26th APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

  

1. Bangladesh's first satellite to go aloft on May 7

Bangladesh is all set to become a member of the exclusive club of satellite-owning countries as its first commercial satellite "Bangabandhu-1" will likely be flying to space on May 7 from the US.

• Bangladeshi Telecommunication and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar made the announcement.
• The satellite will be launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral.
• In September 2016, Bangladesh signed a 14-billion-taka (about $180 million) loan agreement with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) to finance the country's first-ever satellite "Bangabandhu-I".

2. World Malaria Day: 25 April

 

World Malaria Day is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria.

• Globally, 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria.
• WMD is one of eight official global public health campaigns currently marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day and World AIDS Day.
• World Malaria Day 2018 theme is ‘Ready to beat malaria’.

3. India ranks 138 in World Press Freedom Index

India slipped in the annual World Press Freedom Index 2018 for the second straight year, falling two places to rank 138th among 180 countries in the latest list.

• The country was ranked 136th in 2015, gained three places to 133rd in 2016, and fell back to 136th last year.
• Norway once again topped the list, while North Korea found itself at the bottom.

4. Foreigners can now travel to Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur without a permit

Foreign tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, would now be allowed to visit some of the most pristine locations of the country.

• The home ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect from April 1.
• Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states were declared as protected areas.

5. Human Resource Development Ministry Launches Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0

Human Resource Development Ministry has launches Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 in New Delhi.

• Addressing the launching ceremony at AICTE headquarters through video message, Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar said that the students are the real agents of change who can develop, empower and brighten the future of the country.
• Shri Javadekar said that Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 is in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision to transform India, in which students from colleges and universities will go to nearby villages to get acquainted with the life of the village people and the problems faced by them in day to day life.

6. Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI 2018

As part of ongoing Indo-Malaysian defence cooperation, a joint training exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI will be conducted in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia from 30 April 18 to 13 May 18.

• The exercise is aimed at bolstering cooperation & coordination between armed forces of both the nations and to share the expertise of both the contingents in conduct of counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain.

7. PNB to hire detective agencies to locate untraceable borrowers

Fraud-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB) has invited applications for empanelment of detective agencies to locate its untraceable borrowers.

• In its efforts to recover NPAs, the PNB has also resorted to 'Gandhigiri' wherein its staff hope to 'name and shame' defaulting borrowers to recover up to Rs 150 crore worth bad loans every month.
• The Delhi-headquartered bank has been at the receiving end of the over Rs 13,000 crore fraud involving diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

8. India signs loan agreement with World Bank for US$ 125 million

A Loan Agreement for IBRD credit of US$ 125 (equivalent) for the “Innovate in India for Inclusiveness Project” was signed with the World Bank on 24th April, 2018 in New Delhi.

• The Objectives of the project is to nurture indigenous innovation, foster local product development and accelerate commercialization process by bridging critical skill and infrastructure gaps to promote affordable and innovative healthcare products generation for inclusive development and increasing competitiveness in India.  
• The project would support consortia of public, private, and the academic institutions to overcome the key market failures currently holding back the development of an innovative biopharmaceutical and medical devices industry in India.

9. TV actor Amita Udgata passes away

TV actor Amita Udgata breathed her last due to lung failure. The veteran actor has many popular TV shows to her credit.

• Amita Udgata became a household name after playing the role of ‘Amma’ in Star Plus’ popular social drama Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya.
• Amita was also seen in films like Sarbjit and Hasee Toh Phasee.

10. Vice President Releases the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the Smart Cities Mission is the beginning of India’s urban renaissance.

• He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’ authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma.
• The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.