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Current Affairs 24th April 2026
Prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards 2026
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World Sportsman of the Year: Carlos Alcaraz
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World Sportswoman of the Year: Aryna Sabalenka
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World Team of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain
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Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Gabriel Araújo
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Young Sportsperson of the Year: Lamine Yamal
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Sporting Inspiration Award: Toni Kroos
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Laureus Sport for Good Award: Futbol Mas
1. Vivek Tripathi Named ED & WTD at AU Small Finance Bank
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Role & Tenure: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved his appointment as Executive Director (ED) and Whole-time Director (WTD) for a term of three years, effective from April 24, 2026.
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Background: He has been with AU Small Finance Bank since 2014 and previously served as the Chief Credit Officer (CCO), overseeing risk management, credit policy, and underwriting.
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Strategic Goal: His elevation is part of the bank's succession planning and leadership strengthening as it transitions toward becoming a Universal Bank (having received in-principle approval from the RBI in 2025).
Footnotes: AUSFB's MD & CEO: Sanjay Agarwal, HQ: Jaipur, Estd: 1996
2. Turkey Passes New Law to Restrict Social Media Access for U-15
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Age Restriction & Implementation: Digital platforms (including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) are prohibited from offering services to children under the age of 15. The law is expected to come into full force within six months after President Erdoğan’s final signature.
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Verification & Control: Platforms must implement robust age verification systems—potentially using the Turkish e-government (e-Devlet) portal—and provide advanced parental control tools to monitor screen time and manage account settings.
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Compliance & Penalties: Companies with more than 10 million daily users in Turkey must respond to government content-removal orders within one hour. Failure to comply can result in heavy fines and significant internet bandwidth reductions (throttling).
Footnotes: Turkey's President: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vice President: Cevdet Yılmaz, Capital: Ankara
3. FedEx, IIT-M Completes India’s 1st Intra-City Drone Delivery
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Location & Route: The trials were conducted in Bengaluru (April 2026), connecting Electronic City Phase II to a site near Kempegowda International Airport. This route specifically navigated complex urban airspace, including Airport Yellow and Red Zones with DGCA approval.
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Time Efficiency: The drone bypassed Bengaluru's heavy traffic, reducing a typical 60-minute (53 km) road journey to a flight of approximately 21 minutes (39–42 km).
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Partnership & Tech: The project was led by the FedEx SMART Centre at IIT-Madras in collaboration with Amber Wings, an IIT-M-incubated deep-tech startup. The drones featured advanced safety systems, including autonomous flight termination and anti-collision lighting.
4. Justice Lisa Gill appointed Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh HC
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Historic Appointment: Justice Lisa Gill will become the first woman Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court since its inception. She officially assumes office on April 25, 2026.
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Succession: She succeeds the incumbent Chief Justice, Dhiraj Singh Thakur, following his retirement on April 24, 2026. Her appointment was made by the President under Article 217(1) of the Constitution.
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New Collegium Policy: Her elevation follows a recent Supreme Court Collegium policy of "advance transfer." She was moved from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to Andhra Pradesh in March 2026 to familiarize herself with the court’s administration before taking over the top post.
Footnotes: Andhra Pradesh's Governor: Syed Abdul Nazeer, CM: N. Chandrababu Naidu, Capital: Amaravathi
5. Eveready commissions India’s first alkaline battery unit
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Investment & Capacity: Developed with an investment of approximately ₹200 crore, the plant has an annual peak production capacity of 360 million alkaline batteries (with an installed capacity of 456 million units).
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Strategic Impact: This is the only operational alkaline battery unit in India and the first of its kind in the SAARC region. It aims to reduce India's heavy reliance on imports (import substitution) and is supported by the government's PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme.
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Sustainability & Employment: The facility is a zero-discharge unit equipped with a 1 MW rooftop solar installation and a rainwater harvesting system. It is expected to generate over 500 direct and indirect jobs in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
6. Shailesh Bansal appointed as Director in the UPSC
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Cadre & Background: He is a 2011-batch officer of the Indian Posts & Telecommunications Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TA&FS). Prior to this appointment, he was recommended for Central deputation by the Department of Telecommunications.
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Tenure & Scheme: His appointment as Director in the UPSC is made under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS). He will serve a tenure of five years from the date he assumes charge or until further orders.
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Strict Joining Timeline: In accordance with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) guidelines, he is required to join his new post within three weeks. Failure to do so could result in debarment from future Central deputation under the CSS.
Footnotes: UPSC's Chairperson: Ajay Kumar, HQ: New Delhi, Estd: 1926
7. Former MP Santosh Kumar Honoured as ‘Global Green Icon’ at World Climate Leaders Conclave
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The Award & Venue: On April 17, 2026, Santosh Kumar was conferred with the "Global Green Icon" title at the World Climate Leaders Conclave. The prestigious ceremony was held at the historic House of Lords in the British Parliament, London.
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Recognition of Green Initiatives: The honor specifically recognizes his leadership in founding the "Green India Challenge" (GIC). Under the slogan "Hara Hai Toh Bhara Hai", the movement has successfully mobilized millions of citizens to plant over 196 million geo-tagged trees across India.
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Ecological Impact: The award also highlighted his contributions to the Telanganaku Haritha Haram program, which helped increase Telangana's green cover by nearly 8% and supported significant biodiversity revival, such as the increase in the tiger population in the Nallamala forest region.
8. Bikaji Chairman Shiv Ratan Agarwal Dies at 74
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Passing & Legacy: He passed away at the age of 74 in Chennai after suffering a sudden heart attack. He was in the city to attend to his wife’s medical surgery at the time.
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Industry Pioneer: A grandson of Gangabishan ‘Haldiram’ Agarwal, he moved out of the family business to establish his own brand. He founded Bikaji in 1993 (initially as Shivdeep Products in 1986), successfully transforming traditional Bikaneri snacks into an internationally recognized brand.
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Business Achievement: Under his leadership, Bikaji Foods International grew into one of India’s largest ethnic snack companies and achieved a successful public listing on the Indian stock exchanges in November 2022.
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY
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24thApril: National Panchayati Raj Day (India)
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Theme 2026:Sashakt Panchayat, Sarvangeen Vikas
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The first National Panchayati Raj Day was officially declared by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010.
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