April 2018 Current Affairs Important Highlights (One-Liners)

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Friends, here are the Major Current Affairs Highlights of April 2018. These one-liners cover all important International, National, MOUs, Indexes, Banking, Technology, Books & Authors, Committees and Sports affairs of April month (from 1st to 30th April 2018). We will  provide the pdf version by tomorrow. All the Best and Happy Reading :)

April 2018 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners) 

• 10th edition of DefExpo18 was in Chennai from 11-14 April. Theme of the Expo : ''India: The Emerging Manufacturing Hub''.
  
• 11th April 2018 was observed as National Safe Motherhood Day with the theme ‘Respectful Maternity Care’.
• 15-year-old shooter Anish Bhanwala became India's youngest gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games, winning the men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Finals with a record score at Gold Coast.
• 17th April 2018 was observed World Hemophilia Day with the theme ‘Sharing Knowledge Makes Us Stronger’.
• 18th April 2018 was observed as International Day for Monuments and Sites / World Heritage Day with the theme “Heritage for Generations”.
• 19th April 2018 was observed as World Liver Day (WLD) with the theme ‘Riding New Waves in Liver Diagnosis, Staging & Treatment’.
• 19-year-old Naman Tanwar won India its 1st boxing medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning a bronze in the men's 91 kg category.
• 22nd April 2018 was observed as International Earth Day with the theme "End Plastic Pollution".
• 23rd April 2018 was observed as World Book Day or World Book and Copyright Day. Athens chosen as the World Book Capital 2018.
• 25th April 2018 was observed as World Malaria Day with the theme “Ready to beat malaria“.
• 26th April 2018 was observed as World Intellectual Property Day with the theme "Powering Change: Women in Innovation and Creativity".
• 28th April 2018 was observed as Workers' Memorial Day / World Day for Safety and Health at Work with the theme "Unionised workplaces are safer workplaces".
• 2nd April 2018 was observed as World Autism Awareness Day with the theme "Empowering women and girls with autism".
• 34 leading global technology firms including Facebook, Microsoft, HP, ARM, Cisco, and Oracle have signed Cybersecurity Tech Accord to work together on cybersecurity issues.
• 4th April 2018 was observed as United Nations' Mine Awareness Day (International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action) with the theme "Advancing Protection, Peace and Development".
• 5 Nordic nations ( Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Finland) have supported India's bid for permanent membership to the UN Security Council.
• 5th April 2018 was observed as National Maritime Day in India with the theme “Indian Shipping – An Ocean of opportunity”. Don't be confused with National Maritime Day with World Maritime Day. The World Maritime Day is observed on 29th September.
• 5time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist MC Mary Kom has become the 1st Indian woman boxer to win a Gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018.
• 70 years after Independence, the Indian Government has announced that all villages in the country have now access to electricity. Note : Leisang village in Senapati district of Manipur was the last village brought on the national power grid on 26th April 2018.
• 7th April 2018 was observed as World Health Day with the theme 'Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere’.
• A 2-day coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ was held along Kerala coast. Aim of Sagar Kavach : To strengthen and assess the loopholes in the coastal security mechanism
• A 2-day Scientific Convention was organised in New Delhi by Ministry of AYUSH on the occasion of World Homoeopathy Day. Theme of this Convention : "Innovate: Evolve; Progress: Exploring Science since 40 years".
• A group of 50 alumni from the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country have quit their jobs to form a political party titled Bahujan Azad Party to fight for the rights of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
• A Jodhpur court sentenced self-styled godman Asaram to life imprisonment after he was convicted of raping a minor girl in his ashram in 2013.
• A London-based startup, Pigzbe, has launched a hardware wallet for children to store its cryptocurrency called 'Wollo', to teach them about money.
• A month after Uttar Pradesh, the Bihar government has also announced its decision to introduce 'Ramji' as the middle name to BR Ambedkar in government and court records.
• A trial service of Transnational Buses plying between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal was recently launched. The buses launched under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement signed in June 2015.
• According to a recent report released by the Steel Users Federation of India (SUFI), India has overtaken Japan to become world’s second largest producer of crude steel in February 2018. China is the largest producer of crude steel in the world, accounting for more than 50% of the production.
• According to a recently released World Bank report, India has 19 crore adults without a bank account, making it the world's second-largest unbanked population after China.
• According to a report released by cybersecurity firm Symantec, India is the 9th most affected country in the world in cryptojacking activities (2nd in Asia-Pacific Japan region).
• According to a report released by global startup ecosystem map Startupblink, India ranked 37th in the Global startup ecosystem in 2017. United States topped the list followed by the United Kingdom.
• According to recently published Internet Security Threat Report, India emerged as 3rd most vulnerable country in terms of risk of cyber threats, such as malware, spam and ransomware in 2017. The United States remains most vulnerable to such attacks, followed by China.
• Amazon has launched an Android web browser app titled Internet which is designed to use minimal storage and data.
• American multinational technology company Apple has announced its global facilities are now powered by 100% clean energy, including data centers, offices and retail stores in 43 countries.
• Anu Kumari, the second rank holder in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2017, has been appointed as the new brand ambassador of the government's Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign in Haryana's Sonipat district.
• As a part of Saudi General Sports Authority's new 10-year partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Saudi Arabia hosted its 1st ever WWE event in which women and children were allowed as spectators.
• Australia has pledged more than 500 million Australian dollars ($379 miillion) to help preserve the Great Barrier Reef. This attempt will help to protect the world heritage site from the effects of climate change.
• Australian batsman Aaron Finch has become the 1st-ever player to represent seven teams in the IPL. Finch had played for Kings XI Punjab (2018), Rajasthan Royals (2010), Delhi Daredevils (2011-2012), Pune Warriors India (2013), SunRisers Hyderabad (2014), Mumbai Indians (2015) and Gujarat Lions (2016-2017).
• Axis Bank CEO and MD Shikha Sharma has sought approval from the bank's board to step down at the end of 2018.
• Axis Bank has appointed executive search firm Egon Zehnder to help it find a successor to the current MD and CEO Shikha Sharma.
• Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that the country will be scrapping reservation in government jobs.
• Barcelona thrashed Sevilla 5-0 to lift their fourth straight and 30th overall Copa del Rey title, an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams.
• Beijing-based China Construction Bank has opened the country's 1st unmanned bank equipped with robots and machine holograms to talk to customers.
• Bihar government has reduced the fee for women candidates appearing for the examinations conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission and Bihar Staff Selection Commission by nearly 75%.
• Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif is going to release her autobiography which has been tentatively titled 'Barbie Dreams'. She is the only Indian actor to have a Barbie doll modelled on her.
• Brazil's Supreme Court has ruled that former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva must start serving a 12-year prison sentence for taking bribes, denying his plea to remain free while he appeals his conviction.
• Britain's Anthony Joshua beat New Zealand's Joseph Parker to add the WBO heavyweight world championship title to his tally of WBA, IBO and IBF world heavyweight championship titles which he currently holds.
• Britain's sugar tax on soft drinks came into effect. This move aimed at reversing the trend of obesity among children.
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has granted First Licence to Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd for Liquid Chlorine on all India basis as per Indian Standard (IS) 646:1986. This is the First Licence granted on All India basis.
• Businesses and transporters shipping goods worth more than ₹50,000 from one state to another will have to carry GST e-way bill starting 1st April 2018.
• China conducted its Largest Naval Parade in history, with more than 10,000 personnel along with 48 vessels and 76 aircraft taking part in the country's apparent show of force. It was the 1st naval parade held in the South China Sea.
• China has launched a website for citizens to report names of people who attempt to bribe government or military officials as part of its crackdown on corruption.
• China has unveiled a Cloud-Seeding Project intended to force rainfall and snow over an area roughly three times the size of Spain. As part of the plan, China will build combustion chambers to spray silver iodide towards the sky by burning solid fuel.
• China is going to send seeds of Potato, a Flowering Plant, and Silkworm Eggs with its lunar probe later this year to conduct the first biological experiment on the Moon.
• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were the only lady ministers who attended the 8-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's defence and foreign ministers' meetings which were recently held. Member countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) include China, India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan have attended the meetings.
• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was on a visit to Russia to attend the 7th Moscow Conference on International Security. This is her first visit to Russia in her capacity as the Defence Minister.
• Delhi has become the 1st Indian city to approve a policy directing power distribution companies to provide ₹50 to residents for the second hour of an unscheduled power cut and ₹100 for every subsequent hour.
• Delhi has become the 1st Indian city to upgrade to "Ultra-Clean" Euro-VI grade Petrol and Diesel from Euro-IV grade fuels.
• Diu Smart City has become 1st city in India to run on 100% renewable energy during daytime.
• During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, the NASSCOM (National Association of Software & Services Companies) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK cyber security community TechUK to launch a new UK-India Tech Alliance. The alliance is aimed at increasing collaboration on skills and new technologies, assisting policy development and encouraging innovation and lay groundwork for roadmap which will be jointly presented in June 2018.
• Ending an over 35-year ban on cinemas, Saudi Arabia launched its 1st commercial movie theatre.
• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was on a 3-day visit to Azerbaijan. During this visit she held talks with top leadership of the country and attended a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was on a visit to Mongolia. During this visit, Swaraj co-chaired the 6th round of the India-Mongolia Joint Consultative Committee with Mongolia’s Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar.
• Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won his second Grand Prix in as many races, at the Bahrain Grand Prix, while Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas finished second.
• For the 1st time, the Afghanistan cricket board is going to conduct T20 league during 5th to 24th October 2018 in Sharjah.
• Former FBI Director James Comey is going to release a book titled 'A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership'. Comey has made controversial revelations regarding his interactions with the US President Donald Trump in the book.
• Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia launched his political party 'Hamro Sikkim Party'.
• Former Indian Navy Commando, Praveen Teotia, completed the 2018 Triathlon Championships in South Africa and became India's first disabled man to win the 'Ironman' title.
• Global credit rating agency Fitch has kept India’s sovereign rating unchanged at ‘BBB-‘ with stable outlook.
• Google Arts & Culture in partnership with Ministry of Tourism has unveiled 360-degree virtual reality (VR) video for global ‘Incredible India’ tourism campaign.
• Gujarat High Court acquitted former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, the key accused in the Naroda Patiya case during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
• Himachal Pradesh is celebrated 71st Himachal Day on 15th April 2018.
• Hydro power major Sutlej Jal Vidut Nigam (SJVN) Limited has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Power for generating 9200 million units for the year 2018-19.
• In a bid to boost defence cooperation , the Union Government has decided to gift obsolete weaponry that can be refurbished at minimal cost to friendly countries.
• In a bid to facilitate cheaper access of overseas funds Reserve Bank of India (RBI) further liberalised External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) Policy by including more sectors in the window.
• In a bid to grow its deposits, HDFC Bank has hiked interest rates on term deposits by up to 100 basis points (1 percentage point)..
• In a bid to strengthen cooperation along economic lines, India participated at the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Washington DC. During this meeting, India has pressed the BRICS Nations to set up an independent credit rating agency of the five-member group. (BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa)
• In a bid to use technology for benefit of farmers, the Tamil Nadu Government launched bi-lingual ‘Uzhavan’ (farmer) mobile application. The app available in Tamil and English language will allow ryots to have access to nine types of services, including details about their crop insurance.
• In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected India is expected to grow at 7.4% in 2018 and 7.8% in 2019. The IMF is held that India will again emerge as world’s fastest-growing major economy at least for the next two years (2019 and 2020).
• In it's recently released report, the World Bank has announced that the Indian economy has recovered from the effects Demonetization and Goods and Services Tax (GST). The World Bank predicts that Indian economy's growth will accelerate from 6.7% in 2017 to 7.3% in 2018 and 7.5% in 2019.
• India and Finland have reached an agreement on the tax dispute with Nokia under Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) system. This involves payment of Rs 1,600 crore, a sum that was deposited with government by Nokia in March 2018.
• India and Morocco have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of Mining and Geology for a period of 5 years to promote mineral exploration.
• India and Pakistan are going to take part in a Counter-Terror Military Exercise alongside member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Russia's Ural mountains in September. This will be the first time since Independence that the two nations will together participate in a military exercise.
• India and South Korea signed mutual recognition of certificate of competency of seafarers to provide Indian seafarers employment on over 500 Korean ships.
• India and World Expo 2020 Dubai have signed participants contract for India’s pavilion in prestigious World Expo 2020 held once in 5 years. The contract provides for setting up of India pavilion at Expo 2020 on extra-large plot (about one acre) in Opportunity segment.
• India clinched the Silver in the Squash mixed doubles event (Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Saurav Ghosal) for the 1st time in the history of Commonwealth Games.
• India clinched their 1st-ever Badminton mixed team event Gold in Commonwealth Games history after defeating defending champions Malaysia 3-1 in the finals.
• India defeated Nigeria 3-0 to clinch Gold in the Men's table tennis team event at the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 2006.
• India has agreed to build strategic railway link between Raxaul in Bihar and Kathmandu in Nepal to facilitate people-to-people (P2P) contact and bulk movement of goods.
• India is going to host the Asia Cup 2018 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a unanimous decision was taken by the Asian Cricket Council to move the tournament from India due to political reasons between India and Pakistan.
• India donated USD 1 million to support Swaziland's national disaster management agency and expressed commitment to developmental partnership to create local capacities in the country and across Africa.
• India U-16 were crowned champions of the Jockey Cup International Youth Invitational Football Tournament by defeating hosts Hong Kong 4-2 in the finals.
• India will join Russia among the nations that will lose weightlifting spots at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the number of doping violations registered against the nation's athletes.
• India, South Korea joint anti-piracy, search and rescue exercise ‘Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog 2018’ was recently held at Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast in Tamil Nadu.
• India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank became 1st Indian bank to go live on SWIFT’s (Society for World Interbank Financial Telecommunication System) Global Payment Innovation (GPI), an improved cross-border payments service.
• Indian Army has signed Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) with Axis Bank on Defence Salary Package.
• Indian badminton player Kidambi Srikanth has become the first Indian male badminton player to attain the world number one ranking since Prakash Padukone in the 1980s.
• Indian IT firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has joined the world's 100 most valued companies and now ranks 97th, according to Bloomberg data. TCS has became the second Indian company to reach the $100-billion market capitalisation milestone.The 1st Indian company to cross the $100 billion milestone was Reliance Industries in 2007.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping and held informal talks during 27th and 28th April 2018 in China's Wuhan. Aim of this meeting : To improve relations and scale down tensions following the 73-day military standoff at Doklam.
• Indian shooter Heena Sidhu set Commonwealth Games record to win Gold in women's 25m pistol shooting event.
• Indian shooter Jitu Rai broke the Commonwealth Games record with a score of 235.1 in the men's 10m Air Pistol event to win his career's second Commonwealth Games Gold.
• Indian tennis player Leander Paes set the record for the most number of doubles wins in Davis Cup (also known as the 'World Cup of Tennis).
• Indian weightlifter and current world champion Mirabai Chanu opened the country's Gold medal tally at the Commonwealth Games by lifting a total of 196 kg in the women's 48 kg category.
• Indian weightlifter P Gururaja bagged the country's 1st medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games after lifting a total of 249 kg (111 kg snatch, 138 kg clean and jerk) to win Silver in men's 56 kg.
• Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj has become the 1st-ever woman to smash 50 fifties in ODI cricket, achieving the feat against England.
• Indian wrestler Babita Kumari Phogat won a Silver medal in the women's freestyle 53 kg Nordic System event to claim India's first wrestling medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018.
• Indian wrestler Rahul Aware bagged India's first wrestling gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018 after beating Canada's Steven Takahashi in the final of men's Freestyle 57 kg event.
• India's ranking has dropped two spots to 138 among 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2018 released by non-government organisation Reporters Without Borders. Norway topped the list for the second consecutive year followed by Sweden.
• India's second Moon mission, Chandrayaan-2 has been postponed from April 2018 to October-November 2018.
• Indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas successfully fired Derby air-to-air beyond visual range missile (BVRM) off the Goa coast. The successful test demonstrated its overall capability as effective supersonic combat jet.
• Japan has activated its 1st Marine unit since World War II to counter invaders occupying the country's islands along the East China Sea.
• Jio Payments Bank has commenced operations with effect from 3rd April 2018. It is a joint venture of Reliance Industries (RIL) and State Bank of India (SBI). RIL held a 70% stake and SBI has 30% stake.
• Kerala has become the 1st state in the country to issue guidelines for declaring a patient as brain dead. According to these guidelines, all hospitals in the state are required to follow a special protocol in order to obtain organs for transplant from the patient.
• Leading private lender ICICI Bank announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind service titled 'Social Pay'. Social Pay enables Non Resident Indians (NRIs) to send money to a beneficiary in India using social media platforms like WhatsApp and e-mail.
• Manika Batra has become the 1st-ever Indian woman to bag Gold in the women's table tennis singles' event in Commonwealth Games history.
• Manish Kaushik has become the 1st Indian boxer to win Silver medal in the Men's lightweight category (60kg) at the Commonwealth Games. .
• Marking a formal split in Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), rebel Sharad Yadav's supporters launched a new political party named Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD).
• Marking the growing prominence of India in the global energy map, the 16th International Energy Forum Ministerial (IEF16) was hosted by India. The forum was co-hosted by China.
• Martin Sorrell, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the world's largest advertising group WPP, resigned after 33 years.
• Mauritius is going to host the 11th edition of World Hindi Conference (विश्व हिंदी सम्मेलन) in its capital city Port Lois in August 18-20, 2018. Theme of 11th World Hindi Conference : “Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti“.
• Microsoft has announced that it is going to launch a new operating system Azure Sphere. With this, for the first time Microsoft is launching a product based on former rival technology Linux kernel.
• Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched FIEO GlobalLinker, a digital platform for MSME exporters to digitise their businesses and join global community of growing businesses. FIEO GlobalLinker aims to make the business growth of SMEs simpler, more profitable and enjoyable. FIEO - Federation of Indian Export Organisations.
• Ministry of Tourism along with the Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had launched a new project titled Adopt a Heritage Project. Under Adopt a Heritage Project, selected public sector companies, private sector companies and individuals will develop tourist amenities at heritage sites.
• Neeraj Chopra has become the 1st-ever Indian to win Gold in javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong-un became the 1st country leader to cross the demilitarised zone and enter the South Korean territory since the end of the Korean War. North and South Korea have agreed to sign a peace treaty to end the 65-year-long Korean war.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has announced that he has suspended all missile tests and will shut down a nuclear test site. This announcement comes as North Korea prepares for historic talks with South Korea and the US.
• On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, PM Narendra Modi launched the 1st phase of the government's ambitious Ayushman Bharat healthcare programme by inaugurating its first wellness centre in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur. The programme is aimed at creating a network of 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres at an estimated cost of ₹1200 crore.
• Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail allocated $9.6 billion (nearly ₹64,000 crore) for Defence in the 2018-19 fiscal. This is an 18% increase from the last fiscal.
• Paytm has launched a payment mode titled Paytm Tap Card in pilot mode in Chennai. This card uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
• Pension regulator Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has made bank account details and mobile number compulsory for subscribers of the National Pension Scheme.
• PM Narendra Modi launched the Van Dhan Scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED at Bijapur, Chattisgarh. Aim of Van Dhan Scheme : To provide skill upgradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facility.
• Prajnesh Gunneswaran has clinched his first ever singles tennis title on the ATP Challenger circuit. In the final of the Kunming Open held at Anning, China, he defeated Egypt's Mohammed Safwat.
• President Ram Nath Kovind, accompanied by First Lady Savita Kovind, embarked on a 3-nation State visit to the African countries of Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia from April 7 to 12. The President's visit to Equatorial Guinea and Swaziland is the 1st-ever visit by any head of state of India. Kovind's visit to Zambia is taking place after 29 years.
• Prevention of Blindness Week 2018 was observed from 1st of April 2018 to 7th April 2018.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart KP Oli jointly laid foundation stone of the 900 MW Arun III hydropower project to be built in Nepal's eastern part. This is the largest hydropower project undertaken by Indian government in Nepal.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India's first all-electric high-speed locomotive in Bihar. The first big Make-in-India project completed by France's Alstom, the train has the country's most powerful engine with 12,000 horsepower and a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Rashtriya Gramin Swaraj Abhiyan from Madhya Pradesh's Mandla. Aim of Rashtriya Gramin Swaraj Abhiyan : Training, building infrastructure, and setting up initiatives for e-governance under the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 10th Defence Expo (DefExpo 2018) in Chennai at Tiruvidanthal, in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. Theme of DefExpo 2018 : “India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub”.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a 5-day visit to Sweden and United Kingdom. During this visit he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2018.
• Private sector lender HDFC Bank has reported a 20.2% year-on-year increase in profit to ₹4,799 crore for the March quarter. The bank's net interest income during the quarter rose by 17.7% year-on-year to ₹10,657.7 crore.
• Prohibiting the spread of fake news, the Malaysia passed the 'Anti-Fake News 2018' bill. The new law sets out fines of up to 500,000 ringgit (over ₹84 lakh) and a maximum six years in jail.
• Red Bull Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has won the Chinese Grand Prix.
• Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has become the leading run-scorer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) overtaking Suresh Raina.
• Saina Nehwal, who had bagged women's singles gold medal at CWG 2018 earlier this month, won bronze at the Badminton Asia Championships.
• Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling became the longest-serving Chief Minister in India, surpassing the record of Jyoti Basu, who served as West Bengal CM from 1977 to 2000.
• Singapore Airlines has been named the Best airline in the world in the 2018 Travellers' Choice Awards by TripAdvisor. Air New Zealand stood at 2nd spot followed by Emirates.
• Social media giant Facebook has started testing Digital Payments in India in a beta version of its Messenger app. Users will be able to recharge mobile phones and other prepaid services including DTH and broadband amongst others.
• SoftBank has signed a $930-million deal with China's energy conglomerate Golden Concord (GCL) to produce and sell solar equipment in India.
• Spain's Rafael Nadal has won 11th Monte Carlo Masters title by defeating Japan's Kei Nishikori. With this, the world number one Nadal has became 1st male tennis player in the Open Era to win the same title 11 times in his career.
• Swaziland's King Mswati III has changed the name of the country to the 'Kingdom of eSwatini'.
• Sweden introduced a new Aviation Tax requiring all passenger flights in the country to have an added charge ranging from 60 kronor (₹470) to 400 kronor (₹3,100), depending on the destination.
• Syria's Foreign Ministry has returned the Legion of Honor award of President Bashar al-Assad which was given by France in the year 2001, saying he would not wear the honour of a country that was "slave" to the US.
• The 114th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) between India and Pakistan was recently held in New Delhi. Representatives from both sides discussed Indus Water Treaty (IWT) dispute and resolution of outstanding issues.
• The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial Meeting was held in New Delhi. Theme of 2018 Ministerial Meeting IEF : “The Future of Global Energy Security : Transition, Technology, Trade and Investment”.
• The 1st International SME (Small, Medium Enterprises) convention held at New Delhi. Aim of this Convention : To provide platform to allow Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur (E2E) exchange of ideas, free and fair business discussions, mutual sizing of opportunities and ways to address them.
• The 1st meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyaan was held in New Delhi. It saw participation of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant and representatives of various ministries of Central and State Governments.
• The 23rd meeting of Western Zonal Council was recently held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. This meeting was chaired by Rajnath Singh (Union home minister).
• The 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 (CHOGM 2018) was held in London, United Kingdom. Theme of CHOGM 2018 : "Towards a Common Future".
• The 2nd edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC-2018) will be held in New Delhi during 25th to 27th October 2018. Aim of India Mobile Congress : To provide platform for policy makers, industry and regulators to engage in meaningful deliberations to drive the future direction of telecom sector.
• The 7th edition of Home Expo India 2018 held at the Greater Noida.
• The 8th edition of Theatre Olympics concluded in Mumbai, Maharashtra after glorious run of 51 days across 17 cities of India and showcasing rich heritage and culture across length and breadth of the country. This was the biggest international theatre festival held in India for first time.
• The 8th Regional 3R Forum in Asia and Pacific Region was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Theme : “Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency– A 21st Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities”.
• The 99th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre was observed on 13th April 2018.
• The 9th India-Japan-US trilateral meeting was successfully concluded at New Delhi. This meeting was represented by senior diplomats of the three countries. All the three countries agreed to continue to collaborate to promote increased connectivity in Indo-Pacific.
• The Andhra Pradesh government launched a new scheme titled 'Chandranna Pelli Kanuka' welfare scheme. Under this scheme Rs 75,000 will be paid to an SC/ST bride marrying a groom of a different cast.
• The Asia Pacific Regional Workshop of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), was recently held at New Delhi. Aim of this workshop : Building capacity of Asia-Pacific Region to monitor and report on land degradation.
• The Asian Development Outlook 2018 released by Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected India’s economic growth to 7.3% in 2018-19 fiscal and further to 7.6% in 2019-20 fiscal.
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have approved $140 million loan for project aimed at improving rural roads (connectivity) in Madhya Pradesh.
• The Bhabha Atomic Reseach Centre (BARC) has developed a lightweight, cheaper bulletproof jacket of next-generation, titled Bhabha Kavach. Named after Dr. Homi J. Bhabha (father of Indian nuclear programme), the jacket was developed as per the request from Ministry of Home Affairs and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has launched a $12 million Grand Challenge to encourage people to create a vaccine that could protect against all strains of flu. The Challenge has been launched in collaboration with the family of Google Co-founder Larry Page.
• The birth anniversary of nationalist politician Babu Jagjivan Ram (5th April 1908) was observed as Samta Diwas on 5th April 2018.
• The book 'Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio' which was released last year, is in news due to controversies. Rajesh Jain, attributed as the author of this book has denied he wrote the book.
• The book of former President Pranabh Mukherjee 'The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996', which was released in the year 2016 is in news due to controversies. The Delhi High Court has sought a response from Mr. Mukherjee over a petition, which claims that references to the Babri Masjid demolition in the book, hurt Hindu sentiments.
• The British government has announced a new India-UK trade partnership wherein India will invest over ₹9,000 crore in the country. India's investment will help create or safeguard nearly 6,000 British jobs.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) during remaining period of 14th Finance Commission (2018-20) with an outlay of Rs. 1290 crore.
• The cabinet has approved restructured Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) aimed at making rural local bodies self-sustainable, financially stable and more efficient.
• The Cabinet has given its ex post facto approval to Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Iran on establishment of an expert group on trade remedy measures. It aims to promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
• The CBI has registered a case against former UCO Bank CMD Arun Kaul over a ₹621-crore fraud.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has constituted 5-member committee to examine Taxation aspects related to High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) who are migrating abroad to other jurisdictions. Head of this Committee : Pragya Sahay Saksena.
• The Central Government and the Government of Maharashtra have signed US $420 million loan agreement with World Bank for Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture to help small and marginal farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra. The loan will be provided from World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
• The Centre is working on a system to deduct the road toll amount directly from bank accounts so that drivers don't have to stop at toll plazas, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced . This system already exists in South Korea.
• The Centre the ordinance prescribing Death penalty to those convicted of raping children aged below 12 years. Currently, the maximum punishment for the crime is life imprisonment, while the minimum is a seven-year jail term.
• The committee on on Inter-country removal & retention of children has submitted it's report to Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi (Minister for Women and Child Development). The committee recommended to establish ‘Inter Country Parental Child Removal Disputes Resolution Authority (ICPCRDRA)’. Head of this Committee : Justice Rajesh Bindal.
• The Commonwealth Games Federation has confirmed that Shooting will not be a part of the CWG 2022. Note : India won 16 medals in Shooting at the Commonwealth Games 2018.
• The Dalmia Bharat Group has adopted Delhi's Red Fort for 5 years. With this, Dalmia Bharat Group has became the 1st-ever corporate company to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the government's "Adopt a Heritage" project.
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), Defence Ministry’s highest decision-making body on procurement, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cleared capital acquisition proposals of DRDO’s NAG missile system (NAMIS) for Indian Army and 127 mm calibre guns for Indian Navy.
• The Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGST) issued show cause notices to India’s top banks including State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank, demanding them to pay service tax, penalties and interests on the free services provided to their customers. The tax will be levied on the services provided to minimum balance account holders for the last five years, including the pre-GST era for which the previous service tax cases can be opened.
• The Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance 2018 got the President's assent. With this new law, the Enforcement Directorate is moving to confiscate assets worth over ₹15,000 crore belonging to economic offenders who fled India.
• The German city of Trier, the hometown of Karl Marx, is selling souvenirs of '0-euro' notes bearing Marx's face to celebrate his 200th birth anniversary (5th May 2018).
• The government has increased Minimum Support Price (MSP) of raw jute by ₹200 to ₹3,700 per quintal for 2018-19 season.
• The Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed One Nation One Tax policy for seamless movement of commercial vehicles across the country. The GoM is headed by Yoonus Khan (Rajasthan transport minister).
• The Home Ministry has issued a gazetted notification removing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 across the state of Meghalaya. The ministry also reduced the act from 16 to eight police stations in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has conducted its biggest ever combat exercise titled Gagan Shakti 2018 along Pakistan and China borders from 10th to 23rd April 2018.
• The Indian and Malaysian armies will hold a two-week military exercise titled 'Harimau Shakti 2018' beginning April 30 in Malaysia as part of efforts to bolster defence cooperation. The joint exercise will take place in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik in Hulu Langat district of Malaysia.
• The Indian contingent finished the Belgrade International Boxing Tournament with a total of 13 medals (3 Gold medals, 5 Silver medals, and 5 Bronze medals). Gold medal Winners : Sumit Sangwan (91 kg category), Himanshu Sharma (49 kg category) and Nikhat Zareen (51 kg category).
• The Indian Government along with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched 1st tranche of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) for current fiscal (FY 2018-19). It will be sold through banks, designated post offices and recognised stock exchanges namely NSE and BSE and Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL).
• The Indian government has amended Income Tax rules to recognise transgenders as an independent category of applicants for obtaining a Permanent Account Number (PAN).
• The Indian Government has signed Loan Agreement with World Bank for IBRD loan of US $48 million for Meghalaya Community – Led Landscapes Management Project (MCLLMP). Aim of MCLLMP : To strengthen community-led landscapes management in selected landscapes in Meghalaya by 2023.
• The Indian government imposed a 10% import duty on three key smartphone components with a view to boost domestic manufacturing. The components are camera modules for phones, Printed Circuit Board Assembly, and connectors.
• The Indian Navy has inducted the third ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV project at Port Blair. The ship was commissioned as INLCU L53 by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, commander-in-chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command, of the Indian Armed Forces' tri-service command.
• The Indian Railways is going to launch a dedicated mobile application for lodging grievances titled 'MADAD' (Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During travel).
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its French counterpart Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) are going to collaborate on missions to Mars and Venus.
• The India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 was held at New Delhi. The Theme of the Conference is : ‘Securing Global Supply Chains through Government-Industry Partnerships towards Effective Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1540’.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that it will hold a World T20 instead of the Champions Trophy in India in 2021.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to help India prepare the country's medal hopefuls for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games "to tap into its great potential".
• The joint military exercise between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia titled “Desert Tiger V” was recently held. Aim of this Exercise : To share expertise and to enhance joint military actions in Dubai, UAE.
• The Kerala State Human Rights Commission issued a directive to the regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to add a warning as violence against women is a punishable offence. Malayalam films will be displaying a statutory warning while showing scenes that depict violence against women.
• The Law Commission of India (LCI) has recommended to declare Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a public body.
• The Madras High Court became 1st court in south India and overall eighth in the country to introduce e-court fee payment facility.
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has constituted 12-member committee to review enforcement of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provisions under Companies Act, 2013. Head of this Committee : Manmohan Juneja
• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is tying up with United States and Finland to develop new pollution-forecast system that will help anticipate Particulate Matter (PM) levels at least two days in advance and at greater resolution.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018. The amended Rules lay down that the phasing out of Multilayered Plastic (MLP) is now applicable to MLP, which are “non-recyclable, or non-energy recoverable, or with no alternate use.”
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released draft of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) proposing multiple strategies to reduce air pollution. Aim of NCAP : To tackle increasing air pollution problem across country in comprehensive manner.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has relaxed 6-decade-old Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime to allow foreign tourists to access border areas of Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect from April 1, 2018. The move is being initiated to promote tourism, create job opportunities for the locals and generate revenue for the states.
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued a circular directing all states and union territories to avoid using the words 'Dalit' and 'Harijan' in official communications. The term 'Scheduled Caste' should be used for denoting people belonging to the category.
• The Mumbai-based Kotak Mahindra Bank led by Asia’s richest banker Uday Kotak became India’s second-largest bank by market capitalisation surpassing India’s largest bank by asset State Bank of India to grab the spot.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully conducted Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE) to test supersonic parachute that will help its space exploration missions to land on Mars.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to launch the Parker Solar Probe, also being called as the humanity's first mission to the Sun, on July 31.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a new planet-hunting spacecraft onboard of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Carnival, Florida, US. TESS mission is designed to carry out first spaceborne all-sky transiting exoplanet survey.
• The National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) arm India Index Services & Products Ltd (IISL) has launched Nifty equity savings index which will serve as benchmark for equity saving funds offered by various mutual funds. The index will capture performance of portfolio having exposure to equity, equity arbitrage and debt instruments in similar way to the investment philosophy of equity savings funds.
• The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and Indian Yoga Association (IYA) have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate interaction and cooperation between two organisations to promote wellness, spiritual and cultural tourism in Krishna Circuit.
• The Prime Minister of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan resigned from the post, just 7 seven days after he was sworn-in. Karen Karapetyan is the acting Prime Minister.
• The Prime Minister of Nepal K P Oli along with his wife Radhika Shakya and a 54-member delegation was on a 3 day visit to India. With Modi he launched Motihari To Amlekhganj India-Nepal Petroleum Product Pipeline Project.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that India’s forex (foreign exchange) reserves have touched record high of $424.864 billion in April 2018.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it is looking at the possibility of introducing a central bank-backed Digital Currency. An inter-departmental group has been constituted to study and provide "guidance on the desirability and feasibility to introduce a central bank digital currency".
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has dropped Axis Bank from the list of banks it has cleared to import gold and silver in the current fiscal that began April 1. Two other banks, Karur Vysya Bank and South Indian Bank, were also dropped from the list.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the Repo rate (the rate at which banks borrow from RBI) unchanged at 6% during its 1st bi-monthly monetary policy review of 2018-19.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has placed 11 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) out of 21 State-owned banks under its Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework because of deteriorating performance.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised its Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines, making Aadhaar key to conducting customer due diligence by banks and finance companies.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) switched back to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) model from the Gross Value Added (GVA) methodology to provide its estimate of economic activity in the country. The switch to GDP is mainly to conform to international standards and global best practices.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tightened reporting norms for the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) under which an individual can transfer up to USD 2,50,000 abroad in a year.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a penalty of ₹3 crore on IDBI Bank for failing to comply with norms related to reporting bad loans. The RBI has mandated banks to disclose divergences that exceed 15% of the reported number.
• The Romanian government has adopted a memorandum to shift its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
• The Sabarmati station of India's 1st bullet train, which will connect Ahmedabad and Mumbai, will be themed around Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the launch of its UK subsidiary, SBI (UK) Limited, with an initial capital commitment of 225 million pounds from its parent entity. The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the launch of its UK subsidiary, SBI (UK) Limited, with an initial capital commitment of 225 million pounds from its parent entity.
• The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has recommended Manika Batra for the prestigious Arjuna Award. Manika is India's only quadruple medallist at the Commonwealth Games 2018.
• The Toronto District School Board has unanimously adopted a motion recognising November as 'Hindu Heritage Month' in the city.
• The total deposits in accounts opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has crossed ₹80,000 crore mark as on 11th April 2018.
• The UIDAI has told the Supreme Court that it has imposed a penalty on Airtel and Axis Bank for breaching terms attached to Aadhaar authentication.
• The UK has opened a naval base in Bahrain which will host around 300 British troops and support personnel. This is its first permanent military base in the Middle East in nearly 50 years.
• The Ultra Long Range version of the Airbus' A350 XWB, which has a range of nearly 18,000 km and can fly for 20 hours non-stop, has successfully completed its first flight. The aircraft will be used to operate the 15,322-km flight between Singapore and New York, which will be the world's longest commercial flight, later this year.
• The Union Cabinet also approved the Arrangement between India and Afghanistan for cooperation in the field of food safety and related areas.
• The Union Cabinet has allowed Ministers of Petroleum and Finance to award oil and gas blocks to successful bidders in an attempt to improve ease of doing business. Until now, only the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister had the powers to approve such allotments.
• The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Technical Cooperation in Rail Sector. The MoU will provide platform to Indian Railways to interact and share latest developments and knowledge in railway sector.
• The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of Illegal Migrants.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Canada to foster cross-border partnerships focused on research excellence and industry-academic collaboration.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the promulgation of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, which will empower authorities to seize assets of economic offenders who flee India. The ordinance is aimed at forcing offenders to return to India to face prosecution.
• The Union Government (Ministry of Finance) has signed a Loan Agreement with the World Bank for IBRD credit of US$ 125 for Innovate in India for Inclusiveness Project. The objective of project is to nurture indigenous innovation, foster local product development and accelerate commercialization process in biopharmaceutical and medical devices industry in India.
• The Union government has banned imports of hormone oxytocin to stop its misuse in livestock industry, where it causes hormonal imbalances and shortens the lives of milch animals.
• The Union Government has constituted 13-Member Task Force to prepare road map and fast-track implementation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology or drones in the country. Head of this Committee : Jayant Sinha [Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation']
• The Union Government is going to launch GOBARdhan Yojna nationally from Karnal district of Haryana by end of April 2018. GOBAR is acronym for Galvanising Organic Bio Agro Resources.
• The Union Government launched “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan- Special Interventions (GSA-SI)”, a high-intensity outreach programme to deliver welfare schemes to select villages which need particular attention.
• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to roll out ‘Integrated initiative for prevention & control of viral hepatitis’ under National Health Mission (NHM) for prevention and control of viral hepatitis. The initiative will have budgetary support of more than Rs. 517 crore for three years.
• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has brought in secured Digitally-signed QR Code on e-Aadhaar. It will contain photograph of Aadhaar holder in addition to demographic details.
• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched the beta version of its Virtual ID service to mask the unique 12-digit Aadhaar number with a randomly generated 16-digit Virtual ID.
• The United States along with the United Kingdom and France, has launched air strikes in Syria. This is in response to the chemical attack that killed dozens of people.
• The University of Hyderabad has announced that it's professor of linguistics has discovered 2 languages which were lying hidden till now. They are, Walmiki Language and Malhar Language.
• The US has approved a $1.3-billion artillery sale to Saudi Arabia, including 180 Paladin howitzer systems and artillery-firing vehicles. The deals come as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made his first official visit to the US.
• The US Treasury Department has added India to a "monitoring list" of countries with potentially questionable foreign exchange policies, along with China, Germany and three other nations.
• The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched Ganga Hariteema Yojana (also known as Ganga Greenery scheme) in 27 districts of the state located on the bank of river Ganga.
• The Women and Child Development Ministry has announced that the government is preparing a draft Cabinet Note to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and make it gender-neutral. It has also proposed making death sentence for raping minors gender-neutral.
• The world's debt reached a record $164 trillion in 2016, which is worth 225% of the world's Gross Domestic Product, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). China alone contributed more than 40% to the increase in global debt since 2007.
• To address outstanding water resources issues, the 1st regional conference of eastern states on Water Resources was held in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• To address rising incidence of Vitamin D deficiencies (VDD), particularly amongst the young people, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched a new project titled ‘Project Dhoop’. Aim of Project Dhoop : To encourage schools to shift their morning assembly to around noon-time, mainly between 11 am to 1 pm to ensure maximum absorption of Vitamin D in students through natural sunlight.
• To allow foreign tourists and travellers to avail of paperless and cashless visa-related services, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched web-based application e-FRRO (e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office).
• To attract foreign students to India, the Union government launched the 'Study in India' programme. The programme projects 160 premier universities and institutes, including IITs and IIMs, as the ideal destination for higher education.
• To commemorate 2562nd Buddha Jayanti, International Buddhist Conference was held in Lumbini, Nepal. Theme of International Buddhist Conference 2018 : ‘Lumbini Nepal: The birthplace of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace’.
• To formulate military and security strategy, the Centre is going to set up the Defence Planning Committee (DPC). Head of Defence Planning Committee (DPC) : Ajit Doval (National Security Adviser)
• To help users quit smoking, all tobacco products and cigarette packs will have the national toll-free number 1800-11-2356 printed on them starting September 1.
• To improve road safety worldwide, the United Nations has launched UN Road Safety Trust Fund. The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will act as the secretariat for the trust fund.
• US company Orion Span is going to open 'Aurora Station', the world's first luxury hotel in space in 2021.
• WhatsApp has released a feature for its Android beta users which allows them to 'Request Money' from other users on the platform. Users can access the feature in the 'Payments' option in 'Settings', currently in its testing phase.
• With a view to achieve total digitisation of postal operations in the country, under the IT Modernisation Plan, Department of Posts has launched DIGITAL ADVANCEMENT OF RURAL POST OFFICE FOR A NEW INDIA (DARPAN) Project. Aim of DARPAN : To connect all 1.29 lakh Rural Branch Post Offices in the country and to enable them to do online Postal and Financial Transactions.
• World number one and 16-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has won his 44th consecutive set on clay and registered his 400th win on the surface. Nadal achieved the feat by defeating world number 10 David Goffin in the Barcelona Open semi-final.
• World number one Rafael Nadal has won Barcelona Open by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas.
• World record holder Shahzar Rizvi claimed India's first medal (i10 meter air pistol event) at the ongoing ISSF World Cup organised by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) at Changwon, South Korea.
• Wrestler Bajrang Punia won his 1st Commonwealth Games Gold medal in the men's freestyle 65 kg final.
• Zimbabwe has become the 2nd African nation to legalise the production of cannabis for medicinal or scientific purposes. Lesotho Becomes First African Country to Legalize Marijuana for medicinal purposes on 20th September 2017.

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