Today's Current Affairs 7th April 2023

NATIONAL

TVS SCS wins UK defence ministry contract for supplying Land Rover spares

TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS), an integrated supply chain solutions provider, on Thursday announced it has won a UK government contract for providing spares and accessories for the Land Rover Wolf, a military vehicle.

The contract is from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), acting through its agent, Babcock Land Defence. This two-plus one-year agreement will see TVS SCS use its accredited inventory management, procurement and supply chain expertise to ensure the optimum availability of spares for the legacy vehicle platform.

The Land Rover Wolf fleet has been in service with the UK defence ministry since the mid-1990s. TVS SCS, along with the post design services contractor, will support the availability and upkeep of the platform.

“This business win is a testament to TVS SCS’ strong position in providing supply chain capability to support several of the UK MOD’s vehicle platforms. We continue to thrive on our expertise and believe in the power of adding value to our customers in every possible way,” said Ravi Viswanathan, managing director at TVS Supply Chain Solutions.

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates Gaj Utsav at Kaziranga in Assam

President Droupadi Murmu said that human society will be benefited through elephant conservation and it would also help in addressing the climate change issue.

Inaugurating the Gaj Utsav -2023 at the Kaziranga national park, President Murmu said that elephant doesn’t hurt anyone without any reason. She said that the onus is with the human to solve the man-elephant conflict.

Lauding the Oscar-winning documentary Elephant Whisperers, she said that the documentary has perfectly portrait the love for nature. She mentioned that elephant is the symbol of progress in our country and it is the duty of our countryman to protect them.

Stating that like human elephant also loves to stay together as a family,she urged forest officials and concerned departments to take the needful step to reunite wild elephants if someone went missing from their family.

Andaman & Nicobar Command Conducts Joint Military Drill KAVACH.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command conducted joint military exercises ‘KAVACH’ involving assets of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

The joint forces carried out multi-domain exercises including amphibious landing, air-landed operations, heliborne operations and rapid insertion of Special Forces. It showcased a coordinated approach to surveillance, networked and synergized operations, aimed at achieving greater interoperability

The exercises had included multi-faceted maritime operations by synergised employment of amphibious assault ships, surveillance platforms, execution of maritime air strikes and complex manoeuvres at sea.

In 2021, a similar large-scale joint-services amphibious exercise AMPHEX – 21 was conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands between January 21 and 25 and Ex KAVACH formed a part of it.

OBITURY

Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto Passes away at 56

Jharkhand minister Jagarnath Mahto died on Thursday at a hospital in Chennai where he was undergoing treatment, a senior doctor of the health facility said. He was 56.

Jagannath Mahto was an Indian politician and cabinet minister from Jharkhand. He represented the Dumri. Vidhan Sabha constituency as a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA  Mahto died from complications of a lung transplant on 6 April 2023,

Mr Mahto, the four-time JMM MLA from Dumri in Giridih district, was taken to Chennai in October 2020, where he had undergone the transplant as his lungs were damaged due to the COVID-19 infection, a health department official said

The minister had returned to Ranchi after eight months in June 2021,

The Jharkhand government declared mourning for two days from April 6 in honour of Mr Mahto, during which no official ceremony would be held.

According to a state government notification, the cabinet meeting scheduled this evening was cancelled.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Kalikesh Singh Deo  takes charge as NRAI president

The Governing Body of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) unanimously approved the handing over of charge of the sporting body to Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo on Thursday, after president Raninder Singh went on a long leave of absence.

Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, who held the position of Senior Vice-President, took over as the President of the National Rifle Association of India NRAI

The move is in accordance with Rule 19 of the Rules and Regulations of the NRAI constitution.

Kalikesh Singh Deo, 48, is a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and a former Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Bolangir. He completed his school at Dehradun's Doon School and graduated from St Stephens College in New Delhi. He was serving as the senior vice-president of the federation since getting elected to the post on 18 September, 2021.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Health Day

World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year to raise awareness about global health issues and to promote healthy living. The day was first celebrated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1950, to mark the organization's founding, which took place on April 7, 1948

The World Health Organization will observe its 75th birthday - WHO’s 75th anniversary year is an opportunity to look back at public health successes that have improved quality of life during the last seven decades. It is also an opportunity to motivate action to tackle the health challenges of today and tomorrow.

The main objective of World Health Day is to promote awareness and action on a specific health theme that is of concern to people worldwide. Over the years, World Health Day has highlighted a range of issues, including mental health, maternal and child care, food safety, and the need for universal health coverage. The day provides an opportunity for governments, organizations, and individuals to come together to discuss global health challenges and to take action to address them.

Every year, the WHO selects a theme that highlights a particular health issue that requires urgent attention. The WHO has chosen "Health for All" as the theme for its 75th anniversary, and is planning numerous campaigns and awareness programs to facilitate discussions on global health.

Pandit Ravi Shankar’s 103rd birth anniversary

The 103rd birth anniversary of the legend Bharat Ratna -  Pandit Ravi Shankar is being celebrated on April 7. World-renowned composer and sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar is regarded as one of the greatest ambassadors of Indian music,

Pandit Ravi Shankar was a globally recognised maestro of Indian classical music. Through his collaborations with musicians across the world, he was the first to create a huge fan base among Western audiences for Indian classical music.

In his eight-decade long career, he became a worldwide music icon, and he was labelled the “godfather of world music” by George Harrison of The Beatles.

Born in Varanasi on April 7, 1920, Shankar spent his youth performing across India and Europe as a member of his brother’s dance troupe.

RANKING

WBPDCL ranked No.1 power generation company for FY’23,

State-run West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) has ranked best performing power generation company in the country for the financial year 2022-23. This is according to a list published by the Central Electricity Authority - CEA, Ministry of Power.

Three thermal power plants of WBPDCL have established their places in the top five ranks in terms of its performance and efficiency (as measured by the plant load factor or PLF). Bakreswar power plant of WBPDCL has been ranked number one (PLF- 92.38 per cent) out of total 205 thermal power plants operating in the country, said an official press statement.

Santaldih has been ranked second (PLF-91.37 per cent) followed by Sagardighi plant at fifth position (PLF-89.39 per cent) nationally.

WBPDCL has registered record gross generation of 31.85 billion units with a growth of 35 per cent over last two years. It has witnessed a superior performance in the areas of availability, PLF, Specific Oil Consumption (SOC) and auxiliary power consumption (APC). Due to this, profitability has increased three fold. Major turnaround has also been observed in other two plants at Kolaghat and Bandel.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

IMF Chief says India and China will account for half of global economic growth in 2023

The International Monetary Fund said that the world economy is expected to grow at less than 3 per cent this year, with India and China expected to account for half of global growth in 2023.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva warned that a sharp slowdown in the world economy last year following the raging pandemic and Russia’s military operation of Ukraine would continue this year.

In a statement, Georgieva said the period of slower economic activity will be prolonged, with the next five years witnessing less than 3 per cent growth.

However, she said some momentum comes from emerging economies – Asia especially is a bright spot. India and China are expected to account for half of the global growth in 2023. But others face a steeper climb.

Georgieva said slower growth would be a severe blow, making it even harder for low-income nations to catch  She explained  Poverty and hunger might further increase which is a dangerous trend that was started by the COVID crisis,”.