23th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

  

1. World Earth Day: 22 April

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22.

• Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
• First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events in more than 193 countries are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.
• On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, China, and some 120 other countries.
• The theme for World Earth Day 2018 is 'End Plastic Pollution'.

2. Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) – 2018

The 6th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and Conclave of Chiefs is being hosted by Iran at Tehran from 23 to 25 April 2018.

• The Chief of the Naval Staff is leading a four member Indian delegation for the event.
• The IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008.
• The forum seeks to enhance maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion on regionally relevant maritime issues that would lead to common understanding on the way ahead.
• The inaugural edition of IONS was held in February 2008 at New Delhi, with Indian Navy as the Chair for two years.
• This was followed by UAE from 2010 - 2012, South Africa from 2012 - 2014, Australia from   2014 - 2016 and Bangladesh from 2016 - 2018.

3. In hunt for MD and CEO, Axis Bank appoints global leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder

Private sector lender Axis Bank said it has appointed global leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder to appoint a new Managing Director and CEO for the bank.

• The move follows Shikha Sharma, the current Managing Director and CEO of the bank, deciding to step down from the post after December 31 this year.
• Axis Bank had on April 9 announced that Sharma had decided to cut short her fourth term and leave at the end of the year.

4. YES Bank gets RBI nod to open 2 global representative offices

Private sector lender YES Bank has got approval from the Reserve Bank of India to open two international representative offices.

• The new offices will come up in London and Singapore as part of the bank’s international expansion to provide services to the NRI (non resident Indian) population, the bank said in a statement.
• As part of its international expansion, YES Bank had opened its first overseas office in Abu Dhabi in 2015 followed by the debut of IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in the same year.

5. PM Modi awarded Manipur’s Karang – India’s first cashless island

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured bureaucrats for making Manipur’s Karang the first cashless island of the country, and implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and other priority initiatives of the Centre.

• Modi awarded civil servants for smooth implementation of four priority programmes — Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban and Rural), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, and for promoting digital payments.
• Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra and Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch were awarded for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin).
• Puducherry and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Telangana, got the PM’s award for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
• West Tripura and Maharashtra’s Beed were awarded for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

6. Bengal’s Digambarpur is India’s best Gram Panchayat

West Bengal’s Digambarpur Gram Panchayat has bagged the Centre’s award for the best Gram Panchayat in the country.

• A survey was conducted to find out the best Gram Panchayat in the country and in a letter to the state government the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has stated that Digambarpur has come up as the best out of 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats in the country.

7. Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori to win Monte Carlo Masters

Rafael Nadal won a record 31st Masters title after beating Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 in the Monte Carlo Masters final.

• Nadal also became the first man in the Open era to win the Monte Carlo title 11 times and moved one ahead of rival Novak Djokovic for career Masters titles.
• It gave him a 76th title overall and ensured the Spaniard keeps his top ranking ahead of Roger Federer.

8. World's oldest person Nabi Tajima passes away at 117

The world's oldest person, a 117-year-old Japanese woman, has died. Nabi Tajima died of old age in a hospital in southern Japan.

• Tajima, born on 4 August, 1900, was the last known person born in the 19th century.
• She became the world's oldest person seven months ago after the death of Violet Brown in Jamaica, also at the age of 117.

9. Nitish Kumar Launches 3 Books On Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Movement

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar released three books based on Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran movement of 1917.

• Nitish Kumar released the books titled- 'Mister M K Gandhi Ki Champaran Diary' written by Arvind Mohan, 'Champaran Andolan 1917' edited by Ashutosh Partheshwar and 'Pir Muhammad Munis: Kalam Ka Satyagrahi' collected and edited by Srikant.
• The Champaran movement is acknowledged as the first Satyagraha movement inspired by Mahatma Gandhi