Current Affairs April 2023

• The Ministry of Heavy Industries  Rs 800 crore under FAME India Scheme Phase II has been sanctioned to three PSU oil marketing companies i.e. Indian Oil Corp. Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd., and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd, for setting up 7,432 public fast charging EV stations across the country.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high of 15 thousand 920 crore rupees in Financial Year 2022-2023. India exported military hardware worth Rs 8,434 crore in 2020-21, Rs 9,115 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 10,745 crore in 2018-19.
• Researchers from Europe and the United States calculated the national contribution to warming due to greenhouse gases such as CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O from the 1850s to 2021.

Top five countries in contribution of global warming:

• The following table shows various meeting and its place with respect to G-20 summit in India.

• Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party has introduced new legislation which proposes a fine of up to Euro 100,000 for using any foreign language, especially English, in official communication.
• Italy has become the first western country to ban advanced ChatGPT. The Italian data-protection authority stated that there were privacy concerns related to this model.
• Experts gather for first global human-wildlife conflict summit at Oxford, UK. Hundreds of representatives from conservation organisations, academia, governments, businesses and indigenous and local communities from 6 continents and 70 countries will meet for the International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, hosted by IUCN between 30 March and 1 April 2023.
• A constitutional referendum was held in Uzbekistan on 30 April 2023. It was to be held on proposed constitutional amendments. Parliament approved the referendum on 15 March 2023. The amendments were accepted in the referendum with over 90% in support.
  • President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was re-elected in 2021 for a second term in elections which were noted for a lack of competition. However, he is ineligible to run for the office in 2026, in accordance with the current constitution, since it limits presidents to two terms of five years each.
• The US and 10 other nations issued the first-ever significant anti-spyware declaration. Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States all “recognise the threat posed by the misuse of commercial spyware and the need for strict domestic and international controls on the proliferation and use of such technology.
• Georgia, United States of America (USA) passed a resolution condemning “Hinduphobia” and “antiHindu bigotry”- becoming the first state in the country to do so
• Norwegian company Norled has successfully launched the world's 1^st ferry that runs on liquid hydrogen. The vessel, called MF Hydra, is a hybrid that uses both batteries and liquid hydrogen fuel cells.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, ‘Infertility prevalence estimates 1990- 2021’ released on April 03, 2023, around 17.5% of the adult population (roughly 1 in 6) worldwide experience infertility in their lifetime.
• According to the World Bank (WB) report “Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia,” concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM) like soot and small dust (PM 2.5) in some of South Asia’s most densely populated and underdeveloped areas are up to 20 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Bahrain has taken a significant step towards incentivizing investments and job creation by launching a new initiative, the Golden Licence. The Golden Licence is designed to provide streamlined services and benefits to local and foreign businesses with large-scale investment projects in Bahrain.
  • The Golden Licence offers various benefits, including prioritized land allocation for investments, infrastructure services, utilities, and streamlined access to government services like business licensing and building permit approval, as well as support from Tamkeen and Bahrain Development Bank.
• 'Ofek-13'- is new spy satellite launched by Israel into the space. The satellite is meant to provide advanced intelligence capabilities to the Israeli military and intelligence agencies.
• Accession Working Group (AWG) of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreed on the accession of the United Kingdom (UK) as the 12^th member of CPTPP.  With this UK became the first European nation and the first non-founding country to join CPTPP
• The “World Energy Transitions: Outlook (WETO) 2023: 1.5°C Pathway” released by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Berlin(Germany), shows that the global energy transition is off-track, aggravated by the effects of global crises and calls for a fundamental change of course in the energy transition
• The Kenya Space Agency is set to launch the country’s 1^st operational earth observation satellite- Taifa-1 which is  scheduled to be launched on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
• Ghana has created history by becoming the first country to approve a high-efficiency malaria vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford. Oxford has entered into an agreement with the Serum Institute of India to produce up to 200 million doses of the vaccine.
• South Korea plans to conduct its first launch of a commercial-grade satellite aboard a domestically built rocket next month as part of its space development program. It will carry one main satellite ‘Next Generation Small Satellite 2’ and seven other smaller cube-shaped satellites.
• New York City appointed Kathleen Corradi as its inaugural "Rat Czar" to tackle the city's serious rodent issue. Koradi was given the responsibility of reducing the rat population and creating a clean environment for the residents.
• The 3^rd  Regional Symposium on Greening the Judiciaries in Africa was organized by the Africa Judicial Education Network on Environmental Law (AJENEL) in Nairobi, Kenya. It was held based on the theme ‘Strengthening the Role of Judiciaries in Addressing Climate Change in Africa’.
• The Turkish Navy has received the TCG Anadolu, its first aircraft carrier, which is expected to house the world’s first air wing made primarily of unmanned aircraft.
  • The TCG Anadolu is a landing helicopter dock (LHD) type amphibious assault ship based on Spain's flagship, the Juan Carlos I. It is 32 meters broad and 231 meters long, with a displacement of 27,436 tonnes.
• Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said international law enforcement agencies have seized "Genesis Market", a huge dark web marketplace and cybercrime site popular with cybercriminals, in what has been dubbed "Operation Cookie Monster".
• Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative was launched by the US to increase Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself from Russia’s aggression. Under this initiative, USD 2.6 billion military aid package was announced by the US.
• Salar de Atacama is Chile’s largest salt flat. Much of the country’s lithium deposits are found in this region. Chile is planning to collaborate with India to tap into the lithium value chain.
• Iran has unveiled another one-way Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) dubbed 'Me’raj-532' a new domestically-build suicide drone which can destroy targets within a range of 450 kilometers for Iran Revolutionary Guards Ground Forces
• Recently Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease is prevalently spreading in New Zealand. Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus is a contagious and deadly viral hepatitis that affects adult domesticated as well as wild rabbits.
• Paris (France) have voted to ban rental electric scooters in their city, dealing a blow to scooter operators and a triumph for road safety campaigners.
• Kenya has launched its first operational Earth observation satellite “Taifa-1” on 15 April 2023 from Vandenberg Base in California on a rocket of Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX. The launch rocket carried 50 payloads from Turkey, among other countries, under SpaceX's 'rideshare program'.
• Nepal has become a founding member of the International Big Cats Alliance. The International Big Cats Alliance aims to conserve seven big cat species including tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas.

• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL) has entered into a partnership with UCO Bank to distribute health insurance products through the bank's branches across India. Bank's customers and employees will have access to ABHICL's health-first insurance solutions, including incentive wellness benefits and chronic management programs.
• The government introduced the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, which aims to increase the country’s exports to USD 2 trillion by 2030. Will take effect from April 1, 2023.
  • The new policy is different from the previous 5-year FTP announcements as it has no specific end date and will be revised as needed.
  • The policy identifies 4 new Towns of Export Excellence (TEE) – Faridabad, Moradabad, Mirzapur, and Varanasi – in addition to the existing 39 TEEs. The policy extends FTP benefits to e-commerce exports and increases the value limit for exports through courier services.
• Airtel-India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has launched WhatsApp banking services in New Delhi. This allows customers to conveniently access banking services on their mobile phones.
• PhonePe, a Walmart-owned fintech firm, has announced the introduction of ‘Pincode,’ an ecommerce consumer app that would be integrated into India’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) framework.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has extended the term of “WECARE” special fixed deposit (FD) scheme for senior citizens, which was introduced in May 2020.
• Axis Bank, has collaborated with Visa and announced the launch of “Digital Dukaan”, a comprehensive digital offering that would allow merchants to accept payments through a number of digital modes and conduct day-to-day business digitally.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide Rs 5,509 crore for the metro rail project being built in Patna, the capital of Bihar. The loan amount has been sanctioned for repayment tenure of 10 years with a grace period of 30 years.
• Godrej Capital Limited and State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their partnership, where the bank would provide various financial products and offerings.
• The BharatPe Group and Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) partnership will focus on the development of a first-of-its-kind aggregator platform for women entrepreneurs, to provide access to peer support, mentorship, networking channels, and a wide range of learning resources.
• Regulator IRDAI said Life Insurance Corporation of India, General Insurance Corporation of India, and New India Assurance Co. continues to remain as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) and perceived as "too big or too important to fail".
  • D-SIIs refer to insurers of such size, market importance and domestic and global interconnectedness whose distress or failure would cause a significant dislocation in the domestic financial system.
• Union Bank of India (UBI) became the 1^st Indian Bank to open its ‘Special Rupee Vostro Account (SRVA)’ in Malaysia to facilitate transactions between India and Malaysia in the Indian rupee.
• DBS Bank India has launched a new investment solution called ‘digiPortfolio’, which uses technology and human expertise to provide customised investment options for investors.
• ‘PRAVAAH’- a secured web-based centralised portal will be launched by RBI, to simplify and streamline application processes. The portal will show time limits for deciding on the applications/approvals sought. This measure will bring greater efficiencies into regulatory processes and facilitate ease of doing business for the regulated entities of RBI.
• Canara Bank has introduced a “Premium Payroll Package” for Salary account holders with competitive features. This product has been designed to meet all Banking requirements of Salaried Customers.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a new framework for offering green deposits to customers with the objective of developing a Green Finance Ecosystem (GFE) in India.
  • The framework will come into effect from June 1, 2023.
  • A green deposit refers to an interest-bearing deposit received by an RE (Regulated Entity) for a fixed period, with the proceeds earmarked for allocation towards green finance.
  • The framework is applicable to Scheduled Commercial Banks, including Small Finance Banks, excluding Regional Rural Banks, Local Area Banks and Payments Banks and all deposit-taking Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), including Housing Finance Companies.
• "Master Inter Bank Credit Agreement" has been signed between HDFC and Export Import Bank of Korea, with a total value of US $300 million.
  • The signing ceremony took place in GIFT City, Gujarat, and aims to help HDFC Bank raise foreign currency funds, which will be used to support Korea-related businesses.
• Capital markets regulator SEBI (Security and Exchange Board of India) on Wednesday unveiled a new logo on the occasion of its 35^th Foundationtion day.
• Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) in co-ordination with Musandam Exchange, Oman have launched cross-border inward bill payment services for Indians based in Oman.
• NSE Indices Ltd, a subsidiary of NSE, has launched India's first Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) index. The objective of Nifty REITs and InvITs Index is to track the performance of real estate or infrastructure assets which are publicly listed and traded on NSE.
• TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS) won the contract from the United Kingdom(UK) Ministry of Defence (MOD), acting through its agent, Babcock Land Defence Ltd, for the supply of spares, consumables and accessories for the Land Rover Wolf Platform.
• Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), presented USD 2 million to the United Nations Trust Fund (UNTF) in support of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
• An agreement between IIT-Kanpur and Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) to provide financial support to the startup ecosystem and promote the incubation of new technology, knowledge, and innovation-based startups under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy of AW&EIL.
• According to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), India’s exports increased 6% to a “record” USD 447 billion in financial year 2022–23 (FY23), up from USD 442 billion in FY22, while imports increased 16.5% to USD 714 billion from USD 613 billion in FY22
• The Citi Union Bank inTamil Nadu, has launched India’s 1st Voice Biometric Authentication for logging into its mobile banking app at an event held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
  • The Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) will be established by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in the form of an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with an initial corpus of Rs 3,000 crore.
  • A backstop is an act of providing last-resort support or security in a securities offering for the unsubscribed portion of shares.The ‘Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) is a backstop facility for specified debt funds during market dislocations. The fund is intended to provide liquidity support in the event of a financial crisis. It aims to instil confidence amongst the participants in the corporate bond market and to generally enhance secondary market liquidity.
  • This fund is guaranteed by the National Credit Guarantee Trust Company (NCGTC) and the backstop facility will be managed by SBI Mutual Fund.
• State Bank of India (SBI) announced the launch of its coffee table book titled “The Banker to Every Indian” which celebrates 75 years of Indian independence and the 200-year history of SBI. The coffee table book details the Bank’s history ever since independence.
• The provisional figures of Direct Tax collections for the Financial Year (FY) 2022-23 show that Net collections are at Rs. 16.61 lakh crore, compared to Rs. 14.12 lakh crore in the preceding Financial Year i.e. FY 2021-22, representing an increase of 17.63%.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved a framework for an Application Supported by a Blocked Amount (ASBA)-like facility for trading in the secondary market.
  • An Application Supported by a Blocked Amount (ASBA) is an authorisation used to block the application money in the bank account through Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Typically, it is used for subscribing to an initial public offering

• Renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr RG Patel, has been appointed as an expert member of the National Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board by the Union Health Ministry.
• Rajib K Mishra takes over as Chairman & Managing Director of Power Trading Corporation of India (PTC ) Limited.
• Amit Kshatriya, an Indian-American engineer with expertise in software and robotics, has been appointed as the inaugural head of NASA's newly-established Moon to Mars Programme.
• The United States Senate on March 30 confirmed the appointment of Indian American Richard Verma as Deputy Secretary of State, Management and Resources.
• The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Rajasthan has appointed Dr. SheenuJhawar as the new President for a term of two years, from 2023 to 2025.This marks a historic moment as Dr. Jhawar becomes the first woman to hold this position in the 21-year history of TiE Rajasthan.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that Neeraj Nigam has been appointed as the new executive director.
• Vice-Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh assumed the position of Vice-Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) as part of a series of high-level changes in the Indian Navy.
• Rudrendra Tandon appointed India's next Ambassador to Greece.
• Sudha Shivkumar has been appointed as the 40th president of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), which is the oldest women-led and women-centric business chamber in Southeast Asia. The appointment took place during the 39th annual session.
• British-Hindu Murugesvaran ‘Subby’ Subramaniam has been appointed as Warrant Officer of the UK’s Royal Air Force, the aerial warfare and space force announced.
• Krithivasan as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of TCS with effect from June 1, 2023.
• Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has announced the appointment of Ratnakar Patnaik as the new Chief Investment Officer, replacing PR Mishra.

• An Indian-American physician and professor Dr. Nitya Abraham has been honoured with the Young Urologist of the Year Award conferred by the American Urological Association (AUA). Dr. Abraham is an Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Program Director for the Montefiore Urology residency programme.
• The highest decoration of Poland, the Order of the White Eagle, was presented to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky by the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, during a meeting between the two leaders at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.
• Two CBI officers posted in Chandigah were given President's Police Medals for Distinguished Service during the Diamond Jubilee Celebration. The two officers were Joint Director, Vineet Vinayak, Chandigarh Zone, CBI, and Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Seema Pahuja, CBI, Chandigarh.
• Brazilian artist Dante Akira Uwai has won the medal design competition for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024.
• Calayampudi Radhakrishna Rao, a prominent Indian-American mathematician and statistician, will be awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in the field.
• The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) bestowed the SAARC Literature Award 2023 (Special Literary Award) to Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• Kiran Nadar, Philanthropist and an art collector, was conferred with “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion Honour), the highest French civilian award, by Emmanuel Lenain, French Ambassador to India in a ceremony held at the Residence of France in New Delhi, Delhi.
• Pathsala (Assam)-based Tapoban, a nongovernment organisation (NGO), which supports children with special needs has been honoured with the prestigious Children’s Champion Award 2023.
• Tripura has been declared as the Best Performing State in the North-Eastern Region in the implementation of e-procurement jointly by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
• Anjana Vasan, a Chennai-born Singaporean actress and singer-songwriter based out of London, United Kingdom (UK), won Best Supporting Actress in the Play at the 47th edition of Olivier Awards (2023) held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK.
• Aaliya Mir, a wildlife conservationist working for India-based charity Wildlife SOS, has been honoured with the Wildlife Conservation Award for 2023 by the administration of the Union Territory (UT) Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), for her conservation efforts in the region.
• Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, the recipient of the Maharashtra Bhushan award at the recent government event, is known for his remarkable contributions to society.
• India’s Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan won the 2023 TIME100 Reader Poll, the 100th edition of TIME’s readers’ poll in which readers voted for the individuals/groups that they think deserve a spot on the Time’s annual list of the most influential people.
• Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao (CR Rao), a prominent Indian-American Statistician, has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, the statistics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for his monumental work 75 years ago that revolutionised statistical thinking.
• Kumar Mangalam Birla honored with 'Business Leader of the Decade' award by AIMA( All India Management Association)
• National Panchayat Awards 2023 were conferred recently by Panchayati Raj Ministry to recognize best performing Panchayats in the areas that align with the 17 SHGs.
  • Telangana state has bagged 13 out of the 27 National Panchayat Awards 2023 for 2021-22. Under which 8 from the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP).
  • It was followed by Kerala with 4, Jammu and Kashmir with 3, and Maharashtra with 3.
• Chennai-born Singaporean actress Anjana Vasan has won the best supporting actress in a play at the 47th edition of Olivier Awards, which celebrate the best of London theatre, opera and dance.
• Nilesh Bhagwan Sambre, the founder of Jijau Educational and Social Foundation, honoured with the “Maratha Udyog Ratna” award at the “Maratha Entrepreneurs Conference 2023”.
• At the World Vaccine Congress 2023 held in Washington, USA from April 3-6, Bharat Biotech was awarded the Best Production/Process Development award as a part of the Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) awards.

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released images of Earth captured by the EOS-06 satellite in 13 distinct wavelengths to provide information about global vegetation cover on Land and Ocean Biota for global oceans.
  • The images are a mosaic generated by the ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
  • EOS-06, also called OceanSat-3, is a nanosatellite which was launched by ISRO, as part of the PSLV-C54 mission in 2022.

• NASA has announced a team of four astronauts for the lunar mission Artemis-2, which will fly around the Moon for a 10-day mission next year. Artemis-2 will be the first manned flight test and an important step toward establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon.
• Indian private space vehicle company Skyroot Aerospace has tested 3D printed cryogenic engine Dhawan-II for a record 200 seconds for its heavy vehicle Vikram-II.
• The European Space Agency has launched the 'Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission' to study Jupiter and its icy moons namely Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. It was launched from French Guiana through Ariane 5 launcher, this mission will enter the orbit of Ganymede in the year 2034.
• Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace has become the first company in the country to receive subsidy for making agri-drones. Under this, Garud Kisan Drones were given to 8 farmers in a program organized in Pune.
• WhatsApp launches ‘Stay Safe’ campaign, which highlights the several privacy safety features that are pre-built on the messaging app.
• India's first Rapid Rail Transit System to run between Delhi and Meerut, earlier known as the RRTS trains has been named 'RAPIDX', by National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
• 35^th CISO Deep Dive Training Program has been organised by National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY)at the School of Planning and Architecture in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
  • The programme, Cyber Surakshit Bharat, an initiative of MeitY was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of CISOs and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace.
  • NASA launches air pollution monitoring instrument TEMPO on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket NASA noted that TEMPO would be the first space instrument that will be able to measure air pollution levels in North America during the daytime.
• Sanjay Malhotra, Revenue Secretary, Ministry of Finance (MoF), launched the Unified Portal of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), which will instil efficiency and transparency and reduce the time taken by the pharma industry to get a trade licence.
• The Union Cabinet cleared Rs 2,600-crore project to construct and set up a Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory- India (LIGO-India), which is likely to be completed by 2030. Gravitational wave observatory will come up in Hingoli in Maharashtra.

• ‘Miami Open title'-2023: Petra Kvitova and Daniil Medvedev won in women's and men's category respectively.
• Madrid Spain Masters 2023- Kenta Nishimoto of Japan has won the men's singles title Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, an Indonesian badminton player, emerged victorious in the Women's singles category.
• India emerged as the winners in both men’s and women’s categories at the 4th Asian KhoKho Championships held in Tamulpur, Assam.
• Marylebone Cricket Club, the London-based prestigious club, known for framing the rules of the game of cricket, awards top-class cricketers from around the globe with their Honorary Life Membership to five Indian cricketers-  Mahendra Singh Dhoni., Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have been given this honour.
• New Zealand’s Kim Cotton became the first woman on-field umpire in a full-member men’s T-20 during New Zealand’s second match against Sri Lanka in Dunedin.
• Indian weightlifter and two-time Commonwealth Games winner Sanjita Chanu has been banned for four years by India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
• FIFA announced that it had withdrawn Peru's hosting rights to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023. The decision was made following extensive discussions between FIFA and the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF).
• The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) released the latest rankings of international football teams and Argentina topped the FIFA rankings for the first time in six years. Top five ranking:  1^st Argentina, 2^nd France, 3^rd Brazil, 4^th Belgium and 5^th England.
• Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat won the gold medal in the men's 57 kg freestyle category at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
  • Iran topped the medal tally with 11 medals (6 gold). India place at 7^th position having 13 medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 9 bronze).
• David Warner became the fastest batsman to reach 6000 runs in the Indian Premier League with a boundary during a match against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Warner took 165 innings to reach this milestone.
• The first-ever Women’s Blind Cricket Team will represent India in a bilateral series against Nepal which will be played at Pokhara and Kathmandu in Nepal. Sushma Patel will be the captain of India's first blind women's cricket team
• Indian badminton player Priyanshu Rajawat won the Orleans Masters 2023 men's singles title on 9th April, 2023 was held in France.
• Chennai to host the 2^nd edition of the ‘Street Child Cricket World Cup’ in september 2023.
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• Renowned Malayalam writer - Sarah Thomas, a two- time Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awardee, passed away in Trivandrum, Kerala, at the age of 88.
• Salim Aziz Durrani, a former Afghan-born Indian Cricketer, passed away.
• Jagarnath Mahto, Minister of Education in Jharkhand, passed away at the age of 56.
• Former Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu(TN), Naresh Gupta, an IAS officer of the 1973 batch hailing from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) at the age of 72.
• National Award-winning actress and noted theatre artist Uttara Baokar passed away in Pune, Maharashtra, at the age of 79.
• Keshab Mahindra: Former Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra , passed away at the age of 99.
• Benjamin Ferencz, last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor, dies age 103.

• Earth Hour annually observed across the globe on the last Saturday of March. Earth Hour 2023 was observed on 25th March 2023.
• World Autism Awareness Day annually observed across the globe on April 2. It is an International Day recognized by the United Nations (UN). Theme of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) 2023: “Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking”.
• International Children’s Book Day annually observed across the globe April 2. We also celebrate this day as birth anniversary of a Danish novelist and writer Hans Christian Andersen. Theme of International Children’s Book Day “I am a book, read me”.
• International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action annually observed across the globe on April 4. It is an International Day recognized by the United Nations (UN). Theme for 2023 is “Mine Action Cannot Wait”.
• National Maritime Day annually observed across India on April 5. The theme of National Maritime Day 2023 is “Amrit Kaal in Shipping” (Golden Era in Shipping).
• International Day of Conscience annually observed across the world on 5th April. It is an International Day recognized by the United Nations (UN).
• International Day of Sport for Development and Peace annually observed across the globe on April 6. The global theme for 2023 is “Scoring for People and the Planet”.
• World Health Day annually observed across the globe on April 07. 7th April 2023 marks the 75^th anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Theme for 2023 is “Health for All”.
• Prevention of Blindness Week annually observed across India from 1st to 7th April (the first week of April).

• With the aim of ensuring 100 % enrolments in primary and upper primary schools under Uttar Pradesh Basic Shiksha Parishad, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched "School Chalo Abhiyan" from April 1, 2023.
• Z-morh tunnel (2-lane road tunnel) length of 6.5 km is being built under the mountain glacier Thajiwas Glacier between Gagangir and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Kashmir.
• Haryana Police was awarded the 1^st position among all major state police in the implementation of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) released at all India levels.
• According to data shared by the GI Registry, Kerala received the highest number of Geographical Indication (GI) tags for products among all states in India in the fiscal year 23.
• DRIISHYA scheme  (Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Scheme) launched by Haryana government for monitoring of agriculture and horticulture crops and survey of sensitive areas for security purposes etc.
• The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco) has developed a mechanism called Tamil Nadu Regional Aerial Connectivity through Helicopters (TN REACH), which aims to utilize over 80 unused helipads across the state to provide intercity and town connectivity.
  • TN REACH would establish an intra-state network of aerial routes to enable people to travel between cities and towns using helicopters.
  • The mechanism would rely on two existing initiatives – Heli Disha, which is an administrative manual for helicopter operations, and Heli Sewa, which is an online portal for providing landing clearance for helicopter operations.
• Rajasthan government has  approved a proposal for giving 8% interest subsidy on loans obtained by the members of women’s self help groups (SHGs) from Mahila Nidhi, the State’s first-ever women’s cooperative fund. The financial institution has been extending timely loan facility for women enterprises.
• The Himachal Pradesh recently repealed the Loktantra Prahari Samman Act. The Act provides a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 and Rs 12,000 to the people who lodged in jails during the Emergency from 1975 to 1977.
• 'Vibrant Villages Programme' has been launched by Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah  in Arunchal Pradesh. Under the programme, 2967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts along the northern border in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh were identified for comprehensive development.
  • The Union Home Minister has also inaugurated 9 micro hydroelectric projects of the Arunachal Pradesh government built under the "Golden Jubilee Border Lighting Programme" at Kibithu.
  • The Union Home Minister has also inaugurated Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) projects to enhance infrastructure at Likabali (Arunachal Pradesh), Chhapra (Bihar), Nooranad (Kerala) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
• The 924 meters long Tube 1 of the Peeda-Kunfer Tunnel would bypass 2.9 km congested, zigzag, and the accident-prone area between Nashri and Ramban. The tunnel is a part of the ongoing four-lane project of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) between Udhampur and Ramban on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
• Kolkata Metro created history, when its rake ran through a tunnel under a river for the first time in the country. The Metro rake which had only officials and engineers on board ran under the Hooghly from Kolkata to Howrah on the other side of the river.
• The Periyar Tiger Reserve (kerala) has once again been declared the best managed tiger reserve in the country in the 'Excellent' category, according to the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) released by the Government of India.
  • It was followed by Satpura Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) and Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) at the second position (93.18%), while Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) stood third.
• Maharashtra Government will celebrate V D Savarkar’s 140th birth anniversary as ‘Swatantryaveer Gaurav Din’.
• According to a recent census report on tigers in the country, Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary has been identified as a new area where photographic evidence of tigers has been captured for the first time.
  • The sanctuary was established in 1988 and is located in Shravasti, Balrampur, and Gonda districts of Uttar Pradesh. It spans across 452 sq km and is positioned on the border of India and Nepal.
• World's 1^st Asian King Vulture Conservation and Breeding Center to be inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has set up a state-of-the-art Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Center (JCBC) for the critically endangered Asian king vulture.
  • The Asian king vulture is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, is localized primarily to northern India and has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
• The 'Rajasthan Forestry and Biodiversity Development Project' is to be implemented in collaboration with the French Development Agency, which will increase the green area of the state.
• 'AtalBihari Vajpayee Powerloom Electricity Flat Rate Scheme’ has been approved by Uttar Pradesh Government, Rs 400 crore will be spent on this scheme. 80 percent subsidy will be given on handloom and 60 percent subsidy will be given on installation of powerloom.
  • The 'Jhalkari Bai Kori Handloom and Powerloom Development Scheme' has been launched to link the unemployed with employment opportunities. Weavers will be given a grant of Rs 50,000 and Rs 80,000 on two estimated prices of handlooms.
• The Odisha government received investment intents worth around Rs 26,000 crore during the Odisha Business Meet, 2023 held in Tokyo, Japan. Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha, led the high-level delegation to Japan to attract investment in Odisha.
• The Tamil Nadu Government approved the ‘Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gaming and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022’ to ban online gambling, including online rummy and poker with stakes.
  • In June 2022, the TN government formed a committee led by Justice K. Chandru, Former Chief Justice of Madras High Court, to examine the negative effects of online gambling.
• Uttarakhand Government launched “A-HELP” (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) program. '
• 5-day ‘Sang Festival' being has been organized in Haryana, Sang is the most ancient and traditional art in the state.
• The Gond painting of Madhya Pradesh has received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently unveiled a 125-feet tall bronze statue of BR Ambedkar in Hyderabad.
• Himachal Pradesh government will start “Project Sanjeevani” or National Animal Disease Control Program to provide quality veterinary services to the livestock farmers.
• Rajasthan Government will provide free coaching to civil services aspirants under “Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Yojana”.
• 3D-printed post office is being built in Bengaluru, India, which will be the first of its kind in the country.
• Punjab government launched Punjab’s ‘CM diYogshala’ programme.
• The Maharashtra government set up a 6-member committee headed by Sudhir kumar Shrivastava to formulate rules for app and web-based taxi service aggregators.
• National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) have found Rare-Earth Elements (REEs) in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh.
• In Jammu and Kashmir, the Food & Drugs Administration of the Union Territory, in collaboration with the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is going to organise an Eat Right Millet Mela (ERMM).
• The Telangana government has scheduled the Food Conclave-2023 on April 28 and 29 in Hyderabad, which is a yearly gathering of 100 experts in the agri-food industry to discuss and exchange ideas.
• Tripura’s recent award as the best-performing state in the North Eastern region for e-Procurement is a significant achievement for the state.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a 54 feet tall statue of Lord Hanuman at Sarangpur temple in Botad district of Gujarat.
• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated a two-day 'Gaj Utsav-2023' at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.