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National Current Affairs | Access the Latest Happenings across India
1. Govt. bans over the counter sale of 14 steroid creams:
The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry banned the sale of 14 steroid creams for preventing indiscriminate sale of ointments which contains steroids and antibiotics without prescription.
With Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the decision was taken.
These 14 steroid-based creams and ointments were included under Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
2. Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and Pacific held in Indore:
The Union of ministry of housing and urban affairs and government of Madhya Pradesh jointly organized the Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific.
It was inaugurated by Sumitra Mahajan (Lok Sabha Speaker) and housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The theme of the event at Indore is ‘Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency – A 21st-Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities’
3. India donates USD 1 Million for Swaziland’s National Disaster Management Agency:
USD 1 million donated by India to support Swaziland’s national disaster management agency and expressed commitment to the developmental partnership to create local capacities in the country and across Africa.
The commitment came as the President Ram Nath Kovind becoming the first visiting Head of the State to do so.
Swaziland was invited by India to joint International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a partner
4. The 11th Edition of World Hindi Conference to be held in Mauritius:
Mauritius to host the 11th World Hindi Conference from 18-20 August 2018 at Swami Vivekananda International Conference Center.
This conference will provide the common platform to several Hindi scholars, writers from different parts of the world for contributing the language.
Mauritius Education Minister Leela Devi Dookhun Luchoomun and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj released the logo of 11th World Hindi Conference and the website of the event on 10th April 2018.
5. NHAI signed Agreement under IMT Trilateral Highway for its First International Project:
An agreement for upgradation of Yagyi – Kalewa section of highway in Myanmar to two lanes with earthen shoulder has been signed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
This will be the first international project of NHAI which is a part of trilateral highway India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT).
6. 16th International Energy Forum Ministerial Meeting Hosted by India:
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has inaugurated 16th International Energy Forum.
This is the second time when India hosted IEF Ministerial meeting. The last meeting was hosted in 1996 at Goa which was the 5th IEF Ministerial meeting.
Theme of this meeting was “The Future of Global Energy Security: Transition, Technology, Trade, and Investment”.
7. Gram Swaraj Abhiyan on Ambedkar Jayanti:
On Ambedkar Jayanti (14th April 2018), a “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan” was organized by the Prime Minister that will last till 5th May 2018.
The campaign is for spreading the awareness about welfare schemes and other people-centric initiatives by reaching out to the poor households.
8. IAF to conduct the Biggest Combat Exercise along Pakistan, China Borders:
“Gagan Shakti” the biggest ever combat exercise is going to be conducted by IAF (Indian Air Force) along Pakistan and China borders.
Based on the order of the Air Force Chief, the air force will mobilize its assets in the war scenario within 48 hours of the orders.
The Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will be taking part in this exercise for the first time and will perform two roles i.e offensive and defensive.
9. Transgenders to be Recognized as Independent Gender Category in PAN Form:
The government of India has amended new income tax rules. As per the new rules now transgenders to be recognized as an independent category to get a Permanent Account Number (PAN).
To apply for PAN, a notification has been issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) which frames the policy that provides a new tick box for the transgenders.
10. Proposal Invited by Government for India’s First Offshore Wind Project:
For the first offshore wind energy project of India, the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued Expression of Interest (EoI).
The global Eoi is for developing 1000 MW offshore wind energy project in Gulf of Khambhat, off the coast of Gujarat.
The proposed area for the project is located 23-40 seaward side from Pipavav port in Gujarat.
International Current Affairs | Know What’s happening around the World
1. International Conference on Human Rights inaugurated by Nepal President:
Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated an International Conference on Human Rights in South Asia in Kathmandu.
National Human Rights Commission of Nepal has organized the conference.
The objective of this conference is identifying challenges, assessing progress, addressing impunity and realizing human rights in South Asia.
2. Joint Military Exercise concluded between UAE, Malaysia:
“Desert Tiger 5” joint military exercise concluded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia aimed at sharing expertise and enhancing joint military actions.
The exercise is also for improving the performance level, combat efficiency and working together.
3. Conference on Water, Environment & Climate Change begins in Kathmandu:
This was the first international conference on Water, Environment and Climate change which is inaugurated by Vice President of Nepal Nanda Bahadur Pun.
T he 3-day conference was organized by the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage, Govt of Nepal in association with the Society of Public Health Engineers Nepal and Nepal Engineers Association.
The objective of the conference was to discuss and deliberate on challenges related to water and environmental issues.
4. Bangladesh Ends up with the Reservation System in Government Jobs:
After thousands of students marched across the Bangladesh country to protest a controversial policy of setting aside jobs for special groups, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina decided to scrap the quota system in government services.
National capital Dhaka one of the main points of protests saw groups of students blocking key roads and highways, besides clashing at the Dhaka University which resulted in injuries to more than 100 students.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) | Get the Best Information Out of Top Agreements
1. Headquarters Agreement between India and ISA has Approved by Cabinet:
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved signing of Host Country Agreement between India and ISA (International Solar Alliance (ISA).
In March 2018, the agreement was signed between MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and ISA.
It will help in smooth transition of ISA as an international inter-governmental organization.
2. MoU signed by India with World EXPO 2020 Dubai:
On 10 April 2018, A MoU signed in between India and World Expo 2020 for India’s pavilion in the World Expo 2020 which will be held in Dubai.
The agreement signed by Manoj K Dwivedi (Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Commerce) and Najeeb Mohammed Al Ali (Executive Director of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau).
In the ‘Opportunity’ segment, contract provides for the setting up of India’s pavilion at Expo 2020 on an extra-large plot of about one acre.
3. MoU signed by India & Morocco to Promote Mineral Exploration:
India has signed a memorandum of understanding with Morocco. In this MoU focus would be put on evaluation of potential mineral resources and promoting exploration and mining through participation of both public and private sector.
This agreement is signed in New Delhi between Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development of Morocco.
4. President of India Signs 4 Agreements with Zambia in his 3 Nation Visit:
President Ram Nath Kovind has asked Indian Diaspora in Zambia to become the partner in India’s growth and asked to take advantage of Overseas Citizen of India, OCI programme.
Four MoUs – the Establishment of Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Zambia, taxation, visa exemption on diplomatic passports and judicial cooperation were signed between the two countries.
In last three decades, this is the first time that a state visit to Zambia is undertaken by President of India.
5. MoU signed between India-Timor Leste in Field of Public Health:
For extending affordable healthcare to the people of the Southeast Asian nation, an MoU has been signed in between India and Timor Leste.
Recently the Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar has concluded a four-day visit to Timor Leste for social justice and empowerment.
6. Cabinet Approves MoU on return of Illegal Migrants – India, UK and Northern:
Memorandum of Understanding has approved in between Indian, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of Illegal Migrants. Regarding this MoU, the decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the conclusion of this MoU, Visa-Free Agreement for holders of Diplomatic passports as well as liberalization of UK Visa Regime traveling to the UK legally will be facilitated.
Banking Awareness & Economics Current Affairs | Understand the Top Trends in India
1. RBI Switches Back to GDP Scale to Measure Economy:
The Reserve Bank of India switched back to the gross domestic product (GDP)-based measure to offer its growth estimates from the gross value added (GVA) methodology, citing global best practices.
The government had started analyzing growth estimates from January 2015 by using GVA methodology and also changed the base year to 2018 from January.
2. Foreign Exchange Reserves of India Hits a Life-Time High:
According to the Reserve Bank of India data, India’s foreign exchange reserves hit a life-time high of 424.361 billion US dollar after rising by 1.828 billion dollars in the week to March 30.
Gold reserves of Indian remained unchanged at 21.614 billion US dollar.
3. SBI to Invest Rs 80 bn in Hydropower Project of Nepal:
Total of INR 80 billion will be invested by the State Bank of India in the Arun III Hydropower Project of Nepal.
The Project has 900 MW electricity production capacities.
4. Special Financing Scheme launched by J&k Bank for Industrial Units:
A special financing scheme named ‘Add-on-Working Capital GST: has launched by Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
The scheme is to help the state industry cope with the delay in reimbursement of GST under special tax relief.
J&K Finance Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari launched this scheme.
Science & Technology Current Events | Stay Advanced with Latest Inventions
1. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY) launched in New Delhi:
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
Motive of this scheme is to provide free LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from BPL Households. Cash assistance is given to beneficiaries to get a deposit-free new connection.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved to enhance target base of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana from 5 crores to 8 crores in February 2018.
2. UIDAI launched Digitally Signed QR Code with photo on E-Aadhaar for easier offline verification:
To facilitate offline verification of an individual in a better way, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has brought in secured digitally-signed QR Coded on e-Aadhaar.
The secured feature will now contain a photograph of the Aadhaar holder too, in addition to demographic details.
A very small QR code will be on the front side of cutaway portion of e-Aadhaar
3. Project Dhoop launched by FSSAI to address Vitamin D Deficiency Amongst Youngsters:
In order to address rising incidence of Vitamin ‘D’ Deficiencies (VDD), amongst the youngsters, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a unique initiative named ‘Project Dhoop’ in association with NCERT, NDMC, and North MCD Schools.
The initiative impulses schools to change their morning assembly to noon time mainly between 11 am and 1 pm to ensure maximum absorption of Vitamin D in students through natural sunlight.
4. New Website & Mobile APP of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Launched:
Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot (Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment) launched the New Website & Mobile APP of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis.
As per Central Government Guidelines for official websites, this new website is very user-friendly and will give complete details about the Commission viz. its composition, mandate, manner of filing complaints, details of visits undertaken by its Chairman and Members, etc.
5. New launch of India’s First High Speed Electric Locomotive of 12000HP Capacity:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Indian Railways’ first high-speed electric locomotive of 12000 HP capacity which is developed at the Electric Locomotive Factory, a collaboration between India and France, in Madhepura.
After launching this electric locomotive, India joined the countries like China, Russia, Sweden, Germany which have 12,000HP or above electric locomotives.
Before this, in Indian Railways, the most powerful electric engine was of 6,000 HP.
6. ISRO has launched Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1l:
IRNSS-1I (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System – 1I) launched by Indian Space Research Organization.
It was launched from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Sports Current Affairs | Read all the Major Achievements in Popular Tournaments
| S.No. | Tournaments/Sports Names | Winners | Pictures |
| 1. | 3 Gold, 1 Silver & 2 Bronze in Table TennisCommonwealth Games 2018 | Indian Women’s Table Tennis Team | |
| 2. | 5th Gold in Weightlifting Commonwealth Games 2018 | Punam Yadav | |
| 3. | Gold in 25m Pistol Shooting Event Commonwealth Games 2018 | Heena Sidhu | |
| 4. | Women’s Double Trap Gold in Shooting Commonwealth Games 2018 | Shreyasi Singh | |
| 5. | Bronze medal in Men’s 50m Pistol Event Commonwealth Games 2018 | Om Prakash Mitharval | |
| 6. | World No.1 Indian to Reach Top Spot in Men’s Badminton | Kidambi Srikanth | |
| 7. | India’s Youngest Weightlifting Medalist | Deepak Lather | |
| 8. | India’s 1st Wrestling Gold in Commonwealth Games 2018 | Rahul Aware | |
| 9. | 5th Gold in Wrestling CWG 2018 | Bajrang Punia | |
| 10. | Youngest Indian Gold Medalist in Shooting | Anish Bhanwala | |
| 11. | Gold in 50m Rifle Positions event at CWG 2018 | Sanjeev Rajput | |
| 12. | Gold in Boxing at CWG 2018 | Mary Kom | |
| 13. | Gold in Javelin Throw at CWG 2018 | Neeraj Chopra | |
| 14. | Silver in 60 Kg Boxing at CWG 2018 | Manish Kaushik | |
| 15. | 2nd Gold in Boxing at CWG 2018 | Gaurav Solanki |
Awards and Honours | Fetch the List of Top Awardees in Distinct Fields
| S.No. | Awards Names | Awardees Names | Pictures |
| 1. | Ranks 130 in Economic FREEDOM Index 2018 | India | |
| 2. | Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award | Anushka Sharma | |
| 3. | Becomes the first foreign bank in the UK to ringfence its retail division | SBI (UK) | |
| 4. | World’s Largest Proposed Solar Park | Gujarat | |
| 5. | Entered the Club of Top 20 Airports Across the World | Indira Gandhi International Airport | |
| 6. | Dadasahed Phalke Award | Actor Vinod Khanna | |
| 7. | 65th National Film Awards (Best Actress) | Shri Devi for MOM | |
| 8. | 65th National Film Awards (Best Actor) | Riddhi Sen for Nagar Kirtan | |
| 9. | 65th National Film Awards (Best Hindi Language Film) | Newton | |
| 10. | 65th National Film Awards (Best Action Direction, Best Popular Film & Best Special Effects | Baahubali |
Appointments Latest GK Updates | Upgrade Your Knowledge Cart with the List of Top Influencers
| S.No. | Position & Organization | Name | Pictures |
| 1. | New DG of ICMR | Balram Bhargava | |
| 2. | New BFA Chairman | Ban Ki-moon | |
| 3. | Chairman of Banks Board Bureau | Bhanu Pratap Sharma | |
| 4. | Appointed as Nasscom Chairman | Rishad Premji | |
| 5. | UN Responsible Tourism Ambassador | Lionel Messi | |
| 6. | New Director General of CISF | Rajesh Ranjan | |
| 7. | New Member of UPSC | M Sathiyavathy |
Important Days & Dates | Mark them to Boost up your General Knowledge
| S.No. | Important Days | Dates |
| 1. | National Safe Motherhood Day | 11 April |
| 2. | Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Day | 13 April |
| 3. | B.R. Ambedkar Remembrance Day | 14 April |
List of Important Abbreviations asked in General Awareness | IBPS, SSC, RRB Exams
| S.No. | Important Abbreviations | Full Forms |
| 1. | DTAP | Drugs Technical Advisory Board |
| 2. | ISA | International Solar Alliance |
| 3. | IMT | India-Myanmar-Thailand |
| 4. | Indian Air Force | Indian Air Force |
| 5. | PAN | Permanent Account Number |
| 6. | CBDT | Central Board of Direct Taxes |
| 7. | NIWE | National Institute of Wind Energy |
| 8. | MNRE | Ministry of New and Renewable Energy |
| 9. | EOI | Expression of Interest |
| 10. | ISA | International Solar Alliance |
| 11. | UAE | United Arab Emirates |
| 12. | GDP | gross domestic product |
| 13. | GVA | gross value added |
| 14. | CCEA | Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs |
| 15. | UIDAI | Unique Identification Authority of India |
| 16. | FSSAI | Food Safety and Standards Authority of India |
| 17. | IRNSS | Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System |
| 18. | CWG | Commonwealth Games |
| 19. | ICMR | Indian Council of Medical Research |
| 20. | CISF | Central Industrial Security Force |
To fetch the complete list of Important Abbreviations that are asked in Competitive Exam, please visit the blog – Popular Abbreviations for Competitive Exams: SSC, IBPS, RRB, Govt Jobs.
Above in the Weekly Current Affairs & GK Eduwrap, we have covered up all the major happenings of the country and the world to help you in boosting up your General Knowledge and Awareness.
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