India intends to enhance its agricultural statistics system by implementing routine digital crop surveys supported by advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) across the nation to accurately evaluate acreage, according to a report .

• As per Govt officials this initiative will assist the government in developing more accurate farm production forecasts, and facilitating timely implementation of suitable trade policy measures.
• They said inaccurate data frequently prompts impulsive government responses aimed at curbing inflation and may result in trade disruptions.
• State nodal officials will use a mobile application for conducting digital crop surveys, alongside relevant web applications, to collect data on crop sowing..

Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) has secured USD400 million financing for its under-construction 750 MW solar projects in Rajasthan and Gujarat by a consortium of five leading international banks.

• It will provide financing for projects that are expected to come online from November 2024 onwards.
• One of the projects is being developed in Rajasthan with 500 MW capacity and has a long-term power purchase agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited.
• The second one, with 250 MW capacity, is a standalone merchant power project being implemented at the world’s largest renewable energy cluster at Khavda in Gujarat. 

Avaada Energy, a leading player in the renewable energy sector, has secured a substantial loan of Rs. 1,190 crore from the State Bank of India (SBI) for its solar project.

• This financial backing from one of India's largest banks underscores the growing confidence in the renewable energy market and highlights the importance of financing in driving the transition towards clean energy.
• The loan will be utilised to support Avaada Energy's ambitious solar project, which aims to enhance the country's renewable energy capacity and contribute to its sustainable development goals.
• With a focus on harnessing solar power, the project aligns with India's broader vision of expanding its renewable energy portfolio and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Paytm said Varun Sridhar, former head of Paytm Money Ltd, will transition to Chief Executive Officer of Paytm Services Private Limited, focusing on the distribution of mutual funds and wealth management products.

• He will be replaced by Rakesh Singh as the new Chief Executive Officer of Paytm Money.
• One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, announced leadership changes to double down on its payment and financial services offerings, months after the regulatory crackdown on its payments bank.
• As part of the changes, the fintech said its President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Bhavesh Gupta, will resign from his position, and move to an advisory position.

• Justice Mishra is the former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.
• He will head the Tribunal for a period of four years or till the age of 70 years whichever earlier. 
• The Centre had invited applications for 63 posts of Judicial Member and 32 posts of Technical Member.

Constitution Park, jointly developed by Indian Army and Punit Balan Group, was inaugurated in Pune on Monday (29 April, 2024)

• The park was inaugurated by GOC-in-C, Southern Command, Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh.
• Speaking after the inauguration, Singh said that in order to propel India towards development by 2047, every citizen must honor the duties outlined in the Constitution.
• President of Punit Balan Group, Punit Balan, expressed his gratitude for being part of the initiative, lauded the Constitution Park as a tribute to the foundation of the nation.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the release of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Official Anthem, Out of this World, by Grammy award winning artist Sean Paul and Soca superstar Kes.

• The release of the anthem sets the tone for the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.
• There will be 20 international teams playing 55 matches across the West Indies and USA from 1-29 June.
• The anthem, produced by Michael “Tano” Montano, was launched along with the music video, which features cameos from eight-time Olympic gold-medallist Usain Bolt, cricket stars Chris Gayle, Ali Khan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and other Caribbean personalities.
• The music video is a visual celebration of cricket that captures the atmosphere and energy fans from around the world can expect when they attend ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches.

The 12th India-Netherlands Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) were held on 2nd May 2024 in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The Indian delegation was led by Shri Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

• The Dutch delegation was led by Mr. Paul Hujits, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
• The last FOC took place in New Delhi in December 2022.
• The FOC provided an opportunity to review progress in bilateral relations and discuss future agenda of cooperation. 
• The two countries have a Strategic Partnership on Water covering extensive cooperation and knowledge sharing in flood management, clean water technologies, etc.
• There is a regular exchange of bilateral visits at political and official levels. Last year, the Netherlands was invited as a guest country during India’s G20 Presidency and Prime Minister Mark Rutte attended the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023.

Dr. Purnima Devi Barman has won the prestigious 'Green Oscar' Whitley Gold Award for her remarkable work in conserving the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork (locally known as Hargila).

Presented by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), the award noted how the numbers of the Hargila in northeast India had dwindled to just 450 birds before Purnima's intervention.

Changing attitudes and galvanizing locals, primarily women, to safeguard nests, and working with her team at the local wildlife NGO Aaranyak, Purnima has helped quadrupled the numbers to more than 1,800!

She leads a team of over 10,000 'Stork Sisters' in Assam, forming a powerful force for conservation.

India’s first indigenous bomber UAV aircraft- FWD-200B developed by Flying Wedge Defence, one of the pioneers in India’s defence and aerospace technology sector, was unveiled on Friday( 3 May 2024). The company aims to position India as a global drone manufacturing and technology hub while equipping the nation with the right air defence resources and enhancing national security, according to a press release issued from Flying Wedge.

• The Flying Wedge Defence’s state-of-the-art manufacturing unit where the FWD-200B was meticulously crafted, is over 12000 sq.ft built on 1.5 acre land and is located at Electronic City.
• FWD-200B slashes the cost to a mere Rs 25 crores While the US Predator costs a staggering Rs 250 crores. 
• The FWD-200B has a payload capacity of 100 kgs and is classified as a MALE Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (medium-altitude, long-endurance).

The indigenous technologies of thermal smart camera, designed and developed by C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) Thiruvananthapuram, under the Intelligent Transportation System Endeavor (InTranSE) Program of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), was transferred to the CP Plus of Aditya Infotech, an official media release said.

The thermal Smart camera has an inbuilt Data Processing Unit (DPU) to run various AI based analytics.

The indigenised technology is targeted for applications across multiple domains.

HDFC Bank Limited said , the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of Atanu Chakraborty as the part-time chairman of the bank for a period of three years effective from May 5, 2024, to May 4, 2027. The board of directors of the bank has approved the reappointment of Atanu Chakraborty as part-time chairman and independent director of the bank.

• Atanu Chakraborty is currently a part-time chairman and independent director of HDFC Bank Limited. He served the Government of India for 35 years as a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in the Gujarat cadre.
• He has mainly worked in areas of finance and economic policy, infrastructure, petroleum, and natural gas.

The Reserve Bank of India approved the appointment of Sanjeev Nautiyal as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank from July 1.

• Nautiyal retired as the former Deputy MD of the State Bank of India (SBI).
• He has been designated for a period of three years.
• The small lender said that Nautiyal will join the bank much prior to taking charge as the MD and CEO in the position of the interim president of the bank. 

Dr Mallika Nadda, President of Special Olympics Bharat, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Advisory Council, for a period of three years.

• Mallika Nadda is wife of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda.
• She aso runs an organisation called Chetna Sanstha in Bilaspur.
• The sanstha is working towards women's empowerment and personality development of youth along with the disabled (differently abled) people.
• In her new role as chairperson of the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Advisory Council, Dr. Mallika Nadda will represent 35 countries as she has been working in the field of disability for over 30 years.