Current Affairs 28 April 2023

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 28 April 2023, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 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.

Our Current Affairs January 2023 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2022 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name – Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP
We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

Click here for Current Affairs 27 April 2023

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Cabinet clears National Medical Devices Policy 2023; CCEA approved to set up 157 new nursing collegesOn 26th April 2023, The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, which is expected to help the Medical Devices sector expand to USD 50 billion(~Rs 4 lakh crore) by 2030.
i.In 2020, the market size of the medical devices sector in India is estimated to be USD 11 billion (~Rs 90,000 crore) and its share in the global medical device market is estimated to be 1.5%.
Cabinet approved to set up 157 nursing colleges
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the establishment of 157 new nursing colleges in co-location with existing medical colleges established since 2014. The outlay for the same will be Rs 1,570 crore.
i.Uttar Pradesh (UP) will have the maximum number of colleges (27), while Rajasthan will have 23 and Madhya Pradesh, 14.
>> Read Full News

NITI Aayog Releases Report titled “Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India”NITI Aayog (National Institution For Transforming India) released a report titled “Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India” which presents a collection of good and innovative practices adopted by state governments and organisations in various aspects of the millet value chain.

• Suman K. Bery Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog unveiled the report in the presence of Member (Health) Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Agriculture) Dr. Ramesh Chand and B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, Chief Executive Office(CEO) of NITI Aayog.

About the Report: 
i.The report discusses the best practices across various aspects, especially production, processing and consumption and serves as a guiding repository to revive and mainstream millets in our diets.
ii.This report covers different themes 

• State Missions and initiatives to promote millets.
• Inclusion of millets in Integrated Child Development Scheme(ICDS).
• Research and development and use of technology for innovative practices.

Key points:
i.According to the report, the area under cultivation of millets in India has been declining due to the promotion of rice and wheat and a lack of initiatives towards the production of millets.
ii.India produces the 9 most commonly known traditional millets: Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Finger Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Little Millet, Barnyard Millet, Brown top Millet and Kodo Millet.
iii.They are the most secure crops for small farmers since they are resilient and climate adaptable in both hot and drought environments.
Benefits of millets:
i.Millets have high protein levels and a more balanced amino acid profile.
ii.They also contain various phytochemicals that exert therapeutic properties owing to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.

Additional info:

• The Government of India declared millets as Nutri-Cereals in 2018 and celebrated the National Year of Millets in 2018.  
• India proposed the International Year of Millets to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with around 70 countries supporting India’s constructive proposal and passed the resolution to observe 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
  

About NITI Aayog (National Institution For Transforming India):
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– B. V. R. Subrahmanyam,
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approves Navratna status to Rail Vikas NigamOn 26th April 2023, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance (MoF), approved the upgradation of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) from a Category-I MiniRatna CPSE.

• According to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), RVNL, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways (MoR), has become the 13th Navratna amongst CPSEs.

Note: On 20th April 2023, RVNL incorporated a subsidiary company named Kinet Railway Solutions Limited.
Key Points:
i. Since RVNL has been promoted to the ‘Navratna’ category of CPSE, it will have more autonomy in terms of investment, setting up joint ventures, and other financial decisions.
ii. RVNL, a mid-cap company, has an annual turnover of Rs 19,381 crore and a net profit of Rs 1,087 crore for the years 2021–22.
About Navratna CPSE in India:
The Government introduced the Navratna scheme, in 1977, to identify CPSEs with comparative advantages and encourage them in their drive to become global giants.
Criteria for Navratna CPSE:
The eligibility criteria required for a Central Public Sector Enterprises to get the Navratna status are as follows,

• The company should be listed on Schedule A of CPSEs and have Miniratna Category I status.
• Out of the last five years, the company should have obtained the rating as  Excellent or  Very Good under the Memorandum of Understanding system for three years.
• Moreover, the company must get a score of 60 out of 100 in parameters like net worth, net profit, total production cost, manpower cost, service cost, capital employed, and PBDIT (Profit Before Depreciation, Interest and Taxes).
• The company should have 4 independent directors on its Board of Directors.

Additional Information:
i. The other 12 Navratna CPSEs of India are:

• Bharat Electronics Limited, Container Corporation of India Limited, Engineers India Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, National Aluminium Company Limited, National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited, NMDC Limited, Oil India Limited, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, and Shipping Corporation of India Limited.

ii. India has 12 Maharatna, 13 Navratna, and  74 Miniratna CPSEs.
About the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL):
Chairman and Managing Director- Pradeep Gaur
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment- 24th January 2003

Union Minister Amit Shah Launches World’s 1st ‘Nano DAP’ Developed by IFFCOOn April 26, 2023, Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Cooperation, launched “IFFCO Nano DAP(liquid)”, the world’s first liquid Nano DAP(Diammonium phosphate), developed by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) at NewDelhi, Delhi

• The launch of IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid), a nano fertiliser product containing nitrogen and phosphorus is intended to make India self-reliant in the field of food production and fertilizers.

Key Points: 
i.The launch of Nano DAP is a second initiative of IFFCO, i.e. in 2021, IFFCO introduced  World’s First ‘Nano Urea’.
ii.IFFCO has registered a patent, under which IFFCO will get 20% royalty on the sale of Liquid Urea and Liquid DAP anywhere in the world for 20 years.
iii.Nano-DAP is being jointly manufactured by IFFCO in association with a private player Coromandel.
iv.Nano DAP will be sold at Rs 600 per bottle of 500 ml. One bottle will be equivalent to one bag of DAP, which currently costs Rs 1,350.
v.The effect of one bottle of 500 ml on the crop is equivalent to that of 45 kg bag of granular urea.
About Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited(IFFCO):
Chairman– Dileep Sanghani
Managing Director & CEO– Dr Udai Shanker Awasthi
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

DoSJE signed MoU with Art of Living to make NMBA more effective and widespread

On April 26, 2023, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Art of Living (AoL), a non-profit, volunteer-based, humanitarian and educational non-governmental organization (NGO), for spreading the message of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) among the youth, women, students etc.

• The MoU was signed at the event held at Dr. B.R Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, Delhi in the presence of Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar, MoSJE and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of Art of Living.

Note: 
MoSJE is the nodal ministry of Drug Demand Reduction in India.
The MoSJE initiated NMBA on 15th August 2020 to coordinate, implement and monitor several interventions like prevention, assessment of extent of the problem, treatment and rehabilitation of users etc.

• NMBA is a flagship campaign to enhance the evidence based approach towards substance abuse.

The NMBA currently supports the running of 508 centres in 372 vulnerable districts, which include different types of de-addiction and counselling centres.
Key Points:
i. In order to control the threat of drug demand, the MoSJE has been implementing the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-2023 to focus on preventive education, awareness generation, identification, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependent persons.
ii. The components which are admissible for financial assistance under the NAPDDR are training and capacity building of the service providers through collaborative efforts of the Central and State Governments / Union Territory (UT) and Non-Governmental Organizations.
Points to note: 

• Currently 8,000 Master Volunteers have been selected and trained to lead the campaign activities in the 372 identified districts.
•  More than 3.13 crore youth have actively participated in the activities and spreading on-ground the message against the usage of drugs.
•  Around 4,000+ YuvaMandals, NYKS (Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan) & National Service Scheme (NSS) Volunteers, Youth Clubs have also been associated with the campaign.
•  The contribution of 2.09+ Crore women have also been vital in reaching out to a larger community through the Anganwadi & ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) Workers, ANMs (Auxiliary nurse midwife), MahilaMandals & Women SHGs (Self-help group).

About Art of Living:
It was founded in 1981 by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. It offers several stress-elimination and self-development programs based on breathing techniques, meditation and yoga.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India signs new Work Plan 2023 on Quality Infrastructure with Germany during Indo-German Working Group meeting in Berlin On April 25, 2023, The Department of Consumer Affairs, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action signed the new Work Plan for 2023 during the 9th Annual Meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure (QI) in Berlin, Germany.

• This year’s Annual Meeting marks the 10th anniversary of the Working Group.

Signatories:
It was signed by Nidhi Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs and Dr. Daniela Broenstrup, Director General, Digital and Innovation Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Key Points:
i.Both sides emphasised the important role of the Working Group in reducing technical barriers to trade and promoting innovation and consumer protection.
ii.The technical dialogues of the Working Group address key areas of economic cooperation between the two countries, and also promote systemic harmonization of QI at an international level.
iii.The Stakeholders from QI bodies and industry provided insights on current QI developments in Germany and India.

• These included the Standards National Action Plan for India, and German Standardization Roadmaps Circular Economy and Industries 4.0.

iv.The Work Plan 2023 is structured along the key elements of QI, including standardisation, accreditation, conformity assessment, legal metrology, product safety and market surveillance. It addresses cross-cutting topics like harmonised global solutions as well as sector-specific cooperation topics, such as digitalisation (Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, cyber security), circular economy, smart farming and machinery safety.
About Germany:
Capital– Berlin
Currency– Euro
President– Frank-Walter Steinmeiera

WB’s World Development Report 2023: Globally 185 million People are Migrant

According to the World Bank’s (WB) annual report ‘World Development Report 2023: Migrants, Refugees, and Societies’, there are 184 million people (i.e. 2.3 % of the world’s population) are migrants (i.e. they lack citizenship in the country in which they live) in which the largest share of 43% of them was living in low- and middle-income countries.

• The report provides a comprehensive analysis of international migration and its potential to serve as a force for growth and shared prosperity in all countries and it proposes policies to better manage migration in destination, transit, and origin countries.
• As per the report, the faster ageing of economies will increase dependence on migration.

Key Points:
i.Out of the 184 million migrant people, 37 million are refugees, a number that has tripled over the last decade.
ii.Demographic changes are making migration increasingly necessary for countries at all income levels.
iii.In the coming decades, the share of working-age adults would be expected to drop sharply in many countries. 

• Spain, with a population of 47 million, is projected to reduce by more than one-third by 2100, with those above age 65 increasing from 20% to 39% of the population.
• As the population of Countries like Mexico, Thailand, Tunisia and Türkiye are not growing they may soon need more foreign workers.

iv.The report suggested stronger international development efforts requirements in origin countries to reduce the need for migration prompted by economic distress.
v.The origin countries needed to make labour migration an explicit part of their development strategy and work to lower the cost of remittances to families back home.
vi.The destination countries are needed to encourage migration from populations where their skills are in high demand, adding that new financing instruments be developed multilaterally to help countries care for non-citizens in a predictable manner.

India remains on the Priority Watch List in 2023: USTR ‘s 2023 Special 301 Report According to the 2023 Special 301 Report, on the adequacy and effectiveness of the United States(US) trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights, released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), India is retained in the Priority Watch list of 2023 due to its inconsistency in its progress on IP protection and enforcement.

• Along with India, Argentina, Chile, China, Indonesia, Russia and Venezuela are placed on the Priority Watch list in 2023.
• The countries on the priority watch list will be the subject of particularly intense bilateral engagement during the coming year.

Challenges and concerns related to India:
i.According to the report, the levels of trademark counterfeiting continue to remain problematic and the USA brand owners continue to report excessive delays in trademark opposition proceedings and a lack of quality in examination.

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has taken initiatives to reduce trademark application examination to less than 30 days.

ii.The USA urge India to join the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks which expands protectable subject matter to include non-traditional marks such as sensory marks, colour, position, and movement marks.
About Special 301 Report: 
i.The “Special 301” Report is an annual review of the global state of IP protection and enforcement.
ii.The report details USTR’s findings of more than 100 trading partners of the United States of America(USA) after significant research and enhanced engagement with stakeholders.
Highlights:
i.22 trading partners of the USA are on the Watch list and merit bilateral attention to address underlying IP problems.

• The 22 countries are Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

ii.USTR will again conduct an Out-of-Cycle Review of Bulgaria in 2023 to assess whether Bulgaria makes material progress in this area.

• Out-of-Cycle Reviews provide an opportunity to address and remedy such issues through heightened engagement and cooperation with trading partners and other stakeholders.

iii.The Special 301 review of Ukraine has been suspended due to Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

BANKING & FINANCE

NSE Indices revises norms for Exclusion from index in case of Demerger The National Stock Exchange(NSE)’s subsidiary, NSE Indices Limited, has introduced new guidelines for retaining a demerged entity in its respective index.

• Under the new norms, a demerged company will only remain a part of the index if the exchange conducts a Special Pre-Open session (SPOS) for the spun-off entity.
• The change will be applicable to scheme of arrangement of all companies involving demerger which may be approved by equity shareholders of respective companies on or after April 30, 2023.

Key Points:
i.This change is aimed at reducing the frequent changes in index constituents resulting from corporate actions such as demergers.
ii.The spun-off business (newly listed entity) will be included in the index at a constant price, which is the difference between the demerged company’s closing price one day prior to the ex-date of demerger and the price determined during SPOS.
iii.The spun-off business/entity should be removed from the index after three days

• In  case, during the first two days if the spun-off business/entity hits the price band on both days, the exclusion date should be deferred by another three days.

iv.If SPOS is not conducted by the exchange, the demerged company should be removed from the index one day ahead of the ex-date by making a suitable replacement
About National Stock Exchange (NSE):
Managing Director & CEO– Ashishkumar Chauhan
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

WYLD, World’s 1st Social Currency Payment Card, launched in Mumbai

WYLD, the world’s 1st Social Currency Payment Card, was launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and was powered by San Francisco (California, USA)-based VISA Inc., an American multinational financial services corporation. The app lets anyone who has over 1000 Instagram followers and a “WYLD Score” of over 100 can apply for the WYLD payment card via the app.
WYLD has raised USD 350,000 in pre-seed funding, led by Better Capital, a British Private equity firm.

• WYLD enables users to profitably use their social media following and gets rewarded with up to 100% cashback on brand purchases.
• The platform is currently invite-only, and open to the first 5,000 users on their waitlist of 10,000 potential customers, for their beta-testing phase, which starts in April 2023.
• The company has already partnered with over 200 brands across several verticals, including restaurants, bars, events/concerts, fashion, beauty, footwear, and electronics with brands like Boat, Lenskart, Purplle, etc.

Founded in 2021, WYLD is a Fintech and Martech mobile app and payment card, riding on the idea that nano and micro social media users are the true disruptors of this market.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS 

Swachh Bharat Mission of UP Receives HUDCO Awards 2022-23; J&K Bank Felicitated for PM Awas YojanaOn 25th April 2023, during a programme organised on the 53rd Foundation Day of Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO), the HUDCO Awards of 2022-2023 were announced in New Delhi, Delhi.

UP Receives HUDCO Award for Sanitation
i.The Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Uttar Pradesh has been awarded the HUDCO Award (2022-2023) for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment 2022-23 category for Sanitation.
ii.The award was given for the campaign practice ‘Swatchh Virasat’. The campaign was conducted by the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Uttar Pradesh from January 14 to 24.
iii.On April 25, 2023, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Bank was conferred with the award from the HUDCO for its outstanding contribution towards the housing sector of the country under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) – Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) through various innovative initiatives.
About Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO)
Chairman & Managing Director – Kuldip Narayan
Establishment – April 25, 1970 (as Housing and Urban Development Finance Corporation Private Limited)
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

14th Dalai Lama gets the 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award in Person after 64 yearsOn 26th April 2023, The 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award was presented to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in person after 64 years in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, by Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation president Susanna B Afan and foundation trustee Emily A Abrera.

• The 1959 Ramon Magsaysay award was given by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in the Philippines in August 1959.
• It was the first international recognition given to the 14th Dalai Lama for his leadership in the preservation of Tibet’s society, religion and culture and way of life during a critical time

Background:
i. GyaloThonden, elder brother of Dalai Lama, had received the Magsaysay Award on his behalf in Manila, the Philippines in August 1959.
ii. Following his migration from Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama has lived in India since then.
About The Ramon Magsaysay award:
i. The Ramon Magsaysay Award, often called the “Nobel Prize of Asia”, is an annual award established to preserve former Philippine seventh President Ramon Magsaysay’s example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and practical idealism within a democratic society.
ii. The Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, annually selected by the group of Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) board of trustees, are presented with a certificate and a medallion with an embossed image of Ramon Magsaysay.
iii. The Award was conceived to honour the greatness of spirit shown in service to the peoples of Asia regardless of race, gender, or religion.
iv. From 1958 to 2008, the Award was given in six categories annually. Starting from 2009, the Award is no longer being given in fixed categories except for Emergent Leadership.
Additional info:
i. In 1989 Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts towards the liberation of Tibet and the efforts taken by him for a peaceful resolution instead of using violence as a key
ii. In 2007, he received the United States Congressional Gold Medal for his work with peace and human rights.
iii. In 2022, he received the Gandhi Mandela Award for promoting the values and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in the interest of global peace and freedom.
iv.The award was first established in April 1957.      

RINL wins Ministry of Steel’s Ispat Rajbhasha Samman – 1st prize for 2021-22

RINL (Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited), also known as Vizag Steel, bagged the Ministry of Steel’s “Ispat Rajbhasha Samman” First Prize for the year 2021-22.  The award was conferred by the Minister of State (MoS) Faggan Singh Kulaste, Ministry of Steel to the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Atul Bhatt, RINL in the meeting of Hindi Salahkar Samiti held at Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

• MoS also released RINL’s March issue of Hindi In-house Magazine “Rashtriya Ispat Sugandh”.
• Lalan Kumar, General Manager (Rajbhasha) and Admin Incharge, RINL-Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh steel plant was also awarded First Prize for his special efforts in ensuring effective implementation of Hindi in the organisation. 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS    

RBI approves re-appointment of Kamakodi as MD & CEO of CUB for 3 yearsOn 26th April 2023, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of N Kamakodi as the Managing director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a Kumbakonam (TamilNadu) based private sector bank City Union Bank (CUB) for a period of three years with effect from May 1, 2023.

• Dr. N. Kamakodi is serving as the MD & CEO of the CUB from May 2011

About N Kamakodi:
i. Kamakodi, joined the CUB as DGM (Deputy General Manager) in the year 2003.
ii He was elevated to the post of GM (General Manager) in 2005 and later appointed as Executive Director in 2006.
About City Union Bank (CUB):
Incorporated on– 31st October, 1904
MD & CEO– Dr N. Kamakodi
Headquarters– Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu  

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Japanese startup iSpace failed to land its Hakuto-R lander on Moon

On 25th April 2023, Tokyo (Japan)-based iSpace Inc,  a private lunar robotic exploration company, failed its moon landing mission after its  Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander unexpectedly accelerated and probably crashed on the lunar surface.
The robotic Hakuto-R aimed to become the first private spacecraft, and the first Japanese-built vehicle, ever to land softly on the moon.

• The HAKUTO-R Mission 1 was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the United States of America (USA) on a SpaceX rocket in December 2022 and had completed several mission objectives leading up to its landing attempt.
• Hakuto-R was over two metres (6.5 feet) tall and weighed 340 kilogrammes (kg). Hakuto means “White Rabbit” in Japanese.
• So far, only the USA, Russia and China have managed to put a spacecraft on the Lunar surface.

SPORTS

Jaden Pariat becomes 1st Indian in 6 years to get on Podium in British F4 Championship

India’s Jaden Pariat of Argenti Motorsport, a 16-year-old from Meghalaya, become the 1st Indian in 6 years to get on Podium in the first round of the ROKiT British F4 Championship, the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) certified championship, at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom (UK).
Jaden Pariat is the 2nd Indian to get an international podium in a Tatuus F4 car after Kush Maini of Jenzer Motorsport who finished 3rd in the 2017 Italian F4 Championship.

• Jaden Pariat clinched the 3rd position in Race 2 of the ROKiT British F4 Championship.
• Louis Sharp of Rodin Carlin won Race 2 and Aiden Neate of Fortec Motorsport finished 2nd.

Note: Jaden Pariat finished Race 1 in Position (P) 11, gaining six places after he started from P17. In Race 3, he overtook five to end 12th.

OBITUARY

Boxing Champion, Padma Shri Awardee Kaur Singh passed awayOn 27th April 2023, the Veteran heavyweight boxer, a Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee, Kaur Singh, 74 passed away in Kurukshetra, Haryana.

• Kaur Singh won six gold medals in international competitions.

About Kaur Singh:
Kaur Singh joined the Indian army as havildar in 1971, where he participated in the India-Pakistan war.

• He was awarded Sena Medal and the Vishisht Sewa Medal in 1988 for his bravery.

Boxing Career:
i. He was introduced to boxing in 1977, and in 1979, Kaur Singh won a gold medal at the senior national boxing championship and remained the holder of the gold medal for four consecutive years till 1983.
ii. In 1980, Kaur Singh won a gold medal at the Asian Boxing Championships held in Mumbai (Maharashtra).
iii. On 27 January 1980, Kaur Singh fought against American boxing legend Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match held at the National Stadium in New Delhi, Delhi.
iv. In 1982, Kaur Singh won a gold medal at the heavyweight category Asian Games held at New Delhi, Delhi.

• In 1982 he got the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest National Sports Award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, for earning gold medal in the Asian Games.

v. In 1983, the Government of India awarded Kaur Singh with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour award for outstanding contribution to Indian sports.
vi. In the 1984 Kaur Singh represented India in the Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States of America.
Kaur Singh’s inspiring journey as an athlete, along with the stories of legendary hockey player Balbir Singh Sr, athlete Milkha Singh and Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, were included in the school curriculum by the state government of Punjab earlier in 2023.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Girls in ICT Day 2023 – April 27International Girls in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Day is annually observed across the globe on the 4th Thursday in April to encourage and empower girls and young women to explore and pursue careers in the field of ICT.
The International Girls in ICT Day 2023 was observed on 27th April 2023.

• The International Girls in ICT 2022 was observed on 28th April 2022
• The International Girls in ICT 2024 will be observed on 25th April 2024.

The Theme of International Girls in ICT Day 2023 is “Digital Skills for Life”.
i. On 8th April 2011, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), announced that every year the 4th Thursday in April will be observed as International Girls in ICT Day.

• “Girls in ICT Day” is the direct result of the adoption of Resolution 70 by ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October 2010.
• The Resolution demanded the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women through International communication technology.

ii. The 1st ever International Girls in ICT was observed on 28th April 2011.
About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU):
The ITU was established in 1865, which formally came into force on 1st January 1949 and recognizes ITU as an UN-specialized agency.
Secretary-General- Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Himachal Pradesh Government & Oil India signs MoU to Harness Renewable Energy Sources

On 26th April 2023, the Government of Himachal Pradesh and Oil India Limited (OIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for cooperation in harnessing and developing new and renewable energy sources (NRES) in Himachal Pradesh in the presence of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister (CM) of Himachal Pradesh.

• The MoU was signed by Harikesh Meena, Director (Energy), on behalf of the Himachal Pradesh Government and Pankaj Kumar Goswami, Director (operations), on behalf of OIL.
• According to CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, OIL would explore the possibilities of setting up floating solar power plants in water reservoirs, besides establishing ground-mounted solar power projects.
• OIL can set up a plant for producing green hydrogen and green ammonia on a pilot basis.

The collaboration of the government and OIL will focus on creating a variety of new and sustainable energy sources, including wind, solar, compressed biogas, green hydrogen, and geothermal energy.

*******

List of Current Governors in India – February 2023

List of Current Chief Ministers in India – February 2023

*******

List of Less Important News – Click Here

*****Click Here View – AC Excluded News*****

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)