1) National Maritime Day 2022 observed on 5th April
•National Maritime Day in India is observed on 5 April every year. This year is the 59th edition of the National Maritime Day. The National Maritime Day is celebrated every year day to illustrate the awareness in supporting intercontinental commerce and the global economy as the most well-organized, safe and sound, environmentally responsive approach of transporting goods from one corner to another corner of the world.
•On this day ‘NMD Award of Excellence’ is usually given during the celebrations and there is a trophy and citation, given to recognize and honour individuals for their lifetime distinguished and exceptional achievements and performances in the Indian Maritime sector at a senior level.
•The theme of the National Maritime Day is “Sustainable Shipping beyond Covid-19’’.
2) Viktor Orban wins Fourth Term as Prime Minister of Hungary
•Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban won a fourth successive term in office by a landslide victory in the country’s general elections for 2022. His right-wing Fidesz party secured 53.1% of the total 98% of the count complete. The 58-year-old is already the longest-serving head of government in the EU, since assuming the role of Prime Minister in May 2010.
•The 58-year-old, already the longest-serving head of government in the EU, was challenged by six united opposition parties seeking to roll back the “illiberal” revolution Orban’s Fidesz party has pursued during 12 consecutive years in office.
3) UN Human Rights Council names Tuvalu negotiator Dr Ian Fry as climate expert
•The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has appointed Dr Ian Fry as the world’s first independent expert for human rights and climate change. Dr Fry has been appointed for a period of three years. He holds dual citizenship of Tuvalu and Australia. The first to hold the post will be Ian Fry, who holds both Australian and Tuvaluan nationality.
•He has negotiated on behalf of least developed countries including at the 2015 Paris climate conference where he helped ensure that human rights were part of the final package.
•The position of Special Rapporteur for human rights and climate change was created by UNHRC in October 2021. The new independent expert will have the mandate to “study and identify how the adverse effects of climate change, including sudden and slow-onset disasters, affect the full and effective enjoyment of human rights and make recommendations on how to address and prevent these adverse effects”.
4) Flipkart Foundation launched for growth of rural area and women
•Homegrown e-commerce giant, The Flipkart Group has constituted and launched the Flipkart Foundation, a new platform with a focus on development in rural areas and providing equitable access to growth opportunities for women and other disadvantaged communities. The Flipkart Foundation aims to positively influence 20 million lives directly and indirectly in the coming decade across a wide array of areas by utilising Flipkart’s learnings over the years.
5) SEBI has announced an ideathon Manthan to foster innovation in the securities business
•As she launched an ideathon to promote innovation, Sebi Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said that India is ideally positioned to harness technology in the securities market to give bespoke solutions at a very low cost to individuals across the country.
6) A new book titled “Queen of Fire” authored by Devika Rangachari
•Award-winning children’s writer and historian, Devika Rangachari has authored a new novel titled “Queen of Fire”, which explores the story of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. The book focuses on the journey of Rani Lakshmibai as a queen, soldier, and statesman. The book provides a detailed account on how the queen took over the kingdom as a widow and joined the revolutionaries to rebel against the East India Company. Devika Rangachari is a historian who has conducted post-doctoral research on gender in early medieval Indian history.
7) RBI fixed WMA limit for States/UTs at Rs 47,010 crores
•The Reserve Bank reduced the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for states and union territories to Rs 47,010 crore from Rs 51,560 crore on Friday, citing an improvement in the economic scenario. WMAs are short-term loans provided by the RBI to the government to help it deal with any discrepancies between receipts and payments.
