Current Affairs – April 09 2018
1. China bans exports to N Korea that could be used in weapons
China has imposed restrictions on exports to North Korea by banning some items that can be used in both civilian products and weapons of mass destruction. The ban covers items including particle accelerators and centrifuges. Earlier, China banned steel and other metal exports and capped the export of crude oil to North Korea.
2. India win men’s TT team gold medal at CWG after 12 years
India defeated Nigeria 3-0 to clinch gold in the men’s table tennis team event at the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 2006. With this, India joined England to bag second-most table tennis gold medals (5) at CWG. This is the first time that India have won both men’s and women’s TT team events at a single CWG edition. Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth represented India in singles’ matches of the five-member team event.
3. Indian shooter Jitu Rai breaks CWG record to win his 2nd gold
ndian shooter Jitu Rai broke the Commonwealth Games record with a score of 235.1 in the men’s 10m Air Pistol event to win his career’s second Commonwealth Games gold on Monday. In the same event, another Indian shooter Om Mitharval won the bronze medal to take India’s medal tally to 15, including eight gold and three silver.
4. Prez Kovind gets Equatorial Guinea’s highest civilian honour
President Ram Nath Kovind has been conferred with Condecoracion, the highest civilian honour given to a non-citizen by Equatorial Guinea. He was bestowed with the honour by Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo as a recognition of his contribution to security, development, and world peace. President Kovind is the first head of state from India to visit the nation.
5. Nepal President inaugurates International Conference on Human Rights in South Asia
President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari has inaugurated the International Conference on Human Rights in South Asia in Kathmandu. The conference is organized by the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal. The representatives of Human Rights Commissions and institutions, human rights activists from 20 countries including India are participating in 3 day event.
The theme of conference is “Identifying Challenges, Assessing Progress, Moving Forward: Addressing Impunity and Realizing Human Rights in South Asia”.
The delegates will discuss various issues including different types of discrimination in South Asia including rights of marginalized groups, collective rights, violence against women, rule of law, due process and combating impunity.
6. Tripura CM launches state component of PMKVY in Agartala
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb launched the state component of Pradhanmantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY) in Agartala. Under the programme, the state aims to achieve the target to give training to more than 1 lakh 16,000 youths by 2020.
Under it, those who wish to start, especially the small-scale industries, will be provided land, other assistance and security. The state government is also planning to promote industrialisation based on pineapple, bamboo, rubber and jackfruit.
7. Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban wins new term
Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed a landslide victory in the nation’s general election. Orban will serve a third consecutive term in office, with his party Fidesz projected to keep its key two-thirds majority in parliament. Hungary’s National Election Office stated that Fidesz party has won almost half of the vote, with 93 percent of ballots counted.
8. Goa government to launch app-based taxi service
The government of Goa has decided to launch its own app-based taxi service to few key tourist destinations of the state. The state-run Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) invited taxi operators to register with the new mobile application-based transport service. The taxi operators who hold the license to run cabs in Goa would be eligible to register for the new transport service. The service will be operated on the lines of professional taxi services such as Uber that have a presence in other parts of the country.
9. Maharashtra to start free chemotherapy units for cancer patients
Maharashtra has announced that cancer patients would be provided with free chemotherapy treatment at district hospitals. The first phase of the plan would start in June 2018. The plan will start with hospitals in Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Pune, Amravati, Jalgaon, Nashik, Wardha, Satara, Bhandara and Akola districts.
The move aims to ease the travelling and lodging problems of cancer patients who come to Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel, which is one of the country’s premier cancer treatment facilities, for six-week chemotherapy course as a part of their treatment.
According to the National Cancer Registry Programme, around 11 lakh people are diagnosed with cancer every year across the country. Among them, five lakh people die annually.
10. 11 public sector banks placed under RBI’s PCA Framework
Lending to the corporate sector, particularly small and medium enterprises, is becoming increasingly difficult with more than half the country’s public sector banks (PSBs) now under the RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework, which restricts lending activities of the banks.
The 11 banks already under the NPA framework are IDBI Bank, Bank of India, UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank and Allahabad Bank.
In a report, rating agency ICRA said that five more banks could be brought under the PCA. These include Canara Bank, Union Bank, Andhra Bank, Punjab National Bank, and Punjab & Sind Bank.
11. Health Ministry bans over-the-counter sale of 14 steroid creams
To prevent the indiscriminate sale of topical preparations containing steroids and antibiotics without prescription, the Health Ministry has banned over-the-counter sale of around 14 such creams. In a notification issued on March 23, the ministry has put 14 steroid-based creams and ointments under the Schedule H category by making amendments to certain Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The decision was taken following consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) which had recommended a ban on the sale of such creams without prescription and had also submitted their recommendations to the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO).
12. Odilorhabdins: New class of antibiotics to fight drug resistance discovered
A new class of antibiotics has been discovered which may help combat drug-resistant or hard-to-treat bacterial infections. According to the World Health Organisation, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health today.
The antibiotic called odilorhabdins, or ODLs, are produced by symbiotic bacteria found in soil-dwelling nematode worms that colonise insects for food. The bacteria helps in killing the insect and, importantly, secretes the antibiotic to keep competing bacteria away.
13. 8th Theatre Olympics concludes in Mumbai
After a glorious run of 51 days across 17 cities of India, the historic event 8th Theatre Olympics drew to a colourful close in Mumbai. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, DevendraFadnavis was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony. Around 400 artists from various parts of the country have come to put up a very colourful show at the closing ceremony.
This edition of Theatre Olympics brought together around 25,000 artists under the theme “Flag of Friendship”. The event witnessed 450 shows from more than 30 countries.
14. India, Nepal to develop inland waterways for cargo movement
India and Nepal recognised the untapped potential of inland waterways, in order to contribute towards the overall economic development of the region. The new initiative would enable cost-effective and efficient movement of cargo. Prime Minister Oli noted the enormous impact the additional connectivity would have on the growth of business and economy of Nepal.
15. India to build strategic railway link between Kathmandu and Raxaul in Bihar
India will build a strategic railway link between Raxaul in Bihar and Kathmandu in Nepal to facilitate people-to-people contact and bulk movement of goods. The two prime ministers agreed to construct the new electrified rail line, which will be financed by India, connecting the border city in India to Nepal.
The two leaders noted that the stretch of railway lines from Jayanagar to Janakpur/Kurtha and from Jogbani to Biratnagar Custom Yard will be completed in 2018.
