Telangana, AP celebrate Ugadi festival
· Telugu speaking people across the world are celebrating the festival with traditional enthusiasm to mark the beginning of the Hindu Lunar calendar. Thousands of devotees are thronging temples to pray for happiness and prosperity in the New Year.
o Capital: Hyderabad
o CM: K. ChandrashekarRao
o Governor: E. S. L. Narasimhan
Gangwar Inaugurates 3 Mega Projects in Nagaland
· Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar inaugurated three mega textile projects in Nagaland.
· These three projects included Apparel and Garment Making Centre in Dimapur, Muga P3 Basic Seed Station Kobulong in Mokokchung district and newly approved Integrated Eri Silk Development Project under North East Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS).
o Nagaland Chief Minister: T R Zeliang.
o Capital: Kohima
Anandiben Patel launches ‘Maa Annapurna Yojna’
· Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel officially launched the state-wide implementation of National Food Security Act, which has been renamed as ‘Maa Annapurna Yojna (Scheme)’.
· Under this Maa Annapurna Yojna, 3.82 crore people of Gujarat will be benefited. Each of them will get rice at Rs 3 per Kg and wheat at Rs 2 per Kg.
o Governor: Om PrakashKohli
o Chief Minister: Anandiben Patel
o Capital: Gandhinagar
Delhi makes business licensing system online
· The Delhi Police today made the licensing process for business establishments and arms possession online.
· People seeking licenses for bars, restaurants, multiplexes, newspapers, publications as well as arms possession "will now be able to check the status of their application online sitting at their homes," said Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma.
Karnataka govt bans surge pricing by Ola, Uber
· The Karnataka government has prohibited taxi-hailing apps like Ola and Uber to apply peak-hour charges.
· Customers now do not have to pay anything extra to these companies above their fixed base fares.
· Usually, taxi aggregators levy extra charges, two to three times the base fares, citing peak hours to compensate for the low number of available drivers.
MGNREGS: Centre to release funds in a week
· The Centre informed the Supreme Court that Rs. 11,030 crore will be released to States within a week to run the MGNREGA programme, especially to generate employment in drought-hit areas.
· In an affidavit filed by the Rural Development Ministry, the government told the Supreme Court that the amount will take care of pending wage liability of Rs. 7,983 crore under the MGNREGA scheme as on March 31, 2016 pertaining to the financial year 2015-16.
Unemployment rate in India at 7.97%: BSE index
· The unemployment rate in India stood at 7.97%, as of April 6, according to an index jointly prepared by the BSE and the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy.
· The figure was 9.62% for urban areas and 7.15% for rural areas.
· The index is based on responses from over 1.30 lakh individuals in 39,600 households across 315 cities and 3,000 villages.
Ramkund pond dries up for first time in 130 yrs:
· Ramkund pond in Maharashtra's Nashik area has dried up for the first time in the past 130 years due to a drought-like situation in the state.
· The pond is considered holy and thousands of pilgrims every year visit the place for a holy dip on GudiPadwa, which is being celebrated today this year.
India 6th biggest military spender in '15: SIPRI:
· The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has ranked India 6th in its biggest military spenders list for 2015. SIPRI's study found that India's military expenditure was $51.3 billion last year.
· The United States topped the list with military expenditure of $596 billion. Notably, another study had recently ranked India as the world's fourth largest military spender.
IAS officer Ashok Khemka gets his 47th transfer:
· Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka was appointed as Principal Secretary, Science and Technology by the Haryana government, marking his 47th transfer in 25 years of service.
· Khemka was promoted in January but was holding the post of Principal Secretary and Director General, Archaeology and Museums. Earlier, he had tweeted it was “humiliating” to hold a “lower rank” post.
Cigarettes worth Rs. 8.63 cr seized in Goa
· The Goa Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Thursday seized cigarettes worth ₹8.63 crore after launching a crackdown on tobacco products violating pictorial warning norms.
· The crackdown shall continue in the coming days, said FDA Director SalimVeljee.
· In a Central notification, tobacco products manufactured beginning April 1 must have pictorial warnings covering 85% of the packaging space.
Over 16,000 litres of liquor seized in Bihar:
· A total of 14,108 litres of domestic liquor and 2,386 litres of foreign brands were seized from across Bihar on Thursday, following the complete ban imposed on liquor across the state on April 5.
· As many as 44 persons were also arrested in 655 raids under the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016, said Om PrakashMandal, Assistant Commissioner, Excise.
INTERNATIONAL:
China, Pakistan sign deals worth $2 billion
· Companies from Xinjiang, China signed deals with Pakistan worth approximately $2 billion this week. Pakistan agreed infrastructure and energy projects worth $46 billion with China last year.
· In return, China would get a free trade zone in the Gwadar port, Pakistan, and access to the Arabian Sea. The deals were signed when Xinjiang's Communist Party chief Zhang Chunxian visited Pakistan.
Bronze bust of Aryabhatta unveiled at UNESCO Headquarters:
· A bronze bust of ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhatta was unveiled at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.
· It was unveiled by Union Human Resource and Development Minister SmritiIrani. She was in the French capital to attend the International Conference on Zero.
· The bust has been sculpted by renowned Indian sculptor Ram Sutar who was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian awards for his contribution to the world of art.
First Zika Virus cases confirmed in Saint Lucia
· The Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit so far.
· Tourism-dependent Caribbean countries are concerned that the virus will impact their economies.
· Hotels and travel companies operating there have reported moderate cancellations because of Zika, and some have offered discounts or agreed to allow travellers to defer trips.
Some Panama Papers firms named after Bond films:
· According to reports, the "Panama Papers" have revealed that law firm Mossack Fonseca had established offshore companies named after James Bond movies and villains.
· The files also had correspondence from 'Austin Powers' (a movie character) and listed 'Jack Bauer' (a TV series character) as a client. Notably, the "Panama Papers" have named offshore firms held by several world leaders.
Panama Papers: Argentina President Mauricio Macri faces probe
· Argentina President Mauricio Macri is the latest world leader to be caught in the storm of Panama Papers after the prosecutors opened an investigation into his offshore financial dealings.
San Francisco mandates paid paternity leave:
· San Francisco adopted a legislation mandating that employers offer new fathers full wages during their six-week paternity leave, making it the first such city in the United States.
· The law will be implemented in phases in businesses with over 20 employees. Notably, some states already have laws under which employees are entitled to partial compensation during paternity leave.
BANKING NEWS:
NABARD FY17 borrowing estimated at Rs 50k cr:
· National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has pegged its market borrowings at Rs 50,000 crore in the current financial year (FY17) to finance its refinancing and lending activity.
· Nabard reported a 13 per cent jump in profit after tax at Rs 2,501 crore in 2015-16 on increased rural infrastructure development fund disbursements and higher term lending. In the previous financial year, its PAT stood at Rs 2,403 crore.
SBI lowers home loan interest rate to 9.45%:
· State Bank of India (SBI) lowered its lending rate for home loans by 0.10 percentage points to 9.45% and 9.4% for women.
· The new rate is applicable from April 1. This comes after the RBI reduced the repo rate – the rate at which RBI lends money to other banks – by 25 basis points to 6.5%.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Kishore Biyani’s Future Group acquires Rocket Internet’s FabFurnish for 20 cr, claim sources
· Sources from Future Group confirmed to YourStory that they’ve acquired Rocket Internet’s online furniture platform for Rs 20 crores.
· This is the retail giant’s first acquisition of an online player.
o CEO of FabFurnish: AshishGarg
SSG Capital to buy 40% in Future Supply Chain
· Kishore Biyani-led Future Retail on Thursday said that alternative asset management firm SSG Capital Management will buy a 40% stake in its subsidiary Future Supply Chain Solutions for ₹580 crore.
· Earlier, on Wednesday, Future Group acquired online furniture store Rocket Internet-backed furniture startupFabFurnish, marking its first acquisition of an e-commerce company.
30% of state public enterprises loss-making: RBI
· Nearly 30% of the 849 operating state-level public enterprises (SLPEs) are estimated to be incurring losses, the RBI said in a report.
· The ‘State Finance: A Study of Budgets of 2015-16’ report also cautioned of risk to states' finances on account of increasing liabilities due to takeover of 75% of discoms' existing debt under the Centre's UDAY scheme.
SIDBI signs MoU with LIC for Fund-of-Fund operations
· To boost the startup ecosystem in the country, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for supplementing Government’s efforts under Fund-of-Fund operations for the Venture Fund industry.
o SIDBI–CMD: KshatrapatiShivaji
o LIC CMD: K Roy
India's goods' exports drop 17%, imports 15%:
· India’s exports of goods fell 17.2% in dollar terms to $267 billion in 2015, according to figures released by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
· The country’s imports also dropped 15.3% to $392 billion, largely due to a nearly 60% fall in oil prices.
· Further, India’s commercial services’ exports grew by 1.2% while imports fell by 1.1% last year.
Global trade falls 13% to $16.5 trillion in 2015
· Global trade declined 13% in 2015 to $16.5 trillion in value terms, due to “strong fluctuations in commodity prices and exchange rates”, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said.
· In volume terms, global trade remained flat in 2015 and is expected to grow by 2.8% this year and 3.6% in 2017, subject to several downside risks, the WTO added.
APPOINTMENTS:
Amitabh Coomarappointed as CEO of GoJavas:
· Logistics firm GoJavas on 7 April 2016 appointed Amitabh Coomar as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
· The appointment of Coomar came after the departure of Vijay Ghadge, who was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company.
· Besides, Jai Vohra, an IIT-Kharagpur and ISB Hyderabad alumnus, will now head the company's Strategy and Planning functions.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
FB enters hyperlocal services market in India
· Facebook has entered the hyperlocal services market in India, listing over 80 local service providers and their respective phone numbers and work timings.
· Available at facebook.com/services, the platform lists services including plumbing, pet care, beauty and spa, medical, financial and automotive.
· This puts Facebook in direct competition with the likes of Housejoy, QuikrServices and UrbanClap.
World's first 3D-printed drug unveiled
· According to Science News Journal, US-based pharmaceutical company Aprecia has unveiled the world's first 3D printed drug, Spritam, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier in the year.
· The drug, which is meant to treat epilepsy and is currently available in the US, was produced using inkjet printing, where the drug's elements were created layer upon layer.
Scientists change colour of photons in diamond:
· In a first, researchers in Canada have changed the colour and bandwidth of ultrafast photons using a room-temperature diamond quantum memory.
· The quantum memory is an interface that allows storage and retrieval of photonic quantum information, by converting photons into a specific vibration of diamond's carbon atoms.
· This advancement could improve the performance of optical quantum communication.
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES:
North East-ASEAN Business Summit begins in Imphal
· The first-ever North East-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit kicked off in Imphal, Manipur with the focus on road connectivity, trade and tourism.
· The two day summit has been organized by Manipur Commerce and Industries Department (MCID) in collaboration with the Union Ministries of External Affairs and Development of North-Eastern Region(DoNER), Indian Chamber of Commerce(ICC) and Indian Chamber of Service Industries(ICSI).
BOOKS AND AUTHORS:
EmraanHashmi's book The Kiss Of Life-How A Superhero & My Son Defeated Cancer:
· Chief Minister of Delhi,ArvindKejriwal and Cultural Minister Kapil Mishra today launched EmraanHashmi’s book “How a Superhero & My Son Defeated Cancer” in the capital city.
· The book published by Penguin,is co-authored by Bilal Siddiqi and traces the effect the disease can have on a child and his emotional journey from diagnosis, through the treatment, to being cancer free for 2 years.
SPORTS:
Saina, Sindhu advance to Malaysia Superseries QF:
· SainaNehwal reached the quarter-finals of the 2016 Malaysia Superseries Premier after defeating BaeYeon-Ju of Korea 21-10, 21-16 in the tournament's second round on Thursday.
· She will face PorntipBuranaprasertsuk of Thailand on Friday next. Earlier, PV Sindhu got past Sung Ji Hyun 22-20, 21-17 in two close games to reach the quarter-finals, where she'll face RatchanokIntanon.
St Lucia main stadium named after Darren Sammy
· In an effort to honour the West Indies T20I captain Darren Sammy, the main stadium of the St Lucia island has been renamed after him.
· The Beausejour Cricket Ground, which has been renamed as the Darren Sammy National Stadium, will also name one of the stands after wicketkeeper Johnson Charles. Notably, Sammy has led WI to two World T20 titles.
Saina sinks to World No. 8, Srikanth out of top 10 in BWF ranking
· Saina lost two places to sink to World No. 8 in women’s singles after losing in the semifinals of India Open, while K Srikanth dropped four spots to be placed at the 14th spot in men’s singles.
IPL opening game at Wankhede receives High Court nod:
· The Bombay High Court ruled that the opening match of the Indian Premier League edition nine at Wankhede will go ahead as planned.
· The ruling comes after a PIL was filed asking for compensation for the water used to maintain the cricket pitches during the IPL matches held in the drought-hit state of Maharashtra.
Barcelona occupies top spot in Euro Club Index:
· The Euro Club Index ranks football clubs across Europe on the basis of their relative playing strengths, and the development of their playing strengths over time.
· Notably, Real Madrid occupy the second spot on the list, followed by defending German champions Bayern Munich.
1. Vietnam Parliament approved Nguyen Xuan Phuc as Prime Minister
1. National Assembly (Parliament) of Vietnam on 6 April 2016 approved Nguyen Xuan Phuc as the country's eighth Prime Minister. In a formal vote, 446 of the 490 members in the National Assembly voted to install Phuc as the head of government.
2. Phuc, 61, succeeded Nguyen Tan Dung who was removed from office on 6 April 2016. Dung had served a maximum two terms in office and is no longer part of the Communist Party's top brass.
2. World military spending up in 2015, India in sixth position
1. India is the sixth largest military spender in 2015 having spent $51.3 billion even as the world spent $1,676 billion reversing a global trend which was on the decline since 2011., as per the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
2. India moved one rank up from last year accounting for 3.1 percent of global military expenditure. Over a ten-year period from 2006-15 this represents a 43 per cent jump. India is also ahead of countries like France, Germany and Israel who happen to be among its top arms suppliers.
3. The U.S. remained by far the world’s largest spender in 2015 despite its defence expenditure falling by 2.4 per cent to $596 billion followed by China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and U.K.
3. Hashim Thaci sworn in as new President of Kosovo
1. Hashim Thaci has sworn in as the President of Kosovo after he was elected by the parliament in March 2016. He succeeds Atifete Jahjaga.
2. With this, he becomes fourth President of Kosovo after the European country had unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Prior getting elected as President he was serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the Government led by Isa Mustafa.
4. International Roma Day celebrated on April 8
1. A State in Denial - Pakistan's Misguided and Dangerous Crusade authored by veteran journalist BG Verghese was in news in first week of April 2016.
2. The book explores a subject of immense global significance of Pakistan and its relations with remaining World including India.
The author give a brisk overview of the events that came to define post-Independence Pakistan include the battle for Kashmir; the integration of Karat and Hyderabad into India; the creation of Bangladesh.
5. Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue to be installed in France
1. A statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be installed in France's Saint-Tropez town . The town is the birth place of Maharaja’s Army General Jean-Francois Allard.
2. Henri Prevosat-Allard, Deputy Mayor and in-charge of tourism of Saint-Tropez on 6 April 2016 met Punjab Tourism Minister Sohan Singh Thandal and invited him to the installation ceremony of Singh’s statue in France.
3. Henri Prevosat-Allard is a descendant of General Jean-Francois Allard, who trained Maharaja Ranjit Singh's troops. Prevosat-Allard has announced the step as a mark of respect towards the 19th century king.
6. A State in Denial authored by BG Verghese
1. A State in Denial - Pakistan's Misguided and Dangerous Crusade authored by veteran journalist BG Verghese was re-released on 28 March 2016. It was re-released during a discussion organised by the India International Centre, New Delhi.
2. The book explores a subject of immense global significance of Pakistan and its relations with remaining World including India.
7. Justice (retd) Permod Kohli took over as Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal
1. Justice (retd) Permod Kohli in the first week of April 2016 took over as the Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
2. Kohli succeeded Justice Syed Rafat Alam and will be in the office for a period of 5 years or till attaining the age of 68 years, whichever is earlier.
8. 400-year-old Shakespeare’s ‘First Folio’ found in Scotland
1. A copy of the first edition of the original ‘First Folio’ authored by William Shakespeare was found at the Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute, off the western coast of Scotland. The edition was first published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare death.
2. The discovery comes ahead of the 400th death anniversary of the playwright. Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616.
With this, the number of known surviving copies of the First Folio in the world to 234. Most others are in libraries and accessible only to scholars.
3. It is one of the world’s most sought-after books, which contains 36 of the Bard, 18 of which would otherwise not have been recorded.
1. North East ASEAN Business Summit Inaugurated In Imphal
i. The first ever two day North East-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit was inaugurated at the City Convention Centre in Imphal, Manipur.
ii. The two day summit has been organized by Manipur Commerce and Industries Department (MCID) in collaboration with the Union Ministries of External Affairs and Development of North-Eastern Region(DoNER), Indian Chamber of Commerce(ICC) and Indian Chamber of Service Industries(ICSI).
iii. Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed was the chief guest at the inaugural session of the Summit.
iv. The North East -ASEAN Business Summit aims to attracting investment from both domestic and foreign firms to the North-Eastern states to increase productivity and generate employment in the region.
v. The main highlights of the Summit include a Regional conference on “Ease of Doing Business”, “Agro and Food Processing : Potential and Challenges” and a “Session on Empowering MSME in North East”.
2. Govt. inaugurates 'Namma Toilet' in Delhi under Swachh Bharat Mission
i. To promote the Swachh Bharat Mission, Union Urban development Minister Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 'Namma Toilet' in the national capital Delhi.
ii. This is a step in the direction of fulfilling the mission's target to establish over 2.5 lakh public toilets by 2nd October 2017.
iii. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is contributing in a major way to ensure hygiene and cleanliness to all in the country, public toilets are being built across the country.
iv. The mission targets to establish 2 lakh 56 thousand public toilets by 2nd October 2017.
v. Across Delhi Namma toilets were inaugurated at 19 other places by the local municipal councillors. These toilets are being built under corporate social responsibility by NBCC. People were enthusiastic to see these innovative toilets. It is designed to withstand the extreme harsh conditions one can expect outdoors in our country and the high usage.
3. Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister dedicates 36 new CNG stations in Delhi & NCR.
i. Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan dedicated 36 new CNG stations located in Delhi and NCR to the public.
ii. 30 out of these stations have been installed by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) 3 stations by Haryana City gas in Gurgaon, 1 station by GAIL Gas in Sonepat and 2 stations by Adani gas – one each in Faridabad and Khurja (Bulandshahar) have been set up.
iii.While 25 out of these 36 CNG stations are located in NCT of Delhi, 11 are located in NCR - Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Khurja.
iv. Presently Delhi-NCR is having 347 CNG stations of about 77 lakh kg per day CNG dispensing capacity.
v. All 4 CGD companies operating in Delhi-NCR have planned to augment the existing CNG dispensing capacity to 88 lakh kg per day by developing additional 104 CNG Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister dedicates 36 new CNG stations in Delhi & NCR stations in Delhi-NCR.
4. Asia’s 50 Most Powerful Businesswoman List Topped By Nita Ambani
i. Reliance Industries director Nita Ambani and State Bank of India chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya have been ranked top two in Forbes’ “Asia 50 Power Businesswomen 2016” list, which acknowledges the inroads women are making in the business world, despite gender inequalities.
ii. American magazine Forbes has released 2016 “Asia’s 50 Power Businesswomen” list featuring business women from 14 countries.
iii. According to list, 6 other Indian business women have also been included in the list- at no. 14-Mu Sigma CEO Ambiga Dhiraj, 16- Dipali Goenka CEO Welspun India, 18- Vinita Gupta CEO Lupin, 22-Chanda Kochhar ICICI Bank Managing Director, 26-Vandana Luthra VLCC Health Care Founder, 28- Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Biocon Founder.
5. HP Unveils World's Thinnest Laptop
i. American multinational information technology company HR Inc (Hewlett-Packard) has launched eight new personal products including the world thinnest laptop.
iii. According to the company ‘Spectre’ is the world’s thinnest laptop and has a battery life of up to nine and a half hours.
iv. Another USP of the laptop is its copper design combined with carbon fiber that gives the laptop a premium look.
v. It features 13.3-inch full HD screen with Corning Gorilla Glass. The laptop comes with 8GB LDDR3 RAM and 512GB SSD storage and runs on 6th generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. According to the company the laptop includes 3 Type-C USB I/O ports and the price of the laptop is around $1,249 (Rs 83,121 approx).
6. CCEA Approved Andrew Yule Proposal To Convert Bank of Baroda's Loan Into Equity
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared conversion of Working Capital Term Loan (WCTL) of Bank of Baroda's (BoB) 29.91 crore rupees loan to Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd. (AYCL) into equity shares.
ii. This approval was granted during the CCEA meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
iii. Price of equity shares will be based on market price determined as per Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Guidelines on the date of acquiring of shares by Bank of Baroda with face value of 2 rupees per share.
iv. This conversion of WCTL will pave the way for disinvestment of the Kolkata-based PSU in the next three months. The conversion of loan to equity would help bring down the cost of servicing of debt by 2.86 crore rupees per annum, resulting in improved profitability and liquidity of Andrew Yule in coming years.
v. This will provide an opportunity to finance working capital needs of existing and new businesses. It will also result in improved Debt Equity ratio for AYCL and will enhance the strength of its balance sheet.
7. Snapdeal launches donation program ‘Sunshine’
i. Snapdeal has partnered with 9 non governmental organisations (NGOs) to launch Snapdeal Sunshine, a platform where users can make donations to causes under education, health, sports, women empowerment, disaster relief and old age care.
ii. These organisations include Magic Bus, Akshaya Patra, Care India, Teach For India and HelpAge India, which will list required products for ongoing projects.
iii. At face value, it doesn’t look like Snapdeal is charging a fee for this service, but the products needed by the NGOs are from Snapdeal’s inventory and currently include cooking, education, sports, study, clothing, stationery, housing and other miscellaneous supplies.
iv. The products will be sent to the partner after the donation is accepted, and donors will be able to track the progress on Snapdeal.
v. The company says that it launched the platform based on ‘studies indicating that Indians would like to give more to society but faced constraints like lack of visibility of end utilisation of their donations’. Users can donate by selecting the cause or the NGO they wish to support and its products, decide an amount for donation, process payment and Snapdeal will deliver the products to the NGO’s location.
8. Hashim Thaci Sworn In As New President Of Kosovo
i. Hashim Thaci , Foreign Minister of Kosovo has been sworn in as the President of Kosovo by the members of Parliament of the country in the 3rd round.
ii. Mr. Thaci succeeded Atifete Jahjaga in the voting held in Pristina.
iii. With this, he becomes fourth President of Kosovo after the European country had unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Prior getting elected as President he was serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the Government led by Isa Mustafa.
iv. Thaci born on April 24, 1968 in the Drenica region of central Kosovo.
v. In the early 1990s he was a leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which fought a guerrilla war against Serbia from 1998-99.
9. Rudy launches Transnational Skill Standards aligned to UK
i. Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy Launches Transnational Skill Standards in India Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy launched Transnational Skill Standards benchmarked to the United Kingdom across 82 identified job roles, aiming to to support international mobility of Indian workforce.
ii. Besides, the launch also signing of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) that will enable sharing of best practice, staff exchange, and development of new models to increase employer engagement and investment in skills.
iii. India and the UK have been collaborating on skill development since a long time now and this is yet another effort to bring more quality in vocational education which will open more avenues for employment across countries for the youth.
10. Debraj Pradhan appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Norway
i. Debraj Pradhan appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Norway. Mr. Debraj Pradhan , Presently Ambassador of India to Chile, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Norway.
ii. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
iii. From August 1995 to July 1998, he was posted as First Secretary and later Counsellor overseeing Commercial matters in Embassy of India, Buenos Aires.
iv. He became Deputy High Commissioner of India, Lagos from September 1998 to July 2001.
v. From August 2001 to December 2005 he was moved to Embassy of India, The Hague as Counselor and then as Minister.
11. TNCA Has Appointed Mr. D. Vasu As Its New Director
i. Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) Academy has appointed D. Vasu as its new director for a period of two years.
ii. TNCA is the governing body of Cricket activities in the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Tamil Nadu cricket team.
iii. It is affiliated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
iv. The former Tamil Nadu and South Zone all-rounder Mr. Vasu will be in charge of coaching at the various age-group levels and in the districts.
v. Earlier, Mr. D.Vasu has been the chairman of the selection panel in the TNCA at the various age-group levels, from under-13, to under -19 and under -23.
12. Book Launched By Arvind Kejriwal Co-Authored By Imran Hashmi
i. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched the book "The Kiss of Life: How a superhero and my son defeated cancer" in New Delhi.
ii. The book is written by Bilal Siddiqi and co authored by Emraan Hashmi.
iii. The book has been published by Penguin Books India in three languages.
iv. The book narrates the story of Emraan’s life when his family dealt with the horrific struggle as his six-year-old son Ayaan battled his way through cancer.
v. The book is about hope to all cancer patients who loses hope, his or her body starts to give up.
13. GoJavas Appointed Amitabh Coomar As Its New CEO
i. Gojavas, the logistics and supply chain solutions company has announced the appointment of Mr. Amitabh Coomar as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
ii. The appointment of Coomar came after the departure of Vijay Ghadge, who was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company.
iii. Ghadge left the company to start his own venture.
iv. Amitabh Coomar is an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and having impressive track record of 19 years spread between the Indian Army and ITC Limited.
v. Besides, Coomar, Jai Vohra, an IIT-Kharagpur and ISB Hyderabad alumnus will now head the company's Strategy and Planning functions. Prior to this appointment Vohra was working with tha Jabong.com as a Head of marketplace.
14. Veteran Journalist Yogendra Bali Is No More
i. The veteran journalist and author Yogendra Bali has passed away on Thursday due to a heart attack. He was 85 year old.
ii. Mr. Bali was a member of the general council of the Lalit Kala Akademi and a member of its committees on Art Education, Publications, the Triennele and International Exhibitions.
iii. In his long and success career, Mr. Bali has served The Times of India as its roving correspondent till retirement.
iv. He was also associated with a number of dailies and publications like The Tribune, Current Weekly, Probe, Sunday Mail, etc.
v. Mr. Bali has written many books which include The Communal Bogey' with foreword by late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, 'Chandra Shekhar: A Political Biography,' 'Pawan Chamling: Daring To Be Different,' and 'Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji and Freedom Movement of India'.
15. American country music legend Merle Haggard died
i. American country music legend Merle Haggard died of pneumonia at his home in Northern California, the day was his 79th birthday.
ii. Born on 6 April 1937 in California, Haggard along with Buck Owens and his band the Strangers is credited to define the Bakersfield sound, country music with a distinctive twang and lack of sophisticated production.
iii. Haggard wrote songs, sang and played fiddle and guitar, usually singing about American pride and outlaws.
iv. He recorded about three dozen number one country hits in a musical career that spanned six decades, from the 1960s into the 2010s.
v. His top hits include Mama Tried, The Fugitive, If We Make It Through December, Okie from Muskogee and Fightin' Side of Me. Legacy and honors. He received numerous awards from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, and National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammy Awards).
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