NATIONAL NEWS

Ambulance Service for Cows

• An ambulance service for sick and injured cows was inaugurated in Dibrugarh district, Assam.

• It was inaugurated by Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu.

• The ambulance service will pave the way for the speedy treatment of seriously ill and injured cows.
• The 'gaushala' or chow shelter had also set up a hospital for cows in 2020.
• It was the first cow ambulance service in the Northeast.

India’s First Gene Bank

• Maharashtra Cabinet approved the ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank’, a first-of-its-kind project in India.

• The project will be implemented by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board (MSBB) and will be observed by committees under the chief secretary and the principal secretary of forests.
• The main objective is to conserve genetic resources in Maharashtra including marine diversity, seeds of local crops and animal diversity.
• The ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank Project’ will work on seven themes which includes Marine biodiversity, Local crop/seed varieties, Indigenous cattle breeds, Freshwater biodiversity, Grassland, scrubland and animal grazing land biodiversity, Conservation and management plans for areas under forest right and Rejuvenation of forest areas.
• An investment of Rs. 172.39 crores will be spent on these seven focus areas in the next five years.

Qualcomm India partners with C-DAC

• Qualcomm India has announced a collaboration with the C-DAC, an autonomous scientific society of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
• It plans to initiate and conduct the Qualcomm® Semiconductor Mentorship Program ('QSMP') 2022
• The objective of this program is to select startups from the semiconductor space in India with an intent to provide and facilitate mentorship, technical training and industry outreach.

INTRENATIONL NEWS

PM Modi on Official Visit to Three European Countries

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Berlin, Capital of Germany on the first leg of his official visit to three European nations. He will next visit Denmark and France during his three-day tour.

• The aim is to strengthen the spirit of cooperation with European partners.

• The Prime Minister would be taking part in various programmes including bilateral and multilateral engagements.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will co-chair the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations-IGC.
• He will also attend an India-Denmark Business Forum and address members of the Indian diaspora.
• He will also participate in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit along with Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre Ontario, Canada

• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressed Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre (SMCC) Markham, Ontario, Canada on the occasion of inauguration of Sardar Patel’s Statue virtually.

• The statue of Sardar Patel will not only strengthen our cultural values but will also become a symbol of the relationship between the two countries.
• He also mentioned When Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is celebrated in Canada, it will give an opportunity to the people of Canada to understand India more closely.

BANKING

Religare Broking with Spice Money

• Fintech firm Spice Money announced to partner with Religare Broking to provide people in rural India access to platforms to invest in capital market.

• It will facilitate rural India to get assisted access to a demat account and invest in capital market-linked products.

• Spice Money’s representatives will assist rural citizens to open a demat account and apply for Life Insurance Corp of India's initial public offer (IPO) and invest in other products in the future.
• It will play a key role in the country’s goal of becoming a USD 5-trillion economy and create an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• This partnership shares initative of making people financially independent. Spice Money aims to be a one stop platform for all rural financial needs.

BUSINESS NEWS

Disinvestment of Pawan Hans

• The government has finalised disinvestment for state-owned helicopter service provider Pawan Hans Ltd.

• Pawan Hans provides air transport services for exploration activities of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.
• Star9 Mobility Private limited to buy 51% of GoI share in Pawan Hans Limited.
• The federal government has 51% stake in Pawan Hans while ONGC holds 49%.
• This is the second major privatisation in aviation after Air India.
• After the sale of national carrier Air India Ltd. to Tata Sons Pvt. in 2021, the government aims to privatize about five state-run companies in 2022, including Bharat Petroleum Corp., Shipping Corp of India Ltd., BEML Ltd. and IDBI Bank Ltd.

SPORTS

Asia Badminton Championships

• India's P.V. Sindhu won her second Asian bronze medal in Asia Badminton Championships defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the semifinal in Manila.
• The two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion, Sindhu had the score 21-13 in the opening first round.
• This is Sindhu’s second medal in the tournament as she had claimed a bronze in the 2014 Gimcheon edition.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Whitley Gold Award

• Snow leopard expert and wildlife conservationist Charudutt Mishra has won the prestigious Whitley Gold Award.

• He won this award for his contribution to involving indigenous communities in the conservation and recovery of big cat species in Asia’s high mountain ecosystems.

• This marks his 2nd Whitley Gold Award. He got his first award in 2005.
• Princess Anne presented the award to Mishra at London’s Royal Geographic Society.
• Mishra is co-founder of Mysore (Karnataka)-based Nature Conservation Foundation and executive director of the Snow Leopard Trust.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Jazz Day

• International Jazz Day is celebrated every year on 30 April.

• It is an International Day declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2011 "to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

• The theme for the year 2022 is ‘A call for Global Peace and Unity’.
• The day aims to raise awareness about the importance of jazz as an educational tool and to enhance cooperation among people.
• Jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, who along with the UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay chaired the event.

International Labour Day

• International Labour Day is observed every year on 01 May.

• The aim of this day is to educate workers and labourers about their rights.

• The first Labour Day in India was celebrated in Chennai in 1923 by the Hindustan Labour Kisan Party.
• For the first time, the day was commemorated on 4th May 1886 when the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago took place.
• Later it was announced at the first International Congress of Socialist Parties in Europe on July 14 1889 and was first recognised on 01 May 1890.

World Veterinary Day

• World Veterinary Day is observed every year on the last Saturday of April.

• This year it is marked on 30 April.

• The theme for the year 2022 is ‘Strengthening Veterinary Resilience,
• The aim of the World Veterinary Day is to promote the veterinary profession and work on improvement of the animal and human welfare, the environment, food safety and practices of animal transport and quarantine.

OBITUTARY

Actor Salim Ghouse

• Actor Salim Ghouse died from cardiac arrest. He was at the age 70.

• He played the character of Tipu Sultan in Shyam Benegal’s TV series ‘Bharat Ek Khoj.

• Veteran stage, television and film actor Salim Ghouse featured in several Bollywood and south Indian movies.

Former Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith

• Former Bangladesh Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith passed away in Dhaka due to illness. He was at the age 88.

• AMA Muhith was as an economist, diplomat and a bureaucrat.

•  He was also a veteran of the language movement and freedom fighter.
• He was one of the country's longest serving finance ministers who made Bangladesh to become a successful and high growth economy.
• He was born in 1934 in Sylhet and studied English literature at Dhaka University and later at Oxford University.