MPORTANT DAYS:
World Intellectual Property Day 2016 observed globally:
· The World Intellectual Property Day 2016 was on 26 April 2016 observed across the world with the theme Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined
· The day is celebrated to spread awareness about the role that intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright) play in encouraging innovation and creativity.
World Immunization Week 2016 organised with campaign Close the immunization gap:
· World Immunization Week 2016 is being organised across the globe between 24 April and 30 April 2016.
· The week’s campaign is ‘Close the Immunization Gap’ and it seeks to achieve global vaccination targets by 2020.
· This will be the second year of the Close the Immunization Gap campaign.
· The 2016 campaign additionally stresses the need for immunization among adolescents and adults - throughout life.
· During World Immunization Week 2016, WHO will highlight the recent gains in immunization coverage, and outlines further steps needed to meet global vaccination targets by 2020 set in WHO’s Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP).
NATIONAL:
Heart of Asia conference begins today in New Delhi :
· Heart of Asia (HoA) conference begins today in New Delhi. The conference is with the objective of bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan and speeding up its reconstruction with a focus on enhancing investment and connectivity to the country.
· The conference to be attended by officials of a number of countries including Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, is likely to deliberate on a host of issues like combating challenge of extremism and terrorism.
· India hosted the senior officials Meeting of the Istanbul process in January 2014 in New Delhi and is set to host the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the HoA Process in the last quarter of this year.
Army Commanders Conference begins in New Delhi:
· The Army Commander’s six-day Conference begins today in New Delhi
· To appraise current and emerging strategic security scenario, review of operational preparedness of the Indian Army and aspects pertaining to training, administration, military technology and force modernisation.
· Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurates the conference at the Manekshaw Convention Centre in the NCR.
· Chairperson of the Conference : Chief of the Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh Suhag
India lays foundation for final phase of Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka:
· India lays foundation stone for 4000 houses under the third and final phase of Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka.
· High Commissioner of India, Y.K.Sinha, and Minister of Infrastructure and Community Development, Palani Digambaram jointly laid the foundation stone for the third phase of the Indian Housing Project at Dunsinane Estate in Nuwara Eliya District.
Nomadic Elephant- 2016: 11th Indo-Mongolia joint military training exercise commence:
· The 11th Indo-Mongolia joint training exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant -2016′commenced today at Mongolia. Nomadic Elephant- 2016
· To develop synergy and inter operability between the two armies to fight in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism environment
· India – A platoon of the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army along with a team of two observers
· Mangolia – 60 personnel from the Mongolian Armed Forces
Lok Sabha passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016:
· The Lok Sabha passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bill – already passed by the Rajya Sabha on 16 March 2016 – seeks to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 with effect from 8 October 2003.
· It proposes removal of an exception made for Sahajdharis in 1944 that allowed them to vote in elections for the Board and committees instituted under the Act.
· The 1925 Act provided that every Sikh who is above 21 years of age and is registered as a voter will be entitled to vote in the elections to the SGPC and management committees. However, no person who trims or shaves his beard or hair will be entitled to vote in these elections.
INS Karmuk Corvette participated in Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT):
· Indian Missile Corvette, INS Karmuk along with a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft participated in the 22nd Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) in the Andaman Sea.
· India’s indigenously built Missile Corvette is based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
Maharashtra government seeks Rs 5000 crore World Bank loan for drought mitigation:
· Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the State government is seeking a loan of 5,000 crore rupees from the World Bank for implementing drought-mitigation steps, from water conservation to changing crop patter.
Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) becomes first e-office among power utilities in India:
· The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited APEPDCL based at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh has became the first e-Office electricity distribution company among all power utilities in India.
· Among the 62,291 files created in e-Office in Andhra Pradesh, 50,036 are of APEPDCL’s i.e., 80.32 per cent of the total files created achieving first position.
Haryana government to give free laptops to first 500 meritorious students:
· Haryana Government has decided to give free laptops to first 500 meritorious students, who would secure a minimum of 95 per cent marks in annual Board examination of Class X in 2016-17.
· The laptops would be provided under State Merit Scholarship scheme, under which a scholarship of Rs 150 per student for 12 months is given.
Panic button mandatory for phones from '17:
· The government made it mandatory for all mobile phones sold in India to have a panic button starting 2017.
· The emergency button should be activated on pressing a designated key.
· Union IT Minister- Ravi Shankar Prasad
National Emergency Response System to be launched soon:
· A National Emergency Response System is soon to be launched in the country. It seeks to connect police with the citizens.
· The proposed system will also include ambulance and fire brigade services. Minister of State for Home Haribhai P. Chaudhary stated this in the Lok Sabha today.
· He said it will be funded and implemented by the Centre in association with the States and Union Territories.
Mumbai named noisiest city in India:
· The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified Mumbai as the noisiest city in the country, followed by Delhi, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
· The CPCB has analysed the noise levels in nine metro cities using data from 35 monitoring stations.
· According to reports, some areas in Mumbai and Delhi are noisier than the busiest parts of New York, London, and Beijing.
New polio vaccine introduced in Chandigarh:
· The Department of Health and Family Welfare introduced a new polio vaccine, Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV), in Chandigarh.
· It will replace the existing trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (tOPV) which is being used for over three decades.
· This vaccine will be given to the children along with pentavalent vaccine and oral polio drops to reduce incidences of vaccine-derived polio.
Government mulls complete ban on FDI in tobacco sector:
· The government is reportedly planning to completely ban FDI in the tobacco sector.
· Currently, FDI is allowed in technology collaboration, like licensing for trademark and brand name, while being prohibited in the manufacture of cigarettes and tobacco substitutes.
· This follows the government's decision to make it mandatory for tobacco products to have 85% pictorial health warnings on the package.
INTERNATIONAL:
US launches cyber attack against ISIS:
· According to the US deputy defense secretary Robert Work, the country has launched its first cyber attack against the ISIS.
· The cyber campaign aims to disrupt ISIS' communications, recruitment and financial operations, that are executed online, and hopes that this will lead to it doubting its digital security.
Goldman Sachs launches GS Bank, an Internet bank with a $1 minimum deposit:
· Goldman Sachs has traditionally functioned like a run-of-the-mill investment bank. Minimums to open an account were in the range of $10 million, and returns were not guaranteed.
· While that will still remain true for the firm’s wealth management arm, Goldman is opening its doors to the masses with the launch of GS Bank, an FDIC-insured, Internet-based savings bank.
· GS Bank’s interest rates will be high, giving customers an annual yield of 1.05 percent.
· Currently, GS Bank has total deposits of around $114 billion, which pales in comparison to the total deposits of large consumer banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America.
APPOINTMENTS:
Congress Leader Anand Sharma and Eight other members take affirmation of allegiance in Rajya Sabha:
· Senior Congress Leader Anand Sharma and 8 other members recently reelected as Rajya Sabha Members took oath to the constitution.
· Anand Sharma – Congress party Senior Leader reelected to the Council of States from Himachal Pradesh.He took the affirmation before the Chairman Hamid Ansari.
· Congress Leader Pratap Singh Bajwa from Punjab who was elected by the party after Amrinder Singh. Others are:
ü NareshGujral – SAD from Punjab
ü Shamsher Singh Dullo – Congress from Punjab
ü Shwatt Malik – BJP party from Punjab
ü Ripun Bora – Congress party from Assam
ü RaneeNarah – Congress party from Assam
ü K Somaprasad – CPM from Kerala
ü Jharna Das Baidya – CPM from Tripura
Mary Kom, Swamy take oath as RS members:
· Olympic medallist boxer Mary Kom and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy took oath as members of the Rajya Sabha.
· The government had last week nominated Swamy, writer Narendra Jadhav, journalist Swapan Dasgupta and Kom to the Upper House. Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who were also nominated, are yet to take their oaths.
BANKING :
Punjab based Capital Local Area Bank – First small finance bank starts operations:
· Punjab headquartered CAPITAL LOCAL AREA BANK introduced the nation’s first Small Finance bank “Capital Small Finance Bank Limited” and after getting the approval from Reserve bank of India.
· Managing Director: Sarvjit Singh Samra
· Headquarter: Punjab
HDFC Life joins hands with Indiabulls Housing Finance for corporate agency tie up:
· India’s second largest private insurer, HDFC Standard Life Insurance has tied up with Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltdfor a corporate agency agreement.
· Indiabulls Housing Finance will distribute HDFC life retail insurance products to its customers.
· Indiabulls will be able to distribute retail life, health and pension products of HDFC Life to its customers.
ü HDFC Standard Life Insurance CEO – Amitabh Chaudhry.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Murray's Cromlix most luxurious Scottish hotel
· Tennis player Andy Murray's Cromlix hotel in Perthshire, Scotland was awarded the most luxurious hotel of the year for the second consecutive time at the Scottish Hotel Awards.
· Murray bought the 15th-century Victorian mansion in 2013 for £1.8 million (around $2.61 million).
· The hotel has won prizes at the Scottish Hotel Awards every year since it opened 2014.
Ram Rahim gets Dadasaheb Phalke Foundation award:
· Self-proclaimed godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, who turned to acting and filmmaking with his films 'MSG: The Messenger' and 'MSG 2', was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation’s Award.
· He received the award for the most popular actor, director and writer. The foundation had also honoured actors Manoj Bajpayee and Priyanka Chopra this year.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Motorola announces Virat Kohli-themed smartphone
· Motorola has announced a special Virat Kohli-themed variant of its Moto G Turbo Edition smartphone.
· The smartphone, to be available from May first week, features a ‘V’ signifying the cricketer and is bundled as part of the Virat FanBox.
· The FanBox, priced at 16,999, is a one-year fan club membership concept and also includes a miniature bat autographed by Kohli.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Countdown for launch of navigation satellite IRNSS-1G begins:
· The 51-and-a-half hour countdown for the launch of India’s seventh navigation satellite IRNSS 1G on board the launch vehicle PSLV C33 has begun this morning at 9.20 hrs at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta.
· The satellite is the final in the series of space fleet to establish India’s own space technology-based navigation system to aid the air, maritime and surface transport.
· The rocket PSLV C33 with the passenger on board will undertake the journey in its extended version with strap on boosters, given the passenger satellite’s weight and the orbital destination.
China unveils 1st Security Robot:
· China’s first security robot “AnBot” unveiled at the ongoing China Chongqing Hi-Tech Fair .
· The robot is jointly developed by the National University of Defence Technology and a robotics company in central China’s Hunan Province.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Sun Pharma join hands for research in preventive health:
· Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Sun Pharma have entered into an agreement for research and innovation in preventive health.
· This was announced by Union Health Minister JP Nadda in New Delhi at a function on the occasion of World Malaria Day.
NASA launches X-plane program for green aviation:
· NASA has announced the launch of its ‘New Aviation Horizons’ program under which an array of new experimental aircraft, called X-planes, will be built to adopt advanced green aviation technologies.
· NASA said that the goal of the 10-year initiative is to design planes that generate 75% less pollution and burn half the fuel as compared to a commercial aircraft.
SPORTS:
India to host 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships
· India will be hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Jaipur, besides organising the Asian Cadet and Asian Junior Judo Championships in September in Kerala this year.
· The Commonwealth Judo Championships was allotted to India, by the Commonwealth Judo Congress held on April 23rd at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
· Man Mohan Jaiswal, General Secretary of Judo Federation of India(JFI).
Bengaluru FC crowned 2016 I-League champions:
· Bengaluru FC were crowned champions of the 2016 season of the I-League, despite going down 5-0 to Mohun Bagan in the final game of their season in Siliguri.
· Bengaluru FC finished the season with 32 points, two more than second-placed Bagan, thereby winning their second I-League title in two years.
Mohun Bagan and Jeje Lalpekhlua named FPAI Player of the Year:
· Professional football club Mohun Bagan and India striker Jeje Lalpekhlua won the Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) Indian Player of the Year award at its annual awards function held in Mumbai.
· Nigerian striker Ranti Martins, who played for East Bengal in the I-League, was named the Foreign Player of the Year.
· The Manipur-born Udanta Singh of I-League champion Bengaluru FC bagged the Young Player of the Year award.
· Bengaluru FC’s coach Ashley Westwood won the Coach of the Year award.
· Debjit Majumder was named the Fans’ Player of the Year.
Juventus clinch fifth successive Serie A title:
· Juventus won their fifth consecutive Serie A title after second-placed Napoli lost to Roma handing the Turin side an unassailable 12-point lead.
· This is the Juventus' 32nd Scudetto and 61st title overall.
· Two of the club's league titles were revoked after it was implicated in a match-fixing scandal which resulted in relegation to the Serie B in 2006-07.
Government to provide Rs 1 lakh per month to Rio-bound athletes:
· Union Sports Ministry has decided to provide one lakh rupees per month as out of pocket allowance to the sports persons under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme in their preparation for the Olympics and Paralympics Games at Rio de Janeiro.
· Target Olympic Podium scheme is a sports ministry initiative under which Olympic medal prospects are funded by the government for top class training as part of their preparations for the Games.
OBITUARY:
Thailand former Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa died:
· The former prime minister of Thailand, Banharn Silpa-archa was died on 23 April 2016 in Bangkok. He was 83.
· His scandal-ridden tenure a Prime Minister preceded the Thailand’s economic collapse in the 1990s.
1. Govt hikes minimum wage for contract workers to Rs 10,000
i. The Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has stated that the minimum wage for contract workers has been increased to Rs. 10,000 per month.
ii. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment informed Lok Sabha that the wage hike has been done based on a Supreme Court verdict.
iii. It is the endeavour of the central government to make reforms in labour laws and to proceed from minimum wage to universal wage. The decision has been taken to make changes to rule 25 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Central Rules. Now every contract worker will be entitled to get Rs. 10,000 per month.
2. World Intellectual Property Day 2016 observed globally
i. The World Intellectual Property Day 2016 was on 26 April 2016 observed across the world with the theme Digital Creativity - Culture Re imagined.
ii. On this day, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) works together with various government agencies, non-government organizations, community groups and individuals to hold different events and activities to promote World Intellectual Property Day.
iii. The day is celebrated to spread awareness about the role that intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright) play in encouraging innovation and creativity.
3. Over two lakh new Central government jobs by 2017
i. The announcement has been made that over two lakh posts are estimated to be created by the Central government in its various departments.
ii. The Central government has projected in the budget estimates for 2016-17 an increase of about 2.18 lakh in the existing workforce of 33.05 lakh, as in 2015, by 2017.
iii. The Home Ministry will add 5,635 new jobs to take its strength to 22,006 in 2017. Similarly, there will be 47,264 new posts in police departments to take its total to 10,75, 341 in 2017 from 10,28,077 (its strength in 2015), it said. There will be increase of 10,894 in staff strength of the Defence Ministry to take the manpower count to 51,084 in 2017, according to the budget estimates presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
4. Heart of Asia conference begins today in New Delhi
i. The heart of Asia conference has begun today in New Delhi. The conference aims to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan and speeding up its reconstruction with a focus on enhancing investment and connectivity to the country.
ii. The main aim of HoA process have been to devise a sustained, incremental approach to implementation of the confidence building measures (CBM) in Afghanistan and Energy, infrastructure and investment deals to shore up economic growth of Afghanistan may also figure during the conference.
iii. In this conference 14 countries are participating and apart from those there are some countries who are supporting the conference which include France, Germany, Canada etc.
5. Govt to provide Rs 1 lakh per month to Rio-bound athletes
i. Union Sports Ministry has decided to provide one lakh rupees per month as out of pocket allowance to the sports persons under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme in their preparation for the Olympics and Paralympics Games at Rio de Janeiro.
ii. 77 Indian athletes in eight disciplines have qualified for the Olympics till date and many more are likely to qualify in the next two months.
iii. Target Olympic Podium scheme is a sports ministry initiative under which Olympic medal prospects are funded by the government for top class training as part of their preparations for the Games.
6. Union Government constitutes Ashok Dalwai committee for doubling farmers’ income by 2022
i. The Union Government has recently constituted 8-member inter-ministerial committee to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
ii. The committee will be headed by Ashok Dalwai, Additional secretary at the Union Agriculture Ministry and is expected to submit the report in two months.
iii. Its members will include officials from Agriculture and Food Ministries, experts from the Delhi-based National Council of Applied Economic Research and National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research. Terms of reference of the Committee Prepare plan to shift farm policies to income based from current production-oriented. Identify potential areas of agriculture where more investment should happen.
7. Indo-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise, Nomadic Elephant – 2016, commenced
i. The 11th Indo-Mongolia joint training Exercise, titled ‘Nomadic Elephant - 2016’ commenced on 25 April 2016 in Mongolia.
ii. The exercise aims at promoting military associations between India and Mongolia will culminate on 8 May 2016.
iii. The aim of this exercise is to develop synergy and inter operability between the two armies to fight in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment under the United Nation mandate.
8. INS Karmuk Corvette participated in Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)
i. Indian Missile Corvette, INS Karmuk along with a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft participated in the 22nd Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) on 25 April 2016 in the Andaman Sea.
ii. India’s indigenously built Missile Corvette is based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
iii. The 22nd edition of CORPAT would bolster the already strong bilateral relationship between the two nations and contribute significantly to enhancing maritime security in the region. It would include participation of one warship and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft of India and Thailand with the closing ceremony being held at Port Blair, Headquarters Andaman and Nicobar Command (HQANC) from 25 April -27 April 2016.
9. India lays foundation for final phase of Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka
i. India lays foundation stone for 4000 houses under the third and final phase of Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka.
ii. High Commissioner of India, Y.K.Sinha, and Minister of Infrastructure and Community Development, Palani Digambaram jointly laid the foundation stone for the third phase of the Indian Housing Project at Dunsinane Estate in Nuwara Eliya District.
10. Videocon d2h Ties-up With Vodafone m-pesa
i. Videocon d2h has announced that its sub-base of over 15 million can now recharge their d2h service using Vodafone m-pesa.
ii. This tie-up with Vodafone allows its customers a simple, convenient and on-demand recharge facility using the proven m-pesa platform.
iii. In addition, the 1,20,000+ Vodafone m-pesa CashIn points will also accept recharge for Videocon d2h, thus providing additional convenience to customers.
11. Hero to invest Rs 3k cr in new Andhra unit
i. Hero MotoCorp is setting up a factory in Andhra Pradesh. It plans to invest Rs 3,000 crore, for annual capacity of 1.8 million units. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will be unveiling the foundation stone next month.
ii. Hero has three manufacturing facilities, at Gurgaon and Dharuhera in Haryana and Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The two-wheeler major is also setting up two more facilities in Rajasthan and in Gujarat.
iii. For the new facility, the state government has allocated around 600 acres at Tada in Chittoor district, close to Chennai.
12. Top gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan murdered in Bangladesh
i. Bangladesh police say a top gay rights activist and editor at the country's only LGBT magazine is one of two people who have been hacked to death in Dhaka yesterday.
ii. The US ambassador to Bangladesh condemned the killing of Xulhaz Mannan, who also worked at the US embassy. Another person was also injured when the attackers entered a Dhaka flat.
iii. Since February last year suspected militants have killed several secular or atheist writers and members of religious minority groups. The two men were murdered two days after a university teacher was hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants on Saturday. So-called Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility - but the Bangladeshi government insists there is no IS presence in the country
13. JKLF founder Amanullah Khan dead at 82
i. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Amanullah Khan passed away at a Rawalpindi hospital. He was 82.
ii. Khan, the father-in-law of Kashmir’s regional party People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone was suffering from a chronic lung disease.
iii. The deceased leader, who was born in the Astore area of Gilgit on August 24, 1934, was also the co-founder of the Kashmir Independent Committee in 1963. He was elected secretary general of the JK Plebiscite Front (PF) in 1965 and co-founded the JK National Liberation Front (NLF) with Maqbool Bhat.
14. Mohun Bagan's Jeje Lalpekhlua named FPAI Player of the Year
i. Professional football club Mohun Bagan and India striker Jeje Lalpekhlua on 25 April 2016 won the Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI). The award function held in Mumbai.
ii. Lalpekhlua received the highest number of votes from fellow professional footballers to finish on top in the shortlist which included India captain Sunil Chhetri, Bikash Jairu, David Lalrinmuana and Dhanachandra Singh.
iii. Nigerian striker Ranti Martins, who played for East Bengal in the I-League, was named the Foreign Player of the Year. The Manipur-born Udanta Singh of I-League champion Bengaluru FC bagged the Young Player of the Year award. Bengaluru FC’s coach Ashley Westwood won the Coach of the Year award. Debjit Majumder was named the Fans’ Player of the Year.
15. Rower Dattu Bhokanal qualifies for Rio Olympics
i. Indian rower Dattu Bhokanal has qualified for the Rio Olympics after winning a silver in the finals of men's single sculls at the 2016 FISA Asian and Oceania Olympic Qualification Regatta at Chung-ju in South Korea.
ii. The 25-year-old armyman clocked 7 mins 7.49 seconds in the 2km course to finish second and qualify for the Rio Olympics.
iii. He has also represented India in the last Asian Games in Korea and at the 16th Asian championships in China where he won a silver medal.
1. Thailand former Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa died
1. The former prime minister of Thailand, Banharn Silpa-archa was died on 23 April 2016 in Bangkok. He was 83.
2. His scandal-ridden tenure a Prime Minister preceded the Thailand’s economic collapse in the 1990s.
2. BPCL got environmental clearance for 694 crore rupees LPG project in West Bengal
1. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) got green nod for its 694-crore rupees project at Haldia Dock Complex in West Bengal. This is the project of developing LPG import terminal as well as storage, bottling and bulk distribution facilities.
2. The proposed project aims to boost supply and help achieve the government’s target of making LPG available to each household by 2018.
3. The domestic production of LPG is around 12.38 million metric tonne per annum (mmtpa) which is much lower than the estimated demand of 18.65 mmtpa in 2016.
3. Mohun Bagan and Jeje Lalpekhlua named FPAI Player of the Year
1. Professional football club Mohun Bagan and India striker Jeje Lalpekhlua won the Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) Indian Player of the Year award at its annual awards function held in Mumbai.
2. Lalpekhlua received the highest number of votes from fellow professional footballers to finish on top in the shortlist which included India captain Sunil Chhetri, Bikash Jairu, David Lalrinmuana and Dhanachandra Singh.
3. Nigerian striker Ranti Martins, who played for East Bengal in the I-League, was named the Foreign Player of the Year.
4. The Manipur-born Udanta Singh of I-League champion Bengaluru FC bagged the Young Player of the Year award. Bengaluru FC’s coach Ashley Westwood won the Coach of the Year award.
5. Debjit Majumder was named the Fans’ Player of the Year.
4. Union Government to provide 1 lakh Rupees per month to Rio-bound athletes
1. Union Sports Ministry announced to provide one lakh rupees per month as out of pocket allowance to the sports persons under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme.
This allowance will help the sports persons in their preparation for the Olympics and Paralympics Games at Rio de Janeiro, which is set to start in August 2016.
2. 77 Indian athletes in eight disciplines have qualified for the Olympics till date and many more are likely to qualify in the next two months.
3. Target Olympic Podium scheme is a sports ministry initiative under which Olympic medal prospects are funded by the government for top class training as part of their preparations for the Games.
5. India to host 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships
1. The Judo Federation of India (JFI) announced that India has been allotted the Commonwealth Judo Championships 2018.
2. The Commonwealth Judo Championships was allotted to India, by the Commonwealth Judo Congress held on 23 April 2016 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
3. This will be the first time that Commonwealth Judo Championships will be held in India. The Championships will be held in Jaipur. However, the dates are yet to be finalized.
6. Indo-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise, Nomadic Elephant – 2016, commenced
1. The 11th Indo-Mongolia joint training Exercise, titled ‘Nomadic Elephant - 2016’ commenced in Mongolia. The exercise aims at promoting military associations between India and Mongolia will culminate on 8 May 2016.
2. The aim of this exercise is to develop synergy and inter operability between the two armies to fight in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment under the United Nation mandate.
7. World Intellectual Property Day 2016 observed globally
1. The World Intellectual Property Day 2016 was on 26 April 2016 observed across the world with the theme Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined.
2. On this day, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) works together with various government agencies, non-government organizations, community groups and individuals to hold different events and activities to promote World Intellectual Property Day.
8. Union Government constitutes Ashok Dalwai committee for doubling farmers’ income by 2022
1. The Union Government has recently constituted 8-member inter-ministerial committee to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
2. The committee will be headed by Ashok Dalwai, Additional secretary at the Union Agriculture Ministry and is expected to submit the report in two months. Its members will include officials from Agriculture and Food Ministries, experts from the Delhi-based National Council of Applied Economic Research and National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research.
9. Indian rower Dattu Bhokanal qualifies for Rio Olympics
1. Indian rower Dattu Baban Bhokanal qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics scheduled to be held in August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2. He qualified Rio Olympics after winning a silver medal in the men’s single sculls event at the FISA Asian and Oceania Olympic Qualification Regatta held at Chung-ju in South Korea.
10. Mairaj Ahmed Khan wins silver medal at ISSF World Cup of shooting
1. India’s Mairaj Ahmed Khan has won the silver medal in the men’s skeet event at ISSF World Cup held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2. In the final, Mairaj lost gold medal to Sweden’s Marcus Svensson and the bronze medal was won by Tamarro Casandro of Italy. With this victory, he becomes first Indian shooter to win skeet medal for India at a World Cup.
:: NATIONAL ::
Mobile phones will have button for distress from next year
- Starting next year, all mobile phones sold in India will come with a dedicated ‘panic button’ that can be used to send out a signal in case of distress.
- The Panic button and Global Positioning System facility in all mobile phone handsets Rules, 2016 are aimed at improving the safety of women and ensuring a quick response from security agencies.
- The notification says that no handset shall be sold in India from January 1, 2017, without a panic button and all handsets must also have GPS from January 1, 2018.
- “Technology is solely meant to make human life better and what better than using it for the security of women,” Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
- Once the panic button is pressed, a signal/call will be made to the nearest security agency. However, the details of how the system will work are yet to be finalised.
After recommendation from pay commission Govt looking to make allowances structured
- Secret allowance, family planning allowance, desk allowance, cash handling allowance, metropolitan allowance and headquarters allowance are among 52 of the nearly 200 allowances which the government could scrap soon.
- The Seventh Pay Commission found inadequate the justifications offered by the Ministries for these allowances.
- The government was asked to suggest rationalisation of a variety of allowances. A committee is examining the Commission’s recommendations.
- The Commission found the entire system of nearly 200 allowances “haphazard”.
- There are 13 for travel, 14 for additional duty, 51 for risk and hardship, nine for uniform, 4 for good services, 5 sumptuary allowances, 2 for training and 3 for knowledge update.
- Many were meagre cash payments and lost significance.
- The CommissionRejected the demand for doubling the family planning allowance ranging from Rs. 210 to Rs.1,000 a month depending on grade pay, for those who adopt family planning norms after one child.
Union government considering to make prescription of generic drugs mandatory
- The Central government is considering the introduction of a law to make it mandatory for doctors to prescribe generic drugs so that patients can access affordable medicines provided through state-run Jan Aushadhi stores.
- The legal route to counter doctors’ preference for branded medicines is expected to be discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an upcoming meeting to assess the progress made in the plan to set up 3,000 Jan Aushadhi stores across the country this year, a promise made in the Union Budget.\
- A major hurdle is that doctors don’t prescribe generic medicines supplied through Jan Aushadi stores, so patients find it tough to ask for the correct generic equivalents.
- The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the agency under the Department of Pharmaceuticals entrusted with implementing the Jan Aushadhi programme which was launched in 2008.
- BPPI’s main focus is accessibility, affordability and availability. But if generic equivalents are not prescribed by doctors, sales won’t take place. Pharmacists should have the option to give the generic substitute.
SC slammed M.H. Govt for delay in the grant of licences to conduct dance performances
- The Supreme Court slammed the Maharashtra government for delaying the grant of licences to hotels and bars in the State to conduct dance performances.
- Apex court said that it is better for women to dance professionally on a platform rather than beg on the streets or get into other “undesirable means of livelihood”.
- A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh said the State should not adopt a prohibitory mindset when the apex court has only asked it to regulate the activities of dance bars.
- “As the State, your job is to protect the dignity of these women in their workplace. Your attitude should not go into the extremes of prohibition when you are only supposed to regulate. This is 2016.”
- “We are talking about dance as a profession, as art. In case the performances slip into obscenity, it naturally stops having legal permissibility and the Indian Penal Code will take care of the rest,” Justice Misra explained
- The court, however, acknowledged the plea of Additional Solicitor-General Pinky Anand, appearing for Maharashtra, that the State has to ensure that there is no “obscenity” in dance bars and the dignity of women is protected there.
- The court directed all dance bars applicants to co-operate with providing information on any criminal antecedents of their employees to the police, besides installing CCTV cameras.
- Ms. Anand submitted that over 150 applications for dance bar licences were received, of which only 39 bars had offered themselves for inspection.
:: INTERNATIONAL ::
United States will send special forces to help rebel fight IS
- President Barack Obama said the U.S. would send up to 250 more military personnel including special forces to Syria to help rebels fight Islamic State group jihadists.
- Mr. Obama was in Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. In a speech on transatlantic unity, Mr. Obama hailed NATO partners’ progress so far in pushing back IS, which he called “the most urgent threat to our nations”.
- Mr. Obama had pressed for all parties to the Syrian conflict, including Russia, to return to the negotiating table and “reinstate” the ceasefire.
Hillary Clinton campaign chief says relations with India is her priority
- If elected President of the U.S., Hillary Clinton will take relations with India to a new level and better economic and strategic ties with New Delhi will anchor the U.S. in the region, her campaign chief has said.
- Chairman of Ms. Clinton’s campaign committee, said a future Democratic administration under Ms. Clinton will have a significant presence of Indian Americans.
- Mr. Podesta, who served as chief of staff to president Bill Clinton and as adviser to President Barack Obama, said successive Presidents have been in agreement on strengthening relations with India, and Ms. Clinton would “follow in that tradition”.
- Mr. Podesta said Ms. Clinton has built strong relations with India when she was the First Lady and later as Secretary of State.
- Mr. Podesta said Republican candidate Donald Trump’s campaign was dangerous for the country, referring to him mocking Indian call centre workers at an election rally.
Iran does not want frozen funds to be diverted to compensate victims of attacks
- Iran threatened to take legal action in the International Court of Justice against the United States if $2 billion in frozen funds are “diverted” to compensate victims of attacks.
- Tehran said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to deduct $2 billion from its frozen assets to compensate American victims of “terror” attacks amounted to theft.
- “We hold the U.S. administration responsible for preservation of Iranian funds and if they are plundered, we will lodge a complaint with the ICJ for reparation,” said Foreign Minister.
:: India and World ::
Foreign secretary of Pak and India to meet at the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference
- Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry will meet Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar for bilateral talks with their delegations on the sidelines of the Afghan donor ‘Heart of Asia’ conference.
- Officials of both countries confirmed that the initiative for the meeting came from the Indian side.
- In a statement issued in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mr. Chaudhry would hold “bilateral meetings with other leading delegations attending the [‘Heart of Asia’] meeting.”
- The bilateral meeting might include discussions on the Pathankot airbase attack and a possible visit by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to Pakistan to probe the plot behind the attack.
India cancelled visa for Dolkum Isa
- In an about-turn, India cancelled the visa issued to the exiled Uighur-Chinese leader Dolkun Isa, even as the Citizen Power for China, the Washington DC-based organisers of the Dharmshalaevent told that the event may not take place in the way planned.
- The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the glitches of the electronic visa system of the Ministry of Home Affairs is the reason for cancellation of visa.
- China criticised the Indian move to grant him a visa to attend the conference, despite an Interpol Red Corner notice against him, Isa said that he believed “India had bowed to Chinese pressure.”
- Mr Isa, heading the World Uighur Congress, was designated a “terrorist” by Beijing and has faced travel curbs under Chinese pressure.
:: Business and Economy ::
India registers record FDI inflow
- India received $51 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), the highest-ever FDI inflow in a fiscal, during April-February FY16.
- The increased FDI inflow was the result of the government’s efforts to improve the ease of doing business and initiatives such as ‘Make In India.’
- According to data from the DIPP,the previous highest FDI inflow was in FY12 when the country received $46.55 billion, which was a 34 per cent increase over $34.8 billion it got in FY11.
- However, India recorded its largest-ever percentage increase in FDI when it received $22.8 billion in FY07, representing a 155 per cent increase over the $8.9 billion in FY06. This includes equity, re-invested earnings and other capital.
- Computer software and hardware sectors received $5.3 billion while services sector accounted for $4.2 billion. \
- Automobile and telecom sectors received $1.7 billion and $1.07 billion respectively. Region-wise, the National Capital Territory (comprising Delhi, part of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana) received $10.6 billion while Mumbai got $5.2 billion.
- In order to boost the investment environment and bring in foreign investments, the government had brought in FDI-related reforms and liberalisation touching upon 15 major sectors of the economy by putting more FDI proposals in the automatic route.
Central bank to simplify registration process for NBFC’s
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will simplify the registration process for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), Deputy Governor R. Gandhi said.
- The new application forms will be simpler and the number of documents required to be submitted will be reduced. The entire process could be made online for ease, speed and transparency. RBI resumed issuing licences to NBFCs last year.
- Totally exempting small NBFCs from regulations may not be feasible from the customer service point of view, he said.
- ‘Make in India’ and ‘Start Up’ businesses could offer fresh opportunities to NBFCs for growth.
- The deputy governor also said the central bank would come out with a discussion paper on peer-to-peer lending (P2P).
- P2P is where consumers lend and borrow from each other with the help of an intermediary.
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had come up with a discussion paper exploring the securities aspect of the business.
- However, RBI is yet to come up with its own discussion paper from the lending and borrowing side.The banking regulator will consult SEBI before finalising the norms.
LPG subsidy for high income consumers goes
- Oil and Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told Parliament that his Ministry is “excluding” people earning more than Rs.10 lakh a year from LPG subsidies.
- The government has decided to rationalise the subsidy outgo by excluding such LPG consumers from the purview of subsidy, whose or whose spouse have taxable income of Rs.10 lakh above during the previous financial year computed as per the Income Tax Act, 1961 with effect from January 1, 2016.
- Joint Secretary Ashutosh Jindal said theMinistry had identified about 3 lakh people earning more than Rs.10 lakh a year.
:: Sports ::
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis suffered a shock defeat in the final of the Stuttgart Open
- Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis suffered a shock defeat in the final of the Stuttgart Open tennis tournament, losing in three sets to Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic.
- The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair was beaten 6-2, 1-6, [6-10] in an hour and 21 minutes by the second-seeded French combination.
- Sania and Hingis have fumbled in recent tournaments, bowing out in the second-round of the Miami Masters and the first round at Indian Wells.
No comments:
Post a Comment