US, Canada and Mexico appear set to launch a joint bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA will designate a host for the 2026 edition in 2020. There has been only one World Cup hosted by multiple nations, the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea. The 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams from 32.

Universities to be declared national uni

HRD ministry will soon decide on registration of 20 universities of national importance which are aspired to be world class. here will be 10 government and 10 private universities in the list. The HRD Minister also assured students that India is getting better research experiment labs which will encourage them to stay in the country.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. The Sunday was often named after these substitute trees, as in Yew Sunday, or by the general term Branch Sunday.

Girls edu free upto the university level

The Assam govt announced a draft population policy which suggested denial of govt jobs to people with more than two children and making education up to university level free for all girls in the state. Minimum age for marriage must be followed for getting benefits of government employment generation schemes. Policy proposes strict measures to prevent child marriage.

Astronomers discovered Venus twin

Astronomers, using NASA’s Kepler space telescope, have discovered a Venus-like planet orbiting a dim star that is one-fifth the diameter of our Sun and is located 219 light-years away from Earth. This newly found world is only slightly larger than Earth, and it tightly embraces its low-temperature star called Kepler-1649, encircling it every nine days.

Haryana sex ratio highest since history

For the first time in the history of the state, the sex ratio at birth in Haryana has touched the 950 mark. The state govt launched a massive campaign by implementing the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. Haryana had ranked the worst among all states in sex ratio in the country.

Earth-like planet

GJ 1132b, just 39 light years away, raises the tantalising possibility of life beyond our solar system. Astronomers have, for the first time, detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet. Scientists, including those from Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, studied the planet known as GJ 1132b, which is 1.4 times the size of our planet.

Hamilton won 5th Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton mastered Shanghai’s changing conditions and stayed clear of squabbling rivals to win the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix. It was Hamilton’s 54th career win and a record fifth in Shanghai. But it was the triple champion’s first this season and returned Mercedes to the top of the podium after Vettel won last month’s season-opening race for a resurgent Ferrari.

12-04-2017

SAMPADA mission

In a bid to achieve the vision of the proposed National Food Processing Policy govt will soon launch a revamped National Mission on Food Processing The revamped mission will be called SAMPADA – or the Scheme for Agro-Marine Produce Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters. It will complete the on-going Mega Food Parks and take up more cold chain projects.

National Geoscience Awards 2016

            National Geoscience Awards, previously known as the National Mineral Awards, was instituted by the Ministry of Mines in 1966, to honour individuals and teams of scientists for their extraordinary work in fundamental, applied geosciences, mining and allied fields. This year, twenty seven geoscientists are receiving the National Geoscience Awards.

Book authored by LS Speaker

PM Modi released a book authored by LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The book ‘Matoshree’ covers the life and times of legendary Devi Ahilyabai Holker who ruled the Holkar Empire spread over the Malwa region from 1767 to 1795. Ahilyabai is remembered and worshipped by people for her exemplary governance, sense of justice and fairness.

Jamini Roy’s 130th Birth Anniversary

Google Doodle, Google’s own artistic canvas which sees different alterations on a temporary basis, today celebrates the 130th birthday anniversary of Jamini Roy, India’s prolific artist. Jamini Roy was an Indian painter. He was one of the most famous pupils of Abanindranath Tagore, whose artistic originality and contribution to the emergence of modern art in India remains unquestionable.

New CBDT members

Ajit Kumar Srivastava and Shabri Bhattasali were appointed members of CBDT, the apex policy making body of the Income Tax department. The role of the CBDT is to provide inputs for policy and planning of direct taxes in the country and the statutory authority also administers the direct tax laws through Income Tax Department. The CBDT functions under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.

ICIJ wins Pulitzer for Panama Papers

The Pulitzer Prizes honoured International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) for its work on Panama Papers. The ICIJ spearheaded a team of over 300 reporters, spread across six continents, to expose the offshore tax havens used by high-profile individuals across the world The 19-member Pulitzer board is made up of past winners and other distinguished journalists and academics.

Tibetan medi system for Unesco honour

            INDIA has nominated the Tibetan medicine system of Sowa-Rigpa for inclusion on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The dossier was submitted in late March and India’s bid will be considered during Unesco’s session in 2018. Sowa-Rigpa, commonly known as the Amchi system of medicine, is among the oldest documented medical traditions in the world

Book- ‘Gandhi in Champaran’

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu released a book “Gandhi in Champaran” by DG Tendulkar printed by Publications Division. He also released a book containing a collection of letters and articles of the correspondence between Nobel laureate Romain Rolland and Mahatma Gandhi as well as DG Tendulkar’s 8 volume biography of Mahatama Gandhi.

Asian School Hockey Championship

The Indian School team beat Malaysia 5-1 to lift the title at the Fifth Asian School Hockey Championship in Bhopal at the Aishbagh Stadium. Malaysia managed to score its single goal through Akhimullah Anuar Esook. India defeated China 11-0 in the semi final while defending champion Malaysia defeated Singapore by 12-1.

Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations at UN

Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations at the UN will focus on the empowerment of the poor and the marginalised using information and communication technologies to achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals. The theme of the 126th Birth Anniversary of Ambedkar, at the UN reflects his vision of “equality, social justice and empowerment of the poor and the marginalised sections of the society”.

Soon, doctors can ‘see’ a fever

Visual, non-invasive monitoring of body temp of patients without using a thermometer may become a reality soon. The work carried out by a team of scientists led by John Philip, at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. The concept is based on ferrofluid emulsion contained in a thin film that changes colour with rise in temperature within a narrow range- 30-40° C.

National Hindi Sevi Samman Awards

Central Hindi Institute Director N.K. Pandey announced the names of 26 writers from different categories for the prestigious Hindi Sevi Samman Awards. The awardees will receive Rs 5 lakh each. The Ganesh Shankar Vidhyarthi Award for Hindi journalism will be awarded to Rahul Dev and Baldev Bhai Sharma.

Book- ‘Hope in a challenged democracy’

‘Hope in a challenged democracy’ An Indian narrative’ authored by Shri Ashwini Kumar. The volume is a collection of speeches and writings that have a wide sweep ranging from law and Constitution to democratic institutions, economic changes, and foreign relations. The of the book on the ‘incestuous relationship between wealth and power’ and its impact.

Nabard to raise ₹7,000 crore

To give a fillip to affordable rural housing, the Nabard is planning to raise ₹7,000 crore, which in turn will be deployed with a Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will undertake projects under the aegis of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G). The PMAY-G aims to provide a pucca (permanent) house with basic amenities to all homeless by 2022.

1st time Ranking of Ports on Sanitation

For the first time ever, the twelve major ports under the Ministry of Shipping have been ranked on sanitation parameters. The assessment methodology included official interview, direct observation by the designated team from Quality Council of India and stakeholder’s interaction. Haldia and Vizag ports bagged the first and second ranks respectively.

Defence Procurement Organisation

Ministry of Defence constituted a Committee in April, 2016 comprising experts from various fields to study the setting up of a Defence Procurement Organisation. The Committee submitted its Report in February 2017. The Committee has recommended the creation of a central, autonomous, empowered professional organization to build up indigenous defence capability.

SCOPE Awards

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) Awards at the 8th Public Sector Day function held in New Delhi. The President said that celebrating this Day is an acknowledgement of the invaluable contribution made by our Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) since independence.

Sindhu, Garg in fray for BWF ‘commission

Olympic silver-medallist and world No.2 P V Sindhu will be among the nine shuttlers vying for a position in the Badminton World Federation’s Athletes Commission. The other Indian in fray for the four slots is male shuttler called Nikhar Garg. The nominations closed on March 27 with six men and three women standing for the BWF Athletes’ Commission elections.

Germany: Attack on football team

In Germany, three explosions have hit a bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund football team to their home Champions League quarter-final match against Monaco. Spanish player Marc Bartra underwent an operation after breaking a bone in his wrist. Dortmund, is a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Nepal govt presents new amendment bill

In a bid to take agitating Madhesi parties on board before May14 local elections Nepal govt has presented a new constitution amend bill. Madhesi leaders are demanding more representation and re-demarcation of provincial boundaries. Though new bill does not propose any change in the boundary of provinces but it has provision to form a federal commission to look into the issue.

13-04-2017

Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy

The government has approved setting up of Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh as Institute of National Importance through an Act of Parliament. It will enjoy the same status given to IITs. It will be built at a cost of Rs. 655 crores. IIT Kharagpur has taken up the responsibility of mentoring the Institute.

Operation Meghdoot

Operation Meghdoot was an Indian armed forces operation launched 33 years ago on 13 April 1984. It was an operation launched by Indian Armed Forces to capture the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir. The operation resulted in Indian troops gaining control of the entire Siachen glacier, giving India strategic advantage and also maintaining status quo.

Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the martyrs who lost their lives in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. In a tweet, Mr Modi said, valour and heroism of the martyrs will never be forgotten. The massacre took place on 13 April 1919 when a crowd of nonviolent protesters were fired upon by troops under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer.

Cabinet approves listing of 11 CPSEs

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved listing of 11 Central Public Sector Enterprises. The CCEA has also approved reservation of shares for the eligible employees of 11 CPSEs in accordance with the extant provisions of Sebi regulations. Listing of CPSEs will be through public offer of shares up to 25% of government’s shareholding.

G20 Digital Ministerial Meet

The G20 Digital Ministerial Meeting was held in Dusseldorf, Germany. It concluded with adaptation of declaration on ‘Shaping Digitalisation for an Interconnected World’. The ministerial conference was held according to the G20 Task Force on the digital economy established in G20 summit held in Hangzhou, China in 2016.

eNAM transacts record ₹15,000 Cr

The national agriculture market- eNAM has transacted a record 15 thousand crore rupees business in one year. In April last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched National Agriculture Market portal eNAM to connect e-mandis in several States. The government targets to double the income of farmers by 2022 and for this government is improving the marketing policy and the Agriculture market.

Achim Steiner-new administrator of UNDP

UN chief Antonio Guterres has named Achim Steiner, as the new administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Headquartered in New York City, the UNDP seeks to reduce poverty, improve social development and encourage women’s empowerment. Steiner, who previously served at the UN Environment Programme and headed the UN office in Kenya, was selected to succeed Helen Clark.

Malala to receive Canadian citizenship

Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai became the sixth person to receive honorary Canadian citizenship. The Pakistani activist was welcomed to the seat of Canada’s democracy by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At age 19, Yousafzai is the youngest person to speak to Canadian members of parliament and senators in a joint session.

Cultural programme held at Kathmandu

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri inaugurated cultural programme “Colours of the Northern and Southern States of India” at Kathmandu on April 12. The two day event is organised by Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Embassy of India on the occasion of Baisakhi and Nepali New Year 2074.

Committee submits its report on Ganga

Nine months after it was set up, a committee under Justice (retd) Giridhar Malviya submitted its report to save the Ganga river from pollution. The four-member committee had been asked to prepare the draft of a comprehensive Ganga law that is being considered for at least four years now. The draft would now be examined by ministerial committee before being converted into a bill.

First live 4K stream from space

NASA astronaut and Expedition 51 commander Peggy Whitson will broadcast a 4K live streaming of earth on April 26. The broadcast will take place during a session at the 2017 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas. The panel is co-produced by NAB Show, NASA, and Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Kerala, Maharashtra top in power supply

According to Urban Jyoti AbhiyaanKerala app, Kerala, Maharashtra and Rajasthan top the list in supplying uninterrupted power. The Urja application meant to bring transparency in the performance of utilities and states captures the stark contrast in how consumers are served in different parts of the country. Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Assam have a lot to catch up.

Belle-II ‘rolls in’ to collision point

The High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation (KEK) completed the ‘rolling-in’ of the Belle-II experiment in Tsukuba, Japan. The term roll-in refers to the operation of moving the entire Belle II detector system from its assembly area to the beam collision point. The Belle II detector’s total weight is about 1400 tons.

Tool to spot fraudulent bank messages

Interbank messaging service SWIFT will launch a new tool to spot fraudulent messages, seeking to restore trust in the system after millions of dollars were stolen in cyber raids. It will offer clients a service that will be able to learn a user bank’s messaging patterns so that it can spot if a payment is being made to an unusual counter-party or for an unusual amount.

Amazon to launch its digital wallet

Amazon India has received a payments wallet license from the Reserve Bank of India. The US retailer is looking to allow users to shop on its platform, make offline payments, buy bus and rail tickets and pay for utilities through its digital wallet. This will put the company squarely against Paytm and Flipkart-owned PhonePe, apart from number two player FreeCharge.

India’s first micro-drama festival held

With the longest play running for not more than 10 minutes to the shortest one ending in 42 seconds, India’s first ever micro-drama festival was held in New Delhi. Named after Thespis of Icaria, believed to be the first actor in Greek drama (6th century BC), the day-long event ‘Thespis’ saw screening of 28 independent plays at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Art.

Asha Parekh’s autobiography

Asha Parekh’s autobiography, The Hit Girl , was launched by Salman Khan in Mumbai on April 12. The autobiography, written with Khalid Mohamed also includes a foreword by Salman. The Hit Girl is published by Om Books International.

MDs for LIC appointed

The government appointed two more managing directors to the nation’s largest financial powerhouse LIC — B Venugopal and Sunita Sharma, for a period of nearly two years. With these appointments, LIC has four MDs, with the other two being Usha Sangwan and Hemant Bhargava, who was appointed in mid-Feb.

Ambassadors for Champions Trophy

Harbhajan Singh has been named as one of the eight ambassadors for the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled in England from June 1-18. Shahid Afridi, Habibul Bashar, Ian Bell, Shane Bond, Mike Hussey,Sri Lanka and Graeme Smith are the other ambassadors. The announcement comes exactly 50 days before the first ball is bowled in the tournament-opener between England and Bangladesh at The Oval.

Nokia to partner with Airtel, BSNL

Nokia will partner with Airtel and BSNL for developing 5G networks in India. 5G is supposed to be the next level of evolution in wireless broadband technology, but at speeds which are much higher than the current 4G LTE networks. Nokia and BSNL will be conducting joint 5G demonstrations across India and developing 5G ecosystem with Airtel.

14-04-2017

Dalai Lama launches book

The Dalai Lama released a book titled “Ocean and Blue Mountains” published by the department of Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs. The book title refers ‘Ocean’ as His Holiness and ‘Blue Mountains’ as the people of Arunachal Pradesh and is a collection of memoirs of the special bond shared between the two. He also released a book titled “Crossing of the Frontiers” describing his exile from Tibet

Nation remembers BR Ambedkar

India celebrated the 126th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar on April 14. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, chief architect of the Constitution of India, was born on 14th April 1891 at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, which is now known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar. He was also the first law minister of India.

Cyclone Cook strikes New Zealand

In New Zealand, hundreds of people have been evacuated from some coastal areas as the second major storm in just over a week made landfall near the North Island town of Whakatane. Gusts of 209kmh were recorded at White Island and 154km/h at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay. Cyclone Cook was a compact system, meaning the strongest winds were within a relatively narrow swat.

US drops biggest non-nuclear bomb

The US has dropped the “mother of all bombs” – the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the US military – on an area of eastern Afghanistan. The weapon is known in the US Air Force by its nickname MOAB, or “mother of all bombs”. MOAB stands for massive ordinance air blast. The bomb was dropped in Achin district of Nangarhar, Afghanistan to target ISIS militants.

Sagarmatha Friendship military exercise

Nepal and China will hold the first-ever joint military exercise from April 17 with a special focus on combating terror and disaster management. The 10-day-long military drill that will last till April 26. The military exercise named ‘Sagarmatha Friendship-2017’ will also focus on common interests like disaster management.

India win U-18 Hockey Championship

India School team registered 5-1 win against Malaysia to win the 5th Asian School Hockey Championship. In the match for third and fourth place, Singapore beat China 3-1 in a nail-biting shootout after the two teams ended the regulation time in a 1-1 stalemate. In the fifth and sixth placing match, Sri Lanka beat Thailand 4-1.

7000 girls dance to set new record

As many as 7000 girl students performed ‘Kuchipudi’ in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh to set a Guinness World record. The girls from 21 government-run residential schools in north coastal Andra participated in the event to commemorate 125th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar. The event was jointly being organized by Andhra Pradesh Residential Educational Institutions Society and Social Welfare Dept.

New Taxi Policy guidelines

The safety measures, recommended by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), concerning safety of women commuters availing of cab services have been included in the new Taxi Policy Guidelines. The taxis should be mandatorily fitted with GPS panic devices. Central locking system in the taxis should not be allowed.

Bihar sets up court for prohibition

A year after enforcing stringent prohibition laws, the Bihar government set up a special court for speedy trial in cases registered against violation of the law. Following the High Court directive, the first special court has been set up in Patna. Bihar became a dry State on April 5, 2016.

Asia’s largest tulip garden opens

With 20 lakh tulips of 46 varieties in its lap, Asia’s largest Tulip garden overlooking the world famous Dal Lake in Srinagar was thrown open to visitors. Tulips remain in bloom for 15-20 days from the last week of March to mid April depending upon the temperature. Spreading over an area of about 15 hectares, the garden is situated on the foothills of Zabarwan range.

BBB evolves ‘GRAF’ for PSBs

The Bank Boards Bureau (BBB) has evolved a Governance, Reward and Accountability Framework (GRAF) for public sector banks to ensure that they have the ability to compete successfully with private sector banks. The GRAF incorporates a governance framework that integrates elements of organisational structure and processes to ensure high standards of corporate governance

Saudi’s first global Islamic bonds

Saudi Arabia has raised $9 billion in its first global Islamic bond issue. The sale of Islamic bonds, known as sukuks, comes after the kingdom in October turned to the conventional global debt market for the first time, raising $17.5 billion in a bond issue. It has also sold domestic bonds and drawn on its accumulated reserves, all in an effort to reform the economy.

Operation ‘Clean Money’

Income Tax Department launched the second phase of Operation ‘Clean Money’ to detect the flow of black money into the banks after demonetisation. According to Central Board of Direct Taxation the I-T dept has detected unaccounted income worth Rs 9,334 crore after the demonetisation till February 28th. The first phase of the operation was launched in January 2017.

India to host SAARC seminar

India will host a disaster management seminar for officials from Pakistan and other SAARC countries in Gandhinagar in May 2017. The SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), which was being run from Delhi since last year, was shifted to Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) in January. Other SAARC nations, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh have already given their nod.

Arjun Gaind launches book on Punjab

Arjun Gaind launched his latest book, ‘Punjab: Building the Land Of Five Rivers’, in Mumbai. A panel discussion was organised on the occasion at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in which Punjab’s history, heritage, culture and growth were discussed.

Operation Durga in Haryana

The Haryana government has launched ‘Operation Durga’ to ensure women safety in the state. Under this operation, teams formed by the Chief Minister’s Flying Squad visited public places such as schools, colleges etc to check criminal activities. The campaign was launched so that flying squads patrol those areas where such anti-social elements committed crimes against women.

Taare Zameen Par program

Jharkhand Police has initiated Tare Zameen Par programme to enlighten children in Naxal-affected areas in the Palamau district of Jharkhand. This programme is aimed to restore confidence in the state police force and to encourage children to lead happy lives. As a part of the programme, the state police appealed the locals to donate bags, shoes, books etc for the children.

CM relaunches ‘Adarana’ scheme

            Reiterating his resolve for the uplift and all-round development of people belonging to the Backward Classes, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced the re-launch of ‘Adarana’ scheme. The scheme will help improving traditional occupations. It will use modern technology, marketing for artisans.

CPC gets new Pin Code

The Department of Post has allotted a unique pin code for the Income Tax Department’s Central Processing Centre (CPC) based in Bengaluru. The new pin code given to CPC is 560500. Earlier it was using 560100. It will cater exclusively to the CPC of the IT department and will help in addressing the grievances of the taxpayers with respect to the issues of non-reaching of mails.

Cisco launches global cyber range lab

Cisco launched its fifth global cyber range lab here with an aim to train Indian firms and government agencies on real world cyber attacks in Gurugram. The facility was inaugurated by National Cyber Security Coordinator Gulshan Rai. Cisco will also launch a Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Pune — its fourth after the US, Poland and Japan -— in the next few months.

15-04-2017

Himachal bags Krishi Karman Award

            The Union Ministry of Agriculture has selected Himachal Pradesh for the Krishi Karman Award 2015-16 for commendable increase in food grains production. The state was also conferred the Krishi Karman Award for 2011-12 for increase in wheat production and in 2014-15 for increasing food grains production. The awards are given to Best performer States for raising country’s food grain production.

Possible life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus

NASA has revealed that Saturn’s moon Enceladus has conditions which are necessary for life. Cassini scientists announced that a form of chemical energy that life can feed on appears to exist on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The primary ingredients required to sustain life include liquid water; a source of energy for metabolism; and the right chemical ingredients, primarily carbon, hydrogen etc.

World Art Day

World Art Day is an international celebration of the fine arts which was declared by the International Association of Art in order to promote awareness of creative activity worldwide. It was first celebrated in 2012. The date was decided in honor of the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci.

Postal Dept and SBI to go cashless

Department of Posts has joined hands with State Bank of India to promote ‘SBI buddy e-wallet’ and POS machines for cashless transactions at post office counters while booking speed post and registered post items. The first machine was inaugurated in Chandigarh.

‘Ammaku Vandanam’ scheme

A unique programme to pay tribute to mothers will be introduced in the government-run schools in Andhra Pradesh from this year. Under ‘Ammaku Vandanam’ — mother worship — the school children will take the blessings of their mothers and may also do ‘paada pooja’ (washing her feet). The government also decided to implement the programme in 5,000 high schools across the state.

National Lok Adalat settles 6 lakh cases

The National Legal Services Authority has accomplished its latest feat of settling over 6 lakh cases in just 24 hours. The Second National Lok Adalat for 2017 was conducted on April 8 throughout the country. The award of a Lok Adalat is final and cannot be challenge in any way. It was established on 5 Dec 1995. It was established under the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.

Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express

A fully-airconditioned Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express with improved coaches was inaugurated on April 14 in Dhaka. The Maitree train was launched on Pahela Baishakh in 2008 with once-a-week service. With its increased popularity, it now runs four days a week. The coaches have been manufactured in India.

New MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank

Mahabaleshwara Mavinakudige Subrahmanya is the new chief of Karnataka Bank Ltd. He succeeds Polali Jayarama Bhat. He took charge on April 15. Mahabaleshwara M S, has been ‘Karnataka Bank man’ for the last 32 years and has rich banking experience both at operational and administrative levels.

Pankaj Advani wins Asian Championship

Pankaj Advani won his seventh Asian title by defeating Sourav Kothari. Advani now returns home to Bangalore for four days to switch to snooker. The match was held in Chandigarh.

Former J&K Governor Girish passes away

Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chandra Saxena, whose tenure saw a significant decline of militancy in the Valley has passed away. Born in Agra in 1928, Saxena, an IPS officer of the 1950 batch of Uttar Pradesh cadre, who also headed the country’s external snooping agency RAW from 1983 to 1986. He was governor from May 26, 1990 to March 13, 1993.

Koradi thermal power project

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 1980 MW of the Koradi super-critical thermal power project of state-run Mahagenco near Nagpur in Maharashtra to the nation. The 1980 MW capacity includes three units of 660 MW each, which are now completely operational, marking the completion of the last phase of expansion of the project.

BRICS bank to issue rupee, yuan bonds

The New Development Bank plans to issue bonds this year in Indian rupee and Chinese yuan. The bank sold its first $437 million yuan-denominated bonds in China last year in July to fund clean energy projects in member-states. The issuance will come after the bank is rated by international rating agencies.

India Licensing Expo 2017

India Licensing Expo is scheduled to be held on August 20-21 in Mumbai. The expo will be India’s first and most influential brand licensing event that will collate opportunities, knowledge and recognitions under one roof. The expo will be organised by License India and will see the participation of over 100 global and domestic companies.

BBC banned for 5 years

The government has prohibited the BBC from filming in India’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries for “irreparable damage done to India’s reputation”. The ministry’s April 10 order upholds and extends the ban from tiger reserves to all national parks and sanctuaries. The ministry found that the BBC projected a negative portrayal of India’s conservation success story at the Tiger Reserve.

M. Vijayawargiya takes charge of IBBI

Dr. (Ms.) Mukulita Vijayawargiya took charge as Whole Time Member, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India. She will look after Administrative Law Wing and Information Technology, Limited Insolvency Examination, National Insolvency Examination, Finance and Accounts and Communication.

PM launches cashless township model

Prime Minister has launched 81 cashless townships across 12 states in Nagpur. The 81 townships included 56 in Gujarat and 25 in 11 states including Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Chhatisgarh. The model was developed by Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd across these States under the auspices of NITI Aayog.

Corrective action framework for banks

The Reserve Bank of India said capital, asset quality and profitability would be the basis of the Prompt Corrective Action framework. The RBI has classified the risk thresholds into three categories and the PCA depends on the type of risk threshold that was breached. The PCA framework would apply without exception to all banks operating in India.

India-Australia partner for sports

India and Australia started a partnership aimed at increasing cooperation in sports. Under the framework of the new partnership, Victoria University and the University of Canberra will help India to establish a National Sports University similar to that of the Australian Institute of Sport.

Indian Academy of Highway Engineers

A MoU was signed between the Ministry through the Indian Academy of Highway Engineers and University of New South Wales to bring innovations in road transport. It will set up a Centre for Advanced Transportation Technology and Systems. This would be the worlds first transportation centre involving two countries committed to seeing technological innovation for economic development.

Fire breaks out near Mount Abu

In Rajasthan, a fire broke out in the forest area near Mount Abu and the administration tried to control it with the help of a helicopter. South West Air Command- headquarters at Gandhingar has received a call from Rajasthan Government seeking help in dousing a massive forest fire in the hills around Mount Abu. The operation is likely to be augmented by an additional IAF MI-17V5 helicopter

16-04-2017

NASA approves mission to Jupiter

The US space agency NASA has approved a project to build instruments for a future European Space Agency mission to Jupiter and its moons which is scheduled for launch in 2022. The JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is designed to investigate the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants. JUICE is a large-class mission, the first in ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme.

Govt. may allow 100% FDI in cash, ATM

Cash and ATM management companies will soon be allowed to attract 100 per cent foreign direct investment. The government in 2015 permitted 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route for white label ATM operations with an aim to promote financial inclusion. FDI into the country grew 22 per cent to USD 35.85 billion during April-December of 2016-17.

Valtteri Bottas ends Hamilton’s pole run

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas took his first Formula One pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Triple world champion Hamilton qualified alongside, a mere 0.023 – or 17 centimetres – slower than Bottas’s time of one minute 28.769 seconds. Vettel, joint leader of the world championship standings with Hamilton after two races with one win each, will start in third place.

China delivers patrol ship to Pakistan

China has handed over to Pakistan a 600-tonne patrol ship, the third of its kind, to safeguard the country’s maritime interests. This move comes at a time when both nations are pushing forward with the CPEC project. The CPEC project will link the Pakistani city of Gwadar to China’s Xinjiang via a vast network of highways and railways.

Operation Clean Money II in operation

The Income Tax department will investigate over 60,000 individuals under the second phase of the ‘Operation Clean Money’. It was launched with an aim to detect black money generation post-demonetisation. The CBDT has said that it has detected undisclosed income over Rs 9,334 crore between the period of November 9, 2016 till February 28 this year.

Govt to replace 7.7 GW old power units

The government has identified old power projects totalling 7,738 MW capacity owned by the Centre and states for replacement with energy-efficient supercritical plants. This will generate a gross energy of 18,560 MW. According to power ministry estimates, as on 31 March, 2016, the capacity of coal-based thermal plants that are more than 25 years old was about 37,453 MW.

World’s oldest person passes away

Emma Morano, at 117 the world’s oldest person who is also believed to have been the last surviving person born in the 1800s, died on Saturday. Morano was born on November 29, 1899. A woman in Jamaica, Violet Brown, who was born in that Caribbean island on March 10, 1900, is now considered the oldest known person in the world.

Manipur Health minister resigns

Manipur’s Health Minister L Jayantakumar Singh has resigned from his post alleging “interfere” by “many” in his ministry. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh is yet to accept the minister’s resignation. BJP-led coalition government in Manipur has the support of four NPP MLAs including Mr Jayantakumar.

FRBM panel for capital infusion in PSBs

A government-appointed committee to rewrite the fiscal responsibility laws has suggested the Centre to infuse capital in PSBs worth more than Rs 70,000 crore. This amount is much higher than what was committed under the Indradhanush plan over a four-year period ending March-2019. The finance ministry has estimated banks capital needs at Rs 1.80 lakh crore by March 2019.

Apple allowed to test self-driving cars

Apple Inc has secured a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California. The permit allows it to conduct test drives in three vehicles with six drivers. The permit has fuelled the speculation that it is working on self-driving car technology in a crowded arena of companies hoping to offer those cars to the masses.

Snapdeal founder and others summoned

Snapdeal’s CEO Kunal Bahl and 2 others have been summoned by a Delhi court on a criminal complaint of an entrepreneur. The entrpreneur alleged that his was unauthorisedly usurped by the firm and its officials. Snapdeal is accused of stealing Gaurav Dua’s concept of “non-inventory holding marketplace model for retail” in the garb of collaborating with him.

Jet Airways pilots to go on strike

Jet Airways’ pilots union has asked its members not to operate flights with foreign pilots from May 1. National Aviator’s Guild has demanded that the airline removes all foreign pilots. This happened after a recent incident in which foreign pilots allegedly assaulted a designated examiner during a training session in Bengaluru.

N-Korean missile blows up after launch

The US Defence Department has confirmed that North Korea carried out a missile test, and said the launch failed “almost immediately”. The US Pacific Command detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile launch at 2121 GMT on April 15. The failed launch came a day after North Korea showcased nearly 60 missiles to mark the 105th birthday of its founder Kim Il-Sung.

Srikanth vs Praneeth in Singapore

For the first time in the history of badminton, two Indians will clash in a Super Series final. Kidambi Srikanth will take on B Sai Praneeth at the Singapore Open Final. Only three nations – China, Indonesia and Denmark – have so far had two of their shuttlers playing in finals of a Super Series event. The last time they met was at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold with Praneeth winning.

Telangana clears bill for reservations

Telangana cabinet on Saturday cleared the Telangana State Reservation Bill 2017. The cabinet cleared 12% reservation for Muslims and 10% for Scheduled Tribes. The Bill will be introduced in both the Houses of the Legislature today.

IITs earmark quota for girls from 2018

Indian Institutes of Technology have decided to admit more women from the 2018 academic session. The board has approved a quota of supernumerary seats for women in a phased manner, reaching up to 20% by 2026. Around 8.8% women were admitted to IITs in 2014, and the figure went up to 9% in 2015, but in 2016 it came down to 8%.

Turkey to vote to grant powers to Prez

About 55 million Turkish voters will be casting votes to grant sweeping new powers to president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A win in this vote could see him stay in office until 2029. The referendum could bring about the biggest change to the governing system since Turkey was founded. It also takes place under a state of emergency which was imposed following a failed coup last July.

SC collegium clears record 51 names

Supreme Court collegium headed by CJI J S Khehar has recommended 51 names for judges in 10 high courts. With more than 41% posts vacant at the 24 high courts, currently there are only 632 judges as against a sanctioned strength of 1,079. Of the 51 names, Bombay HC got the lion’s share of 14 names. It has a sanctioned strength of 94 judges but a working strength of 61.

UK to fight world’s tropical diseases

Britain is to invest almost half a billion pounds of international aid funding in efforts to tackle some of the world’s worst infectious diseases. The money will help protect more than 200 million people in developing countries like Ethiopia, Sudan, Bangladesh and India. The UK says the most immediate impact of the new funding will be to “wipe out” Guinea Worm altogether.

4 wind power plants inaugurated

Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal has inaugurated four wind power plants built by Nalco. He also announced an expansion plan for the aluminium major to raise its capacity to 1 mpta. Built at a cost of Rs 1350 crore, the plants are located in Rajasthan (two plants), Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram was the chief guest at the occasion.

thanks; testbook.com