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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Maharashtra to get new airport in Sindhudurg
Maharashtra State will get a new airport at ParuleChipi in Sindhudurg district, which is expected to be functional by September 2018.
More information about new airport in Maharashtra:
i. This airport is being constructed under the aegis of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) by IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt. Ltd. on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) basis.
ii. Estimated cost for constructing this airport is Rs. 520 crore.
iii. Sindhudurg airport will have a 2500-meter runway and in terms of passenger handling capacity, it will be able to handle 200 departing and 200 passengers arriving during peak hours.
iv. Post completion, this airport will provide better connectivity to the Konkan region of Maharashtra, parts of Goa, North Karnataka and Western Maharashtra.
Quick Facts about Maharashtra:
♦ Capital – Mumbai
♦ Current Chief Minister – Devendra Fadnavis
♦ Current Governor – Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao
♦ Important National Park – Sanjay Gandhi National Park
15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Varanasi
15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh from 21st to 23rd January, 2019.
i. 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth.
ii. It will be organised by Union Ministry of External Affairs in association with the Uttar Pradesh State Government.
iii. Theme of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be “Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India”.
iv. Arrangements are being made in such a way that visiting Indian Diaspora will get an option to first participate in the Kumbh Snan (in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh) and then travel to New Delhi to be part of the Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2019.
ISA to create ecosystems for startups in solar innovations
In March 2018, International Solar Alliance (ISA) had a setup a task force, which would be responsible for creating ecosystems for startups in solar innovations by enabling incubation, partnerships and access to finance.
i. The task force is being chaired by SoftBank Group Corp Chairman & CEO Masayoshi Son.
ii. At the meeting of this task force, convened by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on April 28, 2018, it was decided to identify six star centres of global excellence.
iii. This task force will also develop an overarching innovation strategy to promote innovation in the areas such as solar finance, technologies and applications.
Quick Facts about ISA:
♦ Launched in – November 2015
♦ Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana, India
Vijay Prahar exercise underway in Rajasthan
20000 troops of Indian Army’s South Western Command are participating in the ongoing ‘Vijay Prahar’ exercise near Suratgarh in Rajasthan.
Vijay Prahar exercise:
i. Objective of this exercise is to fine-tune jointmanship between troops of Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) and maximising the impact of the joint operations
ii. The exercise emphasises on testing fighting capabilities by launching mock offensives with fighting equipment and armed helicopters.
iii. Vijay Prahar will conclude on May 9, 2018.
iv. In context of this news, it is important to note that in April 2018, Indian Air Force conducted ‘Gagan Shakti 2018′, the biggest ever war combat game exercise along Indo-Pakistan and Indo-China borders.
9th India-Japan Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi
9th India Japan Energy Dialogue was held in New Delhi on May 1, 2018.
i. The Indian side was represented by Minister of State(Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R.K Singh and Japanese side was represented by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Mr. Hiroshige Sekosigned.
ii. In the joint statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting, both India and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation and work together in promoting well-functioning energy markets.
iii. It has been agreed that both countries will initiate the discussion towards development of Electric Vehicles (EVs) by collaborating with “Policy dialogue on next generation/Zero emission vehicles”.
iv. Both countries have acknowledged the importance of development and deployment of next generation technologies including hydrogen to realize de-carbonization.
Quick Facts about Japan:
♦ Capital – Tokyo
♦ Currency – Japanese yen
♦ Current Prime Minister – Shinzo Abe
♦ Important Rivers – Shinano, Tone, Ishikari
Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, MoS railways Ranjan Gohain flag off Antyodaya Express
On 1st May 2018, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and union minister of state for railways Ranjan Gohain flagged off Antyodaya Express.
i. Antyodaya Express began its service from Raipur, Chhattisgarh on its first day.
ii. It is a fully unreserved, well-equipped weekly train between Durg and Firozpur Cantt.
ii. The train features modern coaches, RO drinking water, mobile charging facilities, bio-toilets, LED lights etc.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
GST Revenue collection in the month of April 2018 exceeds Rs. 1 Lakh Crore
As per data released by Union Ministry of Finance, the total gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue collected in the month of April 2018 surpassed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark and stood at Rs 103458 crore.
i. Rs 103458 crore GST collection for April 2018 consists Central GST (CGST) worth Rs 18652 crore, State GST (SGST) of Rs 25704 crore, Integrated GST (IGST) of Rs 50548 crore and cess of Rs 8554 crore.
ii. Since roll out of GST in July 2017, April 2018 is the first ever month in which GST collection surpassed Rs. 1 lakh crore mark.
iii. Surge in GST collection has been attributed to implementation of E–way bill system for movement of goods worth over Rs 50000 from one state to another. Inter-state E-way bill system was rolled out from April 1, 2018 while intra-state (movement of goods within state) is being rolled out in phased manner across various states.
Quick Facts about GST:
♦ Rolled out on – July 1, 2017
♦ Type – Indirect Tax
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Asha Bhosle has been honoured with the Lifetime 26th P C Chandra Puraskaar 2018
PC Chandra Group conferred P.C.Chandra Puraskaar 2018 to singer Asha Bhosle on the occasion of celebrating their 26th year of honoring excellence, recently.
i. Actress Sharmila Tagore was the Chief Guest of the event. She presented the award to Asha Bhosle.
ii. Asha Bhosle made her singing debut in 1943. She has won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
iii. The P. C. Chandra Puraskaar honours people from various fields who have achieved great heights.
iv. The ‘P.C. Chandra Puraskaar’ award consists of Rupees Ten lacs which is tax exempted.
About ‘P.C. Chandra Puraskaar’ award:
♦ Introduced – 1993
♦ Tribute to the founding father of the P. C. Chandra Group, late Purna Chandra Chandra
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
IIS officer Sitanshu Ranjan Kar takes over as PIB DG
On May 1, 2018, Indian Information Services (IIS) officer Sitanshu Ranjan Kar took over as the Director General of Press Information Bureau (PIB).
i. Sitanshu Ranjan Kar is a 1983-batch IIS officer, who has served at key positions in various media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting viz. All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan.
ii. He joined PIB in 2003. He succeeds Frank Noronha (superannuated on April 30, 2018) as the Director General of Press Information Bureau (PIB).
iii. In 1988, Sitanshu Ranjan Kar became the first Indian to win the prestigious Visnews Fellowship of London, under which, he travelled throughout Europe and North America to experience cutting-edge technologies being used in television news production by leading broadcasters.
WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum quits Facebook
WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum has announced his exit from WhatsApp.
WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum quits Facebook:
i. It is said that WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum has decided to exit from WhatsApp due to difference of opinion with parent company Facebook because of data privacy, encryption and other issues.
ii. Jan Koum sold WhatsApp to Facebook for over $19 billion in 2014. He has also planned to step down from Facebook’s board of directors.
iii. It is said that, Neeraj Arora is expected to be made the new WhatsApp CEO.
About Facebook:
♦ CEO – Mark Zuckerberg
♦ Headquarters – California, United States
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
InSight: NASA to launch its first mission to study deep interior of Mars
On May 5, 2018, NASA will be launching ‘InSight’, the first-ever mission dedicated to exploring the deep interior of Mars.
More information about launch of ‘InSight’:
i. ’InSight’ will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.
ii. ‘InSight’ stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. It is a stationary robotic lander.
iii. InSight will be NASA’s first mission since the Apollo moon landings to place a seismometer (a device that measures quakes), on the surface of another planet.
iv. It will carry a suite of sensitive instruments to gather data. These instruments include an ultra-sensitive seismometer for detecting marsquakes, which has been built by a multinational team led by France’s Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales and a thermal probe, developed by German Aerospace Center (DLR) that can bury itself up to five metres underground and measure heat flowing from inside the planet.
v. Information collected through this mission will help to know about the earliest stages of Mars’ formation.
vi. On May 5, 2018, Atlas V rocket will also carry a separate NASA technology experiment known as Mars Cube One (MarCO), which consists of two mini-spacecraft and will be the first test of CubeSat technology in deep space.
vii. MarCo is designed to test new communications and navigation capabilities for future missions and may aid InSight communications.
Quick Facts about NASA:
♦ Founded in – 1958
♦ Headquarters – Washington D.C., US
SPORTS
ISSF World Cup Stage 2 – Overview
i. On 20th to 30th April 2018, ISSF World Cup Stage 2 was held at the Changwon International Shooting Range in Changwon, South Korea.
ii. The total medals tally was topped by China with a total of seven medals: four golds, two silvers and one bronze.
iii. Shahzar Rizvi won India’s first medal at the ISSF World Cup Stage 2. He won a silver medal in the 10m air pistol event.
iv. The Indian pair Manu Bhaker and Om Prakash Mitharwal finished fourth in the 10m mixed team air pistol event.
v. Sheeraz Sheikh shot 49 out of 50 and was the best-placed Indian shooter at 11th position with three more qualification rounds remaining in the men’s skeet event………………………………………………….. Click here to Read More
Lewis Hamilton won Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Formula 1 motorist Lewis Hamilton has won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2018 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
i. Mercedes team’s Lewis Hamilton, who was trailing behind his team mate Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, managed to gain top spot after a crash between the Red Bulls affected Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas suffered a puncture.
ii. Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari came second while Sergio Perez of Force India came third.
iii. Azerbaijan Grand Prix was held for the first time in 2017.
Hockey India names Harendra Singh as men’s coach
Hockey India has named Harendra Singh as the chief coach for the Indian men’s hockey team.
i. Earlier, Harendra Singh was appointed as the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team in September 2017. Under his guidance the women’s team won the Asia Cup title in Japan in October 2017.
ii. However, the team didn’t perform as per expectations in the recently concluded 2018 Commonwealth Games.
iii .Harendra Singh will take over the role of chief coach of the Indian men’s hockey team from Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne, who will now be the chief coach of the women’s national side
iv. This swap is seen as a knee-jerk reaction emanating on account of sub-par performance of both the teams at 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Quick Facts about Hockey India:
♦ Founded in – 2009
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ Affiliated to – International Hockey Federation (FIH)
IBFF conducts Third Edition of National Blind Football Tournament
On 27th April to 1st May 2018, the Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF) conducted the third edition of All India Invitational Blind Football Tournament in Kochi, Kerala.
Third Edition of National Blind Football Tournament:
i. Over 100 players from all over India participated in the tournament. The Round Robin League Games were played from 27th April to 29th April 2018 at the Alwaye Blind School Grounds.
ii.On 30th April 2018, semi-finals were played at the Jogo grounds. Finals of the tournament were also played there.
iii. Blind Football is a fast paced 5-a-side football played by visually impaired athletes with a ball having a noise-making device inside.
iv. It is played in a smaller pitch on an enclosed court. The game was introduced as a Paralympic event in 2004.
About Indian Blind Football Federation (IBFF):
♦ Formed – 2016
♦ Affiliated to – Paralympic Committee of India and IBSA, New Delhi
♦ Promoted by – Society for Rehabilitation of the Visually Challenged, Kochi
OBITUARY
Eminent economist and former West Bengal Finance Minister Ashok Mitra dead
On 1st May 2018, former Finance minister of West Bengal Ashok Mitra passed away after suffering from respiratory problems, at a hospital in Kolkata.
i. Ashok Mitra was 90 years old. He has written a few books. He is an eminent economist. He had written columns in newspapers on social and economic issues.
ii. He was the Finance minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 1987. He was the Chief Economic Adviser to the Central Government from 1970 to 1972.
Some wildlife sanctuaries in West Bengal:
♦ Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ Narendrapur Wildlife Sanctuary
Former AIFF President P P Lakshaman passes away
On 30th April 2018, former AIFF Secretary PP Lakshmanan died after suffering from a long term illness in Kannur, Kerala.
i. PP Lakshmanan was 83 years old. He was AIFF (All India Football Federation) Secretary from 1988 to 1996.
ii. He was the vice-president of Kerala Football Association (KFA) from 1971-88. He was KFA President from 1980-88.
iii. Also, he was Executive Committee Member of the Indian Olympic Association for five years.
Some of the national parks in Kerala:
♦ Anamudi Shola National Park
♦ Mathikettan Shola National Park
♦ Eravikulam National Park
IMPORTANT DAYS
Maharashtra Day & Gujarat Diwas
On 1st May 2018, Gujarat and Maharashtra celebrated their Statehood Day.
i. Maharashtra and Gujarat came into existence as states on 1st May 1960. Hence May 1 is marked as Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day.
ii. On 1st May 1960 Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed on linguistic grounds.
Gujarat to launch month-long water conservation project from May 1:
i. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that, the Gujarat government will start a month-long initiative named ‘Sujalam Sufalam Water Conservation Initiative’, from 1st May 2018 (Foundation Day of Gujarat) to increase its water conservation capacity.
ii. Activities like deepening ponds, desilting water reservoirs and check dams, cleaning and repairing Narmada canal networks, and executing rain water harvesting projects in urban areas will be done as a part of this initiative.
iii. Through this programme, the government has aimed to raise rain water conservation capacity in Gujarat by 11,000 lakh square feet.
iv. Rs 345 crore has been allotted for this initiative. Various government departments, voluntary organisations, industries, educational and religious institutes, and PSUs will be involved in this initiative.
v. He added that, the Gujarat Government had an aim to revive 32 rivers, over a length of 340 kilometres, as part of the initiative.
vi. Deepening of over 4,000 ponds, 1,500 check dams, 200 water reservoirs, and cleaning and repairing of 5,400 kilometres of canals covering 6,000 villages will be performed.
vii. A committee led by Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh has been formed to oversee the project.
Some museums in Gujarat:
♦ Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery
♦ Calico Museum of Textiles
♦ Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya
World Labour Day – May 1, 2018
On 1st May 2018, World Labour Day was celebrated all over the world. The theme of the International Labour Day in the year 2018 is “Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement”.
i. International Workers’ Day also known as Labour Day or Workers’ Day or May Day is celebrated every year on 1st May.
ii. This day is a celebration of labourers and the working classes. May 1 was chosen as International Workers’ Day to commemorate the tragedy that happened due to a bombing at a labour protest against the police in Chicago in 1886.
iii. International Workers’ Day on May 1 is declared a holiday in most of the countries.
Some important sea ports in India:
♦ Kandla Port- Gujarat
♦ Nhava Sheva- Maharashtra
♦ Panambur Port- Karnataka
