Current Affairs 23rd April 2016

Current Affairs 23rd April 2016 - Important Points

• Who nominated 6 eminent members to Rajya Sabha – President Pranab Mukherjee
• 175 nations sign which historic agreement on Earth Day - Paris Climate Agreement
• Who is appointed as FTII Director - Bhupendra Kainthola
• Which company became first Indian company to join EP100 campaign – Mahindra
• India ratified Trade Facilitation Agreement of - WTO
• Who released list of 100 most influential people in the world - Time Magazine
• Which Hollywood movie director died - Guy Hamilton
• Uttarakhand High Court quashed imposition of which rule in the State - President' Rule
• Who is elected as Chadian President for the fifth time - Idriss Deby
• Which anti-slavery activist become first African-American to appear on US paper currency - Harriet Tubman

Details - 

Who nominated 6 eminent members to Rajya Sabha – President Pranab Mukherjee

On 22 April 2016, President Pranab Mukherjee nominated of six eminent personalities from different fields to Rajya Sabha following a recommendation of the Union government.

Here are the lists of nominated 6 eminent personalities:

1.Subramanian Swamy

2.Narendra Jadhav

3.Navjot Singh Sidhu

4.Suresh Gopi

5.Swapan Dasgupta

6.Mary Kom

175 nations sign which historic agreement on Earth Day - Paris Climate Agreement

Along with 175 nations, India has signed the historic Paris Climate Agreement at United Nations Headquarters in New York marking a significant step to combat global warming. 

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar signed the agreement at a high-level ceremony on behalf of India, hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of Earth Day.

This ceremony was attended by heads of governments, foreign ministers, corporate leaders and artists from across the world. The agreement will come into force 30 days after at least 55 Parties to the UNFCCC, accounting for at least 55 per cent of global emissions ratify the agreement. 

Who is appointed as FTII Director - Bhupendra Kainthola

FTII (Director of Film and Television Institute of India) got his new director Bhupendra Kainthola, who is an IIS (Indian Information Service) officer.

Kainthola will now replace Prashant Pathrabe and shall have tenure of three years. He is a 1989 batch IIS officer. 

About Bhupendra Kainthola – 

•Bhupendra Kainthola who holds a Masters in International Relations from the University of Mumbai, is presently serving as Director (News Room) with DD News since January 2015.

•He has been responsible for ‘management of news operations and output’. 

Which company became first Indian company to join EP100 campaign – Mahindra

On 22 April 2016, Mahindra & Mahindra became the first Indian company to join a global energy campaign, EP100, led by an international non-profit group. 

Mahindra will work with the world's most influential businesses in setting commitments to double their energy productivity.

Chairman of Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra represented the corporate world at the high level signing ceremony of the historic Paris climate change agreement at the United Nations.

Know About Mahindra – 

•Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, which is an Indian multinational automobile manufacturing corporation, headquartered in Mumbai.

•Mahindra is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers by production in India and the largest manufacturer of tractors across the world.

•Mahindra is a part of Mahindra Group, an Indian conglomerate.

India ratified Trade Facilitation Agreement of - WTO

On 22 April 2016, India ratified the new Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of World trade Organisation (WTO). 

Anjali Prasad, who is a WTO ambassador of India, handed over the country’s instrument of acceptance to WTO’s Director-General Roberto Azevedo.

TFA along with its ratification will help India further boost economic growth by reducing trade costs and supporting its integration into the global economy.

Know About TFA – 

•TFA (Trade facilitation agreement) is a trade protocol, which is aiming to give a spur and do away with the stumbling blocks in doing international trade between various countries.

•This deal has to come into force fully by 2015.

Who released list of 100 most influential people in the world - Time Magazine

One of the popular magazines, Time Magazine released a list of 100 Most Influential People in the World. 

In this list, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, tennis player Sania Mirza, actress Priyanka Chopra, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and founders of Flipkart, Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal got the space. 

It’s not a ranking, but a combination of public figures from various different fields. The list includes the public figures, who have had some kind of significant impact on the world.

Know About Time Magazine – 

•Time Magazine is an American weekly news magazine, which is published in New York City. 

•Time Magazine was founded in 1923 and for decades was dominated by Henry Luce, who built a highly profitable stable of magazines.

Which Hollywood movie director died - Guy Hamilton

Veteran Movie director Guy Hamilton, who directed four James Bond movies (including the iconic Goldfinger) has passed away at the age of 93.

Hamilton was popularly known for raising the profile of the Bond movie brand through his work with actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

Know About Guy Hamilton – 

•Guy Hamilton was an English film director.

•Hamilton directed about 22 films from the 1950s to the 1980s, including four James Bond films.

Uttarakhand High Court quashed imposition of which rule in the State - President' Rule

The Uttarakhand High Court quashed the imposition of President' Rule in the state and revived the term of Congress Government headed by Harish Rawat. 

Harish Rawat has been asked by the court to prove his majority on 29 April 2016.

By the two-judge bench of the Uttarakhand High Court, the decision was passed comprising Chief Justice KM Joseph and Chief Justice BN Bisht.

Who is elected as Chadian President for the fifth time - Idriss Deby

Idriss Deby again for the fifth time elected as the President of Chad. He became the incumbent President with fifth term in office in a lopsided first-round victory.

Idriss Deby of Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) party secured the 61.56 percent of the vote in the first-round runoff, in the 2016 election.

Know About Idriss Deby – 

•Idriss Deby is a Chadian politician who has been the President of Chad since 1990.

•Deby is also a head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Deby is of the Bidyat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group.

•Deby has taken power at the head of a rebellion against President Hissene Habre in December 1990 and has since survived various rebellions against his own rule. 

Which anti-slavery activist become first African-American to appear on US paper currency - Harriet Tubman

The U.S. Treasury Department declared that the image of an American abolitionist and anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman will appear on a new series of US $20 bills.

After this, Tubman will become the first African-American and the first woman in more than a century to appear on U.S. paper currency.

Tubman is all set to replace Andrew Jackson, who is the seventh President of the United States, to appear as the portrait gracing the US $20 bill.