International Affairs
- 46th International Earth Day is being observed today.
- The world's first ever Earth Day was celebrated on 22nd April 22 1970, in the United States of America to increase public awareness about environmental problems.
- It was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson.
- The aim of the day is to bring attention to environmental issues to spark changes that will result in a healthy, sustainable environment.
- Theme of 2016 : Trees for the Earth
- According to reports, United States President Barack Obama is going to become the first sitting US President to visit Hiroshima, over 70 years after USA's atom bomb destroyed the city.
- The visit is reportedly scheduled for late May, after the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Japan.
- This comes after US Secretary of State John Kerry recently visited the Hiroshima memorial.
- The Merriam-Webster dictionary has added over 1,400 new terms and phrases to its unabridged version, providing official recognition to a host of technology and internet culture terminology.
- The new words and acronyms include Bitcoin, Nomophobia (the fear of being without a working mobile phone), FOMO (fear of missing out), TMI (too much information) and ICYMI (in case you missed it).
- India and China agree to establish hot-line between their armed forces.
- The Malaysian government has introduced the Electronic Travel Authorization Visa (e-visa) for Indian tourists on a short visit to the country.
- Note : This facility is available only to Indians who live in India and is valid for a single journey and a maximum of 30 days.
- The e-visa can be obtained within 24-48 hours and will be valid for three months.
National Affairs
- The government has set up a Panel to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
- The 8 member panel aims to identify potential areas where more investment should happen and suggest ways to reduce the risk of farming.
- It would also focus on reducing cost of cultivation and address the unpredictability in agriculture due to weather and other market reasons.
- The panel will be headed by : Ashok Dalwai (Additional Secretary at the Agriculture Ministry).
- Uttarakhand comes under President's rule again after Supreme Court stays Nainital High Court order quashing imposition of Central rule.
- Month long Simhastha Kumbh mela begins in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
- Union Government has renamed the Department of Disinvestment as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management or DIPAM.
- The renaming decision aims at proper management of Central government’s investments in equity and also its disinvestment proceeds in central public sector undertakings (PSUs).
MOUs
- China and Pakistan have signed an agreement for the launch of a special satellite to monitor the development of the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
- In this regard, both countries have decided for development and launch of the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) System and launch a satellite in June 2018.
- Russia will sign a joint manufacturing contract with India for 200 Ka-226T light utility multirole helicopters before the end of 2016.
- An intergovernmental agreement for the same had been signed during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in December 2015.
Science & Technology
- NASA has successfully tested a 3D-printed rocket engine turbopump, with liquid methane as fuel, for its future Mars mission.
- Note : The 3D-printed fuel pump had 45% fewer parts than pumps made via traditional manufacturing.
- NASA claims that liquid methane is an ideal propellant to power engines for deep-space missions.
- President Pranab Mukherjee today approved the nomination of 6 people to the Rajya Sabha, recommended by the central government which included boxer and Olympic medallist Mary Kom and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.
- Journalist Swapan Das Gupta, former BJP MP and cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi and economist Narendra Jadhav were the others to be nominated.
- Aditya Birla Group has appointed Saurabh Agarwal as Had of corporate strategy.
- China’s President Xi Jinping has taken on a new military title, in his latest move to exert greater control over the armed forces.
- Mr Xi is now Commander in Chief of the military’s Joint Operations Command Centre.
- Note : Mr Xi is already General Secretary of the Communist Party, and chair of the Central Military Commission, which manages the People’s Liberation Army.
- Current Ambassador of India to Armenia T. Suresh Babu has elected as the country’s next Ambassador to Mongolia.
- Actress Radhika Apte has won the Best Actress Award in an International Narrative Feature at the Tribeca 2016 Awards for 'Madly'.
- With this, she became the first Indian actress to win the award.
- The TIME Magazine has released the list of 100 most influential people which featured 6 Indians including RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and actressPriyanka Chopra.
- Tennis ace Sania Mirza, environmentalist Sunita Narain along with Flipkart Co-founders Sachin and Binny Bansal were other Indians on the list.
- The list also featured Indian-origin Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Deaths
- American singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Prince Rogers Nelson (57), popularly known as Prince, passed away.
- His most popular works include the album 'Purple Rain' (1984), which won him an Oscar and two Grammys.
Business & Economy
- India has overtaken China as the world's top destination for Foreign Direct Investment by attracting greenfield capital investment worth $63 billion in 2015.
- The Department of Telecom has allowed Reliance Communications to share spectrum with Reliance Jio in nine circles.
- This will reportedly allow both the companies to offer 4G internet services on a 10 MHz block in a 800 MHz band, which, according to the International Telecommunications Union standards, can provide speeds up to 80 Mbps.
- India saw 25.08 lakh Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) between January and March 2016, up 10% from the same period last year, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.
- During March 2016, the country received 8.17 lakh arrivals as against FTAs of 7.29 lakh in March 2015. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) this year in the period was Rs.13,115 crore.
Sports
- Ibrahim Al-Hussein, a 27-year-old athlete from Syria, will be carrying the Olympic torch in Athens on April 26, as part of the torch relay for the 2016 Rio Games.
- He lost his leg during the Syrian War and fled the next year to Turkey.
- Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis pair enter into semifinals of Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
- Former national champion Vishnu Vardhan put his name into the record books by becoming the first champion of the Asian Tennis Tour (ATT) after he beat Sidharth Rawat in the final of the $5,000 event at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
International Mother Earth Day observed across the World on April 22:
· 22 April: International Mother Earth Day
· The International Mother Earth Day was on 22 April 2016 observed across the world with the theme ‘Trees for the Earth’. This year's theme sets the goal of planting 7.8 billion trees over the next five years.
· The Day recognises that the Earth and its ecosystems provide its inhabitants with life and sustenance.
· This year, Earth Day coincided with the signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which took place at UN Headquarters in New York.
· The Agreement was adopted by all 196 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at COP21 in Paris on 12 December 2015.
NATIONAL:
Joint Conference of CMs and Chief Justices of HCs on Sunday:
· A Joint Conference of Chief Justices of High Courts and Chief Ministers of States will be held this Sunday in New Delhi.
· This conference is held periodically to address pressing issues relating to the administration of justice in the country.
· The Joint Conference is an occasion for the executive and the judiciary to reaffirm their resolve to support a speedy, efficient and quality justice delivery.
· It also discusses steps required to surmount the various challenges facing the justice system.
· A comprehensive agenda on these issues has been drawn up for the Conference by the Government in consultation with the judiciary.
Three day Curtain Raiser International Yoga Fest inaugurated by Shri Shripad Yesso Naik :
· The three day International Yoga Fest: A Curtain Raiser for International Day of Yoga-2016 was inaugurated by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health & Family Welfare, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in New Delhi.
· Inaugurated by: Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health & Family Welfare, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik
· Organised by: Ministry of AYUSH
· Government decides Chandigarh to host International Yoga day.
Cabinet nod for amendments in Compensatory Afforestation Bill:
· The Union cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave nod to amend theCompensatory Afforestation Fund Bill-2015, that will enable the distribution of around 42,000 crore among all states to encourage them to plant forests.
‘Twitter Seva’: Modi government launches service to address issues of startups, exporters & importers
· The Commerce and Industry Ministry has launched a new service, ‘Twitter Seva’, to twitter seva address issues and grievances of startups, exporters and importers, and other stakeholders.
· A special Twitter cell has been created in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with a set of dedicated officers.
· The ministry would try to respond to the queries within 48 to 72 working hours.
· The queries on matters relating to Department of Commerce and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will be answered through this service.
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry – Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman
Government gives nod to run IISER at Tripati:
· Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) to function from a temporary campus in Tiruapati until its permanent campus is ready.
· The operationalization of the Insitute at Tirupati from the Academic Year of 2015-16 from IIEa temporary campus at an estimated cost of Rs. 137.30 crore for the initial three years.
· Union Government had decided to establish the IISER in the residual state of Andhra Pradesh after the telengana is carved out from the state.
· Andhra Pradesh government has earmarked 244 acres of land at Srinivasapuram, Pangur and Chindepalli villages of Yerpedu Mandal for construction of the permanent campus.
· The Site Selection Committee had recommended that the campus at Sree Rama Engineering College, Tirupati be used as a temporary campus as the construction will take some time.
Cabinet clears expansion of India-Chile trade agreement:
· Union Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has successfully accorded its approval for expansion of the India – Chile Preferential Trade Agreement.
· Agreement Includes
ü Import and Export of Products
ü Double taxation treaty particularly for Mining Sector
ü Help to increase our trade concentration
ü Several Opportunities to explore various sectors
ü Chile has offered concessions to India on 1,798 tariff lines and India has offered concessions to Chile on 1,031 tariff lines
India, China agree for peaceful negotiations to settle border issue:
· Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited china for the 19th round of boundary talks was supposed to be held in earlier this year, but it was postponed following the Pathankot terrorist attack.
· India and China agreed to go with peaceful negotiations to settle the hostile border issue and reach a fair and mutually acceptable solution by the sides.
· These negotiations were decided during the annual 19th round of boundary talks here between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to discuss the way forward to decide the dispute between the two nations.
· Both the sides had a deep and open discussion on the 3,488 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC), which remains undemarcated resulting in tensions in the border.
· The both nations set to properly manage differences and safeguard peace and tranquility in border areas.
Russia to sign helicopter contract with India:
· Russia will sign a joint manufacturing contract with India for 200 Ka-226T light utility multirole helicopters before the end of 2016, the head of the international cooperation department of Russian state technology corporation Rostec has said.
· An intergovernmental agreement for the same had been signed during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in December 2015.
1 crore LPG consumers gave up subsidy in a year:
· Over one crore LPG consumers have given up their cooking gas subsidies since Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Give-it-Up' campaign in March 2015, said oil ministry officials.
· The campaign urged those who could afford the market price to give up the subsidy, so the scheme could target the needy.
Uttarakhand High Court quashed imposition of President' Rule in the State:
· Uttarakhand High Court quashed the imposition of President' Rule in the state and revived the term of Congress Government headed by Harish Rawat.
· The court also asked Harish Rawat to prove his majority on 29 April 2016.
· The decision in this regard was passed by the two-judge bench of the Uttarakhand High Court comprising Chief Justice KM Joseph and Chief Justice BN Bisht.
Simhastha Kumbh mela 2016 begins in Ujjain:
· The month-long Simhastha Kumbh mela, the largest congregation of Hindus, began in Ujjain early this morning.
· Large number of people have converged in the holy city for the mela, held after a gap of every 12 years. Over five crore people, including seers, are expected to visit the city during the month.
· Estimated 50 lakh pilgrims will take first shahi snan on the opening day of month-long fair. A number of ghats have been made over 10 km along the Kshipra River for the fair starting from Triveni to Gaughat.
INTERNATIONAL:
Chinese President Xi Jinping is ‘commander in chief’ of China’s military:
· China’s President Xi Jinping has taken on a new military title, in his latest move to exert greater control over the armed forces.
· Mr Xi is now commander in chief of the military’s Joint Operations Command Centre.
· Mr Xi is already General Secretary of the Communist Party, and chair of the Central Military Commission, which manages the People’s Liberation Army.
Malaysia introduces e-visa for Indian tourists:
· The Malaysian government has introduced the Electronic Travel Authorization Visa (e-visa) for Indian tourists on a short visit to the country.
· This facility is available only to Indians who live in India and is valid for a single journey and a maximum of 30 days.
· The e-visa can be obtained within 24-48 hours and will be valid for three months.
Chadian President Idriss Deby wins fifth term:
· Chad's veteran leader Idriss Deby has won a fifth term in office after taking more than 60 per cent of the vote in the first round of presidential polls.
· The country's Electoral Commission said, Deby secured 61.56 per cent of votes in the polls, which was held on the 10th of this month.
· Opposition leader Saleh Kebzabo was a distant second on 12.8 per cent. Sixty-four year old Deby took first office in a 1990 military coup.
APPOINTMENTS:
Suresh Babu appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Mongolia
· Current Ambassador of India to Armenia T. Suresh Babu has elected as the country’s next Ambassador to Mongolia.
Mongolia:
ü Capital: Ulaanbaatar;
ü Currency: Mongolian tögrög
Saurabh Agarwal of StanChart joins Aditya Birla Group:
· Aditya Birla Group has appointed Saurabh Agarwal as head of corporate strategy.
· He was regional head of corporate finance, South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.
· Bhattacharya, the current group executive president-corporate strategy and business development will now head solar, online fashion and new initiatives.
RK Pachauri resigns from TERI Governing Council:
· Environmentalist RK Pachauri, accused of sexual harassment by his former women colleagues, has stepped down as a member of the Governing Council of TERI "to get engaged in other interests".
· The announcement comes amid recent media reports that TERI had decided to "sever" its association with Pachauri even though his employment contract expires in 2017.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Mahatma’s granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee gets French honour:
· Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee has been awarded with one of France’s highest honour.
· The Order of Arts and Letters for her contribution in promoting peace, solidarity, culture, education, and development.
· Bhattacharjee was conferred the Officier de l’Ordre des Arts etLettres (Order of Arts and Letters) honour by French Ambassador Francois Richier.
Google India awarded ‘most attractive employer’ in India, in Randstad Award 2016:
· In the 6th edition of Randstad Award 2016, Google India emerged as the most attractive employer for a second consecutive year followed by Mercedes-Benz in the second place.
· The sectoral specific special recognition awards this year was awarded.
TCS in UK’s Times Top 50 employers for women list:
· India’s largest IT services firm TCS has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading employers for women in a list published by The Times.
· Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had a formal Diversity & Inclusion corporate function since 2010 designed to provide strategic guidance and support for diversity programmes across the globe.
· TCS employs over 1,00,000 women globally, a third of its total workforce.
Zuckerberg in TIME's 100 most influential people:
· TIME magazine released its list of 100 most influential people which featured Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan.
· The couple has been described as curious, ambitious and bighearted by Bill and Melinda Gates in a testimonial for the magazine.
· The list also includes Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner.
Kim Jong Un in TIME's 100 most influential list:
· North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has been named in TIME Magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people.
· Other global leaders on the list are US President Barack Obama, US Presidential candidates Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Ted Cruz, Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Bansals in TIME's 100 most influential people:
· Flipkart's Co-founders Sachin and Binny Bansal have been featured in the list of TIME's 100 most influential people released.
· The Bansals started Flipkart in 2007 as an online bookstore by pooling in around $10,000. The e-commerce company is reportedly worth $13 billion today.
· In a testimony to TIME, Lev Grossman described them as hardheaded realists who dream big.
6 Indians in TIME's 100 most influential people:
· TIME released the list of 100 most influential people which featured six Indians including RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and actress Priyanka Chopra.
· Tennis ace Sania Mirza, environmentalist Sunita Narain along with Flipkart Co-founders Sachin and Binny Bansal were other Indians on the list.
· The list also featured Indian-origin Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
India world's top FDI destination in '15: Report
· India has overtaken China as the world's top destination for foreign direct investment by attracting greenfield capital investment worth $63 billion in 2015,according to FDI Intelligence, a division of The Financial Times.
· Greenfield investments are a form of FDI in which a company starts a venture in a foreign nation by setting up new operational facilities.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
ISRO Scientists made world’s lightest material ‘Silica Aerogel’:
· Scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, India’s premier rocket lab recently manufactured the world’s lightest material called silica aerogel or ‘blue air.’
· This material has excellent thermal resistance and if used as a filler in soldiers’ uniforms it can possibly help save many lives at the Siachen glacier.
· The material has uses both in space and on Earth.
· Silica Aerogel is the lightest synthetic material ever made by man.
Google to add live TV listings to search:
· Google announced that it will soon add live TV listings to its search engine.
· Along with timings, these listings will feature the apps where a particular show can be watched and the channels where it will be shown.
· The company said that this will also make it easier for networks to monetize their shows.
New method developed to predict Indian monsoon:
· German climate researchers said that they have developed a new method to more accurately predict the Indian monsoon.
· The team found their method to be more than 70% accurate in predicting the start of the monsoon, and over 80% accurate in predicting its withdrawal.
· "We can predict the beginning of the Indian monsoon two weeks earlier," researchers said.
Opera introduces free VPN into its browser:
· Norwegian technology company Opera Software has introduced free and unlimited Virtual Private Network (VPN) feature into its desktop browser, making it the first major browser to offer an integrated VPN.
· A VPN creates an encrypted connection over a less secure network. It can be used to improve public Wi-Fi security, hide user's IP address and bypasses certain website access restrictions.
Microsoft Translator app adds image translation:
· Microsoft updated its Translator app on Android to add support for image translation.
· Users can translate the text inside the pictures on their phones, with the translation appearing in an overlay above the existing text.
· The company said, “[Y]ou no longer need to type text or say foreign language phrases...when you see them written on signs, menus, flyers”.
SPORTS:
Vishnu Vardhan is first Asian Tennis Tour champion:
· Former national champion Vishnu Vardhan put his name into the record books by becoming the first champion of the Asian Tennis Tour (ATT) after he beat Sidharth Rawat by 7-6(7), 6-3 in the final of the $5,000 event at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi.
· It was a battle of wits even though only in the first set as top seed Vishnu keep back two set-points in the tie-break.
Leicester, Tottenham dominate PFA Team of 2016:
· The Professional Footballers' Association has announced their Team of the Year for 2016, and the selection was dominated by Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur players, with both teams having four players named.
· The entire team includes David de Gea, Héctor BellerÃn, Wes Morgan, Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, N'Golo Kanté, Dimitri Payet, Riyad Mahrez, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.
India to play their 1st day-night Test this year:
· India will play their first day-night Test against New Zealand later this year, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur confirmed.
· The Duleep trophy will serve as a dress rehearsal for the Test to consider factors including the behaviour of the Pink Kookaburra balls on Indian pitches and the dew factor.
· India's Test captain Virat Kohli had earlier welcomed the idea.
Olympic torch for Rio games lit in Greece:
· The Olympic torch for the upcoming Rio Olympic Games was lit at an ancient Greek site.
· The torch will be taken by various runners on an international relay which will be culminated at the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on August 5.
· This ritual was established 80 years ago, based on a ceremony in the ancient Olympia.
World Anti Doping Agency suspended Beijing's Anti-Doping laboratory for four months:
· World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended Beijing's National Anti-Doping laboratory for four months for failing to comply with international standards.
· WADA said in a statement that the suspension, which takes effect immediately, prohibits the laboratory from carrying out any WADA-related anti-doping activities.
· The laboratory has 21 days to appeal the decision to the court of Arbitration for Sport.
Sania-Martina move into doubles semis in Germany:
· Top seeded Sania Mirza of India and Martina Hingis of Switzerland have stormed into semifinals of Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament.
· They defeated Czech Republic pair of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-1,6-3 in doubles quarter-final match in Stuttgart, Germany today.
· Sania-Martina are now pitted against Sabine Lisicki of Germany and Lucie Safarova of Czech Repubolic in semi-final.
OBITUARY:
Chyna, Former WWE women’s champ, passes away
· Former WWE Women’s Champion, as well as former WWE Intercontinental Champion, Chyna (Real name: Joan Laurer) passed away.
· She was well-known for her reality shows like “The Surreal Life” and “Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew”.
· Chyna became the first woman in WWE history to participate in the Royal Rumble match, when she entered as the 30th entrant during the 1999 Royal Rumble match.
'James Bond' director Guy Hamilton passes away:
· English director Guy Hamilton, best known for directing four 'James Bond' movies, passed away aged 93 on Wednesday at a hospital in Spain.
· Born on September 16, 1922, Hamilton directed 22 films between the 1950s and the 1980s. The 'James Bond' films directed by him include 'Live and Let Die' (1973) and 'The Man with the Golden Gun' (1974).
Musician Prince Rogers Nelson dies aged 57:
· American singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Prince Rogers Nelson, popularly known as Prince, passed away aged 57 at his Paisley Park studio in Minnesota.
· His representative revealed that Prince had been battling a bad case of the flu, and had been hospitalised last week.
· His most popular works include the album 'Purple Rain' (1984), which won him an Oscar and two Grammys.
1. 22nd April : Earth Day
i. Each year, 22nd April is celebrated as Earth Day. This is an annual event which is celebrated all over the world to demonstrate support for environment protection.
iii. On this earth day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement is scheduled to be signed by the United States, India and some 120 other countries. This signing satisfies a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
2. Government's Twitter Seva To Address Grievances Of Startups
ii. It will respond to queries from start-ups, exporters and importer, and other stakeholders within 48 and 72 working hours.
iii. At the launch of the service, Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister said that queries on matters relating to Department of Commerce and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will be answered through this service.
3. President Mukherjee To Attend Khongjom Day In Manipur
ii. Khongjom day is observed on the 23rd April every year to pay rich tributes to the brave sons of Manipur who made supreme sacrifice for the cause of their motherland.
iii. Khongjom, which is under Thoubal district of the state and is about 36 kms from Imphal on the Indo-Myanmar road.
4. Department Of Disinvestment Is Now 'Dipam'
i. The Department of Disinvestment has been renamed as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management or 'Dipam'.
iii. The Dipam will work under Finance Ministry and it will deal with "all matters relating to management of central government investments in equity including disinvestment of equity in central public sector undertakings".
5. Dr. Harsh Vardhan Celebrates Earth Day By Inaugurating India’s 1st Cellulosic Alcohol Technology Demonstration Plant In Uttarakhand
i. Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated India’s 1st Second-Generation (2G) Ethanol plant today at Kashipur in Uttarakhand.
ii. Such technological breakthroughs can make India stand out as a leader in the world’s struggle to save the earth from challenges of global warming.
iii. It is a novel technology suited to both Indian & Global Needs and is projected to be capable of converting all types of agricultural residues like Bagasse, Rice Straw, Wheat Straw, Bamboo, Cotton Stalk, Corn Stover, Wood chips etc. to ethanol in less than 24 hours, with optimum product yields. If successfully operated and scaled-up, it will establish India as a major global technology provider in the arena of renewables and reduction in carbon-emissions, besides effecting considerable savings in import of crude-oil.
6. Six Indians In TIME’s 100 Most Influential People
i. TIME released the list of 100 most influential people on Thursday which featured six Indians including RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and actress Priyanka Chopra.ii. Tennis ace Sania Mirza, environmentalist Sunita Narain along with Flipkart Co-founders Sachin and Binny Bansal were other Indians on the list. The list also featured Indian-origin Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
iii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the probable contenders for the list, was not in the final list determined by Time’s editors. Modi was among Time’s 100 most influential people in the world last year.
7. Goa To Host International Seminar On Wheat Products
ii. The theme for this year’s seminar is ‘New Ideas and Innovation for Growth’.
iii. WPPS has been organizing a number of seminars for past many years on relevant themes concerning wheat value chain encompassing farm to plate.
8. Vistara And TCS Enter Into Strategic Partnership
i. Full service airline Vistara has entered into a strategic partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).ii. They have came into partnership for a broad range of information technology (IT) services, including application maintenance services and airport infrastructure support.
iii. Vistara is a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines. The carrier and TCS have entered into an agreement for a "long term strategic partnership".
9. TCS In Time's Top 50 Employers For Women In UK
i. A part of the Tata group and India's largest IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been recognized as one of the United Kingdom's leading employers for women in a list published by The Times.
iii. Presently, the company has employed over 1,00,000 women globally, a 3rd of its total workforce. TCS’ rank in The Times Top 50 is recognition of its continued drive to make gender equality a central part of its business strategy.
10. India Replaces China As Top FDI Destination In 2015: FDI Intelligence Report
i. According to FDI Intelligence Report India has replaced China as the top Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) destination by attracting $63 billion worth FDI projects in 2015.
ii. FDI Intelligence is a division of international media company – The Financial Times Limited.
iii. India was the highest-ranked country by capital investment in the year 2015, with 63 billion dollars-worth of FDI projects announced. It was the biggest change in Greenfield FDI in 2015 was near tripling with an estimated 63 billion dollars.
11. Mahatma Gandhi’s Granddaughter Tara Gandhi Gets Top French Honour
i. Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee was on Wednesday conferred with the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France’s top honours.
iii. On behalf of the French President Bhattacharjee, 82, was conferred the Officier de lOrdre des Arts et Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) honour here late last evening by French Ambassador Francois Richier. Some noted Indian recipients of this honour in the past include Bharti Kher, Shahrukh Khan, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Aishwarya Rai and Upamanyu Chatterjee.
12. Harriet Tubman To Be First African-American On US Currency
i. Anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman will become the first African-American on the face of US paper currency.
ii. She also became the first woman in more than a century, when she replaces former President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.
iii. The US Treasury Department said that Tubman, who was born into slavery in the early 1820s and went on to help hundreds of slaves escape, would take the centre spot on the bill, while Jackson, a slave owner, would move to the back.
13. Renowned Music Legend Prince Has Passed Away
i. The American music superstar Prince Rogers Nelson has passed away. He was 57 year old.
iii. He won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and earned 30 nominations. He also won an Oscar for the song score "Purple Rain".
1. Idriss Deby elected as Chadian President for the fifth time
1. Idriss Deby was elected as the President of Chad. With this, Deby became the incumbent President with fifth term in office in a lopsided first-round victory.
2. In the 2016 election, Idriss Deby of Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) party secured the 61.56 percent of the vote in the first-round runoff.
2. Anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman to become first African-American to appear on US paper currency
1. The U.S. Treasury Department announced that the image of an American abolitionist and anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman will appear on a new series of US $20 bills.
2. With this, Tubman will become the first African-American and the first woman in more than a century to appear on U.S. paper currency.
3. Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, to appear as the portrait gracing the US $20 bill.
3. China, Pakistan ink agreement to launch satellite to monitor CPEC projects
1. China and Pakistan have signed an agreement for the launch of a special satellite to monitor the development of the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
2. In this regard, both countries have decided for development and launch of the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) System and launch a satellite in June 2018.
4. SC stays Uttarakhand HC’s order revoking President’s rule in Uttarakhand
1. The Supreme Court has stayed the judgement of the Uttarakhand High Court quashing the imposition of President’s rule imposed under Article 356 in the Constitution till April 27, 2016.
2. With this President rule has been again restored in Uttarakhand as the High Court judgement will be kept in abeyance till the next date of hearing of SC. The apex court stay order came after the Union Government had moved the Court against the Uttarakhand High Court verdict quashing President’s rule in the state.
5. 22 April: Earth Day
1. Every year Earth Day is being observed on the 22nd April to build support for environmental protection around the world. This year is 46th anniversary of Earth Day.
2. It recognises that Earth and its ecosystems provide its inhabitants with life and sustenance. It also aims to raise awareness that humans have a collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature and to balance the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations.
3. Theme: ‘Trees for the Earth!’. The theme signifies that trees are crucial for combating climate change as they absorb harmful levels of Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
6. Hollywood movie director Guy Hamilton died
1. Veteran Movie director Guy Hamilton, who directed four hugely popular James Bond films, passed away in a hospital on the Spanish island of Mallorca. He was 93.
2. He was popularly known for raising the profile of the Bond movie brand through his work with actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore.
7. Comedian Victoria Wood passed away
1. Famous comedian, singer and writer Victoria Wood died on 20 April 2016 due to cancer. She was 62.
2. Born on 19 May 1953, Wood was an English comedian, actress, singer and songwriter, screenwriter and director. She wrote and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live comedy act was interspersed with her own compositions, which she performed on piano.
8. Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched Twitter Seva
1. The Commerce and Industry Ministry launched a service named Twitter Seva to address issues and grievances of startups, exporters and importers, and other stakeholders.
2. For this, an institutionalised mechanism with a special Twitter cell has been created in the ministry manned by a set of dedicated officers of the ministry.
Key highlights of Twitter Seva
• Queries on matters relating to Department of Commerce and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will be answered through this service.
• The ministry will try to respond to the queries within 48 to 72 working hours.
• In particular, queries regarding the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Directorate General of supplies and Disposals, SEZs, tea, coffee, rubber, spices, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) will be addressed by the ministry.
9. India replaces China as top FDI destination in 2015: FDI Intelligence Report
1. According to FDI Intelligence Report India has replaced China as the top Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) destination by attracting $63 billion worth FDI projects in 2015. FDI Intelligence is a division of international media company – The Financial Times Limited.
2. India was the highest-ranked country by capital investment in the year 2015, with 63 billion dollars-worth of FDI projects announced. It was the biggest change in Greenfield FDI in 2015 was near tripling with an estimated 63 billion dollars.
3. Top destination states for FDI in 2015 in India: Gujarat was on top which had attracted $12.4 billion. Maharashtra was second attracting $8.3 billion respectively in 2015.
10. Union Government renames Department of Disinvestment as DIPAM
1. Union Government has renamed as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). In this regard, the Union Finance Ministry has issued notification. The renaming decision aims at proper management of Central government’s investments in equity and also its disinvestment proceeds in central public sector undertakings (PSUs).
2. DIPAM will work under Union Finance Ministry. It has been mandated to advise the Union Government in the matters of financial restructuring of PSUs and also for attracting investment through capital markets.
