7th April 2016 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• The World Health Day, a global health awareness day, is being observed today (7th April 2016).
• This day is being observed under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• This day is held to mark WHO's founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.
• Themes of World health day
• 2016 : Beat Diabetes
• 2015: Food safety
• 2014: Vector-borne diseases: small bite, big threat
• 2013: Healthy heart beat, Healthy blood pressure
• 2012: Good health adds life to years
• 2011: Anti-microbial resistance: no action today, no cure tomorrow.
• (this theme is to raise awareness about the disease which has affected 422 million worldwide).
• San Francisco has adopted a legislation mandating that employers offer new fathers full wages during their six-week paternity leave, making it the first such city in the United States. 
• The law will be implemented in phases in businesses with over 20 employees. 
• Note : Some states already have laws under which employees are entitled to partial compensation during paternity leave.

National Affairs

• Assam Rifles has inducted the first batch of 100 women personnel into the force. 
  
• These women were recruited from rallies across the country. 
• Note : The new recruits will be posted in various battalions of the force for female mob/crowd control, search, frisking and interrogation of women when required, and tackling agitations involving women agitators.
• Odisha Government has launched Adarsh Vidyalaya (AV) project to provide modern schools facilities on the lines of Kendriya Vidyalayas in the underdeveloped rural areas of the state. 
• Note : It was launched by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Sasan Ambagaon village in his home constituency Hinjli in Ganjam district.
• The annual fee in all IITs for SC, ST, disabled students and students belonging to families with annual income below ₹1 lakh will be waived completely. 
• Students belonging to families with annual income between ₹1-5 lakh will get a two-thirds waiver. 
• This comes after HRD Minister Smriti Irani promised fee waivers for the students at all IITs.
• The Election Commission (EC) has lifted the ban on Kerala's free rice supply scheme ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
• The scheme, announced in the state's 2016-17 budget, will supply 25 kg of rice to below poverty line (BPL) families. 
• Note : However, the EC said Ministers and MLAs cannot get involved in the rice distribution.
• The 3rd phase of Union Health Ministry’s universal vaccination programme Mission Indradhanush began today. 
• Important Points to Note : 
• Mission Indradhanush depicts 7 colours of the rainbow which aims to cover all those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against 7 vaccine preventable diseases. 
• The diseases include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B. 
• Under this universal vaccination programme, all vaccines will be made available free of cost.
• Under this scheme, children will be vaccinated against seven preventable diseases. Under the last two phases nearly 39 lakh children have been fully immunised across the country.
• It will cover 216 Districts across several States including Bihar, Gujarat, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. 
• The National Summit on Family Planning concluded in New Delhi.
• The summit was held for two days.
• Theme of National Summit on Family Planning 2016 :  New Choices, New Horizons.

People in News

• 33 year-old C Devi is the first transgender person to contest in Tamil Nadu's assembly elections. 
• Devi will contest against Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa in Chennai's RK Nagar constituency on the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) party's ticket this May. 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a lunch for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, during their first visit to India next week. 
• Note : During this visit, they are scheduled to lay a wreath at India Gate and visit Gandhi Smriti.

New Appointments

• Vietnam's Parliament has elected Nguyen Xuan Phuc as the country's Prime Minister. 
• Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka was appointed as Principal Secretary, Science and Technology by the Haryana government.
• This move marks his 47th transfer in 25 years of service.
• Iceland ruling coalition Government has named Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson as the new Prime Minister after igmundur Gunnlaugsson had stepped down. 
• The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) announced the appointment of CP Gurnani as its Chairman for 2016-2017.
• He succeeds BVR Mohan Reddy, who served as Chairman of NASSCOM for 2015-16.
• Important Note : The Executive Council also announced the appointment of Raman Roy, Chairman and Managing Director of Quatrro Global Services, as the Vice Chairman of NASSCOM for 2016-17.

Awards & Honors

• American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift will be honoured with the first Taylor Swift Award at the 64th annual BMI Pop Awards on May 10. 
• This is the second time BMI is giving an Eponymous award after 1990, when it bestowed the Michael Jackson Award upon Michael Jackson. 
• Eponymous : Having same name
• A bronze bust of ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhatta was unveiled at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. 
• It was unveiled by Union Human Resource and Development Minister Smriti Irani. 
• The bust has been sculpted by renowned Indian sculptor Ram Sutar who was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian awards for his contribution to the world of art. 
• Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani has been named the most powerful businesswoman in Asia by Forbes, leading a list of 50 women leaders from the region that includes eight from India.
• SBI Chairman and Managing Director Arundhati Bhattacharya has been ranked second in the list.
• Apart from Ambani and Bhattacharya, six women from India have made to the list, They are,
• Mu Sigma CEO Ambiga Dhiraj (14th position),
• Welspun India CEO Dipali Goenka (16th position),
• Lupin CEO Vinita Gupta (18th position),
• ICICI Bank Managing Director & CEO Chanda Kochhar (22th position),
• VLCC Health Care Founder and vice chairman Vandana Luthra (26th position) and
• Biocon Founder, Chairman & Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (28th position).

Sports

• Ajay Lalcheta has been named the Captain of Oman’s national cricket team.
• In an effort to honour the West Indies T20I captain Darren Sammy, the main stadium of the St Lucia island has been renamed after him. 
• The Beausejour Cricket Ground, which has been renamed as the Darren Sammy National Stadium, will also name one of the stands after wicketkeeper Johnson Charles. 
• Note :  Sammy has led WI to two World T20 titles.

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