MPORTANT DAYS:
April 18--International Day for Monuments and Sites observed with theme The Heritage of Sport:
· 18 April 2016: International day for Monuments and Sites
· International Day for Monuments and Sites traditionally called World Heritage Day was observed across the world on 18 April 2016 with theme ‘The Heritage of Sport’.
· The theme was decided by the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in the backdrop of Rio Olympics 2016 that is to be hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August 2016.
April 18-- World Amateur Radio Awareness DayNATIONAL:
Kerala’s famous Thrissur Pooram festival begins:
· Centuries-old Thrissur Pooram festival began with thousands witnessing the parade of 30 richly-caparisoned elephants and performance by over 500 percussionists amid tight security and Kerala High Court guidelines in the light of the Kollam temple tragedy.
· The festival also gave an insight into the best of temple art and culture in ‘God’s Own Country’ with the music ensembles of ‘Panchavadyam’ and ‘Pandimelam’ in front of the elephants by the percussionists.
§ Kerala CM: Oommen Chandy
§ Kerala Governor: P Sathasivam
§ Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Haryana to raise medical allowance for employees:
· The Haryana government announced an increase in the medical and dearness allowances granted to state government employees, which would put an additional cost of 315.34 crore annually on the state exchequer.
· The medical allowance granted to employees would be increased by 10%, and the dearness allowance by 6%.
Netaji’s driver Colonel Nizamuddin becomes oldest human alive at 116 years:
· Netaji’s Driver Colonel Nizamuddin becomes oldest human alive at 116 years by opening a bank account at the ripe old age of 116-years.
· Colonel Nizamuddin alias Saifuddin’s voter identity card and passport, which he produced as proof of identity before the State bank of India for opening the account, he was born in 1900.
· This year February a Japanese man, who was thought to be the oldest man alive passed away at the age of 114.
World’s largest ‘charkha’ to be on display at Indira Gandhi International airport:
· Wooden Charkha -spinning wheel which is largest in the world is planned to be installed at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport here is ready for dispatch from a unit of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in Ahmedabad.
· It was the initiative of KVIC Chairman V K Saxena who decided to install the world’s largest charkha at the international airport in Delhi.
· This is to showcase India’s symbol of non-violence to the world through the airport where around 2, 50,000 people/tourists visit every day.
SC/ST victims to get minimum compensation of Rs 8.5 lakh from state government:
· Union government to compensate of Rs 8.5 lakh for SC/ST victim of gang rape, murder or an acid attack including 47 offences to get the compensation from a state government, The new rules have come into force immediately.
Centre to give 100 crore for Kumbh Mela in Madhya Pradesh:
· The Union Culture Ministry will allocate about 100 crore for the Simhastha Mahakumbh (Kumbh Mela), which will take place in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh from April 22.
· This is the biggest allocation from the ministry till date, officials said.
· The Mela is a month-long religious festival held every 12 years. The state government had already spent 3,183 crore for the Mela.
Haryana to go kerosene free next year:Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
· Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the state will be made kerosene free next year.
· For this, gas cylinders will be given to every household and families using kerosene for cooking will be given gas chullahs, he said while addressing 'Mewat Vikas Maharally'.
Infosys Co-founder launches app chronicling Indian IT journey:
· Infosys cofounder S Gopalakrishnan launched a new app ‘itihaasa’ that chronicles the “fascinating journey” of the Indian IT industry since the 1950s.
· He added that ‘itihaasa’ is one of the largest chronicles of its kind with 600 videos featuring 44 technology stalwarts.
PM Modi to inaugurate Super-Speciality hospital in Katra tomorrow:
· Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the holy town of Katra-the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi, in Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow.
· He is scheduled to inaugurate Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Super Speciality Hospital at Kakryal Katra which has been recently constructed at a cost of Rs. 300 crore and will dedicate the Shrine Board's Sports Complex.
· The Prime Minister will also address the 5th Convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and the invited gathering in the Sports Ground in Katra.
INTERNATIONAL:
Indian School of Business, Singapore Management University ink MoU:
· The Indian School of Business (ISB) and Singapore Management University (SMU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship and research for five years.
Denmark best country to raise children: Reports
· According to reports, Denmark is the best country in the world to raise children and it is followed by Finland, Norway, and Switzerland.
· This is based on the UNICEF's 'Fairness for Children' report that ranks countries based on the inequalities in child well-being between different sections of their society.
· Notably, the United States is ranked 18 on the list.
International Monetary Fund asks nations to stop competitive devaluation:
· The IMF asked its member nations to refrain from competitive devaluations and protectionism, and stressed on the need for global cooperation to combat corruption, reinvigorate global trade integration and address international tax issues.
· It added that cooperation is also needed to address international tax issues like transparency, and coping with non-economic challenges like the refugee crisis.
Brazil President Dilma Rousseff loses crucial impeachment vote in Congress:
· Brazil's lower house has voted to start impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff over charges of manipulating government accounts.
· If the Senate votes for impeachment, Ms Rousseff will be put on trial in the upper chamber and will be removed from office permanently if found guilty. She has two opportunities to appeal during the whole process.
· If she is impeached, Vice-President Michel Temer would take over as interim president but he is also facing impeachment proceedings over the same allegations as Ms Rousseff.
APPOINTMENTS:
PC Thakur appointed as Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards:
· The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of PC Thakur, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1979 batch (Gujarat cadre), as Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards (FS,CD&HG).
· An IPS officer of 1979 batch, Thakur will be the third senior officer from Gujarat to be shifted to Delhi in the past one year, after A K Sharma, who was appointed as CBI joint director, and A K Asthaana, who recently joined him as additional director.
Geeta Johri appointed as first woman DGP of Gujarat:
· The Gujarat government appointed Geeta Johri as the Director General of Police (DGP).
· With this appointment, Johri becomes the first female DGP of Gujarat. She also has the distinction of being the Gujarat’s first woman IPS officer.
BANKING :
Oriental Bank of Commerce to raise Rs 178 crore by issuing shares to LIC:
· Oriental Bank of Commerce will raise over 178 crore by issuing shares to Life Insurance Corporation on a preferential basis.
· The decision comes from lender after Extra-ordinary general meeting held on 29 March that to issue over 2 crore shares to LIC was taken at the bank’s, it said in a regulatory filing.
· To create, offer, issue and allot 2, 15, 48,758 equity shares of the bank that aggregating up to Rs 178.40 crore on preferential basis to Life Insurance Corporation.
Banks to share details in standard format:
· The government has reportedly designed a standard format for banks to share transaction-related details with revenue intelligence and central security agencies.
· This follows issues raised by CBI against banks providing the information in different formats.
· Intelligence agencies need information from banks to probe cases of money laundering, black money, disproportionate assets and banking frauds.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY:
Noble Travels launches online visa assistance portal ‘VisaforSure’:
· Noble Travels has launched its online visa assistance portal, Visaforsure aiming half a million Indian customers in the current financial year.
· The visa portal Visaforsure.in will be offering information and facilitation services to customers who are applying for visas, be it for tourist or business.
· Noble Travels had earlier launched its hotel room auction and bidding website com.
Ratan Tata invests in Eyewear retailer Lenskart:
· Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount in the latest funding round of eyewear retailer Lenskart.
· The startup is reportedly looking to raise about 400 crore, which would value it at around 1,600 crore.
· Founded in 2008 by Peyush Bansal, the startup provides prescription eyewear, branded contact lenses and sunglasses both online as well as offline.
WPI inflation negative for 17th straight month:
· The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation remained negative for the 17th straight month in March as it rose to (-)0.85% year-on-year compared to (-)0.91% in February, data from the government has revealed.
· Further, the food price inflation for the month stood at 3.73%, up from 3.35% in February while the manufacturing inflation rose to (-)0.13% from (-)0.58%.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
LinkedIn launches app for college students:
· LinkedIn has launched a new app, called LinkedIn Students, aimed at helping college students find a job.
· The app suggests companies and job roles based on the schools attended by users and the subjects they major in.
· Available in the US on Android and iOS, the app delivers career advice content and also lists alumni working at recommended companies.
Apollo Hospitals collaborates with Google:
· Apollo Hospitals has collaborated with Google to provide health information under the latter's Health Card project.
· Health Card provides users with basic information about diseases on the Google search engine in a layman's language.
· Apollo has compiled information on 400 diseases for the same. The card explains a disease’s manifestations, symptoms, cause and risk factors, prevalence and diagnosis.
Scientists create fish-inspired lens to see in the dark
· Scientists have combined the best features of a lobster and a fish to create an artificial eye that can see in the dark.
· Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in US improved the sensitivity of the imaging system through the lenses rather than the sensor component.
· It may be used in
§ surgical probes
§ search-and-rescue robots
§ planet-seeking telescopes
First expandable habitat installed on International Space Station(ISS):
· NASA successfully installed the first ever expandable structure, Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, on the International Space Station (ISS).
· In May, it would be expanded to 10.5 feet in diameter and 13 feet in length, nearly five times its compressed size. With the project, NASA aims at studying concepts for habitats that can keep astronauts healthy in space.
SPORTS:
Gymnast Dipa Karmakar 1st Indian gymnast to qualify for Olympics:
· Gymnast Dipa Karmakar has cleared the final qualifier for the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first ever Indian gymnast to qualify for Olympics.
· Karmakar, who hails from Tripura, failed to book a spot in the Rio Olympics after finishing fifth in a qualifier last November.
· She is also the first Indian gymnast to win a medal in the Commonwealth Games.
Sri Lanka’s Veteran Spinner Rangana Herath announced retirement from T20, ODI:
· Rangana Herath, the veteran Sri Lankan spinner, retired from T20 and One Day International Cricket.
· However, the left-arm spinner will continue to play in Test matches.
· Herath had a career best in Tests of 9 for 127 against Pakistan in 2014, 4 for 20 in ODIs against India in 2013 and 5 for 3 inT20s against New Zealand at the WT20 in 2014.
Nico Rosberg wins Chinese GP for sixth straight Formula One victory:
· Nico Rosberg of Mercedes claimed a dominant win in Chinese Grand Prix over Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, who battled up to seventh with some feisty driving.
· Germanian Rosberg’s this win was the 17th of Rosberg’s career and spread out his streak of race victories to six, his last one was Mexican Grand Prix.
· With this he becomes just the fourth driver in F1 history to win six straight races, joining Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari.
Spain's Rafael Nadal wins his 9th Monte Carlo Masters title:
· Rafael Nadal clinched his ninth Monte Carlo Masters title after defeating 29-year-old Frenchman Gaël Monfils 7-5, 5-7, 6-0, in what was Nadal's 100th ATP World Tour final.
· Being level after the first two sets, Nadal broke the Frenchman thrice in the third set to win it 6-0, thereby securing his 28th Masters title overall.
Lionel Messi, Usain Bolt, Serena among top contenders at Laureus awards:
· From soccer genius Lionel Messi to sprint king Usain Bolt, a shimmering array of the world’s greatest sports stars are in the race for top honours at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards to be presented in Berlin.
· The awards are also called the Oscars of Sport.
Intl eSports Fed applies for Olympic recognition:
· The International eSports Federation (IeSF) has applied to the International Olympic Committee to be recognised as an official sport.
· The move comes after the announcement of a video game showcase at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
· The IeSF would also be participating in an upcoming event to obtain the required membership of Sportaccord – an umbrella for all international sports federations.
Kohli, AB DeVilliers record 2nd most hundred partnerships:
· Playing against Delhi Daredevils on Sunday, Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers registered their 4th hundred partnership, the second-most in IPL history.
· Bangalore's opening pair of Kohli and Chris Gayle leads the list with 6 hundred partnerships while the pairs Gautam Gambhir-Shikhar Dhawan and Michael Hussey-Suresh Raina share the third spot with 3 hundred partnerships.
Delhi cruise to 7-wicket win over Bangalore:
· Delhi Daredevils registered their highest ever successful run-chase in the IPL as defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 7 wickets.
· Batting first, the Royal Challengers made 191/5 powered by Virat Kohli's 79(48) and AB de Villiers' 55(33). In response, Quinton de Kock's 108(51) and Karun Nair's 54*(42) took Delhi home with five balls to spare.
OBITUARY:
Finance Minister’s PRO & Former Journalist D.Ravinder passes away:
· Finance Minister Eatala Rajender’s Public Relations Officer and former journalist D. Ravinder passed away.
· Ravinder from Raikal of Karimnagar district, Telanagana.
· He worked as reporter for Etv and Saakshi Telugu news channels.
· Later, he joined as PRO to the Finance Minister1. BRICS New Development Bank approves first loans for renewable energy projects
1. The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has approved its first package of loans worth 811 million dollars for four renewable energy projects in Brazil, China, South Africa and India. The decision to approve the first loans was approved by the NDB board of governors on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings in Washington DC, US.
2. The NDB in its first loan tranche will provide $300 million to Brazil, $250 million to India, $180 million to South Africa and $81 million to China. These funds will be used in area of green and renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 2.37MW together.
2. Australia wins 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament
1. Australia has won the 25th edition of Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament 2016 for record ninth time. In the final match played at Ipoh, Australia defeated India by 4-0 goals. With this India settled at the second position and was followed by New Zealand (defending champion) at the third position.
2. This was the second time India had finished with the silver medal in seven final appearances. Earlier, Australia had won the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament in 1983, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2014. They also holds record of most titles win of this tournament.
3. Dipa Karmakar became first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics
1. Indian artistic gymnast Dipa Karmakar on 17 April 2016 created history by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics.
2. Karmakar booked a berth for the Rio Games after a strong performance at the final qualifying and test event. She earned a total score of 52.698 points in the Olympics qualifying event to book a berth for artistic gymnastics in Rio Games to be held in August 2016.
3. Karmakar has been listed as the 79th gymnast among individual qualifiers in the list of women’s artistic gymnast who have qualified for the Rio Olympics.
4. Nico Rosberg won 2016 Formula 1 Pirelli Chinese Grand Prix
1. German Formula 1 Mercedes Driver Nico Rosberg on 17 April 2016 won 2016 Formula 1 Pirelli Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai International Circuit.
2. With this, he made a hat-trick by winning all three Grand Prix that were held in 2016. The other Grand Prix include 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix and 2016 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
3. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany stood second and Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat secured 3rd place where as Lewis Hamilton finished at seven.
5. International Day for Monuments and Sites observed with theme The Heritage of Sport
1. International Day for Monuments and Sites traditionally called World Heritage Day was observed across the world on 18 April 2016 with theme ‘The Heritage of Sport’.
2. The theme was decided by the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in the backdrop of Rio Olympics 2016 that is to be hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August 2016.
3. World Heritage Day is observed to create awareness to protect and preserve the shared wealth of humankind and showcases the diversity of cultural heritage. It calls for collective efforts of the international community to preserve the valuable asset.
6. Hero Group co-founder Satyanand Munjal passed away
1. Satyanand Munjal, co-founder of Hero Cycles group, passed away at Model Town, Ludhiana. He was 99.
2. He was popularly known as Mahatma Satyanand Munjal for being devoted to several social causes related to the Arya Samaj.
Satyanand had co-founded Hero Group with his three brothers, Om Prakash Munjal, Brijmohan Lall Munjal and Dayanand Munjal. The brothers hailed from a small town called Kamalia, now in Pakistan.
3. The philanthropist had served as a Co-Chairman and Managing Director (MD) of Hero Cycles Ltd.Satyanand was also known for his philanthropic acts such as Bahadur Chand Munjal (BCM) Arya schools, Hero DMC Heart Institute, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
7. US court slaps 940 million dollars fine on two Tata group companies
1. The federal grand jury in the US State of Wisconsin has slapped 940 million US dollars fine against two companies of India’s Tata group – Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tata America International Corp. They were fined in a trade secret lawsuit filed against them by the US based electronics medical records vendor Epic Systems.
2. The jury verdict has directed two companies of India’s Tata group to pay 240 million dollars to Epic Systems for ripping off its software and pay 700 million dollars in punitive damages. Epic Systems had accused the two companies of brazenly stealing its trade secrets, confidential information, documents and data.
8. EU Parliament approves joint system for sharing air passenger data to fight terror
1. The European Parliament has approved creation of a European passenger name records (PNR) system to combat terrorism The proposal in this regard was passed by 461 votes to 179 against. Now the EU member countries will have two years to turn it into national law.
2. PNR is a joint system for security agencies to access airline passenger data on all flights to and from the EU. It will enable police and justice officials to systematically store the data of airline passengers travelling to, from and within the EU. PNR system will include name, travel dates, ticket details, itinerary, contact details, travel agent and seat number, means of payment and baggage information of the passengers.
9. Sri Lanka’s veteran spinner Rangana Herath announces retirement from T20, ODI
1. Veteran Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath (38) has announced his retirement from T20 and One Day International Cricket (ODI).
2. However he will continue to play in Test matches which always have been his personal passion. He took the decision of retiring from T20 and ODIs in order to make room for fresh talent to be groomed for the 2019 World Cup.
International Affairs
- Today (18th April) is International Day for Monuments and Sites.
- This day also commonly known as World Heritage Day.
- This day was established by UNESCO in the year 1983.
- The main aim of this day is to to raise public awareness about the diversity and vulnerability of the world’s built monuments and heritage sites and the efforts required to protect and conserve them.
- Theme for 2016 : The Heritage of Sport
- A ban has been imposed with immediate effect on the use of animals in tests for manufacturing soaps and detergents, animal rights group PETA announced today.
- The Maharashtra Government has banned digging of borewells beyond 200 feet in order to check the steep decline in ground water level across the state.
- State Government has taken this decision in the wake for severe drought and decreasing ground water level across various regions in the state.
- The Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh has decided to implement the'odd and even' system on the Manali-Leh highway from today.
- This comes after regular reports of traffic jams on the Manali-Koksar road after the Rohtang Pass was opened.
- On odd dates, vehicles would be allowed from Manali towards Lahaul-Spiti, while it will be the reverse on even dates.
- The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory to have a barcode and hologram on liquor bottles to eliminate the problem of spurious liquor.
- This 'track and trace' mechanism will reveal the authenticity of the liquor to the customer and officials.
- The hologram cannot be replicated or reused and will also reveal if the liquor is duty-evaded or smuggled.
- Indian Railways will shortly be launching Phone Ticket Cancellation Service, wherein passengers will be able to cancel their reserved tickets booked through counters by dialing 139.
- At the beginning, the service can only be availed by passengers whose train departs between 11 pm and 6 am.
- Note : Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had announced this service in the Railway Budget.
- The world's largest wooden Charkha (spinning wheel) is going to be installed at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.
- The four-tonne Charkha made from high-quality teak wood, which is estimated to last for over 50 years, was built by around 26 workers and carpenters who completed it in 40 days.
- The Ceasefire between the Centre and the NSCN-IM (National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Isak Muivah) has been extended by another year i.e. till April 2017.
- In this regard, the ceasefire agreement was signed between the Union Government and GPRN/NSCN, one of the strongest factions of Nagaland.
- The sole purpose of the extension is to boost to the Naga peace process and bring long lasting peace in Nagaland.
- Note : The signatories also agreed that the Ceasefire Ground Rules will subject to mutual review and amendment with involvement of both the parties.
- The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has approved its first package of loans worth 811 million dollars for 4 renewable energy projects in Brazil, China, South Africa and India.
- The Haryana government has launched five online services for registration of firms and 18 incentive schemes.
- These aimed at bringing more transparency and further improve the efficiency in the process of registration of partnership firms and to facilitate the industrial units to avail the benefit of incentive schemes in a time-bound and transparent manner.
- The Union Government has leased a commemorative coin of 200 rupees and acirculation coin of 10 rupees on freedom fighter Tatya Tope.
- It was released by the Union Culture Minister Dr. Mahesh on the occasion of the Martyrdom Day of Tatya Tope (18th April) in New Delhi.
- Important Note : The Union Ministry of Culture has been celebrating the 200th Birth Anniversary of Tatya Tope during 2015-16 in association with State Government of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
- Senior IPS officer Deepak Mishra has been appointed as Additional Director General in the CRPF.
- CRPF - Central Reserve Police Force
- PC Thakur appointed as Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards.
Sports
- Australia has won the 25th edition of Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament 2016 for record ninth time.
- Former Pakistan cricket team captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq has been appointed as theChairman of the senior selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
- Note : Yesterday, he resigned from his post as coach of the Afghanistan cricket team eight months before his contract expired.
- Ace tennis player Rafael Nadal (Spain) has won the 2016 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters title of by beating Gael Monfils (France).
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