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- Gujarat’s Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has offered to resign, in the face of infighting within the BJP party in Gujarat. Her decision comes in the face of increasing challenges to the BJP government, the protest by the Patels against her government, and the Dalits’ revolt against the atrocities on members of their community.
- The Parliament has passed Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to conduct a uniform entrance examination for admission to all medical educational institutions. The bill’s provisions will come in to force retrospectively from May 24, 2016.
- The Union Government has capped the prices of 24 essential drugs used for treating cancer, HIV, bacterial infections, anxiety and cardiac conditions.
- Senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Rani Singh Nair has been appointed as Chairperson (Chairman) of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
- The Rajya Sabha is set to approve the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill tomorrow. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will move four Constitutional amendments to roll out the Goods and Services Tax.
- Anant Maheshwari has been appointed as the new President of Microsoft India. Maheshwari will succeed Bhaskar Pramanik, who retires in March 2017.
- The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has given a clean chit to wrestler Narsingh Yadav and exonerated him of all charges of doping. With this he can participate in 2016 Rio Olympics.
- The Karnataka government has entered into a collaboration with Singapore on a three-year pilot project on ‘Enhancing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services’. The three-year multi-track project is designed to share knowledge and enhance the capacity of healthcare workers in managing high-risk pregnancies, and related emergencies so as to reduce infant and maternal mortality.
- The Sawai Madhopur railway station in Rajasthan, the station for the renowned Ranthambore National Park, has won the National Tourism Award 2014-15 for the ‘best tourist-friendly railway station’.
- The floods in Assam have swept away at least 13 of Kaziranga National Park’s iconic rhinos. The floods have affected nearly 20 lakh people in at least 23 districts across the State in Upper, North and Lower Assam.
- Novak Djokovic (World no 1) from Serbia has won the 2016 ATP Toronto Masters also known as the Rogers Cup title in the men’s single category.
- Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen made a landmark apology to Taiwan’s indigenous community for the centuries of suffering including the loss of ancestral lands. The indigenous communities make up two percent of Taiwan’s population, and have suffered the erosion of their traditional culture since the arrival of Chinese immigrants centuries ago.
Today’s Quiz
