India
Madhya
Pradesh to ban polythene bags from May 1
Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a total ban on polythene
bags in the state from May 1.
Instead
of polythene which is harmful for the environment, paper and cloth will be
used,
One
of the prime obstacle in keeping cities clean is the use of polythene and that
is the reason it will be banned from the month of May, said Chouhan, adding
anybody caught using polythene will be penalised.
Earlier,
in December, the chief minister had said that ban on polythene will be enforced
with effect from January 1 at tourist destinations and holy cities of Ujjain,
Amarkantak, Khajuraho, Pachmarhi, Maheshwar, Omkareshwar and Orchha.
The
Other Indian States where plastic bags are banned
- Bengaluru /Bangalore (Ban on
plastics in Bengaluru was imposed from mid march 2016)
- Maharashtra,
- Delhi,
- Punjab,
- Rajasthan,
- Himanchal Pradesh,
- Goa and
- West Bengal
State
first banned the use of Plastic Bags in India - Himachala pradesh
The
first state Banned the Plastic in India - Sikkim
Himachal
celebrated 70th 'Himachal Day on 15th April
Himachal
Pradesh is celebrating 70th "Himachal Day" function. The hill state
came into existence after the merger of 30 odd princely states in 1948.
when
state was formed only 6 villages had electricity and 331 villages had drinking
water facility. But today all the villages have piped water facility and every
household has electricity.
Announcements
Unemployment
allowance scheme and distributed cheques of Rs1,000 each to 10 beneficiaries
under the scheme
Period
of regularisation of contract employees now would be three years instead of
five.
A
passenger lift to be installed at Bhadrakali Bhalei Mata Temple in Bhalei
sub-tehsil of Chamba district.
The
classes in the Chamba medical college would be started soon
Bhopal
to have India's first privately run railway station
Railway
Minister Suresh Prabhu has said that for the first time in Indian Railways'
history, Habibganj station in Bhopal has been handed over to a private firm to
be operated by it.
The
station building will be developed in line with airport terminals, he added.
However,
Prabhu clarified that trains at the station will still be run by the Railways.
A
consortium of Bansal Construction Works and Prakash Asphalting and Toll
Highways has formed a special purpose company- Bansal Pathways Habibagnj
Private Ltd to implement the project.
As
per the agreement signed between the Indian Railway Station Development
Corporation (IRSDC) and the developer, the latter will provide modern amenities
like escalators, lifts, parking lot, landscaping, concourse, walkway,
travelators, parcel corridor, subways as part of the redevelopment of the
station.
Apart
from Habibganj, IRSDC will also develop Chandigarh, Surat, Shivaji Nagar,
Brijwasan, Anand Vihar, Mohali and Gandhinagar stations.
Rongali
bihu 2017 began in Assam
Bihu
Festival is celebrated in three times in a year with different farming phases.
These are Bohag Bihu, Kongali Bihu, and Magh Bihu.
Bohag
Bihu, also known as Rangoli Bihu is a seven-day long festival as per the
traditional Assamese New year Calendar and starts from 15th April 2017 and goes
on to 21st April 2017.
This
time of the year is when farmers start plowing their fields. Each of the seven
days of the Bohag Bihu is called as Chot Bihu, Goru Bihu, Manuh Bihu, Kutum
Bihu, Senehi Bihu, Mela Bihu and Chera Bihu.
Supreme
Court recognizes transgenders as 'third gender'
In
a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday created the "third
gender" status for hijras or transgenders. Earlier, they were forced to
write male or female against their gender.
The
SC asked the Centre to treat transgender as socially and economically backward.
The
apex court said that transgenders will be allowed admission in educational
institutions and given employment on the basis that they belonged to the third
gender category.
The
SC said absence of law recognizing hijras as third gender could not be
continued as a ground to discriminate them in availing equal opportunities in
education and employment.
This
is for the first time that the third gender has got a formal recognition.
The
third gender people will be considered as OBCs.
The
SC said they will be given educational and employment reservation as OBCs.
Maharashtra
staged special drive for transgenders to register as voters
Maharashtra
became the first state to launch a special awareness drive to ensure that
transgenders in the state register as voters in greater numbers.
The
state branch of the Election Commission of India (ECI) launched the drive on
April 15, celebrated as Third Gender Day.
According
to ECI officials, despite the approximate population of third genders in
Maharashtra being pegged at more than 10 lakh, only about 1,700 are registered
voters.
The
ECI prepared a two-and-a-half-minute film, slated to run in 400 theatres four
times a day over the next week.
The
commission also put up posters on two 12-rake locals asking transgenders to
register as voters.
Maharashtra
was one of two states to approve a welfare board for transgenders in 2013, but
no one has been appointed to the body yet
World
Sagarmatha
Friendship-2017: Nepal-China Begin Joint Military Drill
The
first ever joint military drill between Nepal and China -- Sagarmatha
Friendship-2017 -- kicked off at Nepal Army's Para Training School in
Maharajgunj in Kathmandu
The
Chinese Army's squad is participating in the military exercise that will focus
on counter terrorism and disaster response. The 10-day exercise will conclude
on April 25.
DGMO
of Nepal Army General Binod Kumar Shrestha inaugurated the exercise.
Highlighting
the historic ties between Nepali and Chinese armies, Colonel Yang Shumeng,
leading the Chinese side, said such exercise would help understanding on
counter terrorism and strengthening military ties.
The
joint training with China marks the Nepali Army's extension of military
diplomacy.
The
exercise is taking place at the Maharajgunj-based training school where Yuddha
Bhairab, Mahabir and Bhairabnath Battalions are located
Business & Economy
Govt
begins to walk the talk on governance in PSU banks
To
prime public sector banks (PSBs) to hold their own against nifty private sector
rivals and also prepare them for possible mergers in the future, the Bank
Boards Bureau (BBB) has drawn up an elaborate Governance, Reward and
Accountability Framework (GRAF).
The
GRAF seeks to ensure that corporate governance at PSBs is in keeping with
various pieces of legislation, including the Companies Act, 2013, Banking
Regulation Act, 1949, and Securities and Exchange Board of India (listing
obligations and disclosure requirements) Regulations, 2015.
Further,
the framework abides by the guidelines of the Basel Committee on Banking
Supervision on corporate governance principles for banks. Among others, the
principles deal with the board’s overall responsibilities, board qualifications
and composition, senior management, risk management function, compliance,
internal audit and compensation.
The
BBB was set up last year to make recommendations for selection of the chiefs of
PSBs and financial institutions and help them develop strategies and
capital-raising plans.
The
Bureau has evolved a code of conduct and ethics that can be enforced across all
PSBs to ensure the right behaviour.
It
has also come up with compensation reforms so that best practices can be
introduced in PSBs on the lines already prevalent in Central Public Sector
Enterprises.
The
BBB has evolved a relative performance rating system to assess the performance
of PSBs, its directors and employees; and performance evaluation system based
on which decision-making for the extension/termination of a whole-time director
can be undertaken objectively.
The
BBB’s GRAF move comes in the context of PSBs facing challenges on various
fronts, including competition from new entrants, aggressive private banks and
NBFCs eating into their market share on the loans front, and jump in bad loans.
The
Bureau was operationalised after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called for PSBs
to be competitive, in his Budget speech of 2016-17. He had also said that a
roadmap
Awards & Recognition
Hanchinal
receives M.S. Swaminathan Award
The
sixth prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award for contribution in the field of
agriculture was on Friday given to R.R. Hanchinal, Chairperson of Protection of
Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority, government of India.
He
received the award for his contributions and sustained support to the areas of
crop improvement for hot and very hot dry environments, seed production
technology and intellectual protection rights in plant varieties.
The
award is instituted and given under the aegis of Retired ICAR Employees
Association (RICAREA) in association with the Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL).
San
Francisco Film Fest Honoured Shah Rukh Khan
Bollywood
star Shah Rukh Khan was honored at the 60th San Francisco Intl. Film Festival
at the Castro Theater.
“King”
Khan as he is known to his millions of fans will participate in a conversation
onstage with Brett Ratner followed a screening of his 2010 hit “My Name Is
Khan.”
Khan
is the star of such hits as “Dilwale dulhaniya le jayenge,” “Devdas,” “Chennai
Express” and “Kabhi khushi kabhie gham.” His latest film, “Raees,” gave the
Bollywood industry a good start to 2017 after a lackluster year.
SFFILM
is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a private invite-only gala April 7 at
The Forum in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
The
festival, which runs April 5-19 at various venues in the Bay Area, will unspool
200 films and include live events. The fest will bestow juried awards,
including $40,000 in cash prizes, and more than 100 participating filmmaker
guests.
Indian
engineer Trupti Jain wins ‘Cartier Women’s Initiative award’
An
Indian environmental engineer has won this year’s prestigious ‘Cartier Women’s
Initiative Awards’ for providing women working on farms with water management
solutions and protecting small farmers against droughts and flash floods.
Trupti
Jain was one among the six winners chosen for the Asia-Pacific laureate from a
pool of nearly 1,900 applicants from over 120 countries and were selected by an
independent international jury.
Each
recipient receives a USD 100,000 prize money as well as a year of mentoring.
Jain, an Indian government employee for two decades in the rural development,
has worked for women farmers whose work frequently go unrecognised
Jain
was presented the award at a function held at the Victoria Theatre and Concert
Hall.
It
was the first time the awards ceremony was held outside France since it began
in 2006 to supports women entrepreneurs around the world who want to kick-start
their business
Five
other winners, representing Latin America, North America, Europe, Sub-Saharan
Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa, were also honoured at the awards
ceremony.
Indian-born
engineer gets American Helicopter Society award
An
Indian-born aeronautics engineer from Australia has been honoured with the
‘World’s Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Leadership Award’ by the American
Helicopter Society (AHS) International.
AHS
is the world’s premier professional institution dedicated to vertical flight
technology and advancement. It selected Lt Col Dr Arvind Sinha (retd) for his
distinguished career in vertical flight technology.
Sinha,
who received the award recently in the US, was also bestowed the title of AHS
Honorary Fellow in May 2016.
The
title is granted to Society members who have shown “exceptional leadership, or
made innovative or other meritorious contributions, that have significantly
advanced AHS International and the vertical flight community.”
Sinha
is recipient of several awards, spanning military operations, design projects
and academia. The AHS honour is considered a benchmark for leadership
excellence in vertical flight technology
He
is currently the Director of Engineering, Helicopter Systems Division,
Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), at the Department of
Defence, Australia.
Sports
Praneeth
clinches maiden Super Series title at Singapore Open
Promising
Indian shuttler B Sai Praneeth clinched his maiden Super Series title at the
Singapore Open after defeating compatriot K Srikanth in a historic all-Indian
final
World
No.30 Praneeth, who had won the Canada Open Grand Prix last year and reached
the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold final this year, outmaneuvered Srikanth 17-21,
21-17, 21-12 in the summit clash of the $350,000 event.
It
was the first time in the history of international badminton that two Indians
were playing a Super Series final and it turned out to be a thrilling contest.
the
bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 2010, Praneeth has managed to
outwit some accomplished shuttlers such as former All England Champion Muhammad
Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia, former Olympic and World champion Taufik Hidayat and
World No.1 Lee Chong Wei.
Pullela
Gopichand's daughter Gayatri wins twin crowns in Jakarta
National
badminton coach Pullela Gopichand's daughter Gayatri Pullela has bagged both
the singles and doubles crown at the Pembangunan Jaya Raya Junior Grand Prix in
Jakarta.
Gayatri
eked out a hard-fought 21-11 18-21 21-16 win over her doubles partner Samiya
Farooqui to win the girls U-15 singles title.
Gayatri
later teamed up with Samiya to clinch the U-15 doubles title with a straight
game 21-17 21-15 win over Indonesian pair of Kelly Larissa and Shelandry Vyola.
Both
Gayatri and Samiya train together at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in
Hyderabad.
Pankaj
Advani beats Sourav Kothari to win Asian Billiards Championship
Pankaj
Advani, 16-time world champion, won his seventh Asian title by defeating Sourav
Kothari 6-3 in an entertaining final of the Asian Billiards Championship
The
other title being 6-red snooker which he won last year.
Advani
now returns home to Bangalore for four days to switch to snooker before taking
off for Doha to compete in the Asian Snooker Championship which begins on the
April 22.
Pankaj
Advani defeated Sourav Kothari
Business and Economy
ASCI
Releases Guidelines For Celebrities In Advertising
Advertising
Standards Council of India (ASCI) has developed a set of guidelines to protect
consumers' interest while encouraging celebrities and advertisers to refrain
from endorsing misleading advertisements.
At
a time when the Consumer Affairs Ministry is intending to review the Consumer
Protection Act and may have a provision to deal with misleading advertisements
featuring celebrities, these guidelines by ASCI could serve as a good reference
for advertisers.
The
ASCI's guidelines help in ensuring that claims made in advertising are not
misleading, false or go unsubstantiated.
Advertisers
following these guidelines will protect the interests of the consumers,
especially for products or services, which can cause serious financial loss or
physical harm.
Highlights
of the Guidelines
All
advertisements featuring Celebrities should ensure that it does not violate any
of the ASCI code in letter and spirit. Celebrities are expected to have
adequate knowledge of these Codes and it is the duty of the Advertiser and the
Agency to make sure that the Celebrity they wish to engage with is made aware
of them.
Testimonials,
endorsements or representations of opinions or preference of Celebrities must
reflect genuine, reasonably current opinion of the individual(s) making such
representations, and must be based upon adequate information about or
experience with the product or service being advertised.
Celebrity
should do due diligence to ensure that all description, claims and comparisons
made in the advertisements they appear in or endorse are capable of being
objectively ascertained and capable of substantiation and should not mislead or
appear deceptive.
Celebrities
should not participate in any advertisement of a product or treatment or remedy
that is prohibited for advertising under The Drugs & Magic Remedies
(Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 as updated from time to time The Drugs
& Cosmetic Act 1940 and Rules 1945: (Schedule J) as updated from time to
time
A
product which by law requires a health warning "…..is injurious to
health" on its packaging or advertisement.
Science & Technology
Manipur
CM launched DARPAN web applications to check corruption
Manipur
Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh today launched two web applications to
check corruption and keep track of government activities.
The
two web applications were Anti-Corruption Cell and Digital Application for
Review by Public And Nation (DARPAN), an official release said here.
The
two web applications would monitor all government funded projects and ensure
transparency and accountability, Biren said launching the applications.
DARPAN
would upload details of projects right from the initial stage till sanction of
fund, progress of work and photos the work sites
Recently
launched Anti-Corruption Cell has received a series of complaints of corruption
and that the web applications would augment in the government's efforts to end
corruption in the state.
Depression
in Bay of Bengal turns into tropical cyclone 'Maarutha'
The
depression over East-central Bay of Bengal has turned into the tropical cyclone
'Maarutha' prompting the Met office to advise distant warning signal No. 2 for
maritime ports in Bangladesh.
The
advisory means a storm with wind speeds between 62 and 88 kilometres per hour
has formed in the distant deep sea and ships may fall into danger if they leave
the harbour.
All
fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to
remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice
Obituary
Emma
Morano: World's oldest person dies at age 117
The
world's oldest person has died at age 117 in her home in northern Italy.
Emma
Morano was born on November 29, 1899. She was also believed to have been the
last surviving person in the world who was born in the 1800s.
The
eldest of eight children, Morano outlived all of her younger siblings.
Morano
went on to support herself by working in a factory making jute bags, then at a
hotel, working way beyond the usual retirement age.
Internet,
computer pioneer Robert W Taylor dies aged 85
Robert
W Taylor, who was instrumental in creating the internet and the modern personal
computer, has died at the age of 85.
While
working for the Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in 1966, Mr
Taylor shepherded the creation of single computer network ARPANET — which
evolved into the internet — after becoming frustrated he had to use three
separate terminals to communicate with researchers around the country.
In
1961, Mr Taylor was a project manager for NASA when he directed funding to
Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute, who helped develop the
modern computer mouse.
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