Current Affairs Today 16th April 2019 | Current Affairs News

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Daily Current Affairs PDF of 16th April 2019

CURRENT AFFAIRS: CABINET APPROVAL

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the creation of1 post of Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General (Coordination, Communication and Information System).
• The Cabinet has given the approval for ongoing GSLV continuation programme Phase-4 that consists of 5 GSLV rocket flights during 2021-2024. The total fund requirement for the phase 4 programme is Rs 2,729.13 crore. This amount includes the cost of 5 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLVs), addition of essential facility, programme management, launch campaign and extra funds required to meet the scope of the programme.
• They given approval for the proposal of the Department of fertilizers for extension of the duration of New Urea Policy-2015 for existing gas-based area unit from April 1, 2019 until further orders.
• Cabinet approves pact between India and Denmark in the field of Renewable Energy
• Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India and The Ministry of Science and ICT (Korea Post), Government of the Republic of Korea have mutually collaborated to issue Postage Stamps on the theme “Queen Hur Hwang-ok of Korea”.
• To enhance the ties between India and Brazil to work out the future agenda for the amalgamation for innovation in Science & Technology diplomacy to develop a concrete deliberated plan in the area of biotechnology education, training and research.
• Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bolivia on collaboration in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources.
• To strengthen bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding between India and Cambodia in the field of communications.
• Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bolivia in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy. The pact was signed in March 2019 in Bolivia.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

CBDT sets June 30 deadline to dispose of demonetisation cases

• Tax authorities have set a deadline of June 30 to clear up all demonetisation-related cases.
• In its interim action plan for the first quarter of 2019-20, the Central Board of Direct Tax (CBDT) has instructed its officials to dispose of all cases related to demonetisation where assessment is required to be framed.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE

Essel World Launches India’s First Foreign Interactive Bird Park in Mumbai

• India’s first exotic Bird Park ‘Essel World Bird Park’ was launched by Essel World Leisure Pvt. Ltd., the family entertainment arm of the $6-billion Essel Group in Mumbai.
• It is home to over 500 exotic birds from more than 60 species of flying, terrestrial and aquatic birds and has 200 species of special plants and trees for the birds.
• The star attractions at the Bird Park are the African Grey Parrot, Blue Gold Macaw, Cockatiel, Rainbow Lorikeet, Toucan, Black Lory, Violet Turaco and many other varieties of bird.
• Essel World is the largest amusement park in the country

USEFUL INFO
Maharashtra Capital	Mumbai
CM	Devendra Fadnavis
Governor	Chinamani Vidyasagar Rao

Rotary Club of Madras North initiated Project Kannamma

• Project Kannamma is the initiative of the Rotary Club of Madras North to provide sanitary napkins to the students.
• Under the Project Kannamma, sanitary napkins are provided to over 300 students from across Government Schools in and around Chennai.

USEFUL INFO
Tamil Nadu Capital	Chennai
CM	E. Palanisamy
Governor	Banwarilal Purohit

(Bohag Bihu) Rongali Bihu festival celebrated in Assam

• The Bihu Festivals is one of the most popular festivals of Assam, a north-eastern state in India.
• The Bihus are the most important festivals of Assam, which are celebrated each year on April 14^th with loads of fun and abundance.
• Of the three Bihu Festivals held in Assam, the Rongali Bihu Festival is celebrated in Spring. The Assamese people, irrespective of caste, creed, faith, religion and belief, take part in the Bihu Festival.
• Three Bihu festivalsare celebrated in a year called as Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, Bhugali (Magh Bihu) and Kangali (Kati Bihu) for marking the distinctive phase in the farming calendar.
• This festival is observed at almost the same time asBaisakhi in Punjab, Poila Baisakh in Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Vishu in Kerala this year

USEFUL INFO
Assam Capital	Dishpur
CM	Sarbananda Sonowal
Governor	Jagdish Mukhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Mohan named City Union Bank part-time chairman

• The board of City Union Bank Ltd. recommended its independent director R. Mohan to be the next part-time chairman with effect from May 4
• The board also forwarded an application to this effect to the Reserve Bank of India as the present incumbent S. Mahalingam’s tenure ends on May 3
• Mohan, who has been associated with the bank since 1975, was promoted as the chief general manager in 2011 and in 2014 he was inducted on to the board

USEFUL INFO
City Union Bank  CEO	Dr. N. Kamakodi
Headquarters	Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Tagline	Trust and Excellence since 1904

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Bucks’ coach mike budenholzer named coach of the year by NBA coaches association

• Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association’s 2019 Coach of the Year.
• Budenholzer,  led the Bucks to 60 victories marking Milwaukee’s best regular season since 1980-81–and the league’s best record, 60–22, in his first season with the team.
• This year’s recognition marks the second time in Budenholzer’s career that he’s won a Coach of the Year award. He received the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is selected by the media, as the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2014-15

Pulitzer Prize: 2019 Winners List

• Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States.
• It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of American (Hungarian-born) Joseph Pulitzer who had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher, and is administered by Columbia University in New York City
• Prizes are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories. In twenty of the categories, each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash award
• The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal

Sl.No	Category	Winner
1.	Public service	South Florida Sun-Sentinel
2.	Criticism	Carlos Lozada of The Washington Post
3.	Editorial Writing	Brent Staples of The New York Times
4.	Breaking News Reporting	staff of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
5.	Investigative Reporting	Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton and Paul Pringle
6.	Explanatory Reporting	David Barstow, Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner of The New York Times
7.	Local Reporting	staff of The Advocate of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
8.	National Reporting	staff of The Wall Street Journal
9.	International Reporting	1. Maggie Michael, Maad al-Zikry and Nariman El-Mofty 2. Wa Lone, Kyaw Soe Oo and a team from Reuters
10.	Feature Writing	Hannah Dreier of ProPublica
11.	Commentary	Tony Messenger
12.	Editorial Cartoons	Darrin Bell
13.	Breaking News Photography	The photography staff of Reuters
14.	Feature Photography	Lorenzo Tugnoli of The Washington Post
	BOOKS, DRAMA, AND MUSIC
15.	Fiction	The Overstory by Richard Powers
16.	Drama	Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury
17.	General Nonfiction	Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America by Eliza Griswold
18.	Drama	Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury
19.	History	Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
20.	Autobiography or Biography	The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart
21.	Poetry	Be With by Forrest Gander
22.	Special Citation	Aretha Franklin

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

4^th Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific (RCAP) congress 2019

• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu addresses at the 4th Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific Congress 2019, organised by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, in New Delhi.
• The RCAP 2019 is a platform for discussing the opportunities and mechanisms of executing the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

India’s sub-sonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ successfully test fired from Odisha

• India successfully test-fired its first indigenously designed and developed long-range sub-sonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ from a test range in Odisha.
• The missile is equipped with a Ring Laser Gyroscope (RLG) based guidance, control and navigation system. It is also armed with a MEMS- based Inertial Navigation System (INS) and the GPS system.The Nirbhay missile also has capability of striking a multiple targets at a time.
• The missile is nuclear capable, can be equipped with 300kg warhead.
• It has an ability to reach speed of 0.6-0.7 Mach and can be deployed from multiple platforms.The missile weighs 1,500 kg, width of 0.52 meters and has a wingspan of 2.7 metre.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE

China develops world’s first armed amphibious drone boat

• China has successfully tested the world’s first armed amphibious drone boat which the Chinese military analysts claimed could be used in land assault operations and is capable of forming a combat triad with aerial drones and other drone ships.
• Built by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the drone ship, named Marine Lizard, successfully passed delivery checks and left factory on April 8 in Wuhan, capital of Central China’s Hubei Province.
• Having a maximum operation range of 1,200 km, the Marine Lizard can be remotely controlled via satellites,
• The 12-meter-long Marine Lizard is a trimaran propelled by a diesel-powered hydrojet and can reach a maximum speed of 50 knots while maintaining stealth

USEFUL INFO
China Capital	Beijing
Currency	Renminbi, Yuan
President	Xi Jinping

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU

India to partner with Japan and UAE to set up two projects in Africa

• India is joining hands with Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to implement two projects in Africa as it seeks to extend its footprint on the continent where strategic rival China has made deep inroads.
• While India will build a cancer hospital in Kenya in collaboration with Japan, it will partner with the UAE to set up an information and communications technology (ICT) centre in Ethiopia.
• Through this partnership, India has undertaken many projects like the ambitious Pan African e-network project on tele-education and tele-medicine which provides “integrated” satellite, fiber optics and wireless network between educational and medical institutes in Africa and India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Tiger Woods bags fifth Masters at Augusta

• American professional golfer Tiger Woods clinched his fifth Masters and an overall 15th major title, after winning 2019 Masters Tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia between April 11–14, 2019.
• His earlier Masters victories came in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005.

Harsheel Dani clinches Dutch International badminton title

• India’s Harsheel Dani recovered from a game down to get the better of Denmark’s Mads Christo phersen to clinch the Dutch International badminton title in Wateringen, The Netherlands.
• The 22 year old won the Ghana international crown in 2018 second Karvy All India junior-ranking badminton tournament in 2012.

Garin becomes first Chilean ATP champion in a decade

• Chilean professional tennis player Christian Garin (22) won his first ATP title in 10 years in the final of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston. He beat Norway’s Casper Ruud.

Ethiopian runners Gelete Burka and Abrha Milaw win 2019 Paris Marathon race

• Ethiopian athletes Gelete Burka (women’s race) and Abrha Milaw (men’s race) won the 43rd edition of the Paris Marathon.
• Milaw won the men’s race with a time of 2 hours :07 minutes and :50 seconds.
• Burka was the fastest woman with 2 hours :22 minutes and :48 seconds. Kenyan Paul Lonyangata, a two-time Paris Marathon winner, was the third-fastest man.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Space scientist and Padma-Shri awardee Dr SK Shivakumar passed away

• Renowned space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation Satellite Center (ISAC) director Dr SK Shivakumar passed away.
• Dr Shivakumar was part of the team that developed the telemetry system for Chandrayaan-I – India’s first lunar exploration mission.
• Shivakumar was associated with the ISRO for over two decades and had contributed immensely to the mission planning and analysis of several Indian satellite missions, including Bhaskara, Apple, IRS and INSAT.
• He has been awarded the Rajyotsava Award, an honorary doctorate from Mysore University and the prestigious Padma Shri in 2010.