• The appointment of Manoj Panda fills a vacancy in the Sixteenth Finance Commission, allowing it to commence its duties. Panda, an esteemed economist and former director of the Institute of Economic Growth, joins as a full-time member.
• Manoj Panda, renowned economist and former director of the Institute of Economic Growth, has been appointed as a full-time member of the Sixteenth Finance Commission by the Centre. This appointment completes the panel, enabling it to begin its crucial tasks.

• The state government of Uttarakhand has initiated proactive measures to assess and mitigate the risks associated with Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Two expert panels have been established to conduct risk assessments and monitor five high-risk glacial lakes in the region. These lakes have been identified as prone to immediate danger, necessitating urgent attention and intervention.
• GLOFs occur when the water levels in glacial lakes experience sudden rises due to various glacial activities, posing significant threats to surrounding areas. The formation of GLOFs is primarily attributed to glacial melting and subsequent outbursts, which can lead to devastating floods downstream.

• On April 10th every year, World Homeopathy Day is celebrated to honor the birth anniversary of Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy and a German physician. This day is dedicated to recognizing the valuable contributions of homeopathy to the field of healthcare. This year marks the 268th birth anniversary of Samuel Hahnemann.
• World Homeopathy Day is an occasion to acknowledge the challenges and opportunities involved in promoting homeopathy. The aim of this day is to create awareness about homeopathy as a medical system and strive towards improving its success rate. Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine that works by stimulating the body’s innate healing processes in the patient.

Theme: One Health, One Family

• Indian American golfer Akshay Bhatia prevailed in a sudden-death playoff at the end of a dramatic final round of the PGA Tour's Texas Open in San Antonio. Bhatia, who is now the last qualifier to the Masters, went into the final round with a four-shot lead but a remarkable back nine from Denny McCarthy forced a playoff.
• McCarthy made eight birdies after the turn, finishing with seven in a row as he carded a nine-under 63. But before that happened McCarthy, looking for his first win on the PGA Tour, had produced his worst shot of the week at the most crucial moment.

• Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Love Kumar has been appointed as the Inspector General (IG) in the Special Protection Group (SPG) for a period of two years, according to an official notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved this proposal from the Office of the Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat.
• Love Kumar is a 2004-batch IPS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He is currently posted as a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the SPG, and his appointment to the IG position has been made by temporarily upgrading the post he currently holds.

• India’s first private sector built earth observation satellite TSAT-1A , has been launched by Tata Advanced System Limited ,a subsidiary company of Tata Son’s. Till date only the government of India’s owned Indian Space Research Observation (ISRO) had the capability to build and launch such satellites.The satellite is considered to be a military grade.
• TSAT-1A, assembled at TASL’s Vemagal facility in Karnataka, will deliver high-resolution optical satellite images with increased collection capacity and low-latency delivery through its multispectral and hyperspectral capabilities.

• Air India has appointed Jayaraj Shanmugam, an industry veteran with 25 years of experience spanning across airlines, airports, and telecom industries, as the Head of Global Airport Operations. This decision comes amidst the airline’s efforts to enhance its operations and customer experience as part of the Vihaan.AI transformation journey.
• Jayaraj Shanmugam brings distinctive expertise in driving excellence in customer experience and airport operations, gained through his extensive career with renowned airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Jet Airways.

• British national Russ Cook, known as the “Hardest Geezer,” has successfully completed a challenging trek that took him over 352 days to finish. During his journey, he covered more than 10,000 miles, passed through 16 countries, and took over 19 million steps, all while raising money for charity. 
• Mr. Cook departed from South Africa’s southernmost point on April 22, 2023, and faced various obstacles, including visa issues, health scares, and an armed robbery, but he persevered and reached Ras Angela, Tunisia’s most northerly point.

• Tata Mutual Fund has launched 6 thematic index funds focused on various sectors including infrastructure, healthcare, realty, financial services, automobile, and manufacturing. The new fund offer (NFO) of these schemes is available for subscription till April 22, 2024.
• The minimum investment during the NFO period is ₹5,000. The remaining 3 schemes are Nifty Realty Index Fund, Nifty Financial Services Index Fund, and Nifty Auto Index Fund.

• The Indian Army has bolstered its Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) capabilities with the acquisition of Igla-S Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) from Russia. This procurement, part of a larger deal for 120 launchers and 400 missiles, signifies a significant upgrade over outdated systems.
• An agreement signed in November last year with Russia initiated the procurement process, with the first batch sourced from Russia itself. However, the subsequent production will be localized in India, aligning with the nation’s goal of self-reliance in defence manufacturing.