Weekly Current Affairs (Apr 2 to Apr 8) : Download PDF

The World Autism Awareness Day 2017 has been observed across the world on 2 April 2017.
Dawit Isaak a journalist who was arrested in Eritrea in 2001, and whose case has been championed for years by human rights organisations and international governments, will receive the 2017 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan has finally accepted his Nobel Prize for literature, more than three months after the awards ceremony.
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has worn many hats over the years, worn another feather in his cap today.
A city-based company has claimed to have launched the first biogas fuelled bus in Kolkata keeping a flat fare of just Re 1.
The Central Government has effectively withdrawn the subsidies that have been provided to mild hybrid diesel cars under the FAME scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 9.2 km long Chennai-Nash all-weather road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has emerged at the top of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) that rates Indian higher educational institutes on the basis of their performance.
A new financial order built by the emerging BRICS economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The BRICS-backed New Development Bank (NDB) has invested in seven projects totalling $1.5 billion in about two years of its operation.
The State Bank of India, the country's largest lender has started functioning as unified entity from 01st April 2017 post merger of its five associate banks, besides Bharatiya Mahila Bank.
Kenya's Joyce line Jepkosgei has broken the world half marathon record as well as the 10km and 15km marks at the Prague Half Marathon on the way to winning the IAAF Gold Label Road Race in one hour, four minutes and 52 seconds.
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.
19th Commonwealth Forestry Conference (CFC) 2017 will begin today at Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been selected for US-India Biz Council award.
The Government has launched PowerTex India, a comprehensive scheme for power loom sector development, simultaneously at over 45 locations in the country.
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.
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 Madhya Pradesh government has launched an app named ‘MP e-Nagar palinka’ to provide various municipal services online.
Mizoram has become the 27th State to join the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY).
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.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is on a 6-day visit to India. Two countries sign seven agreements including air services agreement and MoUs in education and sports.
“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.
Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Delhi's Miranda House have made it to the top of respective categories in the country's official higher education rankings announced by the government.
Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank.
Diplomat Vipul, a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service officer took up the charge as the new Consul General of Dubai.
Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani announced that the government has increased subsidy by 30 per cent for up gradation of power loom sector and for the benefit of small weavers.
Justice Indira Banerjee, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
Roger Federer outclassed long-standing rival Rafael Nadal to win the Miami Open on Sunday and continued his remarkable comeback run in 2017.
Tax evasion of over Rs 5 crore under the GST regime would be a non-bailable offence and the police would have the authority to make an arrest without a warrant.
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 the violation of the trade pact.
Johanna Konta defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3 to win the Miami Open on Saturday — the biggest title won by a British woman in 40 years.
SpaceX successfully launched and then retrieved its first recycled rocket Thursday, a historic feat and the biggest leap yet in its bid to drive down costs and speed up flights.
The Centre has constituted National Board of Electric Mobility (NBEM) to promote electric mobility and manufacturing of electric (& hybrid) vehicles and their components.
American astronaut Peggy Whitson made history when she floated outside the International Space Station on Thursday, breaking the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. Ms Whitson, 57, made her eighth career spacewalk, surpassing the record of seven previously held by American Suni Williams.
The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) has tied up with Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB), an arm of Human Resource Development Fund under Ministry of HRD, Malaysia.
A Malaysian company MTN has agreed to help set up a technology park in Andhra Pradesh that’s expected to attract private sector investment of $100 million in the first phase.
Ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy this week, the country's largest bank, State Bank of India has reduced its benchmark lending rate by 0.15%.
Cab aggregator Ola has integrated with Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to simplify digital payment options for its customers.
FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) banned Guatemala's former football chief Brayan Jimenez for life over corruption, bribery and other offences.
India has been ranked third for the third year in a row in a doping violation report published by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for 2015 with 117 athletes from the country being punished after testing positive for banned substances.
WhatsApp move into digital payments in India, its biggest market that is home to 200 million of its billion plus global users, would replicate similar moves by messaging apps like Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat in China.
Ruling Party of Ecuador, Alianza PAIS candidate Lenin Moreno won the Ecuador’s presidential election to sworn in as the Ecuador President.
Ajey Jhankar, the noted author and filmmaker passed away. He served as a Director of MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Pvt. Ltd from January 2000.
Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passes away. She was 84.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared Jhargram as the 22nd district of West Bengal.
Scientists from Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have identified a soil fungus Aspergillus tubing enosis that uses enzymes to rapidly break down plastic materials.
The famous Berhampur Thakurani Yatra, one of the biggest festivals of southern Odisha, has been celebrated with pomp and gaiety.
The Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has launched Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh.
The WTO’s dispute settlement set up a panel to resolve the dispute between Japan and India over the imposition of safeguard import duty on iron and steel products.
India and Malaysia today inked seven pacts, including an air services agreement and a mutual recognition of educational qualifications of the two nations.
Handset maker Gionee India announced its association with the ‘Royal Challengers Bangalore’, as their presenting sponsors for the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Mild hybrid cars have electric motors that only assist normal engine by using recovered energy stored
A 1982 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) Geetha Johri has been appointed as the first woman Director General of Police (DGP) of Gujarat.
The first express highway project in the northeast region will be developed along the Brahmaputra river in Assam at an estimated investment of Rs 40,000 crore inaugurated by Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari.
To make onboarding easy for new sellers, Amazon India has launched an initiative called 'Amazon Classroom', a virtual training program to help teach them the nuances of online selling.
Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology, Choudhary Lal Singh today said the Government is taking all the possible measures to prevent the State’s environment and ecology getting polluted.
The BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh decided to waive off crop loans of up to Rs 1 lakh of small and marginal farmers in the state.
IDBI has appointed Mahesh Kumar Jain as the Managing Director & CEO with immediate effect. Before his role in IDBI, Jain was the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank.
IDBI Bank has reduced interest rates, ranging from 50 to 75 basis points, on retail term deposits (RTD) with effect from April 5, 2017.
The General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd becomes the seventh entity to receive a final licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a payments bank.
The Reserve Bank of India has released the first Bi-monthly Monetary policy of the new financial year (2017-18). GDP growth has hiked to 7.4% from 6.7%.
India's travel and tourism sector rank 7th in the world in terms of its total contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to a new report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), 2016.
India’s Virat Kohli was named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for 2016.
Bitcoin has finally gained the recognition of a mainstream currency along the lines of other fiat currencies.
The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) appointed Raman Roy (Managing Director of Quatrro Global Services) as its chairman for 2017-2018.
The Rajya Sabha passed the historic Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill without any amendments.
P V Sindhu reaches career-best world no 2 ranks.
Haryana government would provide a one-time grant of Rs 21,000 to all those families whose third girl child was born on August 24, 2015, under the ‘Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti’ scheme.
Bhimaya Metro joins as Director, IIM Trichy.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved closure of the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY).
NEFT transfers to be faster as RBI cuts clearance time.
ClearTax has launched a first-of-its-kind multi-GSP (GST Suvidha Provider) taxation solution and the software will be adept to handle over 1 billion invoices, which is expected to be generated after the GST rollout.
GSTN, the company that is tasked with building the world’s biggest and most complex tax framework, has short- listed 34 companies to be the GST Suvidha Provider.
The German military has officially inaugurated a 260-strong cyber command which will become a fifth branch of the Bundeswehr.
India and Israel sign defence deals worth over 2 billion dollars.
Prithika Yashin won her first fight against the society when she decided to undergo a sex change operation to become who she believed she was from within. Born Pradeep Kumar, Yashin left her parents' house before completing a computer studies course and undergoing surgery.
Ministry approves the appointment of two foreign athletics coaches.
The Reserve Bank has appointed Malvika Sinha as Executive Director following the appointment of B P Kanungo as Deputy Governor.
64th National Film Awards were announced.
The Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR), an association of clinical research professionals, has announced the appointment of Dr Chirag Trivedi as its President for the term 2017-19.
India has signed a weapons deal with Israel for nearly $2 billion in what's being described as the "largest defence contract" ever signed by the military exporting giant.
Andhra Pradesh Government announced the NTR National Award for the years 2012 and 2013 at the Film Development Corporation office in Hyderabad.
NBA launches first basketball school in India.
Kenichi Yokoyama has taken over as the new Country Director of India Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
PM to launch the digital exhibition on Champaran Satyagraha.
India and Russia today signed an agreement paving the way for building the third and fourth reactors at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu.
Centre kicks off a programme on cyber-physical systems.
The Board of Directors of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Friday elevated S.N. Subrahmanyan as chief executive officer and managing director from the position of deputy managing director and president of the company and appointed Anil Manibhai Naik as non-executive chairman with effect from October 1, 2017, for a period of three years.
Box Shyam Kumar wins gold at Thailand International.
Malala Yousafzai, the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is to become the youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace, the organisations.
India ranks 40th in WEF’s global travel and tourism ranking.
The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) appointed Raman Roy, managing director of Quatrro Global Services, as its chairman for 2017-2018.
Canara Bank partners with BSNL.
Ban on cash transactions of over Rs 2 lakh not applicable for the bank, post office withdrawals.
HDFC Ban UPI on Chillar app.