1) Ban on cash transactions of over Rs 2 lakh not applicable for bank, post office withdrawals
•Ban on cash transaction in excess of Rs 2 lakh will not be applicable to withdrawals from banks and post office savings accounts, the Income-Tax department annouced.
•Through the Finance Act 2017, the government has banned cash transactions of over Rs 2 lakh and a penalty of an equal amount would be levied on the receiver.
•In a clarification on the newly inserted Section 269ST in the I-T Act, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) abort the restriction to withdrawal from banks and post offices. Restriction is also not applicable to any receipt by government, banking company, post office savings bank or co-operative bank respectively.
2) PM to launch digital exhibition on Champaran Satyagraha
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a 'special digital exhibition' on the Champaran Satyagraha on 10th April 2017.
•It is a unique initiative to re-envision the theme of the movement undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi. The exhibition will be titled as 'Bapu Ko Karyanjali' and will be launched at the National Archive in New Delhi.
•The theme 'Bapu Ko Karyanjali' is a pointer to the spirit of a fresh resolve towards the goal of cleanliness that was so dear to Mahatma Gandhi. This effort will dovetail into the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, and generate greater awareness towards cleanliness, in the run-up to the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019.
3) India ranks 40th in WEF’s global travel & tourism ranking
•India has jumped 12 places to 40th rank globally in total 136 countries in Travel and Tourism Competitiveness report 2017 by World Economic Forum.
•India lagged behind its other Asian countries like Japan and China which were ranked at the 4th and 13th place, respectively. Spain is ranked at the top in the list.
•The traditional strong travel and tourism destinations, including Japan (4th), the United Kingdom (5th), the United States (6th), Australia (7th), Italy (8th), Canada (9th) and Switzerland (10th), have also made it to the top 10.
4) Malala to become youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace
•Malala Yousafzai, the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize has become the youngest United Nations Messenger of Peace.
•The United Nations stated that the 19-year-old Pakistani education activist will be appointed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April 10, 2017, and it will help to promote girl education around the world.
5) NBA launches first basketball school in India
•The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the setting up of its first basketball school, a network of tuition-based basketball development programmes, in Mumbai.
•The school, as part of a multi-year agreement announced with India On Track (IOT), is open to male and female players between ages 6-18.
•The school’s curriculum has been developed by the NBA’s Elite Basketball Development team in consultation with current and former NBA coaches, former NBA players, and player development experts.
6) Boxer Shyam Kumar wins gold at Thailand International
•Indian boxer K Shyam Kumar won a gold medal in the 49- kilogram category at the Thailand International Tournament in Bangkok.
•He clinched the medal without even stepping inside the ring for his summit clash as Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan was unable to play the match due to his injury.
