www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL 2021 For all competitive exams -JOIN COACHING CLASSES FOR : - UPSC/ HAS/HPAS/ BANK PO/ - Allied and subordinate exams - clerical posts in HP High Court. - Morning and evening batches are also available . - Free demo class. - Affordable fee. SOURCES used to compile current affairs : DTE, The Hindu, PIB, Indian Express. RANA ACADEMY , KHALINI, SHIMLA. 7018596250, 9805332278. WWW.RANAACADEMYSHIMLA.COM www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS INDEX -INTERNATIONAL ( WORLD) -NATIONAL NEWS - POLITY - ECONOMY - HISTORY , ART & CULTURE - APPOINTMENTS - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - DEFENCE -IMPORTANT DAYS -AWARDS AND HONOURS - BIODIVERSITY AND ENVIRONMENT -RANKS AND REPORTS -OBITUARIES / DEATHS - SPORTS/ GAMES -STATE NEWS www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS INTERNATIONAL NEWS World’s 1st Covid vaccine Carnivac-Cov for animals : by Russia The world’s first animal vaccine against the novel coronavirus has been registered in Russia. The vaccine for animals, developed by a unit of Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance), was named Carnivac-Cov. Singapore becomes first country to ratify ‘RCEP’ Singapore ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world’s largest free trade agreement, led by China. In doing so, Singapore became the first among 15 participating countries to ratify RCEP. The RCEP must first be ratified by at least six ASEAN and three non-ASEAN member states to come into effect. Once implemented, RCEP would be the world’s largest free trade agreement, covering around one-third of the world’s population and about 30% of the world’s economy. RCEP is a multi-nation trade pact, comprising 10 ASEAN economies as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. The RCEP was signed by the 15 participating countries in November 2020. Note : India had opted out of RCEP in 2019. US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan US President Joe Biden has announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year, thus bringing to end the country’s longest war. US troops, as well as forces deployed by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Allies and operational partners, will be out of Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of the heinous attack of September 11, 2001 ( 9/11) . ‘Little Guru’ A Sanskrit learning app ‘Little Guru’ has launched in Bangladesh by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) of the High Commission of India. China and Iran Sign 25-Year ‘Strategic Pact’ China and Iran have signed a 25-year "strategic cooperation pact” which includes "political economic and strategic components". The agreement comes amid a major push from China to back Iran to deal with the continuing weight of sanctions reinstated by the US after its withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal. With a growing Chinese presence in Iran, India is concerned about its strategic stakes around the Chabahar port project that it has been developing. The port is close to Gwadar port in Pakistan, which is being developed by China as part of its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that links it to the Indian Ocean through BRI. Earlier, China and Russia called for the US to unconditionally return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as soon as possible and revoke the unilateral sanctions against Iran. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action In 2015, Iran with the P5+1 group of world powers - the USA, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear programme. The deal was named as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and in common parlance as Iran Nuclear Deal. Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activity in return for the lifting of sanctions and access to global trade. The agreement allowed Iran to accumulate small amounts of uranium for research but it banned the enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel and nuclear weapons. Iran was also required to redesign a heavy-water reactor being built, whose spent fuel could contain plutonium suitable for a bomb and to allow international inspections. In 2018, the United States declared its withdrawal from JCPOA and imposed unilateral sanction on Iran. ACT-Accelerator Carl Bildt has been appointed as WHO Special Envoy for the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT- Accelerator). www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS ACT-Accelerator : It was launched in the month of April, 2020 at an event co-hosted by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the President of France, the President of the European Commission, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It brings together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, and philanthropists and global health organizations. The participants include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CEPI, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Gavi, The Global Fund, Unitaid, Wellcome Trust (London), the WHO and the World Bank. It aims to end the pandemic, restore full societal and economic activity globally and facilitate high-level control of Covid-19 disease. 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting Recently, the External Affairs Minister of India participated in the 17th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi- Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial Meeting. The meeting, chaired by Sri Lanka, was held in virtual (online) mode. BIMSTEC : The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization. It comprises seven countries. Five of these seven countries- India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Bangladesh- are from South Asia while the remaining two, Thailand and Myanmar, are from Southeast Asia. Its secretariat is situated in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Currently, the BIMSTEC is involved in 15 sectors including trade, technology, agriculture, tourism, fisheries, energy and climate change among others, for sectoral cooperation. Ukraine's Bid to Join NATO Ukrainian President urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to speed up his country’s membership in the alliance. Ukraine hopes to be invited this year to join a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP). Reasons for Ukraine to Join NATO: Ukraine is of the opinion that joining NATO is the only way to end fighting with pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine. Note : Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): It is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of 4th April, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. It is headquartered at Brussels, Belgium. A key provision of the treaty, the so-called Article 5, states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members. That effectively put Western Europe under the "nuclear umbrella" of the US. NATO has only once invoked Article 5, on 12th September, 2001, following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in the US. Note : NATO's protection does not extend to members' civil wars or internal coups. As of 30th March 2021, there are 30 member states, with the Republic of North Macedonia becoming the latest member to join the alliance in 2020. Red Sea An Iranian freighter was hit by Israel in the Red Sea in retaliation for past Iranian strikes on its vessels. The blast struck the Iranian commercial vessel MV Saviz off the coast of Djibouti. The attack came as Iranian officials gathered in Vienna to negotiate the restoration of a 2015 deal Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was designed to curb Iran’s nuclear activities. USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), US warship USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53 .had carried out a Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) west of Lakshadweep Islands, inside India’s EEZ, without requesting India’s prior consent, consistent with international law. India protested against the US decision to conduct a patrol in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the western Indian Ocean, rejecting the US’ claim that India’s domestic maritime law was in violation of international law. www.ranaacademyshimla.com COACHING OF VARIOUS CENTRAL & contact no. 7018596250, 9805332278 STATE LEVEL COMPETITIVE EXAMS India-Seychelles Recently, a virtual meet was held between the Prime Minister of India and the President of Seychelles. Events at the Meet: Inaugurated the new magistrates’ court building in Mahé constructed with a USD 3.5- million, a 1 MW solar power plant built at a cost of USD3.4 million, and 10 community development projects in Seychelles. All the projects were built by the help of India. India handed over a fast patrol vessel (PS Zoroaster) to Seychelles.. Note : Seychelles is central to India’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). Seychelles was the first country to receive the Covid vaccine from India. What is SAGAR ? Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) was launched in 2015. It is India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Through SAGAR, India