TNPSC Daily Current Affairs and GK April 09-12, 2017 (English)
India, Georgia signs to launch Joint Feasibility Study on FTA
India and Georgia have singed a Joint Statement on the launching of the Joint Feasibility Study on the Free Trade Agreement between both countries. The statement was signed by Union Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Gakharia.
12th edition of Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise “Nomadic Elephant” has started in Mizoram
The 12th edition of Indo – Mongolian Joint Military Exercise “Nomadic Elephant” has started at Vairengte in Mizoram from April 5, 2017 and will continue till April 18, 2017. Mongolian Army is represented by nine officers and 36 soldiers of the elite 084 Special Forces Task Battalion while Indian Army is represented by a contingent comprising of three officers, four JCOs and 39 soldiers of the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles. The purpose of the military exercise is to train the troops in Counter Insurgency & Counter Terrorism Operations under the United Nations mandate. The joint training will also lay emphasis on conducting operations by a joint subunit, comprising of troops from both the armies, in adverse operational conditions aimed at enhancing the interoperability between the two armies.
Malala Yousafzai become the United Nations (UN)’s youngest-ever Messenger of Peace
Malala Yousafzai (19), the youngest—ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will become the United Nations (UN)’s youngest-ever Messenger of Peace to promote girls’ education around the world as part of her new role. She is honoured by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a ceremony at the U.N. headquarters in New York on April 10, 2017. Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist, who came to prominence when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head on her school bus in 2012 as punishment for campaigning for girls to go to school which defied the militant Islamic group’s ban on female education.
Anuja Ravindra Dhir become a first non-white judge at the Old Bailey Court of London
Anuja Ravindra Dhir, an Indian-origin woman, has become the first non-white judge to sit at the Old Bailey Court of London. She is also the youngest circuit judge to sit at the court. The Old Bailey Court of London is the central criminal court of England and Wales. It houses 15 judges including 10 men and 5 women.
G-7 Foreign Ministers meeting has started in Luca, Italy
The G-7 Foreign Ministers meeting has started in Luca, Italy from April 10, 2017. The civil war in Syria is likely to dominate talks in the two day summit, with Italy hoping for a final communique that will reinforce United Nations’ efforts to end six years of conflict.
International Convention on ‘World Homoeopathy Day’ started on April 9, 2017
The International Convention on ‘World Homoeopathy Day’ has started on April 9, 2017 with the theme ‘Enhancing Quality of Research in Homoeopathy’ through scientific evidence and rich clinical experiences’ at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra (PBK) in New Delhi. The 2-day event is being organized to commemorate the 262nd birth anniversary of the founder of Homeopathy, Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, who was a great scholar, linguist and acclaimed scientist.
China executed most people in 2016, as per Amnesty's Global Report ‘Death Sentences & Executions 2016’
As per Amnesty International Global Report ‘Death Sentences & Executions 2016’, China has executed most people in 2016, despite the number of executions worldwide dropped by 37%. The report stated that it is difficult to get a clear number as Beijing classifies most information related to the death penalty as “state secrets”. The agency said it believes that China executed thousands each year. Excluding China, states around the world executed 1,032 people in 2016, according to Amnesty’s records. Iran has acquired 2nd position followed by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pakistan and Egypt. The report further stated that 104 countries were recorded to have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.
G20 Digital Ministerial Meeting on Digital Economy held in Dusseldorf, Germany
The first-ever G20 Digital Ministerial Meeting on Digital Economy was held in Dusseldorf, Germany on April 6-7, 2017 with theme “Digitisation: Policies for a Digital Future”. The conference established a general agreement on how to maximize the benefits of digitalisation and highlighted the importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as the backbone of today’s digital economy.
National Affairs
Parliament passes HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2017
Parliament has passed the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2017. It is the first national HIV law in South Asia. The Bill seeks to safeguard the rights of people living with HIV and affected by HIV. It aims to prevent social stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV).
Draft Ganga Act Committee headed by Justice Shri Girdhar Malviya (Retd.) Submits its Report Uma Bharti (12.04.2017). She directed the Secretary of her Ministry to constitute a high level committee to go through the report and submit its report at the earliest. The Minister expressed the hope that sufficient provisions have been made in the draft report keeping in view the uninterrupted and clean flow of river Ganga.
India’s first-ever micro-drama festival “Thespis” at IGNCA, New Delhi
State Affairs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Swachhagraha-Bapu Ko Karyanjali’ in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated an exhibition titled ‘Swachhagraha – Bapu Ko Karyanjali’ in New Delhi on April 10, 2017 to mark centenary of the historic Champaran Satyagraha – Mahatma Gandhi’s first Satyagraha in India. The exhibition will showcase Champaran Satyagraha and it will connect essential principles of Satyagraha with Swachhagraha. The exhibition will also showcase the ground covered by the Swachh Bharat Mission in creating a mass movement towards a clean India.
Draft Ganga Act Committee headed by Justice Shri Girdhar Malviya (Retd.) Submits its Report
Draft Ganga Act Committee headed by Justice Shri Girdhar Malviya (Retd.) Submits its Report Uma Bharti (12.04.2017). She directed the Secretary of her Ministry to constitute a high level committee to go through the report and submit its report at the earliest. The Minister expressed the hope that sufficient provisions have been made in the draft report keeping in view the uninterrupted and clean flow of river Ganga.
India’s first-ever micro-drama festival “Thespis” at IGNCA, New Delhi
India’s first-ever micro-drama festival “Thespis” has started at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi on April 9, 2017. The micro drama festival has presented the series of 25 micro drama tales composed with the duration of 10 minutes and is named after Thespis of Icaria, who lived in 6th century BC and was the first actor to perform solo. The plays are conceptualised in 10 different languages, including Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Urdu, Punjabi, Oriya, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and English. It is organized by Delhi based registered theatre group ‘Vriksh’.
State Affairs
Bengaluru police has launched “Pink Hoyslas” police patrol vehicles for women safety
Bengaluru city police has launched “Pink Hoyslas” police patrol vehicles for women safety. Pink Hoysalas will be stationed at 51 hot spots’ that have been identified on the basis of the crime pattern in various city areas, especially those related to safety of women and children.
UP government to launch cheap food canteen “Annapurna Bhojnalayas”
The Uttar Pradesh will launch cheap food canteen “Annapurna Bhojnalayas” across all 14 municipal corporations in the state. Under the scheme, breakfast will be provided at Rs 3, while lunch and dinner will cost Rs 5 only.
03 Books Republished for Gandhi's Champaran Centenary Celebration
The Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, M Venkaiah Naidu has recently released a book titled “Gandhi in Champaran” authored by noted author Dinanath Gopal Tendulkar at National Mahatma Gandhi Museum in New Delhi. Naidu also released a book containing a collection of letters and articles of the correspondence between Nobel laureate Romain Rolland and Mahatma Gandhi as well as DG Tendulkar’s 8 volume biography of Mahatama Gandhi.
Awards and Prizes
Awards and Prizes
Colson Whitehead won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in fiction “The Underground Railroad”
Colson Whitehead from United States has won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in fiction for his novel “The Underground Railroad”. The novel had received the 2016 National Book Award of the US. This is for the first time in more than 20 years that the same work won the Pulitzer and National Book Award for fiction. The novel depicts the journey of a young woman that escaped from slavery via a fantastical train system.
Sports Affairs
Lewis Hamilton wins 2017 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton, a British Formula One racing driver from England, has won the 2017 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China.
INTEL named the official Innovation Partner for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Intel as its official Innovation Partner for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The ICC has collaborated with Intel to transform the cricket experience for fans and help coaches and players improve performance.
India’s first NBA Basketball School launched in Mumbai
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has launched India’s first NBA Basketball School launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The school is a part of a multi-year agreement with India On Track (IOT), which is open to male and female players between ages 6-18. The NBA Basketball School builds an additional track between the Jr. NBA and NBA Academies with the goal of increasing the pool of players who have the talent to attend our academies around the world.
India-Australia launch Sports Partnership in Mumbai
India and Australia today launched Sports partnership in Mumbai aimed at increasing cooperation in sports. The Partnership, which was launched by the Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mr. Vijay Goel and the visiting Australian Prime Minister Mr. Malcolm Turnbull, in the presence of cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, will advance India – Australia cooperation in four areas - athlete and coach training and development, sport science, sport governance and integrity, and grassroots participation.”