1. Yogesh Agarwal, the Chairman of PFRDA Resigned; Anup Wadhawan Took Over
i. The Chairman of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), Yogesh Agarwal resigned from the post of Chairman on 13 November 2013.
ii. He resigned because of the Government’s decision to not allow him to be a part of the selection panel for members of the regulator.
Note: Anup Wadhawan was appointed as the new Chairman of PFRDA by the Finance Ministry. It is important to note that Yogesh Agarwal had one and half years more as his tenure of the Chairman
2. Luxembourg gets first gay prime minister
i. Luxembourg swore in Xavier Bettel as its first openly gay prime minister on Wednesday, paving the way for the introduction of social reforms such as same-sex marriage.
ii. Bettel replaces Jean-Claude Juncker, who was until Wednesday the European Union's longest-serving head of government, with 19 years in power. That distinction is now held by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who took office in April 2005.
iii. Bettel, whose deputy Etienne Schneider is also openly gay, is expected to introduce other changes like replacing religious instruction in school with more general ethics classes.
iv. Bettel, 40, was previously mayor of Luxembourg city. He has said his government will need to take unpopular measures and must cut spending to preserve its triple-A credit rating.
3. The Unsung Hero of the NASA’s Apollo Program John C. Houbolt Died
i. The unsung hero of the NASA’s Apollo Program John C. Houbolt died on 20 April 2014 after the complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 95.
ii. He was an engineer in the Apollo Program. His contributions to the US space program were vital to NASA's successful Moon landing in 1969.
iii. Houbolt was the catalyst in securing US commitment to the science and engineering theory that eventually carried the Apollo crew to the moon and back safely.
iv. His efforts in the early 1960s are largely credited with convincing NASA to focus on the launch of a module carrying a crew from lunar orbit, rather than a rocket from Earth or a spacecraft while orbiting the planet.
4. India finish fifth at Men's Asian Champions hockey tourney
i. Akashdeep Singh scored three goals as India thrashed Oman 6-1 to finish fifth in the third Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament at Kakamigahara, Japan on Sunday.
ii. In a fifth-sixth place match, India dominated from the word go, scoring three goals in each half.
iii. Kothajit Singh converted a penalty corner in the sixth minute of the match to give India an early advantage. Five minutes later, Gurjinder Singh doubled the team's lead by converting another penalty corner.
iv. In the 24th minute, Akashdeep Singh gently tapped in Mandeep's pass from a difficult angle to place India in a comfortable position at half time.
v. In the 66th minute, Malak Singh scored with a fierce hit from top of the circle before Akashdeep scored his third goal of the day just two minutes minutes from the hooter to hand India comprehensive victory.
i. The Chairman of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), Yogesh Agarwal resigned from the post of Chairman on 13 November 2013.
ii. He resigned because of the Government’s decision to not allow him to be a part of the selection panel for members of the regulator.
Note: Anup Wadhawan was appointed as the new Chairman of PFRDA by the Finance Ministry. It is important to note that Yogesh Agarwal had one and half years more as his tenure of the Chairman
2. Luxembourg gets first gay prime minister
i. Luxembourg swore in Xavier Bettel as its first openly gay prime minister on Wednesday, paving the way for the introduction of social reforms such as same-sex marriage.
ii. Bettel replaces Jean-Claude Juncker, who was until Wednesday the European Union's longest-serving head of government, with 19 years in power. That distinction is now held by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who took office in April 2005.
iii. Bettel, whose deputy Etienne Schneider is also openly gay, is expected to introduce other changes like replacing religious instruction in school with more general ethics classes.
iv. Bettel, 40, was previously mayor of Luxembourg city. He has said his government will need to take unpopular measures and must cut spending to preserve its triple-A credit rating.
3. The Unsung Hero of the NASA’s Apollo Program John C. Houbolt Died
i. The unsung hero of the NASA’s Apollo Program John C. Houbolt died on 20 April 2014 after the complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 95.
ii. He was an engineer in the Apollo Program. His contributions to the US space program were vital to NASA's successful Moon landing in 1969.
iii. Houbolt was the catalyst in securing US commitment to the science and engineering theory that eventually carried the Apollo crew to the moon and back safely.
iv. His efforts in the early 1960s are largely credited with convincing NASA to focus on the launch of a module carrying a crew from lunar orbit, rather than a rocket from Earth or a spacecraft while orbiting the planet.
4. India finish fifth at Men's Asian Champions hockey tourney
i. Akashdeep Singh scored three goals as India thrashed Oman 6-1 to finish fifth in the third Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament at Kakamigahara, Japan on Sunday.
ii. In a fifth-sixth place match, India dominated from the word go, scoring three goals in each half.
iii. Kothajit Singh converted a penalty corner in the sixth minute of the match to give India an early advantage. Five minutes later, Gurjinder Singh doubled the team's lead by converting another penalty corner.
iv. In the 24th minute, Akashdeep Singh gently tapped in Mandeep's pass from a difficult angle to place India in a comfortable position at half time.
v. In the 66th minute, Malak Singh scored with a fierce hit from top of the circle before Akashdeep scored his third goal of the day just two minutes minutes from the hooter to hand India comprehensive victory.
