1- First indigenously-built Scorpene Submarine Kalvari undocked

Scorpene Submarine

First indigenously-built Scorpene Submarine on 6 April 2015 was undocked at the Mazagaon Dockyard Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The undocked submarine was named Kalvari and is expected to be commissioned into Indian Navy by September 2016. The submarine is part of the Indian Navy’s ambitious submarine programme- Project 75. This programme is undertaken in collaboration France to build fleet of six such submarines. Remaining 5 Submarines will delivered by the MDL to the Indian Navy by 2020 and will form core of the navy’s submarine arm for the next two decades

Features about Scorpene submarine

• Has superior stealth capability. Can undertake various operations including multifarious warfare, Anti-submarine warfare, Intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.
• Ability to launch attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons. The attack can be launched from underwater or on surface.
• Designed to operate in all theatres including the tropics.
• Built using special steel that can withstand high yield stress that can withstand high hydrostatic force and enabling to dive deeper.
• Equipped with Weapons Launching tubes (WLT) that can carry weapons on board and can be easily reloaded at sea.

2- Arab poet Adonis chosen for 2015 Kumaran Asan World Prize for poetry

Arab poet Adonis || Kumaran Asan World Prize

Syrian-Lebanese Arab poet Adonis has been chosen for 2015 Kumaran Asan World Prize for poetry. Adonis was born as Ali Ahmad Said Esber in Western Syria in 1930. Since 1985, he had settled in Paris, France. He has been described as one of the greatest living poet of the Arab world.  Adonis has authored more than twenty volumes of poetry in Arabic, which are widely translated into almost all languages. His poems had helped him to be a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize for many years.

His famous work includes- If Only the Sea Could Sleep, Pages of Day and Night, Songs of Mihyar the Damascene, Not A Star, A Voice, A King is Miyhar, The Adoring Rock, Take me to God.

About Kumaran Asan World Prize for poetry

The award is instituted by Chennai based Kumaran Asan Memorial Association. Named after eminent Malayalam poet Kumaran Asan to honour poets of international stature and introduce them to Indian readers. The award carries a cash prize of three lakh rupees, a memento and citation.

3- Dronavalli Harika wins bronze in World Women’s chess championship

Dronavalli Harika

Indian chess Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika on 6 April 2015 won the bronze medal in the World Women’s chess championships along with Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling. In the semifinal match played at Sochi in Russia, Harika lost to Ukraine’s Mariya Muzychuk and settled to Bronze medal with US $ 20,000. World Women’s chess championship’s winners are Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine) – Won Gold medal along with US $ 60,000 by 2.5 points. Natalija Pogonina (Russia) – Won Silver medal along with US $ 30,000 by 1.5 points.

About Women’s World Chess Championship

It is played to determine the women’s world champion in chess. It is administered by World Chess Federation (FIDE).

4- India to host 5th meeting of SAARC Health Ministers in New Delhi

5th meeting of SAARC Health Ministers || New Delhi

India is going to host the 5th meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Health Ministers in New Delhi. The 5th meeting will start on 9 April 2015 and is being held in pursuance of decisions taken by the SAARC Summit of Heads of States held at Kathmandu in November 2014.

Purpose of the meeting-

• Find out ways and means to synergise collective efforts in order to provide better health and a better quality of life to the citizens of SAARC countries.
• It also seeks to implement identified best practices and share strategies among member countries.
• The meeting will deliberate on key issues including HIV-AIDS, prevention of non-communicable and communicable diseases and to strengthen collaborations amongst the member nations.
• Frame a road map for strengthening collaboration among SAARC countries on a number of issues and challenges faced by them.

Maldives had hosted the 4th meeting of the SAARC Health Ministers in April 2012.

5- MoU inked for construction of BR Ambedkar memorial at Indu Mills land

BR Ambedkar memorial

A three party MoU was signed between Union Ministry of Textiles, Maharashtra government and National Textile Corporation on 5 April 2015 for transfer of land for construction of the memorial for Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial in Mumbai. The MoU was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union textile minister Santosh Gangwar in New Delhi. The agreement will Pave the way for construction of memorial on the 12 acre land adjacent to the Chaityabhoomi in the Indu Mills Compound which belongs to the National Textiles Corporation (NTC). Facilitate the transfer the land of NTC to the state government as per section 11 of The Textile Undertakings Nationalisation Act-1995 which mentions that it can be transferred with prior permission of Union government. The memorial will be constructed on the site where the last rites of architect of the Indian Constitution, Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar were performed after he had died on December 6, 1956.

6- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches National Air Quality Index to give pollution information

National Air Quality Index

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched National Air Quality Index (AQI) to give pollution information on real time basis. Initially the new index will cover 10 cities. They are Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Faridabad, Varanasi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Later it will be extended to more than 60 cities with a population exceeding one million.

Facts about National Air Quality Index (AQI)

AQI will be used to inform people about daily air quality in turn it will provide advisories on health consequences. It will also tell how clean or polluted the air is and what associated health effects. The AQI has been developed for six pollutants- nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, Particle Pollution (PM)2.5, PM10 and carbon monoxide. The new AQI is hosted on the website of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

7- Winners of 2015 Miami Open Titles

Miami Open Titles

Men’s Singles Title World No. 1 and Serbian ace tennis player Novak Djokovic has won the 2015 Miami Open Men’s Singles Title. In the final match he defeated Britain’s Andy Murray by 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-0 score. This was Djokovic’s fifth Miami Open trophy.

Women’s singles Title World No. 1 and American ace tennis player Serena Williams has won the 2015 Miami Open Women’s singles Title. In the final match she defeated Spain’s Carla Suárez Navarro by 6-2, 6-0 score.

Men’s doubles Title American Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan pair has won the 2015 Miami Open Men’s doubles Title. In the final match they defeated Vasek Pospisil (Canada) and Jack Sock (US) pair by 6–3, 1–6, 10–8 score.

Women’s doubles Title India’s Sania Mirza and Switzerland’s Martina Hingis pair has won 2015 Miami Open Women’s doubles Title. In the final match they defeated Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina by 7–5, 6–1 score.

8- Delhi airport wins Golden Peacock National Quality Award 2015

Golden Peacock National Quality Award

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has won the prestigious Golden Peacock National Quality Award for the year 2015. DIAL was bestowed this award for their efforts in building a culture of Total Quality across Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister for culture, youth and development Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan will present this award to DIAL at a specially organized presentation ceremony to be held in Dubai on April 20, 2015. DIAL is a joint venture (JV) company comprising of Airports Authority of India (AAI), GMR Group, Fraport and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

About Golden Peacock National Quality Award

GPNA have been instituted in 1991 by Institute of Directors (IOD) a registered non-profit apex association of company directors. Since its inception, it is globally regarded as a benchmark of corporate excellence. The Award is bestowed annually to encourage total improvement in each sector of the business.

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