12th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. Cabinet approves Headquarters Agreement between India and the ISA

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for entering into Headquarters (Host country) Agreement between India and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and authorizing the Ministry of External Affairs for signing the Headquarter Agreement. 

• The Agreement was signed on 26th March, 2018.
• The Headquarters Agreement will institutionalize the functional arrangements between India and ISA. 
• It will help in smooth transition of ISA as international inter-governmental organization. 
• Creation of ISA will lead to accelerated solar technology development and deployment in ISA member countries including India.

2. World's largest solar park to come up in Gujarat

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has approved setting up a 5,000 MW capacity solar park at the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), which would be the largest such entity in the world after its completion.

• The proposed solar power generation project would be set up in 11,000 hectares of land with an investment of Rs 25,000 crore.
• The project will contribute significantly in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's target of producing 175 gigawatt of electricity through renewable energy sources by 2022.

3. FSSAI launches initiative to address Vitamin D deficiency

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched 'Project Dhoop', an initiative aimed at shifting the school assembly time to noon to ensure maximum absorption of Vitamin D in students through natural sunlight.

• The project was launched at National Bal Bhavan here, and saw participation of around 600 students from NCERT, NDMC and North MCD Schools.
• The initiative has been conceptualised by McCannHealth and supported by Kwality (Ltd).

4. Delhi's IGI in world's top 20 busiest airports

Robust air traffic growth at the capital's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has propelled it into the list of top 20 airports in terms of passenger traffic in 2017.

• According to the Airports Council International (ACI), Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai were among the fastest growing airports in the world last year.

5. ISRO puts navigation satellite INRSS-1I into orbit

The Indian Space Research Organisation's navigation satellite INRSS-1I was launched by PSLV-C41 and successfully placed in the designated orbit.

• PSLV-C41/IRNSS-1I Mission blasted off at 4.04 am from the first launchpad at the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre.

6. Prime Minister to inaugurate DefExpo 2018 in Chennai on April 12

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Tamilnadu on April 12. He will inaugurate the 10th edition of Defence Expo, DefExpo-2018 in Chennai at Tiruvidanthal, in Kancheepuram district.

• The tag line of DefExpo this year is “‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub” to showcase India’s capability in export of defence systems and components.
• More than 670 exhibitors including over 150 international exhibitors will take part in the DefExpo.
• MSME sector will have a fair representation this time around 15%.
• Indian participation include majors like Tata, L&T, Kalyani, Bharat Forge, Mahindra, MKU, DRDO, HAL, BEL, BDL, BEML, MDL, GRSE, GSL, HSL, MIDHANI, Ordnance Factories, and many others. 

7. Jitendra Singh launches online dashboard to monitor public grievances on real time basis

 

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched an online dashboard developed by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

• The dashboard will monitor public grievances on real time basis and periodically review progress of systemic reforms.
• The systemic reforms and their monitoring metrics, catering to grievance issues are highlighted on the dashboard.
• This will enable concerned Ministries/Departments to monitor implementation of these reforms. 
• Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the DARPG is the nodal department for the dashboard that was launched today, but it will also be helpful to the concerned.

8. Yes Bank forms tie-up with Euronet India

Payment and transaction processing solutions provider, Euronet India, said it has partnered with Yes Bank to modernise the bank’s core payment infrastructure.

• Euronet will support the bank in switching transactions between end points, driving payment channels and card management services, among others.

9. Indian Consortium and Saudi Aramco Sign MoU for Ratnagiri Mega Refinery

An Indian Consortium consisting of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL and Saudi Aramco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop and build an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex, Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL) in the State of Maharashtra. 

• Saudi Aramco may also seek to include a strategic partner to co-invest in the project. 
• The strategic partnership brings together crude supply, resources, technologies, experience and expertise of these multiple oil companies with an established commercial presence around the world.
• The refinery will be capable of processing 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day (60 million metric tonnes per annum, or MMTPA).

10. HRD Ministry is setting up a committee to reduce the fear of math

Human Resource Development Ministry has constituted the committee under the Chairmanship of Gujarat Education Minister Shri Bhupendra sinh Chudasama to suggest the ways to make the maths subject easy.

• This was announced by the Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar after the Annual Meeting of National Council of Educational Research and Training- NCERT at New Delhi.
• While briefing the media persons, Shri Javadekar said that this decision was taken on the basis of National Assessment Survey to eliminate the fear of maths among the students.
• He further said that eminent educationists and senior officials will be the part of this committee.