Important Current Affairs 13th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 13th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 13th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Art of living event destroyed Yamuna floodplain - NGT panel

The damage to the Yamuna floodplains caused by the Art of Living’s three-day cultural festival last year will cost more than Rs 42 crore and at least 10 years to fix, according to the expert panel appointed by the National Green Tribunal.
●    The Foundation has, however, called the committee biased and acting with vested interests.
●    The expert panel, headed by Shashi Shekhar, secretary of ministry of water resources, submitted its report to the NGT on Wednesday, on damage assessment following the Art of Living’s three-day World Culture Festival in March 2016.
●    The panel has suggested a time-bound action plan, which comprises two components - physical and biological rehabilitation. The physical component is estimated to cost around Rs 28.73 crore and the biological part would cost around Rs 13.29 crore.
●    The 47-page report estimates that approximately 120 hectares (about 300 acres) of floodplains of west (right bank) of the river Yamuna and about 50 hectares (120 acres) floodplains of the eastern side (left bank) of the river have been adversely impacted ecologically at different magnitudes.

Petrol, diesel prices to change daily from May 1 in 5 cities

State-owned fuel retailers, namely Indian Oil Corp. (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL), have planned to launch a pilot scheme under which the fuel prices will be revised on a daily basis. 
●    The rates will be decided in sync with the international rates, a practice of several advanced markets.
●    Initially the scheme will be launched in 5 Indian cities from 1 May 2017 (a defined final date was not declared but sources said that the pilot will be effective from 1 May) and will be gradually extended across India.
●    Union Government grants BP Plc licence to set up petrol pumps in India
●    At present, the rates of the fuel are revised on the 1st and 16th of every month in accordance with the average international price in the preceding fortnight and the currency exchange rate.
●    The five cities where the pilot scheme will be launched are Visakhapatnam and Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, Udaipur in Rajasthan and Chandigarh.
●    IOC, HPCL and BPCL own over 95 per cent (nearly 58000) fuel outlets in the country.

Dr. (Ms.) Mukulita Vijayavargiya takes charge as Whole Time Member, IBBI

Dr. (Ms.) Mukulita Vijayavargiya took charge as Whole Time Member, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India in New Delhi today. 
●    Dr. (Ms.) Vijayavargiya will look after Administrative Law Wing. She will also look after Information Technology, Limited Insolvency Examination, National Insolvency Examination, Finance and Accounts and Communication. 
●    Dr. (Ms.) Vijayavargiya was a member of Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee (BLRC) based on which, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 has been framed. She played a key role in drafting the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 as Additional Secretary in the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law & Justice. 
●    Dr. Vijayavargiya served as a member of Indian Legal Service. She has vast experience of 35 years in various fields of law. 
●    She has been associated with drafting/vetting of more than 100 legislative proposals in the legislative department. Her previous assignment was Additional Secretary in the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India. 

G 20 Digital Ministers’ Meet on Digital Economy Better International Cooperation Needed to Check Cyber Crimes and Cyber Terrorism - Ravi Shankar Prasad 

The G20 Digital Ministerial Meeting was held in Dusseldorf, Germany. G20 cooperation on the Digital Economy has become a special priority, subsequent to the adoption of Digital Economy Development and Cooperation Initiative in the 2016 Hangzhou Summit, under the Chinese Presidency. 
●    The German Presidency has carried this forward, and, realizing the potential of digital technologies and its wide impact on the overall economy, has elevated the Digital Economy Task Force to the Ministerial level.
●    The G20 Ministers expressed their warm appreciation for the accomplishments of the Digital India programme. 
●    They noted how Digital India is provisioning a unique digital identity – cheaply, securely, and with privacy – to 1.1 billion citizens via Aadhaar. 
●    They appreciated India’s historic digital payment push through innovative and indigenous solutions like UPI, DBT, BHIM and AADHAR enabled payment systems, based on easily accessible mobile platforms. 
●    They observed how India has leveraged 250,000 Common Service Centres to drive digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, digital services, and productivity across rural India’s grassroots, empowering India’s less privileged citizens. 
●    The G20 Ministers particularly noted how Digital India’s digital literacy mission is transforming digital accessibility for 60 million households.  
●    OECD, as an invitee, made a special mention of how India has emerged as one of the world’s most vibrant e-commerce environments and startup nations.

Current Affairs 13th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

India-Australia launch Sports Partnership in Mumbai

India and Australia today launched Sports partnership in Mumbai aimed at increasing  cooperation in sports.  
●    The Partnership, which was launched by the Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mr. Vijay Goel and the visiting Australian Prime Minister Mr. Malcolm Turnbull, in the presence of cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, will advance India – Australia cooperation in four areas - athlete and coach training and development, sport science, sport governance and integrity, and grassroots participation.”
●    Speaking on the occasion, Sports Minister Vijay Goel said “we have a lot to learn and share with Australia in the field of sports. 
●    The India-Australia Sports Partnership would facilitate exchange of athletes, coaches, technical officials, sports scientists between two countries.” 
●    He said India has started taking sports as a very important component of public health management as well as education. 
●    “We have launched a major grassroots programme - Khelo India for developing a sporting culture at grass-roots level.  
●    We are planning to introduce sports as a compulsory subject in schools” he said. 
●    The Minister said that the National Sports Talent Identification and Development Portal would be launched shortly.  
 

Current Affairs 13th April 2017: AWARDS

Dilip Kumar honoured with Living Legend Lifetime Award

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was honoured with the Living Legend Lifetime Award by the Punjab Association on Tuesday. 
●    The elated actor took to Twitter to announce the honour bestowed upon him, stating that he was "humbled" at receiving the award. 
●    Apart from sharing a few pictures of himself with his trophy, he also tweeted, "Mr. Ranbir Singh Chandok and Mr. Anand of the Punjab Association visited me today.
●    This was followed with a tweet that read, "God is kind. Humbled at receiving the Living Legend Lifetime Award from Punjab Association this afternoon."
●    The 94-year-old actor also shared pictures of a wall mural of himself created by artist Asif Farooqui on Hill Road, Bandra, Mumbai. Dilip thanked the artist for all the love and the installation.

Current Affairs 13th April 2017: OBITUARY

Former Union Minister Akhilesh Das Gupta Passes Away

Former Union minister and ex-Lucknow mayor Akhilesh Das Gupta died of cardiac arrest in Lucknow on Wednesday morning. He was 56. 
●    Das's close aides said he had not complained of any discomfort and had carried on as usual on Tuesday night. 
●    On Wednesday morning, after being found unconscious, he was rushed to Lari Cardiology Centre where he was declared brought dead by doctors.
●    Das is survived by his wife Alka, son Viraj Sagar and daughter Sona. Condolence messages on Das's death poured in from across political quarters. 
●    Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Saddened by the demise of former MP and Union minister Akhilesh Das. His active contribution to public life will be remembered."
●    UP CM Yogi Adityanath, former CM Akhilesh Yadav, and BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui visited Das's residence to pay their last respects and to condole his sudden death.
●    Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi also condoled his untimely death and sent wreaths to be laid on Das' body before he was cremated on Wednesday evening.Sports minister Vijay Goel also tweeted to condole Das' death, calling his passing a loss to the sports in India.

Current Affairs 13th April 2017: SPORTS

MCC Passes rules to allow umpires eject players misbehaving in Cricket match

Cricket umpires have been given the power to eject disobedient players while tethered bails will be permitted to protect wicketkeepers from eye injuries as part of a series of law changes coming into effect from October 1.
●    The new 'Players conduct' rule will allow on-field officials to remove a misbehaving competitor temporarily or permanently and award five penalty runs to the opposition, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has said.
●    If a captain refuses to remove his offending player, the umpire can award the match to the opposition. If both captains refuse to comply, the contest can be abandoned.
●    The MCC, the custodians of the game's laws, also merged “handled the ball” offence with “obstructing the field", thus reducing the number of possible dismissals from 10 to nine.
●    It also ratified the proposal of tethered bails to protect wicketkeepers from the type of injuries that ended South African Mark Boucher's career in 2012.
●    Mr. Boucher was hit in the eye by flying bails in a tour match in England, which forced him into retirement.
●    “Law 8.4 has been changed, to help prevent injuries, to allow specially designed mechanisms which tether the bails to the stumps, thereby restricting the distance that they can fly off the stumps but without limiting their ability to be dislodged,” the MCC said.
●    The MCC also approved bat restrictions and allowed substitutes to keep wicket.

Important Current Affairs 12th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 12th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 12th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Govt plans to fix quantity of food served in restaurants

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Mann Ki Baat radio programme wherein he raised concerns over wastage of food, the government is now reportedly planning to fix the portion sizes of the food served in restaurants and star hotels. 
●    The decision has mostly left many Twitter users with a bitter taste in their mouths.
●    minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan asked that if a person can only eat two prawns, why should he be then served anything more. 
●    “If a person eats two idlis, why serve four! It’s wastage of food and also money people pay for something that they don’t eat,” he said.
●    The government is drafting a questionnaire for eateries, restaurants and hotels for them to explain what size of dishes would they serve to their customers and patrons. 
●    “They are the experts. 
●    They should tell us the maximum amount of a dish a person can eat. 
●    You go to a Chinese restaurant; they give you so much (of food). We are going to call them (stakeholders) for a meeting. 

Govt announces issuance of PAN and TAN in a day

The Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT) on 11 April 2017 tied up with the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to issue Permanent Account Number (PAN) and Tax Deduction Account Number (TAN) in 1 day in order to improve ease of doing business.
●    Applicant companies will be required to submit a common application form SPICe (INC 32) on MCA portal. 
●    Once the data of incorporation is sent to CBDT by MCA, the PAN and TAN will then be issued immediately without any further intervention of the applicant. 
●    The Certificate of Incorporation (COI) of newly incorporated companies will include the PAN in addition to the Corporate Identity Number (CIN). 
●    TAN will also be allotted simultaneously and communicated to the Company.
●    In March 2017, PAN was allotted within 4 hrs in 95.63 per cent cases and within 1 day in all cases to the newly incorporated companies.

President of India presents National Geoscience Awards 2016

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the National Geoscience Awards - 2016 today (April 12, 2017) at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that India has a rich tradition of geo-scientific research, both at the institutional and at the academic levels. 
●    The National Geoscience Awards, instituted by the Ministry of Mines, is a laudable initiative to honour the contributions and years of dedicated work of geoscientists. 
●    Over the last five decades, these Awards have emerged as the most coveted recognition in the field of geosciences. They have encouraged scientists to achieve higher levels of excellence.
●    The President said that it is incumbent on nations the world over to move in the path of sustainable growth. 
●    In this model, growth and development depends not only on the availability of mineral resources but also on their judicious exploitation. 
●    The near surface mineral deposits are depleting very fast. Hence, the geo-scientific community has to step up to meet the demand for future resources by finding deeper sources for the minerals we require. 
●    Special emphasis also has to be given for discovery of strategic and critical minerals to make the nation self reliant and reduce dependence on imports from external sources for our strategic needs. 
●    While addressing the resource needs of the country, we have to also keep in mind the offshore regions which hold enormous potential for phosphorites, gas hydrates and seafloor massive sulphides.

Committee Constituted to Prepare Draft Ganga Act Submits its Report 

The committee constituted to prepare draft Ganga Act submitted its report to the Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti in New Delhi today. 
●    The Minister said that Modi Government will soon make this Act after due consultations with all stakeholders. 
●    She directed the Secretary of her Ministry to constitute a high level committee to go through the report and submit its report at the earliest. 
●    The Minister expressed the hope that sufficient provisions have been made in the draft report keeping in view the uninterrupted and clean flow of river Ganga.
●    The Chairman of the committee Justice Shri Girdhar Malviya (Retd.) said that it was a big challenge for them but they could meet it successfully. 
●    He thanked the officials of Union Water Resources Ministry and National Mission for Clean Ganga for their cooperation to the committee.
●    The committee recognized the enormous challenges being faced to maintain the wholesomeness (Nirmalta and Aviralta) of National River Ganga perpetuated due to over stressed water demand from agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors,  on one hand and realized pressure on account of sustaining the religious faith, historical and social belief  on other hand. 

Bandra Kurla Complex to be bullet trains first station

Bullet train between Mumbai-Ahmedabad soon will be a reality as the starting point for the route will be resolved by this week.
●    The first station for the bullet train will be underground from Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai. The fast train will travel for 21km under the sea and emerge over ground at Thane. 
●    Earlier, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had objected the station plan stating that they want the same area to be used for a financial services centres.
●    However, Ministry of Railways on Monday decided that they will build an underground station for the bullet train with the corporate building above it.
●    The bullet train will reduce the travel time to Ahmedabad-Mumbai to just two hours as against the current travel time of seven hours. 
●    In the previous reports, it was mentioned that Railway Board wanted to start two bullet train services on Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor. 
●    First, train from BKC with only three stops, namely, Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad). Second, train from BKC with 10 stops, namely, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad. 
●    The ministry expects around 36,000 daily users per day both ways by 2023, going up to 186,000 by 2053. Estimated cost of this project is about Rs 97,636 crore and 81% of the project will funded by Japan.

HIV AIDS Prevention and Control Bill passed in Lok Sabha

The Parliament on 11 April 2017 passed the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2017.
●    The Bill provides for the prevention and control of the disease and protection of human rights of those affected by it.
●    The Bill also prohibits any kind of discrimination against such people on ground of treatment, employment and workplace.
●    The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Bill was passed on 21 March 2017 in the Rajya Sabha.
●    The Bill sets various grounds on which discrimination against HIV positive persons is prohibited.  
●    These include the denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to employment, educational establishments, health care services, residing or renting property, among others.

MP bans polythene bags from May 1

Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to ban plastic and polythene carry bags across the state from May 1 saying that its consumption results in large number of cow deaths. 
●    The government had earlier declared prime tourist destinations and holy cities in the state as polythene free with effect from January 1.
●    "The state cabinet has expressed concern over increasing use of polythene carry bags and their consumption in large number by the cattle resulting into their death. 
●    It was unanimously decided to ban polythene and plastic bags across the state from May 1," said state legislative affairs and public relations minister Narottam Mishra while briefing reporters, on Tuesday.
●    It was chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who had announced to ban polythene in the state from May 1 while addressing the public on Republic Day parade last year. 
●    Chouhan had said that excessive use of polythene and plastic has posed danger to the environment and the cattle.
●    In November 2013, NGT had directed Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to ban plastic carry bags within six months. 
●    In January 2015, NGT had asked the state government to take action in six weeks. However, in October, the NGT issued notifications for banning the use and manufacture of plastic bags by October 30 and ensure implementation of the ban from January 1, 2015.

With NBCC on fast forward mode, its CMD honoured for Leadership Excellence

With public sector construction major National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) making rapid strides in business volumes and diversification over the last four years to become ‘Navratna’, its Chairman and Managing Director Dr.A.K.Mittal has been conferred the ‘SCOPE Leadership Excellence Award’ in individual category. 
●    President Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the Award to Dr.Mittal for his leadership and contribution to the growth of NBCC on Tuesday.
●    Dr.Mittal took over as CMD of NBCC in 2013 and since then the company’s turnover increased by over 80%, order book rose by 417%, market capitalisation shot up by 1,000% to Rs.16,200 cr. Recent disinvestment of NBCC fetched the Government Rs.2,200 crore.
●    Dr.Mittal aligned the company’s business profile with various flagship programmes of the Government seizing the business opportunities. 

Important Current Affairs 11th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 11th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 11th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Lok Sabha passes Motor Vehicles Amendment Act

A draft legislation to amend the Motor Vehicles Act to impose stiffer penalties on traffic rules violations and to protect the Good Samaritans from legal harassment was passed by the Lok Sabha today.
●    The bill proposes hefty penalties for various traffic offences, three-year jail term for parents of minors caught driving and causing fatal accidents, and a ten-fold increase in compensation for the families of accident victims, among other things.
●    The Bill amends the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to address issues such as third party insurance, regulation of taxi aggregators, and road safety.
●    Under the Act, the liability of the third party insurer for motor vehicle accidents is unlimited. 
●    The Bill caps the maximum liability for third party insurance in case of a motor accident at Rs 10 lakh in case of death and at five lakh rupees in case of grievous injury.
●    The Bill provides for a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund which would provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in India for certain types of accidents.

President of India to present National Geoscience Awards 2016 tomorrow 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will confer the National Geoscience Awards - 2016 tomorrow (April 12, 2017) at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 1300 hrs. 
●    The National Geoscience Awards, previously known as the National Mineral Awards, was instituted by the Ministry of Mines in 1966, to honour individuals and teams of scientists for their extraordinary achievements and outstanding contributions in fundamental, applied geosciences, mining and allied fields. 
●    The National Geoscience Awards includes one Award for Excellence, one Young Scientist Award and nineteen individual and/or team awards in 16 fields of geosciences.
●    This year, twenty seven geoscientists are receiving the National Geoscience Awards, as individuals or team, for meritorious contributions in eleven fields of geosciences.

President of India presents SCOPE Awards 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) Awards at the 8th Public Sector Day function held in New Delhi today (April 11, 2017). 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that celebrating this Day is an acknowledgement of the invaluable contribution made by our Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) since independence when PSEs had been chosen as the vehicle of industrialization in our country. 
●    He said that he was a firm believer in the continued relevance and importance of the Public Sector in our economy. 
●    He was confident that CPSEs will continue to do well in the future and meet new challenges. 
●    The President said that in our country we started with only five PSEs with an investment of 29 crore. 
●    However, their growth over the years is very substantial. 
●    Their overall net profit increased by 12.5 percent during 2015-16. 
●    This is appreciable since they have continued to perform well despite the fact that the global fiscal and economic scenario and industrial climate is not very encouraging. 
●    He said that India is a fast growing economy and many more glorious chapters will be added to the credit of PSEs in the future too.

Kiren Rijiju to inaugurate 2-day NDMA consultative workshop tomorrow

MoS (Home) Shri Kiren Rijiju will inaugurate a two-day consultative workshop to review the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) here tomorrow. 
●    The event, being organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), will bring together all stakeholders to deliberate upon the Plan and suggest ways to improve it. 
●    The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the country's first-ever National Plan for Disaster Management in June last year. 
●    The Plan aimed to make India disaster resilient and significantly reduce the loss of lives and assets. 
●    With this, India became one of the first countries to align its national plan to the 'Sendai Framework' - adopted at the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March, 2015. 
●    While the Plan provides a framework for Disaster Management in the entire country, its execution involves all levels of Government right up to Panchayat and Urban Local Body level as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), civil society and vulnerable communities. 
●    It provides for periodic reviews of the Plan based on national experiences and emerging global practices. 
●    These reviews will help synchronise the Plan to the needs of the implementing agencies. 

62nd Railway Week Award Function of Railway Board Celebrated

Railway Board celebrated the 62nd Railway Week Award function-2017 here today. Chairman, Railway Board Shri A.K.Mital presided over the function and gave away awards to 188 officers/staff, sportspersons, cultural artists and horticulture staff of Railway Board and National Rail Museum for their outstanding performance during the year 2016-17. 
●    Shri Mital presented the Running Efficiency Shield to two sections jointly viz. Coaching and E&R Section selected as “Best Kept Sections’ for maintaining high standard of efficiency, prompt disposal of cases and excellent upkeep of records. 
●    Besides this, Merit Certificates and Cash Awards were presented to three other well maintained sections. 
●    A total number of 125 officials of Railway Board received Merit Certificates and Cash Awards for their outstanding performance during the year 2016-17. 
●    Besides this, 45 sportspersons and 10 cultural artists were felicitated with Appreciation Letters and Cash Awards for their outstanding performance in the Inter-Ministry, All India Civil Services and Inter-Railway Competitions. 
●    Awards were presented to 3 Horticulture staff of Rail Bhavan and National Rail Museum for their excellent work.

Gandhi in Champaran, authored by DG Tendulkar, launched

Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, on 10 April 2017 released a book titled Gandhi in Champaran at National Mahatma Gandhi Museum in New Delhi.
●    The book was launched on the day that marks the 100th year of Champaran Satyagraha.
●    The book is authored by noted writer Dinanath Gopal Tendulkar. The book is printed by Publications Division.
●    In addition, the minister also released a book containing a collection of letters and articles of the correspondence between Nobel laureate Romain Rolland and Mahatma Gandhi as well as Tendulkar's eight-volume biography of Mahatma Gandhi, titled Mahatma: Life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
●    Gandhi in Champaran offers a gripping account of Gandhi’s first Satyagraha on Indian soil. 
●    The Satyagraha was his attempt to eliminate, by truthful and non-violent means, the grievances and sufferings of the peasants at the hands of the indigo planters.
 

Current Affairs 11th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff visits Malaysia

Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) and Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Indian Navy is on a goodwill visit to Malaysia from 11 to 15 April 2017. 
●    The visit is intended to consolidate and enhance bilateral maritime relations between India and Malaysia and is expected to provide a major boost to defence relations between India and Malaysia. 
●    During his visit, the Admiral will hold discussions with the Deputy Minister of Defence, Chief of Royal Malaysian Defence Forces along with the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force of Malaysia. 
●    The Indian and the Royal Malaysian navies cooperate with each other in terms of training, operational interactions as well as interacting at various multilateral forums like Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, MILAN and ADMM Plus. Warships from both navies visit each other’s ports to build ‘Bridges of Friendship’. 
●    The Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) along with RMN corvette KD Lekir participated in the International Fleet Review-2016, at Visakhapatnam in February 2016.

Current Affairs 11th April 2017: SPORTS

India crowned Women's Hockey World League Round 2 champions

The Indian women’s team stormed into the final of the Hockey World League Round 2 after a 4-0 thrashing of Belarus in the semi-finals here.
●    India now play Chile in the summit clash. 
●    Chile had beaten Uruguay 2-1 in the second semi-final.
●    With this semi-final victory, India won a berth to take part in the Women’s Hockey World League Semi-Final to be held in June/July, which is a qualifier for the FIH Women’s World Cup 2018.
●    India were the dominant side right from the start. Even though Belarus won two early penalty corners in the fourth and the ninth minutes, the Indian team’s defence was impressive as they denied an early lead to their opponents.
●    India were quick to earn their first penalty corner in the 13th minute and it was Gurjit Kaur whose stunning goal gave India a 1-0 lead in the first quarter.
 

Important Current Affairs 10th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 10th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 10th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Prime Minister Inaugurates ‘Swachhagraha “Bapu Ko Karyanjali”-a Mission, an Exhibition’ to Mark 100th Anniversary of Champaran Satyagrah

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘‘Swachhagraha “Bapu Ko Karyanjali”-A Mission, An Exhibition’ to mark 100th Anniversary of Champaran Satyagrah at the National Archives of India (NAI), here today. 
●    He also launched an Online Interactive Quiz “Karyanjali”, which will continue for 30 months till October, 2019. 
●    Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism Dr. Mahesh Sharma and many dignitaries were present. 
●    A musical and dance programme based on the banned literature on Mahatma Gandhi and Swachhagraha entitled “Satya, Swachh, Sur” was presented on the occasion. 
●    Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that 100 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi reached Champaran and witnessed the hardships of people living there. 
●    Gandhi Ji showed them the path to and power of peaceful Satyagrah. Champaran Satyagraha catapulted Gandhi Ji to the forefront of India’s freedom struggle. 
●    He said that the exhibition, interactive quiz and dance performance are not only formalities, but are pious occasions to dedicate ourselves to the nation. “Along with Shraddhanjali, we should also offer Karyanjali to Mahatma Gandhi”, the Prime Minister added. 
●    Shri Modi emphasised that Gandhi ji was basically a Swachhagrahi and was awakening the thought process of the people of India. 
●    He pointed out that Champaran can be described as the place of origin of Swachhata Andolan and Champaran Satyagrah gave a new impetus to the freedom struggle and Gandhi ji accorded equal regard to women. 
●    ‘Champaran played an important role in the development of Khadi. Swachh Bharat Mission is a movement to fulfil the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and is fast becoming a mass movement in our country’, the Prime Minister said. 

“nakshe” Portal launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 250th Anniversary of Survey of India

A new web portal “nakshe” was launched by the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi today, on the occasion of 250th anniversary of Survey of India(SoI). 
●    Topographic maps or Open Series Maps (OSM) containing natural and manmade geographical features including terrain or topography are prepared by the SoI since its inception in 1767 and is in conformity with the National Map Policy-2005. 
●    These OSM maps have been made available for free download from “nakshe” web portal in pdf format on 1:50,000 scale through Aaadhar enabled user authentication process, in line with Digital India programme of the Government of India. 
●    The Survey of India, the principal mapping agency of the country is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. Origin of the Survey of India is traced back to Year 1767. 
●    It is the oldest scientific department in India and one of the oldest survey establishments in the world. Foundation for the scientific survey and mapping of the country was laid with The Great Trigonometric Survey (GTS) in 19th century on this day i.e. 10th April, 1802, by noted surveyors Col. Lambton and Sir George Everest. 
●    SoI has surveyed and mapped each and every part of the country and these maps have played an invaluable role in the saga of India’s nation building and were pivotal in the foundation of almost all major developmental activities of modern India.

Rajnath Singh inaugurates Web Portal “Bharat ke Veer”

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the web portal and mobile application named “Bharat ke Veer” on the occasion of Valour Day of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) here today. 
●    The portal is an IT based platform, with an objective to enable willing donors to contribute towards the family of a braveheart who sacrificed his/her life in line of duty. 
●    The amount so donated will be credited to the account of ‘Next of Kin’ of those Central Armed Police Force/Central Para Military Force soldiers. The actor Shri Akshay Kumar was the Guest of Honour during the function. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh said that he pays heartfelt tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the safety of nation. 
●    He said that each moment of lives of CRPF and CAPF personnel is a test of their courage and bravery. He said that a bullet can hit a soldier physically, but no bullet can defeat the courage and motivation of a soldier. 
●    The bravery of CRPF commandant, Chetan Cheetah is an example of it who survived 9 bullets, Shri Rajanth Singh added. 

Government makes compliance of Labour Laws and Rules easy

The Government has undertaken an exercise to promote ease of compliance of Labour Laws and Rules by various establishments. 
●    The “Rationalisation of Forms and Reports under Certain Labour Laws Rules, 2017” has reduced the number of forms and reports prescribed under 3 Acts and the Rules made thereunder from 36 to 12. 
●    The overall aim of the exercise is to make the forms and reports easy to understand for the users. This will save efforts, costs and lessen the compliance burden of various establishments.
●    As per the sixth Economic Census of Central Statistical Office, conducted during 2013-2014,there are about 5.85 crore establishments in agriculture and non- agriculture sectors of the country.
●    An intention notification for reducing the number of forms and reports was placed in the public domain on 9th February, 2017 and objections and suggestions thereon were sought from all stakeholders.
●    The Labour Laws under which these forms are filed include:
●    The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970
●    The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 
●    The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.

Current Affairs 10th April 2017: BUSINESS

Mahindra partners Zoomcar for electric car sharing

Mahindra Electric on Monday announced a partnership with Zoomcar, a self—driven car—rental firm to promote shared mobility of electric cars in India.
●    This partnership will enable individuals to buy new all-electric Mahindra e2oPlus on ZAP, Zoomcar’s fractional car ownership programme, the company said in a statement.
●    The programme allows individuals to purchase e2oPlus on Zoomcar’s self-drive platform, list the vehicle on a dynamic basis whenever idle, get bookings from Zoomcar’s customer base, it added.
●    Mahindra Electric is the electric vehicles manufacturers of the diversified $ 17.8 billion Mahindra Group.
●    Commenting on the association, Mahindra Electric CEO Mahesh Babu said: “With this first—of—its—kind association with Zoomcar, we believe we will be able to make green mobility available to a larger audience.”
●    Zoomcar CEO and Co-Founder Greg Moran said electric cars on shared mobility platforms is the ultimate way forward solving the urban transportation problem.

Nokia partnering with Airtel, BSNL for preparing 5G networks in India

Nokia phones might be making a comeback in a partnership with HMD Global, but the Finnish company is also investing heavily in networks and communications across the world, particularly 5G technology. 
●    Nokia had in March announced partnerships with Airtel and BSNL for preparing 5G networks in India, and now according to a report in Economic Times, the company has MOUs with both players.
●    According to Nokia, it will work with BSNL “to accelerate the development of a 5G ecosystem,” and is looking at how the “extreme high-speed wireless broadband with ultra-low-latency” can be developed in the country to support Internet of Things (IoT) and future smart cities. 
●    Nokia and BSNL will be conducting joint 5G demonstrations across India.
Nokia is also partnering with Airtel for this 5G ecosystem development as well. Both players will look at network evolution to 5G, exploring operations, cost-effectiveness, quality and reliability. 
●    The partnerships will look at creating a strategy and clear path for the evolution of 5G in India, and the efforts will build on the current 4G networks.
 

Current Affairs 10th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India-Australia strengthen ties; sign 6 agreements

A pact to significantly expand counter-terror cooperation was among six agreements India1 and Australia inked on Sunday as the two countries called for strong action against those financing and providing sanctuary to terror groups. 
●    The agreements were signed after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull. The two leaders decided to significantly expand their ties in several key areas including defence, trade, energy and education.
●    The relaxed body language of the two Prime Ministers clearly reflecting the thaw in ties between the two nations. Australian PM Malcom Turnbull, who is on a four day visit to India, held hour long talks with PM Modi at the national capital’s Hyderabad House.
●    A pact to significantly expand counter-terror cooperation was among six agreements India and Australia inked today as the two countries called for strong action against those financing and providing sanctuary to terror groups.

Important Current Affairs 9th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 9th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 9th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik to inaugurate the International Convention on World Homoeopathy Day tomorrow

Minister of State (Independent Charge), for AYUSH Sh. Shripad Yesso Naik, will inaugurate the National Convention on World Homoeopathy Day on 10 April 2017 at New Delhi tomorrow. 
●    Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Standing Committee of Ministry of AYUSH, Health and Family Welfare Dr. Manoj Rajoria will preside over the function. 
●    The event is being organized to commemorate the 262nd birth anniversary of the founder of Homoeopathy, Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, who was a great scholar, linguist and acclaimed scientist. 
●    A special session is also being organised to pay tribute to him. 
●    The theme of the convention is “Enhancing Quality Research in Homoeopathy through scientific evidence and rich clinical experiences”. 
●    The convention will have around five scientific sessions where experts of national and international repute shall be deliberating on key areas of homoeopathic research, strengthening college infrastructure for undertaking research along with latest trends in drug validation, prognostic factor research, role in public health and epidemics by means of high quality research including NABH accreditation of homoeopathic hospitals. 
●    The main objective of sessions is to educate all stakeholders to understand the intricacies of Homeopathic research and to provide adequate exposure of quality research environment to medical colleges, practitioners, clinicians and researchers.

NMCG approves Sewage Treatment Projects Worth Rs. 2100 Crore

In a major push to Namami Gange programme, National Mission for Clean Ganga  has approved 26  projects at an estimated cost of Rs 2154.28 Crore. 
●    This amount will be spent in the states of UP, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi for creation of new sewage treatment capacity of 188 Million Liters per Day (MLD) (approx.), rehabilitation of 596 MLD of existing STP capacity, upgradation of 30 MLD of existing STP capacity, Interception and Diversion works  and sewerage network of 145.05 km.
●    Under Namami Gange Programme, 100% central funding is being made for new projects. 
●    The completion of these projects will help in reducing the pollution load on the river Ganga as discharge of untreated effluent is one of the major source of pollution in river Ganga.

Omkar Modi’s short film Avyakta selected for Cannes

Growing up, city-based Omkar Modgi (26) shared a non-confrontational and a complex bond with his father. 
●    Though it was filled with love and care, it remained unexpressed for a long time. However, gradually, the father-son bond strengthened and they came to understand each other, without the need for speaking regularly.
●    Modi found this transformation, of an unresponsive obligation into an amenable relationship, very intriguing. 
●    The festival would be held from May 17 to 28.
●    Avyakta is the story of 14-year-old Aaditya,who shares a complex and awkward relationship with his father Shrirang — who runs a grocery store. 
●    Both of them are coping with the recent death of Aditya's mother Aarti, who was the only woman in the house and a bridge between them. 
●    The untimely demise of Aarti, increased their individual struggle with the daily chores and the gap between them. 
●    In a twist of fate, this father and son relationship found a new intimate meaning, which was the first step into bridging the gap between them.

PM Modi Lays Foundation Stone of Ganga Bridge Connecting Sahibganj & Manihari

Jharkhand’s Sahibganj will be getting a Ganga Bridge and the foundation stone for the same was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sahibganj in Jharkhand today. 
●    Modi has again shown that he is dedicatedly working for the development of our country.
●    Ganga bridge will be built over the holy river Ganga as a port. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in a special Air Force plane at Purnia in Bihar and continued his journey to Sahibganj in a helicopter.
●    The Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for building a bridge on Ganga which will be a 4-lane bridge connecting Sahibganj to Manihari in Bihar‘s Katihar district. 
●    This would be an important step for Jharkhand.
●    The distance between Sahibganj in Jharkhand and Manihari in Bihar will reduce drastically with the help of this bridge on Ganga river.

India and Bangladesh Sign 22 Agreements, Discuss Water Sharing

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that ‘only’ his and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s governments that could resolve the intractable Teesta water-sharing issue, he offered $5 billion in two separate lines of credit the visiting prime minister. 
●    The two leaders also took implicit pot-shots at Pakistan for ‘victimising’ both countries with a ‘terror mentality’.
●    After being received by Modi at the airport in a special gesture on Friday, Hasina met her host again at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Saturday morning, where they had one-and-half hours of talks.
●    Twenty-two agreements were signed in the area of defence, nuclear energy, cyber security and media, though the two leaders witnessed the signing of only four pacts – on the judicial sector, a $4.5 billion development assistance line of credit, on outer space and on passenger and cruise services. 
●    In addition, India has offered a new $500 million line of credit specifically for defence purchases.
●    The two leaders on Saturday released the Hindi translation of the unfinished autobiography of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also named a road after Bangladesh’s founding father in the middle of Lutyens Delhi. 
●    Modi announced that both countries will jointly produce a biopic on Sheikh Mujib, which will be released in 2020 on his birth centenary. 
●    West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee then joined the two prime ministers to launch three new transport links from West Bengal to Bangladesh.

Current Affairs 9th April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Malala Yousafzai will become youngest person to address Parliament

Malala Yousafzai will address Parliament in Ottawa on April 12 — and will make history while doing so.
●    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement in a statement on Monday.
●    Nineteen-year-old Yousafzai is also the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize, which she was a co-recipient of in 2014 for her work in women and girls’ education, and for risking her life to help protect children from slavery, extremism and forced labour.
●    She will also officially receive her honorary Canadian citizenship, the release said.
●    Honorary citizenship was bestowed on her in 2014, by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but the ceremony in which she was supposed to receive it was cancelled because of the 2014 Ottawa shooting.
 

Current Affairs 9th April 2017: DISCOVERY

Scientists confirm 'Earth-like' planet with atmosphere discovered 39 light-years from Earth

For the first time ever, scientists announced this week that they have detected an atmosphere around a planet roughly the same size as Earth outside of our solar system, a key factor in the search for life beyond our planet.
●    The new study published in the Astronomical Journal details the findings around exoplanet GJ 1132b -- which has been dubbed a "Venus twin" -- with a rocky surface and high surface temperature. The newly-discovered thick atmosphere gives the planets another thing in common.
●    GJ 1132b orbits around the dwarf star GJ 1132 about 39 light-years away from our solar system.
●    Researchers say the atmosphere is probably rich in water vapor or methane. 
●    The discovery is especially noteworthy because dwarf stars flares and particle streams usually blow away atmospheres of nearby planets.

Scientists Just Discovered Plastic-Eating Bacteria That Can Break Down PET

We manufacture over 300 million tonnes of plastics each year for use in everything from packaging to clothing. Their resilience is great when you want a product to last. 
●    But once discarded, plastics linger in the environment, littering streets, fields and oceans alike. 
●    Every corner of our planet has been blighted by our addiction to plastic. But now we may have some help to clean up the mess in the form of bacteria that have been found slowly munching away on discarded bottles in the sludge of a recycling centre.
●    Plastics are polymers, long thin molecules made of repeating (monomer) building blocks. These are cross-linked to one another to build a durable, malleable mesh. Most plastics are made from carbon-based monomers, so in theory they are a good source of food for microorganisms.
●    But unlike natural polymers (such as cellulose in plants) plastics aren’t generally biodegradable. 
●    Bacteria and fungi co-evolved with natural materials, all the while coming up with new biochemical methods to harness the resources from dead matter.

Important Current Affairs 8th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 8th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Pranab Mukherjee to Address Public Sector Day & Presents Scope Awards to CPSEs

President Shri Pranab Mukherjee will grace the occasion of  Public Sector Day and present the prestigious SCOPE  Awards to Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) on Tuesday next i.e. 11th April 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
●    Shri Anant G. Geete, Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Shri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises shall also grace the occasion in the august presence of  Smt. Seema Bahuguna, IAS,  Secretary, DPE, Shri Ved Prakash , Chairman, SCOPE & CMD, MMTC, Shri R.K. Bahuguna, Vice Chairman, SCOPE & CMD, RailTel Corporation,  Dr. U.D. Choubey, Director General, SCOPE and host of representatives from public sector enterprises,  senior government officials, media etc.  
●    The Award function is being organized jointly by SCOPE and Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).
●    SCOPE Meritorious Awards recognizes significant achievements of CPSEs in various fields leading to business excellence and competitive advantage. 
●    The  function will be attended by Chief Executives/Directors of CPSEs besides   Ministers, Secretaries and other senior government officials.

Deadline for account holders to give PAN till Jun 30

The Tax Department has given banks three more months till June 30 to obtain permanent account number (PAN) or Form—60 from all account holders as it looks to tighten the noose around evaders.
●    Though the deadline for getting the PAN or Form 60 (if PAN is not available) by banks ended on February 28, the tax department on April 5 notified the extension of the time till June 30.
●    In the notification, the Income Tax Department said that in Income—Tax Rules 114B, in the fourth proviso, “for the figures, letters and words ‘28th day of February’ the figures, letters and words ‘30th day of June’ shall be substituted.”
●    Rule 114B lists various transactions for which quoting PAN is mandatory.
●    The tax department had in January asked banks, post offices and cooperative banks to document PAN or declaration of Form 60 received from account holders and maintain all records for transactions under Rule 114B of I—T Act.

President of India to release India rankings 2017 report on April 10

●    The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will release the India Rankings 2017 report on April 10, 2017 at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
●    He will also present awards to top-ranked institutions i.e. top 10 in overall category and toppers in the streamwise categories -Engineering, Management, Universities, Colleges and Pharmacy.
●    India Rankings under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) were introduced in 2016 to rank Indian Universities. 
●    The Ministry of Human Resources and Development had launched the Ranking System on September 29, 2015. 
●    The first Rankings were announced on April 6, 2016. 
●    The Second Rankings (India Rankings 2017) have been announced on April 3, 2017.

Govt allows transgenders to use public toilets

While the Donald Trump administration in the US recently rescinded Obama-era guidelines that allowed transgender students unrestricted access to bathrooms matching their gender identity, the Indian government has moved to allow the members of the community to use toilets of their choice.
●    In a significant move, the Ministry of Sanitation on Monday (April 3) issued guidelines to the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) stating that members of the third-gender community be allowed to use public toilet of their choice (men or woman), according to a report in Scroll.in.
●    Under the heading of ‘Inclusivity,’ the statement said that a “conscious effort” should be made to ensure that members of the community are “recognised as equal citizens and users of toilets”.
●    The guidelines on gender issues in sanitation also stated that there were examples from across India where those belonging to the third gender have played a significant role in taking the “message of Swachhata” to other households in their community.
 

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: APPOINTMENTS

SN Subrahmanyan chosen as new CEO of L&T

Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Friday announced that SN Subrahmanyan will be its new CEO and MD with effect from July 1.
●    AM Naik, who has been serving as Chairman since 2003, will become the non-executive Chairman for three years from October 1.
●    Subrahmanyan, who joined L&T in 1984, is currently the Deputy Managing Director and President of the company. 
●    He has a degree in civil engineering and is a post-graduate in business management.
●    In a brief telephonic conversation with BusinessLine, Subrahmanyan said succession planning in L&T has been a well-thought process. 
●    The company will move along lines that have already been planned, he said.
 

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India and ADB Sign $175 Million Loan Agreement to help improve Solar Transmission System

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $175 million loan agreement to support construction of high voltage transmission systems to evacuate power generated from new mega solar parks to the interstate grid, and improve reliability of the national grid system here yesterday. 
●    The loan will be given to the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) and will include subprojects in various locations in India. 
●    As an innovative feature, the project is designed to adopt the country systems on both safeguards and procurement at the agency level. 
●    This will be the ADB’s first breakthrough of the country system’s application to a specific project. 
●    Mr. Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of India while Mr. Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission signed for ADB. 
 

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Thai king signs pro-military Constitution

In an elaborate ceremony, Thailand's king has signed the country's military-backed constitution. 
●    The document paves the way for Thailand to hold elections in the coming months, but critics say it only solidifies the power of the military.
●    Voters approved the constitution by a wide margin last August, two years after the Thai military seized power in a coup, as The Two-Way has reported. 
●    The junta has argued that this constitution was badly needed to restore stability.
●    The new constitution "constrains further elected governments with an appointed senate, and commits governments to follow the military's 20-year development plan," according to the BBC.
●    But this is actually a slightly different document than the one Thailand voted on. 
●    It contains six changes made at the request of new King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, who acceded after the death of his father in October.
Those changes expand the power of the monarchy. For example, according to the Bangkok Post, the king may leave the country without appointing another regent. Also, it removes a requirement for the king to call a meeting with the heads of top courts and the Senate in the event of a constitutional crisis.
 

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: DAYS & DATES

World Health Day observed by WHO

World Health Day is being observed on 7 April 2017 with theme 'Depression: Let's Talk. On this occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO) is leading a one-year global campaign on depression which is the leading cause of ill-health and disability worldwide.
●    The goal of the campaign is that more people with depression, everywhere in the world, both seek and get help. 
●    Depression is the leading cause of ill-health and disability worldwide.
●    As per a report of WHO, more than 300 million people are now living with depression, which is an increase of more than 18 per cent between 2005 and 2015. 
●    At worst, depression can lead to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year olds.
●    The World Health Day is being celebrated annually on 7th of April to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization. 
●    The day also provides with a unique opportunity to mobilise action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.
 

Important Current Affairs 7th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 7th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 7th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Govt to set up Rail Development Authority to fix fares

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of a Rail Development Authority (RDA) meant primarily to determine rail tariffs — fares and freight charges.
●    Besides, the independent regulatory body will also set efficiency and performance standards for the railways. 
●    It will also ensure fair play and level playing field for stakeholders.
●    According to the fine print, the board will consist of a chairman and three members, who will each have terms of five years.
●    Besides, fixing the fare and freight and fare charges, the authority would also be responsible for ensuring quality of service, promoting competition, encouraging market development, efficient allocation of resources, protecting the interest of consumers,  provide non-discriminatory open access specially on DFC and to benchmark service levels for ensuring quality, continuity and reliability of service.
●    Commenting on the development, former Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi said that it is a camouflage for privatisation of railways.

President of India inaugurates first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017 today (April 7, 2017) in New Delhi. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that he was happy that NIMCARE has taken the lead in organizing this Conference on World Health Day. 
●    The slogan of the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit is, ‘Unite for a Healthy Mind’. 
●    He stated that lack of mental well-being contributes significantly to the total disability and morbidity burden across the world. 
●    Productivity of human beings, whether in workforce or in family situations, gets reduced significantly if one has any mental disorder. 
●    Mental health disorders span a very wide range from simple disorders to very complex situations. 
●    It is often seen that simpler disorders, if not managed in time, tend to become more complex putting the patient at higher risk of morbidity. 
●    Such patients often become a bigger burden on the families. 

Jio ordered by TRAI to withdraw 15 day Prime Plan extension 

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked Reliance to withdraw its 15-day extension on Jio Prime plan. 
●    It has also advised the telecom provider to reconsider its 3-month complimentary offer. 
●    Jio has welcomed regulator’s direction and said will comply with it. 
●    On 31st March, Mukesh Ambani-owned reliance extended its Jio Prime plan membership deadline for another 15 days and also announced a 3-month complimentary offer for those who paid Rs 303 before 15th April.
●    Earlier in the day, TRAI said it will bring out in the next few weeks its order on the revised quality of service norms for mobile services, including benchmarks for newer technologies like VoLTE. 

GST Bill passed by Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha on 6 April 2017 passed all four supporting legislations of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill 2017. 
●    The four bills were passed by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote as all parties were on board. The four legislations are
●    The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017 (The CGST Bill)
●    The Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017 (The IGST Bill)
●    The Union Territory Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017 (The UTGST Bill)
●    The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill, 2017 (The Compensation Bill)
●    The passage in the upper house of the Parliament has cleared the decks for the rollout of the historic GST Bill from 1 July 2017 and usher the one-nation-one-tax regime.
●    With this passage in Rajya Sabha, the Bill will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for the final nod. 
●    The bills will become the law after the President gives his assent to them. 
●    The Bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on 29 March 2017.
●    Now, the States can pass the State GST Bill in their assemblies.

Uma Bharti Launches MIS for Monitoring PMKSY Projects

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti launched MIS for monitoring PMKSY project in New Delhi today. 
●    Speaking on the occasion the Minister said the MIS will help in quick monitoring of PMKSY projects. 
●    Expressing satisfaction over the execution of various PMKSY projects the Minister said that 21 projects having irrigation potential of 5.22 Lakh hectare will be over by June this year. 
●    She said another 33 projects will be over by 2017-18 (Potential Utilization of 12.95 Lakh Hect.) and the balance 45 projects have been identified to be completed by March, 2019 (Potential Utilization of 48.54 Lakh Ha.). 
●    The Minister said issues in respect of many other projects which were at standstill such as Gosikhurd in Maharashtra have been streamlined and are getting back on track so as to meet the completion targets of March 2019. 
●    This project is likely to create an irrigation potential of 2.50 lakh ha. Similarly, Polavaram Project has been put on a fast track when completed this project is likely to irrigate 2.9 lakh ha. 
Sushri Bharti said many States like Maharashtra have undertaken innovative means such as installation of underground pressure pipelines to get over the difficulties of land acquisition for timely completion of these projects. 
 

Current Affairs 7th April 2017: ECONOMY

Rs 2 lakh withdrawal limit won't apply to banks, post offices

Ban on cash transaction in excess of Rs 2 lakh will not be applicable to withdrawals from banks and post office savings accounts, the Income-Tax department said today.
●    Through the Finance Act 2017, the government has banned cash transactions of over Rs 2 lakh and said a penalty of an equal amount would be levied on the receiver.
●    In a clarification on the newly inserted Section -- 269ST -- in the I-T Act, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the restriction shall not apply to withdrawal from banks and post offices.
●    It said necessary notification in this regard would be issued.
●    In the 2017-18 Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had proposed to ban cash transaction of over Rs 3 lakh. 
●    This limit was lowered to Rs 2 lakh as an amendment to the Finance Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last month.
●    The said restriction is also not applicable to any receipt by government, banking company, post office savings bank or co-operative bank, the CBDT said.
 

Current Affairs 7th April 2017: SPORTS

India jumps 31 places to attain best FIFA ranking in 20 years

The Indian football team achieved its best-ever Fifa ranking in over two decades as it jumped to 101 in the latest list released on Thursday.
●    Following a couple of wins in recent times, the Indian football team is now ranked 11th in Asia. 
●    This is the team's best-ever ranking since May 1996 - it was ranked 101 then also.
●    India have jumped 31 places from its last rank of 132nd in the previous month.
●    Following a couple of wins in recent times, India are now ranked 11th in Asia.
●    The highest Fifa ranking achieved by India ever is 94, which was attained in February 1996. 
●    India were ranked 99 in November 1993 and 100 in October 1993, December 1993 and April 1996.
●    The last couple of years had been fruitful for India as they won 11 of their 13 matches, including an unofficial game against Bhutan, while scoring a total of 31 goals.
●    India recently posted a 1-0 victory over Myanmar in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers - their first-ever in Myanmar in over 64 years.
●    Before that India's first win in an away encounter in over a decade came when they beat Cambodia 3-2 in an international friendly.

Misbah ul Haq retires from Test Cricket

The Pakistan Test captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, on 6 April 2017 announced that he would be retiring from international cricket after the end of the Test series in West Indies.
●    However, the cricketer will continue to play cricket at the domestic level.
●    Pakistan is scheduled to play three Test matches against West Indies, the first of which will start on 21 April 2017 in Jamaica.
●    Misbah had taken over the captaincy of the Test team in the wake of the spot-fixing controversy in 2010 in which Salman Butt, the captain then, was banned for five years alongside Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
●    Born 28 May 1974, Misbah-ul-Haq Khan Niazi leads the Test Pakistan national cricket team.
●    He also served as the One Day International (ODI) captain until his retirement from ODI cricket after the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
●    He is a middle-order batsman.
●    He made his Test debut in March 2001, and has so far aggregated 4951 runs in 72 games at an average of 45.84.
●    He holds the world record of scoring most runs without century in ODI career.
 

Important Current Affairs 6th April 2017 with Free PDF

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We bring you Important Current Affairs 6th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 6th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Inauguration of Multi-Sensor Aero-Geophysical Surveys over Obvious Geological Potential (OGP) Areas Engaging International Agencies by Shri Piyush Goyal 

Piyush Goyal  Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power Coal, New and Renewable Energy  and Mines, will inaugurate the multisensory aero-geophysical survey of the Obvious Geological Potential (OGP) and adjoining areas of the country through video conferencing in the Constitution Club New Delhi tomorrow i.e. 7 April 2017. 
●    Two aircrafts equipped with geophysical sensors belonging to a consortium of service providers led by M/s McPhar International (India) with partners EON Geosciences Inc. (Canada) and Kiwi Air Ltd. (New Zealand) and brought from New-Zealand will be launched from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur for the aero-geophysical data acquisition.
●    The other two selected agencies i.e. M/s Scientific Production Centre GEOKEN Ltd Liability Partnership (Kazakhstan) with Helica s.r.l (Italy) and Secon Pvt. Ltd. (India) and M/s IIC Technologies Ltd (India) along with Geophysics GPR International Inc. (Canada) and Goldak Airborne Surveys (Canada) will start their operations in the third week of April 2017. 
The Mines Minister will also release a brochure of GSI on the Multi-sensor Aero-Geophysical Surveys over Obvious Geological Potential and adjoining areas.

Indian Railways to redevelop 400 major stations

Railways have planned to redevelop about 400 ‘A-1’ and ‘A’ category stations, including Delhi, with private participation, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
●    Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said the Railways have advertised its plan for about 400 ‘A-1’ and ‘A’ category stations which are generally located in major cities and important tourist destinations on ‘as is where is’ basis for redevelopment.
●    He said during Question Hour that the process has been started by inviting proposals from interested parties with their designs and business ideas.
●    Prabhu said the entire cost of the station redevelopment is to be met by leveraging commercial development of spare railway land/air space in and around the station.
●    The process is designed to be completely transparent and to obtain best in class designs from developer. 
●    The programme is conceived to be cash-neutral to the Railways, rather it is expected to yield earnings for the Railways in the form of premium submitted by the developers.
●    1,253 railway stations have been identified for upgradation by the Indian Railways under the ongoing ‘Adarsh station’ scheme.

Expats in India for over 182 days need Aadhaar for I-T

Expatriates who have stayed for at least 182 days in India a year before July 1, 2017, need to apply for Aadhaar if they are filing tax returns in the country. 
●    Else, they would have to file returns by June 30 this year. 
●    The income tax (I-T) department clarified that foreign nationals who stayed less than 182 days need not quote the Aadhaar number in their I-T returns.
●    According to the Aadhaar Act, 2016, those who have stayed in India for at least 182 days (almost six months) in a year preceding the date of application for Aadhaar are considered residents.
●    The requirement of mandatorily quoting the Aadhaar number is effective from July 1.
●    This means that those who have stayed in India for more than almost six months between June 30, 2016, and July 1, 2017, need to quote their Aadhaar number. 
●    Thus, those who were in India for at least 182 days a year prior to July 2017 and are required to file income tax returns will need to get Aadhaar. 
●    If these expatriates have left India, they will have to come back to apply for Aadhaar as it requires biometric details, said Naveen Wadhwa of Taxmann. 
●    The other option before them is to file the returns before June 30, he said.

MoS (Home) Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir launches NPDRR website

The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir launched the website, http://npdrr2-mha.net.in, for the ensuing 2nd meeting of National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) here today. 
●    This is an exclusive website to share all information related to the NPDRR and keep updating delegates on daily basis about the meeting. 
●    The 2nd meeting of the NPDRR will be held in the last week of April this year in New Delhi on the theme 'Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development: Making India Resilient by 2030'. 
●    The first meeting of NPDRR was held during May 13 -14, 2013 in New Delhi on the theme 'Mainstreaming DRR in Development: From Risk to Resilience'. 
●    The NPDRR is a multi-stakeholder National Platform headed by the Union Home Minister and consists of representatives from Central Government, State Governments, Local Self Governments, Parliament, Specialised agencies dealing with disaster, Institutions of National Importance, Industry, Media, Civil Society Organizations and International Organizations. 
●    The NPDRR promotes participatory decision making in disaster management and strengthens federal policy of our country.

Current Affairs 6th April 2017: ECONOMY

RBI appoints Malvika Sinha as new Executive Director

The Reserve Bank has appointed Malvika Sinha as Executive Director following the appointment of B P Kanungo as Deputy Governor.
●    IBM Cloud solutions illuminate your dark, unstructured data with intelligent, insightful analysis. 
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●    As Executive Director, she will look after foreign exchange department, department of government and bank accounts and internal debt management wing, RBI said in a release.
●    Kanungo was Executive Director of the Reserve Bank before being elevated to the post of Deputy Governor.
●    Sinha had joined the Reserve Bank in 1982 and as a career central banker served in the areas of regulation and supervision, foreign exchange and government and bank accounts.
 

Current Affairs 6th April 2017: SPORTS

Sports Minister Vijay Goel approves appointment of Foreign Coaches in Athletics

Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel has approved appointment of foreign coaches and support staff in discipline of athletics. 
●    He said that his ministry is committed to provide best possible help and support, sports infrastructure and equipments to athletes in their training for preparation and participation in international competitions.
●    He said appointments of foreign coaches and support staff have been made upto 2020 Olympics and they will be subject to performance review annually.
●    Following are the appointments approved:
●    Mr. Dave Smith, Australia - Race Walking
●    Ms. Galina P. Bukharina, USA - 400 M & 400M Relay
●    Mr. Dmitry Kislev, Russia - Masseur
●    Ms. Elmira Kisleva, Russia - Masseuse

Kohli named Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year Award 2016

2017 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack India's ace batsman Virat Kohli on 5 April 2017 was named the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2016.
●    The announcement was made in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, which is also often referred to as the ‘Bible of the Cricket.’
●    Kohli also features on the cover of the 2017 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. 
●    It shows the cricketer playing a reverse sweep in a Test match.
●    Two Pakistani cricketers, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, have been named in the list of the five Cricketers of the Year. It is the first time since 1997.
●    The other Cricketers of the Year are Ben Duckett, Toby Roland-Jones, and Chris Woakes.
●    Ellyse Perry was named the Leading Woman Cricketer in the World.
●    The other honourees included AJ Woodland, the left-hand opening batsman who scored 1200 runs across formats for St Edward’s School, Oxford who was chosen as the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year.

Important Current Affairs 5th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 5th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

First expressway in Northeast to be built along the Brahmaputra

The Assam government would soon start work on a 890-km Express Highway along the entire length of the Brahmaputra in the state from Sadiya in the east to Dhubri in the west, which in turn would also help arrest river-bank erosion, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in Dibrugarh on Tuesday.
●    Launching the survey work for the proposed Brahmaputra Express Highway, CM Sonowal said his government had already sought support from World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Ambassadors of several countries in recent weeks.
●    Chief Minister Sonowal also announced that Government of The Assam government would also soon send an expert committee to China to carry out an in-depth study on how that country had tamed the Hwang-Ho river that was once termed as a sorrow of China. 
●    He also distributed engagement letters to 16 groups today for carrying out survey of the project.
●    The chief minister also said that the concept of an express highway along both banks of the Brahmaputra was conceived by Union Road Transport and Highway Minister, Nitin Gadkari. 
●    The latter had pointed out that silt dug out by dredging the river could be used for construction of the express highway, Sonowal said.

Jawan who escorted Dalai Lama to India felicitated

The Assam Rifles on Tuesday felicitated its veteran, Naren Chandra Das, who escorted the Dalai Lama during his escape from Tibet nearly 60 years ago at the force’s headquarter here.
●    Assam Riffles DG Lieutenant General Shokin Chauhan felicitated Das in the presence of the rank and file of the force during the commanders’ conference.
●    Assam Riffles chief reaffirmed the force’s pledge to look after its veterans and how a special cell was started wherein all veterans can register and interact directly for their grievances.
●    He said a befitting tribute was paid to 76 year-old Das, the only surviving jawan among the eight Assam Riffles men who escorted the Tibetan spiritual leader in 1959.
●    Das, who was dressed in the force’s uniforms, carried a broad smiled boasting of how he happily carried the duty entrusted to him when he was posted at Lungla near the China border.
●    Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama had an emotional reunion with Das at Guwahati recently during the Namami Brahmaputra festival.
 

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: ECONOMY

Aditya Birla Group gets RBI money to start Payments Bank

The Aditya Birla Group today said it has received licence from the Reserve Bank of India to start payments bank.
●    Headed by Kumar Mangalam Birla, the group's outfit Aditya Birla Nuvo had set up a 51:49 joint venture -- Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd -- with telecom major Idea Cellular to launch payments bank services in the country.
●    At present, Airtel and India Post are offering payments bank services in the country.
●    Idea Cellular Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajat Mukherjee had earlier said the Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank will be launched in the first half of 2017.
●    With the objective of deepening financial inclusion, RBI kicked off an era of differentiated banking by allowing SFBs (small finance banks) and PBs (payments banks) to start services. 
●    A total of 21 entities were given in-principle nod, including 11 for payments banks.

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: SPORTS

India 3rd highest in doping violations

India may be a long way off from being counted among the sporting powerhouses in the world, but as far as finding a shortcut to a podium goes, the nation is placed third in the world.
●    In the latest report published by the World Anti-Doping Agency, India are placed third for a third straight year for the number of doping violations in the world. 
●    The report is for the year 2015 and the country saw as many as 117 athlete testing positive for banned substances.
●    Ahead of India are the Russian Federation (176) and Italy (129) in the doping violation chart released by the WADA. 
●    All the violations by Indians came from urine samples.
●    The violations were committed during 2015 and the WADA report was prepared after compiling information of analytical findings and sanctions rendered till January 31 this year by various accredited anti-doping bodies.
●    This is the first set of Anti-Doping Rule Violation statistics under the revised WADA Code and third such report in its history since 2013.

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: OBITUARY

Classical singer Kishori Amonkar passes away

Kishori Amonkar, the renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, passed away in Mumbai on 3 April 2017. She was 84.
●    Amonkar, one of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition, was an innovator of the Jaipur Gharana. 
●    The Jaipur Gharana is a community of musicians sharing a distinctive musical style.
●    Born on 10 April 1932 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Kishori began receiving vocal lessons in Hindustani classical music from several Gharanas along with her mother Mogubai Kurdikar.
●    Trained under her mother, classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar of the Jaipur Gharana, Kishori was a performer of the classical genre khyal and the light classical genres of bhajan and thumri.
●    In 1964, she turned towards the film music and sang playback for Geet Gaya Patharon Ne (1964) but returned to classical music.

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Indian Malaysian firms exchange MoUs

India and Malaysia on 1 April 2017 inked seven agreements including the development of a fertiliser plant in Malaysia. 
●    The agreements were signed to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations.
●    These MoUs/agreements were signed during the Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak’s visit to India. 
●    Raazak was on a six-day visit (from 30 March - 04 April 2017) to India. 
●    India-Malaysia inked seven agreements.
●    The two nations signed an Air Services Agreement.
●    MoU on Cooperation in the proposed development of a Urea and Ammonia Manufacturing Plant in Malaysia and off-take of existing surplus urea from Malaysia to India.
●    It envisages Malaysian consortium of Isomeric Holding Sdn Bhd and Edra Power Holdings Sdn Bhd to put up a 2.5 MT/annum urea and ammonia manufacturing plant in Malacca, Malaysia for dedicated consumption by India. 
●    It also envisages off take to India the existing surplus Urea from Malaysia as per India’s requirement.
 

Important Current Affairs 4th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 4th April 2017 with Free PDF in English and Hindi, which will update you with latest headlines, news from various domains i.e: National News, Sports, Business, Awards & recognition. It will help you in preparation of competitive exams like: SSC, SBI, IBPS PO, Clerk, Railways & Various other Entrance examinations.

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

IISc Bangalore declared Best University in India by Govt

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, the first Indian institution to make it to the top 10 in a global ranking, has been ranked at the top in the annual national rankings released by the HRD ministry.
●    Seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have also made it to the list of the top 10 educational institutions released under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the other two being Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
●    The results of the second edition of the domestic ranking were announced by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar here today.
●    Unlike last year, this time the ranking was released under five categories -- Overall, Colleges, Universities, Management and Engineering. IISc figured at the top in 'Overall' and 'Universities' categories.
●    JNU, which was at third position in the last ranking, has been ranked second this year in 'Universities' category.
●    In the 'Overall' ranking, the university, which has been at the centre of controversies for over a year, has been placed at the sixth position.

Thaawar Chand Gehlot Inaugurates “National Conference on Autism”

Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated a “National Conference on Autism” organized by The National Trust for the welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment . 
●    Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar and Shri Ramdas Athawale were also present. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between The National Trust and Rotary Club in the field of Autism. 
●    Three publications of The National Trust were also released by Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot on the occasion.
●    Addressing on the occasion, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot said that the persons affected by Autism face challenges in many areas of their lives and thus educating the public about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and raising Autism awareness has been the focus of large scale initiatives in many countries. 
●    He awarded the talented and creative children living with Autism and wished them success in their career ahead. 
●    Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment regularly organizes Camps for distribution of all types of assistive devices to Divyanjana nationwide. 

President of India Inaugurates the 44 Kms Deoghar - Basukinath Solar Street Light Project

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 44 Kms Deoghar - Basukinath Solar Street Light Project and laid the foundation stone of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Centre; Employees State Insurance Corporation Hospital and Driver's Training Centres at Deoghar, Jharkhand today (April 2, 2017). 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Jharkhand played a key role in India’s freedom struggle. 
●    The pain and sacrifices of Sidho Murmu, Kanho Murmu, Tilka Manjhi and Birsa Munda are always remembered. The state has made progress on many fronts since attaining statehood in 2000. 
●    Its rich deposits of mineral resources, forests and industrial infrastructure etc. have laid down the foundation for all-round development. 
●    The President said that he comes from Bengal. Indeed, Jharkhand, Bihar, undivided Bengal, Orissa and Assam were part of the same Bengal Presidency for a long period in the earlier part of the last century. 
●    The area has a shared past and heritage and its shaping in the post Independence era has also been similar.

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: ECONOMY

Tax Evasion over Rs. 5 crore a non-bailable offence under GST

Tax evasion of over Rs 5 crore under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime would be a non-bailable offence. 
●    The new regime also empowers police to make an arrest without warrant.
●    The Central GST (CGST) Act has defined offences related to taxable good or services.
●    The act provides that if the offences will be cognizable and non-bailable when the taxable goods and/or services where the amount of tax evaded or the amount of input tax credit wrongly availed or the amount of refund wrongly taken exceeds Rs 5 crore.
●    The Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) in its 223-page frequently asked questions (FAQ) on GST said other offences under the act are non-cognizable and bailable. 
●    FAQ suggests that cognizable offence means the serious category of offences in respect of which a police officer has the authority to make an arrest without a warrant and to start an investigation with or without the permission of a court.

RBI clears proposal to introduce Rs. 200 note

The board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cleared a proposal to introduce banknotes of Rs200 denomination, two people aware of the development said.
●    The decision was taken at the RBI board meeting in March, these people said. 
●    They didn’t want to be identified as they aren’t authorized to speak to the media.
●    The process of printing the new Rs200 notes is likely to begin after June, once the government officially approves this new denomination, said one of the two people cited earlier.
●    The move to introduce lower denomination notes comes against the backdrop of the government’s move to rework the currency mix.
●    On 8 November, it announced the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, amounting to around 86% of currency in circulation of Rs17.9 trillion.
●    Since then, RBI has replaced these with the new Rs2,000 and redesigned Rs500 bank notes. 
●    As on 24 March, currency in circulation was Rs13.12 trillion, still around 27% off pre-demonetization levels. 
●    The government is encouraging digital payments and may not increase currency in circulation to the pre-demonetization level.
 

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: BUSINESS

Essar Sells BPO business Aegis for up to Rs. 2000 crore

Ruias-led Essar Group has decided to sell its business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Aegis to Singapore-based Capital Square Partners for about $300 million in a bid to reduce the group debts.
●    AGC Holdings Limited (AGC) Mauritius, a wholly-owned portfolio company of Essar Global Limited (Essar Global), has entered into a definitive agreement with Capital Square Partners (CSP) to sell 100% of its stake for an undisclosed amount in ESM Holdings Limited, Mauritius, which is the holding company of Aegis, a major global outsourcing company, according to a company statement on Monday.
●    “The deal size is pegged about $300 million and the net proceeds of this sale will be used to retire Essar’s debt,” said a source in the know of the development.
●    Essar entered the BPO business in 2004 with the acquisition of the US-based Aegis Communications Group, with 2,000 employees.
●    In 2014, AGC announced the successful sale of Aegis USA Inc to Teleperformance, thereby substantially reducing Aegis revenues and headcount.
 

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Aruna Sethi appointed as the Chief Adviser (Cost) in the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure

Mrs. Aruna Sethi, 1985 batch officer of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) has been elevated to the position of Chief Adviser (Cost) in the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure w.e.f. 1st April, 2017.  
●    She is the first lady ICoAS officer who has reached this position.  
●    Earlier, she headed ICoAS from 1st February, 2016 onwards, being the senior most ICoAS officer.  
●    ICoAS is one of the six Organized Accounting Services of the Government of India. 
●    Chief Adviser (Cost) is advising the Ministries and Government Undertakings on cost accounts matters and undertaking cost investigation on their behalf.
 

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: SPORTS

Federer Wins Miami Open Title

Roger Federer on 2 April 2017 outclassed Spain’s Rafael Nadal to win the 2017 Miami Open Men's Singles title.
●    Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion defeated Nadal in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to win his third Miami Open title.
●    Born on 8 August 1981, Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player.
●    At present, he is ranked world No. 4 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)
●    He turned professional in 1998.
●    From October 2002 to November 2016, he continuously ranked in the top 10.
●    He held the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings for a total of 302 weeks.
●    He has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in history for a male tennis player
●    In majors, he has won seven Wimbledon titles, five Australian Open titles, five US Open titles and one French Open title.