6th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

• The 6th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure kicked off in New Delhi on April 24, 2024, and will run through April 25, 2024.
•  Making investments in robust infrastructure is essential for a better future.
• At the 6th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure it was emphasized that although disasters are frequently valued in monetary terms, their true cost is felt by individuals, families, and communities.
• He emphasized that attempts to rebuild after a disaster as well as new infrastructure projects must take resilience into account.
• PM Narendra Modi emphasized the need for nations to be collectively resilient in a world when the effects of calamities cut across national boundaries.

TRAI Inaugurated AVIA

• TRAI Chairman, Anil Kumar Lahoti, and Union Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Sanjay Jaju, opened the Asia Video Industry Association's (AVIA) Future of Video India conference in Mumbai on April 25, 2024.
•  The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting aims to grow the Indian media and entertainment sector to a sizeable market of $100 billion, far exceeding its current estimated valuation of
  $28–30 billion.
• The ambitious ambition, he continued, is based on strategic initiatives meant to promote innovation, accelerate growth, and seize new opportunities in the industry.

New Logo and Motto for Indian Historical Records Commission

•  The Indian Historical Records Commission has adopted a New Logo and Motto on April 25, 2024.
• The IHRC, founded in 1919, is led by the Union Minister of Culture. The logo represents the theme and originality of IHRC perfectly.
• The pages in the shape of lotus petals depict the IHRC as a steadfast nodal organization for preserving historical documents.
• The Sarnath pillar in the center symbolizes India's rich heritage.
• Brown as the colour theme reinforces the organization's objective to preserve, research, and honour India's historical records.
• The motto reads, "Where history is preserved for the future."

Passport Affordability Rankings

• According to a recent survey, released on April 25, 2024 the UAE passport is the most reasonably priced passport worldwide, with the Indian passport coming in 2nd.
• On the other hand, the Indian passport has cheap annual and acquisition fees.
•  The Indian passport is a more affordable alternative than other passports when it comes to annual fees and acquisition costs, but its visa-free travel is not as extensive as it is for more expensive passports.
• This puts India ahead of nations like Kenya and South Africa and, over time, offers passport holders huge discounts.
•  This is in contrast to passports from the USA, Canada, Australia, and other nations, which are more expensive but provide greater access to a greater number of countries.

Diverse Education Offerings at GETEX 2024

• India made an indelible mark during the Global Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) 2024, which is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Center until April 25, 2024.
• The India Pavilion, which has the biggest representation at the event, highlights the nation's dedication to global higher education.
• The pavilion, which was put together by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), and the Indian Consulate General in Dubai, highlights India's dedication to advancing global higher education.
• The Services Export Promotion Council has increased its efforts to promote international collaborations in education under the auspices of the New Education Policy-2020.
• These initiatives include business delegations, international outreach programs, roadshows, exhibitions, and partnerships with foreign colleges.

RBI Introduced FEMA Regulations

• To make the procedure of Indian companies directly listing on foreign stock markets simpler, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the FEMA regulations on April 25, 2024.
• FEMA stands for Foreign Exchange Management Act.
•  These rules are designed to provide businesses more freedom in how they use the money they raise from foreign listings by streamlining reporting requirements and foreign exchange transactions.
•  The regulations mandate that the money received from the sale or subscription of equity shares of Indian firms that are listed on foreign markets must be deposited in the foreign currency account of the Indian company or transferred to an Indian bank account.
• Unused or repatriated funds will be maintained in foreign currency accounts with American Depository Receipts (ADRs), Global Depository Receipts (GDRs), External Commercial Borrowings (ECB), or direct listing of equity shares on international exchanges for residents of India raising funds.

Prabowo Subianto

• After 2 losing presidential candidates' challenges to Prabowo Subianto's overwhelming victory were denied by the nation's highest court, the election commission of Indonesia formally proclaimed Subianto the country's next president on April 25, 2024.
•  As the defense minister at the moment, Prabowo Subianto received 58.6% of the total votes, or over 96 million votes, more than twice as many as any of his competitors.
•  Longtime leader of Indonesia's Kopassus Special Forces Prabowo Subianto was released from the military in 1998 following reports that Kopassus members had subjected opposition activists to torture.

Swami Gautamand

• Swami Gautamand Maharaj was appointed the next President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on April 25, 2024.
•  Following the passing of Swami Smarananand, the former President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, he was appointed President.
• Since 2017, Swami Gautamand has served as Ramakrishna Mission's co-chairman. He was elected as the Sangh's 17th President.

2nd IP Global Leadership Awards

• The 2nd Global IP Leadership Summit and Awards, hosted by ASSOCHAM, took place in New Delhi on April 25, 2024.
•  The purpose of the summit is to bring together global leaders in the industry to exchange knowledge, strategies, and best practices related to innovation and sustainability.
•  The ASSOCHAM IPR Council Chairperson, Pravin Anand, highlighted during his speech at the summit the transformational power of intellectual property (IP) and its influence on customary knowledge and culture.
•  He also emphasized the need for strong action against international counterfeiting and made changes to address regulatory issues.
• Other dignitaries and the additional secretary of the Commerce and Industry Ministry's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade were present at the occasion.

World Malaria Day 2024

• The World Malaria Day 2024 was observed on April 25, 2024.
• World Malaria Day is celebrated annually on April 25 to increase public awareness of the disease's prevention, treatment, and control.
• The theme of the World Malaria Day 2024 is , ‘ Accelerating the fight against Malaria for a more equitable world.’
• This annual celebration acts as a reminder of the international cooperation required to end this illness and promote global health.
•  Africa Malaria Day was first observed by African nations in 2001, which is when it all began.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) sponsored the 60th session of the World Health Assembly in 2008, when the decision was made to rename the event as World Malaria Day in recognition of the need for widespread awareness and action against malaria.

India’s Clean Energy Transition Led by Karnataka and Gujarat

• Karnataka and Gujarat continue to do well in a recent study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Ember that assesses the state-by-state development of India's shift to clean electricity.
• Because of their relative backwardness, states like Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh require more work to integrate renewable energy sources and reduce carbon emissions.
•  In India, cyclical weather patterns and economic expansion are the main causes of the rising peak electricity demand.
• To fulfill the growing demand, states need to be ready to switch to sustainable energy sources.
• There are differences at the state level even though the country is making good progress toward a clean energy transition.
• While some states are prepared for the shift, they have not made much headway toward decarbonization.

High-Power, Fast-Charging Sodium Ion Battery Developed by KAIST

• A high-energy, high-power hybrid sodium-ion battery that can be charged quickly was created by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on April 25, 2024.
•  This discovery has the potential to completely transform the energy storage market and offer a strong substitute for lithium-ion batteries.
•  Since sodium is more than 500 times more prevalent than lithium, it is a more affordable and readily available substitute.
•  Limitations of sodium-ion batteries include longer charging periods, limited storage capacity, and decreased power output.
•  For widespread deployment, it is imperative to develop next-generation sodium-ion batteries with improved performance.
•  It combines cathodes appropriate for supercapacitors with anode materials commonly used in batteries.
• It reaches quick charge-discharge rates and large storage capacity. Overcomes the low capacity of supercapacitor-type cathodes and the slow rate of energy storage of battery-type anodes.

21st Asian U20 Athletics Championship

• At the 21st Asian U20 Athletics Championships Indian competitors won the men's and women's 3000-meter steeplechase events on April 25, 2024,, increasing their gold medal total to three on the second day of competition in Dubai.
•  In the women's 3000-meter steeplechase, Ekta Dey won gold in a time of 10:31.92 seconds, while Ranvir Singh triumphed in the men's event with a time of 9:22.62 seconds.
•  Anurag Singh Kaler had earlier won the gold in the shot put for men. Indian athletes took home seven medals.
•  Race walker Aarti got things started in the morning session when she won a hard-fought bronze medal in the women's 10000 meters.
•  On his second try, Siddharth Choudhary, the reigning champion, settled for bronze with a throw of 19.02 meters.
•  Silver was added to the team's total by Amanat Kamboj. She had a 50.45-meter best throw.
• With a time of 47.53 seconds, Aman Choudhary took up the medal in the men's 400-meter event as well.
• 31 men and 29 women from India are among the 60 competitors at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2024.