April

Current Affairs April 2023 www.parchamclasses.
in
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Current Affairs April 2023 www.parchamclasses.in
Contents
Important Days ........................................................... 1 National News ........................................................... 33
Books And Authors ...................................................... 4 International News .................................................... 51
Awards ........................................................................ 6 Defence ..................................................................... 57
Appointments ........................................................... 11 Science Tech .............................................................. 61
Obituaries .................................................................. 15 Banking ...................................................................... 66
Index.......................................................................... 17 Sports......................................................................... 72
State News ................................................................ 23
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Important Days
Date Day Theme

1 April Utkal Dibasa (Odisha Day) On 1st April 1936, the state of Odisha came into existence.
Odisha was separated from the Bengal province.
1-7 April Prevention of Blindness Week National Society for the Prevention of Blindness Week was founded in
2023 1960 (Under the Societies Registration Act of 1860) with Jawaharlal
Nehru and Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur being its founding patrons.
2 April World Autism Day Theme - Transformation: Towards a Neuro-Inclusive World for All/
Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts
and in policymaking
The very first World Autism Day was observed in the year 2008 on April 2.
4 April International Day of Mine Theme 2023: Mine Action Cannot Wait
Awareness and Assistance in On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April to
Mine Action observe as this day.
5 April National Maritime Day India observed the 60th National Maritime Day on April 5, 2023, to
National Maritime Week 2023 commemorate the sailing of the first Indian commercial vessel, SS
(30 March-5 April) Loyalty, from Mumbai to London.
This day was started by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways in
1964. The theme for National Maritime Week 2023 is 'Amrit Kaal in
Shipping’.
World Maritime Day is observed on 28 September.
6 April International Day of Sport for 2023 theme: Scoring for People and the Planet
Development and Peace In August 2013, the UN General Assembly made the decision to proclaim
6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
7 April World Health Day On this day, WHO was founded in 1948 and this year marks the 75th
founding anniversary of WHO.
Theme 2023 - ‘Health for All’.
10 April World Homeopathy Day Theme 2023 – One Health, One Family
Birth anniversary of Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of
Homoeopathy.
11 April World Parkinson’s Day Theme 2023 is #Take6forPD.
The day marks the birthday of Dr James Parkinson from London, who was
the first person to systematically describe the six individuals with the
symptoms of Parkinson Disease (progressive nervous system disorder.)
11 April National Safe Motherhood Day To raise awareness about adequate access to care for women during
pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal services.
The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi, the
wife of Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi.
12 April World Elephant day Personifying prehistoric beauty, theological relevance, and environmental
importance, this August 12, we honor one of Earth's most magnificent
creatures with World Elephant Day.
12 April International Day of Human First human space flight by Yuri Gagarin (a Soviet citizen) on April 12,
Space Flight 1961.
th
13 April 39 Siachen Day On 13 April 1984, the Indian Army launched ‘Operation MEGHDOOT’ to
secure Bilafond La and other passes on the Saltoro Ridgeline, from
Pakistani aggression.
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13 April Jallianwala Bagh Massacre’s The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on April 13, 1919 at Jallianwala
104th Anniversary Bagh in Punjab’s Amritsar.
14 April Ambedkar Jayanti The Day has been observed as an official public holiday throughout India
since 2015.
In 2023, we are marking the 132nd birth anniversary of Babasaheb, who
was born on 14 April 1891.
Dr. Ambedkar is known as the Father (chief architect) of the Indian
Constitution.
He was the first Law and Justice Minister of the country after the
independence.
14 April WHO World Chagas Disease The first World Chagas Disease Day was observed on 14 April 2020.
Day The day has been named after Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, the
Brazilian doctor who diagnosed the first case on 14 April 1909.
It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma crizu.
This parasite is transmitted to humans through the triatomine bug which
is also known as the kissing bug.
15 April World Art Day Theme: Art is good for the health
First observed in 2012, World Art Day was celebrated to commemorate
the renowned artist Leonardo Da Vinci -- renowned for his incredible
artistic work ‘Mona Lisa’.
16 April Save the Elephant Day Theme 2023 is "Protecting Elephant Habitats for a Sustainable
Tomorrow".
The event was first celebrated on 16 April 2012
17 April World Haemophilia Day 2023 Haemophilia - a rare genetic blood disorder which inhibits the clotting of
blood, leading to significant bleeding during injuries and surgeries.
Theme 2023 is “Access for All: Prevention of Bleeds as the Global
Standard of Care.”
18 April International Day For Approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983.
Monuments and Sites 2023 Theme 2023 – HERITAGE CHANGES.
17 - 21 National Panchayat Awards Theme is Panchayaton ke Sankalpon ki Siddhi ka Utsav (पंचायत' के संक+प'
April Week
क, -स./ध का उ2सव)
21 April World Creativity and Theme in 2023: “step out and innovate”
Innovation Day The first UN World Creativity and Innovation Day was celebrated on April
21, 2018.
21 April National Civil Services Day First Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 at
Metcalf House, Delhi.
In his address, he called Civil Servants, the ‘Steel Frame of India’.
22 April International Mother Earth Theme 2023 is “Invest in Our Planet”.
Day The day was established in 2009 by the United Nations General Assembly.
23 April World Book and Copyright Day It is organized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO).
The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995.
Theme 2023 – Indigenous Languages
24 April National Panchayati Raj Diwas 1st National Panchayati Raj day Celebrated in 2010
Balwant Rai Mehta (second Chief Minister of Gujarat) is considered as the
'Architect of Panchayati Raj ‘
24 - 30 World Immunization Week Theme 2023 – The Big Catch-Up
April
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25 April World Malaria Day Theme 2023: Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement
26 April World Intellectual Property Theme 2023 – Accelerating Innovation and Creativity: Women and IP
Day The day was first established by the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) in 2000.
28 April World Day for Safety and 2023 theme: A safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental
Health at Work principle and right at work
It was first observed in 2003 after the ILO declared it an annual
international campaign.
QUICK RECALL TEST
World Parkinson’s Day is observed on?

a) 11 April
b) 12 April
c) 17 April
d) None of the above
National Civil Services Day

a) 16 April
b) 21 April
c) 23 April
Which of the following days is observed on 24 April?

a) World Elephant Day
b) National Panchayati Raj Divas
c) World Malaria Day
Which of the following days is observed on 10 April?

a) World Haemophilia Day 2023
b) World Book and Copyright Day
c) World Homeopathy Day
What was the theme of World Intellectual Property Day 2023?

a) IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future
b) Accelerating Innovation and Creativity: Women and IP
c) Innovate for a Green Future.
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Books And Authors

Book titled "War and Women" written by Dr. MA Hasan released
Dr. M A Hasan's book, "War and Women," was launched during the 52nd session
of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.The
event was organised by the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Parliament in
Europe.The book throws light on the suffering of Bengali women who were
victims of sexual violence during the 1971 war.
"Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origin of Empire": Nandini Das
The book explores the cultural and literary exchange between England and Mughal
India in the early modern period.
The book focuses on Thomas Roe's four-year mission as the English ambassador to the
court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir in India in 1615.
A new book "Gandhi: Siasat Aur Sampradaya" written by Piyush Babele

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.
Book titled ‘The bee, the beetle, and the money bug- The bank bazaar guide to the
financial wild’ authored by Adhil Shetty and AR Hemant
It has been authored by Adhil Shetty (CEO and Co-founder of Bankbazaar.com) and AR
Hemant (former journalist and now head of communications at Bankbazaar.com).
The book emphasises on the advantage of starting investments at an early age.
It explain the basics of investing, managing money and wealth creation.
Book titled ‘SACHIN@50: Celebrating a Maestro’ authored by Boria Majumdar

Boria Majumdar is one of India’s most influential sports commentators and columnist.
This book is a collection of the remarkable achievements of Tendulkar, the ‘God of cricket’ as
a tribute.
Tennis legend Jaidip Mukerjea launches his autobiography “Crosscourt”

Jaidip Mukerjea - former Davis Cup captain
Nirmala Sitharaman launches a book titled ‘Reflections’ authored by Shri

Narayanan Vaghul in Mumbai
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman released the
book 'Reflections' authored by noted banker Shri Narayanan Vaghul in Mumbai
The book carries a vivid account of Vaghul’s experiences spanning decades in India’s
financial landscape.
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Satinder Kumar Lambah's book 'In Pursuit of Peace' launched

The memoir of the late Satinder Kumar Lambah, ‘In Pursuit of Peace: India-Pakistan
Relations Under Six Prime Ministers’ was launched by his wife Nina Lambah.
Foreword by former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Satinder Kumar Lambah had served two tenures in Pakistan as Deputy Chief of Mission and
High Commissioner and was Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board.
He also served as a Special Representative for Afghanistan under Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee.
A new book ‘A Resurgent Northeast: Narratives of Change’ by Ashish Kundra launched

• The book was authored by an IAS officer, and senior bureaucrat Ashish Kundra.
• The book was launched in the presence of Kiren Rijiju (Union Minister of Law and
Justice); Hardeep Singh Puri (Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas), Pema
Khandu (CM of Arunachal Pradesh), and Amitabh Kant.
• Senior bureaucrat-author Ashish Kundra served in the Northeast for eight years.
Amitav Ghosh's new book 'Smoke and Ashes' to release in July 2023
Amitav Ghosh’s new book 'Smoke and Ashes: A Writer’s Journey Through Opium’s
Hidden Histories' is all set to be released in India in July 2023.
This book explores the opium trade's effect on world history and how it continues to
hugely impact our lives today.
Other Notable works: The Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide, Gun Island,
and The Great Derangement
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Awards
C.R. Rao wins International Prize in Statistics 2023
Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, an Indian-American statistician, has won the 2023 International Prize
in Statistics.
This award is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in statistics.
It was established in 2016 and is awarded once every two years to an individual or team “for major
achievements using statistics to advance science, technology and human welfare.”
Rao will be honored with the prize, which carries an $80,000 cash award, at the International
Statistical Institute World Statistics Congress in Ottawa, Canada, in July.
Other notable awards of C.R. Rao - Padma Bhusan, Padma Vibhushan (2001), SS Bhatnagar Prize, Wilks Medal,
National Medal of Science
Wing Commander Deepika Misra becomes 1st woman IAF officer to get Gallantry Award
Wing Commander Mishra, a Rajasthan-based helicopter pilot, has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) for
"extraordinary courage" displayed during a flood relief operation in Madhya Pradesh in August 2021. Her efforts
helped in saving 47 lives.
President had conferred Vayu Seva Medal for gallantry on her at Independence Day last year and she received the
medal from Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari at an investiture ceremony held in New Delhi
A total of 58 personnel received gallantry awards from the IAF Chief
Mumbai Recognised among ‘2022 Tree City of the World’ by FAO

India’s commercial capital Mumbai has been included in the World Tree City 2022
list, for the second consecutive year, for promoting best practices in urban
forestry.
The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Arbor Day
Foundation (ADF) conduct the TCW programme
The Tree Cities of the World (TCW) recognition began in 2019, to recognise efforts
of cities globally that strive to balance the trees and environment and are included
in the TCW list.
Mumbai was also part of TCW list in 2021, when it shared the honour with Hyderabad.
Indian-American CEO Raj Subramaniam presented with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman

Subramanian is the president and CEO of FedEx Corporation, one of the world’s largest
transportation companies.
It is the highest civilian award given by India to persons of Indian origin and Indian
diaspora.
Subramanian was presented with the award by India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit
Singh Sandhu at a ceremony at the India House.
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RINL wins Ispat Rajbhasha Samman for 2021-22

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL) has bagged Steel Ministry’s "Ispat Rajbhasha Samman" for
the year 2021-22.
The award was presented by the MoS for Steel and Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste
to CMD, RINL Atul Bhatt, in the meeting of Hindi Salahkar Samiti held at Srinagar.
Headquarters: Visakhapatnam
Founded: 18 February 1982
PM Gati Shakti NMP receives PM's Award for Excellence

The Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022, in the category 'Innovation-Central' was
conferred by PM Narendra Modi to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
The award was presented at the 16th Civil Services Day Celebration for the successful implementation of the
prestigious ‘PM GatiShakti National Master Plan’ programme.
PM Gati Shakti initiative
It was launched on October 2021 to provide multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various economic zones.
Its targets are to cut logistic costs, increase cargo handling capacity and reduce the turnaround time.
Economic zones like Textile Clusters, Pharmaceutical Clusters, Defence Corridor, Electronic Park, Industrial Corridor,
Fishing Clusters, Agri Zone will be covered under this program to improve connectivity.
Karnataka Bags National Award For Fasal Bima Yojana

Karnataka has bagged the national award for the best implementation of the Pradhan
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the country.
Puducherry, has secured the top rank in the smaller States category
The Pradhan Mantri fasal bima yojana launched on 18 February 2016 by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is an insurance service for farmers for their yields.
Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari conferred with Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2022

Union HM Amit Shah has presented the Maharashtra Bhushan Award for 2022 to Dr. Appasaheb
Dharmadhikari at Raigarh, Maharashtra.
He has played a significant role in organizing several tree plantation drives, blood donation
drives, free medical clinics, and job fairs.
Award: A shawl, citation and memento, and a cheque of Rs 25 lakh
He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2017.
His father Dr. Narayan Vishnu Dharmadhikari was also awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan in 2008.
Central University of Kerala awards its first Honorary D.Litt to P.T. Usha
Retired Indian track and field athlete, PT Usha has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of
Letter (D.Litt) by the Central University of Kerala at Sabarmati Hall, Periya Campus.
She has won 33 medals including 19 gold in the Asian Games and Asian Championship
She was the first Indian athlete to win medals in four consecutive Asian Games and also won
six medals including five gold in the Jakarta Asian Athletic Meet in 1985
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Rajasthan's Nandini Gupta crowned Femina Miss India World 2023

The first runner-up of the competition was Shreya Poonja from Delhi.
59th edition of the Grand Finale of Femina Miss India World 2023 was at the Indoor Stadium, Khuman Lampak,
Imphal, Manipur.
Nandini Gupta will represent India at the 71st Miss World pageant, to be held in the United Arab Emirates.
About Femina Miss India
It is a national beauty pageant held annually in India since 1952. It is organised by Femina, a women's magazine
published by The Times Group.
The winner represents India in the Miss World pageant.
The 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards was held at the Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai
• Best Film: Gangubai Kathiawadi
• Best Film (Critics'): Badhaai Do
• Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male): Rajkummar Rao for Badhaai Do
• Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female): Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
• Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Gangubai Kathiawadi
• Best Music Album: Pritam for Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Prem Chopra
• RD Burman Award for Upcoming Music Talent: Jahnvi Shrimankar for Dholida from Gangubai Kathiawadi
Filmfare Awards were first introduced in 1954
Synergy Group wins prestigious Tanker Operator Award

Synergy Group, which operates a fleet of more than 560 vessels, has won
the GREEN4SEA Tanker Operator award for its ‘leadership role in global
tanker management.’
Synergy Group was recognized for its outstanding performance in the
tanker sector and its commitment to safety, sustainability, and
innovation.
The award recognizes excellence in the tanker industry and is one of the
most prestigious awards in the maritime sector.
Synergy Group was founded in 2006 by Captain Rajesh Unni
Que:Who has been awarded the prestigious Santokba Humanitarian Award for his
contributions to society?
Ans: Sonam Wangchuk
• Sonam Wangchuk - a notable engineer, innovator, educationist, sustainable
development reformist, and founder-director of the Students’ Educational and
Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL).
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• The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 crore and is presented by Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK) and its
philanthropic arm Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF)
• Wangchuk is the inventor of the Ice Stupa technique which creates artificial glaciers used to store winter
water in the form of cone-shaped ice piles and solve the water crisis in Ladakh.
Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan Award

The award was instituted by the Mangeshkar family and trust, and is given to a person who
has made a significant contribution to the nation, its people and society.
Singer Asha Bhosle, Pankaj Udhas and actor Vidya Balan will be honoured with the prestigious
Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan Award
Kumar Mangalam Birla honoured with 'Business Leader of the Decade

Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla was honoured with the 'Business Leader
of the Decade Award' at the 13th Management India Awards ceremony organised by the All
India Management Association (AIMA).
Awarded in recognition of his contribution to Indian industry, especially in strengthening the
operations of the Aditya Birla Group, and his leadership over the last ten years.
Rahul Kanwal (News Director of India Today and Aaj Tak and Executive Director of Business
Today), received the 'Outstanding Contribution to Media' award at the same event.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates the retail payment and
settlement system in India, was awarded the 'Outstanding PSU of the Year' award.
Utsa Patnaik selected for Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023

Utsa Patnaik - a renowned economist of national and international repute
The award is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust for outstanding
contributions to Development Studies.
It consists of a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh.
2022 winner of the prize was Indian economist Prabhat Patnaik
Dalai Lama Receives Ramon Magsaysay Award

The Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama has received the 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award by
members of the award foundation personally after 64 years.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often called the Nobel Prize of Asia.
The award was announced in August 1959 by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in the
Philippines.
The Dalai Lama's elder brother Gyalo Thonden accepted the Magsaysay Award on his behalf in August 1959 in
Manila, Philippines.
Since his exile from Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama has been living in India.
The title "Dalai Lama" is a combination of the Mongolian word "Dalai," meaning ocean, and the Tibetan word "lama,"
meaning master, teacher, or mentor.
The award was established in 1957 and is named after the late Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay.
The award is given in six categories: government service, public service, community leadership, journalism, creative
arts, and peace and international understanding.
Kiran Nadar conferred with highest French Civilian Award ‘Knight of the Legion of Honour
Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar, (wife of Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL
Technologies), has been conferred with the highest French civilian award “Chevalier de la
Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour).
The award was conferred upon Kiran Nadar for her outstanding contribution in the field
of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and
internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties.
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Que:Who has recently been conferred with the Order of Australia (AO), the highest civil honour of
Australia in 2023?
Ans: Ratan Tata
Ratan Tata has been awarded with the highest civil honour of Australia, Order of Australia (AO).
He has been awarded for his longstanding commitment to Indo-Australian ties specifically in the areas
of trade, investment, and philanthropy.
Australia’s High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell conferred the honour on Ratan Tata, the titan
of biz, industry and philanthropy.
Ukraine's President awarded Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honour
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's
highest award.
The award was given to him for his exceptional services to protect security, resilience and
human rights.
The Order of the White Eagle is a prestigious and highly regarded decoration of the Republic of
Poland, awarded for outstanding civil and military contributions to the country.
About Ukraine
Capital - Kyiv
Official language - Ukrainian
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Appointments
Justice T.S. Sivagnanam appointed as Chief Justice Calcutta High Court
He had earlier replaced Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava, who retired on March 30, 2023,
as acting Chief Justice. Justice Sivagnanam's tenure as a judge runs till September 2025.
He served as a permanent judge in the Madras High Court for over a decade before
being transferred to the Calcutta High Court in 2018.
Article 126 allows for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice in the event of the Chief
Justice of India being absent or unable to perform his duties.
The President of India is responsible for the appointment of the Acting Chief Justice in consultation with
the Chief Justice of India.
Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh to be the Chief Justice of Tripura HC

Jharkhand High Court judge Aparesh Kumar Singh was appointed as the Chief Justice of
Tripura High Court
He replaced Justice T Amarnath Goud, who was the acting chief justice of Tripura High Court
since last November.
Justice SV Bhatti appointed as acting Chief Justice of Kerala High Court

In the exercise of the power conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India,
the President has appointed Justice Sarasa Venkatanarayana Bhatti as Acting Chief
Justice of the Kerala High Court with effect from April 24, 2023.
He would replace the current Chief Justice S Manikumar, who retired on the aforementioned date.
Que:Who was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court?
Ans: Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan
With effect from April 20, consequent upon the retirement of Smt. Justice Sabina, Acting
Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court
Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65, HC judges retire at 62.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh takes charge as Vice Chief of Naval Staff
He succeeds Vice Admiral Satishkumar Namdeo Ghormade who superannuated on April
01, 2023
Que: Who has been appointed as the Military Advisor to the National Security Council
Secretariat (NSCS)?
Ans: Air Marshal Sandeep Singh (Retd.)
He is a former Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force
Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2013 and Param Vishisht Sewa Medal
in 2022.
General Anil Chauhan was the military adviser to the NSCS before being appointed chief of
defence staff in September 2022.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan becomes Controller of Personnel Services in Navy

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan assumed charge as Controller of Personnel Services.
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Que:Who has taken over as the new President of Assocham?

Ans: Ajay Singh
Ajay Singh, the Chief of SpiceJet, has been appointed as the new President of the Associated
Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
He has replaced Sumant Sinha
ASSOCHAM is one of the leading trade associations in India. Established in 1920, it is a non-government,
not-for-profit organization that represents the interests of Indian businesses and industry.
NASSCOM appoints Anant Maheshwari as new Chairperson

The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) has appointed
Anant Maheshwari as its Chairperson for the year 2023-24.
Anant Maheshwari is the President & CEO at Microsoft India.
He replaced Krishnan Ramanujam, who heads business and technology services at Tata
Consultancy Services.
Founders: Dewang Mehta, Nandan Nilekani
Founded: 1 March 1988
Pankaj Singh elected President of Indian Cycling Federation

BJP MLA from Noida and son of Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Pankaj Singh
was elected as the President of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI).
It is the national governing body for cycling in India and was established in 1946.
Siddhartha Mohanty has been named as Managing Director (MD) and the first Chief
Executive Officer of LIC.
Siddhartha Mohanty will lead the insurance firm as its Chairman till June 2024, after which
the position will be done away with, and then he will continue as MD & CEO till June 2025.
Founded: 1 September 1956
Headquarters: Mumbai
Sudha Shivkumar becomes 40th President of FICCI Ladies Organisation

Chennai-based Sudha Shivkumar has assumed the charge as the 40th president of FICCI Ladies
Organisation (FLO) at the 39th annual session.
FLO is the women's wing of the FICCI & is the oldest women-led and women-centric business
chamber in Southeast Asia.
Rajesh Kumar Singh takes charge as Secretary, DPIIT

Rajesh Kumar Singh has assumed the charge of Secretary, Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
He has replaced Anurag Jain, who was appointed secretary in the Ministry of Road
Transport and Highways.
Arun Sinha appointed as new Chairman of NTRO

NTRO - National Technical Research Organization
He was the acting chairman of NTRO before becoming the chairman.
NTRO is a technical intelligence agency based in India.
It works under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office
and was established in 2004.
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The agency follows the same "norms of conduct" as other intelligence agencies in India such as the
Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing.
The agency also conducts research and development of technology to support its intelligence gathering
activities.
Headquarters - New Delhi, India
Government approves the appointment of Kalikesh Singh Deo as NRAI President

The government of India has approved the appointment of NRAI's senior
vice-president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo as President of the National
Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
He replaced the incumbent president of NRAI, Raninder, who had
completed 12 years as President on December 29, 2022.
According to the Sports Ministry directive, the heads of national sports
federations (NSFs) cannot hold office for more than 12 years as per the National Sports Code.
NRAI Headquarters: New Delhi
Rajib K Mishra appointed as CMD of PTC India

Rajib K Mishra has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Power
Trading Corporation of India (PTC) Limited.
About the Power Trading Corporation of India Limited (PTC)
PTC is a public sector undertaking established in 1999 under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
PTC’s primary business is to trade electricity across different regions of India.
Government sets up 14-member committee to look into stalled real estate projects;
Head – Amitabh Kant
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has set up a 14-member committee to look
into issues related to completing stalled housing projects, and propose a future course of action to ensure
that buyers receive their homes.
The committee will be headed by Amitabh Kant, former CEO of Niti Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa. It will
comprise of top central and state government officials.
The panel will suggest ways to complete and hand over the projects to homebuyers in a “time-bound
manner”.
The committee shall submit its report within six months from the date of its first meeting.
K Krithivasan to take over as new MD & CEO of TCS from June 1

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has appointed K Krithivasan as its new Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of the company.
He will take over the post with effect from June 01, 2023 for a tenure of five years.
Krithivasan will replace outgoing CEO Rajesh Gopinathan, who was appointed in 2017.
Praveer Sinha re-appointed as CEO and MD of Tata Power

Tata Power has approved the reappointment of Praveer Sinha as CEO and MD for four years,
effective from May 1, 2023.
His present tenure as a CEO and MD is scheduled to conclude on April 30, 2023.
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NPCI appoints Vishal Kanvaty as CTO

• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has roped in Vishal Kanvaty as
Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
• NPCI Founded: 2008
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founders: Reserve Bank of India, Indian Banks' Association
RBI appoints Neeraj Nigam as new Executive Director (ED)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Neeraj Nigam as the new Executive Director (ED) with effect
from April 03, 2023.
As Executive Director of RBI, Mr Nigam will handle
• Consumer Education and Protection Department
• Financial Inclusion and Development Department
• Legal Department
• Secretary’s Department
RBI Governor – Shaktikanta Das
RBI 4 Deputy Governors - M. K. Jain, Dr. M. D. Patra,
M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
RBI re-appointed Sanjay Agarwal as Chief of AU SFB for three years

RBI has approved the reappointment of Sanjay Agarwal as Managing Director (MD) & CEO
of AU Small Finance Bank (SFB) for the next three years, till 2026.
Sekhar Rao appointed as interim MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Sekhar Rao as
interim managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Karnataka Bank
with effect from April 15, 2023.
He has been appointed for a period of three months or till the appointment of regular MD and CEO
whichever is earlier.
He has replaced Mahabaleshwara M S, whose term ended on April 14, 2023.
Karnataka Bank Founded: 18 February 1924
Shreekant Bhandiwad appointed as Chairman of Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank

Shreekant Bhandiwad has replaced the current chairman P Gopikrishna
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) is an Indian Regional Rural Banks (RRB) sponsored
by Canara Bank headquartered in Dharwad, Karnataka.
Hari Hara Mishra takes charge as CEO of Association of ARC

Hari Hara Mishra has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the
Association of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs).
An Asset Reconstruction Company is a specialized financial institution that buys the NPAs or bad assets
from banks and financial institutions so that the latter can clean up their balance sheets.
Currently, there are 28 ARCs registered with the Reserve Bank of India.
Sumant Kathpalia re-appointed as MD & CEO of IndusInd Bank

for a period of two years with effect from 24 March, 2023.
Kathpalia was first appointed as the MD & CEO of IndusInd Bank in March 2020.
IndusInd Bank Limited Headquarter – Mumbai
14
Obituaries
Legendary Indian Test Cricketer Salim Durani passed away at 88
The former India all-rounder cricket player had played in 29 Test matches for
India from 1960 to 1973, scoring 1202 runs.
He is the only Indian Test cricketer to be born in Afghanistan.
He was the first cricketer to be honoured with the Arjuna Award. He was given
this honour in 1961.
Sahitya Akademi winner Sarah Thomas passed away

She is a two-time recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award.
Her noted work ‘Narmadipudava’ won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 1979.
She was also awarded the academy’s award in 2010 for her overall contribution to Malayalam
literature.
Former CJ of Calcutta HC T B Radhakrishnan passed away

Former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court T B Radhakrishnan passed away in
Kochi at the age of 63.
He also served as the Chief Justice of Telangana and Chattisgarh HC and was a judge
of the Kerala HC.
Punjab’s ex-Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal passes away at 95

• Mr. Badal had served as the 8th Chief Minister of Punjab.
• He was the CM of Punjab for 5 times
• He was the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a Sikh-centered regional
political party.
• Apart from this, he had served as the 11th Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in
the Morarji Desai ministry from 1977 to 1977.
Former Mahindra Group chairman, Keshub Mahindra passes away

Mr. Keshub Mahindra, Chairman Emeritus of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group of
companies passed away at 99 in Mumbai.
He served as chairman of the conglomerate from 1963 to 2012.
He was awarded Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Legion d'honneur by the French Government in 1987.
He re-entered the Forbes list of India’s Richest Billionaires for 2023 with a net worth of $1.2 billion.
National Award-winning actress Uttara Baokar passes away

• Veteran film and television actress Uttara Baokar passed away at 79 in Pune,
Maharashtra.
• In 1984, she won Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Freedom fighter, public health pioneer Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury passes away

Veteran Liberation War fighter and legendary public health activist Dr. Zafrullah
Chowdhury passed away at 81 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
He was a vascular surgeon and a pioneer in public health.
He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in the Community Leadership category in 1985 and
the Right Livelihood Prize in 1992 for his outstanding work in the public health sector.
In 1971, he left his medical studies in the UK to join the liberation war of Bangladesh.
15
Que:Craig Breen, who passed away recently, was a famous rally driver representing which country?
Ireland’s top rally driver Craig Breen has passed away in an accident, due to a crash while he was driving his
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 rally car in a testing session for the 2023 Croatia Rally.
16
Index
PM Modi releases Tiger Census figures: Number grows to 3,167 in 2022
• PM inaugurates program ‘Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger’ in
Mysuru, Karnataka. Launches International Big Cats Alliance
• “The focus of the International big cat alliance will be on the conservation of
the world's 7 major big cats”– tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, pumas,
jaguars and cheetahs.
• 5th cycle of India’s Tiger Census revealed that tiger numbers have once again
increased in the country and now stands at 3,167 in the wild as of 2022.
• The 2018 Tiger Census, released in July 2019, had established the presence of
2,967 tigers in India.
• The animal’s population in the country has increased by 200 or 6.7 per cent in
the past four years.
• 75 per cent of the world’s tiger population can now be found in India and tiger reserves in the
country span 75,000 square kilometres.
• “With only 2.4 per cent of global land area, India contributes to 8 per cent of wildlife diversity. India
is the largest tiger range country in the world.
• With nearly 30,000 elephants, we are the largest Asiatic Elephant range in the world
• Project Tiger-an initiative to save tigers, was first initiated in the year April 1, 1973 in Jim Corbett
National Park, Uttarakhand.
• The first Tiger assessment based on this scientific methodology was done in 2006 and subsequently
in 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022.
Best-maintained of all tiger reserves in the country –

• The Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala - according to the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness
Evaluation (MEE) carried out by the Centre and released alongside the Tiger Census.
• While Periyar reserve has obtained an MEE score of 94.3%, it is followed closely by the Satpura
Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Bandipur in Karnataka and Nagarhole in Karnataka.
• The government has been using the MEE to assess tiger reserves across the country since its
inception in 2006.
• At present, the country has 998 Protected Areas – including 106 National Parks, 567 Wildlife
Sanctuaries, 105 Conservation Reserves
About Project Tiger:

Feature Description
To ensure the maintenance of a viable population of tigers in India for scientific,

Objective
economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values.
Centrally Sponsered Scheme under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate
Type
Change (MoEFCC)
Implementing
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) (est. 2005; HQ: New Delhi)
Authority
NTCA was established following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force). It is

About NTCA
a statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972.
17
Members of Union Minister of the MoEFCC (as Chairperson)+ the Minister of State in the MoEFCC (as
NTCA Vice-Chairperson)+ 3 MPs, Secretary, MoEFCC
Passport Index 2023: India ranks at 144th; topped by UAE

• India fell six places to the 144th position in the annual passport index for 2023,
from 138th a year ago.
• The Passport Index 2023 has been published by financial advisory services
firm Arton Capital that ranks passports of 199 countries.
• Calculated on provisions like visa-free visit, visa on arrival, an eVisa (if used
within t hree days) and electronic travel authorisation.
• According to the report, Indians can only travel to 59 countries without needing
a visa.
• China too ranked relatively lower compared to other large economies at 118th in the
Passport Index individual rankings.
• Highest in Asia - South Korea, which is 12th in the individual rankings and has a mobility score of 174
• Topper - United Arab Emirates with a mobility score of 181.
• It is followed by Sweden, Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria
with a joint mobility score of 174.
• Henley Passport Index 2023 : India ranked 85; topped by Japan
• World Happiness Index 2023: India ranked 126th; topped by Finland; Last Afghanistan
• Global Terrorism Index 2023 – India ranked 13th, topped by Afghanistan
National Contribution To Warming : India Ranking

• The research published in the journal “Scientific Data’ ranked India fifth among the top 10
contributors to global warming.
• Top Contributor: United States topped the list with its emissions causing 0.28°C (17.3%) of rise in
temperature.
• China stood second and Russia took third place.
• India’s Position: Since 2005, India climbed to the fifth spot from the 10th.
• India is responsible for 0.08 degrees Celsius of warming from the 1850s through 2021.
• India’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from 1851-2021
have resulted in 0.04°C, 0.03°C and 0.006°C of global warming over pre-industrial levels,
respectively.
India could become world's second-largest solar manufacturer by 2026
• According to the new joint report from the Institute for Energy
Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research and
Analytics, India could become the world’s second-largest solar
photovoltaic manufacturer by 2026, after China.
• India’s cumulative module manufacturing nameplate capacity more
than doubled from 18GW in March 2022 to 38GW in March 2023.
• In terms of upcoming PV manufacturing installations, Gujarat would be the leading state in India.
India Justice Report 2022 : Karnataka tops states

According to the India Justice Report 2022 released in New Delhi, Karnataka tops the
list of states and Union Territories in providing access to justice.
Parameters- This study relies on overall statistics from four pillars of justice delivery:
• Police
18
• Judiciary
• Prisons
• Legal aid
Shortage of Judges
According to the report, as of December 2022, the high courts were functioning with only 778 judges as against the
sanctioned strength of 1,108.
The subordinate courts were functioning with 19,288 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 24,631 judges.
Case Clearance Rate (CCR)

As per reports, the High Courts are settling more cases than the subordinate courts.
The High Courts of Kerala and Odisha have the highest case disposal rates – 156% and 131%, respectively – while
the High Courts of Rajasthan (65%) and Bombay (72%) have the lowest, respectively.
Performance of States
Karnataka ranks first among 18 large and medium-sized states with a population of over one crore in terms of
delivery of justice.
Tamil Nadu is second and Telangana is third. Uttar Pradesh is at the 18th position, which is at the bottom.
Among small states, Sikkim topped the list of seven small states with less than one crore population, followed by
Arunachal Pradesh. Goa is at the bottom, at seventh position.
About India Justice Report
Tata Trusts launched the India Justice Report (IJR) in 2019.
This is the third edition.
Delhi IGI Airport ranked 9th busiest airports globally in 2022: ACI Report
• The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi has been ranked
among the world’s top 10 busiest airports by passengers traffic, as per
Airports Council International (ACI).
• It is the only airport from South and Southeast Asia to feature in ACI’s list of
the 10 busiest airports for 2022.
• The global rank of the Delhi airport is at the ninth spot for 2022.
• In 2021, the airport was ranked at 13th and in 2019, at 17th.
• Top airport – The United States-based Atlanta airport has retained its
position as the world’s busiest airport. It handled 9.37 crore passengers in
2022.
Mumbai is only Indian city on list of world’s best cities for public transport
• India’s financial capital Mumbai is the only Indian city among the list of the world’s 19 best cities for public
transport, as per the report by Time Out.
• Mumbai claimed the last spot, that means 19th spot on the list for great public transit, due to its wide-
reaching suburban rail network.
• The Time Out’s world’s best city for public transport went to Berlin in Germany.
• Second position went to Prague in Czech Republic while Tokyo in Japan ranked third.
India’s Forest cover increases by 1,540 sqkm between ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021: FSI Report
• As per latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, the total forest cover in the country is 7,13,789 square
kilometer. This is 21.71% of the geographical area of India.
• The ISFR report is released by the Forest Survey of India (FSI),
Dehradun, biennially, since 1987 based on forest cover.
• The last survey was done in 2019.
• As per the report, between ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021, the forest cover
has increased by 1,540 square kilometer.
19
• FSI is an organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, founded in June 1981.
• State with largest forest cover in the country – Madhya Pradesh (77,493 sqkm)
• State with largest Percentage of Geographical area under forest – Mizoram (84.53)
• Maximum increase in forest cover witnessed in Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km)
State Energy Efficiency Index 2021-22 released

• Developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in collaboration with
Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).
• SEEI 2021-22 consists of 50 indicators spanning 7 sectors – buildings,
industry, municipal services, transport, agriculture, DISCOMs, and cross-
sector.
• 36 states and union territories have been assessed for their energy
efficiency progress in FY 2020- 21 and FY 2021-22 in SEEI 2021-22.
• Based on their efforts and achievements, states have been classified
into four categories: Front runner, Achiever, Contender, and Aspirant.
• Front Runners (score >60)- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, and Telangana
• Achiever category (score between 50-60): Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab
• This report was released by Power Minister R. K. Singh in New Delhi.
• BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) was established by the Government of India on 1st March 2002
under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
US, China, India, Germany and Russia makes top 5 countries resp. with highest billionaires: 2023 Forbes Ranking
• The Forbes Billionaire List 2023 reveals that 2,640 billionaires of the world listed in the ranking hails
from 77 countries or territories.
• According to Forbes, the United States has topped the list for having the highest number of
billionaire. The US has 735 billionaires in the ranking
• China stood second in terms of the number of billionaires, at 495
• India is on third spot in the rankings with 169 billionaires.
• Germany is on 4th place with 126 billionaires, while Russia with 105 billionaires has 5th highest
billionaires.
Stanford University’s annual AI Index report: India ranked fifth in terms of investments
received by startups offering artificial intelligence (AI)-based products and services last
year.
• India ranked fifth in terms of investments received by startups offering
artificial intelligence (AI)-based products and services last year, according
to Stanford University’s annual AI Index report.
• AI startups in India received a total investment of $3.24 billion, surpassing
countries such as South Korea, Germany, Canada, and Australia.
Tibet ranked as world's least free country by Freedom House Index

• Global watchdog Freedom House has released its 'Freedom in the World Index' for 2023, ranking
Tibet as the "world's least free country" along with South Sudan and Syria.
• This is the third annual report after the 2021 and 2022 Freedom House reports.
• According to the report, both Chinese and Tibetans living in Tibet lack basic rights.
• The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights raised the issue of serious
human rights violations in Tibet in its third Periodic Review Report.
• The Communist Party of China (CPC) is forcefully destroying Buddhism and culture in Tibet
20
Best utilization of MPLADS funds in Gujarat in FY23

• In FY23, Gujarat had the highest utilization-to-released fund ratio of
MPLADS funds.
• This is according to the data that the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation presented in the parliament.
• The other major states with the highest utilization-to-released fund
ratio include Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil
Nadu.
• MPLADS is a central government scheme under which MPs can
recommend development programmes of expenditure of ₹5 crore
every year in their constituencies.
Who gets more money?
• Data shows that funds received from the Centre by each State are proportional to the number of MPs that
the State elects.
• For instance, Uttar Pradesh received ₹427.5 crore. The State has 80 Lok Sabha MPs.
• Uttar Pradesh is followed by Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal..
Que: Which country was the highest source of foreign portfolio investor
(FPI) in India in FY23, as per National Securities Depository?
Ans: United States
• As per the data released by the National Securities Depository,
the overseas FPI inflow into Indian capital markets from
Mauritius witnessed the sharpest decline in FY23.
• The total assets under custody (AUC) from Mauritius declined
nearly 42 percent to Rs 3.25 trillion as of March 2023. This was Rs
5.55 trillion in 2022.
• Overall, FPI AUC fell 4.44 percent in FY23.
• The US was the biggest source for foreign portfolio investor (FPI) flows in India in FY23, with total
AUC of Rs 19.19 trillion.
• Singapore witnessed highest growth in FPI AUC in FY23.
The US emerges as largest trading partner of India in FY23: Commerce Ministry

• According to the provisional data, released by the commerce ministry, the
bilateral trade between India and the US increased by 7.65% to USD 128.55
in 2022-23 as against USD 119.5 billion in 2021-22.
• The US has emerged as India's biggest trading partner in 2022-23.
• During 2022-23, India's two-way commerce with China declined by about 1.5% to USD 113.83
billion.
• In 2022-23, the UAE (USD 76.16 billion) was the third largest trading partner, followed by Saudi
Arabia.
China to be top contributor to global GDP in next five years, India second: IMF
• As per the data by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China will be the top contributor to
global growth over the next five years, and its share is set to be double than that of the US.
21
• The report by Bloomberg, based on the data of World Economic Outlook of IMF, reveals that
China share in the global GDP expansion over the next five years, through 2028, is expected to
represent 22.6% of total world growth.
• India is on second spot, representing 12.9% of the total growth.
• The US will contribute 11.3%, which is half than that of China.
Hurun report: India retains third spot as a unicorn hub.

• In business, a unicorn is a privately held startup company valued at over
US$1 billion. The term was first published in 2013, coined by venture
capitalist Aileen Lee
• India has retained its 3rd spot as the country with the highest number of
unicorns worldwide after the US and China.
• With 68 new unicorns, India lags behind the US and China, which have 666
and 316 unicorns, respectively.
• According to the report, BYJU’s is the top-most unicorn in India, with a valuation of $22 billion,
followed by Swiggy and Dream11, valued at $8 billion each.
• India's total tally of new unicorns in 2023 increased by 47% since pre-Covid.
• A further 70 unicorns were started by Indian co-founders outside of India, taking the total to 138
unicorns founded by Indians around the world.
• The Hurun unicorn list found 1,361 unicorns in the world, up by 29% in the last year
World's Wealthiest Cities Report 2023 released

• Published by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth
• New York City has emerged as the wealthiest city in the world,
with 340,000 resident millionaires.
• Tokyo ranked second, followed by The Bay Area, London, and
Singapore.
• Country-wise, US has topped the list with 10 out of the top 50
cities in the world wealthy cities, followed by China, and Australia.
World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index 2023: India ranks 38th,

Singapore tops
• India has been ranked at 38th among 139 countries
• World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index 2023 is a measure of
countries’ ability to move goods across borders with speed and
reliability.
• India has improved its ranking by 6 places - previous rank 44 in
2018.
• Singapore has topped the index. It is followed by Finland at
second position.
SIPRI report on Trends in World Military Expenditure 2022

• Published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
• Total global military expenditure increased by 3.7% in real terms in 2022 to reach a new high of
$2240 billion
• The three largest spenders in 2022 are the USA, China, and Russia, accounting for 56% of the total
world
• India’s spending of $81.4 billion was the fourth highest in the world.
22
State News
Que: Which state / UTs Agriculture Production Department has launched the Kisan Sampark
Abhiyan programme in the state?
Ans: Jammu and Kashmir
The Abhiyan has been launched across 3565 panchayats in J&K.
The programme will be launched across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir and will focus on
providing farmers with information, training, and guidance on various aspects of agriculture and
allied activities.
India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge Anji Khad will be ready in May 2023
The bridge is a part of a 326-km rail line connecting Udhampur to Baramulla via Srinagar
It connects Katra and Reasi via tunnels T2 and T3 on the Katra-Banihal section.
Aim: To connect J&K to the rest of the country with all-weather rail
connectivity
The cables weight 848.7 MT and the total length of cable strands involved is
653km.
The asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge crosses the deep gorges of Anji river,
a tributary of river Chenab.
Project cost - ₹400 crore
Total length of the bridge: 725m
Short News
• Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated a tulip garden at Sanasar in Ramban district. It is
said to be the Union Territory’s second and Jammu division’s first tulip garden, and will help boost tourism in
the region
• Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju has released the first edition of the Dogri
version of the Constitution of India at University of Jammu.
Que: Which state/UT repealed the ‘Loktantra Prahari Samman Act’ 2021?
Ans: Himachal Pradesh
The Act provides a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 and Rs 12,000 to the people who lodged in jails
during the Emergency from 1975 to 1977.
Que:Which state becomes the first to prepare a DNA database for the identification of
unidentified dead bodies?
Ans:Himachal Pradesh
The process of creating this database had started in April 2022. So far, the database holds
records of 150 DNA samples of unidentified bodies.
Himachal Pradesh Sukh Ashraya Bill 2023

The Himachal Pradesh government proposed to introduce the HP Sukh Ashraya (Care, Protection
and Self Reliance of Children) Bill, 2023 in the State Assembly.
Aim: To provide proper care protection, development, and self-reliance to orphans, semi-
orphans, and specially-abled children
The state government will be providing shelter, food, clothing, etc. till the age of 27 years along
with higher education, vocational training, skill development, and coaching facilities.
Apart from stipends to meet their personal expenses, the government will also provide them with financial
assistance to establish their own start-ups.
Que:Which state government has launched a new project, ‘Sanjeevani” to ensure that livestock is provided quality
treatment in a time-bound manner?
23
Ans: Himachal Pradesh

• The doorstep veterinary services will have curative treatment, vaccination, artificial
insemination, preventive care and all animal husbandry-related information.
• This initiative will serve farmers at 44 blocks located in 12 districts of the state.
• Capital – Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
• Chief Minister – Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu
• Governor – Shiv Pratap Shukla
Uttarakhand government launched A HELP Program

Uttarakhand CM, Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched a program named ‘A-HELP’ (Accredited
Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production).
Women (Pashu Sakhis) have been chosen to strengthen livestock-related activities in remote
rural areas
Trained A-HELPs will help to prevent the various infectious diseases of animals, and artificial
insemination under Rashtriya Gokul Mission, tagging of animals and animal insurance.
The programme was successfully piloted in State of Madhya Pradesh and J&K (UT).
Mana village on India-China border in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district

declared as ‘India’s first village’ by BRO
This decision is based on the initiative by PM Modi to declare all border
villages in the country as the first villages and not the last as they are usually
called.
Mana village is situated near Himalayan temple, Badrinath. Devotees going to
the temple usually go up to the village for sightseeing.
Punjab government launched Punjab's 'CM di Yogshala' programme

• The Punjab government has launched the 'CM di Yogshala' program and portal in Punjab.
• Aim: To create a mass movement to carve out a healthy and prosperous Punjab
• The initiative was initially launched for four cities of the state: Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana,
and Phagwara
• The formation of these Yogshalas will be under a pilot project.
• Trained Yoga instructors will impart free Yoga training to people in open parks and other public places.
• Punjab CM: Bhagwant Mann
UP's Suhelwa sanctuary records first photographic proof of tigers

The recently released report on the census of tigers in the country states that Suhelwa Wildlife
Sanctuary is a new area where photographic evidence of tigers has been recorded for the first
time.
The sanctuary, located in Shravasti, Balrampur and Gonda districts of Uttar Pradesh, was
declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1988.
It is spread over an area of 452 sq km.
It is situated on the Indo-Nepal international border and is rich in natural resources. It is named
after King Soheldev.
Adjacent to the sanctuary area are the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas.
It is one of the important places in the Bhabar-Tarai eco-system region which is rich in biodiversity.
Que:Which state government has recently given OBC status to the transgender community?
Ans: Madhya Pradesh
The Madhya Pradesh Government has recently added the transgender community to the Other
Backward Classes (OBC) list of the state.
* The state government has taken this decision following the directions of the Supreme Court.
* With this, the transgender community will get the benefit of reservation in state government recruitments.
24
Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary to be second new home of Cheetahs

In a meeting with the Wildlife Advisory Board, Madhya Pradesh CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan instructed the
development of the Gandhisagar Sanctuary as a habitat for cheetahs in the next six months.
Reason: The experts suggested that Kuno National Park in Sheopur does not have enough space for all cheetahs,
hence it is necessary to relocate a few
Gandhisagar Sanctuary is situated in northwestern Madhya Pradesh, with one of its boundaries running along the
border of Rajasthan.
River Chambal flows through the sanctuary, dividing it into two parts.
The sanctuary was notified in 1974
India’s First Solar City

Sanchi, a world heritage site located in Madhya Pradesh, is all set to become India’s first solar city.
It is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh.
It lies in an upland plateau region just west of the Betwa River.
Sanchi is a religious place with historical and Archaeological significance.
It has India’s best-preserved group of Buddhist monuments, collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in
1989.
Sanchi Stupa was built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the third century BC.
FACT - Modhera in Gujarat is India’s first solar powered village - to be powered by solar all day, every day.
Thawe Festival organised in Bihar

The 11th annual Thawe Festival took place on 15th and 16th April in Gopalganj, Bihar and the
festival was jointly organised by the Department of Tourism and the Department of Art and
Culture.
The objective of the festival is to promote tourism in Gopalganj and invite visitors to Thawe
Durga Temple.
Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav inaugurated the festival.
The festival has been organised since 2012.
Other Festivals/Fairs in Bihar:

Satuani Festival - Traditional harvest festival celebrated in North India mainly in Bihar to mark the start of the
summer season. It includes eating sattu made out of lentil flour. Jur Sital, also known as Maithili new year is
observed on the next day of Satuani.
Chhath Puja: One of the most important festivals in Bihar and is celebrated to worship the Sun God.
Sonepur Pashu Fair: It is one of the biggest cattle fairs in Asia and is organised every year in the month of November.
25
Rajgir Festival: It is celebrated every year in the month of October and is a three-day festival which showcases the
cultural heritage of Bihar.
Sama-Chakeva Bihula: Celebrated every year in the month of November.
Malmas Fair: It is held every three years in Bihar, and is considered to be one of the biggest fairs in the state.
Odisha CM disburses Rs 877 cr to over 43 lakh farmers under KALIA scheme

The Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has released Rs 877 crore to 43 lakh farmers through
direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode on the occasion of Utkal Divas (April 1).
The assistance was provided for agricultural activities in the current kharif season.
The Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) is Odisha
government's flagship programme for farmers.
About KALIA scheme:
It was launched in December 2018.
Aim: To reduce poverty and accelerate agricultural prosperity
Kolkata Metro becomes India's first metro train to run under river
Kolkata Metro reached Howrah from Kolkata through a river tunnel for the first time in India,
carrying only officers and engineers. This tunnel is built across the Hooghly River.
Services on this route of Kolkata Metro will start from this year itself. Once the services start,
Howrah will become the country's deepest metro station (33 meters below the surface).
520 meter long tunnel:
The route from Howrah to Esplanade is about 4.8 km long, of which 520 m will be completed by
tunnelling under the Hooghly river.
The Kolkata Metro tunnel is designed for a service life of 120 years. Not even a drop of water can enter the
tunnels of the river.
Tunnel built on the lines of Eurostar
This tunnel of Kolkata Metro has been built like the Eurostar trains passing through the Channel Tunnel in Europe
between London and Paris.
The work of digging this tunnel was completed by Afcons in four months (April-July 2017).
Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC):
The Kolkata Metro Rail was inaugurated on 24 October 1984 as India's first metro.
General Manager of Kolkata Metro Railway: P Udaya Kumar Reddy
Largest Bihu dance and dhol drum ensemble: Assam CM receives a certificate from Guinness World Records team
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received the official certificate from the
Guinness World Records team for the record-making achievement of the "largest
Bihu dance and largest dhol drum ensemble".
The feat was achieved by 11,304 folk dancers and 2,548 drummers who performed
at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Launching the northeast region’s first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
near Guwahati.
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurate Gaj Utsav at Kaziranga in Assam

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated a two-day 'Gaj Utsav-2023' on April 7 at the
Kaziranga National Park High School’s playground field in Assam.
Cultural performances including Bhortal, Jhumur and Bihu dance forms performed by
Assamese artistes.
About Gaj Utsav
• An annual festival held in the national park to promote the conservation and protection of elephants.
• It is jointly organized by the Forest and Tourism Departments.
• This is being organized to mark the completion of 30 years of Project Elephant.
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• The Government of India started Project Elephant in the year 1992 to protect elephants, their migration
routes and natural habitats.
• Assam has the second largest population of elephants in the country after Karnataka.
The President also flagged off the ‘Mount Kanchenjunga Expedition-2023’.

President Murmu attended the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Gauhati High Court as the Chief Guest and
also launched a mobile app "Bhoroxa" designed for the safety of women and the elderly.
The Gauhati High Court was established on 5th April, 1948 for the seven North Eastern States.
Chief Minister - Himanta Biswa Sarma
Governor - Gulab Chand Kataria
State Animal - Indian Rhinoceros
5 National Parks – Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri National
Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park
Manipur Chief Minister inaugurates Hun-Thadou cultural festival at Kangpokpi.

The 5th edition of HUN- a Thadou Cultural Festival 2023 kicked off at Thomas Ground in
Kangpokpi district of Manipur.
HUN festival is an annual cultural festival of the Thadous community of Manipur and it is
celebrated at the arrival of the new year according to the community.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren attended the opening ceremony of the two days festival
under the theme ‘Drug-free society’.
Shillong to get largest multipurpose indoor stadium of Northeast

The state government of Meghalaya, under Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma is setting up a multipurpose indoor
stadium in Shillong, which would be the largest multipurpose indoor stadium in the northeastern region.
The stadium is being constructed by renovation, upgradation and expansion of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, locally
known as Polo Ground, in Shillong.
It is expected to be completed by December 2023.
The seating capacity of the renovated stadium would be 30,000.
The indoor stadium would have facilities for different disciplines such as basketball, squash, badminton, table tennis,
volleyball among others.
Amit Shah unveils 54 feet tall statue of Lord Hanuman at Gujarat's Sarangpur temple
On April 6, 2023 Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a 54 feet tall statue of Lord Hanuman at
Sarangpur temple in Botad district of Gujarat.
The idol is 54 feet tall, making it one of the tallest idols of Lord Hanuman in the country.
20th anniversary of SWAGAT initiative

PM Modi attended the 20th anniversary of the State Wide Attention on
Grievances by Application of Technology (SWAGAT) initiative in Gujarat via video
conferencing on April 27.
This scheme was started by PM Modi in April 2003 during his tenure as the Chief
Minister of Gujarat.
Aim: To act as a bridge between the citizens and the government using technology
by solving their day-to-day grievances in a quick, efficient, and time-bound manner
Que: ‘Mahila Nidhi’ is the first ever women’s cooperative fund launched by which state/UT?
Ans: Rajasthan
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot approved a proposal for giving 8% interest subsidy on loans obtained by the members of
women’s self-help groups (SHGs) from Mahila Nidhi.
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‘Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi‘ was launched in 2022, and was formed through Rajasthan Rural Livelihood Development
Council (Rajivika), with a sanction of Rs.50 crore grant for the first two years. The scheme facilitates crediting of
loans up to Rs 40,000 within 48 hours, and above Rs 40,000 within 15 days.
Mahila Nidhi is operated entirely by women and acts as a complementary body with the formal banking system.
MGNREGA: Rajasthan tops in persondays generation for 4th year

Rajasthan topped for the fourth year in a row.
In 2022-23, Rajasthan generated 35.61 crore persondays at a total cost of Rs 10,175 crore
under the scheme.
Rajasthan is followed by Tamil Nadu (33.45 crore), Uttar Pradesh (31.18 crore), Andhra
Pradesh (23.96 crore) and Bihar (23.69 crore) in terms of persondays generation, according
to MGNREGA MIS report.
Launch year: 2006
Which state/UT launched the ‘Mehngai Rahat Camp’?

Ans: Rajasthan
The camp will continue till June 30 this year.
The main objective of the Mehngai Rahat Camp, as stated by the Chief Minister, is to
empower the common people.
Through the camp, the government aims to provide complete information about
rights, schemes, and eligibility to the general public and deprived sections.
Bishnoi Community : Protest

• People from the Bishnoi community are protesting against
the “widespread” felling of Khejri trees for setting up solar
power plants in Rajasthan.
• Large areas of land in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner districts
have been leased to private companies by the state
governmentfor the development of renewable energy
projects, leading to destruction of thousands of trees,
including state tree Khejri.
• Bishnoi community belong to a Hindu religious sect found in the Western Thar Desert and some northern
states of India.
• They trace their origins to the teachings of Guru Jambhesvara who was born to a Panwar Rajput family in
1451 AD at Peepasar village of Nagore district in Western Rajasthan.
• They strictly forbid the harming of trees and animals.
• They believe in protecting the environment and can die doing it so.
• The person of this community are inspired and gets inspiration from Amrita Devi, a Bishnoi woman who
was killed in 1730 while trying to protect a grove of khejri trees.
• Khejri tree is the state tree & is considered a sacred tree in Rajasthan.
• It is a nitrogen-fixing tree which enhances the fertility of the soil.
Maharashtra government announces V D Savarkar's birth anniversary as 'Swatantraveer Gaurav Din’/

Maharashtra government declared 28 May, the birth anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, as
'Swatantraveer Gaurav Diwas'.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was an Indian freedom fighter, writer and politician . The day aims to
highlight Savarkar's contribution to India's independence movement, his ideology and his campaigns for
social reforms.
He was born on May 28, 1883 in Bhagur village of Nashik district, Maharashtra.
Savarkar is credited with establishing the concept of Hindutva, which aimed to create a Hindu nationalist identity for
India.
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Prominent books by VD Savarkar - "The Indian War of Independence of 1857", "Six Glorious Ages of Indian
History", and "Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?"
Que:Maharashtra Government has recently announced what percent reservation for Divyang employees in
promotions?
Ans:4 %
• Maharashtra Government has announced a 4% reservation for Divyang employees in promotions.
• The state cabinet has decided that this reservation will apply for those cadres in which the proportion of
recruitment through direct service is not more than 75 percent.
• The Cabinet has further decided that women belonging to the Open and the backward categories will no
longer be needed to produce the non-creamy layer certificate for posts reserved for them.
Que: Which state has installed AI machine to assess food quality for tribal children?
Ans: Maharashtra
• A unique artificial intelligence-based machine has been installed at Todsa Ashram School of Etapalli in
Maharashtra in a bid to improve the nutrition level of tribal children of Gadchiroli.
• The initiative was taken under project Bhamragad and eight government schools are part of it.
• Notably, the machine takes a photo of the student with her/his plate of food and within a few seconds,
without any human intervention, identifies whether the quality of the food is good.
• Capital – Mumbai
• Chief Minister – Eknath Sindhe
• Governor – Ramesh Bais
Telangana announces ‘cool roof’ policy to reduce heat impact on buildings

Telangana govt has launched India’s first Cool Roof Policy 2023-2028 at the CDMA
office in Telangana.
It is jointly launched by the state's municipal administration and urban
development department.
The policy aims to drive state-wide adoption of cool roofs by making it mandatory
to install cool roofing materials, such as solar reflective paints, tiles, or sheets.
to make them heat resilient, besides reducing the energy consumption.
National Food Conclave organized in Hyderabad

• The Telangana government hosted Food Conclave-2023 on April 28 and 29.
• The event consisted of five thematic tracks covering various aspects of the agri-food sector - agriculture
(green), edible oils (yellow), dairy (white), meat and poultry (pink), and aquaculture
(blue).
About Telangana
• Established – 2 June 2014
• Capital – Hyderabad
• Chief Minister – K. Chandrashekar Rao
• Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan
125 feet tall Ambedkar statue unveiled in Hyderabad

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao unveiled a 125-feet tall bronze statue of Dr B R Ambedkar at the
Hussain Sagar lake on his 132nd birth anniversary.
It is the tallest of Dr. Ambedkar in the country, made of over 360 tonnes of steel and 100 tonnes of bronze, and cost
nearly Rs 145 crore.
It was designed by renowned sculptors Ram Vanji Sutar and his son Anil Ram Sutar of Ram Sutar Art Creations in
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, who also designed several monumental sculptures, including the world’s tallest statue — the
Statue of Unity (597 feet) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat.
Bharat Gaurav Tourist train was flagged off to mark birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.
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Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF):

• IN NEWS - Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in Andhra Pradesh have yielded
more produce than conventional methods.
• Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a method of chemical-free agriculture
drawing from traditional Indian practices.
• It was originally promoted by agriculturist and Padma Shri recipient Subhash
Palekar.
• He developed it in the mid-1990s as an alternative to the Green Revolution’s methods driven by chemical
fertilizers, pesticides and intensive irrigation.
• Objective is to bring down the cost of production to nearly zero and return to a pre-green revolution style of
farming.
• ZBNF is based on the following four pillars defined by Subhash Palekar:
• Bijamrit – It is the microbial coating of seeds with formulations of cow urine and cow dung.
• Jivamrit – it is the enhancement of soil microbes using a mixture of cow dung, cow urine and
jaggery.
• Mulching – It is the covering soil with crops or crops residue.
• Waaphasa – It is the building up of soil humus to increase soil aeration.
• In addition, ZBNF includes three methods of insect and pest management:
• Agniastra, Brahmastra and Neemastra (all different preparations using cow urine, cow dung,
tobacco, fruits, green chilli, garlic and neem).
Que:The ‘Vote from Home’ Initiative has been introduced for the first time in the Assembly Elections of which state?
Ans: Karnataka
EC first time introduces Vote from Home option in Karnataka Assembly election; 8900 persons above age 80 &
people with disability chose the option
The officials will visit such homes four or five days in advance before the polling day of May 10.
Kerala becomes first Indian state to adopt a Water Budget

CM Pinarayi Vijayan released Public Water Budget as a solution to water scarcity in
certain regions.
The first phase would cover 94-gram panchayats and 15-block panchayats.
Though the state has around 44 rivers and several other water bodies, some parts face
severe water shortage during the summer season.
The Public Water Budget initiative would help in properly utilising the resource and preventing wastage through
proper Management.
India’s first water metro will be launched in Kerala’s Kochi district

PM Modi has inaugurated India's first water metro in Kochi (Kerala), which connects
10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats.
The metro project will start with eight electric hybrid boats developed under Cochin
Shipyard Limited.
It was funded by the Kerala govt and the German company KfW.
Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th April flagged off Kerala’s first Vande
Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod at Thiruvananthapuram
Central Station.
He also laid the foundation stone of Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.
Eravikulam National Park (ENP) in Kerala becomes the first to house a fernarium
It was declared a Sanctuary in 1975 with the intention of protecting the indigenous
population of Nilgiri Tahr (highly endangered mountain goat).
However, in 1978, it was declared as a National Park considering it’s ecological, faunal,
geomorphological and Zoological Significance.
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This is also the land of “Neelakurinji”, the flower that blooms once in twelve years.
What is a Fern?
• Ferns are part of the Epiphytic family. They grow naturally in a soilless condition.
• The plants obtain water and nutrients through leaching from trees.
What are Epiphytes?
An epiphyte is a plant that does not place roots in the ground to grow but on the surface of other plants.
KSINC launches India’s first solar-powered tourist boat

Kerala State Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) has launched a solar-powered
tourist boat called Sooryamshu that can produce 27 KW of energy.
The boat also comes equipped with generators, which will help power passenger lift
systems and air-conditioners.
The solar panels will provide about 75% of the vessel’s energy needs, while the rest will
be met by the generators.
The ₹3.95-crore vessel that can carry up to 100 passengers was built at a yard in Sri
Lanka
12-hour duty bill passed in Tamil Nadu assembly

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed the Factories (Amendment) Act 2023.
The Bill seeks to increase the daily work shift of factory workers from the current 8 hours to 12 hours, meaning they
can choose to work four days a week.
'The rest three days will be paid leave and the existing rules on leave, overtime, pay etc. will not change.
The revised 12 hours of daily work has not been extended to all companies and factories, but will be implemented
'only where workers prefer it'.
The Bill will have no impact on the current 48-hour work-week.
The law was passed amid strong opposition from various opposition political parties.
In May 2020, 10 states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Assam, Punjab,
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh – had amended labor laws to propose 12-hour working hours during the pandemic.
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Short News
• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched three online services to digitally empower
people.These online services are Pro-active Divyang Pension Service, ‘Tau se Poochho’ WhatsApp chatbot,
and online booking of government rest houses.
• The Kerala government has launched a project 'One Panchayat, One Playground' project to revive the sports
culture in the State by opening quality playgrounds in every panchayat.
• Bengaluru will soon have India’s first post office constructed using 3D printing technology
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved a proposal to set up three new medical colleges in the
state. The three new medical colleges will be established in Pratapgarh, Jalore, and Rajsamand.
• Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has inaugurated its first dedicated Branch for start-ups in Pune, Maharashtra.
• Science-20 Conference under India’s G20 presidency begins in Agartala (Tripura). The theme of the 3 day
conference is ‘Clean Energy for Greener future’.
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National News
Srinagar-Leh’s Z-Morh tunnel inaugurated
The crucial Z-Morh tunnel that connects Gagangir and Sonamarg on the
Srinagar-Leh highway was inaugurated by Minister for Road Transport
and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.
The Z-Morh tunnel is one of the two tunnels between Srinagar and
Kargil, the other being Zoji La tunnel.
About Z-Morh tunnel:

• It is located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is a 6.5 km long tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh highway.
• The tunnel is being constructed at an altitude of 11,578 feet and will provide all-weather connectivity to the
Kashmir Valley.
• The project is being implemented by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation
Limited (NHIDCL).
• This tunnel will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh by about four hours.
Zojila Pass
Asia's longest tunnel at Zoji la would also be ready by 2024.
It is a high mountain pass in Jammu and Kashmir, located on National Highway 1
and connects Srinagar in Kashmir Valley to Leh in Ladakh region.
Under the Zojila Tunnel project, the main Zojila tunnel of 13,153 meters long. This
is known as the 'Icy Storm Pass'.
It has an elevation of about 3,528 metres (11,575 ft), and is the second highest
pass on the Srinagar–Leh National Highway after Fotu La.
The Zojila Tunnel project was started in the year 2018. It is the longest and strategic bi-directional tunnel in Asia.
Jaipur to get India’s 2nd largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal
Vedanta’s Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) has signed an MoU with the Rajasthan
Cricket Association for the development of the world’s third-largest cricket
stadium in the village of Chonp in Jaipur.
Vedanta’s HZL will spend INR 300 crore on the stadium, and it would be named
as Anil Agarwal International Cricket Stadium, Jaipur.
The stadium facilities will be spread across 100 acres and have a seating
capacity of over 75,000. In terms of the size of the playing field area this
stadium would be the largest in the world.
World Biggest Cricket Stadiums:
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India) – 1,32,000 sitting capacity
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (Australia) – 1,00,024 sitting capacity
Eden Gardens, Kolkata (West Bengal, India) – 68,000 sitting capacity
Naya Raipur International Cricket Stadium, Raipur (Chhattisgarh, India) – 65,400 sitting capacity
Perth Stadium, Perth (Australia) – 61,266 sitting capacity
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Piyush Goyal releases dynamic Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023

The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal announced the Foreign
Trade Policy 2023, which will come into effect from April 1, 2023.
Vision of the policy - to take India’s goods and services exports to $2 trillion by 2030.
FTP 2023 is also focusing on new sectors such as e-commerce, providing all benefits
to exports through e-commerce. It increased the value limit for exports through
courier service from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh per consignment.
FTP 2023 announced four new Towns of Export Excellence (TEE) – Faridabad for apparel, Moradabad for handicrafts,
Mirzapur for handmade carpets, and Varanasi for handloom and handicrafts – which are in addition to the already
existing 39 towns of export excellence.
Union Cabinet approves Indian Space Policy, 2023 to increase private sector participation in space sector
• The Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Indian Space
Policy 2023.
• The policy seeks to institutionalise the private sector participation in the space sector, and channelise the
focus of ISRO on research and development of advanced space technologies.
• The private sector will be able to take part in end-to-end space activities including building satellites,
rockets and launch vehicles, data collection and dissemination.
• The roles and responsibilities of ISRO, space sector PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and Indian National
Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) have also been specified in the new policy.
• As per the policy, ISRO will not do any operational and production work for the space sector. It shall focus on
developing new technologies, new systems and research and development.
• The strategic activities related to the space sector will be carried out by NSIL.
• The INSPACe will be the interface between ISRO and non-governmental entities
Anjali Sharma conquer Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, wearing Luanchari

Recently, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur congratulated Anjali
Sharma of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh for conquering Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa,
wearing Luanchari.
She has become the first girl from India to scale Mount Kilimanjaro in Gaddi costume.
Lunachari is a traditional dress of Himachal Pradesh.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s largest free-standing mountain.
It is located in Tanzania, has an elevation of 5,895 meters (19,340 ft)
It is made up of three cones: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira.
The mountain is a snow-capped volcano. Kibo is the tallest of the three volcanic formations which is also a dormant
volcano while the other two are extinct volcanoes.
The Kilimanjaro National park was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) World Heritage site in 1987.
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Adani Ports acquires Karaikal Port in Puducherry

The Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has acquired the Karaikal
Port.
Karaikal Port is an all-weather deep-water port on the eastern coast of India in
Karaikal District of Puducherry. It was commissioned in 2009.
The port is around 300 km south of Chennai Port and around 360 km north of
Tuticorin Port.
With this acquisition, APSEZ now operates 14 ports in the country.
APSEZ is the subsidiary and port unit of Gautam Adani’s conglomerate Adani Group.
PM Modi invited to France for Bastille Day parade

• France has recently invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra to visit Paris as a guest at the annual Bastille Day
parade.
• The Bastille Day military parade, also known as the 14 July military parade, is a French military parade that
has been held on the morning of 14 July each year in Paris since 1880.
• It is also one of the oldest regular military parades in the world.
• July 14 is the anniversary of the storming of the infamous Bastille prison in 1789 - a turning point for the
success of the French Revolution.
• This day is marked as the National Day of France.
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Uttar Pradesh Gets 10 New GI Tags
Bihar’s West Champaran ‘Marcha’ rice gets GI tag

The size and shape of the grain appear like that of black pepper, hence it is known as
Mircha or Marcha Rice.
Madhya Pradesh gets 9 GI Tags

• Gond Painting of Madhya Pradesh (handicraft)
• Wrought iron crafts of Dindori (handicraft)
• Ujjain Batik Print (handicraft)
• Gwalior Handmade carpet (handicraft)
• Jabalpur Stone craft of Bhedaghat (handicraft)
• Waraseoni Handloom sarees and fabrics (handicraft)
• Sharbati Gehu (agriculture)
• Rewa Sunderja mango (agriculture)
• Morena gajak (food stuffs)
Gond Painting
Gond painting is handprinted unique style art representing gods, goddesses,
nature, trees, the moon, the sun, etc.
The main source of Gond painting has been Dindori district.
Gonds are one of the largest tribal groups in the world.
Sehore's Sharbati Gehu (wheat)/

While Sehore district is the largest producer of Sharbati wheat in the country, Madhya Pradesh is its largest
producer and exporter.
Flour made from Sharbati wheat is considered to be of the highest quality in the country.
As the name suggests, Sharbati variety wheat is slightly sweeter in taste probably due to the presence of slightly
more amount of simple sugars like glucose and sucrose as compared to other wheat varieties.
Chhattisgarh's Nagri Dubraj rice variety gets GI tag

The Nagri Dubraj is known as the Basmati of Chhattisgarh because of its fragrance.
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Cumbum Grapes
Cumbum Panneer Thratchai, also known as Cumbum grapes
A variety of grapes grown in the Cumbum Valley located at the Western Ghats in Tamil
Nadu, India.
Introduced in Tamil Nadu in 1832 by a French priest, these grapes are rich in vitamins,
tartaric acid, and antioxidants, and reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.
India elected as member of UN Statistical Commission for 4-year term

India’s term will begin from January 01, 2024.
The UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) is the highest statistical body of the United Nations.
The commission has 24 member countries of the United Nations. The term of office of
members is four years.
‘Yoga Mahotsav’ – 75 Days countdown to International Day of Yoga 2023 organized at

Dibrugarh, Assam
Organised by the Ministry of AYUSH.
Union Minister for AYUSH and Ports, Shipping & Waterways – Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.
International Yoga is marked on June 21 every year.
India Bhutan plans to set up first Integrated Check Post

• Indian PM Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
in New Delhi on April 5.
• The two sides will set up the first integrated check post (ICP) along the border near Jaigaon and
Phuntsholing.
• India and Bhutan will also expedite the proposed Kokrajhar-Gelephu rail link project
• They also agreed to expedite the operationalization of the third international internet gateway for Bhutan.
Jal Jeevan Mission Achieves 60% Coverage Milestone

The Jal Jeevan Mission has reached 60% of its countrywide target, adding 23.4
million households in the fiscal year ended 2022-23,
At the start of the Jal Jeevan Mission, a baseline survey showed that less than
17% or 32.3 million households had a tap connection.
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Of India’s total of 190.4 million rural households, 116 million now have a functioning water tap.
As on date, Gujarat, Telangana, Goa, Haryana, Punjab and the Union territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Daman Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli and Puducherry have achieved 100% coverage.
The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a flagship program of the Government of India, was launched on 15 August 2019, by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Jal Jeevan Mission is one of the largest infrastructure-building programmes in the country, which involves
installing source-to-household water tap connections.
Govt approves Kirit Parikh panel recommendations on natural gas pricing

The new guidelines are intended to ensure a stable pricing regime for domestic gas
consumers while providing adequate protection to producers from adverse market
fluctuation with incentives for enhancing production
The government amended the domestic pricing model of natural gas in line with the
recommendations of the Kirit Parikh committee on gas pricing.
Prices of domestic natural gas will now be announced every month, and be pegged at 10 per cent of the
international price of the Indian crude basket.
The move is expected to reduce the prices of piped natural gas (PNG), supplied to households, and compressed
natural gas (CNG), used as auto fuel and by various industries by 10%.
The Union Cabinet capped the rates for consumers at $6.5 per MMBTU (metric million British thermal units). This
limit will be applicable for two years till March 31, 2025.
Accepting all the major recommendations of the Parikh panel, the government has approved a floor price of $4 per
MMBtu (metric million British thermal units) for the next two years, to cover the cost of gas production by state-run
firms Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd.
Que:Union government has recently approved the installation of how many nuclear reactors in the country?
Ans:10
• In a significant development towards sustainable energy, the Indian government has approved the
installation of 10 nuclear reactors in the country.
• The nuclear reactors will be installed in four different states, namely, Karnataka (Kaiga), Haryana
(Gorakhpur), Madhya Pradesh (Chutka), and Rajasthan (Mahi Banswara).
• Mahi Banswara will have four reactors, while the other three locations will have two each.
• These reactors are planned to be set up by the year 2031 at a cost of Rs 1,05,000 crores.
Que:What is the name given to India’s first semi-high-speed regional rail services, launched by National Capital
Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)?
Ans: RAPIDX
‘RAPIDX’ will run on the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors.
RAPIDX is being implemented by NCRTC to connect key urban nodes across the National
Capital Region (NCR).
It is a joint venture company of the Union government and Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and
Uttar Pradesh.
The NCRTC will commission the entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor by 2025.
Que:India has become the first country to develop a country-level mathematical model to estimate the prevalence
of cases of which disease?
Ans: Tuberculosis
Using this model, the data regarding TB incidence and mortality estimate for India will be available by March every
year.
The new model has been created based on the natural history of the disease, individual cases of infection,
healthcare-seeking behaviour, missed or correct diagnosis, treatment coverage, and outcome.
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Amit Shah launches Vibrant Village program at Kibithu border village

in Arunachal Pradesh
Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on 10 April
launched the 'Vibrant Villages Programme' at Kibithu, a border village in
Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Under the programme, 2967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts along
the northern border in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh and the Union
Territory of Ladakh were identified for comprehensive development.
Solar Energy Corporation of India gets 'Miniratna Category-I' status

Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has been accorded the status of Miniratna
Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE)
SECI is making steady progress towards achieving the Prime Minister's 'Panchamrit' goals and
achieving 500 GW non-fossil fuel based non-fossil fuel based capacity by 2030.
Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI)

• A Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) set up on 20th Sept, 2011
• under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE),
• It is the only CPSU dedicated to the Solar Energy Sector.
• Managing Director - Suman Sharma
CSIR scientists find rare-earth elements (REEs) in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh
Scientists at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad have
discovered the presence of rare-earth elements (REEs) in Anantapur district, Andhra
Pradesh.
What are Rare-Earth Elements?
Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of 15 elements, including lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium,
yttrium, hafnium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, and scandium.
These elements are widely used in modern electronics, such as smartphones, computers, jet aircraft, and other
products, due to their unique magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties
The discovery was part of a study funded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under a project
called ‘Shallow subsurface imaging Of India for Resource Exploration’ (SHORE).
Que:The Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre (JCBC) has been set up as the world’s first
conservation and breeding centre for Asian king vulture in which state of India?
Ans: Uttar Pradesh
The JCBC is built in Maharajganj district, located in the Gorakhpur Forest Division of Uttar
Pradesh.
The objective of this centre is to breed king vultures in captivity and release them in the wild to maintain a
sustainable population of the species. The Asian king vulture is critically endangered and protected under the
Wildlife Protection Act.
The state-of-the-art facility is worth around Rs 15 crore and spread over 1.5 hectares area.
Que:The Government of India aims to achieve nearly 9% share of electricity generation from nuclear sources by
which year?
Ans:2047
As per the information by the Union Minister Jitendra Singh
The rising contribution of nuclear power in India’s energy sector will help the country to achieve the commitment of
net zero target by 2070.
The other target laid down by the Department of Atomic Energy is achieving 20 gigawatts (GW) capacity of nuclear
power generation by 2030.
This will make India the third-largest producer of atomic energy in the world after the US and France.
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ECI recognizes Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as National Party

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has granted the national party status
to Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
AAP was recognized as a state party in the NCT of Delhi.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and
Communist Party of India (CPI), however, lost their national party status.
The country now has six national parties — BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP), CPI(M), National People’s Party (NPP) and AAP.
UIDAI, IIT Bombay join hands to develop touchless biometric capture system
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
(IIT-Bombay) to develop a robust touchless biometric capture system.
The touchless biometric capture system will allow fingerprint authentication from home alike face authentication.
UIDAI, IIT Bombay join hands to develop touchless biometric capture system
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has joined hands with the Indian
Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-Bombay) to develop a robust touchless biometric
capture system.
The touchless biometric capture system will allow fingerprint authentication from home
alike face authentication.
16th Finance Commission shall be constituted in November 2023

Aim: To suggest the ratio in which tax is to be divided between the Centre and states
for five years, beginning April 1, 2026.
Finance Commission is a constitutional body that gives suggestions on Centre-state
financial relations.
The 15th Commission, under NK Singh, had kept the tax devolution ratio at 42%.
The Commission is to be formed every five years according to Article 280 of the Constitution. However, the 15th
Finance Commission had been given an extended mandate up till 2025-26.
MUDRA Yojana completes 8 years

• The PM MUDRA Yojana has completed 8 years of its inception on April 8, 2023.
• As per the government data, around Rs 23.2 lakh crore has been sanctioned in
40.82 crore loan accounts under this scheme since its inception.
• About 68% of accounts under the scheme belong to Women entrepreneurs.
• 51% of accounts belong to entrepreneurs of SC/ST and OBC categories.
• MUDRA Yojana:
• Launched: 2015
• Aim: To facilitate easy collateral-free micro-credit of up to Rs 10 lakh
PM Modi flagged off Rajasthan's first Vande Bharat Express

PM Narendra Modi has flagged off Rajasthan’s first Vande Bharat Express train on April 12, 2023.
It will complete the Ajmer-Delhi Cantt journey in 5 hours and 15 minutes.
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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates Peerah-Kunfer Tunnel at Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari today inaugurated Peerah-Kunfer Tunnel at Ramban.
The Union Minister said four more tunnels on Ramban-Banihal stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway will
be completed by next March
He said with these tunnels the distance between Jammu-Srinagar will be completed in about 3.5 hours.
The 924 meters long Tube 1 of the Peeda-Kunfer Tunnel would bypass 2.9 km congested, zigzag, and the accident-
prone area between Nashri and Ramban. The tunnel is a part of the ongoing four-lane project of the National
Highway Authority of India (NHAI) between Udhampur and Ramban on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative launched on 14th April 2023

• Union Minister of Fisheries, Parshottam Rupala launched the Animal Pandemic
Preparedness Initiative (APPI) on April 14, 2023.
• He also launched the World Bank-funded Animal Health System Support for
One Health (AHSSOH) project.
• Aim: To create an ecosystem for a better animal health management system
using the One Health approach
• It will be implemented over five-years as a Central sector scheme with a
financial provision of Rs. 1228.70 Cr.
Union Cabinet launches ₹6,000-crore National Quantum Mission

Aim - to strengthen India’s research and development in the quantum arena
alongside indigenously building quantum-based (physical qubit) computers.
The mission will work on developing quantum supercomputers and establishing secure
quantum communications with other nations.
The National Quantum Mission has been launched for an eight-year period, 2023 –
2031. The total budget allocated to the mission is ₹6,003.65 crore.
Till date only six other nations are doing research and development in quantum
technologies.
They are the US, Canada, China, Austria, Finland and Scotland.
IIT Madras to set up its first international campus in Tanzania

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will set up its first International campus in
Zanzibar, Tanzania in October 2023.
It will be the first IIT campus in Africa and classes are to start from October.
Bengal : Four More Biodiversity Heritage Sites

West Bengal recently notified four more Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS), taking the tally in
the state to eight (highest number of biodiversity heritage parks in the country)
The four new sites are Char Balidanga and the state Horticulture Research and Development
Station campus in Deypara — both in Nadia, Namthing Pokhar in Darjeeling and the Amkhoi
Fossil Park in Birbhum.
The Amkhoi Fossil Park is the first wood fossil park in West Bengal.
In 2007, the Nallur Tamarind Grove in Bengaluru, Karnataka, was designated as India’s first
BHS.
BHS are defined areas with unique and ecologically fragile ecosystems with rich biodiversity.
Under Section-37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the State Government, in consultation with local bodies, may
notify areas of biodiversity importance as BHS.
The State Government, in consultation with the Central Government, may frame rules for the management and
conservation of BHS.
The creation of BHS may not put any restriction on the prevailing practices and usages of the local
communities other than those voluntarily decided by them.
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Assam and Arunachal Pradesh Government ink deal to end 51-yr old border dispute
The MoU was signed on April 20, 2023 by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and CM of Arunachal Pradesh Pema
Khandu in presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and Union minister for law and justice Kiren Rijiju, who represents
Arunachal Pradesh in Lok Sabha.
Both the states share an 804-km long boundary.
The border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh was going on since 1972.
There was dispute related to 123 border villages. Out of the 123 villages claimed by Arunachal Pradesh, 71 have
been resolved.
Of the remaining 52 villages, the village boundary of 49 villages is to be finalised by the regional committees in the
next six months, while three villages situated inside the IAF bombing range will require rehabilitation.
A detailed survey will be carried out by the Survey of India later in the presence of representatives of both the state
governments to determine the boundaries of both the states.
First Waterbodies Census:

The Ministry of Jal Shakti recently released the report of it’s first-ever
census of water bodies, revealing crucial insights into the country’s
water resources.
The census of waterbodies was conducted in conjunction with the 6th
Minor Irrigation Census for 2017-18.
The census aimed to provide an inventory of India’s water resources,
including natural and man-made water bodies like ponds, tanks, lakes,
and more, and to collect data on the encroachment of water bodies.
The census enumerated a total of 24, 24,540 water bodies across the
country, with West Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh) and
Sikkim the least (134).
The report highlights that 97.1% of the waterbodies are in rural areas,
with only 2.9% in urban areas.
99.7% (96,767) water bodies are public owned whereas the remaining
0.3% (295) are under private ownership.
West Bengal - highest number of ponds and reservoirs
Andhra Pradesh -highest number of tanks
Tamil Nadu - highest number of lakes
Maharashtra leads in water conservation schemes
The top district in terms of waterbodies is South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.
The census also collected data on the encroachment of waterbodies for the first time,
revealing that 1.6% of all enumerated waterbodies are encroached,
with 95.4% of encroachments in rural areas and the remaining 4.6% in urban areas.
Ministry of Civil Aviation Launches UDAN 5.0

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched the 5th phase of Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – Ude Desh Ka
Aam Nagrik (UDAN) to further enhance connectivity in remote and regional areas of the country and achieve last
mile air connectivity.
This round of UDAN focuses on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (>80 seats).
The 600 km limit of the first phase has been removed and there is no restriction for the distance between the origin
and destination of the flight.
Airlines will have to start operations within 4 months of being granted the route. Earlier this time limit was 6 months.
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) was launched in 2016 as a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under the Ministry
of Civil Aviation.
Minister of Civil Aviation & Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia
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MoPNG Successfully completed Barauni Guwahati pipeline

The Ministry of Petroleum has successfully completed the Bihar portion of the
Barauni Guwahati pipeline (BGPL) under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project.
It will connect six districts in Bihar to the National Gas Grid.
Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project is also known as Jagdishpur – Haldia & Bokaro
– Dhamra Pipeline Project (JHBDPL) project.
This project aims to provide uninterrupted supply of environment-friendly and
affordable natural gas across the country.
Launched: 2016
Aim: Caters to the energy requirements of five states (UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and WB).
India launches Operation Kaveri to evacuate stranded citizens from war hit Sudan
Two C-130J heavy-lift aircraft and the navy ship INS Sumedha were involved to evacuate
Indians.
Kaveri is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Hakki Pikki Tribal Community

More than 181 members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community from Karnataka are stuck in violence-hit Sudan.
The Hakki Pikki tribe is a semi-nomadic tribe traditionally engaged in bird catching and hunting, living in forest areas
in west and south India.
It is a Scheduled Tribe in Karnataka and their origin is said to be an ancestral relation with the legendary Ranapratap
Singh.
The Hakki Pikki tribe is believed to have originated from Gujarat and Rajasthan
and migrated to south India via Andhra Pradesh.
The tribe is divided into four clans and has a population of 11,892 in Karnataka.
The 4 clans are Gujaratia, Panwar, Kaliwala and Mewaras
Hakki Pikkis in Karnataka follow Hindu traditions and celebrate all Hindu
festivals.
In recent years, members of the Hakki Pikki tribe have been travelling to African
countries to sell their products as there is a huge demand for Ayurvedic products
in the continent.
India, Iran and Armenia forms new trilateral to deepen regional relations
The first trilateral political consultation between the ministries of foreign affairs of the three countries was held in
the Armenian capital, Yerevan
It is expected to open up opportunities in energy, transportation, trade, investment, and transportation etc.
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The trilateral meeting discussed the International North-South Transport Corridor

(INSTC), a freight corridor connecting India, Iran, and Russia, aimed at reducing
costs and time in the movement of goods from Mumbai to Moscow.
INSTC was initially signed by Iran, Russia, and India in 2002 and has since then
expanded.
India and Iran

India and Iran also have historic ties, with the two countries sharing a common cultural heritage.
The Chabahar port in Iran has been key to connectivity between the two sides. India has provided
equipment worth $25 million to aid in the development of the port, including six mobile harbour cranes.
The port has the potential to serve as a gateway for India to access Central Asia and Afghanistan, while also
providing Iran with an alternative trade route to the Persian Gulf.
Iran and Armenia
Iran and Armenia, which share a border, also have robust ties.
The two countries have also been working together to enhance trade and economic cooperation with Armenia
serving as a transit route for Iran to access the Eurasian Economic Union.
Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates National Technology Center
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Discovery Campus of the
National Technology Center for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IITM, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The centre was created under the Sagarmala scheme of the Ministry of Ports,
Shipping and Waterways to enable research and development for the maritime
sector in India, including ocean modelling, sediment transport, and port and coastal
engineering.
For FY 22-23, 37 projects worth Rs 2,500 crore have been approved under the
Sagarmala program
for the development of ports and developing coastal areas to support India's
economy.
India and Russia are also planning to open up ‘Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor’
in order to bolster the maritime trade between the two countries.
The concept of Sagarmala was approved by the Union Cabinet on 25th March 2015.
As part of the programme, a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the comprehensive development of India’s 7,500
km coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and maritime sector has been prepared which was
released by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, on 14th April, 2016 at the Maritime India Summit 2016.
Que: Name the e-commerce web portal launched by Centre for artisans and weavers, so that they can sell their
handloom and handicraft products directly to customers without any middlemen
Ans: Indiahandmade.com
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• The portal will not charge any commission from sellers. It shall also provide free shipping with a return
option to customers along with multiple payment gateways to pay online.
• Products from more than 35 lakh handloom weavers and 27 lakh handicraft artisans will be displayed on the
portal from options like clothing, home decor, jewellery, accessories, and other products handmade by
skilled artisans.
Ministry of Finance approves Navratna status to Rail Vikas Nigam

The Government of India upgraded the status of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to
'Navratna' Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
Prior to this upgrade, RVNL was earlier classified as a 'Miniratna' CPSE. RVNL is a mid-
cap company
under the Ministry of Railways.
This upgrade makes RVNL the 13th Navratna company among CPSEs in India.
The term "Navratna" means "Nine Gems" in Hindi and refers to the original nine CPSEs that were
granted this status in 1997.
Cabinet approves National Medical Devices Policy, 2023

Aim - to facilitate an orderly growth of the medical device sector to meet the public health objectives of access,
affordability, quality and innovation.
It will help:
• To reduce India’s heavy import dependence on the medical sector.
• The Medical Devices Sector grow from the present 11 billion USD to 50 billion USD in the next five years.
The Cabinet has also approved establishing 157 nursing colleges
The cabinet is appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
The size of the cabinet is determined by the Prime Minister, but it cannot exceed 15% of the total number of
members in the Lok Sabha.
45
‘Vande Metro’ to be rolled out by December 2023

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that the Union government plans to introduce ‘Vande Metro’ by
December 2023.
‘Vande Metro‘will operate on a short-distance metro rail network, connecting major cities within a distance of 100
kilometers or less. This new initiative will help ease the congestion pressure on local trains.
• The train will operate at a high frequency, with four to five trips per day.
• The Vande Metro will have eight coaches, similar to a metro train.
• The aim of the Vande Metro is to provide an affordable and efficient mode of transportation to job seekers
and students.
Indian Oil, LanzaJet to set up India's first green aviation fuel firm
• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is planning to set up a joint venture with US-based clean energy
technology company LanzaJet Inc and multiple domestic airlines.
• Reason: For the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
• The proposed venture will set up a plant to make SAF with alcohol-to-jet technology at the state-
run company’s Panipat refinery in Haryana at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.
• IOC will possess a 50% share, while LanzaJet Inc will hold a 25% share.
Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists:
The G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) was held in Varanasi from 17 to 19 April 2023 which
featured MAHARISHI Initiative.
The theme of the 2023 meeting: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems for Healthy People and Planet.
The MACS discussed food and nutrition security, resilience to climate change, One Health approaches, digital
agriculture, and public-private partnerships for research, education and extension.
The meeting also featured the MAHARISHI Initiative i.e., Millets and Other Ancient Grains International Research
Initiative.
PM Modi inaugurated first Global Buddhist Summit in New Delhi
Theme 2023: Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis

This two-day summit was hosted by the Ministry of Culture and International
Buddhist Confederation.
It was attended by scholars, Sangha leaders, and Dharma practitioners from all over the world.
46
India to Chair Commonwealth group on Reform of financial architecture

Finance ministers from various Commonwealth countries have agreed for India to be the chair of the Finance
Ministers Working Group for a Commonwealth Call for Reform of the Global Financial Architecture.
While Nigeria has been elected as the deputy chair of the Finance Ministers Working Group.
Commonwealth Secretary-General: Patricia Scotland KC
Country’s first Mangrove Pitta Bird census undertaken in Bhitarkanika
The first-ever census of Mangrove Pitta Bird was conducted by the Odisha forest officials in
the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary.
In the first census, 179 mangrove pitta birds were sighted.
The habitats of these beautiful birds are confined to mangrove forest areas in Odisha’s
Bhitarkanika
and Sundarban in West Bengal.
Bhitarkanika National Park act covers an area of 145 square kilometres and was established as a
national park on September 16, 1998.
It is also recognized as a Ramsar site on 19 August 2002, is a wetland of international importance.
Govt launches 'Sangathan se Samriddhi' scheme

‘Sangathan Se Samriddhi’ campaign to empower marginalized rural households by bringing all eligible rural women
into the fold of Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Ministry of Rural Development’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
launched “Sangathan Se Samridhhi– Leaving no Rural Woman Behind”.
The govt is targeting to bring 10 crore women under the purview of SHGs (existing nine crores).
The govt has also set a target that every woman associated with SHGs should be able to earn 1 lakh rupees per
annum.
47
Central Government notified the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023

The rules aim to address the Supreme Court guidelines in a writ petition by the Animal
Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and People for Elimination of Stray Troubles.
The Supreme Court has specifically mentioned that transfer of dogs cannot be allowed.
Under the new rules, local bodies including municipalities, municipal corporations and
panchayats are responsible for carrying out the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.
The ABC program aims to sterilise and vaccinate stray dogs, reduce their population,
and address animal welfare issues.
The rules provide guidelines on how to handle conflicts between humans and stray dogs without relocating the
dogs.
ABC programs should be conducted by AWBI accredited organisations specifically recognized for this purpose.
Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)
It is a statutory advisory body that provides guidance to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying,
Government of India.
AWBI is headquartered in Ballabgarh, Haryana, and was earlier located in Chennai.
As an advisory body, AWBI plays an important role in shaping policies related to animal welfare in India.
AWBI was established under the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 with the objective of
preventing cruelty to animals and promoting their welfare.
Founder -Rukmini Devi Arundale
Established – 1962
Namami Gange: 8 Projects Worth Rs 638 Crore Approved

The 48th meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG) was held on 18th April under the chairmanship of Director General,
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) G. Asok Kumar.
Eight projects worth around Rs. 638 crore were approved in the meeting.
In an attempt to clean River Hindon, which is a tributary of River Yamuna, four
projects worth Rs 407.39 crore were approved for pollution abatement in the Shamli
district.
These projects are part of the comprehensive Hindon Rejuvenation Plan.
Namami Gange
Launched: June 2014.
It was launched to serve the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation
of the national river Ganga.
It is being operated under the Ministry of Water Resources, Department of River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation and Ministry of Jal Shakti.
NHAI to create around 10,000 km of Digital Highways by FY 2024 – 25

NHAI is working towards the development of around 10,000 km of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure across the
country by FY2024-25.
It will be implemented by the National Highways Logistics Management Limited
(NHLML), a fully owned SPV of NHAI.
Under the pilot routes for the Digital Highway development, around 1,367 km on
Delhi - Mumbai Expressway and 512 km on Hyderabad - Bangalore Corridor
have been identified.
It will not only have a catalytic impact on the growth and development but will
also contribute to the digital transformation of our country.
Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav: NHAI Chairman
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Agriculture Minister launched SATHI Portal & Mobile App

Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar launched the SATHI Portal and Mobile App to deal with the challenges of
seed production, quality seed identification, and seed certification.
SATHI refers to Seed Traceability, Authentication, and Holistic Inventory.
It has been developed on the theme of Uttam Beej - Samriddh Kisan.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
• It is an autonomous body formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research.
• Headquarters - New Delhi
• Established - 1929
• The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president. Presently its president is Narendra Singh Tomar.
• ICAR is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.
WHO issues alert over India-made cough syrup Guaifenesin

The WHO has issued a red alert due to "unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and
ethylene glycol" in the tested samples of Guaifenesin TG syrup manufactured by Punjab-
based QP Pharmachem Ltd.
The World Health Organization has said that a consignment of this contaminated cough
syrup made in India has been found in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia.
Guaifenesin is used to relieve the symptoms of cough and tightness in the chest.
Ingestion of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans, and can prove
fatal.
India is the world's largest exporter of generic drugs, which meet most of the medical needs of
developing countries.
India, UK to jointly create India-UK 'NET Zero' Innovation Virtual Centre

Aim: To provide a platform for stakeholders of both countries to work together in areas like the decarbonization of
manufacturing processes, transport systems, and green hydrogen as a renewable source
The two countries will also join hands for launching the first ever UK-India scientific ‘deep sea voyage (for carrying
out scientific studies) and ‘space parks‘(manufacturing hub for space-related technology) partnership.
PM Modi Inaugurates 6th One Earth One Health – Advantage Healthcare

India – 2023 Conference
At Pragati Maidan in New Delhi via video conferencing.
The conference was attended by health ministers from across the world, as well as
delegates from West Asia, SAARC, ASEAN, and African regions.
Ayushman Bharat Scheme is the world’s largest Government funded health
insurance coverage scheme. The Prime Minister informed that it covers the
49
medical treatments of over 500 million Indian citizens where more than 40 million have already availed the services
in a cashless and paperless manner resulting in the citizens saving nearly 7 billion dollars.
National Manufacturing Innovation Survey (NMIS) 2021-22 findings were released

Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, released the “National Manufacturing
Innovation Survey (NMIS) 2021-22: Summary for Policymakers" on April 27, 2023.
It is a joint study by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO)
Aim of the survey: To evaluate the innovation performance of manufacturing firms in India.
The first National Innovation Survey was held in 2011.
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International News
NASA astronaut Christina Koch becomes the first woman to go around the moon
• The American space agency, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced the names of
four astronauts, who will venture around the Moon for science and
exploration under Artemis II mission.
• The Artemis II mission is the first crewed voyage around the moon in more
than 50 years. The previous human flight to lunar surface was the Apollo
program in 1972.
• The Artemis II crew members consists of three from NASA and one from CSA.
• They are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, from NASA and Jeremy
Hansen from CSA.
• Out of these four, Christina Hammock Koch is the first ever female, Victor Glover is the first ever
African American and Jeremy Hansen is the first ever Canadian and first non- American to be sent
on a lunar mission.
Que: Who was appointed as the first chief of NASA's ‘Moon to Mars Program’?
Ans: Amit Kshatriya
• NASA has appointed Amit Kshatriya to head its new Moon to Mars
Program Office.
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel wins second term in polls

• He took over the reins in 2018 as the first civilian leader
of Cuba.
• Cuba Capital: Havana; Currency: Cuban Peso
Aleksander Ceferin re-elected President of UEFA for 4 years

• The Slovenian football administrator Aleksander Ceferin has been re-elected
as the president of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) for a
four-year term, until 2027
• He was first elected as UEFA’s seventh president in 2016,
Md. Sahabuddin takes oath as the 22nd President of Bangladesh.

• Md. Sahabuddin takes oath as the 22nd President of Bangladesh on 24 April
2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• He is a Veteran freedom fighter, jurist and politician
Israel's former envoy to India Ron Malka appointed as Haifa Port Chairman
• Adani Group has appointed the former envoy of Israel to India, Ron Malka as the
Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company.
• He served as the ambassador of Israel to India from 2018-2021.
• It is the second-largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers.
• The Adani Group officially took over this port in January 2023.
• Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and Israel's Gadot Group won the tender
in July 2022 to privatize the Port of Haifa for USD 1.18 billion.
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Finland became the 31st member of NATO

• Finland has become the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) and Turkey's unanimous vote played a key role in
Finland's acceptance as a NATO member.
• Finland shares a border of more than 1,300 kilometres with Russia, and their
decision to join NATO was based on security concerns following Russia's
invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• Sweden's application to join NATO has been rejected by Turkey and
Hungary.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO), is a military alliance between North
American and European countries formed in 1949 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
• NATO Secretary General- Jens Stoltenberg
Bahrain launches Golden Licence to attract large-scale investment projects

• Bahrain's government has launched a new initiative called 'Golden Licence' to
incentivize investments and the creation of jobs.
• It is designed to provide streamlined services and benefits to local and foreign
businesses with large-scale investment projects in Bahrain.
• Eligibility for the Licence: Companies with significant strategic projects and investments exceeding
US$50 million or those creating more than 500 jobs in Bahrain.
Que: What is ‘Magnaporthe oryzae’ which was seen in the news recently?
Ans: Fungus
• Magnaporthe oryzae’ is a fungus that causes ‘wheat blast’.
• It is currently destroying wheat crops in South America, threatening its food
security in a major scale.
• Magnaporthe oryzae infects wild and cultivated grasses, most notably rice and wheat.
• Scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae could spread worldwide. Cases of
infection have earlier been reported in Asia in 2016 and Africa in 2018.
Que: World Health Organisation (WHO) certified which countries as Malaria-free

recently?
Ans: Azerbaijan and Tajikistan
• A total of 42 countries or territories have reached the malaria-free
milestone.
• In Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, the last cases of regional spread of Plasmodium
vivax malaria were discovered in 2012 and 2014.
Que: Which country has become the first country in the world to approve a new malaria vaccine from
Oxford University, with children under the age of three in line to benefit?
Ans: Ghana
• The mosquito-borne disease kills more than 6,00,000 people each year, most of them children in
Africa, and scientists have been trying for years to develop vaccines.
• This is the first time a major vaccine has been approved first in an African
country before rich nations.
• Capital- Accra
• Currency- Ghanaian Cedi
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Que: In which country the first death case of H3N8 bird flu has been found?
Ans. China
World Health Organisation reported that a very rare type of bird flu in humans had been
detected for the first time in China since last year.
A Chinese woman died from a type of bird flu called H3N8 but the strain has not seen to
spread between people.
The first two cases of H3N8 bird flu were reported in China last year.
H3N8 bird flu:
• H3N8 bird flu is believed to have been circulating with its first case in North American waterfowl
since 2002.
• It infects horses, dogs and seals.
• H3N8 is common in birds but it causes no disease.
• H3N8 bird flu infects other mammals also.
• It is rare in humans and has no history before two years.
Que: Which country has recently launched an initiative to license crypto firms?
Ans: El Salvador
• Central American country El Salvador has started an initiative to license crypto
firms.
• * Cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex has become the first cryptocurrency
company to receive an official license in El Salvador.
• * El Salvador became the first country in the world to accept Bitcoin as a payment option in 2021.
Que: India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar has inaugurated the Buzi Bridge, constructed as part of
132 km Tica-Buzi-Nova-Sofala Road project in which country?
Ans: Mozambique
• The bridge has been by built by India.
• The Buzi Bridge connects the towns of Chibabava and Mafambisse.
• The project was executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
in collaboration with the Mozambique government.
• Mozambique is located in south-eastern Africa, with the Indian Ocean to
the east.
• The Portuguese arrived in 1498 and colonised Mozambique for four
centuries before the country gained independence in 1975.
• Capital - Maputo
• Official language - Portuguese
• Currency - Mozambican metical
Mongolia refinery to be built by India by 2025

• The first oil refinery of Mongolia, which is
built and funded with Indian assistance, will
be completed by 2025.
• The first stage of the Mongol Oil Refinery will
be built with a $1.2 billion Indian soft loan.
• The development comes with strategic implications as Mongolia is entirely
dependent on Russia for its energy imports.
• It would help Mongolia meet 70% of its demand domestically.
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Zimbabwe to Introduce Gold-Backed Digital Currency

• The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will launch a gold-pegged digital
currency and legalize them in the country.
• It is believed that the government took this step for stabilizing the
local currency after its continuous devaluation in comparison to the
U.S. dollar.
• This initiative taken by Zimbabwe will allow the exchange of Zimbabwean dollars with digital gold
tokens and secure Zimbabweans against currency volatility.
• Zimbabwe Capital: Harare; President: Emmerson Mnangagwa
Syria becomes world's largest 'narco-state'

• According to the Collins Dictionary, "narco-state" refers to a nation where a
significant portion of the economy is reliant on the illicit trade of narcotic
drugs.
• Syria has become the world's foremost narco-state, as its economic survival now depends heavily
on the production and export of Captagon.
• Captagon is a banned illicit drug recognized by the UNODC (2021) and is a synthetic stimulant that
combines amphetamine and caffeine.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):1997
• HQ - Vienna
Nepal became a founding member of the International Big Cat Alliance

• The alliance was launched under India's initiative.
• The International Big Cats Alliance aims to conserve seven big cat species including tigers, lions,
leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas.
• Nepal's tiger population has seen a significant increase, increasing from 121 in 2010 to 335 in
2022.
• Nepal successfully achieved its target of doubling the tiger population by 2022, as done during the
first Tiger Summit in 2010 in St. Petersburg.
• The alliance aims to reach 97 range countries covering the natural habitats of these big cats and
strengthen global cooperation and efforts for their conservation.
AIIB to open its first overseas office in Abu Dhabi

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed an agreement to set up
its first overseas office in Abu Dhabi Global Market.
The strategic location of the office in the Middle East will enable AIIB to make a
global impact in achieving its goals.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB):

• Was established in 2016
• Mission - to promote sustainable economic growth, create wealth and improve infrastructure
connectivity in Asia by investing in productive sectors.
• Headquartered - Beijing, China
• 100+ member countries, including major economies such as the United Kingdom, Germany and
Australia.
Australia will host QUAD leadership summit in Sydney in May 2023

• Australia will be hosting the Quad Leadership Summit for the first time on May 24, 2023 in Sydney.
• The meeting will be attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, PM Kishida
Fumio of Japan and Australian PM Anthony Albanese.
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• The Australia Summit will be the fourth Quad leaders’ summit and the
third held in person meet. The previous in-person meeting was hosted by
Japan in Tokyo in 2022.
• QUAD stands for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
• It was set up in 2017 by the US, Australia, India and Japan to develop a
strategy to keep critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific region free of any
influence.
Taam Ja Blue Hole Discovered:

• Scientists have discovered a massive blue hole off the coast of the Yucatan
Peninsula in Mexico.
• It is a type of underwater sinkhole or vertical cave that is typically found in low-
lying coastal karst platform regions.
• These are formed when limestone or other carbonate rock is dissolved by
slightly acidic groundwater over a long period.
• Taam Ja Blue hole is around 900 feet deep and scientists have dubbed it the
second-deepest blue hole found on the planet.
• There is variation in salinity and temperature inside the blue hole.
• Yucatan Peninsula is a North-eastern projection of Central America which is
lying between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and north and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
• The deepest blue hole in the world at 300.89 meters (987 feet) deep is in the South China Sea and is
named the Dragon Hole
Que: The ‘Study in India Pavilion’ at the Global Education & Training Exhibition (GETEX) has been
inaugurated in which city?
Ans: Dubai
• The ‘Study in India Pavilion’ at the Global Education & Training Exhibition (GETEX) in Dubai has been
inaugurated by the Consul General of India in Dubai, Dr.
Aman Puri.
• It was organized by the Services Export Promotion
Council with the support of the Department of
Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• The pavilion, spanning over 200 sqm, features more than
30 universities and edtech stakeholders of Indian higher
education.
• The GETEX is a leading education fair in the region for over 30 years.
Dubai's airline Emirates unveils world's first robotic check-in assistant

• Dubai-based airline Emirates has unveiled the world's first robotic
check-in assistant named 'Sara'.
• 'SARA' will match customers' faces with scanned passports, check in
passengers and guide them to the baggage drop area.
• The robot is equipped with facial recognition technology and can print
boarding passes to make the check-in process more efficient. Sara is also portable and can move
around to help those in need.
• This facility allows customers to drop off their luggage at the airport up to 24 hours in advance and
up to 4 hours before their flight.
PRET Initiative:
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the PRET initiative to be better prepared for
future outbreaks of a similar scale and devastation as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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• The Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET)

Initiative is aimed at providing “guidance on integrated planning for
responding to any respiratory pathogen such as influenza or
coronaviruses”.
• It was announced at the Global Meeting for Future Respiratory
Pathogen Pandemics held on 24-26 April 2023 in Geneva,
Switzerland.
Cyclone Ilsa: Powerful storm hits Western Australia
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Defence
10th Bilateral Maritime exercise SLINEX-2023 conducted in Colombo
The 10th Edition of the annual Indian – Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime exercise, SLINEX-
2023 was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The exercise was conducted in two phases of three days each, the Harbour Phase
followed by Sea Phase.
The Indian Navy represented by INS Kiltan and INS Savitri while Sri Lanka Navy - SLNS
Vijayabahu and SLNS Samudura.
India, UK joint military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior 2023’ commenced in the UK

7th edition of a joint military exercise between India and the UK, 'Ajeya Warrior 2023' started in the Salisbury Plains,
UK.
The biennial training event started on 27 April and continues till May 11.
The Indian Army has participated with indigenous weapons and equipment.
Last edition (October 2021): Chaubatia, Uttarakhand
Exercise Cope India:

Between Indian Air Force and the US Air Force
Conducted at Kalaikunda, Panagarh and Agra
From April 10 to 24, 2023.
While Japan also joined as an “observer” in the exercise
Cope India began in 2004 as a fighter training exercise.
The exercise involved the participation of frontline IAF aircraft like Rafale, Tejas, Su-30MKI, Jaguar, C-17 and C-130.
The USAF in turn had fielded the F-15 ‘Strike Eagle’ fighter, C-130, MC-130J, C-17 and the B1B, strategic bomber
aircraft.
Iniochos-2023 international exercise being held in Greece

An international exercise named Iniochos-2023 is being held in Greece from 18 April.
In which the world's deadliest fighter jets is included.
The main objective of this exercise is to live up to the high standards during the war
and understand all the dimensions of air attack.
It will be organized from 18 April to 8 May 2023 in three phases.
Apart from India and Greece, fighter aircraft of many countries like America, France, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Slovenia, Cyprus, Spain will also be included.
Apart from this, officers from Austria and Canada will witness the entire exercise.
United States and Philippines launch biggest joint drill ‘Balikatan’ in South China Sea
The United States and the Philippines undertook their largest-ever joint military drills,
known as Balikatan, in water across the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Balikatan means ‘shoulder to shoulder’ in Tagalog (language in Philippines).
The military drills was from April 11 to April 28, 2023.
More than 17,000 Philippine and U.S. soldiers soldiers took part
China undertakes military drill ‘Operation Joint Sword’ encircling Taiwan

The Chinese military successfully held three days military drills dubbed as Operation
Joint Sword, around Taiwan Island, for rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan.
China wants to reunify Taiwan and views the democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its
territory.
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Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) Conducts Large Scale Joint Military Exercise ‘KAVACH’
EX-KAVACH began on February 23, 2023, concluded on April 07, 2023.
EX-KAVACH aimed to fine-tune the joint-warfighting capabilities and operational synergy among
the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
The ANC is the first integrated theatre command in India. Its headquarter is in Port Blair.
Indian Coast Guard conducts Coastal Security Exercise 'Sagar Kavach'

Coast Guard District Headquarters Haldia, under the aegis of Headquarters Coast
Guard Region (NE) conducted the joint Coastal Security Exercise named “Sagar
Kavach”, from 25-26 April 23 along the coast of West Bengal.
Coast Guard, Indian Navy ships and aircraft, BSF patrol boats, Marine Police, Customs
and CISF were deployed in the two-day exercise.
Indian Navy conducted the Prasthan exercise off Mumbai Coast.

Prashthan exercise is held every 6 months under Indian Navy and involves the
participation of all stakeholders in the maritime domain
It is an important element of ensuring offshore security and aims to integrate the efforts
of all maritime stakeholders
Personnel from Maharashtra Police, Customs, Fisheries Department, Mumbai Port
Authority, etc also participated in it
Amogha-III Missile:
The Bharat Dynamics (BDL) has successfully conducted a field firing test of its latest 3rd
generation man-portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Amogha-III.
Amogha-III is an indigenous missile which has been developed under Integrated Guided
Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
It has a fire-and-forget capability and does not require external intervention after the
launch.
The missile also features dual-mode Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker systems with a range of
200 to 2500 meters.
DRDO and Indian Navy successfully tests sea-based BMD interceptor missile
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully conducted a maiden flight
trial of a sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal.
(Endo-atmospheric missiles operate within the earth's atmosphere at altitudes below 100 kilometres, while exo-
atmospheric missiles can complete missions in the uppermost region of the earth's atmosphere.)
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With this successful test, India has entered an elite club of nations which have the capability to fire a Ballistic Missile
Defense (BMD) interceptor from a naval platform.
Only a few countries like the US, Russia, Israel and China have fully-operational BMD system.
Defence Ministry signs contract for 11 next generation OPVs

The contract for the acquisition of 11 OPVs under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category was signed with Goa Shipyard
Limited (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) of Kolkata for a total of Rs 9,781 crore.
These ships will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured. Delivery of the vessels will begin in
September 2026.
Out of 11 next generation offshore patrol vessels, 7 vessels will be built by GSL and 4 vessels by GRSE.
The acquisition of these ships will enable the Indian Navy to maintain its combat capability and meet various
operational requirements.
Indian Navy's anti-piracy, counter-infiltration, anti-poaching, anti-trafficking, non-combatant evacuation operations,
search and rescue (SAR), security of offshore assets etc. will be strengthened.
A contract was also signed with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the acquisition of six Next Generation Missile
Ships (NGMVs) at a cost of Rs 9,805 crore. The deliveries of these ships will commence from March 2027.
Que:Indian Army has tied up with which university to impart Chinese language training
to military personnel?
Ans: Tezpur University Assam
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and
Tezpur University for training the Indian Army personnel in the Chinese language.
Tezpur University established in 1994 by an act of parliament as a central university is
one the pioneers in the North East in the teaching of foreign languages including
Chinese
Solar Industries Nagpur to Supply UAV ‘Nagastra’ To Indian Army

Solar Industries Nagpur has recently bagged an order to supply the Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle (UAV)
'Nagastra' to the Indian Army, beating competitors from Israel and Poland.
Nagastra is India's first indigenous loitering munition which can strike enemy targets with precision.
It has been designed and developed by Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries Nagpur, in
association with Z-Motion, Bangalore.
• It has an indigenous content of more than 75%
• The Nagastra can loiter around in the air and strike when the target reaches the spot.
• It hits in a kamikaze mode (suicidal attack), destroying the target and itself.
Pralay Missile : India To Buy 250 More Missile

• India is going to buy 250 more Pralay ballistic missiles for the services to strengthen them on the northern
borders.
• Pralay missile is a quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile.
• It can hit targets 150-500 km away.
• The missile can carry 350-700 kg of high-grade explosives.
• It is developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO)
• It is powered by a solid propellant rocket motor and other new technologies.
Que:With whom did the Indian Navy sign an agreement to develop secure maritime communication?
Ans: Raman Research Institute
Quantum technologies will soon be used to develop secure maritime communications in a joint effort by the Raman
Research Institute (RRI) and the Indian Navy.
59
RRI is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)

Professor Tarun Souradeep, Director, RRI
Under this agreement, RRI’s Quantum Information and Computing (QuIC) lab will lead
the research efforts towards developing quantum key distribution techniques that the
Indian Navy could leverage in the nation's efforts towards securing free space
communications.
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Science Tech
ISRO launched Singapore's TeLEOS-2 satellite
PSLV-C55/TeLEOS-2 is launched successfully on April 22, 2023 from Satish
Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
This is a dedicated commercial mission through NewSpace India Limited with
TeLEOS-2 as primary satellite and Lumelite-4 as a co-passenger satellite.
Both satellites belong to Singapore.
TeLEOS-1, Singapore's first commercial Earth observation satellite, was launched
by ISRO in 2015 and since then, ISRO has launched nine satellites for Singapore.
ISRO successfully achieves Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission

(RLV LEX)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the Reusable
Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) on April 02, 2023.
The test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, in
Karnataka.
Under this mission, a winged body was carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by a helicopter and released for carrying out
an autonomous landing of a space vehicle on a runway.
It was the first-of-its-kind mission in the world.
Que:‘Proba-3 Mission’, which will be launched aboard ISRO’s PSLV, is associated with
which space agency?
Ans: ESA
The European Space Agency’s Proba-3 Mission will be launched aboard the ISRO’s PSLV
in 2024.
Its two satellites will study the Sun’s faint corona and surrounding atmosphere.
The 340-kilogram spacecraft will be deployed by PSLV in a high Earth orbit
Skyroot Aerospace successfully test-fires 3D-printed cryogenic engine

Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test-fired a fully 3D-printed 'Dhawan II'
cryogenic engine.
This engine will be used as the upper stage of the updated version of Vikram-II.
Skyroot's cryogenic rocket engines use two high-performance rocket propellants,
liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX), which require cryogenic
temperatures (below -150 °C) for storage and operation .
In 2022, Skyroot Aerospace became the first Indian private company to send a rocket into space.
The startup's three launch vehicles - Vikram I, II and III - can carry payloads ranging from 200 kg to 700 kg to low
Earth orbit.
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NISAR to map Himalayas’ Seismic Zones

The ISRO and the NASA have jointly developed a forthcoming satellite called NISAR.
It will map the most earthquake-prone regions in the Himalaya.
NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
The mission aims to provide global measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes using
advanced radar imaging.
The satellite is equipped with two types of synthetic aperture radars (SAR): L-band and S-band, which will allow for
high-resolution, all-weather imaging of the Earth’s surface.
The NISAR satellite is expected to be launched in January 2024.
China launched Fengyun-3 satellite

China successfully launched the Fengyun-3 meteorological satellite using Chang
Zheng-4B carrier rocket from Gansu Province.
The primary objective of the Fengyun-3 satellite is to monitor and provide
information on severe weather conditions, especially heavy rainfall, which can
cause natural disasters such as floods and landslides.
North Korea tests nuclear-capable underwater attack drone ‘Haeil-2’

The underwater nuclear attack drone named “Haeil-2” was tested in Kajin Port, Kumya
Country, South Hamgyong Province.
Haeil-2 is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Kenya launched its first operational satellite

• The Kenya Space Agency launched the country’s first operational earth
observation satellite on 15 April 2023.
• Taifa-1, or one nation in Swahili, was launched on board the SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
• The observation satellite is “fully designed and developed” by Kenyan engineers
and will be used to provide data on agriculture and food security, among other
areas.
• Egypt was the first African country to send a satellite into space in 1998.
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• Capital- Nairobi
• Currency- Kenyan Shilling
• Continent – Africa
• President- William Ruto
• Official languages- Swahili, English
NASA Launches High-Resolution Air Quality Control Instrument TEMPO onboard

SpaceX rocket
The US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
launched an air-quality monitor called TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring
of Pollution instrument) on April 07, 2023, in collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
TEMPO was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida atop a
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
It will be the first space-based instrument to measure air quality over North America hourly during the daytime.
TEMPO slogan is ‘It’s about time,’. It signifies at TEMPO’s ability to provide hourly air pollution data, to help improve
life on Earth by revolutionizing the way scientists observe air quality from space.
ESA successfully launches JUICE mission to study Jupiter’s Icy Moons

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its flagship JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer)
mission on April 14, 2023.
The mission was carried by an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French
Guiana.
It will take an eight-year journey to reach Jupiter.
Aim: To understand whether there are habitable environments among those icy moons and
around a Jupiter
It will make detailed observations of Jupiter and its three large moons: Ganymede, Callisto,
and Europa
Cloned Cow-calf:
The National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal has produced cloned female calves of the desi breed Gir, which
can produce more than 15 litres of milk per day.
Cloned Cow-calf is India’s first cloned Gir female calf named Ganga.
Cloning:
The term cloning describes a number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies
of a biological entity.
Cloning can be natural or artificial.
A new Uranium Isotope 'Uranium-241' discovered

• A team of nuclear physicists of Japan discovered a previously unknown uranium isotope with atomic number
92 and mass 241.
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• The new isotope has been named Uranium-241.

Uranium is a naturally occurring chemical element with symbol U and atomic number 92.
It is a heavy metal that is radioactive and is found in small amounts in rocks and soil around the world.
Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
Uranium has three isotopes in its natural state, U-234, U-235 and U-238.
Other isotopes - not found in natural uranium are U-232, U-233, U-236, and U-237.
Cabinet approves LIGO-India, gravitational-wave detector

LIGO - Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatories
The Union Cabinet approved a project to build an advanced gravitational-wave detector in
Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs 2,600 crore. The facility’s construction is expected
to be completed by 2030.
LIGO-India will be built by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology, with a
MoU with the U.S. National Science Foundation and several national and international research institutions.
The U.S. will provide key components for the lab worth around Rs 560 crore.
What are Gravitational Waves?

Gravitational waves are emitted by very massive objects in the universe in extreme environments, such as when
black holes collide. gravitational waves can be used to probe the gravitational features of the source.
Significance of LIGO-India
The observatory will be the third of its kind, made to the exact specifications of the twin LIGO, in Louisiana and
Washington.
It will significantly enhance global capabilities in the field of gravitational-wave astronomy and astrophysics.
It will provide opportunities for Indian youth to pursue research careers in cutting-edge areas of science and
technology.
Que:What is ‘Raccoon Stealer’ which was seen in the news?

Ans: Malware
Raccoon Stealer is an information stealing malware that is usually delivered via
email.
It was used to target 8 central government entities of India, including the IT
Department and central paramilitary forces.
It is a classic example of information-stealing malware, which is commonly used by
hackers to obtain access to sensitive data stored in users' browsers and
cryptocurrency wallets.
National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a specialised intelligence agency under the National Security
Advisor, wrote to the affected agencies informing them of the attack.
LockBit Ransomware:
IN NEWS - LockBit ransomware was found to be targeting Mac devices.
A ransomware is a type of malware that hijacks computer data and then
demands payment (usually in bitcoins) in order to restore it.
LockBit, formerly known as “ABCD” ransomware, is a type of computer
virus that enters someone’s computer and encrypts important files so
they can’t be accessed. The virus first appeared in September 2019 and is
called a “crypto virus”, because it asks for payment in cryptocurrency to
unlock the files.
LockBit has been used to target companies in many different countries,
including the U.S., China, India, Ukraine, and Europe.
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Short News
• Indian Railways completes 100% electrification of Broad Gauge Rail Network of Haryana (1701 route Kms)
• The first quantum computing-based telecom network link has been activated in India and is located
between Sanchar Bhawan and National Informatics Center (NIC) office at CGO Complex in New Delhi.
• Using quantum computing, the telecommunications sector will benefit from faster and more secure
communications, which can lead to improved network reliability and better user experiences.
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Banking
Govt withdraws windfall gains tax on crude oil production
The government has removed the windfall tax on crude oil production to
nil from 3,500 rupees ($42.56) per tonne and on diesel has been slashed to
Rs 0.5 per litre from Re 1 per litre, effective from April 4, 2023.
Windfall tax: It is levied by governments when an industry unexpectedly
earns large profits.
The tax was levied in July 2022 as high energy prices led to soaring profits
for oil producers.
The decision comes at a time when OPEC+ decided to cut production.
OPEC+ is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries which meets regularly to decide how much crude oil to sell
on the world market.
At the core of this group are the 13 members of OPEC (the Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries),
which are mainly Middle Eastern and African countries.
Que:RBI has decided to launch a secured web-based centralised portal to simplify and streamline
application processes. What is the name given to the portal?
Ans: PRAVAAH
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has planned to launch a secured
web-based centralised portal named ‘PRAVAAH’ to simplify and
streamline application process for license / authorisation or
regulatory approvals from the Reserve Bank.
• PRAVAAH stands for Platform for Regulatory Application,
Validation And Authorisation.
• The portal will show time limits for deciding on the applications/approvals sought.
• Currently, the application and approval processes for the same take place in varied online and off-
line modes.
• The new system will bring greater efficiencies into regulatory processes and facilitate ease of doing
business for the regulated entities of RBI.
• The facility will be extended to all types of applications made to RBI across all functions.
PhonePe launches dedicated hyper-local ecommerce app ‘Pincode’

Walmart-owned fintech company PhonePe has launched a new consumer
application named ‘Pincode’, which is powered by the government’s Open
Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) network.
The service is currently live only in Bangalore, and will be launched in other
cities soon.
The app aims to promote local shopkeepers and sellers by digitally connecting consumers with all the
neighbourhood stores that they usually buy from offline.
Pincode will launch in six major categories including grocery, food, pharma, electronics, home decor and
fashion.
Customers can search for stores by browsing for category and can have multiple carts at the same time
with one active cart per store. Buyers can also save multiple carts.
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Axis Bank launches India’s first pocket-sized swipe machine ‘MicroPay’, based
on ‘PIN on Mobile technology’
India’s third largest private sector lender Axis Bank has launched ‘MicroPay’,
country’s first pocket-sized swipe machine, for accepting digital payments.
The ‘MicroPay’ has been launched along with Ezetap by Razorpay and MyPinpad
as the technical solution partners.
MicroPay is based on ‘Pin on Mobile’ technology, that converts a merchant’s
smartphone into a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal
World Bank announces $100 million as loan for Odisha

The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank has approved a $100 million loan to
Odisha.
Reason: To robust its early forecasting systems for improved response to disasters and
enhance its social protection coverage for poor and vulnerable households through
digital platforms
Odisha is vulnerable to natural disasters with cyclones hitting the state every 15 months on average.
The Program has a maturity of 12.5 years with a grace period of 3 years.
Unified rate approved for natural gas pipeline, new rate applicable from April 1
With the ambitious objective of One Nation,One Grid and One Tariff, the Petroleum and Natural Gas
Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has decided to change the Unified Tariff
which will be applicable from 1st April 2023.
PNGRB has notified a levelized Unified tariff of 73.93 rupees per
MMBTU (Metric Million British Thermal Unit).
The rates will be implemented as per three tariff zones in the entire
gas network of the country.
This decision will give a boost to the economic development of all
regions of the country.
1 million BTU ( 1 MMBTU) = 26.8 cubic meters ( m³) natural gas.
This will facilitate the government's vision for the development of gas markets and increase the utilization
of gas in the country.
Three different Tariff Zones:
The rate will be different for a distance of 300 km from the gas source.
The rate will be different for the distance of 300-1200 km from the gas source.
The area of more than 1200 km distance will come in the third zone.
National Gas Grid
It covers Indian Oil Corporation, ONGC, Gail India, Pipeline Infrastructure Limited, Gujarat State Petronet,
Gujarat Gas Limited, Reliance Gas Pipeline, GSPL India Gasnet Limited and GSPL India Trans Limited.
IRDAI designates LIC, GIC Re and New India Assurance as Domestic

Systemically Important Insurers
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) has retained the following insurers as Domestic
Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2022-23:
• Life Insurance Corporation of India;
• General Insurance Corporation of India; and
• The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.
67
• Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) are the insurance companies that are considered
“Too Big (or Too Important) to Fail”. i.e its failure will impact the economy and insurance sector
to a great extend.
• IRDAI has chosen these three insurers on the basis of their size, market importance and domestic
and global interconnectedness whose distress or failure would cause significant dislocation in the
domestic financial system.
India aims to become one trillion dollar tourism economy by 2047

The Government of India has set the vision to make India a one trillion dollar tourism economy by the year
2047, which marks India’s 100th year of Independence.
In line with this, India is observing ‘Visit India Year 2023ʹ in order to give a boost to the uniqueness of
Indian tourism and make India a seamless , modern, and smart tourism destination.
Inaugural session of the 2nd G-20 Tourism Working Group Meeting held at Siliguri in West Bengal
India to become $26 trillion economy by 2047
Indian economy to grow at 6.5% in next decade: Chief Economic Advisor

The Indian economy is likely to grow at the rate of 6.5 percent in the coming
decade on the back of the turnaround in the financial and investment cycle,
Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran said.
The Finance Ministry’s Economic Survey has projected the economic growth to
be 6.5 percent in 2023-24.
While the RBI has projected India’s economic growth to slow down to 6.4
percent in Financial Year 2024.
World Bank projects India’s GDP growth at 6.3% in FY24

The World Bank report titled, India Development Update, has
estimated India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 6.3
percent in FY24, beginning April 01, 2023. Earlier, it was estimated
at 6.6 percent.
A moderate decline in GDP prediction is due to shrinkage in
consumption on the back of slower income.
ADB projects India’s GDP growth at 6.4% in 2023 and 6.7% in 2024
RBI keep key policy rates unchanged; Projects FY24 GDP at 6.5%
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to
Policy Repo Rate : 6.50%
keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.50 percent.
Other policy rates have also been also kept unchanged. Standing Deposit Facility Rate : 6.25%
RBI has projected the GDP growth rate for FY24 to 6.5 Marginal Standing Facility Rate : 6.75%
percent compared to 6.4 percent estimated in February
2023. Bank Rate : 6.75%
The inflation forecast for FY24 has been lowered to 5.2% Fixed Reverse Repo Rate : 3.35%
from 5.3%
CRR : 4.50%
RBI has also decided to develop a centralised portal to
access details of unclaimed deposits by depositors or SLR : 18.00%
their beneficiaries across various banks.
68
WTO projects growth rate at 1.7% in 2023

The World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates that the global trade growth in 2023 is expected to slow to
1.7 percent.
This was 2.7 percent growth in 2022.
The decline in trade may be due to multiple factors, such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, high
inflation, tighter monetary policy and financial uncertainty.
IMF projects global growth rate at 3% in 2023

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that the global economic growth is projected to
grow at a slow pace of below 3% in 2023.
Global GDP rate is also projected to remain around 3% for the next five years, as per IMF.
This outlook for global economic growth is the weakest in more than three decades, that is since 1990.
The headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in Washington, D.C., U.S
NSE Indices launches India's first-ever REITs and InvITs index

NSE Indices Ltd, an arm of the National Stock Exchange, has launched the country's first-ever Real Estate
Investment Trusts and Infrastructure Investment Trusts index -Nifty REITs and InvITs Index.
Aim: To track the performance of REITs and InvITs that are publicly listed and traded on the NSE
A Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) or an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) is an investment vehicle
that owns revenue-generating real estate or infrastructure assets.
Canara Bank, Bharat BillPay tie up for cross border bill payments for Indian diaspora in Oman
Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) have launched cross-border
inward bill payment services for Indians based in Oman.
NRIs can now leverage the robust platform offered by the Bharat Bill Payment
System (BBPS) to make bill payments on behalf of their families through the
Musandam Exchange.
(MUSANDAM EXCHANGE , one of the leading Exchange Houses of the Sultanate of Oman, established
during the year 1982)
With this, Canara Bank becomes the first public sector bank in India to offer inbound cross-border bill
payments through BBPS.
Mission 50K-EV4ECO:SIDBI launches new financing solution for electric vehicle space
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has announced a new
scheme named “Mission 50K-EV4ECO” to boost the electric vehicle (EV)
ecosystem in the country.
Under the scheme, SIDBI will directly provide loans to eligible small and
medium enterprises (SME) for the purchase of EVs and developing
charging infrastructure, including battery swapping.
Significance of the scheme: This scheme is a positive step to support the demand side of EV adoption in
India, especially in light of the Government of India’s FAME 2 scheme coming to an end by March 2024.
SIDBI Founded – 2 April 1990
Headquarters – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
69
Que:Which bank has recently launched India’s 1st Voice Biometric Authentication Banking App?
Ans: City Union Bank / !सट$ य'ू नयन ब*क
• City Union Bank has launched the country’s first voice biometric authentication for logging into
mobile banking app.
• The voice biometric service was developed by Chennai-based deeptech start-up, Kaizen Secure
Voiz Pvt Ltd, under the guidance of the 5G use case lab of the Institute for Development and
Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT).
• Customers have to register their voice once, which will be validated on various parameters.
• The service will prevent fraud based on PIN / OTP and the technology is fool-proof against recorded
or mimicked voices.
• Founded- 1904
• Founders- Santhanam Iyer; S. Krishna Iyer; V. Krishnaswami Iyengar
• Headquarters- Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Que:The coffee table book named ‘The Banker to Every Indian’ is launched by which bank?
Ans: State Bank of India
The book celebrates 75 years of Indian independence and 200 years of SBI's history.
The book aims to provide a detailed account of the history of SBI since India attained independence.
The Coffee Table Book is a tribute to the spirit of India's independence and SBI's contribution to nation
building.
It is one of the largest and oldest banks in India.
It was established in 1806 as the Bank of Calcutta and later renamed as the Imperial Bank of India.
In 1955, the Government of India nationalised the bank and it became the State Bank of India.
SEBI unveils new logo on Its Foundation Day

Madhabi Puri Buch, the Chairperson of SEBI, explained that the new logo is
intended to represent SEBI’s combination of traditional values and its
modern, technology-driven approach to its three areas of focus in the
securities market: market development, market regulation, and investor
protection
SEBI:
• SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) is a regulatory body for
the securities and commodity market in India.
70
• It was established on April 12, 1988, and is owned by the Ministry of Finance.
• SEBI was given more power and authority with the SEBI Act following the Harshad Mehta scam in
1992.
• SEBI has focused on protecting investors and promoting market growth over the years.
71
Sports
Max Verstappen wins 2023 Australian Grand Prix
• Formula One (F1) World Champion Max Verstappen [Red Bull – Netherlands] has won the 2023
Australian Grand Prix, held on April 02, 2023.
Five Indian cricketers bestowed with Honorary Life Membership of MCC

• The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owner of the famous Lord’s
cricket stadium in England, gives honorary membership to the finest
men and women who have contributed to the game.
• Five Indian players are among 17 new members in the list.
• They are Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mithali Raj
and Jhulan Goswami.
New Zealand’s Kim Cotton becomes first female umpire to officiate

men’s T20I
• Auckland, New Zealand-born Kim Cotton has become the first
female umpire to officiate in a Men’s T20 International (T20I)
cricket match involving two ICC full-member nations.
• She achieved the feat in the second T20I held between New
Zealand and Sri Lanka in Dunedin on April 05, 2023
Suryakumar Yadav named Wisden’s leading T20I cricketer;

Harmanpreet Kaur bags top honour
• Wisden Cricketers Almanack has released the list of top-5 cricketers of the
year 2022. It also includes India's women's team captain Harmanpreet
Kaur.
• Apart from Kaur, the list also includes the names of Tom Blundell (New
Zealand), Ben Foakes (England), Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) and Matthew
Potts (England).
• Suryakumar Yadav has been selected as the T20 Cricketer of the Year.
• Harmanpreet Kaur has become the first woman cricketer from India to make
it to this esteemed list.
• Apart from this, Ben Stokes of England has been selected as the best
cricketer in the world for the year 2022-23 among male players.
The
description
It is a cricket "bible of
Wisden was
reference cricket" was
founded in
Wisden It is known as book first used in
1864 by the
Cricketers' the Bible of published the 1930s by
English
Almanack Cricket. annually in Alec Waugh
cricketer
the United in a review
John Wisden.
Kingdom. for the
London
Mercury.
72
Sharjah stadium stand named after Sachin Tendulkar

• The West Stand at the Sharjah cricket stadium has been
renamed after Sachin Tendulkar in a special ceremony in the
UAE, honouring the Indian cricket legend on his 50th birthday.
• Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds the Guinness record for most
One-Day internationals played (244).
• CEO of Sharjah Stadium: Khalaf Bukhatir
Que: The iconic Sydney Cricket Ground unveiled a gate named after which player?
Ans: Sachin Tendulkar
• To honour Sachin Tendulkar on his 50th birthday, the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia has
unveiled a gate named after him.
• Along with him, the SCG also unveiled a gate and named it after another cricketing legend Brian
Lara, who will be sharing the honour with Sachin Tendulkar.
Chennai to host the second edition of the ‘Street Child Cricket World Cup’.
• Organised by Street Child United in partnership with Shree Dayaa
Foundation
• The tournament will take place at Amir Mahal, the official residence of
the Nawab of Arcot from September 20 to 30.
• In 2019, this championship was held in London where eight teams
competed, and Team India South emerged victorious after beating
hosts England.
Argentina becomes number one football team in the world in FIFA rankings 2023
• The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) released the
latest rankings of international football teams
• Argentina topped the FIFA rankings for the first time in six years.
• FIFA is the governing body for association football.
• It was established in 1904.FIFA is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
• The current President of FIFA is Gianni Infantino, who was elected to the
position in 2016.
Odisha’s Bhubaneswar to host 2023 Intercontinental Cup in June

• The four-team Hero Intercontinental Cup will be played in the FIFA International Window from June
9 to 18,
• Teams – India, Lebanon, Mongolia and Vanuatu
• This will be the third edition of the Hero Intercontinental Cup, with the
previous two being held in Mumbai (2018) and Ahmedabad (2019).
73
AIFF announces minimum wage for women players

• The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided that the top eight
participating teams in the Indian Women's League (IWL), have a minimum of
10 Indian players on a fully professional annual contract worth a minimum of
Rs 3.2 lakhs per player.
• Aim: To revamp and restructure women's football in the country, in line with
the Strategic Roadmap Vision 2047.
• AIFF President: Kalyan Chaubey
India’s Priyanshu Rajawat won his maiden men’s single title at 2023
Orleans Masters badminton tournament
• Priyanshu Rajawat defeated Magnus Johannesen of Denmark, to
win men’s single title at the 2023 Orleans Masters in France.
• It was his maiden BWF World Tour Super 300 title as well as his
first appearance in the final.
• The 21-year-old Priyanshu Rajawat from Madhya Pradesh was a part of the Indian team that
registered an epic win at the 2022 Thomas Cup.
• Winners of 2023 Orléans Masters
• Men’s Single – Priyanshu Rajawat (India)
• Women’s single – Carolina Marín (Spain)
Nithya wins gold in women's singles at Brazil Para-Badminton International

• India's Para-Badminton player, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan has won two
gold medals at the Brazil Para-Badminton International 2023.
• While Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam also won gold in the men's
doubles category.
Archery World Cup 2023: India won four medals in Antalya

• Archery World Cup 2023 Stage 1 held in Antalya, Turkey on 23 April.
• India ended the competition with four medals, including two gold, one silver and one bronze.
• Name of medal winners of India
• Jyothi Surekha Vennam - Women's Individual Compound - Gold Medal
• Jyoti Surekha Vennam and Ojas Praveen Deotale- Compound Mixed Team
-Gold Medal
• Indian men's recurve team won the silver medal
• Dheeraj Bommadevra- Men's Individual Recurve -Bronze Medal
India’s athlete Bhagwani Devi Dagar wins three gold medals at 2023 World Masters Athletics Indoor
Championship in Poland
• India’s 95-year-old player Bhagwani Devi Dagar has won three gold medals for the country at the
9th World Masters Athletics Indoor Championship at Torun in
Poland.
• The veteran athlete from Haryana won the three gold medals in
60m running, shot put and discus throw categories in the 95-99
age division.
• Bhagwani Devi Dagar is nicknamed as “Sprinter Dadi”. Her
athletic career began at the age of 94.
74
India won total 14 medals in Asian Wrestling Championship 2023

• 36th edition of Asian Wrestling Championship held in Astana, Kazakhstan
from 9th to 14th April 2023.
• Indian wrestlers won 14 medals in the championship - one gold, three silver
and ten bronze medals.
• Aman Sehrawat won gold in 57kg freestyle category.
• India secured the 7th position in the medal tally.
• The top three nations in the medal table based on gold medals were
Kazakhstan, Japan and Iran.
• The previous edition of the Asian Wrestling Championships, the 35th
edition, was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from April 19 to April 24 in
2022.
Fit India Champion Arjun Vajpai Summits Mt. Annapurna

• Indian professional mountaineer Arjun Vajpai, roped in as a Fit India
Champion earlier this year has become the first Indian man to summit Mt.
Annapurna 1, which is also the 10th highest mountain in the world at 8,091
metres (26,545 ft) above sea level in Nepal.
• Arjun made the climb to the 7x8000m summits on April 17 and has now
become the first Indian mountaineer to scale 7x8000m peaks.
• The movement was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at
Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August 2019.
Bollywood actor Rahul Bose gets Odisha’s Rugby Stadium named after him
• Veteran Bollywood actor Rahul Bose inaugurated a rugby stadium in Odisha, named after him.
• Rahul Bose currently serves as the President of the Indian
Rugby Football Union (Rugby India).
• Rugby India is the governing body for sport of rugby union in
India. Its headquarter is situated in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Rahul had been rugby player and represented India in 17
internationals rugby matches.
Que: Which Indian city is set to host the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament ?
Ans: Chennai
• Chennai will host the 7th Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament from
August 3-12, 2023.
• India will be hosting the event for the first time
• The tournament will feature the top six teams from India, Pakistan, South
Korea, Malaysia, Japan and China.
• The game will serve as a precursor to the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September
2023.
Saudi Arabia receives flag to host FEI World Cup Finals 2024
• Riyadh will host FEI World Cup Finals in April 2024.
• It is the first time the event will be held in the Middle East.
• It is an annual international competition among the world’s best
show-jumping horses and riders.
75
• Founded in 1921, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) is the world governing body for
Jumping, Dressage & Para Dressage, Eventing, Driving & Para Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.
• Capital- Riyadh
• Currency- Saudi riyal
• Prime minister- Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
76

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Current Affairs April 2023 www.parchamclasses.

Date Day Theme

QUICK RECALL TEST

World Parkinson’s Day is observed on?

National Civil Services Day

Which of the following days is observed on 24 April?

Which of the following days is observed on 10 April?

What was the theme of World Intellectual Property Day 2023?

Books And Authors

A new book "Gandhi: Siasat Aur Sampradaya" written by Piyush Babele

Book titled ‘SACHIN@50: Celebrating a Maestro’ authored by Boria Majumdar

Tennis legend Jaidip Mukerjea launches his autobiography “Crosscourt”

Nirmala Sitharaman launches a book titled ‘Reflections’ authored by Shri

Satinder Kumar Lambah's book 'In Pursuit of Peace' launched

A new book ‘A Resurgent Northeast: Narratives of Change’ by Ashish Kundra launched

Mumbai Recognised among ‘2022 Tree City of the World’ by FAO

Indian-American CEO Raj Subramaniam presented with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman

RINL wins Ispat Rajbhasha Samman for 2021-22

PM Gati Shakti NMP receives PM's Award for Excellence

Karnataka Bags National Award For Fasal Bima Yojana

Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari conferred with Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2022

Rajasthan's Nandini Gupta crowned Femina Miss India World 2023

Synergy Group wins prestigious Tanker Operator Award

Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan Award

Kumar Mangalam Birla honoured with 'Business Leader of the Decade

Utsa Patnaik selected for Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023

Dalai Lama Receives Ramon Magsaysay Award

Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh to be the Chief Justice of Tripura HC

Justice SV Bhatti appointed as acting Chief Justice of Kerala High Court

Vice Admiral Swaminathan becomes Controller of Personnel Services in Navy

Que:Who has taken over as the new President of Assocham?

NASSCOM appoints Anant Maheshwari as new Chairperson

Pankaj Singh elected President of Indian Cycling Federation

Sudha Shivkumar becomes 40th President of FICCI Ladies Organisation

Rajesh Kumar Singh takes charge as Secretary, DPIIT

Arun Sinha appointed as new Chairman of NTRO

Government approves the appointment of Kalikesh Singh Deo as NRAI President

Rajib K Mishra appointed as CMD of PTC India

K Krithivasan to take over as new MD & CEO of TCS from June 1

Praveer Sinha re-appointed as CEO and MD of Tata Power

NPCI appoints Vishal Kanvaty as CTO

RBI appoints Neeraj Nigam as new Executive Director (ED)

RBI re-appointed Sanjay Agarwal as Chief of AU SFB for three years

Sekhar Rao appointed as interim MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank

Shreekant Bhandiwad appointed as Chairman of Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank

Hari Hara Mishra takes charge as CEO of Association of ARC

Sumant Kathpalia re-appointed as MD & CEO of IndusInd Bank

Sahitya Akademi winner Sarah Thomas passed away

Former CJ of Calcutta HC T B Radhakrishnan passed away

Punjab’s ex-Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal passes away at 95

Former Mahindra Group chairman, Keshub Mahindra passes away

National Award-winning actress Uttara Baokar passes away

Freedom fighter, public health pioneer Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury passes away

Best-maintained of all tiger reserves in the country –

About Project Tiger:

To ensure the maintenance of a viable population of tigers in India for scientific,

NTCA was established following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force). It is

Passport Index 2023: India ranks at 144th; topped by UAE

National Contribution To Warming : India Ranking

India could become world's second-largest solar manufacturer by 2026

India Justice Report 2022 : Karnataka tops states

Case Clearance Rate (CCR)

State Energy Efficiency Index 2021-22 released