NATIONAL NEWS
IIT Madras researcher develops easy OCR system for Bharati Script
Taking a cue from European languages, several of which have the same (Roman letter–based) script, Srinivasa Chakravathy’s team at IIT Madras has, over the last decade, developed a unified script for 9 Indian languages, named the Bharati script. The team has now gone a step further since developing the script: it has developed a method for reading documents in Bharati script using a multi-lingual optical character recognition (OCR) scheme.
- The team has also created a finger-spelling method that can be used to generate a sign language for hearing-impaired persons. The scripts that have been integrated include Devnagari, Bengali, Gurmukhi, Gujarati, Oriya, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil.
RBI proposes stricter rules for current accounts to tackle fund diversion
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is said to have recommended stringent norms on opening and running of current accounts of corporate borrowers in an attempt to check fund diversion. Current accounts can “only be opened” with the main bank in a lending consortium while other lenders having collection accounts will have to transfer funds at the end of the day to the current account with the consortium lead.
- The banking regulator has, however, proposed that the norm would apply to accounts of corporates which have borrowed and taken loans of Rs 50 crore or more from the banking system.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Rural revitalisation key to eco growth, says 2019 Global Food Policy
Despite strong economic growth in 2018, undernourishment rose for the third year in a row, with 821 million people in the world now facing chronic food deprivation, says 2019 Global Food Policy Report prepared by US-based International Food Policy Research Institute.
- The number of stunted children globally remains very high at 150 million despite a decline of 9 per cent between 2012 and 2017, and other nutrition indicators point to an even more difficult road to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Sri Lankan President bans On Face-Covering in Public
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena used his emergency powers to issue an order to ban burqa, veil or covering of face in public places in any manner which prevents anyone from being identified. The order which came into immediate effect explicitly defines that any garment or item which obstructs identification of an individual’s face is barred. It is placed to ensure national security, establish peaceful and cohesive society and not aimed at inconvenience to any community people.
- In a bid to help stabilize security situation, some Muslim organisations came forward and suggested a ban on burqa. Even local Muslim clerics urged their women not to cover their faces in escalating fears of backlash after the attacks.
- Extra info.:
Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
BOOKS & AUTHORS
'Politics of Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook', released
The “Politics of Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook” new book authored by journalist Saba Naqvi examines possibility of coalition government after 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It examines coalition government history in India to project possibility at the end of 2019 Lok Sabha election. It questions whether ‘coalitions’ are inevitable even when they have been proved unstable, or whether they hold promise of greater democratization in our diverse nation.
- Saba Naqvi is one of India’s renowned journalists, best known author and political analyst. Other books written by her include In Good Faith (2012), Capital Conquest (2015), and Shades of Saffron (2018).
SPORTS
Kvitova beat Kontaveit to win maiden Stuttgart title
World number three Petra Kvitova beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit to win Stuttgart's Porsche Grand Prix for her second title of the year as she prepares for next month's French Open.
- Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, broke her opponent to go 4-2 up in the first set and served out the set a little later on the quick indoor clay courts in Stuttgart.
Asian Wrestling championship: India finishes with 16 medals
India wrapped up their campaign at the Asian Wrestling Championships on a resounding note with 16 medals after Greco-Roman grapplers added a silver and a bronze on the concluding day in Xi’an. Harpreet Singh settled for a silver in 82kg while Gyanender won a bronze in 60kg on the final day of competitions.
- India’s overall tally of 16 medals included eight- one gold, three silver and four bronze won by men’s freestyle wrestlers, four bronze by women and three silver and one bronze by Greco-Roman wrestlers.
Bajrang Punia to become the first Indian wrestler to fight at Madison
Bajrang Punia is set to become the first wrestler from India to fight at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. The 25-year-old, who won the gold medal in the 65-kg category at the ongoing Asian Wrestling Championships earlier this week, is the first Indian wrestler to be invited by the American governing body.
- Bajrang Punia will take part in the "Grapple at the Garden -- Beat the Streets" fight night, scheduled to be held on May 6. He is currently the World No.1 in the 65-kg weight category.
OBITUARIES
Former Indian Footballer Pungam Kannan Passes Away
Former India footballer Pungam Kannan, who was facing acute financial crisis, died at a city hospital following prolonged illness. He was 80. A forward, Kannan played 14 matches for India.
- He also won Santosh Trophy for Bengal twice in a row (1971-73) and was the top-scorer. Born in Vandavasi in Tamil Nadu, Kannan also played in Bengaluru and Chennai.
Oscar-Nominated ‘Children of A Lesser God’ Writer Mark Medoff passes away
Mark Medoff, a provocative playwright whose 'Children of a Lesser God' won Tony and Olivier awards and whose screen adaptation of his play earned an Oscar nomination, has passed away in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was 79.
- Medoff wrote 30 plays and wrote, produced or directed 19 movies. He found his greatest success with 'Children of a Lesser God', the tale of a troubled love affair between a speech teacher and a deaf woman who struggle to overcome the communications gap between their two cultures.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Dance Day
International Dance Day is a global celebration of dance, created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO. The event takes place every year on 29th April, the anniversary of the birth of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet.
- Every year, since its creation in 1982, an outstanding dance personality is selected to write a message for International Dance Day. The theme for this year is “Dance and Spirituality”.
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