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1) Delivering a separate judgment in the Rafale case, Justice K.M. Joseph has made the following observations: The Right to Information Act confers on ordinary citizens the ‘priceless right’ to demand information even in matters affecting national security and relations with a foreign state. Justice Joseph’s judgment countered the claim made by the government for privilege over Rafale purchase documents under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), saying it affected national security and relations with France. Justice Joseph said the Right to Information (RTI) Act overawes the OSA. Under Section 8(2) of the RTI Act, the government cannot refuse information if disclosure in public interest overshadows certain ‘protected interests.’ Justice Joseph in his judgment has stated that through Section 8(2) of the RTI Act, Parliament has appreciated that it may be necessary to pit one interest against another and to compare the relative harm and then decide either to disclose or to decline information. If higher public interest is established, it is the will of Parliament that the greater good should prevail though at the cost of lesser harm being still occasioned.

2) The Report of the Financial Sector Assessment Programme for India by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) makes the following recommendations: The level of non-performing loans in India remains high and the IMF has favoured bolstering the level of capitalisation of some banks, particularly government-owned banks. Together with capitalisation, the report asks for resolution and the recognition of Non-performing loans as part of the process of cleaning up the banking system of non-performing loans, The report notes that there were some steps that were taken by the authorities to boost capital buffers in banks and also to improve governance in state-owned banks that have had some positive impact. Financial Sector Assessment Programme: The FSAP includes two major components: a financial stability assessment, which is the responsibility of the IMF, and a financial development assessment, the responsibility of the World Bank. Financial Sector Assessment Programme of the IMF aims to: To gauge the stability and soundness of the financial sector. To assess its potential contribution to growth and development. The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) is a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of a country’s financial sector.

3) The United Nations Population Fund has released the State of World Population 2019 report. Findings of the Report: India’s population grew at an average annual rate of 1.2 per cent between 2010 and 2019 to 1.36 billion. It was more than double the annual growth rate of China. India’s population in 2019 stood at 1.36 billion. The population has grown from 942.2 million in 1994 and 541.5 million in 1969. China’s population stood at 1.42 billion in 2019. China’s population increased from 1.23 billion in 1994 and 803.6 million in 1969. China’s population grew at an average annual rate of 0.5 per cent between 2010 and 2019. The total fertility rate per woman was 5.6 in 1969. It dropped to 3.7 in 1994 and 2.3 in 2019. India has recorded an improvement in life expectancy at birth. The life expectancy at birth in 1969 was 47 years, growing to 60 years in 1994 and 69 years in 2019. 27 per cent of India’s population was in the age bracket of 0-14 years and 10-24 years each, while 67 per cent of India’s population was in the 15-64 age bracket. Six per cent of India’s population was of the age 65 and above. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in the country dropped from 488 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1994 to 174 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015. The absence of reproductive and sexual rights has major and negative repercussions on women’s education, income and safety in India, leaving them unable to shape their own futures. Early marriage continues to present a major cultural obstacle to female empowerment and better reproductive rights. The report for the first time has published data on women’s ability to make decisions over three key areas: sexual intercourse with their partner, contraception use and health care. The Report Looking ahead to future challenges highlights the threat to women’s and girls’ reproductive rights posed by emergencies caused by conflict or climate disasters.

4) The Ministry of Human Resources and Development has issued a statement about appointing Professor Najma Akhtar as vice–chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) by the President of India. She has been appointed for a period of five years. Professor Najma Akhtar will be the first woman to hold the post. Professor Najma Akhtar is a gold medallist from Aligarh Muslim University. She has a Ph.D in Education from Kurukshetra University. Professor Najma Akhtar also has been a Commonwealth Fellow for University Administration Course at University of Warwick and Nottingham. She has also trained at the International Institute of Educational Planning (IIEP), UNESCO, Paris. Jamia Millia Islamia University: JMI is a public central University in New Delhi. JMI was founded on October 29, 1920, by nationalist Muslim leaders during British rule in Aligarh in the erstwhile United Provinces. Dr.Zakir Hussain was the first Vice-Chancellor of JMI. The Ali brothers, Moulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar and Moulana Shoukat Ali, especially played a major role in the establishment of JMI. JMI became a central university by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1988. Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla is the chancellor of the varsity.

5) The schemes of the West Bengal government ‘Utkarsh Bangla’ (skill training of youth) and ‘Sabooj Sathi’ (cycles for students) won the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) awards of UN. Utkarsh Bangla got the topmost award and emerged as a winner in the Capacity Building category and the Sabooj Sathi was ranked in the first five as a champion project under ICT application: E-Government category. Utkarsh Bangla: Utkarsh Bangla Scheme is aimed at providing vocational training to school dropouts. The beneficiaries of the scheme will be trained in driving, tailoring, repairing television and other electronic equipment’s, beautician courses etc. Sabooj Sathi: Sabooj Sathi is a scheme of West Bengal government for distribution of bicycles to the students of class IX to XII studying in Govt. run and Govt. aided Schools and Madrashas.The scheme was launched in September 2015. World Summit on the Information Society Awards: World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Awards were instituted as per requests from the WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism to evaluate and recognize individuals, governments, civil society, local, regional and international agencies, research institutions and private-sector companies for outstanding success in implementing development oriented strategies that leverage the power of ICTs as an enabler of the development. WSIS is a global multi-stakeholder platform facilitating the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines for advancing sustainable development. The summit is co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, in close collaboration with other UN organizations. The Summit provides an opportunity for information exchange, knowledge creation and sharing of best practices, while identifying emerging trends and fostering partnerships, taking into account the evolving Information and Knowledge Societies.

6) Alice G. Vaidyan, Chairman and Managing Director of the General Insurance Corporation (GIC) of India, India’s reinsurance major, has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her work to promote insurance ties between India and the UK. Alice G. Vaidyan holds post graduate degree in English literature and has been trained at Harvard Business School, Boston, USA. She is a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of India. Alice G. Vaidyan was the first lady officer to assume the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director of General Insurance Corporation of India. She was also the first lady chairman-cum-managing director in the public-sector insurance industry (non-life) under the Ministry of Finance in India. Freedom of the City: Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by a City of London Corporation upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. The genesis of the ‘Freedom of the City of London’ is traced to the medieval time of around 1237. The honour enabled recipients to carry out their trade. Over the years, the award has evolved into an honour bestowed upon individuals who make an impact in the financial hub of London, referred to as the City or the Square Mile.

7) Rio Paralympics silver medallist Deepa Malik was named as the recipient of the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship for 2019 in recognition of her inspiring achievements. Deepa Malik had won the silver medal in shot put event in Rio in 2016. The citation states that the Deepa Malik exemplifies two values that make a great sportsperson: courage and a can-do attitude. Deepa is an inspiring achiever who can confidently and proudly carry forward our message of inclusivity and the pursuit of excellence. Deepa Malik will be undertaking a series of visits to Paralympic sporting organisations, and engage with Kiwi athletes, students and the media as well as New Zealand’s significant Indian Diaspora community. Deepa Malik will promote cultural as well the people-to-people relationship between India and New Zealand. New Zealand Prime Minister’s Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship: The Fellowship Program is running since 2008 aims to strengthen the relationship between India and New Zealand by showcasing the different aspects of the warm friendship between the two countries. The fellowship aims to strengthen the ties between India and New Zealand. Sir Edmund Hillar ; Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and Philanthropist. Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953. They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt. Sir Edmund Hillary served as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal from 1985 to 1988.

8) The Air Pollution levels at the Indian cities are at an alarming level. Various Reports have time and again tried to shed light on the quantum of the problem. Air Pollution and Indian Cities: A Delhi based Environment Body claims that the Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency, is ranked third on the WHO’s list of 15 most polluted cities and the situation is “deteriorating” as its MP has focused on beautification and infrastructure. In the ‘Political Leaders Position and Action on Air Quality in India 2014-2019’ report, released by Climate Trends Delhi is ranked sixth on the list. The report states that there has been “laziness” on part of its elected caretakers in tackling air pollution in the city. As per the World Health Organisation, (WHO) list of most polluted cities, 14 of the 15 most polluted cities in the world are in India of which four are in Uttar Pradesh. WHO report states that the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a rise in the number of people suffering from allergies and respiratory problems due to a “lot” of construction in the city. Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh is the most polluted city in the world. Kanpur is ranked one on the list. Faridabad in Haryana has been ranked second and Varanasi has been ranked third. Gaya and Patna in Bihar are fourth and fifth on the list. Delhi has been ranked sixth and Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow is ranked seventh. The report by climate trends claimed MPs of Lucknow and Kanpur — Home Minister Rajnath Singh and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi respectively — have mostly been silent on the issue of air pollution in their respective constituencies. Other cities in the WHO list of polluted cities are Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurugram, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur. Air Quality Index: The Air Quality Index between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”, as per pollution control authorities.

9) The Wisden has named Virat Kohli as the Leading Cricketer of the Year for 2018. Wisden Cricketer of the Year- Indian Skipper Virat Kohli is joined by Tammy Beaumont, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Rory Burns. Indian player Smriti Mandhana bagged the Women’s Leading Cricketer of the Year. Rashid Khan of Afghanistan bagged the Leading T20 Cricketer of the Year. Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year- Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year represent a tradition that dates back in Wisden to 1889. This makes Wisden’s oldest individual award in cricket. The selection is at the will of the editor. The editor chooses cricketers based n their “influence on the previous English season”.

10) Hong Kong’s equity market has overtaken Japan to be the world’s third largest in value, behind only the U.S. and mainland China. This is due to the rebound witnessed in Hong Kong stocks after their worst year since 2011. Hong Kong Equity Market: Hong Kong’s market cap was $5.78 trillion as of Tuesday and Japan’s market cap was $5.76 trillion. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 17 per cent this year through Tuesday. The main driver behind the climb was Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. which has witnessed a 22 per cent gain. Japan’s Topix Index advanced 8.3 per cent this year. As the IMG released the World Economic Outlook April 2019 report, both markets witnessed a slowdown. The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.1 per cent and the Topix fell 0.7 per cent.

11) RailWire Wi-Fi by RailTel is now live at 1600 railway stations across the country. The Santacruz railway station in Mumbai became the 1600th station to become a RailWire Wi-Fi zone. RailWire: RailWire is a retail Broadband initiative of the RailTel. It envisages extending broadband and application services to the public. RailTel is working to establish bringing fast and free Wi-Fi at all stations (except the halt stations) within a year. RailTel has provided high-speed Wi-Fi at 985 stations with its funding. The Wi-Fi at 415 A, A1 and C category stations has been provided in association with Google as the technology partner. Wi-Fi connections at 200 stations were provided with support from the Universal Service Obligatory Fund of the Government of India. Universal Service Obligation Fund: Universal Service Obligation Fund was instituted by the government of India to help fund projects to boost connectivity in rural areas. The money for this fund comes through a ‘Universal Access Levy,’ charged from the telecom operators as a percentage of various licenses fees being paid by them. RailTel: RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. is a Miniratna public sector enterprise of Government of India. It is one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure providers in the country owning a Pan-India optic fibre network on exclusive Right of Way (ROW) along Railway track.

12) The Press Council of India (PCI) has issued the guidelines for the media to give objective reports about the election and cautioned it against the phenomenon of paid news. The guidelines call for: Newspapers are not expected to indulge in unhealthy election campaigns, exaggerated reports about any candidate or party during the elections. PCI cautioned the press to eschew reports which tend to promote feelings of enmity or hatred between people on the grounds of region, religion, race, caste, community or language. The press should refrain from publishing false or critical statements in regard to the personal character and conduct of any candidate or in relation to the candidature or withdrawal of any candidate or candidature, to prejudice the prospects of that candidate in the elections. PCI cautioned against publishing unverified allegations against any candidate or party. Whenever the newspapers publish pre-poll surveys, they should take care to preface them conspicuously by indicating the institutions which have carried on such surveys, the individuals and organisations which have commissioned them, the size and nature of sample selected and the method of selection of the sample for the findings. PCI has also asked the media to guard against paid news which is defined as “any news or analysis appearing in any media (print & electronic) for a price in cash or kind as consideration.” The PCI has also urged the authorities that rules and orders regulating the entry of the media persons to places of election should be notified and the cut-off date for applying for passes should be given due and advance publicity.

13) Scientists from the University of Edinburgh of Scotland using powerful computer simulations have discovered the existence of the state known as the chain-melted state. Chain-Melted State: At the chain-melted state, atoms are both solid and liquid at the same time. Scientists have discovered that when extreme pressure and temperature are applied to potassium, it can form a state in which most of the atoms form a lattice structure but a second set is in a fluid arrangement. Scientists say that It would be like holding a sponge filled with water that starts dripping out, except the sponge is also made of water. Over half a dozen elements including sodium and bismuth are thought to be capable of existing in the newly discovered state. Researchers hope it can be further examined to find more uses for the unexpected discovery.


14) National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) or Namami Gange has received the distinction of “Public Water Agency of the Year” by Global Water Intelligence at the Global Water Summit in London. The awards aim to recognise excellence across the international water industry and reward those initiatives in the water, wastewater, and desalination sectors, which can bring remarkable improvements in the lives of people. An integrated mission for Ganga rejuvenation, the Namami Gange programme provides for a comprehensive multi-sector intervention with multi-stakeholder involvement and adopts a basin-based approach. Global Water Summit: Global Water Summit is the annual business conference for the water industry worldwide. The summit attracts high-level executives from industry, municipalities and international water companies and provides the opportunity to connect with hard-to-reach industry insiders that will not attend any other water event. The summit provides a platform for connecting the public and private sector and for accelerating change and innovation within the sector, it attracts the most influential industry representatives and also becomes a forum for business development and expanding your network.

15) Bold Kurukshetra–2019, Joint Military Exercise of India and Singapore was inaugurated at Babina Cantonment of Jhansi. The joint exercise is aimed at developing military technology, enhance the maritime security and bolster the nations’ fight against terrorism. India-Singapore Defence Cooperation: In November 2017, India and Singapore had entered into an official agreement to strengthen defence ties between their respective armed forces. As per the agreement, personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces will receive training and undertake firing exercises along with the Indian Armed Forces. Both India and Singapore have also agreed to step up intelligence and information sharing in maritime security, especially in the field of counter-terrorism, and agreed to expand collaboration on submarine safety and rescue.

16) On the occasion of the 54th Valour Day (Shaurya Diwas) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), President Ram Nath Kovind launched ‘Veer Parivar App’, a mobile application for families of CRPF personnel killed in the line of duty. About the Veer Parivar App: The Veer Parivar App will act as an interface between the CRPF authorities and the next of kin of the slain personnel. The Veer Parivar App will be installed securely on the phones of the slain personnel families and will not be available in the app stores. The app will provide assistance to the families of the martyred CRPF personnel with regard to issuance of ex gratia, pension benefits etc. The app will also provide all the necessary information regarding the welfare schemes introduced for them by the government. The Android-based Veer Parivar App will provide assistance to the families on a real-time basis and the CRPF authorities will respond to the issues raised by the members of the families of the slain personnel.

17) British Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated the UK government’s long-standing expression of ‘deep regret’ over the April 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre and called the massacre a ‘shameful scar’ on British Indian history. But the words of PM May fell short in issuing a formal apology. Since 2019 was the centenary of the horrendous act there was a growing demand from many quarters for the formal apology including Indian diaspora and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The UK government has announced that on the centenary of the massacre British high commission in New Delhi would visit the memorial site on April 13 and lay a wreath. There would be a public acknowledgement of the centenary and the sense of ‘deep regret’ in events organised in the UK. Earlier the Punjab Assembly had passed a resolution seeking a formal apology from Britain for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The statement by the Prime Minister Theresa May did not go beyond the long-standing expression of ‘deep regret’ over the April 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Even though the Minister for Asia and the Pacific, said that he recognised the “strong and compelling case,” for Britain to go beyond the deep regret already expressed by the U.K. The Foreign Minister of UK referred to the potential “financial implications” as one of the issues to be considered before any formal apology.

18) The Ministry of Commerce and Industries is arranging a mini-ministerial meeting of developing countries on May 13-14 to discuss the future of the multilateral body, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the development agenda. India is expected to invite close to two dozen countries for discussions on May 13-14. It is second such initiative undertaken by India since talks collapsed in Buenos Aires in December 2017. Unlike the earlier initiative, the US and the European Union will not be part of the discussions this time. Agenda for the Discussion: A global framework for e-commerce, an issue that is being pushed hard by the US. China is not averse to negotiations and maybe India would be willing for the discussions. US proposal to do away with special and differential (S&D) treatment for developing countries such as India, China, Brazil and South Africa. The special and differential treatment allows developing countries to maintain higher duties and implement agreements at a slower pace than the developed world. The US is arguing that the better-off developing countries are eating up the gains that should accrue to the poorer nations in the category. Ensure that WTO remains the key fulcrum of global trade and attempts by the US to do away with the principle of a consensus-based approach. Discussions around reform of the dispute settlement mechanism which the US is pushing for aggressively. India and other countries are demanding that there was a need to ensure that S&D treatment remains as they are still home to a large number of poor and vulnerable sections.

19) April 10 is observed as the World Homeopathy Day. Every year World Homeopathy Day is observed on April 10, the birthday of Dr Samuel Hahnemann who discovered Homeopathy in 1796. World Homeopathy Day aims to create better awareness about homoeopathy, improve its accessibility and to modernise the system of healing. Homeopathy: Homeopathy is an alternative system of medicine based on the principle of ‘Like cures like’. Homeopathy believes that a disease can be cured by a substance that can induce symptoms similar to the ailment itself by using highly-diluted doses of natural ingredients. These diluted doses of natural ingredients are expected to trigger the body’s healing system. Homeopathy is among the Indian government’s AYUSH for alternative medicine. Western medicine dismisses Homeopathy as a mere placebo whose two most important principles are at loggerheads with the laws of physics. But plenty of documented cases exist where people have been seemingly cured of their health conditions with Homeopathy.

20) The Election Commission has decided against the using of Ballot papers in the Nizamabad parliamentary constituency of the Telangana. To accommodate a whopping 185 candidates in contention the Election Commission has decided to use the M3 EVMs in the Lok Sabha Polls. The Election Commission has ordered Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) to supply 26,820 EVMs, 2,240 control units and 2,600 Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) of M3 make. In each of the polling station, there will be 12 M3 version EVMs. All the EVMs would be connected to a single control unit and a VVPAT. These EVMS will be arranged in ‘L’ shape with each machine carrying a maximum of 16 names. The Election Commission also had to tackle with the grappling problem of allocating symbols for the 178 farmers who are contesting as independents, complained that they were yet to be allotted the symbols. M3 EVMs: M3 EVMs are the third generation EVMs. The M3 EVMs can keep data of 384 candidates. M3 EVMS also has added features like Tamper Detection and Self Diagnostics. The tamper detection feature makes an EVM inoperative the moment anyone tries to open the machine. The Self diagnostic feature checks the EVM fully every time it is switched on. Any change in its hardware or software will be detected.

21) India’s education technology startup ‘Dost Education’ has bagged a $25,000 Next Billion Edtech Prize 2019 along with two other winners from Tanzania and Egypt. Ubongo (Tanzania) and PraxiLabs (Egypt) were the other two winners. Dost Education: Dost Education was awarded for its ability to empower parents to take charge of their child’s early education by creating short, friendly audio content that is sent to them via their mobile phones. The software, audio content, and tool kits of Dost Education makes it easy fun and addictive for parents to boost their child’s early development, so low-income families need no longer send their children to primary school behind and without a chance to catch up. Next Billion Edtech Prize 2019: Next Billion Edtech Prize 2019 is awarded by the UK-based Varkey Foundation. The award recognises the most innovative technology destined to have a radical impact on education in low income and emerging world countries. The award also highlights technology’s potential to tackle the problems that have proven too difficult for successive generations of politicians to solve.

22) The Cabinet Committee of Security has cleared the proposal for the procurement of the 464 T-90 tanks from Russia. About the Procurement Deal: The cost of the acquisition is expected to be worth over Rs 13,000 crores. The deal also includes a Make-in-India element for integration at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi near Chennai. The acquisition will increase the new T-90 regiments by 10 more units. The new T-90 tanks would be equipped with thermal imaging night sights to allow the tank commander to strike enemy locations during night battles. T-90 battle tanks are expected to be deployed on the borders with Pakistan. T-90 has emerged as the main battle tank of the Indian Army. It would be replacing the older variants of T-72 and T-55 tanks in the force. The acquisition is expected to tackle the problem of Indian Army’s 4000- strong tank fleet has been battling with night blindness in the past and these new tanks would help in doing away with that.

23) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the World Economic Outlook 2019 April report has made the following forecasts: The global growth will be 3.3% in 2019, down from 3.6% in 2018 and 4% in 2017. The reduced growth rates are attributed to lower global expansion in the second half of 2018 caused by U.S.-China trade tensions, macroeconomic stress in Turkey and Argentina, tighter credit policies in China and financial tightening plus normalisation of monetary policy in advanced economies. Global growth is expected to level out at 3.6% over the medium term beyond 2020. The growth would be driven by a moderation in expansion in advanced countries (caused by weak productivity growth and slow labour force growth) and the stabilisation of emerging market expansion at 2020 levels. Advanced economies are expected to slow down to 1.6% growth by 2022 and remain at that rate thereafter. Growth is expected to steady at 4.8% over the medium term For emerging markets and developing countries. The emerging markets and developing countries are growing faster than advanced economies. Their contribution to global growth is expected to increase from 76% to 85% over the next five years. China is expected to slow down to 5.5% by 2024 as it moves towards increasing private consumption and services and regulatory tightening. Estimates for India: India’s economy will grow 7.1% in 2019-20 and is expected to accelerate to 7.3% growth this fiscal and to 7.5% in 2021-22. All the estimates are 0.2 percentage points less than its previous assessment in January. IMF estimates are higher than those of the Reserve Bank of India. RBI had last week cut its growth forecast to 7.2% for this fiscal and 7.4% for FY21. The reduction in India’s estimate is on account of the “the recent revision to the national account statistics that indicated somewhat softer underlying momentum”. IMF suggests reforms to hiring and dismissal regulations to help incentivise job creation and absorb the country’s large demographic dividend. India’s growth is expected to stabilise at 7.75% over the medium term, driven by structural reforms and the easing of infrastructure bottlenecks. IMF calls for continued implementation of structural and financial sector reforms in order to lower public debt and aid growth.

24) As per the report of the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, India has retained its position as the world’s top recipient of remittances (money sent back home by its nationals working abroad) in 2018. World Bank Report on Remittances: Indian diaspora has sent $79 billion (approximately Rs 5.5 lakh crore) home. The Remittances grew by more than 14% in India. A flooding disaster in Kerala has likely boosted the financial help that migrants sent to families. India received $ 62.7 billion remittances in 2016 and it was $65.3 billion in 2017. India was followed by China ($67 billion), Mexico ($36 billion), the Philippines ($34 billion) and Egypt ($29 billion), Remittances to low-and-middle-income countries rose 9.6% from 2017 and touched a record high of $529 billion in 2018. Global remittances reached $689 billion in 2018, up from $633 billion in 2017. Remittances to South Asia grew 12% to $131 billion in 2018. The upsurge in remittances was driven by stronger economic conditions in the United States. The pick-up in oil prices had a positive impact on outward remittances from some GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries. Excluding China, remittances to low and middle-income countries ($462 billion) were significantly larger than foreign direct investment flows in 2018 ($344 billion). Gulf Cooperation Council: Gulf Cooperation Council is s a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iraq. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

25) As per the report of the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, India has retained its position as the world’s top recipient of remittances (money sent back home by its nationals working abroad) in 2018. World Bank Report on Remittances: Indian diaspora has sent $79 billion (approximately Rs 5.5 lakh crore) home. The Remittances grew by more than 14% in India. A flooding disaster in Kerala has likely boosted the financial help that migrants sent to families. India received $ 62.7 billion remittances in 2016 and it was $65.3 billion in 2017. India was followed by China ($67 billion), Mexico ($36 billion), the Philippines ($34 billion) and Egypt ($29 billion), Remittances to low-and-middle-income countries rose 9.6% from 2017 and touched a record high of $529 billion in 2018. Global remittances reached $689 billion in 2018, up from $633 billion in 2017. Remittances to South Asia grew 12% to $131 billion in 2018. The upsurge in remittances was driven by stronger economic conditions in the United States. The pick-up in oil prices had a positive impact on outward remittances from some GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries. Excluding China, remittances to low and middle-income countries ($462 billion) were significantly larger than foreign direct investment flows in 2018 ($344 billion). Gulf Cooperation Council: Gulf Cooperation Council is s a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iraq. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

26) Vice Admiral Bimal Verma has withdrawn his petition from the Armed Forces Tribunal which challenged the appointment of Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next navy chief replacing Admiral Sunil Lanba. He was superseded in the appointment. Why did he withdraw the Petition? According to the rules, Vice Admiral Bimal Verma had the option of filing a statutory complaint with the Defence Minister before taking the legal recourse. Vice Admiral Bimal Verma approached the tribunal if he is not satisfied with the way his complaint is addressed by the Defence Ministry. The tribunal has asked the petitioner why the option of approaching the Defence Ministry was not availed. The Tribunal asked them to explore the option of approaching the Defence Ministry and allowed them to withdraw their plea.

27) The River Periyar in Kerala is again witnessing the decolourisation. The decolourisation of River Periyar which provides drinking water to Kochi city and adjoining areas has become the cause of worry for the people and government of Kerala. The water turned pitch black in one stream, it was milky near the Pathalam regulator-cum-bridge. Eutrophication: The pollution control Board (PCB) has attributed the change in colour to the poor quality of water as a result of eutrophication. PCB has stated that huge quantities of organic load in the form of sewage from nearby townships are regularly reaching the river system. This is contributing to the eutrophication resulting in the change of colour. River Periyar: River Periyar flows in the state of Kerala. It originates in the Western Ghats and flows north for a short distance to Periyar Lake. Periyar Lake. is an artificial reservoir created by Mullaperiyar Dam across the river. From the Periyar Lake, tunnel carries water through mountains to the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu, where it is used for irrigation. Further downstream Idukki dam is constructed across the river. The river descending out of the mountains into the coastal plain and empties into the Arabian Sea.

28) The UK Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in association with Home Office have released the Online Harms White Paper. The White paper sets out a programme of action to tackle content or activity that harms individual users, particularly children, or threatens our way of life in the UK, either by undermining national security or by undermining our shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities to foster integration. Public consultation has been called on for the white paper. Suggestions Made in the White Paper: Establishing an independent regulator that can write a “code of practice” for social networks and internet companies. Giving the regulator enforcement powers including the ability to fine companies that break the rules. Considering additional enforcement powers such as the ability to fine company executives and force internet service providers to block sites that break the rules. The white paper covers a range of issues that are clearly defined in law such as spreading terrorist content, child sex abuse, so-called revenge pornography, hate crimes, harassment and the sale of illegal goods together with harmful behaviour that has a less clear legal definition such as cyber-bullying, trolling and the spread of fake news and disinformation.

29) The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings have been released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The rankings list the best institutions and universities of India. The NIRF ranking framework instituted in 2016 evaluates institutions on five broad generic groups of parameters, including Teaching, Learning and Resources, Research and Professional Practice, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach and Inclusivity and Perception. Ranking of the Institutions: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras has topped the overall rankings of higher education institutions and is followed by IISc Bangalore and IIT-Delhi ranked second and third in the overall rankings. In the 2018 rankings, IISc Bangalore had topped the overall rankings. Of top 10 institutes in the overall ranking, seven are IITs. In the University Category, IISc Bangalore has been ranked one followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Miranda House of the Delhi University has topped the college’s rankings followed by Hindu College in Delhi and the Presidency College in Chennai. In the Engineering institutions category IIT-Madras topped the ranking followed by Delhi and Eight of the top 10 engineering institutions are IITs. In the category of Management Institutions, top six ranks have been retained by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). IIM Bangalore (IIM-B) has bagged the top spot. IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) bagged the second spot and IIM Calcutta is on the third spot. Jamia Hamdard has been announced as the top varsity for Pharmacy. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been adjudged as the best medical college. National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, have been adjudged as the best medical college law school. A total of 3,127 institutions participated in the ranking process under overall rankings, category-specific and domain-specific ranking and 4,867 applications for rankings were made by the total applicant institutions under various categories and domains.

30) The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to increase the random matching of paper trail machine slips with EVM results from one to five polling booths in each assembly segment for the multiphase Lok Sabha polls. The Supreme Court has said that the move will bring more “credibility” and “integrity” to the electoral process. VVPAT machines are being used for the first time in any Lok Sabha elections. They were deployed in some parliamentary and assembly bypolls. The polling station where VVPAT slips are matched with EVM results is decided by a draw of lots or lottery system in the presence of candidates. Currently, the Election Commission was following one EVM per assembly segment guidelines wherein there was a random counting of VVPAT machines in one booth of each assembly segment. VVPAT: Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) is a device which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip appears on a small window for seven seconds and then drops in a box. The voter cannot take it home. VVPAT displays candidate’s serial number, Name of the candidate and Corresponding symbol for whom the vote has been cast.

31) President Trump Administration of US has announced its intent to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force, as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The designation is expected to take effect from April 15. The designation as FTO will impose sweeping economic and travel sanctions on the IRGC and on organisations, companies, and individuals that have links to it. IRGC and Quds Force: IRGC is an ideologically-driven branch of the armed forces of Iran set up in 1979 after Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution to protect the newly established Islamic system from hostile foreign powers and internal dissensions. Quds Force or Qods Corps is an elite wing of the IRGC. Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO): Under Section 219 of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State is authorised to designate an organization as a foreign terrorist organization. If the Secretary finds that The organization is a foreign organization. The organization engages in terrorist activity or terrorism. Threatens the security of United States nationals or the national security of the United States. The designation of IRGC as an FTO highlights that IRGC is an outlaw regime that uses terrorism as a key tool of statecraft.

32) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued guidelines for banks to set up new currency chests. The guidelines include: Area of the strong room/ vault of at least 1,500 sq ft. For those situated in hilly/ inaccessible places, the strong room/ vault area of at least 600 sq ft. The new chests should have a processing capacity of 6.6 lakh pieces of banknotes per day. Those situated in the hilly/ inaccessible places, a capacity of 2.1 lakh pieces of banknotes per day. The currency chests should have Chest Balance Limit (CBL) of Rs 1,000 crore, subject to ground realities and reasonable restrictions, at the discretion of the Reserve Bank. Currency Chest: Currency chest is the place where the currency is stored. These chests act as the distributives of RBI cash and enable RBI to take back soiled notes and mutilated notes from the public. As per the RBI’s annual report of 2017-18, the currency management infrastructure consists of a network of 19 issue offices of the Reserve Bank, 3,975 currency chest and 3,654 small coin depots of commercial, co-operative and regional rural banks spread across the country.

33) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has barred parties, candidates and others from publishing political advertisements on polling day and a day prior to it in each of the seven phases of Lok Sabha polls unless their contents are pre-certified by screening committees. The Election commission has stated that the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the state and district levels be immediately activated to examine and pre-certify all such advertisements received from the political parties. Why Ban? Instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature published in print media have been brought to its notice in the past. Such misleading advertisements in the last stage of the election vitiate the entire election process. The affected candidates and parties will not have any opportunity of providing clarification/rebuttal in such a scenario. To ensure that no untoward incident takes place because of any inflammatory or hate advertisements. At present, electronic media is barred from showing election publicity material during the last 48 hours before the conclusion of polling. Using its constitutional powers, the Election Commission has directed no political party, candidates or others will publish any advertisement in the print media on the day and one day prior to polling day in all the phases unless they are pre-certified by the screening committees. The EC had taken such a decision for the first time in 2015 Bihar polls.

34) A study from the Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (r.i.c.e) study on the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY) makes the following observations: Most rural households with LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections still use chulhas with firewood or dung cakes which are the detriment of rural health. 85% of Ujjwala beneficiaries in rural Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan still use solid fuels for cooking, due to financial reasons as well as gender inequalities. In the four States surveyed, there was a substantial increase in LPG ownership due to the scheme, with 76% of households now owning an LPG connection. Overall only 27% of households exclusively used the gas stove and another 37% reported using both the chulha and the gas stove, while 36% used chulha exclusively. Whereas among those who received LPG connection through PMUY, almost 53% exclusively used the chulha, while 32% used both. The beneficiaries of PMUY are poorer, on average than households who got LPG on their own. Refilling the cylinder is a greater fraction of their monthly consumption, and they may be less likely to get a refill immediately after a cylinder becomes empty. Almost 70% of households do not spend anything on solid fuels, meaning that the relative cost of an LPG cylinder refill, even if subsidised, is far higher. Women are not typically economic decision-makers in the household, hindering a shift to LPG usage. 70% of respondents thought the gas stove was better for the health of the cook (typically a woman), more than 86% felt that cooking on the chulha was better for the health of those eating, reflecting ignorance of the fact that ambient air pollution is harmful even to those who are not cooking the food. The survey covered a random sample of 1,550 households in 11 districts of the four States, which collectively have two-fifths of the country’s rural population.

35) India has evacuated its entire contingent of peacekeeping forces comprising of 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from Tripoli after the situation in the war-hit nation suddenly worsened. Libyan Crisis: Ever since the 2011 uprising which overthrew and killed long-ruling dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is engulfed in a crisis. Even though there is an UN-backed internationally recognised government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, Libya is governed by rival authorities in the east and in Tripoli, in the west, each backed by various armed groups. Libyan National Army (LNA) is backing the Tobruk-based parliament which governs the East of Libya and the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) controls Libya’s western parts from Tripoli. An agreement signed in 2015 created the GNA as the legitimate interim Libyan government. It was not wholly implemented due to disagreements with the Tobruk-based parliament. The recent tipping point of the crisis was the attempts by the Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter led LNA to capture Tripoli which is the seat of GNA. The GNA determined to defend Tripoli struck back against LNA. This escalation led to the killing of 23 civilians and several others were injured.

36) Badrayan Vyas Samman Awards at New Delhi. Presidential Award of Certificate- The award of the Certificate of Honour was introduced in the year 1958 to honour the scholars of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian Languages. It was extended to cover Pali/Prakrit in the year 1996. Further, the award was extended to cover languages of Classical Odiya, Classical Kannada, Classical Telugu, Classical Tamil and Classical Malayalam. The award is conferred in recognition of the outstanding contribution of various scholars of eminence over 60 years of age. Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman Awards: Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Sammandistinction is conferred on persons in recognition of their substantial contribution in the field of Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Pali, Prakrit, Classical Odiya, Classical Kannada, Classical Telugu and Classical Malayalam. The award was introduced in the year 2002. The award is given to selected young scholars in the age group of 30 to 45 years. The Presidential award carries a certificate of honour, a memento and a one-time cash prize of Rs.1 lakh. Both the awards are conferred by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development, Government of India.

37) Nagaland observed the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Kohima. The event was attended by the representatives from the UK and Japan who spoke on the theme of ‘Remembrance, Reconciliation and Rebirth’. The dignitaries from the UK and Japan sought reconciliation and forgiveness for the sufferings and pain caused against each other at the Battle of Kohima, that was fought in three stages during the Second World War in 1944. Battle of Kohima: Battle of Kohima is considered as the turning point of the Japanese U Go offensive, or Operation C mission launched in India in 1944 during the Second World War. The Battle of Kohima was fought in three stages from 3 April to 22 June 1944 around the town of Kohima in Nagaland in northeast India: From 3 to 16 April, the Japanese attempted to capture Kohima ridge, a feature which dominated the road by which the besieged British and Indian troops of IV Corps at Imphal were supplied. By mid-April, the small British and Indian force at Kohima was relieved. From 18 April to 13 May, British and Indian reinforcements counter-attacked to drive the Japanese from the positions they had captured. The Japanese abandoned the ridge at this point but continued to block the Kohima–Imphal road. From 16 May to 22 June, the British and Indian troops pursued the retreating Japanese and reopened the road. The battle ended on 22 June when British and Indian troops from Kohima and Imphal met at Milestone 109, ending the Siege of Imphal. The battle is often referred to as the “Stalingrad of the East”. Kohima was the theatre of the War in 1944 and the Nagas were drawn into it on both sides some with the British and some with the Japanese.

38) World Health Day 2019 will be observed worldwide on the 7th of April with the theme “Universal health coverage”. The theme Universal health coverage seeks to ensure that everyone can obtain the care they need, when they need it, right in the heart of the community. World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that even though progress is being made in countries in all regions of the world millions of people still have no access at all to health care and are forced to choose between health care and other daily expenses such as food, clothing and even a home. The theme Universal health coverage reminds world leaders that everyone should be able to access the health care they need, when and where they need it. Why April 7? The World Health Day is celebrated on April 7, 1948 to commemorate the establishment of WHO which came into being to address vital health care issues. WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

39) The Global Cooling Coalition was launched at the first Global Conference on Synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement held at Copenhagen, Denmark. About the Coalition: The Global Cooling Coalition is supported by the UN, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). The coalition includes environment ministers from Chile and Rwanda and foreign affairs from Denmark as well as heads of Danish engineering firms ENGIE and Danfoss and leaders from civil society, research and intergovernmental institutions. The Global Cool Coalition is a unified front that links action across the Kigali Amendment, Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. The Coalition aims to: Inspire ambition, identify solutions and mobilise action to accelerate progress towards clean and efficient cooling. Complement and build upon ongoing successful programmes to advance clean and efficient cooling, including, the Cooling for All Secretariat, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme, private sector action like the Global Cooling Prize, and other initiatives. Provide all with sustainable cooling at a scale that would ensure safe food, safe vaccine and comfort at work. Why it is Significant? As the incidence of heat waves is increasing with the regular and alarming frequency it is affecting the health and well being of people. Hence there is a growing demand for cooling which keeps individuals healthy, vaccines stable, food nutritious and economies productive. Due to rising temperatures and spending power, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the number of air conditioners in use is expected to increase from 1.2 billion today to 4.5 billion by 2050 to meet the cooling needs. But the world also needs to tackle the challenge of ensuring the emission levels are well within the prescribed limits. The Global Cooling Coalition offers a three-in-one opportunity to cut global warming, improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people and make huge financial savings.”

40) The National Maritime Day 2019 was observed on April 5, 2019. The theme of the National Maritime Day 2019 was “Indian Ocean – An Ocean of opportunity”. National Maritime Day: National Maritime Day (NMD) first observed on April 5, 1964, aims to spread awareness in supporting safe and environmentally sound commerce between the continents across the world. Awards Conferred during the National Maritime Day: NMD Varuna Award to recognize persons for their sustained and outstanding contribution. NMD Award of Excellence to recognize and persons for their lifetime exceptional and distinguished achievements or performance at the senior functional level in the Indian Maritime Sector. Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Maritime Education and Training’ shall be given by the National Maritime Day Celebrations (Central) Committee for the sustained contribution made by an individual to the Maritime Education and training. It has to be noted that the World Maritime Day is celebrated on September 26 every year to highlight the importance of shipping, maritime security and environment.