16th April Daily Current Affairs

Save the Elephant Day 2022: 16 April

Save the Elephant Day is celebrated on April 16 every year to raise awareness about the dangers elephants face and the various difficulties they have to overcome to live.
Save The Elephant Day aims to change this alarming trend by educating people about elephants and the plights they face, encouraging everyone to do their bit and helping save them from extinction.
The Day is established by the Thailand-based Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, to spread awareness among the general people about the significance and consequences of their actions, or inactions on the future of elephants. According to WWF data, at present, the population of Pachyderms in India is around 20,000 to 25,000.

World Voice Day 2022 celebrates on 16 April

World Voice Day (WVD) is celebrated globally on April 16 every year. The day is observed to demonstrate the enormous importance of the voice in the daily lives of all people. The Day is a global annual event dedicated to recognizing the boundless limits of the human voice.
The mission is to share the excitement of the voice phenomenon with people, scientists, and other funding bodies. This year, the theme of the World Voice Day campaign is ‘Lift your voice’.
In 1999, the Brazilian Society of Laryngology and Voice under the chairmanship of Dr Nedio Steffen first celebrated the day as Brazilian Voice Day on 16 April. The day was also observed in Portugal and Argentina

PM Modi Dedicates K. K. Patel Super Speciality Hospital in Bhuj

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation, a 200-bed KK Patel Super Speciality Hospital in Bhuj in the Kutch district of Gujarat, via video-conferencing.
This hospital has been built by Shree Kutchi Leva Patel Samaj, Bhuj and is the first charitable super speciality hospital in the Kutch region.

Israel successfully tests ‘Iron Beam’ new laser-based air defence system

Israel successfully tested a new laser missile-defence system ‘Iron Beam‘ which can destroy any airborne object including drones.
Iron Beam is the world’s first energy-based weapons system that uses a laser beam to shoot down incoming UAVs, rockets, mortars, long-range missiles, anti-tank missiles etc.

Iron Beam: How it works

Iron Beam works on a fibre laser system to destroy any airborne object.
Iron Dome defense system has been a great success, with a 90% interception rate against incoming rocket fire.

128th Foundation Day of Punjab National Bank

Punjab National Bank, India’s second-largest bank has celebrated its 128th Foundation Day on April 12, 2022.
On the occasion of foundation day, MD & CEO of PNB, Atul Kumar Goel has launched a cardless cash withdrawal service and a virtual debit card for its customers.
Bank also launched various services on its mobile app named PNB One for safe banking transactions.
PNB was established by the great freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai, proudly known as Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of Punjab) in 1894 as the First Swadeshi Bank after being influenced by the swadeshi movement.

(e-NAM) National Agriculture Market Completed 6 years

e-NAM marks the sixth anniversary of the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), a pan-India electronic trade network. To ease online trade of agricultural commodities, the flagship programme incorporates physical wholesale mandis and markets from several States and Union Territories.
The Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium is implementing e-NAM, which was launched on April 14th in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is completely funded by the Central Government.
The National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India electronic trading system that connects the existing APMC mandis to form a unified national agricultural commodities market. Under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare of the Government of India, the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the key agency for implementing eNAM.

Odisha CM unveils logo of 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has unveiled the logo of the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga stadium in the capital Bhubaneswar. To be held in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, the prestigious quadrennial tournament is scheduled from January 13 to 29.
Hockey India and its official partner Odisha will host the marquee event for the second consecutive time in the country after 2018. The 15th edition of the showpiece will be staged in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, where the country’s largest hockey stadium is being constructed.

Tamil Nadu beat Punjab in National basketball championship final

Tamil Nadu defeated defending champion Punjab 87-69 in the final to win the men’s title in the 71st Senior National Basketball Championship. The formidable Indian Railways team won the women’s title, beating Telangana 131-82 in convincing fashion, riding on Poonam Chaturvedi’s 26 points.

IIT Guwahati collaborated with NTPC to develop energy-efficient tech to capture CO2

The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, has teamed up with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to design and construct a highly energy-efficient CO2 collection system from power plants.
A research team led by Prof. Bishnupada Mandal, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, developed this indigenous technique, which could be copyrighted soon.
The oil, natural gas, and biogas industries, as well as petroleum refineries, will benefit from the project’s outputs.
It also has the potential to save India money in terms of foreign exchange.
This project will also assist and strengthen the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its research and education.
The pilot plant has been relocated to NTPC’s NETRA site following the successful completion of test investigations.

Puducherry LG inaugurated Beach Festival I Sea PONDY-2022

In the presence of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Lieutenant Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan opened the Puducherry first-ever Beach Festival I Sea PONDY-2022.
Gandhi Beach, Pondy Marina, and Sandunes of Paradise Beach in Puducherry will host the festival for four days.
During the festival, there will be a variety of cultural events and competitions.
Pondicherry (or Puducherry) was a French colonial settlement in India until 1954 and is currently a Union Territory town bordering the Tamil Nadu state in the southeast.
The French Quarter, with its tree-lined avenues, mustard-coloured colonial mansions, and stylish stores, preserves the city’s French heritage.