1. India’s first online interactive heritage portal Sahapedia launched
i. The Government of India has launched country’s first online interactive heritage portal named Sahapedia in New Delhi.
ii. The web portal is a collaborative knowledge resource on the arts, culture and heritage of India. Sahapedia is a not-for-profit society headed by former TCS chairman S. Ramadorai, who currently helms the National Skill Development Agency.
iii. The major objective of the portal is to inform, educate and act on subjects such as knowledge traditions, visual and material arts, performing arts, literature and languages. Making full use of modern design and technology, ‘Sahapedia’ will enable the user to experience the subcontinent’s culture from ancient times till date in a comprehensive manner.
2. 25th April : World Malaria Day
i. 25th April is observed every year as World Malaria Day (WMD) to create awareness among the people about this vector borne disease.
ii. The theme for 2016 is End Malaria For Good. This year’s theme reflects the vision of a malaria-free world set out in the Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030.
iii. The World Health Assembly adopted it in May 2015, the strategy aims to dramatically lower the global malaria burden over the next 15 years. The strategy sets the target of reducing global malaria incidence and mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030.
3. Centre to provide plastic park to Andhra Pradesh
i. Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananta Kumar announced that Andhra Pradesh would be the plastic hub in a short while from now and that the Centre would provide a plastic park to the State with Rs.1000 crore.
ii. The announcement has been made after laying the foundation stone for the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) at Surampalli village of Gannavaram mandal, near Vijayawada.
iii. He also announced that a plastic waste management center would be set up in Vijayawada and agreed to take up the issue of setting up the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Visakhapatnam.
4. Nabard lends Rs 1,000 crore to HSWC for wheat procurement
i. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has sanctioned a loan of Rs 1,000 crore to Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) for purchase of wheat during the ongoing rabi marketing season.
ii. The objective of foodgrain procurement by the government agencies is to ensure that farmers get remunerative price for their produce and do not have to resort to distress sale and build buffer stocks.
iii. The state government has authorised five agencies, namely Food and Supplies Department, HAFED, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation, Food Corporation of India and HSWC to procure wheat at minimum support price during the 2016-17 marketing season.
5. Govt Notifies New Rules To Improve SC/ST Act on Ambedkar Jayanti
i. Union Government has notified new rules to improve the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes Act also known as Preventions of Atrocities Act.
ii. The notification has been issued by the government on the birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb.
iii. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had notified the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Rules 2016 on 14 April, following which rules have now been framed. Some of the key upgrades in the bill: 1. The provision of completing an investigation and filing a charge sheet in the court within 60 days of the filing of the complaint by a member of SC/ST community. 2. A provision in the revamped bill is delinking the requirement of the medical examination for getting relief amount for non-invasive offenses against the women. 3. The new provisions have increased the existing quantum of relief amount from between Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 7, 50,000 to between Rs. 85,000 and Rs. 8, 25,000, depending on the nature of the offense.
6. Tata Trusts signs pact with Odisha for Malaria elimination
i. Tata Trusts has signed a pact with the Odisha government to achieve elimination of Malaria from the state by 2030.
ii. As per the MoU, Tata Trusts will be taking mass screenings twice a year in 557 villages in five selected blocks including Bissamcuttack and Muniguda blocks of Rayagada district, Lanjigarh, Thuamulrampur blocks of Kalahandi district and Kotgarh block of Kandhamal district in southern Odisha.
iii. The Centre has committed to eliminate malaria from the country by 2030. If the partnership between Odisha government and Trusts can demonstrate reduction in mortality in Odisha, it will bring down overall prevalence of malaria and incidence in the country. The vision of the partnership is to reduce malaria deaths by 50 per cent in five years and incidence by 40 per cent.
7. Cadbury inaugurates largest Asia-Pacific facility in India
i. Cadbury India, part of Mondelez International, today inaugurated its $190 million factory in Sri City SEZ, on the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
ii. The plant, which was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, is the company’s largest plant in Asia Pacific.
iii. The plant will start with making Dairy Milk chocolates will have an initial capacity of about 60,000 tonnes a year, which will be increased to 250,000 tonnes by 2020. The facility is spread over 134 acres of leased land; the plant will be developed in four phases and is scheduled for final completion by 2020. The new facility is a multi-category food campus and will create around 1,600 jobs.
8. India banned milk, mobile phones import from China
i. India has banned import of milk and milk products, certain mobile phones and a few other items from China after finding them sub-standard or not following security codes.
ii. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha that India banned import of milk and milk products from China as their quality was unacceptable.
iii. Sitharaman said some mobile phones, which do not carry International Mobile Station Equipment Identity number or other security features, and some steel products have also been banned from importing from China. "Complete ban of import from any country is not possible now due to WTO rules even if we have problems diplomatically, territorially or militarily," she said
9. International Solar Alliance Cell and UNDP declared Cooperation for Promoting Solar Energy
i. The Interim Administrative Cell of International Solar Alliance (ISA Cell) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 22 April 2016 declared their intention to promote solar energy globally.
ii. The declaration was made on the occasion of the side event on International Solar Alliance at the UN Headquarters in New York.
iii. The main aim of this cooperation is the Development of synergies with ongoing UNDP programmes and projects on solar energy in and across ISA member countries and also the creation of complementary linkages with ongoing global and regional efforts in the field of solar energy.
10. Uber partners with Election Commission in Tamilnadu
i. Taxi operator Uber has partnered with Election Commission in Tamil Nadu to spread awareness on voting among the electorate for the May 16 assembly polls.
ii. Uber held discussions with officials on the importance of voting and encouraging people to cast their vote and would collaborate with EC's Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation programme, Uber India said in a statement.
iii. Drivers of Uber cabs would be educating public on the importance of voting and encourage riders to vote on May 16.
11. China, Pakistan ink agreement to launch satellite to monitor CPEC projects
i. China and Pakistan have signed an agreement for the launch of a special satellite to monitor the development of the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
ii. Pakistan and China are working closely and wholeheartedly to implement the CPEC projects in the speediest manner. In this regard, both countries have decided for development and launch of the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) System and launch a satellite in June 2018.
iii. The first phase of multibillion dollars CPEC framework will be completed by 2018. The production of 10,000MW under this important initiative will also help overcome the energy crisis by 2018.
12. Former Finance Minister Clement Mouamba appointed as Prime Minister of Congo
i. Mouamba Clement, the former Congolese Finance Minister, was on 24 April 2016 appointed as the Prime Minister of Congo.
ii. He was appointed to the post by Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
iii. Clement will be responsible for forming a government in consultation with the president in accordance with the 25 October 2015 constitution. His major task after being appointed as Prime Minister would be to help in creating jobs for the youth, a majority of whom are struggling with under unemployment. This task will be linked with diversifying the country’s economy to achieve the President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s ambition of making Congo an emerging country by 2025.
13. Manoj Bajpayee To Receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award For 'Aligarh'
i. Renowned actor Manoj Bajpayee will be going to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the movie Aligarh.
ii. The actor will receive the award in the best actor category of Critics Choice. The award will be presented on 1st of May, 2016.
iii. The movie 'Aligarh' is a biographical drama directed by Hansal Mehta and the actor Manoj Bajpayee has played a role of Professor 'Ramchandra Siras' in it.
14. Rafael Nadal wins Barcelona Open to equal clay-court record
i. In Tennis, Rafael Nadal has won the Barcelona Open to equal Guillermo Vilas' decades old record of 49 clay-court titles.
ii. In the Final last night, world number five and top seed Spaniard defeated two-time defending champion Kei Nishikori of Japan, in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.
iii. This was Nadal's 9th Barcelona Open title, and he has now won his first 10 matches of the European clay-court season.
15. India to host 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships
i. India will host the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships in Jaipur. ii. This was announced by the Judo Federation of India in a press release in New Delhi today. iii. The Commonwealth Judo Congress had allotted the Championships to India at its meeting held at Port Elizabeth in South Africa on Saturday.
