IMPORTANT DAYS
World Heritage Day 2024 celebrated on 18 April
• April 18th marks World Heritage Day, an annual celebration aimed at raising awareness about the preservation and safeguarding of our diverse cultural heritage.
• This day also honors the endeavors of organizations committed to heritage conservation.
• The theme for World Heritage Day 2024 is "Discover and Experience Diversity." Proposed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites in 1982, it was officially adopted during the 22nd session of the UNESCO Conference in 1983.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites encompass places, monuments, and areas of outstanding universal value.
• As of April 18, 2024, there are a total of 1,199 UNESCO World Heritage Sites worldwide, with India boasting 42 such sites within its borders.
SPORTS
Scottie Scheffler wins the Golf Masters Tournament 2024
• Scottie Scheffler secured his second Masters Tournament victory, joining an elite group of just 17 golfers to accomplish this milestone in the tournament's storied history.
• His triumph at the 88th Masters was marked by a remarkable performance, finishing at 11-under par and establishing a commanding four-stroke lead over his closest rivals.
• This impressive win adds notable achievements to Scheffler's career, including 100 world ranking points, 600 FedEx Cup points, his second coveted green jacket, and a substantial prize purse of $3.6 million.
• As one of the four major men's golf championships held annually, Scheffler's triumph at Augusta National further solidifies his status as a formidable force in the world of professional golf.
AWARDS
Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award will be presented to Amitabh Bachchan.
• The prestigious third Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award will be given to Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan for his remarkable dedication towards the nation, its people, and society.
• On February 6, 2022, the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award was instituted by the Deenanath Mangeshkar Smriti Pratisthan in the memory of late Bharat Ratna winner and legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.
• Amitabh will be given this award on 24 April 2024 in Mumbai on the occasion of the 82nd death anniversary of Lata Mangeshkar's father Deenanath Mangeshkar.
• The ceremony will be organized on April 24 at Deenanath Mangeshkar Natyagraha, Vile Parle, Mumbai.
• Several other awards were also announced by the Trust and the Mangeshkar family. Under this, awards will be given to the following:
- ✓ Indian music to composer AR Rahman
- ✓ Actress Padmini Kolhapuri awarded for her services in the field of cinema
- ✓ Roop Kumar Rathore awarded for his services in the field of music
- ✓ Actor Randeep Hooda received a special award for Best Film Production and Actor.
- ✓ Marathi actor Ashok Saraf
- ✓ Actor Atul Parchure
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Gopi Thotakura to become the first Indian space tourist.
• Gopi Thotakura is set to become first Indian to venture into space as a tourist.
• A dynamic entrepreneur and skilled pilot, Thotakura has been selected to join the NS-25 mission of Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos.
• This groundbreaking mission will see Thotakura as one of six crew members embarking on an extraordinary journey into space.
• Thotakura would be the second Indian to go into space. Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to go into space in 1984.
• Thotakura's selection highlights the growing interest in space tourism, with the space tourism market valued at $848.28 million in 2023 and projected to reach $27,861.99 million by 2032, according to media reports.
• Space tourism is an important section of the aviation sector. The NS-25 mission is a sub-orbital mission.
India aims to achieve debris-free space missions by 2030.
• India has set ambitious goals to ensure debris-free space missions by the year 2030, as announced by ISRO chairman S. Somanath.
• With a clearly defined plan for space exploration, ISRO is steadfast in its commitment to achieving this objective. Currently, India maintains 54 spacecraft in orbit, alongside numerous non-functional objects, necessitating a focused effort to mitigate space debris.
• ISRO has undertaken proactive measures to address this challenge, including the deorbiting of several old satellites and the fourth stage of PSLV rockets.
• These initiatives are integral to ISRO's mission to minimize orbital debris and ensure the sustainability of space activities.
• In addition to these efforts, India is actively planning to establish its own space station, named 'Bharatiya Antriksh Station', by the year 2035.
• This forward-looking initiative underscores India's commitment to advancing its capabilities in space exploration and research, while also contributing to international efforts to safeguard the space environment for future generations.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Nigeria has rolled out the world's first vaccine against meningitis.
• Nigeria has become the first country to introduce a novel vaccine, Men5CV. It is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• This vaccine will provide protection against five strains (A, C, W, Y, and X) of meningococcus bacteria.
• Meningitis is caused due to the meningococcus bacteria. It is a significant threat in Africa.
• Meningitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. It can impact brain and can cause hearing loss and learning disabilities.
• Fever, Headache, Neck stiffness, and Sensitivity to light are the Symptoms of meningitis.
• As per the World Health Organization (WHO), reported cases of meningitis across Africa increased by 50 percent last year.
• Nigeria encountered a meningitis outbreak between October 1, 2023, and March 11, 2024.
NATIONAL NEWS
The studies show that only 13.5% of India's STEM faculty are women.
• Studies reveal that only 13.5% of India's STEM faculty comprises women, despite notable contributions from Indian women in science throughout history.
• From botanist Janaki Ammal's pioneering work in developing sugarcane hybrids in the 1930s to Tessie Thomas leading the first test launch of the Agni-IV missile in 2011, Indian women have left a significant mark in the scientific arena.
• However, according to a study by BiasWatchIndia, only 13.5 percent of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) faculty members across 98 universities and institutes in the country are women.
• BiasWatchIndia tracks women’s representation in science.
• On March 30, researchers published the study in the peer-reviewed journal Communications Biology: Nature.
• The study said that countries like America and Britain have also seen a trend of under-representation of women in STEM, but this number is not as low as India.
• The paper notes that not only are women under-represented in STEM streams, but the percentage of women in top-ranked institutes such as the IITs, the IISc, and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research has dropped even further.
• For the study, the authors collected faculty data between June 2020 and December 2021 from the websites of 98 universities and institutes.
• Women's representation in engineering faculties was lowest, at 9.2%, according to the authors' survey. The faculty of biology had the largest representation (25.5%).
• After engineering, the proportion of women in chemistry, computer science, and physics faculties is extremely low, at 11.5%, 12.2% and 13% respectively.
• In comparison, the Earth Sciences and Mathematics faculty have more women, at 14.4% and 15.8% respectively.
• According to the study, women in the US are "16% in physics, 16.5% in engineering, and 25% in mathematics, while biology and chemistry saw better female representation at 46% and 40%, respectively."
