Current Affairs Today

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 24 April 2024, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2024 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

AFMS Signed MoU with IIT-Delhi  & IIT Kanpur to Develop Tech for Soldiers’ Health IssuesArmed Forces Medical Services(AFMS) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD)  signed a Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Delhi (New Delhi, Delhi) and IIT Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh(UP) for collaborative research and training.

• Under these MoUs, AFMS will collaborate with IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur to undertake research and develop innovative medical devices and focus on addressing the health issues of the soldiers in diverse terrains.

MoU with IIT Delhi:
Signatories:
The MoU between AMFS and IIT Delhi were signed by Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Daljit Singh, Director General (DG) of AFMS, and Prof Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi on 22nd April 2024.
Key Points:
i.Biomedical research ecosystem of IIT-D will provide the technical expertise needed for research in diverse medical challenges faced in the Armed Force.
ii.Faculty exchange program, joint academic activities and development of joint PhD programmes were also planned as a part of this MoU.
MoU with IIT Kanpur:
Signatories:
The MoU between AMFS and IIT Kanpur were signed by Lt Gen) Daljit Singh, DG of AMFS and Prof. S. Ganesh, Officiating Director of IIT Kanpur on 18th April 2024.
Key Points:
i.Under this MoU, IIT Kanpur will provide technical expertise to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) diagnostic models, at Armed Forces Centre for Computational Medicine established in Armed Forces Medical College(AFMC), Pune, Maharashtra.
ii.Faculty exchange program, joint academic activities and development of training modules were also planned as a part of this MoU.
Note: AFMS’s collaboration with institutes of national importance like IIT is a part of its efforts to provide highest level of medical care to the soldiers.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

ILO Report: Annually 22.8 million Work Suffer Occupational Injuries, 18,970 Die Due to Excessive Heat According to the International Labour Organisation(ILO)’s report titled “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate”, annually 22.85 million occupational injuries, 18,970 deaths and 2.09 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are reported due to excessive heat.
i.The report estimates that over 70% of all workers (~2.41 billion workers) are exposed to excessive heat.  The exposure to excessive heat has increased by 34.7% from 2000 to 2020.
ii.In 2020, an estimated 26.2 million people were living with chronic kidney disease due to exposure to excessive heat at workplace.
About International Labour Organisation (ILO):
Director-General- Gilbert Houngbo
Headquarter- Geneva, Switzerland
Member nations- 187
Established- 1919
>> Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

Revolut India Gets in-principle Nod for PPI Licence from RBI Revolut India, a neobank backed by Tiger Global and Softbank, has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) including prepaid cards and prepaid wallets.

• This will allow Revolut India to operate as a domestic player in India’s financial landscape.

Note:  Neobanks are digital-only banking platforms that operate solely online without any physical branches.
Points to note:
i.The new license complements Revolut India’s existing licenses from the RBI, allowing it to function as a Category-II Authorised Money Exchange Dealer (AD II).
ii.It further enables the provision of multi-currency forex cards and cross-border remittance services.
iii.With this, Revolut will provide Indian customers with both international and domestic payment solutions through a single platform.
PPIs and Regulatory Developments:
i.PPIs are instruments or payment tools that utilise stored monetary value for transactions, including digital wallets, smart cards, or vouchers.
ii.On 5 April 2024, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das proposed linking PPIs through third-party Unified Payments Interface (UPI) apps, similar to bank account holders.
Note: India is the only market where Revolut offers a localised version of its app.
Future Plans:
Revolut plans to introduce digital-first money management services for Indian customers which will allow the users to manage their finances, including payments, and remittances, both locally and internationally.
About Revolut India:
The London (United Kingdom)-based Revolut, the largest neobank in Europe, entered the Indian market in 2021.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Paroma Chatterjee
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in 2021

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

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 establish ECO villages inspired by Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV) in Maharashtra.

• Similar establishments will be set up in Nandurbar, Maharashtra; Jaipur Rural, Rajasthan; and Mandla, Balaghat, and areas surrounding Kanha National Park, MP.
• Both entities will team up with Skill India Centers for skilling youth, women from tribal and marginalized communities in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh (MP), with future expansion to other regions.

Key Points:
i.The collaboration will focus on training locals, especially women, in Hospitality, Retail, and Logistics in Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Vrindavan in UP.
ii.ISKCON establishes a Culinary School, empowering tribal youth from regions like Palghar, Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

• Trained individuals have employment prospects at the 2025 Maha Kumbh Kitchen in Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), with international mobility facilitated by NSDC International.

iii.They will conduct short-term courses on Skill India Digital Hub platform and offer industry-recognized certifications, boosting employability.

• Successful participants gain access to domestic job opportunities and international placements through NSDC International.

About National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC):
It is a not-for-profit public limited company incorporated on July 31, 2008 under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (corresponding to section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Ved Mani Tiwari
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

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-producing companies received a Letter of Award (LoA) for setting up 700 megawatts (MW) Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS)-connected solar power project from NTPC Limited.

• The project is part of NTPC’s tariff-based competitive bid initiative for 1,500 MW ISTS-connected Solar Power Projects (NTPC-ISTS-II).
• With the latest project win, JSW Energy’s total locked-in generation capacity has increased to 13.3 gigawatt (GW) of which 3.1 GW is solar power.

Note:
i.JSW Energy’s current installed generation capacity stands at 7.2 GW, projected to reach 9.8 GW by the calendar year 2024 (CY24).
ii.JSW Energy aims for a 20 GW generation capacity and 40 gigawatt hours (GWh) energy storage capacity by 2030. It has an ambitious target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

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 manufacture the Bismaleimide (BMI) Engine Bay Door (EBD) for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A aircraft.

• Under the agreement, HAL can directly produce these high-temperature resistant composite parts for the production of LCA Mk1A.
• LCA Tejas Mk1A is an indigenous 4.5-generation, all-weather, and multi-role fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Note: The Tejas Mark (Mk)-1A aircraft successfully completed its first flight on 28th March 2024.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

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, was honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2024 award at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2024.

• Aitana Bonmatí, a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Barcelona Football club (FC) and Spain women’s national team won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year 2024 award.

Award Ceremony:
i.The 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards winners were honoured in a ceremony held at the Palacio de Cibeles, in the centre of Madrid, Sapin on 22 April 2024.
ii.The 2024 award honours the greatest sportsmen, sportswomen and teams from 2023.
>> Read Full News

World Energy Leadership Awards 2024: Dr Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President, won Global Energy Transition Impact AwardOn 22nd April 2024, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, President of 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) won the Global Energy Transition Impact Award for his leadership in advancing energy transition.

• The awards was presented as a part of the inaugural World Energy Leadership Awards (2024) presented by the World Energy Council (WEC).
• The inaugural Awards were presented ahead of the 26th World Energy Congress (WEC 2024) which is scheduled to be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands from 22nd to 25th April 2024 under the theme ‘Redesigning energy for people and planet’.

Note: Dr Al-Jaber is also the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Special Envoy for Climate Change , and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology.
Global Energy Transition Impact Award:
i.The inaugural ‘Global Energy Transition Impact Award’ recognizes visionary leadership in advancing the energy transition and in uniting the world around the historic UAE Consensus
ii.Global Energy Transition Impact Award is one of the 4 inaugural World Energy Leadership Awards
iii.The award was given to Dr Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber in honor of his work on the UAE Consensus, and for launching Net Zero energy transition alliances across multiple energy sectors.
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 recognized his significant contributions to advancing energy literacy.

ii.Humanising Energy Award
Winner– Barefoot College International (BCI) headquartered in Miami, Florida

• BCI has empowered diverse groups, including women, workers, and youth, along with indigenous communities, to play active roles in designing, building, and operating new power systems globally.

iii.World Energy Visionary Leadership Award
Winner– Bestowed posthumously on Daniel Nicol Dunlop, pioneer of the first World Power Conference in 1924 and the de-facto founder of the WEC.

• His vision promoted collaboration and innovation for a sustainable energy future. The award will now be named the Dunlop Award for Energy Leadership.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Narpat Singh Appointed as Railway Adviser of India’s High Commission in Bangladesh 
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Narpat Singh as the Railway Adviser in the High Commission of India in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

• Narpat Singh is a 2009-batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer. He previously served as Director (Traffic Transpiration) on the Railway Board.
• He was appointed with diplomatic status as a Counsellor for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA Confirmed Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed its Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, with a total lifecycle cost of USD 3.35 billion. The mission is set to be launched in July 2028.

• This decision allows the mission to advance to completion of final design, construction and testing of the entire spacecraft and science instruments.

Note: Titan is the second largest in the solar system after Ganymede, the moon of Jupiter. As of June 8, 2023, Saturn has 146 moons in its orbit.
About Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission:
i.The dragonfly rotorcraft is targeted to arrive at Titan in 2034.
ii.It will  fly to several promising locations on the Titan exploring the prebiotic chemical processes common on both Titan and the early Earth before life developed.
iii.This will become the NASA’s first vehicle for science to fly on another planetary body
iv.The rotorcraft has 8 rotors and flies like a large drone.
Points to note:
i.Dragonfly is being designed and built under the direction of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, United States of America (USA) which manages the mission for NASA. Elizabeth Turtle of APL leads as principal investigator.
ii.NASA has provided an additional funding for a heavy-lift launch vehicle to reduce the cruise phase of the mission.
iii.Dragonfly will be the first robot explorer to land on a planetary body other than the Moon or Mars, and the second drone to explore another planet after 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

SPORTS

Former Tennis World No. 1 Garbine Muguruza of Spain Announces Retirement
Spanish women’s tennis player Garbiñe Muguruza Blanco, a 2-time Grand Slam champion in singles and former world No. 1 (in 2017), has announced her retirement from professional tennis at the age of 30.

• She became the 1st Spanish woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (Spain) won the 1989 French Open in Paris.

Notable Victories:
i.Defeated Serena Williams (United States of America (USA)) at the 2016 French Open held in Paris, France;
ii.Defeated Venus Williams (USA) at the 2017 Wimbledon held in London, United Kingdom (UK).

• She remains the only player to beat both Venus and Serena in the finals to win a major title.

iii.3 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 titles (2015 Beijing (China), 2017 Cincinnati (USA), 2021 Dubai (United Arab Emirates (UAE)));
iv.She also won the 2021 WTA Finals by defeating Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) held in Guadalajara, Mexico.

OBITUARY

National Award-winning Tamil Director Durai Passed AwayJ F C Durai, National Award winning veteran Tamil director, passed away at the age of 84 at his residence Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu(TN).
About Durai:
i.Durai has directed around 46 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi Language.
ii.He has worked as scriptwriter, editor and producer in the Tamil industry and he has also worked as a sound engineer for the film “Pennin Perumai”.
Noted works: Avalum Penthaane; Pasi; Aasai 60 Naal, Neeya?, Aayiram Jenmangal and Paavathin Sambalam.
Awards:
i.His film “Pasi” won two National Film Awards in 1979 in the category of Best Feature Film and Best Actor(Female). The film also won the Tamil Nadu State Award under Best Film category.
ii.He also won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award under Best Director for the film “Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam”.
iii.He was awarded with Kalaimamani Award by the Tamil Nadu State government in 1982 for his contribution to art.

IMPORTANT DAYS

UN English Language Day 2024 – April 23 The United Nations (UN) English Language Day is annually observed across the globe on 23 April to promote the global significance of the English language, one of the 6 official languages of the UN

• The day 23 April also commemorates the birth and death anniversary of the English Playwright and Poet William Shakespeare.

Background:
i.The 1st ever UN English Language Day was observed in 2010 by the UN’s Department of Global Communications (DGC) as part of its initiative to establish language days for each of the 6 UN official languages.
Note: The 6 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
>> Read Full News

UN Spanish Language Day – April 23 2024The United Nations (UN)’s Spanish Language Day is annually celebrated across the world on 23rd April to raise awareness among the UN staff about the history, culture and use of Spanish as an official language.
Background:
i.The UN Spanish Language Day was originally observed on October 12, coinciding with the National Day of Spain, which commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival to the Americas tracing the beginning of the spread of the Spanish language and culture.
iii.Later, the day was changed to 23 April, to pay tribute to Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who was thought to have died in 1616 on 23 April.
>> Read Full News

World Book And Copyright Day 2024 – April 23World Book And Copyright Day is annually observed across the globe on 23 April to promote the love of reading and the significance of books.

• The Day serves as a reminder of the importance of literature in connecting the past, present, and future generations across diverse cultures.
• The annual observance of the Day is led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

According to the various news sites, the theme of World Book and Copyright Day 2024 is “Read Your Way”.
Background:
i.UNESCO during the 28th session of its General Conference held in Paris, France from 25 October to 16 November 1995, unanimously declared 23 April to be World Book and Copyright Day.
ii.The declaration gave international recognition to a tradition started by the Official Book Chamber in Catalonia, Spain, which began celebrating the day in 1923.
iii.The 1st ever World Book And Copyright Day was observed on 23 April 1996.
Note: In 1993, a royal decree proclaimed 23 April as Book and Reading Day for the Spanish State.
Why April 23rd?
i.April 23rd marks the death anniversary of renowned authors such as English Poet William Shakespeare, Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, and Peru-born Spanish Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
ii.UNESCO chose the date to honour the contributions of these literary figures and promote global access to books.
World Book Capital:
Following the evaluation of the World Book Capital (WBC) Advisory Committee, the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay has designated Strasbourg (France) as the World Book Capital for 2024.
i.Since 2001, UNESCO and international organizations representing the 3 sectors of the book industry (publishers, booksellers, and libraries) unite to select the WBC each year.
ii.WBC emphasises reinforcing literacy education, protecting copyright, and promoting freedom of expression.

STATE NEWS

Hinduja Group’s CELERITYX and MAFCOCS Deploys ‘OneX’ to improve Maharashtra’s Bank ConnectivityOn 22nd April 2024, CELERITYX, the enterprise networking solutions business of OneOTT Intertainment Limited(OIL) announced its collaboration with Maharashtra State Cooperative Credit Societies Federation(MAFCOCS) for the deployment of OneX platform across 40,000 bank branches in Maharashtra.

• OneX has the potential to serve over 1lakh branches across the country.

Key Points:
i.The primary objective of this strategic partnership is to address connectivity challenges faced by credit societies in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where outdated systems lack protection against modern threats.
ii.CELERITYX received its first order from Samata Sahakari Patsanstha for its branches in Maharashtra.
About OneX  Platform:
OIL, a subsidiary of Hinduja Global Solutions Limited on 22nd April ,2024, unveiled OneX platform as a unified network-as-a-service solution covering network management, security and Local Area Network(LAN)- side control solution.
Benefits of OneX:
i.It will help in simplifying complexity with agility and security, and using various Wide Area Network(WAN) technologies such as: Mobile SIM, ensures high uptime zero-trust based network and security across all locations.
ii.It will streamline connectivity through broadband and mobile SIM usage, fortified firewalls and zero-radius perimeter security solutions guarantees both security and uptime.
iii.The cost-effective structure of OneX ensures accessibility for smallest credit societies. Thus, protecting them against any cyber attacks.
About Hinduja Global Solutions Limited:
President: Natarajan Radhakrishnan
Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka

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