WBCS Current Affairs 11/04/2015 to 16/04/2015

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1. Surya Bahadur Thapa, former Prime Minister (PM) of Nepal passed away on 15 April 2015 in Gurgaon. He was 87. Thapa had served as Prime Minister of Nepal for five times under three different kings. His was in office from 1963-64, 1965–69, 1979–83, 1997–98 and 2003-04.

2. 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). Facts about Agni III missile It is surface-to-surface nuclear capable intermediate-range ballistic missile. Indigenously developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). Range: 3000 km. Dimensions: 17 metres in length, 2 metres in diameter. Launch weight is around 50 tonnes. Payload: It can carry a nuclear warhead of 1.5 tonne and is protected by carbon all-composite heat shield. It is a two-stage solid-propelled missile. Equipped with the hybrid guidance, navigation and control systems along with advanced on-board computer. At present India has arsenal of Agni-I, II and III and Prithvi missiles with strike reach of over 3000 km, giving an effective deterrence capability.

3. 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. About Professor Susanta Lahiri

4. 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. The agreement comes in line with the Canada- India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement that took effect in 2013. As per uranium supply agreement, Canada’s Cameco Corporation will supply uranium to India for next five years starting from this year. These supplies will be under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Canada is the second-largest producer of uranium globally and is the third country to supply uranium to India after Russia and Kazakhstan. It should be noted that in the 1970s, Canada had banned exports of uranium and nuclear hardware to India after it was alleged that India had used Canadian technology to develop a nuclear bomb. However, Canada- India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed in 2013, Canada moved away from ban and agreed to supply uranium to India.

5. Senior diplomat Dr. Mohan Kumar has been appointed the India’s next Ambassador to France. He will succeed Arun Kumar who was recently appointed Ambassador to the United States.

6. 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.

7. Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on 15 April 2015 was inducted into the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy. Along with him four other sportspersons were inducted as new members in the Academy. They are Yao Ming- Retired Chinese professional basketball player. Tegla Loroupe- Kenyan long-distance runner. Li Xiaopeng- Chinese gymnast. Yang Yang- Former Chinese short track speed skater Yang Yang.

8. Finish 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). Nokia is going to give Alcatel-Lucent shareholders 0.55 shares in the merged company for each of their old shares. In the combined entity Nokia shareholders will own 66.5 per cent shares of the company and Alcatel- Lucent shareholders will own 33.5 per cent shares. The deal is likely to be completed in the first half of 2016. The combined company will have a total workforce of about 1.14 lakh employees.

9. 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.

10. Renowned Assamese film director, actor Bidyut Chakraborty passed away on 15 April 2015 in Guwahati, Assam. He was 55. In his film career he had directed several Assamese movies including Goon Goon Gaane Gaane, Dwaar and Raag-Biraag. His directorial film Rag-Birag is based on a novel written by Jnanpith award-winner Mamoni Raisom Goswami.

11. Pankaj More on 15 April 2015 was appointed as Technology Head of Wal-Mart India Private Limited.

12. Union Government on 14 April 2015 constituted a task force on interlinking of rivers in the country. The Task Force will be chaired by former Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources B N Navalawala and comprises experts and senior officials. Terms of References of Task Force Take up all issues related to expediting the work on interlinking of rivers in the country. Consider alternative plans in case of infeasible links in the present National Perspective Plan (NPP) apart from examining the existing links which are laid out as per the NPP under both Himalayan and Peninsular components. Facilitate interlinking of intra-basin and intra-state Rivers, along with that of inter-state and inter-basin links. Recommend time schedules for completing feasibility studies of all the river links along with implementation schedule. Suggest different means of funding mechanisms for the interlinking of rivers project. Provide guidance norms of appraisal for individual projects in respect of economic viability, environmental impacts, socio-economic and preparation of resettlement plans. Device suitable mechanisms in order to bring speedy consensus among the states. To implement the interlinking of Rivers, propose suitable organizational structure.

13. Online restaurant guide Zomato on 14 April 2015 acquired MaplePOS, a cloud-based point of sale product for restaurants developed by Delhi based MapleGraph. After the acquisition, Zomato has renamed MaplePOS product to ‘Zomato Base’ which will help the company and its restaurant partners to manage business into online orders and payments. MaplePos, a sale product offers various features of restaurants such as inventory and menu management, and has in-built payment solution to accept debit and credit card payments.

14. Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has renamed Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization scheme (TVoA-ETA) to e-Tourist Visa with effect from 15 April 2015. With this ambiguities faced by foreign tourists especially by scheme’s nomenclature VoA, presuming that they would be granted visa on arrival upon landing will be removed.

15. Border Security Force (BSF) on 14 April 2015 launched nationwide satellite-based tele-medicine programme for its troops

16. Turkey on 14 April 2015 began the construction of its first nuclear power plant located at Akkuyu in Mersin province on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It will be built by Akkuyu Project Company, a subsidiary of Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom.

17. Indian-American businesswoman Shamina Singh has been nominated as the member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). She was nominated to top most post by United States President Barack Obama for term of four year i.e. till October 2019.

18. FM transmission of Vividh Bharati Service was launched by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on 14 April 2015. It was launched at function held at New Broadcasting House of All India Radio (AIR) in Delhi. Key facts Vividh Bharti service will be available on 100.1 Megahertz (MHz) frequency. It will be also available on mobile phone. It will be available to listeners in and around Delhi within a range of 60-65 km. Listeners will now enjoy the programmes with much clarity at all times in all weather conditions without any hitch. About Vividh Bharati It is a service of All India Radio (AIR). First Aired on: October 2, 1957. Programmes offered: Mix of film music, skits, short plays and interactive programmes. Vividh Bharati is also known to have the largest collection of film and non-film songs in India.

19. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) on 13 April 2015 commissioned 600 MW unit of a thermal power project for the Dainik Bhaskar Power Limited (DBPL) at Dhabra in Janjgir Champa district of Chhattisgarh.

20. Union Government has brought into force the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 along with the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2014. In this regard, notification to effect from 13 April 2015 was issued by the Union Law Ministry. With this new law the collegium system to appoint members to the higher judiciary has come to an end. Now President will appoint judges in the Supreme Court (SC) and 24 High Courts (HCs) in consultation with the NJAC. Facts about NJAC Act, 2014 Composition of NJAC As per Article 124A, NJAC is a 6 member constitutional body. Consisting of Chairman- Chief Justice of India (CJI). Members- Two senior most Judges of the Supreme Court, the Union Minister of Law and Justice and two eminent persons. Two eminent persons will be nominated by committee led by Prime Minister of India, the CJI, and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People. As per 124B, functions of NJAC are Recommend persons for appointment as CJI, Judges of SC, Chief Justices and other Judges of High Courts. Recommend transfer of Chief Justices and other Judges HCs from one HC to another HC. About Collegium system Previously, under the collegium system, five top judges of the Supreme court recommended transfer and elevation of judges to Supreme Court and High Courts. It came into existence in 1993 after a Supreme Court judgement.

21. German Nobel laureate novelist Guenter Grass passed away on 12 April 2015 in Berlin. He was 87. Grass is recognized for his efforts to revive German culture in the aftermath of World War II and also had given voice and support to democratic discourse in the post war Germany.
About Guenter Grass Guenter Grass was born on 16 October 1927 in Danzig-Langfuhr (now the Polish city of Gdansk) Apart from being novelist, he was poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist and sculptor. In 1944 at the age of 16, he had served in the Waffen-SS, the combat arm of former German dictator Adolf Hitler’s notorious paramilitary organization. Grass had made his literary reputation with “The Tin Drum” published in 1959. It was followed by “Cat and Mouse” and “Dog Years”. These novels were called the Danzig Trilogy named after his birth town. Awards and Honours- In 1999, he was awarded Nobel Prize for literature for his efforts to revive German literature after the Nazi era. Hermann Kesten Prize (1995). He was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1993.

22. Mobile commerce platform Paytm on 13 March 2015 inked memorandum of understanding MoU with National Centre for Trade Information (NCTI) to promote Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). As per MoU, Paytm will offer a virtual marketplace platform for NCTI members and will extend its services and enable them to sell online.

23. Haryana government on 13 April 2015 decided to give status equivalent to state Cabinet Minister to yoga guru Ramdev. Earlier in January 2015, state government had appointed him as its brand ambassador to promote yoga and ayurveda.

24. Gujarat government has launched industrial tourism package to promote its development by showcasing its major industrial installations which have earned global acclaim for state.

25. New Zealand has won the 24th edition of Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament 2015 for second time. In the final match, New Zealand defeated World Champions Australia by 3-1 goals in the penalty shoot-out. In regulation 60 minutes time, both teams had tied at 2-2 goals.

26. Lieutenant General Hanut Singh (retd) on 12 April 2015 passed away in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. He was 82. He was a 1971 Indo-Pak war hero and one of the most famous officers of the Indian Army.

27. Sania Mirza on 12 April 2015 created history by becoming the first Indian female tennis player to achieve the world number one rank in doubles category. She achieved this feat after winning WTA Family Circle Cup along with her Swedish partner Martina Hingis. With this win Sania scored 470 points, making her tally to 7965 and surpassing Italy’s Sara Errani (7640) and Roberta Vinci (7640) to the number one rank in the ranking table.

28. Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton from Britain on 12 April 2015 won Chinese Grand Prix of Formula One on the Shanghai International Circuit in China. This was his second win of the season and his fourth Chinese Grand Prix win. It was also Lewis Hamilton’s overall 35th Grand Prix win.

29. Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai on 12 April 2015 won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Changwon, South Korea.

30. India and France on 11 April 2015 signed 17 agreements in various fields during Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s visit to France. They were signed in presence of Indian PM and his counterpart French President Francois Hollande after they had held wide-ranging talks in Paris. Some of key agreements signed are MoU between Larsen and Tubro and AREVA- It aims at improve the financial viability of the Jaitapur Nuclear plant project by reducing cost by increasing localization. It will also enable France to transfer of technology to India for development of indigenous nuclear energy industry in India. Pre-engineering agreements (PEA) between NPCIL and Areva- It intends to bring clarity on all technical aspects of the plant. It will help all parties including AREVA, Alstom and NPCIL to fix their price and optimise all provisions for risks (still included at this stage) in the costs of the project. MoU between CNES and ISRO on Megha Tropiques satellite- It extends MoU for two more years of joint project for sharing and use of data from the satellite. The satellite was launched in October 2011 on board of Indian launch vehicle PSLV. MOU between ISRO, CNES and ONERA- It proposes cooperation in the areas of satellite remote sensing, satellite communications and satellite meteorology and others field. MoU between Union Sports Ministry and French Ministry of Sports- It envisages cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fields of sports medicine and institutional cooperation. Railway protocol between Union Railways Ministry and French National Railways (SNCF)- It seeks to establish cooperation between Indian and French Railways for semi-high speed rail and station renovation. Other agreements signed between both nations in the fields of economy, energy, culture, tourism, conservation, Ayurveda, skill development and science and technology. Note- NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India), CNES (French National Centre for Space Studies), ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).

31. Asteroid 316201 was named as ‘316201 Malala’ after the youngest Nobel laureate and girls’ education campaigner Malala Yousafzai.

32. Yuki Bhambri on 11 April 2015 has won the 15,000 US Dollar ITF Futures tournament title. In the final he recorded a straight-set win over Dzmitry Zhyrmont of Belarus played at Karshi, Uzbekistan.

33. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated first Songs and Dances of the North East, a cultural festival in New Delhi. The day long festival was organized by Government of Meghalaya and sponsored by the North Eastern Council (NEC). The purpose of festival is to showcase the culture of India’s northeast region and highlight the immense contribution made by the people of the region in nation building.

34. Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela on 11 April 2015 won Bronze medal in the 10-metre air rifle event at the (International Shooting Sport Federation) ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Changwon, South Korea.

35. India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) became operational at Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. It became operational after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled the rules and regulations for this global financial hub. Key facts of IFSC rules and regulations Aim at creating a vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in Dubai and Singapore. They also seek to check the flight of trading in rupee and Indian securities to such offshore financial hubs. These rules will allow companies incorporate outside India to raise money in foreign currencies by issuance and listing of their equity shares on stock exchanges within the IFSC. They will also allow individual and institutional investors from India and abroad, including NRIs to trade. Allows foreign and Indian stock exchanges to set up separate bourses within IFSC as subsidiaries. Relaxes capital and other requirements for some time in order to facilitate exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories to set shop in the IFSC. Allows alternative investment funds and mutual funds that have set up in the IFSC to invest in the securities listed there.

36. National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Real Estate Sector in the Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) to check air pollution caused by dust emanating from construction sites. The ruling was given by NGT bench headed by Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on 10 April 2015.

37. India is going to chair the ninth International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) council meeting to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).The 9th IRENA council is scheduled to start from 10 June 2015 and will be a two day event. In this meeting 21 member nations of IRENA council are going to take part. They will guide the agency’s future programmes and activities.

38. Every year on 11 April, National Safe Motherhood day is being observed across India. Objective of the day To create awareness on proper healthcare and maternity facilities to pregnant and lactating women. It also seeks to create awareness about the institutional delivery, reducing anemia among women and better pre and post natal health care are necessary for mothers. It should be noted that safe motherhood also means to ensure that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy and childbirth. Some facts about Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in India India has registered an overall 70 percent decline in MMR during period from 1990 to 2012 as compared to global decline of 45 percent. During 2011-13, the MMR has declined 167 per one lakh live births compared to 178 per one-lakh live births in 2010-12. The rate of decline in MMR is showing an increasing trend from annual rate of 6.2 percent in 2011-13 compared to 4.1 percent in 2001-03. Apart from MMR, the institutional delivery in India has risen sharply from 47 per cent in 2007-08 to over 75 per cent in 2013.

39.Arun Kumar Jha on 10 April 2015 was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Mumbai.

40.Former Australia captain and legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud passed away on 10 April 2015. He was 84.

41. Retired Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh Moolgaonkar passed away on 9 April 2015 in Pune, Maharashtra. He was 95.

42.Union government has suspended the registration of Greenpeace India, a non-profit environmental organization for six months with immediate effect. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after Greenpeace India had prejudicially acted against the public interests and economic interests of the country. As per MHA, Greenpeace India has used its funds received from foreign sources for unauthorised purposes and has violated the rules mentioned Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010. If Greenpeace India fails to make a satisfactory presentation to the Union government in this regard, its licence may be cancelled permanently.

43. India was elected to four key bodies of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC). India was elected to these bodies during ECOSOC’s coordination and management meeting held at UN headquarters in New York, United States (US) by acclamation i.e. form of election that does not use a ballot. Four key subsidiary bodies are Executive Board of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ­­- India is elected for a 3 year term beginning January 2016. It was elected, along with 13 other nations. Executive Board of World Food Programme (WFP) - India is re-elected to the for a 2 year period starting from January 2016, along with 5 other nations. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) – India is elected for a 3 year period starting from January 2016. India was elected along with 19 other nations. Some of them are Iran, Pakistan, Austria, France, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and US. Governing Council of United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) - India is elected for a 3 year period starting from January 2016 along with 13 other nations. With this, India has created significant 100 percent record of winning the UNECOSOC elections.

44.Newly discovered spiders of Thomisidae family have been named as Telangana crab spider (Thomisus telanganensis) i.e. after Indian state of Telangana.

45. India on 9 April 2015 successfully test fired nuclear weapons-capable Dhanush missile from a ship, off the Odisha coast. Test- The ship-based missile was launched from an Offshore Patrolling Vessel (OPV), deep inside the Bay of Bengal to test its full range. It successfully hit the target point with high degree of accuracy.