The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
redefined priority sector loan norms
1. RBI
has modulated PSL norms which stipulate that banks operating in India must
offer 40% of all loans to farmers, small entrepreneurs and so-called weaker
sections of society.
2. The
old norms had stipulated that 13.5% of agriculture loans should be given to the
farmers directly as crop loans and the rest, 4.5%, could be indirect loans to
the farm sector, to allied industries such as food processing and fertilizer.
Now, RBI has abolished the distinction between direct and indirect loans.
3. RBI has introduced a sub-target within the 18% share of
agriculture. Banks must give 8% loans to small and marginal farmers.
4. Social
infrastructure, such as school and healthcare facilities in smaller towns, and
renewable energy have been included in the basket of priority loans.
IFFCO to give Rs 10 Crore to distressed
Farmers
1.Fertiliser
cooperative federation IFFCO pledged Rs 10 crore towards financial assistance
for farmers in distress
2. The
cooperative body will pay up to Rs 25,000 per farmer within the next three
months, depending on the damages.
3. Farmer
will get Financial Assistance & money, Which will be routed through the IFFCO
Kisan Sewa Trust (IKST)
4. In
Farmer Suicide Rate Maharashtra top In List
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Zomato And Uber Sign global Pact to
Provide Enhanced Experience
1. Online
restaurant guide Zomato and taxi-hailing app Uber have entered into a
partnership to enable users book cabs to the restaurant they are planning to
eat at.
2. The
feature has been made available to Zomato users in London and South Africa, and
will now be rolled out to users in other key markets.
3. Zomato
is a restaurant search and discovery app
Gorkhas Rifle Completes 200 Years
1. The
famed Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army — known for their Khukris and their
‘Aayo Gorkhali’ battle cry — completes 200 years of their raising on April 24.
2. The
Gorkhas were first recruited by the East India Company
3. It
was on April 24, 1815 that the first organised body of Gorkha soldiers took to
arms under the British East India Company at Subathu in Himachal Pradesh.
4. The
unit that was raised on that day still serves with the Indian Army and is today
known as the First Battalion, The First Gorkha Rifles or 1/1 GR for short.
Tipu Sultan arms collection sold
for over 6 million pounds in London auction
1. A
collection of arms and armour once owned by Tipu Sultan, was sold for a
total of over 6 million pounds in a London auction by Bonhams.
2. The
30 items in the ‘Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Sale’ held on April 21
come from a single collection.
3. The
top lot was a rare gem-set sword with tiger’s head pommel from Tipu
Sultan’s royal regalia went under the hammer for 2,154,500 pounds.
4. It
was estimated to fetch between 60,000 pounds to 80,000 pounds.
5. Tipu
Sultan, the last king of Mysore adorned both objects of art and
instruments of war with images of the tiger and with the tiger-stripe
design, earning the nickname of “Tiger of Mysore.
Indian American Vivek Murthy takes over as
U.S. Surgeon General
1. 37
year old Indian-American Vivek Murthy was sworn-in as the U.S. Surgeon-General
by Vice-President Joe Biden
2. He becomes
the youngest-ever in-charge of the country’s public health.
Maharashtra to buy Ambedkar bungalow In
London
1. The
Maharashtra government has taken the first steps for buying the bungalow in
London where B.R. Ambedkar lived while pursuing his higher education.
2. A
three-member delegation, comprising Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole,
Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble and the Principal Secretary,
left for London on Thursday to finalise the deal.
3. Government
will convert it into an “international standard museum-cum-memorial”.
Switzerland tops World Happiness index,
India ranked at 117
1. Switzerland,
the land of clocks and chocolates is the world’s happiest country.
2. Switzerland
topped the third annual World Happiness index produced by the Sustainable
Development Solutions Network, an initiative under the United Nations.
3. Switzerland
was closely followed by Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada.
4. India
ranked at 117 considered to be the unhappiest countries in the world.
5. Syria
ranked at last (158) least happy country in the world
Logo, Slogan and Tagline for the New
Education Policy Campaign Finalised
1. The
Union HRD Minister, Smt Smriti Irani introduced Shri Nawaj Shaikh
2. Nawaz
shaikh is the winner of the logo competition for the New Education Policy at
the Press Briefing held in New Delhi
3. This
competition was held through MyGov Platform.
4. Shri
Nawaj Shaikh from National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), Pune said that for
the first time ever the logo designed by a common man of the country and not by
any advertising agency or a corporate house has been considered for the New
Education Policy campaign.
5. This
way the Ministry of HRD has taken a step towards making a common man directly
engage and participate with the Government through MyGov Platform.
6. Shri
Nawaj Shaikh winner of the logo competition was of the view that one must have
education which makes a man into a better citizen of the country.
7. Shri
Nawaj Shaikh belongs to Pune, Maharashtra.
8. The
logo has been selected and he has been awarded Rs. 10,000/- and a certificate
of appreciation.
Rajya Sabha passes historic private
Bill to promote transgender rights
1. A
private member’s Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha for the first time in over
three decades, with MPs cutting across party lines on Friday to unanimously
endorse by voice vote a proposed legislation
2. The
Bill aims to promote the rights of transgenders, including reservations and
financial aid.
3. The
number of transgenders in the country is 4.5 lakh as per statistics but the
actual number could be about 20-25 lakh.
4. Minister
Pointing out that representatives of the community were sitting in the gallery
of the House, he argued that the transgenders have voting rights but are
allegedly even denied entry in trains.
5. Earlier Transgenders were given third gender
Status
First private sector hires- Niti
Aayog taps Mohandas Pai, Sanjeev Sanyal
1. National
Institution for Transforming India (NITI) or Niti Aayog, has proposed to rope
in Sanjeev Sanyal, Deutsche Bank’s global strategist based in Singapore, and T
V Mohandas Pai, chairman, Manipal Global Education, and former member of the
Infosys board, as full-time members.
2. According
to a senior government functionary, Sanyal’s expertise has been sought to
provide inputs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to develop 100 “smart
cities
3. T.V.
Mohandas Pai is the Chairman of Manipal Global Education.
Supreme Court seeks government response
on renaming India as ‘Bharata’
1. The
Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the government on a petition
seeking a declaration that the Republic be called ‘Bharata’ instead of ‘India
2. Supreme
Court sought a clarification on the phrase — “India, that is, Bharat shall be a
Union of States” — used in Article 1 of the Indian Constitution.
3. The
petitioner represented by Ajay G. Majithia and Rahul Pandey said there the word
‘India’ is not a literal translation of the word ‘Bharata.’ Besides the
country, both historically and in the Scriptures, is known as ‘Bharata.’
4. ‘India’
is a name coined during the Colonial era.
5. When
Constitution was under Process the Constituent Assembly had debated many names
for the new-born Republic, and some of them were “Bharat, Hindustan, Hind and
Bharatbhumi or Bharatvarsh and names of that kind”.
6. The
country has one principal name, which is historically significant, that is
‘Bharat’.
7. The
first Article of the Constitution of India states that ‘India, that is Bharat,
shall be a Union of States’, implicitly codifying ‘Bharat’ name for the
Republic of India,” the petition contended.
Sri Lanka to pass RTI legislation
1. Sri
Lanka may soon have its own RTI (Right to Information) law.
2. The
New Legislation called the “Right to Know Information” legislation,
3. The
proposed law is part of the new regime’s 100 Days Programme.
India’s Healthcare Portal Inaugurated at
SAARC Trade Mart in GES
1. Prime
Minister of India inaugurated India’s Healthcare Portal at the ‘SAAARC Trade
Mart’ in the Global Exhibition on Services, in ITPO, Pragati Maidan,
2. The
Healthcare Portal was launched on the occasion of inauguration of the
three-day Global Exhibition on Services that commenced in New Delhi on
23rd April, 2015.
3. The
Healthcare Portal was developed by the Department of Commerce, Govt of India
and the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC).
4. The
portal is a comprehensive one-point information site and covers
hospital-related and travel-related information on India.
5. Presently,
it covers 124 accredited medical facilities which include 93 medical centres,
30 Ayurveda and Wellness centres and 1 special category centre. 74 facilities
are located in Tier I cites and the rest are in Tier II cities.
Rajnath Singh to Chair the 27th Meeting
of Northern Zonal Council
1. The
Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh will Chair the 27th Meeting of the
Northern Zonal Council
2. The
Meeting attended by Chief Ministers, Ministers, Chief Secretaries,
Principal Secretaries and senior officers from Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan,
Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and NCT of Delhi and senior officers from Central
Ministries/Departments.
RBI directed banks to include ‘third
gender’ in all forms
1. The
Reserve Bank of India has directed banks to include ‘third gender’ in all
forms/applications prescribed by the central bank or the banks themselves,
wherein any gender classification is envisaged.
2. This
directive follows a recent judgment of the Supreme Court upholding
transgenders’ right to decide their self-identified gender.
3. The
Supreme Court directed the Centre and State Governments to grant legal
recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender.
Earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitude hits
many parts of east, north India
1. A
high-intensity quake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale today rocked many parts
of East and North India, including Delhi, epicentre of which was Nepal.
2. Tremors
were felt across eastern and northern parts of India, said J L Gautam, Head
Operations Seismology of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
3. Earthquake
of magnitude 7.5 occurred today at 11.41 AM between latitude 28.1 North and
Longitude 84.6 East.
4. The
epicentre was located in Nepal & Metro
Services in Delhi were Also Affected By Earthquake Tremors