1. India has been elected a member of the United Nations Statistical Commission, the Anti-Drug Commission and the United Nations HIV AIDS Program Coordinating Board
India is coordinated by the United Nations Statistical Commission , the Drug Prevention Commission and the United Nations HIV AIDS Program. Board member has been elected. All three are important subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The Statistics Commission is the apex body overseeing international statistical activities and is responsible for setting standards in this field. India was last elected a member of this commission in 2004. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar congratulated the team of India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations for their success in the fiercely competitive election. He said that the credit for this achievement goes to India’s expertise in statistics, diversity and demography. The Drug Prevention Commission monitors the implementation of international drug control treaties. The United Nations AIDS Program Coordinating Board provides strategic guidelines for the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
2. The Reserve Bank kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.5 percent
The Reserve Bank has kept the policy rates unchanged in the first bi-monthly monetary policy review for the financial year 2023-24 . The six-member Monetary Policy Committee, headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, has recommended not to change rates and keep the repo rate at 6.5 percent, contrary to expert estimates. But decided to keep it. Fixed deposit facility- SDF rate will remain at 6.25 percent and MSF rate and bank rate will remain at 6.75 percent. The Reserve Bank lends to banks at the repo rate, while the RBI borrows from banks at the reverse repo rate. Both these rates are important for customers taking loans from banks. After increasing the rates for six consecutive times, this time no change has been made. The Reserve Bank has projected a GDP growth rate of 6.5 per cent for the year 2023-24. India’s current account deficit stood at 2.7 per cent of GDP in the first quarter of this financial year.
3. Sudha Shivakumar takes over as the 40th President of FICCI Women’s Organization
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies Organization (FLO) said investment banker and lawyer Sudha Shivakumar has taken over as its 40th national president. FICCI FLO is the oldest women-led and women-focused business chamber in South East Asia. Sudha Shivakumar holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Madras. Later, he specialized in Corporate and Bankruptcy Law and completed with distinction a Master of Applied Finance degree specializing in Investment Banking from Macquarie University, Sydney.
4. RBI appointed Niraj Nigam as Executive Director
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that Niraj Nigam has been appointed as the new Executive Director (ED) . Nigam was earlier the regional director of the bank’s Bhopal office and will now take over his new post as ED. The corporation will handle the Consumer Education and Protection Department, Financial Inclusion and Development Department, Legal Department and Secretary Department.
5. Less loan to street vendors of minority communities in PM Swanidhi Yojana
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recently released data related to the PM SVANidhi scheme , which aims to provide micro-credit support to street vendors to ease the economic stress induced by the pandemic . Data shows that out of the total 42.7 lakh loans disbursed under the scheme, only Rs 5,152.37 crore went to street vendors from minority communities ( only 9.3% ) . Funds were provided. Further, the share of loans given to minority street vendors has declined from 10.23% in 2020-21 to an all-time low of 7.76% in 2022-23. It is well known that minority street vendors constitute a significant portion of the street vendor population due to various socio-economic reasons. The distribution of loans across states appears to be in line with each state’s population, with Uttar Pradesh disbursing the most loans and Sikkim disbursing only one loan. Uttar Pradesh has given the maximum number of 95,032 loans to minority street vendors.
6. India Justice Report 2022 released
Karnataka has secured the top position in the India Justice Report-2022 . This ranking is given in the category of large and medium-sized states (18 states included). The state of Tamil Nadu is at the second position and Telangana at the third position in this ranking . Uttar Pradesh is at 18th position in this list . Gujarat is fourth and Andhra Pradesh is fifth in this ranking.
7. Second meeting of the Development Working Group under India’s G20 chairmanship begins in Kerala’s Kottayam district
The second meeting of the Development Working Group under India’s chairmanship of G20 has begun at Kumarakom in Kottayam district of Kerala . This meeting will last for four days. The first meeting of this working group was held in Mumbai in December last year. Several experts and speakers from international organizations, academia, intellectuals and civil society will participate in the discussions. More than 80 delegates from G20 member states, nine invited countries and several international and regional organizations will attend the event.
8. PM expresses happiness over Indian nationals Deepali Jhaveri and Mr. Uta being awarded by Joto Fire Department in Japan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed happiness over Indian nationals Dipali Jhaveri and Mr. Uta being awarded by Joto Fire Department in Japan . Ms Jhaveri and Uta saved a man’s life by giving CPR and AED during Dandiya Masti in Tokyo last October . Dandiya Raas is the traditional dance of the state of Gujarat . Deepali Jhaveri has become the first Indian woman to win the Life Saver Act Award in Japan.
9. India’s progress in exports, services and technology discussed in Y-20 deliberations at IIT Kanpur
More than 1,500 youth from India and abroad participated in the Y-20 deliberations at IIT Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh . Organized under India’s chairmanship of G-20, this discussion was held at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur during April 5 and 6. During this, India’s progress in the field of exports, services and technology was discussed.
10. High Energy L-1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer – Helios developed at Rajasthan Solar Observatory in Udaipur integrated into Aditya L-One satellite
The High Energy L-1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer – Helios developed at the Rajasthan Solar Observatory in Udaipur has been integrated into the Aditya L-One satellite . Helios is a new generation spectrometer that will observe dynamic events in the Sun’s corona . The Aditya L-One mission is a highly prestigious project of the Indian Space Research Organisation-ISRO. This is India’s first mission to the Sun. A three-day workshop on Aditya L-One Mission concluded in Udaipur on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Professor Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Ahmedabad Physical Research Laboratory, said that Helios and other instruments onboard Aditya will provide a variety of useful data. He said that the scientific world will benefit greatly from these figures.
11. Sports Authority of India integrates Khelo India Games certificates with DigiLocker
Sports Authority of India has integrated Khelo India Games certificates with DigiLocker for the first time . It aims to ‘digitally empower’ citizens. The sportspersons and other stakeholders participating in these games will now be able to collect their certificates of qualification and participation from the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 in Madhya Pradesh. Various stakeholders can directly verify the data after obtaining the consent of the certificate holder.
12. A study by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), ISRO, Dehradun shows that occurrences of landslides are not related to operational/under-construction hydropower projects
Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun has conducted a study on occurrence of landslides in the vicinity of hydroelectric projects and prepared “Report on Study of Landslides in Working/Under Construction Hydroelectric Projects using Remote Sensing and GIS Technology ” is of. IIRS conducted this study in nine (09) power generating stations/projects of NHPC. These projects include Subansiri Lower in Arunachal Pradesh, Teesta-V and Rangit in Sikkim, Salal, Dulhasti and Uri-II in Jammu and Kashmir, Chamera-I and Parbat-II in Himachal Pradesh and Dhauliganga in Uttarakhand. Are included. In this study, the task of mapping the inventory of landslides from the period 10 years prior to the start of construction of these projects till the present status of these projects/power generating stations has been done. The study reports that in most of the cases, the landslide prone area has reduced significantly compared to the area found before the construction of these projects. It has been found from this study that landslide related activities occurring around these hydroelectric projects are not related to the construction activities of these projects. Topography, geological conditions and rainfall have been the major factors/driving factors for these landslide activities.
13. GI tag for Banarasi paan
Recently Banarasi paan has been given GI tag, religious and tourist city Kashi has emerged as GI hub. Special Banarasi Langda Mango , Banarasi Paan , Bhanta (White Big Round Brinjal) of Ramnagar and Adamchini Rice (District Chandauli) have got Geographical Indication and Intellectual Property Right (IPR) tag. Not only ‘Banarasi Paan’, but ‘Peda’ of Mathura, ‘Petha’ of Agra and ‘Sattu’ and ‘Bukunu’ of Kanpur will also be given the tag as part of the Uttar Pradesh government’s efforts to give wider recognition to local products. After the success of One District One Product (ODOP), it aims to provide wider recognition to local goods.
14. Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project hit by landslide during pre-monsoon rains
The Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project (SLHEP) on the Assam-Arunachal border was recently hit by a landslide during the pre-monsoon rains. However, the project has not suffered any damage and will be operational from June 2023 . SLHEP is an under construction gravity dam (about 90% completed) with a capacity of 2000 MW (8×250 MW) . It is the largest hydroelectric project ever built in India and a run of river on the Subansiri river. There is a plan. A run-of-river dam is one in which the river water flow downstream of the dam is the same as the river water flow upstream of the dam. In other words water is not held/stored in the dam; It flows along the river. SLHEP is being constructed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited. Subansiri or “Gold River” is the largest tributary of the upper Brahmaputra River . It originates from the Tibetan Himalayas and enters India through Arunachal Pradesh (Miri Hills).
15. United Kingdom signs CPTPP
Recently the United Kingdom (UK) signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) . The UK Prime Minister hailed the success of the agreement as ” Post-Brexit Freedom”.The agreement will now need to be ratified by Westminster and each CPTPP country. There are 11 countries involved in the CPTPP agreement, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand , Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The CPTPP was signed by 11 countries in Santiago, Chile on March 8, 2018. The CPTPP aims to increase trade among member countries by reducing tariffs, improving market access and promoting economic growth The UK formally applied to join the CPTPP on December 31, 2022, making it the first European country to join the partnership. With UK membership, the CPTPP will cover a market of 500 million people, Which is about 15% of global GDP. According to UK government estimates, joining the CPTPP would save exports £1.8 billion, an estimated 0.08% increase in GDP.
16. From July 2023, the International Seabed Authority will start accepting permit applications from companies that want to extract minerals from the seabed
The ocean floor, covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, is one of the least explored and untapped resources. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an organization that regulates the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources on the seabed outside the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of its 167 member states. The organization was established in 1994 by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and is headquartered in Jamaica . July 2023 ISA will start accepting permit applications from companies that want to extract minerals from the ocean floor. Cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese are among the valuable materials that can be extracted through undersea mining. The ISA has the authority to issue permits to companies that want to conduct mining operations in international waters. Polymetallic nodules are potato-shaped rocks found on the ocean floor at a depth of 4 to 6 km. These nodules contain minerals such as nickel, copper and manganese. They are usually found in large quantities in specific areas of the ocean floor, making them particularly attractive to mining companies.
17. Mission to Preserve the Ice Memory
A team of Arctic scientists from Italy, France and Norway is going on a mission to extract samples of ancient ice before it melted due to climate change . Researchers have set up camp on Norway’s Svalbard Islands to drill down to 125 meters below the surface, containing geochemical traces frozen in place over three centuries. These ice cores will be used for immediate analysis, while the other group will be stored as an ” ice memory sanctuary ” in the Antarctic for future generations of scientists.Will be sent. The extraction is an effort to preserve the important ice record that provides valuable data about past environmental conditions. Worldwide temperature rise of 1.1°C since the 19th century due to human-made carbon dioxide emissions The Arctic is warming two to four times faster than the rest of the world.
18. China’s yuan replaces dollar as most traded currency in Russia
China ‘s Yuan is slowly gaining strength against the US Dollar . The trend is also paying off in Russia, where the yuan is now a more traded currency than the US dollar. The yuan accounted for 23.6% of Russia’s foreign exchange turnover in the first quarter, while the dollar accounted for 22.5%, according to data from the Moscow Exchange. This is the first time in Russia’s currency market that the yuan has surpassed the dollar.
19. DBS Bank India launches DigiPortfolio
DBS Bank India has launched a new investment solution called ‘ DigiPortfolio ‘, which harnesses technology and human expertise to provide customized investment options for investors. The platform is available on the Bank’s DigiBank platform and provides a one-stop solution for investors to invest in ready-made baskets of mutual funds with diversified portfolios to meet different investor risk profiles. The investment options on the platform are handpicked and composed of mutual funds that have been carefully selected by Morningstar, which has over 37 years of industry research experience, ensuring that the portfolio is regularly adjusted to deliver the best possible returns goes.
20. Piyush Babele’s book: “Gandhi: Politics and Community”
The new book ‘ Gandhi: Siasat aur Sampradayikata ‘ written by journalist, writer Piyush Babel is available in Hindi. He is the head of the media department of Madhya Pradesh Congress . The book quotes from Dr. Ambedkar ‘s book Pakistan or the Partition of India and other sources to refer to the events leading up to the partition of India in 1947. The book aims to break the myth spread by the Hindu right wing that Mahatma Gandhi was responsible for the partition. The book is published by New Delhi based Genuine Publications & Media Private Limited.
21. Nada banned Sanjita Chanu for 4 years
Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has been banned for four years by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for doping . The test, conducted during the National Games to be held in Gujarat in September-October 2022, revealed the presence of Drostanolone, an anabolic-androgenic steroid banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
22. April 6: International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
On 6 April , the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is observed annually. The day is celebrated to highlight the importance of sports in the society. The day marks the positive impact sports have had on the harmony and peace of various communities around the world. Sports help promote social ties, peace and sustainable development across the planet. In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had announced that 6 April is to be observed as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. April 6 was chosen because on this day the first modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens. Since 2014, the day has been celebrated annually across the planet.
23. Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahato passes away
Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto passed away during treatment at MGM Hospital in Chennai. He was the MLA of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha from Dumri assembly seat . Education and Customs Excise Department of Jharkhand has announced two days state mourning today and tomorrow. Earlier, Mr. Mahato’s lungs were donated to Chennai during the first wave of the Covid pandemic. Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi and many other leaders have expressed grief over his death.
