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First
International Day of Yoga to be observed on June 21
Days
> International
Day of Yoga
Following
a proposal put forth by Modi at at the 69th Session of the United
Nations General Assembly last year, a resolution was adopted at the
session for observing the International Day of Yoga on June 21 each
year. To ensure that the purpose of the resolution is served, the
government of India has asked universities and colleges across the
country to observe the first International Day of Yoga on June 21.
Government
exempts LPG subsidiary payments for ONGC and Oil India Limited
India
> LPG
subsidiary payments
Domestic
oil and gas operation received a huge boost as the government decided
to exempt ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Commission) and Oil India Limited
(OIL) from paying LPG subsidies, starting from the current fiscal.
The government will fully meet subsidy burden of LPG in 2015-16. The
government regulates prices of cooking fuels such as LPG and kerosene
to help the poor. The difference between the cost and the retail
selling price, called under-recoveries, is borne by the government by
way of cash subsidy and upstream producers like ONGC
PM
Narendra Modi to inaugurate global exhibition on services on April 23
India
> Global
Exhibition on Services
India
is set to organize a global exhibition on services with sixty
countries including Pakistan, Australia, US, Russia and Germany
participating in the event. The exhibition aims to encourage the
service sector in India. The first edition of Global Exhibition in
Services (GES) will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and will be
held annually from now on. It is pitched to serve as a platform for
extensive business networking, joint ventures, exchange of ideas,
brand visibility and exploration of newer revenue models according to
the government.
Others
Pakistan,
Russian to hold first-ever joint military exercise
World
> Pakistan-Russia
With
a view to enhance cooperation in both defence industry and military
training, Russia and Pakistan have agreed to hold the first-ever
joint military exercise. Currently the two countries are working on
strengthening their ties in the defence field with Russia lifting
embargoes on providing defence supplies to Pakistan.
175
million bank accounts in India in three years: World Bank
India
> Financial
inclusion
According
to recent reports of the World Bank, bank account penetration in
India saw an increase from 35 per cent to 53 per cent in three years.
This steep growth in bank accounts comes as a result of government’s
push for financial inclusion. In order to drive financial inclusion,
the Indian government launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana scheme
for comprehensive financial inclusion with the goal of opening a bank
account for every household. However, 97 per cent of the newly opened
accounts show 'zero balances' indicating a high rate of financial
inactivity in India.
Nuclear-capable
Agni III ballistic missile successfully test fired from Odisha coast
India
> Defence
India
test fired nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni III, which has a
range of over 3000 km from the coast of Odisha. It was fired from the
Inner Wheeler Islands off the coast of Dhamra in Bhadrak district.
The missile is 16 metres in length and weighs 48 tonnes and is
capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes. It uses the
technology of rail mobile system, which makes it capable of being
launched from anywhere in India.
Syria
gas attack video shocks UNSC members
World
> Syria
chemical attack
A
video of the chlorine gas attack in Syria that apparently killed 400
children has shocked the members of the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC). The video shows a failed attempt by doctors to
resuscitate 3 children. The attack occurred in Sarmin village in
north-west Idlib province of the war torn country. Both government
and rebel forces have denied using chlorine bombs Chlorine is not a
prohibited substance, but its use as a weapon is banned under the
1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013. The
members condemned the act and said the perpetrators should be brought
to justice. The chlorine bombs were supposedly dropped from
helicopters and the Syrian air force is known to be the only one in
the area in possession of helicopters.
Transport
allowance exemption raised from Rs 800 to Rs 1600 per month
Economy
> Taxation
A
notification regarding an increase in the transport allowance
exemption from Rs 800 to Rs 1600 per month has been issued by the
government. Exemption limit for blind and orthopedically handicapped
employees has been raised to Rs 3200 per month from Rs 1600. This
comes after an announcement in the budget by finance Minister Arun
Jaitely to relax salaried class from tax burden.
Sitaram
Yechury elected as general secretary of CPI(M)
Politics
and Government > CPI(M)
62
year old Sitaram Yechury was elected as the general secretary of the
Communist Party of India (Marxist) by the party's 91 member central
committee. Yechury's election faced stiff opposition from the Kerala
committee of the party, which preferred 77-year-old S Ramachandran
Pillai, who eventually withdrew his candidature. The outgoing general
secretary Prakash Karat suggested Yechury's name, which was approved
unanimously by the central committee.
Delhi's
gets its first woman bus driver
India
> Woman
Bus Drivers
Vankadarath
Saritha, 30 took the wheel of bus number 543 accompanied by much
public interest. Her appointment is expected to inspire other women
to take up driving as a profession. Saritha intends to help her
family with her salary. Safety of her female passengers is her
priority, says the first woman bus driver in India's capital Delhi.
Juha
Sipilä wins Finland elections with 49 seats
World
> Finland
Leader
of the opposition Centre party, Juha Sipilä won the parliamentary
election of Finland with 49 seats. Sipilä beat the pro-EU and
pro-Nato Prime Minister, Alexander Stubb, after four years of policy
stagnation and a bickering coalition. Since Sipilä needs two of the
three runner-up parties to form a majority coalition, weeks of
coalition bargaining can be expected. He may depend on the
Eurosceptic Finns party, formerly known as the True Finns, to form
the government. If it happens, the resulting coalition could increase
Finland’s hardline stance over bailouts in the Eurozone and might
stall a third bailout for Greece.
Egypt's
overthrown President Morsi faces jail for 20 years
World>
Mohammed
Morsi
In
the first verdict since his overthrow, Egypt's ousted President
Mohammed Morsi faces 20 year jail term for ordering the arrest and
torture of protesters during his rule. Due to mass street protests
against his rule, Morsi was dethroned by the Military in July 2013.
Morsi and his 14 other Muslim Brotherhood supporters have escaped a
more serious charge of inciting the killing of protesters, which
could have carried the death sentence. Most of the other defendants
were also given 20-year prison sentences. Morsi's legal team has said
they will appeal against the verdict.
Captain
arrested after migrant boat capsizes off Libya
World>
Europe
migrant crisis
The
captain of the boat that capsized off Libya was arrested for reckless
multiple homicide. The incident resulted in killing of hundreds.
Overcrowding of the ship and steering mistakes by the captain caused
the boat to overturn. The boat was transporting illegal immigrants to
Greece for which the Tunisian captain and a Syrian crew member will
be charged. The two were among 27 survivors who arrived in Sicily
late on Monday. There were nationals of Syria, Eritrea, Somalia,
Mali, Sierra Leone and Senegal on board, kept in three different
layers in the boat. Some 800 people are thought to have died in the
disaster.
Al-Qaida
forced Indian Navy to change plan of Operation Rahat in Yemen
India
> Yemen
rescue operation
The
rescue operation code named 'Operation Rahat' carried out by India in
Yemen last week to evacuate Indian and foreign citizens had a change
of plan 24 hours before the mission due to Al-Qaida militants. INS
Sumitra had initially planned to evacuate the victims from Al
Mukalla, an Al-Qaida base port, but as the city had been taken over
by militants, the plan had to be dropped. It then carried out the
toughest rescue by evacuating 203 people, including 182 Indians, from
Ash Shi'hr port, located 46km from Al Mukalla.
United
States of America sends Naval Vessel to Yemen with an intention to
keep an eye on Iran ships
World
> Yemen
The
US navy has sent USS Theodore Roosevelt escorted by guided-missile
cruiser USS Normandy to Yemen in order to ensure peace and order in
the Arabian Sea area. This has increased the total number of American
ships in the area to 9. Meanwhile, the United States has confirmed it
was monitoring Iranian vessels suspected of carrying weapons to
Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Background:
Strategically
located Yemen, vital for key shipping routes and bordering oil-rich
Saudi Arabia, was plunged into chaos last year when the Iran-backed
and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh- supported Houthi Shiite
rebels seized Sanaa, Yemen's capital city. The incumbent president
Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi was forced to flee from Yemen by sea as Houthi
rebels had captured his defence minister and seized the city’s
airport.
Prashant
Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav expelled from the Aam Aadmi Party
Politics
and Goverment > AAP
The
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) expelled founding members, Prashant Bhushan and
Yogendra Yadav alleging indiscipline and anti-party activities. Two
other members Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha were expelled too. The two
senior leaders opine that they had a difference of opinion with the
party chief, Arvind Kejriwal and his dictatorial ways and hence they
protested leading to their expulsion. The decision to expell was
taken by the party's disciplinary committee citing the duo's efforts
to undermine the party's efforts in the Delhi elections.
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