Daily Current Affairs 18 April 2024, OPSC Exam Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs for OPSC Exam

Indian Govt Gifts 35 Ambulances and 66 School Buses in Nepal

• The India government gifted 35 ambulances and 66 school buses to various organizations, spread across different districts of Nepal, and working in the field of health and education respectively.
• The keys of the vehicles were handed over by Naveen Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Nepal in the presence of Barsha Man Pun, Finance Minister, Government of Nepal.
• Out of the total 101 vehicles gifted, 2 ambulances were handed over on location in the earthquake- affected Jajarkot and West Rukum districts by the representative of the Embassy of India in the presence of district officials and local residents.
• Government of India has been gifting ambulances and school buses on the occasion of the Independence Day and the Republic Day of India for 3 decades to various beneficiary organizations in different parts of Nepal, giving high priority to Nepal’s health and education sectors.

• Capital- Kathmandu
• Currency- Nepalese rupee
• President– Ram Chandra Paudel
• President– Ram Chandra Paudel

Click Here To Download Daily Current Affairs 18 April 2024 PDF In English

2nd edition of Janakpurdham Cultural Festival held in Nepal

• The 2nd edition of the Janakpurdham Cultural Festival was organized by the Embassy of India in Nepal coinciding with the Bikram Sambat Nepali New Year 2081.
• The festival was held at the Mahendranarayan Nidhi Mithila Cultural Center in Janakpur and comprised two sessions
• Saroj Kumar Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, inaugurated the first session of the Festival as the Chief Guest.
• In a keynote address by Haribans Jha on ‘Jaanaki Lila,’ it was mentioned that the religious book Sitayan is worth reading, even though it is not as popular as Ramayan.

• Chapchar Kut Festival – Mizoram
• Tawi Festival – Jammu
• International Puppet Festival – Chandigarh
• Divya Kala Mela – Agartala, Tripura
• Ethnic Mamani Festival – Ladakh

Delhi Airport among top 10 Busiest Airports in World

• The Airports Council International (ACI) World, a global organisation which measures and assesses airport standards–ranked Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport as the tenth busiest airport in the world in 2023.
• The IGI Airport was ranked 9th in 2022, 13th in 2021, and as the 17th busiest airport in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. The IGI airport in the capital handled 7.22 crore passengers annually.
• The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States held the top rank with 10.46 crore passengers.

Top 10 airports in the world in 2023

1. Atlanta (USA)
2. Dubai (UAE)
3. Dallas/Fort Worth (USA)
4. London (UK)
5. Tokyo (Japan)
6. Denver (USA)
7. Istanbul (Turkey)
8. Los Angeles (USA)
9. Chicago (USA)
10. New Delhi (India)

SPACE India appoints Sanjana Sanghi as its Brand Ambassador

• Sanjana Sanghi has been appointed as Brand Ambassador of SPACE India.
• Sanjana Sanghi is a rising young Bollywood star and UNDP Youth Champion. Her commitment to social activism and advocacy for education make her the ideal fit for this role at SPACE India and SPACE Arcade.
• SPACE India is the registered Space Tutor of ISRO, creating impact through its education and outreach programs for schools that involve students’ participation in national and international competitions for citizen science projects with ISRO and NASA.
• Founded in 2001, SPACE India has inspired over 1.5 Million students and facilitated the integration of Astronomy and Space Science into the curriculum of 1,000 schools pan India, nurturing a new generation of space enthusiasts and scholars.

Vandita Kaul appointed as Secretary, Department of Posts

• Senior Bureaucrat Vandita Kaul has been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Posts.
• She will succeed Vineet Pandey upon his superannuation.
• Kaul, a 1989-batch Indian Postal Service officer, currently serves as Member (Banking & Direct Benefit Transfer) of the Postal Services Board.

Travis Head smashes the fourth-fastest hundred in IPL history

• Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Travis Head scripted history, smashing the fourth-fastest hundred in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history.
• Batting against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Australian batter notched up the maiden century in the cash-rich league, surpassing Adam Gilchrist’s 42- ball hundred against MI in 2008.
• Head went off on an absolute carnage, reaching a century in 39 deliveries with the help of nine fours and eight sixes. This was the fourth fastest century in the history of the IPL only behind Chris Gayle (30 balls), Yusuf Pathan, and David Miller (35 balls).

Tsitsipas win Monte Carlo Masters for the third time

• Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece swept aside Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-4 to win the clay-court Monte Carlo Masters for the third time in four years.
• The 12th-ranked Greek, who will return to top 10, also won the title in the principality in 2021 and 2022.
• He is the fifth man to win three or more Monte Carlo titles,joining Rafael Nadal (11) and Bjorn Borg, Thomas Muster and Ilie Nastase who won three apiece.

Third batsman to hit six sixes in an over

• Nepal’s hard-hitting Dipendra Singh Airee became the third batter to smash six sixes in an over in T20 internationals in Al Amerat.
• Airee achieved the feat against hosts Qatar during the ongoing ACC Men’s Premier Cup T20 International fixture in Al Amerat.
• The 24-year-old Airee remained unbeaten on a 21-ball 64 that included three fours and seven sixes at a monstrous strike rate 304.76.
• Thus, Airee joined an elite company of Yuvraj Singh (against Stuart Broad during T20 World Cup 2007) and Kieron Pollard (against Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya in 2021) as batters with six maximums in one over.

DRDO & Indian Army conduct successful trials of MPATGM weapon system

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out successful trials of the Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System at Pokhran Field Firing Range, Rajasthan
• The Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System was indigenously designed and developed by DRDO.
• It consists of MPATGM, the Man Portable Launcher, the Target Acquisition System (TAS), and the Fire Control Unit (FCU).

About Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)

• Founded – 1 January 1958
• Headquarters – New Delhi
• Motto – “Strength’s Origin is in Knowledge”
• Chairman – Samir V Kamat

Salman Rushdie released ‘Knife’ memoir recounting stabbing

• British-American author Salman Rushdie releases his memoir “Knife”, recounting the harrowing experience of being stabbed at a public event in 2022 and how he overcame the near-fatal ordeal.
• The book serves as a powerful testament to Rushdie’s unwavering commitment to free speech, a core value that has defined his life and literary career.
• Rushdie lost sight in one eye after the attack by a knife-wielding assailant, who jumped on stage at an arts gathering in New York state.
• The Indian-born author, a naturalized American based in New York, has faced death threats since his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” was declared blasphemous by Iran’s supreme leader.

• Save the Elephant Day is celebrated every year on 16 April.
• Objective – To raise awareness for these majestic creatures and take action to protect their future.
• This day was created in 2012 by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to shine a light on the threats facing elephants, such as poaching and loss of habitat.
• Elephants are known for their intelligence, social bonds, and their important role in maintaining ecosystem Balance.

• World Art Day (WAD) is celebrated every year on 15 April.
• The day was established in order to reinforce the link between artistic productions and society, raise awareness of the variety of artistic expressions, and highlight the contributions of artists to sustainable development.
• Theme 2024 – A Garden of Expression: Cultivating Community Through Art
• The history of World Art Day dates back to 2012, when the International Association of Art (IAA) held a special ceremony in Guadalajara, Mexico, to celebrate the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci.

• World Voice Day is celebrated every year on April 16.
• Objective – To raise awareness about the importance of the human voice and vocal health.
• Theme 2024 – Resonate. Educate. Celebrate
• The first World Voice Day was celebrated in 1999, with events held in over 50 countries.

The Science Behind 'Surya Tilak'

• The grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya witnessed a unique event as the forehead of the Ram Lalla idol was anointed with a ray of sunlight, known as 'Surya Tilak' on the occasion of Ram Navami.
• Using cutting-edge scientific expertise, a 5.8 a centimeter beam of light hit the deity's forehead. To achieve this remarkable phenomenon, a specialized instrument was designed.
• A team of ten esteemed Indian scientists stationed at the Ram Mandir ensured the success of this auspicious event on Ram Navami. For approximately 3 to 3.5 minutes starting at 12 noon, sunlight was precisely directed onto the statue's forehead using a combination of mirrors and lenses.

• Two trials of the Surya Abhishek were done before the ceremony on Ram Navami, with the team of scientists employing an apparatus with high-quality mirrors and lenses to precisely direct the sun's rays onto Ram Lalla's forehead at a specific time.
• The apparatus, according to reports, is a gearbox arranged with reflective mirrors and lenses. It helped sunrays from the third floor near the shikara to be reflected into the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) precisely at 12.01 pm.
• The tilak apparatus used components made of brass and bronze materials for their durability and corrosion resistance. Based on the lunar calendar, the gearbox has been engineered to accurately position the sun on Ram Navami day each year. Commissioned by the temple trust, scientists from a leading government institution devised a sophisticated apparatus consisting of mirrors and lenses. This mechanism, officially termed the 'Surya Tilak mechanism', marks a significant scientific and engineering feat.
• The opto-mechanical system consists of four mirrors and four lenses fitted inside the tilt mechanism and piping systems. The complete cover with an aperture for the tilt mechanism is placed at the top floor to divert the sun rays through mirrors and lenses to the Garbha Girha," Dr Ramacharla said.
• The final lens and mirror focus the sun rays on the forehead of Shree Ram facing east. The tilt mechanism is used to adjust the first mirror's tilt, sending the sun rays towards the north direction to the 2nd mirror to make the Surya Tilak on every year's Shree Ram Navami.
• All the piping and other parts are manufactured using brass material. The mirrors and lenses are of very high quality and durable to sustain a long period.
• The inner surfaces of pipes, elbows, and enclosures are black powder-coated to avoid scattering of sunlight. Also, at the top aperture, an infrared filter glass is used to restrict the Sun's heat waves from falling on the idol's forehead," he added.