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 INDIAN AFFAIRS
2nd India Mobile Congress to be held in New Delhi in October 2018
Union Communications Minister Manoj Sinha has announced that second edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) will be held in New Delhi from 25th – 27th October.
More information about second edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC):
i. Second edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) will be hosted by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
ii. The event will serve as a platform for policy makers, regulators and other industry stakeholders to engage in meaningful deliberations on contemporary issues and futuristic aspects of the sector.
iii. Discussions at the event will focus on networks of the future, enhancing consumer experience, technologies shaping our lives and start-ups.
iv. The three-day event will be attended by nearly 200000 professionals from the telecom industry, delegates from US, Canada, European Union, Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
v. First edition of IMC was held in September 2017 in New Delhi.
Government extends Phase-1 of FAME-India scheme by 6 months
On April 13, 2018, Central Government announced extension of phase 1 of the FAME-India scheme by six months till end of September 2018 or till its second phase is approved, whichever is earlier.
Extension of Phase-1 of FAME-India scheme:
i. Announcement in this regard was made through a notification issued by Department of Heavy Industry under Union Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, which is the administrative authority for this scheme.
ii. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles – FAME India Scheme was announced in Union Budget 2015-16 and is a part of National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020.
iii. Under Phase 1, incentives were offered for mass adoption of electric and strong hybrid vehicles
iv. At the time of launch, phase 1 of FAME India was proposed for two years till March 31, 2017. Since, then, it was extended twice for six months up to March 31, 2018.
v. Under Phase 2 of FAME India, spanning over five years, incentives will be restricted to new energy vehicles used for public transport, commercial purposes and high-speed two-wheelers. Total financial outlay for Phase 2 will be Rs 8730 crore.
Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana Launched in Telangana
On April 14, 2018, on the occasion of 127th birth anniversary BR Ambedkar, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan launched Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana (PMUY) in Telangana.
PMUY Launched in Telangana:
i. PMUY was launched in May 2016. The objective of this scheme is to provide deposit-free LPG connections with monetary assistance to women from below poverty line (BPL) households, thereby preventing health hazards emanating from usage of unclean cooking fuel and fossil fuel for domestic cooking purpose.
ii. PMUY has so far benefited more than 3.5 crore families.
iii. At the time of launching the scheme in Telangana, Mr. Pradhan stated that by the next year-end, over 20 lakh new gas connections will be provided in Telangana.
iv. He also added that beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Housing for the rural poor) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (food scheme) will also be covered under the PMUY.
Quick Facts about Telangana:
♦ Capital – Hyderabad
♦ Current Governor – E.S.L. Narasimhan
♦ Current Chief Minister – K. Chandrashekar Rao
♦ Important National Park – Mrugavani National Park
ITDC bags Rs.550 crore project for developing infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh
On April 10, 2018, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hyderabad based firm M/s Suraas Impex Pvt. Ltd. for developing a Mega Tourism Destination project in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
Details about project bagged by ITDC:
i. The proposed Mega Tourism Destination project in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 550 crore.
ii. ITDC will be the Consulting Agency as well as Implementing Agency for this project.
iii. ITDC has a commendable track record for executing such projects. So far, it has completed 67 infrastructure projects for Union Ministry of Tourism, Union Ministry of Culture and various State Governments.
iv. It also provides Engineering Consultancy Services through its division, Ashok Consultancy & Engineering Services.
Quick facts about ITDC:
♦ Founded in – 1966
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ Current Chairman and Managing Director – Ravneet Kumar
Arun Jaitley to take oath today for fresh six-year term in Rajya Sabha
On April 15, 2018, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took oath for his new six years term in the Rajya Sabha.
Arun Jaitley’s re-election to Rajya Sabha:
i. Mr. Jaitley took oath in Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu’s chamber in Parliament, in presence of Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ananth Kumar and Leader of Opposition in the Upper House, Ghulam Nabi Azad.
ii. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. He was re-elected for new term in March 2018.
iii. Following his re-election, he was also appointed the Leader of the House on April 2, 2018.
iv. However, he was not able to take oath, owing to his health condition.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
UN launches road safety trust fund
United Nations (UN) has launched a UN Road Safety Trust Fund to spur action that could save lives and prevent the loss of opportunity associated with road accidents.
Overview of UN Road Safety Trust Fund:
i. The fund has been launched in wake of tragic road accidents in Canada and India.
ii. As per data provided by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, around 1.3 million drivers, passengers and pedestrians die each year, and up to 50 million are injured on the world’s roads.
iii. UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is the secretariat for the trust fund. According to UNECE, every USD 1500 contributed to the fund could save one life, prevent 10 serious injuries, and leverage USD 51000 towards investments in road safety.
iv. Usage of the fund will be in accordance with five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
v. Five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety are – strengthened road safety management capacities, enhanced safety of vehicles, improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks, improved behaviour of road users and improved post-crash care.
vi. UN General Assembly also adopted a resolution on road safety, calling for a range of measures to prevent road accidents and to minimise the resulting damage. This resolution was sponsored by Russia.
Quick Facts about United Nations:
♦ Founded in – 1945
♦ Headquarters – New York, US
♦ Current Secretary General – Antonio Guterres
BANKING & FINANCE
Government raises NABARD’s authorised capital to Rs 300 billion to aid rural economy
The government has raised the authorised capital of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) by 6 times to Rs 300 billion, aimed to increase its lending to the rural economy, as a part of the initiative to double farmers’ income by 2022.
Government raises NABARD’s authorised capital to Rs 300 billion to aid rural economy:
i. A notification regarding this was released by the Finance Ministry on 10th April 2018. A bill in this regard was approved by Parliament at the start of this year.
ii. The increased authorised capital will enable NABARD to perform the commitments it has undertaken, especially with respect to Long Term Irrigation Fund and on-lending to cooperative banks.
iii. Also, it will help NABARD to expand its business and activities, resulting in promotion of integrated rural development, prosperity of rural areas and generation of more employment.
About NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development):
♦ Set up – 1982
♦ Chairman‎ – ‎Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
BUSINESS
Reliance Jio raises Rs 3250 crore from Japanese banks to fund capex
Reliance Jio has signed an agreement to raise nearly Rs 3,250 crore as samurai term loan from Japan-based banks.
Reliance Jio raises Rs 3250 crore from Japanese banks to fund capex:
i. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited said that, it had signed approximately JPY 53.5 billion samurai term loan with 7 year bullet maturity.
ii. The facility is guaranteed by Reliance Industries Limited. It will be used for funding Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited’s ongoing capital expenditure.
iii. With exchange rate of 60 paise per Japanese yen, the loan value amounts to nearly Rs 3,248 crore.
iv. This deal is said to be the largest samurai loan (low interest loans from Japanese investors) for an Asian corporate company.
v. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited said that, the facility has been fully underwritten by Mizuho Bank, Ltd., MUFG Bank, Ltd. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Singapore Branch. It added that, it will be launched into syndication soon.
About Reliance Industries (RIL):
♦ Chairman & Managing Director – Mukesh D. Ambani
♦Â Founder – Dhirubhai Ambani
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
65th National Film Awards
i. On 13th April 2018, the 65th National Film Awards for 2017 was announced by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
ii. The Feature Film Central panel was headed by Shekhar Kapur. The Non- Feature Film panel was headed by Nakul Kamte and the Best Cinema on Writing jury was headed by Anant Vijay……………………………………………….Click here to Read More
Dharmendra to receive Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement award
Veteran actor Dharmendra will be conferred Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement by Maharashtra State Government.
Maharashtra State Government’s Awards to Film Personalities:
i. Along with Dharmendra, Director Rajkumar Hirani will get the Raj Kapoor Special Contributions Award, veteran Marathi actor Vijay Chavhan will get Chitrapati V Shantaram Jivangaurav Puraskar (Lifetime Achievement Award) and actress-director Mrinal Kulkarni will get Chitrapati V Shantaram Vishesh Yogdaan Puraskar (Special Contributions Award).
ii. Announcement in this regard was made by Maharashtra Education and Cultural Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde on April 15, 2018.
iii. 82-year old Dharmendra has earned himself the sobriquet of “He-Man”. “Sholay”, “Chupke Chupke”, “Yaadon Ki Baaraat”, “Satyakam” and “Seeta Aur Geeta” are some of the popular movies in which he played the lead role.
iv. These awards were instituted by Maharashtra State Government. Both the lifetime achievement awards carry a citation and cash reward of Rs 500000 while the special contribution awards carry a citation and Rs 300000 cash prize each.
v. The awards will be given away at the 55th Maharashtra State Marathi Film Festival.
SPORTS
17-year-old Pune swimmer double crosses Bangla Channel, sets world record
Sampanna Ramesh Shelar, a 17-year-old swimmer from Pune has set a world record to double cross the Bangla Channel.
Record Set by Sampanna Ramesh Shelar:
i. Water stretch from Saint Martin’s Island Jetty to Teknaf in Bangladesh is known as the Bangla Channel.
ii. Sampanna Ramesh Shelar has become the first person to double cross (swim to and fro) the Bangla Channel.
strong>iii. Sampanna Ramesh Shelar accomplished this feat on April 13, 2018 by completing the journey of 32.2 kilometers in 9 hours and 10 minutes.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
President of India Receives first copy of book ‘Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Vyakti Nahin Sankalp’
On 14th April 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind received the first copy of the book ‘Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Vyakti Nahin Sankalp’ from Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who formally released it at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Vyakti Nahin Sankalp:
i. Ram Nath Kovind said that, the book was a slim volume but covered the inspiring life of Dr Ambedkar and several dimensions of his ideas and personality.
ii. It also referenced how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been inspired by the life and message of Dr Ambedkar.
Some important museums in India:
♦ Archaeological Museum, Thrissur – Thrissur, Kerala
♦ Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda Museum – Thrissur, Kerala
♦ Indian Business Museum – Kozhikode, Kerala
IMPORTANT DAYS
South Western Command celebrates 14th Raising Day – April 15
On 15th April 2018, South Western Command celebrated its 14th Raising Day.
14th Raising Day of South Western Command:
i. Tributes were paid to martyrs of Indian Army at a ceremony at ‘Prerna Sthal’ in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on the 14th raising day of South Western Army Command.
ii. Lt Gen Vijay Singh, chief of staff, South Western Command and other officers paid tributes. He said that, South Western Command is the seventh and the youngest command of the Indian Army.
iii. It was formed on 15th April 14 years ago. It is named as the Sapta Shakti. Its motto is Forever Victorious.
iv. Apart from performing its primary functions like operational preparedness, the command has also contributed to environmental protection, national integration, welfare of veterans, women and disabled soldiers, Mukhyamantri Jal Swablamban Abhiyan (MJSA) etc.
About Indian Army:
♦Â Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) – General Bipin Rawat
♦Â Headquarters – New Delhi
