Current Affairs Update – 16th April, 2015

Hello and welcome to ExamPundit. Here are the important Current Affairs of 16th Apri, 2015.

• Banks may soon pay you more interest if you deposit above ₹15 lakh in a fixed deposit without premature withdrawal.
• The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said banks will have the discretion to offer differential interest rates based on whether the term deposits are with or without premature-withdrawal facility.
• While all term deposits of individuals (held singly or jointly) of ₹15 lakh and below should necessarily have premature withdrawal facility, the RBI said for all term deposits above this amount banks can now offer ‘the without premature withdrawal’ option.
• So far, banks could quote differential rates of interest for deposits of the same maturity on bulk deposits of ₹1 crore and above. In its latest notification on interest rate on deposits, the RBI said banks should disclose in advance the schedule of interest rates payable on deposits — all deposits mobilised by banks should be strictly in conformity with the published schedule.
• Banks should have a board-approved policy with regard to interest rates on deposits, including those with differential rates of interest. And, they should ensure that the interest rates offered are reasonable, consistent, transparent and available for supervisory review/scrutiny as and when required.

• RBL Bank (formerly Ratnakar Bank) has launched India’s first golf-centric credit card. The card — based on the premium MasterCard World platform — has been launched in association with the Indian Golf Union (IGU).
• Targeted at golf enthusiasts, the RBL IGU NHS Golf World card automatically enrols clients to the National Handicap Service (NHS) of the IGU with the additional benefit of earning a cash-back amount equivalent to the NHS yearly membership fee.
• The card will be free for life for customers and offers a host of golfing privileges such as discounted golf accessories, complimentary golf access and hole-in-one celebration bonuses, among others.
• Customers will have access to 11 premier golf courses across the country, a 50 per cent discount on green fees and free golf lessons.

• The Reserve Bank will launch Rs. 10 coins to commemorate the centenary of return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa.
• “The Government of India has minted the coins which the Reserve Bank of India will shortly put into circulation,” it said in a notification.
• The existing coins in this denomination shall also continue to be legal tender, it added.

• National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) on Thursday announced a tie up with Gujarat International Finance Tec City (GIFT City) here for setting up an International Commodity and Derivatives Exchange
• NCDEX said it intends to establish this exchange in GIFT SEZ area, a multi-services Special Economic Zone (SEZ) being developed as India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) by GIFT SEZ Ltd. a wholly-owned subsidiary of GIFT Company Ltd (GIFTCL).
• On Thursday, GIFT SEZ and NCDEX signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here for developing the exchange to provide electronic platform for facilitating trading, clearing and settlement of securities, commodities, interest rates, currencies, other classes of assets and derivatives by international investors, subject to necessary approvals and operating guidelines for IFSC.

• The Surface-to-Surface Agni III ballistic missile was successfully test-fired on 16 April 2015 from the Wheelar Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal.
• Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3000 km, in the present test-fire, it was tested for a lesser range.
• The test-fire was conducted from a mobile launcher by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) with the logistic support from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• SFC is a part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) which is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile.
• The Surface-to-Surface nuclear capable intermediate-range ballistic missile can hit targets in the range of 3000 km.

• The first, mostly indigenously built ship of a follow-up project of the Kolkata class warships is ready to be put to the sea, officials said on Thursday.
• The ship, named Visakhapatnam (Project 15 B), a stealth destroyer, is 65 per cent indigenous and has a number of weapon systems which have been made at home.
• This is the first time virtual designing and 3D modelling have been used largely to design a warship. This ship will be a stepping stone for handling larger warships in future.
• Vishakhapatnam, a 7,300-tonne destroyer is the first of four ships that India is making under Project 15 B, a follow-up of Kolkata class of warships.
• Navy officials said the ship is likely to be inducted in the Indian Navy by 2018.

• India and Belarus on 15 April 2015 agreed to enhance their bilateral ties especially in the field of trade and economy.
• The agreement was reached during the meeting of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi. He also met with President Pranab Mukherjee.
• Makei was on a three-day official visit to India from 14 April to 16 April 2015 on the invitation of Swaraj.
• The two nations discussed regional and international issues of mutual interests
• Discussion on bilateral issues including high level political engagement, trade and investment, science and technology, defence, energy and culture were held
• The two Ministers agreed to work together to further enhance these relations

• United Nations (UN) peace envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar resigned on 16 April 2015. He was serving as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Yemen since 2012.
• He joined UN in 1994, serving various UN entities, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA).
• His resignation comes at a time when the fighting in the region has escalated after a Saudi-led coalition launched an air war on 26 March 2015 to stop the advance by the Shiite Houthis.

• NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has sent back its first colour image of the dwarf planet Pluto and its largest moon Charon, after more than nine years of travelling through the solar system.
• The new photo, taken on April 9 from a distance of about 115 million kilometres, is already providing insights about Pluto and Charon, as well as suggestions of the science to come when New Horizons flies by the Pluto system on July 14, NASA said.
• New Horizons, which launched in January 2006, will be one of five spacecraft to visit the outer edges of the solar system, following in the footsteps of NASA’s Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 probes.

• In a sign of warm personal friendship, US President Barack Obama has written a profile for Prime Minister Narendra Modi for TIME Magazine as it named the Indian leader among the 100 most influential people in the world.
• In the profile titled 'India's reformer-in-chief', Obama has described Modi's life story "from poverty to Prime Minister" as one that reflects the dynamism and potential of India's rise.
• "Like India, he transcends the ancient and the modern—a devotee of yoga who connects with Indian citizens on Twitter and imagines a 'digital India'," the US President wrote.
• Obama recalled Modi's visit to Washington last year when both the leaders visited the memorial to Dr Martin Luther King Junior, an American civil rights activist.

• Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced defence cooperation, in a sign of increasing bonhomie between the Cold War-era adversaries.
• The agreement was reached during a meeting in Moscow between Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, Express Tribune reported.
• Pakistan and Russia last year signed a military cooperation agreement to deepen their defence ties and vowed to translate their relationship in "tangible" terms during the first-ever visit of a Russian defence minister in 45 years.
• Russian Defence Minister Shoigu's visit last November to Pakistan came at a very critical juncture as US-led NATO forces drawdown from Afghanistan.

• Professors Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V. Katti received Hevesy Medal Award 2015 for their outstanding contributions in the fields of radio and nuclear chemistry.
• The awards were presented to them on 12 April 2015 at the Tenth International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radio-analytical Chemistry held in USA.
• Susanta Lahiri is a Professor at Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata. He won the award for his contributions to heavy ion induced radioisotope production, converter targets, green chemistry and tracer packet technique. He is also credited with co-creating Ununseptium chemical element (atomic number 117) in collaboration with other national and international scientists.
• Kattesh V. Katti is a professor at the Cedntre for Radiological Research, University of Missouri in Columbia, the US. His research interests in the domain of Nano Science and Technology include exploring chemical, biophysical, magnetic and photo physical properties, which are unique to specific nanoparticulates, toward the design and development of sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
• The Hevesy Medal Award 2014 was presented to Heino Nitsche of University of California in recognition of his international contributions to heavy element chemistry and actinide environmental chemistry.

• Asia Cup 2016 is set to undergo a radical change and will be a Twenty20 competition instead of the 50-over game, outgoing Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief executive Syed Ashraful Haq revealed on Thursday.
• Ashraful said that not only would the tournament continue every two years, it would be revamped to include more Associate nations and mirror the World Cup format.
• He added the 2016 edition would be held early next year as a prelude to the World Twenty20, which will be held in India from March 11 to April 3, according to an exclusive report cricket.com.au.
• The tournament would then revert to a 50-over tournament in 2018 ahead of the 2019 World Cup in England and be played as a T20 competition again in 2020.

• Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on 15 April 2015 was elected as member of prestigious Laureus Sports Academy. He was named as member at the 16th Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Shanghai, China.
• He was elected along with retired Chinese professional basketball player Yao Ming. With this, the total number of members of Laureus Sports Academy reached 52.
• Kapil Dev and Rahul Dravid are the other Indian cricketers to have received this recognition.
• Besides, former FC Barcelona and Spain star Carles Puyol was named as the Laureus Ambassador.
• The Laureus World Sports Academy is a unique association of 52 of the greatest living sporting legends, under the chairmanship of Edwin Moses. The Academy Members act as global ambassadors for Laureus, volunteering their time to support the work of the Foundation.

• The Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2015 were given in seven categories on 15 April 2015 at Shanghai in China. Ace tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia and sprinter Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia were named as the Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the 2015 respectively.

1. Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star
2. Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Genzebe Dibaba, the Ethiopian sprinter
3. Laureus World Team of the Year: Germany Men’s Football Team
4. Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Schalk Burger of South Africa, who fought through life-threatening meningitis to win back his place in the Springboks rugby team
5. Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Tatyana McFadden, the wheelchair racer 
6. Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Alan Eustace, he holds the world record for the highest-altitude free fall jump

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