16th April 2015

>>Former Czech Republic Prime Minister Stanislav Gross passed away on 16 April 2015. He was 45.

• Stanislav Gross was the youngest PM of Czech Republic and was elected in July 2004 at the age of 34. He had led the Social Democrat government as PM for one year i.e. till 2005.

>>Professor Susanta Lahiri, Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, received the Hevesy Medal Award 2015, on April 12 at the Tenth International Conference .

• He received award on Methods and Applications of Radio-analytical Chemistry for his outstanding contributions to heavy ion induced radioisotope production, tracer packet technique, converter targets, and green chemistry.
• The other person to also win the award this year is Professor Kattesh V. Katti of the Cedntre for Radiological Research, University of Missouri, Columia.
• This premier international award named after George de HEVESY, the 1943- Chemistry Nobel Laureate, "

>>Surya Bahadur Thapa, former Prime Minister (PM) of Nepal passed away on 15 April 2015 in Gurgaon. He was 87.

• Thapa had served as Prime Minister of Nepal for five times under three different kings. His was in office from 1963-64, 1965–69, 1979–83, 1997–98 and 2003-04.

>> India on Thursday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile, with a range of over 3,000 km, from a base in Odisha.

• The surface-to-surface missile was fired from a launch complex at the Inner Wheeler Island off the coast of Dhamra in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from here.
• Agni-III is capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes. It is 16 metres in length and weighs 48 tonnes.
• The missile has a two-stage solid propellant system. It can re-enter the atmosphere at a very high velocity.
• Agni-III is a rail mobile system capable missile and can be launched from anywhere in India

>> India Post today released special  commemorative stamps to mark 50 years of Indo-French co-operation in space research.

     PM: Manuel Valls

     President of France: Francois Hollande

>> Defence minister Manohar Parrikar's visit to  South Korea to boost the defence ties.

• On his first official visit to South Korea, Parrikar will co-chair the India-RoK (Republic of     Korea) Defence Ministerial meeting with his Korean counterpart Gen. Han Min-Koo on Friday, IANS quoted an official statement as saying.
• With an aim to facilitate joint production and investment by South Korean defence companies into the Indian market, these business heads belonging to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Larsen and Toubro, Tata Power SED , among others, made detailed presentations before the joint forum of India-Korea defence industries.

>>Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was inducted into the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy.

• Along with him four other sportspersons were inducted as new members in the Academy.

      Yao Ming- Retired Chinese professional basketball player.

      Tegla Loroupe-  Kenyan long-distance runner.

      Li Xiaopeng-  Chinese gymnast.

      Yang Yang- Former Chinese short track speed skater Yang Yang.