Extensive Coverage Of Current Affairs 27/4/2016

IMPORTANT DAYS:

·        International Guide Dog Day observed on April 27 2016:

·        National Prime Rib Day

NATIONAL:

President embarks on two-nation tour to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand:

·        President Pranab Mukherjee is embarking on a two-nation tour to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand today.

·        A high level delegation including Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan is accompanying the President on the five day visit, which is aimed at energising and upgrading bilateral relations.

·        Joint Secretary, South, Jaideep Mazumdar informed that this is the first ever state visit of an Indian President to these two countries.

·        During the visit to Papua New Guinea, Mr. Mukherjee will meet Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and other leaders.

Dr. Mahesh Sharma launches NMA’S online web portal ‘NOAPS’ to facilitate single window clearance:

·        Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State of Culture and Tourism (I/C) and Minister of State for Civil Aviation launched the National Monuments Authority (NMA)’s Web Portal called “NOC Online Application and Processing System (NOAPS)”

·        The Portal has used the technology and expertise of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), who are in the process of mapping of 3686 ASI protected monuments and sites.

·        The web portal of NMA has now been integrated with the online portal of local bodies of Delhi and Mumbai viz. NDMC, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and MCDs (South MCD, North MCD, East MCD) to facilitate single window clearance for construction on a common application form.

3.8L under-5 deaths per yr from pneumonia:

·        According to reports, over 3.8 lakh children under the age of five die annually due to pneumonia, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said.

·        This accounts for around 23% of total under-five deaths in the country, he added. India also tops a list of 15 countries in terms of total under-five deaths due to pneumonia, Nadda further said.

First Human Milk Bank in Delhi-NCR launched:

·        The first Pasteurised Human Milk Bank in Delhi-NCR, 'Amaara', was launched by Fortis La Femme in collaboration with the Breast Milk Foundation.

·        According to the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, only 14 such banks exist in India.

·        The bank will make available Pasteurized Human Milk to infants hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care units of Fortis and other hospitals.

Mumbai: Missed call service launched for local train updates

·        In a bid to reduce commuter woes keep its suburban passengers informed about delays and disruptions, the Western Railway has launched a unique service through which commuters would be able to know the running status of local trains from simply giving a missed call.

·        The commuter needs to dial the Toll Free No. 1800 212 4502 and the call will get disconnected automatically after two rings subsequent to which an SMS will be sent informing the running status of the suburban trains.

Delhi government discontinues bus service for MPs:

·        The Delhi government announced its decision to discontinue the 'MP Special' bus service after receiving 'poor response' from Parliamentarians during the first two days of the Budget Session's second half.

·        The state government had earlier launched the service with six air-conditioned buses to ferry MPs to the Parliament House in view of the implementation of the Odd-Even scheme.

Lok Sabha passed Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016:

·        The Lok Sabha passed the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016 to provide statutory status to the existing Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad, Haryana.

·        The Bill seeks to provide the status of national importance to the Centre for facilitating transfer of technology and knowledge and making it a hub for biotechnology expertise in the Asian region.

Government to divest 11.36% stake in National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC):

·        The government will sell an 11.36% stake in state-owned hydropower firm NHPC through a two-day offer for sale (OFS) that begins on Wednesday.

·        A floor price of 21.75 has been set for the sale which will help the government raise around 2,700 crore, NHPC said on Tuesday.

·        Post the sale, the government's stake in NHPC will fall to 74.6%.

Income Tax department to pay interest on Tax Deducted at Source(TDS) refund:

·        Income Tax department will now add interest amount to a delayed refund made on excess Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) deductions and will also not litigate with the deductor on this issue in the future.

·        Central Board of Direct Taxes yesterday issued a directive in this regard to the assessing officers of the IT department.

·        TDS is primarily deducted by the employer from the salary paid to an employee.

Smart city website for Jalandhar city launched:

·        Jalandhar Municipal corporation has started the public participation drive for second round of smart city competition with the launch of smart city website for Jalandhar city.

·        Municipal Commissioner G S Khaira and Mayor Sunil Jyoti launched the website.

·        Ludhiana is the only city in Punjab which is in the top 20 list of the smart city project.

·        Jalandhar came at 27th position out of the first 98 cities that competed in the first round of competition.

Goa Lokayukta to be sworn-in tomorrow:

·        In Goa, newly appointed Lokayukta Justice (retired) P K Mishra would be sworn-in tomorrow.

·        State Governor Mridula Sinha will administer the oath of office to Justice Mishra at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan.

·        The Goa Cabinet had on the 20th April recommended Justice Mishra, a retired High Court judge, as Lokayukta.

·        The post was lying vacant since the 17th of October, 2013, when the then Lokayukta Justice (retired) B Sudarshan Reddy had resigned citing personal reasons.

Startup India launched to build strong eco-system for nurturing innovation: Heptulla

·        Minority Affairs Minister Dr. Najma Heptulla today said the Startup India programme has been launched to build a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and Startups in the country.

·        Dr. Heptulla said the programme aims at empowering Startups to grow through innovation and design.

·        She said the government will provide financial support to young scientists for purchasing equipment for innovation under it.

·        She said under this programme, loans in the range of 10 lakh to one crore rupees are being provided.

·        The Minister also informed that the corpus of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation has been doubled to 3000 crores rupees.

Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) aims to make Aadhaar as identifier to settle PF claim:

·        Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) plans to make Aadhaar as primary identifier for settling Aadhaar-seeded Provident Fund (PF) accounts without employers’ attestation.

·        This is part of EPFO’s special drive to consolidate multiple accounts of an employee.

·        In a statement, EPFO said that in case of members having Aadhaar-seeded Universal Account Number (UAN), there will not be any requirement of attestation of claims by the employers.

Maharashtra cabinet approves draft bill regulating prices of pulses:

·        Maharashtra cabinet approved the draft of ‘Maharashtra Pulses Price Regulatory Act’, whereby traders will have to sell the pulses at the government-approved prices for a period of six months after it comes into operation.

·        A jail term ranging from three months to one year or fine or both will be awarded to the traders, stockists, importers, middlemen, cooperative consumer societies, etc. who sell the pulses at a rate higher than the approved one.

Indian officials plan Japan visit to take forward Rs 98,000-crore Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project:

·        NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya, along with the secretary of Department of Economic Affairs, and chairman of the Railway Board, is expected to visit Japan to hold a meeting with the country’s officials to take forward the Rs 98,000-crore Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

·        The country’s first bullet train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai will be partially financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which agreed to provide a loan of about Rs 79,380 crore, which amounts to 81 per cent of the total project cost.

INTERNATIONAL:

Saudi Arabia unveiled Vision 2030 cutting reliance on oil:

·        The Cabinet of Saudi Arabia kingdom has approved the Vision 2030, a broad-based economic reform plan.

·        The Vision charts out the roadmap for diversifying the Saudi economy in next 14 years and to ensure that Saudi Arabia can live without oil by 2020.

·        The project, which includes plans to float a stake in the world’s largest oil company, Aramco, and set up one of the world’s biggest government investment funds, is meant to provide a blueprint for sweeping reforms to steer the OPEC kingdom away from its decades-long reliance on cheap-to-produce oil.

·        Vision 2030 sets out a goal of localizing more than half of Saudi Arabia’s military spending and creating a military industries holding company that would be initially fully owned by the government.

Bangladesh Cabinet approved draft of Supreme Court Judge (Investigation Act) 2016:

·        Bangladesh Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina  approved a draft of theBangladesh Supreme Court Judge (Investigation Act) 2016.

·        It will empower the Parliament to impeach a judge in the Supreme Court, if allegation of misconduct or incapacity is proved.

·        The approval was made under a constitutional obligation as Parliament on 17 September 2014 had unanimously passed the 16th constitutional amendment bill, empowering the Parliament to remove Supreme Court judges for misbehavior and incapacity.

·        The same law will be applicable for physical and mental incapability of a judge.

Rowling's 1st film script  'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'  to be released as book:

·        Author JK Rowling's first screenplay for the spin-off of the Harry Potter series, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', will be released as a book, according to an announcement by its publisher.

·        The book will be published on November 19. The film is set in the US, 70 years before the beginning of the Harry Potter story.

Venezuela orders two-day working week for public sector workers:

·        In Venezuela, Government has ordered a two-day working week for public sector workers as a temporary measure to help it overcome a serious energy crisis.

·        Vice-President Aristobulo Isturiz today announced that civil servants should turn up for work only on Mondays and Tuesdays until the crisis is over and it will affect two million public sector workers.

·        Venezuela is facing a major drought, which has dramatically reduced water levels at its main hydroelectric dam.

India, Sri Lanka to start negotiations on Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement(ETCA):

·        India and Sri Lanka will start negotiations on Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement in the next few months.

·        This was stated by Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva while speaking to foreign media in Colombo.

North Korea to hold first party congress in nearly 40 years:

·        North Korea has said its ruling Workers Party will hold its first congress in nearly 40 years next month.

·        The gathering, which will take place in Pyongyang from 6th May, will be only the seventh in the party's history and the first under leader Kim Jong-un.

·        It will be closely watched for signs of major policy shifts, movement among senior officials or comment on North Korea's nuclear programme.

·        The last North Korean congress was in October 1980, before the current leader Mr. Kim was born.

ü  North Korea President : Kim Jong-un

ü  North Korea Capital : Pyongyang

ü  North Korea Currency: North Korean won

Nelson Mandela statue unveiled in Palestine:

·        A 20-foot tall Nelson Mandela statue was unveiled in Palestine's Ramallah and thearea was renamed 'Nelson Mandela Square'.

·        The unveiling is going to be celebrated as a national day because the statue of Nelson Mandela unites the people of Palestine and South Africa, officials said.

·        The statue was a gift from the South African city of Johannesburg.

Taiwan finds 4,800-year-old fossil of mother cradling baby:

·        Archaeologists in Taiwan have found a 4,800-year-old human fossil of a mother holding an infant child in her arms.

·        The 48 sets of remains unearthed in graves in the Taichung area are the earliest trace of human activity found in central Taiwan.

ü  Taiwan President : Ma Ying-jeou

ü  Taiwan Capital: Taipei

ü  Taiwan Currency: New Taiwan dollar

APPOINTMENTS:

Sangey re-elected PM of Tibetan government-in-exile:

·        The Tibetan government-in-exile today re-elected Lobsang Sangey as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term.

·        48-year-old Sangey defeated his only rival - Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament Pempa Tsering by 9,012 votes.

·        Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan government-in-exile Sonam Chhopelsaid, the names of all the 45 elected members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile have also been declared.

Government-appointed committee to revamp CBFC:

·        A government-appointed committee that was established to revamp the Central Board of Film Certification submitted its report to Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley.

·        On January 1, the Centre had set up the committee, headed by filmmaker Shyam Benegal, to revamp the board.

Ashok Lavasa to be next expenditure secretary:

·        The government initiated a major senior bureaucratic reshuffle when it announced 13 new appointments, including that of Environment Secretary Ashok Lavasa as Expenditure Secretary due to the retirement of Finance Secretary Ratan Watal.

BANKING :

NABARD lent 1000 crore rupees to Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) for wheat procurement:

·        The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in the last week of April 2016 sanctioned a loan of 1000 crore rupees to Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC).

·        The loan is sanctioned for purchase of wheat during the ongoing rabi marketing season.

·        Haryana is one of the major contributors to the country's central pool of food grains.

·        During the 2015-16 kharif season, NABARD had disbursed an amount of 500 crore rupees to the corporation for paddy procurement.

AWARDS AND HONOURS:

Indian Institute of Technology Scholar K Ashok Kumar  wins International Award on Plant Nutrition:

·        A food engineering research scholar K Ashok Kumar from IIT Kharagpur wins prestigious International Plant Nutrition Scholar Award on Plant Nutrition.

·        He has been pursuing his PhD at the Department Of Agricultural and Food Engineering, IIT Kharagpur on nutrition management of rice-chickpea production system in laterite soil.

Hollywood Actor George Clooney awards new humanitarian prize to Burundi Orphanage Founder:

·        A Burundian activist Marguerite Barankitse awarded First Humanitarian Prize with saving thousands of children during a 12-year civil war.

·        She is the first recipient of a new humanitarian prize.

New Zealand's $5 bill named best banknote of '15:

·        The International Bank Note Society has named New Zealand's $5 note as the Banknote of the Year 2015.

·        The $5 note, part of New Zealand's Brighter Money range, features mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary.

RedInk award for T N Ninan:

·        The Mumbai Press Club bestowed the RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism on T N Ninan, chairman of Business Standard.

·        The award, a part of the RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism, 2016, was given away by the Governor of Maharashtra, who was the chief guest at the function, in Mumbai.

ü  Maharashtra Governor                  : C Vidyasagar Rao

ü  Maharashtra Chief Minister           : Devendra Fadnavis

ü  Maharashtra Capital                       : Mumbai

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:

BPCL gets green nod for Rs 694 crore LPG project in West Bengal:

·        The environment ministry has given environmental clearance and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance to the BPCL’s project in West Bengal.

·        Outlay: Rs 694 crore, aim of the project is to boost supply and help achieve the government’s target of making LPG available to each household by 2018.

·        Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) will set up an import terminal at Haldia to import 1 mmtpa of refrigerated Propane and Butane

·        It will transfer it through 7.5-km long twin transfer pipeline for LPG production, despatch of bulk LPG via road tankers and bottling of LPG in cylinders

ü  Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change: Prakash Javadekar

Uber partners with Election Commission in Tamilnadu

·        Taxi operator Uber has partnered with Election Commission in Tamil Nadu to support the “#TN100percent initiative”

·        It aims to spread awareness on voting among the electorate for the upcoming election.

·        Uber held discussions with officials on the importance of voting and encouraging people to cast their vote and would collaborate with EC’s Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation programme.

Cadbury inaugurates largest Asia-Pacific facility in India:

·        Cadbury chocolates maker Mondelez inaugurated a Rs 1,265-crore plant in SriCity, Andhra Pradesh. It is the seventh manufacturing unit in India.

·        This was the company’s largest plant in the Asia-Pacific region

·        The plant’s capacity is 250,000 tonnes a year, which the company hopes to touch by 2020.

ü  Mondelez  CEO: Irene Rosenfeld

Videocon d2h Ties Up With Vodafone M-pesa:

·        Indian direct-to-home (DTH) player Videocon d2h has partnered with Vodafone M-Pesa, now customers can recharge their d2h service using Vodafone m-pesa.

·        This tie-up will gives us an opportunity to serve both Videocon d2h and Vodafone subscribers by providing a safe, secure and convenient mode to pay for services to customers

ü  Videocon d2h CEO : Anil Khera

ü  Vodafone India CEO: Sunil Sood

Natekar first non-cricketer added to CCI’s Legends Club:

·        Badminton ace Nandu Natekar has been inducted into the Legends Club, founded by the late Cricket Club of India president Raj Singh Dungarpur, as the first non-cricketer, along with 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev.

Finland’s Nokia plans to acquire Withings for $191 million:

·        Finnish mobile network equipment maker Nokia said it was planning to buy France’s Withings S.A. for 170 million euros ($191 million) in its bid to expand into digital health markets.

·        Withings’ products include activity trackers, weighing scales, thermometers, blood pressure monitors, home and baby monitors. The firm has about 200 employees.

Isuzu opens 1st manufacturing facility in India:

·        Japanese commercial vehicle maker Isuzu Motors on Wednesday opened its first manufacturing facility in India at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.

·        The initial production capacity of the plant is 50,000 units per year which will be scaled to 1,20,000 units, the company's President said.

·        Isuzu had earlier committed an investment of 3,000 crore for the project.

Twitter revenue up 36% to $594 million:

·        Twitter reported a 36% rise in revenue for the quarter ended March to $594.5 million.

·        Losses narrowed to $79.7 million from $162.4 million a year ago.

·        Further, the micro blogging service's monthly active user base grew to 310 million from 305 million in the preceding quarter.

·        Post the announcement, however, Twitter's shares fell 13.6%, reportedly owing to lower-than-expected revenue.

SPORTS:

Riyad Mahrez became first African footballer to win PFA Player of the Year:

·        Riyad Mahrez became the first African footballer to win the Professional Footballers Association’s (PFA) Player of the Year award for the 2015–16 season.

·        The footballer received the award at the Professional Footballers’ Association awards ceremony organised in London.

·        With the award, Mahrez also became the second non-European, after Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, to grab the award.

·        On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli was named Young Player of the Year.

·        Women’s Player of the Year award: Izzy Christiansen

·        Women’s Young Player of the Year: Sunderland striker Beth Mead

OBITUARY:

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Founder Amanullah Khan dead at 82:

·        The founder of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Amanullah Khan died in Pakistan. He was 82.

·        He was considered to be the architect of Kashmir’s armed insurgency.

·        He was the founders of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front that led a violent campaign for independent Kashmir, including the killing of an Indian diplomat in the UK in the mid-80s and hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Lahore.

·        Khan, listed among the most wanted fugitives in India by the Central Bureau of Investigation for “murder and criminal conspiracy”.

1. Benegal panel submitted report on Censor Board functioning

1. The Shyam Benegal-headed committee constituted to revamp Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) submitted its report to Information & Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley.

2. committee has recommended that CBFC should only be a film certification body whose scope should be restricted to categorizing the suitability of the film to audience groups on the basis of age and maturity.

2. Gopal Subramanium appointed as amicus curiae to implement Justice RM Lodha committee recommendations

1. Supreme Court appointed senior advocate Gopal Subramanium as ‘amicus curiae’ and requested his assistance to explore how the recommendations of the Justice RM Lodha committee could be implemented. 

2. The recommendations pertain to large-scale structural reforms that the BCCI has been resisting.

Further, he will examine the main matter in which the state associations argued that the implementation of several recommendations of the RM Lodha committee would violate their fundamental right under Article 19 (i)(c) of the Indian Constitution to form an association.

3. ICC suspended Cricket Association of Nepal

1. International Cricket Council (ICC) in its board meeting suspended the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) in view of government interference in the board.

2. The suspension would stay in place until such time as the CAN becomes free of government interference and is properly structured to begin exploiting the tremendous cricket talent and opportunities that exist in Nepal.

4. Naval Detachment Inaugurated at Androth Island of Lakshadweep

1. A Naval Detachment (NAVDET) was inaugurated at the Androth Island of Lakshadweep Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, AVSM, VSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.

2. The Officer-In-Charge of the Detachment is Lt Cdr Angom B Singh who will function under the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Lakshadweep and Minicoy Island). 

5. Fire destroyed Delhi's National Museum of Natural History

1. A massive fire destroyed the National Museum of Natural History located in New Delhi. The cause of fire is still unknown though the fire spread because of museum specimens and the wood work holding them.

2. The building was relatively empty because of an ongoing renovation, and was evacuated shortly before first responders arrived. However, many of the museum’s exhibits have suffered irreparable damage.

6. Lobsang Sangey re-elected as PM of Tibetan Government-in-exile

1. The Tibetan government-in-exile has re-elected Lobsang Sangey (48) as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term. The election result was announced by the Tibetan election officials in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala which is the headquarters of the government-in-exile. 

2. Sangey secured about 58 percent of the 58,740 votes cast. He defeated his only rival Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament by 9,012 votes. The 2016 general election was the second election since the Dalai Lama had stepped down as head of the government-in-exile in 2011 to focus on his role as the Tibetans’ spiritual leader. Tibetans living in exile in 40 countries had casted their votes for this election.

7. Union Railway Ministry to set up Rs 1 lakh crore Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh

1. The Union Railway Ministry has decided to create a 1 lakh crore rupees safety fund named Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh to strengthen safety measures on the rail network to prevent accidents. 

2. It was announced by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in the Lok Sabha while replying to a debate on Demands for Grants for Railways for 2016-17. In this regard Union Railway Ministry has forwarded a proposal to the Union Finance Ministry for approval.

8. Heart of Asia conference begins in New Delhi

1. The Heart of Asia (HoA) conference began in New Delhi with the objective of bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. 

2. The conference was attended by officials of a number of countries and is likely to deliberate on a host of issues like combating challenge of extremism and terrorism.

9. Riyad Mahrez becomes first African footballer to win PFA Player of the Year

1. Riyad Mahrez (Algerian origin) became the first African footballer to win the Professional Footballers Association’s (PFA) Player of the Year award. 

2. He was presented the award for the 2015–16 season at the Professional Footballers’ Association awards ceremony organised in London. 

3. With this, Mahrez also became the second non-European, after Luis Suarez (Uruguayan striker) to win this prestigious award in the sport of Football.

:: NATIONAL ::

SC backed the resolve of the banks to go after Vijay Mallya

• The Supreme Court backed the resolve of the banks to “go after” chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya, by handing over details of his overseas assets to them despite his plea to keep them a secret.
• Mr Mallya accused the banks – who have said he is a “fugitive fleeing from justice” of trying to lure him back with appeals of a “negotiated settlement” of his debts, when in fact they just wanted to send him “straight to Tihar Jail”.
• Mr Mallya, whose passport has been revoked by the government, and who has all but lost his status as a Rajya Sabha member, called the wrecked Kingfisher Airlines a “bonafide business failure”.
• He said he had never misused his bank loans, and though a “defaulter,” he had never been a “wilful defaulter” as the government and the banks made him out to be.
• The Bench ordered the Supreme Court’s Registry to hand over to the banks a sealed envelope submitted by Mr Mallya, containing details of foreign assets owned by him, his estranged wife and children.

48 Youths had been arrested for allegiance to IS and for planning attack

• 48 youths had so far been arrested nationwide for their allegiance to the IS and for planning attacks on behalf of the outfit.
• During a countrywide raid in January-February this year, the National Investigation Agency arrested 25 men for allegedly trying to establish an Islamic State-backed caliphate in India.
• The Islamic State is definitely a threat to India and the State intelligence officials were asked to improve intelligence-gathering techniques. The group may be losing steam internationally, but India remained vulnerable to it.
• As per an estimate, there are 70-80 active terrorists in the Valley, and all of them are identified in police records.
• They belong to the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) among others.

Advanced new ship Shoor commissioned

• Coastal security, particularly in the State, has received a shot in the arm as an advanced new ship, Shoor, of the Indian Coast Guard, commissioned about two weeks ago, arrived at its base in Mangaluru.
• The 105-m-long Shoor, an offshore patrol vessel, is the fifth ship of the Coast Guard based in Mangaluru at the New Mangalore Port.
• The Coast Guard already has four ships which are fast patrol vessels based at New Mangalore Port.
• They are Savtiribai Phule, Kasturba Gandhi, Amartya and Rajdoot. In addition, the Coast Guard has two hovercrafts based in Mangaluru.
• Designed and built by Goa Shipyard Ltd., Shoor can carry a helicopter. The ship can carry a single engine Chetak helicopter or a double engine advanced light helicopter.
• The ship is also capable of carrying pollution response equipment to combat oil spill contamination at sea.
• It carries five high speed boats, including for fast boarding operations, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol.

:: International ::

After India deny visa to Uighur leader, China says establish direct communication with Pak

• China nudged India and Pakistan to establish direct communication to resolve differences on listing JeM chief Masood Azhar on the UN terror roll, close on the heels of New Delhi’s decision to deny visa to an Uighur leader wanted by Beijing.
• In a written response Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “We encourage all parties related to the listing matter of Masood Azhar to have direct communication and work out a solution through serious consultations.”
• She added: “China is willing to continue with its communication with all the relevant parties,” signalling Beijing’s intent to stay diplomatically engaged on this subject, and achieve results based on consensus.
• Provision of international law could help Beijing steer clear of a possible controversy in the future, for adopting a “condescending approach” towards a subject that embroiled India and Pakistan.
• Sustained diplomatic interaction between the two South Asian neighbours could yield a “suitable language”, which could be included in a new draft acceptable to both sides.
• The officials, however, were non-committal on whether a closure to the controversy had now been achieved, pointing out that official communication from New Delhi on this subject was yet to be received.

British Court says Hillsborough tragedy was gross negligence by Police

• The 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough football stadium disaster were unlawfully killed, a jury found, blaming police for the worst tragedy in the history of British sport.
• Following the longest-running inquest in English legal history, jurors concluded that policing decisions at the ill-fated match in 1989 “caused or contributed” to the deaths, and amounted to “gross negligence”.
• Relatives of the victims have fought a 27-year campaign to get to the heart of what happened during the disaster, and were angry at an initial inquest ruling the deaths were accidental.
• They emerged from the courtroom hugging and in tears, holding pictures of their loved ones and a scarf reading “JUSTICE”.
• They linked hands above their heads and sang the Liverpool Football Club anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and chanted “Justice for the 96”.
• Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to their “extraordinary courage” in their “long search for the truth”.
• The disaster occurred on April 15, 1989 during an FA Cup semi-final between the teams of Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium in northern England.

:: Science and Technology ::

Plant breeders focussing on disease-resistant fruits

• To promote organic cultivation of fruits, plant breeders are now focussing on developing disease-resistant fruit varieties which can be grown without using pesticides.
• Even as efforts are on to develop various cultivation practices to reduce pest attack, scientists now feel that developing varieties which are resistant to major diseases will go a long way in promoting organic cultivation.
• About 120 plant breeders and horticulturalists from across the country are deliberating on issues related to development of disease-resistant varieties of fruits, among other things.
• A symposium on ‘Fruit breeding in tropics and sub-tropics: an Indian perspective’ being jointly organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR).
• organic fruits are not just healthier, but would also fetch additional income to farmers, especially in the export market. The symposium would look at conservation of indigenous fruit varieties.

:: India and World ::

India and Pakistan foreign secretary meet first time after Pathankot attack

• The much-anticipated talks between the Indian and Pakistani Foreign Secretaries on Tuesday failed to make headway on the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue, with both sides trading allegations.
• Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar conveyed that Pakistan cannot be in denial on the impact of terrorism on the bilateral relationship. Terrorist groups based in Pakistan targeting India must not be allowed to operate with impunity
• The Pakistan delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, alleged that Indian intelligence agencies were responsible for the unrest in Balochistan, and Mr. Jaishankar “firmly rebutted” the charge.
• The meeting between Mr. Chaudhry and Mr. Jaishankar was the first after the January 2 Pathankot attack.

:: Business and Economy ::

Moody’s warns against risk of sovereign debt levels

• India faces the risk of sovereign debt levels climbing higher if economic growth isn’t robust enough and could ultimately put pressure on the government’s ability to fund itself, Moody’s Investors Service has warned.
• India’s government debt to GDP ratio, which we forecast to fall to 65.7 per cent in 2016 from 67.5 per cent in 2015, is well above the median for Baa-rated sovereigns but in a gradual declining trend.
• “Debt interest payments as a proportion of revenues are more than double the median for similarly rated peers, at over 20 per cent. This reflects the government's narrow revenue base.”
• However, robust private savings, capital controls and bank liquidity requirements allow India to sustain debt that is higher than its peers, the credit ratings agency said.
• While policy moves are likely to enhance India’s medium-term economic strength, the constrained fiscal space available with the government puts India at risk in the event of slower-than-expected growth, the report notes.
• “In the absence of robust growth, India’s debt could start to climb, and ultimately put pressure on the government’s ability to fund itself.” Regarding India’s corporate sector
• Moody’s observed that although the growth of private debt was modest, the level of non-performing assets was leading to increased stress on state-owned bank balance sheets.
• The main threat to the sovereign credit profile would be via a significant and prolonged worsening in asset quality at state-owned banks, beyond the recognition of bad loans currently underway, that causes contingent liabilities to crystallise on the government's balance sheet.

EU looking to gradually solve India’s contention to BTIA

• The European Union has said that it offered India the possibility of asymmetric and gradual elimination of tariffs in the car and car parts and wines and spirits sectors as part of the negotiations on the bilateral free trade agreement known as the BTIA.
• A continuing absence of agreement in these sectors has contributed to the lack of progress on the trade deal despite last month’s summit level talks between India and the EU.
• “In terms of the car sector, in some cases, EU exporters face Indian import duties of up to 100 per cent on car and car parts,” a European Commission spokesperson for trade said.
• “We suggested or agreed on long transitional periods for their elimination or even going as far as accepting an asymmetric elimination of these duties in favour of India.”
• “The same goes for wines and spirits where our exporters face duties of up to 150 per cent and the proposal made in 2013 was for a gradual if not complete elimination of these duties, again taking into account Indian sensitivities,” Mr. Rosario said.
• High on India’s priority list has been access to European markets for Indian service professionals (such as from the IT sector). This however does not seem imminent.
• India has also been keen to obtain ‘data secure’ nation status from the EU, a classification that is crucial for the development of its IT and ITES sectors in Europe.

Apex Court wants Govt to explain recovery mechanism for bad loans

• The Supreme Court asked the government to explain threadbare the mechanism followed to recover bad loans while making a preliminary remark that the present system for recovery does not seem perfect.
• “Tell us about mechanism for recovering the dues. There may be some mechanism to deal with it. There is also a need of amendments. Suggest the ways and means by which these things can be prevented,” a bench said.
• Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Centre, said the government was in the process of amending laws to safeguard banks against write-offs and non-performing assets. The matter was fixed for further hearing on July 19.

Finance minister expects good rain will take country towards 8.5 % growth rate

• The economy is expected to grow over eight per cent this fiscal with the forecast of an above-normal monsoon raising hopes of the agriculture sector’s revival after two successive drought years, said Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya.
• He said the economic growth in the current fiscal could be even higher in view of policy and monetary interventions by the government and the Reserve Bank, which would ultimately push the sluggish industrial growth.
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also expressed hope that good rains would propel India’s economic growth to 8.5 per cent during the current fiscal, higher than the Central Statistics Office advance estimates of 7.6 per cent for 2015-16.
• According to IMD, there are 94 per cent chances of country receiving “normal to above normal” rainfall, while there is only 1 per cent probability of “deficient” rainfall.
• Agriculture, which contributes 15 per cent to India’s GDP and employs about 60 per cent of the country’s population, is heavily dependent on monsoon as only 40 per cent of the cultivable area is under irrigation.
• The interest regime is also conducive to economic growth now, as the Reserve Bank has cut the key interest rate by 0.25 per cent and introduced a host of measures to smoothen liquidity supply.
• The repo rate, at which RBI lends to the financial system, has come down to 6.5 per cent. This will also push economic activities.

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