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Daily Current Affairs of 1st, 2nd & 3rd April 2019
International Current Affairs
- 2nd April was observed as World Autism Awareness Day.
- This day was adopted by United Nations on 18 December 2007, it was proposed by Qatar, and supported by all UN member states.
- World Autism Awareness Day 2019 Theme : "Assistive Technologies, Active Participation"
- 2nd April was also observe as International Children's Book Day.
- This day is a yearly event sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People, an international non-profit organization.
- April the 2nd was chosen to mark this day for young literature lovers as it's the same date as Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, the author of many famous children's stories like The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling.
- India has offered to provide relief assistance to Nepal in the wake of the storm that killed at least 27 people.
- The storm also overturned vehicles, uprooted trees and brought down power lines in Bara and Parsa districts.
- Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has resigned after nearly two months of protests against him following his initial announcement to seek a fifth term in office.
- The Algerian army had called for the 82-year-old to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties.
- Brunei introduced new sharia laws which include death by stoning for adultery and gay relationships.
- It also introduced public flogging as punishment for abortion as well as amputation for theft.
- Japan has announced that the name of its new imperial era, set to begin on May 1, will be "Reiwa".
- While 'Rei' means "good" and "beautiful" as well as "order" or "command", 'Wa' means "peace" or "harmony".
- The country's current era, Heisei, which began in 1989, will end with Emperor Akihito's abdication.
National Current Affairs
- Prevention of Blindness Week 2019 is being observed from 1st of April 2019 to 7th April 2019.
- This campaign is planned by the Government of India for increasing the awareness towards the blind people.
- 1st April 2019 was observed as Utkala Dibasa (Odisha Day).
- On this day in the year 1936, the Odisha state was formed as a separate province.
- Important Details about Odisha :
- Capital : Bhubaneswar
- Official Language : Odia
- Chief Minister : Naveen Patnaik
- Governor : Ganeshi Lal
- Of the total 49 lakh deaths due to diseases caused by exposure to air pollution in 2017, India and China accounted for the most with 12 lakh deaths each, the State Of Global Air report 2019 revealed.
- The report further stated that a child born today will die 20 months sooner, on average, than would be expected without pollution.
- In a major initiative to tackle terror, radicalisation, and overground terror activities in Jammu & Kashmir, the Centre constituted a high-level Multi-Disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) comprising a host of Central agencies.
- The TMG will be tasked to identify, track and stop the nefarious agenda of terror groups and source of their funding.
- The TMG will be headed by an Additional Director General of Police, Crime Investigation Department, Jammu & Kashmir Police as Chairman, and will comprise Inspector General of Police, J&K Police, Additional Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB), and representatives of other federal probe agencies.
Science & Technology
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) defence intelligence satellite EMISAT along with 28 foreign satellites aboard PSLV-C45.
- EMISAT can identify enemy radar, number of active communication devices and also map topography.
- Note : This is the 1st time ISRO has launched satellites in three different orbits.
- American multinational technology company Google has officially shut down its social media platform Google+ launched in 2011 to rival with other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
- Google decided to close the site after discovering a data breach in 2018.
- The United States has approved the sale of 24 multi-role MH-60 'Romeo' Seahawk helicopters to India at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion.
- The Lockheed Martin-built helicopters are designed for hunting submarines, targeting ships, and conducting search-and-rescue operations at sea.
- Analysis of European Space Agency's Mars Express mission data has identified a potential source of methane on Mars for the first time.
- It also confirmed that NASA's Curiosity rover had detected methane spike in 2013 while exploring Gale Crater on Mars.
- This research suggests microbial life existed on Mars as Earth's methane is produced only by organisms or geological processes.
- To curb the spread of fake news ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Freeware, cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) service WhatsApp today launched a fact-checking service titled 'Checkpoint' tipline in collaboration with New Delhi-based startup PROTO.
- Users can send rumours or uncertain information for verification at '+919643000888'.
- Users will then receive a response indicating if the information can be classified as true, false, misleading or disputed.
Banking, Business & Economic Affairs
- Beating private sector lender ICICI Bank, state-run Bank of Baroda (BoB) has become India's 3rd largest bank after its merger with Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank came into effect on 1st April 2019.
- With a total business of about ₹15 trillion, the merged entity is the 3-largest lender in India, after State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC Bank.
- This is also India's 1st-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with the amalgamated entity emerging as the country’s second largest public sector bank.
- Bank of Baroda (BoB) Managing Director P S Jayakumar has announced that the merged entity will take 12 months to stabilise.
- American multinational technology company Apple has begun manufacturing the iPhone 7 in India in Bengaluru, making it the 3rd iPhone model being manufactured locally in the country.
- The iPhone 7 joins the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, which are also assembled locally by Apple.
- The European Union (EU) has launched a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute against India over import duties on IT products.
- The EU is challenging the introduction of India's import duties of 7.5%-20% for a wide range of IT products, such as mobile phones and components.
- Alibaba-backed Paytm's subsidiary Paytm Money has received approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to begin stock broking services to let its users buy shares through the platform.
- In addition to this, Paytm Money’s membership with exchanges — BSE & NSE was also approved.
- It took 6 months for Paytm to get the market regulator’s approval.
- India's benchmark index Sensex ended above 39,000 for the 1st time ever today.
- The Sensex ended nearly 185 points higher to a new all-time high of 39,056.65 while the broader Nifty 50 index rose 44 points higher to 11,713.20.
- The rally was driven by gains in auto, banking and IT stocks such as Tata Motors, TCS and IndusInd Bank.
- US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) baby shampoo has failed quality tests by Drugs Control Organization of Rajasthan, which said "harmful ingredients" were found in it.
- Kandhamal Haldi a variety of turmeric indigenous to southern Odisha earns Geographical indication (GI) tag.
- Kandhamal in Odisha’s southern hinterland is famous for its turmeric cultivation, a spice that enjoys its pride of place in an array of cuisines.
- State-owned Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has become the “1st Indian shipyard” to build and deliver 100 warships.
- The 100th warship ‘IN LCU L-56’ has been handed over to the Indian Navy.
- GRSE had handed over its 99th warship, ‘ICGS Priyadarshini’, an advanced ‘Fast Patrol Vessel’ to the Indian Coast Guard.
- The Goods and Service Tax (GST) collection in March 2019 rose to Rs 1,06,577 crore from Rs 97,247 crore in February.
- This is the highest collection since the indirect tax regime was rolled out on July 1, 2017.
- GST Collections of last 12 months
- April 2018 - Rs 1.03 lakh crore
- May 2018 - Rs 94,016 crore
- June 2018 - Rs 95,610 crore
- July 2018 - Rs 96,483 crore
- August 2018 - Rs 93,960 crore
- September 2018 - Rs 94,442 crore
- October 2018 - Rs 1,00,710 crore
- November 2018 - Rs 97,637 crore
- December 2018 - Rs 94,725 crore
- January 2019 - Rs 1.02 lakh crore
- February 2019 - Rs 97,247 crore
- March 2019 - Rs 1,06,577 crore
MOUs & Agreements
- During the state visit of the President Ram Nath Kovind to Bolivia the following 9 MoUs were signed:
- Agreement on Exemption of Visa for Diplomatic and Official Passport holders to facilitate entry into either country of Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders without a visa for a maximum of 90 days in any period of 180 days.
- Agreement to promote the development of academic cooperation in the training of diplomats, including structure and content and to update on international relations in the framework of the programmes and activities of the Parties.
- Agreement to provide technical advice to deepen necessary studies; contribute to establish continuous cooperation between public and private companies on issues related to planning, construction and operation of the Corridor.
- MoU on Cooperation in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources to promote and expand bilateral relations in the field of geology and mineral resources between the two countries based on principles of equality and mutual benefit on a long and enduring basis.
- Programme of Cultural Exchange for the period 2019-21 to expand relationship in the field of culture through various activities and exchange of groups, artists, exhibitions and film festivals etc.
- Agreement to establish the Centre of Excellence for Information & Communication Technologies for capacity building of Bolivian professionals and to encourage research and development.
- MoU in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy to strengthen, promote and develop co-operation in the fields of traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
- MoU between Indian Space Research Organisation and Agencia Boliviana Espacial on Cooperation in the exploration and the uses of outer space for peaceful purposes to develop organizational basis and effective forms of bilateral interaction and to promote the development of partnerships in the field of exploration of the outer space and application of space technologies for the benefit of the people of both countries.
- Framework agreement to join the International Solar Alliance.
- International Solar Alliance (ISA) aims to provide a common platform to address the specific solar technology deployment needs of the solar resource-rich countries located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
- So far, 73 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement
- The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was unveiled by Prime Minister of India and French President at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris on November 30, 2015.
- Note : ISA is the 1st international body that will have a secretariat in India.
People in News
- India is observing the 105th birth anniversary of Late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw on 3rd April 2019.
- He was the 1st Indian Army officer to be promoted to the 5-star rank.
- Called 'Sam Bahadur', his career spanned four decades and five wars.
- He was appointed Army chief in 1969 and led India to victory in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan in 13 days.
- Google India head Rajan Anandan has resigned from his post to "focus full-time on investing in promising early-stage technology startups across India and Southeast Asia".
- His responsibility will be taken over by Country Director Sales Vikas Agnihotri in the interim.
New Appointments
- The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel is going to become 1st Indian to be elected as a member in the FIFA Executive Council for a four-year term. P
- atel could become a part of the five FIFA Council members from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) when the regional body holds its elections on April 6.
- Eicher Motors appointed Vinod Dasari as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its Royal Enfield unit, replacing Siddhartha Lal.
- Dasari recently resigned as the MD and CEO of India's second-largest heavy truck maker Ashok Leyland after 14 years at the company.
- Manu Sawhney today assumed the position of Chief Executive of the ICC.
Sports Current Affairs
- Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton won the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix.
- Saurav Ghosal (10) became the 1st Indian male squash player to enter the top 10 in the PSA world rankings.
- Note : Indian women squash players, Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal, had earlier reached the top-10 in the women's world rankings.
- RCB captain Virat Kohli became the 3rd cricketer to captain in 100 IPL matches, achieving the feat against RR.
- Out of his first 99 matches as captain in IPL, Kohli won 44 and lost 50, while two were ties and three had no result.
- Note : Chennai Super Kings' M S Dhoni has captained in most IPL matches (162).
- 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer defeated John Isner in straight sets to win his 4th Miami Open title and his 101st career singles title.
- Indian shooters made a clean sweep of Gold medals in 10m Air Rifle event at the 12th Asian Airgun Championships in Taoyuan, Taipei.
- India have won 12 out of 14 gold medals so far and their overall tally stands at 12 gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
- The Indian Badminton Tournament 2019 was held at K. D. Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi during 26th to 31st March 2019 and had a total purse of $350,000. Here is the winenrs list.
- Men’s Singles - Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) by defeating Srikanth Kidambi (India)
- Women’s Singles - Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
- Men’s Doubles - Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin (Chinese Taipei)
- Women’s Doubles - Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu (Indonesia)
- Mixed Doubles - Wang Yilü and Huang Dongping (China)
- Download January 2019 Month's Current Affairs PDF File from HERE (New) Download December 2018 Month's Current Affairs PDF File from here
- Download November 2018 Month's Current Affairs PDF File from HERE
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