GK and Current Affairs Updates

On 29 April 2016 India and Papua New Guinea signed four agreements/MoUs.These agreements have been done to boost the bilateral relations.
These MoUs were inked during the two-day visit (28 to 29 April 2016) of President Pranab Mukhrejee to Papua New Guinea. 
This visit was the first ever presidential visit from India to Papua New Guinea.
• MoU between the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Health and HIV/AIDS of Papua New Guinea has been signed
• MoU for a USD 100 Million Credit Line was signed for development of infrastructure in the island-nation between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Export Import Bank of India.
• MoU for cooperation in agricultural research was signed between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and PNG University of Technology, Lae, Papua New Guinea.
Papua is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.
852 languages are spoken in country
• Over 7 million people lives in customary communities, which are as diverse as the languages.
• Only 18 percent of its people live in urban centres.
• It is one of the world’s least explored nations, culturally and geographically.

In April 2016 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) collaborated with German government for a special programme on 'Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security'.
•    This is part of the German government's special initiative 'One World, No Hunger' initiative. 
•    India is the only country in Asia to be part of this initiative.
•    NABARD is anchoring two major programmes — soil conservation and rehabilitation of degraded land programme in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. 
•    It is also conducting innovation of watershed development and climate change adaptation programmes in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
•    Germany’s 'One World, No Hunger' focuses on food and nutrition security, promotion of innovation, protection and sustainable use of natural resources so as to create stable livelihood in rural areas and promotion of responsible land use and access to land.
•    This initiate has been happily welcomed by many countries across the globe.

Maharashtra government has planned to develop Amravati, as a textiles city to promote this industry in cotton-growing areas of the Vidarbha region.
•    The Nandgaon industrial estate would be developed as "textile park" and Amravati would soon be recognised as the textiles city.
•    Raymond Ltd will extend all possible help to the state government in setting up the Apparel Park here with a full-fledged fashion designing facility.
•    Chairman and Managing Director of Raymond Ltd Gautam Hari Singhania will invest Rs 1,400 crore and the unit will provide job opportunities to about 8,000 persons.
•    The Nandgoan MIDC is spread across 200 hectares in Amravati .
•    Raymond will start production by March 31 next year
•    Raymond has a unit in Yavatmal and the cotton growers 
•    Maharashtra Industries Minister Subhash Desai appreciated the steps being taken by Raymond to revive the life of local farmers in the region

On 30 April 2016 Piyush Goyal launched National LED programme - Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) in Madhya Pradesh.
The scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power.
• Under this Programme, 3 crore LED Bulbs will be distributed in the next 6 months in the State. 
• UJALA will not only help reduce consumers their electricity bills but also contribute to the energy security of India. 
• The usage of LED bulbs will not only result in reducing electricity bills but also help in environment protection.
• The distribution of LED bulbs will happen through DISCOM offices.
• Consumers can buy these affordable LEDs by presenting any identity card. These bulbs come with a three year free replacement warranty .
• The UJALA scheme played a significant role in creating awareness about energy efficient lighting. 
• The number of LED bulbs distributed in 2015-16 has crossed 15 crore
• For 2016, the Union Government is set to distribute an additional 20 crore LED bulbs.
• Sustained efforts under UJALA, coupled with industry support, will help the government achieve its objective of replacing 77 crore inefficient bulbs by March 2019.
• UJALA is the largest non-subsidised LED programme in the world.

Indrail Pass makes it easier for tourists, from abroad, to buy this pass and travel to any part of the country without any limitation. 
•    The pass will be valid for a fixed period of time. 
•    there would be No reservation fee for berths or seats.
•    Rail reservations can be arranged from the UK, if the Indrail pass is purchased well in advance. 
•    Rail reservations are arranged FREE of cost, thus saving time by avoiding lengthy queues at railway stations for rail bookings. 
•    No sleeper berth surcharge for night journeys for any class of accommodation (indirect saving of hotel cost).
•    No extra charge for travelling by faster trains.
•    Free meals on Rajdhani & Shatabdi expresses.
•    Railway retiring rooms at nominal rates (subject to availability).
•    Access to waiting halls at stations.
•    Usage of left luggage offices for storage of luggage at nominal rates.
•    The Indrail pass is non-transferable. It should always be carried along with your passport.

Maharashtra contributed Rs. 2,77,720.11 crore, of the total Rs. 6,95,788.85 crore in income tax collections, in financial year 2014-15.  
•    This detail was released by the country's income tax department for the first time on 29th April 2016.
•    There are 10 categories of income tax in India – individuals, corporates, trusts, local authorities, government, partnership firms, Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), body of individuals, association of persons and artificial juridical person.
•    The number of individual tax payers has decreased by 3.70 lakh between financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14. 
•    In 2013-14, 4.87 crore individuals paid taxes, which was 4.90 crore in the previous year. 
•    In all, 7.14 lakh companies paid corporate tax in financial year 2013-14, a bit more than 7.03 lakh companies in the previous year
•    Overall, the number of income tax payees declined to 5.17 crore in financial year 2013-14 from 5.21 crore in the previous financial year.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has announced plans to unveil a 350-feet-high national flag, the tallest in the country, near the Attari-Wagah border by January 2017. 
•    It can be seen both from Lahore as well as Amritsar. 
•    The current record is held by the flag on top of a 293-feet-high mast in Jharkhand’s Ranchi.
•    Apart from that various new high altitude flags have been put across the nation. 
•    one such flag is also situated in New Delhi central park which is now a great tourist attracttion
•    Such initiatives raise the patriotism and respect for the country into the hearts of people.

On April 29 Nagaland’s capital Kohima was declared ‘smoke-free’.
•    Announcement has been done by the Deputy Commissioner Rovilato Mor.
•    A campaign was initiated by the students of 22 educational institutes, to raise awareness about the harmful effects of smoking. 
•    It was organized by the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC) and Department of Health and Family Welfare.
•    As part of the campaign, the students held placards, some of which read “tobacco kills us”, “Smoking is Paying Someone to Kill You” and “Say No to Tobacco and Yes to Life”.  
•    They also shouted slogans “Make Kohima, Smoke Free City” and “Breathe Healthy, Live Happy”.
•    Chandigarh was declared the first smoke-free city in 2007. 
•    Kottayam in Kerala and Shimla also came into this list. 
•    In 2010, Sikkim was declared the first smoke-free state in India, and in 2014 Himachal Pradesh became the second.

•    The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has inked MoU with SAARC Development Fund (SDF) 
•    This has been done to promotte for mutual cooperation and collaboration. 
•    The MoU was signed by Deputy Managing Director of SIDBI A K Kapur and SDF CEO Sunil Motiwal. 
•    MoU initiates SDF and SIDBI to work together in co-funding of projects in Indian MSMEs on risk sharing basis in identified sectors. 
•    Development of suitable financial products for SME financing for MSMEs of other Saarc states, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
•    Technology transfer and making available software to MFIs regarding loan tracking systems in other SAARC states. 
•    Capacity development of SDF, SIDBI and SME funding institutions in SAARC countries. 
•    SIDBI is an independent financial institution aimed to aid the growth and development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).
•    In 1996, a first funding mechanism was created in SAARC, ‘South Asian Development Fund (SADF), merging the SAARC Fund for Regional Projects (SFRP) and the SAARC Regional Fund. 
•    SADF objectives were to support industrial development, poverty alleviation, protection of environment, institutional/human resource development and promotion of social and infrastructure development projects in the SAARC region. 

1st May is International Labour Day, known as May Day. 
•    The theme of International Labour Day of 2016 is "Celebrating the international labour movement".
•    The whole world celebrates 1st May every year as International Labour Day to highlight the significance of hard work and the result we get through it. 
•    This is also known as International Worker's Day and May Day.
•    80 countries across the world have declared national holiday on this day.
•    The first demand for an eight hour working day and better working conditions gained momentum in early 19th century.
•    On the first of May in 1886, four striking workers of a harvesting plant at Haymarket in Chicago were killed in police firing.
•    It was protested all over and ever since, first of May is observed as workers day. 
•    Labour is one of the four key factors of production along with Land, Capital and organisation.