J&K Govt approves 5% interest subsidy for flood-hit traders

 Jammu and Kashmir government on 27 April 2016 approved five percent interest subvention to flood-hit traders with effect from 1 April 2016.

•  The decision will bring a major relief to September 2014 flood hit traders and business units. 
• The interest subsidy will have a cap of five lakh rupees per unit for a period of four years, that is, up to 31 December 2020. 
• The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu.

Jammu and Kashmir :

Capital -Jammu (October–March) ,Srinagar (March–October)

Districts-  22

Government-

 • Governor- Narinder Nath Vohra

 • Chief Minister-  Mehbooba Mufti (PDP)

 • Deputy Chief Minister -  Nirmal Kumar Singh (BJP)

 • Legislature -  Bicameral (87 + 36 seats)

 • Parliamentary constituency- Rajya Sabha 4,  Lok Sabha 6

Area rank-  5th

Population  Rank -  19th

UN Chief Appoints Indian Academician To University Council

Indian academician, Radha Kumar, is among 12 people appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the global body’s University Council to formulate its principles and policies, consider and approve biennial budget and work programme.

• The 12 appointees, who will take office next month, will serve for terms of either three or six years.

About the UN University Council:

• The main functions of the UN University Council are to formulate the principles and policies of the University, govern its operations, and consider and approve its biennial budget and work programme.
• Appointed members of the Council serve in their individual capacity and not as representatives of their country’s government.
• They are selected with the aim of achieving a geographic and gender balance, with due regard for major academic, scientific, educational and cultural trends, as well as each member’s fields of expertise.

Sudarsan Pattnaik bags gold medal at sand art contest in Moscow

 Renowned artistSudarsan Pattnaik bagged thegold medal at the ninth Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship “The magical world of sand” 2016. 

• Pattnaik won the championship for best composition ‘Mahatma Gandhi – World Peace’. 
• Pattnaik’s solo presentation-about fifteen feet high sand sculpture ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ depicted the message of non-violence and peace.

Sudarsan Pattnaik :

• Born- 15 April 1977 (age 39) -Puri, Odisha, India
• Occupation-Sand artist
• Awards -Padma Shri (2014)

Indian Naval Ships Veer and Nipat decommissioned

Indian Naval Ships (INS) Veer and Nipat were decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

•  The decommissioning ceremony of these ships was held in the presence of Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. 
• Both the ships belonged to the 1241 RE class missile vessels. 
• They had served under 22nd Killer Squadron and have completed 29 and 28 years of commissioned service respectively. 
• The ships had played a significant role as the guardian of International Maritime Borderline off west coast of India. 
• These ships are also the first of Veer Class of ships to be decommissioned from the Indian Navy.
•  In their service, they have participated in numerous operations and successfully completed many deployments. 
• They were extensively deployed during the Operations Vijay (1961) and Parakram (2001–2002) of the Indian Navy.

EC launches mobile app e-voter for Kerala assembly polls

 The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched an innovative mobile application titled e-voter with comprehensive details about the forthcoming 2016 Assembly polls in Kerala. 

• The app is envisaged for voters’ facilitation for search in electoral roll, information regarding candidates, location of polling station, affidavit filed by them, filing of complaint and so on.

About e- voter app :

•  The e-voter app was developed by the state IT Mission.
•  It aims at ensuring great transparency and conduct of free and fair elections.
•  The app has ‘know your candidate’ option that would provide constituency wise details of candidates. 
• It has ‘constituency list’ option that would give segment wise details of voters (total number of voters, number of male voters and female voters) and total polling stations. 
• The app will also provide information about previous elections results and names of Chief Ministers.
•  The e-voter app can be downloaded from the Google Play store and can be installed on any android phone

Gujarat announces 10% quota for economically backward in general category

The Gujarat government announced on Friday 10% reservation for the economically backward among upper castes, a move apparently aimed at placating the influential Patidars who launched a violent agitation last year seeking quota benefits.

•  The decision, taken at a meeting of the BJP core committee headed by party president Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, will benefit all upper caste families with annual income less than Rs six lakh.
• A special ordinance will be promulgated earmarking 10% reservation in jobs and education on May 1st.

Gujarat :

• Capital- Gandhinagar

 • Governor- Om Prakash Kohli

 • Chief Minister -Anandiben Patel

 • Legislature -Unicameral (182 seats)

Area rank- 6th

Population Rank-  9th

PM Narendra Modi to address US Congress on June 8

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to address a joint meeting of the United States (US) Congress on June 8, 2016 during his visit to the US.

 He was invited by President Barack Obama for a bilateral visit during the fourth nuclear summit. 

It was announced by the Speaker of the US House of Representative Paul Ryan. 

PM Narendra Modi will be the fifth Indian Prime Minister to address a joint meeting of Congress, and the first since 2005.

 Earlier, Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi (July 13, 1985), P V Narasimha Rao (May 18, 1994), Atal Bihari Vajpayee (September 14, 2000) and Manmohan Singh (July 19, 2005) had addressed the joint meeting of the US Congress.

United States Congress  :

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States consisting of two houses:

1.  the Senate and
2.  the House of Representatives. 

• The Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a gubernatorial appointment. 

Parliament passes Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015

The Parliament has passed the Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015.

•  The Bill amends the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.
•  Now it will go for Presidential assent as per Article 111 of the Indian Constitution.
•  The bill seeks to bring industries engaged in the manufacture of potable alcohol under the exclusive control of States in all respects.
• However, the Centre will continue to be responsible for formulating policy and regulating foreign collaboration for all products of fermentation industries, including industrial and potable alcohol.

The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 :

• The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 7, 2015.
• The Bill was introduced by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman.
•  The Bill amends the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.

Parliament passes Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Parliament passed Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to include certain communities in the list of Scheduled Castes (SC) from 4 states.

•  The bill seeks to amend Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 to include certain communities from Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala and West Bengal in the list.
•  It also has provisions for exclusion of certain communities from Odisha and removal of area restriction in respect of certain communities.

About the Bill :

• The bill was introduced in the Parliament by Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot as per the provisions of Article 341 of the Constitution.
•  Chhattisgarh: Inclusion of Sais, Sahis, Sarathi, Soot-Sarathi, Thanwar communities in the list. 
• Haryana: Inclusion of (i) Aheria, Aheri, Hari, Heri, Thori, Turi and (ii) Rai Sikh communities in the list.

Operation Sulaimani to eradicate Poverty in Kozhikode District

The “Operation Sulaimani” has been launched by the Kozhikode district Collector with the slogan “Food for the Hungry” to eradicate poverty from the Kozhikode district of Kerala.

•  Its’ an initiative by the district administration in collaboration with the state Hotel and Restaurants Association and numerous non-governmental organisations, to eliminate hunger by providing food free of cost to the needy.

About Operation Sulaimani  :

• Operation Sulaimani is a food programme introduced in the city of Kozhikode, India by the District administration and Kerala Hotel and Restaurants Association and is to enable those who cannot afford a meal to have food with dignity and to avoid food wastage in the city.
• Food coupons will be distributed at local village and taluk offices and at select hostels at railway station bus stand.
•  Then these coupons can be redeemed to have food at hotels who are members of the project Operation Sulaimani was introduced by Prasanth Nair IAS, the District collector of Kozhikode.

Natekar became first non-cricketer to become a member of CCI’s Legend Club

Badminton ace Nandu Natekar in April 2016 became the first non-Cricketer to be inducted into the Legends Club founded by the late Cricket Club of India (CCI) president Raj Singh Dungarpur.

•  Natekar was inducted into the club along with 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, who became the sixth cricketer to be inducted in the club.
• The two, Nandu and Kapil were inducted into the Club’s legend group after consultation with the Cricket Club of India (CCI) president, Kekoo Nicholson.

About Nandu Natekar :

• Nandu Natekar is a former Indian badminton national champion.
• Natekar has won over 100 national and international titles for India in a career spanning 15 years.
• Natekar was the first Indian to win a title abroad, in 1956.
•  Natekar is a director of Natekar Sports and Fitness (NSF).

Lobsang Sangay re-elected Tibetan PM

Tibetan legal scholar and politician Lobsang Sangay has been re-elected as the Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamsala.

• Darjeeling-born Dr. Sangay, who had first become the Sikyong (equivalent to the Prime Minister) of the Tibetan government-in-exile in August 2011.
• The result was formally declared by Chief Election Commissioner Sonam Chhoplae. Forty-five new members from across the world have also been declared elected along with Mr. Sangay.
• This was the second election after the Dalai Lama stepped down as the head of the government in 2011, preferring to remain only as the religious-spiritual head.

Tibet :

• Tibet is a region on the Tibetan Plateau in Asia. 
• It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Qiang and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people.

Experian India launches new fraud solution for banking and insurance

 Experian, the global information services company, launched the ‘Hunter Fraud Score’, a new scoring mechanism that measures the probability of fraud in a credit application across banking and insurance industries.

•  The new score will help retail finance providers and insurance companies in India significantly increase their efficiency in fraud detection.
•  Businesses will be able to identify applications that should be screened for potential fraud, and prioritise those that have a high probability of being fraudulent. 
• This will enable them to potentially lower their fraud losses and focus on approving applications from genuine customers.
• Hunter prevents application fraud by matching credit application data against multiple data sources, including the shared fraud data. It comprises several rules that work towards identifying inconsistencies in credit applications.
• The suspicious applications are moved into the investigation tool for further analysis and action.

National Food Security Act implemented in Manipur

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh declared that the National Food Security Act has been implemented in the State.

•  Mr. Singh made the announcement at a function organised by the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution department at Sangaiprou Godown.
• The Act would lay stress on those possessing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cards.
•  As per the Act, 11,796 metric tonnes of rice for April was released and one kg of rice would be made available at Rs.3 per kg to the beneficiaries. 
• AAY card holders can avail 35 kg of rice per a month.

National Food Security Act :

• The National Food Security Act, 2013  is an Act of the Parliament of India which aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of India's 1.2 billion people.
•  It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.
• The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA 2013) converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes of the Government of India.

DBS Bank rolls out mobile-only bank in India

DBS Bank launched a ‘mobile-only bank’ in India. 

• The ‘digibank’ uses technologies, such as biometrics and artificial intelligence, to enable paperless, signature-less and branchless bank.
• The bank will leverage biometrics-enabled ID and Aadhaar card to ensure that that there is no paperwork.
•  It will provide customer service via a 24x7 artificial intelligence-driven virtual assistant, which understands natural language and has learning ability, so that it is able to respond in real-time.
• The digital bank will also have an intuitive budget optimiser that will help customers do their budgeting, track expenses and analyse purchasing trends.
•  The function is smart enough to understand customer behaviour and preferences, synthesise data, and provide recommendations. 
• It also has embedded soft token security, avoiding the need to wait for SMS to arrive.
• Account-holders will have no minimum balance requirements, earn 7 per cent interest for accounts opened on digibank and can avail themselves of free cash withdrawals at over 200,000 ATMs nationwide.
•  The account will also provide a physical debit card which can be used across all Visa-enabled online and point-of-sale transactions, as well as overseas.
• DBS India accounts for around 5 per cent of the bank’s global book.

New Zealand's 'stunning' $5 bill named best banknote of the year

New Zealand’s five-dollar ($5) polymer note has been named the banknote of the year for 2015, a “clear winner” among nearly 40 eligible designs from a record 20 countries.

•  The honour is awarded every year by the International Bank Note Society. 
• To be eligible, a banknote must have been issued for the first time during the year of the award, and be in general circulation.
•  It is assessed for its “artistic merit and/or innovative security features”, including use of colour, contrast and balance. 
• Scotland’s Clydesdale Bank five-pound note, Sweden’s 20 kronor note, Russia’s 100 rouble note, and Kazakhstan’s 20,000 tenge note were named as runners-up. 
• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand released the new $5 and $10 notes in October as part of its Brighter Money range. 
• The $5 shows mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary facing the South Island’s Aoraki/Mount Cook, and, on the other side, a rare yellow-eyed penguin and local flora.

ISRO successfully launches 7th navigation satellite IRNSS-1G

The seventh and final satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, the IRNSS 1G, was launched into a sub geosynchronous transfer orbit with a perigree (nearest point to earth) of 284 km and an apogee (farthest point to earth) of 20,657 km. The satellite was launched on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which took off from the Sriharikota launch pad.

With this launch, the IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is now complete. 

• This will allow the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to focus on the process of designing front end chips which will receive the navigational signals sent out by the satellites.
•  The system will be similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the United States with 24 satellites and the Glonass, Galileo and BeiDou systems of Russia, Europe and China respectively.
• All satellites will undergo stabilisation testing and verification of their performance over the next few months before being pushed into use.
• An area of 1,500 km from Indian boundaries will be covered under the navigational system. 
• The Prime Minister invited other countries to make use of this system as well. “We have seven neighbours who rely on technology provided by other countries. 

28 April: World Day for Safety and Health at Work

2016 theme  'Workplace Stress: a collective challenge'

The day 28 April  is being observed worldwide and promotes a safe and healthy work environment for employees across the world. It  is the brainchild of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

• Every year, as per United Nations reports, two million men and women lose their lives through accidents and diseases linked to their work. Fatalities, accidents and illness at work are highly preventable and this initiative aims to spread awareness on that.
•  This year's theme is 'Workplace Stress: a collective challenge', to tackle the stress levels in today's stress induced environment

In addition to those deaths, there are:

• Over 270 million occupational accidents
• 160 million occupational diseases each year
• US$ 2.8 trillion in costs is lost worldwide in terms of working time and expenses for treatment, compensation and rehabilitation

International Labour Organisation (ILO) :

• Headquarter - Geneva, Switzerland
• Head-  Guy Ryder
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency dealing with labour issues, particularly international labour standards, social protection, and work opportunities for all.

ICC suspends Cricket Association of Nepal

The ICC has suspended the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) in view of government interference in the board.

• In December, Nepal's National Sports Council (NSC) had formed an ad-hoc committee to run the CAN.
•  This happened soon after Chatur Bahadur Chand was elected the CAN's president in controversial annual general meeting - which was not attended by its then president Tanka Angbuhang - without the NSC's permission. 
• The Chand-led CAN faction then filed a court case, which is still pending, challenging the NSC's decision.
• In light of the ongoing court case involving the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the Ad hoc Committee established by the Nepalese National Sports Council (NSC), which has led to a vacuum of cricket leadership in Nepal, the Board suspended the Membership of CAN for breach of Article 2.9 of the ICC's Articles of Association, which prohibits government interference and requires free and fair elections.

China successfully launches Kunpeng-1B sounding rocket

China has successfully launched the Kunpeng-1B sounding rocket from a launch pad in Danzhou City in the southern Chinese Hainan Province.

• The research rocket, which is due to take measurements in the upper atmosphere and help with high-speed flight and space tourism research, was launched  by China's National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
• The rocket reached a maximum height of 316 kilometers , with the total flight time coming to 10 minutes.

Sounding rocket :

Sounding rockets are low-cost launch vehicles designed to carry scientific instruments that take measurements during the rocket's sub-orbital flight. 

A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket.

• China first launched a Kunpeng-1 rocket in April 2013.

Renowned Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas passes away

V. T. Thomas (1929 – April 28, 2016), also known as Toms, was a cartoonist from Kerala, India.
He was the creator of the cartoon characters Boban and Molly  ( the 12-year-old cartoon siblings who endeared one and all with their childish pranks and became household names in the state for nearly 40 years ).

• Toms began his career as cartoonist with Malayala Manorama in 1961 and continued till his retirement in 1987.
• The comic strip used to appear in the last page of the Malayala Manorama weekly. 
• After his retirement in 1987, there was a legal dispute with the newspaper over copyright over the cartoon characters Though Manorama finally won the case in the Supreme Court, they returned the copyright to Toms and the cartoons started appearing in a comic magazine run by him. 
• The cartoon characters were so famous that Toms later launched a magazine titled ‘Boban and Molliyum.

Naval detachment set up at Lakshadweep’s Androth Island

A naval detachment aimed at enhancing the Navy's reach and surveillance of Arabian Sea waters was inaugurated in the island of Lakshadweep.

• The setting up of a naval detachment will extend Indian naval presence at Androth Island, provide communication network connectivity with mainland, enable Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) monitoring and function as an Observance and reporting organisation, besides radar surveillance.
• Lakshadweep and Mnicoy Islands occupy a strategic location in the Arabian Sea. A number of shipping lanes pass close to these islands. Setting up of a naval detachment at Androth Island will enhance the Navy's reach and surveillance, and contribute significantly to strengthen maritime security and stability.
• A number of infrastructure facilities at naval units located on Kavaratti, Minicoy, Agatti and Androth islands are also being progressively upgraded.
• The naval detachment at Kavaratti was commissioned as a naval establishment, INS Dweeprakshak in 2012. Suitable ships are also being based at the islands to provide enhanced surveillance and immediate response capability.

Lakshadweep :
Capital - Kavaratti
Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Aminidivi Islands is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 kilometres  off the south western coast of India. The archipelago is a Union Territory and is governed by the Union Government of India.

Union Railway Ministry to set up Rs 1 lakh crore Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh

The Union Railway Ministry has decided to create a 1 lakh crore rupees safety fund named Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh to strengthen safety measures on the rail network to prevent accidents

• It was announced by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in the Lok Sabha while replying to a debate on Demands for Grants for Railways for 2016-17.
• In this regard Union Railway Ministry has forwarded a proposal to the Union Finance Ministry for approval.

Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh :

• The Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh will be a non-lapsable fund which will be utilised for safety measures.
• The fund will help Indian Railways to accomplish its zero-accident mission by strengthening the safety measures on the rail network in a comprehensive way.

Govt to sell 11.36% stake in NHPC

The government will kick-start its Rs 56,500-crore disinvestment programme on 27 April when it will sell 11.36 per cent stake in power producer NHPC through an offer-for-sale issue, which is likely to fetch the exchequer Rs 2,700 crore. 

• The government holds 85.96 per cent in NHPC and selling 11.36 per cent would help it comply with minimum public shareholding norms of 75 per cent sovereign holding in state-owned companies. 
• The NHPC stake sale will be one of the first tasks for the newly renamed Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). The government has already lined up over a dozen PSUs for stake sale in the current financial year.
• Out of the total disinvestment target of Rs 56,500 crore, Rs 36,000 is expected to come from 5-15 per cent stake sales in PSUs while the rest is expected from strategic sales of companies or their assets.

NHPC :

• NHPC Limited (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) is an Indian Hydropower generation company that was incorporated in the year 1975

Heart of Asia conference begins today in New Delhi

The Heart of Asia (HoA) conference has begun in New Delhi with the objective of bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan and speeding up its reconstruction with a focus on enhancing investment and connectivity to the country.

• The conference is with the objective of bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan and speeding up its reconstruction with a focus on enhancing investment and connectivity to the country.
• The key elements of HoA process have been to devise a sustained, incremental approach to implementation of the confidence building measures (CBM) in Afghanistan and the officials are set to deliberate on them during the conference.

Heart of Asia conference :

• HoA conference is a part of the Istanbul Process established 2011 which provides a platform to discuss an agenda of regional cooperation with Afghanistan at its centre. 

Shyam Benegal Committee submits its report on Cinematograph Act/ Rules to Shri Jaitley

 A Committee had been set up on 1st jan under the Chairmanship of Shri Shyam Benegal to lay down norms for film certification that take note of best practices in various parts of the world and give sufficient and adequate space for artistic and creative expression,  lay down procedures and guidelines for the benefit of the CBFC Board to follow and examine staffing patterns with a view to recommending a framework that would provide efficient and transparent user friendly services. 

The Committee chaired by Shri Shyam Benegal submitted major part of their recommendation to Hon’ble Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Arun Jaitley .

Major highlights of the report –

•  CBFC should only be a film certification body whose scope should be restricted to categorizing the suitability of the film to audience groups on the basis of age and maturity.
•  The applicant must specify the category of certification being sought and the target audience.

Panel suggests fine or jail for celebs in misleading ads

In its report on the Consumer Protection Bill 2015, tabled in Parliament today, the panel has suggested legal teeth to To make celebrities accountable for misleading advertisements, a Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended stringent provisions, including a jail term of up to five years and a hefty penalty of up to Rs 50 lakh, to protect consumer interest.

• The committee, headed by Telugu Desam Party Member of Parliament J C Divakar Reddy, said in its report: "The committee strongly feels that misrepresentation of a product, especially of food product, should be taken very seriously, considering the influence of celebrities and high networth individuals and companies. 
• The existing laws are not deterrent enough to discourage manufacturers or publishers from using such personalities for misleading ads.”
• The committee recommends that for first time offence, the offender may be penalised with either a fine of Rs 10 lakh or imprisonment up to two years or both.

Missed call service launched for local train updates

COMMUTERS of Western Railway’s suburban train network can now check the status of local trains by giving a missed call. In an initiative to communicate the scheduled arrival time of trains to passengers, the Western Railway (WR) has tied up with a private firm.

• The commuter would need to dial toll free no. 1800 212 4502 and the call will get disconnected automatically after two rings subsequent to which an SMS will be sent informing the running status of suburban trains.
• Information on running of services shall be communicated to the firm by the Railways in a stipulated scheduled time, which in turn will be conveyed to passengers.
• Commuters can also register themselves with http://www.mobitip.info for daily updates at scheduled times. 
• Users of any smartphone can avail of this service with no need of any internet connection.What makes the commuters happier is the service is free of cost.

Govt. constitutes Ashok Dalwai committee for doubling farmers’ income

   The Union Govt. has recently constituted 8-member inter-ministerial committee to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmer’s income by 2022.

• The committee will be headed by Ashok Dalwai, Additional secretary at the Union Agriculture Ministry and is expected to submit the report in two months.
• Earlier,  Govt. had announced in the Union Budget 2016-17, to double farm incomes by 2022.
• "The committee will chalk out a plan to shift farm policies from being production-oriented to based on incomes,"
• The eight-member panel will identify potential areas of agriculture where more investment should happen and suggest ways to reduce the risk of farming by diversifying to horticulture and allied activities like livestock and fisheries to boost income .

Nomadic Elephant-2016: Indo-Mongolia joint military exercise begins

The eleventh India-Mongolia joint training exercise, ‘Nomadic Elephant-2016’, to promote military associations between the countries kicked off at Mongolia.

The exercise, which aims to develop synergy and inter operatability between the armies to battle in counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment under the UN mandate.

• A platoon of the Indian Army’s Kumaon Regiment along with a team of two observers will be taking part in the event.
• From the Mongolian Armed Forces, a total of 60 personnel will take part in the exercise.
• The Indian contingent will share their practical experiences of counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations through a series of classroom lectures and outdoor demonstrations which include aspects like house clearing and room intervention techniques in hostage situation, road opening, establishing mobile check posts, intelligence gathering and drills for countering Improvised Explosive Devices.
• Both the contingents will also share their techniques of unarmed combat, specialised rappelling and participate in various sports events during the two weeks’ exchange.

Mongolia :

Capital- Ulaanbaatar

Currency-Tögrög

Mumbai has been declared the noisiest city in the country

 The latest report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has placed India's financial capital at the first place. Meanwhile, Delhi —long admonished for its dirty air—has something to be (relatively) happy about, as it is ranked fourth, behind Lucknow and Hyderabad.

• Mumbai breached the safe noise levels - 55 decibels during the morning and 45 dcibels during the night - consistently between 2011 and 2014.

According to the CPCB, the most common source of noise pollution is motor vehicles, while other sources like generator sets, office machines, aircraft, industrial and construction activities also contribute to increasing the noise level in the cities.

Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can lead to forgetfulness, depression and even panic attacks.

• The CPCB report was compiled after collecting data from 35 locations in seven cities. The final results were inferred by averaging the location-wise day time and night time noise level.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) :

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). 

All new mobiles to have panic button from 2017

Starting next year, all mobile phones sold in India will come with a dedicated ‘panic button’ that can be used to send out a signal in case of distress.

The Panic button and Global Positioning System facility in all mobile phone handsets Rules, 2016, notified by the Department of Telecommunications on April 22, are aimed at improving the safety of women and ensuring a quick response from security agencies.

The notification says that no handset shall be sold in India from January 1, 2017, without a panic button and all handsets must also have GPS from January 1, 2018.

Once the panic button is pressed, a signal/call will be made to the nearest security agency. 

panic button :

A panic alarm is an electronic device designed to assist in alerting somebody in emergency situations where a threat to persons or property exists.

26 April: World Intellectual Property Day

  World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on 26 April. 

• The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to "raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life" and "to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe". 
• 26 April was chosen as the date for World Intellectual Property Day because it coincides with the date on which the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization entered into force in 1970.

2016 – Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined

Intellectual property (IP) :

Intellectual property (IP) is a term referring to creations of the intellect for which a monopoly is assigned to designated owners by law.

India to host 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championship

India will be hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Jaipur, besides organising the Asian Cadet and Asian Junior Judo Championships in September in Kerala this year. 

The Commonwealth Judo Championships was allotted to India, by the Commonwealth Judo Congress held on April 23rd at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 

"The Commonwealth Judo Championships is the official event of the Commonwealth Judo Associations and being organised in every 2 years for Cadets, Junior, Seniors, Masters and visually impaired Judo Players. 

• This will be the first time that Commonwealth Judo Championships will be held in India.

Commonwealth Judo Championships :

The Commonwealth Judo Championship is an international judo competition, open to countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Kapil Dev to be inducted into CCI's Legends Club

India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain and one of the greatest all-rounders the game has seen, Kapil Dev, will be the sixth member to be inducted into the Cricket Club of India's Legends Club. This was announced by Legends Club president and former India batsman Madhav Apte.

Cricket Club of India's Legends Club :

• It was established in 2003.
• Legends Club is the brainchild of former Board of Control for Cricket in India president, Dungarpur.
•  It was formed along the lines of England's Master's Club started by famous cricket commentator John Arlott in memory of Jack Hobbs when cricketers and cricket lovers got together and spoke on different topics of the game.
•  The Legends Club honours famous Indian cricketers like Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.

New emblem of Tokyo 2020 Olympics unveiled

     The new emblem of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games was unveiled on 25 April 2016, featuring an indigo-coloured check in the design.

•  The logo features a circular Japanese traditional checkered pattern. Below the design are the words “Tokyo 2020” and under them the five interlocking Olympic rings. 
• The logo was chosen from a shortlist of four announced on April 8 after more than 14,599 entries were publicly accepted. 
• Tokyo 2020 organisers had to scrap a logo by Japanese designer Kenjiro Sano over its close resemblance of a theatre in the Belgian city of Liege created by designer Olivier Debie.

Olympics :

• The modern Olympic Games or Olympics  are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. 

World Immunization Week 2016

   World Immunization Week 2016  is being organised across the globe between 24 April and 30 April 2016.

• World Immunization Week is a global public health campaign to raise awareness and increase rates of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases around the world.
•  It takes place each year during last week of April.

Immunization :

Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an agent (known as the immunogen).

• When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called non-self, it will orchestrate an immune response, and it will also develop the ability to quickly respond to a subsequent encounter because of immunological memory. This is a function of the adaptive immune system. Therefore, by exposing an animal to an immunogen in a controlled way, its body can learn to protect itself: this is called active immunization.

FinMin approves 8.7% interest on EPF for 2015-16

     The Finance Ministry has approved 8.7 per cent interest on PF deposits for over 5 crore subscribers of retirement body EPFO, lower than 8.8 per cent decided by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT).

 This is probably the first time that the Finance Ministry has not given concurrence to the rate of interest on EPF as decided by CBT. 

• EPFO had provided 8.75 per cent rate of interest in 2013-14 and 2014-15, which was higher than 8.5 per cent in 2012-13 and 8.25 per cent in 2011-12. 

The EPFO pays rate of return to its subscribers on the basis of returns it generates from its investments.

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation:

• The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), is a statutory body of the Government of India under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
•  It administers a compulsory contributory Provident Fund Scheme, Pension Scheme and an Insurance Scheme. 

India, France launch $1 Trillion Potential Solar Programme under ISA

 

India and France have launched a programme with $1 trillion Potential Solar Programme under the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

• It is a solar finance programme that aims at helping developing countries to fully harness their solar resources for a clean energy future.
•  It was announced by Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal and French Environment Minister Segolene Royal at the ministerial side event on ISA at the United Nations.

 International Solar Alliance (ISA) :

Purpose - Bring together a group of nations to endorse clean energy, sustainable environment, public transport and climate

Headquarters- New Delhi, India

Announced at Paris Climate Summit

Region served- countries between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn

NABARD Lends Rs 1,000 Crore to HSWC for Wheat Procurement

    National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan of Rs 1,000 crore to Haryana State Warehousing Corporation for purchase of wheat during the ongoing rabi marketing season.

"The (Rs 1,000 crore) loan is going to help the corporation for payment of wheat purchased from farmers in various mandis/outlets in Haryana, in line with the government's resolve to pay the farmers' dues at the earliest," 

• The objective of foodgrain procurement by the government agencies is to ensure that farmers get remunerative price for their produce and do not have to resort to distress sale and build buffer stocks.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development ( NABARD ):

• Headquarters Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Established 12 July 1982
• Chairman Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

India's first small finance bank launched

 

 Capital Small Finance Bank, India's first small finance bank, was launched.

Capital Small Finance Bank opens 10 branches in Punjab; to add nine more in FY17.

• The Jalandhar-headquartered bank had been operating as Capital Local Area Bank since January 2000 with 47 branches in five districts of Punjab.

It is among the 10 entities that were given the in-principle approval by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up small finance banks.

Guidelines to be met by small finance banks:

•   75 % of Adjusted Net Bank Credit to be extended to priority sector - 50 % of loan portfolio to constitute loans & advances of upto Rs 25 lakh .
•  25 branches must be in unbanked rural areas .
•  Maximum loan size & investment limit to single obligor restricted to 10 percent of capital funds.

Huge coral reef discovered at Amazon river mouth

  

  A huge 3,600 sq mile (9,300 sq km) coral reef system has been found below the muddy waters off the mouth of the river Amazon, astonishing scientists, governments and oil companies who have started to explore on top of it.

The existence of the 600-mile long reef, which ranges from about 30-120m deep and stretches from French Guiana to Brazil’s Maranhão state, was not suspected because many of the world’s great rivers produce major gaps in reef systems where no corals grow.

Coral reef :

• Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals.
•  Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. 
• Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. 

Parliament passes Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016

    The Parliament has passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

• The Bill amends the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, that regulates administration of Sikh Gurdwaras in Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
• The Bill proposes removing an exception made for Sahajdharis in 1944 that allowed them to vote in elections for the Board and committees instituted under the Act.

Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 :

• The Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 was a piece of legislation in British India, which legally defined Sikh identity and brought Sikh gurdwaras (houses of worship) under the control of an elected body of orthodox Sikhs. 
• Under the 1925 Act, every Sikh who is above 21 years of age and is registered as a voter is entitled to vote in the SGPC elections.
•  This Act had created an exception for Sehjdhari Sikhs who trim or shave their beard or hair, and allowed them to vote.

SGPC poll controversy :

The SGPC elections were last held in 2011, which were challenged by the Sehajdhari Federation after the Sehajdharis’ right to vote in the gurdwara elections was withdrawn by the Centre, reportedly on the advice of the ruling SAD.

Jeetendra, Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Leela Bhansali conferred Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards

Veteran actor Jeetendra, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Bollywood star Ranveer Singh were today honoured with '74th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards'.

• Jeetendra got the Lifetime Achievement Award while Bhansali and Ranveer got special award for direction and acting for their  'Bajirao Mastani.'
• The top honour was given by legendary singer Asha Bhosle.

Deenanath Mangeshkar :

• Deenanath Mangeshkar (29 December 1900 – 24 April 1942) was a well-known Marathi theatre actor, a renowned Natya Sangeet musician and a Hindustani classical vocalist.
• He is also the father of well-known singers Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, and Usha Mangeshkar as well as composers Hridayanath Mangeshkar and Meena Khadikar.