The Weekly Update consisting of Important News, Events, Facts and Achievements. Browse Regularly for Strengthening your General Knowledge, and staying abreast with what is happening around you.
National Political News:
1. The Govt. has decided go ahead with a law for treating juveniles (16 to 18 yr. old) accused of heinous crimes as adults. This is an aftermath of the Nirbhaya gang rape case in Delhi.
2. Punjab’s 5 time Chief Minister, 87 year old Parkash Singh Badal became the first Chief Minister to be conferred the 2nd highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan by the President of India.
3. Padma Vibhushan was also awarded to L.K. Advani, former deputy Prime Minister and Jagadguru Swami Rambhadharcharya.
4. Bharat Ratna was awarded to the renowned freedom fighter late Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. His family member’s received the award posthmously.
5. Supreme Court of India issues notices to L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi, Current Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, VHP leaders Ashok Singal, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya amongst others who have been named as those involved in the conspiracy in the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhaya on Dec 6, 1992 in a fresh petition file before it against their discharge by the Allahabad High Court verdict of May 20, 2010 in the title case. An appeal against the verdict is already pending in the Apex Court.
6. The Supreme Court of India has given major relief to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and others in the Coal scam case by staying the summons of the special CBI court for their personal appearance before it on April 8, 2015 in a case under the prevention of corruption act and allied matter. Others who have got the relief are PC Parakh Ex. Coal secretary and Hindalco Chairman Kumar Manglam Birla and other executives of the Hinalco company.
7. Enforcement Directorate has attached Rs.742 crore worth of assets of former union minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Sun TV MD Kalanithi Maran and their other family members in the money laundering case concerning Aircel Maxis, a Malaysian telecom company who had established telecom business in India.
International Political News:
1. Singapore’s founding leader and former Prime Minister 91 year old Lee Kuan Yew has passed away. He was bid farewell at a state funeral in Singapore by Singaporeans and a host of world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Indonesias Joko Widodo, Australian PM Toni Abbott and Former American President Bill Clinton.
2. Pakistan is likely to send troops to Saudi Arabia to join the coalition forces fighting Yemeni Houthi rebels. Pakistan has a Sunni Muslim majority and shares a long border with Shiite Muslim Iran who is backing the Houthi rebels. 36 people are dead as Houthi’s strike the city of Aden. Saudi jets have pounded Aden airport that believed to be holding Houthi rebels.
3. Iraqi forces clean up the city of Tikrit from ISIS terrorists. ISIS on the other has captured areas around the Syrian capital of Damascus by overrunning a Palestinian refugee camp.
4. Nigeria has elected Muhammadee Buhari as its next President. He defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan by 2.57 million votes. Nigeria has had a turbulent history with 6 military coups since its independence in 1960.
5. US – Iran deal on peaceful Nuclear energy use. It will arrest Tehran’s nuclear weapons plans as it will throw Iran’s nuclear facilities open to inspection by the US and other nuclear enabled nations. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the deal has become a question of survival as Israel was strongly opposed to it. The deal shall benefit oil buyers like India as embargo on exports from Iran shall be lifted. Iran is a major oil producing country and its exporter. Iran’s moderate President Hassan Rouhani has welcomed the deal with USA.
Business News:
1. Ali baba founder Chinese citizen Jack Ma has met Prime Minister Modi and stated in New Delhi that business to business (B2B) e-commerce model is best suited for India. He plans to invest in India a big way and has brought 25% stake in Paytm, a mobile commerce firm.
2. Indian investors are returning to Mutual funds on the back of strong equity markets in the Country. Mutual fund industry has logged its best consecutive growth quarter. Leading Indian nationalized and Private Banks in addition to some companies are running these Mutual funds.
Science and Technology:
1. Google, world’s leading tech giant in collaboration with ASUS of Taiwan is launching a ‘Computer on a stick’, which is smaller than a candy bar. It can be plugged to a display to turn it into a personal computer. It may be priced less than $100 to a piece.
2. Study of recent geological events in Panama and Costa Rica shed light on formation of continents on our planet earth. Volcanic activity is continuing for the past 10 million years. Masses of buoyant rock rich in silica – compound of silicon and oxygen are spewn in this volcanic activity to form the continental crust or otherwise the entire planet would have been covered in water.
3. Research on electromagnetic field radiations from mobile towers are a cause of concern. Current permissible limit is 450 milli watts per square meter in the vicinity of the tower. Govt. of India has allowed 16 institutions including IIT’s in Kharagpur, New Delhi and Madras, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Bangalore, AIIMS New Delhi and Uttarkhand etc. to focus on research of EMF related issues including dosimetry, brain related effects and biochemical studies etc.
4. Total lunar eclipse on April 4 – The total Eclipse was visible in some parts of India for just 4 minutes. Delhi could catch around about 20 minutes of partial eclipse only.
5. IMD predicts 50% chance of ELNINO again this year which can result in deficient monsoon rains. Weather condition and Pacific Ocean regions continue to be warm which spell the onset of this phenomenon.
Miscellaneous:
Italian company Ferrero SpA’s has made remarkable advance in the Indian Yummy chocolate business by capturing 12% of the market with its products Nutella chocolate – hazelnut spread, Ferrero Rocher chocolate, Kinder Joy and TicTac breath mints. This is vis a vis Nestles – Swissco and Mondelez – Cadbury chocolate which dominate 16% and 65% respectively of the Indian market share in the Indian confectionary business.
Sports:
1. India’s dream to host the Olympic game is revived. It is speculated that the 2024 Olympic Games could be held in Ahmedabad city. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is to meet PM Narendra Modi on an official visit to India next month that is May 2015.
2. World number 1 India’s Saina Nehwal edged out China’s Sun yu to reach the Quarter final of Malaysian Open Super Series premier badminton tournament 21-19, 19-21, 21-14 at Putra stadium in Kuala Lampur,Malaysia.
