Weekly One Liner Current Affairs : 22nd to 28th April Quick Revision
- Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 2550th Bhagwan Mahaveer Nirvan Mahotsav at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, paying tribute to 24th Tirthankar, Bhagwan Mahaveer, on Mahaveer Jayanti.
- Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) recently unveiled India’s largest Climate Clock at its headquarters in New Delhi, highlighting its commitment to raising awareness about climate change and its impacts.
- India's population is around 1.44 billion(144 Crore), with 24% under 14 years old, as per the (United Nations Population Fund) UNFPA's State of World Population - 2024 report.
- The 6th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure began in New Delhi, hosted by Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), focuses on strengthening global infrastructure against disasters with the theme 'Investing today for a more resilient tomorrow.'
- The Indian Historical Records Commission (IHRC) unveiled a new logo and motto. It serves as an apex advisory body on archival matters in India since 1919. Design by Shri Shaurya Pratap Singh (Delhi) was selected as the new logo and motto. The design features lotus petal-shaped pages, a Sarnath pillar, and a brown color theme, symbolizing resilience, India's heritage, and record preservation.
- India inaugurated its first multi-purpose green hydrogen pilot project at the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station in Himachal Pradesh. Led by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), the project aims to produce green hydrogen using renewable energy.
- The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) receives Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status from the Ministry of Finance, a major milestone for India's Gem and Jewellery (GJ) industry.
- The 34th Seng Khihlang festival, important for Khasi Indigenous Faith followers, ended in Wahiajer, Meghalaya. Held from April 19, 2024, it honored unity and traditions of the indigenous community.
- Thrissur Pooram is a grand festival in Kerala, showcasing its rich cultural diversity. It unites people of different religions for a week-long celebration filled with music, processions, fairs, and dazzling fireworks.
- In Manipur, Khongjom Day is observed on April 23 to honor the brave souls who fought against the British in the Khongjom Battle during the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.
- The Indian Embassy in Kuwait launched the first Hindi radio broadcast in Kuwait, strengthening bilateral ties. Hosted by Kuwait’s Ministry of Information, the program airs weekly, highlighting India-Kuwait relations.
- International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) have partnered to empower tribal and underprivileged youth in India through vocational training. They aim to focus on marginalized communities in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, contributing to skill development and economic upliftment.
- Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai of Goa is showcasing the state's natural heritage in a book series. His latest book, "Heavenly Islands of Goa," highlights lesser-known aspects, promoting and preserving Goa's beauty.
- External Affairs Minister Jaishankar received a copy of 'India’s Nuclear Titans' book, tracing India's journey to a nuclear state, edited by Soumya Awasthi and Shrabana Barua.
- Deepak S Parekh has resigned from his positions as chairman and non-executive director of HDFC Life Insurance.
- Razorpay and Airtel Payments Bank introduced UPI Switch, a cloud-based system boosting digital payments' success rates by 4-5% and handling 10,000 transactions per second.
- BharatPe launched BharatPe One, an all-in-one payment device merging POS, QR, and speaker functions. This innovative device aims to simplify digital transactions for both merchants and customers.
- RBI issues new rules for asset reconstruction companies (ARCs), requiring them to maintain a minimum capital of Rs 300 crore, up from Rs 100 crore.
- SEBI approves CRISIL ESG Ratings & Analytics as a Category 1 ESG ratings provider, a major development for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) assessments in India.
- Indian Bank ties up with Tata Power Solar to boost solar energy adoption bolster the adoption of solar rooftop among residential consumers.
- NABARD partners with RBI Innovation Hub to digitize agricultural lending, aiming to simplify loan processing and improve access for Indian farmers.
- National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) predicts India’s GDP growth for the fiscal year 2024-25 to be 7.1%.
- Adani's Vizhinjam Port in Kerala approved as India's first transshipment port.
- Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the re-appointment of T. Rabi Sankar as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a one-year term.
- IndusInd Bank and Circularity Innovation Hub India Private Limited (CIH), has achieved a milestone by successfully executing the Reserve Bank of India’s pilot program on programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).The initiative targets farmers for carbon credit generation, emphasizing innovation in digital currency and sustainability.
- French carmaker Citroen appoints MS Dhoni as brand ambassador.
- Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) fulfills United World Wrestling (UWW) to set up Athletes Commission, to address wrestlers' grievances.
- United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Gita Sabharwal of India as the new UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia.
- Naima Khatoon appointed as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
- Sunil Kumar Yadav (IRS) appointed as Director in the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
- Axis Bank’s board has approved the re-appointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as Managing Director & CEO for another three years. Narsingh Yadav is elected as Chairman by newly chosen members. This action results in UWW lifting WFI's suspension.
- Airtel Payments Bank partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch NCMC (National Common Mobility Cards)-enabled debit and prepaid cards powered by RuPay for easier transactions.
- SBI Card launched 'SBI Card MILES,' a travel-focused credit card offering benefits like Travel Credits conversion to Air Miles and Hotel Points, with enhanced rewards.
- Reserve Bank of India rejected Annapurna Finance's 2023 universal bank license application.
- India's FY 2023-24 net direct tax collections increased by 17.7% to ₹19.58 lakh crore from ₹16.64 lakh crore in the previous year.
- Reliance Jio surpasses China Mobile to become the world’s largest mobile operator by data consumption with 481.8 million subscribers, including 108 million on True5G Standalone network.
- Hitachi Payment Services introduced India’s first ATM that can upgrade into a high-performance Cash Recycling Machine (CRM), supporting 'Make in India' initiative.
- RBI directed Kotak Mahindra Bank to stop issuing new credit cards and onboarding new customers online due to IT concerns.
- RBI has directed fintech firm Talkcharge Technologies to stop the issuance and operation of its Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) or wallets, and refund the balances held in them to customers.
- PayU gets RBI's in-principle approval to operate as payment aggregator.
- Arun Alagappan, has been appointed and re-designated as the Executive Chairman of Coromandel International Ltd. (CIL), a leading provider of agri-solutions.
- Indian Navy conducts 'Poorvi Leher' mega exercise along East Coast to validate procedures and assess maritime security readiness.
- India has emerged as the fourth largest military spender globally in 2023, allocating $83.6 billion for defense, following the United States, China, and Russia.
- Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO created India's lightest Bullet Proof Jacket, offering Level 6 protection against BIS ammunition, marking a significant development in defense technology.
- Nalin Prabhat has been appointed as the Director-General of National Security Guard (NSG).
- Brighton and Hove City Council England in plans annual multi-faith event at India Gate memorial to honor Indian soldiers' bravery in World Wars, recognizing their significant contribution from the undivided Indian subcontinent.
- India, led by Earth Sciences Secretary M. Ravichandran, proposes a region-specific ocean observation center at the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, Spain. The conference, organized by the Spanish government and UNESCO, aims to review progress on UN ocean sustainability goals and encourage stakeholder collaboration for ocean science development.
- Compare the Market AU study finds Indian passport as the second cheapest globally, with UAE passport being the most affordable, highlighting insights on passport affordability and accessibility.
- Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Ember assesses India's clean electricity transition by state. Karnataka and Gujarat maintain strong performances, states like Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh lag behind, need more efforts in renewable energy and decarbonization.
- Archaeologists in Telangana uncover three sites: 200+ megalithic monuments in forests, unique Iron Age site, and ancient rock art sites, revealing region's rich history and artistry.
- Lakshmana Tirtha River in Kodagu, Karnataka, known for its beauty, dries up due to severe drought. Originating from the forests in Kutta, it extends about 180 km before merging into the Cauvery River.
- Shompen tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, votes for the first time in Andaman and Nicobar Lok Sabha elections, marking a significant democratic milestone.
- Sudhir Kakar, a renowned writer, cultural critic, and the “Father of Indian Psychology,” passed away at the age of 85.
- Bhutan hosts Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference on Earth Day 2024, aiming to raise $1 billion over ten years to protect vital tiger habitats and support biodiversity and communities.
- New wild cat species, clouded tiger cat (Leopardus pardinoides), found thriving in Brazil's dense rainforests has been identified by scientists.
- Microsoft Research Asia introduces VASA-1, an AI application featured in an arXiv paper, converting images into animated videos with synchronized speech and realistic facial expressions.
- Microsoft released Phi-3-mini, a cost-effective and lightweight AI model, aiming to expand its customer base with more affordable options.
- In the latest space program advancement, China’s space program, the Shenzhou-18 mission saw the successful launch of a three-member crew aboard the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft.
- Meta introduced a significant upgrade to its AI assistant, Meta AI, powered by the Llama 3 model, emphasizing helpfulness, harmlessness, and honesty. It's accessible on Meta's platforms and meta.ai website.
- Pavuluri Subba Rao, the Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Ananth Technologies, has been conferred with the prestigious ‘Aryabhatta Award’ by the Aeronautical Society of India (ASI).
- Renowned industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, was honored with the esteemed KISS Humanitarian Award 2021.
- Mohammed Salem is a Palestinian photographer who works for the news agency Reuters. In 2024, he won award called the World Press Photo of the Year award.
- Indian student teams from KIET Group and Kanakia International School win awards at NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC). KIET gets "Crash and Burn," Kanakia gets "Rookie of the Year," showcasing India's talent in aerospace engineering.
- Randeep Hooda receives Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award for his contributions to Indian cinema and his film "Swatantrya Veer Savarkar."
- The prestigious 2024 Laureus Sports Awards ceremony, held in Madrid. Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked tennis player named as Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for the fifth time. Aitana Bonmatí, a football star, became the first footballer to be named the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year.
Other Notable Awards:
Comeback of the Year: American gymnast, Simone Biles
Breakthrough of the Year: English Footballer, Jude Bellingham
Team of the Year Award: Spain Women’s Football Team
• Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Arisa Trew
• Laureus Sport for Good Award: Fundación Rafa Nadal
• Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Diede de Groot
- Max Verstappen won Chinese Grand Prix.
- 17-year-old Indian chess prodigy Dommaraju Gukesh makes history as the youngest-ever challenger in World Chess Championship, also the first teenager to win the prestigious FIDE Candidates tournament.
- Indian squash player Saurav Ghosal announced his retirement from professional squash.
- Karnataka Milk Federation's (KMF)'Nandini' brand sponsors Scotland and Ireland cricket teams for the 2024 T20 World Cup to boost international presence. MK Jagadish is KMF’s managing director.
- Yuzvendra Chahal, leg-spinner from Rajasthan Royals, became the highest wicket-taker in IPL history.
- Balraj Panwar clinched India's first Paris Olympics rowing quota with a 3rd place finish in the men’s single scull event during the 2024 World Asian and Oceanian Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta in South Korea.
- Indonesia's Jonatan Christie cliched the Badminton Asia Championships crown.
- Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt has been named the official ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States from June 1 to 29.
- The International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed Pakistan cricket legend Sana Mir as the ambassador for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier.
- The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the appointment of Indian cricket legend Yuvraj Singh as an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
- Former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Narsingh Pancham Yadav elected chairman of the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) Athletes' Commission.
- April 22 : 54th International Mother Earth Day. The Theme of Earth Day 2024: “Planet vs. Plastics”
- April 23 : World Book and Copyright Day
- April 23 : English Language Day
- April 23 : UN Spanish Language Day
- April 24 : National Panchayati Raj Day
- April 24 : International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.
- April 25 : World Malaria Day
- April 25 : International Delegate’s Day
- April 26 : International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day
- April 26 : World Intellectual Property Day
- April 28 : World Day for Safety and Health at Work
- 24 to 30 April : World Immunization Week(last week of April)
- Every year on the fourth Thursday of April, the world celebrates International Girls in ICT (Information and Communications Technology)Day.
- Last Saturday of April : World Veterinary Day (WVD)
