National NEWS
World’s Largest Renewable Energy Park in Gujarat:
- World’s largest renewable energy park being built in Gujarat Adani Group company ‘Adani Green Energy Limited’ is building the world’s largest renewable energy park in Khavda in Kutch district of Gujarat.
- This park is spread over 538 square kilometres.
- This park is about five times larger than the total size of the French capital Paris.
- Khavda Plant Capacity: According to Vineet Jain, Managing Director of Adani Green Energy, the total capacity of the Khavda plant will be 30 GW. Currently two gigawatts renewable energy is being produced from this park. Four gigawatt capacity will be added by March 2025.
- According to GIPCL chief Rajendra M Mistry, 50 percent of the work will be completed by December 2024 this year. With which production of 14 thousand MW electricity will start. Whereas the Hybrid Renewable Energy Park will be completely ready in December 2026
About Gujarat:
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Chief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
Largest investor in Nepal is India”: Nepal Ambassador to India Shankar Prasad Sharma:
- The Ambassador of Nepal to India, Shankar Prasad Sharma, has called for Indian business community to consider investing in Nepal, and added that New Delhi is the number one place to promote investing in in the Himalayan nation.
- While speaking to at an “Industry Outreach Meet” organised at New Delhi, the envoy said, “The largest investor in Nepal is India. One-third of the total investment is from India… India is the number one place to promote investing in Nepal.”
- He said that Indian investors should be interested in going to Nepal and investing in the hydropower sector.
About Nepal:
- Capital: Kathmandu
- Currency: Nepalese Rupee
- President: Ram Chandra Poudel
- Prime minister: Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Citroen India Begins Exports of All-Electric eC3:
- Export Commencement: Citroen India initiates exports of locally manufactured all-electric eC3.
- First Made-in-India EV Export: Citroen becomes the first international manufacturer to export an electric vehicle made in India.
- Destination Markets: Primarily targeting ASEAN countries for export of the eC3.
- Availability: eC3 has been available in the Indian market for over a year and is among the most affordable EVs.
- First Batch: The initial shipment comprises 500 cars, dispatched from Kamarajar Port in Chennai bound for Indonesia.
Appointment NEWS
RBL Bank Appoints Murali Ramakrishnan as Independent Director:
- RBL Bank, a leading private sector lender, names Murali Ramakrishnan as Non-Executive Independent Director. Earlier, Ramakrishnan served as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of South Indian Bank.
- Strategic Move: Aimed at enhancing governance framework and bolstering leadership team with seasoned professionals.
- Appointment Tenure: Ramakrishnan’s tenure as Independent Director is for four years, effective immediately.
- Shareholder Ratification: Subject to ratification by the bank’s shareholders, aligning with regulatory mandates under the Companies Act, 2013, and SEBI Listing Regulations.
Former Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj to Head US-India Tax Forum:
- The US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) has appointed former Revenue Secretary and ex-Secretary of Economic Affairs Tarun Bajaj as the head of the US-India Tax Forum. Bajaj, 61, joined the USISPF as an advisor to the Board of Directors in January and will now spearhead the US-India Tax Forum.
- A 1988-batch Haryana Cadre IAS officer, Bajaj served as Revenue Secretary. During his tenure with the Indian government, he played a pivotal role in shaping fiscal policies and promoting economic growth.
Science and Tech NEWS
Russia successfully launches Angara A5 rocket::
- Russia tested its Angara-A5 space rocket for the first time on 12 April 2024. This test-launch was done from Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East.
- Russia launched the Angara project in 1991, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, with the goal of creating a domestically produced launch vehicle.
- The first Angara-A5 test flight took place in 2014 and the second in 2020 from Plesetsk in northern Russia. In 2021, a partial test of the Angara project was carried out, but unfortunately, it was unsuccessful.
- Angara A5 is designed to replace Russia’s Proton launcher.
About Russia:
- Capital: Moscow
- President: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Breakthrough in Healthcare: IIT Jodhpur Unveils Nano-Sensor for Disease Tracking:
- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur (IIT Jodhpur) have unveiled a ground breaking nano-sensor designed to swiftly detect Cytokines, vital proteins regulating various cellular functions.
- This innovation aims to combat the high mortality rates resulting from delayed diagnoses and the absence of early warnings in disease progression.
Key Role of Cytokines
- Cytokines, pivotal biomarkers of inflammation, are instrumental in diagnosing diseases and monitoring their advancement.
- They play critical roles in diverse medical domains including tissue repair, cancer progression, and immune system modulation, laying the foundation for precision medicine and targeted therapies.
Defence NEWS
Indian Army Conducts Anti-Tank Guided Missile Training Exercise in Sikkim:
- The Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps conducted an Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) exercise in Sikkim, demonstrating their capability to neutralize armoured threats at 17,000 feet altitude.
- In a significant training endeavour, the Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army executed a rigorous Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) exercise in Sikkim, operating at an altitude of 17,000 feet.
- The exercise involved Missile Firing Detachments from Mechanized and Infantry Units of the Eastern Command, emphasizing live firing scenarios against both moving and static targets, simulating battlefield conditions.
Sikkim state:
- Capital: Gangtok
- Chief minister: Prem Singh Tamang
- Governor: Lakshman Prasad Acharya
India- Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise DUSTLIK begins on April 15:
- The fifth edition of india-Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise Dustlik will commence at Termez District in Uzbekistan from April 15 onwords,the Indian Army said in statement on Friday.
- Exercise Dustlik 2024 5th Edition of Joint Military Exercise ‘DUSTLIK’ between India and Uzbekistan will be conducted at Termez District Uzbekistan from 15 to 28 April 2024.
- The participating contingents from the Indian Armed Forces and Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan will train together to cement the foundation for collaborations & future military interactions.
About Uzbekistan:
- Capital: Tashkent
- Currency: Uzbekistani Som
- President: Shavkat Mirziyoyev
Ranks and Reports NEWS
World Cybercrime Index: Russia ranks top; India at 10th place, specialises in ‘scams’:
- Researchers from the Department of Sociology have compiled the first ever ‘World Cybercrime Index’, which identifies the globe’s major cybercrime hotspots by ranking the most significant sources of cybercrime at a national level.
- India’s WCI score was recorded at 6.13 and was ranked 10th in the list of 15 countries.
- the Index shows that the threat of cybercrime is not evenly distributed worldwide
- Russia tops the list, followed by Ukraine, China, the USA, Nigeria, and Romania. The UK comes in at number eight.
- The World Cybercrime Index was created by the Department’s Miranda Bruce, Jonathan Lusthaus and Ridhi Kashyap, in collaboration with Nigel Phair (Monash University) and Federico Varese (Sciences Po). It represents three years of intensive research and has been developed as a joint partnership between the University of Oxford and UNSW Canberra.
Sports NEWS
Udit wins silver at the Asian Wrestling Championship 2024:
- Indian male wrestlers won three medals, one silver and two bronze medals, on the first day of the 20th Asian Wrestling Championship 2024 on 12 April 2024.
- The 20th Asian Wrestling Championship 2024 was held in the Kyrgyzstan capital, Bishkek, from 11 -16 April 2024.
Medal winners for India:
- Three Indian male wrestlers, Udit, Abhimanyu and Vicky, won the medal in their respective categories.
- The U20 Asian champion Udit lost his gold medal match against Japan’s Kento Yumiya. In the 57kg freestyle category final match, settle for a silver medal.
- For the first time since 2019, India has not won a gold medal in the 57 kg freestyle category at the Asian Wrestling Championship.
Important Days
International Day of Human Space Flight Commemoration and Significance:
- International Day of Human Space Flight followed April 12th every year, established by the United Nations General Assembly.
- Origin: Resolution passed on April 7, 2011, to honour the beginning of the space era for humanity.
- Theme: This year 2024 its theme is “Encouraging Scientific Curiosity”.
- Historical Significance: Marks the milestone achieved by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who orbited Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft on April 12, 1961.
- Path for Space Exploration: Gagarin’s achievement paved the way for further space exploration endeavors, benefiting humanity with advancements in science, technology, and understanding of the universe.
