CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
World Art Day -15th April
- World Art Day is observed every year on 15 April globally.
- World Art Day is marked to promote the development, diffusion and enjoyment of art
- And, the day is observed to spread awareness about the importance of art in our daily lives.
- Celebrated on April 15, World Art Day is a UNESCO dedicated day.
- World Art Day was first declared in 2019 during the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference.
- The day also marks the birth anniversary of the famous Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci.
Himachal Pradesh statehood Day- 15th April:
- April 15 is observed as Himachal Day.
- Four districts of Mandi, Chamba, Mahasu and Sirmour were integrated with over two dozen princely states, leading to the formation of Himachal Pradesh as a Union Territory in 1948.
- Decades later, in 1971, Himachal Pradesh became the 18th state in India with Shimla as its capital.
- It was on this day in 1948 that Himachal Pradesh was created as a province of India.
- The day is marked with a grand parade in the capital city of Shimla.
- Local events are also organised in the cities, towns, and villages to mark the day.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Union Government crosses its asset monetization target for FY22:
- The Centre has completed asset monetisation worth Rs 96,000 crore during FY22, surpassing the target of Rs 88,000 crore.
- For FY23, it has set itself a goal of Rs 1.62 trillion, and already has a pipeline of assets worth Rs 1.6 trillion under advanced stages of implementation
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has reviewed the progress made by several ministries and nudged departments to achieve the targets set for them.
- The Ministry of Power monetised assets of Rs 9,500 crore with PowerGrid Corporation’s InvIT and NHPC’s securitisation of its operational hydel assets.
- The monetisation target for the power ministry was set at Rs 7,700 crore.
PM Modi inaugurates Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya in New Delhi:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya in New Delhi on April 14.
- The Sangrahalaya, located at the iconic Teen Murti complex, was inaugurated as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav a 75-week celebration launched.
- This museum has also become a living reflection of the shared heritage of each government and the museum is an inspiration at a time when the country is celebrating 75 years of Independence.
- The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya is built at Delhi’s Teen Murti Estate and covers the lives and contributions of all the 14 former Prime Ministers of the country.
- Representing a seamless blend of the old and the new, the Sangrahalaya integrates the erstwhile Teen Murti Bhawan designated as Block I, with the newly constructed building designated as Block II.
- The total area of the two blocks is over 15,600 square metres.
- The design of the museum building is inspired by the story of rising India, shaped and moulded by the hands of its leaders.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS
India’s Retail Inflation Rose to 6.95% in March:
- India’s annual retail inflation shot up to a 17-month high in March while factory output contracted sequentially in February, complicating policy choices for the central bank.
- The data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed that the retail inflation rate rose to 6.95 per cent in March from a year ago, remaining above the tolerance limit of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the third straight month.
- The Index of Industrial Production (IIP), on the other hand, grew 1.7 per cent on an annual basis in February but contracted 4.7 per cent month on month, signalling that economic revival is yet to find a strong footing.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE
ICICI Bank inks MoU with GIFT SEZ to promote global, Indian businesses
- ICICI Bank and GIFT SEZ at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote the special economic zone to Indian as well as global businesses including IT, IT-enabled services and financial services.
About the MoU :
- As part of the MoU, ICICI Bank and GIFT SEZ will jointly work towards attracting global investors and capital market firms to set up operations in GIFT City, Gandhinagar.
- GIFT SEZ and ICICI Bank aim to promote development of GIFT SEZ as a fintech hub of India and will make concerted efforts to support start-ups and fintech firms.
Objective :
- To promote GIFT SEZ as the destination of choice for offering competitive regime for setting up capital markets business among industry stakeholders such as Alternate Investment Fund (AIF), Portfolio Management Services (PMS), Broking Entities, Venture Capital, Private Equity Funds and
- ICICI Bank at GIFT SEZ is an integral part of our strategy, providing foreign currency banking solutions across trade, transaction banking, capital markets, treasury and wealth management.
- ICICI Bank has been a prominent player in GIFT SEZ with its banking business since 2016.
About ICICI Bank :
- Founded: 1994
- CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
About GIFT City :
- MD & Group CEO : Tapan Ray
- Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is an under-construction central business district in Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India.
- It is India’s first operational greenfield smart city and international financial services center.
- GIFT SEZ is the country’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) which is being developed as a global financial services hub.
PNB Commemorates 128th Foundation Day: Launches Cardless Cash Withdrawal facility
- On the occasion of 128th foundation day, Punjab National Bank (PNB) launches Cardless Cash Withdrawal and Virtual Debit Card, along with a range of other select digital services on its mobile app named PNB One, for safe banking transactions.
- The new services were launched by Shri Atul Kumar Goel, MD & CEO of PNB, at the Bank’s head office in New Delhi.
- Also PNB launched various digital initiatives such as Insta Personal Loan to Pensioners, Application Supported by Blocked Amount (ASBA) facility on PNB One App, PNB 360 Information Portal for employees, Trade Finance Redefined Portal and Collection of loan EMI through Bharat Bill Pay.
Note :
- On April 12, 2022 PNB celebrated its 128th foundation day.
About PNB :
- Founded : 19 May 1894
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- MD & CEO: Atul Kumar Goel
CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Punjab cadre ex-IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura reappointed as Chairperson of National Commission for Minorities
- The central government has re-appointed retired Punjab-cadre IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura as the chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities for a period of 3 years from the date of assumption of office.
- He replaced Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi
About Iqbal Singh Lalpura :
- Lalpura, who was first appointed as chairman in September 2021, had to resign from the post in December to contest as the BJP candidate from Ropar assembly constituency, which he lost.
- He had retired as deputy inspector general (DIG), Punjab Police, before joining the BJP in 2012.
- He served as the senior superintendent of police of Amritsar Rural, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran districts.
- He was appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson in 2020 from Punjab
- He has authored dozens of books on the philosophy and history of Sikhs.
- He has also received numerous awards such as the President’s Police Medal, a felicitation for meritorious services, Shiromani Sikh Sahitkar Award and the Sikh scholar award.
About National Commission for Minorities :
- The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
- Established : 17 May 1993
- Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Minister responsible : Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
- Minister of State : John Barla
- It has Six religious communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains
Mahesh Verma has been appointed as the chairperson of NABH
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University vice-chancellor Mahesh Verma has been appointed the new chairman of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH).
About Mahesh Verma :
- Mahesh Verma is an Indian prosthodontist and the Director and Principal of Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences.
- He is the president of the India chapter of International Association for Disability and Oral Health and Indian Academy of Restorative Dentistry.
- He is also the president-elect of the International Association of Dental Research, India Division, and Indian Society of Dental Research.
Awards & Honors :
- In 2014, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of medicine.
- Verma received the State Award from the Government of Delhi in 2001 & the C. Roy Award in 2007.
- He has also received the National Science and Technology award.
About NABH :
- NABH, a constituent Board of Quality Council of India, operates accreditation, certification and empanelment programmes for healthcare organisations.
- Founded : 2005
- Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS
Mumbai and Hyderabad get 2021 Tree City of the World’ by UN-FAO
- Mumbai and Hyderabad have been jointly recognised as ‘2021 Tree City of the World ‘by The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Arbor Day Foundation.
- For a second consecutive year, Hyderabad has been recognised as a ‘Tree City of the World’
- Hyderabad and Mumbai are placed alongside 136 other cities from 21 countries.
- As per the organisation, 3,50,56,635 trees are planted in Hyderabad with 500 volunteer hours.
- The countries have been recognised for their commitment to growing and maintaining urban forests in building healthy, resilient and happy cities.
- The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada are the countries with the maximum cities featured on the list, with 37, 19 and 18 cities, respectively.
Additional Info :
- National Arbor Day is observed on April 29, 2022 & the day was celebrated last friday in April every year.
About Arbor Day Foundation :
- Founded: 1972
- Headquarters : Nebraska, United States
- CEO : Dan Lambe
- Board Chair : Pat Covey
- Mission : To inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees
CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS
HAL signs contract with Nigerian Army for Phase II Training on Chetak Helicopter
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a contract with the Nigerian Army for imparting Phase-II flying training on Chetak Helicopter for six officers of Nigerian Army Aviation.
- The contract was signed by BK Tripathy, General Manager, and Commodore Anthony Victor Kujoh, Defense Adviser at the High Commission of Nigeria, in India.
- It marks the continuation of a contract signed in April 2021 for imparting Phase-I flying training to six Nigerian Army aviation officers, which was successfully executed in December 2021.
- The Phase-II flying training on Chetak Helicopter is scheduled to commence on April 11, and is planned to be completed by December 2022.
- As part of the training, 70 hrs flying training would be imparted for each Nigerian Army Aviation Officer.
- The platforms such as ALH and LUH, with a wide range of capabilities can be of great strength for the Nigerian Army.
About HAL :
- Established : 23 December 1940
- Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Chairman & MD : R Madhavan
- The HAL HF-24 Marut fighter-bomber was the first indigenous fighter aircraft made in India.
Telangana signs pact with Thailand for trade, investment promotion
- Telangana’s department of Industries and Commerce and Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce have agreed to collaborate for promoting bilateral trade and investment through greater cooperation in the areas of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and startups.
Signatories :
- Telangana Principal Secretary of Industries & Information Technology Jayesh Ranjan
- Thailand Ministry of Commerce Permanent Secretary Boonyarit Kalayanamit.
- IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao and Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Commerce of Thailand Jurin Laksanawisit were virtually present during the MoU signing programme.
- The MoU signing ceremony is also one of the special events to celebrate the milestone of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and
About the MoU :
- The MoU is to kickstart the cooperation in SMEs and startups through the business incubator and innovation ecosystem “T-Hub” and “com” of Thailand with the “GlobalLinker” of Telangana.
- Both the governments will explore the possibility of potential trade & investments in several key focus sectors, mainly involving agro-based food processing, wood processing and wood based industry.
About Telangana :
- Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
- Capital: Hyderabad
About Thailand :
- Capital: Bangkok
- Currency: Thai baht
- Prime Minister : Prayut Chan-o-cha
US-SIA, IESA inks MoU to boost semiconductor co-operation
- The top trade association representing the US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) to foster collaboration and identify potential opportunities between the two countries in the semiconductor sector.
About the MoU :
- Under the MoU, both countries will assist each other as the main counterpart organization on semiconductor-related matters within India and the United States and will co-organize meetings between member companies to promote cooperation on issues of mutual interest.
- Both organizations will also co-organize joint events (virtual or in-person) to explore potential opportunities for U.S.-India cooperation within the global semiconductor value-chain.
- As part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, India has also recently announced the ‘India Semiconductor Mission’ (ISM) with an aim to build a vibrant semiconductor and display ecosystem to enable India’s emergence as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design.
- The MoU is significant in the backdrop of the announcement by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to form a 17-member committee to steer India’s semiconductor mission to enable the building of a resilient supply chain, promote investments and ways of financing the semiconductor sector.
About IESA :
- IESA is a premier trade group representing India’s semiconductor and electronics systems design and manufacturing industry.
- Chairperson : Rajeev Khushu
- Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka
About US-SIA :
- Founded : 1977
- Headquarters : Washington, DC
- President & CEO : John Neuffer
- SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Orleans Masters 2022: Indian Shuttler Mithun Manjunath Won Silver:
- In badminton, Indian shuttler Mithun Manjunath had to settle for a silver medal after losing to home favourite Toma Junior Popov in the men’s singles final of the Orleans Masters 2022 badminton tournament in Orleans, France.
- Playing in his maiden BWF final, the 79th ranked Indian shuttler lost 11-21, 19-21 to world number 32 Frenchman at the Palais des Sports Arena.
- This was the first match between the two players.
- Manjunath emerged as India’s best hope after the tournament’s top seed B Sai Praneeth was dismissed early in the pre-quarters
- The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam were the only other Indian players to make it to the semi-finals at the Orleans Masters 2022.
India will host Street Child Cricket World Cup in 2023:
- India will host the Street Child Cricket World Cup in 2023.
- Organized by Street Child United and Save the Children India, the Street Child Cricket World Cup 2023 will welcome 22 teams from 16 countries to India next year.
- Taking place in September ahead of the ICC World Cup, the event will see street-connected children and young people take part in a mixed-gender cricket tournament. Details on venues will be notified later.
- In 2019, this championship was held in London where eight teams competed, and Team India South emerged victorious after beating hosts England.
R Praggnanandhaa wins prestigious Reykjavik Open chess tournament:
- Young Indian Grandmaster R Pragganandhaa has won the prestigious Reykjavik Open chess tournament here with 7.5 points from nine rounds.
- The 16-year-old Pragganandhaa defeated compatriot GM D Gukesh in the final round to emerge the sole winner.
- Praggnanandhaa turned things around in the all-Indian battle after his opponent blundered when he appeared to be losing.
- The Netherlands GM Max Warmerdam took second place with seven points ahead of Mads Anderson (Denmark), who also scored the same number of points.
- Abhimanyu Mishra picked up seven points and finished fifth.
- Among the other Indians, IM Tania Sachdev (6 points) claimed the 21st spot while experienced GM B Adibhan scored 5.5 points and settled for 34th place.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR
Indian Author Prem Rawat Launches His Book ‘Hear Yourself’:
- Indian author Prem Rawat has launched his new book titled ‘Hear Yourself’ for the Indian subcontinent in
- This New York Times bestseller book is already available in 58 countries and five languages.
- It will help people understand their own potential and will help in finding peace in a noisy world.
- He also advised the audience that they have more wisdom in themselves than they perceive.
Daily CA on April 16th:
- World Art Day is observed every year on 15 April globally.
- April 15 is observed as Himachal Day.
- The Centre has completed asset monetisation worth Rs 96,000 crore during FY22, surpassing the target of Rs 88,000 crore.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya in New Delhi on April 14.
- India’s annual retail inflation shot up to a 17-month high in March while factory output contracted sequentially in February, complicating policy choices for the central bank.
- ICICI Bank and GIFT SEZ at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote the special economic zone to Indian as well as global businesses including IT, IT-enabled services and financial services.
- On the occasion of 128th foundation day, Punjab National Bank (PNB) launches Cardless Cash Withdrawal and Virtual Debit Card, along with a range of other select digital services on its mobile app named PNB One, for safe banking transactions.
- The central government has re-appointed retired Punjab-cadre IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura as the chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities for a period of 3 years from the date of assumption of office.
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University vice-chancellor Mahesh Verma has been appointed the new chairman of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH).
- Mumbai and Hyderabad have been jointly recognised as ‘2021 Tree City of the World ‘by The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Arbor Day Foundation.
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a contract with the Nigerian Army for imparting Phase-II flying training on Chetak Helicopter for six officers of Nigerian Army Aviation.
- Telangana’s department of Industries and Commerce and Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce have agreed to collaborate for promoting bilateral trade and investment through greater cooperation in the areas of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and startups.
- The top trade association representing the US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) to foster collaboration and identify potential opportunities between the two countries in the semiconductor sector.
- In badminton, Indian shuttler Mithun Manjunath had to settle for a silver medal after losing to home favourite Toma Junior Popov in the men’s singles final of the Orleans Masters 2022 badminton tournament in Orleans, France.
- India will host the Street Child Cricket World Cup in 2023.
- Young Indian Grandmaster R Pragganandhaa has won the prestigious Reykjavik Open chess tournament here with 7.5 points from nine rounds.
- Indian author Prem Rawat has launched his new book titled ‘Hear Yourself’ for the Indian subcontinent in
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