- Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha on Sunday released coffee scented postage stamps at the General Post Office, Bengaluru.
- The stamps, which are being printed at the India Security Press, will be priced at Rs. 100.
- These stamps will be made available at the Philately Bureau, Bangalore General Post Office, and all other head post offices.
- Bhutan was the first country to release aromatic stamps in 1973. New Zealand, Thailand and Switzerland joined in later.
- In 2006, India introduced its first aromatic stamp, with a Rs. 15 sandalwood-scented stamp where 30 lakh of these sold out within two weeks.
- In 2007, rose-scented stamps were released in four varieties of flower- Jawahar, Neelam, Delhi Princess and Bhim- each priced at Rs. five and a jasmine fragrance in 2008.
International Event
Pakistan's Gwadar port leased to Chinese company for 40 years
- A state-run Chinese company will handle the operations of Pakistan's strategic Gwadar port for a period of 40 years
- China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) would carry out all the development work on the port on the Arabian Sea.
- The COPHC has 91 per cent share of revenue collection from gross revenue of terminal and marine operations and 85 per cent share from gross revenue of free zone operation
- Gwadar forms the southern Pakistan hub of the USD 57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure and energy project that Beijing announced in 2014.
- Last year, Pakistan welcomed the first large shipment of Chinese goods at Gwadar, where the COPHC took over operations in 2013. It plans to eventually handle 300 million to 400 million tonnes of cargo a year.
- The route through Gwadar offers China its shortest path to the oil-rich Middle East, Africa, and most of the Western hemisphere, besides promising to open up remote, landlocked Xinjiang.
1st India Indonesia Energy Forum held in Jakarta
- Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal and H.E. Mr. Ignasius Jonan, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Republic of Indonesia met on 20th April, 2017 for the 1st India Indonesia Energy Forum, held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- The Energy Forum was preceded by 2nd Joint Working Group (JWG) on Oil and Gas, 4th Joint Working Group on Coal and 1st Joint Working Group on New and Renewable Energy. The reports of three Joint Working Groups were presented to two Ministers during the Energy Forum.
- Both sides agreed to focus on Capacity building, Exchange of Scientific and Technological information and data, Transfer of Technology on Non-commercial basis in bio fuel and geothermal area, Development on Joint Research or Technical Projects on subject of Mutual interest, Encouragement and promotion of investment and Encouragement of policy Dialogue in solar park.
- India is third largest importer of coal from Indonesia. Indias imports of coal from Indonesia amounted to US$ 3.5 billion in 2016. Several Indian companies have invested in coal mines in Indonesia.
Science & Technology
Kilkari app for awareness on pregnancy, childcare launched
- Haryana has launched a new mobile based application namely ‘Kilkari’ to create awareness among pregnant women, parents, and field workers about the importance of antenatal care, institutional delivery, postnatal care and immunisation
- this mobile application would deliver free, weekly, time appropriate 72 audio messages about pregnancy, child birth and child care from the second trimester of pregnancy until the child attains the age of one year directly to the registered mobile numbers. New modified data elements were added to thematic areas of healthcare delivery
- The app was launched during the concluding day of three-day state level orientation workshop at state Institute of Health and Family Welfare at Panchkula on Friday where new data elements in Health Management Information System (HMIS) were also launched.
Awards & Honours
TripAdvisor presents Bali with 2017 Travellers' Choice Awards
- Travel planning and booking website TripAdvisor has bestowed on Bali an award as the “best destination,” after the island was named the global winner of the 2017 Travelers' Choice Awards in March.
- Bali is a tourist destination that has a lot to offer to its visitors, from culture, nature and even the culinary scene
- The 2017 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period, as well as traveler booking interest on TripAdvisor. The awards honor 418 outstanding destinations across the globe.
- According to the website, Bali improved in three main categories from 2015 to 2016: Accommodation, attractions and restaurants.
Aditi Ashok, SSP Chawrasia win Golf Industry Awards
- SSP Chawrasia and Aditi Ashok were among the winners at the second Golf Industry Association (GIA) Awards.
- Aditi, who finished second in the Ladies European Tour (LET) order of merit last year with the help of two victories, expectedly bagged Outstanding Achievement as a Player award.
- Chawrasia, who successfully defended his Indian Open title earlier this year and had two victories of on tour last year, bagged the Award for the Men's Player of the Year.
- Ali Sher, the Delhi Golf Club caddy-turned-pro-golfer, was feted for an Outstanding Playing Career.
- Ali Sher won the Indian Open back in 1991 and was honoured with an Arjuna Award that year. He went on to win the Indian Open again in 1993.
91-year-old woman doctor handed over Padma Shri in Indore
- Nonagenarian gynaecologist Dr Bhakti Yadav was handed over the Padma Shri award by district collector P Narahari at her house
- Ninety-one-year-old Dr Yadav is Indore's first woman MBBS graduate and was conferred the Padma Shri award this year.
- Dr Yadav has been offering free treatment for the last 68 years and is known for her close association with her patients.
- Born on April 3, 1926 in Mahidpur town of Ujjain district, Dr Yadav completed her primary education in Garoth town. She completed her school from Ahilya Ashram school in Indore
- Dr Yadav went on to become the first woman doctor in Indore when she passed out as part of the first batch of MGM Medical College here in 1948. She was the only woman in the batch.
Sports
Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas win Monte Carlo Masters doubles crown
- India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Uruguayan partner Pablo Cuevas lifted the men’s doubles crown at the Monte Carlo Masters after registering a hard- fought three-set win over Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez in Monaco
- The crown is the first of the season for Bopanna and Cuevas pair and the third for the Indian.
- Bopanna had earlier won the Chennai Open in January with Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan.
- He lost in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships, in which he teamed up with Poland’s Marcin Matkowski.
