National & International Appointments
1. NASA astronaut Christina Koch becomes the first woman to go around the moon
- The American Space Agency, NASA has selected the first woman astronaut, Christina Koch for its Artemis II mission.
- Other crew members: Victor Glover (First Black Astronaut) and Reid Wiseman of NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
- It will involve a fly-by of the moon and a 10-day journey back to Earth.
- It is part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024.
International Affairs
2. Bahrain launches Golden Licence to attract large-scale investment projects
- Bahrain's government has launched a new initiative called 'Golden Licence' to incentivize investments and the creation of jobs.
- It is designed to provide streamlined services and benefits to local and foreign businesses with large-scale investment projects in Bahrain.
- Eligibility for the Licence: Companies with significant strategic projects and investments exceeding US$50 million or those creating more than 500 jobs in Bahrain.
Banking & Finance
3. Public sector banks transfer ₹35,012 cr unclaimed deposits to RBI
- The Public sector banks (PSBs) have transferred unclaimed deposits of ₹35,012 crore as of February 2023 to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- These deposits have not been operated for 10 years or more.
- SBI tops the list with an unclaimed amount of ₹8,086 crore, while PNB has ₹5,340 crore and Canara Bank has ₹4,558 crore.
- These unclaimed deposits belong to 10.24 crore accounts transferred to the RBI.
- MoS for Finance Bhagwat Karad shared this information in Lok Sabha.
Banking & Finance
4. Axis Bank launches business management solution for merchants
- Axis Bank and VISA jointly launched a mobile application, 'Digital Dukaan' to empower merchants to accept payments through various digital modes.
- It is designed to address business requirements such as accepting digital payments, inventory management, and billing.
- This Android Smart POS application has an in-built camera with an LED flashlight to enable scanning of product barcodes and allow a tap-and-pay option for transactions up to Rs 5,000.
National Affairs
5. Bhutan king arrives in India for a two-day visit
- Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrived in India for a two-day visit and was received by EAM S Jaishankar in New Delhi.
- Both countries will discuss hydro-power cooperation, economic and trade partnership, space cooperation, scholarships, youth-centric and STEM-based initiatives, and establishing digital infrastructure matters.
- The defense and security ties between the two countries have seen significant growth in the last few years.
Sports
6. Gregoria Tunjung won 2023 Spain Masters women's title
- Gregoria Mariska Tunjung from Indonesia has clinched the Women's title in the 2023 Spain Masters, held in Madrid, Spain from 28 March-2 April 2023.
- She defeated Indian Badminton player, PV Sindhu.
- While Japanese badminton player, Kenta Nishimoto won the men's title.
- Other winners:
- Men's doubles: He Jiting and Zhou Haodong (China)
- Women's doubles: Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning (China)
- Mixed doubles: Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje (Denmark)
Important Dates
7. International Day Of Mine Awareness And Action 2023: 4th April
- International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed every year on April 4 to raise awareness against explosive mines and gather assistance towards their eradication.
- Theme 2023: Mine Action Cannot Wait
- The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) leads the mine action community, which plays an important role in achieving the goals of mine action.
- On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April to observe as this day.
Sports
8. Max Verstappen wins F1 Australian Grand Prix
- Red Bull's driver, Max Verstappen, won his first Australian Grand Prix 2023, held at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Australia.
- While Seven-time world champion, L. Hamilton (Mercedes driver) finished second followed by F. Alonso (Aston Martin) and L. Stroll (Aston Martin).
- The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually in Australia since 1928.
- The next F1 Azerbaijan GP will be held in Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan on April 30, 2023.
Banking & Finance
9. World Bank: India's economy to slow in FY24, GDP growth seen at 6.3%
- World Bank has predicted India's economy to slow in the current fiscal (2023-24) to 6.3% on the back of shrinkage in consumption due to slower income growth.
- The report estimates India's inflation to moderate from 6.6% to 5.5% in the current fiscal.
- The Current Account Deficit (CAD) is expected to be 5.2% in FY24.
- The Economic Survey had projected a growth of 6.5% for the current fiscal while RBI's latest projection pegs growth for FY24 at 6.4%.
National & International Appointments
10. Sudha Shivkumar becomes 40th President of FICCI Ladies Organisation
- Chennai-based Sudha Shivkumar has assumed the charge as the 40th president of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) at the 39th annual session.
- FLO is the oldest women-led and women-centric business chamber in Southeast Asia.
- She is a lawyer and investment banker by profession and presently serving as a director at auto ancillaries.
- She was the Chairperson of the FLO Chennai Chapter in 2016-17.
- FLO is the women's wing of the FICCI
Obituaries
11. Oscar-winning Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passes away
- Veteran composer and green activist Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away at the age of 71 due to cancer.
- He was a Japanese composer, record producer, and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO).
- As a film-score composer, he won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and two Golden Globe Awards.
- He won an Academy Award with his score for the 1987 period epic “The Last Emperor".
Defense
12. India, US to begin major air combat exercise in Kalaikunda, West Bengal
- The Indian Air Force and the US Air Force started the joint exercise ' Cope India' at Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal from April 10 to 21, 2023.
- This exercise will enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two air forces.
- While Japan will also join as an “observer” in the exercise and witness “air combat and mobility elements” operating from multiple air bases like Kalaikunda, Panagarh, Agra, and Hindon.
National Affairs
13. India could become world's second-largest solar manufacturer by 2026
- According to the new joint report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research and Analytics, India could become the world’s second-largest solar photovoltaic manufacturer by 2026, after China.
- India’s cumulative module manufacturing nameplate capacity more than doubled from 18GW in March 2022 to 38GW in March 2023.
- In terms of upcoming PV manufacturing installations, Gujarat would be the leading state in India.
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