Current Affairs One - Liner : 14th & 15th April 2024

• National:
• Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year, is celebrated on 14th April in Bangladesh. It marks the first day of the Bengali calendar. The festival is celebrated with processions, fairs, and family time. The traditional greeting is “Shubho Noboborsho”. The festive Mangal Shobhajatra is organized in Bangladesh, which UNESCO declared as a cultural heritage of humanity.

• Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated as the Malayali New Year. It typically falls around April 14 or 15. The day starts with viewing a collection of auspicious items, known as Vishukkani. People wear new clothes, enjoy a feast called Sadhya, and elders give pocket money to children in a ritual called Kaineettam. The festival also involves the worship of Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna. It’s a day of family time, tradition, and celebration.
• Puthandu, also known as Tamil New Year, is the first day of the year on the Tamil calendar. It generally falls on 14 April every year. On this day, Tamil people greet each other by saying “Puttāṇṭu vāḻttukaḷ!” or “Iṉiya puttāṇṭu nalvāḻttukaḷ!”, which means “Happy new year”. Puthandu is celebrated by Tamils in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Reunion, and by the Tamil diaspora worldwide.
• April 14th, often observed as the Solar New Year or Mesha Sankranti, marks the beginning of the solar calendar year in many cultures. In the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it’s the day when the Sun transits from Pisces to Aries. This day is significant in various Asian calendars and forms the basis for major Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist festivals.
• International:
• On April 13, 2024, Iran launched a direct attack on Israel, firing over 300 drones and missiles, including 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 110 ballistic missiles. The Israeli military intercepted 99% of these using their three-tier defense system.
• Economy:
• In FY24, India set a record by exporting 47.8 million tonnes of iron ore. The majority of these exports, approximately 92%, were to China. This marked the highest shipment over seven years. The data was updated on April 13, 2024. The exports significantly impact the global iron and steel markets.
• The government set a target to produce 170 million tonnes of coal for the fiscal year 2025. This target was announced on April 15, 2024, in a meeting with 74 coal-med representatives. The goal is to achieve this target with the optimism of the coal block allottees.
• In 2023, India started operating 11.3 GW of new coal-fired power capacity. This was the largest addition in seven years and included both public and private sector projects. Despite mixed signals about the future of coal power in India, these developments suggest that India’s coal fleet may continue to expand in the coming years. The Power Ministry announced plans in December 2023 to add nearly 88 GW of new thermal power plant capacity by 2032. 
• In March 2024, India’s retail inflation fell to a 10-month low of 4.85%, moving closer to the Reserve Bank of India’s comfort level of 4%. The inflation rates in urban and rural areas were reported at 4.14% and 5.45% respectively. Additionally, the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) inflation was slightly lower at 8.52% compared to the previous month. Interestingly, India’s industrial production also saw an expansion, growing by 5.7% in February 2024.
• India’s export of digitally delivered services jumped by 17% to $257 billion in 2023, making it the world’s fourth-largest exporter in this segment. This growth rate surpassed the 4% increase posted by China and Germany. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies contributed significantly to this growth. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) expects global merchandise trade to increase by 2.6% in 2024 and 3.3% in 2025.
• Science & Technology:
• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a hydrogel that can remove microplastics from water. The hydrogel, announced on April 12, 2024, is made of three different polymer layers and infused with nanoclusters of a material called copper substitute polyoxometalate (Cu-POM). It can degrade contaminants under UV light and remove about 95% of microplastics in water at near-neutral pH. After use, the hydrogel can be repurposed to remove heavy metals from polluted water.
• Sports:
• Rashmi Kumari, the three-time World Champion, won the National Women’s Carrom Title for the 12th time on April 11, 2024. She achieved this feat at the 51st National Carrom Championship held in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The matches took place at the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE). 
• Defence:
• The Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System, developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army, has completed its trials on 13th April 2024. The system is now ready for final user evaluation trials, marking a significant step towards self-reliance in advanced technology-based defence system development.
• Important Days:
• Ambedkar Jayanti, celebrated on April 14th, commemorates the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. He was a freedom fighter and a social reformer who worked tirelessly for the upliftment of marginalized communities. The underlying theme of most events is ‘social justice and equality’, reflecting Dr. Ambedkar’s lifelong fight for these principles.
• World Chagas Disease Day is observed on April 14 annually to raise awareness about Chagas disease. The day marks the birthday of Dr. Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, who discovered the disease. The disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects around 6-7 million people worldwide, causing 12,000 deaths annually. The theme for 2024 is “Tackling Chagas disease: detect early and care for life”.
• Appointments:
• Ms. Vandita Kaul, an Indian Postal Service officer of the 1989 batch, has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Department of Posts, effective from June 1st, 2024. Before this, she served as a Member (Banking & Direct Benefit Transfer) of the Postal Services Board. The announcement was made on April 12, 2024.
• Anurag Kumar, a senior IPS officer from the 2004 batch of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as the Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 12, 2024. Before this, he was working in the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D). His appointment is approved until February 24, 2027.
• Obituaries:
• Jack Clarke, the former chairman of Cricket Australia, passed away at the age of 70 on April 10, 2024. He served on the CA board from 1999 to 2011 and was chair for the final three years of his tenure. He also spent 21 years as a South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) director.

Questions:

Q.1 Who won the National Women’s Carrom Title for the 12th time on April 11, 2024?
a. K Nagajothi
b. Lakshmibai
c. Rashmi Kumari
d. None of the above
Q.2 Who discovered Chagas disease?
a. Dr. Alexander Fleming
b. Dr. Robert Koch
c. Dr. Louis Pasteur
d. Dr. Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas