1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Maldives
Tags: International Relations International News
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to embark on athree-day official visit to Maldives on 30th April.
An overview of the news
During the visit, Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talkswith Maldivian Defense Minister Ms. Maria Ahmed Didi and Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.
All aspects of defense relations between the two countries will be reviewed during the consultations.
Rajnath Singh will also meet Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
In line with India's commitment to capacity building of friendly countries and partners in the region, Rajnath Singh will gift a Fast Patrol Vessel ship and a landing craft to the Maldivian National Defense Forces.
India and Maldives are working together to effectively address common challenges including maritime security, terrorism, radicalism, piracy, smuggling, organized crime and natural disasters.
India's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) along with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy as well as Maldives’ ‘India First’ policy seek to work together to jointly develop the capabilities within the Indian Ocean Region.
About Maldives
It is also called Maldives Islands, an independent island country in the north-central Indian Ocean.
It extends more than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west.
Basis of economy -fisheries, tourism
Industries - handicraft or cottage including the making of coir (coconut-husk fibre) and coir products, fish canning, and boatbuilding.
Capital -Male
President -Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Official Language - Dhivehi (Maldivian)
Official Religion - Islam
Currency -Rufiyaa
2. Rajasthan Housing Board got National Award for Real Estate
Tags: Awards National News
On April 26, 2023, the National Real Estate Award was presented to the Rajasthan Housing Board by the Central Government Agency National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO).
An overview of the news
National Real Estate Development Council National President Rajan Bandelkar and RERA Delhi Chairman Anand Kumarpresented the award to Rajasthan Housing Commissioner Pawan Arora at a national level function.
The Rajasthan Housing Board was honored with the award for registering the maximum number of housing projects in the country under RERA, selling the maximum number of houses and doing excellent work in the field of real estate.
Earlier in the function, Rajasthan Housing Commissioner was specially invited for a panel discussion on the topic 'Real Estate in the Era of RERA'. He was also honored on this platform.
Rajasthan Housing Board has become the biggest organization to register 101 project RERA numbers.
Under the leadership of Housing Commissioner Pawan Arora, the board has received a total of 15 awards in the last four years.
These include World Book of Records in house sales, Scotch Award-2021, Award of Excellence, Honor by National Real Estate Development Council, National Housing Award, I.B.C. and prestigious awards like 'Star of Governance-Gold Award'.
3. G7 should adopt ‘risk-based’ AI regulation
Tags: International News
Digital ministers from the Group of Seven advanced nations (G7) agreed on 30 April that they should adopt "risk-based" regulation on artificial intelligence.
An overview of the news
European lawmakers hurry to introduce an AI Act to enforce rules on emerging tools such as ChatGPT.
G7 ministers said in a joint statement issued at a two-day meeting in Japan that such regulation should "preserve an open and enabling environment" for the development of AI technologies and be based on democratic values.
The ministers recognized that the policy tools to achieve the common vision and goal of trustworthy AI among G7 members may differ.
The agreement sets a milestone for how major countries regulate AI amid privacy concerns and security risks.
Governments in particular have taken note of the popularity of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.
A chatbot (ChatGPT) developed by Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI has become the fastest-growing app in history since its launch in November.
What is ChatGPT?
It is a natural language processing tool powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that allows chatbots to do much more than just have human-like conversations.
This language model can answer questions and assist with tasks such as writing emails, essays and code.
ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an AI and research company.
A chatbot (ChatGPT) developed by Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI has become the fastest-growing app in history since its launch in November.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
It is a broad branch of computer science that deals with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence.
About G7
The G7 is a group of seven major industrialized countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The G7 holds annual meetings to discuss various global issues, but these meetings are usually held in different locations each year.
The 48th G7 summit was hosted by Germany in 2022.
4. Dubai's airline Emirates unveils world's first robotic check-in assistant
Tags: International News
Dubai-based airline Emirates has unveiled the world's first robotic check-in assistant named 'Sara'.
An overview of the news
The system is part of a new City Check-in and Travel Store that is set to launch in Dubai's Financial District.
In addition to the new check-in facility, Emirates passengers with a valid boarding pass will also have access to select lifestyle amenities at ICD Brookfield Place, as well as exclusive discounts and special offers at a range of restaurants, gyms and luxury stores.
Passengers can connect directly to the airport via taxi or Emirates Chauffeur Service.
This latest innovation from Emirates aims to enhance the customer experience and make the check-in process more seamless and efficient.
What is the world's first robotic check-in assistant 'Sara'?
'SARA' will match customers' faces with scanned passports, check in passengers and guide them to the baggage drop area.
This facility allows customers to drop off their luggage at the airport up to 24 hours in advance and up to 4 hours before their flight.
Passengers cancheck-in via self-check-in kiosks, with Emirates agents at dedicated desks or with the help of Sara.
The robot is equipped with facial recognition technology and can print boarding passes to make the check-in process more efficient. Sara is also portable and can move around to help those in need.
Sources reveal that future iterations of the Sarah will also have weapons that can carry goods.
5. Agriculture Minister launches ‘Millets Experience Centre’ at Dilli Haat
Tags: National National News
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the first of its kind ‘Millets Experience Centre (MEC)’ at Dilli Haat in New Delhi on 28th April.
An overview of the news
India has an important role to play in the celebration of the International Year of Millets 2023.
India is poised to become a 'Global Hub' for Millets and setting up of MEC is a major step in that direction.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023).
About Millets Experience Centre
The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) in association with the Ministry of Agriculture has set up the Millets Experience Centre.
It aimsto increase awareness about millet and encourage its adoption among the general public.
Setting up a consumer-oriented 'Millets Experience Centre' will not only promote the dietary benefits of millets but also popularize Shree Anna (Millets) as a nutritional powerhouse.
In addition to the unique dining experience, customers can also purchase a variety of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products from local millet start-ups at MEC.
International Year of Millet (IYOM)-2023
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted India's resolution and declared 2023 as the International Year of millets in March 2021.
India's proposal received the support of 72 countries.
In 2021, NITI Aayog signed a letter of intent with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The partnership focuses on mainstreaming millets and helping India take a global lead in promoting its health benefits.
The objective of this partnership is to build resilient livelihoods for smallholder farmers and to build adaptability to climate change and changing food systems.
6. Germany and Britain intercepted three Russian military reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea
Tags: International News
The German Air Force on 26th April announced that it intercepted three Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea.
An overview of the news
Germany and UK Eurofighter have been alerted to identify 3 military machines.
The two SU-27 flankers and one IL-20 from Russia flew again without a transponder signal in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
German and British forces were deployed to identify the two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft and one Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft.
Germany handed over responsibility for NATO’s Baltic air policing mission to Britain earlier this month.
About the Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean located in northern Europe.
It is a shelf sea and marginal sea of the Atlantic, with limited water exchange between the two, making it an inland sea.
The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish inland seas by area.
It is bordered by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North and Central European Plain.
The maximum depth is 459 m (1,506 ft).
The Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Region covers the Baltic Sea.
7. Summit on Farm Machinery Technology
Tags: Summits National News
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on 27th April inaugurated the Summit on Farm Machinery Technology, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Tractor and Mechanisation Association (TMA) in New Delhi.
An overview of the news
In his address, Tomar said, there are about 85 percent of small farmers in the country, who should get the benefit of technology and machinery.
From 2014-15 to 2022-23, an amount of six thousand 120 crore 85 thousand rupees has been released to the states for various activities like training, testing, establishment of CHCs, hi-tech hubs and farm machinery banks.
Apart from this, 15 lakh 24 thousand lakh agricultural machinery and equipment have been distributed through state governments at subsidized rates, which include tractors, power tillers and automated machinery.
The summit was attended by stakeholders including original equipment manufacturers, policy planners, suppliers, and product development and design firms.
About Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
CII is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation.
The objective of CII is to achieve a conducive environment for the development of industry and civil society in India.
It was established in 1895.
It has over 8,000 members from both the public and private sectors.
Headquarter :New Delhi
President : Sanjiv Bajaj
8. India-UK NET Zero Innovation virtual centre
Tags: Environment International News
India and the United Kingdom have agreed to create an India-UK Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre.
An overview of the news
The center will provide a platform for stakeholders from both countries to work together in areas such as manufacturing processes, transportation systems and decarbonization of green hydrogen as a renewable source.
This was announced by Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh at a meeting of the India-UK Science and Innovation Council meeting in the presence of United Kingdom Minister George Freeman.
India is fast marching towards becoming an economic powerhouse driven by its extraordinary technology and innovation.
India is committed to achieve its climate change and environment goals within the stipulated time period.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy are the central pillars, where India has already taken the lead through various initiatives like Solar Alliance and Clean Energy Mission.
Dr Jitendra Singh is leading a high-level official Indian delegation from the Ministry of Science and Technology on a six-day visit to the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom
The inclusion of Northern Ireland in Great Britain is called the United Kingdom.
That is, the United Kingdom is a kingdom consisting ofEngland, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Queen of England is the head of both the United Kingdom/Britain.
The capital of the United Kingdom/Great Britain is London.
9. Total enrolment under Atal Pension Yojana crossed 5.20 crore mark
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The Finance Ministry has said that the total enrollment under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has crossed the figure of five crore 20 lakh till March 31 this year.
An overview of the news
The scheme envisages enrollment of more than one crore 19 lakh new subscribers in the financial year 2022-23 as compared to 99 lakh in the previous financial year, showing a growth of over 20 per cent.
According to the ministry, the total assets under management in APY is more than Rs 27 thousand 200 crore and the scheme has earned an investment return of 8.69 per cent since the inception of the scheme.
In the public sector banks (PSBs) category, nine banks achieved the annual target, while Bank of India, State Bank of India and Indian Bank opened more than a hundred APY accounts per branch, according to ministry data.
Under the category of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), 32 banks achieved the annual target, while Jharkhand State Gramin Bank, Vidarbha Konkan Gramin Bank, Tripura Gramin Bank and Baroda Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank opened more than 160 APY accounts per branch.
About Atal Pension Yojana
Atal Pension Yojana is a guaranteed pension scheme of the Government of India administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
The scheme allows any citizen of India between the age group of 18-40 years to join through bank or post office branches where the person has a savings bank account.
Under this scheme, a subscriber will receive a minimum guaranteed pension of Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 per month from the age of 60 years, depending on his contribution.
On the death of the subscriber, the pension is guaranteed to the spouse for life.
In the event of death of both the subscriber and his/her spouse, the full pension amount is paid to the nominee.
10. Pennsylvania Recognizes Diwali as an Official State Holiday
Tags: International News
The United States state of Pennsylvania officially recognized the Hindu festival of Diwali as a state holiday.
An Overview of the News
State Senators Greg Rothman and Nikil Saval introduced legislation to make Diwali a state holiday in February this year.
The bill was passed unanimously by the Senate. According to My Twin Tears, there are approximately 200,000 South Asian residents in Pennsylvania, many of whom celebrate Diwali as a time to gather and reflect.
Pennsylvania:
It is a state located in the northeastern region of the United States of America.
It is one of the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain and became a kingdom on December 12, 1787.
The state's capital is Harrisburg, and its largest city is Philadelphia, which is known as the birthplace of the United States of America.
Pennsylvania is bordered by six other states, including New York to the north, New Jersey to the east, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, and Lake Erie to the northwest.
The state has a diverse geography, including the Appalachian Mountains in the central and eastern parts of the state, the Allegheny Plateau in the western part of the state, and a coastal plain in the southeastern part of the state.
