IMPORTANT DAYS:
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2016 observed globally on April 28:
· 28 April: World Day for Safety and Health at Work
· The 2016 World Day for Safety and Health at Work was observed across the world on 28 April 2016 with the theme Workplace Stress: a collective challenge.
· The International Labour Organisation (ILO) celebrates World Day for Safety and Health to raise awareness of safety in the workplace. Occurring annually since 2003, each year it focuses on a specific area and bases a campaign around the theme.
ΓΌ International Worker’s Memorial Day globally on April 28
NATIONAL:
Odisha CM inaugurate 100 rural drinking water projects:
· Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik dedicated 100 rural drinking water supply projects at a function at the state secretariat in Bhubaneswar today.
· The projects being implemented at the cost of Rs 72 crore will benefit 1 lakh 72 thousand people residing in 107 villages across the state.
· The Odisha government so far has completed 347 out of 954 rural drinking water supply projects.
· Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had dedicated 100 urban drinking water supply projects worth Rs 63 crore to benefit at least 27 lakh people, in 41 urban local bodies of 20 districts.
Maharashtra Government rose jail term up to 5 yrs for chain snatchers:
· The Maharashtra government decided to increase the punishment for chain snatching up to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of 25000 rupees.
· The state Cabinet cleared the amendments to relevant sections of Indian Penal Code sections 379, 397-A (1)(2) and section 379-B along with the CrPC Act-1973, thus increasing the punishment up to five years rigorous imprisonment and 25000 rupees fine, in case of grievous injury to the victim.
Buddhist Circuit under Swadesh Darshan Scheme:
· The Ministry of Tourism has launched the Swadesh Darshan scheme in the year 2014-15 with a vision to develop theme based tourist circuits on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner by synergizing efforts to focus on needs and concerns of all stakeholders to enrich tourist experience and enhance employment opportunities.
· The Ministry has identified Buddhist Circuit as one of the thirteen thematic circuits for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
Union Cabinet gives nod to MoU between IRDAI and Insurance Authority of UAE:
· The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Insurance Authority of United Arab Emirates.
· The MoU provides for Enhanced cooperation between the two authorities in the field of insurance supervision.
· It will provide a framework for co-operation such as channels of communication. Increase mutual understanding through the exchange of regulatory and relevant supervisory information.
· It will also include confidential information to enforce or ensure compliance with their respective laws and regulations.
Uttarakhand Government to be first stable to buy short-term power through e-auction:
· The Government will start to buy short term power procurement through e-auction with nine biddings.
· The State has decided to buy 100-200 Megawatt short term power for the months July, August and September.
· The term of the power procurement is ranging from a day to a year.
· Bidders including power generators, traders and distribution companies had registered their wishes to take part in the bidding after the launch of the e-auction portal.
J&K Cabinet approves 5% interest subsidy for flood-hit traders:
· Jammu and Kashmir government has approved five per cent interest subvention to flood-hit traders with effect from 1st April this year.
· The subsidy will have a cap of five lakh rupees per affected business unit for a period of four years.
· Education Minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters that to ensure proper implementation of the interest subvention assistance scheme, the Cabinet ordered constitution of a high-level Coordination Committee.
· The panel will be headed by Chief Secretary and comprising representatives of Relief Rehabilitation department, Finance department, Planning and Development department.
Union Railway Ministry to set up Rs 1 lakh crore Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh:
· Ministry of Railways has pledged to set up a 1 lakh crore rupees safety fund called Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh which aimed to strengthen safety measures on the rail network to prevent accidents.
· The announced fund will help to accomplish railway’s zero-accident mission by strengthening the safety measures on the rail network in a comprehensive way.
· The fund will be a non-lapsable in nature which will be make use of safety measures.
· Rashtriya rail fund will be also used for replacement and upgrading of signaling system, improvement and up gradation of rolling stock, replacement of electrical assets and human resource development.
Haryana notifies scheme to encourage water harvesting in MSMEs:
· Government of Haryana has notified Water Audit Scheme for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to fillip water harvesting and conservation in industrial units.
· It envisages to optimize the water consumption principal to water saving and cutting down water consumption bills.
· Under the fund 75 per cent reimbursement of cost of water audit limited to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh and subsidy up to 50 per cent or maximum of Rs 20 lakh on the cost of capital equipment required for water conservation or harvesting systems.
Naval detachment set up at Lakshadweep:
· Indian Navy set up a new naval detachment at Androth islands of Lakshadweep as part of measures to enhance surveillance of crucial shipping lanes.
· Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands occupy a strategic location in the Arabian Sea, These Naval Detachment at Androth Island will improve the Navy’s reach and surveillance, and contribute significantly to strengthen maritime security and stability.
· Earlier the naval detachment at Kavaratti was specially made as a naval establishment, INS Dweeprakshak, in 2012.
· This facility will function as an observance and reporting organisation. It will also provide connectivity with mainland.
Panel suggests fine or jail for celebs in misleading ads headed by Divakar Reddy:
· Parliamentary Standing Committee has been formed to tackle misleading advertising as well as to fix liability on endorsers/celebrities.
· The committee to be headed by MP J C Divakar Reddy advocated that the Department of Consumer Affairs should be empowered to make laws to regulate growing sectors of e-commerce, direct selling and multi-level marketing where consumer complaints are on the rise.
· The panel suggests that for first time offence the violator may be penalised with either a fine of Rs 10 lakh or imprisonment up to two years or both.
· For second time offence a fine of Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of five years.
Union Government allowed states to control stock limits on sugar to check price rise:
· The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved to bring sugar under the purview of imposing stock holding limits on dealers of sugar by the state governments. It was to check the price rise in sugar.
· The Government has taken stock of the availability of sugar and different factors contributing to rise in market prices of sugar across the country and decided to allow states to put stock holding limits on sugar
· The decision empowered State and Central agencies to impose stock limits and regulate supply, distribution, storage and trade of sugar to bring down sugar prices at reasonable level by curbing unscrupulous trading.
Union Cabinet approved MoU between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in health and medical science:
· The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the fields of Healthcare and Medical Science.
· The bilateral MoU will encourage cooperation between the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health and HIV/AIDS of the Papua New Guinea through joint initiatives in the health sector.
· It will strengthen bilateral ties between India and Papua New Guinea.
Gopal Subramanium appointed as amicus curiae to implement Justice RM Lodha committee recommendations:
· 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.
· The recommendations pertain to large-scale structural reforms that the BCCI has been resisting.
· He will also assist the court in establishing the legal validity of certain recommendations of the Lodha committee, if the same were to be implemented by the court on the BCCI.
· Subramanium is a high-profile and widely respected senior advocate who also served as the solicitor general of India from 2009 to 2011.
Government bans import of dogs for commercial purposes:
· The government has banned the import of dogs for breeding or any other commercial activity, as per a recent notification by the Director General of Foreign Trade.
· The notification, however, clarifies that import of dogs is allowed for defence and police forces, research by R&D organisations, and people getting pet dogs with relevant documents in the importer’s name.
Railways to harness 1,000 MW solar power by 2020:
· Indian Railways proposes to harness 1,000 MW of solar and 150 MW of wind energy by 2020, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
· About 50 MW renewable energy capacity has been installed till date, including approximately 11 MW solar power and 37 MW wind power, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said in a written reply.
INTERNATIONAL:
Turkey's new Constitution will guarantee Secularism: PM Ahmet Davutoglu
· Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says, the country's new constitution will feature the principle of secularism.
· Parliamentary Speaker Ismail Kahraman, who is overseeing the draft charter, said Turkey was a Muslim country and should have a religious constitution.
· Turkey is a Nato member and aspires to join the EU, which has traditionally regarded the country as a model of secular democracy in the Islamic world.
Russia launches first rocket from new cosmodrome:
· Russia has launched the first rocket from its newly built Vostochny Cosmodrome earlier today following a 24-hour delay.
· The Vostochny cosmodrome was built to reduce dependency on the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan.
· The unmanned rocket is carrying three satellites. Roscosmos press service said communication have been established with all three satellites.
'Panama Papers' to be made public on May 9:
· The trove of leaked documents termed as "Panama Papers" revealing the vast extent of global tax evasion, will be made public on May 9, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) said.
· About 11.5 million leaked documents of Mossack Fonseca, a law firm in Panama, include information about more than 2,00,000 companies, trusts, and foundations based in 21 tax havens.
APPOINTMENTS:
Kejriwal re-elected as AAP National Convenor:
· Arvind Kejriwal was unanimously re-elected as the National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
· The National Executive also chose Pankaj Gupta as National Secretary and Raghav Chadha as National Treasurer,” party spokesperson Pankaj Bajpai said.
· The party inducted six new members, including one woman, in the Parliamentary Affairs Committee (PAC), the highest decision-making body.
Arianna Huffington joins Uber's board:
· Uber announced that Arianna Huffington, the Founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, will join the company’s board of directors.
· Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said that Arianna's ability to tell stories is "invaluable" for an engineer like him, whose natural tendency is to rely on data.
· Earlier this month, Huffington partnered with Uber to campaign against drowsy driving.
Kane Williamson appointed NZ captain in all 3 formats:
· New Zealand Cricket has confirmed that top-order batsman Kane Williamson will take over the captaincy in all three formats of the game following the retirement of Brendon McCullum.
· Williamson, who has already led the Kiwis in 36 matches across ODI and T20s including the World T20, will become the country's 29th Test captain when they tour Zimbabwe later this year.
Justice PK Mishra swears-in as Goa Lokayukta:
· Retired Justice P. K. Mishra was sworn in as the Lokayukta of Goa today.
· Governor Mridula Sinha administered him the oath of office in Raj Bhavan this morning.
· Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and his cabinet colleagues were present on the occasion.
· Mr Mishra has retired as Chief Justice of Patna High Court and served as the head of the State Human Rights Commission in Goa, earlier
Allan Donald appointed Australia's bowling coach:
· The former South Africa fast bowler, Allan Donald, will join Australia as their bowling coach for their tour of Sri Lanka, Cricket Australia has confirmed.
· Donald, who signed a short-term deal, will join the Australian team for the three Tests, five one-day internationals, and two Twenty20 matches in Sri Lanka from July 26 to September 9.
BANKING :
Bank of Japan keeps interest rates unchanged:
· The Bank of Japan kept the interest rates on the current accounts held by financial institutions at the central bank unchanged at (-)0.1%.
· The bank reportedly opted for more time to assess the impact of negative interest rates.
· Further, the bank also postponed the time frame for reaching a 2% inflation target to the next fiscal.
US Fed keeps key interest rate unchanged:
· The US Federal Reserve left their key interest rate unchanged at 0.25-0.50%.
· The central bank's policy-setting committee said the labor market had improved further despite a recent economic slowdown and that it was keeping a close eye on inflation.
· Following the announcement, brent crude hit a new 2016 high of $47.19 per barrel.
Experian India launches new fraud solution for banking and insurance:
· Information services company Experian has launched Hunter Fraud Score a new scoring mechanism that measures the probability of fraud in a credit application across the banking and insurance industries.
· Earlier the company had launched the Hunter Fraud Management Services for the Insurance sector in India in March this year and have 6 life insurance companiesgoing live this month.
· This initiative will help retail finance providers and insurance companies in India significantly increase their efficiency in fraud detection.
· This will enable them to possibly lower their fraud losses and focus on approving applications from genuine customers.
Bombay Stock Exchange partners Korea Exchange to list derivatives:
· The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Thursday said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea's exchange operator Korea Exchange for listing BSE Sensex-based derivatives contracts on the latter.
· The MoU also includes information sharing by both the exchanges along with conducting joint research in the area of derivatives markets, among other initiatives.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Jagendra Singh gets press club award for bravery in Journalism:
· Uttar Pradesh based brave journalist Jagendra Singh, who was killed allegedly for expresses his thoughts on illegal sand mining and other misbehavior activities.
· Jagendra Singh honoured posthumously with “RedInk Veer Patrakar Puraskar”
Other Awardees:
· 25 other journalists were awarded for their contribtuion at the function.
· T N Ninan, Chairman and Editorial Director of Business Standard – Lifetime Achievement award
· NDTV India’s senior Executive Editor Ravish Kumar – the ‘Journalist of the year’ award.
Pakistan radio journalist Misha Euceph selected for prestigious WHCA scholarship:
· Pakistani Misha Eucepha radio journalist in the US is among 18 budding journalists selected for the prestigious annual scholarship of the White House Correspondents Association.
· Misha from Rawalpindi is the beneficiary of a USD 5,000 grant through the WHCA to help finance a post-graduate degree for a student.
· The scholarship would be presented by US President and the First Lady Michelle Obama.
Sudarsan Pattnaik bags gold medal at Sculpture Championship in Moscow:
· Renowned artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the gold medal at ninth Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship at Russia.
· Mr. Pattnaik won the competition for his 15 feet high art work Mahatma Gandhi's sculpture for non-violence and peace .
· 20 top sculptors from different countries competed at the championship.
· Padma Shri Mr. Pattnaik has participated in more than 50 international sand sculpture championships across the world and won many awards for the country.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
BlackBerry launches payments service in India called BBM Money:
· BlackBerry, in partnership with digital payments platform Digitsecure, has launched its money transfer service, called BBM Money, in India.
· BlackBerry users can download the BBM Money app and transfer funds to one another through BlackBerry Messenger.
· The company said that the transfers are instant and secure, but restricted to the BBM app.
Facebook profit nearly triples to $1.51 billion:
· Facebook announced a three-fold year-on-year rise in net profit for the quarter ended March to $1.51 billion.
· The growth was attributed to a 57% increase in advertising revenue to $5.2 billion.
· Further, monthly active users rose to 1.65 billion from 1.59 billion in the previous quarter.
· Following the announcement, Facebook's shares surged over 9% in after-hours trading.
China's HNA Group to acquire Carlson Hotels:
· A unit of Chinese conglomerate HNA Group has agreed to acquire US-based Carlson, the owner of the Radisson hotel chain, for an undisclosed sum, the companies said in a joint statement.
· The deal also includes Carlson's majority 51.3% stake in Belgium-based Rezidor Hotel Group.
· Carlson currently operates 1,400 hotels spread across 115 countries and territories.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
ISRO launches navigation satellite IRNSS-1G:
· The Indian Space Research Organisation today launched navigation satellite IRNSS-1G successfully from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota spaceport.
· The 44.4 metre tall satellite, with a 12-year life span, is seventh and last in the series ofIndian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
· With this launch, India is now among the only five nations that have their own GPS or navigation system
SPORTS:
Japan unveiled Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympics emblems:
· Japan's Olympic organisers unveiled the new official logos of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
· The emblems, designed by Asao Tokolo, feature an indigo-coloured check in the design.
· The Olympic logo features a circular Japanese traditional checkered pattern. Below the design are the words Tokyo 2020 and under them the five interlocking Olympic rings.
· The design is meant to express a refined elegance and sophistication that exemplifies Japan.
· The logos incorporate the message of unity in diversity, and the idea that the Games seek to promote diversity as a platform to connect the world.
Two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez retired:
· Two-time Olympic 400-meter hurdles gold medalist champion Felix Sanchez announced his retirement, it means that the 38-year-old will not defend his title at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
· Sanchez who made his first Olympic team in 2000 won his first gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and second at the 2012 Summer Games in London. He also owns two gold medals from the 2001 and 2003 world championships.
· The hurdler, known as Super Sanchez, made his final global championship appearance with a fifth place finish at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
· Sanchez born in the United States to the Dominican parents competes in Olympics for the Dominican Republic.
ICC suspended Cricket Association of Nepal:
· The Cricket Association of Nepal has been suspended by the International Cricket Council due to a ‘vacuum of cricket leadership’ in the country and also in view of government interference in the board.
· The ICC Board held its second meeting of the year at the ICC Headquarters in Dubaiand called for the suspension of the CAN among many other outcomes.
Government gives nod to new boxing body’s registration:
· The Sports Ministry approved the registration of the proposed Boxing Federation of India and agreed to hold formal elections to the body.
· This comes after the International Boxing Association issued a warning to the Indian Boxing Federation for not conducting elections, failure of which would have resulted in Indian boxers being denied participation in Rio Olympics.
Deepika Kumari equals world record at Archery World Cup:
· Indian archer Deepika Kumari, with a tally of 686 out of 720 in the qualifying round of the Archery World Cup in Shanghai, equaled the World record in the Women’s Recurve event.
· She equaled the record which was previously held solely by Ki Boe Bae of South Korea.
· Meanwhile, the Indian archer finished first in the qualification event.
Chris Gayle’s record of fastest T20 century broken by 23-year-old Trinidad and Tobago batsman Iraq Thomas:
· A Trinidad and Tobago batsman, Iraq Thomas, smashed the fastest Twenty20 century when he reached the feat in just 21 balls, thereby breaking Chris Gayle’s record of 30-ball century in T20 cricket.
· The 23-year-old cricketer from Tobago hit the hundred during a match in the Tobago Cricket Association’s T20 tournament at Louis D’or .
· He was representing Scraborough/Mason Hall as he finished with an unbeaten 131 off 31 balls to help his side chase Speyside’s target of 152 in just eight overs.
OBITUARY:
China human rights campaigner Harry Wu dies:
· Chinese human rights campaigner Harry Wu has died. He was 79. The cause of death wasn’t known.
· Wu, the son of a wealthy Roman Catholic family from Shanghai, was arrested in 1960 when he was only 23 years old.
· He was given a life sentence in a forced labour prison camp after he criticised the Soviet Union, then an ally of China.
Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas passed away:
· Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas, popularly known as Toms, passed away following a brief illness at in Kottayam, Kerela. He was 86.
· He is survived by his wife Thresyakutty and children Boban, Molly, Rani, Peter, Bose, Princy.
· Toms created the legendary cartoon characters Boban and Molly (Bobanum Moliyum).
World's 'greenest dog' dies aged 13:
· Tubby, dubbed as the world's 'greenest dog' after entering into the Guinness Book of Records for sniffing out 26,000 plastic bottles for recycling, died in the UK.
· The 13-year-old dog would reportedly pick up plastic bottles during his daily walks, and carry them over to his owner Sandra Gilmore, to be recycled.
1. China successfully launched Kunpeng-1B Sounding Rocket
1. China successfully launched the Kunpeng-1B sounding rocket from a launch pad in Danzhou City in the southern Chinese Hainan Province. The rocket reached a maximum height of 316 kilometres (196 miles), with the total flight time coming to 10 minutes.
2. The head of the rocket was equipped with a new altitude control system. New materials of flexible carbon fibre were also used in the rocket to enable easier flight.
3. This is the first time Kunpeng 1B’s arrow configuration of altitude control system and carbon fibre stretching rod has been used on a sounding rocket in China. It makes the detector more flexible and lightweight.
2. Jayasurya recalled as Sri Lanka's cricket chief selector
1. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya as chief selector of the Sri Lankan Cricket team.
2. Jayasuriya is back as the chief selector for the team, after a year when he stepped down from the role. Earlier, he served as the chief selector from January 2013 to March 2015.
Jayasuriya-led committee will succeed the Aravinda de Silva led committee.
3. The new four member selection panel will take office on 1 May 2016 and will serve for two years and will comprise of former wicketkeeper-batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana, former fast bowler Eric Upashantha and former off spinner Ranjith Madurasinghe.
3. ISRO’s seventh navigational satellite IRNSS 1G launched
1. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched India’s seventh navigation satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS 1G) into a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO) on-board PSLV-C33.
2. The satellite was launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, which is situated 90 kms from Chennai.
3. With this launch, India successfully joined the elite group of countries that have their own navigation system technology to cater to the mammoth navigational needs.
4. Union Cabinet approved Investment enhancement by BPCL in Bharat Oman Refineries Limited
1. The Union Cabinet approved to enhance investment by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Bharat Oman Refineries Limited (BORL).
2. Now, the investment amount can be enhanced upto a maximum of 3000 crore rupees by way of subscription of convertible warrants giving right to convert it into equity shares to be issued by BORL.
3. The infusion of funds by the BPCLs will enable BORL to overcome the implications on account of the erosion of the net worth.
5. CarDekho.com parent GirnarSoft acquires SaaS startup Connecto
1. GirnarSoft, the parent company of auto classifieds portal CarDekho,com, has snapped up SaaS startup Connecto, in a cash-and-stock deal, the Jaipur-headquartered company announced.
2. This is the latest acquisition by the Google Capital and Hillhouse Capital-backed company, which has been on a buying spree over the last 12-18 months, announcing a slew of acquisitions and investments over the same period.
6. RBI proposes rules for peer-to-peer lending; seeks to regulate sector with measures
1. The Reserve Bank of India for the first time proposed rules for peer-to-peer lending, seeking to regulate a growing sector with potential measures including requiring minimum capital of 20 million rupees ($301,023.48) or prohibiting them from promising "extraordinary returns."
2. The RBI also proposed that only those defined as companies engage in peer-to-peer lending and said it may categorise firms in the growing sector as non-banking financial companies.
3. Peer-to-peer lending has been growing globally, including in India, where only a limited segment of the population has access to bank finance.
7. Renowned Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas passes away
1. Renowned Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas passed away following a brief illness at in Kottayam, Kerala. He was 86. He was popularly known as Toms and had created the legendary cartoon characters Boban and Molly (Bobanum Moliyum).
8. Deepika Kumari equals world record in recurve event at Archery World Cup
1. India’s Deepika Kumari has equalled the world record in Women’s Recurve event at the qualifying stage of Archery World Cup held in Shanghai, China.
2. Deepika recorded a score of 686 out of 720 to finish 1st in qualifiers and equal the world. With this she equalled the record set by South Korea’s Ki Boe Bae at the World University Games in Gwangju in 2015.
9. Union Cabinet approved MoU between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in health and medical science
1. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the fields of Healthcare and Medical Science.
2. The bilateral MoU will encourage cooperation between the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health and HIV/AIDS of the Papua New Guinea through joint initiatives in the health sector. It will strengthen bilateral ties between India and Papua New Guinea.
10. Union Cabinet gives nod to MoU between IRDAI and Insurance Authority of UAE
1. The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Insurance Authority of United Arab Emirates.
2. Decision in this regard was taken by the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The MoU was signed in February, 2016.
1. New Zealand's $5 bill named best banknote of the year
i. New Zealand’s five-dollar note has been named the banknote of the year for 2015 by the International Bank Note Society.
ii. The note incorporates some of the world’s most advanced security features and beautifully showcasing New Zealand’s history, culture, and heritage. The $5 note has won form the 40 eligible designs from a record 20 countries.
iii. The $5 note has featured mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and on the other side, a rare yellow-eyed penguin and local flora.
2. MoU signed between Railways and ISRO
i. The Railways has signed up an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop an application for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System. The MoU has been signed on March 17th, 2016 and came into force now.
ii. This MoU will fulfill the requirements of Indian Railways in terms of issues and needs related to science and technology which include, the development of an advance warning system at Unmanned Railway Crossings for road users, the mapping of Indian Railway assets through Geo- spatial technology and to develop paperless unreserved ticketing solution based on geo-fencing of station area.
iii. Under this agreement the ISRO will also develop a real time train information system by using communication satellite services to meet the Indian Railway satellite based communication requirements.
3. New naval detachment launched at Lakshadweep Androth Island
i. The Indian Navy has inaugurated a naval detachment at Androth Island of the Lakshadweep archipelago.
ii. It will help Indian Navy to have better surveillance and reach in the Arabian Sea. The naval detachment was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, who is the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command.
iii. The facility will function as an observance and reporting organization. It will provide communication network connectivity with the mainland and also enable monitoring of Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC). It will also help in radar surveillance.
4. Cabinet nod to solar power plant of 200 MW at Jetsar, Rajasthan
i. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for utilisation of 400 hectares of un-cultivable farm land at the Central State Farm (CSF), Jetsar in Sri Ganganagar District, Rajasthan for setting up of a solar power plant of capacity exceeding 200 MW.
ii. The land is presently in possession of National Seeds Corporation (NSC), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The Solar Power Plant will be set up by a CPSE, which would be selected through negotiation.
iii. NSC will provide 400 hectares of un-cultivable land, out of the 5394 hectares under its possession to the identified CPSE, which will bear the costs relating to the installation of the Solar Power Plant. The selected CPSE will have to do tariff based competitive bidding for the project.
5. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of health area and medical science
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of Healthcare and Medical Science.
ii. The bilateral MoU will encourage cooperation between the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health and HIV/AIDS of the Papua New Guinea through joint initiatives in the health sector.
iii. It will strengthen bilateral ties between India and Papua New Guinea.
6. MoU between Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and the Insurance Authority, UAE
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Insurance Authority of United Arab Emirates. The MoU was signed in February 2016.
ii. The MoU provides for enhanced cooperation between the two authorities in the field of insurance supervision by providing a framework for co-operation such as channels of communication.
iii. It will also result in increasing mutual understanding through the exchange of regulatory and relevant supervisory information including confidential information to enforce or ensure compliance with their respective laws and regulations.
7. BSE inks pact with Korea Exchange to list Sensex-based derivatives
i. BSE Ltd on Thursday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Korea Exchange (KRX) of South Korea, for listing S&P BSE Sensex-based derivatives contracts on the latter.
ii. The agreement is expected to further the development of derivatives markets in India and South Korea. It will encourage the sharing of information, and foster new opportunities for the exchanges and their respective issuers.
iii. The MoU also includes information sharing by both parties to promote each other’s understanding of a product’s listing process and the market’s functioning. BSE and KRX have also agreed to conduct joint research in the area of derivatives markets and to support the development of new products, experience sharing and cooperation on IT system.
8. Experian India has launched the fraud detection mechanism
i. The Global data services company, Experian, headquarter in Dublin, Ireland, has launched its 'Hunter Fraud Score' in India, which is a new scoring mechanism.
ii. The mechanism will help to measure the probability of fraud in a credit application across banking and insurance industries. It will help the country to increase their efficiency in fraud detection.
iii. Hunter prevents application fraud by matching credit application data against multiple data sources including the shared fraud data. It comprises several rules that work towards identifying inconsistencies in credit applications.
9. DBS Bank launches 'mobile-only bank' in India
i. The Singapore's largest bank, DBS has unveiled the 'mobile only bank’ in India. The ‘digibank’ uses technologies, such as bio metrics and artificial intelligence, to enable paperless, signature less and branch less bank.
ii. This is the India's 1st mobile only bank which targeting 5 million retail customers. The bank will leverage bio metrics-enabled ID and Aadhaar card to ensure that that there is no paperwork.
iii. It will provide customer service via a 24*7 artificial intelligence-driven virtual assistant, which understands natural language and has learning ability, so that it is able to respond in real-time.
10. Japan unveiled Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympics emblems
i. The new emblem of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games was unveiled here on Monday, featuring an indigo-coloured check in the design.
ii. The logo features a circular Japanese traditional checkered pattern. Below the design are the words “Tokyo 2020” and under them the five interlocking Olympic rings, reports Xinhua.
iii. The logo was chosen from a shortlist of four announced on April 8 after more than 14,599 entries were publicly accepted. Tokyo 2020 organisers had to scrap a logo by Japanese designer Kenjiro Sano over its close resemblance of a theatre in the Belgian city of Liege created by designer Olivier Debie.
11. ICC suspends the Cricket Association of Nepal
i. The Cricket Association of Nepal has been suspended by the International Cricket Council due to a ‘vacuum of cricket leadership’ in the country and also in view of government interference in the board. The ICC took the decision after the 2nd meeting of the year at ICC headquarter in Dubai.
ii. According to ICC, the membership of CAN will remain suspended until it becomes free of government interference and is properly structured to begin exploiting the tremendous cricket talent and opportunities that exist in Nepal.
iii. However, the ICC decided that Nepal cricket teams would continue to feature in ICC events.
12. Panel suggests fine or jail for celebs in misleading ads
i. Parliamentary Standing Committee has been formed to tackle misleading advertising as well as to fix liability on endorsers/celebrities.
ii. The committee to be headed by MP J C Divakar Reddy advocated that the Department of Consumer Affairs should be empowered to make laws to regulate growing sectors of e-commerce, direct selling and multi-level marketing where consumer complaints are on the rise.
iii. The panel suggests that for first time offence the violator may be penalized with either a fine of Rs 10 lakh or imprisonment up to two years or both. For second time offence a fine of Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of five years.
13. Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas passed away
i. Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas, popularly known as Toms has passed away on 27 April 2016 following a brief illness at in Kottayam, Kerela. He was 86.
ii. Toms created the legendary cartoon characters Boban and Molly (Bobanum Moliyum). He was born in 1929 in Kuttanad in Alappuzha district and initially served the British Army.
iii. Apart from Bobanum Moliyum, the characters which weaved magic in Toms' creative world were the of the kids lawyer Pothen, the flirty Appy Hippy, the nincompoop panchayat president Ittunnan (chettan) and so on.
14. Deepika Kumari equals world record in recurve event at Archery World Cup
i. India's Deepika Kumari has equalled the world record in Women's Recurve event at the qualifying stage of Archery World Cup being held in Shanghai.
ii. Padma Shri recipient Deepika recorded a score of 686 out of 720 to finish 1st in qualifiers and equal the world record set by South Korea's Ki Boe Bae at the World University Games in Gwangju last year.
iii. She has already qualified for the Rio Olympics with her performance at the Copenhagen World Championships last year. In the previous editions of the World Cup, Deepika had won silver medals 2011, 2012 and 2013 in the individual events.
15. Sudarsan Pattnaik bags gold medal at Sculpture Championship in Moscow
i. Renowned artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the gold medal at ninth Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship in Russia.
ii. Mr. Pattnaik won the competition for his 15 feet high art work Mahatma Gandhi's sculpture for non-violence and peace .
iii. The 20 top sculptors from different countries competed at the championship. Padma Shri Mr. Pattnaik has participated in more than 50 international sand sculpture championships across the world and won many awards for the country.
