Current Affairs 25th April 2024
Stay informed about what’s happening around the world with our daily Current Affairs April 25th 2024. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the latest news stories, developments, and pressing issues shaping our lives today. We’ll cover a wide range of topics, from politics and international relations to science, technology, and social issues. So, whether you’re looking to stay on top of the headlines or gain a deeper understanding of current events, this blog post is your one-stop shop!
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Asia was the World’s ‘Disaster Capital’ in 2023: State of the Climate 2023 in Asia by WMO
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its fourth edition of the ‘State of the Climate in Asia 2023’ report, emphasizing Asia’s susceptibility to weather and climate-related risks.
- The year 2023 was reported as the hottest year across six globally averaged datasets, with the years 2015–2023 ranking as the nine warmest years in all datasets. This made it the catastrophe capital of 2023.
- In 2023, Asia had 79 water-related catastrophes, the most of which were floods and storms, resulting in over 2,000 deaths and directly affecting nine million people.
- In 2023, Asia emerged as the world’s most disaster-affected region, with average temperatures rising to 0.91 °C [0.84 °C-0.96 °C] over the 1991-2020 reference period, the second-highest on record. It is 1.87 °C [1.81 °C-1.92 °C] higher than the 1961–1990 average.
- Japan and Kazakhstan set records for high temperatures.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
- Secretary-General– Celeste Saulo
- Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
- Establishment– 1950
Click here to read from source
DARPG Signs MoU with Cambodia Ministry of Civil Service for Cooperation in HRD in Civil Service
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions (MoPPGP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Civil Service in Cambodia to strengthen bilateral exchange and cooperation in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD) in Civil Service over the next five years.
Signatories:
The MoU was signed by Hun Many, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Civil Service, Kingdom of Cambodia, and Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Government of India, during a ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Implementation Strategies:
The MoU would promote communication between India’s Personnel Administration agencies and the Ministry of Civil Service of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
This will be accomplished through exchange visits focusing on administrative reforms, webinars, research papers, institutional exchanges, and capacity-building activities.
Progress and Commitment:
- In 2023-24, 156 Cambodian civil servants participated in capacity-building programs at India’s National Centre for Good Governance.
- For 2024-25, six capacity-building programs have been planned for 240 Cambodian civil personnel.
- India’s commitment to implementing next-generation administrative reforms is consistent with its objective of “Maximum Governance – Minimum Government.”
Its goal is a “Digitally Empowered Citizen and a Digitally Transformed Institution” .
About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPGP):
- Union Minister– Narendra Modi (Constituency: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
- Minister of State– Dr. Jitendra Singh (Constituency: Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir)
Click here to read from source
BANKING & FINANCE
NABARD releases Climate Strategy 2030 to promote green financing
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched its Climate Strategy 2030 whitepaper. Shaji K.V., Chairman of NABARD, published the paper on the occasion of World Earth Day (April 22, 2024).
The primary goal of this strategy paper is to promote and accelerate green financing in India.
Key Points:
- To attain a total of more than USD 2.5 trillion by 2030, India would need an estimated USD 170 billion every year.
- Currently, green financing inflows are insufficient to meet this aim.
- As of 2019-20, India got around USD 49 billion in green funding, which is a small fraction of what is required.
- Only USD 5 billion was provided to adaptation and resilience measures, demonstrating the private sector’s limited involvement in these important sectors due to banking and commercial viability problems.
Key Pillars of Climate Strategy 2030:
The climate strategy 2030 is centered on four essential pillars to address the demand for green funding, which are:
- Accelerating green lending across industries.
- Taking on a greater market-making role.
- Green transformation inside NABARD
- Strategic resource mobilization
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD):
NABARD was founded under the NABARD Act of 1981 and is overseen by the Department of Financial Services (DFS).
- Chairman: Shaji K.V.
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Established: 1982
Click here to read from source
AU SFB launches Suite of Financial Products including Banking Industry’s first ATM Insurance
On April 23, 2024, AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) launched a series of financial solutions designed to improve client happiness.
This comprised two new credit cards: the AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card and the Secured Credit Card with NOMO (No Missing Out) and ATM (Automated Teller Machine) Insurance.
AU SFB has also released the AU 0101 Business App and AU 0101 Version 2.0.
NOMO Credit Card:
- The NOMO Credit Card is AU SFB’s first secured credit card with a Fixed Deposit (FD). It was created in partnership with Visa.
- This will cater to customers who do not fulfill the requirements for unsecured credit cards owing to issues such as a low credit history or a lack of income evidence.
- It provides awards and perks like as airport lounge access and fuel fee exemptions.
AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card :
- The AU SPONT Rupay Credit Card was created in conjunction with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
- This enables smooth integration with UPI (Unified Payments Interface)-enabled applications, allowing for simple payments using the UPI Scan and Pay functionality.
ATM Insurance:
- ATM Insurance allows clients to purchase insurance from ATMs using their debit cards.
- AU SFB copyrighted this innovative technology in March 2024, and it was then expanded to WhatsApp Insurance, which offers quick insurance issuance via WhatsApp.
Note: ATM insurance is the industry’s first invention. As a result, AU SFB has copyrighted this approach before introducing its first ATM insurance product in March 2024.
AU 0101 Business App & AU 0101 Version 2.0:
- The AU 0101 Business App will provide full banking solutions for sole proprietorships and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), such as account management, deposits, loans, and credit cards.
- It includes features such as digital QR onboarding and payment settlement.
- AU 0101 Version 2.0 is an upgrade to the AU SFB’s mobile banking app AU 0101, which was introduced in June 2021.
About AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB):
AU SFB (formerly AU Financiers (India) Ltd) was established in 1996 as an NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company) and has been functioning as a small finance bank since April 19, 2017.
- Managing Director (MD) & CEO– Sanjay Agarwal
- Headquartered– Jaipur, Rajasthan
Click here to read from source
IndusInd Bank Becomes 1st Bank to Successfully Execute RBI’s Programmable CBDC Pilot
IndusInd Bank Limited became the first bank to successfully implement the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) project, which compensated farmers for carbon credits.
This pilot project is being carried out in conjunction with Circularity Innovation Hub India Private Limited (CIH) as an alternative form of CBDC.
The introduction of programmable CBDCs is a big step forward in agricultural finance solutions innovation.
Innovative CBDC Pilot:
- The project focuses on programming the final use of monies paid to farmers for carbon credit creation.
- As part of this pilot, IndusInd Bank started a programmed CBDC payout to 50 farmers in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, with intentions to reach 1000 farmers.
Objectives:
This collaborative effort aims to promote Circularity Credits by recycling agricultural waste.
Collaborative Efforts:
- IndusInd Bank will create digital wallets and manage CBDC transfers as part of this initiative.
- CIH serves as a Sponsor Agency for this initiative, supporting circular economy concepts and issuing the first-ever Circularity Credits.
- Hindustan Agro and Jackfruit King Company lead farmer involvement, integrating sustainable practices to new revenue sources.
- Emertech Innovations creates a Blockchain-based platform to provide traceability and transparency in income creation and payout.
Future Phases:
- The second phase of the initiative will focus on increasing income for Safai Karmacharis through plastic trash recycling.
- A Safai Karmachari is someone who works in sanitation or is hired to do so.
- CIH’s ‘Planet and People Platform’ guarantees that beneficiary disbursements are transparent.
Points to Note:
- The RBI launched the CBDC in 2022, employing distributed-ledger technology and allowing banks to interact with these coins.
- CBDC is a type of digital money, e-rupee, or fiat currency issued by a nation’s central bank.
- Fiat money is a government-issued currency that is unrelated to a tangible commodity such as gold or silver.
About IndusInd Bank Limited:
- MD & CEO– Sumant Kathpalia
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Established in– 1994
- Tagline– We Make You Feel Richer
Click here to read from source
Razorpay launched “UPI Switch” in partnership with Airtel Payments Bank (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
On April 23, 2024, Razorpay Software Private Limited (Razorpay), an online quick payment provider, unveiled its own Unified Payments Interface (UPI) infrastructure with “UPI Switch,” a next-generation cloud-based innovation, in collaboration with Airtel Payments Bank.
UPI Switch:
- UPI Switch is powered by Technology Service Providers (TSPs) for banks.
- It is an infrastructure capable of processing UPI transactions on a large scale and enabling new UPI innovations for millions of businesses.
Key Features:
- It can handle up to 10,000 Transactions per Second (TPS) at any one time.
- UPI Switch promises to increase success rates by 4-5%, resulting in more efficient transactions for enterprises.
- In addition, it will provide businesses with five times faster access to UPI advancements than the industry typical of ten months.
- It can resolve conflicts seven times faster (in 24 hours) than the standard industry period of seven days.
- It can handle reimbursements instantaneously, although traditional industry norms take up to three days.
Note:
- In March 2024, overall UPI transactions in India rose by 55% to 13.44 billion.
- UPI is an instant payment system in India created by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2012.
- It was publicly launched by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2016.
About Razorpay Software Private Limited:
- Razorpay started its UPI innovation in 2017
- CEO & Co-Founder– Harshil Mathur
- MD & Co-Founder– Shashank Kumar
- Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Founded in 2014
About Airtel Payments Bank:
- Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Anubrata Biswas
- Headquarters- Gurugram, Haryana
- Established- 2017
Click here to read from source
Indian Bank partners with Tata Power Solar to boost solar energy adoption (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
Indian Bank, an Indian public sector bank (PSB), has established a cooperation with Tata Power Solar Systems Limited (TPSSL) to encourage solar energy adoption by giving financial assistance to residential customers for installation.
This strategic alliance seeks to provide financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri (PM) Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana for solar rooftop installations of up to 3 KiloWatt (KW), as well as support for projects ranging from 3 to 10 KW under the normal plan.
For installations up to 3 KW:
- The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana allows residential users to get loans of up to Rs. 2 lakh at an annual interest rate of 7%.
- Beneficiaries can get benefits with a 10% margin cash requirement and collateral-free financing.
- The payback period is ten years, giving recipients flexibility and convenience.
For installations from 3KW to 10KW:
TPSSL and Indian Bank provide a tailored financing solution to beneficiaries with installations ranging from 3 KW to 10 KW.
- Eligible candidates are eligible for loans of up to Rs. 6 lakh with a 20% margin requirement.
- Interest rates range from 8.4% and 10.8% each year.
About PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana:
- Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in February 2024. The program was authorized for a total of Rs.75,021 crore.
- The project seeks to give free power to one crore Indian families through rooftop solar installations.
About Tata Power Solar Systems Limited(TPSSL):
TPSSL is a completely owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL).
- Chairman(Non-Executive)- Dr. Praveer Sinha
- Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Indian Bank:
- Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Shanti Lal Jain
- Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu(T.N.)
- Established- 1907
- Tagline- “Your Own Bank” or “Apka Apna Bank”
Click here to read from source
Macquarie Launches USD 1.5 bn EV Fleet Financing Platform ‘Vertelo‘ in India (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
Macquarie Asset Management, a division of Australia’s diversified financial powerhouse Macquarie Group, has introduced ‘Vertelo’, an electric vehicle (EV) finance and end-to-end solution platform. Vertelo has pledged a huge USD 1.5 billion investment to electrify bus and auto fleets in India.
Vertelo provides a variety of options, including finance, fleet management, and charging infrastructure.
Strategic Partnerships:
Vertelo has secured partnerships with major players in the Indian EV market:
- Will purchase up to 2,000 electric vehicles from Tata Motors over the next three years.
- Plans to purchase up to 2,000 buses from electric bus manufacturers JBM Auto and Eka Mobility during the next three to five years.
Click here to read from source
Click here to read: Current Affairs 25th April 2024
BharatPe Launches India’s first all-in-one Payment Device BharatPe One (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
BharatPe unveiled BharatPe One, India’s first all-in-one payment solution that combines POS (point of sale), QR code, and speaker functionality into a single device.
It has a high-definition touchscreen display, 4G and Wi-Fi connection, and runs the newest Android operating system.
It is intended to ease transactions for retailers by providing payment acceptance alternatives such as dynamic and static QR codes, tap-and-pay, and debit and credit cards.
The banking platform added that BharatPe One would be available in about 100 cities in the first phase and over 450 cities over the next six months.
Click here to read from source
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Air India Signs Codeshare Agreement with Japan’s All Nippon Airways (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
Tata-owned Air India, India’s premier global airline, and All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest carrier, have struck a codeshare agreement to integrate their networks, improve route options, and streamline the travel experience between India and Japan.
Beginning on May 23, 2024, the codeshare agreement will enable passengers on both airlines to go to their selected location by combining flights between India and Japan into a single ticket.
Air India will use the ‘AI’ designator code on ANA flights linking Tokyo Haneda (Japan) to Delhi and Tokyo Narita (Japan) to Mumbai, Maharashtra.
ANA will use the ‘NH’ designator code on Air India flights between Tokyo Narita and Delhi.
Click here to read from source
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Ratan Tata Honoured with KISS Humanitarian Award 2021 (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, accepted the prestigious Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Humanitarian Award for 2021 on April 22, 2024, at his Mumbai, Maharashtra, residence. This honor reflects his commitment to social advancement and exceptional corporate leadership.
Key People:
Dr. Achyuta Samanta, the founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and KISS, gave the award to Ratan Tata in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in the presence of Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran and three-time Grammy Award-winning Indian artist Ricky Kej.
About KISS Humanitarian Award:
- The i.KISS Humanitarian Award, established in 2008 by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, is KIIT and KISS’ highest accolade.
- The prize recognizes people and organizations worldwide for their humanitarian accomplishments, with previous recipients including world leaders and Nobel laureates.
Note:
- Tata was unable to accept the medal in 2021 because to the COVID epidemic.
- The 2022 award was given to Rachel Ruto, the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, while the 2023 honor was given to Bill Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft.
Click here to read from source
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DRDO Develops Lightest Bulletproof Jacket in India (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has created India’s lightest bulletproof jacket to guard against 7.62 x 54 R API (Armour Piercing Incendiary) ammunition, classified as highest danger Level 6 by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 17051.
About the Bulletproof Jacket:
The bulletproof jacket was created by the Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), a DRDO unit in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
The Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh successfully tested it in accordance with BIS 17051:2018 standards.
BIS 17051:2018 specifies the minimum performance standards for bullet-resistant jackets to defend against small weapons and ammunition.
Features:
- The monolithic ceramic plate construction with a polymer backing in the front hard armor panel (HAP) not only enhances wearability but also improves comfort during operations.
- The front HAP can block numerous hits (6 bullets) in both ICW (In-Conjunction With) and Standalone designs.
- The areal density of ICW HAP and freestanding HAP are less than 40kg/m² and 43kg/m², respectively.
IAF Successfully Tests Crystal Maze-2 missile
Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test fired the new version of an air-launched medium-range ballistic missile known as ROCKS or Crystal Maze-2 from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command, a tri-service branch of the Indian Armed Forces led by an Air Force officer, conducted the test within its area of responsibility.
About Crystal Maze-2 missile:
- Crystal Maze-2 can hit targets from a distance of roughly 250 kilometers.
- It is an Israeli-made air-to-surface missile with an extended standoff range.
- This missile specifically targets high-value stationary and relocatable targets, like long-range radars and air defense systems, even in situations where GPS is unavailable.
Click here to read from source
C-DOT and IIT – Jodhpur Sign Agreement for “Automated Service Management in Network of 5G and Beyond Using AI” (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Jodhpur (Rajasthan) have signed an agreement titled “Automated Service Management in 5G and Beyond Networks Using AI”.
The Department of Telecommunications’ Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) took the lead in signing the deal.
The major goal is to provide artificial intelligence frameworks for automated network management, defect detection, and detection approaches that use continuous data created within the network, such as 5G.
In order to bridge the digital divide in rural and remote areas, the TTD Fund actively supports local enterprises and institutions that design, develop, and commercialize telecommunications technologies and solutions. These solutions, in turn, enable the provision of affordable broadband and mobile services to these underserved communities.
Click here to read from source
IMPORTANT DAYS
Administrative Professionals Day 2024 – April 24 (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) holds Administrative Professionals Day, also known as Secretaries Day, Admin Day, or Administrative Assistant Day, every year on the Wednesday of the last full week of April. This day serves to celebrate and recognize the vital roles of secretaries, assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals. In turn, they marked Administrative Professionals Day 2024 on April 24, 2024.
About International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP):
- Chair of the Board– Katie Mercier
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Melissa Mahoney
- Headquarters– Missouri, the United States of America(USA)
Click here to read from source
15th National Panchayati Raj Day – April 24, 2024 (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
India commemorates National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD), also known as National Local Self-Government Day, annually on April 24. They do this to commemorate and recognize the foundation of the Panchayati Raj System and its critical role in decentralized administration at the grassroots.
The 15th National Panchayati Raj Day was observed on April 24, 2024.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) leads the observance of NPRD.
Background:
- In collaboration with the states, the Government of India (GoI) has declared April 24th as National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD).
- In 2010, then-Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh recognized April 24th as National Panchayati Raj Day.
- The first NPRD was detected on April 24, 2010.
Why April 24?
- The day marks the establishment of the Panchayati Raj in India by the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which went into effect on April 24, 1993.
About Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR):
- Union Minister– Giriraj Singh (Constituency: Begusarai, Bihar)
- Minister of State– Kapil Moreshwar Patil (Constituency: Bhiwandi, Maharashtra)
Click here to read from source
World Day for Laboratory Animals 2024 – April 24 (Current Affairs 25th April 2024)
Every year, on April 24th, the World Day for Laboratory Animals is marked in order to raise awareness about and ultimately alleviate the suffering of animals used in laboratory experiments.
The day also pushes for the replacement of animal experimentation with improved non-animal scientific alternatives.
The observance helps to further the mission of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS).
World Day for Animals in Laboratories 2024 was marked on April 24, 2024.
Background:
- In 1979, NAVS declared April 24th as World Day for Laboratory Animals, often known as Lab Animal Day.
- NAVS is a campaign partner for Animal Defenders International (ADI) in the United Kingdom.
- ADI, created in 1990, is an education and public awareness campaign dedicated to the protection of captive and wild animals, as well as their surroundings.
Why April 24?
- Lord Hugh Dowding, a British Air Chief Marshal who was anti-vivisectionist and former president of NAVS, was born on April 24.
What is animal testing?
- Animal testing, often known as animal experimentation or in vivo testing, is the use of nonhuman animals in scientific research to investigate biological systems and behaviors.
- The majority of these operations cause the animals bodily and psychological anguish and suffering.
Animal welfare and rights in India:
- The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act of 1960 is India’s first national animal welfare legislation, governing animal experiments.
- The Indian government prohibited the use of live animals in medical education in 2013 and cosmetics experimentation on animals in 2014.
Click here to read from source
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