1st april 2016

A.Kachhabali becomes first liquor-free village in Rajasthan

1.Kachhabali village in Bhim tehsil of Rajsamand district has become the first in Rajasthan to liquor-free village. 

2.The village achieved this feat after villagers voted to close down its lone liquor shop to stop alcohol sale in village in the referendum by 67.11%. 

3.The referendum was conducted by the excise department of the state. It is for the first time the provision of the Rajasthan Excise Act, 1975, that provides for the closure of a country liquor shop, was invoked. 

4.Under this provision of the Act, 51% of all registered voters not just those present and voting should opt to close down the shop. 

5.Prior to conducting the poll, at least 20% of the voters of the Gram Panchayat or municipal Ward must seek a referendum on the issue in a letter to the district collector.

B.Bihar Government partially bans sale of country-made and spiced liquor

1.Bihar Government has banned the sale of country-made liquor and spiced liquor throughout the state in the first phase. 

2.Person found indulging in manufacturing trade, transportation, sale and consumption of country-made and spiced liquor across the state will be punished under the stringent provisions of the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016. 

3.The Act has various stringent provisions including awarding ‘capital punishment’ for those who manufacture and sell illicit liquor that causes death. 

4.However this ban will be not valid to Indian Manufactured Foreign Liquor (IMFL) sold in Municipal and Town Council areas through retail outlets of the Bihar State Beverage Corporation Limited. 

5.However state government is also planning to ban the sale of foreign liquor in the second phase. 

6.SHOs across the State would be only responsible for ensuring total ban on production, sale and consumption of country-made liquors.
  
C.4th Nuclear Security Summit begins in Washington

1.The fourth edition of Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) began in Washington, United States to discuss a gamut of issues pertaining to nuclear security. 

2.In this edition of summit, heads of about 53 countries and representatives of five international organisations including the UNO, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), European Union (EU), Interpol  are taking part. 

3.India is being represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the two-day summit. 

4.The fourth summit is the last summit under the current format and also under the presidency of Barack Obama. 

Key facts
1.The summit will highlight achievements and commitments of several countries towards safeguarding nuclear devices and technologies and reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism. 

2.This edition of summit is expected to take stock of the measures being taken by all countries to safeguard nuclear materials and facilities and also prevent non-state actors gaining access to them. 

3.It is also a crucial element of the US strategy to keep terrorists from acquiring fissile material to make nuclear weapons. 

4.The prime focus of the summit will be on North Korea and the terrorist organisation ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).

D.India, US ink MoU for setting up LIGO observatory in India

1.India has signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States for setting up Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in India. 

2.LIGO is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory to detect gravitational waves. 

3.The MoU was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. 

Key facts 
1.The agreement was signed between the US’s National Science Foundation (NSF) and India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science and Technology (DST). 

2.As part of the agreement, the scientists of DAE, DST and NSF will form a Joint Oversight Group (JOG) for better coordination of the project.