Current Affairs Update – 19th April, 2016

Hello and welcome to ExamPundit. Here are the important current affairs of 19th April, 2016. These are very important for the upcoming SBI Clerk 2016 and NABARD Assistant Manager Exams.

• National Payments Corporation of
  India (NPCI), the umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in the
  country has announced relaxation for claiming personal accident insurance for
  all RuPay cardholders in the country.
• Earlier in November, this benefit
  was extended to RuPay Classic cardholders to avail accidental insurance benefit
  if the cardholder has performed minimum one transaction in 90 days.
• All RuPay cardholders (physical
  or virtual) has to perform one successful financial or non-financial transaction
  at ATM, MicroATM, e-commerce, Point of Sale terminal, Business Correspondent of
  the bank at locations by any payment instrument. Further, NPCI has now added
  the branch transactions performed by the customers as well.
• New India Assurance has been
  chosen for this year’s RuPay Insurance Programme. Currently, there are over 260
  million RuPay Debit Cards in force.

• Flagship refiner-marketer
  IndianOil Corporation has inked an MoU with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation to
  examine the possibility of jointly working on setting up a LPG (liquefied
  petroleum gas) import terminal at Chittagong port and other downstream infrastructure
  in that country.
• According to an oil ministry
  statement, the MoU was signed in the presence of oil minister Dharmendra
  Pradhan who is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh with a view to lending an
  impetus to bilateral energy ties initiated during PM Narendra Modi’s June 2015
  Dhaka visit.
• The minister’s discussions with
  Bangladesh authorities focused on laying a Chittagong-Tripura pipeline through
  that country for supplying part of the imported LPG to India’s northeast region
  and supplying diesel from Numaligarh Refinery to Parbatipur in Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh is also signing up
  Indian engineering consultancy firm Engineers India Ltd as consultants for
  expansion of the Eastern Refinery. Bangladesh was also updated on the seismic
  survey being carried out by ONGC Videsh Ltd in offshore blocks allotted by
  Dhaka.

• Infosys co-founder on 17 April
  2016 launched a new app named ‘Itihaasa’ that chronicles Indian IT journey
  since the 1950s.
• The app ‘itihaasa’ is one of the
  largest chronicles of its kind with 600 videos featuring 44 technology
  stalwarts.

• It contains over 37 hours of
  footage, 350 archived photographs and articles and easy browsing with 12000
  tags.
• It follows the installation of
  the country’s first modern computer in 1955 to crystal gazing on Indian IT in
  2040.
• Through the app users can also
  hear veterans like F C Kohli, Prof Rajaraman, Prof Mahabala, Narayana Murthy,
  Azim Premji, S Ramadorai, Nandan Nilekani, N Vittal and others.
• Users can personalise stories on
  six dimensions – Time, People, Organisation, Policy, Technical Terms and Place.

• Union Power, Coal and New and
  Renewable Energy Minister of State(IC) Piyush Goyal on 18 April 2016 released
  Report of the Technical Committee on Large Scale Integration of Renewable
  Energy, Need for Balancing, Deviation Settlement Mechanism (DSM) and associated
  issues in New Delhi.
• He also launched Ancillary
  Services Operations in India.

• India has set an ambitious target
  of achieving 175 GW of renewable generation capacity.
• In order to integrate such high
  penetration of renewable energy and address the concerns of the stakeholders in
  renewable energy, a high level Technical Committee was constituted with members
  from Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC),
  Central Electricity Authority (CEA), renewable rich states like Gujarat,
  Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Power Utilities like PGCIL, Power System
  operation Corporation Ltd. (POSOCO), NTPC, State Generating companies and
  Private generating companies and Institutions like India Meteorological
  department (IMD), National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), National Institute
  of Solar Energy (NISE), GIZ, Ernst & Young (E&Y), etc.

• India and Mauritius have signed
  an agreement for cooperation in the field of traditional medicine and
  homeopathy, a move which will help both the nations to conduct joint research
  and exchange experts in these fields.
• The MoU, signed during the recent
  visit of Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik to Mauritius, will
  promote cooperation in the field of traditional system of health and medicine
  between the two countries which already share these traditions due to their
  “unique historical and cultural ties”.
• The agreement envisages exchange
  of experts, supply of traditional medicinal substances, joint research and
  development and recognition of the traditional systems of health and medicine
  in both countries, the ministry said in a statement.

• The Maharashtra Government on 18
  April 2016 decided to make it mandatory to have a hologram on every alcohol
  bottle manufactured and sold in the state. The step was taken to check sale of
  spurious liquor.
• The Government decided to paste
  polyester base track and trace hologram, to be supported by a mobile app, which
  will help consumers find out whether the liquor is fake or genuine.
• The technique will also help
  prevent loss of revenue due to cheap liquor being imported into Maharashtra
  from neighbouring states.

• The Nirma University has recently
  inked an MoU with Space Applications Centre (SAC), Indian Space Research
  Organisation (ISRO), Ahmedabad for collaborative research leading to technology
  development and innovation in this space. 
• In line with this, ISRO would be
  setting up one of its communication receivers in the Nirma campus, where the
  data would be part of further research, said Nirma Director General Anup Singh
  on the sidelines of the institute’s 21st annual convocation on Monday.

• Union Minister for Culture and
  Tourism and Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma on 18 April 2016 released a
  Commemorative Coin of 200 rupees and a Circulation Coin of 10 rupees to mark
  the Martyrdom Day of Tatya Tope.
• The Union Ministry of Culture has
  been celebrating the 200th Birth Anniversary of Tatya Tope during 2015-16 in
  association with State Government of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
  respectively.
• Maharashtra Government organised
  a three day Mahotsav named Shaurya Mahotsav from 26 February 2016.

• Maharashtra government on 18
  April 2016 decided to restrict digging of borewells beyond 200 feet. The action
  was taken to check the steep decline in ground water level in the state, which
  at present is facing recurring droughts and severe water crisis in Marathwada
  and Vidarbha region.
• The violators of the rule would
  face fine or/and imprisonment, as the action will be considered as a punishable
  offence.
• Besides, the state government
  also conducted special workshops of concerned officials’ to discuss the ways
  for implementation of Maharashtra Groundwater Development and Management Act to
  control the excess water pumping through borewell.

• Leading researchers and
  economists in the fields of nutrition and development on 18 April 2016 unveiled
  a groundbreaking analysis outlining what donors, governments and businesses
  need to invest to accelerate progress for nutrition.
• The Investing in Nutrition: The
  Foundation for Development event hosted by the World Bank, the Results for
  Development Institute, and 1000 Days is part of a global effort to increase
  investment in nutrition, particularly during the 1000 days between a woman’s
  pregnancy and her child’s second birthday.

• Investments in line with the new
  framework will drive progress toward achieving four of the six World Health
  Assembly (WHA) Global Nutrition Targets, specifically those focused on
  alleviating stunted growth, wasting, and anaemia, and increasing exclusive
  breastfeeding.
• These targets, endorsed by 194
  country governments at the WHA in 2012, were last year enshrined within the
  second Sustainable Development Goal to end malnutrition in all its forms by the
  year 2030.
• With just 3.9 billion US dollars
  currently invested each year to reach the WHA targets, urgent expanded action
  and investment are needed.
• A package of proven,
  cost-effective actions can be implemented immediately to jump start progress.

• Laureus World Sports Awards 2016
  were given in Berlin, Germany on 18 April 2016. The award ceremony was held in
  Germany for the first time.
• World No 1 tennis player Novak
  Djokovic of Serbia won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award, whereas US
  tennis player Serene Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year Award.
• For Djokovic it was back-to-back
  second Laureus Awards, whereas for Serena it was her fourth Laureus Awards.

1. Sportsman of the Year: Novak
   Djokovic, Serbia (Tennis)
2. Team of the Year: New Zealand
   national rugby union team
3. Sportswoman of the Year: Serena
   Williams, the US (Tennis)
4. Comeback of the Year: Dan Carter,
   New Zealand (Rugby)
5. Breakthrough of the Year: Jordan
   Spieth, the US (Golf)

• The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
  on 18 April 2016 appointed former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq as the new
  chief selector of the team.
• Inzamam, a veteran of 120 tests
  and 398 one-day internationals, replaced Haroon Rasheed as chief selector. The
  PCB has not set a fixed term for Inzamam’s tenure.
• The members of the new selection
  committee are former test off-spinner Tauseef Ahmed, former international fast
  bowler Wasim Haider and batsman Wajahatullah Wasti.
• At the time of appointment,
  Inzamam was the head coach of Afghanistan cricket team. He was appointed as the
  head coach of Afghanistan in October 2015, and was contracted by the
  Afghanistan Cricket Board until December 2016.

• World Bank and UNICEF on 14 April
  2016 announced establishment of new alliance that aims to make Early Childhood
  Development (ECD) programme a global policy.
• To give all young children access
  to quality services that improve their health, nutrition, learning ability and
  emotional well-being, the alliance calls for programming and public spending
  priority.
• On the occasion, the World Bank
  Group President Jim Yong Kim and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake jointly
  urged global and national leaders to step up and accelerate action and
  investments in nutrition and ECD programmes as a critical foundation for
  equitable development and economic growth.

• World Bank Group President Jim
  Yong Kim on 13 April 2016 announced that the World Bank Group will invest 2.5
  billion US dollars over 5 years in education projects that directly benefit
  adolescent girls.
• The announcement was followed by
  a call to action from the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama,
  urging key policymakers and influencers from around the world to commit to
  urgent action in support of adolescent girls.
• The announcement was made at the
  Let Girls Learn event during the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings.

• By 2020, the World Bank Group
  expects to invest at least 2.5 billion US dollars in education projects
  targeting adolescent girl.
• About 75 percent of these
  investments are expected to be from International Development Association
  (IDA), the Bank Group’s fund for the poorest countries.

• The 14th meeting of the Foreign
  Ministers of the Russian Federation, the Republic of India and the People’s
  Republic of China was held on 18 April 2016 in Moscow, Russian Federation.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
  Lavrov, Union Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India Sushma Swaraj,
  and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi took
  part in the meeting.
• The Ministers discussed various
  aspects of trilateral cooperation on global and regional issues, the progress
  in strengthening the international legal framework underlying the modern world
  order, and the neutralisation of common challenges.

• The 13th session of the Islamic
  Summit Conference was concluded on 15 April 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey.
• The Islamic Summit, which
  commenced on 10 April 2016, was held under the theme Unity and Solidarity for
  Justice and Peace. It also discussed the current situation in Syria, Yemen,
  Libya, Afghanistan, Somalia, Mali, Jammu and Kashmir, Bosnia-Herzegovina and
  Armenia’s aggressions on Azerbaijan, as well as other Member States afflicted
  by conflicts and unstable security situations.
• The agenda of the summit included
  the question of Palestine and Arab-Israeli conflict, conflict situation in the
  Muslim world, combating terrorism and violent extremism, Islamophopia,
  humanitarian situation in the Muslim world, and the Organisation of Islamic
  Cooperation (OIC) 2025 Programme of Action.

• Silicon Valley coach and mentor
  William Bill Campbell died on 18 April 2016 after battle with cancer. He was
  75.
• He was widely admired Silicon
  Valley coach and mentor as his advices on leadership and management nurtured a
  range of Silicon Valley luminaries include Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and
  Google co-founder Larry Page.
• The list of executives who worked
  with Campbell includes former EBay CEO John Donahoe, ex-Twitter CEO Dick
  Costolo, Google parent Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and many of the
  tech world’s leading venture capitalists.

Regards

Team ExamPundit

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