1. Renowned theatre actress Jalabala Vaidya passed away
Tags: Person in news
Noted theatre actress and co-founder of Akshara Theater Jalabala Vaidya passed away on April 9, 2023.
An Overview of the News
- Jalabala Vaidya started her theatrical journey in 1968 with 'Full Circle'.
- Vaidya was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi's Tagore Award, the Delhi Natya Sangh Award and the Andhra Pradesh Natya Akademi Award.
- Vaidya's passing is a great loss to the theatre community, and his legacy will continue to inspire and influence generations of theatre artists to come.
About Delhi Natya Sangh Awards
- It is an annual award for excellence in Indian theatre.
- It was established in 1956 by the Delhi Natya Sangh Sangathan.
- The award is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to Indian theatre, such as actors, directors and playwrights.
- Several eminent theatre personalities including Habib Tanveer, Badal Sarkar and Ibrahim Alkazi have received the award.
About Andhra Pradesh Natya Akademi Award
- It is an award for contribution to theatre and performing arts in Andhra Pradesh and is presented annually by the Andhra Pradesh Natya Akademi.
- It is one of the highest honours in the field of theatre in the state and the recipients are selected by a panel of experts in the field.
- The award ceremony is generally held during the state level theatre festival.
- Recipients are recognized for excellence in acting, directing, playwriting and technical aspects of theatre production.
2. Last surviving Nazi trial lawyer Ben Ferenczz passes away
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Ben Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials, died on 9 April 2023.
An Overview of the News
- The Nuremberg Trials were held after World War II to try Nazi leaders for war crimes, crimes against peace, and crimes against humanity.
- Ferencz was a key member of the prosecution team and helped secure convictions against high-ranking Nazis, including Einsatzgruppen leaders who oversaw mass murders of Jews and others.
- Ferencz was also a witness to the atrocities committed in Nazi concentration and labour camps, and helped document these crimes in detail.
About The Nuremberg Trials
- These were military tribunals organised by the Allies after World War II.
- They were held in Nuremberg, Germany from 1945–1946 to prosecute high-ranking Nazi officials for war crimes, crimes against peace, and crimes against humanity.
- The trials established the principle of personal accountability for war crimes.
3. 'Subby' Subramaniam appointed Warrant Officer of UK's Royal Air Force (RAF)
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Indian-origin man Subby Subramaniam has been commissioned as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom in April 2023.
An Overview of the News
His role will include advising the Chief of the Air Staff on matters relating to RAF personnel, a significant responsibility.
Subramaniam will take over from Warrant Officer Jake Alpert, who previously held the role.
Notably, Subramaniam was appointed as the inaugural Command Warrant Officer of the United Kingdom Space Command in 2021, demonstrating his experience and aptitude for the new post.
About Royal Air Force (RAF)
It is a branch of the armed forces of the United Kingdom that specialises in aerial warfare and space operations.
It was established on April 1, 1918, at the end of World War I. At that time, it became the world's first independent air force.
The RAF was formed by merging the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
The RAF is responsible for protecting UK airspace, conducting overseas operations and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief around the world.
The RAF's motto is "Per Ardua Ad Astra", meaning "Through Adversity to the Stars" it reflects the determination and resilience of the men and women who serve in this prestigious force.
Establishment - 1 April 1918
Founder - Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard
Parent organisation - RAF Air Command
Subsidiaries - Royal Air Force Air Cadets, Air Cadet Organization
Fighter Aircraft - Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
4. Shah Rukh Khan Tops 2023 TIME100 Reader Poll
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Superstar Shah Rukh Khan topped Time magazine's poll, the annual list of Time 100, released on 7 April 2023.
An Overview of the News
Shah Rukh Khan won the election beating other notable figures like Prince Harry, Lionel Messi and META founder Mark Zuckerberg.
This is a significant achievement for Shah Rukh Khan, who is a hugely popular Bollywood actor with a massive global following.
The Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
This list is compiled by Time magazine, an American news magazine known for its coverage of current affairs and culture.
It was first published in 1999 following debate among American academics, politicians and journalists.
This is a reflection of the people who have had the biggest impact on the world in the past year.
The list includes individuals from a wide range of fields, including politics, business, entertainment and activism.
5. Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahato passed away
Tags: Person in news
Jagarnath Mahto, the Minister for School Education and Literacy in Jharkhand, passed away on 6 April at the age of 56.
An Overview of the News
Jagarnath Mahato was airlifted to Chennai last month due to health complications and underwent a lung transplant in November 2020 after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Jharkhand's education minister was a four-time MLA from Dumri in Giridih district.
Jagarnath Mahato was also known as Tiger Mahato or Tiger Jagarnath Da.
Mahato had represented the Dumri assembly seat since 2000, which has been a stronghold of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party.
In the 2014 assembly elections, he won the seat by 77,984 votes defeating his nearest rival from the BJP party.
About Jharkhand
It is a state located in the eastern region of India.
The state is famous for its beautiful waterfalls, such as Hundru Falls and Jonha Falls.
Betla National Park is a popular destination in Jharkhand that is home to elephants, tigers and other wildlife.
Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, is the gateway to Betla National Park and is also known for the 17th-century Jagannath Temple, a Hindu temple.
Tagore Hill in Ranchi is a monument that honours Nobel Prize-winning author Rabindranath Tagore, who is considered one of the greatest writers in the history of Bengali literature.
Establishment - 15 November 2000
Official Flower - Sacred Tree
Chief Minister - Hemant Soren
Capital - Ranchi
6. Kalikesh Singh Deo takes charge as NRAI president
Tags: Sports Person in news
Senior Vice President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo assumed charge as the President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on 6 April. He replaced Raninder Singh.
An overview of the news
Raninder, who was elected NRAI president in September 2021, went on leave after the Sports Ministry issued a directive that the heads of National Sports Federations (NSFs) cannot hold office for more than 12 years as per the National Sports Code.
Raninder had completed 12 years as the president from December 29, 2010 till December 29, 2022 and as per the code, he cannot continue as NRAI chief any further.
In an impromptu virtual meeting, the governing body "unanimously" approved Dev as the president.
About National Rifle Association of India (NRAI)
It was established in 1951 with the objective of promoting and popularizing shooting sports in India.
The first speaker of Lok Sabha, GV Mavalankar was the founder president of NRAI.
It is affiliated to the International Shooting Sport Federation, Asian Shooting Confederation, Commonwealth Shooting Federation, South Asian Shooting Confederation and Indian Olympic Association.
In India it has shown steady progress and has grown significantly since 1994.
Indian shooters have won many medals in international competitions like Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth and Asian Games/Championships.
7. Honda Motor Appoints Tsutsumu Otani As Its New President, CEO And MD
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Honda Motor Company Limited on 5 April 2023 appointed Tsutsumu Otani as the new President, CEO and Managing Director of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India.
An Overview of the News
Otani was serving as vice president of Honda Motor in Japan and took over from Atsushi Ogata.
Otani began his career with Honda Japan in 1997 and has held several leadership positions within the company.
About Honda Motor Company Limited
It is a multinational conglomerate manufacturer based in Japan and this company manufactures automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment.
In addition to producing vehicles and power equipment, Honda is also involved in a number of other industries, including aerospace and robotics.
As of 2021, Honda is one of the most valuable automobile brands in the world, with a brand value of over $25 billion.
Founded - 24 September 1948, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
Founders - Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa
Headquarters - Minato, Tokyo, Japan
About Japan
It is also called Nihon or Nippon and is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean in East Asia.
It is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean in East Asia.
It is made up of four main islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu and Honshu is the largest island of Japan.
Its highest mountain is Mount Fuji.
It is the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China.
Capital - Tokyo
currency - Yen
Prime Minister - Fumio Kishida
8. Aleksander Ceferin re-elected UEFA president until 2027
Tags: Sports Person in news Sports News
Aleksandar Ceferin was re-elected as the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on 6 April 2023.
An Overview of the News
It was re-elected during UEFA's Ordinary Congress held in Lisbon, Portugal, and Ceferin was elected unopposed, meaning that there were no other candidates for the position.
He was first time elected as the seventh president of UEFA in 2016, succeeding Michel Platini.
Ceferin's new term will last for another four years (2027).
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is responsible for governing association football, futsal and beach soccer in Europe.
UEFA is one of the six continental governing bodies in the world of football.
Apart from European countries, UEFA also regulates football in transcontinental countries such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan.
Some Asian countries such as Israel, Cyprus and Armenia also come under the rule of UEFA.
Establishment - 15 June 1954
Headquarters - Nyon, Switzerland
Speaker - Aleksander Ceferin
Parent organisation - FIFA
Subsidiary - UEFA Media Technologies SA
9. New Zealand’s Kim Cotton becomes first woman on-field umpire in full-member men’s T20Is
Tags: Sports Person in news Sports News
New Zealand’s Kim Cotton on 5th April became the first woman on-field umpire in a full-member men’s T20I during New Zealand’s second match against Sri Lanka in Dunedin.
An overview of the news
The 48-year-old Cotton has officiated as both on-field and TV umpire since 2018, in addition to 24 women's ODIs and 54 women's T20Is.
Cotton first made an appearance in the men's game in 2020 as a TV umpire for the tied match between India and New Zealand in Hamilton.
Cotton has also officiated in three T20 World Cups and an ODI World Cup since 2018, including the finals in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Previously, Australia’s Claire Polosak had become the first female match official in a men’s Test match when she donned the fourth umpire’s role during the 2021-22 Border Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia in Sydney.
10. Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu banned for 4 years by NADA
Tags: Sports Person in news Sports News
Indian weightlifter and two-time Commonwealth Games winner Sanjita Chanu has been banned for four years by India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
An Overview of the News
The ban was imposed after Chanu tested positive for the anabolic-androgenic steroid Drostanolone, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), during the National Games to be held in Gujarat in September-October 2022.
Chanu's provisional suspension was announced by NADA soon after the sample collection, and her four-year ban has now been formally announced.
As a result of the ban, Chanu would be stripped of her silver medal from the National Games.
Several other Indian athletes who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics last year including Shivpal Singh, Kamalpreet Kaur, and Dhanalakshmi Sekar, Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Navjit Kaur Dhillon and long jumper Aishwarya Babu have also been found to have violated anti-doping rules.
Drostanolone is primarily used to treat advanced inoperable breast cancer in women, but is often abused by athletes as a performance-enhancing drug.
About National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)
It is the national anti-doping organisation of India and is responsible for ensuring that athletes in India compete in a doping-free environment and the organisation was established in 2005 under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
It is affiliated with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and follows the WADA Code for Anti-Doping Measures.
Its main functions include testing for prohibited substances, educating athletes and coaches about anti-doping measures, and sanctioning athletes who violate anti-doping rules.
It has a team of trained Doping Control Officers (DCOs) who test athletes in various sporting events.
The organisation also has a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) of elite athletes who are subject to testing at any time, both in competition and out of competition.
Headquarters - New Delhi
Establishment - 24 November 2005
Affiliation - Indian Olympic Association
Chairman - Sports Minister (India)
official language - English; Hindi
Purpose - Anti-doping in sports
