Hello and welcome to ExamPundit. Here are the Important Current Affairs from 1st to 4th April, 2016. These are important for the upcoming NABARD Assistant Manager and SBI Clerical Grade Exam 2016.
Current Affairs at a Glance – 1st to 4th April, 2016
- India and Germany’s Development Bank KfW on 1 April 2016 signed an agreement to provide loan assistance of 500
million Euro (about 3750 crore rupees) for the modern and
sustainable metro system for Nagpur city.
This is the
first German assistance to Metro project in the country. - India and Saudi Arabia on 3 April 2016 inked five agreements to boost the bilateral cooperation between the
two nations. - Telecom operator Aircel
has signed 2G intra-circle roaming agreement with state-owned BSNL
on pan-India basis. - Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) on today said that it has
become the top coal producer in the country by producing a record 138 mt of dry
fuel in the financial year 2015-16, contributing 39 per cent to
the incremental growth of Coal India Limited (CIL). - The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 31 March 2016 launched
the Startup India portal http://startupindia.gov.in and mobile app in New Delhi. - Union Power, Coal and New and
Renewable Energy Minister of State (Independent Charge) Piyush Goyal on 31
March 2016 launched Vidyut PRAVAH- Electricity, Price
Availability and Highlights mobile application in New Delhi. The
mobile application provides highlights of the power availability in India on
real time basis. - E-commerce giant Flipkart on 1 April 2016 announced that
it has acquired payments start-up PhonePe Internet
Pvt. Ltd. - The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
announced on 1 April 2016 that it has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Australia India Business Council
(AIBC). The MoU aims at strengthening and promoting business ties with
Australia. - Amazon, the global e-commerce and cloud services firm, on 30 March
2016 commenced work on its biggest campus at Hyderabad in
India. It is the largest campus outside the United States (US)
for Amazon. - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4
April 2016 returned to New Delhi after concluding his official visit to
Belgium, United States and Saudi Arabia. - IIT-Madras was ranked number one
amongst Research and Teaching Institutions in Engineering amongst
several other similar institutions in India. - India and Sri Lanka on 31 March 2016 signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to provide 150 fishing boats and fishing equipment to 300
Tamil fishermen from Mullaithivu in North Sri Lanka. - Union Minister for Environment
and Forests Prakash Javdekar on 3 April 2016 inaugurated a White Tiger Safari at Mukundpur in Satna district of
Madhya Pradesh. The Safari is situated adjacent to the Mukundpur Zoo which is spread over 75 hectares. - Kachhabali village in
Bhim tehsil of Rajsamand District became the first in Rajasthan to vote to close down its only liquor shop. - Mehbooba Mufti was on 4 April 2016 sworn in as the Chief Minister
(CM) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) at Raj Bhawan in Jammu. With this,
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti became the first woman CM of J&K. - Senior IAS officer and Additional Chief Secretary to Odisha government
R Balakrishnan has been appointed as Chairman of Bhubaneswar Smart
City Limited (BSCL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to execute
projects for making the state capital a smart city. - Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on 3 April 2016 conferred the King Abdulaziz Sash honour by Saudi Arabia.
It is the highest civilian honour of the country. - PEN America on 31 March 2016 announced that it will confer the PEN/Barbey
Freedom to Write Award upon imprisoned Egyptian novelist and journalist Ahmed
Naji. - West Indies on 3 April 2016 won the ICC Cricket World T-20 Men’s Cup
2016. In the final clash at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, West Indies defeated
England by 4 wickets. - Victoria Azarenka of Belarusia and World No 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia
won women’s and men’s singles titles of the
2016 Miami Open at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami on 2 and 3 April 2016
respectively. - The
World Autism Awareness Day 2016 was
celebrated across the world on 2 April
2016. The 2016 theme for the day is Autism and the 2030 Agenda: Inclusion
and Neurodiversity - International
Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action was observed on
4 April 2016 across the world. The theme of the year 2016 is Mine Action is
Humanitarian Action. - #PanamaPapers was in news because
a new investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative
Journalists (ICIJ) and more than 100 other news organisations around
the globe revealed offshore links of some of the planet’s most prominent
people, including over 500 from India. - The former A.C. Milan defender and
Italy manager Cesare Maldini died on 3 April 2016 in Milan,
Italy. He was 84. - Ranjan Baindoor, former
Bombay Ranji Trophy allrounder, passed away here on Monday morning. Baindoor
was 60. - Patty Duke, an acclaimed
actress who won an Oscar for her role of Helen Keller in The
Miracle Worker, died of sepsis from a ruptured intestine on 29 March 2016. She
was 69.
Finance/Industry/Economy –
India signed agreement with Germany’s KfW for 500 million Euro loan to
Nagpur Metro
Nagpur Metro
- India and Germany’s Development
Bank KfW on 1 April 2016 signed an agreement to provide loan assistance of 500
million Euro (about 3750 crore rupees) for the modern and sustainable metro
system for Nagpur city. This is the first German assistance to Metro project in
the country. - The loan period is of 20 years
with a moratorium of five years and disbursal will be based on the progress of
the project over three years. - Costing 1240 million Euro (8680
crore rupees), Nagpur Metro is the first metro to be financed under the
Indo-German partnership for clean, socially inclusive and climate friendly
mobility for people in cities. Work on Nagpur Metro is being executed by Nagpur
Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL). - Sanctioned by the Union
Government in August 2014, Nagpur Metro Project envisages two corridors and
they are 19.70 km North-South section from Automotive Square to Khapri and
18.60 km long line between Prajapati Nagar and Lokmanya Nagar.
India, Saudi Arabia signed five agreements to boost bilateral co-operation
- India and Saudi Arabia on 3 April
2016 inked five agreements to boost the bilateral cooperation between the two
nations. The agreements were signed in Riyadh during the two day visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia from 2 April to 3 April 2016. - The visit to Saudi Arabia was
part of Modi’s three-nation visit to Belgium, the United States and Saudi
Arabia from 30 March to 3 April 2016.
Details of the five agreements
- Agreement on Labour Co-operation
between the Ministry of Labour, Saudi Arabia and Ministry of External Affairs,
India for recruitment of general category workers. - Technical Cooperation Program
between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Saudi Standards, Metrology
and Quality Organization (SASO).
Aircel, BSNL sign pan India 2G roaming pact
- Telecom operator Aircel has
signed 2G intra-circle roaming agreement with state-owned BSNL on pan-India
basis. - “This is a first agreement
between a state owned operator and a private telecom player. With this
strategic tie up, both organizations will be able to enhance customer
experience besides utilizing each other’s assets and network strength,” Aircel
said in a statement today. - The pact will lead to improved
network connectivity as well as quality. - The agreement will help Aircel
widen its reach as BSNL has about 1.14 lakh mobile towers across country. - BSNL has second highest number of
mobile towers in the country and also premium 900 Mhz spectrum that it is using
for 2G services. With continued investment BSNL expects to have around 1,35,000
mobile towers, maximum owned by a company.
MCL becomes number 1 coal producer of India in FY16
- Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL)
on today said that it has become the top coal producer in the country by
producing a record 138 mt of dry fuel in the financial year 2015-16,
contributing 39 per cent to the incremental growth of Coal India Limited (CIL). - The MCL that celebrates Silver
Jubilee Foundation Day on today started its journey in 1992 as a 23 mt coal
producing company and the youngest subsidiary of CIL, MCL said in a statement. - The year ended March 31, 2016,
remained an eventful year for MCL as it has become the flagship subsidiary of
CIL, it said.
Union Government launched Startup India Portal and Mobile App
- The Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 31
March 2016 launched the Startup India portal http://startupindia.gov.in and mobile app in New Delhi.
The key features of the portal and app are:
Information Availability:
- The portal and mobile app provide
timely information on various notifications and circulars issued by various
Government ministries and departments, towards creation of a conducive
ecosystem for Startups. - They also provide information
regarding incubators and funding agencies recognized for the purpose of
recommending Startups. - A comprehensive list of FAQs is
also available to help Startups, Incubators and Funding Agencies use the portal
and mobile app more effectively.
Startup India Hub:
- The Startup India Hub was
established within Invest India will be a single point of contact for the
entire Startup ecosystem which would enable exchange of knowledge. - The Hub will work in a hub and
spoke model with Governments, VCs, Angel Funds, Incubators, Mentors, etc. - It will assist Startups through
their lifecycle, on all aspects, such as providing mentorship, incubator
facilities, IPR support, funding etc. - The Hub will be operational from
10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on working days and can be reached via the toll free
number: 1800115565 or the email ID: dipp-startups@nic.in
Application for Startup Recognition:
- Entities that fulfil the criteria
as per the definition of Startup and are incorporated or registered in India,
can obtain recognition as a Startup to avail various benefits listed in the
Startup India Action Plan. - The process of recognition is
simple and user friendly and involves a single page application form that a
user can fill either through a web interface or through mobile app.
Union Government launched Vidyut PRAVAH Mobile App to empower People to
demand 24×7 Power
demand 24×7 Power
- Union Power, Coal and New and
Renewable Energy Minister of State (Independent Charge) Piyush Goyal on 31
March 2016 launched Vidyut PRAVAH- Electricity, Price Availability and
Highlights mobile application in New Delhi. The mobile application provides
highlights of the power availability in India on real time basis. - The app will empower common
people to demand 24X7 power from the states and will take transparency to the
next level and make state governments more accountable.
Salient Feature of Vidyut PRAVAH mobile app
- The main features include
dashboard for All India summary, link for each states from All India Map and
state specific pages on single click. - It provides a wealth of
information pertaining to the current demand met, shortages if any, surplus
power available and the prices in the Power Exchange. - The real time data and comparison
with previous day or year data is also available.
Flipkart acquired UPI-based payments start-up PhonePe
- E-commerce giant Flipkart on 1
April 2016 announced that it has acquired payments start-up PhonePe Internet
Pvt. Ltd. - The start-up PhonePe was launched
in December 2015 by former Flipkart executives Sameer Nigam, Rahul Chari and
Burzin Engineer. - As per the deal of acquisition,
PhonePe will function as an independent business unit. The details of the
transaction were not disclosed, however, the deal is not cash transaction. - PhonePe is Flipkart’s third major
acquisition in payments, after it bought payments start-up NGPay in 2014, and
FX Mart Pvt. Ltd, which owns a prepaid wallet licence, in August 2015.
FICCI, AIBC signed MoU to strengthen business ties
- The Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) announced on 1 April 2016 that it has inked
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia India Business Council
(AIBC). The MoU aims at strengthening and promoting business ties with
Australia. - The agreement was signed in the
presence of the visiting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during the Invest in
India Round Table Conference in Melbourne, Australia. - Key highlights of the MoU
- The agreement reinvigorates the
ongoing relationship between the two organisations to further promote,
facilitate and grow the trade and investment relationship between India and
Australia. - It also solidifies the
partnership for the upcoming Engaging with India conference, which will be held
on 16 May and 17 May 2016.
Union Government extended safeguard duty on steel imports
- Union Finance Ministry on 30
March 2016 extended the safeguard duty on steel imports until March 2018. The
duty was imposed to protect domestic manufacturers from cheap Chinese imports. - The central board of excise and
customs in its notification said that the duty will apply to hot-rolled flat
products of non-alloy and other alloy steel in coils of 600 mm width. The
safeguard duty will not be imposed on goods that are imported at minimum import
price. - The safeguard duty will be 20
percent minus any existing dumping duty till September 2016, following which it
will be reduced to 18 percent till March 2017, then brought down to 15 percent
till September 2017 and eventually to 10 percent by March 2018.
Union Government released Indian Intellectual Property Panorama
- Union Government on 31 March 2016
released the Indian Intellectual Property (IP) Panorama in New Delhi. It is a
single window interface for information on Intellectual Property and guidance
on leveraging it for competitive advantage. - The Indian IP Panorama can be
accessed on - It seeks to increase awareness
and build sensitivity towards Intellectual Property, among stakeholders in the
SME sector, academia and researchers.
The following five modules of the Indian IP Panorama were released:
- Importance of IP for SMEs,
- Trademark,
- Industrial design,
- Invention and Patent and
- Patent Information
Amazon commenced work on its biggest campus in Hyderabad
- Amazon, the global e-commerce and
cloud services firm, on 30 March 2016 commenced work on its biggest campus at
Hyderabad in India. It is the largest campus outside the United States (US) for
Amazon. - The campus spread over 10 acres
of land in Gachibowli is part of 2 billion dollar investment announced by the
company in India. - Telangana IT and Panchayat Raj
Minister KT Rama Rao laid the foundation stone for this India’s biggest Campus. - This is Amazon’s second
significant investment in Telangana in one year. In June 2015, it had
inaugurated one of its biggest fulfillment centres in Hyderabad.
India –
PM Modi concluded three-nation visit to Belgium, United States and
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4
April 2016 returned to New Delhi after concluding his official visit to
Belgium, United States and Saudi Arabia. - During the five day tour from 30
March to 3 April 2016 Modi met several leaders and also participated in two
different summits, namely India-EU summit in Brussels and 4th Nuclear Security
Summit in Washington DC.
Major Highlights of the visit to Belgium
- In the first leg of his visit to
Belgium, Modi was given a ceremonial welcome at Egmont Palace in Brussels.
Brussels is the headquarters of European Union and NATO. - He attended 13th India-EU summit
and held meeting with Belgium Prime Minister Charles Michel
Major Highlights of the visit to the United States
- In the second leg of his tour to
three nations, Modi visited the United States where he attended the 4th Nuclear
Security Summit in Washington DC. The summit focused on a gamut of issues
pertaining to nuclear security. - The two-day summit highlighted
achievements and commitments of several countries towards safeguarding nuclear
devices and technologies and reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism.
Major Highlights of the visit to Saudi Arabia
- Prime Minister inspected the
guard of honour at the Ceremonial Welcome in Riyadh. - India and Saudi Arabia signed
five agreements and MoUs. - During the visit, Modi met with
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud a gold-plated replica of the Cheraman
Juma Masjid of Kerala. Situated in Thrissur district, the mosque is believed to
be the first mosque built in India by Arab traders around 629 AD.
IIT Madras ranked first in India Rankings 2016 for engineering
- IIT-Madras was ranked number one
amongst Research and Teaching Institutions in Engineering amongst several other
similar institutions in India. The Rankings 2016 was released today by the
Minister for Human Resource Development. - The National Institutional
Ranking Framework was created by the Ministry of Human Resources Development in
2015, outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. - The parameters used for ranking
broadly cover “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and
Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcomes,” “Outreach
and Inclusivity,” and “Perception”. - IIM-Bangalore lead among
management institutions. - The National Institutional
Ranking Framework (NIRF) covering 3,500 different institutes in four different
categories was released by HRD minister Smriti Irani.
India, Sri Lanka signed MoU to provide 150 boats & fishing
equipment to Mullaithivu fishermen
equipment to Mullaithivu fishermen
- India and Sri Lanka on 31 March
2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide 150 fishing boats
and fishing equipment to 300 Tamil fishermen from Mullaithivu in North Sri
Lanka. - The boats and equipment will be
provided as a part of India’s development assistance programme in Sri Lanka. - The MoU was inked in Colombo at
the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development. - Now, the Indian High Commission
to Sri Lanka will float a tender to procure the items through a competitive
bidding process. The project will cost 100 million Sri Lankan Rupees.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched Phase I of Green Delhi
initiative
initiative
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal on 31 March 2016 launched the Phase I of Green Delhi initiative by
planting trees at the Triangular Park at the ITO Chowk. - The launch of the initiative is
in tune with the Detailed Action Plan (DAP) that was submitted by the Delhi
Government to the Supreme Court in December 2015. - The DAP deals with the steps
being taken to improve air quality and reduce air pollution in the National
Capital.
Features of Green Delhi initiative
- Vaccum cleaning of all Public
Works Department (PWD) roads will be started at regular intervals starting from
1 April 2016. - To avoid dust rising from unpaved
footpaths and central verges, the central verges of the 1260 kilometres of road
maintained by the PWD will be bedded with grass and greenery. This initiative
will include kutcha portion under flyovers.
World’s first White Tiger Safari inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh
- Union Minister for Environment
and Forests Prakash Javdekar on 3 April 2016 inaugurated a White Tiger Safari
at Mukundpur in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. - The Safari is situated adjacent
to the Mukundpur Zoo which is spread over 75 hectares. - The first of its kind safari has
cost 50 crore rupees and is spread over an area of 25 hectares. - With its inauguration, the safari
houses three white tigers, including one male named Raghu and two females named
Vindhya and Radha.
Trimbakeshwar Temple Trust barred entry for all men & women
- The Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan
Trust (STDT) passed a resolution on 3 April 2016 that bars all persons, men and
women from entering the sanctum till the next decision. - Only the traditional and
hereditary priests will be allowed to enter the sanctum of the Trimbakeshwar
temple in Nashik district of Maharashtra. - A trustee said that owing to the
geographical positioning of the temple, steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum
are not be in the best of condition and therefore from now on both men and
women devotees will not be allowed inside.
Kachabali village became first liquor-free village in Rajasthan
- Kachhabali village in Bhim tehsil
of Rajsamand District became the first in Rajasthan to vote to close down its
only liquor shop. - The polling was conducted by the
excise department of the state on 29 March 2016 and around 94% of the voters
said that they want a complete ban on the sale of alcohol in the village. - The vote was carried out under
the Rajasthan Excise Rules, according to which any panchayat can decide to
close a liquor shop in the village if 50% of its residents vote for it. - The poll was the result of a
campaign that started on Republic Day in 2016, led by Geeta, the sarpanch,
under whose guidance a voting session had also been organised on 29 February
2016.
Union Government launched Inclusiveness and Accessibility Index for
Persons with Disabilities
Persons with Disabilities
- The Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) of the Ministry Social Justice and
Empowerment on 31 March 2016 launched the Inclusiveness and Accessibility
Index. - The index seeks to help the
industries and corporates to participate in the Accessible India Campaign (AIC)
by voluntarily evaluating their readiness for making the workplace accessible
for Persons with Disabilities.
Features of Inclusiveness and Accessibility Index
- It enables the organisations to
introspect over their inclusive policies and organisational culture in aid of
PwDs, employment of such workforce and adaptations to meet the needs of PwDs. - The index toolkit aims at
assessing the current stage of inclusiveness and accessibility of persons with
disabilities by an organisation. - It can also act as a guide for
taking progressive steps to increase support, inclusiveness and accessibility
towards persons/employees with disabilities. - It can be applied and used by
organisations irrespective of their size and scale.
Appointments –
Mehbooba Mufti took oath as first woman Chief Minister of Jammu &
Kashmir
Kashmir
- Mehbooba Mufti was on 4 April
2016 sworn in as the Chief Minister (CM) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) at Raj
Bhawan in Jammu. The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by J&K Governor
NN Vohra. - With this, the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti became the first woman CM of J&K. - Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP)
legislator Nirmal Singh took oath as Deputy Chief Minister.
R Balakrishnan appointed BSCL Chairman
- Senior IAS officer and Additional
Chief Secretary to Odisha government R Balakrishnan has been appointed as
Chairman of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL), the special purpose vehicle
(SPV) set up to execute projects for making the state capital a smart city. - Bhubaneswar, which became the
first city to have its SPV take off, had also topped the list of first batch of
20 smart cities selected by Urban Development Ministry in January this year. - BSCL will have authorised a
capital of Rs 500 crore, divided in to 5 crore shares of Rs 100 each. - Of this, Odisha government and
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will have a share of Rs 112.50 crore each
while Bhubaneswar Development Authority will contribute share capital of Rs 250
crore.
GoAir promotes CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer to managing director
- Wadia-group run budget airline
GoAir has elevated its chief executive officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer to the
post of managing director. The redesignation takes place as the airline
prepares for an initial public offer. Prock-Schauer will continue to hold post
of CEO as well. - Prock-Schauer, who joined the
airline last June, will hold the managing director’s post along with airline
promoter Jeh Wadia. An airline spokesperson confirmed Prock-Schauer’s
appointment as the managing director and added that it was subject to statutory
approvals. The airline did not share reasons behind the move. Prock-Schauer was
chief executive officer of Jet Airways for six years till 2009. - Industry watchers said with these
changes GoAir wants to demonstrate stability and consistency in its top
management and indicate it is ready for massive expansion.
Jitendra Jagota appointed Chairman of IDSA
- Indian Direct Selling Association
(IDSA) on 29 March 2016 named Jitendra Jagota, Director Legal & Government
Affairs at Avon Beauty Products, as its Chairman. - Jagota succeeds Rajat Banerji,
who serves as National Head, Corporate Affairs at Amway India. - Jagota was appointed the Chairman
during the Association’s new Executive Committee was announced at the General
Body Meeting held in New Delhi. - The new Executive Committee
comprised of Vivek Katoch as Vice Chairman, Rajat Banerji as Treasurer, and
Rini Sanyal as Secretary. - The elected members of the IDSA
will each serve one-year term for financial year 2016-17.
J Geetha Reddy appointed as PAC Chairperson of Telangana
- Congress senior MLA J Geeta Reddy
was on 31 March 2016 appointed as the Chairperson of the Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) of Telangana. - She will be the first woman
legislator to be appointed for the post in India. - Previously, Congress MLA Patolla
Kista Reddy was the first chairman of PAC of newly formed Telangana State.
After his death, the post was occupied by Ramreddy Venkat Reddy who was also a
senior leader from Congress. But the position fell vacant again after Venkat Reddy
passed away on 4 March 2016 due to illness.
Kallol Roy appointed CMD of Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam
- Kallol Roy on 31 March 2016 was
appointed the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut
Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI). - Roy assumed the position
following the superannuation of Perumal Chellapandi. - Kallol Roy had served as the Head
of the Research Reactor Maintenance Division, Reactor Group, BARC. He was
responsible for total maintenance management of all plant systems and
equipment, carrying out modifications and upgrading mechanical and electrical systems
and computerising various plant systems.
Awards & Honors –
PM Modi conferred highest civilian award of Saudi Arabia
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi was
on 3 April 2016 conferred the King Abdulaziz Sash honour by Saudi Arabia. It is
the highest civilian honour of the country. - The prestigious award was awarded
by King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the Royal Court in Riyadh where the two nations
heads held extensive talks on a range of bilateral, regional and international
issues. - The award is named after
Abdulaziz Al Saud. He was the founder of the modern Saudi state. It is awarded
to citizens of Saudi Arabia and foreigners for meritorious service to the
Kingdom. - The other prominent personalities
who were conferred with this award earlier are Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe, British Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama, Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Jailed Egyptian Novelist Ahmed Naji to receive PEN/Barbey Freedom to
Write Award
Write Award
- PEN America on 31 March 2016
announced that it will confer the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award upon
imprisoned Egyptian novelist and journalist Ahmed Naji. - The award will be presented to
Naji at Pen America’s annual Literary Gala on 16 May 2016 at the American
Museum of Natural History in New York. - PEN America’s 16 May 2016
Literary Gala will also salute Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling with the 2016
PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award for engendering a love of
literature among children worldwide. - Naji is the author of three books
and a journalist at the state-funded Akhbar al-Adab literary magazine.
Sports –
West Indies defeated England to win ICC World T20 Men’s title
- West Indies on 3 April 2016 won
the ICC Cricket World T-20 Men’s Cup 2016. In the final clash at Eden Gardens,
Kolkata, West Indies defeated England by 4 wickets. - England batting first was bowled
out at a score of 155 for 9 wickets and in reply to the target West Indies
scored 161 at the loss of 4 wickets in 19.4 over. - Player of the match – Marlon
Samuels (West Indies) - Player of the series – Virat
Kohli (India) - With this win, West Indies became
the only team so far to win the ICC World Twenty20 title twice, having secured
it last in 2012.
West Indies won Women’s title of ICC World T20 2016
- West Indies Women’s on 3 April
2016 won their maiden Women’s Cricket World T-20 title. In the final clash at
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, West Indies defeated reigning champions Australia by 8
wickets. - Batting first Australia was
bowled out at a score of 148 for 5 wickets and in reply West Indies scored 149
at the loss of 2 wickets in 19.3 over. - Player of the match – Hayley Matthews (West Indies Women)
- Player of the series – Stafanie Taylor (West Indies Women)
Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka won 2016 Miami Open titles
- Victoria Azarenka of Belarusia
and World No 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia won women’s and men’s singles titles of
the 2016 Miami Open at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami on 2 and 3 April 2016
respectively. - Novak Djokovic defeated Kei
Nishikori of Japan 6-3, 6-3 in the men’s final while Victoria Azarenka defeated
Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-4, 6-4. - Djokovic won his sixth title in
Miami and became the first player to win three straight Miami titles since
Agassi from 2001-2004. - This championship title made him
the new career ATP Masters 1000 title leader. Behind him comes Rafael Nadal
with 27 titles, Roger Federer with 24, and Andre Agassi with 17.
Shiva Thapa won Silver at Asian/Oceania Qualifying event in China
- Indian boxer Shiva Thapa on 1
April 2016 won silver medal in the 56 kilogram category at the Asian/Oceania
Qualifying Tournament in Qian’an, China. - Thapa defeated Kazakhstan’s
Kairat Yeraliyev in the semi-finals to earn the medal. - With this win, the 22-year-old
Thapa became the first Indian boxer to book a seat in the Rio Olympics. - In the final clash, Thapa faced
0-3 defeat to Thailand’s Chatchai Butdee. Butdee is the reigning Asian champion
while Thapa is a World Championship bronze-medallist.
Days –
World Autism Awareness Day 2016 celebrated across the world
- The World Autism Awareness Day
2016 was celebrated across the world on 2 April 2016. The 2016 theme for the
day is Autism and the 2030 Agenda: Inclusion and Neurodiversity. - World Autism Awareness Day is an
internationally recognised day, encouraging Member States of the United Nations
to take measures to raise awareness about children with autism throughout the
world. - It was designated by the United
Nations General Assembly resolution 62/139. World Autism Awareness Day, passed
in council on 1 November 2007 and adopted on 18 December 2007. - This resolution was passed and
adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to
previous UN initiatives to improve human rights.
International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
observed
observed
- International Day of Mine
Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action was observed on 4 April 2016 across the
world. The theme of the year 2016 is Mine Action is Humanitarian Action. - The theme of the day draws people
across the world to work together to advance the goal of a world free of the
threat of mines and explosive remnants of war. It is because mine action saves
lives.
World –
Panama Papers link global politicians in offshore deals, several
Indians named
Indians named
- A new investigation by the
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and more than 100
other news organisations around the globe reveal offshore links of some of the
planet’s most prominent people, including over 500 from India. - “In terms of size, the
Panama Papers is likely the biggest leak of inside information in history –
more than 11.5 million documents – and it is equally likely to be one of the
most explosive in the nature of its revelations,” the consortium said of
its investigation published on Sunday. - In India, The Indian Express ran
several pages of the investigation reports alleging among other names that
bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were directors in
companies in Panama. The two did not immediately respond despite efforts to
contact them. Rai’s media adviser told the newspaper that the information was
false. - In 2004, India legally allowed
investments abroad by companies, and later individuals, through the Liberalised
Remittance Scheme.
Nuclear Security Summit 2016 concluded in Washington DC
- The 2016 Nuclear Security Summit
concluded on 1 April 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,
Washington, D.C., United States. - The fourth edition of the
conference, which commenced on 31 March 2016, succeeded the 2014 Nuclear
Security Summit. The summit was organised by the Nuclear Energy Institute
(NEI). - The summit was attended by over
50 World leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the summit, the
world leaders pledged to reduce nuclear stocks and protect the active
inventories from falling into the hands of terrorists, which could prove to be
catastrophic. However, leaders or representatives of Russia, North Korea, Iran
and Belarus remained absent from the summit.
Obituaries –
Former AC Milan player Cesare Maldini died
- The former A.C. Milan defender and
Italy manager Cesare Maldini died on 3 April 2016 in Milan, Italy. He was 84. - At club level, Maldini won 4
Serie A league titles and 1 European Cup with Milan. Internationally, he played
for the Italian national team, earning 14 caps and participating in the 1962
World Cup. - As a coach, he had a successful
career in charge of the Italian Under-21 side, winning the European Under-21
Championship a record three consecutive times.
Former Bombay Ranji player Ranjan Baindoor passes away
- Ranjan Baindoor, former Bombay
Ranji Trophy allrounder, passed away here on Monday morning. Baindoor was 60. - Baindoor was the chairman of the
MCA under-19 selection committee. - Baindoor underwent a prostrate
operation last January, but still travelled to see the Mumbai under-19 team in
action against Uttar Pradesh in the Cooch Behar Trophy final at the Sachin Tendulkar
Gymkhana at Kandivali. - Baindoor played four matches for
Railways in 1974-75 and 12 matches (267 runs & 19 wkts) for Bombay from
1975-76 to 1983-84. He was in the Sunil Gavaskar led Ranji Trophy winning
Bombay against Delhi in 1983-84. After being hit on his right hand in the
second innings, Baindoor, did not bowl and thereafter he retired from first
class cricket.
British comedian Ronnie Corbett passed away
- British entertainer Ronnie
Corbett, best known for BBC comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies, died on 31
March 2016. He was 85. - Corbett achieved prominence in
David Frost’s 1960s satirical comedy programme The Frost Report and subsequently
starred in sitcoms such as No – That’s Me Over Here!, Now Look Here and Sorry!.
Oscar winning actress Patty Duke died
- Patty Duke, an acclaimed actress
who won an Oscar for her role of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, died of
sepsis from a ruptured intestine on 29 March 2016. She was 69. - Duke struggled with mental
illness, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982. Later, she turned
up to be an advocate of mental health issues and wrote a book highlighting
bipolar disorder and its treatments. She also used her fame to fight for others
struggling with the disease.
Renowned Iraqi-British Architect Zaha Hadid died
- Zaha Hadid, the first woman to
receive the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) gold medal, died on 31
March 2016 due to heart attack in Miami. The Iraqi-born British architect died
at the age of 65. - In 2004, Hadid became the first
woman and first Muslim recipient to win the Pritzker Prize, known as the Nobel
for architecture.
Renowned journalist Babu Bharadwaj died
- Veteran journalist and writer
Babu Bharadwaj died of cardiac arrest on 30 April 2016 in Kozhikode. He was 68. - Bharadwaj had been a part of
prominent print and television media in Kerala. Kalapangalkkoru Grihapadam, a
novel penned by him, won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 2006. - Bharadwaj’s other famous works
include Pravasiyude Kurippukal, Shavaghoshayathra (novelettes), Puppet Theatre
(short story collection), Pravasiyude Vazhiyambalangal and Adrushya Nagarangal. - The writer had also produced a
Malayalam movie named Iniyum Marichittillatha Nammal in 1980. It was directed
by Chintha Ravi.
Regards
Team ExamPundit
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