Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live
News Time Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live ➢ Index: Henley Passport Index released its list of the most powerful passports.
▪ India stands at number 84 in the list, as the Indian citizens can visit Visa Free or Visa- on-Arrival in over 58 places. ▪ The Henley Passport Index releases list which measures the world’s most travel- friendly passports. ▪ Index 1. Rank 1: Japan 2. Rank 2: Singapore 3. Rank 3: Germany, South Korea 4. Rank 4: Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain 5. Rank 5: Austria, Denmark 6. Rank 107: Pakistan 7. Rank 110: Afghanistan (Bottom) Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live ➢ Index: World Press Freedom Index 2021
▪ India has been placed at 142nd position among 180 countries. India was at 142nd position in 2020 as well. ▪ The index is published every year by the international journalism not-for profit body, “Reporters Without Borders (RSF)”, to evaluate the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories. ▪ Norway has retained its top spot for the fifth year running, followed by Finland and Denmark at second and third place respectively. ▪ Eritrea is at the bottom of the index at 180th place. ▪ Eritrea is a northeast African country on the Red Sea coast. It shares borders with Ethiopia and Sudan. Capital: Asmara & Currency: nakfa ➢ List of India’s Rank Different Index 2020
▪ World Happiness Index 2020-139th ▪ Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom 2020-121st ( Singapore) ▪ Global Economic Freedom Index 2020 (Fraser Institute, Canada): 105th (New Zealand) ▪ International Intellectual Property (IP) Index-40th ▪ Global passport Index 2021-84th (Japan tops the list) ▪ Global Press Freedom Index 2020-142 (Norway) ▪ IMD’s World Competitiveness Index 2020: 43rd ▪ Global Innovation Index 2020-48th (Switzerland) ▪ Global Talent Competitive Index: 72nd (Switzerland) ▪ Democracy Index 2021: 53rd (Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand ) ▪ Global Hunger Index: 94 among 107 countries ▪ Asia Power Index 2020: 4th position (USA, China, Japan) ▪ Inclusive Internet Index 2021: India 49th ( Sweden) Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Obituary
▪ The former Reserve Bank of India Governor Maidavolu Narasimham, has passed away. He was 94.
▪ He was famously known as the “Father of Indian Banking Reforms”.
▪ Narasimham was the 13th Governor of RBI and served from May 2, 1977 to November 30, 1977. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Obituary
▪ Some Facts about Maidavolu Narasimham
1. It must be noted that Maidavolu Narasimham was the first and so far the only governor to be appointed from the Reserve Bank cadre. He had joined the Central Bank as a Research Officer in the Economic Department. 2. Prior to that he served as Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs. 3. After his retirement as RBI governor, he served as India’s executive director at the World Bank and later at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 4. Narasimham was awarded Padma Vibhushan award in 2000. 5. He even headed various committees including Financial System, 1991 and the Committee of Banking Sector Reforms, 1998. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Financial News
▪ Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has appointed homegrown payments player Paytm to facilitate its digital payments.
▪ The new agreement requires an easy payment process, a broader range of payment options, and more players (wallets, banks, etc) in payment channels. ▪ The PSU insurer collects premiums worth Rs 60,000 crore via digital mode, which doesn’t comprise payments made through banks.
▪ LIC Chairperson: M R Kumar; ▪ LIC Founded: 1 September 1956; ▪ Paytm HQ: Noida, Uttar Pradesh; ▪ Paytm Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma; ▪ Paytm Founded: 2009. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Books & Author
▪ JK Rowling has a new book coming this autumn, a festive children’s story with all new characters.
▪ Publisher Scholastic announced on 16th April that The Christmas Pig, the story of a boy named Jack and his beloved toy that goes missing, will be released worldwide on October 12.
▪ “The Ickabog”, Lethal White, Harry Potter series. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live International News
▪ New Zealand has become the first country in the world to introduce a first-of-its- kind legislation that will require the financial sector, including banks, insurers and investment managers, to report the effects of climate change on their business. ▪ Under the law, the financial firms of the country will have to disclose how they would manage climate-related risks and opportunities. ▪ Once the law is passed, disclosures will be required for financial years beginning 2022, which means that the first reports will be made by companies in 2023, and those unable to disclose would have to explain their reasons. ▪ This initiative is in line with the effort to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live National News
▪ Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel virtually inaugurated the first-ever Online Exhibition on Ramayana, the Epic by Maharishi Valmiki, on the occasion of World Heritage Day 2021 on April 18, 2021. ▪ The online exhibition has been titled as “Rama Katha: The Story of Rama Through Indian Miniatures”. ▪ It showcases 49 miniature paintings collections from different art schools of India, from the 17th through the 19th century. ▪ The collection of the painting have been taken from National Museum, New Delhi. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Important Days
▪ World Heritage Day observed globally on 18 April every year.
▪ This year’s theme “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures” reflects on the need to acknowledge global calls for greater inclusion and recognition of diversity.
▪ General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983, with an aim of enhancing awareness about the importance of cultural heritage, monuments and conserving them.
▪ UNESCO formation: 4 November 1946; ▪ UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France; ▪ UNESCO Director-General: Audrey Azoulay; Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Important Days
▪ India, the ‘Civil Services Day’ is celebrated on April 21 every year as a thanks giving day to all the Civil Servants for their service to the society
▪ The day April 21 has been chosen to commemorate the day when the first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 at Metcalf House, Delhi. ▪ In his address, he called Civil Servants, the ‘Steel Frame of India’.
➢ During the British raj, Warren Hastings laid the foundation of civil service and Charles Cornwallis reformed, modernised, and rationalised it. Hence, Charles Cornwallis is known as 'the Father of civil service in India'. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Important Days
▪ World Creativity and Innovation Day (#WCID) is celebrated on April 21 every year to raise awareness about the importance of creativity and innovation in problem solving and encourage creative multidisciplinary thinking at the individual and group levels.
▪ The United Nations recognised the day in April 2017. ▪ The first UN World Creativity and Innovation Day was celebrated on April 21, 2018. ▪ The World Creativity and Innovation Week is observed from April 15-21. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live State in News
▪ Punjab State reiterated the commitment of the State to achieve the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ target by 2022 as planned.
▪ Punjab has 34.73 lakh rural household, out of which 25.88 lakh (74.5%) have tap water supply. In 2021-22, the State plans to provide 8.87 lakh tap connections, thereby providing tap connection to every rural household.
▪ To ensure transparency and accountability, Punjab has set up a well-equipped digital 24×7 call centre with Interactive Voice Responsive System Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Defence News
▪ Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a SpO2- based supplemental oxygen delivery system for soldiers serving in extremely high altitude areas & COVID-19 patients.
▪ This automatic system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) levels & prevents the person from sinking into a state of hypoxia, which is fatal in most cases.
▪ Chairman DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy. ▪ DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi. ▪ DRDO Established: 1958. Daily Current Affairs @8AM Live Sports News
▪ 2021 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack: Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom.
▪ Leading Male Cricketer in the World – England’s Ben Stokes ▪ Leading Women’s Cricketer in the World – Australia’s Beth Mooney ▪ Wisden Cricketers of the Year 2021 – Jason Holder, Mohammed Rizwan, Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, and Darren Stevens ▪ Leading T20 Cricketer in the World – West Indies’ Kieron Pollard