• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released a report, the Inclusive Internet Index 2021 in collaboration with Facebook.
• The Inclusive Internet Index 2021 highlights the extent to which the internet is available and affordable by region and also reviews additional insight into how people around the world are using the web
• Inclusive Internet Index is commissioned by Facebook and developed by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
• As per the Inclusive Internet Index 2021, India is at 49th place in the world and Thailand also is at the same position as India.
• The top five countries for this index are: Sweden, United States, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong

• US President Joe Biden has announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year, thus bringing to end the country's longest war, spanning across two decades.
• "US troops, as well as forces deployed by our NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Allies and operational partners, will be out of Afghanistan before we mark the 20th anniversary of that heinous attack on September 11 (2001)", said Biden during a televised address to the nation from the White House.

• Haitian Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe on April 14 has submitted his resignation to President Jovenel Moise. Without explaining the reason, he announced his decision on Twitter. His resignation follows a situation of unrest in the country, There has been an increase in killing and kidnapping cases over the past few days.
• Joseph Jouthe had served as prime minister since March 2020. He had previously also tried to resign but President Moise had refused to accept it. But, this time he accepted his resignation and even nominated Claude Joseph as the new Prime Minister.
• Haiti has been facing more than a year of protests as the opposition leaders have claimed that President Jovenel Moise's five-year term has ended. The opposition leaders have demanded the resignation of the president but he has refused to do it. He announced that authorities had arrested people who were planning an alleged coup to kill him.

• World Voice Day is observed globally on April 16 and celebrates the phenomenon of voice. It encourages people irrespective of their sex to assess their vocal health and take action to improve or maintain their good voice habits.
• World Voice Day aims to bring to the notice of the world the need of preventing voice problems rehabilitating the deviant or sick voice, training the artistic voice, and researching the function and application of voice.
• Another objective of World Voice Day is to encourage all the people who use their voice for business or pleasure to learn to take care of their voice, and know-how to seek help and training, and to support research on the voice.
• The theme for this year is One “World Many Voices”.

• Amazon has announced a $250 million fund for India with the aim to focus on enabling SME digitisation, agriculture technology and medical technology. The announcement came at the tech giant’s second Smbhav event.

• Digitisation of small and medium businesses (SME) in India.
• Drive innovation in Agritech innovations to empower farmer productivity and reach.
• Drive innovation in Health tech to provide universal and quality health care.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday set up a new Regulations Review Authority (RRA 2.0) for a period of one year. The RRA will undertake a review of the central bank's regulations and compliance procedures for streamlining them and making them more effective.
• The RRA will be set up from May 1, 2021, for a period of one year, unless the timeline is extended by the RBI. M Rajeshwar Rao, Deputy Governor, RBI will be head of the Regulations Review Authority, the banking regulator said.
• It is to be noted that RBI had established an RRA back in April 1, 1999, for a period of one year to review the regulations, circulars, reporting systems, based on the feedback from the public, banks, and financial institutions.

• Nearly half of all women are denied their bodily autonomy, says the new UNFPA State of World Population Report - ‘My Body is My Own’ -- released on April 14, 2021.
• For the first time, a United Nations report focuses on bodily autonomy - the power and agency to make choices about your body without fear of violence or having someone else decide for you. A serious lack of bodily autonomy has had far-reaching implications much beyond the profound harm to individual women and girls that include potentially depressing economic productivity, undercutting skills, and extra costs to health care and judicial systems.
• Nearly half the women from 57 developing countries do not have the right to decide regarding their bodies including using contraception, seeking health care, or even on their sexuality.

• Marathi film ‘Puglya’ has won the best foreign language feature at the Moscow International Film Festival 2021, continuing its immensely successful international stint. Director Vinod Sam Peter’s film about a pug and two boys has been winning accolades at foreign festivals.
• Puglya revolves around two 10-year-old boys– one from the city, other hailing from a village– and how the entry of a pug turns their life turns upside down.
• Puglya has travelled to various International Film competitions, including in London, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Philippines, Turkey, Iran, Argentina, Lebanon, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Spain, Philippines, Israel, USA and Canada. It has also been produced by Vinod Sam Peter under the banner Abraham Films.

• ISRO has signed an agreement with space agency of France CNES for cooperation in its first human space mission, Gaganyaan.
• Under this, CNES will provide equipment developed by it, tested, and still operating aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to Indian crews.
• It will also supply fireproof carry bags made in France to shield equipment from shocks and radiation.
• CNES will train Indian flight physicians and CAPCOM mission control teams at French facilities.

• Former election commissioner GVG Krishnamurty died here due to age-related ailments.
• An Indian Legal Service officer, Krishnamurty became the election commissioner in October, 1993.
• His last rites will take place this evening at the Lodhi Road crematorium.
• An academic, a Gold Medalist, a Professor of Law, joined the Central Law Ministry of Govt. of India, and served it with distinction from 1960 to 1992 for about 32yrs.  During his tenure with the Govt of India, he was associated with eminent jurists, constitutional and international law Experts like V.V.Giri, President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussain (Vice-President), V.K.Krishna Menon (Defence Minister), Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, Dr. Nagendra Singh (President International Court of Justice), T.N.Kaul (Foreign Secretary), P.N.Haksar (Secretary to PM) Mohd. Hidyatullah (Chief Justice of India), and Prof.Upendra Baxi(eminent jurist) to name only a few. It's an endless list of long associations with numerous Chief Justices, Judges, Civil Servants, academics, Diplomats and Doyens in the Press & Media.

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