1. 3rd Asian Ministerial
Conference on Tiger Conservation concludes
(i) The
third Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conference came to an end on April
14.
(ii) On
the final day, the New Delhi Resolution on Tiger Conservation was adopted. It focuses
on restoration, reintroduction and rehabilitation of tigers in low density
zones.
(iii) Further,
it calls for faster implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme
through habitat improvement and anti-poaching surveillance by use of modern
technology and extensive participation of local people and other stakeholders.
(iv) The
three-day event was attended by ministers from 13 Tiger Range Countries and
nearly 700 delegates and experts. The earlier conferences were held at Hua Hin,
Thailand (2010) and Thimpu, Bhutan (2012) apart from the Tiger Summit at St
Petersburg in 2010.
2. CRO Lambda appoints Tausif Monif
as President of global operations
(i) One of
India’s fastest growing clinical research organisations (CRO) Lambda, which is headquartered
in Ahmedabad, has appointed Tausif Monif as President of global operations.
(ii) With
over 24 years of industry experience, Monif will steer the company’s global
expansion plans.
(iii)
Besides India, Lambda has presence in Poland (Europe), London (UK), USA and Canada
(North America). It provides end-to-end clinical research and drug development
solutions to pharmaceutical companies worldwide.
(iv) The CRO
is accredited by various worldwide regulatory authorities like ANVISA-Brazil,
EMA, UK-MHRA, POLISH, ANSM (France), TGA-Australia, AGES (Austria), OGYI
(Hungary), Turkey MOH,TPS-Canada, USFDA and WHO.
3. International perfume museum
& park to come up at Kannauj
(i) UP
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has laid the foundation stone of an international
perfume museum and park which will be established in Kannauj, also known as the
perfume capital of India.
(ii)
Besides refreshing Kannauj’s glory as India’s perfume hub, it would act as a
world-class platform for ittar (perfume) manufacturers and enhance exports of
local perfumes.
(iii) The
museum and park will be developed by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development
Corporation (UPSIDC).
(iv) The
project includes a special perfume manufacturing zone in Kannauj for modern distillation
and extraction units.
4. Journalist Ram Bahadur Rai is President
of reconstituted IGNCA Board
(i) The
government has reconstituted the board of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for
the Arts (IGNCA). It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture.
(ii) Senior
journalist Ram Bahadur Rai will assume the position of its president, replacing
Chinmaya Gharekhan.
(iii) The
IGNCA trust comprises 19 other members, including classical dancer Sonal
Mansingh, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, artist Vasudeo Kamath and Union Culture
Ministry Secretary.
(iv) Dr
Sushmita Pandey, head of School of Studies in Ancient Indian History, Culture
and Archaeology in Ujjain’s Vikram University has been appointed as chairman of
the National Monument Authority.
(v) Note:
The IGNCA was set up in 1987 as a centre for research study and experience of
all arts, academic pursuit and dissemination of information.
5. NAM portal launched to connect
wholesale agri markets
(i) PM Narendra
Modi has launched the National Agriculture Market, an e-portal to enable
farmers to sell their produce online in wholesale mandis and get better rates for their produce.
(ii) Initially,
21 mandis from 8 states have joined
the e-trading platform and farmers will be able to sell 25 commodities online.
The states include Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh, among others.
(iii) The
portal seeks to eliminate the impediments farmers face due to the Agricultural
Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) which obstruct the free flow of farm
produce.
(iv) The
government aims to integrate 200 mandis by September 2016 and 585 mandis by
March 2018. Around Rs.200 crore has been allocated for this project.
6. AIBA names Mary Kom as
ambassador for Women’s World Championships
(i)
Renowned Indian women boxer Mary Kom has been named one of the eight ambassadors
for the forthcoming Women’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association
(AIBA).
(ii) Kom,
who holds five World Championship gold medals, has been dubbed by AIBA as ‘Magnificent
Mary’ for her commendable count medal count.
(iii) Kom aims
to save herself a second successive Olympic quota through this world event
which is scheduled from May 19 to 27 in Astana, Kazakhstan. More than 300 of the world’s top female
boxers will participate in the championships.
(iv) Other
ambassadors include Nicola Adams of Great Britain, Team USA’s light flyweight
Marlen Esparza, Adriana Arauja from host country of this year’s Olympic Games
Brazil, Bulgaria’s Stanimira Petrova and Morocco’s Khadija Mardi. The female
officials chosen to be ambassadors are Algerian Kheira Siki Yakoub and Canada’s
Jennifer Huggins.
7. British dramatist Sir Arnold
Wesker passes away
(i)
Legendary British playwright Sir Arnold Wesker has passed away at the age of
83.
(ii) He made
a name as a playwright with the Wesker Trilogy at the Royal Court theatre in
central London. Over a career spanning five decades, Sir Wesker penned over 40
plays, short stories, essays and poetries.
(iii) He
became the fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1985 and was conferred with
the Goldie Award in 1987. He was also honoured with the Last Frontier Lifetime
Achievement Award in 1999.
(iv) Chicken Soup with Barley (1958), Their Very Own and Golden City (1965), The
Journalists (1971), The Merchant (1976), etc. are some of notable plays.
8. India world’s largest recipient
of remittances in 2015: World Bank report
(i) As per
the World Bank, India remained the world’s largest recipient of remittances
from abroad in 2015, despite a $1 billion decrease from the previous year.
(ii) The
Bank attributed the decline to the effect of falling oil prices on remittances
from the Gulf countries and depreciation of major sending country currencies.
In 2015, India got $69 billion in remittances.
(iii) Remittances
to India constituted 2.9 times the foreign direct investment ($24.3 billion) in
2014. This reduced to 1.75% of FDI ($39.3 billion) in 2015 (also due to a rise
in FDI).
(iv) Other
huge remittance recipients included China, Philippines, Mexico, and Nigeria.
(v) The
report stated that the growth in pace was the slowest since the 2008 global
financial crisis and remittances to developing nations amounted to $431.6 billion in 2015, an increase
of 0.4 per cent over 2014.
9. India retains top spot in
emerging markets consumer survey
(i) A
recent survey on consumer confidence in emerging markets conducted by global
financial services company Credit Suisse placed India at the top spot.
(ii) India
topped the survey in 2015 when participants were more sanguine about their current
and future finances.
(iii) “The
negativity of consumers in Russia, South Africa and Brazil contrasted sharply
with the relative optimism apparent in India, China and Saudi Arabia,” said Giles
Keating, deputy global chief investment officer, Credit Suisse.
(iv) The
average Indian respondent’s income has gone up by double-digits vis-à-vis a drop
in the overall emerging markets average. However, future income expectations have
moderated.
(v) The
survey also presented the rapid rise in demand for product with low penetration.
For instance: female hygiene products showed 14% improvement in one year, while
smartphones grew 12%.
(vi) On
the flipside, this year’s survey highlighted slower growth rates or higher
declines in spending in rural India.
10. India retains 19th
rank among top 30 exporters
(i) As per
a recent World Trade Organisation report, India retained its 19th rank
among top 30 merchandise exporters in the world. China tops the list with exports
worth $2.275 billion.
(ii) However,
India’s ranking among top importers slipped by one notch to 13th in 2015, from
12th in previous year. In terms of imports, the US topped the list.
(iii) India’s
exports dipped by 17.2% to $267 billion in 2015, while imports aggregated at $392
billion.
(iv)
Further, in 2015, India’s commercial services exports summed up to $158 billion,
while imports were $126 billion.
11. Panagarh airbase renamed after
former IAF chief Arjan Singh
(i) For
the first time, Panagarh airbase, which is located in West Bengal’s Burdwan
district, has been named after former IAF chief Arjan Singh as ‘Air Force
Station Arjan Singh’.
(ii) This
was done on the occasion of 97th birthday of Arjan Singh, Marshal of the Indian
Air Force, Air Marshal C Hari Kumar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern
Air Command.
(iii) Singh
was the IAF chief from August 1964-69. He was the first Indian Air Chief to be
elevated to the rank of Air Chief Marshal on January 16, 1966.
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