Current Affairs 25 April 2024

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 25 April 2024, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2024 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Asia was the World’s ‘Disaster Capital’ in 2023: State of the Climate 2023 in Asia by WMOi.The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) unveiled its 4th edition of the ‘State of the Climate in Asia 2023‘, highlighting Asia’s vulnerability to weather and climate-related hazards. Year 2023 was recorded as the warmest year across six globally averaged datasets, with the years from 2015 to 2023 ranking as the nine warmest years in all datasets. This made it the disaster capital in 2023.
ii.In 2023, Asia experienced 79 water hazard-related disasters, predominantly floods and storms, resulting in over 2,000 fatalities and directly affecting nine million people.
iii.Throughout 2023, Asia emerged as the world’s most disaster-affected area with the mean temperature soaring to 0.91 °C [0.84 °C–0.96 °C] above the 1991–2020 reference period, marking the second-highest on record. It is 1.87 °C [1.81 °C–1.92 °C] above the 1961–1990 average.
iv.Japan and Kazakhstan registered record-high temperatures.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
Secretary-General– Celeste Saulo
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment– 1950
>> Read Full News

DARPG Signs MoU with Cambodia Ministry of Civil Service for Cooperation in HRD in Civil Service The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPGP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Civil Service, Cambodia to strengthen bilateral exchange and cooperation in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD) in Civil Service over the next 5 years.
Signatories:
The MoU was signed by Hun Many, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Civil Service, Kingdom of Cambodia; and  Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Government of India at a ceremony held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Implementation Strategies:
i.The MoU will facilitate a dialogue between India’s Personnel Administration agencies and the agencies of the Ministry of Civil Service of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
ii.It will be achieved through Exchange visits focused on administrative reforms, webinars, research publications, institutional exchanges, and capacity-building programs.
Progress and Commitment:
i.In 2023-24, 156 Cambodian Civil Servants attended capacity-building programs at India’s National Centre of Good Governance.
ii.For 2024-25, 6 capacity-building programs have been scheduled for 240 Cambodian Civil servants.
iii.India’s commitment to adopting next-generation administrative reforms aligns with its policy of “Maximum Governance – Minimum Government.”

• It aims for “Digitally Empowered Citizen and a Digitally Transformed Institution”.

About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPGP):
Union Minister– Narendra Modi (Constituency: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Dr. Jitendra Singh (Constituency: Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir)

BANKING & FINANCE

NABARD releases Climate Strategy 2030 to promote green financingNational Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) released its Climate Strategy 2030 document. The document was released by Shaji K.V., Chairman, NABARD on the occasion of World Earth Day (22nd April, 2024).

• The main objective of this strategy document is to promote and boost green financing in India.

Key Points:
i.To achieve a cumulative total of over USD 2.5 trillion by 2030, India requires an estimated USD 170 billion annually.

• In current scenario, green finance inflows are not sufficient to achieve this target.

ii.As of 2019-20, India received around USD 49 billion in green financing, which is just a fraction of what is required.
Only, USD 5 billion was allocated towards adaptation and resilience efforts, showing the limited engagement of the private sector in these critical areas due to challenges in bankability and commercial viability.
Key Pillars of Climate Strategy 2030:
The Climate Strategy 2030 is based on four key pillars to address the demand for green financing, and these key pillars are:
i.Accelerating green lending across sectors
ii.Playing a broader market-making role
iii.Internal  green transformation of NABARD
iv.Strategic Resource Mobilisation
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD):
NABARD was established under NABARD Act, 1981 and works under the jurisdiction of Department of Financial Services (DFS) (Ministry of Finance).
Chairman: Shaji K.V.
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established: 1982

AU SFB launches Suite of Financial Products including Banking Industry’s first ATM InsuranceOn 23rd April 2024, AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) introduced a suite of financial products aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction.

• This included two new credit cards, the AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card and the Secured Credit Card – NOMO (No Missing Out) and ATM (Automated teller machine) Insurance.
• AU SFB has also launched AU 0101 Business App and AU 0101 Version 2.0.

NOMO Credit Card:
i.The NOMO Credit Card is AU SFB’s first secured credit card, backed by a Fixed Deposit (FD). It was developed in collaboration with VISA.
ii.This will catering to users who do not meet the criteria for unsecured credit cards due to factors like limited credit history or absence income proof.
iii.It offers rewards and benefits like airport lounge access and fuel surcharge waivers.
AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card :
i.The AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card was developed in collaboration with NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) .
Ii.This facilitates seamless integration with UPI (Unified Payments Interface)-enabled applications for convenient payments through the UPI Scan and Pay feature.
ATM Insurance:
i.ATM Insurance allows its customers to purchase insurance through ATMs using their debit cards.
ii.This groundbreaking service was patented by AU SFB in March 2024 and further extended to WhatsApp Insurance, providing instant policy issuance via WhatsApp.
Note: The insurance on ATM is the industry’s 1st innovation. Therefore AU SFB has patented this process before launching its first ATM insurance in March 2024.
AU 0101 Business App & AU 0101 Version 2.0:
i.AU 0101 Business App will serve as one stop shop for proprietorships and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with comprehensive banking solutions, including account management, deposits, loans, and credit cards.
ii.It offers features like digital QR onboarding and payment settlements.
iii.AU 0101 Version 2.0 represents a upgrade to the AU SFB’s mobile banking app AU 0101, launched in June 2021.
About AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB):
AU SFB (erstwhile AU Financiers (India) Ltd)  was incorporated in 1996 as an NBFC(Non-Banking Financial Company) and has been operating as a small finance bank since 19 April 2017.
Managing Director (MD) & CEO– Sanjay Agarwal
Headquartered– Jaipur, Rajasthan

IndusInd Bank Becomes 1st Bank to Successfully Execute RBI’s Programmable CBDC Pilot IndusInd Bank Limited became the 1st bank to successfully execute the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot, to compensate farmers for carbon credits.

• This pilot project is executed in collaboration with Circularity Innovation Hub India Private Limited (CIH), as an alternate form of CBDC.
• The introduction of programmable CBDC marks a significant milestone in innovative financial solutions for agriculture.

Innovative CBDC Pilot:
i.The project focuses on programming end use of funds, disbursed to farmers for carbon credit generation.
ii.As part of this pilot, IndusInd Bank initiated the programmable CBDC disbursement to 50 farmers in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, and plans to cover 1000 farmers.
Objectives:
This collaborative effort aims to promote Circularity Credits by recycling agricultural waste.
Collaborative Efforts:
i.This project involves crafting digital wallets and managing CBDC transfers by IndusInd Bank.
ii.CIH acts as a Sponsor Agency for this project, promoting circular economy models and generating the first-of-its-kind Circularity Credits.
iii.Hindustan Agro & Jackfruit King Company spearheads farmer engagement, linking sustainable practices to additional revenue streams.
iv.Emertech Innovations develops a Blockchain-backed platform for traceability and transparency in revenue generation and disbursement.
Future Phases:
i.Phase 2 of the project will target the Safai Karmacharis to increase income through plastic waste recycling.

• Safai Karmachari means a person engaged in or employed for any sanitation work.

ii.CIH’s ‘Planet and People Platform’ ensures transparency in beneficiary disbursements.
Points to Note:
i.The RBI introduced its CBDC in 2022, leveraging distributed-ledger technology, empowering banks to transact with these tokens.
ii.CBDC is a form of digital currency/e-rupee or fiat currency issued by a country’s central bank.

• Fiat money is a government-issued currency that is not tied to a physical commodity like gold or silver.

About IndusInd Bank Limited:
MD & CEO– Sumant Kathpalia
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in– 1994
Tagline– We Make You Feel Richer

Razorpay launched “UPI Switch” in partnership with Airtel Payments BankOn 23rd April 2024, Razorpay Software Private Limited (Razorpay), online instant payment company launched its own Unified Payments Interface (UPI) infrastructure with “UPI Switch”, a next-generation cloud based innovation, in partnership with Airtel Payments Bank.
UPI Switch:
i.UPI Switch is powered by Technology Service Providers (TSPs) for banks.
ii.It is an infrastructure that holds the power to process UPI transactions at scale and enable new UPI innovations for millions of businesses to access.
Key Features:
i.It is designed to handle up to 10,000 Transactions per Second (TPS) at any given time.
ii.UPI Switch aims to boost success rates by 4-5%, ensuring smoother transactions for businesses.
ii.It will also enable 5 times faster access to UPI innovations for businesses, compared to the industry standards of 10 months.
iii.It can resolve disputes 7 times faster (i.e. within 24 hour) than conventional industry time of 7 days.
iv.It can process refunds instantly compared to conventional industry standards of up to 3 days.
Note:
i.In March 2024, total UPI transactions in India increased by 55% to 13.44 billion.
ii.UPI is an instant payment system in India developed by National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI) in 2012. It was formally introduced by Reserve Bank of India(RBI) in 2016.
About Razorpay Software Private Limited:
Razorpay started its UPI innovation in 2017
CEO & Co-Founder– Harshil Mathur
MD & Co-Founder– Shashank Kumar
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
Founded in 2014
About Airtel Payments Bank:
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Anubrata Biswas
Headquarters- Gurugram, Haryana
Established- 2017

Indian Bank partners with Tata Power Solar to boost solar energy adoptionIndian Bank, an Indian public sector bank(PSB), has announced its partnership with Tata Power Solar Systems Limited (TPSSL) to promote solar energy adoption by providing financial support to residential consumers for installations.

• This strategic partnership aims to provide financial support under Pradhan Mantri (PM) Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana for installations of solar rooftop up to 3 KiloWatt (KW) and extend support for installations ranging from 3 to 10 KW under the regular scheme.

For installations up to 3 KW:
i.Under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, residential consumers can avail loans up to Rs. 2 lakh at an annual interest rate of 7%.
ii.Beneficiaries can avail benefits with a nominal margin cash requirement of 10% and collateral-free financing.
iii.The repayment tenure is 10 years which offers flexibility and convenience to beneficiaries.
For installations from 3KW to 10KW:
For installations exceeding 3 KW up to 10 KW, TPSSL and Indian Bank offers a customized financing solution to meet the diverse needs of the beneficiaries.
i.Eligible applicants can avail loans up to Rs. 6 lakh with margin money requirement of 20%.
iii.Interest rates ranges from 8.4% to 10.8% per annum.
About PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana:
i.Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in February 2024. The scheme was approved with a total outlay of Rs.75,021 crore.
ii.The scheme aims to provide free electricity to 1 crore households in India through rooftop solar setups.
About Tata Power Solar Systems Limited(TPSSL):
TPSSL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL).
Chairman(Non-Executive)- Dr. Praveer Sinha
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Indian Bank:
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Shanti Lal Jain
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu(T.N.)
Established- 1907
Tagline- “Your Own Bank” or “Apka Apna Bank”

Macquarie Launches USD 1.5 bn EV Fleet Financing Platform ‘Vertelo‘ in India
Macquarie Asset Management, part of Australia’s diversified financial giant Macquarie Group has launched an electric vehicle (EV) financing and end-to-end solution platform ‘Vertelo’. Vertelo pledges a substantial USD 1.5 billion investment aimed at electrifying fleets of buses and cars in India.

• Vertelo offers a range of solutions including financing, fleet management, and charging infrastructure.

Strategic Partnerships:
Vertelo has secured partnerships with major players in the Indian EV market:

• Will buy up to 2,000 electric cars from Tata Motors over the next 3 years.
• Plans to buy up to 2,000 buses from electric bus manufacturers JBM Auto and Eka Mobility over the next 3 to 5 years.

BharatPe Launches India’s first all-in-one Payment Device BharatPe One
BharatPe launched BharatPe One, India’s first all-in-one payment product that integrates POS (point of sale), QR code, and speaker into one device.

• It is equipped with a high-definition touchscreen display, 4G, and Wi-Fi connectivity, and is powered by the latest Android operating system.
• It is designed to simplify transactions for merchants, offering payment acceptance options including dynamic and static QR code, tap-and-pay, and debit and credit cards.
• The fintech platform stated that it is planned to make BharatPe One available in about 100 cities in the first phase and around 450 cities over the next 6 months.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Air India Signs Codeshare Agreement with Japan’s All Nippon Airways
Tata-owned Air India, India’s leading global airline, and All Nippon Airways (ANA), the largest Japanese carrier, have signed a codeshare agreement connecting their networks, enhancing flight selections, and simplifying the travel process between India and Japan.

• Commencing on 23 May 2024, the codeshare agreement will allow passengers of both airlines to travel to their desired destination by combining flights between India and Japan with a single ticket.
• Air India will affix its ‘AI’ designator code on ANA flights connecting Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with Delhi and Tokyo Narita (Japan) with Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• ANA will include its ‘NH’ designator code on Air India’s flights linking Tokyo Narita with Delhi.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Ratan Tata Honoured with KISS Humanitarian Award 2021On April 22, 2024, Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, received the esteemed Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Humanitarian Award for 2021 at his residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This recognition underscores his dedication to social progress and exemplary corporate leadership.
Key People:
The award was presented to Ratan Tata by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, the Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), and KISS in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in the presence of Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran and three-time Grammy Award-winning Indian musician Ricky Kej.
About KISS Humanitarian Award:
i.KISS Humanitarian Award, initiated in 2008 by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, is the highest honour of KIIT and KISS.
ii.The award acknowledges individuals and organizations worldwide for their humanitarian contributions, with past recipients including global leaders and Nobel laureates.
Note:
i.Tata was unable to receive the award in 2021 due to COVID pandemic.
ii.The 2022 award was presented to Rachel Ruto, the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya and the 2023 award was presented to Bill Gates, Former CEO of Microsoft.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DRDO Develops Lightest Bulletproof Jacket in India
The Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) has developed India’s lightest Bulletproof Jacket for protection against 7.62 x 54 R API(Armour Piercing Incendiary) ammunition, highest threat Level 6 of Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS) 17051.
About the Bulletproof Jacket:
i.The bulletproof jacket was developed by Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment(DMSRDE), DRDO lab based in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
ii.It was successfully tested at Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory(TBRL), Chandigarh as per BIS 17051:2018.

• BIS 17051:2018 prescribes the minimum performance requirements of bullet resistant jackets for protection against small arms and ammunition.

Features: 
i.The Front Hard Armour Panel (HAP) is made up of monolithic ceramic plate with polymer backing which improves the wearability and comfort during the operation.

• The front HAP stops multiple hits (6 shots) in ICW(In-Conjunction With) design as well as in Standalone design.

ii.The areal density of ICW HAP and standalone HAP is less than 40kg/meter square and 43kg/meter square respectively.
IAF Successfully Tests Crystal Maze-2 missile
Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test fired the new version of an air-launched medium-range ballistic missile known as ROCKS or Crystal Maze-2 from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Note: The test was conducted in the area under the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command, led by an Air Force officer.
About Crystal Maze-2 missile:
i.Crystal Maze-2 is capable of hitting targets at a distance of around 250 km.
ii.It is an extended stand-off range air-to-surface missile of Israel’s origin.
iii.It is designed to strike high-value stationary and relocatable targets including long-range radars and air defense systems in GPS(Global Positioning System)-denied environments.

C-DOT and IIT – Jodhpur Sign Agreement for “Automated Service Management in Network of 5G and Beyond Using AI”
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Jodhpur (Rajasthan) have signed an agreement for “Automated Service Management in 5G and Beyond Networks Using AI”.

• The agreement is signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• The primary objective is to develop artificial intelligence frameworks for automated network management, fault detection, and detection techniques by utilizing continuous information generated within the network like 5G.

Note: The TTD fund is designed to fund domestic companies and institutions involved in technology design, development, commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions to enable affordable broadband and mobile services in rural and remote areas.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Administrative Professionals Day 2024 – April 24 Administrative Professionals Day, also known as Secretaries Day, Admin Day, or Administrative Assistant Day, is annually observed across the globe on the Wednesday of the last full week in April to celebrate and recognise the important role of secretaries, assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals.
Administrative Professionals Day 2024 was observed on 24 April 2024.
The observance of Administrative Professionals Day is led by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).
About International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP):
Chair of the Board– Katie Mercier
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Melissa Mahoney
Headquarters– Missouri, the United States of America(USA)
>> Read Full News

15th National Panchayati Raj Day – April 24, 2024National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD), (also known as National Local Self-Government Day) is annually observed across India on 24 April to recognise and honour the establishment of the Panchayati Raj System and its pivotal role in decentralised governance at the grassroots.

• 24 April 2024 marks the observance of the 15th National Panchayati Raj Day.

The observance of NPRD is led by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
Background:
i.In consultation with the States, the Government of India (GoI) has decided to celebrate 24th April as National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD).
ii.In 2010, then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh declared the 24th April of every year as National Panchayati Raj Day.
iii.The first ever NPRD was observed on 24th April 2010.
Why April 24?
i.The day commemorates the institutionalisation of the Panchayati Raj in India through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on 24 April 1993.
About Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR):
Union Minister– Giriraj Singh (Constituency: Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State– Kapil Moreshwar Patil (Constituency: Bhiwandi, Maharashtra)
>> Read Full News

World Day for Laboratory Animals 2024  – April 24 World Day for Laboratory Animals is annually observed across the globe on 24th April as a movement to end the suffering of the animals used for testing in laboratories.

• The day also advocates replacing animal testing with advanced non-animal scientific techniques.
• The observance supports the mission of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS).

World Day for Animals in Laboratories 2024 was observed on 24th April 2024.
Background: 
In 1979, NAVS established 24th April of every year as World Day for Laboratory Animals, also known as Lab Animal Day.

• NAVS is a campaign partner of the Animal Defenders International (ADI) in the United Kingdom(UK).
• ADI founded in 1990, is an education and public awareness campaign to protect animals in captivity and wild animals and their environments.

Why April 24?
24th April marks the birth anniversary of  Lord Hugh Dowding, a British Air Chief Marshal who was an anti-vivisectionist and a former president of NAVS.
What is animal testing? 
i.Animal testing or animal experimentation or in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in scientific experiments to study biological systems and behaviors.
ii.Most of these procedures cause the animals physical and psychological distress and suffering.
Animal welfare and rights in India:
i.The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act of 1960 is India’s first national animal welfare law, which regulates animal experimentation.
ii.The government of India banned the use of live animals in medical education in 2013 and the testing of cosmetics on animals in 2014.

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