13-14 April

India’s first IFSC became operational at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat

India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) became operational on 11 April 2015 at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

It became operational after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled the rules and regulations for this global financial hub at a special ceremony organized at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

Key features of International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)
• It will give boost to the economy of Gujarat as well as of the country
• The unveiled regulations aim at creating a vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in Dubai and Singapore.
• It allows companies incorporated outside India to raise money in foreign currencies by issuance and listing of their equity on stock exchanges within the IFSC
• Individual and institutional investors from India and abroad including NRIs, would be allowed to trade

Union Home Ministry notified Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Rules, 2015

Union Home Ministry on 10 April 2015 notified amendments to the Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Rules, 1987 and named these rules as Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Rules, 2015.

The rules were notified after President Pranab Mukherjee exercising his powers conferred under Section 13 of the Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Rules, 1982 amended the Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Rules, 1987.

The amendment notifies 18-set of rules to regulate any foreign visit or domestic visit outside the State by the Governors.

Main Highlights of the amended rules
• The Governors can leave the State for a private visit to a foreign country or within India only after receiving the due approval of the President except in emergent or extraordinary circumstances.
• The requests for permission to travel outside the State will have to be sent to President Secretariat anywhere between two weeks (for domestic visit) and six weeks (for foreign visit) before the date of travel.
• It bars Governors to stay in their respective states for at least 292 days in a year.
• The Governor cannot undertake such visits even under any emergent or extraordinary circumstance. In such cases, the governors will have to provide details of the circumstances and compelling reasons why it was not possible to obtain prior permission.
• The intimation to the President Secretariat in emergency circumstances shall be given as soon as the programme is finalised.
• It also says that the duration of visits in extraordinary circumstances cannot exceed 20 percent of the days in calendar years.
• The Governors shall also obtain clearance under the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act (FCRA clearance) and Political clearance before undertaking any official foreign visit.
• The Governors shall endorse the copies of communications to President Secretariat related to visit outside their State to the Prinicipal Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Home Minister.
• The rules also say that frequency of visit to the home State shall also be avoided or limited.

UNESCO released 2015 EFA Global Monitoring Report

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the first week of April 2015 released the 2015 EFA Global Monitoring Report titled Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges.

The report presents the achievements and challenges with respect to six EFA goals and eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the two most important frameworks in the field of education.

It also explains possible determinants of the pace of progress and identifies key lessons for shaping a post-2015 global education agenda.

Main Highlights of the Report

Goal 1 – Early childhood care and education

Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children

Despite a drop in child mortality rates of nearly 50%, 6.3 million children under the age of 5 died in 2013 from causes that are mostly preventable.
Progress in improving child nutrition has been considerable. Yet globally, one in four children is still short for their age – a sign of chronic deficiency in essential nutrients.
In 2012, 184 million children were enrolled in pre-primary education worldwide, an increase of nearly two-thirds since 1999.

Goal 2 – Universal primary education

Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality

The primary school net enrolment ratio was 84% in 1999 and is estimated to reach 93% in 2015.
Net enrolment ratios improved significantly, rising at least 20 percentage points from 1999 to 2012 in 17 countries, 11 of which were in sub-Saharan Africa.
While some increases in enrolment ratios are evident, nearly 58 million children were out of school in 2012, and progress in reducing this number has stalled.
By the 2015 deadline, one in six children in low and middle income countries – or almost 100 million – will not have completed primary school

Goal 3 – Youth and adult skills

Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes

Reflecting improved transition rates and higher retention rates, the lower secondary gross enrolment ratio increased from 71% in 1999 to 85% in 2012.
Participation in lower secondary education has increased quickly since 1999.
Inequality persists in the transition from primary to secondary school.
A majority of the 94 low and middle income countries with information have legislated free lower secondary education since 1999. Of these, 66 have constitutional guarantees and 28 enacted other legal measures.

Goal 4 – Adult literacy

Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults

There are about 781 million illiterate adults. The rate of illiteracy dropped slightly, from 18% in 2000 to an estimated 14% in 2015, which means the Dakar target of halving illiteracy was not achieved.
Only 17 out of the 73 countries with a literacy rate below 95% in 2000 had halved their illiteracy rate by 2015.
Progress has been made towards gender parity in literacy but is not sufficient. All 43 countries where fewer than 90 women for every 100 men were literate in 2000 have moved towards parity, but none of them will have reached it by 2015.

Goal 5 – Gender equality

Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality

At the primary level, 69% of the countries with data are expected to have reached gender parity by 2015. Progress is slower in secondary education, with 48% projected to be at gender parity in 2015.
Progress in tackling severe gender disparity has been made. Between 1999 and 2012, the number of countries with fewer than 90 girls enrolled in primary school for every 100 boys fell from 33 to 16
Amongst out-of-school children, girls are more likely than boys never to enrol in school (48% compared with 37%), while boys are more likely to leave school (26% compared with 20%). Once enrolled, girls are more likely to reach the upper grades.

Goal 6 – Quality of education

Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills

Pupil/teacher ratios declined in 83% of the 146 countries with data at the primary education level. In one-third of the countries with data, however, less than 75% of primary school teachers are trained up to national standards.
At the lower secondary education level, 87 of the 105 countries with data have a pupil/teacher ratio below 30:1.
In 1990, 12 learning assessments were conducted according to national standards, but by 2013 the number had increased to 101.

EFA and India

India increased its net enrolment ratio as GNP per capita improved, suggesting a more equitable distribution of economic gains
In India, monitoring of financing allocations and funding delivery to implement the Right to Education (RTE) found that funds were not allocated on time because of banking delays, and did not always reach schools. There were significant regional disparities in funding delivery:
Low-fee private schools have proliferated in urban slums in India, Kenya and Nigeria
In India, the RTE and the main EFA programme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, created opportunities for people with disabilities to be included in mainstream schools.
Two out of three countries where lower secondary education was not compulsory in 2000 had changed their legislation by 2012, including India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan.
In India, the Pratham Open School of Education aims to reach young girls and women who have been marginalized from the education system
India and Turkey have closed gender gaps in primary and lower secondary education
In India, girls’ enrolment increased after a school latrine construction effort in the early 2000s

About Dakar Goals

Dakar Goals or Education for All goals was established in 2000 at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal. The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), launched in 2005, urges countries to rethink education, curricula and teaching practice in ways that complement the drive to achieve EFA.

1971 War Hero Lt General Hanut Singh Died

Lt General (retd) Hanut Singh, the recipient of the Mahavir Chakra and hero of 1971 Indo-Pak war, died on 11 April 2015 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. He was 82.

Singh, who was famous as Sant General died, while meditating.

He led the 17 Poona Horse regiment during the 1971 war in the Basantar battle, leading to heavy losses on the Pakistan Army by destroying a number of Pakistani tanks. He commanded the regiment in the 1971 war in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He was the cousin of former Union Minister Jaswant Singh and after his retirement in 1991, he founded Shivbala Yogi Ashram Parisar in Dehradun.

Jitu Rai won Bronze in 10-m Air Pistol Men event at ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Changwon

Indian shooter Jitu Rai on 12 April 2015 won Bronze medal at the 10-meter Air Pistol Men final in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Rifle/Pistol World Cup held in Changwon, South Korea.

The Gold medal of the event was won by Jin Jongoh of South Korea and Silver medal was won by Nuang Ye Tunof Myanmar. Jin Jongoh is five-time Olympic medallist and the reigning World Champion.

It was the fourth world cup medalfor Jitu. Earlier in 2014, he had won three medals at the ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup and ISSF Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun World Cup held in Maribor (Slovenia) and Munich (Germany) respectively.

They include a Gold and Silver medal in 10-m Air Pistol event in Munich and Maribor and a Silver medal in 50-m Free Pistol category in Maribor. In the process, he became the first Indian to have won two medals at a single world cup event.

Following his achievements in two World Cup events, he was ranked number 1 in the world in 10-m Air Pistol and number 4 in 50-m Air Pistol categories in July 2014.

In September 2014, he had become the first shooter having won quota place in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, by winning the silver medal in the 50-m Free Pistol Men event in the 51st ISSF World Championship held in Granada, Spain.

Each country can win a maximum of 30 quota places in Olympic Games from a total of 15 shooting disciplines i.e. two from each discipline.

In the ISSF world rankings, at present, he is at second and seventh position in the 50-m Pistol Men and 10-m Air Pistol Men category respectively and in effect he is the top ranking Indian shooter in these categories.

Apurvi Chandela won Bronze in 10-m Air Rifle Women event at ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Changwon

Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela on 11 April 2015 won Bronze medal at the 10-meter Air rifle women final in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Rifle/Pistol World Cup held in Changwon, South Korea.

Pejcic Snjezana of Croatia and Maksimovic Ivana of Serbia won the Gold and Silver medal respectively in the event.

Earlier, in 2014, Apurvi won the gold medal in the 10-m Air rifle event in the XX Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, the United Kingdom.

With the present win, she has become the second Indian shooter to be qualified to represent India in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Jitu Rai had won the India's first Olympic quota place by winning the Silver medal in the 50-m Free Pistol Men event in the 51st ISSF World Championship held in Granada, Spain, in 2014.

Each country can win a maximum of 30 quota places in Olympic Games from a total of 15 shooting disciplines i.e. two from each discipline.

Yuki Bhambri won ITF Uzbekistan F1 Futures Singles Title

Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri on 11 April 2015 won the Uzbekistan F1 Futures Men’s singles title by defeating Dzmitry Zyrmont of Serbia.

Yuki defeated his rival in two straight sets 6-2 6-4 in the final match held in Karshi, Uzbekistan.

The 15000 US dollars ITF Futures trophy was held between 6 April 2015 and 12 April 2015.

The doubles title was won by Alexandar Vasilenko and Anton Zaitcev of Russia.

At present, Yuki is at the 256th position in the ATP World Tour singles ranking.

About Yuki Bhambri
• He became the Junior World No. 1 in February 2009.
• He became the fourth Indian in history to capture a junior singles Grand Slam championship title by winning the first Junior Australian Open title in 2009. With this win, he became the first Indian to win this title.
• He became the first Indian to win the prestigious Orange Bowl singles title in 2008.

India and France signed 20 MoUs and Agreements to give new impetus to bilateral co-operation

India and France signed 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements on 10 April 2015 to give new impetus to bilateral co-operation between the two nations.

The two nations signed agreements covering the fields of Defence and Nuclear Energy, Space, Economic relations, Railways, Energy, Tourism, Science and Technology, Skill Development and Ayurveda.

The MoUs and Agreements were signed during visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France between 9 April and 12 April 2015.

Defence and Nuclear Energy
• MoU between L&T and AREVA: The MoU aims at cost reduction by increasing localization, to improve the financial viability of Jaitapur project. It will also enable transfer of technology and development of indigenous nuclear energy industry in India.
• Pre-engineering agreements (PEA) between NPCIL and Areva: It was signed with an aim to bring clarity on all technical aspects of the plant so that all parties (AREVA, Alstom and NPCIL) can firm up their price and optimize all provisions for risks still included at this stage in the costs of the project.

Space
• MoU between on Megha Tropiques:The MoU seeks to extend the sharing and use of data from the Megha Tropiques satellite by 2 more years. The satellite, a joint project between ISRO and CNES, was launched aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on 12 October 2011
• MOU for Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian tropical region: It envisages cooperation between ISRO, CNES and ONERA for implementation of the project concerning Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian tropical region.
• Programme between ISRO and French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES):It proposes cooperation in the areas of Remote sensing, satellite communications and satellite meteorology; space sciences and planetary exploration amongst others.

Sports
• MoU on Cooperation in Sports:The MoU envisages cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fields of sports medicine, management and coordination of sports federations and establishment of National Institute of Sports in India based on French model of INSEP.

Economic Relations
•MoU on cooperation in the field of renewable energy: It seeks to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable energy issues. It would cover solar, wind, bio-energy, tidal and wave energy sectors.

Railways
• Railway protocol between Indian Ministry of Railways and French National Railways (SNCF):The Protocol seeks to establish cooperation between Indian and French Railways for semi-high speed rail and station renovation.

Energy
• Guarantee Agreement with AFD Financing of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL): The Agreement seeks to finance Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)

Culture, Heritage Conservation, Tourism, People-To-People Contacts
•Administrative Arrangement in the field of Cultural Heritage: The Administrative Arrangement between the Indian Ministry of Culture and French Ministry of Culture and Communication envisages cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, through training of Indian heritage conservation professionals at the Institute National du Patrimoine (INP).
• Letter of Intent (LoI)on Tourism:Seeks to increase cooperation in tourism sector between India and France and promote sustainable bilateral tourism between the two countries The LoI also seeks to facilitate twinning of sites having historical, natural and cultural significance in India and France for promoting them as tourist destinations.
• Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP):The LoI envisages collaboration on preventive archaeology projects, initiatives to disseminate culture and promote archaeology, training programmes for specialists of ASI and deployment of expertise, in particular, in the field of underwater archaeology.
• MoU between School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and National Architecture Institute in Paris, France: It envisages cooperation to undertake joint planning and geographical studies in India and France and training of local counterparts in modern urban and regional planning.
• MoU between Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation (IHCN) and Association Nationale des Villes et Pays d’Art et d’Histoire et villes a secteurs sauvegardés et protégés (ANVPAH):It envisages cooperation in the fields of sustainable development, urban planning, heritage conservation and up-gradation of basic services.
• Volontariat International en Entreprise (VIE) scheme: The scheme offers Indian Visa for 12 months renewable once for a period of 12 months for 250 French students and a ‘second residence permit’ of 12 months for the Indian students in France following the 12 months already granted.
• Letter of Intent on Ayurveda between Ministry of Ayush and University of Strasbourg: It allows both the parties to strengthen their relationships and cooperation in the area of Ayurveda education and research and conducting joint workshops/conferences on Ayurveda as complimentary medicine in France

Skill Development
• MoU between National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), India and the National Commission for Vocational Qualifications (Commission Nationale de la Certification Professionnelle – CNCD):The agreement will facilitate exchange of information and knowledge about maintenance of qualification registers through information exchanges, visits and other suitable meetings.

Science and Technology
• MoU on cooperation in the field of Science & Technology: For cooperation between the two countries in the areas of applied mathematics, physics, Information & communication technology, water resources and environment, life sciences amongst others and establishment of Virtual Joint Laboratories, and establishment of Joint Research Centres.
• MoU on Collaboration for establishment of a National Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology in India: The proposed MoU seeks to establish a National Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology in India, with a Hub and Spoke network of laboratories spanning India’s marine regions from the Andaman to Lakshadweep.

Apart from this, India also agreed to buy 36 multi-role Combat Aircraft Rafale fighter jets in a flyway condition. Prime Minister Modi during his visit to France also gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal respect for nature in India to the French President Francois Hollande.

The Tree of Life, with multiple roots and branches like a banyan tree, is a motif for a tree’s benevolence, fruit, seeds, shelter, healing, procreation and regeneration faculties that sustain life and clean the environment.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won Chinese Grand Prix of Formula 1

Mercedes racing driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain on 12 April 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix title in the race held in Shanghai, China.

Force India’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez took the 11th position in the race while his German teammate could not finish the race.

With the present victory, the reigning world champion Hamilton registered his second victory of the season and his fourth in China having won the titles in 2008, 2011 and 2014.

Earlier in March 2015, he won the 2015 Rolex Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix title.

Hamilton has won more races compared to any other British driver in the history of Formula One and is currently 5th on the all-time list, with 35 wins.

Results of the Chinese Grand Prix

Ranking	Player	Team
1	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
2	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes
3	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari
4	Kimi Raikonnen	Ferrari
5	Felipe Massa	Williams
6	Valtteri Bolttas	Williams
7	Romain Grosjean	Lotus
8	Felipe Nasr	Sauber
9	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull
10	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman hanged by Bangladesh for 1971 war crimes

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman was in news as Bangladesh on 11 April 2015 hanged him for committing 1971 war crimes after he refused to seek presidential clemency.

He was hanged at Dhaka Central Jail after the Supreme Court of Bangladesh rejected his appeal against a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide and torture of civilians during the conflict.

He was found guilty by the war crimes tribunal in May 2013 on five out of seven charges of crimes against humanity, including the murder and torture of unarmed civilians and of masterminding one of the bloodiest single episodes in the independence war of Bangladesh.

He played a prominent role alongside Pakistani troops in the slaughter of at least 120 unarmed farmers in the remote northern village of Sohagpur which subsequently became known as the village of widows.

Kamaruzzaman was the assistant secretary-general of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party and was the third most senior figure in Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist opposition party to be hanged.

He is the second leader of Jamaat-e-Islami party to be hanged since tribunals were set up more than four years ago to try suspected war criminals of 1971 war.

Earlier in December 2013 Abdul Kader Mullah, assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami since 2010 and a former editor of an Islamist newspaper, was hanged after being found guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

PM Narendra Modi gifted painting titled Tree of Life to French President Francois Hollande

Tree of Life: A painting that reflects traditional societal respect for nature in India

A painting titled Tree of Life was gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to French President Francois Hollande during his visit to France from 9 April to 12 April 2015.

The painting reflects traditional societal respect for nature in India and tree as a divine gift central to human life is a recurring element in Indian artistic practice.

The Tree of Life, with multiple roots and branches like a banyan tree, is a motif for a tree’s benevolence, fruit, seeds, shelter, healing, procreation and regeneration faculties that sustain life and clean the environment.

The painting is the work of Bhaskar Mahapatra, an Odisha artist and the art form is pigments on silk which he has been practicing for last thirty years along with rest of his family. He works from his home in the heritage crafts village of Raghurajpur.

Bhaskar Mahapatra, who has been honoured by Lalit Kala Akademi, is inspired by his training and expertise in palm leaf painting and pattachitra.

New Zealand won Sultan Azlan Shah Cup men’s hockey tournament by defeating Australia

New Zealand on 12 April 2015 won the 2015 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup men’s hockey tournament. In the final clash played at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia, New Zealand defeated World Champions Australia 3-1.

New Zealand’s win was steered by three saves from goalkeeper Devon Manchester.

New Zealand won the title for only the second time since the inception of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup competition in 1983. New Zealand’s first victory came in 2012 against Argentina.

On the other hand, Australia had won the cup in 1983, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

Earlier, India defeated South Korea 4-1 in a penalty shootout to clinch the Broze medal (third position). This is the first major win for India in Hockey since it won the Gold medal of Hockey at the Incheon Asian Games 2014 defeating Pakistan in the final.

In another game for fifth position playoff, Canada defeated Malaysia 3-1 in the penalty shootout after both teams were tied at 4-4 in regulation time.

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Snapshot
• Champion: New Zealand
• Runner up: Australia
• Third Place: India
•Best Player:Andy Hayward of New Zealand
• Fair Play Award(Raja Ashman Shah Trophy): Canada
• Top scorer: Jamie Dwyer of Australia with 7 goals
• Best Goalkeeper: Devon Manchester of New Zealand
• Man-of-the-match: Mark Knowles of Australia

About Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is an annual international men's field hockey tournament held in Malaysia. It began in 1983 as a biennial contest. The tournament became an annual event after 1998, following its growth and popularity. The tournament is named after the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, Sultan Azlan Shah, who was an avid fan of field hockey.

Brijbushan Sharan Singh re-elected as President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)

Brijbhushan Sharan Singh was on 11 April 2015 re-elected as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for a four-year term.

As the president of the WFI he will guide the General Council of the federation and set the policy tone in order to achieve the objectives enshrined in the WFI Constitution.

He was elected unopposed during the 2012 elections also, as no other candidate had filed a nomination for the post.

In the recent elections held in New Delhi, all the office bearers and members of the executive committee in the previous term were elected unopposed including ID Nanavati, VN Prasood who were elected as senior Vice President and Secretary General respectively.

The polls were held under the supervision of Justice S R Singh, a retired judge of Allahabad High Court.
Brijbhushan is a Member of Parliament (MP) of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) representing Gonda constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

Godrej Nature’s Basket joined hands with Amazon for selling its products

The food retail arm of the diversified Godrej Group, Godrej Nature's Basket on 13 April 2015 joined hands with Amazon for selling its products through the e-commerce giant's platform in India.

The company has listed a wide range of products on Amazon's platform in the first phase and the range will increase exponentially in the coming months.

It will sold a range of gourmet products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, international cheese and cold cuts, bakery products, ice creams, desserts, fresh made-to-order party snacks and patisserie.

The partnership of both the companies will give a new boost to gourmet retail industry. This will provide customers across India a convenient and easy access to a wide and unique selection of gourmet products.

BHEL commissioned 600 MW thermal unit at Dhabra in Chhattisgarh

State-owned power equipment-maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 13 April 2015 commissioned a 600 MW thermal unit at Dhabra in Janjgir Champa District of Chhattisgarh for the Dainik Bhaskar Power Limited.

This is the second unit of 2 × 600 MW power project, commissioned by BHEL. The first 600 MW Unit was commissioned in 2014.

As per BHEL, its cumulative installed capacity now stands at 11400 MW in the state and its share of the total installed capacity in the state stands at 68 percent. BHEL has been a partner in the power development programme of the state of Chhattisgarh.

BHEL is an integrated power plant equipment manufacturer founded in 1964. In 2013 it was named a Maharatna Company. The current Chief Executive officer of the Company is B Prasada Rao.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc acquired BG Group for about 70 billion US dollar

Royal Dutch Shell Plc on 8 April 2015 acquired BG Group for about 70 billion US dollar. The deal would vault Shell far ahead of rivals like Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp. in the race to build market share for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

The deal marks the most aggressive step yet in the competition to be the world’s dominant supplier of LNG.

LNG is a chilled form of natural gas used for electricity generation and home heating.

The acquisition is a bet that countries like China, India and others in the developing world will move toward cleaner burning fuels like natural gas instead of coal amid growing pressure to curb emissions.

The rival firm Exxon Mobil, estimates that the global trade in liquefied natural gas will more than triple through 2040, to nearly 100 billion cubic feet a day—roughly 40% higher than current U.S. gas output.

The company projects that countries throughout Asia and the Pacific will import half of the gas they consume by 2040, with LNG making up 80% of imports.

Building up its LNG business would also give Shell some insulation from volatile oil prices, which have plummeted since May 2014.

The acquisition will give a wheel to Royal Dutch Shell Plc to become the top foreign firm in India’s booming gas import and marketing business.

According to Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), a statistical body under the Union Ministry of petroleum and natural gas, in the last 10 years, India’s production of natural gas rose by a meager 14% from 21mtpa in 2004-05 (in terms of LNG equivalent) to 24 mtpa in 2013-14.

In contrast, LNG imports have risen by a massive 330% from 2.5 mtpa in 2004-05 to 10.76 mtpa in 2013-14.

The acquisition of BG puts Shell in a better position to take advantage of this growing segment.

NASA named Asteroid 316201 after Malala Yousafzai, the winner of 2014 Nobel Peace Prize

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on 12 April 2015 named Asteroid 316201 after Malala Yousafzai, the winner of 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.

The asteroid is situated in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid orbits the sun every five-and-a-half years.

In October 2012, Malala was shot as she boarded a school bus in the Swat Valley, Pakistan. She had risen to prominence after appearing in a BBC documentary about life under the Pakistani Taliban who controlled the area, and were stifling women's rights and education.

After emergency medical treatment in the UK, she became a worldwide sensation, speaking in front of the UN and elsewhere about the right to education. She along with Kailash Satyarthi was co-awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her efforts.

Nobel laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass died

Nobel laureate German novelist Gunter Grass died on 13 April 2015 in Luebeck, Germany. He was 87.

He was a novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. His writings mainly focused on the Nazi era, the horrors of the war and the destruction and guilt that remained after defeat of Germany.

Gunter Grass
• He started writing in the 1950s and is best known for his first novel, The Tin Drum published in 1959. The book was a key text in European magic realism and was adapted as a film of the same name, which won both the 1979 Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• He served in the German military during World War II and was jailed between 1945 and 1946
• He studied sculpture during 1948 and 1956 in Duesseldorf and Berlin
• He was born on 16 October 1927 in the Free City of Danzig (now Poland’s Gdansk)

Some of his works include
Novels
• The Tin Drum published in 1959
• Cat and Mouse published in 1961
• Dog Years published in 1965
• The Rat published in 1986
• The Call of the Toad published in 1992
• Too Far Afield published in 2000
• My Century published in 1999
• Crabwalk published in 2002

Poems
• Letzte Tanze published in 2003
• Dummer August published in 2007
• Gleisdreieck published in 1960
• Ausgefragt published in 1967

His memoir was published in three volumes and they were
• Peeling the Onion published in 2006
• Die Box published in 2010
• Grimms Worter published in 2010

Brijbushan Sharan Singh re-elected as President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)

Nobel laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass died

Baba Ramdev to be accorded the status of Cabinet Minister by Haryana Government

The Yoga guru Baba Ramdev was in news as State Government of Haryana on 13 April 2015 decided to accord status equivalent to a Cabinet Minister on him.

The decision to grant status of Cabinet Minister to Ramdev was taken at a meeting of Ministers presided over by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Ramdev will be honoured by the state government in Panchkula on 21 April 2015.

Besides, the state government also decided to develop herbal forest in the state under the supervision of Baba Ramdev. In these herbal forests, thousands of species of ayurvedic herbs would be grown.

Also, Yoga would be made a compulsory subject in Haryana’s schools for which yogshalas will be constructed in all the towns and about 6500 villages of the State under the guidance of Baba Ramdev.

Earlier on 15 January 2015, the state government appointed Ramdev as the State’s brand ambassador to promote Yoga and Ayurveda in Haryana.

Prime Minister Naredra Modi visited France

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited France between 9 April and 12 April 2015 as part of his three-nation tour to France, Germany and Canada.

During the visit, Modi met with French President Francois Hollande and had talks with business leaders of select French companies in defence and infrastructure sectors. The meeting saw India and France agreeing to further deepen and strengthen bilateral ties based on shared principles and values.

The visit saw the signing of 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements between India and France to give new impetus to bilateral co-operation between the two nations.

The agreements covered the fields of Defence and Nuclear Energy, Space, Economic relations, Railways, Energy, Tourism, Science and Technology, Skill Development and Ayurveda.

Other events that happened during Modi’s visit to France
• He addressed the Indian Community at Carrousel du Louvre in Paris
• He also addressed the UNESCO at its headquarters on the occasion of its 70th anniversary on 10 April 2015
• He gifted India and the Great War - a publication by Ministry of External Affairs at World War-I (WWI) Memorial for Indian soldiers in Neuve Chapelle, France
• He paid homage to the Indian Soldiers at WWI Memorial for Indian soldiers in Neuve Chapelle, France
• He visited the CNES (National Centre for Space Studies) and the Airbus A 380 Assembly Line Facility in Toulouse, France
• He gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal respect for nature in India to the French President Francois Hollande

Union Government launched Human Resource and Skill Requirement Reports for 24 Priority Sectors

Union Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched the Human Resource and Skill Requirement reports across 24 sectors in India. The report will serve as the baseline for all skill development initiatives being planned across the country.

According to the findings of the reports, the incremental human resource requirement across these 24 sectors is nearly 109.73 million whereby the top 10 sectors account for about 80 percent of requirements.

Further, nearly 460 Million people will Require Up-Skilling/Re-Skilling.

The reports also gives an insight on the quantitative side of human resource requirement in each of the sectors and has also led to useful qualitative findings in terms of highlighting key job roles in the sector, existing skill gaps in the sectors, key interventions required to map supply and demand, etc.

The reports were commissioned by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and authored by consulting firm KPMG.

The objective of these skill gap reports was to understand the sectorial and geographical spread of skill requirements that exist.

The figures have been estimated on the basis of extensive stakeholder engagement including small, medium and large enterprises in every sector as well as Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), training providers in the skills space and academia.

The skill gap studies provide a granular data on the skill gaps for two time periods- 2013-17 and 2017-22

These reports will be used for the implementation of the recently announced Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY); for State Skill Missions, and for various other skill initiatives being planned across the country.

Normandy Four Group agreed to form working group to implement ceasefire deal on Ukraine conflict

Normandy Four group comprising of foreign ministers of four nations viz., Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France on 13 April 2015 agreed to form four working groups to observe the implementation of the ceasefire deal on Ukraine conflict that was signed in Minsk, Belarus on 12 February 2015.

The French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to this during their review meeting in Berlin, Germany.

Main highlights of the meeting
• They called for the pull back of smaller caliber weapons (caliber less than 100 mm) from the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
• They agreed to support international monitors and establish four working groups to focus on specific areas of settlement. These specific areas include security questions, military questions, questions regarding the economic reconstruction of Donbass in eastern Ukraine, humanitarian questions, and questions on political reform.
• They called on all sides to stop fighting and demonstrate their commitment to fully implementing the ceasefire and conclude the withdrawal of heavy weapons.
• They also called for the withdrawal of mortars and heavy weapons below 100mm as well as all types of tanks.

Minsk Agreement on Ukrainian Crisis
The ceasefire deal on the Ukraine conflict was brokered on 12 February 2015 in Minsk, Belarus. The deal was brokered with the help of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) during the meeting of foreign ministers of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. The ceasefire became effective from 15 February 2015.

The main highlights of the Minsk agreement
• Heavy weapons to be withdrawn in a two-week period starting from 17 February 2015
• Withdrawal of all foreign militias from Ukrainian territory and the disarmament of all illegal groups
• Lifting of restrictions in rebel areas of Ukraine
• Amnesty for prisoners involved in fighting
• Decentralisation for rebel regions by the end of 2015
• Ukrainian control of the border with Russia by the end of 2015
• The participants also agreed to attend regular meetings to ensure the fulfillment of the agreements

Ri Su Yong, the Foreign Minister of North Korea, visited India

Ri Su Yong, the Foreign Minister of North Korea, visited India from 12 April to 14 April 2015. He was on a three-day visit to India and this was the first-ever visit of a foreign minister of North Korea to India.

He visited India on an invitation of Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External Affairs of India.

During the visit, foreign minister level talks were held covering issues of mutual interest including India’s security concerns were discussed. In this regard, India informed Yong about the significance of peace and stability in the Korean peninsula for India’s Act East policy.

Yong appreciated India for its humanitarian assistance provided to North Korea and also sought additional assistance in this regard, which was agreed by India.

Apart from this, during the visit, Yong also met with the Vice President Hamid Ansari.

Arun Jaitley inaugurated Vividh Bharati Service of Delhi on FM Mode

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on 14 April 2015 inaugurated the Vividh Bharati Service of Delhi on FM Mode in a function held at premises of New Broadcasting House of All India Radio (AIR). The service will be available on 100.1 Megahertz frequency.

With this launch, the services of Vividh Bharati of AIR will be available to listeners in and around Delhi. The service will also be available on mobile phones.

Apart from this, Jaitley also announced that the DD Kisan channel will be launched in May 2015.

Vividh Bharati
The Vividh Bharati is a service of All India Radio. It was conceptualized to combat Radio Ceylon in 1957. Bharati radio channel was launched on 2 October 1957. The service provides entertainment for nearly 15 to 17 hours a day.

Some of the old popular programmes of Vividh Bharati are Sangeet Sarita, Bhule Bisre Geet, Hawa Mahal, Jaimala, Inse Miliye, Chhaya Geet and others.

It is known to have the largest collection of film and non-film songs in the country.

Union Government notified National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014

The Union Government on 13 April 2015 notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014.

The NJAC Act and 99th Amendment Act were notified in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Act.

With this, the existing Collegium system of appointing judges of higher judiciary, viz., Supreme Court and High Courts comes to an end.

Main Features of the NJAC Act, 2014
• It gives NJAC a Constitutional status for appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the High Courts.
• It also gives the executive an equal role in the appointment of judges to the highest judiciary, as a constitutional body.
• It specifies amendments to Articles 124 (2) and 217 (1) that deals with the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts, respectively.
• Now the judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts will be appointed by the President in consultation with the NJAC.
• Once the NJAC is in place then Union government has to intimate NJAC within 30 day about the vacancies in the Supreme Court and the High Courts. Vacancies to come up within the next six months should also be intimated to the commission in advance.

Composition of NJAC
The NJAC will have the Chief Justice of India as Chairperson and two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court as members, apart from the Union Law Minister and two eminent personalities, one of whom would be nominated from among the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, minorities, the Other Backward Classes or women.

The two eminent persons will be nominated by a committee of the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Justice of India, and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People, or if there is no Leader of the Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in the House of the People.

The NJAC will frame its own regulations.

Comment
The notification to National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 came few days after the Supreme Court referred the Act to the Constitutional bench on a basis of a batch of petitions that challenged the constitutionality of the Act. The Constitution bench of the apex court will hear the plea on 15 April 2015.

However, the notification was made possible by the Supreme Court itself which on 7 April 2015 refused to pass a stay order on the law coming into force while referring the petition to the Constitution bench.

Background
The NJAC Bill and the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty First Amendment) Bill, 2014 were passed unanimously by the Lok Sabha on 13 August 2014 and Rajya Sabha on 14 August 2014, respectively. Subsequently these Bills were ratified by the required number of State legislatures before getting the President’s assent.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty First Amendment) Bill, 2014 enacted as the Constitution (Ninety Ninth Amendment) Act and the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 were published in Gazette of India on 31 December 2014.

Parliament of Ukraine passed a law banning organisations that propagate Communism and Nazism

Parliament of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada, on 9 April 2015 passed a legislation that equates Communism with Nazism (nationalist-socialist) and banned both the regimes. The law even banned the public use and propaganda of their symbols.

The legislation was passed by absolute majority with 254 MPs (Member of Parliament) voting in favour, which was much higher than the required minimum of 226 votes.

The aim of the law is to not allow such crimes to happen in future and eliminate the threat to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

Main highlights of the legislation
• It denounces communist and national-socialist (or Nazi) totalitarian regimes as being criminal under the law
• It bans all organizations, political parties or media accused of propaganda of communism or Nazism.
• It provides for investigation of the supporters of the regimes and making the information about them public
• The law does not ban communist ideology, as that would contradict the basics of any democratic state

Besides this, another law that officially recognizes Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with Nazis in the 20th century as freedom fighters and grants them social benefit was passed by the Ukrainian Parliament. It was passed by 271 MPs.
This new law also render the actions of Ukrainian nationalists as lawful. The Ukrainian nationalists include amongst others Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), who operated from 1917 till 1991.

Comment
These two bills have been criticised by the leader of Ukraine's Communist Party, Pyotr Simonenko. He criticized the Rada's decisions, saying that the law against communism aims to dispose of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War [WWII].

World Bank released South Asia Economic Focus report

World Bank on 13 April 2015 released South Asia Economic Focus report. The report has projected the economic growth of South Asia for the year 2016 and 2017.

As per the report, economic growth of the region will increase from 7 percent in 2015 to 7.6 percent by 2017. This increase in the forecast of growth rate has been possible primarily due to decline in oil prices and it could be achieved by maintaining strong consumption and increasing investment.

The region is among the greatest global beneficiaries from cheap oil, as all countries in it are net oil importers. In the Quarter 4 (Q4) of 2014 South Asia was already the fastest-growing region in the world.

Projection for India

The report projected a GDP growth rate of 8 per cent for India by 2017. In India, GDP growth is expected to accelerate to 7.5 per cent in fiscal year 2015-16. It could reach 8 per cent in FY 2017-18, on the back of significant acceleration of investment growth to 12 per cent during FY 2016 to FY 2018.

The report highlighted that India has already taken encouraging steps to decouple international oil prices from fiscal deficits and to introduce carbon taxation to address the negative externalities from the use of fossil fuels. The challenge will be to stay the course in the event of oil price hikes – something that may well happen in the medium term.

Region Wise Projection

Afghanistan

Report highlighted that Afghanistan can increase the GDP growth rate from 2.5 percent in 2015 to 5.0 percent in 2016. For achieving this growth, Afghanistan should pave a way towards successful political transition which needs to be supplemented by a stable security environment as well as by adequate management of the current fiscal crisis. Agriculture and services are likely to be the key drivers of growth in the immediate future.

Bangladesh

Growth in 2015 is now projected at 5.6 percent. However, a recovery driven by strong domestic demand is possible. It will require a continuation of single-digit inflation, an improved investment climate, and above all political stability.

Bhutan

Economic activity in Bhutan is expected to gain momentum with real GDP growing at 6.7 percent in 2015, driven by new hydropower construction and innovative tourism measures such as Visit Bhutan 2015.

Nepal

The GDP growth will remain in the 4.5 to 5 percent range. The fact that consumption remains the country’s main growth driver leaves it vulnerable to a slowdown in remittance growth. To improve its growth performance the country needs to boost infrastructure development to support private sector investment.

Pakistan

In Pakistan a gradual recovery to around 4.6 percent growth by 2016 is aided by low inflation, and fiscal consolidation. Further progress depends on tackling key growth constraints including frequent power cuts, a cumbersome business environment, and low tax revenue.

Sri Lanka

GDP growth is expected to decline to 6.9 percent in 2015 due to slowing construction activity. This trend is partially set off by consumption growth thanks to increased public sector wages and higher disposable income. With competitiveness remaining a challenge, the new government is reassessing the previous investment-led growth model.

World Bank released Migration and Development Brief

World Bank on 13 April 2015 released Migration and Development Brief. In 2014, India continued to be highest recipients of remittance.

The top five remittance recipient countries, in terms of value of remittances, continue to be India, China, Philippines, Mexico and Nigeria.

The top five migrant destination countries continue to be the United States, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Report said that the remittances to the developing world are expected to reach 440 billion US dollar in 2015, an increase of 0.9 percent over the year 2014. Global remittances, including those to high income countries, are projected to grow by 0.4 percent to 586 billion US dollar.

The 2015 remittance growth rates are the slowest since the global financial crisis in 2008-09. Nonetheless, the number of international migrants is expected to exceed 250 million in 2015, and their savings and remittances are expected to continue to grow.

The slowdown in the growth of remittances in 2015 will affect most developing regions, in particular Europe and Central Asia where flows are expected to decline by 12.7 percent in 2015.

The positive impact of an economic recovery in the U.S. will be partially offset by continued weakness in the Euro Area, the impact of lower oil prices on the Russian economy, the strengthening of the US dollar, and tighter immigration controls in many remittance source countries.

The global average cost of sending 200 US dollar held steady at 8 percent of the value of the transaction, as of the Quarter 4 (Q4) of 2014. Despite its potential to lower costs, the use of mobile technology in cross-border transactions remains limited, due to the regulatory burden related to combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

International remittances sent via mobile technology accounted for less than 2 percent of remittance flows in 2013.

In addition to sending money to their families, international migrants hold significant savings in their destination countries. Diaspora savings attributed to migrants from developing countries were estimated at 497 billion US dollar in 2013.

Ernst & Young released a report titled Global IPO Trends 2015

Ernst & Young (EY) on 13 April 2015 released a report titled Global IPO Trends 2015. The report focuses on the global trends in Initial Public Offerings (IPO) in the Quarter 1 (Q1) of 2015.

As per the report, Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) became the world leader in Initial Public Offerings (IPO) for the first time, outshining rivals, New York and Hong Kong during the 2015 Q1. In 2015 Q1, SSE raised 5.4 billion US dollars.

Main Highlights of the Report

•Top six Exchanges by fund raised during 2015 Q1 were Shanghai Stock Exchange (5.4 billion US dollar), Madrid Stock Exchange (5.3 billion US dollar), New York Stock Exchange (3.5 billion US dollar), London Stock Exchange (3.4 billion US dollar), Bursa Malaysia Stock Exchange (3 billion US dollar) and Swiss Stock Exchange (2.5 billion US dollar)

•Top six countries by deal volume in 2015 Q1 were China (98 deals), US (28 deals), Japan (24 deals), UK (12 deals), France (11 deals) and Australia (9 deals).

•Capital raised stood at 38.2 billion US dollars, down 19 percent from 2014 Q1 and 47 percent from 2014 Q4.

•Deal numbers in the 2015 Q1 reached 252 IPOs, a decrease of 4 percent on 2014 Q1 and 31 percent lower on 2014 Q4.

•The 2015 Q1 noticed a slower pace of IPOs in the US, which was outperformed by both Asia-Pacific and EMEIA in terms of deal numbers and capital raised

•Rapid-growth markets represented 56 percent of the total global IPO volume in 2015 Q1.

•Financial investors dominated in 2015 Q1 with 17 percent of the global IPOs accounted by Private Equities and Venture Capitalists.

•In 2015 Q1, the IPO was ruled by three sectors with industries coming at first with 45 deals (10.5 billion US dollars) followed by Health care with 38 deals (2 billion US dollars) and Technology with 35 deals (2.8 billion US dollars)

•Ninety four percent of the IPOs were priced within or above expectations

•In terms of global funds raised, European exchanges were ranked first with 43 percent deals followed by Asia-Pacific exchanges with 41 percent deals and US exchanges with 15 percent deals

•Cross-border listings were 10 percent of global IPOs in 2015 Q1, similar to 2014 Q1 level.

China quashed bid of Taiwan to become full member of AIIB

The Chinese Government on 13 April 2015 quashed the bid of Taiwan to become a full member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for lack of appropriate name.

The Chinese Government said that it would welcome Taiwan in the future but under a different name.

Taiwan made a last-minute application to join the AIIB as a founding member on the deadline day of 31 March 2015 under the name of Chinese-Taipei. The name was used by the International Olympic Committee and the Asian Development Bank.

Taiwan hoped that joining AIIB as a full member would help its push for regional economic integration and participation in international trade organisations.

Taiwan will now seek to join the bank as an ordinary member, instead of a founding member.

The AIIB was proposed by China for the rapidly growing Asian region. China is putting up nearly 50 billion US dollars to help capitalize the bank, which is meant to fund infrastructure projects in rapidly growing Asia. At least 21 countries signed the memorandum of understanding in October2014, establishing the bank. Besides China, the list includes India, Thailand and Singapore amid others.

Mahatma Gandhi statue in Johannesburg defaced

Johannesburg, South Africa: Statue of Mahatma Gandhi defaced

Johannesburg in South Africa was in news as on 13 April 2015 a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced by a group of people calling him a racist. The group had placards that read: Racist Gandhi must fall.

The statue in Johannesburg is believed to be the only one in the world showing Gandhi as a young lawyer in his court robes.

The statue is on a public transport hub square which was renamed Gandhi Square because the offices in which he practiced law during his stay in the city are on the periphery of the square.

Over Hundred people killed during Songkran festival in Thailand

Songkran Festival, Thailand: Over Hundred people killed

Songkran Festival of Thailand was in news as on 13 April 2015 over 120 people were killed and 1281 were injured while celebrating the festival.

The accident occurred after Thais took trains, planes, cars and bikes to head home to their parents and families to celebrate the festival which started on 10 April 2015 evening.

Songkran festival is a traditional New Year Eve celebration of Thailand. It is also known as Thailand Water Festival.

It is originally celebrated as a way for the Thai people to sprinkle water on their family members and elders for good fortune and pay their respects to images of the beloved Buddha.

Bangkok and the northern town of Chiangmai are favourite destinations of foreigners who take part in the festival.

Life comes to a standstill in several countries in the region including Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia where the festival is celebrated. Instead of oil, talcum powder mixed in water is splashed at people.