1 Nearly 50 lakh consumers in the country are using Central Bank digital currency.
The Reserve Bank has said that currently about 50 lakh consumers in the country are using Central Bank Digital Currency – CBDC . Of these, 46 lakh are retail customers while 4 lakh are traders. are traders. On cumulative basis, transactions worth Rs 2 crore 20 lakh have taken place through CBDC. Reserve Bank Deputy Governor T. Rabi Shankar has said that trials are underway for offline use of CBDC. This testing has started from today. Under this, a fixed amount has been sent to a farmer in the form of CBDC which he can use only for the purchase of agriculture related products.
2 China imports maximum crude oil from Russia, leaving behind India
Energy cargo tracker ‘Vortexa’ released its report in the first week of April 2024 . According to this report, China has overtaken India as the primary importer of Russian crude oil through sea routes . In March 2024 , China imported 1.82 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude oil by sea . This was more than India’s 1.36 million bpd . Additionally, China also receives Russian oil through pipelines. India had been the major importer of seaborne Russian crude oil for about eighteen months. China imported 1.3 million bpd in February, slightly more than India’s 1.27 million bpd. Whereas in March 2024 this difference increased significantly.
3 India’s second global port in Sittwe, Myanmar
The Ministry of External Affairs has approved the proposal of India Ports Global (IPGL) to take over the entire operations of Sittwe Port located on the Kaladan River in Rakhine State of Myanmar . Thus, Myanmar’s Sittwe Port becomes the second international port to come under the control of India Ports Global Limited after Iran’s Shahid Beheshti Port, Chabahar. However, unlike Chabahar Port, where India controls only two terminals, India will have full control over Sittwe Port. Under the recently approved deal, India has got a long-term lease of the port, which will be renewed every three years. IPGL will mobilize resources to further develop the port. India Ports Global Limited is a subsidiary of Sagarmala Development Company Limited, under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
4 Indian-origin expert Ashwini Keshavan joins Britain’s research team on dementia.
Indian-origin neurologist Dr. Ashwini Keshavan has been included in Britain’s world-class research team. This team is doing research towards detecting dementia through blood test. and collecting more evidence in this direction. The results of this research team can be used more widely in the coming five years. The memory of people affected by dementia becomes weak.
5 NCERT issues warning for copyright infringement of educational material
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has issued a warning regarding copyright infringement of its educational materials . The warning said that if any person or institution publishes the content of NCERT textbooks for commercial use without copyright permission, legal action will be taken against him. NCERT has urged people not to use such textbooks or workbooks, saying the content in them may be factually incorrect. It has also been advised that if any person finds such pirated textbooks or workbooks, then immediately inform NCERT about the matter through email pd.ncert@nic.in.
6 Joint naval exercise of four countries started in South China Sea
The US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines on April 7, 2024 launched their first joint naval exercise to project power in the South China Sea . The joint exercise, which is going to be held amid the threat posed by China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea, will also include anti-submarine warfare training exercises.
7 Tri-Service Conference ‘Parivartan Chintan’ organized in New Delhi
Tri-Service Conference ‘Parivartan Chintan’ was organized on 08 April 2024 in New Delhi . ‘CHINTAN’ has been organized as a brainstorming and incubation discussion to advance jointness and integration in the Armed Forces and to generate new and fresh ideas, initiatives and reforms. Jointness and integration are the cornerstone of the joint structure changes that the Indian Armed Forces are pursuing with a view to becoming “ future ready ”. Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan launched ‘Chintan’ by highlighting the need to develop a joint culture for the armed forces. It utilizes the best of the three services to give a fresh perspective to traditional concepts while respecting the uniqueness of each service.
8 Srinivas becomes the new CEO of Wipro
Thierry Delaporte, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the giant tech company Wipro , has resigned from his post on 6 April 2024. After the resignation of Thierry Delaporte from Wipro, the company appointed Srinivas Palliya with immediate effect. as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the company with immediate effect. Information in this regard was given in the company’s filing. According to this, Thierry Delaporte will be relieved from the company on 31 May 2024.
9 GAIL wins 15th CIDC Vishwakarma Award for Barauni-Guwahati Pipeline
GAIL (India) Limited has been awarded the prestigious 15th CIDC Vishwakarma Award in the category ‘ Achievement Award for Best Construction Projects ‘ for its remarkable achievement in the Barauni-Guwahati Natural Gas Pipeline Project (BGPL) . The project, an integral part of the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline project, is an important milestone by connecting North-East India to the national gas grid for the first time.
10 Sagar Kavach 2024
The two-day coastal security exercise named Sagar Kavach 01/24 was conducted off Lakshadweep Islands from April 1-2, 2024 . The exercise involved participation of all maritime security agencies including Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Maritime Police, Fisheries, Customs and other security agencies. The primary objective of the exercise was to validate the effectiveness of the coastal security mechanism in dealing with asymmetric threats emanating from the sea. The exercise saw enhanced preparedness, response mechanisms, monitoring capabilities and coordination among various coastal security stakeholders.
11 Britain’s ‘Hardest Geezer’ becomes the first person to run across Africa
British citizen Russ Cook , also known as the ” Hardest Geyser “, has successfully completed a significant feat that took him more than 352 days to complete. He covered over 10,000 miles during his journey , visiting 16 countries and taking over 19 million steps while collecting money for charity. Cook set out to South Africa’s southernmost point on April 22, 2023, where he faced visa problems, health concerns and an armed robbery, but persevered. He now believes he is the first person to run across Africa. He reached Ras Angela, the northernmost point of Tunisia, and the people who had come to meet him welcomed him with cheers and applause. Speaking at a press conference in Bizerte, Tunisia, he hoped his achievement would inspire others to undertake such a journey.
12 M.Verstappen wins F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2024
Red Bull ‘s Max Verstappen wins the 2024 Japanese Formula One (F1) Grand Prix held at the Suzuka Circuit on 7 April 2024 . In this competition, Dutch citizen Max Verstappen defeated his teammate Red Bull ‘s Sergio Perez . Australian Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz finished third. This was Max Verstappen’s third win in four races of the 2024 season. A total of 24 races will be organized in 2024. Max Verstappen has dominated the F1 racing circuit. He has also been the World Champion of 2021, 2022 and 2023.