CURRENT GK
1.Flipkart raises $1.4 bn from Microsoft, eBay, Tencent :-
India’s largest online retailer Flipkart has raised a total of $1.4 billion from China’s Tencent, U.S.-based e-commerce firm eBay and software maker Microsoft. The funding is expected to help Flipkart build its war chest in the battle against Amazon.com Inc., which is rapidly gaining share in India’s online retail market.
The Bengaluru-based firm will also buy eBay’s India business as part of the transaction.
2.Vodafone seeks TRAI’s intervention on Jio offer :-
Vodafone India has sought an “immediate intervention” from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India alleging that Reliance Jio was still “luring” customers to its ‘Summer Surprise’ offer, which the telecom regulator had suggested be withdrawn.
Reliance Jio had on April 6 announced its decision to withdraw the offer after TRAI “advised” it to do so.
3.Beijing, Seoul discuss N. Korea sanctions :-
China and South Korea agreed on Monday to slap tougher sanctions on North Korea if it carries out nuclear or long-range missile tests, a senior official in Seoul said, as a U.S. Navy strike group headed to the region in a show of force.
North Korea marks several major anniversaries this month and often marks the occasions with major tests of military hardware.
4.Egypt’s journey: A rejoinder :-
An Editorial of March 30, headlined “Back to square one”, seemed to overlook the fact that the journey of democracy is a marathon and not a sprint, and that the Egyptian people had in three years witnessed the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship, the ruling of a theological regime, and a revolution to oust the oligarchy of the Muslim Brotherhood that seemed defiant despite protests by millions of citizens against the increasingly autocratic policies the regime adopted. These people are seriously committed to stay the course to consolidate democracy.
5.Sheikh Hasina invites India Inc. to Bangladesh, promises SEZs :-
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited Indian companies to invest in the country’s infrastructure sector that requires investments of about $20 billion a year till 2030, promising to exclusively dedicate at least three of the 100 proposed special economic zones in the country for Indian investors.
6.Neil Gorsuch takes first of two oaths, before joining court :-
Surrounded by family and his soon-to-be Supreme Court colleagues, Neil Gorsuch took the first of two oaths on Monday as he prepared to take his seat on the court and restore its conservative majority.
7.Google doodle honours Jamini Roy: Here is everything you need to know about the painter :-
Roy was born on April 11, 1887 at Beliatore village of Bankura district in West Bengal
The Google doodle today honours Indian painter Jamini Roy on his 130th birth anniversary. Roy gave the world a new style of painting which was based on influences from Bengali folk art.
8.Rupee takes 21—paise hit after dollar clout grows :-
The rupee dropped a further 21 paise to 64.49 against the dollar tomorrow on growing safe haven appeal of the American currency after increased geo—political risks and higher chances of a tighter US monetary policy.
9.New faultlines in JNU after deep cuts in research seats :-
The university will admit only 242 research scholars this year, an 82.81 per cent cut from the 1,408 seats for 2017-18 approved by the Academic Council.
In October 2015, Purushothama Bilimale joined Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as head of the Kannada Studies chair and got to work straight away. Over the next year, the professor managed to get a grant of Rs 43 lakh from the Karnataka government, organised seminars and cultural programmes, set up a research library with around 12,000 books, prepared the MPhil curriculum and got it approved from the university.
10.Sakshi Malik, Sandeep Tomar maintain World No 5, World No 7 rankings :-
Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik has maintained her World No 5 ranking in the women’s 58kg freestyle wrestling category – the same as it was last month. Sandeep Tomar also stood still at World No 7 in th men’s freestyle wrestling rankings in the 57kg category.
11.Ruhaan Alva wins Easykart Championship in Italy :-
India’s Ruhaan Alva won the Easykart Championship in Lonato in Italy, overtaking two front runners on the last lap. Ruhaan, the 10-year-old schoolboy from Bangalore, had won the Mini 60 class race in the first round last month in Castelletto, Italy, but decided to move to the more competitive Easykart 60 category.
