Current Affairs One - Liner : 13th April 2024

• National:
• On April 9, 2024, IndusInd International Holdings Ltd. (IIHL), a Mauritius-based investment holding company of the Hinduja Group, announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in Invesco Asset Management India Ltd. (IAMI). Invesco will retain a 40% stake in the fund house. The acquisition marks the entry of the Hinduja Group into the mutual fund industry.

• The AI tool VA-ResNet-50 was released on March 28, 2024. The findings of the study were published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health. This tool was developed by researchers at the University of Leicester and the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. It can predict lethal heart rhythms, specifically Ventricular Arrhythmia (VA), with an accuracy of 80%.
• Baisakhi, celebrated on 13 April annually, is a spring harvest festival in Punjab and Northern India. It marks the birth of the Khalsa order in Sikhism and is celebrated with processions, music, and community meals. For Hindus, it’s a time for ritual bathing in sacred rivers, temple visits, and charity. In 2024, Baisakhi was on Saturday, 13 April.
• Economy:
• On March 4, 2024, Moody’s Ratings revised its GDP growth forecast for India for the financial year 2024 (FY24) to 8%, up from the earlier estimate of 6.6%. This revision was driven by the government’s capital expenditure and strong domestic consumption. Additionally, Moody’s raised its forecast for India’s GDP growth in calendar 2024 to 6.8% from its earlier projection of 6.1%.
• Sports:
• Indian badminton players Anupama Upadhyaya and M. Tharun clinched the women’s and men’s singles titles respectively at the Kazakhstan International Challenge 2024 held on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the Energiya Sports Center in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. Anupama, a 19-year-old player from Almora, secured her second consecutive title by defeating compatriot Isharani Baruah with a score of 21-15, 21-16.
• Defence:
• On April 9, 2024, Israel deployed its C-Dome defence system for the first time. The system was used to intercept a “suspicious” target that had entered Israeli airspace near the southern city of Eilat. The interception was successful and no injuries or damage were reported. The C-Dome is a naval version of the Iron Dome, Israel’s rocket-defense system.
• On April 12, 2024, the Defence Ministry issued a tender to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the purchase of 97 made-in-India LCA Mark 1A fighter jets. This is the largest order for indigenous military hardware ever placed by the Indian government. The jets will replace the Indian Air Force’s fleet of MiG-21s, MiG-23s and MiG-27s.
• Important Days:
• The International Day for Street Children is observed annually on April 12 to raise awareness for the rights of street-connected children. In 2024, the day, falling on a Friday, is themed “Belonging”, emphasizing the need for these children to feel a part of their communities and cultures. The day serves as a global rallying point to ensure their rights are upheld.
• The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab, British India. A peaceful crowd protesting against the Rowlatt Act was surrounded by British Indian Army troops led by Brigadier General R. E. H. Dyer. The troops fired on the crowd until their ammunition was exhausted, killing between 379 to 1,500 people and injuring over 1,200. This event marked a turning point in India’s struggle for independence.
• Appointments:
• On April 11, 2024, the Central Government of India appointed Sachidananda Mohanty, former Professor and Head of the Department of English at the University of Hyderabad and former Vice­ Chancellor of Central University of Odisha, Ashish Kumar Chauhan, the CEO of the National Stock Exchange, and Sridhar Vembu, the CEO of Zoho Corporation, as members of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for a term of three years.
• Lindy Cameron is the first woman High Commissioner to India appointed by Britain. She succeeded Alex Ellis and took up her new role in April 2024. Before this, she served as the Chief Executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre from 2020 to 2024.
• Bjarni Benediktsson, the former foreign minister of Iceland, took office as the Prime Minister on April 9, 2024. He replaced Katrín Jakobsdóttir, who had announced her resignation as Prime Minister on April 5, 2024. Jakobsdóttir decided to step down from her position to run for the country’s presidential election.
• Awards & Honours:
• Dr. Gagandeep Kang, an Indian microbiologist, was honored with the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award 2024 on April 11, 2024. She is recognized for her significant contributions to the field of microbiology, particularly in the study of enteric diseases in children, and her work has had a significant impact on vaccine development and health policy globally.
• On April 10, 2024, the ACM A.M. Turing Award, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing,” was awarded to Avi Wigderson. He is a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and has made foundational contributions to the theory of computation, significantly advancing our understanding of the role of randomness in computation.
• Jain Acharya Lokesh Muni, an Indian monk and founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharat, was honored with the American President’s Volunteer Service Award on April 9, 2024. This prestigious award recognizes his significant contributions to voluntary service in the United States. The award ceremony took place at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Questions:

Q.1 Who won the women’s singles title at the Kazakhstan International Challenge 2024?
a. Isharani Baruah
b. Anupama Upadhyaya
c. M. Tharun
d. None of the above
Q.2 Who was honored with the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award 2024?
a. Dr. Gagandeep Kang
b. Dr. John Dirks
c. Dr. Canada Gairdner
d. Dr. Global Health