Govt launches Test & Treat policy for HIV patients
i.Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched the Test and Treat policy for providing treatment to patients suffering from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Launching the policy at a function in New Delhi, Mr. Nadda stated, under it, the government will provide Anti- Retroviral Therapy (ART) treatment to the patients free of cost. It is a centrally sponsored scheme and people suffering from HIV will benefit from it. Under the scheme, a person detected HIV positive will be provided ART treatment.
India's 1st book village to come up in Maharashtra
i.A village in Maharashtra famous for its strawberries is soon going offer more - rare Marathi books and magazines. From May 4,Bhilarwill become India’s first ‘book village’ where tourists and locals can come and read books, magazines, newspapers stacked at 25 premises. Near the popular the British-era hill station of Mahabaleshwar,Bhilaralready attracts a large number of tourists, who come to taste the locally produced strawberries.
ii.Bhilar, which has a population of about 10,000, and nearby areas produce around 100 tons of strawberry every year, earning them Rs 50 crore. And 90% of the village’s population is involved in strawberry farming.
Kerala organizes first ever transgender athletic meet
i.Kerala has organized the country's first transgender one-day athletic meet at Thiruvananthapuram in which 132 participants from 12 districts participated. Kerala Sports Minister A. C. Moideen has inaugurated the event at the Central Stadium. Member of Parliament A Sampath and Member Legislative Assembly V S Sivakumar were also present during the inaugural function.
ii.The non-playing members of the transgender community along with participants joined in the march past. One hundred thirty-two participants from 12 districts participated in the meet. There was no participant from Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. Six events were held in the competition- 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters running; 100x 4 relay race, high jump and shot put.
Indian Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik wins gold medal in Moscow competition
i.Internationally renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik from Odisha won the jury prize gold medal at the 10th Moscow Sand art Championship.
ii.The competition was held between 22nd and 28th April at Kolomenskoye, Moscow in Russia. The theme for the competition was "The world around us". Pattnaik was the Indian representative in the competition, where twenty-five sculptors from different countries participated.
Jehan Daruvala becomes 1st Indian to take pole in FIA F3 European Championship
i.Jehan Daruvala, in his rookie season at the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, is already making waves. The 18-year-old product of Force India Academy, became the first Indian to take pole in the F3 European series, securing the top spot on the starting grid for Race 1 of the second round of the championship in Monza, Italy. However, he was unable to translate that into a race victory, and finished the hard-fought race in second place, behind his Carlin Racing teammate Lando Norris of the UK.
ii.Daruvala took pole during the qualifying session for Race 1 at the famed Monza Grand Prix circuit in thrilling fashion. The Carlin Racing driver was on his hot lap when curtains fell on the qualifying session with British racer Callum Illot (Prema Powerteam) in the lead.
Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-
· Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched the Test and Treat policy.
· HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
· JP Nadda is present Union Health Minister of India.
· India's 1st book village to come up in Maharashtra.
· Bhilar, Maharashtra will become India’s first ‘book village’.
· Devendra Fadnavis is present Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
· Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao is present Governor of Maharashtra.
· Kerala has organized the country's first transgender one-day athletic meet at Thiruvananthapuram.
· Pinarayi Vijayan is present Chief Minister of Kerala.
· The chief organizer of the event was Pavel Menikov.
· The Indian ambassador to Russia is Pankaj Saran.
· Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the jury prize gold medal at the 10th Moscow Sand art Championship.
· Sudarsan Pattnaik is from Odisha.
· Jehan Daruvala becomes 1st Indian to take pole in FIA F3 European Championship.
· Jehan Daruvala is an Indian racing driver.
India to host 18th World Road Meeting
i.Indiais set to host the18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017)on November 13,2017according to the International Road Federation (IRF).
ii. The WRM is the biggest global platform for road engineers, safety and transport experts and companies engaged in road safety products.
iii. The theme of this year's edition is'Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth'. The WRM is held every four years.
e-SOT and e-PRAN card launched for Atal Pension Yojana subscribers
i. With a view to digitally empower theAtal Pension Yojana (APY)subscribers and improve the quality of service, the facility of online viewing of the statement of the transaction(e-SOT)and also the e-Permanent Retirement Account Number (e-PRAN card)have been launched.
ii. More than 45 lacs APY subscribers will be benefitted with this initiative.
Centre Takes 10 New Swachh Iconic Places under Swachh Bharat Mission Phase II
i.The 2nd quarterly review meeting on theSwachh Iconic Places (SIP),Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under Swachh BharatMission,was held recently at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, in Jammu & Kashmir.
ii. On this occasion, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar announced10 new Iconic placesto be taken under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative. These ten new iconic places which are to be brought to a higher standard ofswachhtaand visitors’ amenities are-
1.Gangotri
2.Yamunotri
3.Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain
4.Char Minar, Hyderabad
5.Church and Convent of St. Francis ofAssissi, Goa
6.Adi Shankaracharya’s abode Kaladi in Ernakulam
7.Gomateshwar in Shravanbelgola
8.Baijnath Dham, Devghar
9.GayaTirthin Bihar and
10.Somnath temple in Gujarat.
India successfully test-fires Agni-III ballistic missile
i. India successfully carried out a fresh user trial of 3,000-kilometer rangeAgni-III ballistic missilefromAbdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.
ii. The Strategic Forces Command with logistics support from Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the test from launch pad No. 4 of the Integrated Test Range.
Nita Ambani made member of IOC’s Olympic Channel Commission
i. India’s first woman International Olympic Committee memberNita Ambanihas made it to two important commissions of the global sports governing body, including the prestigiousOlympic channel.
ii. Besides the Olympic Channel, Ms. Ambani has also been made amember of Olympic education Commissionas IOC announced the composition of 26 commissions for 2017.
iii. Ms. Ambani has replaced International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven. She will serve the position till she turns 70.
NASA launches super balloon from New Zealand
i.National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)successfully launched its football-stadium-sized, heavy-liftSuper Pressure Balloon (SPB)fromWanaka, New Zealand.
ii. The mission is designed to run 100 or more days floating at 110,000 feet (33.5 km) about the globe in the southern hemisphere's mid-latitude band.The balloon is designed by NASA to detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the galaxy as they penetrate the earth's atmosphere.
Srishti Kaur crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017
i.Srishti Kaurwas crownedMiss Teen Universe 2017after beating 25 contestants from around the world atthe annual beauty pageant.
ii. The event was held in Managua, the capital of Central American country Nicaragua.She also won the prize for best national costume.
iii. Samantha Pierre from Canada and Ary Trava from Mexico were the runners-up in the event. The pageant is organized by theMiss Universe organizationfor teens aged 15 to 19. It takes place once in a year.
YES BANK awarded Golden Peacock Award 2017
i. India’s fifth largest private sector Bank, theYES BANKhas won the prestigious ‘Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award 2017’(in Financial sector Banking).
ii. It receivedthe prize for its innovative mobile technology product,SIMsePAYat the Dubai Global Convention 2017.
Veteran Actor Vinod Khanna passes away at 70
i. Veteran actorVinod Khannapassed away in Mumbai.He was an active politician, and Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Punjab.
ii. The actor debuted in 1968 with'Man Ka Meet'. He received the Filmfare award in the best supporting actor category for Haath Ki Safaai (1974), and in 1999 he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.
Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-
· Indiawillhost the18th World Road Meetingon November 13, 2017
· K.K. Kapila is the chairman ofInternational Road Federation
· The theme of 2017 edition is'Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth'
· The WRM is held every four years.
· e-SOT and e-PRAN card launched for Atal Pension Yojana subscribers
· Statement of the transaction is the full form of SOT
· Permanent Retirement Account Number is the full form of PRAN
· Atal Pension Yojana (APY) was launched by the PM Modi on 09th May 2015.
· The 2nd quarterly review meeting on theSwachh Iconic Places (SIP) was held recently at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, in Katra,Jammuand Kashmir
· 10 new Iconic placesto be taken under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiativeannounced.
· India successfully test-fires Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island from Odisha Coast
· It was developed with the support of DRDO
· It was inducted into the armed forces in June 2011
· Nita Ambani made member of IOC’s Olympic Channel Commission
· She will serve the position till she turns 70.
· She has replaced International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven
· NASA launched heavy-liftSuper Pressure Balloon (SPB)fromWanaka, New Zealand
· The balloon is designed by NASA to detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles
· Acting Administrator of NASA is Robert M. Lightfoot Jr.
· NASA was established in 1958 and is Headquartered in Washington D.C., USA.
· Srishti Kaur crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017
· She is from Noida
· Samantha Pierre from Canada and Ary Trava from Mexico were the runners-up
· This event takes place annually
· The event was held in Managua, the capital of Central American country Nicaragua.
· YES BANKhas won the ‘Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award 2017’
· Mr. Rana Kapoor is the Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Yes Bank
· Yes Bank is Headquartered in Mumbai
· It receivedthe prize for its innovative mobile technology product,SIMsePAY.
· Veteran Actor Vinod Khanna passes away
· He was Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Punjab
· Awarded Filmfare award in the best supporting actor category for Haath Ki Safaai.
World Intellectual Property Day – 26 April
i. Every April 26,World Intellectual Property Dayis celebrated to learn about the role that intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright) play in encouraging innovation and creativity.
ii. WIP Day is organized by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 189 member states.
Northeast India's largest IT hub opens in Tripura
i. Northeast India's largest Information Technology (IT) hub was inaugurated at Agartala to boost employment and e-governance besides to export software technology.
ii. The Hub was set up at a cost of Rs. 50 crore. The Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar inaugurated the IT hub.It is the sixth hub in theNortheastregion.
India and Sri Lanka sign MoU on economic co-operation
i. India and Sri Lanka have signed an MoU on economic co-operation.
ii. The agreement was exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi.
Belgium, first to open honorary consulate in GIFT City, Gujarat
i. Belgium has become the first country to open an honorary consulate office in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).
ii. Besides the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi, two Consulates-General in Mumbai and Chennai, and an honorary consulate in Kolkata, Belgium has expanded its diplomatic representation in India with this new office in Gandhinagar.
iii. Hari Sankaran was nominated as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Belgium to the state of Gujarat.
India, Armenia sign 3 agreements
i. India and Armenia have signed three agreements after Vice President Hamid Ansari held a bilateral meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan in Yerevan, Armenia.
ii. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on peaceful uses of outer space, another MoU on cooperation in youth matters and a program of cultural cooperation for the years 2017-2020. The two countries are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
Yes Bank ties up with Paisabazaar.com
i. Private sector lender Yes Bank announced the alliance with Paisabazaar.com under which the bank will offer conditionally approved loans to the latter’s existing customers.
ii. As part of the partnership, the bank will help Paisabazaar.com through its advanced analytics and data mining capabilities to offer customers of the financial marketplace with customized and conditionally approved offers across retail lending products.
White House names Randolph Ailes as new Director of Secret Service
i. The White House has named a retired Marine major general Randolph Ailes as the new Director of the Secret Service. Ailes was in the Marine Corps for 35 years.
ii. Ailes is replacing Joseph Clancy, who retired from the agency.
Youngest Indian chancellor bags Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Foundation award
i. The youngest chancellor of any university in the nation, Dileep K Nair has bagged Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Foundation award for excellent performance in the field of education in Trivendurum, Kerala.
ii. The 38-year-old academician is currently the Chancellor of the North East Frontier Technical University (NEFTU) in Arunachal Pradesh.
PM Modi launched special digital exhibition marking 100 years Champaran Satyagraha
i. The Prime MinisterShri Narendra Modifinally inaugurated an exhibition titled“Swachhagraha – Bapu Ko Karyanjali – Ek Abhiyan, Ek Pradarshani”in the New Delhi to mark the 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s first experiment of Satyagraha in Champaran.
ii.He also launched an ‘Online Interactive Quiz’ at the event which is being organized by the National Archives of India.
Centre releases nearly Rs. 23,443 crore to States under MGNREGS
i. Ministry of Rural Development has released nearlyRs. 23,443croreto the States as the first tranche for this Financial Year, under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MGNREGS).
ii.The Government is laying considerable emphasis onWater ConservationandWater Managementworks under MGNREGS.
Survey General of India Completes 250 Years