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Current Affairs Magic Current Affairs Magic April 24 to 30, 2018 www.globalias.in 1 Weekly Current Affairs Update For the Week: April 24 to 30, 2018 HEADLINES Section A: INDIA Vice President rejects Impeachment Motion against CJI Dipak Misra Defence Acquisition Council approves procurement of Nag missile system, 127 mm calibre guns LCA Tejas carries out successful test firing of BVR missile Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ conducted Indian Navy gets third Landing Craft Utility Amphibious Ship at Andaman Island UGC releases list of 24 ‘self-styled’, fake varsities in country IIMC launches online course for health journalists HRD Ministry launches Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-2 Mobile app launched to help govt employees apply for official accommodation PM launches Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in MP on Panchayati Raj Day Govt to relax Restricted Area Permit regime in Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Govt returns recommendation to collegium on elevation of Justice K M Joseph as SC judge Indu Malhotra takes oath as SC judge Durishetty Anudeep tops 2017 Civil Services examination Sudhakar Reddy unanimously re-elected CPI general secretary Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD Foreigners can travel to Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur unrestricted India, Nepal to conduct comprehensive review of bilateral trade treaty India hands over helicopter, tanks to Bangladesh as 1971 memorabilia Wagah-like retreat ceremony held at Indo-Bangladesh border Bangladesh, Nepal launch trial bus service through India India, Malaysia to hold military exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ from April 30 India, Mongolia to enhance bilateral trade, investments Meetings of defence and foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in Beijing PM of India and President of China hold 2-day informal summit in Wuhan India to participate in SCO’s Peace Mission military exercise in Russia Section C: WORLD Kim, Moon agree on Korean Peninsula’s complete denuclearisation UNSC extends mandate of UN mission for Western Sahara UN-EU conference raises $4.4 billion in aid for Syria India’s ranking in press freedom falls to 138 U.S. court directs Trump Administration to resume DACA International Buddhist Conference concludes in Lumbini World Malaria Day observed on April 25 World Book and Copyright Day observed on April 23 World Intellectual Property Day observed on April 26 International Girls in ICT Day observed on April 26 World Day for Safety and Health at Work observed on April 28 Uzbekistan to join Turkmenistan-India gas pipeline project Nicaragua’s President scraps reform that sparked deadly protests UN chief appoints Christine Burgener of Switzerland as special envoy on Myanmar Mike Pompeo sworn-in as US Secretary of State US Senate confirms Paul Nakasone as new director of National Security Agency Pakistani playwright Madeeha Guahar dies at 62 Mario Abdo Benitez elected President of Paraguay

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Page 1: Current Affairs Magic Weekly Current Affairs Update ... · Current Affairs Magic Weekly Current Affairs Update Current Affairs Magic April 24 to 30, 2018 2 • Michael Anderson, director

Current Affairs Magic

Current Affairs Magic April 24 to 30, 2018 www.globalias.in

1

Weekly Current Affairs Update

For the Week: April 24 to 30, 2018

HEADLINES

Section A: INDIA

• Vice President rejects Impeachment Motion against CJI Dipak Misra

• Defence Acquisition Council approves procurement of Nag missile system, 127 mm calibre guns

• LCA Tejas carries out successful test firing of BVR missile

• Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ conducted

• Indian Navy gets third Landing Craft Utility Amphibious Ship at Andaman Island

• UGC releases list of 24 ‘self-styled’, fake varsities in country

• IIMC launches online course for health journalists

• HRD Ministry launches Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-2

• Mobile app launched to help govt employees apply for official accommodation

• PM launches Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in MP on Panchayati Raj Day

• Govt to relax Restricted Area Permit regime in Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar

• Govt returns recommendation to collegium on elevation of Justice K M Joseph as SC judge

• Indu Malhotra takes oath as SC judge

• Durishetty Anudeep tops 2017 Civil Services examination

• Sudhakar Reddy unanimously re-elected CPI general secretary

Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

• Foreigners can travel to Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur unrestricted

• India, Nepal to conduct comprehensive review of bilateral trade treaty

• India hands over helicopter, tanks to Bangladesh as 1971 memorabilia

• Wagah-like retreat ceremony held at Indo-Bangladesh border

• Bangladesh, Nepal launch trial bus service through India

• India, Malaysia to hold military exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ from April 30

• India, Mongolia to enhance bilateral trade, investments

• Meetings of defence and foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in Beijing

• PM of India and President of China hold 2-day informal summit in Wuhan

• India to participate in SCO’s Peace Mission military exercise in Russia

Section C: WORLD

• Kim, Moon agree on Korean Peninsula’s complete denuclearisation

• UNSC extends mandate of UN mission for Western Sahara

• UN-EU conference raises $4.4 billion in aid for Syria

• India’s ranking in press freedom falls to 138

• U.S. court directs Trump Administration to resume DACA

• International Buddhist Conference concludes in Lumbini

• World Malaria Day observed on April 25

• World Book and Copyright Day observed on April 23

• World Intellectual Property Day observed on April 26

• International Girls in ICT Day observed on April 26

• World Day for Safety and Health at Work observed on April 28

• Uzbekistan to join Turkmenistan-India gas pipeline project

• Nicaragua’s President scraps reform that sparked deadly protests

• UN chief appoints Christine Burgener of Switzerland as special envoy on Myanmar

• Mike Pompeo sworn-in as US Secretary of State

• US Senate confirms Paul Nakasone as new director of National Security Agency

• Pakistani playwright Madeeha Guahar dies at 62

• Mario Abdo Benitez elected President of Paraguay

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• Michael Anderson, director of ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, dies at 98

• Khawaja Asif disqualified as Pakistan Foreign Minister

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• CSIR ties up with DoT for synchronising telecom network with Indian Standard Time

• NITI Aayog to open applications for Atal New India Challenge

• Australia to spend $379 million to save Great Barrier Reef from climate change

• BARC develops cheaper, lightweight bulletproof jackets named Bhabha Kavach

• Giant mosquito found in China’s Sichuan province

• New frog species takes historical name of Goa

Section E: AWARDS

• BCCI announces winners of C.K. Nayudu Life Time Achievement Award

• Mahmoud Abu Zeid wins UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Prize

• Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashaschandra wins Saraswati Samman for “Vakhar”

• CSIR bags National Intellectual Property Award, 2018

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

• NSE, BSE launch online platforms to bring in retail participation in govt securities

• IISL launches Nifty equity savings index for mutual funds

• MFIN appoints Harsh Shrivastava as new CEO

Section G: ECONOMY

• India receives $69 bn remittances in 2017; retains top slot

• Forex reserves fall $ 2.49 bn to $ 423.58 bn

• Govt sets foodgrain production target at 284 MT for 2018-19

• Exports from SEZs up 15% in 2017-18: EPCES

• $125-mn loan agreement inked with World Bank for nurturing innovation

• Fitch retains India rating at ‘BBB-’, stable outlook

• Agriculture Ministry launches portal to help export of seeds

• India’s global trade rises 16% to $ 767.9 bn in 2017-18

• Govt bans import of yellow peas for three months

• Cabinet approves restructured National Bamboo Mission

• Cabinet approves pacts for supply of iron ore to Japan and South Korea

• Tripti Patra Ghosh appointed CMD of state-owned SPMCIL

Section H: CORPORATE

• TCS becomes 1st Indian company to close trading session with $100 bn m-cap

• NCLAT stays CCI penalty of Rs 136 cr on Google in search bias case

• ITC ties up with NITI Aayog to train 2 lakh farmers to increase income

• Ford India launches compact utility vehicle Freestyle

• CCI approves Tata Steel’s acquisition of debt-ridden Bhushan Steel

• Google most trusted Internet brand in India: Report

• Bharti Infratel, Indus Towers to merge

• Dalmia Bharat adopts Red Fort

• Tourism Ministry launches 360-degree Virtual Reality video on Incredible India

• Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar assumes additional charge as Coal India CMD

• S. Jaishankar appointed global corporate affairs head, Tata Sons

• IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh resigns; Rahul Bhatia named interim CEO

• Chetan Bhagat signs six books deal with Amazon Publishing

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Section I: STATES

• Himachal CM launches Central health schemes

• Uttarakhand HC declares practice of solitary confinement as unconstitutional

• India signs USD 210-mn loan pact with World Bank for MP roads

• J&K govt. approves implementation of 7th Pay Commission

• Punjab to rename Gol Chowk in Phagwara as ‘Samvidhan (Constitution) Chowk’

• PHDCCI, Indian Yoga Association sign MoU to promote tourism in Krishna Circuit

• PM Modi releases commemorative postage stamp on former UP CM Bahuguna

• CISF takes over security of Aadhaar Centre in Gurugram

• Development Plan for Mumbai unveiled, city gets more land for housing and commercial spaces

• E. Godavari in AP becomes country’s first district with complete LED street

• Kerala CM launches pension scheme for those living outside the state

• AFSPA removed from Meghalaya completely, partly in Arunachal

• Bhaichung Bhutia launches ‘Hamro Sikkim Party’

• Shooter Gauri Sheoran made brand ambassador for Haryana’s health programmes

• Former AP Assembly Speaker Ramachandra Reddy dies at 89

Section J: SPORTS

• Kento Momota, Tai Tzu Ying win Singles titles at Badminton Asia Championships

• BAI recommends Sikki Reddy for Arjuna Award

• India win three golds at Belgrade International Boxing

• ICC converts Champions Trophy into World T20

• BCCI recommends Dravid for Dronacharya and Kohli for Khel Ratna awards

• Shikhar Dhawan, Smriti Mandhana recommended for Arjuna awards

• Shreyasi Singh, Shahzar Rizvi among four shooters recommended for Arjuna awards

• Former France football coach Henri Michel dies at 70

• Brazilian women claim seventh Copa, qualify for World Cup and Olympics

• Prajnesh Gunneswaran wins Men’s Singles title at Kunming Open ‘tennis

• Tennis player Ankita Raina included in TOPS

• Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri recommended for Arjuna Award

• Rafael Nadal wins Men’s Singles title at Barcelona Open tennis

• Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

• Railways promotes weightlifter Mirabai Chanu to officer rank

• Indian fencer Bhavani Devi wins silver medal at Reykjavik tourney

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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

Vice President rejects Impeachment Motion against CJI Dipak Misra

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on April 23, 2018 rejected the Impeachment Motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra.

On April 20, the opposition parties led by Congress moved the impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha, seeking the removal of CJI Misra under Article 217

read with article 124 (4) of the Constitution of India. The motion was signed by 64 sitting members of the House.

As per Article 124 (4), “A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by

each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of

that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or

incapacity.

Defence Acquisition Council approves procurement of Nag missile system, 127 mm calibre guns

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on April 27, 2018 approved Capital Acquisition Proposals of over Rs 3,687 crore including the DRDO-designed NAG

Missile System and thirteen 127 mm calibre guns for the Navy.

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, approved the procurement of NAG Missile System (NAMIS) at the cost of Rs 524 crore.

NAMIS has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will boost indigenisation, besides being a

reflection of India’s growing technological prowess. The system includes a third generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile, the NAG, along with the Missile Carrier

Vehicle (NAMICA).

The DAC also approved procurement of thirteen 127 mm calibre guns for the Navy. These guns will be fitted on-board new ships for undertaking surface

engagements including naval gunfire support operations. The guns will enable naval ships to provide fire support and engagement of targets on the land.

They have engagement range of 24 km which could be extended by using Extended Range Gun Munitions (ERGM).

LCA Tejas carries out successful test firing of BVR missile

In a major milestone, indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has successfully fired an air-to-air beyond visual (BVR) range missile,

demonstrating its overall capability as an effective combat jet, and inched closer to receive final operational clearance. The test firing of the missile from a

Tejas jet was carried out off the Goa coast on April 27, 2018 and it met all operational requirements.

“The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) successfully fired Derby air-to-air BVR Range missile to expand the firing envelope as well as to demonstrate safe operation

of the aircraft,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, Tejas was given clearance for deployment of armaments and other missiles. The Indian Air Force (IAF) had ordered 40 Tejas Mark-1 version and a

request for proposal (RFP) was issued to HAL by the IAF in December for procurement of another batch of 83 Tejas at a cost of around Rs 50,000 crore.

The successful launch of the BVR missile will expedite issuance of the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) to the aircraft developed by state-run aerospace

company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman complimented the DRDO and other agencies involved in making Tejas a world-class aircraft. DRDO Chairman S

Christopher said with this firing, the Tejas has achieved another major milestone towards FOC certification.

Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ conducted

The Indian Navy conducted a two-day Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ on April 24-25, 2018 off the coast of Kerala, Mahe, and Lakshadweep and

Minicoy (L&M) Islands. The aim of the exercise was to enhance and assess the preparedness of all agencies towards dealing with an asymmetric threat

emanating from the sea. As many as four ships and three Fast Interceptor Craft (FICs) of Indian Navy and five ships of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) along with a

Dornier Aircraft from both IN & ICG each were deployed off Kerala and L&M coast. Boats and personnel from Coastal Police, Marine Enforcement Wing

(MEW), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Customs, Fisheries department and Port authorities also took part in the exercise.

Indian Navy gets third Landing Craft Utility Amphibious Ship at Andaman Island

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The Indian Navy has inducted the third ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV project at Port Blair. The ship was commissioned as INLCU L53 by Vice

Admiral Bimal Verma, commander-in-chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command, of the Indian Armed Forces’ tri-service command. The command oversees India’s

Andaman and Nicobar Island territories, including the strategic Strait of Malacca in the Indian Ocean.

UGC releases list of 24 ‘self-styled’, fake varsities in country

The University Grants Commission has released a list of 24 “self-styled” and fake varsities across the country including eight in the national Capital. These

universities have been declared as fake and are not entitled to confer any degrees.

The fake universities which have been found functioning in Delhi include Commercial University, United Nations University, Vocational University, ADR-

Centric Juridical University, Indian Institution of Science and Engineering, Viswakarma Open University for Self-employment, Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya and

Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya.

Other universities which have been identified as fake include one each from Pondicherry, Aligarh, Bihar, Rourkela, Odisha, Kanpur, Pratapgarh, Mathura,

Kanpur, Nagpur, Kerala, Karnataka, Bihar and two universities in Allahabad.

IIMC launches online course for health journalists

The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), along with the Thomson Reuters Foundation and UNICEF, has launched an online course on critical

appraisal skills (CAS) for journalists covering healthcare news on April 25, 2018. The World Immunization Week, being was observed worldwide from April 24

to 30.

HRD Ministry launches Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-2

Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar launched the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-2 in New Delhi on April 26, 2018. The initiative provides

students an opportunity to learn about basic challenges faced by rural people and to bring out practical solutions for their betterment. He advised students

to involve local villagers at every stage of problem identification and solving issues relating to health, cleanliness, waste management, plantation and financial

inclusion.

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Mobile app launched to help govt employees apply for official accommodation

The Central government employees can now apply for government flats under General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) in Delhi through mobile

App. Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on April 24, 2018 launched the App (m-Awas) which will facilitate the government employees to

apply as well as view the waiting and allotment lists. A total number of 61,317 residential accommodations of various types are available in Delhi for

allotment to the Central government employees.

PM launches Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in MP on Panchayati Raj Day

On National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan at Ramnagar in Mandla district

of Madhya Pradesh. The Central government scheme aims at making rural local bodies self-sustainable, financially stable and more efficient. The programme

seeks to address critical gaps that hinder the success of Panchayats by enhancing their capacities and effectiveness and promote devolution of powers and

responsibilities.

On the occasion, Modi unveiled a roadmap for development of tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh over the next five years. Under the plan, Rs 2 lakh crore will be

spent for development of areas under tribal panchayats.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of an LPG bottling plant of the Indian Oil Corporation at Maneri. He honoured panchayats for their achievements in

implementing the government’s e-governance scheme, making villages under their jurisdiction open defecation-free (ODF) and also smokeless by switching

from conventional fuel to LPG. He also lauded them for achieving 100 per cent vaccination under Mission Indradhanush and total electrification under the

Saubhagya Scheme.

April 24 marks the passing of the Constitution Act (73rd Amendment), 1992, that came into existence with effect from April 24, 1993. The enactment of the

73rd amendment is applauded as a defining moment in history as it permits states to take steps to organize village panchayats and provide them with

necessary powers and authority necessary to help them to function as units of self-government.

Govt to relax Restricted Area Permit regime in Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar

The Restricted Area Permit regime in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep will be relaxed for tourism promotion. This was decided during a

meeting of Island Development Agency chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on April 23, 2018.

RECENT BOOKS

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NEWSMAKERS

Govt returns recommendation to collegium on elevation of Justice K M Joseph as SC judge

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The Government on April 26, 2018 returned the collegium’s recommendation to elevate Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph as a Supreme

Court judge, saying the proposal was not in accordance with the top court’s parameters and there was adequate representation of Kerala in the higher

judiciary from where he hails.

Justifying its stand of returning the recommendation, the Centre sent a detailed note to Chief Justice Dipak Misra giving reasons to the Supreme Court

collegium for its decision, including that seniority may not be an important consideration to ensure regional representation.

The note of the Union Law Ministry addressed to the CJI, who heads the five-member apex court collegium, said the apex court already has Justice Kurian

Joseph, who was elevated as a Supreme Court judge on March 8, 2013 from the Kerala High Court and there were two other High Court Chief Justices,

Justices T B Radhakrishnan and Antony Dominic, whose parent high court was Kerala.

Indu Malhotra takes oath as SC judge

Senior advocate Indu Malhotra was on April 27, 2018 administered the oath of office as a Supreme Court judge by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, making

her the first woman lawyer to enter the top judiciary directly. With Malhotra joining the bench, the strength of the Supreme Court is now 25, against the

sanctioned strength of 31, including the CJI.

Malhotra, who was designated as a senior advocate in 2007, is the first woman advocate to be directly appointed as the judge of the Supreme Court.

Currently, Justice R Banumathi is the lone woman judge in the apex court.

Justice M Fathima Beevi was the first women judge of the apex court. She was appointed in 1989, 39 years after the Supreme Court was set up in 1950.

Justice Beevi was elevated to the apex court after her retirement as judge of the Kerala High Court.

The second woman judge in the Supreme Court was Justice Sujata V Manohar, who started her career as a judge from the Bombay High Court and rose to

become the chief justice of Kerala High Court. She was elevated to the apex court where she remained from November 8, 1994 till August 27, 1999.

Justice Ruma Pal followed Justice Manohar after a gap of almost five months and became the longest-serving woman judge from January 28, 2000 to June 2,

2006.

After her retirement, it took four years to appoint the next woman judge. Justice Gyan Sudha Misra was elevated to the Supreme Court from the Jharkhand

High Court where she was the chief justice. Her tenure in the apex court was from April 30, 2010 to April 27, 2014.

During her stint, she was joined by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, who served the apex court from September 13, 2011 to October 29, 2014.

Justice Banumathi, who at present is the only sitting woman judge, had joined on August 13, 2014 and would retire on July 19, 2020.

Durishetty Anudeep tops 2017 Civil Services examination

Durishetty Anudeep, a serving Indian Revenue Service officer, has topped the prestigious civil services 2017 examination whose results were declared by the

Union Public Service Commission on April 27, 2018. A total of 990 candidates -- 750 men and 240 women -- have been recommended by the Commission for

appointment to various central government services. Anu Kumari and Sachin Gupta bagged the second and third position respectively. Anudeep, an OBC

candidate, qualified the examination with Anthropology as his optional subject. He has graduated with BE (Electronics & Instrumentation) degree from BITS,

Pilani.

Sudhakar Reddy unanimously re-elected CPI general secretary

Veteran leftist leader G Sudhakar Reddy was unanimously re-elected as the CPI general secretary for the third consecutive term, at the party’s 23rd congress

that concluded in Kollam (Kerala) on April 29, 2018. A 126-member National Council, 11-member Secretariat and 11-member Control Commission and 13

Candidate members were also elected at the congress that began on April 25. Among the prominent faces in the National Council is former Jawaharlal Nehru

University student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. The 76-year old Reddy, a two-time member of Lok Sabha, was first elected as party general secretary in 2012.

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Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

Foreigners can travel to Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur unrestricted

Foreign tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, would now be allowed to visit some of the most pristine locations of the country which,

so far, were out of bounds for them without a special permit.

The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect

from April 1, 2018.

Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states were declared as

protected areas.

The protected areas currently include whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, besides parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,

Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Some parts of Sikkim fall under the protected area regime while others under the restricted area.

India, Nepal to conduct comprehensive review of bilateral trade treaty

India and Nepal have agreed to take steps such as comprehensive review of the existing bilateral trade treaty to further boost two way commerce and

investments between the countries, the commerce ministry said on April 29, 2018.

This was agreed during the meeting of the India-Nepal Inter Government Committee (IGC) on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade

in Kathmandu. The two-day meeting concluded on April 27. Indian side was led by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia. This committee provides a platform for

discussing and reviewing bilateral trade and transit related issues.

Both countries agreed to initiate, by July, a comprehensive review of the bilateral Treaty of Trade which governs the bilateral trade and was last revised in

2009.

The meeting also discussed amendments to the bilateral Treaty of Transit, signed in 1999, to further facilitate transit movement of Nepal’s trade with third

countries by expanding transit points, simplification of procedures, electronic cargo tracking and also enabling movement of Indian cargo through Nepali

territory.

India hands over helicopter, tanks to Bangladesh as 1971 memorabilia

India has handed over to Bangladesh a Mi-4 helicopter and two PT-76 tanks as part of the 1971 Liberation War memorabilia. The gifts are to be showcased at

the Bangladesh army and air force museums. This was disclosed by Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla in April 2018.

The memorabilia included 25 weapons like pistol, rifles, machine guns and mortars alongside a large number of artefact, historical photographs, archival

audio and video clipping, maps and battle records related to the 1971 Liberation War.

India backed Bangladesh’s Liberation War, which began after the sudden crackdown at midnight past on March 25, 1971 in the erstwhile East Pakistan by

Pakistani troops. On December 16, the same year as Pakistan conceded defeat and its troops unconditionally surrendered in Dhaka to the allied forces

comprising the freedom fighters and the Indian Army.

Wagah-like retreat ceremony held at Indo-Bangladesh border

The Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) held a joint retreat ceremony at the Fulbari border near Siliguri (West Bengal) on April

28, 2018, on the lines of the beating retreat programme at Attari-Wagah border. The border guards of the two nations in full regalia lowered their respective

national flags at 3 pm at the integrated check post at the Fulbari-Bangalbandha border. The ceremony was jointly inaugurated by Director Generals of BSF

and BGB, Krishan Kumar Sharma and Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam, respectively by unveiling a plaque and releasing of balloons.

Bangladesh, Nepal launch trial bus service through India

Bangladesh and Nepal have launched a trial bus service between their capitals through India as two buses carrying delegates of the three nations left Dhaka

for Kathmandu. The bus including Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Chairman and 24 other Bangladeshis, 12 Indians, six Nepalese and one

Asian Development Bank (ADB) official left Dhaka on April 23, 2018. The bus would reach Kathmandu on April 26 passing through India’s Siliguri district on

the 1,200-kilometre route. The proposed route will cut short the journey by more than 100 kms, while straightening the way.

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India, Malaysia to hold military exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ from April 30

The Indian and Malaysian armies will hold a two-week military exercise beginning April 30 in Malaysia as part of efforts to bolster defence cooperation. The

joint exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ will take place in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik in Hulu Langat district.

India, Mongolia to enhance bilateral trade, investments

India and Mongolia on April 24, 2018 discussed economic cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, energy, services and IT. In a joint media

briefing with Mongolian Foreign Minister D Tsogtbaatar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in Ulaanbaatar that the two countries agreed to explore

ways to identify new areas of cooperation in all sectors of mutual interest and to enhance bilateral trade and investments.

Meetings of defence and foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation held in Beijing

The meetings of the defence and foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) were attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in Beijing on April 24, 2018. The two meetings were held as part of the preparations for the SCO summit to be

held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June.

PM of India and President of China hold 2-day informal summit in Wuhan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a two-day informal summit at Wuhan (China) on April 27-28, 2018. The two leaders

underlined the importance of building an open, multipolar, pluralist and participatory global economic order which will enable all countries to pursue their

development and contribute to the elimination of poverty and inequality in all regions of the world.

India to participate in SCO’s Peace Mission military exercise in Russia

India and Pakistan will be part of a multi-nation counter-terror exercise in Russia in September, which will also be joined by China and several other countries.

The military exercise called ‘Peace Mission’ will take place under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The main aim of the exercise will be to

enhance counter-terror cooperation among the eight SCO member countries.

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Section C: WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

Kim, Moon agree on Korean Peninsula’s complete denuclearisation

Seoul and Pyongyang have agreed to work together to realise a “complete” denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula following a historic summit between

the two countries’ leaders that came after a gap of over a decade.

The agreement was part of a joint declaration issued after South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a summit at the

truce border village of Panmunjom on April 27, 2018.

“South and North Korea affirmed their shared objective of achieving a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearisation,” said the

declaration signed by both the leaders.

The two Koreas had earlier agreed to denuclearise their countries and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula in their two previous summits held

in 2000 and 2007.

The talks were held after Kim crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), becoming the first North Korean leader to do so since the end of the 1950-53

Korean War.

Pyongyang staged several missile tests since Moon took office in May 2017, while also conducting its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September.

UNSC extends mandate of UN mission for Western Sahara

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for six

months till October 31.

The “Resolution 2414” won the support of 12 of the 15 members of the Security Council on April 29, 2018 while China, Ethiopia and Russia abstained.

The resolution emphasized the importance of a renewed commitment by the parties to advancing the political process in preparation for a new round of

negotiations.

The resolution expressed concern over the presence of the Polisario Front, which is fighting with Morocco for the independence of Western Sahara, in the

buffer strip in Guerguerat, in the south-western tip of the disputed territory, and called for its immediate withdrawal.

Moroccan Ambassador to the UN Omar Hilale said after the adoption of the resolution that there would be no political process without the withdrawal of the

Polisario Front from Guerguerat.

Western Sahara was partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania at the end of Spain’s colonial rule in 1976. When Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario

rebels, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979, Morocco moved to occupy that sector and asserted administrative control over the whole territory.

Fighting broke out between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. A ceasefire was signed in 1991. The UN mission, known by its French

acronym as MINURSO, was deployed that year to monitor the ceasefire and to organise a referendum on self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

UN-EU conference raises $4.4 billion in aid for Syria

International donors at a UN-EU humanitarian conference have pledged $4.4 billion to fund critical aid programmes in war-torn Syria throughout 2018.

Gathered in the Belgian capital April 26, 2018 alongside top officials from over 85 countries and organisations, UN and EU leaders said on April 25, 2018 that

the stalled UN-led Syrian political negotiations, known as the intra-Syrian talks, must be revived.

India’s ranking in press freedom falls to 138

India was ranked 138th in the Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its annual report released on April 25, 2018, blaming “physical

violence” against journalists like Gauri Lankesh as the key reason behind the country’s low ranking. Norway topped the list of having the world’s freest press

for the second year in a row said while North Korea remained the most repressive country followed by Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Syria and then China. India’s

ranking has fallen two places to 138th position in a ranking of 180 countries.

U.S. court directs Trump Administration to resume DACA

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In the biggest setback yet for the Donald Trump administration in its attempt to end a programme that shields some young adults from deportation, a

federal judge ruled on April 24, 2018 that the protections must stay in place and that the government must resume accepting new applications. Judge John

D. Bates of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said that the administration’s decision to terminate the programme, Deferred Action for Childhood

Arrivals (DACA), was based on the “virtually unexplained” grounds that the programme was “unlawful”.

International Buddhist Conference concludes in Lumbini

The International Buddhist Conference was organised in Lumbini (Nepal), the birth place of Gautama Buddha, on April 29-30, 2018. In his concluding remarks,

Prime Minister of Nepal K. P. Sharma Oli said that deliberations on Gautama Buddha’s immortal teachings have great relevance in the contemporary world.

Participants from more than 20 countries including India attended two-day conference. It was organised as part of 2562nd Buddha Jayanti celebrations.

World Malaria Day observed on April 25

World Malaria Day was observed on April 25, 2018 with “Ready to beat malaria” as its theme. Malaria is caused by plasmodium parasite and is transmitted in

humans through the bite of Anopheles mosquito. This year’s theme marks the importance of collective responsibility and commitment of the global malaria

community in bringing together people on working towards a world free of malaria.

World Book and Copyright Day observed on April 23

World Book and Copyright Day was observed on April 23, 2018. World Book Capital for 2018 is Athens, Greece. Each year, UNESCO and the international

organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry - publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a one-year

period, effective 23 April each year. The city of Athens was chosen for the quality of its activities, supported by the entire book industry. The aim is to make

books accessible to the city’s entire population, including migrants and refugees.

World Intellectual Property Day observed on April 26

The World Intellectual Property Day was observed on April 26, 2018. The aim is to learn about the role that intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks,

industrial designs, copyright) play in encouraging innovation and creativity. This year’s theme was ‘powering change: Women in innovation and creativity’.

The aim of the day is to spread awareness about the role that intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright) play in

encouraging innovation and creativity. WIPO’s member states designated April 26 – the day on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970 – as

World IP Day with the aim of increasing general understanding of IP. Francis Gurry is the Director General of World Intellectual Property organization (WIPO).

International Girls in ICT Day observed on April 26

The annual ‘International Girls in ICT Day’ was observed on April 26, 2018 around the world. The day is meant to encourage girls and women to pursue

careers in the field of information and communications technology. Houlin Zhao is the Secretary-General of the UN International Telecommunication Union

(ITU). The Day is marked annually on the fourth Thursday in April.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work observed on April 28

World Day for Safety and Health at Work was observed on April 28, 2018. It is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It

is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003.

Uzbekistan to join Turkmenistan-India gas pipeline project

Uzbekistan plans to join an $8 billion project to build a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on April 23,

2018. Turkmenistan, which sits on the world’s fourth-biggest gas reserves and borders Afghanistan, started this year laying the Afghan section of the pipeline

which will also cross Pakistan.

Nicaragua’s President scraps reform that sparked deadly protests

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega has agreed to scrap a highly-controversial reform of the country’s pension law that sparked four days of violence,

leaving 24 people dead. In talks with business leaders in capital Managua on April 22, 2018, Ortega said the Nicaraguan Institute for Social Security (INSS)

had decided to axe the reform that would have increased employee contributions and reduced benefits in a bid to tamp down on a climbing deficit.

NEWSMAKERS

UN chief appoints Christine Burgener of Switzerland as special envoy on Myanmar

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Christine Schraner Burgener of Switzerland as his new special envoy on Myanmar. Until her

appointment, she was the Ambassador of Switzerland to the Germany since 2015. Burgener has over 25 years of experience in diplomacy having served in

various high-level government positions in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Since August 2017, nearly 700,000 minority Muslim Rohingyas

have fled violence in Myanmar across the border into Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, joining several hundred thousand more that were already settled there in

overcrowded camps.

Mike Pompeo sworn-in as US Secretary of State

Mike Pompeo was sworn in as the 70th US Secretary of State in Washington in April 26, 2018, after the Senate voted to confirm installing the former CIA

Director as the nation’s top diplomat. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito administered the oath. The Senate voted 57-42 to confirm Pompeo. Trump had

sacked his first Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in March.

US Senate confirms Paul Nakasone as new director of National Security Agency

The Senate on April 24, 2018 confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick Paul Nakasone to lead the National Security Agency and the US Cyber Command.

They also approved his military promotion to general. Nakasone is replacing the current director, Mike Rogers, who is retiring.

Pakistani playwright Madeeha Guahar dies at 62

Renowned Pakistani playwright and director Madeeha Gauhar, who was the founder of Ajoka theatre, died in Lahore on April 25, 2018 at the age of 62.

Known for her commitment to theatre for social change and promoting peace between Pakistan and India, Gauhar set up Ajoka Theatre in 1983 and regularly

collaborated with Indian artists. Ajoka performed in India on various occasions. In 2006, Gauhar became the first Pakistani woman to be honoured with the

prestigious Prince Claus Award for her leadership of Ajoka. The award was given to her by Ambassador of Netherlands..

Mario Abdo Benitez elected President of Paraguay

Mario Abdo Benitez, who represents the country’s long-dominant Colorado conservatives, was elected as president, results revealed in capital Asuncion on

April 23, 2018. Benitez won slightly more than 46 percent of the vote, with his centrist opponent Efrain Alegre lagging behind at 43 percent.

Michael Anderson, director of ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, dies at 98

British director Michael Anderson, best known for his films “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Logan’s Run”, died on April 25, 2018 in Vancouver (Canada) at

the age of 98.

Khawaja Asif disqualified as Pakistan Foreign Minister

In a major blow to the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz party, ahead of Pakistan general elections, the Islamabad High Court on April 26, 2018 ruled that

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif stands disqualified from the Parliament for holding an Iqama (work permit) of the United Arab Emirates. Earlier former

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from the post of the Prime Minister following the charges of corruption.

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Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

CSIR ties up with DoT for synchronising telecom network with Indian Standard Time

The country’s premier scientific body CSIR on April 26, 2018 entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with DoT for synchronising the telecom

network with Indian Standard Time to efficiently handle cyber-related events in the country.

The MoU was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) and the Department of

Telecommunication (DoT) on knowledge sharing for establishing a nationwide time stamping and time synchronisation network.

Presently, the telecom service provider and the Internet service provider are taking the reference time from different sources such as Global Positioning

System (GPS).

NITI Aayog to open applications for Atal New India Challenge

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under the NITI Aayog launched the Atal New India Challenge on April 26, 2018.

Under the Atal New India Challenge, which shall be run in collaboration with five ministries, AIM will invite prospective innovators/MSMEs/start-ups to design

market-ready products, using cutting edge technologies or prototypes across 17 identified focus areas such as Climate Smart Agriculture, Smart Mobility,

Predictive Maintenance of Rolling Stock, Waste Management etc.

Applicants showing capability, intent and potential to productize technologies will be awarded grants up to Rs. 1 crore. This grant will be further

supplemented by mentoring, handholding, incubating and other support as needed at various stages of commercialisation, while generating wider

deployment for the product.

Australia to spend $379 million to save Great Barrier Reef from climate change

The Great Barrier Reef is being given a A$500 million ($379 million) boost by Australia in the battle to save the world’s largest living structure as it faces

mounting challenges such as climate change, agricultural run-off and a coral-eating starfish. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made this announcement on

April 29, 2018.

The Great Barrier Reef is a complex of coral reefs, shoals, and islets in the Pacific Ocean off the northeastern coast of Australia. In 1981 the Great Barrier Reef

was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The funding includes — A$201 million to improve water quality through reducing fertiliser use and adapting new technologies and land management

practices; A$100 million for science research to restore the reef and boost its resilience; A$58 million to fight the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish; A$45

million for sea country management, coastal clean-up days and to raise awareness; and A$40 million to enhance reef-health monitoring.

The new funding comes after Deloitte Access Economics valued the reef last year at A$56 billion, based on an asset supporting tens of thousands of jobs and,

which contributes A$6.4 billion a year to the economy. A study released in Nature in April 2018 showed about 30 per cent of the reef died off in 2016 during

an extended marine heatwave.

BARC develops cheaper, lightweight bulletproof jackets named Bhabha Kavach

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed a next-generation bulletproof jacket that is not only cheaper also much lighter. Named Bhabha

Kavach, named after Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, the jacket was developed at BARC’s Trombay centre in Mumbai in response to a request from the Central Reserve

Police Force (CRPF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The jacket weighed just 6.6 kg in comparison to the 17-kg jackets in use, and had passed over 30 tests

carried out by certified agencies.

Giant mosquito found in China’s Sichuan province

A super-sized mosquito with a wingspan of 11.15 centimetres has been found in China’s Sichuan province, entomologists said. According to the curator of

the Insect Museum of West China, the mosquito belongs to the world’s largest mosquito species Holorusia mikado. The mosquito feeds on nectar, not blood.

New frog species takes historical name of Goa

In the highland plateaus of the Western Ghats parts of Goa, scientists have identified a new species of frog called Fejervarya goemchi. The new species is

named after the historical name of the state of Goa where the species is discovered.

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Section E: AWARDS

BCCI announces winners of C.K. Nayudu Life Time Achievement Award

The BCCI’s awards committee, comprising acting president C.K. Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, and chairman of The Hindu Group N. Ram,

assisted by the BCCI’s GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim, met on April 27, 2018 and announced winners of the C.K. Nayudu Life Time Achievement Award.

The winners are: Pankaj Roy (2016-17), Aunshuman Gaekwad (2017-18), Diana Edulji (2016-17) and Sudha Shah (2017-18). The cash prize for the award is Rs.

25 lakh each.

The awards committee also chose Naren Tamhane and Abbas Ali Baig (2016-17) and Budhi Kunderan (2017-18) for the Special Award. The cash prize for the

category is Rs.15 lakh each.

Pankaj Roy had held Test cricket’s world record opening partnership of 413 with Vinoo Mankad for a little over 51 years. Roy scored 173 and Mankad 231

during the stand against New Zealand in the Madras Test of January 1956. Their record was broken by South Africa’s Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie, who

put on 415 against Bangladesh in Chittagong in February 2008. Roy was also National selector for six years: ‘74-77, ‘82-84 and ‘86-87. He passed away in

February 2001. Roy played 43 Tests from 1951 to 1960, scored 2,422 runs (2220 as an opener and 222 at No. 3) and five centuries.

Anshuman Gaekwad, 65, played 40 Tests from 1974 to 1985, scored 1,974 runs with a highest score of 201 against Pakistan in Jalandhar in 1983. He was

national selector for four years (1992-96) and was national coach from October ‘97 to September ‘99 and again in 1999-2000. Gaekwad also played 15 ODIs.

Diana Edulji is India’s highest wicket-taker in women’s Tests (1976 to 1991); she bowled left-arm spin and took 63 wickets at 25.78 from 20 Tests. She scored

404 runs. Diana also played 34 ODIs, scored 211 runs and claimed 46 wickets at 16.85. She was India’s captain in both formats. Currently, she is a member of

the Committee of Administrators. Meanwhile Edulji on April 28 said she had decided against accepting the Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sudha Shah played 21 Tests from 1976 to 1992, scored 601 runs and took five wickets at 64.20. She also played 13 ODIs, scored 293 runs and took two

wickets at 78.00. She has been India’s coach.

Naren Tamhane was a wicket-keeper from 1955 to ‘61 and Kunderan from 1960 to ‘67. Budhi Kunderan was a batsman.

Abbas Ali Baig played 10 Tests from 1959 to 1966, scored 428 runs, including a century on debut against England at Old Trafford.

Mahmoud Abu Zeid wins UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Prize

Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan, was on April 23, 2018 announced as the laureate of the 2018 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano

Press Freedom Prize. The Prize will be awarded on 2 May on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, celebrated in Ghana this year and whose theme is

Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law. The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, the Colombian journalist who was

assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia, on 17 December 1986. Laureates of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano

Prize receive $25,000.

Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashaschandra wins Saraswati Samman for “Vakhar”

‘Vakhar’, a poetry collection by Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashaschandra has been selected for the 2017 Saraswati Samman. This was announced by the K. K.

Birla Foundation on April 27, 2018. This book was published in 2009. Instituted in 1991, the prestigious award recognises an “outstanding” literary work every

year written in any Indian language and published during the last 10 years. The recipients of the award are given a cash prize of Rs 15 lakhs, a citation and a

plaque. Yashaschandra has also been the recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, Kabir Samman and Padma Shri among others.

CSIR bags National Intellectual Property Award, 2018

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been awarded the National Intellectual Property Award, 2018 for being the top research and

development organisation for patents and commercialisation. The award was handed over by Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu to mark the World

Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2018. CSIR was established in 1942. It runs 38 laboratories and 39 field stations throughout the nation, with a collective

staff of over 12,000 scientists and scientific and technical personnel. Although, it is mainly funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, it operates as

an autonomous body through the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

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Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

NSE, BSE launch online platforms to bring in retail participation in govt securities

Stock exchanges BSE and NSE have announced the launch of online platforms to bring retail investors’ participation in government securities.

The exchanges will act as facilitators for non-competitive bidding under RBI’s auction for government securities (G-Sec) and treasury bills (T-Bills). The

platform will allow retail investors to invest in government securities and hold them in existing demat accounts.

The launch of NSE’s e-Gsec platform will provide investors an opportunity to participate in G-Sec to be auctioned on April 26 and the subsequent weekly

auctions of G-Sec and treasury bills (T-Bills).

The BSE said it would offer an online bidding platform ‘NCB-GSec’ for collecting bids from members on behalf of their clients.

The move comes after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced non-competitive bidding facility to encourage retail participation in the primary market for

government securities.

The Union Budget 2016-17 had announced that RBI will facilitate retail participation in the primary markets through stock exchanges.

Investments in government securities are one of the safer investment options available to retail investors as these are risk free instruments and provide

portfolio diversification and are available for longer investment durations.

IISL launches Nifty equity savings index for mutual funds

The NSE’s arm India Index Services & Products Ltd (IISL) has launched Nifty equity savings index that will serve as a benchmark for equity saving funds

offered by various mutual funds. Similar to the investment philosophy of equity savings funds, this index will capture the performance of a portfolio having

exposure to equity, equity arbitrage and debt instruments. The base date for the index is April 1, 2005 and base value is 1,000. The index is calculated on an

end-of-day basis.

NEWSMAKERS

MFIN appoints Harsh Shrivastava as new CEO

Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) on April 26, 2018 said it has appointed Harsh Shrivastava as it chief executive officer, effective April 25. He will

succeed Ratna Vishwanathan who had stepped down earlier this year. Prior to this, Shrivastava was with Feedback Infra. He has also held senior positions in

Reliance Capital and Srei Infrastructure and Finance.

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Section G: ECONOMY

India receives $69 bn remittances in 2017; retains top slot

India has retained its position as the top remittances receiving country with its diaspora sending about USD 69 billion back home in 2017, the World Bank

said April 23, 2018.

Remittances to low and middle-income countries rebounded to a record level in 2017 after two consecutive years of decline, says the World Bank’s latest

Migration and Development Brief.

Remittances to India picked up sharply by 9.9 per cent to USD 69 billion in 2017, reversing the previous year’s dip, but were still short of USD 70.4 billion

received in 2014.

World Bank said remittance inflows improved in all regions and the top remittance recipients were India with USD 69 billion, followed by China (USD 64

billion), the Philippines (USD 33 billion), Mexico (USD 31 billion), Nigeria (USD 22 billion), and Egypt (USD 20 billion).

Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, grew 7 per cent to USD 613 billion in 2017, from USD 573 billion in 2016.

Forex reserves fall $ 2.49 bn to $ 423.58 bn

After touching a life-time high, the country’s foreign exchange reserves fell by a whopping $ 2.499 billion to $ 423.582 billion in the week to April 20 due to a

decrease in foreign currency assets, RBI data showed on April 27, 2018.

In the previous week, the reserves had surged by $ 1.217 billion to touch a record high of $ 426.082 billion.

It had crossed the $ 400-billion mark for the first time in the week to September 8, 2017, but has since been fluctuating.

The foreign currency assets declined by $ 2.492 billion to $ 398.485 billion. Expressed in the US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of

appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies such as the euro, the pound and the yen held in the reserves.

Gold reserves remained unchanged at $ 21.484 billion in the reporting week, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.

The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) dipped by $ 3 million to $ 1.537 billion.

India’s reserve position with the IMF declined by $ 4 million to $ 2.075 billion.

Govt sets foodgrain production target at 284 MT for 2018-19

The agriculture ministry has set a target to increase foodgrain production by over 6 million tonnes to record 283.7 million tonnes in 2018-19 crop year.

The foodgrain output in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June) is estimated at an all-time high 277.49 million tonnes, as per the second advance estimates

released by the ministry in February.

“IMD has forecast normal monsoon this year, which indicates the likelihood of good crop production in the coming Kharif season,” Agriculture Minister

Radha Mohan Singh said at a national conference on agriculture for Kharif campaign.

Recently, the Indian Meteorological Department forecast that the country will receive “normal” monsoon rainfall this year raised hopes for higher farm output

and a boost to the rain-dependent rural economy. Nearly 50 per cent of India’s cultivable farm-area is dependent on the monsoon, making it lifeline of the

country’s rural economy and agriculture sector. The monsoon will be 97 per cent of long period average (LPA), which is normal for the season.

Exports from SEZs up 15% in 2017-18: EPCES

Exports from special economic zones (SEZs) grew by about 15 per cent to Rs 5.52 lakh crore in 2017-18, the Export Promotion Council for EoUs and SEZs

(EPCES) said on April 23, 2018. EPCES said that while the goods export from these zones stood at Rs 2.74 lakh crore in 2017-18, shipments of services

aggregated to Rs 2.78 lakh crore in the last fiscal. The combined export from SEZs in India of merchandise and software has been to the tune of Rs 5,51,344

crore as against Rs 4,68,567 crore in the last year.

$125-mn loan agreement inked with World Bank for nurturing innovation

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A loan agreement for IBRD credit of $125 million (equivalent) for the ‘Innovate in India for Inclusiveness Project’ was signed with the World Bank in New Delhi

on April 24, 2018.

The objectives of the project are to nurture indigenous innovation, foster local product development and accelerate the commercialisation process by

bridging critical skill and infrastructure gaps to promote affordable and innovative healthcare products generation for inclusive development and increasing

competitiveness in India.

The project would support consortia of the public, private, and the academic institutions to overcome the key market failures currently holding back the

development of the innovative biopharmaceutical and medical devices industry in India.

Fitch retains India rating at ‘BBB-’, stable outlook

Global credit rating agency Fitch on April 27, 2018 affirmed India’s sovereign rating at ‘BBB-’ with ‘stable’ outlook, saying that the country’s medium-term

growth potential is strong. ‘BBB-’ rating indicates lowest investment grade. It projected India’s growth at 7.3 per cent in current the fiscal and further to 7.5

per cent in 2019-20. Growth is projected to be 6.7 per cent in the last fiscal, ended March 31.

Agriculture Ministry launches portal to help export of seeds

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on April 26, 2018 launched a portal to facilitate export-import of seeds and planting material. All prohibitions

imposed on the export of seeds of different varieties have been removed so as to encourage export of seeds. With the launch of this portal, Singh said all

organisations importing-exporting seeds will not be required to submit their applications in 20 copies.

India’s global trade rises 16% to $ 767.9 bn in 2017-18

India’s global trade increased by 16.32 per cent to USD 767.9 billion in 2017-18, according to the Commerce Department data on April 25, 2018. In 2016-17,

the trade stood at USD 660.2 billion.

Govt bans import of yellow peas for three months

The government on April 25, 2018 banned import of yellow peas for a period of three months - April to June 2018. Such measures help in curbing cheaper

imports and boost local prices. In 2017, the government had imposed 50 per cent import duty on yellow peas. Other pulses, however, attract zero duty.

“Import policy of yellow peas is revised from free to ‘restricted’ for a period of three months only,” the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a

notification. India is the largest producer of pulses in the world. The target for pulses production is 24 million tonnes for 2018-19, marginally up from 23.95

million tonnes in 2017-18.

Cabinet approves restructured National Bamboo Mission

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on April 25, 2018 approved Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Bamboo Mission (NBM) under

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) during the remaining period of Fourteenth Finance Commission (2018-19 and 2019-20). The mission is

to ensure holistic development of the bamboo sector by addressing complete value chain and establishing effective linkage of producers (farmers) with

industry. The scheme will benefit directly and indirectly the farmers as well as local artisans and associated personnel engaged in the bamboo sector

including associated industries.

Cabinet approves pacts for supply of iron ore to Japan and South Korea

The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25, 2018 approved the renewal of Long Term Agreements (LTAs) for supply of iron ore

(lumps and fines) of grade +64% Fe content to Japanese Steel Mills (JSMs) and POSCO, South Korea for another five years (i.e. 1.4.2018 upto 31.3.2023)

through MMTC Limited.

Tripti Patra Ghosh appointed CMD of state-owned SPMCIL

Senior bureaucrat Tripti Patra Ghosh has been appointed the CMD of state-owned Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), which

produces banknotes and coins among others. Ghosh, a 1994-batch officer of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICAS), has been appointed to the post for a

period of five years.

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Section H: CORPORATE

TCS becomes 1st Indian company to close trading session with $100 bn m-cap

IT bellwether Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on April 26, 2018 became the first Indian company to close the trading session with over USD 100 billion in

market capitalisation (m-cap).

TCS is the country’s most valued firm in terms of market valuation, followed by Reliance Industries Ltd (Rs 6,17,894.97 crore), HDFC Bank (Rs 5,00,930.27

crore), ITC (Rs 3,39,645.53 crore) and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Rs 3,22,785.35 crore) in the top five order.

Before TCS, Reliance Industries Ltd had breached the mark in intra-day trade on October 18, 2007. But, it too had failed to sustain that level and had closed

the session below that coveted number. The market valuation of TCS on April 26 was calculated on the basis of exchange rate of Rs 66.77 against the dollar.

On April 23 TCS had become the first Indian IT company to cross the USD 100 billion mark in market valuation.

NCLAT stays CCI penalty of Rs 136 cr on Google in search bias case

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on April 27, 2018 stayed an order of the Competition Commission that imposed a penalty of Rs 136

crore on Google for unfair business practices in online search market.

While admitting the plea of Google against the order, the NCLAT bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya directed the internet major to

deposit 10% f the penalty amount with it in four weeks. The NCLAT listed the matter for hearing on May 28.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in February this year had imposed a fine of Rs 136 crore on search engine major Google for unfair business

practices in the Indian market for online search. The ruling had come on complaints filed by Matrimony.com and Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS)

against Google LLC, Google India Pvt Ltd and Google Ireland Ltd in 2012.

ITC ties up with NITI Aayog to train 2 lakh farmers to increase income

FMCG major ITC on April 26, 2018 said it has joined hands with NITI Aayog to train 2 lakh farmers to increase their income and raise productivity of major

crops in 25 “aspirational districts” across seven states in the country by 2022.

These 25 aspirational districts are in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The partnership is for a period of

four years up to April 2022 with the prime objective of increasing net returns from farming through reduction in costs of production and increasing

productivity of major crops in each of the identified district.

The NITI-ITC association will cover five districts each in Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, while two each will be in Jharkhand and Rajasthan.

One district of Maharashtra will also be taken into account under this programme.

Launched in January 2018, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ programme aims to quickly and effectively improve the performance of these districts

across identified key performance indicators in sectors, which improve quality of life as well as economic productivity of its citizens.

Ford India launches compact utility vehicle Freestyle

Automobile manufacturer Ford India on April 26, 2018 launched its compact utility vehicle (CUV) -- Ford Freestyle -- available in four variants across two fuel

options. The Freestyle’s petrol variant is priced from Rs 5.09 lakh to Rs 6.94 lakh, whereas the diesel powered version’s cost ranges between Rs 6.09 lakh and

Rs 7.89 lakh.

CCI approves Tata Steel’s acquisition of debt-ridden Bhushan Steel

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given its approval to Tata Steel’s acquisition of debt-ridden firm Bhushan Steel. Tata Steel is to acquire, either

directly or through a wholly owned subsidiary, 75 per cent or more of the total issued and paid up share capital of Bhushan Steel. As on February 1, Bhushan

Steel had a total debt of Rs 57,160 crore. Under the insolvency process, the Committee of Creditors (CoCs) had declared Tata Steel as the successful

resolution applicant for Bhushan Steel.

Google most trusted Internet brand in India: Report

Online search engine Google is the most trusted Internet brand in India, followed by Facebook, the TRA Brand Trust Report 2018 said in New Delhi on April

25, 2018. The survey was carried out during November 2017-January 2018. Facebook was ranked second. E-commerce major Amazon ranked third among

the most trusted Internet brands in the country and e-Bay ranked fourth. The other major e-commerce brand Flipkart was positioned sixth in the brand trust

report.

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Bharti Infratel, Indus Towers to merge

Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers on April 25, 2018 agreed to merge in a deal that will create a USD 14.6 billion firm with world’s second-largest number of

mobile masts. The merged entity will have in its fold more than 163,000 towers across India - largest after China Tower. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone will jointly

control the combined firm. The transaction is subject to regulatory and other approvals, including from CCI, SEBI, NCLT and Department of Telecom. The

merged entity, which will be called Indus Towers Ltd, will remain listed.

Dalmia Bharat adopts Red Fort

Dalmia Bharat Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Tourism for adoption of Red Fort monument under the “Adopt a

Heritage” project. With an estimate over Rs. 5 crore per year, Dalmia Bharat Limited joins ‘Monument Mitras’ from other various private sector companies to

look after the operations and the maintenance of this heritage site for the next five years. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief guest KJ Alphons,

Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) on April 24, 2018. Dalmia Bharat will also adopt Gandikota Fort in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Also GMR Sports, a

part of infrastructure conglomerate GMR Group, and consumer products and cigarette company ITC Ltd have expressed interest in adopting the Taj Mahal

under the Tourism Ministry’s ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme.

Tourism Ministry launches 360-degree Virtual Reality video on Incredible India

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in collaboration with Google India on April 27, 2018 launched a 360-degree Virtual Reality (VR) experience video on

Incredible India portal. Minister of State (IC) for Tourism, K. J. Alphons said that taking virtual reality to the common man at a low/free cost will further enable

an increase in the tourist footfall in iconic monuments and other tourist destinations with a focus on museums.

NEWSMAKERS

Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar assumes additional charge as Coal India CMD

Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar on April 23, 2018 assumed the additional charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned Coal India Ltd. Coal

India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production.

S. Jaishankar appointed global corporate affairs head, Tata Sons

Former Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar was on April 23, 2018 appointed as the new president of Tata Sons’ global corporate affairs. Jaishankar joined

the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1977 holding key roles during his career including stints as High Commissioner to Singapore, Ambassador to China and the

United States. He also played a key role in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. An alumnus of Delhi’s St Stephen’s College and Jawaharlal

Nehru University, Jaishankar served as India’s foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, after which he was succeeded by senior diplomat Vijay

Keshav Gokhale. In his new role, Jaishankar will report to Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran.

IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh resigns; Rahul Bhatia named interim CEO

InterGlobe Aviation, the operator of the budget carrier, IndiGo airlines, announced that Aditya Ghosh, the President and whole-time Director of IndiGo has

stepped down. The company announced on April 27, 2018 that its Chairman, Rahul Bhatia, will function as the interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as well as

the Director of the company.

Chetan Bhagat signs six books deal with Amazon Publishing

English author Chetan Bhagat on April 27, 2018 signed a global deal for next six books with Amazon Publishing with the first book releasing in October this

year. The deal includes three fiction and three non-fiction books to be published globally in print, eBook and audio formats over the course of next five years.

Bhagat is known as the bestselling author of ‘Five Point Someone’ and ‘2 States’.

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Section I: STATES

Himachal CM launches Central health schemes

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in presence of Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on April 28, 2018 launched several Central health schemes

in Kullu for the state.

The schemes are Digital Nerve Centre, LaQshya Programme, Anaemia Mukt Bharat, e-Compliance Programme and a mobile app of the Universal Health

Protection Scheme.

Thakur also laid foundation stone of a 100-bedded mother and child health wing of the regional hospital here to be constructed at a cost of Rs 20 crore. The

state has received Rs 5 crore for the hospital as the first instalment from the central government.

The LaQshya Programme is an initiative to improve the quality of care in the labour rooms and operation theatres and other areas related to mother and

child to reduce proportion of maternal and newborn deaths.

Anaemia Mukt Bharat is a step towards making mothers and children anaemia free, while the mobile app of Universal Health Protection Scheme aims at

achieving universal health coverage and e-Compliance is an endeavour to check tuberculosis and ensure 100 per cent compliance of its treatment.

The Digital Nerve Centre was launched in association with TATA Trust for linking the patients with specialist doctors for world class treatment.

Uttarakhand HC declares practice of solitary confinement as unconstitutional

Uttarakhand High Court has declared the practice of solitary confinement as unconstitutional. The Division Bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Alok

Singh said, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners laid down that solitary confinement shall only be used in exceptional

cases as a last resort. The bench said, it shall not be imposed by virtue of a prisoner’s sentence. It held that the practice not only amounts to additional

punishment but also amounts to torture and is violative of basic human rights. The bench made the observations while upholding the capital punishment

awarded to two convicts by the lower court in a case relating to the gangrape and murder of a 55-year-old woman.

India signs USD 210-mn loan pact with World Bank for MP roads

“The Government of India, the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the World Bank today signed a USD 210 million loan agreement for the Madhya Pradesh

Rural Connectivity Project,” the finance ministry said in a statement on April 24, 2018. The project will cover 10,510 km stretch of rural roads in Madhya

Pradesh that fall under the Chief Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana (CMGSY) programme. Of this 10,000 km will be upgraded from existing gravel to bituminous

surface roads, while 510 km of new roads will be built to the same bituminous surface standard.

J&K govt. approves implementation of 7th Pay Commission

The Jammu and Kashmir government on April 24, 2018 approved implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations for its employees and

pensioners with effect from January 2016. There will be over 20 per cent hike in salaries of employees. The decision would benefit around five lakh employees

and pensioners in the state. The financial implications for the implementations of the 7th pay commission recommendations would be Rs 4,201 crore

annually while financial implications on account of one-time arrears would be Rs 7,477 crore.

Punjab to rename Gol Chowk in Phagwara as ‘Samvidhan (Constitution) Chowk’

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on April 24, 2018 gave in-principle approval for renaming the Phagwara city’s ‘Gol Chowk’ as ‘Samvidhan

(Constitution) Chowk’.

PHDCCI, Indian Yoga Association sign MoU to promote tourism in Krishna Circuit

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and the Indian Yoga Association (IYA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in New Delhi

on April 29, 2018 to facilitate interaction and cooperation between the two organisations to promote wellness, spiritual and cultural tourism in the Krishna

Circuit. The MoU was signed between D K Aggarwal, Vice President, PHDCCI, and Kamlesh Barwal, Secretary General, IYA, in the presence of yoga guru

Ramdev. Places associated with Lord Krishna constitute the Krishna Circuit in Uttar Pradesh. The Centre has been trying to promote it as a major tourist

attraction.

PM Modi releases commemorative postage stamp on former UP CM Bahuguna

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25, 2018 released a commemorative postage stamp on former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Hemvati Nandan

Bahuguna.

CISF takes over security of Aadhaar Centre in Gurugram

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on April 27, 2018 took over the security of the sensitive Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) data centre

at Manesar in Gurugram, the repository of Aadhaar data, to protect it against possible terror strikes or other threats. UIDAI was set up to develop and

implement the necessary institutional, technical and legal infrastructure to issue unique identity numbers, popularly known as Aadhaar, to Indian citizens.

Development Plan for Mumbai unveiled, city gets more land for housing and commercial spaces

The Maharashtra government on April 25, 2018 unveiled the Development Plan (DP) 2034 for Mumbai, paving the way for making more land available to

build homes and commercial spaces.

Infusion of new developable land and increasing the FSI (Floor Space Index) in the island city up to 3 for residential properties are the major takeaways of the

revised development plan, which will be the blueprint for the city’s land use over the next 16 years.

FSI is the ratio of the total built-up area to the total area of a plot. It is basically a tool that defines the extent of construction permissible on a plot. In the new

DP, the FSI for commercial properties is raised up to 5 in the island city from earlier 1.33. For suburbs, new FSI will be up to 2.5 and 5 for residential and

commercial properties, respectively. The existing FSI for the two categories is 2 and 2.5, respectively.

E. Godavari in AP becomes country’s first district with complete LED street

East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh has become the first district in the country to be fully equipped with LED street lights. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu

made a formal declaration in this regard on the occasion of Panchayat Raj Divas on April 24, 2018. Around 3.1 lakh LED street lights have been installed in the

district that would result in saving of 34 million units of power annually.

Kerala CM launches pension scheme for those living outside the state

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on April 21, 2018 launched Pravasi pension scheme. The scheme gives those hailing from Kerala but living outside the

state or country, a pension of Rs.2000 a month. People over the age of 60 years are eligible for the pension. To avail the scheme, one needs to pay Rs.100

every month. They should enroll in the scheme launched by Kerala Pravasi Pension Board. The contribution would be for five years.

AFSPA removed from Meghalaya completely, partly in Arunachal

The AFSPA has been removed completely from Meghalaya and its area of operation in Arunachal Pradesh has been restricted to three police stations

bordering Assam and three districts neighbouring Myanmar. This was disclosed by Home Ministry officials on April 23, 2018

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which empowers security forces to conduct operations, arrest anyone anywhere without prior notice, has been

removed from all areas of Meghalaya from March 31.

In Arunachal Pradesh, areas under AFSPA have been reduced from 16 police stations areas bordering Assam to eight police stations besides Tirap, Changlang

and Longding districts.

NEWSMAKERS

Bhaichung Bhutia launches ‘Hamro Sikkim Party’

Former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia launched his political party “Hamro Sikkim” on April 26, 2018. The party will be based in his native state

Sikkim. Bhutia was a member of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

Shooter Gauri Sheoran made brand ambassador for Haryana’s health programmes

The Haryana government has appointed international shooter Gauri Sheoran the brand ambassador for its two health-related programmes. The decision was

announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at the launch of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in Chandigarh on April 25, 2018. Sheoran

has also been named the brand ambassador for Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), an initiative aimed at covering defects at birth, deficiencies,

diseases, and development delays including disability.

Former AP Assembly Speaker Ramachandra Reddy dies at 89

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Former Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and former Minister P Ramachandra Reddy, died in Hyderabad on April 28, 2018 at the age of 89.

Reddy began practicing as an Advocate in 1956 in Hyderabad, and later shifted to Sangareddy. He was elected to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly

from Sangareddy constituency four times on the Congress ticket and once as an independent. In 1989, Reddy was elected as the Speaker of the Legislative

Assembly. Since 1999, Reddy disassociated himself from the Congress Party. In 2004, he unsuccessfully contested on a BJP ticket from the Medak Lok Sabha

constituency.

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Section J: SPORTS

Kento Momota, Tai Tzu Ying win Singles titles at Badminton Asia Championships

Japan’s Kento Momota defeated Olympic gold-medallist Chen Long in the final 21-17, 21-13 to win Men’s Singles title at the Badminton Asia

Championships in Wuhan, China on April 29, 2018.

Men’s Doubles title was won by Li Junhui & Liu Yuchen (China) who beat Japan’s Takeshi Kamura & Keigo Sonoda 11-21, 21-10, 21-13 in the final.

Women’s Singles title was won by Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei) who beat China’s Chen Yufei 21-19, 22-20 in the final.

Women’s Doubles title was won by Japan’s Yuki Fukushima & Sayaka Hirota who beat their compatriots Misaki Matsutomo & Ayaka Takahashi in the final

21-18, 18-21, 21-15.

Mixed Doubles title was won by Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad & Liliyana Natsir who beat China’s Wang Yilyu & Huang Dongping 21-17, 21-17 in the final.

BAI recommends Sikki Reddy for Arjuna Award

Women’s doubles shuttler N. Sikki Reddy has been recommended for Arjuna Award by the Badminton Association of India (BAI). G Sudhakar Reddy, who

coached Kidambi Srikanth in his early days, has been recommended for Dronacharya Award.

India win three golds at Belgrade International Boxing

Sumit Sangwan (91kg) and Nikhat Zareen (51kg) were among the three gold-medallists in India’s stupendous campaign at the 56th Belgrade International

Boxing Tournament in Serbia. India ended the tournament with three gold, five silver and five bronze medals in all. Sumit defeated Ecuador’s Castillo Torres

in a unanimous 5-0 verdict to claim the top honours on April 28, 2018. Nikhat notched up a 5-0 win over Greece’s Koutsoeorgopoulou Aikaterini to pick up

gold. Himanshu Sharma (49kg) won gold by defeating Algeria’s Mohammed Touareg 5-0 in his final bout.

Signing off with silver medals among women were Jamuna Boro (54kg) and Ralte Lalfakmawii (+81kg). While Jamuna lost to local favourite Andjela Brankovic

1-4, Lalfakmawii went down 2-3 to Turkey’s Demir Sennur. In the men’s draw, Laldinmawia (52kg), Varinder Singh (56kg) and Pawan Kumar (69kg) had to be

content with silver medals. Laldinmawia was beaten 0-5 by Korea’s Kim Inkyn, Varinder lost 2-3 to Brazillian Arilson Goncalves. Pawan was also defeated in a

split verdict, going down 1-4 to Croatia’s Petar Cetinic.

Earlier, Narender (+91kg) had fetched a bronze in the men’s competition. In the women’s competition, Rajesh Narwal (48kg), Priyanka Thakur (60kg), Rumi

Gogoi (75kg) and Nirmala Rawat (81kg) had settled for bronze medals.

ICC converts Champions Trophy into World T20

Terming the 50-over Champions Trophy as “too similar to a World Cup”, ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson on April 26, 2018 said the next edition of the

tournament, in 2021, will be converted into a World T20. Richardson made this announcement at a press briefing held at the end of the five-day ICC quarterly

meet in Kolkata.

Also the ICC has decided to grant T20 International status to all its existing 104 members in a bid to popularize the game across the globe. The move will

effectively mean that a T20 match between Argentina and Papua New Guinea will have international status from now on.

BCCI recommends Dravid for Dronacharya and Kohli for Khel Ratna awards

The BCCI has recommended former India captain Rahul Dravid for the prestigious Dronacharya award and once again nominated Virat Kohli for the Rajiv

Gandhi Khel Ratna honour. Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar’s name has been recommended for Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award.

Shikhar Dhawan, Smriti Mandhana recommended for Arjuna awards

The BCCI on April 25, 2018 recommended India opener Shikhar Dhawan and women’s team player Smriti Mandhana for the Arjuna award.

Shreyasi Singh, Shahzar Rizvi among four shooters recommended for Arjuna awards

Shooters Shreyasi Singh, Ankur Mittal, Shahzar Rizvi and Pooja Ghatkar have been recommended for the Arjuna award by the National Rifle Association of

India (NRAI).

Former France football coach Henri Michel dies at 70

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Former France football coach Henri Michel, who led his country to the 1984 Olympic gold medal, died at the age of 70 in Paris on April 24, 2018. Michel

earned 58 international caps between 1967 and 1980. He took over France’s Olympic men’s squad in 1982, guiding them to the ‘84 gold medal in Los

Angeles where they beat Brazil in the final.

Brazilian women claim seventh Copa, qualify for World Cup and Olympics

The 2018 Copa América Femenina tournament was played in Chile from April 4 to 22, 2018. It is quadrennial international football competition for women’s

national teams in South America. The tournament is held to select teams from the continent for FIFA Women’s World Cup and Summer Olympic Games.

Brazil defended successfully their title winning all their matches.

Prajnesh Gunneswaran wins Men’s Singles title at Kunming Open ‘tennis

Prajnesh Gunneswaran on April 29, 2018 clinched his first ever singles title on the ATP Challenger circuit when he downed Egypt’s Mohammed Safwat in the

final of the Kunming Open in Anning (China) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. The 28-year-old Indian, ranked 260, pocketed USD 21,600 and earned 125 points.

Tennis player Ankita Raina included in TOPS

Tennis player Anikta Raina, who has displayed good form this season both in the Fed Cup and the professional circuit, was on April 28, 2018 included in the

government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Ankita recently broke into the top-200, reaching a career-best 197 in the WTA rankings released

recently. She also became only the third Indian to breach the top-200 mark in women’s singles, jumping 15 places to reach 197. She is the first player to

achieve the feat since Sania Mirza. Before Sania, Nirupama Vaidyanathan had made it to the top-200.

Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri recommended for Arjuna Award

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has decided to recommend the names of star shuttlers Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri for the prestigious Arjuna

Award. Ranked 83rd, Bhambri recently broke back into the top-100 in the ATP men’s singles chart for the first time since February 2016. Bopanna, on the other

hand, continued to lead for India in rankings for men’s doubles as he stood at the 19th place.

Rafael Nadal wins Men’s Singles title at Barcelona Open tennis

Rafael Nadal won the Men’s Singles title at Barcelona Open tennis on April 29, 2018 when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-2, 6-1 in the final.

Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku on April 29, 2018. Kimi Raikkonen finished second for Ferrari while Mexican

Sergio Perez was third for Force India.

Railways promotes boxer Mirabai Chanu to officer rank

Padma Shri awardee Mirabai Chanu, who won India’s first gold at the 21st Commonwealth Games, has been promoted as officer on special duty (sports) in

the North East Frontier Railway, the Indian Railways said on April 27, 2018. Chanu won gold for India at the 2018 Games in the 48-kg category in weightlifting

in Gold Coast, Australia. She was employed as chief ticket inspector, North East Frontier Railway.

Indian fencer Bhavani Devi wins silver medal at Reykjavik tourney

India’s C. A. Bhavani Devi won a silver medal in the sabre event of the Tournoi World Cup Satellite Fencing Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland. The Tamil

Nadu fencer went down 10-15 to USA’s Alexis Browne in the final on April 28, 2018.