UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL/29/2015

CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL/29/2015

1. Sri Lanka's parliament passed Constitutional Amendment Bill (19A) to reduce President's power

Sri Lanka's parliament passed the landmark 19 th. Constitutional Amendment Bill (19A).In the 225-member parliament, 215 voted for while one voted against it, one abstained and seven parliamentarians were absent.

The reforms ensure an independent judiciary, checks President’s power to dissolve the parliament and reduces the term of the President from 6 to 5 years

Under 19A, the directly elected Executive President “shall” act on the advice of the Prime Minister and his cabinet, though the President will continue to be the Head of the Executive and the Cabinet with the right to hold cabinet portfolios

The amendment to the constitution was an electoral promise of President Sirisena who had promised to dismantle near dictatorial system presided over by his predecessor, Rajapaksa

2. Indigenously made Cryogenic engine tested successfully PM Narendra Modi hails space scientists

Indigenous made cryogenic engine has been tested successfuly this cryogenic engine would help India put satellites of up to four tonnes in geostationary orbit. 

Engine was tested at ISRO's propulsion complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu

The powerful and advanced version of the cryogenic engine was ground tested at the Liquid Propulsion systems centre (LPSC)

Team headed by Director D Karthikesan led the testing the test and the test was conducted for 635 seconds

The successful testing is an important milestone in developing lift launch vehicles GSLV MK-3 for the next generation.

3. Raja Rajeswari is New York’s first Indian-American woman judge

Raja Rajeswari,43,has been sworn-in as a criminal court judge of New York city by Mayor Bill de Blasio, she is the first Indian-American woman judge of New York

She migrated to the U.S. from Chennai when she was 16

she has  previously worked with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for her entire career in several bureaus including Criminal Court, Narcotics, Supreme Court, and the Sex Crimes Special Victims Bureau, where she last served as Deputy Chief.

she took the oath along with 27 other judges appointed earlier this month to the Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are part of the New York State Unified Court System

The mayor appoints judges to 10-year terms in the New York City Criminal Court and the Family Court within the city

Presently there are two male judges of Indian origni in civil court settings Jaya Madhavan on the New York City Housing Court in Bronx County, and Anil C. Singh of New York County Supreme Court, 1st District

4. Rajya Sabha passes Regional Rural Banks Amendment Bill,2014

The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014, got the assent of the Rajya Sabha by voice vote The Bill seeks to help Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) raise their authorised capital and direct funds from capital market to help strengthen them.

The Act specifies the composition of the Board of Directors of the RRB to include a Chairman and directors to be appointed through the central government, NABARD, sponsor bank, Reserve Bank of India, etc. The Bill states that any person who is a director of an RRB is not eligible to be on the Board of Directors of another RRB.

The Act specifies the term of office of a director (excluding the Chairman) to be not more than two years. The Bill raises this tenure to three years. The Bill also states that no director can hold office for a total period exceeding six year

5. Loretta Lynch appointed as US attorney general

Loretta Lynch was sworn in Monday as the 83rd U.S. attorney general

She has become the first African-American woman to serve as U.S. attorney general who is the nation's top law enforcement official

Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of office to Lynch at a Justice Department ceremony

55-year-old Lynch replaces Eric Holder, who left the position Friday after serving as attorney general for six years.

Riots are unfolding in Baltimore so its a big challenge for her to quell the riots in Baltimore

6.After Golden Quadrilateral now it's Bharat Mala:PM Narendra Modi's ambitious14,000 crore programme

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee built the Golden Quadrilateral and Narendra Modi wants to build Bharat Mala.

It is an ambitious programme of the Modi government programme to built road along India's vast west-to east land border, from Gujarat to Mizoram at an estimated budget of at a cost of around Rs 14,000 crore

Bharat Mala will be further linked that to a road network in coastal states, from Maharashtra to Bengal

This is a road network will be garland the territory of India and called  Bharat Mala