Daily Current Affairs Updates: 18 April 2015

1) Government puts new I-T returns form on hold:

--> Facing a criticism against the proposal to seek details of foreign travel and bank accounts of taxpayers in the 14-page new income tax return forms, the government on 18 April 2015 decided to put the new form on hold.

--> Tax authorities had made several additions to the income tax return form for the assessment year 2015-16 seeking details about foreign travel, foreign assets and income from any source outside the country, and details of all bank accounts held in India at any time during the previous year.

--> With these changes, this was the fifth revamp of the income tax forms in the past five years.

--> The new forms (ITR-1 and ITR-2) were supposed to be used to file returns from July 2015 for the assessment year 2015-16.

2) Venkadarath Saritha is the first woman driver of DTC:

--> Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has appointed a 30-year-old woman from Telangana named Venkadarath Saritha as its first female driver.

--> Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai handed over DTC’s appointment letter to Ms. Saritha, who was earlier working with Azad Foundation’s Sakha cabs in the Capital, in the presence of transport officers and media persons at his office in State Secretariat.

3) President inaugurated centenary celebration of Patna HC:

--> President Pranab Mukherjee on 18 April 2015 inaugurated the centenary celebration of Patna High Court and underlined the glorious judicial history of it.

--> The President also released a postal stamp on the occasion.

--> The Patna High Court will turn 100 early next year as it had commenced work on March 1, 1916.

--> On December 1, 1913, the then Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge had laid the foundation stone of the Patna High Court building and inaugurated it on February 3, 1916.

--> Sir Edward Maynard Des Champs Chamier was the first chief justice of the Patna High Court.

4) World Heritage Day 2015 observed:

--> World Heritage Day was observed across the world on 18 April 2015.

--> The day is observed with an aim to create awareness among the people to conserve and protect the valuable assets and cultural heritage across the world.

5) 'Godse' no longer an unparliamentary word: Speaker

--> The word 'Godse' is no longer unparliamentary except in reference to 'Nathuram Godse', Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has ruled.

--> Parliament had banned the use of the word in 1956.

--> Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi.

--> The order lifting the ban was passed on 16 April 2015. 

6) Vikas Swarup took charge as MEA spokesperson:

--> Senior diplomat Vikas Swarup, whose debut novel was made into the Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire", on 18 April 2015 assumed charge as Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry.

--> A 1986 batch IFS officer, Swarup succeeded Syed Akbaruddin, who has been promoted as Additional Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry and will also be the Chief Coordinator for the India-Africa Summit in October.

--> Mr. Swarup, whose last position was Joint Secretary (U.N.-Political) in Delhi, is a 1986-batch officer and had served in several missions, including in the U.S., the U.K., and Africa.

7) Sholay to hit theatres in Pakistan after 40 years of its release in India:

--> Bollywood classic "Sholay", starring megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, hit theatres in Pakistan for the first time on Friday, 40 years after its India release.

--> Ramesh Sippy-directed action film, considered as an all-time blockbuster of Indian cinema, was released across the country by Geo films and Mandviwalla entertainment with a grand premiere in Karachi at the Neuplex, which was attended by several celebrities.

8) India Today Group chairman Aroon Purie named Editor of the Year:

--> The Jury for the International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter has chosen the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the India Today Group, Aroon Purie, as the 'Editor of the Year'.

--> In a glittering awards ceremony on 18 April 2015 in Mumbai, Purie received the award from Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha.

--> The International Advertising Association (IAA) is the world's only globally focused integrated advertising trade association with membership representing advertisers, agencies and the media.