Important Current Affairs 8th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

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

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

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

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

Deadline for account holders to give PAN till Jun 30

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

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

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

Govt allows transgenders to use public toilets

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

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: APPOINTMENTS

SN Subrahmanyan chosen as new CEO of L&T

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

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

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

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

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Thai king signs pro-military Constitution

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

Current Affairs 8th April 2017: DAYS & DATES

World Health Day observed by WHO

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

Important Current Affairs 7th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

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

Current Affairs 7th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Govt to set up Rail Development Authority to fix fares

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

President of India inaugurates first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017

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

Jio ordered by TRAI to withdraw 15 day Prime Plan extension 

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

GST Bill passed by Rajya Sabha

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

Uma Bharti Launches MIS for Monitoring PMKSY Projects

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

Current Affairs 7th April 2017: ECONOMY

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

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

Current Affairs 7th April 2017: SPORTS

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

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

Misbah ul Haq retires from Test Cricket

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

Important Current Affairs 6th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

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

Current Affairs 6th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

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

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

Indian Railways to redevelop 400 major stations

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

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

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

MoS (Home) Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir launches NPDRR website

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

Current Affairs 6th April 2017: ECONOMY

RBI appoints Malvika Sinha as new Executive Director

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

Current Affairs 6th April 2017: SPORTS

Sports Minister Vijay Goel approves appointment of Foreign Coaches in Athletics

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

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

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

Important Current Affairs 5th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

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

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

First expressway in Northeast to be built along the Brahmaputra

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

Jawan who escorted Dalai Lama to India felicitated

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

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: ECONOMY

Aditya Birla Group gets RBI money to start Payments Bank

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

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: SPORTS

India 3rd highest in doping violations

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

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: OBITUARY

Classical singer Kishori Amonkar passes away

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

Current Affairs 5th April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Indian Malaysian firms exchange MoUs

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

Important Current Affairs 4th April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

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

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

IISc Bangalore declared Best University in India by Govt

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

Thaawar Chand Gehlot Inaugurates “National Conference on Autism”

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

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

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

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: ECONOMY

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

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

RBI clears proposal to introduce Rs. 200 note

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

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: BUSINESS

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

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

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: APPOINTMENTS

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

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

Current Affairs 4th April 2017: SPORTS

Federer Wins Miami Open Title

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

Important Current Affairs 3rd April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 3rd 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 3rd April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Govt plans to change security marks of notes every 3-4 years

To check counterfeiting, the government plans to change security features of higher denomination banknotes of Rs2,000 and Rs500 every 3-4 years in accordance with global standards.
●    The move comes in the wake of recovery of a large amount of fake Indian currency notes in last four months after demonetisation. 
●    The issue was discussed threadbare at a high-level meeting on Thursday attended by senior officials of the ministries of finance and home, including Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
●    Advocating the move, home ministry officials said most of the developed countries change security features of their currency notes every 3-4 years and therefore, it is absolutely necessary for India to follow this policy. 
●    The change in design of Indian currency notes of higher denominations was long due. 
●    Till it's demonetisation, there had been no major change in the Rs1,000 note since its introduction in 2000.

Govt to exempt education, healthcare from GST

Education, healthcare and pilgrimages will continue to be out of the service tax net under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime as the Centre wants to avoid any shock in the first year of the rollout by bringing in new services.
●    Besides making a strong case to the GST Council for not including services that are out of tax net currently, the Centre will also pitch for keeping concessional rate for services like transport at the current level.
●    The GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising representatives of all states, is scheduled to meet in Srinagar on May 18-19 to decide on rates various good and services will be charged in the new indirect tax regime that is being targeted for rollout from July 1.
●    Adhia said the endeavour would be to maintain the current tax incidence on a commodity or service at the same level in the new GST regime.

Prakash Javadekar Declares IIM Trichy New Permanent Campus Open 

The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar today declared open the new permanent campus of Indian Institute of Management, Trichy in Tamil Nadu through Video Conferencing here in New Delhi. 
●    Speaking on this occasion he congratulated the faculty of IIM Trichy for the timely completion of New Campus and expressed hope that best quality education in the new premises will be offered to the students coming there with promising dreams of a settled and secure career. 
●    The Minister said in our quest for quality education and our quest for continuous improvement in the quality of higher education and providing facilities for medical student the government has opened 7 new IIMs, 6 New IITs One New Central University , One New IIIT and one new NIT, more than 104 Kendriya Vidyalayas and 62 Navodaya Vidyalayas. 
●    Our effort is for expansion of quality education, he said. 
●    The Minister exhorted the students for extending helping hand to society as and when required in future as for now the expenses on their career building are coming from the taxes paid by the citizen and society at large. 
●    He also accepted the invitation of faculty to visit IIM Trichy in near future.

PM Modi inaugurates India's longest road tunnel in J&K

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated India's longest road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, making it operational for traffic. 
●    Security has been tightened across the state. 
●    Speaking ahead of the inauguration, Jitendra Singh, who is the Union Minister of State in the PM's Office said, "It is a matter of great pride for the people of Jammu and Kashmir that this great tunnel is being dedicated to the nation by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi - the most popular PM. 
●    It is dedicated to the nation in keeping with his call for a new India." 
●    The tunnel will save fuel worth nearly Rs 99 crores a year. "Rs 27 lakh worth of fuel is likely to be saved per day," Mr Singh said.
●    The tunnel will also reduce the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by two hours
●    The distance between Chenani and Nashri will now be 10.9 kms (between two ends of the tunnel), instead of the existing 41 kms. 
●    The Chenani-Nashri tunnel is 10.9 kms long and will reduce travel time between Jammu and Srinagar
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: SPORTS

Sindhu beats Marin to win Indian Open

P V Sindhu on 2 April 2017 defeated reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain to lift her maiden India Open Super Series title.
●    Third seeded Sindhu defeated Marin 21-19, 21-16 at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. 
●    The Indian badminton player had last defeated Marin in the BWF Super Series in Dubai in the year 2016.
●    Born on 5 July 1995, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is an Indian professional badminton player.
●    At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal.
●    In 2013, she became the first ever Indian women's singles player to win a medal at the Badminton World Championships.
●    In March 2015, she was conferred with the Padma Shri.
●    The India Open is officially titled as the Yonex-Sunrise India Open.
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: DAYS & DATES

2 April - World Autism Awareness Day

The World Autism Awareness Day 2017 was observed across the world on 2 April 2017. 
●    The 2017 theme for the day is Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination.
●    World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognised day, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about children with autism throughout the world.
●    It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 62/139. 
●    World Autism Awareness Day, passed in council on 1 November 2007 and adopted on 18 December 2007.
●    This resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights.
●    World Autism Day is also one of only four official health-specific UN Days.
●    Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life.
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Japan officially announces Bitcoin as currency

Bitcoin has finally gained the recognition of a mainstream currency along the lines of other fiat currencies. 
●    The privilege follows the implementation of a new law in Japan which categorizes Bitcoin as a legal payment option within the country. 
●    The much-awaited law went into effect on April 1, 2017 (beginning of a new fiscal year in many countries).
●    With the new law’s implementation, Bitcoin exchanges will also come under additional regulatory scrutiny. 
●    The recognition of cryptocurrency as a legal tender also means the applicability of regulations governing banks and financial institutions to cryptocurrency exchange platforms. 
●    They will be required to comply with strict anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, along with annual audits. 
●    Other requirements include meeting the stated capital and cyber security requirements to ensure consumer protection.
 

Current Affairs 3rd April 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Prof. David R. Syiemlieh takes Oath as Chairman, UPSC

Prof. David R. Syiemlieh took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as Chairman, Union Public Service Commission, under clause (1) of Article 316 of the Constitution of India, today. 
●    The oath was administered by Shri Vinay Mittal, the senior most Member of the Commission, at a function at the UPSC office. 
●    Prof. Syiemlieh joined the Commission as Member on June 25, 2012 and was later on appointed to perform the duties of the post of Chairman, UPSC under Article 316 (1A) of the Constitution of India w.e.f. January 4, 2017. 
●    Prior to joining UPSC, Prof. Syiemlieh was Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar. 
●    Prof. Syiemlieh has held many important positions in various policy making, academic and administrative bodies. 
●    He has authored/edited several books/publications and had been awarded Senior Fulbright Fellowship in the year 1999.
 

Important Current Affairs 2nd April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 2nd 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 2nd April 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

PM Modi meets Malaysian PM Making Razak

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak ahead of delegation-level talks here on Saturday.
●    A number of agreements are expected to be signed between India and Malaysia following the delegation-level talks between the two sides.
●    Earlier in the day, Razak was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
●    Thereafter he called on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari. 
●    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too called on the visiting dignitary.
●    Razak arrived in Chennai on Thursday on a six-day visit to India and reached New Delhi on Friday evening.
●    He will also visit Jaipur on Sunday where he will meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
●    The is the Malaysian Prime Minister’s third official visit to India.

Current Affairs 2nd April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Haryana to provide Rs. 21,000 to families of third girl child

Haryana government would provide one-time grant of Rs 21,000 to all those families whose third girl child was born after August 24, 2015, under the Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti scheme.
●    Under the scheme, the eligible families would receive the amount irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, income and number of sons, an official release issued here today said.
●    The scheme is aimed to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio and promote girls education in the state.
●    The third girl child born on or after August 24, 2015 in any family in the state satisfying the eligibility criteria would be covered in this scheme.
●    Earlier under the scheme, the first girl child born in the families belonging to Scheduled Castes and all Below Poverty Line (BPL), and second, twin or multiple girls born on or after January 22, 2015 in any family were eligible for the grant.
●    Infamous for its adverse sex ratio, Haryana has witnessed a significant improvement in it, which was recorded at 938 in February this year.

Aadhaar mandatory for driving license

The Union Cabinet on Friday decided to link the issue of driving licences and vehicle registration to Aadhaar, as part of a slew of changes that will affect the Motor Vehicles Act.
●    The Union Cabinet on Friday decided to link the issue of driving licences and vehicle registration to Aadhaar, as part of a slew of changes that will affect the Motor Vehicles Act.
●    “The government is proposing an all-India register for vehicles and driving licences to ensure no duplication is done. 
●    Besides, measures like making vehicle registration and driving licences Aadhaar-based will help to check registration of stolen vehicles. 
●    The move will also help in portability—i.e. transfer of vehicle registration from one state to another,” said Nitin Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways.
●    The Finance Bill 2017 cleared by both the Houses of Parliament has already made it mandatory for obtaining and retaining the permanent account number (PAN) as well as for filing of income-tax returns.

Mizoram becomes 27th State to join UDAY

The Government of India and the State of Mizoram signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the scheme Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) today for operational improvement of the State’s Power Distribution Department. 
●    With the signing of MoU by Mizoram, the total States/ Union territories covered under UDAY will be 27. 
●    Mizoram would derive an overall net benefit of approximately Rs.198 crores by opting to participate in UDAY, by way of cheaper funds, reduction in AT&C and transmission losses, interventions in energy efficiency, etc. during the period of turnaround.
●    The MoU paves way for improving operational efficiency of the Power Distribution department of the State. 
●    Through compulsory Distribution Transformer metering, consumer indexing & GIS mapping of losses, upgrade/change transformers, meters etc., smart metering of high-end consumers, feeder audit etc. 
●    AT&C losses and transmission losses would be brought down, besides eliminating the gap between cost of supply of power and realisation. 
●    The reduction in AT&C losses and transmission losses to 15% and 2.50% respectively is likely to bring additional revenue of around Rs.166 crores during the period of turnaround.

Uttarakhand HC declares air, jungles as living entities

The Uttarakhand High Court, which recently accorded the status of "living human entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna river, today extended the order to include a wide range of natural entities within the ambit of a "juristic (non-living) person".
●    A division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh of the High Court declared all the glaciers, including Gangotri and Yamunotri, rivers, streams, rivulets, lakes, air, meadows, dales, jungles, forests wetlands, grasslands, springs and waterfalls as living entities. 
●    Following the order these will have some legal rights on a living person.
●    The Court laid special attention towards Gangotri and Yamunotri glaciers, saying, "Gangotri is one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas. 
●    However, it is receding fast. In over 25 years, it has retreated more than 850 meters.
●    Yamunotri Glacier is also receding at an alarming rate.
●    Glacial Ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on earth.
●    It directed that all corresponding rights, duties, liabilities and rights akin to fundamental and legal rights of a living person be conferred on the aforementioned, so as to preserve and conserve them.

5 associate banks, BMB merge with SBI

Five associates and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank became part of the State Bank of India (SBI) on Saturday, catapulting the country's largest lender to among the top 50 banks in the world.
●    State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Travancore (SBT), besides Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), merged with SBI with effect from April 1, the bank said in a statement.
●    With this merger, the bank will join the league of top 50 banks globally in terms of assets, it added.
●    The total customer base of the bank will reach 37 crores with a branch network of around 24,000 and nearly 59,000 ATMs across the country.
●    The merged entity will have a deposit base of more than Rs 26 lakh crore and advances level of Rs 18.50 lakh crore.
●    Welcoming all the stakeholders of merged entities, SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said the bank will strive to conclude the transition process within a quarter.

President of India Lays Foundation Stone of Rabindra Bhawan and Haj House in Ranchi 

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone of Rabindra Bhawan and Haj House today (April 2, 2017) in Ranchi, Jharkhand. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that he was happy to be present in Ranchi on the occasion of laying of foundation stone for the Rabindra Bhavan and Haj House. 
●    It is indeed a matter of pleasure that Gurudev and his family who left a long lasting impression in the state will be commemorated through the construction of Rabindra Bhavan. 
●    The President said that his association with Jharkhand, as indeed the entire Eastern region goes back many a decades with the neighbouring West Bengal being his home state. 
●    Indeed Bihar, undivided Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Assam were part of the same Bengal Presidency for a long period in the earlier part of the last century. 
●    The area has a shared past and heritage and its shaping in the post Independence era has also been similar. 
●    The President said that for our Muslim brethren a travel to Mecca for Haj is a life time dream. 
●    It is indeed commendable that the Government of Jharkhand has come up with the project of establishing a “Haj House” to facilitate Haj pilgrimage. 
●    He was sure that this will provide much needed relief to the pilgrims from the State and the area.

Record Capacity Addition of Wind Power of 5400 MW in Last Fiscal

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set another record in the wind power capacity addition  by adding over 5400 MW in 2016-17 against the target of 4000 MW.  
●    This year’s achievement surpassed the previous higher capacity addition of 3.423 MW achieved in the previous year.
●    The leading States in the wind power capacity addition during 2016-17 are Andhra Pradesh 2190 MW, followed by Gujarat 1275 MW and Karnataka 882 MW. 
●    In addition Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra ,Telangana and Kerala have reported 357 MW, 288 MW, 262 MW, 118 MW , 23 MW and 8 MW wind power capacity addition respectively during 2016-17. 
●    During 2016-17 MNRE has taken various policy initiatives in the wind energy sector that includes Introduction of Bidding in Wind Energy Sector, Re -powering Policy, Draft Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, New Guidelines for Development of Wind Power Projects, etc.

Important Current Affairs 1st April 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 1st 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 1st April 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye Arrested

South Korea’s disgraced former President Park Geun-hye was arrested and jailed on Friday over high-profile corruption allegations that already ended her tumultuous four-year rule and prompted an election to find her successor.
●    A convoy of vehicles, including a black sedan carrying Park, entered a detention facility near Seoul after the Seoul Central District Court granted prosecutors’ request to arrest her.
●    Many Park supporters waved national flags and shouted “president” as Park’s car entered the facility.
●    Prosecutors can detain her for up to 20 days before formally charging her, meaning she will likely be in jail while her case is heard. 
●    A district court normally issues a ruling within six months of an indictment.
●    The Seoul court’s decision is yet another humiliating fall for Park, South Korea’s first female president who was elected in 2012 amid overwhelming support from conservatives, who recall her dictator father as a hero who lifted the country from poverty in the 1960-70s despite a record of severe human rights abuses.
 

Current Affairs 1st April 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Government Awards 128 new regional routes to Air India, 4 others

Flights offering seats for as little as Rs2,500 will connect big cities and small town India starting next month after the aviation ministry on Thursday authorized five airlines to operate on so-called regional routes.
●    Inexpensive regional air connectivity under the government’s UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme will allow travellers to save on time and enable the middle-class in small town India to take their first flights. 
●    The scheme’s name loosely translates as “let the common man fly”.
●    They will connect metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad with 70 small cities including Kanpur, Shimla, Agra, Bathinda, Pathankot, Gwalior, Ludhiana, Bhavnagar, Diu, Jamshedpur and Puducherry.
●    At present no airline flies to 31 of the 70 cities.
●    The five airlines awarded the rights to fly are Air India, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha and Air Deccan, which its original founder G.R. Gopinath has revived after selling it in 2008 to Vijay Mallya’s now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

Government lowers interest rate on small savings deposits by 0.1% 

Returns on small savings schemes, including public provident fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, will be lower from April 1, the government announced on Friday.
●    Interest rates on all nine small savings schemes will be lower by 0.1%. Interest rates are reviewed quarterly.
●    Until now, PPF fetched an annual interest rate of 8%, the same as the five-year NSC. Returns on Kisan Vikas Patra used to be 7.7%.
●    The government moved to a market-linked interest rates system for these instruments last year but also reserved the right to review them quarterly.
●    “In a declining inflation scenario the lowering of returns should not be a major cause for concern,” Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic adviser, State Bank of India told Hindustan Times.
●    PPF scheme will fetch lower annual rate of 7.9%.
●    Kisan Vikas Patra investments will yield 7.6% and mature in 112 months.

Bank of Maharashtra loses Rs. 25 crore due to UPI bug

Bank of Maharashtra lost Rs25 crore in one of the biggest Unified Payments Interface (UPI) frauds till date when a few people moved money illegally, taking advantage of a minor bug.
●    Corrective steps have been initiated and the process of recovering the money from the 19 banks where it has been transferred to is on, said A.P. Hota, managing director and chief executive officer of the National Payments Corporation, or NPCI.
●    The bug in the UPI system allowed people to send money without having the necessary funds in their accounts.
●    Even when the core banking solution of the bank declined a transaction, the UPI solution used to send the success message to NPCI. 
●    About 50-60 people in Aurangabad discovered this loophole, possibly through a trial-and-error method. 
●    The fraud was reported first on 22 February, said Hota.
●    He added that Bank of Maharashtra reported the fraud amount as around Rs25 crore, and that some amount has been recovered.

Hotels, Restaurants near highways can't serve liquor : SC

The Supreme Court on Friday clarified there will be no liquor sale in hotels and restaurants, or liquor outlets, within 500 meters of state and national highways.
●    The ban will be effective from midnight.
●    A bench comprising chief justice J.S. Khehar, justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao also modified an earlier ruling that banned sale of liquor with 500 meters of state and national highways. 
●    The court said the ban will be within 220m of the highway in towns with population below 20,000.
●    The court also exempted Meghalaya and Sikkim from the court’s order.
●    The court’s orders came after over nine states and Union territories sought a review of the court’s ruling. 
●    On 15 December last year, a bench comprising then chief justice T.S. Thakur, justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao had allowed liquor shops in proximity to highways to operate till 31 March, but ruled against renewal of their licences. 
●    The court’s decision came on a public interest litigation case seeking to curb road accidents on highways due to drunken driving.

Centre notifies simplified one page ITR form

The government on Friday notified a simpler, one-page form for filing income tax returns while making it mandatory to quote Aadhaar number and disclose bank deposits of more than Rs 2 lakh post-demonetisation.
●    The Income Tax Return Form-1 (Sahaj) will replace the 7-page form, removing a plethora of columns on deductions from income claimed.
●    Sahaj can be filed by an individual having income of up to Rs 50 lakh from salary, house property and interest.
●    Currently, SAHAJ (ITR 1) is filed by salaried employees and ITR 2 by individuals and HUFs whose income does not include income from business.
●    The government has done away with form ITR 2A.
●    Sahaj makes quoting of 12-digit biometric identifier Aadhaar number mandatory along with Permanent Account Number (PAN) and also seeks details of cash in excess of Rs 2 lakh that was deposited in bank accounts in the 50-day post-demonetisation window.
●    ITR 2 and ITR 3 have a Schedule AL requiring assessees to declare their assets and liabilities at the end of the fiscal.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) organized its Investiture Parade – 2017

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) organized its Investiture Parade – 2017 on 01.04.2017 at 6th Bn. RPSF, Dayabasti, New Delhi.  
●    The Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu was the Chief Guest.  
●    On this occasion Chairman, Railway Board Shri A.K.Mital, Member Staff Railway Board, other Board Members, senior Police officers of Central Police Organisations and senior officer of Government of India may also attend. Director General, RPF Shri S.K.Bhagat delivered the welcome address at the function.
●    Minister of Railways presented awards to RPF officers / RPF personnel on this occasion. 
●    It is quite gratifying for the RPF, that 03 officers/ RPF personnel received the prestigious President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services, and 43 with Police Medals for their Meritorious Service. 
●    Other awards like Railway Minister’s award for Best Investigation, and Railway Minister’s Award for Bravery were also given to the deserving RPF/ RPSF personnel. 

Important Current Affairs 31st March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 31st March 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 31st March 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India and Bavaria to Set up Joint Group to Identify Areas of Cooperation in Water Sector

 Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has suggested formation of a joint group to identify areas of cooperation in water sector.

●     This was stated that by the Minister, when Minister of Environment and Consumer Protection of the Free State of Bavaria, Federal Republic of Germany, Ms. Ulrike Scharf called on her in New Delhi today.

●     Both the leaders discussed various others probable areas of cooperation in water resources sector.

●     Sushri Bharti said that Bavaria has a rich experience of successfully cleaning the river Danube in Germany and India may benefit from their experience.

●     She gave an overview of the Namami Gange programme to the visiting dignitary and sought her co-operation for the same. 

●     The Bavarian Minister appreciated the work of Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and said that Bavaria and India would like to exchange their experience and knowledge in water resources sector.

●     Ms. Ulrike Scharf extended an invitation to Sushri Bharti to visit Bavaria.

Current Affairs 31st March 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Pranab Mukherjee to inaugurate the National Skill Exhibition, Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras from Deoghar, Jharkhand

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will soon be seen steering the progress roadmap for the country to enhance workforce.

●     President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will be inaugurating a national skill exhibition, two new large scale Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) in Dhanbad and Godda and 31 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK).

●     He will also lay foundation stone for building two new DTIs at Deoghar and Ranchi. President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the initiatives on 2nd April at Deoghar.

●     Skill India has been quite close to the President’s heart.

●     In a recent initiative, he has ensured that 1500 skilled employees at the Rashtrapati Bhavan get certified for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) under PMKVY across 18 job roles.

●     Union Minister of State (I/C) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy has said that the President, in one of his speeches had mentioned that, we must go full throttle on education and skill development to change from ‘low skill, labour-intensive goods and services to providers of more skill-intensive goods and services.

●     Shri Rudy said his Ministry is working towards that vision and he is sure that government’s offering will fulfil the aspirations of the youth and give them a direction to grow in their respective career.

90 Days of Digi Dhan Mela

Public response to embrace Digital Payments is on a roll giving a push to make India a less-cash economy and NITI Aayog’s move to incentivize digital transactions by the people has paid dividends.

●     14 lakh people and 77,000 merchants have been awarded since the launch of the two incentive schemes for Digital Payments – Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana on 25th December 2016.

●     A sum of Rs. 226,45,40,000 (Rs. 176,95,40,000 to consumers and Rs. 49,50,00,000 to merchants) has already been disbursed so far under the two incentive schemes.

●     The winners have been from various walks of life cutting across the barriers of age, sex and economic status.

●     27 year old Devinder is a mechanic from Azamgarh village in Bihar who won Rs. 1 lakh under Lucky Grahak Yojana.

●     Being the eldest among six siblings in a family of 12, he has to make a lot of transactions, which he now realizes is very simple if done digitally.

●     Earlier he was using his brother’s bank account for his funds, but will soon open his own account.

2nd Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade, Commerce and Investment between India and Afghanistan

The 2^nd meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Trade, Commerce and Investment between India and Afghanistan, at the level of Commerce Secretary, which was instituted under the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries, was held in a cordial atmosphere on 29-30 March, 2017 in New Delhi.

●     The Indian delegation was led by Ms. Rita Teaotia, Commerce Secretary and the Afghan delegation was headed by Mr Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, Deputy Minister for Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

●     The two sides had extensive discussions on a variety of issues concerning bilateral trade and economic relations, including transit of goods,business visas, trade in pharmaceutical products and rough gemstones, air freight corridor, customs cooperation etc.

●     Both sides also agreed for further cooperation in different sectors such as renewable energy, power, standards, agriculture, transportation and public health, and discussed opportunities for investments.

●     It was agreed that the next meeting of the JWG will be held in Kabul at a mutually convenient date.

Two day Conference of Directors of Fingerprint Bureaux to begin tomorrow at HPA, Karnal, Haryana

 A two day Conference of Directors of Fingerprint Bureaux (FPBx) is being organized at Haryana Police Academy (HPA), Madhuban, Karnal, Haryana by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in joint collaboration with Haryana Police on March 30-31, 2017.

●     Shri Yashpal Singhal, DG (prisons) will be the Chief Guest at the conference tomorrow. Dr. K. P. Singh, DGP, Haryana Police and Dr. Ish Kumar, Director, NCRB would address the conference.

●     The conference is expected to be attended by more than 100 delegates from various FPBx. Senior officials of NCRB and States/ UT Police would participate in the conference.

●     In this conference, latest development, research papers, capacity building, R&D, administrative matters concerning various FPBx, and other related legal issues of Fingerprints would be deliberated by Fingerprint fraternity. 

●     A few research papers will also be presented by universities of Punjab & Delhi.

         Army Releases Book on Rashtriya Rifles

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), on 27 March 2017 at South Block, New Delhi, released the book ‘Home of the Brave’ on the history of Indian Army’s Counter Insurgency Force, the Rashtriya Rifles (RR).

●     The book is authored by Mr Nitin A Gokhale, Defence & Security Analyst and Brig S K Chatterji (Retired).

●     The event of release of the book was attended by the COAS, Director General of the Rashtriya Rifles, other senior officers from Directorate General of the Rashtriya Rifles along with the authors.

●     Home of the Brave traces the early history of the RR, its organization, including its raising and subsequent deployment in Punjab, the North East and in Jammu & Kashmir.

●     The RR, a formidable Counter Insurgency Force, has won many laurels in the operations.

●     In addition to fulfilling its primary mandate of securing the Nation, the Force has also conducted several softer measures to win hearts and minds of the people- a critical and valuable practice that the Indian Army has embraced.

●     The book also reflects upon the role of the RR in strengthening the professionalism of the Indian Army and military ethics and values throughout its rank and file.

Important Current Affairs 30th March 2017 with Free PDF

Dear Aspirants,

We bring you Important Current Affairs 30th March 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 30TH MARCH 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Environment Minister Launches Online Filing of Access and Benefit Sharing Applications

 
Taking yet another important step towards contributing to and promoting Digital India and Ease of Doing Business, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave, launched the online filing of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) applications through videoconferencing, here today.  

●    Emphasising that the meaning of good governance lies in making processes transparent, Shri Dave said that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inspires everyone to embrace E-governance.  
●    The Environment Minister expressed the hope that E-governance will be made 100% operational in the near future and all the processes of the Ministry will be made fully transparent. 
●    The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), teamed up with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), to launch the Online Filing of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Applications at - www.nbaindia.org - to enable E-filing of applications. 
●    Applications seeking such approval are to be made on the appropriate forms available online.  
●    If Indian or foreign individuals and entities like registered companies wish to access biological resources and associated knowledge  to carry out various activities, prior approval of NBA, or the State Biodiversity Boards is a prerequisite.  
●    NBA will adhere to stipulated timelines to process applications.  With the process being made online, the attempt is to address these issues better and also to keep pace with digitisation.

Grand Finale of ‘Smart India Hackathon-2017’

The Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon-2017 will be hosted on April 1 & 2, 2017 by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region at Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management & Technology (GIMT), Guwahati, along with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under Ministry of Human Resource Development. 

●    The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh’s message for Smart India Hackathon-2017 reads "Digital Solutions along with appropriate technologies have the potential to catalyse development solutions in the North East States".
●    Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region is a premier partner in this initiative and has identified 11 problems, on which the 31 teams (6 students & 2 mentors per team) shortlisted by the Ministry would build innovative digital solutions at GIMT, Guwahati. 
●    The GIMT, Guwahati has been selected as the only nodal centre in the North East, among 26 other nodal centers across the country.

Vijay Goel to inaugurate Conference on Restructuring of NSS in New Delhi 

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Department of Youth Affairs is organizing a Conference on ’Restructuring of NSS’ on 31 March, 2017 in New Delhi. 

●    The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session.
●    The structure of the NSS has largely remained unchanged over the years. 
●    The circumstances have been changing over the years, including the needs of the community and the aspirations of the young students. 
●    The Objective of organising the one-day Conference is to generate ideas for restructuring of the Scheme, in order to make it more robust and effective. 
●    All the stakeholders of the Scheme are being invited to the Conference so that a balanced view can be taken. The total number of participants in the Workshop would be around 100.
●    National Service Scheme (NSS) was introduced in 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service. 
●    NSS was launched initially in 37 Universities involving about 40,000 volunteers. 
●    Till March 2016, NSS had about 36.58 lakh volunteers enrolled in 39,695 NSS units spread over 391 Universities/ +2 Councils, 16,278 Colleges/ Technical Institutions and 12,483 Senior Secondary Schools.

WiFi Services at National Rail Museum

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu released the book titled “Indian Railway- The weaving of a National Tapestry” jointly authored by Shri Bibek Debroy (Member, NITI Aayog) Shri Sanjay Chadha (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce) & Ms. Vidya Krishnamurthi.

●    In addition, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu also launched Hi-speed free Wi-Fi services for the visitors at National Rail Museum. Chairman,
●    Railway Board, Shri A. K. Mital, the three authors of the book, Shri Ashwani Lohani, CMD, Air India and other Railway Board Members and senior officials were also present on the occasion.
●    Minister of Railways said that It is really an honour to release a book by authored by Shri Bibek Debroy and his colleagues. 
●    This book by Shri Bibek Debroy is a great contribution for Indian Railways. We can shape the future of Indian Railways by linking the past through this book. 
●    Interest of organisation cannot be overlooked..We are working on how to revitalize the organisation. We are working for making Railways as an efficient organisation, modern and tech savvy. We need to take many steps at the same time. 
●    All issues ranging from HR, Environment, finance, technological up gradation are to be taken care of.

IICA organises two day Colloquium on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Laws and Procedure for NCLT

●    Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), an autonomous body under Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) organized a two day colloquium on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Laws and Procedure focusing upon the ways to effective enforcement of Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code 2016. 
●    Two day colloquium was held on 26th and 27th March, 2017 in national capital. 
●    Members of all 10 Benches of NCLT across India and NCLAT at Delhi participated in the Colloquium. 
●    Dr. M.S Sahoo, Chairperson, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) highlighted the Role of IBBI in enforcement of IBC 2016 and Potential Challenges and Prospects for insolvency professionals and role of the Tribunal. 
●    Hon’ble Justice M.M. Kumar, President, NCLT delivered the Inaugural Address and appreciated the efforts of Members in dealing with the complicated issues under the Code and potential challenges. 
●    Hon’ble Justice Sh. Mukhopadhyay, Chairperson, NCLAT delivered the Keynote Address and highlighted the key questions which may come-up for consideration by NCLT under the Code for contributing towards ease of doing business. 
●    Shri G.K. Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs; Ms. Suman Saxena, Whole Time Member, IBBI, Secretary & Registrar, NCLT were also present.

Dr. Mahesh sharma inaugurates ‘National Tribal and North East Art Conclave’

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism inaugurated the “National Tribal and North East Conclave-2017” organized by Lalit Kala Akademi under Ministry of Culture here today. 

●    Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mahesh Sharma applauded the creativity of the tribal communities, as also of the artists from the North East region and select contemporary artists. 
●    He said that the Conclave is a unique artistic event representing the important schools of Indian tribal art, alongside other art genres. 
●    He wished them grand success in their creative endeavours.
●    The conclave platform features more than a dozen forms of tribal art. Most of these artists from 100 and more artist contingents, have showcased their art forms at Festivals of India held abroad and distinguished platforms elsewhere. 
●    The handpicked coteries are fielding their master painters for the event. 
●    Some of the noteworthy forms on schedule are Cheriyal painters from Telangana, southern miniature paintings, Patachitra art from Odisha, fresco paintings from Rajasthan, as also Bhil, Mina works, and paintings on leather by artists from Andhra Pradesh. 
●    The event includes demonstrations of folk traditions that allow visitors to gauge the in-depth sourcing of their output.