29-30 April 2015

29 April

Railways won 5th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship

Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) on 28 April 2015 won 5th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship 2015. In the final match played in Pune, Maharashtra, Railways defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey (UPH) by 5-3.

In the Position match, Air India Sports Promotion Board (AISPB) defeated Hockey Gangpur-Odisha by 5-3 to finish at 3rd position in the tournament. 

Individual Awardees
• Best Goalkeeper: Arpit Choudhary (Jharkhand)
• Best Defender: Amit Rohidas (Railways)
• Best Mid-fielder: Jasjit Singh (Railways)
• Best Forward: Lali Upadhyay (Uttar Pradesh)
• Promising player of the Championship: Vikramjit Singh (Punjab)
• Promising player from Maharashtra: Akash Chikte (Goalkeeper)

Margarita, with a Straw won Best Feature Film Award at Washington Film festival

Margarita, with a Straw directed by Shonali Bose of India in the fourth week of April 2015 won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the Washington DC International Film festival.

Kalki Koechlin-starrer film is a disability drama. In the film, Kalki has played the role of a cerebral palsy patient named Laila. The film also stars Revathi and Sayani Gupta in prominent roles.

The film, through layers of discovery and revelation has explored and challenged Indian culture and society in so many ways. The director Bose through the film has tried to weave a story in form of a specific culture along with simply human story. 

The film, before its release on 17 April 2015 made its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Later, it was screened at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, BFI London Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Besides this, the Audience Award for Best Documentary went to the film Tap World directed by Dean Hargrove of the US.

Delhi government approved farmer compensation scheme named after Gajender Singh

Government of Delhi on 28 April 2015 gave its approval for setting up of a farmer compensation scheme named after Gajendra Singh. Gajendra Singh is the person who allegedly committed suicide during an AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) rally on 22 April 2015 by hanging himself with a tree. 

The decision on name of the scheme was taken during a Cabinet meet chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. As per reports, the state government will distribute compensation to rain-hit farmers from first week of May 2015.

Besides, the government also decided to give job to a member of Gajendra's family and martyr status for him, as demanded by the farmer's kin.

Jagran Rahat Kosh, an initiative of Dainik Jagran for Nepal Earthquake Relief launched

Dainik Jagran, an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper on 29 April 2015 launched a fund raising donation program named Jagran Rahat Kosh. The funds collected under the programme will go for the Nepal earthquake victims.

To help the victims of the earthquake of Nepal, Jagran Praksahan Limited started the relief Kosh by contributing 1 crore rupees. It also appealed the countrymen to contribute whatever they can. 

The collected money will be deposited in the Prime Minister Relief Fund for Nepal earthquake. The contribution amount will be tax free under Section 80(g) of Income Tax Act, 1961.

NGT banned burning of waste in open in Delhi NCR

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 28 April 2015 ordered a complete ban on burning of any kind of garbage, leaves, plastic waste and rubber in the open in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) to control air pollution. The order was given by a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.

The bench also passed a slew of directions asking the civic authorities and state governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to immediately spread awareness regarding ill-effects of burning waste materials in open areas.

As per NGT, burning of garbage and other material like plastic is responsible for nearly 30 percent of the air pollution in the capital and its suburbs. 

It also said any person who notices burning of such material will have a right to complain in writing or otherwise to SHO of concerned area, concerned Municipal Corporation, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and to the heads of the concerned departments.

The Tribunal directed all the municipal corporations to notify the mobile number 9717593474 on which complaints can be made. 

The person who is found burning or responsible for burning would be liable to pay compensation in terms of Section 15 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. It also directed authorities to levy a fine of 5000 rupees on anyone found burning such material in the open.

The bench also said that its 4 December 2014 orders with regard to burning of waste material will continue to be in force. This order stated the steps to be taken to reduce level of Particulate Matter 2.5 levels through appropriate anti pollution devices.

Earlier in April 2015, the tribunal had banned over 10-year-old diesel vehicles from plying on Delhi-NCR roads. It also issued detailed guidelines to tackle air pollution from construction activity in the Delhi-NCR area.

World Dance Day observed globally

29 April: World Dance Day
World Dance Day or International Dance Day was observed globally on 29 April 2015. It is observed with an aim to attract the attention of the wider public to the art of dance. 

As part of celebrations, the President of the CID annually sends the official message for Dance Day which circulates in every country around the world.

International Dance Day was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Council (CID) at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France. CID is the official organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world. 

Further, the date for observing Dance Day on 29 April is not linked to a particular person or a particular form of dance, although it's also the day when the French dancer and creator of modern ballet Jean-Georges Noverre was born.

World Dance Day in India
On 2015 World Dance Day, dancers from different styles of dance including traditional, contemporaries and others participated in a grand show in New Delhi. 

To mark the day, a show titled No Boundaries was organised by Sadhya, a unit of performing arts in association with Big Dance Centre and Friends of Art through.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie passed away

The Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie passed away on 27 April 2015 following a fatal heart attack. He was 59.

Lesnie was famously known for his cinematography in movies Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit. He also shot the remake of King Kong (2005), The Lovely Bones (2009) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) during his career. 

Lesnie won the Oscar (Academy Award) as a cinematographer in 2002 for the first part of Lord of the Rings film- The Fellowship of the Ring. He was also inducted into the Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame in 2002.

His last movie was Russell Crowe's The Water Diviner.

Union Government reconstituted Nehru Memorial Museum Library Society

Union Government on 27 April 2015 reconstituted the Nehru Memorial Museum Library Society (NMMLS).

The decision to recast the NMMLS was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 41st AGM of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society.

Prime Minister is the head of NMMLS. The NMMLS was reconstituted to include 34 members, and eight new members to the Executive Council. The 34 members of the society will have tenure of five years.

The Executive Council comprises President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Lokesh Chandra as Chairman, former editor and BJP member M.J. Akbar as vice-chairman, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Nitin Desai, Surya Prakash, the financial adviser of the Ministry of Culture, an ex-officio member, and Dr. Mahesh Rangarajan as director.

The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) is a museum and library in New Delhi, India. It aims to preserve and reconstruct the history of the Indian independence movement. It was founded in 1964 after the death of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Georgia won Women’s World Team Chess Championship held at Chengdu

Georgia on 29 April 2015 won the Women’s World Team Chess Championship. The championship was held at Chengdu, China from 18 April 2015 to 29 April 2015 under the aegis of FIDE.

Georgia won the gold with 17 match points by defeating China. Russia won the silver medal, with 15 match points while China was placed third with 11 match points, claiming the bronze.

Mariya Muzychuk was declared as the 2015 Women's World Champion.

The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE.

China won the World Team Chess Championship in Tsaghkadzor

China won the World Team Chess Championship which was held at Tsaghkadzor, Armenia from 18 April 2015 to 29 April 2015.

China emerged champion, with 15 points. Ukraine finished runner-up with 12 points, while host Armenia was third with 11.

India finished the championship at ninth position with seven points, losing the final round match 3-1 to China.

In the final round, S.P. Sethuraman and Deep Sengupta were beaten by Yu Yangyi and Wei Yi. Pendyala Harikrishna drew on the top board with Ding Liren, while Krishnan Sasikiran split the point with Bu Xiangzhi.

In the final ninth round, China defeated India with 3-1; United States defeated Cuba with 3-1; Hungary drew with Ukraine 2-2; Russia defeated Israel with 2.5-1.5; Armenia defeated Egypt with 2.5-1.5.

The World Team Chess Championship is played with the participation of 10 countries under the aegis of FIDE, the governing body for international chess tournaments.

It is played every two years. In chess, this tournament and the Chess Olympiads are the most important international tournaments for teams.

Raja Rajeswari became the first India-born woman to be sworn in as Judge of New York City

India-born Raja Rajeswari was on 27 April 2015 sworn-in as the criminal court judge of the New York City. With this, she became the first India-born woman judge of New York City.

She was sworn-in as a criminal court judge by Mayor Bill de Blasio at a ceremony in New York. She took the oath of office along with 27 other judges appointed to the Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are a part of the New York State Unified Court System.

The mayor appointed judges to 10-year terms in the New York City Criminal Court and the Family Court within the city.

Rajeswari has served in the district attorney's office for the past 16 years and has been the deputy chief of the Special Victims Unit for more than four years.

Rajeswari had immigrated to the US from India as a teenager and has previously worked with the Richmond County District Attorney's Office for her entire career in several bureaus including Criminal Court, Narcotics, Supreme Court, and the Sex Crimes Special Victims Bureau, where she last served as Deputy Chief.

Union Cabinet approved Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29 April 2015 approved amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 by pursuing the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013. 

The proposed amendments are mainly aimed at laying down more stringent measures to tackle corruption.

The proposed amendments will fill the gaps in the domestic anti-corruption law and will help in meeting the country's obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) more effectively.

Main highlights of the Bill
• It provides more stringent punishment for the offences of bribery, both for the bribe giver and the bribe taker.
• It enhances penal provisions from minimum 6 months to 3 years and from maximum 5 years to 7 years (the seven year imprisonment brings corruption on equal footing with the heinous crime).
• To contain gain of benefits from profits of corruption, the powers of attachment are proposed to be conferred upon the trial Court (Special Judge) instead of the District Court.
• It expands the ambit of provision for containing inducement of public servant from individuals to commercial entities is being added to contain supply side of corruption.
• It provides certain guidelines for commercial organizations to prevent persons associated with them from bribing a public servant.
• The average trial period of cases under Prevention Corruption Act in the last 4 years has been above 8 years. It is proposed to ensure speedy trial by providing a trial completion within 2 years.
• It says that the intentional enriching by public servants will be construed as criminal misconduct and possession of disproportionate assets as proof of such illicit enrichment.
• Non-monetary gratification has been covered within the definition of the word gratification.
• By way of explanation 2 to section 7(2), the obligation of a public servant has been explicitly delineated such that the public servant deters from violating a statutory duty or any set of rules, government policies, executive instructions and procedures.

Besides, the amendments also proposed to extend the protection of prior sanction for prosecution to public servants who cease to hold office due to retirement, resignation etc.

Further, prior sanction for inquiry and investigation shall be required from the Lokpal or Lokayukta, as the case may be, for investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by a public servant in discharge of official functions or duties.

Background
The amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was necessitated from the obligation of India to review the existing provisions of the Act so as to bring it in line with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

This led to the introduction of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 in the Rajya Sabha on 19 August 2013. However, it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha.

As the Bill contemplates an important paradigm shift in defining offences relating to bribery, later the views of the Law Commission of India were also sought on the proposed amendments. Thus, the present Bill incorporates the recommendations given by the 20th Law Commission headed by Justice (retd) AP Shah in its 254th Report.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud appointed Mohammed bin Nayef as Crown Prince

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on 29 April 2015 appointed his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef as the new Crown Prince and as a Deputy Prime Minister. Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz was relieved from his duties.

Besides him, the Saudi king made other appointments. These were
• Salman's son Prince Mohammed bin Salman was appointed as Deputy Crown Prince.
• Saudi's Washington ambassador Adel al-Jubeir was appointed as the Foreign Minister by replacing veteran Prince Saud al-Faisal.
• Khalid al-Falih was appointed as the country's Health Minister and chairman of Saudi Aramco.

Novelist Siddhartha Gigoo won 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia region

Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo on 28 April 2015 won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia region for his work Umbrella Man, a tale of surreal meditation on mental health and the environment.

Gigoo was awarded with the prize money of 2500 pounds. With this victory, Gigoo will compete with the other four regional winners for the 5000 pounds grand prize which will be announced in London on 8 September 2015. 

Other region winners are:
• African Region: Lesley Nneka Arimah (Nigeria) for Light
• Canada and Europe Region: Jonathan Tel (UK) for The Human Phonograph
• Caribbean Region: Kevin Jared Hosein (Trinidad) for The King of Settlement 
• Pacific Region: Mary Rokonadravu (Fiji) for Famished Eels

About The Umbrella Man
The Umbrella Man presents a surreal meditation on mental health and the environment through its ghostly voice, abstract and philosophical themes and telescopic structure.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 
• The Commonwealth Short Story Prize Shortlist is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000-5,000 words). 
• The Commonwealth Short Story Prize brings stories from new and emerging voices, often from countries with little or no publishing infrastructure to the attention of an international audience.
• Each year, five winning writers from five different Commonwealth regions are selected who share a total prize money of 15000 pounds. Regional winners receive 2500 pounds while the overall winner receives 5000 pounds.

ISRO successfully tested indigenous cryogenic engine CE-20 with four-tonne capacity

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic engine CE-20 at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This engine will enable scientists to put satellites of up to the capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit.

The engine will also give boost to India’s interplanetary probes and manned space missions. So far India's GSLVs were being powered by cryogenic engines given by Russia. But this development marks a milestone in the country's effort to develop a big cryogenic engine to fly satellites of up to five tonnes.

About cryogenic engine 
• A cryogenic engine uses Hydrogen as fuel, stored at minus 253 degrees Celsius and liquid oxygen as oxidizer at minus 183 degrees Celsius. 
• It can develop the thrust needed in the final state of the rocket to put satellites, weighing two tonnes or more, into a geosynchronous orbit. 
• It is essential to master this technology for any space power as launching heavier satellites requires cryogenic engines even in the lower stages of the rocket.
Background
India has been on a long arduous journey to develop an operational indigenous cryogenic engine which began around 30 years ago. 

The first success came in January 2014 when India successfully launched GSLV-D5, marking the first successful launch of a vehicle with an indigenous cryogenic engine. But at present, India can only launch satellites of up to two tonnes.

Nursultan A Nazarbayev re-elected as President of Kazakhstan

The incumbent President of Kazakhstan Nursultan A Nazabayev was on 27 April 2015 re-elected as president for the fifth successive term. Nazarbayev has been governing the country since the Soviet Union (or USSR) collapsed in early 1991.

In the presidential elections results announced by Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev won the elections with a whopping 97.7 percent of the total votes.

The other two opponents Turgun Syzdykov and Abelgazy Kusainov won a combined 2.3 percent of the total votes.

The snap elections which were held on 26 April 2015 saw a voter turnout of 95 percent. The snap election, called in February 2015 by Nazarbayev, was seen as a move to win a vote of confidence against the backdrop of daunting economic slowdown in Kazakhstan, the Central Asia’s largest country.

Kazakhstan has been facing both regional instability because of the crisis in Ukraine and a daunting economic slowdown driven by the collapse in oil prices.

Presidential elections in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is a one party dominant state wherein President is elected by the people and serves for at most two five-year terms. 

However, in 2007 the term limits were removed by the President Nursultan Nazarbayev, when parliament also voted to reduce the term length from seven to five years.

RBI issued revised guidelines on Priority Sector Lending

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 April 2015 issued revised guidelines on Priority Sector Lending. These revised guidelines will replace the existing guidelines issued on 1 July 2014 and became effective from the date of issue.

Main highlights of the revised guidelines
• In addition to the existing categories, the new guidelines add Medium Enterprises, Social Infrastructure and Renewable Energy under priority sector. As a result, the number of categories under priority sector lending are agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises, export credit, education, housing, social infrastructure, renewable energy and others.
• The distinction between direct and indirect agriculture is dispensed with.
• A target of 8 percent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher, has been prescribed for Small and Marginal Farmers within agriculture, to be achieved in a phased manner, that is, 7 percent by March 2016 and 8 percent by March 2017.
• A target of 7.5 percent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher, has been prescribed for Micro Enterprises, to be achieved in a phased manner, that is, 7 percent by March 2016 and 7.5 percent by March 2017.
• There is no change in the target of 10 percent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher, for Weaker Sections.
• Foreign Banks with 20 branches and above already have priority sector targets and sub-targets for Agriculture and Weaker Sections, which are to be achieved by 31 March 2018 as per the action plans submitted by them and approved by RBI. 
• The sub-targets for Small and Marginal Farmers and Micro Enterprises would be made applicable post 2018 after a review in 2017. 
• Foreign banks with less than 20 branches will move to Total Priority Sector Target of 40 percent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher, on par with other banks by 2019-20, and the sub-targets for these banks, if to be made applicable post 2020, would be decided in due course.
• Bank loans to food and agro processing units will form part of Agriculture.
• Export credit up to 32 percent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher, will be eligible as part of priority sector for foreign banks with less than 20 branches.
• For other banks, the incremental export credit over corresponding date of the preceding year will be reckoned up to 2 percent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher.
• The loan limits for housing loans and MFI loans qualifying under priority sector have been revised.
• The priority sector non-achievement will be assessed on quarterly average basis at the end of the respective year from 2016-17 onwards, instead of annual basis as at present.

Venezuela announced to cut working hours to tackle energy crisis

Venezuela on 28 April 2015 announced to cut the working day for public sector workers to five-and-a-half hours to conserve energy, down from eight to nine hours. The decision is a part of a nationwide electricity rationing plan.

State employees would now work from 07:30-13:00 to save on air conditioning as there will be surge in energy demand due to extremely hot weather.

Further, private companies would be asked to use their own generators to reduce pressure on the national grid.

The private homeowners consumed the most energy, so the government called for everyone to turn the dial down on their air conditioners.

This decision of government has been met with blackouts across the country and the opposition criticised the government for not investing enough in the energy sector. However, the government argues that energy problems were due to maintenance issues.

Power outages are common in Venezuela, which is a big oil producer but depends heavily on hydro-electric power.

Venezuela is also struggling with an economy in recession that has been hard hit by the fall in the price of oil. Some 96% of its export revenues are reported to come from oil.

30 April

Mukesh Khanna appointed as Chairperson of Children's Film Society of India

Actor and producer Mukesh Khanna on 29 April 2015 was appointed as the Chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI). He was appointed by Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as successor of Amole Gupte.

Actor-director Amole Gupte, who took the post in 2012, had resigned from the office in June 2014. 

Mukesh Khanna is known for his iconic role as Shaktimaan, a 1990s superhero series. He is also remembered for his portrayal as Bhishma Pitamah in Mahabharat. He was last seen in daily soap Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara.

Children's Film Society of India
Children's Film Society India (CFSI) was founded by, India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1955 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 

CFSI is the prime producer of children's content in South Asia, committed to supporting high quality children's content that is not only entertaining but encourages children to reflect on the world around them.

It produces features, shorts, animations in many diverse languages and their present catalogue has close to 250 films in 10 different languages.

Tourist Visa scheme extended to 31 more countries

Union Government on 29 April 2015 announced to extend e-Tourist Visa scheme to 31 more countries. This extension will be effective from 1 May 2015. 

The 31 countries to which the scheme was extended includes Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Canada, Cayman Island, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominic an Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Georgia, Grenada, Haiti, HolySee (Vatican), Honduras, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Paraguay, St. Kitts & Nevis and Seychelles.

The e-Tourist Visa scheme (earlier called Tourist Visa on Arrival scheme) was launched by Union Government on 27 November 2014 for 45 countries from nine designated Indian airports namely Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram. 

With the latest addition, the total number of countries covered under the scheme will go up to 76.

Besides, the government also said that the scheme will be extended to more countries in a phased manner, as it intends to extend the scheme to 150 countries by the end of fiscal year 2015-16.

Singer Jack Ely famous for song Louie Louie passed away

Jack Ely, the lead singer of the Kingsmen who was best known for 1960s hit Louie Louie, died on 27 April 2015 due to a long battle with an illness. He was 71.

Jack Ely was an American guitarist and singer.

Ely was classically trained in piano and began playing guitar after seeing Elvis Presley on television. In 1959, he co-founded the Kingsmen and with them recorded Louie Louie in 1963.

Ely's incoherent singing on Louie Louie led the FBI to investigate the famous track on the grounds that it might be obscene. Louie Louie was recorded in 1957 by Richard Berry, who had written it two years earlier.

Despite hundreds of covers by artists including Otis Redding, the Beach Boys, and the Sonics, the Kingsmens' version of Louie Louie remains the definitive recording.

PropTiger acquired Makaan.com

PropTiger.com on 29 April 2015 has acquired rival Makaan.com to expand its presence in the secondary property market.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed. PropTiger is the online realty services firm backed by media magnate Rupert Murdoch.

PropTiger had acquired Bengaluru-based Out of Box Interaction (OoBI), a digital interaction design company in March 2015.

In November 2014, the Murdoch-led News Corp had acquired 25 per cent stake in PropTiger for 185 crore rupees as part of a strategy to expand presence in digital media.

Makaan.com has a strong presence in the property resale market, while PropTiger is strong in the primary market. Makaan.com has 40000 brokers across 50 major cities, having dominance in the secondary market.

Since 2011, around 12000 homes worth 1.2 billion US Dollar have been purchased through PropTiger's platform.

Makaan.com has around 200000 active property listings and relationships with 40000 brokers in 50 cities. It was founded within People Group by entrepreneur and investor Anupam Mittal, whose other digital ventures include Shaadi.com and Mauj Mobile.

Union Cabinet approved Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities

Union Cabinet on 29 April 2015 approved the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities with an outlay of 50000 crore rupees over the next five years (2015-16 to 2019-20).

Besides, the Cabinet also approved the Smart Cities Mission with an outlay of 48000 crore rupees.

The two missions have twin objectives of meeting the challenges of growing urbanization in the country in a sustainable manner as well as ensuring the benefits of urban development to the poor through increased access to urban spaces and enhanced employment opportunities.

Main Features of AMRUT
Purpose: To develop civic infrastructure in 500 cities and towns having population of one lakh and above. The mission also includes some cities situated on stems of main rivers, a few capital cities, important cities located in hilly areas, islands and tourist areas.

Implementation: Implementation is linked to promotion of urban reforms such as e-governance, constitution of professional municipal cadre, credit rating of urban local bodies, energy and water audit and citizen-centric urban planning among others.
In this regard, a reform matrix with timelines would be circulated by the Union Government to States in the Guidelines of the mission.

Approach: The mission adopts a project based approach to ensure basic infrastructure services relating to water supply, sewerage, transport and development of green spaces among others. 

States given more freedom: Under this Mission, States get the flexibility of designing schemes based on the needs of identified cities and in their execution and monitoring.Further in a significant departure from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), now the states will only submit State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) to the Union for broad concurrence based on which funds will be released. Under JNNURM, Union Government used to appraise even individual projects.

Funding: 50000 crore rupees will be spent under the mission over next five years. Central assistance will be to the extent of 50 percent of project cost for cities and towns with a population of up to 10 lakh and one-third of the project cost for those with a population of above 10 lakh. 
Central assistance will be released in three installments in the ratio of 20:40:40 based on achievement of milestones indicated in SAAPs. 
10 percent of budget allocation will be given to States/Union Territories (UTs) as an incentive based on achievement of reforms during the previous year. 

Uncompleted projects under JNNURM: Central assistance will be extended under AMRUT to the projects sanctioned under JNNURM but not completed. JNNURM projects relating to urban development sanctioned during 2005 -2012 and achieved physical progress of 50 percent availing 50 percent of central assistance released and those sanctioned during 2012-2014 will be supported till March 2017. Accordingly, 102 and 296 projects respectively will get Central support for balance funding to complete these projects.

How AMRUT differs from Smart Cities Mission?
Though the two missions are interrelated in the sense that AMRUT seeks to lay a foundation to enable smaller cities and towns to eventually grow into smart cities, they differ in the following ways:

While Smart Cities Mission focuses on a select larger urban areas, the AMRUT mission is intended to improve infrastructure in small cities having population of one lakh and above and towns of special importance only.

While Smart Cities Mission adopts area based approach focusing on improving amenities in a specific area of a larger city, the AMRUT mission adopts functional based approach focusing on improving the delivery of services in the designated towns and smaller cities.

Japan proposed new JWG on Nuclear deal

To discuss civil nuclear co-operation with India, Japan on 29 April 2015 proposed a new Joint Working Group (JWG). The aim of the JWG will be to explore avenues to break the impasse that is going on between India and Japan on civil nuclear deal.

The JWG on civil nuclear energy cooperation will be formed between the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan.

The proposal was drawn by Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa during his meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Besides, the Japanese Minister Miyazawa also announced that Japanese firms have plans to invest 3 billion US dollars in India in the near future. This will support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative.

Further, he reiterated that Japan is committed for providing and facilitating long-term funding to support the development of India's manufacturing and infrastructure.

Earlier in 2014 during the visit of PM Modi to Japan, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s Prime Minister, had committed to facilitate financing and investments of up to 3.5 trillion Yen (2 trillion rupees) in the next five years in India.

Sri Lankan Parliament adopted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution

The Parliament of Sri Lanka on 28 April 2015 adopted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. With this, the power of the Executive President will be reduced and will put into place a Constitutional Council for making key government appoints.

The amendment was adopted by two-third majority with 212 members in the 225-seat Parliament voting in favour of the amendment and one opposing it.

Features of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution
• The reforms ensure an independent judiciary 
• President can’t dissolve the parliament by using his power 
• It brought a two-term limit for a president and reduces the term from 6 to 5 years
• It put into place several independent commissions, which will function outside the influence of the Executive and handle key areas of governance like elections, public service, police, judiciary and others 

Comment
The 19th amendment to the Constitution, were seen as critical after Sirisena’s predecessor President Mahinda Rajapaksa was accused of spearheading creeping authoritarianism during his decade in power. Further, with the passage of this amendment, Sirisena passed the litmus test of keeping his promise of bringing in reforms in presidential powers within 100 days.

Rajya Sabha passed Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014

Rajya Sabha on 28 April 2015 passed the Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014. With this, the bill has been passed by both houses of the Parliament. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2014. 

The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014 that seeks to amend the Regional Rural Banks (RRB) Act, 1976 was introduced by the Union Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley.

Main highlights of the Bill 
• It seeks to amend the RRB Act, 1976 which mainly provides for the incorporation, regulation and winding up of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). 
• It removes the five year limit cap that was put on the sponsor banks to assist the upcoming RRBs under the RRB Act, 1976. As per the Act, sponsor banks were liable to train personnel and provide managerial and financial assistance for the first five years.
• It raises the amount of authorized capital to 2000 crore rupees and it is not to be reduced below one crore rupees. In the 1976 Act the authorised capital of each RRB was five crore rupees which was not permitted to be reduced below 25 lakh rupees.
• It allows Union government to specify that the capital issued by a RRB should be at least one crore rupees. Under the Act, a RRB was to issue capital between 25 lakh rupees and one crore rupees.
• The bill allows RRBs to raise their capital from sources other than the central and state governments, and sponsor banks as was mandated under the RRB Act. As per the Act, 50% of capital issued was held by Union government, 15% by concerned state government and 35% by the sponsor banks.
• It also provides that in case of raising of capital from other sources by a RRB, the combined shareholding of the central government and the sponsor bank cannot be less than 51%.  
• Further, if the shareholding of the state government in a RRB is reduced below 15%, the Union government would have to consult the concerned state government.  
• It provides that the Union government may by notification raise or reduce the limit of shareholding of the central government, state government or the sponsor bank in a RRB. In doing so, the central government may consult the state government and the sponsor bank. 
• It provides that any person who is a director of a RRB is not eligible to be on the Board of Directors of another RRB, while the Act specified that the composition of the Board of Directors of the RRB to include a Chairman and directors to be appointed through the central government, NABARD, sponsor bank, Reserve Bank of India, etc.  
• It provides that directors of a RRB Board shall be elected by shareholders based on the total amount of equity share capital issued to such shareholders.  
a) If the equity share capital issued to shareholders is 10% or less, one director shall be elected by such shareholders.  
b) Two directors shall be elected by shareholders where the equity share capital issued to them is from 10% to 25%.  
c) Three directors shall be elected in case of equity share capital issued being 25% or above.  
d) If required, the central government can also appoint an officer to the board of directors to ensure effective functioning of the RRB.
• It raises the tenure of a director (excluding the Chairman) to three years and says that no director can hold office for a total period exceeding six years. The Act specified that the term of office of a director (excluding the Chairman) should not more than two years.
• It also changes the date of closure and balancing of books to 31 March to bring the Act in uniformity with the financial year. While the Act of 1976 said that the books of a RRB should be closed and balanced as on 31 December every year.

Union Cabinet approved Smart Cities Mission with an outlay of 48000 crore rupees

The Union Cabinet on 29 April 2015 gave its nod for Smart Cities Mission with an outlay of 48000 crore rupees over the next five years (2015-16 to 2019-20). 

Besides, the Cabinet also approved the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities with an outlay of 50000 crore rupees over the next five years.

The aim of these two missions is to make urban areas more livable and inclusive besides driving the economic growth.

Features of Smart Cities Mission
Purpose: To build 100 smart cities across the country by promoting smart solutions for efficient use of available assets, resources and infrastructure with the objective of enhancing the quality of urban life and providing a clean and sustainable environment.

Focus: The focus of the mission will be on core infrastructure services like Adequate and clean Water supply, Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, Efficient Urban Mobility and Public Transportation, Affordable housing for the poor, power supply, robust IT connectivity, Governance, especially e-governance and citizen participation, safety and security of citizens, health and education and sustainable urban environment.

Selection Criteria: Smart City aspirants will be selected through a City Challenge Competition intended to test the ability of the cities to achieve the mission objectives. Each state will shortlist a certain number of smart city aspirants as per the norms to be indicated by the Union Government and they will prepare smart city proposals for further evaluation for extending Central support.

Funding: While, each selected city would get central assistance of 100 crore rupees per year for five years a cumulative amount of 48000 crore rupees allocated for the mission

Implementation: Smart City Action Plans will be implemented by Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) to be created for each city and state governments will ensure steady stream of resources for SPVs.

Approach: The mission adopts area based approach consisting of retrofitting, redevelopment, pan-city initiatives and development of new cities. Under Retrofitting, deficiencies in an identified area will be addressed through necessary interventions as in the case of Local Area Plan for downtown Ahmedabad. Redevelopmentenables reconstruction of already built-up area that is not amenable for any interventions, to make it smart, as in the case of Bhendi Bazar of Mumbai and West Kidwai Nagar in New Delhi. Pan-city initiatives could be interventions like Intelligent Transport Solutions which benefit residents by reducing commuting time.

India, Japan signed Action Agenda for Investment and Trade Promotion

India and Japan on 30 April 2015 signed an action agenda for India-Japan investment and trade promotion and Asia-Pacific economic integration in New Delhi.

It was signed by Commerce Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman and Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa.

The action agenda contains five items, which can help in furthering the trade relations between India and Japan. The five agenda points in the action agenda are:
• Development of selected townships in India as Japanese industrial townships.
• Promotion of investment and infrastructure development.
• Further development and cooperation in information technology.
• Enhancing cooperation in strategic sectors.
• Asia-Pacific economic integration.

Besides, the Japanese Minister also said that the investments by Japan into Indian companies will double in next 5 years.

CCEA gave approval for engaging Maharashtra Cotton Growers Federation to undertake MSP operations

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 29 April 2015 gave its ex-post facto approval for engaging the Maharashtra State Co-operative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation Ltd. (MSCCGMFL) to undertake Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations.

MSCCGMFL can perform MSP operations as a sub-agent of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) during the cotton season 2014-15. It will procure cotton from farmers in Maharashtra on the same lines as CCI is doing.

The CCEA also approved additional fiscal allocation under Non-Plan Grant to meet the anticipated losses in disposal of cotton. This will reimburse the losses of CCI and MSCCGMFL through the sale of cotton procured under the MSP operations during the cotton season 2014-15. 

This decision will help in price support operations of 110 lakh bales (100 lakh bales by CCI and 10 lakh bales by MSCCGMFL) during the cotton season 2014-15 to help stabilize cotton prices and alleviate farmer distress. 

This operation is primarily aimed at safeguarding the interest of the farmers and avoiding any distress sale. The MSP for cotton was fixed at 3750 rupees for medium staple and 4050 rupees for long staple for the year 2014-15. 

Previously, MSCCGMFL had procured cotton under MSP as the agent of National Agricultural Federation (NAFED) in the State of Maharashtra on the basis of agreement between NAFED and MSCCGMFL.

Gopinath Pillai resigned as Chairman of Gateway Distriparks Limited

Gopinath Pillai on 29 April 2015 resigned as Chairman of Gateway Distriparks Limited. He is the founder of the company and worked for 19 years with the company.

The company has named co-founder Prem Kishan Gupta as the new Chairman. He is working as the Managing Director since the start of the company.

Pillai is also Chairman of the Singapore-based think-tank Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and an ambassador-at-large for the Singapore-state’s government.

Gateway Distriparks was set up in 1994 to undertake the business of warehousing, handling and clearing of export cargo in containerised form at Navi Mumbai.

Gateway Distriparks has interests in container freight stations (CFS), inland container depots, logistics and cold chain storage (through recently-listed Snowman Logistics Ltd).

RBI imposed a fine of 1.5 crore rupees each on three Public Sector Banks for violating KYC norms

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 29 April 2015 imposed a fine of 1.5 crore rupees each on three Public Sector Banks (PSBs) for violating Know Your Customer (KYC)/Anti Money Laundering (AML) norms. These three PSBs are Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce.

The penalties have been imposed in exercise of powers vested in it under the provisions of Section 47(A) (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, taking into account the violations of the instructions issued by the RBI from time to time.

RBI findings revealed violation of certain regulatory guidelines issued by the RBI as also other disquieting actions on the part of the banks, as under:

•    Non-adherence to certain aspects of KYC norms of the Reserve Bank like customer identification and acceptance procedure,
•    Non-adherence to the Reserve Bank’s instructions on monitoring of transactions in customer accounts,
•    Non-adherence to the Reserve Bank’s instructions regarding funds received through Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS).

Besides, it  cautioned eight other banks, namely Central Bank of India, Bank of India, Punjab and Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India and Vijaya Bank.

RBI decided not to impose any monetary penalty on the above said eight banks as the banks’ explanations were judged to be reasonable. However, these banks have been cautioned to put in place appropriate measures and review the same from time to time to ensure strict compliance of KYC requirements in future.

Seychelles became 161st Member of WTO

Seychelles on 26 April 2015 became the 161st member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). With this, Seychelles archipelago of 90000 inhabitants became one of its smallest members.

Besides, Seychelles is also the 33rd government to accede to the rules-based multilateral trading system through Article XII negotiations since the WTO was established in 1995.

This approval by WTO ended the 20-year long wait of the country for becoming a member of WTO, as the country was negotiating its accession terms since 31 May 1995.

Seychelles had applied for WTO membership on 31 May 1995 and its accession was approved by the WTO members on 10 December 2014. The Protocol of Accession was signed by Pierre Laporte, former Minister of Trade, Finance and Investment of Seychelles and WTO Director‑General Roberto Azevedo.

Flipkart acquired mobile marketing firm Appiterate

Online marketplace Flipkart on 29 April 2015 acquired the Delhi-based mobile engagement and marketing automation company Appiterate. However, the financial transaction details of the deal were not disclosed by both companies.

This acquisition is part of Flipkart's new strategy of focusing more on the mobile segment. Post the acquisition, Appiterate's mobile marketing automation platform will be integrated into Flipkart’s mobile app.

Appiterate helps ecommerce companies target consumers better and increase sales by using push notifications and in-app messages. 

About Appiterate
Established in 2013, Appiterate started as an A/B testing product for native mobile apps, later on it expanded into a full-fledged mobile marketing automation platform. 

The company has helped leading e-commerce companies in combining the power of mobile apps and big data to allow them to do one-on-one targeting of their users though push notifications and in-app messages.

NRSC, DoLR signed MoU for development of Web Geo Portal Shrishti and Mobile App Drishti

The Department of Space and Department of Land Resources (DoLR) on 29 April 2015 signed a MoU with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for the development of Web Geo Portal Shrishti and Mobile AppDrishti for monitoring the IWMP watersheds.

The MoU was signed by Sandeep Dave, Joint Secretary of DoLR and VK Dadhwal, Director of NRSC. The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) works under Union Ministry of Rural Development while National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) works under Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

As per the MoU, the NRSC, ISRO in partnership with DoLR will design and develop the required technological interventions for monitoring and evaluation of Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) watersheds through the Bhuvan Geo-Web portal - Shrishti. 

The Mobile Application Drishti will integrate field level activities and their monitoring with Bhuvan portal. 

About Drishti System
Drishti system is a sophisticated instrument for assessment of Runway visual range, which is a critical parameter for safe landing and takeoff of aircraft in poor visibility. 

Web enabled health monitoring, remote control of the system from any location in the country for accessing the data and for maintenance are the other important features of this state of the art system.

Microsoft Corp announced to allow Android and Apple phone apps to Windows 10

Microsoft Corp on 29 April 2015 announced to allow Android and Apple phone apps to Windows 10. The decision is aimed to attract the users, as Microsoft has failed to get any real traction on tablets and phones, partly because of a lack of apps.

Getting apps built for Android and iOS onto its phones and tablets could be a shortcut to attract the users.

The apps will technically be Windows apps and available only through Microsoft's online app store. The apps would automatically use Microsoft's services such as Bing maps, rather than Google's services, as an app would on an Android phone.

That is a crucial distinction because Google gets revenue from ads on services rather than from the Android system itself.

Microsoft has only 3 percent of the global smartphone market. By contrast, Android phones, led by Samsung control 81 percent of the market and Apple 15 percent.

Its new browser will arrive as Microsoft Edge, replacing the waning Internet Explorer, when Windows 10 is released.

Ananda Kumar, Pramod Patil won Whitley Awards for wildlife conservation

Two Indians namely Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr Pramod Patil on 29 April 2015 won the prestigious Whitley Awards (also known as Green Oscar) for their contribution to wildlife conservation.

The awards were presented at a ceremony in Royal Geographical Society, London. The winners of the award received a Whitley prize worth 35000 pound.

Kumar was honoured for his work of using innovative communication systems to enable human-elephant co-existence in Southern India. Patil, on the other hand, was honoured for his work to protect the iconic great Indian bustard in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan.

They are among the seven conservationists who were awarded the Whitley Awards for their efforts to protect wildlife in developing countries. Other winners of the 2015 Whitley Award are

• Panut Hadisiswoyo: Honoured for his efforts to protect Sumatran orangutans in Indonesia's Leuser Ecosystem
• Rosamira Guillen: Honoured for cotton-top tamarin conservation in northern Colombia
• Arnaud Desbiez: Honoured for giant armadillo protection in the Brazilian Cerrado
• Inaoyom Imong: Honoured for protecting Cross River gorillas in Nigeria's Mbe Mountains;
• Jayson Ibanez: Honoured for helping protect the Philippine eagle on Mindanao Island

Work of Dr. Ananda Kumar
To minimise negative human-elephant interactions and increase people’s tolerance towards elephants, Kumar developed an Elephant Information Network (EIN). This network acts as an early warning mechanism to alert people when elephants are nearby. 

Under the network, a trained conflict response team tracks movement of elephants and conveys the information to people via text messages, calls and mobile-operated red light indicators which are placed in strategic locations. 

The success of the warning system helped Ananda to encourage his project to the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.

Work of Dr. Pramod Patil 
Patil, a doctor by profession, in 2003 made a decision to leave medicine as a profession and devote his life to conservation of the great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), the population of which is declining at a high speed due to poaching, loss of grassland habitat and lack of community involvement. 

Patil and his team at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) started working with State Forest Department in the Thar Desert helped people to change their opinions and develop positive relationships between authorities and local people, and enable better management of the land on which both community livelihoods and bustards depend. 

His work is collecting crucial information about the species, and engaging people with anti-poaching activities. 

Whitley Awards
The Whitley Awards is an annual award given by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). The award recognises and celebrates effective national and regional conservation leaders across the globe. The awards are amongst the most high profile of conservation prizes - they have been called the Green Oscars. 

Edward Whitley founded the Whitley awards in 1994 in memory of William Brake.

Logo of the International Day of Yoga launched

The logo of International Day of Yoga was launched on 29 April 2015 in New Delhi by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Minister of State (MoS) for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik.

The logo was selected by a committee of yoga experts constituted by Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) and was approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Facts about International Day of Yoga logo
• It reflects peace and harmony for the humanity.
• The folding of both hands in the logo reflects the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness.
• It also reflects a perfect harmony between mind and body, man and nature and the holistic approach to health and well-being.
• The green leaves symbolise the nature and blue the fire element. While the brown leaves symbolise the earth element.
• The sun in the logo symbolises the source of energy and inspiration. 

Background
The idea to observe 21 June as the International Day of Yoga was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2014 during his speech at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

In December 2014, UNGA unanimously adopted an India-led resolution to observe 21 June as the International Day of Yoga. The resolution was passed within a record time of 75 days. It was also first resolution in which 177 countries had become co-sponsors and was a world record.

Union Government approved continuation of 1000 rupees Monthly Pension Scheme under EPS

Union Government on 29 April 2015 approved continuation of 1000 rupees Monthly Pension Scheme under Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995 (EPS) beyond 2014-15 on perpetual basis.

The move would benefit over 20 lakh pensioners under social security scheme run by Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). It will cost additionally 850 crore rupees to the exchequer of the government.

The scheme was launched with effect from 1 September 2014. It hiked the pension amount to a flat 1000 rupees per month for those who were getting lower amount earlier and it was initially effective till 31 March 2015.

As a result, the EPFO had to suspend the scheme from 1 April 2015 in the absence of any direction from the government to continue with this benefit beyond 31 March 2015.

Union Government approved continuation of 1000 rupees Monthly Pension Scheme under EPS

Union Government on 29 April 2015 approved continuation of 1000 rupees Monthly Pension Scheme under Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995 (EPS) beyond 2014-15 on perpetual basis.

The move would benefit over 20 lakh pensioners under social security scheme run by Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). It will cost additionally 850 crore rupees to the exchequer of the government.

The scheme was launched with effect from 1 September 2014. It hiked the pension amount to a flat 1000 rupees per month for those who were getting lower amount earlier and it was initially effective till 31 March 2015.

As a result, the EPFO had to suspend the scheme from 1 April 2015 in the absence of any direction from the government to continue with this benefit beyond 31 March 2015.

Marathi actress Bimba Modak passed away

Eminent Marathi film and stage actress Bimba Modak passed away on 29 April 2015 due to her old age. She was 97.

Modak entered the industry when it was a taboo for women to work in cinema. She made her debut in the film Chul aani Mul, directed by noted playwright and writer Vishram Bedekar in 1946. 

At the same time, she played her first role on the Marathi stage in Bhavabandhan. Later, she learned Natyasangeet and acted in Swayamwar, Saubhadra and Manapaman, the plays known for their content of mythology and classical music. 

Her other films included In Min Sadetin and Un Paus. She was honoured with a lifetime award by Maharashtra government in 1980 for her versatile acting talent.