IMPORTANT DAYS
World Heritage Day 2025 celebrated on 18 April
• World Heritage Day Celebrated annually on 18 April, World Heritage Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage around the globe.
• The day is spearheaded by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a global non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of cultural heritage sites.
• The theme for World Heritage Day 2025 is: “Heritage under Threat from Disasters and Conflicts: Preparedness and Learning from 60 Years of ICOMOS Actions.” It reflects the need to protect heritage in the face of growing threats from natural disasters and armed conflicts.
• This year's theme aligns with the Triennial Scientific Plan (TSP) 2024–2027, which focuses on “Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage – Preparedness, Response and Recovery,” as adopted at the 2023 ICOMOS General Assembly in Sydney.
• The initiative aims to promote readiness, effective response strategies, and long-term recovery for heritage sites at risk, while also drawing lessons from ICOMOS's six decades of experience.
• ICOMOS celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2025, marking a milestone in its ongoing mission to safeguard cultural heritage for future generations.
• The observance encourages individuals and communities to value, preserve, and actively engage with their cultural legacy.
Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Sentenced in High-Profile Corruption Case
• Ollanta Humala, former President of Peru, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of money laundering by a court in Lima.
• The court ruled that Humala illegally accepted campaign funds from both the Venezuelan government and a Brazilian construction giant, particularly to finance his 2006 and 2011 presidential campaigns.
• His wife, Nadine Heredia, was also convicted of money laundering and received an identical 15-year prison sentence.
• Despite her conviction, Heredia sought asylum at the Brazilian Embassy and was granted authorization to travel to Brazil.
• The couple, co-founders of Peru’s Nationalist Party, reportedly received $3 million in unlawful contributions from the Brazilian firm for the 2011 campaign.
• Additional accusations claim they also took $200,000 from former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to support their 2006 campaign bid.
• Humala holds the distinction of being the first of four Peruvian presidents linked to the massive Odebrecht corruption scandal to face prosecution.
• In a related case, Alejandro Toledo, who served as Peru's president from 2001 to 2006, was sentenced last year to over 20 years in prison for accepting $35 million in bribes from Odebrecht.
• Peru, a country on the western coast of South America, has its capital in Lima, and its official currency is the Sol.
G4 Nations, Including India, Reject Religious-Based Seats in UN Security Council Reform
• India and the other G4 nations — Brazil, Germany, and Japan — have strongly opposed proposals that suggest allocating UN Security Council seats based on religious affiliation as part of reforms.
• Parvathaneni Harish, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, made it clear that such proposals to introduce religious considerations into Council reforms go against the UN's established practices.
• Harish further emphasized that regional representation, not religious identity, has always been the fundamental criterion for membership in the Security Council.
• The proposal for religious representation gained attention after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested that an Islamic nation should secure a permanent seat on the Security Council.
• In support of this, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for enhanced representation for the Islamic Ummah within the UN Security Council.
• Currently, the UN Security Council has five permanent members: China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia.
• The G4 nations — Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan — have been advocating for permanent seats on the UN Security Council since their formation in 2005, supporting each other's efforts to ensure more equitable global representation.
Baisakhi Celebrated at Washington State Capitol for the First Time
• For the first time in U.S. history, Baisakhi was officially celebrated at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, the capital city of Washington, marking a significant milestone in recognizing the cultural importance of the festival.
• The Consulate General of India in Seattle organized and hosted the special event, bringing together various leaders and dignitaries.
• Key figures in attendance included Washington State Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and several State Senators and Legislators from the Washington State Legislature. Prominent members of the Sikh community in Washington also joined in the celebrations.
• In a broader recognition of the day, King County, which encompasses 39 cities in the Greater Seattle area, along with Snohomish County, Kent, Auburn, and Marysville, issued official proclamations designating April 14th as Baisakhi Day throughout the region.
• Baisakhi holds deep significance as it commemorates the birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Guru Gobind Singh Ji is revered for founding the Khalsa Panth in 1699, an important religious and cultural milestone that contributed to the formation of Sikh identity and values.
India Inaugurates 17th Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) in New Delhi
• Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, inaugurated the 17th Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in New Delhi.
• The APMU is a dedicate
• ed facility for managing and monitoring Athletes’ Biological Passports, playing a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of sports by preventing doping.
• This unit represents a significant step in India’s efforts to combat doping, enabling continuous tracking of athletes' biological profiles through the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) system.
• India has also pledged to assist neighboring countries with fewer resources in establishing similar systems, positioning the APMU as a source of support for the Global South, which includes developing nations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• The Athlete Biological Passport concept was introduced after scientists discovered the potential to track blood markers to detect doping. This idea was further refined by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which standardized the system.
• A biological passport is a digital record that tracks an athlete’s biological data over time, including blood parameters and hormonal levels. It helps detect anomalies that may indicate doping, even without direct testing for banned substances.
• WADA, co-founded by the International Olympic Committee and over 140 governments, is the global body dedicated to monitoring and combating drug use in sports. Its headquarters are based in Montreal, Canada.
Cricket Venue Finalized for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
• Cricket will be played at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in a specially constructed, temporary venue at the Fairgrounds in Pomona, located around 50 kilometers east of Los Angeles in Southern California.
• The competition will feature both men’s and women’s teams competing in the T20 format, with six teams in each category.
• This will mark the return of cricket to the Olympic Games, more than a century after its last appearance at the Paris 1900 Olympics.
• The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 14 to 30, and cricket will be part of the exciting line-up of sports.
AIIMS, New Delhi, Climbs to 97th in World’s Best Hospitals 2024 Ranking
• AIIMS, New Delhi, has achieved 97th position in the 2024 World’s Best Hospitals ranking, a significant jump from its 122nd position in 2023.
• The rankings, released by Newsweek in collaboration with Statista, evaluated over 2,400 hospitals from 30 countries, focusing on criteria like patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, hygiene, and professional recommendations.
• AIIMS continues to be recognized for its exceptional healthcare services, cutting-edge research, and affordable treatments.
• The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh secured the 228th spot globally, further emphasizing India’s growing reputation in global healthcare.
• Medanta - The Medicity in Gurgaon, a prominent private hospital, was ranked 146th on the global list.
• The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, U.S., took the top spot in the rankings, followed by Cleveland Clinic, Toronto General Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Karolinska University Hospital in the top five.
