Current Affair April 2015

7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal


A high-intensity earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale had struck central Nepal between its capital Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara on 25 April 2015.

Earthquake’s epicenter was 80 kilometers east of Pokhra near Kathmandu. It had a depth of only 11 kilometers (7 miles) i.e. in geological terms it was a shallow depth. The intensity of this earthquake was high due to its shallower depth which had more destructive power. It has resulted in thousands of deaths and tremendous loss of property. The tremors of this quake were felt in north Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, and Punjab. The tremors were also reported in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Earlier, Nepal had suffered its worst recorded earthquake in 1934. It was measured 8.0 and had destroyed the cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.
Reasons for catastrophic earthquake in Nepal

• This earthquake in Nepal may have occurred because of two converging tectonic plates, the India plate and the overriding Eurasian plate. 
• These tectonic plates are the large, thin, relatively rigid and are moving relative to one another on the outer surface of the Earth. 
• Both of these plates are slowly moving and sometimes get stuck at their edges due to friction. 
• Earthquake might have occured because of these overriding plates after the stress on the edge overcomes the friction. 
• It releases tremendous energy in form of waves that travel through the Earth’s crust and causes earthquake on the surface.

Bank of Baroda ties up with UAE Exchange for instant money transfer

Leading Indian public sector bank Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with UAE Exchange to offer Non-resident Indian (NRI) customers an instant cash transfer facility. In this regard agreement was signed between both parties. This agreement will facilitate customers can send money within minutes to their desired bank accounts in BoB in India. This facility is also supported by SMS alert, which will notify the moment the amount is credited in the bank account of desired customer. UAE Exchange is a global remittance and foreign exchange (FOREX) company. It serves over 7.9 million customers worldwide and currently has presence in 32 countries with over 750 branches across 32 countries. Currently, Bank of Baroda (BoB) has a network of more than 5,000 branches across United States, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. Its financial centres are located in cities like New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai.

50th Jnanpith Award conferred on Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade 


50th Jnanpith Award was conferred on eminent Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade on 25 April 2015. He was presented award comprising of 11 lakh rupees and a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in Parliament House Complex in New Delhi. His novel, Kosala, written in 1963 is considered as a path breaking in Marathi literature.
About Bhalchandra Nemade

• He was born in 1938 in the village of Jalgoan district of Maharashtra. 
• He completed his bachelor’s degree from Fergusson College, Pune and received PhD and D.Lit. degrees from North Maharashtra University. 
• He had taught English, Marathi, and comparative literature at various universities including the School of Oriental and African Studies at London and retired from Mumbai University’s Gurudeo Tagore Chair for comparative literature studies. In the 1960s, he had edited Marathi magazine Vacha.

Awards- 
He has received Sahitya Akademi Award (1990) for his critical work Teeka Svayanwar. He was also awarded Padma Shri (2011). It should be noted that Bhalchandra Nemade is the 4th Marathi writer to receive the honour. Others are Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar (1974) for his work Yayati. Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar (1987). He is famously known as Kusumagraj. Vinda Karandikar (2003).

India ranked 117 in World Happiness Report 2015


India was placed at 117th position in the recently released World Happiness Report 2015 among the 158 studied nations. The report was published by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
About World Happiness Report 

• The report aims at influencing government policy. 
• The report is prepared based upon study undertaken by Gallup World Poll. 
• The data is used to ranked nations based upon variables such as real GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, corruption levels and social freedoms.

Assam awarded as Best e-Panchayat state on National Panchayati Raj Diwas

State of Assam has been awarded as the Best e-Panchayat state on 25 April 2015 on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Diwas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the award to state Rural Development minister Rakibul Hussain in New Delhi. Apart from this award, 8 Panchayat Raj Institutes of state also received Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Shasaktikaran award. These panchayat raj institutes are – Agomoni Anchalik Parishad, Morigaon Zila Parishad, Ketri Gaon Panchayat, Mayong Gaon Panchayat, Boitamari Anchalik Parishad, Halakula Gaon Panchayat, Chandrapur Gaon Panchayat and Baghara Gaon Panchayat.

Bank of Baroda ties up with UAE Exchange for instant money transfer

Leading Indian public sector bank Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with UAE Exchange to offer Non-resident Indian (NRI) customers an instant cash transfer facility. In this regard agreement was signed between both parties. This agreement will facilitate customers can send money within minutes to their desired bank accounts in BoB in India. This facility is also supported by SMS alert, which will notify the moment the amount is credited in the bank account of desired customer. UAE Exchange is a global remittance and foreign exchange (FOREX) company. It serves over 7.9 million customers worldwide and currently has presence in 32 countries with over 750 branches across 32 countries. Currently, Bank of Baroda (BoB) has a network of more than 5,000 branches across United States, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. Its financial centres are located in cities like New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. Tags: Banking • FOREX Remittances