Daily Current Affairs, 24th April 2018

1)  National Panchayati Raj Day: 24 April

•The nation celebrates the National Panchayati Raj Diwas (24th Aril) as this date marks a defining moment in the history of decentralization of political power to the grassroots level. 

Activities of PM Modi on NPRD 2018:

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mandla in Madhya Pradesh on the National Panchayati Raj Day. He launched the Rashtriya Gramin Swaraj Abhiyan, at a public meeting, and addressed Panchayati Raj representatives across the country, from Mandla.

Background:

•The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24th April 1993 has institutionalized Panchayati Raj through the village, Intermediate and District level Panchayats. The impact of the 73rd Amendment in rural India is very visible as it has changed power equations irreversibly. Accordingly, the Government of India decided in consultation with the States to celebrate 24th April as National Panchayati Raj Day. Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises National Conference on 24th April every year to commemorate the National Panchayati Raj Diwas.

2)  Sushma Swaraj & Nirmala Sitharaman Attends SCO’s Meet In China

•Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) defence ministers’ and Foreign Ministers meeting in Bejing, China, respectively.

•It is a preparatory meeting related to upcoming summit of the SCO. The annual summit of the SCO, in which India is the latest entrant along with Pakistan, will take place in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June 2018.

3)  Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates 29th Road Safety Week In New Delhi

•Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the 29th Road Safety Week at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. He released a book named "Have a Safe Journey".

•The central government has increased the number of National Highways keeping in mind the traffic density and various other factors. Mr Gadkari has announced that India will sign a pact with South Korea for enhancing road safety measures.

4)  Sunderban Reserve Forest To Get Ramsar Site Status

•West Bengal government has given its approval to State Forest Department to apply for coveted Ramsar Site recognition under Ramsar Convention to Sunderban Reserve Forest. Now, State Forest Department through Central Government will apply to Ramsar Convention Secretariat.

•Once it is conferred Ramsar site status, Sundarbans Reserve Forest will be largest protected wetland in the country. There are currently 26 sites in India recognised as Ramsar wetland sites of international importance.

Important Facts About Sundarbans:

•Sundarbans is vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread across India and Bangladesh.

•It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres of area of which 60% is in Bangladesh and remaining in India. 

•It is located in the delta region of Padma, Meghna and Brahmaputra river basins. 

•It is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. 

•It was recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

•Sundarban forests are known for its self- Royal Bengal Tiger.

5)  EU, UN Co-Host Conference On Syria Aid

•The European Union and the United Nations co-chaired a two-day international conference in Brussels, Belgium aiming to pump financial aid for Syrians and garner political support for UN-led intra-Syrian talks.

•The conference will bring together participants from more than 85 countries and organisations at the ministerial level, as well as those from over 200 non-governmental organisations. It is the second conference of its kind since 2017.

6)  Canada, EU To Host World’s 1st Female Foreign Ministers Meeting

•Canada and the European Union will host the world’s first 2-Day female foreign ministers’ meeting in September 2018 in Canada. The announcement was made by the Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

•Female Foreign ministers from about 30 countries will be invited to the gathering, which is aimed at deepening global discussion on women’s empowerment.

7)  Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2018: Complete List Of Winners

•Dadahaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2018 honoured the individuals from the entertainment industry for their outstanding contribution towards the growth and development of cinema and/or television.

•Here's the complete list of the winners of the Dadahaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2018:

S.No.	Category	Winner
1.	Best actor (male)	Shahid Kapoor
2.	Best actor people's choice award	Ranveer Singh
3.	Entertainer of the year	Kartik Aryan
4.	Best actress (critics)	Aditi Rao Hydari
5.	Lifetime achievement award	Simi Garewal
6.	Pride of Indian cinema	Sanjay Dutt
7.	Path-breaking producer of the year	Anushka Sharma and Karnesh Sharma
8.	Best director	Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
9.	Outstanding performance male	Raj Kumar Rao, Rana Daggubati
10.	Outstanding performance female	Tamannahh Bhatia, Kriti Sanon
11.	Promising face of the year	Aahana Kumra
12.	Best actor (male) Marathi	Vaibhav Tatwawaadi
13.	Best actor (female) Marathi	Pooja Sawant
14.	Best fashion designer of the year	Sanjukta Dutta
15.	Socially conscious performance of the year	Rani Mukherjee
16.	Best comic role	Tusshar Kapoor
17.	Entertaining performance in reality show Bigg Boss	Hina Khan
18.	Best actress drama award	Jennifer Winget
19.	Best actor (male) Television	Karan Patel
20.	Best reality show judge	Shilpa Shetty
21.	Best talk show host	Karan Johar
22.	Best lyricist	Manoj Muntashir
23.	Best performance in a short film	Divya Khosla Kumar
24.	Iconic contribution towards music	Hans Raj Hans
25.	Comic performer of the year	Sumona Chakraborty
26.	Versatile singer	Rani Hazarika
27.	Social and business entrepreneur of the year	Jaya Misra