April 2018 current affairs

# The Tamil Nadu government has launched Amma Free Wi-Fi zones in five cities of the state.

# Tamil Nadu Government launched bi-lingual ‘Uzhavan’ (farmer) mobile application to use technology for benefit of farmers.

# According to the Mercer's 20th Quality of Living Ranking 2018, Hyderabad and Pune have been jointly ranked at 142, making the best Indian cities to live in among the list of 450 cities around the world.

# Government is going to launch Swachh Bharat Summer Internship (SBSI) 2018 aimed at engaging college youth with Swachhata work in villages in coming Summer vacation.

# The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is planning to relax the protected area permit (PAP) regime to enable foreign tourists to access border areas. However, citizens from Pakistan and China are unlikely to be given these relaxations.

# The NITI Aayog launched the baseline ranking for 101 aspirational districts based on 49 indicators across several sectors.

# The first National Conclave on Psychological Trauma, Child Protection, and Mental Illnesses held in New Delhi.

# The Ministry of Human Resource Development has sanctioned Rs. 1000 crore for Phase II of Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT) India programme to boost research and innovation in the country.

# National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi under the Ministry of Textiles is going to conduct National Sizing Survey dubbed as Size India.

# India, South Korea joint anti-piracy, search and rescue exercise ‘Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog 2018’ was conducted in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai.

# Indian Navy conducted multi-agency humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise named ‘Chakravat’ meaning ‘cyclone’ off the Kochi Coast.

# The Global Logistics Summit (GLS-2018) was held in New Delhi from April 5-6, 2018 to improve logistics and connectivity.

# Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to conduct Exercise Gaganshakti 2018.

# The Union Government will launch GOBARdhan (Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources) Yojana, a central government scheme.

# The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched ‘Project Dhoop’ to address rising incidence of Vitamin D deficiencies (VDD), particularly amongst the young people.

# The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has approved the establishment of the first multipurpose “Van Dhan Vikas Kendra” for socio-economic development of tribals living in forests.

# The first meeting of newly constituted ‘NITI Aayog Forum for North East’ was held in Agartala, Tripura.

# The Army Commanders’ Conference, chaired by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, has started recently in New Delhi.

# India Mobile Congress (IMC-2018) will be held in New Delhi on October 25-27, 2018.

# Union Home Ministry has launched the web-based application e-FRRO (e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office) scheme aimed at providing fast and efficient visa-related services online to visitors to India.

# The India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 was hosted by Ministry of External Affairs held in New Delhi.

# The 10th edition of Defexpo India, a biennial exhibition on Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems, concluded at Thiruvidanthai in Kancheepuram district.

# The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued Expression of Interest (EoI) for first offshore wind energy project in India.

# PM inaugurated the first Health and Wellness Centre in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh to mark the launch of Ayushman Bharat Yojana - National Health Protection Mission.

# NITI Aayog will start ranking states on the nutrition parameter under the government-run Poshan Abhiyaan.

# The first International SME (Small, Medium Enterprises) convention was held in New Delhi.

# Coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ to strengthen the coastal security and to assess coastal security mechanism was held along Kerala coast.

# Bilateral joint training exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI 2018 between India and Malaysia will be conducted in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia

# The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved restructured National Bamboo Mission during the remaining period of 14th Finance Commission (2018-20).

# The Union Cabinet has approved promulgation of Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance to provide death penalty for rapists of girls below 12 years.

# Justice Rajesh Bindal committee - legal issues related to inter country removal & retention of children and its recommendations to the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

# e-Vidhan is a project to digitize and make the functioning of State Legislatures in India paperless.

# e-Sanad is aimed at online verification of the documents

# Naval base (Assomption island in Seychelles) - India’s proposal

# NASA – InSight Mission - to study Mars deep interior and find traces of how it was formed.

# China has successfully launched a pair of twin Beidou-3MEO satellites – Beidou-30 and Beidou-31 –into space.

# The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia concluded joint military exercise “Desert Tiger 5” in Dubai, UAE.

# Nepal will host an international conference to address the issues relating to human rights and impunity in South Asia.

# Tiangong-1 was China’s first prototype space station or space laboratory.

# Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was elected as Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia.

# BABUR Missile – Pakistan

# The 29th Arab League Summit 2018 held in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

# Turkey´s first nuclear power plant -Mediterranean Mersin region

# President of Sierra Leone - Julius Maada Bio

# The Cabinet of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved the issuance of law on Equal Wages and Salaries for men and women.

# Soft Drinks Sugar tax – UK.

# United Nations has launched UN Road Safety Trust Fund to improve road safety worldwide.

# Indian Prime Minister and 52 other heads of government attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting or CHOGM meeting in London.

# India failed to participate in the Malaria Summit in London.

# 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh - Coins Release (Rs 350).

# The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) celebrated its foundation day this year on April 2, 2018.

# Jana Small Finance Bank - to unbanked rural areas (Janalakshmi Financial Services).

# The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched GSAT 6A communication satellite on board of GSLV-F08 rocket from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

# Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal launched the UTTAM App for Coal Quality Monitoring.

# The first indigenously developed offshore patrol vessel - ICGS Vikram - was commissioned into the Indian CoastGuard at Kattupalli Port near Ennore of Chennai.

# The RH-300 MKII sounding rocket developed by IRSO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

# Minister of Communications launched the DARPAN-PLI - for Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance policies.

# Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has launched Sukhad Yatra mobile application and 1033 Toll-free Emergency number for highway users.

# India’s first 5G lab - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi.

# The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched IRNSS-1I navigation satellite.

# Madras High Court has introduced the e-court fee payment facility for fee payments of the adjudicating cases.

# Ganga Hariteema Yojana - aims at increasing green cover in catchment areas of river Ganga and controls land erosion -Uttar Pradesh Government.

# Diu Smart City has become the first city in India to run on 100% renewable energy during daytime.

# Scientists have identified a new species of frog called Fejervarya goemchi in the highland plateaus of the Western Ghats parts of Goa.

# Chhattisgarh was awarded National Water Digest Award for Water Conservation-Diversion and increasing the irrigation capacity in the state.

# Videsh Aaya Pradesh ke Dwaar - aims to enhance public diplomacy outreach of MEA - Ministry of External Affairs.

# PV Sindhu - Deputy Collector.

# West Bengal government has launched a scheme called “R upa shree” to ensure safe future for young women.

# Two-tier Panchayati Raj - Arunachal Pradesh Assembly passed Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill 2018 to do away with the Anchal Samiti.

# The two-day Assam Spring Festival was conducted at Manas National Park.

# Chhattisgarh won the ‘State of the Year’ Award.

# Jammu - first tulip garden.

# Kadaknath chicken - Madhya Pradesh GI tag

# Hike of retirement age – Madhya Pradesh.

# The Delhi government has launched the 'Mission Buniyaad' scheme to improve learning levels of children from classes 3 to 9.

# Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated a three-day long 'Happy Cities Summit 2018' at Mangalagiri town in Amaravati.

# Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched ‘181-Sakhi’, a toll-free helpline number for women.

# The Kerala government is set to launch a community radio for farmers.

# The first regional conference of eastern states on Water Resources was held in Kolkata, West Bengal.

# Satya Pal Malik - Governor of Odisha (additional charge).

# The eleventh edition of World Hindi Conference will be hosted by Mauritius.

# In Nepal, the famous Bisket Jatra Festival is being celebrated in Bhaktapur.

# 2018 UNESCO Press Freedom Prize -Mahmoud Abu Zeid.

# Senior Advocate Indu Malhotra was sworn in as Judge of Supreme Court of India.

# The 21st edition of Commonwealth Games has recently held in Gold Coast, Australia.