‘Shakti-A Festival of Music and Dance’ in Shaktipeeths

• The festival 'Shakti - A Festival of Music and Dance' is being arranged by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) and is scheduled for April 9–17, 2024.
• Across the nation, the event is observed at 7 distinct Shaktipeeths, or holy places.
• The purpose of the event, which is part of the Kala Pravah series, is to bring back the nation's temple customs during the fortunate Navratri season.
• A parliamentary decision created the SNA in 1953, and it underwent an organizational restructuring in 1961.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi's festival demonstrates its dedication to maintaining and resurrecting India's rich cultural traditions, especially those related to the Shaktipeeth temples.

CDP-SURAKSHA Introduced by the Central Government

• The Indian government introduced a digital platform CDP-SURAKSHA on April 17, 2024order to expedite the delivery of subsidies to horticulture farmers under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP).
•  This programme coincides with the horticulture sector's substantial contribution to India's agricultural Gross Value Added (GVA), which has seen constant growth in crop production.
•  CDP-SURAKSHA stands for "System for Unified Resource Allocation, Knowledge, and Secure Horticulture Assistance."
•  It is intended to facilitate timely subsidy disbursement to farmers' bank accounts via the e-RUPI voucher system offered by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

Trees Cover Loss in India Since 2000

• The loss of 2.33 million hectares of tree cover in India since 2000 has had a substantial influence on the country's carbon balance, according to statistics from Global Forest Watch as of April 17, 2024.
• This loss is the result of both natural and human-caused disturbances, which have an impact on the country's carbon balance and climate change.
• Between 2000 and 2023, India's tree cover decreased by 6%, with 414000 hectares of humid primary forest destroyed, accounting for 18% of overall tree cover loss during this time period.
• Between 2001 and 2022, India's forests emitted 51 million tons of CO2 equivalents while removing 141 million tons, resulting in a net carbon sink of 89.9 million tons per year.
• The Global Forest Watch utilizes tree cover as a statistic for monitoring forest change because of its accessibility.

‘Emerging Technologies and Challenges for Exoskeleton’ Organized by DRDO (Defence)

• The first-ever international workshop on "Emerging Technologies & Challenges for Exoskeleton" is being hosted by DRDO in Bengaluru on April 16–17, 2024.
•  The revolutionary exoskeleton technology and its many uses in both military and civilian contexts were emphasized by the DRDO Chairman.
• More than 300 people from DRDO, Services, Industry, Academics, and Researchers are attending the 2-day program.
• Wearable structures that improve the capabilities of the human body are called exoskeletons.

13th European Girl’s Mathematical Olympiad 2024

• The Indian squad won two silver and two bronze medals in the 13th European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad he Olympiad was held in Tskaltubo (Georgia) from April 11 to 17, 2024.
•  Gunjan Agarwal of Gurgaon and Sanjana Philo Chacko of Thiruvananthapuram earned silver medals, while Larissa from Hissar and Pune's Saee Patil took bronze.
•  This marks the second time that all four contenders have won medals at EGMO since India's debut in 2015.
• The team was led by Sahil Mhaskar, Deputy Leader Aditi Muthkhode, and Observer Ananya Ranade of the Chennai Mathematical Institute

High-Tech IT Lab at Academy of Armed Forces in Uzbekistan (Defence)

• General Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, opened a state-of-the-art IT laboratory at the Uzbek Academy of Armed Forces on April 17, 2024. The Lab was established with Indian aid.
• The initiative is in line with India and Uzbekistan's pledge to create an IT laboratory during the Defense Ministers' meeting in September 2018.
• The Lab, which is equipped with cutting-edge technology, is expected to enhance the training resources available to Uzbek armed forces.
• It will also foster a greater understanding and cooperation between India and Uzbekistan.

Fitch Affirmed SBI and Canara Bank Ratings at ‘BBB’

• Fitch Ratings on April 17, 2024 upheld the State Bank of India (SBI) and Canara Bank's long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of "BBB-".
• The organization also predicts a "stable" future for these state-owned institutions.
•  Despite differences in risk appetite and loan growth patterns, both banks demonstrate the capacity to meet their financial obligations.
• SBI's excellent financials and dominant market position support its stable outlook. Fitch expects SBI's asset quality to improve, with its bad loan ratio falling to 2.0% by FY25.
• Fitch reports a recovery in loan growth at Canara Bank, particularly in the farm and corporate sectors. Both SBI and Canara Bank have good profitability prospects.

Times Magazine 100 Most Influential People of 2024 list

• Time magazine on April 17, 2024 published a list of the 100 most powerful people in the world.
• This list featured numerous well-known Indian celebrities in addition to numerous well-known global figures.
•  This list of Time also includes a large number of individuals with Indian origin.

Bank of Baroda World App banned by Reserve Bank of India

• The RBI on April 17, 2024,, in response to cyber fraud occurrences, like the Bank of Baroda World app scam, prohibited Bank of Baroda from on boarding new customers via its mobile app.
• The Finance Ministry is now proposing stringent steps to combat such fraud, with an emphasis on improving cyber security and strengthening financial institutions' due diligence standards.
• The RBI asked Bank of Baroda to stop on boarding new customers onto the 'BoB World' app due to serious supervisory concerns, in accordance with Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act of 1949.
• The regulation requires the bank to correct any shortcomings discovered and tighten associated processes to the satisfaction of the RBI before restarting customer onboarding.

Nalin Negi

• BharatPe has officially named Nalin Negi as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on April 17, 2024.
•  Under Nalin Negi's leadership, BharatPe's revenue from operations increased by an impressive 182% in fiscal year 2023.
• Nalin Negi provides extensive experience in the fintech and banking sectors.
•  Prior to joining BharatPe in 2022, he had senior executive positions at financial services firms like SBI Card, where he served as CFO when the company went public, and GE Capital.

Ram Charan

• Renowned Indian actor Ram Charan received an honorary doctorate in literature from Vels University in Chennai on April 17, 2024.
• This prestigious award recognizes Ram Charan's outstanding achievements to the world of cinema and his significant impact on audiences throughout the world.
• This honorary degree, as well as several other distinguished accolades, was conferred during Vels University's 14th Annual Convocation.
• Ram Charan's award by Vels University emphasizes the value of education and mentorship in molding the lives of outstanding people.
• The honorary doctorate not only honors Ram Charan's achievements, but also demonstrates the transformational potential of information and the direction of prestigious institutions.

Young Global Leader 2024

• Adwaita Nayar, co-founder of Nykaa and CEO of Nykaa Fashion, was designated a '2024 Young Global Leader' by the World Economic Forum on April 17, 2024.
• This distinguished award recognizes Adwaita Nayar's outstanding achievements as a change agent and entrepreneur.
• Adwaita Nayar's selection as a Young Global Leader demonstrates her dedication to effecting positive change and her capacity to devise novel solutions to complicated situations.
• The World Economic Forum's Forum of Young Global Leaders initiative aims to identify and equip the next generation of leaders with the ability to change the world's future.

World Haemophilia Day 2024

• World Hemophilia Day was observed on April 17, 2024.
• World Hemophilia Day is an annual event celebrated on April 17th to promote awareness about hemophilia, a rare and inherited bleeding illness.
•  This year's World Hemophilia Day 2024 topic is "Equitable access for all: Recognizing all bleeding disorders."
• World Hemophilia Day was founded in 1989 by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH).
• The date of April 17th was chosen to commemorate the birth of Frank Schnabel, the organization's founder, who was instrumental in raising hemophilia awareness and improving treatment choices.

India’s first ‘Hybrid Pitch’ in Dharamshala

• The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in Dharamshala will be the first BCCI-accredited venue to install a cutting-edge 'hybrid pitch'.
•  The Netherlands-based 'SISGrass', which is part of the SIS Pitches group of firms, has been hired to install India's first hybrid pitch.
• This cutting-edge technology mixes natural turf with a little amount of polymer fibre to produce a more durable and consistent playing surface.
• This hybrid pitch technology will result in a more durable, consistent, and high-performance playing surface.

‘Best Airport Staff’ Award Received by GMR Hyderabad International Airport

• Skytrax presented the 'Best Airport Staff in India & South Asia 2024' award to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) on April 17, 2024.
• The news came during the Passenger Terminal EXPO 2024 in Frankfurt, (Germany).
• The award recognizes the airport's workforce for their outstanding attitude, politeness, and efficiency in all customer-facing areas.
• These positions include customer service and information counters, immigration and security officials, and employees in stores and food and beverage establishments.
• Skytrax's award reinforces GMR Hyderabad International Airport's dedication to providing excellent customer service and operational standards.