1. Lakshadweep signs 24×7 Power for All document
a) Lakshadweep has become the first Indian union territory to sign a document which will provide 24×7 power supply to each of its households by 2019.
b) The documents provides an action plan to increase solar capacity of the region from 2.15 MW to 8.45 MW. It also pushes for the reduction of AT&C losses from current level of 21 percent to 6.7 percent till 2019.
c) Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) will distribute around 1 lakh LED bulbs in the Union territory. Incandescent lamps/CFL will be replaced with LED bulbs under the Centre’s UJALA programme.
d) Around 3,000 streets lights will also be replaced with LEDs.
2. Sunrisers defeat RCB to win 9th IPL title
a) In a nail biting final of the Indian Premier league’s 9th season, Hyderabad Sunrisers lifted the cup by defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 8 runs in the final played at Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.
b) This is the first-ever IPL title for the Sunrisers, while RCB lost in the finals for the 3rd time.
c) SRH’s Ben Cutting was declared Player of the Match for his all-round performance in the final match. He scored 39 runs and took two wickets.
d) RCB skipper Virat Kohli was declared Player of the Series for his 973 runs in the season including 4 centuries.
3. India launches web portal to promote Net Zero Energy Buildings
a) The Union Ministry of Power with the help of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched India’s first integrated web portal aimed at promoting Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB).
b) The portal provides detailed information about NZEBs which generate as much energy as they use.
c) The portal also hosts the NZEB alliance which is an industry-wide body set up to drive Indian markets toward highly energy-efficient buildings.
4. Pakke Tiger Reserve wins India Biodiversity Award 2016
a) Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh has bagged the India Biodiversity Award 2016. The reserve is situated in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
b) The prize under the Conservation of Threatened Species category was conferred on the Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme started by Pakke reserve. Also, Biodiversity Management Committee award was given to Hong Niitii, lower subansiri.
c) The biodiversity awards are given by the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United Nations Development programme (UNDP).
5. IAF successfully test fires land-attack version of BrahMos missile
a) The land attack version of the supersonic cruise missile Brahmos was successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force.
b) The missile destroyed the designated target accurately. The missile system “has empowered all the three wings of the armed forces with anti-ship and land-attack capability.
c) The IAF’s land attack version of Brahmos flies at a supersonic speed of Mach 3.
6. Indian author Aditi Krishnakumar receives 2016 Scholastic Asian Book Award
a) Singapore-based Indian author Aditi Krishnakumar has won the Scholastic Asian Book Award for her 32,000-word manuscript ‘Codex: The Lost Treasure of the Indus’.
b) Her manuscript will be published by Scholastic India. The manuscript is about the history of Indian civilization.
c) Her manuscript was also shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award in 2014. She published her first book ‘A Whole Summer Long’ in 2012.
d) The Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA) is the joint initiative of the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) and Scholastic Asia. The award was founded to promote reading and literature, and champion literary works of Asians.
7. India’s growth to rise to 8% in financial year 2019: Fitch
a) According to the latest report released by global rating agency Fitch, India’s economic growth rate will accelerate to 8% by March 2019.
b) Fitch also expects 7.5% growth in India’s GDP in fiscal year ending in March 2016 and it will further improve to 7.9% by March 2018.
c) Passage of Bankruptcy code will drive betterment Indian economy and it will work as a booster.
8. 56 Indian firms among world’s largest public firms: Forbes study
a) Forbes’ annual list of the world’s 2,000 largest and most powerful public companies have a total of 56 Indian firms.
b) US and Chinese firms dominate the top 9 positions whereas Japan’s Toyota has secured the 10th spot. Among the Indian companies, Reliance Industries is at the top position a worldwide rank of 121st.
c) HDFC bank has secured 7th spot in the magazine’s list of world’s 10 biggest and most powerful companies in the consumer financial services sector.
9. India’s Sonia Lather wins silver in World Boxing Championships
a) Indian Boxer Sonia Lather won the silver medal in AIBA Women’s World Championship. She was defeated by top-seeded Italian boxer Alessia Mesiano in the finals in Astana, Kazakhstan.
b) Sona Lather had previously won silver in Asian Women’s Boxing Championship.
10. Bihar govt, UNICEF and MDM to collaborate to curb malnourishment
a) The Bihar government, UNICEF and the Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa will join hands to curb malnourishment among women and children in the state.
b) As per the MoU’s provision, an Agriculture Nutrition Cell would be set up in the Rajendra Agricultural University in Pusa for assessment of the food in order to keep a check on the quality of food served in 7000 schools across Bihar.
d) UNICEF head of Bihar Yamin Muzumdar emphasised on increased coordination among departments of health, agriculture, social welfare and education, among others to improve nutrition standards among women and children.
11. Indian man removes teeth and gets over 500 tattoos to create a world record
a) A 74-year-old Indian Har Prakash Rishi is all set to be in the Guinness Book of World Records once again with around 366 flag tattoos on his body. He claims to have inked 500 tattoos in total.
b) He holds the Guinness record for putting 496 straws in his mouth. To be able to do this, he had removed all of his teeth.
c) Rishi had also tried to hold 50 burning candles in his mouth to set a record.
12. Indian Coast Guard Ship ARUSH Commissioned
a) The coast guard commander (western sea board) Additional General SPS Basra commissioned the Indian Coast Guard Ship ARUSH at Kochi. It is the 17th ship from the series of 20 fast patrol vessels which are designed by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
b) ARUSH is 50 metre-long and weighs 421 tonnes. It is capable of achieving a maximum speed of 33 knots with an endurance of 1500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 13 knots.
c) It is capable of undertaking close coast operations for coast guards like surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and medical evacuation.
d) The ship has some special features like the Integrated Bridge Management System (IBMS) and Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS). The ship will be based at Porbandar under the command of the commander, Coast Guard Region (North West).