Daily GK Update 06th April, 2017

Monetary policy review: RBI leaves repo rate unchanged

The Reserve Bank of India has released the first Bi-monthly Monetary policy of the new financial year (2017-18). GDP growth has hiked to 7.4% from 6.7%. Rates in the newly released Monetary policy are as follows-

• Repo Rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.25%. 
• The Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) has been hiked to 6% from 5.75%. 
• The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate are at 6.50% decline from 6.75%. 
• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) remains unchanged at 4% and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) also remains unchanged at 20.50%.

Cabinet approvals on 5th April 2017

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following agreements on 5th April.The list of agreements is given as follows-

Cabinet Approves-

1. MoU between India and Australia on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine 

2. agreement on Audio Visual Co-Production between India and Bangladesh 

3. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Mass Media between India and Bangladesh 

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PM to lay foundation stone of a multi-modal terminal on River Ganga in Jharkhand

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a multi-modal terminal on River Ganga at Sahebganj in Jharkhand. 
ii. The state of the art terminal, to be constructed at an estimated cost of 280 crore rupees, is an important component of the development of the National Waterway-1 from Varanasi to Haldia. 

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: 06th April

i. 6 April was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly. 
ii. On the occasion of the 2017 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) launches the digital campaign #WePlayTogether to encourage organizations and individuals.

Haryana government to provide Rs 21,000 to families for third girl child 

i. Haryana government has decided to provide a one-time grant of Rs 21,000 to all those families whose third girl child was born after August 24, 2015, under the 'Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti' scheme. 
ii. Under the scheme, the eligible families will receive the amount irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, income and number of sons.

Yogi Adityanath govt waives Rs 36,359-crore loan for UP farmers
i. The BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh decided to waive off crop loans of up to Rs 1 lakh of small and marginal farmers in the state. 
ii. About 92.5% of the state’s farmers fall in the small and marginal categories. Besides, the cabinet also decided to write off Rs 5,630 crore in non-performing assets (NPAs) of 700,000 farmers.

Aditya Birla Group gets RBI licence to start payments bank

i. Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd becomes the seventh entity to receive a final licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a payments bank. ii. Except Vodafone M-Pesa Ltd, all payment bank licence holders have received the final approval. 
iii. Among payment bank licence holders, two entities namely Airtel Payments Bank and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) have started operations so far. While Airtel is offering 7.25% interest on its savings account, IPPB is offering three types of accounts where interest rates will vary from 4.5-5.5%.

IDBI Bank cuts deposit rates by up to 75 bps

i. IDBI Bank has reduced interest rates, ranging from 50 to 75 basis points, on retail term deposits (RTD) with effect from April 5, 2017. 
ii. Following the rate cut, the highest interest rate that the bank now offers is 6.40% (earlier 6.90%) on deposits of one-two years maturity. 



India, UK to set up 240 mn pound fund for green energy

i. India and the UK decided to set up a 240 million pound fund to finance clean energy projects. 
 ii. The Green Growth Equity Fund will be a sub-fund of NIIF. India had in 2015 set up the Rs 40,000 crore National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF) to finance greenfield as well as brownfield projects. 
iii. The fund will focus initial investments in India’s rapidly growing energy and renewables market.

India’s ranks 7th in world’s largest tourism economy in terms of GDP

i. India's travel and tourism sector ranks 7th in the world in terms of its total contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a new report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), 2016. 
ii. The USA topped the list followed by China and Germany at the second and third positions, respectively.

ADB lends $175 m loan to Power Grid Corporation
i. The Manila-headquartered  Asian Development Bank (ADB) lends a $175 million loan to the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. 
ii. The project will improve the capacity and efficiency of interstate transmission networks, particularly in transmitting the electricity generated from the new solar parks to the national grid. 

Raman Roy is new Nasscom chairman

i.The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) appointed Raman Roy (Managing Director of Quatrro Global Services) as its chairman for 2017-2018. 
ii. Rishad Premji (Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Wipro Limited) has been appointed Vice Chairman. Raman Roy has replaced Mr. CP Gurnani.

FMCG highest paying industry in India: Randstad survey
i. The Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry has emerged as the highest paying industry in India with an average annual cost to company (CTC) of Rs. 11.3 lakh across all levels and functions according to Randstad survey, 2017. 
ii. Randstad is a Dutch multinational human resource consulting firm headquartered in Diemen, Netherland. Randstad is the world's second-largest HR service provider.

India allows duty-free imports of 500,000 tonnes of raw sugar
i. India, the world’s biggest sugar consumer, will allow imports of 500,000 tonnes of duty-free raw sugar, as a drought has cut output below consumption levels for the first time in seven years. Duty-free imports would be allowed until 12 June, 2017. 



NTPC appoints head for Kudgi project
i. NTPC has appointed Sanjeev Kishore as Group General Manager at Kudgi Super thermal Power Project, Karnataka. Kishore joined the services of NTPC in 1984 and has served in various capacities of NTPC projects.



Japan Officially Recognises Bitcoin as Currency 
i. Bitcoin has finally gained the recognition of a mainstream currency along the lines of other fiat currencies. 
ii. The privilege follows the implementation of a new law in Japan which categorizes Bitcoin as a legal payment option within the country. 


 Virat Kohli crowned Wisden’s ‘king of the willow’ for 2016
i. India’s Virat Kohli was named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for 2016. 
ii. Kohli had also won the prestigious ‘Polly Umrigar award’ presented to the ‘International Cricketer of the Year’ at the BCCI Annual Awards. 
iii. Kohli was additionally declared Wisden India Almanack’s Cricketer of the Year for the second time in its 2017 edition.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

• PM Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a multi-modal terminal on River Ganga in Jharkhand
• National Waterways (NW-1) runs from Haldia (Sagar) to Allahabad across the Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hooghly river systems
• CM of Jharkhand is Raghubar Das
• Governor of Jharkhand is Draupadi Murmu
• ADB grants $175 m loan to Power Grid Corporation
• Takehiko Nakao is the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• ADB full form is Asian Development Bank
• Headquarter of ADB in Manila, Philippines
• National Association of Software and Services Companies is the full form of Nasscom
• Raman Roy is new chairman of Nasscom
• He has replaced Mr. CP Gurnani
• Rishad Premji has been appointed as Vice Chairman
• International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is observed on 6th April
• United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) launches the digital campaign #WePlayTogether
• Peter Thomson is the President of the United Nations General Assembly
• Aditya Birla Group gets RBI licence to start payments bank
• Airtel launched India's first payments bank
• A payments bank is like any other bank, but operating on a smaller scale without involving any credit risk. 
• India stand's at the world’s 7th largest tourism economy in terms of GDP
• WTTC full form is World Travel and Tourism Council 
• WTTC 2016 list is topped by the USA.
• Haryana Govt grant Rs 21,000 to families for third girl child
• 'Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti' scheme was launched to insure the survival of newborn girl child along with proper health and promote education of girls in the state
• Haryana CM is Manohar Lal Khattar
• Governor of Haryana is Kaptan Singh Solanki.
• India and UK to set up 240 mn pound fund for green energy
• Full form of NIIF is National Infrastructure and Investment Fund
• Capital of the United Kingdom (UK) is London and its Prime Minister is Theresa May
• Currency of UK is Pound
• IDBI Bank reduced deposits rates by up to 75bps
• IDBI Bank headquarter is in Mumbai
• CEO of IDBI Bank is Kishor Kharat
• FMCG industry has emerged as the highest paying industry in India
• FMCG full form is Fast-moving consumer goods
• Randstad human resource consulting firm headquartered in Diemen, Netherland.

QUIZ-006

Q1. Who has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University?

(a) David Beasley

(b) Sima Kamil

(c) Vanaja Sarna 

(d) Sunaina Singh

(e) George Yeo

Q2. Name the Indian forward player, who has named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016.

(a) S V Sunil

(b) Arjun Halappa

(c) Sardara Singh 

(d) P. R. Shreejesh

(e) Sandeep Singh

Q3. President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the "Namami Brahmaputra" festival on the banks of the river Brahmaputra in 21 districts of-

(a) Jharkhand

(b) Tripura

(c) Assam

(d) West Bengal

(e) Arunachal Pradesh

Q4. Which among the following countries has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide?

(a) Panama

(b) El Salvador

(c) Guatemala

(d) Belize

(e) None of the given options is true

Q5. Name the American astronaut, who made history when she floated outside the International Space Station (ISS) and broke the record for the most spacewalks by a woman?

(a) Thomas Akers

(b) Aydyn Aimbetov 

(c) Vladimir Aksyonov

(d) James Adamson

(e) Peggy Whitson

Q6. As per the government announcement the returns on small savings schemes, including Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, has been lowered by 0.1 percent for the April-June (2017) quarter. Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) investments will yield 7.6% and mature in ________.

(a) 116 months

(b) 114 months

(c) 108 months

(d) 110 months

(e) 112 months

Q7. The Loan Agreement for New Development Bank (NDB) financing of ____________ for Development and Upgradation of Major District Roads Project in Madhya Pradesh was signed between Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB).

(a) US$ 1000 Million

(b) US$ 750 Million

(c) US$ 500 Million

(d) US$ 350 Million

(e) US$ 100 Million

Q8. Parliament has passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which provides healthcare and services to the people with mental illness and also decriminalizes suicide. Who is the present Union Health Minister of India?

(a) Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

(b) Smriti Zubin Irani 

(c) Jagat Prakash Nadda

(d) Ravi Shankar Prasad

(e) Harsimrat Kaur Badal

Q9. Which among the following two banks have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers recently?

(a) PNB and South Indian Bank

(b) SBI and Karnataka Bank

(c) ICICI and Indian Overseas Bank

(d) Axis Bank and Bank of Baroda

(e) Indian Bank and Bandhan Bank

Q10. Who has appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)?

(a) Vanaja N. Sarna

(b) Swati Gupta

(c) Tanushree Pareek

(d) Upendra Tripathy

(e) T S Anantharaman

Q11. Which among the following countries has committed an 'Official Development Assistance' (ODA) of 371.345 billion yen (about Rs 21,590 crore) under 2016-2017 for various infrastructure projects, including the dedicated freight corridor in India?

(a) Malaysia

(b) Thailand

(c) South Korea

(d) Japan

(e) China

Q12. Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh has become the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot of its own. The Mascot has been named as.................? 

(a) Bhoorsingh the Barasingha

(b) Shersingh the Sheraham

(c) Baghathakut the Bhaghwar

(d) Singham the Singhatam

(e) None of the given options is true

Q13. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has given the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Najib Tun Razak is present Prime Minister of-

(a) Bhutan

(b) Nepal

(c) Malaysia

(d) Singapore

(e) Russia

Q14. Name the private sector bank, which has tied up with Wells Fargo (the third largest American bank by assets) to offer real-time remittances from the Indian diaspora to their relatives back home?

(a) HDFC Bank

(b) Axis Bank

(c) ICICI Bank

(d) South Indian Bank

(e) Karnataka Bank

Q15. The Indian Army has entered into an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) to the objective of the agreement is to identify and enhance the critical technological areas that can be enhanced in the armed forces. Who is the present Chief of Army Staff?

(a) General Birender Singh Dhanoa 

(b) General Sunil Lanba

(c) General Bikram Singh

(d) General Dalbir Singh

(e) General Bipin Rawat

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. Sunaina Singh has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University. She was Vice Chancellor of Hyderabad-based EFL University. The University has been without Chancellor and Vice Chancellor after George Yeo resigned from the post. The University has received a total of 160 applications for the position and six people were called for interviews and three names were then sent to the Visitor. Singh’s name was on top.

S2. Ans.(a)
Sol. Indian forward player S V Sunil has named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016. Drag-flick specialist Harmanpreet Singh was chosen as the Promising Player of the Year in the continental body’s annual awards. S.V. Sunil played a vital role in India's successful outing at the FIH Champions Trophy in London where the team earned a historic silver medal.

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the "Namami Brahmaputra" festival on the banks of the river Brahmaputra in 21 districts of Assam. The main purpose of the 5 day festival (31st March to 04th April, 2017) is to give a boost to the investment and tourism prospect in the state. Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay and Governor of Assam Banwarilal Purohit has attended the inaugural ceremony.

S4. Ans.(b)
Sol. El Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide. The new law, supported by 70 lawmakers, bans all exploration, extraction, and processing of metals both in open pits and mines. The level of environmental pollution in El Salvador is one of the highest in the region and the availability of drinking water is the lowest, according to UN data.

S5. Ans.(e)
Sol. American astronaut Peggy Whitson made history when she floated outside the International Space Station (ISS). She broke the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. Whitson at the age of 57, is making her eighth career spacewalk, surpassing the record of seven previously held by American Sunita Williams. Ms Whitson earned a doctorate in biochemistry and served as the first female space station commander in 2008.

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. As per the government announcement the returns on small savings schemes, including Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, will be lowered by 0.1 percent for the April-June quarter. According to finance ministry notification, investments in the public provident fund (PPF) scheme will fetch lower annual rate of 7.9%, the same as a five-year National Savings Certificate. The existing rate for these two schemes is 8%. Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) investments will yield 7.6% and mature in 112 months.

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Loan Agreement for New Development Bank (NDB) financing of US$ 350 Million for Development and Upgradation of Major District Roads Project in Madhya Pradesh was signed between Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB).
This is the First Loan Agreement for NDB assisted project in India. The objective of the Project is upgradation of major district roads (Approx. 1,500 km) in Madhya Pradesh to improve connectivity of the interior areas of the state with the national and state highway networks.

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. Parliament has passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which provides healthcare and services to the people with mental illness and also decriminalizes suicide. The government will set up a Central Mental Health Authority at the national level and a State Mental Health Authority in every state. Under the Mental Healthcare Bill, the punishment for flouting of provisions will attract up to six months in prison or Rs 10,000 fine or both. Jagat Prakash Nadda is the present Union Health Minister of India. 

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank. Through this alliance, Karnataka Bank and SBI Card will launch two variants of the co-branded credit card named ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’. ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’, which has been designed keeping in mind the premium customers, offers features in line with their lifestyle and spending patterns. ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’ is aimed at value-conscious consumers and offers rewards and features that enable customers to maximise their savings on their regular spends.

S10. Ans.(a)
Sol. Vanaja N. Sarna has appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). She has replaced Najib Shah after his retirement. Prior to becoming Member of the CBEC, she held the charge of Director General of Vigilance and Chief Vigilance Officer of the Department.

S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. Japan has committed an 'Official Development Assistance' (ODA) of 371.345 billion yen (about Rs 21,590 crore) under 2016-2017 for various infrastructure projects, including the dedicated freight corridor, in India. The notes in this regard were exchanged in New Delhi between S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India.

S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh has become the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot of its own. The Mascot has been named 'Bhoorsingh the Barasingha' to present the hard ground swamp deer as the spirit of the reserve and spread awareness to save it from possible extinction. The Kanha tiger reserve, spread over Mandla and Balaghat districts, is the only place in the world where the species exists. Barasingha or Swamp Deer is the State animal of Madhya Pradesh.

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is on a 6-day visit to India. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has given the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. This year marks the 60th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations. Malaysia’s father of independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, visited India in 1962. India and Malaysia signed their strategic partnership in 2010. India has trained Malaysian pilots for the Russian SU-30 aircraft.

S14. Ans.(b)
Sol. Axis Bank has tied up with Wells Fargo (the third largest American bank by assets) to offer real-time remittances from the Indian diaspora to their relatives back home. Under the arrangement between the two banks, any member of the Indian diaspora with an account with the Wells Fargo will be able to transfer money to their relatives back home and there will be no transaction fee applicable to the money transfers from the USA. But the relative or the beneficiary in India will need to have an account with Axis Bank.

S15. Ans.(e)
Sol. The Indian Army has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M). The objective of the agreement is to identify and enhance the critical technological areas that can be enhanced in the armed forces.It also aimed at facilitating the prestigious institutions such as the IITs to achieve a better understanding of the critical technology requirements of the Indian Army through seamless interaction between the IIT M faculty and the Army officers. General Bipin Rawat is the Chief of Army Staff.

Daily GK Update 06th April, 2017

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Stand Up India Scheme

i. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 April 2016 launched Stand Up India Scheme to promote entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes and Women entrepreneurs.

ii. On this occasion, the Prime Minister also inaugurated a Kaushal Kendra (Skilling Center) under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna in Noida.

iii. The Scheme is intended to facilitate at least two projects per bank branch, on an average one for each category of entrepreneur. It is expected to benefit at least 2.5 lakh borrowers within 36 months.

iv. It provides for refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with an initial amount of 10000 crore rupees. It will create credit guarantee mechanism through the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC).

v. It will provide support for borrowers both at the pre loan stage and during operations. Its focus is on handholding support for both SC/ST and Women borrowers. The aim is to leverage institutional credit structure to reach out under-served sectors of the population by facilitating bank loans repayable up to 7 years and between 10 lakh rupees- 100 lakh rupees for greenfield enterprises in non farm sector set up by such SC, ST and Women borrowers.

2. National Geoscience Awards – 2014 Presented By President

i. Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India conferred the National Geoscience Awards 2014 at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. 

ii. These awards are presented to honour individuals and team of scientists for their outstanding contributions in the field of fundamental or applied Geosciences, Mining and Allied areas.

iii. The National Geoscience Awards was  previously known as the National Mineral Awards and was instituted by the Ministry of Mines in 1966. 

iv. For 2014, Professor Ashok Kumar Singhvi was conferred with the highest honour National Geoscience Award for Excellence for his outstanding contributions in the field of sedimentary technologies. While Dr IndraSekharSen have awarded with Young Scientist Award. 

v. Along with him, 31 other geoscientists were being given the awards in 13 Various Disciplines including Mining Technology, Basic Geosciences, Geo-Information System, etc.

3. Madhukar Gupta committee constituted to suggest ways to strengthen security along Indo-Pak border

i. The Union Government on 5 April 2016 constituted a high-level committee to suggest ways to strengthen the border protection along the border with Pakistan. 

ii. It will also address the issue of gaps and vulnerability in border fencing along Indo-Pakistan border.

iii. The committee will be headed by former Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and will submit its report in three months.

iv. The mandate of the committee is to study all types of gaps in fencing and all other vulnerabilities in the International Border on Indo-Pakistan Border. 

v. It will suggest comprehensive approach to fix the gaps in fencing and other vulnerabilities on interim and permanent basis. The government's move comes three months after terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed had breached the Indo-Pak border in Punjab and attacked the Pathankot airbase killing seven security personnel.

4. Odisha Government launches 100 Adarsha Vidyalayas

i. Odisha government has launched 100 Adarsha Vidyalayas and CBSE-affiliated English medium schools in 14 districts of the state. 

ii. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has formally inaugurated the first model school at Hinjli in Ganjam district of Odisha. He has inaugurated the remaining 99 schools online. 

iii. These schools will be functional from the upcoming session. Students of these model schools would get free education and all facilities like mid-day meal, uniform and textbooks free of cost like other state government-run schools. 

iv. These schools will have the patterns of the Kendriya Vidyalays to students of backward regions and the schools with hostel facilities will follow the CBSE syllabus with English as the first language and Odia as the second language. 

v. These schools will reserve 50 % seats for scheduled categories and girl students. According to the scheme, there will be one model school in the headquarters of each block. The next phase of such schools for remaining 214 blocks would be set up very soon. 

5. Complete Ban On Alcohol In Bihar Imposed By State CM

i. The Chief Minister of Bihar Mr. Nitish Kumar has declared total ban on the sale of all forms of alcohol with immediate effect. 

ii. CM also said that while the alcohol licences of hotels, clubs and bars would be revoked, this ban would not affect army cantonments, as they are allowed to regulate the consumption and sale of liquor independently.

iii. So far around 4,933 people including consumers and illegal manufacturers have been imprisoned since prohibition was introduced in the state. About 1.17 crore ‘promise papers’ have been submitted by school students, after making their parents promise not to consume alcohol.  iv. Kumar has set up a high-level committee to address the impact of the ban on the workers who make liquor from fermented toddy. The committee will work out how to make the use of toddy tree products more profitable. The committee is expected to produce a scheme to be put into action from 2017. In addition, the state government has promised to provide technical and financial support to these workers.

v. Bihar has become the fourth state after Gujarat, Nagaland and Mizoram states to impose ban on liquor. Although, Bihar will suffer an annual revenue loss of about Rs. 4,000 crore following prohibition.

6. Government to develop 25 regional airports : Arun Jaitley

i. To improve air connectivity, government plans to develop 25 regional airports. 

ii. Government is looking to develop 15 airstrips owned by the state governments and 10 that are with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). 

iii. There are around 160 airstrips that are lying unused, he said while talking about the steps taken by the government for infrastructure development in the country. 

iv. According to the Union minister Arun Jaitley, AAI would be able to fund itself from the money coming from Delhi and Mumbai airports.

7. Researchers developed world’s smallest diode

i. Researchers from the University of Georgia and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) developed the world's smallest diode, the size of a single molecule.

 ii. The breakthrough could impact the development of molecular electronic devices. Their study was published in journal Nature Chemistry on 4 April 2016.

iii. The nanoscale diode or molecular rectifier operates like a valve to facilitate electronic current flow in one direction. 

iv. A collection of these nanoscale diodes, or molecules, contains properties that resemble traditional electronic components, such as a wire, transistor or rectifier.

v. Professor Bingqian Xu from the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia and his team of researchers took a single DNA molecule made from 11 base pairs and connected it to an electronic circuit just a few nanometers in size.

8. India signs $100 million draft export pact with IDB

i. India has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for a possible $100 million line of credit to simplify exports to IDB’s member countries.

ii. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) CEO Khaled Al-Aboodi,  and the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) Tarun Sharma, regional head on behalf the EXIM Bank. 

iii. This MoU will also be achieved through the exchange of information on trade-related matters and the identification of business opportunities for Indian companies to pursue in ICD’s member countries

iv. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

v. It was founded in 1973 by the Finance Ministers at the first Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now called the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) with the support of the king of Saudi Arabia at the time (Faisal), and began its activities on 20 October 1975. 

9. BHEL commissions tiltable canal top solar plant in Andhra

i. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned a seasonwise tiltable canal top solar PV plant at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh. 

ii. This is the first canal top project in Andhra Pradesh and also first such project executed by the company, the state-run power equipment maker said in a release. 

iii. The project is developed by NREDCAP (New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of AP Ltd). Power generation is about 10 per cent more than a fixed Module Mounting Arrangement (MMA), BHEL said. The elevated control room with bottom cable entry prevents ingress of water during floods, it said. 

iv. The Module Mounting Structure (MMS) is a unique design incorporating additional functionalities like lighting, cable support and fencing into the MMS. 

v. Another feature is the movable walkway which facilitates efficient maintenance of the plant by providing easy access, it added.

10. Mumbai gets its first-ever AC local train

i. Mumbai has got its first air-conditioned suburban local train. which was flagged off from Integral Coach Factory in Chennai on March 31, has finally arrived in the metropolis, and its trial run would take place within a week.

ii. The train is parked at the Kurla car shed of Central Railway and local train does not have any general or first class compartments and fare between Rs 60 to Rs 70 from CST to Panvel. 

iii. It will undergo software and technical updates in the coming month, and speed trials for another five to six months. Coaches are connected by vestibules in two parts of six each while the seats are similar to the previous Bombardier rake.

iv. In case of an emergency, each coach has a system installed that lets the passenger connect to the motorman and guard, and an LED destination board is present to alert the motorman. 

v. There is also a manual door opening system in each coach that can be accessed even when the train is in movement.

11. Memorial for Abdul Kalam to be opened at Dilli Haat

i. Delhi government has passed a proposal to build a memorial for late President APJ Abdul Kalam at Dilli Haat, south Delhi. 

ii. This memorial will include the notes, books, clothes and other personal items of the former president, will be opened to the public on July 27  Kalam’s death anniversary.

iii. Government of Delhi had constituted a team to safely bring Kalam’s belongings back from Rameswaram. 

iv. They were sent to his family members in Rameshwaram when the bungalow was allotted to Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma.

v. Bharat Ratna Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, generally known as Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, was the 11th President of India (2002-07). By profession he was a scientist and an administrator in India. He worked with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as an aerospace engineer before becoming the President of India. 

12. Philippines Launches World's First Mass Dengue Vaccination

i. The world's first public dengue vaccination programme was launched in the Philippines as nurses began injecting the first batch of a million children with a French drug to combat the sometimes deadly disease.

ii. Several hundred children aged nine to 10 queued in front of government health workers at a public school in eastern Manila for the injections, capping a 20-year, 1.5-billion-euro ($1.8 billion) effort by French drug manufacturer Sanofi to develop the vaccine. 

iii. The Philippines had the highest dengue incidence in the WHO’s Western Pacific region from 2013 to 2015, recording 200,415 cases last year, according to the Department of Health. 

iv. Dengvaxia, developed by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur, obtained its first license in Mexico in December 2015 for use in individuals aged 9 to 45.

13. Manish Sharma first Indian to be Executive Officer Panasonic Corporation

i. Japanese electronics giant Panasonic has appointed senior executive Manish Sharma to its global executive council, inducting an Indian onto the coveted decision-making body of the $80-billion company for the first time ever. 

ii. Sharma is the first Indian and fourth non-Japanese member of the 50-member Council headed by a global president.

iii. Panasonic is not the first Japanese electronics company to give a key global role to an Indian. 

iv. In April last year, Sony had also elevated Sunil Nayyar, sales head of its Indian business, to lead its consumer electronics business in the US, its largest market. 

v. Panasonic also appointed Daizo Ito, previously president of the Indian business, as managing executive officer, Panasonic Corporation.

14. M H P Rao, The Architect Of Madras Atomic Power Station Passed Away

i. The Architect or father of the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), Mr. Myneni Hari Prasad Rao has passed away in Chennai. He was 88 year old. He is survived by three daughters and a son.

ii. Mr. MHP Rao, was born in Edlalanka village near Avanigadda. 

iii. He is a retired Director of the Nuclear Power Board (now known as NPCIL) of DAE, Mumbai, India. 

iv. He has served for many years as a member of Southern, Western and Northern Indian Regional electricity boards.

v. In 1984,  he was honoured with the Padma Shri. He was also awarded with the Sanjay Gandhi for contribution in Science and Technology in 1983.

15. Mother Dairy Partners Delhi Daredevils As Principal Sponsor

i. Mother Dairy, an Indian FMCG company has partnered with Indian Premium League (IPL) cricket team Delhi Daredevils as its principal sponsor. 

ii. With this association, the brand Mother Dairy will be seen on Delhi Daredevils team jersey, along with the visibility at key spots in the stadium on match days.

iii. Delhi Daredevils had recently appointed Zaheer Khan as the captain of the franchise for the 2016 season and will soon launch a mass campaign at company's select booths across the national capital region in partnership with Mother Dairy. 

iv. This association will be a fantastic platform to connect with our consumers and cricket fans. 

v. The company will also offer products during the matches.