WBCS Current Affairs 17/04/2015 to 28/04/2015

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1. Finnish telecom network equipment maker Nokia on 16 April 2015 announced acquisition of French telecom network firm Alcatel- Lucent. This merger will create the world’s largest supplier of telecom equipment’s that powers mobilephone networks by surpassing Ericsson and Huawei. As part of the deal, The merged entity will be called Nokia and current Nokia Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will chair it. Nokia will buy Alcatel- Lucent in an all-stock deal valued at 15.6 billion euros ($16.6 billion).

2. Mrs. Meenakshi Madan Rai was sworn in as the first lady judge of the Sikkim High Court. Governor of Sikkim Srinivas Patil administered the oath of office to her at Raj Bhavan in Gangtok.

3. Senior diplomat Dr. Mohan Kumar has been appointed the India’s next Ambassador to France.

4. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Russian company INTMA to set up a gas-based power project in Kazakhstan.

5. Professor Susanta Lahiri was awarded prestigious the Hevesy Medal Award 2015. The award was presented to him for his outstanding contributions in heavy ion induced radioisotope production, converter targets, tracer packet technique and green chemistry

6. Former Czech Republic Prime Minister Stanislav Gross passed away on 16 April 2015. He was 45.

7. Canada has agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium to India under a $254 million five-year deal to power Indian atomic reactors. The agreement for uranium supply was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper after comprehensive talks in Ottawa, Canada.

8. Surya Bahadur Thapa, former Prime Minister (PM) of Nepal passed away on 15 April 2015 in Gurgaon. He was 87.

9. Nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Agni-III ballistic missile was successfully tested on 16 April 2015. The test was conducted from Wheelar Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) with support of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

10. United Nation (UN) peace envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar has resigned, after losing support from Gulf countries for his mission in the conflict-riven nation.

11. Supreme Court has appointed Vivek Priyadarshi to head an investigating team to further probe the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 6 spot-fixing and betting scandals.

12. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on 17 April 2015 approved release of Gharials in Sutlej and Beas rives in the state to promote eco-tourism. Initially, 10 Gharials (last surviving species of the family Gavialidae) will be released in the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of ‘Gharial Recovery Action Plan’. Decision in this regard was taken after recommendations of the State Board for Wildlife. Union Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) also had given permission for release of Gharials under Section 12 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. About Gharial The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is also known as the gavial. It is a fish-eating crocodile and belongs to one of the three crocodilian species found in the Indian Sub-Continent. It is listed in Schedule I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is also listed as Critically Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species. In historic times it was present in Indus River system, including Beas and Sutlej rivers, indicating healthy river system.

13. India’s second largest state-owned oil explorer company, Oil India Limited (OIL) has commissioned 54 MW wind energy projects saddled between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The spilt capacity of project between both states is 38 MW plant located at Chandgarh in Madhya Pradesh and 16 MW plant located at Patan in Gujarat.

14. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has suspended the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for indefinite period. IPC’s this move comes after PCI had provided shoddy treatment to athletes during the National Para-Athletics Championships held in Ghaziabad from March 20 to 22, 2015.

15. Ashish Jakhar from Haryana on 17 April 2015 set a national youth record in boys’ hammer throw event and won gold medal in the 12th National Youth Athletics Championships held in Bambolim, Goa.

16. United States (US) President Barack Obama is going to honour Microsoft’s Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella with the ‘Champions of Change’ award. He will be honoured with this award for bringing change within his company to support working families. Under Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft recently had announced that all the suppliers doing business with Microsoft in the US will have to provide at least 15 days of paid leave to their employees who handle Microsoft work each year starting from 2016 onwards.

17. Vankadarath Saritha, a 30-year-old driver became first woman bus driver to be inducted in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). DTC has currently posted her at Sarojini Nagar depot and will work in day-time duty at a route in the central part of the city, starting from 20 April 2015.

18. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 18 April 2015 between Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Dighi Port Limited. The MoU will facilitate construction of 34 km of railway link between Roha and Dighi Port in Raigad district of Maharashtra. The project cost is estimated around Rs. 723 crore.

19. Three Indian race walkers Khushbir Kaur, Manish Rawat and Sandeep Kumar have qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics. In the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Race Walking Challenge held at Rio Maiorin Portugal, National women’s 20km walk record holder Khushbir Kaur clocked 1 hour 33 minute and 58 seconds below the Rio Oympic qualification time of 1 hour and 35 minutes. In the men’s 20km race walk event Manish Rawat and Sandeep Kumar qualified for Rio Games. In this event, Manish Rawat logged his personal best performance with a timing of 1 hour 22 minutes and Sandeep Kumar clocked 1 hour 23 minute and 32 seconds. Both of them performed above the Rio Oympic qualification time of 1 hour and 24 minutes.

20. Dr Nasim Zaidi on 19 April 2015 assumed the charge as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He is India’s 20th CEC and succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma, who had retired on April 18, 2015.About Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) As per the provisions of Article 324 of Constitution, Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners are appointed by the President. They hold office for the term of 6 years or until they attain age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through impeachment by Parliament.

21. Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar was appointed as chief adviser of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Anti-Corruption & Security Unit (ACSU).

22. Kerala government has launched Subodham, a major campaign in a bid to wean people away from addiction to liquor, drug and other substance abuse. It was launched by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Art of Living Foundation founder Sri Sri Ravishankar.

23. As per recently released Global E-Waste Monitor 2014 report by United Nations, India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world. The report was compiled by UN think tank United Nations University (UNU). Key facts from report Top 5 e-waste producing nations: US, China, Japan, Germany and India. In case of wealthy nations top 5 e-waste producers are Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, and United Kingdom. US and China have produced the most e-waste in 2014. Both nations account for 32 percent of total e-waste produced in the world in 2014. India has discarded around 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste in 2014. In 2014, around 41.8 Mt of e-waste was produced all over world and it is expected to rise by 21 percent to 50 million Mt in 2018. In terms of continent wise, Asia has produced most e-waste per inhabitant in year 2014 by producing 16 Mt i.e. 3.7 kg per inhabitant. Top three Asian e-waste producing nations are- China (6.0Mt), Japan (2.2Mt) and India (1.7Mt). While, Africa has generated lowest amount of e-waste per inhabitant by producing 9 Mt i.e. 1.7 kg per inhabitant.

24. Sitaram Yechury was unanimously elected as the general secretary Communist Party of India (Marxist) on 19 April 2015. He is the fifth general secretary of the 50 year old party which was formed in 1964.

25. Indian Navy’s new stealth destroyer named INS Visakhapatnam was launched on 20 April 2015 at the Mazgaon Docks Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Visakhapatnam is the Kolkata-class warship and the first of P15-B stealth destroyers which is designed indigenously and fitted with advanced features. It is the largest destroyer commissioned in India.

26. India’s largest private sector lender Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank has launched a payment service Tap-n-Pay. It was launched by bank in collaboration with Tech Mahindra. This payment service is based on the near-field communications (NFC) technology which will enable its customers make over-the-counter payments without using cash.

27. Former Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha and senior Congress leader Janaki Ballabh Patnaik passed away on 21 April 2015 in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. He was 89.

28. All the Light We Cannot See, a novel based on Second World War by author Anthony Doerr has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. While, The New York Times has won two prestigious Pulitzer prizes for coverage of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. List of 2015 Pulitzer Prize Winners Books, Drama and Music Fiction- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Drama – Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis History – Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People by Elizabeth A. Fenn. Biography – The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer. Poetry – Digest by Gregory Pardlo. General Nonfiction- The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert. Music – Anthracite Fields by Julia Wolfe.

29. Earth day is being observed on the 22nd April every year. This day seeks to build support for environmental protection around the world. This year’s theme for the day is ‘It’s Our Turn to Lead’ and is 45th anniversary of Earth Day.

30. Indian Railways on 21 April 2015 launched E-Samiksha, an online monitoring mechanism. E-Samiksha aims at monitoring implementation of various ongoing projects of Indian Railways on real-time basis including Rail Budget proposals. It was launched by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi.

31. Japan’s state-of-the-art Magnetic levitation technology (Maglev) train has clocked a new world speed record smashing through the 603 kilometre per hour mark in a test run near Mount Fuji. The new record has surpassed its previous record of 581 kilometre per hour which was set in 2003

32. Pakistan Government on 21 April 2015 conferred Nishan-e-Pakistan, top civilian award on Chinese President Xi Jinping. He was bestowed with this award for his outstanding contribution in promotion of relationship between the two countries by Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain.

33. Sir Christopher Alan Bayly, a renowned historian passed away on 20 April 2015 in Chicago, United States. He was 70.

34. Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) on 22 April 2015 received an ISO 9001:2008 certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI).

35. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to export petroleum products to Bangladesh. It was signed by General Manager (Planning and Development) of BPC, Mustafa Qudrat-I-Elahi and NRL’s General Manager (Marketing and Business Development) Bruno Ekka in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

36. Online travel services provider MakeMyTrip.com has acquired Mygola, a startup travel guide firm. The acquisition was done through MakeMyTrip’s Innovation Fund, which invests in early-stage or start-up companies in the travel technology space. With this acquisition, MakeMyTrip will get a greater foothold in the mobile space as Mygola’s entire team has joined them. Mygola was founded by IIT Mumbai batchmates Anshuman Bapna and Prateek Sharma in 2009.

37. The Railway Ministry has launched ‘utsonmobile’, a mobile application for paperless unreserved tickets. The application service was launched by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi. This application will allow its passenger to buy a ticket on the move and to board the train with the ticket secured on his mobile phone in digital format, without any need for printing the ticket. Initially, it has been launched as a pilot project and cover 15 stations in Southern Railway. Later on it will be extended to entire country in phases.

38. Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 April 2015 gave its approval for signing of a shipping agreement between India and Jordan. The agreement aims at strengthening cooperation between both nations in the area of shipping and to provide sustained mutual assistance and advice on merchant shipping and other related maritime matters. The agreement will help both countries to Facilitate and encourage development of their maritime relationship. Cooperation in the task to enhance and stimulate steady growth of maritime traffic. Training and exchange of staff and students from various maritime establishments. Accelerate and facilitate flow of commercial goods at sea and at ports by exchange of necessary information. Establishment of joint ventures (JV) in maritime transportation, shipbuilding and repairs, maritime training, information technology, including development of simulators, port facilities and related activities.

39. NASA engineers have developed the first full-scale three dimensional (3-D) printed copper rocket engine part. The part developed was a combustion chamber liner that operates at extreme temperatures and pressures using additive manufacturing technique.

40. Union Cabinet has approved lowering of age of juveniles from eighteen to sixteen years for heinous crimes. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The cabinet also approved to introduce Amendment to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014.

41. Online restaurant guide Zomato has acquired United States (US) based online table reservation platform NexTable for undisclosed amount. It is Zomato’s ninth acquisitions since past nine months. This acquisition also comes shortly after Zomato had acquired MaplePOS, a cloud-based POS product for restaurants on 14 April 2015.

42. First Battalion the First Gorkha Rifles (1/1 GR) on 24 April 2015 celebrated its Bicentenary at Pathankot, Punjab. To mark this day, hundreds of serving and veteran Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers and Other Ranks of the battalion both from India and Nepal attended the function. Bicentenary celebrations of the battalion commenced with a solemn memorial service in honour of the martyrs. About First Gorkha Rifles Battalion The First Gorkha Rifles Battalion was raised on 24 April 1815. It was raised from the remnants of Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa’s forces that had valiantly fought the British at the Malaun Fort near Shimla in the Anglo Nepal War of 1814-16. Later the raising of battalion had signalled the birth of present day Gorkha Brigade which is also present in Bristish Army apart from Indian Army. In last two Centuries, the battalion had shown its gallant actions in various fields of battle across the world including in two World Wars, the Indo-Pak wars and in the conflicts of the sub-conventional realm. After independence, the Gorkha Regiments have been awarded numerous awards and medals. It includes 3 Param Vir Chakras, 33 Maha Vir Chakras, and 84 Vir Chakras.

43. Every year April 24 is being observed as National Panchayati Raj (PR) Diwas across India. This day marks the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993.

44. Indian-American Dr. Vivek Murthy was sworn-in as the US Surgeon General on 23 April 2015. He was administered oath by US Vice President Joe Biden at a ceremony held at Fort Myer in Virginia.

45. Union Government has allowed Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), India’s retirement fund body to invest five per cent of its corpus in exchange traded funds i.e. in stock markets. In this regard, Union Labour ministry has notified the new investment pattern for the EPFO. The new pattern allows EPFO to invest 5% of its incremental income in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) from the current financial year i.e. 2015-16. This limit will start from 1% with an effect from April 1, 2015 and reach upto 5% by the end of the FY 2015-16. This decision of Union Government will result in an inflow of around 5000 crore rupees into the stock markets during this fiscal. The EPFO has more than 5 crore subscribers across the country and has a corpus of over Rs 6 lakh crore.

46. National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) on 23 April 2015 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with e-commerce giant Snapdeal to roll out digital marketing courses. The MoU aims at helping small and medium enterprises/businesses and artisans who want to take the online route to become entrepreneurs.

47. 10-day naval exercise ‘Varuna’ between India and France began on 23 April 2015 off the Goa coast. It is the fourteenth edition of this naval exercise which will host of naval assets of both countries and will conclude on 3 May 2015. Scope of exercise: It will include the entire gamut of various maritime operations from aircraft carrier operations, maritime interdiction operations, anti-submarines warfare exercises to multi-ship replenishment exercise.About Varuna naval exercise Following the establishment of strategic partnership in 1998 between both countries, every year Indian Navy and French Navy are conducting naval exercises. In 2001, the naval exercise was named as ‘Varuna’. Thirteenth edition of this naval exercise was conducted in the Mediterranean Sea.

48. Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupted on 23 April 2015 for the first time after more than 42 years. It had erupted twice in the space of a few hours which led to billowing of huge ash cloud over a sparsely populated, mountainous area in southern Chile.

49. Russia and Argentina have signed a series of framework agreements on economic and energy co-operation. These agreements were signed following talks between Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her counterpart Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Both leaders hailed their co-operation as a comprehensive strategic partnership.

50. India has emerged as the fourth largest supplier of generic medicines to the United States. It was announced by Minister of State (MoS) for Chemicals and Fertilizers Hansraj Ahir gave this information in the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.

51.India was placed at 117th position in the recently released World Happiness Report 2015 among the 158 studied nations. The report was published by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Key facts from report Top five countries: Switzerland (1st), Iceland (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Norway (4th) and Canada (5th). Bottom five countries: Rwanda (154th), Benin (155th), Syria (156th), Burundi (157th) and Togo (158th). Other countries: United States (15th), United Kingdom (21th), Japan (46th) and China (84th). India is ranked below countries like Pakistan (81st), Bangladesh (109th), Ukraine (111th) and Iraq (112th). About World Happiness Report The report aims at influencing government policy. The report is prepared based upon study undertaken by Gallup World Poll. The data is used to ranked nations based upon variables such as real GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, corruption levels and social freedoms.

52. State of Assam has been awarded as the Best e-Panchayat state on 25 April 2015 on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Diwas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the award to state Rural Development minister Rakibul Hussain in New Delhi.

53. Every year World Malaria Day (WMD) is observed on 25 April. The day is observed to recognise the global efforts to control preventable disease malaria. The theme of this year WMD-2015 is “Invest in the Future and Defeat Malaria”.

54. Rajya Sabha on 24 April 2015 unanimously passed The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 by voice vote. It should be noted that it was a private member’s bill moved by DMK MP Tiruchi Shiva to protect the rights of transgender persons. It is the first private members bill to be passed in 46 years. In the past, 14 Private Members’ Bills have been passed. Now, the bill will go to the Lok Sabha for the passage. Key features of the Bill Seeks to provide framework for the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive national policy for ensuring overall development of the transgender persons and their welfare. Two percent reservation in primary, secondary and higher education and in government jobs. Establishment of Employment Exchange, National and State Commissions for Trasngender Persons and Special Transgender Rights Courts. No child who is transgender will be separated from his or her parents on the grounds of being a transgender except on an order of competent court. Penalty for hate speech against transgender persons includes imprisonment extending upto one year and with fine. This bill will help government take necessary steps in order to ensure that transgender persons enjoy the right to life with dignity and to personal liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. It should be noted that 29 nations and leading democracies in the world including US, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Italy and Singapore have legislations protecting rights of transgender persons.

55. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 April 2015 inaugurated India’s Healthcare Tourism Portal http://www.indiahealthcaretourism.com at the ‘SAAARC Trade Mart’ in the Global Exhibition on Services (GES). It was inaugurated on the occasion of three-day Global Exhibition on Services (GES) that commenced on 23 April, 2015 in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

56. 50th Jnanpith Award was conferred on eminent Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade on 25 April 2015. He was presented award comprising of 11 lakh rupees and a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in Parliament House Complex in New Delhi.

57. Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor conferred with prestigious Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2015. He was presented the award by noted historian and writer Babasaheb Purandare. Apart from Anil Kapoor, veteran Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar was also bestowed with the prestigious Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2015.

58. Indian-origin diplomat Gopinath Pillai was awarded ‘Outstanding Service Award’ for his services by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Current he is serving as Ambassador-at-Large of Singapore and special envoy to Andhra Pradesh.

59. India’s Shamjetsabam Sarjubala and Pinki Jangra have clinched gold medals at the 22nd President’s Cup Open International Boxing Tournament held in Indonesia. Pinki Jangra won the gold medal in 51kg category by defeating Mongolia’s Nandintsetseg by 2-1 score. On the other hand, Shamjetsabam Sarjubala won the gold medal in 48kg category by defeating Russia’s Iseva Joya in the final match played at Palembang, South Sumatra. Both of them helped India to win two gold medals in 22nd President’s Cup Open International Boxing Tournament.

60. A high-intensity earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale had struck central Nepal between its capital Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara on 25 April 2015. Earthquake’s epicenter was 80 kilometers east of Pokhra near Kathmandu. It had a depth of only 11 kilometers (7 miles) i.e. in geological terms it was a shallow depth. The intensity of this earthquake was high due to its shallower depth which had more destructive power. It has resulted in thousands of deaths and tremendous loss of property. The tremors of this quake were felt in north Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, and Punjab. The tremors were also reported in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Earlier, Nepal had suffered its worst recorded earthquake in 1934. It was measured 8.0 and had destroyed the cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.

61. Leading Indian public sector bank Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with UAE Exchange to offer Non-resident Indian (NRI) customers an instant cash transfer facility. In this regard agreement was signed between both parties. This agreement will facilitate customers can send money within minutes to their desired bank accounts in BoB in India.

62. Sangeeta Bhatia, an Indian-Origin scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has won prestigious Heinz award for year 2015. She had won this award for her work in tissue engineering and disease detection in the Technology, the Economy, and Employment category of the award.About Heinz Award Heinz Award is an annual award established in 1993 and given by the Heinz Family Foundation. Every year it hounours and recognize outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in five areas. They are Environment, Public Policy, Arts and Humanities, Human Condition and the Economy, Technology and Employment. The award carries a cash prize of US 2, 50, 000 dollars and a medallion.

63. United Nations (UN) has nominated Peter Jan Graaff of the Netherlands as the new chief of UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). He will replace Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed who was recently appointed as special UN envoy for Yemen.Some facts about Ebola epidemic As per WHO estimates, more than 26,000 people have been infected with Ebola since the outbreak which began late in 2013. In this epidemic more than 10,800 people have died since its outbreak. More than 99 per cent of the death cases were reported in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

64. Indian Army has named the rescue and aid to Nepal ‘Operation Maitri’ or friendship which was aftermath of 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal. This operation will involve number of Indian military aircraft and choppers along with bus services through road route. Along with them more than 1000 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will also take part in this operation. Under the operation, a Multi-National Coordination Centre (MNCC) has been set up. In addition, for relief operations Head-quarters has been established in PPO Pokhra. Since the launch of operation more than 1000 Indian citizens have been safely flown from Nepal. It should be noted that India was the first nation to respond to the earthquake crisis in Nepal, by launching a full-fledged rescue and relief.

65. French Government has honoured former Union Finance Minister and veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha with Officier de la Légion d’Honneur (Officer of the Legion of Honour).

66. Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) has won The Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015. The award was presented to the BMB in the Technology Implementation category of Best Outsourcing Project (New Bank). Usha Ananthasubramanian, Chairman and Managing Director of BMB received the award at a function held in Hongkong as a part of The Asian Banker Summit 2015. About Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) BMB is India’s first all-women public sector bank and was formally launched on November 19, 2013. Its objective is to focus on the banking needs of the women and promote economic empowerment. It also seeks to address the gender related issues and will be helpful in financial inclusion. In Budget 2013-14, Union Government had approved Rs 1,000-crore seed capital for the bank. Headquarter of Bharatiya Mahila Bank is located in New Delhi.

67. World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway on 26 April 2015 won the Shamkir Chess tournament held in Azerbaijan. In the ninth and final round, he defeated Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan in 35 moves and scored seven points. Former world champion Viswanathan Anand finished second in this tournament after he drew against Fabiano Caruana of Italy. With this win, Magnus Carlsen took his rating to 2875 points and Viswanathan Anand entered the 2800 rating club to gain number two in world ranking.

68. The Union government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 Non-Governmental Organisations for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). In this regards, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued an order. The order has mentioned that notices were issued to 10,343 NGOs for not filing annual returns for the three years i.e. for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

69. Indian Army on 26 April 2015 conducted a major exercise ‘Akraman-II’ in Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted by the Chetak Corps, a part of South Western Command based in Bhatinda, Punjab. The exercise aimed to test a new generation of weaponry and platforms which are employed in the desert region to provide ‘real time battle and situational awareness’ to its commanders. In this exercise more than 300 Combat Vehicles including Main Battle Tanks, Long Range Artillery Guns participated along with 10,000 troops.

70. India’s largest power producer, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) flagged off a Mobile Science Lab (MSL) as part of its efforts to promote scientific learning. MSL seeks to revolutionize rural education in India and make hands-on learning accessible to underprivileged children. Union Minister for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal flagged off three Mobile Service Labs. MSL is a vehicle fitted with LCD TV and is carrying working science models that give emphasis to curiosity-based learning for children in rural India.

71. French IT services firm Capgemini has announced its plan to acquire US based information technology (IT) outsourcer IGATE for US 4 billion dollars. This acquisition will help Capgemini to strengthen its foothold in the North American market. As per the merger agreement, Capgemini will acquire IGATE for a cash consideration of $ 48 per share and the whole transaction will amount to $4 billion.

72. Loretta Lynch has sworn-in as United States’ first African-American woman Attorney General. She is 83rd Attorney General of country.

73. Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has won Presidential re-election by securing 94 per cent of the vote. With this win he will have additional term of five years in office which will extend his current 25-year rule. He is in power since 1989.

74. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic engine. The powerful version of the cryogenic engine was tested successfully at ISRO’s propulsion complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. A team headed by Director D Karthikesan had led the testing. This engine will allow launch vehicles to carry satellites of up to capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit. It will also give boost to India’s interplanetary probes and manned space missions. Facts about cryogenic engine A cryogenic engine is more efficient as it provides more thrust for every kilogram of propellant burnt. Cryogenic fuels are extremely clean as they give out only water while burning. The engine uses liquid oxygen at -2530C and liquid hydrogen at -1830C It can develop the thrust needed in the final state of the rocket to put satellites, weighing two tonnes or more, into a geosynchronous orbit. It is essential to master this technology for any space power as launching heavier satellites requires cryogenic engines even in the lower stages of the rocket. It will also make India self-reliant in sending heavier satellites to the required orbits and eliminate need of dependence on foreign launch vehicles. It should be noted that India sixth spacefarer after US, Russia, the European Space Agency, China and Japan to develop a cryogenic engine. Earlier in January 2015, India had successfully launched GSLV-D5, the first successful launch vehicle with an indigenous cryogenic engine. But it had capacity to launch satellites of up to two tonnes.

75. Parliament has passed Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014. It was first passed in Lok Sabha on December 22, 2014 and later in Rajya Sabha on April 28, 2015. This bill amends Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976 and aims to strengthen the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and deepen their financial inclusion. Key facts about Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Authorised capital: This amendment bill increases the authorised capital of each Regional Rural Bank (RRB) from Rs 5 crore to Rs 2000 crore divided into Rs 200 crore of fully paid share of Rs 10 each. As per the parent Act the Rs 5 crore share capital of RRBs is split into 5 lakh shares of Rs 100 each. Issued capital: It also provides that the authorised capital issued by any RRB’s shall not be reduced below Rs 1 crore and shares in all cases to be fully paid up shares of Rs 10 each. Shareholding: The Bill allows RRBs to raise capital from sources other than the central and state governments, and sponsor banks. Board of directors: The Bill adds provision that any person who is a director of an RRB is not eligible to be on the Board of Directors of another RRB. It also mentions that directors will be elected by shareholders based on the total amount of equity share capital issued to such shareholders. Tenure of directors: The bill raises the tenure of directors to 3 years from existing 2 years. The Bill also states that no director can hold office for a total period exceeding six years. Closure and balancing of books: The parent Act had provision which mentioned that the balance books of RRBs should be closed and balanced by 31st December every year. However this amendment bill changes this date to 31st March in order to bring RRB’s balancing of books in uniformity with the financial year. It should be noted that the parent Act of 1976 mainly has provisions for the incorporation, regulation and winding up of RRBs.

76. Parliament has passed Payments and Settlement Bill, 2014. It was first passed in Lok Sabha on December 9, 2014 and later in Rajya Sabha on April 27, 2015. The bill seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The bill aims at Addressing the problem of insolvency in the payment and settlement system by increasing transparency and stability in it. Bringing India’s banking payment system in sync with international practices.

77. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a complete ban on burning of any kind of garbage, leaves, plastic waste and rubber in the open in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). This decision of NGT bench headed by its chairperson Swatanter Kumar comes in line with a series of orders to control air pollution in the Delhi- NCR and on an application by a person identified as Vardhaman Kaushik.