CURRENT AFFAIRS 24TH APRIL

India's Gita Sabharwal appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Gita Sabharwal of India as the United Nations resident coordinator in Indonesia.
Previously, Sabharwal served as the UN resident coordinator in Thailand and as peacebuilding and development adviser for the United Nations in Sri Lanka.
Before joining the UN, Sabharwal was The Asia Foundation’s deputy country representative for the Maldives and Sri Lanka and held positions as the poverty and policy adviser for the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development in India and Vietnam.
Sabharwal holds a master’s degree in development management from the University of Wales in the UK.
The UN resident coordinator is the highestranking representative of the UN Development System at the country level.
Resident coordinators lead UN country teams and coordinate UN support to countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Mexico-based Indian scientist leading fight against wheat diseases receives Padma Shri

Ravi Prakash Singh, the Mexico-based scientist who received the Padma Shri award, has been hailed for his achievement in making wheat strains resistant to rust diseases, protecting the supply of the f oodgrain that is an essential element in diets around the world.
Singh, who is the head of Global Wheat Improvement at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), is originally from Varanasi.
Singh has contributed to the development of 649 wheat varieties released in 48 countries, working closely with scientists at national wheat programs in the Global South.
Of them, 224 were developed directly under his leadership and are grown on about 10 million hectares, it added.
Singh has worked at the institute since 1983 after getting a PhD from the University of Sydney in Australia.

Air India, All Nippon Airways sign codeshare agreement

Tata-owned Air India and Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways have signed a codeshare agreement connecting their networks, enhancing flight selections between India and Japan.
With this agreement, effective for travel from May 23, Air India and All Nippon Airways guests will fly to their desired destination by combining those flights between India and Japan with a single ticket.
In addition, guests of both airlines flying on codeshare flights will enjoy premium services such as lounge access and priority boarding that Star Alliance offers to its premium members.
Available for sale from 23 April 2024, Air India will add its ‘AI’ designator code on AN A’s flights between Tokyo Haneda and Delhi as well as Tokyo N arita and Mumbai, while All Nippon Airways will add its ‘NH’ designator code on Air India’s flight between Tokyo Narita and Delhi.

Cognizant, Microsoft join hands to expand adoption of GenAI in enterprise

Nasdaq-listed IT services firm Cognizant and Microsoft announced an expanded partnership to drive the adoption of generative AI among enterprises.
As part of the partnership, Cognizant purchased 25,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot seats for Cognizant associates, along with 500 Sales Copilot seats and 500 Services Copilot seats to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and transform customer experiences.
In addition, Cognizant will work to deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot to a million users within their global 2,000 clients and across 11 industries. Through Cognizant’s Synapse skilling program, 35,000 Cognizant developers have been trained on GitHub Copilot, with an additional 40,000 developers slated to receive training.

Novak Djokovic, Aitana Bonmati win top honours at Laureus Sports Awards

World no. 1 Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year at a ceremony held in Madrid to tie another alltime record, with his fifth Laureus Award (he won in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2019).
The 36-year-old ended the year by winning a record seventh ATP Finals title and by claiming Year-End No. 1 for a record eighth time. The Serb is now on a record-equalling 24 Grand Slams.
Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmati won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year and in doing so became the first footballer to win the prestigious Award.
The English midfielder Jude Bellingham won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award – the first footballer to do so – after an electrifying start to his time with Real Madrid. Former World No. 1 tennis player Carlos Alcaraz presented Bellington the award which the Spaniard won last year.

Renowned Bangladeshi Singer Rezwana Choudhury Bannya Receives Prestigious Padma ShriAward

Renowned Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Choudhury Bannya received the prestigious Padma Shri Award.
Rezwana Choudhury Bannya received the award for her contribution in the field of Art. An accomplished professional singer from Bangladesh, she is a devoted practitioner of Rabindra Sangeet. She sang “Vaishnav Jan To” to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Bann ya is currently Professor and founding chair of the Department of Dance at the University of Dhaka. She runs ‘Shurer Dhara’, a prestigious music school in Dhaka with a focus on Rabindra Sangeet. She has written books on Rabindra Sangeet as well. She is an alumni of Vishwa Bharati, Shantiniketan.
Rezwana Choudhury Bannya’s Padma Shri award serves as a testament to her unwavering dedication to the art of Rabindra Sangeet and her significant role in preserving and promoting cultural heritage across borders.

ISKCON and NSDC Collaborate for Tribal Skill Development

In a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at empowering marginalised communities, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) are all set to provide vocational training to tribal and underprivileged youth across multiple states.
The strategic partnership will initially focus on skilling youths from tribal and marginalised communities in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, with plans to expand to other regions in the future.
Through jointly conducted short-term courses, participants will receive industry-recognised certifications via the Skill India Digital Hub platform, enhancing their employability prospects.
Furthermore, they will be eligible for international job placements facilitated by NSDC International, a subsidiary of NSDC specializing in global mobility and placement arrangements.

Ratan Tata Receives Prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award 2021

Renowned industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, was honored with the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award 2021.
The award ceremony was held at his residence in Mumbai, marking a significant recognition of his commitment to social development and exemplary corporate leadership.
The award was presented by the Founder of KIIT and KISS, Achyuta Samanta.
Ratan Tata, usually reticent about accepting accolades, agreed to accept this award following a personal request from Achyuta Samanta, recognizing the importance of the KISS humanitarian honour.
The award was announced in 2021, but Tata was unable to receive the award then because of the COVID pandemic.

Rashtriya Raksha University's Strategic Partnership with Starburst Aerospace: Driving Innovation in Aerospace, Defence, and Security

Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) and Starburst Aerospace of France entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance aerospace, defence, and homeland security innovation.
The MoU includes the creation of a venture capital fund of 100 million euros for aerospace, defence and security technology and provides export promotion support for Indian start-ups to explore international markets.
The strategic alliance between RRU, Starburst, and Security and Scientific Technical Research Association (SASTRA), a not-for-profit company set up by RRU, is aimed at fostering innovation and driving advancements in the aerospace, defence and homeland security sectors.

Naima Khatoon becomes first female VC of AMU in over 100 yrs

Naima Khatoon has been appointed as Aligarh Muslim University’s Vice Chancellor for the next 5 years. She is the first woman to hold post in over 100 years.
Before Khatoon, the only woman to have held a top post at AMU was Begum Sultan Jahan who was appointed the Chancellor in 1920.
Khatoon was appointed on Monday after receiving approval from President Droupadi Murmu, who is Visitor to the Aligarh Muslim University.
Naima Khatoon, Principal, Women’s College, has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of AMU for a period of five years or the date on which she completes 75 years of age, whichever is earlier.
Khatoon completed her PhD in psychology from AMU and was appointed a lecturer in the same department in 1988.
She was elevated to professor in 2006 and continued being promoted in the department before being appointed the principal of the Women’s College in 2014.
AMU completed 100 years as a university in September 2020, becoming one of the oldest universities in India.