Parmar SSC Volume 04 April 2024 PDF

PARMAR SSC VOLUME 04 | APRIL NEWS ECONOMIC POLITIC CURRENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY SSC GK = PARMAR SSC CURRENT AFFAIRS NOT MORE THAN THAN 150 CURRENT AFFAIRS CLICK ON THE ABOV...

PARMAR SSC VOLUME 04 | APRIL NEWS ECONOMIC POLITIC CURRENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY SSC GK = PARMAR SSC CURRENT AFFAIRS NOT MORE THAN THAN 150 CURRENT AFFAIRS CLICK ON THE ABOVE ICONS TO BE CONNECTED WITH US AND HENCE WIN YOUR SSC JOURNEY... 06 MAY ‘24  CONTENTS -NATIONAL 1 -STATE 7 -INTERNATIONAL 10 -AWARDS 13 -SPORTS 15 -APPOINTMENTS 22 -DEFENCE 25 -SCIENCE 28 &TECHNOLOGY -IMPORTANT DATES 30 -BOOKS 31 -MISCELLANEOUS 32 -ANSWER KEY 33 -SUMMARY 34 Note:- You can directly jump to any section by simply clicking the respective title. Also now you can click the “type something” area of the question box to land on answer page directly!and by clicking the answer you can jump to the respective question. :) 1 NATIONAL Allu Arjun is the first actor from South India to have his statue at Madame Tussauds in Dubai. It is a multi-member body consisting of 3 members.(2+1) Became a multi-member body in 1989. State-owned power giant NTPC Is contained has 324. in Article Present chief election commissioner - Rajiv permanently closed down Kumar. its 220 MW Barauni Thermal Power Station Stage-I, located in Begusarai. The trailer for 'IRAH', India's first AI-based film, has been launched. The film is set to release in cinemas across India on April 4th. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering developing a new agency in the fight against cybercrime: the Digital India Trust Agency (DIGITA). Katchatheevu Island, a disputed territory in the Palk Strait has become a focal point of political tensions. Currently administered by both the countries (India & Srilanka) through the legal Agreement signed in 1974. 2 NATIONAL State-owned Paradip Port in Odisha has emerged as India's largest major port in terms of cargo volumes in FY24, surpassing Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat. Q1. How many major It clocks 145.38 million tonne ports are there in cargo India? throughput in Type something... ;) FY24. BALCO, a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, has received the ASI Performance Standard V3 Certification for its aluminum products manufacturing facility in Korba, Chhattisgarh. BALCO-Bharat Q2. To which group Aluminium does aluminium belong Company Limited ASI- Aluminium in the periodic table?” Stewardship Type something... ;) Initiative Bilquis Mir from Jammu and Kashmir will make history as the first Indian woman to serve as a jury member at this year's Summer Olympics in Paris. Israel and India had signed a G2G agreement to fly around 42,000 workers from here to various spots in Israel. After Chabahar, India has gained the rights to operate a second overseas port, Sittwe, in Myanmar. Sittwe port development is part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Q3. Chabahar port is Project (KMTTP), which located in which country? will link Kolkata and Sittwe port. Type something... ;) 3 NATIONAL The Supreme Court has ruled that people have a “right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change”, which should be recognized by Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The judgement was given by a three- Q4. The Right to Property was judge Bench of CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and deleted from the list of Fundamental Justices J.B.Pardiwala Rights by which of the Amendment and Manoj Misra. of Indian Constitution? Type something... ;) HDFC Bank has opened a branch at Kavaratti Island, becoming the only private bank in Lakshadweep. WHO report: India faces a major challenge with second-highest hepatitis B and C cases after China, with 350 million infections in 2022. HEPATITIS Caused by virus It affects the Liver. According to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (WUR) 2024, IIT Bombay has been ranked first in India and 149th in the world. PM Modi became the first Prime Minister of India to feature on the cover of Newsweek after Indira Gandhi. The Central government has launched a new platform called CDP-SURAKSHA to disburse subsidies to Q5.What is called the production and horticulture farmers under the marketing of vegetables? Cluster Development Type something... ;) Programme (CDP). 4 NATIONAL India has lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000, equivalent to a six per cent decrease in tree cover during this period, according to the latest data Q6. Which state in from the Global Forest Watch India has the highest forest cover? monitoring project. Type something... ;) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stopped Bank of Baroda from Reserve Bank Of India onboarding new customers on its Established in 1935 mobile app 'BoB World' citing HQ - Mumbai. material supervisory concerns. Governor - ShaktiKanta Das. Nationalised in- 1949 1st Governor - Sir Osborne Smith. 1st Indian Governor - Sir C.D. Deshmukh. GUJCOST named ISRO's Nodal Centre for START program, offering online space science training to aspiring scientists and engineers. GUJCOST-Gujarat Council on Science and Technology. START - Space Science and Technology Awareness Training. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has removed the age limit of 65 years for individuals purchasing health insurance policies. Q7. The headquarters of the IRDAI is located at ? Type something... ;) 5 NATIONAL National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) was awarded Navratna status by the Department of Public Enterprises of the Finance Ministry. In a historic event, members of the Shompen tribe in Andaman and Nicobar Islands participate in voting for the first time. Q8. Which state has the highest tribal population in Also Bru voters India? in Tripura cast their first Lok Type something... ;) Sabha votes in 2024. Min. of Women & Child Development has launched National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care & Education 2024 It is a Detailed 48 week curriculum for 3-6 years old in Anganwadis. The Union Health Ministry has issued the directions to the hospitals to issue the NOTTO-ID in all cases of Organ transplants so as to eliminate the Commercial Dealing in Organs. The Adani Group's Vizhinjam Port in Kerala has received the shipping ministry's approval for operating as India's first transshipment port. 6 NATIONAL Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), a government-owned entity, received the prestigious 'Navratna' status. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), installed and activated India's biggest Climate Clock at the CSIR Headquarters in New Delhi. SEBI has launched a new version of the SEBI Complaint Redress System. (SCORES 2.0). 1st Domestic Gene Therapy launched by President Droupadi Murmu in : IIT Bombay  STATES 7 The world's first-ever Om-shaped temple has been inaugurated in Pali, Rajasthan. Eight products have been granted GI tags across various regions in India. 1. Sanjhi ceremonial craft from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. 2. Matabari Pera dairy GI TAG confection from Tripurasundari Geographical Indications of Goods Act,1999. temple, Tripura. Provided by the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade, & comes under 3. Rignai Pachra handwoven the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. U.P now has a total of 75 GI tags. cloth used by Indigenous communities in Tripura. 4. Flute from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. 5. Kathiya Gehu from Bundelkhand Region. 6. Sitars and tanpuras from Miraj, Maharashtra. 7. Gond painting from Madhya Pradesh. 8. Tiranga Barfi from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Punjab has launched the “Booth Raabta” website ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections aims to bridge the gap between voters and election authorities.  STATES 8 The first glass skywalk bridge in Uttar Pradesh is now complete at Tulsi (Shabari) waterfall in Chitrakoot. It has been Q9. Which river forms beautifully built in the shape of the Dhuandhar falls? Lord Rama's Type something... ;) Bow and Arrow. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium is the first BCCI-accredited venue with a cutting-edge hybrid pitch. A team of archaeologists claimed to have discovered a unique Iron Age megalithic site in Telangana. Gepan Gath lake recently in news is located in : Q10. What is the second largest freshwater lake in Asia Himachal Pradesh located in Jammu & Kashmir? Type something... ;) Ms. Majhwar, India's first transgender sarpanch, is now an Independent Lok Sabha candidate from M.P's Damoh constituency. The Neptis philyra butterfly, also called the long-streak sailor, was recently found for the first time in Arunachal This butterfly was Pradesh, by a team of found at the Tale Valley Wildlife butterfly enthusiasts. Sanctuary and belongs to the Nymphalidae family.  STATES 9 The Tamil Nadu government launched the Nilgiri Tahr, an ambitious flagship program to conserve the state animal. The Gautam Adani-led group is constructing the world's largest single-location copper manufacturing plant in Gujarat, India. India’s 1st Multipurpose Green Hydrogen Pilot Project inaugrated in : Himachal Pradesh. Strength does not come from winning. your struggles develop your strengths. when you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. ~ Mahatma Gandhi 10 INTERNATIONAL Tropical cyclone Gamane hits Madagascar. A massive earthquake of 7.4 magnitude hit Taiwan on April 3. Zimbabwe has introduced a new gold-backed currency called ZiG - the name stands for "Zimbabwe Gold". Q11. What is the Capital of Zimbabwe? Type something... ;) Israel's successful interception of drones and missiles launched by Iran has been officially named operation “Iron Shield”. Sweden and Slovenia join the Artemis Accords as the 38th and 39th countries. It was initiated by NASA which elaborates on the norms expected to be followed in outer space. India became its 27th member last year. Pyolijji-1-2 anti-aircraft missile and Hwasal-1 Ra-3 cruise missile have been developed by North Korea. 11 INTERNATIONAL Global Financial Stability Report Published by : IMF Iraq's parliament has passed a law criminalizing same-sex relationships with a maximum 15- years prison sentencece. Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane participated in the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in Astana. SCO Q12. In which year did India Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. officially join the SCO as a HQ- Beijing, China. full- fledged member? Full members- India, Kazakhstan, China, Type something... ;) Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Luís Montenegro was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Portugal. Bulgaria and Romania become Schengen members. 12 INTERNATIONAL Germany legalizes recreational cannabis, allowing possession and cultivation. UK has signed an agreement with Rwanda to relocate Asylum seekers.  AWARDS 13 Prof. Meena Charanda Principal of Kalindi College Delhi University received the International Culture Award. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award. The inaugural award was presented to Narendra Modi and second award was given to Asha Bhosle. Ananth Technologies Founder, CEO and Chairman Pavuluri Subba Rao has been conferred with the 'Aryabhatta Award' instituted by the Aeronautical Society of India (ASI). Renowned industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, was bestowed with the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award 2021. Renowned Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Choudhury Bannya received the prestigious Padma Shri Award. Q13.Prabha Atre received the Padma Shri in which year? Type something... ;)  AWARDS 14 Mohammed Salem (Palestine) won the World Press Photo of the Year 2024. Deepika Soreng received the prestigious Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player during the Hockey India 6th Annual Awards 2023. Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence, and face your future witout fear. -DR. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM 15 SPORTS An International Chess Federation (FIDE)- rated Rapid Chess Tournament was hosted by IIT Madras. FIDE Established in -1924. HQ- Lausanne, Switzerland. Current World Champion- Ding Liren(China). Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden won the Miami Open 2024 tennis men's doubles title at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. By doing this, he broke his own record, becoming the oldest man to win a Masters 1000 title on the ATP circuit at the age of 44. Hardik Singh, and Salima Tete, won the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year Awards for men and Women respectively. Novak Djokovic broke Roger Federer's record as the oldest No. 1 in ATP Rankings. Maharashtra dominates the 56th National kho kho championship, winning in both men's and women's sections. 16 SPORTS Arjun Erigaisi is the World No. 9 and India No. 1 in April 2024 FIDE Rating list. Bindyarani Devi won a bronze medal at the International Weightlifting World Cup 2024 in Phuket, Thailand. Pankaj Advani dominates CCI Billiards classic with massive breaks, clinching fourth consecutive title in Mumbai. Q14. "Hopman cup" is related to which sports? Type something... ;) Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won an action- packed Japanese Grand Prix, the fourth round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, at Suzuka. The inaugural phase of the National Women's Hockey League is scheduled to kick off in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from April 30 to May 9. Sumit Nagal became the first Indian to enter the Monte Carlo Masters singles main draw in 42 years, beating Facundo But he lost to Diaz Acosta of Argentina. Danish Tennis player ‘Holger Rune’ in the Finals. 17 SPORTS US-based Space Foundation has awarded the ISRO with the iconic 2024 John L Jack Swigert, Jr, Award for space exploration. Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis and England's Maia Bouchier have been named the ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month for March Q15. Which channel separates India and 2024. Maldives ? Type something... ;) The 41st Badminton Asia Championship 2024 held in Ningbo, China. India has won five medals so far at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2024. Udit won the silver while Abhimanyu and Vicky clinched bronze medals in the men's freestyle divisions. Mary Kom steps down as India's chef-de- mission for the Paris Olympics due to personal reasons, as announced by IOA. In the MI vs CSK IPL 2024 match at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit Sharma became the first Indian batter to hit 500 sixes in T20 cricket. 18 SPORTS Lithuanian Mykolas Alekna broke the men’s discus throw world record with a 74.35m effort at the Ramona Throws Festival in Oklahoma. Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan claimed their first title together by winning the $82K Morelos Open in Cuernavaca, Mexico. This open is a part of ATP Challenger 2024 and was played on Hard Court Events. Australia captain Pat Cummins and England's Nat Sciver-Brunt in the female category were named as the Leading Cricketers in the World in the 2024 edition of Wisden Cricketers’. Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal became only the third player to hit six sixes in an over in a T20I during the match against Qatar. Max Verstappen, the triple world champion, clinched victory at Formula One's first Chinese Grand Prix in five years. 19 SPORTS Sukant Kadam secured a silver medal in the Spanish Para-Badminton International 2024- II tournament played at Vitoria, Spain. D Gukesh, at just 17, has made history by winning the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024, held in Toronto, Canada. By this he became the youngest player ever to reach the final of the World Chess Championship. World number six Casper Ruud defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Barcelona Open. India's most successful male squash player, Saurav Ghosal, has announced his retirement. Prachi Yadav won 2 Gold Medals in the Paracanoe World Championship. Sreeja Akula rises to top Indian woman table tennis player, replacing Manika Batra in the latest ITTF rankings. 20 SPORTS Former CWG gold medallist Narsingh Yadav has been named the chairman of the 7- member WFI panel. Q16. When and where the first Commonwealth Games were held? Type something... ;) Eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt was named as the ambassador for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which will be played in the USA and the West Indies. Other than Usain Bolt, former cricketer Yuvraj Singh was also named as the ambassador for the ICC Men's T20 WC. Mona Agarwal won the gold medal in the R2-10 meter air rifle standing SH1 event at the Para Shooting World Cup held in Korea. Paris Olympics 2024: Arjun Babuta breaches Air Rifle world record in selection trials. The inaugural Gulf Youth Games had taken place in the UAE, with six Gulf countries participating. Gulf countries are- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 21 SPORTS Indian athlete Harshit Kumar won the gold medal in hammer throw at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships held in Dubai. The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed Gary Kirsten from South Africa and Jason Gillespie from Australia as head coaches. Yuzvendra Chahal becomes 1st Bowler to take 200 wickets in IPL. Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri and his French partner Albano Olivetti won the 2024 BMW Open tennis tournament title. Tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been crowned Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record-equalling fifth time. Sportswoman of the Year : Aitana Bonmatí. Comeback of the Year : Simone Biles. 22 APPOINTMENTS IPS Rajeev Kumar Sharma has been appointed director general of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD). Sanjay Nayar, former KKR India CEO, appointed President of ASSOCHAM. ASSOCHAM Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India Established in 1920. HQ- New Delhi. IPS officer Love Kumar appointed as IG of Special Protection Group(SPG). Q17. When was the SPG formed? Type something... ;) The Indian government has appointed Manoj Panda, an esteemed economist, as a new member of the 16th Finance Commission. FINANCE COMMISSION Established in- 1951 It is a constitutional body. It has a chairman and four members appointed by the President. Q18. Which article of the Constituted by the President for a period of 5 years. Indian constitution talks First chairman - K. C. Neogy. about the Finance 16th F.C Chairman - Arvind Panagariya. Commission? Type something... ;) 23 APPOINTMENTS Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist, will serve as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a second five-year term. IMF Q19. When was the Asian International Monetary Fund. Development Bank HQ- Washington, D.C. Created ? Members -190 countries. Type something... ;) Established in- 1944. Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff. Q20. When do we celebrate the Indian Navy Day? Type something... ;) The DRDO recently conducted a successful flight test of the "Nirbhay" long-range cruise missile, which was developed indigenously, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur. Professor Naima Khatoon has been appointed as the first-ever woman Vice- Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University for a period of 5 years. New DG of NSG : Nalin Prabhat 24 DEFENCE The Indian Air Force (IAF) held its 10-day mega exercise labelled 'Gagan Shakti 2024'. This exercise was last held in 2018. The Armed Forces intend to establish Mumbai as the nation's first "tri-service common Q21. Who was the first defence station" for defence minister of independent India? the Army, Navy, and Indian Air Force (IAF). Type something... ;) Strategic Forces Command (SFC), along with DRDO, conducted the successful flight-test of New Generation Ballistic Missile Agni-Prime from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. India successfully carried out the first flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re- entry Vehicle (MIRV) under its 'Mission Divyastra'. The Indian Army has boosted its air defence capabilitiess with The deployment started 'Akashteer Control with the first batch of and Reporting Control Centres being flagged off from BEL Systems’. Ghaziabad. Developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). 25 DEFENCE The Defence Ministry held first-ever Tri- service Conference 'Parivartan Chintan' in New Delhi. Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff CNS, during his visit to Southern Naval Command SNC, Kochi, awarded 'On the Spot Unit Citation' to INS Sharda. Indian Coast Guard Director General Rakesh Pal inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard Aquatic Centre at ICGS Mandapam near Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. The Indian Army has received its first batch of 24 Russia-made Igla-S Man Portable Air Defence Systems India signed a (MANPADS), accompanied contract with Russia in November by 100 missiles that will enhance its Very Short last year for 120 launchers and 400 missiles. Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) capabilities. Trishakti Corps, Indian Army conducted a training exercise of Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) firing at a Super High-Altitude Area in Sikkim. 26 DEFENCE The fifth edition of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise Dustlik commenced at Termez District in Uzbekistan. Russia successfully launched the Angara-A5 rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. SPACE, a premier testing & evaluation hub for sonar systems for the Indian Navy, set up by DRDO, inaugurated in Kerala. Q22. Who is the current chairman of DRDO? SPACE- Type something... ;) Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation and Evaluation. Indian Navy's elite MARCOs commandos, deployed onboard frontline ship INS Talwar, seized the narcotics from a dhow as part of the 'Operation Crimson Barracuda’. Indian Navy conducts Exercise Poorvi Lehar on East Coast to enhance maritime security preparedness with diverse assets and forces.  DEFENCE 27 India delivered Supersonic Cruise Missile BRAHMOS to the Philippines under a $375M Deal signed in 2022. The IAF achieved a milestone by successfully test-firing an air-launched ballistic missile, ROCKS or Crystal Maze 2, capable of hitting targets over 250 km away. The test, conducted from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. DRDO develops lightest bulletproof jacket in India. According to latest SIPRI Report India is 4th largest Military Spender. 28 SCIENCE &TECHNOLOGY Microsoft and OpenAI collaborating on a $100 billion supercomputer project, Stargate, to power AI with specialised server chips. An international team of scientists, including from India, has found strong evidence of ozone on Jupiter's moon Callisto. The Galilean moons or Galilean satellites, are the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. WHO launches 'CoViNet' — a global laboratory to monitor emerging coronaviruses. Built at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California, the LSST Camera is the largest digital camera ever built for astronomy. LSST This Camera will be installed at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile by the end of 2024. LSST- Legacy Survey of Space and Time. It has a resolution of 3.2billion pixels. Gopichand Thotakura, from Andhra Pradesh is set to become the first Indian to venture into space as a tourist. Selected as part of the elite crew for Blue Origin's New Shephard-25 (NS-25) mission. 29 SCIENCE &TECHNOLOGY The Proba-3 mission, designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the Sun, is scheduled to be launched by the ISRO. This mission aims to study the outer layer of the Sun's corona. NASA has launched Solar Powered Spacecraft. I also believe that a person who does not have respect for time, and does not have a sense of timing, can achieve little. -Vikram Sarabhai 30 IMPORTANT DATES DATE DAY THEME 1st April Orissa Day N.A. International Day of Sport for “Sport for the Promotion of 6th April Development Peaceful and Inclusive Societies" 7th April World Health Day "My Health, My Right" 13th April Jallianwala Bagh Massacre N.A. B.R. Ambedkar Remembrance 14th April Social justice and Equality Day 18th April World Heritage Day Discover and Experience Diversity 21st April National Civil Service Day N.A. 22nd April World Earth Day “Planet vs Plastics” Zero Malaria – “Accelerate the 25th April World Malaria Day fight against malaria for a more equitable world” “Veterinarians are essential health 30th April World Veterinary Day workers” 30th April Ayushman Bharat Diwas N.A. 31 BOOKS Renowned author Sam Pitroda has written a new book titled 'The Idea of Democracy', which explores the current state of democracy. Q23. Who wrote the book 'An era of Darkness'? Type something... ;) Salman Rushdie recently released his new book titled "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder". Famous books: Midnight's Children. The Moor's Last Sigh. 32 MISCELLANEOUS Physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of the Higgs boson, also known as the 'God particle,' has passed away at the age of 94. Higgs won the Nobel Prize in 2013 for his work which found that the particle is responsible for giving all particles mass. Q24. The rest mass of the Higgs boson is estimated to be close to ? Type something... ;) ’Vasuki Inducus’ : fossil of the largest ever snake that lived on Earth. Yakshagana thespian Subrahmanya Dhareshwar (67), who had earned the fame of ‘Bhagavata Shrestha’ for his scintillating voice, passed away in Bengaluru. He got Q25. Yakshagana is a famous Karnataka folk dance associated with Rajyotsava award in 2022. which of the following states? Type something... ;) Climate Change: 89% of glacial lakes in the Indian Himalayas are expanding at unprecedented rate, says ISRO. And among them, the Gepang Gath glacial lake, located in the Indus River Basin at an elevation of 4,068 metres in Himachal Pradesh, has shown the highest increase. 33 ANSWER KEY 1. 13 Major Ports 2. Group-13 3. Gulf of Oman 4. 44th Amendment Act 5. Olericulture 6. Madhya Pradesh 7. Hyderabad, Telangana 8. Madhya Pradesh 10. Wular lake 9. Narmada 12. 9 June, 2017 11. Harare 14. Tennis 13. 1990 1930 at Hamilton, 16. 15. Eight Degree Channel Canada 18. Article 280 17. 1985 19 December 1966 20. December 4 19. Baldev Singh 22. Dr Samir V Kamat 21. 23. Shashi Tharoor 24. 125.35±0.15 GeV/c2 25. Karnataka 34 SUMMARY NATIONAL 1. AA: First South Indian actor with statue at Madame Tussauds Dubai. 2. NTPC shut down 220 MW Barauni Thermal Power Station Stage-I. 3. Trailer for 'IRAH', India's first AI-based film, launched; released on April 4. 4. RBI considering new agency DIGITA to combat cybercrime. 5. Katchatheevu Island, disputed territory in Palk Strait, sparks tensions. 6. Paradip Port in Odisha emerges as India's largest in cargo volumes. 7. BALCO's Korba facility receives ASI Performance Standard V3 Certification. 8. Bilquis Mir to be first Indian woman jury member at Summer Olympics Paris. 9. India, Israel signed a G2G agreement to fly 42,000 workers to Israel. 10. India gained rights to operate Sittwe port in Myanmar after Chabahar. 11. SC affirms "right to be free from adverse effects of climate change". 12. HDFC Bank opens a branch in Kavaratti Island, sole private bank in Lakshadweep. 13. WHO: India faces challenge with 350M hepatitis B and C cases in 2022. 14. QS WUR 2024: IIT Bombay ranked 1st in India, 149th globally. 15. PM Modi first Indian PM on Newsweek cover since Indira Gandhi. 35 SUMMARY NATIONAL 16. Central govt. launches CDP-SURAKSHA for horticulture subsidies. 17. India loses 2.33M ha tree cover since 2000: Global Forest Watch. 18. RBI halts BoB World app onboarding citing supervisory concerns. 19. GUJCOST named ISRO's Nodal Centre for START program. 20. IRDAI removes 65-year age limit for health insurance. 21. NFL awarded Navratna status by Finance Ministry. 22. Shompen tribe members in Andaman vote for first time. 23. Ministry launches National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care & Education 2024. 24. Health ministry directs hospitals to issue NOTTO-ID for organ transplants. 25. Adani's Vizhinjam Port approved as India's first transshipment port. 26. IREDA receives Navratna status. 27. CSIR activates India's biggest Climate Clock at HQ in New Delhi. 28. SEBI launches SCORES 2.0. 29. President Murmu launches 1st Domestic Gene Therapy at IIT Bombay. 36 SUMMARY STATES 1. Om-shaped temple inaugurated in Pali, Rajasthan. 2. Eight products get GI tags across India. 3. Punjab launches "Booth Raabta" website for elections. 4. UP completes first glass skywalk bridge at Tulsi waterfall. 5. HPCA stadium first with hybrid pitch. 6. Unique Iron Age site discovered in Telangana. 7. Ms. Majhwar, India's first transgender sarpanch, now Lok Sabha candidate from M.P. 8. Neptis philyra butterfly found in Arunachal Pradesh. 9. Tamil Nadu launches Nilgiri Tahr conservation programme. 10. Adani group building world's largest copper plant in Gujarat. 11. India’s 1st Multipurpose Green Hydrogen Pilot Project inaugurated in Himachal Pradesh. 37 SUMMARY INTERNATIONAL 1. Cyclone Gamane hits Madagascar. 2. A 7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Taiwan. 3. Zimbabwe introduces gold-backed currency ZiG. 4. Israel's "Iron Shield" intercepts Iranian drones. 5. Sweden, Slovenia join Artemis Accords. 6. North Korea develops Pyolijji-1-2, Hwasal-1 Ra-3 missiles. 7. IMF publishes Global Financial Stability Report. 8. Iraq criminalises same-sex relationships. 9. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane attends SCO meeting in Astana. 10. Luís Montenegro becomes Portugal's Prime Minister. 11. Bulgaria, Romania join Schengen. 12. Germany legalises recreational cannabis. 13. UK, Rwanda agree on asylum seekers relocation. 38 SUMMARY APPOINTMENTS 1. Devendra Jhajharia, double Paralympic gold medalist, named President of PCI. 2. Competitive breakdancing to debut as an Olympic sport at 2024 Paris Olympics. 3. IPS Daljit Singh Chaudhary appointed DG of NSG. 4. Captain Shweta Singh becomes first woman CFOI at DGCA. 5. Kishor Makwana appointed Chairman of NCSCs. 6. Nayab Saini named new CM of Haryana. 7. Mexico's Elisa de Anda Madrazo chosen as FATF's new president. 8. Navneet Kumar Sehgal appointed Chairman of Prasar Bharati. 9. Rahul Singh becomes new Chairperson of CBSE. 10. MV Rao appointed Chairman of IBA. 11. Diamond Baron Govind Dholakia named Chairman of Surat Diamond Bourse. 12. Sadanand Vasant Date appointed DG of NIA. 13. Hansha Mishra appointed Director in UPSC. 14. Abhay Thakur named Ambassador to Myanmar. 15. Pavan Davuluri appointed head of Microsoft Windows and Surface. 16. IPS Piyush Anand appointed DG of NDRF. 17. Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi resigns as Chairman of Law Commission; to be sworn in as Lokpal member. 39 SUMMARY SPORTS 1. IIT Madras hosted FIDE-rated Rapid Chess Tournament. 2. Rohan Bopanna, Matthew Ebden: Miami Open 2024 men's doubles champions. 3. Hardik Singh, Salima Tete: Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award. 4. Novak Djokovic: Oldest ATP No. 1, breaking Federer's record. 5. Maharashtra dominates 56th National kho kho championship. 6. Arjun Erigaisi: World no.9, India no.1 in April 2024 FIDE Ratings. 7. Bindyarani Devi: Bronze at International Weightlifting World Cup 2024. 8. Pankaj Advani: CCI Billiards classic champion for fourth time. 9. Max Verstappen: Japanese Grand Prix winner, Formula 1. 10. National Women's Hockey League inaugural phase in Ranchi. 11. Sumit Nagal: Monte Carlo Masters singles main draw. 12. ISRO: 2024 John L “Jack” Swigert, Jr, Award by Space Foundation. 13. Kamindu Mendis, Maia Bouchier: ICC Players of the Month, March 2024. 14. 41st Badminton Asia Championship held in Ningbo, China. 15. India: Five medals at Asian Wrestling Championships 2024. 16. Mary Kom steps down as India's chef-de-mission for Paris Olympics. 17. Rohit Sharma: First Indian with 500 T20 cricket sixes. 18. Mykolas Alekna: Men’s discus throw world record breaker. 19. Arjun Kadhe, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan: Morelos Open champions. 40 SUMMARY SPORTS 20. Pat Cummins, Nat Sciver-Brunt: Leading Cricketers in Wisden 2024. 21. Dipendra Singh Airee: Six sixes in T20I match against Qatar. 22. Max Verstappen: Chinese Grand Prix winner, Formula One. 23. Sukant Kadam: Silver in Spanish Para-Badminton International 2024- II. 24. D Gukesh: FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament winner at 17. 25. Casper Ruud: Barcelona Open tennis champion. 26. Saurav Ghosal: Retires as India's most successful male squash player. 27. Prachi Yadav: Double gold in Paracanoe World Championship. 28. Sreeja Akula: Top Indian woman table tennis player. 29. Narsingh Yadav: Chairman of 7-member WFI panel. 30. Usain Bolt, Yuvraj Singh: ICC Men's T20 World Cup ambassadors. 31. Mona Agarwal: Gold in Para Shooting World Cup. 32. Paris Olympics 2024: Arjun Babuta sets Air Rifle world record. 33. Gulf Youth Games inaugural edition in UAE. 34. Harshit Kumar: Gold in hammer throw at Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships. 35. PCB appoints Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie as head coaches. 36. Yuzvendra Chahal: First bowler with 200 IPL wickets. 37. Yuki Bhambri, Albano Olivetti: BMW Open tennis tournament champions. 38. Novak Djokovic: Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. 41 SUMMARY AWARDS 1. Prof. Meena Charanda: International Culture Award, Kalindi College, Delhi University. 2. Amitabh Bachchan: Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award. 3. Pavuluri Subba Rao: Aryabhatta Award, Ananth Technologies. 4. Ratan Tata: KISS Humanitarian Award 2021. 5. Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya: Padma Shri Award. 6. Mohammed Salem (Palestine): World Press Photo of the Year 2024. 7. Pavuluri Subbarao: Aryabhatta Award in Astronautics. 8. Deepika Soreng: Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player. DEFENCE 1. Rajeev Kumar Sharma: Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), IPS. 2. Sanjay Nayar: President, ASSOCHAM, former KKR India CEO. 3. Love Kumar: Inspector General, Special Protection Group, IPS officer. 4. Manoj Panda: Member, 16th Finance Commission, economist. 5. Kristalina Georgieva: IMF head, second term. 6. Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi: Chief of the Naval Staff. 7. DRDO: Successful flight test of "Nirbhay" long-range cruise missile. 8. Naima Khatoon: First woman Vice-Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University. 9. Nalin Prabhat: Director General, NSG. 42 SUMMARY SCIENCE AND TECH 1. Microsoft, OpenAI: Collaborating on $100B AI supercomputer project, Stargate. 2. Scientists find ozone on Jupiter's moon Callisto. 3. WHO launches 'CoViNet' to monitor emerging coronaviruses. 4. LSST Camera: Largest digital camera for astronomy, to be installed in Chile. 5. Gopichand Thotakura: First Indian space tourist. 6. Proba-3 mission by ESA, to study the Sun, launched by ISRO. 7. NASA launches Solar Powered Spacecraft. 8. STARGATE: Microsoft, OpenAI's joint AI supercomputer project. Books 1. Sam Pitroda's 'The Idea of Democracy' explores democracy's state. 2. Salman Rushdie's "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder." MISCELLANEOUS 1. Physicist Peter Higgs, 'God particle' proposer, passes away. 2. 'Vasuki Inducus': Fossil of largest ever snake. 3. Yakshagana thespian Subrahmanya Dhareshwar passes away. 4. ISRO: 89% of glacial lakes in Indian Himalayas expanding due to climate change.  Nothing lasts forever. That means the hardships and the pain you are going through right now won't stay forever either. That means you'll find a way to heal. Remember, life has its seasons, one after another they arrive and they leave. You may feel like you won't survive this season of pain, the struggles you are dealing with, but I assure you, you will. Like the seasons of life your circumstances will change too. And I hope that this period of change makes you realize your inner power, the incredible strength of your heart too. -Dhiman Thankoo ;)