IMPORTANT DAYS:
World Book and Copyright Day
· World Book Capital 2016: Wroclaw, Poland
· Day was mainly chosen on basis that notable authors like Cervantes,Shakesphere, Garcilasco, who passed away on this day.
English Language Day
· Aims to entertain and inform people about the history, culture and achievements associated with the language.
NATIONAL:
Rajnath Singh chairs High Level Committee meeting for Central assistance to Karnataka, Puducherry and Arunachal Pradesh affected by drought and floods:
· The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting attended by various portfolio of Ministers of the High Level Committee (HLC) has granted a Central Assistance of Rs 842.7 crore to Karnataka, Puducherry and Arunachal Pradesh affected by drought and floods.
· The proposals from the Union government is based on the report of the Central Team which visited Karnataka, affected by drought, and Puducherry and Arunachal Pradesh affected by floods.
· The committee approved the assistance Karnataka will get the tune of Rs 723.23crore while Rs 35.14 crore for Puducherry and Rs 84.33 crore for Arunachal Pradesh.
· The center’s assistance of Rs 84.33 crore to Arunachal Pradesh includes Rs.18.00 crore under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).
PM to launch Rs 8K cr scheme for free LPG connections to poor:
· Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on May 1 launch an ambitious Rs 8,000 crore scheme to provide 5 crore free LPG connections to BPL families using the money saved from 1.13 crore cooking gas users voluntarily giving up their subsidies.
· Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on May 1 and do a repeat function at Dahod in Gujarat on May 15.
· Though ‘Give-it-Up’ campaign seeking the well-heeled to voluntarily surrender cooking gas subsidies for one year was launched in January, 2015, Modi on March 27 last year officially launched the programme.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to start first holiday homes for Jawans:
· The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has decided to build exclusive holiday homes for its jawans.
· ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary laid the foundation stone for the first holiday home in Mussoorie.
· ITBP jawans reportedly can stay at the holiday homes with their families for 200 a night.
· This is the first such initiative by any paramilitary force.
Delhi government announces 'Premium Bus Service':
· The Delhi government announced ‘Premium Bus Service’, which will work on the lines of app-based taxi aggregators.
· The service, under which only air-conditioned buses with CCTV cameras and Wi-Fi will ply, targets the “elite class” and will have higher fare than normal buses.
· Further, it is expected to become operational from mid-June, Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said.
Government sets up panel for doubling farm income:
· The government has set up a panel to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
· The 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.
Manipur observes Khongjom Day today:
· Manipur observes Khongjom Day today.
· The Day is observed every year remembering the war heroes of Anglo-Manipur War, 1891 who had sacrificed their lives fighting against the British to protect freedom of Manipur.
· President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest at the main function of the observation to be held at Khebaching of Khongjom in Thoubal District.
· In the afternoon, President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the newly constructed Khongjom War Monument at Khebaching.
· State Governor V. Shanmuganathan, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, other ministers and MLAs of the state will also attend the inaugural function of the war monument.
Government sets up panel over central excise duty on jewellery:
· Government has set-up a Sub Committee to interact with the trade and industry on the imposition of Central Excise Duty on jewellery.
· The Committee to be headed by former Chief Economic Advisor Ashok Lahiri will consider all issues related to compliance procedure for excise duty, operating procedures and all other relevant issues.
· The trade associations and industry bodies will be given an opportunity to submit their representations before the sub-committee in writing.
· The release said, all communications in this regard may be sent to high level committee@gmail.com or by post to the Office of the High Level Committee.
Centre to provide plastic park to Andhra Pradesh:
· Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananta Kumar said that Andhra Pradesh would be the plastic hub in a short while from now and that the Centre would provide a plastic park to the State with Rs.1000 crore.
· The new CIPET campus would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 50.73 crore and spread over an area of 12.04 acres.
· CIPET Vijayawada had already commenced courses from its rented building in Kanur in Vijayawada since August 2015.
· At present, it is offering one-month, two-month, three-month and six-month skill development training programmes.
· CIPET is aiming to make 6.2 lakh plastic technology engineers and technicians ready in the next 3-4 years.
Prime Minister to address Panchayati Raj Sammelan in Jamshedpur tomorrow:
· Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Panchayati Raj Sammelan on the Occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand on Sunday.
· On the occasion, he will also give away prestigious awards to states like Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Sikkim, which have devolved maximum powers to Panchayats so far.
· Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, will get awards for having made the maximum progress in aligning their laws to Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act 1996. This award is being given for the first time.
Piyush Goyal with French Environment Minister launch programmes under International Solar Alliance (ISA):
· Power Minister Piyush Goyal along with French Environment Minister and President of COP21 Ségolène Royal has launched programmes under International Solar Alliance ISA at New York.
· Ministers and Representatives from over 25 countries participated in event.
· The ministers during the meet agreed to take concerted action through targeted programmes launched on voluntary basis, to better harmonize and aggregate the demand for solar finance, mature solar technologies and future.
· While announcing the programmes, Mr Goyal expressed his confidence that these programmes will serve the interests of the farming communities in the prospective ISA member countries and ensure that there is sufficient flow of affordable finance for solar projects.
Talgo train trials to be held by Indian Railways:
· Existing coaches on Rajdhani and Shatabdi express trains may be replaced if trials with Talgo trains prove successful, according to a Railways official quoted by India Today.
· Their average speed can be 50% higher than the Rajdhani and Shatabdi express trains, the official said. Further, the railways could reportedly save at least 1 crore per coach on manufacturing.
INTERNATIONAL:
171 nations sign historic climate deal at UN:
171 nations sign historic climate deal at UN:
· At least 171 nations, including India, on Friday signed the Paris climate agreement at the UN headquarters.
· The pact, negotiated last year, is aimed at reducing carbon emissions to combat global warming.
· The signing ceremony set the record for the most countries to sign an international treaty on one day, previously set in 1982, when 119 countries signed an agreement.
Obama may be 1st US Prez to visit Hiroshima:
· According to reports, United States President Barack Obama may 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.
Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to visit India next month:
· Nepal's first woman President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will pay an official visit to India next month in her first overseas trip after assuming charge.
· External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that Ms. Bhandari will be here at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee and India is looking forward to welcoming her.
· Mr. Swarup also said that Foreign Minister of Mongolia L Purevsuren will pay an official visit to India from April 27-29 during which he will co-chair the 5th India-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation, along with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
India ratifies WTO trade facilitation agreement:
· India said it has formally ratified the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), aimed at easing customs procedures to boost commerce.
· India is the 76th WTO member to accept the TFA, which will come into force once two-thirds of the 162 members ratify it.
· According to WTO, TFA can increase annual global merchandise exports by $1 trillion.
US to buy heavy water from Iran's nuke programme:
· United States officials said that the US will buy heavy water from Iran's nuclear programme.
· The 32 metric tonnes of heavy water that the US is buying, worth $8.6 million, is expected to be delivered within weeks.
· Heavy water is used in nuclear weapon and energy technology and Iran needs to reduce its stock under the nuclear deal.
Japan 4th nation ever to test own stealth jet:
· Japan tested its own stealth plane to become the fourth nation in the world to test stealth jets.
· Japan's Defence Ministry said that the X-2 stealth jet, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, took off from the Nagoya airfield in central Japan.
· This comes as Japanese PM Shinzo Abe pushed for strengthening the country's military, amid regional tensions.
Cuba removes ban on Cubans entering or leaving the country by sea:
· Cuba has removed a ban on Cubans entering or leaving the country by sea, clearing the way for a resumption of cruises from the US.
· The Cold War era rule previously stipulated that Cubans could only enter or leave by plane. Cruise operator Carnival has been given permission by both governments to run ships between Florida and Cuba.
· But the restriction meant it could not take bookings from Americans of Cuban origin. That led to protests and the company said it would postpone its cruises unless Cuba changed its entry policy.
· The first US cruise to Cuba in 50 years is due to set sail from Miami on 1 May with up to 704 passengers on board.
· Last month Barack Obama became only the second US president in history to visit Cuba, after Washington and Havana restored diplomatic relations last year.
APPOINTMENTS:
Mary Kom, Swamy among 6 nominated to Rajya Sabha:
· President Pranab Mukherjee approved the nomination of six 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 Dasgupta, former BJP MP and cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi and economist Narendra Jadhav were the others to be nominated.
Centrum Group appoints Jaspal Bindra as new chairman:
· Centrum group, one of the largest domestic financial services company appointed Jaspal Bindra, ex-Asia Pacific CEO Standard Chartered Bank, as its new Executive Chairman.
· He will succeed Chandir Gidwani who will continue to be the main promoter.
BANKING :
SIDBI clears 1,000 Crore for early-stage startups:
· The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) sanctioned 1,000 crore to 30 venture funds through the government-financed India Aspiration Fund for funding early-stage startups.
· The proposals which were sanctioned include IvyCap Ventures, Blume Ventures and Exfinity Venture Partners.
· SIDBI will provide these funds about 15-20% of their total investment in startups.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Anti Slavery Crusader Harriet Tubman to be first African-American on US Dollar:
· US Paper Currency will bear the prestigious Anti-Slavery crusader Harriet Tubman who is African-American and the first woman in History.
· She replaces former President Andrew Jackson on the $20 currency.
· Tubman who born in 1820 and helped hundreds of slaves and take the centre spot on the currency whereas Jackson, a slave owner would print to the back explained by US Treasury Department.
Indian documentary wins bronze medal New York Festivals:
· Miditech’s Undercover Asia: Girls for Sale has won a bronze world medal at the New York Festivals World’s Best Film & TV Awards in the Social Issues category.
· Undercover Asia: Girls for Sale talks about anti-trafficking activist Rishi Kant’s search for two minor girls, who have been abducted.
Radhika Apte wins best actress award at Tribeca Festival:
· Bollywood actress Radhika Apte has bagged the best actress in an international narrative feature honour at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival for her performance in anthology film ‘Madly‘.
· The 30-year-old actress starred in ‘Clean Shaven‘, which is a segment of ‘Madly‘.
· Madly is a mixture of six short stories, directed by different directors. The movie also stars Satyadeep Misra.
· The award for best US narrative feature went to ‘Dean‘, written and directed by Demteri Martin.
· ‘Junction 48‘ was honoured with the best international narrative feature award.
· The award for the best actor in a US narrative feature film went to Dominic Rains (‘The Fixer’), while Mackenzie Davis’ performance in “Always Shine” earned her the best actress.
Dadasaheb Phalke Foundation to award Bajpayee:
· Actor Manoj Bajpayee is set to be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award in the Best Actor category (Critics’ Choice) for his performance as a homosexual professor in the biographical drama, 'Aligarh'.
· The film's director Hansal Mehta made the announcement on Twitter.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Mahindra & Mahindra becomes first Indian company to join EP100 campaign:
· Mumbai based Mahindra & Mahindra has become the first Indian company to join a global energy campaign headed by an international non-profit group that will work with the world’s most influential businesses in setting commitments to double their energy productivity.
· The decision comes a day before Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra will represent the corporate world at the high-level signing ceremony of the historic Paris climate change agreement at the United Nations.
· On the‘EP100’ campaign led by The Climate Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of tractors has committed to doubling their energy productivity by 2030 on a baseline of 2005.
· The company is on a pipeline to make a strong contribution towards achieving the climate goals agreed upon at COP21.
Google most influential brand in India, Flipkart 7th:
· According to the study by global research firm Ipsos, Google ranks on the top and is followed by Facebook, Gmail, Microsoft and Samsung in the top five — all of which are foreign brands.
· While another foreign brand WhatsApp is sixth on the India’s top 10 most influential brands, Flipkart is the top ranked Indian brand at seventh place.
· The other two Indian brands on the list – SBI and Airtel– are ninth and tenth, US based Amazon is placed at number eight.
Uber China to use selfies to detect fake drivers:
· Starting next month, Uber China will launch a new feature on the driver's app that will use selfies to make sure only registered drivers are driving the cars.
· Uber has tied up with Face-Plus-Plus, a software that will run facial recognition checks on drivers at random times.
· The move is aimed to prevent drivers from faking accounts and rides.
RCom and RJio to share spectrum in 9 circles:
· The Department of Telecom has allowed Reliance Communications to share spectrum with Reliance Jio in nine circles, a regulatory filing said.
· 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.
World's fastest SUV launched in India at 3.85crore:
· British luxury car manufacturer, Bentley launched the world's fastest and most expensive SUV, the Bentayga in India - with prices starting at 3.85 crore.
· It is powered by a 6.0-litre, twin turbo W12 engine that produces 600 bhp of power.
· The SUV does 0-100 kmph in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 301 kmph.
'India to be 2nd largest smartphone market':
· India is expected to overtake the US as the second largest smartphone market by 2017, according to a report by financial services firm Morgan Stanley.
· Further, India's smartphone market will grow at a compounded annual rate of 23% through 2018 to 192 million units (11% of global units), nearly five times faster than the largest smartphone market, China, it added.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
NASA successfully tests 3D-printed rocket engine:
· NASA has successfully tested a 3D-printed rocket engine turbopump, with liquid methane as fuel, for its future Mars mission, the space agency said.
· Notably, 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.
Microsoft, Google to drop regulatory complaints:
· Google and Microsoft recently reached an agreement under which the two firms will drop all pending regulatory complaints against each other across the globe.
· The two also agreed to try to settle any future issues among themselves before involving the regulators.
· Notably, Microsoft had first filed a complaint against Google in 2015, alleging it of anti-competitive search business practices.
Vistara partners with TCS for IT services:
· Gurgaon-based airline Vistara has entered into a strategic partnership with software services firm TCS for a range of IT services, including application maintenance services and airport infrastructure support.
· The two entities would also develop digital solutions which can be taken to other airlines, Vistara said.
· Vistara is a joint venture between conglomerate Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.
SPORTS:
Jitu Rai finishes sixth at Rio shooting World Cup:
· Indian ace shooter Jitu Rai ended with sixth spot in the men’s 50m pistol event on the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup being held at Rio de Janeiro.
· Indian shooter who is the world number one in the event, eligible for the finals in fourth position, shooting a score of 563.
· He was eventually eliminated after the 12th shot to claim sixth spot. Earlier his team mate Prakash Nanjappa had finished 19th in qualification with a score of 556.
· The Winners: OlehOmelchuk of Ukraine won the gold in the event. And Wang Zhiwei of China took the bronze medal with 169.7 points.
BCCI waives $42m penalty on West Indies board:
· BCCI president Shashank Manohar said the board has waived off the $41.97 million fine imposed on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for abandoning the 2014 tour to India mid-way.
Pankaj Advani in semi-final of Asian Snooker Championship:
· India's ace cueist Pankaj Advani has sailed into the semi-finals of the Asian Snooker Championship 2016.
· In the event being played at Doha, Qatar, Advani ousted Syrian player Karam Fatima, scoring five frames to nil.
· Advani will now take on Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn of Thailand in the last four stage.
7-year-old to be 1st Indian at World Kickboxing:
· Tajamul Islam, a seven-year-old girl from Kashmir's Bandipora district, is set to become the first Indian to participate in the World Kickboxing Championship.
· Tajamul, who was adjudged as Jammu and Kashmir's best fighter in 2014, won Gold at the National Kickboxing Championship last year to book a spot in this year's World Championship, to be held in Italy in November
Bhupendra Kainthola is new FTII director
i. Bhupendra Kainthola, an Indian Information Service (IIS) officer of 1989 batch, has been appointed as the new Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
ii. The Directorate of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued an order to this effect on Saturday. This appointment process, which commenced in February 2015, took over a year to finish.
iii. Since D J Narain, former institute director, completed his term in July 2015, the post was being occupied by a part-timer, Prashant Pathrabe, a director with the Press Information Bureau for last nine months.
iv. A great part of Pathrabe’s tenure went into handling the agitation by students’ to oppose appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as Chairman of institute’s Governing Council.
v. Kainthola, who holds a Masters in International Relations from the University of Mumbai, is presently serving as Director (News Room) with DD News since January 2015 and has been responsible for ‘management of news operations and output’.
vi.Previously, he has worked with PIB, Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP), Directorate of Film Festival (as Director, National Film Awards and Indian Panorama) and Lok Sabha Television.
India signs climate pact along with over 170 states at UN
i. India today signed the historic Paris climate agreement here along with more than 170 nations, marking a significant step that has brought together developing and developed nations for beginning work on cutting down greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming.
ii. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar signed the agreement in the UN General Assembly hall at a high-level ceremony hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The ceremony was attended by heads of government, ministers, corporate leaders and artists.
iii. At 175 nations, the signing ceremony for the climate agreement set the record for the most countries to sign an international agreement on one day, previously set in 1982, when 119 countries signed the Law of the Sea Convention.
iv. The agreement can enter into force 30 days after at least 55 Parties to the UNFCCC, accounting for at least 55 per cent of global emissions, ratify the agreement.
Uber partners with FICCI, Gujarat Tourism for soft skill training
i. Cab aggregator, Uber has entered into a partnership with Gujarat Tourism and FICCI in Ahmedabad city to facilitate training for Uber driver-partners.
ii. The training is designed and conducted by Ace Driving & Road Safety Education Pvt Ltd on areas of Safe Driving and Interpersonal Skills of the drivers, in order to improve the overall rider experience in Gujarat.
iii. According to a statement from Uber, the training will be conducted on an ongoing basis and will be optional for all Uber driver-partners. All drivers who attend the training will be certified by FICCI and Gujarat Tourism under their program, it added.
iv. The first such training took place on March 30 2016 with over 40 Uber driver-partners attending the session, which covered some of the topics like Safety and Regulations, Interpersonal Skills With Co-Passengers, Drivers etiquette, Correct seating posture, Proper attitude towards riders and customers, do’s and don’ts while dealing with riders, taking proper care of the vehicle and himself (hygiene), precautions for lady passengers and management of emergency situations among others.
PM To Launch Rs. 8,000 crore Scheme For Free LPG Connections To Poor
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1 will launch Rs. 8,000 crore scheme to provide 5 crore free LPG connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families using the money saved from 1.13 crore cooking gas users voluntarily giving up their subsidies.
ii. The scheme is called Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and Mr. Modi will be launching it on May 1 at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh and Dahod in Gujarat on May 15.
iii. Maharashtra tops the list with 16.44 lakh consumers giving up subsidies, then Uttar Pradesh where nearly 13 lakh users gave up subsidies, followed by Delhi with 7.26 lakh people giving up subsidies.
iv. Prime Minister’s home state Gujarat was way down the list with just 4.2 lakh giving up subsidies. In Odisha around 1.3 lakh people gave up subsidies.
v. The Government had launched the ‘GiveItUp’ campaign which was aimed at motivating LPG users who can afford to pay the market price for LPG to voluntarily surrender their LPG subsidy.
World Book and Copyright Day:23rd April
i. World Book Day is an annual event celebrated every year by the people all over the world on 23rd of April. It is the most important event organized annually by the UNESCO in order to promote the reading, publishing and copyright among the public worldwide.
ii. Generally, it is celebrated by the authors, illustrators and to encourage reading among common public. Copyright is a big issue in the world of books and writing, there is always a focus on the issue on the World Book Day. Therefore, in many parts of the world, this day is also known as the World Book and Copyright Day.
iii. The date is decided by UNESCO as it was also the death and birth anniversary of William Shakespeare, a world famous English poet, playwright, and actor.
Jitu Rai finishes sixth at Shooting World Cup
i. Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai finished sixth in the men's 50m pistol event on the fifth day of the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup being held at the Olympic Shooting Centre in Rio de Janeiro.
ii. Jitu, who is the world number one in the event, qualified for the finals in fourth position, shooting a score of 563.
iii. In the other event, the men's Double Trap, Indian youngster Ankur Mittal led the qualifications till the third round with 30 shots each, only to see his hopes of making the finals fade away after shooting scores of 23 and 24 in the last two rounds.
Hong Kong's Irfan Ahmed suspended for two years and six months
i. The ICC has suspended Hong Kong allrounder Irfan Ahmed for two years and six months after he admitted to breaching the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. Ahmed has accepted the suspension and waived his right to appeal.
ii. The allrounder was charged under Article 2.4.2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code which states, "Failing to disclose to the ACU (without undue delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the Anti-Corruption Code."
iii. The 26-year-old Ahmed has played six ODIs since his debut in 2008, as well as eight T20Is, the last of which was in July 2015. He had been in the top bracket for centrally contracted cricketers in Hong Kong in 2014-15, but was not retained for the 2015-16 season.
BCCI To Host First Day-Night Test Against New Zealand This Year
i. BCCI is all set to host its first-ever day and night cricket Test with the pink ball during New Zealand tour to India.
ii. India will host New Zealand in a day-night Test match to be played with a pink ball.
iii. Before that Duleep Trophy will act as a dress rehearsal for the day-night Test match
iv. The main objective of the Duleep Trophy will be to check how the pink kookaburra behaves under the light in sub-continental conditions.
1. Mahindra became first Indian company to join EP100 campaign
1. Mahindra & Mahindra became the first Indian company to join a global energy campaign, EP100, led by an international non-profit group. The Climate Group. It will work with the world's most influential businesses in setting commitments to double their energy productivity.
2. Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra represented the corporate world at the high-level signing ceremony of the historic Paris climate change agreement at the United Nations on 22 April 2016.
3. Mahindra will be among the dignitaries, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, French President François Hollande, President of the General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft and UN Messenger of Peace Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.
2. President nominates 6 eminent members to Rajya Sabha
1. President Pranab Mukherjee has nominated of six eminent members to Rajya Sabha as per the provisions of Article 80 of the Constitution.
These nominated members are
1. Mary Kom: Legendary boxer and Olympic bronze medallist. She belongs to the Sino-Tibetan speaking Kom tribe of Manipur. She is five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. In 2014, she became the first Indian woman boxer to get a gold medal in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
2. Narendra Jadhav: He is renowned economist and former member of the erstwhile National Advisory Council (2010-14) and Planning Commission (2009-14). He is also the former vice-chancellor of Pune University.
3. Suresh Gopi: He is Malayalam actor and had acted in over 200 films. He is a winner of the National Film Award and Filmfare Award.
4. Swapan Dasgupta: He is journalist by profession. He had worked at senior editorial positions in various publications including The Indian Express, India Today and The Times of India.
5. Subramanian Swamy: He is BJP leader and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977, 1980 and 1988, and to the Rajya Sabha in 1974 and 1998.
6. Navjot Singh Sidhu: He is cricketer-turned-politician and former two time member of Lok Sabha.
3. India signed Paris climate agreement along with other 174 nations at UN
1. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on 22 April 2016 signed the historic Paris climate agreement along with other 174 nations at a high-level ceremony hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York.
2. The agreement will mark as a significant step that brings developing and developed nations together to combat global warming by working to cut down greenhouse gas emissions.
Special features of the Agreement
• At 175 nations, the signing ceremony for the climate agreement set the record for the most countries to sign an international agreement on one day while previous one set in 1982, when 119 countries signed the Law of the Sea Convention.
• The signing is the first step toward ensuring that the agreement comes into force as soon as possible.
• After the signing, countries must take the further national (or domestic) step of accepting or ratifying the agreement.
• The agreement will come into force 30 days after at least 55 Parties to the UNFCCC ratify the agreement which accounts at least 55 per cent of global emissions.
4. Bhupendra Kainthola appointed FTII Director
1. Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra Kainthola has been appointed as Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Kainthola will replace Prashant Pathrabe and shall have tenure of three years.
2. He is a 1989 batch IIS officer. Prior to this appointment he was serving as Director (News Room) with DD News since January 2015. He was responsible for ‘management of news operations and output’. Previously, he has worked with PIB, Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP), Directorate of Film Festival (as Director, National Film Awards and Indian Panorama) and also with the Lok Sabha Television. Kainthola holds a Masters in International Relations from the University of Mumbai’.
5. Manoj Bajpayee to receive Dadasaheb Phalke award for 'Aligarh'
1. Acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the Best Actor category (Critics’ Choice) for his performance in Hansal Mehta’s biographical drama, “Aligarh”.
1. Mahindra & Mahindra became the first Indian company to join a global energy campaign, EP100, led by an international non-profit group. The Climate Group. It will work with the world's most influential businesses in setting commitments to double their energy productivity.
2. Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra represented the corporate world at the high-level signing ceremony of the historic Paris climate change agreement at the United Nations on 22 April 2016.
3. Mahindra will be among the dignitaries, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, French President François Hollande, President of the General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft and UN Messenger of Peace Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.
2. President nominates 6 eminent members to Rajya Sabha
1. President Pranab Mukherjee has nominated of six eminent members to Rajya Sabha as per the provisions of Article 80 of the Constitution.
These nominated members are
1. Mary Kom: Legendary boxer and Olympic bronze medallist. She belongs to the Sino-Tibetan speaking Kom tribe of Manipur. She is five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. In 2014, she became the first Indian woman boxer to get a gold medal in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
2. Narendra Jadhav: He is renowned economist and former member of the erstwhile National Advisory Council (2010-14) and Planning Commission (2009-14). He is also the former vice-chancellor of Pune University.
3. Suresh Gopi: He is Malayalam actor and had acted in over 200 films. He is a winner of the National Film Award and Filmfare Award.
4. Swapan Dasgupta: He is journalist by profession. He had worked at senior editorial positions in various publications including The Indian Express, India Today and The Times of India.
5. Subramanian Swamy: He is BJP leader and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977, 1980 and 1988, and to the Rajya Sabha in 1974 and 1998.
6. Navjot Singh Sidhu: He is cricketer-turned-politician and former two time member of Lok Sabha.
3. India signed Paris climate agreement along with other 174 nations at UN
1. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on 22 April 2016 signed the historic Paris climate agreement along with other 174 nations at a high-level ceremony hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York.
2. The agreement will mark as a significant step that brings developing and developed nations together to combat global warming by working to cut down greenhouse gas emissions.
Special features of the Agreement
• At 175 nations, the signing ceremony for the climate agreement set the record for the most countries to sign an international agreement on one day while previous one set in 1982, when 119 countries signed the Law of the Sea Convention.
• The signing is the first step toward ensuring that the agreement comes into force as soon as possible.
• After the signing, countries must take the further national (or domestic) step of accepting or ratifying the agreement.
• The agreement will come into force 30 days after at least 55 Parties to the UNFCCC ratify the agreement which accounts at least 55 per cent of global emissions.
4. Bhupendra Kainthola appointed FTII Director
1. Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra Kainthola has been appointed as Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Kainthola will replace Prashant Pathrabe and shall have tenure of three years.
2. He is a 1989 batch IIS officer. Prior to this appointment he was serving as Director (News Room) with DD News since January 2015. He was responsible for ‘management of news operations and output’. Previously, he has worked with PIB, Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP), Directorate of Film Festival (as Director, National Film Awards and Indian Panorama) and also with the Lok Sabha Television. Kainthola holds a Masters in International Relations from the University of Mumbai’.
1. Acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the Best Actor category (Critics’ Choice) for his performance in Hansal Mehta’s biographical drama, “Aligarh”.
