1. World Bank
releases World Development Indicators 2016
(i) The World Bank Group has released this year’s World Development
Indicators, which provides in-depth cross-country comparable statistics based
on various parameters.
(ii) WDI includes 1400 indicators for over 200 economies.
This year’s WDIs help measure the 169 targets of the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
(iii) Some of the most striking trends that have emerged
this year include – reduction in undernourishment globally, but high rates in
low income countries. Though undernourishment has been halved globally since
1990, over 25% of the population in low-income countries still can’t meet their
dietary energy requirements.
(iv) Secondly, although birth and death records are crucial for
delivery of government programs and services, in Sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than
half of the children’s births were recorded in 2011.
(v) While some regions have increased forest coverage, Latin
America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa lost 97 and 83 million
hectares respectively since 1990.
(vi) Since the 1980s there has been an extraordinary rise in
aquaculture – fish, shellfish, and seaweed farming.
(vii) WDI 2016 includes estimates of global and national
extreme poverty rates at the international poverty line of $1.90 a day per
person.
(viii) This year’s WDI does not distinguish between ‘developed’
and ‘developing’ countries as the distinction is deemed irrelevant with the
SDGs focussing on the world. Classification of a group of countries (eg. East
Asia) is based on geographical coverage rather than a sub-set of countries that
were previously referred to as developing.
2. NRI Kartar Lalvani’s new book delves into imperialism in India
(i) NRI Kartar Lalvani, who is a philanthropist, private
scholar and historian has published a book titled ‘The Making of India: The
Untold Story of British Enterprise’ which reveals “many positive aspects” of the
colonial rule that have remained unknown till now.
(ii) Born in Karachi in 1931, Lalvani studied pharmacy in Chelsea,
before pursuing a doctorate degree with distinction at the University of Bonn.
(iii) He has stated that the book details “how this
great British enterprise and its contributions in the 19th and 20th centuries
helped to create a unified India, out of multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and
divided regions of the vast Indian-subcontinent.”
3. Snooker legend
Steve Davis retires
(i) After an illustrious 38-year-old career, legendary
snooker player Steve Davis has announced his retirement.
(ii) He started playing professionally in 1978 and has till
date won a record 81 titles and 28 titles in the major events which is surpassed
by Scottish player Stephen Hendry who won 36 major titles.
(iii) He holds the credit of having won the Betfred World
Championship six times within a decade, first in 1981 and the last in 1989.
(iv) Among other honours, he also won the Sports Personality
of the Year in 1988.
4. India ranks 133rd
in World Press Freedom Index 2016
(i) As per the World Press Freedom Index 2016 released by the
NGO Reporters Without Borders, India ranks 133rd among 180 countries
in terms of press freedom.
(ii) The NGO condemned PM Narendra Modi’s indifference to “threats
and problems” faced by Indian journalists and bloggers who are “attacked
and anathematised by various religious groups that are quick to take
offence”.
(iii) Finland, the Netherlands and Norway figured in the top
3 positions, and Africa as a region surpassed the Americas in this respect.
(iv) Pakistan was ranked 147th and China 176th. The three
lowest-ranked countries were Syria, North Korea and Eritrea.
5. IR shows high
capital spending of Rs.94,000 crore in FY15
(i) The Indian Railways (IR) has presented a record high capital
expenditure of Rs.94,000 crore in 2015-16, an increase of Rs.37,000 crore vis-à-vis
2014-15.
(ii) For the 2016-17 fiscal IR has set a target of Rs.1.5
lakh crore capital expenditure. PM Modi is likely to have promised an enhanced
Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of up to Rs.60,000 crore, provided IR continues its
good performance.
6. Justice PK Mishra
appointed as Goa Lokayukta
(i) The Goa government appointed Justice PK Mishra as the
Lokayukta of the UT to replace Justice (retd) Sudarshan Reddy, who resigned
within seven months of his appointment as the UT’s Lokayukta.
(ii) Mishra is a former Chief Justice of Patna High Court,
who had until recently served as the chairman of Goa State Human Rights Commission.
7. Irfan Ahmed
suspended for flouting Anti-Corruption Code
(i) The International Cricket Council has suspended Hong
Kong all-rounder Irfan Ahmed for two-and-a-half years as he admitted to breach
of the Anti-Corruption Code.
(ii) He was charged with offences under the Code and temporarily
suspended by the ICC on November 4, 2015. This followed an investigation
carried out by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit.
(iii) Though he was not charged with any offence involving corruption,
the ACU proved beyond doubt that he failed to approach the ACU about
invitations to be a part of corrupt activities that has been made to him
between January 2012 and January 2014.
(iv) Ahmed’s period of ineligibility will take effect from
the date of his provisional suspension and will therefore expire on 4 May 2018.
8. Rahul Johri
appointed as BCCI’s first CEO
(i) In a bid to create an impression as a professional
institution, the BCCI on has appointed Rahul Johri as its first CEO. He will take
charge of the position from June 1.
(ii) Johri was the Asia Pacific’s executive vice-president
and general manager for South Asia with Discovery Networks where he had been
working for 15 years.
(iii) The appointment is being viewed as the result of the SC-appointed
RM Lodha Committee’s recommendations to bring about administrative reforms in the
sport.
(iv) However, it is yet to be seen if Johri will be given enough
independence to carry out his duties. This is because he will report to the BCCI
secretary who is entrusted with all the executive powers.
9. StanChart MD
Saurabh Agarwal joins Aditya Birla Group
(i) Saurabh Agarwal, MD and Regional Head of Corporate
Finance, Standard Chartered Bank is set to join the Aditya Birla Group as Chief
Strategy Officer.
(ii) Agarwal has helped the Birla Group to seal many deals,
including restructuring cement business, and acquisition of UltraTech Cement
Ltd.
(iii) Further, Dev Bhattacharya, presently executive
president of corporate strategy and business development, will take up charge solar,
online fashion and new initiatives.
10. Indian domain
name complaints rise 60% in 2015: WIPO study
(i) As per a recent study by World Intellectual Property Organisation
(WIPO), India registered 59 domain name complaint cases in 2015, which is
nearly a 60% rise.
(ii) While US heads the list of complaints at 847, German
luxury fashion firm Hugo Boss is first among list of global companies which
filed the highest number of cybersquatting cases in 2015.
(iii) Also, fashion emerged as the sector with high activity
as regards domain name complaints.
(iv) Indian firms including Bharti Airtel, Voltas, Tata
Sons, Wipro, Aircel and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation are among
those who filed cybersquatting complaints in 2015.
(v) Note: Cybersquatting is registering, selling or utilising
a domain name with the aim of gaining from the reputation of some other brand
or trademark.
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