Current Affairs Daily Digest – April 23 2019
1. Legendary Bengali folk singer Amar Paul dead
Legendary Bengali folk singer Amar Paul died at a state-run hospital . Paul, 96, a widower, breathed his last around 5-30 pm at the SSKM Hospital.
Born on May 19, 1922 at Brahmanberia in undivided Bengal in an area now in Bangladesh, Paul took his first lessons in folk music from his mother Durgasundari Debi, and later learnt Hindusthani classical music from Ustad Ayet Ali Khan.
2.Malayalam Film Bhayanakam Won The Best Cinematography Award at Beijing International Film Festival
Malayalam film Bhayanakam (Fear) directed by Jayaraj won the best cinematography award at the Beijing International Film Festival . The cinematography was done by Nikihil S Praveen. The film had also won the best cinematography award at the 65th National Film Awards.
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Zero” was screened at the end of the festival.
The festival also screened five Indian films, including Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, Apur Sansar, Aparajito, the romantic comedy Love Per Square Foot, the 2018 Indian romantic comedy and the thriller Ittefaq.
3. Network 18’s Manish Maheshwari is new Twitter India MD
Micro blogging platform Twitter announced that it has appointed Manish Maheshwari as new managing director for the India market effective 29 April. He will be responsible for driving an integrated business strategy to accelerate the social media platform’s audience and revenue growth in the country, overseeing teams in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
4. TCS modernises more than 1.5 lakh post offices in India
India’s largest IT services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has helped modernise a network of more than 1.5 lakh post offices in the country. The company said that it has developed an integrated solution for India Post that helped it achieve this feat.
The deal between TCS and India Post was struck in 2013. The Mumbai-based company had received a multi-year contract of more than Rs 1,100 crore from the Department of Posts for an end-to-end IT modernisation project. The project entailed equipping India Posts with modern tech and systems for seamless and effective services.
5. Former deputy EC appointed special observer for Tripura
Former deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi was appointed as special observer for Tripura where the Lok Sabha polls to one of the seats was postponed in view of the law and order situation.
6. MOU signed between Ministry of AYUSH and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ministry of AYUSH and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi for cooperation in research and education in areas of traditional systems of medicine and its integration with modern science.
The MoU was signed by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH and Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR in the presence of senior officials from both the organizations.
7. LSE names a professorship after economist Amartya Sen
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has announced the creation of the Amartya Sen Chair in Inequality Studies, named in honour of the India-born economist, philosopher and Nobel laureate, who was Professor of Economics at LSE from 1971-82.
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has created a new academic position in honor of philosopher and economist Amartya Sen who was a professor there from 1971-82.
8. SBI General launches cyber defence insurance for businesses
SBI General Insurance has launched a product to protect businesses from financial and reputational losses due to cyber attacks. In the initial phase, the focus will be on SMEs and mid-market businesses, but later the product can cater to larger business conglomerates as well, the insurer said in a statement.
This offers protection against the growing threat of cyber breaches and is designed to protect against major insurable cyber exposures like hacking attacks, identity theft, disclosure of sensitive information and business interruption.
9. Bajaj Allianz launches Total Health Secure Goal plan
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance in collaboration launched their first product ‘Total Health Secure Goal’. This insurance plan is designed to take care of customers’ health and life goals, through one comprehensive insurance policy. Thus, removing hassles of maintaining two separate policies.
The new insurance product is a combination of two existing plans – Health Guard policy by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, and iSecure from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.
10. Network Intelligence Signs Partnership With BSE to Provide Security Services to its Members Under the SEBI Cybersecurity Guidelines
BSE, India’s largest stock exchange & Network Intelligence, a global cybersecurity services provider & CERT-IN empanelled vendor, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide cybersecurity services to its members in line with the cybersecurity framework set by SEBI.
SOC Monitoring & Incident Response Governance Network & Data Security Application Security Training & Education Periodic Audits This includes other services that will help the members tackle the ever growing Threat Landscape.
11. India ranks 19th in Index of Cancer Preparedness
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released the 2019 Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP) in which India’s overall rank is 19th out of 28 countries, with a score of 64.9.
Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP) 2019:
Australia tops the ICP, followed by the Netherlands and Germany. Saudi Arabia, Romania, and Egypt are at the bottom in Index.
12. Shiva creates history, assured of 4th straight Asian C’ship medal
Shiva Thapa became the first Indian boxer to be assured of a fourth successive medal at the Asian Championships by advancing to the semifinals in Bangkok . The 25-year-old from Assam defeated Thailand’s Rujakran Juntrong in a one-sided lightweight (60kg) contest. He prevailed 5-0.
Thapa won a gold in 2013, a bronze in 2015 and a silver in the 2017 edition of the marquee continental event.
He is also former world championship bronze-medallist and a two-time national champion.
13. Badminton Asia Championships begins at Wuhan in China
The Badminton Asia Championships began at Wuhan in China today. The Indian contingent comprises PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal in Women’s Singles, and Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer Verma in Men’s Singles.
Indian shuttlers will also be seen in action in the Doubles categories. India will be looking to end its 54-year-old title jinx at the Championships. It was Dinesh Khanna who had become the Men’s Singles champion in 1965. Last year, Saina and HS Prannoy had won bronze medals.
14. All India Radio, Publication Division & Children’s Film Society of India given Swacchta Pakhwada Awards-2019
All India Radio, Publication Division and Children’s Film Society of India were given Swacchta Pakhwada Awards-2019 in New Delhi .
Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry Amit Khare gave away the awards. Director General of All India Radio F. Sheheryar and Director General (News) Ms. Ira Joshi received the Award for All India Radio.
Press Council of India, Press Information Bureau and BECIL were also mentioned during the award ceremony for their efforts during the Swacchta Pakhwada.
15. India adequately prepared to deal with impact of US decision on buying oil from Iran
India is adequately prepared to deal with the impact of the US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for countries still buying oil from Iran.
India will continue to work with partner nations, including with the US, to find all possible ways to protect India’s energy and economic security interests.
five countries – India, China, Japan, South Korea and Turkey will no longer be exempt from US sanctions if they continue to import oil from Iran after their waivers end on the 2nd of May.
16. Kohli fan named winner of Global Sports Fan Award
Ahead of the biggest & first ever Global Sports Fan Awards, Sugumar D., an ardent fan of Indian skipper Virat Kohli, has been announced as the second recipient of the Global Sports Fan Awards, joining the bandwagon with Sachin Tendulkar worshipper Sudhir Kumar, who is the first recipient of the award.
The function is scheduled for June 14 in Manchester on the sidelines of Cricket World Cup 2019.
