1. ICICI, UAE bank tie up for instant money transfer
India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has tied up with a leading UAE-based bank to offer an instant remittance service to Indians residing in the Gulf nation.
The tie-up with Emirates NBD enables customers to transfer funds to account holders of ICICI bank in India within a minute through the ‘DirectRemit’ service.
Various channels
Customers can avail themselves of this service through internet banking, mobile banking and ATMs of Emirates NBD, a joint statement released here said.
“We are delighted to tie up with ICICI Bank, which has the largest branch network among private sector banks in India with over 3,800 branches in the country, thereby expanding access to the DirectRemit service,” said Suvo Sarkar, General Manager, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Emirates NBD.
“With enhancements to existing corridors and the addition of new corridors expected in the near future, we hope to continue to offer the best-in-class service to our customers,” Suvo said.
“DirectRemit facilitates the convenience of sending money to any beneficiary in India within a minute. We are pleased to tie up with Emirates NBD and are confident that it will help us deliver best—in—class service propositions to NRIs across UAE,” said Vijay Chandok, President, ICICI Bank.
Emirates NBD is the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets.
2. RBI appoints Narain in EAC
The RBI has appointed Ravi Narain, Vice-Chairman, National Stock Exchange of India Limited, as a member of the External Advisory Committee (EAC) for evaluating applications of Small Finance Banks, in place of MS Sahoo, as the latter recused himself from the Committee following his appointment in the Competition Commission of India.
3. South Korea, US agree to revised civil nuclear cooperation deal
South Korea said on Wednesday it reached agreement with Washington on revisions to the 41-year-old treaty that governs the country’s commercial nuclear activities.
Ambassador for nuclear energy cooperation Park Ro-byug said the deal would pave the way for South Korea to better manage spent nuclear fuel and improve nuclear exports.
The revised treaty sets the terms that will govern South Korea’s management of spent nuclear fuel for the next 20 years. It needs approval from legislatures in both countries.
South Korea is still not allowed to reprocess spent nuclear fuel using US-originated nuclear materials without prior consent.
South Korea wants the ability to enrich uranium, a process it must undergo to become a viable nuclear fuel, to reduce import costs and to aid its reactor exports.
4. Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) accorded final approval to Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. With this notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve after the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The notification was announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
The Rajaji National Park that came into existence in 1983 is spread across three districts of Uttarakhand namely Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal in an area over 820 square km.
The park is a home to 315 bird species, 40 species of reptiles and fish and 400 Asian elephants.
The park was named after the last Governor-General of independent India, C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji. C. Rajagopalachari was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954.
5. International Mother Earth Day observed with theme It’s Our Turn to Lead
22 April: International Mother Earth Day
International Mother Earth Day was observed globally on 22 April 2015 with the theme It’s our turn to lead.
The theme highlights the need for change and seeks to inform the communities and leadership that action needs to be taken on climate by promoting a goal of environmental awareness through developing sustainable initiatives and galvanizing every human to pledge Acts of Green.
This is the 45th anniversary of the Earth’s Day, the year when the world leaders will pass a binding climate change treaty in Paris in December 2015. The treaty will be adopted to make sure the future of Earth, our planet and the survival of life on it.
6. Cricket South Africa launched Africa T20 Cup
Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a new tournament to be known as the Africa T20 Cup. The tournament was planned to promote the game and nurture young talent in the continent.
The tournament featuring Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, hosts South Africa and 12 CSA affiliates will run from 4 September to 4 October 2015.
About Africa T20 Cup
• The tournament will be a World Cup-style competition, consisting of four pools of four teams each with the winners of each pool advancing to the semi-finals and eventually to the final.
• Venues for the matches will be spread across several South African provincial stadiums.
7. Japanese Maglev train set the world speed record of 603 kmph
apanese bullet train Maglev created a new world speed record of 603 kilometer per hour (kmph) in a test run near Mount Fuji. The seven-car maglev (short for magnetic levitation) train broke its previous record of 580 kilometer per hour created in 2003.
Central Japan Railway (JRC) said that the train hit a top speed of 603 kilometer per hour (375 miles per hour) in a test run and managed nearly 11 seconds at over 600 kilometer per hour.
About Maglev
• Maglev, the name derived from magnetic levitation, is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the ground
• It hovers 10 centimeters above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets. The use of a magnetic charge helps the train to lift and move it above a guide way
• The technology used in the train provides a smooth, quiet ride in almost twice as a traditional high-speed rail
8. Mumbai ranked 15th on global skyscraper rents, says Knight Frank report
Mumbai with office rents at $51.50 per sq. ft. ranks 15th globally, according to the Skyscraper 2015 Report released by property consultancy firm Knight Frank today. The study looks at the prime office rents of 18 markets across the globe.
Hong Kong continues to boast of the world’s highest skyscraper office rents at $250.50 per sq. ft. However,New York is closing in fast with skyscraper prime office rents dramatically increasing by 20 per cent to hit $150.00 per sq. ft since July 2014, outperforming Hong Kong, which increased by only 11.3 per cent. Seoul ranked 18{+t}{+h} with rents at $33.25 per sq ft.
The Skyscraper Index ranks cities according to a score system based on a range of criteria, including skyscraper office rents and yields, the spread offered by investment yields compared to national bonds, the number of high rises built, and growth prospects for the city
9. MakeMyTrip acquires travel start-up Mygola
Online travel company MakeMyTrip on Wednesday announced that it has acquired certain assets of Mygola.com and the entire Mygola team has joined MakeMyTrip.
"The acquisition was done through our earlier announced Innovation Fund which is formed to invest in start-up or early-stage companies in the travel technology space," the company said in a statement.
"Mygola team's deep understanding of travellers’ planning and in-destination experience preferences will be very valuable in strengthening our proposition in these and related areas of customer engagement," said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip India.
Mygola was started in 2009 by Anshuman Bapna and Prateek Sharma. It has raised capital from Helion Ventures, Blumberg Capital, 500 start-ups and numerous angels.
10. Union Finance Ministry retained interest rate for GPF at 8.7 percent for 2015-16
Union Finance Ministry retained the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The notification was issued by the Finance Ministry .The 8.7 per cent interest will apply on Provident Funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces. The rate of interest will be effective from 1 April 2015.
The interest rate for GPF is in line with the interest rate fixed for Public Provident Fund (PPF) at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The Government had raised the interest rates for other small saving schemes.
• The interest rate for senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 per cent to 9.3 per cent and
• The interest rate for Sukanya Samriddhi Account, the special deposit scheme for girl child has been hiked from 9.1 per cent to 9.2 per cent.
• The interest earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been retained at 8.7 per cent.
11. Eminent Historian Christopher Alan Bayly died
Eminent historian Professor Christopher Alan Bayly died in Chicago due to heart attack. His death was announced by the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge. He was 70.
He was a historian who specialised in British Imperial, Indian and global history and his works covered the 18th and 19th century India and British imperial history. For his contribution to historical scholarship, he was knighted in 2007.
India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has tied up with a leading UAE-based bank to offer an instant remittance service to Indians residing in the Gulf nation.
The tie-up with Emirates NBD enables customers to transfer funds to account holders of ICICI bank in India within a minute through the ‘DirectRemit’ service.Various channels
Customers can avail themselves of this service through internet banking, mobile banking and ATMs of Emirates NBD, a joint statement released here said.
“We are delighted to tie up with ICICI Bank, which has the largest branch network among private sector banks in India with over 3,800 branches in the country, thereby expanding access to the DirectRemit service,” said Suvo Sarkar, General Manager, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Emirates NBD.
“With enhancements to existing corridors and the addition of new corridors expected in the near future, we hope to continue to offer the best-in-class service to our customers,” Suvo said.
“DirectRemit facilitates the convenience of sending money to any beneficiary in India within a minute. We are pleased to tie up with Emirates NBD and are confident that it will help us deliver best—in—class service propositions to NRIs across UAE,” said Vijay Chandok, President, ICICI Bank.
Emirates NBD is the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets.
2. RBI appoints Narain in EAC
The RBI has appointed Ravi Narain, Vice-Chairman, National Stock Exchange of India Limited, as a member of the External Advisory Committee (EAC) for evaluating applications of Small Finance Banks, in place of MS Sahoo, as the latter recused himself from the Committee following his appointment in the Competition Commission of India.
3. South Korea, US agree to revised civil nuclear cooperation deal
South Korea said on Wednesday it reached agreement with Washington on revisions to the 41-year-old treaty that governs the country’s commercial nuclear activities.
Ambassador for nuclear energy cooperation Park Ro-byug said the deal would pave the way for South Korea to better manage spent nuclear fuel and improve nuclear exports.
The revised treaty sets the terms that will govern South Korea’s management of spent nuclear fuel for the next 20 years. It needs approval from legislatures in both countries.
South Korea is still not allowed to reprocess spent nuclear fuel using US-originated nuclear materials without prior consent.
South Korea wants the ability to enrich uranium, a process it must undergo to become a viable nuclear fuel, to reduce import costs and to aid its reactor exports.
4. Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) accorded final approval to Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. With this notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve after the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The notification was announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
The Rajaji National Park that came into existence in 1983 is spread across three districts of Uttarakhand namely Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal in an area over 820 square km.
The park is a home to 315 bird species, 40 species of reptiles and fish and 400 Asian elephants.
The park was named after the last Governor-General of independent India, C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji. C. Rajagopalachari was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954.
5. International Mother Earth Day observed with theme It’s Our Turn to Lead
22 April: International Mother Earth Day
International Mother Earth Day was observed globally on 22 April 2015 with the theme It’s our turn to lead.
The theme highlights the need for change and seeks to inform the communities and leadership that action needs to be taken on climate by promoting a goal of environmental awareness through developing sustainable initiatives and galvanizing every human to pledge Acts of Green.
This is the 45th anniversary of the Earth’s Day, the year when the world leaders will pass a binding climate change treaty in Paris in December 2015. The treaty will be adopted to make sure the future of Earth, our planet and the survival of life on it.
6. Cricket South Africa launched Africa T20 Cup
Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a new tournament to be known as the Africa T20 Cup. The tournament was planned to promote the game and nurture young talent in the continent.
The tournament featuring Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, hosts South Africa and 12 CSA affiliates will run from 4 September to 4 October 2015.
About Africa T20 Cup
• The tournament will be a World Cup-style competition, consisting of four pools of four teams each with the winners of each pool advancing to the semi-finals and eventually to the final.
• Venues for the matches will be spread across several South African provincial stadiums.
7. Japanese Maglev train set the world speed record of 603 kmph
apanese bullet train Maglev created a new world speed record of 603 kilometer per hour (kmph) in a test run near Mount Fuji. The seven-car maglev (short for magnetic levitation) train broke its previous record of 580 kilometer per hour created in 2003.
Central Japan Railway (JRC) said that the train hit a top speed of 603 kilometer per hour (375 miles per hour) in a test run and managed nearly 11 seconds at over 600 kilometer per hour.
About Maglev
• Maglev, the name derived from magnetic levitation, is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the ground
• It hovers 10 centimeters above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets. The use of a magnetic charge helps the train to lift and move it above a guide way
• The technology used in the train provides a smooth, quiet ride in almost twice as a traditional high-speed rail
8. Mumbai ranked 15th on global skyscraper rents, says Knight Frank report
Mumbai with office rents at $51.50 per sq. ft. ranks 15th globally, according to the Skyscraper 2015 Report released by property consultancy firm Knight Frank today. The study looks at the prime office rents of 18 markets across the globe.
Hong Kong continues to boast of the world’s highest skyscraper office rents at $250.50 per sq. ft. However,New York is closing in fast with skyscraper prime office rents dramatically increasing by 20 per cent to hit $150.00 per sq. ft since July 2014, outperforming Hong Kong, which increased by only 11.3 per cent. Seoul ranked 18{+t}{+h} with rents at $33.25 per sq ft.
The Skyscraper Index ranks cities according to a score system based on a range of criteria, including skyscraper office rents and yields, the spread offered by investment yields compared to national bonds, the number of high rises built, and growth prospects for the city
9. MakeMyTrip acquires travel start-up Mygola
Online travel company MakeMyTrip on Wednesday announced that it has acquired certain assets of Mygola.com and the entire Mygola team has joined MakeMyTrip.
"The acquisition was done through our earlier announced Innovation Fund which is formed to invest in start-up or early-stage companies in the travel technology space," the company said in a statement.
"Mygola team's deep understanding of travellers’ planning and in-destination experience preferences will be very valuable in strengthening our proposition in these and related areas of customer engagement," said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip India.
Mygola was started in 2009 by Anshuman Bapna and Prateek Sharma. It has raised capital from Helion Ventures, Blumberg Capital, 500 start-ups and numerous angels.
Union Finance Ministry retained the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The notification was issued by the Finance Ministry .The 8.7 per cent interest will apply on Provident Funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces. The rate of interest will be effective from 1 April 2015.
The interest rate for GPF is in line with the interest rate fixed for Public Provident Fund (PPF) at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The Government had raised the interest rates for other small saving schemes.
• The interest rate for senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 per cent to 9.3 per cent and
• The interest rate for Sukanya Samriddhi Account, the special deposit scheme for girl child has been hiked from 9.1 per cent to 9.2 per cent.
• The interest earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been retained at 8.7 per cent.
11. Eminent Historian Christopher Alan Bayly died
Eminent historian Professor Christopher Alan Bayly died in Chicago due to heart attack. His death was announced by the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge. He was 70.
He was a historian who specialised in British Imperial, Indian and global history and his works covered the 18th and 19th century India and British imperial history. For his contribution to historical scholarship, he was knighted in 2007.
1. ICICI, UAE bank tie up for instant money transfer
India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has tied up with a leading UAE-based bank to offer an instant remittance service to Indians residing in the Gulf nation.
The tie-up with Emirates NBD enables customers to transfer funds to account holders of ICICI bank in India within a minute through the ‘DirectRemit’ service.
Various channels
Customers can avail themselves of this service through internet banking, mobile banking and ATMs of Emirates NBD, a joint statement released here said.
“We are delighted to tie up with ICICI Bank, which has the largest branch network among private sector banks in India with over 3,800 branches in the country, thereby expanding access to the DirectRemit service,” said Suvo Sarkar, General Manager, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Emirates NBD.
“With enhancements to existing corridors and the addition of new corridors expected in the near future, we hope to continue to offer the best-in-class service to our customers,” Suvo said.
“DirectRemit facilitates the convenience of sending money to any beneficiary in India within a minute. We are pleased to tie up with Emirates NBD and are confident that it will help us deliver best—in—class service propositions to NRIs across UAE,” said Vijay Chandok, President, ICICI Bank.
Emirates NBD is the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets.
2. RBI appoints Narain in EAC
The RBI has appointed Ravi Narain, Vice-Chairman, National Stock Exchange of India Limited, as a member of the External Advisory Committee (EAC) for evaluating applications of Small Finance Banks, in place of MS Sahoo, as the latter recused himself from the Committee following his appointment in the Competition Commission of India.
3. South Korea, US agree to revised civil nuclear cooperation deal
South Korea said on Wednesday it reached agreement with Washington on revisions to the 41-year-old treaty that governs the country’s commercial nuclear activities.
Ambassador for nuclear energy cooperation Park Ro-byug said the deal would pave the way for South Korea to better manage spent nuclear fuel and improve nuclear exports.
The revised treaty sets the terms that will govern South Korea’s management of spent nuclear fuel for the next 20 years. It needs approval from legislatures in both countries.
South Korea is still not allowed to reprocess spent nuclear fuel using US-originated nuclear materials without prior consent.
South Korea wants the ability to enrich uranium, a process it must undergo to become a viable nuclear fuel, to reduce import costs and to aid its reactor exports.
4. Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) accorded final approval to Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. With this notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve after the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The notification was announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
The Rajaji National Park that came into existence in 1983 is spread across three districts of Uttarakhand namely Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal in an area over 820 square km.
The park is a home to 315 bird species, 40 species of reptiles and fish and 400 Asian elephants.
The park was named after the last Governor-General of independent India, C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji. C. Rajagopalachari was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954.
5. International Mother Earth Day observed with theme It’s Our Turn to Lead
22 April: International Mother Earth Day
International Mother Earth Day was observed globally on 22 April 2015 with the theme It’s our turn to lead.
The theme highlights the need for change and seeks to inform the communities and leadership that action needs to be taken on climate by promoting a goal of environmental awareness through developing sustainable initiatives and galvanizing every human to pledge Acts of Green.
This is the 45th anniversary of the Earth’s Day, the year when the world leaders will pass a binding climate change treaty in Paris in December 2015. The treaty will be adopted to make sure the future of Earth, our planet and the survival of life on it.
6. Cricket South Africa launched Africa T20 Cup
Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a new tournament to be known as the Africa T20 Cup. The tournament was planned to promote the game and nurture young talent in the continent.
The tournament featuring Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, hosts South Africa and 12 CSA affiliates will run from 4 September to 4 October 2015.
About Africa T20 Cup
• The tournament will be a World Cup-style competition, consisting of four pools of four teams each with the winners of each pool advancing to the semi-finals and eventually to the final.
• Venues for the matches will be spread across several South African provincial stadiums.
7. Japanese Maglev train set the world speed record of 603 kmph
apanese bullet train Maglev created a new world speed record of 603 kilometer per hour (kmph) in a test run near Mount Fuji. The seven-car maglev (short for magnetic levitation) train broke its previous record of 580 kilometer per hour created in 2003.
Central Japan Railway (JRC) said that the train hit a top speed of 603 kilometer per hour (375 miles per hour) in a test run and managed nearly 11 seconds at over 600 kilometer per hour.
About Maglev
• Maglev, the name derived from magnetic levitation, is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the ground
• It hovers 10 centimeters above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets. The use of a magnetic charge helps the train to lift and move it above a guide way
• The technology used in the train provides a smooth, quiet ride in almost twice as a traditional high-speed rail
8. Mumbai ranked 15th on global skyscraper rents, says Knight Frank report
Mumbai with office rents at $51.50 per sq. ft. ranks 15th globally, according to the Skyscraper 2015 Report released by property consultancy firm Knight Frank today. The study looks at the prime office rents of 18 markets across the globe.
Hong Kong continues to boast of the world’s highest skyscraper office rents at $250.50 per sq. ft. However,New York is closing in fast with skyscraper prime office rents dramatically increasing by 20 per cent to hit $150.00 per sq. ft since July 2014, outperforming Hong Kong, which increased by only 11.3 per cent. Seoul ranked 18{+t}{+h} with rents at $33.25 per sq ft.
The Skyscraper Index ranks cities according to a score system based on a range of criteria, including skyscraper office rents and yields, the spread offered by investment yields compared to national bonds, the number of high rises built, and growth prospects for the city
9. MakeMyTrip acquires travel start-up Mygola
Online travel company MakeMyTrip on Wednesday announced that it has acquired certain assets of Mygola.com and the entire Mygola team has joined MakeMyTrip.
"The acquisition was done through our earlier announced Innovation Fund which is formed to invest in start-up or early-stage companies in the travel technology space," the company said in a statement.
"Mygola team's deep understanding of travellers’ planning and in-destination experience preferences will be very valuable in strengthening our proposition in these and related areas of customer engagement," said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip India.
Mygola was started in 2009 by Anshuman Bapna and Prateek Sharma. It has raised capital from Helion Ventures, Blumberg Capital, 500 start-ups and numerous angels.
10. Union Finance Ministry retained interest rate for GPF at 8.7 percent for 2015-16
Union Finance Ministry retained the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The notification was issued by the Finance Ministry .The 8.7 per cent interest will apply on Provident Funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces. The rate of interest will be effective from 1 April 2015.
The interest rate for GPF is in line with the interest rate fixed for Public Provident Fund (PPF) at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The Government had raised the interest rates for other small saving schemes.
• The interest rate for senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 per cent to 9.3 per cent and
• The interest rate for Sukanya Samriddhi Account, the special deposit scheme for girl child has been hiked from 9.1 per cent to 9.2 per cent.
• The interest earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been retained at 8.7 per cent.
11. Eminent Historian Christopher Alan Bayly died
Eminent historian Professor Christopher Alan Bayly died in Chicago due to heart attack. His death was announced by the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge. He was 70.
He was a historian who specialised in British Imperial, Indian and global history and his works covered the 18th and 19th century India and British imperial history. For his contribution to historical scholarship, he was knighted in 2007.
India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has tied up with a leading UAE-based bank to offer an instant remittance service to Indians residing in the Gulf nation.
The tie-up with Emirates NBD enables customers to transfer funds to account holders of ICICI bank in India within a minute through the ‘DirectRemit’ service.Various channels
Customers can avail themselves of this service through internet banking, mobile banking and ATMs of Emirates NBD, a joint statement released here said.
“We are delighted to tie up with ICICI Bank, which has the largest branch network among private sector banks in India with over 3,800 branches in the country, thereby expanding access to the DirectRemit service,” said Suvo Sarkar, General Manager, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Emirates NBD.
“With enhancements to existing corridors and the addition of new corridors expected in the near future, we hope to continue to offer the best-in-class service to our customers,” Suvo said.
“DirectRemit facilitates the convenience of sending money to any beneficiary in India within a minute. We are pleased to tie up with Emirates NBD and are confident that it will help us deliver best—in—class service propositions to NRIs across UAE,” said Vijay Chandok, President, ICICI Bank.
Emirates NBD is the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets.
2. RBI appoints Narain in EAC
The RBI has appointed Ravi Narain, Vice-Chairman, National Stock Exchange of India Limited, as a member of the External Advisory Committee (EAC) for evaluating applications of Small Finance Banks, in place of MS Sahoo, as the latter recused himself from the Committee following his appointment in the Competition Commission of India.
3. South Korea, US agree to revised civil nuclear cooperation deal
South Korea said on Wednesday it reached agreement with Washington on revisions to the 41-year-old treaty that governs the country’s commercial nuclear activities.
Ambassador for nuclear energy cooperation Park Ro-byug said the deal would pave the way for South Korea to better manage spent nuclear fuel and improve nuclear exports.
The revised treaty sets the terms that will govern South Korea’s management of spent nuclear fuel for the next 20 years. It needs approval from legislatures in both countries.
South Korea is still not allowed to reprocess spent nuclear fuel using US-originated nuclear materials without prior consent.
South Korea wants the ability to enrich uranium, a process it must undergo to become a viable nuclear fuel, to reduce import costs and to aid its reactor exports.
4. Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) accorded final approval to Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. With this notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve after the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The notification was announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
The Rajaji National Park that came into existence in 1983 is spread across three districts of Uttarakhand namely Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal in an area over 820 square km.
The park is a home to 315 bird species, 40 species of reptiles and fish and 400 Asian elephants.
The park was named after the last Governor-General of independent India, C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji. C. Rajagopalachari was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954.
5. International Mother Earth Day observed with theme It’s Our Turn to Lead
22 April: International Mother Earth Day
International Mother Earth Day was observed globally on 22 April 2015 with the theme It’s our turn to lead.
The theme highlights the need for change and seeks to inform the communities and leadership that action needs to be taken on climate by promoting a goal of environmental awareness through developing sustainable initiatives and galvanizing every human to pledge Acts of Green.
This is the 45th anniversary of the Earth’s Day, the year when the world leaders will pass a binding climate change treaty in Paris in December 2015. The treaty will be adopted to make sure the future of Earth, our planet and the survival of life on it.
6. Cricket South Africa launched Africa T20 Cup
Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a new tournament to be known as the Africa T20 Cup. The tournament was planned to promote the game and nurture young talent in the continent.
The tournament featuring Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, hosts South Africa and 12 CSA affiliates will run from 4 September to 4 October 2015.
About Africa T20 Cup
• The tournament will be a World Cup-style competition, consisting of four pools of four teams each with the winners of each pool advancing to the semi-finals and eventually to the final.
• Venues for the matches will be spread across several South African provincial stadiums.
7. Japanese Maglev train set the world speed record of 603 kmph
apanese bullet train Maglev created a new world speed record of 603 kilometer per hour (kmph) in a test run near Mount Fuji. The seven-car maglev (short for magnetic levitation) train broke its previous record of 580 kilometer per hour created in 2003.
Central Japan Railway (JRC) said that the train hit a top speed of 603 kilometer per hour (375 miles per hour) in a test run and managed nearly 11 seconds at over 600 kilometer per hour.
About Maglev
• Maglev, the name derived from magnetic levitation, is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the ground
• It hovers 10 centimeters above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets. The use of a magnetic charge helps the train to lift and move it above a guide way
• The technology used in the train provides a smooth, quiet ride in almost twice as a traditional high-speed rail
8. Mumbai ranked 15th on global skyscraper rents, says Knight Frank report
Mumbai with office rents at $51.50 per sq. ft. ranks 15th globally, according to the Skyscraper 2015 Report released by property consultancy firm Knight Frank today. The study looks at the prime office rents of 18 markets across the globe.
Hong Kong continues to boast of the world’s highest skyscraper office rents at $250.50 per sq. ft. However,New York is closing in fast with skyscraper prime office rents dramatically increasing by 20 per cent to hit $150.00 per sq. ft since July 2014, outperforming Hong Kong, which increased by only 11.3 per cent. Seoul ranked 18{+t}{+h} with rents at $33.25 per sq ft.
The Skyscraper Index ranks cities according to a score system based on a range of criteria, including skyscraper office rents and yields, the spread offered by investment yields compared to national bonds, the number of high rises built, and growth prospects for the city
9. MakeMyTrip acquires travel start-up Mygola
Online travel company MakeMyTrip on Wednesday announced that it has acquired certain assets of Mygola.com and the entire Mygola team has joined MakeMyTrip.
"The acquisition was done through our earlier announced Innovation Fund which is formed to invest in start-up or early-stage companies in the travel technology space," the company said in a statement.
"Mygola team's deep understanding of travellers’ planning and in-destination experience preferences will be very valuable in strengthening our proposition in these and related areas of customer engagement," said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip India.
Mygola was started in 2009 by Anshuman Bapna and Prateek Sharma. It has raised capital from Helion Ventures, Blumberg Capital, 500 start-ups and numerous angels.
Union Finance Ministry retained the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The notification was issued by the Finance Ministry .The 8.7 per cent interest will apply on Provident Funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces. The rate of interest will be effective from 1 April 2015.
The interest rate for GPF is in line with the interest rate fixed for Public Provident Fund (PPF) at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The Government had raised the interest rates for other small saving schemes.
• The interest rate for senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 per cent to 9.3 per cent and
• The interest rate for Sukanya Samriddhi Account, the special deposit scheme for girl child has been hiked from 9.1 per cent to 9.2 per cent.
• The interest earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been retained at 8.7 per cent.
11. Eminent Historian Christopher Alan Bayly died
Eminent historian Professor Christopher Alan Bayly died in Chicago due to heart attack. His death was announced by the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge. He was 70.
He was a historian who specialised in British Imperial, Indian and global history and his works covered the 18th and 19th century India and British imperial history. For his contribution to historical scholarship, he was knighted in 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment