15th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. Pakistan bars former PM Nawaz Sharif from holding office for life

Pakistan's Supreme Court has disqualified deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif from holding office for life.

• Sharif, 67, resigned in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding office over an undeclared source of income.

2. Delhi Launches 'Mission Buniyaad' To Improve Students' Learning Skills

The Delhi government has launched the "Mission Buniyaad" scheme to improve learning levels of children from classes 3 to 9.

• Primary education falls within the ambit of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) while the Delhi government is supposed to offer education from classes 6 to 12.
• Under the programme which will run from April to June for class 3 to 5 in MCD schools and class 6 to 9 in government schools, children will undergo a reading level assessment based on which they will be enrolled in specialised classes.

3. PM inaugurates Health and Wellness Centre to mark the launch of Ayushman Bharat

On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a Health and Wellness Centre, to mark the launch of the Union Government’s ambitious Health Assurance Programme – Ayushman Bharat.

• The Centre was inaugurated at Jangla Development Hub, in the aspirational district of Bijapur in Chhattisgarh.
• He inaugurated a bank branch at Jangla and distributed loan sanction letters under the Mudra Scheme to select beneficiaries. He also interacted with Rural BPO employees.

4. RK Singh inaugurates Solar Lamp Assembly & Distribution Center

Shri R K Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, on the occasion of 127th Birth Anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar launched a number of initiatives for the welfare of the underprivileged.

• Of the several initiatives launched, Shri Singh inaugurated Assembly & Distribution Centre for Solar Study Lamps at Mahuli village in Arrah.
• In this centre, local women Self Help Group (SHG) will assemble Solar Study Lamps and distribute them to underprivileged students who do not have access to electricity.

5. India Mobile Congress 2018 to be held in New Delhi

India is going to host its second India Mobile Congress (IMC) between 25-27 October at the national capital.

• It will be hosted by the Department of telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
• The first edition of IMC held in September 2017, was attended by around 2,000 delegates, 32,000 visitors, 152 speakers, 100 exhibitors and 100 start-ups.

6. CWG2018: Anish Bhanwala becomes India’s youngest gold medallist

Karnal’s 15 years old Anish Bhanwala created history by becoming the youngest ever gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) for India.

• The 15-year-old bagged the top prize in the men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event in Gold Coast, Australia.

7. Noted artist Ram Kumar passes away

Senior artist Ram Kumar has passed away. He was 94.

• A modernist, he was associated with the Progressive Artists’ Group comprising M.F.Husain, F.N.Souza, H.A.Gade, S.H.Raza and others.
• He was known for his abstract landscapes.

8. President Receives first copy of book ‘Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Vyakti Nahin Sankalp’

 

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, received the first copy of the book ‘Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Vyakti Nahin Sankalp’ from the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, who formally released it at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan to mark Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary.

• Speaker, Lok Sabha, Smt Sumitra Mahajan, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, and the editor of the book, Shri Kishor Makwana, were also present.