17th April 2015

>> Gujarat government today formed a task force comprising several ministers to device a new strategy to eliminate poverty in the state and provide suggestions to the government to achieve this objective. 

• Gujarat's Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramanlal Vora has been appointed chairman of this task force. 
• The task force also comprises two Ministers of State (MoS), including Urban Development Minister Shanker Chaudhari as well as Women and Child Development Minister Vasuben Trivedi.

>>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been presented by ancient Indian sculpture Parrot Lady by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his official visit to Canada.

>>Oil India, the nation's second largest state-owned oil explorer, today said it has commissioned a 54 MW Wind energy project in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

• Saddled between the two states, the project is split between a 16 MW capacity plant at Patan in Gujarat and a 38 MW at Chandgarh in Madhya Pradesh, the company said in a statement.
• The project cost Rs 439 crore -- Rs 126.5 crore for the Gujarat side and Rs 312.45 crore for the Madhya Pradesh location.
• "With this, OIL's installed renewable energy capacity (commercial wind energy and solar energy projects) stands at an impressive 126.60 MW," it said.
• OIL said the Patan wing of the project was commissioned on March 26 while the Chandgarh site was commissioned on March 31.
• "The Project, fully funded by OIL, is being run by Gamesa Wind Turbines, Chennai, who are the project developers. The Project Management consultants are Power and Energy Consultants

>>Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on 17 April 2015 approved release of Gharials in Sutlej and Beas rives in the state to promote eco-tourism.

• Initially, 10 Gharials (last surviving species of the family Gavialidae) will be released in the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of ‘Gharial Recovery Action Plan’.
• Union Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) also had given permission for release of Gharials under Section 12 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

 About Gharial

• The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is also known as the gavial.
•  It is a fish-eating crocodile and belongs to one of the three crocodilian species found in the Indian Sub-Continent.
•  It is also listed as Critically Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species.

>>Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced defence cooperation, in a sign of increasing bonhomie between the Cold War-era adversaries. 

• Asif is on an official visit to Moscow to attend a regional security conference. He held talks with the Russian defence minister, during which the two ministers agreed to increase military cooperation in training and import of arms and equipment. 

• "Joint participation in military exercises will be promoted," the Pakistan defence ministry said in a statement. 

• The ministers also agreed that conflicts should be resolved through diplomatic means and that use of force must be discouraged and abandoned. 

• They also reached a consensus that a multi-polar world would ensure peace and balance in international relations. 

• Pakistan and Russia last year signed a military cooperation agreement to deepen their defence ties and vowed to translate their relationship in "tangible" terms during the first-ever visit of a Russian defence minister in 45 years. 

• Russian defence minister Shoigu's visit last November to Pakistan came at a very critical juncture as US-led NATO forces drawdown from Afghanistan. 

>>Vijender Gupta was appointed the leader of opposition (LoP) in the Delhi assembly on 16 April 2015 with immediate effect.

>>United Nation (UN) peace envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar has resigned, after losing support from Gulf countries for his mission in the conflict-riven nation. 

• His resignation comes after UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for the swift resumption of peace talks and an end to violence in Yemen on 14 April 2015. The adopted resolution adopted calls on the Huthis to withdraw from Sanaa and all other areas they have seized.

>>National Green Tibunal (NGT) chair person Justice Swantanter Kumar issued notices to chief secretaries of all states seeking status on prevention of air pollution on roads.

>>Today 17^th April is Worls Hemophilia Day

• This day is an awareness day for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders.
• This day is observed by World Federation of Hemophilia(WFH) in honor of Frank Schnabel’s(founder of WFH) birthday.

>>International Paralympic Committee suspends the Paralympic Committee of India for an indefinite period.

• This is because of the infighting within the national body and shoddy treatment meted out to athletes during the National Para-Athletics Championships at Ghaziabad last month.

>>Japan scientists developed a self-elevating barrier with the ability to bear the impact of powerful tsunamis.

•  Developed by the team of Nagoya University,in collaboration with Hitachi Zosen Corporation.

>>30 year-old V Saritha becomes the first women driver of the Delhi Transport Corporation.