Latest Current Affairs – April 16 2018
1. India to get normal monsoon for 3rd straight year: Met Dept
The India Meteorological Department has forecasted that India will receive a normal monsoon for the third consecutive year, with 97% rainfall of the long-period average. Skymet Weather Services has predicted 100% rainfall of the long-period average. India defines normal rainfall for the four-month monsoon season beginning June as between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 89 cm.
2. Rajasthan Royals to plant one million saplings in Rajasthan
Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals have begun their ‘Go Green’ initiative, in which the side will help plant one million saplings across the state of Rajasthan. This initiative has been undertaken in association with the Government of Rajasthan among other organisations. The campaign will also spread awareness regarding carpooling, rainwater harvesting and waste management.
3. Kotak overtakes SBI as India’s second-most valuable bank
Private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank on Monday beat State Bank of India for the first time to become the second most valued bank in the country. Kotak Mahindra Bank has a market value of ₹2.23 trillion while SBI has a market value of over ₹2.22 trillion. HDFC Bank remained country’s most valuable bank with a market capitalisation of ₹5.03 trillion.
4. Pakistan gets its first school for transgender community
Pakistan’s first school for the transgender community was inaugurated in Lahore. Built by an NGO named Exploring Future Foundation, ‘The Gender Guardian’ will also impart courses on computer and mobile repairing, culinary skills and graphic designing, among others. There is no age limit to get enrolled in the school.
5. Police use pigeons to send messages in Odisha
Odisha Police used pigeons to send messages from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack during a ceremony. The police said Odisha is the only Indian state that uses pigeons to communicate between police stations. The Odisha Pigeon Service started in 1946 when the army gave policemen 200 pigeons to communicate in areas with no wireless or telephone links, the police added.
6. China launches website to report corruption
China has launched a website for citizens to report names of people who attempt to bribe government or military officials as part of its crackdown on corruption. The website also urges people to report threats to national security, including names of those attempting to instigate riots or trading state secrets. The informants would be rewarded by the government.
7. PM Modi to address world from historic London hall on Apr 18
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a globally broadcast address at London’s historic Central Hall Westminster on Wednesday, April 18 during his visit to the United Kingdom (UK). Central Hall Westminster, previously known as the Methodist Central Hall, is one of the largest multi-purpose venues in the heart of London and the site of the first-ever United Nations General Assembly in 1946.
Anti-apartheid leader Martin Luther King Jr, the Dalai Lama and Princess Diana are some of the other high-profile speakers at the hall.
8. Railways to build 500-km wall along Delhi-Mumbai route
The Indian Railways has decided to build a 500-km wall along the Delhi-Mumbai route in order to restrict human and cattle interference, officials have said. According to an official, the move, which has been approved by the Railway Board, is expected to help the Railways achieve on-time performance and reduce the number of accidents.
9. India has recovered from demonetisation, GST: World Bank
The Indian economy has recovered from demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, according to a World Bank report. It predicts that Indian economy’s growth will accelerate from 6.7% in 2017 to 7.3% in 2018 and 7.5% in 2019. The report further stated that India must create 8.1 million jobs a year to maintain its employment rate, which has been declining.
10. Dharmendra to receive Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award
Veteran actor Dharmendra will be conferred with the prestigious Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award as announced by Maharashtra’s Minister of Cultural Affairs Vinod Tawde. The 82-year old actor, who was known as ‘He-Man’ after he starring in a number of action films, is known for films like ‘Sholay’, ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’, ‘Satyakam’ and ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’.
11. Queen appoints Prince Harry as Commonwealth youth ambassador
Queen Elizabeth has appointed Prince Harry as a youth ambassador for the Commonwealth, a role that will see him encouraging young people to use the network of mostly former British colonies to address their challenges. Prince Harry will work to create links between young people and youth leaders of the Commonwealth and to encourage them to use Commonwealth platforms to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges of their generation.
12. Biannual Army Commanders’ Conference begins in New Delhi
The biannual Army Commanders’ Conference has begun in New Delhi. The opening address was given by Minister of State for Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre. Chaired by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, the senior commanders has deliberated on specific issues to Army formations and Army as a whole at the conference.
The Army Commanders’ Conference is held biannually for formulating important policy decisions through collegiate deliberations. It is an important event for planning and execution process of the Indian Army.
13. Indian Army inks MoU with Axis Bank on Defence Salary Package
A Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and the Axis Bank on the Defence Salary Package. The first MoU between Axis Bank and the Indian Army was signed in 2011 and was renewed on March 24, 2015. The current MoU is tailor-made to suit the requirements of serving soldiers, pensioners and their families.
Recently, the Indian Army has also signed a MoU with the HDFC bank as well. The MoUs are considered for inception and renewal with banks on analyzing their utility and suitability to the requirements of serving soldiers, pensioners and their families.
14. Commonwealth summit opens in London
British Prime Minister Theresa May opened the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) in London, marking the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) with a message of using the organisation to challenge the forces of protectionism and promote greater trade.
India is among 52 other member-countries participating in the summit hosted by the UK in London around the theme of “Towards a Common Future”.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is participating in the CBF with what it describes as a momentous delegation of nearly 40 business leaders across different sectors of the country, led by CII President Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman of Bharti Enterprises.
15. Ayushman Bharat Scheme: First health & wellness centre inaugrated in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first health centre under the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. Under Ayushman Bharat, the government will open 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres by 2022, which will be equipped to treat a host of diseases, including blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and old-age illness.
16. Pakistan successfully test fires enhanced version of Babur cruise missile
The successful test of an enhanced version of the indigenously developed Babur Cruise Missile was conducted by the Armed forces of Pakistan. The cruise missile incorporates advanced aerodynamics and avionics that can strike targets with high accuracy at a range of 700 kilometres.
Babur is equipped with state of the art navigational technologies of Terrain Contour Matching and all time Digital Scene Matching and Area Co-relation.
