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05 April 2016 Current Affairs

PM Narendra Modi Launched ‘Stand Up India’ Scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 April launched the ‘Stand up India’ scheme as part of the government’s efforts to support entrepreneurship among women and SC & ST communities. Prime Minister also inaugurated a Kaushal Kendra (Skilling Center) under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana in Noida. The Scheme is intended to facilitate at least two projects per bank branch, on an average one for each category of entrepreneur. It is expected to benefit at least 2.5 lakh borrowers within 36 months. It provides for refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with an initial amount of 10000 crore rupees. It will create credit guarantee mechanism through the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC).

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Suresh Prabhu Flags Off India’s Fastest Train Gatiman Express

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 5 April flagged off the Gatiman Express which is the India’s first Semi-High Speed Train (SHST) with a capability of running at a maximum speed of 160 KMPH and runs between H. Nizamuddin to Agra, at the Hazrat Nizammuddin Railway Station in New Delhi. The train completed its maiden journey from Delhi to Agra in 100 minutes as compared to about 2-3 hours that other trains take to cover the distance.The Gatimaan Express, which is indigenously built, will run six days a week, except Friday, in both directions. The train runs at a speed of 160 km per hour, covering the 184 kilometre distance between Delhi and Agra in 105-110 minutes. In October 2014, the India Railways applied for safety certificate from Commission of Railway Safety to start the service. In June 2015, the train was announced officially and numbered 12049/50. Besides, the Gatimaan Express provides free Wi-fi to its passengers. Also, the train will have stewards and hostesses on the lines of flight attendants.

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RBI cuts Repo Rate by 25 Basis Points To 6.5%

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut down repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5 percent from 6.75 per cent, with immediate effect. It was announced in the first bi-monthly monetary policy review of the RBI for the 2016-17 fiscal. First bi-monthly monetary policy for the 2016-17 says Repo rate: RBI has reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.75 per cent to 6.5 per cent. It is the rate at which RBI lends to the financial system. Cash reserve ratio (CRR): RBI has unchanged CRR and kept it at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL). Reverse repo rate: RBI has adjusted (hiked) reverse repo rate under the LAF to 6 per cent.

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Researchers Create World’s Smallest Diode

A single-molecule diode, the world’s smallest, has been created by a team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the University of Georgia. The breakthrough could impact the development of molecular electronic devices. The nanoscale diode or molecular rectifier operates like a valve to facilitate electronic current flow in one direction. A collection of these nanoscale diodes, or molecules, contains properties that resemble traditional electronic components, such as a wire, transistor or rectifier.

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04 April 2016 Current Affairs

Mehbooba Mufti Sworn In As First Woman CM of J&K

Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) was on 4 April sworn in as the Chief Minister (CM) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). She was administered oath to the office by Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan in the winter capital city of Jammu. With this, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti became the first woman CM of J&K. Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Nirmal Singh took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Mufti, the daughter of PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is the second Muslim woman to become the Chief Minister of a state in India. Syeda Anwara Taimur was the first Muslim woman CM in Assam in 1980 and continued to hold the chair till 30 June 1981.

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Bengaluru’s IISC Tops India’s Best University List

“The Union Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Zubin Irani on 4 April released the India Rankings 2016 under National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in New Delhi. The Indian Institute of Science at Bengaluru (IISc) in Karnataka has been ranked the best in university category of ‘India Ranking 2016′ by the union HRD ministry. The Institute Of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, follows in second place. Jawaharlal Nehru University was ranked third, followed by the University of Hyderabad and Tezpur University, Assam. The Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru was ranked the top management institute while Indian Institute of Technology-Madras was the top engineering institute in India. The Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Manipal in Karnataka topped among the pharmacy (research and teaching) institutes, followed by the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Chandigarh and Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi. NIRF Survey was the first of its kind of indigenous ranking framework for higher education institutions in the country. NIRF ranking covers six categories of institutions including universities, engineering, management, pharmacy, architecture and colleges.”

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New Planet with Triple-Star System Found

A research team of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics published a paper in The Astronomical Journal on 4 February 2016 on their findings of a stable orbit planet with a triple-star system. The team described how they came to see that a binary system once thought to be a single star, was actually a pair of stars orbiting one another, and how that led to the revelation of the triple-star system.

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Philippines Launches World’s First Public Immunization Program For Dengue

The Philippines on 4 April launched the first public immunization program for dengue fever, seeking to administer to a million school children the world’s first licensed vaccine against a mosquito-borne disease that the World Health Organization estimates infects 390 million people a year globally. Mexico was first country in the world to approve first-ever Dengvaxia Dengue fever vaccine for the public use and Philippines was the first county in Asia to allow it. However with the launch of first public dengue vaccination programme, Philippines became first country to introduce, adopt and implement the first-ever dengue vaccine through the public health system and under public school settings.

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Union Government Notified new Hazardous Waste Management Rules

Union Environment Ministry released the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016. The new rule for management of hazardous wastes was released by Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar. This is the first time that the rules distinguish difference between hazardous and other wastes. The other wastes include waste tyre, paper waste, metal scrap, used electronic items, etc. and are recognized as a resource for recycling and reuse. These resources supplement the industrial processes and reduce the load on the virgin resource of the country.

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03 April 2016 Current Affairs

India and Saudi Arabia signed 5 MoUs

India and Saudi Arabia on 3 April signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which both nations agreed to exchange intelligence related to money laundering, terrorism financing and related crimes. The MoU, which was signed between Financial Intelligence Units of both countries, was one of the five MoUs concluded during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the nation. The other MoUs include an agreement on labour cooperation between the Ministry of Labour of Saudi Arabia and Indian Ministry of External Affairs for the recruitment of general category workers. Besides, an MoU was also concluded on technical cooperation program between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organisation (SASO). Another MoU was signed in the field executive program for cooperation in the field of handicrafts between Indian Export Promotion Council for Handicraft (EPCH) and Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. An understanding to create a framework for Investment Promotion Cooperation between India and the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) was also concluded.

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PM Narendra Modi Conferred Saudi Arabia’s Highest Civilian Honour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on 3 April conferred Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honour- the King Abdulaziz Sash. The prestigious award was bestowed upon Indian Prime Minister by incumbent Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the Royal Court. The award has been named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of the modern Saudi state. The award is bestowed upon citizens of Saudi Arabia and foreigners for meritorious service to the Saudi Kingdom. King himself makes awards to foreigners. World leaders who have received the honour include US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

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Novak Djokovic and Azarenka Won 2016 Miami Open Titles

“* Men’s Singles – Novak Djokovic of Serbia has won the 2016 Miami Open Title in the men’s singles category on 3 April 2016. In the final match played on outdoor hard courts at the Tennis Centre at Crandon Park Florida, US, he defeated Kei Nishikori (Japan). It was his third consecutive and overall sixth ATP Miami Open title, equalling Andre Agassi’s Miami record total. It was also his record 28th career ATP Masters title.

* Women’s Singles – Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) won the 2016 Miami Open Title in the women’s singles category. In the final match she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) by 6–3, 6–2 score. It was her third Miami Open Title.”

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Nico Roseberg Won 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix 

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg from Germany has won the 2016 Gulf Air Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix held at Bahrain International Circuit in Manama on 3 March. Bahrain Grand Prix title race was the second race of the 2016 season of Formula One in which total 11 teams had participated. It was Rosberg’s overall sixteenth championship title of F1 in his career and the second win in the 2016.

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West Indies Won ICC T-20 Cricket World Cup

“West Indies has won the ICC Cricket World Men’s T-20 Cup 2016 by defeating England by 4 wickets in the final match on 3 April played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. With this win, West Indies became the only team to win the ICC World Twenty20 title twice. Earlier it had won its first title in 2012 by defeating Sri Lanka.
Player of the match – Marlon Samuels (West Indies).
Player of the series – Virat Kohli (India).”

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West Indies Won Women’s Title of World T20 

“West Indies Women’s on 3 April won their maiden Women’s Cricket World T-20 title. In the final clash at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, West Indies defeated reigning champions Australia by 8 wickets.

* Player of the match – Hayley Matthews (West Indies Women

* Player of the series – Stafanie Taylor (West Indies Women)”

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World’s First White Tiger Safari In Madhya Pradesh

Union Minister for Environment and Forests Prakash Javdekar on 3 April inaugurated a White Tiger Safari at Mukundpur in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. The Safari is situated adjacent to the Mukundpur Zoo which is spread over 75 hectares. The first of its kind safari has cost 50 crore rupees and is spread over an area of 25 hectares. With its inauguration, the safari houses three white tigers, including one male named Raghu and two females named Vindhya and Radha.

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02 April 2016 Current Affairs

Tran Dai Quang Elected Vietnam’s new President

The National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam on 2 April elected Tran Dai Quang as the country’s president in capital Hanoi. Quang has been elected and sworn in as the president with 452 yes votes out of 481 valid ballots at the ongoing 11th session of the 13th NA.Prior to the election, Quang has been serving as Vietnamese Minister of Public Security from 2011.A resolution on electing Quang as Vietnamese President was later adopted by the NA.

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India Ranks 6th In 2015 Top-10 Manufacturers List

India has been ranked sixth among the world’s Top-Ten largest manufacturing countries in the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) 2015 Yearbook report. In this edition of report India has jumped by three positions to sixth position compared to earlier ninth position in the previous report.

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01 April 2016 Current Affairs

01 April 2016 Current Affairs

Chandigarh Becomes First Kerosene-Free City

               For the first time, a city has been declared kerosene free with sale of subsidised cooking and lighting fuel being stopped in Chandigarh from 1 April completely. The Petroleum Ministry with the help of Chandigarh Administration has been working for the last few months to make Chandigarh ‘a Kerosene Free City’.

North Korea Announces Blocks On Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

                North Korea has on 1 April officially announced it is blocking Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and South Korean websites in a move underscoring its concern with the spread of online information.The new North Korean restrictions are similar to censorship measures in neighbouring China, which allows more access in general but also maintains strict bans on sites that Beijing deems politically sensitive or harmful. They also mirror some restrictions in South Korea, which also bans North Korean websites and a wide variety of what the government deems to be adult content.

Shiva Thapa won Silver at Asian/Oceania Qualifying Event 

          Ace Indian boxer Shiva Thapa on 1 April won silver medal in the 56 kilogram category at the Asian/Oceania Qualifying Tournament in Qian’an, China. Thapa defeated Kazakhstan’s Kairat Yeraliyev in the semi-finals to earn the medal.With this win, Thapa became the first Indian boxer to book a seat in the Rio Olympics.

4th Nuclear Security Summit 2016

        The fourth Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) was held in Washington, United States on March 31-April 1 2016. Chinese President Xi Jinping and around 50 other world leaders are gathered to discuss efforts to prevent terrorist acquisition of nuclear materials.At the NSS, the Prime Minister announced that Canada will invest an additional $42 million in the Global Partnership Program – over the next two years – to improve nuclear and radiological security world-wide. In support of the Global Coalition Against the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Canada announced it would invest $51 million – over three years – to build the capacity of counter-terrorism programs in the Middle East and North Africa. The first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington DC in 2010 and the second NSS was held in Seoul in 2012. The third summit was held in The Hague, Netherlands in 2014.

Researchers Reveal First 3D Map of Zika Virus Structurer

              Researchers from the Purdue University in Indiana in United States have achieved a breakthrough by revealing the first 3D map of the Zika virus structure It is considered as one of the major breakthrough in the battle against the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Study in this regard was published in the journal Science.The first 3D map of the Zika virus structure was produced at the atomic level. The 3D map reveals insights of virus that are critical to finding an effective antiviral treatment or vaccine for the virus.

Scientists Develop Biopolymer For Water Purification

          Indian scientists have developed an eco-friendly biopolymer using nanotechnology for water-softening and water purification applications. It was developed by the team of scientists from Guwahati (Assam) based Institute of Advance Study in Science & Technology (IASST). The eco-friendly biopolymer has been created using a naturally occurring substance, called chitosan.

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