Current Affairs 24th April 2024
Mark your calendars, news aficionados! Today’s edition of Current Affairs April 24th 2024 promises a comprehensive breakdown of the most pressing issues shaping our world. Whether you’re interested in groundbreaking scientific advancements, the pulse of the global economy, or international developments, we’ve got you covered. So, settle in, grab your favorite beverage, and prepare to be informed!
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1) AFMS Signed MoU with IIT-Delhi & IIT Kanpur to Develop Tech for Soldiers’ Health Issues
The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi (New Delhi, Delhi) and IIT Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) to conduct joint research and training.
Under these MoUs, AFMS will partner with IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur to conduct research and development of novel medical equipment, with an emphasis on treating troops’ health challenges in varied terrains.
MoU with IIT Delhi:
Signatories:
On April 22, 2024, Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Daljit Singh, Director General (DG) of AFMS, and Prof Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Key Points:
- IIT-D’s biomedical research ecosystem will provide the technological knowledge required for study into the many medical difficulties encountered by the Armed Forces.
- The MoU also included a faculty exchange program, cooperative academic activities, and the creation of joint PhD programmes.
MoU with IIT Kanpur:
Signatories:
On April 18, 2024, Lt Gen Daljit Singh, DG of AMFS, and Prof. S. Ganesh, Officiating Director of IIT Kanpur, signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
Key Points:
- Under this MoU, IIT Kanpur will contribute technical knowledge for the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) diagnostic models at the Armed Forces Centre for Computational Medicine, which has been established at Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune, Maharashtra.
- A faculty exchange program, cooperative academic activities, and the creation of training modules were all envisaged as part of this MoU.
Note: AFMS’s engagement with national-level institutes such as IIT is part of its attempts to deliver the best possible medical treatment to troops.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
2) ILO Report: Annually 22.8 million Work Suffer Occupational Injuries, 18,970 Die Due to Excessive Heat
Excessive heat causes 22.85 million occupational injuries, 18,970 fatalities, and 2.09 million disability-adjusted living years (DALYs) per year, according to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) study “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate”.
- The survey indicates that over 70% of all workers (~2.41 billion) are exposed to extreme heat. Between 2000 and 2020, exposure to severe heat rose by 34.7%.
- In 2020, it was anticipated that 26.2 million people had chronic kidney disease as a result of working exposure to high heat.
About International Labour Organisation (ILO):
- Director-General- Gilbert Houngbo
- Headquarter- Geneva, Switzerland
- Member nations- 187
- Established- 1919
Click here to read from source
BANKING & FINANCE
3) Revolut India Gets in-principle Nod for PPI Licence from RBI
Revolut India, a neobank sponsored by Tiger Global and Softbank, has gained in-principle clearance from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), such as prepaid cards and wallets.
This would enable Revolut India to compete as a homegrown competitor in India’s financial scene.
Neobanks are digital-only banking institutions that operate entirely online, with no physical branches.
Points to note:
- The new license supplemented Revolut India’s current RBI licenses, allowing it to operate as a Category II Authorised Money Exchange Dealer (AD II).
- It also allows for the offering of multi-currency forex cards and cross-border remittance services.
- Revolut will now offer Indian consumers both international and domestic payment solutions through a single platform.
PPIs and Regulatory Developments:
- PPIs are instruments or payment tools that use stored monetary value to conduct transactions, such as digital wallets, smart cards, or vouchers.
- On April 5, 2024, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das recommended connecting PPIs through third-party Unified Payments Interface (UPI) applications, just like bank account holders.
- It is worth noting that Revolut only offers a localized version of their app in India.
Future Plans:
Revolut intends to provide digital-first money management services for Indian consumers, enabling them to manage their accounts, including payments and remittances, both domestically and globally.
About Revolut India:
Revolut (headquartered in London, United Kingdom), Europe’s largest neobank, will join the Indian market in 2021.
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Paroma Chatterjee
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Established in 2021
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ECONOMY & BUSINESS
4) NSDC and ISKCON sign MoU to Skill Tribal, Marginalised Youth
On April 22, 2024, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build ECO villages modeled after Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV) in Maharashtra.
Similar enterprises would be established in Nandurbar, Maharashtra; Jaipur Rural, Rajasthan; and Mandla, Balaghat, and neighboring districts of Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
Both businesses would collaborate with Skill India Centers to train young and women from tribal and marginalized areas in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh (MP), with plans to expand to additional regions.
Key Points:
- The cooperation will focus on teaching locals, particularly women, in hospitality, retail, and logistics in Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.
- ISKCON creates a Culinary School to empower tribal kids from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, including Palghar and Gadchiroli.
- Trained persons have job opportunities in the 2025 Maha Kumbh Kitchen in Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), with international mobility provided by NSDC International.
- They will provide short-term courses on the Skill India Digital Hub platform and provide industry-recognized certificates, increasing employability.
- NSDC foreign provides successful participants with access to both domestic and foreign work prospects.
About National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC):
It is a not-for-profit public limited company formed on July 31, 2008, under Section 25 of the Companies Act of 1956 (now Section 8 of the Companies Act of 2013).
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Ved Mani Tiwari
- Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Click here to read from source
5) JSW Neo Energy Limited Secures 700-MW Solar Project from NTPC
JSW Neo Energy Limited (JSW Neo), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Energy Limited, one of India’s leading private sector power producers, has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from NTPC Limited to develop a 700 megawatt (MW) Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS)-connected solar power project.
The project is a component of NTPC’s tariff-based competitive bid effort for 1,500 MW ISTS-connected solar power projects (NTPC-ISTS-II).
With the newest project victory, JSW Energy’s total locked-in generation capacity now stands at 13.3 gigawatts (GW), with solar power accounting for 3.1 GW.
Note:
- JSW Energy’s installed generation capacity is now 7.2 GW, with a projected increase to 9.8 GW by calendar year 2024.
- JSW Energy intends to have 20 GW of generation capacity and 40 GWh of energy storage capacity by 2030. It sets an ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Click here to read from source
6) HAL and CSIR-NAL Signs Transfer of Technology (ToT) Agreement for LCA Tejas Mk1A Engine Bay Door production
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) to produce the Bismaleimide (BMI) Engine Bay Door (EBD) for the LCA Tejas Mk1A aircraft.
According to the agreement, HAL may directly build these high-temperature resistant composite parts for the LCA Mk1A.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A is an indigenous 4.5-generation, all-weather, multi-role fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Note: The Tejas Mark (Mk)-1A aircraft successfully completed its first flight on March 28, 2024.
Click here to read from source
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
7) 25th Laureus World Sports Awards 2024: Novak Djokovic & Aitana Bonmati Win Top Honours
Novak Djokovic, the World No.1 tennis player (as of 22 April 2024) from Serbia, received the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2024 award at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2024.
Aitana Bonmatí, a Spanish professional footballer with Barcelona Football Club (FC) and the Spain women’s national team, was named Laureus Sportswoman of the Year in 2024.
Award Ceremony:
- On April 22, 2024, the winners of the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards were honored at a ceremony at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid’s Sapin district.
- The 2024 award recognizes the best athletes, women, and teams from 2023.
Click here to read from source
8) World Energy Leadership Awards 2024: Dr Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President, won Global Energy Transition Impact Award
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, President of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), received the Global Energy
Transition Impact Award on April 22, 2024, for his efforts to advance energy transition.
The World Energy Council (WEC) awarded the honors as part of its inaugural World Energy Leadership honors (2024).
The first Awards were awarded ahead of the 26th World Energy Congress (WEC 2024), which will be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, from April 22nd to 25th, 2024, with the subject ‘Redesigning energy for people and planet’.
Dr. Al-Jaber is also the UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology.
Global Energy Transition Impact Award:
- The first ‘Global Energy Transition Impact Award’ honors visionary leadership in furthering the energy transition and unifying the globe around the historic UAE Consensus.
- The Global Energy Transition Impact Award is one of four first World Energy Leadership Awards.
- Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber received the prize in recognition of his contributions to the UAE Consensus and for establishing Net Zero energy transition coalitions across several industries.
Other Winners of World Energy Leadership Awards 2024:
(i) Energy Systems Luminary Award
Winner: Vaclav Smil, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba, Canada.
It acknowledged his substantial contributions to promoting energy literacy.
(ii) Humanising Energy Award
Winner: Barefoot College International (BCI), based in Miami, Florida.
BCI has enabled a wide range of organizations, including women, workers, and youth, as well as indigenous communities, to actively participate in the design, construction, and operation of new power systems across the world.
(iii) World Energy Visionary Leadership Award
Winner: Awarded posthumously to Daniel Nicol Dunlop, the pioneer of the inaugural World Power Conference in 1924 and the WEC’s de facto founder.
His concept emphasized teamwork and innovation to ensure a sustainable energy future. The prize will now be called the Dunlop prize for Energy Leadership.
Click here to read from source
Click here to read: Current Affairs 23rd April 2024
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
(Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
9) Narpat Singh Appointed as Railway Adviser of India’s High Commission in Bangladesh (Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has accepted Narpat Singh’s appointment as Railway Adviser at the High Commission of India in Dhaka.
Narpat Singh is a 2009 batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer. He was previously Director (Traffic Transpiration) of the Railway Board.
He was granted diplomatic status as a Counsellor for three years beginning with the day he assumed command of the position.
Click here to read from source
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
10) NASA Confirmed Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan (Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed its Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Titan, Saturn’s biggest moon, at a total lifespan cost of USD 3.35 billion. The mission is scheduled to be launched in July 2028.
This decision authorizes the mission to proceed to the final design, manufacture, and testing of the whole spacecraft and science equipment.
Titan is the solar system’s second biggest body after Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. Saturn had 146 moons orbiting it as of June 8, 2023.
About Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission:
- The dragonfly rotorcraft is scheduled to arrive on Titan in 2034.
- It will travel to many prospective areas on Titan to investigate the primordial chemical processes that existed on both Titan and early Earth before life emerged.
- This will be NASA’s first vehicle for science to fly on another planetary body.
- The rotorcraft has eight rotors and operates like a huge drone.
Points to note:
- Dragonfly is being planned and manufactured at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, United States of America (USA), which oversees the project for NASA. Elizabeth Turtle of APL serves as primary investigator.
- NASA has allocated more cash for a heavy-lift launch vehicle, which will shorten the mission’s cruise phase.
- Dragonfly will be the first robot explorer to land on a world other than the Moon or Mars, and the second drone to explore another planet, following NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars in 2021.
About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
- Administrator– Bill Nelson
- Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States of America (USA)
- Establishment– 1958
Click here to read from source
SPORTS
(Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
11) Former Tennis World No. 1 Garbine Muguruza of Spain Announces Retirement (Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
Garbiñe Muguruza Blanco, a two-time Grand Slam singles winner and former world No. 1 (in 2017), has announced her retirement from competitive tennis aged 30.
She became the first Spanish woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario of Spain won the French Open in Paris in 1989.
Notable Victories:
- Defeated Serena Williams (USA) in the 2016 French Open in Paris, France. ii. Defeated Venus Williams (USA) at the 2017 Wimbledon in London, UK.
- She is still the only player to defeat Venus and Serena in the finals and win a major championship.
- Won three WTA 1000 titles (2015 in Beijing, 2017 in Cincinnati, and 2021 in Dubai). iv. Won the 2021 WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico, defeating Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.
OBITUARY
12) National Award-winning Tamil Director Durai Passed Away
J F C Durai, 84, a prominent Tamil director who won National Awards, died at his home in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
About Durai:
- Durai has directed about 46 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi languages.
- He has worked as a playwright, editor, and producer in the Tamil business, as well as a sound engineer for the film “Pennin Perumai”.
- Notable works include Avalum Penthaane; Pasi; Aasai 60 Naal, Neeya?, Aayiram Jenmangal, and Paavathin Sambalam.
Awards:
- His film “Pasi” received two National Film Awards in 1979 for Best Feature Film and Best Actor (Female).
- The film also received the Tamil Nadu State Award in the Best Film category.
- He also received the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director for the film “Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam”.
- In 1982, the Tamil Nadu State government bestowed the Kalaimamani Award on him in recognition of his artistic contributions.
Click here to read from source
IMPORTANT DAYS
(Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
13) UN English Language Day 2024 – April 23 (Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
The United Nations (UN) English Language Day is yearly marked across the world on April 23 to promote the worldwide relevance of the English language, one of the six official languages of the UN.
The day of April 23 also marks the birth and death anniversary of William Shakespeare, an English playwright and poet.
Background:
- In 2010, the UN’s Department of Global Communications (DGC) commemorated the first UN English Language Day as part of a plan to establish language days for each of the six UN official languages.
- The six official languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
About United Nations (UN):
- Secretary-General– António Guterres
- Headquarters– New York, United States of America (USA)
- Established in– 1945
Click here to read from source
14) UN Spanish Language Day – April 23 2024 (Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
The United Nations (UN) celebrates Spanish Language Day every year on April 23 to create awareness among UN officials about the history, culture, and use of Spanish as an official language.
Background:
- The UN Spanish Language Day was first marked on October 12, coinciding with Spain’s National Day, which honors the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ landing in the Americas, marking the beginning of the spread of the Spanish language and culture.
- The day was then moved to April 23rd to honor Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who is said to have died on that date in 1616.
Click here to read from source
15) World Book And Copyright Day 2024 – April 23 (Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
Every year on April 23, World Book And Copyright Day is held across the world to encourage the pleasure of reading and the importance of books.
The Day serves as a reminder of the value of literature in linking past, current, and future generations from many cultures.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) leads the yearly commemoration of the Day.
The subject of World Book and Copyright Day 2024, according to several news sites, is “Read Your Way”.
Background:
- During the 28th session of its General Conference, which took place in Paris, France from October 25 to November 16, 1995, UNESCO overwhelmingly recognized April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day.
- The decree internationalized a custom initiated in 1923 by the Official Book Chamber in Catalonia, Spain, to commemorate the day.
- The first World Book and Copyright Day was commemorated on April 23, 1996.
Note: In 1993, a royal decree designated April 23 as Book and Reading Day in Spain.
Why April 23rd?
- The death anniversary of prominent authors such as English poet William Shakespeare, Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, and Peruvian-born Spanish Inca Garcilaso de la Vega is April 23rd.
- UNESCO picked this day to recognize the accomplishments of these literary luminaries while also promoting worldwide access to books.
World Book Capital:
Following the examination of the World Book Capital (WBC) Advisory Committee, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has named Strasbourg (France) as the World Book Capital of 2024.
- Since 2001, a UNESCO-industry alliance annually selects the World Book Capital city.
- WBC stresses literacy instruction, copyright protection, and freedom of speech.
Click here to read from source
STATE NEWS
(Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
16) Hinduja Group’s CELERITYX and MAFCOCS Deploys ‘OneX’ to improve Maharashtra’s Bank Connectivity (Current Affairs 24th April 2024)
On April 22, 2024, CELERITYX, OneOTT Intertainment Limited (OIL)’s enterprise networking solutions division, announced a cooperation with Maharashtra State Cooperative Credit Societies Federation (MAFCOCS) to implement the OneX platform across 40,000 bank branches in Maharashtra.
OneX has the ability to service more than one lakh branches across the country.
Key Points:
- The fundamental goal of this strategic cooperation is to address connection difficulties for credit societies in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where older systems lack security against contemporary threats.
- CELERITYX received its first order from Samata Sahakari Patsanstha for its Maharashtra branches.
About OneX Platform
On April 22, 2024, OIL, a subsidiary of Hinduja Global Solutions Limited, introduced the OneX platform, a comprehensive network-as-a-service solution that includes network administration, security, and LAN-side control.
Benefits of OneX:
- SASE cuts complexity, boosts agility and security with Mobile SIM for always-on, zero-trust everywhere.
- Broadband, mobile SIMs, stronger firewalls, and zero-radius security will directly enhance connectivity and uptime
- OneX’s cost-effective structure guarantees accessibility for even the tiniest credit organizations. This protects them from any cyber threats.
About Hinduja Global Solutions Limited:
- President: Natarajan Radhakrishnan
- Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Click here to read from source
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