WBCS Current Affairs 09/04/2016 to 16/04/2016

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1. Supercomputer Param Kanchenjunga was unveiled at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Sikkim. It has been named after Kangchenjunga mountain, the third highest mountain in the world which lies partly in Nepal and partly in Sikkim. It was formally unveiled by Sikkim Governor Shrinvas Patil at the NIT Sikkim campus at Ravangla in South Sikkim District. It is said that it most powerful and fastest supercomputer among all the 31 NITs and Sikkim NIT has secured a rare distinction of having such a supercomputer. Param Kanchenjunga has been jointly developed by Pune-based Centre for Development of Advanced Computing ‘C-DAC’ and the NIT Sikkim at a cost of three crore rupees. The supercomputer is expected to help achieve excellence in research and engineering education in the north-east region. Supercomputer: It is a computer that can do complete tasks faster than any other computer of its generation. It has high speed and memory and is usually thousands of times faster than ordinary personal computers.

2. The G20 countries including India have sought a crackdown on tax heavens, shell companies and terror financing in the wake of the ‘Panama Papers’ scandal. In this regard a communiqué was issued by G20 countries after meeting of its Finance Ministers and Governors of Central Banks on the sidelines of the annual Spring Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank at Washington. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan attended the meeting on behalf of India. Key highlights of G20 meeting G20 countries called for increasing financial transparency and sharing of key information in a timely manner to crackdown on tax heavens, shell companies and terror financing Focused on fully implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards on transparency as an essential part for countries and their jurisdictions. Called on all countries to join its efforts including through swift and effective implementation of FATF standards. It also focused on the new Consolidated Strategy on Combating Terrorist Financing and provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution 2253. Called on countries which have not yet committed to implement the standard on automatic exchange of information by 2017 or 2018 to do so without delay. It also asked them to sign the Multilateral Convention.

3. National Capital of India, Delhi has been ranked 44th among the world’s 50 ‘future-ready economies cities’ that are embracing technology for growth. It was revealed by the recently released report ‘Future-Ready Economies Model’ by the Information Technology major Dell. Key facts The list is topped by San Jose, followed by San Francisco, Singapore, London, Washington DC, etc. These high-growth cities were evaluated on the parameters of human capital, infrastructure and commerce. The model scores large, high-growth global metropolitan areas based on attributes that enable people and organisations to access new tools and ideas that deliver better connectivity, better economic performance and a greater ability to attract talent. The cities were positioned in the list were evaluated along three dimensions human capital, infrastructure and commerce.

4. Iconic Indian woman boxer Mary Kom has been named as the International Boxing Association (AIBA) ambassador for Women’s World Championship. She is one of the eight ambassadors for the upcoming World Championship of AIBA scheduled from May 19 to 27, 2016 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The AIBA-appointed ambassadors for the World Championship also include Nicola Adams (Great Britain), Marlen Esparza (US), Adriana Arauja (Kazakhstan), Stanimira Petrova (Bulgaria) and Khadija Mardi (Morocco). The female officials chosen as ambassadors are Kheira Siki Yakoub (Algerian) and Jennifer Huggins (Canada).

5. The search engine giant Google has extended free internet service through WiFi to 10 railway stations across the country to provide internet to over 1.5 million people. The free internet service was extended as part of Google’s tie up with Railtel, the internet provider arm of Indian Railways. These 10 Railway Stations are: Pune, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Raipur, Ranchi, Vijayawada, Kacheguda (Hyderabad), Ernakulum Jn (Kochi) and Vishakhapatnam. The free internet service is built over the fiber network of Raitel which is designed to offer high speed broadband experience to users. The first such kind of service was launched at Mumbai Central in 2015. This service will provide travellers passing through these stations to easily stream a high definition video, research their destination, download a book or a new game for their journey. Background Google has partnered with Indian Railways and Railtel to deliver high-speed Wi-Fi network to cover 400 train stations across India. By end of 2016, they will cover 100 of the busiest train stations in India which will provide free internet service to 10 million Indians a day.

6. Delhi government has banned the manufacture, distribution, storage and sale of all forms of chewable tobacco for one year in the interest of public health. The ban incudes all forms of chewable tobacco including scented, flavoured or mixed and sold in other forms such as gutkha, pan masala, khaini and zarda. In this regard, Delhi Department of Food Safety has issued an official notification and it will also cover unpackaged products of chewable tobacco within the ambit of the ban. The ban will be valid for one year from the date of publication of this notification in the official gazette. Background This notification was issued in pursuance of earlier September 2012 order which had banned on ‘gutkha’ in the NCT Delhi based on a series of directions from Supreme Court. But tobacco retailers defied the notification as the term ‘gutkha’ used in it which didn’t banned them from selling the components of ‘gutkha’ (betel nut and raw tobacco) in separate pouches.

7. The co-founder of Hero Cycles group Satyanand Munjal passed away in Ludhiana, Punjab. He was 99. He was popularly known as ‘mahatma’ Satyanand Munjal for being devoted to several social causes related to the Arya Samaj. About Satyanand Munjal He had co-founded hero group with his three brothers including On Prakash. He had played important role in success of Hero Cycles group staring from bicycle spare parts business with his three brothers. He had served as a Co-Chairman and Managing Director (MD) of Hero Cycles Ltd. Apart from building a business empire, Munjal also propagated teachings of the arya samaj extensively. He was known for his philanthropic acts such as Bahadur Chand Munjal (BCM) Arya schools, Hero DMC Heart Institute, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). He had undertaken several new initiatives by keeping a regular track of the functioning of these institutions.

8. The Union Government has renamed Panagarh Air Force Base of Indian Air Force in West Bengal as ‘Air Force Station Arjan Singh’ in honour of the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. It was renamed on the occasion of 97th birthday of Arjan Singh. Air Officer Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal C. Harikumar unveiled the rechristening plaque. This is first time in India’s defence history, a military installations has been named after individuals, especially when they are alive

9. The Union Government has appointed Susmita Pande as the new chairperson of the National Monument Authority (NMA). She will succeed Himanshu Prabha Ray succeed Himanshu Prabha Ray and shall fill the post which was lying vacant for five months after demission of Ray from office. She is professor a professor at Ujjain’s Vikram University. At the time of her appointment, she was the head of the School of Studies in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology in Vikram University of Madhya Pradesh.

10. The Union Government has imposed an anti-dumping duty of up to US 149 dollars on imports of N-Butyl Alcohol from five countries viz. European Union (EU), Malaysia, Singapore and US. In this regard, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has issued a notification based on the recommendation of Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD). DGAD in its investigation had found out that Normal Butanol, or N-Butyl Alcohol exported from five countries mentioned above was found to be below normal value compared to domestic value, thus causing material injury to domestic injury. N-Butyl Alcohol: It is a by-product of the fermentation of sugar and other carbohydrate. It is used as artificial flavorant and is present in many foods and beverages. It is also used in a wide range of consumer products. Anti-dumping duty: It is counter import measure used by a country under the multilateral World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime to protect its domestic producers and market from below-cost/cheap imports. It varies from product to product and from country to country.

11. India and South Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation and mutual assistance in development of ports. It was signed by Union Road, Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and South Korea Oceans and Fisheries Minister Kim Young Suk in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

12. US President Barack Obama has nominated MasterCard’s Indian-American CEO Ajay Banga as a member of the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. Mr. Banga is one of the 10 members of the Commission which also includes General Keith Alexander former Director of the top US spying body National Security Agency (NSA). The commission was established in February 2016 to make detailed recommendations to strengthen cybersecurity in both the public and private sectors while protecting privacy, ensuring public safety and economic and national security.

13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched National Agriculture Market portal eNAM to connect e-mandis in several States. eNAM is an online inter-connectivity of e-mandis, aimed at ushering in much needed agriculture marketing reforms to enable farmers to get better price of their produce. Key features e-National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India e-trading platform. It is designed to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. Farmers can showcase their produce online from their nearest market and traders can quote price from anywhere. It will result in increased numbers of traders and greater competition. It will also ensure open price discovery and better returns to farmers. During the launch, 21 mandis from eight states were connected to this unified portal. The States include Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkahnd, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Initially, online trade will be allowed within the state and inter-state trade will be possible once all states and mandis are integrated. 25 commodities including onion, potato, apple, wheat, pulses, coarse grains and cotton, have been identified for online trading. To integrate a wholesale mandis across the country with the online platform, the state governments have to amend their Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act. eNAM will be implemented in different phases with an aim to integrate 585 regulated markets across the country with the common e-market platform by March 2018. So far 365 mandis from 12 states have been granted approval.

14. India and United States (US) have agreed to enhance collaboration on tackling offshore tax evasion and increase co-operation in sharing of cross-border tax information. Decision in this regard was taken at the 6th US-India Economic and Financial Partnership meeting held in Washington on the sidelines of the annual Spring Meeting of the IMF and the World Bank. It was co-chaired by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and US Treasury Secretary Jacob and a joint statement was issued.

15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Maritime India Summit 2016 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is India’s first ever Maritime Summit and the flagship event organised by Union Ministry of Shipping. Key facts The first of its kind two day summit (from April 14 to 16, 2016) will be held at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. South Korea is the partner country for the summit and will be represented by a high level ministerial and business delegation. The main focus of summit is to give impetus to Make In India and blue economy under the Union Government’s ambitious Sagarmala Project emphasising on port-led development It will be global summit that will comprise of an Investors’ Summit along with exhibition and demo session. More than 50 other maritime nations have been invited. On the occasion of this event, Union government also released a national perspective plan for the Sagarmala Project. The project involves more than 150 projects related to modernisation of existing ports, setting up 5-6 new ports. It also seeks to enhance port connectivity through heavy haul rail corridor, freight-friendly expressways, inland waterways, coastal Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial clusters, and so on. Its main purpose is to set sight on boosting India’s exports by 2025, and create 40 lakh direct jobs and indirect employment for 60 lakh people.

16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan’ (Village Self Governance Campaign) to strengthen Panchayati Raj in villages and ensure social harmony in villages. It was launched on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar at his birthplace at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. Key facts The campaign aims to generate nation-wide efforts to strengthen Panchayati Raj, increase social harmony across villages, promote rural development and foster farmers’ welfare and livelihoods of the poor. It is eleven day campaign (from 14th April to 24th April 2016) will mainly focus on generating nationwide efforts on promoting above mentioned aim of the campaign. The campaign will be run jointly by the Union Ministries of Rural Development, Social Justice, Agriculture, Labour and Information and Broadcasting along with the States Governments. Panchayat level programmes: Between 14th April to 16th April 2016, a ‘Social Harmony Programme’ will be conducted in all Gram Panchayats. In this programme, villagers will resolve to strengthen social harmony. Information regarding the various schemes of the government will be provided to foster social justice. Gram Kisan Sabha: Between 17th April to 20th April, 2016 ‘Village Farmer Assemblies’ will be organized in Gram Panchayats to promote agriculture. In these assemblies, information regarding schemes regarding agriculture will be provided to farmers and their suggestions for bringing about improvements in agriculture will be solicited. Gram Sabha meetings: It will be held from 21th to 24th April, 2016 across the country. On these days, Prabhat Pheris (or morning walk), cultural programme as well as a sports programme will be organized in the village. Panchayati Raj Day: On 24th April 2016, the day will be celebrated at Jamshedpur, which will be attended by selected Panchayat representatives from the country. Prime Minister will address the gathering on this day.

17. Nuclear capable submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLMB) code named K-4, was successfully test fired from an undisclosed location in the Bay of Bengal. Test: It was conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) along with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which provided all logistics. The missile was fired from 20-meter deep from onboard silos of the Ship Submersible Ballistic, Nuclear (SSBN) submarine. During the test it successfully hit with high accuracy after covering more than 700 km distance. About K-4 ballistic missile The K-4 is part of the K-family of missiles, a series of SLBMs (Submarine-launched ballistic missile). The series is named after former president and scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. It under development by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to arm the Arihant-class submarines. It is a derivative of nuclear capable Agni series (medium to intercontinental range) missile which are already in service. It has reduced length compared to Agni series. Features: The K-4 missile is an Intermediate range SLBM with effective range of over 3500 km. It is 12 metres long and has a diameter of 1.3 metres. It weighs nearly 17 tonnes. It is powered solid rocket propellant. It can carry a nuclear as well as conventional warhead weighing up to 2 tonnes. First test: In 2010, the first gas-booster of K-4 missile was successfully tested from a submerged pontoon. The first test was carried out in 2014 from a depth of 30 metres.

18. As per recently report of World Bank, India remained the world’s largest remittance recipient in 2015. It was revealed by the World Bank’s annual report Migration and Development Brief. In 2015, India attracted about 69 billion US dollars in remittances, down from 70 billion in 2014 Key Highlights of Report Other large remittance recipients in 2015 were China (64 billion dollars), Philippines (28 billion), Mexico (25 billion) and Nigeria (21 billion dollar). Global scenario: In 2015, global remittances which include those to high-income countries contracted by 1.7% to 581 billion US dollar compared to 592 billion in 2014. Indian scenario: Remittances to India in 2015 decreased by 2.1 per cent to USD 68.9 billion. This marks the first decline in remittances since 2009. Developing countries: Officially recorded remittances to developing countries amounted to 431.6 billion dollars in 2015, an increase of 0.4 per cent over 430 billion dollars in 2014. The growth pace of remittances to developing countries in 2015 was seen as the slowest since the global financial crisis. India’s neighbours: The growth of remittances in 2015 slowed from 8% in 2014 to 2.5% for Bangladesh, from 16.7% to 12.8% for Pakistan, and from 9.6% to 0.5% for Sri Lanka.

19. The Maharashtra legislature has unanimously passed the Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2016 to end the menace social boycott practiced by extra-judicial institutions like caste and community panchayats. With this Maharashtra became first state in the country to adopt a comprehensive law to root out oppression carried out by parallel justice delivery system (kangaroo court) in the name of age old traditions, caste and religion. Key Features of Bill The Bill terms social boycott as a crime and says anybody indulging in it would face imprisonment maximum upto three years and a fine of 1 lakh rupees or both. It disallows social boycott of any individual or groups by caste panchayats or groups of individuals or gavki or by its members or by social or economically influential persons. Persons involved in practice of social boycott for reasons like rituals of worship, inter-caste marriage, any connection to lifestyle, dress or vocation will face stringent punishment. The offence registered under the act will be congnizable and bailable. It will be tried by a judicial magistrate of the first class. The victim of social boycott or any member of the victim’s family can file a complaint either to police or directly to the magistrate. The bill has indicated speedy trial within six months of filing chargesheet in such cases in order to ensure time-bound results. Government will recruit social boycott prohibition officers to ensure monitoring and to detect offences and assist the magistrate and police officers in tackling such cases. Background In recent times, Maharashtra had witnessed an increasing number of incidents of social boycott and violence at the orders of caste panchayats. However, existing laws were found to be inadequate in dealing with such practices. For years, number of activists and academicians in the state were demanding stringent law to root out menace of social boycotts from the state.

20. India ranked 44th with total score of 30 among 50 different countries in the 2016 Global Connectivity Index (GCI) report compiled by Chinese telecom giant Huawei. The GCI analyzes the full spectrum of measurements for connectivity and provides a detailed map of the global digital economy. The index benchmarks 50 countries on the basis of its ICT infrastructure including broadband, data centers, cloud services, big data and IoT in the scale ranging from 0 to 100. These 50 countries, account for 90 percent of global GDP. Key facts Top 10 countries in 2016 GCI: United States (score-74), Singapore (72), Sweden (70), Switzerland (68), United Kingdom (65), Denmark (64), South Korea (63), Netherlands (63) and Japan (62). BRICS Comparison: China (Rank-23, Score-44), Russia (26, 43), Brazil (30, 39), South Africa (21, 39) and India (44, 30). India’s Neighbours: Pakistan (Rank-50, Score-21), China (23, 44) and Bangladesh (49, 23). India’s related facts: India with a GCI score of 30 ranks low 44. However, India’s flagship initiatives like ‘Digital India’ are driving growth and improved broadband penetration. Such initiative will enable last-mile connectivity, connecting for the first time many people and enables a whole new opportunity for the telecom operators.

21. Indigenously developed surface-to-air supersonic Akash missile System was successfully test fired from complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipuri in Odisha. Test: Two rounds of Akash missiles were fired against Pilot less target aircraft (PTA) Lakshya, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Banshee and Para-barrel. It successfully destroyed the targets coordinated by the user, demonstrating its ‘killing’ efficiency.

22. The Republic of Nauru, a tiny South Pacific island nation in Pacific Ocean became the 189th member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank i.e. Bretton-Woods institutions. Nauru had applied for membership in the Washington-based IMF and World Bank in April 2014. Its initial subscription quota for IMF will be of SDR (Special Drawing rights) 2 million or about $2.81 million. It will be the second smallest member of the Fund, after Tuvalu. Benefits to Nauru By joining the World Bank: The island country gains access to financial support, technical support and special expertise to deal with Pacific area issues, such as water and sanitation and disaster risk management amid the threat of climate change and rising sea levels. By joining the IMF: Nauru can benefit from the IMF’s crisis lender’s advice on managing government finances and monetary policy. Before Nauru, the last country to join the World Bank and IMF as 188th member was South Sudan in April 2012. About Republic of Nauru Nauru is a tiny island country in Micronesia, northeast of Australia. It is the smallest sovereign state in the world after the Vatican City in terms of both population and area. It has a population of about 10,500 and a land area of about 8 square miles. The Australian dollar is its currency or legal tender. It had joined United Nations (UN) in 1996 as the world’s smallest independent republic.

23. The Constitutional Council of Nepal has selected Justice Sushila Karki (63) for the post of Chief Justice (CJ) of the Supreme Court of the country. With this selection she will become 26th chief justice of the apex court and the first female CJ in Nepal’s history. However, her nomination is expected to be confirmed by a Parliamentary Hearings Committee which endorses the recommendation. She will succeed Kalyan Shrestha who retired from the top post. She shall have tenure of 1 year and retire in June 2017 upon reaching the age limit.

24. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched “Unified Payments Interface (UPI)” to revolutionise mobile payment system in the country. It was launched by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan. 29 banks have agreed to join the platform. UPI seeks to provide uniform mobile payment system by leveraging digital trends such as increasing smart phone adoption and deeper penetration of mobile data.

25. India and Germany have signed an Implementation Agreement for Ganga Rejuvenation under the Namami Gange Programme in New Delhi. It was signed between the Union Ministry of Water Resources and German International Cooperation (GIZ) of Germany. Key facts The objective of the agreement is to enable responsible stakeholders at state and national level to apply integrated river basin management approach for the rejuvenation of the Ganga River. This approach will be based on Indo-German Knowledge (IGK) exchange and practical experience on strategic river basin management issues, public engagement and effective data management system. The project under it will closely cooperate with other international and national initiatives including Indo-German bilateral projects like Sustainable Environment-friendly Industrial Production (SEIP) and Support to National Urban Sanitation Policy (SNUSP). The project duration is of three years i.e. from 2016 to 2018 and the German contribution in the project will be to the tune of 22.5 crore rupees. Initial actions of the project will focus on Uttarakhand State with scope of expansion to other upstream Ganga States. The ultimate goal of this project is to adopt the successful river basin management strategies used for Rhine and Danube. It will replicate the same strategies wherever possible for attaining the pristine status of Ganga River.

26. Five-time world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand (46) was honoured with the 2016 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award. He was presented with award by the Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao in Mumbai on the occasions of celebrations of 25th anniversary of the Hridayesh Arts which gives the awards. He was selected for the award for his contributions to the game of Chess by becoming five-time world champion. With this he became first sports personality to receive this prestigious award.

27. The Union cabinet has given its formal approval for adopting the Statute of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN). With this, India will become member of SAWEN, a regional inter-governmental body in combating wildlife crime in the region and beyond. By becoming member of SAWEN, India will strengthen its ties with the member countries for controlling the trans-boundary wildlife crimes through coordination, communication, collaboration, cooperation and capacity building in the region. What is SAWEN? SAWEN is regional inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement support body launched in January, 2011 in Paro, Bhutan. It aims at working collectively as a strong regional inter-governmental body to combat wildlife crime by attainting common mutual goals and approaches for combating illegal trade in the region. SAWEN’s regional network comprises of eight South Asia countries: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. India has set following objectives to attain the goals Take initiatives to bring standardization and harmonization in laws and policies of member countries concerned in conservation of fauna and flora. Document the trend of illegal trade and poaching, and related threats to the natural biodiversity within and across countries in the region. Strengthen institutional responses to combat wildlife crime by promoting research and information sharing, capacity building and training, technical support, sharing experiences and outreach. Encourage member countries to prepare and implement their National Action Plans to curb wildlife crime and to collaborate towards effective implementation. Background South Asian region is very vulnerable to wildlife crimes and illegal traffic due to presence of precious biodiversity. It is mainly due to presence of large markets as well as traffic routes for wildlife products in the region. SAWEN was established for mutual collaboration for harmonising as well as enforcing the wildlife protection in the region for effective conservation of such precious biodiversity.

28. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for extension of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Bangladesh on cooperation in the field of Fisheries. The MoU was signed in September 2011 to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of Fisheries and aquaculture and allied activities between two neighbouring countries. With this extension, the MoU will remain in force for a period of next five years i.e. 2021 unless either of the parties terminate it. This MoU can be extended for further period as may be mutually agreed upon. Since it came in to force, the MoU has strengthened the friendly relations between India and Bangladesh. It had played important role in promotion of development of cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture and allied sectors through mutually agreed activities and procedures.

29. Dogri Poetess and novelist Padma Sachdev (76) has been chosen for the prestigious Saraswati Samman for the year 2015. She has been chosen for her autobiography ‘Chitt-Chete’ written in Dogri language and published in 2007. In her 662-page autobiography, Ms. Sachdev has included some historic photographs with dignitaries from her state, nation and the world. Her work was selected by the jury presided by former Chief Justice AS Anand from 22 works in as many languages published between the years 2005-2014.

30. India and United States have agreed to sign Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) to ramp up bilateral defence ties. In this regard, an announcement was made by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter after delegation-level talks between two sides. Ashton Carter was on three day official visit to India. By signing LEMOA, both countries will be able to have access to each other’s logistics support along with refuelling and berthing facilities. LEMOA is one of the three foundational agreements that guide US high technology cooperation with other countries. Other two are Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA). Both countries will also sign two other agreements that will allow the two militaries to work in closer coordination with each other. Besides, India and US also announced the launch of two dialogues (i) Between the two navies on submarine safety and anti-submarine warfare, (ii) Maritime security dialogue between officials of the defence and foreign ministries of the two countries. They also concluded an agreement to improve maritime domain awareness with an arrangement to improve sharing of data on commercial shipping traffic.

31. England batsman James Taylor has announced his retirement from all forms of International cricket at the age of 26 due to ill health. He has been diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) which needs an operation to his Heart.

32. Bollywood Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was awarded the 2016 Global Indian of the Year award at the NRI of the Year award function held in Mumbai. Besides her, Indian star tennis player Sania Mirza was also honoured at the 2016 NRI of the Year Award. It was the third season NRI of the Year award function in which 17 individuals were given the awards under different categories like entrepreneur, academics, professional, arts & culture, special jury award, philanthropy, global icon of the year and India’s global icon award. The 2016 edition of the awards were woven together thematically and the debut theme was Contemporary Crusoes.

33. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the third edition of Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi to save wild tigers. India is host of this edition of conference in which more than 700 tiger experts, scientists, managers, donors and other stakeholders are participating. Key facts The conference will discuss issues related to tiger conservation and anti-poaching strategies. Ministers and government officials from all 13 tiger range countries (TRCs) participating in the conference. These 13 TRCs are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. In this edition of conferences participating TRCs will share their (i) good practices and success stories in conserving tigers (ii) success stories in conserving tigers. The conference will also bring desired momentum and cooperative will for tiger conservation at the global level. It will also have and have long-term ramifications in the future for tiger conservation. The first edition of Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation was held in Hua Hin, Thailand in 2010 and second edition was held in Thimphu, Bhutan in 2013.

34. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), the global tiger population has increased by 22 per cent after a century of constant decline. The number of wild tigers across the globe has gone up globally by 22 per cent to 3,890, from the 2010 estimate of 3,200. The data was based on national estimates of countries reported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Tiger population in different countries: India (2226), Russia (433), Indonesia (371), Malaysia (250), Nepal (198), Thailand (189), Bangladesh (106) and Bhutan (103). Besides, tiger population is also found in countries like China, Myanmar and Laos PDR. Comment The increase in the population can be attributed to multiple factors including increase in tiger populations in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan, improved surveys and enhanced protection and conservation efforts. Further, the collective support of government of different countries, local communities and law enforcement agencies to WWF in its goal of zero tolerance for tiger poaching across Asia also has led to increase in tiger population.

35. Haryana Government has decided to rename Gurgaon as Gurugram. State government also has renamed Mewat as Nuh. In this regard, Chief Minister Manohar Lal has approved the proposal to change the names of Gurgaon and Mewat. Decision to change the name of Gurgaon has been taken on the basis of the representations received at several forums. Since ancient times, Gurgaon had been a centre of learning where the princes used to get education and known as Gurugram since the times of Guru Dronacharya. The town had derived its name Gurugram from Guru Dronacharya, who was gifted the village as “gurudakshina” by the Pandavas, his students. In the course of time got distorted to Gurgaon. While, Mewat is not a town and in fact it is a geographical and cultural unit spread beyond Haryana in the adjoining States of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Headquarters of Mewat district is at Nuh town. The elected representatives and the people of area had been demanding that the name of Mewat be changed as Nuh.

36. Former Indian Army Chief General (retd) JJ Singh was conferred with the prestigious Officer of the Legion of Honour, the highest French civilian distinction. He was conferred the honour by French Ambassador to India, Francois Richier in New Delhi. Mr. Singh was chosen for the honour in recognition of his stellar role in modernising the Indian Army. It also recognised his pivotal role for initiating robust exchanges between the Indian and French armies leading to “unprecedented” levels of inter-operability and cooperation.

37. Every year 12th April is being observed as the International Day of Human Space Flight to commemorate the date of the first human space flight in the history of mankind. On this day in 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet Union (USSR) cosmonaut undertook first successful first human space flight. This historic event opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity. In Russia and some other former USSR countries, this historic day is celebrated as Cosmonautics Day. 2016 is the 55th anniversary of First Human Space Flight. Background The United Nations (UN) had declared 12 April as the International Day of Human Space Flight after UN General Assembly had passed its resolution A/RES/65/271 of 7 April 2011. The day seeks to celebrate each year at the international level the beginning of the space era for mankind. It also seeks to reaffirm the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals for increasing the well-being of peoples and states, as well as ensuring the realisation of their aspiration to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.

38. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its in-principle approval to Bharti Airtel’s payments bank venture — Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd (AMCS). With this AMCS has become the first entity to receive final approval from the RBI to start a payments bank. Airtel M Commerce is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, a telecom company. Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has upto 19.9 per cent stake in Airtel M Commerce. Note: The Payments Banks are not allowed to lend. Hence, a tie-up with banks will help them source loans for their customers. Background In August 2015, RBI had granted in-principle licences to 11 entities to start payments banks. The ‘in-principle’ approval was valid for 18 months, during that time RBI had asked applicants to comply with the licensing norms. Most of the players who received the payments licences are yet to apply for the final licences. One of them Cholamandalam Distribution Services Ltd. has decided not to go ahead with the venture. Some of the other players that have received such differentiated licences are Tech Mahindra, Vodaphone m-pesa, Reliance Industries, Fino Pay Tech, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of the mobile wallet Paytm and among others.

39. The Group of 7 (G-7) countries’ foreign ministers have issued Hiroshima Declaration that calls for a world without nuclear weapons. The foreign ministers G-7 countries’ signed this joint declaration after meeting in Japan’s Hiroshima. G7 countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US. The declaration came as ministers wrap up their final day of meetings focused on global hotspot issues including terrorism and other security threats as well as instability in the Middle East and the refugee crisis. Key facts Hiroshima Declaration reaffirms commitment of G-7 countries’ to seek a safer world for all and create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons to promote international stability. It calls for creating the conditions without nuclear weapons in a way that promotes international stability. It has citied North Korea’s repeated provocations as a key challenge to achieve the goal of safer world for all. It also mentioned that the task is more complex due deteriorating security environment in a number of regions such as Syria and Ukraine. Earlier, all the foreign delegates of G-7 countries’ including US Secretary of State John Kerry made a landmark visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The Park commemorates atomic bombing of the city by US on August 6, 1945. G-7 Countries: It is a group of seven major advanced economies as reported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Collectively they represent more than 64% of the net global wealth; very high Human Development Index and it also represent 46% of the global GDP.

40. India and Maldives have signed six agreements in different sectors to boost bilateral relations between both maritime neighbouring countries. These agreements were inked after comprehensive talks between visiting Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The bilateral agreements were signed in the fields of avoidance of double taxation, conservation and restoration of ancient mosque, tourism and defence. Agreements signed are Agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation of income derived from International Air Transport. Agreement for the Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes: It envisages mutual assistance for exchange of information concerning taxes relevant to the administration and enforcement of the domestic. It also includes exchange of information relevant to the assessment, determination and collection of such taxes, the recovery and enforcement of tax claims, or the investigation and prosecution of tax matters. Agreement related to Orbit Frequency Coordination of South Asia Satellite (SAS) proposed at 48oE: It will be used for operation of SAS for the purpose of performing intersystem orbit-frequency coordination. It will be also used for fulfilling ITU level regulatory requirements and obtaining international level protection/recognition for the SAS. MoU for Cooperation in the area of conservation and restoration of ancient mosques in Maldives: Detailed proposals for such restoration projects will be developed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Department of Heritage, Maldives. MoU on cooperation in the field of Tourism: It calls for expansion of bilateral cooperation and exchange of information and data related to tourism. It also seeks to encourage cooperation between tourism stakeholders including Hotels and Tour Operators and investment in the Tourism and Hospitality sectors and establish exchange programmes for cooperation in Human Resource Development etc. Action Plan for Defence Cooperation: It is an important component of the India-Maldives bilateral relationship and the shared strategic and security interests of the two countries in the IOR (Indian Ocean region). It envisages an institutional mechanism to further bilateral defence cooperation at the level of the Defence Secretaries.

41. Investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova of Azerbaijan has been chosen for the prestigious 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. She will be bestowed with this award during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day i.e. on 3 May 2016 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to press freedom in difficult circumstances. Her name for the prestigious award was recommended by an independent international jury of media professionals. Khadija Ismayilova is a freelance journalist and contributor to the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe. In September 2015, she was sentenced to seven and a half years’ imprisonment on charges relating to abuse of power and tax evasion.

42. Chinese researchers have developed Graphene based all-weather solar cell that can generate electricity even during rains. The new approach for making an all-weather solar cell by using the ‘wonder material’ graphene was developed by the team of researchers from the Ocean University of China and Yunnan Normal University. Key facts The new all-weather solar cell is made up of highly efficient dye-sensitised solar cell coated with a very thin film of graphene. Graphene is a two-dimensional (2D) form of carbon in which the atoms are bonded into a honeycomb arrangement. Chinese researchers had used the phenomenon of graphene’s behavioural changes in aqueous solution. In aqueous solution graphene can bind positively charged ions with its electrons. Researchers used this to obtain power from the impact of raindrops on graphene electrodes. At the point of contact between the grapheme and raindrop, water becomes enriched in positive ions and the graphene becomes enriched in delocalised electrons. It results in a feature known as a pseudocapacitor i.e. double-layer made of electrons and positively charged ions. It also results in generating difference in potential associated, i.e. a phenomenon is sufficient to produce a voltage and current.

43. Sri Lankan Government has formally announced the resumption of work on the stalled Chinese Colombo Port City project. The announcement was made in the Joint Statement by China and Sri Lanka at the conclusion of the official state visit of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to Beijing. Key highlights of the Joint Statement Both sides will use the Chinese initiative to develop a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to advance infrastructure development in Sri Lanka. China has pledged fresh support to the Sri Lanka in infrastructure development. Both sides will also advance development the China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, promote joint ventures and expand cooperation in the areas of economy, culture, science and technology.

44. NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has gone into emergency mode (EM) some 75 million miles from Earth. The lowest operational mode EM of the spacecraft was discovered during a scheduled contact for undertaking microlensing observing campaign. Initial indications shows that Kepler had entered EM before mission operations began the manoeuvre to orient the spacecraft to point towards the centre of the Milky Way. Kepler spacecraft hunts for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. It was launched in March 2009. Since its launch, the mission has been incredibly successful and has led to finding of more than 1,000 alien planets of which half are exoplanets to be ever discovered.

45. Pakistan has test fired anti-ship surface to sea “Zarb” missile from the coastal areas successfully. It hit its target in the Arabian Sea after it was fired from a strategic point located at a coastal area. The missile was formally inducted into Pakistan Navy‘s defence system soon after the test.

46. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced his resignation in the wake of a months-long political crisis. His resignation was approved by the President Petro Poroshenko and has selected Parliament speaker Volodymyr Groysman to assume the Prime Minister post. Mr Yatsenyuk had entered in office since former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February 2014 during the Crimean crisis. His resignation comes after his government was accused of inaction and corruption which had led to the political crisis. His government was also criticised for the slow pace of reforms and the abysmal state of the economy. It is also believed that the political crisis had paralysed the government and frozen the release of vital Western aid especially from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Earlier in February 2016, Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s Government had narrowly survived no-confidence vote in the Ukrainian parliament after he was accused of allegedly sidelining the government’s reform efforts, which prompted President Poroshenko to ask for his resignation.

47. The IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-Kharagpur has won the National Intellectual Property (IP) Award in the academic institutes category. The institute will be awarded the prize Top Academic Institute for Patents 2016 by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the occasion of World IP Day i.e. 26 April 2016. IIT- Kharagpur’s ‘100 patents drive’ initiative had played pivotal role for winning this award. Under it IP Portal was launched to simplify the process of patent filing by students as well as professors who have done some substantial research within the institute.

48. Pakistan and China have launched a joint bilateral air force exercise named Shaheen (Eagle) 5 in Pakistan. This is the fifth edition of such drill between the two countries that will take place from April 9 to 30, 2016. This edition of exercise seeks to boost bilateral relations between all-weather friends China and Pakistan. For its part Pakistan wants to upgrade its air force, now dependent on a mostly outmoded fleet of US, French and Chinese fighter jets.

49. For the first time, United Nations (UN) will observe the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution on April 13, 2016, a day before his date of birth. The main focus of this observance will be on combating inequalities to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 125th birth anniversary Dr. Ambedkar will be commemorated at the UN headquarters in New York by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, in association with the Kalpana Saroj Foundation and Foundation For Human Horizon.

50. British professional boxer Anthony Joshua has won the 2016 International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title. To win this title, he defeated Charles Martin (US) in the second round at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. With this, he became the first boxer in history to hold the Olympic super-heavyweight title and a version of the world heavyweight (IBF) title simultaneously. He had won gold at the London 2012 Games.

51. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have decided to build bridge connecting each other over the Red Sea to boost trade and commerce. In this regard, Saudi Arabi has announced that an agreement has been reached with Egypt. The announcement was made by Saudi Arabia’s king Salman during his official state visit to Egypt. However it was not mentioned where the bridge would be built. Key facts It is postulated that the joint bridge planned over the Red Sea at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba. It will be located at the closest point near Nabq, north of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and Ras Alsheikh Hamid in Saudi Arabia where two countries are 16km apart. The project has been in the pipeline for several years to connect the two countries from Africa and Asia continents. In that plan, the causeway bridge would pass through Saudi Arabia’s Tiran Island, which would serve as a connection between the two countries and continents.

52. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) portal in New Delhi. It was launched by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani as part of Union Government’s ambitious Digital India campaign.What is International Standard Book Number (ISBN)? The ISBN is a 13-digit unique International Publisher’s Identifier number, which is meant for identifying monograph publications. The ISBN Nos. are allotted free of cost. It is displayed in barcode format to provide access to bibliographic data bases used by the book industry and libraries to provide information. In India, Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Agency for ISBN is responsible for ISBN registration and is affiliated to UK based International Agency.

53. The Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has constituted a three-member Committee to see that guidelines set for government advertisements by the Supreme Court are followed. The committee will be headed by the former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) B B Tandon. Senior TV journalist Rajat Sharma and ad-man Piyush Pandey will be the other two members of the committee.

54. Private SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket contracted by NASA has successfully launched the first inflatable habitat room that will attach to the International Space Station (ISS). The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on schedule from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United States. In another major success for SpaceX, the reusable main stage booster of Falcon 9 rocket for the first time successfully landed on an ocean (floating) platform, known as a drone ship, off the coast of Florida. Key facts The inflatable room has been named as Bigelow Expandable Actitvity Module (BEAM) and has been built by Nevada Company Bigelow Aerospace. It will be attached to the ISS for a two-year test and is the first such habitat to hold humans in orbit. It is made up of aluminium and soft fabric. It expands in space and is light weight and also takes minimal space. It creates place for astronauts to live and work. Its test is intended to pave the way towards the use of such rooms for long space trips, including to Mars and this technology could also help to create homes on Mars. It should be noted that this was also the first NASA cargo run for SpaceX since its June 2015 mishap, when an unmanned cargo rocket exploded soon after take-off. About SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Falcon 9 rocket is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), a private space transport services company. It is basically used for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. It is powered by liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellants. In 2008, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule combination had won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract from NASA to resupply the ISS under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

55. Rajasthan state assembly passed the Rajasthan Urban Land (Certification of Titles) Bills, 2016 for providing statutory backing to land records With this Rajasthan has become the first state to pass land title bill for effectively guaranteeing land and property ownership. Key provisions of the bill State residents living in urban areas, which are governed by the municipalities or state development authorities, can seek a certificate of ownership of their lands by paying a nominal fee to the state government. The state government will set up an authority which will be headed by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer. The authority will seek all the documents from the landowners, and will verify it against records held by the state. It will first issue a provisional certificate for which the state will not stand guarantee. If there are no objections or dispute arises, the authority will issue a certificate and a map to the owner with state guarantee. This Bill is seen as one of the key steps towards land reforms as it will create an efficient and transparent modern land market, provide certainty of tenure and end litigation that often mires development projects. It will give a clear title to the owner and will reduce litigations in the courts.

56. The Union Government has approved country’s first Metrino Pod project i.e. personal rapid transit (PRT) network for Gurgaon, Haryana. It was announced by Haryana Public Works (Building and Roads) Minister, Rao Narbir Singh. It will be completely private project and as for financing, the entire investment will be made by the private company that sets up the PRT. Key facts The pilot project will span a 13 km stretch from the Gurgaon-Delhi border to Badshapur Mod on Sohna Road. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has submitted the feasibility report for this project. The private company implementing project will recover its investment in 25 years through tickets. The fare of Metrino Pod taxi would be similar to that of Metro. What is Personal rapid transit (PRT) network? A PRT network is made up of small automated vehicles (dubbed as pod) running at close intervals on a guideway with docking stations for passengers to get on and get off. The pod can accommodate up to five people. The average speed of the pods is 60kmph Passengers have an option to hire an entire pod that will take a passenger straight to the destination, skipping the scheduled stops.

57. Veteran journalist and author Yogendra Bali passed away in New Delhi after a brief illness. He was 86. In his long journalistic career, Bali had served The Times of India as its roving correspondent till retirement.

58. The World Bank has unveiled an ambitious Climate Change Action Plan (CCP) to accelerate efforts to tackle climate change over the next five years i.e. by 2020. It seeks to help developing countries to deliver their targets set in the national climate plans submitted for the historic climate agreement reached at COP21 in Paris in December 2015. The Action Plan mainly seeks to help developing countries make major transitions to increase sources of renewable energy, develop green transport systems, decrease high-carbon energy sources and build sustainable, livable cities for growing urban populations. Key highlights Help in developing countries add 30 GWs of renewable energy. World Bank would focus on expanding universal access to early-warning systems in the case of disasters to 100 million people by the year 2020. World Bank will develop climate-smart agriculture investment plans for at least 40 nations. Design sustainable forest strategies for 50 countries and promote climate-informed fisheries management by 2020. Bring adaptive social protection social safety nets that can quickly support people affected by a disaster or an economic shock. Pilot a new approach in 15 cities that aims to boost urban resilience by integrating infrastructure, land use planning and disaster risk management. World Bank to quadruple funding over next 5 years to make transport systems more resilient to climate change. It will also invest at least US 1 billion dollars to promote energy efficiency and resilient building by 2020. Help to green the financial sector through a coordinated approach across banking, capital and pensions markets to implement changes needed nationally and globally.

59. Researchers have developed the world’s smallest nanoscale diode or molecular rectifier that could impact the development of molecular electronic devices in future. The breakthrough was achieved by the researchers from the University of Georgia and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). It has size of single molecule and facilitates electronic current flow in one direction. How it was developed? Researchers took a single DNA molecule made from 11 base pairs and connected it to an electronic circuit just a few nanometres in size. When current was passed through this molecule, it remained electrically neutral and didn’t show any changes. Later they inserted layers of a molecule called coralyne between layers of DNA which made in electrically active and the behaviour of the circuit showing necessary characteristics of a nano diode. Significance: In future it may help in the design and construction of nano-scale electronic elements that are at least 1,000 times smaller than current components. What are diodes? Diodes are electronic devices that that allow current to move through it in one direction with far greater ease but not another. The most common diodes in modern electronics circuit design are the semiconductor diode, although other diode technologies exist. They are responsible for moving current around a lot of common electronics, and are printed by the millions onto modern-day silicon chips.

60. The first-ever North East-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit kicked off in Imphal, Manipur with the focus on road connectivity, trade and tourism. The two day summit has been organized by Manipur Commerce and Industries Department (MCID) in collaboration with the Union Ministries of External Affairs and Development of North-Eastern Region(DoNER), Indian Chamber of Commerce(ICC) and Indian Chamber of Service Industries(ICSI). Key facts The Summit aims at attracting investment from both domestic and foreign firms to the North-Eastern states to increase productivity and generate employment in the region. Delegates from the member nations of the ASEAN viz. Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Brunei and eight North-East states of the country are participating in the Summit. Bangladesh in also participating. Main highlights of the Summit: Regional conference on Ease of Doing Business, Agro and Food Processing: Potential and Challenges and Session on Empowering MSME in North East.

61. Hashim Thaci has sworn in as the President of Kosovo after he was elected by the parliament in March 2016. He succeeds Atifete Jahjaga.