NATIONAL:
1. Apple Retail Store
Why in news - Apple would open its first retail store in India soon in Mumbai.
Key Points –
• Location - Jio World Drive Mall, Mumbai.
• Second retail store to open in Delhi.
• India is the second biggest market for smartphones.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Golden Licence
Why in news - Bahrain introduced a new ‘golden license’ offering benefits to companies bringing large-scale investment projects.
Key Points –
• Eligibility –
(a) companies that create more than 500 jobs, or
(b) investment value exceeding $50 million
• It is part of an economic recovery plan launched in October 2021 to boost growth and job creation.
2. African Union Transition Mission
Why in news – India's Ruchira Kamboj handed over USD 2 million to the UN Trust Fund in support of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
Key Points –
• Aim – to ensure peace and stability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa by containing the terrorism perpetrated by Al-Shabaab.
• Earlier, India had contributed USD 4 million to African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
• Horn of Africa countries - Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
SECURITY:
1. Ex KAVACH
Why in news – Joint Military Exercise ‘Ex KAVACH’ was concluded on April 7, 2023 in Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Key Points –
• Conducted by - Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC).
• Participants - Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
• ANC is India’s only tri-services command.
• The exercise was previously conducted in 2021 known as AMPHEX-21.
RANKS & INDICES:
1. Busiest Airports in 2022
Why in news – Annual data was shared by the Airports Council International (ACI) World.
Key Points –
• Top 10 Busiest Airports –
(a) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, USA (93.7 million passengers)
(b Dallas Fort Worth Airport, USA (73.4 million passengers)
(c) Denver Airport, USA (69.3 million passengers).
• Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport rank - 9th (59.5 million or 5.94 crore passengers).
• IGI Airport - Only airport from South and southeast Asia to make the top 10 list.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Gaj Utasav 2023
Why in news – President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated “Gaj Utsav” on April 7, 2023, at Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
Key Points –
• By - Union Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change.
• Reason - Successful performance of 30 years of Project Elephant (1992) to boost conservation efforts.
• Assam is home to the second-largest population of wild elephants.
• Kaziranga National Park -It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the world’s two-third population of one-horned rhinos.
About Elephant -
• Protection Status of elephant –
(a) IUCN Red List - Endangered.
(b) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 - Schedule I.
(c) CITES: Appendix I
• Elephants live in small family groups led by old females (cows).
• Gestation period - 18–22 months.
• Most elephants - Karnataka (6,049) > Assam (5,719) > Kerala (3,054).
• Female elephants can continue to give birth till they are around 50 years old.
About Project Elephant (1992) –
• Central Sponsored Scheme.
• Primarily being carried out in 16 States/UTs.
• Aim – To protect elephants, their habitat, and corridors.
• Elephant corridor - A stretch of forested (or otherwise) land that connects larger habitats with elephant populations.
2. 50 Years of Project Tiger
Why in news – PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the program “Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger” at Mysuru University, Karnataka on April 9, 2023.
Key Points –
• He released “Amrit Kaal Ka Vision For Tiger Conservation”, a summary report of the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves.
• He also visited the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
• India is home to 75% of the world’s tiger population in the 75th year of Indian independence.
• Tiger reserves in India cover - 75,000 km2 land.
• In the past 10-12 years, the tiger population in the country has increased by 75%.
• Bharia (Central India) and Worli (Maharashtra) community worship the tiger.
• India has only 2.4% of the world’s land area but it contributes toward 8% to known global biodiversity.
• India is the largest tiger range (present - 3167 tigers) country in the world, the largest Asiatic elephant range country (30,000 elephants) and the largest single-horn rhino (3000 rhinos).
3. International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
Why inn news – PM Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) on April 9, 2023.
Key Points –
• Initiative of India.
• Funding - $100 million (over Rs 800 crore) over 5 years.
• Animals covered – 7 major big cats i.e., tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah.
• Membership - Open to 97 “range” countries, other interested nations, international organisations, etc.
• India - Only country in the world to have tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards and cheetahs in the wild. (except the pumas and jaguars).
Value Addition –
• Tiger population (2018 census) – 2967, 70% of the world’s tiger population.
• Asiatic Lion population (2020 census) – 674. Gir National Park (Gujarat) is the last abode of the Asiatic Lions in the world.
• Snow Leopard population – 500. Spread over J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Cheetah – 8 from Namibia and 12 from South Africa were introduced in Kuno National Park (MP).
SPORTS:
1. FIFA Rankings
Why in news – FIFA’s first ranking chart of the year 2023 was released.
Key Points –
• Top 3 – Argentina (1st), France (2nd), Brazil (3rd).
• Indian men’s football team rank - 101st (Earlier – 106th).
• Asian ranking – 19th. (Top in Asia - Japan).
• Total points - 1200.66.
• India’s best ranking - 94th (1996).
STATES/UTs:
1. DRIISHYA Scheme
Why in news – Haryana launched the Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Limited (DRIISHYA).
Key Points –
• Aim – to survey infrastructure projects, monitoring of agriculture & horticulture crops and sensitive areas for security purposes etc.
• Other applications - Curbing illegal mining and to monitor and prevent stubble burning in the state.
POINTERS:
• The United Arab Emirates and which other other country have signed a declaration to launch negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement – Vietnam.
• By whom India's first solar powered tourist boat has been launched - KSINC (Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation).
• Who has been elected as the President of UEFA till 2027 - Aleksander Ceferin.
• Iran has appointed its ambassador to which country for the first time in 8 years - the United Arab Emirates.
• Which ministry has issued amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 to regulate “Online Real Money Games” - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• India could become the world's second-largest solar photovoltaic manufacturer by which year – 2026.
• In which language did the Union Minister of Law and Justice inaugurate the translation of the Constitution of India at the University of Jammu – Dogri.
• Which Indian actor has topped Time magazine's poll, the annual list of TIME100, released on 7 April 2023 - Shahrukh Khan.
• Where will the country's first Global Tourism investors Summit be organized by the Ministry of Tourism on April 10-12 - New Delhi.
• President Draupadi Murmu made a historic flight on April 8, 2023 from Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam in which fighter aircraft – Sukhoi-30 MKI.