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Daily Current affairs - March 26th to 31st, 2018 for all competitive exams


March 27 - World Theatre Day
World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI).
  • It is celebrated annually on the 27th March by ITI Centres and the international theatre community.
Various national and international theatre events are organized to mark this occasion. One of the most important of these is the circulation of the World Theatre Day International Message through which at the invitation of ITI, a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace.
The first World Theatre Day International Message was written by Jean Cocteau (France) in 1962.

Ministry of Culture organising Madhavpur mela
Ministry of Culture is organizing the Madhavpur Mela in Madhavpur Ghed, District Porbandar in Gujarat in a grand way.
  • The purpose of this integration is to bring various parts of the country especially the North-East, close to each other under the banner of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat announced by the Prime Minister.
The Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat shares its connect to the Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. The Mishmi Tribe traces its ancestry to the legendary King Bhishmak and through him to his daughter Rukmini and Lord Krishna.
“Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” was announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 31st October, 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Subsequently, the Finance Minister announced the initiative in his Budget Speech for 2016-17.
All States and UTs will be covered under the programme. There will be pairing of States/UTs at national level and these pairings will be in effect for one year, or till the next round of pairings. The State/UT level pairings would be utilized for state level activities. District level pairings would be independent of the State level pairings.

Defence ministry releases draft policy on defence production
The defence ministry has come out with a draft policy on defence production. The aim is to make India one of the top five manufacturers of defence platforms with active participation of public and private sectors. At present, India is one of the world’s largest importer of military platforms and weapons.
  • It envisages achieving a turnover of Rs 1,70,000 crore in military goods and services by 2025 by promoting the domestic defence industry.
  • The policy lists as a major aim achieving export of Rs 35,000 crore in military equipment and services by 2025 by promoting the domestic defence industry.
  • The policy says the licensing process for defence industries will be liberalised and the list of items requiring licences will be reviewed and pruned.

New vehicle scrappage policy cleared by PMO
Government’s New Vehicle Scrappage policy was recently cleared by the Prime Minister’s Office and is awaiting the approval of the GST Council.
  • The policy targets to take polluting vehicles out of the roads and help the automobile industry register higher sales.
  • The policy mentions about vehicles older than 20 years becoming eligible for benefits under the scrappage scheme.
  • The scheme would now come in effect from April 1, 2020, coinciding with the implementation of the BS-VI norms.
  • The new vehicle scrappage policy of the Centre is unlikely to have any significant impact on the automobile industry in terms of increased demand, according to rating agencies. Also, analysts say the benefit offered under the scrappage policy would be 15% of the vehicle’s price. But this advantage would be muted as prices of diesel vehicles were expected to rise 10-15% once the new norms (BS-VI) come into force.
The total population of commercial vehicles that will be older than 20 years in fiscal 2021 would be 50,000 vehicles, much lower than the government’s earlier estimate of 2.8 crore vehicles. In any case, 70,000 to 90,000 vehicles are scrapped every year. So, it is believed that the impact of the scrappage policy will be limited.

Union home ministry planning to relax Protected area permit
The Union Home Ministry is planning to relax the protected area permit (PAP) regime to enable foreign tourists to access border areas. 
  • The permit is being relaxed by the Centre following several requests by Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Manipur and the Tourism Ministry.
Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states have been declared as   protected areas.
The protected areas currently include whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, besides parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Some parts of Sikkim fall under the protected area regime while others under the restricted area.
Government launches E-Tribes India on e-commerce platforms
The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India, (TRIFED), under Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched E-Tribes India banners on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Snapdeal, Paytm & GeM.
  • It also launched TRIFED’s websites-www.tribesindia.com, www.trifed.in and Retail Inventory Software and M-commerce app as part of Digital India Initiative. TRIFED’s Handbook for Retail Trade and TRIFED’s quarterly magazine ‘Tribes Haat’ was also launched.
  • Going Digital will lead to expansion of tribal commerce and the availability of tribal products over large area, reaping greater benefits for tribal artisans. Retail Trade of tribal products would expand all over the country and the world.
The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987. It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India. TRIFED has its registered and Head Office located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices located at various places in the country.

Government initiated process of sale Enemy properties
The government has initiated the process of sale of more than 9,400 enemy properties by issuing guidelines and directing the office of the custodian to submit the list of all such movable and immovable assets within three months. The sale of enemy properties is expected to fetch around Rs 1 lakh crore for the government exchequer.
  • The move comes after the amendment of the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act 2017 and the Enemy Property (Amendment) Rules, 2018, which ensured that the heirs of those who migrated to Pakistan and China during partition and afterwards will have no claim over the properties left behind in India.
When wars broke out between India and China in 1962, and India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, the central government took over properties of citizens of China and Pakistan in India under the Defence of India Acts. These Acts defined an ‘enemy’ as a country that committed an act of aggression against India, and its citizens.
Enemy properties Act:
After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the Enemy Property Act was enacted in 1968, which regulates such properties and lists the custodian’s powers. The government amended the Act in the wake of a claim laid by the heirs of Raja Mohammad Amir Mohammad Khan, known as Raja of Mahmudabad, on his properties spread across Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The government has vested these properties in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, an office instituted under the Central government.

Ministry of Finance has approved Government guarantee of Rs. 5000 crore in the IRFC bonds
Ministry of Finance has approved Government guarantee of Rs. 5000 crore in the current Financial Year for Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) bonds to be subscribed by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
  • The guarantee fee for the aforesaid amount has also been waived by Ministry of Finance (MOF).
  • Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) bonds are the new tax free bonds that have hit the market.

Ministry of Power joins hands with Skill India to support ‘Saubhagya’ Scheme
Ministry of Power partnered with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship to train the manpower in six states (Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh) for speedy implementation of its SAUBHAGYA scheme.
  • SAUBHAGYA (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojna) aims to achieve universal household electrification in all parts of the country in a time-bound manner.
  • Around 4 crore households are expected to get electricity connections under the scheme. A special project under the PMKVY has also been launched in these Six States.

Department of Posts launches Cool EMS Service between India and Japan
Ministry of Communications has launched the Cool EMS Service between India and Japan.
  • Cool EMS service is one-way service from Japan to India which allows customers in India to import Japanese food items for personal use which is allowed under Indian regulations.
Initially, Cool EMS Service will be available in Delhi only. Food items will be carried by Japan Post in special cool boxes containing refrigerant to preserve the quality of the food items. All other features like track and trace, etc of Express Mail Service (EMS) will be available for Cool EMS service as well.

Union cabinet approves for restructuring National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for restructuring of National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to strengthen governance, implementation and monitoring framework.
  • The approval would lead to restructuring of composition of Board of NSDF and the NSDC to strengthen governance, implementation and monitoring framework.
National Skill Development Corporation India (NSDC), established in 2009, is a not- for- profit company set up by the Ministry of Finance. The present equity base of NSDC is Rs.10 crore, of which the Government of India through Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) holds 49%, while the private sector has the balance 51%. NSDC aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions. It also provides funding to build scalable and profitable vocational training initiatives.
The National Skill Development Fund was set up in 2009 by the Government of India for raising funds both from Government and Non Government sectors for skill development in the country. A public Trust set up by the Government of India is the custodian of the Fund. The Trust accepts donation, contribution in cash or kind from the Contributors for furtherance of objectives of the Fund. The Fund meets its objectives through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Government provides support to India Convention Promotion Bureau
The government of India has been providing necessary support to India Convention Promotion Bureau to promote India as a venue for International Conferences and Exhibitions.
  • The India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) has been set up under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism. It has been set up to promote India as a venue for International Conferences and Exhibitions.
  • It is a non-profit organization, with members comprising national airlines, hotels, travel agents, tour operators, tourist transport operators, conference organizers, etc.
It participates in International Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism trade fairs like IMEX in Frankfurt and Las Vegas, EIBTM- Barcelona and AIME- Melbourne along with the Indiatourism overseas offices.

First National Conclave on Psychological Trauma, Child Protection, and Mental Illnesses
With an aim to provide a comprehensive synthesis of research, service provision, and clinical practice in addressing psychological trauma and subsequent mental illnesses in Indian children and adolescents, First ever National conclave was recently organized by the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
  • The conclave provided a common platform for all stakeholders (Academicians, Clinicians, Government and NGOs) working in this area in the direction of robust evidence based research, better service provision, and capacity building of professionals.
Psychological traumatic life event is a broad term that can encompass a multitude of experiences and situations, such as experiencing trafficking, physical and sexual abuse/assaults, war, torture, natural disasters, kidnapping, sudden death in family, sudden loss of limb, life threatening chronic illness, as well as witnessing murder, domestic violence, accidents, and dead bodies.

CCEA approved for Integrated Scheme for School Education
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of Department of School Education and Literacy to formulate an Integrated Scheme on School Education.
  • The new scheme subsumes Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
  • The vision of the Scheme is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education from nursery to senior secondary stage in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal for Education.
  • The main emphasis of the Integrated Scheme is on improving quality of school education by focussing on the two T’s – Teacher and Technology.

NITI Aayog launches baseline rankings under Transformation of Aspirational Districts programme
The NITI Aayog has launched the baseline ranking for the Aspirational Districts based on published data of 49 indicators.
  • All the states — except West Bengal and Kerala — are on board in this ranking initiative.
  • From April 1, these 101 districts will start entering data and from May onwards, they will be ranked based on progress made (delta ranking) on a real-time basis.
  • As per the baseline ranking, Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh is ranked highest with score of 48.13% while Mewat in Haryana tails at the end with 26.02%.
  • Among others, Asifabad (Telengana), Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh), Kiphire (Nagaland), Shrawasti, Siddarthnagar and Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh), Namsai (Arunachal Pradesh), Sukma (Chattisgarh) are ranked at bottom of the list.
‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ was launched in January with an aim to quickly and effectively transform some of the most underdeveloped districts in the country.

Union cabinet approves MoU between India and South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP)
The Union Cabinet has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) for cooperation on the response to Oil and Chemical Pollution in the South Asian Seas Region.
  • The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation between India and other maritime nations comprising the South Asian seas region namely Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for protection and preservation of marine environment in the region.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will be the Competent National Authority and national   operational contact point for implementation of “Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan” under the MoU and shall respond to oil and chemical spills on behalf of Government of India. Further, ICG Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) will be the national emergency response centre for marine incidents.
In order to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the South Asian region, the Governments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka established the SACEP in 1982 in Sri Lanka. The SACEP jointly with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) developed a “Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan” to facilitate international co-operation and mutual assistance in preparing and responding to a major oil pollution incident in the seas around the Maritime States of Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

National Agricultural Cooperative Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) signed with 8 lender banks for debt settlement
National Agricultural Cooperative Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) has signed the Debt Settlement Agreement with its eight lender banks.
  • The One Time Settlement with the lender banks has been made at Rs. 478 Crore. In addition, the lenders are entitled to the assignment of auction right of the property of one of the defaulters of its tie-up business conducted in the years 2003-05.
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED), established in 1958, is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act. Nafed was setup with the object to promote Co-operative marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers. Agricultural farmers are the main members of Nafed, who have the authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the working of Nafed. The objectives of the NAFED shall be to organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce, distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs, undertake inter-state, import and export trade etc.

CCEA approved enhaced scope of Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for enhancing the scope of Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY).
  • The Government of India will now contribute the Employer’s full admissible contribution for the first three years from the date of registration of the new employee for all the sectors including existing beneficiaries for their remaining period of three years.
The scheme “Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana”(PMRPY) was announced in the Budget for 2016-17. The objective of the scheme is to promote employment generation. The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Under the scheme employers would be provided an incentive for enhancing employment by reimbursement of the 8.33% EPS contribution made by the employer in respect of new employment. The PMRPY scheme is targeted for workers earning wages upto Rs. 15,000/- per month.

CCEA Approves Continuation of Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme For Education Loans
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the continuation of the Credit Guarantee Fund for Education Loans Scheme and continuation and modification of Central Sector Interest Subsidy Scheme with a financial outlay of 6,600 crore rupees from 2017-18 to 2019-20. The scheme will cover loans for pursuing professional and technical courses to promote quality education. 
  • CEA also approved a proposal to formulate an Integrated Scheme on school education by subsuming Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2020. An estimated allocation of 75,000 crore rupees has been approved for this which is a 20 percent increase over the current allocations. 

Govt allows export of 2million tonnes of Sugar
The government has allowed export of two million tonnes of sugar until the end of the 2017-18 marketing year, in order to clear surplus stocks and improve cash flow to millers for making payment to sugarcane farmers. 
  • The government has also allowed export of white sugar till September 2018 under the Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) scheme, under which exporters are allowed to import sugar at zero duty within three years.

Prakash Javadekar inaugurates Smart India Hackathon grand finale 2018-Software Edition
Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the Smart India Hackathon Grand Finale 2018 -Software edition in New Delhi. 
  • Hackathon aims to build Digital India and to engage the youth directly in nation-building. it is intended to promote innovation, out-of-the-box thinking in young minds.
  • One lakh students from 1,200 colleges are participating at the world's largest Hackathon. 

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Canada On IPRs
The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post approval for MoU between India and Canada. The MoU was signed to establish bilateral cooperation activities in the field of Intellectual Property (IP).
  • The MoU is intended to promote innovation, creativity and economic growth in both countries.
  • The MoU establishes a broad and flexible framework through which both countries can exchange best practices and work together on training programs and technical exchanges to raise awareness on IPRs and better protect intellectual property rights (IPRs).

PM Modi to address select diaspora event in London
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a scaled-down, invitation-only event in London on April 18 during his visit to the UK.
  • The event, known as Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath, will take place at a venue in Westminster.
  • Modi’s address at the Wembley stadium is considered one of his most successful outreaches to the large Indian diaspora.

UIDAI set to introduce face authentication feature from July 1
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is all set to make face authentication available alongside iris for verifying Aadhaar users from July 1, 2018.
  • Face authentication shall be available infusion mode along with one more authentication factor like fingerprint/iris/OTP from July 1, 2018.
  • The feature would be permitted along with either fingerprint or iris or OTP to verify the details of Aadhaar holders.

CBDT extends PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline to June 30
The CBDT extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking to June 30.
  • The policy-making body of the tax department issued an order extending the deadline from the current last date of March 31.
  • The order said the deadline for PAN-Aadhaar linking for filing I-T returns is being extended after “consideration of the matter”.

NITI Aayog signed Atal Innovation Mission with SAP global
NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has announced the signing of a Statement of Intent (SOI) with SAP Global to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • As part of the SOI, SAP in 2018 will adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) for five years to nurture the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning among secondary school children across India. This aims to enable students to learn advanced technology topics relevant to digital transformation and the Internet of Things, e.g. Design Thinking methodology, introduction to programming languages and experiential science learning.
ATLs are innovation play workspaces for students between Class 6 to 12, stimulating innovations combining science and technology.
These open-ended innovation workspaces are equipped with state-of-the art technologies like 3D printers, robotics, sensor technology kits, Internet of Things, miniaturised electronics etc, to enable students to learn and solve local community problems using emerging technologies.
The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. AIM is mandated to create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country and revolutionizing the innovation eco-system – touching upon the entire innovation life cycle through various programs.
Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) create innovators, Atal Incubation Centre and support to Established Incubation Centre will take the innovations to the market and a network of Incubators shall help create enterprises around these innovations.

Piyush Goyal inaugurates Andheri-Goregaon Harbour Line section
The long wait of rail commuters to board a train on the harbor line from Andheri to Goregaon ended today with the inaugural run train service.
  • Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the Andheri-Goregaon harbor line at an event held at the Goregaon station last night.
  • Inaugurating the line, Railway Minister said the harbor line will be further extended till Borivali. He added the Union government has undertaken Rs 54,777 crore-worth projects for improving the railway infrastructure in Mumbai.

First mega food park inauguarated in Rajasthan
Greentech Mega Food Park Private Ltd, first mega Food Park in Rajasthan, was recently inaugurated at Roopangarh Village in Ajmer.
  • The Park has been set up at a cost of Rs 113.57 crore and will benefit around 25,000 farmers in this as well as neighbouring districts.
  • Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Mega Food Park Scheme in the country.
The Scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastages, increasing farmers’ income and creating employment opportunities particularly   in rural sector. India’s first mega food park ‘Srini Mega Food Park’, sprawling 147-acre space, was opened in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh in 2012.

MP’s black chicken Kadaknath wins GI tag
Madhya Pradesh has won the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Kadaknath, a black-feathered chicken known for its flavourful meat.
  • The GI tag will ensure that no one else can use the name Kadaknath while selling any other black chicken and will also translate into higher prices for producers.
It is found mainly in the tribal district of Jhabua.
Kadaknath is in demand not only because of its taste but also due to its low cholesterol and high protein content.
A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.

Surat becomes first district to have 100% solar powered health centres
Surat has become the first district in the country to have 100% solar powered Primary Health Centers (PHC).
  • There are a total of 52 PHCs in the district and all of them are now powered by solar system.

India's 1st Insect museum opened in Tamil Nadu
Rs 5 crore insect museum with the state-of-the-art amenities was unveiled by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswamy at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
  • The museum, established at a 6,691 sqft area, is fully dedicated to insects and is first of its kind in the country.
  • It would display insects preserved as specimens as also live ones depicting their different developmental stages, images, videos and models of their unique behavior, habits, and habitats.

India’s first global counter-terrorism centre to open in Jaipur
India’s first global counter-terrorism and anti-insurgency centre will come up in Jaipur on a 50-acre land.
  • Rajasthan home department has identified land for the centre near Bagru town of Jaipur district.
  • The cost of the centre is estimated to be Rs 275 crores, out of which Centre will bear Rs 165 crore and the state will pitch in with the remaining amount.

Andhra CM inaugurates International Yachting Festival
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu flagged off the International Yachting Festival in Visakhapatnam.
  • The festival, which is being held from March 29 to April 1, was inaugurated in the presence of IT minister Nara Lokesh, HRD minister Ganta Srinivasarao and other local MLAs.
  • This International Yachting Festival is the first step in developing sea tourism in Visakhapatnam.

Assam Government launches ‘181’ women helpline number
The Assam government launched 181-Sakhi toll free women helpline’ at Dispur for woman to lodge complaints related to domestic violence, sexual harassment, dowry cases, eve-teasing in public/work places etc.’
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the helpline at a programme at Janata Bhawan here.
  • Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal expressed serious concern over recent spurt of crimes against women in the state

Ghaziabad becomes the first district in UP to have 100% electrification
Ghaziabad has become the first district in the state to have electricity in all its households.
  • Chief minister Yogi Adityanath praised the Centre’s Saubhagya scheme and said his government’s efforts to augment the power infrastructure through it.
  • Since the launch of central government’s Saubhagya scheme on December 17 last year, a total of 80,000 households were given with electricity connection.
  • In an attempt to improve health infrastructure in the state, the chief minister also launched the ‘Aarogyam’ app.

Airport Authority of India signs MoU with Assam Government
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) signed an MoU with Assam government under its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) initiative for the sustainable development of human settlements at villages in Kamrup district.
  • AAI would provide financial assistance under its CSR initiative of 4.58 crore Rupees for the Kamrup district as per the estimates prepared by the UNDP to improve the resilience of communities around Guwahati Airport.

India and ADB Sign $80 Million Loan Agreement
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed $80 million loan agreement to help modernize technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions and improve the skills ecosystem in the State of Himachal Pradesh.
  • The project will support the skill initiatives of Government of Himachal Pradesh and help the State step-up the reform and scale-up its skill development efforts.

Asia’s largest Tulip Garden in Srinagar opens for visitors
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was opened for visitors in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. It is recognized as Asia's largest tulip garden.
  • This year, 12.5 lakh tulip bulbs of 48 varieties were sown in the garden by the floriculture department. Apart from the tulips, 40,000 hyacinth bulbs have also been planted.

Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project construction works started
Construction works on 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project have begun.
  • The Naitwar Mori Project with a generation potential of 60 MW is located on River Tons, a major tributary of River Yamuna on the Ganga basin, in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state in North India.
  • This run-of-the river project was allocated to SJVN Ltd by the Government of Uttarakhand. SJVN Ltd is a Mini Ratna PSU under administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Govt. of India.

India, Pakistan to hold Permanent Indus Commission meet
India and Pakistan will hold a meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission to discuss various issues under the Indus Waters Treaty.
  • This will be the 114th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), which should meet at least once a year as per the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
  • The meeting of the PIC is held alternately in India and Pakistan every year.
  • The PIC had last met in March 2017 in Islamabad.
  • Pakistan has raised objections over the ongoing construction of the two hydroelectric power projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank. The treaty was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960 by Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan.
According to this treaty, waters of the three western rivers (the Jhelum, the Chenab, and the Indus itself) were allocated to Pakistan, and those of the three eastern rivers (the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej) were allocated to India. The treaty gives each country the right to use only 20% of the water from the rivers under the two countries’ respective control.
The Treaty also provides arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably. Though Indus originates from Tibet, China has been kept out of the Treaty.

China agrees to share Brahmaputra river data with India
China has agreed to share the Brahmaputra river water data with India, which it had withheld last year after the Doklam military stand-off.
  • The announcement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry came a day after India and China held talks over the trans-border Rivers in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.
  • India had complained that it did not receive hydrological data from China.
  • Under an agreement, Beijing is supposed to share the river data with India, but it stopped last year after the two armies had a 73-day face off at Doklam.

ISA and India sign the Host Country Agreement
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), have signed the Host Country Agreement.
  • The Agreement will give ISA a juridical personality and gives it power to contract, to acquire and dispose off movable and immovable properties, to institute and defend legal proceedings.
  • Under this agreement, ISA shall enjoy such privileges, applicable tax concessions and immunities as are necessary for ISA’s Headquarter to independently discharge its function and programmes.
  • ISA shall be deriving its status, privileges and immunities as per Article 10 of Framework Agreement.
The Paris Declaration establishes ISA as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries.
Objectives: The ISA’s major objectives include global deployment of over 1,000GW of solar generation capacity and mobilisation of investment of over US$ 1000 billion into solar energy by 2030.

India receives maiden US LNG shipment at Dabhol
India received its first LNG cargo from the US under a long-term supply deal, when a ship carrying super-cooled natural gas arrived at Dabhol in Maharashtra.
  • A chartered ship, MV Meridian Spirit arrived at Dabhol after a 25 days voyage from Louisiana, state-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd said in a press statement.
  • It has also contracted long-term volumes for another 2.3 million tonnes at Dominion Energy’s Cove Point liquefaction plant.

Egypt launches WhatsApp hotline for reporting the fake news
Egypt has announced a new hotline for citizens that will run on WhatsApp and will allow them to report the news.
  • It was launched on March 12 and the announcement was made through a statement by Egypt’s General Prosecution office.
  • Since 2017, Egyptian authorises have been blocking Qatar-linked online publications such as Al-Jazeera, The Huffington Post Arabic.

U.K. gears up for first-ever ‘National samosa week’
Six cities in the U.K. will take part in the first-ever ‘National Samosa Week’ where participants will make, sell, and eat the popular Indian snack to raise money for charity.
  • The event, to be organised from April 9 to 13, is the brainchild of a Leicester-based media personality who believes that the popularity of the triangular-shaped savoury snack transcends all barriers and can become a means to unite different communities in the U.K.
This triangle-shaped delicacy is said to originate from the Middle East and was eaten by travelling merchants. It is likely that this is how the tasty parcels made their way to other parts of the world including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

WHO released report on E-Cigarettes
WHO has released a report on E- Cigarettes and its effects on health.
  • As per the report, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) (also known as e-cigarettes) emits nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco products. In addition to dependence, nicotine can have adverse effects on the development of the foetus during pregnancy and may contribute to cardiovascular disease.
The WHO report further says that although nicotine itself is not a carcinogen, it may function as a “tumour promoter” and seems to be involved in the biology of malignant disease, as well as of neurodegeneration.
Foetal and adolescent nicotine exposure may have long-term consequences for brain development, potentially leading to learning and anxiety disorders.
An electronic cigarette (or e-cig) is a battery-powered vaporizer that mimics tobacco smoking. It works by heating up a nicotine liquid, called “juice.”

Malala returns to Pakistan six years after she got shot by Taliban
Nobel laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai returns to her native Pakistan, six years after she got shot by Taliban gunmen.
  • Pakistani station Geo TV showed footage of Yousafzai at Islamabad’s international airport walking to a car escorted by a security convoy.
  • At age 17, Yousafzai became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her education advocacy.
  • Now 20, she is making her first visit to Pakistan since 2012, After surviving the attack, Yousafzai was airlifted abroad and underwent surgery.

China taking first steps to pay for oil in Yuan this year
China is taking its first steps towards paying for imported crude oil in yuan instead of the US dollar.
  • Shifting just part of global oil trade into the yuan is potentially huge.
  • Oil is the world’s most traded commodity, with an annual trade value of around $14 trillion, roughly equivalent to China’s gross domestic product last year.
  • A pilot programme for yuan payment could be launched as early as the second half of this year, two of the people said.

World’s largest Cruise Ship 'Symphony of the Seas' sets sail
The world’s biggest cruise-liner, Symphony of the Seas, has left the shipyard of Saint-Nazaire in France to embark on its maiden voyage in the Mediterranean.
  • French shipbuilder STX handed over to U.S. giant Royal Caribbean International.
  • The ship, which weighs 228,000 tonnes, is 362 metres long just 20 metres shy of the length of the Empire State Building. It is marginally bigger than its sister ship, the Harmony of the Seas, which STX France delivered to Royal Caribbean in 2016.

NASA launched delay of James Webb Space Telescope
NASA has delayed the launch of its much awaited, $8 billion James Webb Space Telescope — set to be the world’s biggest space observatory — until at least May 2020.
  • The James Webb Space Telescope, also called Webb or JWST, is a large, space-based observatory, optimized for infrared wavelengths, which will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope.
  • It will cover longer wavelengths of light than Hubble and will have greatly improved sensitivity. The longer wavelengths enable JWST to look further back in time to see the first galaxies that formed in the early universe, and to peer inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today.
This space-based observatory is named after James E. Webb (1906- 1992), NASA’s second administrator. Webb is best known for leading Apollo, a series of lunar exploration programs that landed the first humans on the Moon. However,   he also initiated a vigorous space science program that was responsible for more than 75 launches during his tenure, including America’s first interplanetary explorers.

India Successfully Launches GSAT-6A Communication Satellite
ISRO successfully launched the GSLV-F08 carrying the GSAT6A communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The GSAT-6A satellite will be put into orbit around 17 minutes after the rocket's liftoff. 
  • GSLV Mk II (F08) carrying GSAT-6A took off from the second launch pad in Sriharikota. This launch marked its 12th flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F08 and sixth flight with the indigenous Cryogenic upper stage. 
  • The GSAT-6A is a high power S-band communication satellite with a mission life of about 10 years. A key feature of the satellite is to provide mobile communication to India through multi beam coverage facility.
  • The satellite will also provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite based mobile communication applications.
The GSLV is a three stage/engine rocket. The core of first stage is fired with solid fuel while the four strap-on motors by liquid fuel. The second stage is the liquid fuel-propelled and the third is the cryogenic engine.
GSLV-F08, weighing 415.6 tonnes with a height of 49.1 meters comes with notable improvements like induction of High Thrust Vikas Engine, electromechanical actuation system in place of electro-hydraulic actuation system.
S-band is an electromagnetic spectrum covering frequencies from 2 to 4 gigahertz (GHz). It crosses the conventional boundary between the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and Super High Frequency (SHF) bands at 3.0 GHz. S-band is used by weather radars, surface ship radar, and some communications satellites.   S-band is very useful because the 2.5 Ghz band is used globally for 4G services, and is worth billions of dollars. The S-band spectrum is extremely valuable for mobile broadband services.

NASA to send first mission to study 'Heart' of Mars
NASA is all set to send the first-ever mission dedicated to exploring the deep interior of Mars.
  • Scheduled to launch on 5 May, InSight—a stationary lander—will also be the first Nasa mission since the Apollo moon landings to place a seismometer, a device that measures quakes, on the soil of another planet. 
  • InSight or the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport mission, carries a suite of sensitive instruments to gather data.
  • It is the first-ever mission by NASA dedicated to exploring the deep interior of Mars. It will also be the first Nasa mission since the Apollo moon landings to place a seismometer, a device that measures quakes, on the soil of another planet.
InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is a NASA Discovery Program mission that will place a single geophysical lander on Mars to study its deep interior.
But InSight is more than a Mars mission – it is a terrestrial planet explorer that will address one of the most fundamental issues of planetary and solar system science – understanding the processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system (including Earth) more than four billion years ago.
By using sophisticated geophysical instruments, InSight will delve deep beneath   the surface of Mars, detecting the fingerprints of the processes of terrestrial planet formation, as well as measuring the planet’s “vital signs”: Its “pulse” (seismology), “temperature” (heat flow probe), and “reflexes” (precision tracking).
Mars is the exoplanet next door—a nearby example of how gas, dust and heat combine and arrange themselves into a planet. Looking deep into Mars will let scientists understand how different its crust, mantle and core are from Earth.

Pakistan tests nuclear-capable, a submarine-launched missile with a range of 450km
Pakistan has conducted a test of its nuclear-capable, submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM), Babur, which has a range of 450 km.
  • It has been working hard on developing this capability to carry out a retaliatory nuclear strike even after an enemy’s nuclear attack destroy.
  • The Pakistan military’s media arm described test of the indigenously developed missile as successful.

Russia tests new intercontinental ballistic missile
The Russian military has successfully tested its latest intercontinental ballistic missile.
  • Sarmat is intended to replace the Soviet-designed Voyevoda, the world’s heaviest ICBM known as “Satan” in the West.
  • It is Russia’s most advanced nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile. It was flight-tested recently.
The Sarmat is a heavy ICBM intended to replace Russia’s aging, Soviet-era missiles that form the basis of its nuclear deterrent. The chief innovation of the Sarmat is its ability to carry a large number of guided warheads. The missile is believed to be able to fly 16,000 miles and is capable of flying over the South Pole to strike the U.S. NATO has named this missile as ‘Satan 2’.

China successfully launched BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)
China has successfully launched two satellites with a single rocket to strengthen its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).
The two satellites are coded as the 30th and 31st members in the BDS.
  • Named after the Chinese term for Big Dipper, the BeiDou system started providing independent services over China in 2000. It is being projected by Beijing as a rival to the American Global Positioning System (GPS).
  • It has total 22 Operational satellites in orbit and the full constellation is scheduled to comprise 35 satellites.
  • BeiDou has two separate constellations, BeiDou-1 and BeiDou-2. BeiDou-1 also known as first generation was a constellation of three satellites. BeiDou-2, also known as COMPASS, is the second generation of the system. It became operational in the year 2011.
The four global GNSS systems are – GPS (US), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU), BeiDou (China). Additionally, there are two regional systems – QZSS (Japan) and IRNSS or NavIC (India).

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission will be launched in April 2018
NASA and SpaceX joining hands for their all-new combined mission known as Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. The mission will be launched in April this year.
  • The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is an upcoming NASA mission that will look for planets orbiting the brightest stars in Earth’s sky. Its launch vehicle will be a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX.
  • The mission will monitor at least 200,000 stars for signs of exoplanets, ranging from Earth-sized rocky worlds to huge gas giant planets. TESS, however, will focus on stars that are 30 to 100 times brighter than those Kepler examined. This will help astronomers better understand the structure of solar systems outside of our Earth, and provide insights into how our own solar system formed.
TESS will occupy a never-before-used orbit high above Earth. The elliptical orbit, called P/2, is exactly half of the moon’s orbital period; this means that TESS will orbit Earth every 13.7 days. Its closest point to Earth (67,000 miles or 108,000 kilometers) is about triple the distance of geosynchronous orbit, where most communications satellites operate.

Interstitium: The latest organ discovered in human body
Scientists have discovered a new organ in the human body which they have dubbed the ‘interstitium’.
  • The new organ is known as the Interstitium and it is found everywhere in our bodies, acting as a shock absorber in all places where tissues are moved or subjected to force.
  • It lies beneath the top layer of skin, but is also in tissue layers lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels, and muscles. The organ is a network of interconnected, fluid-filled spaces all over the body.
  • The organ is a network of interconnected, fluid-filled spaces all over the body and is made up of both strong (collagen) and flexible (elastin) connective tissue proteins, with interstitial fluid moving throughout.
  • The discovery of the fluid ‘highway’ could help to explain how cancer spreads in the body, and pave the way for new ways to detect and treat the disease.

Jana Small Finance Bank started its operations
Jana Small Finance Bank (formerly Janalakshmi Financial Services, India’s leading micro-finance company), announced the commencement of its banking operations.
  • To cover its extensive customer base, Jana Bank will initially open 19 branches across 18 states and expand to 200 banking outlets including the 25% unbanked rural branches by June 2018.
Jana Small Finance Bank
Headquarters
Bangalore
MD & CEO
V S Radhakrishnan
Tagline
Likho Apni Kahaani

Flipkart looks to sell movie tickets, expand online groceries business
India’s largest online retailer Flipkart Ltd is expanding its fledgeling online groceries business even as it plans to sell movie tickets ahead.
  • It is proposed takeover of the company by American retailer Walmart Inc., three people aware of the developments.
  • Arch-rival Amazon India has piloted its food retail business in Pune.

Mozilla’s new tool limits Facebook from tracking the user
Mozilla announced an add-on for Firefox called Facebook Container that helps users to continue using the social media application.
  • The Mozilla’s new tool lets you continue using Facebook without worrying about being tracked by the social media app.
  • You can also consider downloading Vivaldi browser, which is a desktop-only browser and is aimed at power users.

RBI Imposes Rs 58.9 Cr Penalty on ICICI Bank
The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs. 58.9 crore on ICICI Bank Limited for non-compliance with the directions issued by the RBI on direct sale of securities from its Held To Maturity (HTM) portfolio and specified disclosure in this regard.
  • The Central Bank stated this penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested with the RBI under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, taking into account failure of the bank to adhere to its directions/guidelines.
A held-to-maturity security is purchased with the intention of holding the investment to maturity. This type of security is reported at amortized cost on a company's financial statements and is usually in the form of a debt security with a specific maturity date

Bandhan Bank becomes India’s 8th most valued bank
Bandhan Bank, the new entrant on Dalal Street, which registered 27 per cent gain on the very first day of its market debut has become the 8th most valued bank in India leaving behind Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank.
  • Meanwhile, HDFC Bank continues to be the most valued bank in India with a market capitalisation of nearly Rs 4.8 lakh crore followed by SBI and Kotak Mahindra Bank, which have a market value of Rs 2.02 lakh crore and Rs 1.98 lakh crore respectively.

Fortis board set to announce a deal with Manipal-TPG
The board of Fortis Healthcare Ltd is set to announce the sale of its hospital assets to a combine of Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
  • The deal, which values Fortis’s hospital assets at around 10,200 crores, will be a two-step process.
  • The TPG-Manipal combine will pay 3,900 crores for close to a 38% stake in the combined entity.

Google Acquires GIF Search Platform Tenor
Technology giant Google has acquired US-based Tenor, a GIF platform for Android, iOS, and desktop.
  • Tenor's GIF-searching functionality will be integrated into Google Images and Gboard, the company's virtual keyboard. However, Tenor will continue to operate as a separate brand and Google will invest in their technology.

GIFT, Deloitte Sign MoU to promote IFSC operations
GIFT City has signed an MoU with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP (DTTILLP), which renders consultancy services, for mutual cooperation in areas related to international financial services.
  • The MoU was signed with an aim of assisting domestic and international clients set up operations at the GIFT-located International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). 
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is a business district promoted by the Government of Gujarat through a joint venture company. GIFT City is India's first operational smart city and international financial services centre. Recognizing the potential of the state as a center for the financial services industry, the Government of Gujarat formulated GIFT City Project to realise the vision of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. GIFT is an operational smart city developed between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar as a greenfield development.

SWIFT introduces Universal Real-Time payment tracking
SWIFT announces the extension of its GPI Tracker to cover all payment instructions sent across the network, enabling GPI banks to track all their SWIFT payment instructions at all times, and giving them full visibility over all their payments activity.
  • The Tracker, which has been available since May 2017, enables banks that have signed up to the service to track their GPI payments in real-time.
SWIFT- Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication Code. SWIFT codes are most commonly used for international wire transfers and are comprised of 8 or 11 alphanumeric characters. The International Organization for Standardization (IOS) was the authoritative body that approved the creation of SWIFT codes.

SEBI mulls new buyback norms
Markets regulator SEBI is considering new norms on share buy-back programmes, under which the maximum limit for share repurchase would be 25% of a firm’s paid up capital and reserves.
  • The proposal will be discussed at the SEBI board meeting this week.
  • The regulator plans to come out with a consultation paper on the buy-back programme and will seek public comments. The final regulations will be put in place after taking views of all stakeholders.

India becomes 3rd largest Electricity producer in the World
India has become the 3rd largest electricity producer in the world as its electricity production grew 34% over seven years to 2017.
  • The country now produces more energy than Japan and Russia, which had 27% and 8.77% more electricity generation capacity installed, respectively.
  • Electricity production stood at 1,003.525 billion unit between April 2017-January 2018, according to a February 2018 report by India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a trust established by the commerce ministry.
  • The top 3 Producers of Electricity in the world are- China, USA and India.

India becomes 4th largest Auto market in the World
India has overtaken Germany to become the fourth largest automobile market in the world, According to the latest global data.
  • Automobile sales, including passenger and commercial vehicles, in Asia’s third-largest economy, grew 9.5%.
  • It is the fastest among major global markets, last year to more than 4 million units, outpacing Germany’s 3.8-million vehicle sales, which rose by a modest 2.8% in the same period.
  • The top 3 countries on the list are- China, USA and Japan.

West Bengal tops list of states with most number of beggars
The government of India has come out with the total number of beggars in the country.
  • As per the data, based on 2011 census released by Union ministry of Social Justice, there are around 4 lakh beggars in total. The highest number of beggars, 81,000, are in West Bengal.
  • Lakshadweep, a union territory, has only two people (Least) begging for their livelihood.
  • West Bengal is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at number two and three respectively.

Anushka Sharma & PV Sindhu debut in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 List
Bollywood actress-producer Anushka Sharma and Badminton Ace P V Sindhu had featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list. 
  • The list includes innovators and disruptors who are reshaping their industries and changing Asia for the better.
  • Anushka, one of Indian film industry's highest paid actresses, is all of 29.

India ranks 109th globally in mobile download speeds
India, the largest consumer of mobile data in the world, ranks 109th when it comes to mobile Internet download speeds.
  • The average download speed over the mobile increased to 9.01 mbps in February from the 8.80 mbps in November last year, but the country’s rank continued to stay at 109th, Ookla’s Speed test index said.
  • Norway is positioned at the top with an average download speed of 62.07 mbps.
  • India however, fared better on the fixed broadband front, according to Ookla, with its rank improving to 67.
  • Singapore leads in the fixed broadband front, with a download speed of 161.53 mbps.

India to have 478 million mobile internet users by June 2018
The number of mobile Internet users in India is likely to reach 478 million by June, a report published.
  • The report, titled Mobile Internet in India 2017, estimates 291 million urban mobile internet users and 187 million rural users by June 2018.
  • The report, Mobile Internet in India 2017, published jointly by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR-IMRB, estimates 291 million urban mobile internet users and 187 million rural mobile internet users as of December 2017.
  • The number of mobile Internet users increased by 17.22 percent from December 2016 to reach 456 million users by December 2017.

National Conference on Drug Law Enforcement
The first-ever National Conference on Drug Law Enforcement was held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir. The 2-day conference was organized by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Ministry of Home Affairs
  • India is vulnerable to narcotic drug trafficking as it is located between two largest Opium producing regions of the world i.e. Golden Crescent in the west and Golden Triangle in the east. Drug trafficking and abuse also pose serious threat to our societies.
  • Involvement of foreign nationals in drug peddling poses another significant challenge of drug trafficking in India. During 2017, 332 foreign national have been arrested in drug cases in India.
  • The Government has taken several policy and other initiatives to deal with drug trafficking problem. It constituted Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) in November, 2016 and revived the scheme of “Financial Assistance to States for Narcotics Control”. Besides, in 2017, the government approved new Reward Guidelines with increased quantum of reward for interdiction or seizure of different illicit drugs.
The Narcotics Control Bureau is the apex coordinating agency. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 which came into effect from the 14th November, 1985 made an express provision for constituting a Central Authority for the purpose of exercising the powers and functions of the Central Government under the Act.
The Bureau, subject to the supervision and control of the Central Government, is   to exercise the powers and functions of the Central Government for taking measures with respect to:

1st International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ Inaugurated
The country’s National Academy of Art, the Lalit Kala Akademi hosted the first-ever International Print Biennale in the country with a record number of 17 countries taking part in it.
  • The first-ever International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ opened, at the Rabindra Bhavan Galleries of the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. 
  • The eminent Artist-Printmaker, Shakti Barman was the Chief Guest.

National Conference on Down Syndrome inaugurated in New Delhi
National Conference on Down Syndrome was recently inaugurated in New Delhi.
  • The objective of this conference was to provide excellent opportunities to the parents to obtain information about latest development in education and skilling and inclusive living of persons with Down Syndrome.
  • The Conference was organized by National Trust for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities under M/o SJ&E in collaboration with Muskaan, a registered organisation of the National Trust.
On 19th December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared to observe 21st March as World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) and since then every year, this day is officially observed by UN to create awareness about people with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is a chromosomal condition associated with intellectual and learning disabilities. Causes: Persons with Down Syndrome have 47 chromosomes as compared to 46 in majority of people.
The National Trust is a Statutory Body under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. The National Trust was envisaged with a core mission of providing opportunities for capacity development of Persons with Disabilities and their families, fulfilling their rights, facilitating and promoting the creation of an enabling environment and an inclusive society.

AICTE conducted Smart India Hackathon 2018
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under the aegis of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is organizing Smart India Hackathon 2018.
  • Smart India Hackathon 2018 is a non-stop digital product development competition, where problems are posed to technology students for innovative solutions. It will harnesses creativity & expertise of students and sparks institute-level hackathons.
  • It builds funnel for ‘Startup India’ campaign and crowdsources solutions for improving governance and quality of life. It also provides opportunity to citizens to provide innovative solutions to India’s daunting problems

SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2018 held in New Delhi
SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2018 has been organized in New Delhi under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
  • It is one of the flagship programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development to alleviate rural poverty.
The SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2018 in New Delhi is an endeavour of DAY-NRLM to provide to the rural women producers a national platform and an opportunity to showcase their products and seek buyers, either individuals or bulk buyers for sale nationally/internationally.

3R Regional Forum in Asia and the Pacific
India is getting ready to host the 8th 3R Regional Forum in Asia and the Pacific in its cleanest city, Indore in the month of April, 2018.
  • The event is co-organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Government of India, the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan (MOEJ), and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD).
  • Theme: “Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency- A 21st Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities”.
  • The Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific was launched in 2009 in Tokyo, Japan.
The United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) has been organizing International Regional Forum on 3Rs since 2009 with the support of Government of Japan.
It promotes the concept of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in industry, service and agriculture sector. The overall objective is to establish sound material cycle society by adopting resource conservation, techniques and technologies.
It provides a strategic platform for addressing the needs and priorities of 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) in Asian countries and sharing best practices from the region, including emerging concerns in waste management.

JS Rajput nominated India’s representative to UNESCO's executive board
The Government of India has decided to nominate Prof. J S Rajput, former Director NCERT, as India’s representative to the Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO. The EXB has a four-year term of office and 58 seats.
  • The executive board is one of the constitutional organs of UNESCO and is elected by the General Conference. The next meeting of Executive Board of UNESCO is to be held in Paris, France in April 2018.
  • The executive board is one of the constitutional organs of UNESCO and is elected by the General Conference.
The executive board examines the work for the organization and the corresponding budget estimates. In practice, the executive board is the main organ responsible for all policies and programmes of UNESCO.

Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan is the new scientific adviser to govt
Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan was appointed as a principal scientific adviser to the government of India.
  • VijayRaghavan will succeed physicist Rajagopala Chidambaram.
  • VijayRaghavan was serving as secretary of the department of biotechnology since January 2013, succeeding Dr MK Bhan.

Indu Bhushan appointed CEO Of Ayushman Bharat Mission
Indu Bhushan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Union Government’s ambitious Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission (ABNHPM).
  • Bhushan, the Director General of East Asia Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines, has been appointed to the post for a period of two years.
The scheme has the benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year. The target beneficiaries of the proposed scheme will be more than 10 crore families belonging to poor and vulnerable population based on SECC database.
AB-NHPM will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored schemes -RashtriyaSwasthyaBimaYojana (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS)

Win Myint Elected As New President Of Myanmar
Myanmar's Parliament has elected Win Myint as the country's new President. This comes after Myanmar's first democratically elected President Htin Kyaw resigned from the position due to health issues.
  • Myint is considered a close aide of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and has been a speaker in the lower house since 2012.

SC appoints Justice Jawad Rahim as acting head for NGT
The Supreme Court appointed Justice Jawad Rahim—a former judge of the Karnataka High Court—as acting chairman of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), three months after the previous chairperson retired.
  • The NGT’s previous chairman, justice Swatanter Kumar a former Supreme Court judge retired in December 2017.
  • Currently, a Judicial Member of the NGT, Justice Rahim was chosen over due to his seniority over other judges—including another senior judge, Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore.

Lt Gen Harpal Singh takes Charge as Director General Border Roads
Lt Gen Harpal Singh an alumni of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla is appointed as Director General Border Roads (DGBR).
  • He was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers on 24 December 1982. He later commanded a Border Roads Task Force in Jammu & Kashmir valley.
  • He has also been the Chief Engineer of Project Dantak (BRO) at Bhutan, Chief Engineer (Navy), Mumbai and Chief Engineer HQ Eastern Command. The General is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Higher Command and National Defence College courses.

Andhra Pradesh appoints Shuttler Srikanth as Deputy Collector
Ace Indian Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has been appointed as a Deputy Collector by the Andhra Pradesh government.
  • Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu handed over the appointment letter to him in Amravati in the presence of former All-England champion and celebrated badminton coach Pullela Gopichand.
  • The Chief Minister also congratulated Srikanth for recently receiving Padma Shri award.

Abiy Ahmed becomes new PM of Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s ruling coalition has elected a new leader in the person of Dr. Abiy Ahmed. He will eventually become Prime Minister of the country.
  • State-affiliated FANA Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) reported that the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) had elected Abiy as its chairperson.
  • His rise to become Prime Minister – head of government – is premised on approval by the Front’s Council and subsequent approval by the parliament. Political watchers hold that that process is a mere formality.
Ethiopia
Capital
Addis Ababa
Currency
Birr
PM
Abiy Ahmed

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reelected for the second term
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is reelected for a second term with a sweeping majority, garnering nearly 92 percent of vote share.
  • Sisi’s only challenger and al Ghad party chief Moussa Mostafa Moussa was able to get only three percent of vote share.
  • Sisi, who ousted Egypt’s first freely elected president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, won his first term in 2014 with 96.9 percent of the vote.

New Nepal PM to make his first visit to India on April 6
Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Oli will make his first trip to India on April 6 keeping the tradition of the Nepalese PM making his first overseas trip to India.
  • Oli will be given the red carpet treatment, as India scrambles to restore some of its former position in Nepal.
  • He will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and is scheduled to be awarded an honorary doctorate by an Indian university.

Lakshmi Mukkavilli appointed as chairwomen of CII—IWN
Lakshmi Mukkavilli, managing director of Patra BPO Services, takes the appointment as chairwoman of Confederation of Indian Industry’s Indian Women Network Andhra Pradesh for 2018-19.
  • IWN stakeholders include women in industry, women entrepreneurs, and women in family businesses.
  • Mukkavilli has been managing director of Patra BPO Services for the past 10 years.

Rs 350 coin to mark birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh
Government will come out with a Rs 350 commemorative coin to mark 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th and last Sikh Guru.
  • The coin with standard weight of 35 gram will have 50 per cent silver, 40 per cent copper and 5 per cent each of nickel and zinc.
  • The reverse side will bear the picture of “Takht Shri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib” in the centre.

Rahul Dravid named election icon for Karnataka assembly polls
Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid has been named as the election icon to motivate young voters to come and vote in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar has revealed.
  • Meanwhile, film and music director Yograj Bhat will make the Karnataka Election Anthem, Kumar added. The voting for Karnataka Assembly elections will take place on May 12.

Smith’s autobiography put in crime section of Aus bookstore
Taking a dig at Australia’s ball-tampering scandal, a bookstore in Brisbane took to Facebook to share a picture of Steve Smith’s autobiography displayed in the ‘True Crime’ section.
  • The photo was captioned, “Signed copies of ‘The Journey’ by Steve Smith available in store!” Reacting to it, a user wrote, “Is it actually his signature or did he cheat that too?”

Sreekumaran Thampi has been selected for the J.C. Daniel Award
Lyricist and director Sreekumaran Thampi has been selected for the J.C. Daniel Award, the Kerala government’s highest honour for lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema.
  • Culture Minister A.K. Balan said in a press release here on Wednesday that the award, comprising 5 lakh and a citation, would be presented to Thampi at the Kerala State Film Award distribution function in Kollam.

London based organisation SACF wins Frederick Pincott Award
South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF), a London based organisation has received the Frederick Pincott Award for 2017 from the Indian High Commissioner, Y K Sinha for promoting Hindi cinema in Britain for the last 18 years.
  • The SACF has been doing commendable work for nearly two decades to promote Hindi and regional Indian cinema in the UK.

Chhattisgarh bags ‘Water Digest Award’ for best water conservation and irrigation facility
Chhattisgarh bagged the National ‘Water Digest Award’ for Water Conservation-Diversion and for increasing the irrigation capacity in the State.
  • This is the first time that Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department had been given national Award during the past 17 years.
  • The Union Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Megwal presented the award to Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department Secretary Sonmani Bora.
The Award is presented every year by the globally renowned magazine ‘Water Digest’-which focuses mainly on water resources.

Mirnalini Dayal and Yogesh Kumar shortlisted for Commonwealth Youth Awards
Two Indian activists have been named among 20 finalists from across 53 member-countries for the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2018 for their work in the field of gender equality.
  • Mirnalini Dayal has been recognised for her work as a campaign leader for ‘Health Over Stigma’ and Yogesh Kumar as the founder of social enterprise ‘Even Cargo’.
  • Both Delhi-based Indian finalists were singled out for their work in the field of achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 on gender equality.

Shekhar Kapur to head the jury for 65th National Film Awards
The Central Panel for the 65th National Film Awards has been constituted.
  • The panel comprises one Chairperson and 10 members, including five regional Chairpersons, who will head the regional panels.
  • Eminent director of international repute Shekhar Kapur has been appointed as chairman of the panel.

Former Manipur chief minister R K Dorendra Singh passes away at 83
Former Manipur Chief Minister R K Dorendra Singh passed away at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Imphal.
  • Dorendra Singh had been chief minister of the state four times between 1974 to 1993.
  • Before becoming the chief minister, he was the Speaker of Manipur Assembly.

JKCA appoints Irfan Pathan as coach-cum-mentor
Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association(JKCA) appointed former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan as the coach-cum-mentor of its senior stateside for the 2018-19 season.
  • JKCA CEO Aashiq Bukhari said he will be the coach-cum-mentor of our team for a period of one year.
  • The 33-year-old Pathan played 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20 Internationals for India between 2003 and 2012.

Pankaj Advani wins Asian billiards championships title
Pankaj Advani defended his Asian Billiards Championships title by demolishing his practice partner B Bhaskar 6-1 in the summit clash in Yangon, Myanmar.
  • With this win, Advani remains the reigning Indian, Asian and world champion in billiards for 2017-18.
  • This is Advani's 11th gold medal at the Asian level of cue sports. India's Amee Kamani won the Asian Women's Snooker title by defeating her Thai opponent Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan 3-0.

India U-16 Win Hong Kong football tournament
The India U-16 team emerged champions in the Jockey Cup International Youth Invitational Football Tournament with a victory over Hong Kong U-17 in the final in Hong Kong.
  • The tournament was an U-17 event where India fielded their U-16 National Team. The team was coached by Bibiano Fernandes.

Smriti Mandhana scores fastest fifty for India in women’s T20 cricket
Smriti Mandhana slammed the fastest fifty by an Indian player in women’s T20I cricket.
  • She went on the attack from the word go and reached her half-century in 25 balls to better her own 30-ball 50 records.
  • The overall record for the fastest fifty in women’s T20Is belongs to Sophie Devine (18 balls) of New Zealand.

Darren Lehmann to resign as Australia coach after ball-tampering scandal
Darren Lehmann will step down as coach of Australia before the fourth test against South Africa.
  • Smith has been fined and suspended from the fourth test by the International Cricket Council.
  • Lehmann took over from South African Mickey Arthur in 2013.

Varun Aaron to play for Leicestershire in 2018 County season
Varun Aaron to sign up for an English county side as he will turn up for Leicestershire during the upcoming season
  • Aaron has played for India in nine Tests and an equal number of ODIs and was a part of the Indian side during the 2014 series in England.
  • Aaron will take over in first-class and List A cricket until Abbas returns for the Specsavers County Championship.

Anish Bhanwala wins India’s 3rd individual gold in junior shooting World Cup
Rising shooter Anish Bhanwala secured India a third individual gold medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup.
  • The 15-year-old finished atop the podium in men’s 25m rapid fire pistol.
  • India is now placed second in the overall standings with 15 medals comprising six gold, three silver and six bronze.

Steve Smith, David Warner banned to play for Australia for 12 months
STEVE Smith and David Warner have been slapped with historic 12-month suspensions, according to reports.
  • It came as busted ball-tampered Cameron Bancroft was also reportedly whacked with a nine-month suspension as Australia’s nightmare tour of South Africa reached a new low ahead of the Fourth Test in Johannesburg.

BCCI ban Steve Smith, David Warner from IPL 2018
ICC bans Former Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner for 12 months.
  • BCCI also banned them from taking part in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League.
  • Shukla said that the IPL committee was waiting for the decision by Cricket Australia before taking their own call on the matter.

Williamson replaces Warner as captain of Sun Risers Hyderabad
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has been named the captain of IPL franchise Sun Risers Hyderabad, replacing Australian cricketer David Warner.
  • The ex-Australian vice-captain had stepped down as SRH’s captain before being banned from IPL over the ball-tampering scandal.
  • Further, Cricket Australia handed Warner a one-year ban from playing in international and domestic cricket.

Afghanistan thrashes West Indies to win ICC World Cup qualifying final
Leg-spin sensation Rashid Khan became the fastest bowler ever to reach 100 one-day international wickets.
  • West Indies were bowled out for 204 before big-hitting opener Shahzad smashed 84 as Afghanistan knocked off the runs with 9.2 overs to spare.
  • Both Afghanistan and West Indies had already made sure of their places in the 2019 World Cup by topping the 10-team qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.

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