Current Affairs May 2, 2015

Scientist C N R Rao has been conferred with Japan’s highest civilian award

Bharat Ratna Scientist C N R Rao has been conferred with Japan’s highest civilian award for his contributions to science and Indo-Japanese science cooperation, awarded by the Emperor of Japan, Akihito.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval are visiting Kathmandu

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval are visiting Kathmandu to observe the relief work. They have directed all involved Indian agencies to carry relief and rescue operations in full swing.

World’s largest solar photovoltaic plant to be built in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh

The plant will use photovoltaic (PV) technology to generate electricity from the sun and is estimated to be completed by March 2017 with an estimated cost of 4500 crore rupees.

“Horn Ok Please” ban in Maharashtra

Mumbai State transport commissioner, has directed to ban the use of the phrase “Horn Ok Please” on the rear side of the commercial vehicles, such as trucks, across Maharashtra. The cited reason is that, this  phrase is giving licence to motorists to honk unnecessarily and the ban follows numerous complaints of excessive honking in silence zones such as near hospitals, schools and colleges.

Odisha government fixed minimum wages

Odisha government has directed to increase the minimum wages of the skilled, unskilled and semi-skilled workers, based on the recommendation of the state minimum wage advisory committee. The minimum wage for an unskilled labourer has been raised to Rs 200 from earlier Rs 150 a day, For semi-skilled workers the minimum wage is increased to Rs 220 instead of Rs 170 a day, Skilled worker will get Rs 240 daily, compared to earlier Rs 190. The minimum remuneration for highly skilled workers has been raised to Rs 260 from previous Rs 205.

NASA’s Messenger spacecraft crashed into the surface of Mercury

NASA’s Messenger spacecraft has crashed into the surface of Mercury, hence ending its historic 11-year mission which provided valuable data and images of the planet. Messenger, collected critical information regarding Mercury’s crustal magnetic anomalies and ice-filled polar craters. Messenger was launched in August, 2004, and began orbiting Mercury in March 2011. Because Messenger’s initial discoveries raised important new questions and also that the payload remained healthy, this mission was extended twice.

India ranks at 13th in electricity generation from nuclear source

According to the Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2014, India ranks at 13th position in the world in terms of generation electricity from nuclear source. India's current installed nuclear power capacity is 5780 MW. It is expected to increase to 10080 MW by 2019 on progressive completion of projects.

Maharashtra ordered FIR against Snapdeal 

Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has ordered filing of a FIR against e-commerce major Snapdeal.com’s CEO Kunal Bahl and other directors of the company in a case related to online sale of medicines, including prescription drugs.

Deadline for MNP extended

The Department of Telecom has extended the deadline to fully implement the mobile number portability across the country by another two months till July 3, 2015, earlier deadline to implement the full MNP was May 2, 2015.

Microsoft introduced its new web browser

Microsoft has unveiled ‘Edge’, its new web browser, which would eventually replace the existing, Internet Explorer. Edge is lighter and faster than Internet Explorer and will also come with new features such as a built-in notation tool, a distraction-free reading mode, and website information from Cortana, which is a personal voice-assistant application for Windows.

Source: The Economic Times, The Hindu, PIB