Current Affairs : India
 
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  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted successful flight test of ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) drone, from Interim Test Range (ITR) in Odisha’s Chandipur on 14th May.
  • “The flight test was tracked by various RADARS and Electro Optic Systems and proved its performance in fully autonomous way point navigation mode,” the DRDO said in a statement.
  • ABHYAS is drone involving designed for autonomous flight with the help of an autopilot. “The configuration of ABHYAS is designed on an in-line small gas turbine engine and uses indigenously developed MEMS based navigation system for its navigation and guidance.
  • The performance of the system was as per simulations carried out and demonstrated the capability of ABHYAS to meet the mission requirement for a cost effective HEAT,” DRDO said. The concept of ABHYAS was proved and pre-project details were completed on January 2013.
  • The first experimental launch (minus the engine) was conducted in 2012
  • The project was sanctioned with an initial funding of Rs 15 crore. The project picked up pace after three services floated a global tender for procurement of 225 HEAT drones.
  • The design of the fuselage is based is based on Lakshya, a high speed target drone system developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO.
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  • Doordarshan began India's television journey. Even today, hearing Doordarshan's name brings back memories of several epic moments.
  • The attachment of viewers to the public broadcaster has prompted the Doordarshan management to launch an online souvenir store in partnership with Amazon India.
  • Though there has been a flood of programming content on TV channels in the present times, DD's reach as well as relation is with everyone.
  • Doordarshan has launched online souvenir store for its viewers on Amazon India so that one can easily access it.
  • Chairman, Prasar Bharati while launching DD souvenir store on Amazon India, said that this store is a boon for Doordarshan viewers.
  • DD Souvenir gallery was started on 21 June, 2018 and in view of its success and demand, India's public service broadcaster Doordarshan has started an online store through on Amazon India platform, for selling branded articles like cup, T-shirt and Water bottles.
  • On this occasion, Amazon India's Marketing Officer said that Amazon's connect with Doordarshan brand is a matter of immense pride for Amazon.
  • Doordarshan is India's first broadcaster which has started Souvenir store. Online souvenir store will not only strengthen the relation with viewers but also help in establishing Doordarshan brand value.
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  • The billionaire Hinduja brothers have been named as the wealthiest people in the UK for a third time, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
  • Sri and Gopi Hinduja saw their fortune increase by 1.356 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) in the last year to 22 billion pounds, the BBC quoted the list as saying.
  • The Hinduja Group, a family business, was founded in Mumbai in 1914, and now it has interests around the world including in oil and gas, banking, IT and property.
  • British citizens Sri, 83, and Gopi, 79, who are based in London, are two of the four brothers controlling the empire. The two moved to London in 1979 to develop the export business.
  • The third brother Prakash manages the group's finances in Geneva, Switzerland while the youngest, Ashok, oversees the Indian interests.
  • Among the properties they own is the Old War Office in Whitehall, which they plan to reopen as a luxury hotel.The two brothers topped the newspaper list in 2014 and in 2017.
  • The list, which estimates the 1,000 richest people in the UK, is based on identifiable wealth including land, property, other assets such as art, and shares in companies, according to the Sunday Times.It does not include the amount contained in people's bank accounts.
  • Meanwhile, chemicals firm founder Jim Ratcliffe, who topped last year's list, has slipped to third place. His net worth dropped by 2.9 billion pounds since last year, the paper says.
  • For the sixth year in a row, Scotland's richest person was named as Glenn Gordon and his family, the Jersey-based tycoon behind distillers William Grant & Sons. The group produces whiskey including Grant's, Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, as well as Hendrick's gin.
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  • Adding more power to its wings, Indian Air Force formally receives first Apache Guardian helicopter at Boeing production facility in Arizona, USA; India has signed a contract for 22 Apache helicopters.
  • The Indian Air Force has received its first Apache Guardian attack helicopter.
  • The Apache Guardian attack helicopter was formally handed over to India on May 10 at the chopper production facility in Arizona, US. Air Marshal AS Butola, represented the Indian Air Force and accepted the first Apache in a ceremony at Boeing production facility, representatives from US Government were also present.
  • India signed a contract for 22 of the Apache Guardian choppers with the US in September 2015. The first batch of these helicopters is scheduled to be shipped to India by July.
  • Aircrew and ground crew have already undergone training at the training facilities at US Army base Fort Rucker, Alabama. These trained personnel will lead operationalisation of the Apache fleet in the IAF.
  • These attack helicopters will provide significant edge in any future joint operations in support of land forces.
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  • Saaivu Naarkkaali (The Reclining Chair), released in 1995, bagged him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1997.
  • Noted novelist and Sahitya Akademi awardee Thoppil Mohamed Meeran, 74, died at his residence at Veerabahu Nagar in Pettai near here at around 1.30 a.m. on 10th May.
  • He is survived by his wife Jaleela and two sons Shameem Ahmed and Mirzad Ahmed.
  • Born in the coastal hamlet of Thaengaaipattinam in Kanniyakumari district on September 26, 1944, Mohamed Meeran authored the novels Oru Kadalora Graamaththin Kathai, Thuraimugam, Koonan Thoppu, Saaivu Naarkkaali and Anju Vannam Theru between 1988 and 2011. Of these, Saaivu Naarkkaali (The Reclining Chair), released in 1995, bagged him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1997.
  • His short story collections Anbukku Muthumai Illai, Thangarasu, Ananthasayanam Colony, Oru Kutti Theevin Varippadam, Thoppil Mohamed Meeran Kathaigal and Oru Maamaramum Konjam Paravaigalum and translations gave him a prominent place in the literary world.
  • In recognition, he received 8 awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award and Tamil Nadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumantram Award in 1992.
  • “His mastery over both Tamil and Malayalam was amazing as he could use both the languages in his novels effortlessly.
  • The speciality of all his literary works is that his novels lucidly narrated the fisherfolk’s life with finer and intricate details in Tamil laced with Malayalam, the slang found only in Kanniyakumari district,” Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko said in his condolence message.
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  • Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd (KRCL) on 10th May signed an agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways under which the former will supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets
  • The agreement was signed in Kathmandu in the presence of Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, and Nepalese Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Secretary, Madhusudan Adhikari.
  • The said trains will run on the 34 km long stretch between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal.
  • Manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory located in Chennai, each train will consist of three coaches, including an air-conditioned coach.
  • The Jayanagar-Kurtha Railway Link has been built by IRCON with a financial grant from the Government of India (GoI) under the India-Nepal Development Partnership program
  • KRCL is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of GoI, under the Ministry of Railways.
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  • The US on 7th May agreed with India that the gains made in Afghanistan over the past 18 years must be preserved in any possible deal in talks with the Taliban a key concern for the government in New Delhi.
  • The matter figured in meetings between the US special representative for Afghan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, and his Indian interlocutors, including external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale and India’s envoy to Kabul, Vinay Kumar.
  • Khalilzad, who held talks with the Taliban at Doha in Qatar before travelling to New Delhi, held “consultations with Indian government officials and other stakeholders on the Afghan peace process”, according to a statement from the US embassy here.
  • Besides preserving the gains made since the Taliban regime was removed after the 9/11 terror attacks in the US in 2001, measures to prevent the use of Afghanistan by terror groups as a “platform for attacks” also figured in the talks. Khalilzad and his counterparts “agreed that Afghan gains of the last 18 years must be preserved and built upon”, the statement said. “Afghanistan’s political future is for Afghans to decide through an inclusive and legitimate process,” it added.
  • The two sides discussed the “many important benefits that peace would bring, including: preventing international terrorist use of Afghanistan as a platform for attacks; improved prospects for regional peace and security; and increased regional connectivity and trade”.
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  • India and nations like Germany, Brazil and Japan are “absolutely needed” as permanent members of a reformed and enlarged UN Security Council to better reflect contemporary realities and the addition of these key members to the UN high-table is among France’s “strategic” priorities, the French envoy to the UN has said.
  • India is at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for the long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.
  • “In terms of policy, France and Germany have strong policy which is to work together to enlarge the Security Council and to succeed in terms of the negotiations that should lead to the enlargement of the Security Council that we consider absolutely needed to better reflect the world as it is.
  • There is no question about it,” France’s Permanent Representative to the UN François Delattre told reporters here last week.
  • Noting that when France and Germany launched their alliance for multi-materialism, he said it signifies that the two nations strongly believe in the UN as the core of today’s global governance and that they strongly believe in “multi-lateralism and means that we are actively working to reform and in some respects to refound, reinvent multi-lateralism so that it is really efficient for the decades to come.”
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  • To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) have come together to bring the best of science and technology to implement waste management in India.
  • Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt of India, Prof K. Vijay Raghavan and Director, IIT Delhi, Prof V. Ramgopal Rao signed a Memorandum of Understanding today in New Delhi for setting up a Centre of Excellence for Waste to Wealth Technologies for implementation of sustainable, scientific and technological solutions for waste management, through validation and deployment of available technologies for transformation of waste to wealth
  • The waste to wealth mission project has been approved under the recently constituted Prime Minister's Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC), which is an overarching body for assessment, creation and implementation of major scientific, technology and innovation interventions for India.
  • The partnership will provide an effective platform for stakeholders to bring together integrated approaches for effective recycle, reuse and resource recovery of waste.
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  • Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu unveiled commemorative postage stamps on the 750th birth anniversary of ‘Vedanta Desikan’ a religious philosopher, at the Sardar Patel Conference hall at the Vice-President’s secretariat on 2nd May.
  • Mr. Naidu praised the postal department for the initiative saying the release of the stamp was “to give inspiration to the new generation to follow the footsteps of great people and do something good for the society.” He also spoke on the guru at length.
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  • Israel on 30th April honoured Lt. Gen. (retd) Jack Farj Rafael (JFR) Jacob, who negotiated the historic surrender of Pakistani troops in Dhaka after the 1971 Bangladesh's liberation war, with a plaque on the Wall of Honour at the Ammunition Hill here.
  • Lt. Gen. Jacob, who died in 2016 at the age of 92, was one of the most prominent members of India's relatively small Jewish community, serving as a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army and later as a Governor of two Indian states-Goa and Punjab.
  • The Wall of Honour at the Ammunition Hill pays tributes to the heroism and courage of Jewish soldiers who fought in the defence of their countries they lived in "implementing values of bravery, loyalty, commitment and dedication to a mission, leadership, creativity, camaraderie and sanctity of life".
  • The Wall has plaques honouring more than 340 people comprising privates, high ranking army officers, women, front line fighters and humble members of supporting units who embodied these virtues", a senior official at the Ammunition Hill told PTI.
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  • The Centre on 26th April raised wheat import duty by a third to 40 per cent to support local farmers from further price fall and prevent its possible import on the back of a growing demand for animal feed in drought hit states including Maharashta, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
  • A notification issued by the Ministry of Finance on 26 April evening said that wheat import will attract 40 per cent duty from existing 30 per cent effective immediately.
  • The government in its latest estimates has forecast India’s wheat output at 100 million tonnes, the highest ever, as against 99.12 million tonnes forecast by the Ministry of Agriculture's Second Advance Estimate released in February 2019.
  • “There has been negligible import of wheat in India during the last financial year due to bumper domestic output. But, there is a fear in the market that wheat demand would pick up especially for animal feed due to the scarcity of fodder in some states.
  • Perhaps, the government must have taken a preventive measure to restrict import and support local wheat farmers,” said Vedika Narvekar, an analyst with Anand Rathi Shares & Stock Brokers.
  • Data compiled by the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) showed India’s total wheat import at 2700 tonnes worth $0.8 million for the period between April 2018 and January 2019 as against 1.65 million tonnes ($365 million) imported in the financial year 2017-18 and 5.7 million tonnes (worth $1269 million) in the previous year.
  • Despite negligible import, wheat prices in India have declined by around 13 per cent so far this calendar year and over 8 per cent in April alone following a spurt in arrivals of the new season harvest in spot mandis.
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  • The RBI has announced that it will shortly issue Rs 20 denomination banknotes, in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series, bearing the signature of the central bank's governor Shaktikanta Das.
  • The RBI clarified that all the banknotes in the denomination of Rs 20 issued by it in the earlier series will continue to be legal tender.
  • The note has other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse and reverse.
  • The obverse (front) side of the note contains a see-through register with denominational numeral 100, a latent image with the numeral and also a Devanagari version of the same
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  • TikTok said it remains committed to "continuously enhancing" safety features for its 120 million users in India after the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted ban on the short-video app.
  • The Madras HC has lifted its earlier ban on the Chinese short-video app with the condition that the content hosted using it should be free from obscene videos of children and women.
  • It also warned the company that if any controversial video violating its conditions is found posted using the app, it would be considered as contempt of court.
  • The Madras HC had on April 3 directed the Centre to ban the Chinese app voicing concern over "pornographic and inappropriate content" being made available through such apps. After the Supreme Court refused to stay the Madras HC order, tech giants Google and Apple had removed TikTok from their app stores in India to prohibit further downloads of the app.
  • "The work is never done on our end. We are committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India," it said.
  • E-mails sent to Apple and Google enquiring the duration it would take for the app to be restored on the app stores did not elicit any response.
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  • Twitter India on 22th April appointed Manish Maheshwari, former CEO of Network18 Digital, as Managing Director for the country operations nearly eight months after its Country Director Taranjeet Singh quit.
  • Balaji Krish, who has been leading Twitter India’s team in the interim, will return to Twitter’s global headquarters in San Francisco to resume his role as Global Head of Revenue Strategy and Operations at Twitter.
  • Reporting to Maya Hari, Twitter’s Vice President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Maheshwari will be responsible for driving an integrated business strategy to accelerate Twitter’s audience and revenue growth in the country, the company said in a statement.
  • Based out of Delhi, he will oversee Twitter India’s teams in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, starting from April 29.
  • “India is one of our fastest growing audience markets for Twitter in the world and our purpose is to serve the public conversation in India. We are thrilled to have Manish join us at this important time to take our Indian business to the next level,” said Hari.
  • Prior to Network18, Maheshwari held various positions at Flipkart, txtWeb, Intuit, McKinsey and P&G.
  • “With premium Indian content on the rise in multiple regions across the country, I believe we are scratching the surface of what’s possible with Twitter in India,” said Maheshwari
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  • Admiral Sunil Lanba said the Navy's dream of transforming from a "buyers" to a "builders" Navy is becoming true.
  • The Indian Navy launched guided missile destroyer Imphal at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai on 20th April.
  • Imphal is the third ship to be launched under a project in which ships are built to carry and operate two multiple role helicopters.
  • In a statement, the Navy said, enhanced stealth features have been achieved through the shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make the ships difficult to detect.
  • Speaking on the occasion, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said, he is satisfied with the force's fleet and more aircraft and submarines will be inducted in the days to come.
  • He said, over the years, Navy has become a builder from a buyer and was slated to excel in coming years.
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  • The 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy which killed thousands of people is among the world's "major industrial accidents" of the 20th century, a UN report has said, warning that 2.78 million workers die from occupational accidents and work-related diseases each year.
  • The report released by the the UN labour agency International Labour Organization (ILO) said that in 1984, at least 30 tons of methyl isocyanate gas, which was released from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, affected over 600,000 workers and nearby inhabitants
  • The report titled 'The Safety and Health at the Heart of the Future of Work - Building on 100 years of experience' said the Bhopal disaster was among the world's "major industrial accidents after 1919".
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  • Three filmmakers have come together to create an anthology in Assamese language, the first of its kind in the northeast, centered around themes of existentialism and loneliness
  • 'Ji Golpor Ses Nai' (never-ending stories), which premiered in Guwahati earlier this week, is a collection of short stories, tied to a single premise. With Assam as the backdrop, one of the shorts is about the inexplicable influence of a person on another.
  • 'Ardha Satya', directed by Prodyut Kumar Deka, is based on a tale written by Guy de Maupassant and has Pankaj Mahanta and Kalpana Kalita in the lead. 'Epitaph', the second short directed by Prasant Saikia, has Himangshu Prasad Das playing the protagonist.
  • Adapted from one of the works of Sahitya Akademi award-winning Assamese author and journalist Homen Borgohain, the story delves deep into the life of struggling writer and his love life. The third short, 'Prasnabudhok', is based on a story by French novelist Honore de Balzac.
  • Directed by Utpal Datta, the film talks about the constant struggle for desired space between husband and wife. Datta, an independent filmmaker, said loneliness is a fundamental part of a human life. "Loneliness may seem an unusual topic for a film.
  • It doesn't sound very dramatic, but it's a fundamental part of being human," he said. Pointing out that Assamese cinema took 80 years to make an anthology, Datta said 'Ji Golpor Ses Nai' has three different stories, tied together by one theme.
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  • A total of 150 Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have received medals of honour for their dedicated service and sacrifice.
  • "A glimpse beyond the dedicated Service and Sacrifice of the @UN blue beret Indian peacekeepers receive medals of honour in Malakal -@India Be Proud," the UN mission tweeted 15th April, along with pictures of the Indian peacekeepers participating in a parade and receiving the medals for their exemplary service.
  • The medals were given to the 150 Indian peacekeepers serving in UNMISS in Malakal during a ceremony filled with parades and performances by a piped band.
  • Colonel Amit Gupta, deployed with UNMISS in Malakal, was among the recipients of the medal of honour.
  • A UNMISS news article said Gupta commands a battalion of 850 soldiers in the Upper Nile region of South Sudan.
  • Under his command, his men have conducted highly sought-after veterinary camps and run a veterinary hospital in Malakal, with a second expected to be completed in Kodok - a major town along the west bank of the Nile - in a few weeks' time.
  • Indian peacekeepers serving with the mission have undertaken numerous training sessions of community animal health workers, providing value addition training for farmers to help them make the most of their produce.
  • Gupta has previously served the United Nations in Northern Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Private Ankush Cheema, another recipient of the medal of honour, had joined the unit in 2017 when he found out that they were scheduled for a peacekeeping mission.
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  • India and the United Kingdom this week signed a memorandum of understanding on defence and security equipment described as a ‘step change’ in the long-standing defence relationship between the two countries.
  • The agreement follows a visit by India’s chief of naval staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, to HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth in March, and HMS Dragon’s visit to Goa in December last year, where the ship took part in the naval exercise, the Konkan Series.
  • The defence equipment MoU was signed by Air Marshal Richard Knighton on behalf of the UK’s ministry of defence and Barun Mitra, additional secretary (defence production) in India’s ministry of defence.
  • “As major world economies, Britain and India both have a proud global maritime history, with impressive futures ahead,” defence minister Stuart Andrew said.
  • “The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding underpins the collaboration between our two nations, building on our defence ties, and ensuring our nations are able to combat emerging threats for generations to come,” Andrew said.
  • By collaborating and exploiting procurement opportunities together, both nations will be able to benefit from technological and manufacturing capabilities and support long-term cooperation between their defence and security industries, an official statement said.
  • Besides the bilateral defence talks, representatives of the UK and Indian industry met to discuss how they would forge deeper and broader partnerships to contribute to these efforts.
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  • A Russian official said the ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle’ is awarded to prominent statesmen, public figures and those working in the fields of science, culture and arts in recognition of their exceptional services in promoting prosperity and glory of Russia.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honoured with Russia’s highest state decoration, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle, for his role in promoting close ties between the two countries.
  • The award comes days after the United Arab Emirates announced to confer Modi with ‘The Order of Zayed’.
  • The Russian government said Modi is being given the highest state decoration for “exceptional services” in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian people.
  • A Russian official said the ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle’ is awarded to prominent statesmen, public figures and those working in the fields of science, culture and arts in recognition of their exceptional services in promoting prosperity and glory of Russia.
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  • Najma Akhtar, who was the head of the department of educational administration at NIEPA, specialises in institution building, distance education, education of minority and educational decentralization
  • Jamia Millia Islamia got its first woman vice-chancellor as President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the name of Najma Akhtar for the post on Thursday, April 11.
  • “In exercise of powers conferred under Statutes of Jamia Millia Islamia Act,1988, the President of India, in his capacity as the Visitor of the JMI, has been pleased to appoint Prof. Najma Akhtar, NIEPA, New Delhi as the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, for a period of five years,” mentioned the varsity release.
  • An internationally renowned educational administrator, Najma Akhtar has four decades of academic scholarship in educational leadership.
  • She is known for spearheading international educational administrators’ course for senior officials from 130 countries for more than 15 years at NIEPA.
  • She has established and successfully developed first state-level management institute (SIEMET) at Allahabad for developing educational administrators for the country.
  • She has managed affairs of premier educational institute in various critical statutory positions such as Controller of examination and Director Academic Programs at Aligarh Muslim University.
  • At IGNOU, she led many distance educators capacity building courses at national and international level
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  • India’s education technology startup ‘Dost Education’ has bagged a $25,000 tech prize along with two other winners from Tanzania and Egypt.
  • The Next Billion Edtech Prize 2019, run by UK-based Varkey Foundation, recognises the most innovative technology destined to have a radical impact on education in low income and emerging world countries.
  • Dost was awarded for its ability to empower parents to take charge of their child’s early education by creating short, friendly audio content that is sent to them via their mobile phones.
  • “Dost software, audio content, and toolkits make it easy, fun and addictive for parents to boost their child’s early development, so low-income families need no longer send their children to primary school behind and without a chance to catch up,” noted the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF), where the award was announced in Dubai last month.
  • “It’s really exciting to bring Dost to the global stage at GESF and be one of the three winners of the prize, it motivates us even more to keep working on our mission to help parents to unlock their child’s full potential,” said Dost CEO Sneha Sheth.
  • Six finalists were chosen to pitch on the main GESF plenary stage in front of over 1,500 delegates. Besides India’s Dost, the other winners to also receive USD 25,000 each included Ubongo from Tanzania and PraxiLabs from Egypt.
  • Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation and the Next Billion Prize said: “We use the ‘Next Billion Prize’ to highlight technology’s potential to tackle the problems that have proven too difficult for successive generations of politicians to solve.
  • “Our fervent hope is that the prize inspires practical and persistent entrepreneurs the world over to come forward with fresh tech ideas.”
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  • Branches of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will function as Bank of Baroda outlets from April 1, following amalgamation of the two lenders with the latter, the RBI said on Saturday. The merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda, will be effective from April 1, 2019.
  • “Consequently, all branches of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will function as branches of Bank of Baroda from April 1, 2019. Customers, including depositors of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will be treated as customers of Bank of Baroda with effect from April 1, 2019, ” the Reserve Bank of India said in a statement.
  • Earlier this week, the government decided to infuse Rs 5,042 crore in BoB to enhance capital base of the lender ahead of the merger.
  • According to the Scheme of Amalgamation, shareholders of Vijaya Bank will get 402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares held. In the case of Dena Bank, its shareholders will get 110 shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares they held.
  • The government in September last year had announced merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda, aiming to create the third-largest lender after the SBI and ICICI Bank.
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  • Foundation stone for a new 5000 metric ton Temperature Controlled Cold Storage facility to be constructed with Indian grant, was laid in Dambulla, Srilanka on 30th march.
  • Harsha de Silva, Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution along with Deputy High Commissioner of India Dr. Shilpak N. Ambule laid the foundation stone for the project where in the main Cold Storage building and refrigeration chambers will be constructed utilizing a grant of 30 crore from the Government of India.
  • This initiative will benefit the farming community by reducing post harvest losses and wastage, particularly in peak season. It will also ensure delivery of good quality agro produce to consumers.
  • This project is a continuation of Government of India’s efforts to partner with the Government of Sri Lanka in people oriented community development projects.
  • India has undertaken more than 70 such projects in various fields and about 20 such projects are currently under progress.
  • The overall development portfolio of Government of India in Sri Lanka is close to US$ 3 billion out of which US$ 560 million are in grants.
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