15th April 2016

A.India ranks 44th in 2016 Global Connectivity Index

1.India ranked 44th with total score of 30 among 50 different countries in the 2016 Global Connectivity Index (GCI) report compiled by Chinese telecom giant Huawei. 

2.The GCI analyzes the full spectrum of measurements for connectivity and provides a detailed map of the global digital economy. 

3.The index benchmarks 50 countries on the basis of its ICT infrastructure including broadband, data centers, cloud services, big data and IoT in the scale ranging from 0 to 100. 

4.These 50 countries, account for 90 percent of global GDP. 

Key facts 

Top 10 countries in 2016 GCI: United States (score-74), Singapore (72), Sweden (70), Switzerland (68), United Kingdom (65), Denmark (64), South Korea (63), Netherlands (63) and Japan (62). 

B.Akash Missile System successfully test fired

1.Indigenously developed surface-to-air supersonic Akash missile System was successfully test fired from complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipuri in Odisha. 

2.Test: Two rounds of Akash missiles were fired against Pilot less target aircraft (PTA) Lakshya, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Banshee and Para-barrel. 

3.It successfully destroyed the targets coordinated by the user, demonstrating its ‘killing’ efficiency. 

About Akash Missile 
1.Akash (in English it means sky) is a mid-range surface-to-air missile (SAM). It is medium range nuclear capable supersonic missile. 

2.Indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided-Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). 

Features: 
1.The missile has supersonic speeds ranging from Mach 2.8 to 3.5. It is multi target, multi directional, all weather air-defence system consisting of surveillance and tracking radars. 

2.It has capability to carry warhead of 60 kg. It can engage aerial targets up to a range of approximately 25 kms.

C.PM Narendra Modi launches Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan

1.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan’ (Village Self Governance Campaign) to strengthen Panchayati Raj in villages and ensure social harmony in villages. 

2.It was launched on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar at his birthplace at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. 

Key facts 
1.The campaign aims to generate nation-wide efforts to strengthen Panchayati Raj, increase social harmony across villages, promote rural development and foster farmers’ welfare and livelihoods of the poor. 

2.It is eleven day campaign (from 14th April to 24th April 2016) will mainly focus on generating nationwide efforts on promoting above mentioned aim of the campaign. 

3.The campaign will be run jointly by the Union Ministries of Rural Development, Social Justice, Agriculture, Labour and Information and Broadcasting along with the States Governments.

D.PM Narendra Modi launches National Agriculture Market portal eNAM

1.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched National Agriculture Market portal eNAM to connect e-mandis in several States. 

2.eNAM is an online inter-connectivity of e-mandis, aimed at ushering in much needed agriculture marketing reforms to enable farmers to get better price of their produce. 

Key features 

1.e-National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India e-trading platform. It is designed to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. 

2.Farmers can showcase their produce online from their nearest market and traders can quote price from anywhere. 

3.It will result in increased numbers of traders and greater competition. It will also ensure open price discovery and better returns to farmers. 

4.During the launch, 21 mandis from eight states were connected to this unified portal

E.PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Maritime India Summit 2016

1.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Maritime India Summit 2016 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 

2.This is India’s first ever Maritime Summit and the flagship event organised by Union Ministry of Shipping. 

Key facts 

1.The first of its kind two day summit (from April 14 to 16, 2016) will be held at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai. 

2.South Korea is the partner country for the summit and will be represented by a high level ministerial and business delegation. 

3.The main focus of summit is to give impetus to Make In India and blue economy under the Union Government’s ambitious Sagarmala Project emphasising on port-led development It will be global summit that will comprise of an Investors’ Summit along with exhibition and demo session. 

4.More than 50 other maritime nations have been invited. On the occasion of this event, Union government also released a national perspective plan for the Sagarmala Project.