Current Affairs - 09 April 2021
1.CRPF Valour Day 2021: 09 April
- Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Valour Day (Shaurya Diwas) is observed on 9 April every year, as a tribute to the brave men of the force.
- It was first under the name Crown Representative's Police and came into existence on 27 July,1939. It became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December,1949.
- Its mission is to enable the government to maintain Rule of Law, Public Order and Internal Security effectively and efficiently and to preserve National Integrity and Promote Social Harmony and Development by upholding supremacy of the constitution. 2021 marks the 56th CRPF Valour Day.
Foot Notes:
About CRPF:
Formed: 27 July,1939
Motto: Service and Loyalty
Headquarters: New Delhi
Director General: Kuldiep Singh
2.MoU between India and Japan for Academic and Research Cooperation and Exchange
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, is apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Dept of Space, Government of India and Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan for Academic and Research Cooperation and Exchange on 4 November, 2020 and 11 November, 2020 at respective institutes and exchanged by post.
Objectives
This MoU shall enable NARL and RISH to continue their cooperation in areas of atmospheric science and technology, collaborative scientific experiments/campaigns and related modelling studies utilising the research facilities of RISH and NARL, exchange of scientific materials, publications and information, joint research meetings and workshops, exchange of faculty members, students and researchers.
Background
NARL and RISH have been collaborating in the area of atmospheric science and technology as well as exchange of scientists. This arrangement was formalised in 2008 through an MoU. The above MoU was renewed in the year 2013. A fresh MoU to promote collaborative research, as per the new guidelines, was signed in November 2020 by both sides and exchanged.
Foot Notes:
About Japan:
Prime Minister: Yoshihide Suga
Capital: Tokyo
Currency: Japanese yen
3.Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched Madhukranti portal and Honey Corners of NAFED in New Delhi
- Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched Madhukranti portal and Honey Corners of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) in New Delhi. This portal is being developed for online registration to achieve a traceability source of Honey and other beehive products on a digital platform. This will also help in checking the quality and source of adulteration of honey.
- Madhukranti portal is an initiative of National Bee Board under National Beekeeping and Honey Mission. An MoU between National Bee Board and Indian Bank was signed for this project.
- Honey Mission will lead to increase in income of farmers, employment generation and increase in exports. He said, the sweet revolution should spread all over the country and Indian honey should meet global standards.
Foot Notes:
About NAFED:
Founded: 2 October 1958
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairman: Bijendra Singh
4.Centre appoints S Ramann as SIDBI’s new Chairman & Managing Director
- The centre has named S Ramann as Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The appointment is made for the tenure of three years from the date he assumes the charge of the new post until further orders, stated centre’s official statement.
- In December, Banks Board Bureau, the organisation responsible for recruitments for state-owned banks and financial institutions, had recommended Ramann’s name for the said position.
- Ramann is 1991-batch Indian Audit & Accounts Service officer. He is currently the CEO of National E-Governance Services Ltd, India’s first Information Utility.
Foot Notes:
About SIDBI:
Founded: 2 April 1990
Headquarters: Lucknow
Director: Bijay Kumar Das
5.Indian Navy’s INS Sarvekshak undertakes hydrographic surveys in Mauritius
- INS Sarvekshak, a hydrographic survey ship, is on a deployment to Mauritius for undertaking joint hydrographic surveys along with their Mauritian counterparts. During the deployment, training of Mauritian personnel on advanced hydrographic equipment and practices will also be undertaken. The ship visited Port Louis, Mauritius and commenced the hydrographic survey of ‘Deep sea area off Port Louis’.
About INS Sarvekshak:
The INS Sarvekshak is fitted with survey equipment such as Side Scan Sonars, Deep Sea Multi-Beam Echo Sounder and a completely automated digital surveying and processing system.It operates under the Southern Naval Command.
Foot Notes:
About Mauritius:
Capital: Port Louis
Currency: Mauritian rupee
Prime minister: Pravind Jugnauth
6.Researchers at Tufts University developed robots from stem cells of frogs
- Researchers at Tufts University have developed robots from stem cells of frogs. These robots are named Xenobots and they can self-heal after damage, record memories and work together in groups.
- These biological robots can record information about their surroundings and move using cilia -- minute hairlike particles present on their surface.
About Xenobots
Researchers say the soft-body living machines can have several applications in biomedicine and the environment.
Xenobots are capable of healing themselves.
Xenobots are made from frog cells. They have been named after the Xenopuslaevis frog that supplied its cells to create the robot. Xenopuslaevis is an African frog.
These robots are to be used to detect diseases and deliver drugs to specific areas of the body.
7.CJI S.A. Bobde launches top court’s AI-driven research portal
- The Supreme Court unveiled its Artificial Intelligence (AI) portal SUPACE, designed to make research easier for judges, thereby easing their workload.
- A pet project of Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde, the Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency (SUPACE) is a tool that collects relevant facts and laws and makes them available to a judge.
- Through SUPACE, the apex court judges will be able to fetch facts on any given case accurately, do all discoveries of facts.
- The system has been designed not to decide but to do all discoveries of facts to let the Judge decide.
8.The Great Khali formally inducted in WWE Hall of Fame 2021
- India’s one-time World Heavyweight Champion, “The Great Khali”, has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class.
- The 7’1″ tall Khali is the first Indian world champion in WWE. He made his professional wrestling debut in 2000.
- Standing 7-foot-1 and tipping the scales at 347 pounds, Khali made his titanic presence felt from the moment he first entered the WWE Universe in 2006, standing toe-to-toe with the legendary Undertaker and bulldozing over The Deadman, a rare sight between the ropes.
- The Great Khali went on to battle many of WWE’s most legendary Superstars, including John Cena, Batista, Shawn Michaels and fellow 2021 Inductee Kane, whom he defeated to pick up his first win on The Grandest Stage of Them All, WrestleMania.
Foot Notes:
About WWE:
Founded: 21 February 1980
CEO: Vince McMahon
Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut, United States
9.Four sailors from India qualify for Tokyo Olympics
- Four sailors created history from India by qualifying for this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Vishnu Saravanan and the pair of Ganapathy Chengappa and Varun Thakkar made the cut during the ongoing Asian Qualifiers in Oman.
- This was after Nethra Kumanan, a day before in another Asian Olympic qualifier, became the first Indian woman sailor to qualify in the laser radial event in the Mussanah Open Championship.
- However, bad news has hit the weightlifting arena where 2019 Commonwealth Championship gold medallist in the 64-kg category, Rakhi Halder, failed an out-of-competition dope test just ahead of the Olympic qualifying event next week.
- She now stands provisionally suspended.
10.World’s first-ever Woman Commentator Chandra Nayudu passed away at 88
- Chandra Nayudu, the first woman cricket commentator of India, has passed away. She was 88 years old.
- She was the daughter of India’s first Test captain Col. C.K. Nayudu.
- She was a professor in English at the Government Girls College in Indore. But despite being an English teacher, Chandra had equal command over India’s national language.
- Chandra was a very good Hindi commentator and first commentated in the MCC vs Bombay game in the 1976-77 season.
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