NATIONAL:
1. UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF)
Why in news – India is the 4th highest donor to UN Democracy Fund.
Key Points –
• UNDEF funds at least 68 projects worldwide linked to George Soros’s Open Society Foundation (OSF).
• India has put George Soros’s NGO OSF on watchlist in 2016.
• India has contributed over USD 32 million since its inception (2005).
• Top three donors - US, Sweden, and Germany.
About UNDEF (2005) –
• Created by - Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
• Aim - to support democratization efforts around the world.
• India is a founding member of UNDEF.
2. Public Water Budget
Why in news – Kerala became the first state to adopt a water budget to solve water scarcity in Kerala.
Key Points –
• Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan also launched Ini Njan Ozhukatte (Let me flow now) project for the rehabilitation of irrigation networks in the Western Ghats.
• The idea of a water budget was first mooted by the state in 2019.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. World's Largest “Narco-State”
Why in news – The Centre of Operational Analysis and Research reported that Syria has turned into the largest narco-state in the world.
Key Points –
• More than 90% of Syria’s foreign exchange come from the production and export of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine.
• Captagon is commonly referred to as "poor man's coke".
• It is sometimes called “Captain Courage” or “Jihadi magic potion”
• Captagon is a synthetic stimulant composed of amphetamine and caffeine, and it is an internationally-recognized illegal drug.
• It was introduced in 1961 to treat health conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy and depression.
2. ChatGPT Taskforce
Why in news – Europe's privacy watchdog European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has set up a task force on OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot.
Key Points –
• EDPB - It is an autonomous entity responsible for supervising data protection regulations within the European Union.
• Earlier, Italy became the first country in the world to ban ChatGPT.
• ChatGPT was released by Microsoft-backed OpenAI in November 2022.
3. Olkiluoto 3 Reactor
Why in news – Europe’s most powerful nuclear reactor, the Olkiluoto 3 reactor has completed its test phase in Finland.
Key Points –
• It is an EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor).
• Capacity - 1,600 megawatts.
• The Olkiluoto 3 is Western Europe’s first new reactor in more than 15 years.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. 24th IRIGC-TEC
Why in news – India and Russia agreed to work towards unlocking the full potential of their economic engagement.
Key Points –
• India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) was held in New Delhi.
• India-Russia trade volume - USD 45 billion (April 2022 to February 2023).
• India and Russia are discussing a free trade agreement (FTA).
• Aim - Bilateral investment to US $ 50 billion and bilateral trade to US $ 30 billion by 2025.
SCIENCE – TECHNOLOGY:
1. TruthGPT
Why in news – SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to introduce a platform called ‘TruthGPT.’
Key Points –
• Aim - to take on Google’s Bard and Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
• Musk registered a firm named X.AI Corp, incorporated in Nevada, USA with Musk as the sole director.
• Elon Musk said that AI has the potential of civilizational destruction.
2. Low-Cost Camera Setup
Why in news - IIT Indore in collaboration with the NASA-Caltech has developed a low-cost camera setup.
Key Points –
• It can provide multispectral imaging of four chemical species in a flame using single DSLR camera.
• DSLR camera device name – “CL-Flam”.
3. Plant “Cries”
Why in news – A group of researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel had been able to pick up distress noises made by plants.
Key Points –
• Plants make very distinct, high-pitched sounds in the ultrasonic range during stress e.g., need of water.
• Jagadish Chandra Bose had shown that plants were able to feel pleasure and pain just like animals.
Bose’s Science –
• He is remembered for two things –
• His work on wireless transmission of signals
• On the physiology of plants.
• He had anticipated the p-type and n-type semiconductors.
• He is widely believed to be the first one to generate electromagnetic signals in the microwave range.
• He was the first one to come up with radio receivers, which enabled wireless telegraphy. And yet, Guglielmo Marconi was awarded the 1909 Nobel Prize for transmission of signals.
• He built some remarkably sensitive instruments.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Why in news – Raj Subramaniam has been presented with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.
Key Points –
• Raj Subramaniam is the Indian-American CEO of global transportation giant FedEx.
• Other awardee - Darshan Singh Dhaliwal.
• It is the highest civilian award given by India to persons of Indian origin and Indian diaspora.
• The award was instituted in 2003.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. World Liver Day
Why in news – It is observed on April 19.
Key Points –
• Theme – “Be Vigilant, Do Regular Liver Check-Ups, Fatty Liver Can Affect Anyone”.
About Liver –
• Largest gland in the human body.
• Functions - Support metabolism, immunity, digestion, detoxification, vitamin storage among other functions.
• It comprises around 2% of an adult's body weight.
• Unique organ – It has a dual blood supply from the portal vein (75%) and the hepatic artery (25%).
• Glisson’s capsule - Layer of fibrous connective tissue surrounding the liver.
• Functional unit of the liver – Lobule (hexagonal).
• Bile juice - A physiological aqueous solution produced and secreted by the liver.
• Diseases of Liver – Jaundice, Cirrhosis and Hepatitis A, B, C (caused by virus).
APPS & PORTALS:
1. YUVA Portal
Why in news – Dr. Jitendra Singh launched “YUVA PORTAL” to help in connecting and identifying potential young Start-Ups.
Key Points –
• He also launched “One Week -One Lab” program in New Delhi.
• CSIR-National Physical Laboratory is the custodian of Indian Standard Time (IST) generated using an atomic timescale consisting of Cesium atomic clocks and Hydrogen masers.
BIHAR:
1. Caste Census
Why in news – The Patna high court refused to stay the ongoing caste-based survey in the state.
Key Points –
• Public interest litigations (PIL) filed states that –
(a) The survey was being held without any legislation in place.
(b) The caste notification issued did not mention the intention behind conducting the survey.
(c) In K.S. Puttaswamy case, Supreme Court held that individuals cannot be forced to disclose information as it amounted to breach of right to privacy of citizens.
About Census –
• It is being held in two phases.
• First phase (January 7 and 21, 2023) – It involve 127 million respondents in 29 million households.
• Second phase (April 15 - May 15, 2023).
POINTERS:
• Who has organised Srijana: National Conference on Female Infertility - All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA).
• What is the name of newly found new freshwater edible fish species from Kolab river in Koraput, Odisha - Garra laishrami.
• Which country has successfully launched its first operational earth observation satellite Taifa-1 – Kenya.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah has presented the "Maharashtra Bhushan" award for the year 2022 to whom - Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari.
• Who is now the holder of the 2nd longest jump in India's history and has qualified for the Asian Games - Shaili Singh.
• DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence was inaugurated by DRDO in which IIT - IIT Hyderabad.
• 3-day cultural program “Saurashtra Tamil Sangam” was held in which state – Gujarat.
• G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) was organized in which city – Varanasi.
• Which city overtook Sydney as Australia's most populous city – Melbourne.
• Who has became Nepal's new foreign minister - Narayan Prasad Saud.