NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Skyroot
Aerospace successfully test-fires 3D-printed cryogenic engine: Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test-fired a fully
3D-printed 'Dhawan II' cryogenic engine for 200 seconds. The
company developed the engine for its heavier vehicle, Vikram II.
This engine will be used as the upper stage of the updated version of
Vikram-II. A cryogenic upper stage instead of a solid fuel stage enhances the
payload-carrying capacity of a rocket. In 2022, Skyroot Aerospace became
the first Indian private company to send a rocket into space.
2. IIT
Kanpur host Y20 Consultation under G20 Presidency of India: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur is
being hosted the Youth20 (Y20) Consultation under the G20 Presidency
of India on April 5, 2023. The two-day event was attended by more than 1,200
youth delegates from across India and abroad. It is a platform that brings
young people together to connect and share ideas on finding innovative
solutions to pressing global concerns. It is a pan-India activity in the run-up
to the final Y20 Summit to be held in Varanasi, UP
3. National
Maritime Day 2023: April 5: India observed the 60th National Maritime
Day on April 5, 2023, to commemorate the sailing of the first
Indian commercial vessel, SS Loyalty. The ship sailed from Mumbai to
London. This day was started by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways
in 1964. The theme for 2023 has not yet been announced. The theme for
National Maritime Week 2023 is 'Amrit Kaal in Shipping'. World Maritime
Day is observed on 28 September.
4. Govt
approves Army proposal to induct woman officers in Artillery: Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt informed the Lok Sabha that
the central government approved the induction of women in the Regiment of
Artillery. In January 2023, the proposal to induct woman officers in the
Regiment of Artillery was sent to the government. The exact number of woman
officers who will be inducted into the Artillery will only be known at the time
of the commission of the next batch from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in
Chennai.
5. Telangana
announces ‘cool roof’ policy to reduce heat impact on buildings: Telangana govt has launched India’s first Cool Roof Policy
2023-2028 at the CDMA office in Telangana. It is jointly launched by
the state's municipal administration and urban development department.
The
policy aims to drive state-wide adoption of cool roofs by making it mandatory
to install cool roofing materials, such as solar reflective paints, tiles, or
sheets. It is a five-year policy, that came into force on April 1,
2023, and continues till March 31, 2028.
6. PM
applauds GI Tag for Ladakh's Wood Carving:
The world-famous Basohli Paintings from the Kathua district of Jammu and
Kashmir and the Ladakh Wood Carving of Ladakh have received
the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag. The process for GI Tagging of these
products was started by NABARD in consultation with and support from the
Department of Handicrafts and Handloom in December 2020. A GI tag is
a sign used on a product that has a special geographical origin.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Mukesh
Ambani regains Asia's richest person spot: Forbes:
According to the Forbes Billionaire 2023 list, Mukesh Ambani has
regained his spot as Asia's richest person after rival Gautam
Adani (USD 47.2 billion) tumbled to No. 24. Ambani (65) was ranked at No.
9 on the world billionaire list with a net worth of USD 83.4 billion.
Bernard Arnault (CEO of LVMH) topped the Forbes Billionaires
2023 Rankings with an estimated net worth of a whopping 211 billion. Elon Musk
placed second, followed by Jeff Bezos and Lary Ellison.
2. India
US to sign Rs 2400 crore deal for missiles, torpedoes for Indian Navy: The Indian government will sign a weapons deal with the
United States government to buy American weapons, including the
Hellfire missiles and Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedoes. Aim: Towards
strengthening their military hardware cooperation These weapons will be fitted
on the 24 MH-60 helicopters that are going to be fully inducted into the Navy
in the near future. The deal would be inked under the Foreign Military
Sales route.
3. Kiran
Nadar conferred with France's highest civilian award: Kiran Nadar was conferred “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur”
(Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel
Lenain in April 2023. Reason: In recognition of her contribution to
the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both
nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French
cultural ties She is a chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.
4. PM Modi addresses 5th International Conference on
Disaster Resilient Infrastructure: Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the 5th International
Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) 2023 via
a video message. He called upon the world for an integrated approach to deal
with the impact of disasters. The summit is becoming an important forum for
both advanced economies and developing economies, large and small countries. CDRI’s
theme for this year’s conference is ‘Delivering Resilient and Inclusive
Infrastructure’. Last year, the Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund was
announced and this 50-million-dollar fund has generated immense interest among
developing countries.
5. India 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 is the leading state in India. It accounts for nearly
57% of all the upcoming PV manufacturing capacity. Some major reasons
manufacturers chose Gujarat for setting up their PV fabrication facilities include
cheaper industrial electricity prices and easy access to ports for imports and
exports.
6. 4 April – International Day for Mine Awareness and
Assistance in Mine Action: International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine
Action is observed every year on April 4.
Objective
– To raise awareness against explosive mines and gather assistance towards
their eradication. The mine action community plays a significant role towards
achieving the mine action goals and it is led by the United Nations Mine Action
Service (UNMAS). Theme 20223 – Mine Action Cannot Wait In 1997, the
Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention was established for signature which first
led the campaign against mines and 164 countries have ratified it since then. Later,
on December 8, 2005, the UN General Assembly declared April 4 as the
International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance for Mine Action every year
globally.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Gregoria Tunjung won Spain Masters women’s title 2023:
Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung has clinched the Women’s
title in the Spain Masters 2023 held in Madrid, Spain. Gregoria Mariska
Tunjung defeated Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu. While Japanese
badminton player, Kenta Nishimoto won the men’s title. Men’s doubles – He
Jiting & Zhou Haodong (China) Women’s doubles – Liu Shengshu & Tan Ning
(China) Mixed doubles – Mathias Christiansen & Alexandra Boje (Denmark)
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Canara
Bank launches Premium Payroll Account:
Canara Bank has introduced a “Premium Payroll Package” for Salary
account holders with competitive features. This product has been designed
to meet all Banking requirements of Salaried Customers. Features: Free
Term Life Insurance, Insta over Draft, free Personal & Air Accident
Insurance coverage, Premium Cards, etc.
Eligibility:
· All employees of a firm/company with a minimum of 5 employees.
· Age: 18-65 years
· Salary Band: Rs. 50,000-Rs.1,00,000
2. ADB
cuts India GDP growth forecast to 6.4% for FY24: According
to the latest edition of ADB's flagship economic publication, Asian
Development Outlook (ADO) April 2023, India's GDP would grow to moderate
to 6.4% in FY24 (2023-24). Reason: Risks arising from global and domestic
factors ADB has also highlighted that India's GDP will rise in FY25 to
6.7%. While inflation will likely moderate to 5% in 2023-24, assuming
moderation in oil and food prices. Inflation will be at 4.5% in FY25.
3. Govt
withdraws windfall gains tax on crude oil production: The government has removed the windfall tax on crude oil
production to nil from 3,500 rupees ($42.56) per tonne and on diesel
has been slashed to Rs 0.5 per litre from Re 1 per litre, effective from
April 4, 2023. Windfall tax: It is levied by governments when an industry
unexpectedly earns large profits. The tax was levied in July 2022 as high
energy prices led to soaring profits for oil producers. The decision comes at a
time when OPEC+ decided to cut production.
4. PhonePe's
e-commerce app Pincode live on ONDC network: PhonePe has launched a
new consumer-facing application named Pincode, which will be a part
of India's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) framework. Aim: To
strengthen its e-commerce forays Pincode is a buyer app that focuses
on hyperlocal commerce and is available for download on both Google Play and
the App Store. It will launch in six major categories including
grocery, food, pharma, electronics, home decor, and fashion.
OBITUARIES
1. Sahitya Akademi winner Sarah Thomas passes away: Noted author Sara Thomas passed away at the age of 88. She has
written 17 novels and more than 100 short stories. Her noted work
‘Narmadipudava’ won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 1979. The first novel
was ‘Jeevitham Enna Nathi’. Sarah Thomas’s novel ‘Muripadukal’ was made into a
movie by PA Bakker called ‘Manimuzhakkam’. Her novels Asthamayam, Pavizhamuthu,
and Archana have also been adapted into films. She is a two-time recipient of
the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award.
She was also awarded the academy’s award in 2010 for her overall contribution to Malayalam literature.
No comments:
Post a Comment