April 16 Current Affairs

STATE

TAMILNADU

Self-governance campaign launched

• ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’, a village self-governance campaign, was launched in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts.The campaign, which will go on till May 5, will cover 74 village panchayats in Vellore and 61 village panchayats in Tiruvannamalai.

MAHARASHTRA

Private coaching class bill of Maharashtra

• Committee has submitted the final draft of the Maharashtra Private Coaching Classes Regulatory Bill to the state government.In the draft are provisions to limit the number of students in a single batch, registration of coaching classes, restriction of fee charged to students, among others. Once the draft is approved, the state government would immediately implement the rules and regulations across the state.

NATIONAL

Meghalaya Community – Led Landscapes Management Project

• A Loan Agreement for IBRD loan of USD 48 million for the “Meghalaya Community – Led Landscapes Management Project (MCLLMP)” was signed with the World Bank
• The Objective of the Project is to strengthen community-led landscapes management in selected landscapes in the State of Meghalaya. The Project consists of three components: (i) Strengthening Knowledge and Capacity for Natural Resource Management; (ii) Community-led landscape planning and implementation and (iii) Project Management and Governance.

Goa to be Developed as Cargo Hub- Suresh Prabhu

• Central government in the collaboration with state government and private partners is working on to promote Goa as a tourism destination as well as a cargo hub, stated Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Suresh Prabhu.

Power Ministry: Electric vehicles charging stations need no licence

• The Power Ministry has categorised charging batteries of electric vehicles as a service, a move which will help such stations operate without licence and encourage the use of e-vehicles.
• The Ministry said in a clarification that during the charing of e-vehicles, a station does not perform any activity related to the transmission, distribution or trading of electricity.Hence charging of batteries of electric vehicles through charging station does not any require licence under the provision of the Electricity Act 2003.

WORLD

PM  leaves for Sweden

• This is the first prime ministerial visit from India to Sweden in 30 years after the visit of Rajiv Gandhi in 1988. India and Sweden will on Tuesday also co-host the first ever India-Nordic Summit.

Sweden

Capital                 –   Stockholm

Monarch              – Carl XVI Gustaf           

Prime Miniser     – Stefan Löfven

Currency             – Swedish krona

China’s multi role fighter jets J-10C begin combat duty

• China’s new indigenously developed multi-role stealth fighter jet J-10C, capable of striking precisely both land and maritime targets, were put into active combat duty.
• The third-generation supersonic fighter jets are equipped with an advanced avionics system and multiple advanced armament, making it capable of precisely striking both land and maritime targets within medium and close range, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

Angus Campbell is next Australian defence chief

• An Australian Army General Angus Campbell who led a secretive military operation to stop asylum seekers from coming to Australia by boat was named as the country’s next defence force chief.

China launches website to report about foreign spies

• China launched a unique website inviting the public to report people, including spies harming national security, and attempts to “overthrow the socialist system”, offering rewards on information.The website, launched by the Ministry of National Security yesterday, also encourages people to report attempts to incite ethnic separatism and bribing military officials to defect.

Panama considers building train to Costa Rica

• Panama is considering building a passenger train to Costa Rica with China, a project that would require an initial investment of $5 billion, a sign of the Asian country’s growing interest in Latin America.

SCIENCE

China develops 3D conic device to increase solar-thermal conversion

• Chinese scientists have developed a new device of 3D hollow-cone structure that can greatly increase the solar-thermal conversion efficiency. The device, named ‘Artificial Transpiration’ by Zhu Jia and his team from the Nanjing University.
• It has a special 1D water path within it, which can reduce the energy loss in conduction. The cone structure, based on a graphene film, can collect more sunlight throughout the day when compared with a flat device, as about 10 per cent to 50 per cent of sunlight is diffusive. Thus it performs even better in the real world than in the laboratory.

ECONOMY

ICRA : Solar capacity addition to be down 40% in FY2019

• The solar capacity addition is estimated to decline by 40% to 4-4.5 giga watts in FY2019 from last year, according to ratings firm ICRA.
• The estimated fall in capacity addition in FY2019 is mainly on account of subdued trend in tendering of solar projects since June 2017 in the midst of several factors such as GST roll-out in July 2017, an upward pressure on PV module price levels internationally and continued uncertainty on safeguard duty and anti-dumping duty post the petitions filed by solar module manufacturer associations between June and Dec 2017.

Government to distribute millets like bajra in ration shops

• The government has decided to distribute millets like jowar and bajra through public distribution system (PDS) in an effort to achieve nutrition security of the poor.
• These millets include Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi/Mandua), Minor Millets such as Foxtail Millet (Kangani/Kakun), Proso Millet (Cheena), Kodo Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/ Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki) and two Pseudo Millets (Black-wheat (Kuttu) and Ameranthus (Chaulai).

SPORTS

Tennis rankings: Nadal, Halep stay on top

• Spain’s Rafael Nadal remained in the number one spot in the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released with 8,770 points.
• Romania’s Simona Halep continues to lead the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings released with 8,140 points, followed by Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki (6,790 points).

Commonwealth Games closing ceremony

• Commonwealth Games 2018 concluded on April 15 . The ceremony also paid tribute to the 15,000 volunteers, called the Games Shapers, for their dedication in making the event a success.