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Important Current Affairs 18th April 2017 Free PDF

Important Current Affairs 18th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 18th 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 18th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Indian Warships on Overseas Deployment: Visit Souda Bay, Greece

As part of the Indian Navy’s Overseas Deployment (OSD) to the Mediterranean Sea and the West Coast of Africa, four warships, namely Indian Naval Ships Mumbai, Trishul, Tarkash and Aditya, arrived at Souda Bay, Greece for a three-day visit yesterday. 
●    The warships will engage with the Hellenic Navy during their stay in the country. Apart from professional interactions, a number of sports and social engagements are planned, which would go a long way in enhancing co-operation and understanding between the two navies. 
●    The visiting ships are part of the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command and are based in Mumbai. 
●    The Task Group is headed by Rear Admiral RB Pandit, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, who is flying his flag on the indigenous guided missile destroyer, INS Mumbai. 
●    The current visit seeks to underscore India’s peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly and like-minded countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain and to strengthen the existing bonds between India and Greece.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Appreciates India’s Climate Actions

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary, Ms. Patricia Espinosa, met the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave, here today.  
●    During the meeting, Shri Dave highlighted India’s Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS) train being run as an ongoing climate change awareness programme for various sections of society, especially students. 
●    The Environment Minister also emphasized the importance of sustainable lifestyles in addressing the climate change issues.
●    UNFCCC Executive Secretary praised India’s actions as an example for many other countries. 
●    She emphasized the need to showcase these efforts on international platforms.

Prakash Javadekar inaugurates National Conference on innovation (Navonmesh) in School Education

Imparting of Quality Education to Students is the crux of the learning outcome process for which we have to strive continuously and it is the Teacher as well as Parents, concerned departments, Educationist and the society in general has to work collectively. 
●    Our Government has now charted the modalities of learning outcome process. 
●    Addressing a three day national conference on innovation (Navonmesh) in school education here at NCERT headquarters New Delhi today, Union Minister of Human Resources Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar emphasised the need to impart quality Education to students in such a manner so that they could come up as good citizens imbibed with values.
●    Shri Javadekar said we are planning to create awareness among parents and teachers as well as students regarding the norms of education being given at certain level in definitive mode. 
●    For this posters will be displayed in school across the country. 
●    Teacher will be provided proper training and accountability will be fixed. 
●    He said our Government has drawn up the learning outcome charter to improve and ensure the quality of Education.
 

Current Affairs 18th April 2017: APPOINTMENTS

B.N.Mohapatra takes over as the New Financial Commissioner (FC) of (Railways)

Shri B.N.Mohapatra has been appointed as the new Financial Commissioner (FC) (Railways) and ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India and has taken over the charge on 17/04/2017.  
●    Prior to this posting, Shri B.N.Mohapatra was posted as Additional Member/ Finance since 01.11.2016.
●    An officer of Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) of 1980 examination batch, Shri  B.N.Mohapatra completed his post graduation in Political Science and graduation in LLB.
●    During his career, Sh. Mohapatra has worked on various higher and middle level management posts on the Indian Railways like DRM/ Tinsukhia, NFR, Assistant General Manager (AGM) on East Coast Railway. 
●    In Railway Board he has worked in various directorates like Pay Commission, Establishment, Expenditure and Accounts as Executive Director and Advisor.

Current Affairs 18th April 2017: AWARDS

Meritorious SC & ST students awarded with Dr. Ambedkar National Merit Awards

Meritorious Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students of Secondary and Senior School examination of year 2016 were awarded with “Dr. Ambedkar National Merit Awards” at a function here today. 
●    Ministers of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Shri Vijay Sampla and Shri Ramdas Athawale presented the Awards to the SC & ST students who have topped the 10th and 12th standards examination of year 2016. New printed version of ‘Collected Works of Babasaheb Ambedkar (CWBA)’ and a set of Audio CDs on CWBA were released on the occasion. 
●    The function was organized by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
●    The awards have been distributed in two categories - in the first category, those SC & ST students who has excelled in the Secondary School Examination in the year 2016. 
●    As there is no female student in First, Second and Third rank, hence special awards have been announced to the highest scoring girl students to encourage the girl child education. 
●    In the second category of awards, the top graded SC & ST students of Senior Secondary School Examination 2016 have been awarded. 
●    Total Awardees in 10th Class and 12th Class are 79 & 105. The prize money of First Prize is Rs. 60,000/-, Second Prize is Rs. 50,000/- and Third Prize is Rs. 40,000/-.
 

Current Affairs 18th April 2017: SPACE SCIENCE


ISRO announces launch of South Asia Satellite on 5 May

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be launching its 'South Asia Satellite' on 5 May 2017. The launch aims to benefit all the countries in the region, except Pakistan.
●    The news on the agency’s plan to launch South Asia Satellite was confirmed by ISRO chief AS Kiran Kumar during his telephonic interview with PTI. He informed that it’s going up in the first week of May 2017.
●    But reports suggest (on basis of ISRO sources) that the launch of this communication satellite (GSAT-9) is scheduled for 5 May 2017. It will be launched on board the space agency's rocket GSLV-09 from Sriharikota spaceport.
●    The satellite with a lift-mass of 2195 kilogramme would carry 12 ku-band transponders.
●    It has been designed for a mission life of more than 12 years.
●    Earlier, the satellite was named as SAARC Satellite but was changed to South Asia Satellite when Pakistan was dropped from the list of nations taking part in the project.

Current Affairs 18th April 2017: DAYS AND DATES


World Heritage Day observed

The 2017 World Heritage Day was observed across the world on 18 April 2017. The theme for the year is Cultural Heritage & Sustainable Tourism.
●    The theme for the 2017 World Heritage Day was chosen in relation to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
●    The day is aims at raising awareness of the importance of protecting and preserving various sites around the world that have achieved world heritage status.
●    As of July 2016, there are 27 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed World Heritage Sites in India that are recognised by the UNESCO.
●    These sites are places of importance of cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.
●    India’s first two sites inscribed on the list at the Seventh Session of the World Heritage held in 1983 were the Agra Fort and the Ajanta Caves.
 

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Important Current Affairs 17th April 2017 Free PDF

Important Current Affairs 17th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 17th 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 17th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India Honours Freedom Fighters on the occasion of Centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended an event to commemorate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha, at Patna today (April 17, 2017) where he honoured freedom fighters. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that we are today commemorating the hundred years of Champaran Satyagraha. 
●    Champaran in Bihar served as the laboratory of Satyagraha and National Freedom Movement. 
●    He said that the symbolic significance of Champaran Satyagraha was much greater than what actually happened in Champaran.
●    Along with the Kheda Satyagraha of 1917-1918, the Champaran Satyagraha was the movement responsible for putting Gandhi on the front seat of the Indian nationalist movement and making satyagraha a powerful tool of civilian resistance.


 

Nation-wide training programme launched for Elected Women representatives (EWRs) of Panchayats 

A comprehensive module for capacity building of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) of Panchayats and a training program for Trainers of women panchayat leaders across the country was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj today. 
●    The training program was launched at Ranchi, Jharkhand through a video conference, by the Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in the presence of Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi today. 
●    The training program seeks to empower EWRs of panchayats by enhancing their capacity, capability and skill in governance and administration of villages.
●    Addressing the select women trainers/women sarpanches of Jharkhand at the video conference today, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that inspite of 33% reservation for women in the panchayat bodies, the EWRs continue to remain ineffective since they do not have appropriate knowledge and skill to administer the village, and the show continues to be run by their husbands.

Prakash Javadekar launches Portal and Mobile App of RUSA

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar today launched the unique portal and mobile app of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a body under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resource Development here in New Delhi.
●    Speaking on the occasion Shri Javadekar said “Our Government’s first priority is to improve the quality of primary as well as higher education. 
●    Unless we improve the quality of education we will not be able to create capable people and good citizen and therefore improvement of quality is the thrust for all our efforts in the educational fields. 
●    Today this is a unique event as well as experiment wherein we have inaugurated 17 facilities created under Rashtriya Ucchatat Shiksha Abiyan (RUSA) in one go in 14 states”. 
●    He said that Centre and State Government will be deliberating and discussing upon the modalities for bringing improvement further.
●    Under the concept of RUSA the quality of education can go up by improving the research labs infrastructure and creating smart class rooms and various other programmes by which the quality enhancement and value addition to the students happen, Shri Javadekar added. 
●    The Minister said ‘RUSA is a success and during the last three years Modi Government has increased the expenditure to the tune of Rs. 2800 crore for this. 
●    He said we have created infrastructure in many universities, colleges and model colleges.

Army Commander’s Conference Begins

Biannual Army Commander’s Conference commenced on 17 April 2017 with the opening address by Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantt.
●    Army Commander’s Conference is an important event in the planning and execution process of the Indian Army. 
●    To ensure due diligence, decisions are taken through a collegiate system comprising the Army Commanders and other senior officers who will deliberate upon the prevailing security scenario, strategic and actionable issues to ensure effective combat edge of the Indian Army. 
●    Gen Bipin Rawat, the Army Chief, in his opening address emphasized that all systems were working well and complimented all those who are working on the ground. 
●    He observed that Indian Army continues to hold a strong image and a professional reputation. 
●    He exhorted all ranks to endeavour to further strengthen the same. 


 

Power Purchase Agreement for Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project signed

Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal, presided over the signing of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) between Delhi Metro Railways Corporation (DMRC) & Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company (MPPMC) with Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited, the implementing agency for the ‘world’s largest single­site solar power project’, the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Project (UMSPP, 750MW) in Bhopal today. 
●    Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information & Broadcasting, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu and Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. 
●    Addressing the gathering, Shri Naidu said that Madhya Pradesh is a special state having huge resource base that is being harnessed under Shri Chouhan’s leadership. 
●    Taking a huge step towards realizing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of 24x7 Affordable, Quality Power for All, Madhya Pradesh has successfully brought down the rate of solar power to Rs. 3.30/ unit, which is a huge revolution in its own right, Shri Naidu noted. 
●    The Minister said that seven cities in the State qualified as smart cities in the first round comprising a total of 20 cities. 
●    This has been made possible only through people's active participation and the dynamic leadership in the State, Shri Naidu said.

NDMA to conduct mock exercise on forest fire in Uttarakhand 

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will conduct its first-ever mock exercise on forest fire in Uttarakhand on Thursday (April 20, 2017) to help improve the preparedness and response mechanism in the event of a forest fire. 
●    The mock exercise will be conducted on the principle of Incident Response System (IRS), which identifies stakeholders and clearly attributes roles and responsibilities to each one of them. 
●    It will enhance preparedness and ensure a swift response by reducing confusion and chaos. 
●    It will help in filling gaps, ensuring better communication and improving coordination among various stakeholder agencies. 
●    It will also generate awareness among the local population about the Do's and Don'ts to be followed to prevent and respond to a forest fire.

70th Himachal Day celebrated across Himachal Pradesh

70th Himachal Day was celebrated across Himachal Pradesh (HP) on 15 April 2017. Himachal Pradesh came into existence by merging 30 odd princely states in 1948.
●    According to Transparency International Survey 2005, Himachal Pradesh was found to be the second least corrupt state in the country. 
●    In 1948, Himachal Pradesh’s Per Capita Income was Rs 240 and its GDP was Rs 26 crore. However, presently, Per Capita Income and its GDP are Rs 147277 and Rs 124570 crore respectively. 
●    Literacy rate increased from 7 per cent in 1948 to 82.80 per cent in 2011. 
●    Out of total 3226 panchayats, 3138 panchayats have been connected with motorable roads.
●    HP had electricity only in 6 villages when it was formed and only 331 villages had drinking water facility. But now, every village of Himachal Pradesh has piped electricity facility and water facility.
●    There were hardly any schools and health institutions at the time of its formation. 
●    Now, HP has a government school within a radius of 3 km and health institutions on almost every corner.

M.P. govt. inks pact to set up Asia's largest solar plant

The Madhya Pradesh government has inked a pact with IFC, member of the World Bank Group, to set up the world’s largest solar energy plant with a capacity of 750 MW.
●    The Rewa Ultra-Mega Solar Power Project will be set up in Gurh tehsil of Rewa district over an area of 1,500 hectares at an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore.
●    The project will be the largest single-site solar power project in the world, a release said.
●    The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Madhya Pradesh Renewable Energy Development Corporation and IFC.
●    “Successful implementation of the Rewa Ultra-Mega Power project will be a key milestone for Madhya Pradesh’s outstanding efforts and leadership in renewable energy and the Centre’s remarkable vision on solar power,” the state’s Energy Minister Rajendra Shukla said.
●    IFC, which is working with the Union government to assist in meeting its large-scale solar energy generation goals, is also supporting the state government for the project.
 

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Important Current Affairs 16th April 2017 Free PDF

Important Current Affairs 16th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 16th 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 16th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Digital transactions rose 23% in March

Digital transactions increased by about 23 times in March to nearly 64 lakh, with total value of Rs 2,425 crore, from last November when demonetisation took effect.
●    “Volume of all digital transactions increased by about 23 times with 63,80,000 digital transactions for a value of Rs2,425 crore in March 2017, compared to 2,80,000 digital transactions worth Rs101 crore till November 2016,” Niti Aayog said in a statement.
●    Aadhaar Enabled Payments have increased from 2.5 crore in November 2016 to over 5 crore in March 2017, it said.
●    After scrapping of Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes on November 8, 2016, the government had launched two schemes to incentivise digital payments—Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana on 25 December.
●    The statement also said Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transactions have also increased from 3.6 crore to 6.7 crore during the same period.
●    In order to achieve the target of 2,500 crore digital transactions in the current financial year, the Prime Minister today announced about 75 townships spread all over India as ‘less-cash townships’, it said.


 

PM Modi inaugurates new units in Koradi thermal power station in Nagpur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 April 2017 dedicated various units of the thermal power plants at Koradi, Chandrapur and Parli of Maharashtra to the nation. 
●    The total capacity of these plants is 3230 Mega Watts.
●    PM Modi inaugurates new units in Koradi thermal power station
●    The dedicated power plants include
●    Three super-critical units 660 MW each at Koradi
●    Two of 500 MW each at Chandrapur
●    One of 250 MW at Parli
●    The power station was inaugurated during Modi’s day-long visit to Nagpur.
●    Immediately after arrival at airport, he proceeded to sacred Deekshabhoomi and paid rich tributes to the Architect of Indian Constitution Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar at the Central Memorial on his birth anniversary.
●    Later, he dedicated the thermal power plants to the nation.

Noise pollution exceeds permissible limit in 7 Indian cities

The average level of noise pollution generally exceeds the permissible limits in seven cities of the country, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai.
●    The information was made available by Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave on Monday in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
●    He said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with its counterparts in every state carries out monitoring of noise pollution in seven metropolitan cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Hyderabad through a network of 70 noise-monitoring stations under National Ambient Noise Monitoring Programme (NANMP).
●    The noise standards for motor vehicles, air conditioners, refrigerators, gensets and certain types of construction equipment are prescribed in the Schedules of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, Dave said.
●    The minister said pressure horns (sirens and multi-tone horns) are banned except for police van, ambulance and fire brigades under provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.


Prakash Jvadekar to Launch Own Portal and Mobile App of RUSA

The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, is going to launch its own portal and mobile app tomorrow (the April 17, 2017) by Union HRD Minister Shri. Prakash Javadekar here in New Delhi. 
●    The portal is a one-stop for States’ Higher Education Plans, decision of the States’ Higher Education Councils and details of the resources under this scheme. Also, the gallery is a rich repository of the projects initiated under RUSA. 
●    Present on the occasion will be 12 State Education Ministers, Secretaries, RUSA Nodal officers, apart from those who will be present for the launch here; others will witness the launch through digital telecast. 
●    Seventeen RUSA projects will also be launched tomorrow digitally. They include a cluster university in Jammu and Kashmir, micro ATM facility at the RUSA centre for intelligent systems in Pune University, solar power facility in Shree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kerala; language laboratories in Ghatsila College, Jharkhand, among others.
 

Current Affairs 16th April 2017: AWARDS

Mahavir Phogat awarded FICCI's gender parity award

Mahavir Singh Phogat, a real life hero and father of wrestler Geeta Phogat, along with Apollo Hospital founder Prathap C Reddy, bagged Ficci’s gender parity award for their contribution in harnessing the talents of their daughters.
●    Phogat was accompanied by his Commonwealth Games gold medal winner daughter Geeta at the event that marked the launch of the country’s first gender parity index by Ficci’s Ladies Organisation (FLO), which will gauge how women fare in a male dominated corporate sector of India.
●    Industry captains lauded Phogat for empowering his daughters, which was replicated in Bollywood’s block-buster film Dangal, starring Aamir Khan.
●    Leading film director Farha Khan, fashion designer Anita Dongre, HDFC managing director Renu Sud Karnad and Hindustan Times group chairperson Shobhana Bhartia also got the Ficci Ladies Organisation ICON awards.
●    Giving away the awards, finance minister Arun Jaitley said India must move towards greater gender parity.
●    Amid a challenging global economic scenario, Jaitley said India is the only country which is willing to reform.
●    Vinita Bimbhet, president of FLO, said, “Gender equality is intrinsically linked to sustainable development. 
●    The overall objective of gender equality is a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all spheres of life.”

Current Affairs 16th April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Two billion people drinking contaminated water: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) on 13 April 2017 published a report, Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) 2017, that states that nearly two billion people currently use contaminated water.
●    The revelation was by made in the new report published by WHO on behalf of UN-Water.
●    The report states that countries will not meet global aspirations of universal access to safe drinking-water and sanitation unless steps are taken to use financial resources more efficiently.
●    Contaminated drinking-water is estimated to cause more than 500000 diarrhoeal deaths each year.
●    Contaminated water is also a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma.
 

Current Affairs 16th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

India cancels maritime talks with Pak

India has called off maritime security dialogue with Pakistan, scheduled for early next week, amid tensions over death sentence being awarded to Kulbhushan Jadhav.
●    A delegation led by Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency (MSA) was to visit New Delhi April 16-19 to discuss issues related to fishermen and search and rescue operations.
●    News agency Press Trust of India quoted its sources in the Coast Guard as saying the Ministry of Defence has not given clearance for the delegation's visit.
●    The development comes amid tension between the two countries over Mr Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer, being awarded death sentence by a Pakistani military court.
●    The death sentence to Mr Jadhav, 46, was confirmed by army chief General Bajwa after the Field General Court Martial found him guilty of "espionage and sabotage activities" in Pakistan.
●    Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Mr Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. It also claimed that he was "a serving officer in the Indian Navy." .
●    The Pakistan Army had also released a "confessional video" of Mr Jadhav after his arrest. However, India denied Pakistan's contention and maintained that Mr Jadhav was kidnapped by the Pakistan authorities.
 

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Important Current Affairs 15th April 2017 Free PDF

GK & Current Affairs

Important Current Affairs 15th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 15th 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 15th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India awards standards to Armoured Corps Centre and School Ahmednagar 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee awarded Standards to Armoured Corps Centre and School Ahmednagar today (April 15, 2017). 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that any nation draws it strength from all elements of National Power, and the capabilities of its Armed Forces are a major source of National power. 
●    Although we are a peace loving Nation, we will use all instruments of National power in order to protect our sovereignty. 
●    He was confident that our brave soldiers will rise to the occasion, as they have done so in the past, to meet the challenges and emerge victorious. 
●    The President complimented the brave men of the Armoured Corps Centre and School for their impeccable turnout and outstanding precision in the parade they displayed today. 
●    This distinguished Establishment has a glorious past and rich tradition of professionalism and excellence in imparting training to the men of the Armoured Corps, the Indian Army and Friendly Foreign Countries. 
●    Since its inception in 1948, the Armoured Corps Centre and School has distinguished itself in service of the nation. 
●    In recognition of its selfless devotion, professionalism and dedication to service the nation honours it today, with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation.

Nation Pays Homage to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar on his 127th Birth Anniversary 

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherji led the nation in paying homage to Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on his 127th Birth anniversary here today. 
●    He paid floral tributes at the statue of Baba Saheb at Parliament House Lawns in the Parliament House complex in the morning. 
●    The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Speaker, Lok Sabha Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Ghelot, Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar and Shri Vijay Sampla and leaders of various political parties paid tributes to Dr. Ambedkar at the statue of Baba Saheb at Parliament House Lawns. 
●    Thousands of people visited the Parliament House Complex since morning to pay tributes to the Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar amidst chanting of slogan ‘Baba Saheb Amar Rahe’, ‘Jai Bheem’ and ‘Jai Bharat’. 
●    The function organized by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment began with a prayer by Buddhist monks.

PM Narendra Modi launches BHIM-Aadhaar Pay app

Prime Minister Modi on 14 August 2017, the 126th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar, launched BHIM-Aadhaaar app for merchants in Nagpur. 
●    In addition to this, he also launched cash back and referral bonus schemes for BHIM and declared about 75 townships spread all over India as ‘less-cash townships’.
●    The initiatives were launched with an aim to further the digital payments revolution in India. It also seeks to reinforce the vision of Baba Saheb for social empowerment of all through financial inclusion.
●    Tributes to venerable Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Ambedkar Jayanti. 
●    BHIM-Aadhaar, the merchant interface of the BHIM App will pave the way for making digital payments by using the Aadhaar platform.
●    This will enable every Indian citizen to pay digitally using their biometric data like their thumb imprint on a merchants’ biometric-enabled device which could be smart phone having a biometric reader.
●    Any citizen without access to smart phones, the internet, debit or credit cards will be able to transact digitally through the BHIM Aadhaar platform.

Govt forms panel to study virtual currencies framework

The government has formed a panel to study the existing framework for virtual currencies such as bitcoin.
●    A finance ministry statement said Dinesh Sharma, special secretary in the economic affairs department will chair the nine-member interdisciplinary committee. The committee has been tasked to submit its report within three months.
●    Circulation of virtual currencies which are also known as digital/crypto Currencies has been a cause of concern, the statement said.
●    “This has been expressed in various fora from time to time. Reserve Bank of India had also cautioned the users, holders and traders of virtual currencies (VCs), including bitcoins, about the potential financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks that they are exposing themselves to vide its press releases dated 24 December, 2013 and February 1, 2017,” it added.
●    The panel will also have representatives from department of economic affairs, department of financial services, department of revenue, home ministry, IT ministry, Reserve Bank of India, NITI Aayog and State Bank of India.

Modi world’s most followed leader on Instagram

With 6.8 million followers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the world’s most followed leader on Facebook’s photo-sharing app Instagram, a new study revealed on Wednesday.
●    Modi, who was at third spot on Instagram last year, is closely followed by the US President Donald Trump with 6.3 million followers, said the study conducted by global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller.
●    The study looked at the activity of the 325 Instagram accounts of heads of state and government, and foreign ministers over the past 12 months.
●    Though Modi has only 53 photos posted on his account, he has been termed as the most effective world leader on the photo-sharing app, considering that each of his posts receives an average of 223,000 interactions.
 

Current Affairs 15th April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Malala Yousafzai becomes sixth honorary Canadian citizen

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Wednesday received honorary Canadian citizenship and praised Canada's open embrace of refugees under the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
●    Canada last year accepted 25,000 refugees from Syria and in January, when US President Donald Trump issued an immigration ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, Trudeau pointedly tweeted that refugees were welcome in Canada.
●    "Your motto and your stand - Welcome to Canada - is more than a headline or a hashtag," Yousafzai said in an address to legislators in the Canadian Parliament.
●    "I pray that you continue to open your homes and your hearts to the world's most defenceless children and families," she said.
●    Yousafzai, an Pakistani education activist who came to prominence when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head in 2012, is only the sixth person to receive honorary Canadian citizenship.
●    Other recipients include Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.

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Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 14th 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 14th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Bhopal to have India's first privately run rail station

Indian Railways has decided to push the accelerator, in order to increase non-fare revenues via innovative schemes and strategies. 
●    During 2016-17, Rs 10,181 crore was earned by Indian Railways via non-fare revenues, which they want to increase it to Rs 14,000 crore in this current fiscal year.
●    As we had shared earlier this year, some of the most interesting concepts for increasing non-fare revenues include branding of important trains, offering railway stations to private players and others.
●    The good news is that Railway Board has already approved several of these plans, and in the coming days, things would move swiftly.
●    One of the most talked about plans of Indian Railways was allowing brands to sponsor who trains, inner walls and the outer surface of coaches; and this plan is now approved.
●    A Railway official has given two examples: train named Paytm Express and Savlon Swachh Bharat Express, which would be soon running near your location.

All 4 GST bills cleared by President

President Pranab Mukherjee today cleared all four Goods and Service Tax (GST) Bills, days after they were passed by the Parliament.
●    The bills were passed in the Lok Sabha on March 29, and in the Rajya Sabha on April 6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet had approved them on March 20.
●    The bills are related to Central GST (C-GST), Integrated GST (I-GST), Union Territory GST (UT-GST) and the Compensation to the States Law.
●    The C-GST Bill makes provisions for the levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods or services - or both - by the Central Government.
●    On the other hand, the I-GST Bill makes provisions for the levy and collection of tax on inter-state supply of goods or services - or both - by the Central Government.
●    The UT-GST Bill makes provisions for the levy and collection on tax on intra-UT supply of goods and services in the Union Territories without legislature.


 

MoU) Signed Between NSFDC & Development Commissioner (Handlooms) 

The CMD, National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Development Commissioner (Handlooms) under Ministry of Textiles signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment and Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Textiles here today. 
●    Senior Officers of both the Ministries, DC (Handlooms) and NSFDC were also present on the occasion. 
●    The objective of signing this MoU is to help Scheduled Caste weavers and their families by promoting production and marketing of high value quality Handlooms products at Block level Cluster in various States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha etc. 
●    Handlooms Sector is a part of Textile Industry, the second largest economic activity after agriculture. 
●    There are around 44 lakh Handloom weavers in the country out of which 3.90 lakh are Scheduled Caste Weavers. 
●    Under the cluster approach, new strategy for promoting production and marketing of high value quality handloom products shall be adopted to ensure more earnings of the Scheduled Caste Handloom Weavers.


 

Indian Academy of Highway Engineers signs MoU with University of New South Wales for establishing Centre of Excellence in Smart Transportation


In line with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways vision to influence and adopt global innovation into the transportation sector, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry through the Indian Academy of Highway Engineers and University of New South Wales (UNSW) to set up a Centre for Advanced Transportation Technology and Systems (CATTS). 
●    The MoU was exchanged between the Director of IAHE Mr. V L Patankar and Vice Chancellor of UNSW Prof. Ian Jacobs on April 10th, 2017 in the presence of Simon Birmingham, Australian Minister for Education. The vision for CATTS is to: 
●    Accelerate the evaluation and adoption of new transportation technologies and explore market opportunities for them in India and Australia. 
●    Conduct research, development and training in the areas of transport system modelling and data for smart cities. 
●    This would be the world’s first transportation centre involving two countries committed to seeing technological innovation for economic development through improved safety and reduced congestion.
 

Current Affairs 14th April 2017: AWARDS

Padma Shri awarded to recipients

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday conferred the Padma awards at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. 
●    89 people were awarded by President this year for their exceptional work in various fields. 
●    This year the President gave out 7 Padma Vibhushan awards, 7 Padma Bhushan awards and 75 Padma Shri Awards. 
●    Among those who received the Padma Shri awards were Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Discus Thrower Vikas Gowda, Gymnast Dipa Karmakar and Wrestler Sakshi Malik.
●    The ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries.
 

Current Affairs 14th April 2017: PERSONS

Indian Software engineer wins UN Open Source tool challenge

An Indian software engineer has won the top prize at a global challenge for an open-source tool that enables users to interactively view UN General Assembly resolutions and gain a deeper understanding of the voting patterns of member states. 
●    Abdulqadir Rashik, also an entrepreneur, won the ‘Unite Ideas #UNGAViz Textual Analysis and Visualisation Challenge’ for his ‘Global Policy’, an open-source tool that enables users to search and interactively view General Assembly resolutions to gain a deeper understanding of the voting patterns and decisions made by United Nations Member States.
●    Rashik’s prototype will be made public and shared with United Nations bodies and member states. 
●    He will also receive recognition from the Department of State and the Office of Information and Communications Technology.
●    Rashik is a frequent contributor to Unite Ideas challenges and he previously won the top prize in the #LinksSDGs challenge for his ‘Links to Sustainable Cities’, an interactive visualisation that identifies and maps the links between various Sustainable Development Goals.

Current Affairs 14th April 2017: OBITUARY

Dainik Bhaskar group Chairman Ramesh Agarwal dies at 73

Former union minister and Congress leader Akhilesh Das died here on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest, a family source said. 
●    He was 56.
●    Son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Banarasi Das Gupta, he was admitted to the Lari Cardiology Centre after he complained of distress, a family member told IANS.
●    Das was the Minister of State for Steel in the Manmohan Singh-led government in 2004-09. He was also a former Mayor of Lucknow.
●    Das was a three-time Rajya Sabha member — twice from the Congress and once from the Bahujan Samaj Party. 
●    He was also the President of Badminton Association of India.
●    In November 2014, Das quit the BSP. 
●    He rejoined the Congress before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections this year.

Malayalam Actor Munshi Venu Passes away at 63

Munshi Venu, who's known for playing supporting roles in Malayalam films, passed away at a palliative care centre at Chalakudy, Thrissur. According to reports, the actor suffered kidney failure today. He was 63.
●    The actor, was diagnosed with kidney-related ailments last year, had been undergoing dialysis since then.
●    Munshi Venu didn't own a house and that he was living at a lodge in Chalakudy for the last 10 years.
●    Making his acting debut with Kamal's comedy drama Pachakuthira, Munshi Venu will be more remembered for his comical characters. 
●    Venu has acted in over 75 Malayalam films. He's known for films like Chotta Mumbai, Salt 'n' Pepper, Kanyaka Talkies, Immanuel and Daddy Cool.

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Important Current Affairs 13th April 2017 Free PDF

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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.

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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. 

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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.
 

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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.


 

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Important Current Affairs 9th April 2017 Free PDF

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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.

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