1) Rajnath Singh announces the formation of combined tri-service theatre commands
•Rajnath Singh, Minister of defence, to improve coordination between the armed forces, announced the creation of unified theatre commands of three services. India is fast transitioning from being the world’s top importer of defence equipment to an exporter. The defence minister was addressing at a ceremony held by the Jammu & Kashmir People’s Forum in this city to honour the Indian Armed Forces martyrs.
2) MP’s Burhanpur becomes the first district to certify ‘Har Ghar Jal’
•Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh, popularly known as the ‘Darwaza of Dakhin’, became the first Certified ‘Har Ghar Jal’ district in the Country. Only district in the country, people from each of 254 villages in Burhanpur have declared their villages as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ through a resolution passed by Gram Sabhas. Accordingly, it certifies that all people in the villages have access to safe drinking water through taps, ensuring that ‘No One is Left Out’.
3) India-Japan conducted a Maritime Partnership exercise (MPX) in the Andaman Sea
•A Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) was conducted between Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and Indian Navy in the Andaman Sea. INS Sukanya, an offshore patrol vessel and JS Samidare, a Murasame class destroyer, undertook various exercises including seamanship activities, aircraft operations and tactical manoeuvres as part of the operational interaction.
4) Large statue of Chandrashekhar Azad to be erected in Bhopal
•In Bhopal, a large statue honouring Amar Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad will be erected. The statue site will be created as a source of inspiration for young people, with soil from Azad’s hometown of Bhabra being used at its base. On the 116th anniversary of Amar Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad’s birth, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke at the opening ceremony of the first state-level Youth Mahapanchayat, which was held in Bhopal.
5) Ladakh Festival Kargil launched by CEC LAHDC Kargil
•The Ladakh Festival Kargil 2022 was inaugurated in Ladakh by CEC LAHDC Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan at Khree Sultan Chow Stadium in Bemathang Kargil. The Department of Tourism and Culture Kargil UT Ladakh was in charge of organising the festival. The Chief Guest, the Secretary of Tourism for UT Ladakh, and the Executive Councilor for Tourism for LAHDC Kargil visited and inspected the many stalls set up by volunteers, NGIs, and SHGs, among other groups, and they were pleased with the work.
•Later, Feroz Ahmad Khan and another visitor opened this event’s horse polo match and archery competition. On this day, a variety of cultural troupes delivered vibrant cultural performances. The Festival lasted for two days, with the inaugural Incredible India Kargil Half Marathon taking place on April 24.
6) Bajram Begaj takes the oath as Albania’s President
•The ninth President of Albania, Bajram Begaj, a retired military commander and politician, took the oath of office here in Parliament. The 55-year-old President said in his first speech before parliamentarians that he will support and respect both the work of the government and the opposition, advocating for cooperation between political parties rather than conflict.
7) Wasifa Nazreen: First Bangladeshi to climb K2, second-highest peak in the world
•Mountaineer Wasifa Nazreen became the first person from Bangladesh to ascend Pakistan’s administered K2, the second-highest mountain peak. She scaled the K2 mountain peak, which is 8611 metres (28,251 ft) high, and then descended to the base camp. When a climber descends from the mountain and returns to base camp, the summit is said to have been reached.
8) India’s Indermit Gill named as World Bank’s Chief Economist
•The international financial institution, World Bank has appointed Indermit Gill, as its chief economist and senior vice-president for development economics at the multilateral development bank. His appointment will be effective September 1, 2022. Gill will be only the second Indian to serve as chief economist at the World Bank. Kaushik Basu was the first, having served in the job from 2012-2016.
9) A book titled “Dilip Kumar: In the Shadow of a Legend” by Faisal Farooqui
•A new book on the legendary actor of Indian cinema, Yusuf Khan, better known as Dilip Kumar, has been released by author Faisal Farooqui. The book is titled “In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar”. The book is a tribute to Dilip Kumar the man more than Dilip Kumar the actor. Farooqui is the founder and CEO of Mouthshut.com, one of India’s leading review and rating platforms.
10) Nakul Jain Joins As CEO Of Paytm Payments Services
•Paytm’s parent One97 Communications has appointed Nakul Jain as the CEO of Paytm Payments Services Ltd (PPSL). Praveen Sharma, who is now serving as the acting CEO of PPSL, has been promoted to oversee the organisation’s commerce vertical in addition to his other duties.
•Jain earlier served as managing director of private banking, priority banking, deposits and branch banking at Standard Chartered Bank. He holds over 22 years of experience in retail banking and has worked in sub-sectors such as branch banking, wealth management, product and segments, distribution, retail assets and acquisition.
