IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF APRIL 17th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF APRIL 17th, 2017

•       On 17th APRIL  (17th April) is World Hemophilia Day.
•     This day is observed every year on this day to raise awareness about various issues that the global community suffering from bleeding disorder faces as a whole.
•      Theme of World Hemophilia Day 2017 : Hear Their Voices
•     Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrives in New Delhi On 17th APRIL  on a five-day India visit.
•      This is her first state visit abroad after assuming the office in October 2015.
•       She is visiting at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee.
•      During this visit, she will meet the senior leadership here besides visiting temples in Gujarat and Odisha.
•     Turkish President Recep Erdoğan has declared victory in Sunday's referendum on transforming the country's governance from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency.
•       Erdoğan claimed there were 1.3 million more votes cast in his favour. 
•     Apart from extending the term, the changes proposed allow Turkey's President to dissolve the parliament and impose emergencies.
•     A Sikh organisation, National Sikh Campaign (NSC), has launched a $1.5 million (₹9.6 crore) TV campaign to educate Americans about Sikhism. 
•      The campaign will explain how Sikhism's values of tolerance and equality reflect those of the nation, according to its promoters.
•     Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has On 17th APRIL  announced that his ministry is planning to construct a "Historic landmark bigger than Burj Khalifa" in Mumbai and a green, smart road three times bigger than the Marine Drive in the city. 
•      The plans are ready and awaiting Centre's nod, he added. 
•      The plan also includes the creation of spaces for engagement, maritime museum and marinas.
•       Important Points to Note :
•     The present tallest building in the city is 254-metre tall Imperial Towers in Tardeo. 
•     The 60-floor residential buildings are followed by Ahuja towers in Prabhadevi (250-metre), Nirvana Towers, Borivli (250-metre),Indiabulls Sky in Lower Parel (240-metre) and Lodha Fiorenza 1 in Goregaon (225-metre).
•     IIT Kharagpur has decided to introduce Vastu Shastra courses for undergraduate and post-graduate students.
•     The faculty members reportedly believe Vastu studies aren't rooted in religion but instead have a scientific basis and its introduction will open up new avenues. "
•     PM Narendra Modi On 17th APRIL  inaugurated Kiran Multi Super Speciality Hospitaland Research Center which has been built by a private trust in Surat. 
•     The poor must have access to quality and affordable healthcare, Modi said.
•     Note : This is his first visit to Surat ever since he assumed the office in 2014.
•     The government of Japan has approved using Adolf Hitler's autobiography 'Mein Kampf' (My Struggle), as teaching material in schools for educational purposes.
•     However, the government has said that if the book will be used in a way that promotes racial discrimination then that would be considered inappropriate and will lead to a strict response from regulators.
•     China will launch its first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 between April 20 & 24 to provide supplies for the country's future space station
•     Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar and wrestler Sakshi Malik have been included in Forbes' '30 Under 30' Asia 2017 list. 
•     Karmakar is India's only female Olympic gymnast while Sakshi won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympic Games. 
•     The list also features 25-year-old Sharath Gayakwad, India's first Paralympic swimmer and Arjuna award winner, who has 96 medals to his name.
•     22-year-old Horcelie Sinda Wa Mbongo, born with HIV, was crowned Miss Congo UK 2017.
•     Compensation of bank management will soon be based on the performance of their banks, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). 
•     In RBI's revised prompt corrective action norms, restriction on compensation has been recommended towards banks that breach the third-level risk threshold of either capital, bad loans, or profitability. 
•     This framework would apply to all banks operating in India.
•     Government-owned Union Bank of India, which lost $171 million (₹1,100 crore at On 17th APRIL 's rates) because of a hack last year, worked with the RBI and government to track and retrieve the amount within six days.
•     The heist had taken place through a phishing email that appeared to be from the RBI, causing the transfer of funds to four different countries.
•     Chinese oil imports surged to an all-time high last month, overtaking theUnited States as the world's biggest buyer of crude. 
•     March imports stood at 9.17 million barrels per day compared to 8.286 million barrels per day in February. 
•     The increase in oil imports is being attributed to purchases by independent domestic refiners, who received new import quotas in January.
•     Ferrari's Formula One racer Sebastian Vettel pipped British rival, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to win the Bahrain Grand Prix On 17th APRIL . 
•    With the win, Vettel has taken a seven-point lead in the drivers' world championship.