28-29 April 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Rana Dasgupta bags 2019 Tagore Literary Prize

The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize (2nd edition) was awarded to author Rana Dasgupta for his 2010 novel ‘Solo’, a tale of estrangement and the ultimate failure of material existence.
An amount of USD 10,000, a Tagore statue and a certificate for contribution to literature was given to Dasgupta.
The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for social achievement was awarded to Yohei Sasakawa, for his incredible efforts to uproot leprosy and great contribution to world peace.
Mr. Yohei Sasakawa is the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen awarded the Social Achievement honour at India’s Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize in recognition of their efforts to advance democracy, freedom and human rights.

Note:

TagorePrize is founded and launched with a strong vision to be a platform and a vehicle for improving and inspiring World Peace, Literature, Art and Education.
The prizes promote the culture and beauty of literature just as Rabindranath Tagore had taught us to, but also, the culture and society of tolerance harmony and non – discrimination

Important Days

2. 28 April: World Day for Safety and Health at Work

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally observed on 28th April every year.
The theme for 2019 is “Safety and Health and the Future of Work”.
The day is observed mainly by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as an awareness-raising campaign to raise awareness of safety in the workplace.
It is intended to focus international attention on creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.

Source: UN.Org

3. International Dance Day is being observed today

International Dance Day is being observed globally on 29th April, created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI).
The day strives to encourage participation and education in dance through events and festivals held on the date all over the world.
The event takes place every year on 29th April on the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), the creator of modern ballet.
Every year (since its creation in 1982) an outstanding dance personality is selected to write a message for International Dance Day.

Obituaries

4. British Film Editor Terry Rawlings passes away

British film & sound editor ‘Terry Rawlings’ (85-years) passed away.
He was an Oscar nominee for his work on Best Picture winner “Chariots of Fire”.
Mr. Rawlings was the founding member of the Guild of British Film and Television Editors.
Rawlings was also elected to membership in the American Cinema Editors and received the organization's 2006 Career Achievement Award.
His credits as a sound editor date from 1962–1977, after which he was credited primarily as a film editor.

Source: express.co.uk

International Affairs

5. Sri Lankan govt bans two terror outfits NTJ, JMI following serial blasts

Srilankan President Maithripala ‘Sirisena’ has decided to ban the two fundamentalist terror networks National Thawheed Jamath (NJT) and Jamathei Milathu Ibrahim (JMI) linked with last attacks.
The organizations have been banned under emergency provisions, which were imposed on 23^rd after the attacks.
All activities of those organizations as well as their property will be seized by the government.
Earlier, NJT was named behind suicide attacks last Sunday which killed over 250 people including 42 foreigners.
Over 100 suspects linked to the organizations have been taken into custody as a countrywide crackdown on the organizations continue.

Source: AIR News

6. China removes BRI map that showed J-K, Arunachal Pradesh as part of India

A map hosted on Chinese government’s MOFCOM (Ministry of Commerce’s website) displaying routes under China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative at odds with China’s own stand on these areas.
Though India is boycotting the second Belt and Road Forum taking place in Beijing, the map also incorrectly showed India to be part of the BRI.
The map did not clearly distinguish Pakistan Occupied Kashmir which is a core part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The display of the map on a prominent Chinese government site at a time when the Second Belt and Road Forum is ongoing is at odds with China’s stance.
China destroyed nearly 30,000 world maps printed in the country for not showing Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory.

Note:

Beijing claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, and the north-eastern state is depicted as part of South Tibet Autonomous Region in China’s official maps.

Source: AIR News

7. UN and EU sign agreement to strengthen partnership in Counter-Terrorism Efforts

The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have signed a joint framework aimed at strengthening partnership in counter-terrorism efforts.
The UN-EU initiative will focus on terrorism and violent extremism prevention in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as support victims and promote the reintegration of terrorism offenders.

Note:

According to the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, the framework was enacted on the second EU-UN high-level political dialogue on Counter-Terrorism that was held in New York.

Source: DD News

National Affairs

8. Cultural Festival held in Guwahati City

South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC) of Ministry of Culture, Government of India has organized a Madhya Dakshini Festival 2019 (from 25 to 28 April 2019) in four venues of Guwahati.
The festival is being celebrated in collaboration with North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) in four venues of Guwahati.
Around 100 folk artists from Central India, states from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Andra Pradesh has performed vibrant and colourful folk dances showing the rich cultural heritage of India.

Note:

The Cultural Festival was organized at Shilpgram of NEZCC at Panjabari, Guwahati.

Source: The Sentinel Assam

9. "Orange Alert" issued in Gujarat due to heatwave conditions

The Gujarat health department has issued an 'Orange Alert' for two-days as the temperatures are likely to touch 44 degrees.
All state’s bus stands and the municipal corporation has made arrangement for water at multiple points.
Meteorological Centre (MC) Ahmedabad released warning for a heat wave in multiple regions of Gujarat for the next 48 hours.

Source: ND TV

Banking and Finance

10. RBI to issue new Rs 20 denomination banknotes

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon release new banknotes of Rs 20 denomination in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series.
The base colour of the note is greenish yellow and bear the signature of Shaktikanta Das (RBI Governor).
The new denomination Rs 20 (dimension: 63 mm x 129 mm) has the motif of the Ellora Caves on the reverse.
All the banknotes in the denomination of Rs 20 issued by the RBI in the earlier series will continue to be legal tender.

Source: Deccan Herald

11. Sebi reduces minimum net worth requirements for clearing corp in IFSC

Sebi has reduced the minimum required level for clearing corporations operating in international financial services centre (IFSC).
They should have at least Rs 100 crore net worth from three years of commencing operations.
This net worth requirement in the form of liquid assets has been brought down from the earlier Rs 300 crore.
However, the minimum net worth required to be held in liquid assets for clearing corporations on the commencement of operations remains the same as Rs 50 crore.

Source: Money Control

Sports

12. Shooter Abhishek Verma bags Gold at ISSF World Cup

India's Abhishek Verma bagged a Gold medal in the 10-metre Air Pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup at Beijing in China.
He clinched the top honours with a total score of 242.7 points.
Russia's Artem Chernousov won the Silver.
With the Gold, Abhishek has secured India's fifth 2020 Tokyo Olympic quota.
India's Divyansh Singh Panwar(17-year) secured the country's fourth Olympic quota place in shooting by winning a silver in the ISSF World Cup in Beijing.
This is India's fourth 2020 Tokyo Olympic quota after Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela (10m air rifle women) and Saurabh Choudhary (10m Air Pistol men).

Source: AIR news

13. India ends with 13 medals at Asian Boxing C'ship

India bagged one gold and two silver medals at the Asian Boxing Championships in Bangkok.
With this, India has won 13 medals, including two gold, four silver and seven bronze.
Boxer Amit Panghal picked up his second successive gold medal of the year, claiming the top honours in the 52-kilogram category.
Panghal defeated Korea's Kim Inkyu Korea.
National champion Deepak Singh and Kavinder Singh Bisht in 56-kilogram category signed off with silver medals after close losses.

Source: AIR News

14. Japan's Kento Momota retains his Badminton Asia Ch'ship

Japanese player Kento Momota (World number one) retained his Badminton Asia Championships title in Shanghai.
He defeated Shi Yuqi (China) 21-12, 11-11, 21-18.
Yamaguchi won the women's crown with an emphatic victory over home player He Bingjiao 21-19, 21-9.

Note:

The 2019 Badminton Asia Championships was the 39th edition of the Badminton Asia Championships held at Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium in China.
This tournament is hosted by the Chinese Badminton Association, with the sanctioned from the Badminton Asia.

Source: AIR News

15. Claire Polosak becomes the first female to umpire in men's ODI

Australia's Claire Polosak (31-year) has become the first female umpire to stand in a men's one-day international (ODI).
Polosak has already stood in 15 women's ODIs, the first one in November 2016 between Australia and South Africa.
She has also umpired the semi-final of the Women's T20 World Cup in 2018 between England and India and four matches at the 2017 Women's World Cup.
Polosak has already blazed a trail -- she was the first woman to stand in a men's domestic fixture in Australia in her first List A match in Australia in 2017.

Note

In December last year, she and her South Australian counterpart Eloise Sheridan became the first female umpires to officiate on-field together during a professional match in Australia when the Adelaide Strikers hosted the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL.

Source: BBC