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Monthly Digest
April -2018
Dear readers,
This Monthly GK Digest is a complete docket of important news and events that occurred in a month of April 2018. We have
compiled important & expected questions, which can be asked in upcoming Banking interviews and all upcoming Banking &
Insurance exams.
Banking & Financial Awareness
1. A Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) has been signed
between the Indian Army and HDFC Bank on the Defense
Salary Package.
Note: MoU is tailor-made to suit the requirements of serving
soldiers, pensioners, and families. Under the current MoU,
the Army personnel will get free personal accident death
cover and free permanent disability cover of Rs. 30 lakhs. 6.
2. According to 1st Bi-monthly Monetary policy statement for
2018-19, the current repo rate -- 6.0%.
Note:
➢ Keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity
adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.0 percent.
➢ The reverse repo rate under the LAF remains at 5.75
percent. 7.
➢ The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the
Bank Rate at 6.25 percent.
➢ The decision of the MPC is consistent with the
neutral stance of monetary policy in consonance
➢ Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) remains unchanged at 4%.
3. Jana Small Finance Bank has announced the
commencement of its banking operations after a year of
receiving final license from Reserve Bank of India(RBI).
Note: Jana Bank will open 19 branches across 18 States and 8.
expand to 200 banking outlets, including the 25% unbanked
rural branches by June 2018. Jana Bank will also convert the
majority of its MFI branches into full-fledged bank branches.
4. The Direct Tax collections for the fiscal year 2017-18 stood
at 9.95 lakh crore rupees. 9.
Note: The tax collections during the fiscal year 2017-18 have
exceeded the budget estimates of 9.80 lakh crore rupees.
During the last fiscal, 6.84 crore income tax returns were
filed as compared to 5.43 crore returns filed in 2016-17
(growth of 26%).
5. Qatar-based Doha Bank has inaugurated the first branch of
Doha bank in Chennai.
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Note: Now, the total number of branches in the country to
three (earlier Mumbai, Kochi). The Chennai branch will assist
the bank's growing customer base in India offering a host of
services including corporate, retail, treasury, trade, finance
and foreign exchange services. The Doha Bank is one of the
largest commercial banks in the State of Qatar.
The SoftBank has signed a USD 930-million deal with China's
energy conglomerate Golden Concord (GCL) to produce and
sell solar equipment in India.
Note: GCL will invest for a 40% stake in the joint venture,
with SoftBank taking the rest. The project will have a 4
gigawatt-capacity and will produce solar ingots, silicon
wafers, batteries, & component.
The Reserve Bank of India has issued the license sixth
payments bank to carry its business in India -- Jio Payments
Bank Ltd.
Note: Payments bank is a differentiated bank providing a
limited range of products, such as acceptance of demand
deposits and remittances of funds. Jio Payments Bank Ltd. is
a 70-30 joint venture between Ambani’s Reliance Industries
Ltd. and India’s largest lender State Bank of India.
The SBI Life Insurance has appointed Sanjeev Nautiyal as
new Managing Director (MD) and Chief executive officer
(CEO).
Note: Nautiyal replaces Arijit Basu, who takes over a key
role in the State Bank of India Group.
The ICICI Bank has announced to launch a service 'Social
Pay'.
Note: The bank enables Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to send
money to a beneficiary in India using social media platforms
like WhatsApp and e-mail. The service 'Social Pay' is
available on Money2India (M2I), the bank's app for
remittances. This new facility will enable NRIs to send
money conveniently to their friends and family.
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10. According to the Reserve Bank of India, the country's foreign
exchange reserves hit a life-time high of 424.361 billion US
dollar.
Note: Earlier, the reserves had touched a record high of
421.914 billion dollars on February 9. Foreign exchange
reserves are reserve assets held by a central bank in foreign
currencies, used to back liabilities on their own issued
currency as well as to influence monetary policy.
11. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), India’s
economic growth this fiscal is expected to rebound to --
7.3%.
Note: It is tad lower than RBI’s forecast of 7.4% for this
fiscal. Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional
development bank established on 19th December 1966,
headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
12. Transgenders to be recognized as independent gender
category in PAN form.
Note: In new form, a new tick box will provide for the
transgenders to apply for the PAN in Form 49A (PAN
application form for Indian citizens) and 49AA (PAN
application form for individuals not a citizen of India).
Earlier, only male and female gender categories were
available to be chosen on the PAN application form.
13. The State Bank of India (SBI) will invest a total of Rs. 80
billion in the Arun III hydropower project of Nepal.
Note: It has 900 megawatts (MW) electricity production
capacities. After completion of the project, Nepal will get
21.9% of the total electricity produced in a year.
14. In the 2018 annual Index of Economic Freedom released by
the Heritage Foundation, India's economic freedom score is
54.5 points, making its economy at -- 130th.
Note: China has jumped one spot and Pakistan is now at
131 positions. The report also mentioned that Corruption,
underdeveloped infrastructure, a restrictive and
burdensome regulatory environment, and poor financial and
budget management continue to undermine overall
development.
15. India’s GDP forecast for FY20, according to latest Asian
Development Outlook (ADO) 2018 -- 7.6%.
Note: The report also stated that Indian economy grew 6.6
% in FY18
16. According to the data released by the Central Statistics
Office (CSO), the Retail inflation has dipped in March this
year -- 4.28%.
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Note: The rate of increase in price rise slowed for the third
consecutive month (5.2% in December and 5.07% in
January) due to unusual pick up in food prices and rise in
domestic petrol and diesel prices.
17. The Reserve Bank of India has tightened reporting norms for
the Liberalized Remittance Scheme under which an
individual can transfer abroad in a year up to -- 2,50,000 US
Dollars.
Note: Reserve Bank has made it mandatory for banks to file
a daily report of all such transactions. These daily reports
will be accessible to all other banks and make the
verification easier.
18. SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has been
decided to enhance limit for investment by foreign portfolio
investors (FPI) to boost inflows of foreign funds into Indian
capital markets in two tranches from April 12 and October 1.
Note: The move is part of an effort by SEBI to push inflow
from overseas investors in the country’s capital markets. All
the existing sub-categories under the category of corporate
bonds will be discontinued and there would be a single limit
for FPI investment in all types of corporate bonds.
19. Bhuj Mercantile Co-operative Bank has received the
prestigious Banco Award from Telangana Chief Minister K
Chandrashekhar Rao for the best performing cooperative
bank.
Note: The bank was adjudged best among the 1500 co-
operative banks from across the country. The Banco Award
given annually to the top performing cooperative banks
recognize and encourage best practices in the cooperative
banking sector.
20. Yes Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI)
approval to open two representative offices in London and
Singapore.
Note: It will help in further diversification and expansion of
financial services to the NRI diaspora. In the year 2015, Yes
Bank opened its first representative office in Abu Dhabi and
launched IFSC banking unit (IBU) at GIFT City, Gandhinagar.
21. The World Bank has projected a growth rate for India this
year -- 7.3%.
Note: India requires a decisive structural reform momentum
that succeeds in stimulating investment and export growth
while maintaining macroeconomic stability.
22. India signs a loan agreement with World Bank for USD 48
million for Meghalaya Community - Led Landscapes
Management Project (MCLLMP).
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Note: The Objective of the Project is to strengthen Note: NABARD provided financial assistance of Rs 12,240
community-led landscapes management in selected crore as refinance to banks for supplementing the financial
landscapes in the State of Meghalaya. The closing date for resources of the banks in Rajasthan. The Rajasthan
the Project is 30th June 2023.
government had waived off loans of up to Rs 50,000 taken
23. According to the Commerce Ministry data, food articles
by farmers from the cooperative banks.
showed deflation in March at -- 0.29%.
29. State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to allow depositors to
Note: Inflation, based on wholesale prices, eased marginally
withdraw cash from its point of sale (PoS) devices available
to 2.47% in March (previous month-2.48%) on cheaper food
with merchants
articles, especially pulses and vegetables. The Wholesale
Note: According to Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines,
Price Index (WPI) is the price of a representative basket of
customers can withdraw up to Rs. 1,000 per day per card in
wholesale goods. The purpose of the WPI is to monitor price
Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, and Rs. 2,000 per card per day in
movements that reflect supply and demand in industry,
Tier-3 to Tier-6 cities. SBI has a total of 6.08 lakh PoS
manufacturing, and construction.
machines of which 4.78 lakh PoS machines are enabled to
24. The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched new products
dispense cash to the customers of SBI.
such as pre-approved credit card and UPI solution to mark
30. The Standard Chartered Bank has announced an alliance
its 124th foundation day.
with a software products company to offer solutions to
Note: The bank has also announced its UPI partnership with
enhance corporate banking experience -- Zoho.
the expense management app WALNUT, comes embedded
Note: Now, the bank’s business account holders can pay
with features such as bill reminders, bill-split and instant
their suppliers and automate reconciliation right from Zoho
paperless loans.
Books (Zoho’s cloud accounting software). Bank’s corporate
25. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India is
clients can avail benefits of this integration, in addition to
expected to grow in 2018 at -- 7.4%.
supply chain financing for SME retailers.
Note: India will leave its nearest rival China which will grow
31. According to the finance ministry official data, the total
at 6.6 in 2018 and 6.4% in 2019.India has made progress on
deposits in Jan Dhan accounts crossed Rs. 80,000 crores.
structural reforms in the recent past, which will help reduce
Note: The World Bank data indicate that 55% of new bank
internal barriers to trade, increase efficiency, and improve
accounts opened are from India. The number of account
tax compliance.
holders increased to 31.45 crore (as on April 11, 2018) from
26. The Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. became the second most
26.5 crore at the beginning of 2017.
valued bank in the country (after HDFC Bank), in terms of
32. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised "Know Your
market capitalization.
Customer" (KYC) norms to update the 'Prevention of Money
Note: Now, Kotak Mahindra Bank has a market
Laundering' rules in June 2017.
capitalization of 2,22,970.4 crore rupees and SBI market
Note: The RBI made linking of national biometric ID
capitalization stood at Rs. 2,22,043.74 crores. The HDFC
Aadhaar to bank accounts mandatory. However, this will be
Bank remained the country’s most-valuable bank with a
subject to the final decision of the Supreme Court on making
market capitalization of 5.04 lakh crore rupees.
of Aadhaar mandatory. Till now, an Officially Valid
27. According to the TRA Brand Trust Report 2018, State Bank
Document (OVD) for address proof together with
of India (SBI) has become the most trusted bank in the
Permanent Account Number (PAN) issued by the Income Tax
country (both private and public sector) in the Banking and
department and a recent passport size photograph were the
Financial Services Institutions (BFSI) sector.
key KYC documents.
Note: ICICI Bank is spotted in the top slot among private
33. The first listed Indian IT firm to hit USD 100 billion market
sector lenders exclusively. SBI tops the chart of BFSI super-
capitalization (m-cap) -- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
category despite seeing a dip in its overall brand trust index
Note: Market capitalization is the value of a company that is
rankings from 13th (in 2017) to 21st (in 2018).
traded on the stock market, calculated by multiplying the
28. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
total number of shares by the present share price.
(NABARD) has extended total credit support of Rs 14,690
crore to Rajasthan for 2017-18.
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34. The Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has signed Information
Utility pact with National E-Governance Services
Limited(NeSL).
Note: The NeSL is the India’s first IU registered by the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for
bankruptcy cases under the ‘Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Code (IBC) 2016’ in October 2017.
35. In the annual World Press Freedom Index 2018, India’s
ranking in the Press Freedom Index to 138.
Note: The country was ranked 136th (in 2015), gained three
places to 133rd (in 2016). Norway is first for the second year
running, followed as it was last year by Sweden, while North
Korea found itself at the bottom.
36. The union Govt. has entered into a legal agreement with
World Bank for a flexible financing arrangement to
accelerate research towards early development for
biopharmaceuticals.
Note: The mission has been approved at a cost of 250
million dollars for five years with 50% funding through the
World Bank Loan.The aim is to make India a hub for design
and development of novel, affordable and effective
biopharmaceutical products.
37. According to the finance ministry release, the union Govt.
has collected Rs. Seven lakhs 41 thousand crore rupees
from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) during August 2017
to March2018.
Note: This includes one lakh 19 thousand crore rupees of
CGST, one lakh 72 thousand crore rupees of SGST, three
lakhs 66 thousand crore rupees of IGST and over 62
Obituaries
1. Veteran Tamil film director C.V. Rajendran passed away
after a prolonged illness.
Note: Mr. Rajendran had worked with several big names
like Sivaji Ganesan, Jaishankar, Rajinikanth and Kamal
Hassan. His first directorial career was in 1967 with the
Tamil film Anubavam Pudhumai starring R Muthuraman.
Rajendran also produced two films, Vietnam Colony (1994)
and Once More (1997).
2. Former Guatemala dictator Rios Montt passed away at
home.
Note: Mr. Montt ruled Guatemala between 1982 and 1983
and his military government practiced large-scale violations
of human rights and spread counter-insurgency terror
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thousand crore rupees of cess. The total compensation
released to the states for a period of eight months during
2017-18 was over 41 thousand crore rupees to ensure that
the revenue of the states is protected at the level of 14%
over the base year tax collection in 2015-16.
38. The government will soon acquire the stake of Reserve Bank
of India in housing finance regulator National Housing Bank
(NHB).
Note: Currently, RBI holds 100% stake in the NHB. The
Finance Bill 2018 has amended the National Housing Bank
Act, 1987, for transferring RBI’s stake in the NHB to the
government. National Housing Bank (NHB), a wholly owned
subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), was set up on 9
July 1988 under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
39. The central govt. has signed a loan agreement of
USD125million with World Bank for nurturing innovation.
Note: The Ministry of Finance has signed a loan agreement
for IBRD credit of USD 125 million (equivalent) with the
World Bank for the ‘Innovate in India for Inclusiveness
Project in New Delhi.
40. Around 650 Branches of the India Post payments bank are
likely to be operational across the country by next month.
Note: The launch of the postal department's payments bank
will enable more than 1.5 lakh post offices to become access
points for people to avail banking services. India Post
Payments Bank has already set up two branches at Raipur
and Ranchi (on a pilot basis). India Post had received
permission from the RBI to start a payments bank in January
last year.
among the peasantry. Rios Montt was held responsible for
the murders of 1771 indigenous Ixil-Maya people in
Guatemala.
3. The ex-wife of the former president of South Africa Nelson
Mandela Winnie Mandela passed away in a Johannesburg.
Note: She was married to Nelson Mandela for 38 years,
played a key part in the campaign to end white-minority
rule.
4. Malayalam actor Kollam Ajith passed away at a private
hospital.
Note: Ajith acted in over 500 movies. He was known for his
villain roles in Malayalam movies.
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5. Veteran Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader S.
Madhavan passed away in Tamil Nadu.
Note: He had served in the cabinets headed by late C.N.
Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi.
6. The noted Indian painter Ram Kumar passed away.
Note: Mr. Kumar was honored with Padma Shri by in 1972
and Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh government in
1986.
7. The former Chhattisgarh minister and senior BJP leader
Hemchand Yadav has passed away in Delhi.
Note: He was first elected as an MLA from Durg in 1998 and
again in 2003 and 2008.
8. Veteran journalist who worked with several leading
newspapers including The Indian Express, The Statesman
passed away -- S Nihal Singh.
Note: He was the founding editor of The Indian Post (in
1987). He was awarded the prestigious International Editor
of the Year Award in New York for opposing the Emergency
imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
9. Former US first lady passed away -- Barbara Bush.
Note: Barbara Bush was the wife of the George HW Bush
(41st President) and mother of the George W Bush (43rd
President).
10. Indian animation pioneer Bhimsain Khurana passed away
while undergoing dialysis at a hospital in Mumbai.
Note: He known for films like ‘Gharaonda’ (got Film fare
Awards) and for iconic animation shots like”Ek Anek Ekta’
(won him a National Award ) with the unforgettable “ Ek
Chidiya akek chidiya” song.In 1970, he made his debut with
his first animation short “The Climb”, which earned him the
Silver Hugo Award in the Chicago Film Festival.
11. Rajasthan sitting BJP MLA from Mundawar in Alwar passed
away -- Dharampal Choudhary.
Note: He was and suffering from a liver problem for some
time.
New Appointments
1. The new president of NASSCOM (National Association of
Software and Services Companies) -- Debjani Ghosh.
Note: Debjani is the first woman President of
NASSCOM.NASSCOM is the premier trade body and the
chamber of commerce of the IT-BPM industries in India,
with more than 2100 members.
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12. Former Delhi High Court Chief Justice passed away --
Rajinder Sachar.
Note: Justice Sachar was the Chief Justice in Delhi High
Court from 6thAugust to 22nd December 1985.He was the
chairperson of a committee to look at the social, economic
and educational status of Muslims in India.
13. Chief Editor of leading Malayalam daily 'Kerala Kaumadi'
passed away in Thiruvananthapuram -- MS Ravi.
Note: He was Son of Kerala Kaumadi's founder editor K
Sukumaran.He was actively involved in socio-cultural
activities and was the recipient of several awards.
14. One of the world's biggest Swedish dance music stars
passed away in Muscat, Oman -- DJ Avicii (Tim Bergling).
Note: Avicii's club anthems include Wake Me Up, Levels,
and recently, Lonely Together with Rita Ora.
15. Raj Kishore, who passed away recently was associated with
-- Film Industry.
Note: He played the role of one of the prisoners in Ramesh
Sippy-directed “Sholay”.
16. The veteran TV actor Amita Udgata passed away due to
lung failure.
Note: Amita Udgata became a household name after
playing the role of ‘Amma’ in Star Plus’ popular social drama
Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya. Amita was also seen in films like
Sarbjit and Hasee Toh Phasee.
17. The world's oldest person Nabi Tajima passed away in
Japan.
Note: She became the world's oldest person seven months
ago after the death of Violet Brown (also at 117-year) in
Jamaica
18. Noted Telugu poet-composer has passed away --
Balantrapu Rajanikantha Rao.
Note: He wrote and composed the first ever Telugu song
(Mroyimpu Jayabheri) to be broadcast in Independent India
post mid night of August 14, 1947.
2. American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo has become the first
woman to head UN political affairs.
Note: She will replace Jeffrey Feltman overseeing UN efforts
to end conflicts worldwide.
3. A high-powered committee headed by former HRD
Secretary to examine the process by which the Central
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Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts examinations
-- VS Oberoi.
Note: The panel will suggest measures to make the process
secure and foolproof through use of technology. The
committee will submit a report by the 31st of next month.
The move comes following the alleged leak of the Class 10
Mathematics and Class 12 Economics papers.
4. Sierra Leone’s former military junta leader takes oath as the
country’s new President -- Julius Maada Bio.
Note: Bio won Saturday's runoff vote with 51.8% of valid
votes cast. Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, on the
Atlantic Ocean, known for the white-sand beaches lining the
Freetown Peninsula.
5. Himanta Biswa Sarma has been unanimously elected the
Badminton Association of India (BAI) President for four
years.
Note: Sarma had taken over as the interim BAI President last
year after the demise of Akhilesh Das Gupta. Badminton
Association of India (BAI) is the governing body of
badminton in India formed in 1934.
6. Christian Sewing has named as the new Chief Executive
officer (CEO) of Deutsche Bank AG with immediate effect.
Note: He has replaced John Cryan. The Deutsche Bank AG
offers financial products & services for corporate and
institutional clients along with private and business clients.
7. The newly elected Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) --
Ban Ki-moon.
Note: He replaced Yasuo Fukuda (former Japanese Prime
Minister). BFA is a non-governmental and non-profit
international organization committed to promoting regional
economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to
their development goals.
8. Rajesh Ranjan has been appointed as Director General of
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Note: The post was lying vacant after incumbent OP Singh
took over as Director General of the Uttar Pradesh Police in
January this year. CISF secures a host of VVIPs along with
providing armed security to the Delhi Metro network,
seaports, power plants, sensitive government buildings and
airports.
9. Rishad Premji has been appointed as the chairman of IT
industry body Nasscom (National Association of Software
and Service Companies) for 2018-19.
Note: He succeeds Raman Roy, chairman and MD, Quatrro
Global Services, served as chairman of Nasscom for 2017-18.
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The National Association of Software and Services
Companies (NASSCOM) is a trade association of Indian
Information Technology (IT) and Business Process
Outsourcing (BPO) industry established in 1988.
10. Balram Bhargava has been appointed as the new Director
General (DG) of the Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) and Secretary of the Department of Health Research.
Note: He succeeds Soumya Swaminathan.The Indian Council
of Medical Research (ICMR) is the apex body in India for the
formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical
research.
11. The new member of Union Public Service Commission
(UPSC) -- M Sathiyavathy.
12. The new secretary of the Press Council of India (PCI) --
Anupama Bhatnagar.
Note: She succeeded Vibha Bhargava. Earlier, Bhatnagar was
posted as the additional director general (news) in All India
Radio (AIR).
13. Bhanu Pratap Sharma has been appointed chairman of Bank
Board Bureau.
Note: He replaces Vinod Rai (the first chairman of BBB).Mr.
Sharma was former the chairman of recruitment and
assessment centre of DRDO (Defence Research and
Development Organisation) and former Principal Secretary
(Finance) in the Bihar government.
14. Lieutenant General PP Malhotra took over the reins of the
National Cadet Corps (NCC) as its Director General (DG).
Note: NCC is one of the largest uniformed youth
organizations in the world. The National Cadet Corps (NCC)
is the Indian military cadet corps with its Headquarters in
New Delhi, India.It is open to school and college students on
voluntary basis.
15. US Navy veteran Jim Bridenstine will become the 13th
administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration(NASA).
Note: The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration(NASA) is an independent agency of the
executive branch of the United States federal government
responsible for the civilian space program, as well as
aeronautics and aerospace research. Previous full-time
administrator of NASA's former astronaut ‘Charles Bolden’
resigned In January 2017.
16. Prince Charles will be the next ‘head of Commonwealth’.
Note: The Head of the Commonwealth is recognized by the
members of the Commonwealth of Nations as the "symbol
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of their free association" and serves as a leader.The
Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organization of 53
members states that are mostly former territories of the
British Empire.
17. Miguel Diaz-Canel was formally named the new president of
Cuba.
Note: He was selected by a vote of 603-1 (in the National
Assembly) as the unopposed candidate to replace Raul
Castro (86-year). On 24 February 2013, Mr. Diaz- Canel was
elected as the first Vice President of the Council of State.
18. Mario Abdo Benitez elected as Paraguay's new president.
Note: Mario Abdo Benitez (Conservative) of Paraguay's
ruling Colorado Party narrowly defeated his opposition in
the country's presidential elections.The President of
Paraguay is the head of the executive branch of the
Important News – India
1. India replaced Vietnam to become the second-largest
producer of mobile phones in 2017.
Note: According to Indian Cellular Association data, the
annual production of mobile phones in India increased 11%
percent of global from 3 million units (in 2014) to 11 million
units (in 2017). The top three mobile producing countries
are China, India, and Vietnam.
2. Asia's largest startup ecosystem congregation ‘Huddle
Kerala’ will be held at -- Kovalam.
Note: The two-day conclave being organized by the Kerala
Startup Mission (KSUM) in association with Internet and
Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IAMAI Startup
Foundation.
3. Prakash Javadekar has released INDIA RANKINGS 2018 for
Higher Educational Institutions and presented awards to the
institutions under the National Institutional Ranking
Framework (NIRF).
Note: The idea behind these rankings is to promote quality
in education, total of 2809 institutions participated in 9
categories.
4. Suresh Prabhu has launched digital initiatives for ease of
exports at New Delhi.
Note: This is a major step towards digital India in export
trade ushering inefficient assessment, quality monitoring,
and traceability. The union Minister launched three
integrated digital portals, namely ‘Safe Food Export
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Government of Paraguay, both head of state and head of
government.
19. Former CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) director has been
sworn in as America's 70th Secretary of State -- Mike
Pompeo.
Note: He replaced Rex Tillerson (fired by President Trump
last month). The Supreme Court Justice ‘Samuel Alito’ swore
in Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the West Conference
Room of the Supreme Court.
20. Senior advocate Indu Malhotra takes oath as Supreme Court
Judge.
Note: She is the first woman judge to be appointed to the
top post directly from the bar.Now, the strength of the
Supreme Court is 25 (sanctioned strength 31, including the
CJI).
Traceability Portal’, ‘One Laboratory One Assessment
Portal’ and ‘Monitoring Export Alerts Portal’.The portals will
have brought together all regulators, accreditation bodies
and other stakeholders at one place.
5. Indo-Korean joint anti-piracy, search and rescue exercise
has been conducted at the Chennai coast __'SAHYOG-
HYEOBLYEOG 2018'.
Note: Ships of the Indian Coast Guard and the Korean vessel
undertook tactical maneuvers and drills to counter piracy
and carry out maritime law enforcement tasks off Chennai
coast. The Korean Coast Guard ship 'BADARO' took part in
the exercise.
6. The Union Minister for Railways and Coal Shri Piyush Goyal
has launched a app for Coal Quality Monitoring –'UTTAM
App’.
Note: UTTAM app has been developed by the Ministry of
Coal and Coal India Limited (CIL), aims to provide an App for
all citizens and coal consumers to monitor the process of
Third Party Sampling of coal across CIL subsidiaries. UTTAM
App ensures accountability, transparency, effectiveness,
and efficiency in coal ecosystem.
7. India’s institute has been adjudged the overall best Indian
university in National Institutional Ranking Framework
(NIRF-2018) -- Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
8. The Prime Minister Modi, has attend the Central Public-
Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) Conclave in -- New Delhi.
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Note: The deliberations in the Conclave will lead to the
formulation of an actionable roadmap to achieve the target
of a New India 2022.CPSEs in recent years have enhanced
their profile with a much larger share in public investments
without compromising on their contribution to the
government coffers by way of dividends and taxes.
9. The Tamil Nadu govt. has launched the bi-lingual ‘Uzhavan’
(farmer) app, to access nine types of services.
Note: The app can be used by farmers to get information on
farm subsidies, book farm equipment and related
infrastructure and get details on their crop insurance,
besides receiving weather forecast for the next four
days.The initiative was aimed at better management of
nature farming and help boost and maintain soil fertility.
10. The Tripura hosted the first meeting of NITI Forum for
North East.
Note: The meeting chaired by Minister for Development of
North Eastern Region Dr. Jitendra Singh and the Vice-
Chairman of NITI Aayog Dr. Rajeev Kumar.The emphasis in
meeting was given on Infrastructure and Connectivity.
11. The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated
the regional hub complex of the elite anti-terror force
National Security Guard (NSG) at -- Ibrahimpatnam,
Hyderabad.
Note: The regional hub has been constructed as a model
green campus with state of the art facilities on a sprawling
200-acre area at a cost of over 157 crore rupees.
12. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the two -
day scientific convention on the World Homoeopathy Day
(WHD) in-- New Delhi.
Note: The theme of the convention is Innovate: Evolve,
Progress: Exploring Science since 40 years.The WHD is
observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of
Homoeopathy founder Dr Christian Friedrich Samuel
Hahnemann.
13. Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari has inaugurated 3-day
International Conference on Human Rights in South Asia in
____ Kathmandu, Nepal.
Note: The theme of the conference is "Identifying
Challenges, Assessing Progress, Moving Forward:
Addressing Impunity and Realizing Human Rights in South
Asia".
14. PM Narendra Modi participated in the concluding
ceremony of Centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran
Satyagraha at Motihari in East Champaran district, Bihar.
9|Page
Note: The programme is being organized as a precursor of
the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by which
target of Open Defecation Free India to be achieved.
15. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
has launched a unique initiative ‘Project Dhoop’ to
encourage schools to shift their morning assembly to
around noon-time.
Note: The ‘Project Dhoop’ has been launched by FSSAI in
association with National Council of Educational Research
and Training (NCERT), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)
and North MCD Schools at National Bal Bhavan.
16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three days
16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial Meeting
in -- New Delhi.
Note: It is the world's largest gathering of Energy Ministers
who engage in a dialogue on global energy issues hosted by
India and co-hosted by China and Korea.The objective of the
meeting to focus on how global shifts, transition policies &
the new technologies influence market stability and future
investment in the energy sector.
17. The ‘DefExpo India- 2018’ (tenth edition) held at --
Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
Note: It will help brand India as an exporter of defence
systems and components.Over 700 exhibitors from over 50
countries are participating in the Defence Expo.
18. A three-day long 'Happy Cities Summit 2018' in --
Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
Note: The event partners are Dalberg, Confederation of
Indian Industries, and Centre for Liveable Cities (Singapore).
The objective of the summit is to evolve a framework for
thinking about and measuring ‘city happiness’.
19. NCERT (National Council Of Educational Research And
Training) has published the information about Childline
helplines and POCSO e-box for children in all course books
from Class 6 to 12.
Note: This will equip the children with the information
regarding the possible modes of protection and
complaints.The information is expected to reach
approximately 26 crore students in 15 lakh schools through
these course books.
20. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed an
agreement for the upgradation of Yagyi – Kalewa section of
highway in Myanmar.
Note: The project has been funded by Ministry of External
Affairs, Government of India and would be executed on EPC
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mode at a cost of Rs.1177 crores. The aim is to provide
seamless vehicular movement for enhancing trade,
business, health, education and tourism among India,
Myanmar and Thailand.
21. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully
launches navigation satellite by PSLV-C41 from Sriharikota --
IRNSS1I.
Note: The satellite IRNSS-1I (1,425-kg) is the replacement of
IRNSS-1A satellite launched back in 2013 whose three
atomic clocks onboard have stopped working over two
years ago.It was the ninth of the satellite series of Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Dr.
Ambedkar National Memorial in -- New Delhi.
Note: The memorial has an exhibition area, meditation hall
with the Buddha Statue and 12 feet high bronze statue of
Dr. Ambedkar, built at the place of his Mahaparinirvana. In
2016, the foundation stone for the Memorial was laid by
the Prime Minister.
23. The union govt. has constituted a task force for fast-tracking
the roll-out of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology
under the chairmanship of -- Jayant Sinha.
Note: It will consist of representatives from the
government, Public Sector Undertakings, industry and
sectoral experts. The task force will submit its report within
6 months of its constitution.
24. The union Home Minister ‘Rajnath Singh’ has launched the
web-based application -- e-FRRO (e-Foreigners Regional
Registration Office).
Note: The objective of e-FRRO scheme is building a
centralised, transparent online platform for foreigners to
avail of visa-related services.
25. India Mobile Congress will be held from 25th to 27th of
October this year at Aerocity, New Delhi.
Note: It is one of the biggest marquee Mobile, Internet and
Technology events in Asia. The event is an excellent
platform for policymakers, industry and regulators to
engage in meaningful deliberations to drive the future
direction of this important sector.
26. The three days Home Expo India 2018 at India Expo Centre
& Mart -- Greater Noida.
Note: Around 650 Indian exporters of all the three
categories has displayed exquisite products of Houseware,
decorative, furnishing, flooring, textiles and furniture
accessories. Home Expo India 2018 expected to generate
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business deals for direct import, organized by Export
Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
27. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully
carried out its fourth and final orbit raising operation of --
IRNSS-1I.
Note: The targeted perigee height is 35,381 km and apogee
height at 35,793 km. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System, IRNSS-1I is the eighth and the last navigation
satellite in the constellation.
28. Manoj Sinha has launched the DARPAN (Digital
Advancement of Rural Post Office for a New India)-PLI App
in New Delhi.
Note: It will help in the collection of Premium for Postal Life
Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI)
policies at Branch Post Offices anywhere in India, with
online updating of the policies.It will help Department of
Posts in providing better after-sales service to customers,
particularly those living in rural areas of the country.
29. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has
introduced an updated 'QR code' that holds non-sensitive
details like name, address, photo, and date of birth, and can
be used for offline user verification without the 12-digit ID
number.
Note: QR code is a form of barcode label which contains
machine-readable information and provides an extra layer
of privacy to Aadhaar. Aadhaar holders can download and
print their biometric ID with the QR code from the website
of Unique Identification Authority of India or its mobile app.
The offline QR code will allow everyone to establish their
identity through offline verification without giving out
Aadhaar number.
30. The GITC (Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities)-
2018 will be held during 8th to 11th November 2018 in New
Delhi.
Note: Around 300 participants including 120 Youth with
disabilities from 24 Asia Pacific countries will participate in
the invent. The competition is amongst four categories of
disabilities namely, Physical, Visual, Hearing, and
Intellectual.
31. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken part in the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in
London.
Note: The summit's focus is on addressing common
challenges across the Commonwealth for a more
prosperous, secure and sustainable future.The theme of the
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summit is ‘Towards a Common Future’. The Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial summit meeting
of the heads of government from all Commonwealth
nations.
32. Vijay Goel inaugurated the new office of Central Project
Monitoring Unit for the e-Vidhan project of the
Government at the Parliament House Annexe __
Note: The 'e-Vidhan' is a mission mode project to digitize
and make the functioning of State Legislatures in the
country paperless. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is
the Nodal Ministry for the project and it is taking all
necessary steps for rolling out the Project in all the States.
33. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani has launched Pocket Cop Project
under which 4900 smartphones with mobile internet
connectivity will be handed over to investigating officers.
Note: The smartphone will have four data-rich applications
loaded for passport verification, the search of criminals,
missing persons and stolen vehicles. It will be given to the
police personnel, including every police station in-charge,
investigating officer, PCR van, and those involved in
passport verification.
34. The first-ever Indian Filmmaker to get a place at the famous
Madame Tussauds -- Karan Johar.
Note: The process has begun in London and it will take
about six months for the wax figurine to be ready.
35. The New Delhi city hosted the 2018 Secure India Conclave.
Note: The event presented a unique encapsulation of
prevalent issues in India’s internal security and would serve
as a current and exhaustive update for those attending the
conclave.
36. The panchayat has been declared as the India’s best
panchayat-- Digambarpur gram, West Bengal.
Note: The survey based on 7 factors of work include the
system of planning, quality of planning, different activities
and level of coordination, implementation of the plan and
its proper monitoring, use of Information Technology and
documentation the ranking of the Gram Panchayats have
been selected.
37. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Rashtriya
Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’ at Ram Nagar in Madhya Pradesh.
Note: The scheme focuses on training, building
infrastructure and stepping up initiatives for e-governance
under the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project.
38. The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has
launched a Mobile App ‘m-Awas’ for allotment of
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Government accommodations in General Pool Residential
Accommodation (GPRA).
Note: The application has been developed by NIC (National
Informatics Centre). The total number of 61,317 residential
accommodations of various types are available in Delhi
which are allotted to the eligible Central Government
employees through Automated System of Allotment (ASA),
by using login Id and password.
39. The coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ was held along
Kerala shores.
Note: Three ships of the navy, four of Coastguard, four
fishing boats, besides 20 coastal police stations from
Vizhinjam to Kasaragod are among those took part in the
drill held twice a year.
40. Dr. Sameer Sharma has authored the Book ‘Smart Cities
Unbundled’.
Note: The book tells India and the world what an Indian
Smart City is and what constitutes Smart Cities Mission of
India.A Smart City is a loveable city to the people with
required amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation,
toilets, infrastructure etc.
41. The ministry has launched the second edition of the Unnat
Bharat Abhiyan in New Delhi -- Human Resource
Development (HRD) Ministry.
Note: Under Mission, students from colleges and
universities will go to nearby villages to get acquainted with
the life of the village people and the problems faced by
them in day to day life.The scheme has been extended to
750 reputed Higher Educational Institutes (both public and
private) of the country.
42. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has released a
book titled -- My Journey from Marxism-Leninism to
Nehruvian Socialism.
43. The Indian and Malaysian armies hold a two-week military
exercise in Malaysia -- HARIMAU SHAKTI- 2018.
Note: The exercise will involve a cross-training phase
followed by a field training phase in the jungles of Hulu
Langat wherein both armies will jointly train, plan and
execute a series of training activities.
44. Dalmia Bharat Limited has signed an MoU (memorandum
of understanding) with the Tourism Ministry to take up Red
Fort (in Delhi) and Gandikota Fort (in Andhra Pradesh)
under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project.
Note: The adoption will allow the corporate to construct,
landscape, illuminate and maintain activities related to
provision and development of tourist amenities for the next
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five years. The Dalmia Bharat group has bagged the
Important Day
1. The ‘World Autism Awareness Day’ has been observed
across the world on -- 2nd April.
Note: The day raise awareness about people with autism
throughout the world.The 2018 theme for the day is "
Empowering Women and Girls with Autism". Autism is a
lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person
communicates with and relates to other people, and how
they experience the world around them.
2. The National Maritime Day of India has been observed
across the world on -- 5th April.
Note: This day, the country renews its abiding faith in the
importance of maritime zone as well as sea route for an all-
round development of the nation.
➢ In 2018, the theme of the occasion is 'Indian
Shipping - An Ocean of opportunity'.
3. The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Sport for
Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observed across the
world on -- 6th April.
Note: The day has been celebrated each year since 2014.The
date commemorates the inauguration of the first Olympic
games of the modern era, in Athens (Greece) in 1896.
4. The 'World Health Day’ is a global health awareness day
celebrated every year on -- 7th April.
Note: The day mark the anniversary of the founding of the
World Health Organization (WHO). The tagline for this year's
World Health Day is "Universal Health Coverage: everyone,
everywhere". The World Health Organization(WHO) is a
specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned
with international public health.
19. The World Haemophilia Day is being observed worldwide on
-- 17th April.
Note: The day increase awareness of haemophilia and other
inherited bleeding disorders.The theme of WHD 2018 is
'Sharing Knowledge Makes Us Stronger'.
20. The 'World Heritage Day' is being observed across the globe
on -- 18th April.
Note: The day aims to spread awareness of the importance
of protecting and preserving various sites around the world
that have achieved world heritage status. Over 1000 World
Heritage Sites (man-made and natural) recognized by
UNESCO. The theme of 2018 is “Heritage for Generations”.
21. The World Liver day is observed every year on -- 19th April.
Note: The day spread awareness about the second largest
organ ‘liver’ in the body.This year, the theme of World Liver
Day 2018 is 'Riding New Waves in Liver Diagnosis, Staging &
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maintenance contract for Rs 25 crore.
Treatment'.The liver is one of the most important organs of
the body as it performs a wide range of very vital functions.
22. The ‘UN Chinese Language Day’ is observed every year on --
20th April
Note: The day was chosen as the date for the Chinese
language to pay tribute to Cang Jie, a mythical figure who is
presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000
years ago.
23. The first official World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID)
has been celebrated to raise awareness of the role of
creativity and innovation in problem-solving and by
extension, in the implementation of the Sustainable
Development Goals -- 21 April.
Note: On this day the world is invited to embrace the idea
that innovation is essential for harnessing the economic
potential of nations.
24. The Civil Services Day (CSD) has been celebrated in India --
21st April.
Note: The Civil Services Day (CSD) is organized every year on
21st April in India by civil servants to rededicate and
recommit themselves to the cause of the people.
25. The International Mother Earth Day has been celebrated
every year around the world on -- 22nd April.
Note: The day remind each of us that the Earth and its
ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance.The theme
for 2018 is "'End Plastic Pollution" and dedicated to
providing the information and inspiration needed to
fundamentally.
26. The ‘World Book and Copyright Day’ (WBCD) is being
observed every year on 23rd April.
Note: The day raise awareness about the importance of
reading and promote publishing and the protection of
copyright around the globe.The capital of Greece ‘Athens’
has been designated ‘World Book Capital 2018’, for the
quality of its activities, supported by the entire book
industry.
27. The United Nations English Language Day being observed
annually across the world on -- 23 April.
Note: The day inform people about the culture, history, and
achievements associated with the English language.It is the
date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of
death of the greatest writer ever known in the English
language ‘William Shakespeare’.
The days are as follows:
➢ Arabic days: 18 December
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➢ Chinese day: 20 April
➢ French day: 20 March
➢ Russian day: 6 June
➢ Spanish day: 23 April
28. The 2018 National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) is celebrated
on -- 24th April
Note: On this day, in 1993, the Constitution (73rd
Amendment) Act, 1992 came into force that has
institutionalized Panchayati Raj through the village,
Intermediate and District level Panchayats.
29. The ‘World Malaria Day’(WMD) being observed every year
across the world on -- 25th April.
Note: The day create awareness among the people about
this vector-borne disease.This year’s global theme for World
Malaria Day is "Ready to beat malaria".
30. The 'World Intellectual Property Day' is observed annually
on -- 26th April.
Note: The day learnt about the role that intellectual
property rights (patents, trademarks, industrial designs,
States News
1. The West Bengal govt. has introduced a new scheme
‘Rupashree’ to provide marriage assistance to girls coming
from economically weaker families with a budgetary
allocation of Rs 1500 crore.
Note: The scheme proposes to extend one-time financial
assistance worth Rs 25,000 to the family of the girl whose
annual income is up to Rs 1.5 lakh. The monetary assistance
will be provided at the time of marriage after the girl has
attained the age of 18 years. The state government had
earlier introduced a scheme called ‘Kanyashree scheme’ to
promote education among women but Rupashree scheme
complements it with marriage assistance.
2. The Election Commission has decided to set up 450 Sakhi
Pink booths during the Assembly elections to empower and
encourage women voters -- Karnataka.
Note: The booths will be managed completely by female
staff including presiding officer, polling officer, micro
observers and security personnel.Pink booths will be opened
in areas where the female population is more than male
voters.
3. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister ‘Yogi Adityanath’ has
launched ‘Ganga Hariteema Yogna’ in a function organized
at -- Allahabad.
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copyright) play in encouraging innovation and creativity.This
year's theme of the day is: ‘Powering Change: Women in
Innovation and Creativity’. The Day is organized by World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
31. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work to promote
the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases
globally observed every year on -- 28th April.
Note: The day is observed mainly by the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) as an awareness-raising campaign
to raise awareness of safety in the workplace.The theme of
this year is ‘Occupational safety health (OSH) vulnerability of
young workers’.
32. The 2018 Ayushman Bharat Diwas has been celebrated in
India -- 29th April.
Note: The Ayushman Bharat programme seeks to provide
easily available and affordable medical facilities in the
remote parts of the country. The Scheme has the benefits
cover of 5 lakh rupees per family per year.
Note: The Ganga Hariteema Yojana (Ganga Greenery
scheme) is being launched in 27 districts of the state located
on the bank of river Ganga. The objectives of the schemes
include enhancing green cover in the catchment areas of the
river Ganga and to control the land erosion.
3. The first Indian state to adopt a Standard Operating
Procedure (SOP) for determining brain death cases -- Kerala.
Note: Kerala has become the first Indian state to adopt a
SOP for brain death certification in government and private
hospitals. According to the Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP) a medical board comprising four doctors will be
authorized to declare a patient brain dead.
4. The state govt. has announced that cancer patients would
be provided free chemotherapy treatment at district
hospitals -- Maharashtra govt.
Note: The first phase of the plan will start in June with
hospitals in Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Pune, Amravati, Jalgaon,
Nashik, Wardha, Satara, Bhandara and Akola. Physician and
nurse from each of these district hospitals would be
imparted training for three weeks from May by the Medical
Oncology department of Tata Memorial.
5. The state is hosting the 8th Regional 3R Forum in Asia and
Pacific -- Madhya Pradesh.
Note: It is co-organized by the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs, Government of India, Japan’s Ministry of the
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Environment and the United Nations Centre for Regional
Development (UNCRD).It will provide an attractive
Exhibition Program to public, private and startups to
showcase their technology, best practices in the area of
minimize material use; optimizing resource conservation,
wastes minimization and recovery.
6. The central govt scheme ‘Gobardhan Yojna’ will be launched
nationally on 30th April from -- Karnal, Haryana.
Note: Gobar-Dhan Yojana (also known as Galvanizing
Organic Bio-Agro Resource Fund scheme) aims to improve
lives of the villagers.The central and state governments
would provide funds in the ratio of 60:40.
7. The two-days Assam’s Spring Festival held at the -- Manas
National Park.
Note: The aim of the event is to promote the local food and
culture of the fringe villagers. The festival has been
organised by Indian Weavers' Association and the Swankar
Mithinga Onsai Afat.
8. Conference of Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of
UTs held at -- Port Blair.
Note: VP Singh (Governor of Punjab and Administrator of
Chandigarh), Dr Kiran Bedi (Lt. Governor of Puducherry),
Admiral (Retd.) DK Joshi (Lt. Governor, Andaman & Nicobar
Islands) and representatives from Delhi, Lakshadweep,
Daman & Diu are attending the conference.
9. India's teen shooting sensation will be the brand
ambassador of Haryana's Measles and Rubella (MR)
vaccination campaign-- Manu Bhaker.
Note: Vaccination of about 85 lakh children from nine
months to 15 years of age would be carried out under this
campaign.Under the campaign, immunisation would be
carried out in 22,626 government and private schools,
25,771 Anganwadi centres, construction sites, brick kilns,
poultry farms, other high-risk zones and urban areas.
10. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated a ‘2.5 km long
bridge’ constructed over river Ib that will connect
Jharsaguda district with Sambalpur.
Note: It will help connect the coal region of Brajarjnagar &
Belpahar in Jharsuguda district with Sambalpur & boost
economic activities in the area. It will reduce the distance
between Lakhanpur and Sambalpur by 50 kilometers.
11. A health scheme of the Assam government that offers free
medical care of up to 2 lakh rupees for every individual from
Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL)
families__ Atal Amrit Abhiyan.
Note: The Atal Amrit Abhiyan will cover 92% of the state's
population with annual income below 5 lakh rupees. It is
estimated that the number of Indians falling below the
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poverty line due to health spending run as high as 6.3
crore.The Assam govt. has earmarked 400 crore rupees for
the scheme in the financial year 2018-19.
12. The Uttar Pradesh Govt. has ordered all govt hospitals and
orphanages to establish SHISHU SWAGAT KENDRA ‘PALNA’
and put up cradles in front of their buildings so that parents
can give up unwanted babies safely.
Note: This will help in tackling the problem of abandoning
the infant at the roadside.The 'Palna' scheme will also help
bridge the gap between the number of children available for
adoption and the burgeoning list of adoptive parents.
13. The Chhattisgarh govt. will start distributing smartphones to
over 55 lakh people for free from May this year, under the
Sanchar Kranti Yojana (SKY).
Note: The objective of this free smartphone scheme is to
make poor people digital by providing them free
smartphones and increase mobile connectivity in the
state.In the 1st phase, the state government will distribute
about 50 lakh smartphones while the rest 5 lakh will be
distributed in the 2nd phase.
14. The Manipur has observed Khongjom Day to pay tributes to
the great warriors of their state.
Note: Manipur is observing Khongjom Day to pay tributes to
the great warriors of Anglo-Manipur battle of 1891 at
Khongjom in Thoubal district.
15. The Chief Minister of Bihar ‘Nitish Kumar’ has released
three books based on Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran
movement.
Note: The books titled 'Mister M K Gandhi Ki Champaran
Diary' (written by Arvind Mohan), 'Champaran Andolan
1917' (edited by Ashutosh Partheshwar) and 'Pir
Muhammad Munis: Kalam Ka Satyagrahi' (collected and
edited by Srikant).Champaran movement is recognized as
the first Satyagraha movement inspired by Mahatma
Gandhi.
16. The union Home ministry has withdrawn the Armed Forces
Special Powers Act (AFSPA) totally from Meghalaya state.
Note: The Act had been in force in Meghalaya and Arunachal
Pradesh for almost 27 years.Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Acts (AFSPA), are Acts of the Parliament of India that grant
special powers to the Indian Armed Forces in what each act
terms "disturbed areas".
17. Uttarakhand will get Rs 1,700 crore amount of aid by the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) for infrastructure
development.
Note: Plans for beautification of 1000 km state highway and
Tehri lake were also proposed.
18. The first smart city in India, that runs on 100% renewable
energy during daytime -- Diu.
Note: Diu had been importing 73% of its power from Gujarat
until last year.According to Urban Affairs Ministry, the city
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has developed a 9-MW solar park spread over 50 hectares
rocky barren land, besides installing solar panels on the
rooftops on 79 government buildings, generating 1.3 MW
annually.
19. The Union Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-
decade-old Protected Area Permit regime for five years to
promote tourism in the Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur
states
Note: Now, Foreign tourists (except those from Pakistan,
China, and Afghanistan) will be allowed to visit some of the
Important News – World
1. China has increased tariffs by up to 25% on 128 U S products
from frozen pork and wine.
Note: The tariffs affecting some 3 billion US Dollars of
imports was to safeguard China's interests and balance
losses caused by new US tariffs.Its duties were aimed at
Steel and Aluminum imports that it deemed a threat to US
national security.
2. The union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
participated in the three-day Mid-Term Ministerial Meeting
of the 18th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Azerbaijan.
Note: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of
states that are not formally aligned with or against any
major power bloc.
3. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
comfortably won the no-confidence motion against him in
voting held in Parliament.
Note: In the Parliament (225-member), 122 members voted
against the motion, while 76 voted in favor. The motion was
brought by the Opposition group accusing the Prime
Minister’s party of involvement in the bond scam.
4. Azerbaijan to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Mid-
Term Ministerial Conference 2018.
Note: The Indian delegation will be led by External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj. The Non-Aligned Movement
includes 120 states. Seventeen states and 10 international
organizations hold observer status of NAM.
5. Qatar is introducing national service for women for the first
time.
Note: Women aged over 18 -year will be able to volunteer
for national service which comes into immediate effect.
Now, men will serve a year instead of three months in the
military service.Every Qatari male between 18 and 35 is
required to perform a compulsory military service while the
national service for females is voluntary.
6. The joint military exercise “Desert Tiger 5” was held
between -- UAE & Malaysia.
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most pristine locations of the country without a special
permit.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.
20. The State Textile Ministers meeting chaired by Union
Textiles Minister Smriti Irani being held in New Delhi.
Note: The meet has discussed ways to promote handloom
and handicrafts in the country. It is deliberating on the
collaboration between the Centre and the states over the
issue.
Note: The purpose of the exercise was to raise the level of
performance and combat efficiency and working together
between both countries based on the strategy to improve
the overall ability and combat readiness of ground forces.
7. Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has
claimed a landslide victory in general election.
Note: Mr. Orban will serve a third consecutive term in office.
Fidesz won a two-thirds majority in 2010 and 2014 but lost it
in by-elections in 2015.
8. India has signed a pact with Morocco on evaluation of
potential mineral of resources and promoting exploration
and mining through participation of both public and private
sector in New Delhi.
Note: The focus of the MoU (Memorandum of
Understanding) is on the development of the geological
infrastructure for Geoscience Maps and geochemical maps,
strengthening geological research and evaluation of the
potential of mineral resources. The specialized Training
Institute of GSI (Geological Survey of India) can train the
professionals of Morocco.
9. World's largest solar park to come up in the state -- Gujarat.
Note: The Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani has
approved setting up a 5,000 MW capacity solar park at
Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR).The proposed solar
power generation project would be set up in 11,000
hectares of land with an investment of Rs 25,000 crore.
10. Pakistan's Supreme Court has disqualified deposed Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif for life from holding any public office.
Note: Disqualification handed down under Article 62 (1)(f) of
the Constitution is for life and such a person cannot contest
elections or become a member of parliament.
11. The Saudi Arabia is hosting the 29th Arab League Summit
2018 to promote Arab joint action to address challenges
facing the nation.
Note: In the annual summit of Arab leaders, Saudi Arabia
hopes to push for a unified stand against Iran.
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12. The famous nine days annual festival is being celebrated in
Nepal -- Bisket Jatra.
Note: The Jatra begins four days before the start of new
year. Thousands of visitors from various parts of Nepal and a
large number of foreign tourists gather at Bhaktapur to see
this thrilling event.
13. NASA has launched a washing machine-sized spacecraft that
aims to vastly expand mankind's search for planets beyond
the solar system -- Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
(TESS).
Note: Its main goal over the next two years is to scan more
than 200,000 of the brightest stars for signs of planets
circling them and causing a dip in brightness known as a
transit.TESS is designed as a follow-on to the US space
agency's Kepler spacecraft, which was the first of its kind
and launched in 2009. The aging spacecraft is currently low
on fuel and near the end of its life.
14. United Nations will launch the ‘UN Road Safety Trust Fund’
to stimulate action that can save lives and prevent injuries &
sufferings associated with road accidents.
Note: The Road Safety Trust Fund will serve as a catalyst for
much-needed progress towards the road safety targets of
the Sustainable Development Goals.As per the UN data,
more than 1.3 million drivers, passengers, and pedestrians
die each year on the roads.
15. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced to
contribute 61.9 million dollars toward urgent humanitarian
aid for Syria.
Note: The funds will be allocated to NGOs and U.N. agencies
working on the ground in Syria, including the U.N. office for
humanitarian affairs. According to United Nations estimates,
around 13 million people including six million children are in
need of humanitarian aid in Syria.
16. The country will host the meeting of the Council of foreign
ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) --
China.
Note: The Indian delegation will be represented by Union
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. The foreign
ministers meeting is part of the preparations of the SCO
summit scheduled in June 2018 that will also be attended by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Qingdao.
17. Canada and European Union (EU) will host the two days
world's first female foreign ministers' meeting on September
21st in Canada.
Note: Female foreign ministers from about 30 countries will
be invited to the gathering, which is aimed at deepening
global discussion on women's empowerment.
18. Indian will tie up with United states and Finland to develop
a pollution-forecast system.
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Note: The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is tying up with
the US and Finland to develop new pollution-forecast
system to help anticipate particulate matter (PM) levels at
least two days in advance.The new system will jointly
develop with expertise from Finnish Meteorological
Institute, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA).
19. Bangladesh's first satellite Bangabandhu-1 will be launched
on 7th May this year.
Note: Bangladesh will become a member of the exclusive
club of satellite-owning countries as its first commercial
satellite "Bangabandhu-1" will likely be flying to space on
7th May this year.The satellite will be launched from
Florida's Cape Canaveral (US).
20. Kim Jong-un has become the first leader to set foot in South
Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
Note: South Korean leader Moon Jae-in and Mr. Kim shook
hands at the border.The 2018 inter-Korean summit took
place on the South Korean side of the Joint Security Area,
between President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Kim
Jong-un of North Korea.
21. The two-day India-Nepal Inter Governmental Committee
(IGC) meeting on trade, transit, and cooperation to Control
Unauthorized Trade held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Note: Indian side led by Rita Teaotia (Commerce Secretary).
The IGC meeting provides a regular platform to review
implementation of past trade and transit agreements
besides discussing new measures to facilitate bilateral trade
and investment.
22. The Maharashtra govt. has signed an MoU with the British
Council to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation.
Note: Earlier, British Council has trained more than 100,000
teachers benefitting around five million learners. The areas
of potential collaboration include developing further
initiatives to improve English teaching and enhance
employability skills in schools and training institutes.
23. Two days International Buddhist Conference concluded in
Lumbini, Nepal.
Note: The basic objective of the conference was to
disseminate teachings of Gautam Buddha and spread the
messages of nonviolence, brotherhood, co-existence, love
and peace to the international community. More than 20
countries including India attended conference, organised as
part of 2562nd Buddha Jayanti celebrations. Lumbini
situated in the Rupandehi district of Nepal was inscribed as
“the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha” in UNESCO’s world
Heritage list in 1997.
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Honor & Awards
1. Anushka Sharma won the prestigious ‘Dadasaheb Phalke
Excellence Award’ for experimenting with ideas and
subjects as a producer.
Note: Their company Clean Slate Films focus on
experimenting with new subjects and ideas. Their first three
productions: NH 10, Phillauri and Pari (the recently-
released) showed their maturity in dabbling with three
different genres (thriller, romance and horror) with a
distinct and differential content pitch for audiences.
2. At India Business Leader Awards (IBLA) event, Chhattisgarh
won the ‘State of the Year’ Award under the ‘business
leader’ category.
3. Late veteran Hindi actor Vinod Khanna has won the
'Dadasaheb Phalke award' posthumously for the year 2017
for his outstanding contribution to the film industry.
Note: Khanna is the 49th recipient of the Award, which is
Indian cinema's highest honour. Vinod Khanna’ breathed
his last on 2nd April, 2017, after a prolonged illness.The
‘Dadasaheb Phalke Award’ is India's highest award in
cinema.
5. Assamese Film bagged the best film at the 65th National
Film award -- Village Rockstar.
6. Amit Masurkar’s film has been selected as the Best Hindi
Film -- Newton.
7. Water Baby has been adjudged the ‘Best Non-Feature Film’.
8. National award for ‘Best Actress’ is given for her role in the
film Mom to -- Sri Devi (posthumously).
9. Dharmendra will be conferred with the prestigious ‘Raj
Kapoor Lifetime Achievement’.
Note: Dharmendra has acted in more than 250 films in over
six decades and has over 100 box office hits including
Bandini, Mamta, Anupama, Satyakam, Seeta Aur Geeta,
Sholay, Chupke Chupke, Yaadon Ki Baarat to name a
few.Veteran Marathi actor Vijay Chavhan for V Shantaram
Lifetime Achievement award
10. Rajkumar Hirani will be conferred with the prestigious ‘Raj
Kapoor Special Contribution awards.
Note: Mr. Hirani is regarded as one of the most celebrated
filmmakers of Hindi cinema, having made critically-
acclaimed and commercially-successful films such as
"Munna Bhai MBBS", "3 Idiots" and "PK".
11. San Francisco author has won the Pulitzer Prize 2018 for his
novel ‘Less’ -- Andrew Sean Greer.
12. Half-light: Collected Poems 1965-2016 has won the Pulitzer
Prize for Poetry by -- Frank Bidart
13. Rapper Kendrick Lamar has won the Pulitzer Prize for music
for his album ‘Damn’.
Note: The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in
newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and
musical composition in the United States(US). It was
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established in 1917 by provisions in the will of American
(Hungarian-born) ‘Joseph Pulitzer’.
14. Scientists Mamta Sharma and Pooja Bhatnagar Mathur
have won Icrisat’s highest award for research Doreen
Margaret Mashler Award for 2018 in their respective
research fields of plant pathology and biotechnology.
Note: Mamta Sharma works on the epidemiology of plant
diseases and pathogens, focussing on disease-resistant
breeding in chickpea and pigeonpea. Pooja Bhatnagar
Mathur was part of a landmark research to combat
aflatoxin in groundnut using a ‘double-defense’ approach.
15. The All India Management Association’s (AIMA’s) annual
award for lifetime contribution to media -- Indu Jain.
Note: It has honoured Indu Jain for managing the Times
Group and for establishing the Times Foundation.
AIMA honours achievers who created a fundamental
difference to society through its annual Managing India.
16. Egyptian photographer Md. Abu Zeid wins UNESCO press
freedom prize.
Note: A jury of United Nations' cultural agency has awarded
the UNESCO World Press Freedom prize to an imprisoned
Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid (popularly
known as Shawkan). Md. Zeid has been in jail since he was
arrested in Cairo in August 2013 for covering a
demonstration at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square.
17. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has
been awarded the 2018 National Intellectual Property (IP)
Award in the “Top R&D Institution / Organization for
Patents and Commercialization” category.
Note: Dr. Girish Sahni (Director general of CSIR) has
received the award at a function organized by the Indian
Intellectual Property Office and Confederation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce (CII) in New Delhi.The Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is an autonomous
body (through the Societies Registration Act, 1860) that has
emerged as the largest research and development
organisation in India.
18. The Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has become the
longest-serving Chief Minister in India after India's
independence.
Note: He surpassed the record of Mr. Jyoti Basu.Mr. Jyoti
Basu was the chief minister of Bengal for five consecutive
terms from June 21, 1977 to November 6, 2000.Mr.
Chamling has governed the state for five successive terms
(1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014) since 12th December
1994.
19. Eminent Gujarati poet and playwright Sitanshu
Yashaschandra has been selected for the 2017 Saraswati
Samman for his collection of verses titled ‘Vakhar’.
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Note: Yashaschandra has also been the recipient of Sahitya
Akademi Award, Kabir Samman and Padma Shri among
others.The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the
Sports News
1. Kerala won the 72nd edition of premier domestic football
tournament ‘Santosh Trophy’.
Note: Kerala defeated 32-time winners Bengal via penalty
shootout in the final (Locked 2-2 after extra time) at the Salt
Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Kerala goalkeeper V Mithun put up
a stellar show in the tie-breaker to help his side win 4-2.
Santosh Trophy is an annual Indian football tournament
started in 1941.
2. American professional tennis player John Isner has won
Miami open 2018.
Note: He defeated Alexander Zverev (Germany) in the final
6-7(4–7), 6-4, 6-4 at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida,
United States. The 2018 Miami Open is a professional men
and women's tennis tournament being played on outdoor
hard courts.
3. Mithali Raj has been adjudged 'Sportsperson of the Year' at
the Telangana Sports Journalists Association annual awards
for 2017 in Hyderabad.
Note: Ace shuttlers ‘Kidambi Srikanth’ (best senior male) &
‘P V Sindhu’ bagged the best female athletes. Former Indian
cricketer V V S Laxman presented 'best coach of the year'
award to Gopichand (second time). The ‘Triple Olympian’
and former national Hockey player ‘N Mukesh Kumar’ was
honored with the Lifetime Achievement award.
4. Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has been appointed as
a Deputy Collector in the Andhra Pradesh Govt.
Note: Srikanth has become the second youngest
sportsperson in India (after PV Sindhu) to have received the
coveted Padma Shri award.
5. The 21st edition Commonwealth Games 2018 begins at
Gold Coast in Australia.
Note: More than 4,500 athletes from 71 nations and
territories will compete for 275 gold medals at the
Commonwealth Games. India has represented at the
opening ceremony by a contingent of over 200 athletes, led
by flag-bearer Olympic Silver Medalist, P V Sindhu.It is the
fifth time Australia has hosted the Commonwealth Games.
6. India’s weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has won the gold medal
in the 48 kg category at the 21st Commonwealth Games in
Gold Coast.
Note: Chanu (Hailing from Manipur) won with a total lift of
196 kg. She becomes the first Indian to win a gold medal at
the Commonwealth Games 2018.
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K. K. Birla Foundation.It consists of Rs. 15 lakhs, a citation
and a plaque.
7. India’s Weightlifter P Gururaja in the 56 kilograms category
lifted a total weight of 249 kg to finish Silver Medal at the
Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Note: The gold medal went to Izahar Ahmad (Malaysia)
who lifted a total weight of 261kg.The bronze medal went
to Sri Lanka’s Chaturanga Lakmal.
8. Canadian full-bore shooter Robert Pitcairn (79-yeas)
debuted at the on-going Gold Coast Games as the oldest
athlete in Commonwealth Games history.
Note: He stepped onto the range with partner Nicole
Rossignol, in the Queen's Prize Pairs finals 1 event at the
age of 79 years and nine months.
9. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has shifted the 50-over Asia
Cup from India to United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Note: The tournament will now be held from September 13
to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Asia Cup is a biennial
event which is now held in both ODI and T20 formats.This
time it will be a 50-over event as teams are now gearing up
for next year's ODI World Cup in England.
10. The first Indian javelin thrower to claim a gold at the
Commonwealth Games 2018 -- Neeraj Chopra.
11. Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has become the World
number- 1 in men’s singles category.
Note: Srikanth replaced Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) at the
top of rankings with 76,895 points.He joins Saina Nehwal to
become only the second Indian to achieve the feat.
12. Saina Nehwal became the first Indian shuttler to have won
two singles gold medals in badminton in Commonwealth
Games.
13. Shooter Anish Bhanwala became India's youngest gold
medallist at the Commonwealth Games.
14. Afghanistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad has been
fined after he was caught playing for a Pakistani cricket club
in Peshawar (Pakistan) without permission.
Note: Shahzad has been ordered to pay about 4,400 US
Dollars. According to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB),
players require to obtain "no objection certificate" if they
want to play matches other than those approved by the
ACB.
15. FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 unveils official mascot --
Son of Dreams.
Note: The mascot finalists are a Chinese dragon ('Son of
Dream'), a Siberian tiger ('Speed Tiger') and a lion ('Qiu
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Qiu'). The tournament will take place in eight Chinese cities
and 32-team from 31st August to 15th September 2019.
16. The 16th Federation Cup junior (under-20) national athletics
meet held at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Note: The three-day event seen 440 boys and 352 girls in
the age group of 16 to 20 years take part in 44 events,
Organised by the Tamil Nadu Athletics Association (TNAA).
The meet has served as the selections trials for the 18th
Asian Junior Athletic Meet to be held at Gifu, Japan, in June.
17. Birmingham Organising Committee of CWG decides to
exclude the game from 2022 CWG -- shooting.
Note: South Africa (Durban) was to originally host the 2022
CWG but it later expressed its inability to host the Games
due to financial problems.
18. Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has recommended
Manika Batra (22-year) for the prestigious Arjuna Award.
Note: She is country's only quadruple medallist at the 21st
Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. She also secured a
women's doubles silver alongside Mouma Das and mixed
doubles bronze with G Sathiyan.
19. Bengaluru FC has won the the Super Cup football
tournament at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Note: They defeated Kolkata football giants East Bengal by a
convincing margin of 4-1.The 2018 Indian Super Cup is the
inaugural edition of the Super Cup, the main club knockout
football competition in India.
20. Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri has won the 2018
Santaizi ATP Challenger tournament in Taipei.
21. Australian racing driver Daniel Ricciardo has won the 2018
Formula One Chinese Grand Prix tournament.
Note: The race was the third round of the 2018 FIA Formula
One World Championship and marked the fifteenth time
that the Chinese Grand Prix has been run as a round of the
Formula One World Championship.
22. The Coimbatore city hosted the 16th Federation Cup Junior
National athletics championship 2018.
Note: The 16th Federation Cup Junior National junior
(under-20) athletics championship was held in Coimbatore,
Tamil Nadu.
23. The Spanish professional tennis player has won the Men's
Singles title of Monte Carlo Masters Tennis tournament --
Rafael Nadal.
Note: He defeated Kei Nishikori (Japan) 6-3, 6-2.Now, Nadal
became the first man in the Open era to win the Monte
Carlo title 11 times.
24. The first Egyptian footballer has won the Professional
Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year for the
2017-18 season -- Mohamed Salah.
25. Indian fencer has won a silver in the sabre event of the
Tournoi World Cup Satellite Fencing Championship in
Iceland -- C A Bhavani Devi.
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Notes: Bhavani Devi had won a gold at the 2017 Reykjavik
tournament to become the first Indian win to do so in an
international fencing event.
26. Rafael Nadal lifted his 11th Barcelona Open tennis title with
a win over Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Note: Nadal has won 19 successive matches, and 46
consecutive sets, on clay.The Barcelona Open is an annual
tennis tournament (since 1953) for male professional
players held in Barcelona, Spain.
27. The International cricket council has decided to grant T20
International status to all its existing members in a bid to
popularize the game across the globe -- 104.
Note: Now, minimum standards will be introduced making
it as easy as possible for members to play international
cricket in a sustainable and affordable way. The ICC has 104
members (12 Full Members that play Test matches and 92
Associate Members) responsible for the organization and
governance of cricket's major international tournaments
like Cricket World Cup.
28. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has nominated
country's top player for the Arjuna award -- Yuki Bhambri &
Rohan Bopanna.
Note: Recently, Yuki Bhambri reclaimed his place in top-100
(career-best rank - 83) after a string of impressive
performances.Rohan Bopanna had won the French Open
mixed doubles title last year with Canadian Gabriela
Dabrowski, was nominated last year after the deadline had
passed.
29. According to ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson, the
International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to convert
the 2021 Champions Trophy (ODI) into World T20.
Note: The global body had “unanimously agreed” that the
2021 meet in India would now be a 16-team (Earlier 8-team
ODI) event in the shortest format.
30. India’s Tennis player Siddhant Banthia has won the Indian
leg of the junior French Open wild card tournament in New
Delhi.
Note: Banthia beat reigning Under-16 national champion
Mann Maulik Shah 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
31. Indian women boxers Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) Manisha (64kg)
and Lalita (69kg won the three gold medals in the Asian
Youth Championships in Bangkok.
32. Prajnesh Gunneswaran has clinched first ever singles tennis
title on the ATP Challenger circuit in Kunming Open at
Anning, China.
Note: He defeated Egypt's Mohammed Safwat in three sets
5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Now, India have three players (Yuki Bhambri-
83, Ramkumar Ramanathan-115 and Prajnesh is expected
to be around 175) inside top-200.
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Medal Tally

COUNTRY GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL RANK

Australia 80 59 59 198 1
England 45 45 46 136 2
India 26 20 20 66 3
Canada 15 40 27 82 4
New Zealand 15 16 15 46 5

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