1. Special initiative for the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, Ministry of Tourism to organize 100 days program through Youth Tourism Club
In view of the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, the Ministry of Tourism will organize a program of 100 days through youth tourism clubs as a special initiative . The Ministry has so far constituted 30,000 youth tourism clubs. Its objective is to create young tourism ambassadors to promote Indian tourism. These young tourism ambassadors will act as catalysts to promote tourism across the country. The establishment of Youth Tourism Clubs has been started in Schools, Colleges, and Indian Institutes of Hotel Management with Independence Day Amrit Mahotsav.
2. Union Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the inaugural session of India Calling Conference 2023
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal addressed the inaugural session of the India Calling Conference 2023 organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Mumbai . In his address, he appreciated the contribution of companies from small countries like Czech Republic and Poland in the supply chain of big companies globally. The Commerce Minister appealed to all to aim to make India a $47 trillion economy by 2047.
3. Two-day A.A. Bha Inauguration of Ved Vigyan Sammelan
The two-day Ved Vigyan Mahotsav, organized under the aegis of Vishwa Ved Parishad and Parmarth Niketan, was inaugurated by Chief Guest of Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla and chaired by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Kailash Choudhary, former Union Minister Shri Satya Pal Singh and other dignitaries. On this occasion, Mr. Birla said that Vedas are not just scriptures, but our culture. Vedas are logical, practical and Vedas are also accurate, which have become the center of research for the whole world today.
4. PM lauds achievements of six years of UDAN scheme
The Prime Minister , Shri Narendra Modi has responded to the tweet by the Ministry of Civil Aviation , in which the Ministry has informed that 6 years ago, a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) flight took off to facilitate air-linkage to Shimla from Delhi . Today, with 473 air routes and 74 operational airports, heliports and water aerodromes, the Indian aviation sector has become a game-changer. Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the year 2016. was launched as a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under It was prepared on the basis of a review of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP)-2016 and was planned to be in force for a period of 10 years. The first flight was launched by the Prime Minister on 27 April 2017 . The Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) was created under the scheme, which meets the VGF requirements of the scheme through a levy on certain domestic flights. VGF stands for one-time or deferred grant, which is provided to support infrastructure projects that are economically viable but fall short of financial viability.
5. ‘Khelo India’ initiative completes 5 years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the Khelo India program in promoting sporting talent in the country. Responding to the tweet of Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on the occasion of completion of five years of Khelo India scheme, he said that it has given a lot of encouragement to the sporting talent in the country. He said that the government will continue its efforts to create a conducive environment for the growth of sports in the country. The initiative was launched in 2018 with an aim to create a grassroots sports culture in India .
6. Janakpurdham Cultural Festival begins in Nepal
Celebrating the shared Mithila cultural heritage between India and Nepal, Janakpurdham Cultural Festival was organized in Dhanusha district of Madhesh Pradesh on the eve of Janki Navami . The festival was inaugurated by Shri Hari Mishra, Governor of Madhesh Pradesh.
7. Emirates launches world’s first robotic check-in assistant
Dubai- based airline Emirates has announced the launch of its latest innovation, a new City Check-in and Travel Store in Dubai’s financial district. The world’s first robotic check-in assistant named ‘ Sara ‘ started in this facility on April 27. which will guide passengers through the check-in process and match their faces with scanned passports. With ‘SARA’, passengers can check in and drop their luggage up to 24 hours before their flight and up to 4 hours before, arriving at the airport at their convenience. The robot is equipped with facial recognition technology and can print boarding passes to make the check-in process more efficient. Passengers can also check-in through self-check-in kiosks or dedicated desks with Emirates agents.
8. PM urges women to enroll for Mahila Samman Savings Certificate
Recently Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi urged people to adopt Mahila Samman Bachat Patra . He said that this scheme is beneficial for women power in many ways. The scheme was announced by the Finance Minister while presenting the budget in the Parliament. Under this scheme, the Government of India will provide a savings certificate. These certificates will be issued till 2025 . This scheme is for women and girls . They can get a deposit security of two lakh rupees using this certificate. The interest rate for this is 7.5% .
9. IIT Madras to set up its first international campus in Tanzania
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) based Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is all set to set up its first international campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania and plans to start classes in October 2023. This will be the first IIT established in Africa. A team of five professors from IIT Madras had visited Tanzania in February to hold discussions with the authorities regarding setting up of the new campus.
10. Abortion pill formally approved in Japan
A subcommittee of the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council of Japan ‘s Ministry of Health approved an abortion pill developed by Britain ‘s LinePharma International Ltd. – Mefigo Pill Pack . It would provide an alternative to a surgical procedure amid demands for women’s reproductive rights and progress in gender equality. Abortions in Japan are usually performed with metal instruments. Because the procedure is invasive, medical experts and others are calling for abortion pills to be introduced in Japan.
11. Belgian company will soon start biodiesel project in Ayodhya
Belgian company Vito is soon going to start a project to make biodiesel from waste in Ayodhya . Ayodhya has been selected for a two-year pilot project. Last week, VITO’s Asia-Pacific chief Hafeez Rehman and other officials held the first round of meetings with officials from the Ayodhya administration. He also conducted a workshop for the officers of Ayodhya Municipal Corporation.
12. Snow festival organized at Sinthan Maidan in Kishtwar
Jammu and Kishtwar Tourism Development Authority is organizing Him Utsav at Sinthan Maidan in Kishtwar . This event will continue till tomorrow, 30 April. The authority has organized the festival in association with the Kishtwar district administration, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art-Culture and Languages and the Army. A lot of enthusiasm is being seen among the local people and tourists regarding this event. There will also be musical performances, exciting activities and various competitions during the event.
13. Control over an angry elephant that has killed more than 6 people in Udukki district of Kerala, preparing to leave it in the forest away from the residential area
In Kerala , an angry elephant, which had been troubling people in Chinnakkanal village of Santhampara area of Udukki district , was euthanized. Preparations are being made to take this elephant away from the residential colony to some other place. Due to the special attachment of this elephant to rice , it is known as Arikkombam in the local language. This angry elephant has so far killed more than half a dozen people and has attacked residential areas in search of food. A radio collar will be fitted around the elephant’s neck and it will be released at an undisclosed location in the forest as per the court order.
14. First batch of women officers commissioned into Artillery Regiment of Indian Army
The Indian Army marked a new beginning by commissioning five women cadets for the first time into an artillery regiment at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai . Out of a total of 186 Shot Service Commissioned Officers, 121 male and 36 female cadets were inducted into various arms and services of the Army, while 29 officers are from Bhutan.
15. Index of Eight Core Industries registers 3.6% growth in March 2023
Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 3.6% in March 2023 as compared to March 2022, The ICI measures the performance of eight major industries including coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity. The eight core industries account for 40.27% of the items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). According to provisional data, the production of coal, fertiliser, steel, natural gas and refinery products has increased in March 2023 as compared to the same month last year. March 2023 saw a significant increase of 10.5% in the production of coal, while the production of fertilizers increased by 8.9%. Steel production also increased by 6.7% in March 2023 as compared to March 2022. Production of natural gas and refinery products increased by 2.8% and 2.6%, respectively, during the same period.
16. Jupiter gets NBFC license
Jupiter , a neobanking startup, has received a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) , which allows the company to provide credit from its own resources. According to Jitendra Gupta, founder of Jupiter, which is operated by Amika Financial Technologies Ltd, the company will appoint a professional CEO who will manage the NBFC operations.
17. Fourth startup branch of SBI opens in Mumbai BKC
SBI opens fourth branch exclusively for startups in Mumbai ‘s BKC area . At the inaugural function, SBI Chairman Dinesh Khara informed that the main objective of the branch is to provide end-to-end support to startups throughout their journey from setting up their business unit to conducting IPO and FPO.