20th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. Saudi Arabia opens 1st movie theater in 35 years

The opening of the first movie theater in Saudi Arabia has been highly anticipated across the country, after over 35 years of prohibition for religious reasons.

• The first film screening is to be in the capital Riyadh, where a mixed Saudi and foreign audience watched the Marvel superhero film "Black Panther".

2. Parcel Directorate inaugurated by Shri Manoj Sinha

Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha has Inaugurated the newly created Parcel Directorate in the Department of Posts.

• The global decline in letter mail, and India being no exception to this trend, has been offset by an increase in packets and parcels.
• This is primarily on account of the e-commerce boom in India, with e-tailers requiring integrated collection, aggregation, sorting, transmission and delivery systems.
• The parcel market (logistics and distribution but excluding fulfilment and merchandise value) in the country is growing at a rate of 15% per annum and is expected to reach Rs. 60,000 Crore by 2026 from the existing Rs. 18,000 Crore.

3. First Ever International SME Convention-2018 in New Delhi

One hundred and fifty participants from 31 countries and 400 entrepreneurs from India will participate in the four day International SME convention being held in New Delhi from 22ndto 24th April.

• The Ministry of MSME has engaged with over 35 International Trade Development organisations to attract and invite able and willing entrepreneurs.
• The convention has specific focus on inclusion of MSMEs in the Make in India program & empowering women entrepreneurs.

4. Chhattisgarh to Distribute Free Smartphones to Over 50 Lakh People

The BJP government in Chhattisgarh will start distributing smartphones to over 50 lakh people for free from May under the Sanchar Kranti Yojana (SKY), months ahead of assembly polls in the state.

• Women heads of households will be the priority recipients of the smartphones.
• The Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) has started the preparation for the distribution of phones, as per the announcement made by the chief minister last year to reduce the digital divides.

5. World Bank: 19-crore Indian adults don’t have bank account

India has 19 crore adults without a bank account despite the success of the ambitious Jan Dhan Yojana, making it the world’s second largest unbanked population after that of China, the World Bank said.

• Besides, almost half of the bank accounts remained inactive in the past year, the multilateral financial institution said in a report, even as it lauded the Government’s financial inclusion scheme, the Jan Dhan Yojana, for bringing in additional 31 crore Indians into formal banking system by March 2018.
• It also said the country’s adult population with a bank account has more than doubled to 80 per cent since 2011.
• The Jan Dhan Yojana was launched by the Modi government in 2014.

6. India is world’s sixth largest economy

India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) clocked in at $2.6 trillion for 2017, according to the database of the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook (WEO) for April 2018.

• India is now the world’s sixth largest economy, displacing France.
• The five economies ahead are the United States, China, Japan, Germany and United Kingdom.

7. Standard Chartered ties up with Zoho

Standard Chartered Bank has announced an alliance with Zoho, a software products company, to offer solutions to enhance corporate banking experience.

• The bank’s business account holders can now pay their suppliers and automate reconciliation right from Zoho Books, Zoho’s cloud accounting software.

8. Madhya Pradesh conferred Most Film Friendly Award

The Most Film Friendly State Award was announced by the Chairman of the Jury, Shri Ramesh Sippy.

• State of Madhya Pradesh was conferred the award for the Most Film Friendly State for its efforts towards easing filming in the State by creating a well-structured web site, film friendly infrastructure, offering incentives, maintaining databases, undertaking marketing and promotional initiatives, unanimously by the Jury from among the 16 States that participated.
• State of Uttarakhand is given a Special Mention Certificate to recognize the efforts made by the State of Uttarakhand towards creating a film friendly environment.

9. Rakesh Roshan to get lifetime achievement honour

Veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan will be felicitated with a Lifetime Achievement honour at the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards for his contribution as a producer, director, screenwriter, editor and actor in Hindi films.

• The awards ceremony will take place on April 29 at Chitrakoot Ground.
• Rakesh Roshan has produced and directed movies like Kaho Na Pyar hai, Koi Mil Gaya, Krish and Kaabil.

10. VP Releases a Book titled 'Bhavdiye'

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has advised the youth to protect preserve and celebrate Indian culture and traditions and youth that are both present and future of this country can achieve their life's goals with hard work and dedication.

• He was addressing the gathering after releasing a Book titled 'Bhavdiye' based on Compilation of Letters written by Shri Kedar Nath Sahani.
• The Vice President said that Shri Kedar Nath Sahani was a writer, freedom fighter, social reformer and an icon who inspired others all over his life.