International Affairs
- India has jumped three places to rank 133 out of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders.
- Finland has ranked first for the sixth consecutive year, and is followed by Netherlands and Norway.
- Among India's neighbours, Bangladesh has ranked 144, Pakistan has ranked 147 and China has ranked 176.
- Pakistan's Minister of State for Education Muhammad Baligh ur Rahman has announced that the government is working to make teaching Quran compulsory in public schools.
- The Minister said primary school students will be taught reading the Quran while secondary students will be taught the translation of Quran.
- International Defence Expo opens in Malaysia.
- Over 1,000 defence industries players, including big names like Airbus and BAE Systems, are participating in the Expo.
- A total of 29 countries participate in the exhibition in the form of group pavilion, including Australian, China, Britain and the US.
National Affairs
- 2nd International Yoga Day will be organized in Chandigarh on 21st June.
- Minister of Ayush, Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated a 3 day International Yoga Fest in Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.
- Government extends Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme to 61 more districts with low Child Sex Ratio.
- Victoria carriages, the horse-drawn vehicles, popular in Mumbai's Gateway of India will be phased out in June following Bombay HC's ruling in 2015 to ban horse carriages.
- The state government will provide rehabilitation for riders, horses and owners to compensate for their loss of livelihood.
- Apart from cruelty against animals, the ban aims to ease traffic in the area.
- The Union government has merged the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA) with the Khelo India scheme which is based on Gujarat's Khel Mahakumbh.
- Note : RGKA, aimed at building sports complexes across India, was started in 2014 by the Congress-led UPA government. "
- The Indian Navy today announced that women officers completing seven years with the Navy will be eligible for permanent commission in the law, education and naval constructors branches.
- Note : The Navy was the only wing of the armed forces which denied women permanent commission, which means a career in the armed forces until one retires.
- The Union government has allotted Rs. 800 crore to clean up Bengaluru’s polluted lakes.
MOUs
- A Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed in Science and Technology among Sri Lanka, Japan and India.
- On behalf of the MoU Sri Lanka’s University of Sri Jayewardenepura will sign the MoU with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science (AIST) and Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) of Japan andDepartment of Biotechnology (DBT) of Ministry of Science and Technology, India.
- Cabinet has given its approval for signing the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of Parties held in Paris in December last year.
- Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar will sign the agreement on behalf of India this Friday at a ceremony convened by Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.
- India and Mauritius inked an MoU to promote cooperation in traditional medicine and homeopathy.
- The MoU was inked recently when AYUSH Minister Sripad Yesso Naik was visiting Mauritius.
- Note : The AYUSH ministry has also recently signed MoUs with China, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Hungary, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Awards & Honors
- President Pranab Mukherjee honoured the Chinese professor Ge Fuping with theGeorge Grierson prize for his remarkable works done for the propagation of Hindi abroad.
- Ge has made commendable efforts for the promotion of Hindi language abroad.
- Note : Besides him, Alka Dunputh (from Mauritius) and Shichiro Soma (from Japan) were also given the George Grierson award by the President.
- About George Grierson Awards :
- These awards were instituted by Central Hindi Institute, Agra in 1989.
- 14 scholars receive this award in seven different categories every year for their contribution in the field of Hindi language and literature.
Business & Economy
- Argentina today returned to international markets after 15 years with a $16.5 billion dollar bond sale, after it defaulted on $100 billion worth US dollar debt in 2001.
- State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) today announced it has become thelargest mobiliser under the government's Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS)launched in November last year.
- Note : The bank gained substantial gold deposits after the Tirupati temple deposited 1,311 kg of gold with it.
- GMS allows banks to collect gold as deposits and offer interest on it.
New Appointments
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today announced Rahul Johri as its first-ever Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
- Note : A CEO appointment was among the key recommendations of the three-member Justice RM Lodha Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court to suggest administrative reforms in Indian cricket.
- Senior IAS officer A Ajith Kumar appointed as Kerala-based Rubber Board’s Chairman.
- Tata Steel had appointed Bimlendra Jha, executive committee member of Tata Steel’s Europe operations, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Tata Steel UK.
- The Goa government today decided to appoint Justice P.K.Mishra, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court as Lokayukta.
- German luxury carmaker BMW has appointed Frank Schloeder as acting President of its Indian operations with effect from May 1.
- US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Geeta Pasi as the US’snext envoy to Chad.
- India’s Durga Thakur has been promoted to international outdoor Umpire by theInternational Hockey Federation (FIH) following her good performance at the recently-held Hawke’s Bay Cup in Hastings, New Zealand.
- Brazil-born former Costa Rican midfielder Alexandre Guimaraes will coach Mumbai City FC in next season’s Indian Super League.
- Deepak Mishra, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1984 batch (AGMU cadre), has been appointed as Additional Director General in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Deaths
- Chile's former President Patricio Aylwin (97) passed away .
- Bill Campbell, a legendary mentor to some of Silicon Valley’s most important entrepreneurs and executives including Steve Jobs and Larry Page, has died at age 75.
- Mr. Campbell, who served as president, chief executive and chairman of financial software maker Intuit Inc., became far better known for advising tech leaders, which earned him the nickname, “The Coach.”
Sports
- England’s snooker great Steve Davis (58) announced his retirement from the game after 38-year career.
- Starting his snooker career in 1978, he went on to win six world titles in 1980s and was world number one from 1983 to 1990.
- Note : He was World number one for seven consecutive seasons
NATIONAL:
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley visit to US:
· Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on a 10-day itinerary to the US to attend the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, a UN session on the drugs problem, and an interaction with American investors.
· He was accompanied by Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan and Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian and some Indian Delegations.
Union government allots Rs. 800 crore to clean up polluted lakes in garden city:
· The Union government has earmarked Rs. 800 crore to clean up Bengaluru’s polluted lakes.
· Sewage treatment plant, Of the allotted funds, Rs. 500 crore is for laying down a 74-km trunk sewage pipeline, and Rs. 162 crore is to set up four sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Bellandur lake.
· The remaining is for the Urban Development Ministry for local water conservation activities.
Allahabad high court dismisses 15 judges:
· The Allahabad high court dismissed 15 judges for their doubtful integrity, negligence and poor conduct.
· The decision followed a full court meeting presided over by chief justice DY Chandrachud in Lucknow, where the credentials of the tainted judicial officers were discussed.
· The 15 judges include 12 additional district judges and three additional chief judicial magistrates (ACJMs).
President Pranab Mukherjee to inaugurate Global Exhibition on Services:
· President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the Second Edition of a Global Exhibition on Services 2016 at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida.
· Rs 10, Rs 200 commemorative coin on Tatya Tope released by government.
· A commemorative coin of Rs 200 denomination and a circulation coin of Rs 10 was released by Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma to mark the martyrdom day of 1857 mutiny hero Tatya Tope.
BSNL customers can now retrieve 30 yr old deleted mails:
· Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, BSNL has said that the customers using its hosting and email services will soon have a facility to retrieve their mails deleted as long as 30 years ago.
· The facility is now available for customers using @bsnl.in , @sancharnet.in, @dataone.in and domains hosted with BSNL.
· BSNL Director: N K Gupta.
Women in Indian Navy to get permanent commission:
· The Indian Navy today announced that women officers completing seven years with the Navy will be eligible for permanent commission in the law, education and naval constructors branches.
· The Navy was the only wing of the armed forces which denied women permanent commission, which means a career in the armed forces until one retires.
Air Force prepares 10-year indigenisation plan:
· The Indian Air Force has come out with a 10-year indigenisation roadmap till 2025, highlighting the future technologies and new weapon system capabilities that it plans to induct.
· The roadmap aims to share the IAF’s requirements – including details of 174 components that need indigenisation – with private sector players to enable them to set up the necessary manufacturing facilities.
India adds 6.9 GW to clean energy capacity:
· India added 6,937 MW of grid-connected clean energy capacity in 2015-16, against the targetted 5,060 MW.
· Solar and wind power led the capacity boost, with respective addition of 3,019 MW and 3,300 MW, while biogas and hydro projects added 400 MW and 219 MW respectively.
· With this, the country’s total renewable power capacity reached 42,728 MW, as on March 31.
Panasonic and US-based AES inked agreement to install energy storage project in Haryana:
· Panasonic India and AES India Private Limited announced an agreement to construct a 10 MW energy storage array at Panasonic's Technopark manufacturing facility in Jhajjar, Haryana.
· This joint project is the first large-scale battery-based energy storage project in India.
INTERNATIONAL:
Obama nominates Indian-American woman Geeta Pasi as US envoy to Chad:
· US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Geeta Pasi as the country’s next envoy to Chad.
· Pasi, who served as the United States Ambassador to Djibouti from 2011 to 2014, is a career member of the Foreign Service.
· She is at present the Director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the Bureau of Human Resources at the Department of State.
US chief Justice uses sign language as deaf lawyers sworn in:
· US Chief Justice John Roberts used sign language from the Supreme Court bench as he welcomed a dozen deaf and hard-of-hearing lawyers taking part in a ceremony authorizing them to argue cases before the court.
Russia, Ukraine agree on prisoner swap:
· Ukrainian President said he and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had agreed a framework for a deal to secure the release of Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko from a 22-year jail sentence in Russia.
ü Russian President ------ Vladimir Putin
ü Ukraine President ----- Petro Poroshenko
ü Russia Capital--- Moscow
ü Ukraine Capital--- Kiev
ü Russian Currency--- Russian ruble
ü Ukraine-- Ukrainian hryvnia
France seeks to extend Emergency till July:
· French PM Manuel Valls said that France will seek to extend the emergency in the country till the end of July.
· This will ensure security for international events like Tour de France and the Euro 2016 football tournament, he said.
· The emergency was first imposed after the Paris attacks in November 2015 and has been extended twice until 26 May.
Ethiopia declares two days of National Mourning:
· Ethiopia today declared two days of national mourning for the 208 people killed and 102 children kidnapped in cross-border cattle raids in the country's Gambela region.
· Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn had said that they are working with South Sudan to track down the attackers.
· He added that the attackers were not South Sudanese government forces or rebels.
International Defence Expo opens in Malaysia:
· Around 1000 defence companies including France major Airbus and UK based BAE Systems, Bell Helicopter, SAAB and Thales are also participating in the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition in Malaysia.
· In the exhibition 1,200 companies from 60 countries to display static equipment of weapons and defence technology, weaponry systems and generic security solutions in the four-day exhibition.
· 29 countries taking part in the exhibition in the form of group pavilion including Australian, China, Britain and the US.
· This year’s DSA is expected to be the biggest one since its inauguration 28 years ago a series of security dialogues and forums on topics including
ü Cyber Security,
ü Humanitarian Assistance,
ü Disaster Relief
Sri Lanka to sign MoU with Japan, India for collaboration in Science & Technology:
· A Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed in Science and Technology among Sri Lanka, Japan and India.
· On behalf of the MoU Sri Lanka’s University of Sri Jayewardenepura will sign the MoU with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science (AIST) and Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) of Japan and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of Ministry of Science and Technology, India.
World Development Indicators 2016 released:
· The World Bank Group released the 2016 edition of the World Development Indicators (WDI).
· WDI is the most widely used dataset and provides high-quality cross-country comparable statistics about development and people’s lives around the globe.
· WDI now includes 1400 indicators for over 200 economies.
World Bank Group to Invest 2.5 Billion US Dollars in Education Projects benefiting Adolescent Girls:
· World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim announced that the World Bank Group will invest 2.5 billion US dollars over 5 years in education projects that directly benefit adolescent girls.
· The announcement was followed by a call to action from the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, urging key policymakers and influencers from around the world to commit to urgent action in support of adolescent girls.
· The announcement was made at the Let Girls Learn event during the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings.
Iran unveiled S-300 Missile System parts at Army Parade:
· Iran unveiled S-300 missile system parts at army parade in Tehran. It was a long-awaited air defence system ordered from Russia.
· The S-300 system was on order since 2007 but Russia postponed the sale three years later after the UN Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution relating to Iran's nuclear programme.
· A deal between Iran and six world powers over its nuclear activities which led to lifting of sanctions in January 2016 removed the barriers to delivery but the fully operational system is still awaited.
· Iran and Russia are also in talks on a sale of the Sukhoi SU-30 fighter, another proposal criticised by the US.
APPOINTMENTS:
India’s Durga Thakur Promoted as International Hockey Umpire:
· India’s Durga Thakur has been promoted to international outdoor umpire by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) following her good performance at the recently-held Hawke’s Bay Cup in Hastings, New Zealand.
· Thakur started her career as an umpire from the third Hockey India (HI) Sub-Junior Men & Women National Championship (Finals) in Bhopal in 2013.
· A graduate of NSNIS in 2011, her first international assignment came in 2015 at the double six-Nation Cup in Breda, Netherlands.
Goa government to appoint Justice P.K. Mishra as Lokayukta:
· In Goa, the state government today decided to appoint Justice P.K.Mishra, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court as Lokayukta.
· Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar announced this decision in a press conference after the cabinet meeting today.
· Justice Mishra has earlier worked as the Chairman of the Goa State Human Rights Commission. The Cabinet will be recommending the name of Justice Mishra to the Governor of Goa for appointment.
Alexandre Guimaraes to coach Mumbai City:
· Brazil-born former Costa Rican midfielder Alexandre Guimaraes will coach Mumbai City FC in next season’s Indian Super League.
· He has had successful stints with Costa Rica’s national team that qualified for FIFA World Cups in 2002 and 2006.
· The 56-year-old has been manager of the Panama national team, several clubs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, UAE and China.
Frank Schloeder appointed acting President of BMW India:
· German luxury carmaker BMW has appointed Frank Schloeder as acting President of its Indian operations with effect from May 1.
· Schloeder, 41, currently Director Marketing at BMW India, would be replacing Philipp von Sahr, who will now head BMW Niederlassung in Berlin, Germany.
ü BMW CEO : Harald Krüger
ü BMW Headquarters : Munich, Germany
Centre appoints A Ajith Kumar as Rubber Board chief:
· Senior IAS officer A Ajith Kumar appointed as Kerala-based Rubber Board’s chairman.
· The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Kumar, a 1994 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, to the post of chairman, Rubber Board, Kottayam, an order issued by Department of personnel and Training.
· He has been appointed for a period up to May 31, 2018, which is the date of his superannuation.
Deepak Mishra appointed as ADG of Central Reserve Police Force:
· Deepak Mishra, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1984 batch (AGMU cadre), has been appointed as Additional Director General in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
· He will have tenure till November 2018 with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post.
Tata Steel appoints new CEO, Bimlendra Jha for UK biz:
· Tata Steel had appointed Bimlendra Jha, executive committee member of Tata Steel’s Europe operations, as the chief executive officer (CEO) at Tata Steel UK.
· He would report to Hans Fischer, CEO at Tata Steel Europe, and be supported by a team of executives drawn across functions including operations, procurement, finance, human resources and commercial.
Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) appoints Rahul Johri as its CEO:
· Board of Control for Cricket in India - BCCI today appointed Rahul Johri as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
· Mr. Rahul Johri, was last serving as Discovery Networks - Asia Pacific's Executive Vice-President and General Manager for South Asia. He will take on his new role starting from 1st of June.
BANKING :
RBL becomes first private sector bank to open dedicated branch for startups:
· RBL Bank announced the launch of an exclusive branch for start-ups.
· RBL Bank will be the first private sector Bank to open a specialized branch for start-ups offering a bouquet of banking products to service the end-to-end needs of the emerging entrepreneurial eco-system.
§ RBL Bank’s Chairman: Narayan Ramachandran and Rajeev Ahuja.
§ Branch: Koramangala, Bengaluru.
Muthoot Capital looks to increase loan book to Rs 2,500 crore:
· Two-wheeler focussed non-banking lender Muthoot Capital Services is diversifying aggressively into corporate and SME segments to grow faster and has set a target of growing loan book by two-and-a-half times to Rs 2,500 crore this fiscal.
Punjab National Bank top mobilizer under Gold Monetization Scheme:
· State-owned PNB has become the top mobiliser under Gold Monetisation Scheme, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November.
· The bank has mobilised substantial gold deposit under Short Term Gold Bank Deposit (STGBD) for three years from one of the leading trusts of India – Tirumula Tirupati Devasthanam, Tirpuati (TTD).
· The bank has mobilised 1,311 kg of gold since the launch of the scheme in November.
ü PNB CEO : Usha Ananthasubramanian
ü PNB Headquarters : New Delhi
ü PNB Slogan : The Name you can Bank Upon
ICICI Bank open to investing in startups:
· Country’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has said it is open to investing in startups in the financial technology space even though it has not earmarked a dedicated corpus for the investments.
· In September last year, its smaller rival, South-based Federal Bank, announced a dedicated Rs 25 crore fund to invest in startups.
· Market leader SBI launched a dedicated branch for startups in Bengaluru, which was followed by a similar move by private sector lender RBL Bank.
· The bank declared winners of a mobile application developing contest and said over 2,000 entries were received.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS:
The making of India: The untold story of British Enterprises authored by Kartar Lalvani
· The making of India: The untold story of British Enterprises authored by Kartar Lalvani , the book discusses the British rule and its role in creating a unified India.
· The book is the first to assess in a single volume almost all aspects of Britain's contribution in providing India with its lasting institutional and physical infrastructure.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Chinese professor Ge Fuping honoured with George Grierson prize for promoting Hindi:
· President Pranab Mukherjee honoured the Chinese professor Ge Fuping with the George Grierson prize for his remarkable works done for the propagation of Hindi abroad.
· Ge has made commendable efforts for the promotion of Hindi language abroad. Besides him, Alka Dunputh (from Mauritius) and Shichiro Soma (from Japan) were also given the George Grierson award by the President.
· These awards were instituted by Central Hindi Institute, Agra in 1989. 14 scholars receive this award in seven different categories every year for their contribution in the field of Hindi language and literature.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
India, Mauritius ink MoU to promote Traditional Medicine:
· India and Mauritius inked an MoU to promote cooperation in traditional medicine and homeopathy.
· The MoU was inked recently when AYUSH Minister Sripad Yesso Naik was visiting Mauritius.
· The AYUSH ministry has also recently signed MoUs with China, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Hungary, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Punjab CM Parkash Badal approves Rs 750 crore for strengthening link roads:
· Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal approved Rs 750 crore for the repair and strengthening of 6,500 km link road in the state.
· While chairing a meeting to review the progress of strengthening of ongoing road infrastructure projects at his residence, Badal finalised repair, widening and upgradation of 6500 km link road stretches in the state.
§ Punjab Governor : Kaptan Singh Solanki
§ Punjab Chief Minister : Parkash Singh Badal
§ Punjab Capital : Chandigarh
India adds 3,000 MW solar capacity in FY16, beats 2,000 MW target:
· India added close to 3,019 mw of grid-connected solar power generation capacity in 2015-16, which is well above its target of 2,000 mw for the fiscal.
· India’s total solar power generation capacity touched 6,763 mw as on March 31, 2016, according to the latest update on progress on clean energy initiatives.
IBM reports worst quarterly revenue in 14 years:
· IBM Corp reported its worst quarterly revenue in 14 years as results from newer businesses including cloud and mobile computing failed to offset declines in its traditional businesses, sending shares down nearly 5% in extended trading.
· Revenue of the world’s largest technology services company fell 4.6% to $18.68 billion in the first quarter, but beat analysts’ average estimate of $18.29 billion.
· It was the 16th straight quarter of revenue decline for IBM.
ü IBM CEO : Ginni Rometty
ü IBM Headquarters : New York, US
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Viber adds end-to-end encryption & hidden chats:
· Instant messaging service Viber introduced end-to-end encryption for messages and calls on its platform, that will come with varying levels of security.
· It also introduced the concept of hidden chats which allows locking certain conversations using a four-digit PIN. These services were initially rolled out in four countries and is expected to launch globally in the coming weeks.
Ixigo to let users book cabs without internet:
· Travel search app Ixigo has launched '1-Tap Cab Booking' feature that lets users book cabs without a stable internet connection or GPS.
· Currently available for Android, it will allow users to book the nearest cab in three seconds by tapping and holding a button on their home screen. The confirmation of the booking will be sent via a text message.
SPORTS:
ICC and Emirates Airline renewed deal for additional seven years:
· The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Emirates Airline on renewed their deal for an additional seven years.
· With this, Emirates Airlines became the Global Partner for all ICC events from 2016-2023.
· The ICC and the Emirates relationship date back to 2002, when the award-winning airline came on board as a sponsor of the ICC.
· The partnership was strengthened with Emirates becoming the ICC’s official partner for the 2007-2015 events cycle.
English Snooker legend Steve Davis retired:
· England’s snooker great Steve Davis announced his retirement from the game on 17 April 2016 after 38-year career. He is 58.
· Starting his snooker career in 1978, he went on to win six world titles in 1980s and was world number one from 1983 to 1990. In fact, he was World number one for seven consecutive seasons.
· He also won 28 ranking titles, putting him joint second on the all-time list with Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins.
· Put together, he stands second behind Stephen Hendry, who won seven world titles and 36 ranking titles.
· In his 1453 professional matches, he won 53 non-ranking titles which include three Masters wins.
OBITUARY:
Bill Campbell, Legendary Silicon Valley Mentor, Dies at 75:
· Bill Campbell, a legendary mentor to some of Silicon Valley’s most important entrepreneurs and executives including Steve Jobs and Larry Page, has died at age 75.
· He had been suffering from cancer. Mr. Campbell, who served as president, chief executive and chairman of financial software maker Intuit Inc., became far better known for advising tech leaders. That activity earned him the nickname, “The Coach.”
1. RBL becomes first private sector bank to open dedicated branch for startups
1. The RBL Bank (formerly Ratnakar Bank) became the first private sector bank in India to open dedicated branch for startups. The dedicated branch was inaugurated at Koramangala, Bengaluru by Nandan Nilekani, noted entrepreneur and former chairman of UIDAI.
2. The first exclusive bank branch for start-ups will offer a bouquet of banking products to service the end-to-end needs of the emerging entrepreneurial eco-system. The branch will assist entrepreneurs in setting up new enterprises or companies.
2. Beti Bachao Beti Padho Scheme extended to 61 more districts with low Child Sex Ratio
1. Union Government on 19 April 2016 extended the Beti Bachao Beti Padho (BBBP) Scheme in additional 61 districts across 11 States and Union Territories. The scheme was extended in the districts with low Child Sex Ratio.
2. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi who extended the scheme into 61 more districts informed that out of hundred, 49 districts are doing extremely well. She said, the child sex ratio of the other districts remain stable.
3. India ranked 133rd in 2016 World Press Freedom Index
1. India with a score of 43.17 was ranked 133 out of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index that was released on 20 April 2016. The Index was published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
2. In 2015 Index, India with a score of 40.49 was ranked 136 out of 180 countries. As a result in 2016 Index, India slipped by 3 ranks.
3. The index has been topped by Finland followed by the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand at second, third, fourth and fifth position respectively.
4. At the bottom of the index lies Eritrea at 180th rank. It is preceded by North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria and China at 179th, 178th, 177th and 176th position respectively.
4. Chinese professor Ge Fuping honoured with George Grierson prize for promoting Hindi
1. President Pranab Mukherjee on 19 April 2016 honoured the Chinese professor Ge Fuping with the George Grierson prize for his remarkable works done for the propagation of Hindi abroad.
2. Ge has made commendable efforts for the promotion of Hindi language abroad. Besides him, Alka Dunputh (from Mauritius) and Shichiro Soma (from Japan) were also given the George Grierson award by the President.
3. These awards were instituted by Central Hindi Institute, Agra in 1989. 14 scholars receive this award in seven different categories every year for their contribution in the field of Hindi language and literature.
5. Indian-American Geeta Pasi nominated as US envoy to Chad
1. United States (US) President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Geeta Pasi as the country’s next envoy to central African nation Chad. Ms. Pasi is a career member of the US Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counsellor.
2. She had served as the United States Ambassador to Djibouti from 2011 to 2014. At present, she is the Director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the Bureau of Human Resources at the Department of State.
3. She had joined the US Foreign Service in 1988. Since the she had served at posts in Cameroon, Ghana, India and Romania.
6. India’s Durga Thakur Promoted as International Hockey Umpire
1. India’s Durga Thakur has been promoted to international outdoor umpire by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). She was promoted following her good performance at the recently-held Hawke’s Bay Cup in Hastings, New Zealand.
SSC #IBPS #SBI #RBI #NABARD #NICL #NIACL #CAT #NMAT #everydayquiz
