5th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action:  4 April

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed all over the world on 4 April.

• This day is observed to create awareness about the threat of mines, unexploded grenades and other explosive hazards.
• The theme for International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2018 is ‘Advancing Protection, Peace and Development.’

2. Trial run of first India-Bangladesh container train flagged off

The trial run of the first container train between India and Bangladesh was flagged off from Kolkata city.

• The train left for Bangladesh with 60 containers loaded with almost 1,200 tonnes of de-oiled cake, used as a raw material for animal feed.
• It will pass through Sealdah, Naihati, Ranaghat and Gede in India and Darsana and Ishurdi in Bangladesh before reaching Bangabandhu West station, 117 kilometres off capital city of Dhaka.

3. IndusInd Bank gets RBI nod to acquire IL&FS arm

Private sector lender IndusInd Bank said it has received RBI's approval to buy the securities services arm of IL&FS.

• In March 2017, the bank entered an agreement with Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services, the promoter shareholder of IL&FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL), to acquire 100 per cent stake in ISSL.

4. Doha Bank sets up first branch in Chennai

Qatar-based Doha Bank has set up the first branch in the Chennai taking the total number of branches in the country to three, a top official said.

• Doha Bank currently has a branch in Mumbai, Kochi and Chennai, respectively.
• The Chennai branch will assist the bank's growing customer base in India offering a host of services including corporate, retail, treasury, trade, finance and foreign exchange services.

5. India Ratings ups India’s FY19 GDP growth to 7.4%

India Ratings and Research has revised its FY19 GDP growth forecast to 7.4% from 7.1% earlier.

• As per the report, FY19 growth will continue to be driven by consumption and associated sectors such as automobiles, cargo handled at major ports.

6. IndusInd first bank to use WhatsApp for basic services

IndusInd Bank has become the first lender to start using WhatsApp enterprise solution to provide basic banking services to customers.

• Using the widely-used messaging service, customers can check their balance, obtain a mini statement, check reward points as well as update Aadhaar.

7. Himanta Biswa Sarma Elected BAI President

Assam Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was unanimously elected the Badminton Association of India (BAI) President during its annual general body meeting in Goa.

• Ajay Kumar Singhania was elected the Secretary General while former Tamil Nadu Badminton Association president and former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss was elected treasurer.
• Sarma had taken over as the interim BAI President last year after the demise of Akhilesh Das Gupta. He will serve for four years.

8. High Powered Committee to examine the system of conducting Class X and Class XII exam

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has constituted a High Powered Committee to examine the entire system of conducting Class X and Class XII examination conducted by the CBSE with a view to prevent leakages.

• Shri Vinay Sheel Oberoi, Retd. Secretary (Higher Education), MHRD will be the Chairperson of the 7 member High Power Committee.
• The other members of the committee include Shri Pavnesh Kumar, Prof. J.S. Rajput, Prof. Vasudha Kamat, Prof. Krishna Mohan Tripathy,  Senior representative of DG, NIC   and Joint Secretary (SE-II)   
• The High-Powered Committee will submit its report by on or before 31.05.2018.

9. SBI Life gets new MD & CEO

SBI Life Insurance has appointed Sanjeev Nautiyal as its new Managing Director and CEO.

• He replaces Arijit Basu, who takes over a key role in the State Bank of India Group.
• Nautiyal started his career with State Bank of India in 1985 as a probationary officer in the bank’s Lucknow Circle.