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  • WBCS Current Affairs 09/04/2017 to 14/04/2017- WBCSMadeEasy
    Posted on May 10th, 2017 in Current Affairs, Weekly Current Affairs
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    WBCS Current Affairs 09/04/2017 to 14/04/2017- WBCSMadeEasy

    The Importance of Current Affairs in W.B.C.S examinations is immense.Success inW.B.C.S  Prelims and W.B.C.S Mains Exam is mainly subjected to how well an aspirant is aware of the important current affairs. Preparation of current affairs for W.B.C.S is the key to unlock the exam.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 09/04/2017 to 14/04/2017- WBCSMadeEasy.

    1. GBU-43, nicknamed as the ‘Mother of All Bombs’, has been dropped by the United States over an ISIS complex in Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border. The bomb was dropped using a Lockheed MC-130 transport plane. GBU-43 is one of the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in the battlefield. The bomb has been dropped to destroy a system of tunnels and caves used by the ISIS fighters to move around freely making easier for them to target US military advisers and the Afghan forces. The strike was carried out with MOAB to maximize the destruction suffered by the IS fighters and their facilities as well as to minimize the risk for Afghan and US forces conducting cleaning operations in the area. Facts about MOAB The official name used by the US Air Force for GBU-43 is the ‘Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB)’.MOAB weighs 9,797 kgs and is a GPS-guided munition. MOAB is bout 20 feet long and is capable of burrowing through 200 feet of earth and 60 feet of concrete before detonating.According to Pentagon, MOAB is the largest non-nuclear bomb that has ever been used in the combat. MOAB was first tested in March 2003 at the time of US led invasion of Iraq. The test resulted in a huge mushroom cloud that could be seen as far away from 32 km. MOAB, however, is not the largest bomb ever made. Russia in 2007 tested ‘Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power’, nicknamed as the “Father of All Bombs”. It is estimated to be 4 times more powerful than MOAB.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 09/04/2017 to 14/04/2017- WBCSMadeEasy.

    2. 127th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R.Ambedkar was celebrated at the Parliament House complex. The President, Vice President and Prime Minister paid floral tributes to the statue of Ambedkar present in the Parliament House Lawns. The celebrations were organized by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Dr.Bhimrao Ambedkar Dr. B R Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh. Ambedkar was elected as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly. He is called as the father of the Indian Constitution. Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha was the first organization formed by Dr. Ambedkar in 1924. Ambedkar was appointed as the first Law Minister of Independent India, but he resigned from the Cabinet on September 1951 due to differences with Nehru on the Hindu Code Bill. Ambedkar got himself converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956. He died on December 6, 1956 at Delhi due to severe diabetic neurosis. After his death, his political party Scheduled Caste Federation was renamed as Republican Party of India in 1957 by his followers. Some of his famous books are: ‘The Untouchable: Who are They and Why They Have Become Untouchables’; ‘Buddha and His Dhamma’; ‘The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women‘, ‘Emancipation of Untouchables’, ‘The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India’; ‘Pakistan or Partition of India‘, ‘Thoughts on Linguistic States’, etc.

    3. The advertising industry watchdog Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has come up with a set of guidelines for celebrities endorsing products. As per the guidelines, celebrities are personalities from the field of entertainment and sports and also includes other well known personalities like doctors, authors, activists and educationists who gets compensation for appearing in advertisements.

    4. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his hopes for the earliest solution to Teesta Water Dispute to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina. But, Mamata Banerjee is the sole hurdle to the Teesta river water treaty for the past six years. The controversy is about sharing of Teesta water during the lean season. As water is a state subject, a deal cannot be inked without the approval of CM of West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee is accused of complicating water sharing issues for perceived gains in domestic politics. In 2011, she stopped the UPA government from signing the preliminary agreement with Bangladesh over sharing of Teesta waters. Facts Teesta is a river originating in Sikkim and flows through West Bengal and Bangladesh. Around 83% of the river’s catchment lies in India and 17% in Bangladesh. India has a higher share of about 55% of the river’s water. So, Bangladesh wants a higher share than what it gets now. It wants 50% of Teesta’s waters between the months of December and May to secure the livelihoods of its farmers and fisherman. As per an estimate of Observer research Foundation, five districts in Bangladesh face acute shortages during the dry season due to the withdrawals of the Teesta’s waters in India. Negotiations for sharing of river water has been taking place since 1983. In 2011, an interim deal was proposed to be signed which allocated 42.5% of Teesta’s waters to India and 37.5% to Bangladesh. But due to Mamata Banerjee’s opposition, the deal was shelved. Unlike Ganga water sharing in 1996 or the recent exchange of enclaves with Bangladesh, there exists very little opposition for Teesta river water treaty even in North Bengal, where the river flows. Recently, Mamata Banerjee has proposed linking of three more rivers in North Bengal with Teesta so that there will be enough water to share. But this proposal is termed unviable as the rivers mentioned by Banerjee originates in Bhutan and flows in different gradients when compared with Teesta. Hydropower generation in Teesta river is another point of contention. In Sikkim alone, there are at least 26 projects that produces 50,000 MW of power. With Banerjee’s tough stance, Bangladesh may approach an international court or demand share from the hydro-electricity generated in Sikkim.

    5. The Income Tax department has launched the second phase of the ‘Operation Clean Money’ to investigate over 60,000 individuals with an aim to detect black money generation post demonetisation. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the policy-making body of the income tax department has detected flow of black money into the banks amounting to over Rs 9,334 crore between November 9, 2016 and February 28 this year. Under the second phase of Operation Clean Money, more than 60,000 persons including 1,300 high risk persons has been identified for detailed investigation. The department has deducted more than 6,000 transactions of high value property purchase and 6,600 cases of outward remittances. The first phase of ‘Operation Clean Money’ was launched on January 31, 2017. In the first phase, the department went through e-verification of large cash deposits into the banks after the demonetisation and had sent online queries and investigated around 17.92 lakh persons. Significance This operation will help in eliminating black money and widen the tax base. The impact of the operations carried out by the income tax department has resulted in a 21.7% increase in the income tax returns in the financial year 2016-17. Also, 16% growth in the gross collection has been observed, which is the highest in the last five years. Besides, 14% growth in net collection has been realized, which is the highest in the last three years.

    6. Loans disbursed under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) have crossed its target of Rs 1.8 lakh crore in the financial year 2016-17. Loans extended currently stands at Rs 1.80,087 crore. Of this, a majority of the loans were awarded by banks (Rs 1.23 lakh crore). Non-banking financial institutions have lent about Rs 57,000 crore. In this year’s budget, Rs 2.44 lakh crore has been set as a target for Mudra loans for the financial year 2017-18. Significance Significantly, out of the 4 crore borrowers, over 70% of the borrowers were women. Around 20% of the borrowers belonged to Scheduled Caste category, 5% belonged to Scheduled Tribe category and 35% belonged to other backward classes. Robust growth in bank loans to unfunded and underfunded segments of the society indicates that this category of borrowers has emerged as a key driver of demand for credit. Non-insistence of collateral/guarantor, simple documentation and quick processing are the three praiseworthy attributes of the MUDRA loans. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) The objective of this scheme to launch a Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank to support the entrepreneurs of Scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes entrepreneurs in the MSME sector. The scheme was launched on April 8, 2015. MUDRA cards are the unique feature of this scheme. The card permits access to working capital through ATMs and card machines. MUDRA loans can be availed for non-agricultural activities upto Rs 10 lakh and for activities allied to agriculture such as dairy, poultry bee keeping etc. The scheme provides loans to micro units in three categories ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 10 lakh. Shishu: Loan up to Rs 50,000 Kishore: Loan ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh Tarun: Loan ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

    7. Similar to that of Uttar Pradesh’s ‘anti-romeo squad’, the Haryana government has launched ‘Operation Durga’ to ensure women safety in the state. Under this operation, teams formed by the Chief Minister’s Flying Squad visited public places such as schools, colleges, bus stands and railway stations and caught persons indulging in crime activities against women like eve-teasing, stalking, harassment and other such activities. Since women are hesitant in reporting incidents involving anti-social elements to the Police, the campaign, ‘Operation Durga’ was launched so that flying squads patrol those areas where such anti-social elements committed crimes against women.

    8. Jharkhand Police has initiated Tare Zameen Par programme to enlighten children in Naxal-affected areas in the Palamau district of Jharkhand. This programme is aimed to restore confidence in the state police force and to encourage children to lead happy lives. As a part of the programme, the state police appealed the locals to donate bags, shoes, books and clothes to improve the basic amenities of the children in the Naxal-affected areas.

    9.Cab safety measures for women commuters as recommended by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping (MoRTH) have been included in the new Taxi Policy guidelines. These recommendations from the Ministry of Women and Child Development comes at the backdrop of increasing cases of sexual harassment of women commuters in the cabs. Recommendations that were included in the New Taxi policy guidelines are: Mandatory fitting of GPS panic devices in the taxis. To ensure the safety of women and child passengers, central locking system in the taxis to be disallowed. Sharing of a seat in the cabs must be subject to the willingness of passengers. Identification of driver along with the photo and the registration number should be prominently displayed in the cab. Violation of stipulated rules and regulations by taxi operators and drivers to be strictly dealt in accordance with law. Taxi Policy guidelines Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) had constituted a committee to review issues relating to taxi permits and propose taxi policy guidelines to promote urban mobility. The committee comprised of the representatives from MoRTH, Transport Commissioners from four States and representatives from Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Police, Ministry of Women and Child Development, NITI Aayog and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, submitted its report in December 2016. The policy is recommendatory in nature and is expected to help the states in framing detailed regulations.

    10. The Union Ministry of Labour & Employment has launched Aadhaar Seeding Application for efficient service delivery and widening the reach of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) benefits. It was launched at the 217th special meeting of the Central Board of Employees Provident Fund (CBEPF/EPFO) in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Minster of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya.

    11. President Pranab Mukherjee has given assent to four supporting legislations on Goods and Services Tax (GST). The four legislations are: The Central GST Act, 2017, The Integrated GST Act, 2017, The GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, and The Union Territory GST Act, 2017. The above bills were passed in Rajya Sabha on April 6th and in Lok Sabha on 29 March. Now with the President’s assent, these bills will pave way for the roll-out of GST regime from 1 July. The Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, deals with the levy of the Central Goods and Services Tax by the union government over the supply of goods and services within the boundary of a state. The Integrated GST Act, 2017, provides for the levy of Integrated Goods and Services Tax by the union government on the interstate supply of goods and services. The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, provides for compensation for the losses incurred by the states on account of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax. The Union Territory GST Act, 2017, provides for the levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods, services or both, by the Union Territories. Jammu & Kashmir GST regime will not be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir because of the fact that Article 370 gives special status to the state. So, the state will have to legislate its own law and integrate with the GST regime. GST Goods and Services Tax is a comprehensive indirect tax which is to be levied on the manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services in India. This is so far the biggest tax reform in the country. GST will subsume central excise, service tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and other local levies to create a uniform market. GST eliminates the cascading effect of taxes because it is taxed at every point of business and the input credit is available in the value chain. The tax rates under GST regime will be based on the recommendation GST Council. Council has two-thirds voting by States and one-third by Centre.

    12. India and Australia have launched India-Australia Sports Partnership (IASP) with a vision of increasing cooperation in sports. IASP was launched jointly by the visiting Australian Prime Minister Mr Malcolm Turnbull and the Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mr Vijay Goel in the presence of Sachin Tendulkar. Under IASP, India and Australia will cooperate in four areas: athlete and coach training and development, sport science, sport governance and integrity, and grassroots participation. Under the framework of the new partnership, Victoria University and the University of Canberra will help India to establish a National Sports University similar to that of the Australian Institute of Sport.

    13. Beginning from May 1, Oil PSUs have decided to change petrol and diesel prices every day in synchronisation with international rates similar to what is practiced in advanced markets. As per the plan, pump rates will be decided based on daily movement in international oil prices and rupee-US dollar fluctuations. Initially, the oil PSUs like Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), which together own 95% of the petrol pumps in the country, will launch a pilot for daily fuel price revision in 5 cities viz. Puducherry, Vizag (Andhra Pradesh), Udaipur (Rajasthan), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) and Chandigarh. After studying the implications of the pilot, the plan will be extended to other parts of the country. Unlike earlier, automation at filling stations allows oil companies to centrally change prices. Availability of digital technologies and social networks have made much easier for the oil companies to convey the change in fuel price across the 53,000 filling stations in the country. Present practice of price determination Presently, Oil companies have the freedom to revise rates. They revise the fuel price on 1st and 16th of every month based on the average international rate of the fuel in the preceding fortnight and currency exchange rate. While petrol prices were freed from the clutches of the government in June 2010, the diesel prices got deregulated in October 2014. Significance Though technically, oil PSUs has the freedom to revise the fuel prices, they are often guided by political considerations. Usually, a price hike is withheld by the oil companies during election season. To compensate for the losses incurred by the oil companies during election season, the government often allows the oil companies to maintain prices higher even when the international rates suggest otherwise. With daily changes in prices, the political pressures associated with revising fuel rates will ease. Daily changes would change fuel price by just a few paise per litre every day. This means prices would not rise or drop sharply bringing relief to the customers.

    14. The Union government has constituted a time-bound inter-disciplinary committee to come up with an action plan for dealing with virtual currencies so as to fix the regulatory gaps in the existing framework governing virtual currencies. The committee is required to submit its report within three months. Need The circulation of virtual currencies, of late, has become a cause of concern. With respect to the virtual currencies, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also cautioned the users, holders and traders of Virtual currencies about the potential financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks through press releases in December 2013 and February 2017. Virtual Currencies, also called as digital/crypto-currencies, are a type of unregulated digital money that is neither issued by a central bank/public authority, nor is necessarily attached to a fiat currency, but is used and accepted among the members of a specific virtual community. They are capable of being transferred, stored or traded electronically. The examples of virtual currencies are Bitcoin, Litecoin, Darkcoin, Peercoin, Dogecoin, Primecoin etc. Composition The nine-member inter-disciplinary committee will be chaired by Dinesh Sharma, special secretary in the economic affairs department. The committee will also have representatives from the Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Financial Services, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Home Affairs, IT ministry, Reserve Bank of India, NITI Aayog and State Bank of India. Mandate The committee is mandated to: Take stock of the current status of Virtual Currencies both in India and globally; Examine the present global regulatory and legal structures governing Virtual Currencies; Suggest measures for tackling the issues related to Virtual Currencies including issues like consumer protection, money laundering etc; Examine other relevant issues related to Virtual Currencies.

    15. The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with member states of BIMSTEC for establishing BIMSTEC grid interconnections. The MoU will be signed at the 3rd BIMSTEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting that will be held in Nepal shortly. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a sub-regional group of seven countries in South Asia and South East Asia lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal viz. Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. It was established on 6th June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. It is headquartered at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Timeline In 2005, during the first BIMSTEC Energy Ministers’ Conference held in New Delhi, a Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation in BIMSTEC was formulated. As a part of the plan, under the BIMSTEC Trans-Power Exchange and Development Project, a task force under the leadership of Thailand was formed comprising the representatives of member countries to come up with a report on draft MoU for grid interconnections. After a total of five meetings, the draft MoU for the establishment of the BIMSTEC grid interconnection was finalised on March 16, 2015. The leaders reached a consensus to expedite the signing of the MoU on BIMSTEC grid interconnection during the BIMSTEC Leaders’ Retreat, 2016 held in Goa. In the fourth meeting of BIMSTEC held in January 2017, the MoU was discussed and finalised. Salient features The MoU provides a broad framework of cooperation for the implementation of grid interconnections for the purpose of carrying out trade in electricity. Its objective is to promote rational and optimal power transmission in the BIMSTEC region. The MoU for the establishment of the BIMSTEC grid interconnection facilitates: Optimization of energy resources in the BIMSTEC region for mutual benefits on non-discriminatory basis subject to laws, rules and regulations of the respective Parties; Promotion of efficient, economic, and secure operation of power system by developing regional electricity networks; Necessity of optimization of capital investment for additional capacity generation across the region; and Power exchange through cross-border interconnections.

    16. Operation Meghdoot was an Indian armed forces operation launched 33 years ago on 13 April 1984. Here are the Five Facts about this operation: 1. Operation Meghdoot was an operation launched by Indian Armed Forces to capture the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir. 2. The operation was entrusted to one of the Kumaon Battalions, supported by Ladakh Scouts. Initial assault was led by Maj (later Col ) RS Sandhu, VrC. This military operation was unique because it was the first assault launched in world’s highest battlefield. 3. During the operation, Indian troops landed on Bilafond La on Saltoro ridge, west of Siachen glacier, on Friday, April 13, 1984. It was a Baishakhi day. 4. The operation resulted in Indian troops gaining control of the entire Siachen glacier, giving India strategic advantage and also maintaining status quo. 5. Siachen not only gives India opportunity to test the mettle of its own troops but also useful for R&D in various military disciplines. With occupying Siachen, India prides of sustaining its dominance on world’s highest battlefield, however has paid heavy price for it in the form of human costs.

    17. The Union Cabinet has approved signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Establishment of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Grid Interconnection”. The MoU will be signed among member states of BIMSTEC at the upcoming third BIMSTEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Nepal. Key Facts The MoU provides broad framework for members to cooperate towards implementation of grid interconnections for electricity trade to promote rational and optimal power transmission in BIMSTEC region. It also provides optimization of using the energy resources in the region for mutual benefits on non-discriminatory basis subject to rules and regulations, laws of member countries; It also aims to promote efficient, economic, and secure operation of power system needed through the development of regional electricity networks. It also highlights the necessity of optimization of capital investment for generation capacity addition across the region and power exchange through cross border interconnections. Background BIMSTEC is an international organisation involving a group of 7 countries from South Asia and South East Asia viz. India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Myanmar. The first BIMSTEC Energy Ministers’ Conference held in New Delhi in October 2005, had formulated the “Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation in BIMSTEC”. In this plan, under the “BIMSTEC Trans-Power Exchange and Development Project”, Task Force led by Thailand, with representatives of member countries will give report on draft MoU for grid interconnections. Since then total five meetings Task Force were held and the draft MoU for establishment of BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection was finalized in March 2015. In the BIMSTEC Leaders’ Retreat 2016, held in Goa in October 2016, Leaders decided to expedite the signing of the MoU on BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection.

    18. Justice Gita Mittal, the senior-most judge of Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the acting Chief justice of Delhi High Court with effect from April 14. Her appointment comes at the backdrop of the retirement of current Chief justice Gorla Rohini. President of India has appointed Justice Mittal as the Chief Justice by exercising his powers conferred by article 223 of the Constitution of India.

    19. The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh as Institute of National Importance through an Act of Parliament. The Institute will have the governance structure as well as legal mandate to grant degrees in a manner similar to that enjoyed by Indian Institutes of Technologies (IITs).

    20. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw Jute for 2017-18 season in order to protect the economic interests of the farmers. The MSP was increased to Rs. 3500/- per quintal for 2017-18 season, an increase of Rs. 300/- (9.4%) over the previous year. Key Facts Jute is long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber mainly used as raw material for Packaging Industry. It is also called as the golden fiber for its colour and high cash value. The increase in MSP will benefit Jute industry which supports the livelihood of around 40 lakh farm families and 3.7 lakh workers directly employed in the organised mills and in tertiary sector and allied activities. These farm families are mainly concentrated in three eastern states viz. West Bengal, Bihar and Assam which account for over 95% of the total area under jute production in the country. National Seeds Corporation Limited (NSCL) is promoting new varieties of jute viz., JRO-204, JBO-2003, JRS-517, JRC-532 and JRO-2407 under National Food Security Mission (NFSM)-Commercial Crops. In this regard, NSCL has entered into agreement for promotion of new varieties of jute seeds in the jute growing states.

    21. The Union Ministry of Food Processing is going to launch Scheme for Agro-Marine Produce Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA) for food processing sector. The scheme will integrate current and new schemes aimed at reducing food wastage and doubling farmers’ income by 2022. It will help to create infrastructure for linkage of entire supply chain. Key Facts SAMPADA is an umbrella scheme that will include ongoing schemes like mega food parks and cold chain projects and new schemes. It has an outlay of Rs. 6000 crore and will be implemented by 2019-20. The ministry will also launch three new schemes to create infrastructure for improving the entire food supply chain. These three schemes are ‘Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities’, ‘New Agro-Processing Clusters‘ and ‘Backward and Forward Linkages’. Moreover, government is taking steps to boost food processing sector to bring down post-harvest losses preferably to zero level, provide quality food to consumers at cheaper price and double of farmers’ income.

    22. The G20 Digital Ministerial Meeting on Digital Economy was held in Dusseldorf, Germany. Ministers responsible for the digital economy from G20 countries had participated in it. It concluded with adaptation of declaration on ‘Shaping Digitalisation for an Interconnected World’. Key Features of the declaration It talks about the need for greater availability of affordable broadband connectivity, broader adoption of digital technologies and services improved digital skills and literacy, greater digital entrepreneurship for the digital economy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It includes three annex papers on ‘Digital skills in vocational education and training’, ‘A Roadmap for Digitalisation: Policies for a Digital Future’ and ‘G20 Priorities on Digital Trade’. It calls for collaboration between the countries and all stakeholders, including academia and private sector and sharing of best practices forms. It calls for greater support for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which might be constrained by their scale in adoption of digital technologies. Background The ministerial conference was held according to the G20 Task Force on the digital economy established in G20 summit held in Hangzhou, China in 2016. The G20 leaders summit held at Hangzhou had proposed to collectively leverage the opportunities and address challenges of an increasingly digital world, in order to enable a dynamic and thriving digital economy to drive inclusive global growth that benefits all.

    23. The Union Ministry of Power has launched URJA MITRA app for empowering citizens by real time information sharing on power supply. The app is a first of its kind which provides a central platform, web-portal (www.urjamitra.com) as well as mobile app for state power Distribution utilities to disseminate power outage information to rural/ urban power consumers through SMS/ push/email notifications across the country. Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme The Ministry also inaugurated Rural Feeder Monitoring Scheme to monitor the quantity and quality parameters of power supply in rural areas of the country. The entire data under the scheme will be hosted on National Power Portal (NPP) on real time basis and may be accessed by various stake holders through web services. Background The Union Government has set December 2017 as the deadline to achieve 100% rural feeder monitoring by installing additional meters and modems on all feeders across the country. The purpose of this move is to facilitate real time communication of faults appearing in the power supply. These meters will be geo-tagged to pin point the location and cause of the fault and address it at the earliest.

    24. Parliament has passed the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2017. It is the first national HIV law in South Asia. The Bill seeks to safeguard the rights of people living with HIV and affected by HIV. It aims to prevent social stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV). Key Provisions Prevention and control the spread of HIV and AIDS. It prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS. Privacy of PLHIV: No person will be compelled to disclose his HIV status except with his informed consent, and if required by a court order. Establishments keeping records of information of PLHIV must adopt data protection measures. Prohibits any individual from publishing information or advocating feelings of hatred against HIV positive persons and PLHIV. Safeguarding Rights: Obligations on establishments to safeguard rights of persons living with HIV arid create mechanisms for redressing complaints. Strengthen legal accountability and establish formal mechanisms for inquiring into complaints and redressing grievances to probe discrimination complaints against those who discriminate against PLHIV. It ensures that no HIV test, medical treatment or research is conducted on a person without his informed consent. Grounds of discrimination: Lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV-positive persons and those living with them is prohibited. These include the denial, discontinuation, termination or unfair treatment with regard to employment, educational establishments, health care services, renting property etc. Bans unfair treatment of people living with and affected by HIV with regard to accessing public facilities, such as shops, hotels, restaurants, public entertainment venues, public facilities and burial grounds. Pre-requisite HIV testing: Prohibits, requirement for HIV testing as a pre-requisite for obtaining employment or accessing health care or education. Background There are approximately 21 lakh persons estimated to be living with HIV in India. The prevalence of HIV in India is decreasing since last decade but percentage of PLHIV receiving Anti-Retroviral therapy (ART) treatment is merely 28.82% against global percentage of 41%. The Bill will provide essential support to National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) in arresting new spread of HIV infections and thereby achieving the target of “Ending the epidemic by 2030” to meet goal Sustainable Development Goals.

    25. The Union Government has set up an ‘Inter- Ministerial Monitoring-cum-Coordination Committee’ to monitor the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. UDAN is regional air connectivity scheme (RCS) which seeks to make flying affordable by connecting unserved and under-served airports. Key Facts The committee will be responsible for coordination among stakeholders, including state governments for “time-bound” implementation of the scheme. It will also monitor schemes of promotion of regional connectivity by way of revival of unserved and under-served airports/airstrips and UDAN. It will be chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary and will have representations from the ministries of Finance, Defence, Home as well as Petroleum and Natural Gas. Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman, representatives from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security), officials of airlines and states concerned will be also its part. Background The Union Civil Aviation Ministry already has awarded 128 routes connecting 70 airports to 5 airlines, under the scheme UDAN Scheme. In the flights operated under RCS, around 50% of the seats will have a fare cap Rs 2,500 per seat/hour. Apart from various incentives, the operators of such flights will be extended viability gap funding (VGF) for which money is partly raised through a levy imposed on flights operating in major routes. The VGF will be in place for three years for the airlines concerned from the date of starting operations in a particular UDAN route. Operators will be provided also other benefits such as zero airport charges and three-year exclusivity on the routes.

    26. India and Georgia have singed a Joint Statement on the launching of the Joint Feasibility Study on the Free Trade Agreement between both countries. The statement was signed by Union Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Gakharia. Key Facts The objective of the study is to further promote economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries for creating favourable conditions for more comprehensive economic cooperation. Upon the completion of the Joint Feasibility Study both countries may proceed to negotiations on an FTA once the internal procedures are completed and the mandates on negotiations are approved. In this regard, Joint Feasibility Study Group consisting of the officials of the two countries has been established. It will provide an opportunity for more in-depth and systematic examination of potential FTA. It will discuss possible scope of a potential FTA and analyse sensitiveness of specific sectors and recommend possible ways to address them. Background India is having positive trade balance with Georgia. In 2015-2016 the total exports from India to Georgia was $82.57 million and import from Georgia was $24.47 million. The Joint Feasibility Study will further contribute to the mutually beneficial cooperation of the partners and bring it to a new level. Georgia: It is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe and is bounded by the Black Sea to the west, Russia to the north, Turkey to the south and Armenia and Azerbaijan to the southeast. Tbilisi is its capital and largest city.

    27. The Union Government has reduced the number of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) from 66 to 28 umbrella schemes, effective from the financial year 2016-17. These schemes were reduced based on the recommendation of the sub-group of Chief Ministers on rationalisation of centrally sponsored schemes. Key Facts Government has categorised 6 schemes as Core of the Core, 20 schemes as Core Schemes and remaining two as Optional Schemes. If required government is also planning to merge the related schemes and implement them as Umbrella Schemes with flexibility to states to administer in the line with their requirements. Core schemes: For these schemes, the fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and states would be 60:40 for general category states. For the eight Northeastern and three Himalayan states, ratio is 90:10. Core-of-core Schemes: These schemes are fully funded by the Centre. Some of the schemes included in this category are: MGRNEA, National Social Assistance Plan and the National Programme for Persons with Disabilities. Optional Schemes: These schemes are for social protection and social inclusion. The fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 50:50 for general category states and 80:20 for Northeastern and hilly states. Funds for these schemes will be allocated to states as a lump sum and states would be free to choose which optional scheme they want to adopt. What are Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS)? CCS are schemes that are implemented by state governments but are largely funded by the Central Government with a defined State Government share. They are basically special purpose grants (or loans) extended by Central Government to states to encourage them to plan and implement programmes that help attain national goals and objectives. CSS are basically extended by the Central Government to States under Article 282 of the Constitution. It mainly cover items listed in states list.

    28. India and Australia have singed six agreements in various fields such as terrorism, sports, health, environment, aviation sector to boost bilateral cooperation. These agreements were signed in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull after delegation level talks. Signed MoUs are MoU on Cooperation in Sports. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Environment, Climate and Wildlife. MoU for Promotion and Development of Cooperation in Civil Aviation Security MoU on Cooperation in Combatting International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime. Implementation arrangement between ISRO and Geoscience Australia on Cooperation in Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation. Highlights of delegation level talks Both countries sought to provide a boost to trade and security ties including counterterrorism cooperation. Trade deal: Both countries could not conclude negotiations for Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) which they have been negotiating. Uranium Supply: Australia held that ready to supply uranium to India as soon as possible. Both countries had signed civil nuclear cooperation in 2013 but actual supply has not yet commenced due to absence of any commercial contract. NSG membership: Australia will spport for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and also for Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement, the two export control regimes. Maritime security: Both countries agreed share common interests in ensuring maritime security and the safety of sea lines of communication. They also recognised importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, resolving maritime disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS. Defence: Both countries agreed to remain strongly committed to the breadth of their defence ties and recalled the Special Forces Bilateral Exercise conducted in October 2016. They agreed that the bilateral maritime exercise first held in the Bay of Bengal in 2015 will be repeated off Western Australia in the first half of 2018. They took decision for first bilateral Army-to-Army exercise to take place in 2018. They also agreed to look forward to the inaugural secretaries’ defence and foreign affairs dialogue in the ‘2+2’ format as a new mechanism to build on the deep strategic partnership.

    29. United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres has bestowed the highest honour UN Messenger of Peace upon Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. She was described as a symbol of the most important thing in the world-education for all. With this, she became youngest ever UN Messenger of Peace. About Malala Yousafzai Malala was born on 12 July 1997 in Mingora city in Swat province of Pakistan. At the age of 11 she had caught international attention as female education activist after writing for the BBC about life under the Taliban in Pakistan under pseudonym Gul Makai. Her campaign had led to a Taliban assassination attempt near that left her severely wounded after she was shot in head in 2012. Awards and Honours: In 2014, at the age of 17 she was awarded Nobel peace prize, becoming youngest Nobel Laureate in the history of Nobel award. National Youth Peace Prize (2011), Mother Teresa Awards for Social Justice (2012), Simon de Beauvoir Prize (2013), Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (2013), Anna Politkovskaya Award (2013). UN has declared 12 July as ‘Malala Day’ in her honour. About UN Messenger of Peace The coveted title is bestowed by UN upon distinguished individuals, carefully selected from the fields of art, literature, music and sports or other fields of public life. The Messengers of Peace scheme was instigated in 1997 as a central addition to the system of UN goodwill ambassadors and honorary ambassadors, run by the different UN agencies since 1954. The messengers of peace are appointed directly by the Secretary-General of the UN and are intended to promote the work of the United Nations in general and Initially they were chosen for a period of three year, but three of the current twelve messengers, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, and Yo-Yo Ma have served for more than ten years.

    30. Colson Whitehead’s celebrated novel The Underground Railroad has won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The novel is about an escaped slave that combined liberating imagination and brutal reality. Earlier in November 2016, the novel had received the National Book Award of US. This makes Colson Whitehead first person to win Pulitzer and National Book Award for fiction in last 20 years. List of 2017 Pulitzer Prize Winners Letters, Drama & Music Fiction: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Drama: Sweat by Lynn Nottage. History: Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy, by Heather Ann Thompson. Biography or Autobiography: The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between, by Hisham Matar. Poetry: Olio, by Tyehimba Jess (Wave Books) General Nonfiction: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond. Music: Angel’s Bone, by Du Yun. Journalism Public Service: New York Daily News and ProPublica Breaking News Reporting: Staff of East Bay Times, Oakland. Investigative Reporting: Eric Eyre of Charleston Gazette-Mail, Charleston/. Explanatory Reporting: International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, McClatchy and Miami Herald Local Reporting: The Salt Lake Tribune Staff National Reporting: David A. Fahrenthold of The Washington Post International Reporting: The New York Times Staff Feature Writing: C. J. Chivers of The New York Times Commentary: Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal Criticism: Hilton Als of The New Yorker Editorial Writing: Art Cullen of The Storm Lake Times, Storm Lake. Editorial Cartooning: Jim Morin of Miami Herald Breaking News Photography: Daniel Berehulak, freelance photographer Feature Photography: Jason Wambsgans of Chicago Tribune About Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize is an annual award for achievements in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in will of American-Hungarian newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. The award is administered by Columbia University in New York City. Prizes are awarded yearly in 21 categories. In 20 of the categories, each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash award. The winner in the public service category of the journalism is awarded a gold medal.

    31. Lok Sabha has passed Constitution 123rd Amendment Bill, 2017 which seeks to give constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes. The bill was passed by the house with 360 MPs voting in favor and 2 against the bill. Objectives of the Bill The Constitution 123rd Amendment Bill seeks to make the following changes: It seeks to insert a new article 338B in the constitution which provides for NCBC, its composition, mandate, functions and various officers. Insert a new article 342-A which empowers the president to notify the list of socially and educationally backward classes of that state / union territory. In case of a state, president will make such notification after consultation with the Governor. Under the same article, it is proposed that parliament by making a law can include or exclude the classes from the central list of backward classes. Background The government had created a Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes via a resolution in 1987. It was given constitutional status by passing Constitution (65th amendment) Act, 1990, leading to creation of National Commission of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (NCSCST) in 1992. Via the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003; the NCSCST was split into two different commissions viz. NCSC and NCST by inserting Article 338-A. NCSC was mandated to look into the grievances and complaints of backward classes also. However, in 1992, the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney case had directed the government to create a permanent body to entertain, examine and recommend the inclusion and exclusion of various Backward Classes for the purpose of benefits and protection. Towards this, the parliament passed National Commission for Backward Classes Act in 1993 and constituted the National Commission for Backward Classes as a statutory body. Currently, this body is responsible to look into the inclusion and exclusion of backward classes only. To safeguard the interests of these classes more effectively, there was a need to give constitutional status to NCBC. For this purpose, the above said amendment has been introduced and passed in Lok Sabha. The bill will now need to be passed in Rajya Sabha to become act. Since the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993 becomes irrelevant once this bill becomes an act; Lok Sabha has also passed a separate bill to repeal that act.

    32. Parliament has passed the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill 2017 after it was passed by Rajya Sabha. It was already passed by Lok Sabha in March 2017. The Bill seeks to amends the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the Constitution (Pondicherry) Scheduled Castes Order, 1964. Key Provisions Modify the list of SCs for Odisha: It makes castes Sualgiri, Swalgiri as synonyms to the Sabakhia caste in the list of SCs for the state. Modification of name of Pondicherry: It modifies name of the Union Territory of Pondicherry to Puducherry by incorporating changes in the Constitution (Pondicherry) Scheduled Castes Order, 1964. Background Article 341 of the Constitution empowers the President to specify the Scheduled Castes in various states and UTs. Further, it permits Parliament to modify this list.

    33. The first rail freight service from United Kingdom to China departed from Essex. Earlier the first freight train in the opposite direction, from China to UK had arrived in London in January 2017. The train service was launched as part of China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative that aims to revive the ancient Silk Road trading routes with the West dating back more than 2,000 years.

    34. Pakistan’s Field General Court Martial has sentenced to death Indian national and alleged RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent Kulbhushan Jadhav (46) who was arrested last year on charges of spying. The death sentence was confirmed by army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa after the Field General Court Martial found him guilty of all the charges. Background Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in March 2016 by Pakistani security forces in the restive Balochistan province after he reportedly entered from Iran. Pakistan has alleged that Jadhav was a serving officer in the Indian Navy and deputed to the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), foreign (external) intelligence agency of India. Union External Affairs Ministry had acknowledged that Jadhav served with the navy but has no link with government since his premature retirement from Indian Navy. Earlier in 1999, Pakistan had hanged an Indian Sheikh Shamim also on charges of spying. In 2013, another Indian national, Sarabjit Singh was also sentenced to death (16 years) for spying in Pakistan. He was killed in jail after being attacked by fellow inmates.. However, these two previous cases were gone through civilian courts. About Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) RAW is the primary foreign intelligence agency of India. It was established in 1968 following the intelligence failures of the Sino-Indian and Indo-Pakistani wars. Headquarters: New Delhi. Motto: धर्मो रक्षति रक्षित: (English: The law protects when it is protected) It is under the direct command of Prime Minister and reports on an administrative basis to the Cabinet Secretary of India, who reports to the Prime Minister. Its primary function is gathering foreign intelligence, engaging in counter-terrorism, advising Indian policymakers, promoting counter-proliferation and advancing India’s foreign strategic interests.

    35. The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016 by a voice vote to give more thrust to road safety, controlling pollution and accidents. The bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 that provides for legal standards for motor vehicles, grant of driving licenses, and penalties for violation of these provisions. Key Provisions National Transportation Policy: Union government must frame National Transportation Policy, in consultation with the states. Recall of vehicles: It empowers Union government to order for recall of motor vehicles if a defects in the vehicle may cause damage to the environment, or the driver, or other road users. Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF): Mandatory for Union government to constitute Motor Vehicle Accident Fund to provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in India. MVAF will be credited with cess or tax as approved by Union government, grant or loan made by Union government or any other source prescribed by Union government. Care for road accident victims: Union government will develop a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims during golden hour. It defines golden hour as the time period of up to an hour following a traumatic injury, during which the likelihood of preventing death through prompt medical care is the highest. Compensation for death: It increases the compensation for death in a hit and run case from to Rs two lakh or more from Rs 25,000, as prescribed by the Union government. Protection of good samaritans: It defines a good samaritan as a person who renders emergency medical or non-medical assistance to a victim at scene of an accident in good faith, voluntary and without the expectation of any reward. Good samaritans will not be held liable for any criminal or civil action for any injury to or death of an accident victim. Union government may frame rules to provide for procedures for their questioning or disclosure of personal information. Aggregator services: It defines an aggregator as a digital intermediary or market place and their services may be used by a passenger to connect with a driver for transportation purposes. It makes mandatory for these aggregators to obtain licenses and comply with the Information Technology Act (IT), 2000. Electronic services: The Bill provides for the computerization of certain services to improve delivery of services to the stakeholders using e-Governance. It enables (i) online learning licenses, (ii) increases period of driving licenses validity, (iii) Do away with the requirements of educational qualifications for transport licenses etc. It also proposes Aadhar based verification for grant of online services including learner’s licence to ensure the integrity of the online services and stop creation of duplicate licences. Offences and penalties: It increases the penalties for several offences under the parent Act for high risk offences like drunken driving, dangerous driving, overloading, non-adherence to safety norms by drivers. Offences committed Juveniles: The owner or guardian will be deemed guilty in cases of offences by the Juveniles. Juvenile will be tried under JJ Act and the registration of Motor Vehicle will be cancelled.

    36. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an exhibition titled “Swachhagraha – Bapu Ko Karyanjali – Ek Abhiyan, Ek Pradarshani” in New Delhi mark the 100 years (centenary year) of Champaran Satyagraha. The exhibition will showcase Champaran Satyagraha and it will connect essential principles of Satyagraha with Swachhagraha. It will also showcase the ground covered by the Swachh Bharat Mission in creating a mass movement towards a clean India. About Champaran Satyagraha Champaran Satyagraha was Mahatma Gandhi’s first experiment of Satyagraha.

    37. The twelfth edition Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2017 has begun at Vairengte in Mizoram. Vairengte houses Indian Army’s elite Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School. The first joint Nomadic Elephant was held in 2004 and since then it is annually held. It seeks to promote military associations between India and Mongolia.

    38. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has launched web portal and mobile application named “Bharat ke Veer” to enable people to contribute towards family of martyrs from central paramilitary forces. It was launched by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the occasion of Valour Day of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), observed on 9 April.

    39. The World Homoeopathy Day is observed every year on April 10 to pay tribute to Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, founder and father of Homeopathy system of medicine. Observance of the day seeks to spread more knowledge about this form of medicine in the mainstream public health.

    40. India and Bangladesh have signed 22 agreements in various fields such as defence, nuclear cooperation, judicial sector, earth sciences, navigation, peaceful uses of outer space, to boost bilateral cooperation. These agreements were signed in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina in New Delhi after delegation level talks. India also announced concessional Line of Credit (LoC) of $4.5 billion to Bangladesh for projects in priority sectors. Moreover, India also gave LoC of $500 million to Bangladesh for defence purchases. Some of the agreements signed are MoU on Defence Cooperation Framework MoU on Bilateral Judicial Sector Cooperation MoU for extending Defence LOC of $500 million. MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Mass Media. MoU on Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security. MoU concerning Cooperation on Aids to Navigation. MoU on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. MoU for Extending a 3rd Line of Credit (LoC) by GoI to GoB. Agreement on Cooperation in Peaceful uses of Nuclear Energy. MoU on Co-operation in the field of Information Technology and Electronics. MoU on establishing Border Haats across the border between India and Bangladesh. Agreement for the Regulation of Motor Vehicle Passenger Traffic (Khulna-Kolkata route). Inter-Agency Agreement on Cooperation regarding Nuclear Power Plant Projects in Bangladesh MoU on Mutual Scientific Cooperation in the field of Earth Sciences for Research and Development.

    41. India was ranked 40th among the 136 economies across the world in 2017 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In this edition of index, India has jumped 12 places from earlier 52nd position in 2015. But it lagged behind its other Asian peers like Japan (4th) and China (13th).

    42. The Union Agriculture Ministry has joined hands with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a wing of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for geo-tagging agricultural assets. In this regard, Agriculture Ministry under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) and NRSC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Key Facts The move will help bring transparency in governance due to real-time monitoring and effective utilisation of agricultural assets such as ponds, crop area, warehouses and laboratories etc.

    43. According to EY Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) Fraud Survey 2017, India ranks 9th among 41 surveyed countries in bribery and corrupt practices in businesses. India’s ranking has improved marginally from the survey findings in 2015 when India was at the 6th position. It has improved due to better regulatory scrutiny and emphasis on transparency and governance.

    44. Madhya Pradesh Government has launched Deendayal Antyodaya Rasoi Yojana, a populist subsidised meal scheme for poor in the state. The scheme has been named after the BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya. The first phase of the scheme was launched by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in 49 districts headquarters across the state. With this, Madhya Pradesh becomes third state in the country to launch populist subsidised meal scheme. Tamil Nadu was first to launch such scheme under brand name of Amma Canteens followed by Rajasthan.

    45. The International Day of Sports for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observed every year on April 6 to recognize the power of sport in promoting peace and its ability to inspire. To celebrate this day, United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) has launched digital campaign #WePlayTogether. The campaign seeks to encourage organizations and individuals who support or carry out sport for development and peace activities to partake in the commemoration of the IDSDP.

    46. US based National Basketball Association (NBA) has launched its first basketball school in India in Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra. The school was opened as part of a multi-year agreement with India On Track (IOT). The school’s syllabus has been framed by the NBA’s Elite Basketball Development team with current and former NBA coaches, player development experts and former NBA players. The school was opened as part of a network of tuition-based basketball development programmes to train the male and female basketball players ages 6-18. NBA is planning to open more schools in India and around the world this year.

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