World Earth Day

• April 22 is annually observed as Earth Day or International Mother Earth Day.
• The occasion aims to create awareness about the critical issues that affect the environment, such as pollution, global warming, and deforestation, leading to the destruction of our planet.
• "Invest in Our Planet" has been declared as the theme for World Earth Day 2023, continuing the victorious campaign of 2022.
• The theme focuses on encouraging businesses to adopt sustainable practices, aiming to bring about a transformation in the business and political landscape to address climate change.
• Earthday.org emphasizes the need for resolute and unwavering action to protect our health, families, and livelihoods. It's time to exhibit unshakable bravery and prioritize environmental conservation.

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Rs100/- Coin to be Released on the Occasion of 100^th Mann ki Baat Episode

• To celebrate the 100^th episode of the Maan Ki Baat radio program, broadcasting on April 30, the government has announced the release of a commemorative coin with a value of ₹100.
• Ministry of Finance released a notification describing that the coin will be circular, with a diameter of 44 millimetres and 200 serrations.
• The metal composition of the 35-gram coin will be a quaternary alloy, with silver accounting for 50%, copper 40%, nickel 5%, and zinc 5%.
• The center of the obverse face of the coin will showcase the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar, while the inscription "Satyamev Jayate" will be located beneath it.
• On the left periphery, the word "Bharat" will be inscribed in Devnagri script, and on the right periphery, the word "INDIA" will be inscribed in English. In addition, the coin will display the Rupee symbol "₹" and the numerical denomination of "100" in international numerals.
• On the reverse side of the coin, the logo for the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat will be displayed.
• The logo will feature an image of a microphone with sound waves and the year '2023' written on it. The phrase "Mann Ki Baat 100" will be written above and below the microphone image in Devnagri and English, respectively.

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New York City Has Topped the List of Wealthiest City

• A report released by Henley & Partners, a consultancy based in London, has revealed that New York City has secured the top position as the wealthiest city in the world for the year 2023.
• Tokyo in Japan and the Bay Area of Silicon Valley claimed the second and third spots, respectively.
• The report also highlighted Mumbai's ranking in the 21st spot, with Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Hyderabad also mentioned.
• Bengaluru got a special mention as one of the fastest-growing cities in the Asia Pacific.

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Uttar Pradesh on Track to be First Indian State with 100% EVs in Govt Depts

• The government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh has taken significant steps towards promoting the sales and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the state.
• As part of this initiative, the government has set a target to convert all government department vehicles into EVs gradually by 2030.
• On October 14, 2022, the Uttar Pradesh Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Mobility Policy 2022 was notified to encourage the adoption of EVs.
• As per this policy, the government has exempted tax and registration fees for three years on the purchase of EVs. Furthermore, EVs manufactured in the state will be eligible for a tax and registration fee exemption for five years.

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Deepika Mishra Receives Gallantry Award

• During an investiture ceremony held in the national capital, Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Marshal VR Chaudhari awarded Wing Commander Deepika Misra the Vayu Sena Medal for her gallantry.
• This prestigious recognition makes her the first woman Air Force officer to receive such an honor. Along with 57 other personnel, Wing Commander Deepika Misra was awarded the gallantry award.
• Wing Commander Deepika Misra is a proficient helicopter pilot, qualified flying instructor, and an instrument-rated instructor and examiner.

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Assam-Arunachal Signed MoU

• An agreement was signed between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to settle a border dispute that had persisted for more than five decades.
• As per this agreement, 123 villages situated in areas shared by these two northeastern states will be resolved.

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NHAI to develop ‘Digital Highways’ in India by 2025

• An official statement has revealed that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to develop nearly 10,000 kilometers of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure throughout India by the fiscal year 2025.
• The state-owned NHAI has entrusted its special purpose vehicle, National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), with the task of executing the "digital highways" network project by creating integrated utility corridors along the national highways to establish the Optic Fibre Cables infrastructure.
• The NHAI has identified about 512 km on the Hyderabad-Bangalore corridor and 1,367 km on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to conduct pilot trials for the development of digital highways.

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Star Sports signs Rishabh Pant as Brand Ambassador

• Star Sports, a company owned by The Walt Disney Company, has recently announced the signing of cricketer Rishabh Pant as its new brand ambassador.
• The company has a few other cricketers, such as Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, as its 'Believe Ambassadors'.
• In 2017, the company only had two ambassadors. Cricketer Virat Kohli is also part of this association.

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JioCinema Signs Rohit Sharma as Brand Ambassador

• Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian men's cricket team, has been chosen as the brand ambassador for JioCinema, which is owned by Viacom18, the company of billionaire Mukesh Ambani.
• The OTT platform aims to associate digital media with sports viewing, and the cricketer will help promote this vision, according to the company.

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World Book and Copyright Day 2023

• To pay tribute to literature and reading, 23rd April is commended yearly as World Book and Copyright Day.
• This event was started by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to combat the diminishing importance of reading due to the abundance of information available from a variety of sources.
• The goal of this day is to inspire people all over the world to develop a reading routine.
• The theme for World Book Day 2023 is "Indigenous Languages".

UNESCO

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established on 16 November 1945.
• UNESCO has 195 Members and 8 Associate Members and is governed by the General Conference and the Executive Board. Its headquarters is in Paris.
• UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

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Kelvin Kiptum won London Marathon 2023

• Kelvin Kiptum, a 23-year-old Kenyan runner won London Marathon 2023. He ran the race in the second-fastest time ever recorded.
• With a time of 2 hours, 1 minute, 25 seconds, he set the course record and narrowly missed Eliud Kipchoge's world record by 16 seconds.

London Marathon

• After the Great North Run in Newcastle, the London Marathon, an annual marathon held in London, is the UK's second-largest road race.
• It was started in 1981 by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley.

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International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace 2023

• On April 24 each year, the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace is celebrated.
• It aims to reaffirm the UN Charter's principles of peaceful conflict resolution among nations.
• The Day recognizes the effectiveness of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in resolving international conflicts peacefully.
• It was first established on 12 December 2018 through resolution A/RES/73/127 and was first observed on 24 April 2019.

Multilateral Diplomacy

• It is the management of international relations by negotiations among three or more states through diplomatic or governmental representatives, but it can also be engaged in by representatives of non-state actors.

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India Ranks 38^th on World’s Bank Logistic Performance Index

• India has moved up six places to rank 38^th out of 139 countries in the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index for 2023.
• This improvement is the after-effect of the country's significant interests in both hard and soft infrastructure, as well as technology.
• Singapore and Finland topped the Index.

Logistic Performance Index

• It is released by World Bank.
• The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) is an interactive benchmarking tool created by the World Bank to help countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in their performance on trade logistics and what they can do to improve their performance.
• Logistics performance is usually measured by evaluating logistics cost, delivery speed, reliability, inventory management, logistics effectiveness, and customer service.