1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the first Global Buddhist Summit in New Delhi on Thursday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first Global Buddhist Summit in New Delhi on Thursday . Scholars, Buddhist teachers and followers from all over the world will participate in the conference. The theme of the conference is Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy for Practice . Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said in New Delhi that for the first time prominent Buddhist monks from different countries will come to India. He said that the conference would discuss how to deal with contemporary challenges with the help of Buddhist philosophy and thought. Around 171 delegates from around 30 countries and 150 delegates from Indian Buddhist organizations will participate in it.
2. Nepal becomes founding member of International Big Cats Alliance
Nepal has become a founding member of the International Big Cats Alliance launched by India on 13 April . The alliance was launched under India’s initiative, and during the launch event, Nepal’s Energy Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet presented a letter indicating Nepal’s membership as a founding member to India’s Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav. Handed over The International Big Cats Alliance aims to conserve seven big cat species including tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas. Nepal’s tiger population has seen a significant increase, increasing from 121 in 2010 to 335 in 2022. Nepal successfully achieved its target of doubling the tiger population by 2022, as done during the first Tiger Summit in 2010 in St. Petersburg.
3. NIMHANS and Aashray Hasta Trust sign MoU to run rural mental health program “Naman” in two talukas
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and NGO Aashray Hasta Trust (AHT) recently signed an MoU to test the feasibility of a model comprehensive rural mental health program named “ NAMAN ”. The ‘NAMAN’ program envisages providing promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative care to the entire population of the target talukas by utilizing the existing human resources in the community. It will be implemented in 4 phases over 3 years. The first phase involves resource creation, which includes recruitment and training of employees. The second phase will involve conducting a situational analysis to assess the mental health of the concerned talukas. The third step is intervention, which includes therapeutic and rehabilitative services. The last step is evaluation.
4. India contributes USD 5 lakh to UN Women
India has contributed USD 5 lakh to UN Women’s unit for gender equality and empowerment of women. India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj handed over a check of the Government of India’s contribution to the main voluntary budget of UN Women. Ms. Kamboj pointed out in the tweet that India’s model is of women-led development with emphasis on women leadership in entrepreneurship, education and at the grassroots level. Sima Sami Bahaus, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, received the cheque. Ms. Kamboj reiterated the Government of India’s strong commitment to the goals of gender equality, women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming.
5. India will chair the Commonwealth Group on reforming the financial structure
Finance ministers from various Commonwealth countries have called for systematic reform of the global financial structure to increase access to development financing for vulnerable countries. The Ministers agreed to co-chair the Working Group of Finance Ministers for the Commonwealth Call for Reforms of the Global Financial Structure with India and Nigeria as Vice Chairs.
6. Multilateral exercise Orion begins at Mont-de-Marsan airbase in France
The multilateral exercise Orion began at Mont-de-Marsan airbase in France . The Indian Air Force is also participating in this exercise . The Defense Ministry has said that this is the first time that Rafale fighter jets are participating in an exercise outside the country. The ministry said that by imbibing the best practices of air forces of other countries in this exercise, the performance of the Indian Air Force will be further enriched. Four Rafale, two C-17, two IL-78 aircraft and 165 airmen of the Indian Air Force are participating in it. Apart from Indian Air Force and French Air, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Spain, Greece and USA are also participating in this exercise. This exercise will continue till May 5.
7. Department of Posts issues special cover on Mahila Samman Savings Scheme in Telangana
The Department of Posts has released a special cover on Mahila Samman Savings Scheme in Telangana . This scheme has been implemented with the objective of financial empowerment of women in the country. The cover was released by Union Minister of State for Communications Debusinh Jesingbhai Chauhan in the presence of religious leader and head of Shri Ram Chandra Mission Daji . The cover was released at Kanha Shantivanam in Hyderabad as a part of the celebration of 75 years of the country’s independence. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Chouhan said that Mahila Samman Bachat Yojana has been launched this year as a very attractive investment program for women. He called for creating awareness among people regarding the benefits of this scheme.
8. Over Rs 5 lakh crore worth of infrastructure projects assessed under Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti initiative
The government has said that under the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti initiative, projects worth Rs 5 lakh 14 thousand crore have been appraised in the last one and a half years. Launch of this initiative October 2021 was done in It aims at planning in an integrated and holistic manner for all concerned Ministries and Departments across the country. It aims to improve various connectivity facilities and logistics and bridge the gaps in infrastructure so that people and goods can be moved from one place to another in a seamless manner. Sumita Davra, Special Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, has informed that 76 major projects related to infrastructure were assessed during this period. He also said that under the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti initiative, 200 projects have been appraised and awarded so far.
9. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission launches national campaign “Organization to Prosperity” to connect 10 crore people with Self Help Groups
The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development launched the campaign “ Organization to Prosperity – Leaving no rural woman behind ”. The campaign has been launched under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Inclusive Development and aims to cover 10 crore women from eligible rural households. This special campaign will run till June 30, 2023 and aims to bring all vulnerable and marginal rural households under Self Help Groups (SHGs) so that they can avail the benefits being provided under such programme.
10. Government approves eight projects worth about Rs 638 crore for Clean Ganga Mission
The National Mission for Clean Ganga-NMCG has approved eight projects worth about Rs.638 crore . NMCG Director General G. The projects were approved in the working committee meeting chaired by Ashok Kumar . Of these, four projects worth about Rs 407 crore are for pollution prevention in Shamli district, aimed at cleaning the Hindon, a tributary of the Yamuna. The Jal Shakti Ministry said in a statement that these projects are part of the overall Hindon revival plan. A project for the development of seven ghats has also been approved as part of the preparations for the Mahakumbh to be held in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh in 2025. These include Dashashwamedh Ghat, Qila Ghat, Gyanganga Ashram Ghat and Saraswati Ghat. These ghats will have various facilities including bathing and drinking water.
11. G-20 member countries and international organizations supported the proposal of India’s ‘Maharishi’ initiative
G-20 member countries and international organizations supported India’s proposal for ‘ Maharishi ‘ initiative for research on millets and showed interest in supporting farmers for enhanced service through Krishi Vigyan Kendras. On the second day of the meeting of G-20 leading scientists in the agriculture sector in Varanasi, the participating countries acknowledged India’s potential in the field of seeds, which would be useful for other countries as well. The theme of the three-day meeting is ” Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems for Healthy People and Planet “. In the meeting, a session was organized to discuss the International Research Initiative on Millets and Other Ancient Foods (Maharishi).
12. Defense Minister approves a proposal for industry friendly reforms in respect of Authority Holding Sealed Particulars
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to bring in industry friendly reforms with respect to Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) . The AHSP is the authority responsible for bringing out, maintaining, upgrading or declaring the entire history and technical know-how of defense products. So far the Directorate General of Quality Assurance was the AHSP for defense products developed by various defense PSUs and private industries. Under the existing procedure, the industry was facing some difficulties in improving its products and technology according to the changing times, therefore the Government has decided to liberalize the procedures of AHSP.
13. Staff Selection Commission will conduct Multi Tasking Staff exam in 13 regional languages in addition to Hindi and English
The Department of Personnel and Training has approved the conduct of Staff Selection Commission’s Multitasking (Non-Technical) Staff Examination 2022 and CHSLE Examination 2022 in 13 regional languages apart from Hindi and English . The question paper of the exam will be set in 13 regional languages apart from Hindi and English. These include Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Urdu, Punjabi, Manipuri and Konkani. After this decision, lakhs of candidates will be able to appear in their mother tongue or regional language. For the first time in these 13 regional languages, the MTS exam will be conducted from May 2.
14. NTPC and Chempolis India to collaborate on feasibility study of setting up bamboo based bio-refinery at Bongaigaon, Assam
India’s largest power generator NTPC and Chempolis India, a subsidiary of Fortum Group and a Finnish bio-refining technology provider, have entered into an MoU to study the feasibility of setting up a bamboo-based bio-refinery in Bongaigaon , Assam . MOU) has been signed. Chempolis will work with NTPC to conduct a feasibility study for the project that will use bamboo to produce 2G ethanol, bio-coal for thermal power plants and other value-added products.
15. 625 families reunited with their missing people in Haryana under Operation Muskaan
In Haryana , 625 families have been reunited with their missing people under Operation Muskaan . 324 children and 301 adults have been traced in a fortnight. Two hundred and 84 missing children were handed over to their relatives by the District Police teams and 40 children by the Anti Human Trafficking Unit of the State Crime Branch. Similarly, 262 missing adults were reunited with their families by the District Police team and 39 by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. Operation Smile, also known as Operation Muskaan, is a project of the Ministry of Home Affairs to trace and rehabilitate missing children. It is a month-long campaign in which state police personnel are involved in various operations to identify and rescue missing children and reunite them with their families.
16. All India Institute of Ayurveda organized a national conference ‘Srijana’ on infertility in women
The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under the Ministry of AYUSH, is organizing a two-day national conference ‘ Srijana ‘ on infertility in women in New Delhi . Female infertility affects millions of people and affects their families and communities. According to the WHO report, in 37 percent of the cases of childless couples, the reason for this was the inability of women to have children. The incidence of infertility in women is on the rise in India and about 15 percent of couples are affected by it. To address this problem, AIIA is sharing clinical research and knowledge through a national conference followed by a panel discussion in which over 100 delegates have registered to attend.
17. SBI re-launches ‘Amrit Kalash’ retail term deposit scheme
State Bank of India ( SBI ) has announced the revamp of its retail term deposit scheme Amrit Kalash . This scheme gives a tenure of 400 days for a particular tenure and offers an interest rate of 7.6% for senior citizens and 7.1% for others. SBI had earlier launched this deposit scheme on February 15, 2023 and was valid till March 31, 2023. With the reintroduction of this scheme, SBI provides another opportunity to the customers to take advantage of the attractive interest rates offered by SBI.
18. IIT-I collaborates with NASA to develop low-cost camera setup
IIT Indore , NASA-Caltech , and Sweden’s University of Gothenburg have collaborated to develop a low-cost camera setup called CL-Flam , which could revolutionize scientific imaging. Camera setup Multispectral images of four chemical types of a fire using a single DSLR camera can capture. Previously capturing such images required a complex system consisting of four cameras. Now, the international team is looking to explore applications of the device in biomedical imaging, ultrafast imaging, multispectral and other advanced studies. The primary objective of this research was to study fuel combustion and improve the efficiency of engines and burners while reducing carbon emissions. Elements released due to fuel combustion in industrial burners and engines can be studied by analyzing images taken by the CL-Flam device. Such analysis will help companies to make necessary improvements in engines and burners to ensure optimum and eco-friendly use of fuel during combustion.
19. International surf open competition to be organized for the first time in India at Mamallapuram from August 14 to 20
The International Surf Open competition will be held for the first time in India at Mamallapuram from August 14 to 20 . This competition is part of the World Surfing League . This competition is another step by the Government of Tamil Nadu towards the promotion of sports and this international competition will give an opportunity to Indian players to show their potential. Surfing is an Olympic sport. 100 players from 14 countries will participate in the International Surf Open competition. The total prize money of this competition is 45 thousand dollars. Top players from Asia and Australia will participate in it.
20. April 18: World Heritage Day
World Heritage Day is celebrated across the world on 18 April every year . The day is also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites. This year World Heritage Day will be celebrated under the theme ‘ Heritage Changes ‘.