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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF APRIL 29^th, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF APRIL 29^th, 2019

1.      (29th April) is International Dance Day / World Dance Day.

a.       The day was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute.

b.       The date was chosen to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, who was born in 1727, a French dancer and ballet master and a great reformer of dance. 

2.      Today is the "Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare".

a.       This day is officially recognised by the United Nations (UN) and has been celebrated since 2005.

3.      Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on a 3 day isit to Bishkek (capital of Kyrgyzstan) to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meet.

a.       During this visit, she held a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart  General Wei Fenghe today. 

b.       During this meet, the SCO Defence Ministers will explore ways to further boost defence and security cooperation among the member countries in the wake of evolving security challenges in the region.

c.       India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

4.      Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has issued an order for a ban on burqa, veil or covering of the face in a manner which prevents anyone from being identified. 

a.       The order coming into effect today said any garment or item which obstructs the identification of a persons face would be barred.

b.       It follows last Sunday attacks in which more than 250 people were killed. 

5.      Voting in 9 states in the 4th phase of 2019 Lok Sabha elections began today. 

a.       Polling is being held at 5 seats in Bihar, 17 in Maharashtra, 13 in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and 6 in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. 

b.       8 seats are going for polls in West Bengal, 3 in Jharkhand and 1 in Jammu and Kashmir.

6.      BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay has filed a PIL in Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre to ascertain the feasibility of linking Aadhaar with social media accounts. 

a.       The petition said that according to social media experts 10% of Facebook and Twitter accounts were fake. 

b.       It also claimed that fake accounts were the root cause of many riots and communal tensions.

7.      Gagandeep Kang becomes 1st Indian woman scientist to be awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS), United Kingdom.

a.       She is a clinician scientist, who is well known for her key role in development of Rotavac. 

b.       She currently appointed as executive director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, which is an autonomous institute of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

c.       In 2016, she was conferred prestigious Infosys Prize in Life Sciences for her contributions in understanding natural history of rotavirus and other infectious diseases.

d.       Note : Kang is also 1st Indian and 1st woman to edit Manson’s Textbook of Tropical Medicine.

8.      Public sector lender Canara Bank and its life insurance partner Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance have announced the launch of 'Webassurance'.

a.       Webassurance will enable bank customers to purchase life insurance from the bank's website.

b.       With this, 4 life insurance products of Canara HSBC OBC Life would be made available to customers of Canara Bank, covering the key needs of child future, savings and investments, retirement planning and protection.

c.       MD & CEO of Canara Bank : R A Sankara Narayanan

9.      India finished top of medal tally at ISSF World Cup Rifle/ Pistol 2019 edition held in Beijing, China. 

a.       India still topped the chart for second consecutive ISSF World Cup, third time in last two years. 

b.       In last edition of Shooting World Cup held in New Delhi, India jointly topped standings with Hungary.

c.       With this win India has now secured a total of five 2020 Tokyo Olympic quotas places.

d.       Top 2 in Medal Tally : 

e.       India (3 Gold, 1 Silver) 

f.        China (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)

10. Mercedes' Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas beat his English teammate Lewis Hamilton to win Azerbaijan Grand Prix. 

a.       With this, Mercedes became the 1st team to win the opening four races of an F1 season with one-two finishes. 

11. Dominic Thiem from Austria defeated Daniil Medvedev (Russia) in the final to win the Barcelona Open 2019.

12. India’s Bajrang Punia is 1st Indian wrestler to be invited by American wrestling body for a special fight at iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, US. 

a.       He will be among other top wrestlers selected by American governing body for 6 May 2019 tournament.

b.       He will take on two-time US national champion Yianni Diakomahlis in “Grapple at the Garden” Beat the Streets fight night event, which has become a major showcase for international wrestling since 2010.

13. India wrapped up their campaign at the Asian Wrestling Championships at Xi'an, China, on a resounding note with 16 medals. 

14. Japan's world number one Kento Momota defeated Shi Yuqi of China and retain his Badminton Asia Championships title.