#everydayquiz
NATIONAL:
New Rules notified by Government to revamp Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act:
· Union government has notified the new rules on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act, 1989 was amended by Parliament in Dec 2015.
· The notified rules will ensure speedy justice to their members, it also mandates police to file charge sheet within 60 days after a complaint is lodged.
· These rules are notified by the Centre on Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary towards achieving his vision of a more equal and just society.
Dr Jitendra Singh launches Cancer Care campaign in Northeast:
· A week long Cancer Care campaign launched in Northeast by the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in Shillong under the auspices of North Eastern Council (NEC) Pink Chain Cancer Conclave.
· The campaign has Programmes which include public education camps, academic discussions by medical experts and visits to educational institutions.
· This initiative has been undertaken considering the fact that North Eastern States are recording a much higher prevalence of Cancer compared to most other States of the country.
· The minister pledged similar campaigns will also be organized in the other seven States of North-Eastern Region.
· This initiative would also be to update the medical professionals of the region on the recent advances in Cancer treatment and control.
India clears insurance for nuclear reactors:
· The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has cleared the insurance policy for all 21 nuclear reactors in the country.
· The policy was cleared under the India Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP) that was set up to address liability issues for both suppliers and operators, officials said.
· The NPCIL also finalised the insurance policy for suppliers, officials added.
Government to appoint 10,000 new LPG distributors in FY17 :
· Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that ten thousand new LPG distributors will be appointed in the current financial year.
· At present, there are 18,000 gas distributors in the country and in the coming three months, 2,000 new distributors will be made and by the end of this financial year 8,000 more distributors will be made.
Ministry of External Affairs revoks Vijay Mallya's passport:
· The Ministry of External Affairs today revoked businessman Vijay Mallya's passport under different sections of passport act.
· External Affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, after getting replies of Mr Mallya, the ministry took this decision.
· Earlier, armed with a non-bailable arrest warrant against him, the Enforcement Directorate, ED has approached the External Affairs Ministry seeking initiation of deportation proceedings against Vijay Mallya in connection with its money laundering probe against him.
'Smart' classes for kids in naxal-hit district:
· According to The Better India, administration in the Naxal-hit district of Giridih, Jharkhand have launched an offline smart class program wherein the educational content is collated from websites and taught to students.
· The administration earlier launched an online virtual classroom program called Disha, wherein teachers and volunteers would come to a studio and deliver live lessons to students.
Kerala mosque opens to women for the 1st time:
· A mosque in Kerala has decided to allow the entry of Muslim women for the first time in its history.
· Muslim women "in the right attire" can enter the Thazhathangady Juma Mosque, only on April 24 and May 8, the chief Imam said.
· Believed to be over a thousand years old, it is one of the oldest mosques in India.
Priest becomes Indian after 38-year struggle:
· After a 38-year-long struggle, a 90-year-old Spanish Jesuit priest has become an Indian citizen.
· Father Gussi Frederick Sopena has been living in the country for over six decades, and reportedly wished to die an Indian.
· He was rejected for citizenship twice, and the file containing his documents was lost by the collector's office when he applied the third time.
INTERNATIONAL:
Recreation of destroyed Palmyra arch unveiled:
· A model of the Palmyra Arch a two thousand year old Syrian architectural landmark believed to have been destroyed by Islamic militant group ISIS.
· The replica has been erected in London’s Trafalgar Square for three days. It will then go on show in public spaces around the world including Dubai and New York, before it is expected to take up a permanent spot in Palmyra near to the location of the original arch.
· It measures 15-feet-high (4.6-metre-high) was officially unveiled by Mayor Boris Johnson.
· Palmyra site including the necropolis outside the walls was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1980.
Congo Republic president names one-time opposition leader Clement Mouamba as Prime Minister:
· Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso named former Finance Minister Clement Mouamba as the Prime Minister, bringing a one-time opposition leader into the government.
· State television said the appointment comes a month after Sassou Nguesso was elected to a five-year term that extends his long rule over the oil producing country.
· Sassou Nguesso led Congo between 1979 and 1992 and returned to power after a civil war in 1997.
· The central African country has been gripped by political violence since the election.
Nepal observes first anniversary of earthquake:
· Nepal observed the first anniversary of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that claimed the lives of around 9,000 people last year.
· Several people gathered at the Durbar Square in Nepal's capital Kathmandu and released around 9,000 balloons, the same number as the earthquake victims, to remember them.
· The balloons were released at the exact time the earthquake had struck.
World Bank to lend $150 mn for Ecuador quake aid:
· The World Bank said it will lend Ecuador $150 million to speed up the aid to victims of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the country's northern coast.
· It also offered to restructure Ecuador's other loans to free up resources to deal with the emergency.
Barack Obama set to visit Germany today:
· US President Barack Obama is set to visit Hanover, Germany today to hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of his closest allies.
· It will be the last stop on a six-day foreign journey where Mr Obama has sought to shore up US alliances he views as key to grow trade, defeat Islamic State militants, and offset Russian aggression in Ukraine and Syria.
· Mr Obama, who is in the last nine months of his presidential term, spent three days in London where he urged Britons to remain part of the European Union in a June referendum, a vote that could send shockwaves through the economy.
APPOINTMENTS:
Bhupendra Kainthola is new Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) director:
· Bhupendra Kainthola, an Indian Information Service (IIS) officer of 1989 batch, has been appointed as the new Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
· He is presently working as Director of Doordarshan.
· Kainthola will replace Prashant Pathrabe
· It is an autonomous body under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
ü FTII Chairman – Gajendra Chouhan
ü Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
Bishwadip Dey to serve in Republic of Trinidad and Tobago:
· Shri Bishwadip Dey was appointed as the High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
· He is currently working as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Embassy of India, Thimphu.
Trinidad and Tobago:
ü Capital: Port of Spain
ü Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar
Nagaland Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar becomes first Ambassador for Girl Child:
· Nagaland Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar has become the first Ambassador for Girl Child (AFGC) under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Project.
· Every AFGC will provide one under privileged girl child the chance to live a better life besides contributing towards quality education of such girls.
Salman Khan named as Indian contingent’s Goodwill Ambassador for 2016 Rio Olympics:
· Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been named Indian Contingent’s goodwill ambassador for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
· This is the first time that a Bollywood superstar will be a goodwill ambassador for the national squad for as big an event like the Summer Olympics.
· The association between Salman Khan and the Indian Olympic Association was facilitated by IOA’s official marketing agency IOS Sports & Entertainment.
· The 2016 Olympics will be held at the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro from August 5-21.
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
TIME releases 100 Most Influential Animals list:
· TIME magazine in a first has released a list of 100 Most Influential Animals of 2016 with 'Cecil', the lion killed by an American dentist, topping the list.
· The list was curated by top animal experts including PETA president Ingrid Newkirk.
· The list in its top ten featured the bear from the film 'The Revenant', Zika mosquitoes and 'Angry Birds'.
Sony announces World Photography Awards winners:
· Sony announced the winners of its World Photography Awards for 2016 for which it received a record 230,103 photographs.
· Entries were received from over 180 countries across categories including Professional, Open, Youth and National Awards.
· The winning images include a White Rhino, eagle hunters of Western China, and acid attack victims photographed by Asghar Khamseh.
Pathankot operation dog Rocket may receive award:
· Assault and sniffer dog Rocket, who took part in the counter-terror operations during the Pathankot attack, has been recommended for a gallantry award, according to an NSG officer.
· Rocket reportedly pounced on a terrorist, taking him by surprise and resulting in him being gunned down.
Google launches its first Google Play Awards:
· Google in a blog post announced its first-ever Google Play Awards to “highlight some of the best apps” on the platform.
· Chosen by experts at Google, the program will showcase five nominees across 10 award categories including Best Game, Best App and Most Innovative.
· The winners will be announced at the Google I/O conference in May.
Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Samman for 3 Odiya artists:
· Three eminent Odiya artists Prafulla Kar, Aloka Kanungo and Sadasiv Pradhan have been selected for the prestigious Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Samman from Odisha.
· This was announced in a meeting of the Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi held in Agartala recently.
· The awards are the highest honour for performing arts in the state.
· The artists will be awarded later by the President of India in ceremony in New Delhi.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Singapore Airlines' Scoot to launch in India:
· 'Scoot', a low-budget carrier owned by Singapore Airlines, will launch in India in May.
· The airline will operate flights to Amritsar and Jaipur while in Chennai it will take over Tigerair's Singapore-Chennai operations.
· Currently, the company is offering all-inclusive economy class fares for its flights from Indian cities to Singapore, starting as low as $64 till April 28.
Gold imports fall 8% in 2015-16 to $31 billion:
· Gold imports for the fiscal 2015-16 declined by around 8% to $31.72 billion amid a fall in prices in the global and domestic markets, according to data from the Commerce Ministry.
· Meanwhile, imports in the month of March fell by 80.48% year-on-year to $972.96 million as the nationwide jewellers' strike opposing the 1% levy on non-silver jewellery suppressed the demand.
Uber partners with FICCI, Gujarat Tourism for soft skill training:
· Cab aggregator, Uber has entered into a partnership with Gujarat Tourism and FICCI in Ahmedabad city to facilitate training for Uber driver-partners.
· The training is designed and conducted by Ace Driving & Road Safety Education Pvt Ltd on areas of Safe Driving and Interpersonal Skills of the drivers, in order to improve the overall rider experience in Gujarat.
· According to a statement from Uber, the training will be conducted on an ongoing basis and will be optional for all Uber driver-partners. All drivers who attend the training will be certified by FICCI and Gujarat Tourism under their program, it added.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Twitter India starts providing pollution updates:
· Twitter India has collaborated with data journalism website IndiaSpend to provide users with real-time air pollution updates in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, the microblogging website announced in a blog post.
· Users can tweet #Breathe followed by their location to instantly receive data about the air quality index of their respective areas and its possible health impacts.
ISRO to test its reusable launch vehicle in May:
· ISRO Chairman AS Kiran Kumar said that the space agency will test its reusable launch vehicle in May.
· Called RLV-TD, the vehicle will be released from a height of over 70 kilometre for its re-entry into the atmosphere.
· Kumar added that it will act as a flying test bed to evaluate technologies like hypersonic flight and autonomous landing.
NASA invests $67 mn into solar electric engines:
· NASA has awarded a $67 million contract to Washington-based Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop an advanced Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) system for deep-space missions.
· NASA said that SEP will deliver twice as much thrust as chemical engines, and be 10 times more fuel-efficient.
· Notably, solar electric engines supply thrust for longer periods of time, but aren’t as powerful as chemical engines.
Solar-powered aircraft crosses Pacific Ocean:
· Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered aircraft undertaking a journey around the world, completed a three-day flight across the Pacific Ocean to reach California.
· The plane, powered by 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its surface, started its journey in March 2015 in Abu Dhabi and has so far crossed Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan and Hawaii, among others
SPORTS:
Stuttgart: Sania Mirza, Martina Hingis to play in women's doubles finals:
· Top seeded pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis will play in the women's doubles finals of Stuttgart Tennis Grand Prix tournament being held in Germany.
· The Indo-Swiss pair will meet second seeded French duo of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic in the title clash this evening.
1. India, France launch $1 Trillion Potential Solar Programme under ISA
1. India and France have launched a programme with $1 trillion Potential Solar Programme under the International Solar Alliance (ISA). It is a solar finance programme that aims at helping developing countries to fully harness their solar resources for a clean energy future.
2. It was announced by Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal and French Environment Minister Segolene Royal at the ministerial side event on ISA at the United Nations. The solar finance programme aims at lowering the cost of finance and facilitates the flow of more than 1 trillion dollars investment to members of the ISA.
2. India’s first online interactive heritage portal Sahapedia launched
1. The Union Government has launched India’s first online interactive heritage portal named Sahapedia was in New Delhi. The web portal is a collaborative knowledge resource on the arts, culture and heritage of India.
2. Sahapedia is a not-for-profit society headed by former TCS chairman S. Ramadorai, who currently helms the National Skill Development Agency. The purpose of this portal is to inform, educate and act on subjects such as knowledge traditions, visual and material arts, performing arts, literature and languages.
3. Japan successfully tested its first stealth fighter X-2 jet
1. Japan on 22 April 2016 successfully tested the first stealth fighter jet. With this, the country joins a select group of world military powers wielding the radar-dodging technology.
2. The domestically developed single-pilot prototype X-2 jet took off from Nagoya airport in central Japan on its maiden test flight. It safely landed at Gifu air base, north of Nagoya airport, after a 25-minute flight with no particular problems.
4. Radhika Apte won best actress award for 'Madly' at Tribeca Film Fest 2016
Bollywood actress Radhika Apte bagged the best actress in an international narrative feature honour at Tribeca Film Festival 2016 for her performance in anthology film Madly.
Radhika starred in Clean Shaven, which is a segment of Madly.
List of other Tribeca Film Festival 2016 Award Winners
U.S. Narrative Feature Competition Categories:
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Dean, written and directed by Demteri Martin.
Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film –Dominic Rains in The Fixer.
Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Mackenzie Davis in Always Shine.
Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Cinematography by Michael Ragen for Kicks.
Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Women Who Kill written by Ingrid Jungermann.
5. Union Government constituted panel to double farmers’ income by 2022
1. Union government constituted the inter-ministerial panel to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers' income by 2022.
2. The government's decision to set up the panel follows the budget announcement that set a target of doubling farm incomes by 2022.
3. The panel will be headed by Ashok Dalwai, Additional Secretary at the Union Agriculture Ministry. The other members will be officials from Agriculture and Food Ministries as well as experts from the Delhi-based National Council of Applied Economic Research and National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research.
6. Union Government notifies new rules to revamp SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
1. The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has notified new rules to give effect amended Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The new rules seek to tighten provisions to ensure speedy justice to members of the SC/ST community.
2. The new rules aims at speeding up the process of dispensation of justice, liberalise and expedite access to relief for victims of atrocities, ensuring special sensitivity in cases of offences against women. It has been made mandatory for cops to file chargesheet within 60 days after a complaint is lodged.
7. 23 April: World Book and Copyright Day
1. Every year World Book and Copyright Day is being observed on 23 April to promote reading, publishing and copyright. The day seeks to encourage everyone and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading.
2. It also wants them to gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.
8. Salman Khan named as Indian contingent’s Goodwill Ambassador for 2016 Rio Olympics
1. Bollywood actor Salman Khan was named as the goodwill ambassador of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Olympics to be held in August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is the first time when a Bollywood superstar has been chosen as a goodwill ambassador for the Indian contingent at the Olympics.
2. He was chosen by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from a list of two to three candidates which also included Shah Rukh Khan and veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan. IOA has chosen Salman Khan as he is considered to be more connected with the youth and sportspersons and also is considered as a youth icon for bodybuilding fans across the country.
