UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2021
Maria Ressa, Rappier chief executive officer, was awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World PressFreedom Prize 2021 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the defence or promotion of press freedom especially in the face of danger. It is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the office of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogota, Colombia on 17 December 1986.
DRDO conducts maiden trial of Python-5 Air to Air Missile
Tejas, India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, added the 5th generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) in its air-to-air weapons capability on April 27, 2021. Trials were also aimed to validate enhanced capability of already integrated Derby Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM on Tejas. The test firing at Goa completed a series of missile trials to validate its performance under extremely challenging scenarios. Derby missile achieved direct hit on a high-speed maneuvering aerial target and the Python missiles also achieved 100% hits, thereby validating their complete capability. The trials met all their planned objectives.
Shri Justice Rajesh Bindal to perform duties of the office of the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court
The President of India in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, appointed Shri Justice Rajesh Bindal, senior-most Judge of Calcutta High Court, to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of that High Court with effect from 29th April, 2021 following the retirement of Shri Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan, Chief Justice, Calcutta High Court. A notification in this regard has been issued by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice.
MoU between the India and Bangladesh on the establishment of a framework of cooperation in the area of trade remedial measures
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Director General of Trade Remedies, Republic of India and the Bangladesh Trade & Tariff Commission, People's Republic of Bangladesh on the establishment of a framework of cooperation in the area of trade remedial measures signed on 27th March, 2021 at Dhaka. The primary objective of the MOU is to promote cooperation between the two countries in the area of Trade Remedies, covering the broad activities related to exchange of information, undertaking capacity building activities and activities in accordance with various provisions of World Trade Organization in the area of anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures in bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh.
Cabinet approves Amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gives ex-post facto approval for the Government amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021 (enacted on 28th March, 2021 as the Finance Act, 2021). The amendments were essential to clarify and rationalise the proposals further and address stakeholders concerns arising out of amendments proposed in the Finance Bill. The Government amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021 shall provide equity and inclusiveness to all the taxpayers by addressing stakeholders concerns arising out of amendments proposed in the Bill.The Government amendments to the Finance Bill, 2021 are tax proposals which shall generate timely revenue for the Government and streamline existing provisions by addressing grievances of the taxpayers.
DRDO develops SpO2 based Supplemental Oxygen Delivery System
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation) supplemental Oxygen Delivery System for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas. Developed by Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru of DRDO, the system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 levels and prevents the person from sinking in to a state of Hypoxia, which is fatal in most cases, if sets in. This automatic system can also prove to be a boon during the current Covid-19 situation.
K Madhavan named president of The Walt Disney Company India and Star India
The Walt Disney Company on Wednesday named K Madhavan as the president of The Walt Disney Company India and Star India with immediate effect. The move comes following the departure of Uday Shankar who had stepped down last year. In his new role, Madhavan will drive the strategy and growth of the media giant in India, with responsibility for the Disney, Star and Hotstar businesses and operations spanning across entertainment, sports and regional channels, and direct-to-consumer.
Sushil Chandra appointed next Chief Election Commissioner
Sushil Chandra was appointed as the next Chief Election Commissioner, the Law Ministry said. He will assume charge on April 13, a day after incumbent CEC Sunil Arora demits office. A former CBDT Chairman, Chandra was appointed as an election commissioner on February 14, 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha election. He would demit office on May 14, 2022.
Sputnik V has got Indian regulatory approval
India’s top drug regulatory body gave the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine developed by a Moscow laboratory permission for use in an emergency situation. The decision came hours after an expert panel of the regulator recommended emergency licensure to the vaccine. Sputnik V is now the third vaccine to be given such an approval in India after Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
CRMNEXT Wins the 2021 "Dream Company to Work For" Award Presented by Times Ascent
CRMNEXT is a leading global banking and insurance digital transformation and customer experience platform. It has to its credit the largest banking CRM implementation globally with over a million bankers and a billion customers managed on its platform. The award is a testament to CRMNEXT's exceptional working environment that empowers employees to push their boundaries with a holistic care and work enablement ecosystem, innovative technology stack and continuous learning model to meet the evolving needs of its customers. Times Ascent World HRD Congress is the largest HR event in the world, with over 1800 professionals across 133 countries in attendance this year. The awards highlight outstanding business achievements in categories such as HR Technology, Workplace Innovation and Diversity Inclusion, among others.
Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021 notified
The Government of India has notified Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021 vide Gazette notification under reference G.S.R. 225(E) dated 30th March, 2021. In India, the copyright regime is governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright Rules, 2013. The Copyright Rules, 2013 were last amended in the year 2016. The amendments have been introduced with the objective of bringing the existing rules in parity with other relevant legislations. It aims to ensure smooth and flawless compliance in the light of the technological advancement in digital era by adopting electronic means as primary mode of communication and working in the Copyright Office. A new provision regarding publication of a copyrights journal has been incorporated, thereby eliminating the requirement of publication in the Official Gazette. The said journal would be available at the website of the Copyright Office. In order to encourage accountability and transparency, new provisions have been introduced, to deal with the undistributed royalty amounts and use of electronic and traceable payment methods while collection and distribution of royalties. To reinforce transparency in working of copyright societies a new rule has been introduced, whereby the copyright societies will be required to draw up and make public an Annual Transparency Report for each financial year. The amendments have harmonised the Copyright Rules with the provisions of Finance Act, 2017 whereby the Copyright Board has been merged with Appellate Board. The compliance requirements for registration of software works have been largely reduced, as now the applicant has the liberty to file the first 10 and last 10 pages of source code, or the entire source code if less than 20 pages, with no blocked out or redacted portions.
ReNew Power commissions 110 MW solar capacity in Rajasthan
ReNew Power has commissioned a 110 megawatt (MW) solar generation facility in Rajasthan. As part of the project, ReNew has signed a power purchase agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India at a tariff of Rs 2.49/kWh and will provide clean energy to the state. The solar project in Jaisalmer district is a part of an eventual 2300 MW of solar capacity that ReNew is bringing in Rajasthan.
Rebecca Welch becomes 1st woman to referee in English men’s pro league
Rebecca Welch became the first female referee to officiate an English men’s professional league game, and the managers of the teams involved were full of praise for her performance. The 37-year-old Welch took charge of Port Vale’s 2-0 win over Harrogate in the fourth tier. She is on FIFA’s international list and has twice been referee for the Women’s FA Cup final, in 2017 and 2020. She took up refereeing 11 years ago.
DRDO develops Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard naval ships from missile attack
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard the naval ships against enemy missile attack. Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), a DRDO laboratory, has indigenously developed three variants of this critical technology namely Short Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR), Medium Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR) meeting Indian Navy’s qualitative requirements. The successful development of Advanced Chaff Technology by DLJ is another step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. Recently, Indian Navy conducted trials of all three variants in the Arabian Sea on Indian Naval Ship and found the performance satisfactory. Chaff is a passive expendable electronic countermeasure technology used worldwide to protect naval ships from enemy’s radar and Radio Frequency (RF) missile seekers. The importance of this development lies in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as decoy to deflect enemy’s missiles for safety of the ships.
Indian Navy Ships and Aircraft to participate in exercise La Perouse
Indian Navy Ships INS Satpura (with an integral helicopter embarked) and INS Kiltan alongwith P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft are participating, for the first time; in multi-lateral maritime exercise La Pérouse, being conducted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region from 05 to 07 Apr 2021. The Indian Navy ships and aircraft will exercise at sea with ships and aircraft of French Navy (FN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and United States Navy (USN) during the three day exercise at sea. The exercise La Pérouse, led by French Navy, has participation by FN Ships Tonnerre, an amphibious assault ship and frigate Surcouf. United States Navy is represented in the exercise by amphibious transport dock ship Somerset. Her Majesty’s Australian Ships (HMAS) Anzac, a frigate and tanker Sirius have been deployed by RAN for participation in the exercise while Japan Maritime Self Defence Ship (JMSDF) is represented by the destroyer Akebono. In addition to the ships, integral helicopters embarked onboard ships will also participate in the exercise.
DRDO lab develops light weight Bullet Proof Jacket
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur has developed light weight Bullet Proof Jacket (BPJ) weighing 9.0 kilogrammes, meeting the qualitative requirements of Indian Army. The Front Hard Armour Panel (FHAP) jacket was tested at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh and met relevant BIS standards. The importance of this vital development lies in the fact that each gram of BPJ weight reduction is crucial in enhancing soldier comfort while ensuring the survivability. This technology reduces the weight of the medium sized BPJ from 10.4 to 9.0 kilogrammes. Very specific materials and processing technologies have been developed in the laboratories for the purpose.
Rajinikanth conferred with 51st Dadasaheb Phalke award
Actor Rajinikanth received the 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award on April 1. His contribution as actor, producer and screenwriter has been iconic. The jury which comprised Asha Bhonsle, Mohanlal, Subhash Ghai, Biswajeet Chatterjee and Shankar Mahadevan.
Asha Bhosle chosen for Maharashtra Bhushan award
Maharashtra Govt. announced legendary singer Asha Bhosle as the winner of the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, the state Goverment's highest award. The award , instituted in 1996 by the Maharashtra Government to acknowledge distinguished work and achievements of renowned person from the state, representing different walks of life, carries a cash prize and a citation.
Gandhi Peace Prize for the Year 2019
The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019 is being conferred on (Late) His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman. Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by Government of India since 1995, the 125th Birth Anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex. The Jury for Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Sh Narendra Modi ,and comprises of two ex-officio members, namely the Chief Justice of India and Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha. Two eminent members are also part of the Jury, namely Shri Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Shri Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation.
Gandhi Peace Prize for Year 2020
The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 is being conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by Government of India since 1995, the 125th Birth Anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex. The Jury for Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Sh Narendra Modi ,and comprises of two ex-officio members, namely the Chief Justice of India and Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha. Two eminent members are also part of the Jury, namely Shri Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Shri Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organization.
Lok Sabha passes Insurance Amendment Bill 2021, FDI raised to 74%
The Lok Sabha has passed the Insurance Amendment Bill 2021 leading to a hike in foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the sector to 74 percent. Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill on March 18. This came as a stark contrast to the previous FDI hike that took seven years to be passed in 2015 hiking the limit from 26 percent to 49 percent. During the debate on this bill in the Lok Sabha on March 22, opposition leaders including INC's Manish Tiwari raised questions on why the government was keen to pass a bill that it was against earlier. Responding to these questions, finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that there was an urgent need in the insurance industry for the FDI limit to be hiked to 74 percent so that there is adequate capital available for the expansion of insurers.
IIT Kharagpur Wins the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 6.0
A team of four undergraduate students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur emerged as winners at the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 6.0, sponsored by Cushman and Wakefield, KI and IA: Interior Architects. The team comprised of Siddhant Samarth (Third Year Undergraduate, Department of Civil Engineering), Pratim Majumdar (Third Year Undergraduate, Department of Chemical Engineering), Rishita Raj (Second Year Undergraduate, Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Utkarsh Agrawal (Third Year Undergraduate, Department of Manufacturing Science and Engineering), and were guided by Prof. Jenia Mukherjee (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences). The team from IIT Kharagpur was one of the four teams to progress into the final round out of 1300 teams all over the world and were pitted against the University of Washington, New York University and the University of Denver in the final round hosted online on 18th March 2021. This is the first time that a squad from India has emerged as winners in the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge since the inception of the competition in 2015.
Sridhar Vembu, Padma Shri and founder CEO of Zoho appointed to the National Security Advisory Board
Padma Shri Shridhar Vembu, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zoho was appointed to the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). NSAB consists of a group of top national security experts outside the government. The members are generally senior retired officials, civilian and military academics and distinguished members of civil society.
Swarnim Vijay Varsh 2021
As part of the Swarnim Vijay Varsh 2021 Celebrations at Kolkata, Indian Navy conducted a maiden Operational Demonstration on the Hooghly River on 20 Mar 21. This unique event displayed the maritime prowess of assets and personnel who sail the high seas as well as operate along the coast. Two Waterjet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC), four Navy Patrol Boats, one each Sea King and Chetak helicopter, a Marine Commando (MARCOS) team and a Coast Guard Air Cushion Vessel (CG ACV) demonstrated in the ‘Op Demo’. The Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal Shri Jagdeep Dhankar graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn as first woman President of Tanzania
Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as the President of Tanzania, become the first woman President of Tanzania. She assumed the charge as President of the country after the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli from an illness.
NTPC conferred ‘Role Model’ award at 11th CII National HR Excellence Award 2020-21
NTPC Ltd , a Public Sector Undertaking under Ministry of Power has been conferred the prestigious ‘Role Model’ Award at the 11th CII National HR Excellence Award 2020-21. The award was presented in the virtual conference “Learn from the Achievers”. This award is the highest level of recognition in the field of Human Resources by Confederation of Indian Industry. Since the institutionalization of CII National HR Excellence Award, this is only the second time when the award of Role Model has been conferred to any organization. NTPC is the only PSU to have received this prestigious award.
Manipur emerges as the model state for Van Dhan Vikas Yojana
The Van Dhan Vikas Yojana is a programme for value addition, branding & marketing of Minor Forest Produces by establishing Van Dhan Kendras to facilitate creation of sustainable livelihoods for the forest-based tribes. One major scheme that has contributed to increasing employment and income generation among the tribal population is the Van Dhan tribal start-ups programme, a component of the The ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP’ Scheme. Since its inception as the nodal agency working in the area of tribal upliftment, TRIFED has been implementing several programmes and initiatives. The focus of these initiatives is to make India self-reliant under the Atma nirbhar Abhiyan, with the motto, Go Vocal for Local Go Tribal – Mera Van Mera Dhan Mera Udyam.Manipur, in particular, which has emerged as the Champion state where the Van Dhan programme has emerged as a major source of employment for the local tribals. Since the time that the programme was launched in the State in October 2019, 100 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been established. These constitute 1500 SHGs and are benefitting 30,000 tribal entrepreneurs, who are involved in collection, processing, value adding, packaging and marketing of value added products from Minor Forest produce.
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan appointed as Chairman of ‘Stop TB Partnership Board’
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the movement to eradicate Tuberculosis (TB) from India by 2025, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has been appointed Chairman of theStop TB Partnership Board. The Stop TB Partnership is a unique international body with the power to align actors all over the world in the fight against TB. The participation of a wide range of constituencies gives this global body the credibility and the broad range of medical, social and financial expertise needed to defeat TB. The Partnership’s vision is a TB-free world. The appointment of Dr Harsh Vardhan as the Chair of this prestigious global body is a proud recognition of India’s political commitment to eradication of TB. TheUnion Health Minister will hence serve a three year term,commencing July 2021, as the Chair of the Board of Stop TB Partnership. Established in the year 2000, the ‘Stop TB Partnership’ is mandated to eliminate Tuberculosis as a public health problem. The organization was conceived following the meeting of the First Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Tuberculosis Epidemic held in London in March 1998. In its inaugural year itself, the Stop TB Partnership through the Amsterdam Declaration gave a call for collaborative action from ministerial delegations from 20 countries that bear the highest burden of TB. It has 1500 partner organizations which include international, non-governmental and governmental organizations and patient groups. The Secretariat is based at Geneva, Switzerland.
Bihar become first state in India to come up with Ethanol policy
Bihar Cabinet gave its nod to Bihar's own ethanol policy, called Ethanol Production Promotion Policy, 2021, making Bihar the first state in the country to have its own Ethanol policy. The new policy would permit ethanol production in Bihar from all feed stocks permitted by National Biofuels, 2018, and subsequently by National Biofuels coordination committee.
M. A. Ganapathy appointed Director General of National Security Guard
M. A. Ganapathy appointed as Director General of National Security Guard. He has been appointed as NSG DG up to February 29, 2024.
Interior design is a fun and creative field. It mixes art and practicality to make spaces look good and work well. With more people wanting great places to live and work, the need for skilled interior designers is rising. Let’s look at what it takes to have a career in interior design, including nee →
Foundation Date: December 8, 1991 Headquarters: The Republic of Belarus Executive Secretaries: Sergei Lebedev Member Countries: 12 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was established on December 8, 1991, and the leaders of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine signed an a →
In 2009, an unknown programmer by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto put forward a whitepaper that proposed a creation of new form of digital currency - cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency functions the same way as regular currencies do in that its used as a means of exchange, unit of account and a store of va →
Headquarter: New Delhi Function and Objective of the Organization: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food-related issues in various Ministries →
If you contribute your content to our site. Please mail us your content to editor@onlinegk.net