Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I April 2020 Current 1 | Page
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 9thto 15th April 2020 September 2018 1 | P a g e Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 9thto 15th April 2020 September 2018 Table of Contents Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Mergers and Acquisitions .................................................................................................................................. 3 Days and Events ................................................................................................................................................ 6 MOU and Agreements..................................................................................................................................... 12 Appointments ................................................................................................................................................. 16 Obituaries ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 International Affairs ........................................................................................................................................ 31 Person In News ............................................................................................................................................... 38 Government Policies and Schemes .................................................................................................................. 41 Science and Technology .................................................................................................................................. 43 Business and Economy .................................................................................................................................... 52 Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 61 Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 64 Books and Authors .......................................................................................................................................... 65 Commitees & Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 66 National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 66 2 | P a g e Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th April 2020 September 2018 September 2018 August 2018 Awards & Honours CSS Corp won an award • CSS Corp has won the Outsource Partner of the year 2020 award by the Business Intelligence Group at their Excellence in Customer Service Awards. • The company was named as the winner at Philadelphia on April 20, 2020. • CSS Corp was awarded for emerging as the premier outsourcing partner of the year. • CSS Corp is a new-age IT services and technology company. J&K bagged three national awards • Jammu and Kashmir UT has bagged 3 national awards under separate categories. • The awards were given under three different categories -Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP) Award, Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award by Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Govt of India. • The awards are aimed to strengthen the institution of Gram Sabhas. Adam Higginbotham won William E. Colby Award • Adam Higginbotham's "Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster" has won a $5,000 prize. • Higginbotham has received the William E. Colby Award, given for an outstanding book on military or intelligence history. • The Colby award was established in 1999. • Previous winners include Karl Marlantes' novel "Matterhorn" and Dexter Filkins' "The Forever War." Algerian novel won a prize • The Spartan Court by Abdelouahab Aissaoui has won the 13th International Prize for Arabic Fiction. • Aissaoui is the first Algerian to win the prize. • He won USD $50,000 (£39,950), as well as funding for the English translation of the novel. • The prize is sponsored by the Dept of Culture and Tourism for Abu Dhabi and is run with support from the Booker Prize Foundation in London. Naveen Patnaik honoured by Peta India • Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has been honoured by Peta India for his exemplary nobility in allocating funds to feed animals. • CM Patnaik will be awarded ‘Hero To Animals Award’ for showing compassion towards animals. • He approved of Rs 54 lakhs from a relief fund to feed animals of the community. • The initiative undertaken to feed animals is being conducted in five municipal corporations. Winners of the Adhunik Gram program • Indigram Labs Foundation has announced the winners of its smart village program - 'Adhunik Gram', an initiative to empower agribusiness in rural India. • The winner, IndusTill FarmeTech Pvt. Ltd., won a cash prize of Rs 1 Lakh. • The 1st runner up, Urdhvam Environmental Technologies Pvt. Ltd., won Rs. 50,000 and the 2nd runner up, Impagro farming solutions Pvt. Ltd. won Rs. 30,000. Mergers and Acquisitions RIL raises stake in US-based SkyTran to 26.3% 3 | P a g e Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th April 2020 September 2018 September 2018 August 2018 • Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has increased its stake in US-based SkyTran Inc, a venture-funded technology company that develops pod car transport systems. • RIL has raised its holding in SkyTran to 26.31% from 17.37% on a fully-diluted basis. • In Nov 2019, RIL had raised its stake to 17.37% in SkyTran through its subsidiary, Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd. Axis Bank to acquire stake in Max Life • The board of Axis Bank has approved the purchase of an additional 29% stake in Max Life Insurance which will take the private lender's total stake in the insurer to 30%. • Max Financial Services presently holds a 72.5% stake in Max Life and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) owns 25.5% stake. • Axis Bank is the 3rd-largest private bank and Max Life is the 4th-largest private life insurer in India. HDFC to acquire stake in Reliance Capital • HDFC has acquired 6.43% stake in debt-trapped Reliance Capital by invoking pledged shares. • Following this, the company acquired 252.7 million shares of Rs 10 each saying that the total value of these shares is Rs 252 crore. • The requisite disclosure had already been made on March 27, 2020, and the shares have now been credited to the account of the corporation. Ashok Leyland acquired share in Hinduja • Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland Ltd has acquired 1.57 crore shares of Rs 10 each constituting 3.36 per cent of the equity of its subsidiary Hinduja Leyland Finance Ltd (HLFL). • The cost of acquisition was done at a price of Rs 119 per equity share. • The acquisition is part of the 6.99 per cent acquisition approved by the board of directors at a meeting held on March 21, 2020. Federal Bank to buy 4% stake in IFLIC • The board of directors of Federal Bank gave in-principle nod to acquire additional stake of up to 4% in the equity capital of IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd (IFLIC) from the IDBI Bank. • Federal Bank currently holds a 26% stake in the insurance company. • The move follows IDBI Bank's plans to sell between 23-27% in the life insurance company. • IDBI Bank owns a 48% stake in the company. Facebook buys 9.99% stake in Reliance Jio • Facebook will invest Rs 43,574 crore in Jio Platforms, a unit of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), for a 9.99% stake. • It is an all-cash deal that will help Reliance strengthen Facebook's presence in its largest market, especially for its WhatsApp unit. • Facebook will get a seat on the board of Jio Platforms, along with that of an observer. TVS Motor Company acquired Britain's 'Norton' • TVS Motor Company has acquired Britain’s iconic sporting motorcycle, “Norton”, in an all-cash deal. • The brand is renowned for its classic models and eclectic range of luxury motorcycles. • The brand, which was founded by James Lansdowne Norton, in Birmingham, in 1898 will retain its distinctive identity with dedicated and specific business plans. 4 | P a g e Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I Current Affairs Weekly Capsule I 23rdto 29th April 2020 September 2018 September 2018 August 2018 ORIX acquired IL&FS’s 100% stake in IWPSL • Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) has sold its 100% stake in IL&FS Wind Power Services Ltd (IWPSL) to ORIX Corporation, Japan, for Rs 6.05 crore. • IWPSL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IL&FS Energy Development Company (IEDSL), is engaged in providing supervisory and management support services to seven operating wind power generating special purpose vehicles (SPVs). GP Global acquires lubricants assets • GP Global, an energy-to-agriculture conglomerate, has acquired Nigeria-based Grand Petroleum’s lubricants assets. • It has done so to strengthen its presence in Nigeria and West Africa. • Grand Petroleum is a part of Nigeria’s Nosak Group. • The acquisition includes assets such as a lubricants brand (HiSpeed) and a blending plant with annual capacity of about 50,000 tonnes in Lagos. IndiGrid to acquire GTPL • IndiGrid