Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 April 2024

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

1. As per the WMO, India is among the countries worst hit by extreme heat and floods in 2023.

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released a report titled: The State of the Climate in Asia 2023.
• As per the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in 2023, Asia remained the world’s most disaster-hit region due to weather, climate and water-related hazards.
• The extreme heat and severe floods devastated many parts of India.
• A major and prolonged heatwave affected many regions of South-East Asia in April and May.
• India recorded its warmest March since records have been kept.
• The 2022 heatwave triggered an extreme Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in northern Pakistan and forest fires in India.
• The heatwave has reduced India’s wheat crop yields.
• In 2023, the annual mean near-surface temperature over Asia was the second-highest on record.
• In 2023, more than 80% of reported hydrometeorological hazards in Asia were flood and storm events.
• This report highlighted the significant threats of climate change in Asia, including India.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Book and Copyright Day 2024: 23 April

• World Book and Copyright Day, also known as World Book Day, is celebrated every year on 23rd April.
• The theme for this year's World Book and Copyright Day is 'Read Your Way'.
• It is observed in 100 countries to honour works by authors.
• This day is celebrated to promote the love of reading, writing books, translations, publishing, and copyright.
• World Book Day was first proposed by Vicente Clavel Andres to honour the renowned author, Miguel de Cervantes.
• 23 April is also the death anniversary of prominent authors such as William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

Topic: International News

3. In the Maldives elections, the People's National Congress has won 66 of the 86 House seats as per the declared results.

• This election was considered a litmus test for President Mohammad Muizzu's party. The Election Commission of Maldives has given this information.
• Many allegations were also made against President Muizzu's party regarding corruption and policies.
• The main opposition party Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) had won a big victory in the 2019 elections but now this party could win only 11 seats.
• The Election Commission of Maldives has not yet announced the official results.
• Since 2013, the results follow the general pattern of ruling party victories in parliamentary elections.
• Last year, Dr. Mohammad Muizzu won the presidential election as a PPM-PNC candidate.
• Moreover, out of 43 women who contested the elections, only three women emerged victorious.
• Over 2.8 lakh voters participated at 602 polling stations, including three polling stations abroad, with media reports claiming a 75% turnout.

Topic: International News

4. With the relaxation of rules by the EU, Indians can now get multiple-entry Schengen visas with longer validity.

• Indian frequent travellers to Europe will now be able to apply for a multiple-entry Schengen visa for up to five years, with the European Commission making some changes to the existing rules.
• EU Ambassador to India Hervé Delfin described the new visa regime as another step towards enhancing people-to-people contacts between the two sides.
• On 18 April, specific rules on the issuance of multiple entry visas to Indian nationals were adopted by the European Commission, which is more favourable than the standard rules of the Visa Code in force to date.
• This new visa 'cascade' regime for Indian nationals resident in India who apply for a Schengen (short-stay) visa in India will provide easier access to visas with multi-year validity for travellers with an established travel history.
• Indian citizens can now be issued a long-term, multiple-entry Schengen visa valid for two years after obtaining and validly using two visas within the last three years.
• If the passport has sufficient validity remaining, a five-year visa will usually be granted after the two-year visa.
• The Schengen visa allows the holder to travel freely within the Schengen area for short stays of up to a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days.
• The Schengen Area consists of 29 European countries, 25 of which are EU countries.

Topic: Indian Polity

5. BJP registered its first electoral victory as Mukesh Dalal won the Surat Lok Sabha seat unopposed in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

• On 22 April, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal from Surat was declared elected unopposed after the nomination of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected, while all other candidates withdrew from the fray.
• After the announcement, the Surat District Collector honoured Dalal with the Member of Parliament (MP) certificate.
• Apart from Dalal and Kumbhani, eight other contenders were in the fray for the Surat Lok Sabha seat.
• Pyarelal Bharti of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was the last candidate to withdraw from the contest.
• On 21 April, the election officer cancelled Kumbhani's nomination papers over "fake signatures of people signing as witnesses".
• Voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be held in a single phase on May 7 for all 26 seats in Gujarat.

Topic: Sports

6. D Gukesh became the youngest person to win the Candidates tournament.

• Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju created history by becoming the youngest person to win the prestigious Candidates Tournament.
• He earned the right to challenge for the world championship crown in 2024.
• 17-year-old Gukesh emerged as the sole leader at the end of the thrilling 14-round Candidates Tournament in Toronto, Canada.
• In addition, Gukesh also became the second Indian after Vishwanathan Anand to win Candidates Chess.
• Gukesh will face reigning world champion Ding Liren for the world title at the end of the year.
• Gukesh will have the opportunity to become the youngest world champion by challenging Ding Liren.
• Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov became world champions at the age of 22 years.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

7. First Rainbow International Tourism Conference held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

• It was organised by civil society organisation, Mayako Pahichan, in collaboration with Nepal Tourism Board.
• Chief Guest of the event was Bhagawati Chaudhary, Minister of Women, Children and senior citizen.
• He inaugurated the event along with Sunil Babu Pant, first openly gay Member of Parliament in Asia.
• LGBTQ participants and experts spoke on pink tourism.
• They also spoke on making tourism sector inclusive to boost economy of any country.
• LGBT travelers globally spend USD 202 billion. This can be tapped by countries to make their tourism industry LGBTQ friendly.
• In a historic ruling in 2007, the Supreme Court of Nepal ordered the government to repeal all laws that discriminated against the third gender and create legislation that acknowledged their status.
• An interim order from June 2023 made it possible for same-sex marriages to be legally registered in Nepal.
• EU Ambassador in Nepal Veronique Lorenzo said that Nepal being LGBTQ friendly country can attract more tourists.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. A MoU has been signed between AFMS and IIT Delhi.

• Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has signed MoU for collaborative research and training with Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Delhi.
• Director General AFMS, Lt Gen Daljit Singh and Director IIT Delhi Prof Rangan Banerjee signed the MoU.
• The MoU covers research and innovation to develop novel medical devices.
• Its scope includes focus on solving health issues specific to serving soldiers in varied terrains.
• IIT Delhi’s robust biomedical research ecosystem is ideal for providing the technical expertise needed for research into the diverse medical challenges faced in the Armed Forces.
• Joint PhD programme development, faculty exchange, and collaborative academic activities will all fall under the purview of this Memorandum of Understanding.
• The Armed Force Medical Services (AFMS) is an inter services organisation.
• It comes under the Ministry of Defense. It came into existence in 1948.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

9. Global military spending climbed 7% in 2023: SIPRI

• Global military spending reached $2,443 billion in 2023. This increases by 6.8 per cent from the previous year. 
• According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United States, China, Russia, India, and Saudi Arabia were the top spenders in 2023.
• The average military spending per person was the highest since 1990, at $306.
• Russian military spending increased by 24% to an estimated $109 billion. It is equivalent to 5.9 per cent of Russia's GDP.
• Ukraine's military spending increased by 51% to $65 billion. It emerged as the eighth-largest military spender in 2023.’
• The Military expenditure by NATO member countries reached $1341 billion in 2023.
• Top five countries with the highest military spending in 2023

Topic: Indian Polity

10. Supreme Court granted permission to a rape survivor for terminating 30-week pregnancy.

• The Supreme Court granted permission to a 14-year-old alleged rape survivor for terminating her nearly 30-week pregnancy.
• A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed the dean of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital (LTMGH) to perform the procedure.
• The Supreme Court changed the Bombay High Court’s decision of rejecting the plea filed by the minor’s father for terminating her pregnancy.
• Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act:
  • It was enacted to provide for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered medical practitioners
  • As per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, the maximum limit for pregnancy termination is 24 weeks for married women and in special categories.
  • The special categories include rape survivors and other vulnerable women such as minors.
  • Medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) has been legalized in India since 1971.

Topic: Indian Polity

11. Seven members of the Shompen tribe voted for the first time in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• Seven members of this particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTGs) of Great Nicobar Islands voted for the single Lok Sabha seat in the UT.
• In addition to voting, they also posed for selfies at polling station 411, which is named as ‘Shompen Hut’.
• Based on data from the 2011 Census, the estimated population of Shompen is 229.
• Voting took place for the first time in 56 Bastar villages in Chhattisgarh at voting places that were built up in the villages themselves.
• Jyoti Amge, the shortest woman in the world, voted in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• Voting was conducted among the deaf and dumb residents of Dhadkahi, also referred to as the "silent village" in Jammu & Kashmir.

Topic: Sports

12. Balraj Panwar achieved India’s first rowing quota for Paris Olympics.

• Balraj Panwar is 25-year-old Indian army rower.  He completed the 2000m race in a time of 7 minutes and 1.2 seconds.
• Panwar achieved the third position in the men’s single scull event at the 2024 World Asian and Oceanian Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta held in Chungju, South Korea.
• Last year, he could not get a bronze medal in his debut appearance at the Asian Games in China.
• The top five contenders achieved berths for the Olympics in the Men’s single scull category.
• India failed to achieve a place in the men’s lightweight double scales.
• The Indian duo of Ujjwal Kumar and Arvind Singh were third in the event.
• They were short of the top two positions that are required for Olympic qualification.
• India was represented by Arjuj Lal and Arvind Singh in n the men’s lightweight double sculls at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 11th place.
• The Asian Qualifiers and the Asian Rowing Cup were held simultaneously.
• Here, India achieved a gold medal due to the performances of the duo of Salman Khan and Nitin Deol in the men’s double scull event.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. Mohammed Salem wins the 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award.

• Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem won the prestigious 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award for taking pictures of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her five-year-old niece in the Gaza Strip.
• This photograph was taken on 17 October 2023, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
• The jury said that this photograph is "composed with care and respect, offering at once a metaphorical and literal glimpse into unimaginable loss".
• The jury selected this photograph from 61,062 entries by 3,851 photographers from 130 countries.
• Mohammed Salem has been working for Reuters since 2003. He had also won an award in the 2010 World Press Photo competition.
• This award is presented by the Amsterdam-based World Press Photo Foundation.

Topic: Sports

14. Bengaluru Badshahs won the 5th Deaf Indian Premier League title.

• Bengaluru Badshahs became the champions of the fifth Deaf Indian Premier League title.
• Deaf Bengaluru Badshahs and Deaf Hyderabad Eagles emerged as joint winners of the title. However, Bengaluru Badshahs were declared the winners with the toss of the coin.
• The 5th Deaf Indian Premier League was organised by the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA) at Maulana Azad Stadium, Jammu.
• Sudershan of Deaf Hyderabad Eagles was declared the player of the final match.
• Virender Singh of the Bengaluru Badshahs and Umar Ashraf Beigh of the Hyderabad Eagles have been awarded the best Wicketkeeper/best Fielder of the League.
• Suhail Ahmed from Hyderabad Eagles, Deepak Kumar from Punjab Warriors, and Sai Naresh from the Chennai Blasters received awards for Most Sixes, Most Wickets in a Match, and Fastest Fifty, respectively.
• A cash prize of Rs 300,000 (Three lakh) was presented to Bengaluru Badshahs and Hyderabad Eagles.
• The league was conducted under the supervision of Sumit Jain, President of IDCA.