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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Geo-tagging of MGNREGA assets reach the one crore landmark
Under rural employment program (MGNREGA) Ministry of Rural Development achieved a milestone by successfully geotagging 1 crore assets. It started in 2006-07 and each year a huge number of rural assets are created under MGNREGA. All the assets created under the program will be geotagged.
i. Geotagging exercise started from September 1, 2016 after completing the training programme in the last week of August, 2016.
ii. The exercise will ultimately lead to more transparency and ultimately ensure accountability at ground level.
President of Nepal, Bidya Devi Bhandari’s visit to India
Bidya Devi Bhandari, the first female President of Nepal, was on an official visit to India from 17th to 21st April, 2017.
i. During Ms. Bhandari’s visit, both sides assessed the implementation of ongoing cross-
border connectivity projects including development of Terai roads, cross-border railway lines, integrated border check posts, and cross-border pipeline for carrying petroleum products which is first of its kind in South Asia.
ii. Both sides also reviewed bilateral energy cooperation, including development of 5,723 crore Arun 3 power project in Nepal and Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar high capacity transmission line.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
First India, Indonesia Energy Forum’ held in Jakarta
First India Indonesia Energy Forum was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 20, 2017. Mr. Piyush Goyal – Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines and Mr. Ignasius Jonan – Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia took part in this forum.
i. The reports of 2nd Joint Working Group (JWG) on Oil and Gas, 4th Joint Working Group on Coal and 1st Joint Working Group on New and Renewable Energy (held through video-conferencing), which preceded the energy forum, were presented to two Ministers during the Energy Forum.
ii. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on cooperation in the field of Oil and Gas was signed at the energy forum.
Pakistan’s Gwadar port leased to Chinese company for 40 years
The China Overseas Port Holding Company would carry out all the development work on the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea.
Important Highlight:
i. Chinese company will handle the operations of Pakistan’s Gwadar port for a period of 40 years.
ii. Gwadar forms the southern Pakistan hub of a USD 57 billion China-Pakistan Economic 
Corridor (CPEC) of infrastructure and energy projects.
iii. It aims to develop seafood processing plants in a nearby free trade zone spread over 2,281 acres.
iv. The route of Gwadar to China is the shortest path to the oil-rich Middle East, Africa, and most of the Western hemisphere.
v. Pakistan welcomed the first large shipment of Chinese goods at Gwadar.
vi. It plans to eventually handle 300 million to 400 million tonnes of cargo a year.
EU, India agree to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation
Federica Mogherini a European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is agreed to strengthen cooperation for counter-terrorism with India.
Key Points:
i. EU is one of the India’s largest trading partners with bilateral trade in goods that reach to 85 billion dollars in 2016.
ii. India seeks to enhanced investments from EU companies in its Clean India, NamamiGange, Skill India, and Start-Up India, Smart Cities, renewable energy and next-generation infrastructure flagship programmes.
iii. It is also the largest destination for Indian exports and a key source of investment and cutting edge technologies.
About European Union
♦ European Union is a unique economic and political union between 28 European countries.
♦ The European Union was created after the consequences of the Second World War.
♦ President of European Union is Donald Tusk
♦ HQ of European Union Brussels Belgium
BUSINESS
RIL pips TCS to become most-valued Indian company
Reliance Industries CEO Mukesh Ambani has regained its status as India’s most valued firm by market capitalization. Reliance Industries has overtaken Tata Group’s crown 
jewel TCS.
Key Points:
i. Shares of RIL were trading 3.43 per cent higher at Rs 1,416.40 on BSE.
ii. The company has a market capitalisation (m-cap) of Rs 4, 60,291.20 crore.
iii. The scrip of TCS was quoting 0.33 per cent lower at Rs 2,320.65.
iv. It was Rs 3,151.92 crore more than TCS’s Rs 4, 57,139.28 crore valuation at the time.
v. Reliance Industries has become India’s top-valued firm.
vi. Shares of RIL have surged nearly 27 per cent while those of TCS have fallen by over 1 per cent.
About RIL
Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian conglomerate holding company
♦ HQ- Mumbai
CII signs MoUs with 3 Singapore Universities
A MoU has signed between CII and 3 Singapore Universities at the ASEAN-India Business Forum held in Singapore.IE Singapore is ready to support companies as they develop and execute their market engagement strategies.
Key Points:
i. The memorandum of understandings (MoUs) will allow the universities and International Enterprise (IE) Singaporeto tap into CII#39 network of over 8,000 members to create overseas attachment opportunities for enrolled students.
ii. Companies should closely examine their strategies for Southeast Asia and India, and transparent to adopting new business entry models.
iii. IE Singapore is a statutory body under the Ministry of Trade and Industry and it will be supporting these attachments under its Young Talent Programme.
iv. The MoUs will help the universities undergraduates to access internship opportunities with CII’s member companies across India.
About Singapore
♦ Capital: Singapore is both country and capital
♦ Currency: Singapore dollar
♦ Official Language: English
♦ PM: Lee Hsien Loong
NALCO: Govt sells 9.2% stake in NALCO, raises Rs 1200 Crore
The government has raised over Rs 1,200 crore through the sale of 9.2 per cent stake in Nalco National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) is the first disinvestment of the current fiscal that has started on April 1
Key Points:
i. The government has set a target of Rs 46,500 crore through minority stake sale and Rs 15,000 crore from strategic disinvestment in 2017-18.
ii. The government had risen over Rs 46,247 crore from disinvestment.
iii. The green shoe option was used by the government for the first time.
iv. The offer for sale received bids for over 1.84 times the shares on offer with the subscription of institutional investors being valued at Rs 954 crore.
v. Retail investors bid for 3.17 times the shares reserved for them valued at Rs 250 crore.Together, the bids are valued at over Rs 1,200 crore.
About Nalco
It was incorporated as a public sector enterprise of the Ministry of Mines Government of India in 1981.
♦ HQ- Bhubaneswar Odisha
♦ Chairman- Tapankumar Chand
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Dr Bhakti Yadav, first woman doctor from Indore receives Padma Shri Award
91 year old gynaecologist Dr Bhakti Yadav, the first woman doctor from Indore has received the Padma Shri Award at her home.
i. The award was handed over to her by district collector P Narahari in presence of Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Jayant Malaiyya and Mayor Malini Gaud.
ii. Dr. Yadav could not attend the award ceremony in New Delhi on April 13, 2017 due to health issues.
Aditi Ashok, SSP Chawrasia win Golf Industry Awards
Golf Industry Association awards 2017 has been won by Golfers Aditi Ashok, S.S.P Chawrasia and Ali Sher on 20th April 2017.
Important Highlights:
i. Aditi Ashok has given the award for Outstanding Achievement.She has finished second in the Ladies European Tour (LET) order of merit in 2016
ii. SSP Chawrasia has given the award for the Men’s Player of the Year (2016).He won his first overseas title at the Resorts World Manila Masters.He had two victories on Golf Tour.
iii. Golfer Ali Sher was awarded for his outstanding playing career.He won an Arjuna Award in 1991.He also won the Indian Open again in 1993.
TripAdvisor presents Bali with 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards
Indonesia Island Bali has been presented with 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards by American travel website company TripAdvisor.
i. The award ceremony was held at the Seminyak Beach Resort and Spa on April, 20, 2017.
ii. The 2017 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period, as well as traveler booking interest on TripAdvisor.
iii. China, Netherlands and India are the top three countries from where users did most research on Bali.
Moushumi Chatterjee gets BFJA lifetime achievement award
Bengal film Journalists Association Awards (BFJA) has been given to Veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee. It is a lifetime achievement award.
Key Points:
i. Actor Ashish Vidyarthi was honoured for his contribution to Indian Cinema at the 80th Bengal Film Journalists’ Association (BFJA) awards.
ii. Rituparna Sengupta was given the best actress crown for her role in Rajkahini.
iii. Bengali film superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee was given the best actor award for his role in Sankhachil
iv. A galaxy of seasoned directors – Kaushik Ganguly (“Cinemawala” – 2016), Shiboprasad Mukherjee-Nandita Roy (“Belaseshe” – 2015), Aniruddha Roychowdhury (“BunoHaans” 2014), Srijit Mukherjee (“Rajkahini” – 2015) and Goutam Ghosh (“Sankhachil” – 2015) – were honoured with best direction trophies for their works at a function.
v. The BFJA is the oldest association of film scribes in the country.It was founded in 1937.
AIR Aizawl honored with prestigious Lelte Award
All India Radio (AIR) Aizawl has been honoured with the prestigious “Lelte Award”. Lelte is a popular Weekly Magazine in Mizoram which hit the stand since 1983.
i. “Lelte Awards” were instituted to recognize talents and skills of the young and budding Mizo artists.
ii. As per the citation, “The award is being given in recognition of the role being played by All India Radio, Aizawl for the overall progress & development of the state; for promotion of Mizo language & literature; for its enormous contribution in promotion of Mizo music and artists; for its contribution in the field of healthcare & education; for its role in promotion of brotherhood.”
iii. The programs of AIR Aizawl are followed by the Mizo people across Myanmar, Bangladesh and North Eastern states of India.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Harayana launches mobile app Kilkari to create awareness among pregnant women
The National Health Mission (NHM) in Haryana has launched a mobile-based application.The application Kilkari was launched during the concluding day of the ‘State-level Orientation Workshop’. It had begun at the State Institute of Health and Family Welfare.
Key points:
i. It has been developed to create awareness among pregnant women, parents and health workers.
ii. To deliver the importance of ante and post natal care, institutional delivery and immunization.
iii. From the second trimester of pregnancy till the child is one-year-old, the application will deliver 72 time appropriate audio messages to registered mobile numbers on pregnancy, child and childbirth care every week.
iv. New data elements in the Health Management Information System (HMIS) were also launched at the workshop.
v. Deputy Civil Surgeon (NHM), District Programme Manager (DPM) and District Monitoring and Evaluation officer (M&EO) from 21 districts participated in the workshop.
vi. It helps in analyzing and bridging gaps in the service delivery and helpsto strengthen it.
vii. More health Programmes would be covered for monitoring and evaluation purpose with these additions
*NHM director : Amneet P Kumar
Navy successfully tests land-attack BrahMos supersonic missile
The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has successfully test fired. It is a land-attack version with an extended range increased from 290 km to 450 km.
Key Points:
i. The missile was test fired from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at
ii. It is two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant.
iii. It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram, both conventional and nuclear.
iv. It has top supersonic speed of Mach 2.It is a joint venture of India and Russia.
v. BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has been designed and developed by BrahMos Aerospace.
vi. After India’s induction into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in June 2016, missile’s range has been increased beyond 300km.
vii. Another version of the missile with a strike range of 800 km is under development.
viii. It has already been inducted into the Indian Army and Navy.
ix. The Air Force version is in the final stage of trials.The Indian Army is already equipped with three regiments of Block III version of Brahmos missiles.
SPORTS
Cricket and Sambo removed from 2018 Asian Games
Cricket, Skateboarding, Sambo and Surfing are among the sports which have been removed from the 2018 Asian Games to be held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia. The decision has been taken to reduce the organisational burden on Indonesian authorities.
i. Besides, kurash and belt wrestling have been altogether omitted. Competitions in ju jitsu, jet ski, sport climbing, paragliding, bridge and wushu have been reduced.
ii. Total number of events has been reduced from 493 to 431.
iii. Husain Al-Musallam – Director General of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) expects that this move will make Asian Games 2018 more cost-effective and will focus on sports that are popular in Indonesia.
iv.However, all 28 permanent Summer Olympic sports have been retained
OBITUARY
Mason dead in Jamaica motorbike crash
Germaine Mason has died at the age of 34. He is a British Olympic silver medallist.
Key Points:
i. Mason finished second in the high jump at the 2008 games in Beijing.
ii. He was killed in a motorcycle crash on the Norman Manley highway in Jamaica.He is a British high-jumper.
iii. He fell off from his bike on the Norman Manley highway in East Kingston and died.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Earth Day – April 22 2017
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and it is celebrated every year on April 22. It is celebrated in more than 193 countries by over a billion people every year.
♦ Theme of Earth day is 2017 is Campaign is Environmental & Climate Literacy.
Key Points:
i. It is celebrated to build support for environmental protection around the world.
ii. It aims to encourage people to carry out activities that will benefit the Earth, such as recycling more, using solar power or plant trees.
iii. It also aims to raise awareness that humans have a collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature and to balance the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations
iv. On Earth Day 2016, historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change was signed.
v. The concept of observing Earth Day was formally proposed by John McConnell at a UNESCO conference on Environment in 1969.
vi. Later in 1971, a proclamation was signed to observe international Earth Day annually on the Vernal Equinox by UN Secretary-General U Thant.
vii. The agreement is legally binding on signatory countries to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius.
viii. Earth Day celebrations are a way to remind humans of environmental deterioration caused by them and advise them to turn off the electronic devices that are not in use or taking public transport to reduce the emission levels
