18th April, 2024 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
SC To Resume Its Hearing On Petitions Seeking 100 % Verification Of EVM Votes With VVPAT Slips

• Supreme Court will resume its hearing today on petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips.
• A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will hear the petitions filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms and others. Responding to the petition filed by ADR, the Election Commission of India had cited practical difficulties in verifying all VVPATs.
• Earlier, while hearing the plea on Tuesday this week, the Apex court dismissed the idea of a return to the ballot paper era, saying machines give absolutely accurate results unless human bias maligns them.

General Manoj Pande Inaugurates High-Tech IT Lab At Academy Of Armed Forces In Uzbekistan

• Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande inaugurated a high-tech IT Laboratory, at the Academy of Armed Forces in Uzbekistan. The Lab has been established with Indian assistance.
• The development is in accordance with the commitment made by India and Uzbekistan to build an IT laboratory, during the Defense Ministers meeting in September 2018.
• The Lab, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, is expected to enrich the training resources available to Uzbek armed forces and foster a deeper understanding and cooperation between India and Uzbekistan.
• General Pande interacted with First Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Khalmukhamedov Shukhrat Gayratjanovich to discuss aspects of strengthening military cooperation between both the Armies. Thereafter, General Pande visited the Armed Forces Museum, Tashkent, which displays Military exhibits belonging to different historical epochs of Uzbekistan.
• General Pande is on a four-day visit to Uzbekistan, from April 15 to 18, 2024.

Also Read: April 15th Current Affairs: Top 10 Question & Answers

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INTERNATIONAL
Kuwait’s New Prime Minister appointed

• Kuwait’s Emir has appointed Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as the new Prime Minister following the resignation of Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. Sheikh Ahmad, born in 1952, brings extensive experience in finance and government, having held various ministerial positions.
• KUNA reported that Kuwait’s Emir appointed Sheikh Ahmad to form a new government and submit ministerial appointments for approval. This move follows the resignation of Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who stepped down shortly after being tasked with forming a government.
• Kuwait, with a population of around 4.2 million, boasts the world’s sixth-largest oil reserves, positioning it as a key player in the global energy market. Its strategic alliance with the United States, dating back to the 1991 Gulf War, remains steadfast. Currently, Kuwait hosts approximately 13,500 American troops and serves as the forward headquarters of the U.S. Army in the Middle East.

Denmark: Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Building

• In Denmark, a fire raged through one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings destroying about half of the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange and collapsing its iconic dragon-tail spire.
• The blaze broke out on the building’s roof during renovations, but police said it was too early to pinpoint the cause.
• The red-brick building, with its green copper roof and distinctive 56-meter spire, is a major tourist attraction next to Denmark’s parliament, Christiansborg Palace, in the heart of the capital.
• Among the pieces that had been on display in the building was a huge painting completed in 1895 by Danish artist P.S. Krøyer called, “From Copenhagen Stock Exchange.”
• No information has been released about which works of art were saved from the blaze, although video footage appeared to show the Krøyer painting being removed.
• The exchange was built in 1615 and is considered a leading example of Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. The Chamber of Commerce moved into the building after Copenhagen’s stock exchange left in 1974.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Apple and CleanMax Collaborate to Advance Renewable Energy in India

• Apple has partnered with CleanMax to deploy 14.4 megawatts of rooftop solar installations across six industrial sites in India, aimed at reducing emissions associated with its operations in the country.
• Apple and CleanMax have established a joint venture to invest in renewable energy projects in India.
• The venture has already installed rooftop solar solutions across six industrial sites, totaling 14.4 megawatts.
• The additional capacity from the solar projects will power Apple’s offices, retail stores, and other operations in India, contributing to the company’s commitment to 100% renewable energy globally since 2018.

SPORTS
India Clinches 2 Silver, 2 Bronze Medals At 13th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad 2024 In Tskaltubo, Georgia

• Indian team has secured 2 Silver and 2 Bronze medals in the 13th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) 2024. This Olympiad was held in Tskaltubo, Georgia from April 11 – 17, 2024. Gunjan Agarwal of Gurgaon and Sanjana Philo Chacko of Thiruvananthapuram won Silver medals while Larissa from Hissar and Pune’s Saee Patil won Bronze medals. This achievement marks the second instance of all four contestants securing medals at EGMO since India’s debut in 2015.
• The team was led by leader Sahil Mhaskar, Deputy Leader Aditi Muthkhod and Observer Ananya Ranade from the Chennai Mathematical Institute.

REPORTS

India’s Tree Cover Loss Since 2000: Insights from Global Forest Watch

• The Global Forest Watch reveals that India has experienced significant tree cover loss since 2000, totaling 2.33 million hectares. This loss includes both natural disturbances and human-induced factors, impacting the country’s carbon balance and climate change.
• Between 2000 and 2023, India witnessed a 6% decrease in tree cover, with 4,14,000 hectares of humid primary forest lost, comprising 18% of the total tree cover loss during this period.
• Forests in India emitted 51 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually between 2001 and 2022, while removing 141 million tons annually, resulting in a net carbon sink of 89.9 million tons per year.
• Tree cover loss includes human-caused activities like deforestation, logging, fire, disease, and natural disturbances such as storms. 95% of tree cover loss in India from 2013 to 2023 occurred within natural forests.
• Five states accounted for 60% of all tree cover loss from 2001 to 2023: Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur. Assam experienced the highest loss at 324,000 hectares.
• India lost 35,900 hectares of tree cover due to fires between 2002 and 2022, with Odisha having the highest average loss per year at 238 hectares.
• The Global Forest Watch uses tree cover as a metric for monitoring forest change due to its accessibility via satellite imagery. However, tree cover loss doesn’t always indicate deforestation, and forest extent monitoring faces technical challenges due to land use considerations.

Published date : 18 Apr 2024 04:54PM