WPL 2024: RCB win maiden title; beat DC by eight wickets

• Royal Challengers Bangalore won their first title by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final of the 2024 Women’s Premier League.
• RCB defeated DC by eight wickets to lift the WPL trophy at the Arnn Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
• RCB made easy work of their 114-mn chase against DC to lift their maiden WPL title.
• A wonderful first innings performance from RCB ‘s spin­attack helped them clinch their first-ever trophy as a franchise.

2024 Women’s Premier League

• Administrator: Board of Control for Cricket in India
• Cricket format: Twenty20 cricket
• Champions: Royal Challengers Bangalore (1st title)
• Runners-up: Delhi Capitals
• Participants: 5
• Player of the series: Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)

EC Announces Para Archer & Arjuna Awardee Sheetal Devi As National PwD Icon

• Election Commission has announced Para Archer and Arjuna Awardee, Sheetal Devi as its National PwD Icon.
• Her name was announced at an Exhibition Cricket Match between the Indian Deaf Cricket Association Team and the Delhi and District Cricket Association team.
• The match was organised by the Election Commission in association with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to foster voter education and inclusivity.

Sheetal Devi:

• Sheetal Devi is an Indian Para-archer. Devi was born with a rare medical condition called phocomelia, which makes her the first and the only international para-archery champion without upper limbs.

Vladimir Putin Wins Russian Presidential Elections For Record Fifth Term

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has clinched a historic fifth term, securing a landslide victory in the presidential polls.
• He claimed another six -year term by getting 87 per cent of the vote with 80 per cent of the precincts counted.
• Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov finished second and newcomer Vladislav Davankov third.
• This victory has solidified Mr. Putin’s position as Russia’s longest-serving leader, surpassing Josef Stalin.

Russia:

• Capital: Moscow
• Currency: Russian Ruble

Niger Suspends Military Agreement With US

• Niger has suspended its military agreement with the United States ”with immediate effect”.
• The decision came after senior US officials – led by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee and US Africa Command head General Michael Langley – visited the West African country earlier this week to discuss democratic transition.
• The US delegation did not follow diplomatic protocol, and that Niger was not informed about the composition of the delegation, the date of its arrival or the agenda.
• Niger is the centre of US operations in west and North Africa, notably at its Air Base 201, the most expensive construction project ever undertaken by the US government. Last October, Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup. But in December, the top US envoy for Africa, Phee, said the US was willing to restore aid and security ties if Niger met certain conditions.
• The suspension follows an earlier move that has seen thousands of French soldiers exit the West African nation.

Tribal Leader Lama Lobzang Passes Away In Delhi At 94

• Former member of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Prominent Buddhist Monk of Ladakh popularly known as Lama Lobzang passes away in New Delhi. He was 94.
• A distinguished tribal leader, Lama Lobzang has served the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for 19 years since 1984.
• When the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes became constitutional through and amendment of Article 338 of the constitution, Lama Lobzang was appointed anew as its member for two terms from 1995 to 1998 and 1998 to 2001.
• Lama Lobzang retired from public office after serving another term as a member of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes from 2004 to 2007.

During his six decades of public service, he also served in the health sector by facilitating patients for availing medical treatments at AIIMS and organising free medical camps by pulling doctors from the best medical institutes such as AIIMS Delhi and Saf darjung Hospital, Delhi at Leh Ladakh and made possible outdoor and indoor medical cares from specialist doctors at the doorstep of needy people in Ladakh

NCRTC managing director Vinay Kumar Singh resigns

• In a sudden development, Vinay Kumar Singh, the Managing Director of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), has resigned from his position, according to sources in the transport public sector undertaking (PSU).
• Singh has been spearheading the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project in India, and his resignation comes at the cusp of the successful completion of India’s first Namo Bharat service (formerly RapidX).
• Singh has been the MD of the corporation since 2016 and has been executing the Delhi-Meerut RRTS, while awaiting green lights for three more intercity projects.
• On March 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Namo Bharat train service between Duhai and Modi Nagar North, opening up the second 17-kilometre (km) stretch of the ambitious rapid rail plan to connect Meerut to the national capital.

LAMITIYE-2024: Indian Army contingent departs to Seychelles for joint exercise

• An Indian Army contingent departed for Seychelles to participate in the 10th edition of Joint Military Exercise ‘LAMITIYE-2024’.
• The Joint Exercise between the Indian Army and Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) will be conducted at Seychelles.
• LAMITIYE’ meaning ‘Friendship’ in the Creole language is a biennial training event and has been conducted in the Seychelles since 2001. 45 personnel each from the GORKHA RIFLES of the Indian Army and Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) will participate in the exercise.
• The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability in sub-conventional operations in a semi-urban environment under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter on Peacekeeping Operations.
• Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed tactical drills for the neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in a semi-urban environment, while exploiting and showcasing new generation equipment and technology.
• The 10-day joint exercise will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures and demonstrations, which culminate in two days of validation exercises.

TN govt to sign MoU with Centre for implementation of PM SHRI Schools scheme

• The Tamil Nadu School Education Department informed that the state government has decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Education Ministry to implement the PM SHRI scheme in the state.
• The MoU will be signed by the Tamil Nadu government before the beginning of the academic year 2024-25.
• PM SHRI is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims to showcase the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and emerge as an exemplary school over a period of time and also offer mentorship to other schools in their vicinity.
• The PM SHRI schools will deliver quality teaching for the cognitive development of students and will strive to create and nurture holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st-century skills.
• The PM SHRI Schools will be developed as green schools incorporating environment-friendly aspects like solar panels and LED lights, nutrition gardens with natural farming, waste management, plastic-free, water conservation and harvesting, study of traditions and practices related to protection of the environment, climate change-related hackathon and awareness generation to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

Procter & Gamble India appoints Kumar Venkatasubramanian as CEO

• Kumar Venkatasubramanian will be the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Procter & Gamble India beginning May 1, as the incumbent LV Vaidyanathan has decided to move on after 28 years at the FMCG giant.
• Venkatasubramanian is currently leading the P&G business in Australia and New Zealand as CEO, where he has delivered record metrics.
• Before the overseas role, he was leading the sales team in P&G India till 2020.
• An alumnus of IIM Calcutta, Venkatasubramanian had started his journey with P&G in the sales team in India in 2000, soon after leaving the campus.
• Current CEO Vaidyanathan too had started his career with P&G India as an intern in 1995, and rose through the ranks.

Mindsprint appoints Nitesh Mirchandani as Chief Business Officer

• Mindsprint, a digital technology and business solutions company, has appointed Nitesh Mirchandani as the company’s chief business officer.
• Collaborating with technology and delivery teams, Mirchandani’s role aims to develop the go-to­market strategy for the needs of customers.
• Mirchandani’s appointment is a milestone in advancing this commitment.
• In his role as the chief business officer, he will be responsible for the P &L, growth strategy, key market analysis, and most importantly, building and investing in our customer relationships.
• Mindsprint provides digital transformation services, enterprise transformation services, and business process services.