1. UNICEF launched animated film series ‘Unfairy Tales’ on refugee and migrant children
1. The United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) launched animate film series ‘Unfairy Tales’.
2. The series seeks to help frame positive perceptions towards the tens of millions of children and young people on the move globally.
3. As per an estimate, at least 65 million children and young people globally are on the move to escape conflict, poverty and extreme weather and find a stable life and a place to call home.
1. Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin won the FIDE World Chess Candidates Tournament held in Moscow.In the final Round 14, the Russian grandmaster defeated American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana.
2. Karjakin will now play with the incumbent world champion, Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, in a match for the world chess crown in the United States in November 2016.
3. BHEL commissions 40 MW hydropower plant in West Bengal
1. Public Sector Power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned the second 40 MW hydropower generating unit at the Teesta low dam hydroelectric project (HEP) stage IV in West Bengal.
2. The hydropower generating unit was successfully installed at the Teesta low dam HEP, a run-of-the-river greenfield project, located in Darjeeling district of the West Bengal.
4. ISRO set to launch record 22 satellites in single mission
1. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to script history by launching a record number of 22 satellites in a single mission in May 2016.
2. These satellites (micro and nano) will be launched using ISRO’s workhorse Polar rocket PSLV C34. It will be carrying India’s Cartosat 2C along with 21 other satellites from other countries, including US, Canada, Indonesia and Germany as co-passengers.
3. This launch would be made from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. Earlier in 2008, ISRO had sent ten satellites into orbit in a single mission. The US space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) holds current world record for sending highest number of satellites in single launch. It had sent 29 satellites to the orbit in a single launch in 2013.
5. Haryana Assembly unanimously passes Reservation Bill
1. The Haryana Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in services and admission in educational institutions) Bill, 2016.
2. The bill seeks to provide reservation in services and admission in educational institutions to persons belonging to backward classes including Jats and five other castes. The backward classes have been divided into three blocks as Block A, Block B and Block C. Jats, Jat Sikhs, Ror, Bishnoi, Tyagi and Mulla/Muslim Jat have been included in the Block C.
6. Government permits 100% FDI in online market places
1. The government today permitted 100 per cent FDI in the market place format of e-commerce retailing with a view to attract more foreign investments.
2. As per the guidelines issued by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on FDI in e-commerce, foreign direct investment (FDI) has not been allowed in inventory-based model of e-commerce.
3. At present, global e-tailer giants like Amazon and Ebay are operating online marketplaces in India while homegrown players like Flipkart and Snapdeal have foreign investments even as there were no clear FDI guidelines on various online retail models.
4. The government has already allowed 100 per cent FDI in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce.
7. Bank of India to get Rs 1,150-crore capital infusion from government
1. State-run Bank of India (BoI) today said the government has approved a capital infusion of Rs 1,150 crore in lieu of preferential allotment of shares.
2. This is part of government's plans to infuse Rs 5,050 crore in the public sector banks.
3. In the first tranche, as many as 13 public sectors banks were given fund support of Rs 19,950 crore. Of this, SBI got the highest amount of Rs 5,393 crore.
4. Besides, the government infused Rs 2,229 crore in IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank Rs 2,009 crore and Punjab National Bank Rs 1,732 crore.
5. Last year, the government announced a revamp plan 'Indradhanush' to infuse Rs 70,000 crore in state-owned banks over four years, while they will have to raise a further Rs 1.1 lakh crore from markets to meet their capital requirements in line with global risk norms Basel-III.