Current Affairs: 4 April 2017

PV Sindhu clinches India Open Super Series

• PV Sindhu avenged her Rio defeat against Carolina Marin in style with a thumping 21-19, 21-16 victory over the top seed Spaniard in the India Open Super Series 2017 final. 
• Sindhu took 47 minutes to win her maiden home Super Series crown.
• The Indian shuttler dominated the match from the very beginning and never look out of control. This was the second Superseries title win for Sindhu. 
• The Indian shuttler has shown character in the tournament and she entered the final after beaten Saina Nehwal and Sung ji-Hyun. 
• Sindhu rated India Open as one of the important tournaments in her itinerary.
• Both these players were also involved in an epic battle during the 2016 Rio Olympics. 
• In the one hour 23 minute classic, Marin emerged the winner in an epic three-game match but Sindhu created history as she became the first Indian female shuttler to clinch the silver medal in the Olympics.

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AP Chief Minister bags US India Biz Council award

• Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been selected for another prestigious award. 
• The US India Business Council has selected the CM for award of ‘Transformative Chief Minister’ and Naidu would be receiving coveted award at second annual West Coast summit which to be held in California on May 8. 
• The CM has been requested to deliver his massage on the occasion and CM’s office received the message towards award function. 
• Several prominent personalities and industrialists would attend the meeting. However, the CM would also take part in the interactions after the award function.

Harmanpreet Kaur named Aus T20 team's Player of the Year

• India's women's T20I team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been named Player of the Year by Australia's Women's Big Bash League team Sydney Thunder. 
• Harmanpreet earlier had become the first Indian cricketer to play in Australia's Big Bash League, when she was picked by the team last year. 
• She played 13 matches for the team, scoring 296 runs.
• Pat Cummins, who was brought in a replacement for Mitchell Starc during Australia’s tour of India, after the Ranchi Test, won the Michael Hussey Medal for the Best Men’s Player of the Year award for the Men’s Sydney Thunder franchise.
• Last year, the 28-year-old became the first ever Indian cricketer to be picked by a Big Bash League franchise, when the Sydney Thunder picked her in their squad.
•  Kaur’s selection was soon followed by that of Smriti Mandhana, who was picked by the Brisbane Heat, later in the year.

81st Foundation Day of Odisha-‘Utkal Divas

• On April 1, 1936, Odisha was formed and since then the day is celebrated to mark the contributions and sacrifices made by the people of the state in the formation days. 
• The day is also called as ‘Utkal Divas’. Constant efforts of activists – Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, Maharaja Shri Ramachandra Bhanjadeo, Raja Baikunthanath Dey, Maharaja Shri Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Gourishankar Ray, Gangadhar Meher, Utkala Gaurav Madhusudan Das and Fakir Mohan Senapati – helped Odisha to get status of separate linguistic state, which carved out Bengal-Bihar-Orissa province. 
• Odisha was later divided in to 13 and further to 30 districts.
• Odisha is largely recognized as a poor state with poor infrastructure and people suffering from nutrition. 
• But that is not the actual case; in fact the state is blessed with rich heritage, culture, natural beauty and some amazing festivals and traditions.

Myanmar becomes SASEC's 7th member

• Myanmar has become the seventh member of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) partnership, opening up new markets and supply chain links for trade and business between South Asia and Southeast Asia. 
• SASEC countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka — coordinate the planning of projects and activities to increase economic growth by building transport connectivity, facilitating faster and more efficient trade, and promoting cross-border power trade.
• South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme of Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expanding towards the East with Myanmar formally becoming the seventh member of the Corporation in 2017.
• Myanmar's membership in SASEC can offer a host of opportunities for realising synergies from economic cooperation in the sub-region.SASEC member countries recognise that most of SASEC's multi-modal connectivity initiatives include Myanmar. 
• Road corridors in Myanmar provide the key links between South Asia and Southeast Asia. Ports in Myanmar will provide additional gateways to the landlocked North Eastern region of India. 

‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana’ t launched in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh 

• “Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana”, a ‘Scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to BPL category’ is launched in District Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
• Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens will be distributed in Camp mode and the Scheme will be implemented through the sole implementing agency, ‘Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO)’ which will undertake one year free maintenance of the aids & assisted living devices. 
• The devices will help the Senior Citizens to overcome their age related physical impairment and to lead a dignified and productive life with minimal dependence on care givers or other members of the family. 
• The ambitious Scheme, first of its kind in the country is expected to benefit 5,20,000 Senior Citizens over a period of the 3 years
• The Scheme aims at providing Senior Citizens, belonging to BPL category and suffering from any of the age related disability/infirmity viz. Low vision, Hearing impairment, Loss of teeth and Locomotor disability, with such assisted-living devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily functions, overcoming the disability/infirmity manifested.
• The assistive devices shall be of high quality and conforming to the standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standard

Karnataka Bank, SBI Card launch co-branded credit card

• Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank. 
• Through this alliance Karnataka Bank and SBI Card will launch two variants of the co-branded credit card – ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’.
• Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’, which has been designed keeping in mind the premium customers, offers features in line with their lifestyle and spending patterns. 
• ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’ is aimed at value conscious consumers and offers rewards and features that enable customers to maximise their savings on their regular spends
• the introduction of the co-branded card has added more flavour to bank’s bouquet of tailor-made products and services.

Government announces 30% subsidy for upgradation of powerloom sector

• Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani announced that the government has increased subsidy by 30 per cent for upgradation of powerloom sector and for the benefit of small weavers.
• Irani launched PowerTex India, a comprehensive power- loom development scheme today in Bhiwandi district of Maharashtra.
• PowerTex India scheme will benefit the small powerloom weaver's to survive. For upgradation of powerloom sector government has increased subsidy by 30 per cent.
• The yarn bank issue has also been addressed and an assistance to the tune of Rs 2 crore will be given for the yarn bank created by 11 weavers.
• A common facility centre will be started under this scheme. Under Mudra Yojana the government would give a soft loan.
• With the help of Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) powerloom company can expand their business. 
• Powerlooms using solar power would be granted 50 per cent subsidy

Roger Federer Downs Rafael Nadal To Win Miami Open

• Roger Federer  outclassed long-standing rival Rafael Nadal to win the Miami Open on Sunday and continued his remarkable comeback run in 2017. 
• 18-Grand Slam champion ousted the Spaniard in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to win the third Miami Open title. 
• The loss was Nadal's fifth in a final in Miami and this remains one tournament that the Spaniard is yet to win.
• Since returning from his six month injury lay-off, Federer is not putting a foot wrong and has registered wins in the last four meetings against Nadal--including Australian Open and Indian Wells Title

Singapore blocks visas for Indian IT professionals

• While the focus has been on the US, visas for IT professionals to work in Singapore have dropped "to a trickle", prompting the government to put on hold the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) citing violation of the trade pact.
• With Indian companies being advised to hire local talent, they are looking at relocating some of their operations to other countries in the region. 
• From HCL and TCS, which were the early movers to Singapore, the list has expanded to include Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant and L&T Infotech.
• Singapore authorities were insisting on what is called "economic needs test" (ENT), which requires compliance with certain economic criteria, to deny access to Indian professionals
• In recent years, Singapore has emerged as a key opponent of allowing foreign professionals into the island nation.

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