Daily Current Affairs and GK | 16 April 2024

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

1. Delhi airport has been named among the world's top 10 busiest airports for 2023: Airports Council International (ACI).

• The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is ranked tenth in a list of the world's top 10 busiest airports.
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has topped the list. Dubai and Dallas airports are at the second and third positions, respectively.
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport handled 10.46 crore passengers in 2023.
• Dubai International Airport handled more than 8.69 crore passengers.
• Other airports on the list are- London's Heathrow Airport (4th spot), Tokyo's Haneda Airport (5th), Denver International Airport (6th), and Istanbul Airport (7th).
• The global total passenger forecast for 2023 was 8.5 billion (850 crore). It is 27.2 per cent higher than 2022.
• Delhi airport handled more than 7.22 crore passengers in 2023. In 2022, the airport was in the ninth position.
• The top 10 airports represent 10 per cent of global traffic (806 million passengers).

Topic: National News

2. An inquiry into foreign nationals receiving organ transplants in India has been ordered by the Union government.

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare demanded that the relevant States' and Union Territories' authorities closely monitor these transplants.
• The Ministry asked them to take appropriate measures against any hospitals that are discovered to be breaking the law.
• The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) registry data showed a significant rise in the number of foreign people receiving organ transplants from private hospitals.
• Investigations into transplants involving foreign persons will be handled by the authority designated under the Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994.
• The health authorities were urged by Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) Atul Goel to make sure that a distinct NOTTO-ID is produced by the hospital for both donor and recipient in all cases of organ transplants.
• Suspension of the hospitals' registration to undertake organ transplants may be one of the actions taken against them.
• The DGHS emphasised that all transplant cases, including those involving foreign nationals, must have regular data gathering and sharing with NOTTO on a monthly basis.
• Within two weeks, Mr. Goel demanded a report on the actions taken by the States and U.T.s.
• The NOTTO changed the organ allocation guidelines, making it more difficult for foreigners to get organs from braindead patients or donors.
• According to data released by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu, the number of Indian patients receiving life-saving organs increased by 56% after the new criteria went into effect compared to prior years.

Topic: Sports

3. For the twelfth time, Rashmi Kumari won the national women's carrom title.

• In the 51st National Carrom Championship women's final, Rashmi Kumari defeated K Nagajothi 25-8, 14-20, 25-20.
• Rashmi Kumari is three-time World Champion. For Rashmi, it was a record 12th national women's singles title.
• Rashmi works at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) as the Chief Manager.
• In the final, K Srinivas defeated S Aditya 25-0, 19-6 to win the men's title.
• For Srinivas, it was his fourth national men's singles championship.
• The Madhya Pradesh Carrom Association hosted the 51st National Carrom Championship.
• The Petroleum Sports Promotion Board and the SYNCO carrom firm sponsored the championship.
• There were 174 ladies and 237 men that participated from 12 institutions and 27 States.

Topic: Geography

4. IMD predicted that there will be 6% higher rain in June through September than the 87 cm annual average for these months.

• El Nino affected India's monsoon by 6% the previous year.
• El Nino, which is the warming of the Central Pacific, is predicted to turn into La Nina this year by the second half of the monsoon (August and September).
• In India, it is typically associated with less rainfall. An opposite cooling effect called La Nina is typically associated with an abundance of rainfall.
• IMD can employ statistical data and its extensive historical record spanning more than 150 years to correlate specific global meteorological indicators in order to predict the monsoon.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) can also simulate the global weather on a given day using the dynamical approach.
• The models show a 30% probability that the monsoon rainfall will exceed 10%, which the IMD refers to as excess rain.
• Considering that there is only a 17% chance of excess rain in any given year, this is a huge increase.
• A positive Indian Ocean Dipole, or a cooler Indian Ocean in the east relative to the west, was one of the two conditions favoring abundant rain.
• A below-average snow cover in Eurasia and the northern hemisphere was another contributing factor.

Topic: Agriculture and Allied Sector

5. To promote the global brand of Kasturi Cotton, the Center will set up dedicated testing laboratories in six states.

• The central government is planning to set up dedicated laboratories for testing high-grade cotton in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
• It will be set up as part of an effort to establish Indian Kasturi cotton as a global brand.
• The laboratories will be set up in convergence with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) testing facilities, ensuring alignment with national quality standards.
• The aim of setting up this laboratory is that India wants to compete with global cotton brands like Supima and Giza, which are known for their exceptional softness, strength, and durability.
• However, India has taken up branding of its cotton only recently despite being a major producer with the largest area under the crop.
• While Egypt has successfully established its Giza cotton brand internationally with a modest annual production of one million bales.
• The Indian product, Kasturi Cotton India, is produced according to stringent standards, with a strict limit of 2% on waste content to ensure its premium quality and 100% traceability.

Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh

6. Madhya Pradesh leads in Tree Plantation Under the ‘Green Credit’ Plan with 954 Hectares.

• To implement the Centre's Green Credit Program (GCP), Madhya Pradesh has played a leading role in clearing more than 500 land parcels spanning 4,980 hectares across 10 states for plantation in the last two months.
• Along with three other states, these states have identified more than 10,000 hectares of land for the program.
• So far, Madhya Pradesh has reported the highest sanctioned degraded forest land for plantation/greening exercise at 954 hectares.
• Madhya Pradesh followed by Telangana (845 hectares), Chhattisgarh (713 hectares), Gujarat (595 hectares), and Assam (454 hectares).
• The administrator- the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has approved the other five states where such land parcels are- Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Odisha.
• At least 14 public sector undertakings (PSUs) and other entities have been registered to plant trees on degraded forest land and ultimately earn green credits.
• Individuals, industries, and other public/private entities, including philanthropies and local bodies, can voluntarily participate in the GCP.
• Although the program was started six months ago to encourage environment-friendly practices by people.
• In February, the Environment Ministry notified the methods for calculating the credit generated instead of the tree plantation on degraded land parcels, including bushes, barren lands, and catchment areas of rivers in every state and union territory.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. India’s wholesale price inflation increased from 0.2% in February to 0.53% in March.

• In March, wholesale price inflation has increased to the three-month high level. 
• Food index increased 4.65%. The increase in cereals prices mainly contributed to rise in food index.
• Cereals prices increased at 12-month high pace with the rise in inflation in paddy (11.7%), potato (53%) and onions (57%).
• Inflation in pulses and vegetables stood at 17.2% and 19.5%, respectively.
• Fuel, power and manufactured products have continued to show deflation.
• However, the level of their price decline from a year ago moderated to nearly 0.8% in March.
• On a month-on-month basis, the WPI increase 0.4%. The food index increased 1.01% and primary articles increased 0.9%.
• Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for January 2024 has been revised by the Commerce and Industry Ministry and inflation rate for January 2024 has been raised to 0.33% from 0.27% earlier.
• Within food articles, the prices of eggs, meat and fish declined 1.86%.
• Milk inflation declined from 5.5% in February to 4.7% in March. Wheat price rise increased from 2.34% in February to 7.43% in March.
• Increase in prices of food articles, electricity, crude petroleum & natural gas, machinery & equipment and other manufacturing, etc is the primary reason for positive inflation rate in March 2024.

Topic: Sports

8. Bayer Leverkusen for the first time won the Bundesliga title.

• Bayern Munich's eleven-year championship run was ended by Bayer Leverkusen.
• Bayern is in second position, 16 points behind Leverkusen. Xabi Alonso is the head coach at Leverkusen.
• In October 2022, Alonso became Leverkusen's new coach while the team was in the relegation zone.
• Since 2012–2013, Bayern Munich has won 11 straight Bundesliga championships.
• This is the Bayer Leverkusen football team's second major German trophy.
• In 1993, the team took home the German Cup, or DFB-Pokal.
• Additionally, Bayern Leverkusen has earned qualified in the UEFA Champions League for 2024–25.
• Germany's professional football league is called the Bundesliga. It is Germany's top-ranked domestic football competition.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

9. As per Global Forest Watch, India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000.

• According to the latest data from the Global Forest Watch monitoring project, 2.33 million hectares of tree cover have been lost since 2000. It is equivalent to a six per cent decrease in tree cover during this period.
• As per the data, 95 per cent of the tree cover loss in India between 2013 to 2023 occurred within natural forests.
• Between 2002 to 2023, India lost 4,14,000 hectares of humid primary forest (4.1 per cent), which is 18 per cent of its total tree cover loss in the same period.
• The Global Forest Watch tracks forest changes in real time by using satellite data and other sources.
• Between 2001 and 2022, forests in India emitted 51 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year and removed 141 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year.
• This shows a net carbon sink of 89.9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year.
• Due to tree cover loss in India, an average of 51.0 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year was released into the atmosphere.
• Tree cover loss is not always deforestation it also includes both human-caused loss and natural disturbances, and loss that is permanent or temporary.

Topic: International Appointments 

10. IMF reappointed Kristalina Georgieva as managing director for another five-year term.

• Kristalina Georgieva will be the managing director of the International Monetary Fund for a second five-year term.
• Georgieva is the second woman to head the IMF and the first person from an emerging market economy.
• This decision was unanimously approved by the board. She was the sole candidate for the position.
• She will continue to serve as managing director after the current term ends on 30 September 2024.
• She has led the IMF in a period of great turmoil in the global economy, from the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• Traditionally, European countries recommend the managing director of the IMF.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. The US President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award presented to India's Jain spiritual leader Lokesh Muni.

• This award has been given to him for his contribution to public welfare and humanity.
• On April 9, senior Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman presented the Presidential Award Golden Shield and Certificate of Honor to Lokesh Muni at the US Capitol.
• Muni is the Founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati and the World Peace Center in India.
• In 2003, the President’s Volunteer Service Award was established by the President's Council on Service and Civic Engagement to recognize the vital role volunteers play in America's strength and national identity.
• AmeriCorps selects the awardees of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
• AmeriCorps is an independent agency of the U.S. government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipend volunteer work programs in a variety of sectors.

Topic: Important Days

12. World Art Day 2024: 15 April

• Every year on April 15, World Art Day is celebrated.
• In 2019, 15th April was proclaimed as World Art Day at the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference.
• In 2012, the first World Art Day was celebrated.
• It is celebrated on the birth anniversary of the Italian painter, sculptor, and architect Leonardo da Vinci.
• UNESCO celebrates this day together with the International Association of Art to promote creative activity around the world.
• There are seven official categories of the arts which include Architecture, painting, sculpture, music, literature, cinema, and dance.

Topic: Indian Economy

13. Government has set a target of producing 170 million tonnes for FY25.

• The government has set the target of producing 170 million tonnes of coal from captive and commercial coal blocks in the current financial year.
• In FY24, captive and commercial coal blocks produced 147.12 million tonnes (MT) of dry fuel. It is 26 per cent higher than the 116 MT produced in FY23.
• Power sector captive mines had produced around 121.3 MT Out of the total output of 147.2 MT in FY24.
• The coal production target for FY25 has been reviewed in a meeting. 74 coal mines were present in the review meeting.
• The country's coal import has increased to 244.27 MT in the April-February period of FY24 from 227.93 MT in the year-ago period.

Topic: Books and Authors

14. British-American author Salman Rushdie releases his memoir "Knife".

• Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie’s memoir "Knife" has been released.
• In 'Knife', the Salman Rushdie has an imaginary conversation with his attacker.
• On this occasion, has spoken in detail about the moment he was attacked by a man with a knife on a stage in New York in 2022.
• In this attack, Rushdie's damaged liver and hands and nerves in his right eye.
• After the 1988 publication of the controversial 'The Satanic Verses', Rushdie had spent several years in hiding.
• Rushdie's second novel, Midnight's Children (1981), won the Booker Prize in 1981.