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17 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

17 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. The Overstory’ by Richard Powers wins Pulitzer Prize 2019 for fiction

• The winners of the 2019 Pulitzer Prizes has announced from the World Room at Columbia University’s School of Journalism by Administrator Dana Canedy.
• The Overstory (by Richard Powers) a sprawling epic about the wonderful life and alarming death of trees, has won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
• The Washington Post won two prizes, as did The New York Times.
• The Wall Street Journal won one and the Sun-Sentinel won its second Pulitzer for Public Service.
• The late American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin (known as ‘The Queen of Soul’) posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation honour for her contribution to the American music and culture,
• Drama: Fairview, by Jackie Sibblies Drury.
• History: Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, by David W. Blight (Simon & Schuster).

Note:

• The 2019 Pulitzer Prizes (in 21 categories) were awarded by the Pulitzer Prize Board for work during the 2018 calendar year.
• The award is administered by Columbia University in New York City

Source: pulitzer.org

2. Jailed Reuters journalists in Myanmar win UN press freedom prize

• The United Nations' cultural agency had awarded its annual press freedom prize to two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar.
• The 2019 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize awarded to Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo (bars since December 2017) as a tribute to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression.
• The two journalists Lone& Soe Oo had been working on stories about a military crackdown and alleged human rights violations in Rakhine state in Myanmar when they were arrested.

Source: TIME

Important Dates

3. Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated across the country today

• Today, the birth anniversary of 24th and last Jain ‘Tirthankar Bhagwan Mahavir’ is being celebrated across the country.
• It is one of the most sacred days for Jain people.
• The followers of Lord Mahavir celebrate this festival by chanting prayers, offering Prasad and participating in chariot processions.

Note:

• Lord Mahaveer was born in Ikshvaku dynasty as the son of King Siddhartha of Kundagrama and Queen Trishala.

4. 17 April: World Haemophilia Day

• The World Haemophilia Day is being observed worldwide on 17th April to increase awareness of haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders.
• The theme of WHD 2019 is ‘Reaching out - connect to your community’.
• Haemophilia is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding.

Note:

• World Haemophilia Day was started in 1989 by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) which chose to bring the community together on 17th April in honour of WFH founder Frank Schnabel’s birthday. 

Source: Haemophilia.org

5. Historic Mujibnagar day being observed today in Bangladesh

• Today, the historic Mujibnagar day is being observed in Bangladesh.
• The day marks the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh's first government in 1971 at Baidyanathtala in Meherpur.
• The day is being observed by political parties and social and cultural organisations through various programs across Bangladesh.
• On this day in 1971, senior leaders of the liberation movement of Bangladesh had assembled at Baidyanathtala to form the provisional government of independent Bangladesh.

Note:

• Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was declared the President in absentia as he was arrested and flown to Pakistan after the Pakistan military crackdown on the then ‘East Pakistan’ on the night of March 25, 1971.
• The declaration was followed by a nine-month-long struggle culminating in the independence of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971.

Source: DD news

National Affairs

6. EC cancels polling in Vellore constituency on grounds of misuse of money

• Accepting the recommendations of the Election Commission, President Ram Nath Kovind cancelled polling in Vellore (Tamil Nadu) constituency.
• With this, Vellore has become the first Lok Sabha seat in the history of independent India to have had its elections countermanded over abuse of money power.
• Vellore was scheduled to go to polls with the rest of Tamil Nadu on 18^th April.
• Now, Tamil Nadu goes to the polling for 38 out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats tomorrow.

Source: Indian Express

7. Home Expo India 2019 begins in Greater Noida

• The 8th edition of Home Expo India 2019 has begun at India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida.
• It covers sectors with maximum thrust and growth potential in home decor, furnishing, furniture, flooring and textiles.
• About 500 companies in permanent marts will be exhibiting their collection under these categories. 
• Handicrafts exports during the year 2018-19 were to the tune of 26 thousand 590 crore rupees registering a growth of 15.46% over the previous year.

Note:

• Home Expo India 2019 is a one-stop destination for all your sourcing needs for a variety of Housewares & Decorative products at one place.
• The exhibition has been organized by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts.

Source: Hindustan Times

 Banking and Finance

8. FPIs remain bullish on Indian markets, pour in Rs 11096 cr in April so far

• Foreign investors have pumped in a net sum of 11,096 crore rupees into the Indian capital markets in April so far, driven by global and domestic factors.
• Foreign portfolio investors (FPI) were net buyers for the previous two months as well, infusing a net sum of 11,182 crore rupees in February and 45,981 crore rupees in March.
• As per depositories data, FPIs invested a net amount of 13,308.78 crore rupees in equities and pulled out 2,212.08 crore rupees from the debt segment during April 1-12, taking the total net investment to 11,096.70 crore rupees.

Note:

• Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) refers to investing in the financial assets of a foreign country, such as stocks or bonds available on an exchange.
• Foreign direct investment (FDI) involves establishing a direct business interest in a foreign country, such as buying or establishing a manufacturing business, building warehouses, or buying buildings.

Source: AIR News

9. RBI puts into circulation Rs 50 banknotes signed by Governor Shaktikanta Das

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put into circulation 50 rupees denomination banknotes signed by its Governor Shaktikanta Das.
• According to RBI, the design of these notes is similar in all respects to 50 banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi new series.
• All banknotes in the denomination of 50 issued by the Reserve Bank in the past will continue to be legal tender.

Source: AIR news

Sports

10. B K Nayak appointed FIH Health and Safety committee chair

• Col (Dr.) Bibhu Kalyan Nayak has become the first Indian to be appointed Chair of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Health and Safety Committee by the world governing body.
• Mr. Nayak has extensively trained in Sports Traumatology and Sports and Exercise Physiology from National Institute of Sports Medicine at Havana, Cuba & National Sports Centre at Madrid, Spain.
• Recently, he also served as the Medical Officer for the 2018 Men’s World Cup.
• He was commissioned in the Army Medical Corps of the Indian-Army in 1995 and has worked in the Army Sports Institute, Pune in six years.

Source: The Times of India

11. Mumbai shuttler Harsheel Dani wins Dutch International title

• India’s Harsheel Dani (22-year) has won the 20th Victor Dutch International Badminton title at Wateringen, Netherlands.
• He defeated Denmark's Mads Christophersen 15-21, 21-12, 21-13 in 47 minutes clash.
• Dani won the Ghana international crown last year.

Note:

• The Dutch International is the second largest badminton event in The Netherlands with total prize money of USD 10.000.
• This tournament has been an International Series level tournament and another tournament for Grand Prix level named as Dutch Open.

12. Kento Momota wins Singapore Badminton Open singles title

• Japan's Kento Momota has won the Singapore Badminton Open men’s singles title 2019 by beating Anthony Ginting (Indonesia) 10-21, 21-19, 21-13.
• In the women's final, Tai Tzu-Ying (Taiwan) claimed her second Singapore Open title with a 21-19, 21-15 victory over Nozomi Okuhara (Japan).

Note:

• The 2019 Singapore Open badminton tournament (10^th edition) took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.
• This tournament was organized by the Singapore Badminton Association with sanction from the BWF.

16 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

16 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. India successfully test fires Sub-Sonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay

• India Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired indigenously designed and developed Long Range Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile 'Nirbhay' from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur Odisha.
• It is the sixth development flight trial with the objective to prove the repeatability of boost phase, cruise phase using waypoint navigation at very low altitudes.
• The missile took off vertically turning horizontally into the desired direction, booster separated, the wing deployed, the engine started, cruised all the intended waypoints.

Source: AIR News

2. Army planning to carry out joint exercise with Indian Coast Guard: Army chief

• According to Army chief General Bipin Rawat, Indian army is planning to carry out joint training and exercise with the Indian Coast Guard.
• General Rawat commissioned the coast guard's offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Veera, the third in the series of the new-generation OPV in Visakhapatnam yesterday.
• Veera (97-metre long and 15-metre wide) will help the coast guard monitor maritime boundaries more effectively.
• The Veera has a range of 5,000 nautical miles and can attain a sustained speed of up to 26 knots.
• It is armed with two 12.7-mm heavy machine guns (HMGs) and a 30 mm-naval gun with the fire control system.

Source: AIR News

International Affairs

3. Social Democrats party wins general elections in Finland

• Finland's leftist Social Democrats have recorded a razor-thin victory in general elections, holding off the far-right Finns Party.
• With 100 per cent of ballots counted, the Social Democrats, led by Antti Rinne, bagged 40 seats in the 200-member Parliament, while the Finns Party picked up 39 seats.
• The National Coalition Party claimed 38 seats, with the ruling Centre Party winning 31 seats. The remaining seats were won by other parties.
• His Centre party was the election's biggest loser, blaming the difficult economic decisions his administration made to rebalance the economy.

Source: AIR News

4. Giant six-engine aircraft lands its first flight in California

• The world's largest aeroplane designed by Stratolaunch with two fuselages and six Boeing 747 engines, made its first test flight in California, USA.
• The mega jet carried out its maiden voyage over the Mojave desert.
• It is designed to carry into space and drop a rocket that would ignite to deploy satellites.
• The aircraft is so big its wingspan is longer than a football field, or about 1.5 times that of an Airbus A380.

Source: AIR News

National Affairs

5. Cabinet approves the creation of one post of 'Deputy CAG' in the office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India

• The Union Cabinet has given its approval to create one post of Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (Coordination, Communication and Information System) in the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
• The Deputy CAG shall oversee the coordination among state audits, audit of telecommunication and coordinate the various information systems initiatives within the Indian Audit & Accounts Department (IA&AD).

Source: The Tribune

6. Union Cabinet approves the continuation of GSLV Phase - 4 programme

• The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the GSLV Phase - 4 programmes consisting of five GSLV flights during the period from 2021 to 2024.
• The Phase - 4 will enable the launch of two tonne class of satellites for Geo-imaging, Navigation, Data Relay Communication and Space Sciences.
• The programme will meet the launch requirement of satellites for providing critical Satellite Navigation Services, Data Relay Communication for supporting the Indian Human spaceflight programme and the next interplanetary mission to Mars.
• The operationalization of GSLV has made the country self-reliant in the launching capability of 2 tonne class of satellites for communication and meteorological satellites.

Source: Business Standard

7. EC bars SP, BSP and BJP leaders from poll campaigning

• The Election Commission has barred Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (72 hours) and BSP chief Mayawati (48 hours) from poll campaigning over violating Model Code of Conduct by making objectionable statements in speeches.
• Mr Yogi was served the notice for his remarks Ali and Bajrang Bali while addressing a rally in Meerut.
• Mayawati for her speech in Deoband appealing to people of a particular religion to vote in favour of SP, BSP and RLD alliance.
• The ban will be effective from 6 AM on Tuesday.
• Election Commission has also barred BJP leader and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi for 48 hours and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for 72 hours from poll campaigning.

Source: AIR News

8. First-Of-Its-Kind ‘Voter Park’ Inaugurated in Gurugram

• Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Rajeev Ranjan has inaugurated India’s first-of-its-kind ‘Voter Park’ in Gurugram, Haryana.
• At the park, voters will get information about the polling process and the history of elections in the country.
• The objective of establishing Voter Park was to motivate eligible people to vote in the Lok Sabha election so that they can contribute to the progress of the country.

Source: Business Standard

9. DoT approves the merger of Tata Tele Unit & Airtel With Riders

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has approved the merger of Tata Teleservices with Bharti Airtel Ltd., subject to the condition that it furnishes a Rs 7200 crore bank guarantee.
• Earlier, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha gave his conditional nod for the merger.
• The guarantees are mostly related to one-time spectrum charges (OTSC) and some deferred airwave charges, according to people aware of the development.
• The merger will be taken on record after Airtel submits a bank guarantee of about Rs 6,000 crore for one-time spectrum charges and another Rs 1,200 crore for the spectrum that would be acquired from TTSL.
• The proposed merger will include the transfer of all the customers and assets of Tata CMB to Airtel.

Note: ET Telecom

Honours & Awards

10. John Moore wins World Press Photo Awards 2019

• An image of a two-year-old little girl crying, as she and her mother have been taken into custody by US-Mexico border officials in Texas won the prestigious World Press Photo of the Year 2019.
• Veteran Getty photographer John Moore took the picture in the Rio Grande Valley in June 2018.
• Dutch-Swedish photographer Pieter Ten Hoopen won the “World Press Photo Story of the Year Award” for the image of 2018 mass-migrant caravan to the US border.
• The photos are judged for their accurate, fair, and visually compelling insights about our world.

 Note:

• The World Press Photo Foundation has recognized the best contributions to visual journalism by professional photographers through its international World Press Photo Contest.
• The winning photos of the World Press Photo Contest 2019 will be shown in exhibitions around the world starting in Amsterdam from 13 April until 7 July 2019.

Source: Forbes

11. Scientist Dr A K Singh receives lifetime achievement award 2019

• Dr A K Singh, Director at Life Sciences has been honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 for contributions in life sciences, aerospace and aeronautics at Chandigarh University, Mohali.
• The conclave was organised by the university to note World Creativity and Innovation Day.
• The DST scientist has more than 18 patents and has contributed to more than 57 research publications at an international and national level.
• He has made notable contributions in Internal Decorporation of Fission Produced Radionuclides and Infection Imaging.
• To detect the infectious lesion, he discovered a “Diagnobact” Kit. and introduced Pharmacosyntigraphy, i.e. application of nuclear medicine imaging in drug research.

Source: Indian Express

Obituaries

12. Actress Bibi Andersson passes away

• The Swedish actress Bibi Andersson (83-years) passed away at Stockholm, Sweden.
• Bibi Andersson had received several awards including the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin international film festival in 1963.
• She is best known for starring in many of Bergman classics including The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957) and Persona (1966).

Source: Indian Express

13. Renowned Hindi poet Pradeep Choubey passes away

• Renowned Hindi poet Pradeep Choubey (70-years) passed away at his home in Gwalior.
• Choubey (70) was the younger brother of the celebrated humorist, satirist and poet Shail Chaturvedi.
• He quit his job at Dena Bank to pursue his passion for poetry and travelled across the nation enthralling audiences with his punches, several of them targeted at the orthodox elements of society.
• Mr. Choubey born in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, Choubey shifted to Gwalior.

Source: Business Standard

Sports

14. ICC World Cup: Indian squad announced

• India announced their 15-man squad for the ICC World Cup to be played in England from 30th of next month.
• Virat Kohli will lead the team.
• Dinesh Karthik (33-year-old) returned to India's World Cup squad after 12 years for the second wicket-keeper's slot.
• Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar made it for his three-dimensional qualities.

India's World Cup Squad:

• Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Shikhar Dhawan, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (WK), Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya.

Source: AIR News

SSC Stenographer Result 2018 Out, Check SSC Stenographer Grade "C & D"2018 Cut-off !

SSC Stenographer Result 2018 Out, Check SSC Stenographer Grade "C & D"2018 Cut-off !

SSC has released SSC Stenographer Result 2018 along with cut off marks! Total 1,85,356 candidates appeared in this exam at various centres across 208 venues in the country and after qualifying the written exam a total of 27164 candidates qualified for the skill test pertaining to group C & D posts collectively. A total of 11211  candidates qualified for the Stenographer Group C skill test and 15953 candidates qualified for the Stenographer Group D posts. 

Our heartiest congratulations to the ones who made it to the list and for the ones who could not make it to the list, there are umpteen opportunities waiting for you in the form of various examinations such as RRB NTPC, SSC CGL and SSC CHSL. Do not lose heart instead try and push your limits to reach that level from where no one can beat you.

SSC Stenographer Result 2018 Official Notification

Total no. of Candidates qualified for Skill test in Stenography for Stenographer Grade C  - 9956
Total no. of Candidates qualified for Skill test in Stenography for Stenographer Grade D - 12893

Result List I: Candidates Qualified for SSC Steno Group D 2018

Result List II: Candidates Qualified for SSC Steno Group C 2018

SSC Stenographer Grade 'C' Cut Off 2018

	SC	ST	OBC	UR	Total	OH	VH	Others
Cut off Marks	119	105	133	138		90	88	40
Candidates qualified	1758	784	3420	3994	9956	288	100	79

SSC Stenographer Grade 'D' Cut Off 2018

	SC	ST	OBC	UR	Total	EXS	OH	VH	Others
Cut off Marks	113	97	130	134	-	40	90	56	40
Candidates qualified	2430	1139	4257	5067	12893	458	271	219	75

SSC Stenographer Results 2018-19 For Written Test

Get the direct link to check the SSC Stenographer Result for the written test below with the stepwise process. Click below and find out whether you have been shortlisted or not!

SSC Stenographer Grade C & D Results – Direct Link To Check

1. Click the direct link given above.
2. Press ‘Ctrl’ + ‘F’.
3. Type your Name/Roll No.
4. If your name gets highlighted, congratulations you have been shortlisted.
5. Alternatively, you can also go to the Official Website of SSC.
6. Click on Result in the top right section.
7. Go to Steno ‘C’ & ‘D’ and click on the lists given.
8. Follow steps 2 to 4.

SSC Stenographer Grade "C & D"2018 Cut-off

Note: SSC Stenographer Marks 2018 will be released on 19.04.2019. As SSC released the marks, we will notify you.

SSC Stenographer Result Cutoff Writeup - Check Here

According to the SSC Stenographer results declared, 11211 candidates have provisionally qualified for appearing in the Skill Test for the post of Stenographer Grade ‘C’ and 15953 candidates have provisionally qualified for appearing in the Skill Test for the post of Stenographer Grade ‘D’. Check the category wise cut off marks and number of candidates qualified for both Grade C & D.

SSC Stenographer Grade C Cut off

Category	SC	ST	OBC	UR	Total	OH	VH	Others
Cut Off Marks	119	105	133	138	–	90	88	40
No. of candidates qualified	1758	784	3420	3994	9956	288	100	79

SSC Stenographer Grade D Cut off

Category	SC	ST	OBC	UR	Total	ESM	OH	VH	Others
Cut Off Marks	113	97	130	134	–	40	90	56	40
No. of candidates qualified	2430	1139	4257	5067	12893	458	271	219	75

SSC Stenographer Result Official Notice

• SSC has also released the Marks and Date of Birth (DoB) of the last selected candidates for Services/Departments/Cadres under the Post of Stenographer Grade ‘D’.
• In the said results, a total of 617 candidates were declared qualified for Document Verification to the post of Stenographer Grade ‘C’ and 2341 candidates were declared qualified for Document Verification to the post of Stenographer Grade ‘D’.
• Finally, 33 candidates have been provisionally selected for the post of Stenographer Grade ‘C’ and 1434 candidates for the post of Stenographer Grade ‘D’.

SSC Stenographer Final Results 2017 – Download Here!

SSC Stenographer Additional Result For Skill Test 2017

• Earlier a revised result was declared by SSC, in which a total of 601 candidates qualified in Skill Test for Steno Grade C and 2267 (2211 + 56) candidates were selected in Grade D.
• In a recent notice, SSC has announced the additional results for SSC Stenographer C & D Skill Test 2017.
• In this additional result, 16 additional candidates have qualified Skill Test in SSC Steno Grade C and 74 have qualified in Grade D.

SSC Stenographer Grade C Additional Result For Skill Test

Additional Candidates qualified in Skill Test for appearing in Document Verification –

	SC	ST	OBC	UR	TOTAL	OH	VH
Cut off on % of mistakes	7%	7%	7%	5%	–	7%	7%
No. of Candidates available	5	–	5	6	16	–	–

SSC Stenographer Grade D Additional Result For Skill Test

Additional Candidates qualified in Skill Test for appearing in Document Verification –

	SC	ST	OBC	UR	TOTAL	EXS	OH	VH
Cut off on % of mistakes	10%	10%	10%	7%	–	10%	10%	10%
No. of Candidates available	15	1	17	41	74	1	–	–

Stenographer Grade ‘C’ & ‘D’ Examination 2017 – Declaration of Additional Results of Skill Test

• The skill test of only one batch i.e Batch – III of Stenographer Grade ‘D’ – Hindi conducted on 09-09-2018 in SSC (Northern Region) was inadvertently evaluated with wrong Master Passage.
• Subsequently, re-evaluation of the Skill Test with correct Master Passage was done. 56 more candidates have qualified in the Skill Test as per the criteria are given in the Result Write Up of 28^th November 2018.

Find the list of candidates provisionally qualifying the Skill Test as per category is given below –

	SC	ST	OBC	UR	TOTAL	EXS	OH	VH
Cut off on % of mistakes	10%	10%	10%	7%	–	10%	10%	10%
No. of Candidates available	9	34	5	8	56	–	–	–

• The revised total number of candidates qualifying in the Skill Test for Stenographer Grade ‘D’ is 2267.
• Note: The schedule of Document Verification for these 56 candidates will be held on 12th & 13th December 2018.

If you have not been selected in this SSC Steno Written test, don’t be disheartened. Know more about the SSC Stenographer Exam by reading some related articles:

Thanks
Team aimsuccess.in

14-15 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

14-15 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Benjamin Netanyahu re-elected as Israel’s Prime Minister

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (69-years) has won a fifth term in office.
• His closest opponent’s party the Blue and White party conceded defeat, clearing the path for Netanyahu to set up a coalition government.
• Mr. Netanyahu is now set to be the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history even longer than David Ben-Gurion (the country’s first prime minister) who’s often described as “Israel’s George Washington.”

Note:

• Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949.
• In 1963 his family moved to the US when his father Benzion, the historian and Zionist activist, was offered an academic post.
• He took part in a raid on Beirut's airport in 1968 and fought in the 1973 Middle East war.

Source: BBC

2. Jean Michel Lapin announced as Haiti’s new Prime Minister

• Haiti's President Jovenel Moise confirmed Jean-Michel Lapin as the country's new prime minister.
• Mr. Lapin (former culture and communications minister) succeeds Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant.
• Haiti is still recovering from widespread riots in February when thousands of people took to the streets across the country to demand better living conditions and the departure of the head of state.
• Transparency International places the country at number 161 out of 180 in its corruption ranking.

Note:

• Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, with 60 per cent of the population living below the poverty line.
• In 2018, Haiti racked up a record USD 290 million deficit, while its national budget, the lowest in the Caribbean region, amounts to USD 1.8 billion.

Source: Business Standard

3. Steel Minister Birendra Singh resigns

• Union Steel Minister Chaudhry Birendra Singh resigned from the Union Cabinet as well as from the membership of Rajya Sabha.
• However, he will continue to be a member of the 'Bhartiya Janata Party' (BJP).
• Birendra Singh was elected to Rajya Sabha in 2016 for a six years term which means he still has more than three years left in the upper house of the Parliament

Source: Business Line

Important Dates

4. 14 April: Ambedkar Jayanti

• Ambedkar Jayanti is an annual festival observed on 14th April to commemorate the memory of B. R. Ambedkar, the ‘Father of The Indian Constitution’.
• It marks Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's birthday who was born on 14th April 1891.
• Ambedkar Jayanti honours the Dalit icon who dedicated his life working for the upliftment of untouchables, women and labourers.
• Dr BR Ambedkar not just gave India its Constitution, but also played a key role in the formation of Reserve Bank of India - the country's central banking institution.

5. West Bengal celebrates Bengali New Year's day today

• Today, West Bengal is celebrating Bengali New Year's day (also known as Poila Baisakh).
• Several cultural programmes are also being held in different parts of the state depicting the culture of Bengal.
• The Bengali business community opens new books of accounts known as Halkhata on this day.
• Traders open new books of Accounts which is known as Haal - Khata.

Source: AIR News

6. People in Assam celebrate Rongali Bihu festival with great enthusiasm

• In Assam, people are celebrating the Rongali Bihu with joy and enthusiasm.
• Today is the first day of the Assamese Calendar and is celebrated as Manuh Bihu (People’s Bihu).
• Hussori troops are visiting houses especially in the rural areas and presenting Bihu songs and dances.

Source: AIR News

National Affairs

7. NGT forms the Central Monitoring Committee to prepare a national plan for polluted rivers

• A bench headed by NGT (National Green Tribunal) Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel has formed a Central Monitoring Committee to enforce a national plan to reduce the river pollution.
• The Central Monitoring Committee will also coordinate with the River Rejuvenation Committees of the states and oversee the execution of the action plans.
• The first meeting of the Central Monitoring Committee may be held by 30^th June.
• It will make over 351 river stretches across the country pollution free as it has caused a serious threat to the safety of water and environment.

Source: Economic Times

8. Sunil Lanba inaugurates virtual reality centre to boost indigenous warship design

• The Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral ‘Sunil Lanba’ has inaugurated the maiden ‘state-of-the-art’ Virtual Reality Centre (VRC) at the Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi.
• This centre would provide a major boost to the Indigenous warship design capabilities of the Indian Navy.
• It will provide impetus to self-reliance and greater fillip to warship construction under “Make in India” initiative of the Indian government.
• This project will facilitate collaborative design reviews for continuous interaction between the designers and the end users to improve design and ergonomics onboard warships.

9. Mamata Banerjee's welfare schemes win UN award

• Bengal has won the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) awards.
• According to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, “Utkarsh Bangla” and “Sabooj Sathi” projects have won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) awards under the aegis of the United Nations.
• The “Utkarsh Bangla” project aims at creating a pool of skilled candidates who are industry ready.
• Under the “Sabooj Sathi” scheme, bicycles are distributed to students between class IX and XII studying in government-run and government-aided schools and madrashas of the state.
• The Bengal government has distributed nearly 1 crore bicycles since the inception of this project.

Source: The Times of India

International Affairs

10. UAE to host world’s foremost Artificial Intelligence Summit

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to host the world’s foremost Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit to empower global dialogue on the future of government, business and society.
• The inaugural 'AI Everything' (AIE) will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (30th April to 1st of May 2019).
• Emirates News Agency reported that the two-day event will bring together world leaders to define the underlying pillars of governance, business and society - augmenting the world’s happiness.
• It will be hosted by the UAE National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, with the support of International Telecommunication Union, ITU, and the World Intellectual Property Organisation, WIPO, and in strategic partnership with Smart Dubai.

Note:

• AIE will unravel real-world use cases across industries, and forge collaborations and partnerships, hosting over 130 influential speakers.

Source: AIR News

Sports

11. Tiger Woods wins 2019 Masters at Augusta

• American professional Golfer Tiger Woods (43-years) clinched his fifth Masters to land his 15th major title (first since 2008).
• There were raucous celebrations around the 18th green as Woods finished with a two-under-par 70 to win on 13 under, one clear of fellow Americans Dustin Johnson,
• Overnight leader Francesco Molinari's hopes sunk with two double bogeys on the back nine and he had to settle for a share of fifth on 11 under.
• Today's thrilling victory puts the former world No.1 just three majors behind the record of Jack Nicklaus.

Source: BBC

12. Meena Kumari Maisnam clinches gold in Boxing World Cup

• India finished with 5 medals in the Boxing World Cup, concluded at Cologne, Germany.
• Meena Kumari Maisnam continued her fine run to win gold in the 54 kg.
• Reigning youth world champion Sakshi (57 kg) and India Open champion Pwilao Basumatary (64 kg) settled for the silver.
• Pinki Rani (51 kg) and Parveen (60 kg) won bronze.
• India had sent a seven-member team to the tournament this time following a healthy haul of six medals from the erstwhile Chemistry Cup held at Halle city in central Germany last year.

Source: AIR News

13. Paris Marathon: Ethiopian runners Gelete Burka and Abrha Milaw win 2019 race

• Ethiopian athletes Gelete Burka (women’s race) and Abrha Millaw (men’s race) won the 43rd edition of the Paris Marathon.
• They led a record 60,000 participants to the finish line through the French capital.
• Millaw won the men’s race with a time of 2 hours: 07 minutes and: 04 seconds.
• Burka was the fastest woman with 2 hours: 22 minutes and: 48 seconds.
• Kenyan Paul Lonyangata, a two-time Paris Marathon winner, was the third-fastest man.
• In the wheelchair race, Julien Casoli won for the third time.
• The Paris marathon is one of the world's most popular running events.

Note:

• Along with the Berlin Marathon and the London Marathon, it is one of the most popular long-distance annual running events in Europe.

Source: AIR News

14. Lewis Hamilton wins record-extending 6th Chinese GP

• In motor racing, British racing driver Lewis Hamilton (34-years) won the Chinese Grand Prix for a record sixth time.
• The comfortable win was the 75th of Hamilton’s career, and second in a row after his lucky triumph in Bahrain two weeks ago.
• Valtteri Bottas was second for his team’s third one-two finish in as many races this season.
• Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel took third place.

Note:

• The 2019 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that took place at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China.
• The race also marked the 1000th Formula One World Championship race since the first World Championship race was held at the Silverstone Circuit in 1950.

Positions	Driver /Countries	Teams' Name
First	Lewis Hamilton (United Kingdom)	Mercedes
Second	Valtteri Bottas (Finland)	Mercedes
Third	Sebastian Vettel (Germany)	Ferrari

13 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

13 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Russia awards PM Narendra Modi with highest state honour

• Russia awarded its highest state honour 'Order of St Andrew the Apostle' to PM Narendra Modi for promoting the bilateral special and privileged strategic partnership.
• The award was extended on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin with whom Modi shares strong chemistry.
• This is the seventh international award that PM Modi has been honoured with.
• On April 4 2019, Prime Minister was conferred with United Arab Emirates’s highest civilian decoration, the Order of Zayed, which is awarded to people who contribute to international leadership in strengthening relations with the country.

Note:

• Among the foreign awardees is the President of China Xi Jinping, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Geydar Aliev.
• The ceremony for the award is usually held at the St Andrew Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.
• The most recent person who was decorated is Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. She was awarded the order on March 28, 2019

About Award

• The Order of St Andrew the Apostle is awarded to prominent statesmen and public figures and representatives of science, culture, the arts and various industries for their exceptional services in promoting the prosperity, greatness and glory of Russia.
• The order can also be awarded to foreign heads of state for outstanding services to Russia.
• The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia.
• It was bestowed in a single class and was only awarded for the most outstanding civilian or military merit.

Source: The Economic Times

2. Telugu poet K Siva Reddy selected for prestigious Saraswati Samman 2018

• Telugu poet K Siva Reddy has been selected for the prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2018 for his collection of poetry titled Pakkaki Ottigilite.
• The award, instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991, is given annually for an outstanding literary work written in any Indian language and published during the last 10 years.
• It is the highest recognition in the field of Indian literature and carries a cash purse of Rs 15 lakh, apart from a citation and a plaque.

About K Siva Reddy

• He was born in 1943 in a farmer’s family in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur.
• He is known as the most renowned modern poets in Telugu.
• He has also taught English literature and produced 23 volumes of poetry.

Note:

• Past recipients of the Saraswati Samman include poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and writers Vijay Tendulkar, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi and Dr Indira Parthasarathy Ramanujar, among many others.

Source: The Hindustan Times

3. Indian Oil bags AIMA Managing India Award for outstanding PSU

• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has bagged the prestigious 'AIMA Managing India Award 2019 for outstanding PSU of the year.'
• The award was presented by former President Pranab Mukherjee to Sanjiv Singh, Chairman, Indian Oil, at a glittering ceremony held here on Monday.
• The AIMA awards, declared under 11 categories, were headed by Sanjiv Goenka, chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, and shortlisted 11 eminent enterprises and personalities of the country for their contribution to nation-building.

Source: Business standard

4. Digital Sukoon founder, Sudhanshu Kumar receives Best Digital Agency award

• Digital Sukoon founder, Sudhanshu Kumar was honoured with the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nobel Award by International Human Rights Council at Hotel Sea Princess Juhu Mumbai.
• Digital Sukoon is a Mumbai based Digital solutions agency, which provides a comprehensive 360-degree solution to their clients for the promotional needs by creating innovative campaigns and optimum usage of technology tools.
• This agency was successful in creating interest around the films with the help of appropriate modern technology – like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Algorithm, Analytics and at the same time, it also helps to make the films to get the top spot in IMDb’s list of most anticipated films and show.

Source: Business standard

Banking & Economy

5. HDFC Bank ranked No. 1 in India by Forbes

• HDFC Bank has been identified as number 1 bank by customers in India, as per Forbes World’s Best Bank survey.
• In the first edition of this survey, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to measure the best banks in 23 countries.
• HDFC Bank emerged as India’s No 1 bank. ICICI Bank was at number 2 and SBI was surprisingly ranked 11th in the list.
• At third rank was DBS, followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank and IDFC Bank taking the fourth and fifth spot.
• Customers were asked to rate banks on overall recommendation and satisfaction, as well as 5 key attributes or ‘sub-dimensions’ namely trusts, terms & conditions, customer services, digital services and financial advice.

Source: Zee Business

6. Google Pay launches gold buying, partners MMTC-PAMP India

• Google has partnered with bullion refiner MMTC-PAMP India to allow Google Pay users to buy and sell gold through the app.
• Through this partnership with India's only LBMA accredited gold refinery, Google Pay users will be able to buy 99.99 per cent 24-karat gold, Google said in a statement.
• Google Pay users can purchase gold for any value and that will be stored on behalf of the user, by MMTC-PAMP, in secure vaults.
• The users can buy and sell this gold any time at the latest price, refreshed every few minutes, as displayed on Google Pay app.

Source: The Economic Times

7. Reinsurance brokers permitted to open foreign currency accounts: RBI

• The Reserve Bank of India said reinsurance brokers have been permitted to open non-interest bearing foreign currency accounts with banks for undertaking transactions.
• Earlier, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) had issued a notification in this regard.
• Foreign currency account refers to a bank account held or maintained in currency other than the currency of India or Nepal or Bhutan.

Source: The Economic Times

8. CMFRI signs agreement with ISRO to save coastal wetlands

• The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have joined hands to map, validate and protect smaller wetlands in coastal regions.
• The programme is aimed at restoring them through coastal livelihood programmes.
• According to the MoU, the two institutes aim at identifying and demarcating wetlands and restore them through suitable livelihood options such as coastal aquaculture.
• The app will be used for real-time monitoring of the wetlands and giving advisories to stakeholders and coastal people.
• The project aims to find ways and means to mitigate the impact of climate change in marine fisheries and coastal region.

Source: The Hindu Businessline

9. Hong Kong's stock market overtakes Japan to be the world's third largest

• Hong Kong’s equity market has overtaken Japan to be the world’s third largest in value, behind only the U.S. and mainland China.
• Hong Kong’s market cap was $5.78 trillion, compared with $5.76 trillion for Japan, according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on where primary securities are listed.
• The Asian city’s Hang Seng Index climbed 17% in 2019 though, when it closed at its highest since June 15.

Source: Business standard

10. TCS, Google partner to build industry-specific cloud solutions

• Tata Consultancy Services has partnered with Google Cloud to build industry-specific cloud solutions.
• TCS’ solutions on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) will help enterprises build secure, cloud-native analytics platforms that enable high levels of personalization, and are cost-effective, easy to maintain, and future ready.
• In addition, TCS is a primary partner of Google Anthos, a modern platform that simplifies building, running and managing services both on-premises and in the cloud.

Source: The Hindu Businessline

Arts & Culture

11. Rama Navami is celebrated with religious fervour

• Ram Navami is being celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm in different parts of the country today.
• The festival marks the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
• President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted people on the occasion.
• In a message, Mr Kovind said, the life of Lord Ram inspires the people to follow his footsteps and strive for nobility in thought, words and deeds.
• He said people should imbibe these values in the service of a prosperous nation and a harmonious world.
• In a tweet, Mr Modi said, extended his warm greetings to all citizens on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami.

Source: News on Air

12. Baisakhi harvest festival being celebrated today

• The festival of harvest Baisakhi is being celebrated with traditional enthusiasm in the northern part of the country today. Baisakhi is celebrated with much fanfare in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
• People are taking a dip at the holy sarovars, canals and rivers before joining the Mela celebrations. Traditional folk dances are performed on this day.
• Baisakhi also commemorates the formation of Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

Source: News on Air

Appointment

13. Jamia Millia Islamia gets its first woman vice-chancellor

• Professor Najma Akhtar has been appointed as the vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, making her the first woman to hold the charge. She has been appointed for a period of five years.
• She is also the first lady vice-chancellor of any central university in Delhi.
• She has four decades of academic scholarship in educational leadership.
• She is a gold medalist from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and completed her PhD (Education) from Kurukshetra University.
• She held posts of faculty and Controller of Examinations and Admissions and Director, Academic Programmes at AMU.
• She was the founder director of the State Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT), Uttar Pradesh, which was established for developing educational administrators for the country.
• She has earned international accolades, including Commonwealth scholarship and the prestigious National Science Talent scholarship.
• She studied in international institutes such as the University of Warwick and Nottingham UK and IIEP Paris (UNESCO).

Source: India Today

14. Gargi Kaul appointed Secretary, Defence Finance

• The government has appointed Senior bureaucrat Gargi Kaul as Secretary, Defence Finance, as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle.
• She is a 1984-batch officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, is at present Financial Advisor (Defence Services), Ministry of Defence.

Source: Business standard

Science & Technology

15. First-ever blackhole to be photographed named 'Powehi'

• The first-ever blackhole to be pictured has been named `Powehi` by a Hawaiian professor Larry Kimura, who was tasked with the job by astronomers involved in the project.
• The name Powehi, meaning the embellished dark source of unending creation, was deliberated upon by astronomers and renowned Hawaiian language professor, Larry Kimura.
• "Powehi", the name bestowed upon the first black hole pictured ever, is sourced from the Hawaiian word "Kumulipo", a primordial chant describing the creation of the universe.
• Po, the profound dark source of unending creation, is a concept emphasised and repeated in the Kumulipo, while wehi, or wehiwehi, is one of many descriptions of po in the chant.
• Two of the world's most powerful telescopes located on a Hawaii Island played a vital role in producing the world's very first image of a black hole that now bears the Hawaiian name.
• Powehi, the black hole photographed for the first time ever, lies at the centre of Messier 87, the largest galaxy we know of, about 54 million light-years away.

Source: NDTV

National Affairs

16. Kanpur ranked 1st as the most polluted city

• According to the Air Quality in India 2014-2019' report, Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh is the most polluted city in the world and is ranked one on the list.
• Faridabad in Haryana has been ranked second and Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency, is ranked third on the WHO's list of 15 most polluted cities.
• WHO’s report states that Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a rise in the number of people suffering from allergies and respiratory problems due to the huge amount of construction in the city.
• Delhi is ranked sixth on the list.
• Fourteen of the 15 cities, including four in Uttar Pradesh, on the World Health Organisation (WHO) list of most polluted cities in the world, are in India, it said.
• Gaya and Patna in Bihar are fourth and fifth on the list, while Delhi is sixth and Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow is seventh.
• Cities of Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurugram, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur are also on the WHO list of most polluted cities.

Source: The Economic Times