GK 23 APRIL 2015

1) Indian-American Vivek Murthy took charge as U.S. Surgeon-General:

--> Indian-American Vivek Murthy was sworn-in as the U.S. Surgeon-General by Vice-President Joe Biden at a ceremony on 23 April 2015, becoming the youngest-ever in-charge of the country’s public health.

--> Dr. Murthy, who took the oath on the Gita, is now the highest ranking Indian-American in the Obama administration.

--> Dr. Murthy is the country’s 19th Surgeon General.

2) BSNL landline offers free pan-India calls from 9pm to 7am:

--> BSNL on 23 April 2015 announced unlimited free calling scheme during night hours from its fixed line phones to any operator including mobile phones anywhere in the country from 1 May.

--> The scheme would be operational between 9pm to 7am and would cover all type of connections, BSNL said in a statement.

--> This plan is aimed at boosting landline business.

3) Calbuco volcano erupted in Chile for the first time in 42 years:

--> The Calbuco volcano has erupted for the first time in more than 42 years, billowing a huge ash cloud over a sparsely populated, mountainous area in southern Chile.

--> Calbuco last erupted in 1972 and is considered one of the top three most potentially dangerous among Chile’s 90 active volcanos.

4) National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology inked MoU with Snapdeal:

--> National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) on 23 April 2015 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with e-commerce giant Snapdeal to roll out digital marketing courses.

--> The MoU aims at helping small and medium enterprises/businesses and artisans who want to take the online route to become entrepreneurs.

5) India and France began 10-Day Naval exercise named 'Varuna':

--> India and France on 23 April 2015 began 10-day naval exercise 'Varuna' that will see 12 Rafale fighter jets in action off the Goa coast along with a host of naval assets of both countries.

--> The 14th edition of 'Varuna' started with the arrival of four French naval ships at Goa including aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers Chevalier Paul and Jean de Vienne, replenishment tanker Meuse and a maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique 2.

6) World Book and Copyright Day observed:

--> United Nations (UN) observed World Book and Copyright Day across the world on 23 April 2015.

--> The day is an opportunity to recognise the power of books to change our lives for the better and to support books and those who produce them.

--> For the year 2015, UNESCO designated Incheon, South Korea as the World Book Capital 2015 in recognition of its programme to promote reading among people and underprivileged sections of the population.

--> In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

7) Rajiv Ranjan Verma appointed DG, RPF:

--> Senior IPS officer Rajiv Ranjan Verma was on 22 April 2015 appointed as Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF).

--> Verma, a 1978 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre, is presently posted as Director General of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

--> He has been appointed for a period upto the date of his superannuation, i.E. February 29, 2016, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.