National Panchayati Raj Day: 24th April
In India, April 24th is celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Diwas every year. This day marks the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993. The passage of 73rd amendment is hailed as a defining moment in history as it permits states to take steps to organize village panchayats and provide them with necessary powers and authority necessary to facilitate them to function as units of local self-government. The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in 2010. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mandla in Madhya Pradesh on 24th April on the National Panchayati Raj Day.
India highest recipient of remittances from NRIs: World Bank
India retained the top position as recipient of remittances with its diaspora sending about USD 69 billion back home last year, the World Bank said on 23rd April. Remittances to India picked up sharply by 9.9 percent, reversing the previous year’s dip, but were still short of USD 70.4 billion received in 2014. In its latest Migration and Development Brief, the World Bank estimated that officially recorded remittances to low-and-middle-income countries reached USD 466 billion in 2017. This was an increase of 8.5 percent over USD 429 billion in 2016. India continued to top in terms of receiving remittance and was followed by China (USD 64 billion), the Philippines (USD 33 billion), Mexico (USD 31 billion), Nigeria (USD 22 billion), and Egypt (USD 20 billion).
Diu Smart City becomes first to run on 100% Renewable Energy during Daytime
Diu Smart City has become the first city in India, that runs on 100% renewable energy during daytime setting a new benchmark for other cities to become clean and green. Diu had been importing 73% of its power from Gujarat until last year. It has now adopted a two-pronged approach whereby a 9 MW solar park spread over 50 hectares rocky barren land has been developed besides installing solar panels on the rooftops on 79 government buildings thereby generating 1.3 MW annually. To further enhance its solar capacity, Diu offers its residents a subsidy of Rs 10,000-50,000 for installing 1-5KW roof-top solar panels. Diu is saving about 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. Due to low-cost solar energy, power tariffs have been cut in the residential category by 10% last year and 15% this year.
TCS becomes first Indian company to breach $100 billion market capitalization
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the country’s largest IT outsourcing company created history on 23rd April by becoming the first Indian company to reach the $100 billion market capitalization (m-cap) mark. The shares of the IT behemoth were trading 4 percent above previous closing mark at Rs 3,545 on the BSE at 10.30 am, thus hitting an all-time high. By definition, market capitalization is the value of a company that is traded on the stock market, calculated by multiplying the total number of shares by the present share price.
SAIL ties-up with AAI under UDAN for air connectivity development
Domestic steel giant SAIL had said it has inked a pact with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for utilization of airstrips at its three facilities — Rourkela, Bokaro, and Burnpur — under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN. “Three steel cities of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur belonging to states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, respectively, will soon prominently feature on the aviation map of India,” the company said in a statement.
SAIL and AAI have signed a MoU recently on utilization of airstrips under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) -UDAN, a flagship project of Government of India, it said. The RCS-UDAN scheme, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, envisages enhancing the regional air connectivity by providing support in terms of infrastructure and other facilities.
Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar assumes additional charge as Coal India CMD
Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar has assumed the additional charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned Coal India Ltd. Kumar, additional secretary with the coal ministry, has taken over from Central Coalfields Ltd CMD Gopal Singh, who was appointed as interim chairman of the world’s largest coal miner in September last year. “Ministry of Coal has entrusted the additional charge of CMD, CIL to Suresh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoC (Ministry of Coal). He has assumed the additional charge as CMD, CIL with effect from April 23, 2018,” Coal India said in a filing to the BSE. Singh had succeeded Sutirtha Bhattacharya who retired from the post of Coal India CMD on August 31, 2017.
Barclays inks deal in Pune for largest office outside the UK
British banking giant Barclays has struck a deal with K Raheja Corp to lease 1.1 million sqft new office in Pune, possibly its single-biggest facility outside the Canary Wharf headquarters in London, people directly aware of the matter said. The new built-to-suit office space will accommodate the back office work — Barclays Global Services Centre — supporting the bank’s investment and retail banking operations globally. The facility will have more than 8,000 people in the Kharadi suburbs of Pune when fully built.
AFSPA removed from Meghalaya after 27 years
With insurgency-related incidents in the northeast region down by 85% from the levels recorded at the peak of militancy two decades ago, the Centre has withdrawn the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) totally from Meghalaya as well as from eight out of 16 police stations in Arunachal Pradesh, with effect from March 31, 2018. AFSPA, which gives special powers and immunity to the armed forces deployed in areas declared “disturbed” under the Act, had been in force in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh for almost 27 years. In 2015, the Tripura government had lifted AFSPA from the state after 18 years. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 will now be in force in the whole of Assam and Nagaland, all of Manipur (except Imphal municipal area) and in three districts and eight police station areas of Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland has been under AFSPA for almost six decades. Other than the northeast, AFSPA is applicable in J&K.
India wins 8th South Asian Judo Championship
India has won 8th South Asian Judo Championship. On the concluding day of the championship, Indian women and men won team events in Lalitpur, Nepal on 23rd April evening. Keeping the unbeaten streak Indian women whitewashed the championship by beating host Nepal by 5-0 in the final of team events. Indian men also won the team championship. They defeated Pakistan by 3-2 in the final. Earlier Indian women grabbed all 7 gold medals in the individual category while men bagged 3 gold and 3 bronze medals. India topped the medal tally winning 10 Gold and 3 Bronze medals in the individual category. Host Nepal remained second and Pakistan got third place. A total 102 players from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participated in the 3-day championship.
Velavan Senthilkumar wins maiden PSA World Tour title
Just a week ago, Chennai’s Velavan Senthilkumar was feeling low. The 20-year-old had exited in the very first round of the Rochester Open qualifiers in what was his first tournament in nearly a year. Much to his credit, he has turned things around dramatically in a week’s time and can now reflect with unbridled joy on capturing his first ever Professional Squash Association (PSA) title. Velavan, who is pursuing a course in statistics at Columbia University in New York, defeated fourth seed Tristan Eysele of South Africa 7-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-4 in the final of the Madison Open on Sunday after coming through the qualifying rounds.
Nadal beats Nishikori to win 11th Monte Carlo Masters title
Rafael Nadal romped to a record-extending 11th Monte Carlo Masters title by brushing aside an outclassed Kei Nishikori in final to retain the world number one ranking. The 31-year-old saw off Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to become the first man to win a single tournament 11 times in the Open era with his 76th ATP Tour title. Nadal’s 31st Master’s title is also an outright record, pulling him out of a tie with Novak Djokovic.
Learn Two a Day:
Bhoj wetland: Madhya Pradesh
Gorumara National park: West Bengal