National News
1. India Becomes 2nd Largest Producer of Mobile Phones in the World
i. India is now the second-largest mobile phone producer in the world after China. According to the data shared by Indian Cellular Association with the government, annual production of mobile phones in India increased from 3 million units in 2014 to 11 million units in 2017.
ii. With this, India replaced Vietnam to become the second largest producer of mobile phones in 2017.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Vietnam Capital- Hanoi, Currency- Vietnamese dong, President- Tran Dai Quang.
2. Delhi Becomes 1st City to Roll-Out Euro VI Fuel
i. With an aim to combat the rising levels of air pollution in Delhi-NCR region, petrol pumps in the capital started supplying ultra-clean Bharat Stage VI grade fuel (both petrol and diesel).
ii. This move makes New Delhi the first city in the country to switch from BS-IV grade fuels to BS-VI (equivalent to fuel meeting Euro-VI emission norms).
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
The major difference in standards between the existing BS-IV and the new BS-VI auto fuel norms is the presence of sulphur.
3. Kerala to Host Asia's Largest Startup Conclave
i. Asia's largest startup ecosystem congregation, Huddle Kerala, will be held at Kovalam. The initiative is envisaged to provide a platform for start-ups to pitch their products and interact with a wide array of technology and industry leaders from around the world.
ii. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the conclave, being organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in association with Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IAMAI Startup Foundation.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Palaniswamy Sathasivam is the present Governor of Kerala.
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city of Kerala.
4. Foundation Stone Of Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project Laid In Uttarakhand
i. R K Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, laid the foundation stone of the 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project (NMHEP) along with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat in Uttarkashi.
ii. The Proposed NMHEP is located on the river Tons – a tributary of the Yamuna, in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. This run-of-the-river project was allocated to SJVN Ltd by the Government of Uttarakhand.
5. U.P. CM Inaugurates India’s Longest Elevated Road in Ghaziabad
i. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated a 10.30-km-long elevated road, touted to be the longest of its kind in the country, connecting UP Gate and Rajnagar Extension, Ghaziabad.
ii. Built at a cost of Rs1,147 crore, the six-lane elevated road is supported on 227 pillars. The road will make it easier to commute between Delhi and Ghaziabad.
6. Mangaluru Airport Adjudged India's Cleanest Airport
i. The Mangalore International Airport has been adjudged the cleanest airport in the country. Airport director VV Rao received the award during the 23rd annual day celebrations of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in New Delhi.
ii. In the survey conducted across 53 airports in the country by AAI, Mangaluru airport was adjudged the cleanest.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
The Chairman of Airports Authority of India is Guruprasad Mohapatra.
International News
7. World Autism Awareness Day- 2 April
i. The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.
ii. The theme for WAAD 2018 is "Empowering Women and Girls with Autism".
8. USA and South Korea Begin Joint Military Exercise- 'Foal Eagle'
i. The United States and South Korea began their joint military training exercise named 'Foal Eagle. More than 11,500 U.S. troops and nearly 300,000 South Korean forces will take part in the four-week exercises.
ii. Foal Eagle, the largest annual joint military exercise in South Korea, usually runs about two months. Its start was delayed this year at the request of South Korea until after the Winter Olympics.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
South Korea President- Moon Jae-in, Capital- Seoul.
Banking News
9. SIDBI Foundation Day- Launches 'Samridhi- virtual assistant' & ' Bankability Kit'
i. SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) has celebrated its foundation day. Chairman Managing Director of SIDBI Mohammad Mustafa launched a series of initiatives from its Lucknow bank headquarters.
ii. An MoU was signed with The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. and two MSMEs were issued insurance policies. Chairman SIDBI also launched 'Samridhhi- the virtual assistant' on banks revamped universal loan portal www.udyamimitra.in. During the day, a ‘Bankability Kit’ (brought in partnership with Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank) was also launched.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
SIDBI CEO- Dr Kshatrapati Shivaji, Founded- 2 April 1990, Headquarter- Lucknow.
10. Jana Small Finance Bank Commences Operations
i. Jana Small Finance Bank (formerly Janalakshmi Financial Services) announced commencement of its banking operations.
ii. To cover its extensive customer base, Jana Bank will initially open 19 branches across 18 States and expand to 200 banking outlets, including the 25% unbanked rural branches by June 2018.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Ramesh Ramanathan is the chairman of Jana Group.
Ajay Kanwal is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Jana Small Finance Bank.
Jana Small Finance Bank headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
11. SEBI Doubles Investment Limit of Angel Funds to Rs10 crore
i. Looking to provide an impetus to early-stage start-ups, markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decided to double the investment limit by angel funds in venture capital undertakings to Rs10 crore from the current Rs5 crore.
ii. The SEBI board has approved amendments to Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) regulations with respect to ‘Angel Funds.’ Further, SEBI would halve the minimum corpus size required for an angel fund to register with it to Rs5 crore.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Exam-
SEBI- Securities and Exchange Board of India.
SEBI Chairman- Ajay Tyagi, Headquarters- Mumbai.
12. RBI Changes Methodology for Bond Valuation to Check Manipulation
i. In a bid to prevent the possibility of manipulation in the prices of securities, especially government securities (G-Secs), the Reserve Bank of India has changed the methodology used by debt market players, including banks and primary dealers, for their valuation.
ii. As per a central bank directive, security/bond valuation will be based on the weighted average price of the last half-an-hour of trading on the last trading day of every quarter against the last traded price earlier.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Dr Urjit Patel is the 24th Governor of RBI.
RBI Headquarters in Mumbai.
RBI was Established on 1st April 1935.
Awards
13. J.C. Daniel Award for Sreekumaran Thampi
i. Lyricist and director Sreekumaran Thampi has been selected for the J.C. Daniel Award, the Kerala government’s highest honour for lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema. The award comprises of Rs5 lakh and a citation.
ii. The award was distributed at the Kerala State Film Award distribution function in Kollam. Thampi made his debut in 1966 with Kattumallika.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Kerala CM- Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor- Justice (Retd.) Palaniswamy Sathasivam.
Appointments
14. Debjani Ghosh Appointed New President of Nasscom
i. Debjani Ghosh, former managing director of Intel South Asia, is the new president of Nasscom. She has replaced R.Chandrashekhar upon completion of his term.
ii. A big propagator of gender diversity and equal representation in corporate India, Ms Ghosh was the first woman to lead Intel India and MAIT (Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology).
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
National Association of Software and Services Companies is the full form of Nasscom.
Raman Roy is the chairman of Nasscom.
15. US Diplomat DiCarlo Becomes 1st Female UN Political Chief
i. Long-serving American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo was appointed to become the first woman to head UN political affairs, one of the most high-profile positions at the world body. DiCarlo has replaced Jeffrey Feltman.
ii. DiCarlo also served as deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and director for United Nations affairs at the national security council in Washington.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 24th of October 1945.
It is currently made up of 193 Member States.
The Headquarters of UN: New York, USA.
Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
16. Lt Gen Harpal Singh Takes Charge as Director General Border Roads
i. Lt Gen Harpal Singh an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla has been appointed as Director General Border Roads (DGBR).
ii. He commanded a Border Roads Task Force in Jammu & Kashmir valley.
17. Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth Appointed as Deputy Collector in Andhra Pradesh
i. Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth was appointed as a Deputy Collector in the state government by the CM of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu.
ii. K Srikanth was recently being awarded the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian honour. The Cabinet also announced a reward of Rs 2 crore for the shuttler.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Kidambi Srikanth became the first Indian to win four Superseries titles in a calendar year after winning the French Open earlier in 2017.
18. Chandra Bhushan Appointed Deputy Election Commissioner
i. Senior bureaucrat Chandra Bhushan Kumar has been appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the government.
ii. A total of 13 officers have been appointed as joint secretaries in different central government departments. Bhushan has been appointed to the post for five years.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Om Prakash Rawat is the present Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Sports News
19. Miami Open 2018- Complete List of Winners
i. The Miami Open, sometimes known as the Miami Masters, is an annual tennis tournament for men and women currently held in Florida, the USA.
ii. American John Isner won his first ever Masters 1,000 title with a victory over German Alexander Zverev in the Miami Open final. S. Stephens won in the Women's singles category.
Find the Complete List of Winners Here
20. Kerala Lifts Their 6th Santosh Trophy
i. Kerala has lifted their sixth Santosh Trophy Football title. In a thrilling final at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
ii. Kerala held their nerves to beat defending champions and 32-time winners Bengal via penalty shootout. Locked 2-2 after extra time, Kerala goalkeeper V Mithun put up a stellar show in the tie-breaker to help his side win 4-2.
Obituaries
21. Former Manipur CM R K Dorendra Singh Passes Away
i. Former Manipur Chief Minister R K Dorendra Singh passed away in Imphal.
ii. He was 83. Dorendra Singh had been chief minister of the state four times between 1974 to 1993. Before becoming the chief minister, he was the Speaker of Manipur Assembly.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-
Manipur CM- Nongthombam Biren Singh, Governor- Dr. Najma A. Heptulla.
