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Current Affairs April 2016


i. Germany’s Development Bank KfW will provide loan assistance of 3750 crore rupees for the modern and sustainable metro system for Nagpur city. _testing_joice1

ii. In this regard, a loan agreement was signed by Joint Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs S Selvaraj and Director General of KfW Roland Siller in New Delhi. 

iii. The loan period is 20 years with a moratorium of 5 years and disbursal will be based on the progress of the project over three years. v. The bank depends on a variety of instruments to raise resources, including certificate of deposits, commercial papers, non-convertible debentures and credit lines from external agencies.

Germany’s Development Bank KfW to provide loan assistance to metro system for Nagpur 

iv. With this Nagpur metro project becomes first metro to be financed under the Indo-German partnership for clean, socially inclusive and climate friendly mobility for people in cities. 

v. The project is being executed by Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited and its total costing is of 8,680 crore rupees.


HL Dattu appointed to International Human Rights body


i. Justice HL Dattu, chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, India emerged as the unanimous choice to be appointed as a member of the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC) Bureau in Geneva.

ii. Justice Dattu with his vast experience and legal expertise is expected to contribute richly to the approach of the ICC on the human rights issues being faced by the international community.

iii. His presence on the ICC Bureau will help in not only strengthening the ICC but also enhance the role of NHRIs in the United Nations mechanisms. 

iv. He will also be working towards the creation of new NHRIs in the countries, which have not set up such bodies.

India's Defence Lab Develops Thermal imaging Radar To Look Through Walls


i. In what can prove to be a great aid for the Indian forces in dealing with hostage situations, India's premier government R&D body DRDO has developed a radar that can look through a wall.

ii. The Through Barrier Imaging Radar, named 'Divyachakshu' (divine eye),has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) based in Bangalore and is going through development trials now.

iii. It can look though walls of 20-30 cm thickness made of any material, by using thermal imaging.

iv. "The radar can produce images from the other side of the barrier up to a distance of 20 metres. 

v. It catches the thermal signatures and movements in a room can be clearly seen," a scientist working on the project told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Cabinet approves Udaan scheme till 2019-20

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for extension of time period of the “Special Industry Initiative for J&K” (SII J&K) Udaan scheme till 2019-20. 

ii. Initially, the time period of Udaan was up to 2015-16.

iii. Udaan provides exposure to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to the best of corporate India and corporate India to the rich talent pool available in the State. So far, 67 leading corporates have partnered with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under Udaan with a commitment to train youth from the state covering Organized Retail, Banking, Financial Services, IT, ITES, Infrastructure, Hospitality etc.

iv. More than 19,000 candidates have been selected, more than 15,000 have joined training, out of them, 8700 candidates have completed training and 6,838 have been offered jobs.

v. It is expected that the target of the scheme, to train and enhance employability of 40,000 graduates, post graduates and three year engineering diploma holders, will be achieved by 2019-20.

Ali Mohamed Shein is a new President of Zanzibar

i. The electoral authority of Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, the ZEC, announced incumbent President Ali Mohamed Shein had won his re-election bid, after polls boycotted by the main opposition party.

ii. Shein from the ruling CCM party easily won after the main opposition party, the Civic United Front or CUF, boycotted the election, protesting the ZEC’s decision to nullify the results of last October’s general election in which the opposition apparently won both the presidency and the house of representatives.

iii. International observers, including the European Union and other international bodies, made clear their stand by condemning not only the election re-run, but also the nullification of the October election results.

iv. International observers also did not also go to Zanzibar to observe polls, except for African Union representatives. Since the multiparty system was re-introduced in the country in 1992, with the first multiparty general election in 1995, there has been no easy election for Zanzibar’s ruling CCM.

v. In some four consecutive presidential elections, Hamad claimed to be the winner, but was unrecognized as such by electoral authorities. In 2010, the election in Zanzibar went smoothly following constitutional amendments which led to a government of national unity between the ruling CCM and the main opposition CUF, with Hamad appointed first vice president to Shain.


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