NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Manipur Reports 60% Decline in Opium Poppy Cultivation: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has announced a significant victory in the state’s fight against opium poppy cultivation, with a 60% decrease in the cultivation area over the three-year period from 2021 to 2024, based on a report by ..
2. Sachidananda Mohanty appointed as member of UGC: Sachidananda Mohanty has been appointed as Member, University Grants Commission (UGC) for three years with immediate effect. Mohanty is the former Professor and Head of the Department of English, University of Hyderabad and former Vice Chancellor of Central University of Odisha. Winner of many national and international awards such as the Katha, British Council, Fulbright(twice), Charles Wallace and the Salzburg, he has published extensively in the field of British, American, gender, translation and post-colonial studies. His books have appeared in Oxford, Sage, Routledge and Orient Ĺongman, among other notable publishing houses.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India’s Jagjit Pavadia re-elected to International Narcotics Control Board: A former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Jagjit Pavadia has been re-elected to the Vienna-based International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). India scored the highest number of votes among all the elected members of the anti-narcotics body. Pavadia (70), who has already served as President of the Board from 2021 to 2022, has been re-elected for the term 2025-2030. Pavadia held several senior positions in the Indian Revenue Service for 35 years. She has been a member of the INCB since 2015, and also held the posts of Second Vice-President and Chair (2015, 2017 and 2020), Vice-Chair (2018) and member (2019 and 2023) of the Standing Committee on Estimates.
2. What can be possible Impact of Iran-Israel Conflict on Global Politics?: The recent drone and missile attacks by Iran on Israel mark a significant escalation in the longstanding covert war between the two nations. This conflict, which began with an Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, killing several members of ..
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Anurag Kumar (IPS) appointed as Joint Director in CBI: Senior IPS officer Anurag Kumar has been appointed as the Joint Director in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Kumar, a 2004 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is currently working in the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as the Joint Director (JD) in the CBI for a tenure upto February 24, 2027.
2. ‘Dustlik 2024’ joint military exercise between India and Uzbekistan: The 5th edition of the ‘Dustlik’ joint military exercise between India and Uzbekistan begins in Uzbekistan. The 14-day exercise will be conducted in Termez District of Uzbekistan from 15 to 28 April 2024. During the 14-day exercise, soldiers from the Indian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan will undergo comprehensive joint training sessions. The fourth edition of the joint military exercise between the two countries was held on February 20 last year at the Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. The training exercise focused on sharing best practices in subconventional operations under UN mandates.
3. DRDO and Indian Army Successfully Trial MPATGM weapon system: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army have successfully conducted trials of the Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System at PFFR in Rajasthan. The MPATGM Weapon System was indigenously designed and developed by DRDO and .
4. What is the Arrow Aerial Defense System?: The Arrow Defense System is a cornerstone of Israel’s multi-layered defense strategy against aerial threats, including ballistic missiles. Developed jointly by Israel Aerospace Industries and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, this system began creation in the late 1980s and has ..
SPORTS
1. Mary Kom steps down as Chef-de-Mission for Paris Olympics: Olympic bronze medalist and six times World champion boxer C. Mary Kom stepped down as the Chef-de-Mission for the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics citing “personal reasons”. Mary, who is also the chairperson of the IOA’s Athletes Commission, was named as the Chef-de Mission in March 2024. In March 2024, Mary was chosen as the chef de mission, winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan was named her deputy.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. IISc Scientists Develop Sustainable Hydrogel to Remove Microplastics from Water: Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a sustainable hydrogel to remove microplastics from water, addressing the global issue of plastic pollution. Microplastics, particles less than 5 millimetres in size, are pervasive in oceans, soil, and even ..
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Moody’s projects India’s GDP growth at 6.1% in 2024-25: Moody’s Analytics has projected a slight uptick in the Indian economy’s growth for calendar year 2024 to 6.1 per cent from 6 per cent in March this year. India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to grow 6.1 per cent in 2024 after 7.7 per cent last year. Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that uncertainties in food prices continue to influence the inflation outlook. It maintained its retail inflation projection for the current fiscal year 2024-25 at 4.5 per cent. The Moody’s report also said that while China and Japan are held back by weak domestic demand, the performance of India and ASEAN economies is flattered by a delayed post-pandemic rebound.
2. At 4.85%, retail inflation falls to 10-month low in March: Despite high food prices, retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined to a 10-month low of 4.85 per cent in March as against 5.09 per cent in February, data released by National Statistical Office (NSO). Food prices are expected to remain volatile in the coming months which could impact the headline number.
Meanwhile, industrial growth based on the Index of Industrial Production rose to a four-month high in February, to 5.7 per cent, against 4.1 per cent in January.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. American President’s Volunteer Service Award: The American President’s Volunteer Service Award was established in 2003 during George Bush’s Presidency. The award is given to individuals who have provided at least 500 hours of voluntary service in the United States and whose voluntary work has positively impacted communities and inspired those around them.
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