STATE
ANDHRA PRADESH
New chairman of TTD board: Putta Sudhakar Yadav
- The Andhra Pradesh government has appointed Putta Sudhakar Yadav as the chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board.
Happy Cities Summit
- The first ‘Happy Cities Summit: Amaravati 2018’ a global summit to evolve a framework for thinking about and measuring ‘city happiness’ as well as a declaration and set of principles for guiding policy and action in the development of ‘happy cities’, especially relevant for cities in the developing world.
- The summit is also expected to create a Happy Cities Innovation Lab that will be the institutional anchor to take this work forward, in collaboration with the partner countries and institutions from around the world.
- The summit would have four central themes – citizen-centric governance; liveable communities; clean and healthy environment; and vibrant economies.
UTTAR PRADESH
- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a proposal for setting up the Tiger Conservation Foundation at the Dudhwa wildlife reserve to boost eco-tourism in the state. It was for the first time in the state that a Tiger Foundation was being raised.
- This will bring more footfalls to this tiger reserve, it will also provide employment for the tribals living there.Similar foundations would be set up in tiger reserves at Chuka in Pilibhit district and at Nishan Gadha in Bijnor.
NATIONAL
Indian Consortium and Saudi Aramco Sign MoU for Ratnagiri Mega Refinery in Maharashtra
- An Indian Consortium consisting of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL and Saudi Aramco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop and build an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex, Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL) in the State of Maharashtra. Saudi Aramco may also seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the project.
- The strategic partnership brings together crude supply, resources, technologies, experience and expertise of these multiple oil companies with an established commercial presence around the world.
TAKEAWAYS
Saudi Arabia:
Capital and largest city – Riyadh
King - Salman
Crown Prince - Mohamma
Currency - Saudi riyal
Dr Jitendra Singh launches online dashboard to monitor public grievances on real time basis
- The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched an online dashboard developed by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
- The dashboard will monitor public grievances on real time basis and periodically review progress of systemic reforms. The systemic reforms and their monitoring metrics, catering to grievance issues are highlighted on the dashboard. This will enable concerned Ministries/Departments to monitor implementation of these reforms.
Indo-Vietnam pact on transfer of convicted prisoners gets enforced
- An Indo-Vietnam pact for transfer of each other’s sentenced prisoners to serve their remaining terms in their own countries has come into effect with its ratification by the two nations. The agreement on transfer of the sentenced persons was signed by India and Vietnam on November 1, 2013 and was ratified by India on January 1, 2014. Vietnam, however, ratified it only on March 10, 2017.
- The pact would grant the citizens of the countries, convicted and sentenced in the other country, an opportunity to serve their remaining terms in their own countries and facilitate their social rehabilitation in their own societies.
TAKEAWAYS
VIETNAM:
Capital - Hanoi
President – Tr?n ??i Quang
Prime Minister – Nguy?n Xuân Phúc
Currency – ??ng
Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of Illegal Migrants
- The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the MoU between India and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of Illegal Migrants.The MoU will facilitate that the Visa Free Agreement for holders of Diplomatic passports as well as liberalization of UK Visa Regime for those who are travelling to the UK legally, after conclusion of the MoU.
- It will ensure the return of persons who have no lawful basis to be in the territory of the other Party after verification of nationality to its satisfaction.It will help in streamlining the procedure of return of nationals who are caught to be staying illegally, belonging to the other party in a specified time-frame.
TAKEAWAYS
UNITED KINGDOM(England):
Capital - London
Monarch - Elizabeth II
Prime Minister – Theresa May
Currency - Pound sterling
New norms for global funded projects
- The Central Vigilance Commission has drawn up a new set of guidelines for projects funded by international agencies such as the World Bank, IMF and Asian Development Bank.
- The new guidelines will put an end to existing practice of government departments and agencies adhering to the guidelines of foreign donors, while ignoring Indian government rules, in concluding contracts for projects funded by them. The new guidelines also draw a distinction between grants-in-aid and loans.
WORLD
House bill targets money laundering by human traffickers
- The government would take modest steps toward hindering money laundering by human traffickers under legislation approved by the House as lawmakers found a widely popular cause to tackle in a mostly discordant election year.
- The bipartisan bill would require an existing presidential task force to recommend how Congress can better thwart money laundering by traffickers. Another federal council would suggest improvements in how US agencies train investigators to pursue such cases.
SCIENCE
Jaw fossil found on U.K. beach belonged to ichthyosaur
- Ichthyosaur lived 205 million years ago, dominating the oceans just as dinosaurs were becoming the undisputed masters on land
- A jawbone fossil found on a rocky English beach belongs to one of the biggest marine animals on record, a type of seagoing reptile called an ichthyosaur that scientists estimated at up to 85 feet long – approaching the size of a blue whale.
IIT-Delhi to establish lab to develop 5G equipment
- To establish India as a key global player in standardisation, R&D and manufacturing of 5G equipment, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi is opening a Massive Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) lab on the campus.
- IIT-Delhi said the lab will be the first of its kind in the country and has been set-up at the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology and Management.
ECONOMY
Cabinet approves agreement to formalise ISA HQ in India
- The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its ex post facto approval to an agreement that would formalise the headquarters of the International Solar Alliance in India (ISA).The headquarters agreement will institutionalise the functional arrangements between India and ISA.
- It will help in a smooth transition of ISA as an international inter-governmental organisation. The creation of ISA will lead to accelerated solar technology development and deployment in ISA member-countries, including India. The agreement was signed on March 26, 2018.
Digital transformation will add $154 billion to India’s GDP
- Digital transformation will add an estimated $154 billion to India’s GDP by 2021 and increase the growth rate by 1% every year, according to a joint study by Microsoft and IDC Asia Pacific. In 2017, about 4% of India’s GDP was derived from digital products and services created through digital technologies , the report titled ‘Unlocking the Economic Impact of Digital Transformation in Asia Pacific’, stated.
SPORTS
Commonwealth games 2018: Shreyasi Singh wins gold in women’s double trap shooting
- Shreyasi Singh wins the women’s double trap gold medal in the 21st Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
Commonwealth games 2018: Ankur Mittal bags bronze in shooting
- Ankur Mittal won a bronze in the men’s double trap event of the 21st Commonwealth Games.