Competition Booster April 2015
1.Rs 1,000 minimum pension under EPS to continue
The Cabinet approved the continuation of Rs 1,000 minimum monthly pension for
pensioners under the Employees’ Pension Scheme beyond the financial year 2014-15.
The decision to continue with the pension on perpetual basis was taken at a meeting of
the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Cabinet also approved corresponding grant of continuous annual budgetary
support for implementing the minimum pension, which will be to the tune of Rs 850
crore per year on a tapering basis.
2.Flipkart acquires Appiterate
Online marketplace Flipkart has acquired Delhi-based mobile engagement and
marketing automation company Appiterate.
Appiterate started as an A/B testing product for native mobile apps later on expanded
into a full-fledged mobile marketing automation platform.
Post the acquisition, Appiterate’s mobile marketing automation platform will be
integrated into Flipkart’s mobile app.
3.World Women Chess: Harika wins silver, bronze for Humpy
D Harika and Koneru Humpy came up with fine individual performances to win silver
and a bronze respectively.
Indian eves finished fourth in the women’s world team chess championship.
China was beaten in the final round by Georgia, who finished the event with an
impressive 17 points to clinch the gold medal. Georgia drew just one and won the
remaining eight matches in this round-robin contest.
4.Delhi government gives nod to farmer scheme named after Gajender Singh
The Delhi government today gave approval for the setting up of a farmer compensation
scheme to be named after Gajender Singh, who allegedly committed suicide during an
AAP rally on April 22.
The government has also decided to give job to a member of Gajendra’s family and
martyr status for him, as demanded by the farmer’s kin.
The decisions were taken during a Cabinet meeting today, chaired by Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal.
Singh, a 41-year-old farmer from Rajasthan, allegedly committed suicide by hanging
himself from a tree during an AAP rally against the land ordinance.
5.ISRO successfully tests indigenous cryogenic engine with four-tonne capacity
An indigenous cryogenic engine, that will help India put satellites of upto four tonnes in
geostationary orbit, was tested successfully at ISRO’s propulsion complex at
Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.
The powerful version of the cryogenic engine was successfully ground tested at the
Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).
The test was conducted for 635 seconds and it was successful, Vikram Sarabhai Space
Centre sources in Thiruvananthapuram.
India has till now been dependent on foreign launch vehicles to send heavier satellites
to the required orbits.
6.Cabinet delinks Assam from new border pact
The Union Cabinet approved the long-pending – and controversial – Land Boundary Agreement with
Bangladesh, ahead of bringing the Constitution Amendment Bill associated with it in Parliament next
week. However, in a major departure, it has de-linked Assam from the agreement for now.
7.Minimum pension to continue
The Union Government decided to continue its Rs.1,000 minimum monthly pension scheme in
perpetuity, a move which would benefit over 20 lakh pensioners under the social security scheme run by
the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation. The scheme was initially effective only till March.
Retirement fund body EPFO had suspended the scheme from April 1 in the absence of any direction
from the government to continue with this benefit beyond March 31. The scheme hiking the pension
amount to a flat Rs. 1,000 per month was launched last September.
8.Durgapur airport to get off the ground
With the regulatory authority issuing the aerodrome licence, a spanking new airport at Andal, near
Durgapur, in West Bengal has to start commercial operations.
9.India not to criminalise marital rape
While the U.N. Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women had recommended that
India criminalise marital rape, India’s Law Commission had not recommended this, and the government
had no plan to bring in an amendment. The Union Government said that India will not make marital
rape a crime because of cultural and religious values and society’s belief that marriage is a sacrament.
10.Saudi King names a new heir
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman announced a new heir and made his son second in line to rule, concentrating
power in his inner circle as the kingdom faces enormous regional challenges. King Salman named his 55year-old nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef — the powerful Interior Minister who once led a
crackdown on al-Qaeda — as the new crown prince, replacing Prince Moqren bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud.
11.60pImport duty on sugar hiked
The Union Cabinet decided to hike the import duty on sugar to 40 per cent from the current 25 per cent
to check the slide in domestic prices of the sweetener and enable the industry to clear cane arrears to
the tune of Rs.20,099 crore.
12.Humpy, Harika win individual medals
Dronavalli Harika took the silver medal and Koneru Humpy won the bronze at the World Women’s team
chess championship, which concluded at Chengdu, China.
13.Old harbour lighthouse set to become a landmark
The iconic lighthouse in the Visakhapatnam Harbour that went dark in the 1960s has
got a facelift. The restored structure is set to become a landmark and a tourist site. The
over two-year-old project to restore the building that is eclipsed by the old ore conveyor
belt of the Port and slum clearance buildings has been given a makeover and looks
new.
14.Gender gap becoming a chasm in labour market
South Asia has the world’s most skewed gender wage gap and is among the few
regions where the gender labour force participation gap is both large and growing, a
new report from UN Women has found. The Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016
report comes 20 years after the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in
Beijing. Globally, only half of women participate in the labour force, compared to three
quarters of men; in India only a third of women are in the labour force.
15.9,000 NGOs lose licence
The Union government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 NGOs for violation of
Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). In an order, the Home Ministry said that
notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for the year 2009-10,
2010-11 and 2011-12. Out of the 10,344 NGOs, only 229 replied. There was no reply
from the remaining NGOs leading to cancellation of their registration.
16.U.S., Japan agree on new defence rules
The United States and Japan unveiled new rules for defence cooperation in a historic
move that will give Japanese armed forces a more ambitious global role amid concerns
over China’s rising sway. Under the revised guidelines, Japan could come to the aid of
U.S. forces threatened by a third country or, for example, deploy minesweeper ships to
a mission in the Middle East.
17.China to integrate Mongolian, Russian initiatives with MSR
In tune with its effort to interface India’s Mausam and Spice Route projects with its
Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative, China is making headway in integrating a
Mongolian and a Russian initiative to develop another spur of its ambitious Silk Road
land corridor. China wants to include Mongolia’s “Steppe road” initiative, and link up with
the Moscow-driven transcontinental rail plan to develop the China-Mongolia-Russia
(CMR) economic corridor.
18.Capgemini acquires iGATE for $4 billion
French IT services company Capgemini announced the acquisition of US-based IT
services company iGATE for $4 billion. Through the acquisition Capgemeini, which has
significant presence in the European market, is trying to widen its presence in North
America.
19.Poornima to lead
M.S. Poornima has to lead the Indian team in the first Asian under-23 women’s
volleyball championship to be held at Manila, the Philippines, in May.
20.Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is on a three day state visit to India.
During this visit, he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend delegationlevel talks.
21.The Indian Army has conducted a major exercise, ‘Akraman-II‘, in Rajasthan to test a
new generation of weaponry and platforms employed in the desert region, with
providing ‘real time battle and situational awareness’ to its commanders.The exercise
was conducted by the Bhatinda-based Chetak Corps, a part of South Western
Command.
22.Sangeeta Bhatia, an Indian-origin scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
who has developed artificial human microlivers for drug testing, has won prestigious
Heinz award for her work in tissue engineering and disease detection
23.The Heinz Awards annually recognize individuals for their extraordinary contributions
to arts and humanities; environment; human condition; public policy; and technology,
the economy, and employment.The award includes an unrestricted prize of 250,000
dollars.
24.The BioSure HIV Self Test, first HIV self-testing kit that allows people to get a result
in less than half-an-hour at home has gone on sale in the U.K.his kit claims to have a
99.7 per cent accuracy rate.
How it Works ?
This kit works in a similar way to a pregnancy test, measuring levels of antibodies in a
person’s blood.The test detects antibodies on a small drop of blood, taken from the
finger-tip using a lancet. These antibodies are often only detectable three months after
the HIV infection is caught.
Two purple lines appear if the result is positive.Further blood tests are recommended if
both lines appear.
25.India’s Shamjetsabam Sarjubala (48kg) and Pinki Jangra (51kg) clinched god
medals at the 22nd President’s Cup Open International Boxing Tournament at
Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.
Pinki, a Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist, defeated Mongolia’s Nandintsetseg 21 to notch up the yellow metal.World Championships silver-medallist Sarjubala, on the
other hand, got the better of Russian pugilist Iseva Joya in the final as India ended with
two gold medals at the event.
26. 6.International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has put an end to
the speculation by confirming that India won’t be bidding for 2024 Olympics after
meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.Mr. Bach who is on a one day official visit
to India, said a year after returning from Olympic suspension, Indian Olympic
Association still needs to find its feet.He said its too quick as of now for India to host the
Olympics in 2024.
27.The United Nations Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Peter
Jan Graaff as the Secretary-General’s Acting Special Representative and Head of the
United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER).
28.India swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya, the only man with amputated legs to cross
the English Channel (in 1997) passed away this morning after a heart attack in Topsia,
near Kolkata.
29.Nepal Earthquake :
The Indian Army has named the aid to Nepal ‘Operation Maitri‘ or friendship.
Scaling up ‘Operation Maitri’, India has deployed two dozen military aircraft and
choppers and was also undertaking a “big evacuation” through the road route.
Foreign Secretary : S Jaishankar
Home Secretary : L C Goyal
Chief of National Disaster Management Authority : R K Jain
India Meteorological Department head : L S Rathore
India today launched a national disaster helpline 1078 as it intensified relief and rescue
operations in earthquake-hit Nepal by deploying more aircraft and military helicopters
which have brought back over 5,400 people from the Himalayan nation.
PM Narendra Modi has donated one month’s salary to the Prime Minister’s National
Relief Fund, for assistance to those affected by the recent earthquake.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu’s proposal to contribute 1-month
salary for rehabilitation work in Nepal unanimously accepted by all Lok Sabha MPs.
29.Parliament Passes Payments and Settlement Bill
Parliament today passed a bill that seeks to address the problem of insolvency in the
payment and settlement system by increasing transparency and stability and bring
India’s banking payment system in sync with international practices.
“The Payments and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014″ was passed today by
Rajya Sabha by voice vote, with members cutting across party lines extending their
support to the bill. The bill was earlier passed by Lok Sabha.
30..Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015
The Best ATM and Kiosks Project: Cathay United Bank & NCR System, Taiwan
The Best Branch Automation Project: Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong), Avaya
Hong Kong and GRG Banking Solutions
The Best Cloud Based Project: Philippine Business Bank and IBM
The Best Core Banking Implementation Project for Mid-Sized Bank: ING Vysya and FIS
The Best Core Banking Implementation Project for Emerging Bank: Kanbawza (KBZ)
Bank and Oracle Financial Services Software Limited
The Best Corporate Payment Project: Axis Bank and Arteria Technologies
The Best CRM Project: IndusInd Bank and Talisma Corporation
The Technology Leadership Achievement Award for the Year: Amit Sethi, Chief
Information Officer, Axis Bank
The Asian Banker Vendor Satisfaction Survey Gold Award: Infosys
31.YES Bank opens first overseas office in Abu Dhabi
YES Bank, India’s fifth largest private sector bank, on Monday announced its
international foray by opening its first overseas representative office in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The bank has opened its door to NRI population residing in the UAE with this new
representative office. “It will provide services for unique investment needs of the Indian
diaspora in the Gulf city through its flagship Global Indian Banking programme,” YES
Bank said in a statement.
32.Ex-Gorkha soldiers back in action
As many as 1.25 lakh ex-servicemen from the Gorkha regiments of the Army, who are
back in Nepal, have now been roped in for rescue operations. Army Chief General
Dalbir Singh, from the Gurkha Rifles regiment, is the Honorary Chief of the Nepalese
Army.
33. BCCI to nominate Rohit Sharma for Arjuna award
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has nominated Rohit Sharma for the
Arjuna award for 2015. Rohit has had an excellent last year for India in international
cricket.
Since January 1, 2014, he has averaged 55.05 from 21 innings with 3 centuries and 5
fifties, with the epic 264 his highest score.
The decision to nominate Rohit was taken in the BCCI working committee meeting in
Kolkata.
34.Marathi novelist Bhalchandra Nemade bags 50th Jnanpith Award
Modi awarded the 50th Jnanpith Award to eminent Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra
Nemade whose several books, including Kosala and Hindu, have influenced Indian
writing.
He was presented award comprising of 11 lakh rupees and a citation plaque and a
bronze replica of Saraswati by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Nemade’s contribution rests in initiating Deshivad, a theory of nativism that negated
globalisation, asserting the value of a writer’s native heritage, and language.
Seventy-six-year-old Nemade hails from Jalgaon.
35.Capgemini acquires iGATE for $4 billion
Capgemini and iGATE have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which
Capgemini will acquire iGATE for a cash consideration of $48 per share.
the transaction will amount to $4 billion and is expected to be immediately accretive
to Capgemini’s normalized Earnings Per Share (EPS)1.
36.Bank of Baroda ties up with UAE Exchange for instant money transfer
Bank of Baroda, a leading Indian public sector bank, has tied up with UAE Exchange
to offer an instant cash transfer facility to NRI customers.
UAE Exchange, a global remittance and foreign exchange company, serves over 7.9
million customers worldwide and currently has over 750 branches across 32 countries.
37.Another strong tremor hits Nepal
A powerful tremor measuring 6.7 magnitude struck Nepal again, according to US
Geological Survey (USGS).
The government has already declared emergency in affected areas and announced a
relief package of Rs.500 million.
Tremors were also felt in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand.
38.FIU detects over Rs. 7,800 cr black money
Government detected a whopping over Rs 7,800 crore of illegal monies within the
country and abroad during 2013-14 as the elite Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)
found all-time high cases of suspicious transactions in the country’s economic
channels.
The agency also received a total of 87,79,082 Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs),
3,01,804 Counterfeit Currency Reports (CCRs) and 80,616 Non-Profit Organisation
Transaction Reports (NTRs).
CTR is fund movement of the value of more than Rs. 10 lakh in one tranche or a
series of transactions internally connected to each other in either Indian currency or
foreign in the country’s banking or any other channel.
A CCR pertains to an instance of usage of fake currency in any bank by an entity
while NTRs pertain to filing of dossiers by Non-Governmental and non-profit
organisations with regard to their economic operations.
39.CJI refuses participation to choose NJAC
Chief Justice of India H L Dattu has refused to participate in a three-member panel for
selecting two eminent persons in the six-member National Judicial Appointments
Commission (NJAC).
The five-judge constitution bench, headed by Justice J S Khehar, which is hearing the
issue of constitutional validity of the new law on appointment of judges to higher
judiciary, was told by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that Dattu has written to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he would not participate in the meeting of the
panel till the matter is decided by the apex court.
The three-member panel comprises Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister and the
Leader of Opposition, who are authorised to select and appoint two eminent persons
in the six-member NJAC for appointment of judges to higher judiciary.
40.All MAT tax claims under DTAA to be settled in a month
Central Board of Direct Taxes will settle all minimum alternate tax (MAT) matters of
FIIs coming under the ambit of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements within a
month of filing of claims.
The move is aimed at quickly resolving the controversial tax issue facing foreign
portfolio investors. The Income Tax Department has sent notices in 68 cases to FIIs
for payment of dues totalling Rs 602.83 crore towards Minimum Alternate Tax
(MAT).
Central Board of Direct Taxes said several FIIs, which have received income from
transactions in securities, claim such income as exempt from tax under the DTAAs
signed between India and their countries of residence.
41.Bharatiya Mahila Bank Wins The Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) has won The Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015.
The award was presented to the BMB in the Technology Implementation category of
Best Outsourcing Project (New Bank).
Usha Ananthasubramanian, Chairman and Managing Director of BMB received the
award at a function held in Hongkong as a part of The Asian Banker Summit 2015.
BMB is India’s first all-women public sector bank and was formally launched on
November 19, 2013. It’s objective is to focus on the banking needs of the women and
promote economic empowerment.
42. DIPP notifies 49 per cent FDI in pension sector
The government has raised the limit of foreign direct investment in pension sector to
49 per cent in line with the FDI cap in the insurance sector. In pursuance of the
enactment of Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority Act, iv. 2013,
government has decided to permit FDI in the pension sector.
The FDI cap in the sector has been hiked to 49 per cent and that includes foreign
investment in the forms of FPI, FII, QFI, FVCI, NRI and DR. All investments in the
pension sector, however, will have to abide by the pension sector regulator PFRDA.
43.Ratan Tata picks up stake in Xiaomi
Iconic business leader Ratan Tata has acquired a stake in Chinese handset maker
Xiaomi, the first investment by any Indian in the smartphone maker.
Mr. Tata, who retired as head of over $100 billion conglomerate in December 2012
and currently serves as chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, has emerged as a major
venture capital investor since his retirement.
He has already made personal investments in homegrown e-commerce players like
Snapdeal, Urban Ladder, Bluestone and Cardekho.com.
In December last year, Xiaomi raised $1.1 billion, valuing the firm at $45 billion.
Often touted as the ‘Apple of China’, the company has grown to become a major
competition to global giants like Samsung and Apple.
44. Government today launched Call to Action for TB free India, a campaign to make
the countryTuberculosis (TB) free in the next five years
Launched by : Health Minister J P Nadda
Note : The government is going to launch a toll-free helpline, whereby even a missed
call would suffice to connect them with the health programme against the disease.
45.Unmarried central government employees can now avail benefits of LTC for visiting
any part of the country, as per a relaxation in the rule.Earlier it was restricted to them
use the facility for going to their hometown only.
A fresh order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said that the facility
of conversion of home town LTC to allow travel to different parts of the country, under
the special dispensation scheme.
LTC : Leave Travel Concession
46.Jammu & Kashmir government slaps Public Safety Act against separatist
leader Masarat Alam Bhat and shifts him to Kot Bhalwal jail.The Public Safety Act
(PSA) allows detention of a person for a minimum of six months without trial.
47.The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has received an ISO 9001:2008
certification from the British Standards Institute in respect of various permissions and
licenses issued by it for the broadcasting and print media and films.
These include permissions or licences for satellite TV channels, teleports, multi-system
operators, community radio stations, DTH services, publication of Indian editions of
technical and scientific and foreign magazines of news and current affairs and facsimile
editions of foreign newspapers and permission for foreign film producers.
I&B Secretary : Bimal Julka
48.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a three-day global exhibition on
services at New Delhi to showcase India’s strength in the sector and provide platform
to the industry to explore business opportunities.Over 40 countries will participate in the
exhibition.
The services sector includes IT, ITeS, telecommunication, healthcare, education,
logistics, media and entertainment, R&D and space.
Note : Share of India’s services sector in the global services trade is only 3 percent as
compared to 4.6 percent of China.
49.23rd April: is World Book and Copyright Day.
This day is organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)
This day is an opportunity to recognize the power of books to change our lives for the
better and to support books and those who produce them.
Note : Incheon chosen as ‘World Book Capital 2015′ by UN for promoting reading in
underprivileged sections.
50.Shah Rukh Khan honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Film
Foundation Award 2015 for his performance in the movie Happy New Year. The award
ceremony was held in Mumbai.
Actor Rajkummar Rao won the prestigious award for his performance in the critically
acclaimed film Citylights, which was released in 2014.
Actress Huma Qureshi bagged an award for her memorable performance in the movie
Dedh Ishiqya.
iii. Bollywood actors Shreyas Talpade, Tiger Shroff, actress Jaya Prada, singer Udit
Narayan and Pankaj Udhas were also felicitated with the award.
51.JBM Group enters solar power sector
Auto component-maker JBM Group announced its entry into the solar energy sector
with plans to invest Rs 1,600 crore in the next three years.
The group plans to invest Rs 1,600 crore over three years and have a combined
capacity of 300 MW under the newly formed entity – JBM Solar (P) Ltd, the company
said in a statement.
JBM Solar plans to be an independent power producer (IPP) with focus on both, ground
mounted and solar rooftop projects.
52.Union Cabinet approves lowering of age of Juveniles from 18 to 16 years for
heinous crimes
Union Cabinet has approved lowering of age of juveniles from eighteen to sixteen years
for heinous crimes. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The cabinet also approved to introduce Amendment to the Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Bill, 2014. This amendment will propose and add special
provisions to tackle heinous offences like murder and rape committed by juveniles in the
age group of 16-18 years.
The proposed bill will amend the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. The parent Act clearly
defines and classifies offences as serious, petty and heinous and defines differentiated
processes for each classified category.
While the amendments in the bill adds provisions that in case a heinous crime
committed by a person between 16 and 18 years, will be examined by the Juvenile
Justice Board (JJB) to assess if the crime was committed as a child or as an adult.
53.World Bank established Pollution Management and Environmental Health
program
World Bank established Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PHEM)
program. The program was officially launched on Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day in
Washington, D.C.
The 45 million US Dollar PMEH program will initially run from 2015 to 2020 and focus
primarily on air quality management in countries facing rapid urbanization and strong
needs for pollution abatement measures, but also tackle water and land pollution.
In particular, the program will focus on air quality management in five major urban areas
in India, China, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.
54.Djokovic wins Monte Carlo Masters
The top-ranked Serb won the first big clay-court tournament of the season with a 7—5,
4—6, 6—3 win over Tomas Berdych in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Djokovic broke again for a 4—0 lead, but the eight-time Grand Slam champion failed to
hold his serve in the next game.
Djokovic, became the first player in tennis history to win the first three Masters
tournament of the year after completing the Indian Wells-Miami sweep this spring.
55.Bihar thunderstorm kills 42
At least 42 people were killed, more than 100 injured and crops damaged when a
thunderstorm hit the north-eastern border districts of Bihar. It was a strong storm with a
wind speed of more than 150 kmph. Purnia is the worst-affected district, with the most
people killed.
56.India ranks second in cyber attacks through social media
According to a report from Symantec, a security solutions provider, India ranked second
among nations that were most targeted for cyber crimes through the social media in
2014, after the US.
57.One of NASA’s crowning glories, the Hubble Space Telescope, marks its 25th
anniversarythis week.
With 1 million-plus observations, including those of some of the farthest and oldest
galaxies ever beheld by humanity, no man-made satellite has touched as many minds
or hearts as Hubble.
Important Note : Hubble rocketed into orbit on April 24, 1990.
58.NASA engineers have developed the first full-scale, 3-D printed copper rocket
engine part – a combustion chamber liner that operates at extreme temperatures and
pressures.
59.Indian-American Vivek Murthy Takes Oath As US Surgeon General
Indian-American Vivek Murthy was today administered the oath for the top post of US
Surgeon General by Vice President Joe Biden at a ceremonial ceremony here,
becoming the youngest-ever in charge of the country’s public health.37-year-old Vivek
Hallegere Murthy is now the highest ranking Indian-American in the Obama
Administration.
Attended by eminent Indian-Americans, who flew in the military bastion from across the
country to attend the Commissioning and Change of Command Ceremony, Murthy took
the oath on the holy Gita.
As the US Surgeon General, Murthy carries the rank of Vice Admiral.
The Health Secretary Sylvia Burwell also participated in the event.
60.Rural Internet Users to Surge to 28 Crore by 2018: Report
The share of rural internet users will increase nearly fivefold to touch 28 crore by 2018,
signalling higher online purchasers going forward from rural India, says a research
report.
By 2018, the country will have “as many as 55 crore internet users, of which 28 crore
would be from smaller towns and cities, expanding at close to 40 per cent a year from
six crore in 2014,” forecasts a report on digital consumption by Boston Consulting
Group (BCG).The report said that the shift will open up significant growth opportunities
for marketers and service providers keeping in mind the dynamics of rural markets in
India.
Around 70 per cent of rural users access the internet from their mobile handsets, the
report said.
Three factors including expanding reach, affordable access and improved awareness
will be the primary driver of online growth, the report pointed out.By 2018, women will
account for a third of all internet users from 25 per cent in 2013.
61.Zomato extends the service, ties up with Uber to arrange the cab as well
Now driving down to a restaurant becomes all the more easy for Zomato users.Global
restaurant search and discovery app Zomato has partnered with the San Francisco-
based hail-a-taxi app, Uber, to bring in more users onto their respective platforms
across the globe.
In a statement here today Zomato said the partnership has been rolled out to Zomato
users in 27 cities across 13 countries — India, Australia, Canada, the UK, South Africa,
Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, and the US.
62.RBI Revises Priority Sector Norms, Includes More Categories
The Reserve Bank today revised priority sector lending norms, asking banks to give 8
per cent of the total credit to small and marginal farmers.
It also widened the definition of priority sector by including medium enterprises, social
infrastructure and renewable energy while retaining the lending target to the sector at 40
per cent.
Changes have however been made in certain sub-categories by fixing lending targets.
Also, the distinction between direct and indirect agriculture has been dispensed with
and loans to food and agro processing units will form part of agriculture.
Eight per cent of total bank credit prescribed for small and marginal farmers within the
agriculture segment has to be achieved in a phased manner — 7 per cent by March
2016 and 8 per cent by March 2017, RBI said.
Overall target for agriculture has been kept unchanged at 18 per cent.
For micro enterprises, 7 per cent lending by March 2016 and 7.5 per cent by March
2017 has been prescribed.
However, there will be no change in the 10 per cent loan target for weaker sections.
Existing categories in priority sector include agriculture, micro and small enterprises,
export credit, education and housing loan.
RBI said foreign banks with less than 20 branches will have to move to total priority
sector target of 40 per cent, on par with other banks by 2019-20.
RBI said overdrafts extended by banks for up to Rs 5,000 in case of PMJDY accounts
would be considered as priority sector lending (PSL).
It would however qualify only if borrowers’ household annual income does not exceed
Rs 1 lakh for rural areas and Rs 1.60 lakh for non-rural areas.
RBI further said that bank loans of up to Rs 10 lakh extended to individuals for
educational purposes, including vocational courses, will be eligible for PSL.
Limits for housing loans and MFI loans qualifying under PSL have also been revised.
63.Google India tops Randstad survey for ‘Most Attractive Employer’
Google India has bagged the Randstad Award 2015 for Most Attractive Employer in
India, while Sony India has been adjudged the runner-up.
The sector-specific special recognition awards this year were awarded to Tata Steel
(manufacturing), P&G (FMCG), and Honda India (Automobile). The 5th edition of the
Randstad Awards event will be held in Delhi later today.
In line with the Randstad Award philosophy, Microsoft India has been inducted into the
Hall of Fame category this year for winning the coveted Randstad Award title for four
consecutive years.
The Randstad Award is hosted each year to encourage best practices for talent
attraction and to identify the best ‘Employer Brand’ in the country based on the
perceived attractiveness of a company. Globally, this research covered 23 countries,
capturing the views of over 225,000 respondents (8,500 in India).
64.UST Global, an information technology solutions and services company, has signed
a $30 million deal with the Madhya Pradesh government to digitise its urban local
bodies. Under the seven-year deal, the company will digitise the State’s 377 urban local
bodies.
65.IOC President Thomas Bach named ambassador of HeForShe by UN Women
Thomas Bach, the president of International Olympic Committee (IOC), was on 22 April
2015 named as ambassador of HeForShe campaign by UN Women.
HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for gender equality established by United Nations
(UN) Women
The campaign was launched by the UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador Emma
Watson in September 2014. HeForShe encourages men and boys to join in on the fight
for women’s rights and gender equality all over the glove. Their goal is to enlist one
billion men and boys to become advocates for women’s rights worldwide.
Hundres of thousands of men have voiced their commitment to gender equality, since
the campaign’s launch, and gave their full support for the program.
66. 1.Cabinet clears amendment in Juvenile Justice Act.This amendment lowers the
age of Juveniles from 18 to 16 years for heinous crimes.
The proposal will empower Juvenile Justice Board to decide on whether a juvenile
above 16 years involved in heinous crimes such as rape is to be sent to a observation
home or tried in a regular court.
However, according to the bill, in no case the juvenile involved in a heinous crime will be
sentenced to death or life imprisonment either when tried under the provisions of JJ Act
or under the provisions of IPC.The proposed amendments also included facilitating
faster adoption of children and setting up foster care homes.
67.International news channel Al Jazeera was today forced to go off air in India for
five days as the government penalized it for repeatedly showing wrong maps of India.
68.The Indian Railways launched “utsonmobile”, a mobile application for paperless
unreserved tickets.Developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS),
‘utsonmobile’ — the paperless unreserved ticketing feature in mobile application aims to
eliminate the need for printing of unreserved tickets.
69.Two Indians, Rahul Pandita and Zeena Johar are among 16 scholars selected for
the 2015 Yale World Fellows in the US for their exemplary mid-career work.Rahul is an
Indian conflict reporter and Zeena is an health care founder.
Note : The global Yale World Fellows network now includes 17 Indian Fellows, more
than any other country since the programme was established in 2002.
70.Ministry of External Affairs, India Sushma Swaraj is on 5-day visit to Jakarta.In
this visit, she will attend the 60th anniversary of Bandung Conference.
She will also attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the New Asian-African
Strategic Partnership.
Bandung Conference :
The Bandung Conference was the first global meeting of African and Asian states to
promote cooperation along economic and cultural lines, and opposition to colonial and
neocolonial politics.
The conference was hosted in Bandung, Indonesia by President Sukarno, in April
1955, and included delegates from 25 countries representing more than one-half of the
world’s population.
Bandung spawned the Non-Aligned Movement, a vibrant coalition of countries that
created a non-western set of alliances and politics, in opposition to the cold war politics
of the U.S. and Soviet Union.
71.Make My Trip has made another move to expand its travel services, with the
acquisition of a travel startup named Mygola today.
72.Yadav, Bhushan Expelled From AAP
Rebel leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav were expelled from Aam Aadmi
Party.
Senior leaders Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha were also expelled by the national disciplinary
action committee of AAP which found all 4 guilty of anti-party activities.
73.RBI allows Prepaid Instruments As Alternative to TFA
RBI Deputy Governor H. R. Khan has indicated greater need for collaboration between
banks and commerce firms and prepaid instruments to avoid two factor authentication
process for smaller payments
74.India Shifts Embassy From Sana’a to Dijbouti
India has shifted its embassy to Djibouti after a conclusion of the process to evacuate
Indian nations from Yemen’s capital Sana’a
75.Chardham Yatra Begins
The Chardham yatra has commenced from Tuesday, 21st April 2015 with the opening
of Himalayan shrines Gangotri and Yamunotri after a 6-month winter break.
76.Adani Power Ltd Completes Acquisition of Lanco Infratech Power Plant
Adani Power Ltd has completed the acquisition of Lanco Infratech’s Udupi Power Plant
for INR 6300 crore
This is one of the largest takeovers in the thermal sector of India
77.Three new havens for tigers
In a move that comes soon after the tiger census in January showed an overall rise in
numbers of the big cat, the Centre is set to form three new tiger reserves. In-principle
approval has been accorded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for
creation of reserves in Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh, Sunabeda in Odisha and Guru
Ghasidas in Chhattisgarh.
78. Green tribunal’s thumbs up for waste-to-energy projects
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has permitted the States , including Karnataka, to
use incinerator technology for producing Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), commonly known
as waste-to-energy. However, the Tribunal said no waste could be directly put into the
incinerators or for power generation, except the specifically permitted. Only those
wastes that are found unrecyclable after segregation should be put into the incinerators.
Also, the tribunal emphasised that it was not putting any absolute restriction on RDF
being used as power generation fuel, but first effort should be made for composting of
wet waste. The States are free to use RDF for generating fuel with due care and caution
by framing necessary guidelines. Meanwhile, the Central Pollution Control Board and
the Ministry of Environment and Forests were directed to prescribe specific guidelines
for emissions from incinerators.
79.Historian Christopher Bayly dead
Christopher Alan Bayly, an eminent historian and teacher, whose work on colonial and
post-colonial India has made a lasting imprint on the way India’s past has been
understood, died in Chicago of a heart attack. Much of Professor Bayly’s work was on
18th and 19th century India and on the transformation that colonialism wrought on premodern societies and structures. His early books — like The Local Roots of Indian
Politics: Allahabad 1880-1920 (1975); and Indian Society and the Making of the British
Empire (1988) — soon became essential reading for history syllabi in undergraduate
and post-graduate courses.
80.Morsy sentenced to jail for 20 years
An Egyptian court sentenced ousted President Mohamed Morsy to 20 years in prison
for abuses against protesters but acquitted the Islamist leader of charges carrying a
possible death penalty. Morsy was convicted of ordering the arrest and torture of
demonstrators involved in clashes in 2012 when he was President.
81Chennai to host Global Mobile App Summit
The first edition of Global Mobile App Summit & Awards (GMASA) to be held at Chennai
in May 2015. Coinciding with the summit, GMASA will also hold the ‘Make-in-India
Student App Fest’ to enable students showcase their talents so that they can get
connected with the angel investors, private equity funds and venture capitalists
82.Desisa wins Boston Marathon
Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa claimed the Boston Marathon title winning his second crown in
three years on the eve of the sentencing hearing for convicted marathon bomber
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. She won the 26-mile (42-kilometre) race in a time of two hours,
nine minutes and 17 seconds.
83.SEBI Bars Reena Bansal From Markets For One More Year
Sebi today said Reena Bansal, wife of a former sub-broker with ICICI Securities, will
continued to be barred from the capital market for one more year for her involvement in
defrauding investors through illicit dealings in shares of many blue-chip companies.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), through an interim order in April
2011, had banned Reena, wife of the late Rajeev Bansal, from the securities market till
further orders.
Now, Bansal will be barred from the securities for one more year as she has already
undergone the debarment for four years.
A preliminary probe by Sebi had found that Bansal had acted as an unregistered subbroker and dealt in shares of various firms such as the State Bank of India, Reliance
Power, Unitech, Ranbaxy, Tata Steel, United Breweries and Infosys Technologies for
her clients.
84.Union Finance Ministry retained interest rate for GPF at 8.7 percent for 2015-16
Union Finance Ministry retained the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF)
and other related schemes at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The notification was issued by
the Finance Ministry on 21 April 2015.
The 8.7 per cent interest will apply on Provident Funds of central government
employees, railways and defence forces. The rate of interest will be effective from 1
April 2015.
The interest rate for GPF is in line with the interest rate fixed for Public Provident Fund
(PPF) at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The Government had raised the interest rates for
other small saving schemes.
The interest rate for senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 per cent to 9.3
per cent and the interest rate for Sukanya Samriddhi Account, the special deposit
scheme for girl child has been hiked from 9.1 per cent to 9.2 per cent.The interest
earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been retained at 8.7 per cent.
85.Govt Allocates Rs 775 Crore to Combat Cyber Security Threats
Government has initiated action to create a national level mechanism to counter cyber
security threats with a financial outlay of Rs 775 crore to be spent over a period of five
years, Parliament was informed today.
“The government has initiated action to create a national level mechanism to generate
necessary situational scenario of existing and potential cyber security threats and
enable timely information sharing for proactive and protective actions by individual
entities,” Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad
said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
For this purpose, a financial outlay of Rs 775 crore over a period of five years has been
projected, he added.
The Minister said the budget allocation for cyber security programme has steadily
increased from Rs 36.06 crore during 2012-13 to Rs 85 crore during 2015-16.
This includes funds for measures and initiatives for tackling cyber crimes effectively, he
added.
86.Indian Passport Ranked 48 Out Of 50 Most Powerful: Survey
The Indian passport has been ranked 48th in a list of 50 most powerful travel document
in the world, according to a global survey topped by Sweden.
Germany-based Go Euro travel comparison website ranked the top 50 countries of the
world based on their passport’s eligibility for visa-free entry, cost of application as well
as number of hours worked to acquire the document.
India, which came towards the bottom of the ranking, offered visa-free entry to 52
countries and cost USD 24 and 87 hours of working time.
Sweden topped the chart with 174 visa-free countries, costing USD 43 and just one
hour of working time.
Finland, Germany, the UK and US completed the top 5 with 174 visa-free countries all
round.
87.Blanket knitted to pay tribute to Mandela sets Guinness record
A 3,133 square metres blanket, knitted together by people of six countries including
India to pay tributes to the legacy of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson
Mandela, today set a new Guinness World record.
Scores of volunteers worked through the night to join the hundreds of blankets knitted
into a single one, covering the sprawling lawns of the Union Buildings, seat of the South
African government.
The project was started by Carolyn Steyn last year to knit 67 blankets for Nelson
Mandela Day, on which South Africans engage in some form of community service to
commemorate the 67 years of his life before being freed from prison to become the
country’s first democratically-elected President.
88.Eminent historian Professor Christopher Alan Bayly died on 20 April 2015 in
Chicago due to heart attack. His death was announced by the Centre for South Asian
Studies at the University of Cambridge. He was 70.
89.Cricket South Africa launched Africa T20 Cup
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on 21 April 2015 announced a new tournament to be known
as the Africa T20 Cup. The tournament was planned to promote the game and nurture
young talent in the continent.
The tournament featuring Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, hosts South Africa and 12 CSA
affiliates will run from 4 September to 4 October 2015.
The tournament will be a World Cup-style competition, consisting of four pools of four
teams each with the winners of each pool advancing to the semi-finals and eventually to
the final.
Besides, the CSA also announced the appointment of former Proteas paceman
Makhaya Ntini as the Africa T20 Cup Ambassador.
90.Indian-Origin Engineer Shares Pulitzer Prize in the US
An Indian-origin software engineer in the US has shared this year’s Pulitzer Prize for
graphics team of investigative journalism, in growing recognition of the importance of
using IT tools in reporting.
Palani Kumanan, who is a software architect with Dow Jones that publishes the Wall
Street Journal, was a part of the winning project’s graphics team.
The Journal won the top journalism award announced on Monday for its mammoth
investigative project, “Medicare Unmasked.”
He shared the prize along with members of the Journal’s graphics team Martin Burch,
Chris Canipe, Madeline Farbman, Jon Keegan and Stuart Thompson.
91.Delhi Author Rana Dasgupta Shortlisted for Orwell Prize
Author Rana Dasgupta’s literary potrait of Delhi Capital is among six books shortlisted
for the George Orwell Prize for political writing 2015.
The book is the third work of fiction by Dasgupta who had previously won the 2010
Commonwealth prize for his work Solo.
92.Volvo names Scania chief Martin Lundstedt as new CEO
Sweden’s Volvo named the head of Volkswagen-owned Scania as its chief executive on
Wednesday, replacing embattled Olof Persson who for nearly four years led a sweeping
efficiency drive at the global truck maker.
The group, vying for global dominance with Germany’s Daimler and VW’s truck brands,
also released better than expected quarterly earnings two days ahead of schedule and
said it would seek an external partner for parts of its IT business.
93.IT Department awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public
Administration
The Income Tax (IT) Department on 21 April 2015 was awarded the Prime Minister’s
Award for Excellence in Public Administration for easy tax compliance through quality
service. The award was presented at a function at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi by the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on occasion of Civil Services Day.
The Prime Minister Award for excellence in public administration to the Income Tax
Department demonstrates the commitment of the Department towards achieving
Minimum Government and Maximum Governance in tax administration.
94. Indira, Rajiv names dropped from two Hindi awards
The BJP-led NDA government has dropped the names of former Prime Ministers Indira
Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi from two awards for propagating Hindi.
The ‘Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Puraskar’ and ‘Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Gyan-Vigyan
Maulik Pustak Lekhan Puraskar’, launched more than two decades ago, have given way
for ‘Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar’ and ‘Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar’.
The two awards have been discontinued by the Union Home Ministry, which instead
launched two new schemes for doing outstanding work for promoting the progressive
use of official language.
95.H.L.Dattu to head NJAC
The six-member NJAC headed by the Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu will be
constituted by the center.
ii. National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) is a body responsible for the
appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary in India.
The Commission is established by amending the Constitution of India through the
ninety-ninth constitution amendment vide the Constitution (Ninety-Ninth Amendment)
Act, 2014 passed by the Lok Sabha on 13 August 2014 and by the Rajya Sabha on 14
August 2014.
96.Sesa Sterlite renamed as Vedanta Ltd
Metals and mining conglomerate Sesa Sterlite has changed its name to Vedanta Ltd to
better align with its international identity — Vedanta Resources.
Sesa Sterlite is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, UK.
The company produces and processes oil and gas, zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron ore,
aluminium and commercial power and is present in India, South Africa, Namibia,
Ireland, Australia, Liberia and Sri Lanka.
Cairn India, Hindustan Zinc Ltd and BALCO are the subsidiaries of the company.
97. International Mother Earth Day observed
International Mother Earth Day was observed globally on 22 April 2015 with the theme
It’s our turn to lead.
The theme highlights the need for change and seeks to inform the communities and
leadership that action needs to be taken on climate by promoting a goal of
environmental awareness through developing sustainable initiatives and galvanizing
every human to pledge Acts of Green.
This is the 45th anniversary of the Earth’s Day, the year when the world leaders will
pass a binding climate change treaty in Paris in December 2015.
The treaty will be adopted to make sure the future of Earth, our planet and the survival
of life on it.
98. Kudermukh and Rajaji National Parks Declared as Tiger Reserves: Centre
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has accorded final approval to two
national parks i.e. Kudermukh National Park in Karnataka and Rajaji National Park in
Uttarkhand for being declared as tiger reserves.
In accordance to this approval, Rajaji National Park is declared as India’s 48th Tiger
Reserve. With this notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve after the Corbett
Tiger Reserve.
The notification was announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while
releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
The Rajaji National Park that came into existence in 1983 is spread across three
districts of Uttarakhand namely Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal in an area over
820 square km.
99.NASA 3D prints first copper rocket engine part
NASA engineers have developed the first full-scale, 3D printed copper rocket engine
part – a combustion chamber liner that operates at extreme temperatures and
pressures.
Numerous complex parts made of many different materials are assembled to make
engines that provide the thrust that powers rockets.
100. Railway Launches App for Paperless Unreserved Tickets
Moving ahead in line with digital India, railways today launched mobile application for
paperless unreserved tickets.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu introduced from here the mobile app for paperless
unreserved ticketing for commuters in Egmore and Tambram suburban sections in
Chennai under Southern Railway zone.
Developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) “utsonmobile” – the
paperless unreserved ticketing feature in mobile application aims to eliminate the need
for printing of unreserved tickets.
Payment for the ticket is done through the “railway wallet” feature in the App. After
booking the ticket, the passenger will get ticket confirmation screen, which will contain
limited information about the ticket, they said.
On a pilot basis, the paperless ticketing system in unreserved segment will cover 15
stations in the suburban section of Southern Railway, officials said.
Railways plan to extend the paperless service in suburban section in all metros.
101.Reinsurance Group of America appointed former LIC Head Thomas Mathew
as MD & CEO for India
Even as the regulator IRDA is busy finalising norms to allow global reinsurers to enter
the country, international firms are putting in place their top teams, with the US-based
RGA taking the lead by appointing former acting chairman of LIC, Thomas Mathew, as
its India head.
Mathew joined RGA (Reinsurance Group of America) India as Managing Director and
Chief Executive on March 30.
At present, Mathew is the non-executive chairman of the privately-promoted commodity
bourse MCX-SX, and continues to hold the post.
102. Justice Khehar to Head the Constitution Bench
Setting at rest issues, the Supreme Court cleared the decks were for commencing the
hearing on the validity of the new law on appointment of judges with a Constitution
Bench rejecting demands for recusal of judges.
“Justice J S Khehar will not recuse himself from hearing,” Justice J Chelameswar said
on behalf of the five-judge bench which overruled the objection on Justice Khehar
heading the bench.
Justice Chelameswar said the reasons for the non-recusal of Justice Khehar will be
delivered later.
103.Hubble Space Telescope marking 25th anniversary in orbit
One of NASA’s crowning glories, the Hubble Space Telescope, marks its 25th
anniversary this week.
With 1 million-plus observations, including those of some of the farthest and oldest
galaxies ever beheld by humanity, no man-made satellite has touched as many minds
or hearts as Hubble.
NASA is celebrating Friday’s anniversary with ceremonies this week at the Smithsonian
Institution and the Newseum in Washington.
A full decade in the making, Hubble rocketed into orbit on April 24, 1990, aboard space
shuttle Discovery.
104.India Now Tops List of Countries With the Most Yale Fellows
Two Indians are among 16 scholars selected for the 2015 Yale World Fellows in the US
for their exemplary mid-career work.
An Indian conflict reporter, Rahul Pandita and a healthcare founder, Zeena Johar were
selected by the prestigious Ivy League university.
They were chosen from a pool of about 4,000 applicants for the New Haven,
Connecticut-based university’s signature global leadership development initiative.
With the addition of Pandita and Johar, the global Yale World Fellows network now
includes 17 Indian Fellows, more than any other country since the programme was
established in 2002.
Pandita is mostly known for his reportage on Maoist insurgency in central and eastern
India, and on the turmoil in Kashmir.
105. 1.The Urban Development Ministry has issued Standard Operating
Procedures (SOP) to ensure cleanliness during and after public meetings and
gatherings.Under the SOP, organizers have been made accountable for ensuring
cleanliness.The Ministry has taken a serious note of spoiling of public places through
littering of water bottles, left- over food items, packaging material and wrappers during
public gatherings and meetings.
106.With an aim of monitoring implementation of various ongoing projects including Rail
Budget proposals, The Indian Rrailways today launched E-Samiksha, an online
monitoring mechanism.Designed by NIC, the software is currently being used by
Cabinet Secretariat, PMO and other Ministries for monitoring progress implementation
of various programmes and follow-up of meetings.
Highlights about E-Samiksha :
It was designed by National Informatics Centre (NIC).
It has been developed to make it a highly interactive web-based, user-friendly and
customised system.
It will be used to monitor budget-related projects and also for monitoring the
infrastructure target and board meeting follow-up.
It will be used by Cabinet Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office and other Ministries for
monitoring progress implementation of various programmes and follow-up of meetings.
NIC – National Informatics Centre , Railway Minister : Suresh Prabhu
107.Following a flood of complaints about the anomalies in the Mumbai Development
Plan, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, today, scrapped the future town planning
document.This document was prepared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC).The decision came after the Chief Minister had appointed a committee headed
by the State Chief Secretary to review the plan and submit a preliminary report in three
days.
108.The Tamil Nadu government has cancelled the plots allotted to Coca-Cola’s
beverages manufacturing facility in the State Industries Promotion Corporation of
Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) Industrial Growth Centre in Perundurai.
Note : The allotment was triggered a spate of protests from residents of Perundurai and
Chennimalai towns and farmers in the area, who feared groundwater depletion and
discharge into the water courses.
109.ICICI Bank in collaboration with Tech Mahindra launched a payment service called
‘Tap-n-Pay’. It is essentially based on the near-field communications (NFC)
technology, enabling customers make over-the-counter payments without using cash.It
can be used for merchant payments by merely tapping a NFC-enabled mobile phone or
a tag on the counter.
110.Japan’s state-of-the-art maglev train clocked a new world speed record today in
a test run near Mount Fuji, smashing through the 600 kilometre (373 miles) per
hour mark.
Maglev – Magnetic Levitation
111.An Egyptian court has sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsi to 20
years in jail for ordering the arrest and torture of protesters during his rule.It is the first
verdict he has received since his overthrow and is one of several trials he faces.
112.Three-time Chief Minister of Odisha & senior Congress leader Janaki Ballabh
Patnaik (89) passed away.He was Chief Minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989 and
again from 1995 to 1999, holding that post for the longest time on record before
Naveen Patnaik.
113.Today (21st April 2015) is Civil Service Day. It is observed by all Civil Services.
Purpose for this day : To rededicate and recommit themselves to the cause of the
people.The day provides an unique opportunity for introspection as also for working out
future strategies to deal with the challenges being posed by the ever changing times.
114.Bharatiya Mahila Bank inks MoUs with LIC, New India Assurance
Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd has entered into MoUs with New India Assurance Company
Ltd and Life Insurance Corporation of India to provide insurance cover to its
accountholders.
The insurance covers are being provided under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Bima
Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevanjyoti Bima Yojana schemes respectively.
The insurance option is voluntary and comes at a premium of Rs. 12 for the PM Jan
Suraksha Bima Yojana and Rs. 330 for the PM Jeevanjyoti Bima Yojana.
The age eligibility under the former is 18-70 years and under the latter 18-50 years. The
enrolment period under the schemes will be from June 1, 2015, to August 31, 2015.
115.E-Samiksha launched to monitor rail projects online
With an aim of monitoring implementation of various ongoing projects including Rail
Budget proposals, railways today launched E-Samiksha, an online monitoring
mechanism.
Now each and every project implementation can be monitored on real-time basis,
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said here after launching the system.
Designed by NIC, the software is currently being used by Cabinet Secretariat, PMO and
other Ministries for monitoring progress implementation of various programmes and
follow-up of meetings.
Apart from budget-related projects, the E-Samiksha can also be used for monitoring the
infrastructure target and board meeting follow-up.
116.Japan maglev train breaks world speed record again
A Japanese magnetic levitation train has broken its own world speed record, hitting
603km/h (374mph) in a test run near Mount Fuji.
The train beat the 590km/h speed it had set last week in another test.
Japan is known for its shinkansen that run on steel rails, but has been investing in
maglev technology which it is hoping to sell overseas.
Central Japan Railway which owns the trains, wants to introduce the service between
Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya by 2027.
117.Sulekha.com raises Rs 175 crore from GIC, NVP
Chennai-based local listing services provider Sulekha.com has raised Rs. 175 crore
from the sovereign wealth fund of Singapore-GIC and Norwest Venture Partners.
The Chennai-based company has about 50 lakh businesses listed on its platform.
Satya Prabhakar is the Founder and CEO of Sulekha.com.
118.Interest rate for GPF retained at 8.7% for current fiscal
The government of India retained the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF)
and other related schemes at 8.7% for the current fiscal. According to the notification
issued by the Finance Ministry; he 8.7 percent interest will apply on Provident Funds of
central government employees, railways and defence forces. The rate of interest will be
effective from 1st April 2015, it added.
The interest rate for GPF is in line with the interest rate fixed for Public Provident Fund
(PPF) at 8.7 percent for 2015-16.The interest earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been
retained at 8.7 percent.
Note: i. The government had, however, raised the interest rates for other small saving
schemes.
The interest rate for senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 percent to 9.3
percent and for Sukanya Samriddhi Account, the special deposit scheme for girl child,
the interest rate has been hiked from 9.1 percent to 9.2 percent, respectively.
119.NASA to send submarine to Saturn’s moon Titan
NASA is planning to send a nuclear-powered submarine to explore one of the methane
seas located on Saturn’s moon Titan.The single-ton concept robot submarine is
equipped with a seafloor camera and sampling system.
120. Moody’s forecast 7.5 % GDP growth for Indian economy
International credit rating agency Moody’s has forecasted India’s growth to be 7.5
percent for the year 2015. A Moody’s analyst said low inflation enabled the Reserve
Bank of India to cut interest rates by 50 basis points easing pressure on the private
sector.
He further added that lower rates as well as the government’s infrastructure and
disinvestment programmes should provide a boost to domestic-oriented industries.
Earlier this week, International Monetary Fund projected that India will overtake China
as the fastest growing emerging economy in 2015-16.
121.Sugarcane fair price hikes to Rs 230 per quintal for 2015-16
The government today hiked the sugarcane has revised the Fair and Remunerative
Price (FRP) of sugarcane for the sugar season 2015-16 to Rs 230 per quintal.The FRP
for the last sugar season was Rs 220 per quintal.
According to the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution “Ram Vilas
Paswan” this decision has been taken on the basis of recommendations of Commission
for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and after consultations with concerned state
governments and other stake holders.
122.Maharashtra Government announced the target of 14400 MW power
generation by 2019
Maharashtra Government on 20 April 2015 announced the target of 14400 MW power
generation by 2019.
The state government will produce 14400 MW electricity by 2019 by way of nonconventional methods to cut down cost and reduce carbon footprint. The non
conventional source of energy is cheaper and far better as compared to conventional
sources.
Out of the 14400 MW electricity target, the state government has proposed that 75000
MW of electricity will be generated from solar energy while wind mills will generate 5000
MW of power.
Sugar industries will help in creating 1000 MW, cogeneration will generate 200 MW,
biogas will generate 300 MW and industrial waste will generate 400 MW.
For instance, there are many sugar factories located in western Maharashtra, thus 1000
MW electricity will be generated from that region Also to meet the target, the power
generated by private players will be purchased by the government as well.
123.2015 Pulitzer Prize Winners
The 2015 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded by the Pulitzer Prize Board for work during the
2014 calendar year. Prize winners and nominated finalists were announced on April 20,
2015.
The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism,
literature, and musical composition in the United States.
Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in Journalism: The New York Times Staff
Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting: The Seattle Times Staff
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Novel: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Pulitzer Prize for History Novel: Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the
Mandan People by Elizabeth A. Fenn
Pulitzer Prize for Biography: The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and
the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Digest by Gregory Pardlo
Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by
Elizabeth Kolbert
Pulitzer Prize for Music: Anthracite Fields by Julia Wolfe
124.Virat Kohli announced to set up chain of gyms with the investment of 90
crore rupees
Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli on 20 April 2015 announced to set up his chain of gyms and
fitness centres with the investment of 90 crore rupees.
The gyms will be launched under the brand name Chisel. The brand is jointly owned by
Kohli, Chisel Fitness and CSE, the sister concern of Cornerstone Sport &
Entertainment.
It is to be known that India’s ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni already has his fitness
chain across the country. Also, Kohli co-owns Indian Super League football franchise
FC Goa and also has his clothing line for youths Wrogn.
The country’s fitness industry comprising branded fitness chains and standalone gyms
is pegged at around 1300 crore rupees.
125.Neeraj Kumar appointed as Chief Adviser of Anti-Corruption & Security Unit
of BCCI
Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar was on 20 April 2015 appointed as
chief adviser of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Anti-Corruption &
Security Unit (ACSU). He will have a term of one year, that is, till 2016. Kumar
succeeded Ravi Sawant.
His appointment was made during Governing Council Meeting of the Indian Premier
League (IPL) chaired by IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla in New Delhi.
Neeraj Kumar is a 1976 batch IPS officer of the AGMU cadre. Earlier, he has served as
the Delhi Police commissioner for 13 months i.e. from June 2012 to July 2013.
126.Nishan-e-Pakistan award conferred on Xi Jinping
Pakistan on Tuesday conferred its top civilian award ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan’ on Chinese
President Xi Jinping for his outstanding contribution in promotion of relationship
between the two countries.
The ceremony was organised at the President House where President Mamnoon
Hussain conferred the award on Mr. Xi.The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif, Federal Ministers, Members of National Assembly and Senate, Services
Chiefs and Chinese delegation.
Mr. Xi was given warm welcome on his arrival in the President House in a traditional
buggy drawn by horses.
He also held bilateral talks with Mr. Hussain, who later hosted a luncheon in his honour.
127.Cleartrip becomes first Indian online travel agency to feature on Apple Watch
Since its launch for iOS in August 2012, Cleartrip has been committed to offer iOS
users the best travel app experience possible on iOS devices.
From being the first to support Passbook on iOS, to the first to redesign the app for iOS
7, and the first travel app in India to have a universal app for iPhone and iPad, the
Cleartrip app for Apple Watch is another big first to add to that list.
The idea with the Watch app is to give users the information they need, when they need
it, in the most lightweight manner possible.Opening the Cleartrip app on the Apple
Watch will show travellers a concise list of all their upcoming flights.
The app can also be enabled through the Watch app on your iPhone which, in turn, can
be synced with your Apple Watch.
128.Mohan Kumar appointed as new Indian Ambassador to France
Senior diplomat Mohan Kumar, currently India’s top envoy to Bahrain, has been
appointed the next Ambassador to France to succeed Arun Kumar.
129.Assam to be ‘kept out for now’ from land boundary agreement with
Bangladesh
Assam will be “kept out for now” from the ambit of the land boundary agreement (LBA)
with Bangladesh. There were “lot of protests and problems” in Assam over the LBA”.
130.Agni-III successfully test-fired from Odisha coast
India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile, with a range of over 3,000
km, from a base in Odisha. The surface-to-surface missile was fired from a launch
complex at the Inner Wheeler Island off the coast of Dhamra in Bhadrak district, about
200 km from here. Agni-III is capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes. It
is 16 metres in length and weighs 48 tonnes. The missile has a two-stage solid
propellant system. It can re-enter the atmosphere at a very high velocity.Agni-III is a rail
mobile system capable missile and can be launched from anywhere in India.
131.BHEL commissions 2,400 MW OP Jindal thermal power project
State-run power equipment maker BHEL has fully commissioned 2,400 MW OP Jindal
thermal power project in Chhattisgarh. “The unit has been commissioned at Jindal
Power Limited (JPL) s OP Jindal 4X600 thermal power plant located at Tamnar in
Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh.
132.Canada will supply uranium to India for next five years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Stephen Harper issued a joint
statement, according to which both the countries have agreed to a uranium supply deal
worth hundreds of millions of dollars that will see Canadian producer Cameco Corp.
provide fuel for Indian reactors over the next five years. Supply of uranium will begin this
year itself.
133.Canada’s Stephen Harper returns 900-year-old Khajuraho temple sculpture to
PM Narendra Modi
A 900-year-old piece of sculpture from Khajuraho temple, which had somehow reached
Canada, was returned by Prime Minister Stephen Harper when his Indian counterpart
Narendra Modi.The sculpture, known as ‘Parrot Lady’, was handed over by Harper to
Modi in accordance with 1970 UNESCO Convention.
134.Rosetta mission: comet 67P may not be magnetized
Researchers of the Rosetta Mission have made a sensational discovery — the comet
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may not have a magnetic field.This discovery is
important because it calls into question some of the theories of formation of structures,
such as our solar system, in which magnetic field is crucial to the formation of clumps of
matter which later grew to become large celestial bodies.
135.Green tea and apples could protect health with the help of polyphenols
Researchers have found how polyphenols in green tea and apples affect a key
signalling molecule, which could explain how polyphenol-rich foods reduce risks of
chronic diseases.
136.India among AIIB’s founder-members
India and many influential western nations are among the 57 founder members of the
$50 billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), while the U.S. and Japan stayed
away from the China-backed multilateral lender, according to the final list of members
released.
137.87 Year Old Ex PM of Nepal Passes Away
87 year old Surya Bahadur Thapa, former PM of Nepal has passed away.He served as
the PM of Nepal for 5 terms
138.New Blood Test Can Predict Breast Cancer Early
A new blood test can correctly predict if a woman can get breast cancer within the next
2 to 5 years and contribute to a paradigm shift in early diagnosis of this chronic
disease.While mammography can detect newly developed breast cancer correctly 75%
of the time, new metabolic blood profile is able to predict the likelihood of breast cancer
80% of the time
China To Ban Water Polluting Industries
China will ban water polluting paper mills, pesticide producers, oil refineries and other
industrial plants towards the close of 2016, it has announced.
First Colour Image of Pluto Taken
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has sent the first colour image of the dwarf planet
Pluto and its largest moon Charon.NASA’s Planetary Science Division has said that the
image was taken from a distance of 115 million km.
139.Karnataka Health Minister U.T. Khader has inaugurated two-wheeler
ambulances in Bengaluru.
He termed this bike ambulance project as a “platinum ten minutes” trauma care
initiative.
Aimed at reducing deaths due to road accidents, the platinum trauma care initiative is
useful for negotiating heavy traffic in urban areas where it will be difficult for fourwheeler ambulances to reach the accident spot at the earliest.
140.Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as first lady judge of Sikkim HC
Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as the first lady judge of the Sikkim High Court. Her
oath of the office was administered by the Governor Srinivas Patil at Ashirwad Hall at
Raj Bhavan in Gangtok.
Rai is also the third High Court judge who hails from the small border state.
This appointment of Rai as the judge of the Sikkim High Court has helped the state to
get its full strength of three judges after a gap of about one year.
141.Wholesale prices contract 2.33% in March
India’s wholesale price index-based inflation (WPI) provisionally stood at -2.33 per cent
for March, government data showed on Wednesday. This compares with -2.06 per cent
for February and 6 per cent for the same period last year.
This is the fifth consecutive month of deflation in wholesale prices, a clear reflection of
lower commodity prices.
Earlier Consumer Price Index-based (CPI) inflation for March eased to 5.17 per cent,
the lowest in three months.
142.Govt forms panel to review Official Secrets Act
The government has formed an inter-ministerial committee headed by cabinet secretary
to review the Official Secrets Act in context of demands to declassify files related to
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s death or disappearance.
RAW, IB, Union home ministry and PMO officials will be part of the panel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew,
Surya Bose, in Berlin and promised to examine the request for declassification of all
files related to events since his death or disappearance in Taiwan on August 18, 1945.
143.Zomato acquires cloud-based data firm MaplePOS
Online restaurant guide Zomato announced the acquisition of MaplePOS, a cloudbased point of sale product for restaurants developed by a group of techies from Delhi.
Gurgaon based Zomato has already renamed the MaplePOS product to ‘Zomato Base’
which will help the company and its restaurant partners to manage business into online
orders and payments.
MaplePos, a sale product offers various features of restaurants such as inventory and
menu management, and has in-built payment solution to accept debit and credit card
payments.
144.RBI allows differential interest rate on deposits
The Reserve Bank of India said banks will have the discretion to offer differential
interest rates based on whether the term deposits are with or without-prematurewithdrawal-facility, subject to conditions.
All term deposits of individuals (held singly or jointly) of Rs. 15 lakh and below should,
necessarily, have premature withdrawal facility.
For all term deposits above Rs. 15 lakh banks can offer deposits without the option of
premature withdrawal as well.
145.Agni-III missile test-fired successfully by SFC
India on Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear weapons-capable Agni-III ballistic
missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. Although the missile has a strike
range of more than 3,000 k.m.
it was tested for a lesser range, in today’s mission.
Agni-III is one of the sophisticated and accurate missiles of its class and has already
been inducted into armed forces.
It is capable of carrying a payload weighing 1.5 tonnes to a distance of more than 3,000
k.m.
146.Asia Cup 2016 to be played in T20 format
Asia Cup 2016 is set to undergo a radical change and will be a Twenty20 competition
instead of the 50-over game.
It would be revamped to include more Associate nations and to give some practice prior
to the T 20 World Cup .
The tournament would then revert to a 50-over tournament in 2018 ahead of the 2019
World Cup in England and be played as a T20 competition again in 2020.
147.Sachin Tendulkar elected as member of Laureus Sports Academy
Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was inducted as one of the five new members into
the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy in a glittering annual award ceremony at the
Shanghai Grand theatre.
Besides Tendulkar, retired Chinese professional basketball player Yao Ming, Kenyan
long-distance runner Tegla Loroupe, Chinese gymnast Li Xiaopeng and former Chinese
short track speed skater Yang Yang were the other athletes to be inducted into the
Laureus academy.
Tendulkar, who made his ODI debut against Pakistan way back in 1989, retired from the
format after the Asia Cup in 2013 after completing a century of international hundreds.
148.Hevesy Medal Award 2015
Professor Susanta Lahiri has received the prestegious Hevesy Medal Award 2015.He
received this award for his outstanding contributions to heavy ion induced radioisotope
production, tracer packet technique, converter targets, and green chemistry.
149.Jamal Benomar, has resigned
The UN peace envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, has resigned.The Moroccan
diplomat had been UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special envoy for Yemen since
2012.Benomar’s departure came after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution
calling for the swift resumption of peace talks and an end to violence in
Yemen.Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed,who currently heads the UN
Ebola mission in Accra may take his place.
150.first Indian woman shuttler
Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal today regained the number one position in
international rankings after China’s Li Xuerui dropped a couple of rungs to third in the
latest list issued today.
Saina, the first Indian woman shuttler to be world number one after her India Open
Grand Prix Gold triumph earlier this month, had dropped to the second place following
her semifinal finish in the Malaysia Open Super Series.In the men’s rankings, K.
Srikanth retained the fourth spot.
151.India builds first “smart” city
India’s push to accommodate a booming urban population and attract investment rests
in large part with dozens of “smart” cities like the one being built on the dusty banks of
the Sabarmati river. So far, it boasts modern underground infrastructure, two office
blocks and not much else.
152.Dharamshala to be first Assembly Constituency to get CCTV cover
Dharamsala would soon become the first Assembly Constituency in the country to be
brought under 24/7 CCTV camera surveillance.
International:
153.Iran to get 1st woman ambassador since 1979
Iran will appoint its first woman ambassador abroad since the Islamic Revolution in
1979. The post would go to foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham, one of
Iran’s most high-profile female public figures.
Business & Economy:
154.India’s economic growth likely to outpace China in 2016 too, predicts IMF and
World Bank
India’s economic growth clip this year and next will be better than previously assumed,
overtaking China in 2015 to become the world’s fastest growing major economy and
widening the gap further in 2016, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
Bank have said in separate forecasts.
155.India 19th in the list of top 30 merchandise exporters
India’s rank remained unchanged at 19th in 2014 among the top 30 merchandise
exporters of the world, while China continues to hold the top slot, according to the WTO
report. Similarly, New Delhi’s rank as a leading importer too has not changed in 2014 at
12th position. In imports, the US topped the list.
Sports:
156.Roland Garros prize money increased
The prize money at the Roland Garros will rise to €28 million this year, an increase of
€3 million from last year.The men’s and women’s champions will receive €1.8 million
each, €150,000 more than 2014, and losing finalists will receive €900,000, a raise of
€75,000.
157.Tech Mahindra Partners Comverse for R&D
Information technology conglomerate Tech Mahindra has collaborated with US Israeli
firm Comverse Inc for establishing a research and development centre in
Israel.Financial details were not disclosed by the two companies
158.Blue Book To Deal With Cyclones Launched
Government has released a Blue Book on dealing with cyclones.This book follows the
report of a committee formed by PMO based on experience of Cyclone Hudhud last
October in Andhra Pradesh
159.Chinese E-Commerce Firm Injects Online Operations to Affiliate
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has injected online pharmacy operations into
affiliate Alibaba Health Information Technology listed in Hong Kong in a USD 2.5 billion
deal
MHA Renames Tourist Visa Scheme
Union Ministry of Home Affairs/MHA made the decision to rename Tourist Visa on
Arrival Electronic Travel Authorization/TVoA-ETA scheme as eTV or e-Tourist Visa
– The new scheme will come into effect from April 15th, 2015
Janata Parivar Announces Merger with Mulayam Singh Yadav as Head
Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will lead the Janata Parivar formed
comprising the following parties:
SP, the Janata Dal (United)/JD(U), the Rashtriya Janata Dal/RJD, the Janata Dal
(Secular), the Samajwadi Janata Party and the Indian National Lok Dal/INLD
President Obama to Remove Cuba From State Sponsored Terrorism List
President Obama has announced he will be removing Cuba from the list of State
sponsors of terrorism
– This is in line with the bid to normalise relations between the two nations
BHEL Signs MoU with INTMA
State owned power equipment company BHEL has signed an MoU with Russian firm
INTMA for a gas based power project located in Kazakhstan
Centre Established Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers
The Centre has established a task force for examining the numerous contentious issues
pertaining to interlinking of rivers. The task force is chaired by former UPSC member B.
N. Navalawala
Government Forms Panel for Reviewing Official Secrets Act
Government of India has formed an inter-ministerial committee under the Cabinet
Secretary for reviewing the Official Secrets Act in light of the Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose related files
Comet 67P/Churyumov Gerasimenko Found
The comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has been discovered to be non-magnetic
– ESA’s Rosetta Spacecraft Philae lander touched down on this comet and used
magnetometers to assess its magnetism
Cosmologists Map Dark Matter
In the first initiative of its kind, cosmologists have mapped the distribution of dark matter
in the universe tracing invisible substances through monitoring of gravitational effects on
light
– The mapping was done through a 570 megapixel camera at Chile’s Cerro Tololo Inter
American Observatory, around two million galaxies have been photographed
Spitzer Space Telescope Finds Remote Gas Planet
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has teamed up with ground telescope to find one of
the most distant planets, a remote gas planet located 13,000 light years away
Indian Scientists Win Hevesy Medal
Prof. Susanta Lahiri from the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata and Prof. K. V
Katti from Centre for Radiological Research University of Missouri have won the Hevesy
Medal awarded at the 10th international conference on methods and applications of
radio analytical chemistry.
160.Chinnaswamy Stadium Becomes First Sports Venue to Go Green in India
Chinnaswamy Stadium became the first sporting venue to launch a 400KV rooftop solar
power system
– It has become the first sporting venue in the nation to go green
Temasek Holdings Completes Acquisition of SVB Financial Group Arm
Temasek Holdings, the investment unit of the Singapore has completed the acquisition
of Mumbai based SVB India Finance, an arm of NASDAQ listed SVB Financial Group
for INR 300 crore
– The entity has been renamed InnoVen Capital India
Nokia Announces Agreement to Purchase Alcatel-Lucent
Finnish network equipment company Nokia has made the agreement to purchase
Alcatel-Lucent in a transaction valuing the French company at 15.6 billion euros or USD
16.58 billion
Nokia will be providing Alcatel-Lucent shareholders 0.55 shares in the new company for
each of their shares
This means 33.5% of the entity will be with Alcatel while Nokia will have 66.5% if public
exchange offer is completely taken up
IBM Announces Alliances with Apple, 2 Others
IBM announced an alliance with Apple, Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson for using the
Watson artificial intelligence system to provide users insights and advice from personal
health data obtained from fitness trackers, smartphones, implants as well as other
devices
161.Government notifies NJAC, puts an end to collegium
The Union government notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission law and
effectively brought to an end the two-decades-old collegium system of appointing
judges. The notification brings into immediate effect the National Judicial Appointments
Commission Act, 2014, and the 99th Constitution Amendment Act. Now, the political
class and civil society have an equal voice, along with the judiciary, in the appointment
and transfer of judges in the highest judiciary.
162.Panel to look into post-66A security concerns
In the wake of the recent Supreme Court directive striking down Section 66A of the
Information Technology Act, the Union Home Ministry has set up a committee to
recommend measures for addressing national security concerns. “After the apex court
declared Section 66A of the Information Technology Act unconstitutional, security
agencies raised concerns about activities on digital media that threaten national security
and inciting violence.
163.ICICI Bank today slashed home loan rate for both existing as well as new
borrowers by 0.25 per cent.Women borrowers and financially weaker sections will
now get home loans at 9.85 per cent, while for other borrowers it will be 9.90 per cent.
164.The “Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization (TvoA-ETA)”
scheme, which was launched last year to facilitate short duration visits by travellers
from as many as 44 countries, has now been renamed as “e-Tourist Visa” to clarify
that it is not an on-arrival scheme.
“The name of the scheme [TVoA-ETA] is creating confusion among tourists, who are
under the impression that the visa is being granted on arrival. However, in the present
system, the pre-authorisation of visa has to be taken before travel,” so to avoid
confusion, the MHA has changed the name. .
The government has issued 1.10 lakh visas under this new scheme
This scheme was launched on 27th November 2014.
This scheme will be extended to more countries and airports in a phased manner.
165.A three-month action plan has been formulated to combat pollution for the
National Capital Region.
This plan covers 4 states. Those are,
Delhi , Haryana , Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Under this plan, civic agencies in Delhi and three neighboring states will enforce the ban
onburning of waste, act against polluting vehicles, set up automatic identification of
overloaded vehicles at borders, phase out coal-based units and adhere to upcoming
norms on handling of construction waste.
Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Independent
Charge : Prakash Javadekar
166.The government constitutes a Task Force on interlinking of Rivers to look into
the issues relating to Interlinking of Rivers in the country.
This Task Force will take up all issues for expediting the work on interlinking of rivers in
the Country.The Task Force will be chaired by B N Navalawala, Ex-Secretary of
Ministry of Water Resources.
167.US President Barack Obama has nominated prominent Indian-American
businesswoman Shamina Singh as the member of the Board of Directors of the
Corporation for National and Community Service for a term expiring in October
2019.
168.Rebel Aam Aadmi Party leaders, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav have
formed a new non-political group ‘Swaraj Abhiyan‘.
The two leaders announced that the Swaraj Abhiyan will be a fight for the rights of
farmers, women and common man across the country through protests and rallies.
169. FDI in services sector up 47 per cent during April-January
FDI inflows into services sector grew by about 47 per cent to $2.64 billion in AprilJanuary last fiscal.
Helped with the growth in FDI in important sector like services, overall foreign inflows in
the country rose by 36 per cent to $25.52 billion during the ten months of 2014-15.
The other sectors where inflows have recorded growth are: telecom ($2.83 billion),
automobile ($2.04 billion) and power ($612 million).
Government has raised the FDI cap in insurance sector to 49 per cent from 26 per cent.
The policy was also relaxed in other sectors such as defence, railways and medical
devices.
170.Retail inflation drops to 3-month low of 5.17% in March
Easing of food prices, mainly milk and vegetables, pulled down the March retail inflation
to 3-month low of 5.17 per cent.
The retail inflation as measured by Consumer Price Index was 5.37 per cent in
February, and 5.19 per cent in January. It was 8.25 per cent in March last year.
To calculate the CPI, price data are collected from selected towns by the field
operations division of NSSO and from selected villages by the Department of Posts.
171.Haryana govt to give cabinet minister status to Baba Ramdev
The BJP government in Haryana has decided to give the status of cabinet minister to
yoga guru Ramdev, who was earlier made the state’s brand ambassador to promote
yoga and ayurveda.
The government’s decision was announced on Monday by education minister Ram
Bilas Sharma, who said the state government would also honour Ramdev at a function
at Indradhanush Auditorium in Panchkula on April 21.
Recently, government announced to make yoga compulsory in all schools and equip all
sports stadiums in every district with a yoga centre. Municipal bodies and Huda would
construct yoga practice halls in their areas of jurisdiction. Special coaching of physical
education teachers in yoga will be organised.
172.Following consumer backlash, Flipkart pulls out of Airtel Zero
Following popular outrage against net neutrality violations to “internet apartheid”, eretailer Flipkart pulled out of the controversial Airtel Zero preferential access platform.
Flipkart was one of the partners in the Airtel Zero platform which allowed Airtel’s
subscribers to access select websites and services for “zero data charges”, as long as
owners of these websites/services paid Airtel.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a six-member panel has been constituted
by the telecom department to submit its recommendations regarding the same by early
next month.
173. FM transmission of Vividh Bharati launched
The popular ‘Vividh Bharati’ services of All India Radio (AIR) will now be available to
listeners in and around Delhi on mobile handsets with the launch of FM transmission of
the channel.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley, who launched the FM transmission,
also delivered a message to the listeners of the channel, saying Vividh Bharati services
would reach people within a range of 60-65 km with much clarity at all times in all
weather conditions.
Vividh Bharati offers a mix of film music, skits, short plays and interactive programmes.
It is known to have the largest collection of film and non-film songs in the country.
Mobile applications of all channels that are livestreamed by AIR like Vividh Bharati, FM
Gold, FM Rainbow, Urdu service and several regional channels, will also be made
available.
174.First ever visit of North Korean Foreign Minister
In a significant diplomatic engagement, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met
her North Korean counterpart Ri Su Yong.Mr. Ri is in India at the invitation of Ms.
Swaraj. This is the first ever visit to India at the Foreign Minister level from Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
175. Russian President Putin is most influential person in the World: Time
Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged the winner of this year’s Time 100
readers’ poll of most influential people in the world.
He edged out rapper-singer CL (of the South Korean girl-group 2NE1) to claim the
number one spot with 6.95 per cent of the votes in the final tally. Pop stars Lady Gaga
(2.6 per cent), Rihanna (1.9 per cent) and Taylor Swift (1.8 per cent) rounded out the
top five.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal named also
included in the list of 100 most influential people in the world.Narendra Modi however
garnered just 0.6 per cent of the votes cast, with only 34 per cent of the people voting in
his favour and 66 per cent against. Kejriwal got 0.5 per cent, with 71 per cent voters
saying he should not be in the list.
Other winners of the online poll include US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, the Dalai
Lama, Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai,
Pope Francis, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
176.NASA named Asteroid 316201 after Malala Yousafzai
US space agency NASA has named Asteroid 316201 after Malala Yousafzai, the winner
of 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.The asteroid is situated in the main asteroid belt between
Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid orbits the sun every five-and-a-half years.
177.Allan Donald stepped down as South Africa bowling coach
Former fast bowler Allan Donald stepped down as South Africa’s bowling coach after
four years with the team.He said, it it was the right time to move on following last
month’s World Cup, where South Africa lost in the semi-finals.
He joined as bowling coach under former head coach Gary Kirsten in 2011
178.Taiwan won’t be an AIIB founder-member
Taiwan won’t be among the charter members of the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank, apparently because of a dispute over what name the island should
use in the institution. Taiwan is among more than 40 countries applying for membership
in the new bank.
179.Russia lifts ban on missile delivery to Iran
President Vladimir Putin opened the way for Russia’s delivery of a sophisticated air
defence missile system to Iran, a move that would significantly bolster the Islamic
republic’s military capability.Russia signed the $800 million contract to sell Iran the S300 missile system in 2007, but suspended their delivery three years later.
180.India’s GDP growth rate to reach 8% by 2017: World Bank
The World Bank has predicted a GDP growth rate of 8 per cent for India by 2017 and
said that a strong expansion in the country, coupled with favourable oil prices, would
accelerate the economic growth in South Asia. In India, GDP growth is expected to
accelerate to 7.5 per cent in fiscal year 2015/16. It could reach 8 per cent in FY
2017/18, on the back of significant acceleration of investment growth to 12 per cent
during FY 2016-FY 2018
181.New urban development mission to replace JNNURM
Government is preparing to replace one of its predecessor UPA’s flagship programmes
soon after the prime minister returns from his overseas trip. The Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) will make way for a new mission aimed at
upgrading infrastructure in cities. The new mission has received the nod from the
expenditure finance committee (EFC) and the Cabinet note has been circulated.
182.SEBI Issues Procedures for Tendering and Settlement of Shares
SEBI issued procedures for the tendering and settlement of shares via stock exchanges
for takeovers, buybacks and delisting of entities
The procedures have been issued for the facilitation of tendering of shares by
shareholders and settlement of the same through the mechanism of the stock exchange
124th Birth Anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar Celebrated
The 124th birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar was celebrated by India
Google also created a doodle in his honour
He was conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1990
PM Gifts Madhubani Painting to Lord Mayor of Hannover
PM Narendra Modi gifted a Madhubani painting depicting various stages of life to Stefan
Schostock, Lord Mayor of Hannover
The painting has been created by national award winning artist Baua Devi
PM Narendra Modi Opens World’s Largest Industrial Fair
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Hanover Messe, which is the largest
industrial fair in the world, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel
India is a partner country of this year’s fair with 400 industry representatives from this
nation amidst 6500 exhibitors from 70 countries worldwide
World’s First Ever Selfie Museum is In Manila
The Art in Island located in Philippine’s capital Manila employs 3D replicas of paintings
and encourages visitors to take selfies with the paintings.It is the planet’s first ever selfie
museum
SC Issues Notice to Centre Against Land Ordinance
The apex court has agreed on the basis of a PIL to examine whether the President’s
power to re-promulgate an ordinance on the grounds that it is a subversion of the
legislative process is constitutionally sound
SC issued notice to the Centre on the question of validity of land acquisition ordinance
signed on April 3, 2015 by the Indian President
Government Mandates Bar Coding of Mono Cartons of Drugs
Government of India has mandated the bar coding of mono cartons of drugs shipped
from the country from the month of July
This is to ensure that reputation of Indian drugs is not compromised by medicines
manufactured in an illicit manner in other nations
Seema Modi Quits as India Head of H. J. Heinz
Seema Modi has quit as the head of the Indian unit of H.J. Heinz.She was the first
woman MD of Heinz India in 2012
Godrej Nature’s Basket Joins Hands with Amazon
Godrej Nature’s Basket, food retail unit of the Godrej Group has partnered with Amazon
for selling products through the platform of the e-commerce firm
Snapdeal CFO Quits
The Chief Financial Officer of Snapdeal, Aakash Moondhra has resigned and could be
starting his own venture or going back to investing sector.
Noted German Author Passes Away
Guenter Grass, a Nobel literature prize winner and author of world famous work The Tin
Drum, died at the age of 87
The German Nobel prize winner was born in Danzig and served in the German military
during WW2
ONGC, OIL and BPCL to Invest in Mozambique
State operated ONGC, OIL and BPCL will be investing USD 6 billion over the next 4
years for development of a giant gas field off the coast of Mozambique and convert fuel
into LNG for export to nations such as India
Curiosity Finds Evidence of Salty Water on Mars
Scientists have found indirect evidence to support the existence of transient liquid
water/very salty water on Mars
Indian Shooter Wins Bronze Medal
Indian shooting champion Jitu Rai won the Bronze medal in the 10 m Air Pistol Men’s
Final at the International Shooting Sport Federation Rifle/Pistol World Cup in South
Korea’s Changwon
Russia Lifts Ban on Iran
Russia lifted a ban on supplying Iran with sophisticated S-300 air defence missile
systems following the framework for a nuclear deal with the West
12 Gram Panchayats Set to Adopt Participatory Waste Management Scheme in
Kozhikode
In the first scheme of its kind, people in 12 gram panchayats are set to establish a
participatory waste management scheme making them zero waste generating areas
The scheme is being funded by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and
Environment (KSCSTE) and supported by Niravu Vengeri
Centre Appoints Panel on Net Neutrality
Amidst a fierce debate on equal internet access to all, government has established an
expert panel to examine the issue of net neutrality and report in a month’s time
NJAC Act Brought into Effect Through Government Notification
Government brought into force the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act
through a notification for appointing members to higher judiciary
This is two days before the apex court’s Constitution Bench hears petitions challenging
the NJAC Act
The notification also brings into effect the Constitutional Amendment Act/99th
Amendment Act to provide constitutional status to a new body issued by Department of
Justice in the Law Ministry
‘Green’ sub station to power Faridabad metro corridor
The upcoming Badarpur-Faridabad corridor of Delhi Metro would be powered by a
Green Sub-station as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has constructed a host of ecofriendly features at Faridabad including its first ever ‘green’ electrical Receiving Sub
Station (RSS).
Tsunami-hit school becomes Tamil Nadu’s first smart school
A Panchayat Union Middle School at Keechankuppam village in Nagapattinam district,
which was ravaged by the tsunami on December 26,2004, has become Tamil Nadu’s
first government school to get a ‘smart class’ with internet facility.
Solar-powered internet drone completes first test flight
A Portuguese startup that aims to use solar-powered drones to provide wireless internet
access to offline areas of the world claims to have successfully completed its maiden
test flight.The company Quarkson plans to use the SkyOrbiter drones that will stay
airborne for weeks, months or even years at a time and will fly at altitudes of up to
22,000 metres.
International Hindi Centre to be set up in United States
With a view to promote Hindi as a world language, plans are underway to establish a
‘Hindi Centre’ near New York that will serve as an academic and cultural hub and
facilitate exchange programmes between Indian and American universities.
India may be third biggest economy by 2030: Report
According to the US Department of Agriculture’s latest macroeconomic projections that
go out to 2030. The US will just barely remain the global leader, with $24.8 trillion in
annual output the country, worth 25 % of the world economy in 2006 and 23% in 2015,
will see its share decline to 20%.China’s GDP will grow to more than twice its size,
helping the Asian powerhouse to almost entirely close its gap with the US. India, ranked
eighth for 2015, will climb past Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan
to take third place in the world ranking.
RBI warns against fake app
Cautioning the public against a fraudulent bank account mobile app in its name, the
Reserve Bank of India said it had not developed any such application. In a statement,
the RBI said that it had come to its notice that an app (application) “is doing the rounds
on WhatsApp purportedly to facilitate checking of balance in customers’ bank accounts.”
The application has an RBI logo with the title “All Bank Balance Enquiry No” and has
listed several banks with either a mobile number or call centre number.
L&T inks MoU with AREVA
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with AREVA of France for co-operation to maximise localisation of the EPR nuclear
power plant to be built at Jaitapur, Maharashtra. The MoU with AREVA represents a
major step forward for L&T in the field of pressurized water reactor technology.
GVK Power arm’s first 82.50 MW unit goes on stream
The 330MW (4 x 82.50 MW) Alaknanda Hydro Power Company Ltd., a step-down
subsidiary, successfully synchronised its first unit with the grid on April 10 and is
generating at full load, GVK Power and Infrastructure Ltd. Said.
1.The Haryana government today decided to give “status equivalent to Cabinet
Minister” toRamdev, who has been appointed as the state’s brand ambassador to
promote yoga and ayurveda.
Yoga would be made a compulsory subject in Haryana’s schools for which
‘yogshalas’ will be constructed in all the towns and about 6,500 villages of the state
under the guidance of Ramdev.
Haryana’s Health and Sports Minister : Anil Vij
2.Government’s think tank NITI Aayog today announced that it will soon come out with
an integrated policy to help meet massive demand for energy including solar, wind,
gas and coal.
The move is aimed at boosting power generation in the country from various sources
like solar, wind, gas, coal etc to meet the growing demand.
Important Note : The government has set an ambitious target of generating 1,75,000
MW from renewable sources by 2022, including 1,00,000 MW solar power.
NITI Aayog Chairman : Narendra Modi
Vice Chairman : Arvind Panagariya
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) : Sindhushree Khullar
3.Over four months after the President granted assent to the two Bills, the NDA
Government today finally notified the Ninety-Ninth Constitutional (Amendment)
Act and the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, thus ending the over
two-decade-old collegium system of appointing judges of Supreme Court and high
courts.
Under the new law, a six-member panel – National Judicial Appointments
Commission (NJAC)– headed by the Chief Justice of India will select judges of the
apex court and state high courts.
Along with the Head, this panel includes two senior-most Supreme Court judges, Union
Minister of Law and Justice and two “eminent persons” nominated by a committee
comprising the Prime Minister, CJI and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha or leader
of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha.
184.Lt. Gen H. Singh, a hero of the Indo-Pak war in 1971 died while meditating in
Dehradun
He commanded the 17 Horse/ Poona Horse regiment in the Indo Pak war and he had
been honoured with a Maha Vir Chakra and a Param Vishisht Seva Medal
He retired from the Army in the year 1991
185.Airbus Plans to Make in India
Well known company Airbus is increasing Indian outsourcing to USD 2 billion
It is also eager to manufacture in India as part of the Make in India programme.
186.Government Receives INR 32,300 Crore From Telecom Players
Government of India has received total upfront cash amounting to INR 32,300 crore
from telecom players for spectrum sold in March and an outstanding due of INR
28,835.34 crore
Telecom major Bharti Airtel paid INR 11,374.7 crore with upfront amount due of INR
7832.20 crore for Rajasthan and Northeast Circle.
Other telecom players paid the minimum amount due from them.
187.SEBI Moves US Court In Sahara Case
The high profile SEBI Sahara case saw a new twist when the capital market regulatory
authority approached a US court in Indianapolis with a USD 12 billion claim on proceeds
of corporate jet sold by a Sahara Group firm.
188.First Village Secretariat Established in Haryana’s Jind District
CM Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the first village secretariat of the state in
Habibatpur village, Jind
Each village in Haryana will soon have its special secretariat.
1.New Wage Pact for Jute Industry Drops Productivity Linked Wage Clause
A fresh tripartite wage pact for the jute industry has left aside the productivity linked
wage clause introduced in the year 2002 to enhance efficiency in the industry
The 3 year agreement will come into force from April 2015.
189.Info Edge India Invests in Zomato
Internet firm Info Edge India has made an investment of INR 155 crore in online
restaurant guide business Tomato
Info Edge’s proportionate share of Zomato’s recent fund raise is of USD 50 million.
3.SpiceJet’s Chief Commercial Officer Steps Down
The Chief Commercial Officer Kaneswaran Avili stepped down from this post. He is the
first senior executive to leave following the transfer to new promoter Ajay Singh
4.Sahoo Committee Recommends Removing Limit on Corporate ECBs
Committee headed by former SEBI Member M.S. Sahoo has recommended India
should remove limits on external commercial borrowings of corporates
This committee was in favour of removal of end-use restrictions and made the
recommendation that each borrower should hedge part of their borrowing.
The limit for Indian companies to raise funds through ECB is USD 750 million in a fiscal
carrying segments such as hotel and software.
189.Ocean Acidification Triggered the Biggest Extinction on Earth
Ocean acidification has triggered the biggest extinction of all time on earth wiping 90%
of the marine species and 75% of the animals on land around 250 million years ago
Scientists have found oceans absorbed vast amounts of CO2 from volcanic eruptions
changing.the chemical composition with tragic results for life on the planet
190.UNESCO Report Says India Reduced “Out of School” Children by More than
90%
Making considerable progress, India has lowered the number of “out of school” children
by over 90%
It has also attained universal primary education according to the UNESCO global
education report entitled Education for All 2005-2015.
The report also said internationally, 47% of the countries achieved pre-primary
enrolment while 8% of the countries including India were close to achieving this.
7.Tribal Ministry Seeks More Tribal Dialects in AIR Broadcasts
To widen the reach of its schemes, Indian Tribal Ministry has sought the use of more
tribal dialects in AIR broadcasts.
Detailed plan has also been worked out to ensure the same in meeting with AIR and
I&B officials.
Hillary Clinton Announces US Presidential Candidature
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced she will be running for office of
US President in 2016.
8.China Bans Medical Diagnosis Online
Online medical diagnosis has been banned in China and hospitals offering medical
advise through websites have been asked by Chinese regulators to not provide
diagnosis for disease or prescribe drugs.
190.Indian PM Gifts French President “Tree of Life”
PM Narendra Modi currently on the first leg of a three nation tour in France gifted
French President Francoise Hollande a painting entitled “Tree of Life”.
He was the first Prime Minister from India to also visit the WW1 memorial site dedicated
to 10,000 Indian soldiers who fought against Germany between 1914-1918 located in
Lille.
10.Archaeologists Discover Dozens of Tombs in Peru
Archaeologists have discovered many tombs filled up to 40 mummies each in a 1,200
ceremonial site located in Peru.
Tombs were discovered in the Cotahuasi Valley in Peru; so far 7 of these tombs have
been excavated containing 171 mummies in a site called Tenahaha.
191.Oldest Neanderthal DNA Sample Found
Researchers discovered the oldest Neanderthal DNA sample in a limestone cave of
Lamalunga close to Altamura in Southern Italy
DNA sample found could be 1,70,000 years old.
192.Modi inaugurates German industrial fair
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened on Sunday the Hanover Messe, the world’s
largest industrial fair, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
India is the partner country of this year’s trade fair, which brings together about 6,500
exhibitors from 70 nations.
Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe and total bilateral trade between
the two countries was valued at 16.08 billion euro (17 billion dollars) in 2013. There are
currently more than 1,600 Indo-German business collaborations and 600 Indo-German
joint ventures in operation.
193.India’s first International Financial Services Centre opened in Gujarat
India’s first International Financial Services Centre, IFSC, has became operational at
GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled the rules and regulations for this global financial
hub at a special ceremony organized at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
IFSC rules allow companies incorporated outside India to raise money in foreign
currencies by issuance and listing of their equity shares on stock exchanges within the
IFSC, where individual and institutional investors from India and abroad including NRIs,
would be allowed to trade.
194.Morgan Stanley forecast India’s economy to grow at 7.9% for current fiscal
Multinational financial services corporation Morgan Stanley, said India’s economy will
grow at 7.9 per cent this fiscal and 8.4 per cent in Financial Year 2016-17.
In a note Morgan Stanley stated that the risk to India’s growth forecasts are evenly
balanced and government’s determined efforts to implement policy actions, reviving
productive investment and cutting back less effective policies, are helping the economy
move towards the path of faster growth and lower inflation.
195. Larsen & Toubro inks MoU with AREVA
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with AREVA of France for co-operation to maximise localisation of the EPR nuclear
power plant to be built at Jaitapur, Maharashtra.
This partnership will add new dimensions to the capabilities of India’s manufacturing
sector in the nuclear business.
AREVA will transfer technology to utilise the forging capabilities of L&T Special Steels
and Heavy Forgings (a joint venture with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.).
196.SBI Cuts home loan rate by another 10 bps for new buyers
State Bank of India (SBI), has cut the interest rate for new home loans by another 10
bps, to 9.9 per cent.
In effect, the interest rate for new home loans will be reduced by 25 bps. For the
existing ones, 15 bps is the reduction.
The move comes amid the RBI directive that an interest rate differential will not be
allowed if customer profiles are similar.
197.BHEL commissions 600 MW thermal unit in Chhattisgarh
State-owned power equipment-maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)has
commissioned a second 600 MW thermal unit in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir Champa District
for the Dainik Bhaskar Power Limited.
“This is the second unit of this power project, commissioned by BHEL. The first 600 MW
unit was commissioned in 2014.
198.Gujarat government launches industrial tourism to showcase development
In a first of its kind initiative in the country, Gujarat government is promoting a tour
package covering major industrial installations which have earned global acclaim for the
state.
Some of the major attractions of this recently launched tour package include a visit to
Tata Nano plant in Sanand, Pipavav port near Amreli, Alang ship breaking yard in
Bhavnagar and Amul Dairy in Anand.
The package, called Industrial Tour of Gujarat, has been offered by city-based Akshar
Travels Pvt Ltd, official partner of state-run tourism agency Tourism Corporation of
Gujarat Ltd (TCGL), which is promoting the tour on its website.
199.German Nobel laureate Guenter Grass dies at age 87
Guenter Grass, the Nobel-winning German writer who gave voice to the generation that
came of age during the horrors of the Nazi era has died. He was 87.
Grass was lauded by Germans for helping to revive their culture in the aftermath of
World War II and helping to give voice and support to democratic discourse in the post
war nation.
Grass made his literary reputation with “The Tin Drum,” published in 1959. It was
followed by “Cat and Mouse” and “Dog Years,” which made up what is called the Danzig
Trilogy after the town of his birth, now the Polish city of Gdansk.
200.Sania seals historic world no. 1 rank with Charleston title
Sania Mirza created history by becoming the first female tennis player from India to
achieve the world number one rank in doubles.
Sania achieved her stupendous title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner
Martina Hingis.
The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak 6-0 6-4 in
just 57 minutes in the lop-sided final of the $731,000 clay court event.
Before Sania, only Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had achieved the top rank
when they dominated men’s doubles circuit in the last 90s.
21.Sun Formed Late in the Star Birthing of the Milky Way
Many of the stars in the Milky Way were formed in a frenzy that peaked 10 billion years
ago, but the Sun formed roughly 5 billion years ago, a comprehensive study has found
The new census was conducted by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes,
ESA’s Herschel .Space Observatory and many others such as the Magellan Baada
Telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.
All the best ………………