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Current Affairs – April 03 2024

1. World’s Most Powerful Laser Developed in Romania

The most potent laser in the world was created at a research facility in Romania as part of the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) initiative of the European Union.

The laser, run by the French corporation Thales Group, promises dramatic improvements in several sectors, including space exploration and healthcare, by utilizing ideas that have won Nobel Prizes. The laser is kept at a research facility close to Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

Nobel Prize-Winning Technology

The Romanian facility uses chirped pulse amplification (CPA) laser technology, which is based on the innovations of Canadian Donna Strickland and Frenchman Gérard Mourou. Their innovative work in utilizing laser power to create cutting-edge precision devices earned them the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics.

2. 125 Years of Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

Located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, is the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO), a solar observatory. It is among the world’s oldest solar observatories, having been in operation since 1899, and has spent more than 125 years at the forefront of solar study.

Now celebrating 125 years of operation, the observatory is run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.

Past Events

After the Great Drought of 1876–1878, in the late 19th century, India realized it needed a solar observatory. In 1792, the British East India Company founded the Madras Observatory to record astronomical observations.

However, to investigate the connection between solar activity and India’s monsoon patterns, a separate solar observatory was considered necessary.

3. Jannik Sinner won the Miami Open to become the World No 2

The Miami Open was Jannik Sinner’s second Masters 1000 title, and he won it with ease by defeating Grigor Dimitrov by a score of 6-3 and 6-1.

It is now Sinner who has the top spot in the ATP race and the second spot in the world rankings.

In the world of professional tennis, he is an Italian player.

4. World’s Oldest Man, Juan Vicente Pérez, Dies at 114

A man from Venezuela named Juan Vicente Pérez had a very, very long life. He was a resident of Venezuela. His birthday is May 27th, 1909, and he was born in a place known as El Cobre.

He lived for 114 years, according to this information. Now that Pérez has passed away, it is anticipated that Gisaburo Sonobe, a Japanese man who is 112 years old, will take over the title of “world’s oldest man.”

• Nevertheless, this is something that must first be verified by Sonobe’s family.
• His official title is that of the world’s oldest man.
• It was officially announced by Guinness World Records in February 2022 that Pérez was the oldest man in the entire world. At the time, he was 112 years and 253 days old.
• Because he lived for such a long time, he became famous.

The Largest Family

• The Pérez family was quite large. He was a father to eleven children, which is quite a number! There were six sons and five daughters among his offspring.
• Not only did he have 41 grandkids by the year 2022, but he also had 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren! The number of family members is quite high.
• Pérez had been married to a woman named Ediofina del Rosario García for sixty years right up until the year 1997 when she passed away.

5. Maharashtra Men’s and Women National Kho Kho Champion

While competing in the 56th National Kho Kho Championship 2023-24, the Maharashtra team emerged victorious in both the men’s and women’s categories, so establishing themselves as the uncontested champions.

Two venues played host to the championship: the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi and the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Men’s Title: Indian Railways versus the State of Maharashtra In the men’s final, the Maharashtra team prevailed over the Indian Railway team by a slim margin of 52-50 points. This victory came after the two teams were knotted at 32-32 points at the end of the allotted time.

Municipality of Maharashtra versus Airport Authority of India: Title for Women The Maharashtra team, which was led by Sampada Maurya, triumphed over the Airport Authority of India team in the women’s category, achieving a score of 18-16 points to win the championship.

6. Sanjay Nayar Appointed as New ASSOCHAM President

Sanjay Nayar has been named the next president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and industrial of India (ASSOCHAM), a significant industrial chamber.

Ajay Singh, co-founder of SpiceJet airline, has left his position, and Nayar has taken his place.

Nayar’s History

In the world of international finance, Sanjay Nayar is a famous name. He formerly served as the head of the prominent investment firm KKR India.

With a background spanning more than four decades, Nayar is an expert in the capital markets and financial matters. Last year, he retired after 25 years of service at Citigroup and nearly 14 years at KKR.

7. IOCL and Panasonic Partner for Lithium-ion Cell Manufacturing in India

To manufacture lithium-ion cells in India, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and Panasonic Energy have formed a joint venture. The expected increase in demand for energy storage solutions and electric vehicles (EVs) in the country prompted this strategic alliance.

Important considerations

• First Meeting for the Joint Venture: This partnership is the next step after IOCL and Panasonic reached an agreement in January to work together on lithium-ion cell manufacturing.
• The goal of the joint venture is to help India reach its lofty goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2070 and to speed up the adoption of renewable energy and transportation options.
• Importance of Lithium-ion Batteries: Because of its central role in electric vehicles and renewable power storage systems, lithium-ion batteries are essential to India’s efforts to achieve its clean energy targets.
• Demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to skyrocket due to India’s goal of selling more than 10 million electric vehicles per year by 2030, as stated in the country’s official Economic Survey.
• Capitalizing on Knowledge and Assets: The collaboration takes advantage of Panasonic’s knowledge of battery technology and IOCL’s deep refinement and distribution skills.
• Details about the lithium-ion battery plant’s location and production capacity have not been announced at this time.
• Impact on Clean Energy Adoption and Carbon Footprint: The partnership is anticipated to greatly aid India’s initiatives to decrease its carbon footprint and encourage the utilization of renewable energy technologies.

8. Prevention of Blindness Week 2024, 1st to 7th April

The ability to view the environment around us is a fundamental sense that our eyes provide. But blindness and other visual impairments affect a large portion of the global population. To combat this, the government of India has designated the week of April 1–7 as Prevention of Blindness Week.

The purpose of this week is to raise awareness of the need of regular eye exams in preventing age-related macular degeneration and other eye problems by encouraging people to take better care of their eyes.

Week to Prevent Blindness,

An organization dedicated to preventing blindness was founded in 1960 by Jawaharlal Nehru and Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur.

In its fight against blindness, this non-profit organization collects donations and collaborates with others. To aid in the fight against blindness, India was the pioneering nation to borrow money from the World Bank.

9. Paradip Port Emerges as India’s Top Cargo-Handling Port in 2023-24

With 145.38 MMT of cargo handled in fiscal year 2023-24, a 7.4 percent increase from the previous year, Paradip Port Authority, Odisha, surpassed Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla, to become India’s biggest cargo-handling major port.

Results Accomplished

• Seaport for Coastal Ships
• Coastline shipping traffic handled 59.19 million metric tons.
• Coastal shipment of thermal coal totaling 43.97 million metric tonnes was managed.

Maximizing Efficiency

• Among all major ports in India, achieved the highest productivity.
• Raised berth productivity to 3,314,050 metric tons.

Efficiency in Cost

• Out of all the ports in India, it has the most favorable tariffs.
• As part of its strategy for growth, the company has frozen cargo handling tariff rates for the next three years, beginning in 2022.