16th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. Petroleum ministry to observe Ujjwala Diwas on April 20

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has decided to celebrate April 20, 2018 as the Ujjwala Diwas, as a part of the as a part of the ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’.

• Around 15000 LPG Panchayats will be organized across the country to promote learning through peer group interaction – ‘Kuch seekhein, Kuch Sikhayein’.

2. Home Expo India 2018 to be inaugurated on Apr 16

The seventh edition of Home Expo India 2018, organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), will be inaugurated on 16th April at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida.

• Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani will inaugurate the fair, while Ajay Tamta, Minister of State for Textiles, will be the guest of honour.
• Home Expo India 2018 is expected to generate business deals for direct import.
• EPCH is the nodal export promotion body for handicrafts in India.

3. Maharashtra govt launches centre for tribal development

The Maharashtra government has set up an institution to evaluate and quantify special development budget allocations and their impact on tribal development.

• Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the institution — QUEST — in Mumbai.
• Known as Quality Evaluation for Sustainable Transformation centre, the state has taken the first initiative in the country to ensure development in lives of tribal people through the projects undertaken is also quantified.

4. Army Commanders’ Conference: April 18

The biannual Army Commanders’ Conference shall commence on 16 April 2018.

• The opening address will be given by Hon’ble Minister of State for Defence, Shri Subhash Ramrao Bhamre. 
• During the conference, chaired by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff, the senior commanders will deliberate on specific issues to Army formations and Army as a whole.

5. NPCIL, NSDC partner to spur Centre's Skill India mission

 

Aiming to contribute towards economic and sustainable development of communities, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to provide skill training to 500 youth and women at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.

• The skill development project will be executed by NSDC through its approved training partners near Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP),
• It is the single largest nuclear power station in India, situated in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

6. Arun Jaitley takes oath as Rajya Sabha member for new term

 

Making a public appearance in weeks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took oath as a Rajya Sabha member for a new six-year term.

• Mr. Jaitley was administered the oath of office in the Rajya Sabha Chairperson M. Venkaiah Naidu’s chambers.
• He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh last month.

7. Dharmendra to receive Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement award

Veteran actor Dharmendra and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani will be conferred with the prestigious Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement and Raj Kapoor Special Contribution awards, respectively, Maharashtra culture minister Vinod Tawde announced.

• Veteran Marathi actor Vijay Chavhan will receive the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement award.
• Actor-director Mrinal Kulkarni has been named for V Shantaram Special Contribution awards.

8. Concluding ceremony of Commonwealth Games held at Gold Coast

The concluding ceremony of the Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast Australia, on 15 April 2018.

• More than 4500 athletes from 71 nations competed for 275 Commonwealth gold medals over the course of the Games.
• Australia remained on the top of Medal table with 198 medals followed by England with 136 and India got third position with 66 medals. 
• Australia won 80 Golds, 59 Silver and 59 Bronze medals.
• England achieved 45 Golds, 45 Silver and 46 Bronze medals.
• India secured 26 Golds, 20 Silver and 20 Bronze medals.

9. Saina first Indian shuttler to win two singles gold in Commonwealth Games

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal defeated compatriot PV Sindhu 21-18, 23-21 in women's singles final to clinch a gold medal in women’s badminton singles final at the 21st Commonwealth Games.

• Saina, who already had a singles gold medal in Commonwealth Games to her name, thus also became the first Indian shuttler to have won two singles gold medals in badminton in Commonwealth Games.
• Saina had previously won a gold medal in 2010 Commonwealth Games which were hosted by India.