NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Sudha
Shivkumar becomes 40th President of FICCI Ladies Organisation: Chennai-based Sudha Shivkumar has assumed the charge as
the 40th president of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) at the 39th
annual session. FLO is the oldest women-led and women-centric business chamber
in Southeast Asia. She is a lawyer and investment banker by profession and
presently serving as a director at auto ancillaries. She was the
Chairperson of the FLO Chennai Chapter in 2016-17. FLO is the women's wing of
the FICCI
2. India
could become world's second-largest solar manufacturer by 2026: According to the new joint report from the Institute for Energy
Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research and
Analytics, India could become the world’s second-largest solar
photovoltaic manufacturer by 2026, after China. India’s cumulative module
manufacturing nameplate capacity more than doubled from 18GW in March 2022 to
38GW in March 2023. In terms of upcoming PV manufacturing
installations, Gujarat would be the leading state in India.
3. PM Modi flagged off Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat
Express: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off
the 11th Vande Bharat Express train between Rani
Kamlapati Railway Station in Madhya Pradesh and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway
station in Delhi. The train will cover a distance of 701 kilometres in 7 hours
30 minutes and will run on all days except Saturday. It will have stoppages at
Veerangana Laxmibai Jhansi, Gwalior and Agra. Vande Bharat train has showcased
the skill, potential and confidence of the nation.
4. Eravikulam National Park gets a fernarium: Eravikulam National Park (ENP) in Kerala, the
natural habitat of Nilgiri tahr in Munnar, has a new attraction — a
Fernarium set up inside the park. This is the first time such a fern collection
has been established in the hill station. The Eravikulam National Park is known
for its diverse range of flora and fauna, and the introduction of the fernarium
is a step towards educating visitors about the park’s biodiversity. Ferns are
part of the Epiphytic family. Fern grows naturally in a soilless condition. The
plants obtain water and nutrients through leaching from trees. It has 52
varieties of ferns have already been planted in the new Fernarium.
5. PM Modi inaugurated CBI’s diamond jubilee celebrations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The premier investigating
police agency of India, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), completes
its 60 years of service to the nation this year. About CBI The Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) was established by a resolution of the Ministry of Home
Affairs, Government of India, dated April 1, 1963. It is not a statutory body
but it is empowered to investigate under the Delhi Special Police Establishment
Act, 1946. The establishment of the CBI was recommended by the Santhanam
Committee (1962–1964). It works under the Ministry of Personnel, Pension &
Public Grievances, Government of India. Headquarters – New Delhi Director
General – Subodh Kumar Jaiswal
6. 1-7 April – Prevention of Blindness Week 2023: The Government of India organizes
the Prevention of Blindness Week from April 1-7 every year to raise
awareness about the causes and prevention of blindness. Objective – To support
individuals with visual impairments, and to promote access to eye care
services. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, the first health
minister of India, established the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness
and along with it, the observance of the week was started in 1960. According to
the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people globally have
a near or distant vision problem while at least one billion cases could have
been prevented with proper care. Also, half of these visual impairment cases
are yet to be addressed.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. NASA
astronaut Christina Koch becomes the first woman to go around the moon: The American Space Agency, NASA has selected the first woman
astronaut, Christina Koch for its Artemis II mission. Other crew
members: Victor Glover (First Black Astronaut) and Reid Wiseman of NASA,
and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It will involve
a fly-by of the moon and a 10-day journey back to Earth. It is part of
NASA's Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the next
man on the moon by 2024.
2. Bahrain
launches Golden Licence to attract large-scale investment projects: Bahrain's government has launched a new initiative
called 'Golden Licence' to incentivize investments and the
creation of jobs. It is designed to provide streamlined services and benefits
to local and foreign businesses with large-scale investment projects in
Bahrain. Eligibility for the Licence: Companies with
significant strategic projects and investments exceeding US$50
million or those creating more than 500 jobs in Bahrain.
3. Bhutan
king arrives in India for a two-day visit:
Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrived in India for a
two-day visit and was received by EAM S Jaishankar in New Delhi. Both countries
will discuss hydro-power cooperation, economic and trade partnership,
space cooperation, scholarships, youth-centric and STEM-based
initiatives, and establishing digital
infrastructure matters. The defense and security ties between the two countries
have seen significant growth in the last few years.
4. International
Day Of Mine Awareness And Action 2023: 4th
April: International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine
Action is observed every year on April 4 to raise awareness
against explosive mines and gather assistance towards their eradication. Theme
2023: Mine Action Cannot Wait The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) leads the mine
action community, which plays an important role in achieving the goals of mine
action. On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April to
observe as this day.
5. India,
US to begin major air combat exercise in Kalaikunda, West Bengal: The Indian Air Force and the US Air Force started the
joint exercise ' Cope India' at Kalaikunda airbase in West
Bengal from April 10 to 21, 2023. This exercise will enhance operational
capability and interoperability between the two air forces. While Japan
will also join as an “observer” in the exercise and witness “air combat
and mobility elements” operating from multiple air bases like Kalaikunda,
Panagarh, Agra, and Hindon.
6. France invited PM Modi for Bastille Day parade: France has invited PM Narendra Modi to visit Paris as a
guest at the annual Bastille Day parade, which will be held in July 2023. The
PM and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss several major
agreements including those on the Indo-Pacific region, nuclear power, and
defense, as the two countries mark the 25th year of their strategic
partnership. Earlier, Manmohan Singh was invited as the Bastille Day parade
guest in 2009.
7. IOC signed deal with Russia’s Rosneft to raise oil
imports: Russia’s largest oil
producer Rosneft and India’s top refiner Indian Oil Corp have
signed a term agreement to substantially increase oil supplies and
diversify oil grades delivered to India. The parties also discussed ways of
expanding cooperation between Rosneft Oil Company and Indian companies in the
entire value chain of the energy sector, including possibilities of making
payments in national currencies. India has been the biggest buyer of Russia’s
benchmark Urals grade crude in March. Deliveries to India are set to account
for more than 50% of all seaborne Urals exports this month, with China in
second place. Russia for the first time has become one of the five largest
trading partners of India as the volume of trade between the countries reached
$38.4 billion in 2022.
8. Italian government seeks to ban English in official
communication: Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni’s
Brothers of Italy party has introduced new legislation which proposes
a fine of up to Euro 100,000 (Rs 82,46,550) for using any foreign
language, especially English, in official communication. The bill was
introduced by Fabio Rampelli, a member of the lower chamber of deputies and is
supported by the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. It also prohibits the
use of English in official documentation, including “acronyms and names” of job
roles in companies operating in the country. Italian must be the primary
language used in all offices, even those which communicate with
non-Italian-speaking foreigners, according to the first article of the
legislation.
9. Israel launches new Ofek-13 spy satellite into orbit: Israel has successfully launched the
“Ofek-13″ spy satellite into space by the Shavit launch vehicle, from
Palmachim Airbase spaceport. This satellite was manufactured by state-owned
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The ‘Ofek 13’ is the most advanced of its
kind with unique radar observation capabilities and will enable intelligence
collection in any weather and conditions of visibility. It is the latest in a
series of domestically produced satellites that were first put into orbit in
1988. Israel joined the club of space powers in 1988 with the deployment of its
first Ofek (Horizon in Hebrew) satellite.
OTHER
UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Gregoria
Tunjung won 2023 Spain Masters women's title:
Gregoria Mariska Tunjung from Indonesia has clinched the Women's
title in the 2023 Spain Masters, held in Madrid, Spain from 28 March-2
April 2023. She defeated Indian Badminton player, PV Sindhu. While
Japanese badminton player, Kenta Nishimoto won the men's title. Other winners:
· Men's doubles: He Jiting and Zhou Haodong (China)
· Women's doubles: Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning (China)
· Mixed doubles: Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje (Denmark)
2. Max
Verstappen wins F1 Australian Grand Prix: Red
Bull's driver, Max Verstappen, won his first Australian Grand Prix
2023, held at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia. While Seven-time
world champion, L. Hamilton (Mercedes driver) finished
second followed by F. Alonso (Aston Martin) and L. Stroll (Aston Martin). The
Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually in Australia since 1928. The
next F1 Azerbaijan GP will be held in Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan on April
30, 2023.
3. Daniil Medvedev Wins Maiden Miami Opens Title 2023: Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev claimed his fourth title of the
year by defeating Jannik Sinner in a closely-contested final match in
Miami Opens 2023. Medvedev has now won 24 out of his last 25 matches, including
his latest victory at the prestigious Miami Open. The win marked his first-ever
title win at the Miami Open. Medvedev clinched his fifth Masters 1000 title and
19th title overall by beating Sinner, who has also been in impressive form this
season, with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Public
sector banks transfer ₹35,012 cr unclaimed deposits to RBI: The Public sector banks (PSBs) have transferred unclaimed deposits
of ₹35,012 crore as of February 2023 to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). These
deposits have not been operated for 10 years or more. SBI tops the
list with an unclaimed amount of ₹8,086 crore, while PNB has
₹5,340 crore and Canara Bank has ₹4,558 crore. These unclaimed deposits belong
to 10.24 crore accounts transferred to the RBI. MoS for Finance Bhagwat Karad
shared this information in Lok Sabha.
2. Axis
Bank launches business management solution for merchants: Axis Bank and VISA jointly launched a mobile application,
'Digital Dukaan' to empower merchants to accept payments through
various digital modes. t is designed to address business requirements such as
accepting digital payments, inventory management, and billing. This Android
Smart POS application has an in-built camera with an LED flashlight to
enable scanning of product barcodes and allow a tap-and-pay option
for transactions up to Rs 5,000.
3. World
Bank: India's economy to slow in FY24, GDP growth seen at 6.3%: World Bank has predicted India's economy to slow in the
current fiscal (2023-24) to 6.3% on the back of shrinkage in consumption
due to slower income growth. The report estimates India's inflation to
moderate from 6.6% to 5.5% in the current fiscal. The Current Account
Deficit (CAD) is expected to be 5.2% in FY24. The Economic Survey had projected
a growth of 6.5% for the current fiscal while RBI's latest projection pegs
growth for FY24 at 6.4%.
OBITUARIES
1. Oscar-winning
Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passes away:
Veteran composer and green activist Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away at the
age of 71 due to cancer. He was a Japanese composer, record producer,
and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as
a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). As a film-score composer, he won
an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and two Golden Globe Awards. He won
an Academy Award with his score for the 1987 period epic “The
Last Emperor".
2. Former Indian Cricketer Salim Durani passed away: Former India all-rounder Salim Durani passed away at the age of 88 in Jamnagar, Gujarat. He made a significant contribution in the series against England in 1961-62. In the last two Tests, Salim led India to victory. He played 29 Tests for India from 1960 to 1973, scoring 1,202 runs at an average of 25.04, with one century (104 against West Indies in 1962) and seven fifties. He was a left-arm spinner and claimed 75 wickets at 35.42 apiece. In first-class cricket, he played for Saurashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
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