Current Affairs 24th April 2018

Current Affairs 24th April 2018 - Important Points

• World Book and Copyright Day 2018 observed globally on - 23rd April 2018
• French National Assembly passes controversial immigration law on - 22nd April 2018
• India’s first $100 billion IT company - TCS
• First court in south India to introduce e-court fee payment facility - Madras HC 
• Gifting of obsolete weaponry to friendly countries is planned by - Government
• Union Ministry of Road Transport inaugurated 29th National Road Safety Week on - 23rd April 2018
• Supreme Court seeks government’s response on plea against Section 377 on - 23rd April 2018

Current Affairs 24th April 2018 - Details

World Book and Copyright Day 2018 observed globally on - 23rd April 2018

The World Book and Copyright Day was celebrated around the world on April 23rd, 2017 to limelight the power of books and to encourage UNESCO’s vision of knowledge societies that are inclusive, diverse, equitable, open and participating for all citizens.
The World Book and Copyright Day pays tribute to books and authors by supporting everyone to discover the pleasure of reading.
World Book Capital for 2018: Athens, Greece

• Every year, UNESCO along with the international firms representing the 3 major sectors of the book industry -publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for the 1 year with effect from 23rd April each year.
• This year, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated Athens, Greece as the World Book Capital for 2018. The city of Athens was selected for its efforts in making books available to the city’s entire inhabitants including immigrants and refugees.
  Did you know?
• 23rd April is measured as a symbolic date for world literature. In 1616, on this day, Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega passed away.
• The Day also marks the birth or death of other prominent authors for instance Maurice Druon, Haldor K Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov and Manuel Mejia Vallejo.

French National Assembly passes controversial immigration law on - 22nd April 2018

The National Assembly of France on April 22nd, 2018 approved a controversial immigration law, after 61 hours of discussion.
The controversial law, which was passed with 228 votes in favour, 139 against and 24 abstentions, uncovered unprecedented divisions in President Emmanuel Macron's young centrist party.
The Controversy Though the law approved largely with the help of Macron's Republic on the Move party, one of the party’s chief members, Jean-Michel Clement, protested and proclaimed his exit from the party after casting a no vote. Politicians of both the right-wing and left-wing parties also voted against the law along with the far-right party, National Front. 
Key Highlights

• The National assembly of the French Parliament was believed to vote on April 20th , on the bill, but the discussion stretched into the weekend due to over 1,000 amendments proposed by delegates.
• Over 200 of the alterations were recommended by LREM members as they agreeably challenged Macron’s plans to double the upper time immigrants can be detained in detention to 90 days.
• While the government fortified the bill as balanced, it has been opposed by right-wings for being too soft and by left-wings for being repressive.

India’s first $100 billion IT company - TCS 

TCS, the country’s largest IT outsourcing organisation created history by becoming the 1st Indian
organisation to attain $100 billion market capitalisation milestone. Market cap is value of organisation
that is operated on stock market. The Indian IT mega hit $100 billion in market cap after it surpassed
Rupees 3,447 per share, presumptuous the present value of the rupee at 66.2150 against the United
States dollar.
Key Points

• With this, Tata Consultancy Services joined the ranks of the world’s 100 most valued organizations and now positions 97th.
• Tata Consultancy Services has also overhauled outsourcing and consultancy huge Accenture which has market cap of $98.20 billion. Tata Consultancy Services grips 1st position among most treasured international pure play technology services organisations.
• INTL Business Machines Corp. has market capitalisation of $133.48 billion, but it has both hardware and technology services actions.
• Presently there are 96 organisations which have market capitalisation of more than $100 billion.
• In 2007, Mukesh Ambani headed Reliance Industries Ltd., was the 1st Indian organisation to surpass the $100 billion mark. Presently, its market capitalisation is at $89.36 billion.

First court in south India to introduce e-court fee payment facility - Madras HC 

The Madras High Court became 1st court in South-India and completely 8th in the nation to introduce e- court fee payment provision. It was combinedly released by CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Chief
Justice Indira Banerjee at the principal seat of the High Court in Chennai as well as at its Madurai Bench.
e-court fee payment facility

• The fresh system will make able complainants who file cases in High Court to pay judicial stamp duty to government through e-stamps, which can be bought both online and offline. It will pave way for calmer and secured way of paying stamp duty. It will also assist to handle sale of counterfeit judicial stamps.
• The e-stamps can be bought online through web portal of Stock Holding Corporation after simple
  registration procedure. Payments for it can be made through net banking/debit cards and so on.
• The e-court fee slips can be involved along with case bundles while presenting them in High Court Registry at time of filing cases.
• The benefit of the system is that the court fee can be paid as and when subscriber requirements without bothering about non-availability of physical stamps.
• It will save time of complainants from standing in long queues at the physical counter.

Gifting of obsolete weaponry to friendly countries is planned by - Government

The Union Government is scheduling to gift obsolete weaponry that can be renovated at least cost to
friendly nations in a bid to enhance defence collaboration with them. Specific military platforms being
observed under this suggestion are artillery guns, armoured carriers, helicopters, naval patrolling
carriers and radar systems that are outdated or near obsolescence.
Key Importance

• Fulfilling the appeals of these nations will open doors for deeper strategic appointment with these
  nations.
• It will also structure ways for enduring partnership through deploying training teams, offering
  special courses in India and supply of spares, repair work being carried out in India over the long time.
• It will also help to create base for Indian defence trade to increase export of new defence platforms, which have been develop in India to these nations.
  Did you know?
• In the course of India’s appointment with many overseas nations, especially during various higher-level visits, number of friendly overseas nations have projected need for 2nd-hand military equipment for their armed-forces on a gift basis.
• These appeals have come from some nations of Indian Ocean Region, few African nations, Central Asian Republics and the Asia-Pacific region.

Union Ministry of Road Transport inaugurated 29th National Road Safety Week on - 23rd April 2018

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari initiated the 29th National Road Safety Week while stating the ministry’s priority to make sure safety of road users in the nation on April 23rd, 2018.
The Ministry holds the Road Safety Week every year with an objective to generate awareness among general public and improve upon the safety of road users. 
Present year, Road Safety Week is being planned from April 23 to April 29th, 2018 and the aim is on schools and commercial drivers. Various events have been planned for school and college students, drivers and all road utilisers.
The subject for the road safety week for the 2018 is is 'Sadak Suraksha - Jeevan Raksha'.
While releasing the Road Safety Week, the Ministry also lime-lighted that India is exploring the prospects of signing a MoU with South Korea for introduction of Highways Information System in the nation. 
This system will be established on lines of the system run by the Express Highways Information Corporation of South Korea, with combined monitoring of a highway at a centralized control room.
Indian Road Safety Campaign

• On the same event, Nitin Gadkari published a paper on road safety developed by Indian Road Safety
  Campaign. 
• Indian Road Safety Campaign is a youth headed national mission led by students and alumni of IIT Delhi, promoting road safety. 
• It is presently working on generating awareness on road safety, developing technologies, simplifying laws and improving the post-accident emergency care system.
• Indian Road Safety Campaign also plans an annual road safety championship ‘Safer India Challenge’ in coordination with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and various state polices.

Supreme Court seeks government’s response on plea against Section 377 on - 23rd April 2018

The Supreme Court of India pursued an answer from the Central Government on pleas challenging the IPC’s Section 377, which criminalises homosexuality, on April 23rd, 2018. The answer was pursued by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M.Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y.Chandrachud on a plea by hotelier and LGBT activist Kesav Suri.
Did you know?

• The supreme court had ordered on January 8th, 2018 that it will reassess its 2013 verdict upholding Section 377 that criminalises gay sex.
• It was found that a section of people who exercise their choice should never remain in a state of fear.
• After mentioning the issue to a larger bench, the court had said - person autonomy and also distinct orientation cannot be atrophied unless the restriction is observed as reasonable to yield to the morality of the Constitution.
• It ruled that otherwise the children would become victim, and protection of the children in all scopes has to be guarded and endangered.
• The supreme court's January 8th ruling had come on a petition by Navtej Singh Johar, who is a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Bharatnatyam dancer, superstar chef Ritu Dalmia and others holding that Section 377 was violative of fundamental rights under Article Article 21.