Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 April 2023

Topic: International News

1. Country's first abortion pill approved by Japan's health ministry.

• Japan's health ministry has approved the country's first abortion pill in a bid to promote reproductive rights.
• Earlier, the medication was not approved by Japan's Health Ministry, while abortion pills are widely available in many countries across the globe.
• The approval came from the Pharmaceutical Board of the health ministry after it approved the MeFeego Pack abortion pill.
• The pill has been manufactured by British pharmaceutical Linepharma.
• Japan's abortion laws also allow women to have abortions only with the consent of their partners – which denied women the right to make decisions over their own bodies.
• The drug consists of two types of pill, and can be used within nine weeks of pregnancy, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
• The pill pack contains two types of medicines, mifepristone and misoprostol, which have been included by the WHO in its list of essential medicines, shown to be safe and effective for people who are pregnant.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. Shri Bhupendra Yadav launched new facilities in e-Shram Portal.

• On 24 April, the new features in e-Shram Portal have been launched by Union Minister for Labour, Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupendra Yadav.
• The e-Shram Portal has been updated with new features that will enhance the utility of the portal and ease the registration of unorganized workers.
• Through this e-Shram portal, e-Shram registered workers can now connect with employment opportunities, skilling, apprenticeship, pension schemes, digital skills (skilling) and schemes of states.
• The facility to enter the details of the family of the migrant workers has also been added in this e-Shram portal.
• This facility will help in providing child education and women centric schemes for migrant workers who have migrated with their families.
• In addition, a new feature has been added on sharing the data of construction workers registered on e-Shram with the concerned Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Board.
• It will ensure registration of e-shram construction workers with the concerned BOCW board and ensure access to schemes for them.
• The Data Sharing Portal (DSP) has also been formally launched for the sharing of e-Shram data with the state and UT governments.
• This portal will allow sharing of e-Shram beneficiaries’ data with the respective States and UT in a secured manner for targeted implementation of social security/welfare schemes for the unorganised workers registered on e-Shram.
• On 26 August 2021, the e-Shram portal was launched to create a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers which is seeded with Aadhaar.
• As on 21 April 2023, more than 28.87 crore unorganized workers have registered on the e-Shram Portal.

Topic: State News/Kerala

3. PM Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express in Kerala.

• This is Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express. PM Modi flagged off it at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station.
• PM Modi also laid the foundation stone and dedicated various projects to the nation worth over 3,200 crore rupees in Kerala.
• Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express is between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod.
• It passes through 11 districts. It covers a distance of around 588 kilometres in around eight hours.
• It has eight stoppages. This train will operate on all days except Thursdays.
• It is expected that Vande Bharat Express will be faster by around one hour compared to Rajdhani running on the same route.
• PM also laid the foundation of various rail projects, which include the redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Varkala Sivagiri railway stations.
• PM Modi also dedicated to the nation the rail electrification of the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section.
• He also dedicated the Kochi water metro to the nation. This will connect ten islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats.
• It is expected that this water metro will be fully operational by 2035. Its first route between Vytilla and InfoPark was inaugurated in February 2021.
• PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.

Topic: State News/Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

4. PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of different projects in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

• He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects worth 4 thousand 800 crore rupees at Silvassa.
• He dedicated to the nation NAMO Medical Education and Research Institute in Silvassa.
• He addressed a gathering at Sayli village near Silvassa. He launched multiple developmental works.
• He also held a 16-kilometer-long roadshow in Daman town of the UT.
• He also inaugurated the Devka Seafront at Daman. 

Topic: International News

5. ‘Operation Kaveri’ has been launched by India to bring back its citizens stranded in war-torn Sudan.

• The Ministry of External Affairs has stated that two Indian Air Force C-130Js are ready in Jeddah as part of preparations to evacuate Indian nationals from Sudan.
• INS Sumedha has also reached Port Sudan.
• The mission is to bring over 3,000 Indians back.
• For more than 10 days, Sudan has been witnessing deadly fight between the country's army and a paramilitary group.
• Presently, Sudanese airspace is closed for all foreign aircraft and overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges.
• The Hakki Pikki (bird catchers of Karnataka) are caught up in a civil war in Sudan.
• The tribe is scattered across the capital Khartoum and the Darfur region of West Sudan.
• Their total number in the African country is likely to be around 300, including women and children.
• Of those, about 250 are in Khartoum, while 33 are in Darfur.
• The Hakki Pikki tribe is predominantly lived in the western and southern regions of India, and their settlements are often situated near forested areas.
• The Hakki Pikkis (in Kannada Hakki means 'bird' and Pikki means 'catchers') are a semi-nomadic tribe, traditionally of bird catchers and hunters.

Topic: Defence

6. Trial of BMD Interceptor successfully conducted by DRDO & Indian Navy from naval platform.

• On April 21, 2023, the maiden flight of the sea-based endo-atmospheric BMD interceptor was successfully flight tested by the DRDO and the Indian Navy off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal.
• The objective of the test was to target and destroy the effect of an enemy ballistic missile threat.
• This could place the Indian Navy in an elite group of nations with BMD capabilities.
• Earlier, DRDO had successfully demonstrated the capability of the surface-based BMD system and thus achieved the capability to neutralize incoming ballistic missile threats from the enemy.
• Actually, there are two variants of this missile i.e. First AD-1 and second AD-2.
• The Navy has just tested the AD-2 missile.
• Both the missiles can intercept the enemy's IRBM missile i.e. can shoot down missiles with a range of 5000 km.
• The AD-2 is a long-range interceptor missile, designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interception of long-range ballistic missiles as well as aircraft.
• It is a two-stage solid motor-powered missile.
• The missile is equipped with indigenously developed advanced control system, navigation and guidance algorithms for precise guidance to the target.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

7. ‘One playground in one panchayat’ project inaugurated by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on 19 April.

• It aims to promote sports culture in Kerala by building quality stadiums locally.
• Under the project, the work on the first playground began at Kallikkad Panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram.
• In the next three years, playgrounds will be developed in these local bodies. For the first phase, a list of 113 panchayats have been prepared.
• The estimated cost of developing a playground with a fitness center that can be used by people of all ages is 1 crore, out of which the sports department will spend Rs 50 lakh.
• The remaining amount will be collected from MLA Fund, Local Body Fund, Corporate Social Responsibility Fund and Public Private Partnership.
• For the running and maintenance of the facilities, managing committees will be formed at the local level.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

8. 10,000 km of 'Digital Highways' will be developed by NHAI in India by 2025.

• Around 10,000 kilometres of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure across India will be developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) by the fiscal year 2025.
• The project of implementing the network of "digital highways" will be handled by State-owned NHAI's special purpose vehicle National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML).
• It will develop integrated utility corridors along national highways to develop optic fiber cable infrastructure.
• The authority has identified around 512 km on the Hyderabad-Bangalore corridor and 1,367 kms on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to carry out the pilot tracks for the development of digital highways.
• The OFC network will facilitate internet connectivity in remote areas across India and help accelerate the country's shift to modern-age telecom technologies such as 5G and 6G.
• Recently, the 246-km Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway was inaugurated.
• The track has a 3-metre dedicated utility corridor which will be used for the purpose of laying optical fiber cables.
• The OFC network will allow a direct plug-and-play or 'fibre-on-demand' model for telecom/internet services.

Topic: International News

9. AIIB’s first overseas office will be opened in Abu Dhabi.

• A host member agreement was signed by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to officially open the bank's first overseas office, an Interim Operational Hub (the Hub), in Abu Dhabi.
• The establishment of the hub in UAE will provide the Bank with a strong platform to manage growing investment portfolio.
• The hub will also extend client and member engagement, project monitoring and implementation services across the globe.
• The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development was mandated to represent the UAE on the bank's board and actively participate in its periodic meetings.
• To date, AIIB has approved 212 projects worth over USD 40 billion in 33 member countries.
• The member countries have contributed to economic development and improved the quality of life for communities in beneficiary countries.
• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB):
  • It was established by a multilateral treaty on December 25, 2015, and began operations in January 2016.
  • It is a multilateral development bank that aims to support the construction of infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Its headquarters is located in Beijing, China.
  • Jin Liqun is the current President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Topic: Important Days

10. World Malaria Day 2023: 25 April

• Every year on April 25, World Malaria Day is observed.
• It is observed to highlight the need for investment and sustained political commitment to prevent and control of malaria.
• The theme of World Malaria Day 2023 is “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement.”
• In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted World Malaria Day at the 60th session of the World Health Assembly.
• As per the WHO report, there were an estimated 247 million malaria cases in 2021 in 84 countries.
• The number of malaria cases has increased from 245 million in 2020 to 247 million in 2021.
• In the South-East Asia Region, Malaria cases have reduced from 23 million in 2000 to about 5 million in 2021.
• India accounted for 79% of the total cases in the South-East Asia Region.
• Malaria:
  • It is spread by the bite of an infected female anopheles’ mosquito. Infected mosquitoes spread the Plasmodium parasite.
  • It is a preventable and treatable infectious disease.
  • In 1897, Sir Ronald Ross found that malaria among humans is spread by female mosquitoes.
  • Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial drug.

Topic: International Appointments

11. Md. Sahabuddin took oath as the 22^nd President of Bangladesh on 24^th April 2023 in Dhaka.

• Md. Sahabuddin was administered the oath of office by Parliament speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury.
• Md. Sahabuddin took oath in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and others.
• Md. Sahabuddin is a veteran freedom fighter, jurist and politician. His nickname is Chupu.
• He took an active part in the 6-Point Movement in 1966, Bhutta (Maize) Movement in 1967 and Liberation War in 1971.
• Bangladesh:
  • It is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth most populous country in the world.
  • It shares land borders with India to the west, north and east.
  • Its capital is Dhaka. Sheikh Hasina is its Prime Minister.

Topic: National Appointments

12. Rajesh Kumar Singh has taken charge as the Secretary of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

• He is an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1989 Batch from Kerala cadre.
• He has also held the position of Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
• He has also held the position of Secretary of Urban Development and Finance Secretary of the Government of Kerala.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT):
  • It was established in 1995. It was reconstituted in 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial Development.
  • It was earlier called Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. It was renamed as DPIIT in January, 2019.
  • It comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Its role is to promote industrial development of India.