10th April 2015

>>Union government has suspended the registration of Greenpeace India, a non-profit environmental organization for six months with immediate effect.

• MHA suspended Greenpeace India's registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act for 180 days and froze its bank accounts  on April 9 for alleged violations of rules.
• As per MHA, Greenpeace India has used its funds received from foreign sources for unauthorised purposes and has violated the rules mentioned Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.

• Government’s action against the Greenpeace came in the wake of the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB’s) report on foreign funding of NGOs.
• In the IB report, it had charged the Greenpeace and other lobby groups for preventing economic growth of country by campaigning against mining, power projects and genetically modified food.
• Security agencies also have alleged that nearly 200 foreign donors were indulged in money laundering under the garb of donating money to some of these organisations.

>>Telangana now has a spider named after it — Telangana crab spider (Thomisus telanganensis).

• Two wildlife and taxonomy researchers from the Zoology Department of Osmania University chanced upon a female of the species while they were on an expedition at Nagnur in Karimnagar district.
• The spiders of the Thomisidae family structurally resemble crabs and are hence called “crab spiders”. The Telangana variety has a tendency to walk sideways like crabs. They are also known as “flower spiders” as they lie in wait for prey on flowering plants, the researchers said.
• The species closely resemblesThomisus labefactus, well known in Japan.
• “They are important to the ecosystem as they act as bio-controlling agents to keep the insect population under control.

>>India has been elected to four key subsidiary bodies of the United Nations'  Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) agency on economic and social issues.

• India was elected to these bodies during ECOSOC’s coordination and management meeting held at UN headquarters in New York, United States (US) by acclamation i.e. form of election that does not use a ballot.

Four key subsidiary bodies are :

• Executive Board of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ­­- India is elected for a 3 year term beginning January 2016. It was elected, along with 13 other nations.
•  Executive Board of World Food Programme (WFP) - India is re-elected to the for a 2 year period starting from January 2016, along with 5 other nations.
• Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) – India is elected for a 3 year period starting from January 2016. India was elected along with 19 other nations. Some of them are Iran, Pakistan, Austria, France, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and US.
• Governing Council of United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) - India is elected for a 3 year period starting from January 2016 along with 13 other nations. With this, India has created significant 100 percent record of winning the UNECOSOC elections.

>> Retired Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh Moolgaonkar passed away on 9 April 2015 in Pune, Maharashtra. He was 95.

>> Arun Kumar Jha was today appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Mumbai.

• He has been appointed to the post of CEO (Joint Secretary level post) for the balance period of his overall five year tenure up to September 13, 2016, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training.

 Rajalakshmi Devaraj was appointed as Director in Expenditure Management Commission (EMC) under Department of Expenditure.

• Devaraj, a 1998-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service officer, is presently working as Director, NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid). She has been appointed up till April 29, 2017 or till the term of the EMC, the order said.

About Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

•  KVIC is a statutory body formed under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
•  It is an apex organization under the aegis of Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. KVIC seeks to establish and develop khadi and village industries in the rural areas by assisting, planning and promoting them.

>> An 11-member international jury has declared Thane the National Earth Hour Capital with the city emerging the winner from India in the Earth Hour City Challenge this year.

• The city represented India in the Global Earth Hour Capital Competition of 16 countries in Seoul. The host city was declared the winner and acknowledged as the Global Earth Hour Capital 2015.
• Thane, Rajkot and Pune were the finalists from India. Pune received a special mention from the jury for its city mobility plan and its solar and waste-to-energy initiatives.
• “This is a reward for the work that this city has done in the field of renewable energy promotion and energy efficiency.

>> Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi has volunteered to help the newly bifurcated States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in tackling exploitation of children.

• Terming both States a destination of child trafficking, he expressed his willingness to work with the new State governments to formulate guidelines that will help prioritise child rights.