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Current Affairs – April 30, 2018

S.No Topic Page Number

1 Important Days 2

2 World News 3 - 5

3 National News 6 - 7

4 State News 8

5 Banking & Economy 9

6 Sports News 10

7 Appointments & Resignation 11 - 12

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Important Days

International Jazz Day –April 30, 2018

On 30th April 2018, International Jazz Day was celebrated all over the world.

In 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

declared April 30 as International Jazz Day.

International Jazz Day is celebrated to highlight jazz and its role in uniting people

throughout the world.

International Jazz Day is chaired and led by the UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay

and jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock. Herbie Hancock is UNESCO Ambassador

for Intercultural Dialogue and Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

Saint Petersburg, Russia is the Global Host City for International Jazz Day 2018.

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World News

India, Pakistan to participate in SCO counter-terror exercise

For the first time, India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise,

schedule to be held in Russia in September 2018.

This multi nation exercise will be conducted under the framework of Shanghai

Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The exercise has been named ‘Peace Mission 2018’ and almost all SCO member countries

including China will be a part of this exercise.

Objective of conducting ‘Peace Mission 2018’ is to enhance counter-terror cooperation

among the eight SCO member countries.

India’s participation in this military drill was confirmed by Union Defence Minister Nirmala

Sitharaman during the recent SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Beijing, China.

International Buddhist Conference held in Lumbini, Nepal

International Buddhist Conference 2018 was held in Lumbini, Nepal on 28th and 29th

April, 2018.

The conference was organised as part of 2562nd Buddha Jayanti celebrations.

Objective of the conference was to disseminate teachings of Gautam Buddha and spread

the messages of brotherhood, nonviolence, co-existence, love and peace to the

international community.

Theme of International Buddhist Conference 2018 was ‘Lumbini Nepal: The birthplace of

Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace’.

Representatives from 24 nations, including reputed archaeologists, historians, Buddhist

gurus and scholars participated in the International Buddhist Conference 2018.

USTR again places India in Priority Watch List

Office of United States Trade Representative (USTR) released 2018 edition of ‘Special 301

Report’. In this report, India has once again been placed in the ‘Priority Watch List’ on

account of longstanding challenges in its Intellectual Property (IP) framework and lack of

sufficient measurable progress.

Office of the United States Trade Representative(USTR) annually prepares Special 301

Report that identifies countries which do not provide “adequate and effective” protection

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of intellectual property rights and “fair and equitable market access” to US entities relying

on IPR protection.

Those countries where current IPR regulation has serious deficiencies and requires active

monitoring are placed in Priority Watchlist under Special Report 301 by the USTR.

As per the USTR report, India has yet to take steps to address longstanding patent issues

that affect innovative industries. Besides, potential threat of compulsory licensing and

patent revocations, as well as overly broad criteria for issuing such licenses and

revocations under the India Patents Act and narrow patentability standards have been

identified as problem areas.

Besides India, other countries that have been placed in this year’s ‘Priority Watch List’

are: Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Russia,

Ukraine, and Venezuela.

India projected to be 2nd fastest growing nation for passenger traffic: ACI

India has been projected as the second fastest growing country in the world for passenger

traffic based on traffic forecasts during 2017-40 by the Airports Council International

(ACI).

Vietnam has topped the list with a 8.5 per cent growth rate. It is followed by India at 7.5

per cent and Iran at 7.3 per cent.

China occupies 8th position with 5.9 per cent growth rate. ACI has forecasted that by

2022, passenger traffic in emerging economies like India will beat advanced economies.

By 2040, international passenger traffic will reach parity with domestic traffic, which

means more people will travel offshore with increased economic activities.

In 2022, passenger traffic in developing economies will reach 5.4 billion, which will be

little higher than advanced economies at 5.3 billion.

The Asia-Pacific region will have a healthy growth rate. During 2017-40, it will have a

passenger traffic growth rate of 38.8 per cent. This will be the fastest in the world.

World’s oldest known spider dies in Australia

Australian researchers have said that, the world’s oldest known spider named “Number

16” has died at the age of 43 in Australia.

Number 16 was a female trapdoor spider. It has broken the previous record of a 28-year-

old tarantula in Mexico, as per a study published in the Pacific Conservation Biology

Journal.

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Number 16 did not die of old age. It was killed by a wasp sting. Generally, trapdoor spiders

have a life span ranging from 5 to 20 years. They are not a major threat to humans, but

their bite can cause pain and swelling.

Female trapdoor spiders usually stay in and around the same burrow throughout their

lives. Hence researchers marked Number 16’s burrow and checked it regularly.

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National News

Meeting of Inter-Governmental Committee between India and Nepal

An India-Nepal Inter Government Committee (IGC) on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to

Control Unauthorised Trade, led by Commerce Secretaries of the two Governments, is

functioning under the India-Nepal Treaty of Trade and India-Nepal Treaty of Transit.

A meeting of the IGC was held on 26-27 April 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal with the Indian

delegation led by Ms. Rita Teaotia, Commerce Secretary.

Both countries agreed to initiate, by July 2018,a comprehensive review of the bilateral

Treaty of Trade which governs the bilateral trade and was last revised in 2009.

All 5,97,464 villages electrified, says power ministry

The power ministry has reported that all inhabited villages in the country have been

electrified.

When the Modi government took over, there were 18,452 unelectrified villages in the

country but data shared by the Centre on Sunday showed that all of India’s 5,97,464

villages have been now electrified.

Swachh Bharat Mission launches GOBAR-DHAN to promote wealth and energy from waste

On April 30, 2018, Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Uma Bharti launched

the GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) – DHAN scheme at the National

Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal, Haryana. Ms. Bharti launched this scheme in

presence of Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar.

Under this scheme, bio-gas plants will be set up at individual or community level and also

at the level of Self Help Groups and NGOs like Gaushalas

Govt. launches Pilot scheme Procurement of Aggregate Power of 2500 MW

Central Government has started a Pilot Scheme for Procurement of Aggregate Power of

2500 MW on competitive basis for 3 years from generators with commissioned projects

but without Power Purchase Agreement.

This scheme will revive power demand, which has affected the generators who do not

have Power Purchase Agreements.

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The allotment will be done through a bidding process and tariff will be fixed for three

years, without any escalation.

Maximum allotment to a single entity has been capped at 600 MW.

PFC Consulting Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of PFC Ltd is the Nodal Agency and PTC

India Limited is the Aggregator for this scheme.

MoU signed between PHDCCI, Indian Yoga Association to promote yoga

On April 29, 2018, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and Indian Yoga

Association (IYA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly promote yoga,

health and spiritual tourism in the Krishna Circuit in Uttar Pradesh.

Krishna Circuit is among the thirteen thematic circuits under Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

It comprises twelve destinations associated with Lord Krishna viz. Dwarka (Gujarat),

Kurukshetra (Haryana), Nathdwara, Jaipur & Sikar (Rajasthan), Mathura, Vrindavan,

Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon & Govardhan (Uttar Pradesh) and Puri (Odisha).

PHDCCI – IYA MoU is for promoting Yoga in above stated six destinations in Uttar Pradesh.

As per the terms of the MoU, both the entities will strive to provide a holistic tourism

experience to domestic and international travellers looking for some spiritually

invigorating and cultural experiences.

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State News

Surat railway station to be 3rd in country to have ‘airport like’ facilities

Surat railway station (in Gujarat) will be the third in India to be developed as a world-class

facility under Railway Ministry’s station redevelopment programme.

Several “airport-like” amenities will be installed at Surat Railway Station under Union

Railway Ministry’s ‘Rs 1 lakh crore station redevelopment’ programme.

Estimated cost for redevelopment of Surat Railway Station is Rs 5000 crore. It is expected

to be ready by 2020.

Entire project will be overseen by Surat Integrated Transportation Development

Corporation Limited (SITCO), a joint venture between the Indian Railway Station

Development Corporation (IRSDC), the Surat Municipal Corporation and the Gujarat State

Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC).

India’s two world-class Railway stations — Habibganj (in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh) and

Gandhinagar (in Gujarat) — will be ready by the beginning of 2019.

Gobardhan’ scheme launched from Haryana

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the ‘Gobardhan (Galvanizing

Organic Bio Agro Resources Dhan) Scheme’ at a national-level event in Karnal in presence

of Union Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Uma Bharti.

The ‘GOBARDHAN’ scheme has been conceptualize with an aim to convert waste into bio

energy, gas and compost which would not only benefit the people but also maintain

cleanliness in the villages.

Central assistance for irrigation projects in drought prone areas of Maharashtra

Expenditure Finance Committee of Union Finance Ministry accepted the proposal of

Union Ministry of Water Resources to provide Central Assistance for completion of 8

Major/Medium Irrigation projects and 83 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) projects in

Vidarbha, Marathwada and drought prone areas of rest of Maharashtra.

Central assistance for irrigation projects in drought prone areas of Maharashtra Central

assistance for irrigation projects in Maharashtra:

Estimated cost for completion of these projects is Rs. 13651.61 Crore.

Although Central Government will provide financial assistance to meet the cost,

Maharashtra State Government too will have to raise a part of it, which can be done by

availing a loan from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

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Banking & Economy

T-Mobile, Sprint ink $26 Billion Deal, agree to merge

US wireless carriers T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. have finally inked about a $26 billion

deal after years of negotiations.

The agreement would leave just three major wireless carriers in the US. The combined

company would take on the name T-Mobile, leaving just it, Verizon and AT&T. The

combined company would be called T-Mobile.

Argentina’s central bank hiked interest rates to 30.25%

Argentina’s central bank (Central Bank of Argentina) has raised interest rates by 300 bps

to fight inflationary pressures.

The already high benchmark interest rates in the country has been raised from 27.25 per

cent to 30.25 per cent in a bid to prop up its ailing currency from sliding further against

the US dollar.

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Sports News

Lewis Hamilton wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton was handed victory in Azerbaijan Grand Prix during which both Red Bulls

sensationally collided with each other.

A puncture denied Valtteri Bottas his first win of the season. Raikkonen finished second

while Perez finished third in the race.

Prajnesh wins maiden singles title on Challenger circuit

On 29th April 2018, Prajnesh Gunneswaran won his first singles title on the ATP

Challenger circuit in the Kunming Open in Anning, China.

Prajnesh defeated Egypt’s Mohammed Safwat 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the Kunming

Open.

Prajnesh is 28 years old. He hails from Chennai. He is currently ranked 260th. He is

expected to enter the top-200 with the 125 ATP points obtained from the title.

India’s CA Bhavani Devi wins silver at Satellite Fencing Championship

On 28th April 2018, India’s CA Bhavani Devi won a silver medal in the sabre event of the

Tournoi World Cup Satellite Fencing Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland.

CA Bhavani Devi hails from Tamil Nadu. She was defeated 10-15 by USA’s Alexis Browne

in the finals.

She had defeated Parede Torres 15-9 in the quarterfinal and Italy’s Guila Arpino 15-10 in

the semifinal.

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Appointments & Resignation

Saudi Aramco appoints first woman to the board

On 29th April 2018, Saudi Aramco appointed a woman to its board, by recruiting American

Lynn Laverty Elsenhans to its 11-member board.

Lynn Laverty Elsenhans is a former chief executive and chairperson of US oil refinery

Sunoco. She was named as one of the world’s most powerful women in 2008 by Forbes

magazine.

Before joining Sunoco, she was a senior executive at Royal Dutch Shell. She is also on the

board of GlaxoSmithKline.

The government of Saudi Arabia has set a goal of raising female participation in the

workforce from 22% to 30% by 2030.

Nirmal Singh resigns as J-K Deputy CM & Kavinder Gupta sworn in as Deputy CM

On 29th April 2018, Nirmal Singh resigned as Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir

and Kavinder Gupta (Gandhinagar MLA) took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu

and Kashmir.

Rajiv Bakshi appointed CMO of Intex Technologies

Intex Technologies has appointed Rajiv Bakshi as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

Rajiv Rajiv Bakshi has headed brand development, business transformation, consumer

acquisition and digital strategy for long term growth and profitability.

Before joining Intex, he worked with Discovery Networks India and South Asia region as

vice president and head of marketing and products.

As the CMO, Rajiv Bakshi will head the generation of consumer insights for product

development and planning, expand sales and distribution network in general trade, e-

commerce portals, large format stores and retail network.

Uday Kotak redesignated as MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank

The board of directors of Kotak Mahindra Bank has redesignated Uday Kotak as Managing

Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1st May 2018.

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Earlier, Uday Kotak was executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director. He was the only

official among private banks to have a Vice Chairman designation. All other private banks

have MD & CEO designation.

Kotak Mahindra Bank also informed that Shankar Acharya, part-time Chairman, will retire

on 19th July 2018.

Prakash Apte has been appointed as part-time Chairman of the Bank in place of Shankar

Acharya. Prakash Apte’s term is till 31stDecember 2020.