Important days:
1.
April 30- Google on April
30, 2018 commemorated the 148th birth anniversary of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, one of the pioneering figures in Indian cinema, with a doodle. Phalke, who is fondly remembered as Dadasaheb, has the
distinction of directing India’s first full-length feature film Raja
Harishchandra in 1913.In the doodle, a young Phalke is seen instructing
actors, getting behind the camera, and examining rolls of film.
National:
1.
FMCG major ITC has joined
hands with NITI Aayog to train 2 lakh farmers to increase their income and
raise productivity of major crops in 25 “aspirational districts” across seven
states namely Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
and Uttar Pradesh in the country by 2022. The prime
objective of increasing net returns from farming through reduction in costs of
production and increasing productivity of major crops in each of identified
district.
2.
Google Arts & Culture
in partnership with Ministry of Tourism has unveiled 360-degree virtual reality
(VR) video for global ‘Incredible India’ tourism campaign. The video showcases 360-degree view of some of most iconic
destinations in India including Delhi’s Qutab Minar, Hampi’s Vitthala Temples,
Amritsar’s Golden Temple and Goa’s easygoing vibe. As part of it, Google Arts
& Culture will provide users with immersive 360-degree view of India’s
heritage, festivity, spirituality and adventure.
3. Uttarakhand High Court declared the practice of solitary
confinement as unconstitutional as per the United Nations Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. The practice of solitary confinement not only amounts to
additional punishment but also amounts to torture and is violative of basic
human rights.The bench made the observations while upholding the capital
punishment awarded to two convicts by the lower court in a case relating to the
gangrape and murder of a 55-year-old woman.
4. The Environment Ministry has banned plastics in all protected
areas around the country and declared them plastic free zones. It has directed states and Union territories to organise
awareness campaigns to sensitise people about the issue. The decision has been taken ahead of the World Environment Day
that is observed on June 5.
5. Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Smriti Zubin
Irani Minister announced a scholarship for Rs 25000 in commemoration
of Deen Dayal Upadhyay for people of Indian Origin who did exemplary work in
development of journalism while addressing the 69th Valedictory session of Development
Journalism Course at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. On this occasion she also inaugurated National Media Faculty
Development Center in IIMC Campus and also launched ECHO Newsletter, Samachar
Madhyam and Communicator magazines.
6. A four-day Asia Pacific Regional Workshop of the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), jointly hosted by the Union
Ministry of Environment and UNCCD Secretariat concluded on April 27, 2018.
The four-day Workshop trained the participants in the use of an
innovative land degradation monitoring tool by Conservation International, for
the reporting process of UNCCD.Participants included delegates from
about 40 Asia Pacific countries, as well as representatives from 12 Indian
states affected by land degradation, scientists and researchers and
line-Ministries.
7.
During the celebrations of
Ambedkar Jayanti Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Van Dhan Scheme of
Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development
Federation of India (TRIFED) at Bijapur, Chattisgarh PM also inaugurated first model Van Dhan Vikas Kendra under the
scheme in Bijapur. The scheme aims at economic development of tribals involved
in collection of Minor Food Produces (MFPs) by helping them in optimum
utilization of natural resources and provide them sustainable livelihood. Under
it, 10 Self Help Groups (SHGs) of 30 Tribal gatherers will be constituted.
8.
A MoU have signed between
the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and Indian Yoga Association
(IYA) to facilitate interaction and cooperation between two organisations to
promote wellness, spiritual and cultural tourism in Krishna Circuit. Government is trying to promote Krishna circuit as major
tourist attraction under Swadesh Darshan Scheme. It is named after Lord Krishna
and is centered on him. Under it, 12 destinations spread across five states
have been proposed. The destinations covered are Gujarat: Dwarka; Rajasthan:
Nathdwara, Jaipur and Sikar; Uttar Pradesh: Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, Gokul,
Nandgaon and Govardhan; Odisha. They will be developed on principles of high
tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner.
9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29, 2018 announced that
April 28 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of
India as on this day, every single village of India was electrified. The achievement comes several days before the deadline set by PM
Modi, which was May 10, 2018.Leisang, a village in central Manipur's
Senapati district, was the last one to receive electricity on April 29, 2018
under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). Out of 18,452
villages that were without electricity in 2015, 17,181 have been electrified.
The others are either uninhabited or classified as grazing reserves.
International:
1.
The first Informal Summit was
held in Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi
Jinping. The purpose of meeting was to exchange
views on overarching issues of bilateral and global importance and to elaborate
their respective visions and priorities for national development in context of
current and future international situation. Both leaders agreed that
simultaneous emergence of India and China as two large economies and major
powers with strategic and decisional autonomy have implications of regional and
global significance.
2.
For first time, arch
rivals India and Pakistan are taking part in Peace Mission, a multi-nation
counter-terror exercise in Russia to be held in September 2018. Peace Mission counter-terror military exercise will be held in
the Ural mountains of Russia and almost all SCO member countries are taking
part in it. Its main aim is to enhance counter-terror cooperation among the
eight SCO member countries
3.
To commemorate 2562nd
Buddha Jayanti, International Buddhist
Conference was held in Lumbini, Nepal on 29 and 30 April 2018. The theme of the conference was ‘Lumbini Nepal: The birthplace
of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace’. The basic
objective of conference was to disseminate teachings of Buddha and spread
messages of nonviolence, brotherhood, co-existence, love and peace to
international community.
4.
In 2018 Special 301
Report, the USTR has placed 12 countries on its Priority Watch List. The Office of United States (US) Trade Representative (USTR)
has once again placed India on ‘Priority Watch List’ in its annual Special 301
Report on the state of intellectual property protection. Other countries on
list are Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Kuwait,
Russia, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Special 301 Report identifies US trading
partners that do not adequately or effectively protect and enforce IP rights or
deny market access to its innovators and creators that rely on protection of
their IP rights.
Science & Technology/ Defence:
1.
The first ever mock
exercise was conducted by the National
Disaster Response Authority (NDMA) which is aimed at enhancing preparedness of
Airport Emergency Handlers (AEHs) to respond to CBRN emergencies at airports. CBRN emergencies pertain to threats emanating due to Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear material. The exercise was based on
suspected Ebola outbreak scenario. The mock drills with simulated situations of
biological disasters are conducted by NDRF regularly to fine tune response
mechanism in case of threats arising out of usage of biological agents.
2.
The Defence Acquisition
Council (DAC) approved Capital Acquisition Proposals of the services valued at
over Rs 3687 crore. DAC approved procurement of DRDO’s designed
and developed NAG Missile System (NAMIS) at the cost of Rs 524 crore. The DAC also approved procurement of thirteen 127 mm calibre
guns for the Navy. The guns will enable naval ships to provide fire support and
engagement of targets on the land.
3.
Indigenously developed
light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas successfully fired Derby air-to-air beyond
visual range missile (BVRM) off the Goa coast. Derby
is short to medium range BVR Air-to-Air missile. It is a dual-use missile
(air-to-air and surface-to-air).It is developed jointly by Israeli armament
development agency Rafael and Israel Aircraft Industries MBT. It has maximum
effective range of about 50 km. The missile weighs around 118 kg light and is
3.8 metres long. Its weight allows it to be adapted to various modern fighter
aircraft.
Economy:
1.
Nifty equity savings index
that will serve as benchmark for equity saving funds offered by various mutual
funds has launched by the National Stock Exchange’s (NSEs) arm India Index
Services & Products Ltd (IISL). The index is
total return index capturing price return and dividend or coupon income. The
index will capture performance of portfolio having exposure to equity, equity
arbitrage and debt instruments in similar way to the investment philosophy of
equity savings funds.
2.
Global credit rating agency
Fitch has kept India’s sovereign rating unchanged at ‘BBB-‘ with stable
outlook. This rating is at junk bond or lowest investment
grade with stable outlook. A rating upgrade changes profile of country and
makes it attractive to investors. In 2017, Moody’s had upgraded India’s rating
(to Baa2 from Baa3) after gap of nearly 14 years, while Standard & Poor’s
(S&P) retained its BBB- rating with stable outlook.
3.
The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has further liberalised External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) Policy by
including more sectors in the window in a bid to facilitate cheaper access of
overseas funds to Indian companies. ECBs are
commercial loans borrowed from foreign sources for financing the commercial
activities in India. It may be bank loans, securitised instruments, buyers’
credit, suppliers’ credit, foreign currency convertible bonds, etc.
Awards:
1.
National Intellectual
Property (IP) Award 2018 in category “Top R&D Institution/Organization for
Patents and Commercialization” was awarded to the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) on the occasion of World
IP Day (26 April).
2.
Sitanshu Yashaschandra (Gujarati
poet, playwright and academic) was selected for 2017 Saraswati Samman for his
collection of verses (poetry) titled “Vahar” published in 2009. The award has been named after Indian goddess of learning
Saraswati. It carries cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh, a citation and a plaque of
goddess Saraswati. Saraswati Samman is considered one of the highest literary
awards in India. It was established in 1991 by KK Birla Foundation (which also
gives Vyas Samman for Hindi, and Bihari Puraskar for Hindi and Rajasthani
writers of Rajasthan.
3. Commonwealth Games champion Neeraj Chopra has been recommended
by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
award.The federation has nominated PT
Usha and India youth team coach Sanjay Garnaik for the Dronacharya Award. Bobby
Aloysis, Kuldeep Singh Bhullar and Jata Shankar have been recommended for the
Dhyan Chand Award, while T.P. Ouseph has been recommended for Life Time
Achievement Award.
Appointments/
resignations:
1. Kavinder Gupta, who resigned as the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir
Assembly on April 29, 2018, was sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu
and Kashmir, replacing BJP colleague Nirmal
Singh.
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