Current Affairs April 2016

 Banking & Financial Awareness

1. Recently, RBI reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.75 per cent to - 6.5 per cent.

Note:

 On 5th April 2016RBI announced its Ist Bi- monthly Policy Rates for the year 2016-17.

Current Rates as follows -

 Repo Rate – 6.50% (Reduced by 25 basis point)

 Reverse Repo Rate – 6.00% (increased by 25 basis point)

 CRR (Cash Reserve ratio) – 4% (Unchanged)

 Bank Rate – 7.00% (Reduced by 75 basis point)

 MSF (Marginal Standing Facility) – 7.00% (Reduced by 75 basis point)

 SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio) – 21.25% (Reduced by 25 basis point)

2. First entity to receive approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start a payments bank - Airtel M Commerce Services

Note:

 Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd., a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, has become the first entity to receive final approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start a payments bank.

 The payments banks are not allowed to lend, they have to tie-up with banks will help them source loans for their customers.

3. Which country’s bank note has won the 2015 IBNS Bank Note of the Year Award - New Zealand’s $5 polymer note Note:

 New Zealand’s $5 polymer note has won the ‘IBNS Bank Note of the Year Award’ for 2015.

 This award is an initiative of the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) to recognize an exceptional banknote issued each year.

 To be eligible for this award, a banknote must have been issued for the first time during the year of the award and be in general circulation. It is assessed for its artistic merit and/or innovative security features, including use of colour, contrast and balance.

4. Recently, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has entered into a collaboration with which country for the programme ‘Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security – Germany

Note: The programme is a part of the German government’s recently introduced special initiative ‘One World, No Hunger’ initiative.

5. Which interface has been launched by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for next-generation mobile banking - Unified Payments Interface

Note: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched “Unified Payments Interface (UPI)”, which will leverage trends such as increasing smart phone adoption and deeper penetration of mobile data.

6. India’s first Aadhaar enabled ATM has been launched by which bank? DCB Bank

Note:

 The DCB Bank has launched India’s first Aadhaar-based ATM usage facility to make transactions easier with ATM for customers.

 The ATM will accept Aadhaar number and Aadhaar fingerprint (biometric) instead of ATM/ Debit Card and PIN to dispense cash from the bank account.

7. According to a report by World Bank, which of the following country has received largest sum through remittances in year 2015? - India

Note: India became the largest remittances receiving country at USD 72 billion this year followed by China at USD 64 billion, as per the World Bank Report.

8. Which private sector bank has become the first in India to open dedicated branch for startups - RBL Bank

Note:

 The RBL Bank Ltd. (formerly Ratnakar Bank) has become the first private sector bank in India to open a specialized branch for start-ups offering a bouquet of banking products to service the end-to-end needs of the emerging entrepreneurial eco-system.

 The branch was inaugurated at Koramangala, Bengaluru, by Nandan Nilekani, noted entrepreneur and former chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

New Appointments

1. Re – elected PM of Tibet - Lobsang Sangey

2. New Director General (DG) of Railways Protection Force (RPF) – Surendra Kumar Bhagat

3. New chairperson of National Monument Authority (NMA) - Susmita Pande

Note:

 Susmita Pande has been appointed as the new chairperson of National Monument Authority (NMA).

 She succeeded Himanshu Prabha Ray.

 Presently, Pande is the head of the School of Studies in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology in the Vikram University of Madhya Pradesh.

4. New Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) - Bhupendra Kainthola

Note:

 Bhupendra Kainthola, an Indian Information Service (IIS) officer of 1989 batch, has been appointed as the new Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

 He succeeded Prashant Pathrabe. FTII is the India’s premier institute that provides training for acting, film making, video editing, direction and production.

5. Indian academician appointed as the new member to the global body United Nations University Council (UNUC) – Radha Kumar

Note: Radha Kumar The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has recently appointed 12 new members to the global body United Nations University Council (UNUC) to formulate its principles and policies, consider and approve biennial budget and work programme.

Important News – India & world

1. World’s first graphene electronic paper has been developed by which country - China

Note:

 China has recently developed the world’s first graphene electronic paper that will catapult the material to a new level.

 It is developed by The Guangzhou OED Technologies in partnership with a company in Chongqing Province of China.

Summits & Conferences

1. 4th Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) held in - Washington DC, USA

Note: The fourth Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) was held in Washington, D.C. on March 31-April 1, 2016.

2. 2016 Water Film Festival has started in - New Delhi

Note: The 2016 Water Film Festival, a part of the India Water Week 2016 celebrations, has started at Water Expo-2016 in New Delhi on April 6, 2016.

Important Committees

1. Committee set up to suggest ways to tighten security along Indo-Pak border - Madhukar Gupta committee

Note: The Government of India (GoI) has recently constituted a high-level committee to suggest ways to fortify the security along the border with Pakistan and address the issue of gaps and vulnerability in border fencing.

Books & Authors

1. Author of the book “No Time to Pause - Pavithra Ramesh

 The book chronicles the life of a typical college student who decides to stay miles away from her family to get value education.

2. Author of the book “Param Vir: A War Diary – Manju Lodha
Note: The book chronicles the lives of 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, the highest military honour bestowed by India to those serving in the Indian armed forces.

7. Author of the book “The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler” - James Cross Giblin

Note: James Cross Giblin (82), who is known for writing a biography of Adolf Hitler “The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler”, has recently passed away in United States. He was a highly skilled editor and a children’s book author.
8. Author of the book “The Story of Kashmir through the Ages” - Arjan Nath Chaku

Awards & Honours

1. Which Indian personality bestowed with the Japan’s second highest national decoration “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star – NK Singh

Note:

 Indian politician N K Singh will be bestowed with the prestigious ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’, Japan’s 2nd highest national decoration, for his contribution in boosting Indo-Japan economic relations over last few decades on May 10, 2016.

 The Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese Government honor established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji.

2. Winner of 2016 Civicus Nelson Mandela Graca Machel Innovation Award in individual activist category - Tabassum Adnan

Note:

 Tabassum Adnan, a women’s rights activist from Pakistan’s Swat valley, has won the 2016 Civicus Nelson Mandela Graca Machel Innovation Award in individual activist category at Bogota, Colombia.

 She is the founder of NGO Khwendo Jirga (Sister’s Council), the first women-only ‘jirga’ in Pakistan, to address issues of women’s right, including honour killings and acid attacks.

Important Deals & Agreements

1. India has recently signed MoU with which country to provide $100 million credit line for infrastructure fund - Papua New Guinea

Note:

 India has recently signed four MoUs with Papua New Guinea (PNG) in areas of infrastructure, healthcare, information technology and agriculture.

 For this, India will provide $100 million credit line for development of infrastructure and will establish India-Papua New Guinea Centre for Excellence in IT in PNG.

2. India signed the Kamov helicopter deal, with which country? - Russia

Note: The deal is an Inter-Governmental Agreement on the manufacture of Kamov-226 helicopters in India. It is the first project for a major defence platform under the Make-in-India mission.

Sports News

1. Who has become the first African football player ever to receive the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award - Riyad Mahrez

Note: He is a professional footballer who plays for English club Leicester City and the Algerian national team.

2. Who became first non-cricketer to become a member of CCI’s Legend Club - Nandu Natekar

Note: Badminton ace Nandu Natekar has been inducted into the Legends Club, founded by the late Cricket Club of India president Raj Singh Dungarpur.

3. Which Indian player equals world record in recurve event at Archery World Cup – Deepika Kumari

Note: India’s Deepika Kumari has equalled the world record in Women’s Recurve event at the qualifying stage of Archery World Cup being held in Shanghai.

Science & Defense

1. The IRNSS-1G launched from which satellite vehicle in orbit - PSLV-C33

Note: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-1G in orbit using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C33 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The 1,425-kg spacecraft, IRNSS-1G, is the 7th spacecraft placed in orbit.

2. The Indian Army’s battle exercise ‘Shatrujeet’ was conducted in which district of India - Bikaner

Note: The Indian Army’s tank exercise ‘Shatrujeet’ was conducted in the deserts of Bikaner district of Rajasthan.

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