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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Multi Modal Logistic Park inaugurated at Goa
On 28th March 2018, a Multi Modal Logistics Park was inaugurated at Balli Station on Konkan Railway route, near Madgaon in Goa.
i. The Multi Modal Logistic Park was inaugurated by CMD Konkan Railway Sanjay Gupta and P K Agarwal, Director, Container Corporation.
ii. This park has been constructed at a cost of Rs 43 crore. It has been constructed as per the MoU between Konkan Railway & Container Corporation of India Ltd.(CONCOR).
iii. It has been set up on an area of 81,300 square meters. It has the capacity to handle both Domestic and Exim Container Traffic.
iv. It can also handle commodities transported by both open and covered wagons. Custom Bonded Warehousing space is also being set up on an area of 5000 square meters.
v. It will also provide value added services like stuffing, repackaging etc. After Container Depot set up is completed at Balli, containers from Goa can reach JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) within 16 to 18 hours against the 30-40 hours through road currently.
vii. This facility is expected to bring additional income to Konkan Railway. Through the economic transport solutions and advanced facilities that CONCOR and Konkan Railway offer at this facility, the trade and industry in Goa will be highly benefited.
About Container Corporation of India Ltd.(CONCOR):
♦ Chairman & Managing Director – V. Kalyana Rama
♦ Registered Office – New Delhi
World-Class tourist amenities unveiled at Konark Sun Temple
On April 1, 2018, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated World-Class tourist amenities at Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.
i. Inauguration of World-Class tourist amenities at Konark Sun Temple coincided with Utkal Diwas the foundation day of Odisha State.
ii. Most prominent amenity at the temple is the world class interpretation centre which will not only educate tourists about the temple’s rich history but will also showcase natural and cultural heritage of Odisha.
iii. Visitor-friendly infrastructure and facilities at Konark Sun Temple have been developed by Indian Oil Foundation (IOF), a trust formed by Indian Oil Corporation.
Quick Facts about Konark Sun Temple:
♦ Built in – 13th Century
♦ Location – 35 kms from the temple town of Puri, Odisha
♦ Declared as UNESCO world heritage site in – 1984
West Bengal Launches Rupashree scheme for marriage of poor girls
West Bengal State Government has rolled out Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream project “Rupashree” scheme aimed at providing marriage assistance to girls coming from economically weaker families.
i. This scheme was announced by West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra while presenting the state budget for 2018-19.
ii. To avail financial assistance under this scheme, a woman has to fill the application form before her marriage and submit it to the Block Development Officer (BDO) or Municipality Office.
iii. Post submission of the form, amount of Rs 25000 will be credited to her bank account before her marriage.
iv. Only those women, whose annual family income is up to Rs 1.5 lakh are eligible for this scheme.
v. Besides, women must be a permanent resident of West Bengal and must have attained 18 years age at the time of their marriages. There is no minimum educational qualification to apply for this scheme.
vi. Budgetary allocation for this scheme is Rs 1500 crore and is expected to benefit around six lakh women every year.
Quick Facts about West Bengal:
♦ Capital – Kolkata
♦ Current Governor – Keshari Nath Tripathi
♦ Current Chief Minister – Mamata Banerjee
♦ Important National Park – Sundarbans National Park
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India ranks 37th in global startup ecosystem in 2017: Report
According to a report released by StartupBlink, the Indian startup ecosystem, during 2017, ranked at number 37 out of 125 countries.
i. India’s 37th rank outlines that there is still much to be done in terms of ease of doing business, startup policies and easing tax compliance.
ii. United States (US) has topped the global ranking index of countries, followed by United Kingdom (UK) and Canada……………………………..Click here to Read More
Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2017 – Top 5:
| 1 | United States |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
| 3 | Canada |
| 4 | Israel |
| 5 | Germany |
Nepal launches its first accessible trekking trail
India’s neighbouring country, Nepal has launched its first accessible trekking trail (for the differently-abled and the elderly) in Pokhara city.
i. The trail was inaugurated as a part of International Conference on Accessible Tourism (held for the first time in Nepal) from 29th to 31st March, 2018 in Pokhara, Nepal.
ii. This accessible trekking trail is a 1.3-km patch on the 14-km long hiking path in the ridge connecting Sarangkot to Naudanda areas.
iii. This patch has proper signage and washrooms and offers a magnificent view of Mt. Annapurna, Fisthtail and Manaslu.
Quick Facts about Nepal:
♦ Capital – Kathmandu
♦ Currency – Nepalese Rupee
♦ Current Prime Minister – Khadga Prasad Oli
♦ Neighbouring Countries – India and China
China set to unveil world’s longest sea bridge
In 2018, China will unveil the world’s longest cross-sea bridge, connecting Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.
i. This cross-sea bridge will be 55km-long and six lanes wide, comprising of four tunnels and four artificial islands.
ii. It is a multi-billion dollar project, which took seven years to complete.
iii. It is reported that quantity of steel used in building this bridge is more than 60 Eiffel Towers in Paris, France and experts from 14 countries have been involved in its construction.
iv. The brigde will reduce the commute time between mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong to half. It is estimated that nearly 40000 vehicles will be passing over this bridge on daily basis, including shuttle buses running at 10-minute intervals.
Quick Facts about China:
♦ Capital – Beijing
♦ Currency – Renminbi
♦ Current President – Xi Jinping
♦ Important Rivers – Yangtze, Yellow River
BANKING & FINANCE
PFMS portal processes Rs 71, 633.45 crore transactions on a single day
On 28th March 2018, a record amount of Rs 71, 633.45 crore was digitally transacted through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) portal.
PFMS portal processes Rs 71, 633.45 crore transactions on a single day:
i. The total number of transactions through the PFMS portal was 98,19,026 on 28th March 2018. This has created a record in number of digital transactions processed in a single day.
ii. PFMS is implemented by the Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance. It acts as a platform for management of funds through tracking of funds and real time reporting of expenditure and receipts through treasury and bank interface.
iii. It is used by line ministries and departments to monitor the utilisation of funds offered to various implementing agencies and state governments.
iv. It is also used for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and other notified schemes of the government.
About Union Ministry of Finance:
♦ Cabinet Minister – Arun Jaitley
♦ Ministers of State – Shiv Pratap Shukla, Pon Radhakrishnan
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s third richest, five Indians in Bloomberg Billionaires top 100 Index
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, owning a fortune of $38 billion, is Asia’s third-richest man and has secured 19th rank in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index as of 2nd April 2018.
i. In total, 24 Indians have found a place in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index top 500 list.
ii. Jeff Bezos has secured the top position globally with a net worth of $121 billion. He is followed by Bill Gates at the second spot with a net worth of $90.4 billion. The third position is occupied by Warren Buffett with $85.5 billion net worth.
iii. Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group, is Asia’s richest person with $47.2 billion net worth. He is followed by Pony Ma, Tencent co-founder and CEO, with $41.1 billion net worth.
Indians who feature in Bloomberg Billionaires top 100 index:
- Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries – 19th spot with $38 billion net worth
- Lakshmi Mittal, chairman of ArcelorMittal – 54th spot with $18.5 billion net worth
- Pallonji Mistry – 65th position, with $16.8 billion net worth
- Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro – 71st position with $16.2 billion net worth
- Shiv Nadar, founder of HCL Technologies – 86th spot with $14.5 billion net worth
Some important museums in India:
♦ Nizam Museum – Hyderabad, Telangana
♦ Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Museum – Darbhanga, Bihar
♦ Museum of Evolution of Life – Chandigarh
Sindhu, Srikanth Bag Top Honours At ESPN Multi-Sport Awards
Indian Badminton players, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth have been named ‘Sportspersons of the Year’ at the inaugural ESPN Multi-Sport Awards.
i. ESPN Multi-Sport Awards recognised achievements across 11 categories. The winners were selected by an independent 14-member jury comprising eminent sports personalities – Somdev Devvarman, Abhinav Bindra and Bhaichung Bhutia.
ii. Kidambu Srikanth has been adjudged ‘Sportsperson of the Year – Male’ for winning four Super Series titles. He is the only Indian shuttler and the fourth player ever to accomplish this feat in one calendar year.
iii. PV Sindhu has been adjudged ‘Sportsperson of the Year – Female’ for her outstanding performance in past one year, wherein she won the Indian and Korean Open Super Series titles.
iv. PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth’s coach Pullela Gopichand has been adjudged ‘best coach’.
v. Among other winners, Indian National Women’s Hockey Team got the ‘Team of the Year’ title for their first Asia Cup victory in 13 years.
vi. ’Moment of the Year’ award, which was decided through a public poll went to Jeakson Singh for scoring a memorable goal against Columbia in the U-17 FIFA World Cup. Jeakson is the only Indian to score in a FIFA event.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
Former CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi is National Testing Agency D-G
On March 30, 2018, Central Government appointed former chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Vineet Joshi as the Director General (D-G) of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which will conduct various entrance examinations across India.
Vineet Joshi’s appointment as D-G of NTA:
i. Currently, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts Joint Engineering Entrance (JEE) Exam, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Central Teacher Eligibility Test (twice a year) UGC’s National Eligibility Test (twice a year) and the entrance test for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. These exams/tests are in addition to CBSE’s own board exams.
ii. With the creation of National Testing Agency (NTA), CBSE and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will be relieved from conducting the above stated exams/tests.
iii. Setting up of NTA was announced by Finance Ministry Arun Jaitley while presenting Union Budget 2017-18. Subsequently, on November 10, 2017, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared a proposal for creation of NTA.
iv. Structrue of NTA: An eminent educationist appointed by Union Human Resources Development Ministry will be the Chairperson of NTA. The CEO of NTA will be the Director General, and will be appointed by the government. Director General will be assisted by nine verticals headed by academicians and experts. NTA will also have a Board of Governors comprising members from user institutions.
v. Vineet Joshi is a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Manipur cadre, and has been appointed to the post of D-G, NTA for five years.
M L Srivastava appointed protem chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi
On 31st March 2018, it was announced that, M L Srivastava has been appointed as the protem chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi.
M L Srivastava – protem chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi:
i. M L Srivastava is Joint Secretary (Akademies) at the Ministry of Culture. He has been appointed the Protem Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi with immediate effect by the President based on the recommendation of the Minister of Culture.
ii. He will hold this post until a regular chairman is appointed. The previous administrator of Lalit Kala Akademi is CS Krishna Setty.
About Lalit Kala Akademi:
♦ Location – New Delhi
♦ Inaugurated – 1954
SPORTS
Kerala beat West Bengal in dramatic shootout, win Santosh Trophy for the 6th time
On 1st April 2018, Kerala defeated West Bengal and won its sixth title in the 72nd Santosh Trophy (Football) at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal.
i. Kerala beat West Bengal 4-2 in the finals of the 72nd Santosh Trophy. Kerala had last won Santosh Trophy in 2005.
ii. West Bengal had won Santosh Trophy title 32 times. Both the teams were locked 2-2 after extra time. Two saves by Kerala goalkeeper Midhun V. in the penalty shootout made Kerala beat West Bengal 4-2.
Some stadiums in West Bengal:
♦ Salt Lake Stadium – Kolkata
♦ Kolkata Eden Gardens – Kolkata
♦ Rabindra Sarobar Stadium – Kolkata
OBITUARY
Efrain Rios Montt, former Guatemala military dictator, dies aged 91
On 1st April 2018, former Guatemalan military dictator Efrain Rios Montt died due to heart attack at his residence in Guatemala.
i. Efrain Rios Montt was 91 years old. He was born on 16 June 1926 in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
ii. Efrain Rios Montt became a military general in 1972. In 1982, he seized power in Guatemala through a military attack and brought down President Angel Guevara from power.
iii. In 1983, he was taken out of power in another military attack which was led by his own defence minister.
iv. He is accused for being responsible for the murder of 1,771 people during his short rule. He was considered a person of high political influence even after his short term rule ended.
About Guatemala:
♦ President – Jimmy Morales
♦ Currency – Quetzal
♦ Capital – Guatemala City
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Autism Awareness Day – April 2
On 2nd April 2018, World Autism Awareness Day 2018 was observed all over the world.
i. Why: 2nd April was declared as World Autism Awareness Day by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight the necessity to improve the quality of life of people with autism.
ii. The first World Autism Awareness Day was observed on 2nd April 2008. On this day, various autism organizations come together and discuss on research, diagnoses, treatment of autism, etc.
iii. Theme: The theme for World Autism Awareness Day 2018 is: “Empowering Women and Girls with Autism”.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
♦ Director-General – Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
♦ Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
SIDBI Foundation Day
On 2nd April 2018, SIDBI celebrated its foundation day as day of Sampark (connect), Sanwad (interaction), Suraksha (security) and Sampreshan (disseminate).
SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) Foundation Day:
i. On the SIDBI Foundation Day, Chairman & Managing Director of SIDBI Mohammad Mustafa launched various initiatives from SIBDI headquarters at Lucknow.
ii. He launched the ‘MSME contact programme’. A MoU was signed with The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. on the occasion.
iii. He launched a revamped SIDBI website (www.sidbi.in). It was said that, a “Contactless Loan Platform” will be introduced on the website soon.
iv. He also launched Samridhhi, a virtual assistant on its universal loan portal www.udyamimitra.in. Samridhhi will reply to standard queries of users 24*7.
v. A ‘Bankability Kit’ was also launched. It has been introduced in partnership with Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank.
About SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India):
♦ Set up – 2nd April 1990
♦ Chairman & Managing Director – Mohammad Mustafa
♦ Headquarters – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
